Career Slam & Infinity - Rafael 'Sphere'

[MADDY]

Thread dedicated to phenom called Nadal and his fans in HUB

[MADDY]

reserved

[leosimha]

Maddy, Nadal has won back-to-back FO and Wimbledon titles 2 times so far and Federer has done it only once and that too the FO title wasn't against Nadal but Nadal has a winbledon title against Federer...

This in itself is a GREAT ACHIEVEMENT BY NADAL.... :)

[leosimha]

Rafael Nadal converts another doubter
Even the biggest Federer fans can't ignore Spaniard's tennis greatness
By Scoop Jackson
ESPN.com

I should have seen Rafael Nadal's true brilliance a long time ago. But I tried to ignore it. Ig'nant me.

Rafael Nadal has been far from invisible in recent years, but even doubters reach a tipping point and have to acknowledge what they see on the court.

Loyalty, especially in the omphalos of an epic rivalry, can do that to a person. It can block one from seeing true greatness even when it is omnipresent. Denial is for addicts, and I've been in denial too long.

For years, I have been so deeply engrossed in Roger Federer's reign that I pretended to ignore the emerging greatness of Nadal. Because Rafa became Fed's nemesis, his roadblock, the Droid to his iPhone, I never acknowledged him. Not like that. I knew he existed, but I never put him on Roger's level. I always felt that he just had Roger's number on clay. If Roger was Ali, then Nadal was Frazier to me: a great fighter, but not close to the greatest ever, just the one who gave the greatest ever problems.

But now, after watching him go through Wimbledon (and the French Open) like Larry King goes through wives, I've finally come to the place I should have been a long time ago.

Recognizing Nadal as one of the best tennis players ever was difficult. Even after he won Wimbledon in 2008 in the "greatest tennis match ever" versus Federer, I didn't allow myself to bow down.

Roger Federer has a big shadow, but Rafael Nadal is getting plenty of sun these days.

His game wasn't a thing of beauty. In a sport in which the art often is in the eye of the beholder, Rafa's style -- regardless of the success rate -- blocked me from coming over to "the dark side" of tennis. His strength overpowered his finesse. Before my conversion, I would always say that he was not better than the players he was demoralizing, just more physically gifted.

He relied on his strength the same way Andy Roddick relied on his serve. Nadal had one thing no one else had, and he used it to his advantage. To me, it made him one-dimensional. And one dimension doesn't equate to greatness. Not when one believes that Roger Federer is greater in his sport than Tiger Woods is in his.

Despite the genius of Nadal's footwork, John McEnroe's saying he "never gives an opponent anything," the spin on his shots that science still can't figure out, despite his passion, his "you have to kill me out here because I will never die" attitude and approach on the court, despite his inside-out forehand, his grinding baseline style, his speed and quickness, his ability to "outthink" the best players in the world on a regular basis, I would keep asking myself: "If you took that physical advantage away from Nadal, what would he be?"

Which was a stupid (reference "ig'nant" above) question to ask when evaluating someone's overall greatness. It's like questioning the greatness of Shaquille O'Neal without size or Floyd Mayweather without speed. But I was under a spell. Federer had me hooked.

At his current pace, Rafael Nadal could pass not only Rod Laver's Grand Slam total but also Roger Federer's.

But with Federer getting taken out (not losing, there's a difference) before the finals of the past two Grand Slams and me having to face the unacceptable realism that he has begun to slide, I forced myself to look at Nadal in a way I had refused to in the past. I had to finally appreciate.

I should know better than to underestimate challengers to the throne. I had faced a similar situation when Prince began invading territory Stevie Wonder had staked out with musical virtuosity. Need I write any more?

I ended up being wrong about that one too.

So here I am: a Nadal non-appreciator-turned-acknowledger, a Nadal adversary-turned-advocate. I never thought I'd succumb to Federer's Darth Vader. Never thought I'd be forced to give credit where credit is long overdue. But I have. He gave me no choice.

So my apologies, Rafa. Sorry it took me so long to become your witness. Now I see you for who you truly are and have been for the past three years, sans injuries and your parent's divorce. I can finally see past Roger's 16 Slam titles and fully appreciate the eight (and counting) you've claimed. And although Bjorn Borg, McEnroe and Rod Laver are the best I've ever seen, I (finally) realize that you are one of them.

One of the best I'll/we'll ever see.

Scoop Jackson is a columnist for ESPN.com.


Link - http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commentary/news/story?id=5358534

[MADDY]

what a article - the 'conversion' process has begun :clap:

[raghavendran]

brilliant article....

[raghavendran]

he is sure to brk federer's record...just 24 adhukule 8 grandslams

[leosimha]

no matter....the "conversion" process is bound to happen..... :)

[leosimha]

I just now saw that a poll has been created...wow....it is very difficult to choose...but I would like to vote for "Comeback after Injury" as all of his critics had written him off...

but it would have been nice to see this also on the polls...winning back-to-back FO and Wimbledon titles multiple times (yes...now he has 2 over 1 against Federer...) :)

[leosimha]

Nadal faces huge battle to complete career Grand Slam at US Open

2010-07-06 17:00:00

World No.1 and Wimbledon champion Rafa Nadal has said that he faces a huge battle to complete his career Grand Slam at the US Open, - despite the backing of tennis legend John McEnroe.

Nadal, who won Wimbledon for the second time on Sunday, now aims to become only the seventh man to land all four Majors.

Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Don Budge and Fred Perry are the six who have triumphed in Melbourne, Paris, London and New York.

Nadal, 24, who has also won the Australian and French Open titles, has never gone beyond the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows, with the concrete surface of the US Open being least forgiving on his limbs, as he suffers from tendinitis.

"I hope to be ready, to be healthy. Last year, I had abdominal trouble, two years ago I was totally exhausted in the semi-final with Murray after the Olympics and winning here at Wimbledon," The Sun quoted him, as saying.

"This year things might be a bit different. Now the most important thing is to rest then have three weeks like a pre-season practice in the US," he said. (ANI)


Link - http://sify.com/sports/nadal-faces-huge-battle-to-complete-career-grand-slam-at-us-open-news-news-khgrahbjjfe.html

[leosimha]

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Revitalised Rafael Nadal proves we were wrong to ever doubt him
• Spaniard hopeful of US Open success after short break
• 24-year-old has bounced back from injury worries

Simon Cambers
guardian.co.uk, Monday 5 July 2010 22.00 BST

Rafael Nadal has eight grand slam titles to his name, eight behind his rival Roger Federer.

When Rafael Nadal limped out of the ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena in London last November having failed to win a set in three matches, the whispers were becoming more like murmurings. Many were convinced that we had seen the best of the Spaniard, that his troublesome knees could not withstand the torture of pounding the courts year after year. Eight months on the 24-year-old awoke today with what must have been an unparalleled sense of satisfaction after adding a second Wimbledon title to the fifth French Open crown he won in June.

We should have known better than to even consider the possibility that Nadal would not bounce back. This is a man whose competitiveness and intensity is unrivalled in the sport, a focus, a will and a huge talent that has been rewarded with eight grand slam titles so far, with the promise of more to come. Playing within himself is not in Nadal's DNA. Rather, everything is done as if his life depends on it.

"I love the competition, sport in general and I love to practise," Nadal said as he contemplated what makes him unique, a couple of hours after his 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 victory over the Czech Tomas Berdych. "You try your best in every moment. When I go to play golf I try to do my best. When I have a football match with friends and we play five-a-side, I don't understand why not everyone is running. I don't understand sport like this. When I go to play I enjoy running, finishing the match tired, to give it my all. It is a fun match with friends but that is what I understand is sport."

As he sits well clear at the top of the world rankings after back-to-back grand slam titles, it is that intensity which sets him apart from the rest. No one fights the way Nadal does. Every time a Roger Federer or an Andy Murray takes him on, they know that he will give every ounce of his being to win. It is a knowledge that drains his opponents of their belief. He is two grand slam titles ahead of where Federer stood at his age and, if he stays healthy over the next two or three years, who knows how many he will have by the time he calls it a day.

The only thing missing from Nadal's career is a US Open triumph. In each of the past two years, he has arrived in New York injured or mentally spent and yet still managed to fight through to the semi-finals only to run out of energy on the final weekend. This year, with the benefit of a brief holiday to come, he should be better prepared, so long as the intensive treatment to his knees that he plans to have in the next few days is successful.

John McEnroe is among those who believe Nadal can do it and it seems the Spaniard believes it too. "This year things might be a bit different," Nadal said. "Now the most important thing for me is to rest in Mallorca, to enjoy the summer and then have three weeks like a mini pre-season practice there. I will try to work as I did in December, which was very good for me. I will try to do the same and be healthy to play well in Toronto, Cincinnati and the US Open."

Nadal is already almost certain to end the year as the world No1, health permitting, and if he wins in New York, he will close the gap on those above him in the list of all-time grand slam champions, with the American Bill Tilden, who dominated the sport in the 1920s, next in line on 10. The ever-humble Nadal admitted that ending the year as No1 was a goal and that records will be important to him when he retires, but said his aim, as it always has been, is to simply keep improving.

"I don't know if I can improve but I have the motivation and the desire to improve," he said. "If it is not like this I don't want to play tennis any more. If I wake up one day and I go to practise without the desire and motivation to improve, then I will stop. That is why every day you go to practise 100% and if it is not like this and you only go to train then I don't like it. I want to learn, to improve."


Link - http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/jul/05/rafael-nadal-tennis[/tscii:c38473cae7]

[wrap07]

Champion Nadal 8-) :clap:
irrepressible stuff.

nice name for the thread :)
i was just reading the article "rafa nadal converts" and it is already posted here. :)

[leosimha]

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Wimbledon 2010: Rafael Nadal rising fast on list of all-time greats

The Spaniard is only 24 but, with eight grand slam titles to his name, he is moving up the rankings of tennis legends

1 Roger Federer Switzerland

Grand slam titles 16
Career achievements

Now regarded as the greatest player of all time, the Swiss was junior champion at Wimbledon in 1998 but did not win his first grand slam title until he was almost 22 when he beat Mark Philippoussis at Wimbledon in 2003. After that he soon made up for lost time, winning three more in 2004 and going from strength to strength, dominating the tour over the next few years with his all-court brilliance. He won five successive Wimbledon titles and five consecutive US Open crowns, and his fourth Australian Open victory in January took his tally to 16. When he won his only French Open title in 2009, he became only the sixth man to complete the career grand slam of all four major titles, Wimbledon and the Australian, French and US opens. His record of reaching the semi-finals or better in 23 consecutive grand slam events may never be broken.

Success at Nadal's age Federer had won six grand slam titles.

Verdict Though he trails Nadal 14-7 in their head-to-head meetings, it is pretty hard to argue with a man who has won 16 grand slams.

2 Pete Sampras US

Grand slam titles 14
Career achievements

Shot to fame in 1990 when as a gangly teenager he upset Andre Agassi to win the US Open, having beaten Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe on the way. Possessed arguably the best serve in the history of the men's game, especially his second serve, which he could hit anywhere from the same ball toss. Not as rounded as Federer or Nadal, with a limited backhand, his speed and athleticism were top-notch and his forehand almost as big a weapon as his serve. Seven Wimbledons, five US and two Australian titles helped him to pass Roy Emerson's total of 12 slams, which looked unbeatable – until Federer. A smooth volley behind his serve made him one of the last serve‑and‑volley exponents.

Success at Nadal's age His US Open triumph in 1995 took him to seven.

Verdict His failure to win the French Open means he may never be given the same credit as Federer.

3 Roy Emerson Australia

Grand slam titles 12
Career achievements

The Australian dominated in the 1960s and actually won a record 28 grand slam titles in all, 16 of them in doubles, making him one of the all-rounders of the men's game. Though his record of 12 is perhaps skewed by the fact that half of his wins came in Australia at a time when few of the world's best players made the long journey around Christmas time. All of his titles came before the professionals were allowed in, but that should not take away from his tally of six Australian Opens, two Wimbledons and two French Opens, and many of those wins came against Rod Laver, who was widely regarded as the best ever until the era of Federer. A serve‑and‑volley player at heart, he still managed to adapt his natural game to the clay of Paris and he was one of the first players to really espouse the virtues of sheer fitness.

Success at Nadal's age No grand slam titles.

Verdict Far better than he is given credit for, but the professional era certainly helped his cause.

=4 Rod Laver Australia

Grand slam titles 11
Career achievements

Nicknamed the Rockhampton Rocket for his style of play and the town he hailed from, the left-handed Australian was regarded by many to be the greatest before Federer came along, and by many even afterwards. Laver was an exceptional athlete, with a brilliant topspin forehand, helped by a massive forearm. Laver remains the only man to win the grand slam – in 1962 and 1969 – an achievement all the more remarkable because the second time was as a professional, having not played on the regular tour for many years until events became open to all in 1968. His ability to take defeat as well as victory made him loved by his peers and the public alike and there are many who will still say he was the best of all time.

Success at Nadal's age Five slam titles.

Verdict He lifted the game to another level and will anyone ever again win the grand slam twice?

=4 Björn Borg Sweden

Grand slam titles 11
Career achievements

The Swede with the coolest mind in the game. Borg took the use of topspin to another level in the 1970s, dominating both the grass courts of Wimbledon and the clay courts of the French Open. Five successive titles at Wimbledon from 1976 endeared him to the British public, who loved his looks, style and the contrast with Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe. With stamina to burn and an icy temperament that never looked like it would crack, he was nigh unbeatable on clay, winning at Roland Garros six times, and three times he won the French and Wimbledon in the same year, something only Nadal, now on two occasions, has done since.

Success at Nadal's age All 11 of his grand slam titles.

Verdict Would have won more titles if he had even played in Australia, his only failure was not winning the US Open.

6 Bill Tilden US

Grand slam titles 10
Career achievements

The American was one of the first men to really employ the use of a big serve, thanks in part to his 6ft 2in frame, which at that time was well above average and which prompted him to be affectionately called "Big" Bill Tilden. Though he played in the 1920s when there was no Australian Open, he racked up the titles, especially at the US Open where he was triumphant seven times, six in a row between 1920 and 1925. He also won three Wimbledon titles to reach double figures and later wrote several coaching manuals that were used for many years to come.

Success at Nadal's age Yet to win a grand slam title.

Verdict Always hard to assess an era so long ago, but he dominated for a decade, which can't be bad.

