Rafael Nadal (Photo : Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal will attempt to carry his impressive win when he meets Marcos Baghdatis in the second round of the Australian Open 2017 in Melbourne Park.
After ending last season sidelined because of a recurring left wrist injury, Nadal is back on the tennis scene fully fit again, displaying a masterful victory over Germany's Florian Mayer in the first round of the Australian Open. Nadal did not show any troubles on serve as he proved too much for the German veteran with a 6-3 6-4 6-4 win on Tuesday.
"It was great to be back on the big stadium and I felt the support of the people, the love of the people," Nadal said. "That is something that is very special for me. I am happy with the way I am playing. I had good weeks of practice and it's never easy in the first round. It's always little bit more nerves at the beginning."
Nadal, who entered the first Grand Slam event of the year as the world No. 9, will next face Baghdatis, who advanced in to Round of 64 after Russia's Mikhail Youzhny retired hurt in the second set of their first round match.
Nadal leads Baghdatis by 8-1 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head matchup, with the King of Clay winning their last two meetings. Their most recent outing was in 2015 at the Stuttgart Open, where Nadal defeated the Cypriot in a thrilling three-setter.
The winner between Nadal and Baghdatis will face either next generation player Alexander Zverev or unseeded American Frances Tiafoe. Zverev staged a come-from-behind win against French Robin Haase, winning the final two sets to cap off their battle with a 6-2 3-6 5-7 6-3 6-2 victory, while Tiafoe upset Mikhail Kukushkin, 6-1 6-7(3) 6-3 6-2.
Live streaming info and score updates
Watch Australian Open 2017 Rafael Nadal vs Marcos Baghdatis live via AusOpen.com or Watch ESPN. Live scores will be available during game days at the Australian Open's official website.
