DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Camelot Fantasies
HTML https://castleknights.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: General Pro Player Discussions
*****************************************************
#Post#: 18110--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2015 Australian Open (Jan 19-Feb 1) History at stake! (Draw
in Post #1)
By: Clay Death Date: January 26, 2015, 8:40 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
big day today in Melbourne:
order of play:
HTML http://www.atpworldtour.com/Scores/Schedules.aspx
#Post#: 18118--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2015 Australian Open (Jan 19-Feb 1) History at stake! (Draw
in Post #1)
By: masterclass Date: January 27, 2015, 6:23 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Dear fellow posters and readers,
Let's wish heartfelt commiserations to one of the great players
of our time, [B]Mr. Rafael Nadal[/B], who was obviously
seriously compromised even before the tournament had begun due
to a prolonged period of inactivity and corresponding lack of
consistent form, but still had the courage to play in this major
event even though he humbly proclaimed beforehand that he wasn't
good enough to win. :( He gave it his best, and the amount of
matches he played should help him shake off more of the rust as
he finally gets off the hard courts and begins his clay campaign
in South America. Rafael will need to continue to work on his
fitness and his return of serve foremost, and consistency and
confidence should come with more match play and wins.
Let's also wish a hearty congratulations to [B]Mr. Tomas
Berdych[/B], who in a considerable number of meetings with
Rafael has been up against the fence so long, the splinter scars
must be permanently etched on a certain portion of his anatomy
seen only by his fiance. Yet Tomas finally managed to overcome
his long ignominy to not only prevail in this match, but to
completely subdue his obviously impotent tormenter for a long
part of the match, and when the inevitable final challenge arose
from the mighty warrior, was able to surmount his doubts and
complete his victory with a flourish. :) 8) He has a
reasonable chance to make a final in this Australian Open with
his solid play, new team and confidence.
Best of luck and health to both players as they recover from
this match and continue their journey throughout the year.
Respectfully,
masterclass
#Post#: 18119--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2015 Australian Open (Jan 19-Feb 1) History at stake! (Draw
in Post #1)
By: Clay Death Date: January 27, 2015, 10:32 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=masterclass link=topic=822.msg18118#msg18118
date=1422361404]
Dear fellow posters and readers,
Let's wish heartfelt commiserations to one of the great players
of our time, [B]Mr. Rafael Nadal[/B], who was obviously
seriously compromised even before the tournament had begun due
to a prolonged period of inactivity and corresponding lack of
consistent form, but still had the courage to play in this major
event even though he humbly proclaimed beforehand that he wasn't
good enough to win. :( He gave it his best, and the amount of
matches he played should help him shake off more of the rust as
he finally gets off the hard courts and begins his clay campaign
in South America. Rafael will need to continue to work on his
fitness and his return of serve foremost, and consistency and
confidence should come with more match play and wins.
Let's also wish a hearty congratulations to [B]Mr. Tomas
Berdych[/B], who in a considerable number of meetings with
Rafael has been up against the fence so long, the splinter scars
must be permanently etched on a certain portion of his anatomy
seen only by his fiance. Yet Tomas finally managed to overcome
his long ignominy to not only prevail in this match, but to
completely subdue his obviously impotent tormenter for a long
part of the match, and when the inevitable final challenge arose
from the mighty warrior, was able to surmount his doubts and
complete his victory with a flourish. :) 8) He has a
reasonable chance to make a final in this Australian Open with
his solid play, new team and confidence.
Best of luck and health to both players as they recover from
this match and continue their journey throughout the year.
Respectfully,
masterclass
[/quote]
great post general
I saw the match. rafa is just a shadow of his former self now.
