Posted: 22.03.09 15:06. Post subject: Пресса знает всё! :)

 Posted: 18.05.09 01:01. Post subject: Ченальдина думаю, чт..

Ченальдина
думаю, что имеются в виду финалы.

 Posted: 18.05.09 06:20. Post subject: Tatiana Но ведь с Д..

Tatiana
Но ведь с Джоковичем не финал же был...

 Posted: 18.05.09 06:30. Post subject: Ченальдина Просто Г..

Ченальдина
Просто Гилберт говорил про грунт...

 Posted: 18.05.09 10:28. Post subject: Сафина молодец http:..

Сафина молодец

 Posted: 18.05.09 11:04. Post subject: Сафина молодец! Прид..

Сафина молодец! Придется пересмотреть ее!
P.S. Dinusik, Vне твоя ава нравится, я, кстати, голововала за него

«Надаль: как объяснить моё поражение? Просто Роджер был лучше»
Какой Рафа все-таки молодец!

 Posted: 18.05.09 17:00. Post subject: Надаль: «Федерер спо..

Надаль: «Федерер способен взять «Ролан Гаррос». Но…»
Теннис - Ролан Гаррос
18/05/2009 - 12:46

Первая ракетка мира Рафаэль Надаль считает, что его принципиальному сопернику Роджеру Федереру по силам выиграть Открытый чемпионат Франции, сообщает АР.

Об этом он заявил накануне после финального матча на турнире серии «Мастерс» в Мадриде, где он уступил Федереру со счетом 4:6, 4:6.

«Федерер может выиграть «Ролан Гаррос», на каком бы месте в рейтинге он ни находился. Он доказал это ходом своей карьеры. Но Париж начинается с первого круга, а не с финала», - сказал Надаль, намекая на то, что в ходе турнира намерен концентрироваться на ближайшем сопернике и не зацикливаться на мыслях о возможном финале.

По словам испанца, поражение в Мадриде не будет долго сниться ему в кошмарных снах. «Этот турнир не имеет ничего общего с «Ролан Гаррос». Грунт в Мадриде сильно отличается от грунта в Париже. Те мячи, которые проходили здесь, на «Ролан Гаррос» не пройдут. Такие условия больше подходили Роджеру, а не мне», - приводит слова первой ракетки мира РИА «Новости».

Надаль добавил, что после турнира в Мадриде и перед Открытым чемпионатом Франции он нуждается в полноценном отдыхе. Тем не менее, правое колено, которое тревожит Надаля с конца прошлого года, сейчас в порядке, заявил теннисист, и причин волноваться нет.

В свою очередь, Роджер Федерер остался доволен тем, что выиграл первый турнир в 2009 году.

«Безусловно, это прогресс, особенно если учесть, что до этого в текущем сезоне я не выиграл еще ни одного турнира. Но сейчас не время почивать на лаврах. Я с нетерпением жду начала Открытого чемпионата Франции, хотя пару недель назад был крайне неуверен в собственных силах».

На протяжении двух последних лет Федерер и Надаль встречались в финале «Ролан Гаррос», а три года назад – в полуфинале. В 2006 и 2007 гг. Надаль выиграл в четырех сетах, а в 2008 - в трех. Тем не менее, швейцарец не теряет оптимизма: «Я знаю, что нужно делать, дабы выиграть, хотя это будет весьма и весьма непросто».

Напомним, что открытый чемпионат Франции стартует в ближайшее воскресенье, 24 мая.

http://www.eurosport.ru/tennis/french-open/2009/story_sto1943736.shtml

 Posted: 18.05.09 17:30. Post subject: Sunday May 17, 2009 ..

Sunday May 17, 2009
Rafael Nadal says he is not looking to achieve the Grand Slam of Australian, French, Wimbledon and US Open titles, despite dominating the first five months of 2009.



Responding to Agassi's suggestion, made this weekend at Wimbledon, that Nadal is set to complete the Slam this year, Nadal said he was still taking the season one match at a time.

