French Open R1 previews and predictions: Nadal vs. Bolelli, Muller vs. Gulbis

May 28, 2018 Ricky Match previews 226

Rafael Nadal will begin his quest for French Open title No. 11 when he takes the court against unexpected opponent Simone Bolelli on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Ernests Gulbis qualified for the main draw and will meet Gilles Muller.

(1) Rafael Nadal vs. (LL) Simone Bolelli

There are an unbelievable eight lucky losers in the main draw of the French Open; well, seven confirmed so far and an eighth if Marco Trungelliti signs in on time before Monday’s action begins. The unluckiest of them all was one of the first ones in, as Bolelli will have the misfortune of facing none other than Nadal–the 10-time Roland Garros champion and current world No. 1. Bolelli already knows all too well how tough of a task this is. He lost to Nadal at this event, also in the first round, via a 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 beatdown in 2012. The Spaniard is sweeping the overall head-to-head series 5-0 and he has won 11 consecutive set since dropping the opener of their first-ever encounter on the indoor hard courts of Rotterdam in 2009.

Bolelli won his first two qualifying matches over Tommy Robredo and Yasutaka Uchiyama before getting blown out by Santiago Giraldo 6-0, 6-2. The 129th-ranked Italian, who got in when Alexandr Dolgopolov pulled out, is now looking for his third ATP-level victory of the year following a quarterfinal performance in Estoril as a qualifier. Nadal is 79-2 lifetime at the French Open and also 19-1 on clay this season, so there is no reason to think anyone outside the top players in the world–and maybe not even them–has a chance against the 31-year-old. Nadal’s last nine sets against Bolelli have read 6-3, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2, and 6-2; something similar should transpire in this one.

Pick: Nadal in 3 losing 5-7 games

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(Q) Ernests Gulbis vs. (29) Gilles Muller

Among those who did not need lucky-loser spots in the field of 128 were two formerly relevant performers who have since fallen off the tennis map: Bernard Tomic (who is scheduled to face Trungelliti) and Gulbis. The latter, who reached the French Open semifinals in 2014, is struggling down at 160th in the rankings and has not yet won an ATP-level match in 2018. From just about of nowhere, however, Gulbis qualified by beating Stephane Robert, Stefano Travaglia, and Alessandro Giannessi.

Up next for the Latvian on Monday is a second career showdown against Muller, who won their only previous meeting 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4, 7-6(5) at the 2011 U.S. Open. The Luxembourgian’s favorite part of every season (grass) is about to begin, but for now he is still stuck on a surface that is the least conducive to his game. Muller has won just a single tournament match since the end of February and he has dropped his last six sets dating back to the Monte-Carlo second round. Even though Gulbis is not what he was during his brief prime, an upset is possible and even probable because of Muller’s slump and especially the surface.

Pick: Gulbis in 4

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226 Comments on French Open R1 previews and predictions: Nadal vs. Bolelli, Muller vs. Gulbis

  6. I hope Gulbis will pull through, since his pressers are at least as entertaining as his matches. He lost the first, but won the second set…

    Reply

  7. Just caught sight of Benoit Pair’s new hairdo. He is truly eccentric!

    He is playing Carballes Baena who recently gave Rafa a hard time – think it was in Rome

    Reply

    • MA,

      Thanks so much for that! I love reading Moya’s thoughts. He is very savvy and smart and Rafa is in good hands. I love his attitude!

      I get nervous when anyone says Rafa is unbeatable. I am superstitious. One match at a time!

      Reply

      • You’re most welcome Nny!…Hehehe…I knew u loved reading what CM said Nny!…I hope he will give Rafa the necessary advice about this wet,damp conditions…So,Rafa can lift himself up when/if the circumstances arise once again…I think,it will happen again for the next 2 weeks…So,i hope Rafa better be prepared mentally to counter this situations…

        Nny!…Everyone predicted Rafa will win based on his current form atm…He’s got the momentum,he’s very confident & he’s healthy…But,we’re also know that nature’s element can’t be ignored too..such as rain like Paris having atm,it will jeopardize Rafa’s chances imo…But,let’s see how it will panned out in 2 weeks time…If it’s meant for Rafa,then The Coupe will be his once again Nny…If not…it’s meant for someone else…Don’t think too much about it okay?What happen out there is not in our hands Nny…All we should do is hope for the sun to come out instead of rain..And Rafa will be healthy for the next 2 weeks… Insyaallah,things will go in Rafa’s favour…If not…there’s always a next year…Vamos Rafa & his 11th Coupe!!

        Reply

  10. The way Djoko is playing now, I think Rafa will start his match at 7pm! Wozniacki isn’t one who finishes her matches quickly either.

    Reply

  11. Finally, Djoko wins in three, in 2 hours and a few minutes. He’s really grinding out there for the win. I wonder what happens to him, he was playing so well at Rome, he’s playing quite terribly here by his lofty standard, it’s like one step forward and then two steps back for him. His level is really not consistent, he’ll need to raise his level in his next match.

    Reply

  12. Agut about to lose his match, to Istomin who’s up 3-0 in the fifth set. Agut scheduled to meet Djoko in R3 going by seeding; not happening it seems and instead Istomin, the one who beat Djoko at AO last year, may be Djoko’s R3 opponent should they both reach R3. Istomin may be a tougher opponent than Agut, I feel if Djoko continues to play lack luster tennis here.

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  13. Well Agut wins in the end, fortunate for him. Now it seems Ferrer is in trouble against a young Spaniard, now in the fifth set.

