The blockbuster Wimbledon second-round battle between Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios will take place on Thursday. Roger Federer is also in action, as he continues his campaign against British wild card Jay Clarke.
Nick Kyrgios vs. (3) Rafael Nadal
Wimbledon is not wasting any time making major headlines. Upsets have been taking place left and right in both the men’s and women’s draws, and now Nadal and Kyrgios are set for a second-round showdown on Thursday. This is the seventh career contest (3-3 head-to-head) between the less-than-friendly competitors, including their second at the All-England Club. Kyrgios stunned Nadal 7-6(5), 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-3 in 2014 (fourth round) and he most recently prevailed 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(2) earlier this season in Acapulco. Two of the Spaniard’s three victories have come on clay, with the lone exception being a 6-2, 6-1 demolition in thee 2017 Beijing final.
With a coveted matchup against Nadal on the line, Kyrgios still could not stay focused the entire way against fellow Australian Jordan Thompson on Tuesday but he managed to survive a 7-6(4), 3-6, 7-6(10), 0-6, 6-1 roller-coaster. Nadal, playing for the first time since capturing his 12th French Open title, trounced qualifier Yuichi Sugita 6-3, 6-1, 6-3. The world No. 2 is not happy with Kyrgios right now either on or off the court, making him especially eager to avenge his brutal loss in Acapulco. Even though Kyrgios will be similarly motivated, his form–or lack thereof–right now is such that he cannot be expected to continue picking up wins over the top players in the world.
Pick: Nadal in 3
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(WC) Jay Clarke vs. (2) Roger Federer
Unlike Nadal, Federer did not turn in an especially convincing performance in his opener on Tuesday. The 20-time Grand Slam champion lost the first set to little-known opponent Lloyd Harris before coasting the rest of the way to get the job done in four. Federer, who is seeking his ninth Wimbledon title, followed up a relatively encouraging clay-court swing by triumphing on his old grass-court stomping grounds of Halle two weeks ago.
The No. 2 seed’s friendly draw continues on Thursday with Clarke, a 20-year-old Brit who obviously needed a wild card to get into the main draw. Ranked 169th, Clarke scored just his second career ATP-level victory by beating qualifier Noah Rubin 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 in round one. This will be nothing more than an awesome experience for the youngster, and it’s an experience that won’t last much longer than an hour and half.
Pick: Federer in 3 losing 8-10 games
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WWW?
If Kyrgios gets the first set, it will be dangerous for Rafa but I’s still expect him (Rafa) to go through.
I’ll say Rafa in 4
BTW, nice choice of pic , lol
I wonder if he’ll try any sneaky serves?
Rafa is not buying into the hype, which isn’t stopping everyone else from hyping this one way “feud”. He’s not gonna go have a beer with NK, no, but does Rafa even drink beer? Wine, yes, tequila, yes. Beer?
Rafa got under NK’s very thin skin with one “lack of respect” remark. Don’t really know why. Has anyone ever described NK as respectful? Maybe NK expected respect from Rafa because he won a close match? Ah, well, it’s not like I really understand male psycho-drama. But I do know that no one’s gonna goad Rafa into any more remarks on Kyrgios, other than maybe “will be a very tough match I have to play my best tennis to win”.
Ramara totally agree.
It’s funny how all Rafa’s losses are always being recited by the media and commentators, but losses by Federer and Djokovic are quickly forgotten. This Kyrgios loss at Wimbledon was 5 years ago! No one ever mentions Djokovic losing to Istomin in the 2nd round at his best slam at the AO 2017 or Federer losing to Staks, Raonic and Anderson at Wimbledon.
I know it’s partly because Kyrgios is in your face, but every time Rafa walks on court for a match, they read out the register of all his losses on all surfaces and at all levels whether it’s relevant or not.
Not forgetting Sod at the FO! We hear that year after year and they even mentioned that it’s the tenth anniversary of that 2009 match this year!
It must be that they think beating Rafa on any surface is the ultimate achievement.
Of course it is!
He is a warrior! Rafa is the toughest guy to beat bcos he gives his all and does not give in……and if u beat him u almost certainly won’t win the next match, lol!!!
What are you talking about? Nadal and Kyrgios are playing next round. That is why they are bringing up the loss. If Federer played Stakhovsky again, they would bring up the loss.
Is Rafa playing against Rosol, Brown, Darcis or any of the others this year? I’ve lost count of the number of times they’ve mentioned them.They even celebrated the 10th anniversary of Rafa’s loss to Sod at RG in 2009 even though Sod is long retired.
Federer on Rafa
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1146051993342861312
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1146152716588277761
Fedal. What can you say?
That vogue one was excellent! I didn’t think Roger had a ‘cool’ bone in him! He seems so uptight all the time. It was very nice to see!
Am I the only rafafan who’s slightly worried about this early encounter?? Kyrgios is exactly the kind of player whom Rafa doesn’t like to see on the other side of the net in the early rounds of Wimbledon. I still favor Rafa because Nick isn’t in splendid form and the best-of-five modus gives Kyrgios enough time for imploding. But I would not be totally shocled if he pulls an upset. Kyrgios relishes these matches on a grand stage. ..
littlefoot,
No you are not the only Rafa fan who is worried about this match. I would feel better if Rafa met Kyrgios in the later rounds after he had a few matches under his belt.
It is true that Kyrgios is not in great form right now, but he seems to get motivated against the top players. The five set format helps Rafa and he is healthy and confident.
I hope Rafa can get it done. It’s a shame that Kyrgios only plays well when there is a top player in the other side of the court. I don’t want to see Rafa lose to a piece of crap like Kyrgios.
I wouldn’t necessarily call Kyrios a ‘piece of crap’, but i agree, i would HATE to see Rafa lose to him, not even a set!!!
Kyrios clearly has mental issues and it is both sad and mind-boggling that the ATP has not yet intervened!
Mona,
Sorry but I truly despise Kyrgios. I respect his talent and game. But I simply cannot abide his wretched behavior. I was going to use an even worse word to describe him, but thought better of it. I think he is irredeemable and will never change. It is a tremendous waste of real talent. I get the sense that you think his problem is mental and psychological. I don’t know if he is just a brat, someone who just cannot control himself. But at this point I just don’t care.
I am definitely with littlefoot and nny! Except I am probably more nervous than them. Rafa has only played one match on grass while NK played Queens. OK he didn’t have a great tourney but against the top players he is a different proposition. Rafa has to not only return well (which he didn’t do in 2014) but also serve well as NK really bullied his second serve in that match. His second serve is stronger now but my God I am nervous about this match. They will give it the last spot on centre so I hope the preceding matches go fast as I don’t want them playing late and the sodding roof coming into play. It is a lot hotter and sunnier in London tomorrow ie 26 degrees that will help Rafa.
I feel that as long as Rafa is calm, he will win the match as he will think his way out of troubles. Rafa played well in the Sugita match, serving well too, so if he continues to play that well, he should be able to win.
To me Rafa now > Rafa at Wimbledon 2014 (2014 was not a good year for Rafa after that AO back injury; his FO that year was also not as stellar as the FO this year). Kyrgios OTOH is now five years older and suffered many injury issues during all those years; he also had some hip issue during Queens if I’m not wrong.
Also there was no pressure on Kygrios then whereas there is now with everyone building him and the match up. I am hoping he will implode.
amy,
I think you make a good point. There is more pressure on him now. Rafa is in a good place. He won RG, which is the most important thing for him. So I don’t think he will have a lot of pressure. I am sure he does not want to lose in the second round, but at least he is healthy and confident in his game.
I would love to see Kyrgios implode, but I am concerned about any antics from him during the match.
Absolutely. Rafa right now is > 2014’s Rafa on all surfaces. If he is feeling confident about his game, he is the favourite .I am sure he is feeling great in general but not having played enough matches on grass makes it tricky. It was a bit easier to defend in 2014 as it was the 4th round but the grass will be slipperier this time.
Vamos Rafa!
The grass courts dont look too slippery, in fact the grass courts look dry and worn out. I think it’s in 2013 that the grass courts were sleek and slippery, even Fed slipped and fell during one of his matches if I’m not wrong. Its something to do with the weather at Wimbledon I think.
I also noticed that the grass looked a bit worn out for a first round match!
It surface grip won’t be great behind the baseline though and it will take a couple more rounds for that to happen.
Oh and Rafa MUST use his backhand slice well. NK’s backhand is so flat so Rafa can get attack-able balls to his forehand by hitting good slices to that wing.
Well, in Rafa’s first match he fell over after his first serve on Court 1! I’m worried about this match, of course, but what will be will be. We’ll all survive it. Not gonna watch it live. Just now I’m taking out my spite on ESPN’s ghastly coverage. Kvitova-Mladenovic at 6-5 in the first set and they cut away to an interview with Ash Barty?? To ask the vital question “How has your life changed since winning RG?” I’d have said, “Gee, I get asked a whole lot more stupid questions now!” But she’s much nicer than me. And I think she said she’s gonna watch cricket instead of the Nadal-Kyrgios match so good for her!
Thanks for everybody’s thoughts☺
I agree with all of you. And, yes, Rafa is in better shape than in 2014. And his tennis IQ is way better than Nick’s. But still – an upset wouldn’t totally surprise me because Rafa has often been nervous and tense in these kind of matches.
I may belong to the few tennis fans who actually have a soft spot for Kyrgios although I don’t condone his antics. But he is tremendously talented while clearly having psychological issues. But I would hate if he wins against Rafa and then totally implodes in the next match.
Littlefoot if NK does beat Rafa he won’t go far. He can’t sustain his level over a number of matches.
Does anyone know the order of play for tomorrow? Which matches are on first?
The Wimbledon website is useless!
Kei first up on CC, followed by the Women’s match (Konta) and last at CC is Rafa’s match.
Oh God Kei! That means a five setter for sure! Who is he playing?
Oh God he’s playing Cameron bloody Norrie! That is just the sort of match for Kei to take 5 sets to win with the crowd going bonkers!
And it’s Konta playing Siniakova. Tomorrow really could be pure hell waiting around…!
Kei will win that in an hour and a half
How many matches has Kei gone the distance when he should have won in straights!! The British players often hang around in front of the home crowd!
I don’t know how many watched Krygios’ first match, but it must be said that Jordan Thompson played a great grass court match. Even so, that match went 5 sets only because Kyrgios checked out for long periods, particularly the 4th set, obviously. He should and definitely could (in some sense of could) have won in straights.
IF Nick can maintain his concentration, there is no reason he can’t win this match. On serve, his best tennis is just about unbreakable on this surface. His return game has improved, but it won’t be easy for him to break Nadal if he serves well; I was really impressed with Rafa;s serving in the latter part of the Sugita match that I saw.
Basically, I don’t think it’s about form for Kyrgios. He has the game to win. I think it’s just about focus and effort. Can he maintain it for an entire B05 match? I honestly have no idea, but if he can, I think he will win a close one. If not, Rafa will roll.
Rafa fans can rest easy: Tignor has picked Kyrgios to win. Interestingly, he thinks the match may be on Nadal’s racquet, but that he’s more likely to tighten up:
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2019/07/three-see-wimbledon-day-4-nadal-vs-kyrgios-grudge-match/83096/
Joe, ha, ha, I feel better now and Tignor may have doomed Nick ☺.
But seriouöy , Nick does have the tools for winning that match. He actually has the tools to win against anyone on a good day – if he decides to use them.
Rafa needs to serve REALLY well and hope Kyrgios’s first serve percentage drops. NK’s serve down the middle caused him severe problems in 2014. The conditions definitely favour nick and it will be hard for Rafa to defend. The sun is shining though and that’s extra zip for the Spaniard’s ferocious forehand.
The biggest comfort you can take being a Nadal fan is the man’s ability to problem solve. You can beat Rafa in a slam but extremely unlikely you’ll end up doing it again unless your name is Novak Djokovic or may be Roger Federer. This obviously assumes Rafa’s in good shape and playing well. I think he is but he hasn’t had enough match play yet on grass so remains to be seen how much he can step up.
Rafa’s forehand was TERRIBLE in their 2014 match so an improvement there will surely help. NK will try to get to Rafa’s nerves by throwing in those under-arm serves occasionally or hitting between the legs but Rafa too good to be affected by these. The Spaniard’s problem solving ability will be the differentiating factor as along as he is feeling confident about his own grass-court game.
Hi VR, nice to see you posting here.
I doubt Kyrgios’s underarm serve is effective here as on grass, Rafa is not standing too far back to return serves.
I feel if Rafa is not too nervous, he should be serving well enough to hold his own serve. The problem is in breaking Kyrgios’s serve, as once it goes to TB, Kyrgios will have the upperhand. Rafa MUST break Kyrgios to win the sets (and of course the match). So, Rafa’s ROS will be important imo.
