The Agony and the Ecstasy ...

Good evening, everybody, guys ...

I just think I can only post on the fumes of emotion today. I don't know - even some hours now after the match - if I can write in a cohesive manner because, just when you think you've never seen the like in Rafael Nadal before ... you just did. I started this morning getting teary about a post that our Rafateer chum, Womble posted ...

"No regrets, Rafa. Be brave."

Knowing what we know now ... I could cry all over again.

I think he started off brilliantly.  He came out like a man on a mission, focused, driven and determined. The first Djokovic game had the commies creaming as they'd all gone for him, but Rafa quickly established himself in the match. I needed him to win that first set just to steady my nerves, and he was still good in the second. But then we've all watched enough tennis to know that the top, top players - even when they seem a bit out of it - will always at some point have their moment. And half way through the second set when I think Rafa had a break, the PoD woke up. And sadly ... we had a match. He just stirred himself, and for whatever reason, Rafa just went into his shell. It was awful, and of course, we were then level.

Then the most bizarre thing happened. I mean, does anyone want to actually have a stab at explaining what went on with the Prince of Darkness in that third set?? The match had turned into everything that it was billed to be; the tennis was flowing, then the PoD had a bit of a slip, and then there was an awful lot of chat about whether he'd turned his ankle. He did that infamous bending over thing that he's so prone to do, and then it went to the changeover with Rafa leading 3-0. My TV coverage went to adverts, but then I thought he was having an MTO, but no ... he left the court. We were all shrouded in confusion because what the hell was he doing? I assume it was a toilet break, there was no trainer ... but then the PoD went on to essentially - and deliberately I feel - tank the third set.

He tanked a set ... there's no two ways about it. It is utterly disgraceful behaviour. And it threw Rafa. They'd gone from being in this high intensity match, with fantastic shot making and rallys, to Djokovic just hitting in hope and barely trying. But all the while, as game after game after game went to Rafa, I was screaming at the telly for him not to not be suckered in, to not fall for his tricks, because understand this, people ...

... until I see Novak Djokovic being carried off court on a stretcher and being put into an ambulance, and that ambulance leaving the tennis site with it's blue light flashing ... I will never, ever, ever believe for one minute that he is either truly injured or truly suffering on a court. 

He's a faker and a cheat. And I think he exercises this behaviour as a mental weapon to rival anything that either his forehand or backhand can do. He smacked his way to win one game in that set, and even Rafa as the victor of it at 6-1 still seemed bemused.

Whilst all this was happening, I was enduring the commentary of Jim Courier, who was all but supporting this cheating behaviour. Saying things like it's better to get through a set as quickly as you can and going for a shot after 4 strokes, just to conserve your energy for the rest of the match. Seriously? Rafa, with all of his well known physical issues gets absolutely slaughtered for calling a medical time out ... and yet this "man" tanks a set to conserve his energy?? And what reason has been given for this unbelievable turnaround in the third set? Well, I've watched the PoD's interview on the RG website and all he had to say was ... "I just dropped physically."

At the start of the 4th set when you think I'd be full of hope and confidence for Rafa ... I was sitting there with a stone in my stomach ... I was fearful. I feared the worst. Did any of you get that? I just couldn't believe why any player would ever put themselves in a position where they would have to go to 5 sets after chucking away the third without so much as an aspirin from the Doctor or a medical time out. All I could think of - and this was where my fear was coming from - was that Djokovic wanted the absolute epitome of Roland Garros honour ... to defeat 7-time Champion, Rafael Nadal, over 5 sets on Philippe Chatrier court. I was nearly vomiting at the thought of it. I could just see the roar, I could just see the mad eyes, and I simply could not bear the thought how it would have been milked as him being the one that achieved the Holy Grail in tennis ... the defeat of Rafael Nadal over 5 sets on clay in the French Open.

And more of the same seemed to continue in the 4th set.  The match which had held so much promise, had turned into a complete damp squib. Even when Rafa got a break, he still looked confused. The tennis was awful, the errors were flying, and Rafa - even with a break - had no rhythm about his play. He just couldn't get into it, and then he lost his break with a very weak service game. But he broke Djokovic again, and stood to serve for the match at 6-5. My heart was in my mouth, and my chest was burning up. And Djokovic decided to blast the ball as a still confused and tight Rafa lost his serve from being 30-0 up. So there we had it, a tie-breaker ... and I just knew that Rafa would lose it. Cue that revolting roar and bulging eyes.

And it got worse. A beleaguered Rafa lost his opening service game of the 5th set. And where was the physically spent Djokovic?? Nowhere to be bloody seen, that's where. He looked as smooth and as pristine as when he first stepped out onto the court.  And Rafa? He looked a mess.

I tried to rally myself and the Rafateers as we agonised with each other on the chatbox by saying that at least the break had come early, and that it still gave Rafa a chance. But as the Djokovic service games slipped away without loss, it was hard to keep the faith. But we had a tennis match now. No more pathetic arsing about from Djokovic, we had a match again. I think when it got to 4-2, I brought up the Australian Open final of 2012. How something happened that changed the shift, and on that day, it was Rafa putting a shot wide from a leading position, and maybe, just maybe ... this time he was due one. Considering what I'd seen Djokovic get up to in the middle of that match, I thought surely that good - at some point - had to prevail.

And serving at 4-3, the PoD had that incident where he made one of a number of awful overheads and ended up crashing into the net and was forfeited a point. Rafa didn't win the break back immediately after that ... but it came. And he did it. 4-4.

I punched the air in delight. And when Rafa held serve, things just started to ebb ever so slowly because by virtue of serving first, Rafa was always ahead, and the PoD in catch up. At 7-6, I was praying for an 8-6 victory ... but then the ultimate faker, out-faked himself. You see the mind games that he'd utilised so effectively on Rafa in sets 3 and 4 came back to bite him. He may have held service to level it at 7-7, but he then started to let himself get agitated about the court and how he wanted it watering. Rafa stuck to his task and held serve - 8-7.

At the changeover, Djokovic then let himself get into an argument with the umpire, Pascal Maria, which was fruitless, because what the hell was going to change? And what did Rafa do? Listened, and used the moment. He raced out of his chair, determined and meaning business, whilst Djokovic wrestled with his self-inflicted mind trauma ... and blasted an overhead out of the court. He then left a shot by Rafa which fell beautifully into the court. Could we allow ourselves to believe, could we even breathe?? I don't remember the point that took Rafa to three match points, but I know that the PoD hit the next one long.

He'd won. He only bloody well went and won it.

I cannot believe the magnitude of this man. I should end this post with a eulogy to Rafa. I swear, I've been watching for years ... most of it is utter torture. He changes from year to year for various reasons - sometimes for the better, sometimes he's just different. But one thing never changes ... his indomitable spirit. I have never in my life seen any sportsman with the heart, courage and strength of Rafa Nadal. He is utterly amazing. He keeps on doing these things, some 8 years after he started doing it as a teenager. Through one career threatening foot injury, and two major knee issues ... and he's still here. Part of me is a bit sad that Yannick Noah isn't going to be presenting the trophy of Sunday, because if Rafa was to win it ... I'd like him to stick it up his arse. He is an inspiration, a joy. He has brought to me, some of most wondrous moments of watching tennis in my whole life. We are honoured to be around to witness this most magnificent and special, oh so special player.

Rafa will play David Ferrer in the final on Sunday. Two Spaniards ... oh the irony. And I hope with all my heart, that he creates another piece of Rafa history.

I started the morning with the words in my heart of "No regrets, Rafa. Be brave."

He was.