Rafatennis - Rome Masters 1000 - 8-15 May 2011

First topic message reminder :

"Obviously I didn't play at my best. I didn't play badly, just normal. But that is not enough against Djokovic." That's the true Rafa! Well, one of them had to lose their streak and it wasn't third time lucky for Rafa against Djokovic.

With a quick turnaround, we are straight off to Rome, with Rafa in a battle to keep his No 1 ranking and take it into the French. The tournament has already started and the draw could prove tough for him, depending on whether potential opponents can take their good form from Madrid onto Rome.

Rafa's first match will be on Wednesday.

Good luck Rafa - dust yourself down and come roaring back. Vamos!

Morning all. I am very very sad to hear of Seve's passing. May he now be at peace.

So finally Seve has to play the great golf course in the sky ... you´ll definitely be No.1. Seve. so very sorry . indeed you were a lovely man ..Your country and the golf world will miss you.

I too am sad to hear about Seve. Like so many greats, taken far too young. Rest in Peace Seve.

Just noticed the new smilies have been removed! Although I only knew Chewie a short while, I will miss him.

Was very sad to hear the news of the great Seve's passing this morning. Seve was the first golfer I ever liked - I loved his smile! - and made me interested in watching golf on telly. RIP, Seve, you'll be missed by many.

Afternoon all

Only saw the last set of Rafa and Rog.....and I see Rafa lost the first 7-5 did he have one of his lapses

Well he's through....but does anyone else think he's not playing with the same confidence that he has done in the past. I still think he seems so passive at times.

Did Nole play well....and what's the opinion on the match tomorrow?

Hi Denz First set was a little strange. Both were a bit cagey but Rafa got an early break and was 4-2 up when Roger then went on a bit of a rampage. Roger then got upset over a line call at the start of the 2nd and seemed to lose focus.

I though Rafa looked a little out of sorts but the commies mentioned that he was probably feeling emotional about Seve (he was wearing a black ribbon which fell off during the match).

Denzy Frankly I thought he did not play well at all.
The commentators did say that he had been affected badly by Sevi´s death and if you noticed he was wearing a black ribbon.

That aside he should have had that match tied up in two sets.
Fed played well at the end but Rafa showed him too much respect at times I think and nearly came unstuck
He will have to up his game if he wants to win this tournament imo

Hi Angie Haddie

Thanks for that girls....I did wonder about Seve and if it would affect Rafa. I hope he comes out with a different mindset tomorrow. I sometimes wonder if that boy knows how good he really is....he does doubt his own abiity at times.

I know Uncle T and the family keep him "humble"...but come on Rafa......believe in yourself!

Good evening all

I was up at 4 am this morning for my day out !

Has anyone checked out the draw for Rome yet? Don't forget to do your picks.

I'm keeping fingers and everything crossed that I've finally jinxed Novak by picking him to win Madrid. Well...either that or I'll come top again :run2:

VAMOS Rafa!

Just looking at the picks for Rome now...they can be done up to 10 am GMT - and then the next picks game doesn't start until 5 August

Oh yikes - Rafa might have Bellucci in the first match in Rome

Rafa has a really tough draw ... again!!

Why does a move from 606 result in a non <cakewalk> draw for Rafa???

And Rafa has Ferrer in this quarter, and Feds in his half again.

Poor old Fer has Raonic in his first match and then Soderling

Nole's potential QF is Soderling, with Murray potential semi.

Feds has Tsonga as a potential opponent in his first match! Blimey, there are some toughies in here. Apart from for one person (mention no names NOVAK DJOKOVIC!)

Deliciano faces Llodra to start with. I can see my picks are going to be pants again

Rafa's draw isn't too bad guys.

Bellucci excelled this week, with he back it up in Rome?

Rafa rarely ever loses to fellow Spaniards so should get past Lopez and Ferrer.

Rafa vs Roger should be another top match!

Good afternoon Rafateers

I am sooooooo nervous <vomit>

Clunk! Click!

Well...this start is helping my nerves

Be positive Rafa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG Rafa!! ... All that and you're only level.

<faint>

Ok. NOW I'm nervious!

Me too Angie . This is terrible - credit to Rafa to bringing it back to a respectable score, but he needs to play so much better than this!

Yes Rafa. Like that!

<APPLAUSE> !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

11 more games like that please!

Eat your heart out Feds, that was one heck of a hot dog or whatever they are called

Back to the nervous. If you could coach Rafa right now - what would you tell him?

I'd tell him to step in more, the occasional foray to the net and stop hitting to Novak's backhand, because that cross court is killing him!

This is killing me. He's hitting way too short too often.

He must've heard you about the net, Rafan!