Hi LS,
Appreciate your comment. Yes, I agree the under-arm serve will be a non-factor. I would also be quite nervous in TB’s. I think Rafa will actually stand a bit further back initially on first serve returns but will tinker with his position as the match develops. He’ll probably step in on second serves and stick to that unless things are not going in his favor.
Nadal 3-1
Fed 3-0
Stay focused, remain confident, be strong and fight bravely, Rafa!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D-oH_YRXYAAg2T9.jpg
Vamos Rafa!!!….3-0!!!!!
Y is Rafa always the centre of everything in tennis?!! lol
This match is so highly anticipated it wont surprise me if it ends up being an absolute dud!!! But with Rafa winning, of course!!
Vamos Rafa!!!!!
Ok Dan Evans up 2 sets on Basha and Norrie was up a break but Kei broke back thank God! Get a move on Kei!!
Petra down a break😢😢 5-3
Petra wins the first set!☺☺
Oh good! Serving for the set☺☺ Kei I mean..let’s hope Ricky is right and this ends super quick!
If Nick Kyrgios is serious about tennis, then I don’t think Nadal can win more than one set against Nick Kyrgios. It all depends what type of Kyriogs appears. If he is motivated, things will be extremely bleak for Nadal, else Kyriogs must stop play tennis if he is not motivated to unleash his true potential. A motivated Kyriogs should win this match in 4 sets as I believe he can easily lose temper in 1 set to donate it without fight.
So if Kyrgios loses, it’s because he’s not motivated? Nothing to do with how Rafa played??
Didn’t you know Kyrgios was very motivated at Acapulco, yet he had to face MPs, before Rafa faltered and letting him barely edged out the win?.
LS, Fedalovic”s statements are obviousöy nonsense🙂 The Acapulco match could’ve gone either way, and both players were motivated. But I’m not sure if Ricky’s prediction of a 3-0 win for Rafa will actually happen. I don’t think the match will be that lopsided because I assume that Nick will show up for work!
I am very annoyed that Kyrgios’ low rank made him into a very dangerous loose cannon who is able to wreck havoc on the tableau and knock out any player on a good day. But he rarely backs it up with a good run – although – to be fair, he did just that in Acapulco…
littlefoot,
I am with you all the way! Bad luck for Rafa to meet him so early. My main concern is the lack of match play for Rafa. Just two exho matches and one first round match. Ideally Rafa should have a few more matches to get the feel of grass and make the adjustment. But Kyrgios is ranked 43 now. Normally Rafa would have met him later on.
Wimbledon has done Rafa no favors with the seeding or the draw. The early rounds are tricky. Kyrgios has nothing to lose here. He is a player who thrives on meeting the top players. He would love to play the role of spoiler for Rafa.
The grass looks drier and more worn-out than it usually is at this stage. That’s a good sign for Rafa and so is the weather. Hope he got some good hitting practice and will come out all guns blazing.
Well as I keep saying it was 35degrees in London on Saturday. The grass will have shrivelled! Much better for Rafa as the ball should be bouncing higher!
Yep, Rafa knows what to expect. He’ll be better ready for NK’s serve down the middle. I think Rafa has a pretty good chance of avenging his 2014 loss. What gives me extra comfort his how damn good Rafa’s BACKHAND has been in the last 2 months
Cilic is not having a good day.
Clarke is letting the occasion get to him!
Isner is having all sorts of trouble with Kukushkin!
Nice little interview with Francis Roig about Rafa on the Spanish ATP website. Interesting comments about bringing the weapons you have on the day.
What happened to Cilic? He’s about to lose in straight sets to Sousa the clay courter, on grass??
How did Cilic become so…how do I put this…BAD AT TENNIS
Struff to the quarters looking more and more likely
Cilic beaten by Sousa 64 64 64. Beating Rafa at Hurlingham is the highlight of his year. 😉
Can’t believe Clarke has taken Federer to a TB.
Isner beaten by Kukushkin in 5 sets.
It’s Rafa time!
Vamos Rafa!
We’re up next on Centre Court !
Yeah, Im here! Made sure i finished my cooking so I have nothing to distract me, lol
I have no idea how Cilic lost to Sousa. What is going on with him?
Cilic has been off for a while now, in a pretty bad slump after some excellent 2017-2018 form. He’s not that old, but maybe coming towards the end of his career already?
After beating Rafa in an exho and saying he felt good on the grass I thought he might be able to make a bit of a run here, but judging by a loss against Sousa I guess not.
It’s Rafa time! God I may pass out with nerves soon..
Apparently NK was in the pub last night so I hope he has a hangover!
knowing him, he might bring a pint or two on court
Hope he does! Ricky can you offer him some Vodka!
The hype about this match is really irritating! It’s a media concoction…the person NK really attacked is Nole!
Hope Layhani isn’t the umoire! 😉
Nick won the toss and elected to receive. Rafa always elects to serve if he wins the toss so that’s good.
Good start!☺
Yess! Rafa playing great to break!
Fine play from Rafa!☺ 3-0
My nerves have kicked in something awful.
NNY! Rafa is playing very well!
amy,
Yes! I see that Rafa has come out ready. Serving very well!
I am calming down now. First set to Rafa!
Y do u guys behave like Rafa has no chance?!!! Rafa wants this so bad!!! I could tell!! He is not messing about!!! Looks very good so far!
Meanwhile Kerber is out (good) and Serena is in trouble early! Let’s c if she can turn this around
I never said Rafa had no chance! I am just nervous because I know that Kyrgios can be trouble.
I am very proud of the way Rafa is playing!
Vamos Rafa!
WHAT a start! have you guys noticed how BIG Rafa’s second serve has been so far? Not giving NK any chance to attack! hitting so big from the ground. He is outdoing NK in all departments so far.
NK complaining about Rafa. What a wanker!
He’s complaining about Rafa’s not ready when he is ready to serve, and it’s true. Rafa is guilty in that department….even i find it irritating!!!
Nick doesn’t even wait a second after the point to serve. It’s at the server’s pace but it’s got to be reasonable.
What a cry baby NK is! been crying from the first point. bla bla bla! Hope he gets his a** kicked today in 3 sets.
Yeah he is a flat track.bully!
About the only points NK.had won are aces. Rafa serves to.love again.