"Firstly I'd like to thank Andre for his kind words," said Nadal. "This is not a goal for me right now. My only goal is to practice for the next tournament, I don't think about the Grand Slam, just the next tournament."
Sunday May 17, 2009


Rafa said that Saturday's marathon semifinal probably hadn't helped his court movement in the final of the Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open but complemented Roger Federer on winning the title and ending his 19-match clay court winning streak.

"It's always better to have a one-and-a-half hour semifinal than a four-hour semifinal but somedays it goes one way and somedays it goes the other," said the Spaniard.

"Roger did very well, he played crazy around the court, moved really well. I didn't play my best tennis but he played much better than me."

Nadal said that the result, which ended the run of form that saw him win the titles in Monte

Carlo and Rome immediately before Madrid, had no implications for his French Open campaign.

"The important thing about today is that I have 15 Masters Series titles, not 16 Masters Series titles. That is the only important thing about today."

And the tournament top seed, whose head-to-head against Federer now stands at 13-7, said that the disappointing Madrid result didn't tarnish what had been a spectacular clay court season.

"For me the clay court season has been a dream. I've won a lot of matches, titles, I'm winning the race and I've defended a lot of points," said the 22-year-old.

"I am already qualified for the (season-ending) championships in London and that is always a goal. I've had a very good season so far and I'm very happy with how the first five months has gone for me."

http://www.madrid-open.com/site/news/6/3431

 Posted: 18.05.09 21:30. Post subject: When is a loss a goo..

When is a loss a good loss?

James Beck

For Rafael Nadal, Sunday was a good time to lose. And Roger Federer was the perfect opponent to reap the benefits of defeating the world's No. 1 player.

You say, never.

But in the case of Rafael Nadal, Sunday was a good time to lose. And Roger Federer was the perfect opponent to reap the benefits of defeating the world's No. 1 player. Federer needed this one much worse than Nadal.

It was much the same situation as two years ago in Hamburg when Federer ended Nadal's 81-match clay-court winning streak. You could sense that one, too. It was simply better for Nadal not to take such a long winning streak to Roland Garros. Of course, Nadal defeated Federer in the 2007 French Open final.

And now as Nadal seeks a fifth straight French Open title, he certainly didn't need to head to Paris with a 34-match winning streak on clay. Plus, the loss possibly gave Federer's career new life. The rivalry may still live.

This loss may have been in his country, before his fans, but otherwise Nadal probably slept well Sunday night.

The big question is what were the two or three good-natured words that Nadal whispered to Federer at the center of the net just before the start of Federer's 6-4, 6-4 win in the Madrid final. Federer appeared to hang on to the words as Nadal pulled away for his signature sprint to the baseline to start the match.

This isn't to say that Nadal wanted to lose. He just apparently didn't want to win quite as badly as he will if the two players meet again in three weeks in the Paris final.
Nadal definitely wasn't in his zone this time, as he was in dominating countryman Fernando Verdasco while rallying from a 4-0 second-set deficit in the quarterfinals.

As for his miraculous four-hour victory over Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, Nadal just willed himself into that win. He committed the kind of unforced errors and doublefaults that you never expect to see coming off the Spaniard's racket. He played very un-Nadal-like but managed to win when it appeared his heart wasn't totally into the match.

It was great to see Federer given new life. He's clearly not the Federer of old. Pressure situations are now a delicacy that Federer no longer handles quite like the player once hailed as the best ever.

In reality, Federer may now be the fourth-best player in the men's game, behind Nadal, Djokovic and Andy Murray -- in that order. The Nadal-Djokovic confrontations have become "the rivalry" of men's tennis.

Nadal played with little zest through most of his epic battle with Djokovic, and the trend continued against Federer. Perhaps, Nadal was tired from the Djokovic struggle or his injured right leg was still sore.

But even before the injury against Djokovic, Nadal didn't attack the ball, not the way he did in winning the Olympic gold medal or during his march to the Australian Open title. And not the way he did in yielding just four games to Federer in three sets in last year's Paris final. The gusto simply wasn't there.

