The draw for the men’s side of the China Open was held today.
Rafael Nadal is the 2nd seed and landed in the bottom half of the draw in Milos Raonic’s half. His first opponent will be Paolo Lorenzi from Italy.
Rafa’s potential route to the final:
- 1st round: Paolo Lorenzi
- 2nd round: Albert Ramos-Vinolas
- Quarter-final: Lucas Pouille
- Semi-final: Milos Raonic
- Final: Andy Murray
Projected quarterfinals:
- Andy Murray vs Roberto Bautista Agut
- Dominic Thiem vs David Ferrer
- Richard Gasquet vs Milos Raonic
- Lucas Pouille vs Rafael Nadal
Rafa won this hard-court tournament, part of the ATP Tour’s late-season Asian swing, as a teenager in 2005 and reached the final in 2013 and 2015.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has been forced to withdraw from China Open due to an elbow injury.
China Open tennis is live from Beijing from 3-9 October.
GOOD LUCK & VAMOS RAFA!
I like your 6-1, 6-1 win Rafa v Lorenzi. I hope you can do the same vs Pouille.
RAFA ROCKS
On her podcast, Catherine Whitaker said she was driving on Lower Richmond Road in Putney when she saw a huge ATP World Tour Finals poster. Usually at this time of year only the first five players are listed, she said, but this poster listed all eight, even though only three are confirmed. She gave the ATP benefit of the doubt saying they must already know who the eight will be. She obviously doesn’t think that Berdych can catch Rafa. I hope she is correct.
Good going Rafa and Carrena-Busta, in straight sets 7(7)-6(3), 6-4. The three other doubles matches all went to three sets. Conserve that energy for the final!
GOOD LUCK RAFA
PEACE & LOVE ALWAYS 💜💚❤💛💙
Rafa, for inspiration keep in mind one of your summer students, Santino Vistan. This 15-year-old extols your work ethic and focus as he saw first-hand how you train at the academy. He said he wants to be like you.
Santino arrived at your academy a Federer fan, but left a Nadal convert. WOW, that says a lot.
You have inspired him to do better. When he returned home to The Philippines, his parents noticed a greater dedication to fitness and conditioning, a sharper focus and attention to discipline, and a meaner forehand. Santino said, “it was as if you had given him the tools to succeed and all he had to do was take advantage of that.” What an astute child and a great ambassador for your academy. I bet he can’t wait to get back to Mallorca next summer.
Santino did make it to the finals for his age group at the academy games but lost to his Spanish roommate. I hope he comes back to you next year to take the trophy.
Praise to you Rafa for inspiring your young students, by example, to be all they can be.
RAFA GAINS ANOTHER FAN
Tomas Berdych is closing the World Tour Race to London gap between himself and Rafa, now only 330 points. Rafa is still not guaranteed the eighth spot.
Rafa is playing Beijing but Tomas is playing Japan: both tournaments are at the 500 level.
Get your game face on Rafa, and let your experience, your fighting spirit, your can do attitude carry you to the winner’s circle. Luck alone won’t get you there. BRING ON THOSE POINTS!
The top seven players in the Emirates ATP Race to London qualify for Barclay’s on November 7, the day after the final tournament of the regular season.
The eighth spot depends on other factors not relevant to this year’s race. So Berdych could supplant Rafa simply by having more points.
RAFA GAINS POINTS
Any idea what these other factors are? I thought is was the top eight strictly on points. I’ll have to look up Berdych’s opponents in Japan when I get back from work. I know he was defending his title in his last match so he’s playing pretty well. Without the 2.5 months out with injury, Rafa would be in it. Sod’s law for me😣.
It usually is the top eight that qualify for Barclay’s but the eighth spot is not decided until the end of the season.
Tomas did defend his Shenzen title last week. That is what got him to within 330 points of Rafa and that is what I was worried about.
Hopefully, Rafa will gain enough points between now and November 7. He is playing singles and doubles at Beijing but I am not taking anything for granted.
