Rested Rafa seeks second straight US Open title

NEW YORK: World number one Rafael Nadal is feeling rested and ready as he looks to defend his US Open title.
The Spaniard has put together back-to-back major crowns only at the French Open — where he has won 11 of his 17 Grand Slam titles. A year ago at Flushing Meadows, he mowed down a men’s field that was missing five of the top-ranked 11 men, with Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and 2016 US Open champion Stan Wawrinka among the injured absentees. His brutally one-sided victory over South African Kevin Anderson in his third Grand Slam final of the year gave him a second major of 2017 — after two years in which he failed to reach a Slam final. “Last year has been a very special year after a couple of years,” Nadal said Friday.
“2015 was not a positive year in terms of level of tennis, 2016 I was playing good tennis but I got injured. “Had the chance to get back in 2017. Of course I won on clay, but then to win on hard again is something that means a lot to me, especially here in New York.”
This year the men’s field features a full complement of the world’s top-ranked players and seven former US Open champions. (AFP)