Rafael Nadal will hope to avenge a loss from earlier this season when he goes up against Fabio Fognini during third-round action on Thursday in Barcelona. Philipp Kohlschreiber and Benoit Paire are also looking for a spot in the quarterfinals.
(13) Fabio Fognini vs. (2) Rafael Nadal
Nadal and Fognini will be facing each other for the sixth time in their careers and for the second time this season when they clash in round three of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on Thursday. The head-to-head series stands at 4-1 in Nadal’s favor, but Fognini got on the scoreboard a few months ago on the clay courts of Rio de Janeiro in the form of a 1-6, 6-2, 7-5 upset. Nadal has still won two of their three encounters on the slow stuff, having previously prevailed 6-1, 6-3 two years ago in Rome and 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-4 shortly thereafter at the French Open.
Unfortunately for Fognini, this may not be the same Nadal that was on display in Rio. The fourth-ranked Spaniard lost early in Indian Wells and Miami, but he played better in Monte-Carlo (despite succumbing to Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals) and crushed Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 6-1 in his Barcelona opener on Wednesday. Fognini also benefited from a first-round bye before battling past Andrey Rublev 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. The 13th-seeded Italian is just 7-9 for his 2015 campaign and this is first trip past a second round since Rio. With Nadal picking up confidence and Fognini lacking in the same department, this should be routine.
Pick: Nadal in 2 losing 5-7 games
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Benoit Paire vs. (12) Philipp Kohlschreiber
Kohlschreiber and Paire will be squaring off for the fifth time in their careers on Thursday. Their first showdown was their most memorable; in round two of the 2012 U.S. Open, Kohlschreiber broke back at 5-6 in the deciding set and ultimately survived 6-7(4), 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(4). The German once lead their head-to-head series 2-0, but Paire has since won two in a row with victories at the 2013 Indian Wells Masters (6-4, 6-2) and a few months later at the Masters event in Montreal (7-6(1), 7-5).
The Frenchman could not have asked for a better draw so far in Barcelona. He disposed of qualifier Jaume Munar 6-2, 6-2 in his opener before recovering from a slow start against an ice-cold Ernests Gulbis to roll 1-6, 6-2, 6-3. Kohlschreiber is slumping with a 6-8 record for the year and he has not yet won back-to-back matches at any event. The world No. 25 got the best of Andrey Kuznetsov 7-6(1), 6-3 during second-round action. This could go either way, but Kohlschreiber plays with a high margin of error and will be able to extend points long enough on clay in order to expose the Paire forehand.
Pick: Kohlschreiber in 3
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Rafa for the win, in 2 sets.
I think Rafa will get the win in straight sets. This is not the Rio Rafa!
looks like Almagro got killed by Nadal today. I think Fognini will lose 6-2 6-2 something like that.
Sounds about right
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDO11wCUUAAUvjs.png
Gussie-bot post Type (b): prompted pre-match (mandatory Vamos pic)
Hilarious!!!
Someone here has feelings about pictures of Rafa!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDOfqq3VEAAU8Rz.png
Hilarious!
Kohlschreiber to beat Paire I dont know in how many sets but Kohlschreiber for the win.
Two.
First Ferru, then Mugro, next Fabio.
Rafa exercising his self-doubt demons one-by-one on the road to recovery. Destination: RG10!!!
Rafa in two losing less than eight games.
(BTW, congrats to Me on My Rafa in 2 losing less than eight games vs Mugro today.)
Do you mean ‘exorcising’?
Did you mean to close your quote?
I am picking Rafa to win in two sets losing 8 to 10 games. I like how Rafa is defeating the guys who beat him one by one.
I will pick Kohls for the win in three sets against Paire.
Reblogged this on ndadanmartin.
It’s great to see Rafa getting victories against the guys who beat him. One by one. But I thought Almagro kind of quit or lost the plot in the second set. He seems to just go away mentally.
The British tennis channel commentators were discussing where Rafa’s game is at right now. One of them said that he thinks Rafa is about 70-80%, not at his best yet. He also said that he still needs to work on his focus and concentration. I thought that was a fair assessment.
I am picking Rafa to win in two sets losing 8-10 games.
I also like Kohls over Paire in three sets.
Don’t worry Kei, you are not the only one. Everyone on Tour wants to be on the “first time winner’s list” against Rafa:
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2015/04/nishikori-eyes-win-against-nadal-clay/54712/#.VTiBEE2JjIV
“My goal is always to beat Rafa, though he has beaten me seven times already. I think I am getting closer every match,” said Nishikori. “He is great player especially on clay. It’s a really tough challenge.”
rafaisthebest (at 5:24 am),
Yep, nobody has cared about Kei’s victory over Djoko at the 2014 US Open and over Fed at the 2014 Miami Masters.
Whatever anyone says, Rafa is still the Gold Standard in tennis. His scalp is what everyone wants.
I think Parie will at the very least give Kolschreiber a challenging match. Sure, Parie’s two wins when he was at his peak and top career ATP ranking(24), but Kolschreiber’s wins came while he was at his career peak in 2012. If I had to make a pick, I would take Kohls in three sets, as he has been a force to reckon with this season. I certainly wouldn’t be putting any money on this one, though. Kohls is always dangerous on clay, and holds a .625 winning percentage in the last 52 weeks. I bet there will be at least one tiebreaker today, Parie is looking like he could push into the top 50 this year if he continues to play so well.
kohls in 3
yeah, I was right in predicting Rafa to beat Almagro in less than 7 games…Fognini is the one Rafa should have destroyed last time they met…it was Rafa’s lack of confidence which donated Fog the victory…this time around Rafa should exercise his powers against the “neurotic”‘ Italian and should beat him losing 3-4 games…
Vamos Rafa!
Vamos Rafa!
and it is amazing how everyone LIVES for the victory over Rafa…beating Rafa almost equals wining a slam nowadays… 🙂
In earnest, I think that goes the same for all top players, everybody does what they can to beat them. Somehow Rafa seems the most accessible at first glance because of his natural tendency to become defensive rather than aggressive
So, @Shireling1, what you are saying is: other players approach Nole, Fed, Murray etc with the mindset that they expect to lose to them because they are naturally aggressive, and they approach a match against Rafa thinking they have a chance because Rafa is naturally defensive?
