Is Montreal return for Nadal too early?
Posted by tennisplanet on July 14, 2009
I mean, it will be barely 60 days, half of which he has spent goofing around on the beach, yatch etc. That’s a time it should take for the first time flare up. Not when the joint has been abused for over four freaking years.
What’s the freaking rush? You’ve got to be out of your freaking mind if you think No. 1 is not already flushed irrevocably. What else can it be? Career Slam? If it is, it will deliver exactly what the mindless pursuit of No. 1 rank did – maybe even more: Career / movement ending / walker happy injury.
No amount of therapy, surgery or medication can cure four years of brutal battering at this level in two freaking months. Is career Slam worth risking everything? Even a calendar Slam would find it hard to justify this coming out early BS.
Considering the potential Nadal has, based on past record, coupled with the evolutionary phase the field is undergoing – OK Federer – you have to be a complete moron to be gambling so much so early, not to mention not learning from past mistakes and missteps.
Return should be predicated on nothing except COMPLETE recovery. Period. Whether US Open is around the corner and enough tune ups have to be played to secure a career Slam or whatfreakingever does not matter.
And even a cucumber can see that COMPLETE recovery is IMPOSSIBLE within 60 days, no matter the age, technology and all other BS.
This is no better than Nadal stubbornly burning through Barcelona and Madrid despite four years of conflicting evidence or for four years reaching the US Open in the same stupid state physically and mentally to not give yourself any shot at the title.
Considering the landing after the injury will be on hard courts of the US, it makes the foolishness and madness even more pronounced and bewildering.
Alex said
so he’s an idiot…string ‘em!
maybe the problem wasn’t as bad as portrayed.
youneverknow!
pommesdesuisse said
i agree…
Sarah said
I can remember when those in the media was telling Roger to take the rest of 2008 off after getting his butt kicked at the FO; he didn’t and he went on to win the USO. Rafael knows his body better than we do; so he knows when he is ready to come back to the grind. He has had a nice, probably relaxing, time off. Let him come back. His knees will tell him if it is too soon.
And I don’t think he is fretting over regaining number one or getting the calendar slam; I bet he just misses competing/playing.
MIKE__ said
Sarah, there’s a huge difference between a physical injury and a psychological/mental roadblock. You can play thru mental slumps (it happens to baseball greats all the time) but serious physical injury needs therapy, rest, and recovery. Yes, a lot of us (myself included) did recommended Fed take time off after his awful early hard-court season in America (because he looked burnt out), but Fed pushing on did not have the same negative consequences of Rafa playing Rotterdam, Barcelona, and Madrid.
evie said
Two months with virtually no tennis (I guess he’s only going to start picking up a racquet next week)? Sounds like plenty of time for run-of-the-mill tendinitis. The guy missed half of RG and all of Wimby. Unless he needs surgery, more than two months off seems unnecessary.
We’ll know for sure by his HC form. You know he’s going to do everything in his power to win USO. That will make his season, regardless of the summer injury debacles.
If he loses early at USO, however, I will fear for his future.
jennifur said
no. come back now!
Jenny said
It appears Rafa has the medical all clear, I can’t believe he would be daft enough to ignore medical advice or if he didn’t feel fit, he’ll soon know in practice. Given that he is fit, there is no reason why he shouldn’t play in Montreal, nearly three months rest and treatment should have stabilised his condition, after all he hasn’t broken his kneecap which would be an altogether different scenatio..
pommesdesuisse said
this injury has nothing to do with skipping some tournaments or not here and there. of course it’s a factor – when you look at Federer’s schedule – in Nadal’s game, too, but mostly it’s the way he plays. so what is he going to do??!! sooner or later he had to have serious problems with his knees.
so…he wanted the Nr.1-rank really bad! so he made a choice (Cincinnati last year/defending claycourt-titles).
now that he has had it, he’s probably gonna make a ‘better’ schedule for himself, but one must not forget that Nadal’s game depends on rhythm very much, and pausing a month here and there maybe was just too risky in his/their opinion.
we will see…
pommesdesuisse said
and – as Alex said – we shouldn’t forget that it’s maybe not as bad as it has been portrayed.
i remember one or true conflicting statements from the Nadal-camp which i still find very strange, so…
boxingary said
“i remember one or true conflicting statements from the Nadal-camp which i still find very strange, so…”
———————–
How about conflicting PERFORMANCES
to go along with the statements?
Two days before Nadal lost to Soderling —
supposedly because his knees had been
killing him for months — he allowed
Lleyton Hewitt a total of 5 games.
A “shot” Hewitt?
Not judging by his taking Roddick to
6-4 in the 5th set less than 4 weeks later.
VERY strange…
Claire said
Points to defend:
FEDERER:
Cincinnati R16 – 150
Canda – 10 – R64
TOTAL POINTS TO DEFEND – 160 pts.
NADAL
Cinny – S – 450
Canada – W – 1,000
TOTAL TO DEFEND – 1,450
MURRAY
Cinny – W – 1,000
Canada – S – 450
TOTAL TO DEFEND – 1,450
DJOKOVIC
Cinny – F – 700
Canada – Q – 250
TOTAL TO DEFEND – 950
Looks like Federer is sitting pretty!!
Sarah said
He will probably be fine until the USO – then all bets are off.