I have been telling people for over 2 years now that his
decision to drop some work on the fitness front and to drop the
time and the duration of his on court practice time was going to
cost him in a big way and it has.
he gave up too much ground on the fitness front which is why he
is almost always injured now.
and his obsession with hard courts has cost him his ground game.
berdych won 90% of the points off the ground.
imagine that. Rafa is the greatest baseliner ever lived and yet
could only win about 10% of the points in rallies.
he had no backhand to speak off and he had no return of serve.
his movement was horrible and he had very little mustard on the
balls he did get back.
just a tremendous drop in physicality.
he just does not get it: it is his fitness and his
physicality---coupled with his will and his hunger--that took
him to the next level in our sport.
we always knew he was a great athlete and he had that topspin
which was going to do major damage on the tour.
it is what it is. I think he has too many other interests which
could have waited 2-3 years.
he lost some of his drive and some of his hunger. now we have to
wait and see if he is willing to do anything about it and get
back to the levels he is capable of.
time has almost run out on him.
#Post#: 18140--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2015 Australian Open (Jan 19-Feb 1) History at stake! (Draw
in Post #1)
By: masterclass Date: January 27, 2015, 1:26 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Agreed general hercules. I think he has maybe one or two big
pushes left in him, if he wants it enough. But these days
everyone is stressing the fitness + mental game. If you don't
have it, it's very difficult to be near the top for long.
I don't remember which forum in which we talked about it, but
remember our chat a long time ago about Nadal hiring Muster's
trainer/fitness coach Gebhard Phil-Gritsch and how it would have
done Rafa a lot of good? Well, instead Novak Djokovic hired him.
I firmly believe this is the main reason how Novak Djokovic rose
from where he was in 2009/2010 and has been the top player
overall since 2011 with 3 Year end #1's and 6 majors. Before
this, Novak was one of the physical jokes of the tour among the
better players with many retirements. Now he's recognized as
one of the fittest if not the fittest and elastic player in the
game. His fitness improved drastically, which allowed his game
to flourish.
In comparison, Rafa has gone the other way. Now perhaps that's
also due to the many injuries, but it's a catch-22. Injuries
can keep a player from getting fit, and lack of fitness often
leads to injury. But I can't help feeling that if Rafa had had
Gebhard Phil-Gritsch in his corner how his career could have
been different and perhaps could have maintained and even
improved his fitness levels since 2008 and what an even more
dominant player he might have been.
Oh well, could have, should have, we don't know of course, but
to see Rafa like this now after what we saw a few years ago is
sad. He still did well in 2010 and 2013 despite having fitness
issues that were masked by his youthful extreme fire and energy
and competitiveness in a match, but required lengthy breaks
prior to those efforts. But as he ages, that is no longer
enough. The fire inside him can't breath well enough without
the proper oxygen levels, it takes longer to get back into form
after lengthy time away, and so on . His strength as you
mentioned, was pitiful, in those first two sets, compared to
what he was before. The good news is he is still #3 for a
little while, but that could soon change with players like
Nishikori, Raonic, Berdych pressing behind him. Does he have it
in him to do what it takes to get back his fitness? He's risen
from the ashes before. Only time will tell us...
Respectfully,
masterclass
#Post#: 18144--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2015 Australian Open (Jan 19-Feb 1) History at stake! (Draw
in Post #1)
By: Clay Death Date: January 27, 2015, 2:35 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
this is his 4th comeback after sustained injuries and setbacks.
he is not young anymore. natural levels of VO2max start to
vanish with age. you have to work much harder on the fitness
front.
he really let his fitness go after the end of 2010. he has been
losing ground ever since then.
and nole--as you have correctly pointed out---kept taking his
fitness to higher and higher levels ever since the end of 2010.
and now just about all of them are ultra fit. guys close to 10
year older than rafa are fit and winning titles.
injuries and setbacks came as a result of decisions to drop some
fitness and on court work. thrown in the mad obsession for hard
courts and you have what you have.
a dramatic drop in his ground game with little or no confidence
in it.
clay is the wellspring from which he flows.
he has to regain his fitness and his physicality and then start
winning on clay. that is the only way he can get back into the
swing of things.
he also just has way too many other interests and obligations
that could have waited about 3 years.
rafa ia rafa. he will do things his way.
what was the reason to not practice his return for 2-3 days
going into the berdych match?
why the need to push so many backhands against Anderson when he
knew he would need his topspin backhand against berdcych and
andy murray?
