Like I said............

okay ...im not one to kick a man when he is done ...but there is a simple fact that is bugging me ...

Let just say that it is absolutely true that nadal is injured ...( and I am NOT saying he is not injured , im just saying I dont know )..
At that point ...2 sets down ...3-0 in the 3rd ....you have 2 options ...
1) Call it quits and retire
2) Play another 3 miserable games and end the match .

To any man ...the "proper" and right way to do it would be to play out the last 3 miserable games and let murray win the right way . If you could still walk off court , you would do that as there is no shame in loosing to an inform murray and its just the right thing to do for your opponent and the fans . its just 3 games ...not 3 sets . 12 points . And to a pro tennis player 3 games is nothing , injured or not ! This fact bother me ...
You should not choose to retire when the match was about 120 - 150 seconds from being officially over . You are a pro tennis player ... loose with some dignity . I really dont get this part .
Nadal is no quitter and that I acknowledge . But i just did not understand the decision making here . Retiring was the wrong thing to do when the finish line was so close . Wrong towards Andy , wrong towards the fans and wrong as a sportman.

Novak refused to retire no matter what against JWT and he said that himself . He said it would have been just wrong to retire . He wanted to finish the match ...and finish he did !

Dont get me wrong rafa fans....im not bad mouthing ...i dont understand . I think he made an error in judgement . Bottom line ....he could have finished the match and he didnt . No excuse . He could have finished the match with out aggravating the injury . No excuse there . Stand still and dont move ...whatever . finish the match .
and now i find out its just going to take a week to heal ? Im happy its not serious ...but what the hell ? Was a bagel too much for him to handle ?

This is just my 2 cents worth of thoughts .... not that i really care anyways ....but it was just so wrong .

C'MON !!
AO10...time to lift another one down under.

before reading the other parts of your post I stopped rite there to respond when you say "To any man ...the "proper" and right way to do it would be to play out the last 3 miserable games and let murray win the right way". that word 'miserable' is just a word for you but its somwthing a lot more to SOMEONE! against the same guy rafa played one set and a half barely running and completed the match (rotterdam final). but what did he get?? u people werent even ready to compliment that bravery so what did nadal get? not even kind words but actually on the negative side he got life marred by that knee injury.there have been many matches where he has carried on playy despite being in pain, pain in the same area that caused him to miss wimbledon last year and cost him alot of momentum and aura of invincibility ,why the hell shud he continue??!! he was totally rite to retire, if playing your 'three miserble games' had cost rafa further knee trbles then what wud have been your reaction or the reaction of the world?! aks yourself..u all wud have said 'its his own fault why did he continue ..' . I mean its pathetic ,these comments and insights on nadal's injury. if he plays relentless tennis withour pause and gets hurt people say it was so unwise of him why didnt he take a break he shud adjust his schedule bla bla....and now when he has started taking precautionary measures then still people cast critical eyes on his injury status and him ! its absurd!

This post want solely a reply to your post ,it was but it was also a reply to all those who have stupid things looming in their minds .

ok . go back and read the rest of my post . i really dont understand why he retired .
playing a set and a half injured is stupid .
3 games is not a big deal especially since you are so close to the end . it was just the wrong thing to do .
Like i said ..i dont like kicking a man when he is down ...and that is not my intention here . I just think it was an error in judgement that if given another opportunity he might have done differently . I reckon he regrets not finishing the match now .

We have seen many player retire . But most retired far from the finish line ...not 12 points away . no one was asking him to kill himself and go for every ball for the last 3 games . that would have been stupid . but he could have finished the match without aggravating the injury . if you are a set and a half away from the match then obviously retirement is the best thing to do.
I just think he had a lapse of judgement when he started walking to the chair umpire and suddenly it was too late to turn back . Im NOT saying he is a quitter . There is a giant difference between the two !

What makes things even worse is the djoker showing up the next day and stating that is was not an option for him ( Djoker) to retire .

You might not like what im saying ...but im not entirely wrong .

C'MON !!
AO10...time to lift another one down under

i donot have much problem with your views because atleast you are just discussing different sides of a situation,diferent possibilities. look,the reason why nadal made that judgemental error(as u put it) was that he was so SCARED! we just know what nadal went thru last season but we DIDNOT EXPERIENCE HIS SUFFERINGS so only rafa knows exactly knows how bad those moments were and when those memories and thoughts hit his mind during that match he was so overwhelmed i think, so overwhelmed that he cudnt help but move strait to the chair umpire to dismiss the possibility of a POTENTIAL MISERY from developing once more, so i donot think that decision was bad,it was fine. You are offering your view and highlighting the issue from different angles and u have a right to do that but i dont think there was anything wrong nadal did there.

How can Nole and Muzza (or even Roger to a lesser degree) celebrate their bumps in ranking knowing that if Rafa was fit and participating 100% it would never have happened?

fedexfan... novaks ailment was never anything that could potentially keep him out of the game for a long time. he either had a stomach bug or indigestion

there's no point saying rafa should have finished the match now. it's over. he didn't finish it. it's done

stu: u have a short memory, how many months last year was Andy out injured? Also much longer time 2007.

stu , what you said did not make much sense !
Why stop there ...how can they celebrate knowing that if sampras never aged he might be the best ...lets go further ...maybe if borg was at his peak form at this point they will not do so well ...oh how can they celebrate ....please!!
Nadal was fit ...and participating at a 100 % ...his words at the begining of the tourney. Muzza and Nole had nothing to do with Nadal getting injured and they took good enough care of themselves and trained themselves to get them in the position that they are in now . Stop taking credit away from Muzza and Nole ..thats just low ....and fyi ...even if nadal did not have that injury ...muzza would have won that match . There is no gray area there. He was outplayed in the first 2 sets and he was playing as well as we have seen him in AO10. The first 2 sets are a testament to that statement .

Vamosrafa .....you might be right ... just as you might be wrong ...but i still think the right thing to do was to finish the last 3 games and give murray the win he deserves . retiring is never the answer unless you have a long way to go...ask djoker. Seriously .... im sure you would rather have had the match ended normally and then know that it was because of the injury rather than having him retire when he was on the brink of loosing. You might say its the right decision health wise ...but 3 games away from the end does not make that a very strong argument no matter how many times you say it .
He might have been SCARED and decided to call it quits ? maybe .... but that just proves i was right and if he had a do over ....he would have done the right thing and played it out .

