amazing effort from Rafa.. weirdly, i still wanted him to lose

Wow, and a double header of Federer tomorrow. Singles against Wawrinka and then Doubles with Wawrinka against Nadal. The dubs had better be on espn3.com or tennischannel.

Rafa deserves to win. After being second best for nearly 4years (correct me please if im wrong)now is the time he's reaping the fruits of his labors. Hope he will always find a way to win.VAMOS RAFA!!! Kudos to Steve Tignor for a well written article.

Don't expect Fed to win the dubs. He will be obviously tired. Then the next day he has Nole. Good grief!

Thanks Ivo, big thanks buddy! Thanks for being a challenge hard enuf to get Rafa "focused" and connected to his good tennis! You should have seen him yesterday, it was pretty bad!!

And it took until a set lost - no more leeway, hit corners or die! I couldn't watch as was working. Probly better for me, that tie-breaker would have been very stressful. I do love the title Steve! I think "the lottery" is a great nickname for him.

I prefer "Lottery" to "Dr Evil", I must say. :) Thanks, Steve.

Federer's gonna spank Wawrinka only to get humiliated by the DJoker in the semis, I feel bad :( And then it's gonna be World War III with the Nadal-Djokovic final. I'm taking Novak in 3 tight sets.

Lotterevich is the best name for Karlo.

Were you in the stands watching the match Steve? On the tv, it sounded like the crowd really got into it and were almost as nervous as Rafa was during that tiebreak. I know I had sweaty palms watching it at home and usually I'm pretty calm and collected when Rafa's playing. It was a great match and you could tell it was a really big deal to Rafa by the way he celebrated. I was so happy for him.

Pleased to see Ivo play so well. He just turned 32, and is still out there trying to rebuild his ranking anyway (although his serve means he doesn't log as many miles as the average player), which reaching the QFs will help. He gets flak for being "just a serve" but it's a legitimate weapon just like any other, and he can rally well as he showed tonight. Someone (Steve?) once said that when Karlovic loses, tennis wins, after he set the most-aces-in-a-match record not once, but twice, in the pre-Isner/Mahut days, losing both to Hewitt and Stepanek in those matches. But give the guy credit for maximizing what nature gave him, just like any basketball player, and even reaching 14 in the world.

I actually wasn't really a fan until I started following his Twitter feed last year. He's got a lot of personality one wouldn't guess from his subdued court manner! That was only hinted at when, for instance, he aged to play doubles with Isner at the Australian Open soon after John first emerged, instantly becoming the totally doubles team ever (they lost their first match, of course). He was also quick to congratulate Serbia on their Davis Cup win, gracious not just given the history but also Croatia already won it in 2005. And a funny pic came out this week where he and (Laker) Pau Gasol stand to either side of the 6'3" Djoko to make him look short.

I'm glad Nadal came through, though. Delpo beat him three times in a row in 2009, so it will be a yardstick to see if the Argentine is really ready to mix with the top guys again. Should be good.

Rafa only needed to make it to the semis to defend his points. He can take Nole if he makes it past JMdP in the semis. Vamos Rafa!You are the true #1.

Tallest doubles team, and agreed to play. Ah, autocorrect.

Steve Thanks

What impressed me the most was Rafa's return game in the final set.He did not make a first serve in?

As I have seen soo many times with Rafa he is just a "great competitor"

I wish "I could bottle" that.

I had the feeling that Rafa just got mad that he lost the first set to Ivo. Then he went on a rampage to make it 5-0 in that second set. Along the way he hit some unbelievable shots, even for him. I am still searching for a name for that shot he hit at 5-1, when Ivo had him on the ropes and he was running off the court, then leaned down and kind of shoveled the ball onto his racket and somehow hit a crosscourt forehand winner! I was gasping with awe and so was the crowd! Rafa is like that - he invents shots! Sometimes I think he defies the laws of gravity and nature.

This was a nailbiter, the kind of match that makes me look for more gray hairs when it's over. The kind that makes me take deep breaths as I did to get through that third set tiebreaker. There is something inside Rafa that comes alive in matches like these, when his back is against the wall and he has to come from behind for the win. It's as though he lives for these moments, relishes the battle, the harder the better.

