Acapulco: Test passed
Photo by REUTERS/Henry Romero
In the last Acapulco semi, Rafa faced the highest ranked player of his comeback so far: #12 Nicolas Almagro. Almagro’s been playing well and this would be Rafa’s biggest test so far. Both guys started out with strong hold after strong hold. Rafa was the first to struggle, but he remained unbroken and, showing his knack for excellent timing, broke Almagro in the 12th game to take the set 7-5. (I’m skipping the bit about Almagro whacking the ball and Rafa to gain a break point because – it was the right shot to do and just part of the tennis.) (Oh, I guess I’m not skipping it.)
The second set started with tight service games right from the start. This time, it was Almagro’s serve that kept being put under pressure. At one point, Rafa appeared to twist his knee something fierce, but he didn’t seem to have any ill affects from it. Hope it’s not sore tomorrow. Rafa broke in the 9th game to go up 5-4. He went on to serve it out. He’s into the final (7-5, 6-4) where he will face David Ferrer.
Stats:
| Nadal | Almagro | |
|---|---|---|
| Statistics on Serve | ||
| Aces | 2 | 7 |
| Double Faults | 3 | 0 |
| 1st Serve % | 66% | 64% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 40/55 (73%) | 32/44 (73%) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 14/28 (50%) | 12/24 (50%) |
| Break Points Saved | 4/4 (100%) | 4/6 (67%) |
| Service Games Played | 11 | 11 |
| Statistics on Return | ||
| 1st Return Points Won | 12/44 (27%) | 15/55 (27%) |
| Second Return Points Won | 12/24 (50%) | 14/28 (50%) |
| Break Points Won | 2/6 (33%) | 0/4 (%) |
| Return Games Played | 11 | 11 |
| Statistics on Points | ||
| Total Service Points Won | 54/83 (65%) | 44/68 (65%) |
| Total Return Points Won | 24/68 (35%) | 29/83 (35%) |
| Total Points Won | 78/151 (52%) | 73/151 (48%) |
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Easily the best match Rafa has played since his comeback.
I think Nico going at Rafa with that shot(though it was the right shot), was the turning point as it really seemed to piss Rafa off.
I liked Rafa’s return today, to me that was the difference, he put enough balls in play on Nico’s serve to get a lot of chances and Nico also helped him out.
Vamos! Ferru will be a tougher test, but I like Rafa’s chances!
That was quite the competition. Intense is the word. When Nico hit the ball directly at Rafa near the net, it awakened the giant in him, ready for battle. There was a noticeable shift in his energy from that point on.
Amazing fight by Rafa to hold his serve and break when possible.
I thought Nico would hold his act together given Rafa is on the come back trail, but not the case. Rafa’s improvement over 3 tournaments is beautiful to watch.
Final tomorrow vs friend Daveed. Oh boy. Ferru has been struggling a bit; let’s see what happens.
Miri, hw can u be this quick?
Thanks as always.
Rafa was amazing. Anxiously waiting for the final. All in all, he has passed the test. Vamos Rafa!
Yes, thank you, Miri. This is getting VERY exciting. . . Vamos!
Great win for Rafa!!! He passed the test with flying colors!!!
Go go go for the title tmrw!!! VAMOSSSSSSS :P
I woke earlier than normal and wondered if they were playing still! So I caught the latter half of the first set and all of the second. This really was a test for Rafa (not least for his supply of clothing – the humidity must be through the roof at night over there!) and it was good to see him come through it. Rafa upped his game – as he needed to against Nico – and I really hope he can come through tomorrow. Vamos!
Vamos Mrs D :) after reading your comments on Novak and tennis , you’ve now earned a fan ;)
:)
Rafa really played like the Rafa pre-7 months ago. Loved it a lot. I actually disagree with what several folks have obsevered about Nico’s passing shot. That’s how the commentators tried to characterize it. (I cannot stand Doug Adler btw.) I know Rafa and Nico are not the closest of friends but I just cannot see Rafa getting mad about a shot Nico was entitled to take. I was wondering whether it was a little mind game by Rafa to make Nico think Rafa was mad at him. Historically, Nico has been a bit in awe of Rafa, right? So if Nico thinks he made Rafa mad, it would be distracting and –bingo — it worked. Nico missed the next shot badly. Sure seemed like a good strategy if that’s what happened. Looking forward to the final but at the same time don’t like when Daveed plays Rafa because I adore both of them so much.
