So Good

Rafa is looking too good for words. Yes I am talking about his tennis.

Rafa defeated Haas today 6-4,6-2,6-2. He won 98 points, hit 53 winners and made 8 UE. How amazing is that stat? 20/23 points on the net. I like.

Haas was just too self-destructive for his own good. He let each point lost to bother him on the next one. A lot. So as they say, too bad, so sad, pass the gravy. He played very well in the beginning of the first 2 sets, but by the end of each he just sort of rolled over and died. Rafa was just too good. His forehand, cross court, down the line, on the line, was phenomenal. By the 3rd set Haas just unraveled. He also kept insisting on coming to the net, and Rafa just kept putting the ball pass him. Done and done.

That said, I don't know about him winning the whole thing. I think Wertheim's Mailbag yesterday just about sums it up.

 

What do you think about Rafael Nadal's most challenging point of this season?

a. To finish the year at No. 1

b. To beat Federer in every meeting like last year

c. To defend his crown of Wimbledon and Roland Garros

d. To win the Australian Open, the first grand slam of the year

e. To help Spain to defend its Davis Cup title

-- Yuwak Gurung, Kathmandu

• First, a Mailbag rule: any reader from Kathmandu gets special dispensation. Second, isn't it funny how Nadal -- the top seed and winner of two of the last three Majors -- has become the forgotten man in Australia? They asked Marat Safin to predict a winner of the tournament last night and he, too, omitted Nadal's name before being prompted.

I, too, don't see him winning. But as I write this, it's sure hard to find fault with his form. Anyway, one figures that he'd be thrilled achieving, say, two of the five points you mention. Going undefeated against Federer is not a big priority or goal. Much as he loves Spain, he's already experienced Davis Cup glory. Winning the Australian (i.e. a hard court Slam) would be nice. But, overall, I suspect "a" and "c" would be his biggest goals.

 

I cannot say it better, really.  



 

*sigh*

I already miss the biceps, but the abs is consoling me. Not by much though. Next up for Rafa is Gonzo. I already have heart palpitations, expecting the explosion of latin hotness on court. May it be a good match.