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2009-12-04 20:00:47
Before we overreact to what transpired on Friday afternoon in Barcelona and go into some kind of shock-and-awe state over it, let’s get one thing straight: I saw this coming from miles away.
Well, I saw it coming from 75 days away, to be exact (the number of days in between the Davis Cup semifinals and final).
Of course, it did not take a genius to predict that Rafael Nadal would have his way with Tomas Berdych on a clay court in front of a raucous Spanish crowd. To say Nadal is at his best on the slow stuff would be a gross understatement. He is, furthermore, inarguably one of the best “pressure” players is ATP history.
Berdych, to put it nicely, is does not exactly…thrive…in pressure-packed situations. He routinely takes advantage of lesser-ranked opponents, but he rarely steps up on the grandest stages of tennis to earn scalps of the top players in the world.
I predicted Berdych would go down to Nadal in straight-set flames, and that he would do so without taking any set to a tiebreaker. Not even I, however, saw this coming.
I didn’t see a run of 12 consecutive games. I didn’t see Nadal hitting more aces than Berdych (six to one). I didn’t see Nadal hitting more winners than Berdych (29 to 24). I didn’t see Nadal breaking serve a whopping seven times. I didn’t see Nadal holding his final 12—count ‘em…12—service games.
I saw Berdych losing this more than I saw Nadal winning this.
But Nadal did not merely win this. He owned it. The second-ranked Spaniard allowed Berdych just seven games—one fewer than I had predicted—in a 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 thrashing.
Perhaps nervous in the early stages of the of the Davis Cup final-opening rubber, Nadal joined his underdog opponent in getting off to slow start. Berdych surrendered serve in the opening game of the match, but Nadal gave the advantage right back in the next game.
Following the two initial service breaks, eight service holds—none of which featured particularly incredible tennis—took the first set to 5-5. When Nadal suddenly found himself serving at 5-5, 0-30, he apparently decided that it was time for the show to begin.
After winning the next two games to finish off the first set, Nadal took matters into his own hands and ruthlessly dragged Berdych to the local Barcelona bakery.
Whether Berdych wanted one or not, he was served a bagel in a second set that featured the best tennis Nadal has played in months. In a span of six games, the six-time Grand Slam champion won 27 of 40 points, earned 21 of those 27 points with winners (eight) and forced errors (13), and committed a mere three unforced errors.
From 5-5 in the first, Berdych did not get on the scoreboard again until the fifth game of the final set—at which point, of course, the match was already all but over.
“The most important thing is the victory for the team,” Nadal said immediately afterward. And he is right.
But althoug he is right, the team concept should not prevent us from overlooking this fact: it was the old Rafael Nadal who made a frightening return to the tennis court on Friday afternoon in Barcelona. Frightening, at least, if you are associated with the Czech Republic Davis team.
The Czechs wanted the Rafael Nadal who lost to an indoor-court specialist (Robin Soderling) on the clay courts of Roland Garros. They wanted the Rafael Nadal who was hammered by Juan Martin Del Potro 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 at the U.S. Open. They wanted the Rafael Nadal who did not win a match—or even a single set—at the World Tour Finals.
What they got, however, was the Rafael Nadal—or at least something close to the Rafael Nadal—who won four straight French Open titles between 2005 and 2008.
No, you cannot say that Nadal is “back” based on one match. But that performance was more than enough to say that anyone who was writing off Nadal’s career after his egg-laying at the World Tour Finals is an absolute…. Well, I’ll just say that anyone who was writing off Nadal’s career was a bit… “mistaken.”
This is not to guarantee that Nadal will soon become No. 1 in the world or that he will win multiple Grand Slams in 2010. I’m not even willing to guarantee that Nadal will ever win another Grand Slam outside of the French Open.
I do, however, encourage you to consider the undeniable importance of Davis Cup. While it does not grip fans in the same way that Grand Slams captivate the lives of tennis diehards, Davis Cup can be the zenith of a player’s career.
Just look at Fernando Verdasco.
A perennial journeyman throughout the first 24 years of his life, and first seven years of his tennis career, Verdasco was an afterthought as a real ATP contender when he traveled with the Spanish team to Mar Del Plata, Argentina for last year’s Davis Cup final.
To say he emerged a changed man would not be overstating it.
With visiting Spain holding a tenuous 2-1 lead after the first two days of competition, Verdasco clinched the title—the biggest team title in tennis—with an emotional 6-3, 6-7(3), 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory over Jose Acasuso. Verdasco has never been the same since.
He went on to reach his first Grand Slam semifinal at the Australian Open (very nearly reaching the final before falling to Nadal in an epic five-setter, arguably the best match of 2009). He made it to at least the quarterfinals of his first eight tournaments this season. He climbed to a career-high ranking of No. 7 in the world by April, qualified for his first year-end championship, and finished the season at No. 9.
Whatever Verdasco does in the future, his roots will forever be traced back to the 2008 Davis Cup final.
That won’t be the case for Nadal. This is not where it began.
This could, however, very well be the turning point. The turning point from what had been the nadir of his otherwise near-flawless career.
Steamrolling Berdych at 4-0 in the third set, Nadal blasted a forehand winner and threw up his arms as if asking quizzically, “where has this been the last six months!?!??!”
It’s been gone. But judging from Friday’s performance, it’s about to be back.
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Hey Ricky, I guess even Rafa knew he would do well on clay. However guess his real test would be playing against the world's best players, having lost his aura on his lesser preferred surfaces.
But this is definitely a step in the right direction as in some sports like tennis, you are only as good as your last match performance.
Anyway hope Spain lose the doubles so that we can witness another Rafa best of 5 sets massacre.
vmk1 , 12/5/09 2:23 PM
great blog ricky. totally agree. while it was a great peformance, let's not count the chickens just yet. i believe he'll get back him calm but he's all about putting in the hard work between matches. his post match ruthless self punishment of running to the court to practice his serve or whatever says alot about his work ethic. he'll work hard in the off season - he better if he wants any chance of defending ao. delpo, nole, murray and fed are sniffing blood already! can't discount the dark horses too. first early slam of the year, it's usually the gamble slam.
vamos spain! bring home that davis cup again !!
homos , 12/5/09 3:58 PM
Great Post! Despite the fact that you don't earn ATP points, most players LOVE to play at the Davis Cup... the atmosphere is unbeatable. As a player, being part of a team offers a welcome change from all those tournaments where all the weight is placed upon each single player's shoulders. Then you get a coach who sits with you and helps you throughout the match. That makes for better matches, more heroic performances, like Ferrer's last night, and better player behavior (I think coaching should become part of regular ATP tournament tennis). Finally you are representing your country and your opponents theirs. The point of this tournament is to bring nations together, and that it does, with players being exemplary toward one another, both teammates and opponents.
Long live the Davis Cup! And a big "Weocome Back" to Rafa. We've been missing you!
grafight , 12/5/09 4:25 PM
grafight - nice comments on the Davis Cup. It deserves to return to its former glory.
RickyDimon , 12/6/09 12:31 AM
Excellent blog but there is a correction...nadal hit 27 winners not 29 :)
vamosrafa , 12/6/09 1:11 AM
This was wonderful to see! Rafa on the red clay that he loves so much, finding his game and himself. Now I am convinced that Rafa's problems have been mental and loss of confidence. If his game was truly gone, then even playing on clay would not have brought it back. But Rafa lives! I think he really, really wanted this win. You could see it in his body language on the court. This was personal. It was for his country and hometown fans and, ultimately, for himself. It all came back to him in this match - those glorious powerful, deep forehands, that wicked backhand, the aggressive play at net, running all over the court. I haven't seen Rafa play like this since he came back from his injuries.
I am not foolish enough to think that one DC match can predict next year's results for Rafa. But now Rafa knows that he's still got it and that's huge. This is a fabulous way to end a difficult year. Rafa values participating in DC. It matters to him and that was evident when he won the match.
I also loved seeing Rafa on the sidelines cheering Ferrer on like a maniac! He was screaming so loud and grabbing his hair and jumping around. He couldn't stay still. To see his commitment to his teammate was positively inspiring. It shows the value of DC as a team sport. In no way should it be demeaned. I think it's a lot more important than the absurd WTF tournament, where round robins and counting matches and games won overshadows everything. There may not be points earned, but there are intangible things to be taken from DC. The joy of competing as a team for pride and love of country, that's what it's all about. But for Rafa, there was something more - the moment when he found his game again. I can only hope that he remembers and this will stay with him.
Congratulations, Spain! Vamos, Rafa! Still the King of Clay!
Nativenewyorker , 12/6/09 7:13 AM
Not that it matters, because I dont think it will alter the rankings, but Davis Cup does now earns ATP ranking points:
http://www.daviscup.com/news/newsarticle.asp?articleid=14562
ed251137 , 12/6/09 12:04 PM
Yeah, they do earn points for playing Davis Cup! It only started this year, but we can already witness more top players being interested to take part in "playing for their country"! Patriotism is growing all of the sudden :) Spain players, like those of US and Serbia, however, were always on top, committed to playing for their country and it is worth great appreciation and respect! Great job they did, indeed! I was just watching Rafa play the other match at DC, even though it did not have any value, meaning it was more like an exhibition match...His back injury is still bothering him though. He has to fix it before Jan01!
natashao , 12/6/09 2:17 PM
Hi homos! Gr8 to see your Rafa winning again! Bring on 2010!
deuce , 12/6/09 2:49 PM
lets hope rafa can be back to his best in 2010 and winning grand slams.
i think we all want to see this.
its been painful to watch him lose so much since madrid.
his 2010 year will be determined by his grand slam success.
he needs to do whatever it takes to get back to his australian open form earlier this year.
