Nadal News 2.0
- Thread starter LazyNinja19
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D
Deleted member 770948
Guest
haqq777
Legend
I mean, just plain ridiculous! That is a pretty wicked kick serve pulling out wide that you actually want to execute in ad court. But of course, it is Rafa on the other end and he completely decimated it! It is absolutely unreal what Rafa can do to the ball. Unreal.
Subway Tennis
Legend
Subway Tennis
Legend
A message to family members of superstar tennis players - THIS is how you conduct yourself.
Great comments as always from Toni.
Tennis Rules
Semi-Pro
final of rome masters on monday? why ?
clayqueen
Talk Tennis Guru
Lleytonstation
Talk Tennis Guru
I wish he would play more aggressive. Obviously he is not confident right now because when he did play his down the line shots he missed. Also, he needs to play more angles.
That being said, he will calibrate this out, and I feel comfortable he can't be beat in best of 5 at RG. But this does make me slightly nervous.
That being said, he will calibrate this out, and I feel comfortable he can't be beat in best of 5 at RG. But this does make me slightly nervous.
DSH
Talk Tennis Guru
Wow, Bull is in trouble now!
After a horrendous lose against the Argentine, it will need to turnaround in his state of form, heading to the most atypical RG that is remembered and where various factors will not favor him in his game.
What solutions will Moya seek with Nadal in the absence of a few days before the start of the tournament, which is the most important of the season for the Spaniard?
After a horrendous lose against the Argentine, it will need to turnaround in his state of form, heading to the most atypical RG that is remembered and where various factors will not favor him in his game.
What solutions will Moya seek with Nadal in the absence of a few days before the start of the tournament, which is the most important of the season for the Spaniard?
vernonbc
Legend
Wow, Bull is in trouble now!
After a horrendous lose against the Argentine, it will need to turnaround in his state of form, heading to the most atypical RG that is remembered and where various factors will not favor him in his game.
What solutions will Moya seek with Nadal in the absence of a few days before the start of the tournament, which is the most important of the season for the Spaniard?
Oh pfffft. It wasn't a horrendous loss. Get a grip. Diego played great, Rafa didn't. Rafa will be fine.
Amritia
Hall of Fame
No need to panic.
In the first round of Cincinnati (which was being played at US Open courts), Thiem lost 6-2 6-1 to Krajinovic. He only won 2 points on return in the whole match, due to how rusty he was. A few weeks later, he won the US Open.
For Rafa, my hope is that he gets a relatively comfortable first few rounds at RG. Then in R4/QF, I hope he has a relatively tough match which he gets through. This will give him confidence for the SF and F, which will be very tough no doubt. Also hopefully Diego is on opposite side of the draw!!
In the first round of Cincinnati (which was being played at US Open courts), Thiem lost 6-2 6-1 to Krajinovic. He only won 2 points on return in the whole match, due to how rusty he was. A few weeks later, he won the US Open.
For Rafa, my hope is that he gets a relatively comfortable first few rounds at RG. Then in R4/QF, I hope he has a relatively tough match which he gets through. This will give him confidence for the SF and F, which will be very tough no doubt. Also hopefully Diego is on opposite side of the draw!!
DSH
Talk Tennis Guru
It is possible that Argentine is on Nadal's side; What will the Bull do to stop the attacks of his rival in the autumn of Paris, with heavy and slow balls?
And if it rains, it will be played indoors, which reduces his chances of success.
Amritia
Hall of Fame
Yeah, there are no certainties in life. Many obstacles will lie ahead in Paris.It is possible that Argentine is on Nadal's side; What will the Bull do to stop the attacks of his rival in the autumn of Paris, with heavy and slow balls?
And if it rains, it will be played indoors, which reduces his chances of success.
estigma2001
Hall of Fame
Well Rafa needs more matches hopefully he is healthy and he will be ok!
