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Post by Layla on Jul 29, 2003 17:25:02 GMT -5
Ok, finally I can write down the first installment of my report from Umag. Excuse the drooling part of it, I was a bit overwhelmed by so much beauty. I don't even know where to begin. First some general notes about the tournament. True, I haven't been to other tournaments, but this has to be one of the best ones. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who might be interested, and it's quite cheap. A set of tickets (including the final) was 60 euros. Everything about it is amazing, the atmosphere is very relaxed, because it's a vacation spot. The courts are right next to the sea, as is the player's restaurant. The players love the fact that the matches don't start until 5 pm and they can have a relaxing day of late practice and then party at night. And party they did, from what I saw. There was an impromptu bar/dance club set up on the courts opposite the centre court and I know for a fact that the parties would go on until at least 5 in the morning (I could here them from my tent ). I went dancing myself a few times, though it's a bit awkward if you're there alone. I love the centre court, it's gorgeous! Apparently, it was declared the most beautiful small stadium in Europe, according to the official website. Grrr, can't find a pic of the stadium. It's simply called "The Shell" because of its shape. My seat was great, right behind the players' boxes. I usually sat just to the left of the players' entrance so I could observe various players as they often came out to stand there and watch the matches. The grandstand court is just behind the centre court and in the afternoon it's conveniently shaded by it (the sun was very strong). The side courts was where I watched most of them practice. I had a hard time choosing which practices to watch. Even on Sunday as I arrived and set up the tent, I could see some of them practice. I noticed Olli practice shirtless at the far court and I rushed there but he's already packed up and got ready to leave. Oh well, I went for a swim instead, I was all sweaty from setting up a tent for the first time in my life. It went surprisingly well. Because it was so hot during the day, the players mostly practiced shirtless. ;D I had no problems with that. I just wish I had the proper camera with me. *sigh* How stupid of me! I don't think I'll ever forgive myself. Like I said, the atmosphere was very relaxed and casual, the players and spectators were all in a good mood and I kept bumping into players all the time as they were strolling around the complex or going to practice. They also very frequently watched each other's matches, especially the Spaniards and the Belgians, the two most prominent groups. I was sad to hear that Mantilla has withdrawn from the tournament because of a virus. I was really looking forward to seeing him play. But I had so many favorites in this year's tournament that I couldn't really complain.
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Post by Lee on Jul 29, 2003 17:34:37 GMT -5
Now I know why Moya loves Umag that much and it's really very beautiful.
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Post by Layla on Jul 29, 2003 17:58:25 GMT -5
MONDAY, July 21In the morning, I saw most of the players practicing, Volandri (was very impressed with his trim shape and swimmer's built), Nadal, Norman, Lisnard, etc. No sign of Moya though. I was still a bit confused and disoriented, and had to get used to the new experience, so I didn't stay at any practice for very long. Too excited to sit still. Well, the first day was overall a very black day (and I don't mean the weather). The very first match I saw was Olivier ROCHUS vs. Alberto MARTIN 3-6 2-6 It was a very disappointing match, as you can tell from the scoreline. Olli played quite badly, though he was nevertheless entertaining to watch. And Alberto was very consistent and quite impressive actually (also very good-looking, but that's beside the point ). Olli kept going for ridiculous drop shots and he missed every single one of them. That's what I remember most from the match. Then he served a few double faults to boot and that was that. The only thing that worked for him was his return. I was truly heartbroken to see him go out in the first round and it wasn't a great beginning of the tournament for me. As if that wasn't bad enough, the next match was equally disappointing. Dominik HRBATY vs. Fernando VICENTE 6-0 6-3 Eugh! Dominik slaughtered poor Vicente, he really played that match superbly. I was impressed against my will. His fans are something else though. I'll talk about them later on, but this was the first time I encountered them, as I sat right in front of them. He has the worst fans I've ever seen - loud, obnoxious, they yell all the time. I could tell they really got on Vicente's