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DUN I LOVE · 22-03-2011 17:51:04

IW - pierwszy finał w 2011.

Rafael Nadal przegrał z Novakiem Djokoviciem w finale turnieju Masters-1000 w Indian Wells. Dla Rafy był to pierwszy finał w trwającym sezonie i 14 przegrany pojedynek w o tytuł w zawodowej karierze.

Rafael Nadal - przegrane finały (14)
2011 (1) ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells
2010 (2) Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, Doha
2009 (3) ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Shanghai, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Madrid, Rotterdam
2008 (2) ATP Masters Series Miami, Chennai
2007 (3) ATP Masters Series Paris, Wimbledon, ATP Masters Series Hamburg
2006 (1) Wimbledon
2005 (1) ATP Masters Series Miami
2004 (1) Auckland

jaccol55 · 26-03-2011 11:27:13

NADAL PRAISES DJOKOVIC; LOOKING TO IMPROVE IN MIAMI

Rafael Nadal, a two-time runner-up at Crandon Park,
is hoping to make it third time lucky this year.

Rafael Nadal praised Novak Djokovic for his fine start to the 2011 season at the Sony Ericsson Open on Friday.

"I think he's a very complete player because he can play on all of the surfaces very good, and that's an advantage," said Nadal. "He started better than possible, so he's in a very good position.

"What he's doing well is he's playing with confidence. His level probably is not much higher than [it was] three years ago or two years ago or one year ago. I always saw him as fantastic player. His potential always was very, very high. Everybody knows how good is him, and he can do what he's doing now.

"My relationship with him always was fantastic. We are close. I think he's a funny guy."

Despite losing to Djokovic in the BNP Paribas Open final at Indian Wells on Sunday, Nadal feels that he can improve at Crandon Park, the venue of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in Miami.

Nadal has a 21-7 Miami tournament record, which includes two runner-up finishes in 2005 (l. to Federer) and 2008 (l. to Davydenko).

"[I can improve] a lot of things. I think during the [Indian Wells] tournament I didn't play really good. It wasn't a good level for me. Semi-finals and final I improved my level of tennis, but during the final my serve worked terribly.

"So that's the first thing. I have to serve better if I want to have chances to compete against all the players. And from the baseline, seriously, I think I finished the tournament playing much better than the beginning of the tournament. So that's always a very positive thing."

With 18 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophies on his mantelpiece in Mallorca, Nadal has won at six different elite tournaments over the past six years. "I play every tournament with the same motivation," he said.

"[It] is impossible [to] win in every place. I just accept the challenge and try to play my best tennis. That's [the] only way to win the tournament where all the best players of the world are playing.

"I love the competition. Tennis is my sport."

Nadal plays Japan's Kei Nishikori in the Sony Ericsson Open second round.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis … prove.aspx

Kazik · 29-03-2011 14:13:12

Relaxed Rafa Not Feeling Pressure Of No. 1

Don’t tell Rafael Nadal that he’s under pressure to defend his hold on the No. 1 South African Airways ATP Ranking from hard-charging World No. 2 Novak Djokovic and No. 3 Roger Federer. Although more than 7,000 of his 12,630 points will fall from his ranking between now and the end of Wimbledon, the tough Spaniard sees the next three months as a period of opportunity rather than a time of worry.

“I don't feel that I have to defend the points,” Nadal said after reaching the fourth round at the Sony Ericsson Open. “I feel in every tournament that I am going to play I have the chance to win points, not to lose points.”

Last year Nadal embarked on a phenomenal run during April, May and June. He became the first player in history (since 1990) to win all three clay-court ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in the same season in Monte-Carlo, Rome and Madrid. He also won a fifth Roland Garros title and continued on to complete the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double for the second time in three years.

In what was perhaps a subtle acknowledgment that he does risk losing the No. 1 ranking during the next three months to Djokovic – who has started the season with an astonishing 20-0 record – Nadal said that his focus was finishing the year at No. 1.

“I think about the [year-to-date ranking] more than the ranking. I know I'm No. 1 in the ranking right now, but in the [year-to-date ranking] I am No. 6 this year. I didn't play for a month. For me every year I start from zero. Right now I am No. 6, and I would love to play well in the next tournaments and have the chances to be in better position.”

