The blockbuster Wimbledon second-round battle between Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios will take place on Thursday. Roger Federer is also in action, as he continues his campaign against British wild card Jay Clarke.
Nick Kyrgios vs. (3) Rafael Nadal
Wimbledon is not wasting any time making major headlines. Upsets have been taking place left and right in both the men’s and women’s draws, and now Nadal and Kyrgios are set for a second-round showdown on Thursday. This is the seventh career contest (3-3 head-to-head) between the less-than-friendly competitors, including their second at the All-England Club. Kyrgios stunned Nadal 7-6(5), 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-3 in 2014 (fourth round) and he most recently prevailed 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(2) earlier this season in Acapulco. Two of the Spaniard’s three victories have come on clay, with the lone exception being a 6-2, 6-1 demolition in thee 2017 Beijing final.
With a coveted matchup against Nadal on the line, Kyrgios still could not stay focused the entire way against fellow Australian Jordan Thompson on Tuesday but he managed to survive a 7-6(4), 3-6, 7-6(10), 0-6, 6-1 roller-coaster. Nadal, playing for the first time since capturing his 12th French Open title, trounced qualifier Yuichi Sugita 6-3, 6-1, 6-3. The world No. 2 is not happy with Kyrgios right now either on or off the court, making him especially eager to avenge his brutal loss in Acapulco. Even though Kyrgios will be similarly motivated, his form–or lack thereof–right now is such that he cannot be expected to continue picking up wins over the top players in the world.
Pick: Nadal in 3
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(WC) Jay Clarke vs. (2) Roger Federer
Unlike Nadal, Federer did not turn in an especially convincing performance in his opener on Tuesday. The 20-time Grand Slam champion lost the first set to little-known opponent Lloyd Harris before coasting the rest of the way to get the job done in four. Federer, who is seeking his ninth Wimbledon title, followed up a relatively encouraging clay-court swing by triumphing on his old grass-court stomping grounds of Halle two weeks ago.
The No. 2 seed’s friendly draw continues on Thursday with Clarke, a 20-year-old Brit who obviously needed a wild card to get into the main draw. Ranked 169th, Clarke scored just his second career ATP-level victory by beating qualifier Noah Rubin 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 in round one. This will be nothing more than an awesome experience for the youngster, and it’s an experience that won’t last much longer than an hour and half.
Pick: Federer in 3 losing 8-10 games
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Yess! Vamos Rafa! ❤️❤️❤️💪💪💪
So happy that Rafa won and, he won two TBs in a match against a player like Kyrgios!
I’m just so happy that he won, not having much match play on grass. I hope this win will give him more confidence in his next match(es).
Honestly I love Nadal for the celebration and handshake. He’s such a badass 😄 Kyrgios deserved a cold handshake and I loved the finger wave and celebration by Rafa. What a champion. What a competitor #beast
Haven’t seen a finger wave like that since he beat Nole at RG in 2013!
Coming from a fed fan, I sincerely loved it. We are absolutely blessed to be watching an era of tennis in which Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic are at the top of the sport. Would be a real treat to see Rafa and Roger play in the semifinals here.
In previous years Rafa was losing these matches. has to give him confidence.
Amen to that, Benny! Vamos Rafa! Vamos the Big 3!
As for NK, karma’s a … badass.
And this is coming from a big fan of Nick too. I know I’m in the minority here, but I think it’s because I sort of understand his internal frustrations out there. As a pretty competitive tennis player myself who has played hundreds of matches in junior tournaments and college matches over the past six years, I was pretty hotheaded at one point. The thing about Nick that makes it hard to be a fan of his is his lack of effort at sporadic times. But when he’s motivated, he’s one of the most fun guys to watch in my opinion. But today he deserved the handshake from Rafa and the king of clay’s reaction to the win was absolutely perfect. It had me grinning from ear to ear 🙂
Lack of effort at sporadic times? How about at all times except when facing a top player? And even then he doesn’t bother to prepare or train. He’s just arrogant. Rafa’s talented too, God knows, but Rafa fears arrogance (in himself) more than he fears dogs, storms or bad things coming for his beloved family.
