Rafael Nadal Is Now No. 2 In 2013 ATP Ranking Points Only!

Incidentally, Rafa has stated that these are the rankings he concerns himself with, the Race to London, not the rolling ones.

March 18th, 2013 at 10:19 am

As a Rafa fan I hope Rafa stays ranked below Number 4 till the FO.

This will help him to take down Nole during the SFs or the QFs, resulting in loss of points for Nole. Nole has truck loads of finals points to defend during the clay season (except madrid).

March 18th, 2013 at 10:55 am

Awesome performance by Rafa on his return so far.

Just the sheer quality of his tennis, more than the results (even though they are pleasing of course), has been a real joy to watch for this Rafa fan.

I LOVE how he looks to attack more than ever before- even when Delpo was firing winners Rafa was looking to attack him, fight fire with fire.

LOVE this new mindset of his as i belief it shall lead many to realize what a truly brilliant attacking, aggressive player Rafa can be when he wishes to play as such.

VAMOS CHAMP!

March 18th, 2013 at 10:56 am

I hope Murray, Federer and Ferrer do well during the Miami to FO season so that they stay ranked above Rafa.

March 18th, 2013 at 10:58 am

Very True Brando.

And interesting stat:
Rafa’s average FH speed throughout the finals was clocked slightly faster than Delpo.

Rafa’s curvy, loopy shots are faster than Delpo’s flat hits !!!!!!

March 18th, 2013 at 11:01 am

@Fleischer:

WOW- what a pleasing stat that is!

And Delpo has a rocket of a FH.

Long may Rafa play this attacking brand of tennis since it is sheer joy and exciting to watch and as Rafa said on court: seemingly has he has more fans and support than ever before!

VAMOS RAFA! :-)

March 18th, 2013 at 11:27 am

This is a historic achievement. The next generation of fans will remember Rafa for the Slams, the clay court dominantion, the Fed domination. But this is one event for US, to realize what a special thing we’ve just seen. To me, this is a career notch in Rafa’s belt. I’m not a fan really, but you have to be happy for him for this story. How many of us thought this year, even just a bit, that Rafa’s career as a Slam contender might be done?
Yes, he doubtlessly deserves to be number 2 right at this moment in time. a finals and 3 straight tourney wins out of 4 tourneys entered in 2013. Wins over world #4, #2, #7.
Novak, of course is the big question mark right now?
To be the man, you have to BEAT the man!
Novak is the man.
But I am with Brando. I think Rafa has converted permanently to attacking tennis, a la 2010 (?) US Open. If he has, its over. Another bucket of slams will come Rafa’s way. Novak would have to elevate again, big time, to keep up with this arms race.

Now, I’ve been a fan of Del Potro a long time, I hope he can rise to challenge (or Raonic or Tsonga) so I can have another contending horse as Fed declines. (Fed prove me wrong! Come on!) Of course, Andy Murray has just disappeared from the tennis headlines, and I hope he’ll have something to say about that. He’s standing in a patch of heather in Scotland shouting, “Hello? Golden boy? Breakout story? Where is everyone?”

Gonna be exciting in MIami!

March 18th, 2013 at 11:31 am

OK, I’ve already opened the door on Rafa History so I’ll continue, because this event really has me reassessing Rafa’s place in history (THUS FAR!).

I think Rafa’s form at US Open 2010 was some of the best tennis I’ve ever seen played, up there with Fed’s grand slam victories from 2004-2008, and Marat Safin’s best matches. I have this feeling he’s matching that form now.
I also think that Fed fans are overly comforted with the fact that Fed is so much older than Rafa as an excuse for his subordination. The fact is, Rafa was ALMOST Fed’s equal in head to head matches in his tutelage as a pro, when he could win nothing off clay. That was when Fed was at his best. There is NO DOUBT that Rafa now is miles removed from the Rafa that troubled Fed in 06, 07. Rafa 2010 on hardcourt vs Rafa 2004 (the one that beat Fed in Miami)— Rafa 2010 would trounce Rafa 2004 on hardcourts. Bagels.
Of course, Fed’s trump card is tournament victories and the fact is this IS the standard of historic excellence. But in terms of head to head, there’s just not a lot of comfort for Fed fans except for grass and indoors.

