How Rafael Nadal’s Absence Impacts the Field at 2013 Australian Open

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: December 28, 2012

commentComment        

Rafael Nadal won’t have the opportunity to get his revenge on Novak Djokovic after falling in the 2012 Australian Open final.

ESPN reports that Nadal has pulled out of the 2013 Australian Open due to a stomach virus:

“My knee is much better and the rehabilitation process has gone well as predicted by the doctors,” Nadal said in a statement. “But this virus didn’t allow me to practice this past week, and therefore I am sorry to announced that I will not play in Doha and the Australian Open.”

Nadal’s absence greatly improves the chances of several top players in the field. 



One player who will surely benefit from Nadal’s withdrawal is Djokovic, who fell to Rafa three times in 2012—at the French Open, ATP Internazionali BNL d’Italia and ATP Monte Carlo Rolex Masters. Nadal and Djokovic are arguably the top two tennis players in the world, and the door is now open for Djokovic to repeat as champion with Nadal out.

Andy Murray is the biggest threat to take the title away from Djokovic. Murray fell to Djokovic at the Australian Open last year in the semifinals after being ahead through three sets, but defeated the Djoker on three separate occasions in 2012. With a 3-4 record against Djokovic for the year, though, there’s no doubt that Murray would love to win the tournament. 

Although Nadal pulling out of the Australian Open may increase Murray’s title chances, he doesn’t think that it’s good for tennis, according to Talha Asif of Tennis World USA:

“He’s been in the top few players in the world since he was 17 years old,” Murray told reporters. “It’s been like nine years almost he’s been there, so when he’s not there for a few months, especially with his style and passion and the way that he is one the court, he’s got a lot of energy,...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Tennis

Latest News


Comments

Comments are closed.

Sponsors

Bruins Tickets The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Red Wings Tickets The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League.

Penguins Tickets The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New York Rangers Tickets play their home games at Madison Square Garden, they are one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise, and are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six.

San Jose Sharks Tickets The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States.

Toronto Maple Leafs Tickets The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New Jersey Devils Tickets The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Washington Capitals Tickets The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C.

Buffalo Sabres Tickets The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League. Get the Sabres and all of your NHL Tickets here.

NASCAR season is on of the most attended sports in the world. NASCAR Tickets to the best tracks is a must every year. Some of these tracks are: Talladega Tickets, Lowes Motor Speedway Tickets, Pocono Raceway Tickets, located in Ridgeway Virginia you have Martinsville Speedway Tickets and southern US you have two of the most popular Atlanta Motor Speedway Tickets and Texas Motor Speedway Tickets. Don't miss all the racing events this year!

Boston Red Sox Tickets The Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since 1912, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. This is one of the hottest MLB Tickets sales of any team in the major league.

New York Yankees Tickets The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division. Get tickets to one of the hottest games of the season Yankees Red Sox Tickets.

Chicago Cubs Tickets The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League.

Phillies Tickets The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883.

Orioles Tickets The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Do you love wrestling? Get your WWE Tickets and WWE Survivor Series Tickets today!