TENNIS – It’s easy to understand why Rafa Nadal might have appeared to be playing sluggish, tentative and unaggressive tennis at the start of the European clay-court season. It’s total war on red clay. It’s a long war. Maybe too long for one human being to go full speed from start to the finish line. James Beck
Interviews, results, order of play, draws of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome
It’s easy to understand why Rafa Nadal might have appeared to be playing sluggish, tentative and unaggressive tennis at the start of the European clay-court season.
It’s total war on red clay.
It’s a long war.
Maybe too long for one human being to go full speed from start to the finish line, although Nadal has made a mockery of that analysis for much of his career.
Even the top horse must pace himself
This battle might be compared to the Kentucky Derby.
If the top horse comes out of the gate too aggressively, the horse is likely to fold before the finish line. Instead, for maximum results, the jockey must pace the horse to some extent. Even the great ones and possible great ones such as California Chrome.
When the finish line comes into focus, aggression and tenacity become critical to success.
Nadal obviously was pacing himself in Monte Carlo and Barcelona where he suffered quarterfinal losses to fellow Spaniards David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro. The ultimate red-clay prize is a week away in Paris.
Nadal is still in his prime at 27 years old, but playing four clay-court events leading into the French Open can drain a player’s intensity, especially one who plays with as much intensity as Nadal.
Is Nadal slipping?
So, is Rafa Nadal slipping? Don’t bet on it.
He almost corralled Australia. Only his back got in the way in the final, along with explosive Stan Wawrinka.
Nadal probably will still be around in late summer in New York City. If he can stay healthy, the odds of Nadal winning a Grand Slam title or two look pretty good after the way he has won three straight three-setters in Rome, the last two coming back from a set down to defeat Mikhail Youzhny and Andy Murray.
Rafa is a totally different player in Rome than the one who started the clay-court season. He’s intense and aggressive.
He’s pulling magic out of his bag, making the type of signature shots that only Nadal in the history of men’s tennis has been able to consistently convert.
Agassi backs up Nadal
I thought it was quite significant a few days ago when Andre Agassi proclaimed Nadal and not Roger Federer was the greatest player ever. This wasn’t just a broadcaster rambling on the air, this was a sincere analysis by one of the most respected tennis players ever to play the game.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the Roger Federer supporters’ claim that Federer is the greatest, when it is impossible to back up that claim with anything other than the number of Grand Slam titles Federer has won. Agassi pointed out that Nadal’s greatness came in the Golden Age of Tennis — the Federer, Nadal, Murray and Novak Djokovic era. Agassi obviously was alluding to the fact that Federer won seven Grand Slam titles before Nadal turned 20 years old.
Of course, there isn’t a way to accurately measure a Nadal or Federer against a Rod Laver. The only thing anyone knows for sure is that they are all among the greatest players ever.
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James Beck is the long-time tennis columnist for the Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier newspaper. He can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com
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