Earlier in his visit to Miami Nadal took part in the global launch of Bacardi's Champions Drink Responsibly campaign in Miami Beach. “I am very happy to be part of the Bacardi family and part of this important message,” Nadal said. “It’s a fantastic campaign and for me to be part of it is a great honour.”

Click here to watch Rafa in the Champions Drink Responsibly campaign global launch video.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis … sibly.aspx

DUN I LOVE · 04-04-2011 22:27:29

Miami - drugi finał w 2011.

Rafael Nadal przegrał z Novakiem Djokoviciem w finale turnieju Masters-1000 w Miami. Dla Rafy był to drugi finał w trwającym sezonie i 15 przegrany pojedynek w o tytuł w zawodowej karierze.

Rafael Nadal - przegrane finały (15)
2011 (2) ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami
2010 (2) Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, Doha
2009 (3) ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Shanghai, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Madrid, Rotterdam
2008 (2) ATP Masters Series Miami, Chennai
2007 (3) ATP Masters Series Paris, Wimbledon, ATP Masters Series Hamburg
2006 (1) Wimbledon
2005 (1) ATP Masters Series Miami
2004 (1) Auckland

Nadal przegrał swój 3 finał z rzędu (Londyn. IW, Miami). Dla Hiszpana była to 3 bezpośrednia próba zdobycia tytułu w Miami, 3 nieudana.

Kazik · 05-04-2011 14:52:44

Rafa Ready For Clay Challenge

As he prepares to open his clay-court campaign at the Monte-Carlo Country Club in a week’s time, World No. 1 Rafael Nadal believes it will be nigh on impossible for him to repeat his remarkable achievement of 2010, when he won all three clay-court ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophies before triumphing at Roland Garros.

“That's a once in a lifetime [achievement] to win every tournament on clay. Nobody else has done it in history, only myself last year. So it's difficult to imagine two years in a row [i] can repeat that,” said the Spaniard.

The 24-year-old Nadal goes into the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters after runner-up finishes at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami (l. to Djokovic both times) and is chasing a 19th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy; he already holds the all-time record with 18 of the coveted titles. “For me, [I am] seriously happy about how I'm playing, happy about my level of this tournament,” said the left-hander. “Normally when I play well on clay I have a little bit more advantage, so let's see what's going on week in Monte Carlo.”

Nadal has a staggering 34-1 record at the Monte-Carlo Country Club, having won the title the past six straight years since reaching the third round on his 2003 debut (l. to Coria). Last year, he raced to victory for the loss of just 14 games in five matches. However, the Mallorcan believes his run in Monte-Carlo will come to an end eventually.

“Hopefully I [am] going to be playing well this tournament. This is important confidence for me. Let's try my best in Monte Carlo. First tournament of clay is always important. But it's not going to be perfect. I’m not going to win ten times in a row Monte Carlo. That's sure. I won six in a row. I am going to try my best for the seventh, but I know how difficult is every tournament.”

The Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters begins on Sunday, 10 April, and features seven of the Top 10 players in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings, with Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, David Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco, Jurgen Melzer and Gael Monfils joining Nadal.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis … lenge.aspx

jaccol55 · 11-04-2011 12:58:35

NADAL WELCOMED BY HSH PRINCE ALBERT II AT ROYAL PALACE

HSH Prince Albert II welcome Rafael Nadal
in a reception at the Palace of Monaco.

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal was invited to an audience with HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco at the Palace of Monaco on Sunday ahead of his participation at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters next week.

“Thank you for the invitation; it was an honour to come to the Palace of Monaco and a pleasure to meet with HSH Prince Albert II,” said Nadal. “He is a big supporter of the tournament and I want to thank him for everything.

“It is a pleasure to be back at one of the best tournaments on the ATP World Tour. I am very happy to be here, I’m practising hard and I am looking forward to play my first match.”

Two years ago, Nadal and World No. 4 Andy Murray played an exhibition match in the Palace square with HSH Prince Albert II in attendance. The Prince has also presented Nadal with the winner’s trophy at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters the past three years.

