Rafa is now the 8-time Champion at Barcelona, to match him being 8-time Champion at Monte Carlo ... and let's hopefully see him the 8-time Champion somewhere else in a few weeks.
*unjinx*
After spending a lovely weekend in Norfolk where I visited Her Majesty's estate at Sandringham, I managed to watch today's match on my phone as I travelled home. Nico Almagro was Rafa's opponent in the final, and he has a 0-9 H2H against him ... plus a habit of catastrophically melting down against the top players. But he hit the ground running, found the lines and quickly took a 0-3 lead at the start of the match.
To be honest ... I'm starting to get a little concerned at Rafa's "slow starts". Once again, the weather was dreadful, and sure, if that sort of rain came down on a hardcourt or a grass court, those players would be off. They stick it out on clay, of course, as the surface absorbs it and so long as the lines aren't slippy, but it doesn't suit Rafa. Not at all. The thing is though, it happens, both players have to deal with it and we all know that it's not conducive to how Rafa plays his clay court game ... but he just has to get on with it.
But as the players sat at their chairs whilst the rain came down and before they were called back to play, Almagro was obviously thinking about his 3-0 lead and what to do next ... and of course, he fell apart.
Rafa won the next 4 games to bring it back on serve, but another break at 5-4 gave him the set.
He then went on to have his own racy start to the second set, went 3-0 up, but Nico helped to keep the set honest before Rafa finally won the match 6-3.
Rafa hit an amazing tweener which ultimately helped him to win a point, and there were shades of other wonderful Rafa shot making ... but I felt he wasn't showing any fizz. I feel odd about the clay season so far. With Rafa's initial comeback, tournament by tournament he was making his improvements. His performance at Indian Wells was amazing, and whilst I can understand a 4-week lay off, knee treatment and some niggles whilst at Monte Carlo, nothing about Barcelona has seemed to see him kick on for me. Maybe its the conditions, maybe its the back ... I just don't know. I think I've accepted now that 2010 clay court Rafa might never be seen again, and whilst the breakthrough of PRP injections helped to put his 2009 injury issues aside and see him transform into the wonder player he became that year, it wasn't without pain, and anxiety, and almost dropping out of Rome.
2011 saw him win Monte Carlo, Barcelona and the French Open ... but it also had him talking about feeling like he'd been around for 100 years. 2012 saw Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome and the French Open ... and the return of the old issues. I'm obviously writing in a very glum fashion when I've seen Rafa make 6 finals and win 4 of them since his comeback ... I must be bonkers, what the hell more could I possibly ask?? Maybe its just the level of the play this week, and maybe he needs that week off before Madrid.
Maybe I should stop looking for things and second guessing.
The tennis tour rolls on in just over a week and so will Rafa. VAMOS!!
I know, I know.
ReplyDeleteSaturday's play against Milos quite heartened me. At the end of the day I figured, if he plays like this in the final, it'll be another romp, and things will definitely be looking good for Rafa in the rest of the season.
But the final was ... scratchy. Arrhythmic. Even clumsy at times, on both sides. Rafa has the longest fingernails in tennis, surely, but ... where was the man from Saturday?
Clearly, something is wrong. I saw part of that, in the second set, when after racing to the net and dispatching Nico for the point, he grimaced. And he limped during the trophy ceremony. I think we can take it that, despite the doctors' reported promises to him that the pain would be gone, it's there until he retires. :(
He might also have been showing the effects of 3 matches in 2 days to get to the finals. He seemed tired to me. No fire. And some of that, surely, is post-MC letdown. Sure, he may feel lucky to have been in the MC final, but it's also likely that some disappointment has set in. It cannot have helped that Toni sat throughout looking like the Grim Reaper, sometimes even shouting at Rafa like an angry ticket-holder. Something seems amiss.
It seems that Rafa will not be practicing before Madrid; the knee probably demands it, but Rafa also needs more practice than his new "adjusted regime" is allowing. Between a rock and a hard place.
I want Rafa to be happy, like he was in Mexico and Indian Wells. I hope he gets to that state soon, that he can fix whatever is awry and enjoy his tennis again. If anyone can, he will. Vamos, dear man!
Rafa seems more happier and loose when Francisco Roig is coaching, like in Mexico and Indian Wells. I don't know, but sometimes I feel Toni adds to the anxiety.
DeleteI noticed that, too, Barbara. And, watching the finals for a second time today, I also was surprised to see that, when Rafa won, unlike the rest of the team Toni stayed seated, and looked quite angry. I mean, WTF?
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