Nadal looking to make up for lost time at US Open

A year after watching last year’s final on television, Rafa Nadal is back in New York, revitalised and ready to make up for lost time at the US Open. A knee injury forced Nadal to miss the last grand slam of 2012, spoiling his chances of reaching the final for a third straight year. With Nadal absent, Britain’s Andy Murray went on to win his maiden grand slam title, beating Novak Djokovic in a five-set thriller.

‘When I was in that period of time outside of the tour I didn’t follow the tour every week, because at the end I was focused on my recovery,’ Nadal told reporters at Flushing Meadows ahead of Monday’s opening play. ‘But a few matches you cannot miss, and for sure I watched all the final. It was a great final.’ This time Nadal is back, fully fit and at the top of his game, having won back-to-back Masters events at Montreal and Cincinnati.

Nadal also missed this year’s Australian Open but has been in great form since making his comeback, winning a record eighth French Open in June. Because of his knee problems, Nadal has had to adjust his game for the North American hardcourt season, playing more aggressively to reduce the pounding on his legs, and he seems to have found the perfect balance. ‘I think you can play aggressive when you are playing well. That’s the first and important thing,’ the left-hander said. ‘It’s true I’m trying to take the ball a little bit early and that I worked on my game to be a little bit more aggressive.’

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Paes-Stepanek seeded fourth at us open

NEW YORK: Leander Paes, will kickstart his US Open campaign with Czech partner Radek Stepanek against Jarkko Nieminen of Finland and Dmitry Tursunov of Russia. They have been seeded fourth.
Rohan Bopanna and his French partner Edouard Roger-Vasselin have been seeded sixth and they face the American pair of Bradley Klahn and Sam Querrey in their opening match.