Doha: Second-seeded Rafael Nadal has said he is “very happy” with his strong play on hard courts early in the 2016 season after advancing to the semi-finals of the Qatar Open.
“I’m very happy. It’s a great start for (me) this year,” the Spanish World No.5 said after defeating 24-year-old Russian Andrey Kuznetsov 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 for his third win this week on Thursday.
He said he was pleased with his aggressiveness and ability to change the dynamics of the match, reports Efe.
Nadal will next take on 94th-ranked Ukrainian Illya Marchenko, who upset Spain’s David Ferrer in the first round and continued his surprise run this week by taking out France’s Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) on Thursday.
Reflecting back on a frustrating 2015, when his ranking fell to as low as No.10 and he won only minor tournaments, Nadal said Thursday’s result showed that he was in a better state mentally. (IANS)
