GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

"I need to see how it improves and how it reacts to the intensity and demands of playing with tennis players of such a high level," Nadal said in an interview with Spanish daily ABC.
After a shock defeat to Czech Lukas Rosol in the second round at Wimbledon in June, Nadal was diagnosed with a partial tear of the patella tendon and inflammation in his left knee and was unable to defend his Olympic title at the London Games.
The 11-times grand-slam singles champion also missed the US Open and the season-ending World Tour championships before returning to the practice court on November 20.
Nadal said the knee was "still not 100 percent" and he was planning to ease back in slowly.
"I am not thinking long term, I am just focused on the knee, seeing how it responds and then we'll see later on.
"I want to be sure that it's completely ready to start competing in anger again, without any doubts.
"If I feel good in Abu Dhabi we'll continue but if not I'll take it calmly."
The first grand-slam event of 2013, the Australian Open, starts on January 14.
The 26-year-old Nadal, who won a record seventh French Open crown in May on his favoured clay, said winning matches was not his priority over the coming weeks and he was totally focused on making sure the knee had healed properly.
"My goal is not this week, nor even Doha (from December 31) or Australia," he said.
"My goal is to be in shape, get back to feeling completely fine and feeling completely prepared.
"My season, my real objective, is to be in perfect condition for Indian Wells and Miami (in March) and get to Monte Carlo (in April) with good feelings, to tackle the clay season in good shape.
"The last tournament I played in good shape was Roland Garros and I won it.
"The end of February or March is when I will feel good. That's when my season starts, that's when I'll tell myself that I am ready to win."
Nadal's athletic, aggressive playing style places huge demands on his muscles and joints and he has been sidelined several times by injuries during his 11-year career.
He said he had not considered the possibility he might be forced to retire because of the latest setback.
"No, no, no. I have not thought about that," he told ABC.
"Tennis is a sport that does not last forever," he added. "It's not like golf which you can play for 20 or 25 years without any problems.
"In tennis time is limited, that's the way it is. I am an optimistic type and I don't believe that I have forgotten how to play tennis during these past months."

Darren thanks and maybe i do go over the top about people i like I have missed Rafa and found the mens a bit boring since Wimbledon as i cant get enthusiastic about murray Maybe i'm more wishful thinking than sense

I agree, it was a bit boring without worshippers seething when Nadull was humilated away from clay

well,i dont think his knees have had it. he was in okish form until rosol match and he could easily continue,but wise decision was to take break still with sight on longer career ,and also seeing rest of season on hard courts ,decided to heal this minor problem,which is not his usual chronic issues. so if he could win RG without full comfort why he can not  compete on highest level after having problem sorted out?
still his only formidable opponent is djokovic, rest are too weak even when  nadal had a 6 months break(which probably do him more good than bad,will be fresh and hungry)

i like this quote of Ayersrock

" ...I am an optimistic type and I don't believe that I have forgotten how to play tennis during these past months."

me too

if nadal wins the AO it will be one of the greatest sporting achievements of all time!!thats why i give him no chance!! the way fed plays just shows how great he actually is!! rafa, joker or murray wont have a career as long as feds had

Who didn't figure out what buttpicker is doing so far, he is a MUG! 10 months without single title Dejavu! A pattern that repeats for years, and years...

he's just pulled out

ffs

junkies and their promises

he's out, I was right first time round, his knees really are bad, missing two slams in a row plus the Olympics and WTF.

Well it was all over when he pulled out last week with the "illness" Anyone going to give me a price for the French

1.62 for the French The layers are brave

"My knee is much better and the rehabilitation process has gone well as predicted by the doctors, but this virus didn't allow me to practise this past week," Nadal, 26, said.
"Therefore I am sorry to announce that I will not play in Doha and the Australian Open, as we had initially scheduled."
The Spanish number one and world number four has not played competitive tennis since his surprise second-round Wimbledon exit to Lukas Rosol in June.
He was since diagnosed with a partial tear of the patella tendon and inflammation in his left knee and was unable to defend his Olympic title at the London Games.
The 11-times Grand-Slam champion also missed the US Open and season-ending World Tour Finals before returning to the practice court on November 20.
But he withdrew from the exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi this week, citing illness, having earlier admitted he would be short of full fitness until the start of the clay-court season in the Spring.
There has been ongoing speculation that the world number four's career may be in decline due to impact-related knee injuries suffered as a result of his all-action game.
He is expected to attempt to play at the 2013 French Open, the only clay-court Major. But the harder courts of Melbourne, Flushing Meadows and even Wimbledon could prove too damaging for the Majorcan.





If his knee is much better - which it clear isn't, why would a virus stop him playing in three weeks?, it's clearly a red herring he's been in training for a while now, must be serious, infact Ii wouldn't be surprised if he announced his retirement sometime next month from the game. That may sound like an overreaction but the signs are there, the experts here and elsewhere said Soderling would be back soon, but he's still out albeit for different reasons. Personally I hope he is back , otherwise it;s just gonner be a Murray-Novak battle for the next 5 years.

Not value any more !

mayas feckin knew it huh, it's just the tour part in World Tour that got lost in translation. oh ffs it's not even funny

drug ban not ended 

kind of*

lol polly there is no way ur a real women ,u must be a man pretending to be a girl with that temper, htehb?

Lovely day