RafaLint: September 20th
Who’s Rafa fake snogging?
Is that a Costa daughter? Or a cousin? (Posted by cymro16668)
Anyone got a higher quality one of this? I don’t see it here (and the Nadal Minutes are usually region-blocked for me anyway.)
Articles:
- The Sherwood Taipei to Welcome World-Renowned Tennis Players – Rafa’s getting the star treatment at an upcoming exhibtion with Daveeed.
- The Implacable by Pete Bodo (tennis.com)
- “He jugado en muchos sitios, pero la afición de aquí es inmejorable” by Rafael C. Mendoza. Warning: old man shorts! (mangle)
- La última noche en Córdoba by R.C.M. (mangle) So, is Danza Kuduro their theme song now?
Video:
- Davis Cup Highlights: Spain 4-1 France (Semifinals 2011)
- raficionada’s videos from the DC semifinal: opening ceremondy, after the win part 1, part 2, part 3
Let’s talk scheduling:
- Michael Stich criticises strike talk from Andy Murray – Stich thinks the current players are a bunch of pansies. (Okay, so he didn’t it that strongly, but that seems to be the gist of it.)
- Are Rafael Nadal and co justified in their complaints about the men’s tennis calendar? by Alexandra Willis – asks some interesting questions and counterpoints to Stich’s comments.
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Omg that part where he faked snogged that little girl. Is it weird I wish I were in her shoes at that particular moment? Rafa is looking more and more gorgeous especially with that smile and the eyebrows action. I think I wouldn’t clean my cheek if Rafa did that to me .. lol jk ;)
Did he gicpve her a nibble on her cheek? That’s cute!
I have never been so jealous of a child. Legit, seething jealousy right here.
I thought that Strich was reactive; but the article by Alex Willis was more comprehensive and asked some interesting questions.
Rafa was cute nuzzling the young girl.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNavSH599IY&feature=related
at 1:34, is that her?
I think it is her…….
But i was wondering that is this the only 2 sets to love down comeback from rafa or is there any other?
off the top of my head there’s wimbledon ’06 against kendrick and wimbledon ’07 against youzhny.
Our Rafa was a big boy back in 2005. If it was’nt for his face, I won’t believe that it was him.
Although I agree that one perhaps can’t compare today’s tennis with Stich’s era, I still think that there are valid points in the BBC article. Reading between the lines, it feels like they’re saying that Andy (and Rafa) should be a little more careful with how they go about making these changes and their ways of expressing themselves whilst doing so. Both Rafa and Andy have grown up in and live in an extremely privileged and protected world and I would hate for that to suddenly start showing.
+1
And I already see how the media will jump on Rafa because of the exho in Taipei…
This scheduling issue is really, really complex.
I’m sorry but arent we forgetting something here? If Rafa or the other Big Four dont play do they get paid? What privilege is that? Only footballers can boast that privilege. What they are talking about in my opinion is the fact that the ATP points and the big tournaments scheduling dont allow them to really pick and choose what they want to do; where they want to go. Can you imagine how unfair it is going to seem if next year Djokovic misses a few touraments and lose all those points?
I didnt even know who Stich was until now..that goes to show how much clout tennis had in his days. Federer and Nadal had restored the interest in tennis and as such the TV ratings followed. This then put added pressure on them to deliver. So everything goes hand in hand. If they cant deliver they cant turn up they lose money – the tournament loses money. Who wins?
1. In my world, these kids are priveleged. They work their arses off, but nobody can say that they are not priveleged.
2. Who can pick and choose what they want do at work?
3. I think tennis has been a big sport for a long time, most certainly in Stich’s day.
I have no problem with the top players wanting to make changes if they are unhappy, but think Rafa and Andy should think about the best way to go about it.
1. Compared to footballers…they are not privileged (in my world)If you have to work your arse off to get it its not a privilege. Its payment.
2. These players CAN and SHOULD choose what they want to do at work because they are self employed freelancers. They hire their own team. They are governed by a body that doesnt ‘pay’ them. Rather stipulated for competition reasons rules that will allow them to get points and keep competitive and have a rank
3. Irepeat – Tennis waned as a popular sport for a while. Agassi, Sampras, Federer & Nadal in my opinion renewed its popularity
I agree completely.
I was agreeing with CC’s comment about how Rafa should think more about how to approach changes – somehow that didn’t get into my post.
Shamababes Suzanna728 – agree agree agreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
CC how many did stich win and how many tourneys did he play? No wonder he is saying this – he hasn’t a clue compared to the top top players and how stressed out and their bodies have become. I do not include stich in that but as a very very second rate commentator… pst……I feel like blowing off a lot of steam here.
As Martina N says this has been going on for years 25 years in fact! and why shouldn’t Rafa and Murray voice their opinions. It’s a free democratic society isn’t it?? I am slightly perplexed with your comments . Funny enough they are now talking the same thing with the British fashion week and having treating them like slaves or whatever the terminology and then having to fly off to Milan. CC you live in Britain and must have read the press about that too. Think they may be following suit (excuse the pun). It’s about time these professional dedicated who have sacrified all their growing up… etc. etc. to speak out.
Stich was ranked as high #2 in the world in singles and as high as #9 in doubles. He won a total of 18 titles including Wimbledon and an Olympics gold. Career overview. He was a pro for 9 years and played an average of 62 singles matches a year during that time. During that same time period, he also averaged 31 doubles matches a year. (Rafa has averaged 64.5 singles/year and 15 doubles/year.) This was also when there were more best of 5 set matches than there are now. He knows what playing a lot of tennis is like. His #2 ranking was in 1993 and as recently as 1996 reached the final at Roland Garros. Not extremely recent, but we also aren’t talking about a guy who played in the wooden-racket mainly grass/clay days, but during the transition time when hard courts and power started taking over. (He also had to play on carpet a lot – the most evil surface ever.) Yes, he doesn’t know exactly what today’s players are going through, but I think he’s more qualified than some who have spoken out about it. (Do I agree with him? Not 100%…maybe not even 40%, but he knows of what he speaks.)
CC has as much a right to her feelings on the subject as you do…as Rafa does…as Stich does.
As I’ve said before, I have no problem with Rafa and Andy wanting to make changes for the top players. I wish them the best of luck. I do have a problem when this gets constantly moaned about in public by kids, who in comparison, are extremely priveleged. It comes across as childish, deconstructive and in my opinion negative for tennis.
Maybe I am übersensitive, because I spend my day with one part spoilt kids who are forever ungrateful about everything they are spoon fed and one part kids who despite talent, will and dedication constantly get shat upon because their background is more fucked than anything Rafa would ever read about in a book.
Rafa, Andy and whoever else wants the schedule changed need to sit down together with the people who can change this and come up with a constructive plan that will actually change things. Then they can talk. Hopefully in a positive manner.
Ahhh!!! Sorry about your experiences. I sure hope that the players do speak in one voice and do something. No wonder Federer doesnt play Davis Cup regularly…look how far he had to travel? That should have been a killer on his body. Djokovic had a torrid time at home and Nadal was lucky to be playing in Spain in my opinion. He was obviously exhausted. These top players do want to play as much as they can but the calendar needs a bit of tweaking.
Ouch, I think he bit her! She said OW! very pretty girl. who is she? Still, bitten and in pain, she’s very lucky!
Willis’ article is, in my opinion, the best I’ve read on the topic so far. It sticks to the facts, it’s witty yet unassuming. Stich’s critique of Andy sounds a bit hollow because it’s based on the “we put up with it, so should you” argument. Which is hardly an argument.
The Alexandra Willis article is spot on, so is the Pete Bodo one, which may start a bit weird, but finishes off in awe of Rafa’s talent and personality.
The little girl is Toni’s eldest. Looks like a cross between Toni and his wife,no?
Yep – his little cousin – seems from previous pics,vids I’ve seen he’s always goofin’ around with his wee cousins…cute and so “I gotcha” moment between them…love it!
The look on Rafa when he moved in to ‘snog’ the girl was so intense and hot! I think he bit that girl!!
Yes, that’s Uncle Toni’s daughter. Remember seeing her there at the US Open. So heartwarming to see ‘Rafa and his cousins’ moments. They’re really close.
