One of the top two players in the world will head into the French Open fresh off a Masters 1000 title in Rome. Sunday’s final between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic also provides Djokovic one last opportunity to lift one of the clay-court swing’s three winner’s trophies.
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will be squaring off for the 41st time in their careers when they clash in a marquee final at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Sunday.
Nadal leads the head-to-head series 22-18, including a much more dominant 13-3 on clay. Djokovic, however, has won three in a row over the Spaniard since losing last summer’s U.S. Open title match. They most recently faced each other earlier this spring on the hard courts of Miami, where the Serb dominated 6-3, 6-3. In fact, he has won six consecutive sets at Nadal’s expense and none of those six has been more competitive than 6-4.
Djokovic’s Miami triumph extended his record to 11-9 against Nadal in finals. They have collided a record 21 times at Masters 1000 events, with Djokovic having won 12 of those meetings. Eleven of those 21 have come with a title on the line, and Djokovic holds a 6-5 edge in such encounters. Nadal is 3-1 against Djokovic in Rome, including 2-1 in Rome finals.
The route to this latest championship installment of the Nadal-Djokovic rivalry was a circuitous one for both men, to say the least. Nadal has spent 10 hours and four minutes on the court through four matches despite needing only one hour and 22 minutes to overwhelm Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals. That was preceded by three-set battles against Gilles Simon, Mikhail Youzhny, and Andy Murray. Djokovic held off Radek Stepanek in straight sets before requiring three to get past Philipp Kohlschreiber, David Ferrer, and Milos Raonic.
Both players have endured up-and-down but for the most part productive 2014 campaigns. Djokovic is 23-3 with back-to-back titles in Indian Wells and Miami before a wrist injury put a momentary dent in his clay-court progress. Nadal is 34-5 with three titles, including one in Madrid after hiccups at the quarterfinal stage in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona.
In a three-out-of-five showdown, for example at the French Open, this one may favor Nadal–especially with Djokovic coming off a three-hour slugfest against Raonic. In a more condensed battle, however, the No. 2 seed should be able to execute the offensive tactics that have worked so well against Nadal in the past for the necessary two out of three sets.
Pick: Djokovic in 3
[polldaddy poll=8055902]
It depends on how Djokovic is doing psychologically with the Serbian floods. He is trying to raise awareness to the “biblical” rains there that are destroying homes and killing people. I think the situation could give him motivation and he can then make a public appeal for funds.
Is this some kind of myth being spun around the Djokovic narrative now? That come RG, he has some outside force toying with his fate? Last year it was his beloved mentor, the lady who died, this year it is the floods, who will either inspire him to the holy grail or destabilize him emotionally? Please, this is becoming ridiculous. I know RG is important to Djokovic but this mythologizing makes the futility of it all rather pathetic tbh. Djokovic is good enough to win RG, without the supernatural help.
And this does not mean I am making light of the floods, that is a serious calamity that should not be high jacked for some tennis player’s narrative. Djokovic has shown where his priorities lie, in Rome. so please, let’s give this a rest.
There are always excuses………..even when Novak has the game to beat Rafa!
https://twitter.com/augustazeight/status/467911620505923584/photo/1
I would not be surprised, nor totally upset if Djokovic wins this. In my view, he needs this more than Rafa does. I hope Rafa continues with the improvements he has been making and builds on the positives from the Muzza and Grisha matches.
#RG
Good match Rafa, Vamos!
Cant pick, can go either way.
Hope Rafa wins. I think this is similar to 2012 Rome where they faced each other. During 2012, there were people like chr18 who hoped and wished Rafa and Nole kill each other in the Rome final so that Fed comes and takes the RG crown, do you guys remember? I hope this match is well fought but not bitterly to derail either
@Sanju,
Who could forget good old chr18! What a character!
I will just say this. I do not want to see Rafa play the way he did in Miami. I do not want another lopsided non-competitive win for Novak. Rafa did spend a lot of time on court in this tournament, but I think he needed it after getting knocked out early in both MC and Barcelona. So he missed out on some matches that he would have normally played. I don’t know that this final is going to do in Rafa or Novak.
It is hard to pick this one. I do agree that it could either way. But I would like to see Rafa get the win here and stop the most recent losing streak to Novak. I don’t want to see that start all over again. My only concern with Rafa is his serve, especially that second serve. You know that Novak is going to attack with his strong ROS. I don’t know if Rafa’s serve can hold up against him right now. That’s the main concern I have, because I really believe that Rafa has gotten himself together. He’s not at his best, but he’s playing so much better than he was even in Madrid. Most importantly, he seems to have his mind clicking again on the court, that mental focus and concentration. Playing Murray, seemed to light a spark in Rafa. After the match, in the on court interview Rafa spoke about feeling the passion again in the sport. It was good to hear that.
All I will say is that I think this one is going three sets. I would love to see Rafa win.
@ritb
You forgot how Djoker only lost to Rafa in MC because his grandad had passed but he would win RG so he could dedicate it to him, just as he was going to win it last year for his late coach.
I have not seen anything from Nole this week to suggest that he is in better form than Rafa. Let’s just leave it at that.
The turmoil in the Ukraine directly impacts on Dolgo’s life. But he isn’t exploiting the tragedy unfolding there to garner sympathy.
I don’t see what is wrong with him appealing for help. After all he also participated in other events such as Help for Haiti and one or two other tragedies.
yep
(and HIT for Haiti)
This, to me, is putting his money where his mouth is! Much more effective than complaining about what CNN or BCC are doing or not doing:
RT @adel1609 : “Didn’t see Djokovic donated his entire Rome prize money to help the people affected by the floods in Serbia. Smart decision.”
#Chapeau
@Pat,
Thank you.
So far the poll is heavily weighted in Rafa’s favour. Probably because there are more Rafans around here than Nolans.
I’m going with Rafa in 3 tough sets.
Photo call plus sound bites
http://tennis.si.com/2014/05/17/novak-djokovic-criticizes-media-serbia-flood-italian-open/
To my knowledge, Serbia is no Haiti. Serbia has emerged from the ravages of war to become a well-managed, well-run economy with ambitions to become a Member of the EU, if it is not one already. It can handle this catastrophe. I am sure this is the calculation behind the relative lack of saturation media coverage which Djokovic is whining about. For this, Serbians should actually be proud that they are not in the news for this!
@ rafaisthebest:
May 18, 2014 at 6:44 am
I second that! wining Rome again would be a great thing for Rafa but even if he loses today it wouldn’t change a thing. Rafa’s form is improving, he already proved he is reaching the top of his game and I firmly believe he will peak at RG. I want Rafa to enjoy this match with Nole and play with calm. The rest will come.
I bet Nole will talk about the floods in Serbia during ceremony. If he wins, he will talk about dedicating this win to the people of Serbia and so on. If he loses, he will say how he is heavily disturbed with the events in Serbia. It is unfortunate and sad situation in Serbia and all the neighboring countries are mobilized in providing support to Serbian people. This very moment at the Serbian TV the Serbian Prime Minister is thanking publically Novak and other Serbian sportsman for their support. I appreciate Novak’s support but I do not approve using this event for PR purposes. That is all I will say on this.
The fact that Djokovic is so proudly advocating his Serbian chauvinism is a shame in itself. There’s nothing wrong in being proud of your own roots or feeling a close bond to one’s birthground, but Serbia….. Boy, is Novak in denial of the fact that the Serbs were the biggest war criminals we’ve had in Europe in 70 years? Very disturbing to see him walk around with that flag after a victory.
