AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino

I’m so totally addicted to this site – it’s got so much of what I’d had envisioned doing with the database here, but have never gotten around too.

Articles:

• Heroes and Zeros: Rafa, Serena Replay, Paire Powers, Jerzy Rips – by Chris Oddo (tennisnow.com)
• 10 Things We Learned in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome – by Chris Oddo (tennisnow.com)
• Brain Game: Roger’s New Rafa Tactics – by by Craig O’Shannessy (atpworldtour.com)
• Is Rafael Nadal back to his best? Sure thing he is – by Ali Khaled (thenational.ae)
• Rafael Nadal settles an old score at Rome Masters – like a Ferrari to Roger Federer’s Fiat 500 – by Paul Newman (independent.co.uk)
• Rattled and Humming – via extremewesterngrip.com
• ‘Dreadful, indeed, is the lion’s lair…’ – by Jesse Pentecost (thenextpoint.com)
• Best of Three: Nadal, Serena roll into French Open – by Jon Wertheim (si.com)

Videos/Audio:

• Roland Garros promo that’s all about Rafa (thanks, Inés)
• Excerpt from Rafa’s post final presser in Rome (thanks @Asrunn)
• iB3 report on the Rome final

Photos:

• Lots of photos from Rome and Madrid here.
• Want to know what the players’ areas look like at Roland Garros? Check out these photos.
• Vamos!

Social media related to Rafa:

• Rafa Nadal is in a good shape with just a few days before the #FrenchOpen #RG13 #RTRG

John McEnroe on Nadal: “I’m very impressed he’s able to come back as strong as he has. It’s like he never missed a beat, which is amazing.”

— Tennis View Magazine (@tennisviewmag) May 20, 2013

John McEnroe: “You could make the argument that [Rafa] is the greatest player that ever lived.” (Tennis Channel Media Conference)

— Tennis View Magazine (@tennisviewmag) May 20, 2013

In 8 @atpworldtour tourn this yr @rafaelnadal has earned 5,000 pts ofpossible 5,500. Leads #ATP Race to London going into @rolandgarros.

— Greg Sharko (@SharkoTennis) May 20, 2013

Other stuff:

• This is old, but I just saw it. I want to be him when I grow up. (Okay, I’m probably older than him, but…)

AP Photo/Andrew Medichini

Articles:

• Racquet Reaction: Nadal d. Federer – by Steve Tignor (tennis.com)
• Nadal Masterclass Stuns Federer, Wins 24th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Crown – via atpworldtour.com
• Rafael Nadal crushes Roger Federer to show clay supremacy in Rome final – by Kevin Mitchell (guardian.co.uk)
• Rafael Nadal hammers Roger Federer in Italian Open final – via bbc.co.uk
• Rafael Nadal routs Roger Federer, but French Open triumph isn’t assured – by Courtney Nguyen (si.com)
• Ruthless Rafa blows away Federer to conquer Rome – by Nathan Williams (sport360.com)
• Nadal dominates Federer to win in Rome – AP via usatoday.com
• Rafael Nadal crushes Roger Federer in Italian Open final and races back into the world’s top four – by Simon Briggs (telegraph.co.uk)
• Entering the Lion’s Lair – Rome semifinal write-ups by Jesse Pentecost (thenextpoint.com)
• Nadal Grabs No. 4 Seed At Roland Garros – via atpworldtour.com
• Rafa to play an exhibition in Argentina in late November? (mangle)
• Rafael Nadal vuelve a la Argentina – looks like it (mangle)

Videos/Audio:

• In case you missed me adding them to the video post, post match interview in English and Spanish
• Match highlights
• 2013 Internazionali BNL d’Italia Hot Shot Countdown – the lesson of this video seems to be you have to play really hot shots to win a point against Rafa.
• Music Montage Of 2013 Internazionali BNL d’Italia – video wrap-up of the tournament
• Signing autographs after the win.

Photos:

• Inés made screen grabs of the final.
• Marianne Bevis has some Rafa in Rome photos.
• Photo set via Zimbio
• Photos by @Rafaddicted.

Rafa does social media:

• Rafa proven he’s speedy off the court…and that he’s a sponsor’s dream.

Social media related to Rafa:

• Post win Vine
• Nike salutes Rafa’s win and ponders the future.
• KIA celebrated Rafa’s win.

