Novak has spend only one day in Belgrade, checking what's going on with his first ATP tournament, he was more than happy, cause everything will be ready till 15 april, I'm more than excited, hardly waiting May, surely, I'll be there for all matches, regarding the Davis cup, Spaniards are favorite, but I'm quite positive, Serbs will do their best to be suitable opponents, looking forward watching these matches...

I think it will come down to the doubles.

If Djokovic and Ferrer meet again in Davis Cup,I would consider Djokovic favorite again as his style of play suits clay court very well.Actually,he deals with Rafa on clay better than anyone else I believe!

yep, very interesting comment about Ferrer being the favorite

I can't wait to see the Davis Cup! It one of my favorite parts of tennis. I love the team spirit it brings after all the singles action.

*rubs hands together* Rafa playing on clay? Can't wait! This experience on clay will be sure to fire him up before he heads to Indian Wells. At first I thought that it'd be better for him to sit this Davis Cup out in order to rest. But then, I decided that if he made the choice to play (as it certainly seems so) that it'd be a good way to get back into the competitive mode on a surface he loves, in his back yard, with his buddies. Good luck Team Spain :)

As for David Ferrer being the favorite if he plays Djokovic, I can understand that statement. They've only ever played each other twice on clay, and David won both those times. (7/5-6/4 & 4/6-6/4-6/4)

For sure it won't be an easy match, but I think that the 'psychological edge' that Djokovic has from beating him in Dubai, can work both ways. A little bit of revenge anyone? This Davis Cup clash will be an interesting one.

As for Team USA vs Team Switzerland, now with Roger Dodger resting up, Team USA should definitely win it!

One of the best parts of watching Davis Cup is watching the players interacting with each other, it'll be fun to see Gael Monfils, Jo Tsonga, Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon hanging out! >_<

Spain-Serbia is going to be a fun event to watch! I can't way to see Rafa on his beloved clay again!

Ferrer played terible in his last davis cup match against Nalbandian. And he diden't play any better against Roddick in the semis. I mean 5 sets against Roddick on clay? C'mon Ferrer.

Good point, I forgot about his form in the last Davis Cup with Argentina. But I guess that's the beauty of tennis, there are so many interchangeable factors that can effect a player. I'm not sure what was up with him then, but he did seem to be out-of-sorts and he wasn't focused at all.

However, I think being at home, and having Rafa there on the team competing (both as leader/competitor/moral support), will dispel any sluggish/negative vibes he might have felt last Davis Cup.
There's one thing you can count on David Ferrer to do, and that is "fight a lot."

Ferrer was playing terrible in general at that point. The fact that it was Davis Cup had nothing to do with it. Ferrer was just in dismal form the entire second half of last season.

Ferrer will play singles or robredo? Robredo was very good at golden swing

Orion, I'm pretty sure David Ferrer will be playing singles and Tommy Robredo will team up with Feliciano Lopez for the doubles. No doubt this will be an aggressive match-up, with everyone coming with their best tennis.

As for David's form last year Ricky, he's already doing a good job of turning things around for this season :)

I am sorry, I seem lost: how come noone is mentioning Verdasco, even for doubles? Is he still injured?

Ricky, do you think Tipsarevic or Troicki have some chances with Ferrer? I also think there can be some battle in doubles, but who knows. I agree with Torres that (as usual) doubles should be the key game (psychologically, if nothing else).
Not easy for Novak though, to play 3 days in a row after Dubai, then run to IW and defend title.

there's going to be some super tenis in Spain this weekend. COME ON NOVAK!

make your country proud once again.common Novak, Crush Verdasco & comapny as Rafa is not there .best of luck !!!!!!!!!!!

Haha... Rafa skipped Dubai and Dc so I guess Rafa and Roger is on equal grounds.. I think Serbia gonna win but Verdasco might come out with something .

crush verdasco..as rafa is not there??????? rafa skipped dubai and dc???? rafa is plaing in dc..verdasco is nt in the squad!!!!

