Rafael Nadal wins first title since returning from knee injury at Brazil Open

                                         Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images


SAO PAULO, Brazil — Rafael Nadal beat David Nalbandian 6-2, 6-3 in the final of the Brazil Open on Sunday, winning his first title since returning from a seven-month layoff to treat his left knee.
Nadal thrust his arms into the air and pumped his fist after Nalbandian sent a shot long to give the Spaniard his second title at the indoor clay-court tournament. He also won the event in 2005.
“I’ll definitely enjoy this one because of all the problems that I’ve gone through with the knee,” Nadal said. “When I won for the first time here I was just starting and hopefully this will mark a new beginning.”
It was Nadal’s 51st singles title, and first since winning the French Open for the seventh time last June.
Nadal struggled to find a rhythm in the beginning but was still able to break Nalbandian’s serve twice to take the first set, then rallied from 3-0 down in the second to win six straight games and close out and match in 1 hour, 18 minutes.

Seeking his 12th title, the 93rd-ranked Nalbandian was playing in a final for the first time since he was disqualified for kicking an advertisement board and injuring a line judge at Queen’s Club last June. The former world No. 3 hasn’t won a title since 2010 in Washington.
Nadal said his knee felt better on Sunday and it made all the difference.
“When the knee is feeling better like today I feel like that I can do more of the things that I used to do my entire life,” he said. “If the pain is bearable like it was today, then it’s fine.”
He had complained of soreness in his knee after Friday’s semifinal, which marked his second three-set match at the tournament.
Nadal still looked far from his best on Sunday, though, and didn’t seem to be moving well. The knee visibly bothered him at times and he left many balls unchallenged throughout the match.
But with the support from the local fans and with former Brazil star striker Ronaldo and mixed martial arts champion Anderson Silva in the crowd, Nadal took control of the match in the second set to secure the victory.
Nadal converted five of his eight break points against Nalbandian and was broken twice by the Argentine.
Nadal took the lead for the first time with a break in the sixth game, then broke Nalbandian again in the final game to close out the set. The Argentine came out strong in the second set and broke Nadal twice in a row to go up 3-0, but the Spaniard quickly rebounded with two breaks and then cruised to close out the match without losing another game in front of nearly 10,000 people packing the Ibirapuera arena.
“I didn’t play my best match today, Rafa was much better,” Nalbandian said. “I was ahead in the second set but I couldn’t take advantage of it.”
The 26-year-old Nadal, currently ranked fifth, returned to action at the VTR Open in Chile last week, losing the singles and doubles finals.
The final in Brazil was only his eighth singles match since his return. He withdrew from the doubles in Sao Paulo after winning the first match with Nalbandian as his partner. Nadal said he wanted to rest his knee for the singles tournament.
The 11-time Grand Slam champion admitted that the level of the competition in Brazil was not as high as in other tournaments but said that it wasn’t bad either, giving him the perfect opportunity to give his knee a good test. The Spaniard will play another clay-court tournament in Mexico in two weeks.
“Right now I’m just thinking about celebrating this title, it means a lot to me,” Nadal said. “I still need time, so I’m thinking day-to-day, week-to-week.”
Nadal had won four of his six career matches against Nalbandian, the last one a three-set victory in the quarterfinals of Indian Wells last year. Nalbandian’s last victory over Nadal was in 2007 in the final of a Master Series tournament in Paris.
The 31-year-old Argentine made his season debut in singles at the Brazil Open. He was out of action for several months last season because of an abdominal injury.

Source:  http://sports.nationalpost.com/2013/02/17/rafael-nadal-wins-first-title-since-returning-from-knee-injury-at-brazil-open/

Nadal triomphe à Sao Paulo

                                         Rafael Nadal (Source d'image: PC ) 


