ROGER FEDERER WITHDRAWS FROM THE MUTUA MADRID OPEN TENNIS & RAFA RAFAEL NADAL TO BEGIN HIS WEEK ON TUESDAY BY RICKY DIMON

Written by: Staff on 2nd May 2016

ROGER FEDERER WITHDRAWS FROM THE MUTUA MADRID OPEN TENNIS & RAFA RAFAEL NADAL TO BEGIN HIS WEEK ON TUESDAY BY RICKY DIMON

epa05287076 Roger Federer of Switzerland attends a press conference at the Caja Magica court in Madrid, Spain, 02 May 2016. Federer announced that he can't play the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament because of a back injury. EPA/CHEMA MOYA |

Once the essence of good health, Roger Federer was forced to withdraw from a tournament for the fourth time this season on Monday. The 34-year-old pulled out of the Mutua Madrid Open, citing a back problem. He had previously been unable to take the court in Rotterdam (knee), Dubai (knee), and Miami (illness).

“Sorry to the tournament for coming and leaving without playing,” Federer said at an alarmingly sudden press conference that everyone knew could only mean bad news. “I arrived and I was okay, and then I practiced on Saturday and hurt my back a little bit in practice and then stopped early.”

The three-time Madrid champion practiced for just one hour and 15 minutes of his two-hour time slot.

“At this point I don’t want to take more chances as I know I’m not going to be fully ready for Wednesday,” Federer added. “I’m very disappointed, to say the least. I was hoping to play. This is not really what I wanted to do, come here and do a press conference about pulling out. This is normal back things I’ve had in the past, which I guess is good because I know how to handle it. I know how long it can take. Sometimes it can vary by a few days here or there.

“It’s been a tough year, so I hope it gets better from here.”

Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal during a training session for the Mutua Madrid Open at the Caja Magica court in Madrid, Spain, 01 May 2016. The Mutua Madrid Open runs from 29 April to 08 May. EPA/CHENA MOYA

The year has certainly been getting better and better for Rafael Nadal, who will begin his quest for a fifth Madrid title on Tuesday. The Spaniard’s chances to lift a winner’s trophy at any tournament involving Novak Djokovic may have seemed unlikelywhen the 2016 calendar turned from March to April. But the story is a much different one now, as Nadal’s streak of two consecutive tournament wins coincided with an immediate loss by Novak Djokovic in Monte-Carlo (to Jiri Vesely). The world No. 5 triumphed in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona, beating the likes of Dominic Thiem, Stan Wawrinka, Andy Murray, Gael Monfils, Fabio Fognini, and Kei Nishikori along the way.

Up first for Nadal is a third career meeting with Andrey Kuznetsov, who is 0-2 lifetime in the head-to-head series. The Russian endured the misfortune of facing Nadal on the clay courts of Roland Garros last spring and it resulted in a 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 beatdown. Kuznetsov was far more competitive earlier this season on the hard courts of Doha, where he eventually lost 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. Up to a career-high ranking of No. 39 in the world, Kuznetsov is the midst of what is shaping up to be by far his best year on tour. He is 16-8 at the ATP level after cruising past Viktor Troicki 6-4, 6-4 on Monday.

Unfortunately for Kuznetsov, his best shot against Nadal came four months ago. A change in surface and a significant upswing in Nadal’s form and confidence should make for a far more straightforward affair than what took place in Doha.