Montreal - Rafael Nadal ended his long injury exile from tennis Wednesday night in dramatic style as he played his first match since May 31, winning 4-3 into the third round of the Montreal Masters as opponent David Ferrer quit with a knee injury. Nadal's comeback had been billed as a test by fire for the number two who missed Wimbledon and was forced to rest by doctors for nearly two-and-a-half months.
But it was fellow Spaniard Ferrer who had the troubles, the unseeded opponent arriving at the court with a knee taping, which was twice seen by the trainer during the brief 36-minute encounter.
Nadal broke in the opening game thanks to a pair of Ferrer double- faults, but the crowd favourite from Mallorca then saved six break points before losing serve in a lengthy fourth game.
He broke back in what was to be the final set of the match to take away the unsatisfying result
Nadal will play Thursday against German opposition in the form of Philipp Petzschner, who beat Spain's Tommy Robredo 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-4).
"I'm very sorry it had to end like this," said Nadal. "Philipp is a very strong player and I will have to play well to beat him. But I'm here to do that this week."
Spaniards Fernando Verdasco and Juan Carlos Ferrero reached the third round with straight-set wins.
Tenth-seeded Verdasco beat Argentine Leonardo Mayer 6-1, 6-1, while the 29-year-old Ferrero continued a four-month run of form by eliminating French 13th seed Gael Monfils 6-3, 7-6 (9-7).
Fifth seed Andy Roddick and number six Juan Del Potro, finalist and winner at the weekend in Washington, resumed their pre-US Open campaigns. Two-time Canadian champion Roddick defeated Igor Andreev 6-1, 7-6 (7-3) and Del Potro stopped Czech Jan Hernych 6-2, 7-5.
"I felt okay," said Roddick, who complained about the change of balls between one event and the next heading into the August 31 start of the Grand Slam.
"It's always a little different getting used to kind of the sight lines and the conditions and stuff. Not perfect, but obviously I'll take the win."
Spain's Ferrero, the 2003 Roland Garros champion and former number one, has now won 20 matches since April also lifting his first title on clay since 2003 at Casablanca in the spring.
Ferrero has posted 30 wins on the season and next faces third seed Andy Murray on Thursday.
The Scot is duelling to try and seize the number-two ranking behind Roger Federer from Nadal, but must advance farther than the four-time French Open champion this week in Montreal.
France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the seventh seed, overcame German Rainer Schuettler in a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 struggle. Schuettler went down saving 10 of 12 break points including six in one third-set game.
Swiss Stan Wawrinka won into his second ATP match this season against good friend Roger Federer with a 7-5, 6-4 defeat of Andrey Golubev 7-5, 6-4.
