Nadal Bounced Out Of Indian Wells, Has Sights Set On Miami By Ricky Dimon

Written by: Staff on 11th March 2014

Nadal Bounced Out Of Indian Wells, Has Sights Set On Miami By Ricky Dimon

epa04119519 Rafael Nadal of Spain acknowledges the crowd while walking off the court after being upset by Alexandr Dolgopolov of the Ukraine at the BNP Paribas Open tennis in Indian Wells, California, USA, 10 March 2014. EPA/DANIEL MURPHY |

Defending champion Rafael Nadal bowed out of the BNP Paribas Open on Monday evening at the hands of Aleksandr Dolgopolov. In a rematch of last month Rio final, won by Nadal, the Spaniard went down to Dolgopolov 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) during third-round action.

In his post-match press conference, Nadal lamented that he played poorly but made sure to credit Dolgopolov while dismissing his balky balk—which hampered him in an Australian Open final loss to Stanislas Wawrinka—as a factor.

“I am better with my back, so it is not a question with the back,” the top seed assured. “Forget about the back. He played great. He’s playing well; had good tournaments in Rio, in Acapulco…so great the things that he is doing.”

Nadal will hope to resume doing great things of his own at the Sony Open in Miami later this month. If Nadal does attend, which he suggested he will do, he will have a chance to make up the points coming off the board from last year’s Indian Wells triumph. He—along with Roger Federer—skipped Miami in 2013.

“Gonna keep working hard to try to be ready to play better in Miami,” Nadal explained. “I play with the same intensity when I am playing 250, when I am playing 500, when I am playing a 1000, or a Grand Slam. I don’t know how to play tennis different way. I play with all 100 percent, all my 100 percent every week. I played with my 100 percent today (and it) was not enough. [I’m] gonna play with my 100 percent in Miami.”

Topics: 10sballs, Aleksandr Dolgopolov, BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, Miami, Rafael Nadal, Ricky Dimon, Sports, Stanislas Wawrinka, Tennis, Tennis News

Follow 10SBALLS.COM on:

Facebook:

Twitter:

10sBalls_com says:

March 11, 2014 at 8:10 am

Nadal Bounced Out Of Indian Wells, Has Sights Set On Miami By Ricky Dimon- http://t.co/UT0fQVUHZN @RafaelNadal #IndianWells #Miami #Tennis