Nadal’s rampant return

Rafael Nadal kept up his impressive return from injury by dispatching alexander Zverev of Germany in straight sets as Spain reached the davis Cup semi-finals in Valencia. Nadal, who had been sidelined since retiring in the quarter-finals of January’s australian Open with a hip problem, said: ‘Coming back from injuries is always difficult, but I feel comfortable on the clay.’ david ferrer sealed Spain’s 3-2 comeback win with a thrilling five-set victory over Philipp Kohlschreiber. He needed nearly five hours to win 7-6, 3-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-5.