Nadal happy to overcome fear after surgery with victory in comeback match

Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a shot in his match against Dominic Thiem of Austria during the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Rafa Nadal was elated to return to professional tennis on Tuesday after nearly a year on the sidelines but the Spaniard said recovering his confidence and natural movements on the court would take time.

Nadal marked his singles comeback after hip surgery with a 7-5 6-1 victory over Austrian former world number three Dominic Thiem in the Brisbane International first round, with the 22-times major winner showing he was far from done with the sport.