The top-ranked Spaniard battled back from a set down by unloading thundering forehands and ripping ferocious backhands, outclassing the eighth-seeded Roddick, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.
Nadal, who bowed out of last year’s group stages after he lost all three matches, has yet to win this event.
Nadal, slated to finish the year as the No.1 player in the world for the second time in three years, is aiming to cap his successful campaign with the ATP finals crown this year.
Nadal will next meet third-ranked Serbian Novak Djokovic, who opened Group A round-robin play of the prestigious end-of-year event at London’s O2 Arena with a straight-set conquest of Tomas Berdych Monday.
Djokovic, who captured the season-ending title two years ago when the tournament was located in Shanghai, easily handled Berdych, seeded sixth for this event, 6-3, 6-3.
Djokovic, one of only two former champions who qualified for this year’s event, failed to advance out of the group stage last year.
ATP Finals: Nadal, Roddick
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