Number 10 seed Rafael Nadal got his Wimbledon campaign off to a winning start this afternoon with a 6-4 6-2 6-4 first-round victory over Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci.
The Spaniard arguably found things tough going early on in the first set, but he soon showed his quality to achieve the game's first break with a standout backhand from the baseline to move 3-2 in front.
Nadal continued to improve in the first set and he gained another break at 5-2, before Bellucci rallied himself to break his opponent at 5-3, only for the Spaniard to bounce back and take the first 6-4 with an impressive forehand.
Bellucci failed to get off to a good start in the second as an error gave Nadal another break, leaving the 29-year-old to move further ahead with more commanding tennis that included a double break at 4-1, as the second set fell 6-2 in Nadal's favour.
Nadal had the second round in his sight, but Bellucci had other ideas early in the third having found himself a break up for the first time in the contest at 2-0.
Bellucci was unable to push on from his advantage, though, as Nadal came back strongly with another two breaks to take his decisive set 6-4 and seal progression into the next stage of the showpiece.
Christopher Dodd
