Rafael Nadal (Photo : Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal is thankful that Roger Federer only suffered a minor setback in the Swiss Maestro's postponed comeback from a knee surgery.
Federer delayed his return to tennis court after suffering a stomach virus before his Miami Open second round match against Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro. Nadal, who himself also withdrew from the tournament due to a dizzy spell, was thankful his career rival Federer did not suffer any serious setback post-knee surgery recovery.
"It's obvious that a tournament with Roger is always better," Nadal said, reports Tennis World USA. "It's good that it's a stomach problem and not the knee, so it's not a big deal. But it's obvious that it's terrible news for the tournament."
While the two rivals' unexpected exit from the Miami Open did not raise alarm in terms of their health, the concern for Nadal and Federer would be their playing form ahead of the clay-court tournaments, according to former world No. 4 Brad Gilbert.
Gilbert noted that the world No. 5 has a chance to pick some quality wins come clay-court season if the Mallorcan could stay healthy. On the other hand, Federer's approach to his clay-season schedule will be monitored, with the Swiss missing quality competitions due to knee injury.
"A couple more W's in Miami would have given him more momentum heading into the clay season. He has been struggling for more than a year, but if he can stay healthy, I see Nadal finding answers quickly on the dirt," Gilbert said of Nadal, reports ESPN.
"In Miami, it was a case of bad luck [for Federer]. The question now is how aggressive is Federer going to be with his clay schedule now that he has missed so much time."
After their shortened campaign at the Miami Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, Nadal and Federer's next tournament will be at the Monte Carlo Masters in April. The tournament will officially kickoff both players' clay-court season campaign en route to the French Open, where Nadal won nine of his 14 Grand Slam titles.