Doesn’t make sense to me. Novak and Murray are also naturally defensive players in my opinion. Novak and Rafa are good at turning defence into attack that is why they are both the best. Also, Rafa is the one with the best H2H against the field, not Novak, Fed or Murray, so he (Rafa) can’t be that accessible can he?
No, I think it’s a question of value. Rafa’s scalp is the most valuable to have because he has proven to be the most difficult to beat.
Settling in to watch Ferrer dismantle the poor lamb, Ymer…………..
Yes, Ferrer is going to make that fellow suffer 🙂
rafaisthebest, I think other players will always make a stronger effort to beat the top players, regardless.
I’m not sure what has more value. If you talk about this season I’d say a win against Novak is more valuable than against Rafa. I’m just trying to see it from my point of view, trying to imagine whom I’d rather play against if I were a pro tennis player ( :)) and I’d chose Rafa. Even though what you say is true (I guess) I’d still feel I have a better chance against Rafa but that’s just my personal opinion.
Obviously this year so far, yes I agree, I would imagine players would rather face Rafa than Novak. Which means, other players feel this is their best chance to get that elusive win against Rafa because they know he is not yet 100%. Which to me is a compliment to Rafa, menaing they know how tough he is to beat when 100% and also how valuable beating him is.
Love the young man’s attitude, a battler……….
1st set Ferru, NID……..
Ferru doing his best to give the young man a match………
Bet you this will not be the Ferru facing Rafa tomorrow, he will clean up his act and be super-concentrated playing Rafa.
Rafa plays either Feli or Andujar tomorrow.
^^Thanks. My bad. I reckon it will be Andujar…
I had to check. You had me worried. I think Rafa will beat him if they meet but would rather it be later than sooner!
Well, Rafa has already beaten both not so long ago so he’s only going to get better, injury permitting.
Opps, sorry I was thinking of Ferru and Almagro, both pretty tough on the turf
Show The Fog no mercy Rafa!
Rafa’s serve needs to click, not yet clicking……..
Rafa only winning 20% of points on Fog’s serve. Is he tight?
He looks tight to me, a little raggedy. Would be very surprised if he is not given a TV warning, taking a lot of time to serve, thinking too much.
Andujar’s through to the quarters………
Set point Fog.
Ahhh for fog sake Rafa!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDSHJ_vWAAEghCa.png
Gussie-bot robo post Type (b): prompted in-match (mandatory post-set stats)
Hilarious!!!
back to the past…
^^Good one!
Rafa drops the 1st set. Serve let him down, Would like to see Rafa’s 1st serve %.
67% Rafa
45% Fognini
This is criminal. There was a game where Fognini only made 2nd serves and Rafa did not win a single point.
Vamos Rafa! You are up against it now.
Rafa played some nervy tennis in the first set …no doubts. But the fog elevated his level a lot to win the set.
This is a real challenge now. Fog is consistently hitting through the ball, taking the backhands early and rushing rafa. PLus, he also has the belief as he beat rafa earlier this year on clay.
Rafa will find a way…..
Hopefully this will be a case of one step back and two step forward (for the rest of the week). One set lost and two sets won, you hear?
Here we go again. Fog is playing aggressive tennis and managed to fight off break points. Then Rafa is serving at 4-5, Fog goes for it and gets the first set. I thought predicting Rafa winning in two losing more than eight games was conservative.
I think Fog has the belief after beating Rafa in Rio. He’s playing really well and taking it to Rafa. Just when I thought that I could relax a little, now we have a battle.
Rafa will have to do it the hard way.
I think that Rafa is just not being aggressive enough, especially on break point chances. Annacone made the point that when Rafa was down 0-30 in his service game, only then did he get aggressive.
Fog came to play today and Rafa is going to have to play even better to get the win.
Seriously, has Rafa really missed four BP’s in the first game of the 2nd set???
Now five?????
Rafa needs to get the break here.
Not watching the match, but this has nothing to do with Fog’s belief and everything to do with Rafa’s lack of said same.
hawkeye,
You don’t think that Fog is playing with belief? I agree that Rafa is showing his nerves here, but I don’t see how you can say that Fog isn’t playing with some confidence.
rare Fog on display
No. I’m saying that if Rafa believed it wouldn’t matter what fog believed.
This is quite frustrating to watch.
rafa’s playing a very solid game. he deserves a break here
Six BPs missed in one game? OMG.
Rafa needs the break to get some momentum going.
OH NO! 2nd serve return sent long :/ he was trying to have good length. Now adv fog and back to deunce, COME ON Rafa. GET THIS BREAK!
7th BP with a look at a 2nd serve.
Finally!
Needs to consolidate now.
Woeful BP conversion rate.
Woeful 2nd serve conversion rate.
What is going on with Rafa????
Just. Wow.
Man needs a sports psychologist. Stat.
YES! this was a good game ! now build momentum and keep it with you till the final point, rafa.
I am not worried yet…. rafa’s still in the process….let him play 🙂 Fog’s game plan against rafa is also effective. Not an easy match
Maybe there is a record to be made out of this game :-). Sorry, gallows humour.
I am worried.
Fog is reading Rafa’s patterns of play like a book.
Rafa should just sit out until Canada and Cincinnati if he loses this
The exact opposite of what he said.
SHIT! now THAT is worrisome, folks.
This is not good. Fog is outplaying Rafa. He’s anticipating well and being aggressive. Giving back that break just took away any momentum Rafa had.
I am starting to get very nervous. I did not see this coming.
VAMOS! super forehand. Get some hold on your service games ,rafa.
Playing with much better aggression in this set.
Four breaks in a row.
#WTA
Basket(case)ball.
They are trading breaks. But it’s time for Rafa to consolidate.
I am speechless.
Rafa holds. Maybe he can get his teeth into this match now.
There isn’t a single part of Rafa’s game I am happy with today.
i like one part: getting Djokovic overconfident
LOL!
I would like Rafa to put some pressure on Fog and make him uncomfortable.
Uncharacteristic: Rafa did not wait for Fog to walk past first at the net at the change of ends.
Oh great. The tennis channel switched to the women’s match.
Now they are going back to Rafa’s match. He needs to hold his serve and close out this second set.
0-40
Rafa has forgotten how to play tennis.
This is getting too much now. Rafa keeps losing his serve!!!
BREAK AGAIN RAFA! PLEASE
wowww that backhand smash was OUT OF THIS WORLD. 0-40 to rafa
Rafa’s return game has been woeful
Rafa will serve for the 2nd set, Fognini will break.
Not watching the match but this explains everything…
http://twitter.com/jjvallejoa/status/591256590579150850
Between the ears. His opponent is just along for the ride.
This is unspeakably bad
So, he breaks again. I think rafa has played some really good points in return games. It is his own service games that have let him down. Fog’s ROS has also been strong but rafa’s made a mess out of his service games. He MUST close this out here,.
On return
wow… his forehand gets horrendous in his own service games!! incredible
Shocking? What am I seeing?
What is Rafa so nervous about?
THREE POOR FOREHAND ERRORS. HOWW??!!
save them rafa, please!! please!!
Rafa is just not good enough, Fognini is better today.
Rafa’s shot selection has been atrocious.
I do not believe what I am seeing.
WHAT THE HELL!! fognini comes up with that but why did you play that at him rafa 🙁
gutted..
fognini is the favorite to win this. cannot predict anything regarding rafa at the moment
Rafa all at sea.
Was MC an aberration? To just see this now? Whats going on?
I guess Rafa’s not back after all. Seeing him struggle here to beat Fognini, is just horrible to watch. I don’t understand what is happening.
this is sad…
I guess we got too carried away with MC. We can’t assume anything these days with Rafa.
He rated his own improvements very positive too. Now are we not supposed to trust his own analysis ? Its not our fault, it is he who is in a funk.
Yes not back at all..We raised our hopes too high. Its very sad to see him let us down.
It all starts from the serve. Rafa’s serve has been so bad for a while now. Why hasn’t team Nadal found a solution?
3-0
3-1
4-1
Rafa down 2 MB already 0-3.
Has a Top 10 player ever lost two in a row to Fognini?
Complete lack of depth and power on that second serve look to get back on serve.
Rafa was serving for the second set. Yet here we are now.
Is it the racket?? What has happened to Rafa’s FH?
speechless 🙁
He’s a fighter. At least he still has that. 6-all.
#NeverSurrender
Three match points saved!!! can he win this set?!!
wow ! he is putting the fed of 2013 to shame with these shansk
Cant see him doing anything in 2015 now
Agree.
Horrible error to end it.
I’m sorry to write this but the same thoughts come back to me about my speculation of the last few months that part of Rafa doesn’t want to push so hard anymore (while the other part, so to say, is working hard at getting himself back to high levels of mental fitness). I hope I am wrong. If not we may see this up and down performance from Rafa at any time in the future, alas. With the exception, probably of when he will have had a string of victories… I hope he gets those in the next few weeks.
forehand into the open court hit long. two successive losses to the Fog on clay. This cant be real
1st time I’ve seen Rafa leave without signing balls.
He must be devastated.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDSXdfmW8AALtpx.png
:'(
This is a catastrophe. There are no excuses for this loss. Two straight losses to a guy who had never beaten him. The ramifications of this are enormous. This is Rafa’s home tournament. His ranking is going to drop. He will go into Madrid having taken a huge step backwards.
It makes me physically ill to see this.
I can’t go on this roller coaster ride anymore. I feel like I just won’t survive it. To get hopes up and think Rafa turned the corner and now this horrendous loss.
It says something that Rafa walked off without signing any balls. He knows how bad this is. Everything is changed now.
This was not about Fognini winning, this was about Rafa losing and losing badly.
The way Rafa was bullied around in the 1st set was pathetic. Fognini basically won the 1st set on second serves, 45% 1st serves in! He cannot serve sets out, he cannot capitalize on BPs. He has no FH. As for his BH, let’s not go there.
Rafa has lost his game, not just his confidence.
No excuses, please Rafans. This was bad.
Never thought the day would come when Rafa lost the plot on court like that.
Tragic to watch such a dismal performance.
If he is THIS mentally fried, why does he not see a psychologist?
He has dropped points hasn’t he? Unbelievable.
Actually, this is the one thing I am holding onto. He has not dropped points at either MC nor Barcelona compared to last year. He has actually gained.
For whatever reason, Chatrier has always proven to be a different kettle.
Not much to hold onto after that performance but it’s something.
I’m guessing that beyond points, however, that today was a new low for him.
I thought he lost to Almagro in the quarters last year, which means he has dropped points surely?
Rafa gained in Monte Carlo 180 points and lost in Barcelona 70 points.
Live ATP Rankings after Rafa’s loss today:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDSd-VmUMAE9TQZ.png
Rafa lost 45 points today, not 70.
I’m sad but not that surprised. Rafa has played (very) badly before, but only on hard courts and indoors. Now he also does this on clay.
Yep, a new low indeed.
https://twitter.com/SharkoTennis/status/591268911502467073
But guys, cheers up. It’s totally understandable that Rafa is not Rafa anymore. Maybe he burnt out after all these years of battling injuries and other top players. Maybe he is struggling with his life, with problems we never know. He’s a human too. Think about other extremely talented guys like Safin, Nalbandian, etc. and we know Rafa has delivered more than enough joy for us.
I think I must go to tournaments this year to watch Nadal and Federer. They may retire as soon as next year.
Thanks for cheering us up. I feel so much better now after reading that.
LOL! Yes, reading that just made it all better. NOT!
I didn’t get to watch this match. But he can’t have lost his game from one day to the next. It’s mental, clearly. Tennis is always in good part mental. Several of you have written similar comments at the end of a very bad Rafa day – where you’ve written it’s the worst you have seen.
What is the root cause of this? I mean the mental root cause? Part of him really doesn’t want to push himself so hard anymore (with Rafa being aware of this or not entirely)? Another form of (partial) burnout after all these years?
