wow

Wow talaga! I never expected the match to be this easy.

Congrats Rafa!

fast!!!
14 minutes by my watch!!
though it is still developing..

18 minutes for full!!

Many congrats to Rafa and his fans on this thread too. A most convincing, comprehensive, scintillating win from an amazing athlete..

That was Rafa at his best! He saved his best for last and against his "fave" opponent. :-)

What say you now ATR?

woow, what a performance. he saved his best for the finale, didnt he?

So proud of him!! he showed the difference between a good player and a great player

I predicted 6-0, 6-4, 6-3... Guess I wasn't so far from reality. Congratulations RAFA!!!

wow, Nadal was just unbelievable... a worthy winner... how can he just get everything back like that...

i can't believe it. i'm so happy for him :D

All those who told Rafan's to be careful what we wished for - what I wished for was for Rafa to regain his No 1 ranking by Federer being knocked out before the SF, and for Rafa to win this tournament by giving Sod a beat-down in the final, just to show him that last year was a fluke. That's why I was rooting for Sod against Federer.


VAMOS RAFA!
The King of Clay.

chr18 -

Sod is a comen
but nobody knows when
it wasn't at the French Open
guess he'll have to try again.

croc, it's great to see a Fedfan congratulate Rafa.

Well... the crown is back where it should be...
Congrats to all Rafans on TT... your guy was AMAZING!!!
SO GOOOOOOOD TO SEE RAFA BACK... I think even ATR should be happy...
Nadline, Vrael, Vamos... enjoy!!!

Congrats Rafa, my super champion! We love you so so so much and we share in your celebration and happiness! Many more to come, Champion! Celebration, Rafa-nation!

And even the sun was there for Rafa just as he likes...those weather forecasts proved wrong as well..:)

Simply the best! Thank you, Rafa! You are the greatest! Enjoy your crown now and then go for Wimby! VAMOS!!!

So who has had the best claycourt season, then?




VAMOS RAFA!

Congrats Rafa ...

Well deserved win and with this , all your mental demons are conquered and you are fully liberated

Looking forward to you scaling new heights by giving some kickass wins to Delpo ( whenever he comes in 2011 or before ) , Davy , Roddick and Murray

hell yeah! the first set was tight but by the third set it was evident on sod's face that he was resigned to losing.
the matched only lived up to its hype in the 1st set.
I was hoping for a Sod-Nadal finals just like the others to show that it was just a fluke and injury that caused Rafa to lose the match last year.
As always, Rafa is such a gracious champion. He had nice words for Robin considering the awkwardness of their relationship.
Vamos Rafa! Congratulations for your a perfect clay season and regaining the no1 ranking.

woooohoooooo!! verdasco said it and it was right " a fit nadal is unbeatable on clay '

look what he has achived now:

-becomes no.1 despite playing 3/4 slams...wht abt that federer fans?? has any one ever done that in the history of the game??

-wins the clay slam (first ever to do so)
-wins 2 slams without losing a set (equals borg)
-wins RG for the 5th time in the least amount of attempts (borg did it in 7)
-equals his own record of staying unbeaten thru out the clay season


*that trend has been broken, some one other than federer or the one beating federer wins a slam sicne RG 04

*amazingly, the first slam nadal has won without beating federer in the way !!

vAAMOSSS !!! THE KING OF CLAY REIGNS SUPREME

woooohoooooo!! verdasco said it and it was right " a fit nadal is unbeatable on clay '

look what he has achived now:

-becomes no.1 despite playing 3/4 slams...wht abt that federer fans?? has any one ever done that in the history of the game??

-wins the clay slam (first ever to do so)
-wins 2 slams without losing a set (equals borg)
-wins RG for the 5th time in the least amount of attempts (borg did it in 7)
-equals his own record of staying unbeaten thru out the clay season


*that trend has been broken, some one other than federer or the one beating federer wins a slam sicne RG 04

*amazingly, the first slam nadal has won without beating federer in the way !!

vAAMOSSS !!! THE KING OF CLAY REIGNS SUPREME

Thanks, zare.

Hope you guy fares better for the rest of the season.

Amen anand!

Yes I predicted a straight set victory for Rafa, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3. Well Rafa didn't disappoint me, he won in straights and lose 10 games in total. Very good results for Rafa. Now there is no doubt who is the king of clay. He is clearly well ahead of all others on clay; even a difficult opponent like Sod who some thought may have a mental edge over Rafa, was beaten down to ashes at a slam final! No more demons for Rafa, he can go all out to win on grass now!

Vamos Rafa, please go and get your no.8, no.9, and many more slams!!

Ricky,

thanks for all your wonderful post and readings. We really enjoyed it. Keep teh good work for the love of tennis and Nadal !!

Can't wait for Wimbledon now.

@nadline, i am not a fan of federer... congrats to nadal, he was the best, he had answers for everything and a great offense as well, he wore Söderling down, broke him, Söderling realised there was no way he run as much as he needed for the win...

Better than I could even hope for - straight sets. WOW! Rafa was determined and 'on' today. Robin did not stand a chance. Rafa continues to break all kinds of records and is back to #1 as of tomorrow. Imagine that.

That Rafa Nadal ... he delivers the goods! Love him.
Deuce I was delighted to read that the Murray Bros are doing Queens!

another good news..
rafa has qualified for atp world tour finals.. :)

smr: thanx 4 that, didn't know. It'll be good to see Jamie again, thought he was playing RG but no sign, unless he went out v. v. quick.

clayking,

How many points separting Rafa and Roger?

If Rafa will skip Queens, does he has enough points to stay at No. 1 until Wimbledon?

Congrats to all us Rafans! Wonderful day. Rafa played unbelievable. Soderling didn't.

Why is Rafa the first to qualify for the world tour finals, I thought anyone who wins a Masters or GS title during thr year automatically qualifies even if they end the year outside the top 8.

Ricky/Cheryl, could you clarify the rules for qualification, please - Thanks.

@Nadline - ist decided by the ranking points amassed during the year, not by masters or GS. you need to be among the top 8 guys in terms of points won during the year. If one or more of the top 8 decide to skip it for whatever reason, then the 9th or the 10th guy gets his place.