^^By your logic sir/madam, Germans should not “walk around” with their flag, same for the Chinese, the Brits, the Japanese, the Americans and on and on and on then. Opinions, my dear fellow/lady. It’s a can of worms not worth opening in my view……
We all have crosses to carry, no?
Peace………….
Much is being said about rafa’s 2nd serve’s vulnerability…. I agree that defending it will be key. Rafa won 100% of 2nd serves against Muzz in the second set and overall he won 52% .Muzz is an equally good returner so that must have been good practice for rafa.
Rafa served at 81% first serves yesterday…that would be difficult to sustain today because rafa will have to go for more on his serve and hit more difficult serves (outwide on the duece court) so percentage will be lower …shud be in the 70s though..
Rafa’s backhand has really picked up. Forehand is good too but I want more aggressiveness ! He only had 4 forehand winners against muzz …he dictated lots of pnts with it But I want to see more outright winners.
The bets thing is that rafa’s mental lapses have become less and less frequent ! He did not show any yesterday so he does look prepared to take on djokovic, who is also not at his very best. Rafa complained about his poor movement and backhand after miami and I can see improvements in both aspects. HIs ‘passion’ and ‘inside power’ are back so this CANNOT be like the miami final at all.
my only concern is that facing djo makes rafa very nervous and in non-slam matches he often comes out playing rather tentative and passive tennis . This gets him in early trouble and then pressure mounts. His backhand has been failing him agaisnt djokovic in the last few matches. even in the USO final, it was not as aggressive as it was against others in the previous matches. If rafa can come out with his backhand firing …he’l dictate more…. the inside out and DTL forehands are, of course of prime importance.
BIG match for both players !
testing
If Rafa plays with ‘colm’ he’ll be half way there. He needs to serve well and get as many 1st serves in as possible.
Re Djokovic, I don’t think he can be held personally responsible for the Serbian war. Apart from the fact that he was a small child then, what our governments do in our name we don’t always approve of. Many Brits were against invading Iraq, but there was nothing we could to stop it.
All I’ll say is, he should go and live in Serbia and pay his taxes.
Which of the two will be the more nervous?
^^^That is the question.
Is that a trick question @ed251137??
We all know Mama Nadal spiked Rafa’s formula with nerve-inducing drops, so……………..
Even if he comes out nervous, Djokovic never let’s on……#peacock
^^^^^No, not at all. I am interested in what people think.
In spite of his swagger Djokovic hasn’t struck me as being particularly sure of himself this week. Plus he was decidedly rattled at coming so close to losing to Raonic which might have knocked his self belief a bit..
Of course he will go up several gears against Rafa (like they all do) but Rafa has honed his game this week and is brimming with a new found confidence. Sure he will almost certainly be tentative for the first few games and probably lose the first set before raising his level.
IMO it is Djokovic who will be the more nervous of the two.
In my opinion, if Rafa is going to win this, he has to win the first set. No room for heebie-jeebies in a best of 3.
Rafa’s presser after the SF
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7XHhnHexjU
RT @scambers73: “Big psychological edge on offer for winner of @RafaelNadal and @DjokerNole in Rome today. Can’t help thinking that Rafa needs the win more”
So, Djokovic needs Rome less than Rafa does? Lets’ see, he would be okay going into RG, a title he fancies most, without a clay tournament win this season.
Got that…………
Rafa, just go out there and have fun!! Play your game, you did great to reach the final. You have bigger fish to fry, I would not advocate for you to go out there to make a point of beating Novak and jeopardise your chances at RG!! You need to win you fourteenth and then prepare yourself for Wimby! For me,you have nothing left to prove, once you can get to beat Novak at GSs, don’t care what really happens at Masters, there comes a time when we all have to pick our battles!! Good luck ,Rafa, and vamos!!!
By the way, Serena has just won her Rome masters, hope that is a good indication of the outcome of the mach today……he he!!!
I expect a result similar to Miami 14 final.
Nole should win this as he is the better player.
And ATM he is the no:1 in terms of form and capability, one cannot be no:1 for long just because he is a lefty.
Wasn’t aware there was a separate rankings chart based on form and capability to be honest @sabsy. The one I know has Rafa as #1 and that is based on……oh wait, form and capability. As for who is the better player, we gonna see, no?
Vamos Lefty! Cause more wailing and gnashing of teeth in Rogerstan!!
@sabs
A rare case of a bye-pass in logical thinking on display.
One cannot be #1 for long just because he is a lefty?????????? Perhaps the greatest player of all time was a lefty…Rod Laver. Not to mention he was at the top of the game for many years. I guess Johnny Mac should be dismissed as just a lefty, too. Good lord.
All anti Nadal fans talk as if tennis started in 2011.
If the result depends on who won the last match then hardly anyone would have ever beaten Rafa apart from when he was a teenager.
Hope Rafa doesn’t get nervous.
Nole doesn’t even hold a slam title, how can he be the best?
RT @bgtennisnation : “Right now I am leaning slightly towards Djoker because what I saw in Miami but just hoping for a epic 3 hr battle”
Have yet to see a single pundit picking Rafa for this one. Funny, narry a word from the pundits about Djokovic’s “injury” now that he’s in the final.
Vamos Rafa!
Nerves taken over me completely (:-
Rusedski has picked Rafa and Barry Cowan, Djokovic.
All pundits like Brad Gilbert, Serenas coach all leaning towards Nole
BTW sabs is a known Fed fan from TT days. Do you expect anything else other than denigrating Rafa? Isnt that the script from every FedEx fan
They keep on about how Rafa has played 3 three sets matches but nothing about Djokovic doing the same.
Rafas Mom, Dad, gf all there to give him comfort, poise and support. Maybe he will win 🙂
The flood excuses have started.
Outstanding from Rafa. shaky from DJokovic. first set is in the bag now
You spoke too soon vamosrafa
Like what I’m seeing ?
? ? ?
Commies preparing excuses for Djokovic already
Oh no Rafa why did you let him back..(:-
Djoko out muscling Rafa now (:-
Damn 0 30..Jesus
Somebody ram a tennis ball down Gobbie Robbie’s throat please.
Very aggressive from Rafa to save those 3 BPs
re: my comment earlier. Both guys are as nervous as hell. ND slightly more than Rafa.
Time violations will do for Rafa if he’s not careful.
Phew..6 4..Rafa has surprisingly won 75% of 2nd serve points vs 50 of 1st set..thats such a surprise
One broken racquet from Djoker I don’t like it.
Both of them see pretty nervous to me. Now that Rafa has won the first set, he should hopefully play with more “colm”
Rallies won under 5 shots:
Nadal 10 – Djokovic 15
Rallies won over 5 shots:
Nadal 21 – Djokovic 12
Sanju, no I did not 😛 rafa’s forehand decided the set. simple as that
Koenig can’t make up his mind who to back in this match. He keeps praising Nole but he wants to be seen to be backing the right horse so he’s hedging his bets. lol.
Rafa should start attacking.
Very strong start to 2nd from Nole..love hold..Rafa beware..Please don’t let it go..Focus..The beat Novak will wake up
0 30..Rafa in trouble (:-
Nick Lester has just referred to Djoko’s ironic smile. I would call it an ironic sneer.
Oh No Nole broke 2 0
This is what I feared
Nole is hitting backhand winners down the line at will..
Coach MOURATOGLOU @pmouratoglou · 56s
At the moment, #nole taking #rafa out of his comfort zone.
Balls taken on the rise, he controls the rallies and takes time off Rafa.
Sanju. Please tone it down! You’re driving me nuts.
was Rafa up 2 breaks in the 1st?
