After an unsuccessful day against Murray yesterday, Rafa said he would improve and guess what? He did. Rafa takes 3rd place in the Mubadala Exhibition tournament by beating Wawrinka 7-6 6-3.
Rafa was still rusty, but today there were definitely reassuring glimpses of the Rafa we're used to seeing on court. His serve was very reliable today and there were a few familiar impressive shots. In the first set the match was patchy and featured lots of breaks of serve. Somehow, in the last couple of games and tiebreak, Rafa picked up his game and really played fantastically.
All I did was go and make a cup of tea and Rafa was up 2-0 in the second set! His level dipped as he got tired but he hung on until the end of the set, taking it 6-3. It was wonderful to see him play as I didn't have the opportunity to yesterday. His tennis is still not up to the level either of us would like, but it's certainly improving.
There were many charming comments and smiles in the post match interview which were a delight to see. Rafa seems happy with the progress he's made so far this year, saying that he did what he wanted to do in Abu Dhabi. If you missed Stan vs Rafa today, you can watch the match here.
Next up is Doha for Rafa, starting on Monday. He plays in singles and doubles, so hopefully it'll give him lots more match time. With a tournament and another week of practice, I'm sure Rafa will be ready for the Australian Open, starting in 16 days time on the 19th of January.
The draw for Doha is out, and Rafa will be more than happy with how it turned out for him.
Rafa's possible path to the final is as follows;
R1 : Qualifier
R2 : Dodig
QF : Mayer
SF : Berdych
F : Djokovic
Rafa will also be playing in doubles with Juan Monaco in Doha. The men's doubles draw is also out.
I cannot wait to see Rafa on court again next week. It's been a great couple of days in Abu Dhabi. Rafa leaves with positive feelings and improved confidence.
The comeback continues… stay tuned.
@_phenomenadal_
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