A GRAY DAY IN LONDON - AND IN OUR RAFA-LOVING HEARTS AS HE WITHDRAWS FROM WIMBLEDON 09
WITHDRAWS FROM WIMBLEDON 09
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June 19, 2009
1:46
Uploaded by tnnews
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Rafael Nadal interview with BBC news
after announcing his withdrawal from Wimbledon 09
2:55
Uploaded by merikob
There are many youtube videos with Rafa announcing his Wimbledon 09 withdrawal.
Above are just two of many.
REPORT - June 19th, 2009.
Rafael Nadal has announced he will not defend his Wimbledon title.
"Im here and I'm just not 100%. I'm better than what I was a couple of weeks ago but I dont feel right," Nadal told a packed press conference on Friday evening at the All England Club.
"To not play Wimbledon is one of the toughest decisions of my career."
After suffering a shock defeat in the French Open to Robin Soderling, Nadal received treatment on his knees in Barcelona and skipped the traditional Wimbledon warm-up at Queens in an effort to be fit for The Championships. He was diagnosed with tendinitis in both quadriceps tendons as well as a small amount of fluid on the kneecaps.
"I tried everything. I didn't feel terrible but also not close to my best. When I enter a tournament my goal is winning and my feeling right now is I'm not ready to win.
"It's very painful for me but I can't play at the tournament this year. It's tough but it is what it is."
Nadal's absence will cause a reshuffle in the mens singles draw. Nadal's place will be taken by fifth seed Juan Martin Del Potro. Del Potro's place will be taken by the 17th seed James Blake. Blake's place will be taken by Jose Arguso of Argentina and a lucky loser will fill Arguso's spot.
Nadal revealed that he had been playing with considerable pain and he didn't know how long he would be out of tennis. But he said he expected to fully recover from his knee problems and that he would have a "long career".
"I played with some problems on the knee for the last few months. I've been making efforts to play week after week. The truth is that sportsmen always play with pain and don't know where the limit is, where you can get to. I think I reached that limit now.
"I will work very hard to comeback as soon as possible. One of the problems is Im thinking more about the knees than what is happening on court and its very difficult to play like that."
When Nadal was asked about his many fans and how disappointed they would be that he was not appearing at Wimbledon, the 23-year-old replied: "no more than me".
Nadal also said he was not concerned that his absence would open the door for Roger Federer to reclaim the number one world ranking. "If I lose the number one ranking Im going to accept it like the four years I was number two and work hard to improve and recover."
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Rafael Nadal pulls out of Wimbledon with knee problems
Rafael Nadal will not be able to defend his crown
Beneath the surface of the toughest decision of Rafael Nadals career was the realisation that for all the staggering bravado of his tennis and the many honours that it has brought him, the world No 1 and Wimbledon champion has long been asking more of his body than it was able to give in return.
The moment that Nadal, a six-times grand-slam champion, walked into the Wimbledon press room last night with a stern-looking Ian Ritchie, the All England Club chief executive, we knew that the game was up. For only the second time in the modern era, after the retirement from deep-seated shoulder problems of Goran Ivanisevic, the 2001 champion, the mens singles title will not be defended by its holder. Nadal tried to put a brave face on it.
Although the 23-year-old Spaniard long contended that those who believe his style of play and remarkable on-court attitude would be his physical undoing were seriously misjudging his fortitude, even he had to admit yesterday that he had made mistakes.
Asked to elaborate, he said: Maybe I played too much, you never know. The truth is that sportsmen always play in pain, you dont know where the limit is and where you can get to. I think I have reached that limit right now. I need to reset and come back stronger.
The enduring wish of those who follow this sport must be that with a period of rest, with the right treatment he is in brilliant hands and with tons of patience, Nadal can do just that.
But we return to the dilemma faced by all players, that racket technology has advanced beyond all recognition that new strings are coming on to the market that will induce yet more spin and that unless a halt is called soon, the choice that the best player in the world has had to make will become a disastrous norm. If Nadals broken heart stands for anything, it is that the tennis authorities must make a stand now.
The Wimbledon Championships have been dealt a shattering blow. When the champion arrived in London on Tuesday, he was fighting an uphill battle to be fit. Tests in Barcelona after his premature exit from the French Open, where he lost to Robin Söderling in the fourth round, had shown that he was suffering from oedemas in both knees. Nadal was not his usual upbeat self and Toni Nadal, his coach and uncle, cut a resigned figure. Two matches at Hurlingham, both of which he lost, only added to his anxiety.
