WITH SHORN LOCKS, HAS NADAL LOST A STEP?????
“Why, he has ears!” exclaimed a woman who saw him yesterday, during what seemed a cameo: 33 ½ minutes of making “Gonzo” (Chilean Fernando Gonzalez) go gone-zo in the direction of Santiago. All that hair accompanying him to the heights of the tennis world is also gone-zo.
Not a crew-cut, mind you, but the regal mane has been shorn, giving him a born-again appearance in a town, New York, where he has been harried more often then not. Nadal has won three of the four majors (one Australian, four French, one Wimbledon), but the US Open has been an unhappy hunting ground of mainly early round defeats until last year when he lurched wearily to a semifinal. Once there he was easy pickings for the Scotsman, Andy Murray.
Well, “Roundhouse Rafa,” he of the mighty, debilitating left hooks, is back in the semis, but looking much better than 2008 after his 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-2), 6-0, triumph over Gonzalez.
This was a victory in two acts: a troublesome two hours Thursday night before rain chased them with Rafa holding one set and a 3-points-to-2 lead in the second set tie-breaker. More rain bageled them Friday.
Gonzalez needn’t have bothered to return yesterday for the 33 ½ minutes beneath a menacing sky of gray on charcoal clouds that dumped more rain.
“It was like a new match,” said No. 11 Gonzalez, who collected but 12 points in the second act. “I had to win the tie-breaker to stay in it” — but Nadal zeroed in on the Chilean’s backhand to quickly take the breaker and kept on going, happy to beat both his foe and the imminent downpour.
Gonzalez’s terrific forehand kept him in the match until that second tie-breaker. “I had to win that breaker, but it was over in like three minutes. Rafa was hitting many balls to my backhand, really high. I feel that I cannot do damage after that. I think I make a good play. Then I miss one. The next play I miss another one. Then I miss another one. What else can I do? I try my best, but I didn’t know what to do.”
That’s what it feels like most of the time against Rafa, the wizard of spin, who, Gopzalez said, is hitting the ball harder than ever.
Rafa was elated to get it over so swiftly, because he has a rocky road ahead to the championship. The Argentine giant, 6-foot-7 inch Juan Martine Del Potro, is in his way today, and the winner of Roger Federer-Novak Djokovic in a possible final Monday.
Three matches in three days, although Rafa said, “The match of today wasn’t important physically, no? That doesn’t matter to play two days in a row.”
Talking about the second set tie-breaker that really settled matters, he said, “Important thing is be calm, be ready to comeback [to the court]. In one situation like today anything can happen because it’s a little bit lottery, depends on the first two points” – which he got, then the next two to close.
Following a 10 week sabbatical to nurse his tendonitis-plagued knees, Rafa lost in the quarters of the Canadian Open to Del Potro, and the semifinals of Cincinnati to Djokovic.
No matter because he’s not the broken-down Nadal of 12 months ago after he’d won Wimbledon and Olympic gold. “No. Sure I’m more fresh than last year, 100 per cent. We will see how I am physically Sunday. But mentally? The last year was totally destroyed mentally. Mentally this year I am perfect, no?”
Nadal, solid mentally, but still bothered by an abdominal strain, and maybe the knees – “I don’t talk about injuries” – is a very dangerous proposition for any of the survivors. He has high praise for Del Potro: “very complete. Unbelievable serve, he don’t have mistakes.”
And Gonzalez believes Federer doesn’t like to play Nadal, who “keeps the ball high to Roger’s one-handed backhand, like he did to me.”
Is there extra incentive in Rafa’s aiming for a so-called career Grand Slam? Federer, by winning the French now owns all four majors, the sixth man to do so. Rafa needs only the US to complete his highest-grade collection.
Has the haircut taken a load off his mind? The sheared Samson pulled down the temple. Rafa will settle for dismantling the fuzzy ball temple, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Tags: Fernando Gonzalez, Rafael Nadal
September 12 2009 04:25 pm | US Open
Charlie on 14 Sep 2009 at 9:10 am #
He’s not lost a step…but the abdominal strain clearly has hurt his serve – the weapon that won him Wimby last year was completely absent in the Del Potro demolition. Indomitable…but he showed up to a gun fight with a knife. Taking nothing from Juan-Martin brilliant display, but (to borrow Rafa’s phrasing) it would have been a different match with a serve, no? There are no moral victories as we know – particularly with the beating administered by Del Potro yesterday – but Rafa and his unique tenacity are back
Ciarrai on 14 Sep 2009 at 10:54 am #
Hello Bud,
Boy, the short shrift they gave you on ESPN. You know more about tennis than the whole lot of them. Everyone’s loss. Del Potro is sort of extraordinary, don’t you think? Who hits groundies harder than him? I say no one. Serve is tough and he varies it to suit the situation. He’s tough. If he plays Fed like he did Nadal, Fed is in for a tough one. You didn’t ask, but if I threaten someone, using foul language while menacing them with a tennis racket, wouldn’t I be subject to arrest? Disgraceful, embarrassing spectacle which ought to result, at least, in disqualification from doubles final. Tennis authorities ought to err on the side of the rules and a wee bit of civility. All the best.
