Nadal back in business with first win in nearly a year

By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp

Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal on Tuesday returned to the tennis court with his first win in 349 days.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion beat Austrian Dominic Thiem 7-5 and 6-1 in the Brisbane International Men's Singles Round of 32.

After about 90 minutes on court, Nadal said: "Today is honestly an emotional and important day for me after probably one of the toughest years of my tennis career, without a doubt."

Nadal, 37, suffered from a serious hip injury that resulted in an 11-month absence from the game.

The Brisbane International, established in 2009, is an annual tennis tournament held in Australia, just before the first Grand Slam tournament of the season, the Australian Open.