Rafa is playing in the DC, unless he pulled out today?! I hope he did not pull out, because I look forward to his encounter with Novak. Whenever they play we get to see some quality tennis (remember Hamburs 08, Queens 08)!!!!!! The best matches in 2008 played on clay, IMO! Both, Nole and Rafa are patriotic and will try their very best to win for their countries (remember the Olympics 2008!!!!!) Rafa is the favorite, because it's clay and it is in Spain and we all know who the King is?! On the other hand, at this stage, Nole is going to want to make a statement after all the losses he had from Nadal last year and after being criticized so much about "not playing/avoiding to play the big three"?????

nadal playing 100% sure!

If Verdasco is not there then its really bad news.He was really brilliant 'i can say better than Rafa in Oz open semi.That was the double fault which cost him at the end.

How can Espain sack him or he is injured ?????????????

Verdasco is injured that is why he pulled out of Dubai and DC.

thanks aralic...............i have become a fan of his after that match.(Oz semifinal)

wasn't that a gr8 one?

What gr8??? I'm sorry don't know what you mean?

"better than rafa" but still lost??? such an ambiguous statement..only way ur statemnt cud b write ws if nando ws injured...he ws fine!! both played incredibly well...rafa ws just a touch better in the end.Double faults are part of tennis...nadal led 5-2 in the 4th set breaker against roger in the wimby final..dble faulted to allow fed bak into the mtch..its easy to say.."if nadal hadnot comited that d.fault..he wud have won in 4"!!!! and nando mentioned the fact that it ws rafa's great returning ability that he ws trying to do alot wid his serves than he wud normally do..!!!

i mean that match was gr8..........u saw the final set.........i was about cry when Nadal hug Verdasco after the match was over.

vamosrafa...i can understand ur feelings.Nadal is anytime better than Verdasco & I rate him over Verdasco at any court but was not that good in that match.Everyone has his own taste & choice & i liked Verdasco in that match so i have only mentioned performance of that.

Finally, Rafa is one of the gr8est player ever & i can say there is little chance for Serbia in DC if he plays.

Yes!!!! I did I saw the AO semifinal! It was better than the final. Verdasco was firing on all cylinders and luck was on Nadal's side in that last 5th set. More to come from Verdasco. He will be a threat for all the big boys this year! Let's hope he returns healthy and ready to pick up his improved game.

Ahhh, the Australian Open Semifinal of 2009...
The thought still sends jitters down my spine.
(Rhyme, by the way, was NOT intentional! :P )

In my opinion, ALL of Rafa's matches during the AO were a keeper, but the semifinal match was something oh so special! Who can ever forget Rafa's "banana shot", or the awasome onslaught of attacks he endured from Verdasco only to recover from his impenetrable defensive position and quickly turn it to offense with a forehand passing shot into the deuce court (insert screams and standing ovation)? The winners by Verdasco were gutsy, he absolutely played out of his skin! The heart, fight, and determination those two men showed was out of this world, it was by far the best match of the men's tournament. Then the double fault.

Oh well, 'tis the way of tennis. Like Vamosrafa said (love your name by the way ^_^ ) , that double fault was a psycological forced error by Rafa. Great match, great ending, great tournament.

--tomnjerry2, I agree!

Anywayz, back to Davis Cup. Rafa is definitely going to be there, and Verdasco isn't there because of an ankle injury. I wonder, he and Rafa have played each other 7 times before..Rafa having won all 7 times. The AO semifinal was BY FAR the most competitive match between them, following that match, you'd have to say their match at Queen's Club (2/6-7/6-7/6...with Verdasco winning three points in each tiebreaker).

I wonder if they should meet again if we'll be in for another blockbuster? They've only played twice on clay (naturally Rafa dominated, 6/1-6/0-6/2 & 6/3-6/2) .
But it'll definitely be something to behold if these two collide before then in Indian Wells or Miami , nothing better than watching two lefties have a go at each other!