If anyone ever wanted to know why so many of us love Rafa, I would tell them to watch this match. Rafa takes us on the biggest of rollercoaster rides and all you can do is just fasten your seat belt and hang on for dear life! These are the matches that make me realize how special it is to have someone like Rafa in this sport.

It wasn't only Rafa and the fans that were nervous. I noticed the tournament owner putting his face in his hands during the tiebreak. He couldn't even look! I am sure glad that Rafa is still in it, because we get a chance to see this young man fight another day. I am just happy that I am here to see it all and love every thrilling minute of it.

Congratulations, Rafa and thanks for reminding me that you are one in a million!

i will have to say, even as a big fed fan, that i really enjoyed that third set and especially the TB. i rarely emote during a rafa match but i actually found myself raising my arm involuntarily after a few of those shots. yes, well-deserved.

Steve,
Now I know, why I like your articles so much. You are,like me, in the lefty club as well, lol. By the way, I did fencing (foil) during highschool- and university-days. So I know a thing or two about the advantages you certainly have as a southpaw. It's not only confusing for your opponent, but you face each other mirror image-like, And since lefties are usually very good in reading and converting mirror images ( I can write backwards any word which is thrown at me quite fast and can read mirror image writing - a skill which has no merit in real life), they read their opponents well. If I faced a fellow lefty, normally he was as confused as me and it was a toss up.
Nadal is a very interesting case, being clearly ambidexterous. I don't believe for a moment, that he is a converted righty, because it's hardly possible to swich a righty with really excellent results.
Now, is he a lefty without the wackyness of a McEnroe or a Goran? Well, I think, he has his share of that, too, considering the bag of ticks and rituals he brings oncourt.Being ambidexter is not really a big advantage in life, because the neurological pathways are a little less efficient, since more often both sides of the brain are involved. Clearly evolution did not favour ambidexters.I talked to an ambidexterous neurologist, who does everything right handed but plays tennis and table tennis left handed. He said, this causes a knot in the brain sometimes and you are a liitle less secure than you should. He has the theory, that this might be one reason, why Nadal developed all this calming down rituals.
Fact is, that handedness (or sidedness, since the use of legs, ears and eyes shows preferences as well) is still not understood very well.

@Mindy M you got it in one, kid. Lottery, rollercoaster new tennis words springing up all the time!!!

A few years ago, when Rafa was having that sick 82-match clay streak, Murray commented that a player like Ivo could be the guy to break it.

I'm surprised anyone but tennis fans waiting for their flight at the airport watched this match ;)

Steve,

Thanks for writing this piece. As a fellow ex Pennsylvanian, New Yorker, I feel as if sometimes you're expressing exactly what's on my mind.

I almost skipped this match. I dont like Karlovic's game and wasn't feeling great about Rafa's chances given his display against Devvarman; March madness was the perfect excuse to turn away.

I turned on the match at 6-5 in the third and was immediately ashamed of myself as a Rafa fan. I immediately remembered why I love watching this guy, and more importantly that we won't be able to forever. Ok, maybe that has yo do with my getting older at midnight last night, but a big part of being a tennis fan is coming to terms with the tennis mortality of your favorites. This guy is a special special talent and I won't be taking him for granted or skipping his matches anytime soon.

How can anyone watch that match and not marvel at Nadal's point-to-point shotmaking? Yes, we can talk about the one or two amazing shots that Federer and may Djokovic make from point to point, but Nadal's topspin makes every shot he makes semi-impossible for anyone else to duplicate. I don't see *anyone* else who plays like that in tennis, and I can't say the same for say Federer - there are Federer clones, but there are no Nadal clones.

How many times has Rafa come through epics like this?

He has an innate ability to get so close to defeat, and yet still find a way to win. Moya-Nadal Chennai, Verdasco-Nadal AO, Djokovic-Nadal Madrid, Federer-Nadal Monte Carlo are but few examples that come to mind.

These are what define him.

Loved the tournament director's sigh of relief when Rafa won, LOL - priceless.

