Rafael Nadal Will Play Indian Wells, Starting To Get Form Back

Written by: Resendiz on 4th March 2013

Rafael Nadal Will Play Indian Wells, Starting To Get Form Back

epa03607615 Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal returns a ball to compatriot David Ferrer during the Mexican Open Tennis Tournament male final match in Acapulco, Mexico, 02 March 2013. EPA/JOSE MENDEZ |

Rafael Nadal has confirmed that he will play this week’s BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells and it appears he will go into the tournament in fine shape.

The Spaniard smoked world No. 4 David Ferrer in the final of Acapulco, and then jetted to New York’s Madison Square Garden for the BNP Paribas Showdown exhibition.

Since he returned after taking seven months off due to knee trouble, Nadal has played three tournaments: he made the final of Vina Del mar where he was well below his level in losing to Horace Zeballos; he won the Brazil Open by beating David Nalbandian; and then he destroyed Ferrer for his 38th clay title.

He will now head to hard courts which he knows will be a bigger test for his knees, but he won’t have to play at Indian Wells until at least Saturday, March 9, at the earliest, so he will have some rest.

“Indian Wells is one of my favorite tournaments and I want to keep competing because the knee is holding up and my heart says that I can do it, and compete is what I want to do now,” Nadal said. “Those seven months are in the past, hopefully forever. I played like that did not happened, but it did happen.”

Nadal has yet to face off this season against his primary rivals, the world’s top three of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray, but he could face them in the California desert.

“If you ask me if I’m capable of beating one of the top three it would be difficult, but today I beat the No. 4 in world and the difference between No. 3 and 4 isn’t much,” Nadal said. “Ferrer is one of best, most complete players in world.”

Nadal also cautioned anyone who thinks that they can seriously compete with the seven-time Grand Slam champion at Roland Garros, saying his level in Acapulco was close to that of 2012 French Open semifinals when he took apart Ferrer 6-2, 6-2, 6-1.

“I didn’t think I was ready for that level, but I was ready to fight, and enjoy it,” he said. Matches like today make me believe I can play at the level I played last year at Roland Garros.”

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