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Spain's Rafael Nadal and Jaume Munar have given a walkover to Andrey Golubev and Franko Skugor in the Melbourne Summer Set doubles quarterfinal. Nadal, 35, kicked off his 2022 season two days ago when he and Munar beat Sebastian Baez and Tomas Etcheverry 6-3 3-6 10-4.
Nadal returned to action this week for the first time since ending his 2021 season in August due to a foot issue. On Thursday, Nadal plays his first singles match in five months as he saw off Ricardas Berankis 6-2 7-5. Nadal was scheduled to play doubles later in the day but he pulled out after beating Berankis.
'Nadal could win the Australian Open'
Former world No. 3 David Ferrer believes Nadal has a chance to win the Australian Open. "At the moment, Djokovic is playing well and he is healthy, but I [also] think Rafael Nadal has a chance to win the Australian Open, for sure," former world No.
3 David Ferrer told Sky Sports. Meanwhile, former world No. 2 Alex Corretja said a champion like Nadal can never be ruled out. "Rafa will retire being a winner, whatever happens. No matter how he was before, he has to assess how he wants to face what he has left from now on, but being Rafa you always have the feeling that he still has a bullet in his chamber to do something great.
You can never doubt special people like him, even if he comes from a very long injury and the process that he will have now will be difficult, I trust that there is still that great title to celebrate with him. A great title I mean a Grand Slam, because a Masters 1,000 more or less is not going to change anything. As for being number 1, it will be quite difficult because for that he needs to play," Corretja told Marca.