'During his absence, Roger Federer won both Paris and Wimbledon and returned to the top ATP ranking which Nadal gained from him last August.'

This is the most important sentence. Only during Rafa's absence was Federer able to return to No 1. I hope Rafa gets to Montreal with all guns blazing, and show them who is boss, especially the fake No 1 at the moment.

He was sorely missed by tennis fans all over the world. Some people even stopped watching tennis whilst Rafa was injured, because it was the same old, same old .................Federer boring the pants off everyone, except for his narcissistic fans, who love listening to their own voice telling them he is the GOAT.

Let's take heed of what the experts say:

We have to wait and see how Federer?s career continues in the future. Right now I would venture to say that we have two potential future GOAT candidates, Federer and Nadal, because of Nadal?s youth and established record. Their rivalry, along with Murray, Djokovic and the resurgent Roddick should be something to treasure in the future.

carrie, well done, Rafa was really missed by all tennis fans including myself, for a quite time, I'm just visiting Tennistalk, not writing anything, cause I've had enough from some people over here, never mind, what's most important, I'm all the time with my boy (Novak Djokovic), and besides him, certainly for Rafael Nadal, who's is the real Tennis King forever, hardly waiting to see him as soon as possible, regards for all Rafa fans...

^^Oh,Please post again Gordana,you just have to overlook some people.

Well, i am done "shedding Tears For Rafa". Now just smiles all around ..happy that he will soon be returning.
I know that it will take him some time to get his rhythm back but hopefully he will come back more wiser and really to rock and roll!

^^^on a side note i would like to thank all the moderators of this site for leaving the thread up titled"shedding tears of Rafa"
that thread was a place for all Rafa fans to come and grieve and support each other during a hard time .Now i see that it is gone and we are on our way to recovery(lol)

During his absence, Roger Federer won both Paris and Wimbledon and returned to the top ATP ranking which Nadal gained from him last August

this sentence will be taken as joke of the century ........Was Rafa absent in Paris ...... *shocked* *faints*

Rafa was also present in Madrid....... Rafa was also present in 12 (correct if m wrong)S which Roger has won .......that's just yuckkkkkkyyyyyyyyy........

N e wayzzzz.......I wish him quick recovery ..... n I hope he comes back with good form .......


Hi Gordana....... nice to see u back !!!!!
hE iS bAcKy hOmE....... wOrLd nO.1 (m lovin it).......

Go Roger Go............

gordona, nice to see u back You must come and support us against the onslaught of Fedfans, at a time when we were at a low ebb. I am rooting for Nole and Rafa to head us into next year, they are the ones with the exciting tennis. Of course, Rafa is my man, but I also support Nole except if he is playing Rafa.

tnj. obviously, everyone knows that it was due to being unfit and personal problems that prevented Rafa from getting to the final at RG to beat the Fed.

Cheers to Carrie! I was at the front row at the Australian Open final and let me ask this: What kind of a champion who bursted into tears after losing, who abused his racket, who could only be cool when he was winning? It was the true champion who
put his arm around Federer's shoulder to console him. Rafael Nadal is the most exciting player to watch, with his total commitment, intensity, talent and, yes, humility.

Carrie........ u posted another joke of the century ........that he would have had beaten Fed in the finale ....... as if u r aware of wtz gonna happen in future .......... LMAO .........

And abt Rafa being absent at Paris ..... fact is ..... he was crushed by no.24 Soderling in round of 16 on his fav court .......... rite .......

and then the guy who had beaten Rafa was beaten 6 setz on a row by Fed at FO an Wimby....... so how can u say Nadal would have had escaped from dominant Fed ...........

And abt Rafa....... the man who had won his previous 4 ttiles on same court could not even reached semis......... shame..... look at Fed ...... has reached al semis n almost all finales...... after winning his first major ............Mighty Fed ....... dominat Fed..........

Still I wish him quick recovery...... as I know he is a very very good player ......rite !!!!

n don't hate him..... or abuse him..... like u ppl...... the difference is here ......... b/w a Fed fan a Rafa fan on TT !!!!

hE iS bAcKy hOmE....... wOrLd nO.1 (m lovin it).......

Go Roger Go............

Thank you guys, I'm really touched, I appreciate, you're great, regards...

U r welcome gordana n e time n n e day ......we will be happy to see u here more often !!! !!!! at least me !!!!

hE iS bAcKy hOmE....... wOrLd nO.1 (m lovin it).......

Go Roger Go............

chalis, Federer alao broke his racquet and refused to shake the umpire's hand when Djokovic beat him in Miami. He is such a bad loser.

Exactly carrie..... this is the difference i was talking abt b/w a Fed fan n a Rafa fan ...... ............u proved with ur post !!!!! LMAO !!!!!!

hE iS bAcKy hOmE....... wOrLd nO.1 (m lovin it).......

Go Roger Go............

WOW Rafa fans
what a anger wow...............
he is shinning the fifteen trophies with the net against the wayy the one that Nadal hoped for and never got ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,maybe they new he is not man enough to defend the tiltle the very next year!
what a change of tone after the AO this year
hey carrie dont be so upset i still have some of the celebration wine after the wimbledon victroy you difintley need a drink to get over your man loss,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,but i think you need a stronger drink, try Vodka
and gornada come one what is up? you used to make excuses for the Djoker now Nadal too i think you need vitamines to get the energy needed!

Rafans, you can see Rafa's Montreal strip on his website. He is going to be in turquoise with blach check shorts..........he's bringing the style and colour back into tennis.

Thanks for the posts, Carrie.

Here's hoping his recovery goes to plan.

@ Carrie: "everyone knows that it was due to being unfit and personal problems that prevented Rafa from getting to the final at RG to beat the Fed."

That sentence makes me think that you didn't actually watch any of the French Open. Why don't you take a look at highlights from Nadal's round three match against a reasonably in-form Lleyton Hewitt, and then watch his post match press conference where he talks about how good he felt during the match. This was just before he lost to Soderling.

Making lame excuses and inventing injuries for your hero is making him out to be a liar. You should be careful of that. Either he felt good (as he says) or he was lying (for no reason) and was actually playing injured. Which is it?

Summer hardcourts! Enjoy the tennis!

-Arvis

thanx cripes he's gonna be back, cuz i'm f'ing fed up with fedclown. rafa is out for months & the atp goes to blazes!!!

Obviously, you don't expect players to relay to other players that they have a handicap. After all Federer never let on about his mono or bad back until he started losing. It's nothing to do with telling lies. Everyone knows that Rafa had dodgy knees since Rotterdam.

By the way, 'liar' is such a strong word to use, I will never say that about anyone, least of all someone as dignified as Rafa, not even about Federer.

"In my book Federer is the greatest. The guy is a legend. He's an icon. He's a credit to the game........ Pete Sampras.

Just another article on TT...... which is still under discussion !!!!!

OMG..... I can not believe that how quickly he realized that wt ever he has said is just on a hurry ...... seeing his own record he was nervous probably..... right !!!!

Sampy boy........ grow up mann....... stay focused ....... like our Roger !!!!!

Now who gonna believe that person who changes his opinion within a span of just a week !!!!! :S

We really don't depend on his comments to call Fed as GOAT ..... we talk on records set by him....... all over the world n over all surfaces !!!!! LMAO !!!!!!

hE iS bAcKy hOmE....... wOrLd nO.1 (m lovin it).......

Go Roger Go............

I wonder if Rafa will have the strappings to his knees back on again.

Carrie, what Rafa said is only half the story. It's also the way he was playing. He blew Hewitt off the court EASILY, and in his post-match interview was glowing with confidence.

Nadal is not a liar. He is honest and upright. Which is why I believe him when he says he felt good and wasn't playing injured or "unfit."

Why is it so hard for Nadal's fans to accept that he just got beaten?

-Arvis

Arvis, because he didn't simply just got beaten. Fedfans blame his mono and his back when he is beaten, they can't accept it either.

So you make excuses just like them, then? Ok, cool, just as long as you admit that you behave in exactly the same manner as the group of fans you regularly insult, then I guess we're all clear on this one.

-Arvis

Arvis, I may disagree with Fedfans, but I do not insult them. I enjoy a healthy 'fight' from our player's corner, but I see no need to insult anyone over their preference for someone other than the one I support.

"During his absence, Roger Federer won both Paris and Wimbledon and returned to the top ATP ranking which Nadal gained from him last August. " LOL what a joke...

Nadal got beaten fair and square in French Open in round 4 by an ATP ranking #24 player, end of story. He was NOT "absent" from FO, he got knocked out.

No pressure

Toni telling Rafa what's what

Photo by Matt Blyth/Getty Images

An article by David Menayo on Marca.com today about Rafa?s recovery. (Google translation)

The uncle and coach of world number 2 in the analyzed program ?Framework Directive? on radio now his nephew, stating that ?the evidence that was presented in Barcelona Rafa is good and the good news is that it will follow schedule by doctors, ?which marked the return of Rafa to training next Monday. ?The important thing is to go slowly, see how it evolves and complete recovery,? said Toni, who confirmed that Nadal is still not 100%.

Glad they are concentrating on complete recovery.

On the roadmap for the next scheduled dates, Toni ruled out playing in Hamburg, because it is unnecessary force. It may come, but we believe it is better to be able to Montreal, which is the tournament that we have set for the return.

Good.

Asked about the possible pressure that may now have his ward to recover lost the number 1 in favor of Roger Federer, Toni said that ?there is no such pressure. Rafa again with the intention of going step by step, tournament to tournament and going by adding points.?

Sensible and really the only way to approach things and remain sane.

Re that match against Hewitt: nothing in Rafa's interview said anything about him not having any pain.

Nadal has a very high pain threshold. To wit, not many (two, three?) of the toughest players out there would have played their hearts out the way he did in round two of Rome '08 while having that huge a blister on the sole of a foot - pure agony.

Nadal did say a few weeks ago he had been playing through much pain for the last several months. So when he said he was feeling fit in that particular match, I don't take it to mean there was not also plenty of pain in his knees.

Many have observed that Nadal's playing was nowhere near his '08 level throughout the entire clay season this year, even though it was good enough for the occasional overwhelming victory, and good enough for three shields. Apparently on account of the knees and dealing with his parents separation.

Another example of contradictions by Miss Carrie:
She says Nadal is humble and honest and polite and then when Nadal said, 'I am playing fine', carrie thinks Nadal is lying and not speaking the truth. Is carrie really is actually Rafa himself?

Carrie- Queen of Spin...

Even Andy Roddick has said almost all the players play with some type of pain and don't go announcing it to the press every match! Why announce your weakness to all your possible future opponents? fed complained of his back problem AFTER the AO and withdrew from tourneys to "properly rehab" his back, yet complained of no problems DURING the AO. Just as fed didn't announce to all he had back problems, Rafa didn't announce to all his knees were bothering him.

I like the fact they are going slowly with his rehab. Do it right this time!! Can't wait to see him on court again, raring to go!!!

torres, i can't cope with your train of thoughts, say whatever you like.

I agree that the pros shouldn't 'tell the world' of their aches and pains prior to their matches - never give away your weaknesses! And taking proper time to rehab is simply prudent. Let's hope Rafa comes back 100%.

Rafterfan, thank you for acknowledging that. If it's okay for fed to do it, then it is okay for Rafa to do it! Rafa's goal is the USO and he has nothing to lose!!!

"Federer boring the pants off everyone, except for his narcissistic fans, who love listening to their own voice..."

This sounds like you're insulting Federer's fans, Carrie. Am I somehow misinterpreting this?

re: Announcing your injuries to the world, the problem with bringing Federer's minor physical ailments into this is the fact that their was a noticeable drop in the quality of Federer's tennis during his back problems and mono problems. Despite him still making it through the early rounds, people were asking "What's wrong with Fed?" Nadal was crushing people easily on the French clay right up until he met Soderling. Even during the Soderling match, after the 1st set, our own Ricky Dimon was guaranteeing that Nadal was about to serve up breadsticks and bagels. There was no noticeable sign of injury. He just lost the match. It wasn't until AFTER the shocking loss that people started questioning his fitness.

So, sorry, playing the "humility" card here just isn't going to fly. Nadal's knees were no worse in Paris than they were anywhere else this year. He just got beaten. Period.

-Arvis

OK, maybe you could consider that an insult, but I don't consider saying someone is vain an insult.

always happy to support real (i mean real) champs, welcome back Rafa!

"Nadal was crushing people easily on the French clay right up until he met Soderling."

He wasn't "crushing" people easily. He played as well as fed did in the early rounds of the AO. And people WERE saying "Something is wrong with Rafa." Not just fans but many journalists talking about his movement problems and how he let many balls go that NORMALLY he would get. I don't expect you to recognize this. Rafa fans are used to how he moves and all...... just as you are used to fed's moves (enough to question what is wrong with him). What does Ricky's PREDICTION have to do with fact????? I'm going to say it like it is. Fedfans HAVE to keep chanting that Rafa was 100% in Madrid and FO , because otherwise, would be to admit that their man didn't beat a healthy Rafa or Sod didn't beat a healthy Rafa. Talk about "blind disciples that ignore what's right in front of them."