I tried everything, I worked hard in the last week, I tried to arrive here in my best condition, he said. It is my nature to start a tournament like this one, one that is one of the most special in my heart, only if I have a chance to win. This is one of the toughest decisions of my career and the situation makes me sad. There was no option.
I have arrived at one of the most important moments of my year with the worst feelings. I had physical problems at Roland Garros and now I have to miss Wimbledon, too. It is tough to accept. I have amazing memories of this tournament, last year was one of the best moments of my life, this is one of the most special tournaments always. I want to come back with 100 per cent mentality and physically because it is very difficult to play well like this.
The most immediate beneficiary is Andy Murray, the British No 1, who becomes the highest-ranked player in the top half of the draw. One by one as the names were drawn into his section, we ticked them into the box marked very beatable. Robert Kendrick, the American ranked No 76, comes first, then either Ernests Gulbis, of Latvia, or Riccardo Ghedin, an Italian qualifier, while Taylor Dent, an American and his probable third-round foe, has spent much of the past couple of years in a body brace, unable to move, the effect of back surgery.
For the most part, rational commentators do not look beyond the first round of any tennis tournament, and as for peering into the second week, that is asking for a poke in the eye. But with Murray on the verge of this Wimbledon, now that he has become a figure of such genuine respect, the urge is irresistible and there was a real feeling of OK, bring it on when the draw was completed.
Kendrick has won a single set from Murray in their three meetings in the first round of the 2006 US Open and on grass a month before that, when he was a genuine novice, the Scot beat him 6-0, 6-0 in Newport, Rhode Island. It was said, perhaps, that Kendrick had turned up at the Newport Casino, which is the tournaments home, expecting to indulge in a game of craps and, well, thats how his game turned out. Murray clearly has his number.
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Link to many articles about Rafa's Withdrawal from Wimbledon 09:
http://news.google.com/news/story - Rafael+Nadal+Withdraws+Wimbledon
Emotional-Rafael-Nadal-pulls-Wimbledon-title-defence-knee-injury
Nadal-takes-toughest-decision by pulling out of Wimbledon defence
Nadal-will-bouce-back-after-break
On June 16, I took my tennis racket and camera to the International Tennis Hall of Fame to take a picture of myself biting my racket to enter the Babolat contest where Rafa Nadal will choose 10 winning pictures.
You can enter too. Send your picture to mordstaraquette@babolat.com by July 15, 2009.
See the entries at http://www.flickr.com/photos/babolatvs/page1/
Here are some pictures I took while at International Tennis Hall of Fame. To enlarge the photos, click on them. ITHoF is about 10 minutes from my house. All photo credits should read: Sandra Hammel.
International Tennis Hall of Fame
Bellevue Avenue
Newport, Rhode Island
June 16, 2009
Photo credit should read: Sandra Hammel
International Tennis Hall of FameBellevue Avenue
Newport, Rhode Island
June 16, 2009
Photo credit should read: Sandra Hammel
International Tennis Hall of Fame
Bellevue Avenue
Newport, Rhode Island
June 16, 2009
Photo credit should read: Sandra Hammel
This is the plaque that is below the statue pictured above.at the
International Tennis Hall of Fame
Bellevue Avenue
Newport, Rhode Island
June 16, 2009
Photo credit should read: Sandra Hammel
International Tennis Hall of Fame
Bellevue Avenue
Newport, Rhode Island
June 16, 2009
Photo credit should read: Sandra Hammel
International Tennis Hall of Fame
Bellevue Avenue
Newport, Rhode Island
June 16, 2009
Photo credit should read: Sandra Hammel
International Tennis Hall of Fame
Bellevue Avenue
Newport, Rhode Island
June 16, 2009
Photo credit should read: Sandra Hammel
Website of
International Tennis Hall of Fame
The Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, scheduled for July 6-12, 2009 will host 32 of the top players in the world on the legendary grass courts of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The first American stop on the ATP World Tour following Wimbledon, Newport is the only professional grass court tournament in North America.
Some History
YOU CAN PLAY TENNIS ON THE GRASS COURTS AT THE
INTERNATIONAL TENNIS HALL OF FAME
 Front Lawn Courts at the Hall of Fame |
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The International Tennis Hall of Fame is truly unique in that it is one of the only Hall of Fame sporting venues where the public can actually play tennis on Hall of Fame grounds! Players of every age and any ability level have the opportunity to play tennis on the Hall of Fame’s legendary grass courts, where the first U.S. National Tennis Championships were held in 1881. Tennis champions past and present have graced the Hall of Fame’s grass courts including Billie Jean King, Rod Laver, Bill Tilden, Martina Navratilova, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Tony Trabert, Virginia Wade, Tracy Austin, Chris Evert, John Newcombe, Stan Smith -- just to name a few.
