Rafael Nadal will be back in action one day after surviving a three-hour marathon against Gilles Simon, this time facing Mikhail Youzhny on Thursday in Rome. Tomas Berdych and Grigor Dimitrov are also taking the court.
(1) Rafael Nadal vs. (14) Mikhail Youzhny
Nadal and Youzhny will be facing each other for the 15th time in their careers when they collide in round three of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Thursday. The head-to-head series stands at 10-4 in Nadal’s favor, including 3-0 on clay. Youzhny has never won more than three games in any clay-court set against the current world No. 1. Their most recent encounter came last spring on the slow stuff in Madrid, where Nadal cruised 6-2, 6-3.
Interestingly, one of Youzhny’s four victories (Chennai 2008) came after Nadal survived a three-hour, 55-minute marathon against Carlos Moya. This time around, the Spaniard is coming off a 7-6(1), 6-7(4), 6-2 victory over Gilles Simon that lasted three hours and 18 minutes. Youzhny, on the other hand, beat Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 6-4 then got a second-set retirement from Andrey Golubev on Wednesday. The 16th-ranked Russian has the game to trouble to Nadal, along the lines of the Nikolay Davydenko of yesteryear and the present-day Kei Nishikoi, with hard, flat groundstrokes and the ability to dictate baseline rallies by taking the ball early. Unfortunately for Youzhny, he appears to be past his prime at 31 and the surface certainly will not help his chances of implementing that kind of gameplan.
Pick: Nadal in 2 losing 8-10 games
[polldaddy poll=8048710]
(12) Grigor Dimitrov vs. (6) Tomas Berdych
Dimitrov and Berdych will be squaring off for the fourth time in their careers and for the second time in as many weeks. They just met at the Madrid Masters, where Berdych earned his first-ever win in the head-to-head series by prevailing 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, also in a third-round encounter. Dimitrov’s victories came via a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 decision on the indoor hard courts of Rotterdam in 2009 and a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 scoreline two years ago in Miami.
They have taken much different paths to get to this latest showdown in Rome. Dimitrov overcame Edouard Roger-Vasselin 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in his opener then held off Ivo Karlovic 7-6(3), 6-4 on Wednesday. Berdych got a first-round bye as the No. 6 seed before rolling over Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-3. The Czech is 27-7 for the season, while Dimitrov is a similarly stellar 24-7. The slightly slower conditions in Rome than Madrid will favor the 12th-seeded Bulgarian, who may also have a slight edge in current form despite last week’s result.
Pick: Dimitrov in 3
[polldaddy poll=8048719]
I voted for Rafa beating Simon losing 8-10 games. Well, Simon won 12 games! This time I have to believe that Rafa will not have nearly as tough a match. I don’t think Youzhny is anywhere near the kind of form he would need to trouble Rafa. Of course, players seem to be coming out all guns blazing against Rafa these days. But I also think that Rafa’s hard fought victory over Simon will stand him in good stead for this match.
The pick is Rafa in two sets losing 8-10 games.
As for Berdy/Dimitrov, these two are evenly matches. I think that Dimitrov is due for a victory here. I was surprised when he lost to Berdy in Madrid. It should be another good match, but this time I think Dimitrov get the win in three sets.
I just had the disconcerting realization that I can’t count! Simon didn’t win 12 games. If you count winning the tb as a game then he won 15 games. Or if you just count it as 6 games for each tb and then 2 games in the third set, then it’s 14!
Oh who cares! I didn’t get the number of games right! 😳
https://twitter.com/augustazeight/status/466800767081652224/photo/1
Stan winghes far too much. Now he is complaining that Haas is being coached. He seems to have a persecution complex.
I reckon it an Inferiority complex. Comes from years of being handed put-downs and patronaged by his NBFF.
Rock on, Tommy! No jinxing from me on this. I want Stan spanked……………….
The Umpire just gave Tommy a time violation warning and the commies are saying his average time between points is 22 seconds………….
Swiss rules in effect.
and the interesting, hard to predict matches in Rome just keep coming! I like Rafa in 2 esay sets, but think that Berdych will win in straight.
Haas takes the 2nd set. Keep it up, Tommy. Put Stan the man, down the pan!
I’m getting more and more bored by listening to the ‘talking up’ of Stan The Slam Man.
He gets undue credit for beating Rafa – like Rafa wasn’t crippled at the time.
