Monte Carlo: Rafael Nadal insisted on Friday he was not yet ready to reclaim his long-held title of king of clay despite winning through to a semi-final against Novak Djokovic at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Though he staged a third-set fightback to get past longtime Spanish rival David Ferrer 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, Nadal still believes he is lacking in match fitness and confidence as he recovers from an injury-blighted last season.
But the eight-time champion in the principality is more than ready to give it a go against the top seed as the pair meet for a record 43rd time.
Nadal has the upper hand, having won 29 of the duo’s previous meetings, but even that statistic is not enough to boost his enthusiasm.
“I love this court and I’m in the semi-finals again. That’s a very, very, very positive result for me, especially the way that I get to that semi-final.
“I have nothing to lose tomorrow, it’s a good tournament already for me. I did what I wanted to do here. I am sure that will help me for Barcelona, for Madrid, for the next few weeks.”
“I was pleased with my level in this match,” Nadal said after beating Ferrer for the 23rd time in 29 meetings - 20 of them played on clay.
“David played very well, it was a high standard from both of us.
“The match with Novak will be tough, he is so far ahead of the rest of the players right now.”
Djokovic won the first eight games against Croatia’s reigning US Open champion who is seeded eighth but still coming back from months of shoulder problems.
“Physically, it’s very demanding because I’ve played a lot of matches,” said Djokovic. “But momentum is on my side.”
Should he win the title on Sunday, Djokovic would become the first man to lift trophies at the opening three Masters 1000 tournaments of the season after completing the Indian Wells-Miami title double.
“The first set went completely my way. I knew he was going to start to change some things in his game so he can start to play a little bit better,” said Djokovic.
“But I made a crucial break in the beginning of the second, as well. So the first eight games were really fantastic. I tried to keep it up.
“All in all, it was probably the best match I’ve played so far in the tournament. That’s what I want, what I wish for in this moment.
“Obviously the amount of matches that I won this year has helped boost my confidence level, helped me to feel good at this tournament and continue on with good performances.”