C'MON !!
AO10 ...time to lift another one down under.

Does it matter whether Rafa finish the match or not? Who is the winner in the end?

This is NOT a FINAL match. If one had watched the Rotterdam Final last year, faced with the same problem, even when Rafa was only one set down when the injury occurred, he still carried on the play literally on one leg and finished the match in 3 sets? Did he retire just because it was still a long way to the finish line? The answer is NO! WHY? That is because Rafa wants Murray to have a LEGITIMATE WIN IN A FINAL! That is no question of integrity and sportsmanship there, and I have no doubt that Rafa has both.

Why are people here pointing fingers at him because he retired now in a QF? Does this affect Murray's chance of winning the big prize ultimately? Should Murray win the tournament, does this retirement cast any doubt to the legitimacy of his win? Ask yourself, when Rafa retired, what is the scoreline? Does it make any difference to the end result of the match? Murray is clearly marching towards his victory with 2 sets in his pocket. Whether Rafa retire or not it would not make any difference to Murray, but it may further damage Rafa's knees. Why expect Rafa to behave like a saint by taking care of others and forget about himself?

Why behave so self righteously and start criticizing Rafa for retiring? I feel that he had made a wise choice by retiring, because he had to take care of his knees. Why because of 3 games that he had to run the risk of further damage to his problematic knees?

One more thing to add. Did it occur to some of you here that should Rafa stay on for another 3 games by just standing there and hit the ball back to Murray without moving his legs, it would Murray feel rather awkward? It is certainly an unpleasant feeling to play against a player who is injured and couldn't run after the balls. Murray had this experience last year at Rotterdam. If you have watched that match, you'll notice it is very difficult for Murray to concentrate on the match, when you clearly know that your opponent is injured. Should he hit the ball directly at his opponent or hit it elsewhere and make his injured opponent run for it? Nobody wants a match to end in retirement, but given a chance to choose, I think if I were Murray, I would rather my opponent retire than to play on with injury and make me feel awkward playing an injured opponent.

Well said, luckystar! And I have one more thing to add to Fedexfan: your comments here make sense as much as it made sense when we Rafa fans complained over and over again for Fed crying at the AO last year and spoiling his victory. He ruined his moment of joy, he made him feel guilty for wining and it turned out to be an unhappy moment for all. I wish it did not happen that way, but it did! Fed could not control himself! And this injury Rafa is facing again just happened and he did the right way to retire! I don?t think Murray felt as bad as Rafa last year...so, please, stop saying nonsense and let Rafa be happy for what he has accomplished so far and let him be optimistic that he will be healthy and playing soon...he admitted he was outplayed by Murray, he gave full credit to Murray (do you at all read British papers, they praise Rafa for his words of support!) And please do not bring Nole into picture! Nole has never had serious injuries and has never been out of competition like Rafa...and yet had to retire several times now whether we like it or not. They are only human beings..

fedexfan,
what did you expect Rafa to do once he knew there was something going on with his right knee, just stand there and let Murray hit the ball making no attempt to compete, or continueto compete and aggravate the injury more. Just standing there would not have been any spectacle to watch, and would be pointless. As I pointed out in another thread, when a player retires, it makes no difference, the player who retires loses the match no matter what the score is, so why make the injury worse just because you are worried that Fedexfan, chr18, Solitudine and other like minded people would judge you by their own low standards?

Rafa is a fighter, the first two sets were close, he would have found a way to fight back, after all he saved 5 match points against Nalbandian to win at I/W when his knees were already playing up.



Get Well Soon Rafa - tennis needs you badly!
Vamos

i think what people also tend to forget was in that last set, he was serving second. he waited until his serve to call the trainer. it was clearly affecting his service motion. he still had to serve at least two more games. even if he had been broken to love both those times, that 8 serves. who knows what kind of damage that would have done? had he been serving first and gotten 0-3, he could well have carried on knowing he only had one more service game to go. but who knows?

oh yes, and also luckystar... you hit the nail on the head there. very well said :)

luckystar's 2nd post is excellent. it really is a good way to look at this scenario :)

"You might not like what im saying ...but im not entirely wrong ." fedexfan 1/29/10 2:34 PM

You ARE entirely wrong. He was injured. He retired. It was exactly the right thing to do.

fedexfan,

How kind of you to express your utter bewilderment at Rafa inexplicably withdrawing when he felt a sharp pain in his knee! Yes, much better to do the gentlemanly thing and risk blowing out his knee completely! I don't know whether you are being sincere or just trying to get under the skin of Rafa fans, but either way I simply do not appreciate you beating this thing to death. Let it go, for heaven's sake! We know that you Fed fans will always question Rafa and whatever he does. It's who you are. So Rafa should have been a good sport and finished the match just to make you happy! Well, too bad. He wasn't going to repeat the mistake he made last year at Rotterdam by playing that last set on one leg.

When you have had any kind of injury and then go back to competition, the one thing any good physical therapist will tell you is that if you feel sore, achey or stiff, that's okay. If you feel any sharp pain, then STOP asap! Rafa probably saved himself from a more serious injury by retiring when he did.

Stop acting all disingenuous and innocent. You don't care about Rafa or if he is able to continue playing tennis. But Rafa fans like myself do care very much! So either accept the simple fact that he did the right thing for his health or just let it go. You are beating a dead horse. Enough is enough!

most are self righteous native, nothing you can do. they will never forgive rafa for reducing fed to tears, denying him the calender slam two years in a row and making him wait 5 years for a FO to complete his cabinet of slam trophies.

Seriously, this thing is exaggerated too much. Rafa's injury will be fine. A lot of players retired before Rafa and there will be more.

Fed only retires 1 time in his life coz he's a vampire. Anyway, I am sure Muzza doesnt care abt it anymore.

All focus should be on the final. Rafa's out. Just wait for his next tournament.

