Basel 2014 ATP 500

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

coric breaks rafa first up,

 

[Federberg]

well well well..

 

[Kieran]

Come on El Dude, I love your posts but you're a Fedfan to the core. Cut you and you bleed money. There's no shame in this, by the way. One man's objectivity is objectionable to another.

I'm gonna miss this danged match, but I hope it's a great one. Already Coric broke serve? Good to see a youngster coming on strong. I hope Rafa wears him down, but I also hope the kid doesn't gurn and grin and fold. Give 'im hell, Borna! :clap

 

[Federberg]

Rafa is having a bad hair day. So far not really seeing anything special that Coric needs to do

 

[Federberg]

The test will be to see how Coric plays when Rafa finds his rhythm.. this is just anomalous right now

 

[Front242]

Coric is tearing him a new one.

 

[Federberg]

The kid has a good return it seems. But still trying to figure out if his movement and footwork is up to contender level. Hard to say so far. We need Rafa to play properly..

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

Coric is tearing him a new one.

lol thats one way of describing it I suppose. 3-0.

 

[Federberg]

Rafa is really stinking up the joint right now!

 

[Kieran]

I wonder if the appendix burst during the warm up... :snigger

 

[Federberg]

12 unforced errors and only in the 4th game... wow

 

[brokenshoelace]

Kieran, the Fedfan thing is a tiresome red herring. My comments have nothing to do with being a Federer fan.

BS, honestly, it isn't clear to me whether the "baffling" part is because Rafa is strangely and unfairly misjudged, as you seem to imply, or if there's really something to it. I'm not sure we can come to a definitive answer on that one. It does seem to be that he at least has a certain reputation with regards to injuries and excuse-making; whether there is any truth to it is harder to say.

If you're going to question my objectivity about Rafa, why not question yours and Kieran's? I mean, why would a diehard Rafa fan be more objective about him than someone who is not a diehard fan? Despite what Kieran might think--who likes to blame any critique of Rafa on Fedfan sour grapes, presumably due to the H2H--I have nothing against Rafa. I've also been quite outspoken about my view that Rafa is arguably the rightful GOAT, and even said that it seems to me that the media has every complaint of his under a microscope. I've even called fellow Fedfans out on making excuses for Roger.

So question my objectivity, while not questionings yours and fellow Nadal fans, seems a tad disingenuous.

All that said, I think the greater the player the more excuses are made for him. It is just a by-product of being on top. I also hear you about the black-and-white thing. I mean, as some have said Rafa may not even be playing Basel to win, but to get his pay-check. Given that he's out of Paris, it isn't like he's using Basel for a warm-up. That said, while Rafa may not be 100%, he's still well enough to play professional tennis with--as far as I can tell--no outward sign of significant pain or injury. I just don't see a player who's really struggling out there, and find it a bit over the top how much emphasis "some" place on his injury du jour.

I don't question my objectivity about Rafa because it doesn't exist. He's my favorite player so by definition, I am subjective. Don't call me disingeneous when for years, every time someone pulls the "bias" card all I respond with is "Newsflash, we're all biased." You're just preaching to the choir.

As far as your argument goes, it's based on you not "seeing" someone who's struggling out there. I wonder if he looked fine to you in his two recent losses too. My argument is based upon his probable upcoming surgery and recent results. Now tell me which one an objective person would put more stock in.

 

[brokenshoelace]

I don't know what the hell you guys are talking about. Rafa looked fine in his last two matches so clearly nothing is troubling him. Rafa just always stinks at this time of the year so this, including 12 unforced errors in 4 games, is nothing unusual.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Coric is tearing him a new one.

Or Nadal tearing himself a new one. But you know, those details are minor and don't matter.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Rafa is really stinking up the joint right now!

Nope. Coric is just handily outplaying him. Nothing Rafa can do.

 

[Front242]

Swiss bakery products anyone?

 

[brokenshoelace]

And El Dude's theory is given more credence as Coric edges closer to a bagel -- A meal Nadal routinely eats, I'm sure.

 

[brokenshoelace]

I've never been happier to see my favorite player lose so badly, by the way. Yes, I'm that vain. If losing a meaningless tournament proves me right, I'm ecstatic.

 

[Federberg]

Surely a player who you watch intently (as fans do of their players) will look off their game when they're losing? It's the nature of the beast particularly when you talk about players of Federer and Nadals calibre. You have an expectation of a ridiculously high level of play, anything less and people start trying to rationalise it...

 

[brokenshoelace]

It's actually fitting that Nadal's season begins and ends with a debacle: The back injury at the AO and subsequent backlash, and now this. Both injuries were taboo, as all Rafa injuries are.

What I also like about what's going on is for years, I've had to hear how Nadal wasn't moving below par against Soderling at the FO because he had just crushed Hewitt the previous match. Well, as this clearly proves, as long as you beat someone handily in one match, there's NOTHING physically wrong with you.

EDIT: OH MY GOD, Rafa to avoid the bagel. I knew he was fine.