After suffering three consecutive losses to Juan Martin del Potro on hard courts, world No. 1 Rafael Nadal gets revenge by besting the Argentine 6-4, 6-4 in the semis of Indian Wells and admits he was shadow of himself when del Potro crushed him in the 2009 U.S. Open semis.
"I had the three centimeters abdominal broke in that moment,” Nadal said. “The second half of the year, I had too many problems. I broke my abdominal in Montreal. After, seems I was a little bit better in Cincinnati, but after a few matches, another time I felt the abdominal. In U.S. Open I was bad since the second round, but I keep playing, playing. Finally I had to stop one month without play. So we can't compare matches when you are not healthy. I am sure with my level of 2009 in that moment, without injury, I was [going to lose], but not 6-2, 6-2, 6-2."
The Spaniard added that del Potro, who returned to the tour at the beginning of the season after spending most of 2010 sidelined due to wrist surgery, is sure to be contending all year long.
"For Del Potro, the final of U.S. Open and semifinals for me was his highest level,” Nadal said. "You can arrive to this level, but not every day. The normal level of everybody is a little bit lower always? Is impossible play all the time full power shots, all the balls inside, having serve all the time, first and second serve very fast. So I think he's doing well…I am happy to see him back on the tour. He is one of the best players of the world, to be sure. I sure he's going to be at the top positions very soon."—Matthew Cronin