My post disappeared, I think.
I see Rafa will be seeded according to his rank. Does this mean if he doesn't win the next two tournaments his seeding can drop even further, before the French?
yes. prepare to see him drop like a rock. I am worried to death about it.
he should have gone and played a clay event. that would have made all the difference in the world.
there are small clay events all around.
andy and Federer are playing to get some matches under their belt.
nole does not have to. he wins every tournament he enters anyway. he has nobody that can stop him now on any surface.
nole is also very focused. he is working night and day on his game and his fitness.
they all want him too but he has people and team in place to take care of all that. he is just focused on his game and his fitness.
he is not so damned sharp and so fit by accident.
but anyway lets just hope there is no injury and that he is healthy going into paris.
it may be difficult to defend his 1000 points in Madrid. I am just hoping for 3-4 matches and that is if he gets a very kind draw.
fognini is as useless as they get on clay. he had not won a single match in Barcelona in over 5 years.
so I don't know what Rafa has to do win 3-4 matches in Madrid.
this is very questionable stuff: he has not have enough match play and practice. he wasted way too much critical time and now it is going to take a damn miracle to win RG.
he really should have gone to estoril, munich, or Istanbul to get a few matches under his belt.
like general masterclass said, he has 1000 points to defend in Madrid and finals points in rome.
at the current rate I cant see him winning either of these 2 events.
I am just hoping that he gets 3-4 matches in Madrid and another 3-4 in rome.
and then he just takes his best shot in paris. maybe somebody can derail nole there.
uncle tony is also hoping for the same thing: he is thinking that if we can make a good showing in Madrid and rome then perhaps we arrive in Paris with a little more confidence.
I wont give up on Rafa ever but he has made things very hard on himself after his 14th major.
I am just worried to death that with such diminished fitness he can get injured. one more serious injury and the career is over.
his game is very heavily dependent on fitness and physicality.
right now he has to win his matches without his fitness and his physicality. and he has to do it with very limited match play and practice.
so at least tony was right: we need luck this time around.
lets hope for the best. maybe he can reach very deep and find the resources and his relentless will again and get it done anyway.