This might be the first time I've heard Federer referred to as a vampire. I LIKE IT! :D

torres,

I am not the one who isn't letting go of this thing with Rafa. Fed fans should rejoice in another final appearance in a grand slam and let it go at that. But no, they just have to go over the same thing, on and on ad nauseum. It really is appalling, to say the least. Yes, it's over and done and Rafa fans can move on and deal with it, because we have gone through it before. The initial shock and sadness if over and now we look to the future and Rafa's return. If Fed fans think trashing his retirement from the match incessantly like a broken record, will stop Rafa from coming back and winning again, then they are sadly mistaken.

I have no problem waiting for Rafa's next tournament. I just think it's time to put this retirement issue to rest, once and for all. I still find it positively mindblowing that some Fed fans can't just focus on their guy and leave Rafa alone already!

homos,

Thanks my friend for your words of wisdom. Of course you are completely right. I know it and so do all Rafa fans. It's the price that has to be paid for Rafa daring to take anything away from Fed.

But Rafa fans are a tough bunch. We have to be. We have been through it before and will get through it. So will Rafa.

homos, absolutely spot on! i've said the exact same things to family members, many, many times. if you compare the number of negative articles written about rafa to the number of articles written about the other top four players, it's mindboggling! like you say, that's their way of paying rafa for standing in roger's way! what they don't know is that rafa probably doesn't know they exist and if he does , he doesn't care. what they say & write will never break rafa's will!

Clearly, NNY, homos, memi, you guys sometimes just think everything is a cause of hatred towards Rafa. Seriously, u guys are the same person questioning Fed's sportsmanship values and then when your guy does something questionable, you guys think it's wrong to even speculate Rafa's judgement.

Fedexfan was just questioning his judgement and u guys react more than what Fedfans do when u guys questions his sportsmanship values.

Dont flatter yourselves. What Rafa did to Fed is well forgotten especially in the end, Fed still got the FO, still got the Career Slam, still has so many records.

We are thankful enough, we dont need Fed to win the Calendar Slam 4 times. We are content with what he has achieved.

NNY - to say Federer's fanbase is jealous of Rafa would be.....just about the biggest understatement in all of sports.

You just need to live with the repercussions of that jealously, some of which are in writing in the above comments.

Yeah, we are so jealous of Rafa being out in the Quarters and not beating a top 10 player for months.

Wooo.. so jealous... What an understatement...

Nice to join u all. A am a great eskimo from northern Canada. Just ate a frozen fish, gonna chow down on some whale blubber now. Just trying to warm up for the Serena-Henin match. Anyway, just wanna share, Nadal is still young, I'm sure he'll heel up and go on another tear, hopefully he can stay healthy. If he does, gonna be interesting to see how far he goes as far as wins and grand slams. The guy's a worrior, and I agree with many that he doesn't get enough respect. Look at federer, it took a while before he began to win majors etc., so these young guys, especially Nadal, have potential and I look forwrad to some great tennis in the years to come. I will say something about Federer though... He's gotta be the most consistent player int eh history of the game, let alone all the slams and other big tournaments he's won.

Curious, could someont compare what rafa and federer have done by the age of 22?

my point exactly

torres,

One thing I will not tolerate from you is any accusation that I in any way have insulted or trashing Fed! You know better than to lump us all together! I have made myself clear as to where I stand when it comes to this kind of gratuitous bashing of tennis players. I don't do it, will never do it and won't start now.

Also, you are trying to change the discussion. You know what the issue is, so let's not play mind games, shall we? You know what Fedexfan said perfectly well and this is certainly not the first time Rafa fans have had to deal with these cheap shots. Every time Rafa is vulnerable, the vultures come out in force. That's one reason why I waited to come here at all. I knew what I was going to read, but somehow it never gets easy.

I do believe that there is this seething, irrational anger at Rafa for taking even one grand slam or one title or one anything from Fed. You may not have it, but many Fed fans sure do. You don't need to recite Fed's resume. I know his record from memory. That's not the point. The point is that Rafa is the one who challenged Fed and took something from him. For some Fed fans, that's sacrilege.

Ricky,

Thanks for the kind words. If you have been reading any of my posts, you know that I am struggling and doing my best to handle this latest injury. I promised myself that I wouldn't get so attached to any tennis player again, but what can I say? Rafa got me! Right now things seem so unfair. But from what you have said, this is not a bad thing for Rafa to have some rest! I guess things happen for a reason, but for now I sure can't see it.

Oh goodness, I just noticed the latest reply from torres. Please give me a break! Oh yes, I am so jealous of your guy being in it still and my guy being out. Sorry, but that's not who I am. All I want is for Rafa to have a quick recovery. My thoughts are only of him. It may spoil your party, but I have better things to do with my time than engage in jealous rantings. You and I don't see eye to eye, but you know that I don't get into that kind of nonsense, never have and never will.

Native,

Unfortunately the only reason that his month of "rest" is good news is because desperate times call for desperate measures, and these are very desperate times.

Honestly, I think diehard Nadal fans need to start preparing for the worst in order to prevent the onset of some kind of serious depression. And by preparing for the worst, I mean....they need to start preparing for the "end."

but, again, his decision to skip Rotterdam is at least a good start in his effort to prevent the worst from happening

Actually there is no need to compare Rafa's and Fed's achievement now. We shall wait till both retire then we do the comparison. I'm sure Fed has and will have some records that Rafa or anybody else couldn't break; likewise for Rafa, there may be some records that he holds that nobody can compare with. Both are great but at this point of time, Fed is greater. I think there is no need to fight among the fans of both players. Fed fans and Rafa fans will carry on supporting and cheering for their player, and Fed and Rafa will continue to be friendly and respectful towards each other. We should be happy and thankful that they like each other, let's hope that this rivalry will continue for some time to come!

speaking of injuries

Lleyton Hewitt is holding a press conference any minute now

Luck,

That's the beauty of the sport. What you really are challenging is your ability to counter your opponent on the court, and that's where it stays. The guys/gals are professionals and really hold no gurdge to eachother, except respect. Id much rather know that I'm playing the best than play someone that I will likely beat. It's about the challenge. May the best man win.

wow , so much has happened .
No guys , i did not expect him to stand there and look at the ball . He is a pro tennis player . not retarted . I expect him to put the ball in play only . But obviously that seemed to have been too taxing for someone who walked off court according to all the doctors here .

right now my attention is diverted to the most ludicrous that ive read so far ..

