As the ATP Tennis Tour descends once more onto the genteel European clay courts, tennis fans are nervously gathering in ill-lit back streets to discuss the same concern; will Rafael Nadal re-establish his dominance on the red stuff, or is the King of Clay in decline?
Rafa’s loss at Roland Garros last year was undoubtedly the shock of the year. Roland Garros, and by extension clay in general, was irrefutably the domain of the man from Manacor. The first man to claim the Coupe des Mousquetaires without dropping a set since the peerless Borg, one could write an article extolling Nadal’s clay-court statistics alone.
His finishing runner-up at Madrid 2009 was dismissed as unimportant – a piffling defeat. Everyone felt confident that the finest clay court player since Gustavo Kuerten would add a fifth straight French title to his trophy cabinet. As Robin Soderling, the quiet man from Sweden, achieved the unthinkable, the chatter took on a more ominous tone.
With Nadal having the opportunity to start afresh, confining last year’s clay court season into the mists of the forgotten past, the question is ‘will he?’ Sport.co.uk look at those who are likely to be contesting the finals*.
Novak Djokovic, 22 (SRB)
Currently at number two in the ATP Rankings, the young Serbian is undoubtedly one of the most talented to currently swing a racket. Starting off points with his recognisable ‘no-don’t-help-me-thanks-I-can-reach-the-cookie-jar’ service action, Djokovic is able to dominate points from the outset. His classical groundies off both wings, superb touch round the net and an ability to convert defence into attack in a moment’s notice makes him a threat on all surfaces. While traditional hard courts are certainly his best surface, titles in Belgrade, Rome and Estoril in recent years demonstrate his comfort on all courts. His mental strength/propensity for retiring is a nagging weakness, highlighted somewhat cruelly by Roddick in a press conference. Providing his feet stay blister free, Novak has the ability to contest a number of finals in the upcoming weeks.
Juan Carlos Ferrero, 30 (ESP)
A former world number one and the 2003 French Open Champion, Ferrero is returning to form after a torrid 2008, where injuries reduced his ranking to 55. In his heyday, he was a player with superb movement around the court (hence the nickname ‘Mosquito,’) incredibly solid groundstrokes and no weaknesses. Indeed, Ferrero, along with Moya, was undoubtedly responsible for changing the Spanish attitude towards clay court tennis, a welcome move away from the moonballing days of Mats Wilander, towards a more aggressive, quicker tempo. Ferrero has enjoyed some notable wins of late to return to the top 20. Two clay titles this year, Buenos Aires and Costa Do Sauipe, suggest a successful twilight to his career.
Fernando Gonzalez, 29 (CHI)
Traditional clay court teaching advocates consistency and patience over favouring one side or relying heavily on certain shots. Gonzalez, steeped in the Latin heritage, was spoon-fed these maxims as a child yet flourishes in ignoring them. Possessing an utter monster of a forehand, Gonzalez lives by the rule of ‘run around everything’. Unless his opponent can pull him wide enough to present an open court whilst simultaneously preventing him from firing winners from behind the baseline, Gonzalez will win. A player who thrives on confidence, he has a tendency to steamroll opponents given a head of confidence. Providing he can keep the unforced error count low, and keep mentally calm, he is overdue some major tournament success.
David Ferrer, 28 (ESP)
Despite having won titles on all surfaces, Ferrer’s stock rises considerably when within sight of the red stuff. A player who employs considerable spin on all shots, combined with deft touches and determined scampering, he is closer to the Ferrero mindset than the Nadal. A major reason behind Spain’s consecutive coronation as Davis Cup champions in 2008/09, Ferrer is one of the leading lights amongst the remaining eight Spaniards in the top 50. Having tasted success in Acapulco already this year, narrowly missing out in Barcelona and Buenos Aires in recent years, Ferrer is certain to elicit a groan from any player studying the match-ups in months to come.
Tommy Robredo, 27 (ESP)
With the exception of Bastad in 2008, Robredo has won ATP titles solely on clay. Despite being the third Spaniard on the list, Robredo is the only out-and-out clay court bunny. Unusually for a Spaniard he patrols the court with a one fisted backhand, which, when coupled with a serve which gives him the momentum to potentially serve-volley, makes it surprising he has so far not experienced greater success on the American hard courts. This distinctive style not only helps him to stand out from his Iberian countrymen, but also provides his game with a stronger all court element than the traditional Spanish fare, where the serve is merely a way of getting the grindfest started. Whether he could stand the sheer aggression Nadal brings to the court is uncertain, but he appears to have the angles and fitness to dominate against everyone else.
* This list has glaring omissions, most notably Del Potro, Berdych and Nalbandian. The young Argentinian demonstrated he can easily adapt his game to the French clay, but with recent injuries worries, seems unlikely to have recaptured the fitness and match practice required to challenge on clay. Berdych has improved more than most in the last 12 months, and his results demonstrate the shots to do well in the next few months. At just 24, and yet to go deep into a Slam, it is unknown how well his fitness would withstand the lengthy matches clay produce. Nalbandian, coming back after a nine month absence, has the ability to remove seeds at will over the coming months. This is dependent upon his body and how generous organisers are with wildcards. Given his popularity and history, he looks set to climb the rankings, and along with Gasquet, regain his place in the upper echelons.
For what it is worth, this particular fan feels that providing Nadal is fit, within sight of a racket and fired up, the rest of the ATP don’t have a prayer. Tennis needs Rafa back to full strength – we can only hope normal service is resumed over the coming months.