CAMELOT FANTASIES

Last year - I was here, same event, same weeks of the year, same everything, except one thing.. I had ZERO expectations. Rafa was coming off the .... you all know this.. 7 months off, one final at Vina Del Mar (loss), and two tourney wins at Sao Paulo and Acapulco- his Golden Swing. So, when I prepared to come here last year (Indian Wells) I had hopes- but was very short on expectations. I was, as we all were, blown away by Rafa's triumph on the desert hard courts. At that point, again we remembered- this is Rafa Nadal- maybe he REALLY CAN DO ANYTHING. However, when I renewed my box seats I knew that lightening rarely strikes twice in the same place, and a year apart to nearly the day. As I think you know, Maria is also my favorite, so I was feeling quite high, feet weren't on the ground for days and days. I renewed my tickets for this event the morning of March 18th. The final was March 17th. I've looked forward to this event for a year.

The last time I had entered the stadium prior to this week, I had recalled the departing view of my last visit- Raining purple, silver, green confetti on a newly crowned champion at Indian Wells, a miraculous achievement by all athletic standards when one looks upon where he had been 9 months before. I have such fond memories of that and I will never forget them. This could get ramble-some, but I will try to compose this as best I can as so much is running through my mind with the loss of both my champions today.

After Maria and Rafa played their first matches, I didn't have GREAT expectations, as I said, I didn't come with many this year or last, and didn't expect a repetition of last year's glory. However, I didn't quite expect this either. Thankfully, (or luckily), I am a tennis fan and not just a Masha/Rafa fan, so I will enjoy the rest of my time here. On balance, however, this is my retrospective of the journey so far.

I've had a great tournament thus far. I have met the players I wanted to meet, received great compliments, and met excellent people that I tweet with. I have a wealth of joy to take from this tourney. I am a bit phased right now, but I will be fine. It will hurt tomorrow when it really sinks in that both my favorites have been ousted far too soon for my liking, but that is the nature of sport. Both of my favorites are great champions and great winners AND losers, they are tough, tougher than us soft-hearted fans that just want to see our players do well. We almost have an expectation that when we come to see them, they must win for us. That is a misguided and selfish ideation, but I digress.

Rafa had great practices, I didn't attend Maria's, as she practices out in what I call the Mashalands *marshlands* of IW, as she has had bad experiences with photographers in the past taking rude photos of her and the likes, so she practices on a smaller court, practice court 9, henceforth to be referred to as PC9. (Rafa is always showcased on the 'SHOW Practice Courts'- PC1 and PC2 with grandstands- this tournament really is the FAN'S tournament and I highly advise you add it to your list if you attend events. That's was my plug to IW- they make everything SO easy. Practices are scheduled and the schedule is posted, there is seating available on PC1 and PC2 and others as well. It is a really easy tournament to gain access to player autographs and photos! Highly recommended to the fan that has the desire to stalk the practice courts and autograph seek.)

Now, to today. Wellsageddon, if I must name it. My own little earthquake in the desert occurred this day session, and I am not devastated, just bummed. It will pass. I think of all that these players have contributed to my life and I can't let this loss be the definition of my experience down here this tournament, and refuse to put any blame on them- they played their guts out- as they are both wont to do- ALWAYS.

I know I am straying. I am sorry, just a lot swirling.

So, now to Rafa Nadal, in my opinion, the hardest working athlete I can think of, and I am a Messi fan, (FC Barcelona), thus I am saying a lot when I call him the 'hardest working athlete'. He practices with full gusto. He doesn't spend a second of practice goofing around. I saw Monfils, whom I love, play a game of 'tennis bowling' for 15 minutes at the end of his session. Its no wonder the man hasn't achieved more, now I have seen it in person. Again, I digress. *If you want to know the Monfils tale, I will write it some other time, and elsewhere.

When Rafa played Stepanek, I could see his service motion has changed, he has this little devil/angel thing - the angel telling him to give it his all, the devil reminding him his body will only allow so much, and the ghost of Australian Open back pain. Knowing that he didn't practice his serve tells me a lot about why he played sooooo many practice sets out in the practice courts. He does usually play sets, but against Wawrinka, he played BALLS OUT, and again, Robredo, he played hard, but the level of Robredo's game doesn't lend itself to the same type of practice sets as the 2 he played with Stan. He practiced for an hour before even venturing into sets. He has his routine and he sticks to it. Then he started sets. This man practices for 2 hours or more on off days, so no one can tell ME that he wasn't practicing enough. The devil was reminding him not to serve too wildly, as  his back could easily be injured again. He said in his presser- (ad lib) it wasn't his back that was the problem, in his mind, it was his backhand and forehand, nothing more.

