Domination
Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/ AFP/ Getty Images
Rafa took on #29 Viktor Troicki today in the Doha semi-finals. When I say “took on”, I mean “completely massacred.” A strong service game from Troicki started the match. He should have quit right there as it was the last game he would win until the end of the second set. Troicki stepped it up right at the end and Rafa dropped off a bit, but Rafa still managed to win 6-1, 6-3. He’ll play Davydenko in the final tomorrow.
Stats:
| Nadal | Troicki | |
|---|---|---|
| Statistics on Serve | ||
| Aces | 1 | 2 |
| Double Faults | 0 | 0 |
| 1st Serve % | 62% | 72% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 23/28 (82%) | 13/33 (39%) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 9/17 (53%) | 7/13 (54%) |
| Break Points Saved | 0/1 (0%) | 3/8 (38%) |
| Service Games Played | 8 | 8 |
| Statistics on Return | ||
| 1st Return Points Won | 20/33 (61%) | 5/28 (18%) |
| Second Return Points Won | 6/13 (61%) | 8/17 (47%) |
| Break Points Won | 5/8 (63%) | 1/1 (100%) |
| Return Games Played | 8 | 8 |
| Statistics on Points | ||
| Total Service Points Won | 32/45 (71%) | 20/46 (43%) |
| Total Return Points Won | 26/46 (57%) | 13/45 (29%) |
| Total Points Won | 58/91 (64%) | 33/91 (36%) |
| Other Stats | ||
| Winners | 36 | 17 |
| Unforced errors | 15 | 18 |
As it happened blatherings:
Rafa won coin toss and will receive.
Two strong serves from Troicki get is started. The only two rallies in the first game end on errors – one from Troicki and one from Rafa. Troicki holds easily.
Rafa can’t seem to get a first serve in and Troicki is pummeling the returns. Finally, nice wide serve from Rafa followed up by a down the line forehand into the other corner: 15-30. Another second serve. Troicki sends a shot long: 30-30. Second serve. Troicki sends a return just wide: 40-30. Coming forward and taking a forehand mid-court, Rafa pushes the ball just wide: deuce. Second serve. A shot from Troicki is called long, but is overruled. Rafa challenges, but the overrule is correct. Replay the point. Service winner. Another first serve in and Troicki’s return is out: 1-1.
Nice low volley from Troicki: 15-0. Rafa moves Troicki right and left and then finishes him off at the net: 15-15. Troicki completely misshits a ball: 15-30. Another long shot and it’s 15-40. Another error from Troicki and Rafa breaks.
A long rally ends with Troicki netting a ball: 15-0. Nice serve: 30-0. Ace! 40-0. Troicki gets a return short and low, but Rafa manages to dig it up and flick a volley down the line for a winner. He holds at love: 3-1.
Cross-court forehand winner from Rafa: 0-15. “So tough to play against him when he’s in this kind of mood” – ah…Robbie :) Another error from Troicki: 0-30. Another precice shot into the back corner and Rafa has triple break point. He breaks at love: 4-1.
Rafa’s serve is called out, but the linesman changes his mind. A smiling Rafa indicates that he should get the point (Troicki barely got a racket on it), but serves again with no fuss. Easy hold for him: 5-1.
Amazing angled cross court winner from Rafa: 0-15. Troicki hits what looks to be a winning drop shot, Rafa gets to it and flicks it cross court for a winner: 15-30. 30-30. Troicki nets a ball: 30-40. Second serve. Excellent cross court winner of his own from Troicki: deuce. Beautiful serve right on the line: game point. Wonderful serve, but Rafa just tees off and hits a forehand winner down the line: deuce. Troicki nets a ball: break/set point. Rafa takes the first set in just 28 minutes. 21 winners and 2 UFEs for Rafa – that was a beautiful set from him.
Rafa sends a shot just long and makes his, “I’m totally dominating, but not perfect” cranky face: 0-15. A long rally where he had a few chances ends with a long ball from Troicki: 15-15. Short angled volley from Troicki pulls Rafa into the net and he hits a winning dropper: 30-15. Another long ball from Troicki: 40-15. Rafa holds: 1-0.
Rafa hitting 34% INSIDE the base line during rallies. (Per a graphic they just showed.)
