It was a busy day for Rafael Nadal in Cincinnati as he had to play two matches in one day. Unfortunately, not the outcome we were expecting!
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Good luck Rafa. Give it your best is all we can ask. The USO is coming up soon, so relax chill out and go for it!!!!! Vamos
Some good news to lift some “depressed” Rafa fans’ mood (kidding :p).
The USO court and ball will play much slower this year according to Brad Gilbert and Jim Courier:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DGklUebU0AATL96.jpg
Don’t know if the bounce will favour Rafa as much as it did in the past. In the past Rafa said the conditions at the USO was perfect for his game but with his current form a slow down court might be just what he needs. 🙂
Thanks Rainier. This confirms the data I saw that the Australian is actually playing fast (over 40 and is not a medium fast court (although in the data I have it is shown as even faster). This is worrying because the hard courts are supposed to be the ‘demographic courts’ (suit both types of player). The players said the AO court was faster this year and the tournament director said it was simply that the surface was new (or words to that effect). I’ve learnt that it is easy to speed a court up when it is newly surfaced simply by requesting added material to make it smoother. It would be extremely naïve to think bias’ don’t exist in tennis and that a court surface would not be deliberately manipulated.
Team Nadal needs to be there mentally and physically. Two matches in one day
considering the season he has played? Scheduling needs to be studied-injuries
among players, whether experienced or not, are mounting. Top players barely have a breather between tournaments😦Expect to see players cut back on
tournaments to avoid injury.
A tough loss again ! Was it mental or physical ?
Because I just saw him throwing his bottles whereas he always contains his anger !
He needs to be back at his level asap bc Roger will be !!! Any news about the presence of Moya during USO ?
Yep, Lily, Moya will be there for Rafa at the USO. It wasn’t really in the contract. This year Moya was supposed to accompany Rafa to the AO, Acapulco, Miami, MC, Madrid and RG only; the rest of the season to be decided later. No Wimby as we all know it. And now a yes for USO. Hopefully WTF too and one of the last 2 Masters left.
The US and three remaining masters: Shanghai, Paris and London are the fastest courts on the tour. Rafa is going to be greatly disadvantaged. Hard courts are supposed to be the ‘demographic’ courts between fast and slow or clay and grass. Hawkeye data this year showed the Australian Open at 45.9 which is category 5 fast (it has previously been listed as category 4 medium-fast). Basically 3 of the four slams suit the serve/volley player.
The US is not the fastest at all. AO is the fastest now, Cincy and Shanghai after that.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DHYI1yXXsAQuvCO.jpg
Not sure if this link will work so 2016/17:
Cinci 35.1, Shanghai 44.1, Paris, 39.1, London 40.6.
The US and AO were both traditionally categorised as medium-fast. New data from Hawkeye this year shows AO was fast 45.9. Court Pace Index that comes directly from Hawkeye data is said to be a truer representation of the speed of the court that year at each tournament. It will be interesting to see the data for the US this year.
But let’s not split hairs – the point is they are all fast.
Sigues siendo el mejor el resultado de ayer no significa nada, tuviste un dia muy agitado dos maches en un mismo dia no esta bien, Vamos mi Rafa muchisima suerte para el U.S.Open
Pls pls pls Rafa get yourself a proper coach who can invest 100% of his time on your carreer and who will not drop you without a parachute. Certainly there must be people in the tennis world who would love to help you achieve your aims.
Good luck for the U.S. Open. Remember the times you won tournaments against all odds.
WAMOS WAMOS WAMOS
Some people are so critical. Rafa also had the terrorist issues to deal with as well. He is such a great player give him a break. He is always gracious win or loose. Unlike other players. Becoming no. 1 again is fantastic. Keep it going Rafa. (At least he doesn’t fake injuries when he’s loosing).
Well said Joanne you are correce, What a great Champion Rafa Nadal. Vamoooooooooooooooos Rafa..
To cheer us up here are two Rafa stats. One, he is one of only 3 men to have won grand slams in their teens, twenties and thirties and two, the length of time between his first being number 1 and his current stint at number 1 is longer than any other male player. Such longevity. I am so proud and happy to be a Rafa fan and, like him, am in it for the long haul, win or lose.
Absolutely
Let me continue this chain of positive and truthful thoughts Totally agree with all your comments, Joanne, Clarceybrown, and Leigh. Absolutely! Also proud and happy to be a fan of Rafa, win or lose. No one can walk or run in his sneakers. Only Rafa.
Yes, in the bigger picture Rafa is an incredible champion and undoubtably one of of the two greatest of all time.
It’s nice you posted that in the aftermath of what happened last night.
But still, last night was just terrible and hard to understand, how or why he played so terribly.
Somehow it’s worse as a new #1. I think that’s myabe the “why.” Also worse against Nick. Better he should have lost to anyone else (except Fed.)
Agreed, Rafalite, minus the part about Nick.
Your comment just made me remember about Rafa’s presser after his match against Nick at Madrid. He said a win like that against an opponent like Nick was not “normal”.
