Rafael Nadal has not been seriously tested through three U.S. Open matches and he will hope to keep it that way with Lucas Pouille on the other side of the net on Sunday. Gael Monfils and Marcos Baghdatis are also aiming for a place in the quarterfinals.
(4) Rafael Nadal vs. (24) Lucas Pouille
Nadal and Pouille will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they clash in the fourth round of the U.S. Open on Sunday. Their only previous meeting came last spring on the clay courts of Monte-Carlo, where Nadal cruised 6-2, 6-1. A hard court will obviously give Pouille a better chance, but the Spaniard is certainly no slouch on this surface. Nadal is a two-time champion of this tournament, he is coming off a fourth-place performance at the Rio Olympics, and he has not dropped a set through three matches in Flushing Meadows. The world No. 5 blitzed Denis Istomin 6-1, 6-4, 6-2, cruised past Andreas Seppi 6-0, 7-5, 6-1, and made similar 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 work of Andrey Kuznetsov on Friday night.
Pouille punched a ticket to the last 16 of a second straight major (he went all the way to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon) in dramatic fashion. After taking care of Mikhail Kukushkin in four sets, the 25th-ranked Frenchman overcame Marco Chiudinelli 4-6, 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-2, 6-0 and outlasted Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6, 7-5, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1. Prior to Roland Garros this spring, Pouille owned just a single main-draw win at a Grand Slam; he has since picked up eight such victories. The 22-year-old will be unafraid of the big stage, but Nadal is in stellar hard-court form this summer and should have way too much game for an opponent coming off consecutive five-setters.
Pick: Nadal in 3 losing 11-14 games
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(10) Gael Monfils vs. Marcos Baghdatis
Monfils and Baghdatis went more than nine years without facing each other. Now the two veterans are set to square off for the second time in a three-week span. At last month’s Cincinnati Masters, Monfils took a modest 2-1 lead in the head-to-head series by rolling over the Cypriot 7-5, 6-0. Interestingly, their first-ever showdown also came in Cincinnati–way back in 2006 when Baghdatis prevailed 7-6(8), 2-6, 6-1. They also met at the 2007 Australian Open, where Monfils got the job done 7-6(5), 6-2, 2-6, 6-0.
A second Grand Slam encounter between them was not expected given that Baghdatis found himself in the same section of the draw as a red-hot Milos Raonic. But Ryan Harrison ousted a hobbled Raonic in four sets and Baghdatis promptly took care of Harrison 6-3, 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-1 on Friday. The world No. 44 preceded that victory by beating Facundo Bagnis and Benoit Paire in mostly routine fashion. Monfils has not dropped a single set in wins over Gilles Muller, Jan Satral, and Nicolas Almagro. The Frenchman is an awesome 38-11 for the season and currently in position to qualify for the World Tour Finals. Nothing suggests Baghdatis, who is in the last 16 of a slam for the first time since 2009, will be the one to slow Monfils down.
Pick: Monfils in 3
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La monf in three and Nadal in four losing more than 14 games.
3 votes so far for La monf in 2 😀
I think Bagman will fight but Monfils in 3.
Voted Nadal in 4. Pouille is awfully lucky – I’ll give him a set. But Rafa in 3 is more realistic. I’m loving this match already!!
Nadal in 3.
Monfils has been very focused lately. He’ll win this in 3 or 4 and then Rafa vs Monf will be a decent match.
I hope Rafa can keep the intensity high throughout this match. The guy has practiced with Rafa a week ago so he won’t need time to get used to the spins and all. Anyway, counting on an aggressive Rafa to win in 3.
Pouille looks more like a better version of Kuznetsov, but with better consistency and precision maybe. Rafa may have to work harder for this win, also the weather may be hotter and more humid in the day I think so will be tough for Rafa.
Rafa has a lot to improve… his last win was good but he needs to improve literally everything. He has also stepped down a bit in terms of being aggressive with his backhand, which is a bit disappointing. In Rio he was totally crushing backhands , even the DTL backhands. Here, he has gotten safer with it. I hope he can overcome the nerves better now that he has crossed the third round. He needs to unleash his backhand and keep working that forehand!
Lamonf in three.
Rafa Pouille going five. Coin toss depending on Rafa’s confidence.
pouille has just won back to back five setters. it’s surely unlikely he wins 3 in a row. the heat won’t help him if he is tired which he must be.crowd will be heavily for rafa as well.
i am always very nervous for rafa early on in slams now – round 4 is still early on as far as i am concerned but it’s hard to see pouille outlasting rafa over 5 sets.
I’m just concerned for the heat and his confidence. Used to be his strength.
Rafa will have no problems if he plays like he has done in the first and third sets of all his matches last week. If he plays more like he has done in his second sets, could be a bad day. He’s also struggled big time in hot humid conditions this year like against Dzuhmar (sp?).
gosh hawks i am very nervous about rafa’s confidence as well in the early rounds of slams. so much so that i am trying not to invest any emotions until he gets further on and i can start to relax a bit. and i know the problems with the heat – but even so pouille winning 3 five setters in a row is a bit of a stretch. maybe you are scarred by the memory of the five set loss to foggy last year? bet it’s in the back of rafa’s mind somewhere as well…it’s certainly in mine..
yep.
Rafa commented in his post match on court interview that he’s been practicing with Pouille. Of course Rafa complemented him and said it’s going to be tough. Rafa will be ready.
Guessing it will take Pouille almost the entire first two sets to get loosened up. Even if Lucas wins the second or third set, there’s not going to be a miracle 5 set comeback for him. Giving Pouille a set as I did is extremely generous and sort of a nod to his general luck. Rafa in 3 is more likely. But I understand “very nervous”!! Vamos Rafa!
I don’t believe last year’s comeback by fognini was a miracle of any kind.
Rafa simply collapsed and almost any other top 50 player would have done the same against him.
The match is completely on Rafa’s racquet no question.
Keep calm, stay focused, remain confident and fight bravely, Rafa!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CrhDi5LXEAE_cJD.jpg
I think that Pouille can test Rafa, especially if he has any second set lapses again. I also think that Rafa has to serve better in this match. He lost the rhythm on his serve and also had too many DF’s. He cannot afford that heading into the second week.
I do not see this going five sets. I do think that Pouille will come out and play with no pressure and that could mean trouble for Rafa. I am also hoping to see Rafa play more aggressive, hitting the forehand with more confidence and authority and keep hitting his backhand well.
Rafa is capable of working himself into better form with each match. I hope that his wrist holds up and so does his fitness.
I would always bet on Rafa in a best of five set match. As long as his body is okay, I like his chances.
No way this one goes to five! I actually think Rafa is playing better than in Rio! I think he hardly had FH working in Rio and completely relied on hos BHs. Here he is gradually improving and his FH is much better than Rio’s one.
I do expect long points and Pouille hitting hard in the first set to try to outhit Rafa but Rafa will be ready! As long as his wrist is fine Rafa will win this one in 3! I agree Rafa must serve better than in his last match…if Rafa’s serve deserted him he would end up losing a set but no more than that…
Vamos!
Yes, I do think you make some good points about Rafa hitting his forehand better than in Rio. He is definitely getting there and looking more confident with that shot.
I can see Pouille coming out playing aggressive to take it to Rafa. But I think Rafa will be ready.
Monfils in good form. Maybe he is a more dangerous rival than Raonic could have been?
Not rival, dangerous opponent
Rafa vs Lo Monf will be a real fun match if both get there….Monf is almost there…
Monfils through.
Pouille definitely dangerous. He is 22, an age at which physically he is getting better every day. Rafa is 30. Rising star vs aging genius with a suspect wrist?
I will relax ( or not!) after watching the first set to see how Rafa plays.
I think Monfils will give Rafa a match. Of course, rafa must get through Pouille first, which I think he will do. But this Monfils is more focused on playing tennis and not being a circus act. He is playing some of his best tennis now. Monfils never had the mental strength that Rafa had and that was a big disadvantage for him. But I think Monfils is more focused and is now using his considerable athletic gifts. It should be an entertaining quarterfinal match, but I don’t want to get caught thinking ahead.
I’m more worried about Monfils than Pouille. Monfils plays some of his best tennis here. Pouille is inexperienced; Rafa should take care of business today unless he’s physically not well.
Monfils does play well here and the crowd loves him. He seems to get energized from them.
I don’t want to take anything for granted with Rafa, but he should get through Pouille and then I think the first big test will be Monfils.
