INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) -- Rafael Nadal, playing singles for the first time in six weeks, advanced to the third round of the BNP Paribas Open with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Argentina's Leonardo Mayer on Sunday.
Nadal had not played since losing to top-ranked Novak Djokovic in a nearly 6-hour marathon final at the Australian Open on Jan. 29. The Spaniard was in control throughout the match with Mayer, who fell to 0-8 in his career against top 10 opponents.
Nadal will play countryman Marcel Granollers in the third round and has a potential semifinal date with Roger Federer, who was scheduled to play Sunday night.
On the women's side, top-ranked Victoria Azarenka of Belarus got little resistance from Svetlana Kuznetsova, beating the Russian 6-1, 6-2.
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