"I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies, for the hardest victory is over self"- ARISTOTLE

every sane tennis fan knows that rafa.....at his best can win against any1 on clay....its just those demons within....rafael needs to be positive....not let anything come between him and the GOAL.....just CONCENTRATE AND EXECUTE

VAMOS!!!

I know it will be tough...........Rafa will play a 5-setter for the first time at RG......but I KNOW he will come through!

Rafa will not let Sod beat him.....not bcos Sod beat him last year..........but bcos Rafa knows he is BETTER!!!

VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!

I think the same I thought days ago: most likely scenario: Nadal in 4, second most likely: Nadal in 3, a little less likely than the second one: Nadal in 5. And I don't think it will be anything else, i.e. Sod in 5 or 4 sets is very very unlikely in my book. All the while acknowledging that at his brand of tennis Sod is doing extremely well at the moment.

See you all Sunday.

Watching both Rafa and Sod playing their respective matches today, I'm quietly confident that we'll be seeing a 5 times FO champion this coming Sunday. There is no way Sod can out run Rafa, or out volley him at the net. Sod may serve bombs and try to out hit Rafa, but as long as Rafa serves well, held his nerve and held his serve, Rafa has every chance to win the match. It may not go to five sets, may not be four even.

Saved for that third set, Rafa has played very well today, striking the ball so well and getting his passing shots to where ever he wants them. For the first two sets, Rafa really plays master class tennis - moving so well, controlling the rallies, serves well , volleys well - he practically does everything well, reminding me of the Rafa of RG 2008. I hope he continues to play this master class tennis in the final and show the Sod what clay court tennis is all about. The match between Sod/Berdych is effectively a hard court tennis match - big serve, big forehand, three to five shots rallies, that's about all.

One of the reasons Rafa at a younger age has 39 career ATP titles vs 5 for Soderling is that Rafa has the rare qualities to make a champion, including the ability to come through when it really matters, to thrive under pressure and never give up. His winning streaks are nothing short of astonishing, specially on clay. He has won the last 3 tournaments coming into this one and this is an incredible feat, considering how fickle tennis can be. By a few millimeters a winner can turn into an error, a match ball into a momentum changer and a tournament practically won into a tournament lost. Consistency is incredibly difficult to maintain and that makes Rafa that much more amazing. The result Sunday will be up to Rafa to decide. At his best he will win without question, and knowing him the odds are that he will peak at this final. I would certainly love to see him play the match of his career and win 6-2, 6-1, 6-0.
I can dream, can't I?

Technically Rafa won their last meeting although not in an official tournament (Abu Dhabi)

I think Rafa will win this in three competitive sets, looking forward to it!

There is no doubt that Soderling is playing better here than he did last year. And that would be threatening to Nadal, if he weren't playing much better here this year himself. Soderling has had the more difficult draw out of the 2, but when it comes to the final, it hardly matters how you got there, it's that you got there.

Rafa is saying that he's not thinking about avenging his one and only loss at Roland Garros, but I have a feeling that come Sunday that he'll start using want to get revenge to his advantage.

Soderling has been there before which I think will help him for a while. Nadal has been there 4 times. Enough said.

The key to the match in my mind is the mental toughness of both players. Can Nadal put the nerves behind him and win like we know he can? Does Robin believe that he can beat Rafa in a grand slam final? Does Robin believe he can win a Grand Slam?

If he were to win a Grand Slam, it would be here. But I don't think that that is in the cards this year.

Rafa 6-4, 6-7, 6-2, 7-5.

Why did Soderling have to make it to the final?? If it was Berdych, Nadal could have won the whole tournament without facing any tough player (top 10) he could have made the record of winning without losing a set also!! ow it is harder.. My friends are saying that even if Nadal wins, he still wins without facing a Top 5 player! That is so unfair right? So what if it is a cupcake draw? Nadal still had to earn every win!

So what if Nadal has not player a top 20 player till now? Does that mean he is at a disadvantage agaisnt Soderling who has faced three Top 20 players, one of whom is the Great RF and No. 01? Nadal will still beat the No.07 and lift the title! Vamos! It will be as good a win as any other! cupcake draws a re part of life, it is not Nadal's fault that clay favors lesser players and more upsets! If the so called Top players had reached final, we all know Rafa can take any of them any day on clay!

vamos!!!!

Rafa - 6-7, 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 13-11

Sorry for predicting such a tough final for rafa, but the crowd deserves atleas one good match in this years open! Until now the only decent match was Fed Vs Sod and that was screwed up by the officials allowing the play to continue in rain but that meant Sod reached finals and not TMF so no complaints, easier for rafa! this year is just so Rafa's!! All luck also is going his way!

Soderling is simply a beast and very good at at bashing balls through the court. Rafa will need to stay focused and move Soderling as much as possible. If Rafa plays short, Soderling will crush him...Come on Rafa...show us one more time ' who's the boss!'

The boss is clearly Soderling. He should win in 4 like last year, unless he gets up 2 sets and a break, then Nadal's knee will become 'injured' like at AO against Mandy. Doubt if he'll retire in a final so close to Wimbledon though.

The highest ranked player Rafa has beaten on his way to the final is Almagro at 21. That's a ridiculously easy draw. El Sod is going to come as a rude shock i fear.

