RAFAEL NADAL PROVES HIS KINGDOM INCLUDES HAMBURG'S CLAY COURT
Pictures above are of the Final match
Hamburg '08
Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer
Pictures above are from the Semi-Final match
Hamburg '08
Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic
The score 7-5, 6-7, 6-3
The match is uploaded on Youtube by CREWLFC which is included below.
Also redrum008
has uploaded the Final match, which is in parts 1-17.
But first, here is a point in the Semi-Final match with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic from redrum008
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Nadal #2 defeats Djokovic #3 in Hamburg Semi-Final May 17, 2008
Semi-Final Match in Hamburg '08 May 17 is uploaded in Parts 1-8
Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic
From: CREWLFC
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and here is a Highlight video of the Final match in Hamburg Nadal versus Federer
From: tennis24gr
The Hamburg ATP Masters Series '08 Final:
Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer part 8
The Medical time-out
Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer part 10
Slideshows....
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Final Hamburg Rafa Nadal defeats Roger Federer 7-5, 6-7, 6-3 May 18. 08
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Semi-Final Hamburg May 17, 08 Rafael Nadal defeats Novak Djokovic 7-5, 2-6, 6-2
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Pictures from Rafa's matches in Hamburg, Germany The players and scores:
Round 2 Rafa Nadal defeats Potito Starace in Hamburg May 14, 08, 6-4, 7-6
Round 3 Rafa Nadal defeats Andy Murray May 15, 08, 6-3, 6-2
Quarter final Hamburg Rafa Nadal defeats Carlos Moya May 16, 08, 6-1, 6-3
Semi-Final Hamburg Rafa Nadal defeatsDjokovic May 17, 08, 7-5, 2-6, 6-2
Final Hamburg Rafa Nadal defeats Roger Federer May 18, 08, 7-5. 6-7, 6-3
Picture Credits: Yahoo, Daylife, Reuters, Bongarts Getty Images, Elmundo, ATP Getty Images, Witters, Belga Pictures, Sport Direct and Alex, a Rafa fan from Germany.
Rafael talks on the court after the final win
See Rafa's ranking history
Great information can be found on the forum at www.rafaelnadal.com
Here is a radio interview that was found by a fan there
First the journalist explains the match and Rafa answered pretty much the same that he did in the interview for TV.
The journalist asked where he would celebrate the title because in the Bermabeu there is big Feast (Real Madrid is the winner of la league and Rafa is a supporter of Real Madrid).
Rafa said that unfortunately he couldn't see anything and he was celebrating his title with a dinner in Hamburg with his team and friends from Mallorca, nothing special but with illusion to come back to home because this year he has spent little time at home.
The journalist commented about the bad moment that everyone was seeing him 5-1 down and the trainer giving him a massage and the gesture of pain in his face and the nodding of his head.
He said the he felt a pull in the right isquiotirial (a muscle of the leg).
The journalist asked if in this moment he thought about the retirement.
"I doubted" Rafa said "I doubt because I was scared and because how would the match go , if I was not at 100% against Federer ~ it would be silliness to keep on and with Roland Garros in one week, and you don't know how the leg would react, I saw that the leg was like a stone but the leg didn't fail me. I have had a muscular spasm before and the leg fails you in this case. I didn't notice that it failed me and this calmed down me a little bit."
The journalist told him that it would be a pleasure to win a Tournament like that and asked if this moment he felt tired.
"I felt tired in minute one after I finished, when I went to the chair before to pick up the prize, I felt all the tiredness, I suppose for the tension of yesterday that it was lot, and today the tension of what happened to me in the leg, I went down quickly (laughing) but well, very happy for everything."
What did Federer say to you when you were alone?
I said to him, "I'm sorry", and he said me, "well-played and have good days at home and that we see each other in Paris."
They were talking about how the match was and Rafa answered the same than in other interviews and later they were talking about the football in Spain and about the conflict that the President of the Spanish Federation and the players have. And about what Rafa will do those days off in Mallorca, if he will go fishing or golf?
Rafa said that the first is to go do a resonance and check if his leg is fine and then he wants to play golf and fish with friends, although he has not much time because he'll go to Paris, Thursday, May 22.
Interview with Rafa in Spanish
Thanks to Ines here is the English translation:
Rosana:We are seeing here as Rafa unleashes the cords .... Rafa, you told me that everything hurts you, but this victory will remove all the pain, congratulations
Rafa: Well. thank you very much, very happy, perhaps Roger has not had one of his best days, I've started off badly .... it has given me a little bit of pull here ...
