Wimbly: Getting into the groove
Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP/GettyImages
Rafa started his Wimbledon campaign today by playing #80 Thomaz Bellucci. Well, Bellucci started right away, it took Rafa a while to get going as he soon found himself down 0-4 in the first set. He fought back to force a tie-break that he won 7-0. It was all downhill for Bellucci after that. Rafa’s through: 7-6(0), 6-2, 6-3.
| Nadal | Bellucci | |
|---|---|---|
| Statistics | ||
| Aces | 6 | 5 |
| Double Faults | 1 | 1 |
| 1st Serve % | 64% | 62% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 43/57 (75%) | 33/56 (59%) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 19/32 (59%) | 14/35 (40%) |
| Break Points Won | 6/9 (67%) | 3/4 (75%) |
| Points | ||
| Total Service Points Won | 62/89 (70%) | 47/91 (52%) |
| Total Return Points Won | 44/91 (48%) | 27/89 (30%) |
| Total Points Won | 106/180 (59%) | 74/180 (41%) |
| Other Stats | ||
| Winners | 35 | 24 |
| Unforced errors | 18 | 29 |
| Net Approaches | 15/20 (75%) | 16/32 (50%) |
| Serve Speeds | ||
| Fastest serve | 130 MPH | 128 MPH |
| Average 1st serve speed | 119 MPH | 116 MPH |
| Average 2nd serve speed | 92 MPH | 98 MPH |
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WoW!miri.you’re so quick with the posts. You amaze me.
Thanks..
6 aces!!wow. After the initial slow phase he was quite good :)
Am happy. Vamos onto the 2nd round!
Despite Rafa’s hiccups, especially in the first set, it was a reassuring effort from Rafa and a good sign that the transition to grass went relatively smoothly (or spectacularly so, if you go by McEnroe’s comments). I especially liked Rafa’s perfect use of the slice backhand and the lob, the latter he usually doesn’t use very frequently. That lob will come in handy should he meet Federer, who serves and volleys and rushes the net more and more these days.
some really nice volleys too…commies talked about how Rafa doesn’t get enough credit for those
meant to say “drop shots” :)
0-4 in the first? Thank God he came round. I didn’t watch the match, I only caught the last games. What happened?
What a relief Rafa! Hooray Rafa! You almost give me a heart attack. Let’s hope for a smooth start to finish at next game and onward! Goooooooooo Rafaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!
Good comments Sammy. The commentators on the live stream were surprised at some of Rafa’s shots and why he didn’t do more. I felt his body language was perfect and he felt he was in control. So maybe some of the shots he “tried” were just that – trying out new stuff since he felt comfortable with what he was doing. Maybe not a total master class, but damn near it. Well done, Rafa.
I too thought that he was trying out new stuff. Had to get a stiff drink at 0-4 down but what is a Rafa match without a little stress :)
Very happy he turned it around and went on to win in 3. I love it when he comes back from a difficult position.
Vamos our Rafa & God bless.
When is Rafa’s next match?
Phew!got a bit tense whn Rafa was down 0-4!hope he get his
grass momentum fast!Vamos Rafa!:-)
Good job, Miri!
Sammy, good observation too! Rafa did well to compose himself enough to analysis and profer the best tactics to use against Bellucci.In so doing,constructed his shots perfectly. I love his use of lob and slice as well, it induced errors for Bellucci especially at the net. Today’s game needed a fast thinking methodical play and i’m proud to say rafa delivered exceptionally when it mattered.
How cud i not love u, Rafa? Vamos all the way!!!
*analyse,*proffer ;sorry
It took Rafa 27 minutes to win for the first time on his serve.
He sliced and sliced and sliced. And sliced. Sometimes it worked well for him, sometimes it didn’t.
His volleys were beautiful. Both execution and timing.
He started the legs at the end of the match. It was quite nice to see them started.
Good work Rafa.
For the first time this year I felt calm watching him today, even though he was 0-4 down in the first set. He won a couple of lovely points at the net and I was pleased to hear Greg Rudeski say, Rafa has a great touch at the net and he does not get enough praise for it.
I’ve been saying that for months.
Belucci needs to work on his volleys and he might move up the rankings this year.
I expect to see Rafa come out quicker in the next few rounds.
I loved the pre-match interview they showed on BBC.
Good luck Rafa for the next round.
Talking of Greg Ruzedski – he also had the cheek to say that Uncle Toni was very good at giving Rafa tactics from the players box! How can he come out with stuff like that? Did anyone else find that a bit odd?
Yeah, I caught that, too. Didn’t he say the day before that all or most tennis coaches do this? British commies, even the few who are any good, seem to me to have no compunction about reckless, unsupported speculation (like the British tabloids) and regard anyone who demurs as a rare naïf.
I have grown up on American baseball and football, in which for decades coaches have used all sorts of hand signals to send instructions. These are pretty involved and obvious, as they must be to be caught and read by the players. I see nothing like that in tennis, by any coach.
