Rafael Nadal, Shotmaker

by Craig Hickman


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My predictions tend to suck, but I didn't see any way at all that Andy Murray could win this match so long as Rafael Nadal could run.

And run he did. Swiftly, freely, as Randy says. 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 was the final score but the last three sets weren't close at all.

I'm not sure Nadal gets enough credit for how magnificent his tennis on the lawns. Unlike Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, his game is not made for the slick stuff. But he's adapted and applied his extraordinary gifts amazingly to the surface.

To date, he's only lost to three people (Paradorn Shrichaphan, Gilles Muller, and Roger Federer) at the All England Club, all before winning his first title. Not even the great Federer can say that. The 6-time champion lost to four players before winning his first title (Jiri Novak, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Tim Henman, and Mario Ancic), and three players since (Nadal, Tomas Berdych, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga). Nadal hasn't lost a match at Wimbledon in four years, and has now made 5 consecutive Wimbledon finals dating back to 2006. He couldn't defend his title due to injury in 2009.

At this point, I believe his best tennis on grass is better than his best tennis on clay. As Nadal said, grass allows you to do more things so it allows you to show off every weapon in your quiver. His athleticism and defensive skills have always been heralded, but his excellent hands are underrated. On grass, his touch and feel are on full display. What he can do with his racquet is often eye-popping. I'm not sure how many times I said aloud to whoever was in the room, "Did he really make that shot?" Most of what he came up with was simply beautiful.

And there was one crosscourt forehand passing shot winner struck, from 10 feet behind the baseline and on the dead run, with such whip to such a vicious angle that it landed smack on the sideline, leaving Murray stranded in a great position at the net. The crowd gasped.

I don't often hear Nadal referred to as a shotmaker, but that's exactly what he is. He doesn't just grind you down and wear you out. Yes, he does that, too. But on the lawns of Wimbledon, his racquet becomes a wand with which he can do anything. Anything at all.

It's going to take a spectacular effort for Novak Djokovic to beat him on Sunday.