Nadal allays injury concerns, says fit for ATP Finals

Johannesburg [South Africa], Nov 3 (ANI): World number one Rafael Nadal has played down the seriousness of the recent knee injury, saying that he is completely fit to play at the World Tour Finals in London later this month.

The Spanish maestro battled through in three sets to beat Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3 in the third round of the Paris Masters and book his place in the quarter-finals.

During the match, Nadal caused a stir late on when he called his trainer to check the strapping on his right knee after losing the second set.

Having plagued by knee problems in 2015 and 2016, Nadal roared back into form this season to clinch the French and US Open titles.

He, however, was recently forced to withdraw from last month's Swiss Indoors Basel due to knee soreness.

Ruling out the injury concerns, Nadal said that he is 100 percent fine and would be playing in London normally.

"Well, of course, (I'm) 100 percent okay. Of course, I am going to be playing in London normally, if nothing happens. It depends (on the next) one week and a half. Anything can happen in one week and a half. But if nothing strange happens then I'm going to be there, of course," the world number one said.

The 16-time Grand Slam will now open a new ATP head-to-head series when he locks horns with qualifier Filip Krajinovic of Serbia for the first time in the last-eight clash of the men's singles event.

Earlier, Nadal's second-round triumph over Hyeon Chung of South Korea had ensured that he would end 2017 as world number one.(ANI)