Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem are one round away from a rematch in the Rio de Janeiro final, but they first have to take care of unseeded opponents on Saturday. In Delray Beach, meanwhile, Juan Martin Del Potro’s comeback continues to pick up steam.
Rio Open: (1) Rafael Nadal vs. Pablo Cuevas
Nadal and Cuevas will be going head-to-head for the third time in their careers and for the second straight year at the Rio Open when they engage in a semifinal clash on Saturday. Two clay-court encounters went Nadal’s way in 2015, as the Spaniard prevailed 4-6, 7-5, 6-0 in the Rio quarters before cruising to a more comfortable 6-3, 6-2 quarterfinal victory in Hamburg. Speaking of comfortable, Nadal did not even have to take the court on Friday. The world No. 5, who opened his tournament with straight-set wins over fellow Spaniards Pablo Carreno Busta and Nicolas Almagro, got a walkover from an injured Alexandr Dolgopolov.
Cuevas also punched his ticket to the last eight without dropping a set. The 45th-ranked Uruguayan ousted Facundo Bagnis, Thiago Monteiro, and Federico Delbonis in an all-unseeded trek through a section of the draw vacated early by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Jack Sock. Needless to say, the competition level is ratcheting up in a big way in the form of Nadal. Cuevas took a set off his heavily-favored opponent last season in Rio only to completely tank the third. Something in between those two extremes will likely transpire in this one.
Pick: Nadal in 2 losing 8 games or fewer
[polldaddy poll=9317124]
Delray Beach Open: Sam Querrey vs. (WC) Juan Martin Del Potro
Del Potro’s comeback to tennis after 11 months away from the game has improved with each match in Delray Beach. The 27-year-old eased through his opener but dealt with no kind of resistance from an out-of-sorts Denis Kudla in a 6-1, 6-4 victory. John-Patrick Smith gave Del Potro a tougher test on Thursday but the 2009 U.S. Open champion still cruised 6-4, 6-4. Jeremy Chardy did not play like the 30th-ranked player in the world during quarterfinal action, but a 6-2, 6-3 beatdown in Del Potro’s favor was nonetheless impressive.
Next up for the wild card is a semifinal showdown against Querrey. Del Potro has won both of their previous meetings in straight sets (6-4, 6-4 in the 2009 Auckland title match and 6-2, 7-5 on the indoor hard courts of Valencia in 2011). Querrey has advanced this week by taking out Thiemo De Bakker, Austin Krajicek, and Tim Smycek, dropping sets to De Bakker and Smyczek along the way. The 61st-ranked American has not been particularly impressive this week and probably lacks the smarts and the style necessary to beat Del Potro at the moment. That would entail opening up the ad side of the court with heavy groundstrokes to the deuce side to go along with attacking the net with approach shots to the Argentine’s backhand. Querrey also will not be able to dictate play to the extent that those tactics can be executed.
Pick: Del Potro in 2
[polldaddy poll=9317141]
who ya got???
I’m taking Del Po in three. I think Querrey can take a set with his serve and forehand but Del Po should be too tough in the end. A straight sets win wouldn’t surprise me either. As for Rafa-Cuevas, I’m taking Rafa in straights losing eight games or fewer. I don’t see Rafa losing a set unless he plays badly but it’s possible that cuevas snatches one as he did last year. If not he could at least lose in straights winning more than eight games. Still, I’m picking Rafa to win in straights losing eight games or less. Can’t wait for these semis, particularly Del Po against Querrey.
I am picking Delpo in 2 sets over Querrey.
I will just wish Rafa good luck and say he should win this match, should being the operative word here.
I’ll go both in straight sets… berdman and cilic to come through. Did anyone see the Stan match? Did he play crappie?
tsame as Ricky.
Stay focused, remain confident, be consistent and show your fighting spirit, Rafa!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CbrZyDXW0AIOVJe.jpg
cc’d to Benny!!! 🙂
To each his own aspiration.
So far the rain showers have not materialised over the tennis grounds but the forecast is risk of heavy showers for the evening – so no way of knowing when Rafa will get on court.
Thiem out… Rafa MUST win this tournament.
Cuevas will make him hit plenty of shots so I really hope the unforced errors stay in check.
how the hell did Thiem lose?
Pella was consistent and hitting some pretty good shots and Thiem handled the blustery conditions poorly. Plus he seemed a bit fatigued.
Yes! Rafa has had a walkover and now Thiem is out.
He has to get this win. It’s there for the taking.
Ugh! Three chances for Rafa to break and nothing. The last one was another of those crappy forehand a dumped into the net.
Brutal
Another chance for Rafa to get the early break.
Cuevas dumps a backhand into the net, giving Rafa the early break. Can Rafa hold to consolidate?
He has made so many annoying errors but been doing well enough to lead 3-0.
One thing he is doing really well is the slider out-wide serve on the Ad court.
But why is he hitting cc so much of the time? What about going DTL?
I agree about the wide out serve being effective. But Rafa looks tentative with his shot making at times.
There was an overhead at net that Rafa hit that barely got over the net.
I am glad that he’s up a break but not thrilled with his level of play.
there is absolutely nothing to be thrilled about, I agree. he is very tight
perhaps because he is not even able to hit the CC ones consistently
Rafa , this is DAMN ANNOYING!!!! What are you SO nervous about?!
Thanks! You are probably right about that.
Good grief! What on earth is going on here! Rafa gives back the break after a dreadful game.
What is Rafa afraid of? I don’t get it. This guy is no threat to him.
broken back
of course! was inevitable
:s Man up , rafa, man up!
Yes, man up Rafa already!
I really am at a loss for words. The TC commie ha been extremely critical of how Rafa has played. I don’t recognize his voice. Not the regular team. But he is just being honest about how the match is going.
Thank God! one good, confident point for a 40-30 lead
Rafa was up 3-0?! I feared he would play sloppy and make it more possible that he could blow this opportunity of getting the title. He should be able to win this but still c’mon Rafa get this done!!
Definition of insanity.
And an anxiety disorder (which doesn’t need a reason)
Do you?
Not even watching.
Their is little joy in watching him be halfa-Rafa win or lose.
Not near the same player he once was.
I don’t enjoy watching sloppy tennis even less so when it’s Rafa.
I agree. That’s exactly how I feel watching Rafa these days.
Just make him play lots of shots and he will make an error… it’s a guarantee…
I sense that Cuevas seems to have some confidence playing this Rafa.
Now that was more like it, Rafa! Where has that forehand DTL been?
They just showed a stat with Cuevas winning. 29 baseline points to rafa’s 16 points. That’s a sobering statistic.
Rafa can get this still. But he’s making it harder than it needs to be. He shouldn’t have let that break lead slip.
Yes!
Also what’s with Rafa losing way more baseline points. He’s actually done quite well at the net. Maybe he should be coming in more. There’s a great DTL forehand. He’s hitting that shot pretty well right now. It seems like the cross court forehand is the shot not working too well for him right now. Game Rafa. VAMOS!!
I agree about the cc forehand being off. Also Rafa is just working too hard in this match. This is s guy who should not be challenging Rafa.
Set point. Close this out now, Rafa !
I now wonder, will he ever be able to play at a high level consistently for hours ?:(
I don’t understand how he played well last fall
Same. It was so random. It seemed like it wasn’t random and he was coming back but unless he wins a masters event this clay season I’m not so sure about my prediction of him winning RG anymore.
I think there was an interview with Roig in which he said that once the slams were over the pressure was off and Rafa was able to play better.
I think that does make sense. Roig also said that when the new year started and the first slam happened, Rafa had nerves again.
Ricky, yeah…but perhaps he was able to play well because there were no expectations. He ended the season on a high and then had expectations for this year. Roig also said something similar in his interview this week.
