RG: Dominance
Photo by PASCAL GUYOT/ AFP/ GettyImages
In today’s first semifinal, Rafa played the second most dominant player in the tournament so far – #6 David Ferrer. and dominated him. Given that these were the two guys winning their matches with the greatest ease in the tournament, you might expect a close match. Rafa, however, had different plans. After a tentative start, he got on a roll that even a rain delay couldn’t hamper. Rafa’s into the final: 6-2, 6-2, 6-1.
| Nadal | Ferrer | |
|---|---|---|
| Statistics | ||
| Aces | 2 | 1 |
| Double Faults | 1 | 3 |
| 1st Serve % | 60% | 56% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 33/39 (85%) | 19/37 (51%) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 15/26 (58%) | 12/29 (41%) |
| Break Points Won | 7/10 (70%) | 0/2 (%) |
| Points | ||
| Total Service Points Won | 48/65 (74%) | 31/66 (47%) |
| Total Return Points Won | 35/66 (53%) | 17/65 (26%) |
| Total Points Won | 83/131 (63%) | 48/131 (37%) |
| Other Stats | ||
| Winners | 26 | 17 |
| Unforced errors | 16 | 35 |
| Net Approaches | 13/13 (100%) | 6/14 (43%) |
| Serve Stats | ||
| Fastest Serve Speed | 202 KMH | 193 KMH |
| Average 1st Serve Speed | 182 KMH | 178 KMH |
| Average 2nd Serve Speed | 147 KMH | 148 KMH |
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RAFA, WIN the FO Title on Sunday! You Can Do It!!!!!!! Gooooooo!!!!!!!
Amazing Rafa….Pure and simple.
Hello everybodyguys! You will all be happy to hear that Rafa was playin splendid. I was at RG watching the match and thoroughly enjoyed Rafa’s game. I think he just overwhelmed Daveed. After seeing how Djokovic and Fed played, I think Rafa’s tennis right now is on a different level. His backhand is strong, serve isn’t too bad and footwork is fantastic! I kept telling my husband Rafa the clay master was at work.
Regarding the RG crowd, I might have begun to understand them a bit. Non-Rafa fans expect him to win regardless of who he’s playing in the semis. And they have come to see Rafa trademark shots as the norm rather than the exception. However, when Rafa displayed exceptional shotmaking, the crowd did cheer for him!! A few times at that! They did show Rafa love too, loud cheers when he came on court too. And good cheering after his on court interview. I hope the crowd on Sunday shows him more love than to Djokovic. French loves Fed but too bad, unlike last year, the crowd wouldn’t pull him through. Djokovic’s fans are really really loud though. So hope those of us who love Rafa and will be at RG will show lots of love for him on Sunday! Actually theres a lot of french who are Rafa fans but they are just not loud.
I will do my part on Sunday! Vamos everybody guys!! #vamos7
Thanks, Sil!
Thanks for your confirmation of he brilliance we could see on the tv. Rafa was magnifico! What a joy for you to see Rafa play in person at the French Open! We will all be pulling for you to see Rafa bite that trophy on Sunday! Wish the rest of the crowd to be joining you in cheering Rafa on but regardless ..Vamos everybodyguys all over the world will be there in spirit …shouting Vamos Rafa to to our tv sets!
Enjoy! The incomparable Rafael Nadal is going for RG #7! How truly lucky we are to witness his spectacular talent!
Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Enjoy RG and do help us cheer loudly for Rafa on Sunday. It’s such a joy to see Rafa playing so well and hope he’ll be biting his 7th RG trophy on Sunday. Vamos Rafa!
Thanks Silhouette, needed to hear that, haven’t watched the Djok/Fed match yet its still on the tape was late home and just watched Rafa, he was exceptional how lucky you were to see him live! He was playing with confidence, just hope he can find that against Djoko tommorow, this is a huge physchological battle as well as physical…!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us Silhouette – I was very happy to read that the French crowd are appreciating our Rafa a little more this time. Long may it continue.
You can be our voice in the final but we will, of course, be with you in spirit. Hoping to see Rafa’s gorgeous smile as he is trying to bite that trophy for the 7th time and rewriting the RG history books.
Vamous our Rafa & God bless.
It has been like a dream watching Rafa play throughout this tournament so far, and may that dream be fulfilled in the final on Sunday!!!
For my part,I don´t think it has really sunk in yet, just HOW well he has been performing this year. It is simply amazing to have been able to witness him at his very best, and it brings back so many sweet memories from so many unforgettable moments in his fantastic career. WOW.
My heart is full of joy and pride in Rafa, and I´m afraid it will pop out of my chest anytime soon – I just can´t wait for Sunday to come!