I dont care about federer's no.of weeks at No.1

I believe that rafa sud skip Queen's and rest appropriately to launch an all out attack on the wimbledon crown even if it means that fed overtakes him for a week. he will be No.1 by a huge margin after wimbledon

Congratualtions to Rafa, his crew and most of all, to all his fans.
What an achievement!, who would have said it that this kid would win 5 RG!!!!°
Amazing!°
Also, I want to say 'good job' to Soderling - he will surely win a major one of these days. He's such a powerful player... but Nadal had all the answers today.
We're sooo thirsty us fans... lest's forget about Queens and Wimby and just savour the moment, shall we?
Vamos!

a nice post-match interview from Sod...it almost makes me forgive him what he did to Rafa in the past at that Wimby match...

Congrats to Rafa and his fans! He played unbelievable ! Enjoy the moment!

Guyzzz just pointed out the "new" ATP Home page
Its Amazing!!!
http://www.atpworldtour.com/BarclaysATPWorldTourFinals.asp x

the draw for Queens is out and Rafa is set to meet either Murray (def champ) or Cilic in the semis...Nole and Roddick are set to meet in semis on the other side of the draw...

So happy for you, Rafa, with your clay sweep season.

Wonderful. Congratulations. You deserve every good thing.

guess what roddick tweeted...

rafa nadal best ever on clay.... period

atul, it's not as simple as that, Rafa is the first to qualify according to the ATP website, no matter what happens now he has qualified, but I thought that Federer had as well by winning OZ. If a top 8 player hasn't won a Masters or GS during the year, and a player below 8 has then the player below 8 will qualify instead, but I thought that Roger had already qualified.

Rafael Nadal: "See you at the US Open because its the one that remains for me, and always I have a special motivation there."

this little line from rafa makes me so xcited.....RAFAEL NADAL RULEZZZZZZZZZ!!!

VAMOS!!!

http://www.nadalnews.com/2010/06/06/rg-final-presser/

RAFAEL'S PRESSER!!!

Even if Federer wins Halle and defends Wimbledon, he can't retake No. 1 from Nadal day after Wimby, even if Rafa doesnt win a match..

VAMOSSSSSSSSSSSSS!! KING

vrael me too. just like Noodles and Ferrer the small are thinking ... hard court players beware. Lol.

smr...:)

queens is next...i cant believe he will practice tomorrow for queens...he is playing doubles der too

i wish i could even have 50% of the dedication that rafael has....it will make my life sooooo much better..........

VAAAMOS RAFA!!!

Last year's French Open was the worst Grand Slam I'd ever experienced! Seeing Federer with the trophy felt all wrong.

But this year: Rafa has his trophy and No. 1 Ranking. All is right with the world!

Soderling is a spoiler; he sneaks in when top players are vulnerable and reeks havoc. His defeat of Federer was hollow; Roger had a horrible clay-court season. The fact that he's been so close to a Grand Slam championship sickens me.

Rafa's victory over the Swede was poetic and necessary. Now there's no more doubt; now everything's normal again.

VAAAAMOS RAFA!

Congratulations Rafa!!...Well played.....wishing you and your team and your fans a rafafantastic celebrational yummy time. Vamos Champ..SOO Happy .

congrats to rafa for the 5th fo title and #1 position on the atp tour!

nadal can't win the US OPEN this year
impossible

Congratulations Rafa on a well deserved victory!!!! At least order hs been restored to the world...........Rafa has reaally made me proud!!!! He was phenomenal!!!

saxenanalin........WHATEVER!!!!

wow wow!

I thought he played as well as he did in the last matches of RG 2008. There were so many exchanges that took my breath away, despite being used to Rafa?s brilliance.

At this level he is utterly unbeatable. He makes it very difficult for the opponent to keep a high level of play even if that player is mentally and physically on that day. Had Federer somehow made it to the finals today I doubt he would have gotten more games than two years ago, sorry fedfans but I believe this is true.

While we are taking all this in, I?d like to remember that Rafa?s greatest enemy for years now has been certain surfaces (indoor hardcourt, US Open etc) and his injuries. Had he not been injured last year, I have no doubt that he would have defeated anyone at RG and today he would have achieved 6 straight RG?s in 6 attempts.

So major major congratulations to Rafa!

And congratulations to Soderling for starting to play consistently close to his potential. He surely has all the chances to win a grand slam in the next year or so.

And I will continue to wish Rafa the only thing I always wish and hope for: to remain free of major injuries for a long time. Everything else he keeps on improving, and this he is trying to take care of too.

Re US Open 2010 (and 2011 ...)

Last year I thought it was amazing that Rafa made it to the semis at the US Open despite his awful spring and summer re injuries etc? and the less major injury at Flushing.

If he continues with building confidence, and if he happens to win at Wimbledon in a few short weeks ? surely that is not unlikely ? then he should have a decent chance to make it to the finals. I don?t expect him to win there this year but if he remains healthy he?ll probably do it one of the next three years. It has surely been one of his top goals since winning Wimbledon and the AO. The adjustments he?s made to his playing starting with the 2008 claycourt season has been attempts to win more on grass and hardcourt and he did. And more recently also to save his knees.

Something else Rafa has achieved with his victory today, besides that amazing list several of you have posted:

Regain the number one position in the ATP after losing it. Roger has done it, but few other players in the open era. Anyone remember who the few all are?

chlorostoma,

I think Ivan Llendl was he first player to regain the No 1 ranking - I think.

@nadline and others ..this is a clarification for the issue u were ppl were discussing...well to qualify for the world tour finals u need to be in the top 8...BUT there is another way to qualify..if u win a grandslam and finish the year in the top 20 u are given a place !! federer won Aus open and common sense says he is gona be in the top 20 obv but technically he can crash out of top 20 if he for some reason stops playing ...right now it is rafa who has gathered ENUF pnts to qualify. fed will qualify after wimb i think...

In my mind the question as to who is / was the greatest claycourt player: Nadal or Borg or someone else does not make too much sense and can not really be settled. Change of equipment, for one, has made a world of difference, and how do you really compare different generations of players? Not to mention green and red clay versus red clay only.

However, what is certain in my mind is that Nadal has already done enough on clay and elsewhere to be remembered for many years as a claycourt legend and one who is / was not only good on clay... one more or less at the same stratospheric level as Borg.

After all these years of being used to Federer and Nadal's brilliance and consistency... I still can't get over Nadal's quality and consistency on clay. It goes well beyond 'what side of the bed you woke up today' as one of the posters last couple of days argued Nadal's potential loss today.

Thanks vamosrafa, you've clarified the point. I couldnt work out why Federer hasn't qualified yet even though he has won a GS.

@zara..thanks a lot :)
@rfzr..good to see you making such a comment:)

atr,

thank you for all your reverse-jinxing !

I am glad you were happy with rafa's play today and his records as a result. I knew you would be - even before play started. It was not going to go any different, honestly. But thanks all the same for your intense consistency in the anti-jinxing while entertaining the peanut gallery.

Not bad for a moonballer, what?

Soderling couldn't shake the butterflies.Not very competitive final.

Congratulations Rafael Nadal and fans.

Rafa played brilliant tennis, and totally deserved to win. Amazing accomplishment and record. He really is the King of Clay.

First and foremost: CONGRATULATIONS RAFA!!!!! Never doubted you for a second, pal.

Chlorostoma, nadline: plenty of players have regained the top ranking - for example, Pete Sampras and Thomas Muster swapped places every other week for a couple of months in the early part of 1996. However nadline is correct in that Ivan was the first player to regain the YEAR-END top spot, and Roger is the only other player since then to do so. I have not the slightest doubt that Rafa will join them in five months' time. I also predict that he will hold the #1 ranking for the coming twelve months - those clay points are going nowhere fast.

London shall be next to fall. Again.

VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@vamosrafa

can't see why this is unusual. i just have problems with obsessed fans no matter who they cheer for ...

@rfzr, did nt mean it that way, actually it is a bit hard to compliment others when ur player has not lived up the biling, so i found it to be good :) cheers :D

Vamos Rafa.... 3 masters in row plus one grand slam titles in just 2 months... Rafa, I cannot ask for more.... Wishing you healthy and happy always... God bless Rafael Nadal, the true champion.... the world no 1 tennis player...

Someone is playing God by saying that Rafa can't win USO.... hater is a hater... but never mind... too happy for our Rafa now...

AMAZIIIIING!!!.......... It was wonderful watching the finals because as the climax reached its peak your ecstacy also escalates (reversed effect for the non-rafans, of course) knowing that it was a sure HAPPY ENDING!
VAMOS RAFA!

The best thing about this win was seeing Nadal execute a plan so perfectly. I actually thought Sod was going to take the title but with the tactics Nadal employed he was never really in it. Short of seeing a 'gorefest' (to use a term employed elsewhere on the boards) this was the next best thing: a masterclass.

We know Rafa will be NUmber one come monday but to see Rafa's name out in the ATP site stating:
Name - Nadal, Rafael (ESP)
Points 8,700
Moved Position Moved - 1
Tournament played -17

is just the cake with the biggest red cherry I've being waiting for since last year after the dismal summer.

Actually after watching the Sod/Berdych match, I'm confident that Rafa will beat Sod. There is no way the Rafa now (fit n healthy) will lose to Sod. Rafa is so much better than both Sod n Berdych n no way that Sod can extend Rafa to five sets, unless there is rain delay n change of condition that may favor Sod. Still Rafa is not Fed, he'll not lose concentration at important moments to lose the match.

Ps: As well as Sod played in the QF, the match was lost by Fed in the second set when he lost his concentration n thus his serve, to allow Sod to take the set. Had it been two sets all, the fifth set would be played the following day due to bad weather. Fed would then win on the next day, when the weather is back to normal. Fed is definitely a better player than Sod, even on clay.

luckystar: no berdych in the top 10 :(

Kudos to the French crowd for the huge ovation they gave Rafa during the trophy ceremony. I was a little worried after last year, but all's well that ends well.

well done nadal. he beat soderling easily. as for sod,at least he proved that last years run to the final was no fluke.

@luckystar
Yes,fed is a far better player than Soderling. Soderling is like a poor mans del potro.

Boring Final@ RG, hope WIMB10 will live up to the expectation with rematch of A-rod Vs RF Final.

Yeah I know homos. Too bad for him, but I think its a learning curve for him. Now that he has being to a slam semi, he knows what to expect. Besides facing the competition, his own fitness level and mental toughness have to be there, to tough it out when necessary. He said so in his presser, that he had to go home and improve on his fitness and come back next year ready for the clay season. He also regretted losing his serve in the first set and lost the set (had he won the first set, he would have won the match in straight. Of course Sod might play differently if he lost his first set)

To me, Sod outlasted Berdych in that match. It also showed that Sod wanted the victory more than Berdych did, hence Sod was able to hang tough to gut it out till the finishing line. So, Berdych has to keep improving in both his physical fitness and his mental toughness. Still, a good tournament for him. I'm looking forward to the grass season for Rafa, Berdych and also Cilic. I think Sod can do some damages on grass too, if he doesn't allow this defeat to affect him too much.

I thought the crowd was great. True they were urging Soderling on a lot but this was more because they wanted to see a Battle Royal than wanting to see Rafa lose.
The French TV commentators discussed it several times during the match and were agreed on balance Rafa had more crowd support than Soderling.

It was a masterstroke to coach Rafa to say a few words in French at the ceremony. Any lingering resentment at Uncle Toni's outburst last year will be completely forgotten.

Our Rafa is a pure class act. And I was happy to see Soderling showing a new found respect for him.

Yes ed, never thought of that, but Rafa speaking French must have warmed the hearts of the Frenc towards him, he said later that he understands French when spoken slowly because French is similar to Spanish.