The Spaniard is chasing a record seventh consecutive title at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters and will open his campaign at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 clay-court tournament against either French qualifier Julien Benneteau or Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis … ption.aspx

DUN I LOVE · 11-04-2011 20:17:37

Sesja dla Armaniego, specjalnie dal Anuli.

anula · 14-04-2011 21:42:57

Dzięki Dawidzie za "coś dla oka".
Zdjęcie nr 6 przepiękne.

Sempere · 17-04-2011 21:44:35

Rafa Nadal: Prawie niemożliwe, ale tego dokonałem

Turniej w Monte Carlo, tam gdzie listę honorową otwiera jeszcze w XIX w. Reggie Doherty, legenda Wimbledonu, gdzie dwa tytuły zdobył Władysław "Dziekan" Skonecki, gdzie ważny przystanek do udziału w historycznym Masters zanotował Wojciech Fibak. Listę sław zamyka, ale tylko chronologicznie, Rafael Nadal - niepokonany przez 37 meczów. Za rok wróci tam po ósmy tytuł.

- To w Monte Carlo się wszystko zaczęło - powiedział lider rankingu po finałowym triumfie nad Davidem Ferrerem. - W 2003 roku przeszedłem kwalifikacje, wygrałem dwa mecze i po raz pierwszy znalazłem się w Top 100. To prawdopodobnie ten z turniejów kategorii Masters 1000, z którym czuję się najbardziej emocjonalnie związany.

Niedościgniony w rywalizacji na kortach ziemnych, Nadal zwraca uwagę na element, który czyni jego dokonania na Lazurowym Wybrzeżu jeszcze znaczniejszymi: - Tu grają przecież najlepsi tenisiści świata. A on ich wszystkich pokonał. W tej edycji wprawdzie zabrakło na starcie Novaka Đokovicia, ale wobec tegorocznej formy Serba należy spodziewać się jeszcze ich finałowych pojedynków w kolejnych turniejach na mączce (Madryt, Rzym i Paryż).

- Początek sezonu na kortach ziemnych jest dla mnie fantastyczny, a kolejne zwycięstwo tutaj bardzo szczególne - powiedział Nadal. - To było prawie niemożliwe, ale jednak tego dokonałem - mówił po zdobyciu 44. tytułu w karierze. Pierwszy wywalczył w Sopocie w 2004 roku. Najważniejszymi laurami są te w Wielkim Szlemie - w sumie dziewięć.

O finale z Ferrerem: - Miałem trochę szczęścia, gdy pojawiła się szansa na przełamanie w drugim secie: David popełnił kilka błędów, podwójny serwisowy i to bardzo pomogło mi zakończyć mecz. Czułem się trochę bardziej zmęczony niż zwykle. Takie spotkania jak wczorajsze [sobotnia z Murrayem] czy dzisiejsze wzmacniają fizycznie i mentalnie. Negatywna strona jest taka, że spędzając na korcie długi czas, będąc zmuszonym do biegania, jest to wielki wysiłek dla ciała. W wymiarze psychicznym może to być jednak pomocne w perspektywie kolejnych etapów sezonu na mączce.

W niedzielę wyczerpujący finał w Monte Carlo, teraz podróż wybrzeżem Morza Śródziemnego do Barcelony. Na kortach najstarszego klubu tenisowego w Hiszpanii Nadal zagra po dwóch latach - w ubiegłym sezonie zrezygnował z występu ograniczając kalendarz po rehabilitacji ścięgien kolanowych.

Ograniczenia były. Dziś cieszy się zdrowiem, a przynajmniej nie daje po sobie poznać, by ono szwankowało. - Taki terminarz sobie wybrałem i jestem z niego zadowolony - przyznał. - Czy się pomyliłem, zobaczymy w najbliższych miesiącach. Faktycznie gram jednak tylko trzy lub cztery turnieje poza tymi obowiązkowymi. Zagrałem jeden, by przygotować się do Australian Open, teraz będę w Barcelonie i muszę wystąpić w Queen's przed Wimbledonem. Nie gram 25 turniejów w roku. A w ogóle to nie chodzi o samą liczbę turniejów, ale meczów, w jakich się występuje: można odpadać w pierwszych rundach albo dochodzić do finałów.