I don’t remember del Potro being praised ad infinitum after he snatched the USO from the jaws of Federer.
ed (at 12:05 pm)
No wonder, the commentators who praise Wawrinka for beating Rafa at the AO and don’t praise Delpo for beating Fed at the USO are Fed fans!
Water finds its own level, eventually.
you mean Wawa finds its own level eventually?
Damn. I missed that one. My mind does’t work as quickly as yours!
Tommy should have buried this match long time ago…………4/13 BPs
Rock on Tommy! Tommy serving for the match…………
Wawa out!
Rock on Tommy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Quick turnaround for Rafa…………..
Vamos!
Xisca in the house, sitting next to Rafa’s Mum! Hope that puts all the speculation about her and Rafa to rest………….
Nasty playing conditions….a dust bowl
2 df’s while serving for the set! What up?
did he Verdasco?
Again, Rafa cannot close…………..
He has to knock that one on the head.
The tension is written all over his face…………..
I cant watch the match, at work, but tpw DFs?!!! Rafa……smh!
how did he fail to serve it out?
You tell us. Oh I get it. Rhetorical question.
Why is he doubting himself??????// Why?
Cant blame the wind. Time was when he was one of the best at dealing with difficult conditions.
6-5 Dimitrov
At this point I’m ready to see him practicing on Chatrier…………….
Rafa just beats himself these days.
oh man. Anybody and everybody is kicking his butt these days.
set Colonel
My fear is Uncle Toni will blame himself for this and walk out on him………….
You cannot blame the conditions, they are bad for both of them. Suddenly Youzhny deals better with the wind than Rafa?
First time I’ve heard anyone think along these lines… Interesting. Do you really think UT is likely to blame himself? And walk out? This many years into Rafa’s career I think they’ll just keep going. Just wait for the storm to finish passing.
nope, I think both uncle TOni and Rafa are entally stronger than that
@chloro, it’s my desperate mind searching for answers!
I mean, where is this coming from?
What is the story here now? Why did Rafa lose this first set after serving for it?! Whats going on?!
Gosh, Rafa you are killing me…
I hope now you guys come more to the reality and stop making excuses 😉
fake fan (same old same old) just like on TT.
Last response to this troll from me (unless he comes out).
I hope you knew me and then judged me 🙂
rafa is one of the biggest parts of my life 😉
There is definitely something in his life that’s bothering him. His game is there but the concentration is not. His mind is wandering.
^^That’s what I was thinking. Some of those open court misses are like his mind was elsewhere.
Anyhoo! Vamos!!
Certainly could be.
Or else a good part of him just doesn’t really want to be competing right now. He had a version of that back at RG 2011.
How can we tell the difference? Probably wait for Rafa to talk about it at some remove in the future.
Poor shot selection compounded by poor execution.
Not a pretty sight.
Trying to stay positive and think that Rafa is a figher and will come back in 3 sets. #breatheintopaperbag
This is humiliating for him. Pull yourself together, please, please.
Hard to watch. He appears to have just withdrawn into himself……………
He has loss the will to win.
Now he is in a panic.
His shots are lacking pop, setting up nicely for Youzhny.
Maybe he needs to take another break from the tour.
Its only one break. But I get the feeling that Simon has softened him a little
Since he failed to serve for the set his game hs just gone to pot. I think he just wants to go away and hide.
It actually started with his failure to convert 5 BPs, I mean it’s not like Youzhny’s got a monster serve. His mental problems are stemming from his inability to convert BPs these days. This has been a problem for sometime now……………
Mark Lester has just opined Rafa has not lost the will to win. You could fool us.
The crowd have gone deathly quiet and his camp can barely watch.
welcome back Rafa! Please stay now…
GSM Rafa
NID Ricky?
#CoinToss
At last, Rafa convert a BP………….calls for a drink!!!
Vamos!
Sorry Rafans, I am not convinced…………..
I am glad I’m unable to watch this.
Even if you were neither a Nadal nor a Fed fan, I’d rather wathc golf than watch crappy tennis.
Vamos I guess.
oh boy!! I would not want a big server anywhere near Rafa with Rafa in this kind of form Hopefully he can turn his game on again
https://twitter.com/NeilHarmanTimes/status/466975168154570753
What was all the bandaging on his foot. He asked for scissors to cut some of it away early in the first set?
Hey, Rafa text me just before the second set and said, this is just his strategy….he wants to lure the other player into a false sense of security, making them feel that he has lost his mojo, and when time comes for RG……bam……he annihilates them all!!!
