Nadal, Ferrer Repeat Final at ATP Barcelona

Fifth Monte Carlo, Fifth Barcelona, Fifth RG… Next year: sixth Monte Carlo, sixth Barcelona, fifth Rome, sixth RG… and so, and so on. He’s obviously gonna be the greatest ever.

April 25th, 2009 at 8:06 pm

I don’t know where’s everyone. No one to discuss the Rome draw with. This is really the dysfunctional tennis blog. Is everyone leaving, like Von did? If so, I’ll join you gladly.

April 25th, 2009 at 8:22 pm

Duro dear,
we were in the other thread. where were you?

did you watch today’s matches?

btw, I hope your predictions for Rafa are right! but every good thing comes to an end one day. I only hope that Rafa’s great days take a while before it ends.

April 25th, 2009 at 8:42 pm

2 times masters on clay court, unfortunately Murray has to land on Rafa’s side of the draw.

Zola,
Watch out for Verdasco, he might give some trouble to Nadal, if he can squeeze pass Tsonga. Not sure how good Tsonga on clay.

April 25th, 2009 at 10:57 pm

Hi Duro – what do you think of the Rome draw my friend? :-)

April 25th, 2009 at 11:07 pm

Tj
I saw a bit of Verdasco vs Gonzalez. They are both very explosive. Actually I have put a QF for Rafa vs Verdasco.

Tsonga had some injury issues. I am puzzled by the French players. They have the only clay GS but they play better on hard? How can that be?

April 25th, 2009 at 11:09 pm

From all the french players, I thought Simon’s game suit clay.

Verdasco has very good forehand. If QF between Nadal and Verdasco, it will be interesting to see how Verdasco can match Nadal’s game on clay or not.

April 25th, 2009 at 11:53 pm

jane and zola,

I’m glad you both enjoyed that youtube clip the other day – I haven’t had a whole lot of free time to post recently.

So… yeah, I buy my underwear online (bear with me a moment), and occasionally I’ll receive an email for a sale or new product such as these which boast “cutting-edge Swedish design & craftsmanship”…

http://www.malestromonline.com/product.php?productid=17300&cat=0&page=1

Maybe you all knew about this already, but I sure had no idea.

April 26th, 2009 at 12:13 am

OMG Ra, I know; I saw those in a magazine and had to do a double take. What on earth? At least the “RF” sticks with basics like hats and whatnot. Sheesh!

April 26th, 2009 at 12:34 am

Ra,
that is super hilarius. Iheard some time ago about the Borg underwaer, but didn’t know about it in detail! Reminds me of a Seinfeld episode!

I showed that clip to my family. They all loved it. We are going to watch “Saturday night fever” one more time!

Tj
Verdasco played Rafa I think last year or the year befoee on clay and was smoked. Of course RG is different to Rome and Verdasco is now a much better player. I too, think it will be a great match.

April 26th, 2009 at 12:40 am

jane,

“What on earth?”

Or for that matter, “You cannot be serious!”… And I’m no fashionisto, but as someone who wears underwear I feel sufficiently qualified to say those are just hideous.

But “RF” has time to catch up to Borg, so who knows. Oh, and it’d be way too hilarious if Rafa were to someday release an underwear line.

zola,

No doubt, Seinfeld or maybe The Twilight Zone. I seriously thought I was seeing things for a second when I opened my email.

I’m glad your whole family loved the clip. I could probably stand to watch “Saturday Night Fever” one more time myself.

April 26th, 2009 at 1:28 am

Fed have better route to semi this time than MC. Hope he can really get to semi this time. Djoko will wait for him there.

Zola,
Did you put Fed and Djoko at semi in your bracket?

April 26th, 2009 at 2:17 am

Tj
I did not!
I put Ferrer and Djoko with Djoko going to the final. but I still have a day to think about it.

I wanted to put Fed. but he has not played on clay at all. At least last year he played Estoril. In Rome many of the top players have played more matches on clay than him. So I am not sure yet.

here is a link to my bracket.
http://tinyurl.com/c6a8w7

I welcome any advice from you or other posters. My ranking went dowm fast after Fed, ferrer and Simon went down in MC(and they are all in the same half again!)