"there are Federer clones, but there are no Nadal clones."

Let's hope the trend continues.....

What a magnificent match. Ivo was terrific last night, bold and ready to take it to Rafa ... but push Rafa a bit and he ascends to a new threshold. It's absolutely uncanny how he forces his game to jump several levels. That second set was one of the best I've ever seen him play in reaction to losing a first set, and I hope Rafa looks at that set to see how good he is when he attacks on the return, it was possibly the best I've ever seen him return against Karlovic.

You want a definition of clutch ? Rafa.

Rafa's shotmaking was mostly what we expect of him. That wicked spin that curls the ball into the court at the last second.

I found myself marveling at Ivo's shotmaking at times last night. His movement is really poor, and his backhand is mostly crap - but he had some zingy forehand winners of his own, some delicate touch volleys.

As someone whose knees have been vulnerable, maybe he should take care of business faster instead of being drawn into an "epic". He might have a much tougher time with a rested del Potro.

We'll see how much of a test Gasquet gives Novak in a few hours.

I too was dreading the Rafa-Ivo (love the "Lottery") match. His serve is crazy (was it Roddick who said "you can't teach tall?") and his game is erratic at best (while his wing span practically covers the singles court).

Rafa seems to thrive on building a rhythmn to get into a match. Ivo takes that away completely from Rafa - there is absolutely no chance to work your way into a match against such a big server (and also the lack of any substantive rallies).

Watching the crowd was almost as tense (and strangely fun) as watching the match. I'm sure they will long remember this match and I hope they will appreciate seeing the passion it takes to truly makes an athlete a champion.

Ivo Karlovic DESERVED to win!

Rafael "I´m-doped-as-hell" Nadal DESERVED to lose!

PS. Question: Why is Nadal winning so much?
Answer: Because ALL surfaces are sloooooow like clay! It´s pathetic.

It's Dr. Ivo not Dr. Evil.

For some reason, Nadal will always have a nailbiter match every year that is decided by a few points where he will find a way to win the crucial points.

I hope JMDP double bagels Rafa in the semi, but a win vs the #1 ranked player is probably asking too much at this stage in his return. With regular match play and good health Delpo could be at his best by FO.

@Steve-Great Write up.

@all posters-wonderful personal insights of passion for the game and Rafa! I enjoyed reading and appreciate the thoughtfulness as a Rafa fan. It's wonderful to read positive writings that are uplifting. Thanks.

@VE. "This guy is a special special talent and I won't be taking him for granted or skipping his matches anytime soon."

I'm guilty as charged. I missed a match that defines Rafa as my most fave player. I won't let that happen again!!!

I surely wanted Ivo to win. He deserved it!

Wouldn't it be nice to have more underdog, nice people winning.
Yes, I await the day when Delpo can beat nadal again, and all the rising stars(except obnoxious harrison) are ready to win.
Variety will be good for the game

Nadal's reactions are horrendous.
Such a tough match to lose, and Ivo is so nice. Rafa's over the top antics in victory wear very thin for me.

Go delPotro. Stamp out this insensitive, poor sport

Dr. Ivo gave Rafael Nadal a scare, but the people’s champion got through in style. He lives up to his image. When Nadal is healthy, nobody can beat him. Ivo Karlovic plays better than before though. He attacks at the net and moves well. That is why he was able to beat David Ferrer and Gilles Simon. He is more dangerous than John Isner. And that proves the point: Americans are not better than Europeans. The flagship of American men tennis, Andy Roddick, cannot win matches anymore, and he gets into arguments with officials all the time. About the serve, I think, it is about time for us to do something about it. And we, Canadians, suggest: Setpiece points (serves) win portion of a point; rally points win a full point. This is the concept of baseball, a Canadian invention!!! Since we already have a weird system of points: Each point, of the first two wins, wins 15 each and the later ones win only 10; we, intelligent Canadians, suggest that an ace wins 10 and other points win 15. That is fair and intelligent. And with this invention, we prove that Canadians can be better inventors than our southern neighbours (joke).

