Rafa - Nuts for Soccer ...

I knew Rafa would spend Sunday afternoon with vested interests as he watched his favourite football team - Real Madrid - take on his local team - Real Mallorca, of whom he is now a share-holder and Uncle Miguel-Angel is assistant coach - as they fought it out for a boring 0-0 draw. Here's a report ...

The day before the start of the U.S. Open, Toni Nadal and his nephew Rafael sat in the lobby bar of the St. Regis Hotel watching... soccer. "We practiced tennis very quickly because Mallorca and Real Madrid were playing," said Toni, who is also his top-ranked family member's coach.

It's been a distracting few months for Rafa, with so much action happening on the soccer field. The tennis superstar is a huge "football" fan and part shareholder of his hometown team, Real Mallorca, where his other uncle helps out as a trainer. Rafa kept close tabs on Spain's matches in the World Cup and was ecstatic when they won. "He's crazy!" Toni said laughing, referring to Rafael's passion for the game. (Toni never calls him by his nickname, Rafa.)

After the game ended, Toni said that he went for a walk in Washington Square Park, but Rafael went back to the room. "It's not easy for him to leave a lot because there are so many people," Toni said, talking about the mobs of autograph seekers trying to get a glimpse of the Spanish superstar.

Rafa will play the first night match in the stadium on Tuesday against Russian, Teymuraz Gabashvili. "Before beginning the tournament Rafael goes to bed at around midnight or later," he said. "Rafael doesn't like too much to sleep."

Rafa on "Nightline" ...

Tonight Rafa (or should I say, Ra-fayelle Naydaaaahl) appears on a US show "Nightline" as he was recently interviewed in Cincy. Needless to say, he is totally adorable, wonderful. Sit back and enjoy ...

Link also available ...

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/tennis-hot-shot-11520057

Raafffaaaaa!!

Posting this for no other reason than I just love the photograph. :-D Rafa starts his 2010 USO campaign tomorrow in the first night match.

Go Rafa!!

Vamos Rafa ...

For the discerning lurker out there, Nike have produced an NYC USO 2010 t-shirt. It is aptly in the colours that Rafa will be wearing this year, the lime green and the all-black concoction.

Tis nice ...

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/viewlarge.html?pcode=NWN10VR

Updated: Well ... no sooner had I mentioned this fetching t-shirt on our thread, then lo and behold, we are told about Neo's little shopping list and how Clare has requested him to buy one for her during his trip there this week. Complete with link. How indirectly aggressive.

Last laugh though belongs to Rafan. She posted the link last week and has already ordered hers. *ROFL*

THE US OPEN !!!

*Gulp*. Here it is, the final Slam of the season, the last remaining one that Rafa has yet to win, his most difficult, the one he says he will spend the rest of his career trying to win.

Are we ready for the start of THE US OPEN ???

The draw for Rafa has thrown up Gabashvili as his first round opponent with potential other matches against the likes Istomin, Kohlschreiber, Feli and a projected quarter-final against Nando or Nalbandian, and a difficult semi against Murray with Feds and Nole being the other seeded semi-final pairing.

The usual cries of 'cakewalk' draw have yawningly been mooted (have you seen Feds?? *doh*), but Nalby has always been one of Rafa's nemesis opponents and he displayed good form winning Washington and in Toronto. Rafa lost recently to Murray in Toronto, which means - of course - that Mandy now "owns" Rafa on hardcourts. ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

But this is a Slam, they always produce some unlikely results, they never fail to disappoint and I still maintain that this is one of Rafa's best chances to ever win it. I project him to get to at least the semi-final, and then after that ... who knows?? Whilst nervous, I have a good feeling, and as always ...

COME ON RAFA, YOU CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT !!!!!

*giggles* ... ;-)

Over the past week, a great clip of Rafa and Feds has been doing the rounds as they desperately try to to keep it together to film a promo ... without giggling.

Sadly the YouTube clips have been consistently withdrawn, but it appears that one of the purposes of doing the shoot was to promote a charity match that Rafa and Rog will play in December in support of Rog's foundation. Needless to say, you can now get to view the actual promo video, but more importantly, its much more hilarious out-take via the link below ...

https://www.credit-suisse.com/global/rogerfederer/

Cincy round up ...

Due to a combination of:- me not liking the tournament; Rafa playing night matches that I can't watch; last week in work before going on holiday = tired and; actually being on holiday, I've not done the usual reports on this tournie.

In summary, Rafa lost in the quarters against Marcos Baghdatis, who apparently served up a storm and Rafa lost his to go out 4-6, 6-4, 4-6. It had been an indifferent tournament from Rafa as on the way he beat Taylor Dent 6-2, 7-5 and Julien Bennateau 5-7, 7-6, 6-2.

He's still concerned about his backhand, his serve ... he's caught in two minds how to play on this surface neither from the back or inside the court. Time's running out before the US Open, but its a Slam, he is Rafa ... vamos!!

Who's for a shirt change ??? ...

... ME, ME, ME!!!

Rafa out in the semi in Toronto ...

When Rafa finally faced a top class opponent as he did in Andy Murray, his rustiness and failure to find early form on the hardcourts of North America stood out. It was slightly disappointing as he held break points in the first set which he didn't convert, and after being broken in the second, he fought his way back to recapture that break, and disappointingly, when he held further break points, a double fault went unseen by the umpire which could have given him the way back into the match and a third set, but it wasn't to be. Murray played well, Rafa not so, and he lost for only the second time in 36 matches by a 3-6, 4-6 scoreline.