nerves. I think he served himself a bagel in the second set just so he wouldn't have to listen to them anymore. I'd do the same, to tell you the truth. It's a very effective weapon. There you go, one more fave down the drain. Ivo KARLOVIÆ vs. Christophe ROCHUS 7:5 6:4 Good match, disappointing result. Ivo's serve was too good for Christophe, who fought bravely but just missed out. Ivo was also helped greatly by the crowd (naturally). I was one of the few cheering for the Belgian, but I'm not sure he even noticed anyone was on his side. I definitely wasn't happy about this development. It was cute when Ivo was beating up on Hewitt in Wimbledon, but when it's someone you really like on the other side, his booming serves are not funny anymore. I guess it pays to be tall sometimes. So the other Rochus brother was gone as well. By the way (to go back to the shallow part of the report - which is most of it), I though Christophe can't quite compete with his younger brother, but in truth he was just so damn cute, they both were. In a way, he has even more charm. I think he climbed a few spots in my list of faves. The last match on centre court was Federico BROWNE vs. Željko KRAJAN It was a good match, but I couldn't really get into it. I didn't much care about the result and I was still reeling from the disappointing beginning of the tournament. Browne played some amazing shots, but he was inconsistent and couldn't play well the entire match. The tie-break was exciting I guess, but I spent the time chatting with the lady who sat next to me. Fortunately, this was the bottom, it only got better from then on. Monday was the only bad day for me, everything else was near perfect. ;D
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Post by Layla on Jul 29, 2003 18:01:25 GMT -5
Now I know why Moya loves Umag that much and it's really very beautiful. Unfortunately, those pictures don't quite do it justice, but yes, it's beautiful. I heard that Gerry Armstrong (who was the supervisor) always comes here so he can bring his family for a vacation. He's such a sweet man, I have a lot of respect for him.
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Post by TennisHack on Jul 29, 2003 18:05:28 GMT -5
Ooh, so the reports begin! Gorgeous pictures, Layla. No wonder you enjoyed yourself so much, it looks like an amazing place More, more, more!! LOL
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Post by Jasper on Jul 29, 2003 21:31:27 GMT -5
Wow, how exciting! Have to agree with everyone here; those grounds are simply beautiful. Can't wait to read your other reports.
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Post by Partridge In A Pear Tree on Jul 30, 2003 0:47:27 GMT -5
Hi Layla! Looks like a gorgeous place, and so close to the sea. Where did u set up your tent? ...can't wait for the rest of your reports. ;D
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Post by Doris on Jul 30, 2003 3:50:57 GMT -5
Layla thanks for bringing us this tournament a bit closer!!
Hey it looks like a really nice place. Now I can understand why they started play so late!!
Looking forward to the rest of your report!!
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Post by RogiFan on Jul 30, 2003 8:49:16 GMT -5
Lovely reports and lovely venue!! Wow! And the price is right... Mantilla was good enough to w/draw cos he said it was more worthwhile to give up his spot to someone who could have a chance to play and win as he was not well enough to play properly... good sportsmanship! Nice little ceremony there too, looks like! Eagerly awaiting more!
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Post by Layla on Jul 30, 2003 15:55:14 GMT -5
Hi Layla! Looks like a gorgeous place, and so close to the sea. Where did u set up your tent? The campsite right across the street to the right of the courts, if you look at the picture, where the woods begin. It has lovely shade, because it's set up amidst pine trees. I set up my tent near the exit, so I could be closer to the complex.
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Post by Layla on Jul 30, 2003 15:58:06 GMT -5
Lovely reports and lovely venue!! Wow! And the price is right... Mantilla was good enough to w/draw cos he said it was more worthwhile to give up his spot to someone who could have a chance to play and win as he was not well enough to play properly... good sportsmanship! Nice little ceremony there too, looks like! Eagerly awaiting more! Yes, that was extremely nice of Felix. Someone else might have shown up and collected the money, but he said to the tournament director that he's heard a young Croatian player would make the draw as a lucky loser, so he decided to step aside. That player then moved to the 2nd round, where he lost to Norman in 2 tie-break sets, and he impressed many people with his play (I didn't see the match), and he said he owed Felix at least a drink.
