Nadal topples Isner for first Cincinnati title

Rafael Nadal wins the Western & Southern Open for the first time in his career and completes the improbable Montreal-Cincinnati double with a victory over John Isner on Sunday. With the win, Nadal will be seeded second at the U.S. Open.

Rafael Nadal’s remarkable, resurgent 2013 campaign keeps getting better and better.

Nadal captured his ninth title of the season and first of his career in Cincinnati with a 7-6(8), 7-6(3) win over John Isner in the final of the Western & Southern Open on Sunday afternoon. The Spaniard fired six aces and saved all three of the break points he faced to prevail in one hour and 54 minutes.

Nadal 2
Isner, as he often does, had delivered a flair for the dramatic during his surprising run to the championship match. The 6’10” American had won four of five tiebreakers this week while upsetting Novak Djokovic 7-5 in the third set and saving a match point in the second set against Juan Martin Del Potro. In this one, however, Isner did not have quite enough at the crucial moments.

Nadal faced two set points at 5-6 in the opener, but he fought them off with clutch serving. The No. 4 seed saved another in the tiebreaker before finally sealing the deal on serve at 9-8 when Isner netted a backhand. Nadal ultimately got the job done without earning a single break point against his opponent’s huge serve. The second ‘breaker, though, was more straightforward. Nadal raced to a 5-1 lead an ultimately converted championship point with a perfect forehand passing shot.

Isner 1
“It means a lot winning two straight titles on hard (courts),” assured Nadal, who also triumphed last week at the Montreal Masters. “It’s just amazing for me. I never did something like this in my career.”

“I played extremely well all week,” Isner reflected. “I played well again today. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t good enough. Unfortunately for me, I ran up against one of the greatest tennis players of all time. As I said on the court, i’m going to hold my head up high after today’s match and after this whole week. But Rafa was better than me today.”

Nadal will move up to No. 2 in the world on Monday and be seeded second for the U.S. Open. He will also win the U.S. Open Series unless Isner reaches at least the semifinals next week in Winston-Salem. Isner’s Cincinnati run earns him a Top 16 in New York.

highlights:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0yQ8ZN6tbs]

111 Comments on Nadal topples Isner for first Cincinnati title

  1. Wow.. Majestic and a mesmerizing performance from rafa really amazing run.. played 3 masters 1000 on hc n won 3 perfect ..
    Congrats rafa n all his fans 😉
    But here i want to say something ..
    in trophy ceremony while john was praising nadal as he is one of the greatest players if all time.. at the same time rafa was drinking water and i felt bad i felt the arrogance n proud which i didn’t like..
    but then something i liked so much that was rafa sitting on court with ball boys & girls for a group photo that was sweet.. 🙂

    • you clearly weren’t watching what the rest of us were. Isner called Rafa one of the greatest of all time and Rafa laughed like Isner must have been joking.

      It was an embarrassed laugh, like “no way I am one of the best ever.”

      • I m just saying when john was calling him one of the all time great rafa was drinking water and i just felt he was not even paying attention to what isner was saying.. i never like these type of attitudes even if its murray or delpo who r my fav guys..

      • Ricky

        Yes, that is exactly what I saw. Rafa did laugh and seemed embarrassed by the compliment. Rafa’s humility and modesty are well known.

        As far as Rafa drinking water, I assume he was feeling thirsty and wanted to keep hydrated after the match. I have no doubt that Isner did not in any way think that Rafa was giving him attitude. I thought both guys were quite complimentary to each other. It was nice to see. Isner deserved the recognition for a great effort at this tournament. To take out the likes of Djoker and Delpo, is quite an accomplishment.

        I think these players handle things so much better than their fans or those watching at times.

      • wc0206@August 19, 2013 at 4:16 am
        —but it isn’t too hard to figure out / find out—

        Ricky, your avatar reveals your favorite player, and your attitude towards Rafa is in accordance with that.

  2. May be.. but i felt it so i posted my thoughts its my personal observation so it doesn’t mean that you agree with me.. everybody has his own opinions .. i praise good things without any hesitation but at the same time i criticize those things which are not good so i didn’t like that gesture of rafa so i said what i felt.. and at the same time i liked his Frank group photo with ball boys & girls so i praised that act too..

