Your girlfriend.

February 5th, 2013 at 3:20 am

I love Roger. go Roger :)

February 5th, 2013 at 5:18 am

Very difficult question without clear answer.

About Rafa: in an article on the heavytopspin blog, the author mentions the cases of JMac, Tommy Haas and JMDP, who never recovered their previous form and ranking again, although JMDP could still make it.

On Eurosport, Laurent Lavergne mentioned the case of Guy Forget, who managed to play his best WB after a break of almost one whole year, and play his best tennis.

So, you never know. Rafa was dominant on all surfaces before the injury, so we can expect that he will play well after a few months.

Roger played well the last two years, showing no signs of decline. So… why wouldn’t he continue to play well.

February 5th, 2013 at 7:53 am

if nadal is not doping roger will win more stupid question from the vermin in the press

February 5th, 2013 at 8:46 am

Just for Rafa fans:

http://www.changeovertennis.com/fan-fare-seven-months-without-rafael-nadal/

February 5th, 2013 at 9:12 am

Depends on how many tournaments each one enters, I’d say. Fed is playing a reduced schedule this year. I am unclear on Rafa’s schedule.

February 5th, 2013 at 10:15 am

Subo a quote from the great Roger Federer about Rafael Nadal,Nadal numerous clashes with Roger Federer have lit up tennis over the last decade and Federer is delighted that his old rival is returning to the fray,Cant wait to see him back playing again the sport will be all the better for it,as far as i am concerned,he will still be as difficult to beat as ever,pure class from Federer about his great rival,you see class recognises class,but thanks for finally letting us all know that your a Federer fan,ive been posting on here for 18 months and its took us this long to find out.

February 5th, 2013 at 10:39 am

Mat4 thanks for the article on Rafa,but Nadalista posted the exact same one yesterday on the Rafa meets press thread,but just to say thanks anyway.

February 5th, 2013 at 10:43 am

@Alison:

Didn’t see that link, sorry. I read “The Changeover” often and found that nice article.

There is another nice article in French on Eurosport,

http://www.eurosport.fr/ace_blog18/ace_post181532/blogpostfull.shtml

and with little help from gtranslate…

February 5th, 2013 at 10:50 am

No problem Mat4,thanks for that article too,interesting read.

February 5th, 2013 at 11:03 am

In the fable of the tortoise and the hare, the tortoise wins. Here I see Fed as the tortoise – managing a schedule and sticking to it, not playing a lot of tournaments but playing deep in most that he does play. I see Rafa as the hare – jumping out to a lead during claycourt season by cleaning up a lot of them (or getting to the final and losing to Djokovic) but doing too much to keep the momentum going throughout the year.

February 5th, 2013 at 11:05 am

^* I think Rafa is the tortoise at the moment! Lol

February 5th, 2013 at 11:51 am

@RZ:

I think that the emotional energy spent is what make keeping the momentum so difficult.

February 5th, 2013 at 11:57 am

In Rafa’s case, the more I read the more I tend to think that his problems are a whole: his emotional state is in a secret and deep relation with his physical problems. He’s not only confident when he feels physically well and plays without injuries, but he is physically well when his emotions, feelings, state of mind are good.

There is also the timing, which reveals something typical for men: a man usually speaks about his problems when he needs real help, or when he has solved them. Rafa’s surprise defeats and injuries come when he has manage to overcome crisis: in 2008, he was spent when he won Wimbledon, keeping first his ranking against Djokovic, then overcoming Roger; in 2009 he started the year with great success, defeating Federer and Djokovic in hard fought matches in the process, but the divorce of his parents accelerated his emotional, and then physical melt down, and he was defeated at the French. In 2012, he injured himself after the had turned the tide against Novak.

I felt that in his defeat against Sod and Rosol, he was empty, playing without his usual focus and determination (although Soderling and Rosol played great matches themselves).

What we have is a cycle: struggle and fight, great victory, surprise defeat, injury.

It could be a little simplistic, though, but I feel there is something in it.

February 5th, 2013 at 12:17 pm

Sorry for the many mistakes.

February 5th, 2013 at 12:18 pm

mat4

great post @ 12:17

February 5th, 2013 at 12:35 pm

@Skeez:

It is not that I don’t value your opinion… but I hope Humble Rafa too will find this is a great post. ;-)

February 5th, 2013 at 12:57 pm

If Nadal fires Uncle Toni, it will be very close. But if Toni stays on as coach, Federer for sure.
Fire Toni Rafa, be your own man. You can do it.
Nonetheless welcome back.

February 5th, 2013 at 3:34 pm

Giles, certainly true that Rafa has been the tortoise. But once he starts playing (tomorrow), he’ll be the hare, playing both singles and doubles. And during the spring season, Rafa tends to play more claycourt tournaments than he needs to. With 3 weeks of tournaments in a row, he’ll be off to a good start as the hare.

February 5th, 2013 at 4:12 pm

@mat4

I think HR has been too overwhelmed by the many topics on Rafa here lately. Must be all to much for him to get so much attention, I mean he thinks he is a Rock Star and all…(although I’ve never heard him sing nor play Guitar)

February 5th, 2013 at 4:39 pm

@Skeez:

:-)

Seriously now: I have the impression that HR writes the pseudofed blog too.

February 5th, 2013 at 4:47 pm

the writer of the pseudofed blog has wit so HR couldn’t possibly be the author.