Nadal had little rhythm on his serve much of the tournament. He bounced one serve to the net. He hit one second serve three feet wide of the center line. This was an imposter.
This was a tired Rafael Nadal, who obviously just wanted to go home to Mallorca for a few days.

http://ubitennis.quotidianonet.ilsole24ore.com/english/2009/05/18/178939-when_loss_good_loss.shtml

 Posted: 18.05.09 21:44. Post subject: П/К с Мадридского Ма..

П/К с Мадридского Мастерса днем с огнем не разыщешь. На VB.com нашли ПК Рафы после финала на французском языке, а Moondancer перевела ее на английский:

Nadal : « Federer was better »

Always fair, Rafael Nadal doesn’t look for excuses after his defeat against Roger Federer (6-4, 6-4) in the Masters 1000 final of Madrid. The Spaniard acknowledges the superiority of the Swiss in this final but he remains confident for Roland Garros. He also makes the balance of this tournament.


MASTERS 1000 MADRID - Final
Roger Federer (SUI/N.2) def Rafael Nadal (ESP/N.1) 6-4, 6-4

Rafael Nadal
PRESS CONFERENCE

Q : Yesterday, you said that the match against Novak Djokovic fatigued you. Didn’t you pay a bit for it against Federer for the energy you spent?
Rafael Nadal: No, I’m not the sort of person to look for excuses. If I was fatigued, it’s because I played longer than I should have yesterday. Anyway, what I wanted to say is that I arrived on court more tired than he was of course. The truth is that he only played for one hour and a half because in the semis because he played better than I. The court is very, very fast. He took advantage of it from the beginning and he was better. That’s all I wanted to say.

Q: Did he play well or did you not evolve (?) well on court?
R.N. I think that above all, it’s a matter of equilibrium. You make mistakes you shouldn’t be making, thereby offering opportunity to your opponent. Today (yesterday), Roger took full advantage of it. However, I think that he played better and this throughout the entire match. However, the conditions are a lot different here compared with classic clay courts. It was hard to stop him because the court suited him but also because he was very good. Anyway, to play against Federer isn’t easy and the conditions favored him. If you are not 100%, it’s difficult if not impossible to fight and I think that he deserved this victory today more than I did.

Q: Through this defeat, we can see that you’re human, that somebody can beat you. Are you able to take something positive out of it?
R.N.: Nothing positive. I think that there’s nothing to analyse. I was never in the match because Federer didn’t give me the opportunity. In the rare opportunities I had, he played better than me.

Q: Is your confidence affected by this defeat?
R.N.: I am the world number one, I won three out of four clay court tournaments, I’m still on the list for London. I’m delighted with the first five months of the season. I don’t know what else I can do to be confident.

Q: Do you think that Roger Federer has the possibilities to win in Paris ?
R.N.: He’s one of the favourites in Paris. But before talking about the final, you have to get past the first round. A Grand Slam tournament is won by starting with the first round. If you would give me on paper that I would meet him in the Roland Garros final, I would sign right now.

Q: It was the first time you played in the Caja Magica. What did you think of it?
R.N.: First of all; the atmosphere. The public was really great and that’s very important for a big tournament like this one. However, without criticizing, I think that the locker rooms are too small for a Masters of this stature. Another issue is that the training courts were not fit for a tournament that wants to be the biggest clay event after Roland Garros. But note, it’s the first year at the “Caja Magica” (magical box, editor), those things can and will improve. The most important thing is that people show up, like they did for this first edition.

Q : What’s the status of your knee problem that you twitched during the semis?
R.N.: It’s going very well. I had no pain at all during the match. I’m going to rest 3 to 4 days and from Wednesday, I will be back to prepare for Roland Garros.

Q : André Agassi said that he sees you win the Grand Slam this year. What do you think?
R.N.: That’s very nice of him. Now my only goal is to train well and to play well in Roland Garros.

Eurosport – by Stéphanie Verleyen in Madrid

 Posted: 19.05.09 22:46. Post subject: Its time to talk abo..

Its time to talk about the flavour of the season. Who else but Rafael Nadal?