SAO PAULO - Rafael Nadal a vaincu David Nalbandian 6-2, 6-3 en finale de l'Omnium du Brésil, dimanche, pour décrocher son premier titre depuis qu'il s'est absenté du circuit de l'ATP.
Nadal a levé ses bras vers le ciel avant de fermer son poing et de le ramener vers lui en signe de victoire, quelques secondes seulement après avoir conquis son deuxième titre en carrière sur la terre battue de ce tournoi en salle. L'Espagnol avait également triomphé au Brésil en 2005.
« Je vais de toute évidence prendre le temps de savourer ce titre à cause de tous les problèmes qui m'ont affecté au genou », a dit Nadal. « La première fois que j'ai gagné ici je ne débutais que ma carrière, et j'espère que cette fois-ci ça marquera un nouveau départ. »
Il s'agit du 51e titre en carrière de Nadal.
Nadal a éprouvé de la difficulté à trouver son rythme en début de rencontre, mais il a néanmoins brisé le service de Nalbandian à deux reprises pour s'adjuger le premier set. Il a ensuite effacé un déficit de 3-0 en remportant les six jeux suivants au deuxième set, en route vers la victoire.
Nalbandian, le 93e joueur mondial qui était à la recherche de son 12e titre en carrière, disputait une première finale depuis qu'il avait été disqualifié pour avoir botté un panneau publicitaire qui avait blessé un juge de lignes au Queen's Club en juin dernier. L'ex-no 3 mondial n'a pas triomphé depuis le tournoi de Washington en 2010.
« Je n'ai pas offert ma meilleure performance aujourd'hui (dimanche), 'Rafa' était bien meilleur », a admis Nalbandian. « Je menais au deuxième set, mais je n'ai pas pu en profiter. »

Nadal a indiqué que son genou était en bon état dimanche, et que ç'avait fait toute une différence dans le résultat du match.
« Quand mon genou est en bon état comme ce fut le cas aujourd'hui, je sens que je peux jouer au niveau auquel j'ai été habitué toute ma vie, a commenté Nadal. Si la douleur est tolérable comme ce fut le cas aujourd'hui, alors c'est parfait. »
Il s'était plaint d'une inflammation au genou gauche après sa demi-finale de vendredi, qui était son deuxième match de trois sets dans ce tournoi.
Nadal, qui est âgé de 26 ans, est présentement cinquième au monde. Il a effectué son retour au jeu la semaine dernière à l'Omnium VTR du Chili, s'inclinant en finale du simple et du double.

Une autre finale pour Nadal

                                         Rafael Nadal  Photo :  AFP/MARTIN BERNETTI

Rafael Nadal a vaincu l'Argentin Martin Alund 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-1, samedi, pour accéder à la finale des Internationaux du Brésil, à Sao Paulo.

L'Espagnol a remporté son match de demi-finale en 1 h 57 min. Il a brisé son adversaire à trois reprises.

Il affrontera dimanche un autre Argentin, David Nalbandian, no 93 mondial, qui s'est imposé un peu plus tôt dans l'autre demi-finale face à l'Italien Simone Bolelli 6-3, 7-5 en 1 25 min.

Les confrontations Nalbandian-Nadal sont à l'avantage de l'Espagnol (4-2), qui n'a pas perdu contre l'Argentin depuis 2007.

C'est la deuxième fois cette année que le septuple vainqueur de Roland-Garros atteint la finale d'un tournoi ATP. Il y a une semaine, il n'a pu réussi à mettre la main sur le titre de Vina del Mar (Chili) contre Horacio Zeballos.

Source: http://www.radio-canada.ca/sports/tennis/2013/02/16/002-nadal-alund-demi-finale.shtml

Rafael Nadal reaches 2nd straight final since return

                                         (Andre Penner/Associated Press)
 

Nadal will face David Nalbandian in final

 Rafael Nadal outlasted 111th-ranked Martin Alund 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-1 at the Brazil Open on Saturday, making it to his second straight final after a long layoff to treat his ailing left knee.

Nadal next plays David Nalbandian, the former world No. 3 who defeated Simone Bolelli of Italy 6-3, 7-5 to make it to his first final since being disqualified for injuring a line judge at Queen's Club last year.
Still looking for his rhythm and working his way into match shape, Nadal lost six straight points in the tiebreaker to go to a third set with the Argentine, who made it into the main draw as a lucky loser from qualifying after compatriot Leonardo Mayer withdrew with an injury.
Nadal then dominated the third to close out the match in 1 hour, 56 minutes.
Nadal will try for his 51st singles title on Sunday, and first since winning the French Open for the seventh time last June.
The Spaniard said he struggled with his sore knee throughout Saturday's match at the indoor clay-court tournament.
"I didn't feel well today, it was the worst day for my knee, and if the knee is not well it makes it very difficult to play," Nadal said. "But I am happy with the result. After seven months without playing it's good to reach the final again, even if I'm not at my best."

