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1. Nadal enjoyed a tremendous 2018 season.
World No. 2 Rafael Nadal has not competed at a tour-level event since last year’s US Open. But don’t forget that the 32-year-old had a highly successful campaign before that.
Nadal earned a 45-4 record in 2018, with all four of his losses coming against players inside the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings. Eighty per cent (36/45) of the Spaniard’s victories came in straight sets, and Nadal won five tour-level titles, with four of those triumphs coming at a Grand Slam (Roland Garros) or ATP Masters 1000 event (Monte-Carlo, Rome, Toronto).
Perhaps what was most impressive was Nadal’s high level of consistency. The left-hander played nine tournaments last year, and he advanced to at least the quarter-finals at all of them. So Nadal, who has now won multiple titles in 14 consecutive seasons, gained plenty of confidence with his performance on the court.
2. The Spaniard brings a new weapon to Melbourne.
Nadal has reached four Australian Open finals (1-3), winning his lone title at the event in 2009. In his three championship losses, he has faced a combined 55 break points and been broken a total of 18 times. That is not a formula for success.
But the second seed brings a revamped serve with him into the first Grand Slam of 2019. According to Nadal’s coaching team, the 17-time major champion has tweaked his service motion with the intent to add velocity to his delivery — especially after the ball bounces — and put his opponents under more pressure.
“The serve was always a thing that I tried to improve, and I think I did. Maybe it was the time to try to make one more step [with it],” Nadal said. “I’m happy with the fact that, if I am able to make that happen in a good way, that hopefully it will give me the chance to help me on my game in the longer term… I didn’t compete with this new serve, so let’s see how it works. I am confident it’s going to work well.”
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3. Look back at Roger’s 2017 run.
People may point to Nadal not playing since the US Open as cause for concern as the Spaniard enters this fortnight. But remember, Roger Federer won the 2017 Australian Open after a longer period away from competition. The Swiss did not play after Wimbledon in 2016 due to injury. But as the No. 17 seed, he returned in Australia the next year and ended up lifting the trophy.
“I feel good,” Nadal said. “If I was not feeling good, I would not be here.”
With that said, there’s little reason to expect anything but a full-throttle Nadal at Melbourne Park. The former World No. 1 has battled back before, so why not again? Nadal begins his tournament against Australian wild card James Duckworth.
Source: ATP World Tour
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