Nadal will hold all four grand slam titles simultaneously for the first time if he deposes Roger Federer in the
Melbourne event starting in nine days time, but his preparation has suffered a last-minute change. The Spanish world No.1 will remain in Doha for at least two more days in an attempt to rid himself of the fever that has troubled him all week.
Nadal felt so unwell during a 6-3 6-2 loss to Nikolay Davydenko, the Russian who is ranked outside the top 20, that he almost quit half way through their semi-final. "I thought about retiring for a moment. I had no chance to win the match,'' Nadal said. "I knew that after four games, five games."I felt real bad, but, you know, (it) is difficult for me to go off court. It's not nice for the crowd, not nice for the tournament, not nice for the opponent, too''.
Nadal has been on antibiotics for several days and will continue to have treatment while trying to rest up ahead of a long flight to Australia. "I stay here because I have to get healthy before I travel,'' he said.
"Going by plane sometimes makes you worse. And at the same time I don't have anything to do right now in Australia.''"With my condition right now I think the more reasonable thing to do is rest a few days and have less risk of injuries, less risk of everything.'
Nevertheless Nadal somehow completed the doubles event and won the title with his compatriot Marc Lopez not long after losing to Davydenko.
"The problem is I'm not ready to play at that rhythm like the rhythm of Nikolay,'' he said. "When Nikolay moved me around after three balls, four balls, I wasn't there, no? So mentally that was hurting me, probably.
"Even in doubles, when I play a little bit longer points, I feel the strain.''Although Nadal achieved a career grand slam when he won the US Open title in New York in September, he has never held all four at the same time. The Australian Open is the only grand slam title he currently does not hold.
"It's gonna be the one chance I have in my life,'' he said. Roger Federer reached his seventh final in nine tournaments in Doha with a 6-3 7-6 (7-2) win over Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.