BTW, for "minor physical ailments" as you put it of fed's, why the need to hold a press conference to tell us all about his "injury" and how he could never properly rehab, all of which happened AFTER HIS LOSS AT THE AO!!! Guess it wasn't so 'minor.'

Oh yay! Nadal is back! Or I hope he'll be patched up soon. Probably he'll have a slow start if he behaves correctly. Knowing him he may re injure himself though, he'll probably start practicing too much again, right away. GOD! That boy has to chill for at least a little while. Oh well, someone will smack if he does anything beyond his being, I think he'll reach the semi's in Canada, but defending his title after his extended absence I don't see. I think Murray may take it from him. Depends, if Roger is being annoyingly confident he'll lose but if he has some of the lovable silence and class that has left him back he may be the one to take it if Nadal has a slow start.

Ah, poor Rafa, he can't even reclaim No. 1 because he can't make points in Montreal and Roger can, a lot of them too...I love Rog but that sucks from all stand points.

Carrie- I understand why you don't like Fed but you must accept the masses actually like Roger, or else he wouldn't be voted favorite player of the year, and always winning those stupid polls for greatest player. I mean it is undeniable that more people like him than hate him. Just trying to point this out, I just have problems with you saying he bores everyone when obviously everyone is very few people. D= I mean really...I'm part of everyone and I like him just fine. You may continue to list his poor behaviors though, smashing the racket I forgive, not shaking hands with the umpire pisses me off even as a loyal fan.

The statements from Toni and Rafa's doctor ("The important thing is to go slowly") show they know that Rafa should ease back into tennis. He isn't even scheduled to pick up a racket until the 20th so I don't see a rush there. Also, the pressure to regain number 1 isn't there ("Asked about the possible pressure that may now have his ward to recover lost the number 1 in favor of Roger Federer, Toni said that ?there is no such pressure. Rafa again with the intention of going step by step, tournament to tournament and going by adding points.?")

Fedfans also have to realize that there are masses of Rafa fans out there and what is said here (and the small population this site covers) does not mean that one is more liked over another. How do you judge that? More numbers and stats from a website or Facebook disregarding the fans that do not have access to a computer to post? Fed and Rafa each have their own fanbase and neither is small.

Nadal was most definitely crushing opponents easily before his loss. 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 over an in-form Lleyton Hewitt is definitely "crushing." Nobody (seriously, NOBODY) was asking what was wrong with Rafa before or during that match. Ricky Dimon's comments have everything to do with this, because he is just as familiar with "how Rafa moves and all" as anyone else, and there was ZERO DOUBT in his mind that Rafa would come back from a set down and win easily. Even after Nadal's loss in Madrid, Ricky went on record saying that he gave Nadal a 98% chance of winning the French again, ascribing the Madrid loss to altitude, court conditions, and perhaps fatigue from his semifinal match (anything but the actual reason: quality play from Federer being too much for him). But no mention of any kind of injury or loss of speed anywhere.

Loyally defending your favorite player is both admirable and praiseworthy, but let's draw the line at trying to rewrite history, shall we? Your man lost a fair fight. It probably won't happen very often in the future, but if/when it does, just deal with it and wait for his next triumph. Nadal's not the type that would want anyone making excuses for him.

-Arvis

Look at his opponents BEFORE Hewitt and try to say he was crushing them Arvis! (Daniels, Gabashvelli, etc..) Hewitt played worse than those guys did!
Also love how you berated Ricky for his predictions at the FO (giving fed very little chance if Rafa was healthy) but NOW, you want to act like his word is gospel when it suits you. Typical!!!

I never berated Mr. Dimon's predictions or tennis expertise. Ever. I took issue with the ATTITUDE he had. And I made that distinction many, many times.

And no, Daniels played Nadal tough for one lousy set while Nadal was warming up, and then got slaughtered. Gabashvili hit some great forehands for (again) one lousy set, but again Nadal swatted him away like a bug, no problem. These were all straight set wins, and Nadal was only playing better and better in each one. Hewitt didn't play worse than the other two guys, Nadal was just finally in 5th gear by that point. And guess what, 5th gear wasn't enough to get past Soderling that week. Sometimes that just happens. Get over it.

-Arvis

Yeah, his ATTITUDE problem was that he refused to bow down to fed! You can word it however you want--lol.

Great news indeed to hear that Rafa is recovering and will be back on courts soon. I'm expecting him to come back with a bang as he did in AO09 after that injury time-out late last year.

Additionally, as both a Roger and Rafa fan, I am seriously sick of this whole "Roger won in the absence of Rafa". I wish people will really stop undermining Fed's abilities...like "he beat a clown in FO final", but isn't that insulting Rafa as well as he lost to the said "clown"? Federer is able to be consistent hence making finals to beat "clowns" when all his major rivals falter eg Wimby and FO this year, and Rafa is still advancing towards the stage of consistency as Fed. Lesser players or not, everyone works really hard for their wins!!

Also...food for thought for hardcore Rafa fans + Fed haters. If Federer were to pull out of Wimbledon 2010 and Rafa won the title there, would you say that Rafa won "only in the absence of Fed"?

Don't think that is a fair assessment, right?

What I'm looking forward to is for RAFA to face Soderling again. I just wonder how the rematch will traspire. I wish he meet Robin and Roger in his next tournament.....good workout prior to the USO.

VAMOS RAFA!

jyannis: If Roger pulled out of Wimby 2010 and Rafa won, I would at least say that fed not being there made it easier for him to win. Fedfans want to think Rafa doesn't even exist, give him NO credit for the 6 slams he won (cuz 4 were on clay) and think that Rafa never truly challenges fed (cuz majority of H2H is on clay), that Rafa winning Wimby 08 was "wrong" and that no Rafa fan is allowed to say Rafa was injured (even tho docs support that he has been playing injured for a good while), but fedfans is allowed to use his back and mono to his heart's content!

I've thought about this over and over again--probably a lot more than I should--but it wasn't just the knees, it was the parent issue that knocked Rafa out. Even back in Miami where it all started, he didn't seem right, too distracted. He was in a funk and he still is.

Though I'm thrilled Rafa will be back in Montreal, I'm not overly optimistic about his chances. It'll take him some time to scrape off the rust. I don't expect him to do well at the US Open either. I hope I'm wrong...but I don't think so.

I'm gonna just scream if Roger wins 3 out of the 4 slams this year.

f4t, if you are going to give excuses for Rafa being injured then isn't it OK for us to say Fed only lost no.1 and WImby last year becoz of mono and back problems?
You're doing exactly what you accused us of being.

After the epic very close match between Rafa and Verdasco at the AO, Rafa has beaten him in straight sets twice, so agf, let's look forward to his next meeting with Soderling, when he is fit with peace of mind.

