SPAIN’S RAFA Nadal is furious at the new courts installed at the Australian Open.The world number one, who opens his tournament with a very tough match against local hope Bernard Tomic, is not happy that the resurfaced hardcourts are faster than previous years.
“The conditions of play are very different from the ones I remembered in this tournament. Many things have changed,” he said.
“I think that the court is faster and so is the ball. So it makes it a different tournament for me. I didn’t remember it like that. It’s a little bit a pity for me. In the first round, I will play against a home favourite [Tomic], who is a great tennis player. And what’s more, he is in great shape because he reached the final in Sydney.
“So it’s tricky to think beyond this match. I will try to give my best in this first match and if I get through this opening match, I will try to improve my play day after day.”
Nadal also disagreed that Novak Djokovic is his chief rival for the coming season.
“A very important player like Murray comes back to the circuit. Del Potro finished very well last year and he started very well this one by playing the final in Sydney. [And] Federer found good again tennis last year so he will try to start again with energy.
“Afterwards, we’ll see how players like Tomic, Dimitrov, Raonic, Janowicz are developing themselves. They should go on better this year.
“There are also the players who are always there: Berdych, Tsonga, Wawrinka, Monfils, and David Ferrer. In the end, you never know what could happen with all these players and you have to keep a look on them to get an idea of what rank you will finish the year at.
“At the beginning of the year, I respect everybody; I put all these players on the same level. Then, at mid-season, we will have abetter idea of who could be the most dangerous rivals.”