    • Sana, he had just been through a gruelling match, in the heat. Would you rather he had allowed himself to be dehydrated while nodding politely to Izzy’s speech? Do you have any idea what such a lapse can do to his overall physical state a week before a Slam? Anyway, as Ricky says, there was nothing rude or arrogant about Rafa’s demeanor or attitude, just watch the tape………

      • yeah i watched it again.. he,was not laughing as ricky said but yeah there was a little smile on his face so i take my words back.. 😉

    • When Raonic said in his speech that Rafa had given him a clinic,Rafa smiled he also smiled when Isner paid him a compliment. Normally, they present both trophies before the speeches so both players are side by side for the speeches. In Montreal and Cincy, the winner is out of view and how would Rafa know what Isner was going to say so he wasn’t drinking water whilst he was saying it? What did you want him to do? Choke on the water?

      • Also, this was the final match, and the players wouldn’t have the luxury of going straight to the locker room for recovery activities, they have to wait, on court, for long drawn out ceremonial things. Obviously they are pretty dehydrated after a long match and it is important to rehydrate timeously……..

  3. Sana- He is not very comfortable receiving compliments on the face and that too in front of a crowd, he always is like ‘ok ok dont embarass me further :-)’

    And Rafa and arrogant – no way, not even the slightest. He is called ‘Humble Bull’ for a good reason.

    He is more than happy wth spotlight and limelight on others, I doubt he cares what press writes and how much they praise his peers compared to him 🙂

    • haha that’s funny ok ok don’t embarrass me further 😀 really it is, i m laughing n feeling good now.. may be i observed wring because i m a ftesh tennis follower as compare to you guys 🙂

  4. Fantastic read by Jesse Pentecost:

    http://www.tennisfrontier.com/blogs/jesse-pentecost/we-might-run-out-of-words/

    “For now, Nadal has won twenty-six Masters 1000 titles, including a record-equalling five this season. It’s an accomplishment that is only enhanced by recalling that none of the five were Monte Carlo, which otherwise exists only that he might augment his tally by one each year. Aside from that, the only other Masters event Nadal hasn’t won this year was Miami, which he didn’t play. In order to break the record, which was only set two years ago by Djokovic, Nadal will have to win either Shanghai or Paris. History suggests that he is unlikely to do so. Then again, the Spaniard has already spent the season showing history just where it can shove its suggestions.”

    • “Then again, the Spaniard has already spent the season showing history just where it can shove its suggestions.”

      I love it 🙂

      In my eyes Rafa is the The Greatest most Charismatic Champion we have ever seen and has lit up tennis for the nearly a decade with his ability to overcome all the obstacles in his path.

  5. It must have been gut wrenching for Isner to lose that match but he came across as just happy to have played in the final and his tribute to Rafa was absolutely genuine – unlike the platitudes that so often get trotted out on these occasions.

    Also the crowd were great. Naturally huge roars for Issy’s winners and chants to spur him on but Rafa also got plenty of noisy support!

    • ed251137, I am not a fan of big serve players but I am in awe of Izzy right now. The man is clearly working on his game, a la Rafa! I like that attitude. His forehand was almost Rafa-like in its execution. He just needs to work on the mental side, his shot selection at times was atrocious. But I like that he is working to go beyond being just a serve demon.

  6. I agree with the thoughts about Isner. He was quite gracious even in the disappointment of defeat. He gave it his best but still lost to Rafa. A player can live with it if they know that they came out there and gave it their best shot. Isner did that. Rafa certainly acknowledged how tough it was to play him!

    I make no bones about the fact that I do not like the big serving guys, but Isner really showed some outstanding groundstrokes in this match. I respect his effort to keep improving his game and not just rest on his ability to hit lots of aces and huge serves.

    I think Isner could work on his mental strength and fitness. His forehand was very impressive.

    The crowd reacted as I expected them to – cheering on Isner as the hometown player and appreciating Rafa’s outstanding tennis. Nice to see!

    As for whether Rafa wins Shanghai or Paris, I could care less. It’s up to Rafa to decide what his goals are for the rest of the year. Given the year he has had up to this point, I could care less about either tournament. He has achieved so many records. I am beyond proud of him.

    I know he will not say it, but he wants to win the USO. I am sure he is happy about being #2 again. But he doesn’t like to make too much of it.

  7. All this masters 1000 wins are useless, if Rafa does not use the confidence gained from these wins to lift the US Open. US Open is the ultimate prize, the masters 1000 are simply the stepping stone to that prize

  8. No Atul, I disagree. No Masters 1000 win is useless, they offer 1000 points and are the second important tournaments after Slams. It is as tough to win a Masters as it is to win a Slam, reason being matches are played back to back Wednesdaay – Sunday with no gap, its best of 3, so chances of upsets are higher.