Rafans go to Rafa's website to see Rafa cutting a dash in leathers standing by a Harley Davidson. There is so much more to him than tennis.

Here is the write-up:

Harley-Davidson motorbikes have become one of Mallorcan tennis player Rafael Nadal's interests, who says he "feels captivated" by its legendary aspect, for the original designs and for the exclusive style of the brand. For this reason the athletic XR1200 has been the Harley-Davidson to have seduced Nadal "for the singular combinations of its sporting lines with classic style". Also he says that he loves "the power, the force and the agressiveness that it transmits just by looking at it".

The XR1200 is inspired by the legendary XR750 of the 70s Dirt Tracks. It is the result of a great collaboration between the production team of the motor company of Milwaukee and the production planning team of the Harley-Davidson product for Europe.

The comfort and security that anyone who rides a Harley-Davidson trusts, have been the key points that attracted the tennis player in the election of the XR1200. "I liked it from the beginning for its spectacular (appearance) and because it is a Harley-Davidson that I can ride about the city."

In the words of Josep Grañó, general director of Harley-Davidson in Spain and Portugal "it is a real honour for us to have Rafa Nadal among the Harley-Davidson family, not only for the added value of having one of the best tennis players in the history of tennis, but also for the sporting values that he transmits, that are an example to follow in our daily lives: constantly fighting and will to succeed.

That's an interesting post, spingirl. Threads were already being posted around Miami time asking a few questions about Rafa. Chlorostoma has been saying here that Rafa has traditonally carried a lot of pain and I don't doubt that but, as all the champs say, you feel your pain after a loss. He seemed fine after the Hewitt match. Then came Söderling , and it remains to be seen if Rafa has put it behind him. We can only wait and see. But I agree with you that there is more to this than the knees.

Unlike you, though, I feel that the protracted lay-off may help Rafa to withstand the demands of the summer hard court season. It is worth remembering that he is only one slam - USO - away from joining the elite club of career slammers. Rafa has never been at his peak, in physiological terms, come late August. It should be different this time out.

Wouldn't it be amazing for men's tennis to see these two great rivals complete their career slams in one calendar year? In all of Open rivalry, only Chris Evert (AO Dec '82) and Martina Navratilova (USO Sept '83) have gained admission in anything like so short a time gap.

But I am putting the cart before the horse, I know. Let's see how it pans out but in the meantime let's all of us keep slagging each other right off - it's what the web was made for, bringing us all together, right?

"in the meantime let's all of us keep slagging each other right off"

Ha ha, Gorafago! Will do! :)

-Arvis

Thanks Arvis! I realised at the end of my post that I'd better try and insert something controversial. [We all want to be remembered, after all.] Glad somebody picked up on it!

gorafago, you make a good argument. Typically, Rafa is worn out by the time USO comes around. I'm sure the time away to re-charge will do him the world of good. I just question his match-readiness. But then again, I thought he'd bomb-out at the AO. I tend to be a glass-half-empty kinda a girl.

One thing is certain: tennis is barren without him.

fan4tennis- Yes, yes. I understand that many love Rafa. It is understandably so, since the guy is spike free and kind. I'm sorry some Fedfans don't realize it, but if it is comforting I think many do and freak out because someone has a sizable fan base other than Federer.

Eww, I just read that Murray could be closing in on No.2. I hope Nadal can defend his title or at least be the one to see Murray out of Canada. Still not liking Murray too much....

^^ I know what you mean recordbreaks.With federer not playing in Montreal (but he doesn't have that many points to defend anyway)i hope that Murray will get knocked out early because i don't want him to over take Rafa.
But,Murray has a lot of points to defend in this half of the season so we will see how it all plays out.
I want Rafa to defend his points but with him being away for a while ..IDK
But i know very well that you can't could Rafa out.

Oh! So the Swiss man is not going to Canada, alik? I thought it was an on the fence decision based on when Mirka gives birth. Eh, I like both Rog and Rafa so at least I can give Nadal my undivided "kick Murray's butt" attention without worrying about Rog and his post-baby play. It would be too much to handle Nadal's "comeback" and Fed's baby drama at once. I say Rafa will hold his own, if he doesn't defend his title, I'm sure he'll win when he comes to Cinncy. So he'll probably make up any difference.

(Not that Murray hasn't grown on me a little....to anyone who thinks I totally hate him.)

alik & RB - is there confirmation that Rog's not playing in Montreal? Been scouting the ol' web but have not seen/read any confirming news? Although I do think that is a good idea, since he has near to zero points to defend anyway :D Baby time-out! He should really be there for Mirka and Baby.

So excited for Rafa's return although I am a little wah about the lack of the possibility of a Roger/Rafa with Roger's withdrawal. Am hoping for Nole to be in the other half so it'll be a Rafa v Nole final :)

(RB - share your sentiment on Murray. But he really hasn't grown on me, not even one bit. I do not really know why but there's just something about him that is so unappealing to me. Eh.)

tomnterry2, does the #1 position matters, if #1 can't beat #2? roger will have some convincing to do when he faces #2. until then, as far as i'm concerned, ranking is just a number! don't fool yourself, roger knows that everyone is waiting to see him face nadal again because with his wins at roland garros and wimbledon, a lot of people are expecting great things from him especially against rafa. we will see how he handles the heat! my guess is, rafa won't be thinking about his ranking when he gets to meet the great federer. anyway, i wouldn't want to embarrass myself at the #1 spot if i couldn't get a handle on the #2 player. would you? it will be interesting!

nope... Fed can handle Nadal except on clay... Nadal can't handle Fed on grass, barely winning a mono-Fed in 5 sets.. Roddick is much better than Nadal in WImby...

Roddick reached the finals of Wimby 3 times...losing every time to fed
Rafa reached the finals of Wimby 3 times....WON once, lost twice to fed

So exactly how does that record make Roddick better than Rafa at Wimby?

torres, it is my understanding that whether a player wins in 3 sets or 5 sets he still has the title, championship trophy, the million plus dollars,, and rankings points. . it is my understanding that a win is a win. you mean to tell me that's not the way it goes. maybe, i just dreamed that! somebody wake me up!

memi--- mark my word, if Fed loses to Rafa next time they meet, the mono-Fed> the bad-back-Fed> the "old"-don't-move-like-he-was-before-Fed> the can't-concentrate-bcos-he's-a-new-father-Fed WILL RISE AGAIN!!!
Brace yourself if they COME UP with "paternal MONO back injury that sucks the concentration" virus!

YaY Rafa is back! at last, finally we will get some good tennis (not saying that the tennis matches when he was away was not good, but it wasn't as exciting as it is when he is around).
and i don't understand how roddick is better than nadal at wimbledon, i swear Fed was all better when he played against nadal in the final at wimbledon (or am i wrong, can't really remember).