🙂 I hope it works better than how it worked for Djoko last year
I woke up to see it happening all over again. I tried to go back to sleep, but now I can’t. I also heard that Haas defeated Stan. This has been one crazy clay season.
I am reading the comments to catch up. Nothing more to say. Rafa is fighting back in the second set. I hope he can get the win. That’s all there is to say.
I’ll start drinking or using drugs…anything would do in these situations…isn’t watching tennis supposed to be fun!!! 🙁
Hahaha! @natashao, I’ll join you in whatever you are partaking! This is just too depressing…………….*hic*
This is Youzhny for crying out loud!
I said yesterday I would try deep breathing!
ok Rafa-pooh fans…he broke twice, took the set, and looks like he righted the ship. #fornow
For all the gloom, he just took the 2nd set by a double break 😀
these long matches sound like a very good preparation for a five-setter at RG… 😉
Rafa eight games in a row now.
(Shh. Don’t tell Rafa.)
Rafa seems to be in control. Maybe I should anti-jinx!
I smell a conspiracy, my stream’s just gone funny…………..
This is an alien in Rafa’s body I tell you…………………
*alien abduction* no other explanation…………
Has the king if clay noe ressurected? Do I see a bagel coming in the third!
Oh please tennis Gods…………..then tomorrow Rafa has to turn up for………..Muzza??!!
*no rest for the wicked*
The ATP stream is playing up. Sound track lagging several seconds behind pic.
Very disconcerting.
^^That’s what I’m on as well, poor……
So Rafa wins 11 games in a row. I find a stream to watch the end and he loses the next game.
#Really?
If he goes down BP after 11 straight w/o me watching, I’m switching off.
#YoureWelcome
Rafa wins 6-2 6-1!! [we don’t need to count 1st set]. Muzzah next…
One match at a time Rafa.
Muzz next up.
GSM, Nadal.
Congratulations Rafans, you deserve an award for living through hell!!
Don’t worry, our boy lives to fight another day, but seriously Muzza must be licking his chops if he was watching that……..
Vamos Rafa!
you’re forgetting Muzza can also go AWOL just when you
These matches will SURELY help rafa. What I am not sure of is how long will it take for him to get rid of these mental lapses…he has shown in the past how to overcome these issue within tournaments but on other occasions it has taken him some time..
Rafa ended the match playing so much better … he is far from his best but he just has to keep making these ‘incremental improvements’ as he himself put it..
Keep fighting rafa, VAMOS
After all is said and done, Rafa still wins……..Rafa, Rafa, Rafa!!! What are we going to do with you?! Congratulations!!!
Hope he doesn’t insist on taking the round about route against Muzza or I’ll need to stock up on tranquillisers.
although I am very concerned about Rafa’s future and his career but VAMOS to his fighting spirit 🙂
congrats to all of you 🙂
https://twitter.com/tennisabstract/status/466990934287450112
https://twitter.com/cbfowler/status/466989749769891840
VAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMM000000000000SSSSSSSSSS!
Ferru up a double break 3-0 vs Earnests (Earns to some).
Meanwhile Ernie has broken the first racquet and they’ve only played two games 😀
The winner
https://twitter.com/augustazeight/status/466992995032924162/photo/1
I am thinking, Rafa may be a victim of a voodoo spell which works for a set and a half…if he manages to hang in there and doesn’t lose the spirit things start working out for him and he wins… 🙂
seriously, rafa did not show this fighting spirit and this sort of ‘rejuvenation’ in the matches he recently lost to Ferrer and Elvis…now he seems to know what to do…
Vamos Rafa the Warrior!
I am just glad that Rafa got it done easily in the last two sets. I don’t know what to think about the next match with Murray. I felt that at some point, Murray would start playing better. He’s a real top four player, so Rafa is going to have to be ready. I am so drained right now I can’t even think that far ahead.
Darren Cahill @darren_cahill · 2h
Struggling on the 2nd serve has been a trend for Rafa so far this season. One of the big differences from last year.
2 DFs serving for the set. Unable to close out
I am a bit nervous about tomorrow to be honest. Then mostly Grigor.another banana skin and finally maybe Nole
Players just play out of their skin against Rafa which makes like very difficult for him. In the end, it is going to make him a better player. Having said that, I think he is doubting himself for reasons best known to himself. He is playing well but makes far too many errors.
Winning the 2nd and 3rd sets convincingly makes up for losing the 1st set through being careless.