Rafa is averaging 100.3 MPH on second serves so far. He has lost one point on serve so far! THe commentators on BBC haven’t even mentioned this once. Are they blind or what?
No they keep harping on how incredibly talented Nick is, blah, blah, blah!!!
Duh. Blowout city -as expected.
Set Rafa! NK won almost no rallies relying totally on big serves. He is a tosser!
Yeah first set, Rafa!!!!!
I expect Nick to play better going forward and so will Rafa!
By the way, can someone tell me what happened in this last serve in Nick’s last service game? He never tossed the ball, is that a legit play?
It’s not against the rules to do an underarm serve atm. They should ban it. It’s disruptive.
he tossed it and hit it straight in, you’re allowed to do it, it’s called a ‘donkey serve’, but it is somewhat frowned upon. Kyrgios actually uses it quite a bit though.
Nick came on court to be disruptive.
He’s just trying to throw Rafa off. Not gonna work!
Damn! Break back Rafa!
Not a good serving game from Rafa. Now Kyrgios is playing better.
Rafa had his chances in that service game but made a booboo by sending ball right back to Kyrios!
NK spat at Rafa!
What? He spat at him?
Yess. Disgusting. They should default him
He was also.swearing at him
He really is vile and it’s.shameful the commies don’t call him out for it.
When did he spit at Rafa?
Think he spat at himself for the shot Rafa played
No.He didn’t!
Not long ago!
Has Rafa dropped his aggression.a little?
Yeah, Nick is getting to him i think, but these donkey serves are really freaking me out!!!
Why do the crowd applaud his ridiculous antics? He is a total.prat.
The same way the loved McEnroe, lol!
I really wanted Rafa to win this in str8ts!!!
Who is Kyrios shouting at now?!!!! Whose fault he got broken/!!!
Yess! Rafa breaks and NK is shouting like the silly little boy he is…the umpire should give him a code violation..
Rafa has to up his aggression!
Dammit! Rafa not serving so.well now and not playing with same aggression!
AH Rafa, he’s not playing well in second set!! AT all, he is giving Kyrios too much hope!! And Rafa’s serving is not great!!!
Rafa has to refocus!playing too.much as if he was on a clay court.
Think Nk’s antics got to him a bit.
I can’t believe Rafa plays such a horrible set of tennis! Where have his serve gone? After the toilet break, everything fell apart!
Kyrgios wasn’t even playing all that well, it’s Rafa self destroying. What crap tennis from Rafa in set two.
If he’s not able to up his level, he’s going to lose this match!
That’s better Rafa!
Fed plays Jay Clarke and Rafa play Kyrgios!
All.Rafa has to do is play as he did in the first set…
Kyrgios’s serve is on and that’s bad news.
Vamos Rafa!
Rafa shouldn’t have dropped serve at 3-4.
Anyway, he must stay calm and he’ll have his chances.
Rafa, just concentrate on your game, please don’t let Kyrgios’ antics get to you! This is a slam, don’t let anything distract you! Stay focused!
When does NK.get a second code violation?
He called the umpire a disgrace.
It will be hard to break Nick’s serve.
Vamos Rafa!
two more easy sets for Rafa, trust this.
Feeling nervous.
Rafa would not lose more than 6 games in next two sets
It looks to me that Rafa is not feeling that confident, after losing the second set. He’s not serving like he did in set one, hard time ahead. I hope his fighting instinct is still there.
He seemed to lose confidence after he didn’t take the break points early in the second set
If Kyrgios can keep his head he will win this match. He needs to forget about the drop shots and just hit out with aggression.
Nick is serving aces almost every time.
Not enjoying this. Please Rafa step it up.
Rafa stands no chance returning a serve down the ‘T’.
Vamos Rafa!
Should he change his return position?
Huge hold for Rafa after NK blasted the ball right at him.
I don’t understand why Rafa is so tensed up! He’s not like that when he was younger. It’s like he’s not trusting his own game, so worried about so many things!
Come on Rafa, be calm and concentrates point by point!
He was so focussed first set as well!
So stupid those two points! Can’t believe Rafa plays such dumb tennis to lose those two points! Ridiculous!
He’s not thinking clearly out there, letting Kyrgios gets into his head!
Yeah, he should have had this set already! Tie break, not looking forward it!
See, Rafa should serve like that always and save all those running and rallying!
Now please break Kyrgios to win the set;he has so many chances but squander them away!
How on earth is Rafa going to.win a tie breaker?
NK has such an advantage on serve
Lol, he just did!!!
Coming to think of it Rafa needs that type of match since he has not played on grass
What a bad play by rafa at 5-2!
Yess! Thank God!
yeah!!!!!! Imagine Rafa has never won tiebreak against Kyrios?!!!!! What a time to do so, lol!!!!
I would like to.see Rafa hit a lot more backhands. It’s the better shot at the moment
Yes, thank God, Rafa finally wins a TB against Kyrgios and he’s 2 sets to 1 now!
The two sets of tennis are quite messy from Rafa, just so happy he finally wins the third set.
Come Rafa, calm down now, concentrates and wins this in four sets!
Nadal stronger from the baseline in that set and NK not as aggressive as he could be. Still, he’s been holding so easily he can still win this match.
vamossssssssssss!
Rafa has the bad habit of always hitting to opponent’s BH corner even when his opponent is running towards that corner or is already camping at that corner. I think he should hit more to the open court instead.
Try telling Rafa that!! Sigh!!!
That’s how he lost the point in the tiebreak at 5:2!!
Anyone else sick of Rafa ‘s backhand slice!?
Im sick of this match, time for Rafa to win this!!
He has to do something different in the return games. He isn’t getting close to NK’s serve
With Nole he changes his return position..I don’t know why Rafa is just staying in the same place when he isn’t making any inroad . It’s giving Kygrios confidence
Kyrgios needs to take a step back on the return. He’s not getting anything on those chip returns and Nadal is holding easily because of it. Just a step back will give him a bit more time to take a proper swing.
Well, I think Rafa’s return is not just good enough on grass against big servers. He just does not change things on return. Saw that against Muller. Even here, in third set no brek chances created. Dont think Nick is serving so good that Rafa cant manufacture even a single break point.
In his first match Rafa was struggling with the return even against a guy who had nothing on his serve (112-117 first serve, under 100 on most 2nd). I was pretty worried about that. He’ll get better with more matches under his belt.
Why is Rafa standing so far right when returning serves from the deuce Court? Time and again Kyrgios would serve DTLT and Rafa simply couldn’t get to the ball!
