NO way!! First!? Anyways, Nadal's in SF!!! Now shall read the piece and comment later. ;)

If all tennis writers were as good as you are, they wouldn't have to worry about job security or insist on censorship (not allowing access to interview transcripts). You clearly do your homework and have good insights without having to "make up a story" with half truths and sensationalism. Thanks.

Good article, Steve...especially the part about how the media perceived Rafa's pressers in the first week of the tournament and what they actually meant.

However, I disagree with this:

"Its no longer his tournament to lose."

Rafa may feel it is no longer his tournament to lose, but to the world, it *is* his tournament to lose. He's the defending champ, the #1 player still holding 3 slams and no matter how he is playing or feeling or rambling on philosophical side of things...it is his tournament to lose. Otherwise, whose else to lose? Surely not Murray? Definitely not Federer. And Djokovic and never won RG. He can't lose something he hasn't won.

That said, I think Rafa will win RG.

I look forward to the sequence: The Best...

Lucky Nadal to have such a special journalist to write about him with love....

Oh well, you can't have it all.....

On a roll, Steve, another excellent piece.

It seemed in your last piece you didn't quite approve of Nadal's self-deprecating comments or rather that he openly admitted that he was less confident at the moment. Well there you, he found solutions, his game improved, so did his confidence and self approval. He's elevating his game at the right time.

Going by Nadal's celebration, he clearly still wants this tournament so bad. The fact that Nadal always puts his celebration or closing routines/rituals on hold to acknowledge his opponents, just makes me respect him even more. And you can't doubt the sincerity there, if you've followed tennis long enough, you know that's just how Nadal is.

Looking forward to both Semi Finals. Though, I'm rooting for Nadal all the way, the fact that the top 4 are in the SFs, and who ever goes on to win, there'll be just great tennis to witness.

""As he watched Soderling, he caught a glimpse of Uncle Toni in the stands out of the corner of his eye. Rafa squinted hard—his psych-up face—and gave his Uncle a quick fist-pump. Then he started clapping again. ""

Beautiful!

Thanks for the awsome post Steve, I've really enjoyed all your writing this week!

I don't have the opportunity to watch these matches live, although I do keep track of the scores during the work day. Thanks, Steve, for doing such great write-ups. As was said earlier, you don't give in to hollow sensationalism, which is appreciated.

Top 4 in the semi-finals? It doesn't get any better than this!!!

Nice. You and Pete are my tennis reporting mainstays. I scan the other sites, ESPN, TTC, SI, NYT and then come back to Tennis to stay,

Win or lose, I can't help but admire Rafa's attitude; there really is more to him than the dirt in Roland Garros or the other slams.

"tennis has become a job when he wishes it were still a “passion.”"
This is where I enjoy the best of my miserable life! So true in general, hard to keep fire burning for as long as those dudes are doing it.
Congrats Rafa and Roger, now how long for Nole?

I didnt had the chance to watch the game but reading the way you describe Rafa and the match makes me enjoy it almost in the same way
Thanks for a great post

"The match over, he chucked his racquet to the side and jumped in the air. When his opponent walked off and was cheered, Nadal joined in. As he watched Soderling, he caught a glimpse of Uncle Toni in the stands out of the corner of his eye. Rafa squinted hard—his psych-up face—and gave his Uncle a quick fist-pump. Then he started clapping again."...Steve, ur a genius

Relief...

Great coverage in Paris Steve!

Rafa proved once again that the Soderling's win in '09 was a fluke Soderling doesn't beat a healthy Rafa (or even a burnt out Rafa).

Glad to see him on the upswing at the right time! He has dispatched two top competitors in straights on his way to the semis. :-)

Did anyone check the live telecast time line for the men's semi-finals on NBC? Friday 10 am to 1 pm? Mere 3 hours? What is NBC thinking? I do not know what they have lined up after 1 pm? Will say at the end .. continues on ESPN2 or Tennis Channel?

