Topic: Enter the Clay Warrior King : Domination Redefined / 7 RG Titles and Counting

[hercules]

he is stale, tired--both mentally and physically--, and he is lacking his usual confidence. this is a formula for a possible injury.
 
he had no business going to tokyo this year. none. he should have used that time for some added sessions on clay to work out his ground game and he should have used that time for some added rest and relaxation.
 
instead he goes to tokyo and accomplishes nothing except his stupid appearance money. he basically got laughed right of a tokyo.
 
by extension, he shows up in shanghai with little or no confidence and more mentally and physically tired.
 
does this idiot not know that he has perhaps the most important davis cup competition of his entire career coming up? he needs that more than any tokyo or shanghai title can ever give him.
 
he needs that for game, his confidence, his positive outlook and he needs it for his country. davis cup win will revitalize him for 2012.
 
and what is he doing? he is working his ass off on hard courts only to laughed off the courts. and to bring about a possible injury. and this has happened before when he could not travel to argentina because of his madness on hard courts.
 
needless to say, i am pissed.

[monstertruck]

Perhaps it's my imagination, but it appears to me as though he's experimenting with some new tactics.  More variety on first serve & riskier ROS.  He does look very unsettled at the moment.

[hercules]

greed is guiding him at the moment. that is the only thing that i can think of.
 
greed and ignorance. ignorance about what really made him great in the first place.
 
he rather chase the appearance money than work on his game on clay.
 
 

[Alex]

greed is guiding him at the moment. that is the only thing that i can think of.
 
greed and ignorance. ignorance about what really made him great in the first place.
 
he rather chase the appearance money than work on his game on clay.

Herc, I really don't know. He has so much money (Djokovic and Fed too).  Novak lives in Monte Carlo. How much more do you really need? I'm personally happy to be able to pay my bills, take a good friend for a dinner etc. Maybe I should go for more. Maybe I'm just plain stupid. I'd love to travel more, see some places I've never seen before but it's not that easy for us ordinary people.

[hercules]

affirmative alex. clay warrior brings home in the neighborhood of $30 mill a year after counting prize money and his endorsement portfolio.
 
fed is pulling in more than $50 mill a year.
 
this is why these guys need to forget about exos and just work on their game and their fitness.
 
or they can keep getting killed by nole and murray.

[monstertruck]

greed is guiding him at the moment. that is the only thing that i can think of.
 
greed and ignorance. ignorance about what really made him great in the first place.
 
he rather chase the appearance money than work on his game on clay.

I could be wrong, but he never struck me as one who was playing for the coins.

Perhaps he just plays, and someone else determines the schedule for him.

[hercules]

if that is the case then he is surrounded by some really ignorant people in his camp. he does not need the money.  some of the endorsement income is for life now. and he is also worth around $200 mill.
 
fed is worth well over $300 mill. it may be close to $400 mill now.
 
what nadal needs now is his supreme fitness and his consistent ground game again so he can take a shot at a few more french opens and wimbledons. nothing else should matter for now.
 
he has 3 years at best and then its over. why not go after those slams on natural surfaces. by wasting endless time on hard courts, he loses ground on his own turf. this is why nole was able to run him down in madrid and then again at rome.

[monstertruck]

if that is the case then he is surrounded by some really ignorant people in his camp. he does not need the money.  some of the endorsement income is for life now. and he is also worth around $200 mill.
 
fed is worth well over $300 mill. it may be close to $400 mill now.
 
what nadal needs now is his supreme fitness and his consistent ground game again so he can take a shot at a few more french opens and wimbledons. nothing else should matter for now.
 
he has 3 years at best and then its over. why not go after those slams on natural surfaces. by wasting endless time on hard courts, he loses ground on his own turf. this is why nole was able to run him down in madrid and then again at rome.

Well, now you've touched on a couple of points that I think are very interesting.  Once a player has reached the summit, what goals do they set next, and how do they set about achieving them.

I think 3 years is a generous allotment for the remainder of his career.....unless he makes a few changes.  As you've alluded, the natural surfaces seem to provide the best opportunity for Raf to put a few more slams in the bag.  The schedule is top priority.  Once the commitments have been reduced, he can dedicate himself towards fitness and the technique specific practice required to win the slams of his choice.  Sure would be nice to see.  Will it happen?  Ask the Shankman, but my prediction is no way in Hail!