April 26th, 2009 at 2:47 am

Ra,
I wonder who has designed those. not Borg I hope!

I don’t think Rafa will sell underwear when he retires (hope not!). He has announced his plans already. He is going fishing!

April 26th, 2009 at 2:50 am

Jane, don’t forget that I’m 6 or 7 hours ahead of you, so if you post me 11pm I’m most likely sleeping then. I think that the draw for Novak couldn’t be any better. Only real tricky match should be semis with Fed, unless he loses before it ( to Ferrer, Simon, Stepanek, Karlovic…). Nole only has Wawrinka and Del Potro, but if he doesn’t mess it up (which I don’t believe considering his current form), semis with Fed is most likely. We could easily watch the same finals from Monte Carlo, or even title for Nole if Murray pulls the surprise!

April 26th, 2009 at 5:46 am

Just enjoy the way Nadal plays.

April 26th, 2009 at 7:18 am

Sean,Staff,
Is there a problem with the site? It was down for the past few hours, citing a broken link.
It has been hsppening a lot recently. Just to let you know.

April 26th, 2009 at 9:23 pm

Novak Djokovic has hired Thomas Muster’s old trainer as his new fitness coach.

The third-ranked Serb started working with Gebhard Phil-Gritsch after losing to Rafael Nadal in last week’s Monte Carlo Masters final.

The move comes at a key point in Djokovic’s season. He is the defending champion at the Rome Masters, which starts Monday, then plays at home in Belgrade, followed by the Madrid Masters and the French Open, which starts May 25.

“(Fitness) is what I’m going to need a lot of in the next period, which is very difficult,” Djokovic said Sunday. “I play all three weeks and then we have the French Open, and we all know the transition between the clay and grass is very short. It’s going to be a very exhausting couple of months.”

Muster won three titles on the clay at the Foro Italico in the 1990s and won the French Open in 1995.

Djokovic was the only player to take a set from Nadal in Monte Carlo, but he appeared to grow weary in the third set before getting beat by the Spaniard, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.

“I’ve been always trying to be a better player and to improve myself in any aspect, so as soon as I felt that I cannot improve or learn anymore with a certain member of my team, no hard feelings, but I have to change some things,” Djokovic said. “I was thinking about it for the last couple of months.”

Muster was renowned for his fitness and clay-court prowess, and Djokovic labeled his first week with Phil-Gritsch as painful.

“It’s a new program, a new system, a new person, so obviously a lot of innovations, but of course we didn’t take it from the start, from zero, because it’s too much risk to change everything right away. But I think we have a great base, and he has a good knowledge that we can use,” Djokovic said. “We are working a lot on endurance and strength in the legs, because clay requires a lot of endurance.”

Djokovic retired from his quarterfinal match at the Australian Open against Andy Roddick due to illness brought on by the heat. He also changed his racket this year, going from Wilson to Head. He has reached the final in his last two events, losing to Andy Murray at the Sony Ericsson Open before getting beaten by Nadal last week.

“I think things are coming together for me,” Djokovic said. “I’m (improved) fitness-wise and tennis-wise, and hopefully I can reach the most important level for the most important events in this period of the year, which are Roland Garros and Wimbledon. I’m back on the right path, I just need to keep it up.”
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April 26th, 2009 at 9:32 pm

Novak Djokovic has hired Thomas Muster’s old trainer as his new fitness coach.
http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=931353&lang=eng_news

April 26th, 2009 at 9:46 pm

This site is been dropping out a lot recently, what is the problem ?

April 26th, 2009 at 10:06 pm

Thanks Sean for clarification. Hope the problems are over soon.

I too think having a fitness coach is a great move for Djokovic. He is doing all the right things. Very exciting days for tennis.

Federer says his eyes are now on the FO title and No 1. he has been practining with Koubek ( a lefty) somewhere in Italy.

http://www.tennis.com/news/news.aspx?id=171700

April 26th, 2009 at 10:23 pm

sar I posted that same link on the other thread with “Djokovic” in the title earlier today; I agree that it sounds like a positive change.