RAFA in 3 exciting sets!
To those , obviously FEDfans who're DREAMING of a different result... HOW YOU WISH FEDERER didn't lose , BUT he did!...sorry!!!
Battre--- define a ridiculously EASY draw?..... IF you admit that FED is the GOAT, all draws for him will be a cake walk!..... or is it just because it's Rafa we're talking about?!.... I just know of a RIDICULOUSLY EASY FINALS... and that was when Rafa bageled Roger in three RIDICULOUSLY EASY sets!.......... that was ridiculous!

If a player like Berdych who's ROS, groundstrokes and stamina aren't great can push the Sod to five sets, what do you think of Sod's chances against Rafa? Rafa is better than Berdych in also every dept on clay. The only thing that Berdych has that may be better than Rafa may be his serves, though Rafa's come with more varieties. Rafa serves very well today and if he continues to serve and play like today, minus the lapse of concentration in the third set, he'll have a comfortable win on Sunday, maybe in straight sets, with at least a break in each by Rafa. Sod is simply not as good or as threatening as some here may think, only the weather may help him. Both Fed and Rafa have too much game and agility to beat Sod on clay. The important thing is never lost concentration against Sod, or you'll regret it like Fed in that QF!

Ha.Ha, Rafa is supposed to meet world no. 2 at the Semifinals and then the World No. 1 at the finals but where are they, specially the No. 1?

It is not the draw to call ridiculous but it's the DISGRUNTLED fedfans are the obvious ones. They can hardly think rational over a simple matter. Since Monte Carlo they have this slogan against Rafa.

They are extremely elated to see this kind of draw for Rafa:

1st Round - Rafa vs. World No. 8
2nd Round - Rafa vs. World No. 7
3rd Round - Rafa vs. World No. 6
4th Round - Rafa vs. World No. 5
QF - Rafa vs. World No. 4
SF - Rafa vs. World No. 3
Finals - Rafa vs. Wold No. 1

ohh I forgot according to these fedfans, Rafa MUST play 3 qualifying rounds having Isner at 1st, Karlovic at 2nd and then Gulbis at 3rd qualifying round.

Wimbledon coming soon! Rafa will certainly doing rock-N-roll there.

battre,

You and the other Fed fans here need to get a grip! It's not Rafa's fault that Djoker lost after being up two sets! It's not Rafa's fault that Fed didn't get by Soderling! It's not Rafa's fault that Murray lost in the 4th round! Shall I go on or do you get my point?

You can't ask for certain players. You can only play the ones that get through to meet you. That's the way it works. So save your ranting for somewhere else!

Finally, I do not think Almagro was a walk in the park for a quarterfinal opponent. Rafa was supposed to meet Verdasco, but he lost to Almagro, who has probably been playing some of his best clay court tennis, second hottest to Rafa. He showed his mettle in that match. Almagro didn't roll over, as Fed fans like yourself are so fond of saying. He took it to Rafa and fought him to two tough tiebreaks, only finally giving up that last break in the third set.

I know it's too bad that you don't get to pick Rafa's opponents, but that's life. Djoker couldn't get through to meet Rafa in the semis and he was the one who had the easiest draw. That's the way it goes! You don't get spots in certain rounds handed to you on a silver platter. You have to earn it by winning and getting there! Enough said!

I also think that Nadal will win, i hope he doesn't so Fed can break the record.

What do you guys think about Mats Wilander saying that Soderling should be number one in the world and all that other bullshit ( didn't expect Borg saying this same bullshit ) . The guy is 25 and has won 5 tournaments ( no Master, no Grandslam ). Federer and Nadal already proven that they are the best players in the world! I personally think that Soderling can play good at Roland Garros, especially when the weather is rainy, is because he has al the time to hit those hard forehands and backhands. I think he never will be a factor at Wimbeldon, the US open and the Australian open.

Or don't we no nothing about tennis and are Borg and Wilander right.

@battre...not rafael's fault that those top 20 players couldnt even beat bellucci...zabellos...that itself proves that they were superior othan those top 20's....nadal has a very good draw and has beaten every1 comprehensively...but u wont get...y am i even trying..lol

Taxon, pls refer to that thread on Borg's view abt Sod as no.1

He can say all he wants but he can't control what other players can do. In my view, other than Fed n Rafa, both Nole n Murray, even Delpo are better than Sod. Nole n Murray have to find their old form, and Delpo recover from his injury. Sod needed the help of the weather condition to beat Fed on Fed's worst surface, Delpo does not need such help beating Fed on Fed's favorite surface at the USO. You get the gist of it?

If Sod's serve and first point off it are working, he will trouble Rafa. The moment he gets into any kind of rally with Rafa he will lose. But, and sorry to Fed fans, having seen Madrid final, this one is harder to predict than if Roger was there. Agree completely with lucky star above re Borg's statement. Sod's game on song yes, it's thrilling up to a point but I feel it's quite limited, though boy has he improved his volleying and movement to the net, used to be a joke.

soderling has won the last two meetings
so definitely he has an advantage over nadal and also he is not afraid of him as he has beaten him earlier

@raindrops
The draw dat u gave is best for rafa

I think rafa'sdraw was pretty tough. All the best clay courters were in his quarter.

