ARTICLES:
- Rafael Nadal will assess performance in Basel before looking at London (via The Guardian)
Rafael Nadal will see how he copes with next week’s Swiss Indoors tournament in Basel before deciding whether to play in the season-ending ATP Tour Finals in London. Nadal has been suffering with appendicitis, prompting a radio station in his native Spain to state that he would skip London next month to have surgery. That was dismissed on Wednesday by his spokesperson Benito Pérez-Barbadillo. “Rafa Nadal will play Basel this upcoming week and, depending on how he feels and the advice from his doctors, will decide after the tournament on his schedule,” he said.
- Nadal se examina en Basilea (via El Pais)
Si se opera de la inflamación que tanto dolor le causó en el Masters 1.000 de Shanghái es altamente improbable que el mallorquín acuda a la Copa de Maestros (desde el 9 de noviembre), ya que tendría cita con el cirujano en fechas próximas al Masters 1.000 de París-Bercy (desde el 27 de octubre). “Rafa juega Basilea y en base a su estado y a lo que digan los médicos decidirá si continua jugando los siguientes dos torneos”, resumieron fuentes del equipo del tenista, que ha seguido un agresivo tratamiento con antibióticos que le ha dejado con las defensas bajas. La prioridad de Nadal, quien tras consultar con sus médicos ya ha protagonizado un par de entrenamientos en Manacor (Mallorca), es 2015.
- Super Monday with Nadal and Wawrinka (via swissindoorsbasel.ch)
Paul Anka, Canada’s singing icon, will be performing on Super Monday (5.30 p.m.), and tickets are still available. Rafael Nadal, nine-time champion of Roland Garros, will then open the tournament, followed by Stan Wawrinka.
- Rafa drops first contest to The World, plots comeback (via pokerstarsblog.com)
He rallied and got close, but in the end, Rafa dropped his first match to The World 22 to 28. “Congratulations. You beat me,” he said. “I’m going to practice more for the next time.” The next time, Rafa won’t be facing The World. He’ll be heads-up against Brazilian football legend, Ronaldo. The two legends head to London on November 6th.
- Rafael Nadal readies for Ronaldo poker ‘duel’ – with some Q&A on the side! (via The Sport Review)
Q. One part of your game you wish you could improve? Rafa: “The serve. It is a very important part and can make a big impact. Playing with a serve like mine, you have to play a long time, and under a lot of pressure. I have tried my whole career, but you have some things that are more natural and some more difficult, and serving was a bit tough for me. I think it has improved, but…” Q. Who would you pay to watch play? Rafa: “Federer against Djokovic… Yes, I did see them in Shanghai: Roger was playing really well.”
- Musical Strokes (via Tennis Tuesday)
Rafael Nadal holds holds nothing back by getting down and dirty with Shakira for her intimate “Gypsy” video. The best part, or one of them, is when a shirtless Rafa leans back in his chair to simply watch his gypsy dance.
VIDEOS:
VAMOS Rafa.
Rafa says the one part of his game that most needs improvement is his serve. If he truly feels that way, then why the heck did he stop using the abbreviated motion serve that Oscar Borras taught him in 2010? The serve that helped him complete the career slam by winning the US Open that year. He was averaging 125 mph first serves in that tournament, about 10 mph faster than it was before or since. Inexplicably, he soon abandoned that service motion and returned to his old elongated motion, which he still uses to this day. The only explanation he provided was that the Borras serve “didn’t suit his style of play” – even though it worked so well for him at the Open. I still can’t figure that one out. But that’s our Rafa. So many idiosyncrasies, so many enigmas, so many quirks. I guess that’s why we love him so much. VAMOS!!!