Nagal to replace Nadal for Raonic at Indian Wells

With the exception of one letter, nothing has changed for Milos Raonic at Indian Wells. You'd almost think it was a simple spelling error. But that g instead of a d changes everything. The Canadian was due to face Rafael Nadal in the first round of the California Masters 1000, but in the end Sumit Nagal will challenge him this Thursday. The Indian, ranked 101st in the world and beaten in the second round of qualifying, replaces the Spaniard who withdrew on Wednesday evening.

Nadal announced his withdrawal via the networks, but gave no real details as to why. He simply explained that he felt "not ready to play at the highest level in such an important tournament". Perhaps only a recent back strain mentioned by David Ferrer during Nadal's exhibition match against Carlos Alcaraz in Las Vegas (March 03) could provide the beginnings of an explanation.