Yes
Why? What did I say..I just said the facts. Noles backhand down the line is causing damage..But I feel Rafa waking up slowly again..wouldn’t be surprised with a break back
What did I say ed? 😉
We can see the ‘facts’ for ourselves. You’re rubbing salt into the wounds 🙂
You were right about getting the break back!
Problem is Rafa gave it straight back again 🙁
Vamos!
Rafa is just being defensive now.
DTLF missing in action. I’m going to take the dog out for a walk now 🙁
novak is outplaying rafa..
Totally bossing him around..
Would like to see Rafa take more risks. He is playing too conservative right now. Djokovic is just swinging for the lines……..and it’s paying off.
Anyhoo, it’s an improvement for Rafa. Last 3 matches Novak won in straight sets, today he took a set off him.
Why is Rafa letting Nole have it all his way?
Ed,I would too if I had a dog.
This match is taking shape like the USO 3rd set..Rafa down a break early der too..manages to save going a 2nd break down by fighting BPs
Will he win the set 6 4 too like he did there? Hope so 🙂 Pray Pray
Nah, don’t think Novak is gonna give up the advantage. If this was a 5-setter yeah I would say Rafa will get back…
2 issues I see here:
1. Rafa’s court positioning, way too defensive, needs to play up the court more
2. 2nd serve. He really needs his 1st serves because his 2nd serve is so vulnerable
Oh Dear!
Plus side: even if he is on the back foot, Rafa’s attitude is positive, good sign going into RG……..
Congrats to Nole. He really has figured out Rafa. He seems unstoppable at least in the M1000’s. Think he is going to break the record of 5 M1000’s in a single season despite missing Madrid and the wrist injury in MC
🙁
how was the match?
Disappointing.
in terms of quality?
Strategy?
Bearing on RG?
1. Quality, very good. Novak deserved to win on the basis of his aggressive play in the 2nd and 3rd sets. It’s quite strange: Rafa was beating Novak with the FHDTL in the 1st set and then in the 2nd and 3rd he was going cross-court all the time……..kinda makes one wonder. Novak’s serve has become a match winner in its own right, Rafa’s needs to improve. I think Rafa had zero aces the whole match, c’mon…
2. Strategy. Novak seems to have changed strategy, going for Rafa’s FH instead of BH i.e. attacking the strong side rather than the weaker one. Maybe this is what made Rafa hesitate on the DTL shots…………..
Anyway, it is clear, the FHDTL is very important to Rafa………..
3. Bearing on RG. None, in my view as far as Rafa is concerned. All this has done is give the punditry something to write about, give endless, useless analyses, pontificate i.e. the RG organisers are licking their chops because of the interest this will shower on RG. This gives Novak confidence but didn’t he have it in spades last year? Rafa sorts out his serve and FHDTL he wins RG, no question…………
Just my tuppence worth………………
Very bad quality! Rafa looked like he did not care about the match. Sometimes he was happy with some shots.
Congrats Novak. Well deserved
I cant understand after Rafa broke back in 3rd with some fab play..why did he suddenly dissipate away in last 3 games. That was inexplicable. He almost kinda gave up in last 3 games. Anyways Rafa atleast fought..maybe the fatigue finally did him in in the 3rd set
Finally this year Djoko seems to have encroached into Rafa territory. How often has Rafa lost a clay court final after being a set up. Nole was also tested by several opponents. So fatigue was a problem for him too. Nole is too good for Rafa these days and the margin seems to be widening at least in best of 3 matches.
See I don’t deny Nole has figured out Rafa and does own him ..the match up is to his advantage. But Rafa played Madrid and Rome back to back..he has far far more matches to play. He has played much more. In such a grueling match, the physical power at end does matter in addition to mental play
Anyways Rome was the battle..the war is RG..Let us see who comes out trumps there
Why else did Rafa dissipate away in the last 3 games? I think the fatigue did him in finally in addition to the mental pressure.
Don’t forget this will kinda install Nole as favorite for RG by many and will put immense pressure on him too
I think its mental and mental alone. You know against Murray when it went to the third set, even with the break down, you knew Rafa still had a chance. But here, the moment it went to the third set, it felt like its going to be an uphill task. Whether he likes it or not,I am sure the mental scars would be there after all the losses inflicted on him by Nole in the past few years, at least in best of 3 matches. At least in 2011, the losses were competitive affairs. This time, Beijing to Miami have been duds. And losing this would hurt, especially after being a set up. I think its only Nole who has managed to come back to win the match after losing the first set since 2011 – IW,Miami,AO and now this. I sure am hoping for a Nole defeat before the finals in RG. The slam encounters can wait for when Rafa is feeling more confident
I too am hoping someone else takes out Nole..but pray who else can.Only AStan has a chance..I cant see anyone else doing it
So rafa loses to djokovic again… I am not too unhappy though..sure , disappointed but not too unhappy…concerned? yes..but not that much…
vamosrafa,
Thanks, you always keep it real. I don’t know what I would do without you here on this site. I woke up early to see that Rafa was winning the first set. So I set my recording and went back to sleep feeling very good about his chances. Then I woke up later and came online to see that he lost the next two sets. So I am bummed right now.
I guess some need to be careful about saying things like Novak will never beat Rafa again. I always say – never say never! Now it’s four straight wins over Rafa. I will watch the match for myself today. But from what I am reading here, it sounds like my concerns about his serve were justified. Also it appears that Rafa wasn’t playing aggressively in the second and third sets. So there is more work to be done. This time it went three sets and that’s progress.
I am disappointed and concerned. But I am not about to write off Rafa for RG. Not at all!
Thanks for your wonderful take on things. You are following Rafa’s example in how you conduct yourself here! 🙂
Drat, would have loved for Rafa to win this, but full marks to Novak.
It was not a beat-down, so while it gives Djokovic confidence going into RG I don’t think Rafa should be disheartened. I hope this plays out like in 2013 when Novak won MC beating Rafa, became over-confident and lost RG. The holes in Rafa’s game are clear and this is something he can work on:
1. Court positioning. It’s like the roles have been reversed from the Fall HC situation last year where Rafa was adopting a more aggressive court positioning, he seems to have reverted to his defensive style. This needs to change.
2. Serve. Rafa’s 2nd serve is a liability, this was clear in the stats. In the 1st set, Rafa defended his 2nd serve and won the set. In the 2nd and 3rd, Novak successfully attacked it and won the match.
Vamos to RG!
I did not hear Novak mention Rafa in his winner’s speech………….???
Emphatic
Congrats Nole, amazing number of winners!
Rafa reverred to his bad tactics in the third………way back in the baseline as usual……….he will NEVER get good results against Novak when he plays that way………..not in a three setter! I just go back form church and I expected there sets but when Rafa went to serve I saw it was not gong to be good………..defensive and not aggressive!! Anyway, I still believe Rafa will win RG, HE STILL HAS TIME TO WORK ON SERVE AND COURt positing…….I really did not see too much separating the two except Rafa,s stubbroness!
Looking forward to RG, where I know we will be happy again!
By the way, Novak wins this every three years…….I told my mom he would win as a resultand it true
yeah it seems to go 2 rafa 1 nole, 2-1 2-1
French Open seems to go 8 Rafa 0 Nole….
What is Rafa looking so pleased about?
Why should he not be pleased? It was not a blow out and maybe the win does not mean so much to him like it means to us! Rafa will win RG………that’s the prize that means most of all!
^^
+1
I am betting my poor IPad, Rafa is winning RG 2014!!!
Vamos!!