Vamos
Vamos
Hitman
Bionic Poster
I do question though, why the guy who is known to be adversely affected by humidity and loves the sun and plays best on warm sunny days had to play every night and didn't get one single afternoon match. Doesn't seem fair to me.
This is often done in Rome, where the top guy from one of the side plays all his matches primarily in the evening. And since Rafa is the big box office name from his side of the draw, he was always going to be on prime time to the viewers to get highest ratings possible. Last year Djokovic was the one playing all his matches at night. Just something Rome has always done.
Hitman
Bionic Poster
Thiem had played I believe 22 matches in 44 days in all kinds of events around Europe, it wasn't rust that got him in Cincy, it was just a bad day in the office.
Goosehead
Legend
yes..djoko has 3late mathes last year, then had to play nadal in the afternoon final..we got the one sided final. i was worried about...djoko was wasted and had to adjest to warmer bouncier courts
the final wouldve been much closer/interesting if djoko had a few mours hrs to recover. but OH NO
Hitman
Bionic Poster
Federer did the night sessions in 2015 I believe, I know he did them in 2013. Rome scheduling isn't actually very good and fair, they keep having one player play all their matches at night, like Nadal this year was subjected to all night matches and not a single day match, and then expect them to adjus to day conditions for the final, while their opponent has been playing day matches all the time.
BeatlesFan
Bionic Poster
Always remember Rafa lost in straights to Fabio last year in MC, looked out of sorts and yet still went on to win RG.
And total class from Rafa in defeat:
"We can find excuses, but I didn’t play well enough. We have to think internally why and how I can fix it, but now is not the moment to find excuses now is the time to accept that I didn’t play well enough. It has been a super heavy evening in terms of humidity, conditions out there were much heavier than the previous days in terms of the bounces of the ball, for me it was difficult to push him back, so he did a great job."
And total class from Rafa in defeat:
"We can find excuses, but I didn’t play well enough. We have to think internally why and how I can fix it, but now is not the moment to find excuses now is the time to accept that I didn’t play well enough. It has been a super heavy evening in terms of humidity, conditions out there were much heavier than the previous days in terms of the bounces of the ball, for me it was difficult to push him back, so he did a great job."
dellealpi10
Rookie
Please don’t worry. After a long break, Nadal usually plays up and down. Some matches he plays well, some matches not. In the past, he usually overcome his “bad day” to have other opportunity at next day. Today it’s not. Anyway, no problem. The match at Roland Garros is longer (5 sets) and he will have time to improve, even in his “bad day”.
clayqueen
Talk Tennis Guru
“It wasn’t my night at all. He played a great game I think and [I didn’t]Nadal said. “When that happens, you have to lose. These things can happen. After such a long time without competition, I played two good games, and today I played a bad one against a good opponent.
” It’s like that. I just want to congratulate Diego and I will continue to work.
You may also like: Schwartzman stuns Nadal in Rome
It was Nadal’s first tournament since the ATP Tour was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Spaniard won his first two matches in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals for Rome for the 15th time. But the second seed will now have to regroup before starting his race for a 13th Roland Garros trophy in just over a week.
“It’s a completely special and unpredictable year. I do not know. I suppose [will] go home and see what happens, ”Nadal said. “I did my job here. I did some things well and some bad things and that’s it. At least I played three games. I fought to the end. But lose so much [service games], you can’t expect to win a game. [It’s] something I need to fix.
“I know how to do it. I will keep working and keep practicing with the right attitude and try to give myself a chance to be ready. ”
haqq777
Legend
It's Rafa. Always classy and always ready to accept what happened and get back to work. He doesn't seem too fazed by it and I think we'll seem him let loose on RG.
I remember the last time he lost in QF at Rome, he went on to win FO without dropping a set giving a blistering performance. Hoping for something similar
irishnadalfan1983
Hall of Fame
Sounds like he is not too worried/dismissing this loss....Like it won’t happen again....Hope he is right!
kevaninho
Hall of Fame
Lets not forget Rafas age. We all are guilty of thinking he is invincible on clay, year after year.
