INDIAN WELLS, California, March 15, 2010 (AFP) - World number three Rafael Nadal said Monday he won't change his style of play in a bid to cut down on injuries, which have cost him more than three months of total playing time since last May.

Nadal cruised through his third-round match at the Indian Wells Masters 1000 on Monday, downing Mario Ancic 6-2, 6-2 in just 65 minutes.

The match was marked by short points, but the Spaniard - playing his first tournament since departing the Australian Open with a right knee injury - said he hadn't made a conscious effort to keep the rallies brief.

"My game is to play with the rallies," Nadal said. "I don't want to play serve and volley or serve and one shot or ace. Everybody has to know that.

"My game is to play with intensity, play good rhythm all the time, and try to play long times without having mistakes.

"When I am ready to play long point without having mistakes, I'm going to have the chance to play shorter points because I can feel confident with my forehand and play winners from that.

"But my game is my game, and I am not going to change my game."

Nadal's injury in Melbourne, which caused him to retire from his quarter-final against Britain's Andy Murray, kept him out of last month's tournament in Rotterdam as well as Spain's Davis Cup tie against Switzerland.

Last year he was unable to defend his Wimbledon title because of tendinits in both knees.

When he returned to play after a nine-week absence, Nadal suffered an abdominal injury and played with it at the US Open, where he reached the semi-finals.

The 23-year-old Spaniard acknowledged that his training habits had changed, but insisted it was not to protect his knees but because he was at a different stage of his career.

"You have to improve all the time, and right now the way that I have to practice is different than what I had to practice before.

"I have to practice more technique and specific shots than playing and playing. Playing a little bit I feel the ball. I don't need to practice as long as I did before."

Nadal said what he needs now it a stretch of uninterupted competition, when he can "play when I want to play, not when the body gives me the opportunity to play."

"Right now, the only thing is keep enjoying, keepy playing well and keep improving my tennis," he said.