Nadal v. Del Potro - IW highlights

[Moxie]

Looking at Mastoor's list for 2013, I think this is an underrated match:

[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v175xvPMQzs[/video]

 

[Kieran]

Great vid! Remember when peeps used to think del Potro and Sod and Berdych were a "bad match-up for Rafa", they were going to dominate him, based on his play during the first Dark Era in 2009?

I don't know if any of 'em have picked up a W against him since...

 

[Riotbeard]

Great vid! Remember when peeps used to think del Potro and Sod and Berdych were a "bad match-up for Rafa", they were going to dominate him, based on his play during the first Dark Era in 2009?

I don't know if any of 'em have picked up a W against him since...

I don't know that this vid disproves that. Delpo was in serious control until all his play for the week caught with him toward the end of the second set. I think that also keeps it from being a great match for the year. Delpo's play was just too up and down. That being said some of the highlight are insane! Thanks for posting mox.

I was more impressed with rafa this week, although more upset...

 

[calitennis127]

It really is amazing that Del Potro lost that match with how decisively he dominated with the forehand throughout.

 

[Moxie]

Great vid! Remember when peeps used to think del Potro and Sod and Berdych were a "bad match-up for Rafa", they were going to dominate him, based on his play during the first Dark Era in 2009?

I don't know if any of 'em have picked up a W against him since...

I don't know that this vid disproves that. Delpo was in serious control until all his play for the week caught with him toward the end of the second set. I think that also keeps it from being a great match for the year. Delpo's play was just too up and down. That being said some of the highlight are insane! Thanks for posting mox.

I was more impressed with rafa this week, although more upset...

Frankly, I was far more impressed by Nadal at this stage (Montreal) on HCs, as well. I know it was a rough loss for Djokovic fans, so I appreciate your hanging in. But there's some great stuff in this IW match. I think it was another big notch in Del Po's comeback. With the lost to Federer at the Olympics and the loss to Djokovic at Wimbledon. So far, many of his biggest showings have been in losses, but it can't be but time until the next one is a win. He's certainly poised for it.

 

[tented]

Great vid! Remember when peeps used to think del Potro and Sod and Berdych were a "bad match-up for Rafa", they were going to dominate him, based on his play during the first Dark Era in 2009?

I don't know if any of 'em have picked up a W against him since...

I don't know that this vid disproves that. Delpo was in serious control until all his play for the week caught with him toward the end of the second set. I think that also keeps it from being a great match for the year. Delpo's play was just too up and down. That being said some of the highlight are insane! Thanks for posting mox.

I was more impressed with rafa this week, although more upset...

Frankly, I was far more impressed by Nadal at this stage (Montreal) on HCs, as well. I know it was a rough loss for Djokovic fans, so I appreciate your hanging in. But there's some great stuff in this IW match. I think it was another big notch in Del Po's comeback. With the lost to Federer at the Olympics and the loss to Djokovic at Wimbledon. So far, many of his biggest showings have been in losses, but it can't be but time until the next one is a win. He's certainly poised for it.

More than any year since '09, I feel JMDP is heading to NY on a mission. He could be very dangerous -- a cross between dark horse and spoiler. I wouldn't want him in my quarter, especially if I were Federer.

 

[Kieran]

Great vid! Remember when peeps used to think del Potro and Sod and Berdych were a "bad match-up for Rafa", they were going to dominate him, based on his play during the first Dark Era in 2009?

I don't know if any of 'em have picked up a W against him since...

I don't know that this vid disproves that. Delpo was in serious control until all his play for the week caught with him toward the end of the second set. I think that also keeps it from being a great match for the year. Delpo's play was just too up and down. That being said some of the highlight are insane! Thanks for posting mox.

I was more impressed with rafa this week, although more upset...

The thinking was, that Rafa's forehand landed into their backhand pocket and he was neutralised. But he was playing badly at the time, with less aggression and sureness. I nicknamed him Hamlet Nadal, because after his enforced absence in 2009, he came back unsure of himself, and lacking in confidence - and del Potro beat him a couple of times, and Soderling brushed him aside at the YEC.

But once Rafa found his range again, his spite and fury, the tall guys haven't been a real feature against him. There's no inbuilt fault that they can exploit, if he's on his game.

I think that it's great to watch del Potro rise again and I hope the injuries give him a break, because we can see how long it took for him to get back to this stage, after his year-long absence. He's definitely a player who can calmly take on the very best at the highest levels. He's a different level to Berdych and the other giants. I actually think he's a different level to Murray, but he hasn't had a long enough spin at things to prove it.