I love it that Rafa’s a DC hero again, but I HATE it that Daveeed gets so little credit. He destroyed Simon – and that ain’t easy – and he showed up big time in Austin. Plus I have no doubt that he’d have won his 2nd rubber if it had been played first on Sunday. I hope he gets more credit in Spain. All the English writers act as if Rafa won it all by himself and NO ONE can do that.
I said last year that Daveeed didn’t get enough credit for his Davis Cup input & results. If it wasn’t for him I’m fairly sure Spain wouldn’t have beaten USA in July. He deserves as much credit as Rafa does.
Totally. Feli too in that Austin quarter. He beat a player ranked higher than himself and on a surface chosen for the opponent. And he was rock solid in the 2008 final against Argentina. Nando gets the credit for that because he won the clinching rubber, but that match was such a horrid head-casey match that he didn’t really so much as win it, as choke a bit less than the other guy.
i worry about Fernando and Feli’s rankings come olympics time as they might not qualify like what happened in 2008. their commitment and contribution to DC must be rewarded with olympics participation.
Whoever put THAT song with THOSE cramping shots is a genius!! Also, I’m concerned that at 28 i’m jealous of a small girl?!!!!
Either he bit her or he scratched her face with his stubble (did he shave?). My young uncles used to do that to me. Rafa’s the best cousin and it’s hilarious that he’s making us jealous of a little girl ;P
But looking at it again I’m sure he bit her! Vampire Rafa!
I don’t think he bit her; he was very stubbly and I think he just scratched his jaw across her cheek. I certainly wouldn’t object if he did that to me… ;)
Now we know how he looks like when he is about to kiss someone
Yes, one more image to add to our imagination… Mmmmm Rafa’s hands in my hair…*sigh*
i thought the hands in the hair was quite something…
good to see him so close to his cousins – so heartwarming!
[...] to SI Beyond the Baseline and Nadal News for making me awares of these videos! My boss, however, does not thank you. Share [...]
From Tennis Channel – LaRose’s Sweet Spot – I literally laughed out loud when I read this article because seriously, it is eerily a day in my life or what it would be with no tennis!!! Too, too funny…enjoy!
Best line of the article…”where he finally, inevitably, goes full pickle”
Enjoy this, I have and just keep reading over and over and it’s funnier every time!!!
http://www.tennischannel.com/news/NewsDetails.aspx?newsid=9887
This die hard tennis fan not suppurting STAR players inculuding our Rafa when it comes to shedule.Players were 100 percent right when about the mess in Us open but not in this case.All they want is to make MASTERS NON MANDATORY events so they can have an appreance fee.it is as simple as that.When you give this option to the players star players they are going to use this as a weapon. They have to play 4 500 events but none of them are mandatory,they are already taking a lot apperance fees from those events.Sorry if it is up star players Rafa is no diffrent in this case they want to play less and less but when they want to enter event they want 2 million dollar apperance fee regardless of result.if Masters events becomes non mantodory.They will choose to play Exo instead of real tennis if those events wont give the money they want.I mean tennis isnt all about them.This circle somehow has to go on.They are other players ranked 95 in the world for example.Are this star players think about them ? There can be some changes about DC shedule or 1 master event less in Olympic year or lets give player freedom not to play in ATP 500 ( they will choose to play sweet money).Thats it otherwise some of the changes they want they only think about themsleves but this sport has other players and they have to have their own fair living to continue to play.Who are they planning to play this STAR player otherwise with the walls ? it is all about money some of the changes will make them happier but not good for the sport it self.If masters event become non mantadory.this is going to be big mess.
Interestingly next year 2012 olympics – if nothing is done, wont they be playing even more events than they are this year? After Wimby is it not about another 3 weeks they play olymic tennis at …..er wimby again?
With all the retirement at the US open and the Davis Cup (some big guns never playint) and as a result with almost all the back to back tourney Djok retires and hands over Serbia and Argy to Spain, do you not think the ITF and the ATP are gonna sit up and listen FOR A CHANGE AFTER 25 YRS. Yeah they have done some subtle changes after (5 years) but what about the rest, if they can get someone in post long enough I guess. Don’t you think they deserve to have a union or a spokesperson or an Employee Consultative Group for fair play?
