Bet-At-Home Open Hamburg

[Carol]

I haven't seen the match but I've read and was told that Rafa has played very well
My question is where is that cold player who never has needed to smash the racket when he was losing a match and always respecting his opponents but never has had afraid to play against anyone even when he was too young and now winning or losing he is getting panic attacks, tachikardya and is invaded for the nerves?
How long he is going to be in that conditions? hope he find himself once and for all and soon he can have a big laugh about it (and many of us too)

Beautiful drop shot by him today

http://www.tennistv.com/video/videoId/wumf76su6qgd1nskf409ewtr6/title/nadal-hot-shot--atp-hamburg-sf

 

[the AntiPusher]

I can't believe folks are hanging on the result at a clay tournament with mostly a bunch of tomato cans playing. If Rafa wins, that's huge for his confidence, because he'll win a clay tournament beating his big nemesis Fognini who has beaten him twice this year but ranked far lower? And all this excitement right as the summer HARD COURT season starts in earnest? Some Nadal fans on here (who shall remain nameless) are IMHO behaving like helicopter parents in their approach to Nadal's every move. Stand back, let him regain his footing to the extent that he can, and enjoy his play while it lasts.

I am trying to recall if you made these type of statements when Fed played the lesser tournaments a few years ago.

 

[Fiero425]

I can't believe folks are hanging on the result at a clay tournament with mostly a bunch of tomato cans playing. If Rafa wins, that's huge for his confidence, because he'll win a clay tournament beating his big nemesis Fognini who has beaten him twice this year but ranked far lower? And all this excitement right as the summer HARD COURT season starts in earnest? Some Nadal fans on here (who shall remain nameless) are IMHO behaving like helicopter parents in their approach to Nadal's every move. Stand back, let him regain his footing to the extent that he can, and enjoy his play while it lasts.

I am trying to recall if you made these type of statements when Fed played the lesser tournaments a few years ago.

What do you mean by that? It wouldn't be the same "apples to apples;" oranges to oranges!" Nadal is playing Hamburg to get additional practice because he's on the decline! There's been no evidence of that with Roger; actually skipping Canada if I heard right a couple days ago! If he were really smart, Fed should start skipping the FO; only going to wear him down for no reason IMO! angel: :dodgy: His ego won't let him break his string of appearances in Majors! :cover :nono

 

[Moxie]

I can't believe folks are hanging on the result at a clay tournament with mostly a bunch of tomato cans playing. If Rafa wins, that's huge for his confidence, because he'll win a clay tournament beating his big nemesis Fognini who has beaten him twice this year but ranked far lower? And all this excitement right as the summer HARD COURT season starts in earnest? Some Nadal fans on here (who shall remain nameless) are IMHO behaving like helicopter parents in their approach to Nadal's every move. Stand back, let him regain his footing to the extent that he can, and enjoy his play while it lasts.

I am trying to recall if you made these type of statements when Fed played the lesser tournaments a few years ago.

What do you mean by that? It wouldn't be the same "apples to apples;" oranges to oranges!" Nadal is playing Hamburg to get additional practice because he's on the decline! There's been no evidence of that with Roger; actually skipping Canada if I heard right a couple days ago! If he were really smart, Fed should start skipping the FO; only going to wear him down for no reason IMO! angel: :dodgy: His ego won't let him break his string of appearances in Majors! :cover :nono

Actually I had forgotten. In 2013, when Roger was having a really crap year, he played Hamburg and lost in the SF to Delbonis, and played Gstaad and lost in the 2nd R to Brands. That's pretty much apples to apples, except that Nadal has fared better, when slipping in a little extra tournament or two, when he needed the match play.

 

[Fiero425]

I am trying to recall if you made these type of statements when Fed played the lesser tournaments a few years ago.

What do you mean by that? It wouldn't be the same "apples to apples;" oranges to oranges!" Nadal is playing Hamburg to get additional practice because he's on the decline! There's been no evidence of that with Roger; actually skipping Canada if I heard right a couple days ago! If he were really smart, Fed should start skipping the FO; only going to wear him down for no reason IMO! angel: :dodgy: His ego won't let him break his string of appearances in Majors! :cover :nono

Actually I had forgotten. In 2013, when Roger was having a really crap year, he played Hamburg and lost in the SF to Delbonis, and played Gstaad and lost in the 2nd R to Brands. That's pretty much apples to apples, except that Nadal has fared better, when slipping in a little extra tournament or two, when he needed the match play.

Roger never fell out of the top 10! IIRC he hit the #6-8 range for about a minute! Please! :cover :nono :angel: :dodgy:

 

[Moxie]

What do you mean by that? It wouldn't be the same "apples to apples;" oranges to oranges!" Nadal is playing Hamburg to get additional practice because he's on the decline! There's been no evidence of that with Roger; actually skipping Canada if I heard right a couple days ago! If he were really smart, Fed should start skipping the FO; only going to wear him down for no reason IMO! angel: :dodgy: His ego won't let him break his string of appearances in Majors! :cover :nono

Actually I had forgotten. In 2013, when Roger was having a really crap year, he played Hamburg and lost in the SF to Delbonis, and played Gstaad and lost in the 2nd R to Brands. That's pretty much apples to apples, except that Nadal has fared better, when slipping in a little extra tournament or two, when he needed the match play.

Roger never fell out of the top 10! IIRC he hit the #6-8 range for about a minute! Please! :cover :nono :angel: :dodgy:

Neither has Rafa. Focus, Fiero. Roger played Hamburg and Gstaad in 2013 because he had been losing so much and needed match play and practice with his new racquet. Very similar to Nadal playing Hamburg this year, right?

