Aussie Open: Nadal vows to fight to the finish!

Rafael Nadal announced himself as a serious contender for the Australian Open after winning his first tournament when he returned from injury.

The 35-year-old Spaniard won the Melbourne Summer Set ATP event by beating American qualifier Maxime Cressy 7-6, 6-3.

Nadal has not played on the regular tour since August due to foot problems and contracted Covid while playing an exhibition in Abu Dhabi in mid-December.

He is a consistent performer in Australia, winning the title in 2009 and reaching the finals four times in the last nine years. “I feel privileged and a very lucky guy to be here again,” he said. “I’m coming back from some challenging moments in terms of injuries, so I couldn’t be happier.”

Whatever happens to Novak Djokovic, who will be ill-prepared at best, Nadal would be standing there with Daniil Medvedev and Alex Zverev as serious challengers.

The bigger names in women’s tennis are also coming to the boil for the first Grand Slam of the season.

World No 1 Ash Barty, not yet winning her home game, defeated Elena Rybakina 6-3, 6-2 to win the Adelaide International. Simona Halep has won the WTA final in Melbourne.

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Emma Raducanu, who will play her first event since Linz in early November, is playing in the Sydney Tennis Classic this week and had a first-round change yesterday.

She would face former French Open champion Iga Swiatek, but after the Pole’s precautionary withdrawal with a rib injury, she will now play against the in-form Rybakina, the world number 14.