This is official…? what about Abu dabi? Don’t know whether this comes before or after right now…

October 19th, 2012 at 10:48 am

Most excellent decision!

October 19th, 2012 at 11:29 am

Excellent decision- as skeez has mentioned.

He’s got to put his HEALTH FIRST, regardless of anything else.

October 19th, 2012 at 2:28 pm

Here’s a good article regarding rafa and his plans going forward:

http://espn.go.com/tennis/story/_/id/8523352/rafael-nadal-confirmed-mexican-open-february

@Madmax:

Uncle Toni suggests that rafa target schedule going forward is:

1- Abu Dhabi Exo

2- Aus Open

3- Acapulco (Clay)

That’s what has so far been indicated.

As a rafa fan, I’d say that is a smart schedule for rafa- all things considered of course.

October 19th, 2012 at 2:35 pm

Brando thanks for the link,health comes 1st,especially if hes thinking about the longevity of his career,if this is the path hes going on,he would stand a good a good chance of winning the trophy there,although hes won that much on clay anyway,that it wont come as any surprise anyway,it wont do his resume any good its off clay he needs to do better,sorry to be negative,just my take.

October 19th, 2012 at 3:08 pm

I think this is a great idea – he doesn’t have to chase the money in Rotterdam. It may screw up his North American hard court swing, but who cares about that anyway.

October 19th, 2012 at 3:15 pm

@Alison:

I think it’s a wise move and the correct move for the following:

1- Playing Acapulco means he can now ditch Tokyo (which he’s won before) from his schedule. That’s ONE LESS HC tourny.

2- Early prep for clay season.

3- He’s won Dubai before, reached finals at Rotterdam- so nothing really is needed to be proven there by rafa- they are the ALTERNATE choices for rafa at that time of the year. This is EASILY the best option.

4- He can cut out the travel time from Dubai to IW. Acapulco to IW (Mexico to California) is ALOT better, in terms of travel.

5- Transition from clay to slow HC for rafa- at a place where he has won TWICE BEFORE should not be all that difficult for him.

He could have some confidence (IF he wins Acapulco) and match time under his belt before he hits a short HC swing before being back on clay.

This time he would ALREADY have played on clay prior to Monte Carlo- can ONLY be a plus for him.

So all in all, I think it’s a PLUS for him. Sure more non-clay titles would be nice, BUT his non clay resume isn’t too shabby already:

- GRASS: won wimby TWICE (3 RU), plus Queens winner 2008- what else is there to prove here?

- OUTDOOR HC: WON AO/ USO, IW (Twice), CANADA OPEN (Twice), Dubai, Japan Open. RU at Miami (3 times), Shanghai. ONLY cincy he has not reached the final (2 times SF). Poor rafa, JUST ONE weak outdoor HC tourny- how will he live having won most of the other tournies?

- INDOOR: Won Madrid master indoor. RU @ WTF, Paris and Rotterdam. Sure he hasn’t won at those places- BUT at least he’s shown he can play on those surfaces. Heck he’s 2-2 on indoor v nole and 1-0 v Muzza- not a complete lightweight on his weakest surface by any means.

So, in summary, Alison I think he’s doing fine and he’ll be fine (fingers crossed).

At age 26, on his return: this is absolutely the SMARTEST thing he can do

Rafa should ONLY do what’s best for him- not to prove a point to others.

Besides, BAR A HANDFUL of players in tennis history- would the majority swap their resume for rafa’s if they could?

I bet they would!

So relax, rafa’s doing fine as far as his career achievement’s are concerned.

October 19th, 2012 at 3:40 pm

Seems like a very sensible plan for Rafa. Can’t wait to see him back.

I’m seeing reports that Andy has pulled out of Basel. Very wise.

October 19th, 2012 at 3:53 pm

‘I’m seeing reports that Andy has pulled out of Basel. Very wise.’

Excellent decision- IF it turns out to be the case.

Andy’s goal should be the WTF and performing as well as he possibly can for that one.

October 19th, 2012 at 3:58 pm

Thanks Brando and sorry for putting a negative slant on our favorite,especially my posts on the other thread.

October 19th, 2012 at 4:10 pm

Actually, last year Rafa played nothing between the AO and IW. Same with 2010; he took February off. And in 2011, he played only a DC tie between the AO and IW. In fact, you have to go all the way back to 2009 to find that Rafa played Rotterdam.

Thus, playing Acapulco isn’t really “avoiding” hard courts, imo; it’s adding another clay event, which is a huge boon to Acapulco, having Rafa play there!

October 19th, 2012 at 4:16 pm

I hope Murray has pulled out of Basel, but the one I am bothered about is Paris. If he gets to the final in Paris – perfectly possible – how long will he have before the WTF? Not long enough, is my answer to that!

October 19th, 2012 at 4:35 pm

OK, so he screws over Basel two years in a row? Last year, Roger was miffed that Murray requested a wild card from the tournament and then pulled out at the last minute. Why does he do this?

October 19th, 2012 at 5:32 pm

“And in 2011, he played only a DC tie between the AO and IW.”

Didn’t he claim some kind of injury during this time?

October 19th, 2012 at 6:02 pm

^ I think he had a shoulder injury this year skeezer, and he retired from the AO in 2010 injured, but I am not sure about 2011. My point was that Rafa doesn’t seem to be “avoiding hardcourts,” insofar as he hasn’t played any events between AO and IW for basically 3 years already. So by adding the clay event in Mexico, he’ll actually be adding to his schedule. I wonder if he’ll skip Barcelona then? Or how /if he’ll adjust the rest of his schedule with this addition.

October 19th, 2012 at 6:26 pm

Like Miss Lovell really wanted him to play there anyway. Ha!

October 19th, 2012 at 6:28 pm

Although not official , I’m guessing Rafa may skip either of Indian Wells or Miami. I don’t see the point in going to Acapulco and NOT skipping one of the two hard-court master events. He probably hasn’t decided which one he should skip or is deliberately mute about it. If I’m wrong , then I’m not happy at all. For Rafa, IW and Miami are the least important master series events alongside Shanghai and Paris. They are not tune-up events to a major. After AO, the next major is French open , a clay event. Infact, if Rafa doesn’t go to either of the two master events, he doesn’t lose much in terms of building momentum for majors. Points, yes there are 2000 points on the table if he goes but at this stage, with his injuries and all, it shouldn’t be a priority at all. At the very least he should skip one of them.

October 19th, 2012 at 7:51 pm

^would be shocked if he doesn’t play IW, the slowest HC on tour. If he is going to play 1 Masters on HC that should be it.

October 19th, 2012 at 9:58 pm

jane,

AO 2011 Rafa lost to Daveeeeed but he was injured, he finished the match just to give credit to his good mate Ferrer and not wanting to retire two years in a row. He retired against Murray prevoius year, though Andy woul win that match regardless, he was better player that night. It was sad watching him last year knowing that his chance to put together 4GS is gone, probably for ever. He coyld evrn chase the balls and run, it was genuine injury. It was strange to see spectators who originaly were going for Ferrer as underdog cheering every Rafa’s point realizing that now he is underdog because of injury. I was there, same as year before and year before…..Rod Laver Arena is just rifht for tennis, 15000 people can enjoy and see and feel the game. I just got my tickets for AO 2013. I really hope Rafa is not goung to puul out. GS is not the same without Rafa.

October 20th, 2012 at 2:31 am

“he couldn’t even chase the balls and run” should say.

October 20th, 2012 at 2:33 am

There is more typos, sorry:(

October 20th, 2012 at 2:36 am

Oh that’s right Wog Boy, now I remember that. Thanks. So 2010, 2011 and 2012 he was injured either during or after the AO, which explains why he played basically nothing between the AO and IW. Maybe having this time off at the end of this year will help shift that next season? Rafa sure has been unlucky in the injury department. :/

October 20th, 2012 at 3:35 am

Madmax, Abu Dhabi is 27-29th Dec 2012. It’s only an exhibition involving 6 players in a round robin format ao has no impact on Acapulco.

I think it’s the ideal place for Rafa to start as there is no pressure and he would, hopefully, have had a few weeks of on court practice. Rafa says he’ll play Doha before the AO.

The fact is, Rafa cannot avoid hard courts as they form a huge part of the calendar. From July to March it’s nothing but hard court tennis, so whilst Rafa can substitute a 500 clay event for one h/c event, sadly, his options are very limited.

October 20th, 2012 at 3:59 am

alison Says:

“it wont come as any surprise anyway,it wont do his resume any good its off clay he needs to do better,sorry to be negative,just my take.”

Does it harm any player’s resume that they have won much on clay?

October 20th, 2012 at 4:02 am

Hamza, both I/W and Miami are mandatory tournaments and Rafa has qualified to skip just one M1000 a season, so he might skip one of them but that means that he’ll have to play all the M1000s after Wimbledon so he doesn’t have a lot of room to move. There are h/c tournaments coming out of our ears.

October 20th, 2012 at 4:11 am

alison Says:

“it wont come as any surprise anyway,it wont do his resume any good its off clay he needs to do better,sorry to be negative,just my take.”

Does it harm any player’s resume that they have NOT won much on clay?

October 20th, 2012 at 4:14 am

I think Nadal can maintain top 4 ranking if he plays several more clay tournaments, while skipping many hard court tournaments – as long as he still dominates clay. Between the slam, masters, and 500 tournaments, he could theoretically earn 7000 points just on clay (if he wins everything).

If he wants to play for several more years, he better do that.

Problem is – perhaps in 2013, more likely in 2014, his stranglehold on clay will be gone, as he grows older. Then what?

October 20th, 2012 at 1:18 pm

EIITMO
Since tennis is played on more than one surface, when someone has a whole is one surface- yeah maybe it does hurt you a touch- problem is, in the past several years, everyone has a hole in their clay resume with the way rafa dominates the surface!

October 20th, 2012 at 2:03 pm

Nadal has made the semis of IW for seven straight years. He is a two-time champ and a three-time finalist.

It is his most successful hard-court event by far. No way he’s going to skip it.

jane: I must disagree. The majority opinion has it completely wrong: Nadal is not unlucky but exceptionally fortunate to win as much as he has.

He is not a victim of misfortune. No one dropped a piano on his head. He did not slip on a banana peel or get hit by a car.

What physical issues he has (and I’m of the school that believes that he greatly exaggerates them to explain away his losses) stem from the nature of his game. He is responsible for his physical problems, not bad luck or the malice of others.

