Nadal's thoughts on the SF vs Federer

[TennisFan3]

Nadal On Facing Federer: 'We Shared The Most Important Moments'

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nadal-on-federer-roland-garros-2019-qf-reaction

Nadal, said every match against Federer is different and that he expects a new challenge in the semi-finals.

________

“We always try things. Let's see. Let's see what's going on.

I really expect that he's going to play aggressive, changing rhythms, going to the net. That's my feeling, that he's going to try to play that way, because he's playing well and he has the tennis to make that happen,” Nadal said.

“I have to be solid. I have to hit the ball enough strong to not allow him to do the things from good positions. I need to let him play from difficult positions, so from there he's going to have fewer chances to go to the net or to play his aggressive game.

“If I am able to play good tennis and play well with my forehand and backhand, I hope to put him in trouble.
If not, I will be in trouble.”

“It's is always a big match against him. The level of tennis that you need to play always is the highest. And I am playing well, but I need to play very well against him. So I hope to be ready to make that happen,” Nadal said.

“What I will do is try to do my best, so that the victories I have won on this surface against him count for something. And he will do his utmost to make sure that his latest victories against me have their weight. And so we'll see.”

Federer has won their past five matchups, including four in 2017, all of which took place on hard court.

“It's really a particular match. We all know it,” Nadal said. “But in the end, it's just a tennis match. The best player will have the most chances of winning this match.
It's a match between the best players in the world, indeed. But then the player who will be the closest, will have the most chances, will win."

________

Sounds like Rafa is up for the challenge, but aware that Federer can cause a lot of problems.

 

[ghostofMecir]

Nadal always gives good interviews that seem very honest. Without getting into specifics, he’s nailed this exact matchup as of right now to exactly what it is.

 

[MeatTornado]

“It's really a particular match. We all know it,” Nadal said. “But in the end, it's just a tennis match. "

That part immediately made me think of an opposite comment Fed made before the 2017 Australian final:

"In previous times when we did play, I was never quite sure like is it really that important of a tennis match? It just is a tennis match. But I understand the importance of it and actually this time around I feel like I'm embracing it in the right way."

 

[FedHeadComposer]

That part immediately made me think of an opposite comment Fed made before the 2017 Australian final:

"In previous times when we did play, I was never quite sure like is it really that important of a tennis match? It just is a tennis match. But I understand the importance of it and actually this time around I feel like I'm embracing it in the right way."

Right. Federer seems like he's had this circled for a while. Nadal seems more like "it's just another opponent at RG for me to dismiss of."

 

[MeatTornado]

Right. Federer seems like he's had this circled for a while. Nadal seems more like "it's just another opponent at RG for me to dismiss of."

And I can't blame him for thinking like that. Why wouldn't you when you're like 1000-2 in RG matches, and undefeated against this opponent in particular.

Same way you can't blame peak Fed for taking Nadal lightly when he was absolutely destroying the rest of the field for years on end.

 

[Northern]

“What I will do is try to do my best, so that the victories I have won on this surface against him count for something. And he will do his utmost to make sure that his latest victories against me have their weight. And so we'll see.”

Dawg, u tellin me Nadal used the word "utmost" in an interview?

 

[ChaelAZ]

Nadal On Facing Federer: 'We Shared The Most Important Moments'

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nadal-on-federer-roland-garros-2019-qf-reaction

Nadal, said every match against Federer is different and that he expects a new challenge in the semi-finals.

________

“We always try things. Let's see. Let's see what's going on.

I really expect that he's going to play aggressive, changing rhythms, going to the net. That's my feeling, that he's going to try to play that way, because he's playing well and he has the tennis to make that happen,” Nadal said.

“I have to be solid. I have to hit the ball enough strong to not allow him to do the things from good positions. I need to let him play from difficult positions, so from there he's going to have fewer chances to go to the net or to play his aggressive game.

“If I am able to play good tennis and play well with my forehand and backhand, I hope to put him in trouble.
If not, I will be in trouble.”

“It's is always a big match against him. The level of tennis that you need to play always is the highest. And I am playing well, but I need to play very well against him. So I hope to be ready to make that happen,” Nadal said.

