Rafael Nadal

[alsl]

what cute pics reese!!thank you!!shows how much they've grown..they must be pretty close friends.

[marats]

Nice pics !

[bia2209]

this is completely random but i just saw rafa's uncle miguel angel nadal playing footie in a gala match between ac milan and barcelona in milan....all i can say though is that the men in the nadal family clearly bear the same genetic stamp....

[alsl]

found this pic of rafa playing polo in dubai:



;D

img from atptennis.com

[marats]

Rafaël plays the final tomorrow in Monaco against Roger !!!
I think it's gonna be a great match !!

[LaFFy TaFFy]

yay rafa won, and marats it was a very good match

[Annie]

Oh it was an excellent excellent final!!!! I love whem when they are like that. 4 hours of pure pleasure and people who were watching didn't pay their money for nothng ;D

I was a bit sad because I sided with Roger but on the whole it was a show not to be missed

[avalon]

It took me a while, but I finally got to watch some of the - great -match. Do you think Roger has finally met his nemisis? [on clay at least]

[mari]

I saw the final yesterday, and definitively Rafa deserves the championship, he have so much energy, run all over the court........wow!!

[kristen]

it was one of the best matches i've ever seen! i think with Rafa's win, he and roger definitely have a rival going on now for the long run!

[marats]

Congrats Rafaël , well done !!

[sabz]

CONGRATUALTIONS TO RAFA for beating Federer AGAIN

Rafael Nadal retained his Rome masters title on Sunday with a thrilling five-set win over world number one Roger Federer.
The Spanish phenomenon saved two match points in the fifth set, taking the championship for the second time on a tie break 6-7 (0) 7-6 (5) 6-4 2-6 7-6 (5) in just over five hours in centre court.
At just nineteen, Nadal has now equalled the record run on 53 undefeated matches on clay set by Guillermo Vilas.
In the first set the players exchanged a break each. Federer tried to force the pace of the match by coming to the net whenever possible. he played a faultless tie-break, hitting deep off both wings and looking as if he might have discovered a way to undo Nadal, who is the closest thing of the circuit to a human wall.
In the second set, Nadal signalled he was still very much in contention with a point.winning between-the-legs shot which surprised Federer at the net. But there were no breaks and only one break point. The Swiss star clearly had a more effectively serve but like everyone else on the circuit he was over-rallied from the baseline, taking the second set tie-break on his first set point.
In the fifth game of the third ,Federer is annoyed by someone in the crowd who shouts out during a point. he loses his concentration and is broken. Nadal serves out the set.
In the fourth, Federer has his head down for the first couple of games but recovers like a true professional, breaking Nadal twice and running away with the set 6-2.
His purple patch continues into the deciding set and climaxes with a brilliant forehand to break Nadal and lead 3-1, a lead increased to 4-1 with the next service game.
But Nadal refuses to even imagine defeat. He pumps himself up and breaks immediately by what seems sheer force of will, levelling the set 4-4 with his next service game. Federer has by this time scaled back his net game and the two are slogging it out from the baseline, both players trying to avoid the other's forehand.
At 5-6 with Nadal serving, Federer has a double match point. He produced two unforced forehand errors, and Nadal forces the tie-break.
In the fifth set tie-break, Federer races ahead to 5-3 but hits a nervous forehand again: it's 5-4. Nadal on the other hand show no sign of nerves. He keeps hitting heavy groundstrokes and overcomes the world number one with his first match point.




LONGEST OPEN ERA CLAY COURT WINNING STREAKS
Player No. Matches Streak Duration
Guillermo Vilas 53 May-Sep. 1977
Rafael Nadal 53 Apr. 2005-current
Bjorn Borg 46 Oct. 1977-May '79
Thomas Muster 40 Feb-June 1995
Thomas Muster 38 Aug. 1995-Apr. '96
Ilie Nastase 38 May-Oct. 1973

STREAK SUMMARY – During Nadal’s 53-match winning streak, which began in Monte-Carlo in April 2005, he has defeated 39 different opponents from 16 different countries. The players he has beaten the most during the streak: Coria (3), Gaudio (3), Federer (3), Ferrer (2), Ferrero (2), Gasquet (2), Malisse (2), Monfils (2), Nieminen (2) Robredo (2) and Stepanek (2).

Here's a look at the streak by matches:

Best of Three Set Matches
Straight-set wins: 30
Three-set wins: 7

Best of Five Set Matches
Straight-set wins: 8
Four-set wins: 6
Five-set wins: 2

ROAD TO 50 BY TOURNAMENT/EVENT (8 titles) –
2005 Monte-Carlo 6-0
2005 Barcelona 11-0
2005 Rome 17-0
2005 Roland Garros 24-0
2005 Bastad 29-0
2005 Stuttgart 34-0
2005 Davis Cup vs. ITA 36-0
2006 Monte-Carlo 42-0
2006 Barcelona 47-0
2006 Rome 53-0

It has to be remebered that he has yet to meet Marat - then we will see!! ;D

[SAFINNO1]

lol Sabz

This kid is truely superhuman, can u name a man that has beaten Roger 3 times and all in the period that Roger has dominated, Marat aint even done it in his lifetime

It is an honour to watch this kid, but until he plays Marat then we cannot judge his greatness

[bia2209]

It was an excellent match...they both played really well. and i don't know if any one else noticed this but after he won and the crowd was cheering him (he clapped back) but he made this gesture as if to say you should applaud roger as well...cause it takes two to play that kind of classic match

you just have to love Rafa's energy. ;D I got totally distracted from writing my paper (still made progress)

.here's some pics from this week of rafa...

[Annie]

Oh what a final!!!!!!!!!!!!!! beautful absolutely fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so sorry for Roger though