The Mystery And The Magic of Rafael Nadal

[ClayDeath]

RE: Rafael Nadal : The Secret of His Greatness Revealed

negative general darth:



I see an opportunity here for both the Spartan Stan and the clay warrior king.


Spartan Stan is going to pick off nole tomorrow.


nadal got himself a favorable draw. he is just making the most of it.

his confidence is growing now so that helps his cause.

 

[DarthFed]

RE: Rafael Nadal : The Secret of His Greatness Revealed

Is that your honest prediction (Stan takes out Nole) or is that just a big wish? I never understood people who type "predictions" based on what they want to see happen. I would laugh myself out of my chair if I typed a Gasquet victory tomorrow as a prediction.

Nole has not fared well against the elite players at all the past 2 years, curled up in a ball and often gone down easily. This bolds well for Rafa's chances on Monday. But Stan is not elite and Nole has handled his kind the last few years. Djoker knows whats at stake (difference between a slam and possibly retaining #1 at end of year vs. undoubtedly a very poor year). I don't see Stan taking him out.

 

[ClayDeath]

RE: Rafael Nadal : The Secret of His Greatness Revealed

I thought berdych was playing quite well for a change. Spartan stan removed him from the facilities.

he was again undaunted against the defending champion.

translation: stan is riding a bit of a wave of confidence. his game is clicking.


did he not push nole at Oz? in fact he should have won that match.

I think Spartan Stan snathces one of the first 2 sets and then sets his sets his sights a little higher in the match.

all he needs is 1 of the first two sets and he will start to get his belief going.



nadal is taking the title no matter anyway. its just that he may have to work a little harder against nole.

but this nadal is not losing here.


my prediction: stan over nole in 5 sets tomorrow.

 

[Andrew William]

RE: Rafael Nadal : The Secret of His Greatness Revealed

good to see you Andrew. do I know you from somewhere?

Aye. Old tennis forum. I remember we bickered back and forth at times. But I liked that you took your support seriously of Nadal, fanatical as it maybe, but colorful and boastful, something we all can appreciate.

Alas, I was of the Roddick vanguard, but with his foreseeable end nigh, I raised my chalice for young Prince Harrison. You may recall the Clay King trouncing him on the dawn of this arena. Its been a tough fortnight to say the least.

I salute thee and his Clayness on what should be a battle worthy of song and revel. But there is yet still much work to be done......

 

[ClayDeath]

RE: Rafael Nadal : The Secret of His Greatness Revealed

good to see you Andrew. do I know you from somewhere?

Aye. Old tennis forum. I remember we bickered back and forth at times. But I liked that you took your support seriously of Nadal, fanatical as it maybe, but colorful and boastful, something we all can appreciate.

Alas, I was of the Roddick vanguard, but with his foreseeable end nigh, I raised my chalice for young Prince Harrison. You may recall the Clay King trouncing him on the dawn of this arena. Its been a tough fortnight to say the least.

I salute thee and his Clayness on what should be a battle worthy of song and revel. But there is yet still much work to be done......

I have changed a little bit from the old days.


now I am clay warrior`s most brutal critic.


lot of nadal fans think I cant stand the clay warrior.


I had one nadal fan tell me that I was really a roger Federer fan and that I could not detest nadal enough.

at any rate I cant say that I was ever really fanatical about him to the extent some people are. not necessarily talking about the people here but at some other forums.

picking him to win RG is not exactly rocket science.




I am quite objective: I did NOT pick him to win monte carlo this year.


nobody on the planet thought he would go such a rampage on the hard courts like he did in montreal and cinci.

everybody except for the usual few fanatics got that one wrong.

 

[ClayDeath]

RE: Rafael Nadal : The Secret of His Greatness Revealed

#13 is happening on monday.

RG is even more off limits now. especially since he has revived his game to some extent.

that makes a total of #14.

of course the federereeeeeeeeeeesians have the right to be scared. I don't blame you. I would be too.

it is just normal and human nature.

and who really gives a damn about 18 anyway. nadal does not need 18 slams.

