RafaLint: May 23rd
(Late again, I know. One of these days I’ll get more than 5 hours a sleep a night…I swear.)
Articles:
- Wade: Nadal can surpass Borg – from espnstar.com
- French Open Preview: Does Rafael Nadal Have His Mojo Back? – by Justin Bergman (time.com)
- Jon Wertheim’s Mailbag – I totally agree with his comments in divisions and nastiness between fans.
- French Open 2012: Rafael Nadal keeps the human touch as he prepares to ascend to seventh heaven – by Oliver Brown (telegraph.co.uk)
- Nadal on track – by Benjamin Waldbaum (rolandgarros.com)
- Seven Doomed Men – by Pete Bodo (tennis.com)
Videos:
- iB3 report on Rafa’s practice session.
- Back stage with Rafa after his Rome win – lots of signing!
- Video of a statue. Thrilling, no?
- iB3 report on the wax figure.
- Practice video – looks like some backhand target practice. Another one.
Photos:
- Photos of waxy Rafa.
- Some of these photos are repeats of the above, some aren’t.
- Some Rafa pics in this flickr set.
Rafa does social media:
- Rafa shared a good new. The bad new is that doing so broke his site.
Tweets about Rafa:
A lot of people tweeted practice photos today:
- Hitting a backhand
- Waiting for someone to hit him a ball
- Hands on hips
- Talking to the press
- With a tot
- Being interviewed
- Weird Photoshop treatment
- Getting ready for Roland Garros
- Backhand
- Lovely black and white photo
Tweets from @davidjnadal today:
Toni Nadal: “No es diferente el encontrarte con Djokovic, Federer o Murray, por ejemplo. No tanta diferencia de llegar como 2 o como 3″
Toni Nadal: “A priori no encotrarte con Djokovic en unas hipotéticas semifinales es bueno, pero la realidad no hay muchas diferencias
…Es verdad que Rafel es uno de los que tiene más opciones, pero no el único”, dice Toni Nadal
Toni Nadal: “Siempre vamos a RG con reservas, porque hay muchos jugadores con opciones. Rafel sólo es uno de los aspirantes…
jugando de forma diferente y más agresivo. Y hasta ahora ha ido bastante bien”, Toni Nadal dixit
Toni Nadal sobre si Rafel está más cerca de Nole: “Este año ha cambiado un poco el tema. Ya en Australia estuvimos un poco más cerca de él
…y después ganó RG. Si esto lo hicimos nostros el año pasado, porque no lo puede hacer ahera él”, dice Toni Nadal
Toni Nadal: “El balance hasta ahora es muy bueno, pero tb es verdad que el año pasado Rafel había perdido dos finales contra Djokovic…
…en cuanto empiecen los partidos en Paris, lo de Roma se habrá olviado para todos”, asegura Toni Nadal
Más declaraciones de Toni Nadal a @IB3noticies : “Ir a RG después de una victoria como la de Roma es mejor, pero también es verdad que…
http://twitvid.com/TGNTG – Fijaros en el método Toni. Esterilla al fondo de pista y pide a @RafaelNadal reves largo. Que meta la bola en ella
Y sigue Toni Nadal: “Para nosotros es un balance muy bueno el no haber pedido ningun set en pista de tierra”. Más claro agua
Toni Nadal: “No, tres títutlos de tres torneos en tierra. El otro (Madrid) no cuenta. No era de tierra”
Toni Nadal atendió a @esportsib3tv via @MartaGFerrer . Marta le dice: “3 títulos de 4 torneos de tierra, buen balance..”. Atención a Toni…
@RafaelNadal viaja esta tarde-noche a París y mañana ya entrena en la terra de Roland Garros
http://twitvid.com/H0WZL – @RafaelNadal entrenó esta mañana en Manacor. Toni Nadal hizo incapié en el revés. Va un video
Nadal:”He superado una situación complicada.Pero si nos volvemos a ver,empezaremos de cero,como todos los partidos y puede pasar de todo”
“También es verdad que haber ganado a uno que te ha ganado siete veces, es un plus, de satisfacción personal”, ha dicho @RafaelNadal
…pero es más importante haber ganado en Montecarlo y Roma que haberlo hecho concretamentente a Djokovic. Lo importante son los torneos”
@RafaelNadal sobre Djokovic: “Le he ganado dos veces, venia de perder 7 veces seguidas y he ganado dos finales importantes…
@RafaelNadal: “Estoy haciendo una temporada de tierra muy buena y ahora viene el final y lo más importante. Ganar 3 de 4 es casi perfecto”
Rafel Nadal: “Prefiero llegar a RG habiendo ganado, pero nunca se sabe.Pase lo que pase allí habré ganado en Romaun torneo muy imp. para mi”
@RafaelNadal: “El año pasado llegué después de perder en Roma y en Madrid y después de empezar de manera complicada fue todo muy bien en RG
This mangles to:
Toni Nadal: “It is not unlike the meet with Djokovic, Federer or Murray, for example. Not come as much of a difference of 2 or 3″