Yea, this win has been a big draught of the kool-aid for me.

March 18th, 2013 at 11:41 am

@TV:

Fantastic post, thanks for the praise re Rafa in a post that glows of genuineness from a true tennis fan.

I hope you are right and that Rafa permanently plays this attacking brand of tennis since as a fan of his it is a real thrill and joy to watch.

Re the others- my take:

– NOLE: Your spot on. He’s THE man right now. He’s earned that title, and he’s still the one to beat. No doubt about it in my mind.

– MUZZA: IMHO, i see him as the no.2 in the world right now. Andy was rusty in IW and i think he’ll be much, much better in MIAMI. But considering on how he has played from wimby 12, especially the slams, IMO he really has been the no.2 in the last 6 months.

I hope a big performance from him in MIAMI validates that opinion of mine.

– FED: IMHO, not saying this just to be nice but because its a GENUINE BELIEF, i think he shall comeback and be a MAJOR contender at FO, WIMBY and USO.

This 2 month break is just what the doctor ordered for Fed right now. He’ll return fresh, motivated with great practise under his belt and i think he’ll be a major force on his return- especially at WIMBY and USO. That is what i feel regarding fed going forward.

Last but by no means least:

– JMDP: This week has been a colossal boost, improvement for Juan Martin. The positives just COMPLETELY OUTWEIGH any negatives for him IMO.

The following plus points:

1- MENTAL STRENGTH: Delpo has a warrior’s mind set, a fighter’s heart- this week he has shown he is NOT AFRAID of Nole, Muzza or Rafa- that is a terrific starting point for him.

2- IMPROVED PERFORMANCE v ELITE: He beat Muzza, Nole and outplayed Rafa for 10 games or so in a row in the final.

Why?

Since he has shown some real tactical improvements in his game. The serve, FH and BH were firing like it was 2009 USO once again. Now though, his slice, drop shots, net game seems to have also improved greatly.

He has more variety and tactical awareness than before.

This is a HUGE PLUS IMO for Delpo going forward.

3- IMPROVED FITNESS: On a slow HC, in blazing heat Delpo has shown a GREAT IMPROVEMENT in his fitness and stamina.

Over 3 days, back to back:

– He played 3 set matches v the TOUGHEST RETURNERS in the game: NOLE, RAFA, MUZZA.

– He went toe to toe with these guys in long, back to back rallies.

– RAFA and NOLE played at a high level against him. MUZZA fought hard against him also.

And what happened:

1- He beat NOLE and MUZZA in consecutive days.

2- On day 3, he was atleast Rafa’s equal if not better for 1 and half set.

3- EVEN in his LAST GAME in the final, he fought HARD showing stamina and resilience to fight from 3 MP down.

BOTTOM LINE:

I think Delpo has shown that he can:

– beat the best back to back

– win the battles v the best

– his game can MATCH and SURPASS the best

– his fitness is up to the task of beating the big players

IMHO, he is a HUGE CONTENDER for FO and USO. The day break shall help him against the big players- keep him fresh for the next match.

I think his game and fitness are good enough to win slams, and IMO he’ll reach a GS final this year- AT LEAST SF in 2 of the next 3 slams!

That is my prediction for him.

March 18th, 2013 at 12:01 pm

BRando, I really hope that’s true of DelPo. There are a lot of good signs, the thing is, Rafa has consistently surprised us by doing better than we expect. DelPo now has a history in the last two years of doing worse than we expect. So…
However, looking again at the positive sign, I remember in 2009, the progression of DelPotro through the years. He is someone who really seeks to improve his game, and I hope that he can regain that kind of momentum for the coming Arms Race!

March 18th, 2013 at 12:07 pm

@TV:

LOL, another excellent post.

You are COMPLETELY RIGHT: in tennis it’s ALL about titles won: fed, in this regard, is THE benchmark.

NO RAFA fan denies that as stats do not lie.

Re the H2H: one EXCUSE i have long found to be quite silly re fedal:

Rafa is at an advantage as he is 5 years younger and had fed been the same age then Rafa would struggle to repeat his performances.

That Rafa is winning ONLY due to his age.

Really?

What UTTER BS!

Since if true then WHY did:

1- Fed LOSE to an 18 Y/O Nadal on a HC surface were he has NEVER won the title- MIAMI.

2- Fed say he should has LOST v a 19 Y/O Nadal in a HC FINAL were Fed has a great record of winning- MIAMI.

3- Fed LOSE to a 19 YO/O Nadal on a FACT HC were Fed is the all time winner- DUBAI.

4- Fed LOSE as a WORLD NO.1, 4 time GS WINNER to a 19 Y/O one trick pony (apparently) playing his FIRST FO tourny?

BOTTOM LINE:

Rafa and his fans NEVER COMPLAINED that Rafa was too young when he faced PEAK FED, UNDISPUTED NO.1 in the world during the 2004-2007 era were Rafa was a MERE TEEN- 21 Y/O and fed was a PRIME AGE 22-26.

NEVER did they use his YOUNG AGE as an EXCUSE v Fed.

Heck, Rafa was 2-2 v Fed OUTSIDE CLAY during that period (excluding YE 2007).

LOL: Age is NOT the reason why Fed has struggled v Rafa.

Maybe, just maybe: it’s the QUALITY of Rafa’s tennis that has long caused him problems!

March 18th, 2013 at 12:19 pm

Brando,

Federer has a winning record against Joker who is 6 years younger.

Rafa has a winning record against ALL the younger players on tour.

As you said this age excuse is just BS.

March 18th, 2013 at 12:35 pm

This is for Ben and all the conspiracy theorists:
Quote from Roger about Rafa:
“He’s not going to come back if he’s not well,” the 31-year-old Swiss said. “He’s not going to come back half broken. I expected him to tear through the clay. I expected him to be tough here.”

March 18th, 2013 at 12:35 pm

Brando, I’m at work right now (on lunch) and can’t hunt for it right now but there is a great article on the ATP site I believe, about how many players are actually 30 and over. The percentages compared to years ago is surprising!

March 18th, 2013 at 12:38 pm

The normal thing is that the elder player in his prime will get to play the younger player and get a big head start. Then the younger player will catch up gradually in due course and even out when he reaches his own prime. Overall it would get evened out. Overall no would get an advantage because of age.

Best example is Federer vs Nole rivalry.

March 18th, 2013 at 12:38 pm

TV @ 11.39 but Andy ain’t standing knee deep in some freezing Scottish bog, he’s leaning on his balcony in his Miami flat, gazing at the beautiful, blue ocean and saying, “Bring it on.” :)

March 18th, 2013 at 2:34 pm

http://rafaelnadalfans.com/2013/03/18/players-take-to-twitter-to-congratulate-rafael-nadal/

March 18th, 2013 at 2:51 pm

Again, I see rafa wans are talking from the rear end.

If younger people do not have advantage, please tell my why that all rivalries are dominated by the young and not the older ones. In the past 50 years [maybe even before] most major rivalries [except federer-djokovic and nadal-djokovic] have the older guy having a losing record. If tennis is not a young man’s game, why has this happened?

If federer was nadal’s peer like djokovic is, there is a great chance federer would have a 11-5 record on hardcourts like djokovic does and not the 6-6 record he finds himself in.

I have also posed another question to which there is no answer. Why does rafa [one-surface player] play federer/djokovic [versatile complete players] 50% of the time on a surface that hosts only 25% of the tournaments.

If you don’t have the numbers or the reason to argue and you want to keep promoting your propaganda [like saying prime-time is 2:00pm in the afternoon on a week day], please keep doing so – except the dimwitted nadal trolls, no one will buy that stuff.

P.S: Saying nadal is a better hardcourt player than federer/djokovic just because he just won his 1st title in hardcourts in 30 months, is outright stupidity. what next, that nadal is better on grass than sampras/borg? LOL!

