I wouldn't say it was a free pass, he still had to play two sets and Mahut played an all or nothing game which, knowing Rafa's form of late, could have given him the match.

It's true that Mahut seemed to be struggling from the start with an injury and wasn't able to play his game, but I still believe that Rafa's serving was better, his groundstrokes were much more effective and he seemed more comfortable. The abdominal injury really affected Mahut's serve.

I think that Rafa holding his serve in the first game of the second set was very important. I am hoping that this will help him moving forward. He won't want to give someone like Nalby any early breaks of serve. I think Nalby will be an early test for Rafa and may tell us where he is really at right now.

Some free pass!!!!

If anyone got a free pass it was Djokovic into the 2nd round but I didn't see any blog saying so.

Rafa is first on tomorrow on Ashe.



Vamos Rafa!

Rafa always gets free passes, easiest draws. You only have to look at the last 2. No threats until the SFs.

that's his middle names. Free pass.

It's a fix. Rafa fans needs to acknowledge that. Stop making the excuses.

I don't agree that Rafa got a free pass. It is true that Mahut wasn't able to play his best with the injury, but he tried to do what he could. Rafa had to win two sets, so I hardly think that qualifies as a free pass.

I also think that nadline made a good point in noting that nothing was said when Nole got a retirement into the second round. In fact, it happened again today when Berdych retired with his shoulder injury and gave Tipsy the win.

Also, Rafa doesn't need free passes now. He needs match play to keep improving and get into his best form. In his first two matches he has faced players who have not given him rhythm. Yet he still looked much better in the match with Mahut, winning about 82% of his first serves. Rafa's serve is on him, not his opponent. So the improvement was definitely there.

Delpo got a free pass into the final in 2009 because of Rafa's stomach tear, same injury as Mahut, yet I have never seen Delpo's win over Rafa in that match described as a free pass. Rafa played the whole of the USO with that injury but no one ever acknowledges that. Rafa couldn't serve throughout the tournament above 90 mph because of his injury.

I'm waiting to be attacked for always defending Rafa but we can't acknowledge one person's injury then ignore someone else's.

nadline,

You won't get any argument from me! You make an excellent point, however whenever Rafa fans try to point out how badly he was hampered in his serving because of the abdominal tear, we just hear the usual nonsense about excuses, excuses. Yet it seems to be okay for everyone else to make them.

Did Murray get a free pass to the AO final last year because Rafa pulled out injured? When the point is made that Rafa was injured, the comeback is always that Murray was leading anyway. Was Rafa not leading Mahut in their match, why is that a free pass?

Same standards for all is all I ask.

Rafa got a free pass.

When he is injured he retires and says he was injured the reason why he can't play well.

It's a lie, he is always injured, his knees, his fingers, his parents divorce, his thigh, his thumbs, his hands, his wrong racket, his t-shirt being too tight, his shorts being too tight, his trainers being the wrong size, his bad hair cut, it always goes on.

He complains all the time. Like murray.

they are not role models when they complain all time. rafa complains to the umpire when things aren't going right for him, he takes MTOs when his opponent is winning. this isn't the way someone should play. he takes too much time when using the ball, he should get warnings.

He always gets free passes. you only have to look at wimbledon this year. Free passes all the way.

He's always lucky.

nadline. 'we can't acknowledge one person's injury then ignore someone else's'.

Well you can if you are an obsessed, bigoted fan who spends all day attacking others on TT. ;-)

Novak is guaranteed to the semis..no way are his 4th round and qtr final opponents gonna trouble him

Fed is guaranteed to the qtrs..depends on wh he faces in qtrs..Fish or Tsonga..for all you know Tsonga and Fish may tire each other out and that may benefit Fed..THough I still think Fed will beat either Fish or Tsonga as this is best of 5

I so wanna see Fed v/s Djoko semi..power show..and guess what I think Fed will get the better of Djoko is what I think this time again..


Cmon Rafa keep your part of the deal and make it to the semis....I so wanna see a Rafa v/s Murray semi and a Rafa v/s Fed or Djoko final

"Did Murray get a free pass to the AO final last year because Rafa pulled out injured? When the point is made that Rafa was injured, the comeback is always that Murray was leading anyway..."

