10 August,2016 11:35 AM IST | | IANS
Spanish great Rafael Nadal beat Italy's Andreas Seppi 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the round of 16 in the Rio 2016 Olympic tennis tournament
Spain's Rafael Nadal reacts after scoring during his men's second round singles tennis match against Italy's Andreas Seppi at the Olympic Tennis Centre of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Pic/AFP
Rio de Janeiro: Spanish great Rafael Nadal beat Italy's Andreas Seppi 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the round of 16 in the Rio 2016 Olympic tennis tournament.
Spain's Rafael Nadal reacts after scoring during his men's second round singles tennis match against Italy's Andreas Seppi at the Olympic Tennis Centre of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Pic/AFP
His win followed losses earlier on Tuesday by compatriots David Ferrer, Carla Suarez and GarbiAe Muguruza that left Nadal -- the gold medalist at the 2012 London Games -- as Spain's only option for a medal in singles play, reports Efe.
The Olympics mark Nadal's return to competition after a two-month hiatus due a wrist injured that forced him to withdraw from the French Open.
World No. 5 Nadal jumped out to a 3-0 lead over the 71st-ranked Italian, who hasn't won a tournament since 2012, and rolled to a fairly easy victory.
Rafa's next opponent will be Gilles Simon of France, who beat Japan's Yuichi Sugita 7-6 (3), 6-2.
