Rafael Nadal’s Shanghai campaign will begin with an all-Spanish clash against Feliciano Lopez on Wednesday. Novak Djokovic is also kicking off his week as he faces Dominic Thiem.
Feliciano Lopez vs. (2) Rafael Nadal
Problems are mounting for Nadal as he heads into his Shanghai Rolex Masters opener on Wednesday. The Asian swing is generally Nadal’s worst part of the season even at 100 percent, and he is nowhere near that status this time around. In his return from a three-month layoff due to wrist issues, the world No. 2 was upset by Martin Klizan in last week’s China Open quarterfinals. Now he is suddenly dealing with appendicitis, which puts both this tournament and the rest of Nadal’s 2014 campaign in doubt.
Nonetheless, Nadal will try to get on track against a fellow Spaniard. Lopez has defeated Nadal twice before and this could be a golden opportunity for the underdog to get on the scoreboard for a third time in 12 tries versus the 14-time Grand Slam champion. The 33-year-old is a two-time semifinalist in Shanghai and he improved to 12-5 lifetime at the event by overcoming Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-7(12), 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday.
Pick: Lopez in 3
[polldaddy poll=8358077]
Novak Djokovic vs. Dominic Thiem
Djokovic will be looking to maintain incredible momentum in Asia when he takes the court for his second-rounder. The world No. 1 triumphed last week in Beijing after destroying Tomas Berdych 6-0, 6-2 in Sunday’s final. Not only is Djokovic five for five in Beijing titles, but he is also the two-time defending champion in Shanghai. The top-seeded Serb is 16-2 lifetime at this tournament and a perfect 10-0 since losing to Roger Federer in the 2010 semifinals.
Up first for Djokovic on Wednesday is Thiem, whom he has never faced. Thiem booked his spot in the second round by taking out Lukas Rosol 6-4, 7-6(3) on Sunday. The 21-year-old Austrian owns 21 wins at the ATP level during what has been a positively breakout season. He is up to No. 39 in the world and is in contention for 2015 Australian Open seeding. Of course, his bid for an eventual top 32 status won’t be helped by this worst-possible second-round draw.
Pick: Djokovic in 2
[polldaddy poll=8358078]
For a change, I agree with your picks Ricky. Rafa should not even be playing tomorrow. I think Rafa should just withdraw. Maybe he is just making an appearance for the sponsors’ sakes.
Vamos Rafa!
pull out, rafa. Don’t risk it… I think he will pull out before the match
I doubt that he will pull out at this point unless his condition worsens by tomorrow.
Either way, I don’t think his head will be in the game or, as ritb says, he just wants to put in an appearance. If it’s the latter, then it won’t go three.
So the match could go either way.
He’s already said he’s not expecting anything of himself in Shanghai, just practise.
I think waiting until mid-November (after WTF) is unlikely but one day at a time is probably his approach.
Rafa obviously doesn’t want to miss the remaining tournaments, especially the WTF. But I just don’t think it’s realistic to try to do it. My heart just breaks for him. He’s been through so much, another injury and now this.
I would be so nervous for him if he plays.
I guess if he goes home and has the surgery now, that means no WTF.
I could just cry for him. I feel so bad.
i think he will skip WTF. This ain’t a light thing. He will do whatever possible to get himself ready for Aus open
I agree with these picks and I’m actually hoping Rafa loses. Rafa needs to shut down the season and go home to get a second opinion and maybe an appendectomy. What better time to have surgery than now when the season is winding down? Spanish press (Marca.com and As.com) are both quoting Rafa saying he wants to avoid surgery in a foreign country and will opt for surgery at some point…the sooner the better IMO. This has just been such a bad luck year for him.
sensible
yes you are guys are right, if there’s any chance of it bursting then rafa won’t play. Looks like he will. He is a warrior . Indomitable spirit
At least this ‘injury’ can’t be attributed by the anti Rafa brigade to his playing style. But I feel sorry for Lopez: it’s never easy facing an opponent who is in no fit state to play but even harder when it is a good chum.
True ed, that his playing style can’t be blamed but they will still use the consequences of being sidelined to beat him and see him as an under achiever and less than worthy of the #1 sport.
If he loses to Feli that loss will be added to their list of ‘nobody’s’ that Rafa has lost to and the list of the number of times he has failed to reach the business end of tournaments compared to top players who have not had the misfortune of being sidelined.
‘Nobodies’
‘Compared to other top players’
it’s ridiculous to play in his condition…why is he doing it? makes no sense to me…I had the same issue and it did not go away…You don’t treat it, you simply take it out…I had pain, fever and was exhausted, couldn’t move…how can he even think to play if he experiences any of those symptoms even if in they are mild?! Can’t believe it…such unfortunate year for him…and why does he want us to watch him suffer another beatdown…huh…
that’s what I’ve been thinking all day… what sense living with pain and the risk, even with medical assurances, that the infection can get aggravated by physical exertion and stress
Is it the ranking points… or more, my guess: not letting down the tournament, public etc.?
