Dubai R2: Nadal def Ledovskikh 6-4 6-0
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The way the scoreline should be against a qualifier. When was the last time Rafa fed someone a bagel? I only remember the last time he was bageled. :lol:
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Probably the last time he faced a player with such crappy returns (Alun Jones not withstanding)
I really didn't expect him to be as defensive as he was against that kind of opponent, he didn't even try to take control of a point in the first 8 games. The scoreline makes it look like he stepped it up, but it was more due to Ledovskikh's level dropping.
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I don't think anyone should've expected anything else to happen here... a very poor qualifier against the world's #2. :lol:
Anyway, well done & congrats Rafa!
Anyway, well done & congrats Rafa!
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thats exactly how i saw the match! he was way to passive. he may have got a 6-0 2nd set but it was only because ledovskikhs head dropped and he sprayed errors all over the place.
i thought this would have been the perfect match for nadal to try and be agressive, as he was never gonna lose it. if he dosen't practice being up on the baseline against lower ranked players hows he gonna pull it off against better players when he needs to do it.
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Well done, Rafa, for winning this 2nd round match. 
I didn't expect from Rafa to play agressively today. I think his confidence is still building up. He said in Rotterdam vs Seppi he experienced a mental break-down and that he was not very confident when he started playing Dubai. He'll need few more wins to become more confident and start playing more agressively. Yeah, Rafa is running out of time, the QF is not going to be easy, he'll have to step it up if he wants to win.
Bamos, Rafa.
I didn't expect from Rafa to play agressively today. I think his confidence is still building up. He said in Rotterdam vs Seppi he experienced a mental break-down and that he was not very confident when he started playing Dubai. He'll need few more wins to become more confident and start playing more agressively. Yeah, Rafa is running out of time, the QF is not going to be easy, he'll have to step it up if he wants to win.
Bamos, Rafa.
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Well... you have a point about this having been the perfect occasion for Raf to try to be more aggressive in a match - but on the other hand, he probably knew very well that he was going to beat this eh... mug with ease, and might have chosen to save energy for upcoming matches. :shrug:i thought this would have been the perfect match for nadal to try and be agressive, as he was never gonna lose it. if he dosen't practice being up on the baseline against lower ranked players hows he gonna pull it off against better players when he needs to do it.
Just my guess...
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Well done, Rafa, for winning this 2nd round match.
I didn't expect from Rafa to play agressively today. I think his confidence is still building up. He said in Rotterdam vs Seppi he experienced a mental break-down and that he was not very confident when he started playing Dubai. He'll need few more wins to become more confident and start playing more agressively. Yeah, Rafa is running out of time, the QF is not going to be easy, he'll have to step it up if he wants to win.
Bamos, Rafa.
unfortunately his game is not where it should have been already. he will probably get by Roddick or Mathieu but it will be difficult to derail Djokovic in the semis.
i realize he has some natural limitations on hard courts due to his very heavy topspin strokes but he can still make his life little easier by serving better, returning better, and better fitness. this russian clown doesnt count. its about dealing with better players on hard courts.
Levovskikh is known as a bad plyaer with one of the worst returns so it's not a suprise.
He served and played ok in a first set though.
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playing someone as useless as him ...... Nadal would expect to lose only 8 pts.
this guy would have been beaten in Q1 had he played anyone half decent.
this guy would have been beaten in Q1 had he played anyone half decent.
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I think you should change your username to ClayCaptainObvious
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Rafa really didn't bother to experiment in this match :shrug:
Good fight, Mikhail. I think you showed what you can do in the first set. Unfortunately, he also showed that a Top 100 position is highly unlikely. He served much better than I have seen him do though!
Good fight, Mikhail. I think you showed what you can do in the first set. Unfortunately, he also showed that a Top 100 position is highly unlikely. He served much better than I have seen him do though!
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Wow difficult draws this Nadal gets lately eh
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but thats my point! whats more exhausting, playing 5 feet behind the baseline chasing down balls and wearing down an oponent, or playing on the baseline going for winners, he will miss some but against ledovskikh it realy wasn't going to matter.
playing the way he did today djokovic will beat him, so he might as well have tried to be agressive especialy as ledovskikh is slow moving, why let the guy dictate, when that was the only way ledovskikh can win a point?
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Because 'lingering five feet behind the baseline chasing balls' is Rafa's Comfort Zone-way of playing. He knowns for sure he'll win such a match against a qualifier (who mysteriously made his way into the 2nd round) with ease playing like that.
I agree with you that I'd like to see him play more aggressive as well, but for some reason he just won't do it. You can call it a flaw in his tactics - but in this case I'm sure he knew exactly what he was doing.
Indeed - playing against Djoko will require very different tactics, let's just wait and see what Raf will try and do against him.
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