RAFA NADAL AND DAVID FERRER LOSE TO PAUL HANELY AND LEANDER PAES in DOUBLES AT INDIAN WELLS '08

Two of my favorite people are included on this post. Eva Cassidy is the beautiful singer who no longer graces the earth. And the other is beautiful Rafa Nadal of Mallorca, Spain who is the world's number two professional men's tennis player.

Rafael Nadal plays tomorrow his first singles match at Indian Wells in California against Columbian Santiago Giraldo. Rafa won the tournament last year. I wish him well. Check out more information at RafaelNadal.com and PacificLifeOpen.com

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Eva Cassidy sings Songbird


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Pictures of Rafael Nadal at Indian Wells, California 2008 before any matches at practice and press interview the last couple of days.

Songbird lyrics

For you there'll be no crying
For you the sun will be shining '
Cause I feel that when I'm with you
It's alright, I know it's right
And the songbirds keep singing
Like they know the score
And I love you, I love you,
I love you Like never before

To you, I would give the world
To you, I'd never be cold
'Cause I feel that when I'm with you
It's alright, I know it's right

And the songbirds keep singing
Like they know the score
And I love you, I love you,
I love you Like never before

Like never before; like never before.

ATP Tour - No distractions for Nadal

Eurosport - Fri, March 14, 2008

Rafael Nadal has closed the gap on world number one Roger Federer but the Spaniard refuses to be distracted by thoughts of ranking points at this week's Pacific Life Open.

Nadal, who trails the dominant Swiss by just 350 points in the global pecking order, is fully focused on his title defence at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in the opening Masters Series event of the season.

"It is closer in the rankings but not closer if you know exactly what I have to defend right now," the 21-year-old said.

"I have to defend my title here, so maybe this is not the moment for me to be world number one, that's for sure."

Federer, who has spent a record 215 consecutive weeks at the top of the men's rankings, has 6,330 points with Nadal in second spot on 5,980.

It is the closest margin since May 10, 2004 when Federer led American Andy Roddick, also by 350 points.

Left-hander Nadal is unable to overhaul the 26-year-old Swiss at Indian Wells but could do so at the Masters Series event in Miami, which starts on March 24th.

"Last year I played an unbelievable season and now I am closer to him," said the muscular Spaniard, who piled up six ATP titles in 2007, including a third successive French Open.

"But this is a new season and my goal is never watching the tournaments. I always think about how to play good and my goal is always the ranking.

"I know if I want to reach my goals I have to play very good in important tournaments. That's it."

Nadal, who beat Serb Novak Djokovic 6-2 7-5 in last year's final at Indian Wells, was in upbeat mood for his title defence despite losing to Roddick in the quarter-finals of last week's Dubai Championships.

"I played very good in the first set," he said, referring to his 7-6 6-2 defeat in Dubai. "Andy was playing very well and serving unbelievably.

"I had good chances in the first set -- leading 3-0 in the tiebreak and getting three break points. But I had some mistakes with my second serve. This week, I will try to play like the first set against him in Dubai.

"If I play like that with a little more confidence, I can beat everybody."

Today, Australian Paul Hanley and Indian Leander Paes were victorious over Spainards Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer 6-3, 6-4 in doubles.