CAMELOT FANTASIES

I did not see the match and I do not intend to.

I know this fool's game so well that I can tell what happened without ever having seen the match.


anytime it is 6-3, 6-3 or 6-2, 6-3 or something similar, it is almost too easy to tell what happened with Rafa:

1. he did not return worth a ****.

that puts too much pressure on his own serve. now add even more pressure because nole has the best return in history.

2. extrapolating from the first, it was almost academic that he would lose his serve at least 3 times and he did.  that number easily could have been 4.

he got just one chance break and he was not able to capitalize.

3. all this also leaves him out of position as he is almost always behind the 8 ball. and you cant do that against a player like nole who is a machine off both wings.



rafa won everything in sight last year so he did not lose because of confidence issues. he lost because of practice issues.

he is not working hard enough on his game and his fitness and it is showing.


nole on the other hand said that he has sworn to outwork everybody and it shows.


I cant make it anymore simple than that. if you want to beat nole than you have to win the long rally.

that entails it all: you get the ball back on returns, engage him in battle/rally, and you win the long rally. if you win majority of the rallies you can start to get yourself in a winning position.


same with the serve: you serve big possible but if not then you spin the serve in deep and you get into the rally. same thing all over again. you engage him in battle/rally and you win the long rally. you again try to win the majority of the long rallies when serving also.


you can shatter anybody to pieces if you can do that.


you want to win the match? win the long rally.

rafa has always been able to do that which is why he has the highest winning percentage in the sport. the trick is to practice hard enough so you can keep doing that on the biggest of stages. this was a fairly big stage so it is another opportunity lost.


no real worries. clay is the wellspring from which he flows so that is where he will hit his stride once again. and then he can take it from there.

but he has to step up his practice starting right away.