posted Feb 27, 2008

To be honest, I don't think anyone could completely change the fundamentals of their game for a different surface. To be fair he has tweaked his game to have success on grass and to an extent on HC but I don't think it is possible to completley change basic fundamentals i.e. grips, swing etc. that he has been using all his tennis playing career.

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posted Feb 27, 2008

I don't think he can either Uncle Toni, there are a lot of flat ball hitters out there on tour, and it is unlikely that he can change his court positioning, swing style, grip, and strike point all for hardcourt events. I think he is a good enough athlete to do it, but I just think it is very hard to make such a complete overhaul and change. Well there is no shame in being the greatest clay courter in the game.

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posted Feb 27, 2008

Uncle T

I think you summed it up pretty well - I do not see Rafa being a consistent hard court winner as it is near impossible to change what is essentially your style.

He has adappted elements and done well on grass, but essentially his game is made for clay for as long as he can keep up the sheer physicality

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posted Feb 28, 2008

I agree with all the comments and the only way Nadal could win on HC is to end the points that much quicker. Go for more winners instead of trying to grind down the players, who knows that Nadal will always have the upper hand the longer the rallies go on. So if Nadal aims for winners, on the line, which is risky because his unfault errors will increase. So in conclusion, if he ended the rallies quicker than he does, he stands a chance of winning a GS on HC.

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posted Feb 28, 2008

Yes Nadal has been found wanting on hard courts, but I honestly can't see anyone else lifting the trophy at Roland Garros. His game as you will all acknowledge is perfect for clay.Should be his 4th title for the mantelpiece.

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posted Feb 28, 2008

i think Djokovic is threat to the number two ranking. he playing better on hardcourts, But it also depends in the big tournaments who draws will be, because djokovic can beat also federer know.

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posted Feb 28, 2008

Nadal is a great player and always fights which ever surface he plays on. The problem is that Nadal cant improve anymore, he's reached his peak. He will always have success on any surface but I feel there are players ready to take him out now. Federer is just too consistant on every surface to be cought in the rankings and with no points to defend in the next 3 tourns after Dubai, theres no chance of him losing that ranking anytime soon.

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posted Feb 29, 2008

But also forget that he made the semi-finals in Australian, and he always is in the later stages of the big masters tournaments, he don't loose much in the first two rounds.

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posted Feb 29, 2008

I think the player who has yet to prove any 'consistency' (and staying power) is Djokovic. We have still to see if he will be able to defend his previous year's points in the way Federer and Nadal are both capable of.

As for Nadal: when you've been world number 2 for almost three years, have reached an ATP entry point total only second to Federer's record (better than Sampras, that is), are the world's best on clay (by miles), the world's second best on grass, and have won Masters Series (and recently reached a Grand Slam semifinal) on hardcourt, I fail to see where any real measure of 'inconsistency' comes into your performance!!

True, he's still not cracked hardcourts but IMO that's a matter of confidence rather than technique or style. If only he always played with the confidence he had in Indian Wells last year, when he pulverized Andy Roddick on his way to lifting the title!!

This year he has been playing well on hardcourt. He says he doesn't know why he lost his concentration against Seppi in Rotterdam... well I think that after pocketing the first set, he began thinking of the points he was going to add to his total by winning there, and he let the match slip away from him. I don't see Nadal letting such a (rare for him) thing happen again and neither do I see Djokovic having the physical or mental strength to manage to catch him this year let alone surpass him or Federer, unless either gets injured...

Let me quote from Eurosport:

ATP Tour - Ilie in the Desert
Eurosport - Fri, 29 Feb 12:54:00 2008

There are now three contenders for the top spot in the world, though.

Rafael Nadal is still there, don't count Nadal out because this is the time he's playing his best tennis in the spring when he's been unbeatable the last few years.

Remember that he's won three straight French Opens in a row, of course, and is headed for a fourth one.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/29022008/58/atp-tour-ilie-desert.htm

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posted Feb 29, 2008

Agree mono. I think sometimes we take for granted how good these players actually are and how difficult it is to make the semis, finals of tournaments week after week- which Nadal does. I think Nadal sometimes doesn't get the credit he deserves because as you say he never loses in the early rounds that much, he'll always win a couple of matches and run into someone playing really well- after all only one man is left to hold the trophy.

However, I still think that to actually win a HC GS Nadal would have to make basic fundamental changes to his game. The reason he does so well at IW and Miami is that the surface really suits his game. For Nadal to do well, he needs time on the ball to set up his swings which is why a slow high bouncing HC benefits him. For me Nadal is in about the top 10 in HC as there are a lot of players that can beat him. I just feel that with his grip, techniques and style it will be very difficult for him to succeed on a fast HC i.e. the US Open. The surface doesn't take his spin well and players can literally hit him off the ground. However, as katada said, Nadal is Nadal and IMO he will always be a contender for any tournament.

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