Nadal not happy either about the scheduling..

"It's the same old story," Nadal said to Early (tournament Referee) of the decision to play in the light rain. "All you think about is money."

ESPN's Pam Shriver said Nadal appeared "venomous" after going down 0-3 to Gilles Muller before the rain delay. Their match had been postponed from Tuesday and was delayed an hour on Wednesday because of inclement weather.

In Nadal's mind, it never should have started.

He first expressed his anger with the passive-aggressive waiting game before the match. While Muller waited by the doors to walk out into Arthur Ashe Stadium, Nadal lingered in the locker room for eight minutes before joining him. He was asked about it by ESPN's Tom Rinaldi in the pre-match interview and unconvincingly blamed it on a miscommunication with the ATP:

"Sorry for that. It was a little bit of my fault but more fault from the ATP because they don't have to put to Gilles on court if I'm not ready. With the rain delays you never know when you have to go on court. I have to do all the tapes, I cannot do the tapes [30 minutes] before the match. I have to do it at the last moment and I have to know exactly when I have to go to the court. They told me that at the last minute. I thought we would go on later. What cannot happen is Gilles waiting for me. So sorry for that, sorry for Gilles, sorry for everybody."


It was a fine response even if it rang a little hollow. ESPN had been telling viewers that play was set to begin around noon ET for the previous hour. If Chris Fowler knew when Nadal was supposed to take the court, surely Nadal did too.

His later actions suggest the same. Nadal was clearly displeased during warm-ups and at the start of the match. Dispirited, he was broken in his first service game and was down 0-3 when the rain halted play. Nadal briefly exchanged words with Early and stormed off the court.

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Looks like Nadal doesn't like to wait as much as he likes to make his opponents wait.

Nadal will probably win but as usual, he has to slow things down, just always. I'd love to see a match he plays as fast as Federer, I doubt it will ever happen!

luciusmann wrote:Nadal will probably win but as usual, he has to slow things down, just always. I'd love to see a match he plays as fast as Federer, I doubt it will ever happen!

About as likely as a 30 stone wrestler eating a low-carbo salad!

luciusmann wrote:Nadal will probably win but as usual, he has to slow things down, just always. I'd love to see a match he plays as fast as Federer, I doubt it will ever happen!

It has happened: Miami 2005 final...and before.

Laughable whining. Making Muller wait isn't even worthy of report; he makes people hang around all the time; for the toss, to deliver their serves, to receive.

I guess he was much happier last year when the scheduling handed him the title?

Funny how everyone here agreed a few days ago that the USO was too money driven and the scheduling and treatment of players was cr@p - and now that Rafa says it, it's 'laughable whining'. And when Murray says it and Roddick says it, no-one says anything about them.
And I await the criticism of Donald Young for making Murray wait for 10 minutes before he appeared on court.

Julius is it not apparent to you that those knocking Nadal for his stance are staunch Federer devotees.

CC it's very apparent!

JuliusHMarx wrote:CC it's very apparent!

So Pam Shriver and ESPN are also "staunch Federer devotees"?

Tenez wrote:

JuliusHMarx wrote:CC it's very apparent!

So Pam Shriver and ESPN are also "staunch Federer devotees"?

Quite probably. Equally, on the other side of the coin, those on Sky were fully backing what Nadal had to say such as Greg Rusedski, Annabel Croft etc etc.

I didn't hear Shriver, but from what you say she simply described Nadal's mood. The Eurosport commentators described it as 'livid' and 'furious'.
I didn't hear anyone criticise him for being so, but maybe Shriver and ESPN did that and you didn't mention it.
What I also didn't hear was you commenting on Murray or Roddick for being equally angry or Young for not showing up on court on time.

Am I to assume you're applauding Rafa for expressing views very similar to those expressed on this forum recently, which you agreed with?
Or are you singling out Rafa for criticism, despite the fact that the only thing you dislike about him is his playing style?

I think Nadal is basically right in his criticisms of the USO organisers - it's pretty much what I've being saying - but making Muller wait 8 minutes was a bit off since they are both in it together.

