No Rotterdam in 2011

According to this article (Google mangling), Rafa will not play in the Rotterdam tournament in 2011. Based on my interpretation of the mangling, it sounds like Rafa’s doctor wanted him to limit his play and Rafa picked Davis Cup over Rotterdam. Perhaps one of our Dutch speakers can help out and let us know if that’s correct.

17 Nov 2010 | by miri | 24 Comments

Out a month?

At least, that’s what this article at marca.com suggests. (Thanks to Jamee for sending in the link.) Google translation:

An MRI ruled today the precise scope of the Injury
Nadal will be out for a month …

After solving their problems in the foot with the templates, the knees have now become the main Achilles heel of Spanish • He will miss at least the tournament in Rotterdam and the Davis Cup

JOAN SOLSONA. Melbourne 28/01/10 – 13:20

Rafael Nadal at noon

28 Jan 2010 | by miri | 114 Comments

2008 Rotterdam interview

As if he was going to get any thing wrong in a Real Madrid quiz.

Posted by luneworld.

27 Oct 2009 | by miri | 5 Comments

2010 Rotterdam

According to this article, Rafa and Nole have confirmed their participation in next year’s Rotterdam tournament.

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will play in next year’s World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, tournament director Richard Krajicek told a news conference on Wednesday.

Spanish world number two Nadal reached the final on his debut appearance earlier this year, losing to Britain’s Andy Murray in three sets.

The ATP 500 event will be played from Feb 8-14.

(Of course, they also say last year was Rafa’s first time to play the event…)

30 Sep 2009 | by miri | 32 Comments

Rafa receives ATP Player of the Year award

According to the ATP site, Rafa was given his 2008 ATP Player of the Year Award during La Grande Nuit du Tennis of the Monte-Carlo tournament on Friday night.

The prestigious award was bestowed on the 22-year-old Nadal after an exceptional 2008 season. The Mallorca native was the first Spaniard to be crowned ATP World Tour champion after becoming the first left-hander to finish No. 1 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings since John McEnroe in 1984.

The Manacor resident became the first player since Bjorn Borg

18 Apr 2009 | by miri | 4 Comments

The season so far

vamosrafelnadal has posted an IB3 report in which Rafa reflects on his season so far.

Here’s Google’s attempt at a translation of the the Spanish subtitles.

Make semifinal or final change enough for me to start the season was good or very good.

With Verdasco, 5-4 in the 3rd. and 0-40 September, I held my serve, but had few options, got the very strong, the first 220 and 180 the second game was a lot of suffering, very long and very stressful.

The semifinal was very important as it supposed

28 Feb 2009 | by miri | One Comment

Nadal & Murray post final presser

Excerpts from Rafa and Andy’s post-match pressers.

Posted by jwdl.

17 Feb 2009 | by miri | No Comment

The week of Nadal

Rotterdam review and a “preview” of the final posted by mrtntnmn.

16 Feb 2009 | by miri | No Comment

Feb 15 press roundup

Another day of repetitive press. But I don’t care because I’ve had a bottle of wine. Woo!

Andy Murray wins 10th career title after beating Rafael Nadal in Rotterdam

The most expressive eyebrows in tennis belong to Nadal, and his and others’ eyebrows were working hard during a match that felt as though it contained more breaks than a busy weekend on an orthopaedic ward. But there was an explanation for the weirdness in the title-match, as Nadal was in serious discomfort from a knee injury by the early stages of the second set.

Perhaps other less spirited players would simply have given their knee and their eyebrows a well-deserved rest by quitting, but Nadal is made of sterner stuff and he stayed on court and levelled by taking a second set that included seven breaks in a row.

Sometimes, I think Rafa’s eyebrows alone could win a few games – they are just that determined.

16 Feb 2009 | by miri | No Comment

Post match interview and photos

Rafa refuses to blame the injury for the loss in his on court post match interview – always classy.

(Photos by REUTERS/ Michael Kooren, AP Photo/Ermindo Armino, Hamish Blair/Getty Images, and RICK NEDERSTIGT/AFP/Getty Images)

15 Feb 2009 | by miri | No Comment