Vamos Rafa!
At this point, we should be nervous. I don’t know what to expect. But Cahill is merely pointing out what is obvious to anyone. Rafa’s second serve is a liability right now. I don’t know what’s up with that.
I am not looking ahead to the semis. Just focusing on the quarterfinal with Murray tomorrow. One match at a time. Rafa’s been on court for what, six hours so far in his first two matches? He really needs a good start in the next match.
At this elite level, any player will look good against a very tentative player, not just Rafa.
Meant for nadline.
Well if we knew what was wrong with him, it would have been better. Point is we dont and thats making it worse. Its inexplicable how tight he is getting, the DFs, 2nd serve liability and inability to close out sets
Mystifying……….
for some reason I am not that worried about the match with Andy…Andy has been beating Rafa before so he has got nothing to prove…OTOH Rafa has no reason to fear of Andy since even if he ended up losing tomorrow it would still be Andy not Magro or any other mediocre player…so, I expect Rafa to be less nervous although I do not foresee his demons going away soon…he will have to find the way to deal with his doubts…I said it before and it still stands: Rafa has to believe in himself…what is causing his doubts especially when serving for the set only Rafa knows…I noticed Rafa was not celebrating the win too much…I bet he was more concerned about dealing with Uncle T. who must be furious about Rafa’s lapses…
let’s see how it goes with Andy…
Vamos REAL Rafa! (The pseudorafa please leave our Rafa alone!)
^^^ nats,yes, Rafa beats himself. If only he could just convince himself of how good he is his troubles would go away. After losing the TB, he was so disgusted with himself that he couldn’t play well and started making a truck load of errors. Once he broke Youzy back he was more relaxed and showed what he can do.
Well, I for one hope Uncle Toni gives him the Javier Piles treatment: locks him up in a woodshed overnight and refuses to let him out until Rafa gives him cast iron assurances that he will never, ever forget how to play tennis again……….
Gulbis is playing cr**p against Ferrer, had that bee Rafa he’d be pounding the ball for all it’s worth.
Ferru is not letting Earnests (Earns for some) play his game.
what is Gulbis doing?
Losing to a more consistent player.
https://twitter.com/mikeyperera/status/467002182811017216
There definitely must be chatter in the locker room that Rafa is there for the taking and guys are lining up to take a shot.
Well, Rafa has to work this out on his own. With due respect to Youzhny, there is no way he should be pushing Rafa around like that. It looks like Rafa is back to playing attritional tennis but that cannot be good for him, look at the time he has spent on court already over 2 matches, insane! His body will pay for this, and not in a good way.
Vamos Rafa!
Of course they are all lining up for the opportunity. Extended Rafa sales are extremely rare.
#BlackFriday
Ferrer Djokovic can be long and brutal too. Djoko – Mind your wrist 🙂
Is there something in the water in Italy? Novak’s down 4 1 to Khols!!!!
The OOP for tomorrow is not yet out but I would be very surprised if Rafa/Muzza is not a night match, worst conditions for Rafa here.
I am sure that the other players are well aware of Rafa’s troubles. It’s like vultures circling when they smell blood. They can sense it and so they are encouraged to come out and just swing for the fences without feeling any pressure. There are not expectations on them. But it’s not fun to watch someone like Youzhny get the better of Rafa in a tb. Once Rafa woke up and started playing, he managed to make quick work of him. He’s just making it harder for himself, having to stay out on court for so long. Not good for his body.
For myself, I am nervous about the match with Murray. He’s a real top four player. No pretender like Stan. He’s always had the game to give Rafa trouble. I don’t think Rafa can afford to fail to serve out the set if he has the chance. It doesn’t appear that Rafa’s troubles are going to vanish overnight. Once a player has doubts in his mind, it’s not easy to make them go away. If it was easy, then Rafa would have done it already.
I am re-calibrating my expectations for RG big time. Of course I will be rooting for Rafa all the way and hope he surprises me but I want to inoculate myself against possible disappointment. While I can take physical pain, I have a hard time dealing with emotional pain. RG is just round the corner. I just cannot see Rafa ironing out the kinks in his game and mentality in time for an RG sweep, it’ too soon I think. Wimby maybe but RG? I want to be pleasantly surprised.
Vamos Rafa, Muzza next, one day at a time…………
Simon Briggs @simonrbriggs · 11m
“We aren’t used to seeing you suffer so much at this event”, says Italian reporter to Nadal after his 3-set win. “Get used to it” he replies
epic
“I learnt during all my career to enjoy suffering,” – Rafael Nadal
Never underestimate the heart of a champion.
also epic
and thanks Rudy T.!