Rafa really needs to improve in many areas of his game!
I wouldn’t say in many areas of his game, but he cant quite read Kyrios serve although he did a great job in the TB!
Looks like another is coming!
If Rafa wins this he has Tsonga next!!!!! Sigh!!!!
2 games with 30 all for Rafa. Sigh! Not doing enough. He was playing more aggressive in the first set.
Yessd!! Rafa wins 2 tiebreaks!
Vamos!!☺☺
Unbelievable!! To win in two TBs today against Nick!!! Rafa never really disappoints!!
Vamos Rafa!!!
NK can just f##k off!!
Well done to Nadal. He played a great match. Kyrgios served brilliantly, but he couldn’t produce on the big points and just didn’t take his chances. At least he played a proper match; just got beat by the better guy on the day.
yessssssss, vamos!!
Yess! Vamos Rafa! ❤️❤️❤️💪💪💪
So happy that Rafa won and, he won two TBs in a match against a player like Kyrgios!
I’m just so happy that he won, not having much match play on grass. I hope this win will give him more confidence in his next match(es).
Honestly I love Nadal for the celebration and handshake. He’s such a badass 😄 Kyrgios deserved a cold handshake and I loved the finger wave and celebration by Rafa. What a champion. What a competitor #beast
Haven’t seen a finger wave like that since he beat Nole at RG in 2013!
Coming from a fed fan, I sincerely loved it. We are absolutely blessed to be watching an era of tennis in which Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic are at the top of the sport. Would be a real treat to see Rafa and Roger play in the semifinals here.
In previous years Rafa was losing these matches. has to give him confidence.
Amen to that, Benny! Vamos Rafa! Vamos the Big 3!
As for NK, karma’s a … badass.
And this is coming from a big fan of Nick too. I know I’m in the minority here, but I think it’s because I sort of understand his internal frustrations out there. As a pretty competitive tennis player myself who has played hundreds of matches in junior tournaments and college matches over the past six years, I was pretty hotheaded at one point. The thing about Nick that makes it hard to be a fan of his is his lack of effort at sporadic times. But when he’s motivated, he’s one of the most fun guys to watch in my opinion. But today he deserved the handshake from Rafa and the king of clay’s reaction to the win was absolutely perfect. It had me grinning from ear to ear 🙂
Lack of effort at sporadic times? How about at all times except when facing a top player? And even then he doesn’t bother to prepare or train. He’s just arrogant. Rafa’s talented too, God knows, but Rafa fears arrogance (in himself) more than he fears dogs, storms or bad things coming for his beloved family.
Glad you had a great time watching the match! 🙂
Of those who are fans of Nick, I think it’s down to just you and me here, Benny. I have not given up on him 😀
Did not see the match yet but will watch his match vs Rafa later. That said, Vamos Rafa!
I’m sure Nick was honestly trying to win vs Rafa.
No question that Kyrgios was trying his very best today to win. I actually though he tightened up a bit in the last set and a half, but he still played at a very high level. Rafa was just better in the big points.
In his presser, Kyrgios admits that at the moment he isn’t prepared to work hard enough to win slams, and he specifically credits Nadal for working so hard on every point. Nick is no dummy and knows exactly what he lacks to win consistently. He just doesn’t care enough to do it. But there’s not a doubt in my mind that if he were to start caring, start training, and get (and listen to) a coach, he could dominate the sport. Kyrgios basically doesn’t train, and yet he played nearly level with the #2 player in the world who was near his best.
Yeah agree about what he needs to do, Joe. And this ability to take on Rafa and even get a set or take him to a tie break is not going to last. He may regret his choices later in life. Then again, he says what his choices are and defends them. That’s the hard part to watch about him – he keeps going downhill physically with his philosophy of doing whatever feels good at the moment and procrastinates the commitment to do what he knows he needs to do to be awesome at it. As he says: he’s only 24 and his next plan is going to the Bahamas. lol zero work ethic. I hope he at least plans for the future in a small way. Crazy kid.
thanks for posting his presser. It’s a shame he won’t embrace his talent.
I think Kyrgios may go the way of McEnroe, who also never really trained, won his last slam at age 25, and declined sharply afterwards. (Of course, NK hasn’t achieved a fraction of what Mac did). I doubt Kyrgios has improved since he was 19; if he stays on the same track he’ll definitely be worse in another five years.
NK didn’t tighten up. He doesn’t care enough to get nervous. He just ran out of gas in the last set. Not hard since his tank runs pretty close to empty anyway.
Benny, I share your thoughts re : Kyrgios. But I can’t condone his lack of respect towards his opponents and the audience. I’m absolutely glad how Rafa managed to win a very, very tricky match! That should give him tons of confidence.
Fed plays Pouille and then plays berrettini probably. Fed’s draw especially next two matches do not look a lot easier as compared to Rafa’s given that Cilic is out.
Tsonga is another landmine though…what do you think will happen
I think Rafa should win but Tsonga is no easy task. I would say right now off top of my head my pick would be Nadal in a competitive four sets. I would think Rafa’s forehand to the Tsonga backhand would be a really good strategy that Rafa would execute very well to win.
So who’s the Daddy ?! You can talk as much shit as you want and be a total dick but sorry you are exiting in the second round. How dare you hit the king and look away !
Amazing win for Rafa. We’ll see tremendous growth in his next two matches.
Excuse my language please.
No I feel the same vr! Kygrios can f##k off as far as I am concerned. His spitting and swearing was disgusting. Rafa said his whining to the umpire put him off in the second set and he lost concentration. They should crack down on him.
Haha it’s okay VR. You’re just being passionate 😄
VR,
Wow! Tell it like it is! I think some bad language is appropriate given how hideous and disgusting Kyrgios behaved. I respect everyone’s right to like who they like, but fof me at this point I just cannot make any more excuses for Kyrgios. His talent is not enough to overcome his boorish and vile behavior in court. He is going to waste his talent because of his bad attitude and laziness and unprofessional behavior. There are so many kids who would love to be in his position. But he does not appreciate it at all.
His antics did apparently cost Rafa that second set. You rarely hear Rafa talk about a player’s behavior breaking his concentration. That explains why he played such a poor game. He said in the post match interview that he was not broken again in the match. He was happy about winning TWO tiebresks!
Well done Rafa! Take a bow! I have to believe that this win will give him confidence and a lot of much needed match play. Getting tested like that by a tough opponent can provide a lot of momentum.
