Kooyong director: "Nadal's a possibility and that'd be something special for us"

RAFA2005RG

Banned
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/kooyong-tournament-chasing-one-top-four-063522832--ten.html

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Injured world number four Rafa Nadal is on a hit list to fill out the field for the Kooyong Classic tennis tournament, organizers said on Tuesday, as the exhibition event seeks to fight off lucrative Middle East competitors.

"We're in touch with the top four," tournament director Colin Stubs told reporters in Melbourne of negotiations to attract Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray or Nadal for the January 9-12 event.

"Nadal's a possibility and that'd be something special for us because he's never played here."

Stubs left open the final spot in the invitational eight-man field, as he announced on Tuesday that Janko Tipsarevic, Juan Monaco and Milos Raonic will join 2009 U.S. Open winner Juan Martin del Potro, former world number one Lleyton Hewitt, Kei Nishikori and Marcos Baghdatis for the tournament.

The event has traditionally attracted a high quality field as it guarantees players three competitive matches on the same surface used at the Australian Open at Melbourne Park the following week.

World number two Federer was a regular visitor to the club in the leafy suburb close to the central city, but in recent years had preferred to build up for the Australian Open at events in the Middle East.

Nadal, an 11-time grand slam winner, has been out of action since June with a knee injury, but is hopeful of being back for the Australian Open and could be desperate for matches ahead of the season-opening grand slam.

Djokovic, who clinched the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London on Monday, is schedule to play the mixed-team Hopman Cup event in Perth from December 29-Jan 5, while Murray has been confirmed for the Brisbane tournament from December 30-Jan 6.

The Australian Open runs from January 14-27.

(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury in Wellington; Editing by John O'Brien)

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sureshs

Bionic Poster
People are realizing that tennis without Nadal has become a joke and they are desperate to have him back.
 

sureshs

Bionic Poster
That's not what people are realizing.

A 31 year old father reaches the finals of the WTF and is barely beaten by the "#1" in the world. Before that, a guy explains (before a match) why he can never beat the 31 year old father, and then dutifully loses.

Time for Nadal to come back and raise the bar.
 

Totai

Professional
A 31 year old father reaches the finals of the WTF and is barely beaten by the "#1" in the world. Before that, a guy explains (before a match) why he can never beat the 31 year old father, and then dutifully loses.

Time for Nadal to come back and raise the bar.

What was the score when Nadal played Fed at the WTF last year? I seem to have forgotten
 

Mustard

Bionic Poster
Nadal beating Federer 8 times in majors at 3 different venues is the biggest "ssssshhh" :twisted:
 

cknobman

Legend
Nadal losing 7 times in a row to Djokovic (6 being finals, 3 of those finals being grand slams) is an even bigger "sssssssshhhhhhhh":twisted:
 
Federer, the supposed GOAT, crying over like a baby girl in a trophy presentation is an even bigger sssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......:twisted:
 

6-1 6-3 6-0

Banned
Rumor is nadal got manhandled 6-3 6-0 but ssssh!!!!

Since when is losing 6-3 6-0 even remotely comparable to Federer getting absolutely pounded 1-6 3-6 0-6 by Rafael Nadal? I'm glad Nadal gave him that well-deserved beating, particularly because he really sent out a message that Federer is his puppet and that Federer doesn't stand a chance against him in 5 sets. The mental gap was now insurmountable, and Federer winning only 4 games in a grand slam final showed the world that he will never, EVER beat Nadal in a slam again, much less Roland Garros. It's Nadal's payback for the Federer-fan vitriol, and the hearts and souls of Federer fans will ache as it no longer becomes a joke as to whether or not Nadal will pass Federer's slam count. It's all fun and games until Nadal hits 16. And then 17. Reality hits. 18. 19. Suddenly Federer just becomes another talent, like Nastase.

Did their World Tour Finals meeting send out that message? Nope. This was on one of the biggest stages in mens' tennis. A SLAM.

It's not a rivalry. It WASN'T a rivalry. It was, and IS, utter domination.

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RF20Lennon

Legend
Since when is losing 6-3 6-0 even remotely comparable to Federer getting absolutely pounded 1-6 3-6 0-6 by Rafael Nadal? I'm glad Nadal gave him that well-deserved beating, particularly because he really sent out a message that Federer is his puppet and that Federer doesn't stand a chance against him in 5 sets. The mental gap was now insurmountable, and Federer winning only 4 games in a grand slam final showed the world that he will never, EVER beat Nadal in a slam again, much less Roland Garros. It's Nadal's payback for the Federer-fan vitriol, and the hearts and souls of Federer fans will ache as it no longer becomes a joke as to whether or not Nadal will pass Federer's slam count. It's all fun and games until Nadal hits 16. And then 17. Reality hits. 18. 19. Suddenly Federer just becomes another talent, like Nastase.

