If Rafael Nadal has been stealing the limelight on clay in the last 8 years (8 wins in Monte-Carlo, 6 in Roland Garros and 5 in Rome), the Spaniard has always struggled when it comes to playing in front of his home crowd, having only claimed the title twice, in 2005 and 2010. Last year, the Mallorca-born player fell in the final to an impressive Novak Djokovic, unbeaten in the first 5 months in 2011. But this year, things have changed…
Indeed, Nadal took some time off following the Australian Open in January to be in perfect physical condition when the short but crucial clay season came to begin. And the results speak from themselves, as the Roland Garros titleholder is unbeaten on his favorite surface this season, with wins in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona. In Madrid, as Djokovic’s number one challenger, Nadal will try to get the trophy back from the Serbian, whom he defeated last month, but will have to get past a tricky obstacle as he takes on Russian Nikolay Davydenko in the first round.
Meanwhile, the ladies are already in action, as Serena Williams easily secured a spot in the second round following her 6-3, 6-1 thrashing of Russian Elena Vesnina. The American, unbeaten on clay in 2012, is looking more and more like the one to beat in Madrid, and is counting on this tournament to arrive in Paris with plenty of confidence. But with world number one Victoria Azaraenka, Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki and Roland Garros holder Na Li also in contention for the win, all is to play for in the Spanish capital.
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