Q. You have now played Roger twice this season, and so many times in the past. Does he seem this year to you, from how he’s played in those two matches, more relaxed than he was in the past on court?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don’t know. In Australia was a very close match. I had good chances to win. Today, not. Today he played better than me. I didn’t play my best match, and he played well.
These kind of matches, when you’re not playing your match, is impossible to win.
Q. The way he’s hitting his backhand, and you sort of changing your serving variation a bit, has that changed the way you two match up?
RAFAEL NADAL: The way what?
Q. The way you two match up. The way he’s hitting his backhand and you changing your serving patterns a little bit, has that changed the matchup?
RAFAEL NADAL: No. I think was always that he returned well. But at the same time, it was obvious that I didn’t have the right answer for his returns, no? I needed to neutralize the points. I needed to neutralize his two first balls, and I didn’t.
So then playing two shots, he’s better than me today. And five years ago, ten years ago, always was better than me, no?
I was a little bit better than him in general when I neutralized the first two shots, and then I can manage it a little bit better the point, no?
So I was not enough good tonight to make that happen, and he deserved the victory, for sure. Very easy.
Q. On this court with high bounce it would be an advantage for you. Were you surprised the court wasn’t helping your game more than with this?
RAFAEL NADAL: Is always the same. You need to play well.
The court or doesn’t matter the surface. You need to play your best if you want to have chances to win, and I did not play my best. It’s obvious that I have to congratulate him because he played a great match.
But I have to think from my side, and I think I can do it much better, and I think I gonna do it much better next time.
Q. Do you see a certain difference the way Roger plays against you on the backhand side since he has a bigger racquet, racquet size?
RAFAEL NADAL: You have to speak to him. I don’t know about his racquet. I don’t know about these things.
He’s always played well, very aggressive, and his backhand was enough good to win the match.
But at the same time it’s obvious, as I said before, no, I need to hit longer and I need to hit higher, longer to create him problems, no?
I was not able to do that, and then he was advantage. The main thing he take the break in the first game, and I had break point in the next game and come back and he had a good serve.
When Roger have advantage, his serve is so good, he has a lot of confidence with his serve, he’s able to play much more relaxed, no?
Worst thing in that match for me was from the beginning I was in disadvantage breaking the first game of the match, and then breaking the second game of the second set. So that’s so difficult to play against Roger this way.
Q. ITF is debating changing Davis Cup to best of three-set matches instead of best of five. Would that make it easier for you and other top players to play Davis Cup?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don’t want to talk about that today. Sorry. Sorry. No, no. I spoke about that earlier. Maybe you were not here, but I spoke for a long answer of that question, so you can check it.
As I said the other day, it was not right the way that the people write it, I think was not right. I said the good thing is the new start, the new president, is trying to do changes, and that’s always going to be good. I don’t know if the changes are the right ones or not, but any change will be good, because it’s always that with the old format things were not going enough well for Davis Cup.
But there is issues that can be better.
Q. With Roger getting the early first breaks, how did that affect your mentality with respect to going for more on your serves today?
RAFAEL NADAL: Repeat? Sorry.
Q. Roger getting the early breaks and you’ve been working to increase the velocity of your serves this week, we have been seeing success with that, but having that pressure of him already being up a break, how did that affect you mentally in deciding to go for more?
RAFAEL NADAL: Not mentally. But it’s about tennis. It’s about the mental part in this case. No, I was there. I was fighting. I was trying to find solutions. I tried to serve quicker. I tried to serve changing more directions, and I was trying to return inside and in the back.
Was not today. That’s all.
Q. After a loss like this, do you go over it, do you think about it for a long time, or are you able to quickly put it behind you?
RAFAEL NADAL: No. A lot of years here. When you feel that you are playing bad or you are in a bad moment, maybe stays a little bit longer in your mind. Is not my case, no?
I started great the season, playing great tennis, winning a lot of matches, playing good tennis.
Today I didn’t play my best, but I am really confident I gonna play well in Miami this week.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
I haven’t received a Rafa report to fans in owner a week. Have I been cut from this for some reason.?
What were the last two posts you received?
RAFA ROCKS
@Margo 6:18 PM: I think this FedExpress will go on for about a year before the toll of age starts kicking in again. His 7 month off is actually a blessing in disguise.
He was able to rest well, revolutionize his BH with the new racquet, renew his love and fire with tennis, be inspired by Rafa to make a fantastic comeback (he said it himself) and most importantly, he admitted he then had a new persepective.
I’ve read and watched a lot of his interviews and he seems to be more at peace with himself while also just breaks free!
