Nadal's H2H on Clay

[Raz11]

It is astonishing what Nadal has done in the last 7 years on clay. There is no doubt that he is the best on clay in the last decade or so (Don't want to get into the CGOAT here). Was surprised how dominant he is over the other best clay courters since he won his first RG. I have displayed his games %, sets % and h2h won against the ten most successful players on clay (by number of matches won on clay) since 2005 as well as Djokovic, Murray and Soderling.

_________________Games %-- Sets % -- H2H
Roger Federer_______60.5%-- 71.3%-- 11-2
Novak Djokovic______63.6%-- 80.4%-- 12-2
Nicolas Almagro______71.4%-- 93.3% -- 5-0
David Ferrer_________74.5% --97.0% -- 11-0
Juan Monaco________87.5%-- 100.0% -- 4-0
Nikolay Davydenko___74.5%-- 91.7% -- 4-0
Tommy Robredo______75.0%-- 83.3% -- 2-0
Fernando Verdasco___72.8%-- 90.5% -- 6-1
Albert Montanes_____80.0%-- 100.0% -- 1-0
Andy Murray________70.0% --91.7% -- 4-0
Robin Soderling______69.7%-- 85.0% -- 4-1

Two things which I find surprising is how poor Ferrer has performed against Nadal on Clay. He has only won 3% of all sets played on clay. Even Verdasco has more success than Ferrer against Nadal. I guess he just has a bad match up with Nadal considering whatever Ferrer can do, Nadal can do better on clay.

The other is how successful relatively Federer has been in comparison to the other clay courters. Considering the matchup issue and the surface, you wouldn't think he would be the one to push Nadal the hardest on clay.

What else surprises you?

[joeri888]

The match up issue is made bigger on this forum than it really is. 1 or 2 matches go the other way and suddenly you have 16-12 or 14-14. On clay, Nadal has been distinctly better, but he has only ONCE really trashed Federer. Beside that painful affair at Roland Garros, Federer's always putting up a big fight.

[AnotherTennisProdigy]

I'm actually not that surprised that Ferrer hasn't done that well against him. Nadal does pretty much everything better than him.

The only thing i can really get from these stats is this: Nadal is pretty good on clay

[Raz11]

Originally Posted by joeri888

The match up issue is made bigger on this forum than it really is. 1 or 2 matches go the other way and suddenly you have 16-12 or 14-14. On clay, Nadal has been distinctly better, but he has only ONCE really trashed Federer. Beside that painful affair at Roland Garros, Federer's always putting up a big fight.

Yeah that is true. Sometimes I don't think Federer gets enough credit for pushing Nadal on clay as much as he has done so in the past.

[joeri888]

However, Nadal's dominance against the bunch has been ridiculous. Even though I wouldn't consider Montanes top 10 on clay for instance. I'd rather add guys like Ferrero and Gaudio if you include 2005.

[Raz11]

Originally Posted by joeri888

However, Nadal's dominance against the bunch has been ridiculous. Even though I wouldn't consider Montanes top 10 on clay for instance. I'd rather add guys like Ferrero and Gaudio if you include 2005.

I only considered matches played after his 1st RG. And those players were the top ten players to have won the most matches during that period.

I think for Gaudio,
Nadal won 70.7% of games, 53.3% of sets, 3-3 H2H.

[joeri888]

Originally Posted by Raz11

I only considered matches played after his 1st RG. And those players were the top ten players to have won the most matches during that period.

I think for Gaudio,
Nadal won 70.7% of games, 53.3% of sets, 3-3 H2H.

I understand your criterion and think you did some nice research, but don't think the criterion for most matches won necessarily makes them the best players. I'd rate a guy like Wawrinka (final of Rome) or Berdych (RG SF) higher than Montanes for instance. Which matches you win is important in tennis of course.

[joeri888]

Originally Posted by Raz11

I only considered matches played after his 1st RG. And those players were the top ten players to have won the most matches during that period.

I think for Gaudio,
Nadal won 70.7% of games, 53.3% of sets, 3-3 H2H.

The gaudio stat is really weird. Even though Nadal won 70 % of all games, he didn't win more matches.

