For Immediate Release
Teaneck, NJ —– Tennis journalist Mark ‘Scoop’ Malinowski has published his fourth tennis book, Facing Nadal: Symposium of a Champion ($9.99, 220-pages, available at Amazon.com).
Over 50 ATP players – including Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Pat Cash, Stefan Kozlov, Francis Tiafoe, Radek Stepanek, Ivan Ljubicic, James Blake, Marat Safin, etc. – describe in detail the actual experience of playing tennis against Rafael Nadal. Also, this book includes Nadal interviews, media, celebrity, fan, insider perspectives.
About The Author
Mark Scoop Malinowski has written about tennis for ATPWORLDTOUR.COM, TENNIS Magazine, Tennis Week, Tennisweek.com, Ace Magazine of U.K. Australian Tennis Magazine, ATPWorldTour.com, Tennis View, Australian Open Official Program, Tennis-prose.com, CBSsportsline.com, ESPNSportszone.com, New York Tennis, Totally Tennis Magazine, The Daily Record of Morris County, N.J., TheBiofile.com, Florida Tennis, South Asia Life & Times Magazine. His previous tennis books were “Marcelo Rios: The Man We Barely Knew”, “Facing Hewitt”, and “Facing Federer: Symposium of a Champion.”
Book Excerpt…
Novak Djokovic: “I think challenges, big challenges that I had in my career changed me in a positive way as a player. Because of Rafa and because of Roger I am what I am today, you know, in a way, because when I reached the No. 3 in the world and won the first Grand Slam title in 2008, the years after that I struggled a lot mentally to overcome the doubts that I had. And all the big matches I lost to these guys was consistent but not winning the big matches, and then they made me understand what I need to do on the court. I worked hard, and, you know, it’s paying dividends, I guess, in the last couple of years. You know, obviously it’s not easy when you’re playing a top rival at the finals of any tournament, but if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best, you know. You have to win against the best players in the world. That’s the biggest challenge you can have.”
***
Pat Cash: “I played Nadal when he was a few weeks from being fifteen. In Mallorca. Boris Becker pulled out of the senior match and so they asked me last minute to come in and play, and play the world junior champion. And I said, ‘Yeah sure. I don’t mind playing. The show must go on.’ A bit of entertainment. I got a great photo of him, actually of us together. He played the same way. Obviously, he didn’t hit the ball as hard then. But he played the same intensity, top spin. I was kind of shocked by it all [smiles].” “As a young kid his age, it wasn’t as if it was something I couldn’t handle but, I mean, the crowd was quite amused when he won the first set against me. And I was sort of being nice to him, Okay, no more Mister Nice Guy. Because this kid is really good. He’ll beat me if he can. It’s not sort of like a fun game. He won the first set and the crowd thought it was hilarious. They were roaring for us. So we were on the court together, so I started chip-charging, serve and volley, that sort of stuff, won the second set pretty comfortably – 6-2 I think. The ten-point tiebreaker. As I said before, 99% of the kids would have choked. And fallen apart. And he was just tearing everywhere. All over the court. And hit some unbelievable winners. And you now, then I was 38, I was still hitting the ball pretty well.”
“And so I lost that match. I don’t remember what the score was. It was close. He didn’t get nervous or anything. Obviously, he didn’t have anything to lose. But I came in the locker room after, the guys sort of looked at me, just to look at my reaction. And my reaction was losing to a fourteen year old. And I just sort of looked at them, Wow, this kid is something else…”
***
Hugo Armando: “I played him in Stuttgart. He’s the toughest competitor I ever faced. It’s just something I’ve never seen before. It’s just everything about him. His energy, just everything. Before walking on the court, the guy’s doing ten-foot sprints side to side, just non-stop. It was just unimaginable [smiles].”
***
Fernando Verdasco
Question: Memories of your big win vs. Nadal in Madrid?
Fernando Verdasco: “The memories are great. My first victory as a professional against Rafa. It took my best play as possible to beat him. Against a player like him, losing so many times and winning in Madrid, my hometown, with all my family and friends in front of me…it was like impossible to be better than that.” Question: You came close many times… Fernando Verdasco: “Yeah many times [smiles].” Question: Did you do anything different in Madrid? What was it that finally got you over the hump? Fernando Verdasco: “I don’t even know [smiles]. I think I was even laughing because it was one of the times that I wasn’t even close to winning. I was 5-2 down in the third. He was serving, then all of a sudden, everything changed so quick. It went from 5-2 on his serve and I won 7-5. So it was like unbelievable change in that match. And many times I had like a break up in the third or like match point and I finally lost. So I don’t even know why [smiles]…”
***
Stefan Kozlov hit with Nadal at the 2014 Sony Open in Key Biscayne:
“It was one of the craziest feelings I ever had, to be honest. The first couple of minutes I was trying to move my feet as fast as I could and swing as hard as I could. And the balls were just slicing off my string because of the spin. I don’t know if everyone felt that before or it’s just me. The first five minutes there with Rafa were one of a kind. Then after that, the second day I hit with him, I actually had one of the best practices of my life. So I got used to his ball after one day.”