Nadal is a little bit on the obsessive compulsive side so that if things aren't organised or to his liking he is obviously quite seriously affected. Roddick and Murray were also annoyed, but Nadal was clearly the most irritated and the match scores suggests that he was the most affected on Court too. Any player who is into gamesmanship should think about ways of putting Nadal off his rythmn - more difficult to get your way whilst Nadal is big box office and in the top 2, but it would not be the first time somebody has tried something like that.....

Detractors will use ANYTHING to discredit someone they don't like. Even if those openly have agreed that the organisation is a fiasco this incident gives them another stick to beat Rafael Nadal or should the case be - Andy Murray or Andy Roddick.

Firstly, the waiting is typical Nadal and the excuse is a lie.

Secondly, the complaining about them being all about money rings hollow because (1) he takes the money, and (2) he benefitted big time from the money-orientated scheduling last year.

The thing I agree with him on is that the court should not be played on if not in condition, but he can handle that directly with the referee at the time. He doesn't need to start throwing around insults about others being money-orientated, not while he's taking it.

Lets knock Rafa (again) - never mind Federer & Djokovic wouldn't be bothered playing in slippery conditions now would they

Dont know whats the bigger joke, the poor Scheduling or some of the posts!

JuliusHMarx wrote:Am I to assume you're applauding Rafa for expressing views very similar to those expressed on this forum recently, which you agreed with?
Or are you singling out Rafa for criticism, despite the fact that the only thing you dislike about him is his playing style?

His playing style includes his antics about making players wait at every single occasion and MTOs. SO it's very much linked.

But it's not his complaining that retained my attention in this article...it's something else. The fact he needs to have his ankles taped just before the match and not let's say 30mn before. I find this weird as it seems only him has this problem.

JuliusHMarx wrote:Funny how everyone here agreed a few days ago that the USO was too money driven and the scheduling and treatment of players was cr@p - and now that Rafa says it, it's 'laughable whining'. And when Murray says it and Roddick says it, no-one says anything about them.

I heard Murray and Roddick and they were entirely respectful about the whole thing. They didn't (to my ear) moan about the event being money-orientated, nor did they complain about officials. In fact they both gave credit to the referee for the way he lsitened and explained.

JuliusHMarx wrote:And I await the criticism of Donald Young for making Murray wait for 10 minutes before he appeared on court.

Frankly, who actually cares about Donald Young, and does he have a track record of engaging in "make him wait" behaviour before matches start and at all resets of play during the match? No, he doesn't. And I don't think he invented some transparent lie to explain away his delay, at least I haven't heard it.

BB, was anything disrespectful in Rafa's press interview? Or was it just the 'You only care about the money' comment to the official? 'Cos, blimey, that was just SO outrageous from Rafa! (Not to mention accurate)

And it's OK to keep your opponent waiting if you're outside, what, the top 10? Top 50? Top 'number after which no-one cares about the rules anymore'?
Rafa apologising publicly is worse than Young not saying anything?

bogbrush wrote:Secondly, the complaining about them being all about money rings hollow because (1) he takes the money, and (2) he benefitted big time from the money-orientated scheduling last year.

The thing I agree with him on is that the court should not be played on if not in condition, but he can handle that directly with the referee at the time. He doesn't need to start throwing around insults about others being money-orientated, not while he's taking it.

I can't agree with this. Does this mean Federer can't complain about surfaces because he still plays on them? Should Nadal have withdrawn on principle? It's very lofty and high-handed to think someone can only complain if they're willing to take a stand. If that is what you truly believe then at least judge everyone in the same way.

I can understand people being skeptical about making Muller wait, if deliberate it's rude and ignorant really. But the other stuff? The bias shines through like a beacon.

Not sure why Rafa is perceived as the 'ringleader' by the press and some posters.

The organisers are fooking useless. If anything any negativity should be aimed at them!