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  14. We’re barely half way through the season but already players are going down like ninepins. Doesn’t bode well for the rest of the year. By the time they get to the WTF once again it’ll be the usual parade of the walking wounded.

    Reply

  16. amy,

    I agree. You have to get it done when you have 0-40. If you don’t then it gives the opponent confidence. Bolelli has nothing to lose and has come out blasting. He is hitting his forehands at over 90 miles per hour.

    Reply

  17. Rafa needs to step it up and be more aggressive here. Bolelli is trying to make the most of this opportunity, playing like he has nothing to lose. Everyone will be gunning for Rafa as the prohibitive favorite.

    Reply

      • amy,

        This is really surprising. But I have to believe that he can’t keep it up. Two break points for
        The first set.

        Let’s do this Rafa!

        Reply

  23. Nny
    I really don’t like everyone going on about rafa being unbeatable….that’s a lot of pressure…and rafa does feel the pressure here…

    Reply

  25. Oh this is just ridiculous. Bolelli gets the break in the second set. Rafa keeps letting this guy in the match. The guy is ranked #129 in the world.

    Reply

  27. It’s raining out there which slows down Rafa’s shots and neutralizes Rafs’s top spins! Bolleli hits as hard as flat as he could which is always good tactics against Rafa. Rafa will regroup soon and Bolleli can’t keep up this high intensity and will surrender…

    Reply

  28. I feel in a cloudy damp weather Rafa’s shots just lose the sting and bounce. He starts to play short which is the case today.

    Reply

  32. Rafa’s serve is terrible! And, what’s with him not able to play well when it’s raining? I mean, he has/had played in rainy conditions throughout his career, and won so many matches, rain or no rain.

    He has to find a way to overcome unfavorable conditions to win, if not how can he be the king of clay and winning so many matches and titles on clay?

    He’s losing out in his court position, staying so far back and allowing Bolelli to step inside the court to dictate play. He’s putting himself in a defensive position most of the time, quite disappointing I must say. It seems that when his opponent plays aggressive tennis, he turns defensive.

    Also, it seems to me that he’s worrying about the weather, about the rain coming, rushes through his serves and thus only gets 50+% first serve in. He’s not going to play his R2 match until Thurs should he win this one, so there’s no need to hurry.

    Reply

    • Lucky, one technical thing about Rafa’s serve has always been that he has a relatively fast backswing. That’s not what most coaches recommend. It’s like golf; you want to start really slowly and just build up momentum at the end. I think if he could slow down and loosen up his serve motion that he would get more power.

      Reply

    • They showed stats for serving in the second set.

      Rafa winning 75% first serves.

      Bolelli winning 39% first serves.

      So Rafa has improved his serving.

      Rafa wins the second set!

      Reply

    • I think Bolelli’s level has dropped somewhat. I also think the heavy damp conditions may be hurting him because his shots have lost some pop.

      Reply

  35. At least he’s upping his level in the last few games and that’s the Rafa we should be seeing throughout this match.

    I think Rafa is unable to sustain his intensity throughout the duration of the whole march these days, and so he tends to have lapses, esp during his own service games when it’s obvious that he’s not serving well since coming back from injury.

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  36. They asked both players if they want to keep playing and they do. Rafa will want to get this done in three sets.

    Reply

    • But Rafa was winning more points on his first serve according to the stats I saw on the tennis channel.

      I don’t believe it! Rafa is broken again In the third set.

      Reply

    • Bolelli starts going for it again and manages to get the break. This is driving me crazy.

      It’s getting late there and if Rafa keeps messing around this match won’t get done.

      Reply

  41. Dump shot by Rafa, why returned the drop shot right back at Bolelli when he’s there waiting? This was not the first time I saw Rafa doing that to his opponents.

    Rafa should really serve to Bolelli’s FH at the ad court! Bolelli was returning bombs with that SHBH CC! Rafa not thinking clearly out there, making a mess of things. This may go four sets!

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  42. Rafa can come back to play tomorrow and still has a day off as the R2 matches for his half of the draw will be played on Thurs.

    Reply

  43. They are in a rain delay. This match may not get done. Rafa is making life difficult for himself with being broken again early in the third set.

    He just can’t get control of this match.

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  44. Very fortunate Rafa to be 2 sets to love up at least in those conditions. Hope he pull a Houdini and finish it off in straights tomorrow. Only one break in it still. Should be manageable as long as he does not get broken again

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  45. Rafa is messing around with his poor serving. I don’t understand why his serve is so poor; I mean they have the whole clay season to work on that yet no improvement at all, in fact getting worse.

    He’s going to lose the third set when they resume play tomorrow. The guy is nervous prone, worrying about everything and anything and so he can’t think clearly out there. He’s fortunate to win the second set and so can afford to lose the third set and come back to win the fourth set.

    Reply

  47. Stats for Rafa’s match –

    Rafa

    First serve % – 74
    First serve points won % – 56
    Second serve points won % – 65
    Winners – 17
    UE’s – 13

    Reply

    • If Rafa loses a set to this guy then it’s going to make him look less than invincible.

      Do we know for sure that they won’t finish it today?

      Reply

    • Nope, Rafa’s first serve in the second set is 54%; first serve points won is 80%. Second serve points won is 46%.

      Bolelli’s first serve % in second set is76%, 1st serve points won is 37%, but he won 67% of 2nd serves, higher than Rafa’s.

      So Rafa won 64% of his points when he serves(54%*80% from first serves = 43%; 46%*46%=21% from his second serves).