O newralgicznym okresie sezonu: - Od Indian Wells do Wimbledonu to najważniejsza dla mnie część roku, decydujące cztery lub pięć miesięcy. Tym razem wszystko zaczęło się dobrze. Pozostaję pokorny, zmotywowany i pozytywnie nastawiony każdego dnia. To jedyna droga do tego, by grać na tym poziomie, ponieważ prawda jest taka, że nie grając perfekcyjnie wygrałem turniej. Mam coś do poprawy i ekscytuje mnie myśl, że spróbuję to poprawić.

Najlepszy zapewne w historii specjalista od kortów ziemnych, pięciokrotny triumfator Roland Garros, ma coś do poprawy. - Treningi przed turniejem nie były dobre - przyznał. - Zacząłem grać lepiej, gdy wystartowały zawody. Drugi mecz, przeciw Richardowi [Gasquet], nie był łatwy, a przeciw Ljubičiciowi trudno było o jakąkolwiek analizę, bo niesamowicie wiało. W półfinale i finale nie byłem w stanie grać cały czas na najwyższym poziomie, tylko kilka gemów. Gram nieco bardziej defensywnie. Jakoś łatwiej niż zwykle tracę koncentrację. To w moim przekonaniu jedyny minus.

Pytanie o to, czy wyobraża sobie siebie grającego w wieku 29 lat, czyli w wieku Federera. - Przestanę grać w tenisa, kiedy przestanę się łudzić, że jestem w stanie być lepszym tenisistą. A nie wiem kiedy to nastąpi. Nie wiem co będzie za miesiąc, ani za pięć lat. Zawsze trzeba myśleć o zdrowiu, by nie doznać kontuzji, tak jak przytrafiło się to Carlosowi Moyi [pierwszy hiszpański lider rankingu]. On naprawdę chce grać, ale ogranicza go zdrowie. Ja doceniam to co mam

http://www.sportowefakty.pl/tenis/2011/ … dokonalem/

jaccol55 · 17-04-2011 23:21:15

Rafa zdobywa tytuł w MC po raz 7 z rzędu.

#44) Monte Carlo 2011

R64 Bye
R32 Jarrko Nieminen 6-2 6-2
R16 Richard Gasquet 6-2 6-4
QF Ivan Ljubicić 6-1 6-3
SF Andy Murray 6-4 2-6 6-1
F David Ferrer 6-4 7-5

DUN I LOVE · 18-04-2011 16:15:08

Rafael Nadal został 1 tenisistą w Erze Open, który wygrał turniej tenisowy 7 razy z rzędu. Hiszpan poprawił tym samym wynik Guillermo Vilasa, który swego czasu triumfował w Buenos Aires w 6 kolejnych edycjach.

Wczorajszy sukces w Monte Carlo to 30 wygrany przez Nadala turniej na kortach ziemnych. Hiszpan wyrównał wynik Bjorna Borga.

1. Guillermo Vilas - 46
2. Thomas Muster - 40
3. Björn Borg - 30
3. Rafael Nadal - 30
5. Ivan Lendl - 28
Manuel Orantes - 28

Nadal wygrał swój 19 turniej z serii Masters-1000, poprawiając swój własny rekord:

19 - Nadal
17 - Agassi, Federer
11 - Sampras

Półfinałowe zwycięstwo Rafy nad Murrayem to był 200 wygrany mecz przez Hiszpana w turnieju z cyklu Masters-1000:

1. Roger Federer 234-71
2. Andre Agassi 209-73
3. Rafael Nadal 201-39

Więcej statystyk:
http://www.mtenis.pun.pl/viewtopic.php?id=909

jaccol55 · 18-04-2011 16:27:24

Miazga.

DUN I LOVE · 18-04-2011 16:54:58

Nadal Not Concerned With Schedule

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal will have little time to celebrate his seventh consecutive title at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. After defeating David Ferrer 6-4, 7-5 in Sunday’s final, Nadal’s attention quickly shifts to the ATP World Tour 500 event in Barcelona. The Spaniard opted not to enter last season but is riding a 24 match winning streak at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, earning five straight titles from 2005 to 2009.

The Majorcan has expended a great deal of court time in his past three tournaments, reaching the final at both ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events at Indian Wells and Miami before winning in Monte Carlo. Though he admitted he was weary after Sunday’s final, Nadal is optmistic at where he is right now. “During the match I was more tired than usual today. But in general it was positive,” the top seed said. “That's important because these kinds of matches, like yesterday, like today, improve your condition physically and mentally.”

