"I managed it very well" - Nadal on first win since March

After six weeks away, Rafael Nadal made an emphatic return to the ATP Tour Wednesday at the Mutua Madrid Open, moving past Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic 6-1, 7-6(4) to reach the third round.

The Spaniard last competed in March, when American Taylor Fritz ended his perfect start to the season in the Indian Wells final. In his first match back, Nadal looked as if he didn't skip a beat in a straight-sets win over Kecmanovic.

He said:

“Every comeback is different. We had to put all circumstances together to analyse every single comeback, and today has been a very important match for me, playing at home on clay against a player that has been playing well for the past couple of months.

He added:

“So [if you] put everything together [it is] a very tough first round. I think I managed it very well. I played at a good level, so [I am] very pleased with the victory. I just try to stay humble to know things [are] not going to be perfect here and just moving forward with the right determination, to accept that I need to fight, I need to stay positive. I need to play with the right attitude, and take every single match that I'm able to win like a present to play another time here.”