[tennischick]

Federer untouchable for now, says Nadal

Mon Sep 12, 2005 10:42 AM BST170

By Alastair Himmer

BEIJING (Reuters) - World number two Rafael Nadal said on Monday he was still a long way off catching Swiss master Roger Federer at the top of the world rankings.

French Open champion Nadal paid tribute to Federer's successful defence of his U.S. Open title at the weekend but the Spanish teenager believes he has time on his side.

"Roger Federer is the best player in the world. He wins everything," Nadal told reporters in Beijing at this week's China Open.

"He's lost only three matches this year. It's amazing. I can't be number one this year but I'm still very young. I'm 19 years old and I have many years to be number one."

Nadal has won nine ATP tour titles this year -- just one fewer than Federer -- but is looking to bounce back quickly from his shock third-round exit at the U.S. Open.

"I'm still happy with my season," said Nadal, who plays Taiwan's Wang Yeu-Tzuoo in his Beijing opener on Tuesday. "I've won a lot of tournaments and that gives me confidence. I'm improving every year. It's a normal evolution."

Nadal has already qualified for the year-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai but he pledged to try and prove he was more than a clay court bully for the rest of the season.

"I know I can play well on hard courts," he said. "I won in Montreal and I've won a lot of matches. It's just my mentality. I need to be more aggressive, especially on grass and indoors.

"What's most important to me now is to improve and improve."

Argentina's Guillermo Coria and David Nalbandian, as well as fellow Spaniard and mentor Carlos Moya, are among those who stand in Nadal's way at the $1.1 million China Open.

The women's tournament begins on Monday with five of the world's top 10 players involved.

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/news

 

[vincayou]

Don't improve too much please.

 

[Shabazza]

"I know I can play well on hard courts," he said. "I won in Montreal and I've won a lot of matches. It's just my mentality. I need to be more aggressive, especially on grass and indoors.

"What's most important to me now is to improve and improve."

he got that right!

 

[R.Federer]

it is good to have nadal, berdych, gasquet on the Tour : three young men who have given competition to Roge. People want some competition, then these young few plus marat and andi and leyton will always give that, but i think especially nadal

 

[adee-gee]

Rafa's just kidding, he knows he's better than him

 

[Merton]

It is all about match ups, i think Roger will never be quite comfortable with Nadal and Berdych the way he feels with Lleyton and Andy, and yes, the youngsters have a lot of improving to do. It will get very interesting in the immediate future, sooner maybe than most people realize.

 

[Scotso]

Rafael has a really good head on his shoulders.

 

[gillian]

"I know I can play well on hard courts," he said. "I won in Montreal and I've won a lot of matches. It's just my mentality. I need to be more aggressive, especially on grass and indoors.

"What's most important to me now is to improve and improve."http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/news

I love his ambition.

 

[PaulieM]

I can't be number one this year but I'm still very young. I'm 19 years old and I have many years to be number one.

please stop hanging out with sharapova

 

[1sun]

nadal doesnt give up the race for no1, it was taken away from him

 

[landoud]

i respect him very much for saying that... and he is right ,time is on his side

 

[alfonsojose]

nadal doesnt give up the race for no1, it was taken away from him

good point. Rafa has no chance even if Roger doesn't play anymore this year. It's over for him

 

[Fedex]

Rafael has a really good head on his shoulders.

I agree with this.

 

[lucashg]

please stop hanging out with sharapova

:lol:

Well, no doubt I expect him to close the race with Federer on hardcourts and in a smaller pace, indoors (hard and carpet) and grass. There's also the upcoming youngsters that I also think we'll have a good year in 2006 and hopefully some resurgent big names, not to mention the 'Big Four'.

 

[oneandonlyhsn]

I can't be number one this year but I'm still very young. I'm 19 years old and I have many years to be number one."

Rafa dont sing the Sharapova song plz

 

[Galaxystorm]

During the year Nadal has always said it was impossible to reach nº1 Race ranking and his main goal was to keep second position. Then this new was already known

 

[R.Federer]

During the year Nadal has always said it was impossible to reach nº1 Race ranking and his main goal was to keep second position. Then this new was already known

This is not correct. There are interviews you can find also on MTF when it was possible for him to get it (before U.S.O) and he was trying for it. I find one where he is says: "He’s (Federer) one of the best players in history, but I know that the state of number one is really possible for me now," Nadal said on Tuesday at a news conference in Halle.

I think I read somewhere on MTF that if Roge would retire from all tournaments in 2005 to be played , and rafa would win at least 2 more T.M.S plus the T.M.C then he can be number 1. So it is not impossible in theory, but in practice probably so

 

[LCeh]

I think I read somewhere on MTF that if Roge would retire from all tournaments in 2005 to be played , and rafa would win at least 2 more T.M.S plus the T.M.C then he can be number 1. So it is not impossible in theory, but in practice probably so

Hmm, I looked it up...

I am no expert at this, but from what I can tell, Rafa can't gain any points even if he wins the China Open. I am not too sure what other optionals Rafa entered, but I think someone said he entered Basel, which gives him 50 race points, which will give him a 15 race points boost. If he wins the remaining 2 TMS and the Masters cup without losing any matches in the RR, he would gain another 350 points, so total would be 365, and that would be 1218 points in total, which would put him 8 points in front of Roger I believe. So yea, theoratically he still has a chance I think.

 

[Galaxystorm]

This is not correct. There are interviews you can find also on MTF when it was possible for him to get it (before U.S.O) and he was trying for it. I find one where he is says: "He’s (Federer) one of the best players in history, but I know that the state of number one is really possible for me now," Nadal said on Tuesday at a news conference in Halle.

In my opinion this setence " I know that the state of number one is really possible for me now " is quite abstract and in no case he's talking about a concrete data to reach number one position . I think in this setence , which was said just after winning French open , he means that after his first Grand Slam victory he realized he had the level enough to reach number one in the future.

The only thing i can say is Nadal in a lot of interviews has said 1) Nowadays Federer is better than him . 2) It was impossible to reach number one position this year .

Now i will post a link to a new, where Nadal on 24th of July said : " It is not possible to be No. 1. I will be happy to be No. 2," Nadal said. "It's a rivalry with Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin "

Link : http://www.etaiwannews.com/Sports/2005/07/24/1122196419.htm

 

[R.Federer]

Now i will post a link to a new, where Nadal on 24th of July said : " It is not possible to be No. 1. I will be happy to be No. 2," Nadal said. "It's a rivalry with Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin "

Link : http://www.etaiwannews.com/Sports/2005/07/24/1122196419.htm

Thank you for this link. Yes, this is correct. Because before Wimbledon it is possible for rafa to catch Federer if he (Roge) did not win Wimbeldon and rafa would do well there (the link I gave was interview at Halle, where this was still possible for rafa). After Wimbledon it has become very difficult, and now it is only possible in the theory but probably not realistic. And link you gave is after Wimbledon has been over, where rafa will understand that it is probably not likely

Next year, will be different, because start from zero in the race and it is possible then.