I worry about the game of tennis because of the serving. Players are much taller and with the racquet technology there isn't much tennis being played. Raonic does show some promise, but he relies heavily on his serve. Karlovic wouldn't get out of the 1st round of any tournament if he couldn't pound ace after ace. They need to make the service box smaller so that we can see some tennis being played.

Tennis wins are based on athletic performance (physical and mental execution)--not on who is "nicer". "Niceness" is a perception based on each individual's own experiences and biases. In any sport, the person who "deserves" to win any given game or match is the person who best executes within the defined parameters of the sport.

Zanzibar must be a tired nutter that he repeats his fantasies again and again without realizing that he needs a nerd.Poor Zanzibar.

Nadal is an amazing competitor. He and Monica Seles (pre-stabbing) are the most intense and focused fighters I've seen.

Most U.S. journalists will always have a high regard for Michael Jordan as the greatest all-time competitor, but from what I've seen, I put Nadal ahead of him. It's a shame Nadal doesn't get that broader recognition in the U.S. The guy won THREE grand slams last year and Drew Brees was SI's Sportsman of the Year?! I get it, but whatever.

Just wanted to take a poll what would most fans rather watch on TV. A women's singles match or Men's doubles match?

I mean basketball!

Edie, if you are a tennis player, wouldn't you be happy to win a match against an opponent who has a wingspan of a 747 and on whom the net only comes up to the knees? It's a bit of a David and Goliath match-up, no? If you are opposed to Rafa's post-win exuberance, why not mention Donald Young's reaction when he beat Andy Murray. Or Ryan Harrison's over Raonic. Or Peer's over Sciovone, or just about ANY pro matched against a "bigger" opponent? Maybe just maybe such reactions simply are the release of pent-up emotion that must be kept in check over the duration of a nail-biter of a match. These people are human, after all.

Jeff, in answer to your question, it depends on who is playing.

"there are Federer clones, but there are no Nadal clones."
Let's hope the trend continues.....

It will. I see many times ,when some kid trying to imitate Nadal, coaches yell at him something like: "Do you want play tennis for 5 years or your whole life ?" Usually it works.

You don't want to spend half of your prime time in hospitals, and the rest of the life on crutches.

That's why Fed's style is the style for life, which does not end at 30. It goes another 50 years. So Fed is worth to learn from.

Unlike all the dirt ball style lovers (Nadal worshippers) I would prefer some faster surfaces along with the slower ones. The game has lost the excitement of true serve and volley tennis a la McEnroe, Edberg, Becker, Goran, even Sampras. They have turned Wimbledon into just another clay court tournament.
Given the surface there was no doubt who would win the match in my mind. Poor Larry Elison looked a little concerned though at the thought of losing the marquee Nadal vs Fed or Djoker final.
As much as I admire Nadal for his skill and tenacity and his manner, especially off the court, I believe the true art of attacking tennis has been lost and that is unfortunate.
Perhaps going back to less powerful racquets would bring some of the classic tennis back. Just a thought.

I should add that I am aware that Nadal, unlike a host of other Spanish players over the years, has adapted his game to be very successful on all surfaces just another reason to admire him.
I have no doubt that with his groundstrokes Nadal, a la Agassi, would be quite successful against the best serve and volleyers. It would sure be fun to watch!!

Nothing To Say Today

I have nothing here to say
I'm afraid I was away
When Rafa took on the giant

I'm sure it was good
I just wasn't in the mood
I was feeling a little defiant

Maybe it's because deep-down I knew
No miracle could save Ivo from doom
And it's really not much fun
Watching such a big man run
When he's being pursued by a lion

Wimbledon, a clay court tournament??? Who is the last clay specialist, having done really well at Wimby? Only the guy from Mallorca comes to mind, and for a reason: He hasn't been just a dirt baller for a long time now.
And don't forget: Players like "Ivo The Terrible" (just a pun, nothing against him personally), Cilic, Isner, Raonic and in the past Ivanisevic and the infamous Wayne Arthur have been the first reason to slow down things a bit, since tennis was in danger to die the "Big Server Death". And in a barrage of aces there is not a lot of serve and volleying going on eather, because it doesn't even get that far.

