Nadal beaten but says injured knee is 鈥榝ine鈥
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World No. 1 Rafael Nadal lost his first match of the year 6-4, 7-5 to Richard Gasquet at the Kooyong Classic yesterday, but said he was happy after his troublesome knee held up 鈥渇ine.鈥
Nadal鈥檚 knee injury hampered the end of his 2017 season and forced him to skip last week鈥檚 Brisbane International, but he was able to give it a workout at the non-tour event in Melbourne.
Though he lost in straight sets, the Spaniard said he would keep working hard until the start of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Monday.
鈥淚鈥檓 very happy to be back in Australia,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 had a heavy year in 2017 and I started my preparation later than usual.
鈥淏ut I鈥檝e arrived in plenty of time. It鈥檚 great to get the feeling once again of playing a match.
鈥淭his was a good test for me after some good training, that鈥檚 the most important thing.鈥
The 16-time grand slam winner was far from his best in the exhibition encounter against a player he has beaten 15-0 on the ATP Tour in a rivalry dating back to junior days.
Nadal, 31, heads the entry list for the Australian Open and said he will be ready to front up for the first round.
鈥淭he knee is fine,鈥 he said in answer to the inevitable question. 鈥淚鈥檓 here. 鈥淚f I was not feeling good I would not be here, so that鈥檚 good news.
鈥淚鈥檒l train hard over the next few days for the Australian Open, I will be ready.鈥
Nadal is not playing any more matches at Kooyong, but he is also scheduled to turn out for a Tie Break Tens tournament at Melbourne Park tomorrow.
Gasquet, who missed Kooyong last year through illness and injury, was happy to get even an informal win over the Spaniard.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always a pleasure to play Rafa 鈥 I hope to beat him one day on the ATP before retiring. He鈥檚 a friend of mine and it鈥檚 great to play him,鈥 he said.
鈥淚鈥檓 happy with how I鈥檓 playing after a test against Rafa, who along with Federer is the best in history.鈥
Gasquet took the opening set, relying on a single break for 5-4 before serving it out against an opponent still trying to shake off the rust of inactivity.
The Frenchman found himself in more of a battle in the second set despite going up a double break for 3-0. The deficit barely bothered Nadal, who showed some of his classic form in closing the gap to 3-3.
Gasquet forced Nadal to save break points throughout as the pair stayed level-pegging. But the Frenchman finally broke for 6-5 and claimed victory with a smash winner on his first match point a game later.
Separately, Spain鈥檚 Pablo Carreno Busta defeated Belgian world No. 7 David Goffin 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.
In the women鈥檚 competition, Germany鈥檚 Andrea Petkovic rallied to defeat Australian teenager Destanee Aiava 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in windy conditions.
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