Sorry but the post above with the user name Nstiv is actually Nativenewyorker. Somehow my user name got all garbled.
Just as an aside what is all this extraordinary stuff about Nole using his position on the player’s council to support mega asshole Gimelstob when he had effectively as I understand it pleaded guilty to assault?!
Just reading about this now. Gimelstob aka the sexist Megagob doesn’t deserve anyone’s support.
Djoker had a private meeting with Gimelslob (whom he describes as a “friend” in London around the time of the recent player council meeting. A writer leaned on him pretty heavily at his presser, asking if he realizes that G was found guilty of the crime of which he’d been accused. Djoker pretty much pleaded innocent and/or ignorant and/or too busy. Take your picks. The presser should be up on the Wimbledon site or YouTube.
Rafa’s press conference
https://indavideo.hu/video/RN_W_Pr_Eng_July_4_2019
Typically entertaining Kyrgios press conference. Says he was trying to hit Rafa in the chest, but I think he’s trolling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQEJIA3NXIs
Heh. I think he was aiming about a foot lower. But as Rafa said “I am a professional player, I know how to protect myself.” He also pointed out that the ball could have hit someone less able to protect themselves, like the umpire, a linesman or a ball boy. Not to mention a fan. Like NK cares.
Oh my, Nick didn’t like AT ALL to lose this match! His body language spoke loudly. Which is good. He should care about losing this kind of matches. And Rafa was totally animated and obviously happy as a clam ☺
littlefoot,
Well we can relax now! He did it! Just seeing Rafa’s reaction at the end, really said it all!
Our man did it!
Love you Rafa! ❤️
NNY, yes, we can relax – until tomorrow☺
As we had anticipated this wasn’t a cake walk. But I’m glad that Kyrgios decided to show up and throw everything at Rafa. This was a real test and Rafa passed beautifully. This was exactly the kind of match where Rafa had faltered in the last few years at Wimbledon. I think he will be able to handle Tsonga. But he won’t underestimate him. And with Kyrgios out of the way and Cilic gone the draw look a bit less daunting.
I was waiting for Nadals press conference and hoping he would be a lil more vocal on Nick. Personally I didnt agree he chose to comment on him after a loss at Acapulco and not so much after a win.( does come up sour and salty. I felt such wrong timing). But Loved his press conference. He did not hold back. Nadal can rarely go wrong in behaviour nor words. At one point he referred to Nick as “Him” clearly says he doesnt care too much for helping Nick unless he wants or respects it.
OTOH the whole Nick danger against Nadal is a lil hyped up. He isnt as consistent or an “absolute” threat each time. Personally I feel Nadal should have schooled him much better than a couple tie breaks. Nadal is too humble and is clearly rattled when his opponents are disrespectful on court. Soderling with his butt picks. Rosol with his shoulder nudge and kicking water bottles and now Nick ( and even Djokovic intimidates him, not to bring Novak on the same page with these idiots). These people clearly know what upsets Nadal and use it as tactics to beat him on the day, more so at Wimbledon. But I think it still comes down to Nadal. I think this tournament is where I see him the most nervous and vulnerable. I feel he is way better than that and his results on grass should have been even better if he only relaxes just a bit more.
The one thing I believe is different with Nadal as against Fed and Djokovic is the other two would rarely lose or even think they would as much as Nadal does with lesser opponents. Having pocketed the first set, I believe they would have run through the rest of the match. Agreed he lost concentration but if Nadal can toughen up just a bit more. I think he would kill these guys like they deserve to, match wise.
I’m not sure what match you watched, but there was no way Nadal was going to crush Kyrgios today with the way Nick was serving. There just isn’t much that can be done on grass against that kind of serving. I thought Nadal played an awesome match, particularly from the baseline and most especially on the big points.
I’d say the match turned on maybe half a dozen such points, and Nadal might have won them all. Kyrgios under-performed in the tie-breaks, and the missed smash to start the 4th set tie-break was an especially bad miss that set the tone. More generally, NK’s backhand let him down several times, missing wide on sharply angled cross-court shots. Nadal was simply the stronger player from the baseline, and that was really the difference today.
Joe, I absolutely agree with your assessment of the match. This was a tight affair, and while Rafa kept his cool during the tiebreaks, Kyrgios didn’t. This match could’ve easier gone into a fifth set.
PK, I disagree that Kyrgios being dangerous for Rafa was hyped up. When Nick decides to make an effort he is one of the most dangerous players no matter who the opponent is. He is 2:0 against the Djoker and while he never won against Fed, many matches have been an incredibly tight affair. Some of us may not care for Kyrgios’ personality. But we should acknowledge his potential. And since he did play well yesterday, Rafa’s win is worth a lot more.
Kyrgios has beaten fed once
Nick did beat Fed in Madrid 2015!
Thanks for correcting me, Sanju and Natashao.
So, Kyrgios has won at least once against each of the Big Three. This underlines my point that he can be an incredibly dangerous opponent if he is fit and decides to make an effort.
Most players can beat the Big 3 on their but beating them and everyone else consistently is what counts.
Hi Littlefoot, I say a lil hyped up because as much as Kyrgios is an extremely dangerous player, lets look at it the other way around for a moment. Kygrios cannot walk in to Nadal assuming he has a 60-40 winning the match. I imagine he would think hey if I am going to have my best day and land everything in, I might have a chance to beat this guy. Kyrgios is a tremendous talent. I sorta hate his antics and I dont think he is a bad guy. He just crossed the line calling Toni an idiot or to question Nadals sportsmanship (well recognized over more than a decade). Yes he was salty at the end but that was because of the disrespect from across the net.
My whole point was Nadal has kicked ass ( Can I say that out lout here? ) to someone like Berdych and they have since patched up and are respectful. The whole Rosol thing started a storyline with Nadal losing early to big time servers. My contention is its not like someone like that is going to beat him the next time and the next time. Nadal is very solution oriented and competetive and can deal with losses better than anyone else.
I am just saying, even if Kyrgios doesnt actually hate nadal, he knows if he comes out like he his and be nasty, its going to rattle Nadal and it does. even Nadal admits he lost concentration. Playing mind games and bringing intimidation is well fair, but being foul mouthed and disrespectful is not. Nadal is visibly uncomfortable with guys like that and they know it. Thats just my feeling.
