Rio Open ATP 500 Clay

[Billie]

can't save this one. Rafa is gone. :wave

If Fognini hadn't run down that net cord, it would have been another fantastic recovery and come back for Rafa! Good thing he ran for it and flicked a winner crosscourt! Nadal and his fans will be shaking their heads over this one! Wow! :nono :cover :dodgy:

The head scratcher is Nadal's performance in the 2nd, but I don't think have to be a fan to be surprised. And Fognini did pick it up a lot, as Carol said. They both played a lot of tennis yesterday. I was actually wondering if it would be better for Rafa not to win today, or else have to skip BA. Two long matches in one day is not a good way to begin the calendar year. So...he'll have a few days' rest.

Hi Mox!! Yeah, I think this loss will do more good to Rafa as he was being stretched in this tournament and started to get cramps in unpleasant places. This is just an ATP 500 event, he will want to be completely fit for the big ones. :hug

 

[Moxie]

Hearing that Nadal was called for a time violation and got upset about it. Doesn't want umpires who stick to the rulebook apparently. :laydownlaughing

That was his 2nd time violation so he was stripped of 1st serve. I would have been mad as well, but the ump followed the rule.

I saw when he was called for his second time violation, and he, typically, didn't react, just served a second serve. Was there a later one? I didn't see him get upset about any code violation.

 

[Billie]

Hearing that Nadal was called for a time violation and got upset about it. Doesn't want umpires who stick to the rulebook apparently. :laydownlaughing

That was his 2nd time violation so he was stripped of 1st serve. I would have been mad as well, but the ump followed the rule.

I saw when he was called for his second time violation, and he, typically, didn't react, just served a second serve. Was there a later one? I didn't see him get upset about any code violation.

Apparently on the changeover he argued with Bernardes and told him that he didn't want him umpiring his matches anymore. That is all in the heat of the battle I think. Carlos is a good guy and he was just trying to enforce the rule. It will blow over, Rafa will realize that he was wrong and that'll be it, I am sure.

 

[Moxie]

If Fognini hadn't run down that net cord, it would have been another fantastic recovery and come back for Rafa! Good thing he ran for it and flicked a winner crosscourt! Nadal and his fans will be shaking their heads over this one! Wow! :nono :cover :dodgy:

The head scratcher is Nadal's performance in the 2nd, but I don't think have to be a fan to be surprised. And Fognini did pick it up a lot, as Carol said. They both played a lot of tennis yesterday. I was actually wondering if it would be better for Rafa not to win today, or else have to skip BA. Two long matches in one day is not a good way to begin the calendar year. So...he'll have a few days' rest.

Hi Mox!! Yeah, I think this loss will do more good to Rafa as he was being stretched in this tournament and started to get cramps in unpleasant places. This is just an ATP 500 event, he will want to be completely fit for the big ones. :hug

Hi, Billie! Yes, I don't think it's tragic for Rafa to get some rest and move on to BA. I DO think his play is going to have to become more consistent, but that we shall yet see. I mean, I thought one of Rafa/Fog would show signs of the effects of yesterday's (/today's LOL) matches. And I think that's why it was such an odd scoreline. Fabio had trouble gearing up, and then Rafa felt the fatigue later. :hug u back!

 

[Billie]

Well it's good to see you posting again Moxie and I missed you:heart:

 

[Carol]

And tomorrow a very rested and playing well Ferru will raise the Trophy, vamos!!!!!!:clap

 

[Fiero425]

And tomorrow a very rested and playing well Ferru will raise the Trophy, vamos!!!!!!:clap

Maybe Ferrer should share the prize with Fognini like Federer may have done for Soderling after '09 FO! :clap :dodgy:

 

[auto-pilot]

Nadal should be happy with that, he played better at this year's Rio than last year's Rio :clap
Only difference is his semi-final opponent was a better player than last year's opponent.
Always a dicey proposition when you play a great shot-maker in a tight deciding set.
Awesome match

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

I missed moxie too..and I also missed me being on here for a while as well, and a couple of folk missed me and said some lovely things in the pms..

but enough of that..don't want to be drifting off into Oscar-ceremony-speak (I wanna thank my medium sized dog that I do not have, my close friends that I have not seen since 1961, my live in hedgehog, my goose, dirk bogarde, my gerbil that stopped living in 1987, marco out of adam and the ants...etc..)

also seems like I'm/we are missing rafa in tomorrows final, I had a headache earlier and rafa was 5-0 up, I thought 'oh good rafa is blowing away the fog', so I had a snooze, checked score and he'd lost. baaaah. tennis. I hate it.

