Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal made a dominant return to the court with victory over Denis Kudla in the Mexican Open first round.
Nadal beat the American 6-3 6-2 in his first match since claiming a men’s record 21st Grand Slam title in Melbourne last month.
The Spaniard has won all 11 of his matches this season. There were also wins in Acapulco for world number two Daniil Medvedev and British number one Cameron Norrie.
Medvedev, who lost to Nadal in the Australian Open final, beat France’s Benoit Paire 6-3 6-4.
The Russian could replace Novak Djokovic at the top of the world rankings depending on their respective results in Acapulco and Dubai. He will play Spain’s Pablo Andujar next, while Nadal faces American Stefan Kozlov.
Britain’s Norrie, who won the Delray Beach Open on Sunday, beat Daniel Altmaier of Germany 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 to set up a meeting with John Isner.
Meanwhile, Germany’s Alexander Zverev was withdrawn from the ATP 500 tournament in Acapulco, Mexico, for “unsportsmanlike conduct” after his doubles match, the men’s tour said on Wednesday.
Zverev, partnering Brazilian tennis player Marcelo Melo, came perilously close to hitting an umpire when he repeatedly assaulted the umpire’s chair with his racquet after a 6-2 4-6 (10-6) defeat to Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliövaara.