Chip return from Rafa passes Troicki by and lands on the line: 0-15. Troicki nets a ball: 0-30. Rafa’s breaking down his forehand well – drawing a lot of errors. Wide shot from Troicki: triple break point. Rafa breaks at love: 2-0.
Service winner from Rafa: 30-15. Rafa nets a ball for his second UE of the game: 30-30. Down the line forehand winner for 40-30. Rafa holds.
Two errors from Troicki and he’s down 0-30. Rafa sends a shot just long: 15-30. 15-40. Troicki saves one break point. Winner from Troicki and Rafa says “Buena”: deuce. Long rally ends with Troicki getting Rafa just where he wants him and then missing his shot: another break point for Rafa. Another long rally with both players moving each other. Rafa hits a shot deep and wide and comes into the net for the sitter shot. Troicki pops up a defensive shot and Rafa swats it for another break. 4-0.
Rafa’s won 10 games in a row.
Rafa picks up a low passing shot attempt and hits a beautifully angled cross court volley winner. Rafa is relentless in a rally: 30-15. Loose point from Rafa: 30-30. Netted ball from Troicki: 40-30. Troicki clips a line: deuce. Second serve. Troicki hits an approach shot just long: game point.
Rafa decides he doesn’t need a bagel – Troicki wins a game! 5-1.
Another lovely low volley from Rafa: 15-0. Rafa sends a shot just out: 15-15. Troicki takes control of a point and hits a winner: 15-30. Second serve. Troicki nets a return: 30-30. Troicki steps up mid rally and draws an error: 30-40. Second serve. Troicki again takes control of a point and wrong foots Rafa for a winner. He breaks: 5-2.
Troicki nets a ball: 0-15. Ace: 15-30. Nice volley from Troicki: 30-30. Rafa pushes a ball wide: 40-30. Troicki holds for 5-3.
Ball just out from Troicki – Rafa breathes a sigh of relief because that would have been tricky to get a racket on: 15-0. Nice serve: 30-0. Another: 40-0. Rafa holds at love and takes the match in just over an hour: 6-1, 6-3.
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For anyone looking for streams, please try:
http://www.livescorehunter.com
The final is scheduled for 6.30pm local (10.30am EST)
Close to that time, close on the match and you’ll find several links.
The first one links to betfair (which requires registration)
I usually go to the second link (or third) which needs no registration.
Hope this is helpful.
One more thing. Marc! did his dorky dance in the stands again today. He’d better be careful, or he might be banned from watching any tennis match soon… ;)
i dont want to talk too much before the final like rafa has a great chance tommorow because i beleive bad luck thing.even last year rafa had his chances in shangai SET point in the first set,and he pushed davy in to the tiebreak in london in the second as well where his tennis was all time low…i think he will have his chances if he plays aggresive confident tennis,if he chose to play it safe,he will lose…tommorow match isnt gs final or master final,rafa has to be aggresive,he has to play risky,AND THEN A DAY WILL COME THAT TO BE AGGRESIVE WILL BE BUSSINESS USUAL FOR HIM….i think tommorow match is a chance altough the match up is pretty big,the tournument isnt so there is no reason not to be confident or over anxious out there….
I hope the final won’t be damaging to Rafa. I think Federer is a smart cookie to have tanked the semi’s. He can now rest & prepare for the AO. I even said he would lose, well let Davy win. Now Davy will be relentless & won’t back off. He is very hungry & it wouldn’t matter even if it were an exhibition he’d want to win. I just hope RAfa realizes whats at stake here. A 250 point tourney or a 2000 GS.
:(
Rafa, who is working on confidence issues, should have tanked to avoid having to beat a tough player in the finals? He needs to take on the tough players to gain confidence – that’s the only way he can. You can run around beating everyone outside the top ten with ease and choke as soon as you have to play a top tenner – that’s what’s wrong with most of the guys in the 11-30 range.
These guys compete for a living. If playing a tough player in the finals of a 250 series event would be damaging to them, they should go home and seek other means of employment.
miri, Rafa has lots of time for recovery and could use that extra 250 points going in to the AO, so I’m sure his only incentive is playing his very best. The last time they played on a hard court, when Rafa was not impeeded by injury or extreme burn-out, Rafa won, but it was a hard fight.
Yes. I’m not the one who worried the final would be damaging. I’m looking forward to it and can’t wait to see how Rafa handles Davydenko now.
Me too … Vamos !!
I think I expressed the same view, more or less, further down in my post, but just to be sure, I totally agree.