He lacks proper technique and as a result his game puts a huge strain on his body. That’s the price he pays for having such a simple game. Sure it means he doesn’t have to think, unlike Federer, and makes him less susceptible to unforced errors, but it also means there’s a lot more wear and tear from running and muscling the ball so much.

It’s amazing that he’s won as much as he has; it’s due greatly to the remarkable strength and endurance that he’s able to summon up, particularly in the Grand Slams, so that he can power-up a clay court game so much that it works on hard courts.

But for everything you have to pay a price. Lack of technique means greater stress on the body means shorter career.

Djokovic has better strokes, that’s why he’s going to last longer and why he can keep up his level year-round unlike Nadal who can’t do it outside clay and the Grand Slams as he gets older.

If Nadal wanted to last longer, he should have taken some tennis lessons and learned how to hit a proper forehand.

I am sure, however, that next year he will be back, skipping most of the year with “injury” while magically becoming an invincible force in the Grand Slams and clay season despite those “injuries.” So no one needs to worry–I’m sure he will be fine.

October 20th, 2012 at 2:08 pm

I agree. There is no need to feel sorry for Nadal. He has done exceptionally well. He has kinda overachieved and will achieve a lot more. Grinding his opponents into submission is his strength but it also has consequences. Evidently, he has calculated that the rewards far outweigh the costs and his career shows that strategy has worked very well.

October 20th, 2012 at 2:22 pm

Steve-o

“Rack it” post. Well done ;)

October 20th, 2012 at 2:35 pm

Steve O if Nadal wanted to last longer,he should have taken some tennis lessons and learned how to hit a proper forehand,i am sure next year he will be back,skipping most of the year with injury while magically becoming an invincible force in the grand slams and clay season despite those injuries.so no one needs to worry im sure he will be fine,just a thought but how will he be fine then if you believe hes not going to last?

October 20th, 2012 at 2:40 pm

I dont feel sorry for Nadal i never have,the only thing i would like him to do is even things out a bit,is all im saying,however we will see.

October 20th, 2012 at 2:45 pm

Great post steve-o. Very well said. Rafa has over-achieved and has been extremely fortunate he hasn’t had more injuries. He is a great competitor and tries his best all the time, but there is no doubt his game is technicall inferior to players like federer, sampras, safin, laver, borg or mcenroe.

i think players like haas, joachim johanasson, phillippousis – those are unlucky players!

I find it highly stupid when people make comments like this about rafa, as if he was injured while taking a shower. His injuries are a direct consequence of his ugly defensive mindset. i loathe defensive players in any sport.

That said, I hope djokovic will overtake rafa for total career slams and weeks at number 1. His game is technically superior to rafa’s and if djokovic had an obsessed parent/coach to drive him hard like uncle toni does to rafa, I am sure he would have won more slams than rafa!

Personally, this is a great time for me to have my 2 favorites Roger and Novak as the top 2 players. I hope they end their careers as the top 2 guys of this era in tennis.

October 20th, 2012 at 3:20 pm

I dont mind Rafa playing on clay courts. He is such a natural on clay-court, like Roger is on grass or hardcourts. It is only when he plays at wimbledon and hard court tournaments that his game appears ugly.

I wish Rafa would play only on clay-courts. He is so great to watch on clay.

October 20th, 2012 at 3:23 pm

I don’t understand how anyone can be said to have over achieved. What on earth does that mean? Rafa’s spectacular success on clay is clouding his achievements on grass and h/c. Rafa has made 8 appearances at Wimbledon, he’s won 2 and made 3 other finals.

Rafa is one of the players no one wants to see in their path on any surface, so let’s give him credit where it is due.

October 20th, 2012 at 3:43 pm

I think injuries or lack thereof have something to do with body type and genetics as well. Nole is a very flexible guy, maybe Rafa isn’t as much so; he’s much more muscular. One can work on flexibility, but some of that -body type, flexibility – could also be due to genetics, in which case “luck” could be seen as a factor.

Plus we all know that Toni had Rafa play with an arm that is not natural to him; he’s a natural righty and yet he plays lefty; that has to have had some impact on Rafa – going against the grain like that.

So yeah, imo, there are probably a multitude of things that contribute to a player being more prone to injury than one who is not, not only playing style.

October 20th, 2012 at 3:47 pm

Rafa won the USO in 2010 hardly dropping his serve! Come on, you can’t call that over achieving. He is just too damn good and without his injuries he’d be an even bigger force to be reckoned with.

October 20th, 2012 at 3:48 pm

I hope Rafa ends up asn the greatest player of this era.

October 20th, 2012 at 3:50 pm

I say this again. Rafa is the ONLY player with a positive h2h against the others in the top 4. THAT IS NOT AN OVER ACHIEVER. He is the best of the bunch – THE BEST!

October 20th, 2012 at 3:53 pm

@Rafael, 3:20pm “I find it highly stupid when people make comments like this about rafa, as if he was injured while taking a shower.”

What I see happening when people involve themselves in these silly discussions, feigning interest and/or sympathy for some players, is merely a ploy to portray themselves as being a fair and caring poster. However, it’s anything but that in reality, and they are more than happy that such a situation has occurred which will definitely help their faves in the winning category.

Sorry, but I don’t buy these expressions of sympathy from some, but just an obsessive need to say something, anything to increase their self-importance.

October 20th, 2012 at 3:54 pm

Alok sorry can you eleborate on that post,as i dont really understand what you are getting at?

October 20th, 2012 at 3:57 pm

Kids are taught at an early age, ‘don’t touch the stove it will burn you’, by their parents. However, they disobey and touch the stove when they feel the coast is clear. End result, the child gets burned and rememebers in the future to keep away from the stove. Does the child’s disobedience and/or learned habit have anything to do with body type or genetics? NO. It’s their stubboenness.

So too, an athlete is told after repeated injuries, by his physician, to change his playing style, but he throws caution to the wind, disobeying his doctor’s advice, and continue with his style of play, only to become seriously hurt. Are his injuries due to genetics? NO. They are due to his playing style which he needs to change.

I shake my head at some of these rationalizations put forth by a few, and have to wonder.

October 20th, 2012 at 4:05 pm

What’s the importance of a positive H2H when a player is injured and cannot compete? H2H have a way of evening out for some players especially toward the end of their careers. H2H aren’t worth a hill of beans IMO.

October 20th, 2012 at 4:08 pm

Jane has a point IMO,Nole too plays quite a physical game,however he is much more slender in physic compared to Rafa,who is very muscular,causing more stress on his lower body,just a theory.

October 20th, 2012 at 4:24 pm

Even what out, alison?

October 20th, 2012 at 4:27 pm

Steve O sorry what i meant was to win some more titles off clay,thats all?

October 20th, 2012 at 4:29 pm

alison, it’s the same with height, too; some of the taller guys might be more prone to injury. I sometimes think Tsonga’s stockier build may have been a factor in his earlier injuries too. Definitely footwork, technique, etc, are all a determining factor, as well, but I think genetics, natural build/flexibility play a part. In recent years there have been some good studies; I think the NYT’s did an article on whether or not we’re born with bad knees, and here’s another one:

http://www.training-conditioning.com/2010/10/04/genes_and_acl_tears/index.php

October 20th, 2012 at 4:35 pm

“i dont really understand what you are getting at?”

Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

October 20th, 2012 at 4:36 pm

@alison and jane: Yes, it’s true that Djokovic is skinnier, but Djokovic’s strokes are better than Nadal’s. He doesn’t rely on looping the ball with such heavy spin over and over, and goes for more winners.

Nadal needs to be as muscular as he is because he cannot possibly generate the kind of pace he gets on his forehand without tons of brute strength. His trademark “buggy-whip” forehand is an inefficient stroke (it relies on arm strength rather than torso rotation and pushing off with his feet) and to compensate for that he has to be really, really strong to power the ball through the court.

Again, technique is key here. Players like Federer and Djokovic have better technique, they use more of their torso and their legs to generate power, so they don’t have to have such strong arms.

October 20th, 2012 at 4:37 pm

Jane thanks for the link,i think it says that blaming on is not just about playing style,that article proves its not always as cut and dried as all that,thanks again.

October 20th, 2012 at 4:42 pm

Nole is a Rubber band on the court, unbelievable flexibility. Rafa runs like a Toro Bravo and his body is not built for flexibility. He has done great with what he has, but you combine it with his unorthodox techinical skill, and it is not surprizing his body cannot support it compared to others. Look, years ago we were discussing and predicting based on Rafa’s style of play his body will break down. Nothing new.

EIEIO,

Sure Rafa won USO with a big serve, but he got an injured shoulder as a result, and we have not seen the likes of that serving feat by him since…..

October 20th, 2012 at 4:42 pm

steve-o, don’t you think the right -> left playing arm switch must have some impact on Rafa too? Also what are your thoughts on the new studies in terms of sports injuries and genetics? The study on ACL tears focused specifically on knees, which i find interesting.

October 20th, 2012 at 4:43 pm

Sorry, but Nole gets more cheap points off his serve and he hits more winners per match than rafa.

The slender build helps but also, muscular build gives him more balance when hitting on the run shots.

Alok : such false sympathy can fool only stupid people. I am sure Nole/murray fans are happy Rafa is out. I doubt murray wins USO with rafa around!

October 20th, 2012 at 4:43 pm

Rafa has a winning H2H, but if you do the analysis, the H2H is skewed in his favor because of him being a more one-dimensional player than federer/djokovic. federer/djokovic are much better than the field even on their worst surface. You cannot say the same for Rafa.

rafa plays 50% of his matches against roger/novak on a surface on which they should only be playing 25%, if they were all equally good on all surfaces. rafa’s relative inferiority on grass/hardcourt/indoors means, he plays them on his best surface more often than not!

October 20th, 2012 at 4:43 pm

Steve O ok.

October 20th, 2012 at 4:43 pm

@steve-o

Don’t forget Rafa’s service motion. Another unorthodox motion of his, typically a very short wind up….lots of pressure on the shoulder as a result.

October 20th, 2012 at 4:45 pm

skeezer and alison, I agree and tend to think it’s a combination of things (body types, genes, technique, fitness level, etc). I don’t disagree that style or technique is one of the factors that affects a player’s longevity/health (look at Monfils, for example). But I wouldn’t doubt that other factors contribute as well.