Rafa can get through anyone including Monfils but the big question mark is his wrist. If that holds up, he will be in the semis.
If he finds his forehand, no one can stop him especially as his backhand too is working. Rafa did not have a great serve even in his best days but he was known for his extraordinary ability to defend his serve. Somewhere I read that he saw the serve as just a way of starting the point. Rafa’s unbreakable serve. He saved so many breakpoints against Nole even at USO 2010 when he was supposed to have a great serve. With all his injuries he has lost some of that super quickness that the young Rafa had so he is not able to chase down every ball. A better serve is needed now especially against good returners like Muzz or Nole but serve was never his weapon. His forehand (fearhand) was his chief weapon. His backhand was extraordinary at AO 2009 but since then the best I saw was at Rio.
He’s physically fine.
Rafa not off to should start here. Rafa down a break. This is what I was afraid of with this guy. He’s come out going for his shots.
3-0 Pouille.
I said Rafa was going to be tested and it may happen in this match.
Sheesh, was I wrong about Pouille coming out slow. That’s some quick recovery time. A beast, maybe.
Come on Rafa!
Rafa is on the board. Maybe he can set me down now.
3-1 Pouille
I meant to say maybe rafa can settle down now.
what is going on? is rafa playing horrible..am working…
i looked at live scores. rafa has won 11 points to 24 points to pouille. that’s dreadful! must be nerves.
Lucas playing well…Rafa playing terrible, missing shots, standing way behind the baseline, no aggression, lousy serve…
thanks natashao. i can’t watch because of needing to work. this sounds awful!
I knew this guy would come out playing aggressive tennis and won’t need much time to get into a good rhythm because he has practiced with Rafa and has dealt with the spins before.
BUT, 5-1?!!!
He is dominating baseline rallies! Rafa needs to find better length on his groundies and SERVE BETTER.
He will have his chances and will work through this gradually..
First time I seeing Lucas play… had just seen some of his practice with Rafa… He has a good game plan too
First BP for rafa…CRUCIAL
Tough opponent today… playing like this against Istomin would still have been enough… wow he thrashed Rafa 6-1 so effortlessly…
SHIT!
Rafa serves first now which is good.. No more lapses please!
Rafa did not win a SINGLE point on second serves! this has to be a record
Quite upsetting seeing Rafa serving like this! He always starts so slowly and becomes defensive once his opponent is aggressive. This trend is getting worrying, and if he’s still serving so badly, the match will run away from him soon!
Rafa’s backhand has gotten much safer as compared to Rio…
He is ,however, trying to step up and crack some forehands DTL after hitting his wide serve
Rafa needs to be very careful with his backhand slices because Lucas is handles them pretty well
That’s a good, positive game.
Come on, Rafa. You can turn this around…
That was a strong service hold. Good start to 2nd set.
Rafa breaks… 🙂
I had a feeling that this might happen. Pouille knows Rafa’s game and has been battle tested in two five setters. Rafa has not been pushed by anyone yet. Now he will have to get it together and cone from behind. This kid has nothing to lose, no pressure, but can he keep it up and can Rafa regroup and figure it out?
Okay, Rafa gets the break! We are back in business!
Come on Rafa! You can do this!
Two good points from Rafa to pull it to 40-30 and a DF from Lucas ..deuce…..
BP rafa… ahh those were lousy slices :/ Great dropper from Lucas…deuce
Rafa with a big ROS off a first serve and wins the point.. BP
RAFA BREAKS!! a littleee bit of luck involved as Rafa’s return clipped the net but who cares… 2-0!
Rafa needs to loosen up a little and maybe Pouille will cool off. Rafa has the tennis brain, the smarts and can turn this around. Maybe it’s not a bad thing that Rafa is getting tested. He is going to have to raise his level of play here.
true…as long as he is able to respond well and win this in 4 sets from here, I don’t mind him being tested. I don’t want a 5-setter though!!!
had a look at live scores. rafa up 3-0. he is obviously playing much better now.
Rafa starts the point with a perfect swinging serve which Lucas couldn’t return! 15-0!
Rafa approaches the net and hits a beautiful forehand drop volley!
Rafa hits an ace ! wide serve on the deuce court! the toughest serve for Rafa…
Good body serve, followed by a solid CC forehand approach to the net which resulted in an easy forehand volley put away!
Good , positive tennis from Rafa as he vamos-es before heading to the chair!
LOLL Rafa swung his magic wand!! that was a wicked ROS winner and I’ve never seen any other top player hitting these..
ARGHH Rafa dictated the whole point dumped an easy inside out forehand into the net.. 15-15
Vicious backhand slice from Rafa but Lucas gets lucky with the net cord… 30-15
Two east pts for Lucas….3-1
OH MY There’s your Olympics doubles gold medal champion!! SHARP angle on the wide serve on the AD court, Lucas with a wicked backhand DTL ROS only to see Rafa responding with a KILLER backhand half volley pickup that goes CC for a winner…
Rafa being pressed here..15-30
That’s bad from Rafa… backhand into the net :/ 15-40
phewwwwwww Lucas controlled the net and approached the net… Rafa did enough with the forehand pass to draw an error..that was make-able for Lucas
Dangerous customer, this guy. Rafa can’t get pushed back. Stand your ground, Rafa!
SUPERB backhand CC from Rafa! found excellent penetration! deuce!
forehand CC set it up though
trying to be aggressive and dumps a backhand CC into the net…. Rafa hits a big body serve and CRANKS an inside-out forehand for a winner! that was sweet. DEUCE
Unfortunately he is controlling more points ;/ ADV Lucas
What a combo! Wide serve on the ad court, followed by a CC backhand winner into the open court!
wow…Rafa gets really lucky there! he had no right to win that point…BUT GOSHH I AM GLAD
It was about the time Rafa gets lucky with the net cord! Lucas had three of those…
Lucky net cord and it’s finally advantage Rafa.
Wow! Brilliant points to save his serve!
Vamos Rafa! Keep it up!
?? this is good tennis.
BEST POINT OF THE MATCH!!! RAFA’S BACKHAND CC HAD ALL THE ANSWERS IN THAT RALLY!! and what a SICKK forehand squash shot to stay in the rally!
phewwwww 10 minutes to win that game!! VERY WELL PLAYED!
I can’t relax though. This guy has a very solid game plan… he changes direction with his forehand very cleverly AND, he is reading Rafa’s wide serving so well in the ad court! Rafa must start hitting the up-the-middle bomb ! May need to adjust his positioning.
Rafa’s forehand is outrageously great right now.
Rafa! Why must he only produces his unbelievable tennis when his back is against the wall? I mean if could serve big for a one two punch to win a crucial point, in the first place why doesn’t he do it more often to win more easily? Why must he do things the hard way? It is like he wants to suffer and torture himself first ( and us) before he can start playing scintillating tennis!
Mental problema.
Rafa hits one of those backhand passing shots which only Rafa can hit lol..0-15!
Rafa dicates thanks to a good backhand ROS but Lucas finds a way to win the point…
Rafa continues to try to hit aggressive second serve returns on the ad court… sticking to his plan A… not stepping backhand so far…
I ate two bags of popcorn already.
ESPN sticking to the Tsock match.
This is why I cheer against the American players.
Hahaha…hawks at least you missed this terrible first set from Rafa…
Yep Rafa holding court.
Perfect swinging serve up the middle on the deuce court, swats away for an easy inside out forehand!
Wow that was an ONSLAUGHT of forehands and backhands from Rafa to seal the game at love! 5-2!
Please break here Rafa and get to serve first.
Thunderous ROS winner from Rafa, BANG on the baseline! 0-15
SO HAPPY to see Rafa hitting these amazing returns !! 0-30!!
Nice point that was! he made Rafa hit 2 smashes and then Rafa finished with a forehand drop shot
Hahaha, Rafa is revealing his level and it’s HIGH. The set is about to be done and dusted. Pouille hits an ace. One more set point and Rafa’s got the 2nd set!
i am working and can’t watch. is rafa playing much better now or has pouille’s level dropped. or both?
Amy,
Rafa has raised his level of play, as I had hoped. This is why he needs to be tested.
Rafa is in the house!
Agree Pouille maybe dipped a little but Rafa definitely raised the bar high.
Big second serve, Rafa returns and defends well enough to draw an error! 15-40!!!
ACE! 30-40
2nd serve… DF!!! I bet Rafa’s aggressive returning from the ad court resulted in that DF! that was more of a forced error!
YES! Rafa has the serve to start the set. VAMOS
14 winners to 5 UE !! WOAHHH!! 85% firsr serve pts won, 62% second serve pts won! WHAT A TURN AROUND!
brilliant vr!! am working and can’t watch. so happy.
Yep, Rafa getting into Pouille’s head now…Good job to win the second set!
Vamos!
Yessssss, Tsonga just won his match 😀
I think the key to the second set was Rafa holding serve abd fighting off those break points. He could have let Pouille back in the set, but he hung tough!
Uh oh!
0-30 on Rafa’s serve!
Geez, you can’t even take a breath before Rafa is in deep trouble in his first service game in the third set!
Pouille is not going to go away in this match.
Rada gives up the early break and the momentum from the second set. This is what Rafa did not need.
So true… ?
Rafa was getting pushed back the first set too. None of that 2nd set.
Lapses again?
Rafa needs to get the break back!
Pouille still going for his shots.
Asking myself why the heck I put money on nada ??????
It’s not lapses from Rafa! This kid is not quitting. He is making some insane shots. The kid is bringing it and Rafa will need to step it up and bring his best.
Rafa has a very poor serve today! He hardly makes any first serves. Also, his serves lack power: even when he hut down the T Pouille could just return it with ease!
This kid may become the best Frenchie of all. He’s something. This is a good match.
How’d Pouille nearly lose to Chiudinelli?? I can’t watch right now as I’m not home but it sounds like he’s really playing well. Rafa will probably find a way to fight and get that fourth set if he loses the third.
I didn’t see the Chewyy match. But you’d like this one, Benny!
Rafa shitting his pants out there.
Rafa come on and HOLD! Gods sakes. Finally. sigh…
Pouille sure has a burly looking coach or is that his dad?
11 minute game ! I hope this long game works the same way it did in set 2!
Like I said during set 2, you CAN’T relax in this one because Lucas is playing really well and he seems to have a good mentality too.
Rafa may well break back but I got a feeling Hawkeye’s prediction might be spot on.
Rafa needed that hold, but this kid is not letting up. He doesn’t seem tired from his previous five setters. He seems match tough.
This is going to be a battle all the way. I would not have thought it could go five sets, but I was nervous about this one. Pouille is doing what you have to do if you want to beat Rafa, be aggressive and go for your shots and keep going for them.
Vintage Rafa! 0-15! superb defense
dropping the forehand way too short
finally good, deep forehand….30-..ARGH ace :/ 40-30
Rafa pressing hard, deuce!
PLEASE BREAK HERE
EXPLOSIVE forehand down the middle of the court! BP Rafa..
Good serve, Deuce :/
Pouille holds. He seems to be very composed out there and knows what he wants to do.
Three perfect serves :/ 3-1 now… Getting very nervous
Yes, this is nervous time. Rafa has to keep holding and then break back.
Wide out serve working well for Rafa.
Pui held that game rather impressively.
hehehe great shot by Rafa but Pui looks slower than say, Andy, Kei or Goffin getting to the drop shot.
Rafa holds. Now he has to try to break.
bad bad bad
Shitty backhand slices from Rafa…not much on them and they are falling short…..Lucas is adept at attacking slices.
Rafa is actually a little underdog here now.
Yep, Rafa was pressing to break on Pui’s serve. But Pui knows he has to hit every ball deep or Rafa wins the point. There can be no balls left short. It’s super hard to do! The level of perfection necessary to win a point! #$%^
Nole has never played this kid.
Pouille believes he can win this…I am not surprised because he trained with Rafa and he has probably been updated on Rafa’s weaknesses as of late like forehand misses, stamina issues, confidence issues, etc. it would be enough to just listen to Willander going on and on about Rafa’s issues to know Rafa”s level is not satisfactory…and it’s well known how motivated young players are when facing Rafa…
The problem is that Lucas has such a balanced game. There is no definite target for Rafa.
40-30 4-2…Rafa having to work so hard to hold serve..
Lucas is reading his serves crazily well! he starts moving in advance and 99% of the times he is guessing right! Rafa MUST change some patterns. I must say, I am missing the up-the-middle flat serve in the corner.
is part of the problem the new serve postitiono? it makes it easy to read where he is going …this happened against delpo once delpo worked out how to return it…always in the same place..
Amy, most prob yes… He just hit a good one up the middle but because the ball is always coming toward the opponent, Lucas got it back and won the point 🙁
0-30..
His backhand striking is getting harder and harder
Does he not get tired???
Ah that’s a good sneak into the net from Rafa…. 30-30
well he needs to be able to hit the t-serve vr.
Thats because Rafa has such a weak serve! He couldnt make so many first serves and his second serve is so weak. Pouille didnt make many first serves but he has a more solid second serve.
If Rafa has a better serve, he could play more one two punch or even S&V.
Haven’t seen many players hitting through Nadal’s forehand spin so comfortably with their backhands… this guy is doing it in routine fashion…
Drop the ball short and you are gone…he hits so flat
Tell you what he is far better than Djokovic at handling backhand slices! Rafa’s below-par slices are being punished here.
rafa often slices a lot when he isn’t confident. the slices sit up so nicely then to be hit for winners..
Rafa is not agressive, and it costs him a lot…This is very bad…
Now it’s Pouille serving for the set. Rafa has to break or he will be down two sets to one.
He’s actually gonna lose this match.. 1/16 pre match odd…. Like how?? Seriously. No way Murray will get eat by this poullie, like no way in hell
The old faithful forehand DTL comes into play to decide matters in that game point… 5-4 …
can you please choke this game away Lucas?
I’ve watched bits and pieces of Lucas Pouille matches but never just sat back and watched like this.
Okay Rafa break this time.
Pouille gets it done.
I cannot believe what I am seeing.
He really believes he can win this and is playing like it.
He wasn’t fazed when Rafa won the second set. He just came out blasting and got the early break and that was all he needed.
Rafa is up against it now.
Holy crap two aces…30-0
Rafa dictates , approaches the net with a fine forehand DTL, puts the volley away. 30-15
Second serve return shanked…. 40-15
I think, the better server won the set.
why can’t he mix up the serve position? at least he gets to serve first.
I am so not ready to take this loss, YOU BETTER DO SOMETHING HERE RAFA!
A key stat: Returns in play vs first serves- Rafa: 53%, Lucas: 76%
This is too big a gap! Rafa not getting free points
Don’t want to sound negative but I don’t see how Rafa can turn this around 🙁 Feeling very negative…I hope he gets an early lead here.
Serve poor, returns poor, doomed to fail. I really dont know how Rafa practices his serves, why is it still so poor?
Sigh, he has his 32 members family watching him and he has to disappoint them like that.
think of his uso 2010 serve. it’s ridiculous they dont get help for it.
Oh no, Rafa serving first again?
He is still out there fighting so let’s pray he finds a way…
Look at the pace with which Lucas Pouille is hitting his backhand CC…
Rafa has changed his second serve return position…standing deep now
He’s not out of it yet. If he can get a break and the lead, then maybe he can take it to a fifth set.
Need some Pepto Bismal.
Yeah cant help but feeling negative about this Rafa; he cant even handle this Pouille, how can he deal with Monfils; dont even need to talk about the top two guys!
This guy has a more balanced game than Monfils… with Monfils at least Rafa has some targets to hit…
He does. More than Tsonga or Gasquet too. He’s just more solid in all departments than any of them. Whoops, I take that back, Pui is not so good at the net as Gasquet.
In fact Rafa has a break point off a Pui net error and will he? Yes. Rafa has it. Thank you very much.
102 MPH second serve from Rafa… huge by his standards! won a free point
Finishes with an exquisite backhand DTL winner….almost a half-volley from the baseline
That’s how you change a pattern of play! excellent forehand DTL
Lucas keeps hitting aggressive second serves
Backhand defense keeping him in this game… deuce…
Very good tennis from both…. Rafa fighing hard here..deuce! some good skills at the net.
Wow! amazing backhands from Rafa! break point! come on champ!!
Pouille holds. Rafa tried, but couldn’t get it done.
Every time he is in trouble, he serves perfectly 🙁
two double faults! 0-30 SHITTTTTTTTT
o shit Rafa is pissed at the crowd! never seen that before!!!
Some idiot yelled out right when Rafa was serving at 0-30! Rafa was mad!
But he stays tough and holds!
Come on Rafa! Break him!
phewwwwwwwwwww!!! Thank GODDD Lucas.P made some errors …
Rafa was pumping himself up after that hold!
0-30 Rafa!
Perfect return! 0-30!!!
Oh Rafa! Bad miss!
WHAT THE HELL RAFA?! second serve return missed
I still have hopes…will this Lucas drop in level? How can he be this fast, running at every ball??
Rafa don’t give up! You can win this! Show that fighting spirit, bring out your best!
Vamos!
Okay!
Break point Rafa!
Now just do it!
L.P is getting tight! he makes a bad error! BP again! NOW DON@T SERVE WELL
Does anyone have a clue why he’s not capitalising on this second serves???????????
DOUBLE FAULT! Nerves from his opponent, finally. 4-2. needs a solid consolidation game here.
Oh mama!
DF to give Rafa the break!
Oh no!
0-30 Rafa! He’s going to give it right back!
Oh no!
Double break point!
Rafa , stop making these stupid errors please. L.P is clearly getting tight so take adv
S&V attempted but a disaster volley…was so easy..
Goooooooooood stuff from Rafa! high quality point finished via a high backhand smash from Rafa 30-40
That was some high wire act!
L.P breaks right back 🙁 Feel like pulling my hair out
Damn…
I cannot believe it! How did that happen!
Great opening point..0-15
Oh mama! Here we go!
Now can Rafa hold his serve and get this set?
Come on Rafa!
He cant even make a proper first serve! The serve is so essential on this court, he has to work so hard to win a point without that!
Dealing with slices is this guy’s strength! he loves doing that!
Rafa is finding some great backhand returns…. 15-30
15-40!!!
Maybe he’s finally getting tired. Break chances for Rafa!
Yess….
Yessssssssss HE CONSTRUCTED THE POINT SO WELL THERE!!! finishes with his best shot: FOREHAND DTL!
5-3! Now serve it out Rafa!! vamos!
Yess! Vamooss!!!
Please Rafa, for all our sake take this set!
vr,
There it is! Down the tee!
Inch-perfect serve to initiate the game..15-0
30-15!
30-30
Rafa unloading on that forehand!!! set point!
Woo-hoo!
Fifth set here we go!
This match is way more than I was expecting. Enough already. Just win it Rafa. I’ve had enough excitement.
That’s my warrior!!!
Vamoooossss!
Rafa has that look in his eyes!
Let’s do this Rafa!
You are the man!
I hope that my nerves survive it!
Ok now Rafa, well done for taking the fourth set despite having a bad serve. Now please take the fifth to send Pouille home! Your family will be extremely happy if you do that! VAMOS!!
6-3!! YES!
The best thing is that he ended the set hitting his forehand really well. I hope he got a lot of confidence from this and can continue the momentum.
He is serving second now and that is a scary prospect…
Rafa not getting enough first serves in play! 56% for this set and I remember it was 50% in the second set! Raise it to 60-65% at least champ…
I hope Rafa gets the early break here…please..
L.P has played two five-setters here and he has won them 6-0 and 6-1 respectively. sigh.
Biy am I glad Rafa is not serving first …
Rafa breaks!
Now Rafa – HOLD YOUR SERVE!!
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!! 1-0 Rafa!! perfect!
Lucas is definitely feeling the pressure now.. And, rafa’s playing pretty solid! He’s been hitting some really good returns as well.
Way to go Rafa!
2-0!
Gorgeous touch volley!
Love those net approaches! he has definitely come to the net more often today and has had good success.
woahhhhhhh that super deft touch! forehand drop volley winner… 2-0!
Chiudinelli 5 sets, RBA 5 sets…his ticket is punched. But he had considerably more coming into this match than I’d guessed.
Rafa’s sharper than ever right now. Cruising…
Recent doubles gold medalist perfect at the net!!! Those volleys are magic!
feel like he could have pressed more here …. anyway, 2-1… Just needs to keep holding but we know that’s always risky … can’t relax
Yeah, would have loved another break but…
Vamos!
I can’t relax without a double break!
Rafa has to be careful..,this guy is not going away..Stay focused Rafa!!!
That is true! Rafa cannot let up! Hold Rafa !
Yeah, Lucas gave his team a little pumped look after winning his second game but no mas. Downhill from here for Rafa.
yeah RC…saw that… just hoping Rafa can keep it together and win two more games.
still nervous…
Gosh, more UEs from Rafa…hope Rafa’s serve works well in the next game! He will need it!
Vamos!
Rafa has finally found some winning patterns and he is comfortable on his serve now….hope it stays this way.
shit… 30-30
what an ugly drop shot… shitttt 30-40
phewwwwwwwwwwww!!! HOW DAMN GOOD was that volley!!! genius Rafa! please serve well now
crap that was too good from L.P
gah…sigh… deuce
Rafa hits the worst forehand of the match on BP 🙁 4-4
NO NO NO NOOOOOOO
yessssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!! BP!!!!
get it please get it!!
Oh my God
unforgivable mistake :@ shit!! deuce
great return …winner… deuce….. we want a break here ! You can do it Rafa
Okay. deuce again. Rafa will now break and serve for the match.
L.P’s wide serve on the ad court has a high success rate for him
I don’t believe this! Rafa couldn’t hold serve for two games, now he couldn’t break. Is it not meant to be? Now he has to serve to stay in the match!
??
I am not only nervous but very afraid now… Rafa’s gona lose ? 🙁
Rafa really is asking for it! Why didnt he press on for a second break of serves? Now he has to fight to stay in the match, if not he can go home with his family.
Rafa let him back into the match…how many times..,
I do not understand why this has to happen over and over again. Rafa is up a break and has the match in his hand and then gets broken bavk! I cannot stand it anymore!
Me too! It happens too often now. Perhaps Rafa truly has declined, even though his warrior spirit is still intact.
His BH basically collapses now when under pressure. Its still very much a WIP.
Good stuff ! deuce…
That was sick from Lucas.P 🙁 shittttttt! now force a tie break Rafa. Hate tie breaks when Rafa is playing them.
I am so frustrated at this situation right now. It was all good and then …..
Rafa not hitting with power hence Pouille could just block it back easily at the net.
He has reverted back to clay court tennis on the HCs, relying on defensive skills, running and passing shots to do the job.
I don’t know how Rafa can pull this out after having so many chances. This is making me sick
Rafa truly asking for trouble here.
What a shot by Pouille!!!!
I am literally shivering now
See? Why cant he just serve like this always and makes life easier for him and for all of us?
Tiebreak here we come
A nice gift from Lucas! 1-0 Rafa…. make it 3-0 please please please
Loses it right away 🙁
Pouille just keeps coming back
I am a nervous wreck!
Pouille down the line!!! 3-1
it is over
4-3… why isn’t this guy getting tight!!! make an error or something!!
and he misses that DTL shot
bull shit! I don’t even know what to say
6-5… give him a second serve at least L.P
6-6… heart pounding… get this pt please…
6 all in the 5th set tb.
I FEEL LIKE HITTING RAFA! what a choker he is becoming!!! what the hell man!!
What a miss by Rafa!!! Wow. Mind Boggling
Second serve LP. Oh no. Thought for sure Rafa had it.
76 pouille, Rafa serving
WOW!!!! Pouille wins it…. Incredible 🙂
Rafa cant win 5th sets anymore.
Too bad for Rafa, tha’s what lack of match plays would do for him. He has so many chances but he throws them all away!
I feel sorry for his big family. Rafa will have to deal with the nightmare of losing in five sets this time at R4.
I am really at a loss for words. This is terrible.
I don’t know what justifies that miss at 6-6.
Yes, that was just shocking. Wide open DTL forehand. His trademark shot was right there to give him match point and he missed it.
I am sure his family is not disappointed. He fought well and I am proud of him. I knew Pouille was dangerous ( though somebody here chose to attack my opinion saying we needn’t worry about Pouille).
Rafa is still not at the level at which he can beat Nole or Muzz but now I am fairly confident that if he remains fit he is going to win RG 2017. He is adjusting his game to protect his body from old injuries so he doesn’t have the unconscious excellence and ease of execution which he would have had if he was executing strokes practised for thousands of hours and mastered. Obviously as anyone knows when you are still at the stage of excellence where you have to consciously play your strokes, you may miss in tight situations. But he is progressing and getting there (to that level of unconscious excellence).
I hope his wrist heals soon. If his wrist doesn’t heal, then it is curtains for Rafa’s career and I am sure he will not take chances except at RG where I am sure it would be do or die for him.
