Rafael Nadal begins his 2010 campaign to wrest back the world number one spot.
Nadal made the best possible start to the year by winning the Capitala World Tennis Championships exhibition in Abu Dhabi last week, the new high profile tune-up to the season. Nadal has much to prove after a number of crushing defeats in the autumn but he looked very sharp, moving well and he also seemed to have a little more weight on his shots, maybe as a result of his off season regime.
Nadal won hard-fought matches with David Ferrer and Robin Soderling in Abu Dhabi and he will be raring to go in Doha, a tournament he traditionally struggles at, losing to Gael Monfils in last years quarter-finals.
Simone Bolelli should not pose too many problems. The Italian has been in the top 50 and is an elegant ball-striker with a decent forehand but is currently ranked 93 after an eight match losing streak going back to August.
Bolelli will no doubt try and remember his match with Nadal in Rotterdam last year which the Spaniard only sneaked through 7-5 in the third.
