
Nadal had returned from injury only recently and was looking to gain some form before his beloved Grand Slam French Open. He was ranked No.3 in the world at the time and it felt like a slap in the face as he clearly played the best tennis in the tournament and before it.
Nadal picked up for where he had left off the previous season and continued to play some stunning tennis. He raced through into the semifinal, without having dropped a set. In the semis, he met rising star Ernest Gulbis. Gulbis became the first man in two years to take a set off of Nadal when he won the second set 6-3. His revival however was cut short and Nadal took the match 6-4,3-6,6-4.
The final was contested between fellow countryman and friend David Ferrer. The world expected this one to be a close contest especially as Ferrer had beaten Nadal comprehensively in the Aussie Open quarterfinal the previous year, nevertheless Ferrer was no match for the defending champion who won 7-5, 6-2.