Rafael Nadal’s become a bit of an enigma. Twice he’s returned from injury and looked good or at least won against lower ranked opponents.
Nadal returned after Wimbledon to Montreal where he got to the quarterfinals and lost to Juan Martin del Potro. del Potro is an up-and-comer, and by some measures, he’s arrived, especially with his US Open win.
Shortly after the US Open, where Nadal went down in flames to Juan Martin del Potro, Nadal again took a break, this time citing an abdominal strain that had him playing less than his best, although you’d be hard-pressed to tell especially with strong wins over players like Gael Monfils and Fernando Gonzalez.
Even a rusty Nadal can beat almost anyone. And when he does, it seems like he’s back.
Something was puzzling this week in China. Rafael Nadal struggled against Marcos Baghdatis and James Blake winning both matches in three sets. Neither player are slouches, but neither are playing the kind of tennis that put both in the top 10. A healthy Nadal should win handily in straight sets. Nadal did beat Marat Safin in straight sets. Safin had had a pretty good tournament in this, his retirement year.
But then came Marin Cilic. Cilic is a good young player, but of the tall players, the class of the field is clearly Juan Martin del Potro who has a bazooka of a forehand and a monster serve. Cilic, meanwhile, is a steadier player, not as flashy or as powerful. But you wouldn’t have thought that by the 6-1, 6-3 drubbing he gave Nadal. Nadal generally doesn’t lose this bad, and yet here’s two matches, the one against Cilic and the one against del Potro at the Open (and the second set of Montreal too) where Nadal has looked vulnerable.
Has Nadal gotten timid? Has his serve speed gone down? What’s happened to Rafael Nadal? To be fair, Rafa was rusty when he came back from his long break at Montreal. And to be fair, Rafa did make the semifinals. That’s a pretty good accomplishment. But it’s one thing to lose, and one thing to lose this badly. Is he afraid of playing Djokovic? Once upon a time you’d never put “afraid” and Nadal in a sentence together. His bulldog style of play meant he feared no one and he played tough against anyone.
Normally, Rafa has done well when he’s come back. Remember at the end of 2008. Rafa was out hurt and people wondered whether this was the beginning of the end for him. Yet, he came out storming, getting to the finals of the Australian Open and beating a (admittedly flailing) Roger Federer in fives sets. Rafa continued to play pretty well up through the French Open including a very solid clay court season.
But since then, he’s struggled against some players, so now the question is: can he recover? What is up with Rafael Nadal?
