RafaLint: May 31st

Stuff to read:

Here’s an article for people who like worry.
And here’s one for the rest of us (Thanks, AbigailA)
Coach admits that Djokovic undermined Nadal’s confidence
Really nice article on the photographer’s pit at court level at RG and the ball kids who sit in them.

Stuff to look at:

Babolat posted this picture of Rafa at their tent in RG.
For those who can see them (aka, not people outside of Europe), Rafa’s Spanish and English pressers after his 4th round match. And an interview with Mats after the same match.

Interview after practice today:

31 May 2011 | by miri | 14 Comments

Fundación Rafa Nadal wristbands

A new way to support Rafa’s foundation: wristbands. (Look more like bracelets to me.) You can order a pack of 3 for 15€.
 

31 May 2011 | by miri | One Comment

RG: Telegraph Q&A #8

No blog today, he just jumps straight into the Q&A:

(To have Rafa answer your questions, on whatever subject, email sportfeedback@telegraph.co.uk now)

Q: Well done on the tournament so far. How do you stop yourself getting down on yourself after hitting a bad shot or a few DFs or something? Something I occasionally have trouble with. Zainab (London)

RN: You just have to think about the next point! Forget the last one (or at least try to)

There is no

31 May 2011 | by miri | 8 Comments

RG: El Mundo Q&A #6

Rafa’s latest Q&A for El Mundo is up. The mangling seems to indicate that: Rafa feels he has to up his game to be in the final; rankings are complicated; if he’d gone to college, he would have studied something sports related; his rackets are heavier than the over-the-counter ones and he likes the new strings; he’s not planning on changing coaches; he’s not a fortune teller; you can keep asking him about politics, but he isn’t

31 May 2011 | by miri | 3 Comments

RafaLint: RG round 4 edition

Match and general RG articles:

Racquet Reaction – by Steve Tignor

Nadal Cruises Past Ljubicic into Quarters – by John Martin

Nadal Keeps Laboring, but He Keeps Winning – by Christopher Clarey
Nadal a step nearer to sixth title – by Drew Lilley
Rafael Nadal battles past Ivan Ljubicic – by Kevin Mitchell
Nadal: Honest to a Fault? – by Tom Perrotta
Reaping the Whirlwind – by Pete Bodo

Videos:

He doesn’t care who gives it to him,

30 May 2011 | by miri | 16 Comments

RG: 4th round videos

Match highlights and Hotshots. More vids here. (Is it just me, or is that site very blinky? I can’t watch the vids there because of all the stuff blinking at me on the page. I right click and watch them on YouTube. It’s probably just me.)

Locker room footage:

Last game:

Posted by NadalwinLive.

On-court, post-match interview (Spanish):

Posted by rtve.

30 May 2011 | by miri | 3 Comments

RG: 4th round photos

Photos from today’s match against Ljubicic:

Photos by REUTERS/Regis Duvignau, Clive Brunskill/Getty Images, REUTERS/Benoit Tessier, Matthew Stockman/Getty Images, and REUTERS/Thierry Roge

More photos on the RG site and via their Facebook.

30 May 2011 | by miri | 7 Comments

RG: 4th round presser

There’s a bit of video on the RG site.

The Sports Campus has Rafa’s presser transcript up:

Q. Good result today. How do you compare your form to your other matches this week?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, the result was very positive for me, winning three sets without many problems. Was a fantastic result be in quarterfinals last three matches without losing a set. So that’s positive. I think I still playing a little bit with too anxious for moments, so it happened today, no?

30 May 2011 | by miri | 40 Comments

RG: Still plugging away

In the first men’s round of 16 match of the day, Rafa took on #37 Ivan Ljubicic. The windy? Clay? Rafa and Ljubicic? It all sounded familiar. Too bad I wasn’t courtside taking photos like in Monte-Carlo. ;)

Rafa broke in the third game and it was looking a bit like it might be a repeat of the MC score line as well. But in the 6th game, Rafa committed quite a few errors and Ljubicic broke back. Despite making more errors, Rafa managed

30 May 2011 | by miri | 124 Comments

Armani store appearance video

Armani has posted a video summary of Rafa’s appearance at their store in Paris prior to Roland Garros:

30 May 2011 | by miri | 17 Comments