Question: Rafa asked you back for the second day?
Stefan Kozlov: “Yeah, we hit for like four days.”
Question: Lasting memory of this experience?
Stefan Kozlov: “It took me like two hours to get into the stadium. I was waiting at the stadium entrance for two hours because they (security) didn’t know I was hitting with Rafa. I told them I was hitting with Rafa and they didn’t let me in. It was pretty crazy. Toni (Nadal) came down and helped me. Two hours we waited.”
***
Radek Stepanek: “It’s always a standout moment to play Nadal. We played seven, eight or nine times, maybe more. Always challenging, very much so. He’s the biggest fighter on the Tour I have ever seen. Playing him, for me, is always good because he plays from the back of the court. I will try to create the play, not giving him much. I few matches I got really close, but never beat him. Yet. So I hope I will have the chance to play him still a few times.”
Question: Your first memory of Rafael Nadal?
Radek Stepanek: “My first memory was we played in Davis Cup, deciding match in Czech Republic at two-all. For me, that moment was very disappointing loss because of, you know, playing as a team competition, which means a lot to me. So this was for me a tough
defeat.”
Question: Do you enjoy to play Rafa, or is it too difficult to be enjoyable?
Radek Stepanek: “Since I never beat him, it’s difficult to play him. For everybody I think. I’m not the exception, we are all trying to beat him.”
Question: Lasting memory of Rafa on or off court, that maybe captures his essence?
Radek Stepanek: “For me, a great fighter on the court. Biggest fighter ever. Great person also, off the court. He’s very respectful to other guys, to all the players. He’s a really true champion.”
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sharoten · May 7, 2016 at 3:10 am
Geez, you’re writing a book about Rafa and you include a bit from Djokovic and it’s all about Djokovic? If I wanted to read about Djokovic I’d buy his book but I don’t so I didn’t (nor did anyone else, I heard it sold about 1000 copies).
And the best you can do considering the long history Rafa and Verdasco have is include a blurb about a win on a substandard surface that’s never been used again because it was so bad?
And Pat Cash playing the world junior champion? Rafa was never that. He barely played any junior tennis. And by the way, that match wasn’t that close. Rafa beat Cash convincingly regardless of how much Cash wants to reinvent the circumstances.
Sorry, it’s a pass on your book which doesn’t appear to have much insight into Rafa the person.
Jg · May 7, 2016 at 7:05 am
I thought it was interesting, makes me want to read more of it, it was 1 page if a 200 page book, Scoop ever think of compiling all these “facing” books?
catherine bell · May 7, 2016 at 7:55 am
Scoop – did I see somewhere that you were going to do, or have done, a ‘Facing Serena’ ?
Would Serena be the first woman player ? I’m only asking because I have a feeling that other women competitors might not be as forthcoming, or even accessible, as the men you’ve interviewed – I may be totally wrong but I’d be interested in your views on that.
Scoop Malinowski · May 7, 2016 at 8:27 am
Not going to put the best of the book on excerpt Sharoten – Rafa played more junior tennis than you think – monfils jamie murray and gabashvili all told me they played Rafa in juniors around the 12s and 14s – Gabashvili said he himself was no 2 in the world in 12s or 14s and so Rafa could have been a junior WC – Verdasco has beaten Rafa several times since the blue clay so why blame the surface for the loss to Verdasco? Cash is not a liar – he split sets and lost the super breaker to Rafa – and yes there are insights to Rafa’s person in the book –
Scoop Malinowski · May 7, 2016 at 8:29 am
Thans jg – Yes I do consider a compilation into one book – with Facing Usain Bolt / Pacquiao / mayweather / Klitscho / Golovkin / Jeter / Safin / Graf / Serena / etc –
Scoop Malinowski · May 7, 2016 at 8:30 am
Yes Catherine I did a Facing Serena and posted a lot of it on this site a few mths ago – and yes I agree the current players seem to be politically correct about talking about Serena – but still it was interesting – Ive started a Facing Steffi too –
Scoop Malinowski · May 7, 2016 at 8:39 am
Facing Serena — https://www.tennis-prose.com/bios/facing-serena/
catherine bell · May 7, 2016 at 10:01 am
Scoop –
Thanks for link – look forward to reading it.
