Rafael Nadal is expected to miss both the Cincinnati Masters and Toronto Masters in the run-up to the 2014 US Open. Carl Court / AFP
Rafael Nadal is expected to miss both the Cincinnati Masters and Toronto Masters in the run-up to the 2014 US Open. Carl Court / AFP

Raonic says Rafa Nadal, missing warmups, is vulnerable at US Open: ‘Too many that are hungry’



Rafael Nadal’s announcement Wednesday that he will miss key US Open warm-up events at Toronto and Cincinnati with a right wrist injury will have some rivals “licking their chops.”

So says Wimbledon semi-finalist Milos Raonic, among those surprised to learn that the 28-year-old Spaniard, the reigning US Open champion, would be sidelined for the ATP Masters Series events, where he was also reigning champion.

“There’s a lot of people hungry in this sport,” Raonic said at the ATP and WTA Washington Open.

“It’s unfortunate to see him go but ... there are too many that are hungry and are licking their chops.”

Second-ranked Nadal, a 14-time Grand Slam champion, won an emotional French Open title in June but has not played since being ousted in the fourth round at Wimbledon.

Doctors told Nadal that he must rest the injury, suffered in training on Tuesday, for two to three weeks.

That will enhance the chances of rivals to capture a crown, including Canada’s seventh-ranked Raonic, even though such formidable foes as world No 1 Novak Djokovic and 17-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer remain in the fields the next two weeks.

“There’s nobody losing sleep over it,” Raonic said over Nadal’s absence. “Because everybody wants to make the most of the opportunities.”

However, fifth-ranked Czech Tomas Berdych said the game will miss Nadal.

“I wish him a fast and soon recovery,” Berdych said. “To miss a player like Rafa a week or more, it’s always a shame and especially at these big events.”

Berdych noted that the line between practicing hard enough and too much is a fine one.

“You really need to plan carefully, what to train, when to train and how to train,” Berdych said.

While it’s easy to say you can work out for a long time in a session, there is a long-term risk in marathon workouts.

“How long can you last to do it?” Berdych said. “We’re all getting older. we’re all getting more matches under out belt.”

Tournament organisers, certainly, will miss having Nadal as a drawing card.

“It’s very unfortunate that Rafa is unable to defend his title,” Cincinnati tournament director Vince Cicero said.

“He’s a great champion, and his run to the title last year electrified our fans. We will miss him and we wish him a very speedy recovery.”

“Rafa is a fan favorite and our fans will be upset by his absence,” said Toronto tournament director Karl Hale.

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Mia Man’s tips for fermentation

- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut

- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.

- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.

- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.

 

Company Profile

Founders: Tamara Hachem and Yazid Erman
Based: Dubai
Launched: September 2019
Sector: health technology
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Investors: Oman Technology Fund, angel investor and grants from Sharjah's Sheraa and Ma'an Abu Dhabi

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