Sunday, September 4, 2011
After going down a break early, defending champion Rafael Nadal, the No. 2 seed, rallied to win a tough first-set tiebreak against Argentinian David Nalbandian and then fought through a lengthy third set to win his third-round match, 7-6 (5), 6-1, 7-5, in two hours, 37 minutes.
Before taking the court on Ashe this morning against Nalbandian, Nadal had had a relatively easy US Open, downing his first-round opponent, Andrey Golubey, 6-3, 7-6 (1), 7-5, and then getting a second-round pass after his opponent Nicolas Mahut retired following the second set.
“This was my toughest match, and I played my best today,” Nadal told the crowd after the win. “What makes it difficult is that he’s a fantastic player.”
Not only was Nalbandian the toughest player Nadal has faced in this year’s tournament as a former No. 3 player in the world, the Argentinian also has a good record against Nadal, having won two of the four matches they have played.
Nalbandian knew if he had any chance to win against his good friend and frequent hitting partner, he’d have to come out swinging, and he did. He stormed out of the gates in the first set, using all the weapons in his arsenal. Nalbandian's monster serve had Nadal on the defensive, and he used a perfect drop shot against Nadal that frequently took the Spaniard from deep on the baseline to a few feet from the net in order to return it, getting the speedy Nadal off balance.
To start the set, both men held serve in the first four games. With Nadal serving in the fifth game, Nalbandian came out aggressive and matched the baseline bomber shot for shot and won two baseline battles in a row, putting Nadal in a 0-30 hole.
Though Nadal got the score back to 15-30, he stiffened up and sent a return long to give Nalbandian break point and then double faulted to hand Nalbandian the break.
Nalbandian then held serve and took a solid 4-2 lead.
Again Nalbandian came out aggressive against Nadal in his service game and earned break point against Nadal, but Nadal fought back and staved off a first-set massacre.
With Nalbandian serving to put the set away at 5-4, he continued to be aggressive, but this time it backfired on him. He botched two drop shots that had been working well against Nadal earlier in the set, and after Nadal delivered one of his signature forehands down the line, the Spaniard had double break point. Then Nalbandian returned the gift his friend had given him earlier and double faulted, giving Nadal the break and putting the set back on serve.
“In the first set when he was serving for the set, I was happy for the victory,” a relieved Nadal said after the match.
After both men held serve, the exciting first set was sent to an even more exciting tiebreak. After exchanging points in a hushed Arthur Ashe Stadium, Nadal took the tiebreak with a deep forehand that Nalbandian sent sailing and then with a forehand passing shot down the line.
Nalbandian didn’t seem to be able to shake the disappointment of squandering his break and allowing Nadal to win the tiebreak, and he folded in the second set, letting his friend down him 6-1 without much of a fight.
Coming back from a two-sets-to-love deficit is a tall order, but if anyone is capable of it, Nalbandian has proven to be. He has battled back from 0-2 six times in his career, including once against Roger Federer in the 2005 Masters Cup and again at Wimbledon in 2005 against Andy Murray.
At the start of the third set, Nalbandian looked poised to stay in the fight, and Nadal responded with the same intensity, hoping to avoid playing any extra sets in the punishing heat.
Both men held serve and battled through long points to keep the game even. Nadal got his first break in the eighth game of the set and took a 5-3 lead.
Nalbandian could have easily folded, but instead he fought back and immediately broke Nadal back and then held serve, evening the set up at 5-5.
But Nadal turned on the heat and ended the one-hour, 10-minute third set by breaking Nalbandian once more.
After the match was over, Nadal and Nalbandian gave each other a warm hug at the net, ending another exciting match between good friends.
Before taking the court on Ashe this morning against Nalbandian, Nadal had had a relatively easy US Open, downing his first-round opponent, Andrey Golubey, 6-3, 7-6 (1), 7-5, and then getting a second-round pass after his opponent Nicolas Mahut retired following the second set.
“This was my toughest match, and I played my best today,” Nadal told the crowd after the win. “What makes it difficult is that he’s a fantastic player.”
Not only was Nalbandian the toughest player Nadal has faced in this year’s tournament as a former No. 3 player in the world, the Argentinian also has a good record against Nadal, having won two of the four matches they have played.
Nalbandian knew if he had any chance to win against his good friend and frequent hitting partner, he’d have to come out swinging, and he did. He stormed out of the gates in the first set, using all the weapons in his arsenal. Nalbandian's monster serve had Nadal on the defensive, and he used a perfect drop shot against Nadal that frequently took the Spaniard from deep on the baseline to a few feet from the net in order to return it, getting the speedy Nadal off balance.