Jeff- men's doubles match if Nadal is playing. Lol:)

DHB,
Have not read your last post, which says much the same as my first paragraph, sorry.

Nadal is the best, he is unbeatable with a mind that is like a laser and tremendous physical gifts. This match proved without a doubt that Rafa can only lose when tired or injured. That is truly ominous. Fed would have lost this match for sure, Nole might have lost this match. Borg would have lost this match. Laver might have lost this match. McEnroe would have lost this match. But Rafa won this match and will win the tournament, and will probably run the table for the rest of the year!!! Look out world!

Nordic Light, I am not advocating raising the likes of Ivo, Arthur, Ivanisevic, and Isner (the jury is still out on Raonic and Cilic) to the heights of Olympus. I get your point but it has as much to do with the equipment as with the monster servers. I am just suggesting that it would be great to see matchups such as Lendl/McEnroe, Conners/McEnroe, Becker/Edberg Agassi/Sampras again rather than watch Nadal and Djoker bash each other from the baseline only daring to come to the net when forced to. Even Fed is really a baseline player.

DHB,I guess, it's a matter of taste. I liked clay court tennis a long time before Nadal came along. As to matchups: Sampras-Agassi was great, while Sampras-Ivanisevic was unwatchable, though individually I liked both players.Even in the past, good matchups and rivalries were rarer than we remember.
By the way: Why has there never been a Sampras-Nadal exo so far? That one would really interest me.

I agree Nordic Light. And I do not detest clay court tennis - just miss the attacking serve and volley style. It is too bad that it seems we can't have both.
I will watch the Nadal/Djoker final unless of course Fed or Delpo can by some miracle prevent it. And I will cheer for the underdog, Nole.

I am really glad that tennis is still able to survive in spite of serve fest players.Otherwise it will be better to watch Darts.

DHB, are you sure, Djoker is the underdog, lol?
I miss skilled s&v too and think, it could still be viable, if it's not employed as the only strategy, thus being predictable and a target for constant passing shots. I guess, the young players just don't learn it anymore, because it's hard and not rewarding at first.

Mytennis--too funny and too true!

great match regardless if u r a fan of Rafa or Ivo. David vs. Goliath and it was an epic match. Fans sure did get their money's worth!

LUV you RAFA!!!!!!!!

And the Nadal haters crawl from underneath their holes yet again.

Find something better to do, really. You guys are pathetic, hating on a champion like him. You just want to rationalise your life's failures by berating someone else's success. His celebrations are now apparently classless?

LOL, you guys should not be let out of your homes, you are dangerous to society.

Nadal DESERVED to win because he

1) Won more overall points than Ivo
2) Came up with the goods when it mattered most.

That makes him now 4-0 against IVO H-2-H so he's done it before and he did it again! WOOHOOOOOO!

In your faces! =)

I agree with Tony guys that just have big serves are so BORING to watch and it really just turns into watching guys serve aces. I enjoy watching guys with heavy top spin run from side to side and work the point. My vote is for them to change the ball so it doesn't go so fast that way guys are forced to actually play tennis to win.

I had no problem with the way Rafa celebrated his victory, it was a close match and I finally felt some excitement after yawning through the entire match watching Ivo bomb aces.

I was on the edge of my seat the entire 3rd set. Only Nadal brings this much excitement to the game. I know Fed fans will keep on saying something about beauty, elegance and style, etc. But if you want that, watch figure skating instead. When Sampras and Federer were #1, they made tennis too predictable and dull. Now it's more alive.

another great match for RAFA who makes tennis matches really worthwatching

Tennis is much more than heavy topspin. If not we might just as well watch darts or even worse North American Football.
Now Fed is a figure skater?? I can appreciate Nadal's skills and desire not to mention his personality. I don't understand why some fans cannot appreciate the beauty and skill and guts of an attacking serve and volley game and I am not talking about huge serves at all.

@ChieM.B

what "deserves" has to do with winning?