The Rafa-Roger Wimby finals was STILL the BEST....in EVERYTHING! Roddick played great tennis , BUT the match itself is not in anyway near with that with Nadal. At the end of this year's very loooooooooooooooong finals, we're just WAITING who will get TIRED the most.

Haha... There is also no rule that you have to beat Rafa in Roland Garros.It is my understanding that whether a player beat Rafa or not he still has the title, championship trophy, the million plus dollars,, and rankings points. . it is my understanding that a win is a win. you mean to tell me that's not the way it goes. maybe, i just dreamed that! somebody wake me up!

I like it when Rafans hate it when we bring up mono, but when Rafa gets beaten on CLAY and at his HOMETOWN, he is tired.... Pfffftttt.... How do you like your medicine.

Roddick-Fed final is still the best in the history according to the opinion poll at ATP World Tour website.

77 games!!!! Longest Set Ever!!! John McEnroe Vs Borg gave us 'The Tiebreak'.. Roger-A-Rod gave us 'The Set'.

And what I like most is the match goes smoothly without having to wait Rafa's boring routine...

FED IS THE BEST EVER!!!!

I don't bother to argue with torres anymore, because he doesn't let the facts get in the way of what he wants to believe, so it's futile arguing with him.

agf, I was going to make the smae point about the Fed excuses, should Rafa beat him next time they meet, but I did not want to tempt fate.

As far as the rankings go, let's see what happens at the end of the year. Rafa could make up some points if he plays at the O2 and wins, because he did not take part last year, so that will be a bonus. It's amazing how a successful year can be a yoke the next. Roger was not very successful the latter half of last year, so can afford to relax now, because he doesn't have many points to lose. Andy M is now under pressure to defend all those points he earned in the latter half of last year, and he's also got 1000 points to lose for Madrid, Rafa has 450.

Rafa says he is not concerned about all this, he just wants to slowly get his fitness back. After all he went from No51 to No2 in one year, he can do it again.

Soooooooooooooo glad Rafa is back. Tennis without him, is like a half inflated baloon.

Hi carrie! So excited to watch Rafa get back on court as well. You're so right....whoever Rafa plays with, it's always an entertaining match. Afterall, most of the most memorable matches played in recent years have Rafa on the one side of the court!


VAMOS RAFA!!!

Great that Nadal is soon to be back :)
we can't let Fed win every single tournament out there, can we? lol
to tomnjerry2 and Arvis I would sugget to just stay on Fed threads or at least get your facts right:
1st - Soderling didn't 'crush' Nadal in RG = 6-2 6-7(2) 6-4 7-6(2).
2nd - Nadal never said anything about 'how good he felt during the match against Hewitt in RG' = http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/news/interviews/2009-05-29/200905291 243624087099.html
3d - Nadal wasn't 100 % fit in his match against Soderling, if you claim that he was is either because you don't know anything about how Nadal plays or because you simply didn't see the match (or both). Doctors have commented on this fact as well.
Carrie - thx for your links, they're always cool :)

Vamos Nadal (I will love it when he beats Fed again)

"I like it when Rafans hate it when we bring up mono, but when Rafa gets beaten on CLAY and at his HOMETOWN, he is tired.... Pfffftttt.... How do you like your medicine."

Yeah, so how about being the bigger man then, torres? Most of the regular posters here are all unreasonable, myopic hypocrites. I think Recordbreaks and Rafterfan are some of the only ones I've seen show an interest in actually talking about tennis.

@ Shireling: Nice broken link. But I did the work for you, and found the interview.
After the Lleyton hewitt match: "Each day I play better,and I think, you know, this is what it's all about."
- and -
"last year I didn't play that well during the third round. But what is important is what has happened so far." [implying he is playing better this year than last]
- and -
"Well, I feel, yeah, I feel much better today than the other days. I improved a little bit every day. I play better the second day than the first." [he was playing better with each passing day]

And after he lost Soderling, Rafa had this to say:
"Yeah, when you lose, always everybody starts to analyze if I play too much. If I'm tired. The true, I won four years in a row playing the same. That's the true. This year I play the same and I lost. What happen? I lost. That's it."
- also, this exchange -
" Q. You looked tired. Do you feel exhausted? Do you feel tired physically and mentally?

RAFAEL NADAL: No.

Q. You look a bit tired.

RAFAEL NADAL: No, no, I feel okay."
- and -
"When I practiced this morning I felt good, no? I felt very good..."

So, either he felt good, or he was lying and was injured or "unfit." Nadal's fans need to take a cue from their hero and stop making excuses. And Federer's fans need to do the same thing. If anyone thinks Federer was still suffering from mono during last year's Wimbledon tournament, they're insane. He wasn't stricken with anything until the Final, when his recurring case of Nadal-itis attacked again.

-Arvis

Sorry Arvis for the broken link - it happens sometimes (but you didn't do the work for me cause I'd already done it before for myself, lol)
Anyway... Nadal was indeed lying when he said he was 'good' - cause he knows what load of shit he'll have to endure if he says that he was feeling pain.
I repeat - Doctors have seen the match against Soderling and have said that his way of playing in that particular match was conditioned by his pains - In my opinion, if Nadal wasn't fit to play, he shouldn't have played at all.
And, sorry, but you are not one to tell us Nadal fans what we should or shouldn't do.

Nadal LIED because he didn't want to prolong the AGONY of answering so many questions (some of them JUST to stir controversies). He's a man of FEW words, and when he talks , there's NO EXCUSES, NO tirade on other players, NO DISCREDITING of his opponent.

"Doctors have seen the match against Soderling and have said that his way of playing in that particular match was conditioned by his pains"
Link source, please.

"you are not one to tell us Nadal fans what we should or shouldn't do."
Consider it 'advice.' I assumed (stupidly) that everyone would enjoy it more if we weren't constantly playing "Who Is The Bigger Idiot?" Sorry, I won't make that assumption again.

Anyways, now that I at least know that you are a two-faced Nadal fan who impugns his honor and claims to know more about his body and play style than Nadal himself, I can just ignore your posts. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

-Arvis

^^^ Shireling is a very logical fan and since being on the board has always been very reasonably and fair.(to all players)
Maybe since he has always been so logical you thought that he would not say anything in Rafa's defence and it just surprised you.

Roger was not very successful the latter half of last year, so can afford to relax now, because he doesn't have many points to lose. Andy M is now under pressure to defend all those points he earned in the latter half of last year, and he's also got 1000 points to lose for Madrid, Rafa has 450

1) Roger can relax now because he won FO and Wimby.
2) Roger has been defending points all his career and not much fuss

Tennis without Rafa is like a beautiful girl without a hair band on her beautiful hair.

torres, calm down. I was only stating the facts with regard to points that could be gained or lost in this part of the season. Don't worry, no one is going to forget that Federer won RG and Wimbledon. If Federer had won in Canada last year, he wouldn't be happy not to be able to defend his points, because he is taking paternity leave.