Toni Nadal: “A priori encotrarte with Djokovic in a hypothetical semi-finals is good, but really not much different
It is true that … Rafel is one that has more options, but not unique, “says Toni Nadal
Toni Nadal: “We always go to RG with reservations, because there are many players with options. Rafel is only one of the candidates …
playing a different and more aggressive. And so far has been pretty good, “Toni Nadal dixit
Toni Nadal on whether Rafel is closer Nole: “This year has changed a bit the subject. Already in Australia we were a little closer to him
RG … and then won. If we did this last year Nostros because AHERA can not do it, “says Toni Nadal
Toni Nadal: “The toll so far is very good, but tb is true that last year had lost two finals Rafel Djokovic …
begin … as parties in Paris, the Rome will have forgotten them all “, says Toni Nadal
More Toni Nadal returns to @ IB3noticies: “Go to RG after a win like that of Rome is better, but it is also true that …
http://twitvid.com/TGNTG – Fijaros in the method Toni. Mat to the back of the court and asks @ RafaelNadal long way around. That goal the ball in it
And Toni Nadal continues: “We are very good balance for the failure to order a set in dirt track.” Clearer water
Toni Nadal: “No, three títutlos three tournaments on the ground. The other (Madrid) does not count. There was dirt”
Toni Nadal attended via @ @ esportsib3tv MartaGFerrer. Martha says: “3 of 4 tournament titles of land, good balance ..”. Attention Toni …
@ RafaelNadal traveling this evening and tomorrow to Paris trains at the Roland Garros terra
http://twitvid.com/H0WZL – @ RafaelNadal trained this morning in Manacor. Toni Nadal Frenk emphasized the reverse. Will a video
Nadal: “I have overcome a situation complicada.Pero if we turn to see, we start from zero, as all parties and anything can happen”
“It is also true that having won one who has won seven times, is a plus, personal satisfaction,” said @ RafaelNadal
but more importantly … have won in Monte Carlo and Rome have done concretamentente Djokovic. What matters are the tournaments ”
@ RafaelNadal on Djokovic: “I’ve won twice, came to lose 7 times in a row and won two major end …
@ RafaelNadal: “I’m doing a very good clay season and now comes the final and most important. Win 3 of 4 is almost perfect”
Rafael Nadal: “I’d rather get to RG having won, but never sabe.Pase what happens there I will have won in tournament Romaun very imp. For me”
@ RafaelNadal: “Last year I got after losing at Rome and Madrid and after starting so complicated it was all very well in RG
Random:
- I just love stuff like this – super fun Adidas promo



I tried to go to see the wax Rafa after work as I only work a few stops away on the tube from where it was unveiled but it had already been moved by the time I got there. Very hot in London at the moment, probably thought he might melt and nobody wants to see a gloopy Rafa.
23 May is my birthday and I got a RAFA French Open T from my brother! Made my day! :o)
Now on to French Open! VAMOS!Wish I can go and see the WAX Rafa one day at Madame Tussaud’s!
I really like waxy Rafa. I like how serious they’ve done him and he looks great in the green!
Finally a complemetary article from Bodo on Rafa.
“•Video of a statue. Thrilling, no?”
Only Madame Tussauds has found a way to stop Rafael Nadal in his tracks on the court.
(Made him shorter, too!)
Interesting article at http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/DEUCE-Tennis/DEUCE-Roland-Garros-Wimbledon-2012/Rafael-Nadal.aspx.
Some nice comments. I particularly liked Agassi’s.
Yes, very nice comments. Like you, I especially appreciated Agassi’s; he should know.
Is anyone else enjoying the RG ads on Tennis Channel? They are using some modern and classical musical compositions, like Dvořák’s New World Symphony, to great effect, as well as some humorous juxtapositions of images. My favorite in this latter category is in
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhxNpfGb4Vs&feature=relmfu
at 1:56, where Roger and Rafa are together, followed by a funny pic of Novak, as if he’s looking at them. Well, funny to me, anyway…
I enjoyed the ad at that link. Thanks.
Thanks for the ad link Melissa! I don’t get Tennis Channel in Malaysia, Only Supersports, Euro sports, ESPN,etc
The mangle of Toni’s comments are pretty much gibberish – but even when I understand Toni’s words I’m usually still confused….
Miri, hope you get some rest before RG gets underway!