[GonzoFan]

Great article and nice pics

[veyonce]

From antena3.com
25/08/2005.
Salom rose, Madrid e-mail:noticias@antena3tv.es

http://www.antena3.com/a3n2004/servl...=si&id=9866602

Nadal travels to New York to dispute the US Open

Monday will start the last Grand Slam of the year, the US Open. Rafael Nadal will be there. He has left Spain very early this morning to New York. Nadal has obtained nine titles this year, and is currently rank world number two. His opening match will be against US player Bobby Reynolds and he would only play before number one of the world, until the end. At the moment, the Majorcan has assured he has fully recovered.

[veyonce]

From US Open Official Website

Tennis Stars Join Roddick and Williams To Kick Off 2005 US Open On Arthur Ashe Kids' Day Presented By Hess
Monday, August 22, 2005

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., August 21, 2005 - The USTA today announced that tennis stars Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Anna Kournikova, Rafael Nadal, Kim Clijsters, Martina Navratilova, and James Blake will join Andy Roddick and Serena Williams to kick off the 2005 US Open with Arthur Ashe Kids' Day presented by Hess. The full-day tennis and music festival for children and families -- including interactive games, musical entertainment, and free clinics -- will be hosted by MTV VJ Quddus and TV star Summer Sanders. The festivities will take place on Saturday, August 27 at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y., starting at 10 a.m.

Tickets are on sale now for the Arthur Ashe Kids' Day stadium show through Ticketmaster (1-866-OPEN-TIX), usopen.org and at the USTA National Tennis Center box office. American Express is the official card of Arthur Ashe Kids' Day. General admission promenade tickets cost $10 and loge tickets are $20. Admission is free for the interactive games and clinics, open from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. on the USTA National Tennis Center grounds. Admission is also free for the US Open SmashZone presented by AOL.com, a fan-interactive tennis experience, open from 11:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Arthur Ashe Kids' Day stadium show starts at 2:00 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally by CBS on Sunday, August 28, at 1:00 p.m. ET. Kids 12-and-under with stadium show tickets will receive a free Arthur Ashe Kids' Day visor from the USTA and Hess on a first-come, first-serve basis. The rain date (stadium show only) is Sunday, August 28.

Agassi, Roddick, Williams, Federer, Kournikova, Nadal, Navratilova, and Clijsters will join tennis legend and World TeamTennis founder Billie Jean King to participate in Arthur Ashe Kids' Day Extreme TeamTennis, celebrating 30 seasons of World TeamTennis. "American Idol" judge and Grammy Award-winning producer Randy Jackson will be an Extreme TeamTennis Captain for the day. Extreme TeamTennis will take place during the Arthur Ashe Kids' Day stadium show from 2 - 4 p.m., which will also feature performances by singer/songwriter Jesse McCartney, who is nominated for an MTV Music Video Award for Best Pop Video; singing sensation Rihanna making her first stadium performance, who is No. 2 on Billboard's Pop 100 Chart with her hit "Pon de Replay"; and power pop band The Click Five, which has the No. 1 most downloaded song on ITunes with "Just the Girl."

A wide variety of interactive games and attractions on the grounds of the National Tennis Center will be free to the public, including: the Hess Express Obstacle Course with Jim Courier; the Barilla Challenge of Champions with Olympic gold medal skier Bode Miller; NikeGO Tennis with John McEnroe, James Blake, Mario Ancic, Feliciano Lopez and top-ranked junior player Donald Young; and USA Tennis Beat the Pro with Gustavo Kuerten, Robby Ginepri, Scoville Jenkins, Carly Guillikson, and Alexa Glatch.

Additional outer court activities include: IBM SpeedZone, where a radar gun will test the speed of kids' serves; George Foreman Drill the Grill, in which kids can hit balls at giant inflatable grills; Olympus Designed to Win, offering kids the chance to rally with a pro for the most consecutive hits; America Online's KOL Tennis Challenge, where kids can try to hit balls through life-size cut outs of the Princess Natasha characters; ; and Nickelodeon's "Let's Just Play" area, featuring a rock climbing wall, Bounce 'Round, interactive SpongeBob SquarePants tennis-themed games and opportunities for photos with the SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick costumed characters. WCBS-TV Sports Anchor Duke Castiglione will also take on tennis fans who try to "Stump Duke" with trivia questions.

As part of the Arthur Ashe Kids' Day pre-show, six local, top-ranking players, age 12 or under, will be featured as "The Stars of Tomorrow": Katie Goepel of Chatham, N.J., Robin Anderson of Matawan, N.J., Manuela Velasquez of Kew Gardens, N.Y., Kyle Berman of Armonk, N.Y., Bert Vancura of New Hyde Park, N.Y., and Quinton Vega of Brooklyn, N.Y.

Presented by Amerada Hess and produced by the USTA, Arthur Ashe Kids' Day honors tennis legend Arthur Ashe and continues his mission of using tennis as a means to instill in kids the values of humanitarianism, leadership and academic excellence. Among the 400 volunteers who staff Arthur Ashe Kids' day are over 80 top certified tennis pros from around the country that help run the interactive tennis activities.

A portion of the proceeds from Arthur Ashe Kids' Day benefit the USA Tennis NJTL (National Junior Tennis League), which was established by Arthur Ashe, Charlie Pasarell and Sheridan Snyder in 1969. USA Tennis NJTL is a community-driven program supported by the USTA, that significantly impacts the lives of America's youth. USA Tennis NJTL seeks to develop the character of young people through tennis and to emphasize the ideals and life of Arthur Ashe.

[knight_ley]

vamos rafa!!!!!!!!!

