CAMELOT FANTASIES

Didn't want to leave a pic of Djokovic as the last thing in Lady TT's thread... I know she is not a big fan.

So here is an article yesterday from Sky Sports, Barry Cowan:

Rafael Nadal has lost his fear factor as next generation make their mark

Personally, I wouldn't be worried about young Thiem, after all, youngsters are supposed to challenge the older players eventually and push them out.
What is more worrying is that someone like Cuevas from Rafa's generation and others even older are having success against Rafa. 
Pablo Cuevas is 6 months older than Rafa born on New Year's day 1986.
Cuevas has undoubtedly worked hard on his fitness.  He finished off Rafa late at night while Pella was resting, and came back the next day and snatched the title in 3 sets.

The whole world of tennis reporting thinks that Rafa is having a crisis in confidence, and losing his nerve, but for me it all stems from two things:

1. Greater Dedication/Motivation needed to:
2. Work harder on his fitness and game

When you have the fire inside to work harder, success and results follow, and that builds confidence.
For me, we haven't seen that fire from Rafa since losing the Australian Open final in 2014. 
Actually it began earlier, in 2011 when he said he lost his passion for the game, but he was able to take a long break and restored the passion for awhile in 2013.

Yes, he won Roland Garros in 2014, and 4 other lesser titles since then, but 2014 RG was mostly won on inertia, and other players fear of Rafa on clay.
So Cowan makes a good point; other players do not fear Rafa anymore.  Why?

These players are on the court and in the locker room with Rafa and can see and feel close up what we here at Camelot have been seeing for the past few years.
Sadly, but inevitably I suppose, he is a shadow of his former self.  It happens to all players eventually, great and small. 
The great topspin players don't last as long; it's a brutal way to play tennis and the body and mind have to be extremely dedicated to play that game.

I just wanted to add that all should still respect what Rafa has done in the game. 
He is still #5 in the world even with these problems, perhaps due to the aging of the tour combined with the youngsters not coming up to speed fast enough.
Some forums have lots of people laughing and enjoying Nadal's decline. 
This is not respect and quite sad for one of the greatest players the tennis world has ever seen, and frankly idiotic, since it will happen to their favorites eventually. 
NO human is immune to Father Time.

Respectfully,
masterclass

Arthur Ashe comes to mind general masterclass.


who is the oldest to win RG?

Quote from: thetruth on March 08, 2016, 11:22:59 pm

I just heard about Sharapova's press conference. WTH! I heard that she can be stripped of her trophies. Is that true? Unbelievable.

Lady TT, no it is not true. 

The drug she was caught taking, meldonium, was only put on the prohibited list as of Jan 1, 2016. 

But it was on the monitored list for a year.  This is a list where its use is monitored to see how many athletes are taking advantage of it, to help deterrmine if it is being used to enhance performance.  In WADA's (World Anti-Doping Agency) judgement it was, so they added it to the 2016 prohibited list in September 2015.  They and WTA sent notices to all players, and not only 1.  According to recent info, no less than 5 notices were sent, some of them specifically mentioning meldonium.

She has said she has taken it for 10 years via a family doctor, but during that time it was not illegal according to the WADA code. 
However, it was also not a drug available for purchase in the USA.  It could be bought in Eastern Europe, and Russia.

She may have been unethical at most during that time, knowing she was taking something to enhance her performance.

The worst that will happen is that she:

1.  Loses all her money and points from the Australian Open,  This is almost certain, unless they manage to argue successfully for a backdated TUE (Therapeutic Use Excemption) which allows her to legally use it based on a previously existing medical condition.

2., Could be suspended up to 4 years.  More likely is 1-2 years.

3. Lose sponsorships left and right costing her perhaps hundreds of millions in the short term, and who knows what in the long term.  NIKE alone is worth 70 million/year.  They and Porsche have suspended their arrangement, watchmaker TAG Heuer will not renew her contract.

4. Her reputation may be greatly tarnished, even though she flatly acknowledged her mistake immediately.  It was said that she had the potential to be a billionaire.  Not sure if that's going to happen now.

The thing that boggles the mind is that the normally meticulous and by all accounts intelligent Sharapova and her team, did not stop using it in time with all the notice given.  She says it was a mistake.  Well, that mistake is going to cost her a bundle.

There may be more going on behind the scenes than meets the eye.  As you know, Tennis (ITF) recently came under heavy criticism in relation to failing to followup on match fixing allegations with a lackadaisical attitude by them and their Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU).  Some theorists believe that maybe Maria was sacrificed to steer the attention away from the match fixing issues and the TIU, and try to put the ITF Anti-Doping division in a favorable light by catching a big fish.  Recall that Maria had sunk to #7, has been injured, and may not have played for awhile anyway.

Respectfully,
masterclass