=7 Rafael Nadal Spain

Grand slam titles 8
Career achievements

Like Laver and Borg before him, the Spaniard has taken the game to a new level with a style of play that no one has ever produced before. Hitting the ball with an almost outrageous amount of topspin but with venom to match, Nadal was a well-built teenager who won his first grand slam title at the age of 19, when he claimed the first of five French Open titles to date. His athleticism is unmatched and no one covers the court the way he does. With one Australian Open and a second Wimbledon title today, he joins Ken Rosewall, Fred Perry, Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi and Ivan Lendl on eight grand slam wins.
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Link - http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/jul/04/rafael-nadal-wimbledon-legends

[leosimha]

BBC pundits on Rafael Nadal's win over Tomas Berdych

The matador Nadal tames Berdych

By Boris Becker
Three-time Wimbledon champion

I've seen Rafa Nadal play better this week but whenever he needed to raise his game, at the end of each set, he did, he went up a gear.
Maybe Berdych was overwhelmed at being in a Grand Slam final but he's got the game and the power, which you can't learn, and it's just a case now of putting himself into semis and finals and earning the experience.
We've been expecting him to break through for a couple of years but [fellow Czech and eight-time Grand Slam winner] Ivan Lendl also came through late and he went on winning for a good few years.
We shouldn't forget how good Rafa is - he's got the best footwork and that extreme forehand grip and if you're a fraction too late on it it's impossible to get it back, it really is an impressive shot.
He's won the French and Wimbledon twice now in the same year and that speaks volumes, that's an almost impossible thing to do.
If he's physically able he can dominate tennis as Roger Federer has done these last few years.

By John Lloyd
Former GB Davis Cup captain

You felt Tomas Berdych had to win the first set but he was a bit nervous when he came out and Rafa Nadal's standard was so high from the beginning. Rafa just didn't let him in, Berdych's weapons were neutralised.
Rafa plays the big points well, that's what champions do - when they're break point down, their first serves go in, and he does it over and over again, that's why he's so great.
When anyone's up against Nadal, they look across the net and know everything has to be almost perfect, so they go out of their zone and try a bit too much. You want to play the way you usually play, but end up looking at who you're playing.
It was the same with Andy Murray in the semi-final, as soon as he lost the second set you thought 'he can't realistically win three in a row against Rafa', because Rafa's standard never drops, it's the same pressure over and over again.
Berdych seems to have got the mental aspect right because he also reached the semi-final of the French Open this year, but to win a Grand Slam he has to improve a few things, such as when to come forward.
As for Rafa, he's a crossover star - whether you like tennis or not you love this man. The look, the way he interviews, the brand of tennis, the fire and passion on court. When is he ever going to wind down? He looks like he could go on forever
Winning Wimbledon after the French Open is amazing because that is the toughest four weeks in tennis - winning two Grand Slams in the space of four weeks on surfaces as different as clay and grass is unbelievable.
He could now go on to beat Roger Federer's number of Grand Slam victories (Nadal now has eight, Federer has 16) - he's that good, absolutely. Although, while Roger Federer's domination may be over, we can't count him out of future Grand Slams.
But Rafa's got to plan it right and it will be interesting to see what tournaments he plays before the US Open - winning that will be a huge ambition, but even when he wins easy, that style of play takes it out of your body.

By Greg Rusedski
Former world number four

Once Rafa Nadal got the initiative it was one-way traffic - Berdych created a few break points but couldn't convert them.
Rafa is just so determined and focused. In the first round Rafa played great but all of a sudden he struggled, needing five sets in the second and third rounds and we were thinking we might get a Brit in the final. But Rafa was sensational from the semi-finals on.
Berdych was not the same player as we saw against Roger Federer in the quarter-finals and Novak Djokovic in the semis, but the combination of Nadal's 'leftie' serve and his brutal hitting is very difficult.
If you want to compete you have to get the mix right, not just hit from the back of the court. Berdych has to add that dimension, he always had problems leaving the baseline.
Five years ago we talked about him being a top-five player and challenging for Grand Slams, so it's taken a while, and I'd like to see him improve his movement forward and learning when to come in.
Rafa's a great ambassador for the game, he says all the right things and him and Roger are the best thing to have happened to men's tennis. Rafa knows what to say, how to behave and how to react with fans.
And Rafa can win the French Open and Wimbledon one after the other because he can adjust and has the strongest mind - when people were writing him off because of injuries, he came back better.
Unfortunately for all you Federer fans out there, this guy's going to be number one for a long time.
Rafa's organising his schedule better and if he stays healthy - which is a big question, your body starts breaking down when you reach 26 - Federer's number of Grand Slam victories will be in jeopardy.


Link - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/8787017.stm

[MADDY]

superb articles, thnx for posting them Leo :clap: .......lets breakway from the rest to form a Rafa island :-)

[MADDY]

i think comeback from injury is the greatest thing Nadal has done - but lets see the voting

[leosimha]

FEDERER v NADAL - WHO'S THE GREATEST?
By Andy Schooler

Roger Federer has rewritten chapter after chapter of tennis history over the past seven years.

Pundits, fans and even players expected many of his figures to stand for a considerable length of time.

Yet now the talk is of those records themselves being surpassed by none other than one of his contemporaries.

Rafael Nadal's Wimbledon victory means he is now halfway to Federer's all-time record haul of 16 Grand Slam titles - the record many will always judge the sport's greatest by - and set the debate about who's the best back in motion.

As renowned coach Nick Bollettieri said this week, "it's utterly extraordinary that we can even pose the question," yet that's exactly what I and many others are now doing.

Will, in just a few years' time, the brilliant Nadal be regarded as an even better player than the remarkable Federer? Many already feel it's more than a possibility.

For example, in the immediate aftermath of Sunday's final, Greg Rusedski said: "Federer's record is in danger if Rafa can stay healthy."

Nadal's injury record, of course, will be a key element as to whether he can usurp Federer's incredible tally.

I've long written on this site of my concerns for Nadal and his chronic knee problems and although he's managed to win both the French Open and Wimbledon in the past two months, it would be foolish to suggest he's now fully healed.

The problem was mentioned by Nadal after his five-set win over Philipp Petzschner in SW19 and he was even saying in the second week that he "didn't know" if the knees would hold up.

Schedule management will be crucial for Nadal in the future. He's already made one good decision by skipping Barcelona during the claycourt season this year. It will now be interesting to see what he does on the less-forgiving hardcourt surfaces in North America.

That brings us to another point that will be a big determining factor in any future 'who's the best' debate.

Nadal's least successful surface has been hard and he's yet to claim the US Open title.

He admitted after beating Tomas Berdych in London that success at Flushing Meadows is now a major goal for him.

By winning in New York, Nadal would become only the seventh man to win all four majors; without it many will always rate Federer above him.

It was something I always pointed out in the Pete Sampras-Andre Agassi debate in the 90s. Agassi, of course, won on all four surfaces; Sampras - despite his huge haul elswehere - could never win on the clay of Roland Garros.

Moving on, and head-to-head record is another key stat which is sure to play a big part in the Nadal-Federer argument.

I've lauded Federer to the roof in the past but have never really had an answer for those who have pointed out his poor record against Nadal.

The Spaniard now leads their series 14-7 and although the majority of those contests (12) have taken place on Nadal's favoured clay, there's no doubting who's been best in recent years - Nadal leads 6-1 over the past two and a half seasons.

If our debate to focus on the question of style, Federer would be widely picked as the greatest. His shot-making took the game to a new level, while his movement has been a major factor in his success (and his lack of injuries).

Yet Nadal's more defensive game is hardly without its spectacular shots and it would be harsh to suggest he's not as entertaining to watch.

Many of the points raised above are ones which cannot provide a definitive answer to 'who's best' for some time yet.

So where are we right now? Well, a good reference point is surely age.

Nadal's Wimbledon win - his eighth at Grand Slam level - came a month after his 24th birthday.

At 24 years and a month, Federer had just won the 2005 US Open, his sixth major.

But it was what happened next that really boosted his position among - or should that be above - the other greats.

In the two seasons that followed, Federer won six of the eight Grand Slam titles on offer.

Nadal will do extremely well to match that but if he does, then surely tennis will be looking at its greatest ever player.


Link - http://www.sportinglife.com/tennis/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=tennis/10/07/07/manual_122941.html

[leosimha]

yes...comeback from injury is the greatest....he silenced his critics...and answered them on the court... :)

[leosimha]

superb articles, thnx for posting them Leo :clap: .......lets breakway from the rest to form a Rafa island :-)

thank you.. :)

[leosimha]

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Hard Work Behind the Scenes
Rafael Nadal's coaching team reveals the secrets of his fitness

By BARRY FLATMAN

At full stretch: resilience training is important to prepare Rafael Nadal for the strain of playing, especially on clay.

When Rafael Nadal first emerged on the ATP World Tour just before his 16th birthday, his new rivals in the locker room shared expressions of both amazement and fear that somebody so young could look so strong.

Within a couple of years esteemed champions such as John McEnroe and Boris Becker were using terms like 'freak' and 'monster' to describe the Majorcan. They were not being derogatory, but rather expressing wry praise together with a certain amount of envy. [b]The boy with the bulging muscles was clearly destined to become a who was going to leave an indelible mark on the sport.

Now, of course, Mr. Nadal is world number one and the first player this year to officially qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, which will again be contested at London's 02 Arena in November. He also remains the benchmark of strength and power in his sport that others seek to emulate.

Mr. Nadal has been troubled by fitness issues in the last couple of years with most of the concern focusing on his knees. In 2009, pain in his legs prevented him from defending the Wimbledon title he won two years ago and struck again in January when he was forced to retire after two sets of the Australian Open quarter-final against Andy Murray. It is therefore testament to his huge determination that he was already got his name down for the prestigious climax to the tennis year, one of the most arduous calendars in sport, which weaves its way around the world for ten testing months.

It is also testament to the work of his fitness and conditioning team. Angel Ruiz Cortorro, Joan Forcades and Rafael Maymo may not be names that are familiar to the legions of Rafa fans, but the trio has been hugely important throughout the Spaniard's career. They have always preferred anonymity, letting Mr. Nadal's exploits do the talking. And like so many support teams of leading sportsman, they fiercely guard the secrets of the training facilities and the weeks of preparation.

Accurate break-downs of actual training sessions and chronicled performance records are closely guarded secrets. Team Nadal sees no upside to revealing confidential information that could prove useful to his rivals.

Natural Strength
Those close to Mr. Nadal are prepared to divulge that he is an individual endowed with huge natural strength. Genetically speaking, this isn't so surprising. One of his uncles is the once-fearsome Migel Angel Nadal, or the 'Beast of Barcelona', who during his time at the Nou Camp won five La Liga titles and the European Cup along with 62 international caps for Spain. His career and reputation were founded on tremendous physical displays.

Like his uncle, Mr. Nadal appreciates the value of training and preparation. Dr. Cotorro is the Barcelona-based doctor who treats several tennis players and has long enjoyed the confidence of the Nadal family. He describes Mr. Nadal as a "very special athlete," with abnormal amounts of energy and explosiveness. "He mixes the explosive pace of a 200-meter runner with the resistance of a marathon runner," says Dr. Cotorro.

Like Dr. Cotorro, Joan Forcades is rarely seen in the players' entourage during tournaments. In fact he is a physical education teacher from the player's hometown of Manacor. Twelve years ago, Toni Nadal, Mr. Nadal's uncle and coach, asked Mr. Forcades to devise a training program to bulk up his nephew.

Mr. Forcades continues to supervise the serious training his young protégé conducts during the brief off-season that follows the ATP World Tour Finals and the Davis Cup final. Base camp is in the Nadal family residence in Manacor on the Torre del Palau, at Ruby Rector Square, near the Church of Virgen de los Dolores. Here Mr. Forcades has overseen the installation of a state-of-the-art gymnasium, complete with several high-tech machines.

"We work on different types of movements, with changes in speed and direction. That's how we improve his speed of movement, so Rafa can change direction quickly and easily," says Mr. Forcades. "We also use a 'bosu' [an inflatable training ball with one flat side] to work on coordination, footwork, movement and balance."

The physical work is at its most intense during late November and December. Unlike Andy Murray, Mr. Nadal does not pound the running track with multiple repetitions of 400-meter sprints to build up cardiovascular strength. The state of the Spaniard's knees dictate a lot of the training. Instead Mr. Nadal prefers high-impact aerobic work. In the weights room he does compensation work for his arms and back. And, unsurprisingly for a native of the Mediterranean, the swimming pool and the sea also figure prominently in his training regime.

Court Work
If Mr. Nadal is able to get home for a week or two between tournaments during the course of the season, the work is more focused on the tennis court with short sprinting routines as well as repetitive drills with the racket in hand. Mr. Forcades says: "Mostly we train towards more aggressive tennis to improve his footwork, coordination and explosive strength. The aim is that he doesn't wear himself out in matches."

Resilience is paramount in the Nadal training regime. He will often work with a balance board to boost the responses of muscle and improve reaction time. "You have to work on hip strength, particularly on clay when points on last longer," says Mr. Forcades. "Resistance is very important and we have to improve Rafa's recovery time."

Mr. Maymo is part of the regular support crew alongside Uncle Toni. He is the physiotherapist who prepares Mr. Nadal for matches and then supervises the hugely important warm-down or recovery period. Several hours of stretching is a very important part of the daily routine both as a warm up, an exercise in itself and then recovery.

Mr. Forcades says: "Rafa works on his joints in the morning when he gets up. Then he does lots of stretching. Afterwards there is also lots of hydrotherapy where he submerges his body first in a hot bath, then in an ice bath."

Finally, there is the all-important issue of diet. During weeks of competition, the majority of any athlete's intake revolves around carbohydrates, in the form of pasta, together with fresh vegetables. Mr. Nadal is also known to be a great fish eater, which is his main source of protein. He is allowed treats such as chocolate, salty Majorcan biscuits named Quely and his grandmother's special cake. He never drinks tea or coffee and is not allowed to eat meat on the day before a match.

According to his team, Mr. Nadal is a self-motivated individual when it comes to exerting himself on the tennis court. But occasionally he requires some cajoling when it is time for more mundane exercise in the gym. Tennis is perceived to be an individual sport. But without his support team, it is unlikely that the Spaniard would be the world number one.

Mr. Flatman is the tennis correspondent of The Sunday Times.


Link - http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703571704575340960041837420.html[/tscii:9fe09e9f0a]

[leosimha]

[tscii:fbd73454e6]

Nadal joins the greats
World No. 1 says he wants to improve on every surface

Neil Harman

Rafael Nadal crushed the challenge of Tomas Berdych to become Wimbledon’s first £1 million title-holder on Sunday and match Bjorn Borg’s 32-year record of straight-sets wins in finals of the French Open and at the All England Club in the same year.

