#forgotten #injury #excitement #Davis #Cup #duel #González
Nicolas Massu radiates joy. After physically complicated months as a result of a serious injury after rupturing his Achilles tendon -and a painful family loss a couple of weeks ago-the Chilean tennis legend is, literally, back.
And yes, we are talking about literally why the ‘Vampire’ will return to a court next Friday, April 5 to confront, in the Gran Arena Monticelloto his eternal partner: Fernando Gonzalez.
“I am happy to be able to play an exhibition with Fernando González, who is a great lifelong friend, a partner. And always being on a tennis court has great motivation,” recognizes Massú from Mexico to BioBioChile.
“What’s better than playing with your best friend, in your country, and we already played at Monticello years ago and it was incredible. I also had to play there with Fernando against Monaco and Chela, we know the place, it is special,” he adds, detailing that “I am having some tournaments now in Mexico and I am arriving in Chile on April 2.”
The injury to be forgotten: “It has been a long wait, several months of recovery”
Massú recognizes that his physical evolution has been slow, but sure. And no wonder, a rupture of the Achilles tendon must be one of the most complicated for an elite athlete.
But, just as in his time as a tennis player, nothing intimidates Massú. “I feel very motivated because I am coming off a fairly long injury. Last year he was playing an exhibition with Carlos Moya in Brasilia and the match with Fernando was supposedly played last year, “But I had to have surgery, where I tore my Achilles tendon.”remember.
“It has been many months of waiting, of being able to feel good, of recovering. It is a long injury so I have already started training, little by little, to recover and well, the time has come to play exhibition matches again, which motivates me a lot,” he explains.
“My operation was a little before Davis cup when we went to Bologna, and it has been a recovery that obviously was not easy as well. I spent a lot of time working and traveling, and maintaining rehabilitation, to be able to feel well again. “It is a super complicated injury, many months of recovery, but I am very motivated,” he remarks.
Regarding the duel with González, Massú assures that they will put on an excellent show. “I think Fernando and I We are at an age where we can still demonstrate a good level of tennis, and people appreciate that. “That people leave happy and that they can see us again after a long time.”
“I love playing tennis, I love being on the tennis court. Every day that passes I feel better. I’m ready to play and there are many more surprises to come in the coming months and years. Games in other countries and I want to be well to be able to play. I love being on the court, running, and feeling like I can play at a good level,” he tells his fans.
A diagnosis of Chilean tennis: “It is showing that we are doing well”
Massú breathes tennis and as captain of Chile in the Davis Cup he is optimistic about the present and future of the Chilean representatives on the circuit.
“The truth is that because of my job I am lucky to always be close to them during the year (Davis Cup players). For example, now I am in Mexico and here are Matías Soto and Tomás Barriosand I was able to share with them,” he explains.
“Last week I was with Garín, Tabilo and Jarry. That’s very good because I see what they are doing and if I’m not there I try to follow them on the internet or television. But that, an advantage of my job as Davis Cup captain, I can generally see what they do on the circuit,” he complements.
In this sense, Massú especially valued what was exhibited by the ‘Torre de Santiago’ at the Miami Masters, although without undermining his teammates. “It makes me very happy for Nico who is playing at a high level,” he says.
“I had already beaten great players this year like Alcaraz, Ruud, and others. Playing with the best players in the world in such a special tournament, like a Masters 1000, is very good for confidence, for what is to come, to show what is being worked on. It makes me very happy for him, and also for what the other kids do, each one making their own story.”he points out.
For this reason, Massú’s diagnosis is forceful: “I think that over the last few years, Chilean tennis is showing that we are doing well, that we are, for example, in the Davis Cup, the third time in recent years, and that motivates me a lot. ”
Chile does not shrink in the Davis Cup: “We are difficult for anyone”
On March 19, the draw for the Davis Cup Finals for the month of September was held. As luck would have it, Chile goes to Zhuhai to face Germany, the United States and Slovakia.
“The Davis Cup this time is going to be a different series, because it is played in a country where there is no venue. China does not play in this case, so we are pure neutral countries,” warns Massú.
The Chilean coach, looking ahead to what is coming, has already been advancing work. “I have been dealing with players who have played there (Zhuhai) to find out the playing conditions, the field, everything that is going to happen there to prepare and we already know the rivals we face, all players we know a lot.”
“We played with Slovakia very recently, also years ago I had to play against them as a player. Germany is also a very compact team and there is the United States that can make several teams,” he details.
Massú knows that the group is complex. However, he does not shrink. “They are all very tough rivals that are there. There are only 16 teams, the best in the world, so they are all difficult, as we also know that we are difficult for anyone we face.”
“The most important thing is that our players arrive healthy, I hope they win games so that they arrive with confidence, and it will be a special Davis Cup, because as I say it is something new that there is no venue,” he says.
Any goal? “Try to be prepared as best as possible and our goal is to try to qualify for Malaga, Spain, to be in the quarterfinals.” It is impossible not to be excited having in front the one who taught us that nothing is impossible.
