Rafael Nadal: Davis Cup return for Spain star against Germany
- Published
Rafael Nadal retired in the fifth set of his Australian Open quarter-final against Marin Cilic
World number one Rafael Nadal will play his first match since January's Australian Open on Friday in Spain's Davis Cup quarter-final.
Nadal, 31, will face Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber in Valencia on the Spaniard's favoured clay surface.
The 16-time Grand Slam winner has been sidelined since retiring with a hip problem against Marin Cilic in his Melbourne quarter-final.
David Ferrer plays world number four Alexander Zverev, in the other rubber.
Nadal, who has won his last 22 Davis Cup singles matches, will then take on Zverev in the first match of the reverse singles on Sunday.
He has not lost a Davis Cup singles match since a debut defeat by Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic in 2004.
Despite his spell on the sidelines, Nadal reclaimed the top ranking after Roger Federer's surprise loss to world number 175 Thanasi Kokkinakis at the recent Miami Open.
- Published27 March 2018
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