You keep saying that all the time RITB. Did you not say 3 or 4 slams this year too ? 😉
@Sanju, I only got one Slam wrong, no??! There is still 3 to go in the season, so I am still in play!
Don’t worry about Rafa, Novak is NEVER beating Rafa at RG…………I mean, he has to start by defending his territory in Australia before casting an envious eye at Rafa’s no? 😉
Here is careless me, repeating MY careless opinion, for anyone careless enough to read it………….again!
Novak is not beating Rafa again!!
Vamos RG!!
ESPNTennis @ESPNTennis · 8m
With his loss to Djoker today, Nadal has lost three matches on clay in the same season for the 1st time since 2004 when he was 17.
last time he lost the French open fair and square
Ricky Dimon (at 5:31 pm)
Yes, Djoko has always lost the French Open fair and square.
Tennis Tweets @tennistweetscom · 9m
updated ladbrokes French open odds #wow
nadal 5/4
djokovic 6/4
stannis 11/2
federer 16/1
Shouldn’t have much of a bearing on French Open. That’s djokovic at 100% against Rafa at about 75-80%, court positioning way off, no down the line forehand, poor short returning, v poor serving. And it was still close!
Best out of 5 with Nadal anywhere near 95-100% he remains favorite.
Rafas defensive court positioning did him in. It allowed Nole to hit 46 winners on clay. Why was he standing so far behind baseline God alone knows
I hope the winning streak of Nole against Rafa stops..4 now ..Rafa cant let that mental monster build again that he fought so hard to remove
You know Sanju that is my issue, is it just you and me, does UT not see that and have Rafa work on that! I just hate it so much when Rafa plays that way……..it just takes away so much from his tennis And makes his game ugly!!! From the game today, if Rafa make sthose changes to his game Nole will not beat him at RG!
Sanju, how different was the first set compared to the rest?
First set Rafa dictated with his FH a lot..he was aggressive..After Nole broke to begin 2nd, he got defensive and Nole started attacking him a lot..Noles BH down the line started firing a lot in 2nd
“I did not hear Novak mention Rafa in his winner’s speech………….???”
Acute level of tardism. it is high time you saw a doctor.
There is way too my h gloom and doom on here, Rafa thought very hard out there…….I think he just could not be bothered to put the mental effort to beat Nole in the third given his limitations as per his serves! When comes RG Rafa will play a lot better……….Rafa has improved a whole lot form where he was a few weeks ago………and Novak is the one who has not won a GS in over a year!!
^^
Sing it, sister!
Maybe fatigue finally caught up with Rafa
I second that..I firmly believe that. The last 3 games he did not try too hard. Ofcourse Nole raised his level
Rafa confirms it, hope he has some serious recovery time in Mallorca. And remember, Slams have rest days:
RT @SI_BTBaseline : “Nadal says he didn’t have the energy to play the way he needs to play to beat Novak. His heavy week finally caught up to him. #atp”
Anyways Rafa in Rome > Madrid > MC + Barcelona
So hopefully Rafa in RG betters Rome
RAFA had no chance against Nole today, the kind of winners Nole produced is awesome.
RAFA is lucky to win 1st set, Nole had many chances to even in 1st set.
Nole is the player to beat in 2014 and in RG.
Rafa won the first set fair and square..Stop talking gibberish
Though I agree Nole has the upper hand now with 4 wins over Rafa
BTW where is Federer? 🙂 I am sure you have no answer to that
You have every right enjoy a defensive style of play, so do we have the right to cherish attacking game and amazing shot making.
What gibberish here I don’t understand( Nole surprisingly missed his second break back chance in 1st set from 0-40).
Fed is past, Stan is the Man now 🙂
sabs@May 18, 2014 at 6:16 pm
Stan is also an old man – he is 29!
Djoko is not young either – 27 (on May 22).
AW look, a @Nole fan in the house. So Tenngrand is not THAT hostile a territory for Nole fans after all……….
See you at RG, @sabsy!
@nadline, you were asking why Rafa smiling about? The tweets below have your answer:
RT @juanjosetennis: “Commiserations to Nadal fans – that was a tough one. But I think best of 5 increases Nadal’s margin of error significantly. Hence the lopsided H2H at Roland Garros between these two”
RT @juanjosetennis : “I would agree with Annacone’s general assessment of this match: Djokovic’s aggression was spectacular…but can it last in a best of 5?”
RT @juanjosetennis: “That’s what stands out for me: Djokovic won the last 2 sets playing a mostly free brand of aggressive tennis. That tends to be unsustainable. So, caution for those who think this guaratees French Open success for Djokovic.”
Vamos Rafa!
Juan José Vallejo @juanjosetennis · 2h
Djokovic’s game represents that challenge, since it’s almost tailor-made to destroy Nadal’s game. Watching Nadal troubleshoot is fascinating
Juan Jose has got to be one of the best tennis analysts out there, thoroughly enjoy reading his analyses. He is a Nole fan, but totally clear-eyed……………..
Actually, he isn’t a Nole fan. You like him because he is a Rafa fan and he doesn’t even try to it. Read his comments during this match. When Nole is playing well, he claims Nole isn’t using any tactics. Just because you don’t know/understand/agree with the tactic doesn’t mean there isn’t one.
whom are we talking about?
http://www.changeovertennis.com/juan-jose-vallejo/
Well, his favourite video posted on his bio on changeovertennis is ‘Novak Djokovic…THe Art of Saving Match Points’, no?
#CircumstantialEvidence
#GuiltyUntilProvenInnocent
@jjjj, easy, tiger! I take it you are a Nole fan? If so, welcome to Tenngrand!
You are not the first person to claim Juan Jose is a Rafan. I actually assumed such when I first came across his writings. But I promise (can’t swear, I am a nice girl..) he himself confirmed to an enquiry that he was a Nole fan. So, until YOU can provide conformation from Juan Jose himself that he is NOT a Nole fan, I will continue in my belief that he is a Nole fan, a Nole fan I respect very much, thanks!
It is a very nice video. Clutch stuff from Nole.
If for whatever reason, Nadal doesn’t win this year (which I don’t really want to think about), I will be happy enough to see Nole get his title. He’s come close, worked extremely hard, is a fantastic player, and is deserving.
Ajde Nole!
Ricky, the intrepid Juan Jose of the changeovertennis.com of course!
Besides, anyone who has gone on record claiming that Rafa is the GOAT is all right by me!
#Humb1e
#BELI9VE
https://tenngrand.com/2014/05/21/nice-r2-previews-and-picks-gulbis-vs-klizan-simon-vs-thiem/
hawkeye63 says:May 21, 2014 at 1:19 pm
Gee thanks…..now @jjjj will just go ahead and call me a liar!
hawkeye63@May 21, 2014 at 1:17 pm
—I will be happy enough to see Nole get his title—
What a pity! I wouldn’t have thought that you would be capable of betraying the King of Clay.
I don’t understand. I just agree with you, no?
Just to clarify, it is Nole who claimed that Rafa is GOAT, not JJ.
Hope this helps!
I said IF Rafa for whatever reason doesn’t win.
How is that a betrayal? pfft.
I like tennis and great tennis players. Period. Rafa is at the top of my list but I have great respect for so many of them.
I don’t want weak era tennis ever again.
#VamosGOAT!!!
Respectfully, please show me the courtesy of quoting me within the proper context.
Thanks gussie! 🙂
#Peace
#VamosRafa
hawkeye63@May 21, 2014 at 1:42 pm
No Rafa (aka KIng of Clay) – no tennis! I am not interesting in watching hitting a yellow ball. I want to see colorful personalities!
