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#Post#: 13872--------------------------------------------------
What Really Ails Rafa
By: Clay Death Date: April 18, 2014, 9:37 pm
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What is holding Rafa back?
you be the judge. you have the floor.
I am just worried at this point.
#Post#: 13873--------------------------------------------------
Re: What Really Ails Rafa
By: Clay Death Date: April 18, 2014, 9:44 pm
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this is his earliest exit from monte carlo in 11 years.
so even a very bad Rafa has always been able to get through and
run through the fields at monte carlo over the years.
he has had his share of slumps over the years but he has always
been able to turn things around in monte carlo.
#Post#: 13880--------------------------------------------------
Re: What Really Ails Rafa
By: thetruth Date: April 19, 2014, 12:45 am
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It's hard to say. He may just be burnt out. I think he's played
uninspired all year. He's had times when he's come out in the
first couple of matches and seemed to be on track and by the
third match he's back to seeming less interested than in the
past.
It's rare that you see him even fist pump. I really don't know,
but I do think he'll get it together. He has too much pride not
to.
#Post#: 13889--------------------------------------------------
Re: What Really Ails Rafa
By: Clay Death Date: April 19, 2014, 8:54 am
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now he has to take it one tournament at a time. he pretty much
has to win Barcelona.
and then do all he can to go after the rome masters. that should
start to get him on the right track.
what is missing is his usual supreme fitness. he is not doing
enough on the fitness front. and he is certainly not doing
enough on the practice courts.
#Post#: 13962--------------------------------------------------
Re: What Really Ails Rafa
By: thetruth Date: April 21, 2014, 3:04 am
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[quote author=Clay Death link=topic=737.msg13889#msg13889
date=1397915657]
now he has to take it one tournament at a time. he pretty much
has to win Barcelona.
and then do all he can to go after the rome masters. that should
start to get him on the right track.
what is missing is his usual supreme fitness. he is not doing
enough on the fitness front. and he is certainly not doing
enough on the practice courts.
[/quote]
Hopefully this loss was a wake up call. He can't afford to stay
on this track.
#Post#: 13968--------------------------------------------------
Re: What Really Ails Rafa
By: Clay Death Date: April 21, 2014, 9:49 am
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agreed. Barcelona title is a must right now.
he has to focus. I thinks his fans are also to blame for some of
this slump. they just cant get enough of his time and his
attention.
he is forever trying to be helpful and forever trying to please
him.
but the biggest reason for his slump right now is that he chose
to screw around for 15 days after his early loss in indian
wells.
those 15 days could have been spent at home on the red clay.
clay is the wellspring from which he flows.
he needed to work on his ground game and his movement on the red
clay and he was not willing to do that.
clay has saved him for 11 years. it was not going to save him
forever. they are all gaining on him.
rafa has to work harder than ever before to keep his competitive
advantage on the red clay. instead he is working as little as
possible on the red clay this year.
bottom line: very little time left. he cant afford to let his
key competitive advantage slip away. he has to win Barcelona and
rome.
it would not hurt to win Madrid also.
#Post#: 13975--------------------------------------------------
Re: What Really Ails Rafa
By: thetruth Date: April 21, 2014, 10:29 am
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[quote author=Clay Death link=topic=737.msg13968#msg13968
date=1398091775]
agreed. Barcelona title is a must right now.
he has to focus. I thinks his fans are also to blame for some of
this slump. they just cant get enough of his time and his
attention.
he is forever trying to be helpful and forever trying to please
him.
but the biggest reason for his slump right now is that he chose
to screw around for 15 days after his early loss in indian
wells.
those 15 days could have been spent at home on the red clay.
clay is the wellspring from which he flows.
he needed to work on his ground game and his movement on the red
clay and he was not willing to do that.
clay has saved him for 11 years. it was not going to save him
forever. they are all gaining on him.
rafa has to work harder than ever before to keep his competitive
advantage on the red clay. instead he is working as little as
possible on the red clay this year.
bottom line: very little time left. he cant afford to let his
key competitive advantage slip away. he has to win Barcelona and
rome.
it would not hurt to win Madrid also.
[/quote]
I know, but sometimes things have to give. We don't know if he
wasn't practicing enough because of the back. Like you, I think
it's way worse than he's letting on.
#Post#: 13977--------------------------------------------------
Re: What Really Ails Rafa
By: Clay Death Date: April 21, 2014, 10:44 am
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that is a great point.
that has to be a variable in this equation. the back has to be a
factor.
bad back has caused quite a few issues for him. for example he
was not able to even serve for 10 days after Rio.
#Post#: 14021--------------------------------------------------
Re: What Really Ails Rafa
By: thetruth Date: April 21, 2014, 4:41 pm
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[quote author=Clay Death link=topic=737.msg13977#msg13977
date=1398095087]
that is a great point.
that has to be a variable in this equation. the back has to be a
factor.
bad back has caused quite a few issues for him. for example he
was not able to even serve for 10 days after Rio.
[/quote]
It also might be why he doesn't seem to be so affected.
Ordinarily, he seems to take losses seriously, but now he
appears to be so carefree. I'm not getting it.
#Post#: 14051--------------------------------------------------
Re: What Really Ails Rafa
By: Backspin Date: April 22, 2014, 3:58 am
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In my humble opinion, Rafa's been playing tournaments to not
lose his #1 ranking. He's afraid to lose it so soon again. He's
counting how many points he got from Miami final, etc. He's got
to stop thinking that way.
Someone needs to tell him to forget the #1 ranking and just
focus on playing his best. He showed last year that when he
really wants it, he can go through anyone and win the biggest
titles. Win the titles and the #1 ranking will take care of
itself.
He is capable of playing much better than he has so far in 2014.
I like that he said he was unhappy with his MC result. Let that
motivate him to practice more and play better.
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