[hercules]

affirmative.
 
he clearly needs to change his thinking and his training for 2012.
 
screwing around on hard courts will not only net him nothing but it will also make him lose even more ground on surfaces where he has some natural competitive advantages.
 
i cannot believe that he and his team are so bloody blind. he is losing for 3 reasons:
 
1. he failed to improve. he pays a huge lip service to getting better but he has basically failed to improve
2. he has lost his machine like consistency
3. he has allowed his fitness to take a significant dip
 
now he can still beat the world if he has his supreme fitness and his consistency but i dont see it happening at the moment. he has got to put more work on the fitness front and he has to bring about his consistency again. that can only come from practicing year around on clay.
 
he has to decide. there is no time left to improve. he is not going to become a world class net player in the next 12-15 months for instance. and he is not going to develop a killer slice and a rocket serve. its just not happening. he plays with the wrong hand.
 
what he can do is get back to the basics: fitness and more consistency off the ground. that should do it. he can just get back to being himself like he was in 2010.

[swish]

greed is guiding him at the moment. that is the only thing that i can think of.
 
greed and ignorance. ignorance about what really made him great in the first place.
 
he rather chase the appearance money than work on his game on clay.

I could be wrong, but he never struck me as one who was playing for the coins.

Perhaps he just plays, and someone else determines the schedule for him.

The money is a consideration but I have to agree, he just loves to play and it's exciting for him to do the best he can. He loves the challenge more than everything else IMHP.
 

[hercules]

all i know is that fed, clay warrior, and d-pot better find a way to shine in 2012. they must be be able to compete more effectively in 2012.
 
nole and murray ware on warpath. 2012 may be one of the most exciting years in the sport in recent memory.

[monstertruck]

greed is guiding him at the moment. that is the only thing that i can think of.
 
greed and ignorance. ignorance about what really made him great in the first place.
 
he rather chase the appearance money than work on his game on clay.

I could be wrong, but he never struck me as one who was playing for the coins.

Perhaps he just plays, and someone else determines the schedule for him.

The money is a consideration but I have to agree, he just loves to play and it's exciting for him to do the best he can. He loves the challenge more than everything else IMHP.

I understand these guys have a very short and uncertain window of opportunity to cash in on their talents.  And of course it must be tough having management teams (or uncles ) counseling you on how to maximize your schedule.  I just wonder if at some point, the $$$ becomes completely irrelevant to the most competitive of players.  If anything, I would think that it's more of a distraction. 


Quite a statement from a capitalist, eh Babs?

[sid]

Winning 3 slams is a tall order 4 any tennis player in year 2012.2010 Nadal did it/2011 Nole did it/Do we all think it will happen in 2012??????.Iv a feeling that Roger or Murray just might nick one next year.RG i still think Nadal is the best till someone takes it from him.Sod beat Nadal one year,but Nadal came back to take the Title back.Whoever wins the Slams in 2012,i think anyone within the top 4 could win a Slam,3 will be a huge ask.The only other tennis player who might win a Slam is Potty,but his game needs to up from 2011.

[hercules]

nadal and murray may have a showdown looming at the Oz final. of course they will have to take out fed and nole but it can be done. or somebody else could take them out. injuries and form will play a role obviously.
 
other variations based on the draw:
 
2. fed vs nole
3. nole vs murray
4. fed vs murray
5. fed vs clay warrior
 
nadal has got to be tired of losing and especially losing in the finals. my money would have to be with him if he can get in the final. it is hard to bet against a 10 time slam winner.
 
most likely final is probably nole vs murray.

[hercules]

2012:
 
1. RG : clay warrior
2. Wimby: clay warrior
 
3. OZ: nole, murray, or fed
 
4. u.s. open: nole, fed, or murray

[swish]

all i know is that fed, clay warrior, and d-pot better find a way to shine in 2012. they must be be able to compete more effectively in 2012.
 
nole and murray ware on warpath. 2012 may be one of the most exciting years in the sport in recent memory.

I've been watching DPot, not looking good at all. He was making solid progress right out of the starting blocks this year. Had some sort of groin injury and never got on the train again.
 
He better get his butt in gear as the talent is there but looks like the motivation isn't.
 
Looking forward to 2012.
 
 

[hercules]

affirmative. d-pot has lost his touch.
 
time to put in the hard yards during the off season.

[Dallas]

Del Po looked great for those 3 sets in the US Open final when he won.  Then all the expectations came on him...the injuries...etc...and he's been trying to get 'back there' every since.  It just shows how difficult it is to really dominate the sport.  You have to play great AND keep your health.

[Alex]

I said this before and I'm going to say it again. I do NOT understand Rafa's scheduling and I never will. It is completely retarded.

[hercules]

affirmative. no arguments here.
 
i think some of that madness is driven by greed.