The King and I ...

OK ... there's no Mrs Anna but today, Rafa finally made his opening performance in the Thailand Open, where the Primeminister ... erm ... officially opened the tournament. Rafa was playing Bemelmens from somewhere who had won precisely one ATP tour match which had enabled hm to face Rafa (thanks for the info. Rafan.).

I couldn't watch the match and am unsure if I'll be able to see any of this tournie live, but Rafa made short work of his opponent and ran out the 6-1, 6-4 winner.

Uncle Toni interviewed ...

Uncle Toni recently gave a quite long interview to XLSemana magazine. In truth, exerpts of it have appeared in various other interviews and it is much the same theme as we are used to. However, I was shocked to read that when in Rome, on the Tuesday before we had tickets from the Wednesday, Rafa was struggling so much from the pain in his knees from the new plasma treatment he's been having that Toni effectively told him either to put a brave face on it, or quit.

Can you imagine it? Poor old Rafa ... hurting so much and yet we were a whisker away from missing out on that fantastic experience. The traumas of being a Rafa fan ... that infamous Rafarollercoaster ...

Anyhow, the interview has very kindly been reproduced in English by Ines and Bee from NadalNews, so here's the link to it ...

http://www.nadalnews.com/2010/09/29/interview-with-toni-i-prefer-being-too-hard/

Rafa sows his seed ...

As part of the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$'s that Rafa is being paid for being in Thailand - don't worry folks, tis an insider *joke* as we know Rafa is worth his weight in gold - one of the PR activities he had to undertake was to plant a tree in honour of the Royal Family. In a pink shirt ... along with a heap load of other men ... in pink shirts. If you are cool and important like Rafa, you get to wear the same shirt as him. If you are a pleb, you get to wear a pink shirt which was the same colour as the one Feds wore in Toronto/Cincy. *laugh*

I also spent two of the longest minutes of my life watching a home video of the ceremony posted on NadalNews which comprised of Rafa sitting on a settee with Pico Monaco being completely fidgety. So I'll stick to the original news clip to ease your pain. Hehe ...

Rafa makes merit ...

Rafa has been taking part in some tradition Thai rituals whilst in the country, along with more usual holiday-type antics. This translation comes from Atch2 on NadalNews ...

Sweet Nadal wakes up at 6am to give offerings in Hua Hin

Nadal woke up at 6am to give food offerings to 18 Buddhist monks along the Intercontinental Resort’s beach.

The monks arrived at 7am and Rafa came down in his blue tennis outfit, took off his shoes, and knelt on the sand. He gave offerings (of food, water and lotus flowers) to the monks. He was smiling and looked happy. He would have also received blessings from the monks afterwards) He then returned to the hotel to pass the merit that he had gained from the offerings he had made to the monks, on to his loved ones, by pouring water.

Before the monks came, Nadal was briefed on this Thai custom. He listened happily and handled everything correctly.

Since the 21st Nadal has been fishing, go carting, playing golf and practicing his tennis. On the 28th he will plant trees at Kasetsart University before returning to Bangkok. He will meet the PM on the 29th and will start competition on the 30th September. He received a bye in the first round.

The Rafashoot in video ...

Who would have ever thought that a series of photographs featuring Rafa would make the news in Mallorca. Well ... me actually. Hehe. As I can't work out how to embed the video, I attach the following *link* for your viewing pleasure ...

http://ib3noticies.com/20100923_104709-nadal-protagonista-a-lhola.html

And here's a video of the pictures with some soft, floaty music ...

Helllllloooooooooooooooo !!!

Oh Rafa ... you are a star. You blessed lamb, you angel sent from Heaven above. Just as in February when we had to endure a down time you left us with the Gypsy video ... and now, you've tantalised us with this marvellous photo-shoot.

Most of the pictures appeared in UK Hello! ... but I've included the suite from Spanish Hola!!

I would love to trace his collar-bone with my tongue and follow that cut down to Neverland with my finger. This boy is HOT!!!

Rafa brings his happiness to Thailand ...

Awwww ... that's what a nice, old Thai bloke said at the airport as Thailand welcomed Rafa for the first time in their country.

Rafa returns home ...