Against Soderling, it will be really difficult. In fact I think that Soderling is a slight favourite

BUT it also depends on how rafa handles his nerves. He will be really nervous on Sunday I guess

So now that Rafa has made it to the final, his detractors come up with this easy draw theory? So Rafa in the past 5-6 years had easy draws all along so that he could win 4 RG titles? There is nothing that Rafa needs to prove on clay; his prowess on clay has already been proven long time ago. The fact that he won 3 clay Masters this year, and beating Fed in the final of Madrid, confirmed that the vintage Rafa is back. Even if we switch his draw this RG with Fed's, Rafa would still make it to the final and beat whoever there. Don't rely on Sod to beat Rafa, Rafa will not allow Sod to beat him again this time they meet. On the other hand, I'm not sure that Fed having Rafa's draw can make it to the final, judging by his tendency towards a lapse of concentration during matches.

Söderling is a ferociuos player. He will dominate from the back of the court with his powerful groundstrokes. Nadal's serve is not good enough. Look at the Federer match, even Fed's serves were just pounded back in the middle of the court near the baseline, giving the world No1 no options. Söderling's serve is also very powerful, leaving Nadal meters behind the baseline. This way, Söderling will dominate both his and Nadal's service games. He will dictate play. Söderling has also shown he is ruthless mentally, he will do anything for the win. He has shown he can come back from behind. He was able to serve out the match against Fed, he has no nerves... There will be a new champ come Sunday. Come on!!

If Sod doesn't serve well, he is TOAST on Sunday.


VAMOS RAFA!

croc - you have to look at the condition during Fed's match. Fed was being dominated after the rain break, when the condition was damp and the ball becoming heavier, allowing Sod's go for broke kind of hitting. Did you see during the match against Berdych, that Sod's balls flying pass the baseline, due to the faster court condition?

Sod can't afford to hit freely on a sunny day, and don't underestimate Rafa, as if Rafa will just stand there and watch in awe when the ball fly past him! Rafa's serve doesn't win on pace, but on placement and its varieties. Rafa is not Berdych, he has better ground strokes than both Berdych and Sod and he'll get to those paint the line shots well in time before they hit the lines, unlike Berdych who couldn't move well on clay and lacks the anticipation skill that Rafa has. Never under estimate the king of clay, when he is well and at 100% and is ready for the challenge. Rafa for the win!!

Fedfans should be thanking their lucky stars that it's not Federer who is facing Nadal tomorrow, because in the form Rafa is in, we would have had a repeat of the 2008 final.


VAMOS RAFA!

sodacan has defeated fed..
so he SHOULD defeat nadal..
that's the thought that runs though half of their minds..

now, about who will be the new champ..
i'll speak in terms of LAW OF AVERAGES!!

1) nadal will lose a set, as simple as that..(its high time he lost one for the sake of law of averages)

2) sodacan will lose the match. (the law of averages had him preform badly pre FO and made him hot during FO.. but now its time for him to go cold again)

3) nadal will become GS champ for 7th time.. (4 slams have gone by since AO 2009 without a GS title for rafa..longest drought since his first slam.. obviously high time law of averages give him a GS title)

4) nadal will be the new numero uno (11 months!! that's the max limit of law of averages!! it kept him away from a title for 11 months.. it will keep him away from his deserved no.1 ranking for 11 months!! not more, not less!!!)

VAMOS RAFA!!!!!!!

Can we apply this Law of Averages for Rafa losing a set to a later tournament, say Queens?

:-]]

Vamos !!!

There is no need to argue with Fedfans, first of all, I don't see why Federer is being brough into this discussion, he is not in the final, his time at RG 2010 is history, he couldn't make it past the Qtr. final, like he hasn't done since OZ. I'm sure they are mighty relieved that Fed won't be suffering another beat-down at the hands of Rafa tomorrow.

VAMOS RAFA!

I'm not sure if the weather will allow too much play on Sunday, if the forcast is anything to go by....but I'm confident that Rafa will win whatever the conditions. Vamos Rafa!

The weather conditions will determine this match. The whole of the eastern half of France is threatened with thunderstorms. It looks unlikely the whole match will be played without a rainbreak - or even several if it goes to 4 or 5 sets. We know Rafa has the ability to remain focussed and take up where he left off after breaks in play, or to regroup and raise his level. Remember Wimbledon 2008!!

We also know Soderling was able to benefit from the rain interruption at 5-5 in 2nd set last Sunday, breaking an already rattled Federer immediately play resumed. And did the same thing at 3-3 in the 4th set after a 3-minute break in play. Undoubtedly the sodden conditions favoured him for that match.

The difference for the final will be that if it does rain it will be heavy downpours which will stop play completely, rather than the continuous on-off rain under which the Q4 was played.

Whether the Steely Swede or the Charging Bull will prevail in these conditions is anybody's guess.

I only know that I'm not putting any money on this one.

ill put MY money on RAFAEL....bring it on

VAMOS!!!!