Welcome back Rafa! How I missed you…how tennis missed you.
I didn’t watch this match so I don’t understand that freeing-the-tennis-in-Rafa-shot some of you mention, but I’ll take it ;-) Seems that Rafa played better when he had to and that the knee was on board too, so that’s what matters.
I didn’t really know what to expect from this match, as I don’t know what to expect tomorrow, because only Rafa knows how the knee feels and how much it bothers(or doesn’t bother) him. It certainly looks like he’s playing much better when the knee is having a good day. So apparently the form is less of an issue than the knee.
well Ch F – I think you should set your expectations high . I made some quick comments below after watching the match. Against Almagro there was confidence in his movement , quickness around the court, consistency and variety in service games (first and second serves) , smart intelligent play, varied play, powerful backhand – not tentative , and a tenacity, sharpness on big points. So I think you’ll like what you see. I’m still convinced thathis core body (stomach buttocks) and leg-thigh strength appears much more powerful than before – and you can tell by the way he “platforms” himself for his shots-, the stability he has, even when running. Yes there were a number of unforced errors – he missed a clutch of his trademark running-forehand down the-line shots and also some power forehands from middle of court/baseline (into the net), but he also made lots of those too. I guess I’m saying there is room for improvement on precision – but today that court movement stood out, an especially good sign given the left knee problems. And his self confidence.
Almagro puts so much heat on his shots (too much?) which made for a great test for rafa. Ferrer is just smart and quick….and a damn good player…but I don’t think he will be able to stay on the court with rafa. Could be wrong….but i hope i am right.! enjoy the match
Well said…I agree.
Happyforthewin! But I wouldn’t have been shocked if Rafa had lost this one. His tennis is coming on nicely – no concerns there! Otoh, I just saw on the ATP site that Rafa’s last loss in a clay court semi was in 2003!
I just hope the knees are ok.
recently, when rafa was taking long rest of more than 7 months, his arch rival & friend novak djokovic commented about rafa thus: “rafa is a great competitor” now rafa is proving his sayings word by word in his come back second innings. my only advice to rafa is to keep ur cool in ur victories as coming days u ll be facing more tougher oppnents than almagro.at the same time, in the interest of ur knees, give up playing doubles once & for all.also schedule ur match programmes intelligently causing no more 7 months sojourn. arunachalam, india
Perhaps I’m not observant enough, but I didn’t notice a big change in energy after the Nico shot at Rafa, and felt both took it in stride. Did you see the slow mo replay? I was amazed by how he managed to get his racquet in it to try to defend it! Amazing athleticism! And I would hate to see Rafa give up doubles “once and for all” because he loves it so much! Remember that he loves to be on a team and the whole point of playing tennis is to have fun, right? Vamos Rafa!!
cool match
i like the quickness rafa showed today around the court – great speed, great reactions. Should be great game tomorrow with Ferrer.
One observation – Rafa’s backhand return of serves and general backhand around the court has really changed – for the better. It seems like he is rotating his shoulders, squaring off and using his whole upper body to power through those backhands…Yes there is the occasioanl and well timed slice, but there is a new power and aggression in that backhand now. I like it!!
Could not agree more. Rafa’s backhand has improved and there have been times when I’ve actually confused it with his forehand; it’s been so powerful! Also his serve seems to have improved. I’m really excited by the Acapulco Rafa; what a difference a court can make!
I love the way he is mixing up his serves and coming to the net a lot more. He has always been great at the net.
I have always felt that Rafa needed to improve his backhand and have more variety on that side. When was the last time you saw Rafa hit a winner down the line from there, like so routinely does with his forehand.Except for passing shots, he can’t drive the ball and hurt his opponents or change directions and surprise the opponent. Novak is the best at doing that at the moment, with Murray not far behind.Berdych can also hit winners down the line.Rafa, instead, resorts to slicing the ball a lot of the times, which does not alway work with the top players. Anybody else noticed that Ferrer also does not have an effective down the line backhand and that’s one reason he is not able to beat the top 4 players.Furthermore, If Rafa could improve his serve just a tad more, he would not have to sweat so many breakpoints.At least try to reach the 2010 levels.You Tube has a nice video on the changes he attempted to introduce on his serving motion in 2010.