Glad you had a great time watching the match! 🙂
Of those who are fans of Nick, I think it’s down to just you and me here, Benny. I have not given up on him 😀
Did not see the match yet but will watch his match vs Rafa later. That said, Vamos Rafa!
I’m sure Nick was honestly trying to win vs Rafa.
No question that Kyrgios was trying his very best today to win. I actually though he tightened up a bit in the last set and a half, but he still played at a very high level. Rafa was just better in the big points.
In his presser, Kyrgios admits that at the moment he isn’t prepared to work hard enough to win slams, and he specifically credits Nadal for working so hard on every point. Nick is no dummy and knows exactly what he lacks to win consistently. He just doesn’t care enough to do it. But there’s not a doubt in my mind that if he were to start caring, start training, and get (and listen to) a coach, he could dominate the sport. Kyrgios basically doesn’t train, and yet he played nearly level with the #2 player in the world who was near his best.
Yeah agree about what he needs to do, Joe. And this ability to take on Rafa and even get a set or take him to a tie break is not going to last. He may regret his choices later in life. Then again, he says what his choices are and defends them. That’s the hard part to watch about him – he keeps going downhill physically with his philosophy of doing whatever feels good at the moment and procrastinates the commitment to do what he knows he needs to do to be awesome at it. As he says: he’s only 24 and his next plan is going to the Bahamas. lol zero work ethic. I hope he at least plans for the future in a small way. Crazy kid.
thanks for posting his presser. It’s a shame he won’t embrace his talent.
I think Kyrgios may go the way of McEnroe, who also never really trained, won his last slam at age 25, and declined sharply afterwards. (Of course, NK hasn’t achieved a fraction of what Mac did). I doubt Kyrgios has improved since he was 19; if he stays on the same track he’ll definitely be worse in another five years.
NK didn’t tighten up. He doesn’t care enough to get nervous. He just ran out of gas in the last set. Not hard since his tank runs pretty close to empty anyway.
Benny, I share your thoughts re : Kyrgios. But I can’t condone his lack of respect towards his opponents and the audience. I’m absolutely glad how Rafa managed to win a very, very tricky match! That should give him tons of confidence.
Fed plays Pouille and then plays berrettini probably. Fed’s draw especially next two matches do not look a lot easier as compared to Rafa’s given that Cilic is out.
Tsonga is another landmine though…what do you think will happen
I think Rafa should win but Tsonga is no easy task. I would say right now off top of my head my pick would be Nadal in a competitive four sets. I would think Rafa’s forehand to the Tsonga backhand would be a really good strategy that Rafa would execute very well to win.
So who’s the Daddy ?! You can talk as much shit as you want and be a total dick but sorry you are exiting in the second round. How dare you hit the king and look away !
Amazing win for Rafa. We’ll see tremendous growth in his next two matches.
Excuse my language please.
No I feel the same vr! Kygrios can f##k off as far as I am concerned. His spitting and swearing was disgusting. Rafa said his whining to the umpire put him off in the second set and he lost concentration. They should crack down on him.
Haha it’s okay VR. You’re just being passionate 😄
VR,
Wow! Tell it like it is! I think some bad language is appropriate given how hideous and disgusting Kyrgios behaved. I respect everyone’s right to like who they like, but fof me at this point I just cannot make any more excuses for Kyrgios. His talent is not enough to overcome his boorish and vile behavior in court. He is going to waste his talent because of his bad attitude and laziness and unprofessional behavior. There are so many kids who would love to be in his position. But he does not appreciate it at all.
His antics did apparently cost Rafa that second set. You rarely hear Rafa talk about a player’s behavior breaking his concentration. That explains why he played such a poor game. He said in the post match interview that he was not broken again in the match. He was happy about winning TWO tiebresks!
Well done Rafa! Take a bow! I have to believe that this win will give him confidence and a lot of much needed match play. Getting tested like that by a tough opponent can provide a lot of momentum.
Sorry but the post above with the user name Nstiv is actually Nativenewyorker. Somehow my user name got all garbled.
Just as an aside what is all this extraordinary stuff about Nole using his position on the player’s council to support mega asshole Gimelstob when he had effectively as I understand it pleaded guilty to assault?!
Just reading about this now. Gimelstob aka the sexist Megagob doesn’t deserve anyone’s support.
Djoker had a private meeting with Gimelslob (whom he describes as a “friend” in London around the time of the recent player council meeting. A writer leaned on him pretty heavily at his presser, asking if he realizes that G was found guilty of the crime of which he’d been accused. Djoker pretty much pleaded innocent and/or ignorant and/or too busy. Take your picks. The presser should be up on the Wimbledon site or YouTube.
Rafa’s press conference
https://indavideo.hu/video/RN_W_Pr_Eng_July_4_2019
Typically entertaining Kyrgios press conference. Says he was trying to hit Rafa in the chest, but I think he’s trolling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQEJIA3NXIs
Heh. I think he was aiming about a foot lower. But as Rafa said “I am a professional player, I know how to protect myself.” He also pointed out that the ball could have hit someone less able to protect themselves, like the umpire, a linesman or a ball boy. Not to mention a fan. Like NK cares.
Oh my, Nick didn’t like AT ALL to lose this match! His body language spoke loudly. Which is good. He should care about losing this kind of matches. And Rafa was totally animated and obviously happy as a clam ☺
littlefoot,
Well we can relax now! He did it! Just seeing Rafa’s reaction at the end, really said it all!
Our man did it!
Love you Rafa! ❤️
NNY, yes, we can relax – until tomorrow☺
As we had anticipated this wasn’t a cake walk. But I’m glad that Kyrgios decided to show up and throw everything at Rafa. This was a real test and Rafa passed beautifully. This was exactly the kind of match where Rafa had faltered in the last few years at Wimbledon. I think he will be able to handle Tsonga. But he won’t underestimate him. And with Kyrgios out of the way and Cilic gone the draw look a bit less daunting.
I was waiting for Nadals press conference and hoping he would be a lil more vocal on Nick. Personally I didnt agree he chose to comment on him after a loss at Acapulco and not so much after a win.( does come up sour and salty. I felt such wrong timing). But Loved his press conference. He did not hold back. Nadal can rarely go wrong in behaviour nor words. At one point he referred to Nick as “Him” clearly says he doesnt care too much for helping Nick unless he wants or respects it.
OTOH the whole Nick danger against Nadal is a lil hyped up. He isnt as consistent or an “absolute” threat each time. Personally I feel Nadal should have schooled him much better than a couple tie breaks. Nadal is too humble and is clearly rattled when his opponents are disrespectful on court. Soderling with his butt picks. Rosol with his shoulder nudge and kicking water bottles and now Nick ( and even Djokovic intimidates him, not to bring Novak on the same page with these idiots). These people clearly know what upsets Nadal and use it as tactics to beat him on the day, more so at Wimbledon. But I think it still comes down to Nadal. I think this tournament is where I see him the most nervous and vulnerable. I feel he is way better than that and his results on grass should have been even better if he only relaxes just a bit more.
The one thing I believe is different with Nadal as against Fed and Djokovic is the other two would rarely lose or even think they would as much as Nadal does with lesser opponents. Having pocketed the first set, I believe they would have run through the rest of the match. Agreed he lost concentration but if Nadal can toughen up just a bit more. I think he would kill these guys like they deserve to, match wise.
I’m not sure what match you watched, but there was no way Nadal was going to crush Kyrgios today with the way Nick was serving. There just isn’t much that can be done on grass against that kind of serving. I thought Nadal played an awesome match, particularly from the baseline and most especially on the big points.