      Bolelli won 44% of his points when he’s serving (76%*37% = 28%, from first serves; 24%*67% =16% from second serves)

      Rafa has 7 winners 4 UEs in set 2, Bolelli has 7 winners and 14 UEs, Rafa has won 32 points vs Bolelli’s 21.

      Reply

  48. So he’s winning more second serves??!! Bizarre…
    Maybe he needs to take the pace off some of his shots and throw in some slices and so on…

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  49. It’s absobloodylutely typical that rafa gets someone playing really well while others get people playing rubbish…

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  50. Everyone is serving big and hitting hard these days, from the no.2 to the no.1000 guys on all surfaces, including clay; yet the no.1 guy has such a poor serve and chooses to defend instead of taking control of the match and to dictate play!

    When a guy like Bolelli who hits as hard as possible and serves well could give Rafa so much problems, how about facing a Thiem or a Sasha who hit and serve as hard as possible?

    The weather conditions is rainy throughout the week, if Rafa can’t handle that then sorry, says bye bye to RG early. I’m feeling irritated by how poorly Rafa serves, cant even buy a first serve to save him and has to lose serves to give his opponent the advantage.

    What have Moya done, when he can’t help Rafa to solve his serving woes?

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  52. Think that although rafa’s serve is a worry..people are not giving Bolelli enough credit…the speed on his groundstrokes has been incredible..
    I have seen rafa play far worse here in the opening rounds…

    Reply

    • Rafa’s serves make it easy for Bolelli to attack them. Rafa is giving Bolelli too much space to work with, he refuses to move closer to the baseline but chooses to stay way back and Bolelli makes him run like crazy to defend.

      When rain is forecasted, it’ll mess up Rafa’s brains.

      Reply

          • Just read the post at 3.17, I laughed at first, is Rafa really lacking in confidence, one of the greatest sporting competitors ever ??
            On reflection, not as daft as it seems,its that nervousness that drives him on to play his best.I remember reading similar comments about Connors,who claimed to have no fear on court, but in fact appeared driven by fear, in a positive way.

            My opinion is that Rafa has trouble mentally coping with conditions that take away his big weapons,but he’s not alone in that, ie he’s human.

          • Yes, and not just weather conditions, but opponents that take away his weapons. If there’s a difference between him and other players in this regard, it may be that he wears it more on his face and the way he carries himself on the court. Below, some say that Nadal could use a bit of swagger. In my opinion, he’s got plenty of swagger when he’s winning. When he’s not, or when things are going as well for him, he tends to get a worried look more than other players.

          • On nervousness, *all* great players get more nervous with age. Young players tend to get angry at themselves, but they believe that there will be many more chances to come. Older players tend to get nervous because they are aware that each chance may be their last. Both Nadal and Federer get much more nervous now (and admit to as much) than they did when they were young.

        • And a bunch of nerves! It’s the nervy part that I couldn’t stand, what had Toni done to a young boy, dampening his confidence each time the boy succeeded on the tennis court, so much so that the boy grown up to be a man who’s lacking in confidence and showing too much respect for his opponents whoever they are.

          The boy and then the man comes with the mentality that ‘he may lose the match if he’s not careful or if he’s not playing his best tennis’; so it’s the nervy, worrying about what may go wrong during a match kind of mindset that he approaches his matches; not one who’s so confident about his own game or at least confident that he can produce his best tennis always to beat any opponent.

          He’s still able to turn the losing second set into one that he won despite his nervy self; so problem solving or simply pressing hard to win the set, he’s able to do that. It’s his lapses in the third set after a hard fought second set that’s disappointing.

          Reply

  54. I copied my stats from the tennis channel. That’s what they had on the screen.

    I am not happy that this match has to be finished tomorrow. Rafa really needs to regroup and finish it in three sets.i do not want to see him lose a set to this guy.

    Rafa May have played worse, but with the #. 129 ranked player in the world? What I don’t like is that Rafa was unable to gain control of the match after winning the first set and then the second set. Each time he was broken early. You just don’t see that with Rafa.

    Reply

    • NNY, go to RG website 2018 schedule; they’ve the stats for full match (up till 3-0 third set).

      Rafa has never hit > 60% first serves in; his first serve % is 59% for the three sets, won 72% of those; and 64% of second
      serves.

      His stats for set one: 55% first serve in, 75% first serve points won; 77 % second serves points won. He has 8 winners 6 ZuEs and won 31 points (vs Bolelli’s 26 points).

      Reply

      • lucky,

        I just copied it off the screen on the tennis channel. If they had the wrong stats, then I guess they were wrong.

        I don’t want to be too hard on Rafa in his first match. He is up two sets. I think the pressure must be enormous.

        Every player wants a piece of history by knocking out the overwhelming favorite. I hope Rada can sort out his serving problems and gone out tomorrow and take control.

        The weather forecast doesn’t seem to be that good.

        Reply

  56. You guys are being too hard on the poor guy. He’s a bundle of nerves as it is and has being hanging around for hours waiting to get on court.

    It’s not unusual for him to get off to a slow start in his early matches but nevertheless it is disturbing he is not disposing of Bolleli more easily.

    Reply

  57. Not sure what to make of Rafa playing so poorly..Just the hope that even in 2011 he was taken to 5 in first round, in 2013 he started RG poorly first 3 rounds and dropped sets ..

    Lucky- is it rain all of 2 weeks or till Friday only?

    Reply

    • I think it’s this week only but if he can’t survive to make it to week two, doesn’t matter if there’s no rain by then!