And as for Muller waiting, yes Young (who) Young made Murray wait 10 minutes. Appalling behaviour from both Nadal and Young agreed, but the bigger story is the useless organisers and match referee

JuliusHMarx wrote:BB, was anything disrespectful in Rafa's press interview? Or was it just the 'You only care about the money' comment to the official? 'Cos, blimey, that was just SO outrageous from Rafa! (Not to mention accurate)

And it's OK to keep your opponent waiting if you're outside, what, the top 10? Top 50? Top 'number after which no-one cares about the rules anymore'?
Rafa apologising publicly is worse than Young not saying anything?

Julius, where's all this "venomous" stuff coming from then?

As for Young, he's irrelevent. I could post about him if you like but frankly he's neither here nor there. Maybe he's a complete prat though to be fair to him, he doesn't appear to have any previous.

Look, Nadal is 100% correct about the courts - there's no way they should have been out there, it was stupid. But why not just settle it with the ref and be nice, like Murray and Roddick were? Why start chucking around stuff about money? It's gratuitous and doesn't sit well coming from a multi-millionairre who will take the prize money funded by the TV.

It's all a bit of a shambles - makes you look with renewed respect at the Wimbledon organisers who seem to manage to trouble shoot very well in extreme weather, even before the roof without the benefit of any night matches.

I think the players were all correct to make the point, I still have sympathy for the tournament referee who is trying to juggle many interests, not least the spectators.

I think Rafa was immoderate in how he made his point, but maybe it is because his English is not his first language. Roddick and Murray handled it very well.

With regards to Young - appalling and rude making Murray wait, but unfortunately when you have a previous No 1 who has done this so often that is the example you send about imposing your rhythm on a match down to the up and coming players. No tournament referee has ever pulled Rafa up on this kind of rudeness (though players like Ljubicic and others have complained) so why shouldn't the younger players do the same - thin end of the wedge and all that!

Positively 4th Street wrote:

bogbrush wrote:Secondly, the complaining about them being all about money rings hollow because (1) he takes the money, and (2) he benefitted big time from the money-orientated scheduling last year.

The thing I agree with him on is that the court should not be played on if not in condition, but he can handle that directly with the referee at the time. He doesn't need to start throwing around insults about others being money-orientated, not while he's taking it.

I can't agree with this. Does this mean Federer can't complain about surfaces because he still plays on them? Should Nadal have withdrawn on principle? It's very lofty and high-handed to think someone can only complain if they're willing to take a stand. If that is what you truly believe then at least judge everyone in the same way.

I can understand people being skeptical about making Muller wait, if deliberate it's rude and ignorant really. But the other stuff? The bias shines through like a beacon.

No, he doesn't have to withdraw - he could just do what he actually did, which was call the match off. I watched it - it wasn't Muller, the Umpire or the Ref - Nadal just told them it was no good and sat down and that did it. There, job done.

After that deal with it behind closed doors and make polite and flattering public pronouncements. No need for a hissy and a whine. No need to call peoples integrity into question (which is what the money statement is all about).

Nadal may be saying what's on our minds, but I was also surprised by him criticizing the tournament for being all about money.

Last year he lobbied hard to get the 1st SF (like he got in 2009) and did not seem to mind when he got it - the difficulty with honest but sharp public pronouncements is that you need to be consistent or you lay yourselves open to criticism by those you have attacked. You should also show solidarity with your fellow players by turning up to play when they do - whether you are Nadal or Young the failure to do so is rude.

That said - the biggest villain is obviously the USTA.

Dont know whats the bigger joke, the poor Scheduling or some of the posts!

Funny isn't it? Murray is Nadal's personal ego massager, and guess what his fans are also getting in on the act. It's very cute though in a weird stalkerish way.

BB, 'venomous' was from Shriver - don't know the context, but probably to describe his mood as he was leaving the court. In the heat of the moment it's perfectly understable, much like Federer's "don't tell me the f@cking rules" comment to the umpire a while back.

Rafa's view was that Earley was prepared to risk the safety of the players for the sake of money. Since we've all agreed previously that the USTA treat the players shabbily for the sake of money, it would hardly be a surprise if the players felt the same way.

Should he have said it courtside where it could be picked up by mikes? Probably not, but like I say, heat of the moment, no big deal.

