Rafael Nadal made a triumphant return to the ATP Tour with a straight-sets win over Dominic Thiem in Brisbane on Monday night.
The Spaniard finished as a lukewarm favorite against Thiem in Nadal's first match in 349 days, but oddsmakers have Nadal at -650 to advance to the round of 16 against Queensland's Jason Kubler. It was such a convincing performance that he was on the money line.
Rafael Nadal vs Jason Kubler predictions
(3:30 a.m. ET)
Nadal's 7-5, 6-1 victory over Thiem featured a number of vintage moments, but one of the most notable came in the second set, when Thiem's That was when I broke the service.
But it's important not to get too wrapped up in one performance, especially since his opponents were also fighting back from numerous injuries.
These odds suggest Nadal will easily surpass Kubler on Wednesday night, but it's natural to wonder how easy things will be for the 22-time Grand Slam champion.
A healthy Kubler, playing in front of his home crowd, should be more resilient against Nadal than he saw in Thiem's match on Monday night.
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In fact, when he was a junior world number one player, Kubler was nicknamed the “right-handed Rafa Nadal” because of their similar styles and willingness to crush opponents to win matches.
Kubler clearly couldn't live up to the reward, but the 30-year-old can put together some great tennis when healthy, and his ability to turn matches into physical contests makes him a difficult opponent for Nadal. It should be.
play: Jason Kubler +425 (BetMGM)
