Slam ... and they're gone

This is the picture of Rafa, with a tear in his eye as he held match points and knew he was going forward into his first Australian Open final after his epic semi-final.

And I am simply amazed at what a difference a year brings. Twelve months ago, I got up early on a Sunday to watch Rafa prevail, pulverising Feds in the fifth to take his first hardcourt Slam. At that point, he had the world at his feet, was eons ahead of the others on points, and I can't remember the numbers now, but was one of only an elite few to hold Slams across three surfaces. Throw in the fact that he was Olympic Champion as well, and that was an extraordinary feat.

Rafa said this week that the last time he ever did play really well was at the AO in 2009, and with hindsight, you can't do anything other than agree. I think the single biggest mistake he made last year was to keep to his commitment of playing Rotterdam just one week after the absolute exertions of the AO and the hours of running he did in both the semi and final. In a fatigued state and being pushed to three sets in both his matches with Monfils and Tsonga, he injured himself in the final against Murray, continued to play on one leg ... and there you were. Injured again just weeks after his knees gave up in Paris. And I think that set the stall for the on-coming year.

One by one, we've seen the Slams slip away from him being the current holder, and with his latest setback, chances are he'll slip to either 5 or 6 in the rankings. All in the space of a single year. Amazing.

Whilst its hard at this point to be upbeat, and we fear a little for what the future may bring, from what I saw today - tennis needs Rafael Nadal. The ultimate competitor, the ultimate warrior ... the champion. I wish him a safe and speedy recovery. I shall ever keep the faith, and lets not forget ...

En Rafa confiamos !!!

What do Rafa and Michelangelo's David have in common ...

I love this picture ... Its a happy, smiley Rafa in his beloved Mallorca wearing a goofy t-shirt and kindof looking a bit goofy himself.

What draws my eye to the picture is not the obvious hhmmm hhmmm ... but the hand. That huge Rafa paw ... you know, the one that Rafan shook, but which she rarely - if ever - talks about. And it got me thinking that the only other large, over-sized hand I've seen before hangs on the end of the arm of David, Michelangelo's masterpiece.

Check it out ...

Rafa's hand ...


David's hand ...


OK, OK, I know ... but I've got 4 weeks of nothing to fill this blog with. *laugh* *laugh* *laugh*

Rafa su casa ...

He's home. Bless.

Good luck in your recuperation Rafa!! We all wish you the very bist, noh?

Pheww ... its a 4 week lay-off

Following tests that Rafa underwent in Barcelona, it has today been confirmed in a statement by Rafa's agent that he will face a 4 week lay-off whilst he recovers from this latest injury.

Thankfully, its not the same issue from last year. Its not looking likely that he'll be ready until the US spring hardcourt season, starting in Indian Wells where he is the defending champion.

Rest up Rafa!!

Here's the official press report ...

Rafael Nadal will miss at least four weeks of competition due to the knee injury that forced him out of the Australian Open, his agent announced Friday.

Doctors recommended the Spaniard take two weeks and rest and recovery, after he underwent an MRI scan on Thursday in Barcelona that revealed a hamstring injury in his right knee.

"Once this period is over and according to the results ... he will progressively return to sporting activity," the agent said in a statement.

"The total time for his recovery is estimated at four weeks."

The mercurial Spaniard limped out of an engrossing Australian Open quarter-final on Tuesday with rising British star Andy Murray early in the third set, trailing by two sets.

He will now miss the ABN Amro tournament in Rotterdam that starts on February 8.

But he could be fit for Spain's Davis Cup match against Switzerland on March 5-7 and the Indian Wells tournament, which starts on March 11.

"I'm not pleased about missing the Rotterdam tournament. I would have liked to win the title after coming very close last year," Nadal was quoted as saying in the statement.

"I know that this injury is not the same as the one I suffered last year," he said.

But he said he is not concerned losing his place as world number two.

"It's normal, the most important is that I recover my game."

Rafa arrives home ... well, to Barcelona, anyway ...

Rafa is finally back in Spain. He's obviously gone straight to Barcelona for tests, and although the information published today say its the quadra-bicep-thingy (??) ... I guess the circus will start regarding the full diagnosis.

Welcome back Rafa !!!

Its the ... Quadriceps tendon ...

