Nadal still hurting after comeback victory
Men's Tennis,
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Rafael Nadal has made a winning return to tennis after eight months out with injury but admits he is still feeling pain in his knee.
The Spaniard teamed up with Juan Monaco to record a victory in the doubles at the Chile Open, after spending eight months on the sidelines recovering from a chronic problem in his knee.
The 11-time Grand Slam winner was forced to miss the Olympics and the US Open in 2012 and he also sat out the Australian Open earlier this year to try and ensure that his knee was fine for the upcoming clay-court season.
But, despite he and his partner recording a 6-3 6-2 triumph over Czech second seeds Frantisek Cermak and Lukas Dlouhy, the Majorcan left-hander admitted that he is far from being in tip-top condition.
"The doctors have said it's OK. There is no risk of making it worse," he told reporters after the match. "My knee keeps hurting. But the fact I am playing here is a thing of joy.
"I am not 100%, I need some weeks. If it hurts, it hurts and we'll put up with it. I am here to play tennis, with or without pain."