Absolutely you have tried it this way for one and half sets Rafa and where is it getting you Ra step inside the court and attack..standing 10ft behind the baseline keep pummeling his backhand and he will keep doing that from now until infinitum. Attack him Rafa

I'd also be telling him to move in a bit for the 2nd serve.

Djokovic played the match of his life and scraped through.

Rafa was very poor.

Rafa was rubbish frankly. Im a Rafa fan and I have not seen him play that badly on clay... He simply ran out of ideas. A most boring match I had to switch off.

Haddie-nuff wrote:Rafa was rubbish frankly. Im a Rafa fan and I have not seen him play that badly on clay... He simply ran out of ideas. A most boring match I had to switch off.

Djokovic is lucking out at the moment. Indian Wells and Miami Rafa should won. Here Rafa was way below par.

Well, to be honest guys, I don't think there is any lucking out by Nole. He is simply the better player right now. And all I can say is Rafa ... you've had a good look at him now, he's changed ... and so must you. Over to you Rafa, study hard, and find a way.

And a word about Nole's team. Nobody likes a smug winner. If you win, do it with grace and keep your "6" t-shirts for yourselves and out of the face of your guy's opponents.

Hello Rafateers. Well, that was a bit upsetting, but I guess we have to accept that Novak is the best player in the world right now. The way he seems to be able to be really agressive, but at the same time doesn't look like missing is very impressive. Plus points for our boy:-

- Rafa is clearly No 2.

- Given the rankings situation, he won't presumably be able to meet Novak before a final at least until after Wimbledon.

- Madrid is the clay court that will most favour Novak.

- Apart from Monfils in Barcelona, Rafa isn't playing his clay "A" game yet. I'm hoping he's looking to peak in a few weeks time.

- A few players seem to be getting closer to giving Novak a match than in IW and Miami.

Anyway, congratulations to Novak. He was undoubtedly the best player today and deserved to win. I hate the fact that he's beaten Rafa in 3 finals on the trot, but we've just got to move on to Rome and RG.

-

Wooffie wrote:Well, to be honest guys, I don't think there is any lucking out by Nole. He is simply the better player right now. And all I can say is Rafa ... you've had a good look at him now, he's changed ... and so must you. Over to you Rafa, study hard, and find a way.

And a word about Nole's team. Nobody likes a smug winner. If you win, do it with grace and keep your "6" t-shirts for yourselves and out of the face of your guy's opponents.

Sorry I disagree.

Djokovic has had his fair share of luck on his run.

It didn't happen for Rafa today, but Rome's a totally different surface and much slower than Madrid so Djokovic won't blast through Rafa there.

AFCWomble42 wrote:Hello Rafateers. Well, that was a bit upsetting, but I guess we have to accept that Novak is the best player in the world right now. The way he seems to be able to be really agressive, but at the same time doesn't look like missing is very impressive. Plus points for our boy:-

- Rafa is clearly No 2.

- Given the rankings situation, he won't presumably be able to meet Novak before a final at least until after Wimbledon.

- Madrid is the clay court that will most favour Novak.

- Apart from Monfils in Barcelona, Rafa isn't playing his clay "A" game yet. I'm hoping he's looking to peak in a few weeks time.

- A few players seem to be getting closer to giving Novak a match than in IW and Miami.

Anyway, congratulations to Novak. He was undoubtedly the best player today and deserved to win. I hate the fact that he's beaten Rafa in 3 finals on the trot, but we've just got to move on to Rome and RG.

-

Rafa needs to modify he attack vs Djokovic. Hitting deep to the backhand doesn't work, like it does vs Federer. Rafa should pick apart Djokovic's forehand. It's clearly Djokovic's weaker shot.

I would not have said Djoko was lucky in winning tonight not at all.
Where he was "lucky" is that Rafa was not the Rafa he would normally expect to meet on clay. Lets not try to smooth it over Rafa fans ... he was very poor. He was back behind the base line, pummeling Nole´s backhand shot after shot after shot. Nole let Rafa make all the mistakes. No net play by Rafa .. he couldnt find his length and where Nole never missed a thing. He ran out of ideas and never tried to change his game. He was plain boring.. sorry.- He has to be careful now that Nole doesn´t get inside his head like he did with Fed.

Haddie-nuff wrote:I would not have said Djoko was lucky in winning tonight not at all.
Where he was "lucky" is that Rafa was not the Rafa he would normally expect to meet on clay. Lets not try to smooth it over Rafa fans ... he was very poor. He was back behind the base line, pummeling Nole´s backhand shot after shot after shot. Nole let Rafa make all the mistakes. No net play by Rafa .. he couldnt find his length and where Nole never missed a thing. He ran out of ideas and never tried to change his game. He was plain boring.. sorry.- He has to be careful now that Nole doesn´t get inside his head like he did with Fed.

