Rafael Nadal Talks To The World Media

Written by: Staff on 8th March 2013

Rafael Nadal Talks To The World Media

epa03614290 Rafael Nadal of Spain (L) enters press conference at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California, USA, 07 March 2013. EPA/PAUL BUCK |

Rafael Nadal knew the questions on the state of his knees and whether they would hold up to the demands of hard court tennis would be repetitive and probing as he faced up to the press at Indian Wells. And he was as cautious with his answers as he will be when playing his first shots in the BNP Paribas Open.

Initially Nadal made the futile request: “”Forget about the knees, please!”

But he must have known it was akin to asking Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer or Andy Murray to give him an easy time on the court. So after winning two titles from three clay court tournaments in his South and Central American comeback, he said of his return to the Coachella Desert where he has twice taken the trophy, he said: “I am here to try my best.”

Nadal hasn’t won a title on a surface other than clay for two and a half years and he has admitted that his comeback from the eight months lay off enforced by his knee problems sees him having good days and bad in degrees of pain.

He elaborated by saying: “When I have bad days I feel like I cannot move freely and that’s impossible to compete against the best players. I have to accept when that happens my chance is very little.”

Nadal left it late before making the decision to play in the year’s opening Masters 1000 series event and it is very unlikely that he will next head across the United States to Miami for the Sony Open that begins just a few days after the Indian Wells final.

He said: “Hard courts change the dynamic. My movements will not be as easy. I just wish I could forget about talking about the knees. I don’t consider myself that good that I can come back after seven months and expect to play fantastic.”

©Daily tennis News Wire

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