Tag Archives: Nadal
On Place, and the Holding Thereof
French Open, Day 15 (2) Nadal leads (1) Djokovic, 6/4 6/3 2/6 1/2 Those expecting any kind of recapitulation of the unfolding, stuttering, lurching, despair-inducing, adjective-laden Roland Garros men’s final between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are bound to feel … Continue reading
Filed under Grand Slams, Placeholders
Scarlet Billows
French Open, Day 13 (2) Nadal d. (6) Ferrer, 6/2 6/2 6/1 (1) Djokovic d. (3) Federer, 6/4 7/5 6/3 By the time a tennis tournament has been reduced to just four men – continuing with my nuclear chemistry theme … Continue reading
Filed under Grand Slams
By His Design
French Open, Day Eleven Tuesday’s French Open quarterfinals provided a pair of matches that were about as fascinating as discerning tennis fans could reasonably hope for, although those same fans might reasonably query the wisdom of scheduling both for precisely … Continue reading
Filed under Grand Slams
Psychic Wreckage
Rome Masters, Final (2) Nadal d. (1) Djokovic, 7/5 6/3 Patchily arrayed beneath threatening skies, a modest crowd greeted the players as they entered Court Centrale for the Rome Masters final, although what it lacked in biomass it made up … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour
Intrepid Naturalists
Rome Masters, Semifinals (1) Djokovic d. (3) Federer, 6/2 7/6 Until he stepped up to serve for tonight’s second semifinal at the Rome Masters, Novak Djokovic had dropped just one point on his first serve. It was an impressive stat … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour
The Drama Category
Rome Masters, Third Round Seppi d. Wawrinka, 6/7 7/6 7/6 The question of why Rome is my favourite Masters tournament was addressed with devastating intensity by Andreas Seppi and Stanislas Wawrinka on Court Nicola Pietrangeli today, ably supported by a … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour
First Strike
Madrid Masters, Quarterfinals David Ferrer was tonight defeated in clinical fashion by Roger Federer at the Madrid Masters, whereupon he shocked the attendant media by failing to threaten a boycott of the event next year. Unspoken words, reflecting unthought thoughts, … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour
The Phantom Climax
Barcelona, Final (1) Nadal d. (3) Ferrer, 7/6 7/5 Having never won a prestigious tennis tournament multiple times, or even once, I cannot say whether the seventh triumph feels more or less special than the fourth or fifth. Looking at … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour
Meaning the World
Barcelona, Semifinals The top seeds have moved through to their respective finals in both Bucharest and Barcelona, following a day of straight-sets semifinals, only one of which inspired much beyond yawns and dyspepsia. These have thrown up – or vomited … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour
An Unmatched Achievement
Monte Carlo Masters, Final (2) Nadal d. (1) Djokovic, 6/3 6/1 Rafael Nadal defeated Novak Djokovic today in a Monte Carlo final that was even more straightforward than the score line suggests, and considerably less exciting than the epoch-defining epic … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour