ilovemylife: NADAL AND BLAKE MEET AGAIN IN MIAMI APRIL 2, 08

Rafa plays in Miami quarter-finals

April 2, Wednesday (My birthday)

VAMOS RAFA!

Not before 3:00 p.m. EST
See my sidebar for the Tennis Time during the tournament

James Blake 9 (USA) versus Rafael Nadal 2 (ESP)

You can try Fox Sports, it looks like they will at least show some of the match, starting at 3:00 p.m. TVUnetworks doesn't show it for live streaming.
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Highlights
3rd Round Rafael Nadal versus Nicolas Kiefer
Rafa wins 6-2, 6-4
Sony Ericsson Open Miami '08

From:25 year old redrum008
of Barcelona, Spain

Part 1 of 11
Part 2 of 11
Part 3 of 11
For more just folllow the links to Youtube
All 11 parts from redrum008
Miami '08 - 3rd Round - Nadal Vs. Kiefer

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During the rain delay in Rafa's 3rd round in Miami 08
March 30, 08

Rafa and Francis Roig
From: luneworld

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Interview with Rafael after Kiefer Match

From: redrum008
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Rafael Nadal wins over Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4, 6-4

From: Cosmicoz
This match wasn't aired in USA either on the very limited coverage on Fox Sports or on live streaming for TVUnetworks. Around the world, except in the USA you can see it on BET365. And you can go to ATP Masters Series TV and pay to see live streaming. The coverage of professional tennis in the USA is unacceptable to say it mildly.

Contact Fox Sports about limited coverage

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All but one photo is from the Nadal v Mathieu, April 1, 08 Miami match. You can tell the difference by the clothing.

Photos of Rafa.

From Rafa's Blog at tennis.com:

MONDAY, MARCH 31

Hi everybody,

Here I am once more writing this blog. I hope you are enjoying it and finding out more about what I do during a tournament week. I am sure that most of you have questions and I don't know if this could be arranged so that I can answer some of them [Ed. note: send questions here]. What I try to do here is to explain to you what I normally do. I prefer it like this than going into more deep stuff. I don't know if you know what I mean.

As I said on my previous post, which I only did this morning, and for that I apologize, today it was a "free day". Before I tell you about my day, I have to say that last night I couldn't write the blog and only did it this morning since we came pretty late from dinner and one drink (I actually didn't but the rest of the people with me did). It was kind of late (midnight) and I was tired. So apologies as I say. I hope you understand.

This morning we went to the site at 11 am as I said and got the practice at noon. I had an autograph session planned with Babolat on-site but I arrived much later than agreed. This was due to some work I had to do after the practice. Sometimes, depending on how it went, we normally continue the work on a gym, and maybe have to do some icing or taping here and there. For this I also hope that the fans that were there waiting till I arrived are OK. Sorry for the delay. I was the one more interested on finishing on time and early since I had tee time at 3 pm. I was surprised of the amount of people there today. It is really great to see so much support. I really appreciate it and I hope everyone understands that at some point I have to leave. I know that a lot of people stay there waiting for an autograph. Believe me that I feel bad when someone can't get one and that I would really love to sign them all. But please understand me. I always try to stay more, but it would never end. Please forgive me those who didn't get one. To give you another example, today when I was leaving (late) the site, some people in Spanish shouted at me asking for an autograph. I was already getting in my car to leave and couldn't get back down. Sorry. I hope
you are there tomorrow and I sign it to you, OK?

Golf today was not very good. I think it was the worst match I have played in years so I hope my tennis compensates tomorrow... It happens! When I play bad tennis I play good golf so I hope that it is the other way around tomorrow. As I say I went with Francis, my uncle Miquel Angel and Benito. I know that there was a photographer so I hope we get the pictures tomorrow to post them here. I'll get Benito to work on it.

Tomorrow it is Francis Roig's birthday so we will have something prepared for him. I think we are going to a Spanish restaurant here in Miami to celebrate. I hope we can celebrate also that I am into the next round.

See you all,

Rafa

SUNDAY, MARCH 30

Hi everybody,

Today it was a match day, and first of all I want to say that I played really good and that I am very happy with my performance out there. The funny thing is the rain in Miami. Lot of people asked me about that but after Wimbledon I can't complain if things like this happen. This was nothing, only a couple of times in and out. At Wimbledon it was the whole day, for more than a couple of days!

So we came back a few minutes to the locker room and I simply had a little chat with Francis Roig, my coach here during this March swing. I was playing great and I was feeling really good about the match so we didn't talk much. Only a few tips here and there on a few shots that I made some mistakes. But as I say, I was feeling great and really enjoying my time out there.

The day was long at the tournament. In the end we (or I should say I) spend a lot of time on-site. I left the hotel at 11 and got back at 9.15 pm. That's 10 hours on site. I like to get there early rather than late and hang around and wait for my match rather than the other way around. Beside, yesterday my soccer team was playing and I managed to watch it in the locker room before I went on court. A few of us gathered to watch the match and the atmosphere was pretty funny.

As I said yesterday, my father came to Miami (you know that he normally doesn't travel much to tournaments) with some friends. I say this because then at night we are a few of us going out for dinner. I think we were 10 tonight and we went to a Spanish restaurant here very close to the hotel. New restaurant called Dolores Lolita or something like that. Good food. We just came back from the restaurant.

Tomorrow I have a "free day" since I don't play. Still got some work to do since I am practicing at 12 noon and then I have some autograph sessions at 1.15 pm at the Babolat stand. I hope I can see a few of you there. After that I think I am going to play some golf with my uncle Miguel Angel, my coach Francis and my PR manager Benito Perez-Barbadillo. Well, he will try to play and the three of us will play :-)

See you all.

Rafa

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