“It’s negative because you spent a lot of time on court, you have to run a lot on court, it’s always tough for the body. But if you talk about [what it does] mentally and physically, that can help a lot for the rest of the clay season.”

Nadal intends to play three more tournaments leading up to the French Open. In addition to the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, he has two more ATP World Tour Masters 1000 clay-court events in Rome and Madrid.

Though he’s already proven his physical prowess, having played 17 matches in the past four weeks, the five-time Barcelona champion sees his participation at the tournament as an opportunity to maximize his points now to set himself up in a prime position later in the year. “Indian Wells to Wimbledon is the most [important] part of the season for me. These four or five months are decisive in my season,” assessed Nadal.

As for playing four events leading up to Roland Garros, the Spaniard is not fazed by the potential number of matches he could be involved in. “That's the calendar. That's where I have to play my best, where I have to defend a lot of points,” Nadal said.

“Every year I did a fantastic clay court season. I have to try to do it another time. With these four or five tournaments, if I am playing very well, I'm going to have the biggest chances to have enough points to try to be in the top position at the end of the year ranking. That's the top of my system in general. So I have to try… I am healthy now, so why not?”

Nadal will play the winner of Daniel Gimeno-Traver and Potito Starace in his opening match in Barcelona. Despite just winning in Monte Carlo, the World No. 1 is looking to enhance certain areas of his game. “I think I can improve a few things for next weeks,” disclosed Nadal.

“I am sliding less than usual on clay. It is easier to defend well when you are sliding, especially to the forehand. But I have two more days to practice for Barcelona. Let's see.”

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis … edule.aspx

Joao · 18-04-2011 19:42:54

Rafa Nadal wygrywając wczorajszy finał stał się czwartym zawodnikiem w całej historii tenisa, który wygrywał jeden turniej siedmiokrotnie z rzędu. Prócz niego taki wyczyn osiągnęli: Ken Rosewall (French Pro 1960-1966), Pancho Gonzales (US Pro 1953-1959) i Richard Sears (US Open 1881-1887).

jaccol55 · 19-04-2011 14:52:28

Nadal: I must improve further

Rafael Nadal said he must try to keep improving his game after securing a seventh straight Monte Carlo Masters title at the weekend.

The world number one beat fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 6-4 7-5 in Sunday's final but explained he was still a little rusty on clay, his favourite surface.

"I'm pleased with how the first week (on clay) has gone," Nadal said at the Barcelona Open.
"I need to use the confidence from the first week to keep improving. I have to be more aggressive, to serve better and to finish off points more emphatically and with more authority."

After Barcelona, Nadal will compete in Madrid, Rome and then at the French Open in Paris, giving him three possible chances of a clash with in-form Serb Novak Djokovic.

The world number two has won 24 successive matches in 2011, including final victories over Nadal at Indian Wells and Miami, and a claycourt showdown between the two is eagerly anticipated.

It was put to Nadal that Djokovic rather than Roger Federer was now his main rival for the number one spot.
"He (Djokovic) has started very well and I congratulate him," said the five-times French Open champion.

"Roger and I have played many important matches, with great moments for each of us. The year is very long and he (Djokovic) is in a privileged position but unfortunately I have to worry about many others as well.

"I'm not invincible on clay. I have lost before and unfortunately I have plenty more games I will lose in the future. It has gone well for me in recent years but no one is perfect."

Reuters

http://eurosport.yahoo.com/18042011/58/ … rther.html

DUN I LOVE · 19-04-2011 15:06:46

Nadal: Evolution of a Champion

by Pete Bodo

Rafael Nadal's strategy for the spring now seems pretty clear. It's the age-old BTD approach: Bludgeon Them to Death. Early in this man's career, it was not only a reasonable option, but almost a necessary one. Nadal's skills on surfaces other than clay, while good (and better even then than most people acknowledged, or were willing to admit), suggested that he make the most of his opportunities on the red clay, where he is most effective.

Nadal staked out his base territory on clay in 2005 and 2006, by the end of which he was not yet 21 but in possession of two French Open and four red-clay Masters titles. But it isn't like Nadal was ineffective on other surfaces at the onset; not by any means. By the end of 2006 he had also earned a prestigious hard-court title (Canadian Open) and a runner-up trophy from Wimbledon. The triumphs were good indicators of both his imperial ambitions and the versatility of his game, or style.

