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Rested Nadal a real threat at US Open

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-04 11:06

NEW YORK: An enforced vacation to rest his aching knees may have been just the tonic Rafael Nadal needed as he had a bounce in his step on Wednesday when he bludgeoned Richard Gasquet of France at the US Open.

Rafael Nadal of Spain serves to Richard Gasquet of France at the US Open in New York on Wednesday. Nadal won 6-2, 6-2, 6-3. Reuters

Rafael Nadal of Spain serves to Richard Gasquet of France at the US Open in New York on Wednesday. Nadal won 6-2, 6-2, 6-3. [Agencies]

Nadal, sporting a shorter haircut, a nice tan and looking relaxed after spending six weeks on his Mediterranean island home of Mallorca, was near perfect in a 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 first-round win and said his bout of tendinitis no longer weighed on his mind.

"I don't have pain, so I don't think," said athletic 23-year-old Nadal, who powered 27 winners past the Frenchman in the one-sided match.

Nadal, whose style of wearing down opponents under the weight of his groundstrokes has seemed to take a toll on him at end of long tennis seasons, is hoping this could be the year he completes a career grand slam by winning his first US Open.

"I am more fresh, yeah. Fresher than ever in this tournament," the Australian Open champion said with a smile, before adding, "I don't know if this kind of fresh is good."

The Spaniard temporarily shut down his season after failing to defend his title at the French Open. Fed up with the pain he felt in both knees, he pulled out of Wimbledon and went home to rest and recover. He returned to business last month to prepare for the Open.

"When I was at home, I had a few weeks outside of the world," the third seed said. "I was in Mallorca for 1 1/2 months, but the first two weeks I was loose at home and having a lot of time to recover, doing nothing.

"It was a very positive thing for me. But I miss the competition, yes. I was for the past five years playing every week at 100 percent.

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"I had 1 1/2 months in the summer in Mallorca. It was a bad time for holidays," he said about having to miss out on defending his Wimbledon crown. "But the best moment for having holidays in Mallorca. So I enjoyed the summer."

Nadal, who relinquished his world No 1 status to Roger Federer during his absence, surprised himself by reaching the quarterfinals in Montreal and semifinals in Cincinnati.

"I am very happy to be here another time and I am enjoying practising with a better attitude than when I was playing in clay season with pain in the knees every day.

"I went on court without pressure," he said about returning to the sunny National Tennis Center where last year he reached the semifinals before falling to Briton Andy Murray.

"Just thinking I feel I'm a very lucky guy to be here playing and enjoying this sport."

Reuters