May 31, Day 8 of French Open, 2009. Robin Soderling did not know that come the end of the day his name would be reverberating around the world of sports. Neither did Rafael Nadal. What happened that day is history. A history that Nadal wants to forget everyday but which seems to return in the form of nightmares during day for him and every single fan of his tennis. Everything that was Rafael Nadal disappeared that day. What returned 2 months later, in words of great fantasy writers, was a mere memory of a memory.
From his return to tennis since injury, Rafael Nadal has played in 11 ATP Tournaments including Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, winning none and reaching final just twice.Sudden decline in performance to one of the greatest tennis players can be and was naturally attributed to the injury sustained.If one sees just the facts in history books, they would find it ample argument. But viewers of his game would know there is something more than such a simplistic explanation.
I have had the painful experience of watching more than half of all his defeats since the French Open debacle. Every match had a characteristic feature which is absent in pre-French Open '09 Nadal- lack of belief. It can be seen to seep out of him, radiate from him. Robin Soderling broke not just Nadal's defeatless run in the French Open, but his sense of invincibility.
When a match is not finished and done with, even witl the last point progressing against him, viewer and Nadal himself believes that he could turn it around. Believed. But that was an year ago.Come 2010, matters have taken a drastic U-turn. 6-0 thrashing of Nikolay Davydenko in first set of Doha ATP 500 tournament Final held no clue as to the capitulation Nadal would experince in the next 2 sets to lose the match. Yesterday's match against Andy Roddick in the semi-finals of Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, was no different.
First set witnessed some of the best tennis Nadal has played since the injury. Ground strokes were scorching Roddick and he was left baffled at ferocious forehand and ridiculous backhand winners flying around him.The second set told a different story. Roddick came into his groove with the serve and Nadal witnessed himself falling into the pit of unforced errors, something which was hard to find an year ago. The belief was oozing out. A gesture of throwing away his raquet in the penultimate game of 3rd set summed up the situation. Nadal's world was falling apart.
Last of the start-of-the-season hard-court matches are over for Nadal. What ensues is his greatest test to date. Tennis followers and critics had named him, and rightly too, King Of Clay. And The King is entering his favorite battle ground. Starting with Monte Carlo in just more than a week's time., where he has won the tournament for a record 5 consecutive times.
But prospect is not as rosy as its seems. Nadal will enter his favorite time of tennis season with worries. Since ATP Masters in Rome last year,where he defeated then 4th ranked Novak Djokovic in semi finals, he has defeated a top 10 ranked player only twice.Curiously both times it was Jo Wilfred Tsonga.
One month and 23 days seperate today and Nadal's return to Roland Garros. The days between hold the defence of his clay court titles in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome in which he would inevitably be pitted against higher ranked players atleast once. And time would tell if Rafael Nadal would find the belief in him that would surely lead to him to more titles.And moreover being placed alongside Roger Federer as all-time greats of world men's tennis.