17 will be more than enough. even 15 will be more than enough.

the questions about that old "matchup" issue has zero traction these days.

nadal has a winning record against ALL of the top 30 players.



he is going to have 15 by the time next year ends. I don't think he will stop there. once he has #15, it may really light the fuse.

if he can go on like this on a bad knee on the hard courts then he can surely go on natural surfaces for another 2-3 years.



you might as well embrace him. it is a far better option than to sit there and keep hoping and dreaming that somebody will come along and beat him.

I see general darth is hoping for a "miracle" today. lot of people were dreaming and hoping of a miracle at RG too. they said nole was going to run all over him.

I think nadal`s stock is on the rise again. better buy it now before it gets too expensive.



and welcome to the forums nadalrg2005. I had asked him to join tennis frontier.


I had sent him a pm about this place.

 

[DarthFed]

RE: Rafael Nadal : The Secret of His Greatness Revealed

#13 is happening on monday.

RG is even more off limits now. especially since he has revived his game to some extent.

that makes a total of #14.

of course the federereeeeeeeeeeesians have the right to be scared. I don't blame you. I would be too.

it is just normal and human nature.

and who really gives a damn about 18 anyway. nadal does not need 18 slams.

17 will be more than enough. even 15 will be more than enough.

the questions about that old "matchup" issue has zero traction these days.

nadal has a winning record against ALL of the top 30 players.



he is going to have 15 by the time next year ends. I don't think he will stop there. once he has #15, it may really light the fuse.

if he can go on like this on a bad knee on the hard courts then he can surely go on natural surfaces for another 2-3 years.



you might as well embrace him. it is a far better option than to sit there and keep hoping and dreaming that somebody will come along and beat him.

I see general darth is hoping for a "miracle" today. lot of people were dreaming and hoping of a miracle at RG too. they said nole was going to run all over him.

I think nadal`s stock is on the rise again. better buy it now before it gets too expensive.



and welcome to the forums nadalrg2005. I had asked him to join tennis frontier.


I had sent him a pm about this place.

It could happen. I've said before that 17 is not that high of a total in this era where everyone plays from the baseline and the courts are playing more similar. Rafa might break it in 3-5 years and if not someone will within 15-20. Roger left way too many slams on the table with unclutch play.

 

[ClayDeath]

RE: Rafael Nadal : The Secret of His Greatness Revealed

nadal has left at least 5 slams on the table.

 

[atttomole]

RE: Rafael Nadal : The Secret of His Greatness Revealed

Clay Death where have you been the last few days.? You had not posted for some time and I thought you were too nervous to post. I think you can relax now because Nadal will win the US Open on Monday.

 

[ClayDeath]

RE: Rafael Nadal : The Secret of His Greatness Revealed

good to see general attomole.


I am out most of the day during the day at least 4-5 days a week.


and I was busy with some things but I have been around here and there.

actually I am not nervous at all about anything. I am pretty sure nadal is going to smash him to pieces this time. and if he loses than its his own damn fault. he can go try to improve. I believe nadal is better than nole. he should not be losing to him as much as he has.





stan could have won today in straights if he just had enough belief and enough testicular fortitude.

my prediction had been stan in 5. it did not work out. stan had him on the ropes and let him escape.

 

[the AntiPusher]

RE: Rafael Nadal : The Secret of His Greatness Revealed

nadal has left at least 5 slams on the table.

So did Sampras, Borg, McEnroe, Connors, Agassi, Lendl

 

[DarthFed]

RE: Rafael Nadal : The Secret of His Greatness Revealed

Roger is 3-7 in major semis and finals that went to 5 sets. That was the point I am getting at. Even a mediocre 6-4 and we might be seeing him on 19-20.

 

[ClayDeath]

RE: Rafael Nadal : The Secret of His Greatness Revealed

roger`s best chance remains at Wimbledon.


he just has to show up prepared.


and you are wrong about the idea that somebody is going to come along and snatch 20 slams in the future.

the sport has become far too demanding.