October 20th, 2012 at 4:46 pm

Of rafa’s winning H2Hs against top 3, worst is murray. I think he has a losing record against rafa even on grass/hardcourt.

even nalbandian/james blake/davydenko have a winning H2H record against rafa outside clay.

similar is the case with Sampras. in fact, if sampras and rafa played in the same era, there is a good chance they would have never played even once in 10 years.

sampras would never meet rafa on clay and rafa would never meet sampras at uso/wimbledon.

At australian open, they both would lose to players like agassi/djokovic who are much superior to sampras/rafa on slow-hard!

October 20th, 2012 at 4:51 pm

We might guess that playing clay in February will hurt Rafa on the American hardcourts in March. However, Rafa has always used clay as a springboard to success everywhere else. Playing the south american swing may give him a head of steam going into Indian Wells and Miami.

October 20th, 2012 at 4:53 pm

If Federer and Djokovic have such good techniques why don’t they do well on clay which is the most demanding surface technically and physically? Why do they not beat Rafa on h/c and grass all the time? Some people just like to put Rafa down, that’s all.

I find some of these comments truly offensive.

Alok, it’s well documented that Rafa’s style has nothing to do with his knee injuries. It’s the orthopaedic shoes that he plays in, because of the congenital malformed bone in his foot, that put pressure on his knee.

Thank goodness none of your ridiculous conclusions that Rafa is an over achiever will feature in the Hall of Fame where Rafa has already reserved his place as one of the greatest tennis players ever.

October 20th, 2012 at 4:54 pm

Yes Jane, there are a lot of contributing factors, but the biggest one is – if you run a lot, you are more likely to get injured.

you might as well say rafa was unlucky he was born as a human. if he were born as a pet dog or cat in someone’s house, he would never have injured himself.

you see rafa’s game on hardcourts, and it is just so ugly, technically speaking. you see federer/djokovic and they are just very effecient!

it is not a coincidence that they are 2 of the most injury free guys on tour in the last decade. ofcourse, djokovic was allowed to pick up the dirty habbit of relying on medical time-outs, but it is safe to say, he has overcome that, the past few years.

October 20th, 2012 at 4:57 pm

@jane: I think the left-right switch is slightly deleterious, insofar as he lacks the kind of fine motor coordination with his left hand that he would have if he hit his forehand with his dominant hand.

If he were a serve-and-volley player, that would be a big problem. But he’s not, so it isn’t.

I think it actually helps him with his backhand. Because he’s naturally right-handed, his backhand is really more like a two-handed forehand, like Bartoli’s: he’s driving through the ball with his dominant hand, with the left hand guiding. This gives him a lot of power on that side. Then of course, you get the advantage that his forehand is directed to the weaker side of 90% of his opponents.

Tio Toni knew what he was doing.

As for the ACL business, I dunno. But I don’t think Nadal’s knees are very seriously hurt. He has never had surgery and has repeatedly returned to top form after suffering supposedly grievous knee injuries. Most athletes who have a serious ACL injury never get back to where they were. That’s not the case with Nadal.

I won’t say Nadal’s genetics have nothing to do with it, but I simply don’t think you can dismiss the the effects of his playing style. It has a huge impact.

October 20th, 2012 at 4:58 pm

@Rafael: 4;43PM, “Alok : such false sympathy can fool only stupid people. I am sure Nole/murray fans are happy Rafa is out. I doubt murray wins USO with rafa around!”

You got that right, but these switchers do fool quite a few who view their false sympathy as someone being soooo nice. Some Djoker and Murray fans are grinning from ear to ear, and regardless of what they say, when those two meet, they’re wishing their fave would prevail.

Shanghai would have been a different final had Nadal faced Djoker or Murray in the SF.

With Fed on the decline and Nadal sidelined by injuries, some Djoker and Murray fans are on cloud nine.

We all know how much both guys’ fans want them to meet and exceed Fed’s lofty standards. It ain’t gonna happen though, so they should just get used to it.

October 20th, 2012 at 5:00 pm

EIETMO: “Thank goodness none of your ridiculous conclusions that Rafa is an over achiever will feature in the Hall of Fame where Rafa has already reserved his place as one of the greatest tennis players ever.”

Now exactly when or where did I say this? You got a crystal ball that sees into the far recesses olf my mind?

October 20th, 2012 at 5:02 pm

Just to set the record straight (and to prove one poster is clueless):

Nadal/Nalbandian H2H 4-2 (all on HC)

Nadal/Blake H2H 4-3 (all on HC)

October 20th, 2012 at 5:03 pm

You deserve to be offended because you are offensive in your posts.

As you sow, so shall you reap!

federer/djokovic have technically better games than rafa and are more naturally talented than rafa. you can check with any tennis coach and they will tell you that.

tennis players dont play to have a winning H2H against X or Y. they play to win titles/slams. I am sure djokovic/federer will end their careers with more titles/slams and weeks at no.1 than nadal. and they deserve to

October 20th, 2012 at 5:03 pm

so you are so clued-in, you forgot to mention rafa is 9-5 against murray outside clay.

needless to say, the fanged one never beat rafa on clay. LOL!

October 20th, 2012 at 5:06 pm

it’s easy to be clued-in to other people’s matches, when your favorite is the 4th guy in the top 4 and you have much more time to follow other players.

federe/djokovic win way too much for me to follow other players so much!

of all these GOAT debates, one thing is certain. murray will definitely end his career behind the top 3. LOL!

October 20th, 2012 at 5:09 pm

ACL is not, nor has ever been Rafa’s knee injury. ACL has to be repaired by surgery, not rest.

I know someone who’s tried to avoid ACL surgery but couldn’t even walk, and eventually had to succumb to the knife.

October 20th, 2012 at 5:09 pm

any one contesting murray will end as the 4th best player in this era?

LOL! no wonder his fans are quite pi$$ed off most of the times. coming 4th in a 4 man race. that MUST be painful.

October 20th, 2012 at 5:11 pm

I won’t answer *Dum*As (sorry to put such a spin on a famous playwright’s name). Anyone watched Shawshank redemption when Andy was teaching the cons to read? LOL.

October 20th, 2012 at 5:13 pm

there is a popular name for murray on steve tignor’s blog :

FANG! LOL! anyone want to take a guess why he is called, so? LOL!

October 20th, 2012 at 5:14 pm

“Shanghai would have been a different final had Nadal faced Djoker or Murray in the SF”

How quickly some forget Toronto 2010. If I were you, I’d want to forget that too.

Gotta love how some Fed fans are in a snit over the genuine expressions of sympathy for Rafa. They’re so blinded by their hatred of Nadal they can’t grasp the concept of any other fans having empathy. Very sad.

October 20th, 2012 at 5:14 pm

^ Nor did I say it was; it was merely a case study that goes to my point about the potential impact of genetics on sports injury, that’s all. There has been increased study to suggest that indeed genes do play one role.

October 20th, 2012 at 5:14 pm

LOL! so his fans have colourful nicknames too? LOL!

October 20th, 2012 at 5:15 pm

steve-o, fair enough; I think you make a good counter-point about the backhand and the potential benefits of switching to left-handed. I guess everything is a trade-off.

October 20th, 2012 at 5:15 pm

The “genuine” sympathy comes from a deep-hatred for Federer. please check archives!

there are no saints here. it’s easier to like more players if you are a murray fan, because the guy is not going to win a lot of slams like federer/djokovic/nadal.

October 20th, 2012 at 5:18 pm

last call :

are we all in agreement that murray will finish 4th in the 4-man race? LOL!

October 20th, 2012 at 5:19 pm

“The study on ACL tears focused specifically on knees, which i find interesting.”

ACL is found only in the knee, which is why knees are the focus.

October 20th, 2012 at 5:20 pm

while we are all agreeing. let us also agree that murray is scottish and not ENGLISH! there is a difference.

October 20th, 2012 at 5:22 pm

Rafael Says:
The “genuine” sympathy comes from a deep-hatred for Federer. please check archives!”

You’ve got that right. It’s ‘everyone, or anyone’ but Fed. So sad.

October 20th, 2012 at 5:23 pm

LOL! Alok!

How dare you question Madame Jane’s abilities. behold her devotees who will hunt you down till you leave this site.

cue : margot, wogboy and other clowns to enter and justify how jane is very smart and fair. LOL!

I would advise you to take cover. I can here HRH’s devotees seething with anger! LOL!

October 20th, 2012 at 5:25 pm

Roger is the worlds greatest ever player,Rafa,Nole and now Andy will go down as greats of the game theres room for them all,its a great time to be a tennis fan,lets enjoy them all whomever your favorite happens to be,instead of trading personal insults,dear god why does every thread end up going in that direction these days.

October 20th, 2012 at 5:26 pm

Alok :

nothing to be sad about. Fed has a lot of fans. hatred comes with territory. The greater you become the more the hatred.

not to worry, we will pay such haters in the currency they understand.

so, how would you feel if your favorite finishes 4th in a 4 man race, Alok?

I would be very pi$$ed with the world, like these murray fans are!

October 20th, 2012 at 5:29 pm

Alison, it is because Dum*As*es want to tell us Murray is the greatest player around.

October 20th, 2012 at 5:30 pm

Ok guys, enjoy federer and djokovic play. fortunate to have those 2 play tennis.

October 20th, 2012 at 5:32 pm

@Rafael, I know what to expect. I was hounded for days by DumAs and the others (except WogBoy who is so different) when I initially began posting here. I was even turned into a former poster who had left a long time ago, and another who posts on another site. Not that it’s anyone’s business,as to my identity.

DumAs is still grinding his/her axe, and has a bell that sounds whenever I appear here. Case in point several posts above. I now IGNORE.

I’ve subsequently realized that one can only be safe if one plays the hypocritical game of being a friend. Too bad, because I don’t play that kind of game.

October 20th, 2012 at 5:34 pm

Rafael i dont think Murrays fans are claiming Murray is the greatest player around,we are just happy hes won a slam,and why shouldnt we be,us Brits Scots or whatever we are happen to be very proud of him,hes worked hard for his success.

October 20th, 2012 at 5:36 pm

there are no friends online. you got to please no one.

October 20th, 2012 at 5:37 pm

good for you alison. my posts are not meant for you!

October 20th, 2012 at 5:38 pm

Alok i want to apologize,if ive ever offended you,i only come on here to express an opinion,its never been my intention to start a war of words with any poster,no games or BS as its not the way i opperate,sorry again.

October 20th, 2012 at 5:41 pm

Rafael, there are some posters I ignore and refuse to answer.

