The world’s top two players Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are in Abu Dhabi, ready to begin their 2011 campaign at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship and as the pair plan to maintain their great rivalry while bidding to get the better of the other in the battle for the world no.1 ranking and four Grand Slam titles, both have amended their schedules for the New Year.
Both are obviously committed to play four Grand Slams and eight mandatory Masters 1000 Series events on the ATP World Tour. But the pair, who both adhere to the fact that the men’s calendar should be shorter in order to preserve fitness and are managed by IMG, have decided to offer their apologies to a couple of events.
After missing out through injury for the past two years, world no.1 Nadal has told the organizers of the Dubai Duty Free Open in February that he will definitely not be playing despite the promise of a huge guarantee.
The Spaniard will also not be returning to Bangkok, limiting his Asian swing in the autumn months to tournaments in Tokyo and Shanghai. But he has committed to playing Spain’s first-round Davis Cup tie against Belgium, with additional participation dependent on Spain’s performance.
Federer, a part-time resident of Dubai, is obligated to play the February event after missing this year because of a lung infection. But he has elected not to play either Estoril as part of the clay-court build up to the French Open, or the long established Stockholm indoor event he won in the fall after the Asian swing.
He will again be missing the optional Masters Series event in Monte Carlo and true to form, is keeping his close friend and Swiss Davis Cup captain Severin Luthi guessing on his availability for the side which dropped out of the World Group this year.
Both are maintaining their usual grass-court warm up routines, with Nadal playing the AEGON Championships at London’s Queen’s Club, regardless of the fact it starts the day after the French Open, and Federer will again taking part in the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, the German event with which he has a career-long contract.
Nadal in 2011 Doha Australian Open Indian Wells Miami Monte Carlo Barcelona Madrid Rome French Open Queen’s Wimbledon Montreal Cincinnati US Open Tokyo Shanghai Paris-Bercy ATP World Tour Finals in London (if qualified) |
Federer in 2011 Doha Australian Open Dubai Indian Wells Miami Madrid Rome French Open Halle Wimbledon Montreal Cincinnati US Open Shanghai Basel Paris-Bercy ATP World Tour Finals in London (if qualified) |
Topics: Aegon, Atp World Tour, Clay Court, Davis Cup, Davis Cup Tie, Estoril, French Open, Grand Slam Titles, Grand Slams, Grass Court, Lung Infection, Masters Series, Pair Plan, Play Four, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Tennis Championship, Time Resident, World Group, World Tennis