Nadal 5-1 will history go against him?

Question

Will the Hamburg final go down in the history books as the match when Nadal called injury time in the first set 5-1 and came back to play blistering tennis.

I noticed every article that declared Hennin a great champion also mentioned her dubious stomach cramps.

Djkovic is already known as a player who uses 'gamesmanship' 'time-out' and 'sickies' liberally.

Sharipovas orgasmic yelling after she has hit the ball, interfering with her opponent 'hearing' the shot is well documented.

Serena Williams hobbles on then suddenly turns into a dervish.

Do we rememeber McInroe more for being a brat than for his serve and volley?

Does a great player - but.........leave a sour memory?

Answer 1

People are more likely to remember that Roger let a 5-1 lead slip away. It doesn't matter what Rafa did, how did Roger lose 6 games in a row?

Answer 2

the injury is not fake! and he's a real fighter..

Answer 3

Some are talking about this. I am not so sure it will be forever remembered. Maybe.

Answer 4

it won't be forgotten, that's for sure!  He will have to answer for it forever.

Answer 5

Nadal will probably be known for his fantastic muscular arms that girls will drool over for eons. But, it was bad timing that he took the injury timeout at 5-1

Answer 6

No way.  Rafa is a warrior...he almost never retires from matches, no matter how hurt he is.  Nobody tries more than Rafa, except maybe Lleyton Hewitt back when he was winning slams, and when he calls for a trainer I have no doubt that it is a legitimate injury.

Answer 7

Rafael is definitely not in the same category as Djokovic is with his injury timeouts (practically whenever things aren't going his way) and retirements. It's funny that in Monte Carlo he couldn't play for just two more games because he had a sore throat, when Rafael played an entire match with a giant blister on his foot in Rome.

So my answer is no to this question.

Answer 8

Rafa broke and then took the injury timeout before his own serve. That is the proper way to take an injury timeout so as not to throw the other guy's serving rythm off.

So no.

Answer 9

Despite being a Roger fan through and through, I don't believe the time out was a big factor. Yes Roger was playing blistering tennis to take a 5-1 lead and I would think it has to be his mental fragility - the one that only happens on clay against Rafa - that was his downfall. Roger is too skilled and talented to let a injury time out disrupt his rhythm.

Odd that no one yet has mentioned that Roger was up 4-0 in the second set against Rafa in the Monte Carlo final (playing the same blistering tennis to get him a 5-1 lead in Hamburg), then got wiped 5-7 on a 7 game to 1 ride by Rafa.

Rafa has proven that he is not a quitter or a person who employs gamesmanship on the court. He only takes a time out when it is legitimate. Anyone who doubts that his thigh strain was fake, is nuts. Look at

a) the amount of tournaments he played this season - enough to destroy the body and legs;

b) the blisters on his feet at Rome, yet he did not quit the match and lost a very one sided match.

c) Take into consideration the semi final that Rafa played against Djokovic - that was gruelling and I am surprised he had anything left in the tank for the final.

Unless he all of a sudden starts behaving like McEnroe, or quitting like Novak, this will be more a final remembered for Roger again blowing a big lead against Rafa. Sadly, that is the striking memory for me from this match. Rafa has way too much respect for Roger (and vice versa) for him to ever play "dirty" tactic tennis.

In the end, I was glad that it was a great, tight final, rather than a retirement at 2-5 down in the first set.

Answer 10

No dont be ridiculous!

Answer 11

s***w THAT! Rafa is a BAMF! he is beast! federer is way more of wimp than him. Djokovic is a loser. 4X FRENCH OPEN this month