An injury scare to the same hip that required career-saving surgery has left Rafael Nadal’s Australian Open return up in the air.
The Spanish great’s promising Brisbane International comeback ended in a gruelling three-and-a-half hour quarter-final loss to Australian Jordan Thompson on Friday night.
Nadal had three match points in the second set but Thompson benefited from a handful of uncharacteristic errors and played brilliant tennis of his own to win 5-7 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 at a raucous Pat Rafter Arena.
The 37-year-old Nadal first grabbed at his upper left leg late in the second set, then at 1-4 in the third set left the court for treatment as the match went into its fourth hour.
He returned to finish the contest, Nadal’s third in four days and second in a row after almost 12 months without playing.