Did you all read Rafa's presser? He mentioned that he is not going to worry about the weather. He has ways to handle the condition and Sod. Trust him, he is not the king of clay for nothing! He mentioned that he has tactics to deal with Sod but not going to talk about it. As I've mentioned on another thread, it is important not to let you opponent know your true level before the match. Nobody knows how many more levels or gears Rafa can go up to, only he himself knows it; not his opponents, not his fans and definitely not his haters who always underestimate his abilities. We saw from the semifinal match that he had played better yet again, compared to his previous round matches. I'm happy that Rafa is tested with opponents with different styles of play, and each time he emerged the winner and unscathed.

Sodderling should pray for damp,conditions. A heavy damp surface will help Soderling more so he can hurl thunderbolts at Nadal similar to what he did against Federer. The outcome will depend on a number of factors. How competetive this match is depends on Soderling. We know what we are going to get from Nadal,but Soderling is an enigma. If the bad one turns up,nadal will obviously win. But if Soderling plays the way he did agains Federer and Cilic,he can win as he has the talent and the power to blow nadal off the court-even on clay. For that to happen, it is the serve which is going to play the most dominating part. If that clicks for Soderling, then he can well follow up with the kind of aggressive game that he is normally known for. His return will also play a part. Sods return does more damage than nadals-but is more riskier. If he is finding the range off that,he has a shot of the upset. Nadals sill the outright favourite as he is mentally tougher and more consistent than Sod,but only an idiot would totally discount soderling.

William Shakespeare:
"In time we hate that which we often fear".

Describes chr18 and the few fed tards here perfectly!!

tj600 - nobody is totally discounting Soderling. If we are, we won't be discussing so much about the match!! We mentioned that it will be a difficult match, for both Rafa and Sod, and both have to play well. The outcome of the match will be decided by their performances on the court that day, not what we discussed here. Whether we win in an argument or not, it doesn't matter at all as it has no influence over what will happen come Sunday.

So now I know who it was doing the rain dance!!:) If I was Soderling I'd be shaking in my boots!
Rafa any day come rain or shine!...Vamos Rafa!
Hi ed, my thoughts exactly...Vamos my friend.

Go Frannie!

if anyone is interested in it, schiavone is leading by a set..
hope she wins..

Clayking,

Yeah I picked her to win French. She got the look of sentimental and If I am not mistaken, she won only 1 WTA tournament in her entire career and she is already 30 years old.

How I wish she would win this one, I just can't imagine how she will deal with it.

During her Semis against Dementieva, she bent down and kissed the ground right after Demie have raised the white flag.

William Shakespeare:
"In time we hate that which we often fear".

Describes chr18 and the few fed tards here perfectly!!

jean , 6/5/10 2:11 PM




_______________________

Absolutely.

Raindrops, Frannie was asked what she'd do if she won the title as she has had a mouthful of clay everytime she won a match, and she said she would take all the clay back to Italy.

That worried me a bit, because there is a very important match at RG tomorrow, what if they can't find anymore clay. Lol.

rain,
she is just points away from creating the first underdog story of this decade
and one of the best ever in tennis..

update please, is it done?

schiavone played the match of her life.......

Schiavone won - 6.4 7.6 (4)

it has been scripted!!
the greatest underdog story of this decade!!
hats off schiavone..

Knowing they are expecting rain tomorrow, why didn't they schedule both finals for today, I suppose it's because they have already sold tikets for tomorrow.

rain or sun doesn't matter for the outcome, Nadal will still get smoked. you can't compare nadal and berdych,they are totally opposite... with rafa, soderling will have much more time to set up his shots. nadal will have to play a great match not to be owned by Söderling.

yeah..
crocodile got one thing right..
you can't compare nadal and berdych..
nadal is light years ahead of berdych..

no one raned outside the top 10 has EVER WON THE RG TITLE IN WTA TOUR SINCE 1932...historic win!!!

Wow, Schiavone and Sod, 2 underdog champions! Now that's what sports is all about. Beautiful moment for Schiavone today.

clayking,
Are you watching the doubles warm-up? Half the crowd left after the women's final. Doubles really gets no respect. Shame.

I love reading all the wishful thinking of the saddo Fedfans - laughable! You sound just like Mats Wilander who when asked for his forecast of the outcome of the match tomorrow, said he thought Sod was the slight favourite, and then later on said no one really believes that Rafa is going to lose. That sums all of you Fedfans up - hopeless wishful thinkers.

VAMOS RAFA!

Sending out positive vibrations to Rafa and all Rafa fan's and requesting he/they listen to Bunny Wailer's "The Toughest " on youtube....you, Rafa, are the master on clay...go make your day!! Vamos!

chr18,
its sad to see that!!
but what can you say!!
even, me, an ardent doubles fan, gave one set a miss for a show!!
and here i am watching my fav team getting drubbed!!
but congrats to nestor/zimonjic..
they have played well..
just a game away from winning the crown and regaining no.1 position back!!

oh well congrats nestor/zimonjic for the win..
they are truly deserving champions..
now onto the ultimate battle!!
vamos rafa!!!!!!!!!!

So Schiavone won. There is no measure to gauge the satisfaction that she is feeling right now I believe. She got that ONE MOMENT IN TIME. In her case, the value of that 1 GS is incomparable to 24 or more GS because she won it beyond her expectation, a very UNIQUE achievement as far as Schiavone is concerned. She can retire even tomorrow and shout to the world that she is an accomplished tennis player.