SABS- please,,, you were bored because you're a FED fan obviously!... Why do these KIND of Fed fans are trying to get some attention by SQUEEZING themselves amidst the celebration here!
Pathetic losers!....they're so irritating!

i agree luckystar. cilic and berdy are 12 and 13 i believe, not far outside top 10. hope they can make their mark more strongly during the US hard court series especially. i still feel it was a winable match for berdy as you pointed out but credit to sod. also, rafa beating sod in the final was better to settle his demons but i wouldn't have minded seeing berdy playing him.

here is a nice article for rafa fans:

Rafael Nadal beats Robin Soderling to claim fifth French Open titleNeil Harman, Tennis Correspondent, Paris , June 6, 2010

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/tennis/article7145063.e ce

"Boring Final@ RG, hope WIMB10 will live up to the expectation with rematch of A-rod Vs RF Final." - sabs , 6/7/10 7:17 AM

If this is a boring finals, what would you call roland garros finals of 2008? Sometimes, these fedtards just don't know how to think!

thanks for the links homos..
it was an amazing read..

sabs says this was a boring final, i say you are a boring person..
otherwise you would have understood that more than half of the match was an exhibition of exhilirating tennis..

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/402188-heat-of-rafael-nadals-sun-me lts-robin-soderlings-icy-determination

" On this first day of Nadal?s new campaign as world No. 1, however, it seems appropriate to highlight one final point of symmetry in his French victory. For the day on which Nadal became only the second man to win five French titles, June 6th, is the birthday of the first man to achieve the same record: that coolest of all icy Swedes, Bjorn Borg.

Nadal now seems destined to match the great Borg?s tally of six: same time, same place, 2011. "

Thanks Homos for the link.

clayking, I agree with you that it was an exhibition of exhilarating tennis. Even Sod admitted that Rafa would still beat him if Sod was playing his best tennis. Rafa came to the match knowing exactly what he had to do and executed it to perfection.

I think Rafa and Sod now has reconciled and I think we should learn from Rafa and forgive what Sod had done in the past. Whether we like Sod or not, he is here to stay. I think it is more interesting having him around, he may be the one who can counter the forces of the big giants (though he himself is one) - Delpo, Berdych and in future Cilic also. I think after Fed and Rafa, we won't be seeing a single player dominating the tennis scene for some time to come.

I have to wait and see how the rest of the season goes for Rafa. If he can reclaim Wimbledon, does well during the remaining hard court season and end up year end no.1 again, then I'm positive that Rafa can and will dominate the tours for another one to two years (provided of course he is injury free and stay focused). Of course Delpo will be back to the tours by end of the year but given how Rafa struggled during the past year after his injury, I foresee that Delpo may also struggle during his first few months back on the tours. I'm actually doubtful about Delpo's ability to hit that kind of forehand again after his injury and surgery. He would have to take good care of his wrist and won't just swing it freely as before. Its a pity if the injury does affect Delpo's powerful forehand, and I certainly hope that won't be the case.

chr18 wrote: Sod is in Nadal's head. Sod is that odd guy that isn't intimidated by anybody. Nadal won't sleep much these days. All the pressure is on him. He's been labeled the King of Clay. How can he be the best on clay if he loses to Sod 2 years in a row? What will he say? What possible excuse can be made this time? Sod won't be nervous as he's had the experience of being in a final of this GS last year. He's in great shape, had 2 days before today's match and won't be tired. Nadal has been quick to anger this week with his sliding form. He will be highly irritated when he can't get to Sod's powerful shots. His anger and disdain of Sod (since Wimbledon '07) will consume him and he will self-destruct. Just imagine if he loses, he can't run to the locker to curse this year. He'll have to feign some complimentary, congratulatory words to the winner and smile for pictures. Watch out for Sod at Wimbledon this year too. He is dangerous!

I love this piece of work by chr18. It shows a lot of how he truly feels about the loss of Federer.

hm hm hm FEET THUMP on all your faces mentally ill fedfarts maxi/tennislover/loveroger, torres9, chr18, Fleur and saxenanalin.

If I am not mistaken, one of you were too boastful screaming that come June 06 2010 another monumental event will occur for Roger Federer? Tell us WHAT IS IT?

Deny it in as much as you can, but it is too obvious that all of you are dreaming for Roger to get the record of most weeks at No. 1. DID it happen?

The pain is soooooooo UGLY isn't fedfarts? Only if arrogant Roger didn't discount importance of other semi major and small tourneys and have them played all, then maybe he has enough points to satisfy with what his fans are craving for hakhakhak.

I'll never let you see.
The way my broken heart is hurting me.
I got my pride and I know how to hide.
All the sorrow and Pain.
I'll do my crying in the rain.

RAINDROPS falling from heaven.
can never wash away my miseries !!!
woshu!!! ... nuff said hehehe

rain,
did you write that piece??
amazing..

ROFL :)

Raindrops, thank you for the laughs!

Raindrops, Fed will get his No.1 bakk , if he can stay at No.1 for 285 weeks he knows how to get it bakk again.

If Fed will get his No 1 back, of course Nadal too... from the age point of view, Nadal's chances are far bigger lol...

LOL Raindrops, you made me sing along with your post. Very apt indeed. And with your name in it too. :-)

Of course chris18 could respond with the original lyrics which, if my memory serves me well, are a wee bit more cheerful...

clayking,

No it's not my piece, it's actually a song, baby's ryhme titled rain rain go away :-(}

Max: Tic Tac, Tic Tac !!!

Raindrops --- You pushed TEARDROPS to roll from the eyes of the die hard sour graping Fedfans! Their predictions smashed right back to their faces! How they absorbed Fed's arrogance and now they STILL have the face to mix up with the Rafans in the thread in the hope of SPOILING Rafa's victory!
I'm really SORRY for these people!...... Really a pathetic lot!

Raindrops. Forgot to thank you yesterday for helping the rain to stop!

Federer had some luck last year, nothing he can be blamed for: Nadal's unjuries taking him out early at RG and having not defend his Queen's and Wimbledon titles, and being shakey for some of the tournaments until MC. Also a bit lucky with Roddick not closing the final at Wimbledon with set points on his racket. Without these he might still not have regained his number 1 spot lost to Nadal 1.5 years ago.

Federer used to scramble so hard when a match was tough in his early years, but after years of easy wins he now sometimes fights hard in a tough match but more often he does not or loses concentration.

It seems to me that to regain his number one position Federer will need especially the first kind of luck: Nadal being out with injuries at major tournaments. If Nadal remains injury free through the beginning of next year's claycourt season it is not likely how Federer will catch up, lest he wins Wimbledon, UO and AO - something that will be far harder to do than it was 3, 4 years ago.