@hawkeye63 at 1:45 pm
Ahh, J’ai compris!!
^^should read, 1:38 pm not 1:45 pm………….
Rafa is the most colorful (subjective) but there have and continue to be great personalities in the game. Nole, Muzza, Gulbis, Monfils, Fognini, Delpo in today’s game along with Agassi, McEnroe, Connors, Nastase, Guga, Becker, Nalbandian, Safin, Rafter from the past.
You are a Nadal fan first and foremost and I am a tennis fan first and foremost. To each his or her own, no? Fair enough. I respect your position completely!
I never thought tennis would be the same without Sampras and along came Rafa. As long as there is no weak era, I will always have the passion to cheer for my favourite at that time.
I pity the federazzi for their weak era illusions.
#BeautyIsInBlahBlah
hawkeye63@May 21, 2014 at 2:48 pm
I am not a fan of the game called tennis. I am a fan of the person playing tennis.
Rafa is not disheartened guys. Lets cheer up
Nadal “My feeling for Roland Garros is better now than one week ago. I’m doing the right things”
Rafa sees Rome as a step up
^^ Let’s cheer up…???!!
Hahaha! You’re the one who has been spitting pessimism all over the thread, you’re the one who needs cheering up!! 😀
I am already feeling better after Rafas presser. I always wait to see how he reacts in the presser. It gives us his state of mind. Last year after MC loss, he told openly he was not ready to face Novak on way back from injury and he proved it in RG.
If he says he felt lack of energy, I take his word for it. It did not allow him to compete at his best and I kinda saw that in end of 3rd set. I am feeling okay thinking atleast hes not feeling disheartened and has the right feelings. If he would have fought too hard, there was always a risk of injury .
Also some experts saying Novak went flat out redlining his shots, many a times he did not play a tactical game..That is difficult to sustain over best of 5..u start missing..Rafa knows that too maybe..Thats why hes not worried much.
^^Good to hear you’re relaxing a bit @Sanju! Take heart, and cheer up!
#It’sOnlyAGame
#Rafa’sFine
Nadal says he didn’t have the energy to play the way he needs to play to beat Novak. His heavy week finally caught up to him
See I told you. He went out of gas in the 3rd last 3 games. Nothing else can explain the sudden drop in last 3 games
Ibi14 Nadal in press conference: “this was a positive week. I’m feeling good for RG”
Ben Rothenberg @BenRothenberg · 8m
Rafa’s dad swings by the press conference to give his son a bag of groceries.
What? Rafa has to cook for them after the match? ROFL
^^Too funny!
Beyond The Baseline @SI_BTBaseline · 3m
Nadal encouraged by the week. Feels far better about his game now than he did a week ago. Played 10 matches in 12 days.
That’s a lot mote matches compared to 7 (as we expect) in 14 days.
https://twitter.com/augustazeight/status/468090735594848256/photo/1
^^Thank you, @augusta!
#NoMatterWhat
Nadal: “I’m happy of my game. In Madrid I’ve played well, in Rome better. I Don’t know what will happen in Paris. We’ll see.”
“Winning against Rafa in the finals of a big tournament on clay, his preferred surface, is definitely a confidence booster,” Djokovic said. “It’s the ultimate challenge and I’m very happy with my game so far and hopefully I can carry that into Roland Garros.”
“My legs didn’t answer after a tough week, not [good enough] to arrive and to produce the power and to hit the ball longer so I let him play in positive positions,” Nadal said. His opening three wins were three of the four longest matches in Rome this week, with his first match against Gilles Simon lasting 3 hours and 19 minutes. It was the longest three-set match of the season. ” A lot of times when he had the first ball good, for me it was very difficult to arrive to the ball and to change the dynamic of the point. In general I can do a little bit better. But in general I am very proud about this week.”
@Sanju, snap!!
http://tennis.si.com/2014/05/18/rafael-nadal-novak-djokovic-italian-open-final-live-analysis/
Novak’s take:
“Winning against Rafa in the finals of a big tournament on clay, his preferred surface, is definitely a confidence booster,” Djokovic said. “It’s the ultimate challenge and I’m very happy with my game so far and hopefully I can carry that into Roland Garros.”
Rafa’s take:
“My legs didn’t answer after a tough week, not [good enough] to arrive and to produce the power and to hit the ball longer so I let him play in positive positions,” Nadal said. His opening three wins were three of the four longest matches in Rome this week, with his first match against Gilles Simon lasting 3 hours and 19 minutes. It was the longest three-set match of the season. ” A lot of times when he had the first ball good, for me it was very difficult to arrive to the ball and to change the dynamic of the point. In general I can do a little bit better. But in general I am very proud about this week.”
That’s my boy, of course you can do a little bit better, AND YOU WILL!!
Vamos!!
too tired to give my take on the match…I do have some points to make…will do that tomorrow morning… for now, I am not upset at all…I am okay..
anyway, nole is once again showing how dangerous he is for rafa even on clay..so the notion that nole won’t beat rafa was very baseless…
will share my thoughts tomorrow..off to bed
vamosrafa says: May 18, 2014 at 7:15 pm
“……so the notion that nole won’t beat rafa was very baseless…”
I said, “Novak will not beat Rafa again” which is an inside joke between me and some of my mates here, not directed at you, nor meant to offend your high analytical sensibilities. So please, next time you see this little joke of mine, ignore it, because you see, I will continue to say it.
Peace. Thanks.
#It’sAJoke
#NotMeantToBeTakenSeriously
haha… its pretty obvious who is being sensitive here and it is now becoming a trend to play the lack of sense of humor card. and don’t worry, I am always at peace 🙂
@vamosrafa,
Yes, I am sensitive to having my jokes referred to as baseless, especially without provocation. If your objective was to offend, you succeeded, well done. I have no idea what trends you are referring to but as I said, I made a joke. You saw fit to respond with a dig. Good luck.
Was a good final to watch.
Rafa came out playing better in the 1st set and Nole was all over the place spraying UE’s.
But once Nole got the measure of his BHDTL and his ROS at the start of 2nd set, Rafa seemed helpless at times. From there on he never looked to be the one controlling the match.
Djoker’s BHDTL is definitely his killer weapon against Rafa. As soon he hits that shot, suddenly the whole dynamics of the point changes and Rafa goes on the defense from offense.
One thing I think seriously troubles Rafa is his own BHDTL. He seems to hit it just for the sake of keeping the ball in play. It’s neither an offensive stroke nor a defensive one esp. against Novak.
So for me Rafa really needs to improve that shot as well his service. Even his 1st serves dont look much potent these days.
As for Nole, he was far from his best this fortnight (like Rafa) and this title should give him the confidence boost he needed. He definitely has to improve a lot for RG. Can’t really afford to make these slow starts in a GS. Also his volleys need to improve big time.
In the end : Congrats to both Nole and Rafa!
P.S. : On a lighter note, Xisca’s presence in Rafa’s player box may make me switch to support Rafa. Her looks have definitely gone up a notch!! 🙂 🙂
@abhirf,
I agree with your comment on Rafa’s 1st serve not looking potent. This is the reason his 2nd serve is exposed these days, it is not getting sufficient cover from the 1st serve. This is why I keep saying Rafa needs to improve his serve: it’s not his 2nd serve that’s the trouble, it’s the 1st! These days, the 1st serve is hit to start a rally, not offensively.
Also agree with your comment on the impact of Novak’s BHDTL, made the difference, together with his serve, imo. To me the serve is what has made a huge positive difference in Novak’s game. He is not using it to start a rally, it is offensive in its own right.