    Yes it would be great if he wins USO but if he doesn’t , it doesn’t make his Masters 1000 wins any less significant.

  9. Sanju, while yuor thoughts are technically correct, but I have a question for you.
    What would make you happier? (OR rather what would add more to Rafa’s legacy?). A year like 2010 when rafa loses early in both Montreal and Cincy but goes on to win the US Open or a HYPOTHETICAL year like 2013 when Rafa wins both Montreal and Cincy but fails to win the US Open

    • atul,

      The simple fact is that things are different than they were in 2010. Rafa needed these Masters 1000 wins to get back up to #2. You don’t think that’s important? He’s in a much better position with the #2 ranking now. He won’t play Djoker until the final. It will be either Murray or Ferrer in the semis. The draw will still present its challenges given how many players have stepped it up and are playing well. But it’s a good thing to be back in the #2 spot.

      Also, Rafa needed these two wins to get much needed match play and rankings points. The semifinal win over Djoker was huge for Rafa’s confidence. After being off for six or seven weeks and getting treatment on the knee, Rafa needed to find his form again and start winning.

      Also, would you think that the clay court Masters wins don’t mean anything for Rafa? Those Masters wins are important for rankings points and also confidence and getting into good form.

      So I do not agree with you. It’s comparing apples and oranges to use 2010 as an analogy to 2013. Rafa was coming off big wins with RG and Wimbledon that year. He had treatment on the knee and wasn’t able to practice much before he came to Montreal. Getting to the semis and losing to Murray was a decent result and got him some important match play. Then he lost in the quarterfinals at Cincy. If you remember, he came into the USO nowhere near his best form. The only reason he got through the early rounds was because of the big serve he brought out. He also admitted that he didn’t want to get hurt in the warmup tournaments. He had tweaked his stomach muscle, so was holding back with his serving. He got a great draw and was able to work himself into his best form.

      Rafa doesn’t have that luxury now. The men’s game has gotten even more competitive in the last three years. Also he is coming off a very tough first round loss at Wimbledon. That one had to hurt even though it was about the knee and lack of preparation. But coming off a loss like that can still dent the confidence. Whatever treatment Rafa got for the knee seems to have worked well. He came back on a mission. I didn’t expect him to win either event. But I am not about to assume that because he has now done so, that it means he won’t win the USO.

  10. Naturally devotees of Rafa want him to win everything! As far as I am concerned he has already achieved miracles so even if he does not go on to win USO I can live with that. Shanghai is neither here nor there for the moment (apart from the tantalising prospect of him regaining No.l). The one I would most like to see him win this year is the WTF. This is my least favourite tournament but, in the eyes of many people, it is a glaring hole in his CV. But to hope for that is asking a lot after the demands he has made on his body already this year and the fact that he makes no bones about indoor hard courts being his least favourite venues.

  11. I have been following Ricky since 2008 and I am actually not too sure whom does he like the most among big 4… it is certainly not nadal….my guess is federer.. but I admit, he does a really good job as a professional and that is why even someone like me who has been following him for long is unsure. Of course he is a big isner fan, he is his countryman too after all 🙂

    and for the above discussion, well ‘useless’ was a really harsh word to use…even inappropriate to use for masters 1000 wins…I would say these accomplishments leave your season ‘incomplete’ from being the best if you are unable to win slams to back them up… winning rogers cup-cincy double which even roger has failed to achieve is a seven-star feat !

    • That’s not correct, VM. Ricky outs himself somewhere in his profiles as a rafafan, but he does a good job at being objective – as he should as a journo. I know this as a long time lurker at the late TT site.
      Question for you, Ricky: Why were Germans not welcome at TT? There was no way to register as a German, because this country didn’t exist in the sign up options, lol!
      What is Cheryl Murray doing these days? I loved her blog entries.

  12. Four Masters titles in a row. Never done before.

    Does anyone express simple joy for winning like Rafael Nadal?

    #VamosChamp
    #AllCourtSpecialist

  13. atul,
    everyone knows that winning masters 1000s is very difficult for the reasons restated above

    there are more than twice the number of masters 1000s tournaments each year than slams — if they were say about twice as easy to win you would expect multiple slam winners to hold about 4 times as many 1000s master titles. Roger than would be expected to hold about 4 x 17 = 68 masters 1000s titles. Given that there are more hardcourt masters than claycourt ones you would expect him to at least be over half of that number so at least about 34. I think in this case the numbers do tell a story as to how difficult these are to win.

