It has to be official now, Rafa Nadal is just an ordinary clay court player now.
Yesterday Hubert Hurkacz totally annihilated Rafa on clay in the Foro Italico Stadium at Rome Masters 61 63. The match began as a pure clay slugfest, with both players grinding it out for almost thirty minutes to determine the first three games with multiple deuces and break points saved. Rafa summoned his full fury mode from the beginning, grunting, growling, fist pumping, doing everything he could to gain control of the match.
But the superior firepower and velocity of shots of Hurkacz proved to be to much for the ten time Rome king to handle.
Hurkacz saved all seven break points he faced in the match. The 37 year old Nadal, who had practiced with Hubi earlier in the tournament, looked outgunned and slowed by declining foot speed throughout the battle.
“I’m definitely really proud of myself,” said Hurkacz, the world no. 9. “Playing Rafa is something special. It’s just different, especially being on clay, the surface that he has just dominated over the past 20 years. No one will ever have a record like him on this surface. He’s just bigger than the sport at the end of the day. So many people follow him and he inspired so many guys, so I’m just really happy to have had that experience today… I wanted to play him so much, especially on clay, so just being able to share the court with him, especially with the atmosphere at the beginning of the match, how people really love him and support him… It’s tough to explain in words, but the whole atmosphere surrounding the beginning of the match was just different.”
The “legend slayer” Hurkacz also defeated Federer in his last match at Wimbledon, in three sets, including a third set bagel.
Foro Italico · Hubert Hurkacz · Rafael Nadal · Rome Masters · Yonex tennis
Cyndy · May 13, 2024 at 1:00 am
Scoop Malinowski — with Nadals defeat and then the more recently played Djokovic/Tabilo match on Sunday it begs the question of ‘what is happening’ at these so called events. And then immediately after Djokovic won his match with Moutet he was hit so called accidental on the head with a water bottle. It all felt very strange with seeing the video of the ‘hit’ and the supposed ‘hitman’ who apparently had the blankest of expressions on his face. I mean it was his rucksack that it fell out of so again one wonders what exactly happened and is there more to it. Even the commentators during his entire match with Tabilo were inwardly gloating that he had been broken in both sets and never once mentioned or wondered if it could be due to the water bottle ‘accident’. Hope that Djokovic will be alright after the Rome episode as both he and Nadal will next be playing at Roland Garros.
Scoop Malinowski · May 13, 2024 at 8:32 am
Cyndy, the soft attack without a doubt affected Djokovic and I believe provoked him to tank the Tabilo match. Yes the whole damned establishment media is anti Novak, save for one or two. The creep who dropped the bottle intentionally looks like shadiest, dirtiest character I’ve ever seen in pro sports. What I want to know is who hired this goon? Prime suspect is the tennis deep state again. Today we just saw another political activism drama invade the court of Keys vs Cristea. This scripted set up makes the bottle drop look even more pre-arranged. Waiting for the next hoax event.
Cyndy · May 13, 2024 at 10:46 am
Scoop Malinowski — that creep looked very shady and suspicious too., no reaction just a cold dark blank stare. So the next day when I was watching the Rune/Nardi match the camera panned towards Nardis box and I’m not sure if I saw right but it looked like the shady guy sitting behind them., although I could be mistaken but he had the same face as that creep. And then I thought he wouldn’t be going in again to get he stands as people could recognise him… or he could have disappeared into thin air, who knows. I didn’t watch the ladies matches but am wondering why they would want to hassle Keys and Cirstea. Strange happenings. Djokovic should just win one/two slams and the Olympics just to get back at all those evil mob.
Scoop Malinowski · May 13, 2024 at 11:32 am
Cyndy, my wild guess is this suspect is a tool of the tennis deep state, maybe it was him at Nardi’s box. But now that we all saw his face, he probably will vanish and not be seen again for a while. The purpose of this new political stunt was just to get it out there for media attention and promotion, to get all the news networks in Italy and beyond to show it. It’s huge promo for the tournament. Keys and Cirstea just happened to be playing when the skit was performed. That’s my theory. Same monkey business that we saw twice at US Open last year.
Cyndy · May 13, 2024 at 10:00 pm
Scoop Malinowski — yes it is indeed strange for a few incidents and one accident to have happened at the Rome tournament. It could be anyone who will have the added advantage of winning it for this years edition. It could also set tone/stage for the upcoming RG which has possibilities of getting rowdy and boisterous due to the Nadal factor.
Scoop Malinowski · May 14, 2024 at 8:07 am
Cyndy, and how about the hired goon factor? They will pull out all the stops on Djokovic. But if Djokovic now has some kind of leverage to sue the Rome tournament for the negligence of security, this could help his cause at RG. Maybe Rome can script a few more “incidents”… find a dinosaur bone next to a statue… bigfoot footprints on the stadium clay from an overnight visit… anymore? )
Cyndy · May 14, 2024 at 11:00 am
Scoop Malinowski — hahaha those ideas are hilariously far out but makes for some good invented ‘incidents’! How about finding a dinosaur tooth in someone’s just ordered ice cream cone! Even Poirot wouldn’t be able to crack the case as it would be far out! One way of getting away with it.
Scoop Malinowski · May 14, 2024 at 12:15 pm
We are giving them too many good ideas )