 

[Fiero425]

Actually I had forgotten. In 2013, when Roger was having a really crap year, he played Hamburg and lost in the SF to Delbonis, and played Gstaad and lost in the 2nd R to Brands. That's pretty much apples to apples, except that Nadal has fared better, when slipping in a little extra tournament or two, when he needed the match play.

Roger never fell out of the top 10! IIRC he hit the #6-8 range for about a minute! Please! :cover :nono :angel: :dodgy:

Neither has Rafa. Focus, Fiero. Roger played Hamburg and Gstaad in 2013 because he had been losing so much and needed match play and practice with his new racquet. Very similar to Nadal playing Hamburg this year, right?

Rationalize all you like; IIRC there was a lot going on around that time! He had arm problems, was getting over being ill, and trying out a new racket! You may see it as the same situation, but I guess I have to exert my will and say it's nothing like what's going on with Rafa! I've been saying Fed should have retired after winning Wimbledon in 2012, but he's been winning Masters events as well as beating Nole in certain circumstances like you said! He's never fallen and dug himself as much of a hole as Rafa at this moment! His last sanctuary was clay and he's lost to F3 twice on it! There's real doubt he will win tomorrow by most people! I think he should, but you never know! Rafa has had some really bad days, spraying the ball wildly; a few shots bouncing before the ball got to the net! Roger's never been that OFF! I know you want to find similarities to help your argument, but you're exaggerating here! Sorry! :cover uzzled :nono

 

[Moxie]

Roger never fell out of the top 10! IIRC he hit the #6-8 range for about a minute! Please! :cover :nono :angel: :dodgy:

Neither has Rafa. Focus, Fiero. Roger played Hamburg and Gstaad in 2013 because he had been losing so much and needed match play and practice with his new racquet. Very similar to Nadal playing Hamburg this year, right?

Rationalize all you like; IIRC there was a lot going on around that time! He had arm problems, was getting over being ill, and trying out a new racket! You may see it as the same situation, but I guess I have to exert my will and say it's nothing like what's going on with Rafa! I've been saying Fed should have retired after winning Wimbledon in 2012, but he's been winning Masters events as well as beating Nole in certain circumstances like you said! He's never fallen and dug himself as much of a hole as Rafa at this moment! His last sanctuary was clay and he's lost to F3 twice on it! There's real doubt he will win tomorrow by most people! I think he should, but you never know! Rafa has had some really bad days, spraying the ball wildly; a few shots bouncing before the ball got to the net! Roger's never been that OFF! I know you want to find similarities to help your argument, but you're exaggerating here! Sorry! :cover uzzled :nono :angel: :dodgy:

Speaking of rationalizing...and I didn't even remember him being ill. What's good for the goose is good for the gander here, F. You're saying that Roger was 'less' declining but he did more poorly in the mickey mouse summer tourneys, when he was trying - in the very same way - to get some more match play when he needed it. You are completely splitting hairs here. Roger did the same thing 2 years ago when he felt he needed to. Just because you, (and seemingly everyone else) forgot, doesn't make it different, or more indicative of a decline, or whatever else you want to call it. Roger's arc has always been smoother, and Rafa's more up-and-down.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I did not watch much of this tourney. Talking of racquets can someone tell me as to whether Rafa is using the new racquet (that which he told as giving him "more power and less control") or sticking to the old racquet. Recall that he used the new racquet in Monte-Carlo and/or Barcelona and then after seeing bad results he switched back to his old racquet.

 

[lacatch]

Some folks here are missing the point, at least the one I'm making. Rafa can player whatever tournament he likes---what's amusing are the "fanboys" on this site who analyze the situation every time he goes to the bathroom (slight exaggeration). Coming up with theories about what this win or this loss will mean for the rest of 2015 for Rafa (which most reasonable rational tennis fans will say is a washout for him, except ANYTHING will add to his point total since he has nothing to defend).

 

[Fiero425]

Some folks here are missing the point, at least the one I'm making. Rafa can player whatever tournament he likes---what's amusing are the "fanboys" on this site who analyze the situation every time he goes to the bathroom (slight exaggeration). Coming up with theories about what this win or this loss will mean for the rest of 2015 for Rafa (which most reasonable rational tennis fans will say is a washout for him, except ANYTHING will add to his point total since he has nothing to defend).

Well this is better than what some of us really think of his slump and why! :ras: :nono :dodgy:

 

[Kirijax]

Hard fought game right from the start. Nadal trying to hold.

 

[Kirijax]

Fognini breaks Nadal in a 12-minute game to start the match.

 

[Kirijax]

And Nadal breaks back!

 

[Kirijax]

And Fognini breaks again! lol

 

[Kirijax]

Nadal leads the first set 6-5. Seems that neither are playing all that great. Nadal under some pressure to take this title.

 

[Kirijax]

Nice return into the corner by Nadal. 7-5.

 

[Kirijax]

Fognini getting frustrated. Throwing racket around. Slamming balls around.

Important hold by Foggy. Match could have gotten away there. But he's playing wild.

 

[Moxie]

That break was a bit of a gift. I won't make you narrate this final all by yourself, Kiri.

 

[Kirijax]

That break was a bit of a gift. I won't make you narrate this final all by yourself, Kiri.

Haha, I was waiting for someone to join me. Looks like Nadal has this one today!