      I’m feeling irritated with the way Rafa is playing, why always CC to his opponent whether it’s FH or BH? Where’s his FH DTL? Why so stingy with that shot? Also it’s getting very irritating that time and again he’s hitting those dump shots back to his opponents when they’re expecting them. Why’s he always returning drop shots CC back at his opponent I don’t understand; it’s not the first time now, his opponents already know where he’s hitting!

      He’s over relying on his CC BH I’m afraid, so much so that he’s camping deep at his BH corner and expecting his opponent to hit right back at him. He failed to understand that his opponents, almost all of them, are/were attacking his FH when he’s leaving that side of the court wide open!

      If he’s serious about improving his game, then he should look to improve his court position behind the baseline, learn from Djoko and Murray, who not only camp close to the baseline but also at the centre of the baseline, so that they can redirect the ball at will to whichever corner they wish, and need not run so much to cover corner to corner, at least they don’t need to run like crazy the way Rafa does, most of the times. Rafa has poor court positioning behind the baseline; when he’s younger he could run all day to cover the positions, at 32 he’s still doing the same thing and expecting the same results??

      Reply

        • If it continues to rain and if Rafa continues to feel so nervous and starts playing crappy tennis with crappy serve. He lost in first week to Sod in 2009.

          If Rafa can only hit topspin shots to win on clay then he’s in for big troubles. Don’t tell me he can’t hit his shots flatter if topspins are not working on damp and slow surfaces. The other players could hit hard and serve well enough to play on clay, so don’t see why Rafa couldn’t do the same, ie just hit hard, serve a bit better when he takes a bit more time to think before serving instead of rushing through his service games.

          He has all the raw power and the speed too despite his age, don’t see why he can’t turn aggressive and hits hard to overpower his opponents if his usual game on clay is not working well for him. Just be a bit more flexible!

          Reply

          • When he lost to Soderling his knees were in a particularly bad way. Only a week or so before he had blown Soderling off the court 6.1, 6:0 which elicited a memorable meltdown from Soderling.

          • Yes, it’s true that Rafa was not 100% when Sod beat him. Rafa proved the point when he met Sod in the 2010 final and beat him easily.

            There is no reason to press the panic button. I certainly see no reason to predict Rafa getting knocked out early. I think it’s going to be tough this time, even though Rafais the prohibitive favorite. We expect Rafa t blow all his opponents off the court and that may not happen.

      • Lucky- you are being overly harsh. All said and done, it is still his first match, muggy conditions, a player on fire who has been accustomed to playing here being the lucky loser and he is still 2 sets to the good with only a single break down.
        Let us see what he brings to the table tomorrow. I still have hopes of him getting this done in straights. He is a ten time champ here for petes sake

        Reply

        • He can do as he did at Rome after the rain delay. But, why the need to make a mess of everything when he’s fortunate enough not to lose the second set?

          I’m not expecting him to be on fire the first match he plays, but at least not to let the weather mess with his head, why the need to feel anxious about everything and let that affect the way he plays? If he can handle Sasha’s big hitting, I don’t see why he couldn’t handle Bolelli’s; it’s his own undoing, giving Bolelli all the confidence he needs to play and hit well and continues to do so in the third set.

          Reply

        • vmk1,

          I agree with you. I think it’s really not time to talk about him losing in the first set. We don’t have to get hysterical yet. He is up two sets. These low ranked players who suddenly get a chance to play, can just go for their shots without any pressure and nothing to lose. Rafa has the weight of all the pressure and expectations on him.

          I think you are right. Let’s see what happens tomorrow,

          Reply

  59. Bolleli is playing great tennis, especially for his ranking. As I’ve said before, Nadal’s serve has been suffering for some time now, and is a bit of a liability even on clay. And Bolleli has the sort of big game that can give Rafa trouble, especially that BH. It would be great (from my perspective) if he could take this set and make it a match, but the odds are against it. Nadal will probably come out like a man on fire and Bollelli will remember who he’s playing.

    Reply

    • The rain break is good for him; he can now have time to relax and rethink his strategy for tomorrow. It works in Rome, it should work here but he has to serve better. Bolelli is not Sasha so Rafa should be able to handle him in straight sets, he just has to serve well enough to hold serve and then plays aggressive tennis to break Bolelli’s serves, twice at least.

      Reply

  61. Oh God,Rain!…What we’ve afraid of all this time finally happen!…And Rafa has to deal not only with a determination & fearless opponents[believe me,they’re all very eager to play Rafa & apply go for broke tennis knowing he’s very fragile in cold & damp conditions]…

    The biggest problem imo is to calm his nerves & not panic to find the solution to overcome the eager opponents…It’s not easy to deal with nervousness while got attack all over the place by an inspired opponents,but i hope his desire to win his 11th will overrode all the obstacles…After all,Rafa is Rafa!…His mental toughness is unmatched by everyone…All he needs to do is calm himself down & not swept away too much by his nerves..

    That being said,i have no doubt that Rafa will come out on court tommorow & blasted Bolelli away in straight sets!

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    • Yep, that’s what I think too, Mira Andi. Rafa with the time to think about it overnight will come out and take a wrecking ball to Simone 😀

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  62. No other reason than Tourney topia slipped my mind and I must have missed RZ’s link on TX. I was busy working out the one ATP and WTA brackets I have. It was hard work for my poor brain this time. 😩

    Very happy to see your picks — both MJME and Farah Diba are back, Yay!

