image: Newscom

I hate when people get all jittery during a player’s first day back at a major event following an injury – it puts too much pressure on them.  Rafa could have been jet-lagged and his regular coach (and uncle), Toni Nadal, is not with him.

Apparently, he seemed a little agitated but his knees weren’t taped which, I guess, doesn’t mean too much since he reportedly stayed stationary for the majority of the practice.  Either way, I think it’s great to see him back on the court for the first time since the French Open when many were shocked to see him ousted by Robin Soderling.

Meanwhile, tournament officials are practically drooling over the fact that Roger Federer will be playing in the Roger’s Cup.  With Nadal winning this thing last year and being hampered by his achy knees, Federer might because to put some more distance between him and his biggest rival.

Needless to say, it’s going to be a very interesting tournament, no matter what happens.

Post from: EveryJoe

Nadal Looks Rusty, Federer Arrives in Montreal

I’m happy that he’s been trying to take it slow and is giving his body time to heal.  Nothing is worse than rushing a comeback and then getting reinjured and having to be sidelined for even longer.

It was really disappointing when he had to pull out of Wimbledon last month (a decision that caused his ranking to slide to the No. 2 spot) since we didn’t get to see a rematch between him and Roger Federer, who went on to win the championship after a very close match with Andy Roddick.

image: TSN

Post from: EveryJoe

Rafael Nadal Will Play in Montreal

They have good reason to wonder if Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will make the trek to the Canadian city.  Nadal had to bow out of Wimbledon this year due to a knee injury.  He has been resting and should be able to play by then but when it comes to physical ailments, it’s impossible to know how quickly a person will fully heal. 

Federer is not injured but his wife, Mirka, is due right around the time the tournament begins so he might want to stay close to home either way.  If she hasn’t delivered, he might not want to leave and miss the birth.  If she’s had the baby, he might not want to give up those precious first days with his son or daughter.  However, he lists the Rogers Cup on his schedule this year (on his official website) so I’m going to assume he is planning to go. 

The tournament director, Eugene Lapierre, is apparently ready to do just about anything to get him to the event.  He said, in a news conference:  "If ever his wife has already given birth, we’re offering him a house, along with a nurse, instead of having them stay at a hotel. And if she hasn’t, we’re giving him the option of flying back as quickly as possible on a private jet to be there for the birth."

Top-ranked players who are scheduled to play include Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick.

image: TSN

Post from: EveryJoe

Montreal Hoping Nadal and Federer Can Play