The one thing that has impressed me most about Rafa were his comments in his post match presser. His serve - always the cause of so much angst to us Rafateers - was a bit woeful, but Rafa revealed that he hasn't been practising it much, learning his lessons from last year with too much hard practice putting unnecessary pressure on those lovely abdominals causing one of them to famously "break", thereby impeding his 2009 USO campaign.

So as he's now got matches under his belt, he will practice the serve much more on Monday/Tuesday, along with his movement and making his backhand work without too much thinking. A semi-final appearance is still a respectable result, and I would rather that and careful conditioning of his body than perhaps the success of 2008 which all-in-all contributed to his tiredness back then.

Keep working Rafa, and on to Cincy. Its the end game that matters, not this one.

Rafa KO's Koli ...

Rafa, looking like a block of Coconut Ice - tasty, and very very sweet - barely turned up at the start of his quarter final match against Philip Kohlschreiber yesterday. Koli broke early and raced into a 3-0 lead. Rafa was woeful, and all over the place, and its not like Koli is the sort of player that hasn't taken a set of him before, which did in the first, 6-3.

But the second set pattern repeated as in the first - except this time it was Rafa who finally started to race ahead with it. It was much, much better in the second and he prevailed 6-3. Rafa was knocking on the door in the third and then finally broke to take out the match 6-4.

No way is Rafa at the top of is game, yet there was an air of inevitabiity about yesterday's match. Not quite so with today's ... Andy Murray. He is trumpeted as this great hard court player yet has failed to set the world on fire at all this season. Rafa can beat this version of Murray, so come on our little Coconut ... DO it!!

Rafa through in the third ...

Rafa played a competent first set against his South African opponent, Kevin Anderson, but a loss of serve in the second and a stuttering performance made it end with a tie break. There were a couple of lose shots within it, but Rafa moved forward.

He's still finding his feet here, but he's also still in it ...

Rafa struggles against Stan ...

Rafa - resplendent in coral pink - struggled in his opening match against Stanislav Wawrinka. Now, there's no surprise in that as Stan quite often plays without fear and takes the match to Rafa. But like on most other occasions, even though Stan plays out of his skin and Rafa struggles, he always seems to find away.

And this was the case again last night. Rafa struggled in the first set and only won out on a tie-breaker that he won to the big score of 12-10. It seems like this was the killer blow to Stan who folded in the second set 6-3.

As it was played overnight for us, I haven't seen any of the match although it seems Rafa was rusty and without any rhythm. He's another overnighter again for us .... so I'm still waiting to see Rafa play.

Rafole and out ...

Well ... the Dream Team are are no more. Beaten in the first round by a Canadian duo who looked younger than Nole's own younger brothers. Even if they were taller than them.

Beaten by a couple of Redwoods ... I ask you Team Rafaole ... tsk!

Here are some video clips of the match ...

Diario del Campeon ...

... Rafa's 2010 Wimbledon journey is captured in these two lovely videos showing him from practice to Champion. Vamos Rafa!!

Rafa ... the movie?

A short time ago I posted what I thought was a fabulous video clip of Rafa's first half of 2010 season ... some of which is enough to bring tears to your eyes.

This again watches like a short film of Rafa's career, cut in with some great music and publicity still. Enjoy. But I won't be sending it to snitty Miri at NadalNews ...

Team Rafole take to the practice courts ...

Not only are Rafa and Nole doubles partners for this week, but they took to the courts together to have a practice session. Its reported that Rafa appeared to be the rustier of the two, but its back to hardcourts for him and the adjustments he needs to make to find his way on this surfrace. I hope Nole doesn't wear you out though, Rafa!!

Practice was followed by a little tennis-footie ... much to the delight of the watching crowds. Both men were promising football players in their youth and love the game, so the competition between them even in this, was fun to watch.

In fact, it could be a fun week!!

Up, up and away ...

Rafa took to the skies yesterday as he was ferried by helicopter to the CN Tower where he made the draw for the Rogers Cup. Poor Rafa ... he hates heights and waved nervously as went on his way. Although in this picture, he looks really rather yummy.

He drew himself in the opposite draw to Federer, but finds himself with the usual subjects of The Sod and Murray, along with Wawrinka, Nalbadien ... so more of "as you were", Rafa.

He also did a Q&A session afterwards - the standard of the questions as always left much to be desired - however, Rafa came out with some of his own best Rafaisms ... positive acktitude, different surfrace, and a new classic. When asked about his new doubles partnership with Novak, Rafa stated that he was one of the the most "talentous" players on the circuit.

Don't you just love him.

Here's a vid clip of the Q&A ...

Rafa goes to Toronto ...

Oh thank God!!! Whilst we've enjoyed the beach shots, we've missed our Rafa, and even for *fangirls*, we've actually also missed the tenniss. Anyhow, the US hardcourt season of Toronto, Cincinnati and the US Open is about to start next week.

Rafa left Mallorca with the usual airport melee to the first stop where he is defending champion in Toronto. But the biggest news of the day ... he is to play doubles with NOLE !!! How exciting. The Number 1 and Number 2 singles players in the world to take on the best that the doubles players can offer. Team Rafole ... ole!!

Vamos Espana ...

Rafan found this great picture of Rafa and the guys hanging in their Wimbledon pad watching the footie. The "women" were probabaly tending to the children and making tapas ... southern Europeans, don't you just love 'em!!!

So he DID take her on holiday ...

Avert your eyes Rafan ... Rafa smooching with Xisca. I'm pleased that during his trips to South Africa, Ibiza, Formentera and of course, home in Mallorca ... he did at least manage to fit her in.