Carol
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The Fall of Rafael Nadal
- Thread starter ClayDeath
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Moxie
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Rafa's not wrong about that. Novak is head and shoulders (and big chin) above the rest of the tour. Either someone figures out how to take him down, or he's going to keep riding roughshod over the tour. Rafa's best was challenging, particularly at the Majors, but he's going to need to find it quick.
You get an offensive player like Wawrinka or young Fed who hit enough winners and don't let up, then there is a good chance. but of course, its hard enough to do either, let alone both. Fed used to be able to do that, but nowadays he simply cannot sustain top form. Stan maybe still has it in him, but the chance is one in 20 matches. Either he can't bring top form to begin with, or he would drop his level at some stage.
It's less likely with Rafa now, as his offence is never as penetrating as 'Fedringka', at his best he can nearly match Djoker as their playing style is a lot more similar, and then they get into physical war with each other - not the case with Fedringka, they either hit through Djoker or they break down with too many errors. In Rafa's favour though, he would make up with his unsurpassed mental fortitude in a dog fight, but firstly he needs to play well enough to make it a dog fight against Djoker. at the moment his own level is too low to even think about that, and given his mileage/wear and tear despite only being a year older, his chance to get back his best level is very ......... slim.
just took a quick look at some highlights of Rafa's practice against Goffin.
Rafa is more and more pathetic with each passing day. this decline has more room evidently.
he just cant help himself but then again who the hell actually believes that he is not really retired at this point.
even in practice he has to camp in his back hand corner to try to hit forehands. he completely gives up the court.
he cant beat a good challenger level player at this rate.
he is going to change absolutely nothing and that should tell you why nothing is going to happen.
he will get 2 matches here and then somebody will remove him from the facilities.
Rafa is more and more pathetic with each passing day. this decline has more room evidently.
he just cant help himself but then again who the hell actually believes that he is not really retired at this point.
even in practice he has to camp in his back hand corner to try to hit forehands. he completely gives up the court.
he cant beat a good challenger level player at this rate.
he is going to change absolutely nothing and that should tell you why nothing is going to happen.
he will get 2 matches here and then somebody will remove him from the facilities.
why is rafa even concerned with djokovic?
he cant beat anybody and he and his camp cant stop talking about djokovic.
whatever the hell for? does that make his staggering decline more bearable?
you cant beat anyone with this fitness and this game.
djokovic would give him 2-3 games simply out of mercy or charity. stop worrying about how good djokovic is.
he is working while rafa and his camp is engaged in constant lip service to just keep the fans and the sponsors happy.
rafa should have gone to morocco or Houston. inactivity has killed his game but that is what he wanted.
you are not even good enough to win a 250 level tournament or 500 level tournament with unknown and weak players and yet you are going to talk about and worry about how good djokovic is.
just worry about your own game.
we already know why djokovic is good: he is focused, driven, hungry, and is working night and day on his fitness and his game.
he has also set some significant goals. he wants the record.
he wants 10 more slams.
last year both rafa and roger said that djokovic's level was going to decline this year.
keep waiting. good luck with that.
he is not going to lose a single match the rest of the year.
go outwork him if you want to do better against him. it is not a bloody novel concept. that is how he is doing it.
he is simply outworking everybody.
or just go work on your fitness and win a 250 level or a 500 level event to show that you are at least trying to get better.
just worry about your own game.
we already know why djokovic is good: he is focused, driven, hungry, and is working night and day on his fitness and his game.
he has also set some significant goals. he wants the record.
he wants 10 more slams.
last year both rafa and roger said that djokovic's level was going to decline this year.
keep waiting. good luck with that.
he is not going to lose a single match the rest of the year.
go outwork him if you want to do better against him. it is not a bloody novel concept. that is how he is doing it.
he is simply outworking everybody.
or just go work on your fitness and win a 250 level or a 500 level event to show that you are at least trying to get better.
Rafael Nadal: When You Win, It’s Easier To Keep Winning; When You Lose, It’s Easier To Keep Losing
britbox
Multiple Major Winner
I'm not sure why you big up Andy Murray on this thread CD... if Rafa meets Murray in a major (now), Rafa wins.
shawnbm
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It is an odd thing with Nadal the last year--if he meets a player in the top ten other than Nole, he can and has won. Yet, more than any other top ten player, he clearly is most prone to being knocked out early by a guy ranked from 30-150 in the first few rounds. It is a strange twist in Nadal's career. So I agree with britbox that if Rafa can meet Murray late, I would bet on Nadal to win; but the real issue is getting there for Rafa.
negative old sport.
rafa has no fitness and no game.
how the bloody hell do you get around that?
did you forget that he retired nearly 2 years ago.
you have a better chance of getting hit by lightening while sitting right there in the living room of your imperial palace sipping 12 year old single malt scotch than rafa has of winning anything ever again.
you have a guy here that cant win a 250 level event and yet he is going to beat a top player like andy.
you just cant win with that style of play that happens to be the most demanding in the history of the sport if you don't have supreme fitness and superb physicality.
and then there is the other inactivity part: he loses early in all events, wont go play small events, and hates to practice.
he is worn out after 40 minutes of play and tries to run on fumes after that.
he has been declining in form and fitness since the end of 2010. but that decline became far more pronounced when he gave up completely.
so that is where we stand right now. 2017 is all we have left. he simply has to use the rest of this year developing his hunger and drive again and his fitness.
so far there is exactly zero indication that he is going to do that.
and then there is the other inactivity part: he loses early in all events, wont go play small events, and hates to practice.
he is worn out after 40 minutes of play and tries to run on fumes after that.
he has been declining in form and fitness since the end of 2010. but that decline became far more pronounced when he gave up completely.
so that is where we stand right now. 2017 is all we have left. he simply has to use the rest of this year developing his hunger and drive again and his fitness.
so far there is exactly zero indication that he is going to do that.
britbox
Multiple Major Winner
I which case , a semi-retired Rafa thrashed Murray in the YEC last year. How many events has Murray won recently?
stop the nonsense old sport.
one less bottle of single malt scotch for you this year.
andy had far bigger plans: he wanted the davis cup crown.
nobody can win anything with djokovic around but that does not mean that Rafa is making any progress.
he is going backwards if that was even possible from the disaster last year.
I believe that Andy can get to the final at RG with the right draw. but he has show some progression on clay.
rafa should have no problem getting to the golf course.
Moxie
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Since he bought James Bond's car, I'd say shaken, not stirred. But almost certainly not touching any lines, and with the olives pointed precisely towards Mallorca.
Rafael playing poker in Monte Carlo...
I must say the casino is very posh.
Respectfully,
masterclass
splendid casino indeed general. this is top of the line. one needs serious net worth to land in this one. no Mississippi rednecks can get in obviously.
Rafa still has a deal with Poker Stars so that may be in the works soon.
mrzz
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That´s the draw he needs:
1st round: qualifier
2nd round: winner of qualifier x qualifier
3rd round: retiring qualifier
4rd round: WO
quarters: someone who retires mid-match
semis: someone who dies mid-match
finals: loses to anyone who gets there
