Rafa Nadal

[Andynonomous]

Congratulations Espana.


Spain wins it's fifth Davis cup title. Spain has been dominate in this competition for the last few years.

Today, Nadal outlasted his younger, bigger, and fresher opponent (Del Potro) in heroic fashion, throwing mud in the eye of those jealous Frenchmen, like Yannik Noah, and Belgians like Christophe Rochus.


Spain's "golden age" of sport continues.

 

[sartoris]

Congratulations Espana.


Spain wins it's fifth Davis cup title. Spain has been dominate in this competition for the last few years.

Today Nadal, outlasted his younger, bigger, and fresher opponent (Del Potro) in heroic fashion, throwing mud in the eye of those jealous Frenchmen, like Yannik Noah, and Belgians like Cristophe Rochus.


Spain's "golden age" of sport continues.

Subscribe that fully. Congratulations!

 

[The Hitch]

1 of the reasons Djokovic was stronger faster and had 10 x more stamina this year, at least according to the press, is because he won the Davis Cup last year. Such a boost winning that comp gives, it makes EPO look like Asprin in comparison.

So will Nadal be back to destroying everyone again next year, now that he has this advantage?

 

[El Pistolero]

1 of the reasons Djokovic was stronger faster and had 10 x more stamina this year, at least according to the press, is because he won the Davis Cup last year. Such a boost winning that comp gives, it makes EPO look like Asprin in comparison.

So will Nadal be back to destroying everyone again next year, now that he has this advantage?

I heard Contador will enter the Davis Cup next year.

On a more serious note, I predict Nadal will dominate Djokovic again next year for some reason. And Federer to win the Olympics.

 

[sniper]

1 of the reasons Djokovic was stronger faster and had 10 x more stamina this year, at least according to the press, is because he won the Davis Cup last year. Such a boost winning that comp gives, it makes EPO look like Asprin in comparison.

So will Nadal be back to destroying everyone again next year, now that he has this advantage?

I always thought of Nadal as one of the more unpleasant sportsfigures world wide, the way he acts on court, celebrates his points, annoys his opponents, etc. The link with FC Barcelona and Fuentes puts beyond doubt that he is one of the major cheats in the circuit.

I like(d) several other Spanish players much better. Bruguera, Alberto Costa, and a couple of others, all really sympathetic, humble, great players, and true gravel-eaters. You would hardly hear of them during the hardcourt and grass season.

 

[Andynonomous]

On a more serious note, I predict Nadal will dominate Djokovic again next year for some reason.

I suspect so as well. Djokovic will have much more pressure on him, now that he is expected to win. As well, he has always been brittle, and was showing signs that he was breaking down physically this fall.

 

[Andynonomous]

Just two weeks after sustaining a serious knee injury, his knees look fine to me.

 

[Parrulo]

 

[Fetisoff]

F-U, Parrulo. You owe me 1/3 if a can of Gosser beer, which just ended up all over my computer screen.

 

[Cloxxki]

No Olympics.

True injury, or uneasy to be tested outside of the comfort zone of his own sport?

 

[sniper]

No Olympics.

True injury, or uneasy to be tested outside of the comfort zone of his own sport?

no injury, I assume:

March 31, 2012:

Nadal: "Seriously the tendons are much better today than three years ago...The treatments worked fantastic. Even if today a really bad knee and last couple of days were tough for me, but positive thing the tendon improve a lot the last couple of years. I am more health with both tendons than now."

Source: http://tennishasasteroidproblem.blogspot.de/

 

[The Hitch]

Its one thing to make a logical connection between a prominent athlete in a sport that seems to be rampant about doping, very possibly being a doper.

Its another to invent conspiracy theories in response to anything an athlete says, does, thinks, and that it is all part of some grand doping plan that gets more bizzare everytime.

the guy has won pretty much everything there is to win in tennis including the olympics. Is it not more likely that he is inured (doper or not) rather than that he is throwing matches to pull out of future tournaments to avoid doping tests even though he clearly knows how to defeat these doping tests in the first place.

 

[sniper]

Its one thing to make a logical connection between a prominent athlete in a sport that seems to be rampant about doping, very possibly being a doper.

Its another to invent conspiracy theories in response to anything an athlete says, does, thinks, and that it is all part of some grand doping plan that gets more bizzare everytime.

the guy has won pretty much everything there is to win in tennis including the olympics. Is it not more likely that he is inured (doper or not) rather than that he is throwing matches to pull out of future tournaments to avoid doping tests even though he clearly knows how to defeat these doping tests in the first place.

well, indeed, if he's afraid of olympic anti-doping tests, then why did he participate in 2008?
I was hoping for Andynonomous to chime in and nourish his conspiracy theory (which I personally am willing to consider, provided there are good arguments).

even if nadal's knee wasn't the real problem here (it may be - may not be), that still doesn't mean that (anti-)doping had anything to do with his decision either.
perhaps his agenda was simply too full. and indeed, he already has his medal.

on the other hand, i don't find it impossible that olympic anti-doping testing did have something to do with it.
perhaps nadal had inside information that this year they'll be testing for HGH, or something, right? (just speculating)

 

[Cloxxki]

perhaps nadal had inside information that this year they'll be testing for HGH, or something, right? (just speculating)

Like reading the newspapers to learn what people are being caught for of late? Show me one doping specialist who doesn't think this guy is on HGH.

We all know tennis has a problem. And who won't agree that a player is much safer with a doped up body at Wimbledon (same city) than the Olympics?
Of course you have to make it look like you're trying to peak at the Olympics, and find some injury to not even show up to the pre-Olympics testing.

