Was live at Rod Laver for this one, Nadal was beyond awful and got progressively worse as the match wore on. Sela was so bad he actually managed to play Nadal into even worse form than he came into the match with. Sela looked like a club player out there. At times I would've favored my chances at winning some games against him.
A win is a win I guess. Gasquet went and fucked up again much like Krygios at Wimbledon so Rafa gets another brainless servebot ballbasher in Anderson. Least this one is a listless choker so even if Nadal plays awful Anderson would snap his own leg in half.
Onto Round 4, awful form but the draw is easy. Got harder today with Frauderer losing but Rafa still has a good shot at the final. Vamos Rafa! Good luck going forward
P.S. "Mark my words Nadal will not make it out of the first week," BAHAHAHAHA Clutch on and LOSE.
Rafa looked great, but there are no reasons to be cocky. The NIDest of NID match-ups used perfectly. Full comfort to hit winner from every single position. Zero resistance. In first two sets.
Third set was disturbing, Rafa had to save some break points. Also Dudi exposed him on the net.
Big to Sela. Third round is a great result for him.
Sela is a dream matchup for Rafa: short, right handed and with a one handed backhand.
That said, Rafa was very very solid in the first two sets, didn't give Sela a chance to breathe, relaxed a bit in the third and Sela started hitting more freely but the result was NID.
It's similar to Murray last year. It will take him a few months to be at full strength at least.
He just doesn't have the conditioning and didn't do the training block as he would have liked. you can tell he wants to go at it intensely but he just doesn't have it back yet.
Sela on the other hand is one of those guys who gets everything possible out of his game which is commendable.
I am in absolute hysterics that the OP is boasting and bragging about Nadal scraping over the first week line. Are you not ASHAMED of yourself for that?
:lol: He had a bye in round 1, with semi-retired Youhzny and a bye in round 3, against a dwarf with a single handed backhand. :lol:
You must really lack self awareness and character not to be ashamed. If I was a Nadal fan, I would be right now, reading your boast at him crawling into the second week of this major, given the draw. Absolutely You have no shame. You may as well streak around your town naked.
I am in absolute hysterics that the OP is boasting and bragging about Nadal scraping over the first week line. Are you not ASHAMED of yourself for that?
Your prediction was wrong and you went about it in your typical BS fashion. If you just wanted to say that Rafa isn't ready to be "Rafa" again it was obvious to see and was obvious before the AO as well.
The volley by Nadal at 5-5 15-30 is precisely why Nadal's volleys are overrated. Only slightly harder than a put away and he hits a terrible looking forehand jab into the middle of the court.
Be fair; Nadal was gassed there. It's not like he is at anything like 100% especially after the other day. He volleys a lot better than that when he's on.
Ever try volleying when you're dead on your feet? This isn't the Nadal who makes Federer dread playing him.
Symptoms of decline (loss stamina/focus/intensity etc)..anybody would have snatched that 3rd set from him...He is going to be severely tested by Anderson/Berdych/Tomic and if he can't find another gear he's toast..Just not in Slam-winning shape yet..
Sela was terrible in set 1 and 2, but nadal was solid without being outstanding. In the third set nadal got really tight and dropped his average shot speed by 5km and the shots became very loopy and dropped short, which let sela gain court position and attack the net and go for the angles to get nadal out of position over the duration of the set.
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