"to say Federer's fanbase is jealous of Rafa would be.....just about the biggest understatement in all of sports."

That one had me laughing my butt off. A Rafa fan in hiding accusing Fed fans of being jealous . This is like the third time im saying this , I dont like kicking a man when he is down ...however , the reason for that is because i genuinely think Rafa is "down" and need some help physically and mentally to get back to where he was . The very fact that someone could accuse a Fed fan , any Fed fan of being jealous of Rafa is just incomprehensible especially considering our current circumstances.

C'MON !!
AO10....time to lift another one down under.

Hewitt out 3-4 months (right hips surgery)

Federer is Federer, and Rafa is Rafa. They are both amazing sportsmen and champions that have achieved so much not only for themselves, but for the sport. Fed has records that might not be breakable (23 consecutive GS semis and so on) but so does Rafa, his clay record is not going to be replicated or repeated, not for very long time.

Rafa is injured, he will be out and he will recover, there is no need to question his sportsmanship. We are not him, we do not know how he feels or what it took for him to retire.

I just wish (diehard) Fedfans and (diehard) Rafafans CAN have some measure of respect for each other and each player and not to speculate/bad mouth unnecessarily. I've said this many times, but Roger and Rafa LIKE each other. Very much, in fact. Pity their fans are dead set on hating each other. *shrug*

On another note, how unlucky is Hewitt? I have a hard time deciding who has the worse luck, Hewitt or Haas. But at the same time, says a lot about his (their) fighting spirit and love for the sport/game.

And speaking of will and fighting spirit, don't discount Rafa either. I know people are in doubt about him ever winning a hardcourt Slam again, but mark my words, he will. He definitely WANTS it, no less than Federer or Murray or Nole or Delpo. Career Slam for Rafa is a matter of time. He will get to that US Open. :)

fedexfan, you are entitled to your own opinion about Rafa's retirement. How would you know that Rafa need not run for the ball? How can you assume that Murray would surely hit the ball to Rafa's hitting zone for Rafa to return it back? Murray is not obliged to do so. They'll be standing there and hitting at the ball forever if Murray is obliged to do so! Are you comparing 'walking off the court' with actually playing in a tennis match? We are no doctors but are you one?

Most of us Rafa fans would think that he had made a wise decision and I'm sure Murray won't mind Rafa's retirement. Nobody wish any more harm on Rafa, and Murray surely would think so too! In fact if I remember correctly, Murray mentioned after last year's Rotterdam final that he wouldn't mind if Rafa retired then as he could see that Rafa was obviously in pain. Credit to Rafa for hanging in there to the finish line. This time round, Rafa couldn't afford to do so given how bad his knee condition had deteriorated over last year, so we think it's a wise decision that he has made now.

I would say some, but not all, Fed's fans dislike Rafa for standing in Fed's way on so many occasions. It is quite obvious that until 2009, nobody other than Rafa can beat Fed in a slam final, and once Rafa is not there, the path to winning the slam looks much less daunting for Fed. I'm glad now that more young guns like Delpo and Murray are challenging Fed at a slam final. I hope Murray has a breakthrough this Sunday and wins his maiden slam. I have nothing against Fed, if Murray fails, then I'll congratulate Fed for winning another slam.

Rafa only really stood in Fed's way in most Slams in 2008-2009. Other than that period, he wasnt there anyway. He'll just pop in and beat Fed on clay and then challenge Fed 2 times in WImby (which he lost) and then he's not there in USO in AO until 2009.

I agree that he's still young and have accomplished more than Fed at this age. He has every chance to accomplish what Fed has done but it's hard to see that esp. now he cant be fast like when he was young because he'll get injured more and more playing like that.

Anyway, i dont see what fedexfan said that is saing Nadal quit the match. He's just saying Nadal made an error of judgement. If you guys are Muzza's fan, probably u guys would hate Rafa for doing that especially when u guys thought Fed 'robbed' Rafa's moment of glory by crying.

Now that's the tabes turned, what Rafa did was right so I hope u guys could accept that what Fed did is also beyond his control.

Oh torres9, how could you compare a QF match at the AO to a victory ceremony of the AO itself? Whatever you said, you are not putting things in the right perspective. Why not ask alex and deuce, both Murray's fans, would they feel offended by Rafa's retirement? And if Fed is doing the same thing as crying at Murray's first victory ceremony, will they feel the same way as some Rafa fans here? ( I must say SOME as not all Rafa fans are that put off by Fed's action, I think)

When I said Rafa standing in Fed's way, I mean mostly the FO finals from 06 -08 which you just briefly mentioned as 'He'll just pop in and beat Fed on clay..' without even mentioning the 'FO', and you choose to mention the USO and AO (as Fed had more successes there). See, that's how you see things in your own perspective, emphasizing on Fed's victories and Rafa's failures (failure as to not winning the slams in question). I'm talking about Rafa standing in Fed's ways, so naturally the emphasis will be on Rafa's successes against Fed's failures, and it is because of these Rafa successes against Fed's failures that make some Fed fans dislike Rafa.

I guess we may never see eye to eye, so we shall stop here. I think it's also time that the retirement issue be put to rest.

Fedexfan,
Why don't you spend your energies rejoycing in Roger's triumphs, instead of wasting them gloating at Rafa's failings. That Federer has a lot to celebrate is in no question, that Rafa's stars are not shining at the moment is evident, no amount of rubbing it in will make it any worse.

After the end of the 2nd set when Rafa called the trainer, the Eurosport commentators distinctly heard him tell the trainer that he didn't think he could play with the injury for 5 sets, he decided to start the 5th set, and probably realised that he couldn't even serve properly, so called it a day. I hope next time he will consider what Fedexfan would think about him before retiring with injury.

Apparently your sole purpose in coming on TT is to run Rafa down, because we never hear from you unless Rafa is on a downer. No prizes for guessing why you hate Rafa so much, because he is the only one Roger loses sleep over before an impending match.



