2021 Barcelona Open R16 :- [1] Rafael Nadal v/s Kei Nishikori

[Checkmate]

This is 2008 level, well played!

 

[junior74]

Not much on Nishikori's strokes anymore. Incredibly boring to watch. Used to be offensive.

 

[daphne]

LOL

 

[NatF]

Feel like Nishikori has played like 5 great matches in his entire life, this is one of the 5000 or so other ones.

 

[MeatTornado]

Not much on Nishikori's strokes anymore. Incredibly boring to watch. Used to be offensive.

His legs look completely dead. Can't push off with any sort of emphasis.

 

[Checkmate]

Nadal is just so epic. He should start every clay match 3 games down

 

[MichaelNadal]

The benefits of having a subway 1 light away. Back with a footlong spicy italian and only missed 2 games

 

[Rafa4LifeEver]

I thought Novak was the Earth's Mightiest Warrior.

I sense a possible conflict

At least Nishikori is not the greatest warrior

Not djokovic, that's nadal, sir.

 

[MichaelNadal]

Feel like Nishikori has played like 5 great matches in his entire life, this is one of the 5000 or so other ones.

Same, idk how he's not tired of being beat down

 

[Krish872007]

Much better start than yesterday

 

[Checkmate]

Rafa not comfy with his FH. Wants more and longer practice.

 

[Dominic & Andrey]

Nani??

 

[Krish872007]

Oh Ned...

This is the kind of stuff you won't see at RG though

 

[Rafa.the.Magnificent]

I want to see those first serves working.

 

[romeo8880]

Oh Ned...

This is the kind of stuff you won't see at RG though

Idk how you can be so sure. He still looks bad. Match is on nishikori’s racquet

 

[tennisjedi]

Nadal not satisfied with the bagel. Guess he needs more practice sets.

 

[Rafa4LifeEver]

Nadal be like :- okay so I bagelled him, let's play lame again.

 

[MeatTornado]

Holy cow, that was the worst drop shot I've seen Rafa hit in years.

Kei had a 98% chance of winning that point and he did one of the only wrong things you possibly could in that situation.

 

[MichaelNadal]

Really Rafa? U gonna lose a set to Glass Joe?

 

[junior74]

BPs come and go. Could have peed the first one to a winner, though

 

[MeatTornado]

Really Rafa? U gonna lose a set to Glass Joe?

If he'd gone down a double-break there, maybe.

 

[MichaelNadal]

If he'd gone down a double-break there, maybe.

Do you know who Glass Joe is btw?

 

[SeeingDusk]

Holy cow, that was the worst drop shot I've seen Rafa hit in years.

Kei had a 98% chance of winning that point and he did one of the only wrong things you possibly could in that situation.

if Nishi would’ve just hit that forehand inside out, he would’ve broken nadal for the insurance break. Instead tries to drop shot back nadal when nadal was already moving forward lol.

 

[TennisFan3]

Something is off with Nadal. Seriously I haven't seen him this bad on clay since 2015.
His serve is off, his timing is off. He is not able to get the right balance between aggression and defense.
One of the weirdest things: Shot tolerance for Nadal is going down. Feels crazy, but you give him 5+ balls in the same spot and he will eventually miss.
Is it a fitness related issue?

 

[MeatTornado]

Do you know who Glass Joe is btw?

Are you not making fun of Kei?

 

[MichaelNadal]

Are you not making fun of Kei?

Yes But glass joe is a character from the NES boxing game punch out. He's the first guy you have to box and it's super easy to knock him out lol

 

[Krish872007]

Idk how you can be so sure. He still looks bad. Match is on nishikori’s racquet

He's still got way too much time to get in shape for the French and find the right solutions
Clay field is ok-ish; if someone does beat him would have to be before the semis and they would need to show pretty exceptional mental fortitude for 3 sets

 

[MichaelNadal]

Yes I'm this old

 

[MeatTornado]

Yes But glass joe is a character from the NES boxing game punch out. He's the first guy you have to box and it's super easy to knock him out lol

Oh no, I didn't know that haha. I wasn't a Nintendo kid.

 

[MichaelNadal]

Nadals serve and DTL FH are nowhere to be found. Will win FO in straights

 

[Dominic & Andrey]

I like when Nishikori tries to be offensive

 

[MeatTornado]

Good game from Kei to avoid the boomerang break

 

[MeatTornado]

Rafa's really got to find a way to start attacking Kei's FH corner again. Particularly if he can work some more inside-out FHs to do it.

 

[Milanez82]

Kei doing Djokovic style returns

 

[MichaelNadal]

Rafa about to make me watch 90s Undertaker matches

 

[Milanez82]

While Kei had improved this set, Rafa has dropped big time. His game is unusually inconsistent, spraying too much and serve still having issues.

 

[weakera]

This is actually Nadal's worst match of the clay season so far imo.

 

[SeeingDusk]

Kei up 5-2 now. Will serve for the second set.

 

[E36BMWM3]

Rocky clay season for sure... he still has time to find his game in time for the FO

 

[Krish872007]

This is actually Nadal's worst match of the clay season so far imo.

Worst match including a bagel set?

Still plenty of time before RG. Vamos.

 

[tennisjedi]

Nadal needs to fix his serve ASAP.

 

[skypadq]

if kei gets early break in third set , nadal will lose this match

 

[Third Serve]

Nadal's playing so badly lmao

 

[MichaelNadal]

 

[weakera]

Worst match including a bagel set?

Still plenty of time before RG. Vamos.

He really wasn't very good in the bagel.

 

[Dominic & Andrey]

Nalbandianlike backhand winner

 

[NatF]

Same, idk how he's not tired of being beat down

lol just seen he's up 5-2 now in the second. Sad times when the entire tour has gone to ****.

 

[Nadal_Django]

Something is off with Nadal. Seriously I haven't seen him this bad on clay since 2015.
His serve is off, his timing is off. He is not able to get the right balance between aggression and defense.
One of the weirdest things: Shot tolerance for Nadal is going down. Feels crazy, but you give him 5+ balls in the same spot and he will eventually miss.
Is it a fitness related issue?

He should be OK for RG, but definitely got some fitness issues imo. Could barely walk after the Medvedev match at the ATP Finals, he got tired in the 3rd set in the Tsitsipas match at AO, he was absolutely gassed at the beginning of the third set against Rublev in Monaco. Like I've said, should be fine for the French, but lots of guys should feel more confident now, after seeing Nadal's level in the last couple of matches.

 

[MichaelNadal]

Idk how Rafa can be this bad on clay now. He's as weak as Gohan in DB super

 

[MeatTornado]

This is actually Nadal's worst match of the clay season so far imo.

You value that 2nd set comeback of the Rublev match enough to off-set the 1st set? Because the opening set of their MC match along with the first half of the 2nd set was the worst stretch of play I've seen from him so far this year.

Probably have to wait and see how this 3rd set plays out before declaring it his worst.