Yes obsessive fans....
This has nothing to do with Andy Nadline, no doubt your point is that if Nadal was not injured He would have been the one to go to the final because he's always going to beat Andy unless he's injured etc blah blah
I don't remember anyone here saying that M Bear would have def beaten Puss n Boots In the semis (we Murray fans are simply not as arrogant about his chances, as he is too much of a basket case) and he pulled out against Ferrer in the quarters anyway, so it's a pointless argument, and Ferrers no 'free pass' for anybody, show some respect.

"Cmon Rafa keep your part of the deal and make it to the semis....I so wanna see a Rafa v/s Murray semi and a Rafa v/s Fed or Djoko final..."

I doubt you will, I would be surprised if both Muzzy and Rafa get to the semis,
Less surprised by the other 2 although Novie has not been tested at all yet
(does he need to be however?). And a Final between this Rafa against THAT Novie shall be as dull as dishwater anyway for the simple reason there will be (unfortunately for Puss & his fans) only 1 outcome.....
And that is probably best to be avoided.....

I don't remember anyone here saying that M Bear would have def beaten Puss n Boots In the semis

Sosueme , 9/4/11 1:49 PM



Sos, you obviously hae been on TT long enough.

Are you referring to the 10' AO Nadline?
I had this recording for quite some time as it was a great match and it certainly looked to me that Muzzy had the upper hand throughout although Puss was right up there with him, I wouldn't have bet my house on Rafa wining it injury free, let's put it that way.
He incurred the knee injury in the last few points of the 2nd set tie breaker,
Apparently he couldn't 'push off' on his serve and in the 3rd set his game basically collapsed,
But before then he was playing amazingly well,wasn't Mahut injured from the start?
We will have to see how he does in the next 2 rounds but as he has not played any real quality yet but if he does somehow get to the semis don't be too sure
He'll get past M Bear this time, whether he has his number or not....
As you (and probably he) thinks he does...

Sosuene... Agree Novak is the favourite to beat Rafa if they both get to the final that is..but we can always get surprised..You never know when the tide will turn..pressure is firmly on Novaks shoulders now and no one gives Rafa even an outside chance to beat Nole..so that may just do the trick..

To early to talk on that though as Nole has to play 3 more matches and Rafa 4 more and theres no given that both will reach there..

nadline, I don't remember any of Andy fans, and there aren't many of us so I think I would, saying Andy would beat Rafa i semis. Wasn't it Ricky?

@deuce,
Nadline makes me laugh,
She's always so protective of sweet little Puss n Boots to the point of bending reality to suit him
Her reality that is!
Rafa is not 'sweet' anymore than a killer cat musketeer with a rapier is!
Rather he's one of the most fearsome and ferocious competitors..EVER,
And needs nobody to 'mother' him.
As for the AO, well his retirement in the 3rd set was more precautionary
Than anything, as the 'injury' turned out to be little more than a twinge. He reasoned (sensibly) that he was now 2 sets down to M Bear
Why risk your entire season by playing a match you had no further chance in
& when the injury could worsen as a result (it required btw just 2 weeks rest)?
He said as much @ the time, but Nadline will deny it, she'll claim he he was on the verge of losing his limb and he would have won it but for this etc.
Novak reasoned the same way in Cincy OFCOURSE, as there was next to nothing wrong with his shoulder, he was just shattered. To beat M Bear, you need to be playing your best unless you're one of the fortunates that plays him when he just doesn't want to be there, of whom there have been sadly many this year..

I just don't see Rafa making a comeback against Novie I'm afraid Sanju,
This year that is!
And how many players that lose to the same guy 5 times in a row would you believe could turn it around unless there were some radical changes made?
He was playing better in the first half of the year also & Novie still beat him,
And now to make his comeback on a quite fast hard court tournament?
I do not think it would do his confidence much good to lose yet again to Novie,
Best let someone else have that 'pleasure'...
But you're correct anything can still happen (including all 4 out by the semis)
I just don't think it's likely..

deuce, all I'm pointing out is that Rafa did not get a free pass to the 3rd round against Mahut any more than Murray got a free pass into the AO final against Rafa or Ferrer got a free pass into the SF at the AO this year. I just don't see the need for Cheryl's blog saying that Rafa got a free pass when the same conclusion is not drawn from other matches where one of the players retires. Maybe Cheryl could explain the rationale behind this blog i.e why this match qualifies as a free pass and the others don't.

Sosueme, Sienna and Fleur are obsessed with Rafa, that's all I can say.

Sos, do yu think Murray got a free pass to the title in Cinncy against Nole?

"Sosueme,, Sienna and Fleur are obsessed with Rafa, that's all I can say.."

