Wimbeldon R16: Paul Henri Mathieu vs (2) Rafael Nadal

[MichaelNadal]

Rafa is scary good right now

 

[vortex1]

Mathieu trying to cheat there.

Didn't help one bit. Rafa got angry and hit 2 aces.

 

[vortex1]

Rafa breaks in set 3 - 3-2 on serve.

 

[djokovicgonzalez2010]

Nadal is playing horribly, Mathieu even worse. Low, low quality match

 

[vortex1]

Nadal is playing horribly, Mathieu even worse. Low, low quality match

He doesn't need to play his best against this clown. He has 9 errors and 34 winners, btw. That's not "playing bad"

Edit: Make that 36 winners and 9 errors.

 

[rocket]

was this a 1st-round match?

 

[Starfury]

Mathieu just couldn't leave poor Verdasco be the only one with a 0-10 H2H versus Nadal.

 

[MichaelNadal]

He doesn't need to play his best against this clown. He has 9 errors and 34 winners, btw. That's not "playing bad"

Edit: Make that 36 winners and 9 errors.

He really stepped it up today. Served great too and many aggressive returns.

 

[djokovicgonzalez2010]

He doesn't need to play his best against this clown. He has 9 errors and 34 winners, btw. That's not "playing bad"

Edit: Make that 36 winners and 9 errors.

Ah yes, the renowned accuracy of the winners-UE ratio at slams....

 

[CMM]

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

That's more like it.

 

[MichaelNadal]

Man he always plays great if Shakira is somehow involved. She needs to stay the rest of the tournament!

 

[Deleted member 3771]

Great exhibition match by Nadal.The crowd was thoroughly entertained.

 

[angiebaby]

Rafa looked solid out there today. Good performance and just the steadying of the ship that he needed before the Soderling match, which has been overhyped as usual. No complaints about his performance today.

And Shakira in the stands, nice! She looks great, as always.

 

[newmark401]

Mathieu is such a bad player, the fact that he reached the fourth round at this year's Wimbledon says more about Mikhail Youzhny and the other players Mathieu beat than it does about the Frenchman. Anyway, in his next match Nadal will face a player capable of beating him, namely Robin Soderling.

 

[TheTruth]

He played and looked great out there today!

So nice of Shakira to show up.

 

[TennisFan3]

Nadal was hitting the ball short at several times today. I'm sure he knows he cannot do that against Soderling. Are his knees still bothering him?

 

[Semi-Pro]

Nadal was hitting the ball short at several times today. I'm sure he knows he cannot do that against Soderling. Are his knees still bothering him?

Only if he is losing.

 

[Cesc Fabregas]

Nadal's backhand was simply unbeliveable today. Some great depth, power and angles with it.

 

[newmark401]

Nadal's backhand was simply unbeliveable today. Some great depth, power and angles with it.

Nadal looked very sharp against Paul-Henri Mathieu, but it's difficult to gauge Nadal's true current level because Mathieu is such an abysmal player when it comes to the crunch. The same is not true of Soderling, and even less true of A. Murray, Federer and even the unpredictable Djokovic. So I'm going to wait and see before pronouncing on Nadal's form.

 

[Pseudonym]

This match was such a joke.


This was almost like something you see in 1st round matches.

 

[Mustard]

Nadal stepped it up a level today. He played excellent tennis. He'll need to keep it up against Soderling.

 

[norbac]

If you subtract all the sets that Nadal won, Mathieu won just as many sets today.

 

[bolo]

best serving day today. Off the ground he was probably better in rounds 2 and 3 but really he didn't have to do that much versus mathieu.

 

[Justdoit10]

Nadal in 4.

 

[Bud]

So, Rafa goes through to the quarters in straight sets... while Soderling struggles through to the quarters in 5 sets...

Very interesting

 

[selesian]

When clearly losing, Mathieu had the audacity to call the trainer for a phantom injury to try and upset Nadal's rhythm -- and just before it was Rafa's turn to serve too. It's a good thing Nadal is professional enough to not allow a three minute break to disrupt his focus.

Man, that Mathieu is a cheater! :lol: