RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Rafael Nadal is taking it easy at the Rio Open, nursing a back injury and hoping it gets better. Miami Marlins Gear . 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." Marlins Jerseys China . There were no real chances until Augsburg broke the deadlock through Raul Bobadilla in the 33rd minute. Frankfurt failed to clear a cross and Bobadilla slotted home from close range at the far post. Stitched Marlins Jerseys . The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the league hasnt announced the award. Crawford was the Clippers third-leading scorer and the NBAs top-scoring reserve with 18. https://www.cheapmarlinsjerseys.us/ . -- Arizona came out of its last meeting with California a bit discombobulated, hurting from its first loss and the loss of forward Brandon Ashley for the rest of the season.PITTSBURGH -- Julius Peppers picked up the ball, turned toward the wide swath of open field in front of him and took off. Sure, the Chicago Bears defensive end admits he doesnt have the "blazing speed" of his youth. The way the Pittsburgh Steelers are backpedaling these days, it was hardly required. Peppers scooped up a Ben Roethlisberger fumble and ran 42 yards with just under 4 minutes remaining to clinch a 40-23 victory Sunday night that kept the Bears (3-0) perfect. "I happened to be at the right place at the right time and the ball bounced to me," Peppers said. "I got a hand on it and took it in, so there wasnt much else to talk about. That was the longest run I had with the ball, yes, I will tell you that." The Bears forced five turnovers in all, converting four of them into points to stave off a second-half rally by the Steelers (0-3). Pittsburgh trimmed a 21-point deficit to four in the fourth quarter but couldnt stop from stumbling to the franchises worst start since 2000. Roethlisberger completed 26 of 41 passes for 406 yards and threw two touchdowns to Antonio Brown, but also fumbled twice and threw two interceptions. "We cant, I cant, turn the ball over, plain and simple," Roethlisberger said. Major Wright returned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter and Peppers stroll to the end zone capped kept Chicago unbeaten. The Bears needed a pair of fourth-quarter rallies to win their first two games, but never trailed against Pittsburgh thanks to a defence that specializes in havoc. "We came in here and got the job done," Peppers said. "They got close down the stretch, but we have veterans on our team that stayed cool. We dont panic no matter what." Jay Cutler passed for 159 yards and threw a 17-yard touchdown strike to Earl Bennett with just under 6 minutes remaining to give the Bears breathing room after the Steelers pulled within 27-23 on Shaun Suishams 44-yard field goal with 10:43 to play. Chicagos offence, which generated little after a 17-point outburst in the first quarter, responded behind Cutler. The quarterback scrambled for 13 yards on third-and-10 to start the drive. Cutler then hit Brandon Marshall for 41 yards on third-and-12 to move into Pittsburgh territory. Facing third-and-5 at the Pittsburgh 17, Cutler found Bennett in the back corner of the end zone. Officials ruled the pass was incomplete, but the play was overturned after replays showed Bennett deftly dragged his right foot before sliding out of bounds. "The (defensive) back was there, but the throw was perfect and I was able to make the play," Bennett said. &"The way we played in the fourth quarter, that really shows how resilient we are. Custom Miami Marlins Jerseys. " Pittsburgh tried to get back into the game, but Lance Briggs stripped Roethlisberger, and Peppers pounced. The veteran defensive end followed a parade of blockers down the sideline for Chicagos second defensive score of the night and third in two weeks. "We try to scoop up every loose ball and run it back for a touchdown in practice," linebacker D.J. Williams said. "Even if its not a fumble, we pick it up and go with it. We knew they had some problems with their offensive line, so we wanted to pressure them as much as possible. We were able to get past their tackles and pressure Ben quite a bit. Roethlisbergers second interception on a late stat-padding drive was Pittsburghs ninth turnover through three games. The Steelers defence, meanwhile, hasnt recorded a takeaway through 12 quarters. Its a recipe that rarely leads to victory. "As of right now we have way too many turnovers and it goes both ways," Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel said. "Weve got to find ways to get the ball. Thats what great defences do." And none do it better than the Bears. While not the snarling force it was when recently retired linebacker Brian Urlacher was running things, the Bears make up for their lack of bark with a pretty feisty bite. When opponents get loose with the ball, the Bears swarm. The mistakes started early. Pittsburgh turned it over twice in the first half. Williams stripped Roethlisberger in the first quarter, leading to a 5-yard touchdown run by Matt Forte. Chicago was up 17-3 midway through the second quarter when Roethlisberger threw off his back foot in the face of a blitz. The bail sailed into the hands of Wright, who sprinted down the sideline for a touchdown to give the Bears a commanding 21-point lead. The score marked the second straight week and the 10th time since the start of the 2012 season that the Bears returned an interception for a touchdown, easily the most in the NFL. "Thats what we do, we take the ball away," Peppers said. "We stress it in practice every day, and it carries over to the game ... we have to continue to do that on a weekly basis to continue to win, and I believe well be able to do that." NOTES: Steelers TE Heath Miller caught 3 passes for 35 yards in his first game back from torn ligaments in his right knee. ... The Bears lost DT Henry Milton to a knee injury early in the fourth quarter. ... Pittsburgh outgained the Bears 459-258. ... Steelers WR Antonio Brown finished with nine receptions for a career-high 196 yards and two touchdowns. ' ' '