  14. Conspirator: So true. Djokovic is triumphant at defeating his foe: Federer is complacent (bordering on smug) at receiving what is his rightful due: Rafa’s joy has a wonderful innocence – like a small boy who has just received the Xmas present he’d been longing for.

    Chloro: From 2007 onwards Roger put all his efforts into winning the Slams and WTF until 2012, that is, when he took advantage of Rafa’s absence and went flat out to amass enough points to climb back up the rankings.

  15. The ATP rankings are finally updated. It’s sweet to see Rafa moving up in the rankings!.

    Rafa is keeping an eye on the rankings! He talked again about earning the points and his position in the rankings.
    Rafa: —“It means a lot, being able to win two straight titles, two Masters 1000 on hard back to back is just amazing for me,” Nadal said, reflecting on his accomplishment. “I never did something like this in all my career. So it was an emotional moment for so many different facts. First of all, I won a very important tournament, Masters 1000. Second thing, after all the problems that I had, I mean, it was just two weeks in a row on hard playing at the highest level. Then the ranking is there. I was playing for a lot of points this week. And I’m in a good position.”—

    John Isner is No.14 – behind Tommy Haas, who has the same amount of points.
    http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/08/33/Cincinnati-Sunday-Nadal-Isner.aspx

  16. Ricky on Twitter..cmon Ricky..those matches were close but he played the bigger points, the points that mattered better and won..and nowhere in your tweet you mention he won..its all about almost lost/could have lost..Why cant you just accept he won it fair n square ?

    Ricky Dimon ‏@RD_Tennistalk 15h Nadal is on fire but nowhere close to his own separate level ahead of other top players. Almost lost to Djokovic in Montreal….Ricky Dimon ‏@RD_Tennistalk 15h ….easily could have lost to a slumping Federer and easily could have lost to the No. 22 player in the world today. Far from unbeatable.

    • Hahaha! Could have, should have………no-one remembers “nearly there” players except cross fanboys! Okay, let’s turn the argument the other way: why couldn’t Novak, Fed and Izzy beat this far from unbeatable guy?

    • No player is unbeatable.. Is there any player who has 0 losses for the season? No right , so every player is beatable.

      But the guy has won 2 Masters back to back ..I know he proved your predictions on Djoko winning both wrong..but that doesnt mean its right to portray it as ‘could have easily lost/almost lost’ rather than ‘ won by a close margin’ which is he real fact .

      • both are statements of fact.

        you just don’t like the way I put it because you are biased. but the way I put it is a fact. Just as the way you put it is also a fact.

      • It is only a fact that will go in the books that he won those matches

        That he could have lost is not a fact as it did not happen, it is conjecture & speculation.

        The only other fact is he won all those matches by a close margin as there were 2 points margin in Djoko match, 7 in Fed match , not sure how many in Isner match.

  17. lol.. no Ricky, even though I understand where you are coming from on this but ‘could have easily lost’ is funny..it was not that he broke in the last game when receiving to save the match … and fed was playing great and not that close to winning..he could not cross a barrier… plus, rafa was definitely finding his best form againt dimi and federer…he found it in set 3 against fed and then was brilliant in the berdych match

    Thinking rafa is unbeatable on these courts is stupid…but I would give rafa the favourite tag easily..as sanju rightly pointed out, djokovic so narrowly escaped in so many matches in 2011 even !

    and djokovic was just so close yet so far ! he reached the tie break but the was never even close to threatening rafa as he trailed 0-6 ! a

    • I love how Ricky likes to provoke us with his comments. No one here has said anything like Rafa is unbeatable! We know better! It is also interesting to note that Murray did not do well at these events last year and still won the USO. He had disappointing results again that cost him the #2 ranking, but he could still win the USO again. Djoker isn’t going anywhere. He will want to do well at the USO. Both these guys have big points to defend. They will go in as favorites to win. But there are others in the mix now and Rafa is one of them. Delpo is another. Fed looked really good against Rafa and seemed to find some answers, but will he be able to do it given being ranked outside the top four? Can he play well enough consistently to be a threat at the USO? We will have to see.