Borg, who won £19,000 for his efforts in 1978, was in the front row on Centre Court as Nadal, the 24-year-old world No. 1, defeated Berdych, of the Czech Republic, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 in two hours and 13 minutes of tennis higher on tension than it was on stroke-making.

Berdych could not dig as deep when it mattered as he had in defeating Roger Federer, the holder, and Novak Djokovic, the world No. 3, in the quarter finals and semi-finals respectively.

Nadal accepted that he had been more nervous than he expected in his fourth Wimbledon final in five years. He had lost twice to Federer and defeated the Swiss in a memorable climax in 2008 before returning Sunday having missed the championships last year through injury.

It may have had something to do with being the underdog against Federer, but the firm favourite against Berdych, the No. 12 seed. “If you are not nervous in a Wimbledon final, you are not human,” Nadal said.

“I was a little bit lucky in a few moments but I have just tried my best in practice, in the matches all the times. Every one of these is more special and this was not an easy year for me. To finish with the trophy here is really amazing. I didn’t expect anything before the match, except to fight on every point like it was the last.

“If you want to play well, you have to find a way to win. I move very well on this court and that is very important for me. It is important to play on grass a little bit more aggressive than on the other surfaces. But the main thing is to want to improve all the time, on all surfaces. Now it is time to enjoy the beach, fishing, golf, friends, party and Majorca.”

Nadal also had a word of praise for the Wimbledon crowds. He was astonished that, on semi-finals day, on Friday, they appeared to be split almost down the middle in support for him and Andy Murray, the British No. 1.

“It is the best crowd of the world,” he said. “More respect they have that for every player. For sure the crowd supported Andy, but they were supporting me a lot as well. That is unbelievable. I can only thank them for that.”

With his victory, Nadal joined Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Ken Rosewall and Fred Perry as a holder of eight Grand Slam singles titles. He has won eight of his past ten finals and has won the past five he has contested.

Berdych rises to a career high of No. 8 on the ATP Tour this week. “There are not that many weaker parts to his game,” the Czech said of Nadal. “I tried to play my best. It was really tough to find some special tactic to beat him, it was just to concentrate on myself, start well and hope I found some little chances. But he took them, not me.

“I need to grow up a little, get a bit more experienced and be more patient on court. The biggest difference between us was that when he got a chance, he just took it.

“He gave me one [break point] in the second set, one in the third set, and none of them I can bring to my side and just make a break. That just shows how strong he is.”


Link - http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100706/jsp/sports/story_12650797.jsp[/tscii:fbd73454e6]

[Plum]

World No. 1 says he wants to improve on every surface


AhA - manasu vechuttAnyA, manasu vechuttAnyA! ini yaarum thadukka mudiyAdhu!

[Rocky89]

World No. 1 says he wants to improve on every surface


AhA - manasu vechuttAnyA, manasu vechuttAnyA! ini yaarum thadukka mudiyAdhu!

neenga kannu vaikaatheenga :twisted: :P

[wrap07]

http://www.tennisthoughts.com/2010/06/02/why-rafael-nadal-wins-key-points-and-big-matches/

[tscii:6d0971a455] Why Rafael Nadal Wins Key Points And Big Matches

Rafael Nadal is one of the best players in the world because he has a very smart plan on how to play key points.

The perfect example of that were the two tie-breaks he won against Nicolas Almagro today in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros.

The first tie-break was played in a very controlled way (playing high percentage tennis) but the second tie-break was a masterpiece of tactics and intelligence.

Here’s what happened:

1. Nadal played a serve & volley on the first point. Almagro returned the serve on the T with a sliced backhand and Nadal had an easy volley. This was Nadal’s only third serve & volley in the match so far.

He played the first one on a break point in the first set and won it easily too as Almagro of course didn’t expect Nadal to serve & volley.

The reason why Nadal serve & volleyed on the first point of the tie-break was because Almagro returned most of the serves down the T with a sliced backhand.

Nadal recognized the pattern and knew that Almagro would most likely return the serve with a slice again. Combine that knowledge with a surprise approach to the net and Nadal has simply outsmarted Almagro.

2. Almagro took control of the rally in the second point and had Nadal stretched out wide on the forehand side. Nadal has neutralized those attacks in most cases (my best guess is in 9 out of 10 times) with a loopy cross court shot to Almagro’s backhand and that’s what Almagro was expecting.

Nadal knew that and decided to play a wrong footing counter attack forehand down the line which Almagro was not expecting. Again, Nadal outsmarted Almagro.

3. On the third point, Nadal again played a shot that he has never played until that point in the match. He attacked Almagro’s second serve with an inside out forehand and of course surprised him again. That was a third point in a row where Nadal played shot that surprised Almagro…

4. Nadal served the fourth point of the tie-break and stretched Almagro wide. Almagro returned the ball down the middle and the most obvious shot for Nadal was to play to open court.

But again Nadal played a shot that was not expected by Almagro – the short cross court wrong footing forehand winner. 4-0 to Nadal…

5. and 6. Almagro won next two points with very aggressive forehands where Nadal didn’t stand a chance.

7. He again took control of the seventh point where he attacked Nadal’s backhand from which Nadal played a neutralizing deep shot in most cases until that point. But he again chose a shot that Almagro didn’t expect – a very aggressive counter attacking backhand cross court shot which was a winner.

8. On the eighth point Nadal played one of his favorite patterns of play (choosing a tactical combo with the highest probability of winning the point): he served out wide, forced a sliced backhand return from Almagro and won the point with an inside out forehand winner.

9. With a 5:2 lead he again attempted a courageous backhand counter attacking shot but missed it.

10. He made a backhand winner from behind the baseline on the final point of the tie-break.

And that’s what Nadal does to his opponents on key points. He is very intelligent and recognizes the patterns of play that happen most of the time during the match and then plays something else on purpose. Those are his aces up the sleeve and he simply outsmarts his opponents on key points.

It’s what really separates the top few guys in the rankings from the guys who are ranked slightly below.

It was a joy watching Almagro taking Nadal without fear and I hope he learns some new ideas from that match and eventually reaches the rankings and success that he is capable of.

[/tscii:6d0971a455]

[raghavendran]

yes...comeback from injury is the greatest....he silenced his critics...and answered them on the court... :) 8-)

[leosimha]

[tscii:6843850657]

Raefel Nadal…A complete player

After this year’s Wimbledon championship it could be said that Raefel Nadal is emerging as a complete player. Federer could not put up a good show may be due to his injury but at the end of the day these are counted just as excuses what actually matters is the victory.

It was said that Nadal is a better player on clay court but he has improvised and played well on the green grass too. Winning the Wimbledon is the dream of every tennis player. By winning this title he not only proved that he could play well on grass surface but also achieved his biggest dream. His best match in this tournament was against Andy Murray. Though the final match was quite erratic for him. He could feel the pressure. It just took him around 133 minutes to become the champion. Injuries are always a reason to worry for the players. Before the match began Nadal was also worried about his health. Besides this he was also worried about the surface. Grass is not considered to be his specialty but as it is said, where there’s a will, there’s a way. There’s no doubt now that Nadal possesses all the qualities of a champion.


Link - http://www.eworldpost.com/raefel-nadal%E2%80%A6a-complete-player-2626.html[/tscii:6843850657]

[leosimha]

http://www.tennisthoughts.com/2010/06/02/why-rafael-nadal-wins-key-points-and-big-matches/

[tscii:21aec623df] Why Rafael Nadal Wins Key Points And Big Matches

And that’s what Nadal does to his opponents on key points. He is very intelligent and recognizes the patterns of play that happen most of the time during the match and then plays something else on purpose. Those are his aces up the sleeve and he simply outsmarts his opponents on key points.

[/tscii:21aec623df]

:cool:

:clap: wow...what a detailed analysis given by the tennis pro... :notworthy:

thank you...wrap07... :)

[leosimha]

[tscii:b1f0b96d63]

Rafael Nadal: King of Clay en route to becoming King of Grass

Posted By: Christopher Mayers Posted In: Tennis 6 hours, 8 minute(s) ago

Rafael Nadal: King of Clay en route to becoming King of Grass

Rafael Nadal Parera, nicknamed ‘Rafa’, is a left-handed Spanish Gun hailing from the town of Manacor on the Spanish Mediterranean island of Majorca. He started playing tennis at the age of three, when his uncle and coach to date, Toni Nadal, an ex tennis pro, introduced him to the racket. He recognized the natural talent Nadal had for tennis and started coaching him. Noticing that the boy played forehand strokes with two hands, Toni made him switch from Right-Handed to Left-Handed. This explains Rafa writing with his right hand and being Left-Handed at the court. His impressive winning streak at the ‘Roland Garros’ French Open from 2005 to 2008 earned him the title of ‘King of Clay’. His loss to 23rd seed Robin Soderling in 2009 in the fourth round of the French Open brought an end to his 31 match winning streak on clay. The match, which was termed as one of the biggest upsets in tennis, brought Nadal down from No. 1 ranking that he held for most of that year. In June 2010, Nadal regained his lost pride when he beat Soderling, now 5th seeded, in a straight sets victory of 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. Nadal’s strong arm helped him clinch his 5th French Open title and 7th Grand Slam.

Nadal is often compared to Björn Borg due to his clay court dominance. This doesn’t come as a surprise as his coach Toni admired the Swede. "Because I remember Borg," Toni Nadal said, "Borg was the best. It's difficult to win a point against him.” After his 5th French Open title, he is only one title behind Borg’s record of six French Open titles.

His major victories in the French Opens already proved Rafa’s strength on clay court. What wasn’t expected by most was that the young player could also score on grass, that too against Roger Federer, ‘The Greatest Player of Tennis’. In a fierce battle of archrivals, Nadal beat Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8-10), 9-7 to clinch his first Wimbledon title in 2008. In what was the longest and perhaps the most dramatic final of all time, Nadal proved the evolution his game was going through.

Grass courts are both slower and slipperier in contrast to clay courts. The players that generally do well on grass courts are the serve and volley players. Due to the bad bounces that often occur on grass courts, the speed with which the shot is returned matters the most on such courts. As a result, the aggressive players gain a distinct advantage over defensive players. Generally, the players that are great on clay courts aren’t so good on grass courts, and vice versa. The grass courts used in Wimbledon are 100% rye grass courts. This makes the courts even slower compared to the other grass courts.

Nadal, who is known for his ferocity, is basically defensive in his style of play; hence he gains advantage on clay courts. But the left handed shots don’t come naturally to the right handed Nadal. As a result, he struggles with serves and volleys, a major advantage on grass courts. At the same time, his chronic knee problem is somewhat subdued on grass courts, thanks to the easy on knees rye grass. Playing style on grass also means taking shorter fast steps which prevents any major strain on the knees.

Despite the fact that the odds of winning on grass were against him, the Spaniard scored again. This time he beat Tomas Berdych 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 to clinch his second Wimbledon title. This victory came unexpectedly, especially to his critics. A major part of this success was impacted by him improving his ground shots. This tilted the advantage on low bouncing grass courts to his side. Although Tomas’s immense serve power was a force to reckon with, it couldn’t stop Nadal from lifting the Wimbledon title. This victory was the 8th major crown for him and came at an age of just 24. This makes him halfway through to Federer’s 16 Grand Slams. The young player, although majorly powerful on clay, is still evolving, as was proved in his Wimbledon win. He surely has a long way to go, but the future seems bright for him if he can effectively tackle his knee problem and put more control in his game. His known defensive style has also seen a shift towards an aggressive one during this year’s Wimbledon. The prospects for Nadal to join the club of those few dominant on both clay and grass are high if he can get more wins on grass. His evolving game might in the future lead him to become ‘The King of Grass’.


Link - http://blogs.bettor.com/Rafael-Nadal-King-of-Clay-en-route-to-becoming-King-of-Grass-a15627[/tscii:b1f0b96d63]

[leosimha]

Nadal versus Federer; who is a better player?

Posted By: Christopher Mayers Posted In: Tennis 1 hour, 13 minute(s) ago

Nadal versus Federer; who is a better player?

Two world class players; one known as Rafael Nadal and the second Roger Federer have taken tennis to a whole new level.

All through the last decade, both of these tennis players have ruled men's tennis nearly solely. With massively distinct individualities as well as styles, they have each casted their positions in the records of tennis history and maintain to make their mark.

Their contestation is remarkable. Each has taken full advantage exceedingly, from the other around the net on a number of important events.

Federer took advantage from having a real contender authenticate his charm after Andy Roddick turned out to be a much smoother nut to break, while Nadal's advantage has come with his embodiment, in the run of brilliance and his turning even brilliant in the process.

There are grumblings and rustling from tennis fans as well as some major critics of the game. A question that is beginning to put on some actual weight, should Nadal not anymore be taken as the Agassi to Federer's Sampras, but a lot more than that? Should he begin to be looked more like the same and less of a colleague?

Some may study this surprised and amazed. How can you put them side by side when one has half the overall quantity of Grand Slams? How can you even think about them as equal?

While comparing them in terms of their class and greatness, there is a need to first consider the factors that assess the level of greatness, particularly when putting the real stars of the game side by side.

Of course, the Grand Slam numbers the greatest factor, but at times that portion of a player's bequest, can out shine other important achievements that are fairly as significant, yet go hardly detected or recalled.

For example, Nadal will presumably add a slide of extra World Tour Masters thousand championship trophies to his professional life of eighteen, all by age twenty four.

One of the greatest luminary characteristic of the Federer/Nadal competition is that it is the only particular contestation in the open era, in which the presumed better player with more Grand Slam titles has an important losing history in both overall games and more noticeably, the Grand Slam events themselves.

Whether it was McEnroe / Borg, Sampras /Agassi, Rosewall/Laver or any other pair their track records were either quite similar or totally opposite.

At the moment, this argument has Nadal ruling with a 14-7 triumphing record, and more significantly, a 6-2 (5-2 in finals) history in major finals. Generally, Nadal leads 10-3 on clay court and both the players are tied 3-3 as far as hard-courts are concerned where as Federer is ahead with 2-1 on grass courts.

While the general history is unquestionably telling, it is the Grand Slam finals where the actual debate bears water.

With three victories at Roland Garros, and one success each at the grass court Grand Slam event as well as the Australian Open tournament, Nadal has proved that he can knock down Federer on all kinds of tennis courts, on the other hand Federer has hammered down Nadal just on the grass courts of Wimbledon at the All England Club.

On top of everything, Rafa hold a 7-3 record against the tennis master Roger Federer in the final matches of the World Tour Masters championships (6-3 Masters 1000). Now those victories are mostly, if not all of them, on clay courts but they are victories nevertheless.

Keeping all these stats aside, the truth of the matter however is that Roger Federer is definitely a legendary tennis star as far as his comparison with the 2010 Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal is concerned, there is certainly no one superior to one another in terms of class and flair of the game of tennis. Federer has the slam history, but Nadal is definitely a better player overall in terms of their match history as proof.


Link - http://blogs.bettor.com/Nadal-versus-Federer-who-is-a-better-player-a15653

[Sanjeevi]

US open truimph panni 10 GS thandattum, appuram compare pannalam :lol2:

[Plum]

Does Nadal have an unfavourable head-to-head record with *any* player, at all?

[Sanjeevi]

Does Nadal have an unfavourable head-to-head record with *any* player, at all?

Andy Murray?

[leosimha]

McEnroe Tips Rafa for Slam

Posted By: Jonatthen Richard Posted In: Tennis 16 hours, 12 minute(s) ago

McEnroe Tips Rafa for Slam

Tennis legend, John McEnroe, has tipped Rafael Nadal to win all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same year at some point during the course of his career.
McEnroe says that Nadal is one of the leading figures in a gifted generation of sportsmen that has seen the standards in tennis raised to new heights. Nadal is about to embark upon a quest to win the US Open to go with his French Open and Wimbledon titles.
The American says it is really not beyond the realm of possibility that Nadal will win all four events during a single season at some stage during his career. This is something that has eluded some very good players in the past and is something that only the fittest and most agile professionals can complete.
Nadal has a lot going for him if this is something that he is going to do during his career. However, there are many reasons for pessimism, which could crop up at some point and halt Nadal in his quest to complete the Grand Slam.

Style and Form

McEnroe has always been an admirer of the way that Nadal plays. He argues that Nadal has one of the best techniques in tennis, which makes him difficult to play against. His style allows him to put whip and dip on the ball, which wins him a lot of points that he could rightly be considered out of.
He's never been in better form throughout his career. He is fit, playing well and very agile. This allows him to go from Slam to Slam carrying the same energy and enthusiasm, which is created by wins and confidence.
Nadal will now have the belief that he can win all four tournaments in a single season. He has still to win the US Open for the first time but he looks like the best player around at the moment by an absolute mile and this will give him confidence within himself if there are any small doubts.

Reasons for Pessimism

Nadal has been in very good form and fitness before but his knees have always been a part of his body that have gone wrong at the worst time. His knees will be really tested on the hard courts of the US Open and this is something he will have to keep an eye on.
Although there is a very good chance that Nadal could complete a full Grand Slam, it's very important to remember that he is playing in one of the best generations in tennis history. This makes it very difficult for any player to win more than maybe two events in a row because there are so many players who can win.
Some would also argue whether Nadal has the consistency to win four Grand Slam events back to back. You have to remember that other players are always going to raise their game when they play him and this is what nearly tripped him up at Wimbledon. He has to keep performance levels high.

Advice

Nadal is as capable as anyone else who has completed a Grand Slam of tennis wins in the past. He has the technique, the confidence and the fitness. The real test will be when he faces someone who wants it just as badly as he does.
If you can get good odds on this eventuality then it is worth a little bet but you have to consider how difficult a Grand Slam would be for someone playing professional tennis at this moment in time because it would take a real majestic run of form and wins.


Link - http://blogs.bettor.com/McEnroe-Tips-Rafa-for-Slam-a15564

[leosimha]

Does Nadal have an unfavourable head-to-head record with *any* player, at all?

Andy Murray?

No..it is 8-3 for Nadal against Murray

[Plum]

Does Nadal have an unfavourable head-to-head record with *any* player, at all?

Andy Murray?

8-3 against Murray. The man just doesnt leave anything to chance :-)

But it will take atleast another 2 years for him to reasonably match Fed in Hard Courts and Wimbledon(oru 3-4 titleAvadhu jeyichA dhAnE King of Grass Aga mudiyin..) adhu varaikkum namma ipdi kELvi kEttE samAlichukkalAm.

adhukkappuram nenaichA dhAn....:shaking:

[leosimha]

Nadal has a record of 4-3 against Del Potro and has a 2-3 record against Del Potro on Hard Courts...

[Plum]

Rightu appO Del Potro dhAN "King of Hard Courts" :yes:

[leosimha]

Rightu appO Del Potro dhAN "King of Hard Courts" :yes:

:lol: :rotfl: :lol2: idhuvum paathudalaam...

[Sanjeevi]

Rightu appO Del Potro dhAN "King of Hard Courts" :yes:

:lol: :rotfl: :lol2: idhuvum paathudalaam...

:lol: adhu romba hard aachE

[leosimha]

Rightu appO Del Potro dhAN "King of Hard Courts" :yes:

:lol: :rotfl: :lol2: idhuvum paathudalaam...

:lol: adhu romba hard aachE

hmm...hard for people like us...but not for Nadal... :cool:

[MADDY]

Rightu appO Del Potro dhAN "King of Hard Courts" :yes:

:lol: :rotfl: :lol2: idhuvum paathudalaam...

so be it

head to head - he beats everyone and thats a great record..........

[ajithfederer]

[tscii:646dcc963e]Rafael Nadal Que grande España!!!! El domingo voy a ver la final y a animar al equipo a Sudafrica!!!!! No me lo puedo perder y a animarles en persona!!!


Great Spain! I will be on Sunday in the final in SouthAfrica!!!! Can't
miss that one and want to support them live!!

http://www.facebook.com/Nadal[/tscii:646dcc963e]

[leosimha]

Rightu appO Del Potro dhAN "King of Hard Courts" :yes:

:lol: :rotfl: :lol2: idhuvum paathudalaam...

so be it

head to head - he beats everyone and thats a great record..........

:cool: true...he has a record of 7-0 against Nicolas Almagro who gave him a challenge at the French Open... :shock:

but the best head to head should be Nadal against Federer and he equals 3-3 against Federer... :cool:

[raghavendran]

Rightu appO Del Potro dhAN "King of Hard Courts" :yes:

:lol: :rotfl: :lol2: idhuvum paathudalaam...

so be it

head to head - he beats everyone and thats a great record..........

:cool: true...he has a record of 7-0 against Nicolas Almagro who gave him a challenge at the French Open... :shock:

but the best head to head should be Nadal against Federer and he equals 3-3 against Federer... :cool: 8-)

[leosimha]

[tscii:45de5f6a7d]

With his knees playing well, Rafael Nadal is calling the shots again
Back to his ruthless best
Greg Bishop, NYT:

For the longest time, Rafael Nadal clung to his championship keepsake. He carried it, cradled it, even signed autographs with it tucked away in his right arm. The trophy did what Nadal’s Wimbledon opponents could not over the fortnight. It made tears well in his eyes.


He seized it on Sunday with an aggressive assault on Tomas Berdych, a one-sided affair confirmed by the final tally, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4. Victory vaulted Nadal into rare company -- his eighth Major championship tied the likes of Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl -- and he somersaulted across the grass in celebration.

“Having this trophy in my hands is just more than a dream,” he said.
For the first time since 2002, the Wimbledon men’s singles final did not feature Roger Federer. If that seemed strange, though, Nadal’s triumph certainly did not.
Again, he had completed a feat among the most difficult in tennis, winning the French Open and Wimbledon in the same summer, for the second time in the past three years.
Nadal slung groundstrokes, grunted and twisted his face into all the usual contortions. He seemed normal, only he played different, more vicious, more aggressive, perhaps an improved version of the player who won this tournament in 2008.

Last year, Nadal watched Federer duel Andy Roddick from the sofa in his living room in Spain. On Sunday, in front a Centre Court audience that included Bjorn Borg, Jaromir Jagr and the Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, Nadal reclaimed the trophy and solidified his status as the best player on the men’s tour.

While even Nadal said it remained premature to debate if he could match or exceed Federer’s 16 Grand Slam titles, it is fair to wonder where he, at 24 and ahead of Federer’s pace, will eventually fit in tennis history.

“His place is undecided,” said Darren Cahill, a former player and an analyst for ESPN. “So much of the story is yet to be written. Much of it depends on how his body holds up. That said, he better make room in his trophy case.”

After taking a mandatory drug test after the match, Nadal entered a small room in the broadcast center and finished a slice of pizza. He appeared relaxed, as if the two hours since his victory had calmed him. He admitted that he considered tennis history, and added that, in evaluating it, he considered more than major championships.
“It’s an honour for me to be with these historic players,” Nadal said. “But I’m 24 years old. It’s very difficult to say.”

Hours earlier, in the ESPN booth high above Centre Court, the commentators Dick Enberg and Patrick McEnroe said they believed the conditions favoured Nadal against the big-serving, risk-taking Berdych, the challenger from the Czech Republic.

Not only had it rarely rained this tournament, drying out the grass, but wind shot through the All England Lawn Tennis Club. That, too, worked better for Nadal, whose furious, spin-cycle groundstrokes allow a greater margin for error. Beyond that, Nadal had showcased his versatility over the past two weeks. Once content with a strategy of attrition, standing far behind the baseline and grinding down opponents with groundstrokes, he now moved forward and attacked continuously.

Against the sentimental favorite Andy Murray in the semifinals, Nadal approached the net 26 times and won 23 of those points. He also ran around his backhand, delivering toxic doses of topspin from the forehand side.

Early on Sunday, Berdych went after Nadal’s backhand instead. But McEnroe said that Nadal had improved that shot, too, in recent months. He stood closer to the baseline than he had in Paris, changing his strategy to suit the surface.
Nadal broke Berdych at 4-3 and seized the first set with sharp serves and brutal backhands. By then, victory seemed certain. (Nadal now holds a 100-1 record when winning the first set at a Grand Slam.)

“Tactically, Nadal played a perfect set,” McEnroe said.
Berdych’s best opportunity came in the next game, when Nadal doubled his number of unforced errors from the first set -- with six -- and delivered uncharacteristic, shaky double faults. But Nadal held, and Berdych never again seriously threatened.
“He was really strong today,” Berdych said. “He’s showing in the last few months that he’s really the champion.”

Still, Berdych became the first Czech to advance to a Wimbledon final since Lendl in 1987. Along the way, he knocked out Federer and Novak Djokovic.
Nadal played at a higher level over the past two months, compiling a 31-1 record since mid-May, than both Federer and Djokovic, who will be ranked third and second in the world when the rankings come out this week.
Nadal cautioned those predicting Federer’s demise, saying, “Everybody says the same thing two years ago.”

After the final point against Berdych, Nadal fell backward onto the grass in celebration. He followed that with the nifty somersault, a new celebratory touch.
Nadal said afterward he would withdraw from Davis Cup competition to get treatment on his right knee back in Spain. Earlier in the tournament, he said tendinitis in the knee had bothered him, but on Sunday, he said it had not hurt in any of his last four matches. He could rest until the Rogers Cup in Toronto in early August.
On tap, Nadal listed his immediate priorities as “beach, fishing, golf, friends, party and Mallorca.” But eventually he must confront and prepare for the US Open, which begins Aug 30 and is the one Grand Slam title he has never won.
Everywhere Nadal went after Sunday’s match, he carried that trophy, his new best friend.

For as good as Nadal is on clay -- and he is perhaps the best clay-court player in the sport’s history -- he said that to win at Wimbledon, on grass, had always been his dream.
Now, for the second time, he held the championship keepsake as proof.
[/tscii:45de5f6a7d]

Link - http://www.deccanherald.com/content/80581/back-his-ruthless-best.html

[wrap07]

[quote=wrap07]http://www.tennisthoughts.com/2010/06/02/why-rafael-nadal-wins-key-points-and-big-matches/

[tscii] Why Rafael Nadal Wins Key Points And Big Matches

[b]
:clap: wow...what a detailed analysis given by the tennis pro... :notworthy:

thank you...wrap07... :)

thanks leo. my pleasure :)

[leosimha]

[tscii:4719d79d5f]

Rafael Nadal: 2010 Number One with a Bullet
By TIM RUFFIN (Featured Columnist) on February 25, 2010

Now that I'm sure that the title of this piece has garnered your attention, let's sit down and discuss the remainder of 2010.

The post mortem on Rafael Nadal's career has been by many tennis fans. While the past 12 months have certainly been trying in more ways than one for the young Spaniard, it seems rather foolish to write the final chapter of a young man's career at age 23.

Yes, 23.

My favorite NFL team, the Philadelphia Eagles, recently released one of their all-time greatest players, running back Brian Westbrook. In recent years, Westbrook had suffered a myriad of injuries and had clearly lost a step. At age 30, he was past his prime and had to be released.

So, I understand all too well that sometimes great players get injured and at some point teams and fans have to cut their losses.

But Westbrook was 30, past his physical prime; Rafael Nadal is 23, still two or three years away from his tennis prime. Without having suffered a serious tear of a major ligament, or some other freak injury which required an extensive surgical procedure and an iffy prognosis, I laugh at the attempts of the renegade who wish to begin eulogizing Nadal's brilliant career while he's still smack in the middle of it.

I am here to make a bold prediction: Rafael Nadal will end 2010 as the number one ranked male tennis player in the world.

Yes, I said it.

Yes, I believe it.

No, I'm not bluffing. Here's why:

First of all, do not think that Nadal is not aware of the growing number of critics who critique his game and predict his demise. Nadal is the single greatest competitor of his generation, bar none. In the very history of men's tennis, only Pete Sampras can rival Nadal's will.

Nadal will approach the clay court season like a hungry lion, eager for success. When Nadal gets his rhythm on the dirt, he doesn't lose. He'll find his game on it this year.

His most recent knee injury was a minor tear, a minor setback, but a blessing in disguise. Since July of last year, Nadal has played non-stop hard court tennis. Even though he was injured for much of the time, struggling with a lack of confidence that goes hand in hand with a lack of trust that his body would perform exactly the way he wanted it to.

This recent setback has kept him from competing in other meaningless post-Australian Open hard court events.

Nadal lost in the fourth round of Roland Garros last year. He missed Wimbledon all together. Yet he still finished the year at number two in the world.

Nadal's absence cleared a path for Roger Federer to do what he failed to do in 2008: Win Roland Garros and Wimbledon back-to-back. At the time things worked out perfectly for Federer.

But right now, the chickens are about to come home to roost. Federer, the current world number one, has a ridiculous amount of points to defend. Between May and the end of August, he needs to win two Grand Slams and two Master's 1000 events.

While I am aware that Roger's followers believe that he wears a cape and shoots laser beams from his eyes, deep down inside we all know that even as great a player as he is, Roger is still human.

I would never expect any player to make that sort of run. I didn't expect Nadal to do it in 2008, and if you'd asked me at this time last year I wouldn't have believed Federer could do it. It's really a one in ten thousand kind of shot. Things have to line up perfectly; they did last year, but the odds of this happening two years in a row are slim to none.

The pressure of having to win basically every important event from May until the U.S. Open will be a lot for Roger to handle.

Nadal will regain his confidence on his beloved clay. If he's fit and focused there isn't anyone who can beat him in a best of five sets match on clay.

Juan Carlos Ferrero may be around to challenge, but he would need Nadal to be a level off his game to win a best of five setter against him.

Roger could be around in the finals, or possibly meet Nadal in the semifinals. Either way, Nadal will be loading up on points, and the best Federer can hope for is to defend all his points. The gap will steadily close.

The young guys continue to demonstrate a lack of maturity. Juan Martin del Potro made a splash last year getting through to the semifinals in Paris and winning in New York.

Since then, he's been spotty at best. He's well into his sophomore slump. Clay and grass are much weaker surfaces for the giant Argentine than his beloved hard court. He hits a flat ball, which are both high risk and less effective on clay. Nadal would be favored against del Potro on anything except a hard court.

As for Djokovic, he doesn't appear to be ready to add to his Grand Slam title. Besides, it's highly doubtful that he could beat Nadal in a Grand Slam event.

Has he ever? I don't believe so.

Andy Murray has been a fashionable pick for the past few seasons, but he has yet to truly deliver. Like the rest of the top players who have had some success against Nadal recently, this success extends only to hard courts; grass and clay are Nadal's surfaces.

As for the likes of Novak Djokovic, these days I rarely include him in conversations about potential number ones. He needs to do an awful lot of growing up to convince critics otherwise.

If Nadal wins Roland Garros (and I believe he will), he will head into Wimbledon with a full head of steam. If you think that he will not remember that he wasn't even able to show up to defend his title last year, then you are mistaken.

To say that the man is hungry is an understatement. Fully expect Roger to cut through his side of the field and meet Nadal in the finals. He and Nadal are really a two man show. When these two play each other on the grass, it basically a pick'em.

But remember, these points will be 100 percent bonus for Nadal, who picked up no points at all during that time last season. Considering that the last time Federer defeated Nadal in a Grand Slam was in 2007, Nadal has to get the benefit of the doubt.

Considering the amount of points Nadal can pick up at the two middle Slams, he doesn't need to win the U.S. Open—in all likelihood he will not.

Still, look for him to put in a decent showing, perhaps to the quarters or semifinals. The fast hard courts of New York are very dangerous to navigate. The Tsongas, del Potros, and Djokovics, not to mention the Murrays and Cilics, have all shown themselves to be primarily hard court specialists. Any of those guys have the game to win the U.S. Open.

Depending on form, Federer will most likely be the prohibited favorite. However, it's not completely out of the realm of possibility for Roger to get upset by one of those younger guys. I wouldn't bet on it, but it's not impossible.

So you could have two players each with two Slams.

Nadal has constantly proven his critics wrong. First it was said that he'd never be able to win Wimbledon with his long, spin heavy strokes or weak serve.

Then, it was said that he'd never be able to bounce back from a five hour semifinal in time to win a final against a much fresher, hungrier player.

Many times Nadal has been written off; as a six-time Slam winner at age 23, there is no reason not to give him the benefit of the doubt.

After all, who would have thought that Kim Clijsters could win a major after giving birth?

Or that Andre Agassi could come back from number 141 in the world to number one?

Great champions are extraordinary; one can never count them out. So why would we count Nadal out?


Link - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/352185-rafael-nadal-2010-number-one-with-a-bullet[/tscii:4719d79d5f]

[leosimha]

Rafael Nadal: 2010's Number One With a Bullet, Part Two
By TIM RUFFIN (Featured Columnist) on July 16, 2010

Back in February, not long after Roger Federer clinched his record-setting 16th Grand Slam singles title, I wrote an article entitled Rafael Nadal: 2010 Number One with a Bullet.

The concept seemed a bit loony at the time. Federer was fresh off an apparent re-affirmation of lordship over men's tennis. Nadal had even more questions surrounding the condition of his precarious knees, staring down that barrel at a substantial layoff for the second time in a year.

Perhaps this was amongst the darkest hours for the then 23-year-old Spanish sensation.

Oh, so many predicted doom for Nadal. The vast majority of the allegedly "educated" tennis fans were certain that his Grand Slam window had indeed slammed shut. The Spaniard's game had been figured out; his Slam total would no doubt remain static at six. The six Slam mark did indeed put Nadal in elite company: a sure fire hall-of-famer, but still a distant 10 Slams back of the man who was the measuring stick in men's tennis, Mr. Federer.

It was thought that though Nadal often dominated Federer in their head to head match-ups, the disparity in size of their respective Grand Slam cabinets would be enough to paint Nadal as a footnote to Federer.

How wrong a concept that turned out to be.

While most of the world wrote Nadal off as a "has been" at the geriatric age of 23, I laughed. The thought amused me then and still amuses me now. It's striking how fickle fans can be. Hot one minute, cold the next. A dominant world number one this year, and washed up has-been after only one loss.

I wrote an article on February 25, 2010. An article that was meant to be a bold vote of confidence in a man that I knew was the best tennis player in the world, even when losing matches to players with half his talent and a quarter of his mental fortitude. It seemed crazy to predict that Nadal (who had fallen to number three, by the way, and appeared to be trending down) would finish 2010 as the number one ranked player in the world.

Believe me, people let me know that they thought I was delusional. No hard feelings.

Five months have passed since I predicted both Nadal's rise and Federer's struggles. Funny, I haven't heard much from many of my original critics. I wonder where they've gone? Are they even tennis fans anymore?

You might know him as Rafael Nadal, the current world number one by a margin. Or perhaps the 2010 Roland Garros Champion. Maybe the title of 2010 Wimbledon Champion is more suitable. Maybe you know him as public enemy number one.

Whatever title you refer to Nadal by, one can never again label him a clay court specialist. 14 consecutive Wimbledon victories, four straight finals, and two titles make Nadal at the very least amongst the most successful grass court players of the modern era. Mind you, he is only 24 years old.

It's high time the establishment, the fans and the entire tennis community, realized exactly what we are watching. While Nadal goes about his business in a starkly different manner than the beloved artist Federer, he is no less effective.

If Federer is the tennis equivalent of Peter Paul Rubens, the epitome of classic beauty and perfection, then Nadal is Salvador Dali. The portrayal of the strange, sometimes brutal, but always mind-blowing genius. He is an abstract revolutionary, one whose work will be admired and studied for years.

I applauded Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim for stepping up and acknowledging Serena Williams as the greatest female player of all time. Wertheim took a risk, stood up to the snobs and elitists who make up the majority of the tennis community and who fail to see past the outer packaging of Serena Williams, and recognized the pure brilliance of her dominance.

Preconceived notions can easily cloud our vision. In the spirit of full disclosure and honesty sponsored by Wertheim, it's time to realize the truth of the state of men's tennis. We are living in the era of Rafael
Nadal.

To admit this truth is not treason against Roger Federer. For five consecutive years, Federer ruled the sport with an iron fist, contemptuously swatting aside competition and regularly winning multiple majors per season. Roger is who Roger is. His reign did happen. Nothing can take away from that. He was a tennis player who evolved into a legend.

But it's been apparent since early 2009 that the "Maestro" is no longer the player he once was. It's not something to mourn; it's something to accept. The unfair standard to which he is held is only a recipe for disappointment. The sun rises, and the sun sets.

The Nadal dynasty began in 2008, but was briefly interrupted in 2009 by a fact of life on the tour: injuries. A few months of struggling with poor health and the deficient confidence that always accompanies any injured player who do not fully trust their bodies relegated Nadal to the "lowly" position of three in the world. It seems funny to describe a ranking of three in the world as "lowly."

Alas, Nadal found his legs, he found his belief, and he sent a stern message to the field: Try me if you will. The Soderlings and Murrays of the world, who themselves harbored dreams of number one, were decisively brushed aside at the French Open and Wimbledon. The statistics speak for themselves. Nadal: nine sets won, Murray and Soderling: a combined one set.

As the U.S. Open peeks at us from around the bend, the most grueling and physically punishing major of them all, Nadal still feels he has something to prove. But make no mistake; he has nothing to prove to you, to me, to the "tennis establishment", his eight Slams on three surfaces already put him amongst the best players of all time. His individual head-to-head records against the top Slam contenders speak for themselves.

Nadal is only out to prove, only to himself, that he can conquer the U.S. Open. If history is any indication, anything in the tennis world which he has set his sights on has become subject to him. From Roland Garros to Wimbledon, from Olympic Gold, to the world number one ranking. Smarter scheduling and new treatment for his chronic knee inflammation may just make his U.S. Open goals a reality. After all, it's been quite a while since anyone has beaten a healthy and energized Nadal.

The first decade of the 2000's will be an interesting time in tennis. Whether you are a Federer fan or a supporter of Nadal, the truth is that history will remember this decade as one of shared dominance. There is little real debate about who the world's best player was from 2003-2007; only a fool would argue that Federer was not the man during this time. It was one of the great four-year stretches in modern sports history.

But, likewise, only a fool would argue that we are not living in Nadal's era. With already eight Slams at the ripe age of 24, Nadal has at least three more full years of top form left in him. Who knows what damage he could in the record books before 2013, a full 10 years from Federer's inaugural Grand Slam win? It's very likely that for the first time in the Open era, we will have seen two 10-plus Slam winners within a 10-year span.

In truth, with every Slam title that either man picks up, he adds even more legitimacy to the other's career. So Federer is probably pulling for Nadal in those Slam finals and Nadal for Federer. All of a sudden, a 7-14 head-to-head doesn't seem nearly as bad when you consider the fact that the only guy to have Federer's number is a living legend himself. A 7-14 head to head looks a lot worse against a guy with two or three Slams.

I won't predict the U.S. Open right now, but I will project further. I'm saying it now: Nadal will remain number one in the world for at least another 52 consecutive weeks. He's shown himself to be a different level of player than the rest of the field. Much the way Roger changed the game and forced players to come up with new weapons, Nadal will do the same. Nadal will take another two years or so before anyone will be ready to push him aside permanently. In that time, who knows how many more Slams Nadal will pick up. I'd guess that he'll be a lot closer to Federer's tally than anyone expected.


Link - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/421114-rafael-nadal-2010-number-one-with-a-bullet-pt-2

[leosimha]

Q&A with Rafael Nadal
The eight-time Grand Slam champion talks history, Federer, existence of God

Just 24 years old, Rafael Nadal has bagged titles at the French Open (five), Wimbledon (two) and the Australian Open (one).

Shortly after he won his second Wimbledon title in June, Rafael Nadal met with a small group of reporters from international publications, including Sports Illustrated. Some outtakes from that Q&A session:

SI.com: How much does history motivate you? Do you know, for instance, whose record you tied today?

Rafael Nadal: The history is there for sure, being part of these players -- Connors, Agassi, Lendl -- it's amazing. Just an honor to be close to these players. But I am 24 years old and it's very difficult to talk about the history now, where I am. In my opinion the Grand Slams are not the only thing to value ... I don't have a lot of the information, but what Lendl did at the Masters was amazing. We have to see. We have to value different things, no? We have to see when I finish my career where I am. Right now I am very happy -- I never thought I can be here with 18 Masters 1000 and eight Grand Slams.

SI.com: Does it mean anything to you that at the same age, you're ahead of where Roger Federer was with Grand Slams?

Nadal: No, I think every career is different. For me, it's amazing winning here on grass, winning on hard court in Australia. I hope to do well at the U.S. Open for sure -- I've reached semifinals the last two years. For Roger, I think ... maybe it's easier than for me because I am especially [good] on clay and we have only one [clay-court Slam]. I can play very well on grass, too. But hard court players, they have more chances than the clay-court specialists. They have three. We have one. For sure I can play well on grass ... but the chances are less.

SI.com: Do you still think of yourself as a clay-court specialist, even now that you've won two Wimbledon titles?

Nadal: I don't feel like a clay-court specialist. Not now and not even when I didn't win [on other surfaces]. In 2005, I won in Montreal, very difficult. I won in Madrid [when it was an indoor event] on a very fast surface, too. I didn't play my best tennis at hardcourt or grass Grand Slams at that moment, but I was able to do it. I think I am a complete player. I can play well on all the surfaces. For me, the clay might be easiest but I am not a specialist on clay. I have five finals at Roland Garros. I have four here.

SI.com: There are people who say Roger is over the hill, that he won't come to the top again. What's your opinion?

Nadal: My opinion is that everyone said the same two years ago and after that he won in Australia, he won in Roland Garros, he won Wimbledon, he won the U.S. Open, so we will see what happens. Roger is good enough, he has enough experience. For sure it's difficult what he did the last seven, eight years, impossible to repeat for another player ... Roger is going to be there, I'm sure of it.

SI.com: You talk about your difficulties, what is not easy for you. Is it more difficult to face problems on court or in your private life? Which, in your opinion, was the biggest problem you ever faced?

Nadal: You're talking about the divorce of my parents?

SI.com: No. Everything.

Nadal: I think the tennis is only a game. You can lose. You can win. After that? In life, there are much more important things than tennis. I know that for sure ... I didn't have a lot of problems in my private life and I feel very lucky for that. But you always have things. For sure, the tennis right is an important pat of my life -- it's my work -- and I have a few health problems for the last few years, especially last year. But I feel lucky. Even then I felt, "You've won six Grand Slams, you've won a lot of titles. You're 23 years old. Be calm and be happy. What you have already is a lot."

SI.com: Do you believe in God? We see football players crossing themselves. You don't do that. Do you do praying?

Nadal: It's hard to say, "I don't believe in God." I would love to know if God exists. But it's a very difficult thing for me to believe. I don't know. It's private and I don't want to speak about it, but I say, "If God exists, you don't need [to cross yourself] or pray." If God exists, he's intelligent enough to [do] the important things, the right things.

SI.com: Can you describe glory?

Nadal: The glory is being happy. The glory is not winning here or winning there. The glory is enjoying practicing, enjoy every day, enjoying to work hard, trying to be a better player than before.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/jon_wertheim/07/16/nadal.interview/#ixzz0tsVOuueQ


Link - http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/jon_wertheim/07/16/nadal.interview/

:shock: This guy doesn't speak like a 24-year old.

[leosimha]

[tscii:70f0a56217]

Fed and Rafa: Two Different Paths to Greatness Part Two
By TIM RUFFIN (Featured Columnist) on March 29, 2010

On Nadal.

