Rafael Nadal has dispelled lingering fitness concerns in dispatching local hope James Duckworth in straight sets in the opening round of the Australian Open.

Playing his first tour match since the 2018 US Open, the Spanish powerhouse won 6-4 6-3 7-5 in a match that lasted two hours and 15 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.

The second-seeded Nadal’s second-round opponent will be either another Australian, Matt Ebden, or Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.