Hey, Shanks, do not be upset about JesseJames' comments.. I did not even understand what he said!
You are a passionate supporter of Nadal - he is your hero, like Federer is mine [what can I say, Roger keeps me awake during nights and dreaming in the daytime].. Rafa feels he is not super-fit and will not play the Aussie Open as a way of regaining his finely-tuned power-game.
He understands, the matches ahead will be hard, not only game-wise, but psychologically as well.. Do you remember the 2009 autumn swing, when Rafa was a shadow of his normal aggressive self.. getting hammered on the courts by all and sundry..
I recall, there was no happiness on his face, no conviction even, on occasions.. It pained me, even though I was a Federer fan. Tennis needs Rafael Nadal, but more than that it needs a fit Rafa, who can test the Top stars, even if he is not a genuine contender for trophies.. I like Rafael as well, Shankar! He will return, most probably in Acapulco, on his beloved clay.. He will leave no stone unturned in his effort to return to the top of the tennis world..
You will be smiling once he starts playing and winning points, games, sets, matches and tournaments.. Think of the good times to come.. In the meanwhile, you can take a look at the contenders who could stand in the way of your hero - Rafa's rise to the top and smile to yourself, safe in the knowledge that their time in the sun is coming to an end!!
