2015 Madrid Masters Semifinal: Nadal v. Berdych

[Murat Baslamisli]

He has 3 MPs . He faced no BPs today.

 

[kskate2]

3 MPs

 

[tented]

7-6, 6-1 :clap

 

[Kieran]

Who's looking good, eh? :clap

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Well done Rafa. Everything clicked today for him. Bird could only hang with him for a set.

 

[Riotbeard]

If this will be Rafa's curve of improvement from here on, barring a setback, he will be very difficult to beat in Rome and almost impossible to beat at RG. "IF" is the keyword.

It depends on how much higher his game can go, given the last two seasons that is an if. Either way he will be tough for anyone if he just continues this form, and not many can beat him playing at this level.

 

[Riotbeard]

Well done Rafa. Everything clicked today for him. Bird could only hang with him for a set.

Most impressive thing was that he never blinked at the business end of the first set as he has been more prone to do this season.

 

[tented]

It's also worth noting that's the highest ranked opponent Rafa's beaten all year.

You have to go back to last year's RG final to find someone ranked higher than Berdych's current ranking.

 

[Kieran]

Kei will be a different proposition in the final but not somebody Rafa should fear. But he'd be a higher test, so I hope he makes it. It would help us check his pulse more accurately. But this is the incremental stuff I was counting on. He still has a ways to go, but RG is still a bit away too...

 

[brokenshoelace]

Good stuff. Was about what I expected. This is a horrible match-up for Berdych under any circumstances (unless it's played on the heels of a quasi-6 months layoff for Nadal, and on a surface other than clay). I'm much more interested in watching Nadal vs. Murray/Nishikori in the final because he can't get away with some of the stuff he was doing today against those guys. For instance, Nadal has played Berdych enough to know that he really doesn't need to hit his forehand close to the lines when going down the line. Merely changing the direction is enough to put Berdych on the backfoot and expose his sub-par movement (the number of baseline points won by each player was pretty telling). Against Murray or Nishikori Nadal needs to put a little more racket head acceleration on that shot. It was still a sharp performance though.

 

[Riotbeard]

Kei will be a different proposition in the final but not somebody Rafa should fear. But he'd be a higher test, so I hope he makes it. It would help us check his pulse more accurately. But this is the incremental stuff I was counting on. He still has a ways to go, but RG is still a bit away too...

Rafa shouldn't fear anybody on clay (even Novak), but Nishikori does have the game to beat Rafa here (maybe not every time but at least on occasion). Not being afraid of doesn't mean Rafa can't be beat, but when he is on, Rafa is the favorite against anyone on clay. If Rafa wins tomorrow, I think he is at least the nominal favorite at Rome and RG.

 

[Kieran]

Kei will be a different proposition in the final but not somebody Rafa should fear. But he'd be a higher test, so I hope he makes it. It would help us check his pulse more accurately. But this is the incremental stuff I was counting on. He still has a ways to go, but RG is still a bit away too...

Rafa shouldn't fear anybody on clay (even Novak), but Nishikori does have the game to beat Rafa here (maybe not every time but at least on occasion). Not being afraid of doesn't mean Rafa can't be beat, but when he is on, Rafa is the favorite against anyone on clay. If Rafa wins tomorrow, I think he is at least the nominal favorite at Rome and RG.

That's true, tomorrow isn't a given for Rafa, but it's the better test of the two options, and that's what he needs at this stage...

 

[pavlik89]

[split] Madrid 2015 Masters

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ3aY66Ld3M[/video]

 

[Carol]

I haven't watched the match but I supose that Rafa has played well and with more confidence than these last months and probably better than last year at this time where he lost already against Ferru, Almagro and almost against Noshi, he did a bad clay season but at least he was ready to win RG

 

[Puppet Master]

This was certainly Rafa's best performance since, well the FO. I can't wait for Rome to see how Djokovic feels about this. What he needs now, is a bit more racquet head speed and perhaps a bit better placement of shots on both wings, but as things are now, there is probably only one or two guys that could trouble him. The guy who lost in MC semis this year is nowhere to be seen.

