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Agence France-Presse

Rafael Nadal barrelled through his opening match of the China Open on Tuesday as he seeks to redeem his injury-blighted season with a strong run in Beijing.
Nadal dropped just two games in beating 39th ranked Italian Paolo Lorenzi 6-1, 6-1, as top seed Andy Murray dismissed Andreas Seppi to book his place in the second round.
Fourteen-time grand slam champion Nadal is approaching the end of his second consecutive season without a major title since he won his first aged 19 at Roland Garros in 2005.
He has repeatedly fended off questions about his future since he was forced out of the French Open third round with a wrist injury that also saw him miss Wimbledon.
Watch: Rafael Nadal in action at the China Open


“When you get an injury for two months and-a-half in the middle of the season [it] is tough,” Nadal said.
“[There] remains a little bit to finish the season. Today is an important victory. There are points to try [to win] to qualify for the World Tour Finals.”
Top target: Andy Murray takes aim at Novak Djokovic’s number one ranking at China Open in Beijing
Nadal is currently eighth on the leaderboard for the London ATP Finals, which features the year’s top eight players, and needs to pick up some points in Beijing to ensure his qualification.
Until the wrist injury forced him off the court, Nadal had showed signs of a renaissance this year after his worst season as a professional in 2015, which saw him plummet to his lowest ranking in a decade.

But he has failed to get past the fourth round of any of the grand slams this year and just missed out on a bronze medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.
Nadal needed little more than an hour to beat Paolo Lorenzi, fending off two break points as he took time to get his serve under control in the first set.
‘I needed something that was not there’: Rafa Nadal vows to fight on after US Open shock
The 2005 China Open champion, seeded second in Beijing, improved his first service percentage from 42 to 85 in the second set.
Murray defeated Seppi 6-2, 7-5 after dropping serve once in the second set.

The world number two, who took over the number one seeding when Novak Djokovic withdrew from the tournament, is playing at the China Open for the third time after he reached the quarter-finals on his debut and then the semi-finals.
“I thought I did OK considering I hadn’t played much the past couple of weeks,” said Murray, who has been struggling with a shoulder injury. “But there was some good stuff in there. With each match, I’ll play better hopefully. No injuries. Felt fine. Just need matches now.”
In other matches, Alexander Zverev eliminated fourth-seeded Dominic Thiem 4-6, 6-1, 6-1; Jack Sock beat Chinese wild-card entry Zhang Ze 6-3, 7-5 and Canadian Milos Raonic beat Florian Mayer of Germany 6-4 7-6 (7-1).
 
Incredible Andy Murray wins second successive tennis Olympic gold after epic battle with Juan Martin Del Potro
Meanwhile on the women’s side, double Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova – fresh from her victory at the Wuhan Open last week – showed little mercy for home hope Wang Yafan, beating her 6-4, 6-1 to reach the round of 16.
But Zhang Shuai kept the home flag flying when she battled to victory against Alison Riske of the US 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4).
In a late match, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark continued her resurgence by beating Roberta Vinci of Italy 6-3, 6-2.


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Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal seeks redemption at China Open in Beijing after comfortable first-round win

Rafael Nadal at the China Open. Photo: AP

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning a point against Paolo Lorenzi of Italy during the first round of the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing on October 4, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / NICOLAS ASFOURI

Tennis - China Open Men's Singles First Round - Beijing, China - 04/10/16. Andy Murray of Great Britain plays against Andreas Seppi of Italy. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

Decline and fall: Rafael Nadal suffers another early Wimbledon exit

Dustin Brown, a 30-year-old German journeyman, sends Rafael Nadal packing in the second round at Wimbledon. Photo: Reuters

Rafael Nadal reacts to a missed point against Dustin Brown. Photo: AFP

Dustin Brown and Rafael Nadal shake hands at the net. Photo: AP

Another Day in Paradise: Injured Novak Djokovic advances and Rafael Nadal eases through at revamped US Open

Novak Djokovic returns against Jerzy Janowicz of Poland during their US Open. Photo: AFP

epa05514583 Garbine Muguruza of Spain receives medical treatment as she plays Elise Mertens of Belgium on the first day of the US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 29 August 2016. The US Open runs through September 11. EPA/JASON SZENES

Novak Djokovic of Serbia (R) greets Jerzy Janowicz of Poland after their 2016 US Open Men's Singles match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 29, 2016 in New York. / AFP PHOTO / DON EMMERT

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 29: Angelique Kerber of Germany acknowledges the crowd after her first round Women's Singles match victory over Polona Hercog of Slovenia during her first round Women's Singles match on Day One of the 2016 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 29, 2016 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Michael Reaves/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

Aug 29, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Rafael Nadal of Spain hits to Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan on day one of the 2016 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

In the air tonight: Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal (as well as Phil Collins) kick-off US Open

Reigning US Open tennis champions Flavia Pennetta (left) and Novak Djokovic. Photo: AP

FILE - In this Aug. 21, 2016, file photo, Angelique Kerber, of Germany, returns to Karolina Pliskova, of the Czech Republic, during the finals of the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament, in Mason, Ohio. The U.S. Open tennis tournament begins Monday, Aug. 29. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

Gold medallists Spain's Rafael Nadal (R) and Spain's Marc Lopez bite their medal on the podium of the men's doubles final tennis match at the Olympic Tennis Centre of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on August 12, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / JAVIER SORIANO

FILE - In this Aug. 2, 2016, file photo, the partially open new retractable roof allows a ribbon of light into Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. With the stadium now covered by a retractable roof, players such as defending champ Novak Djokovic wonder how it will affect conditions when it is closed. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

2016 Rio Olympics - Tennis - Preliminary - Men's Singles First Round - Olympic Tennis Centre - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 07/08/2016. Novak Djokovic (SRB) of Serbia in action against Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) of Argentina. REUTERS/Toby Melville FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS.

Best is still to come: Wimbledon champion Andy Murray sends out warning to Novak Djokovic

Britain's Andy Murray celebrates beating Canada's Milos Raonic. Photo: AFP

Novak Djokovic of Serbia gestures during a press conference, after being defeated by Sam Querrey of the U.S in their men's singles match on day six of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Saturday, July 2, 2016. (Joe Toth/Pool Photo via AP)

(160711) -- LONDON, July 11, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Andy Murray (L) of Britain and Milos Raonic of Canada react during the awarding ceremony for the men's singles event at the Championships Wimbledon 2016 in London, Britain, on July 10, 2016. Andy Murray won 3-0 in the final and claimed his second Wimbledon title. (Xinhua/Han Yan)

epa05418837 Andy Murray of Britain celebrates his win over Milos Raonic of Canada in the men's singles final of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 10 July 2016. EPA/ANDREW COULDRIDGE POOL EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO COMMERCIAL SALES

Sport

Tennis

The Spaniard won 6-1, 6-1 against Italian Paolo Lorenzi, while top seed Andy Murray records a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Andreas Seppi


Rafael Nadal seeks redemption at China Open in Beijing after comfortable first-round win

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The Spaniard won 6-1, 6-1 against Italian Paolo Lorenzi, while top seed Andy Murray records a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Andreas Seppi

The Spaniard won 6-1, 6-1 against Italian Paolo Lorenzi, while top seed Andy Murray records a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Andreas Seppi