Madrid Open 2022: Nadal wins comeback match; fans applaud King of Clay's return

Spanish ace Rafael Nadal beat Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic 6-1, 7-6 on Wednesday at the La Caja Magica in the Spanish capital to reach the third round of the Madrid Open 2022.

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Spanish ace Rafael Nadal, who returned to action after recovering from a rib injury, kick-started his clay-court campaign with a win in his opening clash at the Madrid Open. 

The 21-time Grand Slam champion beat Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic 6-1, 7-6 on Wednesday at the La Caja Magica in the Spanish capital to reach the third round.

After six weeks away, the 5-time Madrid Open champion made a fast start on his ATP Tour return winning the opening set 6-1 before rain suspended play.

In the second set, the battle dug deep. However, Nadal clinched the set, which went into a tie-breaker. After the one= hour and 55 minutes clash, fans of the Spaniard took to social media to express their joy upon seeing their favourite star back in action. "Vamos Rafa," said most fans who took to Twitter to celebrate this win.

The Spaniard, who bagged the Australian Open 2022, last competed in March, when American Taylor Fritz ended his perfect start to the season in the Indian Wells final.

The 'King of Clay' is aiming to win his sixth title on home soil in Madrid this week, having last triumphed at the clay-court event in 2017. If Nadal can accomplish the feat, he will move level with Novak Djokovic on a record 37 ATP Masters 1000 crowns. The third seed will next meet Marrakech champion David Goffin or Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in the last 16.