I am so sick of people who believe every lie that becomes popular....in tennis and elsewhere......"a titanic serve and not much else?" Are you kidding me? Does anybody WATCH Ivo when he plays? This guy is a WONDERFUL tennis player.....If Ivo has nothing but a serve, how did he break Rafa at love in the first set (how many times do you see Rafa broken at love?) with 4 clean winners? a marvelous down-the line flat backhand behind Rafa when he was leaning the other way after a fairly long rally, A run-around-your-backhand inside out forehand return of serve, a DROP SHOT (he got Rafa with couple or three of these) and a short slice approach followed by a beautiful volley....Ivo has one of the best forehands in the game. His return of serve is fairly consistent, and his volleys are quite good.....his slice backhand is at least average, but his topspin backhand is below par, though he hit several of them at key moments in the tiebreak to keep him afloat...his movement is improving, but is still less than average....he was 2 points from the match against Rafa...twice...Ivo can play! Look at his results against Ferrer and the others he has played so far.....he broke all of them at 2 or three times (maybe more)...how can you get all these service breaks if you have nothing but a serve? There is a youtube video of the time he beat Federer...watch it to see how he can play....he has a much better rounded game than the other giant, John Isner....The match was great because it was serve and volley versus counter puncher...like Sampras vs Chang..or McEnroe vs Borg......hopefully more guys will try the S and V someday

Just as Nadal clearly is not just a dirtballer, Ivo is NOT just a serve. He had been winning with breaks all week, and broke Nadal, too. It's not like he woke up one day and decided "I'm going to be the tallest guy in tennis" but giant guys who choose to play basketball are a dime a dozen where he grew up. He took a different path. Coming back from an injury, he went into this match at #234.

Meanwhile Nole is still cruising.... :))

Whoever says Rafa is number one probably speaks Spanish. Number one is for talent, not spin and running.

Even in tennis games I dislike AI players who hammer down aces all the time, I can't imagine how frustrating it must be for a baseliner like Nadal who clearly wants to get into rallies, but has the game snuffed out in a second by a huge serve.

"Whoever says Rafa is number one probably speaks Spanish. Number one is for talent, not spin and running."

And I guess you speak Chinese ? or German?
You're strange, that's what I'd say.

Bobby needs a binky.

Dragonfly, Nordiclight, mytennis, slick, ethan, ,Laj, MindyM and Sunny Black I love your posts.

For the life of me I can't understand how anyone can hate Rafa. He has done so much for the sport of tennis, he is such a humble guy and he has nothing but nice things to say about Federer, anyone for that matter. So he celebrated after an emotional win who wouldn't? Even the TMF celebrates after an emotional win. It is not natural not to show your emotion after a match like that.

Sunny Black, I totally agree with you on Drew Brees winning SI's Sportsman of the Year. I even wrote to SI to let them know what a load of BS.

'Whoever says Rafa is number one probably speaks Spanish. Number one is for talent, not spin and running.'

What a veritably myopic, idiotic and damn offensive thing to say. Crawl right back to the woodwork you conspicuously secreted from.

Rafa was in what I call his 'I refuse to lose' mood. Fantastic match. And I was very impressed with how much the rest of Karlovic's game, other than the serve, has improved, including his movement. Slice-N-Dice, I loved the poem.

"I don't believe for a moment, that he is a converted righty, because it's hardly possible to swich a righty with really excellent results."

Nordic Light, he isn't, you're absolutely right, it's just what the media keeps repeating, regardless of the fact that what they say never made much sense, and regardless of what Rafa himself says about it. And the latter part of your sentence is exactly what I've always been saying about the issue. Interesting thoughts from that doc, thanks for sharing. It certainly makes sense.

***

Drew Brees was SI's sportsman of the year? Ok. As an European I have no idea who he is/what his sport is, but I remember seeing the name someplace, probably here, earlier. Whatever. I presume Brees is American, does some specifically American sport, and SI is American, too? Figures. :)

The match was indeed fantastic. Rafa's game was hugely improved from his previous one, and Ivo was playing great - he certainly isn't just about the serve. But then, there are also people who maybe saw Rafa play a few years ago, and still presume he plays similarly now.

