Nadal took to X on Monday and expressed his gratitude to his long-time rivals for their presence at the tribute.
On the anniversary of the day he first walked on to the Roland Garros court 20 years ago, Rafael Nadal returned as a hero to be celebrated by a crowd that has always embraced him as one of their own.
A year before he won his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in 2005, Rafa made his debut in India at the Chennai Open.
The top seeded Indian pair of Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna survived a scare from the British-Belgian pair of Ken Skupski and Xavier Malisse to enter the quarter-finals of the Aircel Chennai Open 2012 on Wednesday night. Earlier, Leander Paes began his stint with new partner Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia on a victorious note.
Wild card entrant David Goffin from Belgium shocked compatriot and last year's runner-up Xavier Malisse 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 in in the first round of the ATP Aircel Chennai Open on Tuesday.
Rafa Nadal swapped clay for grass on Wednesday but the result was just as emphatic with the world number one overpowering Australia's Matthew Ebden at the Queen's Club championships on a chilly evening in west London.
Two-time winner Marin Cilic of Croatia has been ruled out of the 2012 Chennai Open, India's only ATP World Tour event, due to an injury.
Images from the matches played at the Australian Open on Friday.
The Indian challenge ended at the ATP Legg Mason Classic after the opening round defeat of Rohan Bopanna and his Pakistani partner Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi in the doubles event in Washington.
Somdev Devvarman will have to wait for his career's first ATP title. The Indian ace and Treat Conrad Huey lost a fiercely-fought summit clash in the $619,50 Farmer's Classic to Mark Knowles of Bahamas and Xavier Malisse of Belgium in Los Angeles on Sunday. The unseeded Indo-Philippine pair played their hearts out, but eventually lost the final 6-7(3), 6-7(10) to the third seeded Bahams-Belgium pair.
The Indo-Pak express of Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi suffered an upset defeat at the hands of Belgian Xavier Malisse and Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov in the men's doubles semi-finals to bow out of the BNP Paribas ATP Tour 1000 tournament in Indian Wells on Thursday.
Indian tennis ace Devvarman defeated Belgian Xavier Malisse 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (5) in a two-hour third round contest at Indian Wells on Monday to set up a meeting with World No 1 Rafael Nadal next.
A Belgian court on Monday suspended a one-year ban imposed on tennis players Yanina Wickmayer and Xavier Malisse for violating anti-doping regulations, Wickmayer's agent said.
In the men's draw, Belgian Xavier Malisse has pulled out, also with a wrist injury, while Spaniard Alberto Martin has ruled himself out because of an elbow injury.
Czech Radek Stepanek became the first defending champion to lose in the first round of the San Jose Open in 20 years when he was ousted by Belgian Xavier Malisse 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday.
Malisse, coming back from a wrist injury, took off from where he had left last year to beat Luxembourg's Gilles Muller 6-4, 6-3 in the first round of the Chennai Open at the SDAT stadium, Nungambakkam on Monday.
Saturday's draw pitted Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, the second seed, against Dutchman Robin Haase while defending champion Xavier Malisse of Belgium will play Giles Muller of Luxembourg.
Saturday's Chennai Open draw pitted Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, the second seed, against Dutchman Robin Haase while defending champion Xavier Malisse of Belgium will play Giles Muller of Luxembourg.
Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka secured Switzerland a place in the 2009 World Group with a 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-3, 6-3 victory over Belgium's Olivier Rochus and Xavier Malisse.
Somdev Devvarman entered the final of the Lexington Challenger after Xavier Malisse retired from the semi-final with an injury.
Indian qualifier Somdev Devvarman stretched his dream run to the semi-finals of the US $ 50,000 ATP Challenger tournament in Lexington after outplaying Italian Andrea Stoppini in straight sets. Somdev, who is in red-hot form, overwhelmed his Italian opponent 7-6 (5), 6-1 in the quarter-finals of the hard court event.
India's Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi won their respective doubles matches to set up a quarter-final clash at the Miami Masters.
The fourth seeds scored a 3-6, 6-3, 10-5 win over Czechs Tomas Berdych and Lukas Dlouhy in the first round of the Miami Masters.
Defending champion Xavier Malisse set up a quarter-final showdown against Russian fourth seed Mikhail Youzhny after overcoming Jurgen Melzer in the second round at the Chennai Open on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old Belgian picked out Spaniard Rafael Nadal and Russian Mikhail Youzhny as strong contenders for the Chennai Open.
Haas dispatched big-serving American Sam Querrey 6-4 7-5 while Blake completed his 200th career match victory with a 6-1 6-3 demolition of compatriot Scoville Jenkins.
Defending Champion and winner of a rare double in 2007, Xavier Malisse of Belgium has confirmed his participation for Chennai Open 2008, the 13th edition of which will be held from December 31 to Jan 6, 2008 at the SDAT Stadium in Nungambakkam in Chennai.
They downed wild card entrants Rafael Nadal and Bartolome Salva-Vidal in a pulsating final on Sunday.
Second seed David Nalbandian of Argentina will play Kristian Piess of Denmark in the first round of the Chennai Open.
Andy Roddick eased into the second round of the Australian Open on Monday before declaring that one of his aims for 2009 was to put himself back into the small group of elite men who are always vying for top honours.
Leander Paes and his Czech Republic partner Martin Damm will take on the Czech duo Petr Pala and Robin Vik in the first round.
The world No. 1 was taken to three sets by Xavier Malisse before winning.
The Indo-Belgian pair beat Yves Allegro and Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland 6-3, 6-1
The unseeded Indo-Belgian pair beat the Argentine duo of Jose Acasuso and Sebastian Prieto in the men's doubles at the French Open.
Top seed James Blake will play tournament specialist Xavier Malisse in the Delray Beach International final on Sunday.
The world number two believes he is ready to claim his maiden Australian Open crown.
The Belgian captured his second career title as he beat Stefan Koubek in straight sets on Sunday.
In Sunday's final the Belgian will meet Stefan Koubek, who beat Carlos Moya in the second semi-final at the Chennai Open.
The third seeded Belgian dropped a set before beating Fabrice Santoro while the world No 2 proved too good for Davide Sanguinetti at the Chennai Open.
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