Rafael Nadal showed he means business in the new season with an authoritative win over Tomas Berdych in the opening round of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship on Thursday. Next up for the Spaniard is Milos Raonic as the two players look to seal a spot in the final in Abu Dhabi.
Federer or Nadal, who is greater?
Also in action on Friday is Andy Murray, with the world number one playing his first match of the new season. Murray will face David Goffin in the semifinals as he looks to make the right moves in his preparation for the Australian Open next month.
Nadal was impressive in his first match of the season, easing past Berdych 6-0, 6-4. The first set came in just 26 minutes for the Spaniard, suggesting the injury worries, for now at least, are behind him. There is little doubt that Nadal is a force to reckon with when fully fit and the key for the former world number one and 14-time Grand Slam champion will be to stay injury-free for 2017.
"It's difficult to imagine playing a first set like this after a long time without competing, but it happened and I enjoyed it a lot," Nadal said after the impressive win. "I'm excited to be back at the competition and practicing hard every day to improve."
Nadal will now face Wimbledon 2016 finalist Raonic in the semifinals. The Canadian had a bye in the previous round, so this will be his first match of the season.
"He's improved a lot on the baseline and his service is unbelievable," Nadal said of Raonic. "It's a match where I will need to play at my best and be very focused in every moment with my serve, and then hopefully I can play a great match."
Murray will play Goffin in the first semifinals. After a 2016 to remember, when he won the Wimbledon, Olympics and ATP World Tour Finals titles, Murray will be keen to keep the momentum going into 2017 as well.
For Goffin, it will be about picking up a big scalp early in the season and with it gaining confidence ahead of the first Grand Slam of the season. The Belgian reached the semifinals with a straight-set win over Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
"When you play a tournament like this your aim is to be ready and prepare for the season, it's not just about winning against Andy or Jo," Goffin said. "You have to be ready, feel your game and feel comfortable in what you have to do for the season."
Where to Watch Live
The first semifinal Murray vs Goffin is set to begin at 5pm local time (6.30pm IST, 1pm GMT). The second semifinal Nadal vs Raonic is scheduled for a 7pm local time (8.30pm IST, 3pm GMT) start. Sony Six and Sony Six HD will show the matches live in India, with the live streaming option on Sonyliv. OSN Sports and OSN Play are the places to be to watch the action in the UAE, while USA viewers can watch Nadal and Murray play on Tennis Channel.