Well ... thankfully it doesn't now sound like a recurrence of his knee tendonitis, but instead, Rafa's poor, beleagured body has now suffered a tear in the quadriceps tendon of his right leg. Apparently as he is a leftie, injuries to the right leg are felt more severely.

Below is a translation of the report as published in La Marca ...

NADAL WILL BE OUT FOR A MONTH ... AT LEAST

Rafael Nadal woke up at noon yesterday. There was no hurry because his return flight to Spain, via Doha, was leaving at 11pm. He left the hotel with his Nike agent, Jordi Robert and his face reflected the concern of the results that were reported yesterday in MARCA. If it is confirmed that he has suffered a tear in the quadriceps tendon of his right leg, the tennis player will be out for a minimum of a month in which he will lose out from Rotterdam and Davis Cup whilst his participation in Indian Wells will be a question mark. In total 1,300 points that, without defending, would relegate him to No. 6 in the ATP rankings. He would inevitably be passed by Andy Murray and Juan Martin del Potro in the world rankings.

To clarify the diagnosis and extent of the injury, Nadal will carry out this afternoon an MRI scan in the CIMA clinic of Barcelona under the supervision of his doctor Angel Ruiz Cortorro. The ultrasound imaging that was done in Melbourne at the end of his quarter-final against Andy Murray, revealed a tear in the quadriceps tendon. Depending on the amount of broken fibres, the damaged area and the bio mechanics of the player- for a lefty an injury in the right leg is worse- a definitive time out will be established. But the reality is that the 30 days pre-season that Nadal had to prepare for the US hard court swing will be converted into a longer and larger rehabilitation.

Here's a news report discussing the injury ... in Spanish!!

Rafa starts the long journey home ...

Rafa seemed in good spirits as he checked in to make his way home back to Spain. He was his customary curteous self ... stopping for photographs, signing his name - a class act. He has already undergone a scan in Melbourne on the injury, the details of which have been sent to his doctor in Barcelona.

The speculation starts ...

The hardest post ...

Rafa retired today in his match against Andy Murray whilst trailing 3-6, 6-7, 0-3. Sadly, the knees again. I think I actually feel even worse right now than I did in the summer, and I am totally gutted for him. But the facts remain that Rafa has only been 4 months on the tour since the injury lay-off for his stomach muscle, starting with Beijing in the Asian swing ... and the knees fail him again.

What that means for him - for us - can only be conjecture at the moment. But its not good news, it is a chronic condition, and how best to handle it for him to continue playing is - at the moment - anyone's guess. I think the days of him being the Number One player are most probably over. With each Slam loss, withdrawal and retirement, he falls further behind. But he's been it, he has the trophy and does that really matter any more? Not for me.

I just hope he and Team Nadal find a way to minimise the tournaments to give the maximum rest time in between, and for him to be able to concentrate on the clay and grass court seasons where the surface is more forgiving. If it means zero points in some tournaments, so what? Would we rather have some Rafa, or no Rafa? I know what the answer is for me.

Lovely Denzy said today that she felt like the bottom had fallen out of her world today, and I get that. That is what Rafa has come to mean to us over the months and years. The excitement of seeing him play, the buzz when watching tennis again, the first guy to offer a sustained challenge to the arrogant Federer ... and all done with the utmost of charm and the utmost of grace. And best of all ... he's meant new friends.

I can't seem to find too much more to say right now as I will admit, I am worried. The official Rafa line is that he felt it go at the end of the second set, its not like it was before as its just a stabbing pain, where previously, he felt continued pain. He's to have a scan, and then we will see.

I just want our Rafa back healthy ... that's all. And I want the worry to go away ...

For now - Vamos Rafa!!! En Rafa confiamos!!!

Rafa slays the Giant ...

Rafa faced the one shot "wonder" that is Ivo Karlovic in his 4th round match. Usually these affairs are the battle of the breakers, but Rafa broke in the first, third and fourth sets to take the match 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. His own sloppy play and lucky net cords helped Karlovic to take the second, but Rafa tactically played a good match.

It was great to see him want this so much with plenty of fist pumps and Vamos's!! on show.

Andy Murray and his smug followers await Rafa in the next round. Do him.

Rafa's sweet on-court interview ...

Rafan "pops the question" ...

For days now, Rafan has been keeping from us the question that she's going to ask Rafa in his Oz-blog. But we know her better than that ... we knew it was "the big one".

