nadal out

[breakfast_of_champions]

another withdrawal by a top player

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - French Open champion Rafel Nadal's withdrawal from the season-opening ATP tour event in Chennai could be a bad omen for Australian Open organizers.

Nadal, the world number two, withdrew from the tournament in India beginning on January 2 because of a persistent foot injury he sustained during the Madrid Masters final in October.

The injury also forced his withdrawal from the season-ending Masters Cup final tournament in Shanghai last month.

"Both my medical team and I have been working very hard during the last few weeks so that I could participate at Chennai," the 19-year-old was reported as saying by the BBC.

"But my doctor has now recommended that I don't play and it's my misfortune that I can't make it."

Nadal is the latest in a list of high-profile players to withdraw from season-opening tournaments or place their appearance at the Australian Open, the year's first grand slam, into question.

Australian Open champion Marat Safin has already withdrawn from the Hopman Cup mixed-team event in Perth because of a persistent knee injury. He has not played since August.

Former Australian Open champion Andre Agassi has also questioned whether he will be able to make the tournament beginning on January 16 because of a long-standing ankle injury.

On the women's side, former world number one Maria Sharapova has also withdrawn from the Australian hardcourt championships on the Gold Coast as she attempts to recover from a shoulder injury.

 

[VamosRafa]

This has been posted a few other times, but it does indeed confirm, once again, that Rafa has pulled out of Chennai -- something he has been hinting about for weeks. ;-)

 

[joy]

It would be a great boost for Federer and his fans if Nadal is not completely fit for AO. If Nadal is out, Federer has a shot at the title.

 

[spinbalz]

It would be a great boost for Federer and his fans if Nadal is not completely fit for AO. If Nadal is out, Federer has a shot at the title.

Sure, it is well known that to have a shot at a title, Federer needs the other top players to be out.

 

[8PAQ]

Sure, it is well known that to have a shot at a title, Federer needs the other top players to be out.

Agreed! It is a well known fact that Federer has a very bad record against the top 10 players. Honestly, I even lost count how many times in the row guys like Roddick, Hewitt and Agassi have beaten Federer!

 

[roddick_rulz]

that definitly sucks!

 

[norcal]

Hey VR - why not do a comparison of how injured Rafa has been compared to other great players at such a young age. My guess is Rafa wins by a landslide. Does not bode well for a long career.

 

[Tchocky]

I don't think the Aussie Open loses that much if Nadal pulls out. I couldn't see him getting past the quarters. He wasn't that impressive at the U.S. Open. I don't think there are any clear favorites this year. Most of the top players haven't played in almost 2 months.

 

[Keifers]

Too bad Rafa's injury hasn't come good yet. I wouldn't have seen him as a huge threat at the AO, though. He's had this tendency to stand way too far behind the baseline -- great for clay but not for grass and hard court.

 

[Grinder]

Yeah, they've given Ljubicic a wildcard to Chennai to soften the blow of losing Nadal. Not bad, how often can you get a top 10 player to replace another on such short notice?

 

[callitout]

Hey VR - why not do a comparison of how injured Rafa has been compared to other great players at such a young age. My guess is Rafa wins by a landslide. Does not bode well for a long career.

We'll its hard to do with players from other eras, but its well known that Gasquet and Andy Murray have also had to take time off for injury/conditioning issues.

 

[andretherafafan]

hey Fed hs a great record against the top players except Ndal. Yeah hewwitt and aggasi have beat him but hes one the last ones with ease. lIke with hewwittttttt hes beat him hte last 7 or 8 times. Agassi 6 or 7. So i dont know what you guys are saying. nadal and safin are the only ones who can beat him on hardcourt. And fed has a 11 to 1 record agains roddick, Go to Atp tennnis and see the rivalries on fed vs hewwit, Roddick, Agassi etc.

 

[slice bh compliment]

hey Fed hs a great record against the top players except Ndal. Yeah hewwitt and aggasi have beat him but hes one the last ones with ease. lIke with hewwittttttt hes beat him hte last 7 or 8 times. Agassi 6 or 7. So i dont know what you guys are saying. nadal and safin are the only ones who can beat him on hardcourt. And fed has a 11 to 1 record agains roddick, Go to Atp tennnis and see the rivalries on fed vs hewwit, Roddick, Agassi etc.

Yeah.

ANyway, I think 8paq and spinbalz were being sarcastic.

It's funny how the written word sometimes best conveys humor....but sometimes fails it miserably (especially when readers might be unfamiliar with the wiriter's persona and/or purpose).

Like when you read something in a magazine by a writer known for stylishly employing irony and sarcasm, you take it as funny. But when you read something by some cyberstranger with a double entendred screen name you take it more literally...simply as the opinion of one man -- M.O.S. (man on the street, as they say in the news business).

Maybe this is why some geek invented emoticons. Too bad the irony-enhanced cyberstrangers are the ones who tend to dismiss emoticons as "of the dorks, by the dorks, and for the dorks".
[insert wise-ass emoticon here]...and then maybe a .

