MELBOURNE: Top-seeded Rafael Nadal didn’t show any side effects from a right knee injury that sidelined him at the end of last season, beating Victor Estrella Burgos 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 in a first-round match.
Nadal, who won the French Open and US Open last year, lost in last year’s final here to Roger Federer.
The Spanish lefthander has only lost in the first round at two Grand Slam singles tournaments — to Steve Darcis at Wimbledon in 2013, and to Fernando Verdasco in Melbourne in 2016.
Nadal will play Leonardo Mayer in the second round on Wednesday. Mayer beat Nicolas Jarry 6-2, 7-6 (1), 6-3 earlier Monday.
Nadal a straight-sets winner at Australian Open
-
{{#bullets}}
- {{value}} {{/bullets}}