Grading Rafael Nadal's Hard-Court Form at 2013 Rogers Cup

Rafael Nadal's return to tennis after seven weeks was a quick 6-2, 6-0 thrashing of Jesse Levine at the 2013 Rogers Cup in Montreal on Wednesday.

Like Achilles strutting back to battle after his self-imposed exile, Nadal didn't miss a beat in brushing aside his overmatched competitor. While there was little drama as to the outcome of the match, there was nonetheless plenty to evaluate about Nadal's form.

The optimistic summary is as sunny as Nadal's bright yellow shirt and headband, and there was no tape wrapped around his knee. Still, he will have to iron out some issues in subsequent matches.

How do we grade his technical form on the road to bidding for the U.S. Open title? Read on to find out.

Forehand

As usual, Nadal demonstrated the difference between him and other contenders. He knows how to impose his style and force his methods onto a match. The forehand leads the way.

He was conservative for the most part here, but he did not have to gamble against his punchless opponent. He picked his spots and unloaded when necessary. He had good bite on his topspin, which sometimes swerved sideways like a dust devil. Given time, his forehand will be as lethal as ever.

In particular, he was effective when he turned on his forehand to pull it up the line from his deuce corner. It widened the court and put Levine in cement shoes.

Nadal was patient as well. He did not overtop more than a few balls, and only slightly late footwork cost him a little more consistency.

Grade: A-

Backhand

Nadal's backhand may determine just how much he will win on hard courts. For one match, it ranged from shaky to moderately respectable.

Early in the first set against Levine, Nadal rolled four of five backhands with weak, floating slice. It was usually short and something that a bigger hitter would have eaten for lunch.

Even worse, he labored when he was penned into a backhand. He strained hard to bend low but did not have as much power and precision in hitting through the ball. He was more apt to punch it back from a near-squatting position.

At one point, he bent low, came up and floated a ball well beyond the baseline. He winced at the effort, understanding he needed to improve here.

As the match progressed, he had a lead to play with and used it to sharpen this side. In the seventh and eighth games, he unleashed a couple of terrific backhands. The first set up a forehand winner, and the second was an up-the-line beauty that showed his polished side.

The second set was more of a walkover, but Nadal still showed inconsistencies with the backhand. Short balls are death against a better opponent, and depth is necessary to lengthen the court.

On one instance, Nadal had Levine on the ropes, and a solid topspin shot would have produced a winner or error. Instead, he sliced it, which allowed Levine to get back into the point and win it a few strokes later. Nadal needs to capitalize on these opportunities better.

But he did hit one excellent corner-to-corner backhand that had enterprising pace and depth. It was a great shot, but it could only be pulled off with the maximum angle and length.

Grade: C+

Serve

Nadal could have left his serve in the bag, and it would not have made a difference. Against a fellow left-hander, he varied from his usual patterns of going out wide on the ad court.

He found it easy to throw in wide serves to the deuce court and watch Levine flail with a kind of half-block attempt. It was like taking candy from a baby.

It will be interesting to see how he will do when he needs to rely on his serve for big holds. He's a smart server, but it's unlikely he will serve big the way he did in 2010.

This is a mostly incomplete grade because there was no real test, but he did the job.

Grade: B

Footwork and Retrieving

The good news was Nadal had plenty of time to set up his shots against Levine.

After a sluggishly dominant first set, he cruised behind more offense and inept play from his opponent. Levine did not have the power to hurt Nadal, so the Spaniard did not need to scramble or retrieve many tough shots. Levine instead sprayed out errors and several double faults.

Sometimes Nadal cheated on his footwork. He had time to square up better but instead missed on a few shots he would love to have back.

He had a memorable scramble exchange at net in the fourth game of the second set that showed quick feet and hands. He is moving fine and apparently without pain or restrictions, which is the best news of all.

Grade: B-

Timing and Conditioning

It was just one match, but it was served up for Nadal to get in some work. He only had to spend about one hour and 10 minutes in a match that will keep him fresh and optimistic. He did not have to dial up the intensity and came away as if it were a light sparring session.

He was also able to use the match to feel things out. His tennis mind was working better as the match progressed, and he was able to face some live serving to work on his return game, which was mediocre as expected.

He also made the effective hard-court adjustment to play closer to the baseline and not take returns of serve from the bleachers. Will he stick with this against bigger hitters?

Uncle Antonio "Toni" Nadal was absent, so there was no need for supportive advice. He was able to relax and play as if it were an exhibition. Now the real work begins.

Grade: B+

Next Test

Nadal is right on track heading into his third-round blockbuster match with young, powerful Jerzy Janowicz, who is 22 years old.

The No. 18 ranked Pole has a Wimbledon semifinal in his hip pocket and will get his chance for a big match against Nadal. It will test his composure and maturity, but he is not afraid to go to war with Nadal and the top players in the ATP.

For Nadal, the Janowicz match will be a huge test. He will be facing one of the fastest serves on the ATP tour and will need to establish an effective return game.

He must also face Janowicz's forehand power and creativity. He will need to show improvement in all areas of his footwork and retrieving because the Pole likes to throw in drop shots. Nadal will need to be sharp and fast.

Above all, he will need to show the kind of backhand he wielded at Indian Wells last February. If he does, his chances of winning the next match and bidding for the Rogers Cup will be right on par.