Shanghai is Rafa’s 6th Masters 1000 tournament played this year.
With a one tournament commitment reduction (for having played more than 600 matches), and by playing 6 of 8 tournaments, he will get a $625,000 bonus (if he finishes YE No. 3, would have been $1M for No. 2). Plus likely an appearance fee at stake.
That match could easily mean over $1M to him.
Not bad for playing one match, no?
It seems to me Rafa has been trying to avoid operations all his life if one looks at how he has managed his injuries to date. However, this is one “injury” for which an operation can not be avoided, it has to be done. I also agree with those who say he should just pull the plug on the rest of the season and heal. They have perfected not too invasive medical techniques nowadays which should shorten the recovery time.
Get well soon Champ!
If Rafa is going to lose it will be in 2 if he is fit enough to take the match to 3 against Feli, he’ll win.
possibly, but not for sure
Should he play I just hope he wont be using painkillers to mask the pain. That could be dangerous.
It’s understandable he wants to get home if he needs surgery but If he experienced as much pain as he did at the weekend this is not what used to be called a ‘grumbling’ appendix. The sooner it is dealt with the shorter the recovery time.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BzZ73TMCYAAl5y5.png
Bull on court!
Vamos!!
Koenig just called a Rafa running FH Dominic Thiem-like……..is he for real? Maybe it’s Koenig who’s on drugs, not Rafa. It’s Thiem’s shots which are Rafa-like, not the other way round…….
Well, he IS the real deal now, for sure, no?
Yes he is, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves………
Thiem = The Karate Kid
Rafa = Mr. Miyagi
Kyrgios must be that blonde headed antihero then.
(TBH @ritb, don’t tell anyone I said this but, just between you and me? I think Thiem has a much better chance of winning majors than Kyrgios.)
#SweepTheLeg
#BetweenTheEars
both should
“Kyrgios must be that blonde headed antihero then.”
*Hole in one.*
Your secret is safe with me, @hawkeye63…….cross my heart and hope Kyrgios’s next dinner costs him $10,000-00……….
Yes both should, but Kyrgios also has the potential to be the next Tomic.
He may be Much more talented than Bernard bu, just like Tomic,t his head is not screwed on right unlike Thiem.
This makes all the difference at this level.
damn, I SHOULD have just said both should what.
#StillLearning
Rafa = Kung Fu Master
Thiem = grasshopper.
two best looking guys on tour… 🙂
I woke up to see Rafa’s match starting. I just hope he’s able to play. I am a bit nervous for him.
nny,
are you still on the West coast?
pretty early for you in that case…
I was watching on-line and the page expired…maybe it was for the best…poor Rafa…and poor us watching him suffer this way…
Yep, Rafa far from his best.. Will likely be two and out which to me means he’s off for surgery later this week then. Will likely end his year including WTF.
For the best all considered.
#VamosRafa
yup…it’s all over this year for our Rafa…did not expect anything better considering the circumstances as of late…I am sad for him…I am sad for so many missed opportunities for this great Champion…
well, life is a bitch…I will miss Rafa enormously…
Vamos Rafa!
I think at times like this that life is so unfair.
Feli knows if he does not beat Rafa today he will be the butt of locker-room jokes……….
Well it is obvious to even me now that he shouldn’t have even played like this.
https://twitter.com/TennisTV/status/519824517246775296
Rafa still making some Rafa-like stretches………breaks Feli.
The come-back is on, folks!!!!!!!
Vamos!
Rafa is fighting the good fight. Well done to break Feli.
Come on Rafa!
Rafa’s upped his game a notch……
Feli shell-shocked…………
Well played Felli! Phew, for a moment I thought Feli was going to let Rafa win this……..
Well played Rafa! Now go home and get that appendix sorted out.
Vamos Champ!
#BlessingInDisguise
See you, Rafa, at your next tournament!
Vamos!
Fed will rise to #2 now surely????
Eventually.
As soon as this week if he reaches the semis (which he should).
Sean was right after all.
Hope Rafa goes home and gets the right treatment and rest for next season. If I were him, I’d take the rest of the year off.
Vamos Rafa
I hope he does the surgery now rather than later. If now, then he can start practicing for AO within a few weeks, and so have a good stretch of weeks and a couple of tournaments to ramp up.
Every single AO seems to come with hard challenges or illl-timed injuries (red-hot Tsonga (08) or Djokovic (11, 12), marathon semi with little time to recover (09), etc. Perhaps he can pull it off in 2015 despite whatever comes up?
He is the Bull, this is all part of the Nadal legend……….
Well, we know there’ll be one person who’ll be happy to see him home early: Xisca!
Life is unfair, most of the time, to most of us.
Even so, all the attitude and behaviour Rafa’s family instilled in him while growing up has resulted in him doing so well in his career overall, regardless of injustices.
If you have control of, say, 25% of the factors in your life, and you do as much as you can working those 25%, then life’s injustices matter far far less.
great post indeed…
chloro,
That was so beautifully said. The way in which Rafa has handled adversity throughout his career is an example for all of us.