Rafael Nadal says he’s “not 100% positive of something” after being injured in his quarter-final defeat by Australian Jordan Thompson on the Brisbane Worldwide.
Nadal didn’t convert three match factors as he misplaced 7-5 6-7 (6-8) 3-6 in three hours and 26 minutes.
The Spaniard, 37, was taking part in his third match since getting back from virtually a 12 months out with a hip downside.
Nadal wanted a medical timeout when he was 1-4 down within the deciding set.
A winner of twenty-two Grand Slam titles, Nadal stated the ache in his left hip is in an identical place to the damage that required an operation in June 2023, however he hopes this one is simply muscular.
It comes simply 9 days earlier than the beginning of the Australian Open in Melbourne, which he has gained twice.
Nadal, who has dropped to 672nd within the rankings, stated of his probabilities of taking part in within the event: “I do not know. I hope to have the possibility to be practising subsequent week and to play Melbourne.
“Actually, I’m not 100% positive of something now. Then, the following couple of days, let’s examine how I really feel. If I do not really feel properly, then we’re going to do a check and we’re going to examine it.
“I really feel the muscle drained. It isn’t the identical like final 12 months in any respect as a result of when it occurred final 12 months, I felt one thing drastic instantly. Right here I did not really feel something.
“The one downside is, as a result of the place is identical, you’re a little bit extra scared than standard. In a perfect world, it’s simply the muscle supercharged after just a few days of effort and a really robust match.
“I’ve been taking plenty of precaution as a result of I do know, after a 12 months, it’s tough for the physique to be taking part in tournaments on the highest stage. When issues have gotten harder, you do not know how your physique goes to react.”
After wins over Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler earlier this week, Nadal confronted the hardest check of his comeback towards Thompson, ranked fifty fifth on the earth. Friday’s defeat was 33 minutes longer than his victories over Thiem and Kubler mixed.
Nadal dropped serve halfway via the primary set solely to reply with a break of his personal earlier than accelerating away to take the opener.
Possibilities to shut out the match got here Nadal’s method within the second set tie-break, however Thompson clung on to pressure a decider.
From there, the 29-year-old Australian took cost and broke Nadal’s serve within the last set, with the veteran unable to recuperate.
Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, who eradicated Andy Murray within the first spherical, will face Thompson within the semi-finals following a 6-1 6-4 quarter-final victory over Australian Rinky Hijikata.
The opposite semi-final on Saturday will see world quantity eight Holger Rune face Russian Roman Safiullin, after their respective last-eight successes towards James Duckworth and Matteo Arnaldi.
