Nadal's gonna be world #1 again!

[Didi]

Agreed, it's a nice article. To be honest I find many of Nadal's interviews incredibly boring except for the ones in which he's almost too emotional/honest/open about his performances. I remember RG 2011 when almost every post match press conference turned out to be a soul striptease. I don't blame him for that as this is his nature and I'm fine with that. But this one is insightful and funny, especially this:

It’s always the same: “if you win, people will put you too high. If you lose, they will put you too low. I try to stay right in the middle. If others want to join me there; they are welcome.” (laughs)

That's spot on. When you are at the top in sports or in life, you have many friends. When you are down, most of them turn their back on you. It's nothing new what he's saying here, but still an important point in life which can't be highlighted highly enough.

 

[Moxie]

Agreed, it's a nice article. To be honest I find many of Nadal's interviews incredibly boring except for the ones in which he's almost too emotional/honest/open about his performances. I remember RG 2011 when almost every post match press conference turned out to be a soul striptease. I don't blame him for that as this is his nature and I'm fine with that. But this one is insightful and funny, especially this:

It’s always the same: “if you win, people will put you too high. If you lose, they will put you too low. I try to stay right in the middle. If others want to join me there; they are welcome.” (laughs)

That's spot on. When you are at the top in sports or in life, you have many friends. When you are down, most of them turn their back on you. It's nothing new what he's saying here, but still an important point in life which can't be highlighted highly enough.

It's a very grounded quote. Same happens to Federer, too. You're on the high-road, or you're dead. Over. Roger proved last year that reports of his death were premature, and I think Rafa is proving the same thing. They're still playing, so anything is possible. (Perhaps reports of Juan Martin del Potro's death are premature, by the same token.)

 

[Johnsteinbeck]

IF Djokovic defends all his points, Nadal needs to earn more than 5000 points to pass him by the end of the year. I don't really think it's inevitable that Nadal will earn that many points on non-clay. Remember that for him, injuries always seem to be a factor; I don't see him showing up to every single hard court tournament. On the other hand, it's also not inevitable that Djokovic will defend or exceed his points from 2012. That's why I kept emphasizing that he needs to play at a consistently high level from now until the end of the season to be #1 at the end of the year. I wasn't being precise with my comment about how he needed a slam and a masters and whatever else; I really just meant he has to play very well and with more consistency than the first half of 2013.

Things get trickier around February of next year; we'll see if Djokovic can defend the AO yet again and how far Nadal goes there. But this is getting a little too far in the future to make such bold predictions, I think.

well, as you say - next Feb is the key. Kieran wasn't talking about end of the year, he was talking about "#1 someday". you mention 5000 points til the end of the year, but it's really not more than that even to the end of the AO.

now, i'm not saying Novak can't do grand, and i'm not saying Rafa is guaranteed to stay healthy and do well. all i'm saying is that it's first and foremost the latter that decides who is #1 in early Feb. If Rafa gets injured or if his level drops otherwise, Nole will simply have to remain solid. If Rafa stays injury-free and posts respectable results, Novak could hardly prevent him from getting back to the top.

so yes, i don't think it's inevitable for Rafa to get back on top, and to predict it as of now is bold - i'm just saying that the decisive factor in this is less Nole and more Rafa.

 

[Kieran]

Good post, John!

"to predict it as of now is bold"

I predicted it long ago and even during Rafa's down time, there's people here who agreed with me in private that he was going to come back. I never bought 2011 Novak as being the default setting. That guy hasn't been seen regularly around here any more, and Rafa would handle him if he was. The only caveat is the knees. That's my only concern. If he can stay healthy, then he has a huge chance of this. I also hope that after W, he takes a few weeks off, plays on one summer MS and prepares well for the US Open.

But there's no guarantees Rafa will get back on top, no. It's a bet, a dare, but I'm not saying it's a surefire thing...

 

[calitennis127]

You don't read my messsages attentively, do you?
I said every time he skipped the official warm-ups"
In 2008he obviously didn't, by entering Queens.

I read it attentively. First you said "every time" and then you said "every time - except the times he didn't!"

Sorry I missed you, El Dude! Here we are, a small nation of believers:

1. Kieran
2. Hunting
3. Didi
4. Moxie!
5. Tented
6. johnsteinbeck
7. J-B
8. Front242
9. SF Nadalite
10. El Dude
11. KSkate

Any defections yet from this thread of mental defecation?

 

[the AntiPusher]

You don't read my messsages attentively, do you?
I said every time he skipped the official warm-ups"
In 2008he obviously didn't, by entering Queens.

I read it attentively. First you said "every time" and then you said "every time - except the times he didn't!"

Sorry I missed you, El Dude! Here we are, a small nation of believers:

1. Kieran
2. Hunting
3. Didi
4. Moxie!
5. Tented
6. johnsteinbeck
7. J-B
8. Front242
9. SF Nadalite
10. El Dude
11. KSkate

Any defections yet from this thread of mental defecation?

Just the opposite.. My top dawg Rafa just had dead legs and got outplayed that day. Add me to the list of believers, Rafa will get back to number 1 by February 2014

 

[calitennis127]

You don't read my messsages attentively, do you?
I said every time he skipped the official warm-ups"
In 2008he obviously didn't, by entering Queens.

I read it attentively. First you said "every time" and then you said "every time - except the times he didn't!"