But we get the same lessons watching an old Federer play.
They still have outstanding matches on their day. But there will be plenty more days, that their form is terrible.
Unfortunately for Nadal and fans, these type of losses will probably be more frequent , even on clay.
Obviously, we are all hoping he can still rule in Paris this year. But it also wont be a huge surprise if hes humbled out around the QF stage.
But we get the same lessons watching an old Federer play.
They still have outstanding matches on their day. But there will be plenty more days, that their form is terrible.
Unfortunately for Nadal and fans, these type of losses will probably be more frequent , even on clay.
Obviously, we are all hoping he can still rule in Paris this year. But it also wont be a huge surprise if hes humbled out around the QF stage.
irishnadalfan1983
Hall of Fame
Agreed - time is running out for all of them....Will happen to Nole too.:.
E36BMWM3
Hall of Fame
How many times has he lost unexpectedly before the French and lo and behold he ends up winning it??? Let’s all take a deep breath, relax, and realize that this might be but a small hiccup. We all live to fight another day, here’s to hoping for good things in Paris. VAMOS!!!!
irishnadalfan1983
Hall of Fame
Agreed again! But he can’t keep doing it forever...I do hope you are right though!
D
Deleted member 770948
Guest
Even though he didn't beat Diego, Nadal is currently playing better than Djokovic, and that's probably good enough to win Roland Garros.Wow, Bull is in trouble now!
After a horrendous lose against the Argentine, it will need to turnaround in his state of form, heading to the most atypical RG that is remembered and where various factors will not favor him in his game.
What solutions will Moya seek with Nadal in the absence of a few days before the start of the tournament, which is the most important of the season for the Spaniard?
But what kind of tennis player would miss 7 months and then return in top form anyway?
He'll be playing significantly better after a couple of matches at Roland Garros, not that he has to improve necessarily.
I doubt Diego would have won this match if it was at Roland Garros....
BeatlesFan
Bionic Poster
Here's some examples in the past 10 years:
2011: Lost Madrid and Rome to Djokovic
2012: Lost MC and Rome to Djokovic, lost to Verdasco in Madrid
2013: Lost MC to Djokovic
2014: Lost MC to Ferrer, lost Barcelona to Almagro, lost Rome to Djokovic
2016: Lost Madrid to Murray and Rome to Djokovic
2017: Lost Rome to Thiem
2018: Lost Madrid to Thiem
2019: Lost MC to Fabio, lost to Thiem in Barcelona and lost to Tsitsipas in Madrid
E36BMWM3
Hall of Fame
My only concern is the lack of match-play this year. He should, however, play nicely into form around the 4th round. Hoping he makes it that far and then the Diesel engine will be unstoppable
TennisFan3
Talk Tennis Guru
Let's NOT overreact on one loss. Losing to Deigo doesn't suddenly mean that Nadal is vulnerable in RG.
The way I saw the match, what killed Rafa was his serving. He served less then 45% 1st serve. That is just atrocious. He is usually at the 65%+ mark.
The problem with missing so many 1st serves is that it puts pressure on your second serve, and hence Diego won more than 65%+ points won on Nadal's second serve. Which means Rafa was under pressure throughout on his serve and couldn't hold.
Still the second set was close. This is a game on inches, and had Nadal served better he could have won the 2nd set and fought more (and maybe prevailed).
This kind of serving against Novak it would have been even bigger trouble, given the quality of the Djokovic return.
So Nadal doesn't need to do much. He needs to improve his serve and tighten the rest of his game for RG.
The biggest problem for Rafa in RG is not the loss to Diego here. If anything, it would make him even more determined. The challenge would be the conditions. With the cooler conditions, the ball is not exploding off the court and Rafa will need to serve bigger and be more aggressive of the ground.