VAMOS- GOD BLESS
This is the 1st whole match I’ve seen Rafa play so far this tourney so was thrilled that he made it quick and easy. He seemed a bit edgy at first but by half way through the 1st set he’d found his groove and started to play like the Rafa we know. I felt sorry for Daveeed, he’s had a great clay season but just came up against a determined Rafa time after time.
I have a feeling that Rafa will play ‘with colm’ on Sunday and wait out the storm. He has less to lose than Djok & will be under less pressure since there’s always next year if things don’t work out for him this year. What Djok’s trying to do hasn’t been done in over 40 yrs so he’ll feel the pressure more.
Let’s get real here, Rafa always saves his best til last!!
I hope your mum is doing better Miri.
This is my take on it. Rafa played a bit tentative in the first few games. Something seem to bother him in the Nadal camp and when listening to Five Live radio they said that some guest of Rafa’s was texting. U Toni made him stop and Rafa shouted a few things. This seemed to fire Rafa up. Watch out when he gets annoyed! From there there was no letting up. I have to say Rafa’s forehand was on fire and his backhand was better but Daveed’s positioning was poor. He tried to become aggressive, lost ideas and made loads of mistakes. So I am not going overboard at the mo in my assessment of how Rafa played. Yes thank goodness Djok has not got his A game together but there is a thing about bad match ups and it could come again in this final, although I think Rafa will be ready for him and from the experience of the court and hopefully RG crowd on Rafa’s side? it will be 7th heaven. But I am not gonna become complacent. We know how much Djok is dangerous and especially when match points down! and remember when Rafa was 4 1 5 2 up at AO. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. But love all the commies running out of wonderful things to say about Rafa. What a refreshing change – a breath of fresh air.
I did not realise that was the reason Rafa was displeased. I have always known that underneath that colm exterior he has that lovely latin temperament that I love so much.
Go Rafa, you will Win! Rafa stay focus and bring your Best Game on Sunday and Win!!!!!!! Love your Fans!!!!!!!
Rafa is going to Win!!! He plays with confidence!!!
Pretty much agree with YOU Rafafan, all the way,.
Out of the two Rafa is playing better tennis but Nole should not be under estimated. Since he saved those match points against Tsonga he has looked mentally strong and the positive feelings has helped boost his confidence as he turned that match around as he did against Federer being a break down in the 1st set and double break in the 2nd set, ( tho i think Fed will always do well until he meets the top 2 guys and sadly i think thats where it will always end for him now). Rafa has not faced this situation all tournament so how will he fair if he has to save match points, will he doubt himself and be nervous like in the past? This is my only concern, rafa has not been in a tight situation.Nole wants this title badly, been his main focus for this year.
Nole will have to up his game which he will but he has more sure, he has not beaten Rafa on clay this year either and he will not be gifted several service games by Rafa.
It is gonna be a great match, im gonna be so nervous watching,on the edge of my seat screaming, no doubt,hopefuuly a victory for Rafa.
Rest assuredd Sharon that Rafa will do everything he can to win his 7th RG title. Win or lose we cannot ask for more than that.
Yes I know. He won’t go down without a fight .
I think he’s more prepared mentally this year than last year. I strongly believe Djokovic’s year for getting his career slam was last year.
Not too sure he’s going to get it the way Rafa’s playing!!
RAFA GO ! REMEMBER YOU CAN AND WILL WIN!!!!!!!
No one knows what the outcome will be tomorrow and Djokovic fans on the Eurosport forum or ESPN or anywhere else can say that Djoko has Rafa’s number and knows how to beat him on his favourite surface but Rafa looks a lot faster, more focused and more confident this year. I don’t think Rafa would make the mistakes he made in the fifth set of the Australian open.
During the French open 2011, Rafa certainly did not play his best tennis despite a couple of tougher matches especially the Isner match in the opening round.
Out of the top 4 Rafa has looked the strongest and most fearless this fortnight.
I just read this:
“He is the first man since tennis turned professional in 1968 to reach five grand slam finals without dropping a set. Ominously, on each occasion he has gone on to win the title.”
That made me feel even more confident that he can win his 7th French open title tomorrow. I will be sending positive energy down the TV tomorrow and hoping the king of clay wins.
We’re all with you micamica! Vamos Rafa!
micamica – we certainly are all with you. Vamos our Rafa & God bless.
Hope so micamica!
VAMOS BABY YOU WERE AWESOME! :) you can do it!!! I love you so much!:)
Rafa! We all Love You and Support You and You Win tomorrow !!!!!!! We all Believe in You tomorrow to Win!!!!!!! GOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Sincerely your Fans. RAFAAAAAAA!!!!!!!P
And so we come to it.
At the end of the French Open, no matter which man wins, the tension on all sides will be gone. Either Djokovich will have won his 4-in-hand and entered the rarefied atmosphere of tennis Olympus, or Nadal will have won the unheard-of Seventh French Open Title and stand alone on the Mont Blanc.
