Rafael Nadal Is Being Wooed By Kooyong

Written by: Staff on 14th November 2012

Rafael Nadal Is Being Wooed By Kooyong

epa03258088 Rafael Nadal of Spain returns to Novak Djokovic of Serbia during their final match for the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 10 June 2012. EPA/YOAN VALAT |

Rafael Nadal is being courted by organizers at next month’s AAMI Classic at Melbourne’s Kooyong club who are holding open one spot in the eight-man exhibition field which precedes the Australian Open.

Nadal, who has not been on court since his Wimbledon loss due to a knee injury, is just one of four final targets for the event which has in the past featured big names including Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi.

The four-day tournament which begins January 9 is considered a prime Grand Slam tune-up due to its guaranteed match format.

But officials at Kooyong club, former home of the Open, are hedging their bets, and putting out feeler to the other three of the sport’s major names – Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray as well. All are so far uncommitted during the run-up week to the major.

Nadal’s return has been the subject of vast speculation, with earliest speculation that it will come at a post-Christmas exhibition in Abu Dhabi. “We’re in touch with the top four,” said tournament director Colin Stubs. “Nadal’s a possibility and that would be something special for us because he’s never played here.”

Already confirmed for the field are Argentine Juan Del Potro, Australian Lleyton Hewitt, Japan’s Kei Nishikori and former Melbourne finalist Marcos Baghdatis plus Serb Janko Tipsarevic, Juan Monaco of Argentina and Canadian Milos Raonic.

The event has struggled in recent seasons to attract top players due to deep-pocketed rivals from the Gulf, with Federer a former regular before he began turning up at the ATP event in Doha.

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Aami Classic, Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Australian tennis news, Kooyong Classic, Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Sports, Tennis News