SAO PAULO (AP) — Rafael Nadal beat Joao Souza 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the Brazil Open, the Spanish star’s second tournament since returning from a left knee injury.
Nadal broke Souza’s service late in each set to win in 1 hour, 18 minutes at the indoor clay-court tournament in South America’s biggest city.
The victory over the 140th-ranked Brazilian came a day after Nadal withdrew from the doubles tournament to preserve the sore knee that sidelined for seven months. The 11-time Grand Slam winner, the tournament champion in 2005, had a bye in the first round.
Nadal will face Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq, a 7-6 (7), 6-4 winner over eighth-seeded Albert Ramos of Spain.
