Nadal books third-round berth
Nadal is projected to face second seed and defending champion Roger Federer in the quarter-finals.
INDIAN WELLS (AFP) - Rafael Nadal made a triumphant return to hard-court tennis on Saturday, beating Ryan Harrison 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 in his second-round opener at the Indian Wells ATP Masters.
Nadal came back from a seven-month injury layoff in February with three clay-court tournaments in Latin America. He reached the final in Vina del Mar, Chile, and won the titles in Sao Paulo and Acapulco.
But he hadn't played a hard-court match in 346 days -- stretching back to his withdrawal prior to the semi-finals at Miami last March with tendinitis in his left knee -- the same damaged knee that caused his lengthy absence from competition.
The former world No.1 and 11-time Grand Slam champion, seeded fifth, advanced to a third-round meeting with Argentina's Leonardo Mayer, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over 30th-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny.
Nadal is projected to face second seed and defending champion Roger Federer in the quarter-finals.