    Reply

    • Oh God RC!!…I can’t believe u missed RZ’s Bracket!!….I was very disappointed when i see your name is not there u know!…

      Oh!…Bout MJME & FD…U KICK MY A@#ES ON ATP ATM RC!!Hehehehhehehe….But on WTA MJME KICK U BACK!!Ohohohohohohoho!!….Tho,i think it’s not for long!Hehehe…

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  64. If all the predicted rains are too much for Rafa at RG, I would not mind seeing what he can do rested for Wimbledon….

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  65. Unfortunately I’m too busy and I can’t watch Rafa’s matches live these two weeks 😖 Just took the replay and well,damp heavy conditions are Rafa’s worst nightmare,that kind of conditions kill the spin of his shots and the ball bounces lower which tremendously affects his game. I clearly remember when Rafa took Djokovic in the 2012 final and after being 2 sets up,the conditions worsened and Djokovic won 8 consecutive games and was very close to take the match to a decider.
    IMO,you also have to give it to Bolelli,he was striking the ball so well and so hard,taking the ball on the rise and dictating the play in a very agressive way.
    What makes me crazy is the fact that in this conditions,Rafa should come closer to the baseline and be more agressive instead of relying only on defense. Rafa used to be so agressive(and he has the weapons to do so) in his younger days,but Toni kind of reverted his mindset mostly to succeed on clay,putting a break on his agressiveness.

    What intrigued me most was how vulnerable Rafa looked today. Only God knows what can happen if he faces a redlining Zverev in similar conditions…

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    • Exactly Gavaria, and that’s why I was feeling so irritated with Rafa’s play today.

      It’s like once his opponent played offensive tennis, he started to play defensive tennis. I mean, I haven’t seen a multi slam
      Champion with such low confidence in his own game; his offensive skills is one of the best if not the best in the business; players like Djoko, Murray or even Fed all had a taste of his aggression in those important matches that they played and succumbed to his aggression many times.

      Why’s he not using his own aggression to put away his opponents in the earlier rounds, but instead allowed his opponent (s) to boss him around like they’re the higher ranked player? He’s playing from so far behind the baseline and doing all the running; in wet conditions it’s slippery out there no wonder he’s not happy; all the more he needed to move closer to the baseline or stepped inside the court to play more offensively.

      Bolelli tend to make errors when rushed so Rafa should press forward and took time away from him. Instead, Rafa was making Bolelli felt comfortable out there hitting his shots at will! Where’s the problem solving champion out there?

      Reply

    • I also agree with you about Toni stopping Rafa from being his aggressive self, to succeed on clay ( to me that’s as early as 2005/2006).

      Watched his matches of 2003/2004 and even 2005 on the HCs, it’s not difficult to notice a different Rafa – one who’s more offensive than defensive even though he’s so quick that he could reach so many balls and returned them with interest (that people thought he’s defensive, a retriever!).

      The point construction part of his game flourished under Toni; and that’s the trademark of Rafa’s game the whole of his career. But, in this current era, players no longer are too keen about point construction, they would rather use their raw power to serve and hit as hard as possible to overpower their opponents.

      Rafa has to adapt to the current trend and learns how to fight offence with offence, for he’s getting old in tennis age and can’t rely on his movement or his speed to reach many balls the way he did when he’s younger. He has to fight fire with fire at times, or better still, comes out all guns blazing from the get go, the way he handled Shapo at Rome for example.

      He had adapted his game to play on slower surfaces after court surfaces were being slowed down after 2005; he has to adapt again now to deal with the big hitting giants these days, perhaps it’s time Rafa rediscovers his more offensive self and his more offensive game of his earlier years?

      Reply

    • I don’t think it serves to look ahead to a possible final with Zverev at this point. That’s too far off. A lot of tennis to be played.

      Rafa is clearly not st his best in this first match. But I still don’t think it’s time to awfulize. Rafa usually finds a way even if he’s not at his best.

      It’s weird how people go from Rafa being invincible to now maybe losing in the first week. I still say let’s see what he does when the match resumes.

      Reply

      • Just trying to point out that when the conditions don’t suit him,he has to change his approach. He just can’t get down deep on the court and try to chase everything,he’s not on his 20’s anymore. Playing a very agressive player that way with this heavy conditions can prove to be VERY DANGEROUS for Rafa.
        Of course that Rafa’s not losing in the first week,however La Undecima is far from a done deal,like many are already proclaiming.

        Reply

  66. Ha, I’m not one who says that Rafa is invincible! He might be last year at RG, not now because of his relatively poor serve.

    He hardly made 60% of his first serve, that’s poor by his standard. The weather is a factor; and his performance against Sasha in the second set at the Rome final proved that he’s vulnerable and far from being invincible!

    The way the other main rivals are playing so far this RG, it’s a stark contrast to Rafa’s own performance here, only Djoko may be worse but Djoko still came through in straight sets. Hopefully Rafa need not drop a set to win his first match here; dropping a set will give his other opponents hope and they’ll go all out to attack when facing him.

    Reply

  67. I wonder why Bolelli is not playing like this more frequently; he has the game and has the aggression and shot making abilities to do so. Perhaps he lacks the consistency to be able to do so. He ought to be a better ranked player than he currently is.

    Rafa is less effective vs SHBH players even on clay these days. My guess is that Rafa is no longer as physically powerful to hit his topspin CC FH with pace and depth esp when he’s hitting it from way behind the baseline, so his SHBH opponent could have more time to either dance around to hit a FH in return, or simply has the time to step in to take the shot early at their BH and hit a CC BH either with pace and depth, or hits an angled CC shot just over the net, or even a DTL BH!

    Reply

  68. Rafa continued the trend, not a good one I must say, of losing serve in his first service games in set two and three after playing well to win the first set. He lost both his first service game in set two and three at RG, just like he did the same at Rome final. His poor serve is his own undoing.

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  69. These two weeks are going to be wet. RG men’s final and sf days are forecasted to be wet also. Rafa needs to bring his A-game in the last leg.

    I think he would still win the whole thing but he would lose sets this time around.

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  70. Bolleli can be a very tricky player! I recall him testing Andy Murray in RG 2011 in the match which Andy won in a difficult fashion going to a TB in the first set and then hard fought the remaining two sets. That same Andy played SF against Rafa that year which Rafa won in straights sets before beating Fed in the final fir his sixth RG title!

    While I do agree with most of you here that it’s overly harsh on Rafa to criticize him for dropping serves to the red hot “nothing -to-lose Bolleli who has probably received some quality advice for this match from his compatriot Fognini, I agree with Lucky that Rafa MUST be more aggressive no matter the conditions ou tgere! He has the weapons and he has the mindset. I know it more difficult for Rafa to execute his aggressiveness in humid and rainy conditions but he should be ready by now for plan B. I am watching Muguruza right now facing a lot of problems in her attempt to perform aggressively in these conditions…

    Reply

    • I also remember him playing 2 epic 5 setters with nishikori at wimby when he was making a lot of incredible shots! He clearly has the capacity to really turn it on for individual matches.

      Reply

  73. I swear Roland Garros gets more rain than anywhere else in Paris 🙁

    I used to go regularly but spent so much time huddled under umbrellas I’ve decided it is not worth all the hassle and expense and from now on will watch it on TV in the comfort of my own home. Last year and the year before my daughter and I spent the whole day traipsing in and out of the court.

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    • I agree. At this time of the year, rain has become a regular visitor. Too bad that RG remains the only slam event without a roof 🙁

      Reply

      • Tell me about it. I live in Normandy which gets more than its fair share of rain. Ironically we had a heatwave for the last two weeks and everybody was praying for some rain for their gardens. Just proves the old adage ‘be careful of what you pray for’ 🙂

        Not long now before Rafa comes on to finish his match……

        Reply

        • Insyaallah Nny!…This is not Rafa of yesterday i believe…The nerve is still there,..coz Bolelli struck the ball really hard & flat…like Thiem in Madrid,so makes Rafa a bit nervous…But,i still believe he will get through in 3 sets Nny…There is no way Rafa will let Bolelli unsettled him like yesterday…No way!

          Reply

  75. So can we all relax a bit as Rafa has broken back in the third set?

    As I said let’s just see what happens when play resumes.

    Reply

  77. See, as I’d said before, Rafa should serve to opponents’ FH when serving at the ad court and jamming them when they return his serve. He got burnt by Bolelli’s
    SHBH CC returns time and again at the ad court!

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  78. Rafa not convincing in his own service game and not playing wisely in his return games; not very encouraging play despite the first few games today.

    Rafa is so predictable going CC all the time, since he’s stretched out wide so why not hit a DTL shot around the net post for a change huh?

    Reply

      • Yeah!I certainly hope so Lucky!…I think the matches after this will not be as hard as this…coz imo this win give Rafa all the confident that he needs going forward…Also the knowledge that he can overcame the tough opponent like Bolleli will give him a boost & a huge self belief…..

        Reply

  90. Vamoosss! Way to go Rafa! Did not see this just followed the live scores! Huge fight on the court I wouls say!

    Bravo Rafa! You managed to beat inspired opponent and awful conditions!

    Vamos Champ!

    Reply

  91. That will give rafa confidence!!!
    He is always nervous first round…and won in straights against an inspired opponent!!

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  95. Phew! Rafa wins, finally!

    He survives! He’s practically chasing from behind the whole match after winning set one. I don’t understand Rafa, why only when his back is against the wall then he can serve well his first serves? Why can’t he do that more often to save himself out of troubles earlier on in the match?

    Bolelli is really outstanding in his ball striking and attacks, and Rafa refusing to move forward has given Bolelli so many chances to drop shot him with success. I bet Rafa’s opponents from now on will drop shot him like crazy when they see him playing from so far behind the baseline.

    I also don’t understand why Rafa needs to play from so far back. Thankfully he wins this match in straight sets despite having such a poor first serve. I don’t know when this poor serving is going to end!

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  97. Luckily I came on here and read NNY’s comments or I would’ve missed out on seeing the resumed match.
    I was watching on Eurosport Player (which is fiendishly difficult to negotiate)who were featuring the Muguruza match.

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  98. Hey everybody, calm down! Rafa didn’t dispose as easily of his first opponent as we crazy fans expected. But he still didn’t lose a set. Can you even imagine how heavy the pressure may weigh on him? I’m only concerned about his relatively poor serve, since this has been so much better during the last season. I wonder if there is a physical cause behind the deterioration.
    Let’s wait and see how the tournament develops.

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  100. Yeah agree!!
    Remember when he nearly went down 2 sets to love against Brand in 2013!!!
    And Bolelli was playing better..!

    Reply

    • Exactly, and in 2011 he needed five sets against Isner, and didn’t play stellar through most of the tournament.
      Let’s calm down and wait and see. His draw isn’t overly tricky after all.

      Reply

  101. Reading all your comments one could believe that Rafa narrowly escaped a first round defeat, lol! And please give his opponent some credit.

    Reply

    • littlefoot,

      I agree! Bolelli does deserve credit for staying in the fight and not letting up.

