Vaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmoooooooosssssss!

lol.....nadline!!!

Vamos indeed!!!

Good luck today Rafa!

VAMOS!

This is the one guy I did not want Rafa to meet because he is so deceptive and dangerous at times. However, now that this matchup is upon us, I expect Rafa to be prepared and ready for the unpredictable Dolgo.

Good luck, Rafa for the win!!!

Show your fighting spirit, Rafa!

Vamos!

Rafa looked in supreme form against Feli - but the latter has been playing like s* this year so it might not be a good indication as to Rafa's from; whereas Dolgy has already made some damage in AO and other tourneys.
I'm very curious about this match - I think Dolgy will prove to be resilient on clay this year.

Dolgo is another player who can run a lot and hit the ball hard..Rafa should know how to deal with him, though..VAMOS RAFA!!!

anybody knows how long we need to wait to see this?... I'm sleepy (it's 10 to 23:00 here in Belgium)

Oh, I see, rain delays... in Miami! .... off to the sack I go, hope to see good news 2morrow.
Vamos Rafa!

Ivanovic/Clisjters match is now taking place elsewhere so Rafa/Dolgo will be next after Jancovic/Petkovic.

I am watching the Jancovic/Petkovic on the tennis channel. I wasn't sure exactly when Rafa's match was supposed to start. The schedule has been totally crazy with the additional rain today.

I am fortunate that it's still early out here in L.A. pacific time, so I know that at some point I will get to see Rafa's match. They have a jam-packed schedule still. Nole is supposed to play later.

Rafa will be on court within the next hour I think.

nadline,

Thanks for the heads up! At least the women's match finally ended! From what I have seen early in this match, Rafa is serving insanely good. I think his strategy is to try to overpower Dolgo early on and dictate points, so as to keep him from getting a foothold in the match.

Up a break at 4-1!

Congratulations to Rafa on his win today!
He made is job well and quickly. The match lasted 59 minutes and 53 sec. It was a joy to watch him!

Vamos, Rafa! Vaaamooosss!

Rafa wins - 61 62.

Dolgo is so erratic he plays tennis like table tennis and Ricky was not the only one who thought an upset was possible one of the SKY commentators said so as well. What were they thinking.

Vamos Rafa!

It's past my bedtime now, my carriage is turning into a pumpkin.

NNY and those of you in the right time zone, you can relive Rafa's masterclass now, I'll have to wait until tomorrow. Dolgo didn't know what hit him.

wow...Rafa destroyed him...Dolgo could not play any of his game, Rafa was just too good for this guy...and I am so happy the match was quick and short...Rafa can go and rest...great win, Rafa! VAMOS!!!

nadline,

Okay Cinderella! Don't forget your glass slippers! I am going to watch it again now! The tennis channel was driving me crazy going back and forth with Nole's match. Then they picked it up at 2-1 in the second set with Rafa already up a break! It was a clinic! I think that Rafa had a clear strategy to simply not let Dolgo into the match. He must have realized that Dolgo would be out of sorts after playing so late last night in a long match and then having to come out today to finish it off. However, I think his strategy would have been the same - serve insanely good, bludgeon the ball, cover the court and cut off Dolgo's options and never let him get in the match.

Rafa hit some truly unbelievable shots for winners, crazy good even for him. Now he can rest after an easy match. Rafa has that look in his eye!

Yes, Dolgo never knew what hit him - it was a steamroller named Rafa Nadal!

well....that was certainly emphatic, wasn't it? I thought Nadal would have a slightly more difficult time with Alex.

nadline - I did not think an upset was possible

cheryl, ricky, problem was that dog had just played a 3 setter against tsonga, then a straight about turnaround to play rafa? on the same day? and you thought this was going to be difficult for rafa? I've never known such a quick turnaround. Dog had no rest and it was an unfair match from the start. there would be no contest against rafa. Irrespective of being WN1, he was already at an advantage.

3/29/11 8:38 PM | Ricky Dimon

Dolgopolov has the talent to make this competitive and even to pull off the upset.


Ricky, I tool this as meaning an upset was possible.

Actually, NNY I don't think we should even mention Dolgo having to finish his match against Tsonga today, because many on other forums thought it would be an advantage because he'd be warmed up.

Rafa had worked him out after their first encounter and knew exactly what to do, it's always difficult when you play someone for the first time like when Rafa played Devvarman. IMO Dolog is just a loose cannon, he doesn't play tennis, his serve is very hit or miss and very unconventional. He needs to go back to the drawing board.

Enjoy:

Nadal vs Dolgopolov - Highlights Miami 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK47Js2a-hs

dolgo had a days rest after he played 2 and a quarter sets against tsonga.....the match was completed in 20 minutes today....practice session...nothing more....dont think dolgo would be complaining about fatigue

"..dog had just played a 3 setter against tsonga, then a straight about turnaround to play rafa"

Maxi, what a little fibber you are. You know very well Dolg played the last 20 mins of his match today, NOT afull 3 sets. Gosh, some Fed fans are now resorting to lies to diminish Rafa's wins. Wot next???

Advantage or no advantage to Rafa, Rafa will still beat Dolgo! Seriously, do people think that Dolgo has a chance against the top three guys? Dolgo is not there yet to consistently challenge the top three guys. Beating a Tsonga requires Dolgo to do so much and has to go the distance, any doubt he stands a chance against Rafa?

It's a pity Tsonga couldn't close the deal against Dolgo and allows him to come back in the second and the third sets. Tsonga despite having all the firery power, also plays go for broke high risk tennis. Dolgo plays his usual brand of tennis and proves too much for Tsonga. So far Tsonga has gone down twice in a row to Dolgo, beating him once at Wimbledon last year. If Tsonga is as consistent as the top three guys, I'm sure he stands a better chance against Dolgo.

Rafa is far too consistently good (unless his serve fails him again) that Dolgo's style won't beat him, just maybe put Rafa on the alert at best when facing him.

This video is better than the one I posted at 7:37 AM:

Video Resumen Nadal vs Dolgopolov R4 Miami 2011 (highlights)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTLiBSDjsDc

Thank you, Augustina, for always finding great clips. :-)

nadline,

Okay Cinderella! Don't forget your glass slippers!

Nativenewyorker , 3/30/11 2:43 AM


Yes NNY, I'm waiting for a member of the Spanish Armada to come round with my glass slipper so that I can go and meet Prince Rafa. Lol