Here is what he’s recently said about his new BH and attitude:
“I think the backhand has gotten better because I have been able to put in so many hours with the [new] racquet now,” Federer said of his more aggressive approach off the backhand. “Really, since this year I feel super comfortable with the racquet, and I think I have also gained confidence stepping into it.
“I think all my coaches throughout my career have told me to go more for the backhand, but I used to shank more. So maybe deep down I didn’t always believe that I had it in the most important moments. But I think that’s changing little by little, which I’m very happy about.”
http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/federer-nadal-indian-wells-2017-wednesday
I have to admit contrary to popular opinion, I had a bad feeling abt the new Rafa-Fed matchup at the AO, even matches before the final. I also don’t think Rafa lost at IW because he had a “bad day” as some people here think. He had a bad day because Fed made it so. That’s why I was really emotional and nervous before the rematch and so sad afterwards while many people were confident Rafa would take the match in straight.
As great as Fed is, he’s still quite lucky though as he reemerges just when Djokovic has started to decline, probably so has Andy and Rafa while playing relatively better is still in the process of refinding himeself and regaining confidence. The new generation has some great talents but none of them has peaked just yet.
This FedExpress is dangerous. He said it himself that nobody wanted to play confident players, and now his confidence must be through the sky! But I guess now Rafa is also even more motivated, so let’s see how things will unfold. Fingers crossed that Moya will do some magic and Rafa is always healthy and more confident (and maybe a little bit less “stubborn”). With great help from Moya, I believe he can resolve this new “problem” as long as he’s just that.
Good luck and VAMOS, Rafa! 🍀🍀🎾🎾🏆🏆
(Sorry for the “essay”. :p)
Roger got pretty lucky at IW though. I’m not sure that he could have beaten Nick, the way Nick had been playing (and seems to be up for the big matches).
@Vy, it was a very good read with substance.
When Rafa withdrew from the tour I felt something was up and that Rafa would have a surprise for everyone in 2017. I feel the best is yet to come.
RAFA ROCKS
Yes Margo you are right about the scoreboard. I look up live tennis scores, flashing results… They change every day at midnight to post the games all over the world. They also post cancellations, walk over’s etc.! Also when the game is not televised you can watch the scoreboard & scream at that instead of the television! I’m going to take a break from watching Rafa for a while… I take it too personally and it makes me too sad when he loses. I am quite a coward when it comes to our boy… I don’t want him to lose.. Especially to Roger!
PS…VAMOS RAFA !
Hey Sioux, you’re not alone. But let’s have more faith in Rafa. “Suffer” now but it will be more rewarding if he comes through this Fed problem (yeah I like him but I’m having some problem with the level of Fed worship right now).
Cheers! 🙂
Vy… yes you are right I should have more faith in Rafa! It’s just that I wear myself out screaming at the television trying to coach him! I can’t understand why he plays so far behind the baseline? Honestly I think it was a bad day at the office for Rafa.. I don’t dislike Roger just sick of him,I thought he would retire soon but here we go again with the fedexpress! (Hope not) !
Sioux, you will be sadly missed if you take a break from watching Rafa for a while and we don’t see any of your posts.
I know how you feel when he loses. My heart breaks for him because he tries so hard. But if he can remain optomistic then we must try to be the same.
The main thing is he says he is enjoying playing tennis this year and he looks happy in most photos, unless he is walking off the court just after a defeat. But even then he seems to bounce back and see the bright side before long.
I agree with you that I don’t like to see him lose to Fed. I know Fed lost to him so many, many times in the past so I guess it is understandable that he is so proud of himself having the utter hand now. But sometimes when he sings Rafa’s praises I wonder if he is just being a little petronising.?? Or am I just being super sensitive on Rafa’s behalf ?
In any case Sioux, hopefully you won’ be away from us for too long, or maybe you might even change your mind about it?
Spelng erroi , or rather typing. error. Patronising, not petronising.
Typing error. ::.::”” Upper hand ” not “utter”.
That is so sweet Beverley… Thank you very much! I was so sad that Rafa lost to Roger… I just felt it would be good to take a break! However if I know that Rafa is playing and it’s being televised trust me I will not be able to stay away! I was reading those posts from that Susana who was twisting our admiration and devotion for Rafa into a romantic love… what a perverted sick mind! Yes Rafa is very handsome…but his boyish good looks are only a small portion of the whole package… Rafa has so many attributes that I could list but will not waste time on her… Let her think what she wants… we all know the reason we are such passionate fans of Rafa’s …Anyway Beverley I was going to jump in and protect you however I saw that you defended yourself quite well without my help! Anyway I get put under mediation all the time so better for me to be quiet! You take good care Beverley and I promise that I will post here and there! VAMOS RAFA for Miami!
Scoreboard, for years, has been my go-to reference for all tennis tournaments. Dependable, accurate and timely. So happy you like it. I also noted that other fans are using it too.
RAFA ROCKS
Margo, I use Tennisearth Live Scoring. The same sort of thing. Very reliable and scores right as they happen. Then there are videos of the matches within a few hours – sometimes only highlights and sometimes the full match.
It’s the only thing to do when TV tennis coverage is so rare, as it is here except for the month of January when we have several tournaments leading up to the AO.
Beverley, thanks soooo much. I will certainly add Tennisearth Live scoring to my arsenal. The videos, etc., I have also used.
There is also The Guardian live scoring with commentary. The scoring does lapse so I use it just for commentary. I know they do it for the slams but not sure about the masters, the 500’s, or the 250’s.
Rafa can be assured that his fans will follow him through thick and thin. LOL
RAFA ROCKS
Sioux, I forbid you to leave Beverley and me stranded.
RAFA ROCKS
Looking forward to a potential 4th round rematch between Rara and Dimitrov. I want to see how the “new” Dimitrov will play the “new” Fed but I also I think Rafa needs this. If he can keep up his level at AO17 he can make it to the final with some hard work.
As for FedExpress, he might play Kyrgios/Warinka/A.Zverev in the SF. A 3rd round match against Del Potro might be tricky but with his current momentum and the sad fact that Potro has almost no BH now, an upset is very unlikely. Both Kyrgios and Zverev have the ability to beat Fed on hard court but before that they might have their rematch in the QF, which will be interesting as this seems to be the very beginning of the rivalry between two contenders for the top spot of the game.
*Rafa*
Sorry for the typo.
Del Potro may have a shot at Roger in the third round. Juan Martin last beat Federer in 2013 on his home turf, at Basel.
RAFA ROCKS
As much as I want Del Potro to beat Fed or go deeper at tournaments in general as he really needs some points now so he doesn’t have to play the like of Novak or Fed at early rounds, I don’t think he has a shot now. The way Fed is playing and the way his (Del Potro) BH is now, plus he seems to haven’t really recovered from his injuries yet, it’s just really unlucky for him. Hope he’ll has a better draw next time.
Vy, you are correct on many counts. I’m just not ready to say DelPo can’t.
As for his injuries, he said he was taking time off just as a precaution, not because of any specific ailment. I am inclined to take him at his word.
And Roger can’t keep stealing trophies from Rafa and others. (Tongue-in-cheek…LOL) Can he?
And now, everyone will be gunning for Roger. Hopefully, they will make his head spin so much that he won’t know whether he’s coming or going. (giggles)
RAFA ROCKS
Rafa has been busy and has taken a break from his Miami Open preps for the opening night of his and Enrique Igleslas new restaurant TATEL Miami on Miami beach ,( their second restaurant together , first one TATEL in Madrid) It opened yesterday for celebrities and will open tonight to the public . The restaurant brings Spanish cuisine and culture to Miami. God Rafa is a busy boy. ( Can be seen on YouTube).
🙂 Thanks for the update (though I already read it). But what’s the deal with all the dislikes even with the most positive comments or neutral ones?
Get a grip, whoever you are. If you’re not a Rafa fan why waste your time and mind and feeling here? Do sth on your favourite player’s site. But remember whoever that player is, he/she surely respects Rafa AND his fans.
(Let’s see how many dislikes this comment will get. 😈)
Well said Vy 😊👍🏻 I’ve been wondering exactely the same ’bout those misplaced dislikes… 🤔😠
VAMOS RAFA & GOOD LUCK!! ❤️🍀
I also have been wondering about the dislikes. They don’t make sense when positive comments get marked down. The only reason I can find is the same as you are thinking – that someone who is not a fan of Rafa’s is involved.
I cant’ understand why being a fan of one player means you need to interfere with the site, and comments, of fans of another.
This does nothing for your favourite player at all and I am sure he would not approve of your doing this.
Thanks all for respons on my question 😃👍🏻
Can’t wait seeing Rafa on court again 😍🤗
VAMOS Champ and all the best of luck in Miami!! 🎾💪🏼🍀❤️😘
I hope all is well with the administrators of RafaelNadalFans. Quite unusual to not have posted the draw or Rafa’s potential road to the final.
Yes, quite some time since we have heard any news from RNF…? 🤔🎾