... typical day at the office then for a Rafa fan, eh?
Just to get the stats out of the way first, Rafa struggled to get through in another 5 set epic, having to fight back again from 2 sets to 1 down to prevail as follows ... 6-4, 4-6, 6-7, 6-2, 6-3.
Rafa faced yet another of those bish-bash-bosh players which a huge serve and a heavy forehand and Rafa struggled to make in-roads into either. Half the time he looked like he just didn't know what to do. He benefited from a first game break in the first set and as is now becoming usual against a player of the style of Philipp Petzschner, a few slack points in his own service game means a set gone. The usual happened in the tie-break, ie. Rafa lost ... but these things always favour the heavy server. But early in the fourth set whilst Rafa had had break points of his own and an easy service game, and with all the momentum swinging his way ... he had a medical time out.
And this is where the furore erupts. Earlier Rafa had had the trainer out to check out his left arm, but then subsequently waved him away from the problem. But then in the 4th set after the trainer had made his initial assessment on Rafa's right knee ... you know that singular area that Rafa has such a long history of injury in - the trainer, yes the trainer, called a medical time out. To add insult to injury whilst Rafa was having treatment, the umpire, French git Cedric Mourier, warned Rafa for coaching. Rafa was rightly outraged, and said so.
So farce ends up into chaos and we then have the so-called objective commentators in Boris "I will support the Kraut opponent whatever" Becker and wimpy old Andrew Castle, then effectively calling Rafa a cheat. Because of course he wouldn't possibly call the trainer for any genuine injury reason, Rafa would only do it to buy time and upset the rhythm of his opponent. Sure he would, and SHAME on them for suggesting it. So of course the flames are now fanned and the abuse of Rafael Nadal continues. And then there is the further ignominy of Mourier giving Rafa a violation for coaching.
Its at times like this that you question the worth of supporting a player at all. Its exhausting. And its not Rafa per se, its the fall out from him. The way this young man is treated by the average "tennis fan" or how he is projected in the media. Because simply put ... he is not Federer. He is his antithesis and worse than that ... he beats him. Because you see as opposed to 'sublime', 'graceful', 'balletic', 'scary good' ... Rafa is 'beast', 'brutal'. And a blind eye won't be passed over any short-comings (of which there are none, actually, save to say taking 5 extra seconds to serve) in other quarters simply by the nature of the fact of being "British". It saddens me in so many respects in the appalling way that Rafa is treated. To the name-calling, the disparaging of his tennis style, that he's only a clay court player regardless of winning 2 slams on each of the grass and hardcourt surfaces.
But to label him a cheat, to effectively say he is feigning injury as a means to off-put his opponent is now, fundamentally beyond the pale and is so offensive that I can barely speak. I cannot, and will not accept any statement such as, "Rafa Nadal. Yeah a champion, but a bit of a cheat". One day I might be able to look back and see the sense of it all. I may really get to find out and understand why a goofy, adorkable, un-sophisticated young man from Mallorca is the subject of such abject hate by all those who don't support him.
Irrespective of Becker's and Castle's crass statements, in his press conference Rafa revealed that he is having trouble with his right knee. He went on to explain that in Miami, the issue was in the left one. Remember his swearing outburst and him beating the knee against Roddick? He stated that he played through the pain in Monte Carlo, but his decision to skip Barcelona was made so that he could have the time out and take new treatment on the left knee which worked a treat. His right one was holding up fine, and he could afford to play not quite at 100% on the more forgiving clay surface.
But the right knee is now the one to trouble him, and he will have no choice but to tough it out for the rest of this tournament. He has, however, now announced his decision not to play in the Davis Cup against France after Wimbledon - a decision that seems to have been made days ago so Rafa is obviously suffering with the pain - the theory being that he can have time off, have the same treatment to his right knee and return for the US hardcourt season in the best possible shape he could ever be to give himself - for once - a real good crack at it,
So what of Wimbers? His next opponent is Paul-Henri Mathieu. Not someone renowned for a ball basher game and someone Rafa should beat even not at his best. The tests are to come though as little David Ferrer could prove trickier than anything the Sod has had to face yet, but Rafa is looking at a potential Sod quarter and a Murray semi.
But this is Rafa, and he's at his favourite tournament. And we know, that he will give it his absolute best shot and will try beyond the realms of his capability to do so. After all ... he is Nadal.
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