ODENSE, Denmark — Rafael Nadal beat Mikael Toregaard 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 to give Spain a 1-0 lead over Denmark in their Davis Cup relegation playoff on Friday.
Nadal returned to Davis Cup tennis after a two-year absence for the Group 1 match and secured his 22nd consecutive win in the competition.
The 909th-ranked Toregaard failed to convert any of his three break points in the first set, which he then surrendered to the Spaniard with a double-fault on the indoor hard court.
Nadal slowly improved the accuracy of his serve, even though the Dane hit some precise backhand shots to push the Spaniard.