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Post by Layla on Jul 30, 2003 16:44:30 GMT -5
TUESDAY, July 22Again, I spent most of the day watching various players practice (naturally). I finally got to see Olli (shirtless of course) who escaped so swiftly the first evening I saw him. At the end of the practice, when he missed yet another dropshot (just like in the match), he crouched and half-mooned me. LOL! Too funny! Then he gave up on the idea of practicing. I almost ran over Ruben Ramirez-Hidalgo as I was hurrying from the toilet. He was Spanish player I talked about before, who made the semifinals in the Ljubljana challenger, and probably the one who partied the most. I also bumped into Hrbaty, but didn't much care. I kept passing Volandri and I smiled at him but I don't think he noticed. Still no sign of Moya, and then I figured out why. He was practicing on centre court with Ramirez-Hidalgo, and I only saw him for a few minutes, before we were rushed away by security guards. The first match I saw was Filippo VOLANDRI vs. Attila SAVOLT 6:3 6:0 I chose that over Nadal's match, because it started half an hour earlier. It was nothing special, no problems for Volandri. He took a while to get settled, but once he got into a groove, Savolt was helpless, and Filippo bagelled him in the second set. It was over very quickly. I rushed over to the centre court to catch Rafael NADAL vs. Adrian VOINEA 6:3 1-0 I arrived just in time to see the beginning of the second set and barely sat down when Voinea retired. He didn't show any obvious signs of injury, so I was very surprised. I guess he figured he couldn't keep up with Rafael, and he was right. Nadal played all his matches on centre court, by the way. I'll talk more about Rafael later, I know Rebecca is anxious to hear about it. Next match was a real cracker, though it was on a side court! Magnus NORMAN vs. Ruben RAMIREZ-HIDALGO 4:6 6:3 7:5 An amazing match and a joy to watch, every single minute of it. It was quite a marathon. Norman had moments of sheer brilliance, when he showed flashes of his old self. But most of all, he was a great fighter. They both were in fact. Shame on me for cheering for Ruben but at that time, I wasn't taken by Magnus yet, and I have a soft spot for players who played in Ljubljana, especially if they're Spanish. Ruben is a hard worker and I remember we were saying in Ljubljana that he's not far from making it and now he's ranked in the 80s I think. He served amazingly whenever he was in trouble, and he has quite a lot of power behind his shots, but lacks variety somewhat. The match was close right until the very end, as you can see from the scoreline. I was amazed that Magnus was still going strong at the end of it, I didn't expect such stamina from him, given his situation. He was delighted with this victory. It was his first after a 10-match losing streak and it obviously meant a lot to him. He smiled at his supporters (not me ) and clenched his fist. He had a lot of support in Umag, there was even someone with a Swedish flag. He's very much loved here, because he only played here once and he won. The children simply adored him. They were always around him, begging for autographs and he was happy about that. He even took part in the traditional Kids' Day, which involved hitting ball with children and answering their questions. Unfortunately I missed that. Nadal also took part in that. Anyway, I wasn't too disappointed because people were saying that was going to be THE match of the tournament (what did they know LOL), but it certainly was one of the best. Unforgettable! Oh yeah, and I had a silly encounter with Olli. As I was watching this thrilling marathon, the Rochus bros were playing doubles on the next court. After my match was over, I walked over there and noticed it was all over, the Rochuses were taking pics with some fan (it was pitch dark though lol). I stepped up to Olli as they were leaving and asked him if they had won, because I didn't see the match, and he smiled his famous smile and said: "Yes, it was a great match!" Then he sort of got embarrassed and laughed at himself for bragging. I heard him repeat to himself and his friends: "Great match!" in a mocking tone, as if to say what a silly thing to say. I found it very funny! ;D The final match on centre court was Carlos MOYA vs. Jiri VANEK 7:6(1) 6:4 Moya's first match. It was very, very exciting. I had butterflies in my stomach, because I had misgivings about this match. After I saw how badly Carlos played in Stuttgard, I was afraid he