CAMELOT FANTASIES

It's official!  Rafa has accepted a wild card for Hamburg at Am Rothenbaum!



7 years after his last appearance, Rafa returns to Hamburg!


This is good news.  I wish he had played in Bastad though, but he said he couldn't commit.  He has many irons in the fire.

I suppose 4 or 5 matches on clay is better than nothing.

After Hamburg, he has a decision to make. 

1. Does he play the next week in the 250 event in Kitzbuhel, Austria on clay, the last clay event of the year?
2. Or, does he play the same week in the 500 event in Washington, DC on hard courts?
3. Or, does he skip those events and on Aug 10, go straight into the Canadian Masters in Montreal on hard courts?

I think he will choose #3.  I might advise #1 (it's beautiful there and clay court title leader Vilas won 4 titles there). Some others are advising #2.  It depends on how much he wants to work and play, knowing the two hard court masters are back to back (Cincinnati follows Canada).

Respectfully,
masterclass

the great Vilas. he was called the bull also.



Rafa wont get far at this event with his current level of play and fitness.



but the good news is that he is on clay.



you saw serena waste no time in getting on clay after Wimbledon and she won Wimbledon.


vacations are far more important to Rafa than to save his career.


I am afraid it is too late his chances for another slam unless he totally and completely rededicates himself to the sport again and engages in as much practice and match play on clay as possible until RG next year.

he allowed himself too much of a drop. only he can come back but you know it cant happen unless he wins on clay.


and for him to win on clay will require  considerable practice and match play on clay and also immense amount of work on fitness front.




this is not a sudden drop. this is a drop well over 2 years in the making.


conchita Martinez said that even Rafa does not or may not know what is happening to him. but Rafa does know. I will expound on this later in the next post.



and we know at Camelot: he has lost his relentless will and his drive to fight and win tennis matches.


and exactly why he managed to lose it right on the middle of his prime and with so close to staring down history is a topic for the tennis historians.


more on this later tomorrow.