IN A MESSY WORLD RAFAEL NADAL GIVES US PURE JOY

MUCHAS GRACIAS, RAFA

Rafa won today in his 1st match
as Round 2 over Ernests Gulbis 7-5, 3-6, 6-3
Madrid, Spain

Doubles for Rafa tomorrow October 15, 2008 :
Rafael Nadal and Carlos Moya vs Mahesh Bhupathi (IND) and Mark Knowles (BAH)
Wednesday, October 15, 2008 not before 3:00 p.m. Madrid, Spain time which is 9:00 a.m. USA EST

Rafa will play his Round 3 singles match against Richard Gasquet
Thursday, October 16, 2008

Mutuamad Masters Madrid Results

Schedule

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Delivery of the Trophy award for Number 1 for the ATP to Rafael Nadal in the Masters Series
Madrid Telefonica Arena in Madrid, Spain on Sunday October 12, 2008.
7:30 minutes

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Manuel Santana gave Rafael Nadal the trophy
for Number 1 of the tennis world.
2:24 minutes

Both above videos uploaded by vamosrafel

Video of Rafa at the end of the match with Gulbis October 14, 2008,
Uncle Tony walking
and after-match interview with Rafa in Spanish

Madrid 2008 - Tuesday October 14, 08 Highlights
ATP text: Gilles Simon sends fellow Tennis Masters Cup hopeful James Blake packing, while Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal enjoy second round wins on Tuesday in Madrid. Watch live matches (for a price - personally, I have so little success with the ATP live streaming, I watched the match for free at Justin TV today), highlights and more at ATP Masters Series TV.

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Slideshow of Rafa's Round 2 match with Ernests Gulbis
Rafa won in 3 sets

Nadal gains 3rd round at Madrid Masters

Source

By PAUL LOGOTHETIS, AP Sports Writer

MADRID, Spain (AP)—Rafael Nadal moved within two wins of clinching the year-end No. 1 ranking, defeating Ernests Gulbis 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 Tuesday to reach the third round of the Madrid Masters.

Next up for Nadal, the 2005 Madrid champion, will be 15th-ranked Richard Gasquet. Gasquet overcame 23 aces by Mardy Fish to win 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-3.

Nadal was taken to four sets by Gulbis en route to the Wimbledon title, and Tuesday’s match was similarly troubling for the Spaniard.

Nadal has never been a fan of the Spanish capital’s high altitude and the extra speed it brings to the hard court. He had a difficult time keeping up with the Latvian as he stuck his shots, including a backhand down the line to break for 2-0 in the second.

In the deciding set, Gulbis had a break opportunity in the third game. But Nadal held and broke in the next game as Gulbis smashed a forehand long. Nadal served out and pumped his fists in relief at the end of his 2-hour, 22-minute opening match.

In other second-round matches, U.S. Open finalist Andy Murray advanced while 11th-seeded James Blake and 13th-seeded Fernando Verdasco lost.

Murray moved on when Simone Bolelli of Italy retired with an apparent shoulder injury while trailing 6-0, 2-1. Murray will next play Croatia’s Marin Cilic, who beat Verdasco 6-2, 6-3.

“I’ve been playing really, really well in practice the last few weeks, better than I was playing throughout the summer,” said Murray, who won his first Masters Series title in Cincinnati in August. “I’m probably mentally fresher now than the U.S. Open.”

Gilles Simon of France won 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to keep Blake winless in five appearances at the tournament. Simon saved four break points in the second set and converted two of his own before dominating the final set.

Blake has only a few tournaments left to qualify for the Masters Cup. He’s in ninth place in the standings for the top-eight event.

In first-round play, the winners included French Open semifinalist Gael Monfils, American qualifier Robby Ginepri, qualifier Marcel Granollers, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Jarkko Nieminen, Victor Hanescu, Robin Soderling, and Feliciano Lopez

At Rafael Nadal's website check out The Forum

www.rafaelnadal.com