He's exciting to watch. He never gives up no matter how far down he is. He's extremely humble, oh and he say's all the right things. What more could you wish for from a tennis player? It doesn't really get a lot better than that.

I know what you're going to say: I'm biased. Yes, I enjoy watching Nadal play more than any other player. Yes, I respect his work ethic, and most of all his heart. But so what? This isn't a piece about which player is better, which player is greater. It's a piece discussing two different approaches of these two men, not in relation to anything else.

For players like Sampras, Graf, and Federer, the measure of a career is found in the end result. The number of wins, the Grand Slam titles, the weeks spent as the No. 1 player in the world, their careers are based on a singular drive toward tangible excellence. It’s an extraordinary thing.

They see a goal flung far off into the horizon and they claw towards it, slam after slam, honing their skills to a sharpened point. The results speak for themselves; Sampras, a six-time year end No. 1. Graf, 22-time Grand Slam winner and golden Slam winner. Federer, 16-time Grand Slam titlist and career slam holder. Those names will forever be synonymous with greatness, and rightfully so.

But for as much as hard core dedication and singular focus are traits to be admired in a tennis player, there are other champions who have opted to take the road less traveled, and chart their own course to tennis immortality.

There have been a precious few who have gone in the face of convention and been so radically different, so breathtaking that we had no choice but to watch. Rafa Nadal is one such champion.

Nadal is to Federer, exactly what Federer is to Nadal. A rival, a measuring stick, and the ultimate validation.

They needed each other in order to attain the levels of success that they have. There couldn’t be more of a difference between these two twenty-somethings (though Federer is five years older) in their approach to tennis and their careers.

Federer has staked his claim on physical tokens, namely Grand Slam singles trophies. His drive is centered on his need to have his name and achievements remembered, and recorded in history.

Federer is the ultimate man of substance, preferring arguments (namely about the intriguing G.O.A.T. debate) be based in hard fact.

Nadal’s approach is far different. With the long hair, the youthful fist pumps, the soft personality, one gets the impression that Nadal is less interested in racking up hordes of records (though I’m sure he’ll take them if they come) and being No. 1, as he is in the journey to reach No. 1.

Success came so early for Nadal. His game was so unusual, outfitted with heavily top spun shots, alarming foot speed, and an aptitude for tennis that has perhaps never been rivaled. So expressive on the court, but so timid off it, Nadal was the perfect solution to the one man show that tennis was in danger of slipping into.

The strong, athletic Nadal brought a new infusion of youth into the sport. He created a media sensation reminiscent of that created by a young Borg, or pubescent Andre Agassi. He was so different from the sleek and classically refined Federer, that the clash of styles and games became the centerpiece of tennis. No matter how you slice it, rivalries are immensely important to any sport.

Tennis is no exception.

So the chase began, and provided the sport with the kind of theater that hadn’t been seen since the mid 1990s. Nadal got off to a running start and proved not to fear the mighty Federer at all. Though despite some classic encounters and a healthy head-to-head lead, Nadal was still considered to be the second best player in the world to Federer.

2008 seemed to be a major changing of the guard.

I still happen to believe that it was, but has simply been put on hold a bit. In short, Nadal played at an unbelievable level. About halfway through the year something happened. The forehand started to penetrate closer to the baseline. The high topspin backhand gave way to a wicked flat point-ending two hander. The serve edged closer to the lines and picked up 8-10 mph. Nadal got better in every aspect of the game.

Early on it seemed that Novak Djokovic was gearing up to pass Rafa as the second best player in the world. Not, so quickly. Nadal found out that he had an extra gear, one he hadn't used before. Djokovic quickly became an afterthought.

After blitzing through the clay court season (as usual) Nadal ran through the French Open (as usual). The surprise was the ease with which he disposed of the No. 1 seed (really a joke that anyone would be seeded higher than he), Roger Federer. It was the most dominating performance over a top flight opponent we've seen since John McEnroe dismantled Jimmy Connors at Wimbledon in 1984.

The kid called Rafa went through the grass court season undefeated racking up wins over Djokovic, Roddick, and Federer again, as he finally captured the elusive Wimbledon crown he sought after for years. Nadal backed up his claim as the new "best in the business" by dismissing Federer again in a Grand Slam final in Australia. For the third time in the slam finals, on three surfaces he had bested the former undisputed number one. There really was no debate, no real argument. Nadal was now the new king of clay, grass, and hard courts.

Just shy of 52 straight weeks at the number one spot, the dam broke. Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong. Nadal's chronic knee problems caught up to him. He finally played a bad match on clay, while his opponent played a nearly perfect match at the same time. The result was shocking loss in the fourth round of his beloved French Open to a guy who had never shown himself to be any real threat on clay prior to then.

The knees got worse and Nadal skipped Wimbledon. Unable to defend his title, he watched at home as the man he'd worked so hard to surpass picked up his trophies. First in Paris, then at Wimbledon. Nadal watched his rival walk away with both his trophies, and his No. 1 ranking.

The rest of 2009 was downhill from there. Though the Spaniard never lost earlier than the Quarterfinals at any event, he failed to win any either. His best result was a semifinal run at the U.S. Open; remarkable considering that an abdominal injury kept his biggest serves under 100 mph.

His game seemed to have taken steps backwards. Gone were the flat, penetrating forehands he'd stormed to the No. 1 ranking with. The backhand cross-court, which had become one of the very best in the world, was now nothing more than a heavily spun rally shot.

Nadal reverted back to his 2006 style of play. Perhaps he was concerned with protecting his knees, afraid to run at full speed. Perhaps he just wasn't confident at all. Whatever it was, his style of play was getting him waxed at the hands of guys he used to own like, del Potro, Djokovic, Davydenko, even young Marin Cilic got in on the fun. It was payback time for a lot of players who had taken a lot of beatings at the hands of the six-time major champion.

Once again, the fickle had their say, just as they did when Federer was struggling. There were the almost gleeful predictions that the Spaniard had worn his body out at the age of 23. He'd never be the player he was in 2008 again. He’s never winning a major again. He'd never beat a top 10 player again.

The fact is that it's hard to argue with facts. Nadal hasn't won a major since the 2009 Australian Open. He hasn't been to the finals of one. He hasn't won a tournament in nearly a year. So there is reason to doubt, valid reasons. So this is your chance to get off of the Nadal bandwagon for good. If there was ever a reason to jump ship, this is it.

While you guys climb into the life rafts, I'm going to keep my seat. I'm going to trust Captain Nadal to repair the damage to the ship and continue on successfully to his intended destination. Call me crazy, if nothing else, I'm loyal.

But I'm not merely hanging on to a wing and a prayer here. First, 23 is way too young to give up on a career. I don't want to hear about his body aging faster than a normal tennis player. It's true, but not to the extent that some would have you think. Nadal is a thick, strong guy. His body can handle more than the average tennis player, let alone human being. At 23, he can still bounce back. Show me a torn ACL. Show me a sciatica problem. Nadal's chronic tendinitis is extremely painful (I speak from experience), it will always be an issue for him, and yes it will ultimately end his career. Just not now. I can't see Nadal playing much past the age of 28. Still, that's more than four years away. Plenty of time to do damage.

At Indian Wells I saw a different version of Rafa. This one more reminiscent of the 2008 Nadal. Though he lost in the semifinals to a red hot, and huge serving Ivan Ljubicic, Nadal managed to make quite the impression.

First, the myth of his inability to beat tall, powerful, flat ball hitters on a hard court was just that, a myth.

Very few players have been as hot as the 6'9" American John Isner this year. Isner could very well have the best serve in the world right now. He's developed a huge forehand, vastly improved net play, and fitness. He's been collecting some big time scalps lately too. Roddick, Querrey, and Monfils to name a few.

This guy has been very confident and was playing in front of an American crowd when he squared off against Nadal. Most of the money was on Isner. After all Nadal, was just coming off a six week injury break.

This was a season turning type of match for Nadal. He did not disappoint. He put together a masterful match in turning away the young American. Then he went on to best his old nemesis, the 6'5" Tomas Berdych. This was the match where the Nadal speed finally seemed to be back. The Spaniard got to the ball sooner and hit it more aggressively.

When Nadal plays his game, and is confidently penetrating the court no one can beat him. They should put a line on the court halfway between the baseline and the service box. Then track the percentage of points Nadal wins when the tennis ball lands past that line versus inside it.

The Murrays, Djokovics, del Potros, and especially the Soderlings have been and will be in deep trouble if Nadal keeps the ball deep. When he's aggressive, the speedier guys fall back behind the baseline. The power hitters, like Soderling are put on the run where they are far less effective. When Nadal is on top of things Federer is the only player in his zip code, and vice versa.

At the end of both the storied careers of Federer and Nadal, no matter what happens between now and then, both these two geniuses will be forever linked.

The name Federer will not be able to be mentioned without the name Nadal soon after, and vice versa. We will remember Roger as the overachieving, straight A student. The man who had always had one eye on the tennis ball and one eye on the record books. A goal-oriented man.

For his part, Nadal will most likely be remembered more so as the anomaly, the player who played with his heart and for himself. A lover of the game, and a player more in love with the moment than the result. I believe that the second tennis is no longer enjoyable for Nadal, he will walk away from the sport with absolutely no regrets. He lives to compete, Federer lives to win. Two very different, yet very effective approaches to a career.


Link - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/370366-fed-and-rafa-two-different-paths-to-greatness-pt2[/tscii:70f0a56217]

[leosimha]

True champions, as boxing legend Muhammad Ali once said, are those whose will is stronger than their skill.

[leosimha]

Rafa defies logic with Euro double

Rafael Nadal won the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back for the second time Sunday in London, and he put it in perspective better than anyone else could when he said, "It didn't happen since Borg, so now last three years it happen twice. So how crazy is the life."

Not as crazy as it might seem, although I have no desire to minimize the nature of the achievement, established as a benchmark for greatness by Bjorn Borg, who completed the third of his three Channel Slams in 1980.

After all, the only great players in the Open era to turn the feat were Rod Laver, Borg, Roger Federer and Nadal. And only two have done it twice. (To boot, Laver put up two calendar-year Grand Slams, but his first Channel Slam was before the transition to the Open game.)

Still, up until Nadal won both events in 2008, the conventional logic held that the Euro double demanded a death march no player could endure in this era of great competition, strength, fitness and stamina. The clay and grass surfaces were just too different and demanded such different skills that it wouldn't happen again. So how could it?

The most convenient answer is that the grass courts of Wimbledon slowed down enough to make the feat possible. There's some truth in that, but not nearly enough to explain three Channel Slams in three years. One of the things Wimbledon demonstrated this year is that even though the turf is friendlier to the baseline game, it still rewards the outstanding serve disproportionately. Not as much as in the past, perhaps, but the potency of the serve is still greater on grass than on any other surface.

The less geeky but more realistic answer is that we've been blessed with two extraordinary players in Federer and Nadal. Sometimes, the obvious or simple answer is also the correct one.

Federer has amply demonstrated that he has the skill set to win Roland Garros, at least in any year when he doesn't have to face Nadal. You don't get to four consecutive finals at Roland Garros on credit. In this, Nadal fans can argue that Federer got a gift from the gods in 2009 when Robin Soderling put an ailing Nadal out of the French -- clearing the way for Federer to bag his only red-clay major.

And Nadal has demonstrated that he has the ability to win Wimbledon, whether or not Federer is in his way. That's because the gods -- Mercury, to be precise -- gave him the gift that's critical to winning both events. Great movement and quickness.

Nadal acknowledge that Sunday, saying, "I think I have very good thing to play here, on grass. It's the movement. I move well on this court, and that's very important part of the game."

If you have any doubts, you can check with Borg. His movement also was superb. And Federer would say "ditto," as well.

Let's be frank about this. Federer was extremely lucky that Nadal lost before the final at Roland Garros last year. The record is there to prove it. That's not a knock on Federer; it still took an amazing effort to close the deal once Nadal was out of the way because of the inherent pressure.

Luck played a huge role in Federer's run through the Channel Slam last year, which helps explain how the feat could be accomplished for three years in a row. It's fun to analyze it, but most appropriate to just celebrate it.


Link - http://espn.go.com/sports/tennis/blog/_/name/bodo_peter/id/5355084/rafa-defies-logic-euro-double

[leosimha]

Nadal set to finally flourish at Flushing

By Tom Perrotta, TENNIS.com
The U.S. Open Series began this week in Atlanta, where Andy Roddick is making a surprise visit. As the summer hard-court season gets into full swing, here's what's on my mind.

Rafa's best shot

First things first: Rafael Nadal can win in Flushing, N.Y., and this is his best chance to capture the U.S. Open. He was playing well enough to take the title in 2008, but the added burden of the Olympics (he won the gold medal in Beijing) wore him down. I don't put too much stock in the other barriers often discussed: The courts are too fast for him and the surface is too hard on his body. Nonsense, I say -- he can win on anything. Nadal hasn't won the U.S. Open because of its place at the end of the tennis calendar. This year, he should be in good health, as he won't have to worry about the Olympics, and he has a better understanding of his knee tendinitis and how to treat it. He'll also have weaker competition: Juan Martin del Potro, the defending champion, isn't going to play and Roger Federer hasn't played well since the Australian Open (though I wouldn't count him out, either). If Nadal is healthy when he arrives in Flushing, he'll be the favorite.

The Czechs are for real

Here's one reason Nadal might not win the U.S. Open this September: Tomas Berdych. Berdych couldn't even salvage a set against Nadal in the Wimbledon final, and he has lost seven consecutive matches to the Spaniard (without winning a set). Streaks like that have to end eventually, and Berdych has the firepower to end it on a big stage. If del Potro can win the U.S. Open, so can Berdych -- he's that talented.


Link - http://espn.go.com/sports/tennis/blog/_/name/tennis/id/5397992/nadal-set-flourish-flushing

[leosimha]

[tscii:081c32afba]

Nadal looking unbeatable

Serve & Volley
Naresh Kumar

With the Wimbledon fortnight during the World Cup 2010, it has been one of the greatest and most enjoyable of sporting summers. Spain with a revival of the buccaneering spirit of the conquistadors captured the world soccer title and Rafael Nadal with victories at Wimbledon and Roland Garros became the undisputed monarch of world tennis.

Two occurrences, however, struck a sad note in sporting hearts. First, the defeat of the Brazil with their mesmerising ‘Joga Bonito’ style of play, and secondly, the end of the reign of the greatest player of all time the 28-year old Swiss Roger Federer, the lone ‘Joga Bonito’ of the tennis world.