Rosana: it has scared at everybody
Rafa: Yes, I also have been quite frightened, part of the whole match, also in the third set the pain came back ... but well, I guess that's also the tiredness of the match yesterday at the beginning it has cost me much to get under way. He has committed some errors that it has helped me. The second set was a pity in the 5 all and 0-40, he has stuck 5 serves incredible ... Very happy for the victory, winning here is a dream and I'm also doing good clay season, nearly perfect, so very happy for everything.
Rosana: Sensational, and besides, these matches with Roger Federer are always special but we are starting to get used that be 5-1, you came back..., you win with the first service...., then all equals in the second set....
Rafa: Yes, the truth is that recent matches have been much more strange than usual, both the MC as here. Many breaks, which is not usual .. I suppose that is the respect that we have each other, no?
Rosana:Of course, yes , good luck in RG, the best ways is winning here. Thanks Rafa
| Nadal Wins Hamburg Battle for 26th Career ATP Title | |
© Getty Images Nadal becomes only the third player since 1990 to win the three ATP Masters Series titles on clay Monte Carlo, Rome and Hamburg in his career. The only players to accomplish the feat are former World No. 1s Gustavo Kuerten and Marcelo Rios. Federer started the match strongly with breaks of serve in the second and sixth games for a 5-1 lead, but Nadal clawed his way back by winning six successive games to clinch the opening set 7-5 in 61 minutes. The pair exchanged breaks of serve early in the second set, but it was Federer who moved into a 5-2 lead before Nadal broke back in the ninth game. The writing appeared on the wall for Federer, but the Swiss regained his composure and calmly sealed the tie-break to take the pairs 16th career meeting to a deciding set. Nadal secured the crucial break in the fourth game of the third set and failed to convert two further opportunities for a 5-1 lead. Federer kept battling but Nadal fought off one break point in the seventh game and eventually wrapped up victory in two hours and 53 minutes. It was the 12th time the pair had met in a final. Nadal also beat Federer for the third successive year in the ATP Masters Series Monte-Carlo final last month. Federer drops to 9-1 lifetime in German finals and saw his 41-match winning streak on German soil come to an end. Federer has won titles in Hamburg in 2004-05 and 07 and in Halle from 2003-06. He also won in Hamburg in 2002 and Munich in 2003 (not part of the streak). His last loss on German soil came to Mark Philippoussis in the third round in Hamburg in 2003. World No. 2 Nadal, who saw his record 81-match winning streak come to an end against Federer in the 2007 Hamburg final, has now beaten the Swiss 10 times (8-1 on clay) in his career. Nadal improved to an ATP-best 37-7 record on the season with his 26th career ATP title. In 2008 he has also won his fourth successive Barcelona title last month (d. Ferrer) and finished runner-up at Chennai (l. to Youzhny) and ATP Masters Series Miami (l. to Davydenko). He has a 21-1 record in clay-court finals. Since the beginning of Monte Carlo in April 2005, the 21-year-old Majorcan has won 108 of 110 matches on clay. Nadal has now won 11 career ATP Masters Series shields in 15 finals, which included 2005-08 Monte Carlo, 2005-07 Rome, 2005 Montreal, 2005 Madrid and 2007 Indian Wells; his four runner-up showings came in 05 Miami (l. to Federer in five sets), 07 Hamburg year (l. to Federer), 07 Paris (l. to Nalbandian) and Miami this year (l. to Davydenko). The Spaniard improves to 39-19 (9-3 this season) against Top 10 players, including 26-3 on clay. On Saturday, he beat Novak Djokovic in the semifinals to confirm his position as No. 2 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings. Federer falls to 26-7 on the season, which includes one ATP title in Estoril (d. Davydenko). He had been attempting to capture his 15th career ATP Masters Series shield and the 55th title of his career. The 26-year-old posted his 100th career victory against a Top 10 opponent (100-42) with semifinal victory over No. 3 Djokovic in Monte Carlo and has a 16-12 mark on clay. Nadal receives 360,000 and 500 South African Airways ATP Rankings points while Federer collects 180,000 and 350 points. |
Second-seeded Spaniard Rafael Nadal captured his third ATP clay-court title of the year Sunday with a 7-5 ,6-7(3), 6-3 victory over four-time champion and ATP World No. 1 Roger Federer of Switzerland in the final of Masters Series Hamburg presented by EON Hanse. Hamburg, 18 May 2008
Press Conference with RAFAEL NADALNadal - Federer 7:5, 6:7 (3), 6:3
Q: Well done. It was a wonderful match, very close. What were the little things that made the difference between win and lose?