Two more days to go before Davis Cup clashes begin :D

Arailic,

"gr8" means "great". "Gr-eight" reads as "great".
Can't wait the DC. Am not sure Novak will play doubles.

absolutely vamosrafa! the mentality that "if a player had done this or that he would have won" means zero in sports. it's win or lose! there are no trophies presented for the "if" category.

Thank you for the explaination. I am not part of the younger generations and don't understand all the abreviations. As far as Nole playing doubles, I believe that is totally irrelevant. By my opinion, Troicki and Zimonjic should play the doubles. Nole and Tipsarevic should take care of the singles. Ultimately, this is a team competition and Nole cannot be the only player winning everything. I know personally I will be more than happy with just "one Nole win"...... However, I am not too sure it will happen since it's played on clay and Nole is not in his "top shape". But we shall see!?

vamosrafa,

"better than rafa" but still lost??? .....its a pity sometimes some low ranked players perform better than the tops but still lost.It was the case in the Rafa & Verdasco match.For-Ex in last year AO Quaretr Roger & Tipsarvec match.Tip ranked 49th & Roger was No.1 at that time.But i liked the game of Tip as he played beyond his ability against the world no.1.Finally Roger won with help of his fiery aces.I thin the final set was 10-8 in favor of Roger.The match was won by Roger but Tip won hearts.

U can say Rafa & Verdasco match was the rematch of Roger & Tip.

& memi.....

.......i know for "if " there is no trophies presented but we can at least give them(who lost coz they could not tackle "if" ) their due recognition & praise for the skill & hard work they put against their opponent being ranked lower to them.
thnx.

tomnjerry2, i'm afraid we'll not on the same page. apparently, we'll talking about two different things. my point is that once a match is over, "if" becomes unimportant, considering no player has ever been able to play the match over again and make corrections. my comments were not meant to minimize any player's determination. it goes without saying, that every athlete deserves recognition when he fights hard. that's to be admired, but that wasn't what i was commenting on at that time.

tomnjerry2...i respect ur views...but leme tel u one thing dude...a great tennis player is not the one who only posseses great skills...thats only one part(the major one tho)....lower ranked players often lose in such close matches to higher ranked players for a reason (not by chance)..e.g roger over tip...rafa over nando...rafa over soderling in wimby 07..rafa over kendrick in wimby 06...fed over berdych in Oz 09...so u see in slams MENTAL FORTITUDE/physical endurance....ability to fend off presure/staying focused for hours especially on big pnts...these are the factors that are sumtimes not fully visible on court but they play a big part....the most visible factor is that of the skills/shotmaking so we are often compelled to say "he ws better than him"..only becoz of one category...actually we discount the previous factors whic actually distinguish top players from lower ranked players!!!! remember roger had 2 mtch pnts against rafa in rome 06 final??? in terms of tennis both were 100% equal..rafa staved of bullets and won in a tie brk..just becoz he ws SLIGHTLY tougher than roger physically and especially mentally!!!!!cant imagine rafa shanking 2 forehands on mtch pnts like roger did especially after hitting countless winners....so if pressure/nerves caused arguably the GOAT to shank forehands..how can u blame lower ranked players???? this is what seperates rafa from many many many others!!!! often he wins less total pnts but still wins the mtch!!! winnign the big/important pnts!! e.g dubai o6 final against roger...rome 06 final...this years OZ final!!!!!

HOPEFULLY..u got the pnt...lol

sorry , i was wrong ! i have got the point now !!! i m a fan of low ranked players(excp-Roger Rafa)!!!!!!!!! therefore i was trying to give them their due !!!!!! but u won & i lost !!!!!! lolz

hahaha...well admitted dude...lol

Vamosrafa, a 'great player' that you mention there is just an opinion. A lot of people can appreciate great shotmakers and talented players like Gasquet who may not have mental strength but has great talent. Lleyton Hewitt proved that you can win Slams without having variety and great racquet skills. So what? Do we then just train young boys to be like 'Rocky'? I accept that you may not appreciate beauty. Maybe you are someone who likes action movies and not romantic ones. Just don't bash other people for not having the same taste.