For 2.5 years now.
Please.
Yes, it can take years. Delpo took years recovering from injury and we still do not know whether he is back. It is very odd that you (hawk) discount Rafa’s injuries and seem to think he can play like before and the only reason he is losing is because of mental problems. Rafa himself had warned his return in 2015 would not be the return of 2013. He is very aware of his limitations and his level. Definitely not in denial. It is also odd that everybody and his wife seems to think they know better than Rafa and his team what is good for him. Puh-lease
Sorry for Rafa losing today Mary.
don’t know how many more losses even Rafa can take… confidence will be at all-time low now. I am sure he was expecting at least a semi final showing.
Until he makes some real noise again, it is pointless to have expectations from him now. What a disappointment!
This is getting embarrassing now.
He’s no longer that gutsy, clutch player he was in the past.
I think Monfils will beat Pouille easily in the next round.
He has to be done this time. Easy picking for Monfils.
Chapeau Rafa and Lucas
Pouille has now played three five setters…he’ll get a beating from Monfils. What a kind draw for Djokovic!!
Same old shit now… hoping Djokovic doesn’t win bla bla….
what is your problem with Djokovic? it is not his fault your idol lost.
@Mr.bean, I have no problems with Djokovic 🙂 he is a legend of the sport and I respect his achievements a lot. However, it is no secret that I would like to see Rafa ahead of him in slam count for as long as possible and that is totally fair lol.
Agree with Lucky.
Pouille is a good young talent but any good fit experienced Top 20 player should handle him ok.
As should have Rafa.
Practicing with Rafa defo helped him.
Americans. Fighting over Poiille’s towel.
Every time Rafa lost the hard fought match I said it was the sadest moment but I think this one will deffiniitely break my heart…The same as in his match with Delpo, Rafa misses an easy shot which would have given him the match point…
Rafa is lost his mental strenght, his confidence and he has become a target because his opponents know he will break in key moments…I am devastated…
Rafa was so close and now he is most likely lost for the season..,hard to recover from this…if ever…
Seriously, I think Rafa’s slam winning days are over. He cant even beat a guy who went five sets for his previous two matches!
Again how can his serve be so bad?? What is his team doing? His FH and BH failed him big time here, netting them on crucial points!
What I cant stand is he losing to young guns like Pouille and Coric! I would rather he lost to Monfils! I am losing hope in Rafa now, when he’s so defensive and not wanting to strike first. His brand of tennis may be outdated now, when everyone is going for winners everywhere.
This is an embarrassing loss, when he managed to lose from a winning position. I bet he’ll be asked the question regarding changing of coach all over again.
I’ve now dreaded watching Rafa’s matches, not so much that he loses but the way he loses, its so painful to watch. I think I feel more relaxed watching other players!
I completely agree with you on all points…
???
That is the key for me – the way Rafa is losing matches. How many chances did he have to win this? I lost count! Two games from winning, up a break. Yet he manages to get broken. Again! How many times have we seen this movie?
There were chances to break him late in the fifth set. Then Rafa was behind in the TB but he came back to tie it up. Then he misses a wide open DTL forehand to give him match point!
These are matches that Rafa used to win. It was his trademark. He was the one who came up with the great shots when the match was in the line.
I don’t recognize this Rafa. I don’t know how he comes back from this loss. Rafa had a great draw here. I worried about the lack of slam match play and how it would affect Rafa. He did not have the confidence or the mental strength when the match was on the line.
Somebody just please tell me how Rafa managed to lose this match when he was two games from winning!
Exactly, NNY!
Rafa’s mental strength is not there any more…we will just have to accept that he may just as well get fed up with losing like this and call it a quit…I don’t know if I am more angry at Rafa for not being strong mentally and missing an easy shot or at myself for once again expecting too much from him and ending with unbearable dissapointment…
Natashao,
Yes, I hear you. I do get upset with myself got letting my expectations get too high. I keep putting myself through this agony and urns getting to be too much.
I just have this sad, heavy feeling in my heart right now.
?
Oh goodness, I am so upset that my comments are getting all garbled! I can’t even type anymore!
that miss is inexcusable
Unbelievable! When would we ever expect Rafa to miss that shot with the match on the line!
Oh my god that forehand miss at 6-6. What the hell! It’s the Rio match point miss but worse. Amazing moment for Pouille but Nadal… That’s really sad for him. First time he makes no slam QF in a season since 2004. He’s made just one slam QF in the last ten slams. He looked so good heading into the match too. Pouille played great though I don’t think Nadal that poorly or anything I mean I didn’t see the match til the last five or six points but I heard Pouille was hitting the ball really well but still that forehand miss… And I almost put Monfils over Nadal in the QF when I made my draw too. Now Gael is gonna make the semis but over Pouille. Unless Pouille backs it up but even if he plays well I think Monfils is gonna win. Pretty confident la monf is into the semis which is good. But man. Nadal. Really feel bad for him. Fought so hard too. I really hope he can get back to a slam QF sometime next season. Preferably the aus open or at least RG.
Also a crazy fact here. Frickin Pouille has made two slam QFs this year and Rafa has made none. Jeez.
It may be a change of generations…the young guns taking charge obviously at Rafa’s expense…sad, so sad for Rafa… I really thought he had it in him to win a couple of more slams…
And the worst thing is Rafa would still say positive thing about this loss! He’s in denial if he’s still positive about this!
I really feel that if Rafa couldnt pick up any major title, he will be gone soon. It will be a shame as I see him as not fulfilling his potential, when they(his coaches) didnt concentrate on his serve when he was young; not developing his BHDTL; instilling fear in him instead of giving him confidence; not helping him to retain and develop his flatter FH of his younger days and finally not updating and upgrading his game to stay relevant in current conditions.
I thought that Rafa could win one or two more slams. But now I just don’t know. He can’t even go deep enough in any tournaments to win rankings points! He got knocked out early in Cincy. He hand to withdraw from RG with another injury. Then he missed Wimbledon.
I truly never thought that the twilight years of Rafa’s career would be the kind of nightmare. And it is a nightmare. ?
it is a shame to see his net game being more reliable than his baseline game…that was the case in this match…I am gutted.. feeling so bad..
no shame in getting external help JUST for the serve may be?!
I do feel its more his mentality that’s affecting his serves. He still could serve well when under threat when its do or die situation. Its always when he was starting slow, more relaxed that his serve was having problems.
Perhaps he really needs 100% focus before producing a good serve and he feels rushed nowadays with the TV rule. He was serving better before the enforcement of the TV rule.
Rafa seems unwilling to adapt to changing playing conditions and game style, preferring to stick to his traditional point construction clay court style tennis. If he still prefers to defend more than turning aggressive and hitting hard and going for winners, he will find it tougher and tougher to survive in the tour esp when he’s getting old(er) in physical age.
Its adapt and survives or become irrelevant and retires. Fed himself is trying hard to change and adapt to stay competitive, time for Rafa to do the same if he still doesnt want to quit yet.
Agree with your first two paragraphs.
However the game really hasn’t changed since Rafa had one of his best years in 2013 but his serve was so much better and he was more aggressive. Or better said, more CONSISTENTLY aggressive and more CONSISTENTLY mentally strong.
☹️☹️☹️☹️ I was driving and following the scores up here in Maine and again Rafa loses one match before I could catch a glimpse of him. Gutted for rafa. ☹️?
So sorry vmk1…every year I say I will travel to Rome or Paris to watch Rafa play…but I couldn’t find time for it…back in 2009 I saw Novak and Murray in Miami final but missed Rafa as he lost in the quarters…
Now I sadly think Rafa will most likely retire before I could see him play live…?
I feel sorry for Rafa’s grandma who’s there supporting him, not to mention his whole big family. Why must he embarrass himself when they are watching? I mean, the whole family wont be in good mood now, really feel that Rafa has let them down when he’s losing in such a manner.
I know, and what’s even worse Rafa will feel guilty for letting them down which will further destroy his shaken confidence and his belief…
I guess Rafa will not even qualify for WTF…this is the worst year in his career..,just when I thought that it could not get any worse than 2015…
But from his presser, he seemed rather positive and mentioned that he enjoyed playing out there. Perhaps, he is like Fed now, ie playing because he enjoys playing and not expecting to win majors but can sometimes wins a title or two when he’s at the right place and right time.
Fed is also losing to young up and comers too but that doesn’t deter him from wanting to continue playing in the tour. I guess Rafa is at a similar stage as where Fed is at now despite he being five years younger.