would crash out in the first round, which would have been a disaster for most people concerned (in Umag that is, I know some of here wouldn't mind at all ). The relationship between Carlos and the crowds in Umag is indescribable! They love him even more then their own players, and that's saying a lot, because the Croats are always such patriotic supporters. I'm sure if Carlos was to play a Croatian player, they would have supported him. It's a long-standing love-affair and it was quite fun to witness it. Vanek, who won the Ljubljana challenger by the way, played a very good match and kept Carlos on his toes. It was very tight and Carlos had to fight hard to win the first set. Unfortunately, Vanek had to take an injury time out for his back in the middle of the second set. The crowd, relaxing a bit because Carlos was in the lead, had such a blast! We did several rounds of the Mexican wave and I had no idea it was so much fun! When I saw it on tv it always looked kind of silly. Poor Vanek seemed very amuzed by this while getting a massage and the crowd was great to him, considering he was playing against their beloved. They urged him on. He was in good spirits despite the injury. He never gave up though, he hung in there until the end. He's a truly nice guy. Carlos was all smiles in the press conference. He seemed immensely relieved and he later confessed that he was afraid of playing badly in Umag because he was so low in confidence. So this was a happy day!
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Post by Vera on Jul 30, 2003 18:14:42 GMT -5
Thanks Layla . Umag really sounds like a lovely place.
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Post by Layla on Jul 30, 2003 20:00:11 GMT -5
WEDNESDAY, July 23What a fantastic day! First I watched a practice match between Christophe Rochus and Attila Savolt, which was great fun. Like I said, Christophe is much cuter than I thought and like his brother, he has a cheerful disposition. He smiles all the time. And just like his borther, he couldn't pull off a dropshot if his life depended on it. Attila is a very irritable person. He kept sending balls over the rail and throwing down the racquet, and in the end he even broke his racquet on his knee!!! Never thought I'd see this in practice. Then I saw a real treat. Moya, Nadal, Marco (Moya's doubles partner) and Moya's coach were practicing together and having such fun, laughing, playing games. The four of them were at the net trying to hit the ball so it wouldn't hit the ground. They were like the muskateers lol, they had to react very quickly as they were standing close to the net. I don't know, these practice sessions are all new to me, so maybe it's standard practice, who knows. But it sure was fun to watch. It's the first time I've seen the Spaniards practice together and they really do have a fabulous team spirit. They look like one big happy family. LOL, I'm reading my notes and I wrote: "Nadal is a revelation in every way. I hope he wins the tournament." Obviously it didn't happen, but he was my pick. I don't know if you read this guys, but Carlos said at the very beginning that he brought Nadal to Umag as his successor, but that he could only assume the throne after he stopped playing here. But one part of it was deadly serious. Carlos brought Nadal here as his protege, his pupil. He acted like his manager and promoted him as best as he could. I thought it was great and I have absolutely nothing against starting the tradition of Nadal's visits to Umag. It was very effective. Rafael was quite the buzz of the town. Of course that has a lot to do with the fact that he's already a rising star in the world of tennis, but if Moya brings you it means a lot in Umag. There is no better reference. And I watched them together, there's great chemistry between them. They seem like brothers, Carlos acts like his older brother, he's very affectionate and protective of him. They practiced together almost every day. LOL, girls were already eager to take pics with Nadal. He was quite a hit. Anyway, Carlos looked good in practice, though his backhand was still a bit shoddy. I began to relax regarding his chances to go deep. The first match on centre court was Rafael NADAL vs. Mariano PUERTA 6:2 6:4 I finally got to see Nadal in a proper match, and it was a fabulous match! Rafael was unbelievable in the first set. He destroyed Puerta, who didn't play badly at all, but couldn't do anything against Nadal. Then he dropped off a bit in the second set, but he kept his nose in front, and Puerta started