Waiting for Rafa

[brokenshoelace]

Well, we've seen Rafa overdo things before. I'm glad he's playing doubles and planning to come back strong, and I'm sure if it gets too much he'll exercise his prerogative to withdraw. Hopefully he won't have to, and the wrist is fine...

Where have you seen Nadal overdo things?
He's withdrawn from events all his career.
Always been a smart scheduler in my opinion.

He's withdrawn from events all his career because he's had to due to various injuries. Can you please name me the events in which Nadal willingly withdrew from (without being injured)? If you can count more than 5 throughout his entire career, you'll win the internet for a day.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Actually uncleToni recently said the wrist isn't fully healed yet...

Will it be one day ? Wrist is a fragile part, ask Soderling and Delpo

Except Nadal's doctor said the ligaments were never damaged, and that is why he's been told there is not a long-term risk.

Can you please provide a source for this? Not because I doubt you (I would never do that!), but because as a Nadal fan myself, I want to hear this relieving news.

 

[NADAL2005RG]

^ The source is listed in every report of Nadal's injury when the news first broke, the official diagnosis:
"small disinsertion of the posterior ulnar pod of his right wrist."
Anyone with a medical background will tell you that is not a torn ligament and therefore not a long-term risk.
In layman's terms, the tendon slipped out of its groove.
I'm not sure if anyone bothered to translate the diagnosis, but that is what I know it means because I've dealt with the same diagnosis.

As for Nadal withdrawing from events without an injury, that is not what I said.
I said, "He's withdrawn from events all his career." because he wisely lets his injuries heal (for example the 7 month break from mid-2012). Even when he's able to play, he still refuses to play if he's not 100% (Wimbledon 2009, when he played an exhibition match before Wimbledon but refused to play due to not being 100%).

 

[Moxie]

Well, we've seen Rafa overdo things before. I'm glad he's playing doubles and planning to come back strong, and I'm sure if it gets too much he'll exercise his prerogative to withdraw. Hopefully he won't have to, and the wrist is fine...

Where have you seen Nadal overdo things?
He's withdrawn from events all his career.
Always been a smart scheduler in my opinion.

He's withdrawn from events all his career because he's had to due to various injuries. Can you please name me the events in which Nadal willingly withdrew from (without being injured)? If you can count more than 5 throughout his entire career, you'll win the internet for a day.

I might have 5+: Barcelona (2010, citing need to rest,) AO (2013, due to illness that kept him from playing tune-up,) Miami (2013, wisely not over-playing,) Basel (2013, same,) and then, if you count bowing out of various Davis Cup ties due to over-commitment, then I'm at 5+ and I win the internet for a day! lolz: If only that were a 'thing.')

Seriously, though, I just did that as an exercise. I think it's not logical to claim that Nadal and his team have not always been smart schedulers, and the exhibitions when he's had draining seasons are an example. Also note how many of my examples came in 2013...we can only hope Team Nadal is learning to be more cautious with the scheduling. Most recent example is the wise decision to beg off of that IPTL.

And whatever the diagnosis translates as or means, Dr. Ruiz Cotorro also has said that the injury is one to be "respected," so I don't know how it not involving a ligament is any less of a reason for concern.

No confirmation yet that Rafa is still playing the exhibition in Kazakhstan v. Tsonga, or that he's going to Beijing.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

rafa/wafa be better off giving the Asian swing a miss and trying for basel/valencia and paris masters..like del potro just decided last week..

after a longish absence (last match july 1st)..whats the big rush ?.

 

[NADAL2005RG]

^If Nadal is 100% now (and its quite possible, considering a week ago he was 80%), why would he skip the Asian swing?

He's probably aiming to peak for the World Tour Finals, and therefore needs to play as much as possible now.

Makes no sense to skip events when you are as injury-free as the next guy. And if Nadal is 100%, he is as injury-free as the next guy. Next goal is to be as rust-free as the next guy.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

rafa/wafa be better off giving the Asian swing a miss and trying for basel/valencia and paris masters..like del potro just decided last week..

after a longish absence (last match july 1st)..whats the big rush ?.

There is a three way race for year end #1 and Rafa is one possibility and so the rush.
I believe Novak has about 60% chance and Rafa and Roger both have about 20% chance
to finish YE #1 at this point of time.

 

[Moxie]

rafa/wafa be better off giving the Asian swing a miss and trying for basel/valencia and paris masters..like del potro just decided last week..

after a longish absence (last match july 1st)..whats the big rush ?.

There is a three way race for year end #1 and Rafa is one possibility and so the rush.
I believe Novak has about 60% chance and Rafa and Roger both have about 20% chance
to finish YE #1 at this point of time.

The calculation becomes very complicated, if, as you suggested on the IPTL thread, GSM, that Roger might skip the Asian swing, given that his Nov-Dec is so loaded, now. He and Rafa are only some 500 ranking points apart. Adding in there that Djokovic may have to take some paternity leave, this would be a opportunity for Nadal, but if, and ONLY IF, the wrist is in good shape for it. If not, rankings be damned, and let the field take the Asian swing titles.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

well if rafa is going around charging after rank pts when he has had a wrist injury then he must be mental.

I'd have thought the priority would be easing his way back up to big tourney sharpness in time for either paris/wtf or AO 2015 ?..but maybe that isn't the priority and its YE no1 or bust.

 

[Moxie]

well if rafa is going around charging after rank pts when he has had a wrist injury then he must be mental.

I'd have thought the priority would be easing his way back up to big tourney sharpness in time for either paris/wtf or AO 2015 ?..but maybe that isn't the priority and its YE no1 or bust.

Rafa has never stated any such objective. That is pure tennis forum speculations. So, no worries. I'm hoping it's AO trophy or bust.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

obviously. this is a tennis forum. we speculate.

 

[Moxie]

obviously. this is a tennis forum. we speculate.

And quite often as if we know better than they do. I meant mine to sound more ironic than it came off.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Even if Rafa is not worried about becoming YE #1 (due to his coming back from injury)
and Roger is not worried about becoming YE #1 (due to his circus act), both of them will
have vested interest in achieving at least YE #2 (as it makes sure that they will not
face Novak before finals at AO). But, only one of them can be #2 and so they have to
fight it out for #2 between themselves to position themselves nicely at AO of next year.
DF pointed this out in the circus thread.

So, it is not #1 or bust. it is #1 or #2 or bust.

 

[NADAL2005RG]

well if rafa is going around charging after rank pts when he has had a wrist injury then he must be mental.

I'd have thought the priority would be easing his way back up to big tourney sharpness in time for either paris/wtf or AO 2015 ?..but maybe that isn't the priority and its YE no1 or bust.

Regardless of whether or not he's trying to win out and get the YE#1, I don't see why he's "mental" for playing China and Shanghai.

As you said, Nadal "had" a wrist injury. That's the key word, "had".

 

[Moxie]

^ You're not allowed to extract "had" from "has had." Those are two different tenses.

Anyway, Rafa beat Jo-Wil today in Kazakhstan: 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4, but it was an exhibition, so whatever that means. We'll see if he says he's going on to Beijing, because this was meant to test the wrist for pain.

 

[Kieran]

^ You're not allowed to extract "had" from "has had." Those are two different tenses.

Anyway, Rafa beat Jo-Wil today in Kazakhstan: 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4, but it was an exhibition, so whatever that means. We'll see if he says he's going on to Beijing, because this was meant to test the wrist for pain.

Good old Ralph! :clap

Let's wait and see. Anybody watch the exo with Tsonga?

 

[NADAL2005RG]

^ I agree, Nadal "has had" an injury, but he's still not "mental" for playing tennis in China, Shanghai and the rest. No matter how you spin it, the dude ain't mental.

 

[Moxie]

^ You're not allowed to extract "had" from "has had." Those are two different tenses.

Anyway, Rafa beat Jo-Wil today in Kazakhstan: 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4, but it was an exhibition, so whatever that means. We'll see if he says he's going on to Beijing, because this was meant to test the wrist for pain.

Good old Ralph! :clap

Let's wait and see. Anybody watch the exo with Tsonga?

Couldn't find a link anywhere, but some folks on Twitter were watching. Photos of the 2h-BH. Said he played well, no sign of pain. That's what Twitter said.

 

[the AntiPusher]

^ You're not allowed to extract "had" from "has had." Those are two different tenses.

Anyway, Rafa beat Jo-Wil today in Kazakhstan: 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4, but it was an exhibition, so whatever that means. We'll see if he says he's going on to Beijing, because this was meant to test the wrist for pain.

Good old Ralph! :clap

Let's wait and see. Anybody watch the exo with Tsonga?

Couldn't find a link anywhere, but some folks on Twitter were watching. Photos of the 2h-BH. Said he played well, no sign of pain. That's what Twitter said.

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwjiidJBuOQ[/video]

 

[tented]

^ Thanks, AP.