Also, notice that he plays his worst tennis when he is in the lead! he plays nice and aggressive without missing much when he is trailing but the moment he leads, and thinks he is expected to win, he crumbles.
Like Gavrilova, Nadal is good from behind
Thanks Cuevas for missing that! WIN THE Tie break rafa ,please!
His backhand has been very solid though! As bad as his forehand has been, he has managed this set because of his backhand. Two set points. One gone…. one more on his own serve
How’s the serve
The serve is bad when he needs it! it’s been decent otherwise!
Incredible angle on the backhand and justtt made that inside out forehand! Third set point!!
Average. Wide out serve in the ad court had been effective.
I agree about the backhand. That is what has stood out to me in his matches – hitting it better than the forehand.
DOuble fault on set point! Just when I thought it cannot get worse..
Rafa two points from the set. He just needs to get this set. He will start to free up in the second if he gets this one. I bet it will be 6-2 or something like that in the second it Rafa gets this. Yes!! 6-4 Nadal. I don’t think cuevas is that great at coming back in matches so if Rafa wins this he can dominate the second by freeing up and taking advantage of a most likely discouraged Cuevas. Set point #2 now. Oh no. Are you kidding me right now?!
Can you believe this! Double fault on set point to make it 6-6.
Rafa beating himself yet again.
DF on SP
Now THAT was sick. What I hope is that they show Del Po after this set. They’re supposed to be showing it right now. I know it’s Rafa but c’mon they gotta show Del Po vs Querrey. VAMOS Rafa gets the set!! Phew. Now please switch over to Delray Beach tennis channel. Please!!
HE DID NOT MISS THIS TIME! PHEWWWWW…. gets it!
His backhand saved it for him….
Forehand soooo shaky….
Set 1 stats:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cbs2ZKVWIAEfpdj.png
🙂
set
Rafa wins the TB and the first set. Thank goodness!
Continues to hit amazing CC backhands and miss routine forehands
CC backhand on fire…absorbing pace amazingly well
Cuevas playing a stupid match , tactically speaking…..continues to pepper the nadal backhand..
So true.
Cuevas is dying to go away. Just get this break Rafa and you’ve got this!!
This is painful to watch…Rafa’s hitting short, being tentative and obviously lacking confidence, making tons of UEs and losing rallies mainly due to the fact that he is slower…his footwork also being lousy in this match…
Hope Rafa improves in the second set…this match is taxing on his body…the good thing is that he had more rest…
Rafa quit those stupid UEs, please!
Damnit Rafa why can’t you just get this done fast?! If he wins quickly then maybe they’ll show Del Po. I mean they should just show that match now. Get away from this sloppy match TC!! Wow thanks for the horrible drop shot Nadal. Awesome. Just great bravo.
Sick dropshot from Cuevas. Huge congrats to Rafa for making this a long match and letting cuevas hang around. And most importantly thank you for stopping us from seeing Del Po play by making this match fifty hours long. Chances are cuevas is up 4-1 in ten minutes.
How did Rafa become so easy to outhit on CLAY??? He makes mediocre player Cuevas look extraordinary…
No way. The Tennis Channel said in the program alert below that after the match’s CONCLUSION, they will show Delray semis. At this rate, there won’t be a semifinal to watch!! Damnit I’m so annoyed right now. I was so excited to see Del Po play. And I’m not getting TC plus lol. God Rafa is making me mad. Can he just get this set 6-2 or even 6-3? PLEASE!
I think he will comeback, win this 7-5 and then he will say this is a great victory because he did not lose colm despite of trailing 1-4
Rafa not only outplayed but outsmarted by Cuevas…this is making me sick!
Del Po lost the first 7-5. Now 1-1 in the second. Hope Juan can come back but still win this set close so the match goes longer and allows us to see some after this ugliness.
Please god let him break back here.
Benny,
I really do feel for you. It’s so unfortunate that rafa’s inability to win efficiently, will interfere with your chance to watch Delpo live.
I was watching something else and then came back to see Cuevas up 5-2. Deja vu all over again.
Now that Rafa broke back, can he find a way to win this set and get this over with? I am not finding this enjoyable. Rafa finds a way to make matches last longer.
To be honest Rafa has shown some flashes of greatness today. He’s just mixed in errors too many times. I’m just hoping he can win this match in straights. 7-5 in this set would be my preference.
Oh thank god. Get the next few games Rafa. 7-5 please!! VAMOS!!
Flashes of greatness mixed in with way too many errors and too much mediocrity. Rafa should not have to battle this hard against the likes of Cuevas.
SP Slayvas
Exactly! ?
Oh crap. Set point. No please no don’t let this go three Rafa please!!!! I beg of you. Don’t. Please. Oh god it’s a let. So nervous. Please win this point. VAMOS!! Thank. God.
Still Querrey is serving for a straight sets win. Gosh Rafa. Why. Set point again. Rafa is gonna lose this set and no getting to see Del Po. What the heck Tennis Channel. Nadal saves set point. Deuce again. Tennis channel said they were gonna show del Po and instead show it on TC plus and say they’re gonna show it after this match finishes even though it’s taking ten thousand years. Del Po lost 5 and 5. I guess it would’ve been sad to see him lose but still I would’ve liked to see that match. Also Rafa is down 0-2. Great.
2hrs 40 mins for 2 sets! clapping for Rafa
Are you joking? Delirious yet? I keep going back and forth watching other programs and then checking back in to see what’s going on.
When Rafa lost the second set, I had to change the channel. Still battling I see.
I guess I should’ve stuck with my pick from start of tournament of Del Po losing to Querrey in the semis. So sad he lost. We have an all American final now at least. Hoping Rampras can win. Also Rafa loses the set. He could lose this now. What a wasted opportunity if he loses this. Just pathetic.
Rampras and Pella will win
You think Pella will win if Rafa wins too? Or just if cuevas wins?
Massive opportunity wasted. Terrible, terrible and terrible.
Barry Cowan is so frustrated that he just questioned Rafa’s tennis IQ! he said he cannot understand how rafa can just keep returning second serve returns like that for the whole match without much success!
He played such a poor return on BP and then missed a forehand DTL on the second BP.
Not sure if this is worse than 2015
Now he is facing break point….It should not be surprising but it actually is for me every single time he does it, esp on clay. He is down a break now…
Disgusting performance!
How does Rafa actually blow this opportunity? His path to title would’ve been beating cuevas then Pella. Just awful.
he is the underdog against every single professional player on the circuit these days..
Because he’s beating himself.
Roig and Toni speak of ‘changes’ as if Rafa has starteddoing Serve & Volley on 50 percent of the points.
Nothing bloody justifies these performances!
From being mentally the strongest tennis player , he has become like this?!
I am glad someone else said it. This is really the living end. I just have to say that I do not know how uncle Toni can watch his nephew go out there and have the same dismal result over and over again.
The longer a match goes on the stronger rafa’s opponent gets. Rafa just does the same thing over and over without changing anything up.
This is sickening.
Honestly I am feeling sick watching this!!
Rafa Rafa Rafa. Please dont do this to yourself
A choke needed from Cuevas…even then rafa will find a way to lose I guess..
Well he is about to lose on his serve.
But he is doing it to himself, over and over again. Just when you think he can’t possibly sink any lower, he does.
The just said Rafa has 20 UE’s with his forehand alone.
His volleys are a lot more reliable than his forehands.
I cannot believe this…..
His legacy is taking a beating now… Every player thinks they can beat him , even on clay.
Choke Cuevas, choke.
To add to the misery the English commentary is insufferably awful.
I am sorry to say but I think this is the end of Nadal. If he cannot win 250 and 500 too on clay I don’t think he has a shot anywhere else.
I mean I have no hopes at all now. His confidence has taken a severe beating and 2016 is worse than 2015 in my opinion. In 2015 he made qtrs of Australia and won Buenos Aires. No title yet even in south America clay swing
you were literally scolding people after AO when they said negative things… You can now see why!