The two words which have become synonymous with him these days seem to be -Gifted and Gorgeous! And not to forget he remains a photographer’s ultimate delight. It could be the sheer power of his shots, the entertaining on and off court antics, or the very visible abdomen; the reasons hardly matter. What matters are the results. And boy do we like them.

Ever since his early days Rafa’s style has been a natural extension of his persona - a young, powerful guy who likes to defy convention. The fact that he comes from a relaxed “holiday” island is also very evident – in his choice of bright colours and tendency to refrain from grey or black. But there are exceptions to this rule – like this photo shoot which he did for Spanish vogue after his first major in 2005.

I think these are some of my favourite shots of him till date, mainly because he looks so like the effervescent teenager that he actually was. He looks 19. Not someone who is trying to be fashionable. And that’s a key element with Rafa – when it comes to fashion – he never tries too hard.


Enough has been spoken about his on court apparel already. In my opinion his sleeveless t and Capri pants, along with cheeky bandanas was the most distinct style statement that men’s tennis has seen in ages. By switching to a more orthodox (read boring) gear Nike has taken away a bit of good old fashioned Rafa from the fans.
Although I understand the intention to create a more marketable “world number 1”, Nike’s decision to singlehandedly rob Nadal of his signature style does seem like overkill.

All that notwithstanding, the “emperor’s new clothes” might have the potential to generate more revenue, what it doesn’t have is enough character. Or oomph.
Any mention of his fashion sense would be incomplete without talking about his Nike adverts. Varying from pure commercial to editorial, these shots have always worked very well for Rafa.

Not only does he wear the clothes, he takes to the Nike ideology like a fish to water. And being a “t shirt and shorts kinda fella” in real life works beautifully to his advantage.

Now it’s practically a given that having a good body is a huge asset in the race to be fashion forward. And this is where Rafa scores big time. Not only does he have the chocolate-meets-mahogany complexion, the famously overdeveloped upper body, and an incredible bone structure; Rafa is willing to take risks. Willing to pose shirtless. Willing to be ogled at.

The images below are from the New York magazine and from the Lanvin Pour Homme Sport collection which will have Nadal endorsing his signature perfume.

I can recall a very funny story about the New York magazine photo. The pictures came out last august and screamed the title – Beefcake in the Backcourt. And to everyone’s surprise Rafa didn’t like them! The reason – he thought he looked too sexy!! huh too sexy? Now that’s a first!

I have to say I was particularly impressed with the Lanvin advertisement. Instead of putting him in a full suit and making him look dapper, they chose the simple unbuttoned white shirt, loose tie, and messy hair – all of which scream Rafa! Rugged yet stylish. Sophisticated yet careless.

And just when we thought he could only look one-dimensional, these two photos caught my eye and took me by complete surprise. The first was taken right before the Olympics and has Rafa sporting the colours of the Spanish football team and the second one appeared in the Le Officiele Magazine in 2007.


Who is that coy boy who is almost hesitant to look at the camera? Surely not our “intense and brooding” Rafael Nadal.Who is this young man who looks calm, serence and almost angelic? Our tennis uperstar or just a simple, young man from sunny little Mallorca? Maybe Both.

His style and obvious sex appeal notwithstanding, this is Rafael Nadal’s most attractive trait for me -the contradiction that defines him.

The fact that he looks like a raging bull on court and like a harmless puppy off it. The fact that he still prefers having long meals with his family rather than rolling out of nightclubs. The fact that he is genuinely surprised when women swoon over him although the reasons are fairly obvious. The fact that he can do an editorial shoot for Lanvin one day and still go fishing in Mallorca the next day. The fact that he is admirable and relatable at the same time. The fact that he is still thinks of himself as a “just a regular guy” although there is nothing “just regular” about him.

The fact that in an era when everyone wants to be a star, he wants to be a normal guy.

Written by : Poulomee Basu

http://mytennisfashion.com/?p=2072

 Posted: 19.05.09 22:53. Post subject: Майский номер журнал..

