<body>

Friday, August 20, 2010

RAFA NADAL LEAVES CINCINNATI - NEXT STOP US OPEN

This may be "history" as far as Rafa's fashion style on the tennis court,
but it will forever be "Rafa's signature look".
What he wears now is nothing unique
and is no "signature look" - though he is just as likable.

❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦
Cincinnati 2010
Quarter Final Marcus Baghdatis defeated Rafa Nadal
4-6, 6-4, 4-6
Friday, August 20, 2010

Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a forehand to Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus during Day 5 of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 20, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images North America

Rafael Nadal of Spain charges the net to return a drop shot by Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus during Day 5 of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 20, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images North America

but delaying it until Friday, at 10:00 p.m. or until the Little League Baseball game is over, apparently Watch it live free here
www.atdhe.net

www.fromsport.com

Watch online for a fee www.tennistv.com


Semi Finals

Saturday, August 2, 2010
USA EST/EDT

Roddick versus Fish
2:00 p.m.
Baghdatis versus Federer
and 7:00 p.m.

www.atpworldtour.com

www.usopenseries.com


www.usopen.org/en_US tv
Pictures
At zmbio ~ Rafael Nadal

Nadal saves match point to reach ATP Quarter Finals

Round 3
Rafa Nadal defeated Julien Benneteau
5-7, 7-6(6), 6-2
Thursday, August 19, 2010

At zimbio - Rafael Nadal

At daylife ~ Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a forehand to Julien Benneteau of France - Round 3 - of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 19, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty

Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after winning a point in his second set tiebreaker against Julien Benneteau of France - Round 3 - of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 19, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images North America

Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after winning a point in his second set tiebreaker against Julien Benneteau of France during - Round 3 - of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 19, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images North America

Rafael Nadal of Spain has his right foot attended to by a trainer after winning the second set against Julien Benneteau of France during Day 4 of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 19, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images North America

Round 2
Rafa Nadal defeated Taylor Dent
6-2, 7-5

Pictures Round 2 - At zimbio _ Rafael Nadal

Round 1
Rafa had a bye

USA TV
The Tennis Channel
ESPN2

Website
www.cincytennis.com

www.usopenseries.com

Free online watching possibilities for Rogers Cup - Toronto
www.atdhe.net
www.fromsport.com

Watch online for a fee
www.tennistv.com

Click image to enlarge


Pictures of Rafa from Toront0's Rogers Cup
daylife

NOTICE:

I am busy trying to get a job, so I can't keep this post up as I typically do.
Sorry, but I do this for fun and I need money to live.
....................................

....................................
Tell Barack Obama to live up to his words
www.whitehouse.gov/contact
Uploaded by saulpaulus
....................................

....................................
Tell Barack Obama to live up to his words
If you are an organization submitting comments on behalf of your membership, please use our Organization Contact Form. Uploaded by rp4obama

You can also call or write to the President:

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Please include your e-mail address

Phone Numbers

Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461

Darfuris Release Statement on Current Situation
Posted by Katie-Jay on August 16th, 2010

One hundred fourteen Darfuris and 27 Associations and Organizations in North America issued a statement today calling on the international community to act on their Responsibility to Protect (R2P), particularly the United States:

“Currently, our people in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp of Kalma are under threat of violence, homelessness, and lack of basic life subsistence. The threat is coming from the local government of South Darfur and from central government in Khartoum. Similar conditions are faced by IDPs in Hamideyeah in the Zalengi area of West Darfur.

The Government of Sudan is intent on dismantling these camps by force. The Government officials in South Darfur made their intentions very clear in defiance of all international protocols and conventions that protect IDPs. This is a continuation of the crimes of genocide in Darfur.

We believe strongly that the Government of Sudan, sadly, has perfected reading in advance the reaction of the international community, and the United States in particular.

The Government of Sudan, headed by a President indicted for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, continues using same tactics used by other genocidal perpetrators through history to finish the job. They will not stop till they are stopped.

The Government of Sudan feels absolutely immune to any accountability. Furthermore, the officials in Khartoum and South Darfur audaciously state their plans in dismantling the IDP camps in meetings with UNAMID and NGOs representatives.

We believe that what is happening in Darfur has direct relation to the U. S. policy in handling Darfur’s crisis.