The Brazilians will come back with their magic and the Samba drums, but who will replace Federer now waltzing into the last pages of his illustrious career. There will never be another like him.

I first saw the decline in Federer’s game at the French Open. The hallmark of Federer’s game, which set him apart from the pack, was his ability to fearlessly hit winners and go for service aces on important points.

In Paris, I noticed that on more than one crucial occasion Federer tended to hold back and play safe rather than go flat out when an opening was there. Many, many years ago, I remember Jack Kramer telling me that at the highest level it was futile to put the ball back on pivotal points and hope that your opponent will make an error — they won’t. Federer’s inability to close out matches is time’s foot in the door saying “enough”. Indeed, it is enough.

With a career spanning 900 matches, a record breaking 16 Grand Slams, Federer has smashed almost every record in tennis history. He must be rated as the greatest of all time. The only blemish, and who doesn’t have one, is that in a head to head with Nadal, Federer trails by 7 matches to 14 ! Nadal’s spectacular victories on the slow clay courts of Roland Garros and on the fast grass at Wimbledon highlight the versatility of his game and signals the dawn of the Nadal era.

The whirling dervish-like swing of his topspin forehand, the viciously sliced backhand, Beckham-like swerve on passing shots and a flat coup de grace forehand, with a powerfully accurate serve have overwhelmed the opposition. Nadal is described by his support team as one “who mixes the pace of 200 metre runner with the resistance of a marathon runner.” They further add, “we know he is Nadal and that he will overcome everything”.

In politics time unravels it, but in tennis, for Nadal spin has brought control, consistency, direction and deception. Woven together and strung in Nadal’s steel frame it now rules the tennis world. Nadal has taken the game to an unbelievable level of accuracy, consistency and endurance. The challenge to Nadal will come from the well over 6-feet giants lurking in the top echelons of the game.

Their height leverages more power and a sharper angle on the service can open up a large vulnerable gap on the receiver’s court.

But will the challengers be able to measure up to the level of consistency demanded by Nadal’s game?

For the moment, Nadal’s standards seem unbeatable, provided he stays free of injury.


Link - http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100724/jsp/sports/story_12720415.jsp[/tscii:081c32afba]

[leosimha]

McEnroe states the obvious as he backs Nadal
7/23/10 6:23 PM | Johan Lindahl

John McEnroe just can't keep a thought to himself, with the mega-mouth of the tennis world joining the Rafael Nadal bandwagon and tipping the world No. 1 for more future success.

Mac, not known for taking a chance with his predictions, says the Spaniard will claim another six or seven additional Grand Slam titles to add to his current total of eight.

With an opinion never far from his lips, the 51-year-old former ace claims Nadal has taken over from Federer in the current game, all but writing off the 16-time Swiss Grand Slam champion, whose twin girls turned one year old this week with a birthday party at home south of Zurich.

"Roger is not going to dominate the way he did, he knows it," said Mac after picking up some small appearance fee change at an American summer league event. "He (Federer) loves to play still. I think he'll win a couple more majors."

But, warned the talkative American: "The upside for Nadal is greater. He could win six, seven more. I think Federer could win one, two more."

"That's my opinion. Maybe he'll prove me wrong. He's already got 16, so it's not like he hasn't broken every record already. Maybe give someone else a chance."


Link - http://www.tennistalk.com/en/news/20100723/McEnroe_states_the_obvious_as_he_backs_Nadal

[MADDY]

nadal wins 1st round after a fight:

Rafael Nadal ESP Def Teymuraz Gabashvili RUS 7(7)-6(4), 7(7)-6(4), 6-3

[raghavendran]

nadal wins 1st round after a fight:

Rafael Nadal ESP Def Teymuraz Gabashvili RUS 7(7)-6(4), 7(7)-6(4), 6-3vadi chellam vadi vadi :clap:

[omega]

Nadal has made tremendous improvement on his serve (serving in 130s'), which should augur well for this surface. It was a very stiff match for the first 2 sets with no breaks. Gabashvill played one heck of a match, but as expected couldn't sustain for long. Either way, it was a perfect match to shrug off all the rust.

Nadal definitely looks well rested & very well prepared :clap:

[tamizharasan]

The great thing about Nadal is his desire to win. He improved in lot of areas to suit all courts. Amazing player indeed.

[leosimha]

The great thing about Nadal is his desire to win. He improved in lot of areas to suit all courts. Amazing player indeed.

more than the desire...it is the WILL to WIN... :)

I hope he does well and goes on to hold the US Open Championship Trophy..... :)

But it is going to be a very hard fight...he has to be very quick on this surface....

[leosimha]

Rafael Nadal Is The Greatest Competitor in Tennis History?
By Whitaker W H Chambers III(Correspondent) on September 4, 2010

NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 03: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates a point against Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan (not pictured) during day five of the 2010 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 3, 2010 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images) "The Look"
Andrew Burton/Getty Images

John McEnroe called it the one of the best played points in US Open history. Dennis Istomin played an amazing set leading to this point against the No.1 player in the world to go up 5-1 in the tiebreak. It earned him a standing ovation from the 20,000 people at center court.

It lasted a minute or two and Istomin took it in.

Across the net, Rafael Nadal's face had changed. People who have a taste for enjoying tennis, are very familiar with this. His eyes contorted like arrows, his eyebrows became cliff edges on each side and his pupils became shadows. He was already back on the baseline ready to play the next point.

People, who have been watching tennis since 2005, recognized a look on Nadal's face, and anticipated what followed.

Istomin would not win another point.

Mental edge

Think of the greatest competitors from any sport. The sportsmen who could repeatedly summon an extreme focus in big moments that determined whether they win or lose. An extreme focus combined with a "fighting to win every point" mentality that overwhelmed their competitors to the point of exhaustion and then, defeat.

Michael Jordan comes to mind. Tiger Woods, when on the golf course and before the car crashed, comes to mind. Tim Tebow, Ian Thorpe,Andres Iniesta



Who is the best competitor in tennis history?

# Roger Federer 25.0%
# Bjorn Borg 1.4%
# Pete Sampras 1.4%
# Jimmy Connors 10.0%
# Rafael Nadal 62.1%

Total votes: 631


, all of them could achieve a state of extreme focus and come through, repeatedly. It seems their mental edge, rather than skill, is the difference between them and their competitors.

All of them, in big matches, in big moments have the same look. It is a look that combines and screams determination, resolve, immovability, will. They realize it is a competition and are thinking that nothing will stop them from winning. It almost seems like they are willing to put their life on the line to win

This same look can be seen during every big match involving Rafael Nadal.

Roger Federer

Let's make one thing clear. Roger Federer is the best player in tennis history. He is an innovator who has changed tennis in uncountable ways. He made the powerful shots intelligent and the intelligent shots powerful. He broke all the records, and set countless unbreakable ones. He did it with style, grace and with artistic flair.

He, as the leading man, brought tennis from the bland power era in 2002, after things looked bleak to arguably its most golden global era, where tennis leads ESPN Sportscenter and is one of the fastest rising sports in the world.

Federer was the first player in history to have no weaknesses. He mastered every single facet of the game. Sampras wasn't the best base-liner, Agassi didn't have the serve or the volley, most great players had multiple weaknesses. Federer was an evolutionary flash-point in tennis players. The first to stand upright.
81854138_crop_358x243 The Greatest Match ever
Julian Finney/Getty Images

Federer/Nadal

There is only one thing that Federer's game cannot contend with. Rafael Nadal's competitiveness. His competitive spirit would not allow him to lose, including many times that he should have.

In the 2007 French Open final, Federer had 18 break point chances. In most 3 or 4 set matches, 18 break point chances, signifies a completely dominant match, in which, one player repeatedly created opportunities on the other player's serve. Federer broke only once. Nadal jumped up a level, every time, to save himself and in the end, won the championship.

In the 2008 Wimbledon final, after being taken down the first two sets, Federer jumped a level in the 4th set tiebreak and stayed at it in the 5th. Nadal would not let himself lose and ended up winning in the dark.

Therein lies the difference between two of the greatest players in history. Federer has won 16 grand slams by outclassing the competition. Nadal has won 8, by competing every point and winning every big point.

Does competitive spirit matter?

The 2009 Madrid semifinal is one of the most incredible displays of competitive spirit and willpower in tennis and any sport. Nadal had tendinitis in both knees and was in pain. Novak Djokovic was playing extremely well. It was the final tiebreak and Djokovic was playing the better of the two. Djokovic played great shots to gain match point after match point. Point after point, Nadal played incredible shots to save himself and eventually left Djokovic an exhausted man and in the end won the match.
2009 Madrid

Novak Djokovic is as talented a tennis player there is. There is a noticeable difference in the way he thinks about tennis and the way Nadal thinks about tennis. Djokovic's main ambitions are to do impersonations and be a tennis star, loved by New York and the world. Nadal's main ambition is to be able to compete point after point in big points and in big tournaments at his full potential. They are the same age. Nadal has eight grand slams and counting and Djokovic has one.

Greatest competitor ever?

Wimbledon 08, the three French Opens against Federer, Rome against Federer, Madrid against Djokovic, Australian Open against Verdasco then Federer. Nadal has been in a hell of a lot of classic 5 set and 3 set matches in his short career. The most amazing thing is that he has won just about all of them

Nadal is the fiercest competitor, in tennis, from the past twenty years. There are two other players that come close to matching his spirit, Jimmy Connors and Guillermo Vilas, but Nadal has a greater skill level. But it seems like a question of semantics.

Your life depends on having one match, set, point. On any surface hard, grass, clay, clouds. You can choose any tennis player ever. Laver, Borg, McEnroe, Connors, Becker, Lendl, Sampras, Agassi, Federer, etc.

I would be happy with Nadal against any of them.


Link - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/451220-us-open-is-rafael-nadal-the-greatest-competitor-in-tennis-history

[tamizharasan]

Nadal's best opportunity to win US Open, with Murray is out from his half. He is almost assured to reach final now.

[MADDY]

watching the match between Nadal and Lopez - on this surface, Nadal is not getting the time for his shots nor he is getting the angles and top spin.......it is indeed a very tough stage for nadal and anything more QF is a bonus for him(&us)

[MADDY]

nadal has improved mightily on serve - serving aces and playing a bit of serve&volley as well :shock: :lol: .....but lopez is giving him a good fight - its not going to be easy for Nadal against quality players

[MADDY]

Nadal through to QF, to face verdasco....only advantage is that verdasco will be tired after a 5 setter win over ferrer

[Sanjeevi]

[tscii:84a432423a]http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/08/sports/tennis/08nadal.html?ref=tennis



He has not been broken yet in the tournament.

“Seriously, seriously, I don’t know,” Nadal said. “I think it is a matter of confidence.”


:thumbsup:[/tscii:84a432423a]

[MADDY]

nadal to face another 5 setter opponent :D idha payan paduthhikanum - djokovic is a awesome player and can derail nadal's dreams

[Plum]

All time Greatest Nadal to confirm it by winning the US open in 2010.
Nesstu target for Nadal - calendar grandslam. Just missu this year!

[omega]

nadal to face another 5 setter opponent :D idha payan paduthhikanum - djokovic is a awesome player and can derail nadal's dreams

paravillaye plum chatterji ippa ungalukku nalla workout aaguthu pola :lol:

Djokovic mothama oru settukku thevayaana games jeyappaarunnu paarppom...........

Also time to change to the title of this thread.....

[Puliyan_Biryani]

Also time to change to the title of this thread.....
Not yet-ji. Dijikovic rasigar mandrathin saarbil idhai vanmaiyaaga kandikkiren.

But honestly, looks like Nadal's time has come to be crowned Career Grand Slam champion.

[MADDY]

rain neutralises any advantage that Nadal had or rather disadvantage that Djokovic had.....its even now with Djokovic with his hardcourt expertise as upper hand

[MADDY]

kanneere kanneere, sandhosha kanneere

[MADDY]

they told he cant play on grass - he won 2 wimbledon
they told he cant play on hard court - he won US open

he is a career gramdslam champion

God's own child Nadal

[Nerd]

Adhu :D

[MADDY]

Youngest man to collect 'career Grandslam'

Nadal is the best, rest are all opinions

[Nerd]

US open truimph panni 10 GS thandattum, appuram compare pannalam :lol2:
:lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

[Nerd]

Rightu appO Del Potro dhAN "King of Hard Courts" :yes:

:lol: :rotfl: :lol2: idhuvum paathudalaam...

:lol: adhu romba hard aachE

:lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

[MADDY]

semis varadhe kashtam-nnu pottaru, adhayum thedanum Nerd :x

[omega]

Nadal :thumbsup: :clap: :clap:
Great determination & true champion.....

[omega]

Youngest man to collect 'career Grandslam'

Nadal is the best, rest are all opinions


:clap: (Hope that includes Pistol also)

[m_karthik]

Great courage and determination...
:clap:

[Nerd]

Nice title :clap: :thumbsup:

[MADDY]

Thanks Nerd :)

[ajithfederer]

Congratulations Thambi Rafael Nadal :D

Congrats for becoming the youngest ever career grandslam winning champion :thumbsup:. It's upto you to now maintain all the hard earned records which is a bigger test. I wish best of luck in the test of upcoming years.

P.S: I don't know whether PR comes here but if you come around please delete the other thread. It's a waste of time and space.

[raghavendran]

full flow..remeber a dialouge from sivaji..:"ipdiye vitta C.M ayiduvon pole irukke" :)

[Plum]

vandhAn vendRAn.

I have always said that he has to just put his mind on something for it to happen. It just happened that this year he said himself "And the Red Sea shall part"...er..."And I shall win the US Open".

adutha varusham "I shall win the calendar Grand Slam" apdinu nenaichukittArnA, adhuvum varum.

Statistically, he is going to end up with the best ever record in Men's Tennis, especially in Grand Slams.

(But still enakku Fed dhAn pidikkum!)

[Puliyan_Biryani]

Nadal :notworthy: . Winning the US Open (lost just 1 set in the whole tournament) and completing the Career Grand Slam at such a young age. :clap: for working very hard on the serve and improving the one aspect that could have been his disadvantage. Applause for his support team for the tactical nuance of making him play from the baseline rather than from 5 yards behind the baseline.

PS: I will continue to be a Federer fan though :D

[Sanjeevi]

awesome Nadal in fantastic form :thumbsup:

CGS in younger age :notworthy:

[wrap07]

Nadal :D :notworthy: :clap: :clap:

nice title 8-)

[wrap07]

[tscii:7d676f25c0]http://articles.latimes.com/2010/sep/13/sports/la-sp-dwyre-us-open-20100914

Rafael Nadal now has a full place setting, and a place in tennis history

The Spaniard's first U.S. Open championship completes a career Grand Slam — at least one title in each of tennis' four major tournaments — and confirms his unquestioned supremacy in the sport.
BILL DWYRE
September 13, 2010
From New York

The changing of the guard has arrived in men's tennis. We have moved from the Swiss Surgeon to the Spanish Assassin.