@luckystar
Delpos wrist injury is not becoz he hits his forehand big. When you hit a technique-perfect shot with proper weight transfer and everything, you won?t feel any pain. You think Nadal hurts his knees when he sets up for a forehand? Or Del Potro hurt his wrist when he was smacking winners? No, the injuries occur while they?re on the run. Technology does play a huge role. A vital role. And it?s not because a player is swinging as hard as he can, it?s because his opponent is. If you?re always getting floaters, you?re not going to suffer from any pain whatsoever (unless your technique is bad). Del Potro probably did get injured in that US Open final because, what impressed me most besides his forehand, was his defense. He was getting everything from everywhere and snapping the ball back. Players like Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer play with more topspin on their shots because their wrists are more flexible. Thus, when they try to get shots from far off the court they can snap their wrists without worrying too much about being injured. Davydenko and Del Potro play their shots more flat because their wrists aren?t as flexible and, therefore, hurt their wrists more when they have to rely solely on it. This is why delpo got injured,NOT because he was hitting his forehand big.

tj600,
thank you for the explanation: very informative

I do not see how a healthy Nadal can not win as many if not more GS than Federer. He have seven now. If he wins Wimbledon and UO this year with his amazing form now, that makes it 9 . And he is only 24 !!! He have atleast 4-5 solid years. And guess what- his game is still developing and evolving....

@Max,of course Federer can get his number 1 ranking back. Race points after RG tourney by tourney:

Total points possible for Nadal or Federer in the first part of the season: 250(Doha)+2000(AO)+500(Dubai)+1000(IW)+1000(Miami)+1000(MC)+500(Barcel ona)+1000(Rome)+250(Estoril)+1000(Madrid)+2000(RG) = 10500 pts

1 - Nadal: 150(final Doha)+360(quarters AO)+360(semis IW)+360(semis Miami)+1000(MC)+1000(Rome)+1000(Madrid)+2000(RG) = 6330 pts / 8 tounerys

2 - Federer: 90(semis Doha)+2000(AO)+45(R32 IW)+90(R16 Miami)+10(Rome)+90(semis Estoril)+600(final MAdrid)+360(quarters RG) = 3285 pts / 8 tourneys

Nadal has a 3045 pts lead.

Total points of the remaining tourneys that Nadal and Fed will play: 250(Halle/Queens)+2000(Wimbledon)+1000(Toronto)+1000(Cincy)+2000(USOpe n)+500(Tokyo)+1000(Shangai)+500(Basel)+1000(Paris)+1500(London) = 11750 pts / 10 tourneys

This is Fed scheduled, Nadal maybe won?t play Tokyo aand Basel, but he may play other tourneys, since neither him nor Fed played a 500 tourney yet this year. But remember that NAdal in last years only played 2 masters prior US Open and 2 masters afetr it, and missed Year end twice.

Now, as I have time in my hands as you all can see, I will post points of Fed and Nadal of the last 5 yesrs after RG, 05-09 (ever since Nadal became who he is) converting the points into today system.

*2005
- Nadal: 5(R32 Halle)+45(R64 Wimby)+250(Bastad)+250(stutgart)+1000(montreal)+10(Cincy)+90(R32 Us Open)+250(Beijing)+1000(Madrid) = 2900 pts / 9 tourneys

*2006
- Nadal: 90(querter Queens)+1200(final Wimby)+90(R16 Toronto)+180(quarter Cincy)+360(quarter US Open)+25(R16 Stockholm)+180(quarter Madrid)+400(YEC Shangai) = 2525 pts / 8 tourneys

*2007
-Nadal: 90(quarter Queens)+1200(final Wimby)+250(Stutgart)+360(semis Toronto)+10(R32 Cincy)+180(R16 US Open)180(quarter Madrid)+600(final Paris)+400(YEC Shangai) = 3270 pts / 9 tourneys

*2008
-Nadal: 250(Queens)+2000(Wimby)+1000(Toronto)+360(semis Cincy)+750(Olympics)+720(semis US Open)+360(semis Madrid)+90(R16 Paris) = 5530 pts / 8 tourneys

*2009
-Nadal: 180(quarter Toronto)+360(semis Cincy)+720(semis US Open)+600(final Shangai)+360(semis Paris)+0(London) = 2220 ts / 6 tourneys

3290 pts avergae by year with 8 tourneys. Remember that his best year was 2008 when he reached 5500 ponits, but in average he stays around 3000 pts, with hos worst year 2009. He only once won a Slam in the second half of the year in 5 tries, Wimby 2008

*2005
- Federer: 250(Halle)+2000(Wimby)+1000(Cincy)+2000(Us Open)+250(Bangkok)+1000(Yec Shangai) = 6500 pts / 6 tourneys

*2006
- Federer: 250(Halle)+2000(Wimby)+1000(Toronto)+10(R32 Cincy)+2000(US Open)+500(Tokyo)+1000(Madrid)+500(Basel)+1500(YEC Shangai) = 8760 pts / 9 tourneys

*2007
-Federer: 2000(Wimby)+600(final Toronto)+1000(Cincy)+2000(US Open)+600(final Madrid)+500(Basel)+90(R16 Paris)+1300(YEC Shangai) = 8090 pts / 8 tourneys

*2008
-Federer: 250(Halle)+1200(final Wimby)+10(R32 Toronto)+90(R16 Cincy)+175(quarter Olympics)+2000(US Open)+360(semis Madrid)+500(Basel)+180(quarter Paris)+200(London) = 4965 pts / 10 tourneys

*2009
-Federer: 2000(Wimby)+180(quarter Toronto)+1000(Cincy)+1200(final US Open)+300(final Basel+10(R32 Paris)+400(semis London) = 5090 ts / 7 tourneys

6680 pts average by year with 8 tourneys. Remember that his best year was 2006 when he reached 8700 ponts, and his worst year 2008 he accumulated around 5000 pts. In last five years he alwasy won either Wimby or US Open or both by in every year.