      To be honest, I stopped watching the TB when Bolelli had three set points at 6-3. I just finished watching my recording. That DTL forehand at 8-8 in the TB was insane from Rafa!

      He pulled it out and won! A win is a win is a win! I hope that Rafa will serve better and maybe relax a bit after getting this first match done. I don’t care as long as he wins!

      Vamos Rafa!

      Reply

    • Credit given to his opponent Bolelli.

      Cant compare with 2011 when Rafa was hammered by Djoko at Rome and Madrid before coming to RG, his R1 five setter for the first time in his career at RG was more like an extension of his woes after losing the finals at those two masters. We were all worried at that time, now that we already knew he won the title, of course on hindsight we could talk about it as if there’s nothing to worry about.

      In 2013 he was much younger than he is now; and he hadnt the serving woes that hes having now. He could run the whole day chasing after drop shots back then.

      He’s much older now and watching him having to run so much and playing from so far back allowing his opponent to take advantage of that, in addition to his serving woes, really make things look worrying for him. Oh, not to mention the bad weather and his face looking glum because of that make it more worrying for his fans.

      Reply

  102. Lucky

    Surely you’ve been a Rafan long enough to know what to expect by now!!!!!!

    btw: thanks, as always, for your perceptive and astute observations.

    Now it;s time for an early G&T to calm my shattered nerves.

    Cheers everybody.

    Reply

  105. I think Rafa together with Goffin have the toughest R1 opponents.

    Rafa’s main rivals all won their R1 matches in straight sets – Sasha; Dimi, Cilic, Thiem, Kei, Anderson, Isner- only Goffin needed five sets. The boy Shapo was also impressive, beating his R1 opponent in straight sets.

    However, their R1 opponents were nothing like Bolelli, whom I think played the match of his life to stay with Rafa throughout the match, came close to getting a set but in the end had nothing to show for his efforts.

    Edmund is also wins his match in straight sets; only Delpo left who’s yet to play his R1 match. So far so good for the top players and those who’re good on clay, no upsets.

    Reply

  108. I agree, that Rafa’s opponent may have been the trickiest on this surface. Dolgo would’ve been most likely the easier opponent.
    But it’s all good. Rafa won in straight sets and was forced to dig in. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. And, yes, all his rivals acquitted themselves well.

    Reply

    • MA,

      Thanks for those articles! Good stuff!

      I think maybe it was a good thing for Rafa to get pushed in this match. Fighting back in that TB should give him good feelings as he moves on. Maybe he will settle down relax s little. But the pressure has to be just enormous on him.

      Reply

  111. Well said, littlefoot. The pressure on Nadal is immense, and he is nearly 32. He is not going to blow everyone away the way he did at MC when he was fresh off a long layoff. If his serve does not improve, his opponents will have their chances to pull off the upset. If there is a physical cause behind his lower standard of play, it could well be simply fatigue and age.

    Reply

      • No, Bolelli was not going for broke every shot. He played very well, but he also played intelligently. Give him some credit.

        Nadal’s last four matches (at least) have been much closer than his matches in Monte Carlo. The main reason is that his level, particularly his serve, is not as good as it was in MC. All credit to him for winning them all, most in straight sets like this one. But to me he looks a bit tired, and his serve is undeniably not working well.

        Fatigue and age (along with nagging injury) is most certainly a possible explanation for his somewhat lower standard of play lately.

        Reply

  113. NADAL ENDS BOLELLI’S BOLD FIGHT
    TUESDAY 29 MAY 2018 – IAN CHADBAND
    Reigning champion staves off four set points to wrap up rain-affected win over Italian lucky loser.

    Even winning just a single set off Rafael Nadal at Roland-Garros must feel like tennis’s equivalent of climbing Everest in a pair of sneakers.

    Simone Bolelli discovered this the brutally hard way on Tuesday when he played some of the tennis of his life – chucking everything but the kitchen sink at the 10-time champion – and held four set points in a bid to delay the inevitable, yet still found himself failing to dent the great man’s aura.

    No player has taken a set off Nadal at Roland-Garros since Novak Djokovic beat him three years ago – it’s now 25 straight completed sets and counting here – but, my goodness, Bolelli came gloriously close and not a soul on Court Philippe-Chatrier would have begrudged him his moment after nearly three hours of splendid duelling in both sun and rain.

    Yet after all the magnificent resistance he demonstrated in Nadal’s 6-4 6-3 7-6(9) victory in their resumed first-round clash, perhaps the Italian world No.129’s real service to the rest of the men’s field was to offer them the blueprint of how to tackle this seemingly-invincible monarch in his own realm.

    This is it, in essence. You take courage into your own hands, show no fear, risk everything, go for every half-chance and, if you attack, attack and attack again, get him on the back foot, find more lines than you miss, then you can actually rattle Nadal. Er, a bit. Easier said than done, naturally.

    Nadal was honest enough to concede that this is the sort of game that truly discomfits him. “He played so aggressive and very well. I resisted but it’s always difficult to play against players who want to hit every ball so hard,” he said in praise of Bolelli.

    “He was having success with all of the risk that he takes. I have to play more aggressive, I know, but it was difficult against a player who decided to play that strong. It was difficult to find 100 per cent the rhythm.”

    This was a complete different, wholly energised Bolelli, not the bloke who had already been knocked out of the event so tamely last Friday, feeling a bit poorly and getting smashed 6-0 6-2 in the qualifiers by Santiago Giraldo. “I don’t know how,” marvelled Nadal, unaware of the Italian’s illness.

