RafaLint: May 20th

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

20 May 2013 | by miri | 10 Comments

RafaLint: May 19th

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)

19 May 2013 | by miri | 29 Comments

Rankings: May 20th

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.

19 May 2013 | by miri | 3 Comments

Rome: Trophy photoshoot

All taken at crotch level…I guess to fit in with the XXX/69 theme.

Photos by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

19 May 2013 | by miri | 9 Comments

Rome: Final videos (Updated)

Here’s the full match:

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

19 May 2013 | by miri | 3 Comments

Rome: Post final presser transcript

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

19 May 2013 | by miri | 6 Comments

Rome: Final photos

Photos from today’s Rome final.

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

19 May 2013 | by miri | 5 Comments

Rome: Dominance

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.

19 May 2013 | by miri | 53 Comments

RafaLint: May 18th

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

18 May 2013 | by miri | One Comment

Rome: Post semifinal interviews

The in studio interview in English:

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

18 May 2013 | by miri | 6 Comments