Rafael Nadal (Photo : Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal will open his campaign at the Shanghai Rolex Masters 2016 against Serbia's Viktor Troicki, with the Spaniard also hoping to get back in playing at a high level.
Nadal expressed dissatisfaction with his performance in the past few months, particularly after the King of Clay got injured at the French Open. Nadal, who is coming off his first doubles title at the China Open, aims to have a strong finish this season and get the much-needed boost for his campaign next year.
"I'm not satisfied with my performance [this season] because I got injured for two and a half months," Nadal said, reports the ATP's official website.
"My only pressure is trying to feel good on court and enjoy doing what I am doing. The goal is just to try to finish the season in the best way possible. Having a very painful injury in the worst moment of the year, it's tough to be back and especially when you are back and still with pain."
Nadal could improve his chances of finishing the season on a winning note when he competes in the second round of the Shanghai Rolex Masters against Troicki, who advanced after cruising past Czech Lukas Rosol 6-2 6-4.
Nadal leads Trocki by 5-0 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head matchup, including a title-clinching victory in Stuttgart last year. The winner between Nadal and Troicki could face Taylor Fritz, who still awaits the victor between Bernard Tomic and Roberto Bautista Agut.
Meanwhile, third seed Stan Wawrinka will kick start his stint in Shanghai against Britain's Kyle Edmund, who advanced into Round of 32 after defeating Argentine Federico Delbonis 6-3 5-7 6-4.
Wawrinka enters the match as a heavy-favorite following his finals win against Novak Djokovic at the US Open and a runner-up finish at the St. Petersburg Open in Russia, but it would be an intriguing match for the Swiss, who has yet to face the 21-year-old Edmund in a singles match.
Live streaming info and score updates
Watch Rafael Nadal vs Viktor Troicki live via TennisTV. Live scores will be available during match time at the ATP's official website.