Craig on 14 Sep 2009 at 12:51 pm #
I didn’t notice the shorn locks, but did notice that he is not wearing a sleeveless shirt and the capri pants anymore.
Regarding potential further penalties on Serena, I am wondering what kind of penalties were imposed on Jimmy Connors or John McEnroe for their abuse of officials when they were playing ?
Karen on 14 Sep 2009 at 6:51 pm #
you obviously have not seen this article: http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/516716/0/nadal/abdominal/matando/
or this photo:
http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/yjeFSxJense/US+Open+Day+13/YBc1EeJx8vQ/Rafael+Nadal
AzureFrettyArgent on 14 Sep 2009 at 9:23 pm #
Jimmy Connors was defaulted from the 1986 Lipton International Players Championships.He was suspended for ten weeks,and fined $20,000.
John McEnroe was disqualified from the 1990 Australian Open for racket abuse,and intimidation of the officials with the then new code of conduct system.He was fined 6,500.
Jeff Tarango was defaulted for an argument with the chair umpire,and other offenses at Wimbledon in 1995.
He was fined from 35,000 to 63,000 depending on the sources I found.Suspended from the next Wimbledon,and a few weeks by the ATP.
So there would be a precedent for suspending Serena Williams.I agree with Mary Carillo that she should have been suspended from the doubles.
I can’t help feeling a little bad for Black,and Huber.They came so close to not having to get stomped.
Bud,I did look up the information from your book “History of Tennis”.That and Wikipedia(forgive me).
I really like Rafa,but no one will ever look as good in a pair of capri slacks than Mary Tyler Moore.
Craig on 15 Sep 2009 at 12:22 pm #
To Azure:
Thanks for your research, it’s good to know that Connors and McEnroe at least had some action taken against them for bad behavior. Jeff seems like not a big fish compared to Connors or McEnroe. I read that McEnroe said he learned his behavior from Ilie Nastase.
Tony Carleton on 30 Sep 2009 at 10:48 pm #
Having watched the amazing Nadal for years, I was concerned about his physical appearance this summer. His previously highly defined muscles in his arms and shoulders clearly seem to have noticeably less definition. Is it possible that he had been using something like steroids in the past but has given up the practice?
Other people I have mentioned this observation to seem to have some of the same perceptions of his body and questions about his possible drug usages.
Take care,
Tony
bud on 11 Oct 2009 at 7:23 pm #
Hi Tony — thank you for writing. i don’t think his problem is drugs since he has been tested (and ruled clean) many times over the last 5 years. Most recently (US Open for instance) he has been battling a strained abdominal muscle, and maybe his knees will never be what they were because of the workouts he gave them.
cheers from anita and me,
bud
Contessa ChiChi on 05 Apr 2010 at 2:00 am #
Hola! Mister Bud Collins,
I’m pleased to see you here in the blogosphere; discovered you just this night, as a matter of fact. Contessa ChiChi gave a speech at Boastmaster Kennel Klub *wink wink* appealing to all furkinds to join in a friendly (but firm) campaign to get back Raffie’s sleeveless tops and pirate pants because she thinks Rafa has lost some of his Samsonian strength/tennis prowess by making him look like everyone else on the court. You can read it here: http://contessa-chichi.blogspot.com/2009/11/contessa-chichis-speech-at-boastmaster.html
The World of Tennis needs more of your wisdom and expertise, Mr. Collins. I hope you get more coverage on the Tennis Channel. (And just between me and you, every time I see you there, I want to jump up into your arms and lick your face because you’re too cute for your own good. Si, si!)
Please come by to see me at Contessa Chichi – Rafa Nadal’s Arm Candy , so I can tell my dear readers I ‘know’ a real, seasoned expert on tennis, and provide a link to your blog so they, too, can visit you here. Stay well and happy!
Your humble fan,
Contessa ChiChi