So what was the purpose in me posting these stats?I think that by looking at these Fed has a shot at regaining n.1 since in his worst years so far he managed 5000 pts, and Nadal ony once passed 4000, when he reached 5000 pts. It?s safe to assume that the year end number one ranking will be around 10000 points, Nadal needs 4000 more and Fed 7000.

tj600, thanks for your info about Delpo's wrist. That's why I'm thinking he'll have to be careful about it in future. What about Murray, it seems he is hitting with some topspin too, but he is also having some wrist problem. Also those guys that hit very flat shots, like Sod, Berdych and Cilic, will they have the same problem as Delpo too! Any way to prevent that? I'm starting to worry for Cilic, and I suspect he may even have back problem too, the way he arched his back while serving!!

I think of the top four, Nole is the one with the least injury, in fact he seems practically injury free. He only has his breathing problems, more a health problem than injury. Fed does have his back problem too, Rafa knee problem and Murray wrist problem. Do you think the top four guys have any issues in terms of technique?

To me I think it is quite unlikely that Fed would gain 7,000 points during the second half of the year. Judging by 2009, he had about 5,000 from Wim to WTF. That means he'll have to work even harder this year to get another 2,000 points!

For Rafa, he can gain points at Wim and assuming he reaches the semi, and does as well as last year from Canada till WTF (I'm sure this time round he'll gain some points at WTF), he might gain 3,000 to 3,500 points, quite achievable I think.

great analysis tj,
however you have forgotten an important factor..
the points of nadal currently are from 17 tournaments..
that means points from 2 more tournaments will be added to his total points..
now one of them will be queens..
he can play a 500 pointer and gain points, possibly from tokyo...
+ he can opt for another 500 pointer, if he wants and improve on his davis cup points..
you missed out that in your analysis..
and even if nadal hangs on by barest margin to the year end ranking ( he should, and will, do better than that), don't forget next year january the gap will increase in all probability, with mammoth points to defend at AO..

good work, tj600

of course we knew that Federer has the possibility of regaining number 1 by the end of the year, but you gave us the concrete details in points

what this means is that if Rafa remains healthy and maintains a second half of the year level similar to 2008 - possible given his continued improvements including in his serve - then Roger might still regain number one, but only if he plays like he used to in 2006 and 2007 - his marvelous years - and that is a tough ask of Federer at 29.

So I think a lot will come down to a large extent to whether Rafa remains injury-free, as it did in 2008 (he was pretty much injury-free) and in 2009 (lost massive points due to injury).

Rafa played at Beijing last year where he reached the SF (where he was badly beaten by Cilic, I'll always remember that as Rafa was very pissed by that loss and I'm hoping that Rafa will meet Cilic sometime this year and settle the score, and tilt the H2H in Rafa's favor), and Rafa has 180 points. Rafa earned 2,400 points last year from Canada till WTF (zero point at WTF).

Places were Rafa can gain points: Queen's, Wimbledon, WTF, Davis Cup ties.

Tournaments that he can improved on: Canada 180 pts (QF), Cincy 360 pts (SF), USO 720 pts (SF), Beijing 180 pts (SF) Shanghai 600 pts (F), Paris 360 pts(SF).

Rafa and Uncle Toni have stated categorically that remaining healthy/injury free is their top priority - not his ranking. Regaining the RG title was crucially important to them because winning is what makes Rafa tick: retaking No.1 was just the icing on the cake. If there is any hint of the knee problem recurring you can be sure he will adjust is schedule regardless of the ranking points to be lost.

While I think all the number crunching and possible scenarios as to who will be number one at year end is interesting, I am determined to enjoy this moment of Rafa's resurgence. This is a young man who was being written only a few months ago and to see him come back and win all of the clay court Masters tournaments and then cap it all off by winning RG again, essentially running the table and winning the unofficial clay slam, is an accomplishment that I want to savor. I always had faith that Rafa's best chapter was yet to be written, that he had more records to break, more titles to win. I never lost faith, never doubted that he would find his way back. It has been a long, hard road but Rafa is healthy, playing his best tennis and winning. The sun seems to be shining on him and all the sadness and pain is in the past. He has managed to triumph over a terrible time in his life. He has been tested and has come out stronger, wiser but still with so much heart. I am more proud of Rafa now than I have ever been.

Rafa - you are my hero and a great champion. Whether or not you are number one at the end of the year, I will always be your fan. Congratulations, well done! :)

what a nice post native!! too bad rafa doesn't have more time to celebrate his recent achievement but he's in a much better place now at least (mentally and physically).

homos,

I have been wanting to post a tribute to Rafa, but wasn't sure where to do it. I just decided to put it here.

I also wish that Rafa had a bit of time to relish and enjoy this incredible moment. I see that he has already been practicing at Queens in the rain, of all things!

I couldn't say too much yesterday because I was still quite emotional. I haven't cried that much in a long time. When I think of where we were after this year's AO, this all feels like a dream come true. I cried shamlessly right along with Rafa. To see the look in his eyes, the smile on his face, after all those months of watching him suffer. I am still on a high. I don't want to let it go yet. However, tennis must go on and there's another tournament to play.

I think Rafa is in a great place mentally and physically. He went the last mile of the way. He didn't give up, always worked hard, believed in himself and made it happen. I am looking forward to more good things in store for us. After winning RG and beating the man who dealt him that one shocking loss, well, you couldn't have written it any better if it was a Hollywood movie! Now I believe that the doubts are gone for good.

Rafa is finally free of the past, of that horrific moment when the crowd was cheering against him, cheering Sod to beat Rafa, when he was ravaged by pain in his knees, when everything seemed to just crumble around him. He can look to a future that seems very bright now. I am just beyond happy right now! :)

NNY: I guess you have expressed the emotions felt by all true Rafa in your last two postings.

There were dark moments when some of us wondered if he could rise above all the adversities which overwhelmed him last year and at the AO. I never went public with these thoughts because I felt like a traitor to even contemplate the possibility - but now we learn even Uncle Toni was having doubts so I feel less bad about my lapse.

Thaks tj! Lets see how things will turn out , hoping for the best!

Anybody seen Dominick Hrbaty playing? I just found tht he have a head to head lead over Roger 2-1 and Rafa 3-1 !!!!

Anybody can tell me whether Dominick Hrbaty is an active player or retired already?

He is still playining the challengers

Its 6 years ago already when Rafa should retire.... but last time they met Rafa beat him 61 62...

Hrbaty is 32 years old now... anybody can tell me if there is any chance for this Hrbaty guy beating Rafa again?

