Nadal is 'everywhere at the same time', bemoans Ferrer
Injury might be the only hope of anyone taking Rafa Nadal's Monte Carlo Masters crown after the Spaniard wrapped up a seventh title in a row on the Cote d'Azur, beaten finalist David Ferrer said on Sunday.
April 18, 2011 / 08:19 IST
Injury might be the only hope of anyone taking Rafa Nadal's Monte Carlo Masters crown after the Spaniard wrapped up a seventh title in a row on the Cote d'Azur, beaten finalist David Ferrer said on Sunday.
Ferrer was only joking but given world number one Nadal was not even close to his best this week and still only dropped a set, such outlandish statements are not so laughable.Nadal is also only 24 and has amassed a record 19 Masters titles. His dominance on clay has put him on course to win every claycourt event he enters this year just like in 2010."Rafa is incredible on clay, he is everywhere at the same time," fellow Spaniard Ferrer, who fought manfully in the 6-4 7-5 defeat, told reporters."Maybe if Rafa is injured I have a chance (next year)."Ferrer was even asked if Nadal might never lose again on clay, another prediction which is not so ludicrous unless Novak Djokovic can transfer his recent hardcourt hold over Nadal on to the red stuff."He is not a machine, he can lose but he is world number one and the best player in history on clay," added fourth seed Ferrer, who let five break points go begging but won two.With Nadal's French Open defence on the horizon after he plays at Barcelona, Madrid and Rome, world number two Djokovic will have to quickly get over the minor knee injury which ruled him out this week and find a way to hurt the Spaniard on clay.Nadal's own struggle with injuries is one obvious way in which he can be toppled but he denied playing the non-mandatory Barcelona tournament next week could be too big a risk."I'm happy about my calendar, if I'm wrong, let's see," he bristled in a news conference."The positive thing is I didn't play perfectly and I won."Nadal sits so deep behind the baseline he can hit the ball at the top of the bounce, important in claycourt play, and then generate enormous top-spin with his forehand which means his opponent can do little but get it back over the net.He said at the start of the week he has watched videos of himself from previous years to relearn how to move on clay after almost a year on grass and hardcourts. His opponents should probably do the same.No one slides to a ball like Nadal, meaning he always seems to get to any half decent shot, while his stamina in the long rallies associated with the surface is only currently being matched by Spaniards like Ferrer brought up on clay. Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