I was fairly confident Nadal will get through this time. Because I knew Nick is not necessarily as consistent and if Nadal had pressed on the second set, there was a good chance Nick would get blown the next set, on his own. Well happy for the victory, its over. Moving on ….
PK, of course you can say that Rafa kicked ass yesterday ☺ It’s true after all. And I believe that Nick made a big mistake when he made it so personal. He made Rafa really angry – and that may not have been the smarte thing to do…
I listened to the tennis podcast and its quite interesting the mention Berdych and how Nadal is an elephant “He never forgets” and beat him the next 17 times. Berdych is no less a player but somehow in the long term Nadal kept beating him and he had no choice other than to respect and acknowledge you dont get things easy with Nadal.
I would love to see him go at a run with Kyrgios and may actually help Kyrgios turn his career around a bit.
Also people mention Kyrgios having some mental issues maybe depression or something sad, which actually quite makes sense and I feel a bit sorry for him.
I also thought Rafa hit exactly the right tone in his presser. Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Yup!
And you could see that Nick was very salty about losing – which is actually a good thing. He should care!
Yeah, he wasn’t happy about it. He tried his best and it wasn’t good enough, which can sometimes (or for some people) be a lot harder to deal with than just not trying. But in any case, I thought he gave proper credit to Rafa. He knew the better guy had won.
I agree with your assessment . And Kyrgios did give Rafa proper credit – although a bit grudgingly, lol!
I really wish, he could get his act together before his career fizzles out. And I don’t really believe him, when he reiterates that he doesn’t care. I think that he cares far more than he lets on. I think he likes to tell himself that he could in principle win a lot more – if he would put in more effort. Yesterday he did try hard. But it wasn’t enough. As you say, some players have a hard time to deal with this insight.
As far as raw talent is concerned, Kyrgios could be a stable top-tenner.
One also should not forget that he had to deal with quite a few injuries during his career. He definitely needs all sorts of professional help.
Yeah, he finally gave Rafa some respect. Even envy. NK has trouble focusing (“something I struggle with”). I think that’s at the root of his underperformance. He knows he has the raw ability but he can’t live up to it and it makes him crazy. Literally. Sad case.
Ramara, IMO Kyrgios clearly suffers from adult attention deficit syndrome. Everything we observe and what he reveals about himself, points into that direction. And instead of dealing with it, he tries to hide behind brattishness and boorishness. I don’t want to excuse his bad behavior with a fancy diagnose btw. He should be old enough by now to reckognize it and do something about it. But I suspect that he has a very thin skin.
Rafa has his own struggles with OCD – at least oncourt. But he mostly turned it into an asset. It only hurts his performance now and then when he struggles to complete his serve in time.
Worried about Rafa Tsonga given how Tsonga troubled fed at halle and he can serve like crazy too..power game
Sanju, for some reason I am far less worried about Tsonga than I was about Kyrgios. Yes, Tsonga had Fed on the ropes, but I thought that Fed wasn’t really at his best in that match.
Tsonga can serve very well but he is not the best returner. Anyway, Rafa most certainly won’t underestimate him.
I’m glad that Rafa didn’t bet him easily. We would have had claims that Nick tanked the match. He did his best to win and he lost.
Nick will now have more issues focussing with Eugene bouchard by his side 🙂
I watched a replay of the match late last night and finally saw where Kyrgios went after Rafa deliberately and hit him. I had not seen it while watching the match live. I was switching back and forth because I was so nervous. I thought it was despicable. Rafa gave him a long look and waited for an apology. But in his presser, Kyrgios made it clear that he did not think he had any reason to apologize. I got a visceral reaction to what he did. Rafa was right in his presser. Someone could get hurt. Is that what has to happen before this stops?
I do not have polite words in the English language for Kyrgios. They also showed s do-called highlight reel of Nik’s antics up tobthr second set. I did see when he spat at Rafa. I thought that was sickening. There is something wrong with him. But not for a minute do I see him changing.
I do not feel for him at all. I will not make excuses for him. He does not deserve it. He is incredibly gifted, but he does not appreciate it and will not work to realize his potential. It is a waste, but by his own admission he is not going to practice and train and put in the effort. So he will not achieve anything significant in this sport.
I do not see him as another McEnroe. I see him more like Ernests Gulbis. He was very gifted naturally and on any day could trouble the top players. But he was emotional and acted out on court and also did not want to train and practice. He has slipped into obscurity. Another waste of a great talent. You have one shot. The career of a tennis player only lasts so long. To not use natural talent and realize potential is truly a shame. I don’t know if Nik will ever understand what he is throwing away.
I am just so proud of Rafa for stepping up in that match. He was angrier than I have seen him in a long time. But he channeled his anger into great shots when he needed them. He channeled his anger and was able to produce better tennis than I thought possible so early in the tournament.
Bravo Rafa! Now on to Tsonga. I think this match forced Rafa to raise his level of play and gave him valuable time on court to hone his skills. His draw has opened up enough to give him a real opportunity here.
Wonderfully written. As despicable as Nick he is, I think part of us is beginning to feel quite a bit sorry for him.
He is no Mcenroe or Gulbis. I dont remember too much on the Mcenroe but I cant remember other than him being angry and yelling over line calls and disputes with umpires. I do not recall him being cheap or disrespectful towards his opponents including Borg. I think he had his temperamental issues and was dealing with classy players across the net. Some one like Lendl I remember was kinda cold and his antics would have zero effect on him. now thats funnny not despicable.
With Gulbis, yeah he is rash but again seemed a lil more jolly character. Never seen someone like Kyrgios until now. I have no idea why a lot of commentators promote saying we need characters like this rather than condemn and actually make him listen and get better. You cant be condoning somoene hitting at his opponent. Geez!
PK,
Tennis was different in the 70’s. Players would hit other players intentionally. I remember seeing a YouTube video of a match with Lendl and Vitas Geruliatis. Lendl got him in the forehead with a shot. He went down and just got up. But the game has changed and you don’t see it anymore.
McEnroe won 7 slams titles I believe. So he certainly did have success in the sport. I hated his temper tantrums, but it was nothing like Kyrgios. He and Borg were as different as night and day but they became good friends. McEnroe started up get the better of Borg, beating him at Wimbledon and the USO. After losing in the 1981 USO final, Borg walked off the court and out of tennis. He was my first tennis love and that broke my heart.
Lendl was very tough and did not take any crap. He had to be back then. With the antics of McEnroe and Connors, it was a test of survival. Lendl had to beat both of them to finally win the USO.
