Rio Open ATP 500 Clay

[I.Haychew]

This might be a blessing in disguise for Nadal but

FABIO FABIO FABIO Forzaaaaaaa

I hope IH watched this match!!!:hug

I thought he was going to be dead after that net cord touch but EPH3 got fire under him, yes!!!

Congratulations to one of the most entertaining players on the tour!!!:angel::heart:

I missed darn near the entire match. Got home from work, saw the phirst phour games of the second set, and had to leave. Got home about an hour ago and saw the result. To say that I'm surprised would be somewhat of an understatement.

 

[Carol]

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:

Yep, sometimes tennis like others sports are a box of surprises. A just average player or team can beat the best one.
We have seen that many times but at the end the best ones are more consistent, they have better game and been able to win more times. Remember Federer losing against Stakhovsky in Wimbledon 2013? by the way he also has beaten Wawrinka a few days ego but later losing against Simon. Or Muzz losing against whoever been one of the best players of the Tour or Rafa also losing against players en Wimbledon who never ever have won not even a MS same like Novak losing in the USO 2014 against Kei who also never has won a MS and what about Cilic winning the USO when he never has won a single MS or Warrinka last year winning the AO
Sometimes the losses are due to injuries, or to have been out of the court for months or just because the opponent has played the best match of his life but obviously very difficult to keep that level and an usually hard for them to pass the second or third round :huh:
We'll see what happens this year, nothing is for sure and for ever, some ranking positions can change,
the youngest players could play better or worse same like the not so young
As you can see several times not even the ones called "experts" know who is going to win, they "think" but at the end I don't think they bet for anyone :nono :huh: uzzled

 

[Kirijax]

One thing I have learned over the years is that you never count Nadal out. More than likely he will be running on all cylinders by the time the FO rolls around.

 

[auto-pilot]

One thing I have learned over the years is that you never count Nadal out. More than likely he will be running on all cylinders by the time the FO rolls around.

And even if he isn't, everybody will be scared of him.
Plus the RG court is entirely different to all others.
But his form looks no different now to last year's Rio anyway, so he's on track.
There is always a bit more danger in best-of-3-sets because the shot-makers are aware they they only need to win 2 sets.
Whereas at Roland Garros taking 3 sets from Nadal is extremely daunting.

 

[Billie]

This might be a blessing in disguise for Nadal but

FABIO FABIO FABIO Forzaaaaaaa

I hope IH watched this match!!!:hug

I thought he was going to be dead after that net cord touch but EPH3 got fire under him, yes!!!

Congratulations to one of the most entertaining players on the tour!!!:angel::heart:

I missed darn near the entire match. Got home from work, saw the phirst phour games of the second set, and had to leave. Got home about an hour ago and saw the result. To say that I'm surprised would be somewhat of an understatement.

Hopefully pavlik puts up the whole match, it was entertaining. Knowing F3 I was waiting for the moment when he was going to crumble, but it didn't happen and although Nadal wasn't his best, I was so impressed and happy with Fabio.:clap


From ATP:
Fabio Fognini sprung the upset of the tournament on Saturday at the Rio Open presented by Claro, stunning defending champion World No. 3 Rafael Nadal 1-6, 6-2, 7-5.

Fognini ended Nadal's 52-match win streak in tour-level semi-finals on clay, handing the Spaniard just his 25th defeat overall on the surface. He is the fourth different player to oust Nadal on clay in the past year, joining David Ferrer (Monte-Carlo), Novak Djokovic (Rome) and Nicolas Almagro (Barcelona).

“I’m really happy about this match,” said Fognini. “I beat the best player on this surface.

“Rafa is always difficult. From the second set I played really well, and I tried to change a little bit to be more positive on court.”

The 27-year-old Italian advanced to his ninth ATP World Tour final, where he will seek a fifth title against David Ferrer on Sunday in Rio. Fognini also ended an 0-23 drought against Top 5 opposition. He overturned a winless 0-4 mark in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series with Nadal and will look to do the same against Ferrer, against whom he is 0-7.

“Right now I'm thinking in the now; that I've beaten Rafa," said Fognini. "I'm super happy, and obviously tomorrow I will have to battle David, who has always beaten me... I will obviously be happy if I win. If I lose, I will also leave with the good memories from this week in Rio.”

Nadal was on fire in the first set, but Fognini turned the tide with a more aggressive approach in the early stages of the second and continued pressing the top seed in the third. He would convert on his third match point to seal the victory after two hours and 17 minutes. The World No. 28 struck 32 winners and converted on five of nine break point chances.

