Rafael Nadal is set to go against doctor’s orders and play tomorrow in the Shanghai Rolex Masters after spending three days undergoing hospital treatment for appendicitis.
Chinese doctors initially told Nadal surgery was the most sensible option but the world no.2 is insistent nobody will operate on him until he returns home to Majorca. So he was out on an aggressive course of antibiotics and believes the treatment has worked sufficiently for him to face his countryman Feliciano Lopez in his opening match at the Qi Zhong Stadium.
Nadal first felt pain on Saturday evening, just after arriving in Shanghai from Beijing where he contested the China Open where he lost to Martin Klizan.
“It was inflammation of appendix, “ Nadal reported. “I arrived here Saturday night and that night I started to feel lot of pain in the stomach. I didn’t sleep during the whole night.
“The next morning the doctor came to my room to see me and told me it is better if I visited the hospital to do some tests. The hospital told me it was a beginning of appendicitis and so they were not very positive
“They told me the possibility to go for surgery immediately or just try to do little bit aggressive antibiotic treatment to try to reduce the inflammation. But obviously I am not in my best condition.”
Nadal was insistent he would not have been able to play today and is still feeling some pain in the area of his appendix. He has been given no assurances by the Chinese doctors that the condition could seriously return after exertion in match conditions although he practiced 45 minutes with no serious ill effects.
“Originally they were very negative but it is my decision, “said Nadal who only returned to the ATP World Tour in Beijing after a three months long absence enforced by an injured wrist. “They told me obviously it’s not the ideal thing and just take care. But I want to try, and that’s it.
“I am in Shanghai. I am here to play a tournament. If I don’t play, I don’t have the possibility to win. So that’s it.”
Nadal has been advised that the most sensible option is to undergo surgery to remove the appendix as soon as he arrives home in Majorca and only a few days ago he maintained the remaining few weeks of the season are his least favorite
If he does undergo surgery it will means he misses the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris and then the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London. “I have to talk with my doctors when I get back home,” he said. “The doctors told me that if I have an attack like this once, it will come back and sooner or later I have to have the appendix taken out. It makes more sense to have it done when I get home than see the problem coming back in Australia next year.”
Content via Bob Larson news wire.
Topics: appendicitis, Atp World Tour, Feliciano Lopez, Rafa, Rafael Nadal, Shanghai, Shanghai Rolex Masters, Tennis News
“#RAFA” @RafaelNadal SAYS NO TO DOCTORS IN #SHANGHAI & WILL PLAY @feliciano_lopez WITH APPENDICITIS- http://t.co/G6dMK8jSpi #tennis #Nadal
RT @10sBalls_com: “#RAFA” @RafaelNadal SAYS NO TO DOCTORS IN #SHANGHAI & WILL PLAY @feliciano_lopez WITH APPENDICITIS- http://t.co/G6dMK8jS…