What a load of horse shit! You've always hated Nadal, and it only takes a cursory glance at any number of your posts today to see it.
You don't know what my views on Nadal pre-2009 were. I got into an argument with someone back in 2006/2007 on another board who told me I was completely insane for saying that Nadal could win a major off of clay.
If you were only against his "base," you wouldn't call him "Gnatdal," for example.
There are aspects of his game that I highly respect, and others that I don't think much of. Why can't it be a mixed bag?
And you've never had any respect for his tennis or his talent, and you still don't, which is quite clear. You should just own that.
I always complimented his inside-out forehand and his physical endurance.
I make a perfectly reasonable comment relating Medvedev's first meeting with Rafa 5 weeks ago, with Berrettini's first meeting with him tomorrow, and you call it "asinine."
Yes, and I stand by that characterization. But I did not merely call your remarks "asinine." I explained why I described them as such.
And all of your back up is mostly bias and old news. (Blake, Nalbandian and Davydenko...seriously? I guess you've missed changes in Rafa's HC game.)
Apparently the specifics of my argument went over your head, as usual. What I said specifically was that the usual pattern with Nadal against the better HC opponents is to get his ass kicked in initial match-ups and then make modifications to his strategy down the road to squeak out tight victories. That's exactly what he did with Blake. He got crushed the first 3 times they played and then he won their last 4 matches in 3 sets by modifying his approach.
Can you follow that?
Sure, Roger is a harder ask on grass that Rafa on HC, but not by as much as you claim,
Lol....it's not even comparable. Federer wins points on grass effortlessly because his serve, forehand, and slice are utterly perfect for grass-court tennis. Nadal cannot win points on hardcourts with anything approaching that level of ease. Your comparison is beyond ridiculous.
You've ignored the fact that it took Berrettini 5 sets to beat Monfils, and have even claimed that will give him good practice for Nadal's game. Seriously? That seems a basic misunderstanding of Nadal's game. And of Monfils' game, too.
Lmao.....I can't with you, sometimes I really can't. Your level of obliviousness at times is so comical that it is almost endearing.
Here you go, Moxie, let me explain this: when I am comparing Nadal to Monfils, I am not saying they are identical in every way. What I am saying is that they have one key similarity, which is movement at the back of the court and forcing their opponents to hit extra shots in prolonged rallies. By saying that, I am not saying that Nadal and Monfils are twins - no matter how much Nadalfan2013 may want to imagine the possibility. All I am saying is that they have one very key similarity.
I could see why you'd be hopeful that nerves won't come into it, though they definitely did in the QF. But the Italian let Monfils off the hook any number of times, and which is really why it went 5. Do you really think that Rafa will be less likely to capitalize on let-offs, should it come to that, than Monfils?
Monfils is not a dud. He was playing a very strong tournament and he can also hit flat. He played some great points when he was down. In some ways, he is a better match-up for Berretini than Nadal is because he does not hit moonballs that can be slapped around the court.
Berrettini has never played Nadal,
Yup, which means no psychological baggage, no clear gameplan from Nadal, and a lot of free-flowing rallies. This also isn't clay; it's a surface where Nadal is vulnerable to getting pelted without having prior exposure to big hitters who he does not have experience against.
I would say that Berretini not having played Nadal is more to his advantage than to his disadvantage.
Berretini just beat Monfils on Ashe. Are you losing it mentally like Joe Biden? What state are you in right now Moxie - New York or New Hampshire? Check your Google Maps app. It will tell you.
never been to a SF of a Major, and was playing Challengers earlier this year.
Sometimes playing Nadal on hardcourts is like playing a challenger, so Berretini has just the prep he needs.
You're not the only one that likes the young Italian. I think we all do. But you overstate by a mile what he might be able to do, and why.
We'll see.....enjoy the show tomorrow evening.
Your approach is very emotional. You hang on to your loves and your hates, but you don't really watch with dispassion. I'm not saying that none of us have bias, but you take preferential myopathy to another level.
This is the prototypical example of projection.....Moxie, please stop projecting.
Now calitennis127 will wait in front of those restaurants in the hope of meeting him and asking him for marriage... 
:heart:
