Rafael Nadal will end his six-month, injury-enforced absence from tennis by playing back-to-back tournaments in the Gulf before launching his assault on the Australian Open.

The 26-year-old Spaniard

Novak Djokovic's frustration with the controversial blue clay at the Madrid Masters reached new heights after the world number one was beaten 7-6 6-3 by fellow Serb Janko Tipsarevic in the quarter-fin

Rafa Nadal has played down the significance of his victory over Novak Djokovic in Monte Carlo, saying winning tournaments was his priority rather than reclaiming the world number one spot.

The Spania

New York, Sept. 14: By winning the US Open for the first time and completing his collection of grand slam titles, Rafa Nadal solved one riddle and posed another.

His 6-4, 5-7 6-4 6-2 victory over No