Top-ranked Rafael Nadal downed Colombian Santiago Giraldo 6-4, 6-4 to reach the second round of the Japan Open on Tuesday.
Nadal, coming off a surprise loss in the semifinals of the Thailand Open on Saturday, had to work hard for the victory in his Japan debut.
"I started a few games love-30," said Nadal. "He played well. He was very aggressive. My serve was the worst it has been in the last 10 or 11 games and I was a little more tired than usual and not focused on every point."
In the Thailand Open, Nadal lost to fellow Spaniard and eventual champion Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.
Nadal next faces Canadian qualifier Milos Raonic in the second round. Raonic beat France's Florent Serra 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
"I lost against him in doubles in Toronto," Nadal said. "He can play very well from the baseline and has a good serve so I have to be aggressive against him."
Second-seeded Andy Roddick downed Japanese wild card Tatsuma Ito 6-4, 6-3 to open his first tournament since the U.S. Open.
Roddick dominated Ito with a powerful serve and topped the match in Ariake Colosseum with his eighth ace.
"It felt like a match coming off a long layoff," Roddick said. "There were some good things, some inconsistent things. Since New York, I've been trying to get in physical shape and I've been able to do that."
Roddick will next face the winner between Frenchmen Jeremy Chardy and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
Elsewhere, Serbian Viktor Troicki defeated Japan's Kei Nishikori 6-4, 6-2.
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com