After the criticism in the 2010 Wimbledon, I watched Toni on tape very closely in that and the next few tournaments and compared it with Rafa’s performance. I saw nothing in Toni’s manner that supports this charge; the most he seems to do is grab his nose or adjust his hat or drink water, with no apparent effect on Rafa. He does seem to shout from time to time, though what he says I can only conjecture, and would imagine that it couldn’t be very obvious beyond, “Get on with it!” or something similar. On breaks, Rafa usually looks at the ground or his faithful towel, rather than at his box.
Have any of you seen anything different from what I see?
Well, Rafa and Toni have pretty much admitted in quite a few interviews to during match coaching, so I don’t think the allegations are always unfounded.
Miri, thanks! I have read some of those interviews. The kind of coaching they refer to seems rather minimal to me, like “Unload NOW!” from Toni. I think perhaps I am looking for more complex coaching than that which the commies are referring to, not just in Nadal’s case but in others’, as well.
I think the only top player I’ve never seen look at his box is Roger, but I don’t pay as close attention to his team as to Nadal’s and Isner’s and Murray’s.
I was at one tournament, though, where a frustrated coach yelled, “Do what we practiced, dammit!” Bad moment for everyone.
Or the time they admitted that Rafa asked and was told where to serve on match point at the 2010 US Open.
Mea culpa, had forgot that. Obviously, I have a blind spot here. Thanks, miri, for keeping me straight.
That one just really sticks in my craw. Why admit to that? Stuff like that being “out in the wild” is just going to make it so much easier for umpires (especially ones who don’t speak Spanish and can’t understand what is being said) to give him violations during matches.
Beats me — unless Rafa feels guilty and is conflicted about it. I don’t believe he needs gametime coaching, anyway, after all these successful years on tour.
If it’s really as widespread as the commies seem to think, then either legalize it (wouldn’t bother me) or ban the coaches from the match; let them watch in the locker room.
/onefan’sfaciletake
Yes, I sometimes think that uncle Toni should keep quiet because Rafa is not stupid and in my opinion this might even undermine his confidence. All I know is that it is always Rafa who is mentioned with regard to this when you know full well that other coaches shout out stuff at the players. I usually see Rafa look at his box after a point rather than at any other time.
Even Andy Murray talks to his box and nothing is said.
I agree with your take Melissa.
Dear Miri and Melissa, I have often wondered whether Rafa’s statement about being told where to serve on match point at the US Open was an admission to on court coaching. Most people seem to think so but all the quotes I have read of what he said go something like this ‘I served out wide as I was told’. Indeed he says he was told where to serve on match point but not WHEN he was told hence my confusion. Did anyone ask him to clarify this? If I recall correctly, that match had delays when he could have been told or it could even have been agreed as part of the match strategy. I’m not trying to Give Rafa a let-off but from all I can gather, it seems that everyone is taking his words as him having received spur of the moment instructions from Toni (which I can’t determine from videos anyway). Am I missing something? I agreed he was told but had not necessarily thought it meant right then.
Perhaps the * on this post will help.
Ok, it’s Wimbledon not Roland Garros. But when I arrived at home (from the office) and I saw the score (Bellucci – Nadal 4-0; Bellucci at serve and 30-0…)….OMG…what’s happening with Rafa???? Then it seems that Rafa find his serve his shots…and the rest it’s history. Good job Rafa. Day by day, match by match. I hope the next match you will play better.
I started watching when Rafa was serving to tie the first set and had no idea he had been down 0-4 until one of the commies remarked. Rafa always says the first week at Wimbly is the hardest for him, so Vamos!
I sometimes worry that Rafa overuses the slice – and more often than not the slices “float” which reduces their effectiveness… it is the floaters that worry me. Credit to Bellucci for the way he started off the match – he really was on fire and was really aggressive. Rafa’s mental strength to get him out of the first set predicament was truly remarkable. To get back one break on grass is hard enough, but two? Impressive!
Amazing effort today in crawling out of the 0-4 hole. Making the transition from clay to grass is always dicey, but Rafa was patient and kept a good attitude. His serving percentage was much better than the early rounds of the FO were – a very good sign. He goes to the net more on grass than any other surface and always with good results. He certainly does not get enough credit for his volleys – which are always good, especially for one who doesn’t use that shot often. I too am encouraged by his practicing of the lob return and other shots that may come in handy later on. I hear what you’re saying, Bee about the slice, which can be an effective shot on grass where the ball just doesn’t come up, but only if it is deep enough or short enough (like a drop shot) rather than mid-court. The trouble is too many do land mid-court and then someone like Djoker pummels them.
Vamos Rafa!
His slices at the FO were much more aggressive and had great length. His slices yesterday were not quite the same I agree. I hope he can tweek that shot to be as effective as it was for him at the FO.
thanks for the comments – i couldn’t watch the match (3 am to 5 am here in new zealand) – but perhaps someone might know of where i can have a look at they match and/or decent length highlights ( official website is not too good for decent highlights)
thanks
john
See whether this works for you: http://espn.go.com/watchespn/player/_/source/espn3/id/529842/size/condensed/
The two commentators were actually quite good and fair, I thought. Davies even called for Bellucci to win 11 games, recognizing that this young player is very different from the cupcakes Novak and Roger got for their first course.
Rafa didn’t seem terribly happy with his work, given the abrupt way he left the court after the match was over. Guess he was in a hurry to cook dinner.
http://www.rafapedia.com, whole match.
Like Micamica I also had that somehow strange feeling, that Rafa would come back from the 0-4 down in the first set. It was a terrible start, but I was inspired by the Danish commentator on my tv channel, who was in awe of Rafas practice, which he saw yesterday. He said, that he had´nt seen anybody yet, who hit the ball with so much power, aggression and precision, and if Rafa could transfer this into his matches, nobody could beat him!
Just for the record, it´s not often that Rafa gets the credit, that he deserves from the commies, I tell you, and especially this one, who is a devoted Federer fan.
So I kind of took all the positive words in, waiting for Rafa to relax a little, get rid of all the nerves, and put an end to the unforced errors, that he produced in the beginning.
At the same time I really understood the pressure and expectations from everybody, really can make an impact on a player at Rafas calibre. With that in mind, it is even more impressive, that he once again turned things around.
It has always baffled me just how much Rafa needs to do in order to be acknowledged after a match. In this particular one, his first on the grass at Wimbledon, it is not “just a walk in the park” to turn things around like he did.
But somehow in a strange way, the world of tennis(experts) expect him to play almost a supernatural game every time, and even if he does, they always find something to criticize. W O W!
(This comment on my behalf is not particulary aimed at Rafas match today, but in general).
I thought I would have been numb by now, watching so many matches with Rafa for so many years, but I am not.
He didn´t play a perfect match, but he did a great job under the circumstances, he put himself into from the beginning of the match, and THAT is what counts for the moment.
After all, it is a first round match, and as he said himself, he has played a lot of matches lately, so no wonder if he feels a little tired, both physically and mentally.
Forgive me for maybe not making any sense at all, but it is also a bit difficult to explain in English, just how I feel.
But after all, if anyone understands me, it has to be you guys and girls here, I hope.
I have a lot af faith in Rafa for the next match. Hopefully he can get some rest and keep improving on the surface, as he has done every year he arrives at Wimbledon!
Omg 0-4 what’s going on? We’re the texts I received from family/friends. I said no need to panic,it’s rafa’s first match and he just needs to get going, the other guy as gotta keep playing great over 5 sets and it’s just not gonna happen. He turned the 1st set around and that was it, never any doubt who was going to win.
The serve wasn’t to good at the beginning but it improved as the match continued. Why is he having such a problem with this area of his game?
I think Rafa did ok, his opponent was much tougher than the opponents the no 1 and 3 seeds faced in their 1st round .
Looking forward to the next Match on Wednesday.
Hi,
Sharon Rafa has always had problem with his serve because he’s a righty playing southpaw. He’s serve movement is not natural for him.
When you think about it Rafa is even more incredible in what he has achieved given that he is not a natural leftie. Even though his serve is not the quickest etc, a lot of the players say that his serves are deceptive and not as easy as they look.
I totally agree with your post and don’t worry your English is great.
Thanks so much, Ruthie, that was kind of you.
great start from Rafa, saw some “new” things during the match
1) serve was good, 6 aces that’s a lot for Rafa’s standards, hope he keeps it up
2) 20 net approaches wohhoooooo
3) and the lob wow, saw several good ones out there, really nice effort to change things a bit
i also notice that they seem to follow nole’s style of constantly attacking his backhand hope Rafa can stand his ground, i saw tsonga’s game today (are they at the same draw?) and his play if ever they meet kinda worries me.
Anyone else have trouble viewing Rafa’s post-match presser on the Wimbledon site? I have audio but no video.
Wow! Spain just beat Portugal in penalty shootout to advance into the final. This is a big boost for Rafa! Hopefully they will clinch the title again as will Rafa. Vamos!
That’s great news – Rafa will have been chewing his nails during that shootout for sure :) The result will have made him extremely happy – Vamos team Spain and Rafa.
What a coward that despicable cheat Ronaldo is. Captain of his team and yet rather than lead from the front and take a penalty, he decided to stand by and watch less skilful players put themselves in the firing line.Any wonder he’s the most loathed individual in world sport. Who’s he friends with again…?
Topic, people.
I’d prefer a Snickers if you’re taking orders, Miri ;)… (that joke only works if you have a nut and choc bar in the US called a Topic, as we do this side of the pond)