      Just because Rafa had a tough time getting some of his wins, doesn’t somehow diminish them. In fact, I would say the opposite. The hard fought wins are sometimes the most satisfying. I think that Rafa will derive even more confidence knowing that he was challenged and was up to it.

      There have been some good points made about how Djoker has escaped narrowly many times in the past. The simple fact is that he is playing nowhere near his best form these days. He is losing matches that he would have won in the past. He is losing them in ways that are concerning. Since when does he double fault at key points in a match? Since when does he double fault to give away service breaks? Since when does he give up leads only to lose? I think there is some kind of mental burnout or something going on with Djoker. A win at the USO would certainly do a lot to reestablish him as the top guy in this sport.

      • i’m not saying any of you did. I am saying there is a prevailing thought around the internet – on Twitter, other website, etc. – among Rafans that Rafa is unbeatable.

      • hi nny.. i was searching the photos of tennis players and their wives & girlfriends but then i was confused coz i hv not seen rafa’s gf.. what is the name of her current gf? i think he changes gfs quickly ..

      • hey ricky.. and all you guys i don’t don’t know enough things about tennis yet so don’t angry or don’t overreact.. told you guys already i hv been following tennis since 2011 WTF so its almos 1.5 years and in my country cricket is the game which i hv been watching all the time tennis is whole a new thing for me and interesting too.. i watch djoker gf Murray’s gf federer’s wife kids usually on the court but i don’t remember where is rafa’s gf i remember it was 2012 frenchopen i think when i saw his gf..

        • ah i gotcha. Nadal’s long-time girlfriend’s name is Xisca. She rarely attends tournaments but she does every now and then. They have been dating for years. As far as I know, she’s the only GF Rafa has ever had.

      • and i was impressed by the atmosphere of tennis in WTF it was great n then i was umpressed by the looks of tennis guys at that time fed was my fav then i was impressed by delpo he was too humble then in Wimbledon i was cheering for murray because he was a deserving guy when he broke into tears i was also crying .. so then he was my fav then dimi came he was cute 😉 so he is also in my fav list.. then i see here bundle of rafans i m not against him but i don’t like his hairstyle may be he will look cute but he needs a haircut 😉 then may be he could also be my fav guy 😉

  18. wc0206@August 19, 2013 at 6:16 pm

    Ricky!
    The last 7 times you picked Djokovic to win a tournament (Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Rome, Wimbledon, Montreal, Cincinnati), he didn’t win. I don’t mind if you continue to pick him! 🙂

  19. sana@August 20, 2013 at 1:43 am
    — i hv not seen rafa’s gf.. what is the name of her current gf? —

    “Wimbledon: The senorita who inspires Nadal”
    Published: Mon, July 5, 2010
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/184938/Wimbledon-The-senorita-who-inspires-Nadal

    Rafael Nadal and Maria Francisca Perello. Photostream (17 photos).
    http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Rafael+Nadal/Maria+Francisca+Perello/Juntos+Por+La+Integracion+Charity+Gala+Barcelona/js5p7uso90g

    Maria Francisca Perello (Xisca) and Rafa have been dating since she was 17 and he was 19.

  20. sana@August 20, 2013 at 1:43 am
    — i hv not seen rafa’s gf.. what is the name of her current gf? —

    My previous post didn’t go through, probably due to the links (URL). I am trying again. Now I have put a space in both URL (after h), you need to remove it.

    “Wimbledon: The senorita who inspires Nadal”
    Published: Mon, July 5, 2010
    h ttp://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/184938/Wimbledon-The-senorita-who-inspires-Nadal

    Rafael Nadal and Maria Francisca Perello. Photostream (17 photos).
    h ttp://www.zimbio.com/photos/Rafael+Nadal/Maria+Francisca+Perello/Juntos+Por+La+Integracion+Charity+Gala+Barcelona/js5p7uso90g

    Maria Francisca Perello (Xisca) and Rafa have been dating since she was 17 and he was 19.

  21. I was here to post the same link, ed ! haha…. the last para is so powerful.,.

    Nadal’s successful campaigns at Roland Garros, where he has won eight times, are built around winning ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Monte Carlo, Rome and Madrid. His clay-court confidence especially comes from saving break points so he arrives in Paris feeling like Superman. Nadal has now won successive ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in Montreal and Cincinnati and opponents have only managed to convert exactly 4/18 in both events (8/36 total = 22%). There is a certain sense of déjà vu in Nadal’s preparation as he heads to New York searching for his 13th career Grand Slam championship title.