Oh Rafa would never consider tanking a game. It’s not his nature to back away from a fight. He may conceed a point if neccessary but thats it. And you are correct if a player cant’ play another top 10 player “If playing a tough player in the finals of a 250 series event would be damaging to them, they should go home and seek other means of employment.”
Yep it’s time for Fed to consider his future!!! ;-)
Do not turn my words into a statement about Federer to back up your tanking claim. Tanking is a serious matter – it’s not playing without much care of winning, it’s not playing when having an off day and just going through the motions, it’s deliberately going out there to lose. It’s against the rules. It’s the stuff that causes betting scandals. Ask Davydenko how he feels about tanking accusations.
I would hate it if anyone accused a player I liked of tanking and so I will not say that of any player.
I agree, and furthermore I think that Fed would really take offense that he’d tank. Most of these guys have major pride and don’t want to lose anything, ever! Anyone who’d purposly tank is a hacker and likely couldn’t break into the top 100.
So maybe Fed didn’t throw the game. Davy is a consistant player, infact he is the most consistant player on tour & thats not me saying it, it’s been stated by many tennis commentators. However, I watched the whole game & Fed wasn’t in that match. His overall performance was lack lustre. Davy as it was played a mediocre match. I’m just surprised at Fed’s poor performance & when you see something like that, you begin to question why!
Federer does not have confidence issues, he’s done it all. He’s freed himself from that by winning the French and then Wimbledon in an epic. He can afford to lose a small tournament because that doesn’t affect his confidence anymore. Whereas Rafa needs a trophy to consolidate his comeback and gain some momentum before he can afford to choose. That said, I agree that while trying to do that he shouldn’t put enormous pressure on his body with a risk of strain or injury before the AO.
Vamos Rafa — !!!!!
Granted V Troicki is #29 in the world but this was the probably the best tennis from Rafa since … LOVE IT!
So excited to see him back! Vintage Rafa indeed!
Another good piece by Richard eaton on the match:
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=4&art_id=nw20100108172136972C614110
come on people fed didnt tanking at all in his semi final match some of you is talking like fed fans here…THE THING IS LAST 3 OR 4 MONTHS davy is capabele of beating everybody….where some of you take the impression fed tanked in this match….you seem to forget he also lost the davy in london….there isnt a single player that davy couldnt mange to beat last couple of months…i hope his role will end tommorow….davy results are frightining he beat djokovic in shangai and rafa and in london he beat del po and rafa straight sets beat fed and he also beat soderling…he also beat verdesco in maleysia before shangai where he also won the title…i have huge repect right now toward davy,he is propably playing the tennis of his life…fed lost two times in a row against him like others in the top ten he isnt tanking AT ALL…..
Emir, what I was trying to say is not that Federer deliberately lost, actually I disagree on that. Everyone wants to win. I only said that if he doesn’t seem to be that motivated in a small tournament, it’s because he can afford it confidence-wise and doesn’t have anything to prove anymore. He therefore concentrates on Grand Slams because they count more.
well i think fed is losing because he isnt playing well….even last year he won fo and wim without playing that great but rafa injured and that gaves him a life line…you are either capable of winning or not..fed hardly a machine especially in mental department,he would chose to go AO with winning feeling like he did madrid for fo and cinci for us open….it was great oppurtunity for fed to take on rafa on less tension match before he met with him on a gs level as well when rafa confidence all time low STILL….
Argh… I have an essay deadline… Have been soooo good this week and not watched anything (OK, but only one set), and it’s sounded like he’s played magnificently. Dying to watch tomorrow, see where his game’s at – but so behind…. :-S
That makes two os us…with the essay, I mean. But I haven’t been all that good, I watched all his matches. ;)
I know!!! But when you watch the highlights, doesn’t it make you want to write the best essay ever? So inspiring!
What would really make me write a better essay would be Rafa winning today, just like Kim did. Boost of energy, I tell ya. ;)
I think Rafa exudes confidence, or at least he did today. I think, from past interviews, he needs matches and practice time to feel comfortable and confident. He seemed focused and committed today except for the game towards end of 2nd set. Tomorrow should be a good match between these two guys. I am looking forward to it. When he was watching Rog V Kolya today in the stands, he looked very relaxed and quite handsome. Checking out the competition.
Thanks for info about the web-stream above. It helps for another source.