And yep on a lighter note Rafa was so hot hot hot ready for the killer kiss! Wow and he bit her….
I say get a lawyer, form a union & strike & then they will be appreciated much more by the higher ups who control the $$$. I know that baseball players play a lot more games (162), but they are a team,& have backups & don’t play in every game usually. Maybe Rafa & Andy could come up w/a solution (e.g.) having different levels of players like select sports in college (1. elite, of course they would be in that category; 2. a level under that one, which would possibly play a few more matches & then 3) another level, the last that would be like the average players or perhaps compared to minor league status in baseball & they would play the most matches to get experience & try to make money like Rafa was saying before). Just a suggestion on my part :) I for one am a die hard tennis fan & for sure don’t want to see them strike, but they have to do what they have to do or whatever it takes take care of their health & careers. Look at the football players, hockey players & other athletes on teams that have done this. It sure would be a first for an individual one like tennis!
Don’t they kind of have that – the Challengers are where players play for peanuts because the tournaments don’t have a lot of money because no one wants to sponsor or buy tickets for tournaments without the big names there – sad, but true. Hell, the 250s are almost like the first step down to the Challengers.
Against whom would the players actually strike? To me, that’s part of the problem – there is no one governing body that controls the tour and the tournaments like you have with the NFL, baseball, etc.
But it has worked in the past – players boycotted Wimbledon in 1973 to express their unity with a player who was denied entry to any major tournament because his tennis federation claimed he refused to play Davis Cup for his country. I seriously can’t imagine today’s players boycotting Wimbledon…the 73 boycott took place when playing tennis for money on a tour open to both pros and amateurs was still a pretty new idea and when there was nowhere near the amount of money prize money available – much less sponsor money (which a strike could also greatly affect).
With all the retirements/injuries that have gone on, I’m surprised people still do not support a shorter season or few mandatory events if that is what it takes for the top players to be healthier and last longer. So what if the top guys want to play a few more exos. Exo is a no pressure one match which is weigh less taxing on their bodies compared to playing a tournament (even at 500 level) which is a week long and the player has to play at least 4 to 5 competitive matches.
People say that the lower rank players will be hurt but I don’t see it. There are tournaments every week, they could still choose to play at any of them and as many as they want. If the top guys don’t show up the event may bring in less money but the lower rank players have better chances of winning or advancing further (thus collecting more money) so it sort of evens out.
I think most people do want a shorter mandatory season and fewer mandatory events, it’s just that it’s so difficult to get this to happen. I mean, I hope they can work this out. I can’t think of another sport that requires play 11 months of the season in so many different countries and locations.
And I do think lower ranked players will be hurt by most of the changes that could bring this about – if a tournament stops making enough money, it will cease to exist. And if a sponsor doesn’t think there’s a chance in hell of a tournament bringing in top dollars, they will stop sponsoring…or stop sponsoring as many tournaments. Some sponsors accept losses at lower ranked tournaments in order to get contracts on the higher profile ones. But how many losses are they willing to take? Already tennis is desperate for sponsors for lesser tournaments that they have accepted dollars from bet-at-home. What’s next, the Human Growth Hormone Open?
I just don’t think there’s any one simple solution and everyone involved (including fans) needs to be prepared for a hella lot of pain in order to bring about any solid change.
Unless they ask for drastic changes which is unlikely, the scenario I’m thinking of is to have 6/7 instead of 8 mandatory masters, 2 instead of 4 required 500 level tournies. The remainder of the calendar/tournies remain the same as they are now. So if the top guys, for example, want to skip Shanghai and Paris indoor, so be it, but it would help alot with their time off to recuperate. If as a result these 2 events falter, the lower rank guys could make up for it by playing in some other events during other times (there seems to be a tourney everyweek, it’s ridiculous).
The tournies that are currenty struggling is not the fault of the top guys, it’s the sport itself, it’s not popular and probably because there’s so many, and it’s not going to get more popular by having a few more events. Shanghai currently barely has anyone watching even when the top guys are playing.