The international community has an obligation to protect the Darfuri civilians. This Responsibility-To-Protect (R2P) should be exercised now to stop the on-going genocide in Darfur.”

Download the full statement.

Darfuri leaders believe continuation of crimes of genocide in #Darfur relates to misdirected US #Sudan Policy http://bit.ly/b63Ym9 @presssec

Take Immediate Action by Email, Facebook, Twitter

-----------------------

As Darfur violence surges, Obama Administration Addresses Sudan Crisis with ‘Lack of Urgency’ Advocacy groups outraged over drift in administration policy

Posted by Katie-Jay on August 6th, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : August 6, 2010
CONTACTS:
Jonathan Hutson, jhutson@enoughproject.org, 857-919-5130
Janessa Goldbeck, goldbeck@genocideintervention.net, 202-559-7405
Ann Brown, abrown@savedarfur.org, 301-633-4193

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Human rights advocacy organizations expressed dismay today following reports that the Obama Administration is not approaching the situation in Sudan with the urgency it demands. In a New York Times article published yesterday (“Violence Said to Be Rising in Sudan’s Darfur Region” by Neil MacFarquhar), a senior State Department official was quoted saying, “There is no sense of urgency that this is a crucial moment [in Sudan].”

The comment comes on the heels of an alarming resurgence of violence in Darfur and just months before south Sudan is scheduled to vote for its own independence—a landmark event that, if mishandled, could plunge Sudan back into all-out war.

The Enough Project at the Center for American Progress, Genocide Intervention Network, and the Save Darfur Coalition, offered the following statements:

John Prendergast, Co-founder of the Enough Project, said, “The US and other key countries have largely turned away from serious political engagement in Darfur in favor of the North/South issues. US Special Envoy Gration has fallen into the same trap which has doomed previous diplomatic efforts by allowing the Khartoum regime to play the North/South crisis against the one in Darfur. The old adage of walking and chewing gum at the same time on Darfur and the South seems unattainable to the internationals attempting to address Sudan’s interrelated ills. By not focusing on an all-Sudan solution, they end up with no solution at all, and the crises bleed on.”

Mark Hanis, President of Genocide Intervention Network, said, “Where is Candidate Obama, who promised the American people that he would address the crisis in Sudan with ‘unstinting resolve’? It will take more than rhetoric to ensure that the people of Sudan are not plunged again into war. Voters demand that the president and his administration do the right thing.”

Mark Lotwis, Acting President of the Save Darfur Coalition, said, “It is disturbing to hear that the there is no sense of urgency in the Obama administration in implementing an effective Sudan policy. I recently returned from Darfur and South Sudan and know that conditions on the ground have deteriorated, the Darfur Peace Process is stalled, and critical preparations for the referendum are not being made. The president needs to provide his entire team—Vice President Biden, Secretary of State Clinton, Ambassador Rice and Special Envoy Gration—with a new direction that makes all of Sudan an urgent priority now.”

###

Enough Project – Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, Enough focuses on crises in Sudan, Chad, eastern Congo, northern Uganda, Somalia, and Zimbabwe. Enough’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a “3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. Visit www.enoughproject.org.

Genocide Intervention Network – Genocide Intervention Network is working to build the first permanent anti-genocide constituency, mobilizing the political will to stop genocide when it occurs. Accessible online at www.GenocideIntervention.net, Genocide Intervention Network empowers individuals with the tools to stop genocide.

The Save Darfur Coalition – an alliance of more than 190 faith-based, advocacy and human rights organizations – raises public awareness about the ongoing crisis in Darfur and mobilizes a unified response to promote peace throughout the Darfur region and all of Sudan. The coalition’s member organizations represent 130 million people of all ages, races, religions and political affiliations united together to help the people of Sudan. Please join the movement at www.SaveDarfur.org.

Stop Genocide Now/i-ACT is a grassroots community dedicated to working to protect populations in grave danger of violence, death and displacement resulting from genocide. Through active education, advocacy and policy change SGN resolves to change the way the world responds to genocide. All of our projects focus on and utilize the strength and power in grassroots connectivity. For information, visit www.stopgenocidenow.org.

Investors Against Genocide is a non-profit organization dedicated to convincing mutual fund and other investment firms to change their investing strategy so as to avoid complicity in genocide. The organization works with individuals, companies, organizations, financial institutions, the press, and government agencies to build awareness and to create financial, public relations, and regulatory pressure for investment firms to change. The ultimate goals are that the Government of Sudan ends its deadly genocide in Darfur and that investment firms avoid investing in genocide. For more information, visit www.investorsagainstgenocide.org.

....................................

....................................

Uploaded by stopgenocidenow

Labels: , , , ,

Friday, May 29, 2009

GO RAFA - CONTINUED SUCCESS AT ROLAND GARROS



Sunday _- May 31, 2009

Try these streams

http://www.p2p4u.net/live/pl2.php

http://www.p2p4u.net/
http://atdhe.net/7021/watch-grand-slam-roland-garros
http://www.gnttv.com and choose link 2

NBC is airing Roland Garros at 3:00 p.m. USA EST/DST (not live and who knows which match they will air)

Rafael Nadal defeated Lleyton Hewitt
Round 3, May 29, 2009

6-1, 6-3, 6-1


Roland Garros Round 4 - Rafa Nadal vs. Robin Soderling
Sunday, May 31, 2009

Rafa keeps setting records at Roland Garros' French Open

During his round 3 match Rafa set a new record
for the most consecutive matches (31) won at Roland Garros


Above photo credit: Yahoo


The French Open
At Roland Garros

NBC will be airing Roland Garros
Saturday at 1:30 pm USA EST/DST
and
The Tennis Channel is also airing Roland Garros
I can't wait until my cable company
finally begins their contract with The Tennis Channel
...apparently after 2009 Wimbledon is over

FREE LIVE STREAMING

Try...

http://www.tennis-channel.tv/tennis/

http://atdhe.net/

http://www.atdhe.net/index.html

http://www.channelsurfing.net

myp2p.eu/competition.php?competitionid=&part=sports&discipline=tennis

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/TVALERTA



http://www.justin.tv/paisani22/popout


http://www.ustream.tv/channel/LIBERTAD-tv

Still in Rafa's half of Roland Garros Draw:

Quarter final potential contenders along with Rafa are Nikolay Davydenko and Fernando Verdasco.

Semi Final potential contenders along with hopefully Rafa are Andy Murray, Marin Cilic, Fernando Gonzalez and Victor Hanescu.

Roland Garros Schedule

Interview videos at Roland Garros Website
Click Interview tab at the top
Then on the right choose the player you want
Rafa talks about the drug testing - May 29 interview

New portal to the Original Forum for Rafael Nadal

May 29, 2009 at Roland Garros - As It Happens

Roland Garros 09 Matches In Progress

Roland Garros 09 Completed Match Scores

Rafa's blog posts during Roland Garros at Times Online

PHOTO CONTEST by Babolat "My Tennis Wins with Babolat"
From May 24 to July 15, 2009

Take a picture of yourself biting your tennis racket and email it to
mordstaraquette@babolat.com

View the pictures at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/babolatvs

Rafa will select the ten winners. Note in your email that you belong to the forum sponsored by Babolat.



A Rafa Fan Forum

vamosbrigade.com



Rafa Nadal in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: ? Yahoo


Rafa Nadal in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: ? Yahoo


Rafa Nadal in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: ? Yahoo


Rafa Nadal in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: ? Yahoo


Rafa Nadal in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: Getty Images


Rafa Nadal in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: Getty Images


Rafa Nadal in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: Getty Images

Rafa Nadal in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: Getty Images

Rafa Nadal in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: Getty Images
Rafa Nadal ~ Roland Garros


Rafa Nadal in Press Conference ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: Unknown


Rafa Nadal in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: Daylife

Rafa Nadal in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29

Rafa Nadal in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29

Rafa Nadal in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: Getty Images


Rafa Nadal in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: Getty Images


Rafa in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: Daylife


Rafa Nadal and Lleyton Hewett in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: Daylife


Rafa Nadal in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: Daylife


Rafa Nadal in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: Daylife


Rafa Nadal in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: Daylife


Rafa Nadal in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: Daylife



Rafa Nadal and Lleyton Hewett in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: Daylife







Rafa in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: AP

Rafa in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: AFP/Getty Images


Rafa in Round 3 ~ Roland Garros - May 29
Photo credit: AFP/Getty Images

......................................................
......................................................
Round 2 pictures
Rafa Nadal d Teimuraz Gabashvili May 27, 09
Photo credits: Abaca Press, AP, AFP/Getty Images, Belga, Corbis, Witters DPPI's Antone Couvercellle, Calib.es, Terra

HELP END THE GENOCIDE IN DARFUR

CALL

1-800-GENOCIDE

and

MORE OPPORTUNITIES...

Write President Obama

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/


You can also call or write to the President:

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Comments to President Obama:

202 - 456-1111

The White House comment line is available

9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. weekdays


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


To call the USA Secretary of State

202-647-6575

Join the fast for Darfur

Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Saturday, May 23, 2009

MAY 24 - JUNE 7, 2009 IN PARIS - FINGERS CROSSED FOR RAFA




Ana Ivanovic and Rafael Nadal assists in the drawing May 22, 2009 in Paris.


Rafa's Roland Garros '09 outfit




Defending champions of The French Open
Ana Ivanovic and Rafa Nadal

Photo credits - except for those watermarked as Corbis - are unknown.
My apologies to the photographer(s).


Rafael Nadal will play qualifier Marcos Daniel of Brazil in Round 1
Rafa won't play Sunday, May 24, 2009 - probably on Monday, the 25th. The Order of Play (OoP) is posted on the Roland Garros website the night before the matches to be played the upcoming day.

.............................................................

.............................................................
Rafa practicing in Paris May 22, 2009
Uploaded by luneworld

Rafa's blog posts will be found at http://timesonline.typepad.com/rafael_nadal/

Email questions to Rafa at rafa@timesonline.co.uk

Draws Roland Garros

Day 1 Roland Garros schedule

TV Schedule Roland Garros

Paris time is 6 hours ahead of USA EST/DST
My sidebar has Spain time. It is the same time in Paris.

LIVE STREAMING

I don't know where we can catch the live streaming yet, but when I know I will update this post with that information.

Listed to show Roland Garros Sunday May 24, 2009 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

at http://myp2p.eu/competition.php?competitionid=&part=sports&discipline=tennis

You can also try the following:

http://www.tsn.ca/broadcast/schedule/?channel=tsn&date=05-23-2009&tz=0

http://myp2p.eu/index.php?part=sports

http://www.tsn.ca/tennis/

http://www.channelsurfing.net

http://www.atdhe.net/index.html



PHOTO CONTEST by Babolat "My Tennis Wins with Babolat"
From May 24 to July 15, 2009

Take a picture of yourself biting your tennis racket and email it to
mordstaraquette@babolat.com

The prizes are pictured above.

View the pictures at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/babolatvs

Rafa will select the ten winners. Note in your email that you belong to the forum sponsored by Babolat.


Waiting For Rafa

By Gaby Wood
Photographed by Bruce Weber

Source:

http://www.nadalnews.com/2009/05/22/waiting-for-rafa/comment-page-1/

After fighting his way to tenniss number-one spot, Rafael Nadal is discovering in his own time that it can be lonely at the top.

Vamos Rafa! The crowd roars as a dashing floodlit figure serves an ace. It is round one of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, a tournament sometimes referred to as the fifth Grand Slam. After the player beats his opponent, he stops by the camera that has been broadcasting his actions in real time and signs the lens with a Sharpie. All that is left is his autograph, a grand flourish blown up on vast screens across the stadium.

The Spanish tennis sensation Rafael Nadal has been described as swashbuckling more often than Errol Flynn. You might think this is a mere national stereotype, but the 23-year-old Majorcans dynamic, unorthodox style, his combination of brutal efficiency and unearthly stamina, and the dastardly aim of his forehand have all led his matches to be described, even in Spain, as duels.

He is also, as might befit an old-world swordsman, gracious in victory. When he won the Australian Open final against Roger Federer in February, cementing his prowess on all three Grand Slam surfaces (not to mention his status as the number-one player in the world), he stood by uncomfortably as Federer wept at the microphone. After Nadal put his arm around the Swiss champions shoulder and Federer returned to the mike, emboldened, to congratulate him, Nadal apologized for winning and called Federer one of the best players in history.

So it is with great curiosity that I go down to Miami to meet Rafa, as he is affectionately known. I am intrigued to see who is behind the animal on the court and the young gentleman on the podium.

My first close-up glimpse of him comes at a press conference after that first match, in which he neatly dispatches Teimuraz Gabashvili, 6-2, 6-2. As expected, Nadal is sweet and rather awkward, answering questions modestly in English and Spanish. He enjoys the support of Latinos here, he says. The only thing thats tough about having so many fans, he explains, is that he cant sign autographs for everyone, and hed like to.

Then hes asked if he prefers to play in the day or at night. This is met with a pure, straight-faced statement of the obvious: I prefer to play well.

Afterward, his ever-present publicist, Benito Perez-Barbadillo, introduces me to him in preparation for our interview. Nadal shakes my hand, pats me on the shoulder, and says, Encantado. He is relaxed, charming, and, at six foot one, taller than I expected. Little do I know that this is the last time I will speak to him for the next five days.

Courtly appeal (Photo by Bruce Weber)

Courtly appeal (Photo by Bruce Weber)

One of the reasons its hard to get close to Nadal, I soon discover, is that he is fiercely protected by his team, mostly made up of family members. His uncle and coach, the former profession tennis player Toni Nadal, rarely leaves his side; the same goes for his father, Sebastian; and then there is his uncle Miquel Angel Nadal, a famously aggressive soccer player who is still known as the Best of Barcelona. When they are together, they speak Mallorquin, a brash, fast, guttural language that is an obscure dialect of Catalan.

If the Williams sisters grew up playing on the gang-ridden tarmac of L.A., Nadal was groomed to be great on the earth of Majorca. (Although, there was a time when the Spanish newspaper El Mundo wondered rhetorically whether there might be a Planet Nadal, a place where babies dont play with dolls but rackets, muscle grows before bone, courage before speech.)

When he was a little boy, his uncle Toni told his now-agent Carlos Costa, I have a six-year-old nephew whos going to be a very good player. It was six years before Costa finally saw Nadal play. He was twelve, and the qualities you saw in him then were strength of character, tenacity; he was a winner and a fighter. And in his head, there was a real desire to be number one. Cost took him on when Nadal turned fifteen.

Since then Nadal has racked up so many records, its almost hard to keep count. Long acknowledged as the kind of Clay, he posses the longest single-surface winning streak in the Open era. (His lock on the French Open recently prompted Roger Federer to say, I dont think the clay has been my problem. My problem has been Rafa con clay.) Since winning their history-making five-set Wimbledon match last year, Nadal has seem nearly untouchable. And in February, he became the first Spaniard to win the Australian Open, prompting speculation that he will win four Grand Slams in a single year, a feat not accomplished since Rod Laver did it in 1969. As Costa says, Every year he wants more. Every year he trains more. He doesnt impose limits on himself. If you look at the Rafa of three years ago and Rafa as he is now, theres been a huge evolution in his tennis.

Part of Nadals resolve seems to stem from the rigor of his training. Even though he is naturally right-handed, he was taught early on to play with his left hand, a technique that has tormented many of his opponents. Toni Nadal denies that there was anything tactical in this: He always played with both hands. The only thing I encouraged was to play with one hand, and he had more strength in his left.

Nadal can play so strongly at times that one is tempted to think of him as a force of nature in Australian, when other players were dropping out because of the heat; in Indian Well, California, when the wind made the final almost unsustainable. Recently, a tennis researcher in San Francisco used video-capture technology to measure Nadals topspin: It was found to rotate at an average of 3,200 times a minute (Federers rotates 2,700 times, and Agassis 1,900) a feat that seems superhuman. When he was young, I always made him play with bad balls, Toni Nadal explains. The court wasnt always in great condition all of that, even playing badly, helps you develop. Rafael called me before the final in Indian Wells. I said, Hows it going? He said, Terrible. Because of the wind. I said, Well, all the better for you, no? Because Rafa is used to playing when things arent going well. (Sometimes it seems like Nadal pushes himself or is pushed too hard. Fans have expressed concern that he is risking injury, although he and his team deny this.)

Along with the tough training came tough love. In terms of shots, hes not a phenomenon, but hes not completely useless, either, Toni Nadal says. If he had Federers gifts, I might have chosen a different style, but I like this intense strong style he has.

Toni points out that his nephew was raised to put up with things. If when youre young, youre permitted to do anything, then when youre older you can cause all kinds of damage. If, on the other hand, when youre small youre never allowed so much as throw a racquet on the ground, then its much easier to tolerate things. Rafael has always been a very disciplined player. Sometimes, if he feels like doing one thing but knows that another is the right thing to do, he can take it.

Before I can think about whats coming out of my mouth, I say, God. Poor him. Toni seems amused. Not at all, he replies. Hes won a few times, you know.

This pose looks natural, right? (Photo by Bruce Weber)

This pose looks natural, right? (Photo by Bruce Weber)

The next morning, Im supposed to meet Nadal for our interview, but Benito puts me off. At lunchtime, I go to watch Nadal play Frederico Gil, who at number 70, is the highest ranked Portuguese player in history. (Its a very small country, is Gils routine response to this statistic.)

Rafa starts slow; he makes a surprising number of unforced errors; during breaks, his left knee jobs uncontrollably. There is a beautiful rally, at the end of which Gil puts a ball straight past him. The next time Rafa gets ready to serve, hes given a time violation. Hes taking too long, thinking too much its excruciating.

You would think that an early-round match for the worlds number-one tennis player would be plain sailing, but watching Nadal, you feel the risk in every point. He plays as if he is fighting for his life. He gives 100 percent in every match, from the first round right up to the last, Costa says. Others are relaxed at first, and tension kicks in later, whereas Rafa plays tensely from day one.

Nadal pulls out a victory, but it doesnt come easily, 7-5, 6-3. In the press box, old-hand tennis reporters are muttering, Oh, yeah, hes burned.

Afterward I watch Rafa hanging around outside the locker room in a black T-shirt and khaki-colored tennis shorts, his just showered hair falling in his face, his full frame a little hunched, like a teenagers. A very small blonde person in a Panama hat and shades comes through the corridor to great him, accompanied by a film crew. She turns out to be Shakira, a friend and fan. They pose for photos, but as soon as the rock star leaves, Rafa returns to his sulky posture. It is as if he can already envision the lead story from The Miami Herald: Sometimes the best player in the world doesnt look like the best player in the world.

The following day, Benito calls. Hes embarrassed. Rafa played badly and is not feeling up to meeting today. He promises it will happen first thing the next morning.

Instead I make my way over to the practice court. Rafa is shirtless, sweat streaming down his front, the deep thwacking sound of his inhuman forehand filling everyones ears. When he leaves the court, Im behind him, which means that for once I get his view of the crowd. They gather wildly in his face; he dips his chin and plows through like a gentle bull, signing and walking, signing and walking, passing the results of his ambulatory autographs over his shoulder a hat, a ball, a picture without a backward glance. Behind him, the recipients fall into chaos, screaming. It occurs to me that whether shielded by his entourage or lost in the crowd, Nadal is always in his own world, just out of reach.

That night, Rafa has a late, long match against Stanislas Wawrinka (the other Swiss), and again the buzz is about how off his game is. He wins, of course, but that appears to be beside the point. By now I realize that hes not just putting me off on a whim. He literally cant take his eye off the ball. In a way, his refusal to meet says far more about how he feels than he will probably ever reveal in words.

Golden (Photo by Bruce Weber)

Golden (Photo by Bruce Weber)

Its my fifth day in Miami, am I am supposed to finally meet Nadal at midday. Just before lunchtime, Benito calls to reschedule. Rafa will meet me at four. I am skeptical. Benito, who is missing four fingers on his right hand, says the interview will definitely happen at four, or he will cut off the fingers on the other hand. How sweet, I think. Then I wonder how he lost his fingers in the first place.

But sure enough, just after 4:00 P.M., Benito and Carlos bring Rafa to me outside the players lounge. This time he makes no eye contact and offers no greeting. We walk upstairs, Nadal silent, eyes downcast. Benito and Carlos direct us to a couple of white leather sofas and leave. Nadal shoots me a small, shy smile, then gets distracted by the live match playing on a TV screen in front of us: Djokovic vs. Tsonga. He winces a little with the corners of his mouth (at what, I dont know: Ive missed the shot), then looks back at me open, perhaps, to a question.