And she thought she could fly out all the way to Australia, put on a silly voice and we'd never know it was her. Not bloody likely ...

Rafa anything but lacklustre against Lacko

I know precious little about Rafa's second round opponent - Lukas Lacko, from Slovenia - and as I couldn't be bothered to get myself out of bed at 4 am to watch the match ... I am still uninformed.

However, it was a nice, little workout for Rafa who broke 7 times and won out the easy winner, 6-2 6-2 6-2. Its all about keeping your head down and working through these early matches. Get your rhythm Rafa ...

Rafa wins his first round match ...

Well, he made tough work of it in the first set against Peter Luczak, as Rafa was broken and Luczak served for it at 5-3. However, he clawed his way back and won the breaker comfortably at 7-0. A breadstick second followed at 6-1, and Rafa broke early in the third to win it out 6-4.

A typcial slow start by Rafa ... but onwards to round 2.

Rafa's on-court interview with "cheeky" Jim Courier. (Why didn't he ever have this much personality when he was playing???).

Let's get ready for the Australian Open ...

... with some shirtless pictures. Yum!!!

Gutting for him ...

I haven't felt this hurt by a Rafa defeat for such a long time now. Not since perhaps the French Open, but then that was lessened when it all started to come out about his health and personal issues. I think its because we're used to seeing Rafa win matches he's actually no right to have won, not to lose matches that he held championship points for.

He started by playing lights out tennis and absolutely blew Davy off court to win it 6-0. When was the last time Rafa had ever won a set like that? He was amazing. Took the match to Davy, was ultra agressive, used shorter points, coming in more. And then in the second, he slipped back into type. At the back of the court, playing defensively ... and was broken. But he managed to break back and the set headed to a tie-breaker. And this is where the nerves and the rollercoaster ride kick in - again. He was down early in the breaker but got his way back in it and held two match points. Two, which he tamely lost. And as he was coming in for the kill he hit a ball straight back at Davy instead of going cross court and presented him with his set point. Davy snaked his way through and won the breaker 8-6.

Onto the third set, and Rafa broke early and even had points for a 4-1 lead. But Davy got back in it and it all just seemed to fritter away and Rafa lost 6-4.

There is still much to be positive about as from where Rafa was in November to where he is now is remarkable. But he's still missing that final piece. That edge that overcomes the nerves and puts matches to bed. There's still lots for him and Toni to look at and consider, but for the moment, Rafa just has to "keep colm, and carry on". Love him. Vamos !!!

Post match madness ...

The end of Rafa's match against Bolleli brought as much entertainment as the actual thing. We had:-

• a very long shirt change (marvellous)
• a mad cap cat dashing around the court
• a cutsey kid who wanted a cuddle
• and Rafafan who went in for a Rafapeck (no ... not me, darn!!)

Great fun ...

The Tangerine Dream ...

Our Tangerine Dream and little slab of Angel Delight has dibbed his Sherbert Dab in a confection of loveliness in this week's tournament in Doha. He's so far disposed of Simone Bolleli, Potito Storace, Steve Darcis and Viktor Troiki. Not exactly names of great note, but the best thing to take out of this tournament is that Rafa is starting to play well. This is some of the best tennis he's played in a while, and whilst its too soon to get excited about him being "back", at least these are positive steps in the right direction.

He faces Nikolay Davydenko in today's final. Surely, surely this time Rafa ... ???

Rafa tonks the Sod ...

Aaaah ... what a treat to see Rafa a bit back to what we know he can do with his 7-6, 7-5 victory over The (manky old turnip faced) Sod. He looked absolutely delighted with his win and its so good to see him in winning ways again and biting a trophy ... whether this is an expo or not.

We all know Rafa's confidence has taken a knock, but he didn't seem to be lacking today. Well done Rafa, now on to Doha and real competition ...

Its 2010 ... and the start of a new Rafaseason ...

Its 2010 ... start of a new year and the start of a new season for lovely Rafa. So lets strap ourselves in and get ready for the rollercoaster ride!!!

Rafa is currently in an expo in Abu Dhabi as he prepares for his *yikes* defence of the Australian Open title. He beat David Ferrer today 7-6, 6-3 in a fairly uninspiring match, but as Feds was beaten, Rafa now faces ................ ................... (turn away Uncle T (not the real one, the poster) if you're lurking) ............... The Sod.

Crush him Rafa.