Not so sure about your take on Rafa’s BHDTL. Agree, he is not hitting it offensively but I do not think this is the money shot for Rafa. I think Rafa’s money shot against Novak is the FHDTL. If you noticed, it’s the shot that did the damage in the 1st set but wen AWOL in the 2nd and 3rd sets.
So for me, Rafa needs to improve his serve. As for the FHDTL, that is a function of Rafa’s state of mind, if he is confident, he uses it with gay abandon.
Novak was uber-aggressive int he 2nd and 3rd sets and it paid off for him.
Part of the explanation may be what Rafa referred to: he didn’t have enough power (left) in his legs come the last day of the two weeks. Without enough power in the legs, where most of the power of the strokes come from, it is hard to make the strokes aggressive enough.
^^agree. Rafa’s only human. Personally, I selfishly hoped he would simply gallop past Djokovic even when the reality was there for all to see: coming into the final, he had run 4 kms more than Djokovic. That’s gotta tell, especially against a tough customer like Djoker.
Maymo has his work cut out for him, getting Rafa recovered and ready……………RG’s only next week, no?
abhirf@May 18, 2014 at 7:31 pm
Xisca has always been good looking. She and Rafa are very suitable for each other.
December 2011:
http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Rafael+Nadal+Juntos+Por+La+Integracion+Charity+TfkEJEB2Y5Kl.jpg
vamosrafa,
You don’t have to defend yourself against that kind of attack. I have been through it, Luckystar has been through it, just the same old thing any time someone is challenged. Some people can dish it out, but can’t take it!
You are a good person, knowledgeable about this sport and a devoted Rafa fan. You have never attacked anyone here. You were just pointing out the obvious. It’s becoming a disturbing pattern here. The moral of the story is, when you are called to account for erroneous statements bragging that something will never happen, then you try to get out of it by saying it’s an inside joke! And that is a joke! 😀
^^@nny, are you referring to my conversation with @vamosrafa?
Oh Rafa was tired, as he was in Madrid final against hot Kei.
Yes, Rafa was tired, playing 3 night matches in a row not going to bed until 3am.
Keep dreaming your dreams that Nole can do what Fed never could, @sabs.
Nole wins a few battles on clay but Rafa always wins the war, no?
BTW, Lucy has a football for you to kick.
But that Novak/Rafa H2H is getting too close for comfort…….I want Rafa to retire with a positive H2H against the Top 10!
not looking good already just 22-19. More clay court events would have to be invented!
against which top 10?
The current top 10 will do nicely, Ricky! But what I REALLY want is for Rafa to retire with a positive H2H against Fed, Novak and Muzza. That, has gravitas.
Damn you, Novak………………why won’t you cooperate?? 😀
Don’t blame Nole even if he is amazing.
Rafa at his best or near his best will beat Nole more often than not.
3-3 last year but Rafa’s three include two majors. Nole? MC and Fall exhos.
hawkeye63 says:May 18, 2014 at 7:58 pm
+1
Agree, Rafa will win the war…..
Nice to see a few Fed Nole fans around though. Hard to tell the difference between them though.
#Redundant
rafaisthebest@May 18, 2014 at 8:51 pm
Djoko will cooperate – he is getting older and older (already 27).
hawkeye63 says: May 18, 2014 at 8:57 pm
I agree! Not worried……………yet!
Oh my @sabsy! You can’t hide your glee, can you?!! Hope to see you around next time Rafa beats Novak…….which will not be too far off!!
Or Fed. But then again, that’s just getting a bit sad now.
@ritb,
You better believe I am! This is getting out of control. It’s time to dispense with the personal attacks and taking such great offense every time someone doesn’t respond with glowing words of praise to whatever you have to say. You seem to be focused solely on your feelings, without regard to the comments you make that can be hurtful to others. It goes both ways.
@nny,
I am having a conversation with @vamosrafa, not you. But since you are obviously interested and want to be included, go right ahead.You seem very upset with me, for whatever reason, and appear to be looking for opportunities to vent your anger at me. Again, please go right ahead. I hope you feel better after.
Peace.
I did suspect it was down to fatigue.
@ritb,
Sorry but that approach isn’t going to work with me. You can project your feelings onto me, blame me for not being your definition of a good Rafa fan or whatever. As you know, conversations are not exclusive on a tennis forum. I wanted to respond and give support to vamosrafa because I felt he deserved it. I don’t think he said anything to warrant that response from you and that’s why I spoke up. He is one of the nicest, most respectful, intelligent people on this site. I felt that he was unfairly attacked and expressed my support. I don’t like seeing people treated in that manner. If you refuse to take any responsibility for what you say to people here, then that’s unfortunate. But I felt it was my right to express my concern about your response to vamosrafa. It’s that simple.
@nny,
Peace.
Best of five completely different as has been shown to be the case since 2005 when Rafa’s been healthy.
This has never been more the case than this year.
Rafa made great strides this week and will peak in Paris.
#BELI9VE
#GOAT
haven’t seen anything yet that leads me to assume someone can win THREE sets against Nadal on clay
But I will have to review the tapes
All precincts not yet reported
#ChallengeSystem
True.
It might have been different if Rafa was heading to RG playing as he did in MC and Barcelona, but that is no longer going to happen.
http://www.thetennisspace.com/five-things-about-djokovics-win-over-nadal-in-rome/
“Nadal still deserves his tag of favourite in Paris
Having said all that, Nadal remains the favourite with the bookmakers to win a ninth Roland Garros crown and deservedly so. It’s one thing to beat him over three sets and another altogether to sustain that brilliance over five. Nadal’s level in Paris rarely dips so someone will have to play out of their mind for three sets. The only time he’s lost there was to Robin Soderling in 2009 when his knees were creaking and it’s still a massive psychological hurdle for Djokovic – or anyone else – to overcome to beat him in Paris.”
It’s interesting he admitted he lacked the energy to play the way he needed to to beat Djokovic. It was as much mental exhaustion as physical. I was thinking last night having such a tame match against Dimitrov was a pity because I had a suspicion it might break the momentum he had been building all week. It is rare – almost alien – for Rafa not to fight till the bitter end unless he is injured. Mercifully he was not.
Some things in life are bad
They can really make you sad
Other things just make you swear and curse
When you’re chewing on life’s gristle
Don’t grumble, give a whistle
And this’ll help things turn out for the best…
And…
…always look on the bright side
of life…
dee dum, dee dum………
RT @AmyFetherolf : “Since 2004, this will be the only year Rafa’s only won just one European clay event (Madrid) in the pre-RG clay swing.”
Doesn’t matter. Vegas says he’s still favourite, I agree.
#RG2014
#Vamos
Maybe I’m just getting old but this is the “colmest” I have ever been after a Rafa loss! *takes a swig out of glass of red wine*
People wanted an interesting RG 2014 and Rafa, being the nice chap he is, just gave them one……………
What’s not to like about this guy??
#14
#RG#9
it’s always easier to be the hunter than the hunted
#SurvivingTheGame
RG qualifying begins tomorrow………..geez.
epic
Agree 22-19 is too close for comfort. But after the 7 loss streak it was 16-14..Rafa widened the gap to 22-15. So you can never say between these 2 how it will pan out
Atleast it wont be heavily lopsided like 23-10. I hope sabs is listening 🙂
My wish is for Rafa to touch 30 Masters, that should suffice. It will be a monstrous number. Ofcourse Djoko is at 19 and can catch up . From a 26-14 at last years USO, its now 27-19.
Apart from that he should space himself and focus on the majors only. 1 more RG and 1 more AO atleast , Rafa are you listening?