What’s the excuse now? humidity? stomach bug???
If he still is able to find some positives from this, God help Rafa.
His stubbornness is amazing!
Saying this for the first time : I am not looking forward to watching tennis now. Even in 2015, I just kept hoping he will turn it around the next time he plays and that continued for a full year and now it is happening again, perhaps worse.
So who’s turn will it be in IW to beat him? Stay tuned to find out.
I never gave any excuses for Rafa . He loses as he is plain terrible now and woefully short on confidence.
I am having zero hopes from him. If he wins great and if he loses well what’s new
sanju,
You criticized others here for being too negative and not being good Rafa fans. You did it many times. So I find it ironic that you would be the one to say that Rafa is done.
There are people on this site who took a lot of grief for saying what they thought with regard to Rafa.
I criticized others for being negative but I am sorry I never labelled anyone a good or bad rafa fan, sorry I never do that. I am no one to judge that. I was just upset that people were praising Novak and putting down rafa after the ao final in a match rafa was not even playing. But I think Rafa is done UNLESS he plays freely without fearing to lose. Once he plays freely everything will come back. But it’s easier said than done.
Rafa saves himself with some big serving. Cuevas isn’t going to hold here. I can feel it. Unless Nadal gives it to him. Rafa has to make returns here. It’s not like Pablo is serving humongous or even playing that well to begin with. Rafa survived last game and I think I will here too. I’m not saying I think he’s definitely going to win but I think he’s going to win this game. He’s been so annoyingly erratic today though that even if he wins this game he could lose in a tiebreak or something. I feel like if he somehow wins this he could still lose to Pella playing like this and all. But if he somehow gets out of this one alive I think he will be better in the final. Alright. 15-15. C’mon Rafa fight. Oh god an ace. Two points away. Crap.
even more sickening is how relaxed Cuevas is! He is not feeling any pressure it looks like!
Lol
Didnt watch the match. So Rafa loses in both SFs on clay. We may be seeing the end of Rafa when he cant even win a 250 on clay. I think if Rafa continues like this, he wont be winning any title.
I’m all prepared for Rafa’s retirement from tennis now, having reached the acceptance stage, that the Rafa of old is gone, forever. Good luck Rafa, for the Olympics one last time.
RIP Rafael Nadal Parera winner of 14 slams.
i also believe this is the low point. and by a wide margin. loss to Fognini doesn’t even compare.
whether or not it is the end is more of an argument
Ricky,
Then you don’t think it’s the end for Rafa? I absolutely believe that this is a low point for Rafa. This is rock bottom right now. Even losing to Thiem wasn’t entirely unexpected. He’s a young player with great potential who can be dangerous when he’s on his game. It was upsetting, but he is a quality player. But losing to Cuevas here? That’s just bad.
I haven’t said out loud that it’s the end yet. But I just don’t see a path back for Rafa at this point.
is this worse than Federer 2013?
Yes, I think it is.
In hindsight yes because Federer turned it around and we know he did and he has won some 10 titles after that .
But at point in time in 2013 i think most Federer fans and even others thought Federer is done.
Far worse because Fed knew what the problem was,knew what he needed to do to fix it, and was willing and motivated to do it. It also was only a year whereas Rafa hasn’t been the old Rafa in two years running.
Until he is willing to make substantive changes (team, sports psychologist), I think it’s over.
I agree that Fed knew what the problem was and what needed to be done to fix it. However, his problem was not mental. That’s why I think rafa’s problem is more difficult. If there is a physical injury, then it can be
treated medically, there is surgery, physical therapy, etc.
Fed did make the necessary changes and came back in 2014 with better results. Rafa has admitted the mental problem, but has not taken steps to deal with it. There are things that happen to people and top athletes that they cannot resolve on their own. Rafa has been dealing with this for over a year now with no real progress.
The only thing that I will add is that sometimes it may not be possible to resolve a mental issue. But I do believe that a player facing this kind of problem should be willing to get any and all available help before throwing in the towel.
Maybe. Both were pretty bad years but fed had the lingering back injury and Rafa isn’t injured anymore. Also fed came back really strong. I don’t know if rafa can come back as strong as fed did.
He’s lost. Wow. Big win for cuevas and even bigger loss for Rafa. He must get a big win soon on the clay courts. Maybe he’ll surprise at IW or Miami like he did last fall. Didn’t he beat Stan and Murray at WTF? Or did I just dream that? He’s just got to start getting wins like the ones from the indoor hard court season at the end of last year. He’s on clay so it should technically be easier for him to play into better form but right now I dunno if he is even better on clay than on hard courts. Jeez Rafa. Now I’ll be fully backing Pella to win the title. I would just love to see him capture the title. Cuevas didn’t even play well either. He won’t beat Pella playing like that. Although the crazy windy conditions and possible fatigue threw Thiem off I still think Pella’s win was a good bit more impressive than Cuevas’ error-infested victory over Nadal. VAMOS GUIDO!!
Ok cuevas actually did play pretty well looking at his stats. Rafa’s stats aren’t even that bad. He just couldn’t find ways to play solid tennis on a consistent basis today. The way Rafa played so badly in random spurs and still almost won makes me think cuevas didn’t play all that great. I do honestly think Pella will probably get the win if cuevas plays like he did against Rafa. Cuevas has more experience in finals so he may get the job done against Guido but all in all I’ll be rooting for the lefty Argentine. I guess we are going to possibly get an Argentine winner this week only it won’t be the one we would’ve expected lol. Boy did Pella play well against Thiem. He showed his run wasn’t a fluke or luck of the draw even if Thiem was affected by the conditions and possibly fatigued. Besides, Pella had to play in those conditions, too. He just simply handled them better than Thiem did, so the Argentine deserved the win. Hoping he can beat Cuevas in the final. What a joke of a loss for Rafa.
Also how epic and awesome would that be if Pella won the title after saving match points against Isner in round one including one on Isner’s serve? Just making the final after that is impressive and now that he has cuevas as his opponent he’s got a real shot at taking the title after saving match points in his opening match. It’s like Kerber’s win at the AUS Open lol. Also Klizan was a match point saving miracle worker last week in Rotterdam so maybe we will have back to back weeks where lefties win ATP 500 events after saving match points heading into the final.
insane
He beat those guys and played well in the fall because he was the underdog not on his favourite surface.
A few here including me thought the clay swing would be a struggle because he was the favourite and with being the favourite comes expectations and pressure which brings anxiety.
Without change, it will be like this.
One step forwards. Two steps back.
Until he is unable to even step onto the court.
Anxiety disorders, left untreated, are extremely unforgiving and debilitating.
#VRNMW
He has had to handle expectations and pressure all his career . What went so wrong past 20 months suddenly ? Is it lack of trust in body , is it fear of injury , is it bad movement or is it all the above amounting to zero confidence
We’ve discussed it here many times. Chloro said it very well.
Yes he’s had to handle it all his career but over time that has taken its toll and contributed towards the problem.
Ever worsening OCD, time violation rule, injuries, not trusting his body, combining to make anxiety a disorder for him.
In short, he’s burnt out.
If he is burnt out he should take a break and come back when ready . No point playing like this . He says motivation is there but it’s all about execution on court. Also practice not translating to matches indicates he is not able to handle grind of competition and is tight all the time.
I am not sure that the motivation is there. Rafa may say it is, but his actions on the court say otherwise. He doesn’t seem to be mentally present in matches these days. Doing the same thing in matches and not adjusting when needed, is a sign that something is wrong.
If Rafa is indeed burned out, then there may not be an answer. But getting the services of a sports psychologist would be worth doing.
Yep, I think he’s burnt out. I doubt that there’s a way back when to me his mind is gone.