Fair play, alik. But we're talking about a guy who flat out called Nadal a liar and has claimed some kind of mystical knowledge of what Nadal is feeling at any given moment, insisting he was playing injured/fatigued despite Nadal's repeated insistence to the contrary. What about that is "logical," exactly?

Not only that, but he told me that I was "not on to tell Rafa fans what they should do" ONE POST after telling me that I should "just stay on Fed threads," which I think fits him in nicely with all the rest of the "unreasonable, myopic hypocrites" that I mentioned earlier.

@torres: You're being unfair. You have to admit, Wimbledon felt odd without Nadal there. It definitely felt like something was missing. Although A-Rod made me soon forget that. :D

Good day. Enjoy the tennis!

-Arvis

Arvis, i don't have a problem with accepting soderling beat nadal fair and square. soderling won the match and deserves credit. what i have a problem with is a player like soderling who goes out fired up to make a point by beating rafa, goes to the presser and states that he's been telling people all along that rafa is not all that, which is unneccesssary and in my opinion is due his long-time resentment toward rafa for some unknown reason. then he goes out and puts in the extra effort to beat two great players like gonzalez and daveydenko so that everyone won't call him a fluke. then, the same soderling gets to the final against roger and stands up like a girl, doesn't put in one-third of the effort that he did to beat rafa and the others. then, goes to the presser again and tell everybody how great roger is and how roger didn't let him play his game; knowing full well that's a flat out lie! in fact, a media representative asked him how is it that you can beat rafa, but you can't beat roger, but roger has t rouble beating rafa. explain that! soderling couldn't explain. the media knows what's happening! after all, roger did not play that great leading up to the finals, but he got through and you tell me that someone with the forehand and serve that soderling has couldn't take a set from roger federer; hogwash! i know better! soderling lives and breathe to beat nadal to show people rafa is not as great as everyone thinks he is and add to that his apparent dislike for rafa. when it comes to soderling playing federer he's nothing more than a laughingstock. federer has him in his pocket as he does a lot of other players! the bottom line is, i can accept rafa getting beat by anyone because i know he can't win them all, but if a player is going to do whatever it takes to beat rafa who is clearly one of the greatest players of this generation and doesn't apply the same mindset against roger, as far as i'm concerned the player is a joke and he's a double-joke when he uses the lame excuse that roger is just too good to beat! he may fool some people, but i'm not one of them!

I understand your frustration, memi, but your post is all mostly speculative. There's nothing objective or "provable" in there. Some people just don't/can't play well against certain styles. For years, people have said that the way to beat Rafa on clay was to consistently hit hard, flat groundstrokes and never let up. That's what Soderling did to Rafa. However, that same style isn't going to work as well against Roger.

That being said, Soderling's final in the French was most definitely Choke City in the 1st set. 2nd serves under 100mph. Definitely feeling the pressure.

Also, I'd like to direct you towards the match Soderling and Roger played at Wimbledon. Roger won in straights, yes, but it went to two tiebreaks. Roger had an easier time breaking Ivo Karlovic's serve than he did Soderling's. So your supposition that Federer still "has him in his pocket" might be a bit premature. The evidence suggests that Soderling will get one over on Roger eventually.

Have a great weekend, everyone! :)

-Arvis

Haas,'Fed has trouble against players who move well on court like Nadal and Murray. Unfortunately I am not that type of player'-RG2009

Safin, 'Either you can hit better than Fed or run like a rabbit like Nadal' -Wimby 2008

I think if you are gonna mention Nadal, you should also mention Hewitt and Murray who have beaten Fed numerous of time because they improve on fitness and speed so well, Fed has trouble with them.

The fact is, we Fed fans are aware he has this weakness against these type of players but we know he's best because he does well overall.

Consider it like this, in a football league, the winner is the one who wins the most, not who beats his rivals more. If a team like Barcelona in Spain lost 2 times against Real Madrid (Nadal's favorite team), they still win the league.

Same case for Fed, he wins more matches and loses less. Losing to Nadal is not really a big problem because no tournament says that tennis players need to beat Rafa or Roger to win. And also in ATP rankings, there is no need to have a winning H2H against Rafa to be no.1.

This is what Fed was thinking which is why he focused solely on just winning Slams. Winning to Nadal is not his main priority because in the end, people remember all the Slams he won, not winning against Nadal.

He has beaten Nadal 2 times in Tennis Masters Cup in straights and those two aren't talked much because most people remembered the wins in Slams more no matter who the opponent is. Nadal himself said it doesnt matter who u beat in the end as long as you win the tournament.

Arvis, to preface this I will say I have enjoyed your fair posts recently, not just on this thread either. This concerns the comments about Nadal "lying" about how he felt and all the fed fans saying his knees were not bothering him because Rafa didn't announce it to the world.

Fed...in ALL his interviews at the AO08, he says he is feeling fine, happy with the way he is playing, feels he has gotten plenty of match practice regardless of his virus, which he does talk about but says it is NOT affecting his play. That is UNTIL he got beat by Nole in the SF. These are his exact words after he beat Blake but BEFORE he lost to Nole:

"Q. How do you think your game is compared with this time last year?

ROGER FEDERER: I'm happy with the way I'm playing. If it's as good, I don't know. I don't compare years. It's been a year. It's a different surface and different type of opponents.
I'm just happy to be back in the semis, really, and looking forward to this weekend.


Q. Are you still feeling any lack of match practice from not having any lead?in games?

ROGER FEDERER: Not really. I played plenty now on this surface. This is what it was about, for me to get matches on Rod Laver Arena. I got plenty of that especially in the third round. I'm very happy the way it's been going.
I played, you know, two very dangerous and tough opponents with Berdych and Blake. And to come through and beat them in straight sets, I'm really pleases about that score."

Now how is that ANY different to Rafa telling the press that he feels fine, only to find out later, his knees have been a problem? Are any of the players OBLIGATED to tell the press and the world what is bothering them????

Who is this Johan Lindahl??? What a moron. Does this person know anything about tennis or even own a tv? - "During his absence, Roger Federer won both Paris and Wimbledon and returned to the top ATP ranking which Nadal gained from him last August." Please Johan, before you write your silly articles - do your research!!!

You put words into Sampras' mouth by switching around his comments to suit your point of view and here you write that Nadal was absent from French Open 2009. It's completely transparent that you're a Rafa fan, which is totally cool, Rafa's great. But please try to be a little objective in your articles. Stop skewing the truth to suit your take on things!