To start the set, both men held serve in the first four games. With Nadal serving in the fifth game, Nalbandian came out aggressive and matched the baseline bomber shot for shot and won two baseline battles in a row, putting Nadal in a 0-30 hole.
Though Nadal got the score back to 15-30, he stiffened up and sent a return long to give Nalbandian break point and then double faulted to hand Nalbandian the break.
Nalbandian then held serve and took a solid 4-2 lead.
Again Nalbandian came out aggressive against Nadal in his service game and earned break point against Nadal, but Nadal fought back and staved off a first-set massacre.
With Nalbandian serving to put the set away at 5-4, he continued to be aggressive, but this time it backfired on him. He botched two drop shots that had been working well against Nadal earlier in the set, and after Nadal delivered one of his signature forehands down the line, the Spaniard had double break point. Then Nalbandian returned the gift his friend had given him earlier and double faulted, giving Nadal the break and putting the set back on serve.
“In the first set when he was serving for the set, I was happy for the victory,” a relieved Nadal said after the match.
After both men held serve, the exciting first set was sent to an even more exciting tiebreak. After exchanging points in a hushed Arthur Ashe Stadium, Nadal took the tiebreak with a deep forehand that Nalbandian sent sailing and then with a forehand passing shot down the line.
Nalbandian didn’t seem to be able to shake the disappointment of squandering his break and allowing Nadal to win the tiebreak, and he folded in the second set, letting his friend down him 6-1 without much of a fight.
Coming back from a two-sets-to-love deficit is a tall order, but if anyone is capable of it, Nalbandian has proven to be. He has battled back from 0-2 six times in his career, including once against Roger Federer in the 2005 Masters Cup and again at Wimbledon in 2005 against Andy Murray.
At the start of the third set, Nalbandian looked poised to stay in the fight, and Nadal responded with the same intensity, hoping to avoid playing any extra sets in the punishing heat.
Both men held serve and battled through long points to keep the game even. Nadal got his first break in the eighth game of the set and took a 5-3 lead.
Nalbandian could have easily folded, but instead he fought back and immediately broke Nadal back and then held serve, evening the set up at 5-5.
But Nadal turned on the heat and ended the one-hour, 10-minute third set by breaking Nalbandian once more.
After the match was over, Nadal and Nalbandian gave each other a warm hug at the net, ending another exciting match between good friends.
Match Facts
- Nalbandian served up six aces during the match but had seven double faults and 60 unforced errors.- Nalbandian won 28 of 40 net points, while Nadal won seven of 11 net points.
- If Nadal wins the US Open this year, he will have 11 career Grand Slam titles under his belt at the age of 25. He is currently tied for 6th with Bill Tilden on the list of all-time Grand Slam men’s titles.
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| David Nalbandian ARG | 65 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| Rafael Nadal ESP (2) |  | 77 | 6 | 7 | |||||||||||||||
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Q. You must be happy. David is a tough competitor, but are you happy with the way you played?
RAFAEL NADAL: Very happy the first set and second set I think I played a very high level. Even if he was beating me 4 2 and 5 4 on serve, I was very pleased about how I played the first set, no? He was playing fantastic in my opinion at the beginning. I didn't have unforced errors. I played well. I just tried to wait my moment.
Q. You said after the match that this was your best game so far. Are there parts of your game still that you're not too happy with that you feel you need to work on?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I happy about almost everything today. I think my movements worked pretty well, and the forehand worked really well, and the backhand, too. Just when I had to win the match with the 5 3 I played a really bad game there. For the rest of the match, I happy about everything.
Q. You were looking a moment ago at the monitor. Have you seen much of Donald Young? What are your observations of Young's career and the way he plays?
RAFAEL NADAL: How old is he?
Q. 22. 21 or 22.
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I played against him in Indian Wells a few years ago. I didn't see much of him here. Sure, he's young. He has a good future. But a lot of years I heard about Young, so that's true. He had very good matches in US Open in the past, I think. I don't know what year, but I saw him playing really well few matches. But after seems like I didn't see him on the tour for a while. So it's a little bit strange, no? But he can play really good. He has very good shot in my opinion. But I don't know, at the end of the day important thing what makes you good player is the mental part, so I don't know enough him. But he's young. Normal thing is a process, and he will be there.
