I am out on the road general.
Will reply to your post when I get home.
Great post general.
The deal with rafa is this:
He has significantly diminished fitness and his physicality.
It is going to be tough to beat the top players without his once supreme fitness and his physicality.
He can still take RG but will need 25-30 matches on clay---as you have accurately pointed out---and he will need some luck there this year.
Maybe finally Ferru can take Nole out there this year.
Rafa should be able to take down Ferru in a best of 5 set match at RG.
But first things first: Rafa desperately needs time on clay and he has to find a way to improve his fitness.