Physically I was just not able, rues Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal perspires as he rests between games yesterday. Pic/AFP

Rafael Nadal said he took a lot of positives out of the Australian Open on his return from injury, despite being thrashed in the final by Novak Djokovic. The Spanish second seed played an outstanding level of tennis at the tournament without dropping a set but had no answer to the world number one's booming groundstrokes and precision serve to go down 3-6, 2-6, 2-6.

Nadal said he still wasn't at his best after his injury-plagued 2018. "Was unbelievable the way that he played, no doubt about that. But at the same time it is true that probably physically I was not able [to compete at that level]," said Nadal. "Five months without competing, having that big challenge in front of me, I needed something else. That something else today, I don't have it yet. That's my feeling, to compete at this super high level.

Even if tonight was not my night, it's so important for me to be where I am, coming back from injury." Nadal had not played a main tour event since a knee problem forced him to retire during his US Open semi-final against Juan Martin del Potro in September.

Nadal, 32, had surgery on his ankle in November to remove a loose intra-articular body and only resumed training in December. "The only thing I need is time and more matches. I need work, and more weeks like this one. That's really the only thing that I hope - to have the chance to keep practising well and to have the chance to keep playing and stay healthy," he added.

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