The real problem with conspiracies: they're more usually correct than the first official version we'll be force fed by all parties concerned.

 

[sniper]

Like reading the newspapers to learn what people are being caught for of late? Show me one doping specialist who doesn't think this guy is on HGH.

We all know tennis has a problem. And who won't agree that a player is much safer with a doped up body at Wimbledon (same city) than the Olympics?
Of course you have to make it look like you're trying to peak at the Olympics, and find some injury to not even show up to the pre-Olympics testing.

fully agreed. no reason to discard (i.e. very well possible) that nadal's cancellation is related to him wanting to avoid olympic anti-doping controls.
though we then have to assume that the doping controls this year are more severe than in 2008 (when nadal also participated), and that nadal knew this.

 

[Poursuivant]

Its one thing to make a logical connection between a prominent athlete in a sport that seems to be rampant about doping, very possibly being a doper.

Its another to invent conspiracy theories in response to anything an athlete says, does, thinks, and that it is all part of some grand doping plan that gets more bizzare everytime.

the guy has won pretty much everything there is to win in tennis including the olympics. Is it not more likely that he is inured (doper or not) rather than that he is throwing matches to pull out of future tournaments to avoid doping tests even though he clearly knows how to defeat these doping tests in the first place.

Why not? That is what everyone on here does about Sky, just look at that pathetic Basso thread.

 

[sniper]

since when does speculation equal conspiracy theory?

 

[Benotti69]

and it looks the most painful

 

[Benotti69]

Its one thing to make a logical connection between a prominent athlete in a sport that seems to be rampant about doping, very possibly being a doper.

Its another to invent conspiracy theories in response to anything an athlete says, does, thinks, and that it is all part of some grand doping plan that gets more bizzare everytime.

the guy has won pretty much everything there is to win in tennis including the olympics. Is it not more likely that he is inured (doper or not) rather than that he is throwing matches to pull out of future tournaments to avoid doping tests even though he clearly knows how to defeat these doping tests in the first place.

I thought that tennis's anti doping and testing was laughable at best. The olympics would be a different kettle of fish altogether.

 

[The Hitch]

I thought that tennis's anti doping and testing was laughable at best. The olympics would be a different kettle of fish altogether.

Djokovic and Murray and Federer are going, so is nadal the only one who dopes? And Nadal has won the olympics last time, so didnt seem to be too afraid of the tests back then.

 

[sniper]

Djokovic and Murray and Federer are going, so is nadal the only one who dopes? And Nadal has won the olympics last time, so didnt seem to be too afraid of the tests back then.

good point. (though andynonomous in the other thread claimed that in this year's olympics the testing is going to be more stringent than in other editions, which may have scared off nadal. but yeah, that leaves the other guys to account for. perhaps we'll see the other three eliminated in the first round?)

regarding fed-express:
while i don't doubt federer is on the sauce, he's clearly been outsauced in the past couple of years by murray, nadal and djoker.
with federer you never see any obvious physical signs of steroids-/growth hormone-usage which you do with the other three.
and federer often comes short physically in five set matches, especially against nadal and djoker.

no doubt, federer certainly has his own program to fine tune his game and increase endurance. but he's not juicing as rampant as the other three, IMO.

 

[2008885]

with federer you never see any obvious physical signs of steroids-/growth hormone-usage which you do with the other three.
and federer often comes short physically in five set matches, especially against nadal and djoker.
no doubt, federer certainly has his own program to fine tune his game and increase endurance. but he's not juicing as rampant as the other three, IMO.

What makes you say that Murray is doping? I assume that it isn't his world beating excellence!

 

[sniper]

What makes you say that Murray is doping? I assume that it isn't his world beating excellence!

of course I don't know for sure. I'm no visionary.

having said that, I assume at least everybody within, say, the top 200 of men's protennis is on the sauce and at least everyone in the top 50 of women's tennis.

as for murray, look how he's developed, mainly physically (stamina, muscles, athleticism), compared to a coupla years back. that's not just adulthood kicking in. that's hot sauce.
As a natural borne athlete, he's clearly not in the same league as Federer or Sampras, but he's made up for that by juicing.

 

[Cloxxki]

Isn't there bound to be a guy around place 87 or 119 who's in fact clean? Look at the difference with a Nadal. That's not only talent. They all work hard as can be. All get models for girlfriends. If there is a clean guy in the TdF, there's one in the tennis top-100. I've gotten cynical as well, but there are reasons to believe some pro riders are clean. And they get to make time cuts that are pretty rough. #119 losing to Nadal is simply in 2 or 3 sets. No big harm done. He can beat a #50 who is slightly injured and do good business for his ranking.

 

[sniper]

Isn't there bound to be a guy around place 87 or 119 who's in fact clean? Look at the difference with a Nadal. That's not only talent. They all work hard as can be. All get models for girlfriends. If there is a clean guy in the TdF, there's one in the tennis top-100. I've gotten cynical as well, but there are reasons to believe some pro riders are clean. And they get to make time cuts that are pretty rough. #119 losing to Nadal is simply in 2 or 3 sets. No big harm done. He can beat a #50 who is slightly injured and do good business for his ranking.

granted, of course.
but don't underestimate what you have to do to get into the top 200 in the first place. the satelites, challengers, etc. and the prospect of bigger sums of money. it's what makes these guys dope.
For each clean guy in the top 200, you'll a coupla extra dopers in the top 1000.