Saturday, 31 August 2013 00:00
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Reuters: Overcoming hardship makes you stronger, according to Rafa Nadal, who is proving his point with a sensational comeback year and a sparkling hardcourt run after a debilitating knee injury. Nadal was sidelined for seven months by the injury, but hard work and determination have again made him a ferocious force as evidenced by his 6-2 6-1 6-0 mauling of Rogerio Dutra Silva of Brazil on Thursday to reach the third round of the US Open.
The victory improved the Spanish second seed to 17-0 on hard courts this year, which has included titles at Indian Wells, Montreal and Cincinnati among his nine trophies in 2013. Nadal said overcoming adversity was enormously satisfying.
“When you are coming back after hard times, after an injury... you need to work hard. You need to work with the right attitude every day,” said 12-times winner Nadal. “You need to be ready to suffer, to enjoy the suffering, and to be able to change the situation.”
Nadal, the 2010 US Open champion, has dramatically turned around his fortunes, posting a 2013 match record of 55-3. He put his dominance on display in a 92-minute rout at Arthur Ashe Stadium, facing only one break point but saving it and ripping 30 winners to the Brazilian’s nine.
World number two Nadal, who missed the 2012 US Open because of a knee injury, will next play Ivan Dodig of Croatia, a 6-1 6-4 6-4 winner against Russian Nikolay Davydenko.