Since there was so much social media for today, I’m doing this via Storify instead of embedding each tweet. Don’t forget to vote in the poll for which method you prefer. I can’t embed Facebook stories in Storify, so they are above.

]]> http://www.nadalnews.com/2013/05/19/rafalint-may-19th-4/feed/ 29 http://www.nadalnews.com/2013/05/19/rankings-may-20th/ http://www.nadalnews.com/2013/05/19/rankings-may-20th/#comments Sun, 19 May 2013 23:31:59 +0000 miri http://www.nadalnews.com/?p=45628 The post Rome rankings are up. Looks the seeding issue for Roland Garros is the total non-issue I’ve thought it was all along. Other than that, the only movement was with Wawrinka dropping back out of the top ten to be replaced by Tipsarevic.

 
In the race for the World Tour Finals, Rafa is #1.

Photos by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Posted by TennisOnlineHD who has also posted a version with Spanish commentary.

Post match on court interview in Spanish. It’s also available on YouTube:

Posted by molvi1501.

Genny summed up a few of Rafa’s comments:

Rafa in Spanish TV: Rafa’d have rated as mad to anyone who would’ve told him 4 months ago that by now he’d have won 3 M1000, 2 M500 & 1 M250

— Genny SS (@genny_ss) May 19, 2013

Rafa thinks today wasn’t the best day of Roger, who tried 2 play v aggressive & thus miss a lot. But he thinks it’s been a good week 4 Roger

— Genny SS (@genny_ss) May 19, 2013

Rafa feels really happy w/all the objective achieved. He repeats again:he’s very thankful 4 the support he receives through social networks!

— Genny SS (@genny_ss) May 19, 2013

Update:
HotShot:

On court interview in English:

And in Spanish.

Posted by ATPWorldTour.

Photo by REUTERS/ Alessandro Bianchi

The transcript for Rafa’s post-final presser is up on the Italian Open’s website. It’s another impressive example of transcribing.

Q: First of all 7 wins in Rome and second somehow surprised when 1 all 30 all he you lost only 3 points – won 9 games in a row…

R. Nadal: Surprising …. I 61 and but that is what happened and the end is always surprising when you play against someone like Roger – and you win 61 – how can I explain when these things happen and you have to combine a few facts. It happened in London to me in the Masters Cup and without winning a lot of points – 51 and then 61 and to make this happen between two players when there is not a big difference and so one player is playing well and the other is making more mistakes than usual on that day.

“I 61.” Even knowing that means 6-1, it still doesn’t make sense.

Q: You were impressive and congratulation. I would like to ask — according to the level of Novak and Roger – who will be the tougher opponent.

R. Nadal: Let me enjoy today and not think about tougher opponents. That will be the first round and it will not be Roger or Novak for sure and so I will go day by day as I have always done and I don’t want to think about the Roland Garros yet and let me enjoy this victory and the fantastic come back and Wednesday or Thursday and then I will start to think about what will happen there and playing there but not today.

Besides, Rafa doesn’t like the comparations.

Q: Another victory. There is a lot of talk about your injuries. Can you tell us about Roland Garros that is coming and if you feel 100% fit and health and ready.

R. Nadal: I said it during the tournament and before the tournament I don’t wasn’t to talk about health and I have talked too much about health and so questions about tennis and not health. I am what I am and I was able to compete against the great player in the world and so I am happy

WANT – he doesn’t want. I think that’s the second time this week “want” was transcribed as “wasn’t”.

Q: You won 6 tournaments up to now

R. Nadal: What

Q: You won 6 tournaments this year . What is the best level of your game – like here in Rome or where.

R. Nadal: I don’t know I think I played great in Indian Wells and in Acapulco and in Madrid also at a high level for a moment and then my feeling I was practising and better than in Montecarlo and Barcelona but that doesn’t nothing and it doesn’t mean that you won but in Madrid I started to have the right feelings about my forehand an backhand and I played great matches in Madrid and here I played one bad match – against Gulbis but I was there mentally and I won that match with a lot of fight and a positive mentality and the rest of the matches I played well and against Federer…… and yesterday and today a very high level

My head hurts.

Q: Is it beyond your wildest dreams – to win 6 tournaments and finalist in the other 2. You had some dark times last year and then the Australian Open when you couldn’t play

R. Nadal: I say every day that this is a … it you tell me than 4 or 5 months ago then I would say you are crazy and so after 8 tournaments and 6 victories and 2 finals is a dream for me and I am enjoying a wonderful dream and to win 3 Master 100 and 2 Master 500 tournaments …. is more than what I ever dreamed about 4 months ago and all I can say is thank you for the support and to my team that thanks to them I have the chance to be here again and compete,

This again? *yawn* I’d really like to see him trying very hard not to roll his eyes when getting some of these questions for the 800000th time.

Q: You say you can’t practise as much as you used to but you seem to play at your best

R. Nadal: I think I explained I am practising not as much as I did but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have the chance to play at a high level and the mental part is sometimes important like other things and mentally I am enjoying it and I have the chance to practice enough

And surviving those tough matches this week should definitely help his “mental part.”

Q: What is your feeling about your level going into the Roland Garros. Is it sufficient

R. Nadal: Maybe it is enough but what can I tell you. If I play like this and I arrive to Roland Garros and somebody beats me I shake his hand and so I am happy and I am playing much better that some months ago and I am doing the right things to play well and I am playing well and I don’t want to talk about Roland Garros and that is only 1 tournament and when you play 1 tournament you can lose and……… when you play and win many titles in a row like I am doing then you are doing things well and I can reach Roland Garros and lose in the first round – this is the sport and this is tennis.

Are there warm-up tournaments, people? Are there? Have you learned nothing?

Q: I know you don’t want to compare tournament but how you beat Roger in the Roland Garros 61 63 60 you were almost embarrassed at the end and not too excited as you won too easily. Did you feel the same today?

R. Nadal: No. I think it is a different situation – then he played a great game 51 52 and was serving and then it was 53 and the second serve of the point of that game and I served 2 good balls with the 53 and then he gave me a backhand into the net and then love 15 and you are in a problem and so …. in the matches and the finals and a big opponent like Roger you have to close the match.

No comparations! And the memory tennis players’ have for points/matches always amazes me.

Q: You look like you have a reply for every opponent.

R. Nadal: Every day is a different day and when I go on court I know I can win or lose and it is one against one and all the players who play here have the potential to beat everybody so when I go on court I always am thinking that what is happening to me in the past 8 or 9 years in not for ever and nobody stays here for ever and nobody wins for ever and so I don’t know when this will finish and so I try to take care in very moment to make sure that this happen as late as possible and I respect everyone and this is why I have a lot of success every year and to win a lot of matches on this surface …….. and also others because I respect everyone and some days I don’t play my best and I have to fight and run and be humble and this is why I won.

You aren’t staying here for ever, Rafa? No? Why didn’t someone explain this to me earlier? *goes off to cry uncontrollably*

Photos by Clive Mason/Getty Images, Clive Brunskill/Getty Images, and REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

Photo by REUTERS/ Alessandro Bianchi

Rafa met Federer for the 30th time in today’s Rome final. That’s XXX in Roman numerals. Everyone was hoping the match was as sporntastic as the title suggested. For Rafa fans, it certainly started that way. He was playing aggressively and broke Fed in two of his first three service games. And while dominance by your favorite is sexy in a way, it lacks the prolonged foreplay that makes the final result as ultimately satisfying. Fed did what he could by breaking while Rafa was serving for the match, but this was a “wham bam thank you ma’am” kind of match. Rafa dominates to take his 7th Italian Open title: 6-1, 6-3.

Stats:

]]> http://www.nadalnews.com/2013/05/19/rome-dominance/feed/ 52 http://www.nadalnews.com/2013/05/18/rafalint-may-18th-2/ http://www.nadalnews.com/2013/05/18/rafalint-may-18th-2/#comments Sun, 19 May 2013 00:27:05 +0000 miri http://www.nadalnews.com/?p=45553

Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Articles:

• Eight From Eight For Rafa – via atpworldtour.com
• Rafael Nadal outclasses Tomas Berdych to reach Rome Masters final – by Kevin Mitchell (guardian.co.uk)
• ATP semi-finals – as it happened – via internazionalibnlditalia.com
• Return of Serve Analysis: Rafael Nadal Dominates at the Right Time – by Juan José (changeovertennis.com)
• Rafael Nadal & Roger Federer set up Italian Open final meeting – via bbc.co.uk
• The Classico Returns to the Foro – Steve Tignor (tennis.com)
• Italian Open final features two of the best rivalries in tennis – by Courtney Nguyen (si.com)
• Federer: “I’ve Got To Take It To Rafa” – via atpworldtour.com
• Rome Masters to host 30th Nadal v Federer clash – by Justin Davis (AFP)
• If you need a reminder: Rafa & Roger: The Rivalry – via atpworldtour.com
• Las tres mujeres de Rafa Nadal se lo pasan en grande en el tenis – via hola.com (mangle – although since this is a gossipy type mag, probably better not to bother with the text.)
• Internazionali Tennis Roma 2013: GQ premia The most stylish player – via gqitalia.it. I’m trying to not giggle. (mangle)
• Tennis 15-30 French Open Special