'I didn't feel well today, it was the worst day for my knee, and if the knee is not well it makes it very difficult to play. But I am happy with the result. After seven months without playing it's good to reach the final again, even if I'm not at my best.'—Spain's Rafael Nadal

Nadal is recovering from a torn and inflamed tendon in his left knee. He returned to action in Chile last week, losing the singles and doubles finals.
Nadal, who won the Brazil Open in 2005, had already struggled in his quarterfinal on Friday, escaping with a three-set victory. He dismissed the favorite label for Sunday's final.
"It will be very hard," he said. "I didn't feel well today but I hope that I'll be better tomorrow. I'm not the favorite but I'll try my best. [Nalbandian] has been playing very well. Let's see how it goes."
In the first semifinal, Nalbandian broke Bolelli just two games into the match and easily took the first set, then rallied from 3-1 down in the second at the Ibirapuera arena.
The 93rd-ranked Argentine converted all of his five break points.
"I started playing well, very solid," said Nalbandian, who is looking for his 12th career title and first since 2010. "I lost a bit of focus and it became another difficult match, but fortunately I was able to come through with the victory."
Nalbandian hadn't made it to an ATP final since his disqualification for kicking an advertisement board and injuring a line judge during the grass-court tournament in London last June.
He vehemently complained of a call that went against him early in the second set on Saturday, getting the tournament official involved in the discussion before eventually settling down.
Nalbandian is making his season debut in singles at the Brazil Open. He was out of action for several months last season because of an abdominal injury and withdrew from the doubles in Brazil because Nadal, his partner, decided to rest his injured knee.
"I'm glad to be back playing at a top level again and it's good to make it to another final," Nalbandian said.
He eliminated two-time defending Brazil Open champion Nicolas Almagro of Spain in the quarterfinals.


Source: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/tennis/story/2013/02/16/sp-brazil-tennis-rafael-nadal-130216.html

Rafa en photos

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - FEBRUARY 12: Rafael Nadal, from Spain, during the double match with David Nalbandian against Pablo Andujar and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, both from Spain, on ATP Brazil Open 2013 on February 12, 2013, on Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Ricardo Bufolin/LatinContent/Getty Images) 2013 Ricardo Bufolin

Federer, Nadal set up Indian Wells clash

INDIAN WELLS, California — World No. 2 Rafael Nadal and world No. 3 Roger Federer set up their first semi-final clash at the Indian Wells ATP Masters with contrasting victories over Argentinian opponents on Friday.

Nadal, who is chasing his first title of 2012, survived an opening set scare en route to a 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 win over David Nalbandian in their quarter-final match.

Swiss star Federer had a much easier time, rolling to a 6-3, 6-2 win over a frustrated Juan Martin del Potro in the joint WTA/ATP tournament in the California desert.

Federer and Nadal have met 27 times previously with Nadal having won 18, including four of the last five.

"We played 27 times. It will be the first time here at Indian Wells," Nadal said. "Tomorrow I have a fantastic match to enjoy and to try to play aggressive."

Added Federer, "I have had some great matches with him all around the world by now."

But this will be the first time 16-time grand slam winner Federer and reigning French Open champ Nadal will meet on the hardcourts of Indian Wells.

Nadal, who hit three aces, clinched the victory in the 10th game of the final set Friday when Nalbandian's running backhand went wide.

Nalbandian's momentum carried him forward and he almost crashed into his chair but managed to kick it over instead. He then congratulated Nadal on the win.

"It was very difficult," Nadal said. "I was a little bit more nervous than usual. It is a very important victory because I will now be in the semi-finals here. I am excited and happy.

"Nalbandian always gives me problems on my game, and that probably makes me feel a little bit not safe before the match. That's why probably I had more mistakes than usual."