Nadal withdraws from Qatar Open, says ‘not ready to compete’
Former world no. 1 tennis star Rafael Nadal has further delayed his comeback after pulling out of the upcoming Qatar Open.
Spain tennis icon Rafael Nadal surpassed his old rival Roger Federer for most ATP Masters 1000 wins as he registered a comfortable win against Guido Pella in the third round of the Rogers Cup on Thursday.
The defending champion of the Rogers Cup cruised to a 6-3 6-4 win over Pella as he recorded his 379th win at ATP Masters 1000 level, in the process going past the Swiss legend’s tally of 378 wins.
Nadal was in full control of the match and never looked in a spot of trouble against an opponent he had defeated quite convincingly in each of their last three meetings.
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Nadal won the match in one hour 41 minutes and secured a place in the quarter-finals in Montreal.
“(It was) a tough day in terms of wind. But we are used to playing like this. When we play on outdoor courts, that’s part of the game too. Of course, it is better to play without this kind of wind,” the ATP Tour website quoted the 18 time Grand Slam Champion as saying.
“At the same time, it is beautiful to play under tough conditions because then the player who has different options to play has better chances to survive these kind of days.
“It’s about adapting and being focused mentally. Of course, I prefer to play without these conditions, but in some way I enjoy,” he added.
Nadal can now probably sense a record 35th Masters 1000 title as he meets seventh-seeded Italian Fabio Fognini in the semifinal.
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