March 18th, 2013 at 3:47 pm

More proof that in a H2H, the less versatile player ends up playing more matches on his favored surface(s) than the more complete player.

Sampras-Agassi:

We all know how legendary sampras’ sucking on clay was. He once lost to santoro 1 and 0 on clay. So, in this rivalry, if you look at their slam matches, they played 10 matches. In those 10, 7 were played on wimbledon/USO [sampras’ preferred surface] and only 3 on agassi’s favored surfaces [fo/ao]. needless to say, sampras won all his 7 and agassi the latter 3.

Borg-Mcenroe:

Mcenroe was the better player on carpet/fast hard. grass was neutral and borg was king of clay. yet, mcenroe [less complete compared to borg] never played borg on clay. not even once. their h2h reads 7-7. fed would be leading nadal 8-7, if he was a one-dimensional player like sampras/mcenroe and sucked on clay.[even giving 5 years – which is a generation in tennis]

Clay really is the “joker” surface so to speak. most FO champs are clowns who cannot cut it at the other grandslams or be ranked at the top of the sport. Except for borg, ofcourse. Now, rafa is not like those jokers, but when you look at how complete players like federer/borg are, you got to say, he is one-surface player. Borg ofcourse had other issues like him being a quitter.

March 18th, 2013 at 4:01 pm

http://www.changeovertennis.com/liveanalysis-rafael-nadal-vs-juan-martin-del-potro-in-the-indian-wells-final/

“As for Rafael Nadal, he’s headed back home after a most successful comeback tour. The final balance indicates 3 titles, one of them a M1000 on hard, and a 500 on clay. Yes, he lost a clay final to a journeyman, but that was natural after being away from the sport for so long. The greatest clay court player in history will resume his activity on his favorite surface: the European red clay. And he’s riding a 14 match-winning streak.

All I could think of when I wrote that last paragraph is this: good luck to everyone in the ATP who will try to beat Rafael Nadal anytime soon.”

March 18th, 2013 at 4:13 pm

The thinking of people like Andrew Tennis makes me laugh.

The idea that the head to head is bad because Fedal didn’t meet often enough on Fed’s favourite surface is bizarre.

On outdoor hardcourts where the slams are played, Nadal is 6 – 2 up. 6 – 2!

This indicates that had they met more often on outdoor hardcourts, the Fedal H2H would be even worse! Certainly not better.

Fed worshippers should get down on their knees and thank their lucky stars that Nadal took so long to figure out how to handle the Blakes, Davydenkos, Youzhnys etc on hardcourt because seriously, NADAL HAS FEDERER’S NUMBER ON EVERY SURFACE EXCEPT INDOOR HARDCOURT, PERIOD.

Come on, would anyone seriously bet on Fed taking out Nadal in a hardcourt final at any time in their respective careers?

You earn your own luck but Fed was very lucky that there were enough hard hitting players who could take out Nadal before the finals because the evidence shows conclusively that at any time in their careers, when those two meet, anywhere except on a fast indoor court …. the smart thing to do is bet on Nadal.

6-2 people, 6-2!

March 18th, 2013 at 6:01 pm

Fantastic posts from Tennis Vagabond, who may not be a fan of Rafa,but his posts are genuine about the love of the game,rather than emotional bias to a certain player,just as Brando said,i dont know what sort of year Rafa will have,but its great to see him playing exciting attacking,and positive tennis,win or loose.

March 18th, 2013 at 6:43 pm

People oh people, pump up the Del Po only when he make final only when he because he beat me, The Great Davy, who only lose because I throw match. When I was play good, I was baking 3-0.

Peak Delpo has nothing against Peak Davy. It’s face it.