playing even better. At 5:4, Nadal was serving for the match, but goes down 0-40. I thought oh-oh, that was it. He has trouble finishing matches. But fortunately I was wrong. He smacked a few aces and service winners and finished off the match in emphatic style by winning 5 points in a row. I guess this would be the time to say a few words about Nadal. First, let me talk about the in(famous) grunt. That was the first surprise. I'm not generally a huge fan of grunts, especially the ones that sound like someone is dying a painful death. I don't mind them, but they also don't do anything for me. However, I loooooooove Nadal's grunt, because it's not so much a grunt as it is a primal warrior roar. It expresses determination instead of pain. I think it's a very effective weapon, because it makes his shots sound even more deadly. It combines psychological and physical power into a quite overwhelming mix. He certainly draws oohs and aaahs from the crowd with his shots. As I was watching him play, a thought occurred to me that he was an intelligent version of Gonzalez. I mean his shots are not as powerful (there's noone like Gonzalez in terms of sheer power) but at least he knows what tactics are and can actually construct a point, instead of swining wildly. He was quite accurate in the matches I saw, he didn't miss much. And most surprisingly of all, the boy sure can volley!!! He tore through the doubles draw like nobody's business! Defeating no. 2,3 and 4 seeds along the way. True, it wasn't the strongest of draws, but he was amazing in doubles, especially given the fact that he doesn't have much experience in that department and he played with Lopez Moron for the first time. All in all, I felt like he had everything, the complete package. Maybe I'm exaggerating, but both forehand and backhand are effective weapons, I saw him volley like a maniac, and Rebecca said something about people considering his serve a weak point. I must say I didn't notice it to be a liability at all. Maybe it's the least effective of his weapons, but it's by no means terrible. Of course there's room for improvement, but if he can be this good at 17, who knows where he'll end up. He also tends to be quite critical of himself, but that's a good thing, because you can tell from his interviews he's very motivated to improve and learn from his mistakes. Alright, alright, enough about Nadal, before I bore you to tears. The next match I saw was the doubles match between Moya/Marco and Ferrer/Vicente. It was an entertaining match (doubles usually are) but not the result, because Ferrer/Vicente won in straight sets. Ok, now for one of the most dramatic matches - Alberto MARTIN vs. Ivo KARLOVIÆI just made it to the third set. What drama! The crowd became very rowdy towards the end. Someone kept making a goat noise whenever Alberto was serving (and by that I mean when he threw the ball into the air). Dreadful! And they cheered double faults, cheered a missed first serve, the lot. That's why I cheered even louder for Alberto, yelling Vamos whenever I could. He needed it, he was in trouble on his serve several times, down a break, broke back. I wasn't the only supporter Alberto had, but I was one of the very few in the hostile crowd. The more the crowd was unfair, the more I wanted Martin to win. Then it happened. At 6-5 for Karloviæ, with Martin serving to stay in the match, Ivo got to match point, he hits the ball down the line, everyone thinks the ball is good, the crowd gets up and cheers the end of the match, Ivo heads to the net, but Martin holds up his hand and claims the ball is out. The umpire (Messina) gets down, checks the mark and agrees. The crowd goes insane, but the match continues, nothing they can do about it! Martin wins the game and Karloviæ completely loses it in the tie-break, throwing double-faults and making awful mistakes. After the match there's an uproar. The line gets checked adn the crowd gets ready to lynch the umpire, but it's too late, the decision stands. Phew! For some reason, I was very nervous during the match, I really wanted Martin to win, and I wanted the crowd to be punished, although I admit that was very cruel, to overrule on match point. The final match on the centre court was Dominik HRBATY vs. Mario RADIÆ 7:6(3) 7:6(4) I wasn't entirely interested in this match, but it turned out to be quite interesting. Hrbaty didn't play as well as he did in the first round, he was erratic, but he managed to win in 2 tie-breaks. The Croatians were really bad in tie-breaks. I remember those Croatian