I’d say the match turned on maybe half a dozen such points, and Nadal might have won them all. Kyrgios under-performed in the tie-breaks, and the missed smash to start the 4th set tie-break was an especially bad miss that set the tone. More generally, NK’s backhand let him down several times, missing wide on sharply angled cross-court shots. Nadal was simply the stronger player from the baseline, and that was really the difference today.
Joe, I absolutely agree with your assessment of the match. This was a tight affair, and while Rafa kept his cool during the tiebreaks, Kyrgios didn’t. This match could’ve easier gone into a fifth set.
PK, I disagree that Kyrgios being dangerous for Rafa was hyped up. When Nick decides to make an effort he is one of the most dangerous players no matter who the opponent is. He is 2:0 against the Djoker and while he never won against Fed, many matches have been an incredibly tight affair. Some of us may not care for Kyrgios’ personality. But we should acknowledge his potential. And since he did play well yesterday, Rafa’s win is worth a lot more.
Kyrgios has beaten fed once
Nick did beat Fed in Madrid 2015!
Thanks for correcting me, Sanju and Natashao.
So, Kyrgios has won at least once against each of the Big Three. This underlines my point that he can be an incredibly dangerous opponent if he is fit and decides to make an effort.
Most players can beat the Big 3 on their but beating them and everyone else consistently is what counts.
Hi Littlefoot, I say a lil hyped up because as much as Kyrgios is an extremely dangerous player, lets look at it the other way around for a moment. Kygrios cannot walk in to Nadal assuming he has a 60-40 winning the match. I imagine he would think hey if I am going to have my best day and land everything in, I might have a chance to beat this guy. Kyrgios is a tremendous talent. I sorta hate his antics and I dont think he is a bad guy. He just crossed the line calling Toni an idiot or to question Nadals sportsmanship (well recognized over more than a decade). Yes he was salty at the end but that was because of the disrespect from across the net.
My whole point was Nadal has kicked ass ( Can I say that out lout here? ) to someone like Berdych and they have since patched up and are respectful. The whole Rosol thing started a storyline with Nadal losing early to big time servers. My contention is its not like someone like that is going to beat him the next time and the next time. Nadal is very solution oriented and competetive and can deal with losses better than anyone else.
I am just saying, even if Kyrgios doesnt actually hate nadal, he knows if he comes out like he his and be nasty, its going to rattle Nadal and it does. even Nadal admits he lost concentration. Playing mind games and bringing intimidation is well fair, but being foul mouthed and disrespectful is not. Nadal is visibly uncomfortable with guys like that and they know it. Thats just my feeling.
I was fairly confident Nadal will get through this time. Because I knew Nick is not necessarily as consistent and if Nadal had pressed on the second set, there was a good chance Nick would get blown the next set, on his own. Well happy for the victory, its over. Moving on ….
PK, of course you can say that Rafa kicked ass yesterday ☺ It’s true after all. And I believe that Nick made a big mistake when he made it so personal. He made Rafa really angry – and that may not have been the smarte thing to do…
I listened to the tennis podcast and its quite interesting the mention Berdych and how Nadal is an elephant “He never forgets” and beat him the next 17 times. Berdych is no less a player but somehow in the long term Nadal kept beating him and he had no choice other than to respect and acknowledge you dont get things easy with Nadal.
I would love to see him go at a run with Kyrgios and may actually help Kyrgios turn his career around a bit.
Also people mention Kyrgios having some mental issues maybe depression or something sad, which actually quite makes sense and I feel a bit sorry for him.
I also thought Rafa hit exactly the right tone in his presser. Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Yup!
And you could see that Nick was very salty about losing – which is actually a good thing. He should care!
Yeah, he wasn’t happy about it. He tried his best and it wasn’t good enough, which can sometimes (or for some people) be a lot harder to deal with than just not trying. But in any case, I thought he gave proper credit to Rafa. He knew the better guy had won.
