Kooyong Is Holding A Spot In The Field For Nadal, If He Wants To Play

Written by: Staff on 30th December 2012

Rafael Nadal will not compete in 2012 Mubadala World Tennis Championship

Kooyong Is Holding A Spot In The Field For Nadal, If He Wants To Play

epa03517832 File -- File photo showing Spanish Rafael Nadal during his match against Swiss Roger Federer at Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 31 December 2011. The tournament organizers announced on 25 December 2012 that 'Rafael Nadal has been forced to make a last-minute withdrawal from the 2012 event due to a stomach virus,' and 'was advised by doctors not to travel or compete due to the illness.' Nadal has not played since June 2012, when he was eliminated in Wimbledon's 2nd round by Czech Lukas Rosol. He was supposed to come back after a successful knee injury rehab. EPA/ALI HAIDER |

The AAMI Classic at Kooyong Club is holding a spot in the eight-man exhibition field open for Rafael Nadal after the Spaniard was forced by ill health to give up on plans to play this week in Abu Dhabi. Nadal could conceivably be a late entry into the pre-Australian Open exho in Melbourne at the former home of the Open until the late 1980s.

Nadal was offered a spot in the field a month ago, but now the invite might have more resonance if the fourth-ranked Spaniard is ready to make a comeback to tennis after six months out with a left knee injury followed by the stomach virus and fever which forced him to pull the plug on Abu Dhabi.

His appearance at next week’s ATP start in Doha would appear also to be under a cloud.

Kooyong boss Colin Stubs said a place in the field is being saved for Nadal right up until the last moment. “I’m sorry to hear that Rafa’s plans for a return in Abu Dhabi are not as he wanted,” he told local media. “We’ve not heard anything official but his management knows we are ready to help if we can.

“I was speaking with his management a couple of months ago because I was feeling … he might want a few matches coming into the Australian Open,” added Stubs. Nadal last played in the Wimbledon second round in late June, where he lost to Czech Lukas Rosol.

Even when announcing his intended comeback to the sport, the 11-time Grand Slam winner said that his only goal was to be fit by the spring clay season, the part of the year where he traditionally dominates.

©Daily tennis news wire

Topics: aami clasic, Atp, australian news, kooyong club, pre-Australian Open, Rafael Nadal, Sports, Tennis

Follow 10SBALLS.COM on:

Facebook:

Twitter:

10sBalls Top Stories

In Case You Missed It

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA

Tennis Canada announced on Wednesday that Eugenie Bouchard is the winner of the 2018 Excellence Awards in the Female Player of the Year and Singles Player of the Year categories.

TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE

Time to get tickets to watch! Surly you have heard about The Largest Open Tennis Event in America!

TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER

According to Uncle Toni, Rafael Nadal was supposed to be back at practice on either Dec. 4 or 5. Well, better late than never!

Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife

Española y checa ya trabajaron juntas durante el pasado Open de Estados Unidos

ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS

Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia hits a forehand to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia during her second round match at the Nature Valley International tennis tournament in Eastbourne, Great Britain, on Tuesday, June 26, 2018.