(the women players have always followed the party line the line a bit – comes from a certain wariness which is understandable for many reasons)
Facing Steffi – should be good. Interesting to me since I was around when she began her career. Wrote a piece about her at Hilton Head when she was 16/17, but didn’t quote anyone directly so although it’s in published book of articles wouldn’t be particularly useful.
The thing about Steffi, the moment she first appeared on tour you just knew she would be the next great player – and that’s not hindsight.
Harold · May 7, 2016 at 2:16 pm
Waiting for Facing Kozlov
Michael · May 7, 2016 at 3:46 pm
Please consider not using this overused, empty expression for anything someone else says you don’t agree with or something you prefer they say but didn’t:
“…seem to be politically correct…”
While I have not read your Facing books (I’ll wait for the Facing Braach ) I do think you should develop your de Brito match into a magazine article.
You could use it to frame an article about her journey and how tough it is on tour for even a very talented player. There would be a lot to cover and you could move all the way from Centre Court W Sharapova to playing you at a public court.
Scoop Malinowski · May 7, 2016 at 5:47 pm
Thanks Catherine: What was so exceptional about young Graf’s game?
Scoop Malinowski · May 7, 2016 at 5:51 pm
might have to wait ten years for that Harold 🙂
Scoop Malinowski · May 7, 2016 at 6:05 pm
Thanks michael – I should do it – it’s definitely an interesting story – I saw michelle on monday and she hit with a local pro who is a little bit better than me but he hits flat like the pro women do – she was hitting well but the spark was not quite there but she does not like clay she prefers hard and grass – michelle beat Oudin in the first round weds at an ITF $50k on the east coast of FL but then lost 61 61 to Anna Tatashvili – she’s having a little trouble with her back –
Michael · May 7, 2016 at 8:58 pm
It is an interesting story !
You should definitely pitch it and not only to tennis specific magazines.
Oudin. I haven’t heard that name in a while. She’s had a tough time of it since “gotta believe” or whatever that slogan was.
I’m sorry to hear Michelle is having health issues.
I always enjoy the Michelle matches. People think Nadal is the King of leaving it on the court for the fans because they never saw her in the qualies…
catherine bell · May 8, 2016 at 3:06 am
Scoop –
About young Graf – it’s getting hard to remember the details now 🙂
But I think it was a combination of her precocious court sense, her exceptional forehand (that ‘killer’ stroke everyone needs, her lightness of foot, and also her ability, even when a teenager, to intimidate opponents by just being there.
I recall someone asked a flattened opponent (can’t remember who) whether Steffi had any weakness ?
Reply: ‘ yes, she’s a human being’.
Scoop Malinowski · May 8, 2016 at 8:31 am
The back is getting better she is doing new core/back workouts – I think her game is kind of predictable and stagnant – not getting better – and her practices on court are just to maintain pretty much – like Eric Scharff said to Dan: “It’s not how hard you practice it’s who you practice with” –
Scoop Malinowski · May 8, 2016 at 8:42 am
I recall Graf as such a physical specimen – so tall and fluid and quick footed with such perfect techniques – just the perfect female tennis playing machine – physically superior to all the others and also mentally impregnable – huge forehand and that lethal slice – two totally different weapons that the opponent had nowhere to exploit – and she could just run through most players in quick fashion –
catherine bell · May 8, 2016 at 10:21 am
Scoop –
In her later years Steffi developed physically – but you know she had an awful lot of injuries ( a German magazine printed a map of her body pinpointing where they were !)and was not at all in the Serena mould of physical strength.
The slice she worked on later, also volleys although she was far from a natural volleyer.
Serve – she tossed the ball far too high and never changed that – but then, she didn’t have to.
Mentally impregnable ? Yes. But you know she did lose from time to time and Seles will always be a question mark.
I’d still say her court sense was a key point and superior to other players from a very young age. You can’t teach that.
Scoop Malinowski · May 8, 2016 at 10:52 am
well Seles proved to be her kryptonite like Nadal is for Federer – all the greats eventually find their conqueror –
Harold · May 8, 2016 at 2:59 pm
Graf had a Cold at every big tournament. A box of tissues were as important as her Dunlop Max 200G.
Came over the BH when she came up to the Pros, didnt hit it that much later on.
Watched her hit a bunch of 2 handers in practice at the Open. Pretty good. Used to love watching her feet during her practice sessions. Footwork was amazing. Great legs too!
Dan Markowitz · May 9, 2016 at 10:46 am
AS I remember it, Seles dominated her and looked like Graf was going to drift into runner up status and then the German with the knife struck and Steffi had a major resurgence.