“What I will do is try to do my best, so that the victories I have won on this surface against him count for something. And he will do his utmost to make sure that his latest victories against me have their weight. And so we'll see.”

Federer has won their past five matchups, including four in 2017, all of which took place on hard court.

“It's really a particular match. We all know it,” Nadal said. “But in the end, it's just a tennis match. The best player will have the most chances of winning this match.
It's a match between the best players in the world, indeed. But then the player who will be the closest, will have the most chances, will win."

________

Sounds like Rafa is up for the challenge, but aware that Federer can cause a lot of problems.

I think everyone gives the edge to Rafa, but Roger is a viable contender. I think even more so than Djo on clay this year. And if Rafa isn’t raising the trophy O would love to see Fed be the one before he is done. In any case, I hope this will be another epic meeting in the Fedal era. Can’t wait!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Subway Tennis]

Nadal On Facing Federer: 'We Shared The Most Important Moments'

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nadal-on-federer-roland-garros-2019-qf-reaction

Nadal, said every match against Federer is different and that he expects a new challenge in the semi-finals.

________

“We always try things. Let's see. Let's see what's going on.

I really expect that he's going to play aggressive, changing rhythms, going to the net. That's my feeling, that he's going to try to play that way, because he's playing well and he has the tennis to make that happen,” Nadal said.

“I have to be solid. I have to hit the ball enough strong to not allow him to do the things from good positions. I need to let him play from difficult positions, so from there he's going to have fewer chances to go to the net or to play his aggressive game.

“If I am able to play good tennis and play well with my forehand and backhand, I hope to put him in trouble.
If not, I will be in trouble.”

“It's is always a big match against him. The level of tennis that you need to play always is the highest. And I am playing well, but I need to play very well against him. So I hope to be ready to make that happen,” Nadal said.

“What I will do is try to do my best, so that the victories I have won on this surface against him count for something. And he will do his utmost to make sure that his latest victories against me have their weight. And so we'll see.”

Federer has won their past five matchups, including four in 2017, all of which took place on hard court.

“It's really a particular match. We all know it,” Nadal said. “But in the end, it's just a tennis match. The best player will have the most chances of winning this match.
It's a match between the best players in the world, indeed. But then the player who will be the closest, will have the most chances, will win."

________

Sounds like Rafa is up for the challenge, but aware that Federer can cause a lot of problems.

Nadal always gives good interviews that seem very honest. Without getting into specifics, he’s nailed this exact matchup as of right now to exactly what it is.

Agree

 

[Lleytonstation]

Nadal On Facing Federer: 'We Shared The Most Important Moments'

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nadal-on-federer-roland-garros-2019-qf-reaction

Nadal, said every match against Federer is different and that he expects a new challenge in the semi-finals.

________

“We always try things. Let's see. Let's see what's going on.

I really expect that he's going to play aggressive, changing rhythms, going to the net. That's my feeling, that he's going to try to play that way, because he's playing well and he has the tennis to make that happen,” Nadal said.

“I have to be solid. I have to hit the ball enough strong to not allow him to do the things from good positions. I need to let him play from difficult positions, so from there he's going to have fewer chances to go to the net or to play his aggressive game.

“If I am able to play good tennis and play well with my forehand and backhand, I hope to put him in trouble.
If not, I will be in trouble.”

“It's is always a big match against him. The level of tennis that you need to play always is the highest. And I am playing well, but I need to play very well against him. So I hope to be ready to make that happen,” Nadal said.

“What I will do is try to do my best, so that the victories I have won on this surface against him count for something. And he will do his utmost to make sure that his latest victories against me have their weight. And so we'll see.”

Federer has won their past five matchups, including four in 2017, all of which took place on hard court.

“It's really a particular match. We all know it,” Nadal said. “But in the end, it's just a tennis match. The best player will have the most chances of winning this match.
It's a match between the best players in the world, indeed. But then the player who will be the closest, will have the most chances, will win."

________

Sounds like Rafa is up for the challenge, but aware that Federer can cause a lot of problems.

Your second bolded part is what he truly thinks. He thinks that Fed will do what he does but it won't hurt me. If I play like I should, it will be the same old story.

 

[Russeljones]

Sounds almost intelligent.

 

[Cashman]

"It's a match between the best players in the world, indeed"

Throwing shade at Djokovic, nice.

 

[TennisFan3]

Sounds almost intelligent.

Nadal always has been perceptive and intelligent. The problem is the language, since he's not great at English.

 

[TennisFan3]

Throwing shade at Djokovic, nice.

I wondered about that too. Fed and Nadal are not the best players. Djokovic right now is.
Wonder why Rafa said that.

 

[TennisFan3]

Your second bolded part is what he truly thinks. He thinks that Fed will do what he does but it won't hurt me. If I play like I should, it will be the same old story.

If you notice, he is humble enough to say that Fed can be super aggressive because he is capable of it.
Nadal hopes to put Fed in trouble. And if he can't, he (Nadal) himself will be in trouble.
That's exactly right, I think. Don't you?

 

[Lleytonstation]

If you notice, he is humble enough to say that Fed can be super aggressive because he is capable of it.
Nadal hopes to put Fed in trouble. And if he can't, he (Nadal) himself will be in trouble.
That's exactly right, I think. Don't you?

Yes, but I think he dumbed down what he really thinks, and that was that he feels extremely confident that Fed will not trouble him.

 

[TennisFan3]

I think everyone gives the edge to Rafa, but Roger is a viable contender. I think even more so than Djo on clay this year. And if Rafa isn’t raising the trophy O would love to see Fed be the one before he is done. In any case, I hope this will be another epic meeting in the Fedal era. Can’t wait!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think Nadal is very well aware of this. He knows that this match won't be like their past matches.
Fed's neo backhand alone takes care of that. In the past, Nadal could really attack on one side of the court and Fed immediately lost control of the point.
The difference since 2017 has been that Fed can transition to offense with his backhand, and take the ball on the rise.
Perhaps not as good as Djokovic does, but then Fed has a much more superior forehand side. So Nadal knows he has to play on both sides and be aggressive himself too. Otherwise he will lose.

 

[TennisFan3]

Yes, but I think he dumbed down what he really thinks, and that was that he feels extremely confident that Fed will not trouble him.

I honestly feel that this is NOT the case.
I don't care about the surface narrative. Nadal has lost 5 consecutive matches to Federer and did NOT break him in 31 service games of Federer.
Nadal is very well aware that he will have to play differently. I can guarantee that his team is diligently watching all videos of 2017 where Rafa looked clueless against Fed. The trouble is, he was playing well that year and won 2 slams.
The surface alone won't change the fact that the matchup has been reversed since 2017.

 

[Feather]

I wondered about that too. Fed and Nadal are not the best players. Djokovic right now is.
Wonder why Rafa said that.

No, he is not taking digs at Novak Djokovic! He didn't say only Federer and I are the ONLY best players. He just said the match is between best players. It holds true even if he is playing any top player. They are best players in the world.

 

[TennisFan3]

Nadal seems more like "it's just another opponent at RG for me to dismiss of."

Where do you think he says that? In fact, he is quite complementary to Federer and believes that Fed can put him (Nadal) in trouble.

 

[Feather]

If you notice, he is humble enough to say that Fed can be super aggressive because he is capable of it.
Nadal hopes to put Fed in trouble. And if he can't, he (Nadal) himself will be in trouble.
That's exactly right, I think. Don't you?

It's a candid interview. He is honest and to the point.

I agree that Rafa is a very very very big favorite but both are old. Roger is not that bad and if Rafa had an off day and Roger had a great day he can pull off the upset.

I am very sure that the score will not be lopsided like yesterday when Kei Nishikori played Rafa

 

[TennisFan3]

Nadal always gives good interviews that seem very honest. Without getting into specifics, he’s nailed this exact matchup as of right now to exactly what it is.

Absolutely. It's also important to think that it is just one match and independent of the previous as Nadal said. Nadal thinks that he will try to draw encouragement from previous results on clay.
Where as Fed will draw encouragement with the recent 5 matches against Nadal.
Finally Nadal says that we know what to expect from the match. Fed will be ultra-aggressive and if Nadal can't push him and put him in trouble, then Rafa himself is in trouble. I think that's accurate.

 

[TennisFan3]

It's a candid interview. He is honest and to the point.

