RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Rafael Nadal is taking it easy at the Rio Open, nursing a back injury and hoping it gets better. No. 1-ranked Nadal defeated fellow Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver in his first-round match on Tuesday night, his first in more than three weeks after losing the Australian Open final to Stanislaw Wawrinka. Nadal was an overwhelming favourite in Australia to win his 14th Grand Slam title, but he picked up the back strain warming up and was never the same. "When one comes back from an injury in a short period of time, you can always feel a need to be cautious," he said. "I felt it (the back) a bit. But I hope things continue to improve day by day. Little by little the back will be strong again. Ill get used to the competition and the back wont keep me from playing future tournaments." The Spaniards next test is on Thursday against countryman Albert Montanes. "I had a problem from Australia," Nadal said. "I tried to work on it at home and Im back playing again. At the beginning one is a bit afraid coming back from a problem. Ive worked hard to try to come back." Nadal was sidelined for much of the 2012 season with a left knee injury. He used the Latin American clay-court circuit as his testing ground for the knee early in 2013. It went OK. He won the French and US Open. Hes at it again early in 2014 with his back, reminding some that Nadals big swings and aggressive play may be taking a toll on his 27-year-old body. Nadal said after Tuesdays match -- his 800th -- that hed played better than hed practiced. "Of course there are aspects of the game I have to improve," he said. "Its been a long time since Ive played on the surface (clay), so Its normal to return without the best feeling." Ibraheim Campbell Texans Jersey . Patty Mills had 20 points, Tim Duncan had 11 points and 13 rebounds in limited action, and San Antonio rolled to a 110-82 victory over Milwaukee that kept the Bucks winless in the new year. Tyrann Mathieu Jersey . Schaub will start for an injured Case Keenum and try to help the Texans end a 12-game skid. Schaubs last action in Houston came when he took over late in a game against Oakland on Nov. 17 as Keenum was struggling. http://www.officialauthentictexansstore....ins-jersey.html. A knee to the thigh might have stung him the most, but his sixth straight double-double made up for the brief burst of pain. Sammie Coates Texans Jersey . -- Packers cornerback Tramon Williams has been fined $26,250 for contact with an official, per NFL guidelines. Sammie Coates Jersey . Seriously. Seven years of losing has brought many different faces, players and management, to the annual pre-season get-to-know-the-team round up.The St. Louis Blues have lost Vladimir Sobotka to the KHL. TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com is reporting Sobotka has signed with Omsk of the KHL. Sobotka had nine goals and 33 points in 61 games for the Blues last season. The 27-year-old has 35 goals and 123 points in 381 career NHL games, spent split between the Blues and Boston Bruins. Sobotka was a restricted free agent. Meanwhile Steve Ott, acquired by& the Blues from the Buffalo Sabres as part of the Ryan Miller trade last season, has signed a two-year, $5.dddddddddddd2 million deal to stay with the team. In 23 games with the Blues last season, Ott recorded three assists and 37 penalty minutes. He had nine goals and 23 points all of last season. The 31-year-old has 103 goals and 267 points in 696 career games spent with the Blues, Sabres, and Dallas Stars. Cheap Jerseys Store Jerseys NFL Cheap Cheap NFL Black Jerseys China Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale Jerseys Camo China NFL Jerseys ' ' '