Making Muller wait was disgraceful and p1ssed me off - same with Young - both equally at fault.

so basicaly you're all slating Nadal for what? Oh yeah, saying exactly what we were all saying yesterday (the scheduling is a disgrace, they care more about the money than the players, etc.). And did you read Murray and Roddick's interviews, they weren't that nice either.

Fair enough. I didn't hear all that, only the interview which I thought was unncecessarily "all about me". Murray and Roddick came across really well. I especially liked the slagging off of doubles by Murray.

That Federer outburst always makes me laugh. It's like, we have an idea that below the PR exterior there's a right arsy b****r and the tone of it was very true - not "this or that should be done", more "who do you think you're talking to?".
It's up there with telling Noles family to "Be Quiet!".

I accept than an anti-Fed will hate him for those but I found them funny.

Mad for Chelsea wrote:so basicaly you're all slating Nadal for what? Oh yeah, saying exactly what we were all saying yesterday (the scheduling is a disgrace, they care more about the money than the players, etc.). And did you read Murray and Roddick's interviews, they weren't that nice either.

Nadal and Young are being criticised for making their opponents wait when they were all in the same situation. That's fair enough.

Nadal is not being "slated" for talking about the USO and money - people are pointing out their surprise that he did and that coming from Nadal, who has benefitted from the USO's scheduling in the past, it makes him a bit more of a hostage to fortune than it would coming from an armchair poster. We all agree with him, we just question his wisdom in saying it.

barrystar wrote:Nadal may be saying what's on our minds, but I was also surprised by him criticizing the tournament for being all about money.

Last year he lobbied hard to get the 1st SF (like he got in 2009) and did not seem to mind when he got it - the difficulty with honest but sharp public pronouncements is that you need to be consistent or you lay yourselves open to criticism by those you have attacked. You should also show solidarity with your fellow players by turning up to play when they do - whether you are Nadal or Young the failure to do so is rude.

That said - the biggest villain is obviously the USTA.

He lobbied hard in 2008 and was publicly very p***sed off when the first semi went to Fed and said the No 1 should get it, despite Fed being defending champ. In 2009, he cited his abdominal strain and said he would be able to cope if he had first semi, in 2010 he lobbied hard again.

I am not holding my breath, but I wouldn't mind betting that although Fed will have played a few night matches, one not beginning until 11.50 pm, there will be a subtle threat in the lobbying again this year - time for Novak maybe to start asserting himself?

Like I say all Fed fans desperate for another stick to beat Nadal with - nothing more nothing less.

I think BB part of the reason Murray and Roddick came across better could be that English is their first language which it isn't for Rafa. Maybe Rafa's interview in Spanish (is there one somewhere?) would come across better too?

bogbrush wrote:I accept than an anti-Fed will hate him for those but I found them funny.

I thought it was neither here nor there, much like Rafa's 'money' comment yesterday.
Rusedski's foul-mouthed tirade at Wimby a few years ago - that was funny!

time please wrote:

barrystar wrote:Nadal may be saying what's on our minds, but I was also surprised by him criticizing the tournament for being all about money.

Last year he lobbied hard to get the 1st SF (like he got in 2009) and did not seem to mind when he got it - the difficulty with honest but sharp public pronouncements is that you need to be consistent or you lay yourselves open to criticism by those you have attacked. You should also show solidarity with your fellow players by turning up to play when they do - whether you are Nadal or Young the failure to do so is rude.

That said - the biggest villain is obviously the USTA.

He lobbied hard in 2008 and was publicly very p***sed off when the first semi went to Fed and said the No 1 should get it, despite Fed being defending champ. In 2009, he cited his abdominal strain and said he would be able to cope if he had first semi, in 2010 he lobbied hard again.

I am not holding my breath, but I wouldn't mind betting that although Fed will have played a few night matches, one not beginning until 11.50 pm, there will be a subtle threat in the lobbying again this year - time for Novak maybe to start asserting himself?

I'll eat my hat if Nadal doesn't get 1st semi-final.

CaledonianCraig wrote:Like I say all Fed fans desperate for another stick to beat Nadal with - nothing more nothing less.

Actually most Fed fans on here were very critical of the umpire's decision to give Cilic a time violation on break point for Fed the other day - so although that isn't a direct criticism of Fed himself, it does show that most are interested in fair play.

Rafa's time keeping and history for lobbying for the best semi in US are not considered fair play by many. If that is a stick to beat him with, then I hold my hand up. I think he is a great champion, but he should not be above the games or the rules, and shame on the officials who allow him to be on occasions.

Mad for Chelsea wrote:I think BB part of the reason Murray and Roddick came across better could be that English is their first language which it isn't for Rafa. Maybe Rafa's interview in Spanish (is there one somewhere?) would come across better too?

That's probably a fair point, but these guys in the public eye will know that what is said can never be unsaid, and some dark and angry thoughts are sometimes best kept to yourself however well or badly you speak the language. That said, the money comment was in the heat of the moment, which allows more slack than a calculated remark - although it's now out there.

We don't really know how wet the backs of the court were, should Nadal have adapted to the weather and perhaps not do as much retrieving than usual? Probably not as he doesn't have an edge in those sort of conditions.

What bugs me though was Nadal suggesting the tournament doesn't care about the players, oh so they are not paying you a handsome cheque after your tournament is over are they? He should be aware that even the tournament referee is under pressure himself, he won't be making these decisions on personal preference.

bogbrush wrote:

time please wrote:

barrystar wrote:Nadal may be saying what's on our minds, but I was also surprised by him criticizing the tournament for being all about money.

Last year he lobbied hard to get the 1st SF (like he got in 2009) and did not seem to mind when he got it - the difficulty with honest but sharp public pronouncements is that you need to be consistent or you lay yourselves open to criticism by those you have attacked. You should also show solidarity with your fellow players by turning up to play when they do - whether you are Nadal or Young the failure to do so is rude.

That said - the biggest villain is obviously the USTA.

He lobbied hard in 2008 and was publicly very p***sed off when the first semi went to Fed and said the No 1 should get it, despite Fed being defending champ. In 2009, he cited his abdominal strain and said he would be able to cope if he had first semi, in 2010 he lobbied hard again.

I am not holding my breath, but I wouldn't mind betting that although Fed will have played a few night matches, one not beginning until 11.50 pm, there will be a subtle threat in the lobbying again this year - time for Novak maybe to start asserting himself?

I'll eat my hat if Nadal doesn't get 1st semi-final.

I agree - and unless the USTA do what legendkiller suggests and completely re-schedule the USO to a date fixed in the middle of next week with proper recovery times that would probably be fairer given that his side of the draw will have to play an extra match between now and the final.

BB

Can't see that being at all possible. After all his section of the draw are a round behind and so they need maximum time to recover from quarter-final matches. It is now virtually certain that the Federer/Djokovic section will have completed their quarters first and so will play their semis first. I really cannot see it happening any other way now.

CaledonianCraig wrote:Like I say all Fed fans desperate for another stick to beat Nadal with - nothing more nothing less.

Like spring follows winter, Murray fans are constantly massaging Nadal's ego while showing their lack of intelligence.

Both Nadal and Murray complained that the lines were slippery. Murray said the backs of the courts had puddles that balls were ending up in (or would have ended up in.)

All the top players of all sports are very demanding of their sports organisers, their standards tend to be that little bit higher than their peers - its part of what makes them perfectionists in getting to the top of their sport. Nadal is very particular about things, we all know that, the conditions should not have been played in yesterday so we can imaginehow pi55ed the guy was. However, there seems to be some over the top vitriolic anti-Nadal bandwagonning going on here - its plainly obvious that some people on here tend to jump on anything slightly negative he does and make it into a huge issue and wrap up everything else they dont like about the guy into it. You dont see the same posters supporting him for anything positive he might do for or in the sport. So, BB/Tenez/Lucius - we get the picture, you dont like Nadal!!!

The prizemoney for events is the prizemoney...the USO have the option to set the level at whatever rate they see fit. Dont blame Nadal for that. But putting matches onto court when the conditions are slippery (the white lines on harcourts are dodgy) is risky, especially for the top guys who move more explosively and quicker than the others. Nadal is alluding to the fact they wish to fill prime-time slots with live tennis when the conditions were not suitable for proper play. He has a point - and they only got 15 minutes play so it was obviously known to be risky anyway - why bother sending them out with such an atrocious weather forecast at all?

For the record, he shouldnt have made Muller wait, but I can understand he was probably highly hacked off at having to play and just didnt want to get on court. We all know Nadal is methodical in his preparations, he will never change, its part of his perfectionist approach to everything he does. But on the other hand the top players do have valued opinions about the way tournaments are ran - not just Nadal - and they should be heeded by organisers. Plus many posters on here have felt for a long time that the USO is the worst ran slam by far....lets not even get onto "SuperSaturday" - a profit-driven action if there was ever one! I think the USTA is squarely to blame here, they shouldnt have put the players into that position in the first place where the potential for huge animosity generated was significant.

JM get real. Do a poll across the tennis world of level-minded people and the vast majority would be in support of Nadal, Murray and Roddick's stance. Ask yourself why that is?

Amazing that this board has been littered over the last few days with tennis fans lambasting the organisation what is basically what Nadal has said and here you are trying to berate him for that. Un-be-liev-able.

CaledonianCraig wrote:JM get real. Do a poll across the tennis world of level-minded people and the vast majority would be in support of Nadal, Murray and Roddick's stance. Ask yourself why that is?

Amazing that this board has been littered over the last few days with tennis fans lambasting the organisation what is basically what Nadal has said and here you are trying to berate him for that. Un-be-liev-able.

Murray is not going to disagree with Nadal though is he? Roddick is hardly an easy going chap himself is he?
Nadal just comes off as being very brattish , which coincidentally a few Nadal fans accuse Federer of when arguing the umpire USO final 2009.

Today's schedule indicates that somebody at the USTA has smelled a little bit of coffee.

All the mens R16 matches start at the same time - Isner and Simon are on Court 17 rather than following the Murray match

All the women's QF's start at the same time (earlier match permitting) with Court 17 also being used - Serena has not been pushed off to the evening session as on Wednesday. There is no longer any realistic prospect of one of Djoko/Tipsy being in the SF before Isner/Simon have finished their match.

What does this show? It shows quite disgracefully that the USTA understands sensible scheduling just as much as anyone else, but that they are only prepared to resort to it in extremis. As I have said, Nadal has voiced what all us armchair pundits think.

I think everyone agrees the decision to play was stupid.

I think we all agree scheduling at the USO is daft.

I think we all agree that Nadal was out of order messing Muller around.

I think we disagree that Nadal spoke out too harshly and called integrity into account, while Murray & Roddick didn't.

If that concludes the business of this thread shall we move on? I feel the need for a refreshing discussion about something brand new, like the Golden Era Myth or PEDs.

lol BB...nice summing up.

I thought we could perhaps start the Sampras vs Federer comparisons again? Or whether the grass was slowed down in 2001 or 2002...

Hello



I seem to recall Nadal being very upset at the early decision (taken on Sunday afternoon) last year to postpone the final from sunday to Monday. I remember that his 'axe to grind' at that time was that the decision was made too early and that the organisers should have waited a little longer to see if the rain stops.

He didn't seem too bothered about the scheduling and it's effect on his opponent last year.

Perhaps a little bit of Karma?

In any case, the only real beneficiary of a crammed schedule will be Djoko, IF he manages to complete his quater-final today. It's highly unlikely that Roger will play today.

If Djokovic completes his quarter and Federer doesn't, that will be a reason he loses the semi-final.

Remember that at the French his defeat was caused by not playing as often as his opponent.

bogbrush wrote:If Djokovic completes his quarter and Federer doesn't, that will be a reason he loses the semi-final.

Remember that at the French his defeat was caused by not playing as often as his opponent.

Getting to be a bit like Wimbledon 2007 but with the boot on the other foot - Fed had a few days off because he finished R32 early and Haas scratched R16 whilst Nadal duked it out in R32 with Soderling's extended baboon act, then got to the final at the expense of Djokovic's blistered feet after their side of the draw had to play R16-to SF in 4 days on which they played pretty much every day.