I think sometimes we have to accept reality that Rafa has declined and there’s no way back for him when the game around him has changed and everyone else has improved or evolved and he’s being left behind.
He has lost his power, speed, serve, belief, nerve and mental strength. He’s now at best a tier two player so we have to not expect much from him in order not to get disappointed.
These days, I try not to watch his matches live but record them and watch them later. I can’t stand the stress and don’t like screaming at the tv screen and getting frustrated. Not expecting much from him now after he failed himself (and those who believe in him on clay).
The results of the last few months, from Oct 15 till mid Jan 16, perhaps they were just mirage. We should be clear of any illusion by now.
Anyway, we should be happy he has won 14 slams and being no.1 for 141 weeks and he will be remembered as the greatest clay court player ever.
This RG will tell if Rafa has any chance or He should simply say goodbye. I doubt he will hang around if he can’t win. What disturbs me is he will be remembered as a guy who went out on a low rather than a high. How I wish he had grabbed 2 of the finals he lost earlier like ao2012 or wimby 2007 . I would have been happier facing what we are today as 7 slams off clay would never have the argument that he has won majority on clay.
9 months still left but for now 2016 worse than 2015. Shocking to even say this.
I have some of my own ideas, but have been hesitant to post them here. It’s obvious that something is terribly wrong with Rafa. Doing the same thing over and over even when it’s not working, is a sign to me that his mind is just not there. He used to be the best at changing tactics mid match and making adjustments. His mind was always working. Now that does not seem to be the case.
The mind is so important in this sport. When anything goes wrong mentally, then it spells big trouble. Rafa’s fierce will to win, that competitive spirit and desire, was one of his greatest attributes. Now that quality seems to be gone. He easily could have won this match. But he didn’t. That’s been a pattern with him for the last year. Losing matches that he should have won, was even in a position to win. That’s nothing like the Rafa that I have watched all these years.
I would only have hoped that he might have tried to get some help from a sports psychologist. We’ve all talked about this for quite some time. Maybe mentally it is just gone, but I would have hoped that Rafa could get some help to see if it could come back.
That was not the real Rafa out there tonight. That was not the Rafa who would fight to the end and find a way to win. I wish he would come back because I do miss that Rafa. But now I wonder if he ever will.
He will not unless he wants to and is willing to do anything it takes to make it happen. Reset expectations and hope for the best but expect nothing .
His pressers are more irritating than his play. When one is in denial it is more frustrating to watch the person as we know he is just not doing what it takes.
Even his coaches interviews are irritating . The entire team Rafa included is giving frustrating pressers .
Where did the Nadal of abudabhi or Doha disappear. Is the hammering against Novak in Doha final responsible for this sudden turnback for the worse ?
One more thing. I have been saying that a champion always has one last great run in him. That’s what I believe and what I have seen many times in this sport. I thought that it would be so for Rafa. I would really hate to see him end his career this way.
Rafa may play easier now on as he is not favorite even on clay. All tourneys now on are big ones where big players will play and Rafa will not be favorite anywhere to win it all.
Last year he was still favorite on clay and people expected him to turn it around on clay.
That’s only silver lining I see.
I don’t know if we should give up on him and start talking about his retirement just yet. He’s capable of fighting back and gaining confidence with some big wins in upcoming masters at IW, Miami, and the clay court events. We will see if he is able to do this. I think he needs to do pretty well at these upcoming masters events in order to make a solid comeback. He just needs one or two really good runs to get his confidence back. Basically he needs to win a masters 1000 event on clay. I know he can’t even win the past two 250 events he played but all it takes is a few really good wins and he can get on a run and unleash his inner Rafa and make some badass run to a title in Madrid or something. We know he’s capable of it. It’s all about belief and confidence, something he totally lacks right now. For starters he needs a match where he holds serve every time and comfortably for the most part. Maybe he could sneak up on us and have a good run at IW and/or Miami. He won’t be favored on those courts so maybe he’ll have less pressure on himself and do better there, similar to fall of last year.
Maybe he could be like Sampras in 2002, one last push to win no.15 at the USO and then says bye bye?
It will be desirable that he ends his career on a high note, for his own sake, for the sake of his academy and for his coach Toni and Roig’s sake.
I do feel his game now is no longer good enough to win title(s) on clay. Just hoping he can win something on the HCs after coming so close at Basel last year.
I went to sleep when Cuevas broke Rafa in the third set. I knew it was all over for Rafa at that point. TBH he did not deserve to win after playing so bad against pretty bad opponent. It was terrible to watch.
Rafa needs help. It’s not only him, it’s his entire team making huge mistake thus making it hard for the poor guy. It’s not over yet. But unless some radical changes are implemented Rafa will make an easy target for just about any opponent now…
Early in the season last year I used the term ‘burnout’ for what was happening to Rafa and went on to say I believed it was only his pride and sense of responsibility to the sport which has given him so much that prohibited him from quitting. His whole career has been defined by his never say die spirit but now that has deserted him i can’t bear to watch him clutching at straws and suffering one humiliation after another. Nor do I want to listen to commentators like Nick Lester rubbishing him throughout the match as he did last night.
in all the years I have followed tennis I cannot recall any top player being subjected to a such a disparaging critique of his play – after the match, yes: but during the course of the actual match, no.
Federazzi are everywhere.
unlike others i haven’t seen enough tennis over the years to know what burn out looks like. but maybe it isn’t burn out but the fact that he knows deep down that he’s in a jam and needs help but because of family loyalty won’t make changes. and that internal tension – knowing he needs help, but refusing to acknowledge the need, just makes the problem even worse. (obviously i am talking about the whole of the last year as well).
i am pretty sure i said this early last year but i still think it to a considerable extent.
also, why does the family ethos of putting family first apply to rafa and not toni?? why doesn’t toni put rafa first and bring in help from others?
i am not surprised rafa is in such a bad state given he bears the weight and responsiblity for everything and that is not only the role he has adopted for himself but one which everyone around him seems to expect him to fulfill.
anyway, i’ve said this plenty of times before, including last year…SIGH..
You’re quite right Amy. The conundrum has long existed in his life. He is torn between what he wants to do and what he feels is expected of him. He is always described as ‘humble’ but the reality is he is also a proud man.
We can debate the subject until we are all blue in the face. Only time will tell.
#VRNMW ®Hawkeye
sorry, i don’t mean to sound i told you so ed…..
am just so furious….(also i have the flu!!)
commies to you for staying up half the night and enduring the horror show…i make a point of never watching rafa these days…
Amy: No need for apologies! No way I saw it as ‘told you so’. Admit, after staying up until 5a.m, I was devastated at the outcome. To cap it all I couldn’t get to sleep afterwards but that is nothing compared with having flu. You took the right decision when you decided to stop watching when you did. Many more train crashes like last night and I’ll follow your example.
I agree with Sanju that the press conferences from rafa and his team are getting very frustrating.
I am not sure what he should say but it is no different this time around:
“I lost an opportunity, that’s it,” said Nadal of his loss to Uruguayan Cuevas.
“I fought until the end. I have to accept it and keep working to try to change the dynamic. That’s what’s happening today and I have to work hard to change it.
“I didn’t win a title, so it wasn’t a positive two tournaments. I had my chances in both. I lost in the semi-finals of both tournaments and just have to look forward to Indian Wells.”
‘not sure what he should say..’
how about i’m playing rubbish tennis and i will continue to do so until i change my team and get a psychologist who can help me.
everyone else can see that and i admit i have been in denial for too long thus causing pain and despair for my long-suffering fans.
now finally i am going to act. i know if i don’t that this will go on endlessly.
haha… we know he will never say even a word from all of this..
The denial stage is shockingly long here.
Some people said getting external help would have its own risks. Now, may I ask, is their any lower he can get than this?
He has NOT beaten a top 50 player in 2016 ! Lorenzi was ranked 52.
