RafaLint: October 17th
It’s time for the annual ATP World Tour Awards and a certain Spaniard could use your vote. (There’s a doubles team that could use a vote too. *hint hint*)
2013 Acapulco
Articles:
- Celebrando 20 años con manteles largos – Rafa’s been confirmed by the Acapulco tournament as a participant. (mangle) No word from Rafa’s camp yet, but Rafa’s front and center on the tournament’s home page.
- ¿Retorno al primer amor? – by Sebastián Fest (mangle)
- Toni Nadal:”La final de la Davis no está descartada, pero no creo que Rafa sea necesario al 100%” – Toni says Rafa will start practicing soon…didn’t he say that before? (mangle)
- Manacor busca calle o plaza para dedicar a Rafa Nadal – Manacor wants to name something after Rafa. (mangle)
- AMResorts Enters New Destination with Rebranding of Tennis Superstar Rafael Nadal’s Cozumel Resorts
Videos/Audio:
- The CNN and El Hormiguero videos have been uploaded to Rafa’s official YouTube channel.
- Nadal si? estara? en Acapulco
- Confirmado, Nadal jugará el Abierto Mexicano 2013
Photos:
- More Rafa golf photos – including bonus Rafa munching photos. Oh, and more.
- Pico posted some photos of himself (one in what looks to be undies, no less) and Rafa on a boat.
- The Rafa returns to Acapulco hype has begun: with Daveeed; just Rafa.
- Babolat wanted to remind you about this guy.
- Nana/@natalieHoHo sent in a a tennis torso shot of Rafa from Roland Garros
Rafa does social media:
- Pico showed us that he’s the driver in their relationship.
- Then he let us know that his legs get colder than Pico’s.
Social media related to Rafa:
Another award for Rafa:
@rafaelnadal recibe premio fundolor al espíritu de lucha contra el dolor #IIJORNADADOLOR twitter.com/Fundolor/statu…
— Fundolor (@Fundolor) October 17, 2012
(More about the award – mangle.)
Random:
I feel like there are more links I marked for lint, but I’m not finding them now and I’m tired – so, goodnight!
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Kind of curious that he would enter Acapulco, which is a couple of weeks before Indian Wells. Rafa typically doesn’t play in February after the Australian Open. The ATP has changed the rule in 2012 and allows the best six results from 500, 250 and challenger events as long as they’ve played 4 500 tournaments and one of them is after the US Open. Perhaps Rafa will play more 500 tournaments and forgo a few of the hardcourt MS1000s. There is also a rule saying a player is suspended in an MS1000 at which they have the next highest points earned points in the following 12 month period, if they do not play in an MS1000 where they are automatic entry. I think this means Rafa cannot play at Rome next year where he earned 1000 points in 2012 due to him missing Shanghai. I think perhaps this is why is he is picking up Acapulco in advance.
Acapulco is the week before IW. The final is on Saturday March 2nd. Then Rafa’s doing the NYC exo on Monday March 4th – the day IW officially starts. He probably wouldn’t be scheduled to play late in the first week of IW.
Rafa can skip one Masters without incurring any penalty due to the number of matches he’s played on the tour.
Rafa’s injured so he won’t be penalized for missing tournaments because of that. Acapulco may be Rafa’s effort at playing more clay court tournaments. He’s had plenty of time off so hopefully he won’t need to use Feb for vacation, rehab or training time in 2013. He used to play Rotterdam and Dubai – or plan to – but looks like he’s picking up some of the SA/CA clay court swing instead. There’s 250′s in Brazil and Argentina then as well. The rest of the Spaniards and the SA players usually hit these.