Rome: Rafa 1, the windy & Granollers 0
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Rafa played fellow countryman Marcel Granollers in the 3rd round in Rome today. He didn’t start things off well – 2 double faults in a row – but he (and the wind) eventually settled down. The score looks like the match was easy, but in the first set things were tight with games lasting up to 8 minutes and often containing many deuces. In the second set, the score pretty much tells the story. Rafa is through to the quarterfinals where he will meet Berdych: 6-1, 6-1.
Stats:
| Nadal | Granollers | |
|---|---|---|
| Statistics on Serve | ||
| Aces | 0 | 3 |
| Double Faults | 4 | 3 |
| 1st Serve % | 79% | 74% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 27/37 (73%) | 17/40 (43%) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 5/10 (50%) | 6/14 (43%) |
| Break Points Saved | 3/3 (100%) | 4/9 (44%) |
| Service Games Played | 7 | 7 |
| Statistics on Return | ||
| 1st Return Points Won | 23/40 (58%) | 10/37 (27%) |
| Second Return Points Won | 8/14 (57%) | 5/10 (50%) |
| Break Points Won | 5/9 (56%) | 0/3 (%) |
| Return Games Played | 7 | 7 |
| Statistics on Points | ||
| Total Service Points Won | 32/47 (68%) | 23/54 (43%) |
| Total Return Points Won | 31/54 (57%) | 14/47 (30%) |
| Total Points Won | 63/101 (62%) | 38/101 (38%) |
| Other Stats | ||
| Winners | 25 | 10 |
| Unforced errors | 17 | 17 |
| Net Approaches | 16/18 (89%) | 8/18 (44%) |
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Hope you are feeling better today, Miri. I thought Rafa looked good – doing just what he needed with a few brilliant Rafaesque points thrown in. Well done. The real match was Gasquet and Murray, and congrats to Richard. Next up for Rafa is going to make him really focus and up his game a bit. But still think he will beat Tomas.
Vamos !!!
I’m getting a bit fedup with my local Malaysian cable tv sports channel as it is NOT showing rafa and I have to view it via internet streaming which went KAPOOT when score was 6-1 , 5-1..the live stream just RESET itself back to 1-0 in 2nd set, showed the “delayed” match from 1-0 to 6-1!! I find that VERY ODD!
Anyway, glad RAFA won! tough Quarterfinals waiting ..Berdych seems to be on form..
Too bad! We’re no better off in the US though. Tennis Channel stayed with the Murray-Gasquet match – can’t really blame ‘em – and then started Rafa’s match off delayed at the beginning of the 2nd set. I don’t even try to watch livestream any more – it’s just way more frustration than I can tolerate.
I have no choice, Ramara..live stream is the only way I get to watch Rafa..somehow the cable tv channel in Msia only shows the earlier matches (1st-3rd matches) . If Rafa’s match is in the night slot (Rome time), it somehow doesnt get screened on tv..sob sob..oh well…
This is one time I didn’t get upset with a decision not to show Rafa’s match. I agree that the Murray Gasquet match was way more exciting.
Aini/Ramara have you tried Livescorehunter.com, they give a choice of matches and the coverage is not too bad, I watched it with Italian commentators today, as Sky had the Murray match on. Well done to Richard by the way.
Me too had the same problem with the stream, on sportlemon, didnt see the last game… All in all I liked Rafa s perfomance today. I think with Berdych will be tough, but not too tough, I hope in semifinals Rafa-David, and in others Seppi Tsonga :D
OMG is it Berdych already? Rafa will need to take it up a few notches, not just one ;-)
Good to see Rafa winning easily when Murray lost and Djokovic had a very hard time against Monaco. Hope he can continue tomorrow against Tomas.
hope so too..gonna be suspenseful..
Glad Rafa won. I didn’t saw the entire match (second set, yes) and it was a bit strange: some shots was wonderful, other…..Maybe because the wind? I don’t know. Tomorrow with Berdych will be very tough. But Rafa is Rafa, no?
Rafa, keep up with the great work! Win! Go Rafaaaaaa!
Saw the 1st set, missed the second. Tough conditions with the gusty wind, everyone struggled today. Tomorrow no wind apparently. Rafa looked like he was having problems with his serve from what I saw, so will need to do better against tomas. Hopefully Tomas will feel fatigued but I’m sure Rafa will beat him. Rafa has looked the best in Rome do far IMO.
They only showed the second set on my cable channel, which was a straight-forward affair for Rafa. Good win, nonetheless, especially since he didn’t have to expend too much energy to get it. he’ll need all that energy for his next match, which will be difficult but I believe Rafa is going through a good confidence/form period right now and, if he continues like that, there’s no reason why he can’t beat Berdy.
The score in the first set belies how well Marcel played, the games were long. Glad Rafa stepped up in the second set but the serving was a little off today. Good luck against Thomas, he’s on fire at the moment.
First set was quite competitive despite the score. Rafa continues to play aggressively and really great at the net… should help him tomorrow vs Berdych.
I’m just so so happy to see him on this red clay. :)
Hi there Patricia/England. I got Rafa’s match on Sky by pressing the red button. In granny heaven – Rafa on TV and 3 week old grandson in my arms.
Yes but on the red button you can’t record or pause etc, so I was a bit annoyed as I had to go out and hd to miss the 2 nd set , nothing I could do about it. I hope to find it online to watch.
Good luck Rafa!!! Play well! You will Win!!! Go Rafa Go!!!
YES…I have a good “sensation” about the next match! It’s Rafa’s for the taking…
Rafa, stay focused, mental relaxed, bring your best game tomorrow! WIN!!! Goooooo RAFAAAAAA!!!
Rafa on real clay is beautiful to watch, isn’t it? (Not that he was ugly to watch on artificially blue clay, but well…)
The Big Berd is next but we won’t be daunted! Vamos Rafa!
Good Luck. I wish Rafa to beat the record of 16 titles. Coz, I believe Rafa is the only player capable of doing it. I was just wondering why the serve speed has gone down. Can you do something to improve the serve speed. The real size of the fight can be seen only in Rafa. Have fun.