As much as I would like two Spaniards to reach the final I would hate Ferrer to lose another final against Rafa - maybe Ferrer can win this one since Rafa doesn't need to defend these points...

@Shireling, 4/18/11 11:39 AM
---Rafa doesn't need to defend these points---
@Shireling, 4/18/11 11:39 AM
Rafa needs points to finish this year well. Currently, Rafa is the second in the race to be world No.1 by the end of this year.

I will never wish for Rafa to lose any match, more so losing in the final and on clay! So, no Rafa all the way for his sixth Barcelona title. And yes he needs every point available to fight off Nole's challenge. Ferrer can go on and win other tournaments, like Hamburg, Beijing, defends his Valencia title or win other titles.

Rafa: "I'm going to have the biggest chances to have enough points to try to be in the top position at the end of the year ranking."


Precisely. This is Rafa's season, I don't understand why some people have been advocating that he should pull out of this or that clay tournament. The timetable has been the same for a while apart from Madrid converting to clay from h/c and he's always played all of them. It would be foolish for Rafa not to make the most of the tournaments that he does well in, it would be madness for him to sideline himself and watch others gain points on his turf.

As long as he is fit, I don't see why he shouldn't play. Rafa gets better and better the more he plays. The other players would be rubbing their hands with glee if Rafa were to pull out of any clay tournament.

ok, ok, I take my words back.
But at least let Ferrer take a set, huh!

What does Ferrer offer to do in return? :-)

I am convinced that Rafa is doing the right thing by giving himself the best chance to play as many tournaments as possible on clay. He said himself that he's healthy this year, so why shouldn't he play now. This is Rafa time!

I think he will be very happy to once again be back at Barcelona. With the renewed confidence of winning his seventh MC title, I expect him to be feeling just fine!

Well, If Rafa is healthy, he should play Barcelona. Now that he is soon going to be 25, time is running out for him. 21-27 are the best years of a tennis player's life and as we can see, most of this period is already over for Rafa. He has just 3 more years in which to consolidate his legacy. It is important I think for Rafa to defend his No. 1 ranking this year for let it not be said that he was not consistent enough to be year-end No. 1 for two years in succession. His knee or personal problems in 2009 have already cost him heavily in terms of his legacy. Can't imagine why Djokovic did not step up to the plate then and give Federer real competition.
Nadal's era is extremely competitive with Federer, Djokovic and Murray all being equally talented.
Federer was fortunate that for a couple of years he had no one at his level and the only ones who could match him were pre-prime till 2007 or 2008.
The challenge offered by Djokovic should act as a spur for Nadal and Murray and we can look forward to exciting tennis where these three leave others far behind. Not sure about Del Po.

With these four or five tournaments, if I am playing very well, I'm going to have the biggest chances to have enough points to try to be in the top position at the end of the year ranking."

I thought he didn't care about being #1, just being in good form and winning titles. John Kerry anyone?

Did Rafa say that he doesn't care about being no. 1 ? When? Where?

Rafa did not say he doesn't care about #1. He said that he works to win tournaments and the ranking takes care of itself, which is true. And having the #1 means he is winning, so he does care.
John Kerry is a politician. Changing what he says to get votes is his job. Rafa doesn't need votes (except maybe for the sportsmanship award). He needs titles.

Rafa wrote on his Facebook page (around 8.5 hours ago):
"Very happy to be in Barcelona! It is always special for me to play in Spain and last year I couldn't play here. That was painful!"

I certainly don't want him to suffer from another painful withdrawal from the Barca tournament!

<<Tomas Berdych drops out of tournament.

No. 5 seed Tomas Berdych has dropped out of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell due to a gastroenteritis. The Czech will be replaced by Rui Machado of Portugal. World No. 7 Berdych would have faced the winner of Kei Nishikori vs. Pere Riba.>> [Website of the tournament]

I also think there is nothing wrong with Rafa playing Barcelona. He will have one week rest before Madrid while Nole and probably Fed will have to play three in a row. I wish Rafa takes the title in Barcelona and then has nice rest at home before traveling to Madrid. His game will only improve from now on. He sounds much better now that he has won MC, he is more confident, his interviews prove that. I just love MC! It always brings us Rafa's fans joy and happiness when the MC and post MC time comes...VAMOS RAFA!!!

And if Rafa meets Ferrer in the final again I am inclined to say that there will be no chance for Ferrer to take a set of him...

Among the current male players the one who most often has been talking about his desire to keep improving is Rafa.

Reminds me of what people say: good is a destination, but truly successful businessmen do not become and remain successfull by settling for good, but striving always for better. Better is some far away point well beyond good.

