RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Rafael Nadal is taking it easy at the Rio Open, nursing a back injury and hoping it gets better. Discount Air Force 1 . No. 1-ranked Nadal defeated fellow Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver in his first-round match on Tuesday night, his first in more than three weeks after losing the Australian Open final to Stanislaw Wawrinka. Nadal was an overwhelming favourite in Australia to win his 14th Grand Slam title, but he picked up the back strain warming up and was never the same. "When one comes back from an injury in a short period of time, you can always feel a need to be cautious," he said. "I felt it (the back) a bit. But I hope things continue to improve day by day. Little by little the back will be strong again. Ill get used to the competition and the back wont keep me from playing future tournaments." The Spaniards next test is on Thursday against countryman Albert Montanes. "I had a problem from Australia," Nadal said. "I tried to work on it at home and Im back playing again. At the beginning one is a bit afraid coming back from a problem. Ive worked hard to try to come back." Nadal was sidelined for much of the 2012 season with a left knee injury. He used the Latin American clay-court circuit as his testing ground for the knee early in 2013. It went OK. He won the French and US Open. Hes at it again early in 2014 with his back, reminding some that Nadals big swings and aggressive play may be taking a toll on his 27-year-old body. Nadal said after Tuesdays match -- his 800th -- that hed played better than hed practiced. "Of course there are aspects of the game I have to improve," he said. "Its been a long time since Ive played on the surface (clay), so Its normal to return without the best feeling." Cheap Jordan 1 Australia . The Canadian tennis players first full season on the WTA Tour was a strong one. She has risen to No. 32 in the world rankings and will likely be seeded at the first Grand Slam event of the 2014 season. Air Jordan 1 Outlet . -- Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run homer, Colby Rasmus drove in two runs and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Detroit Tigers 9-4 on Saturday.While Canada once again had a heavy presence in the first ten picks of the Draft, Torontonians continued a little streak of their own. Once again a Toronto kid goes higher in the NBA draft than the NHL draft. 3 years in a row now. — David Krikst (@MyManDK) June 27, 2014 Dont feel too bad though Leafs nation, your first overall pick looks primed and ready to take to the throne. But who do you think will look better on their rookie card, William, or his father Michael Nylander? New King in Kings Landing pic.twitter.com/m9HYl1wGnP — Mike Richards (@MikeRichardsTSN) June 28, 2014 Michael Nylander looked like this on his draft day pic.twitter.com/oRfZF5YyY6 — BarDown (@BarDown) June 28, 2014 A few members of the media, and even one NHL franchise pointed out what we were all thinking when it came to the first round picks. Air Max 95 Outlet Australia. Between Katzs kid and Nylander, tonights draft should by brought to you by Pantene. — Bob Mackowycz (@BobMackowycz) June 28, 2014 The Leafs take a Swede! With swashbuckling hair! — Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) June 28, 2014 Forget #IKEA. Swedens best export? Great hair … We mean, #IKEA. Definitely #IKEA. #AvsDraft pic.twitter.com/bcCar050uT — Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 28, 2014 Some of the coolest things about the Draft happen behind the scenes, like 13th Overall pick Jakub Vrana, receiving a phone call from new teammate, Alex Ovechkin. ' ' '
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