Will Nadal play Barcelona?

Will Nadal play Barcelona?


  • Total voters
    32

TennisFan3

Talk Tennis Guru
Of course Nadal's level is going to look amazing against Gimeno Traver lol. .

Well... Nadal looked pretty ordinary against Giraldo yesterday. Match was closer than the scoreline indicated. Most games went to deuce, and the Colombian hit through Nadal way too often considering it's clay. Of course Giraldo is a mental midget, his shot selection is atrocious and couldn't be consistent if his life depended on it. So he kinda gave up after 30% of the match.

Thing is Nadal is NOT his usual self on clay this year. He isn't sliding as well as he does.
His court positioning is not as aggressive. He is defending way too much, doesn't come in at all.
Compared to last year, he just does NOT have the weight of shot or the depth to hit through his opponents.
He has reverted back to the safety style: ie hitting in the middle, no angles and not close to the lines.

It may be that Nadal improves as the clay season progresses, but the current version would be at least vulnerable to Djokovic and Del Potro (with the latter having a better shot).. Of course the other players have no hope. Even a B game Nadal is better than 98% of ATP..
 
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MichaelNadal

Bionic Poster
Well... Nadal looked pretty ordinary against Giraldo yesterday. Match was closer than the scoreline indicated. Most games went to deuce, and the Colombian hit through Nadal way too often considering it's clay. Of course Giraldo is a mental midget, his shot selection is atrocious and couldn't be consistent if his life depended on it. So he kinda gave up after 30% of the match.

Thing is Nadal is NOT his usual self on clay this year. He isn't sliding as well as he does.
His court positioning is not as aggressive. He is defending way too much, doesn't come in at all.
Compared to last year, he just does NOT have the weight of shot or the depth to hit through his opponents.
He has reverted back to the safety style: ie hitting in the middle, no angles and not close to the lines.

It may be that Nadal improves as the clay season progresses, but the current version would be at least vulnerable to Djokovic and Del Potro (with the latter having a better shot).. Of course the other players have no hope. Even a B game Nadal is better than 98% of ATP..

Im hoping that it's just the fact that he hasn't been pushed that hard yet. The one time he got pushed from Murray he played a brilliant third set, so im hoping he's on cruise control now, and will play better when it matters.
 
The King? Who ? Isn't Rafa the King ? Or have things changed so much while I was absconding.

There is a guy named Novak Djokovic who has won all the tournies he had participated in. The King has defeated Rafa twice in a row coming from a set down so why would Rafa be the King?
 

cypher

Banned
There is a guy named Novak Djokovic who has won all the tournies he had participated in. The King has defeated Rafa twice in a row coming from a set down so why would Rafa be the King?

Because he is the #1 with 3 slams of course. What is this Djokovic you are talking about? Oh yea, #2 behind Nadal with a 9-16 record against him.
 

viduka0101

Hall of Fame
I think you are overdoing it by calling him a jester. Give the opponents the credit they deserve.
Do you really think the King could have won against the top 4 by just fooling around the whole time?

Djokovic - Djoker - Jokester - Jester
sounds natural, btw earlier in his career he was famous for his impressions and fooling around
not that I'm demeaning his wins, which are great and show his mental strength
 

ruerooo

Legend
Rafa's clay court game looks better in Barcelona. He wiped the floor with Gimeno-Traver this morning. Served well, groundies good, movement better, etc. I can't see him losing here.

Be cool if he played Ferrer in back to back finals

It would be cool and I hope he can.

Ferru won his match today but was apparently struggling w/some patellar tendinitis; had to call the trainer.
 

Rickenbacker4003

Hall of Fame
I see the Fedfans have abrubtly been quiet for some time now. But I do see a higher number of people living vicariously on Joker since he seems to be the only guy who can beat Nadal. How things change. Fedfans hated Joker but they hate Nadal more so they'd rather cheer for Joker instead. Pretty sad folks, pretty sad. For you, not for me. :)
 

Murrayfan31

Hall of Fame
I see the Fedfans have abrubtly been quiet for some time now. But I do see a higher number of people living vicariously on Joker since he seems to be the only guy who can beat Nadal. How things change. Fedfans hated Joker but they hate Nadal more so they'd rather cheer for Joker instead. Pretty sad folks, pretty sad. For you, not for me. :)
How about the ones that aren't Fed fans? lol
 

nadalbestclass

Hall of Fame
How about the ones that aren't Fed fans? lol

Murray fans/Fed fans. Both are in the same boat right now. ;) Apart from MichaelNadal and a few others, there were barely any Novak fans, and almost no purely Novak fans. Now all these people rooting for Novak. It's more of a disdain for Nadal than it is a like of Djokovic.
 

