Returning to court for a singles match after 349 days, Spanish champion Rafael Nadal made a winning start at Brisbane International beating Austria's Dominic Thiem in straight sets. Nadal suffered an injury last January before he got his left hip operated on in June and was out of action since then.
Rafael Nadal is set to face the 2022 US Open champion Dominic Thiem in the Round of 32 match at Brisbane International 2024 on Tuesday. Nadal is returning to action for the first time since his injury loss in the second round of the Australian Open in January 2023.
The second-ranked Pliskova is the first player, male or female, to win the Brisbane-based event three times after wins here in 2017 and last year.
The American won nine of 10 games in her mid-match recovery against the tournament's 2011 champion to beat Kvitova 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Naomi Osaka defated Kiki Bertens 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 while Petra Kvitova beat qualifier Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-2. Madison Keys got the better of fellow American Danielle Collins 6-4, 6-1.
Ashleigh Barty faced an upset in her first match of 2020 as she went down to America's Jennifer Brady in Brisbane International.
While Madison Keys won in straight sets, Naomi Osaka defeated Maria Sakkari 6-2 6-7 6-3 to enter the second round of Brisbane International.
Collins will play either Donna Vekic or qualifier Yulia Putintseva in the next round, and possibly 2011 U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur after that.
Barty went to a nearby animal shelter after she returned from the Fed Cup loss to France in Perth last November and donated money, because at that stage animals were the main casualties of the flames.
Defending Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka, who is on the other side of the draw, has a first-round match against Maria Sakkari.
Maria Sharapova hasn't played since a first round loss to career-long rival Serena Williams at the US Open in August.
Kei Nishikori defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-4 3-6 6-2 while Karolina Pliskova got the better of Lesia Tsurenko 4-6 7-5 6-2 to win the men's singles and women's singles Brisbane International titles respectively.
Murray, a three-time major champion, recovered a service break in the first set and was in the match at 5-5 until Medvedev won six straight games.
It was a fourth title for the enigmatic 22-year-old Australian, and his first since 2016.
Pliskova opened last season with a victory in Brisbane and rose to the No. 1 ranking in July before finishing 2017 at the number four spot.
The five-time finalist withdrew from the Australian Open on Thursday, two days after pulling out of a tuneup event in Brisbane before his first match.
De Minaur pressured Raonic with his relentless service returns, made just one unforced error and only dropped serve once — when serving for the match at 5-2 — en route to the biggest win of his career.
With a hard earned win against compatriot Matthew Ebden, the fiery Australian has set up a quarterfinal clash against former Brisbane International runner-up Alexandr Dolgopolov, who beat Horacio Zeballos 6-1, 6-2 in the second round.
Muguruza lasted three games in the third set before being stopped by the cramps after almost 2 ½ hours in humid conditions on Pat Rafter Arena, giving Aleksandra Krunic a 5-7, 7-6 (3), 1-2 retired, victory.
Murray was seeded No. 2 in Brisbane, where he'd been expecting to play his first competitive match since a quarterfinal loss at Wimbledon.
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