Style and game are two different things, although easily confused as interchangeable. Nadal has demonstrated through his evolution as a champ how different they really are. Nobody, but nobody, looking at his game back when Nadal first began to make his mark thought it was anything but a set of tools lethally but almost exclusively suited for clay courts.

Nadal was the "next generation" clay-courter, a player who took the concept of building a game around the forehand to levels merely hinted at by the likes of Jim Courier. He was the evil spawn of some clay-court Grendel like Alberto Berasetagui (who actually hit his atomic forehand with the back or "wrong" side of the racket face), or two-time French Open champion Sergi Bruguera, who had comparably radical strokes and played from so far behind the baseline that he needed GPS to find his chair on the changeover.

Nadal's viciously spinning ball, hit with a wickedly-torqued, wrenching swing that threatened to yank his left arm from its socket, was made for punishing opponents on red clay. By contrast, the backhand, while solid enough, looked like something out of the emergency repair kit. If an opponent somehow found his way to that wing, the two-fisted, short-backswing backhand would stop the bleeding. With help from Nadal's feet, it would get the job done—the job being, getting Nadal back into position to dictate with his forehand from way over in the backhand court.

And then there was that serve. If anything helped prejudice observers against Nadal's all-court potential, it was the careful, almost ungainly way he hit his serve. He looked (and sometimes still looks) somehow out of balance, favoring his right side. The delivery has improved considerably; it's become a lot more accurate and precise without looking any different. Nadal is better now at darts.

Nadal's service action remains the least convincing part of his game, and it's the area where this whole business about Nadal really being a right-hander might be most significant, although I can't really tell you how. Watching him sometimes, though, I could be convinced that he's really a right-hander who for some reason has to serve lefty. Nadal certainly doesn't get that big, wide-swinging ad-court slice that has always been the lefty's signature—as well as most poisonous—weapon.

Nadal's game hasn't changed very much over the last few years. To me, the biggest difference is the improvement in his backhand. His recently-developed slice is something like a 4 or 5 on a scale of 10, but when you factor in the time it buys to help Nadal get back in position, or to re-set the rally to neutral, it moves up to a 7, maybe 7.5. The improvement in the two-hander is pronounced. Nadal's ability to play the shot out of a deep crouch, often going away with his back almost to the net (I'm sure you can conjure up the image) is remarkable.

Nadal gets incredible angles with that backhand now, but what I like most is how much more wristy it is; in addition to adding sting and snap, it allows himto hit sharper angles, which improve his counter-punching abilities on those occasions when he's backed into a corner, or getting jerked around the court. Not many players can get Nadal on a string, but one of them (Novak Djokovic) is playing the best tennis of his life and another (Juan Martin del Potro) is well on the way back after that wrist injury. Delpo's ability to dictate is unsurpassed because he can hit so such deep, penetrating groundstrokes.

As helpful as those evolutionary changes have been to Nadal, his all-around success is more a matter of his style, which is ultra-aggressive. Nadal hits fewer "rally" shots than any player in recent memory, although the most recent versions of Djokovic and del Potro come close. That's remarkable, when you consider how much he relies on topspin (which for Nadal is like a governor that keeps his engine from blowing up). Significantly, Federer is not in the company of these men in that department, except on those days when he's fully dialed in and confident. In some ways, Andy Murray and Federer are the least contemporary among the top players, with old-school elements ever-present in their games.

The results since last year's U.S. Open suggest that the very concept of the "rally" is endangered; it's all about the Big Ball now, and either ripping winners (or forcing errors through the effort), or vicious three- and four-shot combinations with the end of the point foreshadowed from the very first swing. No player who fits any standard definition of "clay-courter" could possibly survive in this environment, not at the highest level.

This helps explain why so many of the best players today are even more proficient on hard courts than on clay, where their games were developed. It's counter-intuitive, but the single most often-cited value of training on clay (developing consistency) is the one least called up or useful at the very top of the game. It's a little like the way some of the best artists are masterful at representational drawing but never do it.