 

[Moxie]

Well it's good to see you posting again Moxie and I missed you:heart:

Thanks, Billie.

 

[Carol]

Only the profesional players know how hard is to comeback to the Tour after injuries/surgeries
They don't play in the backyard of their house but against another profesional players with a lot of hungry to win. But sooner or later everything will be back to place, just a lot of training and getting more confidence which is hard to get at the beginning. Rafa knows that playing in S. America can help him a lot to be fitted for the next tournament on HC and clay even knowing that he can lose like he has done before
Wise decision!

 

[El Dude]

It is hard not to think that Rafa is slipping, that while he's still going to remain in the top 3 or so for another year or two, it is getting harder and harder for him to find his level.

That said, it is still early in his recovery cycle. I think Indian Wells and Miami will be the big test. He'll have had the time to get back into form, but it will be away from clay so he won't be quite as comfortable. But I think we'll know a lot more about what to expect from May on once we see him in March and April.

 

[auto-pilot]

It is hard not to think that Rafa is slipping, that while he's still going to remain in the top 3 or so for another year or two, it is getting harder and harder for him to find his level.

Looks the same as last year's Nadal that went 25-3 on clay :clap
Except this year's semi-final opponent was better than last year's semi-final opponent :idea:
Plus the schedule was harder obviously this time :cover
So I'm happy with what I see, in terms of RG #10 and USO #3 :clap

 

[mrzz]

One week off and when I return I see Moxie back (welcome!) and Nadal losing too Fognini?!?!?!?!?!?!

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

murray goes abouve rafa in the world rank charts.

 

[auto-pilot]

But I think we'll know a lot more about what to expect from May on once we see him in March and April.

And even by April you probably won't have a clue, because last year 8 of the 10 ESPN tennis experts predicted Djokovic to win Roland Garros :laydownlaughing

 

[nehmeth]

It is hard not to think that Rafa is slipping, that while he's still going to remain in the top 3 or so for another year or two, it is getting harder and harder for him to find his level.

That said, it is still early in his recovery cycle. I think Indian Wells and Miami will be the big test. He'll have had the time to get back into form, but it will be away from clay so he won't be quite as comfortable. But I think we'll know a lot more about what to expect from May on once we see him in March and April.

His movement was suspect in Oz and I didn't see much improvement here. He could easily have lost that second set to Cuevas last night. It was good to see him pull it together and find a semblance of his normal form. Things he would do effortlessly and players he would totally dominate before... it doesn't seem to be the case right now.

I agree that IW and Miami should be a better tell of where he is or isn't.

 

[Fiero425]

Murray goes above Rafa in the world rank charts.

I knew it was close, but thought it hurt when Murray lost early last week! I seem to remember they're about 300-350 points apart! uzzled :angel: :dodgy: Rafa loses points since he was defending champion here! :clap :shy: :angel: :dodgy:

 

[Carol]

It is hard not to think that Rafa is slipping, that while he's still going to remain in the top 3 or so for another year or two, it is getting harder and harder for him to find his level.

Looks the same as last year's Nadal that went 25-3 on clay :clap
Except this year's semi-final opponent was better than last year's semi-final opponent :idea:
Plus the schedule was harder obviously this time :cover
So I'm happy with what I see, in terms of RG #10 and USO #3 :clap

I remember when he lost against Zeballos, ugh!, but later in Acapulco Rafa was a very different player :eyepop

 

[Fiero425]

It is hard not to think that Rafa is slipping, that while he's still going to remain in the top 3 or so for another year or two, it is getting harder and harder for him to find his level.

Looks the same as last year's Nadal that went 25-3 on clay :clap
Except this year's semi-final opponent was better than last year's semi-final opponent :idea:
Plus the schedule was harder obviously this time :cover
So I'm happy with what I see, in terms of RG #10 and USO #3 :clap

I remember when he lost against Zeballos, ugh!, but later in Acapulco Rafa was a very different player :eyepop

Loved Zeballos match; totally out of it, but won a 2nd set TB and had new life! It was so inexplicable; some no name was going toe to toe with supposedly the greatest clay courter since Borg and was getting "worked" by this unknown lefthander! There were "eeewww's" and "aahhh's" all over the place in those last games due to great "gets" and passing shots by Zeballos! :clap :angel: