Who will retire first---Roger or Rafa?

[El Dude]

NAh, you missing my meaning .. I am saying that EVERYBODY changes something about their product or their game(new coaching consultant, equipment or add a new wrinkle) but Rafa Nadal.

Ah, OK - my bad :blush:. But yeah, it must be frustrating as a fan. He is a stubborn Spanish bull, but needs to realize that what worked when he was 22 doesn't work when he's 30.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Is destroying someone in practice some new trendy claim to fame? It's called practice for a reason, it's not the real deal. Means zero, zilch, nada. Think guys try as hard in practice? Of course not.

That is called practice for a reason.

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDBR2L5kzI[/video]

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I have said lots of positive things about Rafa. I sure like Rafa lot more than I like most Nadalites.

Anyway, I sure hope that WADA does not say anything positive about Rafa. :snicker

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Actually, to be fair I don't think Carole attacks Roger or Novak or other players that much. More often she does it when felt offended by someone's comments (even though comments may be legitimate).

As I see it, the real problem with Carole is being disconnected from reality and being deluded by excessive fan-girlish feelings. Quite often she does not bother real facts getting in her way of narratives. I can give many solid examples of that. The most recent one is claiming that Rafa has already won his case against Bachelot when in fact the case has been scheduled for hearing in July 2017. It is OK to say something mistakenly, but it is not OK to correct yourself even after being confronted with cold hard facts.

 

[Carol]

Actually, to be fair I don't think Carole attacks Roger or Novak or other players that much. More often she does it when felt offended by someone's comments (even though comments may be legitimate).

As I see it, the real problem with Carole is being disconnected from reality and being deluded by excessive fan-girlish feelings. Quite often she does not bother real facts getting in her way of narratives. I can give many solid examples of that. The most recent one is claiming that Rafa has already won his case against Bachelot when in fact the case has been scheduled for hearing in July 2017. It is OK to say something mistakenly, but it is not OK to correct yourself even after being confronted with cold hard facts.

I see that you didn't get it. What I said was IT DOESN'T MATTER when or how many times they change the schedule because that case is DONE. Or are you expecting that Bachelot is going to win? helloooo, come on, wake up! who is disconnected from reality, you or me? according to your comments I have not any doubts about who is :snicker

 

[the AntiPusher]

Is destroying someone in practice some new trendy claim to fame? It's called practice for a reason, it's not the real deal. Means zero, zilch, nada. Think guys try as hard in practice? Of course not.

Its amazing how you can take someone's post and put your spin on it or really "bastardized" it . Its gets Old dude

 

[Kieran]

I have said lots of positive things about Rafa. I sure like Rafa lot more than I like most Nadalites.

Anyway, I sure hope that WADA does not say anything positive about Rafa. :snicker

We already know they don't, brother, but come on, don't be partisan, Rafa fans are like Wodger fans are like Djoker fans. Only thing that's different is the players name...

 

[Carol]

The big difference is that some xx fans like to talk too much about Rafa Nadal and when his fans respond to them or we say something about their ídolo then "ohhhhh how you dare...."...funny, really funny :lolz:

 

[lacatch]

To those who prematurely predicted the demise of Roger's career, he has just announced that he will be returning at the Hopman Cup in January.

 

[Front242]

To those who prematurely predicted the demise of Roger's career, he has just announced that he will be returning at the Hopman Cup in January.

LOL yeah, I got a good laugh out of that when I read it on tennis.com.

 

[the AntiPusher]

To those who prematurely predicted the demise of Roger's career, he has just announced that he will be returning at the Hopman Cup in January.

LOL yeah, I got a good laugh out of that when I read it on tennis.com.

front lacatch isn't talking about opinions from tennis.com .. he is talking about TF

 

[Front242]

To those who prematurely predicted the demise of Roger's career, he has just announced that he will be returning at the Hopman Cup in January.

LOL yeah, I got a good laugh out of that when I read it on tennis.com.

front lacatch isn't talking about opinions from tennis.com .. he is talking about TF

I know, AP. He's talking about Carol. I laughed though when I read Roger is back in January (thinking of her comment here about his supposed demise), which we all knew anyway. Well, except her. She thinks his career is over.

 

[Carol]

To those who prematurely predicted the demise of Roger's career, he has just announced that he will be returning at the Hopman Cup in January.

LOL yeah, I got a good laugh out of that when I read it on tennis.com.

front lacatch isn't talking about opinions from tennis.com .. he is talking about TF

AP, you are bad... lot :devil
I know that Roger wants to come back to play and I'm glad if he does but I rather to wait to January and to see how everything goes after to have played 3 or 4 matches in four months after the surgery and none in eight months later, very tough way for his age

 

[GameSetAndMath]

To those who prematurely predicted the demise of Roger's career, he has just announced that he will be returning at the Hopman Cup in January.

He announced this long ago, even before he called quits for 2016. See my post in the Fed's schedule 2017 thread.

 

[shawnbm]

I think it would be more likely that Roger hangs up his racquet first based on age and number of (kilometers) miles on the court. That being said, if Rafa were to surprise me and retire first, then I would not be surprised to see Fed do it later that same year. I think it will be fitting that they both leave the game in the same year--but I am a sucker for nostalgia. I always watch The Natural until its conclusion (those of you who have seen it know what I mean).

 

[lob]

NAh, you missing my meaning .. I am saying that EVERYBODY changes something about their product or their game(new coaching consultant, equipment or add a new wrinkle) but Rafa Nadal.

Ah, OK - my bad :blush:. But yeah, it must be frustrating as a fan. He is a stubborn Spanish bull, but needs to realize that what worked when he was 22 doesn't work when he's 30.

Warning: Long Tiresome Pro-Nadal Post Below. You have been warned.

Dude, that is only partly true. I can't think of a single season between 2004 and 2013 in which Rafa didn't adjust and/or make an improvement to his arsenal. I am not as good an observer of the technical aspects as many here are but let's go through the grocery list. Already in 2006 he went to the finals in SW19 by changing his movement on grass. In 2007 and 2008, even granting his first week struggles, he took both his movement and service accuracy on grass to a whole another level. The first serve % and placement both improved big time on grass and off it. Btw, Federer on grass in 2008, could not break Nadal even once in the 'greatest match' in 5 full sets. In 2009 Nadal added sting to his hard court game. 2010 was something. Coming back from an injury, he learnt to switch his A-game between surfaces astonishingly quickly. Channel slam + USOpen, WTF? Mind you he had been noticeably losing a bit of that dazzling speed since 2009. He made up by constantly improving his return game and positioning along with his serve. It paid off big time 2010.

To Antipusher/Dude's point, he was 24 in 2010 not 22. All of 2011 and in AO 2012, Nadal took some very very tough losses to a nearly invincible Djokovic. His movement was noticeably slower. He lost on clay Thrice to Novak. He turned it around in 2012 MC and RG finals. How? He must have changed something no?

Now Nadal is 26, not 22, when he pulled this off. He is humiliated by Rosol in Wimbledon 2012. By now he knew that he had lost speed and will never be the player of 2010 and before. He took *9* months off when most players will dare not to take 2. He put it all together to win RG 2013. He was again humiliated in Wimbledon Round 1. What does he do? He reinvents his hard court game on the North American hard courts. He was unbeaten there.

Rafa is now 27 in. As dude points out, the usual trajectory of the teenage GS champions is to win very little after 27. Rafa fits that profile. No player can change the backbone of his game. In his case the backbone of his game is the defensive strength, movement and high % play. Stubborn Spanish Bull is a stereotype. He simply has no other option than to stand his game on its backbone. Sure he can get a new coach or equipment but how can they teach him grow younger?

 

[the AntiPusher]

LOL yeah, I got a good laugh out of that when I read it on tennis.com.

front lacatch isn't talking about opinions from tennis.com .. he is talking about TF

AP, you are bad... lot :devil
I know that Roger wants to come back to play and I'm glad if he does but I rather to wait to January and to see how everything goes after to have played 3 or 4 matches in four months after the surgery and none in eight months later, very tough way for his age

:laydownlaughing

 

[Kieran]

That's a great post, lob, and you nailed the predicament right there. His "Best Before" date is past, and now he's playing as older players always play...