Rafael Nadal: Clean Bill of Health Leads To Asphalt Ambition

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: August 24, 2010

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Rafael Nadal could not have asked for a cleaner bill of health heading into this year's US Open.

His knees have been tape-less for the entire hard-court season, and his abdominal issues of a year ago have completely heeled.

In a strange sort of way though, it's odd to see Nadal with no niggling injuries heading into the year's final Major. But to his credit, he's planned his tournament schedule accordingly this year, and his body is reaping the rewards.

However, with that being said, Nadal's summer results in Toronto and Cincinnati were pale in comparison to previous years where he was injured and torn. If anything, Nadal's clean bill of health this summer has been more of a hindrance than a helping hand.

Now, it's important to hear me out on this one before conclusions are drawn from an injury-free Nadal. With the Spaniard in full working order, his shot-selection has suffered to a greater degree because he's not forced to step up his game in the same manner that he would if he was forced to conserve energy or protect an injury.

Sitting court side for his four matches in Toronto, I witnessed an erratic and confused Nadal, one who was reluctant to win with his weight of shot, and relied more on his sheer will to defeat his opponents. Crashing out to Andy Murray in the semifinals, Nadal later mentioned that his serve was "horrible," and that his game would have to become more aggressive if he was to have a realistic chance at winning the US Open.

There's no doubt that Murray remains a serious contender to capture his maiden Slam title starting next week, and his triumph in Canada backed up his proficiency on hard-courts. Even an ultra confident Nadal has previously struggled against Murray on the harder surfaces, irrespective of being injured or 100 percent healthy.

Nadal's form would turn from bad to worse in Cincinnati, further magnifying his troubles on hard-co...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Tennis

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