Somehow his usual way of working hard at getting the right motivation, etc…. is proving sometimes enough and sometimes not getting it done (enough). Would a (somewhat) different approach work better? Would anyone in his surrounding have an idea about that? I don’t know what a sports psychologist (or a non-sport psychologist) would do if he were to see one (ain’t gonna happen). Perhaps they’d find a way to help him turn a corner. Perhaps together they’d find that all this pushing himself…. well, sorry to repeat myself.
Still, I expect Rafa to keep trying hard through the end of RG. We’ll just have to see how he fares mentally in the next tournaments.
I meant: several of you have written similar comments _on a number of occasions in the past_
Nole had been the only player to beat Rafa consecutively on clay.
Now Fogna.
If foggy bottom wins RG I will know for a fact the end of the world is near.
Nole hasn’t converted so I don’t see the world ending any time soon.
who could think that losing a match at the rather insignificant 250 tourney would hurt this much…
Rafa is not himself any more…I admit I was encouraged by his performance in MC…now I just feel stupid that I read so much into Rafa’s MC performance…well, the fact that Rafa lost to Nole in straights and Berdy managed to take a set from Nole speaks volume…Rafa’s game has deteriorated which combined with his lack of confidence and insufficient fitness level tell the whole story…
now, it is time to see the things right…Today I spoke to a friend of mine who is, of course, huge Nole fan…I mentioned something about tennis and he said: “please, let’s not even go there…there is only one player on the tour right now and that is Djokovic…I refuse to discuss tennis because there is nothing really to discuss…his dominance is obvious”…
my heart is broken again and my hopes and dreams are no longer alive…
This is a 500 tourney and I think it’s pretty significant for guys like Nishikori, Ferrer, and even Fognini :).
yup, you are right…I meant to say 500 but I wished it was 250…my brain isn’t working 🙂
fog will lose his next match of course…and Nishikori will defend his points as expected…Rafa going deeper down…
Gussie, please find Rafa’s post match interview will you? Thanks.
rafaisthebest (at 4:12 pm),
The transcript of the post-match press conference is not yet available.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDSoG6aVAAActTu.png
^^Thank you Gussie!
And thank you Rafa for hitting the truth: THIS IS ABOUT HIS GAME, not that mumbo-jumbo about anxiety. Since when had Rafa become a mental patient? Please.
If it’s a technical issue then the coaching staff must also take responsibility. Phew, is Rafa thinking of wholesale changes to his game? This late in the lead up to RG?
This is inconsistent with his previous statements when he said it is easier to hit the ball well and play inside only when he is having the positive feelings.
No, it is lack of confidence and anxiety, same as last year leading up to the French.
Rafa is obviously upset and is reacting in this interview.
Players don’t suddenly physically lose their technique when healthy.
This is between the ears. Pure and simple.
Sorry @hawkeye63, I am going to have to disagree with you on this and agree with Rafa’s assessment. Please allow me to re-print what he said,
““It’s not a matter of anxiety, it’s a matter of technique. I’m obviously going to get
nervous if I don’t hit the ball the way I should”.”
For me the loss of technique is due to the long lay-off. It’s a matter of margins, not wholesale, but tennis is a game of margins, no? Remember Juan Jose’s tweet about Rafa’s shots? That was about technique nothing else. Rafa will regain his feel for the ball with match play, and then his confidence will improve.
You and I are disagreeing on causality but that’s okay.
I feel Rafa and team now have the cause and effect right, and henceforth will approach problem solving logically, yielding good results.
I feel better reading his post match transcript.
ritb,
I am sure you are right about this… that getting back higher levels on the technical side and more good results are part of the picture. Rafa is not wrong to point to these.
I just don’t think that is the whole story. The mental side, summarize it as confidence if you like, is about more than this I believe, and is along the lines I think of what I’ve been trying to describe.
@chloro, something might be happening in his life off court, who knows? I don’t know, and I prefer not to speculate about what I don’t know. What I know is what I can see: Rafa’s game technique has been off for a while.
Example: Australian Open final where Rafa lost to Wawa. That was because of a back problem. That problem must have affected his technique, right or wrong? I say it did. It affected his serve, it affected his movement and it affected his shot velocity. Hoe sporadic 2014 performance wise bears this out. But what have we been hearing from Team Rafa all along: it’s a confidence issue, ad infinitum.
My point is this: yes it was (and still is) a confidence issue CAUSED by technical degradation. So, Rafa and team should have been focusing on the cause (technique), not the effect (confidence).
Today is the first time I am hearing Rafa focus on the cause, this is what gives me hope. Match point Fog today, routine inside out FH, open court, Fog in no man’s land, given up the ghost thinking no way Rafa misses that. Rafa misses. Confidence? Please. That was poor technique hands down, no question. How many times was Rafa caught out of position today, making Fog hit easy winners? Confidence? He was out of position! That is a technical issue.
No worries on differing opinions ritb. 🙂
I would tend, like you, to put more faith in Rafa’s words about his own game, than an anonymous board fan. Besides I’m not here to convince anyone of my opinions, just to express them.
However, I am sticking with my opinion nonetheless. He had the same style of lack of execution in the same tournaments last year (without the long layoff) so I’m not onside with the lack of play being the reason for his lack of form directly.
It is a chicken and egg argument. 🙂
I still think that Rafa can turn his clay season around for when it counts.
Rafa excels at challenges to the point that he almost requires them.
I am hoping today was really, really rock bottom for Rafa and there is no way else but up henceforth. Agree, Rafa has not been consistent for a while now. My opinion is just that, an opinion, open to contestation, but Rafa’s inconsistency for a while is fact.
The question is: will he rise to this challenge? I say he will.
nny,
To repeat my view: I have no trouble taking the words about technique at face value.
I have no trouble also taking at face value the effect of long layoff and Rafa’s ability to surmount challenges and sometimes simply needing them.
It’s clear these things are important parts of what is going on.