But yeah, it's clay and it's Nadal. He will ALWAYS be the overwhelming favorite at RG. A loss in Rome doesn't change that. If he plays his best, no one beats him in Paris. Period.
The way I saw the match, what killed Rafa was his serving. He served less then 45% 1st serve. That is just atrocious. He is usually at the 65%+ mark.
The problem with missing so many 1st serves is that it puts pressure on your second serve, and hence Diego won more than 65%+ points won on Nadal's second serve. Which means Rafa was under pressure throughout on his serve and couldn't hold.
Still the second set was close. This is a game on inches, and had Nadal served better he could have won the 2nd set and fought more (and maybe prevailed).
This kind of serving against Novak it would have been even bigger trouble, given the quality of the Djokovic return.
So Nadal doesn't need to do much. He needs to improve his serve and tighten the rest of his game for RG.
The biggest problem for Rafa in RG is not the loss to Diego here. If anything, it would make him even more determined. The challenge would be the conditions. With the cooler conditions, the ball is not exploding off the court and Rafa will need to serve bigger and be more aggressive of the ground.
But yeah, it's clay and it's Nadal. He will ALWAYS be the overwhelming favorite at RG. A loss in Rome doesn't change that. If he plays his best, no one beats him in Paris. Period.
TennisHockey
Rookie
Honestly I do question whether Nadal will win RG or not. He lost to Diego but that's not really the reason. Nadal would normally have more clay tourneys to prepare for RG. This year is very different. He hasn't played in 200 days, then only gets 3 matches in the one and only warm up tournament to RG. I'm not sure that's enough preparation tbh.
Meanwhile Djokovic will have plenty of matches under his belt yet not be overloaded. And Thiem obviously has lots of matches under his belt too (tho no clay).
Meanwhile Djokovic will have plenty of matches under his belt yet not be overloaded. And Thiem obviously has lots of matches under his belt too (tho no clay).
Beckerserve
Legend
None if Nadal plays near his best. Djokovic i think has stamina issues which Nadal could expose. Thiem surely will be flat after his past few weeks and the adulation he has got. Wawrinka on clay against Nadal is pretty one way traffic.
Beckerserve
Legend
The balls is going to be a massive problem for Nadal. Bigger and heavier they will not take much spin. Nadal is not that effective in heavy conditions. These new balls are a killer for him. Also while you made some great points nadal was not winning many 1st serves anyway.
Lleytonstation
Talk Tennis Guru
I assume Rafa will not play like he did against Schwartzman, but if he does, Djoker will beat him. If Rafa plays his B+ game he beats Djoker.
Beckerserve
Legend
That is Nadals fault is it not?
Beckerserve
Legend
Agree but i doubt his serve will be that poor again in a while. His big issue will be the balls which are heavy this year. Will be a problem for Djokovic as well.
N01E
Hall of Fame
He won MC and Rome in 2012, but I would mention Madrid 2014 final where he wasn't unlikely to lose if not for Kei's injury.
Beckerserve
Legend
Nadal was far better on clay before 2010. He has been beatable last decade but djokovic has often not believed he can beat him.
clayqueen
Talk Tennis Guru
In your opinion.
weakera
Talk Tennis Guru
Nadal may not win Roland Garros but people forget that more often than not there are enormous doubts surrounding his chances. He's only considered to have been a mortal lock after he already captures the trophy most of the time.
I think his presser was pretty encouraging. "I know how to fix it." For Rafa, that is a pretty damn peachy assessment of things following a clay court straight set loss. And given his honesty, I think he is still feeling good about his chances.
Obviously his serve needs work, but it's not surprising that Diego gave Rafa a difficult time in such humid conditions.
I think his presser was pretty encouraging. "I know how to fix it." For Rafa, that is a pretty damn peachy assessment of things following a clay court straight set loss. And given his honesty, I think he is still feeling good about his chances.
Obviously his serve needs work, but it's not surprising that Diego gave Rafa a difficult time in such humid conditions.