I agree with your assessment . And Kyrgios did give Rafa proper credit – although a bit grudgingly, lol!
I really wish, he could get his act together before his career fizzles out. And I don’t really believe him, when he reiterates that he doesn’t care. I think that he cares far more than he lets on. I think he likes to tell himself that he could in principle win a lot more – if he would put in more effort. Yesterday he did try hard. But it wasn’t enough. As you say, some players have a hard time to deal with this insight.
As far as raw talent is concerned, Kyrgios could be a stable top-tenner.
One also should not forget that he had to deal with quite a few injuries during his career. He definitely needs all sorts of professional help.
Yeah, he finally gave Rafa some respect. Even envy. NK has trouble focusing (“something I struggle with”). I think that’s at the root of his underperformance. He knows he has the raw ability but he can’t live up to it and it makes him crazy. Literally. Sad case.
Ramara, IMO Kyrgios clearly suffers from adult attention deficit syndrome. Everything we observe and what he reveals about himself, points into that direction. And instead of dealing with it, he tries to hide behind brattishness and boorishness. I don’t want to excuse his bad behavior with a fancy diagnose btw. He should be old enough by now to reckognize it and do something about it. But I suspect that he has a very thin skin.
Rafa has his own struggles with OCD – at least oncourt. But he mostly turned it into an asset. It only hurts his performance now and then when he struggles to complete his serve in time.
Worried about Rafa Tsonga given how Tsonga troubled fed at halle and he can serve like crazy too..power game
Sanju, for some reason I am far less worried about Tsonga than I was about Kyrgios. Yes, Tsonga had Fed on the ropes, but I thought that Fed wasn’t really at his best in that match.
Tsonga can serve very well but he is not the best returner. Anyway, Rafa most certainly won’t underestimate him.
I’m glad that Rafa didn’t bet him easily. We would have had claims that Nick tanked the match. He did his best to win and he lost.
Nick will now have more issues focussing with Eugene bouchard by his side 🙂
I watched a replay of the match late last night and finally saw where Kyrgios went after Rafa deliberately and hit him. I had not seen it while watching the match live. I was switching back and forth because I was so nervous. I thought it was despicable. Rafa gave him a long look and waited for an apology. But in his presser, Kyrgios made it clear that he did not think he had any reason to apologize. I got a visceral reaction to what he did. Rafa was right in his presser. Someone could get hurt. Is that what has to happen before this stops?
I do not have polite words in the English language for Kyrgios. They also showed s do-called highlight reel of Nik’s antics up tobthr second set. I did see when he spat at Rafa. I thought that was sickening. There is something wrong with him. But not for a minute do I see him changing.
I do not feel for him at all. I will not make excuses for him. He does not deserve it. He is incredibly gifted, but he does not appreciate it and will not work to realize his potential. It is a waste, but by his own admission he is not going to practice and train and put in the effort. So he will not achieve anything significant in this sport.
I do not see him as another McEnroe. I see him more like Ernests Gulbis. He was very gifted naturally and on any day could trouble the top players. But he was emotional and acted out on court and also did not want to train and practice. He has slipped into obscurity. Another waste of a great talent. You have one shot. The career of a tennis player only lasts so long. To not use natural talent and realize potential is truly a shame. I don’t know if Nik will ever understand what he is throwing away.
I am just so proud of Rafa for stepping up in that match. He was angrier than I have seen him in a long time. But he channeled his anger into great shots when he needed them. He channeled his anger and was able to produce better tennis than I thought possible so early in the tournament.
Bravo Rafa! Now on to Tsonga. I think this match forced Rafa to raise his level of play and gave him valuable time on court to hone his skills. His draw has opened up enough to give him a real opportunity here.
Wonderfully written. As despicable as Nick he is, I think part of us is beginning to feel quite a bit sorry for him.
