Nadal wins on injury comeback at Barcelona Open

BARCELONA - Rafael Nadal made light work of Flavio Cobolli on a triumphant return from injury at the Barcelona Open on Tuesday.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion had not played an ATP Tour match since January but dispatched the Italian 6-2, 6-3 in one hour and 25 minutes to reach the second round.

Nadal, 37, was able to play on clay for the first time since winning the French Open in 2022 and showed flashes of his usual brilliance in a solid display.

"It was a good start -- when you return you can't get rid of the doubts in one day, above all, on a physical level," Nadal told TVE.

"Within what it could be, it was a good first round. He made mistakes and I think I played the game that I had to play."

Nadal who has triumphed at Roland Garros a record 14 times, is hoping to play there in May in what he expects to be the final year of his professional career.

The clay court king, who missed most of 2023 injured, will face Alex de Minaur on Wednesday after breezing past Cobolli.

"It will be at a speed that I don't know if I will be able to keep up with, but I'll try," Nadal said of facing the 11th-ranked De Minaur.

After a double fault to fall 30-0 behind Nadal found his rhythm, with Cobolli intimidated by the fervent support for the Spaniard on the court named after him.

Nadal converted his third break point in the fourth game for a 3-1 lead, with Cobolli surviving four more to hold at 4-2 down.

The 12-time Barcelona Open winner broke again to claim the set in 43 minutes, clenching his fist in celebration.

Cobolli handed Nadal a break for 2-0 in the second set with two more unforced errors but finally put some pressure on Nadal's serve in the third game to break back.

However Nadal broke again for 3-1 after Cobolli's third double fault and served it out to triumph.

The Spaniard did not produce any aces and his serve was effective but not explosive.

"I've gone months without being able to serve, (and) although I've got a lot of excitement to play here and do the best I can, I'm not going to go crazy with the serve," added Nadal.

"I have to serve with caution that the moment I'm in dictates... there are moments in which I feel more liberated and others in which I'm more careful."

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OSAKA WANTS TO PLAY AT PARIS OLYMPICS 'IF THEY LET ME'

TOKYO - Former world number one Naomi Osaka said she "would love to play" at this year's Paris Olympics if she is granted a spot by tennis chiefs.

The four-time Grand Slam champion may need to go through an appeals process to claim a place after failing to make a mandatory two appearances for Japan in the Billie Jean King Cup during the current Olympic cycle.

Osaka lit the cauldron at the opening ceremony of the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021, where she went on to make the third round.

She has since become a mother, returning to tennis late last year after a 15-month maternity break.

She told reporters in Tokyo after helping Japan qualify for the BJK Cup finals that she will play in Paris "if they let me".

"Growing up watching the Olympics on TV, I felt that it was a celebration of sport," she said.

"I thought it brought everyone together and just to be able to be an athlete there and interact with other athletes is one of the funnest things that I've ever done."

The 26-year-old said she "would hope that I get to play" at the Games.

"And if I do play, I have high ambitions of myself and I hope that I can do really well and get a medal," she said.

Osaka's world ranking has risen from 831 to 193 since she began her comeback, although she has not gone beyond the quarter-finals in six tournaments.

She said she intends to play "a full clay court season and probably a full grass court season" over the coming months. Source:  https://www.enca.com/sport/osaka-wants-play-paris-olympics-if-they-let-me
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