Rafael Nadal Comfortably Through To 2Nd Round Of Australian Open

World number six Rafael Nadal on Monday booked his place in the second round of the Australian Open.

The Spanish superstar defeated American player Marcos Giron 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in one hour and 49 minutes for his 70th match win at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena.

Nadal had not made appearances for five months due to a foot injury.

"It's been a very challenging few months … tough moments with a lot of doubts – there still are doubts," Nadal said on ausopen.com.

"But I am here and I can't be happier to be back in Australia in this amazing stadium," he added.

The 35-year-old has won 20 Grand Slams over the course of a glittering career, including 13 French Open titles, as well as a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. -