Djokovic Welcomes Back Longtime Rival Nadal After His First Win In 12 Months

Novak Djokovic was most pleased to see his longtime rival Rafael Nadal back on the tennis court and win.

Nadal made a triumphant return in singles on his first outing in 12 months at the Brisbane International when he defeated Dominic Thiem in front of a soldout Pat Rafter Arena on Tuesday night.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion played at a surpsingly high level throughout to win 7-5, 6-1. After a tight opening set that lasted 56 minutes, Nadal manufactured the first break points of the match at 6-5 up and converted on his fourth chance to win the set.

A deflated Thiem was no match for Nadal's pure ball striking, with the Spaniard not facing a single break point in the match. He won an impressive 90% first-serve points and was dominant from the baseline without committing too many errors.

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From one all-time tennis great to another, Djokovic acquitted himself with class by welcoming Nadal back on the circuit with a cheerful message on Instagram. Clearly, the Serb had taken a keen interest in the proceedings from his hotel room.

Even Nadal's coach, Carlos Moya, who had set a timeline of up to four months before tennis fans could witness the best of Nadal again, was ecstatic by what he saw from his charge, adding that the level was "very good" in a post-match interview.

Nadal, who spent the second half of last season recovering from hip surgery, was painstakingly working on his fitness and match sharpness during the tennis off-season, playing with a slew of ATP players. That move has certainly helped him.

The 37-year-old wild card will face Australia's Jason Kubler on Thursday night in the second round. Even though Nadal will play a local favorite, he is still guaranteed to get a lion's share of support from the home fans.

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