Djokovic has known how to neutralise Rafa on clay for years so nothing new there (just in case BB thinks he deserves the credit). In fact I can’t think of any encounter between these two on clay since 2009 when the result was NID.
It was disappointing to see Rafa pitch his camp way behind the baseline and retreat into defensive mode. It was clear that was not going to get the job done and Rafa confirmed he knew it too with his post match comments.
There has been endless speculation about the significance of his losses on clay vis a vis RG but Nole would be unwise to assume too much.
Guys, I am emotionally preparing myself for Novak overtaking Rafa in the Masters count. Novak has 2 things going for him in this respect: his age (relatively young) and the proliferation of HC Masters. Already this year he will beat his own record of 5 Masters a season, who’s to say he won’t do so again next year?
Frankly, I do not mind about the Masters haul, its the Slams and H2H I care about! If Rafa can shut him out in the Slams, and maintain the lead in the H2H, I am fine with his Masters run.
Phew! Too close for comfort though……
Now to defend the Alamo (RG)!!
Djoko will catch up unless Rafa maintains his hold over the Clay Masters. If Rafa wins 3 Masters / year, it should do
Don’t forget Nole will become a dad come Dec, one never knows what his priorities will be post that and how much he is willing to commit after that to the sport. Travelling around with a baby is not everyones cup of tea
I think if the scheduling was fair we would be having a different conversation. Rafa played 3 night sessions in a row, including the SF, going to bed at 3 am. Rafa said his legs stopped responding, he is only human. The organizers assured Rafa that he woul only have to play one night session. Djokovic played 3 day sessions, and one night. So unfair. Not a level playing field.
He dominated the first set so Djoker can wallow in a fool’s paradise for RG, if they meet.
@nadline, the unfair scheduling, what else is new! Rafa has had to put up with this all his career. It is what it is, that’s the game, no?
I am hoping though that your last statement holds!!
#RG
He had the upper hand when he came out of the blocks with all guns blazing (sorry for the cliches!) and had djokovic non-plussed but I wouldn’t describe it as domination. The winners/UEs ratio tells its own story.
Fortunately there is no such thing as night matches at RG. Let’s hope too the English weather is kind to Wimbledon this year so Rafa doesn’t have to play under the roof.
However if conditions at RG are damp and squib, its not good for Rafa. Flat hitters can hit through him
Hate to say this but gotta give BB some credit, he is part of the Novak team……………….
Do you reckon he is responsible for Djokovic’s greater willingness to come to the net and the improvement in his service? I noticed Vadja was studiously ignoring him yesterday.
Novaks net play is very ugly I feel. He has no finesse at the net at all. His sliced backhand motion is supremely ugly too
I feel Vajda is lucky for Novak, that is why he wants him around
Djokovic won 66 per cent (18/27) of all points when he came forward to the net yesterday. I have never seen Djokovic venture to the net that many times, this is a recent phenomenon so yes, I think BB has to take credit. His volleying is still a work in progress, not as effective as Rafa’s yet but a big improvement still. I did not pay attention to the Box’s body language but I would be surprised if BB does not take some of the credit for Djokovic’s performance yesterday.
As for the improvement in serve, I think the improvement started well before BB came on board. It is now definitely a potent part of Djokovic’s arsenal. Example, Djokovic hit 6 aces to zero for Rafa yesterday.
Simon Cambers at The Tennis Space has an interesting view on your question @ed251137, he thinks its all down to Vajda:
http://www.thetennisspace.com/five-things-about-djokovics-win-over-nadal-in-rome/
“Marian Vajda has to go to Paris now
Marian Vajda told Djokovic at the end of last year that he wanted to reduce his travel schedule, that he needed to spend more time with his family. Djokovic’s decision to hire Boris Becker respected that wish but Vajda has returned in the past few months to stablilise the Serb, with stunning effect, helping him to titles in Indian Wells, Miami and now Rome. If Djokovic wants to break the Nadal reign, he’ll need the calm and under-rated influence of his long-time mentor.”
Thanks for that link. Interesting.
I got the distinct impression he had been sent to Coventry yesterday. He was sitting behind the rest of the gang – biting his nails and staring into space 🙂
in what aspect has he noticeably helped?
If you’re asking about BB, Ricky, I think he is making Novak come to the net more. 27 net approaches for Novak was unheard of until recently. Not yet effective but the fact that he is incorporating that into his game is massive. Overall though, I agree with Simon Cambers, Vajda is “the” man for Novak. Just look at Novak’s results when Vajda is around.
Now going forward, especially in the short term before Novak’s skills at the net improve, I would love to see Rafa exploit Novak’s relative weaknesses at the net AND showcase HIS (Rafa’s) own prowess there. Rafa is one of the best volleyers out there and I think as part of countering Novak’s resurgence, Rafa needs to put his “assets” to good use.
Hope Rafa draws Berdy or Milos in his qtr . I think it will be the ideal thing for him.
Also I think Fed maybe more preferable than Stan for semis?
Better to draw Dimitrov than Milos 😀
Stan or Fed doesn’t matter.
Dimitrov wont be in Top 8 right. So hes not in contention. He can be a round of 16 opponent
Why does Stan or Fed not matter?
“Why does Stan or Fed not matter?”
Answer: SHBH. That is the reason for both their lop-sided H2H against Rafa. Forget about Wawa’s recent win against Rafa, irrelevant…………
true, but neither D nor R is a threat
I hope Rafa is reading this. Can someone please get him read this?
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2014/05/21/Rome-Brain-Game-Djokovic-Nadal.aspx
^^I thought you were on Twitter, @Sanju. Just follow him and send it to him, or Benito……
I sent to him. Does he read or understand English? :-). Its a good article
^^Well done, @Sanju *claps*!!
Don’t worry, he can afford a translator!
#GoodFan
Sanju@May 19, 2014 at 1:45 pm
e-mail address of Benito Pérez-Barbadillo, Rafa’s public relations manager:
bpb@b1pr.com
(By the way, I have written him. Last year).
Okay Thanks. Mailed 🙂
BTW come to think of it, it is good Novak brought all those strategies in Rome. Rafa may well be prepared for all that in RG
what did you email him about?
The link 🙂 and told him to have Rafa and his team read it 🙂
to what
Ricky, this is the link @Sanju sent:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2014/05/21/Rome-Brain-Game-Djokovic-Nadal.aspx
thanks
Did he reply back?
no
He did not. OK good
vmk1@May 20, 2014 at 2:17 am
He has replied me when I have written.
I don’t know what Ricky are talking about.
@Sanju, if, strike that, when Rafa wins RG, send him an invoice 😀
NNY..whats news on Rafa from VB? Hope he is resting and all is fine
I saw this pic on twitter and am worried
Rafa #Nadal stretching out the legs.. pic.twitter.com/p7yIWKWuQt
https://twitter.com/Rafaholics/status/468098647817990145/photo/1
Sanju: There’s no need to panic. It’s not his knees. Too much tennis with too little time to recuperate between matches. He had run 4km more than Djokovic during the course of his matches in Rome and said his legs were heavy during the final.
@Sanju,
Yes, I believe that ed is correct. This is just a case of Rafa having too many long matches in a compressed amount of time with no day of rest in between.
In that picture, it appears that he is just doing some basic leg stretches for some tightness and soreness.
I usually check in at vb regularly, so if there is any other info then I will relay it. But I really do think that it was just too many long matches so close together. Rafa was not done any favors by the scheduling either. All those night matches when he was told that he would only have to play one.