Would love to have seen the match but the time difference in the uk makes it difficult , 4.00am it’s impossible to stay up. I don’t like it when Rafa and David play each other, my 2 favorite players, love them both but I feel Rafa will be winning another title.
I hope the final is on at a reasonable hour then hopefully I can watch the match but with David across the net I always it hard to watch.
Same here Sharon, I had to get a little sleep and wake up to watch this match and now I feel exhausted. The final is on at 3am UK time again.
I don’t enjoy watching Rafa and Ferrer because they are my favourite players too but I am more of a Rafa fan so I’m going to cheer for him to win and not demolish Ferrer, just beat him comfortably.
I really enjoyed this match, the old Rafa is certainly surfacing, the grit, the determination is still there, Nico gave him a good workout.
The time difference is a killer but there is no way I’m missing the final at 3.00 a.m. Uk. Agree with Sharon difficult to watch with two favourite players.
Sharon, the final is on 3am UK time. I woke up for the semi and I was really pleased to see Rafa play so well after all these months out. I knew this match with Nico would be more of a test and it was. It was just what Rafa needed and he still won in straight sets! Fabulous. I am glad to hear that Rafa’s knee is feeling better and his confidence is building step by step.
The final will be good with Rafa and Ferrer, as they are two great warriors who never give up. I am looking forward to the match tonight. Vamos Rafa! Get your second trophy of the year!
Thanks Patricia and Dee. Will watch the final for sure though I find it hard to see the ball on the live stream but better than nothing.
I’m hoping Miri will post the Almagro match as I would like to watch it. I’ve caught up with the previous matches and Rafa is definately getting better and better. He played some amazing shots, vintage Rafa. I hope the knee holds up as I’m so looking forward to the rest of the season.
sharon
this site seems to be posting matches in HD very quickly after actual play has finished
https://www.youtube.com/user/TennisOnlineHD?feature=watch
john f (I’m in New Zealand where timing for NA mathces are good for me ; for european times i’m stuck like you guys are now …3 am starts do NOT go well with civil behaviour towards family and colleagues the next day!! It’s nice to have this site to watch the delayed matches – bookmark it!!
Hi Sharon, if you suscribe to Sky Sports they will be showing highlights on ss4 tomorrow morning at 11.30 so we can record that. And you have all the delayed coverage online to watch the whole match. I will wake up at 3am to watch the whole match LIVE so that I can see all the action: change overs, arranging water bottles and shirt changes etc that get left out in the highlights. I can’t wait to watch final tomorrow morning, waiting for uploads LOL!. I missed Rafa’s matches all week due to woork but it’s sunday morning, no work. I get up at 3am and then go back to sleep after match. Worked well last night for semi. As you say I am just so glad to see our Rafa back. I feel that I have to savour Rafa more than ever now!. Great to have Rafa back in our lives!!! Enjoy the match and may our beloved Rafa win his second trophy of the year!
Well played our Rafa – Almagro can be a difficult opponent but your warrior spirit pulled you across the finish line. It is heartening to see Rafa enjoying his tennis again and hopefully he will have gained some confidence from this win.
I wish him the best of luck for tomorrow when he will face his most difficult challenge so far. I hope it will be a good match with our Rafa prevailing.
Vamos & God bless.
Full match of Rafa vs Almagro with English commentary
Thanks. Just watched it. Rafa’s coming back with a vengeance and it didn’t take him long. I’m so happy to see him back .
Watched the match last night and loved it. Rafa was playing much more like his old self. I agree that his backhand seems stronger than ever and I was really impressed with his movement, there was no hesitation at all – especially his side to side. It wasn’t only getting hit by that one shot that affected him, it was also that on a couple of early shots that he missed, Mico was very vocal about it woo-hooing etc and you could tell that it was bugging Rafa. It’s like Mico woke up the giant and paid for it (ha!). I think this win will be great for his confidence. I also love David – but I think Rafa needs this win in the final and he’ll get it!
Our guy is lookin’ goooood. Thanks, John F, for the You Tube link.
Les – you mentioned that “You Tube has a nice video on the changes he attempted to introduce on his serving motion in 2010″. Could you possibly copy the link of that video? Thanks very much!
Don’t bother. That video is bogus and the guy who posted it had nothing to do with Rafa’s serve. He showed up at a practice one day but what he edited out of the video was Rafa and Toni laughing at him and staring at him in disbelief. The video was actually taped in 2009 and has no connection whatsoever to Rafa’s 2010 USO serve.