In a U.S. Open that carried on for 15 days, through heat and wind and rain, threatening to never end, Rafael Nadal put the perfect finishing touch on the proceedings. At 10:10 p.m. EDT, he held the winner's trophy over his head in a manner that made it clear that this was more than just another piece of tennis hardware.

"It is what I dreamt," he said, his broken English increasingly endearing.

He had never won a U.S. Open, and now he had. He was seeking a high place in tennis history, and now he had it. He became the seventh man — after Fred Perry, Don Budge, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Andre Agassi and Roger Federer — to win each Grand Slam tournament at least once. He also joined the Agassi family, Andre and wife Steffi Graf, as the only winners of all four majors and an Olympic gold medal.

For once, it would be fair to assume that a trophy meant more to a tennis player than the $1.7-million winner's check that went with it.

Perhaps adding to the moment was that it hadn't come easily. Nadal, the pride of Mallorca and all corners of Spain, beat Novak Djokovic, who made Serbia proud, too. His 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 defeat by Nadal took 3 hours 43 minutes, not including a 1-hour 48-minute rain delay, and featured the best Djokovic had to give.

"You just have to congratulate him and tell him, you're better," Djokovic said. ". . . It was a very good performance from my side. But whenever it was important, he was the one who was playing just too good."

The last three words sum up Nadal. He was just too good.

This was his ninth major title and he is only 24. It was his third straight major title, won on clay, grass and hard courts. He has converted a game built for clay into one for all surfaces. He has brought an upgraded work ethic and mental toughness to a game that makes millionaires of coasters and flakes.

He is the new sheriff in town.

Federer is 29 and won the only major this year that Nadal did not, the Australian. Federer, who relinquished the No. 2 spot in the rankings to Djokovic when he lost to him in Saturday's five-set semifinal, represents the next hill for Nadal to climb, his record 16 majors. The five years that separate the two represent 20 more Grand Slam chances for Nadal.[/tscii:7d676f25c0]

[Sanjeevi]

US open truimph panni 10 GS thandattum, appuram compare pannalam :lol2:
:lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

:lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

cha Del porto engada poitta intha Nadal fan thollai thangalappa and Novak :hammer: he beated Roger illaina :lol:

[wrap07]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/rafaelnadal/8001338/US-Open-2010-Rafael-Nadal-claims-all-of-his-dreams-have-come-true-in-New-York.html

US Open 2010: Rafael Nadal claims all of his dreams have come true in New York

Nadal had never won the title at Flushing Meadows and despite some outstanding tennis from Djokovic, the Spainard was just too good in every department for his opponent to stage a comeback.

Thrilled with the 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 win and to have completed his career grand slam, Nadal said: "(Winning the US Open) is more than I dreamt, just to arrive to the final was amazing and to have the trophy in my hands in a few seconds with my heart beating is going to be unbelievable.

"I played my best match in the US Open at the most important moment, so I am very, very happy for that, for sure.

"To win in here I think is the more difficult tournament for me to play, more difficult conditions to adapt, to adjust my game on this court, for the balls, for the court, for everything.

"I improved a lot since last year, but never is enough. I am not a perfect player, so everybody can improve."

Even with improvement, Nadal was loathe to speculate on whether catching Roger Federer was realistic.

Federer, 29, has a record 16 grand slam championships to Nadal's nine, but the Spaniard's victory at Flushing Meadows was extra special compared to his previous wins.

"I think talking about if I am better or worse than Roger (Federer) is stupid," he said. "Because the titles say he's much better than me, so that's true at that moment. I think that will be true all my life. We will see what happens in the future. I am not a genius."

Reflecting on the match with Djokovic during which he was pushed hard for three hours 22 minutes, Nadal added: "First thing, I would like to congratulate Novak and all his team for a great tournament, you're a great player and you're going to win this trophy very soon, I'm sure of that.

"I want to congratulate you for a great attitude after losing a Grand Slam final, that's a great example for the kids."

:D 8-)

A gracious champion who has only good things to say about his fellow players. :clap:

[wrap07]

[tscii:ff0ad2f6e3]http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/DEUCE-Tennis/Nadal-Grand-Slam/Nadal-Slam-Tribute.aspx

Nadal A Man In A Hurry

Rafael Nadal has always been a man in a hurry, so it’s little surprise that he is now the youngest player in the Open Era, at just 24, to complete a career Grand Slam following his four-set victory over Novak Djokovic in the US Open final.

Nadal is redefining the way the game is being played and has earned the right to be included in the debate about who is the greatest player of all-time. Yes, he’s still seven Grand Slam titles shy of Roger Federer’s record haul of 16 – not that Grand Slam titles should be the only consideration – but it would be a brave observer to suggest the Spaniard won’t eventually approach or break Federer’s record, which may itself continue to grow in coming years. Nadal has won his nine Grand Slam titles in his first 26 appearances at the majors. By comparison, Bjorn Borg won nine in his first 22; Federer won nine in his first 30 and Sampras nine in his first 31.

Could it be just five months ago that Nadal was enduring an 11-month title drought before he began his clay-court campaign at Monte-Carlo? How things have changed! Between mid April and mid September Nadal won three consecutive Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open and became the first man ever to make a sweep of the three clay court ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in the one season when he won Monte-Carlo (for the loss of just 14 games!), Rome and Madrid. His Madrid triumph, at age 23, earned him a record 18th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title, beating the 17th title that Andre Agassi won at 34 years of age.

At 18, Nadal was already giving every indication that he would one day be regarded as one of the greatest clay courters of all time, winning Monte-Carlo, Rome and (days after turning 19) Roland Garros. In all, in 2005 he won eight clay court tournaments among 11 titles – the most ever won in one season by a teenager.

But there we also signs in 2005 that Nadal was not a Spanish clay court stereotype. He won ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles indoors in Madrid and on a fast hard court in Montreal, where in the final he took out no less than Agassi, one of the greatest hard court players in history. When Nadal made a stunning run to the Wimbledon final in 2006 to prove his versatility on grass, the tennis world had all the proof it needed that Federer was not the only player capable of completing a career Slam.

That Nadal has won all four majors is not really a surprise, but the speed of his achievement perhaps is. Let’s not forget that Federer was 28 when he completed his career Slam at Roland Garros. And what a golden era for tennis to have these two all-time greats playing at the same time. There was a 30-year gap between Rod Laver winning his Open Era calendar-year Grand Slam in 1969 and when Andre Agassi completed a career Grand Slam in 1999. Tennis fans had to wait little more than one year for Nadal to clinch his career Slam after Federer did it in 2009 at Roland Garros.

What is the secret of his success? Many things, of course, but above all a unrivaled mental toughness and unrelenting determination to keep getting better. Once regarded as having little more than a handy serve, Nadal is now firing 135 mph cannons and proved during the US Open that he is one of the toughest players to break, dropping serve just twice en route to the final. Raised as a baseliner with extreme grips, Nadal has worked tirelessly to become one of the most reliable volleyers in the game. And let’s not forget the resilience he’s shown to recover from long-standing knee tendinitis, which kept him from defending his Wimbledon title in 2009.

Nadal's next missions are likely to be more like a marathon than a sprint: trying to top Federer's haul of 16 majors and perhaps Sampras' all-time mark of 286 weeks spent as World No. 1. But, at 24, time is on his side.[/tscii:ff0ad2f6e3]

[wrap07]

Berlin- Rafael Nadal stretched his lead atop the men's tennis rankings courtesy of Monday's US Open crown while beaten finalist Novak Djokovic moved into second place.

Spain's Nadal, who became the seventh man in tennis history to win all four majors, leads the ATP list issued on Tuesday with 12,025.

He holds a massive lead over the Serb Djokovic (7,145) and dethroned US Open champion Roger Federer of Switzerland (6,735).

ATP top 10 as of September 14 (previous ranking in parenthesis):

1. (1) Rafael Nadal, Spain, 12,025 points

2. (3) Novak Djokovic, Serbia, 7,145

3. (2) Roger Federer, Switzerland, 6,735

4. (4) Andy Murray, Britain, 5,035

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Rankings/Singles.aspx

[Nerd]

thollai thangalappa
Same here.

[littlemaster1982]

For Nadal fans,

[html:0730a3e1da]http://i53.tinypic.com/14bulup.jpg[/html:0730a3e1da]

Found this in another forum.

[wrap07]

thanks LM :)

[MADDY]

superb pic LM :D thanks :D

i think the "non-dominant" hand point is a bit sore - naangala aada sonnom appadinnu ketpaanga - its his choice

[wrap07]

[tscii:f3a003af63]http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/nirmal_shekar/article669260.ece

The nice guy who finishes first

Rafael Nadal is a genuinely nice guy. The sport would be very much diminished without him, writes Nirmal Shekar

HISTORIC moments in sport often tend to divert our attention from things that are at the heart of the greatness of the men and women who author those moments.

Take Rafael Nadal, for instance.

We've heard so much about his greatness over the last couple of days since he became the youngest man in the Open Era (post-1968) to complete a career Grand Slam.

A courageous conquistador with legendary fighting skills, a forbiddingly gifted athlete who has improved his game almost unbelievably to become a versatile all-surface champion, a man who, at age 24, can confidently look up to the game's Everest with the hope of one day setting foot there…

But through all the acres of newsprint awash with adjectives, amidst the adulatory zeitgeist sweeping across the media, there were few — if any — references to a simple virtue that makes Nadal a unique champion, arguably one without a match at his level of accomplishment.

His humility.

The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer said that modesty was “a hypocrisy” when it was displayed by men of great talent. Nobody in modern sport — not just tennis — has proved the great German wrong quite as emphatically as has Nadal.
Not a mask

With Rafa, modesty isn't a mask, for he is a very poor actor. He doesn't do modesty to win over fans, or the media. There is not a whiff of the imposter about him. His humility defines him as a human being. That's really who he is.

“The talk about if I am better or worse than Roger (Federer) is stupid, because the titles say he's much better than me. That's true at the moment. I think that will be true all my life.''

This from a man who won't turn 25 until June 2011, from a player who has already won nine Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal.

From this column's standpoint, Federer will occupy a place higher than Nadal in the pantheon of greats even if the gladiatorial Spaniard goes on to beat the Swiss alpinist's Grand Slam record. That's because nobody has ever played tennis like Federer did — or still does, if not quite as consistently as in his peak.

To say that Federer won a record 16 Grand Slam titles is like saying Mozart's compositions are so many dots of ink on paper. This is easy enough to state from an aesthetic perspective.

But for a man who has mastered the maestro 14 times out of 21, and five of those occasions being Grand Slam finals, to say that a fading (arguably?) Federer is “much better than me” is something else.

Humility comes in different hues. Spinoza believed that it was an emotion that arose from the contemplation of one's weakness. That could hardly be true in Nadal's case. But no matter what all the moral theories regarding humility might have to say, especially when the humble person is a celebrated high achiever, the virtue that Nadal possesses is utterly genuine.
The truth

Nadal says what he does about Federer simply because he believes that to be the truth. This is hardly Schopenhaeur's definition of humility as hypocrisy. It is, on the other hand, unornamented candour, truth telling of the noblest order — saying it like it is even if it meant belittling oneself.

Sport and snobbery often appear to be made for each other at the highest levels, but Nadal is probably — and in my own case, certainly — the nicest, classiest champion in modern tennis. In my 30-plus years of covering the sport, I have not come across a more gracious world-beater.

“It is not the titles that honour men but men that honour titles,'' wrote Niccolo Machiavelli. This is very much true in Nadal's case.

Celebrated sportsmen don't get to live in clandestinity. In the event, it is not easy to put on a choir boy act week after week, year after year. Nadal is a class act, period.

The writer of this column has met him and interacted with him in vastly different tournaments, in places such as Chennai, London and Melbourne. He never once struck me as a person who was doing the Nice Guy bit to impress anyone. He always came across as the person he really was.

Going after great records in sport is a lot like chasing happiness in life. In the unlikely event that you did reach the goal, there would still be the question ‘Is there all there is to it?'

On the other hand, if you found fulfilment in becoming a better and better person, a better and better champion, happiness/records will knock on your door. Nadal perhaps knows this better than a lot of other champions.

Forget, for a moment, his stature as a tennis player. Rafa is a great guy. The sport would be very much diminished without him.[/tscii:f3a003af63]

8-)

[MADDY]

humility tag vera poettangala - avalavudhaan :lol: .....

[Plum]

Actually, that is a very left-handed compliment from Nirmal Shekar. What's Rafa's humility got to do with his greatness? He is great because of his game, and his humility has got nothing to do with his game.

[wrap07]

I think humility is a virtue which Nadal possess and it adds value to him, as a person and as gracious champion.

[MADDY]

[tscii:dc2cf550c1]http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Rafa-in-India-to-promote-tennis-school/698828


There’s more to Rafael Nadal than just his muscular brand of tennis. The world No.1 Spaniard once again showed the softer side of his personality on a visit to the tennis academy for underprivileged children, set up by the Rafael Nadal Foundation, at Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh.

Rafa, who lost in the Shanghai Masters pre-quarterfinals last week, arrived at the Bangalore airport on Sunday morning and drove to Anantapur. The quick stopover was a hush-hush affair and the champion didn’t even seek security cover from the local police.

“Nadal visited the tennis academy at the Rural Development Trust’s (RDT) sports stadium. He and his family were involved in setting up that academy and I think he came to have a look,” Anantapur district collector Dr B Janardhan Reddy said.

Last month, Rafa’s mother Anna Maria Nadal Parera and his sister Maria Isabel had also made a visit here. The academy has three courts and Anna Maria plans to call it the Nadal Tennis School.[/tscii:dc2cf550c1]

[ajithfederer]

This is the first final result of Nadal in ATP WTF. He has won all round robin matches and the semi-final and almost came to beat roger in the final. This is a great result. Next year we can certainly see more achievements from him. Certainly he is improving a lot in hard courts at the right time. For any peak player the ages 23-27 are the best years to be at the peak of his body and tennis expertise. It is difficult (actually impossible)for other players to match that tenacity and sporting brilliance for years to come .

:clap:

[leosimha]

Nadal won French Open 2011 :clap:

[leosimha]

Another thread which needs to be revived. :)

Nadal v1.0
Nadal v2.0
Nadal v3.0

:lol: