Rafael Nadal said Friday that the worst thing about the injury that forced him out of the Australian Open quarter-finals was that it came just as he was playing great tennis.

"When you have an injury in the second tournament it's always difficult to accept, especially because I was playing really well," Nadal said at Indian Wells where he is the defending champion and third seed - behind Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic - in the first Masters 1000 tournament of the season.

Nadal limped out of his Aussie Open quarter-final against Andy Murray in the third set, after dropping the first two sets.

"I can lose quarter-finals in Australia against Andy for sure, but you know, my feeling is I was ready to win.

"I was believing I can win the tournament there. That was the worst thing, because I was playing really well."

Nadal ended up missing the ATP tournament in Rotterdam last month and Spain's Davis Cup victory over Switzerland.

"If I had the chance to continue playing Rotterdam and Davis Cup, it's going to be much better to play these tournaments," Nadal said.

Instead Nadal arrives in the California desert after a lengthy break from competition.

But the 23-year-old Spaniard, who beat Murray decisively in the wind-blown final here last year, said he had resumed training two and a half weeks after the Australian Open and had gradually built up to playing every day.

"When you come back you are always a little bit scared, but I'm feeling OK," said Nadal, who said the injury at Melbourne was a tendon tear in his right knee, rather than the tendinitis that has hindered him before.

"I practiced hard in Mallorca, and I did here, too, the last three, four days. I think I am ready."

But he acknowledged that there could be some rust.

"Tennis is a rhythm game," he said. "It is important play a few months in a row. That's what I need now."

With that in mind, his immediate goals are simple: "Be heathy and play well."

"If I do both things, I'm going to have good chances to have good tournaments and to have good results. My feeling is the level is there."