March 18th, 2013 at 6:49 pm

Not taking anything away from Nadal who played a terrif tourney and in a way eho doesn’t resemble his old self. Just compare this tourney with the way he played the Rome 2011 final versus Djokovic. But one has to put things in perspective. one thing is Nadal dominating outdoor HC where he never played Federe in 2 of the fastest tourneys and Where Federe had huge success: Cincinati and US Open (Dokovic prevented that 2 years in a row saving MP in semis). Nadal haven’t made a final in Cincinati which is the fastest outdoor court on earth. Is similar to what AT is saying, Nadal wasn’t able to play Fed consistanlty or never in Federer’s best tourneys while Fed played Nadal in all his backyards year after year: 5 RG, 3 MC and the slow HC who favors anadal the most.

If we go by Slams, they playd 5 at RG and 2 at AO: 7-0 for Nadal. But Wimby and US Open, 3 Wimby, 2-1 Federer.

Everything is coulda, woulda, shoulda, but you guys trully beleive that if Nadal played Federer in US Open from 2004-2008 he will have more wins than Fed?! I gave he wuld have 1 win, because he is that good but you guys goes with this Nadal dominates Fed everywhere alart from indoor, but last time I checked every 3 macthes they play, Fed still wins 1, clay and slow HC. Dmianting is when they have more than 10 vicotries and the other has less than 3-2 like this HxH all Fed, Nadal and Djokovic are creating agaisnt the field.

And yes, age matters. I am not saying Fed wiuld have a sperior or even, but had Nadal being same age and beung most successfull in afore mentioned courts the HxH would be still Nadal favored (the left FH will always be there) somethign like 11-8 or 10-9. Just hypothetically remove 5 clay matches, 4 victories from Nadal and 1 from Fed and add 3 US Open and 2 Cincy. I will say it would be 2 US Open Fed, 1 US Open Nadal and 2 Cincy Fed.

As mucg as you din’t like to hear it, duirng Fed’s peak Nadal was able to beat im in his favorite surfaces. Law of averages will ensire that eventually Nadal will get a indoor win, just because he is young while Fed may not get another clay win agaisnt him as age will only distance them apart.

March 18th, 2013 at 9:12 pm

Alison, the fact of a player making such a comeback and showing so much joy makes me happy as a sports fan.
The fact of Rafa possibly evolving his game into more offense makes me happy as a tennis fan.

In terms of Rafa v fed on hardcourt, there is a clear paradox: Fed is, objectively, a better hardcourt player. His slams and tournament lead over Rafa is immense. At the same time… 6-2 as Vvx says. Fed has simply never found a way out of his match up problems with Rafa. Even on surfaces where he has a much greater resume, Rafa beats him.
Actually, this points to the match-up problem: Rafa has a career H2H lead over Nole, while Nole has a career H2H hardcourt lead over Rafa.
Fed, who has had a much stronger hardcourt career than Nole, STILL has a losing outdoor hardcourt record to Rafa. You cannot get around that fact. Fed does not match up well with Rafa. Of course Rafa has H2H leads over all his peers, but none of them have superior resumes to Rafa. In other words, based on career titles, we would EXPECT Rafa to have a lead over Nole and Murray. We shouldn’t expect him to DOMINATE Federer, but he does.

So when you say, who is a better player, I would say, Fed has had a better career, but I would bet on Rafa in their meetings. And of course, neither career story is written yet!

March 18th, 2013 at 9:19 pm

Thanks for the reply Tennis Vagabond,i agree with everything you say in your above post,as i say no emotional bias towards any player,you speak only as a genuine lover of the game,your posts are really refreshing to read,just pure honesty.

March 19th, 2013 at 2:43 am

@Vvx

if fed had not lost mozo in 2008, then nadal would NEVER have won the 2008 wimbldon in the 1st place to create any psychological edge over fed on non-clay, PERIOD!

March 19th, 2013 at 3:25 am

actually career imo is one thing. the “game” of a player is another thing. fed has the best game in history, n in case rafa had met him in fed’s peak period on HC, fed would have beaten him so many more times then. but after fed crossed 26, n had mono, his game automatically deteriorated. he was not the same fed of yore n consequently nadal ravaged him. i dont think m being biased here either. its a fact.

i’d pick peak fed over peak rafa, anytime, on any non-clay.

