World No. 3 Rafael Nadal made an impressive return to competition after an Australian Open quarterfinal loss, dispatching Brazil’s Thomaz Bellucci 6-4, 6-1 on Tuesday at the ATP Rio Open.
Defending champion Nadal needed only 91 minutes to advance to a second-round match-up against Spanish compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta.
Important results: ATP & WTA Rio Open: First round: Men: Rafael Nadal bt Thomaz Bellucci 6-4, 6-1; Pablo Cuevas bt Nicolas Almagro 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, David Ferrer bt Daniel Gimeno-Traver 6-4, 6-3; Martin Klizan bt Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 0-6, 6-4; Federico Delbonis bt Diego Schwartzman 6-7(8), 7-6(6), 2-1 retd; Blaz Rola bt Leonardo Mayer 4-6, 7-6(3), 4-1 retd; Joao Souza bt Facundo Argueello 6-2, 6-1; Juan Monaco bt Santiago Giraldo 6-3, 3-0 retd; Pablo Andujar bt Paolo Lorenzi 3-6, 6-0, 6-3; Fabio Fognini bt Jiri Vesely 1-6, 7-6(7), 6-1; Pablo Carreno bt Carlos Berlocq 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-0; Albert Montanes bt Maximo Gonzalez 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.
Women: Sara Errani bt Teliana Pereira 6-3, 6-3; Paula Ormaechea bt Sara Sorribes 6-4, 6-4; Dinah Pfizenmaier bt Estrella Cabeza 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4; Veronica Cepede bt Paula Gonsalves 6-2, 7-5; Roberta Vinci bt Lucie Hradecka 7-6(4), 6-3; Julia Glushko bt Andreea Mitu 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4; Bethanie Mattek-Sands bt Danka Kovinic 6-4, 6-3; Beatriz Haddad Maia bt Maria Irigoyen 6-1, 6-1.
ATP Delray Beach Open: First round: Steve Johnson bt Mikhail Kukushkin 6-3, 4-1 retd; Bernard Tomic bt Malek Jaziri 6-3, 6-3; Andrey Rublev bt Dudi Sela 6-4, 1-6, 6-3; Viktor Troicki bt Stephane Robert 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-1; Thanasi Kokkinakis bt Filip Krajinovic 6-2, 6-3; Alejandro Gonzalez bt Sam Querrey 3-6, 2-1 retd; Adrian Mannarino bt Eric Quigley 6-4, 6-4; Yoshihito Nishioka bt Igor Sijsling 7-5, 6-1; Tim Smyczek bt Stefan Kozlov 7-5, 6-2; Donald Young bt Ivan Dodig 7-5, 7-5; Lu Yen-Hsun bt Sam Groth 6-7(6), 7-6(5), 6-4; Kevin Anderson bt John-Patrick Smith 6-3, 6-3; Marinko Matosevic bt John Isner 6-4, 6-4.
ATP Marseille Open: First round: David Goffin bt Jerzy Janowicz 6-4, 6-2.
WTA Dubai Open: Third round: Carla Suarez Navarro bt Petra Kvitova 6-3, 4-6, 6-3; Karolina Pliskova bt Ana Ivanovic 6-2, 4-6, 6-4; Flavia Pennetta bt Angelique Kerber 6-2, 3-6, 6-1; Lucie Safarova bt Venus Williams 6-4, 6-2; Ekaterina Makarova bt Zarina Diyas 6-3, 6-4; Garbine Muguruza bt Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 6-2.