The grass courts at the International Tennis Hall of Fame are America's only competitive grass courts which open to the public for play during season May through September. The Hall of Fame offers 13 grass courts, one clay court and three indoor award-winning hard courts. The courts are open to the public via reservations, and we also offer outdoor and indoor club memberships; USPTA/PTR certified instruction for juniors and adults of all ages and ability levels - private and group; adult and junior tennis camps and programming; daily clinics; CardioTennis; and a full service Pro Shop.
To make a reservation or to sign up for one of our programs, contact our professional tennis staff directly by calling 401-846-0642.
Horseshoe Court and Clocktower Horseshoe Piazza and Horseshoe Court
Front Lawn Courts and Horseshoe Piazza
FUN FACTS
- The Newport Casino building -- designed in 1880 by the then fledgling architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White -- was Stanford White's first major commission.
- The Newport Casino was built as a social and recreational club, not as a place for gambling. In fact, "casina" is an Italian word for farmstead or "little house."
- The Casino structure had no American architectural precedent and only one possible precursor in England. The concept of renting the building's first floor to local merchants and using space on the second floor for the club was unique.
- In its heyday, the Casino offered archery, billiards, bowling, concerts, dancing, dining, horse shows, lawn bowling, reading, tea parties and theatricals in addition to the staples of its present day offerings -- lawn tennis and court tennis.
- In 1881, the Newport Casino hosted the first U.S. National Lawn Tennis Championships. At that time, the championships consisted only of men's singles and doubles. The Casino continued to host the event until 1915, when it moved to Forest Hills, N.Y. The tournament is now known as the U.S. Open.
- The Casino's historic courts are the world's oldest continuously used competition grass courts and the only competition grass courts open to the public for play.
- The concept of putting a Tennis Hall of Fame at this site originated with Casino president James Van Alen, who would later invent the tennis tiebreaker and other innovative scoring systems.
- The International Tennis Hall of Fame Museum is the world's largest tennis museum and owns the world's largest collection of tennis memorabilia.
- Today, the Hall of Fame hosts the last remaining professional tennis events played on grass in North America.
- The Tennis Hall of Fame presently hosts the opening night concert of Newport's JVC Jazz Festival. The Casino was the site of the first Newport Jazz Festival in 1954.
Rafa Websites:
http://www.babolat.com/#/tennis/en
Fan Forums
www.activeboard.com/forum.spark?forumID=84197&p=1
www.vamosbrigade.com/
www.babolat.com
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You've seen the reports from Iran.
See this under-reported news from the Darfuris...
Live from a Darfuri
refugee camp
Saturday, June 20, 2009
I will be tuning in to watch between 9:00 am and 9:00 p.m.
The live feed will feature I-ACT just over the border from Sudan in Chad from a Darfuri refugee camp - Camp Djabal.
Below is information.
World Refugee Day is a time of celebration. To honor the survivors who were forced from their homes and sought refuge and safety from violence. To recognize them as human beings and not statistics, or worse, an ignored story. World Refugee Day is also a time to reflect on the root causes of mass atrocities and solutions to allow those who were forced to run, back to their homeland in Darfur.
It should be a day of action, as action is the very best way to honor and celebrate the sorrows and triumphs of humanity. We can do this by connecting with humanity, person to person.
World Refugee Day
Saturday June 20th
(Right now, there is video up from June 19th's live feed to Washington, D.C. )
Experience the camp, online live
June 20th, 2009
Then contact President Obama and ask him to lead on this vital issue.
Write to President Obama
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
You can also write to the President at:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
President Obama can be called:
202-456-1111
or
1-800-GENOCIDE
The White House comment line is available
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. weekdays
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Find USA elected politicians contact information at this link:
www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
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www.stopgenocidenow.org
www.enoughproject.org
www.savedarfur.org
www.eyesondarfur.org
whilewewaitsudan.blogspot.com
Humanity Before Politics.
Labels: Campbells, Grass Court, ilovemylife, International Tennis Hall of Fame, knee injury, Newport, Rafa, Rafael Nadal, Rhode Island, Sandra Hammel, Spain, Tennis, Wimbledon, Withdraws
posted by ilovemylife @ 12:17 AM
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