Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic pick up wins at Hurlingham

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic both kick-started their Wimbledon preparations with easy exhibition wins at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic.

Nadal showed no ill-effects after nerve treatment on the chronic foot problem that troubled him during his French Open triumph earlier this month as he beat Stan Wawrinka 6-2 6-3 at the Hurlingham Club in London.

Djokovic, in his first match since losing to Nadal in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, won 6-2 6-1 against Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Nadal, in his first match on grass since 2019, raced into a 5-1 lead after twice breaking Wawrinka’s serve in the opening set and sealed it 6-2 in 30 minutes.

Wawrinka, who returned to action in March after missing most of 2021 due to two foot operations, failed to convert a break point in the opening game of the second set and was soon 3-1 behind.

The Swiss three-time major winner broke Nadal’s serve in the fifth game, but the Spaniard was rarely troubled and wrapped up the match in just over an hour.

Six-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic was given a sterner challenge than the scoreline suggested against Auger-Aliassime.

The Serbian world number three broke the Canadian twice to take the first set 6-2 in 44 minutes.

Auger-Aliassime failed to trouble Djokovic’s serve in the second set and was broken three more times as the former world number one wrapped it up 6-1 in 28 minutes.