Way worse than it was in 2015 even!
This is what bothers me. Those kinds of comments from Rafa at this point are just simply someone who is in denial. If he really believes what he is saying, then that is even more concerning
I am just not prepared to accept that his career will end like this. He MUST salvage some pride. No big champion has ever fallen like this.
He can only play well when he does not have to handle the burden of expectations? Okay, come RG, he plays well and reaches the semi. But there, he faces Djokovic and gets smoked in straight sets because he did not have enough confidence in his game and he is still struggling?
This ‘can only play freely when there are no expectations’ is also useless because it will not enable him to win tournaments.
How can the player whose mental strength was unparalleled not only in tennis but also in the whole wolrd of sports ,suddenly get this pigeon-hearted mentality which makes him a pile of nerves against nobodies like Ceuvas?? :s
He is the clay GOAT! HOW is this even happening!
vr…you are making the mistake of arguing from a rational standpoint. emotional/nervous conditions of this kind are not rational.
trying to deal with them in all lthe wrong ways makes them worse. do you honestly think that toni is the person to help him with this?? toni is a terrible psychologist who has always tended to understate rafa’s gifts and be hard on him.
rafa is desperately in need of outside help. he’ll go out first or second roudn of rg otherwise unless he plays people ranked 200 in the world.
Rafa at this state makes a mockery of Toni’s training method. When Rafa mentally collapses, we see how much his game suffered. So much for the mentally toughest sportsman! Would those who look up to Rafa for his exemplary mental strength and focus, feel really dejected or disheartened now seeing Rafa in such a sorry state?
I feel sorry for Rafa, must be such a burden on his shoulders, having to train under so much pressure from Toni and being berated and made to believe he’s not as talented as his main rivals and so the only way to succeed is to keep working harder! I do think Rafa being anxious with all his tics and a bit timid is the outcome of such a harsh training regime imposed by Toni.
Rafa needs outside help, at least to calm him and makes him believe in his game again. Just watching his Abu Dhabi matches would give him some confidence and some hope again.
well said lucky. have said this many times before.
it beggars belief in any case that toni as a rational adult couldn’t see that his extremely harsh treatment of rafa as a child was going to have a downside which was going to appear at some stage…no-one can treat a child like that without there being active consequences which will come back and haunt them in the future.
the fault is with Rafa, not Toni
Not about blame.
And somebody ask Roig and Toni the next time they speak of ‘changes Rafa is trying to make’ what exactly are those changes? I was able to see some changes in Abu Dhabi and some attempts in AO but they sound as if Rafa is making very drastic changes to cope up with the evolution of the game.
I am sorry but try to give us Rafa of 2013 back then? He is guaranteed to reach the finals of tournaments and will grab lots of titles too.
No, the game has not moved on so much that the 2013 version of Rafa will struggle.
I appreciate that they are trying to make changes and I KNOW what some of these changes are. But, nothing justifies and explains the type of shots he misses on a routine basis!
agree with that vr. just give us back 2013 rafa and stop waffling on about this non-existent new breed of players…
the idea that you can expect a player as conservative as rafa to suddenly be inside the court, change positioning, when he is not at the races emotionally and mentally is absurd beyond belief.
if we can see this then why can’t they??? are they really doing their jobs?
it’s just waffle waffle waffle…
the problem is largely also that rafa’s genius carried the technical deficiencies of his coaches. now he is in trouble he can’t do that and he needs people who have been there and done it and know what they are talking about. plus he needs psychological help.
the person who most needs to man up and show humility is not rafa but toni.
oh..and if toni were the manager of a team he would have been fired a long time ago….
Toni has never been hired! Toni works pro bono therefore can not be fired! I do not think he should be! He is needed because Rafa trusts him, he is family, simple as that…but Rafa needs new expertise, new strategy, someone to instill a brand new confidence in Rafa! Toni can not do it!
I believe Rafa is in urgent need of a sport psychologist and it must be a really good one. Serving at 6:5 in the tiebreak after he came back from deficit and what happens? Rafa double faults! It’s heartbreaking to see him suffer mentally like that…
I am watching Kyrgios right now…he serves an ace on break point…where does he get his confidence from? He’s played some good matches and his belief is huge…Rafa is done it all his life just to end up showing inexplicable mental weaknesses…
Nats: It’s called youthfulness. It’s what Rafa once had.
? ? ?
yep ed..fearlessness of youth…
by contrast rafa is like an old man out there…
maybe rafa trusting toni is part of the problem natashao??
because over and over it sounds like he is going along with toni’s views because he feels he has to and that is actively hindering him…
i wasn’t being serious about him being fired…but he’s not the solution to rafa’s problems..
I agree Toni is not the solution and he may as well be part of the problem but I think it would create more damage to Rafa if he would let Toni go…that’s the problem in having close relative as a coach. It involves emotions whereas I am of the opinion that business should be separated from the family matters…OTOH Rafa is specific, he is nothing like other players…he still lives with his parents, he is afraid of dark, his tennis had always been dependent on his mental peace and strength he drew from his close connections with his family…it seems impossible to separate business from family when Rafa is concerned…that’s why I fear Rafa will never bring new faces to his team. .
yep agree with most of that….i too think it is very dangerous for family to be too intertwined with one’s livelihood, way of living…i worry sometimes that rafa is not capable of stepping outside the remit and outlook of his family even when it is actively damaging for him…afterall, even very close families are not perfect and can be very confining..
that’s why i am critical of toni because i feel he has to be big enough to bring people in and take the difficult choices out of rafa’s hands ….
natashao FEBRUARY 21, 2016 AT 4:29 PM
—he still lives with his parents, he is afraid of dark—
===
.
It’s a big house where Rafa lives. As for the dark, he was recently asked about this.
Video: “Rafa Nadal: Kia Open Drive:”
Driver: “I talk to you about things you don’t like. I heard: dogs.”
RAFA: “No, I like dogs but I get scared.”
Driver: “What about the dark?”
RAFA: “If it’s not for going to a party, I like more the day than the night.”
http://2016.ausopen.com/en_AU/video/index.html?video=4708347691001
🙂
I add to my comment AT 6:37 PM:
¤¤ Rafa lives in a wing of his family’s large, modern seafront home [2-storey house] with its own bedroom, sitting room and bathroom. ¤¤ [Source: Rafa’s autobiography.]
I don’t think it’s a bad place to live.
Finally Nick a champion. Things are taking shape on the ATP. Thiem, Nick etc. finally showing signs. Fedal just about out of the way. Things are finally getting interesting.
well, not Thiem anymore…..
Thiem won BA – same draw, almost. But yeah, Rio would have been bigger points. I’m still counting on Thiem 🙂
But Dimitrov, wow. Dimitrov continues being a world class disappointment…
Watching the replay of Rafa v Cuevas now. It’s sad to see Rafa losing to someone everyone knows he should beat in simple straight sets. I’ve been believing that Rafa’s just in another bad patch – he’ll pull out. And a big part of me believes that as I watch him. It’s strange to see this on clay, I’ll admit. But there are many moments Rafa does play well enough to believe he’ll start getting better results again soon. 29 – 30 is not old anymore in tennis. He did better than Ferrer at both BA and Rio. I expect both to step it up on European clay.
even Cuevas is older than Nadal
My dumb question watching the last set Cuevas v Rafa is: does anyone think perhaps this Rafa might have better chances on slow hard court like at Indian Wells? I’m guessing, yes.
Also, Cuevas is playing with no fear or anxiety. Rafa has pressure issues which on clay might be worse than on other surfaces. Last fall on hc Rafa had a pattern going of winning in 3 sets, building confidence as the match went on. I’m not seeing that right now – Rafa got worse in the 3rd, it appears. In contrast, strong finish by Cuevas serving it out in the 3rd. I’d have to check the stats. It was close, very close. Wasn’t all bad by Rafa. Huge win for Cuevas. 500 event. Pella’s chances are good to win the title with his simple win over Thiem.
