'Kei Nishikori has improved defensively, but Rafa Nadal's form is a concern'

I have changed my opinion of Kei Nishikori after his win in Barcelona.

Questionable

As for Nadal, I was worried after he lost to David Ferrer in Monte Carlo and I am now very concerned following his defeat to Nicolas Almagro in Barcelona, his first loss at that venue in 11 years. I don't think he was too far off playing his best tennis in the second set against Almagro but his confidence is low and his self-belief is questionable in the big moments, as proved by the fact he lost that match after winning the first set and being 3-1 up in the decider. Nadal doesn't lose like that on clay, certainly when he's up against a man he has beaten in each of their previous 10 matches, so for some reason or another he can't convince himself to play aggressive tennis when the pressure is on, something he used to be unbelievable at. We have to be careful not to be too radical in our assessment, but he is arguably going through his toughest moments ever, certainly on clay, and if he can't conquer lesser players on the red stuff, I don't see him getting back to his best on other surfaces in the short term. Rafa has clearly been rattled by losing the Australian Open final to Stanislas Wawrinka, while I think he is also feeling the effects from his quite sensational 2013, so he is in a period of readjustment and needs to go again. The next two weeks, in Madrid and Italy, are vital for Rafa, though the Spanish event will be difficult because it is played at altitude and that is not something he prefers - but if he can get his confidence back and play aggressively, the tide can turn. I hope it does, too, because while I love seeing new players breaking through, I want to see the greats in the latter stages of tournaments.