Fernando’s start to the upcoming clay season is in a bit of question as he’s been dealing with some nagging injuries that may prevent him from playing at the Monte Carlo Masters.

A recurring back injury and a nagging sciatic nerve injury may put his upcoming clay season on hold. He plans to visit the doctor of the Spanish Federation, Angel Ruiz Cotorro, for an accurate diagnosis and treatment when he arrives back in Spain.

“The truth is I do not know what to do. Maybe I should stop and recover, or continue with discomfort and trying to defend the Monte Carlo points that way. I had an MRI in Las Vegas, before playing in Indian Wells. The problem affects me in the sciatic nerve of the leg. It’s not much pain walking or running, but when the game is long, it gets worse. Depending on what the doctor says, I’ll see if I can play in Monte Carlo, Rome.”

Fernando also lamented missed opportunities in his quarterfinal loss against Tomas Berdych.

“Knowing that was not Roger, but Berdych that I was playing, I should’ve taken my opportunities. With Federer, normally he is beating me, but Berdych, he is behind me in the rankings, so it was a good opportunity. It was difficult with the wind to get the timing right, hitting the center of the strings. I could not play great tennis. He hits flat, deep, very hard. At the same time, it is difficult for him to be consistent like this all the time, and that is why he is only in the top 20 of the world and not the top ten.”

(translated via la aficion)