To me both Fed and Rafa are two very special and outstanding persons.

In 2008, when Fed was suffering from mono and his performances plummeted, many people were having doubts whether we were seeing the end of a great champion. We saw him beaten by the likes of Fish, Stepanek, Simon, Karlovic, Roddick and Blake - those players that he easily owned when he was healthy. He was also beaten a few times by Murray. Deep down in Fed's heart, he knew he was not finished! He knew he could come back. At that point, I think, Rafa who had played against Fed so many times, knew too that Fed was not finished. Rafa defended Fed many times when he was asked the question about Fed's decline and poor performances. I remembered him telling them not to take their (Fed and Rafa's) wins for granted, as it was never easy to win week in week out. Rafa stand by Fed during Fed's down time.

In 2009, we saw Rafa suffering from his knee injuries and after he came back from injuries, it seemed at the time that beating Rafa was free for all. We saw those top ten players administering beat downs of Rafa each time they met him. (the only exception was Tsonga). Almost everyone was questioning about his longevity in the sports and whether his career was finished. Fed told them that we had yet to see the greatness of Rafa. Whether Rafa had self doubts or not, he still worked hard, believing in himself that he was not finished. His great rival also believes that Rafa is not finished.

We see now that both of them are NOT finished. The two of them really know each other so well that they have faith in each other! The fact that they both suffered physically and were at rock bottom of their careers and yet had the self belief and found their way back to their top form really spoke volumes about their personalities and their capabilities. The fact that after all the sufferings that they had been through, they are still the top two guys, really tells us what they are make of and what they are capable of. They are truly special and deserved our respect!

P.S.

The debut of Tourbillion watch was a success !!!

Mark my words people, right now!
Rafael Nadal's story has just began. I am very good at predicting stuff like this.

Rafael Nadal, may not surpass Roger Federer in number of Grand Slams won, (my instincts say he will be about 2 slams behind the Great Roger Federer) but Rafa will do 3 things in which Federer wont.

1) He will win the Grand Slam (all Slams in 1 year. In 2011 or 2012/13)
2) He will surpass Borg in the number of RG he will win, easily and will be declared the greatest Clay Court player ever.
3) He will amount to close to 30 Masters tiles, which will not be broken in our life times.
4) The Year that Rafa wins the US Open Roger Federer will not be in the final. It will be the same year he will win all Majors in 1 year. Rafa will only win the US Open once.

isa,
about point 1, he will win a grand slam, but not surely in one year, though there is a good probability..
point 2 highly debatable, but i am not saying anything on it..
i concur with point 3, not sure about that broken part in lifetime (that depends on the span of lifetime :P)..
4 has too many conditions and has less chance, and i do not agree he will win uso just once..

still it was an amazing list to read and imagine.. :)

We'll have to hold you to that prediction Isa.

On a different note, I've just seen a quote from Soderling after the match where he said 'Nadal has only one game' which is on a par with Federer's scathing remark that Nadal's game was one-dimensional - also said after he had been beaten at RG.
If ever a player was one-dimensional it is Soderling. He simply did not have a game plan to deal with Rafa other than to bang-wallop.

ed,

Apparently they only get convinced if they see Rafa flying literally.

ed, i read that too but couldn't really be bothered to make much of it. there is a reason one has 7 grand slams, 18 masters titles, 40 overall titles and an olympic gold medal and the other.....doesn't!

homos, i would like to add one line that i read in the preview of rafa-sod final at bleacher report. the line was somewhat like this..
"there is a reason why nadal has more grand slams than sod has titles in his career. and that is mental toughness."
not sure about second line, but the first line was exactly that..
and it was so correct!!

Hello,Rafa fans!!! I have been trying to get around here but had a lot going on.But I've been thinking of you guys:)) homo,shireling,vamosrafa,nny, and ed..sorry other Rafans..you weren't here when i used to post here a lot.

But i just had to come to read and feel the joy that you guys had when Rafa won Sunday.It was a beautiful thing.

We stood by him cause we knew that he was and is a great champion.It was hard but we held on,just like Rafa did.That's why he cried so much cause he has been threw so much but he fought his way back.sometimes we all fall down but if we are strong we will get back up.

I knew that Rafa was going to beat Soderling.He was healthy and he wanted his stuff back.And he got it all back.

I'm so happy for him and happy for all of us, loyal fans that stood by him when some had written him off.

I believe that he will end the year as #1 cause of a lot of reason i don't feel like typing know:)but....

Rafa is oozing with confidence now..so let's just sit back and watch this young man play his beautiful tennis that makes us way..wow!!!!how did he get that!!!!

Keep that smile Rafa fans!!!!!

clayking- my predictions are coming based on psychic intuition. And my predictions are not that far fetched, really.

1) He will definitely win a Career Grand Slam, like Roger did by winning the french last year, but I am speaking of a Grand Slam (all 4 majors in one year).

2) This is the only point which isnt going to be debatable. Rafa only needs one more Roland Garros to equal Borg, if he wins more than Borg and continue to win consistently the clay masters then what else does Rafa have to do, to prove he is the best.

4) Conditions mean nothing if it is written in the stars. For example who would have thought that after all Rafa went through in 2009 that he would do what he has done this year.

This will happen as amazing as it sounds. It will!

@isa, :) LOL. All this because you could predict the FO? Nadal winning the FO is one of the few sure bets in sports. Hopefully, it will be so for quite some more time. But I don't think you should kid yourself into being a Notradamus for predicting something everyone was sure would happen. :) Psychic intuition would have been to predict Gaudio winning it!

hey alik welcome back!!!! we miss you!!!

alik,

Let me join in with homos in saying a hearty welcome back! You have been missed! We needed you here! Do you have any idea what we have been through until Rafa finally answered all the doubters, haters and naysayers with his incredible win at RG?

I still cannot believe that we were subjected to the bizarre poetic ramblings of chr18. It's interesting that we have not heard a peep out of him since. What, no more poems or silly rhymes? He must have a terrible headache! :)

poetic? native...are you ok?

yeah i noticed the little troublemaker hasn't been back since those hateful taunts were made to look beyond stupid?

