Rafael Nadal withdraws from Australian Open

[Sir David Gray]

Just heard earlier today that Rafael Nadal has pulled out of the Australian Open, which begins two weeks on Monday, due to a stomach virus.

Really disappointing for him, considering that he was due to make his comeback from his knee problems at the Abu Dhabi exhibition event this week. That'll be the second Grand Slam in a row that he has missed now.

I was really looking forward to having him back as I think he's been a big miss over the past 6 months but on the flipside, it gives Andy Murray a better chance of securing his second Grand Slam title.

[DaveF]

That must be some virus if he's been KO'd a full 2 weeks before the tournament starts.

I know it will have some effect on his preparation but surely he's a bit sharp in calling off?

[Sir David Gray]

That must be some virus if he's been KO'd a full 2 weeks before the tournament starts.

I know it will have some effect on his preparation but surely he's a bit sharp in calling off?

I think his reasoning behind it is that he's been out for so long that he really needed the 2 weeks' practice to allow him to have anywhere near the preparation time that is required for a Grand Slam tournament. It might be another 4 or 5 days before he's over the virus and by then he'll have just over a week until the Australian Open starts.

Considering that he hasn't played a competitive match for 6 months, I don't think that was going to be long enough for him.

Apart from anything else, I don't think Nadal is the type to enter an event unless he feels he has a realistic chance of winning it and with the best will in the world, that was never going to be the case at the Australian Open.

It's just a pity that we're not going to have the opportunity to have a repeat of this year's Australian Open final when Nadal and Novak Djokovic played in one of the best sporting contests you are ever likely to see.

[--------]

I think his reasoning behind it is that he's been out for so long that he really needed the 2 weeks' practice to allow him to have anywhere near the preparation time that is required for a Grand Slam tournament. It might be another 4 or 5 days before he's over the virus and by then he'll have just over a week until the Australian Open starts.

Considering that he hasn't played a competitive match for 6 months, I don't think that was going to be long enough for him.

Apart from anything else, I don't think Nadal is the type to enter an event unless he feels he has a realistic chance of winning it and with the best will in the world, that was never going to be the case at the Australian Open.

It's just a pity that we're not going to have the opportunity to have a repeat of this year's Australian Open final when Nadal and Novak Djokovic played in one of the best sporting contests you are ever likely to see.



Aye, but we COULD have a re-run of the US Final ...

That was a good match too.

[Sir David Gray]

Aye, but we COULD have a re-run of the US Final ...

That was a good match too.

It was indeed and if Murray wins his second Grand Slam title in Melbourne in a few weeks' time then I'll be delighted.

But that final in January was just something special, not least because of the fact that Novak Djokovic had just played a 5 hour match against Andy Murray in the semis a couple of days beforehand and then went on to play a 6 hour match in the final against Nadal!

Many believe that the 2008 Wimbledon final between Nadal and Federer is the greatest match ever and I wouldn't necessarily disagree with that because that was outstanding. However the 2012 Australian Open final was, in my opinion, at the very least just as good as that match.

It was a privilege to watch it.