Nadal through at Indian Wells

Rafael Nadal has secured his first competitive win on a hard surface since returning from injury after defeating Ryan Harrison in straight sets at Indian Wells.

The Spaniard returned to tennis in February after a seven-month absence due to problems with his knee. Before Indian Wells, he had been focusing on clay court action, fearing that his knee would not be able to hold up on a harder surface.

Nadal's 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 second-round win against Harrison has allayed some of these fears but he admits that there is still room for improvement, particularly as he lost three consecutive games to squander a 4-1 lead in the first set before bouncing back in a tie-break.

He said: "My physical performance needs to improve. My movements need to improve.

"I am satisfied to be in the next round. That's the most important thing.

"Two weeks ago I didn't really know if I would be here playing. I am happy to be here. It was a good victory against a good opponent."

Nadal is seeded fifth at the tournament and received a bye in the first round. He will be hoping to secure his third title at Indian Wells, which he is 8.50 to achieve. However, he will be taking it one game at a time and will now face Leonardo Mayer in round three. Nadal is 1.05 to win, while Mayer is 11.00.

Meanwhile, the first major shock at Indian Wells saw fourth seed David Ferrer crash out of the tournament after losing 3-6 6-4 6-3 to the unseeded South African Kevin Anderson. There was no such trouble for second-seed Roger Federer though, who beat Denis Istomin 6-2 6-3.