i ws abt to mention gasquet...this pnt strengthens my pnt even more.Gasquet has talent and xcellent shotmaking ability but still he is not A GREAT PLAYER!!! how can u say that?? can u give any reference ?? gasquet is not considered great !xperts often compiment him by saying he is talented but no one wud say GREAT simply becoz he lacks the othr factors i mentioned....dont make the word 'great' so common ..its reserevd for players like roger/rafa/sampras/...even murray and novak..the list goes on....and who says i bashed sum 1!! no way dude...i ws just making a point..nuthing offensive at all!!! who says hewitt doesnt have racket skills??? in comparsion to roger ur statement is fine but lleyton's game in general as sufficient variety!! not even he is considered at the level of rafa/roger coz he doesnt have the penetration and agression in his strokes!

Again, vamosrafa, it is a matter of opinion. You really don't get my point. All you do is try to put out your own opinion here as a 'fact' . Anybody can call anyone a 'great' player. You just have to be open-minded enough to accept it. In terms of achievement, of course Hewitt is better than Gasquet but in terms of shotmaking, Gasquet is greater. So we can go on and on about who is great or not great but again, you should't think highly of yourself unless you have the credentials to say someone is great or not.

vamosrafa.......

...this is the difference b/w roger fan & rafa fan !!!!!!!!! lolz !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vamosrafa, I COMPLETELY agree with what you had to say on what makes a 'Great' tennis player (although calling Murray and Djokovic 'Great' is very generous, they have yet to reach those heights.)

Torres9, I feel that you are completely missing the boat. You are being too emotional about this and I feel that you are giving a knee-jerk reaction to Vamosrafa's comments. Vamosrafa was are not using the term 'Great' as one would use 'Better than'. The ''Great'' being used here is meant to be construed as "legendary". It's not being used lightly.

Torres9, you say : "a 'great player' that you mention there is just an opinion."

This statement isn't necessarily true.

(I'm assuming this comment is referring to Vamosrafa's choice of using Rafa Nadal as what exemplifies a 'Great' tennis player.)

Sometimes a professional athlete's accomplishments transcends personal opinion or personal bias. For example, Tiger Woods is a GREAT golfer, Michael Jordan was a GREAT basketball player, Mohammed Ali was a GREAT boxer...Lance Armstrong, Michael Johnson, Bo Jackson, Jim Thorpe, etc., the list goes on. (You could use thousands of superlatives to describe them, but we'll stick with 'Great' for the sake of easy reading.)

The fact that these people are Great athletes is just that, a FACT. Arguing about it is like arguing that the Earth is round, or the Sun is hot, or that water is wet. Their records, accomplishments, and performances speak for themselves. To quote the Great Tina Turner: "They're simply the best", and in their cases a resounding "whether you like it or not", is in order.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are the only two currently active players on the ATP tour that can be described as Great. The same as Serena and Venus Williams are the only two players on the WTA tour that can be called Great. Why? Because they are, simple as that, it's a fact.

One does not need a PhD, or an IQ of over 190 to see this.
You are correct in saying that "Anybody can call anyone a 'great' player."
Very much the same way anybody can claim they can beat any of the Greatest at their own game. Alas, that is the beauty of our world, we are all entitled to our ignorance.

---My post continues below---

---Continue---

Speaking of being entitled, here's a great example of what an OPINION is.
Torres9, you said: "I accept that you may not appreciate beauty."

One does not have to read too hard between the lines to know that you are insinuating that Rafa's game isn't beautiful. That's your OPINION. I'm fine with that. I for one think that Rafa's game is very beautiful, in fact, I think it's handsome. The same way as someone prefers a 'movie night in' or 'a night out at a restaurant' as being romantic. Others might prefer 'rock climbing' or 'scuba diving' as a romantic outing. But the idea that there is food in a restaurant or water in the sea is a fact.

However, that doesn't mean we can't appreciate the Talented. And no one is bashing anyone for doing so. But there is a big difference between being Talented and being Great. Let's be realistic.

