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Rafael Nadal says he’ll work hard on regaining his self-belief and sharpness ahead of his Australian Open title defence in January.
The world No.2 is already talking of heading right back to the practice courts to improve his game for the Open and the rest of the 2010 season after being eliminated from title contention in the season-ending World Tour Finals in London.
Nadal’s chances at the showdown between the year’s top eight players ended with a 6-1 7-6 (7-4) loss to Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko in the group stage on Wednesday, following an earlier defeat by his French Open conqueror Robin Soderling.
“I didn’t arrive to this tournament with the full confidence that you need to win these matches. And in the moments that I had to play well, I didn’t play well. I had mistakes,” said Nadal, who was already looking forward to the Australian courts.
“The season is done, and I am playing difficult surfaces for me. When the season is going to start next year, probably I am going to play a little bit more favourable surfaces for my game.
“Practising and working a lot, that’s the way for me, the only way to improve the situation. That’s what I did all my life.”
It’s been a tough end to a year which started so promisingly for Nadal when he added the Indian Wells title to his Australian Open success and claimed clay titles in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome before Soderling handed the clay king his first ever French Open loss in the fourth round.
After a couple of months out with knee tendinitis, Nadal battled back to make the US Open semis but has yet to recapture his scintillating best.
Nadal is still due to contest the December 4-6 Davis Cup final, in which Spain host the Czech Republic in Barcelona.
But after that, the 23-year-old will head back to his native Mallorca to work on his game — and the left-hander is up for the challenge as he attempts to reclaim the No.1 ranking from Roger Federer next year.
“I have motivation to play my best tennis again. When you have this goal and you have this motivation, it doesn’t matter if you are tired or not.
“So I am ready to start practising and to start playing in 2010,” said Nadal, who beat Federer in this year’s Australian Open final.
“I don’t know how far I am from my best. The important thing is, when this change can happen, be ready to do it.”
“I have to play again with this intensity, with this full rhythm with my forehand, playing without mistakes, playing this intensity that the other ones can’t attack you, so you can have the control of the point, but without a lot of risk,” Nadal said.
“And play 10, 12, 20 shots with the confidence, without thinking if you are going to have a mistake or not. So that’s the goal right now.”
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