Maybe, just maybe, we his fans have to learn to appreciate him more and not expecting too much from him; just learn to enjoy his tennis and his presence on the tennis court regardless of whether he wins or he loses. We have to learn to accept that from now on he’s going to lose to younger next gen opponents more often but not without producing some of his signature fight till the very end scintillating yet sometimes frustrating tennis.
No. Not like Fed.
Fed has made three slam finals and three slam semis last two years only going out before quarters once. Rafa has made two slam quarters over that same time period.
Nah, like Fed, that he will find it hard to win major titles, but still play on to enjoy tennis and hopes to win something big.
Nah, Fed has been much closer.
Yeah Fed has been much closer but still has not won a slam in four years. Fed will keep trying so does Rafa.
Yeah but not like Fed. Not even close in slams last two years.
True but bear in mind he suffered injuries, illness etc. Fed had his bad year in 2013 and occasional surprise loss too at AO last year.
Rafa was unforunate at the FO, which he should progress deep in the draw if not for his wrist injury. As long as Rafa still has the motivation to play tennis, he will continue to work hard to overcome his problems.
His family was there to support him. I don’t know about yours, but in my family support means win or lose. Did Rafa have a temper tantrum? Insult his opponent? Break his rackets or draw blood from a linesman? Scream at a ballboy? No? Then I do not think his family is embarrassed. He gave his best – it wasn’t enough – and that’s the sport. You really think his grandmother loves him less because he lost a tennis match?
Nah, not his family feeling embarrassed; its Rafa feeling embarrassed about this loss. He’s disappointing them by giving them hope when he’s about to win and then dashed their hope by losing in that manner.
I don;t think that Rafa is embarrassed for the same reasons Ramara listed.
This is not Rafa’s fault.
I agree with both Hawkeye and Ramara. I am sure that Rafa’s family is very proud of him for fighting hard and trying to the end to win. They will always support and love him no matter what.
Having his family with him will help Rafa deal with this latest loss. They all seem to be such a close family and Rafa will be comforted by their presence.
Nah, its an embarrassing loss for a 14 times champion; its the way he lost.
Huh? Not Rafa’s fault?
Why would Rafa feel embarrassed? He fought well. He has always said that it is not the result but how well he fought which determines how he feels about his matches. Ramara seems to be of my way of thinking.
Sorry but that’s kind of a dumb comment. I don’t think Rafa embarrassed himself. And his family may be sad for him but not embarassed or even disappointed in him. He fought hard as usual. That’s all they can ask of him. I mean he’s won 14 slams so I don’t think they’re feeling let down or anything just because he lost a match he fought his hardest to win.
I’m mentioning his 14 slams because they’re probably not super let down or embarrassed from his loss and are the opposite which is super proud of his achievements aka 14 GS.
Benny, who said that his family is disappointed or embarrassed by him? Strange how words can be twisted so easily and get the wrong meaning out of it!
I said Rafa embarrassed himself, NOT his family feeling embarrassed! You see the difference there???
Its an embarrassing loss thats what I meant, for Rafa, NOT his family. Rafa managed to lose from a winning position to a guy who had two long five sets matches prior to this match. Yes, he had already done his best but that didnt change the fact that its still embarrassing for a 14 times slam champion to lose in such a manner.
Oh yeah sorry you’re right I read it wrong. But I don’t think he has necessarily let them down like u said either. It is a pretty bad loss for Rafa though. Still Pouille was playing very solid aggressive tennis.
Let them down in the sense that giving them hope when nearing the finishing line and then destoying it with his own silly mistake.
Im sure his family feel sorry for him and would all support him and console him after the match.
Yeah. That miss really was atrocious.
A loss is never embarrassing if Rafa has done his best.I am really surprised at all the negative comments about Rafa and his family by fans most of whom, I have no doubt, love Rafa. Get hold of yourselves guys. Rafa is coming back from an injury and is still not fully healed. Remember Delpo who everyone thought would be the next # 1? He has still not won another slam and I wouldn’t dream of saying he has mental problems or that he embarrassed himself or his family. Rafa’s words are being twisted ad nauseam by one of the posters here. If a guy has physical limitations because of injury he would be anxious. English is not Rafa’s first language but one can sense his meaning if one keeps one’s mind open. But somebody is determined to classify Rafa as mentally weak. Rafa was never confident about winning. Never, not even in 2008 or 2010 or 2013.He was only confident about his level. He is very self aware. He knew his level was low in 2015. He knew he is still not at his best at this USO. But he was and still is mentally strong. If somebody is relaxed and confident about winning when he knows he is not at top level, then you have to conclude he is in denial or delusional.
I am sorry if we sounded negative…it was just the huge disappointment talking…
I went to bed at 3.30am and felt like being beaten up after watching Rafa’s match…the worst thing is I wake up four hours later feeling even worse…that’s the impact Rafa’s loss makes on me…
I agree Rafa’s injuries have shaken his confidence and his belief…I have been saying the same thing this whole time…but Rafa is 30 and he has no time left for a big shift in his game…his level will not improve tremendously so that he starts being super confident again… it just won’t happen…
Unlike many of you here I was confident Rafa would win this match…I thought he could lose the first set as he always starts slowly and his serve may be questionable, while this kid would start aggressive…But I never ever expected Rafa to lose this way…it’s my own fault, I know, to be expecting so much, but that is just the way I am… Rafa the warrior and the mental giant he has always been made me this way… and that’s why while he is on tour I will keep being optimistic about his prospects…and will definitely have hard time living with his losses…
This loss is something I see as a big step back…I could tell Rafa also had high expectations from this USO…he wouldn’t have brought his grandmother to NY to watch his matches if he was low on confidence and if he did not see himself going deep…missing the shot that Rafa would hit in his sleep (Gosh how many times have we been saying this?) must HURT!
Let’s be clear: I am not criticizing Rafa! Who am I to do it? He is great champion, he has his legacy and his wonderful achievements and nobody can take it away from him! He is made us proud so many times and I am honored to be a witness of his great career and to be his devoted fan!
I am not sure the team Nadal has the answers…keep trying, keep working hard but failing to bring results is difficult to handle especially when he is constantly plagued with injuries…all I want is Rafa to be happy…and he had tears in his eyes just like many of us last night… that’s not happiness…losses like this cripple his fragile confidence…hope he recovers from this and comes back strong…
Vamos Rafa no matter what!
natashao, you sound really really upset. i hope you’re ok?
Nats I understand how you feel. I was once like that even though now I wasnt as upset as I once was, just a bit disappointed.
I think we all have high hopes and expectations of Rafa but we sometimes make the mistake of wanting him to fulfill our expectations when they may not be what he himself wanted.
After reading his presser transcript, I note that he’s a lot more realistic than many of his fans. He said he’s sad about this loss and thought he missed a good opportunity of progressing further here but I think he’s not expecting himself to win the whole thing. I do believe he knows his own limitations and what he has to work on.
I think we have to be happy for him for what he has already achieved, given his limitations – in terms of injuries, the way his game was developed from young, his brought up to be one who’s not superconfident, etc. We should take it that anything he wins from now on is additional bonus. He may never match Fed in terms of overall achievements, or he may be overtaken by Djoko, but he already has his own legacy and his own place in history.
natashao
“the shot that Rafa would hit in his sleep”
not any more…. as I pointed out, he is not playing his forehand with unconscious excellence ( sleep , as you put it) but consciously. What he is playing now is not his “sleep” shot. He is relearning his forehand. If his wrist holds up then by constant practice this forehand too will elevate to the “sleep” level. Then we can see the vintage Rafa consistently, not one who pops in and out of sets one, two, three…
” I am not sure team Nadal has all the answers..”
No, no one has. I am sure they are consulting the best doctors and trying to adjust his game to minimize injuries. A change of coach may not be the answer as he may end up with more injuries. You have to accept that Rafa may never be the “invincible” warrior again. He is 30 and also his body is battered. But even with these limitations, if anyone can rise above them, Rafa can. So keep hoping till he calls it quits. He still thinks there is hope and one more RG. No one knows better than Rafa how to handle career threatening injuries. Ask Tipsarevic..
Natashao,
I just read your comment and felt the need to reach out and give you support. No one here should ever feel embarrassed or ashamed to say what they feel. That is why we have this forum. You do not have to apologize for your feelings! I thought that Rafa would win this match even after he lost the first set. I did not take Pouille lightly at all in my pre-match comments. I did think he could be trouble for Rafa and test him and said so. But I did not think he could beat Rafa in a best of five set match. I still believed even after Rafa was down two sets to one.
