CAMELOT FANTASIES

Rafa could take a page from Borg's book.  He almost never played a tournament between Roland Garros and Wimbledon, as after the long clay season, he didn't really need tournament play.  But he practiced like the devil to prepare for the different surface. 

It was at the Cumberland Club in Hampstead that Borg would prepare for Wimbledon.  It was said that when he started his practice on grass he was fumbling everything because of the different timing required.  Many of the club members thought they could beat him the first couple of days of practice, he was so bad.   But by the time he left to play at Wimbledon, he had beefed up his serve, his volleys, and his timing was usually ready.   He would practice hours a day, maybe 5 or 6 with his sparring partners, maybe with his coach Bergelin, maybe with Vilas, maybe Panatta, mostly with his close friend, Vitas Gerulitais.  They would rally at first, then play sets. On days it would rain, he would move around London suburbs to courts that were not wet or sometimes indoors. Ideally he would get at least 25-30 hours of practice a week before Wimbledon, depending on the weather, of course.

It's very curious that in 1981, when he ended up losing his 5 year hold at Wimbledon to McEnroe, was the year Borg broke his practice pattern that he had since 1976.  In 1981, he stayed at the Sheridan Park Tower for the two weeks, instead of the Holiday Inn Swiss Cottage not far from the Cumberland Club. And he only practiced two days at the Cumberland Club. 

Here are a couple of good articles regarding his practice regime:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1124577/5/index.htm

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19800623&id=RbYsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PxMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3392,5116580

Respectfully,
masterclass

great stuff general. that is excellent info.



borg did not really believe in those warm-up events leading up to Wimbledon.

he felt he could get far more out his long practice sessions on grass.


also borg was always on the cutting edge: he knew he was rock solid off the ground.

what he wanted to improve was his return and he did. even to this day he attributes his 5 Wimbledon titles to his improved return.


you cant work on that in match. you have to put in the hard yards on the practice courts.