Rafael Nadal rises to world number four after the victory at Indian Wells – Tennis News
Former world number one, Rafael Nadal, ousted the seventh ranked Argentine, Juan Martin Del Potro, to clinch the BNP Paribas Open title at Indian Wells on Sunday. He bounced back a set down to beat the 24-year-old Argentine in
an enthralling encounter that featured a score line of 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in favour of the Spaniard.
It was the 600th victory for the 26-year-old Spaniard who displaced the compatriot David Ferrer as the fourth ranked player in the world with this triumph. Nadal has been consistent throughout the season since his return
from the chronic knee injury that kept him out of the professional circuit for almost eight months.
Nadal was playing his fourth tournament since the comeback but this was the first time he was contesting in a squad that featured the big-three guns Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray. It was ironic to witness the in-form
players falling out while the left-handed Nadal kept on cruising along despite carrying the knee injury that hasn’t been healed completely as yet.
In the semi-final of the tournament, the fifth seed Nadal outplayed the 17-time Grand Slam Champion, Roger Federer, in an emphatic fashion. He demolished the Swiss legendary tennis ace in straight sets 6-4, 6-2. It was a shocking
upset especially considering the condition that Nadal was facing in the recent times.
At the end of the contest on the eve of Sunday, Nadal stated, “The doctors recommend me to be back in home for a few weeks, rest a little bit and keep practising the right way. I need more power in the left leg quadriceps, so I
need to keep working hard. The competition is hard for the body, so after four fantastic weeks I can't go to Miami. I need to prepare and rest for the next one. It's probably one of the most emotional victories of my career. The support since I came back has
been huge. It's an unforgettable week for me and an unforgettable tournament.”
It will be interesting to find out the player who will break the unbeaten run of Nadal that has extended to 15 games with the victory at Indian Wells.
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