grading Nadal's comeback

lags72 wrote:

lydian wrote:McEnroe himself says he didn't practice hard enough, mainly using doubles as practice, nor was he amongst the fittest either - had he been fitter he would have probably won that 84 RG final. He then went AWOL in 1985 at 26 years old - right at his prime to never come back the same - he would never win another slam or Masters level event again. He also didn't bother with Australia Open much and his clay preparation wasn't exactly deep either. I would say he didn't make as much as he could have done if he'd fully committed to the tour.

Interesting point there lydian wrt the trajectory of Mac's career - or at least the latter stages of it.

In his autobiog, Mac emphasises just how much the shock early retirement of Borg had impacted on his own psyche, saying that it took him a good while to regain his hunger/motivation.

I think a lot of folk were never aware - and if they were, have perhaps forgotten over time - that Mac's prime, Slam-winning years ended at pretty much the equivalent age that Borg chose to withdraw from the sport ; and 26 y.o. is undoubtedly premature (especially so by today's standards when we saw Fed winning Wimbledon last year aged a few weeks short of 31 ........ )

Jeremy_Kyle wrote:

Jeremy_Kyle wrote:

Jeremy_Kyle wrote:

Jeremy_Kyle wrote:I don't want to get into the same old argument against rafa fans.....Nontheless, it is fair to say that they are more picturesque than average. Their ability to analyse Rafa defeats in the smallest details and to find reasons behind each defeat, is where they really stand apart.

For example here I am listing some of the adverse circumstances Rafa had to battle against, that the rafa fans promptly identified:

- The rustiness: Rafa was deemed to be rusty during the final

- The wet clay: even though it wasn't raining, the clay did look very wet

- Lack of important matches against top players

- Rafa had niggles and pain (infomation was taken from a dedicated and well informed blog)

- The enforcement of 25 sec rule played against him.

- Rafa forgot all the technical variation he successfully put in place to counter Djokovic in 2012.

- Rafa didn't move as well as usual

- Play got delayed by rain

- I mean a guy takes seven months off plays for a month, then takes another month off, so eight months off out of nine, but of course thats a mere footnote, on the binliography

- Uncle Tony coaching lacks tactical awareness

- Rafa didn't practice hard enough before MC, preferring instead to have a jolly time with his friends

- Rafa wasn't motivated enough.



- Please feel free to add......

lydian wrote:Oh look, we have someone in the house who likes making lists.