I'm not the favourite, says Nadal
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Defending champion Rafa Nadal said on Saturday that he didn't deserve to be considered the favorite for the first Grand Slam tournament of the season.
"For sure, I'm not the favorite. For sure on hard court there is a lot of very good players. I think being No. 2 of the world, probably I am not the maximum favorite, but I am one of these ones," Nadal told a packed press conference at the Melbourne Park.
"Is like every year when I arrive to Roland Garros, everybody talk I am the favorite, no? Finally important thing is who plays better on the court," added the four-time French Open winner.
Despite the injury problems that interrupted his 2009 season, Nadal has spent most of the off-season on the court.
At Doha, Nadal's first tournament of 2010, the Spaniard made it to the final where he was upset by world No. 6 Nikolay Davydenko, who has fired a warning shot to his rivals by winning 17 of his past 19 matches.
This week the Russian has been touted by some, including dual Grand Slam champion Pat Rafter, as a potential danger to claim an upset win at Melbourne Park.
Despite the loss, Nadal said he thinks he's playing better now than he was in the final four months of 2009, but confidence, he insists, can't be found on the practice court.
"The only way to have confidence is winning matches, winning important matches, no? So I did there in Abu Dhabi and I did therein Doha. So I think I am in the really right way," he said.
Nadal is scheduled to play Australian Peter Luczak on Monday at Melbourne Park as the main draw gets underway.
"I am ready to try to play my best tennis, I think," said Nadal.
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