Pretty soon, people aren't even going to read your articles.

Arvis, i'm not frustrated all, just pointing out the fact that things are not always what they seem. anyway, i don't draw conclusions based on whether a player will eventually beat another player. we have no way of knowing if soderling will ever beat roger; my guess is, he won't because he doesn't have an overpowering desire to beat roger like he does rafa. in fact, his desire to beat rafa on the big stage has been fulfilled. i'm sure beating his friend roger it's not on his future agenda. he's content for roger to defeat him time and time again. if he doesn't mind looking like girl tennis player at the hands of roger 11 times and counting, then, i don't mind either . again, i know the difference between tough match ups and a player who is just not putting forth the amount of effort it takes to beat another player. trust me, i know the difference! you may phrase anyway you like, soderling failing to beat federer has nothing to do with matchups. soderling had already accomplished his mission when he got to the final, he was just trying to make it look good. isn't it interesting that he had just played nadal in rome on clay, winning only one game. in fact, the match at roland garros was the first time he had ever beaten rafa. doesn't that tell you something about nadal's form on that day. but we won't get into that!

^^Good Post!

chalis, Federer alao broke his racquet and refused to shake the umpire's hand when Djokovic beat him in Miami. He is such a bad loser.
carrie , 7/15/09 3:40 PM

carrie, that's not the only time he didn't shake chair umpire's hand. january this year when he lost to murray (i forget which tourney and not bothered to check on sgt smugalot).

*********************
malteser if you are really so insecure as to attempt to justify that you have a life outside blogging on a TENNIS BLOG then I suggest you seek professional help. I am not a hater of federer, I happen to believe that he can be called the greatest when his and nadals careers are over, until them I support them both due to their incredible service to the sport. All you and torres do on various articles and blogs on this website is copy and paste other articles with stupid inane words added in so we can all see how much of a wannabee white gangster you are. At this point i'm kind of hoping that you are so young that ignorance can be blamed for your idiocy, however i doubt it.
willmw101 , 7/17/09 3:29 PM

willmw, you win for best post!!!!!!!!

I second the motion!!!

Fair coments Arvis,

Perhaps I got a little too enheartened in my last comments, I stand corrected.
I just want to let people understand that Nadal wasn't feeling well in his match against Soderling and many other matches before that - those who chose not to see it is maybe because they don't follow Nadal's matches as closely as we fans do - but no hard feelings. I did also give credit to Soderling, he played his cards to incredible effect against Nadal (but kind of wilted at times against Fed - this is what Fed does to ya I guess)
btw, I never claimed to know more about Nadal's body and play than himself - I could say the same thing about u, couldn't I? - anyway - peace - and, indeed, in August we will enjoy tennis once again :)

You know what? Arvis is one of the most fair posters here. I'd actually rather see articles by him than Johan (not kidding!). Come on, Cheryl/Ricky, how about it?

FOR RAFANS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rosz1G5m6nl&feature=related

The common ingredient in all this is Rafa. Without Nadal, you don not get the drama in a tennis match!!!!!!!!!


Bleacher Report

by claudia celestial girl

Top Nadal/Djokovic Match-Ups

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have met 20 times in their careers. They have played some highly entertaining matches (one regarded, by some, as the best Wimbledon final of all time).

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have met almost an equal number of times (17). I find their match-ups to be as entertaining, if not more entertaining, than those between Roger and Rafa.

(I have gotten into screaming matches with fans over this, in which fans will say "How can you SAY that Roger and Rafa's matches are NOT the MOST entertaining of all time!")

I can pretty much predict Rafa's game-plan when he faces Roger, but I can't say the same for Nole. Just as Roger and Andy Roddick played a different sort of Wimbledon final in 2009, Rafa and Novak's match-ups have a different flavor from those of Rafa and Roger.

In this article, I would like to discuss all of the Nole and Rafa match-ups, but I don't have time, and the slide-show format is better suited to it, so that discussion will have to wait.

I looked around and could find neither quantitative, nor qualitative discussion of this rivalry on the web, and I think that is a deficiency. It may be because the stark, dry, numbers are so lob-sided towards Rafa. The numbers don't tell the real tale about how good this rivalry is, and the high quality of these matches.

My top five are listed below (in order). You may argue with me. You may point out that I only selected those matches where Rafa won, and what about some when Novak won? I would counter by saying, yes, but those weren't really outstanding matches?the kind that one would compare with a R&R match.

And then we would enter into an argument about how one measures "outstanding". (I have some ideas on that, but that is a different topic.)

By all means, please give me your opinion.

1. 2008 Hamburg (clay) The Battle for #2 [7?5, 2?6, 6?2] (3 hours)

After 150-odd weeks at No. 2, Rafa was finally facing a legitimate challenge for the spot from Novak, with the winner being the undisputed No. 2 in the world.

Novak broke Rafa early in the first set, but Rafa clawed back. The second set was pivotal, as Rafa, down 0-40, clawed his way back to deuce several times, but then lost the game as Novak held serve and more. Rafa then broke early in the third set, and Novak could not get back in.

This match was characterized by lots of forward-and-back (rather than side-to-side). Novak would draw Rafa to net, lob him, Rafa would race back and retrieve the lob, and drive it back with a reverse lob or down the line shot.

Novak would win a set for the first time against Rafa on clay (joining Roger, G. Coria, and SOD as the only people who've ever taken a set from Rafa on clay).

2. 2009 Madrid (clay) [6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (9)] (4 hours)
(Page 2 of 3)

A heartbreaking match for Novak, as he outplayed Rafa throughout, and held three match points. But he could not break Rafa at the critical times, and squandered his break chances.

In many respects, both players suffered for the effort expended in this match. Novak would have a hard time coming back emotionally through Wimbledon, and Rafa would have nothing left for his final the next day with Roger.

He was forced to withdraw from Wimbledon after losing his first-ever match at Roland Garros, with tendinitis in both knees.

The 'quality' of tennis was not as high as the Hamburg semi-final in my opinion, though it was a very tense and riveting final.

3. 2009 Rome (clay) [7?6(2), 6?2]

Both the Monte Carlo and the Rome finals were examples of exquisite tennis. In Monte Carlo, Novak came back in the second set, playing on-fire tennis, and breaking Rafa twice. But he could not sustain it, and faded in the third set.

In Rome, he came closer. They both played an outstanding first set, but Novak faded after losing a heart-breaking tie-break. Both matches are in my personal hall-of-fame match collection as examples of how tennis should be played. Several of the rallies exceeded 30 strokes.

Novak would get closer still in the next tournament (Madrid) in this grueling five-week period.