For Barclay’s:
1. Top 7 (automatically)
2. The top 2 players ranked between 8 and 20 who have won a grand slam in the current year. (irrelevant this year)
3. Everyone else. (Rafa, Berdych, et Al.)
Correction: It usually is that the top eight……
Cheers Margo. This is the sort of info one can spend ages trying to find! So no SLaM winners outside the the top 8 so it will be on points. Another thing I haven’t taken into consideration is the doubles players at the finals. Thanks again☺
good luck Rafa may your god be with youxxxxxxxxxxxxx
. vamoss
vamos Rafa…always a pleasure to watch you playing….love you!!!!
Rafa all set (excuse the pun,) to go in Beijing.
All the best.
I now have my tickets for the Australian Open, in Melbourne,
so I am looking forward to seeing you there,God willing.
Love and prayers,
AlaineXXSydneyXXAustraliaXX
GOOD LUCK sweet Rafael!!!🍀 Have fun and enjoy the competition you love💟. Win or lose everything you achieve now is a bonus – you have nothing left to prove. The true greatest💪💪🙌👏👊
Best of luckRAFA WIN WIN WIN!!!! MY FAVORITE
Good luck Rafa vamossssssssssss this years is going to be a great for you.love your fans for ever with Rafa🎾🎾🎾❤️❤️❤️🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🎾🎾🎾👍👍👍
Oh shut up margo
Your fans are with you all the way Rafa! Vamos @ Beijing where you won GOLD in 2008!
🙂
VAMOS RAFA . WISHING YOU ALL THE LUCK IN THE WORLD. BUT , ABOVE ALL YOUR HARD WORK WILL PAY OFF.
LOVE YOU RAFA ALWAYS. 💕💗💘❤💔💜💙💓💞💖😘💟💛
Buena suerte mi Rafa, Vamos Rafa
As AWAYS, much luck in Beijing!!~!!! VAMOS RAFA!!!!
I do not have a problem with the comment, but posters need to understand that these articles get amended. The first version I read this morning only mentioned 2013.
Looove your gorgeous smile Rafa 😃 You look so happy 😍❤️😊
All the best of luck in Beijing sweet Rafa 🍀😘
VAMOS 🎾💪
A cakewalk draw! Oh no, wait, Pouille, that is too much these days. Revenge in a tournament that hardly matters compared to a major sounds like a plan.
It matters if he loses.
Has it occurred to you that Rafa does not control the entries, or the draw? How is he supposed to know in advance that Pouille will be playing, or be in his half of the draw, so that he can plan “revenge”. Your dislike of Rafa is clouding your common sense.
I wouldn’t waste my time trying to reason with deliberately snidey, petty comments (they just reflect the personality of the originator). This person could do well with taking lessons from Rafa on how to be a gentleman (I’m resisting saying on how to be man). His attempts to diminish Rafa are futile – he may as well take a pee in the ocean. If it’s attention he craves, getting g a life wouldn’t be a bad idea.
I doubt that this person has any commonsense.
Anyone who follows tennis knows that players do not control the draw, as you have rightly pointed out.
Teresa I agree with your comments also.
In order to gain attention the person concerned is becoming more irrational with each post.
It’s pathetic really. So let’s just ignore it.
Not an easy draw, but Rafa needs to do well here. He was in the finals last year, so he will not gain points unless he wins. I just hope his wrist is better.
Not sure why the article does not mention Rafa’s being in the final last year. It was a terrible loss to Novak who sadly blew him off the court, 6-2, 6-2. Maybe that is the reason. Novak is not playing this year, so it will give a new winner an opportunity here. Novak has owned this tournament, winning it six times.
va4favre Rafa lost to Nole in 2013 too, 6-3, 6-4.
I hope he does better in this year’s tournament.
va4favre: did you not read the article? It says he was in the final in 2015.
No need for snark. He most likely read too fast or just missed 2015. Geezzzz
Good luck and Vamos Rafa <3 <3 <3
Vamos Rafa