Has Rafa Become a One Dimensional Tennis Pro?

[tennis_pro]

Originally Posted by Crisstti

Yeah, right. I know you wish you could keep saying that without looking completely silly like you did around 2006, but you just can't.

How must all of his wins on grass and hc bother you...

I don't see any links proving me wrong now, do I? Instead you come up with "yeah, right" lol. A vid or it didn't happen. And since I've seen tens of his matches I know it didn't happen. You can talk about Nadal's improvements regarding his results in the other 3 majors and his general success on hard courts/grass courts but how much of it is thanks to these surfaces being way slower than they used to? You think a mere clay courter would be able to win Wimbledon without visiting the net more than a few times during a 4-5 hour match?

Originally Posted by Crisstti

Sure, because he's only been beating him recently, not when Fed was right on his prime...

Oh wait.

At the French Open only. When Federer was in his prime he could only beat him there, if only Nadal bothered to go deeper at the Australian and US Opens where Federer excelled (more than at Wimbledon). Instead he waited for Federer to get old and then started to reach all those finals. Luckily, now he's having a taste of his own medicine. Or at least he will if he bothers to show up on court again.

[tennis_pro]

Originally Posted by PSNELKE

He didn't make it in his mid and late 20s either, so stop looking for excuses.

Last time I checked Federer won 2 Wimbledon finals against Nadal in 2006,2007, the only 2 times they faced each other on non-clay surfaces in majors when Federer was in his prime. If it wasn't for mono that screwed up Federer's 2008, he would probably be sitting on 7 Wimbledon victories in a row. Instead, Nadal took advantage at Wimbledon and then beat a mentally wounded Federer at the AO next year.

That's ancient history, though. Let's see how Rafa has been doing in the last couple of months..

OOPS!

[oneness]

Originally Posted by tennis_pro

Last time I checked Federer won 2 Wimbledon finals against Nadal in 2006,2007, the only 2 times they faced each other on non-clay surfaces in majors when Federer was in his prime. If it wasn't for mono that screwed up Federer's 2008, he would probably be sitting on 7 Wimbledon victories in a row. Instead, Nadal took advantage at Wimbledon and then beat a mentally wounded Federer at the AO next year.

That's ancient history, though. Let's see how Rafa has been doing in the last couple of months..

OOPS!

Fed is great, the greatest player of his era, so I don't care too much to argue about his H2H vs nadal, but why the non clay qualifier. AFAIK clay is and always has been a legitimate surface.

[RAFA2005RG]

Originally Posted by 3fees

Heres an interview from Poker stars on poker and tennis- 6 Dec 2012.

It appears he's all clay court now.

Is it true that you and your team are considering playing more matches on clay in 2013 and, if so, why?

[RN] We’ll see how it all unfolds. At the end of the day, the season you have will determine the results. But yes, we have to try prioritise playing a bit more on clay, insofar as we can within our schedule, which provides little room for manoeuvre. Firstly, it is a less aggressive surface for my body, and secondly because it is a surface in which I have always felt comfortable, as well as getting great results. I love playing on clay.

http://www.nadalnews.com/2012/12/06/...er-and-tennis/

Would you pass up an opportunity to win 10-12 Roland Garros titles? No hardcourt is worth that. I hope he retires from all hardcourt tennis and focuses on his professional golf career (while racking up Roland Garros titles).

[RAFA2005RG]

The reporter who asked that question must be the dumbest reporter in the history of the world. "Why would the lord of clay want to play more clay events?"?

[Sabratha]

Originally Posted by winstonplum

Yes, he's one dimensional. Career slam,two hard court slams, two Wimbledons. Olympic Gold. Jeez. What a one-trick pony.

Some people probably believe he won those out of luck.

[Crisstti]

Originally Posted by tennis_pro

I don't see any links proving me wrong now, do I? Instead you come up with "yeah, right" lol. A vid or it didn't happen. And since I've seen tens of his matches I know it didn't happen. You can talk about Nadal's improvements regarding his results in the other 3 majors and his general success on hard courts/grass courts but how much of it is thanks to these surfaces being way slower than they used to? You think a mere clay courter would be able to win Wimbledon without visiting the net more than a few times during a 4-5 hour match?

At the French Open only. When Federer was in his prime he could only beat him there, if only Nadal bothered to go deeper at the Australian and US Opens where Federer excelled (more than at Wimbledon). Instead he waited for Federer to get old and then started to reach all those finals. Luckily, now he's having a taste of his own medicine. Or at least he will if he bothers to show up on court again.

A video?, his results speak for themselves. Yeah, the courts... I've seen haters like you talking here in 2006 saying how the clay specialist Nadal would be beaten by the first decent grass player in Wimbledon, and then how he'd never win the USO. But of course, once he won them they were suddenly just like clay, lol.

Must have been hard for you.

RAfa is 5 years younger, he reached those finals in HIS prime.

Oh, and Fed was the lucky one that Nadal got too nervous in that 2007 final (not to mention the way the scheduling went).

Originally Posted by Sabratha

Some people probably believe he won those out of luck.

Oh, they do, just look at Tennis_pro here.

[monfed]

Ralph HAS become one-dimensional??

[Gonzalito17]

Nadal is far from one dimensional but his game may have stopped improving.

