❧❧❧ Whatever you can do or dream, you can BEGIN IT. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Goethe ❧❧❧
❧❧❧ You were born whole, not broken. Sandra Hammel ❧❧❧
Pictures after Feliciano Lopez won over Sam Querrey in dead match Davis Cup 2008 ~ Madrid Above and five pictures below photo credits are Getty and unknown
Below more pictures after Feliciano Lopez' win of the dead match over Sam Querrey Davis Cup Madrid 2008
Photo credits of seven pictures below: Getty
Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco in the Davis Cup semi-final 2008 Photo credit: unknown
Rafael Nadal watching the doubles match of Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco in the Davis Cup semi-final 2008 Photo credits of the above 3 photos: DPPI Antone Couvercelle
............................................................. The pictures in this slideshow are credited to Mary - from The Forum at www.rafaelnadal.com They are of the Davis Cup in Madrid 2008
Photo credits are Abaca Press except for the one immediately above, which is unknown
Rafael Nadal won in his second match at the Davis Cup semi-final in Madrid over Andy Roddick 6-4, 6-0, 6-4
The score then was the needed 3-1 over the USA in the semi-final, but the bonus match was played between Feliciano Lopez and Sam Querrey. Lopez won in his hometown, Madrid, over Querrey 7-6(3), 7-6(4)
What fun it was to watch.
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Many pictures will be posted later this week.
In the meantime, here are few photos and some videos.
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......................................... Rafa celebrates in the locker room Uploaded by ninzninz2 .........................................
......................................... Rafa interviewed in Spanish on the court after his victory over Andy Roddick which clenched the semi-final for Spain. Spain will play Argentina in Argentina at the end of November for the final. Uploaded by vamosrafel .........................................
......................................... Press conference after the Davis Cup semi-final with the Spanish team Uploaded by vamosrafel
....In Madrid, a commanding performance by a player having a commanding year ended America's reign as Davis Cup holder and sent Spain into the final.
Buoyed by the cheers of a home crowd in a bullring, Rafael Nadal played the role of accomplished matador to the fullest, defeating Andy Roddick, 6-4, 6-0, 6-4, to put Spain in its sixth final.
Nadal, a master on clay, dropped to his knees and pumped his fists after giving his country an insurmountable lead in the best-of-five semifinal.
"It's one of the nicest sensations you can experience in your career," he said.
Nadal said he nearly didn't play Sunday because a scan a day earlier showed a strained buttock muscle...
Rafael Nadal and Spain await Argentina in Davis Cup tennis final
MADRID, Spain — Rafael Nadal isn't too worried about having to play the Davis Cup final against Argentina on a fast indoor court.
Nadal swept Andy Roddick in straight sets on clay Sunday, sending Spain past the reigning champion United States 4-1 and into its sixth final and third in eight years. Argentina defeated Russia 3-2 in Buenos Aires in the other semifinal. It will host the Nov. 21-23 final at Orfeo arena in Cordoba, looking to offset the clay-court edge of Nadal and his teammates.
"It's not just the surface but the team that matters," Nadal said.
Argentina knows a faster surface may be the only way to beat Nadal, a four-time French Open champion who has lost only twice in his last 117 clay matches.
"They'll choose whatever works best for them. If they pick an indoor (stadium) we'll go looking to be as competitive as possible," Spain captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario said. "If they put us on grass we have the Wimbledon champion."
Argentina, whose team features David Nalbandian and Juan Martin del Potro, reached its third final by eliminating a Russian team confronted by a boisterous and intimidating crowd.
"The Argentine public is a factor if the games are close," Sanchez Vicario said. "But if there is any evident superiority in a match then the public will have little influence. It always depends on what happens on the court."
And Nadal may be worn out after the longest season of his career. Nadal and most likely David Ferrer will have little time to recover from jet lag, having to travel directly to Argentina from the Masters Cup at Shanghai, China, which runs from Nov. 11-16.
Roddick faulted the Davis Cup organizers.
"They know that we love this competition, so they take advantage of it and pretty much put us through the ringer with the schedule not really caring if we get much rest or not," Roddick said. "But if anybody can handle it, it's probably (Nadal)."
Roddick knows just how strong Nadal can be on the clay after losing 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 on Sunday - the first time the U.S. player has been blanked in a set over 22 Davis Cup series.
"With Rafa having the year he's had you probably have to like Spain's chances at this point, but Argentina has been a strong team over the years," said Roddick, who helped lead the U.S. to the title last year.
Sanchez Vicario knows the task will not be easy.
"In the end, the best players are there and playing away will be tough," he said. "But with this team, we can do it."
BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- Juan Martin del Potro scored a straight-set win Sunday, moving Argentina into the Davis Cup finals against Rafael Nadal and the Spanish team.
The 19-year-old Del Potro defeated Russia's Igor Andreev 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 in Buenos Aires, giving his team a 3-2 triumph.
Earlier in the day in Madrid, Nadal crushed American Andy Roddick 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 to clinch a semifinal victory for Spain.
The Davis Cup championship matches will be played Nov. 21-23 in Argentina.
Spanish teams have twice won the Cup. Argentina will be seeking its first.
Russia had tied its best-of-five series with Argentina, leaving it to del Potro and Andreev to decide which team would advance. Del Potro broke serve in the opening game and did not trail in the match.
Nadal's victory over Roddick gave his country an insurmountable 3-1 lead in its matches with the United States. Spain ended up with a 4-1 margin after Feliciano Lopez defeated Sam Querrey 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-4)
Nadal said he played "near perfect" tennis against Roddick in a match that lasted just over 2 hours.
"I shocked myself with some of the winners I played ... ," Nadal said.
Rafael Nadal won his match over Sam Querrey, Friday, September 19, 2008 Davis Cup Semi-final 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 Rafa interviewed after the match in Spanish
See the Davis Cup ESP v USA on the Versus Channel for me on Cox Communications it is channel 139 Saturday, September 20 - Noon to 3:00 p.m. Sunday, September 21 - Noon to 5:00 p.m. www.versus.com/schedule
and repeated on The Tennis Channel which I don't get, unfortunately
........................................................ All photos during Davis Cup in Madrid, Spain Photo credits: Getty, Antone Couvercelle DPPI , Screen Caps of Mary of The Forum of www.rafaelnadal.com and unknown
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OBAMA-BIDEN2008
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........................................... Part one Sarah Palin speaking at the Assembly of God in Wasilla, Alaska Uploaded by FrederickofAmerica
........................................... John McCain on privatizing Social Security If we had privatized it, social security would have been affected by the stock market and this week that would not have been a good thing. Uploaded by DemRapidResponse
We have socialized business today, but we have a hard time socializing health care in the USA.
John McCain said both of these statements: "But I'm not for quote privatizing Social Security, I never have been, I never will be." [New Hampshire Town Hall, 06/12/08]
"Without privatization, I don't see how you can possibly, over time, make sure that young Americans are able to receive Social Security benefits." [C-Span Road to the White House, 11/18/2004]
Rafael Nadal pictured in Madrid, Spain Photo credit: Getty
According to my TV Cox Communications schedule Friday, September 19, 2008 The Versus Channel - for me that is channel 139 The Davis Cup in Madrid will air Noon to 6:00 p.m. That is not live. Live would be at 6:00 a.m.
Saturday, September 20 - Noon to 3:00 p.m. Sunday, September 21 - Noon to 5:00 p.m.
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............................................. Rafael Nadal Septembe 18, 2008 Uploaded by ninzninz2
And video 1 and video 2 with Rafa in them from Madrid, although a lot of Spanish language that I unfortunately don't understand. Still worth taking a look.
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............................................. Rafael Nadal
Beauty is not the goal of competitive sports, but high-level sports are a prime venue for the expression of human beauty. The relation is roughly that of courage to war.
The human beauty were talking about here is beauty of a particular type; it might be called kinetic beauty. Its power and appeal are universal. It has nothing to do with sex or cultural norms. What it seems to have to do with, really, is human beings reconciliation with the fact of having a body.
Of course, in mens sports no one ever talks about beauty or grace or the body. Men may profess their love of sports, but that love must always be cast and enacted in the symbology of war: elimination vs. advance, hierarchy of rank and standing, obsessive statistics, technical analysis, tribal and/or nationalist fervor, uniforms, mass noise, banners, chest-thumping, face-painting, etc. For reasons that are not well understood, wars codes are safer for most of us than loves. You too may find them so, in which case Spains mesomorphic and totally martial Rafael Nadal is the mans man for you he of the unsleeved biceps and Kabuki self-exhortations...
...A top athletes beauty is next to impossible to describe directly. Or to evoke...
The article, although it is centered around Federer, illustrates an author who wrote about tennis on the whole and its beauty , which brings me to its relevance to Rafa - beauty in motion. The full article is at: www.nytimes.com
According to my TV Cox Communications schedule Friday, September 19, 2008 The Versus Channel - for me that is channel 139 The Davis Cup in Madrid will air Noon to 6:00 p.m. That is not live. Live would be at 6:00 a.m.
Rafa is scheduled to play first, so I would think that means Rafa will play at noon on channel 139. That is my guess. www.versus.com/schedule
Saturday, September 20 - Noon to 3:00 p.m. Sunday, September 21 - Noon to 5:00 p.m.
Above four photo credits: Getty
Above seven photo credits: unknown
Above four photo credits: Getty
Above two photo credits: unknown
Round 1 R.NADAL (ESP) v S.QUERREY (USA) Round 2 D.FERRER (ESP) v A.RODDICK (USA) Round 3 F.LOPEZ / F.VERDASCO (ESP) v M.BRYAN / M.FISH (USA) Round 4 R.NADAL (ESP) v A.RODDICK (USA) Round 5 D.FERRER (ESP) v S.QUERREY (USA)
Plaza de Toros Las Ventas, Madrid, Spain Stadium Capacity: 21,000 19 September - 21 September 2008 Day 1, September 19, 12:00 p.m. - noon - Spain time Day 2, September 20, 3:00 p.m. - Spain time Day 3, September 21, 12:00 p.m. - noon - Spain time Spain time is 6 hours ahead of USA EST
MADRID, Spain (AP)—Sam Querrey was handed the toughest Davis Cup debut possible Thursday when the American was drawn to face top-ranked Rafael Nadal in the opening singles of the semifinal against Spain.
The 39th-ranked Querrey, a last-minute substitute for regular James Blake, will play Nadal in the first match Friday at the 21,000-capacity Las Ventas bullfighting arena. Eighth-ranked Andy Roddick will face No. 5 David Ferrer in the day’s other singles match.
“I guess I’ll make some faces at him, but I don’t know how much that will do,” Querrey said, when asked how he would try to psyche out Nadal. “I need to be aggressive and hit big serves and set the tone, do something. He’s arguably the best clay court player ever so it takes a lot to intimidate him.”
Nadal, who is 2-0 against Querrey, said the near four-month break since the close of the clay court season meant that even he was feeling a little rusty on the surface.
“I’m conscious that it’s going to be a difficult match and that I have to
play my best, but obviously some nerves will be involved in the first
one,” Nadal said. “It’s going to be a very tough game. He could have
an advantage with his serve.
“(But) a win would help David relax when he goes for his match.”
As you know if you come here much, I am a fan of tennis player Rafael Nadal who is playing tennis in Madrid, Spain in a bullring this weekend for the semi-final match of the Davis Cup between Spain and the USA.
The draw for the semifinal will take place on Thursday, September 18, 2008 with the first two singles on Friday. Spain defeated USA in the 2004 Davis Cup Final with USA winning the last match-up in last year’s quarterfinals.