    This Bolelli was a born-again cavalier, a 32-year-old saying ‘what the hell’ and flashing forehands with abandon, leaping deep into the court to attack Nadal’s second serve with his rapier-like single-handed backhand.

    The Italian had held a 3-0 lead in the third set when persistent rain forced a halt on Monday and it looked on the resumption as if he had lost his mojo as Nadal quickly wiped out his advantage.

    Yet Bolelli just wouldn’t lie down. He earned three more break points at 4-3, forcing some of the best tennis out of Nadal, and when he took the set to 6-6 with the underdog-cheering crowd already demanding “we want a fourth set!”, it prompted a quite breathtaking tiebreak which actually served to demonstrate Nadal’s greatness.

    For Bolelli was magnificent; he produced a flashing backhand winner, a couple of exquisite drop shots, a beautiful stop volley and repelled two match points fearlessly.

    Four times he was on the brink of taking the set; yet four times, Nadal answered dazzlingly, a fantastic inside-out forehand saving one of those set points, followed by a fist-pump that suggested ‘don’t you dare try this in my kingdom.’

    Nadal beats Bolelli but commend the loser on the go-for-broke strategy. You’re not going the Out-rally Nadal so may as well try something unconventional ….

    Ultimately, as he has done so often, he finally broke Bolelli’s spirit and patience as the Italian clobbered a slightly weary forehand into the net.

    How does he do it? Isn’t there ever a danger of him becoming complacent? “Not gonna happen,” Nadal said, sounding almost insulted. “And there is a proof that that’s never happened, that I won 10 times here, 11 Monte-Carlo, 11 Barcelona, eight Romes.

    “I was able to do all this result because I respect the sport, I respect every opponent, and I respect the competition every day. That’s the reason I have success, because I go every day on court knowing that I can win, that I can lose, and that’s the sport. So anything can happen.”

    Too true. But in Nadal’s case, what usually happens is that he just refuses to be beaten.

    https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/article/roland-garros-2018-nadal-ends-bolellis-bold-fight

    Reply

    • Yeah,he said that there was some kind of white gravel on the Chatrier which didn’t allow him to slide/move as well as he wanted …

      Reply

    • All the more he should spend less time chasing balls and instead moves forward to attack the ball. Rafa did that at last year’s FO! It seems that after his success at the USO ( when he returned serves from way behind the baseline, standing side by side with the line judge) he started doing that everywhere he played.

      I don’t understand why he’s not copying the way he played at FO last year instead of the USO. Perhaps he’s not having confidence with his own serve to start with, or simply feels more comfortable playing from well behind the baseline, his preferred court position all along?

      Reply

  115. Very happy to see that Rafa fought back with everything he had to take the 3rd set! He totally showed the heart of a champion and the mental giant he is when things get tight! Saving all those set points on the TB was absolutely epic from Rafa!
    For sure he didn’t expect such a tough match on the first round but it’s a very good thing to be tested in the earlier stages and being able to get trough,especially in straights it’s a good sign.
    Hopefully Rafa can build up his form from here on!

    Vamos 👑🎾

    Reply

  116. I finally got to see the tiebreak! Honestly i thought rafa was immense! The way he played at 6-3 down and the other set point he saved. What a great champion he is!
    When he really needed to he served very well.
    So so proud of him….
    Vamos!!!

    Reply

  119. Bolelli played a great match, it’s a shame he hasn’t shown this form throughout his career. I think playing doubles regularly now has helped his game a lot.

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    • Yep, credit to Bolelli for playing great and being very aggressive. He didn’t go for broke imo, just played with controlled aggression effectively.

      He together with Foggy, should be ranked higher than their current rankings. They should try to play aggressive tennis as much as possible and positive results may come. They’re both talented and striking the ball beautifully. I wish them well for the rest of their careers.

      Reply

  120. ‘“I was able to do all this result because I respect the sport, I respect every opponent, and I respect the competition every day. That’s the reason I have success, because I go every day on court knowing that I can win, that I can lose, and that’s the sport. So anything can happen.”

    in spite of his glittering career this is not false modesty on Rafa’s part: he always has respect for his opponents whatever their ranking – unlike some players who exude an air of entitlement and behave like prima donnas

    Reply

    • I swear what Rafa fears most is arrogance. It isn’t easy to keep perspective when everyone is telling you how great you are.

      Reply

  122. The tie break was spectacular! It showcased some of the best shots of the tournament so far. Bolelli was great and can be proud – but Rafa was a tick better. The way he erased all those set points was indeed magnificent. Hopefully he will get used to the court.

    Reply

    • littlefoot,

      I agree with you! I have watched my recording of the TB twice now. Rafa fought to erase those set points and came up with the shots when it mattered.

      Well done, Rafa!
      😀

      Reply

  123. There is still a lot of tennis to be played. I’m guessing Rafa is emulating Fed’s strategy i.e. conserving energy for the long haul by doing just enough to get the win. Rafa’s serve has never been his strong point. Thank goodness it didn’t let him down in the dying moments of the 3rd set TB.

    Reply

    • Even though Rafa doesn’t have Fed’s serve, he has an uncanny ability, like Fed, often to come up with a big serve when he really needs it.

      Reply

  124. Maybe it’s just me but I was never nervous about this match! Even with Rafa fighting off those break/set points I thought he would make it in straights…I don’t know why I feel so confident about Rafa even in these early rounds, I am never like that…But this time around even if Rafa is to meet a rejuvenated Novak I feel he will beat him without problems…

    Reply

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