Pat Rafter's much-anticipated return to competitive tennis was short-circuited at the AAPT Championships at Memorial Drive.

Rafter, playing his first competitive match for more than two years, and fellow Queenslander Josh Eagle, lost their first round doubles match to American Vincent Spadea and the Bahamas' Mark Merklein 6-3 4-6 3-6.

"It started off well," Rafter said.

"But it just progressively got worse and worse as the match went along.

"I could feel it going and I was trying my hardest to work out what I was doing wrong but the bread and butter things like the volleys just weren't happening."

Rafter received a rousing welcome from almost 3000 fans when he strode on to centre court but, after acknowledging the applause with a quick wave, he was keen to get down to business.

Understated in all-white and clearly focused on the job at hand, he confidently started with a scorching ace.

Three more big first serves later and Rafter had held serve to love and announced his return in the most convincing fashion.

It was just the start the Australian pair needed and they broke Merklein's serve to gain an advantage the pair refused to concede for the rest of the set.

Eagle was brilliant at times, clearly demonstrating how he reached a world doubles ranking of 30 last year.

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