I simply feel for a long time now that there is this third factor over and above the others and is important too. Rafa does this Jeckyll and Hyde thing, you know, how he gets himself into his match mode, and gets himself to practice and play matches at near total intensity (except when the opponent is easy to defeat) … this is the part that he just can’t do it as consistently, and perhaps because of the reason I speculate on: some part of him just doesn’t want anymore. Not the sort of thing you will hear him say in an interview (if I am right about it in the first place), and perhaps not to himself (now I am truly talking about something I don’t know anything about: his own thoughts outside of what he says in public).
ritb,
when I wrote nny above I meant to type nny, sorry.
Yes there could be something in his private life. It’s happened before. But perhaps not.
and finally,
hawkeye,
I would not be surprised, entirely, if this claycourt season doesn’t go as well as we hope, I mean at RG
but (like you) I would be even _less_ surprised if despite today’s match Rafa gets himself to good enough a level by week two of RG to win it for the tenth time.
It think that sooner or later he will retire because he’s had it…(perhaps after the 2016 season?), but we are definitely not there yet. In the meantime he will battle (himself) again and again and prove doubters wrong, give us some awful tennis days, and (most likely) stretches of weeks (or longer, please) of solid Rafaplay.
I am devastated.
Would be easier to take if Rafa had been beaten by a red hot Fognini. This was a normal Fognini, hitting occasional superb winners and spraying errors all over, waiting to implode. No, Rafa was too busy beating himself. When was the last time Rafa hit 30 UEs on a clay court? And Fabio hit more, believe it or not, and still won……………
If Rafa now cannot handle his mental demons, he should check himself into rehab and get sorted honestly………….
Rafa was once the strongest player mentally out there. Are we to believe that he is now a mental midget? Why? Because he was out injured? Please.
I am speechless…I still find it hard to believe…if he lost in MC I would say “Rafa is not back yet and that’s all”…but after we have seen some improvements in MC to play like this?! it is just beyond comprehension…
I agree, Rafa just beat himself in a unique and worst for him manner…now everyone will go after him…his confidence will just disappear and his game is not good enough to gain any confidence back…and you see I don’t buy stories about Rafa getting older etc…look at Robredo, Ferrer, Fed even Fog…they don’t seem to grow older…there is always a way…
I don’t want to hear any more excuses re Rafa’s poor play i.e. confidence blah, blah, blah. We never hear about confidence issues for Murray, Fed, Ferru hell even the Fog. Why does this confidence malady strike only Rafa?
The truth is: his game is just not good enough at the moment, he needs to sort it out. Consult a sports psychologist to sort out his mental demons. Find a serving coach to sort out his woeful serve. Find a fitness coach to sort out his stamina issues. Anything but this sorry sight he is subjecting us to.
https://twitter.com/NNemeroff/status/591270832720195584
Rafa won’t give up on himself.
Nor should we.
#VamosRafaNoMatterWhat
Just saw the score, The lesson to learn here is that Rafa is not himself anymore and that any prediction is pointless. the French are going to be ruthless at RG this year
yup…he will play his first match on a side court or something. Last slot of the day.
Wow, Fogna had never won a main draw match in five appearances at the Barcelona Open before this week.
Again, had little to do with Fogna, he just happened to be along for that train wreck.
so true…and why does Rafa always insist on making his matches physical affairs…he should have changed his game plan…go more to the net, shorten the points…his serve was not working today…and again, not being able to win points on Fog’s poor first serve…was not Rafa’s day at all…
now that I am back to senses after the initial shock I must say I feel sorry for my boy…I wish him to get over this and move on…there is only one life…and there is always sunshine after rain…
Vamos Rafa!
I thought Nadal would win 6-2 6-2, he beat Ferrer last week and Almagro yesterday both Ferrer and Almagro are much better clay court players than Fognini. This defeat is worrying for Nadal for Nadal. The way he played today, this level isnt good enough against any good player let alone Djokovic. lets wait for Madrid and Rome and see if he improves his level of play because Nadal is the only player who can beat Djokovic in a best of 5 set match on clay if Nadal dossnt improve than Djokovic can complete his career slam this year.
”I played poorly, I didn’t play like I should have,” Nadal said. ”I didn’t play aggressively, I missed more shots that I normally do. I didn’t manage to keep the advantage I had. Having three breaks in the second set and end up at 5-5 is a disaster.
”This is a blow for me, but I accept the challenge and the negative day I had today. There is no other way forward other than to accept it or die.”
”This is a hard day for me. I felt I was playing better,” Nadal said while shaking his head repeatedly. ”I will keep working. I am convinced that this situation of ups and downs I have had since returning from injuries, sooner or later, will come to an end.”
”My forehand didn’t have enough power, enough speed, and I didn’t have enough control,” he said. ”My forehand has been my biggest virtue. But today my forehand was vulgar, it wasn’t a forehand worthy of my ranking and career. I need my forehand to push my opponents back.”
Also…
“Fabio played better and he deserved to win. I did not deserve to win. I have to accept it or die,”
What is this business of accept it or die? That sounds kind of scary.
OMG…Ï have to accept it or die”…these words bring tears in my eyes…poor Rafa…I hope he understands how great he is and no matter what happens now he will remain to be one of the best of all times…
Vamos Rafa!
Don’t worry about the “accept or die” terminology Rafans. Remember, this is a direct translation from Spanish or Catalan. Both tend to be a little more…..flowery. Rafa is not about to smite himself with a dagger!
“But today my forehand was vulgar, it wasn’t a forehand worthy of my ranking and career. I need my forehand to push my opponents back.””
Apt description: vulgar.
exact phrase in Spanish is: “Ha sido un día negativo y miro hacia delante hacia Madrid. Toca aceptar o morir y elijo aceptar porque quiero dar opciones para el futuro…”
Today was a negative day and I look forward to Madrid. I have to accept or die and I choose to accept because I want to have options in the future.
It’s true that in Spanish we tend to be more dramatic and say things like “accept or die” so I don’t see Rafa being morbid here. I prefer him to be brutally honest vs. saying there is nothing wrong with him.
I think this is mental. If a player doesn’t have it in his head, then his whole game goes down the drain. We thought that Rafa’s mental issues were resolved. But now we see that is not the case. Rafa is all over the place in his comments. Now it’s the game, before it was anxiety. It’s always something, but Rafa is not Rafa anymore.
