US Open 2010 champ Rafael Nadal receives a warm reception in Thailand
Thailand has given a grand welcome to the world number one Rafael Nadal upon his arrival on Wednesday for participation in a championship in Bangkok.
The 24-year-old Rafa will play in the Thailand Open tennis tournament that will start from Monday. After recently capturing his United States Open title in New York, Rafa was warmly welcomed with garlands at the airport and was led through a multitude of
reporters and journalists by police and tennis officials.
The world number one tennis ace had been a late withdrawal from the championship the last two seasons; however he is injury-free for this year’s tournament.
The Manacor-born tennis star is regarded as one of the greatest-ever tennis player on the tour. He has so far captured a total of nine Grand Slam trophies in his professional career. The Spaniard completed his career Grand Slam recently by winning his very
first U.S Open title at the Flushing Meadows. He entered the city of New York, as seeded number one to win the crown. The left-hander got the better of Denis Istomin, Teymuraz Gabashvili, Fernando Verdasco, Feliciano Lopez as well as Mikhail Youzhny without
even missing a single set to make his way into the final of the year’s last major event. In the title battle, the 1.85 meters tall Rafa did well to get the better of his Serbian tennis opponent, Novak Djokovic who is ranked number two in the world by the Association
of tennis professionals (ATP). The Spaniard sealed victory after a total of four sets in New York. The final match score was 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.
Rafa’s win also clinched the season-end number one ranking for 2010, making Rafael just the third tennis contender after Ivan Lendl back in 1989 and the Swiss tennis maestro Roger Federer back in 2009, to recapture the season-end top-ranking after having
lost it. Nadal has played extremely well throughout this season after coming back from his injury in May, and has successfully won a total of three Grand Slam titles, the French Open, Wimbledon and the United States Open tennis tournament. The Spaniard is
therefore, expected to do well at the Thailand Open as well.
After some days at beach resort, Rafa will also meet Abhisit Vejjajiva, who is the Prime Minister of Thailand and is also expected to visit Parliament next week before turning to the game of tennis.
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