Nadal overpowers Kubler to reach Brisbane quarters

Spain’s Rafael Nadal celebrates victory after his men’s singles match against Jason Kubler of Australia at the Brisbane International Tennis Tournament in Brisbane on January 4, 2024. (Photo by William WEST / AFP) /

Rafael Nadal continued his impressive comeback by overpowering wildcard Jason Kubler 6-1, 6-2 to move into the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International on Thursday.

Playing his first tournament since being forced to retire injured at the 2023 Australian Open, Nadal was far too strong for the Australian, who did not have the shots to harm the Spaniard.

The 37-year-old Nadal, who beat former US Open champion Dominic Thiem in the first round, powered through the first set, opening a 5-0 lead before Kubler finally held serve to get on the board.

The second set was almost as impressive as Nadal wrapped up the match in 1hr 23min.

He will play another Australian, Jordan Thompson, in the quarter-finals and remains on track for a possible semi-final against second seed Grigor Dimitrov.

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