I agree that Rafa is a very very very big favorite but both are old. Roger is not that bad and if Rafa had an off day and Roger had a great day he can pull off the upset.

I am very sure that the score will not be lopsided like yesterday when Kei Nishikori played Rafa

I personally think the match will be very close. I'm also sure Nadal will be nervous in the beginning. He got beat by Fed in IW/Miami when he (Nadal) was actually playing well.
I'm sure that Rafa is thinking of that.
Again Fed will be playing with house money. He really has nothing to lose (except the match itself).

 

[Lleytonstation]

I honestly feel that this is NOT the case.
I don't care about the surface narrative. Nadal has lost 5 consecutive matches to Federer and did NOT break him in 31 service games of Federer.
Nadal is very well aware that he will have to play differently. I can guarantee that his team is diligently watching all videos of 2017 where Rafa looked clueless against Fed. The trouble is, he was playing well that year and won 2 slams.
The surface alone won't change the fact that the matchup has been reversed since 2017.

We will just have to disagree, you could be right, I am not a certified Nadal whisperer as some are. He just seemed in the video as well as the words to have a "this will play out how you think it will" look.

 

[TennisFan3]

No, he is not taking digs at Novak Djokovic! He didn't say only Federer and I are the ONLY best players. He just said the match is between best players. It holds true even if he is playing any top player. They are best players in the world.

Got it. Makes sense. Thanks.

 

[TennisFan3]

We will just have to disagree, you could be right, I am not a certified Nadal whisperer as some are. He just seemed in the video as well as the words to have a "this will play out how you think it will" look.

It's kind of funny, but Nadal is pretty much the same way in analyzing all matches. He will make a big deal when he is facing a no name below top 20 player, as he would when he is facing Novak Djokovic.
He does feel that he has an edge on clay and rightfully so, but is aware of all the problems that Fed can cause him.

 

[Dondon]

I think everyone gives the edge to Rafa, but Roger is a viable contender. I think even more so than Djo on clay this year. And if Rafa isn’t raising the trophy O would love to see Fed be the one before he is done. In any case, I hope this will be another epic meeting in the Fedal era. Can’t wait!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just hit to ogers backhand x1000 it's over

 

[TennisFan3]

Just hit to ogers backhand x1000 it's over

Not with the neo-backhand. Watch IW-2017 and 5th set AO 2017. Attacking the backhand, was a losing strategy for Rafa.
Then Nadal went to Miami 2017 and tried to hit ONLY to Roger's forehand. Even that did not work. He got creamed in straights.
The only way Nadal wins the match is if he moves Federer around on both sides and hits very very DEEP.
If he hits short and his ball stands up, point over. Fed is super-aggressive on any short balls from Nadal.
In a way for Fed, as he gets old, the strategy is simple: constant aggression as he can't defend effectively anymore. For Nadal that spells trouble,

 

[ChaelAZ]

Just hit to ogers backhand x1000 it's over

I don’t think that works like it did, and Fed takes it earlier.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[FedHeadComposer]

Where do you think he says that? In fact, he is quite complementary to Federer and believes that Fed can put him (Nadal) in trouble.

"seems" ≠ "says." And I'm not saying he is dismissive of Federer, but that he may not view this match as significantly as Federer does. Nadal figured he would be in semis (and further) regardless of his draw. Whereas Federer knows that his road always led to Nadal.

 

[TennisFan3]

"seems" ≠ "says." And I'm not saying he is dismissive of Federer, but that he may not view this match as significantly as Federer does. Nadal figured he would be in semis (and further) regardless of his draw. Whereas Federer knows that his road always led to Nadal.

I agree overalll. That said, I think Nadal is viewing this as a very significant match.
Imagine if he loses to Fed? The h2h becomes 23-16. Fed finally beat Nadal at RG.
Nadal would have lost 6 straight times to Fed including 2 GS. The whole h2h argument would be in question then.
I think this match is critical for Nadal. He cannot lose without damaging his legacy significantly. Whereas for Fed, no expectations. If Fed loses, it was expected anyway.

 

[Sudacafan]

I honestly feel that this is NOT the case.
I don't care about the surface narrative. Nadal has lost 5 consecutive matches to Federer and did NOT break him in 31 service games of Federer.
Nadal is very well aware that he will have to play differently. I can guarantee that his team is diligently watching all videos of 2017 where Rafa looked clueless against Fed. The trouble is, he was playing well that year and won 2 slams.
The surface alone won't change the fact that the matchup has been reversed since 2017.