“Get used to it”………..lol!!!! At least he has a sense of humour about while I have chewed my nails to the cuticle!!
A similar quote from Rafa at last year’s USO…
Q. You have been invincible on your service through the tournament, you know, not a single loss of serve.
RAFAEL NADAL: Will happen. No worries (Laughter).
Look how that turned out.
#VamosRafa
bad attitude! very bad 🙁
on the contrary, rafaelo, it is an admirable quality. Epic, as Ricky put it.
I am not saying there are any guarantees at the moment about how well rafa will fare this week and at RG.
But this particular attitude, of not ever taking for granted that easier wins of sets and matches will continue, is part of his exceptional make-up. It is ONLY because Rafa learned from an early age to accept that there will be a lot of suffering during practice sessions and in tournaments that he got so used to it, became so accepting of it, and that, from the sounds of his words, he does not get into a ‘tiff; about it, He does not have what buddhist call the monkey-mind chattering or screaming away in his head when he is experiencing suffering. At least not about the suffering, be it physical pain or matches going badly. When things are really tough it does not faze him, he keeps going. That is the fighter spirit he developed so well in his early years.
As for the self-doubt or whatever it is that is hampering him this spring, that is another thing… but one thing it isn’t is a shying away from dealing with tough moments and tough hours on court.
They really are taking their time with the OOP for tomorrow……….
but Rafa’s at 9?
OOP still not on the ATP site (just checked) but @nadline has posted the times, at least for the Rafa/Muzza match. No reason to dis-believe her……….
8pm, Rafa / Murray
9pm local time
There are other reports posted on vb to the effect that it’s going to be a night match for Rafa and Murray. They said Rafa asked not to have a night match.
Meanwhile, Djoker is 3:0 down including 2 breaks.
I got the OOP from Rafael Nadal Fans.
Khols 4:0 up on Djoker. I don’t think Nole’s wrist is 100%.
I think Nole’s mind is somewhere with Jelena…I do think he will win this match though…
Nole is just fine..
Friday, May 16, 2014
Previous Day
CENTRALE Start 12:00 noon
[10] Sara Errani (ITA)
v
[2] Na Li (CHN)
WTA
Not Before 2:00 pm
[15] Tommy Haas (GER)
v
[12] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)
H2H
Not Before 4:00 pm
[5] David Ferrer (ESP)
v
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) OR Novak Djokovic (SRB)
ATP
Not Before 7:30 pm
[1] Serena Williams (USA)
v
Shuai Zhang (CHN)
WTA
Not Before 9:00 pm
[1] Rafael Nadal (ESP)
v
[7] Andy Murray (GBR)
OMG, the commentator is saying that Nole started off badly because he must have been worried about the floods in Serbia?! That’s the biggest nonsense I have heard for a while…so now he is no longer worried about the floods since he is currently playing great out there?!!
It’s good to hear that the commentator can pick up another person’s thoughts with that much precision and clarity.
Wait, you will hear it, if he wins, his wirst is fine……..if he loses, his wrist is not fine!
Twitterverse deathly quiet as Djokovic regroups. Traffic on Twitter was humming when Rafa was playing Yuouzh……
Rafa generates more interest than the rest of the ATP put together.
The latest from Peter Fleming is that maybe Nole’s contact lenses weren’t sitting well!!!!!
that’s a nice new one .. 🙂
#creative
Djokovic has also decided to take the scenic route, will win in 3…………
Nice one…….
RT @christophclarey: “The uprising of the #tennis proletariat continues. First set 6-4 to Kohlschreiber over Djokovic in Rome”
Kholy wins the first set but he really had to fight for it and played super tennis…well done, Khols! But this is as far as he will get I think…
^^LOL!
this Serbian commentator is hilarious…they show Kohly’s coach on the screen and this guy says: “he is trying to establish an eye contact with Kohly to coach him”…so he is not only reading Nole’s mind but also Kohly’s coach mind… 🙂
Novak doesn’t look that sharp to me. The tennis channel commentators remarking on some uncharacteristic errors from him. But it remains to be seen if Kohls can keep this up.
No talk from commies about Khols inspired play. Mostly about poor form from Nole.
Against Nadal, commies can’t stop talking about inspired tennis from his opponents and how everyone has the formula for beating him now. Nothing about Rafa letting them dictate.