I tried to keep my expectations realistic, knowing that Rafa did not have much slam match play. He is still coming back from the wrist injury, but I thought he was hitting his forehand better.
Rafa ran into s buzz saw named Pouille. A young kid having a great year who came out with nothing to lose and played like it.
This loss did get to me, because time is not Rafa’s friend now. He us getting older and opportunities may not present themselves as much. He had a great draw. Even Rafa admitted that he lost an opportunity here.
You want the best for Rafa, as all of his hand do. I don’t like seeing him with so much pain in his eyes. These losses are hurting him and don’t help him regain his confidence.
If you listen to Rafa’s own words, you will hear his honesty. He doesn’t try to sugarcoat his losses or make excuses. He was aware of where he fell short on this match. He did not have the confidence to make the shots in the crucial moments of the match. He admitted that Pouille was able to do it. He gave his opponent credit.
I love Rafa’s honesty and how he tells it like it is. I think as a fan, you should give yourself a break and feel bad for as long as you need to. There is nothing wrong with feeling bad after watching a tough loss for Rafa.
You are human. Feelings aren’t right or wrong, they just are. ?
Mary W (12:21 PM) says: ”’What he is playing now is not his “sleep” shot. He is relearning his forehand. If his wrist holds up then by constant practice this forehand too will elevate to the “sleep” level.”’
===
.
Yep, Rafa & U.Toni have explained several times that Rafa made changes to his FH to avoid wrist pain and now he needs to ‘re-educate’ his FH — to get rid of these changes (“bad habits”).
In this video, Rafa talks about his FH between the 3:10 and 3:24 minute marks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJxQkuGVloI
.
EL ESPANOL on August 28, 2016:
¤¤ Rafa: “…I’ve got some automatisms for hitting the ball wrong to protect me from the pain & now I have to GET RID OF these bad habits that I’ve acquiring to avoid the pain…”
U.Toni: ” In Rio he was [hitting the FH] very carefully. He was correcting gestures all the time not to speed up & force all the way, blocking the wrist more often than usual. Ultimately, that’s not the natural shot. When you want to restart again & play as you were doing BEFORE you have to REDO the movements that have been previously corrected to protect the wrist…” ¤¤
(Translated from Spanish by genny_ss)
But all the “experts” here aren’t interested in facts or stats. They just want to believe whatever fiction suits them. Anyway keep up the good work augusta. cheers
Mary W (AT 6:33 PM),
🙂
Holdserve the strawman.
#hawkeyetrollingagain
#revvedUpByADeuce
#DrawingNatashaointoyournetwithfakeSympathy
#sorryNatsIsBeingWooedByTrolls
Holdserve has nothing intelligent to say.
Comparing Rafa to Delpo is hilarious on every level.
natashao (AT 9:49 AM) says:
1) “I agree Rafa’s injuries have shaken his confidence and his belief…I have been saying the same thing this whole time…”
2) “he wouldn’t have brought his grandmother to NY to watch his matches if he was low on confidence…”
===
.
1) Rafa’s coach U.Toni has said this several times.
2) Rafa brought 32 members (!) of his extended family to New York.
Vamos Rafa no matter what! ?
hawkeye please stop trolling. I am going to email Ricky about the harrassment yoiu are subjecting me too. I cannot express an opinion without you, native and vr attacking me.
Mention your own trolling to Ricky while you’re at it Holdserve.
#PotAndKettle
#NothingNew
#RevvedUpByAHawkeye
Well I just hope that you not comparing your opinion to trolling others. Don’t you? Or do you holdserve.
Mary W (AT 4:59 AM),
?
hawkeye, You drove away ritb and now you are hellbent on driving me away. I am really tired. So if Ricky allows you to troll, I am leaving. I think preventing you from stalking augusta is Ricky’s job. You cannot stalk me hereafter as I am leaving ( unless Ricky stops you)
Good.
Pouille made it three guys from France in the QF by the way. All three in the top half so there’s technically a 75% chance of a French finalist but at the same time there is Djokovic up there. There is a 100% chance of a Frenchman being in the semis though. #allez
Monfils hasn’t dropped a set. In fact the tightest three sets were in his first match vs Muller. Tsonga has played 2 four setter matches: Sock and Duckworth got a set. Tsonga will play the winner of Nole vs Edmund. Monfils gets Pouille. Pouille has gone through 3 five set matches and 1 four set match 1st round to Kukushkin!
My predictions for the ATP draw have been especially wrong.
Kerber won the first set. There’s that.
Rafa can still win a GS if:
1. He is healthy
2. It’s FO
3. Nole Murray Stan Delpo not playing or lose early
4. He plays Roger in final
I agree with 1, 2 and 4. Not 3. He can beat any of them in the final if conditions 1 and 2 are satisfied.
“I think that Pouille can test Rafa, especially if he has any second set lapses again. I also think that Rafa has to serve better in this match. He lost the rhythm on his serve and also had too many DF’s. He cannot afford that heading into the second week.
I do not see this going five sets. I do think that Pouille will come out and play with no pressure and that could mean trouble for Rafa. I am also hoping to see Rafa play more aggressive, hitting the forehand with more confidence and authority and keep hitting his backhand well.
Rafa is capable of working himself into better form with each match. I hope that his wrist holds up and so does his fitness.
I would always bet on Rafa in a best of five set match. As long as his body is okay, I like his chances.”
Just to set the record straight, this is my original post regarding Rafa meeting Pouille in the fourth round.
I did feel that Pouille could give Rafa a test and might be trouble for him. However, I did not think the match would go five sets. But I definitely did not disagree or write off Pouille’s chances in this match.
Rafa was in the match until the end. He had a number of chances to win the match. Unfortunately, this time he wasn’t able to get it done.
This was mine…
hawkeye SEPTEMBER 4, 2016 AT 1:13 PM
Lamonf in three.
Rafa Pouille going five. Coin toss depending on Rafa’s confidence.
Coin toss it was. Rafa was not confident at all which is what I feared when I made my prediction after seeing him in the first three rounds playing fantastic in his first and third sets but shrivelling in all three second sets.
He was not consistently mentally strong and a young guy with nothing to lose like Pouille was just the guy to capitalize.
French Open remains Rafa’s only serious remaining shot to add to his slam titles IMO but even then a lot of things have to go his way when not so long ago, he didn’t have to play his best at RG (although he WOULD have to play better than he has the last 2.5 years).
Before the tournament I said Rafa might get to quarters. He was two points away.
Commies to all Rafans today. It is difficult seeing him struggle like this. He feels like a close friend and it is so hard to watch I’m sure for everyone.
Vamos Rafa. Vamos Rafa no matter what.
Rafa is the best player to ever lift a racquet in my book. I don’t see that changing for a long time.
Hawkeye,
Yes, you did call it. All credit to you. I was nervous about this kid because he’s in the midst of a breakout year and could come in with no fear and no pressure and take it to Rafa. Which he did. Rafa had it easy in his first three matches with opponents who were not my able to challenge Rafa. I thought maybe kuznetsov might do it, but Rafa seemed to take him out of his game.
It is very hard to see rafa losing like this. He does feel like a close friend. I just really wanted this win for him. I thought getting to the quarterfinals was realistic, but when Raonic lost then I thought he could get to the semis.
From Rafa’s comments, it appears that he was well aware that he had a great draw with a real opportunity to go deep. It hurts to see him go out with such a tough loss. Four hours!
Rafa has been a big part of my life for so long. I want him to have a chance to win another slam or two before he calls it a day.
Carole Bouchard @carole_bouchard 2h2 hours ago
Rafa :”attitude was great”, “I need more calm” at 4-3 5th,”Need to serve better”,”Lucas played well”.”Need to create more pain on opponents”
Ben Rothenberg @BenRothenberg 2h2 hours ago Queens, NY
“I lost an opportunity to have a very good event here. I am sad for that.” -Rafael Nadal. #USOpen
#Yup
“This year I didn’t have one mental problem,” he said. “I was able to enjoy every practice. I was able to enjoy every match. Last year, not so.
“Last year, for seven, eight months something strange happened in my mind. I was playing with stress. I was anxious. I didn’t enjoy it.
“When you are not enjoying doing what you do, then you have a problem. The mental problems didn’t allow me to enjoy, and this year I’m enjoying.”