You are right there are no on-line friends, and each person has to hold his/her corner, however, some feel if they have a following then all’s good, and everything they say will meet with approval. WRONG.

Forums are not for congenial chants, it’s for discussions, sometimes very heated ones. As the saying goes, if you can’t handle the heat get out of the kitchen.

October 20th, 2012 at 5:43 pm

@Alison, apololgy accepted.

October 20th, 2012 at 5:45 pm

Thanks Alok,Rogers an amazing player what hes achieved is amazing,you should be very proud of him.

October 20th, 2012 at 5:49 pm

I never understood how some people can claim whst the other people really think and how they feel about certain things. Judging others by your own standards is wrong.

Feeling sorry for somebody or something is very individual, different people different feelings.

As for me, I am quite happy when direct oponents of my man lose but not if they lose as result of injury nor if they have to stay away from tennis as result of injury. Appart of having my favorite I love tennis and tennis is not the same with or without Rafa. Not everybody is blessed to play so effortlessly
as Federer, you try to do the best you can with what you have, that is how it is in life, not just sport.
People should be commended fot doing their best, not the other way around.
Thanks

October 20th, 2012 at 6:13 pm

@wog boy

Good post.

“Judging others by your own standards is wrong”

Quite.

October 20th, 2012 at 6:37 pm

“…..can claim they know what…” should say

October 20th, 2012 at 6:39 pm

Wog Boy, you are so gracious! It’s refreshing to read a reasonable post after so much ranting and raving and putting others down. Alok says forums are not for “congenial chats” and I suppose that kind of outlook is why I haven’t posted for so long. I don’t see why forums cannot be congenial, but so it goes I guess. Good luck to Novak, if only for your sake, WB!

October 20th, 2012 at 6:46 pm

Hey ya Wog boy – nice post indeed. Did you see how Nole was thronged when he did that visit lately, for that smiles for charity thing with Uniqlo? Pretty cool. :)

October 20th, 2012 at 6:57 pm

@wog boy: excellent post.

October 20th, 2012 at 7:44 pm

This whole criticism of the way rafa plays is pretty unfair really. Rafa- like many- was not blessed with a game like federer’s. IF Feds game is perfection- then rafa, novak, andy etc could take all the tennis lessons in the world, and they still won’t be able to replicate- since it’s not in their nature, it’s not natural for them to do- as it is with fed, who’s lucky to be blessed with such a game. Same with fitness- MANY recognize rafa as an athlete, YET he could go to the gym all he wants, change his diet, work on body fat, practice stretching etc but HE’LL never be as flexible as novak on a HC. It’s just not possible for the man. Ultimately, rafa- like EVERYONE ELSE- has to makes the most of what he has and he can work with. And judging by his results in overral tennis career- he’s not exactly doing a bad job things there is he? LMAO- do you really think novak is going to criticize rafa’s since his results aren’t up to the mark? Do you really think fed is going to criticize rafa since his game isn’t as perfect and effortless as his ? I VERY MUCH DOUBT IT! Look it’s true: rafa’s strokes are not conventional like others, his body takes a batterig with such a playing- BUT ALL OF THIS MAKES RAFA UNIQUE- AN EXCEPTION to the norm. And being unique and different isn’t a bad thing- ESPECIALLy when you have the career that rafa has had! LMAO- we can ALL point out the flaws in rafa’s game, BUT ultimately it just ends up showing how unique rafa is to have gone against convntional tennis wisdom, gone against the grain, and STILL have the results he has had! VAMOS RAFA!

October 20th, 2012 at 7:58 pm

The day that Rafa returns to play will be the most anticipated event in tennis. I hope for a successful return.

October 20th, 2012 at 8:21 pm

@Lulu a: I said forums are not for congenial chants, not chats. What I meant by that is that not everyone has to sing the same tune, as in a choir. If you want that kind of atmosphere it’s not going to happen because everyone has differing opinions.

October 20th, 2012 at 8:25 pm

jane,

I only saw what is on his site, I think it is about time to download his app.
Have you seen him fulfilling the wish of his late grandfather few days ago and visiting the village in the mountanes of Montenegro where they originally came from, it was very very nice. I saw it on Serbian Television site…RTS1.

October 20th, 2012 at 8:45 pm

^ Oops,that’s what i meant Wog Boy, the Montenegro visit; I thought that was linked to the Uniqlo event as well.

October 20th, 2012 at 8:51 pm

federer’s game only look effortless when he is getting plenty of free points on serve.
credit to him for having a great serve, but it’s only one shot.

the reality is, the other top three are better than him when the ball is in play, when all shots are averaged out. even nalbandian, davydenko in their prime were better than him in overall baseline exchange. and you can tell that by looking at how close so many of those matches were and then seeing just how poor those smaller guys serves were in comparison.

and rafa, the no talent rafa, is superior to federer apart from serve.

if federer is so amazing compared to rafa in all round play, explain how his return stats are so inferior. and likewise to novak and murray. please explain how if federer has so much more talent and skill, when points need to be won on groundstrokes alone, federer can not win as many as these guys?

please explain how even back in 2007, rafa was winning 2 thirds of ground exchanges in the wimbledon final he lost. on federer’s favourite surface.

and btw, regardless of how you rank rafa’s skill against other top guys, if you think reaching no.1 in the world while playing with his non dominant arm demands anything short of incredible talent, you’re an utter fool. go throw a ball with your left hand and get some perspective.

October 20th, 2012 at 9:02 pm

jane,

That was Djokovic brotherhood affair, nothing to do with Uniqlo. There is few nice articles about Djokovic’s visit to Jasenovo Polje in english, I guess you can google them.
Try “Djokovic attends consecration of SPC church in Montenegro” or the other one “Djokovic at consecration of Temple in Montenegro”, him and his family and brotherhood Djokovic were main donators, his speach was so nice and mature. More people came to see and greet Nole than President:)
I guess Deda Vladimir checked from above if everything went accordingly:)

October 20th, 2012 at 9:51 pm

Rafael and Alok
Who is DumbAs? Is this the same person as the Cunning One/ Brown-nosed One?

October 20th, 2012 at 9:56 pm

Rafael
After Fed retires I think I shall fan Novak.

October 20th, 2012 at 10:02 pm

No, no, dear lazlo, I – jane – am the “cunning one”, as you should know. Did you note my sly use of the word “dear” there? That’s because I am veeeeeerrrrry cunning, you know.

Because I don’t care to pick fights.
Because I once did, lo those many years ago, with Fed fans, on this very site!
But because I apologized for that and explained myself, way back in 2008, and again several times thereafter since it keeps coming back, like Freddy in “Nightmare on Elm Street” (this simile/allusion is in honour of Halloween, which is coming up).
Because, apparently, a poster cannot change her mind. If she does, she must be cunning, you know.
Because a poster cannot have sympathy, either, for players who are her favourite’s rivals – it just has to be fake if that is the case! (and yet, I was truly horrified when Fed received those online threats, and I am truly saddened when players like Delpo and Rafa have to miss long periods due to injury – but of course that all must be fake too because I like Nole – there’s no room in the heart for common decency when you’re cunning, you know)
Because I have a second favourite, Murray, whom I cheer for after Nole, dear lazlo. BTW, I have never denied that Nole is my favourite player and Murray my second favourite, and yet you seemed particularly concerned about whom I would cheer for during the US Open final. I cheered for Nole, hon. But I wasn’t too sad in the end, because I was happy for Andy. I guess that’s called mixed emotions. We humans – especially us cunning ones – are sooooo complex!

Oh but wait, I think Murray is also the second favourite of Brando, alison, dari, and others. Weird how that happens. I guess we like whom we like.

I am a brown-nose, too, dearest laslo, (did you note how I amped up that word? dearest!? My goodness, Jane Austen would be proud) because I don’t like to fight with people, even online, mainly because I can’t be bothered in this case. It’s just a game, after all. Plus, I don’t know anyone on here personally.

And yet, I actually like some of the posters on here – most of them in fact!! Indeed, I believe one can make “friends” online! I guess that too makes me a brown-noser.

I even like having reasonable conversations about tennis, even with people with whom I sometimes disagree. For example, I had a good exchange with steve-o earlier today even though we sort of disagree about Rafa, we did find common ground and didn’t insult each other once. That’s because my nose is brown.

ANYhow, if I understood correctly, “The DA” is the other poster, whom Alok referred to as *Dum*As.

I hope it’s all clear now lazlo. Or is it laslo? or perhaps lazslo?

I am retreating to my den to concoct my next scheme. ;) Because being cunning, I have to always be verrrrrrry clever about things. *swishes tail*

Cheers!

October 20th, 2012 at 10:38 pm

^ p.s. did you like my use of anaphora. Even Martin Luther King Jr. used that!! It’s a cunning rhetorical device. ;)

October 20th, 2012 at 10:39 pm

Irrespective of all, Rafa will always be the same Rafa forever to me (same for millions of his fans)!!!!

October 20th, 2012 at 10:51 pm

Jane,
Are you always so paranoid? I wasn’t talking to you. And since you are clearly demented I won’t be listening to your response.

October 20th, 2012 at 11:26 pm

lazlo, Pardon me. And to think I went to all that trouble crafting a reply for nothing. Oh well. I am sure someone will clarify who *Dum*As is and who the Cunning One/Brown-Nosed One is, just so you don’t get confused.

October 20th, 2012 at 11:40 pm

roy says,

“credit to him for having a great serve, but it’s only one shot.”

LMAO. You are one delusional dude who knows nothing about Tennis. And you have the audacity to go on and say your Love is is so versatile.

So EXPLAIN how Fed won 17 Slams cause of one shot in 2 eras? Study more, young padawan.

You can justify why Rafa is better in your own mind but Rafa and his unc said Fed is the best ever, who should we listen to, Yoda roy? Stew on this; Fed GOAT 17 Slams, most versatile game that ever is/was. Oh yeah, he got that with only one shot. Pfft!

October 21st, 2012 at 12:21 am

Rafa has great footwork. And his forehand with all its technical flaws has won him seven French opens. If he didn’t hit the forehand like that he wouldn’t have been able to wreak havoc on federer backhand and beat Federer on clay when was basically unbeatable in 2006 and 2007. Maybe he would have a longer career but it wouldn’t have been as great. So now he pays the price 11 grand slams and how many millions later. Worth it in my opinion, and if he can eek out a few more even better. His body will recover when he retires, it’s not like he’s an nfl player who is getting hit in the head every week.