4. 2008 Queen's Club (grass) Battle for #2 [7?6(6), 7?5]

Another fine example of the kind of exquisite tennis that these two competitors play. Many points came in the forward-and-backward variety (rather than side to side) again. No breaks of serve occurred.

This was also a battle for #2, and even though he had lost the earlier round, for some reason, Novak just would not go away.

5. 2008 Olympics (hardcourt) The Battle for Gold [6?4, 1?6, 6?4]

Both players wanted a spot in the gold-medal round (this was the semis). Both players (palpably) wanted to win a first-ever gold for their country. Both players battered each other with brutal ground-strokes through the best-of-three match.

Rafa broke Novak in the first set, but then Novak caught fire in the second set, playing like a man who wanted that gold medal. In the final game, on match point, Novak netted a pretty easy overhead smash, with Nadal well behind the baseline on the other side.

For me, this match is memorable for its brutal, I-really-mean-this ground-strokes...strokes that easily took both players beyond the doubles alley.

This rivalry is in marvelous contrast to the R&R rivalry, yet has similarities that shed light on the R&R. In particular, much has been made that the R&R rivalry is "skewed" toward Rafa because of the number of times that they have played on clay.

(Page 3 of 3)

I"m not sure I agree with that assessment. The clay court season represents about 33 percent of the year. The fact that these great players meet more often on clay then on hardcourts says a lot about their ability on clay...and also shows that hardcourts take such a toll that no one player, not even Roger, plays all of them...nor reaches the finals.

What makes a match great? There are many qualities, but one that stands out: close-to- the-brink tennis. This would be a match in which players win a significant number of points on the opponent?s serve, making it seem that anything could happen at any time.

Interesting article carrie, thx
Yes, that match in the olympic games was brutal - I was amazed at how hard they played throughout!

*laughs* Rafterfan, I appreciate you trying to hook me up with a side job here at Tennistalk. But I think Johan Lindahl's tennis know-how far outweighs my own. Plus, I've been rather antagonistic towards Mr. Dimon in the past, so I think my dream of writing for Tennistalk is down the drain.

That being said, I think it must be an awesome job! The writers here are lucky to live and breathe tennis. Ricky, Ceryl, have your people call my people! :D

-Arvis

Rafa fans, a nice read for you if you haven't seen it yet.

"Rafa Nadal Is The Real Role Model, Not Roger Federer"

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/220608-rafa-nadal-isthe -real-role-model-not-roger-federer

Thanks for your post today, Carrie. Would you believe, it was your close associates M1 and Zoey who put me on to Bleacher Report, though I did not see the Claudia article before now.

Hello to you Zoey, I am sure you are tuning in.

One strange thing about the match reports: "No breaks of serve occurred" during their Queen's Club final in 2008 - how could that be, with a second-set score of 7-5? In fact, there were oodles of breaks during that match. And I think you are right: despite the straight-sets result there, it was pretty thrilling stuff precisely because the breaks were coming fast and furious.

Hey, I know some folks find Rafa's style a drag. That's fine by me - we can't like 'em all, though for my own part I have supported attackers as often as defenders, stylists along with sluggers. We need to remember that variety breathes endless fascination into the sport. And frankly there can be no denying your key point that Rafa brings the drama - and not in a Colin Montgormerie kind of way, either. [Phew for that, say we all.]

homos a great article!! A definite must read for Rafa fans!!

Homos, thanks for the link. Of course Rafa is a role model and not you know who, that's why I am a fan.

me too carrie. that's why you-know-who attracts certain types of fans which thankfully doesn't include us...

remi: now that rafa's coming back, why can't you?

Thx a lot homos for the article :) music to ears of Rafa fans

Mon Jul 20, 2009 8:54 pm EDT
Weekly Slice: Countdown to Rafa's return

By Melissa Geisler

FIRST SERVE

So, Rafael Nadal's return to the ATP Tour draws ever closer and the battle lines can be drawn.

Not between Nadal and Roger Federer or Andy Murray, it is too early for the pre-U.S. Open mind games. However, speculation over the impact of Nadal's comeback from the knee problems that hampered him at the French Open and kept him out of Wimbledon is about to start in earnest.

On one side of the argument is the school of thought that the Spaniard may never be the same as he was in 2008 and early 2009, when he won three out of four majors up to the Australian Open - plus an Olympic gold medal.

Those in this camp protest that the strain Nadal's all-action game puts on his body will start to make injuries a common theme of his career, slowing his chances of reclaiming the No. 1 ranking from Federer.

The counterclaim is that Nadal's work ethic will ensure he is in peak condition by the time the U.S. Open rolls around and will be poised to resume normal service.

He has always faltered in New York before, usually as a result of end-of-season tiredness. This time, that issue will not apply and he should arrive in the Big Apple fresher than ever.

Federer will be favored to emerge victorious again, while many will see Murray as his most serious contender.

But the rare role of underdog could suit Nadal on this occasion, and he may be able to duck under the radar a little.

Whether you are a Nadal fan or not, few can argue that the powerful left-hander's return is not good for the game.

This is a sport built around stars, and one of the brightest is ready to return.

Ta Carrie and Homos for those articles/links. I agree with Melissa Geisler's view - and while I appreciate Rafa will not be match-fit come early August, he should be peaking pyhysically which has not been the case in past summers.

Vamos!

Good article, carrie. Can't argue with the points the author is making. Whether he comes out swinging or starts off slow, I think everyone who loves tennis is super-excited to see Nadal play again. :)

-Arvis

Thanks for posting the article(s), carrie.

In my opinion, I think Rafa will do reasonably well in the pre-US Open tourneys (Montreal etc)...he might not be able to WIN them maybe but will get to the semi/final stage. But definitely he is a real contender for US Open! I'm really looking forward to this year's USO :D Would be real interesting with Murray fighting for his first Slam, Rafa fighting for his Career Slam (go Rafa! I somehow want him to win it - my two favourite players achieving Career Slam in the same year wooo) and Nole of course wants it very much, too.

As for Roger...he will be contending for No.16 and 6th straight US Open to match Bill Tiden, and while I like his chances and would love for him to win (Roger/Rafa final plzkthx), as the man said, there will be something and someone much much much more important than tennis in his life, so it'll be interesting to see how it will all play out in USO.

We might get a preview in Cinccy :D

Can't wait to see what Uncle Sly Fox has cooked up!

"remi: now that rafa's coming back, why can't you?" - deuce , 7/21/09 6:17 P

Missed your good times together at the back of the sofa, deuce? :-)

phoenix: sure do, very cosy behind there! Plus miss remi's gr8 sense of humour, cheerfulness and fairness etc etc

Can't wait to see what Uncle Sly Fox has cooked up!

Rafterfan , 7/22/09 1:38 AM

I hope he has cooked up something tasty for Rafa to send all the others packing!