Rafael Nadal (Photo : Getty Images)
Former world's no.1 and 14-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal promises to give his best in every match, whether or not he's the favorite to win at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Nadal, fresh from dispatching second-round foe Aljaz Bedene in straight sets 6-3, 6-3, addressed his latest performance to the media during Wednesday's post-match press conference. The Mallorcan bull felt happy with the way he played against Bedene, but he believes he can still take his game to another level.
Standing on Nadal's way is up-and-coming Austrian netter Dominic Thiem, the same man that upset the King of Clay in the semifinal of the Argentina Open.
For Nadal, Thursday's third round affair with Thiem presents an opportunity to exact his revenge. On the other hand, he is very much aware of the youngster's ability to blow away his opponent with sheer talents, and that's why there's no reason not to bring out his A-game.
"I'm happy for the win, I know I have to improve myself tomorrow, but I'm confident because I trained very well in recent weeks. We'll see if I'll be able to play as well as I trained. Tomorrow will be a tough match against a tough opponent," Nadal told the press [via Ubi Tennis]
With tournament favorite and world's no.1 Novak Djokovic bowing out to Jiri Vesely in a stunning fashion, Nadal has a clearer path towards reclaiming the Monte Carlo Masters title. However, the Spaniard stressed that he doesn't care much about the status of the player because every match presents a brand new battle.
If Nadal manages to beat Thiem on Thursday, he will next play the winner of Stan Wawrinka-Giles Simon match in the quarterfinal. His potential semifinal foe won't be easy as well with Milos Raonic and Andy Murray emerging as favorites to come out of the bottom quarter of the bracket.
