Rafael Nadal Withdraws From Halle To Rest Knees

Written by: Staff on 9th June 2013

French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros

Rafael Nadal Withdraws From Halle To Rest Knees

epa03737692 Rafael Nadal of Spain in action during the men's final match against his compatriot David Ferrer at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 09 June 2013. EPA/YOAN VALAT |

Rafael Nadal will rest his knees this week instead of playing as expected in the Halle grass event, After another wildly successful clay season, the 27-year-old Spaniard said that doctors have advised him to give his dodgy knees a pause in the fortnight before Wimbledon.

“I won’t be able to come to Halle this year,” the ATP No. 4 said in a statement. “After these past months and all the matches I have been able to play my doctors have recommended to rest after Roland Garros and start after a few days my preparation to play on grass courts. We all know the transition is not easy and after these past months I have to approach this in a different way.

“I am very sorry for my fans in Germany and in particular in Halle since the welcome I always had there was amazing and last year, organizers also made me feel very special.”

Nadal reached the quarter-finals at the grass event in 2012.

Tournament official still have an ace to play, with five-time champion Roger Federer as top seed, ahead of Richard Gasquet and Milos Raonic, with German holder Tommy Haas on fourth.

Nadal will be replaced in the draw at the tournament whose grounds are stylized to resemble a smaller version of Wimbledon by German Mischa Zverev, ranked 142.

“I will check all my body, and I really hope to be ready for Wimbledon,” said the winner of seven titles from nine tournaments this season after only starting in February following seven months out injured. “I won’t play a tournament before Wimbledon, so that’s not the ideal situation before a grand slam on grass, the conditions are very different.

“I’m in a good position, even if I don’t play a good Wimbledon. That doesn’t mean I am not going to try, because I am going to try my 100 per cent to be ready for there and to play good tennis there.”

But his historic Roland Garros trophy has defiantly taken the pressure off of Nadal. “I’m in a position that I can take everything with a little bit more relax. If I’m still doing the things the right way, I going to have my chance to finish the year on the very good position on the ranking.”

Nadal said that during his recent spring win spree, his knee has been an intermittent factor. “For some weeks I didn’t feel well (after winning Barcelona in April), but the last couple of weeks I start to feel my knee better. So that’s positive.

“And the knee is resisting tough matches like I had in Rome against (Ernests) Gulbis, David Ferrer, two days straight. The knee resisted a very tough battle against Djokovic the other day. I didn’t have a terrible feeling (afterwards), so that’s very positive news.

“I’m going week by week, day by day. I will take a look after here. That’s what we’re going to do next few days, and try and make the right things to be ready for Wimbledon.

But I don’t know… that’s the real thing.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Halle, nadal, Rafael Nadal, Spanish tennis news, Sports, Tennis News