Stan vs Rafa

[Moralspain]

can someone hook me up with the painplls that rafa has taken???? that stuff has to be good

Same pills he took during that famous press conference above posted

[Saarbrigga]

Funny...

If a pro cyclist would take pills during a race, it would be considered as doping.

Seems like Tennis is different.

[Coolhand Texas]

congrats to stan, feel sorry for rafa that he wasn't at a 100% because that first set was fun to watch

[Ali-Iqb93]

Well played Stan.. Well deserved

[Moralspain]

losing a GS final against someone who has never won a set against you really shocking, that said congratulations Stan, he'll probably never win another GS though

[Lucian86]

Such a shame ! the first set was amazing !

I don't know how injured Rafa was. I just want to say that the medical time-outs have to stop. It's not fair for the opponent. There's one minute every two games; that's enough otherwise you retire (even in the final).

[VMoe86]

I was one of the five who knew that Nadal and AO is not a good combination, too bad it was not in five sets.

Nadal's history in Australia, very unfortunate: Lost to red-hot Gonzales, lost to red-hot Tsonga in 2008, had to retire against Murray in 2010 QF, injury in 2011 QF against Ferrer, 2012 final that passing shot he missed in fifth set, 2013 not even there and 2014 that back problem in final. The odds of something being wrong with Nadal, they are there, so you gotta count on that when making predictions.

[Corbon]

He would've lost that match vs Murray in 2010 anyway.

[BrushedBigJJ]

So since he won the Aussie open in 2009 this is what happened the one year there were no physical injuries "on the court."

Weekend before the first round 2012

"But yesterday afternoon the most strange thing ever to happen to me. I was sitting on a chair in the hotel. I felt like a crack on the knee. It happens a lot of time with articulation, movement.

"I stand up. I felt the knee was a little bit strange. I moved the leg like this two times to try to find the feeling," he added, gesturing.

"After the second time, the knee stays with an unbelievable pain completely straight. I really couldn't move the knee like this. I have no movement on the knee," Nadal said.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis ... round.html

[Moralspain]

When he retires he will need a wheelchair

[Coolhand Texas]

When he retires he will need a wheelchair

but thats what we admire. I mean who wouldn't have retired after that second set? The guy was in tears on the court. I love to see the passion from the players. Of course I am federer nut but I love to see the passion nadal puts into the game.

[beltic caldy]

A damned shame the final went the way it did.

Kudos to Rafa though - as already said, I can't think of many (any?) other players that would have kept playing in that situation.

It occurred to me - and I may be seeing what I want to see - that Nadal, knowing he couldn't win, played on for Wawrinka's benefit....as in, he didn't want Wawrinka's (let's be honest, only...) GS victory to be tainted (more) by a walkover etc?

Either ways, a damned shame. I was shouting for Fed this time...to see his victor injured was disappointing.

[Pepe Bradock]

Question is now : will Rafa do as usual when ge gets hurt ? Which means being out of circuit for months with a come-back date changing several times.

I know this time is different because it's about back injury instead of knee(s), so this is why I'm asking question to myself. It would have been knees, I would have said see you in Monte Carlo (or later, in Barcelona...).

[Lucian86]

Kudos to Rafa though - as already said, I can't think of many (any?) other players that would have kept playing in that situation.

Oh my ! Kudos for what ? Staying in court ? did you enjoy the match after he came back from the locker room ? I didn't
Whether he was injured or not, was all this necessary ?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhTm5oCkTvE#t=0

MOANING, CRYING, TOUCHING and let the whole world know that he's injured. What's the consequence ? Wawrinka won but there will always be a "Yeah, but...."

Want to be classy and respect the crowd and the opponent ? stay quiet about it. He was doing ok in the first set...Could have continued like that. He was doing ok even before going to the locker romm. When he came back, he somehow started to feel the pain. I repeat, I don't know how injured he was but I know he made a good act in there.

Do you see the guy in my avatar ? Played last year a lot with back pains and we never found out until he told us between tournaments. That's how you respect the tennis fans and most of all, your opponent.

[Ali-Iqb93]

Yes federer last in year in Indian wells quater final missed his practice session before his match against rafa and then went out to play rafa in that match.. And after months he told that he shouldn't have played that match because his back was hurting but as the tennis world fans waited to see rafa/federer for almost a year (2012 Indian wells) so he didn't want to disappoint them

Anyways rafa played an incredible 1st set and then even after 0-2 in second set while doing a serve he got his back hurt. Again not sure how injured he was but I ve seen such a thing in 2008 hamburg final against federer when federer was up 5-0 in first set and the next thing you know after the time-out that federer lost that set 5-7. Wawrinka complained that if it's a back problem then he should recieve on-court treatment.

And I do agree wawrinka first slam will always be remembered as "oh he won cuz rafa was injured"
Nadal shouldn't have completed the match and should have retired in 2nd set cuz he already took the credit away from wawrinka anyway. This is what people will always say