#Typical
I thought Nole appointed Nole because Vajda could travel with him but now he’s got them both on tour.
Nole believes Vajda brings him luck…that is why Vajda is back to Nole’s box…sounds strange but it is the truth… 🙂
RT @andy_murray: “Thanks for all the birthday messages! Off out on the town now to celebrate.. #carnage”
Enjoy your birthday to the fullest, Muzza! Don’t worry about tomorrow, it’s just another tennis match, you will be forgiven if you don’t show up………… 😉
Enjoy your birthday Muzza, they only come round once a year. Stay up as late as you want and have a lie-in tomorrow..
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday Andy! Dance all night!
You feel like causing some carnage? Go to it!
nole is playing well out there, believe me…he may feel a bit rusty but nothing serious…as far as I could see Nole made UEs because of Kohly’s inspired play…Kohly played some really good shots but he is done now…
Nole’s wrist is definitely OK!
Ho hum…….so Novak fails to close out the set. Wait, haven’t we seen that movie already today, starring a certain handsome young man from Marjoca??!!
They play tennis in Majorca? What’s the name of that young man?
I forget his name……..but I hear he’s good……when he’s in the mood…
Didn’t know they played tennis in Majorca until I saw the movie credits, explains the tan on the handsome young man. Don’t think they play much of it judging by the young man’s level of play in the movie.. 😀
Why do they bother? The sea and the beach are so nice there. And living is easy. Except for a few industrious souls, they say.
Overly industrious, that is.
I hear he is under the tutelage of an Uncle of his who fancies himself as a tennis coach, sunstroke methinks……
Kohli, hit the ball as hard as you can!!!
Djokovic still can’t volley to save his life……………..
Kohls level dropped considerably after winning the first set. Youzhny never eased off throughout the match.
I don’t know, you must be really biased Nadline ;-).
#NotLikeThePundits
Me, biased? 😀
Djo on a roll though!! What passing and sneaky shots!! The man’s wrist is all well
Djoko’s positioning while receving serve must be so intimidating for the server. Lets see if Djo can serve it out in the first time of asking
I thought I was alone in finding his position when receiving serve bizarre.
His bum is so high up in the air he looks like he’s about to take a c*** behind the wall.
Not satisfied with copying Rafa and taking the scenic route (3 sets), Djokovic has to copy the final set bakery product as well!
#Sneaky
Am calling Raonic and Dimitrov to be in the semis on Saturday………….definitely.
Here’s the audio of Rafa’s post match press conference. The first 9 minutes are in English. At about the 4:50 mark, he’s asked a question about playing Andy tomorrow. Rafa responds with very kind words and says why Andy’s presence on tour is good for the sport.
http://www.tennistopic.com/arthur-ashe/audios/estoy-encontrando-otra-vez-la-pasion/
[polldaddy poll=8051795]
[polldaddy poll=8051794]
https://tenngrand.com/2014/05/16/rome-qf-previews-and-picks-nadal-vs-murray-dimitrov-vs-haas/
The question&answer in Spanish translated to English (by Ericka Domenzáin).
Source: Vamôs Rafael Nadal site.
¤¤ Question: How different is it from Madrid to here?
RAFA: It is very different, the ball bounces different and it is true that here the weather has been also different. Yesterday some players played when it was windy, today we were playing with a hurricane at times, because of the wind. I feel positive now, because I think I am finding my passion again, the motivation and strength to fight for the difficult matches. I am trying to play more agressive and more calm in important moments. After AO, it´s true I have had problems to find that motivation and sensation of coming back on court during a match. I need to find even more strength inside and in my game as well. I will try, tomorrow it’s a complicated match, it could be a turning point match if I can play it well.
I am not expecting anything for tomorrow´s match. I prefer never to expect something, because if it doesn´t turn out well , you’ll get bigger disappointments. We have to be prepared for everything. We´ll see tomorrow. I will play at night, it is true that I don´t like it that much. It’s official now. The director of the tournament told me that I was going to play just once at night and here I am again, but that´s the way it is. I have to accept it, it´s true they are not the best conditions for me, but I will try to do it and try to play with the intensity that the match requires. ¤¤
Looking back, Rafa played a good 1st set and only messed up serving for the set. That affected him at the beginning of the 2nd set but once he broke Youzhny back, he never looked back and dominated the last 2 sets in straights.
