Nadal in press Conference: "I have had pain in my back in the last two matches. That's why I'm serving slow." pic.twitter.com/Q4tJN7SMix
— Luigi_Gatto (@LuisGatTWI) May 31, 2014
I've thought long and hard about even mentioning this, but my worry beads are at it again. And I know being alarmist just sets the hares racing and really, don't all players play with niggles and pain all the time ... especially Rafa. It's just that I found that the oddest match to watch. The 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 scoreline doesn't actually belie what went on in the match. And yes, Rafa was cruising and looking majestic till about half way through the second set, when to be fair, Mayer did change his game and first got break points on one of Rafa's service games and then broke through on the next. And that gnawing, nagging thing in my tummy started again when previously I'd been planning the rest of my afternoon because Rafa seemed like he'd have the match over with in quick time.
But it's not like there wasn't some good play of Rafa's peppered in there, and he had an incredibly low UE count ... but the serve ... I thought it such a strange match then when I was sitting there for the inevitable shirt change show, there was the evidence of back tape. Yikes. Now I understand that you can use this tape to actually help to keep muscles warm, so again - let's not be alarmist. But you can't deny what comes out of Rafa's mouth in his presser. Which is something else I find odd. I know he's obviously going to be asked questions about his serve, but why reveal you're struggling when you've potentially got two of the best returners in the game in your path, ie. Murray and the Prince of Darkness. Because any admission like that would have me on to his serve from the off, meaning that Rafa would have precious little opportunity to relax a bit and dictate play off his own serve.
Oh poo! I wish I wasn't writing such stuff because really, Rafa's been in such fine form as he enters the second week of the tournament, and what has pleased me even more than his tennis is the fact that he looked so relaxed and happy and that he had put aside his issues from this year's clay court season and was really starting to enjoy it again.
Anyhow ... that's all for another day. It's not like the rest of the field doesn't have something of their own to face and worry about.
Congratulations on your form thus far, Rafa. I've really enjoyed it. Keeping the faith because after all ... you are NADAL!!
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