After next to no sleep over a couple of days, Rafa returned home to Spain via Madrid. The customary interviews ensued (how many did this boy make?) ... and he, of course, stopped by the Bernabeu to watch his beloved Real Madrid, but was treated to a rousing standing ovation as he took to the pitch to greet the fans.

You do wonder if his feet have ever touched the ground since. But this is Rafa ... course they have.

Rafa's final blog from the US Open ...

Sadly of late, the Rafablog has lost all its charm for us since it was turned into a competition, rather than representing the breathless and giddy fun it used to be as we all wished and waited in earnest anticipation as to whether Rafa had actually answered one of our questions ... and we loved to see our comments in print whose supporting and encouraging nature we so hoped that Rafa might just read.

However, Rafa enjoys the blog for the good luck he is now convinced it brings him and so, whilst he doesn't actually ever have much to say in it ... it more than likely is here to stay.

This is what he has to say as closure from his triumphant US Open victory ...

Hello everyone,

This last post might come 1) late for some and 2) as a surprise for others. The truth is that I should have sent it through yesterday but as I landed in Madrid I thought about writing it at my hotel room. But I was really tired. I couldn’t sleep much in the airplane during the flight and as I landed I had a press conference and went straight to the hotel to bed … Sorry about that. Then I went to see last night Real Madrid against Ajax and enjoyed coming down to the pitch and salute all fans.

Well, I am back at home and wanted to take the chance to thank all of you who follow this blog. I said this was my lucky blog and there you go, I managed to win the US Open.

Many thanks and hope to be back soon.

Rafa

Rafa - The King of New York!!!

US and Spanish TV made a couple of clips about Rafa's magnificent US Open triumph.

We can't get enough of this ... can we???

Rafa does the interview rounds ...

Here's a selection of interviews that Rafa did following his tremendous victory. Note that he does not appear on The Letterman Show sozzled with vodka as per Marat Safin. Hehe.

The NYC photo-shoot ...

We were almost wetting ourselves in anticipation of the traditional US Open champion photo-shoot in New York City ... thinking that we were going to get treated to the Empire State Building and some fashionable knitwear a la Juan-Martin Del Potro. So you can imagine our disappointment when Rafa ended up in ...

Times Square

*wails*. OK, so the shots aren't as good as last year's, or as inventive as taking Rafa to EuroDisney ... but hell !! He's the champion!!!

The trophy ceremony ...

The match ...

The pictures ...

You can never get fed up of looking at these, can you? Did we ever think we'd get to see this?? A pictorial feast of Rafa's fantastic victory. Enjoy ...

HE DID IT, HE DID IT !!!

OK ... so this post might be a long time in coming, and after 5 previous attempts, so was this final. And would you believe it, we even had to wait another 24 hours before it even got played.

It was due on Sunday, 12th September, but Rafa and his final opponent, Novak Dojokovic, never even made it on court that day due to the weather. So another anxious day had to pass and we gathered again the next evening to watch our lovely boy. Rafa made a stonking start, and although Nole had had an extra 24 hours to recover, Rafa made him look worn out, heavy and he took the first set 6-4 by virtue of an early break and building an early lead.

It was a bit closer in the second, but Rafa was starting to make his moves and settle really well into the match ... only for the rains to come. I think its fair to say that this perhaps saved Nole and with the opportunity to take an hour and half out, re-group, think about this Rafa that he was facing, Nole was able to switch himself back into the match at the re-start just that bit better and quicker than Rafa and he ran out with the second set 7-5.

Were we panicking? Not really. I kind of expected that Nole would get a set, but Rafa smacked himself back into the match, started to concentrate and ... play. A single break of the Nole serve was again all he needed to take the third 6-4. And this is where he started to motor. Did Nole perhaps know that he didn't have it in himself to be able to take this to 5? Who knows, but once again Rafa got early breaks - 2 of them - and quickly built a 5-1 lead.

Was he about to do it? Was he about to make that history for himself? Was he about to win the last remaining Slam that eluded him in his marvellous career?

As Nole stood to serve at 5-1 down, Rafa took his foot off the pedal as if conserving himself to try and take the match out on his own serve. And so he served to do it ... A magnificent forehand that landed just on the line for a winner and forehand hit out wide by Nole meant that Rafa won the match, the title, the Career Grand Slam.

