I've been trying to search for new grandiose descriptions to convey the loss of Rafael Nadal to Roland Garros 2009, but it seems all those verbose expressions are on strike. Probably in protest due to overuse by players, current and former, reporters, ballboys, racquet stringers, all the people of Spain, probably including even Nadal's milkman.
Week Two is in progress on the red clay in Paris, and in a few days the Coupe des Mousquetaires will be held aloft by a different pair of hands, but who's thinking of that now? Judging by the streams of reactions pushing each other for breathing space as they struggle to make themselves known, not many. Robin Soderling, a skinny Swede with hair so closely cropped you have to see it to believe it's there, managed to take the road never travelled with the match of his lifeagainst Rafa, and in the process, began another endless list of speculations about the Spaniard's reign in the tennis world.
But a quick fact check is in order. Nadal lasted 31 matches unbeaten at Roland Garros and is the owner of the longest claycourt winning streak with 81, he won the title on his debut and for three more years since then, he has six Grand Slams to display at his house back in sunny Mallorca, and even an Olympic gold from Beijing. The statistics are staggering, and put this loss into perspective, though maybe not as perfectly as the player's words themselves. Nadal may still need many more lessons to master the english language, but he was spot on with his post-match comments: "You need a defeat to give the value to your victories. I lost a match, nobody died."
The man whose place he took at the top, Roger Federer's observation that the entire tennis world would be 'spinning' after the defeat of Nadal is fairly accurate. Once normal service prevails and it settles down on its axis with the 23-year-old continuing his rule at the top, this loss will be seen for what it is -- simply a loss. An early, unexpected vacation from Paris for the young record-breaker, who did, after all, prove himself to be human.
And some good can still come of this. Last year, as Rafa went his way collecting trophies from every tournament he signed up for, he admitted to being 'tired' after losing in the semi-finals of the US Open. Always the case by the time the trip to Flushing Meadows comes along for the calendar's last major, 2009 might just be the year he adds the missing Slam to his collection.
Week Two is in progress on the red clay in Paris, and in a few days the Coupe des Mousquetaires will be held aloft by a different pair of hands, but who's thinking of that now? Judging by the streams of reactions pushing each other for breathing space as they struggle to make themselves known, not many. Robin Soderling, a skinny Swede with hair so closely cropped you have to see it to believe it's there, managed to take the road never travelled with the match of his lifeagainst Rafa, and in the process, began another endless list of speculations about the Spaniard's reign in the tennis world.
But a quick fact check is in order. Nadal lasted 31 matches unbeaten at Roland Garros and is the owner of the longest claycourt winning streak with 81, he won the title on his debut and for three more years since then, he has six Grand Slams to display at his house back in sunny Mallorca, and even an Olympic gold from Beijing. The statistics are staggering, and put this loss into perspective, though maybe not as perfectly as the player's words themselves. Nadal may still need many more lessons to master the english language, but he was spot on with his post-match comments: "You need a defeat to give the value to your victories. I lost a match, nobody died."
The man whose place he took at the top, Roger Federer's observation that the entire tennis world would be 'spinning' after the defeat of Nadal is fairly accurate. Once normal service prevails and it settles down on its axis with the 23-year-old continuing his rule at the top, this loss will be seen for what it is -- simply a loss. An early, unexpected vacation from Paris for the young record-breaker, who did, after all, prove himself to be human.
And some good can still come of this. Last year, as Rafa went his way collecting trophies from every tournament he signed up for, he admitted to being 'tired' after losing in the semi-finals of the US Open. Always the case by the time the trip to Flushing Meadows comes along for the calendar's last major, 2009 might just be the year he adds the missing Slam to his collection.
1 comments:
Its not fun winning everytime...let the chap enjoy his loss for a while :)
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