Get Well Soon Rafa, tennis needs you badly
Vamos

Carrie ,

My stand throughout this entire conversation has been " I think he made an error in judgement " ...I did not call him a quitter ( i stated that I dont think so ) , i did not bad mouth him or say anything negative ...all i did say is that i think if he had a do over he might have done things differently .
I frankly dont give a damn whether rafa fails or succeeds but I just had a thought with regards to the issue especially since there were so many negative comments about it prior to mine . I have not been down on nadal .
Your sole purpose of coming to TT is to protect nadal at all cost even though no one is really saying anything bad about him . I accepted the fact that he is injured . I did not even question that . If I wanted to be "bad" and rub it in I would just simply question the validity of the injury ... but IM NOT doing that . So take your over sensitive self and get a clue .

and believe me ....roger only looses sleep because of the kids .... rafa is really a non issue ....he is only important to you rafan ...not anyone else . In fact , go look around TT and see when was the last time i made a comment about rafa ( without being provoked by anti fed fans) . Its been ages . This was just a comment . No ill intentions . I guess you guys are really fragile .... you should have some trust in him . Not just say it but actually believe it . Talk about blind fanaticism ...geezz..

I think i said so many times ...so so many times...."i think" it was an error in judgement . If im wrong ...Fine ..the fact that you wont accept the idea of what im saying just makes me hate his fans even more . toor seems to be the only one to see that im actually not bad mouthing anyone. there is no name calling ...heck i did not even accuse him of intentionally retiring . i just though it was a rushed decision ...but of course , this being a nadal fansite ...i guess im over stepping some boundaries eh ?

p.s : now watch me rejoyce Fed being in the final .....i always appreciate the effort from the FedExpress. Its never lost on me .

C'MON !!
AO10...time to lift another one down under

luckystar, u said Rafa stood in Fed's way so we're talking about Fed's failure to complete the Career Slam rite? So we r talking abt Fed's 'failures'.

When u talk abt it, how is winning 3 out of 4 Slams considered a 'failure'? We're probably annoyed becoz some Rafans think that just by beating Fed alone makes Rafa a whole lot tennis player than Fed himself or even Muzza, Djoker etc.

So how can u explain someone who has beaten Fed so many times not being able to win a single set in WTF2009? And also how is sumone so great gets beaten by Davy 3 times in a row and Djoker 3 times in a row.

I'm putting this on a small perspective becoz that's what some Rafans are doing. Bringing up some instances where Rafa was great and then forgetting the big picture.

Rafa's retirement spoiled Muzza's win no matter to what extent. I am sure Muzza fans dun care becoz they wont react like Rafans complaining how Fed ruined Rafa's moment or glory. It's just sad the same people who gets mad when their guy's moment of glory is spoiled is vigorously defending the same action when their guy is doing the same thing.

Torr , it looks like a victory over roger means that the victor has trumped all of rogers achievements ...he does not have to do anything else ....hahah ...

I guess Davy boy , Muzza and JWT all should be heading to the hall of fame cos they all have victories over the great one ....

it does not matter how much you suck at everything else ....as long as you beat roger ...you are god ...haha ...nothing else matters.

utter rubbish ...

I bet if Murray won 2moro he will be called GOAT since he beat roger ( even though it would be his first ever GS)

C'MON !!
AO10 ...time to lift another one down under

fedexfan, if you say you are not trying to run Rafa down, then I accept that. There are others though who are even questioning the fact that he is injured at all.



Get Well Soon Rafa, tennis needs you badly
Vamos

torres, you seem unable to keep the discussion in the right context, hence your own perspective. I'm not concentrating on Fed's failures to make Rafa looks good. I'm talking about the fact that some Fed fans dislike Rafa because of Rafa standing in Fed's ways in some of the slams (mostly FOs). I have never question about Fed's greatness, and neither did I say that Rafa's achievements are greater than Fed's. PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO MY POST AND EXPECT ME TO ANSWER FOR WHAT OTHER RAFA FANS HAD TO SAY ABOUT FED!!! I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR OTHERS ACTIONS OR REACTIONS!!!

You seem to think the effect of 'spoiling' a big victory ceremony for someone is equal to the effect of retiring against someone in a QF match. Well if you think in that way, so be it. Anyway, I'm NOT one of those that blame Fed for spoiling Rafa's joyous moment. I really find it hard to watch a big man cry like that, and I understand that he must be feeling really upset that he had to cry, and I feel sorry for him more than anything else.

It's not the same but the effect is the same.

If it's really not about the jealousy that Fedfans dislike Nadal. The same can be said about the fans of other players like Djoker and Muzza towards Fed.

Just watch homos, memi, rzfr, they constantly bash Fed. It's about jealousy too, then.

Ricky,

Regarding your response 1/30/10 4:43 am, I feel the need to break my own rule and reveal some personal information about myself. When I was twenty years old, I was involved in a catastrophic car accident. I should not have survived and, at the very least, should have been paralyzed in a wheelchair. It was a miracle that I survived at all. I have lived with chronic pain ever since. The doctors advised me to that I would have to give up a lot of activities, but I was stubborn and willful and determined to lead as full and active a life as possible. I did have to give up tennis, but I was no good at it, so it wasn't a huge loss. I spent years in a bowling league playing at the very highest level. My doctors told me I wouldn't be able to do it. I have played volleyball, exercised with high level aerobics and step classes. I defied every single prediction of my doctors. In fact, one orthopedic specialist told me that staying active was probably what kept me out of a wheelchair. Now middle age has caused me to curtail some of my activities, but with treatment from time to time, I have a pretty active life. I am still standing. So I am not one who gives up easily and wilts in the face of a challenge.

I have also survived tragedies in my life that should have broken my spirit and destroyed me completely. Your concern about serious depression is appreciate, but I have been tested and have weathered enough to know that this is not going to happen to me at all. What you are reading in my comments is not foolish expectations or unrealistic expectations. What you are reading is a belief that you should never give up, never shrink from adversity, fight for yourself. That is all I wish for Rafa. I also have to believe that Rafa's doctors know the actual condition of his knee. They should be able to determine if he is able to resume playing competitive tennis matches. I cannot believe that they would risk letting him stay in this sport if they thought his knee was damaged beyond repair and playing would cause additional severe damage. My question to you is, why wouldn't they advise Rafa to retire now? Why wait? If it's that bad, what's the point of having him go through all the rehab and effort if it's a lost cause? Why are you so certain that the "end:" is near? Shall I get out my mourning clothes? Shall I say that Rafa is done for good? One thing I can assure you - whatever happens with Rafa, I will not be destroyed by it. I have lived through far, far worse. I just don't see any reason to prolong the inevitable if it's really that bad.