I didn’t know that. Somehow that makes it even worse.
What part makes it worse?
rc,
Sorry, my comment was meant for Ricky. He said that Cuevas is older than Rafa. That is what I was responding to with my comment.
I appreciate your respectful words about Rafa. You are a great tennis fan and also a wonderful Novak fan.
However, I am not optimistic right now about rafa’s chances on hard court or anywhere else. He is a confidence player who thrives on winning. These losses are only reinforcing his doubts.
I think rafa’s problem is quite serious. I basically gave my reasons last night after the match. Rafa’s mind is just not there in matches these days. He is way too inconsistent and makes far too many UE’s. But he’s also lost the ability to change and adjust in a match. He just keeps doing the same thing over and over.
I can’t be optimistic after what I saw in Buenos Aires and Rio.
But thanks for your words of encouragement!
🙂
I didn’t see your post 😉
Must have been checking ATP activity – questioning my memory!
Thanks. Yeah, I can see how fans are thinking this is serious. It is a set-back for him to not have won in BA or in Rio. Trying to think about why.
Here’s why…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUDSVJh3fso
Official…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXatoCG13tw
Brilliant Hawkie.
Anxiety spoils all the fun! I know that from my own personal experience in life.
Rafa is supposed to win on clay – King of Clay and all that. On hc, there isn’t that high expectation, thus, pressure.
If it’s the winning in 3 on hc last fall, it’s something the Rafa fans were talking about on tx. Had to agree. Whether it was coincidence or a strategy out of caution, I don’t know.
You made me go check activity, Nny. It’s not an obvious pattern. But it is how he won v “hot” players last fall like Karlovic. He showed a lot of patience – then confidence in the deciders – when required. That’s not something I saw v Thiem or v Cuevas in SA.
http://www.atpworldtour.com/players/rafael-nadal/n409/player-activity?year=2015
Nats: I agree. I have always felt breaking the bond with Uncle T would would cause such a rupture within the Nadal clan it would do more harm than good. Remember when his parents split up in 2009 how destablished he was. It was like a light within him had been switched off and it was only after they patched things up some months later he recovered fully. That year was not helped either by a spate of injuries.
I think we are seeing the problem when a tennis player has family as his coach. Of
course he can’t fire his uncle. But as much as Toni may have shaped Rafa and make him a great champion, there are also things he instilled which may be counter- productive now. I think Uncle Toni can’t help Rafa anymore. Rafa needs different input and ideas and maybe another approach to his game and training.
Most of all, there is simply no reason for Rafa to shoulder the burden alone. That will only exacerbate the problem, because it puts more internal pressure on Rafa. Maybe this is the way Rafa was brought up and life lessons from his family do not give him more options or permit him to ask for and seek outside help.
I do know that I really don’t want Rafa to go out on slow note.
Sorry, I meant to say LOW more!
LOW NOTE!
people it is not tio toni, family, girlfriend, marriage, you name it. atp fecked up when they insisted on bio passports. that’s the real reason for nadal’s decline.
Nah, you’re confused with Federer who’s on record as saying he’s very rarely tested.
Hawkeye,
Thanks for responding to that comment. It’s not the first time it’s been posted here.
It’s too bad that someone has nothing better to do with their time than post that kind of thing.
just had a look on tennis-x for the first time today. as margot used to post here and many people here like her a lot i thought i would quote what she said…
‘rafa has OCD which is an anxiety disorder. it tends to get worse if left untreated. i doubt that its been acknowledged, let alone treated, in his camp. doubt if uncle t. has any truck with psychologists. rafa is less fleet of foot these days and that inevitable physical deterioration is bound to increase his anxiety.
sack uncle t. i say. but i’ve been saying that for yonks!’
i think ive written here before that just about all the rafa fans on tennis-x want to see toni go. i think just about everyone, regardless of who they support, on that site thinks he is now more of a hindrance than a help for rafa…some think he should stay on with new people coming in, some think he should just go…
I’m not convinced with the argument that it would do more harm than good.
One, he can’t do much worse, can he? So what’s the harm.
And B, Rafa typically tends to relax more when Uncle T is not around and has faired quite well with just Roig in tow.
It can only get worse with the same team combined with more practise, which seems to be the course for the foreseeable future.
yep i take your point, hawks.
have you noticed in his pieces in the past that tignor quite often makes digs at toni, calling him toni the taskmaster, saying that he is a source of tension in the team and so on…(rafa himself has said that the whole team is more tense when toni is around…)
that’s a back up to what you are saying and comes from one of the best tennis writers out there who also loves rafa
toni’s obsessive mantra about practice is depressing beyond belief right now…
Yep. Have noticed that too.
I wasn’t even tempted to watch the match last night.
Win or lose, his matches lack quality. He occasionally shows flashes of brilliance but that just proves to me that the mechanics are fine and the inconsistency is proof that it’s 99% in his head.
Just can’t watch anymore.
I can still watch tennis, just not Rafa.
Anytime I see high error tennis, I usually switch off, regardless of who is playing (unless its high stakes).
Tennis played poorly at a professional level (like any other sport) is just not entertaining.
haven’t seen him play in ages hawks…agree with with you say…
also watching rafa suffering out there when, in my view, it is utterly unnecessary and self-inflicted is no fun whatsoever….
both me and chloro think they could have fixed this earlyish last year if they had got help and he could be back playing great tennis…
Would have been his best chance for sure.
The longer it goes, the harder to comeback and it may be too late.
yep. not clear now if it can be treated…and will be much harder to get back to being competitive…my major fear has always been that he does nothing and then gets injured…i can’t see him coming back from that..would be very very difficult..
I’m watching his tennis. SA clay has not been the remedy anyone, including myself, hoped. He was doing better last fall on hc – even when indoors. I never measure a Rafa or Fed performance by how they do v each other because Fed has anxiety issues about playing Rafa, whether he admits it or not. Was expecting Rafa to win Basel after Rafa took the 2nd set in the final. Rafa handled the losses to Nole last fall very well, imo. But that loss in Doha to Nole and the Verdasco loss at AO stand out. We all hoped that clay in SA would help. If he’d have won BA, more particularly Rio, the future would look optimistic right now.
you like okie and gypsy from tennis-x don’t you? they both think toni should go. okie thinks he has lost his inner power.
rafa fans there openly talk about his denial and how he is fooling himself. i think that too…!!
Oh sure, like Okie, Gypsy, Margot, even Giles and respect what they write, too. Have not read TX for a week or so. It’s a few of the Nole fans that annoy me too much to post there. That’s been the case – my own fan bases starts to wear me down to the point of not enjoying tennis. So I take a break. Perhaps that’s what Rafa needs – a break. I have OCD and panic attacks. The panic attacks started when going to dentists at age 4 or 5. Then piano recitals freaked me out. A taskmaster mother didn’t help. Definitely relate to what Rafa likely goes through. I couldn’t do it (perform on a stage like tennis). Sports like running, fine. The anxiety actually helps.
amy FEBRUARY 21, 2016 AT 8:40 PM
—tignor quite often makes digs at toni, calling him toni the taskmaster—
===
.
I may ask why you bring this pollution here?
It’s obviously meant to fool somebody. (AT 7:12 PM)
LOL
^^^ why is this ok?
Since when is a Tignor piece “pollution”?
Oh, in your opinion!
Fortunately, you don’t get to decide what is allowed on this site! 🙂
I think that this emphasis on practice, practice, practice may actually be harmful. You can overdo it. I remember how Novak elected not to practice after his poor performance against Simon. Many people started speculating that something wasn’t right with him. He spoke about it in his post match interview after he beat Nishi in his next match. He said that he felt the need to just clear his mind and thought that just not practicing tennis the next day was the best thing to do.i
I was struck by his self awareness. He did the opposite of what was expected and went against the conventional thinking of more practice being the answer.