We also have to remember that Rafa’s not a kid anymore. He’s been playing this game a long time and it doesn’t get any easier as you get older. He seemed to have just hit a wall in that third set. Rafa has always said that he needs to be at his best physically to beat Novak.
Now we just have to think positive thoughts for Rafa as he prepares to go for another one at RG! 🙂
I would be interested to know RITB’s view of a conversation between Koenig and Lester during the final. Lester brought up the subject that Rafa has clocked up 4km on the court prior to the final. Koenig said that was a good thing because what is important for runners is to ‘put in the miles’. Surely the bursts of speed called for in tennis are not comparable with the demands of sustained running over whatever distance.
I know distance running is part of many players fitness training – Andy comes to mind – but others like Gilles Simon uses mountain bike climbing to build stamina. As far as I know Rafa only practices short bursts at high speed with sudden changes of direction.
ed251137 (at 9:37 pm),
Rafa uses mountain bike climbing too! He posted this picture on his FB page on April 30 and wrote: “Physical training day in Mallorca”
https://twitter.com/augustazeight/status/468631341215780864/photo/1
The picture posted by Rafa on Dec.9, 2013. The man next to Rafa is Javier Gómez Noya – the world champion and the silver medal winner at the 2012 Olympics in men’s triathlon.
https://twitter.com/augustazeight/status/468635867314397184/photo/1
The picture posted by Rafa on Nov. 2012. He wrote: “Yesterday enjoyed a bike day with my friends,”
https://twitter.com/augustazeight/status/468638162030698496/photo/1
ed251137 says: May 19, 2014 at 9:37 pm
Yes, I heard that comment by Koenig, and I also saw the graphic about the comparative miles put in by Rafa and Novak.
You are 100% correct, the training required for tennis is totally different from that required by distance runners. For tennis players, as you say, it’s short bursts of speed, changes in direction but also stamina and endurance. For runners it’s all about endurance. With way the game has evolved, more baseline rallies etc, endurance has become an important part of the game. Before the Australian Open, Caroline Wozniacki posted on her FB page that she had run approx. 70 kms in the week leading up to the Slam as part of her training. That’s about 10 kms/day. Add the muscle work she then does in the gym. My average is 12 kms/day, 5 days a week. I don’t do any muscle work as extra unless I am training for a marathon. So, tennis players increasingly incorporate distance training into their routines for endurance and that includes running and cycling.
While the extra kilometers logged by Rafa are good for him in a medium term perspective i.e. good for his endurance, it would have sapped his energy for the task required in the short term, the match. There is a reason distance runners are stick-thin, running is energy sapping, and maintaining that ratio of calories burned to calories consumed is not easy. Tennis requires extra energy to accelerate, stop, change direction. This is why Rafa said he ran out of energy, he did, with all the extra miles he logged.
Compare the physiques of Usain Bolt (muscular) and most Kenyan runners (lean to the bone). The current tennis player is a hybrid, a combination of the two. Phenominal athletes.
Thanks for the confirmation of what I suspected. RK was talking through the top of his head. I wish he would stick to analysing and commentating on the development of the match and resist from talking for the sake of talking; not to mention cutting down on the repetition of those catch phrases of which he is so proud.
I prefer it when he is commentating with Lester rather than with Goodall.
ed (8:58 am),
I usually mute the sound when they (all 3 you mentioned) are commentating Rafa’s match.
Special Robbie-K???
He’s….. PHENOMENADAL!!!!!!
Battled hardened is not the same thing as battle weary.
^^Exactly!
This is why we Rafans are holding out the hope that Rafa will defend his RG crown because all the tough matches he has notched up in the lead-up to RG will have made him battle-hardened.
As they say in the Arab world, INSHALLAH! (God Willing!)
^^^^^Thanks for the info. I should’ve have guessed you would know the answer!
Another thing which would have contributed to Rafa’s fatigue would have been the night matches he had to endure before the final. Remember that photo of Rafa eating pasta out of paper plates? That was after the gruelling Simon match, well after midnight. I know for a fact after a long run I am too tired even to eat sometimes. Now, my runs are nothing compared to what Rafa endures on court in terms of being energy sapping so imagine being asked to eat immediately after torture, at an un-Godly hour like he was! It all adds up, especially if the match turnaround is as short as it is in Masters events.
It’s hard not to suspect Rafa was well and truly shafted by the scheduling in Rome.
Why else did he end up in a third night match particularly as this meant Dimi had to go back on court immediately to play doubles SF. Dimitrov must have felt even more hard done by.
#HeadScratch
#PreferentialTreatment
Could it have been as innocent as simple self-serving scheduling for revenue (spectators, viewers on tv, etc), with no decision influenced by preferential treatment?
@chloro, call me jaded but if it looks like a duck and quacks like one…………….it is a farm animal!
I look forward to posting my FO draw conspiracies prior to the draw.
#YouveBeenWarned
#AvertYourEyes
Teaser:
Fed in Nole’s half.
Berdych in Fed’s quarter is a guaranteed LOCK. I’ll even wager RITB;s iPad.
J-Stan, Muzza, Ferru, Isner, Gulbis, Dolgo, Nishi in Rafa’s half.
Zero threats in Fed’s quarter. Zero threats in Nole’s eighth.
I think Murray will be in Wawa’s quarter and Nole will draw Raonic.
Alternate: switch Raonic with Murray possibly.
The question really is where will Fed fall. There is an argument to put him in Rafa’s half as a way of having two of their hopefuls having a crack at the King but then there is the risk of J-Stan repeating his SF upset at AO.
Based on J-Stan’s recent drop, I’m leaning towards them putting Fed in Rafa’s half now. Fed might like his chances better over Rafa given Rafa’s own recent struggles.
Tough call but I’ll go with same as above except put Fed in Rafa’s half.
^^Clearly you haven’t heard:
1. Rafa’s worst is better than Fed’s best at RG;
2. It’s Fed that’s the French darling, not the Balkan arriviste.
So, Fed will be kept as far away from Le Ogre as possible……………
Oh I’ve heard but powers that be likely not.
hawkeye63@May 21, 2014 at 4:09 pm
Do you think that Rafa is a qualifier?
DO YOU?
No, that may have been the case eight years ago but now Paris has settled for Anyone But Rafa.
#Soderling
#GnashingOfTeeth
#Duke
Sure. Why not. I’ve come this far. Yes, Rafa is obviously a qualifier now. 🙄
#Bowie
Ricky published the article “French Open seed report” lately. Now it’s hidden due to an unknown reason. ❓
what do you mean “hidden”???
i just bumped it to the main page
That’s qualifying. You should have a main draw seed report out prior to the main draw.
#GetCracking
no it isn’t. why would anyone ever do a qualifying seed report?
#LOL
Oh, I thought you meant Popular Recent Articles.
#Nevermind
You did qualifying picks.
#SameDifference
#NoOneCares
you thought qualifying picks were a seed report?
#DOYOU
Sure. Why not. I’ve come this far. I thought qualifying picks were a seed report. 🙄
#EtTuRicky?
#HowManyTimes???
*head-scratch* what can Fed possibly gain from a practice match with Baby Fed??
http://instagram.com/p/oQyAeaN5ov/#
#Narcissus
Fed should stop playing with himself/
TMI
Sorry.
Chloro You can be pretty certain the decision was driven by the TV companies. All the more reason for the tournament officials not bow to their demands if it means throwing Rafa to the wolves –.otherwise known as the ratings war. Serves them right they got a damp squib for the SF on Saturday night – not Rafa’s fault.
The gate revenue is irrelevant. It’s TV revenue that counts. The top players must get sick of being treated like performing animals in the circus no matter how much they are earning in prize money.