Rafael Nadal has shown signs of his old form in the last couple of months, with those injuries finally looking like it has stopped haunting the left-hander. How much of the old Nadal is back, we will know in this ATP World Tour Finals, starting with a key match against Stanislas Wawrinka in London on Monday.
Nadal beat Wawrinka comprehensively in the Shanghai Masters recently, a tournament in which he reached the final, before, inevitably, losing to the one man who seems unbeatable at the moment – Novak Djokovic.
"Obviously, when you play against the best players, you want to play well and be competitive," Nadal said after that 6-2, 6-1 win over the French Open champion last month. "I am happy. I am working so hard every day, with the right energy, I believe."
However, Wawrinka did gain a measure of revenge for that loss in the Paris Masters last week, beating Nadal in two tie-breakers in the quarterfinals.
So, it really is anybody's going into this ATP World Masters Ilie Nastasic Group clash. "At the end of the day it's good news to be here as No. 5 in the world," Nadal said of a difficult season, in which he has not been able to win a single Grand Slam.
"After a tough year, if you're able to arrive at this tournament with that number that says that the level is still there. I need to keep playing the way that I'm playing the last month and a half. I think like this I'm going to be in a good position."
So can Nadal actually go on and win the ATP World Tour Finals title for the first time in his career, having fallen short in the final on a couple of occasions in the past?
"If you work there is always a solution and if finally there is not a solution, the most important thing is be satisfied that you really tried
"Every time I come here I arrive with motivation to try my best. This year is not an exception even if it was not an ideal season for me. I'm here to keep fighting as I did the last tournaments and I have the motivation to do it."
Where to Watch Live
Stan Wawrinka vs Rafael Nadal is set to begin at 8 pm local time (1.30 am IST, 3 pm ET). Star Sports 4, Star Sports HD4, Ten Sports and Ten HD will broadcast the ATP World Tour Finals match live in India, while Nadal vs Wawrinka can also be watched via online live streaming on Ten Sports Live, Starsports.com, Hotstar.
Audience in the US can catch the action on ESPN 3, while NAdal vs Wawrinka can also be live streamed on Watch ESPN. Viewers in the UK can watch their Wawrinka play Nadal live on Sky Sports 2, with the live stream option on Sky Go.
Viewers from across the world can watch the Nadal vs Wawrinka live on ATP's official website.