fans from the ATPworld complaining about htem losing all their matches in tie-breaks and that's exactly what happened today. Radiæ wasn't bad though, a cocky, gutsy kind of player. Hrbaty's cheerleading quoir was nowhere to be seen, thank goodness! At night I went to the club I told you about, called Hemingway's. It seemed very lively every night, so I thought I'd give it a shot. There was a Miss Hostess contest going on and Moya was an honorary member of hte jury. He seemd to be enjoying the occasion though in my mind it was utterly boring. Afterwards the party began and I danced there alone all night. No one bothered me though. I danced right next to teh Rochus brothers and tried my most seductive dancing moves, but nothing helped, they didn't notice me. They appear to be quite the party animals, they were still there when I left. Lots of players were there, including Gonzalez, all the Spanish players, including Nadal, who didn't dance but seemed to be enjoying himself; also Julian Knowle, all the Croatian players, etc. Apparently I missed the players' party, which took place the day before. I wish I had known. I later heard that Nadal usually went to bed earlier than the others. Must be his young age. Oh and I don't know if you know this already (I certainly didn't) but Carlos' old coach, I don't remember his name, you know the one with long, grayish hair, tied into a loose ponytail, the one that looks like a Native American, is now coaching Nadal! I wanted to ask him who he'd be cheering for in Moya vs. Nadal.
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Post by The Chloe on Jul 30, 2003 20:10:57 GMT -5
Oh Layla, you are a dear! Can I post your Nadal stuff in my club? NOt many people read it since Susan started her messageboard off of rafaelnadal.com but a couple still do. I know that Dina would want to read it
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Post by Layla on Jul 30, 2003 20:25:01 GMT -5
Absolutely, no problem! There's still a bit more to come (not tonight though). Man, I just noticed I'm so long-winded. It took me forever to type this up.
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Post by RogiFan on Jul 30, 2003 20:59:43 GMT -5
Layla, thoroughly enjoyable read! Loved reading about Carlos and his protege Rafa!! Great! What's Rafa seem like, personality-wise? He seems mature for his age, knows what he wants, has strong ideas, a thinking 17-yr-old!! What fun dancing beside the players! Can't imagine it -- nice to see them in a more "normal" situation, being themselves. Very cool! YES, I remember Carlos' old coach, Jofre Porta... I like the way he looks... quite cool and funloving... a neat guy! So he's w Rafa now? I sure wish Rafa was coming to Montreal... I have to wait til next yr to see him?! Can't wait for the next instalment... do you make little notes while you're there? Good idea so you don't forget stuff... I always do that on holiday... esp when I used to go to the theatre in UK. I probably won't get to the next episode until after I return fr Montreal though...
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Post by Jasper on Jul 30, 2003 21:41:54 GMT -5
What, I thought Jofre Porta was supposedly coaching both Nadal and Moya? I don't know, that's what I read on atptennis.com. Who is Carlos working with now that Porta is working full-time with Nadal?
Anyway, terrific reports Layla! Sounds like you had a blast. Dancing and partying in the vicinity of so many great players, how exciting! And you even had the courage to go up to Olli and ask him if he won. Pretty impressive; I'd definitely be too scared.
I remember going to the US Open one year (I think it was 2000?) and I saw Moya and Kuerten practicing together on an outside court. They were playing mini-tennis, except that they were hitting the ball over the net with the butts of their rackets, not with the strings! They actually had long points and were able to hit winners this way. How talented are these guys? Anyway, it seems like they have a lot of those loose, fun practices to warm up.
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Post by TennisHack on Jul 30, 2003 22:02:18 GMT -5
Wow, two more installments! LOL, it just sounds better and better as the week goes on. So Nadal was impressive, eh? Too bad he's not playing the summer TMSes I really want to see him, I'd like to see him and Moya and witness this sibling relationship for myself I think it's great that they get along so well. How long has Moya been working with Nadal? Can't wait to hear about the rest of the week!