[veyonce]

From AS, the Madrid sports daily
Translation by Alsace of vamosrafael.com

RAFA NADAL ARRIVES IN NEW YORK IN TOP PHYSICAL FORM

The pain in his shoulder, forgotten.

26.08.2005

J. SOLANS


Going for it. Rafa Nadal landed yesterday on Yankee soil fully recovered from the problems that had been bothering his left shoulder since his first and only match in Cincinnati. "The shoulder is OK now and we have been training at top level, including the serve. At the physical level everything is perfect," said Toni Nadal, Rafa's uncle and coach. After five days of training in his home town, the Manacorian flew out to New York with the objective of dethroning Federer.

Although his level of play is not the most brilliant of the year, the world number two "is looking forward with great desire and excitement to doing well and will take it step by step without conceding anything," Toni explained. "In Montreal, he was phenomenal and knew he had every possibility of victory. Now we are not as sure, but if he manages to be at a good level, he can take the tournament," said the Mallorcan's coach.

At the start of Flushing Meadows, Nadal will face a rival of little weight, the American Bobby Reynolds, who should serve the king of clay to find his best game on the New York cement. "Rafa has been training well, normally,.but we will have to see if he can display his best tennis there. The most important thing at the U.S. Open is the technical aspect," Toni said.

Montreal, a good omen

In four of the last seven years, the winner of the Canadian Masters Series has succeeded a few weeks later in Flushing Meadows. New York's fast court saw the triumph of Federer (2004), Roddick (2003), Safin (2000) and Rafter (1998), who managed to take the double. With the two most recent years, the precedents of the man from Basil and the Nebraskan invite optimism for Nadal.

[Saumon]

he didnt have his t-shirt-to-take-the-plane

[michelleg]

I took this pic yesterday at his practice:

[Saumon]

merci

he looks a bit tired

[linny28grace]

Originally Posted by Saumon

he didnt have his t-shirt-to-take-the-plane

I NOTICED THAT TOO!

[veyonce]

Originally Posted by michelleg

I took this pic yesterday at his practice:

Thanks michellg!!!! Do take more of his pics... Lol..

[veyonce]

From Sports Illustrated Website
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...ers/index.html
First person
SI Players lobs to Rafael Nadal just before the Open
Posted: Friday August 26, 2005 3:50PM; Updated: Friday August 26, 2005 3:50PM

Rafael Nadal breakthrough performance at the French Open made him a sensation.
Bob Martin/SI

As told to Richard Deitsch



ON HIS MANY NICKNAMES IN THE PRESS SUCH AS GLADIATOR, WONDER BOY, GERONIMO, HERCULES
I prefer Rafael. But just call me whatever you like.

ON HIS HOMETOWN OF MANACOR, ON THE MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND OF MAJORCA
It's a very small village. Everybody knows each other. I live by the sea and during the summer I go to the beach, play golf, watch movies and fish. In the first week of August I went out tuna fishing with Carlos Moya and I caught 12 fish!

ON LEARNING ENGLISH
I don't take classes very often because I'm always abroad. My English is not good right now, but I have the courage to speak and that is a big thing for me. English is not a hard language to learn. It's just a matter of practice. I also understand a bit of Portuguese and a bit of Italian but I don't speak them.

ON READING FOR RELAXATION
A few months ago I finished La Tapadora [John Grisham's The Partner] and I just read La Ciudad De Las Bestias [The City of the Beasts] by Isabel Allende. At the moment I'm not reading anything. Too busy.

ON WHAT THE LEFTY PLAYER DOES WITH HIS RIGHT HAND
Everything, except tennis. I write, play golf and eat with my right hand. I don't know why this is. Moya is the other way around. He is a righty in tennis but does everything else with his left hand.

ON HIS FLASHY OUTFITS
I don't have anything to do with the design. Nike gave me some pants to try on. I said I liked them and so I played with them. The look and outfit feels normal to me.

ON HIS MUSIC CHOICES
I like Latin music like Maná and Alejandro Sanz. Right now I'm listening to The Best of Me, the greatest hits of Bryan Adams. I like this very much.

ON WHAT STROKE HE WOULD STEAL FROM ANOTHER PLAYER
Roger Federer's forehand. It's the best.

ON HIS FAVORITE U.S. CITIES
New York and Miami. New York a little more because it seems more spectacular. The city itself, the buildings, the general city atmosphere. Espectacular.

ON HOW HIS LIFE HAS CHANGED SINCE WINNING MAY'S FRENCH OPEN
Not much. My friends are the same. When I go back to my city, I do the same thing with the same people.

ON HIS COMFORT ON HARDCOURTS
I made the finals in Miami and the fourth round in Australia, so I don't play so badly on hardcourt. But, obviously, I don't feel as comfortable as I do on clay. I don't look at goals for the U.S. Open. I know I have to be at my best level to play well there.

ON WHOM HE WATCHED GROWING UP
Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. They are the players I most remember from when I was small. And of course Spanish players like Moya.

ON LIVING WITH HIS MOM AND DAD AND UNCLES
There's nothing bad about living at home. I have a family that I get along with very well. The time I get to be at home, I value a great deal because I'm not there much.

[veyonce]

From US Open Website


Rafael Nadal was out hitting hard and warming on Day 4 of Qualifying play, preparing for the 2005 US Open.

Photo by: Jason Brown

[sonia]

Vamos Rafa!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck!!!!!!!!!

[Sugar Kane]

Great pics as usual Veyonce!

[Carlita]

Tomorrow second match on Arthur Ashe stadium!! VAMOS Little Man!