Paris — Rafael Nadal faces a potentially season-defining Davis Cup weekend as the 16-time Grand Slam champion returns for his first appearance since hobbling out of the Australian Open in January with a hip injury. The 31-year-old Nadal leads Spain into a home quarterfinal against Germany at Valencia’s iconic Plaza de Toros bullring, boasting a remarkable record in the tournament. He is on a 22-match winning streak in singles with his only loss coming on debut for five-time champions Spain in 2004. However, it is recent history that now concerns Nadal. He may be back at world No1, but Nadal is far from fully recovered from the hip problem that forced him to sit out the Indian Wells and Miami Masters. "It’s been a tough few months," said Nadal, ahead of a Davis Cup tie that will see him take on Philipp Kohlschreiber in Friday’s second singles. "But I am excited to be back and hopefully it will be a positive week for me." On Sunday Nadal will go toe-to-toe with Alexander Zverev, the w...
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