March 19th, 2013 at 3:31 am

i never expected fed to have an edge over a 5 years younger great rival lik rafa aftr he crossd 26. i only hoped fed beats rafa, but never expected that aftr 2007. its sports. younger always stand up to challenge of the realtively older. the endurance of fed post 2007 is vastly different to pre 2007 fed. fed always won the most important points of his matches against others including nadal when fed’d age on his side. once age was on nadal’s side, fed had to lose. its sports n thus naturally understandable why.

March 19th, 2013 at 3:36 am

btw m not dyimng nadal’s tennis ability, but fed’s is surely supreme.

March 19th, 2013 at 3:39 am

rafa played only two 5-setters vs fed before 2008 on HCs n lost both. so who cares if rafa’s 6-2 vs him on HC now? it happened aftr 2007- thats after fed has declined… clearly.

March 19th, 2013 at 3:43 am

Until 2007 Nadal was 21 and Nole 20 . Watch again the finals in SW 19 and in NY and tell me if peak Rafa and Novak would fail so manny opportunities in crucial moments. 4 bp to Nadal in the final set and 4 sets points in the first and 2 in second to Djokovic. Little big differences and the results would be totally different.

March 19th, 2013 at 4:03 am

TV:

Is your silence an indicator that a H2H always favours a younger champion. Can you please tell me a rivalry between multiple slam champs where the older guy has a winning H2H. [other than fedal and nadkovic]

If you cannot, how can you make sweeping statements like age is not a factor. and this is not 1 or 2 years. it is 5years, which is a generation.

You look at how nadal got a huge H2H opening against djokovic, but djokovic was able to pull it back, because he is 1 year younger than nadal.

At the beginning of 2008, when fed’s decline began, the fedal h2h was 8-6 in favor of rafa. As fed declined, nadal pulled ahead. This was an year in which even murray beat fed 4 or 5 times in a row. And people like blake and fish and gonzaleze and karlovic secured their only career wins over him.

With Djokovic, who is younger than nadal, nadal had a commanding 16-7 H2H before 2011. It was then, that in his peak year djokovic manhandled rafa to a tune of 7 wins in a row. and viola! you have djokovic cutting the rivalry numbers to 16-14. You seriously belive djokovic could have managed this if he was 5 years older than nadal and nadal was 22 and djokovic 27? Maybe you would, I am quite positive Nadal would have made that 16-7 look like 20-10 or something [which is similar to what the fed-rafa h2h is btw]

I know tennis writers are short on common sense/logic. These are people meant to sensationalize stuff which will become stale in a few year, maybe even a few months in some cases. So, it does explain why they just want to create “stories” and not what the cold facts are.

Rafa’s major advantages agains fed

1) age [statistically there is evidence that sport and tennis in particular favors a younger guy]

2) courts/conditions slowed down since 90s. ofcourse this helped federer against his real rival roddick. roddick in the 90s would have won at the least 5 slams with that monster serve which is only 2nd to Pete’s all time [in open era]

3) lefty advantage. In sports like badminton, table tennis, squash, cricket, southpaws have a distinct advantage. It does not mean a clown like muster will achiever greater success than sampras, but when you have 2 multiple slams champs like mcenroe/borg or fedal. mcenroe won the last 3 matches of his rivalry with borg and if borg hadn’t run away like a wuss, it is quite conceivable that mcenroe would have had a nadal like h2h against borg. [again j-mac was younger than borg. 3.5 years i think and also less versatile than borg, like rafa with fed]

March 19th, 2013 at 4:31 am

Another question, you have skipped.

Who do fedal fedkovic have 50% of the rivalry matches on clay, where it is only 25% of their yearly common tournaments. Why do you think it is so lop-sided in favor of nadal in both cases? why is it similar in other rivalries too, in tennis history?

March 19th, 2013 at 4:34 am

It’s amazing but not really surprising atleast for me that Nadal is in such a position. Though many people were cynical or pessimistic about him, I believed Rafa is going to be better whenever he returns. This break might have prolonged his career may be by 2 years, but just a hunch. We never know.