I'm sure Uncle Toni will get Rafa back in the zone next time Rafa meets Djokovic.

Fair enough, Sonic. Whilst I thought Miami in particular was a tale of 3 points in the TB, not today. I felt he seriously outplayed Rafa. He had net cords in the game to win the first set, but he played much better IMO.

Evening Womble

I agree ... we've not seen classic Clay Court Rafa yet and now next week is the 4th tournie in. Hopefully Rome will see him fare a bit better, but he has a tough draw. I say tough ... but he should still get by these players. Lets see what the latter stages of next week bring. This will be the 3rd week on the trot for Nole, so that should ask some questions of him.

Haddie ... can't disagree with anything you say.

No Wooffie... sad ennit... Im hurting really cant stand watching that Rafa... his defensive play put the writing on the wall from the word off.

Hi Wooffie. Congratulations on the result from Old Trafford.

I agree totally that Novak has changed. Rafa and Uncle T will have to put their heads together and work out a strategy to counteract the new improved version. I guess we'll have to see how Novak 2.0 goes on the slower courts of Rome, but if he's still running through the draw there, Rafa will have to look to play a lot more 1st strike tennis, like he now seems to manage on h/cs. One thing, though - I may be clutching at straws, but isn't Madrid, although clay meant to be faster than Miami ?

I know this sounds odd and I know it wouldn't help with the ranking, but I would almost have preferred that he'd lost to Roger yesterday now.

Well yes. I think we're all hurting because you have to be realistic about what we saw today. Rafa's tactics that have served him in the past do not work now against Novak now, because he gets everything back and is much much fitter and it is he that can extract the error from his opponent.

And the Feds tactic of pummeling the backhand is madness against Novak because he was pounding him with that cross court backhand of his.

It needs a re-think for Rafa. At some point, some things will work to his advantage, but it was very poor from him today.

At least the footie cheered me up today.

I know what you mean Womble about Rafa losing against Feds. It would still keep Nole guessing about if he could beat him on clay and Rome aids Rafa a bit more.

But he's got that win ... and if his confidence wasn't already sky high ...

It isn't nice to see Rafa lose like that....playing way below his best. To be honest I never saw a ball struck....I couldn't watch it. But from what Woofs and Rafan told me, it was the same old same old that Rafa has played of late.

This game is simply not good enough. Hitting balls short and staying too far back on any surface is not going to win a match. His team need to put their heads together and fine a way. The boy is good enough and talented enough to win...why is he so negative??

Anyway...onward to Rome....just come on Rafa, believe in yourself and your game.

Note to Nole..... no one likes a smart ass

I think more variety is needed for a start. Did he do one drop shot ? It was getting to the stage where I was surprised when there was a rally of 10+ shots which Rafa won.

Part of the issue everyone is having with Novak is maybe that the 2.0 version seemed to almost come out of nowhere at the AO. I know he got to the USO final, but that's where there was some luck. I think he had a 5-setter early on and then Roger had those match points against him in the semi. Yes, Novak was brave on the mps, but Roger should have won that match.

It probably doesn't sound right after seeing him beat Rafa on straight sets on clay, but other players have been getting nearer. He could have lost in both the QF and SF. The fact that it was straights sets against Rafa probably says more about how Rafa played.

The "6" t-shirts thing is interesting. Maybe Uncle T should put a photo of Team Novak wearing them next to Rafa's bed. I think it might prove highly motivating.

Hi everyone

I am gutted, but agree with what's being said here (and thanks for the positives Womble!) - Rafa was poor but Novak is by far the best player at the moment, with Rafa being No 2. Awful to lose three finals in a row to the same player, which will probably become a bit of a mental issue now. I thought Rafa played much better in Indian Wells and particularly Miami than he has this clay season so far.

I suppose the good thing is there's no time to dwell, it's straight on to Rome and the first match within a couple of days. If Bellucci can maintain his form from Madrid it could be tricky. But then again we thought the Madrid draw was hard and it turned out ok...

Onwards and upwards Rafa (and Rafateers).

I wonder how Novak will feel at the start of next season with all these points to defend

One good piece of news rafateers... one of the Armada... Nando none other has beaten Raonic in Rome..

We saw that. Well done Nando ... good for you!

Nole could have lost last night. Bellucci had a stellar first set, and was up a break. One poor service game from him and a tweaked groin and from seemingly being out on his feet, Nole got through.

I'm thinking things like its Nole's 3rd straight week of competition, its going to be tough at some point, but to be honest, I'd rather think about what Rafa might do differently and I hope his team work with him accordingly.

And nailing those pictures to his locker room door might help. Is that what another team think of you Rafa? To have a t-shirt printed to wear at the expense of you losing, and being confident you might do so? You are RAFAEL NADAL !!