Upon victory, Rafa fell on his back in his normal victory salute then rolled over onto his tummy to let out some rasping sobs. He did it, he did it!! Nole came round the net to approach Rafa and the two friends held each other whilst Nole congratulated him. Rafa then went back to the centre of the court, sank to his knees, and raised his arms up high, clenched his fists and saluted his victory.

It was a great match, some wonderful tennis and played within a spirit of guts and fight. This is what I've come to like over the years. You can stick Feds with all his 'sublimeness', his 'balletic' play. This is what I want to see. Two protagonists standing toe to toe, fighting in the match with every fibre of their being. It is exciting, it is mesmerising and it is littered with magnificent winners and deft play. Well done boys ... I really enjoyed it, and here's hoping we see more of you two in finals over the next few years. We haven't seen enough of them.

And so to Rafa ... 12 months ago approached probably one of the blackest periods of his career. Sure, he'd had the summer of disappointment with his FO loss and Wimbledon withdrawal, but his torn abdomen resulted in a trouncing in the USO, and moving to the remainder of the tour which is indoors and on hardcourts never suits him. He struggled for victories, he struggled for form, and that thin, sad figure we saw at last year's WTF was a shadow of the man we had come to grow and love. It is Pearl who forever says 'write this boy off at your peril' ... and it is true. He still struggled at the beginning of the year, but he kept going. He kept colm and carried on. As soon as he got that dirt back under his feet at Monte Carlo, he burst the inertia that had built within him, and he went on to prove himself the wonderful champion that he is. And to now win on his hardest surface, on the court that does not suit his play, but to have the skill and courage to keep working, produce a serve like we've never seen before, lose only one set in the entire tournament and end up as Champion ... Rafa, we could not be more proud.

And for the Rafateers that may be reading this ... we've come some way together. We watched Rafa win, then lose it all. But to share these astounding victories with you - through our own particular difficult times - makes all the difference. Vamos us - the Rafateers!! and most of all ...

VAMOS RAFA !!!

HE'S IN THE FINAL!!!!

Rafa, Rafa, Rafa. Lovely boy, our adored little one ... the man we follow as much as we can and whom we have unwaivering support ... you've only gone and done it. Done the one thing that you are forever castigated for not having achieved ... but this time, this year, after your own hard work and some luck along the way ... you have reached the final of the US Open. Well done you!

The semi played against Mikhail Youzhny was a very one-sided affair because simply, he's not good enough. He did, however, have one break of serve but Rafa quickly took away that advantage, broke back and served it out for the match. Rafa won by a 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 scoreline.

The joy of him reaching his first final was there for all to see, and we are loving it. But the much media hoped for Federer-Nadal final to be finally played in New York will once again not happen. Nole took Feds in the 5th set after having to face 2 match points and the smug looks in Federer's box as his faux-friends all thought he had it. Not so.

Whatever happens tonight - and we could have a rain interrupted final - Rafa has proven to himself that it he paces his year correctly, if he can just stay healthy, and if he has that little bit of luck along the way, he can do this.

Good luck my darling. Your Rafateers are all behind you, wishing you well and willing you along. For one last time ... COME ON RAFA, YOU CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Rafa meets the other half of the Bromance ...

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ... sorry. Even though I set the alarm at 1.30 pm to watch, I snozzed on the couch, saw Rafa win the first set and saw him win the match and the interview. And that was it. So I don't have any comment on the match yet, save to say that he finally got broken in one game early in the first, but still ran out the winner 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.

But he's there ... he's in the semi-final to face Mikhail Youzhny (niiiiiiice) in the first semi-final berth.

Come on Rafa. You can do it, you can DO it!!!

And so to the hottie fest ...

Oh ... the fangirls' dream round - our lovely Rafa against sexy Feli. No contest ... well, in tennis terms, hehe. This was a particularly late match for our lovely ... can I say, boys ... but the match became more significant because this new shot that Rafa has discovered, you know, they call it ... the serve ... came to the absolute fore tonight. He hit one at 135 mph !!!

The match was fairly pedestrian for Rafa ... and once again, his serve was not broken in spite of facing some break points. He ran out the winner 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Even Xisca enjoyed it ... ;-)

All smiles against Simon ...