.............................................. This video is thanks to Ines/Ganda from The Forum at www.rafaelnadal.com Spanish Davis Cup Team at Dinner in Madrid
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.............................................. Uploaded by claudiacelestialgirl 7:06 minutes This is an interview with Rafa just before his semi-final match against Djokovic. Rafa would go on to win his 4th French Open title. This interview is originally from The Tennis Channel.
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.............................................. Rafa Your Song Montage Uploaded by serenitylivesforever A video of Rafael Nadal from 2006, when a piece of banana stuck in his throat. Classic Rafa Moment Uploaded by Rafa fan ninzninz2
Llaneras and Nadal proved to be great friends Photo: Cati Cladera
Between laughter and a lot of heat, Nadal displayed his good humor during a tribute to the Balearic Olympians held in Bellver Castle. Rafa tied his sports jacket at the waist after checking that his trousers he had been ripped. Photo: Cati Cladera
The Balearic medalists: Joan Llaneras, Rafa Nadal, Toni Tauler and Rudy Fernandez Photo: Cati Cladera
The Governor brought all athletes islanders who participated in the Olympic Games in a heartfelt tribute at Bellver Castle Photo: Cati Cladera
....................................................... September 10, 2008 four Spaniards were honored for their Olympic medal wins in Spain. Rafael Nadal apparently had a tear in his inner pant seam. Cute the way Rafa handles it. Uploaded by vamosrafel
Tribute to Olympic balearic athletes Nadal laughs off Olympic tribute trouser malfunction Source: www.thinkspain.com Thursday, September 11, 2008
Rafael Nadal's propensity to wear trousers at least one size too small for him caused a degree of hilarity at a tribute to the Balearic Islands' Olympic medal winners in Palma last night when his inner seams burst open during a press photo shoot.
Covering his dignity by tying his jacket around his waist, the new Olympic tennis champion (photo, second left) at least seemed able to share the joke.
Also honoured at last night's gala were (photo, left to right) fellow gold medal winner, Joan Llaneras (cycling), and silver medal winners, Toni Tauler (cycling) and Rudy Fernández (basketball).
I love my life. I love where I live. And I am passionate about my passions. I love to dance. Necessary to live: music, piano, singing, writing, acting, painting.
I have been fighting for and supporting the arts all my adult life. Since 2004, I have been working with other activists to end the Darfur genocide.
I have traveled to Europe many times since my early twenties. Places I have been: many USA states including Hawaii, Montreal, Canada, Barbados, France, Spain, Luxembourg, England, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Greece and Germany - and have wonderful memories.
My last trip was in May - June 2013 to Spain.
I would like to travel to Europe and Kyoto, Japan.
I love the southwest where I have visited Hopi, Navajo, Zia and San Idlefonso potters.
Life is exciting and I intend to live it full-out to the end.
B.S. and M.M., both in music
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Khartoum, Sudan Stop Genocide Time
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Spain Time
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Melbourne Time
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Hawaii Time
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RAFA NADAL -BRING BACK LONG PANTS - SLEEVELESS TOPS
Double Click on Videos to Enlarge
Darfur - The Abandoned Genocide - a video by Sandra Hammel
Want to help? Call 1~800~GENOCIDE
"May I Suggest" by Susan Werner
Satchita - Playing for Change
Stand By Me ~ Playing for Change
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Genocide is not only a word,
it is crying of the whole human race.
There is nothing redeeming about being silent
when speaking up is the humane thing to do.
The honor and integrity of the human race is at stake.
Pictures after Feliciano Lopez won over Sam Querrey in dead match
Rafael Nadal watching the doubles match of Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco in the Davis Cup semi-final 2008
Rafael Nadal's propensity to wear trousers at least one size too small for him caused a degree of hilarity at a tribute to the Balearic Islands' Olympic medal winners in Palma last night when his inner seams burst open during a press photo shoot. 
