Nadal looked like he had never been away in Bangkok

World number one Rafael Nadal marked his first appearance since completing a career Grand Slam at the US Open with a comfortable win in the Thailand Open.

The Spaniard, who has not played since beating Novak Djokovic at Flushing Meadows earlier this month, thrashed Belgian Ruben Bemelmans 6-1 6-4.

There was no such joy for compatriot Fernando Verdasco as the second seed was sent crashing by Benjamin Becker.

Verdasco rarely got going as German Becker reached the last eight 6-4 6-4.

It was a surprising reverse for the Spanish world number eight, though it always looked on the cards after a sluggish start saw him slip to a 4-0 first-set deficit.

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The 26-year-old briefly rallied but world number 65 Becker held on before some clinical work in the second wrapped up an impressive win.

"It was tough," said Verdasco. "I was practicing well but the match was different. He played yesterday one match and got more rhythm.

"He played better than me. He adapted better than me, he served well and didn't make many unforced errors. He deserved the victory more than me."

Meanwhile, Nadal's victory is his eighth in succession - and his first in Bangkok after a first-round bye.

World number 195 Bemelmans was overwhelmed from the start, failing to pick up a single point on Nadal's first serve in the opening set and faring only slightly better in the second with two.

In the end, despite showing admirable resolve in the second set, Bemelmans had no answer to Nadal's brilliance as the Spaniard made light of the quick surface to ease into the quarter finals.

Earlier, Serbian seventh-seed Viktor Troicki - runner-up last year - beat Finn Jarkko Nieminen 7-6 (7-4) 6-2.

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