I have been hesitant to mention Borg and what happened to him. In 2011, I thought that Rafa might be burnout out like Borg, but he was only losing to one player, Novak. He was still getting to the finals. This is much worse. All I can say is that Borg stopped competing. In that USO slam final in 1981, he was just gone. He didn’t have the desire to win. That was it.
I can’t say if Rafa is going through the same thing for sure. But it’s been in the back of my mind for a while now. I have also felt that this was potentially quite serious, but wanted to keep those thoughts to myself. Now I have to say it here out loud. Rafa is in crisis.
I don’t know what to expect from this point on. He should have won this tournament and gained points and momentum going into Madrid. He is defending 1000 points there. Does anyone want to contemplate the possible scenarios that could happen in Madrid? That was always going to be the hardest tournament to win for him. So the idea was for him to gain some points leading up to Madrid to cushion the blow if he didn’t win it this time.
I have put so much into this journey. But I am not getting any younger and it’s harder and harder. I do not have the answers for Rafa. I truly hope that it’s not what happened to Borg. Because there was no answer for that. But I just do not see how he’s going to regroup. Losing to a guy like Fog in his home tournament? Losing for the second straight time to this guy? A new low for Rafa. I am sorry to say these things, but it helps to come here and just get it out.
The transcript of Rafa’s post-match press conference on April 23 in Spanish, English (page 2) and Catalan:
http://www.barcelonaopenbancsabadell.com/sites/default/files/audios/pdf/rafa_nadal_4.pdf
^^Thank you Gussie. Reading Rafa’s own words makes me feel better. Rafa takes full responsibility, no mincing of words, no excuses, no sugar-coating. Just saying it as it is: he played badly, shamefully..
Thank you Rafa for not insulting us your fans’ intelligence. You are candidly taking responsibility. You have identified the problems, that is half the job done. Now you must identify the solutions and implement.
Good luck! Vamos! With you all the way!
#NoMatterWaht
““It’s not a matter of anxiety, it’s a matter of technique. I’m obviously going to get
nervous if I don’t hit the ball the way I should”.”
This.
losing to fognini on clay is going to have a detrimental effect on Nadal’s confidence. perhaps the rigors of his physical style of game that he has played for over a decade now have finally taken its toll.
Not physical. Played much better last week against the No. 1 player in the world. That’s mental.
hawkeye,
That’s what I still think. A player’s game doesn’t go away all of a sudden. Rafa didn’t wake up and just forget how to hit his forehand. He was playing better at MC. That was not a mirage. His game seemed to be coming together. Not at his best, but on the way. That does not disappear overnight.
I am not here to argue or insist that my point of view is the only one. I am merely stating what I have felt watching Rafa since he came back from that long layoff. He seemed to have no trouble hitting his forehand against Almagro. So what happened overnight?
I am not sure that Rafa even knows what is really going on. What I do know is that he is trying to find the solution. He has been trying and it seemed like he got over the hump at MC. But I guess these ups and downs are going to be the way of it.
I haven’t even thought about RG today. I just didn’t want to go there. We have two more tournaments. I don’t know what to expect at Madrid. I am not sure how Rafa will regroup. Maybe he will get mad enough and that will help him.
As Rafa says, this loss was a setback, no doubt about it.
Next stop: Madrid. Let us see how Rafa starts re-building after today’s disaster.
Vamos Rafa!
Thank you Augusta for the link to transcript.
There is no doubting Rafa’s sincerity, and never was.
Having said that, the story painted by his words, whether he knows this or not, and whether he intended to point to this, is still mental, I mean psychological. And by that I mean much more what happens below the level of awareness and that is what makes up most of a person’s mind. Up to a point you can will yourself to do certain things and be in certain states of mind, and then up to a point things are note directly achieved just with conscious decision and will power.
On an almost other note, one of the interesting things about Rafa’s pressers is how transparent, and thus sometimes vulnerable he let’s himself be about his tennis. It takes some real courage and strength to do that. But then when he says he is deeply ashamed about today’s performance… there I take exception. I don’t thing he needs to feel shame about not being able to play at his usual level despite all his efforts.
We should have seen today coming, yesterday. Took Rafa how long to close out Almagro, 12 minutes? When he was leading 5-1 and serving for the match? Why would he not be confident serving out a match at 5-1?
Today, he was grunting heavily hitting a FH but the shot would be weak! Not pushing Fog back at all as Rafa himself said.
*headshake*
exactly…I was thinking it myself…how could I be so blind not to notice that Rafa’s inability to serve for the match…I decided to find positives in it, thinking that it was mainly due to Almagro being relaxed but no…it was a sign that Rafa’s mental status is worrisome…
I wonder why he was grunting so heavily…I noticed that as well….
Every time Rafa loses on clay my heart dies a little bit. I know he typically rights the ship by the second week of RG…last year I also panicked after he lost MC, Barcelona, Rome and won Madrid because Kei retired…and then? He won the whole enchilada. Fix whatever needs fixing, Rafa! #vamos #madrid
chloro,
I think you are right in saying that Rafa may not even be consciously aware of the nature of the problem. He has to continue competing and practicing. I don’t know if he even has the time or ability to sit down and contemplate what is going on with him.
I found myself thinking today about all the times that Rafa won matches when he wasn’t at his best. That’s why I don’t think it’s technique or his game. He’s made a career of winning matches that he should have lost. That was part of his greatness. That fierce will, the refusal to lose even when being outplayed. He would find his back against the wall and fight even harder. I think that is the quality that is not there anymore.
Your take about part of Rafa not being willing to push himself or not wanting to just go to his limits, is interesting. I don’t know Rafa and can’t get in his mind.
I feel for him because he is a proud champion. This was his home tournament and we know what it means to him. He was obviously disappointed in his performance. It’s true that he made no excuses and was brutally honest. I happen to think that’s a good thing.
I hurt for him. I hope with all my heart that he can find the answers.
