WINNING RETURN TO THE COURT FOR NADAL

Rafael Nadal secured a straight-sets victory over Ricardas Berankis at the Melbourne Summer Set as the Spanish tennis star played his first competitive singles match in five months.

Twenty-time grand slam winner Nadal saw off Lithuania’s Berankis 6-2 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open warm-up competition.

The 35-year-old, who had been out of competitive action since August due to a foot injury, had made his return in the doubles earlier in the week, partnering Jaume Munar in a win against Argentina’s Sebastian Baez and Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

Nadal – who will face Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor in the last eight – tested positive for coronavirus in December after playing in an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi, and regarding that, he said: “I have been going through very challenging times for four or five days.

“They’ve been tough and after that I felt so tired. I had to be on the bed for a couple of days without having the chance to move much because I was very sick with fever, and one of the toughest symptoms that I had in my life in terms of flu.

“Then when my PCR was negative, I decided to come here as soon as possible because that’s in my opinion the better way mentally and physically to try to recover and to be ready and to adapt myself to the conditions here in Australia.”

● Great Britain are out of the ATP Cup despite finishing their Group C matches with victory over the United States.

Dan Evans and Jamie Murray had kept Britain in with a chance of making the semi-finals of the Sydney event as they battled back from a set and a break down against US pair Taylor Fritz and John Isner to triumph 6-7 (3-7) 7-5 10-8.

That secured the British team a 2-1 victory in the tie and left them needing Germany to win their later tie against Canada in order to advance.

But wins for Denis Shapovalov over Janlennard Struff (7-6 (7-5) 4-6 6-3) and then Felix Auger-aliassime against Alexander Zverev (6-4 4-6 6-3) saw the Canadians set up a meeting with Russia.