2015 Madrid Masters Semifinal: Nadal v. Berdych

[Riotbeard]

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.

Argument? I didn't say kei would be the favorite, but he has similar strengths to nalbandian, who has been able to trouble Rafa on clay.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[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.

Argument? I didn't say kei would be the favorite, but he has similar strengths to nalbandian, who has been able to trouble Rafa on clay.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Nalbandian and Nadal only played once on clay and Nadal won 6-2 6-3. If the player you're thinking of is Davydenko (since Kei plays nothing like Nalbandian), then he and Nadal 4 times on clay and Davydenko has only ever won one set.

I didn't say you said he'd be the favorite either. You said he has the game to trouble Nadal, and I'm arguing that Nadal's game is in fact a nightmare for Nishikori on this surface.

 

[the AntiPusher]

I have Rafa winning in straight sets over Berdych:angel:

 

[Riotbeard]

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.

Argument? I didn't say kei would be the favorite, but he has similar strengths to nalbandian, who has been able to trouble Rafa on clay.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Nalbandian and Nadal only played once on clay and Nadal won 6-2 6-3. If the player you're thinking of is Davydenko (since Kei plays nothing like Nalbandian), then he and Nadal 4 times on clay and Davydenko has only ever won one set.

I didn't say you said he'd be the favorite either. You said he has the game to trouble Nadal, and I'm arguing that Nadal's game is in fact a nightmare for Nishikori on this surface.

Kei is a shot maker with a good backhand, they can trouble nadal on any surface. Fair point that kei plays more like davydenko. This isn't the same nadal though. We are not talking about the ideal nadal. There is a reason why kei was wiping the floor with him last year.

Still repeating that his game is a nightmare is not an argument. Why is nadal so different this year from last?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[brokenshoelace]

Argument? I didn't say kei would be the favorite, but he has similar strengths to nalbandian, who has been able to trouble Rafa on clay.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Nalbandian and Nadal only played once on clay and Nadal won 6-2 6-3. If the player you're thinking of is Davydenko (since Kei plays nothing like Nalbandian), then he and Nadal 4 times on clay and Davydenko has only ever won one set.

I didn't say you said he'd be the favorite either. You said he has the game to trouble Nadal, and I'm arguing that Nadal's game is in fact a nightmare for Nishikori on this surface.

Kei is a shot maker with a good backhand, they can trouble nadal on any surface. Fair point that kei plays more like davydenko. This isn't the same nadal though. We are not talking about the ideal nadal. There is a reason why kei was wiping the floor with him last year.

Still repeating that his game is a nightmare is not an argument. Why is nadal so different this year from last?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

lol @ wiping the floor. Sometimes people are utterly hilarious. Nishikori was outplaying him for a set and a half. Newsflash, it happens, and it's only a very small sample. Too small in fact to derive anything out of.

Why did Nadal crush him 4, 1 and 3 the previous year at RG? Why has Nadal won all 7 of their meetings?

I mean we're talking about a 5 footer having to keep up with Nadal's onslaught of high bouncing forehands whose whole MO is to take the ball early with the backhand...a feat literally everyone ever struggles with against Nadal on clay due to how difficult it is to hit it cleanly and time it well given the type of spin he puts on the ball and how effective that is on clay.

 

[Riotbeard]

Nalbandian and Nadal only played once on clay and Nadal won 6-2 6-3. If the player you're thinking of is Davydenko (since Kei plays nothing like Nalbandian), then he and Nadal 4 times on clay and Davydenko has only ever won one set.

I didn't say you said he'd be the favorite either. You said he has the game to trouble Nadal, and I'm arguing that Nadal's game is in fact a nightmare for Nishikori on this surface.

Kei is a shot maker with a good backhand, they can trouble nadal on any surface. Fair point that kei plays more like davydenko. This isn't the same nadal though. We are not talking about the ideal nadal. There is a reason why kei was wiping the floor with him last year.

Still repeating that his game is a nightmare is not an argument. Why is nadal so different this year from last?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

lol @ wiping the floor. Sometimes people are utterly hilarious. Nishikori was outplaying him for a set and a half. Newsflash, it happens, and it's only a very small sample. Too small in fact to derive anything out of.

Why did Nadal crush him 4, 1 and 3 the previous year at RG? Why has Nadal won all 7 of their meetings?

I mean we're talking about a 5 footer having to keep up with Nadal's onslaught of high bouncing forehands whose whole MO is to take the ball early with the backhand...a feat literally everyone ever struggles with against Nadal on clay due to how difficult it is to hit it cleanly and time it well given the type of spin he puts on the ball and how effective that is on clay.

To be fair, kei has hit a different level in the last two years and so has Rafa in the other direction,thus making previous record less telling but not irrelevant. You prove my point though kei has a great backhand, which is the best weapon against Rafa. No one is favored, not even Novak, but kei has better tools than most. Which was my only point.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Carol]

I haven't seen the match but this is a beauty of shot :clap

[video=youtube]http://youtu.be/7NNWKDy9zMU[/video]

 

[Carol]

I haven't seen the match but this is a beauty of shot :clap

[video=youtube]http://youtu.be/7NNWKDy9zMU[/video]

Thanks again tented!

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

rafa/wafa flushed skeletor down the toilet once more. vamos.

 

[the AntiPusher]

I haven't seen the match but this is a beauty of shot :clap

[video=youtube]http://youtu.be/7NNWKDy9zMU[/video]

Thanks again tented!

sometimes that shot is appears to be an equivalent of a slam dunk in basketball.. Also many thanks Tented..

 

[brokenshoelace]

That Nadal forehand pass...it's a pretty telling sign that he doesn't move as well as he used to when we're all freaking out about it. This used to be an average, routine shot by his standards. And yes, I am sad about this.