On a great note, fsu beat university of miami. Haven’t posted much because it’s football season even though the dolphins are a brutal team to support and rafa not playing,

October 21st, 2012 at 1:08 am

Rafas won a GS every years for 8 straight years,been in 16 finals,winning 11 GS,thats a long time in tennis,hes injured but still playing theres no word of retirement,other than Fed,i dont think theres an active player that can boast of a better record,IMO i think thats a pretty fantastic record to have,pretty consistent,nothing lasts forever,even if it were to end tomorrow hes had a career most players would kill for,im sure most Rafa fans sleep easy at night knowing what hes achieved(almost everything,all except a WTF).

October 21st, 2012 at 2:13 am

@Jane:Jane, I like your cunning, sly personalty,your wickedness….You naughty,naughty girl.

October 21st, 2012 at 2:45 am

I am a stone cold fox, courbon, and I like you too! Thanks. :D

October 21st, 2012 at 2:48 am

Federer is the king of the weak era. Federer’s ‘talents’ are blown apart when he faces Rafa.

Wht separate clay from other surfaces? Clay is tennis, isn’t it?

October 21st, 2012 at 3:34 am

I get it. The only reason Rafa is such a target for his Federer fans is because he’s blown Federer’s halo apart.

The Bleacher Report (Excerpts)

He was just a teenager in 2005, but Nadal’s swashbuckling stoicism defied pressure. It wasn’t that he was impervious to Federer’s dominance, but that he could rise above the star-struck tour’s collective fatalism.

(Meaning, Rafa refused to hand Federer matches on a plate.)

For his victories, he was cheered. For his mental strength, he was respected. For his stylish bravado, he was lionized.

Nadal was the dark knight to Federer’s Superman. Almost everyone loves milk, but black coffee is a specialized taste.

You either loved Nadal or you feared him.

The timing of Nadal’s rise coincided poetically with the tennis world looking for a rival to stand up to Federer’s beautiful destruction of the ATP.

Nadal’s success provided a TECHNICAL BLUEPRINT the other players could enact in their own games. His FOREHAND TOPSPIN was his own gift, but players like Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and David Ferrer could build on their own strengths through tough, defensive tennis.

Grantland-ESPN columnist Brian Phillips, an avowed Federer fan, wrote that it is Nadal’s intensity that drives the ATP tour.

“…Nadal sets the tone for this state of affairs more than anyone else, certainly more than Federer. Roger is so cool and frictionless that, most of the time, he seems less like a prism of epic intensity than a dispassionate analyst of it.”

Even now, the ATP tour with Nadal on the sidelines is the heritage of the fiery Spaniard. He bequeathed his relentlessness to Djokovic and his fire to Murray. Their methods differ, but their mettle is a reincarnation of Mallorca’s indomitable champion.

Of course it would be shortsighted to suggest that Nadal did not also rely on his unique abilities. He is a savant on clay just as Federer works exceptionally hard on his game.

But tennis style, like fashion, can have unpredictable effects on those who choose from its influence. For varieties of reasons, the ATP tour has FOLLOWED Nadal’s lead more than any other player over the past decade.

Even Federer’s greatness has improved from his battles with Nadal. He is a quick study who has become more composed under pressure, more willing to grind if the need arises and more able to bounce back from adversity.

Federer is an original, but like the rest of the ATP tour he has learned to fight more like Nadal.’

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1372717-rafael-nadal-how-tennis-success-against-roger-federer-changed-atp-tour

October 21st, 2012 at 4:00 am

@Kimberly: No, Nadal has lousy footwork. There is a ginormous difference between being very fast (which Nadal is) and having good footwork.

You ever heard him on a hard court? His tennis shoes squeak like crazy and he clomps around like a water buffalo. In Jon Wertheim’s book on the 2008 Wimbledon final, it’s noted that the soles of Nadal’s tennis shoes are often worn down to the point of being completely smooth, after only one match.

His movement is not efficient, he doesn’t position his feet properly. That’s what footwork is–as distinct from speed.

It means he expends far more effort in running and requires a lot more muscle to generate such pace on the dead run and from defensive positions.

It’s the defining characteristic of his game: brute force takes the place of skill. Some like it, to me it’s boring. To each his/her own, I guess.

October 21st, 2012 at 4:09 am

steve-o

Grantland-ESPN columnist Brian Phillips, an avowed Federer fan, wrote that it is Nadal’s intensity that drives the ATP tour.

“…Nadal sets the tone for this state of affairs more than anyone else, certainly more than Federer. Roger is so cool and frictionless that, most of the time, he seems less like a prism of epic intensity than a dispassionate analyst of it.”

Maybe you need to check your hearing.

October 21st, 2012 at 4:14 am

Dark night and superman in 1 movie?

Superman is as you you know the only true superhuman among all the superheros there are.

So it is truly fitting you make an analogie like that Thank you for it.

October 21st, 2012 at 4:15 am

In spite of ALL Rafa’s so called shortcomings and ALL Roger’s so called talents, Rafa still beats Roger twice as many times as Roger beats him, ON ALL SURFACES.

October 21st, 2012 at 4:19 am

Y’know, EIETMO, for someone who proudly brags that “everyone” is entitled to your opinion, you seem to spend a disproportionate amount of time citing the opinions of others. Why is that?

October 21st, 2012 at 4:25 am

@lazslo: In response to your question I was referring to the DA. The word took me back to the Movie Shashank Redemption, which I’ve seen 9 times.

Andy DuFrain was teaching some cons to read in the library and one of them blurted out Dumb Ass for the name of the playwright, as he was told to sound out phonetically. Andy corrected him by having him repeat the name as Dumas, which soundslike Du.mah.I changed Dumas to Dum-Ass for the DA.

I had had it with The DA’s harassment and his sick attempts to show me up, using words like clueless and stupid, in an effort to build himself up, as in braggadocio? The only thing I ever did was criticize Murray’s on-court behavior, which several others did, but this guy chooses to stalk me and employ the use of ridiculous utterances, which I find to be childish. He needs to grow because only bellicose adolescents behave in such a manner.

October 21st, 2012 at 5:44 am

Correction: alok stalked a specific poster here from another board (where she is known for disruptive behaviour), then proceeded to whine about them incessantly as well as harass them. Then alok began whining about Murray on a daily basis. One can only take so much whining.

FYI, the DA stands for Devil’s Advocate. Look up the definition and remember it well.

October 21st, 2012 at 6:18 am

I don’t understand why anyone would become offended when others perceive them to be insincere, etc., with respect to their discussion concerning Nadal and his time off from the tour due to his injuries..

That discussion brought back memories of some comments nade by a few who stated ‘down with Fedal’ ‘they find Fedal matches to be boring’ and ‘it’s time for Nolandy’. The few posters also stated they won’t watch another Fedal match and will be out shopping whenever their matches are on. To me those feelings run very deep and conveys to me that something is seriously wrong.

They further mouthed ‘down with Fedal’, we want ‘NolAndy’ matches.I thought that those statements were very unkind to the Fed and Nadal fans at the time, which to me seemed to have been done intentionally to take away the enjoymentof the matches for the Fed and Nadal fans.

That said, when I see someone going to such lenghts to again delve into the whys and wherefores of Nadal’s bad knees, (although it’s been done many, many times before) and taking the trouble to post links, etc., I cannot help but think that this is some form of insincerity towards Rafa, because his situation with his knees has been discussed on this site, more times than one cares to remember, so why re-hash it again?If anything, the rehashing of Rafa’s injury has to have some painful side-effects for his fans now that they can’t see him play, and other players results are being talked up all of the time.

I also notice that when results of past tournaments where Fed got beaten, there has to be a subtle dig taken, e.g., At the Olympics Murray beat Fed very handily. Then again, same thoughts expressed for their match at Shanghai a couple of years ago.

I suppose I don’t don’t get the reasoning behind any of it.

October 21st, 2012 at 6:19 am

Jane I didn’t know you were the cunning one. You’re so sly I missed it! :)

October 21st, 2012 at 6:23 am

steve-o Says:

Y’know, EIETMO, for someone who proudly brags that “everyone” is entitled to your opinion, you seem to spend a disproportionate amount of time citing the opinions of others. Why is that?
October 21st, 2012 at 4:25 am

Everyone is entitled to everyone else’s opinions but it doesn’t mean they have to take them.

One thing is for sure, Rafa will leave his legacy on tennis.

October 21st, 2012 at 6:23 am

LOL, DA, you’ve got a knack for distorting the facts. You seem to thrive on lies. WOW.

I would ask that you stop stalking me on this site, because it’s called harassment.

October 21st, 2012 at 6:34 am

And DA, as i told you I’m a GUY. Do n ot call me she. Thank you.

October 21st, 2012 at 6:35 am

Oh for goodness sake. how can a comment on a blog “take away the enjoyment of matches” for fed and nadal fans? You are way too sensitive.

October 21st, 2012 at 6:37 am

Responding to your borderline incoherent posts is not stalking. Nor does it have to be a “congenial chant” (sic), as you so memorably stated. If you can’t take the heat…..

October 21st, 2012 at 6:42 am

Taking the heat is not meant for harassment. I suppose you know how to write so perfectly eh wilma?

Ignoring you is the best course of action. I’m not Marian Vajda.

October 21st, 2012 at 6:44 am

The best course of action would be to retake English, learn how to emote less and become more rational.

October 21st, 2012 at 6:50 am

roy @ October 20th, 2012 at 9:02 pm

Love it. Well said.

October 21st, 2012 at 6:56 am

OK Wilma. I’ll join when you do.

October 21st, 2012 at 7:06 am

EIEIO,

Lining up with roy is proves your jealousy of Fed. But we aleeady new that. I know its hard when you always have to look up, but you’ must listen to your Love and his Uncle when they talk about Fed, it will help give you peace.

October 21st, 2012 at 7:32 am

Regardless of Basel and Paris results Nole is returning to #1 (numero uno) on november the 5th.
Come to my place for a drink……no gate crashing, please:)

October 21st, 2012 at 7:59 am

Sugar……….wrong thread…….. who cares :)

October 21st, 2012 at 8:02 am

skeezer, jealousy has never crossed my mind regarding Fed. Yes, he gets more praise than he deserves because he thrived in the weak era, but that’s his luck.

Maybe I’m jealous that he is one lucky fella; what with a weak era when players were only too pleased to be on court with him, until Rafa came along. Then there are the cupcake draws and preferential schedules. Who wouldn’t be jealous?