He is no Mcenroe or Gulbis. I dont remember too much on the Mcenroe but I cant remember other than him being angry and yelling over line calls and disputes with umpires. I do not recall him being cheap or disrespectful towards his opponents including Borg. I think he had his temperamental issues and was dealing with classy players across the net. Some one like Lendl I remember was kinda cold and his antics would have zero effect on him. now thats funnny not despicable.
With Gulbis, yeah he is rash but again seemed a lil more jolly character. Never seen someone like Kyrgios until now. I have no idea why a lot of commentators promote saying we need characters like this rather than condemn and actually make him listen and get better. You cant be condoning somoene hitting at his opponent. Geez!
PK,
Tennis was different in the 70’s. Players would hit other players intentionally. I remember seeing a YouTube video of a match with Lendl and Vitas Geruliatis. Lendl got him in the forehead with a shot. He went down and just got up. But the game has changed and you don’t see it anymore.
McEnroe won 7 slams titles I believe. So he certainly did have success in the sport. I hated his temper tantrums, but it was nothing like Kyrgios. He and Borg were as different as night and day but they became good friends. McEnroe started up get the better of Borg, beating him at Wimbledon and the USO. After losing in the 1981 USO final, Borg walked off the court and out of tennis. He was my first tennis love and that broke my heart.
Lendl was very tough and did not take any crap. He had to be back then. With the antics of McEnroe and Connors, it was a test of survival. Lendl had to beat both of them to finally win the USO.
Gulbis should have been a top ten player contending for slams. But he was not like Kyrgios. I just hate to see such potential wasted. Being naturally talented is a gift. I remember a few years ago Kyrgios settled down and went on a nice winning streak. He focused on playing great tennis and cut out the drama. I could finally enjoy watching him. But it did not last. Someday when he is older he may finally realize what he squandered.
Some interesting serve statistics:
-NK’s fastest serve of the match was a SECOND serve clocked at 143 MPH (his fastest first serve was 139MPH)
-Rafa won 82% of his first serves compared to NK’s 71%. How impressive is that given NK’s amazing serving?
-Rafa won 71% second serve points! So, equal to NK’s first serve points won!
Rafa’s forehand will get more and more aggressive. To me he’ll be stronger in his next match. He is up against a good grass court player but he’ll prevail in 3 sets.
Lendl used to hit McEnroe regularly with the ball.Because of his bad behaviour.
While I don’t agree with it, it’s within the rules as is the underarm serve.
Big Al, I tend to agree. I can’t get too worked up on that particular incident. I even remember a few times when Rafa used to target the opponent’s body for tactical reasons. Kyrgios is just crass and brutally honest in freely admitting intent. There are other things he did during his career which I liked far less.
I”m with PK insofar as Kyrgios often makes me more sad than angry since I do believe he has psychological issues.
I don’t like to see anyone hit another player with the ball. It was more common place in the past. But nothing can make it right. The fact is that you can hurt someone or spectator. I remember when that chair umpire was hit in the eye with a careless shot and needed surgery. That was unintentional.
I remember Rafa hurting Novak. I think it was 2013 in Montreal. But he did apologize. It did not appear to be deliberate. I am not aware of Rafa going after another player intentionally.
What about spitting? That okay, too? I guess we should just let it all go because Kyrgios is a great talent. Sorry, but no!
Absolutely agree with you nny! I was incensed by the spitting and swearing yesterday. Will people stop making excuses for this jerk please? He is a multi-millionaire while putting in very little work. The hypocrisy and double standards in how the commies gloss over his behaviour while harping on forever about Rafa going over time on serve is beyond ludicrous.
And stop feeling sorry for lazy multi millionaires with testosterone issues. His version of uber masculinity is something we absolutely don’t need now. I can’t stand that kind of puerile adolescent willy waving which is everywhere in our toxic politics now.