I know that Rafa is not Novak, but I am beginning to wonder if backing off on so much practice might actually take some mental pressure off Rafa.
Nativenewyorker (AT 9:53 PM),
— Novak elected not to practice after his poor performance against Simon…He said that he felt the need to just clear his mind…—
===
Djoko got an oxygen fix after his match against Simon and again before playing Nishikori.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/tennis-players-get-an-oxygen-fix-1454023796
Maybe YOU should get one. 🙂 🙂
#ClearTheMind
I do agree that Rafa plays better when only Roig is around. It seems that Rafa feels the pressure once Toni is there watching.
I hope Toni stays home during IW/Miami. I think Rafa can do better at IW/Miami than at SA, with Toni’s absence. IW is one of Rafa’s favorite tournament with good bounces on the court surface and minus all those sickening humidity of SA.
If Rafa plays like Abu Dhabi, I believe he has chances to win or reaches the final in IW; that may give him some confidence.
Luckystar ( AT 12:19 AM)
—I hope Toni stays home during IW/Miami. I think Rafa can do better at IW/Miami than at SA, with Toni’s absence.—
===
.
F.Roig has regularly accompanied Rafa at Indian Wells and U.Toni – in Miami.
Explains why he has three IW titles and zero Miami titles.
Hey hey!
Ho ho!
Uncle Toni has got to go!
Hey hey!
It’s very humid in Miami.
AT 4:06 PM,
AntiRafaCreatures have always been bashing U.Toni.
amy FEBRUARY 21, 2016 AT 8:21 PM,
If I may ask, why are you polluting this site with TX?
Since when has humidity been a problem for Rafa? I thought that Rafa was able to play and win in all conditions.
Nativenewyorker (AT 10:02 PM),
I replied here:
[augusta08 FEBRUARY 15, 2016 AT 5:25 PM]
https://tenngrand.com/social/player-pages/rafael-nadal/comment-page-119/#comment-87460
I read your linked post and have to say that Rafa having a stomach problem at last year’s AO was a one-off. I remember Rafa saying in his post match presser that he was never that sick with his stomach. He didn’t think he could finish the match.
That does not in any way indicate that Rafa cannot play in humid conditions. Isolated incidents of a stomach problem here and there is not evidence of anything.
I am surprised that you would even presume to question rafa’s fitness and ability to withstand weather conditions.
Also, last year Rafa was just coming back from another long layoff. So he was not at his normal level of fitness.
I don’t know why you would use that as an example of anything. We all know the circumstances surrounding rafa’s return at the beginning of last year.
Nativenewyorker AT 10:02 PM & AT 12:03 AM
The topic is: the differences between Indian Wells and Miami Masters. I wrote at AT 4:24 PM: “It’s very humid in Miami.”
.
An excerpt from Rafa’s post-match interview in Miami on March 27, 2015:
¤¤ Question. “The conditions here are so different than the conditions in Indian Wells. What do you prefer?”
RAFAEL NADAL: “…I think is true that play with less humidity is easier for the body…Is true that there is some days that can be very humid and hard for the body…”¤¤
http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=107961
Amy,
Thanks for posting that comment from Margot. She did say something like that on here some time ago and got grief for it. She also did mention the gradual physical deterioration with Rafa. Combine that with his mental issues and it’s a recipe for disaster.
What I find interesting is that Rafa was able to have so much success with Uncle Toni. Is the sense that he succeeded in spite of him?
rats and nny,
just going to bed now as am not well and have to sleep!! so can’t reply to your posts right now…
i’ve had panic attacks but only over a few very stressful months..very frightening!!
rc,
I appreciate you sharing your personal experience. When I have read comments on tennis-x, I have liked reading gypsy gal and okie. Margot used to post here as deduct and I still miss her. I don’t read that site very often because in the past there were too many rabid Fed fans and Rafa haters.
I really like how you can be a fan of Novak, but still respect other players. 🙂
Sorry, posting from my iphone with auto correct can be a pain! Margot was deucy here.
People who know me call me a freak – tennis fan freak. No one I know in the real world comes close to getting it – that’s why I come here! LOL…cheers, Nny.
I’m a fan of Nole’s tennis – not Serbian or in any way connected to Nole personally. What is said about him, as in insults or whatever, doesn’t bother me. What negative is said about his tennis or preparation to compete is simply one’s opinion or speculation.
The poster above talking about blood passports is speculating. Whether it’s right or wrong? I don’t know. But as a recreational cyclist and cycling fan, I’m prepared for anything and I mean any news whether it’s Federer, Nadal or Nole, though it seems unfathomable. But I was in denial about Lance Armstrong for at least a decade…Alberto Contador was framed, I’ll maintain it forever. 😉
“speculating” is one word for it…
T R _ L L _ N G
I’d like to buy a vowel, Alex.
rc,
No one in my family or grinds is a fan of tennis. They don’t know anything about it and do not get my passion for the sport and also my emotional investment in Rafa.
That’s why I come to tennis sites like this. To find like minded people to chat with about tennis.
Nativenewyorker FEBRUARY 21, 2016 AT 9:59 PM
As for Margot, if my memory serves me correctly, she couldn’t stand U.Toni and non-negative opinion about him.
Whereas someboty isn’t able to form ANY opinions at all about tennis, non-negative or non-positive!
Plenty of opinions on posters and what they write, however.
(Rafa would be embarrassed.)
No arguments against self-esteem. (AT 5:08 PM)
Nativenewyorker FEBRUARY 21, 2016 AT 9:46 PM
— She did say something like that on here some time ago and got grief for it.—
===
.
On Grandstand, she said she couldn’t stand U.Toni. A couple of years later, she said somewhere else that she “got into awful trouble” on Grandstand because of that.
.
¤¤ hawkeye63 SEPTEMBER 15, 2015 AT 6:24 PM
An update from Deucey on T-X…
Margot Says:
…I got into awful trouble on there [Grandstand] for criticising Uncle T so, in the end, it was hard work and not fun any more and I stopped posting a couple of years ago. ¤¤
https://tenngrand.com/non-tennis-forum/comment-page-9/#comments
I thought that bringing comments over from temnis-x was supposedly polluting this site, in your opinion.
That’s what you have accused Amy of doing. Yet you are doing the same thing by posting what Margot/deucy said on tennis-x.
Nativenewyorker (AT 3:21 AM,
—bringing comments over from temnis-x —-
—Yet you are doing the same thing by posting what Margot/deucy said on tennis-x.—
===
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Wrong again! I didn’t bring anything over to the Grandstand, hawkeye did it 5 months ago. The link to his comment is available in my post.
I wanted to make an additional point to my post @ 12:03 am.
augusta,
Weren’t you the one who took nats to task for giving an opinion that was not based on fact? You also criticized both Hawkeye and myself for doing the same thing.
Well, aren’t you guilty of doing the same thing in that link you provided to your post? You made a general statement that Rafa has suffered from stomach cramps, nausea and dizziness. Then you cited the one example from the 2015 AO. But the key question for me is, why are you trying to make the case that Rafa has trouble playing in humid conditions? What about Rafa winning the 2013 North American summer slam? There’s nothing more humid than Cincy in the summer and also New York. There are too many examples of Rafa winning great victories in humid conditions. I cited the fact of rafa’s great achievement in the summer of 2013, doing something that had not been done for 10 years.
Nativenewyorker FEBRUARY 23, 2016 AT 12:19 AM
—giving an opinion that was not based on fact?—
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The topic is: the differences BETWEEN Indian Wells and Miami Masters. I wrote at AT 4:24 PM: “It’s very humid in Miami.”