The difference is his mentality. Del Porto plays without a pulse. He's mentally very calm and able, and once he ignites, he hits the ball harder than anybody...

 

[Riotbeard]

Great vid! Remember when peeps used to think del Potro and Sod and Berdych were a "bad match-up for Rafa", they were going to dominate him, based on his play during the first Dark Era in 2009?

I don't know if any of 'em have picked up a W against him since...

I don't know that this vid disproves that. Delpo was in serious control until all his play for the week caught with him toward the end of the second set. I think that also keeps it from being a great match for the year. Delpo's play was just too up and down. That being said some of the highlight are insane! Thanks for posting mox.

I was more impressed with rafa this week, although more upset...

Frankly, I was far more impressed by Nadal at this stage (Montreal) on HCs, as well. I know it was a rough loss for Djokovic fans, so I appreciate your hanging in. But there's some great stuff in this IW match. I think it was another big notch in Del Po's comeback. With the lost to Federer at the Olympics and the loss to Djokovic at Wimbledon. So far, many of his biggest showings have been in losses, but it can't be but time until the next one is a win. He's certainly poised for it.

More than any year since '09, I feel JMDP is heading to NY on a mission. He could be very dangerous -- a cross between dark horse and spoiler. I wouldn't want him in my quarter, especially if I were Federer.

Maybe Fed is glad to be number 5 as he cannot be in the same quarter with tsonga, delpo, and berd?

Kieran. I get what you are saying. Delpo doesn't specifically match up well against rafa. It's not a weakness in rafa game per se, but delpo can knock anyone off the court at a certain level. I do think novak handles the big boys a little better. But rafa doesn't have real match up issues with big hitter like say... Federer.

 

[Moxie]

^ Interestingly, RB, the H2Hs are close: Rafa leads JMDP 8-3, Nole leads 9-3. However, all of Nadal's losses to Juan came in 2009: Miami, Canada, USO. Del Potro's wins against Novak: 2011 - DC, 2012 - Olympics, 2013 - IW. I know that conventional wisdom says that DP is a bad match-up for Nadal, but all of his wins came in Rafa's gimpiest year. All of his wins against Djokovic have come since Nole's jump in form.

I risk hubris by quoting my own translation here, which I know you read. Obviously, I spent more time with the material than anyone else, but, when asked about where he felt his competition was, JMDP said this: “… but if you’re saying that Goku is going to fight against his arch enemy and have a great battle, would it be Nadal?” (Silent pause.) ”Or Djokovic? Or Murray?” The journalist was using metaphor to get Juan to identify his rivals. I thought it was telling that DP named Nadal first. And paused. For the record, he's 2-5 v. Murray, and 4-13 v. Federer. But Nadal is the only one he hasn't beaten since his banner year, 2009.

 

[Riotbeard]

^ Interestingly, RB, the H2Hs are close: Rafa leads JMDP 8-3, Nole leads 9-3. However, all of Nadal's losses to Juan came in 2009: Miami, Canada, USO. Del Potro's wins against Novak: 2011 - DC, 2012 - Olympics, 2013 - IW. I know that conventional wisdom says that DP is a bad match-up for Nadal, but all of his wins came in Rafa's gimpiest year. All of his wins against Djokovic have come since Nole's jump in form.

I risk hubris by quoting my own translation here, which I know you read. Obviously, I spent more time with the material than anyone else, but, when asked about where he felt his competition was, JMDP said this: “… but if you’re saying that Goku is going to fight against his arch enemy and have a great battle, would it be Nadal?” (Silent pause.) ”Or Djokovic? Or Murray?” The journalist was using metaphor to get Juan to identify his rivals. I thought it was telling that DP named Nadal first. And paused. For the record, he's 2-5 v. Murray, and 4-13 v. Federer. But Nadal is the only one he hasn't beaten since his banner year, 2009.

I wasn't necessarily saying just JMDP in particular for giving rafa problems (only in comparison to Nole, but big hitters in general. DC 2011 is at least easily explained away by injury for nole. Rafa is 12-3 against T-Byrd versus Novak's 9-2. Soderling Nole:6-1, Raga: 6-2. Tsonga: Rafa: 7-3, Nole: 7-6. Now that I look at the number they are fairly even with an arguable edge to Rafa givin the tsonga number (although he is not really the same as the other guys).

 

[Fastgrass]

great match !
Already watched 5 times !