Personal preference doesn't factor in on these rare occasions of Greatness. One might prefer peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to a gourmet meal, but that doesn't mean that the gourmet meal ceases to be so. Similarly, one might prefer "the other guy" to the Great Tennis Player, but that doesn't mean the Great Tennis Player isn't still Great. It also doesn't mean that the "the other guy" is Greater than the Great Tennis Player just because it's preferred more by the individual. In other words, peanut butter and jelly is still only a sandwich even if it's favored over the gourmet meal.

Greatness comes only once in a while. So one should appreciate it one it does.
The beauty of it all is that the Greats cannot be so without the Talented. For some, Greatness comes easy. For many, Greatness takes more time. For most, Greatness never comes.

That's just how it is.

That is Sport, that is life, and that is why I love it.

One last though before I go, we are always told as youth to strive for the best, to be the best, to be the best that you can be. Normally we look to an example for inspiration. There are a few choices to emulate and Rafa Nadal is definitely one of them. If there is one thing he is, it's a great model for young boys (and girls). I doubt anyone in their right mind would question that.

Thanks for the essay MiniArbre. You are a 'great' writer. But i'll give you an F for failure to add anything new to what vamosrafa was saying. Again you are failing to see that you can be great in so many ways. Nadal is a 'great' defensive tennis player, Roger is a 'great' offensive player, Gasquet has a 'great' backhand. i'll keep using great any way I want. Sue me if you can. Haha

yeah torres..and ur great in being stubborn mate!!! cant u see the difference...being great in one category is NOT comparable to being great in multiple categories!!!! try to understand!!A 'player' or a legenddary player (as summed up by miniarbre is the one who excels in multiple not single categories...use common sense...each eng word can be used for diff purposes...try hard to grasp that the word great here is not wht u are perceiving!!!

omg !!!!!! what's that MiniArbe.............????????? u should start writing ur own blog !!!!!!!! best of luck !!!!!!!!

Apparently, you are great at being stubborn too, vamosrafa. Can't you just accept that 'great' is a matter of opinion. Your opinion do not carry more weight than mine unless you have some kind of tennis pedigree. Gasquet has a great backhand, great slice, great shotmaking so is he not great in so many ways? I don't have to try anything u tell me to do.

MiniAdre, really you should just get a blog in blogger.com and write all you want.

how old r u torres?? cant be older than 9 yrs!!! ur behaviour suggests!!m sorry but i have to say this may seem offensive but i donot intend to be offensive...what do u mean matter of opinion???WHY CANT U UNDERSTAND!! OMG!!!! the debate started when it ws said 'great tennis player'....gasquet is a great 'shotmaker'...arent u mature enough to understand the obvious diffrence b/w a great player and a great shotmaker??!!!!! the former comprises of multiple categories while the latter is made of a single quality!!!!!!!!!!!!! Still if u dont understand then i give up..my english is not good enough to make u understnd!!!

COnsidering Miniadre...i dont find anything odd abt writing such long posts....u r free to write whtever length u want ....its free of charge but not free of accusation from SOME ppl...even if he wrties a blog..it wont b good enough to make u pl understand...forger abt me and miniabre...u ppl wont even admit sumthng even if its written by bud collins!!!

torres....conflict apart....thnx for that linku gave me regarding roger!!!

This is the schedule of play:
Friday
David Ferrer (ESP) v Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Rafael Nadal (ESP) v Janko Tipsarevic (SRB)
Saturday
Feliciano Lopez/Tommy Robredo (ESP) v Novak Djokovic/Nenad Zimonjic
Sunday
Rafael Nadal (ESP) v Novak Djokovic (SRB)
David Ferrer (ESP) v Janko Tipsarevic (SRB)

Novak ?okovi? (SRB)
David Ferrer (ESP)
Schedule of play:
FRIDAY at 11.00 CET!

I am suprised Novak is playing doubles??? I think it is a bit too much for him considering he has to defend a title in IW? Anyway, Spain is the favorite.

Probable Results !!!!!!!!