I know all too well what is going on with Rafa. I also know that amazing things can happen if you are willing to keep on fighting. Rafa doesn't seem to think it's time to call it a day. I am sure his doctors are being honest with him. Is he just doing some media spin or is he in denial?

I am prepared for whatever is to come. I am not living in a fool's paradise. All I know is what I have experienced in my life. Of course, I was not a top athlete competing at the very highest levels. But nevertheless, if I had listened to the doctors and given up, I would be sitting here typing this from a wheelchair. You never know.

torres if you think pointing out fed's gamesmanships that fed himself admitted to is fed bashing than you have some serious problems. i don't see you calling chr18 for its bashing of rafa. as long as dicks like that continue, i will for any reason i see fit to pick on. you can thank some of your fellow fed fanatics for the bashing that goes on here because that's what the fans respond to.

NNY, I dont see why Rafa getting a 1-week injury is such a big tragedy. A lot of other players get that type of injury. It's not like he's sick or something. He'll be back soon, isnt he? So it's good that u show concern for him but I hope it's not made to look as if he's in a such a bad state.

homos, from what i noticed you are the most consistent peace-pact offender here. When everyone is in peace u'll come up with trolling comments and then acts all innocent. If you cant tell the difference between Fed's joking abt things and him being serious, then you have some problems. I bet you believe him when he said he just sit on the couch to be fit when asked by Jim Courier.

fyi mr blind one, it was your fed disckheads like chr18 and other sadist who couldn't wait to attack arafa when he retired. i didn't post anything about fed til that happened. but you are the same you'll always blame rafa's fans for troubles. i'm not acting innocent. it's not secret i can't stand fed. newsflash reminder: i'm entitled to think that. but from where you are sitting, only fed fans have the right to opinion and attack rafa and his fans. we should sit back and take it. don't act all innocent yourself and on behalf of your fed fanatics here (and i'm not refering to all fed fans). only the few of you here who cause trouble than shout "these bloody rafans start all the trouble" for poor us innocent fed fans. nothing's changed. if you can't handle the FACT that your man has turned to gamesmanship when his game alone can no longer consistently see him to victories, carry on your blind worship and denial of the truth. i won't lose any sleep over it. seeing as we're not going to agree, i won't be wasting my precious time on you again.

life must be blissful through rose tinted glasses. i wonder if some people even realise who much laughter they attract.

On tuesday 26th I watched Rafa going through his pre match warm up from 4.30 to 5.30 Halfway through this session he had trouble with his right foot and got it attended to by his team man Rafa continued traing but did not look happy
His retirement in the match v Murray was for real RAFA is not a quitter
Good luck for a quick recovery Rafa Tennis needs you

so homos, Rafa has always been delaying time. Does this mean his game is not good enuff that he needs to take so much time between points?

LOL.... you are a funny one. The way I saw it, Fed's forehands were the ones that destroyed Davydenko. Not the toilet break.

Keep it up, homos. Keep watching the toilet breaks and not the tennis. Continue living in the dark

torres,

I have no desire to pick a fight with you. It's not me that is saying that Rafa fans should prepare for the "end". It's hard to see this happening. That's about all I can say. I told you that I won't go there with Fed. I am not going to change my mind now. In the past if I had a specific issue with something Fed said that I didn't like or any other issue, then I have come out and said it and let it go. It's hard to read some of the things said about Rafa. But going after Fed won't make me feel any better.

I don't wish Fed ill. I may not be his fan, but I don't hate him at all. Enjoy this opportunity for Fed to win another grand slam.

I'm a Rafa fan. We have to be of sturdy stock. But no matter what happens, it's been a great ride. I would not have wanted to miss it. I will wait and see what happens. When Rafa and this team come out and say that it's over, then I can be sad. For now I live with cautious optimism and hope. If I was faint of heart, I wouldn't have been able to get through my own life.

Good luck to both Fed and Murray. I hope it will be a good match and may the best man on this day win.

NNY, Rafa is not ending... his injury is 1-week injury right? So, dont worry too much, He'll be back..

It is good to know that Rafa still has "The Rafa Effect". Here is a thread that reports on an injury to a player who has met Roger Federer just once since last year's AO and lost to him in straight sets on native soil.

Moreover it is not a match report on theMurray QF. There were separate threads for that.

And yet, even to this day, a Fedfan feels the need to pop by and put up a post denigrating My Guy.

Rafa, it is good to know you've still got it!

VAMMMOOOSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SO DIRRRRRTY OUT HERE!!!!,,,,LOTS OF MUDSLINGING HERE AND THERE!!!!
EVERYTHING IS VERY SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND.

RAFA IS INJURED!... FED FANS DON'T WANT(and would always question it) TO ACCEPT IT BEACUSE THEY ARE SO AFRAID OF A "HEALTHY" NADAL.

FEDERE WON HIS 16TH! - ONLY THE FED FANS ARE EXTATIC! THE WHOLE TENNIS WORLD IS STILL WAITING FOR A RAFA-ROGER FINALS IN A SLAM,,, TO CALL IT A R*E*A*L* CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH.

WISHFUL THINKING, BUT HOPE IT HAPPENS AT THE US OPEN!

LOL... Rafa was healthy in this AO and I didnt feel scared at all... LOL

NNY, Rafa is not finished! He will be back! Don't you guys remember his interview early this year saying how he would like to win it all in 2010 but it sure won't be possible, but he will still go for it? Do you think that someone who is warned or who has received any, just any indication from his doctors that he might have to retire soon would ever make a statement like that? He is more positive these days than us, his fans...

