What the Rome Masters Means For…

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: May 4, 2010

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Rafael Nadal: In Monte Carlo, we saw Nadal at performing at his peak as he didn’t drop a set and allowed three of his opponents just one game each—a sign that he was still capable of dominance.

In Rome, with his level not quite as high, the courts playing faster and the competition playing tougher, Nadal dropped one set and staved off a pair of tough challengers in the last two rounds. This is a sign that he’s still capable of competing like he did at his best, something that his three-set losses in Miami and Indian Wells had put in doubt.

That ability to compete will be critical in Madrid, where Nadal has voiced discomfort with the altitude and the speed of the court, and where back-to-back encounters with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer last year ruined his whole season. Madrid occupies the position once held by Hamburg on the schedule, finishing just one week before Roland Garros.

And like Hamburg’s clay, where the ball didn’t bounce as high as in Paris or Monte Carlo, Madrid’s slicker dirt levels the playing field for Roger Federer. In 2008, Nadal was able to defeat Federer (and Djokovic) at Hamburg, setting the stage for his most dominant RG performance.

In 2007, he lost at Hamburg to The Great Swiss but was able to prevail once the theater of their conflict switched to Paris. Some of us expected the same last season when he lost to Federer, but the years of defending and grinding had exacted a price on Nadal’s knees.

In Rome, the Spaniard tied Andre Agassi’s record of 17 Master’s Series titles. In Madrid, he’ll seek to set a new record, but needs be careful that he not sacrifice the greater glory that an RG title would bring.

 

David Ferrer: Nadal’s 5’9” compatriot is the shortest man in the top 20, and while his heart goes a long way in compensating for his size, his ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Tennis

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