Novak beat Ferrer

Rafa beat Tipsarevic

Rafa beat Novak

Ferrer beat Tipsarveic

No guesses for doubles ! vamosrafa !!!!!!!!!

I cant believe you guys are talking about how personal opinions should be. If someone wants to think gasquet is great and nadal isnt, you cant really argue that; thats why it is called personal opinion.

Most likely the tie will be settled by Sunday and in that case we will not even get to see Nadal - Nole encounter. Novak - Ferrer is questionable in this case because Ferrer is playing in Madrid on his favorite surface, Tipsy is not in great shape not to mention that he will loose against Nadal, the doubles will also go to the Spaniards. Novak is not much of a doubles player and Lopez and Robredo are great doubles team. Zimonjic cannot do much alone, so it will be 3:0 for the Spaniards. I guess if Nole wins against Ferrer it will be 2:1 for the Spaniards and then we get to see Nadal - Nole!

Perhaps this is what led to the above discussion: at the AO semi-final Verdasco outdid himself. The match was impossibly close. If Verdasco was 'better' in any one way it was that he came closer to his 100% potential on that night and did so for over 5 hours. In any case it was a beautiful match to watch.

Vamosrafa, I understand how a close-minded person like you can never accept a paradigm shift that I present to you. A person obsessed with his own beliefs will think someone else with a different belief is outrageous, childish or whatever. Your attack on my character just show how non-objective you are. Gasquet is a great player to anyone who can appreciate him and just because you can't doesn't mean you are right. Get over yourself.

a case of pot calling the kettle black tosser9 brush up on your tennis knowledge before entering a blog/forum to discuss anything tennis-related please. the more you write the more you reveal your level of ignorance and you are not doing yourself any favours.

remi, i can post anything I want. Keep on attacking on my character. Shows you have no intelligent argument anyway.

yeah, vamosrafa, can't you see what others see? Are you blinded by worship of your hero? In years to come, Richard Gasquet is going to be referred to as a great player, and not Rafael Nadal. No matter how many titles Nadal wins, he can never be great. Only people who really know tennis understand this.

LOL.

intelligent arguement is way beyond your capabilities which is why you notice i don't bother to put forward any to you. i like how you feel it's ok to attack other peoples' character but quick to point out when others do the same to you! very mature!

sampra, i like your sense of humour but you know full well the one for whom that is intended will never get the true message!

samprallica-I dont think torres meant that Gsquet is ahead of Rafa in terms of accomplishments.What he stated was merely his personal opinion.He likes Gasquets game more ,thats it.So I dont know what the fuss is all about.. I thought that was pretty obvious from his posts..I like Murray after Roger which dosent mean I put him ahead of Rafa as far as accomplishments are concerned.

torres is right all the time...he 'gets' attacked by so many ppl for no ggod reason..only he knows abt tennis...his opinions are supreme and peerless....and he doesnt even need anything specia t back up his opinion..he just states that its HIS opinion so its a good enough reason...clap clap for this legend.....He is 'great'...

maybe you should try to understand what I was trying to imply first.I'm not saying torres is right all the time.But he didnt say anything that degraded the accomplishments of any other player.Is it some unwritten rule to put down every Fed fan who comes here and tires to make his/her points just for the heck of it? No where did I find torres's judgements out of the line.No where did he say that Gasquet is better then Rafa.So why all the fuss?

He likes Gasquets game more, I accept. But why can't he accept that Rafa is better than Federer now, and his perception of what beautiful tennis is has nothing to do with it.

"Gasquet is a great player to anyone who can appreciate him". Well, then so is Hewitt and Hewitt has better tennis credentials. But that's not the point. We are talking of general greatness in this sport, and Rafa certainly deserves his place in that discussion; just as much as Federer does.

yup..the the word 'great' is used to desribe legendary sportsmen is diffrent from the ordinary english word great!!! Anyway WHT THE HELL!! strom hits benidorm and the mtches postponed to sat if the stadium is restored on time!!