If I admired Federer’s tennis I would have been a fan long before Rafa came on the scene, but Federer did absolutely nothing for me and the first time I saw Rafa play, I thought, ‘that’s it, that’s the player I’ve been waiting for,’ and Rafa hasn’t disappointed.

October 21st, 2012 at 8:18 am

skeezer Says:

EIEIO,

‘…but you must listen to your Love and his Uncle when they talk about Fed, it will help give you peace.’

U. Toni and Rafa could give you a lesson on diplomacy……..go with the flow, don’t be contrary, just beat him and show everyone who is boss. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

October 21st, 2012 at 8:46 am

EIEIO,

The weak era argument has been beaten down multiple times on this blog, did you read?

Well I guess you’lll go back to a non tennis life after Rafa is gone. It just goes to show what kind of tennis “fan” you are. In fact I am very surprized your still posting being that Rafa is not on the Tennis scene until next year. Too bad, Tennis is a great game and Feds all time greatness will live in the ages no matter what. He has the greatest variety, movement and shotmaking EVER. If you were a real tennis fan, you would know that. He is the ultimate most complete player ever, and his record proves it. Jealousy gets you no where.

You insinuate how Rafa has beaten everyone else better. What does that mean in the records. You mean the 7 consectutive losses to Nole in finals? Is this the new “claim” on Rafa’s greatness over Fed and everyone else? You have to play against a field of great players and win tltles in this game, not beat ONE player and only THEN you are great.

Look you can point out all these stats you want about Rafa, but its not going to ever justify your favorites player lack of 17 all time best Slams and 300 weeks of #1. Luck is part of you types vocabulary. Something that became very common language after the “Rosol” incident(although Rosol was “in the zone” that match and would have beat anyone that day imo ). Now, its(lucky)used for Fed. Funny, Fed was never called “lucky” when he accumulated 17 Slams until after that match by you types.

I can get somome being “tired” of Fed still winning all this time, he has dominated the 300+ weeks. But get this, when he is gone the Tennis game will mourn and he will be sorely missed. You don’t know what you’ve got till its gone.

Rafa? For me, he is great. But you types always seem to have to piss on Fed to make it so. Shame on you and again, just accept like Rafa and Unc T did so gracefully ;)

October 21st, 2012 at 10:32 am

ATP Fan fav Award 2012 to Roger Federer!!

Congrats Fed!! Keep it comin !!

October 21st, 2012 at 11:26 am

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Fans/ATP-Awards/Fans-Favorite-Voting-2012.aspx

October 21st, 2012 at 11:29 am

skeezer, let’s agree to disagree.

When Rafa retires if no worthy player comes up then I’ll take another sabbatical from tennis as I did during the weak era.

October 21st, 2012 at 11:29 am

if nadal stayed off the juice he would be playing now james blake said there is a doping problem in tennis nadal is the armstrong of tennis big time

October 21st, 2012 at 11:44 am

The ATP Fan Award is nothing short of a farce.

October 21st, 2012 at 11:45 am

Courbon and Jane lol loved your posts to each other @2.45 and 2.48am so funny ha ha.

October 21st, 2012 at 11:52 am

Subo correct me if im wrong,but im rather guessing that you might just be thinking that Nadal is doping.

October 21st, 2012 at 11:55 am

Cannot stop laughing at Janes post to Lazlo at 10.38pm yesterday,what a classic post?

October 21st, 2012 at 11:59 am

Brando great post @7.58pm Oct 20th ,your quite right not all players are as naturally talented as Fed,or as flexible with their movement as Nole but hell the guy does his best with what hes got,and regardless of his shortcomings has 11 GS,has won a GS every year for 8 straight years,IMO for me thats pretty consistent,so surely he must be doing something right,if people dont care for his tennis they have a choice dont watch him,pretty simple really.

October 21st, 2012 at 12:35 pm

Oh jane, jane, thou art not a cunning fox, thou art a silly goose because thou hast forgotten the commandments of the tennisx web site…
verily I say unto you:
1. Thou must never ever say that thou findest any Roger Federer match boring, because if thou doest thine words will be written down in the little book of blasphemies and remembered and recounted ceaselessly, yea even until the next millennium and beyond
2. Thou must never ever like two tennis players at once because if thou doest, thou wilt be cast into a snake pit and stones will be hurtled at you until thou criest and repent of thine hypocrisy
3. Thou must never ever be a fair minded and honest poster, because that will surely make the earth tilt over and bring about the end of days.

Here endeth the present lesson, but if extra instruction is desired I will surely oblige.

October 21st, 2012 at 12:44 pm

hehe…Margot. :)

October 21st, 2012 at 1:10 pm

Chortle, honk, chuckle – goodly one thee Margot.

October 21st, 2012 at 1:17 pm

Hi Alison.Well,I notice that when somebody is really nice like Jane people asume that something must be wrong-they are sly, playing game etc…And working for years with the all different nations I’ll bet my left arm that Laszlo is cynical European (like me sometimes…) and Jane is American/Canadian (they are not so cynical as us).They are always more honest ( we call it naive ) and open (we call it ‘cheesy…’)comparing to us,cinical,grundging Europeans…Ok,thats enough of my social analsys-Whats up in UK?I can see great weekend regarding the football.You haver to admire Chelsea ,even you probably hate those London clubs…and Tennis?Well, apart from liking Rafa and wishing him quick return .I even more want Rafa to return so I do not have to read constantly bad staff about him (doping,his is not versatile, bla,bla,bla )and constant attacks how bad is he…yeah,right-11GS.Give me a break…I better stop ranting,have a nice evening and speak to you soon.

October 21st, 2012 at 2:23 pm

Margot, you forgot the bigest Blasphemy of all:You can not, under any circumstances like Roger and Rafa in the same time!!!!That is absolutelly forbiden and for that you will burn in hell!!!!!!!!

October 21st, 2012 at 2:26 pm

Lol courbon, how could I?
Will surely add it to my list, verily I say unto you, ’tis an abomination of nature and must nere be tolerated.
“Burning in hell” cannot surely be an adequate punishment for such a scoundrel?

October 21st, 2012 at 2:42 pm

Courbon i absolutely love your posts,have to say your right though never been much of a fan of the london clubs,Arsenal are fabulous to watch even though i cant stand them,enjoyed watching more when Thierry Henry played for them(for the looks,but he is an amazing footballer too HA HA),for what its worth though i was pulling for THFC,as i hate the way CFC have bought their success,my fav football teams are York City FC,Liverpool,and Coventry City FC in that order,im pleased for the 1st two but CCFC couldnt hold onto a lead these days if their lives depended on it,thanks too about the kind words about Rafa,its a nice change when you hear something positive about the guy,and good luck to Nole for the rest of the year,and no need to worry as you are far from been cynical,your honest,upfront and always very fair.

October 21st, 2012 at 3:10 pm

It is quite amusing to see posters give certificates of “honesty” and “fairness” to each other. In the process, they do no mind taking a generalized dig at other posters and even the website which they post on out of their own free will. The long-term record speaks for itself. The fanaticism and ‘hatred’ displayed by certain posters is still fine with me because at a certain level they are honest and not hiding their true feelings. It is the other type of fanatics who masquerade as “fair”, “honest” and “nice” who I dislike more. It is possible that some of them are not even conscious that their behavior could be fanatical or hypocritical. Realizing one’s own shortcomings is not an easy task. The self-righteousness can be nauseating at times. Newcomers are deceived more easily by the sweet and diplomatic appearances. It is difficult, however, to put an act and fool all the people all the time. The mask slips occasionally and long-term members having a bit of intelligence know who these cunning and hypocritical posters are.

October 21st, 2012 at 3:34 pm

Right then, I’ll better make sure that my mask never slips again…

October 21st, 2012 at 3:47 pm

“The ATP Fan Award is nothing short of a farce.”

Tell that to the millions of fans. If your fav won it, you’d be all over it, gimme a break!

October 21st, 2012 at 4:12 pm

@margot;Right then, I’ll return to my duty in Ministry of silly walks….

October 21st, 2012 at 4:16 pm

“I don’t understand why anyone would become offended when others perceive them to be insincere”

*Of course,* pretty much anyone would become offended when he or she is called insincere. That’s human nature.

What really doesn’t make sense is the notion that someone can’t wish for their favourites to do well, rise to the top, and be in the big finals, since Fed and Rafa had dominated for so long (and indeed still often reach those latter stages, such is their excellence) – and yet, at the same time, why can’t the same person (people) still feel sympathy for Rafa for his injuries or for Fed over those ludicrous death threats? Why is it thought that these feelings cannot co-exist? There is nothing insincere about it.

Indeed many Fed fans, for instance Polo or dari, have wished Rafa a speedy recovery. Is that “insincere” just because they also want Fed to beat him on the court and maybe even dislike Rafa’s playing style? I think not.

One has to do with favourites & rivalries; the other has to do with a player’s well being and even the sport’s as a whole. Many people have noted that Rafa’s injury time leaves a hole; you don’t have to be Rafa’s number one fan to feel that.

I personally wanted to see Nole and Murray get unstuck from their positions at 3 and 4, yes. BUT, that doesn’t mean I would wish for bad things to happen to Fed or Rafa. I just want my faves to win more matches fair and square.

In fact, I must say that it was truly remarkable and thrilling to see Nole, in 2011, beat Fed and Rafa several times in masters and slam matches specifically because they have presented the ultimate challenge to him. It is his respect for their dominance that made Nole improve. That is a fact that any of his fans would have recognized. It would be a disappointment, to me, to see Nole win only because Rafa or Fed were out injured – he’d probably be called a garbage man if that happened, which is not what a fan wants to hear! Of course a player can only play who is front of him, but it was great to see Nole rise to the challenge, and beat the guys in front of him. He really earned his number 1 in that way.

These rivalries spice things up. I realize that it would be less exciting if there was little competition. The top 4 drive each other to be better. This year they even split the top spoils. I didn’t know, back in the day, that Murray & Nole would be able to stay up there, at numbers 3 and 4, and keep pushing and keep improving, until they could compete with Rafa and Fed and break through. But they’ve done pretty well.

Now we see it with the other guys, like Tsonga, Berdych, Ferrer and Delpo; they are all pushing for their chance too. And they may very well get it… soon.

October 21st, 2012 at 4:19 pm

The only thing more nauseating than self-reighteousness is self-aggrandizement.

