Tennis will waste no time shifting in high gear for the new year. Jan. 1 will see Rafael Nadal and Stan Wawrinka kick off their campaigns at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi.
The prestigious six-man event is an annual preseason showcase featuring the top players in the world. This year’s field also includes David Ferrer, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Kevin Anderson, and Milos Raonic.
Nadal and Wawrinka received byes to the semifinals as the top two seeds, while the quarterfinal draw pit Ferrer against Tsonga and Anderson against Raonic. Ferrer trounced Tsonga 6-1, 6-1 on Thursday afternoon to set up an all-Spanish showdown with Nadal on Friday. The 33-year-old needed only 54 minutes to dispose of Tsonga, who dropped serve three times in the opening set and twice in the second. Ferrer took control right from the start and managed to maintain it the whole way thanks in part to a hold from 0-40 down at 2-0 in the second set. The world No. 7 had previously broken for 2-0 even though Tsonga led 40-0 in that game, as well. Ferrer pushed his lead to 6-1, 5-0 before the Frenchman finally got back on the scoreboard with a rare hold.
Nadal is a two-time champion of this lucrative tournament, having triumphed in 2009-10 and 2010-11. The two most recent winners are not in attendance for the 2015-16 installment. Novak Djokovic captured the title three straight years before Andy Murray was the last man standing in 2014-15. No other player has even won the event, as Murray also came out on top at the first-ever Mubadala World Tennis Championship (2008-09).
For Friday’s other semifinal, Wawrinka awaits either Anderson or Raonic.
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Thanks nadline. I am thrilled to hear this! One question for you. Has he stopped his pre- service rituals?
He has cut down on them a lot there was not that many shirts tugging and pulling the shirt on the shoulders or fixing his hair. He seems to be feeling the ball and looks determined to play a high quality games.
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“If you are Nadal, it must be insulting at some level to be questioned about it. The first year in 11 you do not win a grand slam title and boom, people are wondering whether you are finished.
It might explain the occasional tetchiness of his responses to such questions (he tends to see the worst in all questions, even via email). The day before his semi-final win over David Ferrer at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships (MWTC), he was asked about his expectations for the year ahead, and whether he needed to make a big comeback”
http://www.thenational.ae/sport/tennis/rafael-nadal-out-to-end-doubts-over-future-displays-signs-of-2016-gameplan-in-abu-dhabi
I was right, Rafa doesn’t like being asked question like this. Read the whole article
Saw the highlights. Happy with what I saw. Yes second set giving up 2 breaks back was a bit of a concern..but it was first match of the year. It will get better with time.
I agree after seeing the highlights. I am not too concerned with Rafa giving up the two breaks in the second set. I also thought that Ferrer played better in that second set. But Rafa restored order in the third set.
Ricky, I sent you a video by email to post here.
didn’t get it. Send again!
It says the file is too big to send. It was a video. I’ll try and work something out.
sinnet09 is my Twitter account. Just sent a pic of Rafa waving to the crowd. Please post here. Thanks
https://twitter.com/tenngrand/status/683295537177702400
AT 3:04 PM,
The boy in the picture is U.Toni’s son.
They call him Mr. T for fun.
condense to 30 second clips and post on Twitter
Ok
Just use Dropbox.
Rafa hit an insane ROS! Two break points!