Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/423164
22 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 26 NOVEMBER 2014 Sport TENNIS BOXING Rafael Nadal will surprise us again, says Kuerten Three-times French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten knows what it is like to have a career plagued by injury but believes Rafael Nadal will come back strong from his latest ailments SPANIARD Nadal has not played since a shock defeat by Nick Kyr- gios at Wimbledon, since when a wrist problem and a troublesome appendix have sidelined the former world number one. Nadal, whose ninth French Open title in June was a rare highlight in a difficult year, will return to ac- tion after Christmas and Kuerten expects the 28-year-old to be chal- lenging for more grand slams in 2015. "It's worrying for all of us who love watching him when he's in- jured but then he keeps surpris- ing us," the 38-year-old Kuerten, forced to retire in his prime due to hip problems, told Reuters. "He turned it around last year and finished up as the number one again. Anything is possible for Rafa, but it depends on his physical condition and the level of Novak (Djokovic)." Kuerten does, however, urge cau- tion. "His style has a massive impact on the body, it's based on his physical performance a lot," said Kuerten, affectionately known around the world as "Guga". Although it may be asking a lot for Nadal to pick up the pace quickly enough to challenge for the Australian Open -- the year's first grand slam -- Kuerten believes he will be firing on all cylinders for next year's claycourt season. "Rafa thinks that is his territory," he said. "I think even when he's 95 years old you won't be able to keep him down. He's like from another planet at Roland Garros." Kuerten, who finished 2000 at the world number one after beating Pe- te Sampras and Andre Agassi back- to-back at the ATP Tour Finals in Lisbon, retired in 2008, finally admitting defeat to the injuries that began to torment him shortly after his third Roland Garros title in 2001. He said players were now less likely to suffer the same fate due to better protection by the ATP. "The late 90s and 2000s it was the extreme killing time of tennis play- ers," he said. "You look at (Marcelo) Rios, myself, (Magnus) Norman, even Marat (Safin). They pushed the players so hard that they start- ed to break one after the other. "We had to play nine obligatory Masters Series, four grand slams and then the season carried on un- til December, one month extra, and the Masters Series finals were best of five sets. "The ATP realised that it was too much and not fair and they are get- ting the schedule fixed." Kuerten, ever popular in Brazil where he runs tennis schools for disadvantaged children, has no re- grets, however. "For sure my best years in tennis didn't happen," he said. "But my life in tennis was great and it would be unfair to ask for more." Rafael Nadal Vladimir Klitschko's agency sues Kubrat Pulev over doping allegations World heavyweight champion Vladimir Klitschko's promotion agency K2 has filed a lawsuit against Kubrat Pulev over the Bulgarian challenger's doping allegations ahead of their IBF title bout in Hamburg this month "K2 is suing me for my words," Pulev told a news conference on Tuesday. "The case is... I have no right to speak on this topic, the doping." Klitschko, who also holds the WBO, IBO and WBA titles, knocked out Pulev with a fierce left hook in the fifth round for his 63th win in 66 fights. Pulev, who had won his previous 20 fights, protested several times about being subjected to rigorous drug- testing, saying that Klitschko had not been tested at all before the bout on November 15. He repeatedly called for his 38-year- old opponent to be tested but the Ukrainian refused. "You can respect him, he's a world champion," said 33-year-old Pulev, who became the IBF international champion in 2011 and European champion in 2012. "But nobody can force me to respect a man when I saw all his dirty tricks." Pulev failed to turn up to the news conference before the fight in Ham- burg after being informed that only three people from his camp could be present. The Bulgarian also accused Kl- itschko in August of feigning injury to avoid taking him on in September. Klitschko postponed the fight, say- ing he had torn bicep muscles during training in Austria. Vladimir Klitschko, Kubrat Pulev