Rafael Nadal's eighth Grand Slam title puts in some legendary company.
Posted on 07/04/2010 12:45:10 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
WIMBLEDON, England
Ever tried signing autographs while cradling the Wimbledon cup in your left arm? It was possibly the most difficult thing Rafael Nadal had to do on finals day at Wimbledon as he walked out of the club’s front door to deal with the requests of hundreds of squealing fans.
And, yes, he does sign with his right hand because it is only tennis that this great champion does as a southpaw, which leaves you wondering how good he would have been playing as nature intended. Better? Not as awkward to play?
Whatever the answer, the only thing that matters is that Nadal won the eighth Grand Slam title of his career by outplaying Tomas Berdych 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 in 2 hours, 13 minutes on a windy Sunday afternoon in southwest London.
It puts Nadal alongside Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Ken Rosewall and Fred Perry with the number of Grand Slam titles in a career. These are serious names in the history of the sport and there was much speculation amongst commentators after his victory as to whether he could ultimately pass Pete Sampras with 14 and chase Roger Federer, who currently leads the field with 16.
“Why not?” asked former British Davis Cup captain John Lloyd. “He is only 24. He is dominant on grass and clay and now the U.S. Open is a huge priority for him.”
Basically it all comes down to fitness and the state of those knees. If Nadal does not over play himself on the unforgiving hard courts of North America — which are by far the toughest on the body — and restricts himself to maybe just one ATP event before Flushing Meadows, he has the possibility of transcending Federer’s incredible achievements. Time will tell.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.foxsports.com ...
Two suggestions for the prize money, Raffy - get yourself a haircut, and buy some shorts that don’t look like they came from the women’s department.
add this to soccer for the who gives a damn status
Good for you, Rafi!
I’ve admired this guy since the first time I saw him...he’s polite, well-spoken, circumspect and respectful and he plays one HELL of a game!
ed
Nadal is one of our favorites on the men’s side, but we were pulling for his opponent as well to make it more of a match. Liked the somersault at the end! He’s a polite, intense player. One of the best the game has seen. Congrats Nadal!!
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