AO Rafa blog & Q&A – final
Photo by REUTERS/Tim Wimborne
Rafa sent in one last blog entry to the heraldsun site.
Hello everyone,
I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye and thanks. I had a great time during my stay in Melbourne.
It is obvious I would have loved to be there today, writing this blog from my Melbourne hotel room waiting for the final.
*sniff*
But this year it was not meant to be. I really felt great during my stay in Australia.
The people there are simply amazing, it’s one of the nicest countries in the world.
Good on ya, mates! (Is that close to the correct usage?)
Starting with the tournament organisers, the player services people who never get mentioned at speeches on court, the tournament director, the crowds and also Ian, the driver assigned to me during tournament, a really nice person who was always there trying to help.
Well, I hope you can play Miami and get assigned a certain volunteer driver I happen to know. I promise she’ll do a great job and not molest you too much.
I am happy and sad at the same time. Happy because I felt I was playing really well. Against Andy Murray I probably played at highest level I’ve managed in the past 12 months.
He was better and deserved to win, but I felt I could have won either of the first two sets.
It was close – a few more balls in the court and it could have happened.
There was a couple of matches at Indian Wells last March where I also played at that high level, but not much more last year.
But I was sad in Melbourne because, unfortunately, I had to retire and everyone knows I hate to do that.
Haven’t done it much in my career, but I thought I could not go any further and the injury could get worse. On top of that, Andy was too good that day for me.
First retirement in a major. :(
So, I have written this post on the plane back to Spain. It’s a long trip and I had time to think and time to analyze everything. I am going to go and get checked by my doctor in Spain.
I imagine a lot of people are speculating about me, and my knee, creating doubts… it is normal, we know that. Sometimes there is simply too much speculation.
So, there! Let’s all try to be with colm.
Anyway, I am looking forward to coming back to Melbourne next year. Many thanks to all. Rafa.
And now, some questions:
Q: Rafa, Do you know anything about Australian rules football. Have you ever seen it played, and what do you think of it? Mark, Melbourne
Rafa: I do, actually I watched some the other day on TV. Lot of fun.
Another sport for Rafa to get worked up over!
Q: Rafa, I used to play tennis but I quit when I was 13 to follow dance instead. Can you dance or even move your body to beat of the music? Tisca Rajiv, Melbourne
Rafa: I am a good latin music dancer, but not much more.
That’s a very specific dance specialty.
Q: When the ball hits the net cord and bounces over the net for a winner, players always wave in apology. Do you really feel sorry or is it just a polite tradition? Genevieve
Rafa: Both things.
Heh.
Q: Rafa, When you have French comments on your facebook page, do you zap them or does someone translate them to you? Denise, Quebec, Canada
Rafa: Sometimes I do, because I don’t really understand French. I already struggle with English most of the times.
We really need those universal translators they had on Star Trek. [/geek mode]
Q: Hi Rafa, I’m a huge fan of Richard Gasquet and yourself, and I thought the way you stuck up for him last year was great. I know you two used to play as juniors, so I was wondering who usually won those matches?
Rachel Low, MelbourneRafa: He beat me some times and he was definitely my biggest rival at that age. Great player and a nice guy too.
Always sticks by his friends.
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“I imagine a lot of people are speculating about me, and my knee…”
Nooo…where?! What?! Surely not, Rafa. ;)
^^Yah, we are all so busted. What a guy-doing his last blog under the circumstances. *floves*
Love the Q&A…I picture Rafa geek dancing to Shakira on his iPod. (but he thinks he is reeaaally good) heehee.
LOL .. CC, great reaction
“Rafa: I am a good latin music dancer…”
Pffft…is my only comment to that. :D
For some reason I can picture him being very adorable dancing (as in doing anything else) but not sure about “good”. :)
“Rafa: I am a good latin music dancer, but not much more.”
This is so sexy – I can just imagine.
I feel it’s quite rare for Rafa to admit he’s good at certain things, except for tennis of course (he knows he’s good and we all know it). thus for him to say outright he is a GOOD latin music dancer, I think it must count for something and he must be a mean dancer!