Sorry I missed you, El Dude! Here we are, a small nation of believers:

1. Kieran
2. Hunting
3. Didi
4. Moxie!
5. Tented
6. johnsteinbeck
7. J-B
8. Front242
9. SF Nadalite
10. El Dude
11. KSkate

Any defections yet from this thread of mental defecation?

Just the opposite.. My top dawg Rafa just had dead legs and got outplayed that day. Add me to the list of believers, Rafa will get back to number 1 by February 2014

Actually, his grass-court game just is not anything special, and that's why he, yet again, had another very difficult match on grass.

 

[the AntiPusher]

You don't read my messsages attentively, do you?
I said every time he skipped the official warm-ups"
In 2008he obviously didn't, by entering Queens.

I read it attentively. First you said "every time" and then you said "every time - except the times he didn't!"

Sorry I missed you, El Dude! Here we are, a small nation of believers:

1. Kieran
2. Hunting
3. Didi
4. Moxie!
5. Tented
6. johnsteinbeck
7. J-B
8. Front242
9. SF Nadalite
10. El Dude
11. KSkate

Any defections yet from this thread of mental defecation?

Just the opposite.. My top dawg Rafa just had dead legs and got outplayed that day. Add me to the list of believers, Rafa will get back to number 1 by February 2014

Actually, his grass-court game just is not anything special, and that's why he, yet again, had another very difficult match on grass.

his grass-court game just is not anything special

Yeah, you have been talking this foolish about his tennis game wasn't special when he won the other 12 grand slams plus he made it to 5 straight Wimbledon finals including 3 versus Fed.. Cali ,.. you can take that "noise" some other place .. I aint haven't it tonight my brother

 

[Kieran]

Yeah, he's crap on grass. Only two Wimbledon titles...

 

[herios]

Yeah, he's crap on grass. Only two Wimbledon titles...

So back to the topic my friend, now that it was brought back, still convinced??

 

[Kieran]

Yeah, he's crap on grass. Only two Wimbledon titles...

So back to the topic my friend, now that it was brought back, still convinced??

Absolutely, why not? Still conditional on the knees holding out. That's his #1 rival...

 

[herios]

Yeah, he's crap on grass. Only two Wimbledon titles...

So back to the topic my friend, now that it was brought back, still convinced??

Absolutely, why not? Still conditional on the knees holding out. That's his #1 rival...

I am not. I don't think he'll play well through both summer and fall HC season, and he needs both at least to make it happen, now that he flopped at Wimby.

 

[Kieran]

That's true, but bear in mind, if Nole wins today, then they're level for the year so far in points. Nadal played too much and needs a rest. His health is my main worry...

 

[tented]

You don't read my messsages attentively, do you?
I said every time he skipped the official warm-ups"
In 2008he obviously didn't, by entering Queens.

I read it attentively. First you said "every time" and then you said "every time - except the times he didn't!"

Sorry I missed you, El Dude! Here we are, a small nation of believers:

1. Kieran
2. Hunting
3. Didi
4. Moxie!
5. Tented
6. johnsteinbeck
7. J-B
8. Front242
9. SF Nadalite
10. El Dude
11. KSkate

Any defections yet from this thread of mental defecation?

Cali, you just don't know how to quit Rafa, do you?

 

[calitennis127]

Even though I can't stand the way Nadal won against Janowicz, Djokovic, and Federer in the past week, it is what it is.

Even if Djokovic wins the US Open, Nadal will likely be year-end #1.

To that - I can only say congratulations.

He has had an excellent year and there is no taking away from it.

 

[Kieran]

Even though I can't stand the way Nadal won against Janowicz, Djokovic, and Federer in the past week, it is what it is.

Even if Djokovic wins the US Open, Nadal will likely be year-end #1.

To that - I can only say congratulations.

He has had an excellent year and there is no taking away from it.

Fair play to you, Cali, but you realise that if it happens, you just took the good out of it!

 

[Moxie]

Even though I can't stand the way Nadal won against Janowicz, Djokovic, and Federer in the past week, it is what it is.

Even if Djokovic wins the US Open, Nadal will likely be year-end #1.

To that - I can only say congratulations.

He has had an excellent year and there is no taking away from it.

Fair play to you, Cali, but you realise that if it happens, you just took the good out of it!

:laydownlaughing

 

[calitennis127]

Even though I can't stand the way Nadal won against Janowicz, Djokovic, and Federer in the past week, it is what it is.

Even if Djokovic wins the US Open, Nadal will likely be year-end #1.

To that - I can only say congratulations.

He has had an excellent year and there is no taking away from it.

Fair play to you, Cali, but you realise that if it happens, you just took the good out of it!

Don't worry. My contempt for how this player wins matches with his BS style will never go away. I do find it pathetic that the field allows him to do this.

 

[britbox]

Nadal will probably get back to#1

At some point, maybe briefly, Murray might snatch the #1 slot.

But over the next 3 years, Djokovic will likely spend more time at #1 than anyone else.

 

[Kieran]

Don't worry. My contempt for how this player wins matches with his BS style will never go away. I do find it pathetic that the field allows him to do this.

I don't see that they have much choice, brother.

Bit of a momentum gathering, with Cali & BB now voting yea. Still a few hold-outs but hopefully, the issue will be decided soon on the court. It's not a done deal, but he's going great...