 

[Kieran]

Novak isn't going to feel troubled about this, he's more focused on and happy with his own game. But from Rafa's perspective, it's a good sign.

For Berdych, he's been consistent all season so far, but can anyone see him making a breakthrough? He still feels too limited to me, in so many ways, to succeed in an MS or GS event...

 

[Front242]

This was certainly Rafa's best performance since, well the FO. I can't wait for Rome to see how Djokovic feels about this. What he needs now, is a bit more racquet head speed and perhaps a bit better placement of shots on both wings, but as things are now, there is probably only one or two guys that could trouble him. The guy who lost in MC semis this year is nowhere to be seen.

Wouldn't go so far as to say the guy who lost in the MC semis is nowhere to be seen personally. Still a lot of short balls there that Berdych failed to punish but a guy like Nishikori who hits the ball as early as Davydenko would gobble those up and whack them back at twice the speed with interest. Nadal hit some great DTL forehands but Berdych's poor court coverage made them all a bit too easy.

 

[Fiero425]

Novak isn't going to feel troubled about this, he's more focused on and happy with his own game. But from Rafa's perspective, it's a good sign.

For Berdych, he's been consistent all season so far, but can anyone see him making a breakthrough? He still feels too limited to me, in so many ways, to succeed in an MS or GS event...

Berdych has been such a disappointment! It's as if he hasn't done anything to elevate his game past what it was 10 years ago! I hear he has new coaches and management, but it hasn't translated to his game; save match in AO against Rafa! If he was a fave of mines, I would be terribly disappointed, stressed, and resentful watching this guy! He does so many things I find unfathomable; esp. hanging back behind the baseline against his superiors like Nadal and Djokovic! It's like it's in his head, "I'm going to go down in flames with what brought me here!" You can count the upsets on one hand of the Big 3 and he has all the talent in the world! I didn't watch much of this match, but he seemed to be too concerned about the raucous crowd; of course they're going to be for their boy! That's immaturity too ridiculous for words since Eric's been out there for a decade! Why would he care at this juncture of his career? I thought he had gotten over the hump at Aussie Open, but he's fallen back into his comfort zone! He'll surprise Nole, Roger, and 1 time in Feb. a player like Rafa, but it appears mentally he's gone as far as he can; so forget a major in his future! :cover :nono :angel: :dodgy:

 

[Puppet Master]

This was certainly Rafa's best performance since, well the FO. I can't wait for Rome to see how Djokovic feels about this. What he needs now, is a bit more racquet head speed and perhaps a bit better placement of shots on both wings, but as things are now, there is probably only one or two guys that could trouble him. The guy who lost in MC semis this year is nowhere to be seen.

Wouldn't go so far as to say the guy who lost in the MC semis is nowhere to be seen personally. Still a lot of short balls there that Berdych failed to punish but a guy like Nishikori who hits the ball as early as Davydenko would gobble those up and whack them back at twice the speed with interest. Nadal hit some great DTL forehands but Berdych's poor court coverage made them all a bit too easy.

Sure, we didn't watch 2008 Rafa demolish Berd, but in MC he could barely hit a forehand winner. So I am content with this performance. In your opinion, is Nishikori playing like he did last year? If he is, he will go for too much, just like last year and lose the plot at some point and potentially injure himself. Now, if he is playing even better, Nadal probably won't get out of that one. He needs to out-aggress Nishi or at least be on par with him in that aspect, and not run around like a retard chasing every shot.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Nishikori does have the game to beat Rafa here (maybe not every time but at least on occasion).

Nadal's game is a nightmare for Nishikori on clay. An absolute nightmare. As in, almost literally, the tennis gods designed a player to counter anything Nishikori brings to the table.

People can bring up that one set and a half at Madrid last year, and I'll bring up every other time they played.