It was announced a couple of days before the match that Rafa's opponent - Gilles Simon - had become a father a month early, and in spite of him coming through against Kohlschreiber, Simon had to face a match against Rafa before being able to fly away and see his new son, Timothee. (Why he wanted to call him after a shampoo, I don't know ... but there you go).

Rafa was effective in the first two sets, winning them 6-4, 6-4. However, after finding himself two sets down, it was kind of inevitable that Simon lost a bit of heart and Rafa ran out in the third, 6-2.

Rafa raises the notch against Istomin ...

Rafa romped away with the first set against Istomin, but this is the kind of guy that has always troubled Rafa on hard courts. As it proved in the second set. It had to be decided on a tie break, and Istomin stormed ahead 5-1. *Yikes* ... but ... are we seeing a different Rafa in this tournament because that those were the last points Istomin won in it. Rafa came in and stole it away 7-5.

The second set was another tight affair with Rafa winning it 7-5. However ... he never lost his serve throughout the whole match and with the massive amount of sucking on lemons that went on on 606 following the victory, there are some obvious worries amongst them all that this Rafa ... means business.

Be ruthless ...

Aww ... this is a great video clip. Showing the sweetness of Rafa off-court, but on it ... he's ruthless. I so hope that magic dust does fall on the trophy for you, my love.

Rafa tentative in his first round victory ...

Rafa was taken to a tie-breaker in each of his first two sets against Gabashvilli in his opening match, as Gabs played some pretty effective and typical hardcourt tennis that can hurt Rafa. But not enough, thankfully ... and he took the third set 6-4.

Two stand outs in the match for me. Firstly, the Rafaserve is much improved and he was hitting some high numbers with it ... 131 mph. Wow Rafa! The other was his inability to put away his break points. But ... its his first round match of a gruelling 7 match major with all the other influences that come into play. Steady as you were Rafa ... Denis Istomin is up next.



Another welcome addition to the Rafacrew this year is Xisca. I don't recall her being at the US Open before, and certainly not as visible at the start of a tournament as she has been here. Perhaps they are both growing in confidence.

Way to go, girl!!

Rafa had his watch stolen ...

It has been reported that whilst in Toronto, Rafa had his infamous Richard Mille watch stolen. He signed to promote it in May and has subsequently been wearing the $500,000 timepiece during his matches ever since, famously when he lifted both the French Open and Wimbledon.

A tad careless Mr Nadal, if I might say. I can't say that I think this sort of thing is really Rafa, and I did have a look at it when I met him at Wimbers and can't say I was massively impressed. However, I've noticed its on the wrist again in the US Open, so Rafa, you've gone through a cool $1 million's worth of watches this year ... so take better care of this one!!

Rafa : I can DO it !!! ...

Our Rafan has found some fame in the time she's been following our lovely boy. The first one of us to ever meet him, the first one to ever touch the Rafaflesh, the first one to ever get his autograph, the first one to have an Amercian journalist include her in his article. She had to share the limelight with me of getting the ultimate Rafa prize of a photograph with him *shame*, but her devotion to her Rafamag collection is now infamous along with her trips to the toilet.

But now, she once again surpasses all of this, because - if you recall - she single-handedly turned Rafa's career around this season with her famed "Come on Rafa you can do it, you can DO it!!!" shout out to him when things were getting tricky against Gulbis in Rome. A sentence she repeated to him personally before the final, to which our Rafa said ... "thank you".

It seems though that this one little phrase has affected our Rafa like no other, and he has now famously included her rallying cry into one of his own with regard to winning the US Open. Towards the end of the attached video clip, he utters the immortal line ... "I can DO it".

Of course you can Rafa ... all credit to Rafan!!!

*sniffs* Rafa only went and cut his HAIR !!! ...

Well ... this is the kind of picture that brings tears to the eyes of the discerning Rafa fans. Rafa having his hair cut ... SHORT!! *wails* *cries*

We all - of course - blamed Denz for this as she has the principle role of hairdresser to the Armada and personal coiffeuse of the famed Rafalocks. It turns out though that Rafa has committed that worse of clientele crimes ... HE ONLY WENT AND HAD HIS HAIR CUT BY SOMEONE ELSE!!

A man ... GRR. And no doubt a Fedfan to boot as he knows how much we love our Rafa's hair. I hope he gets soap in his eyes. The hairdresser, not Rafa ...