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Post by The Chloe on Jul 30, 2003 22:49:54 GMT -5
Okay I'm confused about Rafael's coaching situation... I was absolutely positive that he was being coached by his uncle
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Post by The Chloe on Jul 30, 2003 22:53:11 GMT -5
Okay I'm confused about Rafael's coaching situation... I was absolutely positive that he was being coached by his uncle I was positive about this because even in his Wimbledon interviews he refered to him. I'm not digging it up atm, but when they asked about his *other* uncle, the football player, he was like "no, he never gave me advice. It's his brother, my other uncle that you want to talk to" blah blah. The same guy who first put a racquet in his hand:
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Post by The Chloe on Jul 30, 2003 22:54:03 GMT -5
I'm not sure that's his uncle in the picture, but it seemed like a good place to put it
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Post by The Chloe on Jul 30, 2003 22:55:12 GMT -5
Um,..sorry.. thought I was in the Nadal thread. lol...
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Post by Lee on Jul 31, 2003 8:53:14 GMT -5
If I was there, I would cheer for Alberto with you
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Post by The Chloe on Jul 31, 2003 15:04:33 GMT -5
*back on topic*
Layla - I posted some of your commentary on WX and it was very much appreciated by one of the posters there. Thank you =) I haven't put it in my group yet, but will get around to it (if that's still okay...the one person who reads there might like to see it;))
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Post by Layla on Jul 31, 2003 15:22:04 GMT -5
*back on topic* Layla - I posted some of your commentary on WX and it was very much appreciated by one of the posters there. Thank you =) I haven't put it in my group yet, but will get around to it (if that's still okay...the one person who reads there might like to see it;)) Yeah, sure. I'm glad if anyone wants to share my excitement. As for Nadal's coach, he was definitely coached by Jofre and no one else in Umag. I didn't notice anyone who might be his uncle. He's an amazing coach, I like him very much. He's a cool dude and I hope he stays with Rafael.
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Post by Layla on Jul 31, 2003 15:23:35 GMT -5
I think it's great that they get along so well. How long has Moya been working with Nadal? I'm not sure, but Moya said they've know each other for 10 years. I didn't know they were both from Mallorca, that explains a lot.
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Post by Layla on Jul 31, 2003 15:30:38 GMT -5
What, I thought Jofre Porta was supposedly coaching both Nadal and Moya? I don't know, that's what I read on atptennis.com. Who is Carlos working with now that Porta is working full-time with Nadal? Carlos was coached by Juan Bosch. He's only a year older than him, also quite cute, like most Spaniards. LOL, I only did it because I was so anxious to hear the score. I desperately wanted to keep them in the tournament a while longer, so I forgot about everything except finding out who won.
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Post by The Chloe on Jul 31, 2003 15:31:20 GMT -5
Yeah, sure. I'm glad if anyone wants to share my excitement. As for Nadal's coach, he was definitely coached by Jofre and no one else in Umag. I didn't notice anyone who might be his uncle. He's an amazing coach, I like him very much. He's a cool dude and I hope he stays with Rafael. Well... who knew How long has he been being coached by this guy? He was talking about his uncle at wimbledon. I don't disbelieve you, I'm just dissapointed that a possible coaching change flew under my radar. There is areally funny picture of Moya giving Nadal an award from about 7 years ago, which sort of put their relationship in perspective, i thought
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Post by Layla on Jul 31, 2003 15:36:02 GMT -5
Layla, thoroughly enjoyable read! Loved reading about Carlos and his protege Rafa!! Great! What's Rafa seem like, personality-wise? He seems mature for his age, knows what he wants, has strong ideas, a thinking 17-yr-old!! I don't really know about his personality. On court, he strikes me as very mature for his age, but he does chide himself for every mistake he makes. He seems respectful of the opponents and umpires and that's very important to me. Someone next to me wanted to compare him to Roddick and I almost had a fit. I explained at length exactly where the two differ. Off-court, he's a regular teenager. He seemed quite happy, smiled a lot. He was also on the phone the whole time. Everytime I saw him his ear was glued to his cellphone. Even when he was watching Moya's QF match, he had to leave to take a phone call.
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