February 5th, 2013 at 5:51 pm

@volley:

lol

February 5th, 2013 at 6:21 pm

this is a well written piece and focuses on federer’s australian open sf vs murray and the 2011 uso sf vs djokovic. interesting take.

http://www.eugenewei.com/blog/2013/1/27/federer-and-the-paradox-of-luck

February 5th, 2013 at 6:54 pm

@Volley:

Good read, indeed.

On an another side, found an interesting article on Grantland

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8904906/daring-ask-ped-question

Just like to quote this:

“Some of my favorite ways include …

• Skip the Olympics (which has much stricter drug testing) in your prime for any dubious reason and you’re on the list.

• Enjoy your best season in years in your late 30s, four or five years after your last “best season,” and you’re on the list.

• If you’re a skinny dude who miraculously managed to add 20 pounds of muscle to your scarecrow frame, you’re on the list.

• If you chopped down the recovery time of a debilitating injury to something that just didn’t seem possible a year ago, you’re on the list.

• If you were really good and really ripped at a really young age, and now your body is breaking down much sooner than it should be breaking down, you’re on the list.

• If you’re exhibiting a level of superhuman endurance that has little correlation to the endurance of any of your competitors, you’re on the list.

You’re on the list for reasons that, sometimes, aren’t even your fault. You’re on the list because of mistakes your peers made, because the media foolishly trained itself to look the other way, because we learned the hard way that “absolutely incredible” usually comes with a catch. You’re on the list because your players union negotiated ironclad drug-testing rules, ostensibly to protect your rights, but really to protect your right to cheat without being judged. You’re on the list because our President claims to be a big sports fan but refuses to get involved, and apparently would rather see every sport go to hell over risking political capital and doing something about it. You’re on the list because we don’t have blood testing in your sport yet, or biological passports, or anything else that would allow us to know if you were competing fairly or unfairly. You’re on the list because it’s 2013 and we still have our heads stuck in the sand.”

February 5th, 2013 at 7:35 pm

Federer.

But he will not win anymore slams.

You heard it here first.

17 will be the final number for Olderer.

February 5th, 2013 at 8:31 pm

Federer and Nadal are done winning slams. No more slams for them.

Djokovic will win 8 more slams and Murray will win 7 more slams.

You heard it here first.

February 5th, 2013 at 8:42 pm

Wow, jamie.

What are you taking?

Because it must be one fine hallucinogen.

*smh*

February 5th, 2013 at 10:47 pm

mat4,

Found your BB stats intriguing. Always thought The Babe was the greatest BB player ever. How could a fat slow man make so many records? He did, and to think in the modern world it takes a beefed up roid taken gorilla cheat to break his records? Sorry, but the Babe is the Babe, and his GOAT stands. No roid laden athlete can lay claim over him. He partied, drank, smoked, ate excessively, but his talent was undeniable.

Todays athletes think that the ultimate fitness is the holy grail. But if you don’t have “it”, you don’t have it, no amount of fitness will make you a winner. Firrst you must have the ability, talent, and skill, then the hard work of fitness will pay off.

February 6th, 2013 at 2:36 am

@Skeez:

I don’t know much about BB, and I liked the article because it talks sports in general too and described the doubts we all, sport’s fans, have more and more often.

And, as you can see with BB records, the same could happen to tennis: imagine the Babe of tennis playing against one of those “roid laden athlete”. The margins are already so slim: it suffice somebody improves by 2%, and he climbs 10 spots in the rankings.

Recently, many players have voiced their doubts about doping. Forget said, not so long ago, that he was certain he played against doped players. Escudé spoke about it a few years ago. Simon alluded at it recently. And they are not the only ones.

I hope that tennis will introduce this blood passeport and that there will be more testing. I want my fav clean. He introduced the methodology and the work of racing teams (not my idea) in his preparation, recovery, work. I want him tested and retested to show that it is possible to be fit, to improve the way he did. To know that he does only “what is possible and legal” to do to recuperate.

I want others to be tested because it would be devastating to know that, as an example, two of the greatest players of the open era didn’t won the GS because, who knows, they played against somebody using PED’s in those crucial finals.

I want my favourite sport clean.

February 6th, 2013 at 4:15 am

Jamie, I think Roger does pretty well when phychics like you prophesy he’s done, so keep it coming. I don’t think Novak will win that many slams but we will only know that for sure with the time. I think Delpo will win a few slams as well. Let’s wait and see.

February 6th, 2013 at 8:13 pm

I made my predictions in October for the 2013 season, and I am sticking to it. Here are my predictions:

AO- Djokovic
FO- Djokovic
W- Federer
UO- Federer
WTF- Federer

February 7th, 2013 at 7:28 pm

Rafael Nadal will definately be back to winning the French Open in years to come, but I just feel like Federer and Djokovic will battle for the #1 ranking this year. I predicted 2 years ago that Federer would win 19 slams in his career, and Nadal would win 14 slams in his career. I will hold true to that prediction. I think Djokovic will win 12 slams. So there you have my bold prediction for Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic.

Slams at career’s end:

Federer- 19 (4 AO, 1 FO, 8 W, 6 UO)
Nadal- 14 (1 AO, 9 FO, 3 W, 1 UO)
Djokovic- 12 (5 AO, 2 FO, 2 W, 3 UO)

February 7th, 2013 at 7:36 pm

PRETTY BOLD, HUH!! LOL

February 7th, 2013 at 7:37 pm