This is clay, not the same conditions. 2017 Fed victories don’t mean that much, and two years have passed, for an almost 38 year old athlete.

 

[vex]

Nadal always gives good interviews that seem very honest. Without getting into specifics, he’s nailed this exact matchup as of right now to exactly what it is.

Exactly. Those were my exact thoughts.

 

[JackGates]

I honestly feel that this is NOT the case.
I don't care about the surface narrative. Nadal has lost 5 consecutive matches to Federer and did NOT break him in 31 service games of Federer.
Nadal is very well aware that he will have to play differently. I can guarantee that his team is diligently watching all videos of 2017 where Rafa looked clueless against Fed. The trouble is, he was playing well that year and won 2 slams.
The surface alone won't change the fact that the matchup has been reversed since 2017.

But, most of those were bo3. I don't think that correlates to majors very well, even at AO, Fed almost lost and he played perfectly. Hope I'm wrong though.

 

[TennisFan3]

But, most of those were bo3. I don't think that correlates to majors very well, even at AO, Fed almost lost and he played perfectly. Hope I'm wrong though.

If you notice the tide turned after AO 2017.
After the 5th set, Nadal lost confidence. After that point he lost all matches in straights without breaking Federer.
People sometimes underestimate the psychological effects of a loss. Fed was in Nadal's head. That won't change with a best of 5.
It is critical for Nadal to beat Federer on clay to restore his confidence back in the matchup.

 

[Sentinel]

So humble !!

 

[zagor]

Some astute observations from Rafa but to be honest, I think he's a much bigger favourite in this match than he's letting on. He doesn't really need his highest level or to adapt in any way to win, he knows Fed needs to have an amazing serve day and play out of his skin to have any chance.

Fed's string of victories may help him mentally but they were all on HC where the predictable bounce allows Fed to take the ball earlier and where his serve dominates against Rafa's ROS positioning. Clay all but nullifies all the advantages Fed has made recently in the match-up and they're both aware of that.

The only guy Nadal's nervous about currently in these conditions is Novak. It's a comfortable match-up for him against anyone else in the field.

 

[junior74]

What happened in Basil happened
What happened in Australia happened
What happened in Indian Wells happened
What happened in Miami happened
What happened in Shanghai happened
and what almost happened in Indian Wells again, almost happened

Now we are here. We are on clay.

 

[Pantera]

I wondered about that too. Fed and Nadal are not the best players. Djokovic right now is.
Wonder why Rafa said that.

I noticed that as well. Probably meant 2 of the best as opposed to THE two best....at least I hope that's the case. Djokovic doesn't need more adrenalin lol

 

[JackGates]

If you notice the tide turned after AO 2017.
After the 5th set, Nadal lost confidence. After that point he lost all matches in straights without breaking Federer.
People sometimes underestimate the psychological effects of a loss. Fed was in Nadal's head. That won't change with a best of 5.
It is critical for Nadal to beat Federer on clay to restore his confidence back in the matchup.

This gives me a lot of hope.

 

[TennisFan3]

Some astute observations from Rafa but to be honest, I think he's a much bigger favourite in this match than he's letting on. He doesn't really need his highest level or to adapt in any way to win, he knows Fed needs to have an amazing serve day and play out of his skin to have any chance.

Fed's string of victories may help him mentally but they were all on HC where the predictable bounce allows Fed to take the ball earlier and where his serve dominates against Rafa's ROS positioning. Clay all but nullifies all the advantages Fed has made recently in the match-up and they're both aware of that.

The only guy Nadal's nervous about currently in these conditions is Novak. It's a comfortable match-up for him against anyone else in the field.

I agree with your overall point.
But I think you're giving too little weight to the psychological aspect of the matchup. I rewatched the entire Miami 2017 match. I thought Nadal was playing great in that tournament, and Fed was battling and barely made it to the Final. But Rafa actually lost the match before he stepped on to the court. He was just spooked. He hasn't broken Fed for 31 service games. Basically the last time was in AO 2017.

Similar thing with Novak in 2011 vs Rafa. It started with Novak beating Nadal in IW/Miami - then basically beating/dominating him in 3 slams (Wimb/UsOpen/AO) and would have SURELY beaten him in F.O 2011 - had Fed not taken out Djokovic. Novak was dominating Nadal even on clay in 2011.

Fed getting older, has helped his game IMO. He doesn't even bother defending these days. Anything that Nadal puts midcourt is just instantly pulverized. Fed's decision-making is much clearer than it used to be.
If he had played like this when he was younger, there would be no h2h deficit, even on clay.

Fed's also playing offensive crisp tennis at F.O this year and serving as well as ever. IMO the match will be very close.
Nadal absolutely needs to dig deep and win. It's far more critical for Nadal than it is for Fed.
IF Rafa manages to let Fed get on the offensive consistently and dominate with his serve, Rafa will not only lose the match, but he will lose control of this rivalry and the whole h2h discussion will be moot. It will impact Nadal's legacy for sure.

 

[Cashman]

Fed's also playing offensive crisp tennis at F.O this year and serving as well as ever. IMO the match will be very close.

I like Federer, but aside from Rome 2006 he has never pushed Nadirt past four sets.

I've been hearing "this time it's different" every time in the last decade that they've played on clay. It never is.

 

[vernonbc]

I wondered about that too. Fed and Nadal are not the best players. Djokovic right now is.
Wonder why Rafa said that.

You mean the Djokovic that Rafa fed a bagel and a breadstick to the last time they played? You mean the Djokovic that has one FO while Rafa has eleven?

 

[JoshuaPim]

Nadal hasn't got a clue what's going to happen, like the rest of us. Roll on Friday!

 

[TennisFan3]

Nadal hasn't got a clue what's going to happen, like the rest of us. Roll on Friday!

He probably has a far better idea than most of us for sure.

 

[Sport]

Some astute observations from Rafa but to be honest, I think he's a much bigger favourite in this match than he's letting on. He doesn't really need his highest level or to adapt in any way to win, he knows Fed needs to have an amazing serve day and play out of his skin to have any chance.

Fed's string of victories may help him mentally but they were all on HC where the predictable bounce allows Fed to take the ball earlier and where his serve dominates against Rafa's ROS positioning. Clay all but nullifies all the advantages Fed has made recently in the match-up and they're both aware of that.

The only guy Nadal's nervous about currently in these conditions is Novak. It's a comfortable match-up for him against anyone else in the field.

Nadal is not afraid of anyone on clay. He knows he has 11 RG and Djokovic only 1. He knows he leads the H2H over Djokovic 6-1 at RG. He knows that if he plays at his best level on clay, no one has any chance, as he is the best clay player. Also, Novak is siginificantly worse on clay than in other surfaces.

I would say Nadal is relatively relaxed this RG compared with Federer or Djokovic. Novak is the one with more pression, as he needs to defeat the King of clay to achieve the Double Career Grand Slam, and he knows he is a worse clay player than Nadal.

 

[davced1]

What makes it so intriguing this time around is that so much has happened since last time they met on clay. Federer with 5 straight wins and probably coming in with a fresh mind. I do think Federer believes he has the chance but probably Nadal will prevail as usual but it will be exciting!

 

[yokied]

Doubting the authenticity of the OP's content. No no's, no?

 

[beltsman]

That part immediately made me think of an opposite comment Fed made before the 2017 Australian final:

"In previous times when we did play, I was never quite sure like is it really that important of a tennis match? It just is a tennis match. But I understand the importance of it and actually this time around I feel like I'm embracing it in the right way."

I always thought that was a peculiar comment from Fed. So he's saying that previously he viewer matches with Rafa as just another match, bit then he embraced the importance of it in 2017 and somehow that allowed him to play more freely? In what "way" did he embrace it?

 

[Djokovic2011]

You mean the Djokovic that Rafa fed a bagel and a breadstick to the last time they played? You mean the Djokovic that has one FO while Rafa has eleven?

Are you saying that Djokovic isn't the current best player in the world? Like, seriously?

 

[vernonbc]

Are you saying that Djokovic isn't the current best player in the world? Like, seriously?

Right now during the clay season? Yes, seriously.