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Why Rafael Nadal Needs to Win Big Matches at 2015 Monte Carlo Masters
Published: April 16, 2015
Nadal, the all-time king of clay, has always reserved his best performances for Europe’s crushed-brick surfaces. The conditions are slower, producing higher ball bounces and extra time for his defensive retrievals and offensive control. He’s the kinesthetic master at sliding into his shots, running around his backhand and bludgeoning his opponents with whirling forehand topspin and powerful putaways.
Players who challenged Nadal understood that they would have to go to war for several grinding hours. The Spanish champion would always have a special reserve of championship acumen. He won big matches with his heart and confidence as much as with his unparalleled skills.
But it’s closing in on one year since Nadal won a big match. If he can’t raise his game at Monte Carlo, could his European empire crumble into the Mediterranean Sea?
Cold Reality
How easy is it for a legend to hold on to his past successes? Can he still bank on winning big matches only in clay-court Europe? It’s been over 10 months since he defeated Novak Djokovic for the French Open, the last time he defeated anyone in the Top 10 of the ATP rankings.
Since that 14th major title, Nadal has played 33 matches, compiling a 23-10 record, pedestrian by his standards. Furthermore, he has dropped both of the top-10 matches he has played, losing to Tomas Berdych at the Australian Open and Milos Raonic at Indian Wells after having defeated both of them a combined 22 consecutive times.
There are explanations, of course. Nadal endured another injury-plagued 2014, marring his performance in the Australian Open final, undermining his conf...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Tennis
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