Q. I think there have been 18 players who have withdrawn or retired from the tournament this year. What do you think of that, and is the tennis schedule too long during the entire year?
RAFAEL NADAL: Is not the time to say. Well, is the right moment to say lot of, I don't know, bad things about the calendar, bad things about things. I don't want to do it now that. I did in the past. I advanced that a lot of times. Nothing to say now. Just when that's happen you have to find reasons. I already found a lot of reasons in the past, so is not the moment to say the same reasons another time.
Q. On court you're so intense, so focused. You have such drive. Off the court you're a very humble man, very kind, down to earth. Some say there's no other player like that.
RAFAEL NADAL: Thank you (Laughter.) But I think I am not that strong on court. I am positive on court. I am not sad.
Q. Not sad, but you're very intense. In your book you say you never smile. Ask Roger. Every point is a battle, and so relaxed off court. I think you know what I'm talking about, just the difference in the two parts of your personality. Could you just talk about that a little bit, please.
RAFAEL NADAL: I think my personal opinion is I am normally happy person, and inside the court I am focused but always in or almost always in a positive way. I am never, you know normally I accept when I played bad. I accept the mistakes and I never talk too much. I never say bad words. Almost never. I am focused, but always in the positive way. I think I have a good personal control on court. That's the work, I think.
Q. It's not your conduct on court. It's tremendous. It's just the focus.
RAFAEL NADAL: Everything is practice.
Q. Was the 11:00 a.m. start a factor in the first set being so close? Was it a bit tricky to play him then? Normally that doesn't happen to you.
RAFAEL NADAL: You have to wake up early, but I usually go to bed very late. I tried yesterday to go early; didn't work. (Laughter.) I was in the bed earlier, but still can't sleep until late. No, for me is not a problem. Sometimes is a problem you have to play very early for practice, but to play third round of the US Open, I was enough not tired when I wake up to go. Is not a problem for me. I am ready today.
Q. Your relationship with your Uncle Toni is a complicated one in that he was tough on you growing up.
RAFAEL NADAL: Not that much.
Q. He was pretty tough on you growing up, as you said, to push you, and yet, as you said, you wouldn't be where you are today without him. Is it necessary in tennis to be an elite player to have somebody behind you that's gonna push you pretty hard sometimes?
RAFAEL NADAL: Every person, every character is different. Some people need person there; another people don't need one person there. In my case, I always said without him, big chances to not be here without him. So I only can say thanks to him for everything. I know he was tough with me a lot of times, especially in the past. Not now. When I was a kid especially. Now, no. I am already have 25, and the relationship is, like everything, change a little bit around the years, no? But because of him, today I have this under control. I have good control of myself inside the court. I am positive. Because of him probably can resist the pressure these years, because I practiced with pressure all my life. For me is nothing really strange when I feel the pressure when I am on court.
Q. Agassi said before that he had a lot of anxiety when he was releasing his biography; he had some nerves about revealing his personal life. How did you feel when you let the book come out and see a lot of personal sides of you? Did you feel any anxiety?
RAFAEL NADAL: (Through translation.) Can you repeat the first part of the question?
Q. Andre Agassi when he released his book Open, he expressed that he was very nervous about how people would perceive his personal life? Did you feel the same by releasing your book, nervous about releasing things like that?
RAFAEL NADAL: Is different kind of book. (Laughter.) Everybody knows a little bit more my life without the book than Andre's life without the book. I wasn't really nervous. The problem is always the same. When some people take some words from the book and put outside, you know, change a little bit the way that it really means. That's the only problem. But for the rest, I don't have. My life is really clean.
Q. Did you read the book?
RAFAEL NADAL: Seriously, I didn't. I'm gonna be I need to be big concentration to read the book in English, and I know my life. I will read when that happen in Spanish. Very soon. I will. I will do it because I am interest how it works, no, how is writed, no?
Q. There is quite a bit in the book that's very outspoken that tells us a lot about your experiences with Toni, your experiences with your family, your pain. You're still comfortable with that? You have no problem with expressing those things in your book?
RAFAEL NADAL: If I had a problem, I never gonna express that in the book. That's the answer, no? I had a book because I went to make the book, me and my team or my team and me, we thought that was the right time to do it, even if I am at the beginning of my career (Winking. For me is not the problem. No, no, no. If I don't want to say nothing to the crowd, I don't gonna say.
Q. What gets you more excited: your own big victories or Real Madrid's big victories?
RAFAEL NADAL: Always personal victories are more special, no? I am big fan of football and I enjoy all the matches. I am a Real Madrid and Real Mallorca fan. For sure I enjoy a lot when they win.
Q. Can you describe your thoughts on your first week of play here and on your next match?
RAFAEL NADAL: I think I played every day better. Today for moments I played, my opinion, very, very positive level, very high level. I am happy about two weeks here. I arrived Monday after Cincinnati. I practiced Monday. Since I arrived here I think everything was really positive. Even if I lose next round, for me was a positive week. After Wimbledon I had the injury; I didn't practice a lot. I practiced seven days but really with motivation three days. And the allusion for the competition, the allusion to come back, you know, was tough at the beginning, because I was a little bit too tired mentally, a little bit too tired physically. But after two weeks of practice in Montreal, Cincinnati, I arrived here and I have the right motivation. That's the most important thing for me, be happy playing tennis, have the motivation to go on court every day, and to try the best in every moment. That's what I did here. That's the way to do it, and that's why I'm still playing tennis. That's why I want to keep working hard the rest of the year and next year, no? Accept all the difficulties, the problems, and try to play another time at my best. The next opponent will be tough one. I already lost with him in Wimbledon 2005. This year was tough, especially tough, two sets against him in Wimbledon fourth round, too, I think. Fourth or I think it was fourth round, no? (Through translation.) Was tough, really tough third round. He's a very aggressive player. Fantastic serve. I have to move him. Probably his movements are the worst thing, but the rest of the game can be really dangerous.
RAFAEL NADAL: Very happy the first set and second set I think I played a very high level. Even if he was beating me 4 2 and 5 4 on serve, I was very pleased about how I played the first set, no? He was playing fantastic in my opinion at the beginning. I didn't have unforced errors. I played well. I just tried to wait my moment.
Q. You said after the match that this was your best game so far. Are there parts of your game still that you're not too happy with that you feel you need to work on?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I happy about almost everything today. I think my movements worked pretty well, and the forehand worked really well, and the backhand, too. Just when I had to win the match with the 5 3 I played a really bad game there. For the rest of the match, I happy about everything.
Q. You were looking a moment ago at the monitor. Have you seen much of Donald Young? What are your observations of Young's career and the way he plays?
RAFAEL NADAL: How old is he?
Q. 22. 21 or 22.
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I played against him in Indian Wells a few years ago. I didn't see much of him here. Sure, he's young. He has a good future. But a lot of years I heard about Young, so that's true. He had very good matches in US Open in the past, I think. I don't know what year, but I saw him playing really well few matches. But after seems like I didn't see him on the tour for a while. So it's a little bit strange, no? But he can play really good. He has very good shot in my opinion. But I don't know, at the end of the day important thing what makes you good player is the mental part, so I don't know enough him. But he's young. Normal thing is a process, and he will be there.
Q. I think there have been 18 players who have withdrawn or retired from the tournament this year. What do you think of that, and is the tennis schedule too long during the entire year?
RAFAEL NADAL: Is not the time to say. Well, is the right moment to say lot of, I don't know, bad things about the calendar, bad things about things. I don't want to do it now that. I did in the past. I advanced that a lot of times. Nothing to say now. Just when that's happen you have to find reasons. I already found a lot of reasons in the past, so is not the moment to say the same reasons another time.
Q. On court you're so intense, so focused. You have such drive. Off the court you're a very humble man, very kind, down to earth. Some say there's no other player like that.
RAFAEL NADAL: Thank you (Laughter.) But I think I am not that strong on court. I am positive on court. I am not sad.
Q. Not sad, but you're very intense. In your book you say you never smile. Ask Roger. Every point is a battle, and so relaxed off court. I think you know what I'm talking about, just the difference in the two parts of your personality. Could you just talk about that a little bit, please.
RAFAEL NADAL: I think my personal opinion is I am normally happy person, and inside the court I am focused but always in or almost always in a positive way. I am never, you know normally I accept when I played bad. I accept the mistakes and I never talk too much. I never say bad words. Almost never. I am focused, but always in the positive way. I think I have a good personal control on court. That's the work, I think.
Q. It's not your conduct on court. It's tremendous. It's just the focus.
RAFAEL NADAL: Everything is practice.
Q. Was the 11:00 a.m. start a factor in the first set being so close? Was it a bit tricky to play him then? Normally that doesn't happen to you.