Amy and NNY, while I usually love your input, I really have a very different pov re: Kyrgios. But I’m not going to continue this argument because we will never convince each other. Let me just say this: while I try to understand Kyrgios’ behavior, I’m not at all giving him a pass on everything. But why shouldn’t I feel sad for some one just because he happened to have a lot of money – at least for our standards?? Since when equals being well off with being a happy person? But since we talk about money: personally I really hate when a player tanks – something which Kyrgios is well known for – since it’s extremely disrespectful against those who have invested their money in a ticket or invested time sitting in front of a screen. It’s disrespectful against those who are ultimately responsible for his wealth. I also hate Kyrgios’s tasteless remark about Wawa’s girlfriend. That was pretty low indeed. But very often Kyrgios hurts himself far more than his opponents. He has a very selfdestructive streak. Very different from another famous brat and bad boy – Jimmy Connors, who deliberately taunted his opponents and very often the poor umpires in a clear case of deliberate and often successful gamesmanship. Just watch the famous USO quarterfinal between him and Aaron Kricksteen. It’s a very entertaining match and a beloved classic during rain breaks – however Connors behaved terribly, but got away with it and won the match.
littlefoot,
I agree about not continuing this conversation because I feel very strongly about it. I am with amy all the way. But I also wrote in an earlier comment about the terrible waste of talent. It is sad and unfortunate when you watch someone throw away an extraordinary gift. I do agree with you about Kyrgios being self-destructive. That I can see. But it is a privilege to play in this sport. There are a lot of rewards. He has the opportunity to make the kind of money most people only dream about. Unfortunately, he does not seem to love the game.
Amy, I only said “a bit”. Didnt think the feeling sorry thing would start an argument 🙂 That was only due to thinking about how it actually could make sense. There are a lot of successful people actually feeling quite lonely, sad and depressed and for a moment I wondered what could really be inside that head.
Also I think I got carried away with Nicks response to the question which made it seem “absolutely” intentional. There is no excuses for bad behaviour or spitting or trying to intentionally hurt your opponent. But I also think Nick was just pissed at the question and he reverted with a “why should I” and the journalist was quite lost on how to respond. Imagine asking someone that doesnt apologize on why he didnt. How would that conversation get to ever become sensical :)).
Bottom line, I believe Nick is taking things a little too far and needs to be strongly condemned and fined appropriately as it continues. I think there is no excuse for those commentators either who say we need characters like this. Yes he is creating news and has the conversation going(even here).. but we have way better players / persons like Nadal and Fed promoting the sport to heights for a good couple of decades now. Do they actually think Nick promotes it better than them?.
amy,
I kept asking you when he spat at Rafa. But in the replay of the match on the tennis channel, they showed a compilation of Nik’s antics. That is when I saw him spit at Rafa. That was truly shocking to me. I cannot even comprehend that kind of behavior. I was reading on VB and someone said that they were on Instagram and Nik’s brother called Rafa a prick. Sorry for the language, but that is what he said. So this seems to be a family problem.
It was not just him hitting Rafa and not apologizing. It was the totality of the behavior throughout the match. Rafa admitted that the arguing broke his concentration in the second set. So Nik’s antics succeeded at that time.
He behaves like an animal. Yet the behavior is rationalized because he is so talented. That is just nonsense.
But I think Rafa showed how you take a bad situation and turn it to your advantage. It was brilliant. He poured all of his anger into his tennis. He triumphed in the end. That was a beautiful thing to see.
I am anonymous responding to littlefoot above. I don’t know what is happening with my user name.
NNY, I absolutely agree. I am not able to find the footage of the spitting anywhere. Thats just disgraceful, completely unacceptable.
Using body serves, hitting strategically at your opponent is still acceptable. I remembered the Nadal / Djok incident too but He immediately apologized. Interestingly Nadal did that once to Jerzy Janowicz and apologized too. I dont think Nadal does that intentionally.
Like I said, I got carried away with Nick saying he did it on purpose but I realized later maybe it was just his way of dealing with the journalists ridiculous question.
Nadal v Tsonga 2nd on CC and Federer v Pouille 3rd