[merwy]

Lets save the talk for after the australian open. I wonder how he will do there, for some reason I don't see him go out that early.

[YouCantBeSerious]

Rafa has become one dimensional, because every time he plays Fed in a slam final he can only win. It would be nice for him to show some multidimensionality by losing sometimes.

[6-1 6-3 6-0]

If Nadal is one-dimensional, then Federer is zero-dimensional. Federer is to Nadal as a puppy is to its owner.

[Feather]

Originally Posted by Crisstti

A video?, his results speak for themselves. Yeah, the courts... I've seen haters like you talking here in 2006 saying how the clay specialist Nadal would be beaten by the first decent grass player in Wimbledon, and then how he'd never win the USO. But of course, once he won them they were suddenly just like clay, lol.

Must have been hard for you.

RAfa is 5 years younger, he reached those finals in HIS prime.

Oh, and Fed was the lucky one that Nadal got too nervous in that 2007 final (not to mention the way the scheduling went).

.

I don't think that Rafa is one dimensional and I do consider him a great. It's funny when Roger haters talk about luck. The slowing down of grass hurt Roger the most and benefitted Rafa the most in the Roger - Fed rivalry. When the grass is fast in the first week, Rafa is busy playing five setters with nobodies in second or third round. I think 2008 and 2011 are the only two times he cruised without playing five setters in second or third round. And you talk about luck, lolz haters gonna hate only

[beast of mallorca]

Originally Posted by 6-1 6-3 6-0

If Nadal is one-dimensional, then Federer is zero-dimensional. Federer is to Nadal as a puppy is to its owner.

The question is, can that puppy cry ? ..................

[Clarky21]

Originally Posted by Feather

I don't think that Rafa is one dimensional and I do consider him a great. It's funny when Roger haters talk about luck. The slowing down of grass hurt Roger the most and benefitted Rafa the most in the Roger - Fed rivalry. When the grass is fast in the first week, Rafa is busy playing five setters with nobodies in second or third round. I think 2008 and 2011 are the only two times he cruised without playing five setters in second or third round. And you talk about luck, lolz haters gonna hate only

Ridiculous for more than one reason. The grass at Wimby was changed in 2001, and Fed didn't win his first Wimby title until 2003 AFTER the grass had been changed. Nadal won his Wimby titles on THE EXACT SAME GRASS that Fed won his on.


Fed fans seem to have total recall of all things imaginary when it comes to the grass at Wimby since they keep insisting Fed won all of his Wimby titles on the old grass when that is absolutely false. It's also funny how the grass was lightning fast when Fed won Wimby from 2003-2007, and then suddenly turned to clay in 2008, then back to lightning quick in 2009, back to clay in 2010 and then fast again from 2011-2012. I wonder why they think that way? And I wonder which personality the grass will choose to be next year since it's the Jekyll and Hyde of the ATP tour.

[Clay lover]

Originally Posted by tennis_pro

Find me one video of Nadal hitting a proper drive volley (not the pushy ones he plays all the time when his opponent is 10 miles off court) and I'll change mind. He doesn't have any power on his volleys whatsoever, he just hits smart approach shots, that's all there is to it.

Oh, I know what you mean. You mean punch volleys. I thought you meant swinging volleys. Punch volleys, yeah, he doesn't do them very often if at all. Swinging volleys, however, he does do them sometimes (in fact quite often when he was young).

[Clay lover]

I don't think it's right to discredit Nadal even if he IS quite one dimensional. He does it better than anyone else in the world.

Also, Nadal has improved A LOT, and I mean A LOT as his career progresses. His added MPHs to his serve, his forehand got MUCH more aggressive (except when compared to early 2004, when he often went for broke off that wing) and reliable, and his backhand has turned from a liability to an occasional weapon. If he is declining, it's due to his mileage, not his lack of skill.

[tusharlovesrafa]

Originally Posted by 6-1 6-3 6-0

If Nadal is one-dimensional, then Federer is zero-dimensional. Federer is to Nadal as a puppy is to its owner.

LMAO! That analogy made me laugh so hard..

Originally Posted by beast of mallorca

[/b]


The question is, can that puppy cry ? ..................

Ooops! Don't go below the belt,dude.

[Crisstti]

Originally Posted by Feather

I don't think that Rafa is one dimensional and I do consider him a great. It's funny when Roger haters talk about luck. The slowing down of grass hurt Roger the most and benefitted Rafa the most in the Roger - Fed rivalry. When the grass is fast in the first week, Rafa is busy playing five setters with nobodies in second or third round. I think 2008 and 2011 are the only two times he cruised without playing five setters in second or third round. And you talk about luck, lolz haters gonna hate only

What Clarky said about this. Fed has indeed been quite lucky in more than one respect.

And yeah, Nadal did choke in that match.

[abmk]

Originally Posted by Crisstti

And yeah, Nadal did choke in that match.

you mean like when federer hit two unreturnables and one FH winner to save 3 of the 4 BPs in the final set in the 2007 final ? that is a choke ? LOL !

lol, federer went from 4-1 up to 4-6 in the 2nd set in the 2008 final.... now that was a drastic drop in level and where luck was involved ...

the only place where nadal choked in either of the 2 finals was the 4th set TB in 2008 when he was up 5-2 in the breaker ...