The match against Steps, however, showed me that the lack of practice on his serve post Oz was on his mind and bothering him. However, during practice he worked  mostly on his corners, down the line shots, and the backhand down the line, which was gleeful. Then when he would play sets, they would play proper sets. My evaluation of his play versus Stepanek is multifaceted. He had issues with the serve, Steps came out with the knowledge that Rafa was not 100% (or so I assume- as that's all I can do) and he took it to Rafa. He was lucky to win this match. Rafa has lost two matches this year, both to players he had never dropped a single set to. That is telling about his sharpness on the court. Tonight, against Dolgopolov, he was clearly not happy- he said in presser- he was not happy with the match pace- it was evident. He was burned more times than I've seen against anyone, sans Djokovic, on the forehand corner tonight and against Steps.

My only explanation is this, the man cannot quit doing what he loves. Zebras don't change their stripes and Rafael doesn't adjust passion for body - unless body says HALT! I don't believe body said HALT - I believe he was simply outplayed. He has nothing to prove to me, or anybody for that matter. He only could want to be proving to himself, because he has everything else down to a science. I am no Rafa expert. I am no tennis expert. I am simply a fan that reports what she sees. He was outplayed.. he scored more points *7, I think* than Dolgo, but tennis is the fairest of sports when it comes to scores, its which points he wins and when, not the total number.  I find this both frustrating as a fan and fascinating. It makes the sport all the more heartbreaking and breathtaking - its a quandary for me to decide if its good or bad, but I love tennis, so it is what it is, not for me to say if its good or bad,  it is what it is.

In retrospect, I came here with a LOT less than I am leaving with, mostly alllllll good. This was hard to watch. The demise of both my players on the same day, but that is sport. I am a passionate fan, but mostly I am concerned one. I don't want my players hurting and it was clear that they were, Maria seemed physically to have pain in the shoulder, as usual, and Rafa, emotionally. He just was so annoyed with himself. That's hard for me to digest. In the end, he could have won or lost, *duh*. What I mean is, it could have gone either way. It just didn't go his way tonight. I give Dolgopolov MAJOR props for his effort and improvement over the years. I also feel like he needed this win. With what is going on in his homeland, this has to be a positive distraction. I don't have any ill will towards him, and Rafa would be ashamed of us (tsk tsk) if he thought we did feel badly toward his opponents simply because he was bested by them.

I don't 'review' tennis matches point by point. I look at it as a whole. As a whole, it was an exciting match *both were* but I can say I am deflated- probably overly fatigued as well.

I will close this with a few of the moments that were highlights, getting my autographs three times, talking to him about the shoes, meeting Maymo, getting Maymo's autograph, and of course, violating Maymo's precious hands.. (kiss on the knuckle. There are worse things that one could conjure up, I was being kind. They are the hands that help maintain our champion's physiotherapy, and that is priceless.)

My moments of glee are abundant, countless, and unforgettable. Its sad to see him go, but as he said...

'He played better than me, life continues" - Rafa Nadal

and as I said... nobody died, so my life will go on. I love him (and Maria) and I will always take this with me as a hard experience, but one that I will learn from- about myself, my own resilience and the resilience that every tennis player must have to go week in and out losing and winning and losing again, and getting up every day to do it again. So, like the players I adore so much, I will get up and do it all over again, maybe at a slower pace, maybe with less of a bounce in my step, not so much gusto - but I am a tennis fan and always will be, and Rafael Nadal is a force to be reckoned with, any day of the week and ....

Life continues....

Quote from: Rafalution on March 11, 2014, 05:39:54 pm

I will even watch him strike that tiny white ball *golf* if that is what he decides to do next.... Love him for all you have said and more. The feelings around the grounds have changed. The excitement and buzz is sorta gone. So, its a different perspective for me than had I been the armchair umpire. Very different feeling when one is AT the event. Love your passion for him. He is a taskmaster. He just does his business. I love him as the person I know he is and love him at the top of his game and bottom of lowest lows. Thanks for the reply!!!

I will too, Rafalution. The first time I saw that man I was hooked. I had never seen anyone compete with such ferocity and passion. I told those around me, "this boy is special," before he even won his first FO.

I know what you mean about the buzz. The first time Rafa came to the Cincinnati Masters we had to park near the highway it was so packed. There was a buzz and electricity in the air that was unparalleled. They actually needed shuttle buses to pick up the people from where they parked their cars (which they had not foreseen).

I've seen many players at the Cincinnati tournament and only Rafa and Serena generated that kind of buzz and electricity. Pete brought a lot of buzz too, but not quite to the level of Rafa's.

I think the ATP and the commentators did Rafa a horrible disservice in not properly marketing Nadal. They were so hell bent on (sorry) shoving Federer down our throats that they tried to make Rafa the anti-hero. What's even more impressive is that it didn't work. Rafa's stature in the game comes directly from his fan base. He fills the stadium without the usual media hype.

When we first started watching Rafa my sister said, "that boy needs to be studied," and I agree. There is so much to learn from Rafa. That's why we watch him. That plus, he's hot too, LOL.