***There is no measuring ROD to gauge the satisfaction

I am shocked that anyone would seriously believe that the weather conditions will determine the winner. A player's destiny is always in their hands. What would some have Rafa do if it rains or it's damp - pack his racket and leave? This is patently absurd! Rafa knows how to deal with all kinds of weather and will be prepared for anything.

If someone wants to argue which weather conditions favor a certain player, well, maybe that's true. However, I think in the end it's up to the player to handle the weather conditions. Rafa won the 2008 Wimbledon with all those rain delays. It's not like he hasn't done this ever in his life. He will deal with whatever kind of weather there is tomorrow.

This match will not be determined by the weather. It will be determined by the one who is the better player that day.

NNY,
I totally agree with you. Weather is not an excuse. I hope none of your fellow Rafans use it as an excuse when Nadal loses tomorrow.

This time tomorrow we will be having a different discussion, and I hope it will be a positive outcome for Rafa. Rain or shine will have no effect on the outcome, Rafa says he prefers the sun, but so do we all.

If Rafa can beat Federer in such inclement weather in which they played in 2008, with his below par game, what does that say about Federer? I remember Federer blaming the weather and the light on that occasion.



VAMOS RAFA!

clayking,
Commiserations on your homeboy losing (should have never parted with Bhupathi if you ask me) but Danny and Nenad did play well. Onto Sodal final..........

Nadal had a tough time considering the players he faced on his side of the draw.Soderling in three.

Nadal has never in his entire life winged a final. This time it's his fifth RG title match against someone who means nothing for tennis. Do you really think he's going to let this match slip away? Honestly? Nadal is going to play every single point like it's his opponent's match point. He's going to be so motivated so concentrated that not even TWO Soderlings playing at once won't be able to take a set from him. So, my guess Nadal in 3 simple sets... 6-0, 6-4, 6-3.

eduardvalalex-
I agree with you! But my brain thinks the score may be a little bit more competitive, yet my instincts are screaming at me telling me that Soderling is not going to know what hit him come the final. Why does one part of me think that he may be schooled by Rafa? When all logic says, hell no it will be much tighter than that.

nadal will be pooping himself having to face nadal's worst nightmare, his boogeyman.....soderling.

nadal fears soderling.

nadal fans already making excuses for nadal losses, whats it this time?
knees? divorce? weather?

soderling doesnt respect nadal's ugly moonballing game, nadal has to rely on mistakes from the opponent to win matches. what a pathetic way to play a sport.
soderling will have the crowd support because they support beautiful tennis, not moonballing.

soderling humiliated nadal last year and made nadal cry.

NADAL FEARS SODERLING!!!

ATR,
Nadal is mind-freaked by Sod. He will relive the nightmare for sure. Of course the French crowd will cheer Sod and jeer Nadal again. The excuse this time will be weather I'd bet.

chr18,

Do me a favor - don't be on my side!

@chr18

yea i agree, the weather excuse is being prepared nicely by the nadaltards.
remember after last year loss to soderking, all nadal fans were saying that if they meet next time nadal would win.
muahahahahahahahahah what a joke.

they were so confident then, now they are all running scared at the sight of soderling.
not so confident now are they.......

To everyone who mistook my objective assessment of Rafa's draw as being a Fed fan, i am not. I have said on another thread that i acknowledge it is not Rafa's fault his draw is easy, but the fact remains it was a ridiculously easy draw the way it turned out.

Too many Nadal/Fed fans have the blind adoration of a teenage girl. I am a Nadal fan but i can admit when he is playing crap or when a player has a legitimate chance of beating him (i.e. El Sod in the final). Any fan looking objectively at Nadal's play during this tournament has to say there are many bad signs; nervous starts, high unforced error count and shaky play on some big points (eg. that double fault against Melzer). He has gotten away with it so far, but El Sod is not Melzer or Almagro. He will make him pay for any such lapse.

I hope i am wrong, of course, but i have a bad feeling El Sod will do the business easily.

By the way, to nativenewyorker, no Almagro did not roll over. He was immensely impressive and i have become a fan of him this season after seeing his match against Tsonga at the AO (best of the tournament). I hope he continues to improve.

Also, just to clarify, my favourite players:

Nadal, because he was the first guy to stand up to Fed (again and again)
Nalbandian, because he doesn't fear Fed
Gonzalez, because when he is on he is easily the most entertaining player on tour

Honourable mention: Del potro, for USO '09 final

Attacking shmacking, defending, schmending...
Rafa plays neither.
He plays "Rafa-tennis ©" He can turn defense into attack instantly, getting the winner, or he wears the opponent down with the iron will and stamina of a marathon runner, until he has no option but to make the error. He rules the court from the back to the net. Clay rejoices when it gets to become his personal surfboard. Fuzzy balls become dizzy from the topspin and nets hope they can help a little as he becomes one with the terracotta dust universe, and the balance of all things is finally restored.
Rafa-tennis ©... experience it!