We talk about what he likes to do when hes not on court. I learn that in his time off, Nadal goes home to Manacor, the town of 35,000 inhabitants where he still lives with his parents and younger sister or to his familys summerhouse, ten kilometers away in Porto Cristo. His friends are still the people hes known since he was four of five. He goes fishing, he plays golf, he goes to the movies; he has a girlfriend, a student in Majorca whose privacy he guards diligently. (Though she sometimes comes to his matches, he explains, Just because Im known for tennis doesnt mean I have to be known for anything else.) While other players have their own jets, he flies commercial. He does not know how much money he has, and doesnt appear to spend it. At home, hes not known as the world number one; hes known as Rafalet.

I ask him about his tics arranging the water bottles in a particular order, not stepping on the lines when he walks out onto the court. They are not really superstitions, he says. Theyre just part of his larger pre-match ritual. Hell sleep between seven and nine hours, then have a plate of pasta for breakfast. If hes eating three hours or more before a match, hell add some chicken or fish. Just beforehand, he always has a cold shower; then his physio, Rafael Maymo, helps him put on all his tape (at the moment his fingers are taped as well as his knees). After Nadal prepares the handles of his rackets, he listens to music on his iPod everything from Julio Iglesias to Bon Jovi and keeps to himself.

He wont say what hes trying to improve just now during a tournament, you dont really train to change things, he explains although he confesses that hed like to serve like Karlovic, have Federers forehand at times, or Nalbandians backhand.

I ask him if he is driven more by a desire to win or the fear of losing. The desire to win, he says. He always knows he can lose, even in the first round. For example, tomorrow, Im going out into a difficult match against del Potro, and I know that if I dont play at my highest level Im going to have practically no chance of winning. (This turns out to be prescient: He ends up losing to Juan Martin del Potro the next day in a tense quarterfinal.)

Perhaps paradoxically, Nadal says that being number one has helped to relieve the pressure. I think Im enjoying the game much more now than I was two years ago. Not because Im winning more but because I think Ive taken on board the tension more. Anyway, he adds, Im lucky enough to do what I like for work not everyones that fortunate.

Tennis players, of course, have a remarkably short professional shelf life. As invested as he is in the game, Nadal is already branching out, as the face of Lanvins new cologne LHomme Sport and as a collaborator with Nike on a new line of clothes. He is also in the early stages of establishing a philanthropic foundation, whose stated purpose is to educate underprivileged children all over the world. Id like to help people who dont have enough to live on, he says, then adds, Id like to help everyone I can.

At thirteen, Nadal had to choose between tennis and soccer (he was good at both). He says he doesnt prefer one to the other, but there is something forlorn in his assertion that soccer is more enjoyable because you practice with friends. In tennis, youre always alone, which is more complicated. I far prefer to train with friends than alone, he says. Doesnt everyone?

In the time I speak to Nadal (in Spanish), he is as uncommunicative as his good upbringing will allow; he looks up when he thinks perhaps looking down or away is rude. Questions are met with expressions of very mild alarm shrugs or a knitted brow. I have the impression that conversation is akin to confrontation for him, and that despite his zeal on the court, he doesnt enjoy it.

I wonder aloud if he enjoys competing in others areas of his life.

No! he says, balking at the very thought. Not at all! Id rather lose an argument than get into a long discussion in order to win it.

Why? I ask.

He laughs. It tires me out.

But not in tennis?

No.

Which leads me to ask about his most formidable, most formative rival. If Roger Federer were to stop playing, would Nadas game suffer?

No, he replies. The only thing that affects me is to have played important matches against him Hes one of the greatest tennis players in history, if not the greatest. But the thing that makes you improve isnt any individual its the demands of the sport itself.

I ask how he felt when he saw Federer crying in Australia. Well, a bit odd, no? I didnt really know what to do. I felt sad for him. Those are difficult moments when youre living through them, but over the years they become moments that both he and I will be able to look back on fondly theyre emotional moments.

As for his own vulnerabilities, he admits, with an embarrassed chuckle, Being home alone at night makes me a bit nervous. If Im at home alone I have to sleep on the sofa I cant face going to bed. Im there with the TV on and all the lights on. Im not very brave about anything in life. He smiles, looks down at the floor. In tennis, yes. In everything else, not very.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rafa Fan Forums

The Original Forum from Rafa's Website - this forum is now sponsored by Babolat

vamosbrigade.com

Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,