Rafael Nadal said yesterday that three straight weeks of intense clay tennis would put his fitness at risk as the Spaniard explained his surprise pullout from the Barcelona Open.
The top seed who swept to an historic sixth straight title on Sunday at Monte Carlo, said that his goal now is to be ready for the Rome Masters from Monday, where he is defending a title as he would have done in the Catalan capital this week after winning the last five editions in Barcelona.
“It’s been a tough year,” said the world No. 3, who expressed his disappointment at being forced to let down his home club and public.
PHOTO: AFP
“My goal is to remain healthy and fit,” said a player well acquainted with injury absences because of the delicate state of his knees.
Nadal said that three straight weeks of elite clay events — Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome — were too much in too short a period, another knock at the ATP calendar which he has long complained is helping to cause player injuries and burnout.
The Spaniard has already committed to the event at the Real club next year, because of a slight change in the ATP running order.
Nadal’s Monte Carlo triumph ended a title-less streak which lasted almost a year since he beat Novak Djokovic in Rome last May.
“Over the years you gain experience,” Nadal said of his scheduling decision. “I had no physical problems after winning Monte Carlo, but I know that I need to rest a bit now.”
Spanish media reported that Nadal’s knees were examined by his doctor Angel Ruiz Cotorro on Monday, though no medical verdict was discussed.
“I’m being as cautious as possible, I want to have as long a career as possible,” said Nadal, who lost his only match in Barcelona in 2003. “Tennis isn’t like football, you don’t know how many matches you will play.”
“If I had lost early in Monte Carlo, I could have played here,” he said.
Nadal looks to have learned from his over-playing a year ago, in which he won Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome in three weeks, then lost the Madrid final a fortnight later to Roger Federer and went out to his first-ever defeat at the French Open with a loss to Swede Robin Soderling in the fourth round.
On court in Barcelona, before evening rain on Monday, 15th seed Nicolas Almagro put out compatriot Santiago Ventura 6-1, 6-2 while Guillermo Garcia-Lopez stopped Belgian qualifier Olivier Rochus 5-7, 6-1, 6-3.
Oscar Hernandez beat Igor Marchenko of the Ukraine 6-7 (2/7), 6-2, 6-4 and Marcelo Granollers advanced over Poland’s Lukasz Kubot 6-4, 6-3. German Simon Greul produced the only defeat of a Spaniard on the day when he overwhelmed Pere Riba 6-4, 6-4.
In first round action yesterday Spain’s Daniel Gimeno beat 10th-seeded Argentine Juan Monaco 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, while Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan defeated Frenchman Stephane Robert 7-6 (7/5), 1-6, 6-1.
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