Rafa Nadal Hoping To Return To Winning Ways

Rafa Nadal says a return to familiar territory at the Rio Open gives him the ideal opportunity to bounce back from recent results. The Spaniard was surprisingly beaten in the semi-final by teenager Dominic Thiem in Buenos Aires last week, his first tournament since a first round defeat to Fernando Verdasco at the Australian Open.

Nadal has not reached a Grand Slam since the French Open in 2014 as injuries have taken their toll but he remains determined to find the form that has made him a 14-time major winner - and hopes a return to Rio de Janiero where he won the title in 2014 can be the catalyst. In fact Nadal, seeded first for this year's event, has won three titles on Brazilian soil and will begin his campaign against fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta. Nadal said “I came to Rio because I always had good results here, my first time I ended as champion and last year I made the semi-finals lost to Fabio Fognini. I'm very happy to be here in Rio and willing to play my first match now”.
 
Thiem is also in action in Rio, while defending champion David Ferrer is the second seed, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is seeded third and Great Britain's Aljaz Bedene is also in the event. John Isner is the first big name casualty, the fourth seed beaten by Argentina's Guido Pella on a rain interrupted first day.