We prayed for his knees to be sorted out and now that’s done his head is playing up. Any chance for stem cell treatment to his head? His game is there, he is physically fit but mentally fragile.
Vamos Rafa
Now that I have watched the match, I will say that Youzhny didn’t play anywhere near as well as Simon did. I thought Rafa played decent in the first set, but just gave it away when he was serving to close it out. Two DF’s in one game? Then a missed forehand. He was practically handing it to Youzhny on a silver platter. In the tb, Rafa was too passive. Again I didn’t see Youzhny do anything special. It was more like Rafa was just not there. That was the ugly part.
But Rafa seemed to come alive in the second set. He took charge and played so much more aggressively, with much better court position. His groundstrokes had so much more depth and penetration and accuracy. When his mind clicks, he’s a just a different player. I wonder if Rafa now is like Hamlet – to be or not to be, that is the question! But he took control and never looked back. That was the good part.
I am not sure what to expect in the next match. Rafa has been on the court for a long time with his first two matches. Will it help or hurt? Murray is a real top four player, not a pretender like Stan. He has the game to challenge Rafa. It just depends how Rafa plays. I can’t see how he can afford to give up breaks if he’s serving for the set. But we will have to wait and see.
^^that
I don’t like what I read below (:-
The top-ranked Nadal dropped behind a set and a break against Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, then took 11 of the final 12 games to win 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-1 on another windy day at the Foro Italico.
“Get used to (it),” Nadal said of his recent struggles. “With the years that’s the normal thing. Everybody suffers. That’s part of the sport.”
At 27, Nadal’s best days could be behind him.
“At this age, (Bjorn) Borg was doing other things,” said Nadal, a 13-time Grand Slam winner. “It’s not possible to win for 10 years with easy scores and easy matches. At the same time, I’m sure I can do much better than I am doing.”
Nadal was looking forward to facing Murray for the first time in more than two years.
“I play against one of the top players in the world after two tough days,” Nadal said. “If I play well I’m going to have my chances, if not I’m going to spend the weekend (at home) in Mallorca.”
Sanju: It is easy to read too much into that comment. It’s only natural: Rafans are feeling jittery at the moment. Rafa is simply being realistic and saying it’s not possible to stay at the same high peak for years on end. We can’t demand he attempts to push himself beyond his limits just for our sakes.
@Sanju, try and understand that the Rafa you knew 5-10 years ago is no longer the Rafa you know now. For one thing, he is older. We all age. If you understand and accept that, maybe you may see his comments in a different light. Not saying you should like what Rafa said, just asking that you factor in the aging process as well?
Personally, I think Rafa still has a long way to go at the top level of the game, but I am calibrating my expectations to take into account the above.
Rafa has never bought into his invincibility on clay. He keeps it real, he’s never accepted being the favourite at any time but that doesn’t mean he won’t try his best. It’s funny how we all view stars of any genre as larger than than life and put them on a pedestal, believing that they are super human. When they go home, they are just human beings full of doubts and insecurities. This is why some on them fall off the rails because they find it to hard to live up to the hype.
Even the most successful players know how difficult it is to keep being successful. Some put up an air of confidence as a front but deep down they are not so sure they can walk on water. At RG in 2011, Rafa was not at his best and he kept saying in his pressers that he wasn’t playing well enough to win the title, but he won it. He always tries his best.
What separates Rafa from many (far from all) regular folks is that during training and in matches his attitude to difficulty, fear, etc is one where you keep doing what seems to best choice to do next, regardless of what seems easier or harder, more or less pleasant etc, That attitude to life can be developed and strengthened and strengthened further. There are many who practice it in all kinds of other areas of life. Again, he is accustomed to take the hard moments, days or months as they come without adding a lot of mental dramas or a lot of unnecessary mental resistance. And we see that yet again in how he is going about the last few weeks.
On the other hand, on top of that he has practiced the relentless warrior abilities when on court since a young age. To get into that mode and take it to the best version he can takes all kinds of things. Some are easy to keep doing, his usual anchors and rituals, including the cold shower before a match. So there is that. But as we all know to have that warrior mode work close to his potential he also needs the confidence and the ‘colm’. Something he often had in big part due to the support system around him and the lifestyle he grew up in. In 2009 that part was weakened with his parents’ separation and with his knee(s) giving out at the same time. Whatever is / are the core reason(s) why he does not have that level of confidence and consistent ‘colm’ right now, at least he has all the other parts: the basic toughness, the being used to ‘suffer’ when needed without thinking it a problem, his conditioning, tennis skills etc. And this allows him to still win his matches.
