Rafael Nadal is hopeful that he will be able to participate in the Australian Open despite requiring medical treatment during a tough loss to Jordan Thompson at his comeback tournament. Nadal appeared to be on track for another straight-sets win at the Brisbane International, but missed a backhand overhead on his first match point in the second set. He had two more chances in the tie-break, but was unable to convert and ultimately lost to his Australian opponent in a grueling three-hour and 25-minute match. More concerning was Nadal’s off-court medical timeout at 1-4 in the deciding set, although he was able to continue playing with minimal discomfort. The 37-year-old underwent surgery on his left hip in June after being out of action since last year’s Australian Open due to injury. He revealed that his current issue is in the same area.
Source: theguardian.com