""As he watched Soderling, he caught a glimpse of Uncle Toni in the stands out of the corner of his eye. Rafa squinted hard—his psych-up face—and gave his Uncle a quick fist-pump. Then he started clapping again. ""

I caught that moment on TV and it was great. It seems there is still some fire in the old (young) man after all.

Still picking Rafael Nadal to win this tournament.

If it is a Rafa-Roger final it will be a dudd, the mercy kill matador style

If it is Rafa-Novak it will be an awesome match. But as I stated earlier, Novak will have his hands full in the semis (though I wouldn't be surprised if he clubbers Roger).

@Sri. It's an outrage. NBC has dedicated a mere 3 hours, meaning we might not even get to see one match completed. And which one will it be? As it stands, neither TC or ESPN have any plans to take over the live broadcast. TC will show it on a delay starting at 5pm EST unless something changes. I have no words to describe how mad this makes me. This is the first time since '06 that all top 4 seeds are in the semis. WTF?!

Steve, is this being talked about over there among your fellow journalists?

Michele: ESPN2 will be showing starting 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.

There is always ******** where you can watch all the semi-finals live.

@Fabio: Thank YOU! Phew!

Steve,
Why did you feel, Rafa should not tell the whole world about his mental crisis? I agree, some of his English pressers and interviews have become lengthy inspections of the dark corners of his psyche, which is a bit surprising. But maybe it just indicates, that after all these years he really has gotten the hang of the English language by now; and since he was asked all those critical questions, he might find it a relieve to ramble on. Also he didn't tell anything top secret. His body language is very expressive and everybody could see anyway, what was up with him in the first four matches.
And maybe someone else can tell me: What the heck is a "psych-up face"?

And: Another great write up, Steve!

In case this hasn't already been posted, folks, this website has been an excellent place to pick up the transcripts of all the player interviews each day:

http://www.thesportscampus.com/

Thanks, Mr. Rick,
This transcript embargo is laughable. Steve's articles show, how to make them interesting and anticipated, even , when the pressers are known.

"ESPN2 will be showing starting 8 a.m. until 1 p.m."
*********************

This is true for the ladies semifinals on Thursday - tomorrow. I see no indication of ESPN2 broadcasting the ATP semis on Friday. Once NBC gets involved, they'll black out the ESPN3 streams, too.

Actually Tina you are right. ESPN2 won't be picking it up on Friday. Tragic. I wonder why NBC even bothers with the rights at all.

My man steve, What is it that fugs you worse about the man? Is it the fact that he is from SPAIN or is it that he is from the best? Je, je, je.!!!!
Why can't you be honest about your little column? All the fabricated adulation from these foreigners dosn't do anything for your future.
Report fair and equitably about the game and about the players, be objective, onest and truthful and keep your(sweat)feelings to yourself. Fuk the rest. Hey, you seen the Folkers?

The broadcast networks suck for tennis coverage. I don't know why they bother. They would NEVER do this kind of thing with the NFL or NBA, and if their excuse is "It doesn't bring the same ratings" then fine; leave it to the channels that will actually cover the matches, with smarter commentators who won't see how many words they can get in during a match. I have to mute the tv and miss the sounds of tennis because they talk SO much about mundane, obnoxious nothingness. Hate it.

Not to beat a dead horse, but it just doesn't make sense to completely ignore one of the men's semis! TC and ESPN have been doing a bang up job covering the tournament. And then every year NBC screws this up and pisses everyone off. Ok, done ranting. Moving on to acceptance.

Hey imjimmy. Long time no see. Every time I come here there are mostly people I haven't seen before. That was some Rafa match today. Happy to see him playing well.

This is why I always read your articles. Bravo.

The burning question is: whose face will turn whiter shade of pale on Friday?

I definitely agree about all the TV coverage comments. NBC and CBS always come into the tail ends of the big tournaments and really mess up everything.

'Mr. Rick bows down to the ST'

Just great, Steve. You were spot on about everything. I think its great also that Rafa seems to be freeing himself from others expectations. He has already made his most important statement, that he is indeed an all-surface, career slam player. There is not a whole lot else he needs to prove.

Like most people, it seems Rafa does best when he has a clear goal or something else positive to motivate him and work towards. First it was the FO, then the next few years Wimbledon, then the past few years, the hard courts and the career slam. You could easily see how he worked at these goals and built up momentum every year to meet them.

He had a couple of goals this year, none of which panned out, and it has worried me that the rest of the season will need to be spent pretty much defending what he has already won, rather than on working on something new. These are the kind of tasks that can sap your energy, rather than generate it, if you are not careful. He said he has been looking for "inspiration", which for Rafa I think means, what is his next goal, how can he keep moving forward? Is it on the clay or someplace/something else? Only Rafa can figure this out of course.

But wow, Rafa can really "hold forth" during a press conference these days, can't he?! He just went on and on answering some of those questions. Obviously part of it is because his English is really improving - and also he was probably pretty pumped up today that his game is finally starting to fall into place.

But please Lord, don't let Rafa turn into my father, The Man Who Would Not Stop Talking...

Keep up the incredible work, Steve.

Mr. Rick: I meant to thank you earlier for the link to the site with interview transcripts. Very cool.

Appreciate this piece, Steve. The nuances and the spaces in between are always interesting and impossible to come by when watching network coverage or streams. Glad you're enjoying your time at the FO.

Tribute for a brilliant article Steve; very few can observe the nuances in a live situation or bring to life the atmosphere of Rafa's matches like you can.

"that underlying those short-term nerves is an underlying bedrock of confidence"

so you mean to say that something is underlying lol

It may be motivation that's lacking from Rafa. Winning the FO the first time – lots of motivation and a clear goal. Defending it the first time – lots of motivation there. Defending it the third time – motivation there because it leads up to Wimbledon and he saw the importance of it last year. Winning FO the 4th time – motivated here too because of positive results in the previous HC majors. Winning Wimbledon – tremendous motivation and a clear goal because of the two previous years. Winning AO the first time – no need to mention if he was fired up for this one. Injury plagued year comes. He had to win another major and what was up next? The FO – motivated here again, same with Wimbledon. Winning his first USO – he was fired up also.

Now defending the FO again? Been there, done that. I can see what he means when there's no more passion in the game. He's won it five times. He's defended it before. He's not really improving by winning it again, he's basically stuck at the top of clay with nowhere to go.

Mr. Rick, you should have seen some of the extended versions of his pressers, we can watch on Eurosport Yahoo. He went into whole monologues. Hamlet's "To be or not to be" is definitely shorter and snappier. And this idea of a 2 year ranking system is nonsense, imo, but I do get the impression, all this talking and introspection helped him somehow, to get things out of his system and to reduce pressure.

Cheers Fangorina! I agree. Much better from Rafa today. Let's see how it pans out this weekend..

Good article -- I want to see Rafa not only winning but playing with that passion we have always seen from him. Glad to hear he is getting some of that back, and I have to find video now of that psych up face and fist pump to Toni you described.

One thing that none of these articles, on any sports site I have been to during this tournament, have explained is: if it is really getting to the players that the tennis season has become so long (and Nadal is not the only one I have heard complaining of this) do they not have any power to change that? Don't they get to decide how many tournaments they participate in? (I am thinking of a few years back when the Williams sisters were criticized for taking time off to start a clothing design business.) Or are they more like indentured servants to the ATP and they have to show up at all these events? Because sometimes it sounds like Rafa just needs a break to go and find his motivation! Also, I note that someone like Rafa, Nole or Roger doesn't get a break because they are going to be there for the whole of every tournament since they almost always make the final. Anyway, if an article is out there explaining this, I would love to know where it is. Or to have one written for me.

Vamos Rafa!

TV coverage for the remainder of FO:

Thur, June 2 Men's Doubles Semifinals 5 a.m. - 8 a.m. (Live) Tennis Channel
Thur, June 2 Women's Semifinals 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. (Live) ESPN2
Thur, June 2 Women's Semifinals 1 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. (Replay) Tennis Channel
Thur, June 2 French Open Tonight 6:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. (Live) Tennis Channel
Fri, June 3 Mixed Doubles Final 5 a.m. - 7 a.m. (Delay) Tennis Channel
Fri, June 3 Men's Semifinals 7 a.m. - 11 a.m. (Live) Tennis Channel
Fri, June 3 Men's Semifinals 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. (Replay) NBC
Fri, June 3 Men's Semifinals 5 p.m. - 12 a.m. (Replay) Tennis Channel
Sat, June 4 Women's Final 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (Live) NBC
Sun, June 5 Men's Final 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. (Live) NBC

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/tennis/05/20/french.tv.schedule/index.html#ixzz1O4Ss74Tb

I see nadal stopping his losing streak to djoko at 4 if they meet in the final. I see nadal winning RG on sunday.

How long are the media and the fans going to naively believe the act nadal plays at the beginning of major tournaments to make people feel he is not playing well?
He and Uncle Tony know how to manipulate people!!

I think he will win, but I am tired of his act

The presence of Djokovic has changed things for Rafa here. Losing twice to him has shaken his confidence, no doubt.

guess this means on clay?

Max, don't be so paranoid.

Think his first five opponents were in on the act too?

I mean, seriously.

when soderling was going to the exit after the match...rafa joined in the cheering and clapping...but even during breaks, he stopped near the net and gave way for soderling to pass first...such gestures of Rafa is very gentlemanly, humble and full of respect to his opponent...in many ways he posseses the highest quality of sportsmanship among all the tennis athletes...that makes him my number one "spanish idol"...cheers!

There is no way Federer or Nadal beats Novak anytime soon. Simple, Novak is and was better tennis player than Nadal but didn't have the needed confidence to win consistently. Right now his belief that he can beat anybody on the tennis court is what's keeping the streak going and, after him getting the unexpected 4 days off before the most important matches of this tournament is a blessing in the sky for him.
FO is Novak's, baring an injury or illness.

Daredevil is not Fernando.

'umble

Steve, great article. You seem like the most passionate Rafa fan actually.

Daredevil - I agree with you on the fact that Novak's tennis is lot better than Nadal's - in terms of backhand/forehand/movement combination. Better than the 2005 Fed - I don't know about that...better than the CURRENT fed - sure!

But, remember - Nadal/Fed have won multiple slams not because they have been better tennis players always - but because when push comes to shove..they handle the pressure the best! Novak has gotten better - but you never know how he would react as a favorite in a slam final. Also, if Rafa makes it to the final against Djokovic...expect him to hit freely as he will be the underdog - a position he always enjoys the most!

I'd be interested to see Rafa-Murray now..if Raf can beat Andy - that would be a great confidence booster and a good practice for Raf in terms of handling a world class backhand.

Fernando says that all of you make too much of the "player in the head thing". This does not exist at this level. One player is just playing better than the other. Fernando! Entertaining tennis analysis @ vivafernando

GO RAFA WISH HIM THE BEST@!!

nole is the best

you better shut up. your such a bitter man!!!!!!
make your own world boy!!!!!!!!!!

Worth to note, that the way the play against lower level opponents tells next to nothing about how they will play against each other. Articles of this kind are absolutely useless.

The one that's not Fernando says that it's not so much as "player in the head thing" as much as confidence thing. Novak , in the last 6-7 months, didn't invent or develop new shots in his game. He always had the game but not the self belief to hit and execute that game.It's not like Nadal had forgotten, all of a sudden, to hit the shots that he was hitting for years (the serve, forehand and such). It's that with Novak's return and defensive skills (all over the court) Nadal doesn't have the self belief that he can hurt/beat Novak.

An interesting thing to note with regards to Nadal was mentioned by one of the commentators in the UK (I believe it was David Mercer) who said Nadal changed the tension of his racquets because he felt he wasn't able to hit through the court. Now he definitely struck the ball much better today but at the same time he'll obviously lose a modicum of control on his shots so you might see more unforced errors. I think it might be something to keep an eye on in his next match as well as potentially in the final.

Tennis Channel seems to have free live streaming at http://www.b2livetv.com/flashplayer/frenchopen.html. Hopefully they will keep this open for the men's semis! http://www.tennischannel.com/roland_garros/schedule.aspx indicates that the men's semis will be shown on tennis channel from 7-11 AM before NBC takes over -- hopefully this will be available via streaming at the same time.

Anyone that's used this before care to comment on this? Thanks.

And oh yeah -- Steve, great article!

Good call Steve, on both Federer and Nadal. I still think Djokovic will be number one by week's end, even though Federer commandeered on court against Monfee (a minion if ever there was one). He's just too on at the moment, nowhere to go against him, strong defense, morphing into better offense. However, if the offensive backhand works for Federer as well as it did in the quarters, he has a great shot. And if Nadal's forehand remains offensive, it'll be another French Fedal.

Midway through the American spring swing my mother said to me "Rafa looks like an old man." Interesting that he is now saying he feels like he's been playing a hundred years. Always listen to your mum. She knows.

btw, Mum is a fervent admirer of Nadal. Try as I do, I have never been able to sway her over to the Fed camp.

Vivek, that is the first I've seen of that Tennis Channel coverage of the men's Semis -- thanks and hope it is true!

Does that mean that TC is taking one and NBC the other? Anyone out there know the scoop?

Re Tennis Channel coverage, I just looked at the West Coast schedule for Friday on the TC site and no FO tennis is listed until 2 p.m. after NBC's Window . . . my hope just faded . . .

Steve,

There's really nothing more to say after reading this blog. You pointed out all the great things that Rafa was able to bring to this match. I think this was his best match on clay this year. Finally, I was seeing the Rafa I have come to know and love so much.

The movement was phenomenal and Rafa was able to get to almost everything and hit it right back at Sod. I did notice the depth and penetration on his shots, more "conviction" indeed! Rafa was painting the lines and hitting his forehand so beautifully. The one shot that stuck in my mind was late in the third set, when Rafa hit one of his signature cc backhand shots and it landed in the far corner on Sod's side of the court. Unreturnable! That's the shot that means Rafa is feeling it. He started going for those shots more as the match wore on. So nice to see!

You have a real appreciation for the special gifts that comprise Rafa's game. I loved the thought and detail that went into this blog.

Finally, thanks for explaining that scrunched up face Rafa made while he was applauding Sod as he exited the court. He then pumped his fist and I wondered why he did it at that moment. You told me why - he caught Uncle Toni's eye and it was like a punctuation mark on a great match - yes, I did it - he seemed to be saying. And it sure feels good! Rafa is peaking at just the right time and I am really looking forward to the semifinals.

Both Rafa and Roger desperately need to stop Novak. If he beats them once again, the whole era will be over. There will be new #1, everything changes. So, I am sure both Rafa and Roger will do anything they can to prevent that. They had asked for all expert help they could get to learn how to beat Novak and how to improve their own declining skills.
Novak can become #1 later, this tournament should not be "do or die" for him, but it will be a bad blow, resembling the past if he loses to Roger. Losing to Rafa in the final may even be good for business. Novak will be #1, Rafa his main rival. Novak needs to win SF more than he needs to win the final. Federer DESPERATELY needs to beat Novak.

TO WENDY: YOU GO GIRL. LOVE YOUR SHORT RESPONSE TO MAX. WHAT A CLEVER RETORT.
I DO SUSPECT THAT ALL OF RAFA'S OPPONENTS IN THIS 2011 FO CONNIVED WITH RAFA TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE HE WOULD LOSE. WHAT A GOOD PLAY-ACTING BY ISNER, ANDUJAR AND VEIC. DO YOU THINK LUBY WAS IN IT TOO? SO THEY PRETENDED TO FIGHT HARD AND RAFA TRIED TO PLAY POOR AND HOW DOES THAT PLOT DEVELOP AGAIN?
DO YOU THINK RAFA HAS BEEN SECRETLY READING ON REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY IN TENNIS PSYCH WAR? LOL.
VAMOS M'HIJO RAFA!

Really hope Nadal can play with more grace: why has to show the hate-face all the time? Look at the Fed or Novak, learn from them and play with grace!!!

Nadal didn't have to do a whole lot other than defend well to win this match - Soderling's tactics and execution were both extremely poor.

Nice post Steve. I never did buy into the "Rafa's game is all shot this FO"...Yes he looked shaky in his first 2 matches (surprisingly I thought even more in the Andujar match, where he was getting bossed around in the rallies, than the Isner match, where Isner's serve obv had a big role to play).

But after that, while the media were going hyper about not-so-convincing performances against that stiff in the 3rd round and Ljubi, I merely thought - lets wait and see if he actually loses a set / match. Roger used to do this a lot in his 18/19 Slam Finals run - have a dodgy couple of matches early one, and then sharpen up at the business end. No point trying to bagel and breadstick players ranked 100..

I dunno about his "I'm not playing well enough to win this tournament" routine though. Seemed to me like he was trying to take the pressure off himself. Reminded me a lot of my elder sister, who after each exam she wrote would come back with a "it was terrible, I'm going to do horribly", and eventually end up with brilliant results. I was the exact opposite BTW - used to come out of an exam with a huge smile thinking I'd aced it, tell all and sundry, and then look for cover when the grades were released.

I think its just a simple defense mechanism at play for lowering expectations all round.

freddy: that exam analogy is very interesting. I remember I used to do exactly the same thing as your sister. It definitely wasn't a conscious attempt at deception (there were times when I was depressed for days after an exam, convinced it had gone terribly - but the results would indicate otherwise), but there may have been a defence mechanism involved. Your comment has me wondering if my Rafa fandom has something to do with identifying with his attitude on some level.

Having said all that, I'd like to point out that when Rafa said "I'm not playing well enough to win this tournament", it was a fairly accurate assessment of his level in the Ljubicic match (and given everyone's knowledge of the phenomenally high level Djokovic has been playing at). I don't think he intended it to mean "There's no way I can improve my level enough in the next few days".

Nice writing, Steve, as usual. You always tell us what it is like to really be there.

Did Rafa actually swear on tv infront of uncle Toni ?

( gosh ) what is the world coming too, eh ?

The day someone can make Rafa swear on clay will either be the day hes meet his match

Steve, thanks for another great posting on Rafa; I appreciate both your insights and your writing. Will be on Chatrier tomorrow to cheer him on.

SportsCampus removed transcripts too.

So can anyone explain why this decision is good?

Jai - you're right it may not be a conscious attempt at deception. Maybe he genuinely felt that way. But the thing is, after a few of those, people start applying their correction factors to what you say..or should. In my case, we'd usually mark up anything my sister said, and mark down anything I said re the exams.

Which is short for saying, "Don't take what he says at face value".

I'm also thinking my Fed fandom is linked to his attitude. Call it ego, or supreme confidence, denial or whatever (in his case, well justified) - you rarely see him being down in the dumps. Usually, its just "I still have the game to beat anyone"

We'll see, no!!

There was no "mental crisis" (as one of you said) for Nadal, he was just less confident knowing someone was superior. I love Nadal but I'm sure there has also been a little bit of intox since the beginning around his form. Saying he can't win the tournament? Hey wake up Rafa! Even on one leg, you can still do it :) Anyway, Roger and Rafa have played very well for their last matches (Roger's playing at a high level since RG started). They're definitely alive to win many more majors. But I dunno it's like I'm feeling this one is for Nole, ok his streak should end! But I don't see that coming here in Paris. If it's a final Nole against Murray (I really think it won't) then Nole is safe, if it's against Rafa then I see 5 sets but still Nole the winner because when Rafa has some downs, Ljubicic or Söderling let him come back but hey Nole is over them right now. First of all, Nole has to play Roger, interesting! I hope it'll be a great match but I still feel the winner will be the same in the end. Predictions: Nadal d. Murray in 3; Djokovic d. Federer in 4.

Oh I forgot! Very nice post Steve, always a pleasure to read you. I wish there were Slams every month of the year just to enjoy your articles.
And I quite agree with everything said by Daredevil ;)

Michele: Agree it is outrageous that NBC would buy the rights then screw tennis fans so badly. If your'e going to pay for the rights, broadcast the tourny properly! After nearly two weeks of great Tennis Channel and ESPN2 coverage, the TV guide says only 3 hours for men's semis on NBC, and that on tape delay! Someone else just posted this however: "Fri, June 3 Men's Semifinals 7 a.m. - 11 a.m. (Live) Tennis Channel" Can anuyone confirm that TC will now be allowed to show live men's semis?

And for those who are saying Nadal will be the underdog if he faces Djokovic in the final, it's totally wrong!!!!!!!!!!! Nadal is still the n°1, the winner of 5 French Opens, 2 Wimbly, 1 AO and 1 US Open and so on...

"And for those who are saying Nadal will be the underdog if he faces Djokovic in the final, it's totally wrong!!!!!!!!!!! Nadal is still the n°1, the winner of 5 French Opens, 2 Wimbly, 1 AO and 1 US Open and so on...

....and so on: he lost to Novak in their last 4 matches....just that minor detail.

I'm tired of tennis getting screwed by the networks. They dedicate hours & hours to golf, horse racing, etc. This is a freakin Grand Slam tournament. We deserve full coverage for the semifinals & finals, for heaven's sakes. It's ridiculous. We're in a time with such amazing players, such awesome matches, and great personalities in Rafa, Roger, and Novak. It would be nice if we were given the chance to watch the whole matches. Not everyone gets Tennis Channel. Argh! I often joke that I'd gladly trade in my Golf Channel for Tennis Channel if given the choice.

Loved Rafa's match against Soderling. Hopefully Rafa continues to improve. I would love for him to win his 6th French.

trust me, you wouldn't hear nadal speaking about lost passion or long year if he wouldn't have lost to djokovich. nadal has a lot of pride. if he will start losing grandslams regularly, he will quit. it will be torture for him. i don't buy all those- i am happy to reach the finals- he says when he loses. he is very upset.
all this talk about his fatigue suddenly... he is having a hard time to take defeats, like federer before him. if he starts losing, he won't endure it. he will quit. and that will be a big shame.
him stating how he is not playing good enough- just like a girl complainig she didn't atudy for the exam well enough. defending herself from the sorrow of bad results. he doesn't like to be the favorite, especually when serious contention is there.

Harold stop talking rubbish. Nadal-Fed-Djo will be duelling it out for years to come. Right now it's the Joker's time, but the other s will only be more driven when such an annoying character reaches number 1.

Nadal and Fed are going nowhere.

Enjoying the suffering a little... yes! It's a bit like Connors' insistence that he relished going into battle, but perhaps to another, higher degree. Tennis players of all stripes know intimately the pains of competition -- going for a little too much and sending the kicker just wide of its intended mark for a double-fault at 5-4, 40-30, letting the opponent back min and, ultimately, losing the set and match; burying the easy sitter volley into the net to blow a perfect break opportunity and miss the chance to seize the lead in the third. There is true suffering on the tennis court, and its generally of the self-inflicted kind, making it even more insufferable. It is nice to hear Nadal acknowledge what all of us who've played the game understand so well, and to know that he feels it deeply, too.

"Nadal and Fed are going nowhere "

... except in the sunset. Nadal already admitted that he is tired and Fed looks that way, so Djoker is here to stay and annoy all of his haters.

I believe Rafa is gonna pass this situation and come back even stronger!