October 21st, 2012 at 4:20 pm

^yep

October 21st, 2012 at 4:26 pm

Fantastic post from Jane.

October 21st, 2012 at 5:11 pm

Well expressed Jane.

October 21st, 2012 at 5:35 pm

@jane: excellent post- as ever.

October 21st, 2012 at 6:04 pm

@courbon: are you a arsenal fan? Please tell me your not. Such a good poster, supporting such a annoying club. Please say you don’t.

October 21st, 2012 at 6:09 pm

@Brando-No, I’m not Arsenal supporter.I’m not big football fan but I kind of like Spurs if I have to chose a club…Whats your team?
@jane:You sly fox, you’v done it again…

October 21st, 2012 at 6:14 pm

but this guy chooses to stalk me
Alok
How do you know it is a guy? The ‘guy’ is saying you should take English lessons. A while back someone outed a person here as an English teacher. It’s highly likely this outed person has taken on a new screen name to help ‘fight her battles.’

October 21st, 2012 at 6:41 pm

@lazlo: I was assuming from the krass language and the stalking that it’s a guy who’s a troll and probably has several screen names.

What can I say on the English lessons? I’ve stated right at the very beginning posting here that English is NOT my first language. However, I don’t think my comprehension is impaired as that of my stalker. The pseudo-grammarian has a serious problem though, because he/she distorts other posters comments, and changes everything around in his/her favor.

BTW, don’t let the nonsensical stuff stop you from expressing yourself as you see fit. It would be playing right into their hands. That was one assinine display of semantics I’ve ever read.

October 21st, 2012 at 7:14 pm

lazlo (laslo, lazslo), *if* you’re referring to moi, because I am not sure, I don’t need anyone’s help nor am I “fighting battles”; it’s a blog, after all, not a war zone. Anyhow, I’m not “the DA”. No one ever “outed” me as an English teacher either; indeed, I didn’t know they were in the closet!

October 21st, 2012 at 7:27 pm

I just read this thread like a novel. Sublime.

Best wishes to my ethereal friends.

October 21st, 2012 at 7:35 pm

trig,

Are you who I think you are?

“Why everybody calls you Dave” :-)

October 21st, 2012 at 8:03 pm

Gotta agree w/Trig – I just got here & this is a most amusing thread. But what’s a little end-of-the-year mud-slinging between fans?!

But no one’s seeing the forest for the trees. The fact of the matter is that Nadal is awesome. He just is! Federer can be sublime, Nole can be flawlessly flexible & Murray can be, well, whatever it is that he is but until Nadal calls it a day he will bring much pain to the other three sometime or other.

What we may be seeing now is an interesting final act to Nadal’s career It may be temporary (or not) but he may be going into what I would call Muster-mode & why not. Muster demonstrated in the 90′s that you can be a one-surface player & still get to #1 if you are dominant enough on that surface throughout the year. Anyone here think Muster was better than Nadal?

If Nadal plays his cards right in ’13, he can be back to #1 by this time next year playing a mostly exclusive clay schedule, the only exceptions being the other slams, maybe one summer prep hardcourt tourney along w/a token indoor (i.e. Paris) leading up to the 02. He could even skip Wimbledon & not lose many points next year but we’ll know a lot more post-FO next year.

You read it here 1st – Nadal back @ #1 this time next year.

October 21st, 2012 at 8:10 pm

trig,

Are you who I think you are?

“Why everybody calls you Dave?”

P.S. Sorry Sean I didn’t have a time to wait for you to moderate my post, I had to use another device, since you blacklisted me in last two weeks for whatever reason, not nice:(

October 21st, 2012 at 8:27 pm

Muster was #1 alltogether 6-7 weeks in two goes, I don’t think Rafa will be happy with that:) besides why do you think he is going to win all clay tournaments, he didn’t in 2011 and he was in better shape then than he is now or will be next year considering how long he has been away from tennis. Last time,2009, it took him while before he regained his top form. But anyway, good luck to him.

October 21st, 2012 at 8:47 pm

Rafa, just a better Vilas. Comparng him to Muster though? Rafa fanatics will be all over u for that,hehe.

“You read it here 1st – Nadal back @ #1 this time next year.”

Same old song every year from Rafa fans. And u attempted to write a diplomatic post? Busted.

You read it here first, Nole #1 this time next year. Unless Fed pulls another Maestro act….

October 21st, 2012 at 11:03 pm

Wog boy Says: “trig, Are you who I think you are? “Why everybody calls you Dave?” ” Only onebody calls it Dave… in any case, a four-letter name does not make a Dave.

October 22nd, 2012 at 2:59 am

skeezer, scared of a fit Rafa, are you?

October 22nd, 2012 at 4:12 am

Dave,

This has nothing to do with you, you might be the only Dave here but there is more Daves out there.
If trig is who I think he is he will understand question.
Sorry for inconvinience.

October 22nd, 2012 at 4:20 am

It doesnot matter what tournement he plays. He will go out for the slow courts in the first 6 months and back down again when tennis is oplayed on the faster courts.
That we he can keep the dream alive and the myth in check.

What would have happenend if he played on after the Rosol match is that he would have lost more and more against thos type of players. He probably would not have reached a single finale during this strech. SO him lossing prior to finals would be a clear indication of his decline. The team opted to take a break a holiday you can call that. It is not uncommon for people to take a six months leave when they have put in in so much hard work the past ten years or so.

SO if this works out and he will be a dominant force on the slow courts then he might be doing this from now on.

He actually did this also in the early part of his career. But then it was unintentional. He could win the slow battkles but did not show up when the fast courts where there,

In that way he can also protect his favorable h2h with the other elite players.
And sponsor keep their interests in Nadal.

It is a win win win for the Nadal team very smart and wise.
But he needs to put his footh down from the get go.

October 22nd, 2012 at 4:20 am

Just to add, there is few posters that know origin of the question, it is not mine, that is why I wrote it the way I wrote it. Unless you are from UK or European you wouldn’t know it.

October 22nd, 2012 at 4:35 am

Nadal’s 2008 doubles activity
http://tinyurl.com/8c6q56m

October 22nd, 2012 at 6:23 am

Nadal’s 2011 doubles activity
http://tinyurl.com/8qwb7xy

October 22nd, 2012 at 6:24 am

Nadal’s 2012 doubles activity
http://tinyurl.com/8tx9h4z

October 22nd, 2012 at 6:24 am

Nadal had already cut back on his hardcourt schedule the past three years — in 2010, 2011 and 2012, Nadal did not play Rotterdam, Dubai or any other event in February (between Australian Open and Indian Wells). However, next year Nadal is adding to this part of his schedule by playing Acapulco 500 in February. Of course it’s a “luxury” having Nadal at lesser-funded Acapulco — it’s probably the biggest appearance fee they’ve had to pay. Nadal will continue to play Barcelona 500. He could add Hamburg 500 (clay) after Wimbledon. He could add a fourth ATP 500 event after US Open such as Tokyo — or forfeit it as a zero pointer (in recent years Nadal has played 1 to 2 ATP 500 events per year, below the minimum 4 x 500 events).

So far Nadal has not actually “cut back” on his hardcourt schedule next year (unless somebody here knows something new I don’t). Nadal has actually added one (non-ATP) lucrative hardcourt exhibition event in March at New York. Nadal continues to play the (non-ATP) lucrative hardcourt exhibition event at Abu Dhabi. But it is a brilliant ploy — by giving the appearance he is cutting his hardcourt events, these tournaments will be pressurized to increase Nadal’s appearance fees to ‘keep him’. As of one week ago, it looks like he will probably play Doha as well (once they’ve increased his appearance fees). Nadal will probably continue to play the lucrative Halle event he has contracted to play the next three years. Nadal will still play all four Grand Slams and most of the six hardcourt Masters since he cannot afford to forfeit the points. Nadal will probably play both Indian Wells and Miami (he gets his best hardcourt results here)… while continuing to drop Paris and maybe Cincinnati (unless he is contending for No.1). Nothing new here given his schedule in recent years.
http://www.vavel.com/es/tenis/atp/190824.html

So, once the smoke settles:

- the extent of Nadal’s clay additions will probably be Acapulco, Hamburg and (maybe) 1-2 ATP 250 on clay at most. Whichever South American 250 event (Sao Paolo, Buenos Aires, Vina del Mar) is willing to pay his million dollar plus appearance fee will also get Nadal as well.

- Nadal will probably play almost as many hardcourt events (as he has done in recent years) in those years as long as he remains in the hunt for the No.1 ranking. Last week Nadal himself said that it’s not impossible for him to challenge for the No. 1 ranking especially at the end of 2013 — just as I said weeks ago is Nadal’s intention by year-end 2013.

- However, the moment Nadal feels he is unlikely to achieve No.1 or win US Open, he will probably dump/withdraw from certain summer and especially fall hardcourt events. [Nadal admits that "in 2012 I was hoping to regain the number one ranking". I believe that once he lost Wimbledon so early he knew he was unlikely to capture the 2012 year end No.1 and win the US Open given the form of Djokovic, Federer, Murray, Del Potro etc. So, as I said, Nadal took this injury break to rest, regroup and train for a run in 2013. I see this as a model for his future: take mini breaks once he feels he cannot win the US Open and/or finish No.1]

If playing more clay events is supposed to protect Nadal from injury it is irrational. That’s because Nadal’s two most recent long injury breaks happened in 2012 and 2009 largely due to injuries which supposedly worsened during his packed clay season (Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, French Open). Now he wants to add a sixth clay event Acapulco — the week before Indian Wells — to his existing events (Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, French Open, Halle, Wimbledon)? And perhaps Hamburg after Wimbledon? Totally Nuts.

I’m not convinced that Nadal “re-injured his knee this summer” or that his singles hardcourt schedule is the reason for his knee injuries.

