I
t’s hard to try and not read too much into some of Rafael Nadal’s recent comments. It doesn’t help that even Iva Ljubicic is saying Nadal’s not hiding the fact that he’s not feeling confident. I’m starting to think Rafa would be a terrible poker player because he’s showing his cards and clearly doesn’t believe in his ability to bluff or win.
“You have to be a realist, and today I’m not playing enough well to win this tournament. I have to hit the ball with a little bit more conviction. We will see after tomorrow if I am ready to play at this level…
This year, the second match was especially bad. First match wasn’t that bad. Third match was positive. And today, for moments, was fine.
For me it’s not an obligation (to) play well every day. I am No1 for one more week. You can be No1, but some days you can play level of No30.”
Sure Ljubicic didn’t give him much rhythm but Soderling will be trying hard to do the same thing and Soderling’s looking to be in good form while Nadal is struggling to convert break points.
