Well ... for the second week running we are left despondent as our lovely Rafa once again fails to make inroads into Djokovic's winning streak. Another of his clay Masters has gone to the Serb and Rafa is still finding a way of working it out.
The scoreline was 6-4, 6-4, but I have to say that Rafa played an awful lot better than he did last week. He used his backhand more, he tried to attack Djokovic's forehand more, but the conundrum of what to do still hasn't finally been pieced together. Rafa had a low percentage win on his second serve points which shows that he was immediately on the back foot whenever that first serve didn't go in. He did stay too far back at times, the lucky Serb once again had net cords go for him and amidst much chest thumping and totally unnecessary open mouthed yelling ... Rafa lost the match. And don't even get me started on the souvenir shop bought scarves and caps that that family were wearing. Were Serbia playing Italy down the road at the Stadio Olympico?? Thought not.
With a cursory handshake at the net and then standing as far apart from each other as they could on the presentation stand, this is one bromance that is now definitely over. How quickly things have changed since the US Spring tournaments. My personal view is that Rafa as a very proud Spaniard, would not have appreciated the antics that occurred in Madrid last week and that has seriously shifted the dynamic.
So next up is Paris, where Rafa might benefit from not being the hot favourite but it is a title that is very, very precious to him and with all my heart, I hope he finds a way there. VAMOS!!!
The scoreline was 6-4, 6-4, but I have to say that Rafa played an awful lot better than he did last week. He used his backhand more, he tried to attack Djokovic's forehand more, but the conundrum of what to do still hasn't finally been pieced together. Rafa had a low percentage win on his second serve points which shows that he was immediately on the back foot whenever that first serve didn't go in. He did stay too far back at times, the lucky Serb once again had net cords go for him and amidst much chest thumping and totally unnecessary open mouthed yelling ... Rafa lost the match. And don't even get me started on the souvenir shop bought scarves and caps that that family were wearing. Were Serbia playing Italy down the road at the Stadio Olympico?? Thought not.
With a cursory handshake at the net and then standing as far apart from each other as they could on the presentation stand, this is one bromance that is now definitely over. How quickly things have changed since the US Spring tournaments. My personal view is that Rafa as a very proud Spaniard, would not have appreciated the antics that occurred in Madrid last week and that has seriously shifted the dynamic.
So next up is Paris, where Rafa might benefit from not being the hot favourite but it is a title that is very, very precious to him and with all my heart, I hope he finds a way there. VAMOS!!!
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