Videos/Audio:

• rtve.es quarterfinal match report
• rtve.es announcers talk about the semifinal
• Saturday Highlights
• CONFERENZA – Rafa Nadal in finale: “Penso solo alla finale di Roma” – I got excited by the title hoping it mean presser footage. Well there is footage, but there’s an announcer talking over it the whole time. Same here but post quarter and post round of 16 (nice smiles in that one) presser excerpts.
• Jason Goodall and Robbie Koenig preview Sunday’s Rome final
• Rome final promo from the ATP

Photos:

• Fedal in pictures
• Semifinal match photos by @Rafaddicted

Rafa does social media:

• Rafa says thanksverymucheverybodyguys

Social media related to Rafa:

• In case Rafa ever forgets to Vamos…
• You’ve been checking out @leefsp’s twitter photos, right?

Rafa looked pretty strong today. (AFP) twitter.com/ByJoeFleming/s…

— Joe Fleming (@ByJoeFleming) May 18, 2013

Nadal reaches eight finals in a row for the first time in his career. Eight out of eight after his comeback. Eighth final in Rome. 8ravo.

— Álvaro Rama(@alvarorama) May 18, 2013

20th final in a row for Rafael #Nadal on red clay (since losing to Soderling in Roland Garros 2009)

— julien reboullet (@djub22) May 18, 2013

.@rafaelnadal wins 47th clay SF in a row @intebnlditalia since last SF clay loss to No. 4 countryman @charlymoya at ’03 Umag.

— Greg Sharko (@SharkoTennis) May 18, 2013

30th meeting between @rafaelnadal & #RogerFederer, 20th final (1st since ’11 @rolandgarros). Nadal 19-10 HtoH (12-2 on clay). #ATP

— Greg Sharko (@SharkoTennis) May 18, 2013

#Federer on #Nadal before their Rome final:”He is the best mover on clay of all-time, if not Top 2 with Bjorn Borg” #tennis

— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) May 18, 2013

Tomorrow we’ll enjoy again , of yet, another final between Roger Federer and our champion @rafaelnadal !! #RomeMasters #VamosRafa

— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) May 18, 2013

The Federer/Nadal matchup never gets old. It’s the Borg/McEnroe encounter of this generation. Enjoy it while we have it. A couple of champs.

— Darren Cahill (@darren_cahill) May 18, 2013

Foto. En 2004 empezó todo. A horas del capítulo número 30 de otro Federer v Nadal. twitter.com/Rafael_Plaza/s…

— Rafael Plaza (@Rafael_Plaza) May 18, 2013

Other stuff:

• Bored? Want to watch a stadium being built?

Posted by ATPWorldTour.

Rafa’s post match interview for Spanish TV. Also, available on YouTube:

Posted by molvi1501.

Genny translated parts of the Spanish interview for us:

Rafa in the Spanish TV: He’s said that he’s started the match really strong, w/a lot of energy. He thinks that 1st set has been 1 of best…

— Genny SS (@genny_ss) May 18, 2013

Rafa in Spanish TV: sets he’s played this year. In the 2nd set he’s started to feel a bit tired (overloaded quadriceps) & found difficult…

— Genny SS (@genny_ss) May 18, 2013

Rafa in Spanish TV: to catch up with the high level of the 1st set. Hopefully he’s managed to win in straights.

— Genny SS (@genny_ss) May 18, 2013

The Spanish commies remind Rafa ALL the great things he’s achieved since his comeback, Rafa gets emotional remembering the hard 7 months out

— Genny SS (@genny_ss) May 18, 2013

(cont) Rafa says each time he’s feeling better physically & also playing at a level he could never imagined 4 months ago. He’s really happy!

— Genny SS (@genny_ss) May 18, 2013