Rafa is a shadow of his former self!
by bahamaderek on Nov.11, 2009, under Nicolas Almagro, Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal showed all his renowned fighting qualities(and he was lucky) to beat Nicolas Almagro in an epic contest at the Paris Masters on Wednesday. Nadal is far from the player he was at this time last year. Except for the name he could easily be mistaken for any of a number of top 20 players. He has lost his zip, his power, his movement and his concentration. Unless he undergoes a miraculous metamorphis in the very near future it is doubtful whether he will ever win another Grand Slam event. Just compare the physical difference in the two pictures….this is not the same Rafa we came to admire!
Maybe he’s like Sampson? When his hair was cut he lost all his strength!
The Australian Open champion saved five match points in the second set en route to a 3-6 7-6 (7/2) 7-5 victory in three hours and 14 minutes.
Nadal refused to bend towards the end of the second set – saving the last three match points in a row at 5-6 0-40 – before levelling the match in the ensuing tie-break.
Still, it seemed Almagro was set for victory when he forged a 5-3 lead in the decider and served for a place in the last 16.
However, with cramp taking hold of his legs, Almagro could not finish off Nadal and the former Wimbledon champ reeled off the last four games to claim a hard-fought triumph.
Robredo, seeded 14, saw off Tomas Berdych 6-4 6-4.
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November 11th, 2009 on 5:09 pm
I totally agree with you!! I’m saddened to see how Rafa struggled in that match..I imagine a multitude of his fans did too..
November 11th, 2009 on 5:24 pm
I’m concerned about his physical health, he does not look well, and appears to have lost weight and muscle definition.