  22. before USO, I had murray the fav, followed by djo , then rafa ,then delpo and then fed..

    Now, it is surely rafa..followed by andy and nole. then delpo-fed ….

    I do not understand the reason for having nole as the favourite (i dont care much though) … I mean, rafa’s current form is the biggest factor here.. normally, current form is not that big a factor for players who have actually a history of choking at big events or at yet to prove themselves at big events or their rivals are mentally and physically tougher for slam semis and finals…with rafa, his stamina and mental toughness is second to none ..so if he keeps playing with the same form and confidence, I would say it would be extremely hard for anyone to beat him…I would surely have rafa as a favourite against djoker if they meet in the final ( although the lead up to the final is important too) because of djoker’s recent mental fragility..he is short of confidence at the moment ..

  23. rafa fans, I just realized that rafa can regain world no.1 by winning USO, granted djokovic loses before the final 🙂 I know he needs to win seven matches and the road to winning USO is very very tough and he may not be able to deliver, but I am surely optimistic 🙂

  24. yes Rafa has a chance to get to no 1 soon or by the end of the year… but more surely he has a strong possibility of getting to no 1 by mid February (if not earlier) as he has no points at all to defend until well past the Australian Open.

    If he remains largely injury free he would have to play pretty poorly for the next 5.5 months not to reach number 1.

    For him to regain it post Djokovic 2011 and with Andy and other players playing much better than they did when he was last number 1 would (will!) be quite an achievement.

  25. I meant to write pretty poorly compared to how we can reasonably expect him too perform. He is more rested than usual at this time of the year. No guarantees but we can expect him to go deep into the US Open. Similarly, baring injuries, we can expect him to go deep at the Australian Open. He has done that at both slams for a number of years, except when he got injured at the AO and once when arriving exhausted at the US Open (2008).

    • I hope he goes hell for leather on winning USOpen 2013 and Australian Open 2014 and then just concentrate on RG. He will be 28 next year, will need to take it easy as he will have achieved a double career Slam…..

      He could of course oblige me by winning Wimby 2014, get the Rafa Slam and be 1 short of Roger’s Slam haul.

      Ah well, dreams are free……………….

  26. I thought he was going to get the Rafa Slam after he won the USO in ’10 and was doing so well. Then came getting ill i January ’11 followed by a hamstring injury just at the time Novak 2.0 was in his second month.

    I can’t imagine he could get US and AO back to back this time. And it’s totally OK if he doesn’t. But yes, that dream has crossed my mind :-). Again, what we do know is that Rafa will surprise us but surpassing expectations (everyone’s expectations) in some important way at least once or twice a year. He has been doing that for many years now.

    • Just kidding of course. I am just happy Rafa is enjoying his tennis out there, win or lose. It was so painful watching him so not enjoying himself on court in 2011.

      If he wants to surprise me, why not, I am game!

  27. Rafa has his sights set on the USO. He’s had a plan since he came back in Montreal. He was testing some aspects of his game and clearly he’s been working on his serve and ROS. He has come back with a vengeance.

    I am not going to forget Djoker and Murray. I think they should both be favorites. I know that Djoker hasn’t looked good at times throughout this year and has been inconsistent. I think he still has to be considered one of the favorites at the USO. I heard that if he loses before the semis and Rafa wins, then Rafa will be #1. But I expect Djoker to be determined to do well at the USO. Murray also has motivation as the defending champion. It’s not like these guys are going away any time soon.

    I do think Rafa belongs in the group of favorites to win. He is playing simply brilliant tennis right now. If he can keep it up, then he has a good shot to win the USO. I think some forget that Djoker has only won the USO once and been in three finals. In 2010, where he lost to Rafa, in 2011 when he beat Rafa and in 2012 when he lost to Murray. So he does have three straight finals here. Rafa won in 2010 in his first final, lost to Djoker in his second final in 2011 and didn’t play last year.

    I see Delpo in the mix too provided he can stay healthy. Fed is a possibility but won’t have it easy given his seeding.

  28. Odds are “adjusting”.

    Nole is paying slightly under 3:1. Rafa and Muzz are about the same at 3.5:1.

    So Nole is no longer a heavy favourite.

    Delpo is 4th at about 10:1.

    Fed is 5th at about 15:1.