@grafight

Rafa-tennis ©.....lol

battre,

Please do not refer to me as someone who is a teenager. It has been more years than I would like to think since I have been one. Also, I do not have the mindset and thought process of a teenager. I have been watching tennis for more years than you may have been alive, so please do not pretend to lecture me about Rafa and presume that I only see what I want to see. I just don't have your defeatist attitude. You may presume to call it realism, but if Rafa felt that way, then he might as well pack his bags and go home! I believe in Rafa, have confidence in his ability to take on Sod and win. If you don't, that's your problem. Don't make it mine.

As far as Rafa's draw, he was supposed to meet Verdasco in the quarterfinals. However, Almagro is the one who got through, and he was by far the tougher player because he was in better form that Verdasco. The ranking doesn't always tell the story. Murray is ranked 4th, Roddick is 7th or 8th. Would you have preferred Rafa to meet either one of them? It's who you meet and how they are playing that counts. Bellucci is a great clay court player in the making. Many thought he could at least take a set off Rafa. He showed some great tennis and got four breaks off Rafa. Then Almagro, the biggest test of all. As far as the semis, Rafa was scheduled to meet Djoker. Guess what!! Djoker did one of his usual mental meltdowns and lost his match after being up two sets! What is Rafa supposed to do - refuse to play Melzer and insist on playing Djoker? So don't blame Rafa for those who didn't do their job and get through.

I can take each of your points and blow them apart.

First, shaky starts - so what? Did it happen in every match? No! Did Rafa get stronger and stronger and take control of the match and play better tennis? Yes!

Second, high unforced error count - in case you hadn't noticed, Rafa is playing a much more aggressive game now. That means he's going for his shots, going for more winners, which may result in more unforced errors. Since you like Sod's chances, have you kept up with his UE's? Check them out! I know in his match with Fed, he had 28 winners to 28 unforced errors, while Fed had 27 winners to 10 unforced errors. Fed lost! So much for that stat! Sod again had a high number of winners and an equally high number of unforced errors in his match with Berdych. I like what Rafa is going. If he plays too conservatively, especially against someone like Sod, that will not get the job done.

Last, shaky moment in that third set against Almagro - are you kidding me with this? You are using that as your basis that he can't beat Sod? Sod was down two sets to one to Berdych. Should we call that a shaky set? Ridiculous! You are making inferences by cherry picking certain things about Rafa's game. I can come back with so many good things that you somehow missed. What about Rafa's excellent serving? What about his blazing forehand firing winners from all over the court? What about that wicked cross court backhand starting to do some damage? What about his aggressive play at net, even some serving and volleying to keep his opponents off balance? What about the sheer depth and power of his groundstrokes overall? For heaven's sake, what have you been watching?

With you as a supposed Rafa fan, he doesn't need enemies! Spare my your insults about blind adoration. I know exactly what is going on with Rafa's game. No one is going into this final with just strengths and no weaknesses.

If Rafa thought like you, he would pack his bags and go home!

What is this patronising attitude that Nadal fans have to somehow protect him with their positive thinking? Is his talent so fragile?

What are you talking about cherry-picking? We are all trying to base our predicitons on an analysis of what we have seen in the matches already played. Yes, i am cherry-picking the bad because these are exactly the features of Nadal's game that Soderling will be in a better position to exploit.

How can you compare Sod's UE's to Nadal's? You know that doesn't hold up, they are completely different players. Sod is an attacking player, that means lots of winners and lots of UE's. Nadal has always been a defensive counterpuncher with a relatively low winner count and low UE's.

The double fault i referred to was in the third set of the Melzer match, not the Almagro match.

Your posts are always articulate and well thought out, so i am sorry if you took the teenage girl remark to be aimed at you, it wasn't.

battre,

I don't think we need to beat this to death, however, I did mean to reference the Almagro match when Rafa double-faulted. I don't think he is going to do it again. He knows that Sod will take full advantage. He will be ready.

My point is that Rafa has become more of an aggressive, attacking player at times. He may not play the same game as Sod, but I still believe that the higher UE's are a consequence of him going for his shots more. I am not totally satisfied with the UE's, however, I do see the reason for it. It's not just Rafa playing lousy tennis. He is going for more, not being content to just sit back and try to win from the baseline, outhit players from there. He can't play like that against Sod.

Rafa's game has evolved from a defensive counterpuncher to a mix of both aggressive play at times and great defense.

I did take that remark to be aimed at me. Believe me, I am not one who has any illusions about what is going on with Rafa. I have seen what you have seen, the good and the bad. All I am saying is that it also true of Sod. It's not like he has played perfect tennis as we saw against Berdych.

I guess my thinking is that Rafa will have worked out some of the kinks in his game, the things you pointed out, and hopefully will come out strong, confident and focused. He cannot afford a letdown against Sod.

Thank you for clarifying that remark. I do agree that it can help to have a realistic view of things. I am not taking a win for Rafa for granted at all. I expect a really tough battle. We will have to wait and see what happens.

Rafael Nadal has said to the media that he has indeed a plan against Soderling and when asked to reveal it, he refused to disclose the information.
So lets just say shall we, that Rafael Nadal has spent more time playing tactics then he has computer games.

If Nadal can beat the Almagro he played in the quarterfinal in shite weather, whom plays very similar to Soderling, but is a better mover on court, than Rafa cant beat Soderling, easier. Thats my assessment.
Last years blip on the radar win by Soderling over severely wounded Rafa, was just that, an exception!
Any other player in Nadal's condition would not have even taken the court.

