Nadal delighted to progress after comeback despite not being at his best

RAFAEL NADAL battled back from a set down to qualify for the second round of the Italian Open with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, win over Zizou Bergs in Rome.

Nadal, looking to win the tournament for a record-extending 11th time but first since 2021, broke Bergs first but the 24-year-old

Belgian qualifier hit back to claim the opening set and threaten an upset against the clay-court king.

But Nadal’s quality prevailed and the 37-year-old Spaniard eased to victory in two hours and 54 minutes and book a second-round meeting with Hubert Hurkacz.

Nadal, who has said on several occasions that this is likely to be his final season on tour, admitted he had not been at his best but was delighted to progress.

He said: “That was not my best match. I was practicing better than I played but I found a way to win and that is important at the beginning of the tournament.

“I didn’t play much tennis for the last two years, some ups and downs but I think I can do it much better than what I did today.

“It’s always emotional to play here and the most important in my tennis career. The crowd has been important for me so super excited to play one more time here.”

Britain’s Jack Draper joined Nadal in the second round after overcoming Croatia’s Borna Coric 7-5, 6-1.

Draper, who will next face defending champion Daniil Medvedev said: “It was good all round. I served great, moved really well. Return was good. I tried to be aggressive when I could. I thought Borna played excellent in the first set. It was tough, we were both going at each other.

Then I think my quality was good enough and I won a lot of those tight points to get through.”