Nadal Vs. Gonzo/4th Round AO

[anointedone]

VAMOS RAFA!!! What an awesome display vs a very good and very dangerous hard court player who plays a style that is diffcult for Nadal to face on hard courts. Such great tennis from Rafa this whole tournament so far and especialy this match.

 

[Love Game]

Rafa up the double break 4-1

then holds 5-1

 

[rfprse]

I feel sorry for Gonzalez. He just cannot move. If he has to hit more than 3 shots, the point is over....

 

[oscar_2424]

Nadal takes the second set 6/2.

 

[abmk]

nadal playing really well, but gonzo doesn't look fit at all . The previous match has taken its toll on him.

 

[TennisandMusic]

11-2 on the winners and errors for that set. Pretty good.

 

[rubberduckies]

He's definitely serving pretty well. In the quarters, his average first serve speed was 183 kph, which was faster than all but a handful of the best servers (Roddick, Safin, Ancic, Muller, Fed, Djoker, Tsonga, Fish, Cilic).

 

[Love Game]

something about rafa's shirt looks really feminine... i kinda miss his sleeveless shirt, although i didnt like those much either.

it doesn't look feminine when it's wet.
(but i agree and much prefer the sleeveless)

Rafa takes second set 6-2

 

[Love Game]

nadal playing really well, but gonzo doesn't look fit at all . The previous match has taken its toll on him.

the trainer was out, taping his knee during the break before the 3rd set.

 

[rubberduckies]

WOW. Gonzo is just killing Nadal in the third set. Nadal should probably retire pretty soon to save himself the embarrassment. Gonzo has just taken the first 7 points to open the set.

 

[oscar_2424]

trouble for Rafa?

 

[RFdaBest]

Hey hey gonzo looking to make things interesting

 

[oscar_2424]

Gonzo breaks.

 

[rfprse]

What an effort by Gonzo. 3-0. At least he's going down swinging.

 

[bluetrain4]

Great stuff!! Gonzo could have packed it in. I'm betting he still loses, but I commend him for competing and giving the crowd more.

 

[Love Game]

FH still working big time. gonzo holds 3 love.

 

[rubberduckies]

Nadal avoids a breadstick by breaking back.

 

[NamRanger]

Even though Nadal will probably win this in straights, I think this match shows that Nadal is still vulnerable on HCs no matter how many adjustments he makes to his game.

 

[djokster]

three games all...

 

[djokster]

nadal lead 4-3

 

[djokster]

the Australian Open website titled this match "Battle of the Bandanas"

LOL

 

[Love Game]

omg that inside out hit the line.
no sense challenging. rafa breaks 4-3.

 

[Morrissey]

Nadal hold 5-3. Have a nice flight back to Santiago.

 

[djokster]

gonzo rips that forehand for a hold, nadal leads 5-4

 

[joeri888]

Nadal is playing frightingly good tennis, I have to admit, and Murray doesn't look too great today. I wouldn't like Nadal to make the final tbh, but if he keeps this up, he defenitely will and the guy at the other side of the net will have a very tough time

 

[djokster]

nadal wins, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4

 

[IvanAndreevich]

Nice win for Rafa. Played pretty aggressively - very good for him on HC!

 

[djokster]

match stats:

 

[Love Game]

bye-bye, gonzo, bye-bye ....

sorry to see ya go,
but rafa was just too strong.
vamo rafa!!!

 

[anointedone]

Rafa with more winners than the big hitting Gonzalez is proof positive of how he has changed his approach to playing on this surface. A change that was much needed and is welcomed, although not by his opponents I am sure, hehe.

 

[Morrissey]

Nadal is going to bagel Simon the way Nadal is playing. Murray probably would have gotten beat by Roddick, especially if they played in a day match. Verdasco is ass kicking him all over the place right now.

I don´t know, Simon is very tough to beat, he´s fast and he never misses. Nadal will have to play some of his best tennis to take him out. I like Roddick´s chances vs Joker. As for Verdasco I think he´ll blow this match. Murray will win in 5. But Verdasco is a tough hurdle.

 

[IvanAndreevich]

Nadal is going to bagel Simon the way Nadal is playing. Murray probably would have gotten beat by Roddick, especially if they played in a day match. Verdasco is ass kicking him all over the place right now.

No. Simon is a bad matchup for Nadal. If Simon isn't too tired, we'll see some long long long rallies. Nadal has much more muscle so he will tire out.

 

[anointedone]

Simon is being underrated by some of you. He was very close to winning the Masters Cup really as he nearly had Djokovic in that semi and IMO would have beaten a sluggish and nervous Davydenko in the final. He has beaten all the big guns in the last year. He wont be an easy opponent, even with how Nadal is playing. I consider him a tougher quarterfinal opponent than the somewhat overhyped Del Potro who Federer plays. If Federer has a harder time in the quarters that would only show he isnt in top form, certainly wont be because of his draw which wasnt ever that tough considering matchups, etc...for him here IMO. I dont believe that is bias in favor of Federer and against Nadal though. I just think people in general love to overrate and hype up the newer younger guy (eg- Del Potro) for his current abilities than the middle aged late blooming players (eg- Simon, Davydenko, etc...). Look at all the praise "lots of power but no results" Gulbis gets as well.

 

[seffina]

I don´t know, Simon is very tough to beat, he´s fast and he never misses. Nadal will have to play some of his best tennis to take him out. I like Roddick´s chances vs Joker. As for Verdasco I think he´ll blow this match. Murray will win in 5. But Verdasco is a tough hurdle.

Simon's one of my favorite players and I wish he wasn't playing Rafa. But I've been watching all of his matches and he really seems to be improving so much. Mentally, he's also been very cool. I think Rafa will win, but I do think he'll take a set off of Nadal.

 

[cucio]

Well, didn't watch the match but it was the most likely result.

Now I think that Simon is going to give Nadal his first real test. Gilles is going to perform that hypnotic routine of slicing back anything and, all of a sudden, try to whack a DTL winner from any wing. He has a very reliable backhand that is going to handle Nadal's forehand just fine. If Nadal loses his cool he is for a tough one. I have no predictions for the result of this match, only for how it is going to be played. Book yourselves at least 3 1/2 hours, even if the result is in straights.

 

[Pushmaster]

I was definitely wrong about this one, expected it to be much closer. Nadal is playing great, I think he's going all the way.