  29. I think those odds make sense. Djoker would not be an overwhelming favorite at this time. There is a question mark with Murray given his poor showing at Montreal and Cincy. But I did check the atp website to see last year’s results for the top guys and was surprised to see that Murray did not do well at either event. I expect Murray to show up big time as the defending champion.

    I see the three favorites as Djoker, Murray and Rafa. The odds may change before the tournament starts. I still think we need to see the draw. That will tell us a great deal.

  30. How the heck does Isner have a better chance than berdych to win the whole event ?? Totally disagree ! berdych has a WINNING head to head record against murray and he has scored some big wins against federer including last year’s win at the open.. rafa seems to be the biggest obstacle for him and then novak…

    Isner stands little chance to beat the top 4 in a best of 5 match…winning 3 tie breaks won’t be easy ! plus, berdych has much more experience at Qfs, SFs , he is also a slam finalist..he is absolutely a bigger favourite than isner

  31. berdych DEFINITELY has a chance to take down ferrer, esp given ferrer’s poor form and niggles of late…

    how much chance does isner have to beat the big 4 in a BEST OF FIVE format? very low ! berdych can beat murray and federer and if the draw opens up nicely for him, he can have his chances..surely more than isner’s (who does have a chance this time though) but I won’t be surprised at all if he does not make it to week 2..got to see if he gets any good returners early on…. I do not want nadal to face him though !

  32. Right now the odds don’t mean much. When the draw comes out on Thursday, then we will have a better idea of who has the best chance.

    I honestly couldn’t care less about the odds. It’s what happens on the court that I care about and the oddsmakers have nothing to do with that.

  33. sana@August 20, 2013 at 10:53 am

    —Rafa & girlfriend Maria Francisca Perello enjoy NYC before the US Open.
    Rafael Nadal was spotted in New York with his girlfriend Maria Francisca Perello yesterday. Rafa sported a lime green shirt and neon green Nike shoes, while Maria looked great in a striped shift dress and carrying an oversized red bag. Glad to see Rafa enjoying a short rest before he starts practicing again for the final Grand Slam of the year.—
    http://tinyurl.com/lmhgcpn

  34. NNY: Yesterday you said you could not open the TinyURL link (which was for the ATP site), You need to check you have opened the ‘Preview’ option when you get to the TinyURL site.

    I am always rabbiting on about it not being wise to extrapolate the results of the two Masters leading up to the USO to predict form!!! That Rafa managed to win these back to back would have been an amazing performance at any time but this year of all years it is positively jaw-dropping. I would love to think it is a precursor to what we can expect from him in the next fortnight: I remain optimistic he will go deep but I think people are getting carried away to assume he is a dead-ringer for another Slam.

    #EeyoreSyndromeAtWork

  35. http://www.mundodeportivo.com/20130821/tenis/open-usa/toni-nadal-rafa-nadal-us-open_54378693011.html

    Uncle Toni says:
    1. Rafa is one of the favourites;
    2. Team Nadal goal is to win the tournament and attain #1;
    3. Other contenders are Murray and Djokovic. Says Isner is a clear candidate for the title because his serve is very difficult to return;
    4. Rafa is used to playing with pain and the time is right.

    So there you have it, Team Nadal is gunning for #1!

    Vamos Rafa!!

    • It’s nice to have coming from Uncle Toni, but I knew it just by watching Rafa in the two tournaments. I said he’s a man on a mission. It’s interesting that Uncle Toni has come out and said these things. He likes to keep it close to the vest and not necessarily say what he is thinking. He must be pretty impressed with what Rafa has done.

      Djoker would have to lose before the semis I think and Rafa would have to win the USO to be #1. But even if it doesn’t happen at the USO, I think it’s only a matter of time.

      The only part is when he said that Rafa is used to playing with pain. I wish it didn’t have to be that way. I agree that the time is right. I think Rafa has to do it while he can.

  36. This is what Rafa thinks about favourites:

    Nadal said through a translator,” I don’t care at all.” “Frankly, what words could I find to tell you? I mean, what else can I say? I try and play my best tennis, and the least of my concerns is to know if I’m favoured or not. These are words that will be carried away by the wind”.

  37. Typical Rafa! He is now pretty fluent in English and is able to express his thoughts far more eloquently than was the case a few years ago.

    His reluctance to be lauded as the favourite going into any tournament contrasts sharply with Djokovic’s reactions who in the past has been known to express his displeasure at not being acknowledged as one of the favourites.]

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