Gulbis should have been a top ten player contending for slams. But he was not like Kyrgios. I just hate to see such potential wasted. Being naturally talented is a gift. I remember a few years ago Kyrgios settled down and went on a nice winning streak. He focused on playing great tennis and cut out the drama. I could finally enjoy watching him. But it did not last. Someday when he is older he may finally realize what he squandered.
Some interesting serve statistics:
-NK’s fastest serve of the match was a SECOND serve clocked at 143 MPH (his fastest first serve was 139MPH)
-Rafa won 82% of his first serves compared to NK’s 71%. How impressive is that given NK’s amazing serving?
-Rafa won 71% second serve points! So, equal to NK’s first serve points won!
Rafa’s forehand will get more and more aggressive. To me he’ll be stronger in his next match. He is up against a good grass court player but he’ll prevail in 3 sets.
Lendl used to hit McEnroe regularly with the ball.Because of his bad behaviour.
While I don’t agree with it, it’s within the rules as is the underarm serve.
Big Al, I tend to agree. I can’t get too worked up on that particular incident. I even remember a few times when Rafa used to target the opponent’s body for tactical reasons. Kyrgios is just crass and brutally honest in freely admitting intent. There are other things he did during his career which I liked far less.
I”m with PK insofar as Kyrgios often makes me more sad than angry since I do believe he has psychological issues.
I don’t like to see anyone hit another player with the ball. It was more common place in the past. But nothing can make it right. The fact is that you can hurt someone or spectator. I remember when that chair umpire was hit in the eye with a careless shot and needed surgery. That was unintentional.
I remember Rafa hurting Novak. I think it was 2013 in Montreal. But he did apologize. It did not appear to be deliberate. I am not aware of Rafa going after another player intentionally.
What about spitting? That okay, too? I guess we should just let it all go because Kyrgios is a great talent. Sorry, but no!
Absolutely agree with you nny! I was incensed by the spitting and swearing yesterday. Will people stop making excuses for this jerk please? He is a multi-millionaire while putting in very little work. The hypocrisy and double standards in how the commies gloss over his behaviour while harping on forever about Rafa going over time on serve is beyond ludicrous.
And stop feeling sorry for lazy multi millionaires with testosterone issues. His version of uber masculinity is something we absolutely don’t need now. I can’t stand that kind of puerile adolescent willy waving which is everywhere in our toxic politics now.
Amy and NNY, while I usually love your input, I really have a very different pov re: Kyrgios. But I’m not going to continue this argument because we will never convince each other. Let me just say this: while I try to understand Kyrgios’ behavior, I’m not at all giving him a pass on everything. But why shouldn’t I feel sad for some one just because he happened to have a lot of money – at least for our standards?? Since when equals being well off with being a happy person? But since we talk about money: personally I really hate when a player tanks – something which Kyrgios is well known for – since it’s extremely disrespectful against those who have invested their money in a ticket or invested time sitting in front of a screen. It’s disrespectful against those who are ultimately responsible for his wealth. I also hate Kyrgios’s tasteless remark about Wawa’s girlfriend. That was pretty low indeed. But very often Kyrgios hurts himself far more than his opponents. He has a very selfdestructive streak. Very different from another famous brat and bad boy – Jimmy Connors, who deliberately taunted his opponents and very often the poor umpires in a clear case of deliberate and often successful gamesmanship. Just watch the famous USO quarterfinal between him and Aaron Kricksteen. It’s a very entertaining match and a beloved classic during rain breaks – however Connors behaved terribly, but got away with it and won the match.
littlefoot,
I agree about not continuing this conversation because I feel very strongly about it. I am with amy all the way. But I also wrote in an earlier comment about the terrible waste of talent. It is sad and unfortunate when you watch someone throw away an extraordinary gift. I do agree with you about Kyrgios being self-destructive. That I can see. But it is a privilege to play in this sport. There are a lot of rewards. He has the opportunity to make the kind of money most people only dream about. Unfortunately, he does not seem to love the game.
Amy, I only said “a bit”. Didnt think the feeling sorry thing would start an argument 🙂 That was only due to thinking about how it actually could make sense. There are a lot of successful people actually feeling quite lonely, sad and depressed and for a moment I wondered what could really be inside that head.
Also I think I got carried away with Nicks response to the question which made it seem “absolutely” intentional. There is no excuses for bad behaviour or spitting or trying to intentionally hurt your opponent. But I also think Nick was just pissed at the question and he reverted with a “why should I” and the journalist was quite lost on how to respond. Imagine asking someone that doesnt apologize on why he didnt. How would that conversation get to ever become sensical :)).
Bottom line, I believe Nick is taking things a little too far and needs to be strongly condemned and fined appropriately as it continues. I think there is no excuse for those commentators either who say we need characters like this. Yes he is creating news and has the conversation going(even here).. but we have way better players / persons like Nadal and Fed promoting the sport to heights for a good couple of decades now. Do they actually think Nick promotes it better than them?.
amy,
I kept asking you when he spat at Rafa. But in the replay of the match on the tennis channel, they showed a compilation of Nik’s antics. That is when I saw him spit at Rafa. That was truly shocking to me. I cannot even comprehend that kind of behavior. I was reading on VB and someone said that they were on Instagram and Nik’s brother called Rafa a prick. Sorry for the language, but that is what he said. So this seems to be a family problem.
It was not just him hitting Rafa and not apologizing. It was the totality of the behavior throughout the match. Rafa admitted that the arguing broke his concentration in the second set. So Nik’s antics succeeded at that time.
He behaves like an animal. Yet the behavior is rationalized because he is so talented. That is just nonsense.
But I think Rafa showed how you take a bad situation and turn it to your advantage. It was brilliant. He poured all of his anger into his tennis. He triumphed in the end. That was a beautiful thing to see.
I am anonymous responding to littlefoot above. I don’t know what is happening with my user name.
NNY, I absolutely agree. I am not able to find the footage of the spitting anywhere. Thats just disgraceful, completely unacceptable.
Using body serves, hitting strategically at your opponent is still acceptable. I remembered the Nadal / Djok incident too but He immediately apologized. Interestingly Nadal did that once to Jerzy Janowicz and apologized too. I dont think Nadal does that intentionally.
Like I said, I got carried away with Nick saying he did it on purpose but I realized later maybe it was just his way of dealing with the journalists ridiculous question.
Nadal v Tsonga 2nd on CC and Federer v Pouille 3rd