Would you want it to be so that players choose which of the masters are mandatory? Because I can see that working more than only X specific ones are mandatory – they will never agree on which ones should stay and which should go. Maybe only have 6 count to their ranking points and they can pick which 6 they want play. Need to boost their rankings due to poor results in those 6? Feel free to play all 8, but only the top 6 count. Totally agree about the 500s. I like both ideas, but getting tournament directors to agree might be a problem. (And all the conflicts of interest on the tour don’t help. I’ve never understood why players and/or their management companies should be able to own tournaments.)
Franky, I’d be happy as shit if they got rid of ALL the indoor tournaments. To me, tennis is meant to be played outside…(with no roof). Yeah, I know I’m on the minority on that parenthetical. :)
Yes I agree that the players should be able to choose which 6 masters to compete in, it’s better that way cuz like this yr Nadal & Murrey play Monte Carlo, while Fed & Djoker skipped it and same w/ other events. It’ll likely be that at least 1 top guy will show up and it won’t be as bad as most ppl try to make it out to be. I was picking Shanghai and Paris only as examples for Nadal. If he doesn’t have to play those, he could really take it easy from after USO until WTF if he wants. Now if they could get rid of the purely money grabbing WTF, that would be ideal cuz think of the 3-4 months off the guys could use after USO. I usually tune out of tennis after USO anyway.
As for 500 level tourneys, the top guys currently only play 1 or 2 of those anyway (and there’s some point penalty I don’t really follow) so nothing much will really change there. And I’m with you Miri on the indoor tournies, hate them.
I like it. Next up, let’s solve that whole world peace buggaboo.
haha, only in our dreams.
While we’re at it, they should also get rid of WTF (although I think it’s unlikely to happen), and Davis Cup format definitely need to change (one word, reduction of some kind, most definitely, frequency). My husband and I have been following tennis for over 15 yrs but never once cared about DC until Nadal was so big into it. And as we got into learning about it, we find it ridiculously demanding. Ok got my 2cents in. I do hope the guys will follow thru with their warnings of demanding changes and that some changes will follow. It’s about time.
See, here’s where emotional ties to X will make things difficult to agree on. I LOVE Davis Cup. I ADORE it. It’s my favorite thing about tennis. Seriously. I remember watching a 6+ hour DC match that 1: made me love DC; 2. made me love Wilander. :) And there are some players who feel the same…sadly, not as many as used to. And getting the ITF to agree…I see a player boycott of DC as being more likely, frankly.
And totally: lose the damn WTF. I’ve never been a fan.
Well I’m sure there have been some great DC matches but there are so many of them, with all the countries involved and 4 rounds are played each year? That’s too much. That lessens the special nature of it I think. And there are so many great matches at the regular tournies that I don’t mind missing DC really. I guess like you said it’s a personal preference but I think most people could agree that it’s too frequent on top of the regular schedule of tournies.
The problem with this schedule is that your body hardly has any rest when you are playing the final all the time. If you are kicked out in earlier stages of the tournies then your body has more time to recover. So yeah Rafa, Roger, Novak, Andy are the ones most affected, and their bodies are human.
Some very interesting points but the perhaps the most overlooked point is that both players and the ATP suffer if the players don’t or can’t play. If players don’t play they can’t earn. Tournaments lose their drawcards, and attendances suffer. The ATP has gone the other route by trying to guarantee participation by punishing players who don’t play, instead of incentivising them. Tell them that we are cutting these tournaments and giving you a 2 month break because we value you and because we need you on stage sts. IN return you assure us that you will turn up at these tournaments that are now better spaced [hopefully]. Any action decided upon will hurt both sides.However the ATP needs to take control and stop being the pawn of the tournaments it controls, and also there needs to be a unified tennis system [pie in the sky i know]. However if there are fewer mandatory tournaments it means that more players will actually play, as opposed to missing because of injury, and the whole tour benefits. Davis Cup should be every 2 yrs – and the world group should slug it out over 4 wks. IN other words there needs to be space in the calendar for the DC and for resting etc. Make the Davis Cup something to look forward to – like the World Cup!