I never said Rafa is not better now. What I am referring to is his achievement is not better. I get attacked by so many people? Ooh, I am so bruised right now. Plz, call the doctor. Gasquet is a great player and it is my opinion. Rafa is a great athlete. There you have it. I call both of them great. Fair?

And vamosrafa, the nice essays but no argument. Only Sampralicca has good points here.

Nadal's athleticism contributes 90% to his wins, while other guys need to make it up with some other technical tools. Stamina provides him also mental toughness. Take stamina from Nadal and you have an average player. Just an opinion, doesn't mean I'm right.

I agree with you, postmatrac.

Nadal has one of the best(if not the best) forehands in the game, a very solid backhand, great movement, an iron will and many other qualities when you take away his stamina. So no, he wouldnt be average

thats the best way of downgrading rafa's achievements..as orion said..his forehand is great(on clay its the best..on grass second best and also one of the best on hard courts becoz now he can hit all kinds of forehands in all directions rather than that traditional cross-court)...his doble handed backhand is widout doubt on the best in the game rite now,if have any doubts..watch wimby 08 final...he passed roger in every possible manner and hit cross court winners from imposible angles....serve is average but becoming a weapon..its on of the most effective on grass tho,his footwork and movemnt are exmeplary allowing him to create forehands while standing in his bakhand corner.His desire and motivation are peerless and his ability to stay 100% focused on big pnts plus the ability to stay composed make him a true champion and so tough to beat.Again...great players are made up of multiple qualities........ how abt this statement... "roger's forehand and accurate serve contribute to 90% of his wins..otherwise he is an average player".......liked that??? i ud never say sumthing like this just showing u. Physically..ferrer is very fit.juan monaco is very fit...bjorn phau is so good in terms of athleticism ...they can compete at almost the same fitness level as nadal does so they are players of the same caliber rite????

But I liked the way u gave ur opinion POSMATRAC..leaving it wide open for any criticism and the may be try to defend ur opinion....good one.

What people said abt nadal last year

Roger Federer:

Look, I?m not sure if it?s just his forehand. Let?s say it?s more his movement than anything else. His forehand and backhand [it] seems are never going to break down really, especially on clay. I can?t see people talking about his backhand being a weakness. It?s amazing what kind of pace he can get off the backhand and how good his slice has become. People underestimate his game entirely.
(March 2008, Pacific Life Open press conference - Roger answering the question whether Rafa's forehand on clay is the toughest stroke he's ever had to deal with

And we all know what kind of improvements has has made since indian wells...

2 Mats Wilander:
I think that he's probably the cleverest guy on Tour. Of course he relies on his fitness too, but so does everybody else. His fitness starts in his heart more than anything. Of course he's strong, but I'm not sure he's stronger than anybody else, he just wants it more.

3.Nick Bollettieri:
He is like an Air Force Pilot, Army Ranger, and Navy Seal combined. He will beat you in the sky, under water, or on the land!!
Nadal is made of different stuff, last but not least because he was never satisfied with being dominant on clay courts only, his attitude showed that the wanted to learn in every match on every surface. (August 2008)
John McEnroe:
This guy is astounding. If you come to the net, you'd better be ready - and this was just in practice. The speed and spin he gets on the ball is unbelievable. And it's incredible how much backhand power he generates off his back foot. You think the ball's by him, maybe he'll hit a one-handed slice and you can move in, and then he puts you in a defensive position with an outright winner. (July 4, 2008 - JMac's reaction after practicing with Nadal before the Wimbedon SF)

Andy Murray:

I just find it amazing that in every single match he seems to be playing 100 per cent. He never seems all that tired, even though I?m sure he?s feeling it a little bit. He?s in great shape physically and mentally he?s unbelievably strong on the surface. To have a run like he?s had, I don?t really see him stopping soon. He doesn?t look like he?s slowing up that much. (The Independent, Sunday, 4 May 2008)
He's hitting his forehand so well and he moves great and his mental strength is, I think, the best on the tour. So, you know, there's few guys that can sort of get up and play his game style every single day and never get tired of doing it.(Toronto, July 2008)
He's one of the greatest players ever for me, and will for sure go down as -- you know, he's got a great chance of getting over ten Slams. (Cincinnati Masters, July 30, 2008)


The list ws big..these are selected ones... so wht do u have to say now??

