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Rafael Nadal, playing his first event after a seven-month injury layoff, advanced to the semi-finals of the $410,200 Vina del Mar ATP claycourt tournament with a straight-sets win Friday. |
The 11-time Grand Slam champion from Spain ousted seventh-seeded countryman Daniel Gimeno-Traver 6-1, 6-4.
Top seed Nadal will face French third seed Jeremy Chardy—who cruised past sixth seed Paolo Lorenzi of Italy 6-2, 6-3 — for a place in the final.
Until this week, Nadal had not played since a shock second-round exit from Wimbledon in June.
A torn tendon and inflammation in his left knee kept the former world number one out of the London Olympics and the 2012 US Open, and a virus delayed his return.
“Today, I had more confidence than the other days,” said Nadal, who also entered doubles here in order to gain more match experience.
“That is positive. It gives me confidence, and reasons to believe that I’m on the right way.
“I’m happy to win in singles against a tough opponent like Dani and to reach the semi-finals after seven months,” he said. “In this tournament, I had a good feeling. The crowd gave me their support all the time.”
Nadal broke Gimeno-Traver’s first service game of the match for a 2-0 lead and again in the sixth game, and held on to claim the first set after 33 minutes.
In the second set, Nadal broke in the ninth game and then fought off four break points, the only ones he faced in the match, before holding serve in the final game to advance after 84 minutes.
For the match, Nadal connected on 68 percent of his first serves, winning 29 of 44 points on his first serve and 14 of 20 on his second serve.
Nadal, who turns 27 in June, plans to compete in claycourt events in Brazil and Mexico before playing ATP Masters hardcourt events at Indian Wells and Miami and then heading to Europe for clay events in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome ahead of the French Open.
There, Nadal has claimed the crown a record seven times.
Nadal starts athlete management company
Meanwhile, Nadal has set up his own company to manage athletes and organise events with his long-term agent Carlos Costa, the world number five announced yesterday.
“Together with his manager, Carlos Costa, Rafa Nadal began a new adventure on Jan 1 in the world of representing athletes of various sports like tennis, golf and football as well as organising events,” Nadal’s spokesman said in a brief e-mailed statement.
Spaniard Nadal was previously represented by US-based firm IMG, for whom Costa also worked.
He earned $25 million in endorsements last year from companies including Kia Motors and Nike, according to Forbes, putting him equal 16th on the magazine’s list of the world’s highest-paid athletes (www.forbes.com/athletes/list/).
IMG spokesman Jim Gallagher confirmed Nadal’s contract with the company had expired at the end of 2012.
“We are very happy for Rafa and we wish him the best of luck,” Gallagher said by telephone from New Jersey.
“We hope to do a lot more business with him in the future,” he added.
Nadal is the second high-profile tennis player to leave IMG in recent months.
Roger Federer, the world number two, and his agent Tony Godsick both severed ties with the firm last year.