Urm…have you seen Rafa’s La Bamba karaoke performance? :D
Not to mention he claims to be good at PlayStation and yet usually seems to lose…
and he would want to remind you he won the last one against moya.
And I’ll point him to all the videos on the net of him losing (quite noisily) to Moya…Ferrer…and others.
and I will be there to tell him “rafa you still rock regardless of what the stats say about your h2h in playstation”. that will get me into his good books:)
Didn’t he break the controller in one of those videos.. He was teamed with Picu, I think it was against David Ferrer.
Eeeeeech!! Pico!
Urm, I have seen it and wasn’t too impressed. It was ok. If it wasn’t for rafa doing it, i would think it was quite average haha!
Though I quite like the turn that he did with his hands on top of his head and clapping.
but of course since he’s rafa, everything he does is sublime.
i really think he can shit a mile of roses… :)
Yes so rafa’s a certified good dancer in my books now.
It gets me going that clip. It’s the hip thing and the smile. I bet he’d be great at dancing, he’s got movement and rhythm. Great for all sorts of things :)))))
I just like to see him dance, so we can judge ourselves :)
I like the sound of that, dutchgirl.
I don’t particularly want to SEE him dance. I might be interested in dancing WITH him. Thinking about it though…nah, waste of time. ;)
I think if he works on his dance moves, he has the potential to be a mean dancer. i mean from my observation, guys with substantial butts tend to dance really well.
Dancing, I’m not so interested in. I’m much more intrigued by doing something else that ends in “ing”. ;)
Fish-ing? Golf-ing? Shopp-ing? I’m struggling here… ;)
Oh, CC. You ol’ flatterer. Just think of all the “ing” words we could do to Rafa. :D
Don’t the British have a “bangers and mash” saying? Or something like that? I think it’s some really disgusting-sounding food. Uh…sorry if I offend any Brits.
How about if I banger and mash-ing Rafa? I like the sound of it. I think I’d like it done to me, too!
Oh, BANG-ING… Is that British?
I’ll teach you some “ing”-words in Swedish some day.
Bangers and mash we have for dinner. Don’t need to confuse that with what I’d like to do to Rafa. ;)
Sausages and mashed potato. There are lots of things you can do with sausages. Spaniards have fantastic sausage. Big. Spicy. Juicy. Can never get enough.
*now is not the moment to swoon*
OMG, I’m blushing. :D
Wow!!! Didn’t know that was possible ;)
Oh, I’m a totally innocent girl, really. ;)
Oh right. It’s the chilli in the sausage ;)
Okay, I’m a vegan. And you just made me drool about a bucket-full. ;)
*swoons anyway*
“Well, I hope you can play Miami and get assigned a certain volunteer driver I happen to know. I promise she’ll do a great job and not molest you too much.”
For a moment there, I thought you were talking about me. But I’m not a volunteer driver. And I’m most definitely interested in MUCHO molestation. ;)
I promise on my volunteer badge to everything I can to be a really nice person and to always be there trying to help.
How great is Rafa? taking time when he must of been feeling like shit on the way home considering things, he is such a positive guy, so loveable.
I dance latin Rafa, need a partner? now that would be amazing, but I don’t know why but I just cannot imagine Rafa dancing that well, who knows he could be full of surprises, and hey if that sexy strut of his is anything to go by!
NO way Rafa’s a bad dancer, I don’t buy that at all. I agree with faeaki7, the way he walks is very telling. Plus if you can latin dance, the motion in the ocean is there. I’d totally dance with him/on him.
Mmm I think so. And someone here said he’s not that flexible but I reckon he’s very bendy, could get him in all sorts of interesting poses. At any rate, he’s always on about rhythm :)
LOL. Yes, I’d like to believe him when he says he’s a good Latin dancer, whatever the evidence on YT says :) he’s one hot tamale that boy.
I would like to see the Latin Dancing. Does anyone have videos? Ang
Trust Rafa to mention Ian his driver. Such a thoughtful sweetie.
Sad and happy too reading the blog…It felt like I want to be there with you on your flight home…So you are a good latin music dancer huh!:) May I dance with you then, Rafa?