We have to be positive about this whole thing. After all, Rotterdam is irrelevant he should have skipped it anyway...and Davis Cup, first round, even if he is not playing, who cares? Fed is already skipping it and nobody seemed to care about it...Rafa?s injury does not seem to be the major one. And no offence to Murray fans, but he played much better match vs. Rafa, today he was just a shadow of the man who beat Nadal...Rafa is almost there. I believe he will be working hard in a two week time...he worked hard in December to reach this level which is much, much higher than the one he was at the WTF. Do you really think that Uncle Toni would put him through such demanding preparations and trainings in Dec if he thought for one second that Rafa?s knees might be in danger? C?mon he knows much better than we do...We should appreciate how much he was able to improve over the short period of time and we should just give him our support. I strongly believe our Rafa will be bringing us joy and happiness very soon...let him rest for a while, he has a long season ahead of him...

Good post,natashao:) rafa will be fine.and he'll be back.NNY,don't let little comments get next to you so much...relax..you know people are going to talk,rafa's not going anywhere.He's learning to play more aggressive and making better choices.

Tennis needs Rafa.No one can challenge federer but nadal.The final was just awful.no one has the balls to fight but Rafa.the jury is still out on Delpo.
But i don't blame federer.Win them all.If not one has that fighting spirit to challenge him then,,win'em all!
Rafa must save tennis!

natashao,

You are very kind. I appreciate your comments. Believe me, if you read my very long and personal post, I am NOT giving up on Rafa. I agree with you that Rafa's doctor and Uncle Toni wouldn't put him through anything that might destroy his knees forever. That is why I have hope. I know my post was too long and maybe some would not want to read it in its entirety, but what I was really trying to say is that I never gave up hope on myself. I could have just laid down and not even tried to have an active life. I could have given in to the chronic pain, but I didn't. Today they know more about back injuries and the bed rest that the doctors advised, is actually the worst thing for the problem. I was determined to stay active and it was the best thing I ever did and the reason I am not in a wheelchair. You have to fight for your life and have courage and guts. My story is way too long to even begin to tell in a post here, but the truth is that I was in another serious car accident two years later that badly aggravated by back even more. So it really was a horrific thing to survive. But I know what can happen if you just believe.

I will never give up on Rafa. Seeing the match between Fed and Murray made me realize even more that we desperately need Rafa in the sport of tennis. Look at what it is without him! I see that some Fed fans have said that Rafa would not have been able to beat Fed. Don't you believe it for one minute! Even Chris Fowler of espon2 kept comparing Fed/Murray to Fed/Rafa. He said how different it is when it's Rafa playing Fed. If the Fed fans won't admit it, I don't care. It's the truth.

I am not going to hate on Fed for winning his 16th grand slam final. I wished both players good luck and said may the best man win on that day. Well, on that day it was Fed. But I found myself thinking about Rafa and how he can fight like no one else, never back down, never give up, have no fear.

I am not a world class athlete, but I know that if I could avoid a wheelchair, then Rafa can overcome his knees and live to fight another day. I will never, ever give up on him or write him off.

alik,

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement. I agree with you that if no one can step up to the challenge and beat Fed (except Rafa, of course), then his win is well deserved. He earned that win. I won't trash him because some silly Fed fans insist on taking cheap shots at Rafa. Hating is a waste of life. Period.

NNY,

I am inclined to believe that Federer/Nadal clashes and matches are on another level entirely, especially on the Grand Slam stage (except French Open 2008, do not know what happened there). No one plays Nadal like Federer does, and vice versa. There is always something very special when the both of them play each other. Much as I enjoyed yesterday's match and Roger's victory, and all credit to Murray for playing his heart out, I do miss Rafa and cannot help thinking he will bring such a different dynamic to the match.

Rafa will be back. He better be! I somehow cannot imagine tennis without him (or Roger, for that matter). Tennis will be very very different (to me at least) when one of them, or both of them, retires.

Aussies are 'simply amazing': Rafael Nadal

* Rafael Nadal
* From: Herald Sun
* January 30, 2010 12:00AM

Rafael Nadal says Aussies are amazing people who made him feel welcome at the Australian Open. Source: HWT Image Library

SPANISH tennis player Rafael Nadal bids Australia good-bye, after a disappointing end to his Australian Open campaign.

Hello everyone,

I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye and thanks. I had a great time during my stay in Melbourne.

It is obvious I would have loved to be there today, writing this blog from my Melbourne hotel room waiting for the final.

But this year it was not meant to be. I really felt great during my stay in Australia.

The people there are simply amazing, it's one of the nicest countries in the world.

Starting with the tournament organisers, the player services people who never get mentioned at speeches on court, the tournament director, the crowds and also Ian, the driver assigned to me during tournament, a really nice person who was always there trying to help.

I am happy and sad at the same time. Happy because I felt I was playing really well. Against Andy Murray I probably played at highest level I've managed in the past 12 months.

He was better and deserved to win, but I felt I could have won either of the first two sets.

There was a couple of matches at Indian Wells last March where I also played at that high level, but not much more last year.

But I was sad in Melbourne because, unfortunately, I had to retire and everyone knows I hate to do that.

Haven't done it much in my career, but I thought I could not go any further and the injury could get worse. On top of that, Andy was too good that day for me.

So, I have written this post on the plane back to Spain. It's a long trip and I had time to think and time to analyze everything. I am going to go and get checked by my doctor in Spain.

I imagine a lot of people are speculating about me, and my knee, creating doubts... it is normal, we know that. Sometimes there is simply too much speculation.

Anyway, I am looking forward to coming back to Melbourne next year. Many thanks to all. Rafa.


Get Well Soon Rafa, Tennis badly needs you
Vamos

The way I'm looking at it....... it seems to me that it's been agreed upon by Rafa and his team that whenever any danger to his knee is imminent (regardless of the magnitude of the tournament) , there is no other option but STOP, so that any injury won't be aggravated by further stressing it. That's just a PRACTICAL move considering the DAMAGE of that injury has done to Rafa's career. For sure ALL HIS FANS will definitely support that.... IF WE WANT TO SEE MORE of him on the tour for a long time.