NOVAK went down to FERRER in 3!

Is it true ??????????????????

Listen vamosrafa, you really wouldn't want to go to a war of quotes from tennis experts because I could just copy and paste everything in the internet about Fed from famous people and there will be a 10000-words comment here.

You got to be kidding.

vamosrafa,

touche :)

Yup, Tomnjerry2, it's true. Congrats David Ferrer, what a performance! The match was a little under 2 & 1/2 hrs. David was so sweet and polite after the victory. That smile he gave himself was of pure content. As for Rafa vs Tipseravic... *beam*

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Vamosrafa, you say that your English isn't strong enough to defend your position and explain yourself so that they may understand. But after reading the posts of those who are "disagreeing" and choosing to have their own "opinions", I've come to realize that it's not that they don't understand. It's that they are being contrary.

A comment like Postmarac's is so outrageous and blatantly biased and inaccurate that it doesn't even warrant a response. Vamosrafa, you explained yourself so well, you provided quotes made by people who, as torres9 would put it, have "credentials to say someone is great or not", and you were mocked. There isn't anything more you can do.

What is happening here goes past just "disagreeing", there is an innate unwillingness to really think and consider. Trying to justify erroneous statements by calling them "opinions" doesn't mean they are right or free to go uncorrected.

But that is actually the core of the problem with this discussion. We have fact vs opinion. Reality vs. judgment that falls short of positive knowledge. Performance, records, stats, history, and professional views vs. fixed conviction based on feelings, emotion and personal bias, rather than reasoning. This is a complete mismatch.

Their positions, (and it's obvious to see just by reading their comments) ,stem from jealousy, and jealousy is the most impenetrable of blindfolds.

Be done with them! Don't give them anymore reasons to post nonsense, because the one thing you cannot beat an ignoramus in: it's an argument.
As for me, for this particular discussion, it's THE END.

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Tomnjerry2, thank you for your comment. Actually, I enjoyed writing that post very much. Starting my own blog, eh? I just might do that!

*****

To Davis Cup! Whew, has the last couple of days been exciting! (Of course, we've still got the Brayans playing later on :D )

*rubs hands together* Looks like we all get the Rafa / Djokovic match-up! (Feliciano Lopez & Tommy Robredo lost doubles) I cannot WAIT for it tomorrow!

Rooolll on! :D :D

MiniArbre,

if you gave an axe instead of tennis racquet to RN he would qualify for the most successful lumberjack no doubt, again mostly to his stamina rather than his tech skills. Yes, this is the personal opinion that reflects the personal perception of his game appeal rather than jealousy. You are welcome to comment but please vomiting not allowed.

Miniabre, clearly reality is very simple. Nadal: 6 GS, Fed: 13GS. WHo is jealous of who?

Great fast court players can: serve large; stand forward in a more offensive court position; transition to the net with ease; have compact return motions without excessive grip changes.

Rafa has none of these skills in abundance. He essentially plays clay on hardcourts. The ONLY thing that distinguishes Rafa is his level in strength and fitness .As for his ?mental power - when you know you are faster and stronger than all of your opponents, its pretty easy to be mentally tough. Now I wonder where he got that from?

MiniArbre..thnx for ur consolation...i understand what u r trying to say....forgt abt sum of these ppl here..lets enjoy tennis ...nadal nole ...xciting prospect

The ONLY thing that distinguishes Rafa is his level in strength and fitness.

So why dont the 1000+ other ATP players follow your magic formula? It shouldnt be so difficult to be stronger and more fit than nadal, if only people knew what you knew!

Technically and strategically, he plays a one surface style, which through miracle sauce allows him to win on faster courts. Magic formula? It's called Winstrol - & it creates Superman Nadal.

I should have known it was a mistake to respond