Roger Federer (Photo : Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal's chances of winning the Madrid Open may have received an unlikely boost after Roger Federer withdrew from the event due to back injury.
Federer, who was supposed to compete in his second tournament following a knee surgery that sidelined him for more than two months, is out of the Madrid Open due to a back problem suffered during his practice for the ATP 1000 Masters event.
Roger Federer withdraws from Madrid due to back injury. Had previously withdrawn from Rotterdam, Dubai, Indian Wells, and Miami this year.
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) May 2, 2016
Federer said he was "very disappointed" to leave a tournament without competing, but the Swiss Maestro admitted the setback is something he knew how to handle as he moves on to his next competition at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.
"At this point I don't want to take more chances as I know I'm not going to be fully ready for Wednesday," Federer said, reports the ATP's official website.
"This is normal back things I've had in the past, which I guess is good because I know how to handle it. I know how long it can take. Sometimes it can vary by a few days here or there."
With Federer out of the tournament, Nadal gets a boost on his bid to win three-straight titles in his third-consecutive tournament. Nadal and Federer have a chance to meet in the quarterfinal round of the Madrid Open, which could have been another epic battle between the two rivals.
Nadal has been on a remarkable run ever since entering the European clay-court tournaments this year. The Mallorcan started off his somewhat road to redemption after winning the Monte Carlo Masters followed up by a masterful victory at the Barcelona Open.
Heading into the Madrid Open, Nadal feels happy with his form, but remains focused on his campaign for a fifth tournament title.
"I do the best to be at my top level, and I think I'm getting closer to it. I'm trying to manage it," Nadal said. "For the moment, I'm happy with my level."
Nadal opens against Andrey Kuznetsov of Russia in the second round of the tournament at the Caja Magica. Nadal leads the 25-year-old by 2-0 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head matchup. Their last meeting was in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open, where the King of Clay needed a three-setter to defeat the Russian youngster.