I am looking forward to Rome – bigger draw, more to get excited about I hope!

April 26th, 2009 at 10:23 pm

No surprise, Nadal won Barcelona for the fifth times. He will now trying to get his Rome title back from Djoko.

April 26th, 2009 at 10:42 pm

I hope Fed will get to semi, I want to see him play Djoko in semi.

April 26th, 2009 at 10:46 pm

Federer has always been positive, even if his chances where not that great at RG with Rafa but he always been positive. Good for him. Hope he bounce back again. Its always wonderful to see Federer in full flow. He has tricky guys in the early rounds of his draw, so he needs to pass that test first.

He knows his problems has been serve and forehand. so I am sure he will be working on that. I fear his confidence will be shattered a little with loses he had recently, that can only come back with more wins.

yes Jane, looking forward to Rome too. Big draw here, we get a chance to see all best players fight for it.

And Sean, thanks for the feedback, it was disappointing when the site was out most of the time. And I too hope the problems are over.

April 26th, 2009 at 10:49 pm

Duro, wishful thinking..Nole vs Murray final and Nole taking it. Wow ! very bold predictions but strange things can happen.

April 26th, 2009 at 10:53 pm

It’s good to have bold predictions innit? We wouldn’t want everything “scripted” now would we? Then you might as well just wait and rent the movie! Surprises are good!! Unpredictability and drama – great! :P

April 26th, 2009 at 11:04 pm

Nalby might need hip surgery!http://www.tennis.com/news/news.aspx?id=171696

hopw not! that can take him out for a bit and at his age it may not be easy to come back.

yes, Kimmi, it is good that Federer is positive. I said before that I like it that each year he gets a beating from Rafa in RG, but there he is in the final the next year, trying again. That is admirable.

Now I am going to take a note from Fed’s presser. He is saying that he has been pain-free and is feeling great, no back pain. Just for reference.

April 26th, 2009 at 11:10 pm

“It’s good to have bold predictions innit? We wouldn’t want everything “scripted” now would we?”

As much as I like to be bold, lets be honest, its next to impossible to be bold on clay…I think you know what I mean.

The bold one I see… is Murray beating Nadal, the guy has only lost 4 matches in 4 or 5 years. I would love that, I think Murray has great talent but..wow ! that would make my day.

I read somewhere that Nadal has not been great this year, you know he got broken 4 times today with ferrer. Too bad ferrer does not have a big serve. Nadal needs somebody who can serve his way to victory like what Nole did in MC second set. But Nadal knows its difficult to mantain that high level, that way he is ready pounce when he sees any weaknesses…..

April 26th, 2009 at 11:26 pm

Zola, Federer pain free is great, but he also said that in IW. I think his main problem now is his confidence, hence the forehand problems, serve etc…..

What he needs is to get that back again..

April 26th, 2009 at 11:30 pm

Kimmi,

Let’s say Fed was 100% accurate saying “Clay is better for my back though, and I’ve been pain-free for a long time now which is great.” It only implies that he did not have pain in the practices in the past days. It does NOT mean that back or shoulder may not act on him in the days to come. More often than not, it will, as long as Fed stays on tour. Aging is no fun, isn’t it? All body parts fall off with times. Ready excuses? You bet. Denial? Big time.

Another side of view is: when was the last time before a tournament that Fed said he’s having physical issues? This is one stubborn and positive man. Imho, Fed really needs to take a page from Rafa book of “how to say you’re not fit in 100 ways befoe you step on court”.

April 27th, 2009 at 2:18 am

Dear Von,

I hope you change your mind about leaving here for good. I’m a non-committing and erratic poster here, to put it the best way possible :-)). But I’m not the only one here on this forum missing you. This may not be the best forum, but way better than some others, imho :-).

Thanks for your support. Your passion for your player is admirable. Please come back.

“With a good conscious our only sure reward. With history the final judge of our deeds.”
JFK, 1961.

April 27th, 2009 at 2:20 am