But being a tennis fan, last 4 years has been such a phenomenal one starting 2010. It’s been Nadal, Novak taking control in 2010 and 2011 just by their sheer brilliance.

Then it’s was Roger’s achievements in 2012, probably the best of last 5 years getting back to No 1 and winning Wimby. Now the beginning of another great year from Nadal and Novak.

What a privilege to be following tennis at these times.

March 19th, 2013 at 5:02 am

For anyone who truly doesn’t know Rafa I highly recommend reading his book, believe me you will never look at this wonderful person the same!!! Vamos Rafa, you are a true Champion!!

March 19th, 2013 at 11:55 am

Great stats and great comments here.

About Rafa’s attacking tennis, I had heard that he used to play like that when he was younger and for some reason he played more defense at the beginning of his career. Now he knows he cannot play hours and has to finish the points earlier. I too, hope he sticks to this strategy.

About come backs, all credit to Toni, for not letting Rafa come back at the AO. Now he has played only one tournament on “soft” hard courts and has a fantastic result that can carry him with positive momentum to the clay season. I also have to mention that Rafa has always came back strong. In 2006 he beat Federer in Dubai right after his come back. And this was “the Federer”. To me it was not a big surprise to see Rafa play so well. He loves tennis so much and is so motivated and so focused.

All credit to Delpo. I think he is getting close to make the top ” a fab 5″. He is strong and his forehand is huge. He is coming to the net. I don’t think he will replace Murray but he will be in top 5 very soon and away from the pack.

Lastly about Djoko, I would never dismiss him. Djoko has matured and his game has evolved. His match-up with Delpo is perhaps in Delpo’s favor with that flat forehand, but against Rafa, he can diffuse RAfa’s topspin forehand and also his backhand. I always thought that he is the main player to beat on clay and hard courts for Rafa.

March 19th, 2013 at 2:28 pm

Nadal’s comeback is a stuff for legends.Nadal is a phenomenon .If not for injuries he would have had more than 11 slams by now.I hope that tennis will be fortunate in him being able to be healthy and play at the highest level for at least next 3-5 years.

March 19th, 2013 at 5:15 pm

Paradox as a fellow Rafa fan i agree with you in that its fantastic to see Rafa playing again,and also playing some atractive,atacking,positive tennis,and looking so happy is an inspiration,however to say he would have won this,that or the other if not for injuries is all speculation and irrelevant,you have what you have,and what he has is 11 GS,and thats a fantastic achievement,and you should be delighted with that.

March 19th, 2013 at 5:42 pm

Fantastic achievement!
Now tell me how is Nadal a “one surface player” with these numbers:
Win %
AO 83.33
FO 98.11
Wimby 85.71 (made 5 finals in 8 apperances)
USO 80.95

How many players have such win percentages?
The only one of the 4 guys with better numbers is Roger.
I’m just glad to enjoy these times when we can see these two guys. Both Nadal and Federer have made me enjoy tennis again.

March 19th, 2013 at 8:18 pm

Lovetennis fantastic post and nice stats thankyou,i really enjoy posts like these,no emotional bias for or against any one particular player,just a genuine fan speaking about the love of the game,whats refreshing also to see is no nasty or sarcasitic name calling about other peoples posts or other peoples favorite players either,please stick around.

March 20th, 2013 at 2:51 am

There are a lot of fair weather Rafa fans here,

March 20th, 2013 at 6:25 am

^^Oh, oh, @rafaeli, you don’t want your name struck off Fedfans’ Christmas card list, do you? Oops, sorry, just realised you never was on it so may not really care!!

Never mind, love, you have company, I’m not on it either……

*sobs quietly into Rafa IW win afterglow*

March 20th, 2013 at 8:07 am

IF (Rudyard Kipling):

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build’em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

AMEN.

March 20th, 2013 at 8:18 am

^^^ My favourite!!

March 20th, 2013 at 8:32 am

I shall seriously question the point of my existence the day I go on the Fedfans Christmas card list.

March 20th, 2013 at 9:43 am