Agassifan

Hall of Fame
I see the Fedfans have abrubtly been quiet for some time now. But I do see a higher number of people living vicariously on Joker since he seems to be the only guy who can beat Nadal. How things change. Fedfans hated Joker but they hate Nadal more so they'd rather cheer for Joker instead. Pretty sad folks, pretty sad. For you, not for me. :)

Nah.. I guess Fed fans are just content with 16 slams, 237 consecutive weeks and 5 straight Wimbledons and USOs... and his knees are in better shape than the current No. 1.
 

Murrayfan31

Hall of Fame
Murray fans/Fed fans. Both are in the same boat right now. ;) Apart from MichaelNadal and a few others, there were barely any Novak fans, and almost no purely Novak fans. Now all these people rooting for Novak. It's more of a disdain for Nadal than it is a like of Djokovic.
Can you blame them? Look at all of Nadal's tactics to win. Signs from Uncle Toni, stalling, fake injuries, and etc.
 

Lawn Tennis

Semi-Pro
I'm a Fed fan. Traditionally Roger doesn't shine during the clay court season like the post clay court season. He didn't show us anything marvelous to talk about, plus he isn't even playing this week. I'm also a Murray fan. I think when he is truly on, nobody who has ever played tennis can beat him. I'm a Rafa fan too. I agree with the posts which mention that Rafa's game doesn't like quite like his best. I, however, imagine he doesn't need to be at his best to take atleast another masters and of course the French. And why don't people like Djoker? Just a pure talent. He's entertaining even outside of tennis.
 

Rickenbacker4003

Hall of Fame
Nah.. I guess Fed fans are just content with 16 slams, 237 consecutive weeks and 5 straight Wimbledons and USOs... and his knees are in better shape than the current No. 1.

Have fun living in the past while we live in the present and future adding more slams to the tally while yours doesn't. :)
 

TennisFan3

Talk Tennis Guru
Im hoping that it's just the fact that he hasn't been pushed that hard yet. The one time he got pushed from Murray he played a brilliant third set, so im hoping he's on cruise control now, and will play better when it matters.

In all fairness, it's actually a misnomer that Nadal played a brilliant 3rd set. He played brilliantly on ONE game alone, and that was at 5-1, where he started hitting the ball deep (closer to the lines) and with heavy pace as he usually does on clay. Nadal should have played "that" way all through the match.
Let's face it, Murray "sucks" on clay. (Nadal always gives Murray too much respect in their matchups, as if Murray were a serial grandslam winner). Murray obviously wasn't able to maintain his level in set 3 and threw away the 1st few games, which bought Nadal back in the match.

In actual fact, if Nadal is playing his usual game on clay Murray gets destroyed. It took Nadal to play one of the worst clay-matches of his career, for Murray to take a set.

Nadal converted 0/6 breakpoints, 0/3 game points. Hit TWO forehand winners in 2 hrs 15 minutes of tennis (until the 3rd game set THREE).

Will Nadal play like this ever again? I think not..
 
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Murrayfan31

Hall of Fame
In all fairness, it's actually a misnomer that Nadal played a brilliant 3rd set. He played brilliantly on ONE game alone, and that was at 5-1, where he started hitting the ball deep (closer to the lines) and with heavy pace as he usually does on clay. Nadal should have played "that" way all through the match.
Let's face it, Murray "sucks" on clay. (Nadal always gives Murray too much respect in their matchups, as if Murray were a serial grandslam winner). Murray obviously wasn't able to maintain his level in set 3 and threw away the 1st few games, which bought Nadal back in the match.

In actual fact, if Nadal is playing his usual game on clay Murray gets destroyed. It took Nadal to play one of the worst clay-matches of his career, for Murray to take a set.

Nadal converted 0/6 breakpoints, 0/3 game points. Hit TWO forehand winners in 2 hrs 15 minutes of tennis (until the 3rd game set THREE).

Will Nadal play like this ever again? I think not..
lol You are a troll. Murray played brilliantly as he always does against Nadal because Nadal's strengths go to Murray's strengths. Nadal's strength is moonballing and Murray's backhand loves moonballs to rip. Murray and Djokovic will always be a tough matchup for Nadal. Even on clay.
 

powerangle

Legend
I see the Fedfans have abrubtly been quiet for some time now. But I do see a higher number of people living vicariously on Joker since he seems to be the only guy who can beat Nadal. How things change. Fedfans hated Joker but they hate Nadal more so they'd rather cheer for Joker instead. Pretty sad folks, pretty sad. For you, not for me. :)

I see some here still like to lump all "Fedfans" together, because no way can Fedal fans or Fedjokal fans exist. No way.
 
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