Why is Nadal so difficult to break (other than mentality)?

[New Daddy]

This Nadal-Murray game is like a deja-vu of Wimbledon Final 08 in terms of Murray's break point conversion rate. Didn't Federer convert only like 2 out of 12 break points? As of now, Murray has converted 3 out of 13.

Why is Nadal so difficult to break (other than his strong mentality)? He has good serves now, but he was hard to break even in 08 when his serves were presumably not as good. Part of it I think is his judicious placement of first serves on the ad-court. His wide-out slice serve to create open court and then quick finish. (I'm digressing, but in that sense, I think the lefties have an inherent advantage over the righty in tennis by virtue of the way deuce-court and ad-court operate.)

Any other take on Nadal's high success rate of saving break points? Is there stats available on this? I'll bet Nadal's BP save rate is very high.

 

[zagor]

He's playing in a (mentally)weak era.

 

[Carsomyr]

Yes, his mentality is a large part, but also his high margin for error on his shots, even when he attacks.

 

[mellowyellow]

In this match its not been about him, its hinged on Murray playing a certain way to get to the breakpoint, but then regressing to a defensive style to play the breakpoint.

 

[cocolate]

If the opponent is able to get the BP's then it's the same converting them...it just happens that the opponents miss many.....it's a bit of luck anyway....just look how djokovic saved match points at USO'10 against federer.

 

[Sid_Vicious]

He's playing in a (mentally)weak era.

Agreed. James Blake in his prime would have converted 10 of 18 break chances by now.

 

[pound cat]

Because like all great players he plays the big points well.

 

[New Daddy]

While surfing the web, I found an interesting thread at another forum. I forgot about the FO final 07. Federer was 1/18 against Nadal. Somehow that didn't register as painful in my mind, because Federer won three slams anyway that year. In any event, the following thread also seems to rest on the analysis that it's Nadal's strong mentality + lefty advantage at the ad court.

(Why is TT blocking a link to another forum? Anyways, it's at menstennisforum.com. Just add /showthread.php?t=162218 to the address if anyone is interested.)

 

[Mainad]

Because like all great players he plays the big points well.

Totally agree.That's another area Murray needs to work on.He just couldn't play the big points today in the way Nadal did and habitually does.

 

[Bryan Swartz]

Any other take on Nadal's high success rate of saving break points? Is there stats available on this? I'll bet Nadal's BP save rate is very high.

There are, but they don't completely back up the premise here. Nadal is 10th in the ATP this year(66% saved). That's behind such greats as Ryan Sweeeting, Michael Llodra, and Nikolay Davydenko.

 

[Legend of Borg]

Because he's GOAT.

Simple as that.

 

[ubermeyer]

I have wondered this too. It's not as if his serve is killer (though it was at the US Open)