Did their World Tour Finals meeting send out that message? Nope. This was on one of the biggest stages in mens' tennis. A SLAM.

It's not a rivalry. It WASN'T a rivalry. It was, and IS, utter domination.

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Knew you'd show up precisely why I did it :lol: but hey at least federer won RG looks like Rafa can't even win what you call a "Mickey mouse" tournament
 

Mustard

Bionic Poster
Nadal losing 7 times in a row to Djokovic (6 being finals, 3 of those finals being grand slams) is an even bigger "sssssssshhhhhhhh":twisted:

All 7 were finals. Never mind, Nadal has now won 3 in a row against Djokovic :twisted:

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and all that.
 

Homeboy Hotel

Hall of Fame
Nadal want$ to play Abu Dhabi and Kooyoung?

I wonder why that i$$$?

Probably because when Nadal can play exhibitions and when he loses 6-0 6-0 in January he can laugh it off saying it was only an exhibition?
 

namelessone

Legend
Nadal want$ to play Abu Dhabi and Kooyoung?

I wonder why that i$$$?

Probably because when Nadal can play exhibitions and when he loses 6-0 6-0 in January he can laugh it off saying it was only an exhibition?

Gee, ya think?

IF(a big if) Nadal is ready to go by that time, I don't see what the problem is. He needs some quasi-serious matchplay(I assume that some good players will be there) with little consequence for him and the money couldn't hurt.

The way some of you are talking, you expect him to enter AO without any matches under his belt, and after six months of not playing at pro level.
 
D

Deleted member 307496

Guest
Nadal probably won't even be playing the AO the way things are going. He did say before he didn't care about his ranking, after all.
 
Most of them seem pretty much true for now. :confused:

His knees will give in, his career wont last, his serve is too weak, his volley sucks..seems pretty spot on - kudos to that guy.

Well, at least we don't have to worry about such poster of Federer.

There is no big enough screen or poster, that can accomodate all the dumb predictions from even one *******, no matter how small the letters are.
 

BeGreat

Rookie
He wins Slams, not round-robin Christmas tournaments

that was cold. but true.
people here dismiss the fact that nadal ruined federer. forget his own health issues. doesn't matter. that's his playing style, and his own loss. he beat federer in the final of wimbledon, then in the final of australian open, and has always beaten federer in the french. but somehow, those are flukes. despite nadal's devastating consistency. i realize most of the people here are probably teens and early 20s not 30 year old dinosaurs like me. but, seriously, the general aptitude on this forum from most of the users is seriously low. i'd love to get the SAT 2 math/science scores for some of the posters. the way they interpret data is profoundly poor.
 

sunof tennis

Professional
that was cold. but true.
people here dismiss the fact that nadal ruined federer. forget his own health issues. doesn't matter. that's his playing style, and his own loss. he beat federer in the final of wimbledon, then in the final of australian open, and has always beaten federer in the french. but somehow, those are flukes. despite nadal's devastating consistency. i realize most of the people here are probably teens and early 20s not 30 year old dinosaurs like me. but, seriously, the general aptitude on this forum from most of the users is seriously low. i'd love to get the SAT 2 math/science scores for some of the posters. the way they interpret data is profoundly poor.

With all due respect to what I am sure are your very high Math and Science scores, I am not sure what the point of your post is given your writing style. I don't think anyone would say that Nadal beating Federer, especially on clay or other slow courts, is a fluke. Obviously, Nadal is a very bad match up for Federer which is exacerbated on slow courts. You quote with glee the previous poster who noted that Nadal "only wins slams...", but neglect to point out that Federer has won 6 more slams than Nadal.
Again, not sure what you point is. If it was to point out the alleged superiority of Nadal over Federer, I am afraid you failed.
 

Candide

Hall of Fame
Hope he comes. It's just down the road and I play club games there every year. Would be fun to see him bottle wrangling and snarling in my backyard.
 

Candide

Hall of Fame
that was cold. but true.
people here dismiss the fact that nadal ruined federer. forget his own health issues. doesn't matter. that's his playing style, and his own loss. he beat federer in the final of wimbledon, then in the final of australian open, and has always beaten federer in the french. but somehow, those are flukes. despite nadal's devastating consistency. i realize most of the people here are probably teens and early 20s not 30 year old dinosaurs like me. but, seriously, the general aptitude on this forum from most of the users is seriously low. i'd love to get the SAT 2 math/science scores for some of the posters. the way they interpret data is profoundly poor.

Not so. If Nadal was a better hard court player he'd have met Federer many more times in other GS finals but because he's not he just doesn't make it that far. Ironically his weakness is interpreted as a strength by the true believers here who hold on to the illusory grail of "H2H" stats as proof of divine intervention rather than a quirk of statistical probability. I did quite well in school by the way.
 