I am sad and upset. he wont change a thing.
#Post#: 18168--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2015 Australian Open (Jan 19-Feb 1) History at stake! (Draw
in Post #1)
By: thetruth Date: January 28, 2015, 1:55 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=masterclass link=topic=822.msg18118#msg18118
date=1422361404]
Dear fellow posters and readers,
Let's wish heartfelt commiserations to one of the great players
of our time, [B]Mr. Rafael Nadal[/B], who was obviously
seriously compromised even before the tournament had begun due
to a prolonged period of inactivity and corresponding lack of
consistent form, but still had the courage to play in this major
event even though he humbly proclaimed beforehand that he wasn't
good enough to win. :( He gave it his best, and the amount of
matches he played should help him shake off more of the rust as
he finally gets off the hard courts and begins his clay campaign
in South America. Rafael will need to continue to work on his
fitness and his return of serve foremost, and consistency and
confidence should come with more match play and wins.
Let's also wish a hearty congratulations to [B]Mr. Tomas
Berdych[/B], who in a considerable number of meetings with
Rafael has been up against the fence so long, the splinter scars
must be permanently etched on a certain portion of his anatomy
seen only by his fiance. Yet Tomas finally managed to overcome
his long ignominy to not only prevail in this match, but to
completely subdue his obviously impotent tormenter for a long
part of the match, and when the inevitable final challenge arose
from the mighty warrior, was able to surmount his doubts and
complete his victory with a flourish. :) 8) He has a
reasonable chance to make a final in this Australian Open with
his solid play, new team and confidence.
Best of luck and health to both players as they recover from
this match and continue their journey throughout the year.
Respectfully,
masterclass
[/quote]
What a great post, masterclass. This is exactly how I see it. I
didn't expect much from Rafa coming in with so few matches and
as you said, six months of inactivity. He was not battle tested
so my expectations were low. In fact, I try not to have
expectations because these players are only human.
And, I have to admit I am glad that Tomas got the monkey off his
back. I wasn't pleased with many of the articles that came out
and the commentators making it a point to reiterate how Tomas
had lost to Rafa seventeen times in a row. It was very important
for Tomas to win that match.
Rafa will be back, and if he never reaches his previous levels,
que sera, sera. I can only be thankful for the tennis I've
witnessed for the last decade.
#Post#: 18170--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2015 Australian Open (Jan 19-Feb 1) History at stake! (Draw
in Post #1)
By: Clay Death Date: January 28, 2015, 8:23 am
---------------------------------------------------------
great post lady TT.
well said. previous levels are not attainable now. too many
setbacks and too many comebacks.
I am just hoping for a decent clay season and his 10th RG. that
is more than enough.
#Post#: 18191--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2015 Australian Open (Jan 19-Feb 1) History at stake! (Draw
in Post #1)
By: thetruth Date: January 29, 2015, 12:19 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=Clay Death link=topic=822.msg18170#msg18170
date=1422455000]
great post lady TT.
well said. previous levels are not attainable now. too many
setbacks and too many comebacks.
I am just hoping for a decent clay season and his 10th RG. that
is more than enough.
[/quote]
You crack me up, CD. For the most part you seem to be such a
chill guy whose feathers never get too ruffled, but Rafa really
gets to you. I can't help but laugh. I'm sorry. Clay Warrior
will be fine. Fingers crossed.
#Post#: 18198--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2015 Australian Open (Jan 19-Feb 1) History at stake! (Draw
in Post #1)
By: Clay Death Date: January 29, 2015, 8:53 am
---------------------------------------------------------
good morning folks.
I predicted that andy would win in 4 sets on twitter.
so now for the title.
#Post#: 18205--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2015 Australian Open (Jan 19-Feb 1) History at stake! (Draw
in Post #1)
By: Crisstti Date: January 29, 2015, 12:28 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Let's hope he can get the title!
It's about time really.
*****************************************************
DIR Previous Page
DIR Next Page