FEDistheGOAT- Breathe please.
I have predicted everything right that I have ever predicted, in regards to tennis (it wasnt just the French Open I predicted) and you know nothing about me to say that I may not be right in the future. You will just have to wait and see.

Oh and I predicted Rafa would lose last year to Soderling and he did.
Everyone laughed at me and had a go, but I was right. Ask my dad how much money he has made off me, in sport.

Thank you, luckystar. That was very inspirational and eloquent, what you wrote about Roger and Rafa.

And very true. :-D

homos,

It was meant to be sarcastic! Do you honestly ever think I would in my very wildest dreams, ever compliment this creep? :)

@iso :) ok ok chill! thank you for asking me to take a deep breath in advance because that was quite a bomb shell!

I am sorry that I told you are not psychic without knowing anything about you, but i didnt know i had to know anyone to know that such a thing does not exist.

Anyway, I'll be keeping an eye on your predictions from now on, hopefully i can also get on the money train your dad is riding.. I lost quite a bit of money due to the sodding of fed.. barely compensated by a low odds victory of nadal.. lets see if you can save me some. We are best buddies from now on! :)

FEDistheGOAT-
Oh but they do exist.
Answer me this question:
When a fan is rotating on high you CANT SEE the the fans propellers ( or whatever they are called), this doesn't mean they are not there. Humans cant see X-rays, Radio Waves etc with their eyes, but we know such things exist.

What I am saying is this, because you cant see something or because you havent experienced something doesnt mean it isn't real as the hand in front of your face.

But yes keep note of my predictions. Results are easy to get in comparison to predicting the number of games that a player will win or lose in each set.
But it is the results that matter.

isa,
point 1, yes he can win a grand slam, but my point was it would not necessarily be in the order of AO, FO, Wimby & USO in one year, it can be like FO, W, USO in 2011 and AO in 2012.. it can be like that.. and it may also happen it can be in 2012, with a golden slam actually..
about point 2, i should have clarified..
yes rafa will win more RGs than borg, but i don't think that will make him greatest ever..
it will make him the greatest of open era..
i hope you can see my point..
i'm not continuing or else it is gonna be a full blown debate now..
point 4, a man, through his determination can even transcend what is written in his stars. and i was saying , that you were predicting 2-3 things together like roger won't be in final, same year rafa will win uso, same year he will win all majors,, point 4 has so many ifs, and all these may not happen together.. that's all about my point 4..

Clayking: tell me, are you studying law. If not you should be! You take no prisoners when it comes to spotting a woolly argument.

haaaaa ed251137....clayking's gonna be an engineer.....but law will suit him too....WOTSAY CLAYKING???

well irespect everyone's opinions and views and isabeau77 has been making some good predictions of late, i know he is writing some stuff that is very very tough to happen but it may well happen.... if he is saying it with conviction and based on his past success then i do have some belief in his intuitive abilities ...and remember a prediction is a prediction , it can go wrong ANY TIME so only time will tell. some predictions have plenty of assumptions so they may not hod up together but who knows, we will see.

can someone give a vibe if Rafa can be the year end No. 1? Looks like someone is busy again doing hokus focus. As you can see, the trend at the POLL is totally got reversed in just over night, obviously the witch do the trick last night while everybody was fall asleep.

Vamosrafa- thanks for your support. I am female by the way...:)
And yes you are right, predictions do not have to have any rhyme or reason, they dont have to make sense and usually dont because they seem so far off and people try to make sense of them in the present, when the predictions are not of the present they are of the future and hence seem crazy if taking into the context of the now. You see.....

Clayking: There was a time when Rafael Nadal was know as purely a Clay Courter and people laughed in the faces of people like me who predicted that Rafa would some day win Wimbledon and a hard court major and that he will become an all round tennis player, but look what happened he did.
Based on what people expected Rafa to do, he has blown those expectations out of the water.
In the scheme of what I am predicting for Rafa he has already surpassed it, from what he has already managed to achieve.

ed251137- Lawyers base their logic on reason, a lot in life makes no sense and cant be reasoned, it is what general makes no sense that rocks our world the most.

Raindrops- I too noticed the POLL....what is happening is that same people are voting all the time. They can do this at work or their home computers by clearing their cache.
I can vote as many times as I like too but I dont because as you can see their is no point and at the end of the day it wont actually change the outcome.

In regards to your question whether Rafa can be the year end number 1, you will get a better idea by the end of Wimbledon.
But what i can say is, get ready for the tennis courts to rumble. There will be some head scratching surprises by the end of the year

Well 68% voted that Roger would retain his RG title, how wrong can they be, he did not even make the SF, so much for the poll.

oh sorry i thought you were a male, my bad :) .... and yes like you i was also among those who used to think , infact i used to assert that nadal would surely win wimbledon one day and even a hard court slam ! and i was soooo delighted when rafa won wimbledon :)

when nadal faces murray/roddick/djo in queens it will give us a good idea abt his game on grass relative to the other big guys... i have a feeling rafa would go on to win wimbledon :S

Isa: I beg to disagree. The best lawyers often rely on intuition and are able to think outside the box. You are right though this then has to be backed up by logical reasoning supported by facts. But this is not the place to have this discussion. I was simply commenting on Clayking's methodology when arguing his points.

Vamosrafa- yes queens is going to tell us a lot, bit in saying this there are major question marks of murray and djokovic's heads. You see Murray is now tapping his knee for precaution when he never use too, I believe there are problems there. It's not for precaution. And poor djokovic and his allergies may be hammered by them, as it is summer in Europe and is playing on grass. As long as it doesn't heat up and remain wet djokovic should be ok, otherwise the poor guy will struggle.

ed & vrael,
you made me a lawyer in 2 hours!! well, I am not interested in law, though I do love debating. :P

isa,
yes, i knew the time. yes, he has blown expectations of many people away!! and he will continue doing it! all we can do is wait and watch!!

isabeau, the dishonest WITCH (you-know-who) has stopped doing her cheat job now that the trick of how to do the perpetual vote has been made it known to the public haha.

Clayking- whether I will end up being right or wrong I dint care, all I care about is that rafa is happy and healthy and doing what he loves. The rest will come :)

raindrops- it is indeed very sad to know that someone would spend some much effort influencing a result that has no influence with what happens on the tennis court.