Mustard

Bionic Poster
Not so. If Nadal was a better hard court player he'd have met Federer many more times in other GS finals but because he's not he just doesn't make it that far. Ironically his weakness is interpreted as a strength by the true believers here who hold on to the illusory grail of "H2H" stats as proof of divine intervention rather than a quirk of statistical probability. I did quite well in school by the way.

Nadal beat Federer in this year's Australian Open. Federer blew match points against Djokovic to face Nadal in both the 2010 and 2011 US Opens. Recently, it's been Federer not getting to the stage to meet Nadal.
 

Gizo

Hall of Fame
During the rebound ace era, the Kooyong Classic was seen by players such as Federer, Agassi, Roddick, Nalbandian and Safin as the best preparation for the Australian Open, instead of playing in one of the lead-up ATP tournaments. The guarantee of 3 matches against quality opposition and being able to set up base in Melbourne for a bit longer must have been attractive to them.

Hewitt always felt he should be loyal to the smaller Aussie tournaments Adelaide and Sydney (plus Adelaide was his home city tournament where he made his memorable 1998 breakthrough) and would decline invititations to play at Kooyong every year until 2011.

However after the Aussie Open changed surface to plexicushion in 2008, and the money spinning Abu Dhabi exho was set up in 2009, the Kooyong exho has suffered big-time. Nadal playing there next year would give it a huge boost.
 

kishnabe

Talk Tennis Guru
that was cold. but true.
people here dismiss the fact that nadal ruined federer. forget his own health issues. doesn't matter. that's his playing style, and his own loss. he beat federer in the final of wimbledon, then in the final of australian open, and has always beaten federer in the french. but somehow, those are flukes. despite nadal's devastating consistency. i realize most of the people here are probably teens and early 20s not 30 year old dinosaurs like me. but, seriously, the general aptitude on this forum from most of the users is seriously low. i'd love to get the SAT 2 math/science scores for some of the posters. the way they interpret data is profoundly poor.

People have different stengths. My weakness is Mathematics and English. My strengths are Biology, Chemistry(non-math part), Kinesiology( excluding Biomechanics) and Sociology.

There are 6-7 different types of intellgence. Being smart in math will not save you from death. Common sense, and perception will save you from stupid actions.

A guy with Masters of Science went on to threaten women in colleges here in Canada. People did not think he was that kind of person because of his Degree.

SAT scores aren't viable proof to a person intelligence. It just a score to determine your entrance to a University. Plus University teaches you how to read information and process it. It does not make you a better learner and does not teach you how to survive in this world. We have to learn that stuff on our own.


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I agree to why you said that statment. There is a lot of immaturity and dumb statements. Some like me like to do this on purpouse. It is rare to have serious discussion on the general pro player section.

I personally think Nadal made Federer better. He did not ruin Federer....he made Federer more likeable. I would not watch a guy who wins everything without any stiff competition. The fact that Nadal owns him makes me a fan of Federer. Seeing Federer trying to overcome Nadal....is exciting. Nadal wins aren't fluke either, but all his wins barring 2008 FO weren't easy wins. Federer could have turned many the matches to his favor. Just like Nadal could have beaten Federer in 2007 Wimbledon and many of the encouters Federer won barring 2011 WTF.
 
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Candide

Hall of Fame
Nadal beat Federer in this year's Australian Open. Federer blew match points against Djokovic to face Nadal in both the 2010 and 2011 US Opens. Recently, it's been Federer not getting to the stage to meet Nadal.

True dat. But surely you'd expect that at this stage of his career. It's simply amazing that he's still competitive in, and winning, Slams at this stage of his career. I imagine he couldn't give a toss about head to head statistics and such stuff though and is playing on because he's sure he's still got it in him to win big competitions. Things like head to head stats and he level of consistency is certainly heading in only one direction now. That's fine. I'd enjoy watching him as a top 20 swashbuckler only making quarters but still upsetting big names years from now. Statistics are interesting but ultimately boring - poetry is illuminating and heartstopping. That's why we all watch and play isn't it?
 

6-1 6-3 6-0

Banned
Most of them seem pretty much true for now. :confused:

His knees will give in, his career wont last, his serve is too weak, his volley sucks..seems pretty spot on - kudos to that guy.

"His knees will give in": Nope, he's practicing again.

"His career won't last": Nope, he's practicing again and extending his career by playing more clay-court tournaments, less hard-court tournaments, including no 'band-aid solutions'.

"His serve is too weak": Nope, Nadal holds the record (with Roddick) for the fewest service breaks en route to the title, and Nadal only dropped one service game en route to the final at Roland Garros 2012. Nadal has one of the most dominant serves of all time.

"His volley sucks": Ever seen Nadal play at Wimbledon and Roland Garros?
 
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