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BSP-04
TENNIS-ATP-ESP-NADAL
Barcelona beckons for Nadal after Monte Carlo embarrassment
BARCELONA, April 23, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Rafael Nadal said on Monday he won’t
waste time dwelling on his weekend Monte Carlo semi-final loss but instead
will concentrate on bouncing back at the Barcelona Open.
“What has happened has happened, whatever the reasons are,” the 11-time
Barcelona champion said after a promotional appearance at a mini-tennis event
in the Catalan capital.
“I don’t know the future, but I will go back to work. The job is to find
myself,” Nadal said.
The 17-time Grand Slam winner, who returned at Monte Carlo after a knee
injury, put a positive spin on his Saturday setback against eventual
tournament winner Fabio Fognini.
“Monte Carlo was a step forward compared to where I was a week earlier,”
Nadal said.
He was joined at a mini-tennis court set up at an ornate Barcelona
classical concert hall by two-time tournament champion Kei Nishikori.
The Spaniard will open his title defence on Wednesday against Argentine
Leo Mayer, a first-round winner over Marius Copil 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 7-5.
Nadal called his first light hit-out since Saturday’s loss “normal.”
“It’s the first day of practice in a different place. I did what I had to
do,” he said.
He again labelled his defeat to Fognini “one of the worst matches on
clay.”
“It’s a reality. There is no need to hide it. I don’t see any benefit in
denying it.”
– ‘Another chance to start season’ –
As usual, the 32-year-old Spaniard is focussing on the bright side as the
pre-Roland Garros clay season hits full stride.
“I lost a good opportunity to start the season in a fantastic way. But
I’ve now got another one.
“We will know more about my form on Wednesday. This is a very special
tournament that is part of the history of tennis and of my own.
“I have another morning to practice and we will see how we are doing. On a
physical level, I’m more or less well.
“I’ve reached the finals in Australia, semi-finals in Indian Wells and now
semi-finals again in Monte Carlo.
“The year is not bad, I’m third in the race (to the year-end championship)
– but with more problems than I would have wanted.”
Nadal said repeated injuries have played a role in denying him the
momentum he needs.
“I have to find myself. During the last 18 months I’ve had too many non-
tennis related stops, ups and downs.
“When that happens, it’s hard to pick up rhythm. But it’s happened so many
times that the (good times) seem to be forgotten.
“I hope to be ready to play well – but if not here, it will be at Madrid,
in Rome or at Roland Garros.”
In first-round matches, new Madrid Masters tournament director Feliciano
Lopez, playing as a wild card, lost to fellow Spanish veteran Fernando
Verdasco 6-4, 6-3.
Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics beat Denis Kudla 6-4, 6-1 to earn a match
against fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
American youngster Mackenzie McDonald beat Japan’s Taro Daniel 6-2, 6-2
and Spaniard Jaume Munar beat Portuguese qualifier Pedro Sousa 2-6, 6-4, 6-0.
Argentine qualifier Diego Schwartzman eliminated Yoshihito Nishioka of
Japan 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, and will face third seed Dominic Thiem.
German Jan-Lennard Struff beat Bolivian qualifier Hugo Dellien 6-3, 6-1
and, in the last match of the day, Frenchman Benoit Paire beat Argentine Juan
Ignacio Londero 7-5, 6-2.
BSS/AFP/MSY/1016 hrs