NNY, I admire you and it is just great to have someone like you to be one of us, THE SUPPORTERS of Rafa! We all need to be realistic and no matter how difficult it must be to live in silence (it is just when Rafa does not participate at tournaments, it becomes odd and void to read about tennis and not see numerous articles on him) we know that our time will come...we have a saying here: it is easy to be a general after the battle...you have to be brave, smart and making the right decisions during the battle, and that is how you ensure victory, that is how you win! This is exactly what Rafa and his team are doing and we shall respect that! We just need to be patient...Rafa has a lot to aim for and he just will not give up...

While waiting for him to get well and resume playing, I am already arranging to go and see him playing in Miami (last year I got to see the finals Novak vs. Murray, although I purchased tickets with certainty that Rafa would be playing final...lol..) And I am also looking forward to seeing him in Rome to which I plan to travel to and spend all my savings just to see him playing :-) I have high expectations from this tournament! My deep desire is for him to show his peak form in Rome. I don?t know why, maybe because he just reminds me of Roman gladiators and this tournament is his perfect match, he owns it and he shall win it again! Vamos!

Hey people,
I've been out of tennistalk for a good while. Feels good to be back.
What can I say? This thing with the knee has definitely turned out to be the shaping force in Rafa's planning. He knows now what he can ask from his privileged physique and what he can't.
As far as his game is concerned - he's going to struggle more and more against hard court flat hitters but he's got such an enormous will power and determination that I don't completely rule him out from winning again some GS which isn't RG.
But, overall, I'm a bit scheptic in thinking that he can get much better at this game... (I hardly sound like a Rafa fan at all, do I?)

BUSINESS WEEK (America's Most Powerful Athletes)


Rafael Nadal

Power 100 rank: 11
Sport: ATP Tennis
Age: 23
Most recent notable achievement: Won 2009 Australian Open
Earnings: $31.5 million
Key sponsors: Nike, Kia, Babolat

Why he's on the list: Though knee injuries derailed the Spaniard's attempt at overtaking Roger Federer as the world's top player, Nadal plays with his heart on his sleeve to the delight of marketers and female fans around the globe.

Sorry, I forgot to post the link, those are not my words, it's verbatim straight from the magazine.

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/10/01/0126_power_100/12 .htm

Ricky,

I'm responding to your post upthread wherein you advise Rafa fans to prepare for The End.

A few months ago, I would have agreed with you. His tactics were abysmal during the China swing and especially during WTF, when he didn't have any injuries. Much worse than the summer HC swing where he couldn't serve but still managed to eke out victories.

However, he's been playing much better tennis thus far in 2010. Many fans have wanted him to forgo the Rotterdam appearance fee for years. He's doing that now, and since he never signed up for Dubai and has said he probably won't be needed for a Fed-less DC, this recovery will actually be something along the lines of Preseason Redux. Given how much he improved in December and certainly the previous December, I think this bodes well for the American HC swing.

jyannis,

You are one of those special people who can understand and appreciate the greatness in both players. They really do bring out the best in each other when they play. I would love to see the rivalry continue. I like to say that I don't hate Fed, I just love Rafa. That's all there is to it. I don't see any reason for Fed/Rafa fans to be at war all the time. Once in a while, we should just lay down our swords and relax!

natashao,

Thank for your kind words. I won't be speaking again about personal things in my life, but sometimes you have to stand up and let people know why you are who you are and what made you that way. I don't need people thinking that because I can be emotional and passionate about Rafa, that this necessarily means that I am weak and will be destroyed if Rafa cannot play anymore. First of all, I don't think we are there yet. This injury is not career threatening. From what his doctor said, this injury is not related to tendinitis. It's a fairly minor injury and should heal quickly. Whether or not it was caused by the damage to the knee from the acute flareup of the tendinitis last year, I just don't know. I am more positive than ever that Rafa did exactly the right thing in retiring immediately. If he had continued, he might have made the tear worse or even ruptured the tendon. I think one reason Rafa seems pretty optimistic is that this does not appear to be a recurrence of the tendinitis. I don't know what will happen when he returns. We will have to wait and see. The one thing about any new injury is that it makes it difficult for a player to trust his body. Rafa has been struggling with mental toughness and confidence, so we will have to see how this affects him. He was so close to being in his best form again. This short period of time away from the game will most likely not cause him to lose a lot of his good form.

Rafa is a very strong young man and will not quit. Neither should we.

It's great that you will get to see Rafa play in Miami. You are very dedicated to use your hard earned savings to see him play in Rome, but I am sure it will be well worth it.

The interesting side of Rafa being No4 now, or even dropping further down given that he has so many points to defend until FO is in the following: he will be the worst nightmare to most of the top players at some early stages in the tournaments, especially GSs...

First: we don?t know, as NNY was rightly pointing out, how Rafa will accommodate to the fact that his body does get injured and that he will have to keep that in mind while playing matches, and it may unfortunately lead to another confidence issues...But we know Rafa as mentally strong and he will just have to overcome it. He will just have to be the old, invincible Rafa again; no matter what it takes...his current injury is not that bad and the time off will just do him good. In fact, Rafa?s improvement right now is more about working on his serve and practicing, he does not need matches to do so...however, the best way to reach his top form is for his best shots to start working well which just boost his confidence (he was almost there at the AO, I believe he was at his 85% at the AO and he only needs this small 15% to reach his 100%) And he will have time to work on those during his clay season...

Second thing is that now being NO4 or lower ranked, he may get to face Fed at some early stages like quarterfinals at FO, and I see that as great opportunity for Rafa to prove to himself and to the rest of the world that he is the best on clay! If he beats Fed or Nole or Murray at that early stage he will be fast-climbing back to the top in a best possible way. Fed, for instance, losing points for early exit while Rafa gaining confidence for beating top players and reaching final with less pressure...do you see what I mean? Rafa will have a lot to fight for at early rounds in the FO and I am sure he and his team will be ready for it. By claiming victories he will not only advance further, but he will be forcing his top ranked opponents to drop in rankings. At FO and Wimby, there is his chance to play the best, to trash top players, regain huge confidence and come back to the top...Vamos Rafa! Nobody can do it like you! At the age of 20, when he was still inexperienced he was able to push Fed to the limit at his favorite surface at Wimby...we all agree Rafa is far more complete player now and, provided he is healthy, nothing will stand on his way to do it again..