NADAL: Thank you, that was an important win for me. It was a strange match. 5:1, 7:5, 1:0 with break, 5:2, 5:5, 5:5 0:40. Tiebreak, easy ball for 3:0. And it was tough to win the third. Strange match, for sure. But the important thing is, I was focussed all the time. Roger had some important mistakes in the first set, that helped me a lot. I started the match playing bad. It was tough for me, after yesterday it was tough in the beginning. I felt something in the leg, a little bit pain. It was difficult for me to concentrate. But later I felt a little bit better. I think I played a very good 3. set.
Q: You seemed to move better after having treatment?
NADAL: Yes, a little bit better. I took some antiflammatory, so it was a bit better. I didn't know what it was when I was running, I felt something. That was tough, but I beat a very good player. I am very happy.
Q: How important was it to win the last tournament before Roland Garros?
NADAL: The most important thing is to win Hamburg, not the last tournament before Roland Garros. This tournament is very important, it was the only Masters Series I hadn't won on clay. It was an important tournament, not only Masters Series, because Barcelona is important too, no, Nicola? (laughs)
I'm happy for that, for sure that will give me more confidence for Roland Garros.
Q: Is the clay in Hamburg very different from the clay in Roland Garros, Monte Carlo, Rome?
NADAL: It is a little bit different.
Q: Was it easier for you today, because the conditions were better?
NADAL: For sure it was better for me with the sun. The court was a little bit faster than yesterday, and that is important for my game, for sure.
Q: Was your body feeling the aches from yesterday's match, the 2 hours?NADAL: Sure, I was a little bit tired. But it's not only the body. Mentally it is tough, too, because it was a lot of tensions yesterday, a lot of pressure. Today it was tough when I was coming on court. But later everything changed.
Q: You said it was a strange match. But in Monte Carlo you came back from 0:4. Do you think Roger is afraid of you?
NADAL: No, I don't think so. The last two matches were some of the most strange matches between Roger and me. But you know, when you had 16 matches against each other, some have to be strange.
Q: Level wise, did you play better here or in Monte Carlo?
NADAL: Different. I don't know. It's close, but when I arrived here, I had different feelings mentally. In Monte Carlo, I didn't win a tournament for 8 months, and here I won 2 tournaments before. I played with more confidence here, but I played a very good tournament there as well, for sure.
Q: You beat the two top players, Djokovic and Federer, is that important for you?
NADAL: For sure it's important to beat the no. 1 and the best of this year. With this result, I'm already inside of the Masters Cup. That's my first goal. I am happy for that. I continue to be the no. 2, but closer to the no. 1.
Q: What do you believe is the future of this tournament here and did the players do enough to support the tournament?
NADAL: This tournament has a lot of support from the players. I am one of them. For sure this tournament deserves to be a Masters Series, but you never know. The top chief of the ATP wants to change the tennis. You never know what will go on, but hopefully it will continue like this.
Q: Federer said you are very good on the returns. Can you say something about your level of returns today?
NADAL: I was playing well, more inside the court. I am happy how I returned. It's tough to read his serve, because he can change the ball at the last moment, so I'm happy.
Q: What is the most difficult thing playing against Roger and playing against Novak?
NADAL: It's always a different match. Both are very difficult. Always with Roger it's more special.
Q: It seemed that yesterday's match was tougher?NADAL: Different match, I don't know if tougher or easier.
Q: Do you take a rest now to get ready for the French Open?
NADAL: Two days off, Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday, I want to practice a bit in Mallorca.
Q: You are optimistic about your fitness?
NADAL: Yes, I did a test in the medical. There was something, but it was small. I think I will do another check tomorrow. I think if I played all the match like this it can't be a very important injury.
Thanks to Rafa fan Eshrak MuhammedLabels: Barcelona, Clay Court, Djokovic, Hamburg, HIS ROYAL HOTNESS, ilovemylife, King of Clay, Mallorca, Rafa Wins, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Roland Garros, Sandra Hammel, Spain, Toni Nadal, Wimbledon
posted by ilovemylife @ 10:49 PM
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