Nadal is a machine. There's only one way to beat this guy on clay and that's by going for everything out there and hoping for the best. Winning the French is like a walk in the park for him.

Wow, his serve was broken? THERE'S HOPE!! =D

...not really. Especially if he responds to being broken by stamping his opponent into a jelly-like substance.

-Arvis

I didnt like the way Nadal played today quite frankly.....although he beat his apponent quite handily based on the score but he looked a bit sluggish out there!!

I need him to send the message.......I am the be(a)st!!!.......not with that performance im afraid!

Hoping that today was just a warm up exercise!!!!......or else he'll be in trouble!

Wow sounds like you are a bit concerned with Rafa's form there Mona Lisa, i watched the entire match, you could tell the guy's still adjusting from hard court to clay, its not easy to do, but the guy made it look like a piece of cake.

YES he commited a few errors here and there, but judging by the way how he's hitting the ball, the power, precision and accuracy, theres no doubt HES BACK!!!

No need to hit the panic button, you know Rafa will only get better, btw give some credit to Chela, his groundstorke's absolutely solid as...

I dont wanna start a war wth all the Fed fans here, but what a joke that Seppi guy is, if Chelas drawn with Fed yesterday instead of Rafa, i wouldn't be suprised with a straight sets win for the Argentine. I mean he absolutely crushes balls after balls like machine and matching Rafa pound for pound out there.

AZN2NVY......u r right, I am panicking a bit......but I do take your point that it is not easy to adjust straight away from hard court to clay.....but still i find that the aggression is lacking a bit....but ure right.....he'll be back!!!

Cheer up MonaLisa. He was easing himself into clay court tennis and taking a leaf out of Federer's book by doing just enough to win the important points in the early rounds and conserving his energy for when it will be needed.

i am not worried abt rafa that much right now...he played ok......nadal's mentality is analogous to a warrior's....nd that works wonders on clay.......im sure he will step up when needed......he changes his gears well.....he will surely get better as the match progresses.....im worried abt federer though....i wasnt satisfied wid his level of play...maybe hell get better too......so that these two can clash at the finals....i certainly do know that rafa would love to have roger in the finals...lol

AZN, you are talking rubbish. Admittedly Fed was not playing at his best yesterday, but then neither was Nadal. It was their first match and so they are bound to be a bit rusty. It takes a while for them to find their feet but they both came through. Job done. Seppi is a decent player. No. 40, and he has been higher. He played really well yesterday. He had nothing to lose, but on the big shots, for example, when he had a chance to break in the first set, at 30/30, he choked. Couldn't put the ball away. That is where the experience and patience of Federer oozed out. So whilst I was a bit worried for a few moments, Fed made some great passing shots and showed his mettle. Come on the Fed! Also AZN as for comment on Chela, the guy was busted for taking drugs - methyltestosterone in 2001 at the cincinnati masters, so am not surprised that he was playing well yesterday. Once a player takes drugs, there is always that temptation. So if he was playing well yesterday, and powering those shots at Nadal, well.........if it wasn't anything other than pure talent, again he has nothing to lose and so he could go for broke yesterday which he did. At times Chela played better than Nadal yesterday, but the guy is a drug taker and should have been banned from the sport when he got busted, he was only suspended for 3 months.

Like MonaLisa I too was disappointed not to see Nadal at his best yesterday, I think partly because he doesn't want to put too much pressure on his knees at the start of the tournament as he was trying out playing without the straps.

I have just watched the 2005 MC final between Coria and Nadal (because it is raining in MC at the moment) and I am amazed how devastating Nadal was then. Hope to see him in his elements later today. Lapentti can be difficult, but I am keeping my fingers crossed, I'm sure Nadal can handle it.

carrie.......nadal still is devastating on clay...hez better now compared to 2005(on every surface)....hell find his groove in the next games...im sure