CAMELOT FANTASIES

here is the draw :


http://www.atpworldtour.com/Share/Event-Draws.aspx?Year=2014&EventId=425&Draw=ms

While I am happy to see both Gulbis and Nishi back in action this week, this is still a weak field given that Del Potro, Isner, Murray, Wawrinka, Nole, Dimitrov, Berdych etc. are all missing. At least some of them should have been here.

I am all aware of everyone's injury. That wasn't the point. The point is, too many players are missing and that leaves the field pretty weak. I wish some of them were there though I am very convinced some of them are deliberately avoiding this event.

And Andy didn't skip MC because of a few niggles. He's in search of a new coach that he hopes to find before RG and he was also busy supporting Kim who had just finished running a marathon. And there are a couple of other matters. Nothing to do with injuries.

so it will be ramos who will be facing rafa tomorrow.

here are all the scores:

http://www.tennisexplorer.com/live/#inscore_ifheight_xdc_7079

Barcelona is a VIT for Rafa - Very Important Tournament.  He must make the final at least or he is in danger of not being ready for Roland Garros.

He put so much time on the hard courts, and almost no time preparing on the clay, he somehow forgot how to play the right way on clay at Monte Carlo, even though he is one of, if not the greatest clay court players in history?  No.  He knows how to play on clay, he just hasn't practiced enough on clay for himself to get the right rhythm and feeling on it. 

Maybe it was due to his back, as some say.  But why the back? In  my opinion it started at the end of last year.  He went on the exhibition tour, made a lot of money, but didn't prepare enough for the new year.  It has cost him fitness and training he needed, and he went into the AO without it, and we know the rest.  He has given himself almost no time to prepare properly for the clay season and it shows.

He only played 3 matches on the clay at Monte Carlo.  That's further reduced his preparation for RG. There is a vicious cycle that can occur if you don't get enough preparation. You lose early in tournaments and don't get enough matches.  You have little time to prepare between tournaments, so you must depend on the matches in each tournament to prepare you. But if you go out early, you don't get them.

There are 5 possible matches each at Barcelona, Madrid, and Rome if he makes the final in each of them.

General Hercules will tell you the significance of # of clay court matches for Rafa prior to RG. 

He needs to stop that vicious cycle in its tracks right here in Barcelona.  He said a few days ago that he now feels great physically.  Let's see if he can do it.

History awaits him at Roland Garros, but it won't wait forever.

Respectfully,
masterclass

that is a fantastic post.


folks general masterclass and I have talking about this for years but nobody ever listens to us.


he is not in a bloody slump. he neglected clay so the clay is neglecting him back.

rafa knew this: he knew that this was the single most important clay season of his career.

he totally ignored it and wasted 15 good days after losing early in indian wells.

why? for money and for a few cheap points in Miami. he knew he would get some weak players early on in that event.

so he got his money in Oregon and in Miami.

and now it may cost him the slam that he owns. he pretty much has to win Barcelona, and rome. that will get his momentum and his confidence going in the right direction. Madrid is not too terribly important at the moment but that title would help as well as long as he doesn't spend too much physical and metal capital in getting it.


NIKE sent him a jet and a ton of money to come to Oregon. and all the while serious players like nole were already training very hard in Miami.

rafa also took in a poker tournament while in indian wells. he did the same damn thing in monte carlo. and then there were endless promotional activities and golf.


somebody tell this fool that soon he will have 65 long years on his hands to jack off with poker, fishing, sailing, golf, football, and sight seeing, and all those exos he plays.

2 years is all he has left and he has chosen to drop the focus and the intensity.

he is not in any kind of slump. he just does not feel like putting in endless hours of training on the red clay.

clay is the wellspring from which he flows.

if he starts losing on clay, he will start to lose everywhere else also. keep in mind that last year he made the final at monte carlo.

he won Barcelona, Madrid, and rome. that is where his rhythm, his ground game, and his confidence comes from.


I bet many don't know that nole practices year around on clay. that is why his ground game is so damn sharp all the time and that is why he is pretty much injury free all these years.

I listen to you and Masterclass. Your analyses make sense. I have nothing to add. It is all up to Rafa. He is guilty of everything you guys have said.

rafa is not playing well enough general masterclass so they are all dangerous for him right now.


he has no choice but to put in the hard yards as you and i have suggested. he has absolutely zero business struggling against the players he has owned for 10 years.

he did it to himself. now he has to find a way out.

and the only way out is practicing more and practicing harder even in between matches.