Майский номер журнала Men's Fitness назвал Рафу the 2009 Men's Fitness Fittest Guy in the World и объяснил, почему:

RAFAEL NADAL
Age: 23
Country: Spain
Career: Tennis Player

Why Nadal? Because of those guns, for goodness' sake. Or gun, really. The left one. It's a boulder. A cannon. A WMD. Because of his stamina, his physique. Because of the way he plays, with violence. The way Mike Singletary or Ray Nitschke or Lawrence Taylor would play if they played tennis. Remember the Office Linebacker? He's the Office Tennis Champion. Six Grand Slams. Thirty-three tournament wins. Twenty-three-million dollars in prize winnings. Because he rebuilt his game to become No. 1. No longer just a "clay" guy, he's now a man for all surfaces. A lot of "clay" guys are content to be "clay" guys. Not him. Because of his relentless pursuit of the greatest artist the sport has ever seen. He's the only man on the planet with the will and the way to end the Roger Federer Era. Because he's been No. 1 for 37 weeks since supplanting Federer in August 2008. Because he wants to stay there. We love that. Because he loves his national soccer team. Loves it with the passion you'd expect from a Spaniard. Loves it like a fan. And seems to love life like a fan. Because he actually pulls off the Capri pants. Or he makes us think he does. Whatever you do, do it confidently. And he does. Because he brought joy back to the sport. He's Ille Nastase. He's Bjorn Borg. He's Jimmy Connors. Without any of their deficiencies. Because of the latest Greatest Match in the History of the Sport, his four-hour, 48-minute victory over Federer in the Wimbledon Finals last summer. It was a convergence of the sport's greatest on its greatest stage. His victory signified a real-time passing of the torch. Because when he wins, we feel drained. And empowered. We feel as if we were there. Or wish we had been. For all those reasons, Rafael Nadal, the best tennis player in the world, is the 2009 Men's Fitness Fittest Guy in the World.

http://www.mensfitness.com/fitness/469

 Posted: 19.05.09 22:54. Post subject: The fact that in an ..

The fact that in an era when everyone wants to be a star, he wants to be a normal guy.
Как хорошо сказано! Вот поэтому Рафа самая настоящая звезда!

ольга , спасибо за статью!

 Posted: 19.05.09 22:57. Post subject: В этом же журнале ра..

В этом же журнале размещено интервью с Рафой:

Rafael Nadal
MF catches up with the world's No. 1 tennis player

Your 2008 Wimbledon final has been called the Greatest Match of All Time. Obviously your conditioning is vital to winning most matches, but how important was your conditioning in this particular match, especially in the areas of mental toughness and confidence?
I felt great at Wimbledon last year. Both physically, mentally and happy with the way I was playing. I didn't know if I could be able to win it but I did know I was feeling great and that I could be ready for everything.

Now that you've had time to reflect on it, what is your biggest memory of that tournament?
I have a lot of memories. Especially on the match points and the rain delay.

After winning Wimbledon and recently the Australian Open, you've been ranked No. 1 the past year. Has being No. 1, rather than No. 2, affected your mindset on the court, especially against Federer, against whom you were always the underdog?
I don't think it changes that much to be No. 1 or No. 2 to be very honest with you. It is difficult to be up there and as I say the change is not much. Federer is always the main rival but also now Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

What is a your weekly workout regimen when you're not playing in a tournament?
It all depends at what period of the season we are talking about. If we are in the pre-season, the gym work is higher. During the season I don't do much, I prefer to play tennis.

What about during tournament weeks?
Here I do more aerobic types of fitness and clearly play much more tennis on the court.

How about your flexibility routine?
This is very important. This I do everyday. I have my own Physio and he stretches me everyday. This is crucial.

How has your training regimen evolved as you've grown from a teenager into a man?
I always had the same physical trainer and I don't really see the difference from what I did 5 years ago. The biggest difference comes with the kind of work I specifically need for my tennis and the changes I have [made]. But not depending on age.

Do you train specifically for different court surfaces?
Yes. For Wimbledon there are special exercises for the lower part of the body since we tend to be closer to the ground due to the strokes we have to do and the low bounce of the ball.

Why do you think your arms get so much attention?
This is funny, if you look at many other players they are probably fitter than me. The difference probably is that I was playing sleeveless. Now that I carry shirts with sleeves it doesn't look that different. And also my left arm is much more developed than my right arm. This is because I play lefty and that's sort of my gym, the tennis court. That's where I have fun.

What particular exercises do you do for your arms?
Nothing, believe me. Just the normal things any other player, tennis player, would do.

When you flex your arms after a big shot, do you know that it can intimidate your opponent?
I don't think so. I think that at our level guys don't get impressed with these things. It is more the running, the speed and the shots that really we pay attention to.

Such a big part of tennis is the ability to recover quickly after a match. What are some of your secrets to recovery?
The stretching is very important and to have good conditioning does help a lot. Clearly getting the right rest is also important. Sometimes it is too short of a time and I really can't recover fast enough. But that happens to all of us.

Are you concerned that your all-out style of play could limit your longevity in the sport?
For the past couple of years I've tried to improve my game, to play more inside the court and limit the amount of kilometers that I run. I think I have been playing much shorter matches in general with the exception of those in Melbourne or even in Madrid. This is important and I think I'm learning and getting better.

We read that during Wimbledon you went grocery shopping and actually cooked your own food. How often do you cook at home?
Only those 2 weeks of the year. I have fun doing that, I like to eat that funny pasta we cook in Wimbledon. I really see that as part of my distraction there, especially in the past years with the rain making it a bit long.

What's your specialty in the kitchen?
Pasta with shrimp and mushrooms. I'm also good at making cakes.

How strict is your diet? Do you not eat certain foods?
It depends if I am playing the day after or not. I am not that careful in general but those days I am. I try not to eat meat or heavy things. But I do sometimes eat a lot of chocolate and things like that. Clearly I also burn a lot of calories!

http://www.mensfitness.com/sports_and_r ... hletes/154

 Posted: 19.05.09 22:58. Post subject: Анфиса Как хорошо с..

Анфиса

quote:

Как хорошо сказано! Вот поэтому Рафа самая настоящая звезда!

ППКС

 Posted: 19.05.09 23:14. Post subject: Обложка Men's Jo..

Обложка Men's Journal

 Posted: 20.05.09 07:28. Post subject: The Winning Party ..

The Winning Party

Steve Tignor

Did you know that Cokes taste better in Madrid? I'm not talking about the Richard Gasquet kind of coke, but the U.S. symbol of all things corporate and peppy. Maybe it’s the vintage “Coca-Cola” label spelled out in cursive on the can. Maybe it’s because the recipe still calls for real sugar. Maybe Americans can only appreciate Americana when they find it somewhere else. Whatever the reason, a Coke sign caught my eye while I was walking past a small café next to the city’s elegant Retiro Park this past Saturday. Thirsty and leg-weary, I peaked inside and saw a very small room with a very large television. On it was a familiar sight: A yellow-sleeved Rafael Nadal and a blue-shoed Novak Djokovic slugging it out on red clay.

My girlfriend Julie and I ducked our heads in, ordered Cokes like Midwestern teenagers, and pulled up chairs. It was the third set, and it was clear that these two guys were in the midst of one of their customary side-to-side, up-and-back, corner-to-corner wars of shot-making attrition. It was also clear that Nadal was having an off day—his backhand was labored, his shots landed at the service line—but that he was caught up in the moment and wasn’t going to cave in.

Behind us sat three fellow tourists from the U.S., a mother with her teenage son and daughter. The boy was rooting for Djokovic, the girl for Nadal—why did this not surprise me? The five of us had the place to ourselves for a moment. I was just about to say that I’d yet to see any place in Madrid—bar, restaurant, shop, you name it—that was this quiet, that wasn’t vibrating with festive humanity. Before I could get the words out, the noise of laughter and chatter had suddenly filled the room, and a dozen or so young men and women were streaming through the door.

Spanish or not, anyone who has ever been to a wedding would recognize this crew. A marriage ceremony had just ended in a church around the corner, and these friends had escaped for a beer and a cig. The men stood a little awkwardly in dark suits and ties; the women sat down between them on stools, taking the opportunity to get off their feet. Everyone smoked and smiled and drank, and there was relief in the way they swayed a little as they faced each other in a semicircle.

They also watched Nadal, their countryman. In the time they stood in the café, his semi with Djokovic went from being just another entertaining slugfest—the third these guys have put on over the course of this clay season—to an all-time classic. Along with his Australian Open semifinal win over Fernando Verdasco, it’s the second one-for-the-books that Nadal has been involved in during 2009 alone. If he isn’t the best player in history, he may at least go down as the guy who played its best matches.

As the third set wound into its fourth hour and toward an inevitable tiebreaker, the wedding-goers’ conversation was repeatedly punctured by an “Ah!” or an “Oh!” or a “Si!” or a “Vamos!” or any number of other strange and involuntary blurtings that sports fans everywhere recognize as the sounds of impassioned disbelief. After each one, the group would stop talking and turn their heads toward the TV screen.

There they saw a heavyweight fight on dirt. Through dint of effort, Nadal had shrugged off his earlier constricted form and was swinging freely. If anything, Djokovic was even freer; he wasn’t stroking the ball, he was clubbing it, but his viciousness retained an elegance. The wedding party may have had a reception to attend, but there was no way they could leave now.

Nd I have no notes from the match; I hadn’t even intended to watch it. But what could a few scribblings tell me about this one, anyway? What I remember thinking was that, more than usual, Nadal won it by doing anything he could. When he teared up at match point against Verdasco, Nadal went as far emotionally as you can go while a match is still going on. This time he went as far as you can go from a shot perspective—Nadal threw them all at Djokovic, and each improvisation led to something new and more confident as the match got tighter. The sliding backhand desperation moonball? That morphed into a ripped backhand crosscourt later. The short, overly spin-y forehand that he had going early? That became a heavy shot that he used to bludgeon and wear down Djokovic’s backhand. Finally, down match point in the tiebreaker, Nadal took a forehand at shoulder level from behind the baseline and hit a winner into the corner. After four hours, he'd peaked

The wedding-goers eventually stopped talking and just stared at the screen. Blue shoes or yellow sleeves, both guys—Djokovic exasperated but valiant, Nadal willing himself to believe the day could end with a victory and having come too far not to make it happen—commanded our attention. I mentioned a couple weeks ago that Nadal always allows himself to celebrate a win, no matter how early it is in a tournament. His celebration of this one, which he had manufactured for the home fans on an off day, could be set in stone—Nadal landed prone on the court, hands at full stretch above his head, his body as rigid as a statue. It was a just a semifinal, but by ignoring the future and treating it like a momentous occasion, one worth fighting for, one worth finding different ways to win, Nadal didn’t just give himself a chance to revel. He and Djokovic gave tennis fans, as well as a few wedding-goers making an escape, one more day to remember—as you can tell from this post, watching it was an indelible experience for me. No town likes a party more than Madrid, whatever the occasion, so it's fitting that in this city we saw a tennis match become more than just a thrill or a rush or a battle or a fight or even a spectacle. Nadal-Djokovic was a celebration of everything we call competition.

http://tennisworld.typepad.com/thewrap/2009/05/the-winning-party.html

 Posted: 20.05.09 09:46. Post subject: http://www.postimage..

 Posted: 20.05.09 21:13. Post subject: О! Вот и аутфит для ..

О! Вот и аутфит для РГ во всей красе! Спасибо, Mela !

 Posted: 20.05.09 22:21. Post subject: Обложка журнала Men&..

Обложка журнала Men's Fitness

 Posted: 20.05.09 22:30. Post subject: В ближайшее время до..

В ближайшее время должно выйти американское издание Vogue с фотосессией Рафы.
Tatiana, ты уж там подсуетись насчет журналов! Вон их сколько - аж три! (для наводки: на обложке Vogue - Cameron Diaz).