If you take Rafa on his word (I do) then one of the reasons he is passionate about tennis is because he has a deep desire to always improve his tennis. Certainly he has demonstrated this year in year out with his actions. I can't think of any other male player who practices so intensely and so intelligently to get the most improvement from his practice. By all accounts I've read. He seems to also practice more hours than most, having huge amounts of energy for it. He mentioned last year that he does not go to the practice court to practice but to learn. And so we have seen huge improvements in his skills over the years... he has become that much better at most aspects of the game than most people, including experts, would have predicted back in, say, 2006. Herein lies a lot of his success. And this is how I understand what he has often said: what matters is to keep on improving and through that keep on winning matches and titles.

Focus on this, and the ranking will take care of itself. Because of this also he has been patient and not frustrated by being number 2 for many years and then again number two in 2009. I believe that this is how he meant that number 1, number 2, number 3 is all good: i.e. not that he does not care about number 1 but his focus is on trying to improve and win and let his ranking be the best it can be at any one time as a result. Rather than focus mentally on the ranking and when it is lower to let it bother him.

I agree that now Rafa's got MC under his belt he'll feel more confident. He's got the weight of expectations on clay on his shoulders - not dropping his serve, not losing a set and so on so he felt inhibited and was playing defensive. In the 3rd set against Murray, he decided to attack and that made all the difference.

Hopefully he'll take Barca and if he takes Madrid as well, then he'll be far more confident in Rome and RG. Needless to say I would be over the moon if he should defend the clay slam and add Barca as a bonus.

Rafa doesn't think he is invincible on clay at all, only onlookers feel that, but he knows that winning all those matches is not as easy as it looks. If he could get his serve to the USO standard, then he'll be hard to beat.

<<Andy Murray withdraws from tournament.

No. 2 seed Andy Murray has dropped out of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. "Under advice from the medical experts I have had to withdraw from the Barcelona tournament due to right elbow injury. I'm going to take 4-5 days rest and begin practicing at the start of next week," told the Scot the tournament organization. >> [Website of the tournament]

now nadal's path is clear coz berdych and murray are out
this tournament is now a cakewalk for him

berdych wudnt have taken a set of Nadal on clay.
Nadal wudnt have played Murray I think (Ferrer wud have gotten the better of him).

So it doesnt affect nadal in any way

indeed

saxenanalin, do you honestly think that Ferrer, and some others, are LESSER threats to Rafa than Berdych?

ferrer is the only difficult match for nadal who is seeded to meet him in the final so nadal can have just one difficult match
and we all know dat nadal plays well in a final and dat also on clay
soderling is cuming bak from injury so he has not much chance
murray can trouble rafa but he is also gone

Murray can't trouble Rafa as Rafa is getting better by the day on clay. Murray with an inflamed elbow cant trouble Rafa, especially on clay. Was Murray practicing too hard that he gets his elbow inflamed?

I think all Rafa needs is more match play and so this Barcelona tournament is just nice for him to carry on his winning momentum, gaining confidence in his game, improve his fitness and gain some points.

Rafans don't count their chickens before they are hatched, we will take it one match at a time.

I think the sooner Rafa stops showing too much respect for Murray's game the better. He should take his game to Murray instead of playing defensive all the time. Why would Berdych have been a threat, he can hardly take a set off Rafa on h/c or grass never mind clay.

I find it hilarious and sad that just taking a set off Rafa on clay or taking him to a tie-break makes some players experts on clay, and despite all that Rafa has done on h/c and grass he is still not being given any credit for his achievements.

I might not be able to watch most of the rest of Barca because I'm away over Easter, so cheer for me all you Rafans.

nadline,

I will cheering for Rafa all the way! Thank goodness I have the tennis channel. I won't be staying up for the matches, but at least they replay them and I can see Rafa.

It's true that we don't count our chickens before they hatch. We take it one match at a time, just like Rafa! I am hoping that Rafa can work on his serve and some other parts of his game and sustain a high level of play. He knows what he has to do and this is a great place to do it.

I don't understand this idea that Murray and Berdych being out means that Rafa has no challenge here. Ferrer is playing his best tennis and will be a real threat in every tournament.

We don't always agree on everything, but I do agree with your thoughts on Rafa having too much respect for Murray's game and not taking it to him by being more aggressive. However, as Rafa gets more confidence I think we may see him play differently should he meet Murray in another clay tournament. I also agree that taking a set off Rafa should not be blown out of proportion.

With all this talk about Nole and Murray, everyone keeps forgetting Ferrer. He is playing outstanding tennis and destroying everyone in his path. This guy gets no respect.

I do respect Ferrer and his game. In fact Ferrer has improved so much in his game. In the past, he hardly moved to the net, preferred to rally all day and running all over the place retrieving balls. Since last year's clay season, I'd noticed that he had added on much aggression to his game, the way he despatched off Tsonga and Murray at Rome was impressive. This year he's even better, just see how good his volleying can be, and he certainly knows how to choose the right moments to approach the net. His game has moved to another level, he's no longer just a retriever. I feel happy for him, with Sod out early in Barcelona, Ferrer has a good chance to move up to no.5 after this clay season.

Nice pix on the semis...you got 3 out of 4. Sd from ATL.