0
INDIAN WELLS: Having suffered an ill-timed leg injury at the Australian Open in January, Rafa Nadal is reluctant to look too far ahead for the rest of this season.
The world number one was sidelined for 10 days after losing to fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in the Australian Open quarter-finals and has competed in only two Davis Cup matches since then.
Nadal is back in action at the Indian Wells ATP tournament, where he won the title in 2007 and 2009, and will launch his campaign against South African Rik de Voest in the second round on Saturday.
Asked by reporters what his goals were for 2011, the French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion replied: “The goal is the match of tomorrow. That's the first goal, no? We will see.
“I felt I was in very good position to try to start this season very well. I felt perfect but I was unlucky in the beginning of the season, so I am just trying to find again the performance of the beginning of the season.”
Nadal, bidding to become only the third man to hold all four grand slam titles at the same time, was stunned 6-4 6-2 6-3 by Ferrer in the last eight at Melbourne after suffering a leg injury early in the match.
“That's part of the game,” Nadal said of his premature departure from the first grand slam event of the season.
“In the second game, I felt the leg. That's what happened. I tried to recover very fast and practise in Mallorca, so that's what I did. I played Davis Cup last week, and I'm here to try my best.”
CUP WINS
Nadal won both of his singles encounters in Spain's first-round Davis Cup tie against Belgium last week, describing his form there as “normal”.
He was delighted to be back in the California desert at Indian Wells for the opening Masters Series event of the season at a venue he has long enjoyed.
“I don't have any reason to not play well here because I was playing really well before the injury and I came back,” Nadal said.
“I need to adapt a little bit to this court, because I think the bounce is like crazy and the ball is very fast. But I always love this tournament, and I always played well in this tournament.”
The Spanish left-hander was optimistic he could swiftly regain the form he displayed during his 2010 campaign where he won an ATP World Tour-leading seven titles in nine finals.
“The (season-ending Tour) finals in London I think was a very high level for me,” Nadal said. “I have to try to be at this position another time.
“I'm trying my best every day practising. And for sure winning matches, if I am winning matches, everything is gonna be a little bit easier.”
