Measured Rafa ...

"Recovery is like a ladder which you don’t climb running but rather step by step.”

Rafa's been doing the press ahead of the start of the Argentina Open, and whilst I don't pour over every word these days, I just felt compelled to bring a bit of stuff over here, just because I've been so impressed by what he's been saying.

I remember a few years ago reading some quotes by Marat Safin who talked about how debilitating it was for him to have his first big injury (knee, I think), work hard to come back, get back into winning ways, get yourself up to the top again ... only then to be struck down by yet another injury and to have to start the process all over again. Now Rafa is no Marat Safin, ie. I think he is much mentally tougher than him and has a much better support network around him, but I've never forgot what Marat said. And that's simply because sometimes we can't really appreciate the patience and time it takes for an athlete to recover. 

There's me saying on Saturday how horrible that match was - but that comes from a place where I've been spoilt by Rafa in the past in that after his big injury in 2009, he came back to tumultuous success in 2010. After that lengthy absence in 2012/2013, he then came back to that glorious 2013 and the magnificence of his achievements there. And whilst I do feel that I am tempering my expectations for Rafa from now on in [sort of], I still can't help myself thinking that ooh ... this is clay, he's playing someone like Fognini and therefore he should win. It's like me looking at the field of the Argentina Open - in spite of what I witnessed last week - and thinking, oh well, possibly the same/similar opponents to last week, but the field isn't great, so he's a good chance of the title here ...

WOAH!!

"... you don't climb running but rather step by step."

Thanks for reminding me, Rafa ... you're right.

The newspapers like to cobble together the presser interviews to read like they've got an exclusive, but I particularly like how La Marca have reported Rafa. Have a read ...

"I don't know if the best Rafael Nadal will be back, but I'll give my best to try to make that happen. After a series of injuries that kept me off the tour for some of last season, it's difficult to analyse it in a positive light in spite of making the Australian Open final and winning Roland Garros", stated Nadal ahead of his campaign at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires. 

"I'm physically fine. I didn't have a bad week in Rio and won quite a few good matches, although I did lose one that I had dominated. I had cramp, something which I've hardly ever had in my career, and at the end of the day, Fabio [Fognini] played better than me in the key moments. I'd have liked to reach the final. It would've given me added belief and a bit of a confidence boost", added the 28-year-old. 

"I hope to be able to keep on improving in Buenos Aires. I'm motivated by the day to day. You have different feelings over your career. In 2005 everything was new and ten years later it's a different situation in which most things are very positive although I'm on the back of seven tough months that prevented me from building up any momentum on the tour. It's now the moment to make up for lost time." he concluded.

As I say - measured - and impressive and mature. No it's not 2005 Rafa, and no everything is not new. It is ten years later and it is a different situation and that's something that this fan has to keep remembering ...