If Novak wins, he can dance around and roar and celebrate, and then coast the rest of the year, his anxiety blown away. He might even get complacent. We won’t be happy, but we’ll survive.
If Rafa wins, we can all dance around and cheer and celebrate, and Rafa can blow off the last of the Serbo-demons. Meanwhile, the tightly wound spring of Nole’s ambition will break. He might even sink into bitterness at the contemplation of his lost opportunity and stumble a bit in Wimbledon.
Either way, the ATP I think will heave a collective sigh of relief and go back to more prosaic attacks on tournaments.
In all this, what of Rafa’s attitude?
Given what we’ve seen this amazing man do, what we’ve heard this candid man say, over this red-clay season — what his awe-inspiring stats reveal about his current play and his steady demeanor implies about his state of mind — I believe that Rafa will accept with grace and cheerful fortitude whatever comes. He is in a very good place, and seems to have grown stronger and better for the pain of that awful year. If he wins here, he might even take a few more Slams before Christmas.
Do I think Rafa will win the FO? Yes. All the indicators I can marshal point that way. And Novak seems very vulnerable, antsy, fragile. The weight of expectation on him is crushing. His play has stuttered, misfired, been inconsistent.
Do I KNOW Rafa will win? Of course not.
But I DO know that Rafa will play his heart out, to the utmost of his skill and strength, and I am grateful for being able to see that. MY heart tells me he will win. It also says that the outcome will make no difference to his regard for tennis, or mine for him.
VAMOS, RAFA! And thank you.
I agree with your opinions of how Rafa will react, though I do think Nole is a little more stronger mentally than to really fall apart if he loses. He has lost to Rafa numerous times and I have to say his grace in defeat is his only redeeming quality. Oh how I hate his chest-beating winning act.
I think Rafa might blow Nole entirely away or he might win in a rather close match. I think if its neck and neck, Nole has too many tricks. But if Nole wins with tricks, that won’t get Rafa down too much. Only if Nole blows him away will Rafa be shaken again like last year and I don’t think there’s any chance that will happen.
I don’t think I said Novak would fall apart or be a graceless loser. I do believe, though, that the demented quality in his eyes and the desperation in his play will abate considerably after this Open. In earlier years, Djokovich was very prone to the Murray-type self-defeating behavior, and that behavior has re-surfaced at times these past few months. He has even said, earlier this year, that the pressure of being #1 is greater than he had expected. Fed’s self-implosion is not likely to have done much for his game, either, to my mind.
I agree that a blow-out by Novak does not seem in the cards. I don’t think Rafa will administer one, either, though I would welcome it.
It would be nice to see the French crowd get behind Rafa tomorrow and cheer him on. He needs to keep improving his French, they love that.
But they won’t be will they? They will cheer for Nole cos they would prefer it if Rafa doesn’t win again. The French crowd are so fickle, they booed Murray when he beat Gasquet but cheered for him when he played Ferrer, (maybe becos he is Spanish) then after Nole beat Tsonga they booed him when he played Roger!
The final may be played on Monday as the weather forecast is rain all day Sunday apparently so we will have to wait and see.
@Sharon/London,
yeah, i can only hope they would cheer for him but they have been a bit disrespectful this year booing players. They are the most opinionated crowd, booing when the umpire gets down to check the line call.
Anyway I do love how Rafa is trying to improve both his French and English.
I am still sending positive energy out to him. He is playing such fearless ruthless tennis and I pray the tennis Gods are on his side tomorrow.
Micamica
I pray the gods are on his side to. Should Nole achieve the Novak slam I dread to think what it will do to his ego, it’s big enough already.
Rafa is playing great confident tennis and he needs to keep it up when under pressure,in the important points, he can’t afford to falter. He will prevail, fingers crossed.
Oh Sharon don’t get me started on Djoko’s behaviour at the Australian open, in all the years i have watched Federer and Rafa, i have never seen them behave like that. I think Djokovic and his family think he is a footballer not a tennis player.
Ripping t-shirts, pounding on his chest, shouting like football fans, whatever next?
I am getting all my housework done quickly before the match starts.
“Tennis Gods please be with Rafa today.”
I can only hope Rafa repeats 2010.
Go Rafa!!!!!!!
So “nervious” about this match but have a good feeling that Rafa will be brilliant today. Given the way he’s been playing and his state of colm and confidence, this is his best opportunity to go all the way against Novak at FO!!!
Rafa, shortly NBC will have your match on TV. I am looking forward to watch. Rafa, just be yourself and like you alway doing-give in all on the court! No matter what happens, your Fans will alway support You. Just concentrate on your Game. You will Win! Go Go Go Go Go Go Go RAFA!!!!!!!