#Yup
Chris Fowler @cbfowler 3h3 hours ago
All credit to Pouille. Battled. Slightly better in biggest moments. But pains me to see tension get the better of Rafa’s forehand. again.
#Yup
Carole Bouchard @carole_bouchard 3h3 hours ago
OMG RAFA WHAT THE HELL !
#Yup
Oh Tiggy, you are right again….
“Can Nadal get back at 30 what he discovered at 20? Can he start to make the routine shots as well as the spectacular, and win the points he needs at the moments he needs them? For now, all we know is what Rafa told us on Sunday:
“I [am] going to keep trying to find.”
What else can any tennis player do at 30? After all, it has always been the trying, as much as the finding, that has made Rafa what he is.”
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2016/09/lucas-pouille-rafael-nadal-us-open-tennis/60667/
i was working yesterday so didn’t see any of the match. so rafa lost after being up a break in the fifth and having a sitter at 6-6? wow that must have been really rough to watch and commies to those who did. i was so tired after finishing working yesterday night i just went to bed.
but rafa should have won that match if he was up a break in the fifth and had pulled it back. his serve is inexcusably bad and i really don’t know why they can’t use a serve coach again.
meanwhile kudos to hawks who called this one exactly right.
i was wrong to say pouille wouldnt win 3 back to back five setters. but rafa let him do it judging from your comments.
@ amy 10:16 am,
thank you for asking…I will be fine. I have loads of work so I am forced to not think about this loss any more 🙂
Yeah, it was tough match to watch…lucky you missed it…
I am learning to be more realistic about Rafa’s future results…it is a painful exercise but I will get to it eventually 🙂
I really appreciate all of you here with your diverse but valuable opinions and your great tennis knowledge! It makes it so much easier to accept these ugly defeats…
life goes on…
oh that’s good to know natashao. i was worried about you!! work is immensely useful for keeping the demons at bay. so glad i had to work late and missed the horror-show. i also have a lot of work this week and i’m glad of it.
i don’t want to be preachy but i do think it is a good idea not to invest to much in rafa’s matches in slams now. i was very nervous about this match and all his early round matches and so it wasn’t so bad for me when he lost as i was kind of expecting it.
take good care natashao!!!
Totally understand what Natashao, NNY and luckystar and all other rafa fans who were watching felt. My mood got so bad and I was feeling so bad for Rafa. I was pissed too but more sad.
Rafa’s warrior spirit is intact and he still loves the game a lot. He said in 2015 he was not enjoying his time on court but now when he is competing he is loving his time.
It is very tough to put into perspective that 6-6 loss. A wrist injury can’t take your instincts away which you’ve built over a career spanning 15 years . I agree with Natashao that it was a shot he would have hit in his sleep 2 years ago.
Rafa has the warrior spirit but not enough confidence to stay in the lead in the final moments. The amount of doubt just marginally overcomes his self-belief in key moments. He won a similar match against Zverev in IW but lost this one. He should never have gotten in that position.
However, Lucas.P was playing incredibly well. Rafa’s net game was the most developed and well-rounded I’ve ever seen yesterday. May be that was a lesson for him to integrate it into his game more frequently.
The forehand will get better with time but the only thing that can overcome these doubts is consistently reaching later stages of masters 1000 and slams.
I was so looking forward to Rafa-Monf and then Rafa-Djo probably.
No, we were not wrong to expect that because Rafa played at a very high level in Rio.
Thanks to the fellow Rafa fans here who make it easier to take these losses.
I don’t think there ever will be coaching change. I think they could get help to fix ONLY the serve? The rest they can handle I guess and not much can be gained at this stage, at least from a technical standpoint.
vr,
I am glad to hear your thoughts. It really helps to come here and just talk it out after yet another tough loss for Rafa.
I don’t think my expectations were too high, considering how Rafa played at Rio. Given the draw, I think it was reasonable to think he could at least make the quarterfinals and maybe even the semis.
I knew that Rafa’s lack of sleep match play could be a problem. The inability to go deep in slams can chip away at a player’s confidence. I think this was part of the problem in this match. I also think that Rafa’s inability to hold his serve when he gets the crucial break late in a match, is a real problem. It’s not as though he was playing Novak with his great ROS. He needs to be able to keep the advantage and not let his opponent back in the match.
It was so hard to watch all of the opportunities that Rafa has to win the match, even after he was broken back.
This one took a lot out of me. I wanted Rafa to salvage something from this year and get a decent result that he could use to build on for next year.
Only Marc Lopez stopped Rafa from leaving Rio medal-less. There was no reason for expectations after Rio in singles.
No it was more like rafa stopped Marc from leaving Rio without a medal.
So according to you vr, even though Rafa is coming back from injury, he can still hit his forehand the same way? This despite the evidence of our eyes that the lethal forehand has been missing for quite sometime?
In fact Rafa himself has said he has to unlearn and relearn his forehand. I think Benny mentioned it and now augusta has also posted something in this regard.
I am confident that if his wrist holds up, he will have his unconscious lethal forehand soon, if not in the fall season, at least at AO.
@Mary, no, he is not hitting his forehand the same way. I have been writing long posts about his forehand since Rio and about the limitations since his first round here.
I was referring to the forehand miss at 6-6… it was such an easy forehand for him thet he can hit it even with a handcuff on his wrist! I don’t know if it was just bad luck or tension getting the better of him somehow.
We are not talking about his forehand DTL or getting good length on running CC forehands for instance. All the technical details regarding correcting motions and movements of the wrist are related to the performance of his forehands in the course of sets and matches.
Not sure if you’ve seen clips of Rafa practicing. he probably takes the cover off the ball in putting away mid-court or 3 qtr balls away for winners in practice drills! The wrist is no limitation AT ALL to hitting those.
It is the overall confidence and hitting forehands when rushed (with minimal time to adjust) that those adjustments affect him.
Thing is, I will not and I can’t stop hoping rafa wins more slams. To me he still has the game to do it o at FO and even at a non-clay slam. I cannot predict about his confidence issues and all but he is strong, self-aware and determined to find a solution.
Two things that hurt me the most from a technical standpoint in his game:
1. His slice has barely shown any progression in all these years!!! he uses it so often but they are below-par. Del potro can often hit better slices than him which is a shame.
2. His second serve is not easy to attack but he has not been able to develop a big kick serve despite focusing on improving his second serve for so many years.
Roig was a solid doubles player and I believe Rafa’s improved net game over the years is partly attributable to Roig’s tutelage.
I have a lot to say about Rafa’s serve in the ad court but I will save it for later and get back to work for now.
sorry you had to go through the torture of that loss vr. as you know i missed as i was working late.
we talked before about the downside of rafa’s new serve position. it means that the receiver mostly knows where the serve is going. the swinger worked against delpo for a while but because he knew where it was going after a while he just started bashing them back. i really don’t understand why they can’t use a proper serve coach. the pressure on his serve puts such a huge strain on the rest of his game.
i read juan jose vallejo’s twitter earlier – he said that rafa was returning pretty badly. this problem about the first-strike tennis on serve and return has bedevilled him for 2 years now.
Rafa started showing worstened anxiety as the redefined time violation rule became more rigorously enforced.
It eventually affected all aspects of his game.
The new rule change effected it’s designed purpose. To slow and ideally protect Feds slam count record.
Excuses and more excuses. Nole will be breaking that record soon btw.
Alyssa, why did Nole punk out at Wimby and Olympics?
Delpo was fantastic in Rio. Vamos to him. As for Wimbledon apparently he had problem with the wife or something. Certainly had nothing to do with Sam.
Alyssa Nicolas (AT 4:20 PM),
You must have read the British tabloid(s).
Excuses and more excuses Alyssa.
Don’t you? Or do you.
You asked no? There must be some reasons. I was thrilled for Delpo btw. Hope he wins the Open this year.
Just goes to show excuses are everywhere.
I’d love to see Delpo win but Murray is likely to stop him should he make it that far.
This I agree with hawkeye, that of time violation rule affecting Rafa. He seemed rushed when serving, netting many of his serves.
true…
Rafa had a very good slice during 2010; he used it effectively during Wimbledon and USO that year. I particularly loved his BH slice DTL which he employed in place of a proper BHDTL shot which he didnt have a good one at that time.
I do feel his BH slice had deteriorated perhaps not helped by the injuries to his wrists.
the violation rule affected a 14 GSs winner? you must be kidding.
Do you even watch tennis?