Again I thought he was “respecting his opponent too much”. That win was routine because Rafa is the undisputed clay goat himself (though he would never admit it). He’s in good form. It’s clay. Nick can’t dominate with his serve like he can on hard and grass. Also he was having some issue with his hip, and didn’t take that match too seriously by his own admission. All that and our Rafa was still thinking that win was not “normal”. 🙁
With that mindset and all that have happened in the grass season and NA hard court swing and probably the pressure of soon becoming the new no1, I guess Rafa was overthinking and psyching himself too much again like many others have suggested. The loss was understandable. The way he lost is something else. Maybe I’ll try to watch the match again before the USO starts in addition to my usual “ritual” of watching Rafa’s old, relevant matches before a main tourney.
Rafalite, I agree that playing this tournament as a new number 1 probably made Rafa over anxious to win. He said something to the that affect in interview after his loss when he said he needed to prove why he was number 1. They may not be his exact words – his accent does not make everything easy to unferstand- but they conveyed that meaning. That’s understandable because all the haters will come out and say he lost in the quarter finals and yet the next day he is number 1.
Rafa has his pride . He said in his own words that he played badly. But he wants to remember that in 2017 his points were better than anyone else’s and he is number 1 in the race to London,regardless of his results in Montreal or Cincinnati.
I hope this loss does not affect his performance in the US Open. He evidently took it very hard as he was seen wiping his eyes several times in the interview.
Yes, as you said “sometimes it’s worse as a new number 1.”
Let us also remember that he has fought back to number 1 four times against injuries and resultant confidence issues over the past few years.
That is the mark of a champion and a testament to his fighting spirit.
Je pense aussi que rafa avait l esprit torturé ce moment là en rapport avec les attentats sur le sol espagnol qd on sait l amour que rafa porte à son pays entr’autre💙💚💛💜
Rafa, put this nightmare of a match behind you. You were not at your best in both matches. The key is to relax your mind and body (easier said than done I know). Your arm is too tense, so your forehand and serve have gone walkoubout!
You have won everything in the sport and you are looking for more. I understand, but don’t play with so much desperation and tension. Even your coach Carlos Moyà said it’s difficult to get you off the practice court when clearly you’ve practiced enough for the day. I wish you could play with more freedom like the Rafa of 2013, but now towards the tail end of your career that may be a tall order, Meditation or relaxation therapy may help you.
No excuses… but I think Rafa is a creature of habit. He likes things just so. And when events don’t go according to the plan, I think it throws his whole head off. That may be why he seemed unsettled against ARV and definitely against Nick. His plan was to play a match on Thursday and another on Friday… 2 matches in one day probably messed with his head and that was that!
But USO is happy hunting grounds for Rafa, and the old magic should be back for us all to smile about.
Meanwhile, as you say Lorna, he does need some relaxation therapy to calm those nerves. Get it done Rafa!
on ward and up ward into the us open,sorry you had to play twice a bit unfair l thought you did your best as you always do,vamos rafa by for now,well done for your win over your fellow country man.
I AM SIRPRISED *MOIG” ALLOWED RAFA TO PLAY 2 MATCHES ON 1 DAY.
REALY CROSS WITH SUCH STUPID PLAN,WHY , DO YOU NOT THINK RAFA WORKS HARD ENOUGH FOR YOUR MONEY,?????
RAFA , ALSO SHOULD HAVE SIAD NO!!!!!!!!!
SORRY TO SEE, VERY SAD FOR RAFA BUT NOW REST AND BE READY
Rafa keeps winding himself up again and again. No idea of when to stop. Thinking ‘I might win the next one’. He’s learnt nothing from the longer off season – doesn’t know when his body and mind are depleted. The hall mark of an addict, ‘if I keep up the same behaviour I will get my reward the end’. In the meantime wise Roger is resting and probably preparing on a surface identical to the US. Rafa will be f——d for the US by his own doing.
You are right. Rafa seems only able to optimally prepare for RG. The rest of the season he seems clueless these days and not in control.
Wise Roger? Roger is injured, so not playing. That’s not a choice.
“The Hall mark of an addict?” Who appointed you Rafa’s psychiatrist? Your comments are insulting to Rafa and ridiculous.
Rafalite, I thought Fed was injured in the Montreal final and maybe the whole week, but from various sources, public and unpublic, it turned out he wasn’t. He said it himself right after the Montreal final that he was feeling a bit stiff at his back after a certain point in the 2nd set because he was playing the first hard court tourney after several weeks off and it’s only mild. So now I admit Zverve was actually outplaying him.
He also said he was still flying to Cincinnati that night and gonna give himself a couple of days to see if he would still play there, meaning it’s not serious, he still could play. He’s been practising well since then and skipping Cincinnati might turn out to be a very wise decision for him. Having plenty of rest and more time for preparation. Minimising the risk of another loss in case he can’t play himself into form just in time to win the title. Keeping the “aura” as “intact” as possible, etc. Cincinnati means nothing to him compared to a good run or a win at the USO, where he’s till the main favourite.
Take rest, work hard – as always – and than go for it at the US-Open. You can do it! Vamos Rafa <3