^ Yes, i expect and hope that Uncle Toni has done his homework on El Sod.

@NNY: i got defensive because i don't like being called a Fed fan :P

I just hope the match is a battle royale no matter who wins. Fortunately Rafa's playing style makes this likely as his 'containment' strategy tends to let the other guy play his game to the full. It's just that the other guy's game is usually not good enough. I think this is why Nadal has been involved in more classic encounters than any other top ten player.

It has been an underwhelming tournament, frankly. I hope the final bucks the trend.

battre,

In the spirit of camaraderie, I apologize for calling you a Fed fan.

I also agree that the tournament has been a bit underwhelming. I am hoping for a high quality match, a competitive match.

If Rafa doesn't know it himself, I expect Uncle Toni to make sure that he is well prepared for Sod. He will definitely have to bring his "A" game and there will be very little room for error. Sod is one tough customer. He goes all out and seems to have no fear. This will be a battle!

I really hope that Rafa can take this, playing his clay court game. After watching the women's final, I'm so happy that the clay court game has triumph over those power hitting hard court style game of the big hitters (eg those of the Williams sisters, sorry to those who are their fans). Both women played very good clay court game in the final, esp Schiavone's, her all court game was simply beautiful!

I hope Rafa can win and show the Sod what clay court game is all about. It is not about hitting as hard as possible and trying to blow your opponent off the court. The Sod can go and win on hard courts, as I do recognize his talent and skills, but please bring your hard hitting game to somewhere else and don't spoil the clay court game! Vamos Rafa!!

As SGHIceman pointed out earlier, Rafa won their last match at the exhibition in Abu Dhabi on a hard court.
Vamos Rafa! Looking forward to seeing you play your best.:)

It could as well be that Rafa goes for Fire with Fire game to give a kick start. If that failed, he may revert to prolonged rallies as Plan B moving Sod corner to corner. Sod will have only one plan, blast Rafa off the court. They say the weather conditions will determine the efficacy of shot play. How is the weather at Paris, any idea.

eskay: . Current forecast is rain on and off for the afternoon but getting heavier in the evening - much like last Sunday. Mostly likely they will play on unless it is a downpour in order to try to finish the match.

isabeau,

i dont think you can call rafa's loss to soderling last year "an exception", (why make excuses?). Soderling played better on the day, and showed a fierce competitive spirit. Who knows what will happen today? Remember, he also lost to soderling at the ATP world tour finals. Further losses also as well to djokovic and davydenko.

Rafa had many losses last year, not only to these guys but to federer and delpo - so just accept the losses and the loss to soderling at the FO, and move on from it.

i just hope for a great match, i know that rafa is the favourite, but i hope it goes to a five setter and is a "gripper", so at least we can get our money's worth.

somehow, i wonder whether it is all going to be anti-climatic.

I'm sure the weather will have an effect of Sod's serve as well.

**Spoiler Alert**

Rafael Nadal wins sweeps his 'revenge' match against Giant-Slayer Marquis de Sod en route to winning his 5th Rolland Garros title, putting him one bihind the all time record - BBC headline

Match Score:

Nadal 6 6 7

Soderling 4 2 5

Maxi- it's not an excuse. Rafas injuries were fact. He may have still have lost but it doesn't take away from the fact that Rafa was crippled.
An excuse would be blaming the weather, that's an excuse because it effects players equally.
It's like expecting a football team to beat a full strength soccer team when they only have half the men on the park.

Looks bright and sunny ATM

F is the G ... are you psychic???

Maxi, are we going to be treated to a session of your rants today if Nadal wins?

And, why is it that you persist in demeaning Rafa's injury during the FO last year, is it because you dislike him so much? It's common knowledge to all on this forum that you hate the guy, even though you disguise your emotions with your jargon of paying respect to him as a champion. However, on the coontrary, you seize every opportunity that comes along to make him and his fans appear to be talking half-truths, when it's really you who's engaging in the distortion of facts.

The fact of the matter iMaxi, is you don't want to accept the truth, because by so doing, you get to continue with your rants, which you relish tremendously, while simultaneously gaining the much needed attention you so desperately crave.

I'll tell you what you told me a few days ago, when you stuck your nose into my discussion with another poster, (to which I didn't answer) when you lambasted me, vis-a-vis, "Von, you are a bore, and a mentally challenged person who needs to grow up because others disagree with you." I think you were talking about yourself but you weren't deserving of a reply, and I bet that angered you when I didn't reply.

It's ludicrous that you dislike Nada and *this site* so intensely, yet you persist on showing up on every thread to discuss him, while pulling out volumes of memos and pressers out olf your fikling cabinet to support your meritless arguments.. But wait, yours is not a discussion, it's more of a guise pretending to have a discussion so that you can unleash the venom that's eating away at you. Be careful with that venom which is tantamount to hate, as it's a very corrosive emotion that's clearly eating away at you, and ithe basis for your thorough unhappiness at the moment.

Whether you accept it or not, it's a FACT that Nadal was injured. You make up all sorts of excuses for your fave, and the faves of your little gang of back-scratching friends, whose moltto is: "you talk nicely, albeit likes, about my fave, and I'll reciprocate by saying the good things yhou want tol hear about your fave", but you persist in tearing down Nadal due to your pathetic dislike of him.

