"It's an important comeback" says Nadal after reaching Melbourne final

Rafael Nadal will contest the ATP Summer Set Melbourne final against Maxime Cressy and reaching the final is an important step for Nadal.

It has been 5 months since Nadal has played consistent tennis and after returning in Abu Dhabi he is already back into the final. Taking advantage of a thinner draw in Melbourne, Nadal was able to battle his way into the final where he will face Maxime Cressy. Speaking on reaching the final, Nadal said:

“It’s an important comeback after five months outside of competition and it means a lot to me to be back in Australia. I need to do some things better on the court, but it’s step by step. My body is holding up, and that’s the main thing, and I need matches to get back to 100 per cent."

Somewhat of an interesting test will be the final against Cressy, a very atypical player for tennis in 2022 as he employs a serve & volley game. The American has progressed slowly over the past year and this final is not by chance. He has been a consistent challenger tour performer for a while now but against Nadal he will find it really tough.

Rafa himself finished off by admitting that his tennis is far from perfect but he understands it's a patience game:

"I know my tennis isn’t perfect, but it’s about being patient and doing my best.”