Intrigue surrounds Rafael Nadal’s fitness

There are questions over the fitness of the Spanish superstar after he failed to play in the ATP Cup.

Rafael Nadal. Picture: Getty Images

Intrigue surrounds the fitness of Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal after he failed to play in the ATP Cup.

The 20-time major winner sat court side cheering on his Spanish teammates in a semi-finals of the team event.

The 2009 Australian Open champion missed all three singles rubbers throughout the event and had not played since an exhibition win over Dominic Thiem in Adelaide eight days ago.

Nadal cited a stiff lower back as the reason for missing the initial match in the event against Australian Alex de Minaur on Tuesday.

Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley said the left-hander has been training but opted to skip the singles through caution as he eyes a record-breaking 21st major title in Melbourne over the next fortnight.

Nadal, who will play Serbian Laslo Djere in the opening round, is the $6.50 third favourite behind Novak Djokovic.

With Nadal absent, Spain was beaten in the semifinals by Italy, which will face Russia in the final on Sunday.

Matteo Berrettini, a semi-finalist in the US Open in 2019, performed powerfully when too good for Roberto Bautista-Agut 6-3 7-5.

That clinched Italy a spot in the decider after Fabio Fognini trumped Pablo Carreno Busta 6-2 1-6 6-4.

The powerful Russian combination of Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev, which started the ATP Cup as favourite, claimed both singles rubbers against Germany.

Rublev, who has emerged as a major contender, dropped the first set against Jan-Lennard Struff before giving Russia an early advantage when winning 3-6 6-1 6-2.

Medvedev and Zverev, who have been beaten finalists at the US Open in the past two seasons, played a high quality rubber.

Zverev seized the initiative early, only to be troubled by a back problem from the middle states of the second set against the 2020 ATP Tour Finals champion.

In a battle of nerves, Medvedev clinched the victory for Russia with a 3-6 6-3 7-5 win.

“We’re really happy to get the win, that’s the most important,” Medvedev said.

“Tough matches both of us. Both of us lost the first set. (It was) not easy because we had two days off before the match.

“I don’t know what Andrey thinks about this but we had two days without the matches (and) one day we were in the room almost the whole day, so it was not easy to prepare (for) a match.”

Several players in the ATP and WTA events running in Melbourne this week have opted to withdraw from matches in the latter stages of tournaments in order to safeguard their Australian Open hopes.

But Medvedev said the thrill of representing his country ensured he will give his all in Sunday’s final, regardless of when he is scheduled to play his Australian Open lead-in.

“Let’s see how it goes. I definitely will play tomorrow for the country,” he said.

“I would say it’s tough. I think everything that (has) happened here in Australia, if we talk from a tennis point of view, of course I’m saying only from a tennis point of view, it’s tough.

“The preparation, you cannot be hundred percent. For some people, it’s good, somebody will be ready better, somebody will be worse.

“I’m just trying to do my best I can to be (one) hundred percent, first for (the) ATP Cup and then (the) Australian Open. Let’s see how it goes. I don’t know in the future.”

On a busy day leading into the Australian Open, Ash Barty will play Garbine Muguruza on Margaret Court Arena at 11am for the Yarra Valley Classic title.

Elise Mertens is pitted against Kaia Kanepi in the Gippsland Open event.

England’s Dan Evans will bid to win his first ATP Tour title when he faces Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third match on Margaret Court Arena.

Maria Sakkari will play Anett Kontaveit in the second of three WTA finals to be held on Sunday.

Ash Barty’s doubles partner Jennifer Brady is into the final of the tournament reserved for women who served strict quarantine.