If I were a Rafa die-hard, and hadn’t hit the panic button already, I would be hitting it HARD now. Fabio nearly lost to Rublev 2 days ago. Sure Rube is a 17 year old with a world of potential, but Fabio only got away with the win because the youngster does not yet know how to close out a professional match. Maybe those events led Fabio to feel as if he was playing with house money the rest of the tournament, but, still this is rafa we are talking about. It is truly sad to see him play at this level.
Sorry been there before. May mean something or nothing like last year. Won’t know until Paris. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
last year he didnt lose to Fognini on clay twice. this year he has much more than Djokovic to worry about.
yes and even before the French open last year Nadal won the Madrid Masters and reached the Final of Rome Masters where he lost to Djokovic in 3 sets.
Those tournaments have yet to be played lol.
Sometimes he wins before Paris, sometimes he loses before Paris. Other than 09 when injured, he always wins Paris. Even if he doesn’t, not the end of the world.
I will be happy when he recovers his game, which he has always done before and will do again just like he said he will. Just a matter of time.
IT IS A CRISIS going by Rafas pressers. WE may not get answers in Madrid as Madrid is not suitable due to the altitude, balls fly a lot.
He may be able to fix it and hopefully soon.
Djoko must be licking his chops now but then Rafa is not the only one who can stop Djoko. He is capable of suffering a shock exit in Paris as he feels highest pressure there.
Federer was in a similar bad state for good part of 2011..good part of 2010..all of 2013..
He did get back decently in 2012 and 2014.
I am sure Rafa can too.
BTW why does Djokovic not have these confidence issues? He has been so consistent from past 4 years, he has not been through a rough patch at all. Yes he has lost some big slam finals and that’s the only glitch where he kind of falters but otherwise he has been very solid.
Rafa was mentally superior and unwavering from 2005-2008, a four year run winning five slams.
Djokovic was the head basket case after winning 2008 AO until 2011. That’s three years because he did not believe in himself. Other than 2011, he has never won more than one slam per year. He mentally faltered big time in important moments in slam finals and semis many times (2011 FO, 2014 AO and 2014 USO just to name a few). He hired Boris Becker primarily due to confidence issues. Because of confidence issues, Djokovic has less slams than he should.
Lesson for us is to just not have any expectations going forth. If he wins and surprises us, great. Playing consistent and well is not ‘the new normal’ for Rafa. Playing inconsistently is.
I don’t know that Novak hasn’t had confidence issues. Rafa did get the better of him in the slams since that defeat at the 2012 AO final. In 2013 I thought that Novak had regressed somewhat. He was suddenly double faulting in key moments of matches, sometimes losing the set or a match. He seemed to falter in those crucial moments when matches are decided. I believe that Novak stopped a losing streak by winning Wimbledon last year. I don’t remember the last time he won a slam, but he definitely was on a losing streak. So that doesn’t indicate a player that is brimming with confidence and on top of their game.
I do think he’s had rough patches. He hasn’t dominated since 2011. When you see who one the slams, Novak isn’t dominating at all. So I don’t think Rafa is the only top player to have these kinds of issues.
Life goes on. I have my own life to live and can’t invest too much more energy on this loss. It is what it is. I am not going to get carried away with expectations going forward. I think Rafa will continue to have these ups and downs.
He had it only in finals and against the other 3..he definitely never had it against others.
Nishikori and Wawrinka.
This made me laugh!
https://twitter.com/AmyFetherolf/status/591455912214155264/photo/1
RT @AmyFetherolf: “So we’re going to do the whole “Rafa’s not the favorite for RG” thing again? That’ll be fun when he inevitably wins it w/out dropping a set.”
Well, Rafa’s malady is contagious, I AM NOT CONFIDENT, Amy!!
Who is Amy? What makes her so confident about Rafa given his current play?
2011 yes he was not playing well..2014 he wasn’t..but 2011 is no way comparable to this. He was reaching all finals in 2011 and only losing to Djokovic. I think he made 11 finals that year and 3 slam finals.
2014 yes he was poor in clay but he made it up by winning Madrid and making final of Rome. He wasn’t losing to Fabios , only Almargo loss is comparable.
Madrid may give answers. maybe seeing Federer on other side and beating him will give the required tonic 🙂
Amy Fetherolf is co-founder of the changeover tennis forum http://www.changeovertennis.com/
Somehow I felt Rafa would have a tough day. Atleast I expected 3 setter. This is similar to IW/Miami. He played well in IW and looked confident despite losing to Raonic only to get bounced in miami 2nd match. I dont know what to look for now. It has been an year to enjoy ‘one tennis week’. Its really hard to be Rafan
“Its really hard to be Rafan”
Understatement of the year, hehehe!
For me, this loss came from left field. I had Rafa downing The Fog in 2, given the South American experience! We live and learn.
Still love Rafa to bits. However, will now approach all Rafa’s matches with zero expectations. Will just enjoy each moment he is on court.
Vamos Rafa!
Hey thangs! Welcome! I’ve only seen you post on that other site!
somehow, I still consider changing the racquet one of the reasons why Rafa needs more time to reach his highest level…I remember Fed taking more than a year to do so…the same with Novak…so even though we can all argue that Rafa is far even from his 50% I believe a racquet has a lot to do with it…
I also mentioned the other day that for some strange reason Rafa lost his “lucky star” and is extremely unlucky with his draws but also when playing…he has to do it all the hardest way possible and given his current state of mind it makes it difficult to overcome…if his ball hits the net it will most of the time stay on Rafa’s side…sometimes I feel sorry for Rafa in those crucial moments…
I notice Rafa’s lack of aggression on key points…I notice Rafa being way to tentative and tight on break points which immediately leads to his failure to convert those numerous break points…I also notice Rafa’s game is predictable which makes it easier for his opponents to read it and to attack…his FHs are landing short and they do not have the strength as before…there are a lot of issues in Rafa’s game which need to be resolved…there is not much time to deal with it…and when you add to it Rafa’s low confidence, distrust and fear of the opponents that have hard flat hitting pattern it makes it clear that Rafa may need miracles to reach his best at the RG…it seems less unlikely to happen now…
I hate this feeling in my stomach…yesterday I said that this was rather insignificant tourney mainly because Rafa had little points to defend and I thought if he lost it wouldn’t be a disaster…but I did not foresee him losing to Fog and the way he lost…that is why this loss hurts so much….
and Rafa’s words do not help…he being brutally honest only tells me that he is in deep crisis and that Team Nadal has no answers…
Cheer up @nats, he will be back.