It is possible he is not telling us (yet) the whole story of what is bothering him. We’ll see when he comes out the other end of this period of time. In the meantime I admire yet again his ability to remain the same warrior: do your best, whatever it might be on the day, in the moment, and keep on going regardless of circumstances.
I am not complaining about him saying get used to it, 3 setters will be common etc..I only am skeptical of the Borg reference 🙂
I don’t expect Rafa is feeling like doing a Borg. My guess is that the reference to Borg comes easily to him as it is perhaps the most direct example of what he talks about. Borg too was a prodigy I mean very good early. They both own(ed) RG. Borg is the former athlete Rafa has been compared to the most (I think). And Borg was about a year younger when he quit than Rafa is now. It seems to me that Rafa in Borg’s exact shoes would not have quit. I take what Rafa said in this interview at face value: all of the players including the best have times when wins are hard to achieve.
Some people on other blogs are interpreting the Borg reference as a sign that Rafa is contemplating life outside of tennis but I see it as just a fact he put out there, to provide perspective for his current “drama”.
If Rafa was contemplating life outside of tennis… believe me, he would not be telling the world about it. It would be suicide in matches while he was still playing. Also it would have a lot of repercussions re his sponsorship deals so it would be uncharacteristically irresponsible. And if he were thinking about retiring now, which he is not, it would not be because he has been going for months not being able to go deep in tournaments and believing he couldn’t again, so what would be the reason?
I’m sure you don’t believe their interpretation either, ritb.
Meh. Just more hopeful blather from the federazzi turned djokerazzi.
pfft.
#InTheirDreams
Poor NNY: When she wakes up and starts reading this thread she will have a panic attack. Any mention that Rafa could possibly do a Borg reawakens for her the nightmare moment when he walked off the court never to return. I think it scarred her for life.
No I don’t at all @chloro. Just reporting what I have been reading on other blogs. Rafa is not going anywhere yet.
rafaisthebest@:May 16, 2014 at 2:50 pm
It doesn’t matter what the Federazzi writes ‘in other blogs’,
The tennis pundits predicted long ago that Rafa would have a short career. He still plays.
—“For the last five years, it seems like lot of people were saying I will not be able to play long the way that I play,” said Nadal, Olympic singles champion in 2008.
“But I am here again at 27-and-a-half years old and I really hope to have the chance to be here for a lot of more years.
“So still in my mind Olympics in Brazil. I really want to arrive there in good condition. It’s a real goal for me.”—- [October 8th, 2013]
http://sports.inquirer.net/123251/miracle-recovery-im-still-in-pain-says-nadal
Nole is 5-2 up despite his BTDL completely absent
Oh, I have to tell you this: I told the story, on another thread, of my colleague here in Tunis who is a Fedfan telling me that Rafa was finished, this after watching Rafa’s grueling match against Gillou, saying zero about Fed’s ouster. Well, there he was yesterday excitedly, again, telling me that Rafa was finished. I decided to humour him and agree with his assessment. Boy, did he literally light up with joy! I didn’t have the heart to remind him that Fed was out and Rafa still in, despite his struggles.
Seriously, I get the feeling some Fedfans no longer bother following Fed but are actually “following” Rafa!
The cognitive dissonance that started round about 2004,,, has roots that have grown deep on both sides of the divide in their mind.
Hard to reconcile this dissonance. For many that has still not happened. It requires an entirely lucid realistic reappraisal of your views of the actual accomplishments and level of BOTH Roger and Rafa.
#EmperorClothes
Perhaps this is the main reason (no matter how that sounds 🙂 why I would in a way like Rafa to complete a second career slam, catch up with Roger’s slam count, win the WhatTheF tournament the one time, and more or less catch up or surpass Roger total number of tournament wins and finals, while retaining his positive H2H against everyone high in the rankings (not named Davidovitch :-). Because if he matches and surpasses Roger on all those counts (while not in various other records Roger has) then it will be even more interesting to watch how the psychology of denial continues to be played out. I am not saying Rafa would then have to be declared the GOAT (peace, some of you) but it would then be very hard to argue that Roger definitely is.
Having seen the level of some of these fans’ selective amnesia, it would not surprise me if, the situation you describe happened @chloro, and they simply denied that……….it happened!
Sure just yesterday a fedfan admitted that rafa was one of the biggest parts of his life.
#FirstStep