Nadal is still best on clay, no doubt about it. But it's because his game is more old-school than his style. In Nadal, the benefits of aggression aren't manifested just in the way his game travels unexpectedly well from clay to hard and grass surfaces. It's part and parcel of everything he does. Consider this: Nadal and Djokovic played the same amount of tennis during this year's hard-court swing (the men played the finals at both Indian Wells and Miami); Nadal even complained that fatigue played a role in his loss to Djokovic on Key Biscayne.

Yet while Djokovic pulled out of Monte Carlo (official reason: sore knee), Nadal soldiered on. The stakes and conditions were certainly different—it's a lot easier to opt for a well-earned and thoroughly deserved rest when you've just won two Masters titles than when you've just lost in both finals. And we know all about Nadal's brilliant record at Monte Carlo, and the historic and statistical implications of its continuation.

But note that despite citing fatigue as an issue once again in the Monte Carlo final against David Ferrer, Nadal is still entered in Barcelona this week (you can check some of my further thoughts on that at my ESPN blog). I had to smile when I saw the headline at the ATP website: Nadal Not Concerned with Schedule. It calls for the sub-head: Perhaps We Shouldn't be, Either. . .

Discussing his win over Ferrer with the press, Nadal said: “During the match I was more tired than usual today. But in general it was positive. That's important because these kinds of matches, like yesterday, like today, improve your condition physically and mentally.

“It’s negative because you spent a lot of time on court, you have to run a lot on court, it’s always tough for the body. But if you talk about [what it does] mentally and physically, that can help a lot for the rest of the clay season.”

Aha. Now we’re onto something. It seems that Nadal’s marathon schedule is an aspect of training, rather than income-earning, ranking-points gathering, or even legacy-creating. I don’t think the physical conditioning to which Nadal alludes is as important as the mental tempering. In fact, it seems that Nadal is rolling the die a bit here, risking injury related to over-exertion (like that tendinitis he had in both knees back in 2009) and just plain over-use in order to reap the confidence-building rewards of that Bludgeon Them to Death philosophy.

This is the time of year when the rewards for pursuing that strategy, the one so ingrained in Nadal, are greatest. But the basic, aggressive style and mentality that makes Nadal so effective on clay pay dividends all year.

http://blogs.tennis.com/tennisworld/201 … aha-n.html

DUN I LOVE · 23-04-2011 19:43:54

500 wygranych meczów Nadala w ATP!

Rafael Nadal, pokonując Ivana Dodiga w 1/2 finału turnieju ATP w Barcelonie, wygrał swój mecz nr 500 w zawodowej karierze. 24-letni Hiszpan został 2 najmłodszym graczem w historii, który osiągnął ten wynik. W chwili 500 zwycięstwa w karierze młodszy był tylko Bjorn Borg.

Graty!

kefirr · 25-04-2011 15:07:27

Bjorn Borg chyba w wieku 25 lat zakonczył kariere? Tak mi sie wydaje choc nie jestem pewien. Ciekaw jestem czy Nadal wygra jeszcze 2 turnieje na cegle w tym roku i jeden z nich to RG. Czekam na pojedynek z Novakiem w Madrycie lub Rzymie. Jak prześledze poprzednie lata to wydaje mi się że, jego zwycięstwo w Paryżu w tym roku jest zagrożone, jest strasznie nie stabilny i jak tego nie poprawi będzie kiepsko.

Ostatnio edytowany przez kefirr (25-04-2011 15:10:26)

Serenity · 25-04-2011 18:37:54

# 45) Barcelona 2011

1R: D.Gimeno-Traver (ESP) 6-1 6-1
2R: S.Giraldo (COL) 6-3 6-1
QF: G.Monfils (FRA) 6-2 6-2
SF: I. Dodig (CRO) 6-3 6-2
W: D.Ferrer (ESP) 6-2 6-4

muto · 25-04-2011 19:23:04

Wygrywając finał w Barcelonie, Rafael Nadal został pierwszym tenisistą Ery Open, który triumfował przynajmniej 6 razy w dwóch turniejach.

Having won the ATP World Tour 500 clay-court tennis tournament five successive times from 2005-2009, Nadal became the first player in the Open Era to win two tournaments at least six times. Last weekend he defeated Ferrer in straight sets to win the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters crown for the seventh year in a row.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis … Crown.aspx

Ogłoszenie

#641 22-03-2011 17:51:04

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