The Sunday Mail
FOR the first time this season, someone other than Novak Djokovic will claim a Masters event as the Serb misses out in Madrid after winning in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo.
Djokovic also claimed the opening Grand Slam of the season in Australia, but has opted for extra rest to aid his bid to land a first French Open title in June.
The absence of the world No 1 could prove a big boost for defending champion Rafael Nadal as he tries to get his season going on home soil after a poor start to the campaign by his standards.
Nadal has won just one tournament this year in Buenos Aires back in February and has only one win against a top 10 opponent in a 19-7 record on the year.
The 14-time Grand Slam champion described his performance as “awful” in crashing out to Fabio Fognini at the Barcelona Open last week.
But he recovered from a similarly unsettling start on the clay last season to go onto claim his fourth title in Madrid before securing a ninth French Open.
Three-time winner Roger Federer returns after missing last year’s event due to the birth of his second set of twins, while Andy Murray will be confident of improving on his best ever showing in Madrid since the tournament moved onto clay, having not progressed past the quarter-finals in five previous attempts.
However, the biggest threat to Nadal could come from last year’s finalist Kei Nishikori, who looked in fine form as he retained his title in Barcelona. — AFP.