 

[DarthFed]

RE: Rafael Nadal : The Secret of His Greatness Revealed

Nah, it isn't about how demanding it is. Fact of the matter is the surfaces have been slowed and everyone plays from the baseline. The best baseliner on one surface has a good chance of being the best baseliner on them all and that means its easier to win slams in bunches as compared to past generations

 

[ClayDeath]

RE: Rafael Nadal : The Secret of His Greatness Revealed

right. that is why we have had so many different slam winners in the last 10 years.



you could not me more wrong if you tried.

your player is old now and he is stuck in the past gears.


he is not willing to grind and change the tactics. high risk stuff does not work in the modern game anymore.

the game is different even from a year ago.


44 unforced errors in that match against the clay warrior in cinci. he could have won that match with more patience.

he has to get more fit and be willing to stay out there for 3-4 hours or longer.

and he has to change his game. you cant just try to blast winners on every damn shot.

 

[DarthFed]

RE: Rafael Nadal : The Secret of His Greatness Revealed

right. that is why we have had so many different slam winners in the last 10 years.



you could not me more wrong if you tried.

your player is old now and he is stuck in the past gears.


he is not willing to grind and change the tactics. high risk stuff does not work in the modern game anymore.

the game is different even from a year ago.


44 unforced errors in that match against the clay warrior in cinci. he could have won that match with more patience.

he has to get more fit and be willing to stay out there for 3-4 hours or longer.

and he has to change his game. you cant just try to blast winners on every damn shot.

The fact that there have been so few slam winners the past ten years proves the point. I'd think even a ten year old can see that.

Grinding from the baseline with the likes of Nadal, Djoker and Murray is a losing strategy. They are all much quicker, much better defense, much more consistent and much better stamina. This should be common sense, no offense. The things he can control is where he stands on ROS and then keeping his head in the game. It won't make him the best player in the world but he won't be as God awful as he has been this year.

 

[brokenshoelace]

RE: Rafael Nadal : The Secret of His Greatness Revealed

Wait, someone just suggested that the guy who spent the majority of his career as world number 1, winning every tourney in sight, is lazy? Lol

 

[ClayDeath]

RE: Rafael Nadal : The Secret of His Greatness Revealed

right. that is why we have had so many different slam winners in the last 10 years.



you could not me more wrong if you tried.

your player is old now and he is stuck in the past gears.


he is not willing to grind and change the tactics. high risk stuff does not work in the modern game anymore.

the game is different even from a year ago.


44 unforced errors in that match against the clay warrior in cinci. he could have won that match with more patience.

he has to get more fit and be willing to stay out there for 3-4 hours or longer.

and he has to change his game. you cant just try to blast winners on every damn shot.

The fact that there have been so few slam winners the past ten years proves the point. I'd think even a ten year old can see that.

Grinding from the baseline with the likes of Nadal, Djoker and Murray is a losing strategy. They are all much quicker, much better defense, much more consistent and much better stamina. This should be common sense, no offense. The things he can control is where he stands on ROS and then keeping his head in the game. It won't make him the best player in the world but he won't be as God awful as he has been this year.

I think he has been affected by a bad back this year.


I mean we may have to account for that variable. it does not have a lot of weight but at least some weight.


still he will find it difficult to beat the likes of nadal, andy murray, and nole now.

not unless its a best of 3 sets foremat.



not sure what he was thinking with that racquet change right in the middle of the season. that dented his confidence to some extent as well.



all that being said, his biggest problem that I see is the absolute refusal to play high percentage tennis.

 

[brokenshoelace]

RE: Rafael Nadal : The Secret of His Greatness Revealed

right. that is why we have had so many different slam winners in the last 10 years.

This actually proves Darth's point, rather than negate it.

 

[brokenshoelace]

RE: Rafael Nadal : The Secret of His Greatness Revealed

I've said before that 17 is not that high of a total in this era

:huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh::huh: