Rafael Nadal has made the difficult choice to pull out of Indian Wells, citing that he is not yet at his peak performance level.
The individual who has won 22 major tennis tournaments as a single player has not been participating in tournaments since sustaining a muscle injury in Brisbane in January. They were scheduled to make a comeback by playing against Canada’s Milos Raonic in the first round of Indian Wells on Friday. However, in a message on a social media platform, the 37-year-old announced that they are still not prepared to compete.
“I am deeply disappointed to announce my withdrawal from the incredible Indian Wells tournament,” he stated. “This venue holds a special place in my heart and I always look forward to competing here. That’s why I arrived early to train and prepare for the tournament.”
I have been dedicating myself to practice and preparation, and as you are aware, I recently took a test this past weekend. However, I do not feel fully prepared to compete at the highest level for such a significant event. It was a difficult decision, but I cannot deceive myself or the thousands of fans. I will unfortunately not be able to participate, but I will miss you all. Best wishes for a successful tournament.
Unfortunately, Nadal has been substituted in the tournament lineup by India’s 101st ranked player, Sumit Nagal. After being away for a year due to a prolonged hip issue, the Spaniard returned to the Brisbane International in January. During his quarter-final match against Jordan Thompson, Nadal experienced a muscle tear near his hip, but further examinations showed it was not in the same location.
At Indian Wells, Andy Murray delivered a skillful performance to defeat David Goffin and advance to the next round. Despite having won their previous seven meetings, Murray was facing this match in a slump and had recently announced his possible retirement from professional tennis at the end of this summer. However, the three-time grand slam winner seemed revitalized after his announcement in Dubai and played one of his finest matches of the year to secure a comfortable 6-3 6-2 win. He will now face Andrey Rublev in the round of 64.
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Murray had to remain patient in a closely contested first set against Goffin. After a break point was held in Goffin’s first service game, Murray finally had the opportunity to secure a break when he was leading 4-3. He was successful in taking the break in the eighth game and finished the set strong, winning the last 10 points with two aces. The first set lasted 34 minutes.
The Briton gained momentum and capitalized on a double-fault by Goffin, giving him an early lead in the second set. Despite Goffin’s efforts, the No 61 player continued to put pressure on his serve and was able to secure a second break and ultimately the win with an ace.
Fellow countryman Jack Draper faced disappointment after being defeated in three sets by Chris O’Connell.
Source: theguardian.com