The FACT is that Rafa said THIS in Miami on March 27, 2015:
¤¤ Question. “The conditions here are so different than the conditions in Indian Wells. What do you prefer?”
RAFAEL NADAL: “…I think is true that play with less humidity is easier for the body…Is true that there is some days that can be very humid and hard for the body…”¤¤
h ttp://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=107961
All Rafa is saying is that he prefers less humid conditions.
Having lived in Southern California for quite some time and now having lived in Florida for about a year and a half, I certainly do not need you or anyone else to tell me about the respective different conditions in I/W and Miami.
I know that I/W is in Palm Springs which is desert country and very dry. Miami is a sub-tropical climate.
There is nothing to discuss. This is all fact and well known. You posted a link to another comment you made, describing how Rafa has suffered from stomach problems playing in humid conditions. That is not a factual statement.
Nativenewyorker (AT 3:29 AM)
—All Rafa is saying…—
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¤ All I said at AT 4:24 PM was: “It’s very humid in Miami” (to compare conditions in Miami to those of IW).
¤ I didn’t tell YOU (!) anything AT 4:24 PM. My sentence “It’s very humid in Miam” has nothing to do with YOU (!).
¤ If there is nothing to discuss, I wonder why you are trying to discuss. You have posted lots of words after I posted my short sentence ( “It’s very humid in Miami.”)
P.S. I don’t come here to discuss YOUR living conditions.
Nativenewyorker (AT 12:19 AM),
—Weren’t you the one who took nats to task for giving an opinion that was not based on fact?—
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I asked a question. Period.
Nativenewyorker (AT 12:19 AM),
(I add this to my post AT 1:45 AM)
I found my post. My question consists of 16 words, there is no words ‘opinion’ and ‘fact’ among them.
https://tenngrand.com/social/player-pages/rafael-nadal/comment-page-119/#comment-88332
amy FEBRUARY 21, 2016 AT 8:16 PM
—just had a look on tennis-x for the first time today. as margot used to post here and many people here like her a lot i thought i would quote what she said…
‘rafa has OCD which is an anxiety disorder—
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If I remember correctly, she tried to work as an armchair doctor on the Grandstand too, but she wasn’t very successful here. She seems to be much more successful in the AntiRafa environment.
AntiRafa in this context (i.e., unbalanced) simply means balanced.
#Relativity
Dear Rafa,
If you are reading this take my advice. The only way to get back to the top of the game is to practice more. Remember that practice makes perfect.
Your number 1 fan,
filter
Sorry for the auto correct again in my last post @ 1:46 am. I meant to say “friends” not ” grinds”!
rc,
I also wanted to say that Rafa has been the target of doping allegations throughout his career. There was a lot of that in the past on tennis-x and it’s part of the reason why I stopped posting there.
I think making that kind of accusation without a shred of actual proof, is a serious breach of basic decency and fairness. The one thing that players have is their reputation and integrity. Once that is besmirched, it can never be made whole again.
I did admire Lance Armstrong. I know what he did to prevent the truth from coming out. But I am not going to be suspicious of all sports athletes just because of him. We know now that doping was rampant in cycling. But we don’t know that about tennis.
This person is throwing around an extremely serious accusation without any factual basis.
I almost forgot. Vamosssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Saying that Rafa has any type of disorder is pure speculation and if that does not reflect the reality we are only doing more harm to our Rafa by spreading those words around….people read these forums, you know…
Novak had similat mental issues in the past and at some point in 2010 was thinking of quitting tennis… But he found the answers and had dealt with it by hiring an expensive but obviously worth every cent psychologist…he changed his diet, he brought in new coaches…
Rafa did not have panic attacks…Rafa simply played badly in the SA… knowing that his shots are not being executed the way he wants Rafa no longer trusts his game and becomes more error prone…
Toni going away will not make wonders to Rafa…Novak keeps Vajda for the same reason I think Rafa should keep Toni while adding other experts…
If his game works in the practice sessions all he needs to do is get rid of distrust in his own execution and work with an expert to be more “with calm”…I would also like to see a different strategy, new game plan developed by Rafa’s coach for each individual opponent rather than leaving it to Rafa to play his good old clay court game…Rafa is no longer fast, quick and strong as he was three years ago…his game had become so predictable that even I as a fan could assess where his next shot would be… He needs adjustment, he needs fresh ideas, he needs to brainstorm each strategy with his coach…I think there is not much left that Toni could teach him…both Rafa and Toni need a new strategic brain for the game…
You are right about Rafa, natashao. He has not been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder of any kind. It has not been made public if he has even sought help has it? I only relate to him upon what I observe of his ritual behavior’s. Clearly he doesn’t have the degree of panic I do about performing in front of a crowd! Walking out on center court to perform in a GS – I’d pass out.
And Uncle Toni has always been there – it’s never affected Rafa’s ability to win. Simply knowing my mother was in the audience would make my brain become blank with fear of not living up to her expectations. Rafa doesn’t behave that way. I can’t get on board with getting rid of Uncle Toni being the solution. Getting rid of Uncle Toni may make it worse. But I do think adding in new voices on his team could help. But who?
#Cahill
First, I think that everyone should feel free to say what they think. If someone can relate to Rafa in some way and feels a kinship, then I see nothing wrong with it.
Even if someone diagnoses Rafa, that’s their prerogative. There is no rule that I am aware of that prevents anyone from even speculating. We are not writing theses here.
Something is wrong with Rafa. Anyone with eyes can see it. People are free to think and/or say what it is that they believe is wrong.
I do think that someone new needs to be added to the team for a fresh perspective. I do think that Toni doesn’t have anything more to give to Rafa or teach him. I don’t ever see Rafa getting rid is his uncle. He’s family. But adding someone would be a reasonable option. I also think that Rafa needs the help of a sports psychologist to help him with his mental focus and concentration and lack of confidence.
I do not think that Rafa can figure this out on his own. He needs help. I have not specifically diagnosed Rafa, however I have no problem with anyone who chooses to have an opinion.
Rafa has waited far too long as it is. Practicing hard is not doing anything to help him. He needs some new advice.
@ratclif 11:49 PM,
thank you for your valuable thoughts! I so much appreciate your educated guess on this matter…You are the one who has experience and knowledge on the subject and your opinion matters. It’s really great to have you here! 🙂
natashao (AT 10:57 PM)
—Saying that Rafa has any type of disorder is pure speculation and if that does not reflect the reality we are only doing more harm to our Rafa by spreading those words around…—
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natashao gets it! One poster on the Grandstand is constantly delivering a diagnosis to Rafa, i.e. trying to harm him.
I cannot understand why cant the Nadals understand a simple thing that is so obvious. If he is doing well in practice and making UE in the matches, the solution is not practising more and more . It is to calm the nerves and play your game. Rafa is losing as he gets tight by not trusting his game. I am not sure how can such a simple thing miss the Nadals. I so hope I can get to talk to Rafa and drill this in his head.
Yeah, one of the reasons why I hold Team Nadal responsible for this whole situation…and I think they are making it even worse for Rafa…
BTW, IMO Rafa should have played in Acapulco. Even if he’d lost before reaching semis he would have had more match practice…and there would be no pressure on him: no points to defend, just playing for the sake of it…
No he needs to practice.
“Clearly when you lose two weeks in a row with good chances to qualify for the final it’s never good, I fought until the end, I have had a good mentality accepting difficulties and fighting, but I lacked consistency in the important moments,” Nadal said, reports Tennis World USA. “I lacked a little bit of luck, I hope it goes better.”
“I have to accept it and keep working to try to change the dynamic,” Nadal added. “That’s what’s happening today and I have to work hard to change i
This is puzzling :s
I always thought that Rafa would bounce back but these results are very disheartening 🙁
I’m starting to think that the end is near for him. 🙁