i think tennis needs rafa playing his best, lets hope for more rafa vs roger matches.
lets hope rafa can add many more slams to his tally.
attackingtennisrulez , 12/6/09 4:07 PM
To be honest, whenever Rafa lost I felt it like a failure of my own. He is that much important to me. And it was more than difficult and sometimes became so stressful to watch him lose to opponents which he used to wipe off the court...it took me a while to accept his defeats. I hope he finds his form for 2010. It will require more practice, more techniques, deep and accurate strokes, improved service, less running but more mixing of volleys and net games, playing closer to the baseline and certainly a high-level confidence. Having this said, it is expected that he must work hard in December! I wish him the best of luck and HEALTHY 2010!
natashao , 12/6/09 4:48 PM
I agree with you natashao, that it is very stressful watching Rafa lose his matches, esp during these few months after he comes back from injuries. I even want to go to the extent of stop watching his matches completely, at least for a while, to relieve myself from stress. I wonder why this boy Rafa can have such power over some or many of his fans! So happy to see that the Rafa of old is back, at least on clay. I hope his back is not giving him much problem (I see from today's match that he feels some discomfort with his back) and hope that he can make use of the brief off season to finally fine tune his game, regain his AO09 hard court form and get ready for the stiff competition in 2010. All the best to you Rafa, may you have many more slams coming your way!
luckystar , 12/6/09 5:20 PM
NNY,
Yes he was ardently cheering on Ferrer which shows great team spirit. He had such a screw-faced intensity as if he were playing the match himself. I can't help but think he wanted Ferrer to win so as to alleviate some of the pressure that would have been on him looking forward to Sunday's match.
ed,
The DC ranking points must explain why he played the dead rubber today. That's quite hilarious and shameful that Nadal is scrapping for ranking points to try to put some space between him and Djoker and co. If he were such a team player, why not allow another teammate get a chance to play in front of the home crowd?
chr18 , 12/6/09 5:31 PM
No chr18, if I'm not wrong, playing dead rubber won't earn you any ranking points. Only points from playing live rubber counts. You have once again misunderstood Rafa. After this Davis Cup final, Rafa won't be gaining any ranking points, as his Davis Cup points add up to only 150 (80 + 70), if I'm not wrong; and it is not enough to replace Rafa's worst '500' events' points of 180 (at Beijing). So I don't think we'll see any points movement for Rafa this coming Monday.
luckystar , 12/6/09 6:12 PM
I'm no expert on the ATP points system so maybe he won't get any points (he shouldn't). Nonetheless it begs the question : why did he play today? I believe Ricky announced Lopez and Ferrero would play today and Cheryl said he definitely would not play in dead rubbers. Why risk the chance for an injury? Does anybody know?
chr18 , 12/6/09 7:07 PM
Dead rubbers do not bring any ATP points and Rafa today played for the audience, to thank the crowd for being there to support them, played for his nation. It was a gesture of gratitude and honor, certainly not the calculation on how to "put some space between him and Nole"! He played his 60% power, it was an easy match for him, but meant a lot to the crowd...
natashao , 12/6/09 7:15 PM
In that case, he hasn't learned how to set his schedule and it's a foregone conclusion that he going to overplay again next season and likely be injured again. Did anybody think he would learn from his mistakes? Congratulation on a short impressive career. Not that I mind :)
chr18 , 12/6/09 7:26 PM
chr18, you always like to jump into conclusion so soon. Let's wait for Rafa's next year's schedule before we make any comment. Anyway, schedule can also be subjected to changes along the way. I think Rafa will play Rotterdam next year and skip Dubai. I'm not sure whether is he playing all the clay masters 1000 series plus Barcelona or drop one of them.
luckystar , 12/6/09 7:45 PM
My bet is that there will be some strategic withdrawals and some last minute decisions to enter amongst the top 10 players - depending their relative positions in the rankings.
ed251137 , 12/6/09 9:12 PM
I've already commented on the other thread. There was no need for either Rafa or David to play this afternoon but they both did not to disappoint 16,0000 fans who had come to watch them play. It was the Czeck supporters I felt sorry for. Not only was the result clinched on Saturday but they had to make do with watching players from the reserve doubles team playing the dead rubber matches.
ed251137 , 12/6/09 9:23 PM
you are right ED,Rafa and David played cause they love their fans.They didn't have to.
It was such a joy to see rafa so happy this week end:)He's had a hard time this year and i hope that he has a better 2010.
I have no doubt that he will work hard to regain his form.All great champions do and he is definitely a great champion.
alik , 12/6/09 11:52 PM
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Well said Ricky! His performance from the end of the 1st set to the first half of the 3rd set was as close as it can get to perfect clay court tennis...juts like the way he had played against Federer in 2008 FO final...This gives me a lot of confidence regarding his clay season propects in 2010. One or 2 more matches like this and he may well be back to playing at his best.
atul1985 , 12/5/09 6:19 AM