Wally Masur weighs in on Rafael Nadal's French Open title chances

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Former Australian Davis Cup team captain Wally Masur underlined that Rafael Nadal can never be ruled out as a Grand Slam favorite but suggested it will be extremely difficult for the Spaniard to win the French Open this year. 

A rib injury forced Nadal to miss the beginning of the clay season but he was able to play Madrid and Rome. 

Just when Nadal returned from a rib injury, he started experiencing pain in his foot once again. 

Many, including Masur, are reluctant to write off Nadal from the French Open title contention but all agree that this winning the French Open this year won't be easy for Nadal. 

"Nadal's got a remarkable ability to come back and play well after injury. But (this being) on the eve of the French Open, the timing is bad. How much time does he have to rest and recover and prepare for what's coming his way? He'll leave no stone unturned to get it right, and look at what he did in Australia after a long period of injury and preparation. But I guess I'm just nervous for him, a few days out," Masur told the Australian Open website.

Masur: Novak Djokovic is the top favorite

Djokovic struggled with his game and fitness at the start of the clay season but he looked exceptional in every aspect in Rome. 

Djokovic won five matches in straight sets in Rome to win his first title of the season.

Masur thinks Djokovic found his game and rhythm in Rome and he is definitely a top favorite for the French Open title. 

"He had a very close loss to Alcaraz in Madrid, but you almost thought: tough week, not winning, does that dent his confidence a little bit? But he comes back in Rome with a vengeance. It kind of makes you think he's timed his run perfectly. Practice week ahead of the French, another week of early-round matches to kind of fine-tune. He just about is my favourite, yes," Masur said.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/gwybEoh

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