- Take a look a Nadal’s doubles activity for 2012 (see my previous post): Nadal played doubles at Indian Wells, Miami and Halle which contradicts Nadal’s claims that his knees have been injured since February, that he had to take anti-inflammatories during French Open and painkillers during Wimbledon. Why did he play so much hardcourt doubles at Indian Wells and Miami if his Hoffa syndrome first flared up in February? After supposedly taking anti-inflammatories for French Open and winning the final on Monday, why was he playing at non-mandatory Halle two days later — both doubles and singles matches? Yet ten days after Halle, when he plays just two singles matches at Wimbledon, he’s suddenly out for half the season? The simple answer is that Nadal was not so injured that he was unable to play doubles, especially when he was paid very well to appear in those doubles matches. Unlike Nadal, Federer has skipped Halle in 2007, 2009 and 2011 due to groin injury or exhaustion, even though Halle is to Federer like Barcelona is to Nadal (i.e., winnable grass event at friendly German location). Yet the tennis analysts at Tennis Magazine, ESPN, London Times, Sports Illustrated, etc lack the common sense to challenge Nadal on his doubles activity. [While you're pondering on this, I too have to take some anti-inflammatories and pain killers for my injuries from all this typing... damn, I'm all out of Advil.]

- Take a look at Nadal’s doubles actvity for 2008, 2011, 2012 (see my previous posts): if Nadal is supposedly having overuse injuries from playing on hardcourt then this extra hardcourt doubles activity is not helping, is it? In 2011 Shanghai he played doubles and singles, yet he was ‘injured’ after Shanghai. In 2008, Nadal skipped both Tennis Masters Cup (WTF) as well as Davis Cup final in Argentina, yet he played a lot of doubles in his last two events that year (Madrid indoors and Paris indoors — he wasn’t practicing for Davis Cup because Moya was not on Spain’s DC team and Juan Monaco was on the opposition Davis Cup team). Nadal plays a lot of doubles because it helps his singles — but he is not so injured that he cannot play a lot of doubles.

- Nadal has played 362 hardcourt singles matches (about as many as Djokovic and Murray) is only 57% of Federer’s 632 hardcourt matches. If anyone should be whining about injuries from hardcourt matches, it should be Federer. Only Agassi has played more hardcourt matches than Federer in ATP history.

I believe that the experienced Team Nadal has been preventatively managing Nadal’s body the past eight years. By 2005 or earlier it must have been obvious that Nadal’s excessive physical style would result in a short career. Yet today Nadal has ‘survived’ long enough to have played 705 matches. That’s seventh on the active list for most matches played and just 77 matches less than second placed Lleyton Hewitt and Tommy Haas. Juan Carlos Ferrero with 740 matches is retiring next week, just as Andy Roddick did a few weeks ago. Bjorn Borg had 735 matches when he ‘retired’ equivalent to Nadal’s age in October 2011. Most players have had surgery or retired due to injury/illness long before reaching 700 matches — but not Nadal, who has no surgery in the past eight years. I believe that’s because Team Nadal has been carefully managing how much Nadal plays and takes him off the tour when his risk of injury increases, when he seems burned out or when his form has dipped (that’s why Federer never gets to play Nadal when he is beatable/vulnerable). Every year since 2005 Nadal takes an injury break with a lot of drama, whether for a few weeks or a few months, which I believe is mostly preventative rather than reacting to a serious injury. The genius of Nadal’s publicist Benito is that he has managed to convince a lot of gullible people that these injuries are serious and exploit public sympathy for Nadal’s ‘injuries’.

October 22nd, 2012 at 6:26 am

Interesting Dave, overlooked his doubles activity with all his sensitive injuries, why is that?

October 22nd, 2012 at 10:23 am

Dave, I think you make a good case, but I don’t doubt that Rafa does have a knee injury. He wouldn’t choose to stand down just before the olympics, surely; he could at least have played the olympics, proudly bear his country’s flag, then take some time off.

I think that once Rafa wasn’t fit enough to play the olympics, he planned to take the rest of the season off and get his ongoing knee problem sorted out once and for all. He’s been needing to do this for years but has never had the courage to actually do it. Maybe he could have come back in time for the WTF, but why would he when he never really wants to play it anyway, and his chances of ending the year as #1 are nil. Had he started practicing on court a couple of weeks ago, he would have been obliged to play the WTF, so once that’s out of the way, we will hear much more definite noises from his camp as to his plans for 2013.

Rafa needed a break, having been on the road from very, very young. Last year, he actually said he was fed up of the tour, so I hope this break will cure him of his homesickness. I don’t think it will take him too long to get back into form, because in 2009, apart from his physical injuries, he was also sick at heart over his parents divorce. Hopefully, when he comes back this time, he will have peace of mind and will be back to form sooner.

I saw him live at the O2 in 2009, and it was obvious he didn’t want to be there. The crowd were crazy for him, reaching rock star proportions, but even that wasn’t enough to lift his spirits. He played because he had to fulfil his obligations, but he wasn’t competing to win. He was in emotional turmoil.

October 22nd, 2012 at 12:46 pm

The more I read..the more am convinced how mis managed this kid is :(

EIEIO

Nice post. I don’t doubt that Rafa has had legitimate injuries either…but how its been played out….errrrr……questionable.

Nice you got to see him in 02. Too bad he wasn’t up to performing for his fans, he was getting paid big bucks.

I saw him up close at IW, practicing next to Nole. He owns topspin! That..was a fun day.

October 22nd, 2012 at 1:29 pm

Alok
She has a million identities, has no debating skill whatsoever, and her wit died long ago. When any of these things are pointed out to her, she turns around and accuses the accuser of the same crime.It’s called projection. This is down not only to unoriginal thinking, but also to a certain form of dementia. The best thing to do is to stick to calling her confused. This may help stabilize her identity crisis, but I fear her paranoia is beyond repair

October 22nd, 2012 at 1:48 pm

While i dont doubt that he has had injuries,I dont think he does himself any favours sometimes,a case of crying wolf once too often,its a struggle to know what to believe,either that or hes a hypocondriac,or its sycosamatic.

October 22nd, 2012 at 1:58 pm

I think all the players claim injury when they need time off from time to time, not only Rafa.

October 22nd, 2012 at 2:14 pm

If nadal gets back to no.1, it only shows how incapable djokovic/murray are, letting a clay-court based defensive player get to the top.

I dont think djokovic will, as long as he is fit. If you are not good on grass/indoors like Roger was – he picked up 5000 points from basel, paris, london and wimbledon, you just cannot over come djokovic in the rankings right now. You just can’t win on clay and make some finals and hope to get the no.1

Lazlo : the cunning one sounds an apt moniker. but guess who the joke is on? it is these idiots who think she is such a fair poster! LOL! but well, i am sure all these clowns also thought armstrong was a saint who fought cancer valiantly. let us hope the anti-drug agencies will clean tennis up too! guess whose fans start running like chicken little, even if you so much as whisper DRUGS! LOL!

October 22nd, 2012 at 3:48 pm

Armstrong paid Swiss firm for doping services, report charges. October 12, 2012.

American cycling champion Lance Armstrong paid more than a million dollars to a Swiss company controlled by an Italian doctor [Michele Ferrari] who helped cyclists benefit from illegal doping, a new report says.

http://malcolm-curtis.com/2012/10/12/armstrong-paid-swiss-fir m-for-doping-services-report-charges/
http://www.thelocal.ch/page/vie w/armstrong-paid-swiss-company-for-dope-report

October 22nd, 2012 at 5:32 pm

@ wog boy & skeezer -

Hey, I’m fair & balanced! Honest! Short of Nole when he’s in a MP-nullifying frenzy, I’ve just never seen the kind of mental/physical intensity that I see when Nadal is on point.

My faves on the tour are actually journeymen but they don’t exactly make for gripping posts!

So maybe the ATP has tweaked the ranking system so that a Muster-like surge (i,e, single-surface) is no longer possible…but I still see Nadal easing back very carefully in to the mix, maybe missing some important events to make sure he’s got some juice left for the latter part of the year. He has always built his year around Paris, so we’ll see if he can pull that off again by next spring.

As others have suggested, the time off will help him, probably – he really needed a break.

October 22nd, 2012 at 7:47 pm

tennismonger,

It wasn’t me….it was skeezer ;)

October 22nd, 2012 at 9:09 pm

a hypocondriac,or its sycosamatic.

Alison October 22nd, 2012 at 1:58 pm

DA
Your English skills are needed here.

October 22nd, 2012 at 11:53 pm

“Everyone is entitled to my opinion Says:

skeezer, scared of a fit Rafa, are you?”

Only during Holloween.

—————-

@tennismonger

Yes it was me who questioned ur pick for Rafa getting to #1 in 2013. Otherwise, you are fair and honest…..mostly ;)

October 23rd, 2012 at 12:49 am

If Rafa has a psychosomatic disorder, is it any wonder when he has a congenital mal-formed bone in his foot which nearly ended his career, even before it started, and contributes to his cronic knee tendinitis resulting in having to play in pain all the time?

It’s all very well being an armchair critic of someone who has achieved so much despite cronic physical problems that are there all the time and have to be managed.

October 23rd, 2012 at 4:32 am

E.I.E.Y.M.O as i already said i dont doubt that alot of the time he does suffer from injuries,and it cant be nice having to play in pain,maybe that came out wrong and im sorry for that,i dont know where he goes from here,i just hope he makes a full recovery and we see him back on tour soon.

October 23rd, 2012 at 5:28 am

Lasslo hypocondriac or phychosamatic,i dont know whats it matter anyway?

October 23rd, 2012 at 5:31 am

The DA
Please hurry.LOL!

October 23rd, 2012 at 1:15 pm

Lasslo do you have a problem with me?

October 23rd, 2012 at 5:41 pm

nadal is doping james blake has come out and says tennis has a doping problem dah nadal has got away with murder for a long time nadal should be drug tested a lot where the hell is the atp

October 24th, 2012 at 8:50 am

Nadal’s schedule in 2013, I heard it through the grapevine:

Brasil Open Costa Do Sauipe

ATP Buenos Aires Copa Claro

Abierto Mexicano de Tenis Telcel

Monte Carlo

Barcelona Open

Madrid

Rome

French Open

Mercedes Cup Stuttgart

Catella Swedish Open Bastad

Hamburg

Bet-At-Home Cup Kitzbühel

October 24th, 2012 at 1:07 pm

^ Schedule sounds good to me if it is true!!

October 24th, 2012 at 1:41 pm

Giles yeah me too.

October 24th, 2012 at 2:11 pm

Alison
The DA has a problem with people who are not proficient in the English language, not me.

October 24th, 2012 at 2:39 pm

Lasslo im English born and bread,although granted spelling isnt always my strong point,if thats what you were getting at.

October 25th, 2012 at 5:40 am

hypocondriac,or its sycosamatic
hypocondriac or phychosamatic

Let’s ask the DA. He has made himself the forum critic of the English language.

October 25th, 2012 at 11:29 am