[Start da Game]

this is what you call total domination.......no matter who the opponent is, he just destroys them on the surface over and over.......there is a solution for every player on every surface but there really is no answer to nadal on clay.......

[Magnus]

Originally Posted by joeri888

The match up issue is made bigger on this forum than it really is. 1 or 2 matches go the other way and suddenly you have 16-12 or 14-14. On clay, Nadal has been distinctly better, but he has only ONCE really trashed Federer. Beside that painful affair at Roland Garros, Federer's always putting up a big fight.

Don't forget Nadal's MTOs and illegal coaching that also played a part in some of these matches, like Rome 2006, Hamburg 2008, FO 2011.

Just sayin'....

[joeri888]

Originally Posted by Start da Game

this is what you call total domination.......no matter who the opponent is, he just destroys them on the surface over and over.......there is a solution for every player on every surface but there really is no answer to nadal on clay.......

Djokovic 2.0 seemed to have found it though.

[timnz]

Anyone won 3 matches against Nadal on Clay? (Seem to remember someone has). If not, then Federer only has to win 1 more to have the all time best record against Nadal on clay....

[Magnus]

Originally Posted by Start da Game

this is what you call total domination.......no matter who the opponent is, he just destroys them on the surface over and over.......there is a solution for every player on every surface but there really is no answer to nadal on clay.......

There is an answer for anything, including Nadal on clay. However, the performance has to be extraordinary, and you must have a mentally stable day. Soderling had it in 2009, Djokovic in 2011, Federer in Hamburg 2007 and Madrid 2009. All of these were brilliant performances that Nadal didn't have an answer to.

IMO, Nadal's success on clay is more about mental strength than being phiscially impossible. He feels like the kind of the court and you know it once you step in. Players come against Nadal on clay and they already lost the match mentally before it even starts. A bit of self belief can do wonders, just ask Soderling.

[joeri888]

Originally Posted by timnz

Anyone won 3 matches against Nadal on Clay? (Seem to remember someone has). If not, then Federer only has to win 1 more to have the all time best record against Nadal on clay....

Gaudio did.

[underground]

The fact that Verdasco got 1 win on clay makes me happy.

[Clarky21]

Originally Posted by Magnus

Don't forget Nadal's MTOs and illegal coaching that also played a part in some of these matches, like Rome 2006, Hamburg 2008, FO 2011.

Just sayin'....

Nadal did not take an mto during this match. Fedites need to stop making things up. The rest of your post reeks of butthurt as well.

[フェデラー]

Originally Posted by Raz11

Yeah that is true. Sometimes I don't think Federer gets enough credit for pushing Nadal on clay as much as he has done so in the past.

Federer has had some very good performances on clay, like Hamburg 2007, where somehow Roger managed to bagel Nadal on clay (when was the last time this happened??). I still think Rafa is the greatest clay courter ever, hands down. His achievements are simply unmatched.

[Cup8489]

Originally Posted by Clarky21

Nadal did not take an mto during this match. Fedites need to stop making things up. The rest of your post reeks of butthurt as well.

Are you denying that Nadal has engaged in gamesmanship against Federer?

[DeShaun]

I believe unequivocally that Rafa is the greatest clay court player ever to pick up a racket, but I also think that Borg is much closer to Rafa's level than some of Rafa's fans seem to give the Swede credit for, and the present clay era is conspicuously thin at the top such that Rafa has been able to romp largely untested. If Novak can outgrind Rafa on clay, I think Borg could too--Borg wouldn't try top hit through Rafa, but he would likely settle comfortably into sixty stroke rallies, and so, he understands partly how Rafa works/thinks which is to say that, I believe, Rafa would not hold the decided advantage he presently does of being more patient than nearly every one of his opponents, particularly if he played Borg in this era of big hitting polyester playing baseline gunners only one biological generation removed from the tennis of the nineties; whereas, if they played in Borg's era Rafa would not be hitting ninety MPH inside out forehands with gut strings.

[ivan_the_terrible]

Nadal's clay performances show the scheduling genius of his team. He takes the feet off the pedal (resting his knees) after the USO & cycles back up for the clay court season. It's a tried and true plan that works to intimidate opponents even into the A0.