World number two Rafael Nadal assessed his first match on his comeback to be “solid” which promises greater things for the Spaniard in the next few weeks. However, he’s quick to add that he’s taking it one match at a time.
“In general I have to be happy the way that I played,” said Nadal, who said that his wrist is nearly 100 percent fine. “After three months without a match, winning against a good player like Richard is a very positive comeback for me. I think I played solid, no mistakes. I’m happy the way I played.
Nadal won his first round match at the China Open in Beijing last Tuesday. However, he would lose in the quarterfinals of the event. World number one Novak Djokovic would go on to win the event for the fifth consecutive year.
“More important than winning or losing is spending time on court. That’s the key for me at the moment: spending time on court, playing matches. At least I am going to play two matches minimum here. That’s a positive thing. I’m going to try my best to play three.
“The draws are very hard,” he added. “[There are] very difficult players. Every single round is so tough. Every victory is very important for me. It’s very positive. At the moment I don’t aspire to win tournaments here in Asia. I go day by day. I am trying my best in every practice session, in every match, and let’s see how far I can go.”
Despite missing a significant chunk of the season, Nadal still managed to get enough ranking points to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals in London.
“Today was an important day for me, the day that I am back,” said Nadal. “To have the support of the people, this is important. It’s an important feeling to be back in competition. I’m very happy.”