 

[Carol]

Draw of Argentina Open

http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2015/506/mds.pdf

 

[Carol]

And the doubles draw

http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2015/506/mdd.pdf

 

[Fiero425]

Draw of Argentina Open

http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2015/506/mds.pdf

Thanks! They dug up Zeballas I see; WC! That's some draw including an unlikely rematch of Fognini and Nadal in the semi! I have to assume Fabio will have a let down! More power to him if he gets through those early rounds! :angel: :dodgy:

 

[Fiero425]

And the doubles draw

http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2015/506/mdd.pdf

Very impressive Double's draw with all the singles' players in there partnering; even Nadal with Monaco who's in his half of the singles' draw IIRC! Reminds me of the old days when the top players all entered the doubles' event; even Borg playing with Vilas on the WCT Tour! :clap :angel:

 

[Carol]

Draw of Argentina Open

http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2015/506/mds.pdf

Thanks! They dug up Zeballas I see; WC! That's some draw including an unlikely rematch of Fognini and Nadal in the semi! I have to assume Fabio will have a let down! More power to him if he gets through those early rounds! :angel: :dodgy:

I would love to see again Nadal-Zeballos or Nadal-Fabio, it would be very entertaining

 

[Carol]

Rafa complained about of cramps from the Rio heat and said he simply has not played enough.
He said he is motivated and Rio was not a negative week
"I have to be happy the way I played that first set but I got tired too early today but these kinds of things happen"

 

[Fiero425]

Rafa complained about of cramps from the Rio heat and said he simply has not played enough.
He said he is motivated and Rio was not a negative week
"I have to be happy the way I played that first set but I got tired too early today but these kinds of things happen"

Rafa's deluding himself that he'll be able to continue playing this way; so defensively and way back behind the baseline! At least he started attacking and closing out points at the net tonight, but seemed more desperate than actually trying to re-work his game to alleviate the strain of another long match! He continues to get into 3 set wars with players I don't even know! It's so aggravating to see players have the Top 4 on the ropes only to let their advantage go just 2 points from finishing them off! Today Rafa started out hot, then faded! Normally it's the other way around, coming back from the dead saving match points! I thought Fabio would find a way to give this match away, but Nadal's shots were barely clearing the net, dropping inside the service box! Fognini saved himself the embarrassment of losing #7 to Nadal by closing out the match on a great "get" from Rafa's "net-cord! :clap :angel: :dodgy:

 

[Carol]

Rafa complained about of cramps from the Rio heat and said he simply has not played enough.
He said he is motivated and Rio was not a negative week
"I have to be happy the way I played that first set but I got tired too early today but these kinds of things happen"

Rafa's deluding himself that he'll be able to continue playing this way; so defensively and way back behind the baseline! At least he started attacking and closing out points at the net tonight, but seemed more desperate than actually trying to re-work his game to alleviate the strain of another long match! He continues to get into 3 set wars with players I don't even know! It's so aggravating to see players have the Top 4 on the ropes only to let their advantage go just 2 points from finishing them off! Today Rafa started out hot, then faded! Normally it's the other way around, coming back from the dead saving match points! I thought Fabio would find a way to give this match away, but Nadal's shots were barely clearing the net, dropping inside the service box! Fognini saved himself the embarrassment of losing #7 to Nadal by closing out the match on a great "get" from Rafa's "net-cord! :clap :angel: :dodgy:

Everyone (it doesn't matter who is his/her fav) should be more understable and acquiescent about some players when they comeback of injuries or surgery, and like I said in my post at the page 13 at 10:48 it's not easy the starting until they play more matches and get the confidence but meanwhile they make many mistakes until they find their real form which can take a little time :-/

 

[auto-pilot]

Rafa's deluding himself that he'll be able to continue playing this way; so defensively and way back behind the baseline! At least he started attacking and closing out points at the net tonight, but seemed more desperate than actually trying to re-work his game to alleviate the strain of another long match! He continues to get into 3 set wars with players I don't even know! It's so aggravating to see players have the Top 4 on the ropes only to let their advantage go just 2 points from finishing them off!

The ultimate serve-volleyer Rafter got regular cramp issues, more than Nadal.
Nadal has had it pretty good, with only a 4 or 5 incidents of serious cramping in his career.

As for the 3-set wars, they are unavoidable even when you are fit, we saw it happen to Djokovic last year at Canada and Cincy when Monfils and Simon both pushed Djokovic to the absolute limit.
And I don't have to list the number of times Federer is pushed to the limit, because its in almost every event.

You are right, the more Nadal attacks the better, but I think he'll get cramps regardless.
His doctor said he has an adverse reaction to humidity.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

The loss in itself is not a big deal for Rafa in the grand scheme of things. However, IMO, his
rhythm and movement are quite off even in the matches he won and so basically his level
of play is of more serious concern than the loss.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

All three Pablos move on to BA.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

this year rafa has lost to skeletor at the ao..and now the fog.

.........................................................................................yikes.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

All I can say after watching Rafa in Rio,

He looks more like an 'Apprentice on Clay then the 'King of Clay.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

murray goes abouve rafa in the world rank charts.

Murray may not belong in big four, but he sure does in top three, at least at the moment.

 

[Kirijax]

David Ferrer vs. Fabio Fognini!

Ferrer leads the H2H 7-0.

Their last meeting was the Buenos Aries final last year and Ferrer won 3 and 4. That was Ferrer's only title last year. And now he's already going for his second for this year.

Let's go Ferrer!