RAFAEL NADAL: You have to wake up early, but I usually go to bed very late. I tried yesterday to go early; didn't work. (Laughter.) I was in the bed earlier, but still can't sleep until late. No, for me is not a problem. Sometimes is a problem you have to play very early for practice, but to play third round of the US Open, I was enough not tired when I wake up to go. Is not a problem for me. I am ready today.
Q. Your relationship with your Uncle Toni is a complicated one in that he was tough on you growing up.
RAFAEL NADAL: Not that much.
Q. He was pretty tough on you growing up, as you said, to push you, and yet, as you said, you wouldn't be where you are today without him. Is it necessary in tennis to be an elite player to have somebody behind you that's gonna push you pretty hard sometimes?
RAFAEL NADAL: Every person, every character is different. Some people need person there; another people don't need one person there. In my case, I always said without him, big chances to not be here without him. So I only can say thanks to him for everything. I know he was tough with me a lot of times, especially in the past. Not now. When I was a kid especially. Now, no. I am already have 25, and the relationship is, like everything, change a little bit around the years, no? But because of him, today I have this under control. I have good control of myself inside the court. I am positive. Because of him probably can resist the pressure these years, because I practiced with pressure all my life. For me is nothing really strange when I feel the pressure when I am on court.
Q. Agassi said before that he had a lot of anxiety when he was releasing his biography; he had some nerves about revealing his personal life. How did you feel when you let the book come out and see a lot of personal sides of you? Did you feel any anxiety?
RAFAEL NADAL: (Through translation.) Can you repeat the first part of the question?
Q. Andre Agassi when he released his book Open, he expressed that he was very nervous about how people would perceive his personal life? Did you feel the same by releasing your book, nervous about releasing things like that?
RAFAEL NADAL: Is different kind of book. (Laughter.) Everybody knows a little bit more my life without the book than Andre's life without the book. I wasn't really nervous. The problem is always the same. When some people take some words from the book and put outside, you know, change a little bit the way that it really means. That's the only problem. But for the rest, I don't have. My life is really clean.
Q. Did you read the book?
RAFAEL NADAL: Seriously, I didn't. I'm gonna be I need to be big concentration to read the book in English, and I know my life. I will read when that happen in Spanish. Very soon. I will. I will do it because I am interest how it works, no, how is writed, no?
Q. There is quite a bit in the book that's very outspoken that tells us a lot about your experiences with Toni, your experiences with your family, your pain. You're still comfortable with that? You have no problem with expressing those things in your book?
RAFAEL NADAL: If I had a problem, I never gonna express that in the book. That's the answer, no? I had a book because I went to make the book, me and my team or my team and me, we thought that was the right time to do it, even if I am at the beginning of my career (Winking. For me is not the problem. No, no, no. If I don't want to say nothing to the crowd, I don't gonna say.
Q. What gets you more excited: your own big victories or Real Madrid's big victories?
RAFAEL NADAL: Always personal victories are more special, no? I am big fan of football and I enjoy all the matches. I am a Real Madrid and Real Mallorca fan. For sure I enjoy a lot when they win.
Q. Can you describe your thoughts on your first week of play here and on your next match?
RAFAEL NADAL: I think I played every day better. Today for moments I played, my opinion, very, very positive level, very high level. I am happy about two weeks here. I arrived Monday after Cincinnati. I practiced Monday. Since I arrived here I think everything was really positive. Even if I lose next round, for me was a positive week. After Wimbledon I had the injury; I didn't practice a lot. I practiced seven days but really with motivation three days. And the allusion for the competition, the allusion to come back, you know, was tough at the beginning, because I was a little bit too tired mentally, a little bit too tired physically. But after two weeks of practice in Montreal, Cincinnati, I arrived here and I have the right motivation. That's the most important thing for me, be happy playing tennis, have the motivation to go on court every day, and to try the best in every moment. That's what I did here. That's the way to do it, and that's why I'm still playing tennis. That's why I want to keep working hard the rest of the year and next year, no? Accept all the difficulties, the problems, and try to play another time at my best. The next opponent will be tough one. I already lost with him in Wimbledon 2005. This year was tough, especially tough, two sets against him in Wimbledon fourth round, too, I think. Fourth or I think it was fourth round, no? (Through translation.) Was tough, really tough third round. He's a very aggressive player. Fantastic serve. I have to move him. Probably his movements are the worst thing, but the rest of the game can be really dangerous.
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