Rafael Nadal returned to action Thursday for the first time since his shock first-round exit from the Australian Open with a straight-sets win over Juan Monaco in the ATP Argentina Open. Defending Buenos Aires champion Nadal wasn't his sharpest self in the rematch of last year's final. He dropped his serve three times but broke Monaco in the final game of each set to emerge with a 6-4, 6-4 victory in one hour and 38 minutes. He set up a quarterfinal clash with Italy's Paolo Lorenzi, a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 winner over Diego Schwartzman. Monaco hadn't played a tournament since having right wrist surgery last August. But Nadal wasn't able to build much momentum against him. Monaco earned the first break of the second set en route to a 3-1 lead, and after breaking back for 3-3, Nadal was in trouble again with two double faults to trail 15-30 in the ninth game. He held on, sealing the game with a trademark forehand winner down the line to force Monaco to serve to extend the match. The Buenos Aires clay has proved fertile ground for Nadal in the past, and the 29-year-old world No. 5, owner of 14 Grand Slam titles, admitted when he sought a wild card for the tournament that he hoped he'd be able to get his 2016 campaign on track here. The year started for Nadal with a 6-1, 6-2 thrashing by Novak Djokovic in the final at Doha, which was followed by his 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 loss to fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in his first round in Melbourne — just the second first-round exit from a Grand Slam in his career. Venus in semis Top-seeded Venus Williams beat Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia 7-5, 6-2 Friday to advance to the semifinals of the Taiwan Open. Williams won seven of 10 break points against her unseeded opponent to set up a semifinal against third-seeded Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan. Putintseva won the first set 6-3 against Stefanie Voegele, after which the Swiss retired because of injury. In other matches, local favorite and sixth-seeded Hsieh Su-Wei breezed past Elizaveta Kulichkova of Russia 6-0, 6-2. Hsieh will face Japan's Misaki Doi who advanced when compatriot Kurumi Nara withdrew before the start of their match due to injury. Fritz shocks Johnson American teenager Taylor Fritz won the biggest match of his career Thursday night, beating second-seeded Steve Johnson 7-6 (5), 7-6 (7) in the second round of the Memphis Open. The 18-year-old Fritz, the US Open junior winner last year, advanced to the quarterfinals Friday against Germany's Benjamin Becker, a 6-2, 7-6 (6) winner over seventh-seeded John Millman of Australia. Third-seeded Donald Young was the only seeded player to survive Thursday, topping Marcel Granollers 6-1, 7-6 (2). Ricardes Berankis of Lithuania ousted No. 8 seed Damir Dzumhur of Boznia and Herzegovina 6-3, 6-4. Vinci, Ivanovic in semis Roberta Vinci survived a scare from Timea Babos of Hungary to reach the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy semifinals Friday. Vinci broke Babos when the latter was serving for the match in the deciding set, and bounced back from 4-2 down in the tiebreak to win 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (4). The second-seeded Vinci meets fourth-seeded Ana Ivanovic in the semifinals after the Serb beat Ukrainian qualifier Kateryna Kozlova 6-1, 7-5. Vinci, Ivanovic in semis Roberta Vinci survived a scare from Timea Babos of Hungary to reach the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy semifinals Friday. Vinci broke Babos when the latter was serving for the match in the deciding set, and bounced back from 4-2 down in the tiebreak to win 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (4). The second-seeded Vinci meets fourth-seeded Ana Ivanovic in the semifinals after the Serb beat Ukrainian qualifier Kateryna Kozlova 6-1, 7-5. Caroline Wozniacki was knocked out of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy by Dominika Cibulkova 6-4, 7-5 after a heated dispute with the umpire over a mistaken call. Wozniacki was 5-3 down in the second set when a Cibulkova shot was wrongly called out. Umpire Emmanuel Joseph overruled the call and awarded the point to Cibulkova instead of replaying it even though Wozniacki had clearly returned the ball in court Thursday. Cibulkova, the Australian Open losing finalist in 2014, next plays Darya Kasatkina in the quarterfinal after the 18-year-old Russian beat Laura Siegemund of Germany 6-3, 6-4. Mahut in semis In Rotterdam, French qualifier Nicolas Mahut continued his dream week at the Rotterdam World Tennis Friday with a 6-2, 6-1 thrashing of eighth seed Viktor Troicki to reach the semifinals. The 34-year-old will next face Slovakia's Martin Klizan who put out Spanish sixth seed Robert Bautista Agut 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (8-6), 6-0. Alexander Zverev battled for three hours Thursday to defeat third seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4) and make the Rotterdam ATP quarterfinals. World No. 70 Zverev, who can become the youngest player in the top 100 should he win the title Sunday, will face France's Gael Monfils for a semifinal spot. — Agencies