No Nadline darling,
YOU are obsessed with Rafa,
& that's all I can say!
Ha-ha,
As for your next post, please explain as it dent make any sense.....

Cheryl is suggesting that Rafa got a free pass to the 3rd round because Mahut retired injured so does that not mean that Murray got a free pass to the Cinncy title because Nole retired injured? It's just logic.

Maybe if you stop going on about Rafa this that and the other more than any other player you wouldn't appear to enarmoured by him.

corr

Maybe if you stop going on about Rafa this that and the other more than any other player you wouldn't appear SO enarmoured by him.

I don't go on about Rafa at all, thats rubbish, & I'm not enamoured by him, that's yourself your talking about.
Although 'enamoured' is perhaps far too mild a description!
You just don't like it that I  come on here and offer something other than the adulation that meets your expected standard of support (even though ive stated time and again that im a Murray fan) so you perceive me as some kind of obsessive stalker instead out to get him.
Which is simply absurd.
Lumping me in with Sienna and Fleur doesnt change that fact.
But That's your problem not mine.
And I'll talk about him if I want to whether it meets your approval or not.

You guys are so busy taking offense, you're not even thinking about what you're saying. This isn't about an injury or whether or not Rafa's tummy hurt in 2009. Mahut retired. By definition, that is a free pass. It is nothing more nor less than a commentary on the fact that Mahut couldn't finish the match.

Sheesh.

Sos, I don't mind you talking about anyone but you certainly seem obsessed with Nadal. There is hardly a post of yours that doesn't mention him one way or the other, no matter how tenuous. Sienna is absessed with his hair and Fleur is just obsessed as well.

ah nadline, it was cheryl, not one of Andy's poor long suffering fans....we wouldn't dare...
Sosueme, I suspect I rush to Andy's defence at every slight, but then darling Andy needs my protection....;) In fact stu accused me of having a buzzer that goes off in my flat and alerts me whenever Andy is being maligned anywhere on the internet. Well, it's true and it keeps me very busy indeed...

You're not being reasonable Nadline, maybe you have lost the ability to somewhat when it comes to Rafa. Anyway The point I'm making about Novie at Cincy & Puss at the AO against Murray is that probably both could have played on but there would have been a risk of aggravating a slight injury. So when faced with a hopeless task they pulled out!
It's not the most ethical thing to do but it was the most sensible.
Had Novak won the first set you can bet your bottom dollar he would have tried to go on and win the thing or he would never had shown up in the first place.
Same with Rafa.
Stop being so selectively naive.
As for Mahut it's the same thing probably although I couldn't see this match.
Had Mahut been ahead he would most likely have put up with it to try & get the win.
Puss n Boots did not get a 'free pass' for anything, he was already on top of Mahut so he forced the circumstances for the withdrawal, 
but again I'm not certain about the level of injury incurred and when it started.
So maybe he did.
Either way he probably would have been better off with more of a work out 
To aid his campaign.

Puss n Boots did not get a 'free pass' for anything, he was already on top of Mahut so he forced the circumstances for the withdrawal,

Sosueme , 9/4/11 5:11 PM

That's exactly the point I'm making that it was not a free pass. Rafa was dominating the match leading by 2 easy sets and Mahut pulled out when he was about to be broken for the 2nd time in the 3rd set.

All right then Nadline your point on this has surely been made!
As for my 'obsession' with Rafa, he's the number 2 player in the world, of course I talk about him a lot.
I also talk about Novie a lot and frankly he's more of a focus now,
I talk about M Bear by far the most (and unlike yourself i can take a lot of  criticism about him and give it myself) but the other two are his rivals so they are going to get discussed a lot, Lucky is a Rafa fan and she always talks about Andy Roger Nadal.
No, you are mentioning this only because to you I'm not saying enough sycophantic things about Rafa,
How can you compare my posts about Puss to Fleurs?
At worst I'm neutral, but that is not enough for you is it?
My answer is I'm nobodies sycophant for hire here, even Andys and least of all of yours.

Nadline, you're not making sense. Nadal got a free pass because Mahut couldn't finish the match. Whether he NEEDED it or not is a different matter altogether. Your taking offense doesn't change the facts.

Cheryl, all I'm saying is that this is the first time I've heard a retirement being called a free pass.

Shouldn't you now be more focussed on supporting Puss n Boots Nadline dear?
He's playing nalbandian you know....