Another final ...

This is tough.

It's hard for Rafa, and he's struggling here. He's talking about the pain in his knee and his return of serve is nowhere to be found. And yet in the third set when he must have pushed himself to the absolute limit ... he looked like Rafa again.

But as for this ...

"I didn't feel well today, it was the worst day for my knee, and if the knee is not well it makes it very difficult to play. But I am happy with the result. After seven months without playing it's good to reach the final again, even if I'm not at my best. 

It will be very hard. I didn't feel well today but I hope that I'll be better tomorrow. I'm not the favorite but I'll try my best. Nalbandian has been playing very well. Let's see how it goes."

... well, it pains me to hear.

You see on clay, Rafa never wins. I know that sounds like a dumb thing to say, but he's such a giant on the surface that almost every tournament he enters during the European clay season, he's playing not to lose. Any tournament win gains him nothing in terms of ranking points because has to defend it all, and any loss is treated like a catastrophic failure. Even if the bloke loses a set, its heralded like a defeat.

In spite of it all, Rafa has reached another final. He thinks this court is playing faster than the US Open and maybe in hindsight, he might not have come. I don't expect great shakes from him today against David Nalbandian, as he was a player that used to trouble him even when he was fully fit.

I just hope it doesn't the pain doesn't hurt him too much.