What is the worst that will happen? Rafa will not win any more tourney, will drop out of Top 10 right?
Lets accept that , so that nothing can shock us. It can only get better from there if he plays better.
I have already accepted that Rafa is not prepared to win RG and will not win any slam this year and he finally ends his 10 year consecutive slam/year record.
NNY – You had cited the Borg fear in 2011 and I understand that its a real fear that may come to pass. But do you think Rafa wants to quit as a player who left the field and went away? Right now he is in a slump and if he quits, he will garner reputation that he did not overcome his obstacle and left. I doubt any great tennis legend will want to do that. Take for eg Steffi..she did not win a slam in 97 & 98..had multiple injury issues but won RG in 99, reached Wimby finals in 99 n then immediately left the tour on a high ranked No 3. Take for eg Sampras..he did not win any slam in 2000 & 2001..but won US 2002 and immediately quit.. They all wanted to have the last hurrah and leave with their head high. Similarly I think Rafa will do a lot of disservice to his legacy if he just leaves now, I am sure neither he or his team will want him to run away from a crisis and leave. I believe he will make an effort and fight it out.
sanju,
Please don’t misunderstand what I said regarding Rafa’s problems being like Borg. I do not think that Rafa will quit! That’s not in Rafa’s nature. I was just comparing it to the burnout that Borg suffered and the fact that he could no longer compete and lost the will to win. No one knew what was going on with Borg back then. We didn’t have the internet and social media and Borg was famous for not talking. So it was an enormous shock. But Borg spoke about it in the documentary “McEnroe/Borg: Fire and Ice”. He said that he was planning to quit for a while, but only his parents and coach knew. He felt that he didn’t have a life outside tennis.
Maybe I should say that there are some parallels, but I think that Rafa and Borg handle it differently. I am just concerned if there is some burnout issue, because there is no doubt in my mind that this is mental and psychological. I also do think that this could be the beginning of Rafa’s decline. It happens to all great champions, unless they walk away young like Borg.
I am not sure why they decided to change Rafa’s racket at this time. I am not sure that it’s helping him. If he loses control, then that could be why his forehand was all over the place in that match.
So just for the record, I do NOT think that Rafa will walk away! He seems committed to staying in there and finding a solution. I will support him all the way!
Fognini, Kyrgios, Isner, Verdasco, Raonic and Ferru will be in Rafa’s quarter/half in Madrid.
Book this.
certainly…and he will have Novak in the semis…if he ever gets there…
if I were Rafa I would ask for a WC in Estoril and play it just to get more match practice…Rafa is not tired and he needs to deal with his fitness issues…even if losing to nobody again it might help going into Madrid, the tourney I BTW totally dislike and have no expectations whatsoever…
Agree he should ask for a WC, but in Istanbul instead of Estoril. Why? Fed is top see in Istanbul! Judging by the Field, Rafa would be 2nd seed, guaranteed to meet Fed only in the final. If there is one thing guaranteed to lift Rafa’s mojo, it will be the thought of seeing Fed across the net!
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Tournaments/Istanbul.aspx
……and he would be guaranteed pots of appearance fees!
yep, even better idea…
http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-commentary/article/12748293/tennis-self-doubt-plagues-rafael-nadal-fabio-fognini-barcelona-open
here I see they share my opinion on the racket change in the middle of the season…
natashao2013 (at 10:59 am),
Rafa wanted to change his racket before the start of the season, but the rackets weren’t ready.
http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=108399
yes, that is what I thought initially because I remember reading about it…however, if it was not ready he should have postponed it for some other time in the year… seems definitely not the best way to do it right before the clay season …
Watching Nishikori play RBA and I keep asking myself: am I to believe that Nishikori is now a better clay courter than Rafa?
*headshake*
From an article following Rafa’s 9th RG title…
“For the next three months he struggled to find his usual mental intensity and suffered three defeats on clay in the build-up to the French Open for the first time in a decade.”
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-2652947/Rafael-Nadals-French-Open-record-special-according-Spaniards-coach-uncle-Toni.html#ixzz3YEO3XacU
#NothingNew
#BeCalmAndVamosRafa
I am trying to keep it all in perspective and not panic. But I do think this year is different. He lost even earlier at Barcelona to the likes of Fog. At least last year he was losing to Almagro and Ferrer.
I am not giving up hope, but still am concerned about this inconsistency. I don’t know if the racket change is helping or hurting.
Shireling, please help to understand! 🙂
Francisco Roig was asked questions about Rafa’s new racket. I used Google translation, but I didn’t fully understand his explanations. That’s what I understood:
Question: “Why is this one better than the previous racket? ”
Francisco Roig: “I cannot say it’s better or worse. What happens is that he misses more. …I think 80 percent of the change of racket is to spin the ball more with less effort…”
http://www.puntodebreak.com/2015/04/21/francis-roig-creo-nadal-podra-luchar-titulos-33-anos-federer
Augusta08,
I’m glad to help
This is the answer to the question about the difference between the two rackets:
Francis Roig answers: “the new one is neither worse or better but the ball “goes out” faster from it. It has the same amount of strings but they’re more spaced out between each other, especially on the sides. This way, when you don’t have a perfect hit in the middle of the racket the ball still goes out at the same speed. I believe that there’s an 80 % chance that the reason for the racket change is to have more ball speed with less effort. If on the other hand, one wants to decrease ball speed then there’s no point in changing racket, you just need to adapt your game”
There you go. I can’t say I fully understand it and I don’t like what it derives = Nadal struggling to hit the ball as hard as he always does. This we have seen very clearly against Fognini.
Shireling1 (at 3:28 pm),
Thanks!
So, “misses more” is a wrong translation. That’s a relief! 🙂
My pleasure, just saw that Fognini lost to Andujar….