Isn't it you who keep preaching that posters should not degrade the players, or, is that just lip service to make you appear righteous when you're high up on your soap-box. You're just trying to make Nadal's fans appear as though they are making up excuses. And, you become nasty when you can't have your own way, by jumping down their throats for speaking the truth. And, Maxi, whether you believe it or not, the truth is, Nadal was not at his best at the FO last year.

Now you can curse at me and hurl your usual childish insults which is your low class MO whenever anyone disputes whatever you say or call you out for your unfair tactics and speeches.

Let's see if you're going to tell me you didn't read my post and only saw a word out of the corner of your eye, like you did during the past week. And, pray tell me how are you able to read one word out of the corner of your eye, are you cross-eyed, or your crossed-eyes have magnetic vision for my post name and the contents of myh post?

I suppose if Rafa wins today, his fans will be molested in the worse way forGod only knows , maybe weeks ,months, or even years? Or, maybe or till hell freezes over? Anyhway, you had better be prepared with your arguments and torment MO, because I think you're goling to need some strong defenses. So enjoy the ride!!

Yahool, Mazel Tov tand congrats to Rafa Nadal. He's the undisputed 2010 French Open champ;ion.

And, to his faithful fans tolo many to enumerate, enjoy your fave's win today and don't let anyh negativity get you dolwn. it's been a tough, but in the end a very magnificent year. I'm happy for all of you. Put oln your armour, the poison arrows wil now begin to fly, b ut who cares. LOL..

maxi,

TAKE THAT! Now we have our answer and you and the other rabid, sick, demented Fed fans have nothing more to say about it! A healthy and strong Rafa beat Sod in STRAIGHT SETS!!! Revenge is sweet on this day!

For the first time, I am going to break my rule and now I will gloat all I want! I have had it up to here with Fed fans like maxi throwing their baseless cheap shots at Rafa. A whole year I have had to listen to this wretched garbage! Hate-filled propaganda! Now we have our answer and there is nothing more to be said about it ever again!

I honestly wish you would crawl back into whatever cave or go back under whatever rock you have come out of, and leave the rest of us humans here to celebrate what is a glorious win! You have been exposed! Yes, I wrote my epic "war and peace" argument to answer your despicable lies about Rafa. Today we have all seen the truth. No one can ever take this away from Rafa. Also, Rafa is now the #1 player in the world! How does it feel? I ask again, how does it feel? What venomous poison will you come up with now to try to demean Rafa? I am ready and will come at you with everything I've got! Now I have the truth and facts on my side! That one question has been decisively answered with Rafa's unbelievable play today! It could not have happened to a more deserving young man.

Von,

Thank you so much for saying what needed to be said! I think you spoke for many here who are sick to death of seeing this one particular demented Fed fan spamming this site with inflammatory insults, lies and filth. So many of us have felt the wrath of this disturbed individual.

I cried right along with Rafa today. It was so beautiful to see him get redemption. When I think of how many times Fed fans wrote him off, said he was finished, knees were gone, never win another grand slam and on and on, well now I can get in their faces and say - I told you so! I knew Rafa would come back. I said it here many times.

Where is that troll chr18? I want to see this creep show his face after taunting Rafa fans with his hatespeak and predictions of a Sod victory!

I am happy and should try to be generous. Nothing can bring me down from the clouds of happiness and exhilaration. However, there are scores to be settled and those people I called out when they wrote those premature epitaphs about Rafa, will have a tough time living it down.

This is a great day! :)

@all rafa fans !! congrats we did it and our man has proved his class again :D :D

CHR 18 - Congratulations!!! All your predictions, wishful thinkings and prayers were ALL 1001 % WRONG!!!.......... Who's the LOSER now?......... How does it feel to be UNRELIABLE?......... You can wear your CLOWN costume now, so you can justify WHAT you really are!

maxi/malty knew what's good for her and disappeared altogether. Lessons learned: you cannot put a good man down, least of all THE KING OF CLAY! Who has the better clay season now?

I TOLD YOU..... Rafa will let them all eat CLAY!
It's nice to see Soderling and Rafa side by side with smile! Great to see the French crowd silenced by Rafa's impressive display of tennis! VAMOS RAFA!

Who has the better clay season now? phoenix , 6/7/10 8:28 AM

My good friend phoenix, the clay season is to be determined at Wimbledon according to the fedfarts.

*the clay season result

perhaps it is to be determined at Flushing Meadows?

Raindrops, McQ et al -

First, I'm so thrilled for Rafa. This has to be the best clay season of all time in the open era.
I don't mean to sound preachy, and I know what it feels like to be heckled by haters. At the same time, they've been silenced, and I *really* don't see how it helps to taunt them back.
It's been my experience that when people feel attacked is when they feel the need to retaliate.
Rafa has won his season, and the haters are silent.
So, at the risk of starting the madness up again, maybe we just leave it alone now?
And enjoy the victories, before the start of grass season?

The clay court seaosn will be decided at RG 2011..lol

haha atul1985, you stretched it further for another 11 months? I thought until Wimbledon 2010 only (must put the year for they might stretch it again till 2011)
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