And geez - a player is nervous about a match beforehand and during it, the match requires extreme mental focus and concentration all the way, the player loses the first set and needs to come back from behind, it goes all the way to a 3rd set tb, where minibreaks and match points come and go, the result is unclear until the last point... and then the player *finally* wins and is really really happy and expresses his joy and relief and all the tension in the match is gone and there's exhilaration instead --- and some people find that appalling? Bloody hell. I wonder what causes that sort of negative reactions - miserable existence? bottled up anger? envy? Poor souls.

To all the haters: IN. YOUR. FACE.

The day Rafa retires will be a glorious one. Cos he'll be gone for good.

It's a sad thing that kids should see Nadal as a model player. They should be taught he is not.

Bobby, I certainly don't want my kids to have you as a role model. You can't even argue properly: too much vitriol; too little substance.

DHB, if yo are playing tennis yourself then you should know where the problems lies. When the sports became 100 % professional about 20 years or so ago, the sportsmen became more powerful, stronger and faster.

Try to play volley ball after the serve! Usually you have to play wide to make a winner, but if you don't play sharp and accurate enough and the other guys gets the ball, your court is wide open while you are at the net. Besides with spinning the ball you can now hit low and short balls right into the netplayer's legs. I love to watch Lliodra playing, but the percentage of mistakes at the net is much higher than at the baseline. Therefore those who want to win are cautious of going to the net too often. Beat a halfwinner, and then go to the net to make a winner!

Besides when I see top players acting at the net those few times they go there: many times it's gorgeous!! They don't play at the net worser than those serve and volley players. Agree? :)

One of the reasons Rafa is frustrated against Ivo is that Ivo comes in behind his serve, and Rafa is not used to that. Against the other big servers (Roddick, Isner, Querrey, Del PO) you can just block the ball back and get ready to run, as Rafa does so well. But against Ivo's serve, you must DO something with the ball...hit it at his feet, down the line, sharp crosscourt...anything that floats becomes a put-away.
This situation leads to more aces for Ivo. You can't just lean one way or the other on the return, and play hockey goalie. You must guess, and try to put yourself in position to hit a decent stroke. Hence, more balls go untouched. Querrey and Isner should take a page out of Ivo's book, and sneak in once or twice a service game. Murray was doing this well last year when he got to the AO final.
I can't help thinking that Rafa and Roger would never have dominated the way they do had there been some decent serve and volley men around during their era. If Pat Rafter, Pete Sampras, Stefan Edberg, or even a younger Tim Henman been available, there would have been more upsets of the big two.....Roger was 0-3 against Rafter, 4-3 against a fading Henman...and Pete showed in exhibitions that he could give Roger plenty to think about. Remember how an out of shape Robert Kendrick served for the match in straight sets at Wimbledon against Rafa? IN the first round?
By serving and volleying....you've got to get to the net a lot to frustrate Rafa...he is just too impossible from the backcourt when he is on his game. Radek Stepanek is well into his 30's and is still serve and volleying successfully, and he doesn't even have much of a serve! (speedwise, anyway)....C'mon youngn's, get tot he net once in a while!

Bobby,you should look at the mirror and think why you are such a pathetic nutter.You are a bad influence on the civilized world.

Tennis is a sport. Tennis players are as different as the days are long. People pick favorite players for various reasons. I started watching tennis in 1974. My three favorite players are Borg, Sampras and Nadal. All three of these players are different with one common trait. They are all champions and have heart. There is no way for me to predict who would win in any given matchup. I don't have to think about that. I just appreciate the style that each has shown me. I don't have to put down any other player to make my favorites look better. None of the above mentioned are perfect. They don't hold all of the records. But for me, a tennis fan, they made the sport nice for me. Let's just appreciate what each player brings and stop all of the criticizing.

Bobby is bitter but he is right. We should prize talent,not raw power. There are other sports to watch if you like endurance or muscularity.

Tennisa, I respect what you say but I don't get you. Being champion, being number one is not enough. I'd rather watch Llodra than Rafa, no matter his ranking. And I liked Pete enormously, but you can't seriously say he had heart. That he lacked. Remember his double faults when in trouble? His head down? Remember that Davis Cup against France in France? He was the best during ten years, but he had a lot to learn from McEnroe when it comes to combine talent with guts.