Rafael Nadal avenged his first round exit in the men’s singles category of Qatar Open by winning the doubles with Juan Monaco in the exact same competition.
The Spaniard is currently preparing for the upcoming Australian Open, but his preparations were handed a rough reality check at Round 1 of the competition, where he was systematically dismantled by Michael Berrer, who is ranked outside the top 100.
Nadal then picked up the pieces, before pushing harder in the doubles, where he partnered Monaco, and ultimately seized the crown with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Julian Knowle and Philipp Oswald in the final.
“This has made it a positive week and I am going to be better prepared for Australia after winning this,” Nadal told AFP
“By playing doubles I can evolve quicker with my movement, even if it is different from singles. It helps the singles, and it helps to get the feeling of winning again, especially with a friend.”
“I am going to be better prepared not only because of extra matches but because I have also been doing the right things, practising for two hours every day.
“I want to arrive in Australia being competitive, that’s my goal,” he said, appearing to quash his suggestion after his loss to Berrer that he was unsure whether he would be ready to compete in the first Grand Slam tournament of the year at all.
“You can win, you can lose, but I am doing all the things I need to be ready for the action. It’s a big motivation to be back at my best level as quickly as possible, and that’s what I am trying to do.”
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