Player Rafael Nadal has booked his place in the quarter-finals of the tournament, where he will face Australian Jordan Thompson.
Nadal had missed the singles competition for nearly a year due to a thigh injury that required surgery before heading to court in Australia.
Nadal said in his interview on the court: “I think I started the match very well and with very good determination.” “I watched videos of Jason before the game and saw him playing very aggressive from the baseline, so I came on the court and tried to be aggressive with my shots from the baseline.
“It went very well. I think it was a very positive game for me and the opportunity to play again tomorrow means a lot to me. “Getting two wins after being on the pro tour for so long makes me feel good.”
Nadal has now won 10 of his previous 11 tour-level matches against Australian opponents.
Nadal added: “I need matches, I need health, I need to continue training well, and of course the last two matches here helped, and even the doubles on the first day.
Of course, the wins and the hours I spent on the field help me. For me, every day that I have the opportunity to play is great news, so I’m happy about that, happy that I’m back after a long time and I feel competitive. Let’s see how far I can go.