 

[8PAQ]

hey Fed hs a great record against the top players except Ndal. Yeah hewwitt and aggasi have beat him but hes one the last ones with ease. lIke with hewwittttttt hes beat him hte last 7 or 8 times. Agassi 6 or 7. So i dont know what you guys are saying. nadal and safin are the only ones who can beat him on hardcourt. And fed has a 11 to 1 record agains roddick, Go to Atp tennnis and see the rivalries on fed vs hewwit, Roddick, Agassi etc.

It was sarcasm directed at a stupid post from "joy". Of course Federer pwns the top 10!

 

[spinbalz]

It was sarcasm directed at a stupid post from "joy". Of course Federer pwns the top 10!

And I thought that the presence of the emoticon at the end of my post would let no doubt at all for anybody, about the true meaning of my post...

 

[spinbalz]

how often can you get a top 10 player to replace another on such short notice?

As often as high appearance fees are guaranteed.

 

[croatian sensation]

yeah, I read in some croatian newspaper that Ljubicic said he "got an offer he couldn't refuse"

 

[VamosRafa]

We'll its hard to do with players from other eras, but its well known that Gasquet and Andy Murray have also had to take time off for injury/conditioning issues.

It's true. They have been out with injuries more than Rafa has -- especially Gasquet. Certainly, that's why Rafa has more titles than them. *cough, cough*

But seriously, Rafa played a full year last year by anyone's imagination -- 89 singles matches, plus a bunch of doubles. I don't think it's possible to win 11 titles in one year unless you play a fairly big chunk of it.

So far this year, he has pulled out of Chennai. It wouldn't shock me if he pulls of out Sydney and the AO, but the word is that they are taking things very slowly so that he's fully recovered before he taxes his foot again. They obviously are looking at the long-term effect on his career, and not the short-term effect on his AO season results.

 

[lagranwilly]

It was sarcasm directed at a stupid post from "joy". Of course Federer pwns the top 10!

well well,i think this common quote that fed OWNS the top 10 is a little bit of an exageration of fed fans.yes,he normally wins to most of them,but as much as i know,there are at least 3 players that make him more than trouble.Safin,although he is not at the top 10 right now(he belongs there normally) cause that match motivates him and this year both matches between them were close:the ao that safin won,and the halle open that roger won.nadal,very close on the 5 setter of miami,and not that close on nadals win on RG,were Nadal really killed roger.And finally,Nalbandian,whose winning record over fed is clear,with his last triumph on shangai.
3 that I can say clearly (i dont put gasquet in discussioncause it was only one match)that aren't OWNED by roger,and one that has a winning record over him (Nalbandian)....

 

[legolas]

woohoo, bigger chance for roger

 

[Virtuous]

well well,i think this common quote that fed OWNS the top 10 is a little bit of an exageration of fed fans.

Not reallly. He went 15-2 vs. Top 10 opponents.

But speaking of exaggerations:

nadal,very close on the 5 setter of miami,and not that close on nadals win on RG,were Nadal really killed roger.

A 4 set win is hardly 'really killing'

 

[VamosRafa]

And interesting to note that when Roger beat Rafa in Miami, Rafa was the No. 29 seed.

So the only time Roger faced Rafa as a top seed was at Roland Garros.

 

[spinbalz]

well well,i think this common quote that fed OWNS the top 10 is a little bit of an exageration of fed fans.yes,he normally wins to most of them,but as much as i know,there are at least 3 players that make him more than trouble.Safin,although he is not at the top 10 right now(he belongs there normally) ........

finally,Nalbandian,whose winning record over fed is clear,with his last triumph on shangai.

3 that I can say clearly (i dont put gasquet in discussioncause it was only one match)that aren't OWNED by roger,and one that has a winning record over him (Nalbandian)....

Sorry, but Federer leads Safin 7-2 and and to me that is a clear ownage, clearer than when you say that Nalbandian winning record over Fed is clear, I'd even say that the only thing that is clear between Nalbandian and Federer is that their head to head record lets them very close <6-4>

When you talk about 3 players that aren't owned by roger, and 1 that has a winning record over him, it lets the impression that 4 top 10 players aren't owned by Fed, but the truth is that Federer owns all top 10 players except Nalbandian <6-4>, and Nadal <2-1>, so there are only 2 players that we can say clearly that aren't owned by Federer <and IMHO it is only a matter of time, before he owns them>.

 

[@wright]

True, true. Roger may not get much of a chance to own Nadal, his injuries are owning him right now. We all know what kind of careers players go on to have when they are having injury problems in their late teens...

 

[VamosRafa]

True, true. Roger may not get much of a chance to own Nadal, his injuries are owning him right now. We all know what kind of careers players go on to have when they are having injury problems in their late teens...

No, we don't. Please enlighten us -- or at least me, re the players who had injuries in their late teens and never came back to do anything else.

Do you think Andy falls into that category?

 

[Deleted member 629564]

Sure, it is well known that to have a shot at a title, Federer needs the other top players to be out.

Some things never change.