Rafael Nadal ruled at the French Open yet again as he beat Casper Ruud on his way to a 14th title in Paris and record-extending 22nd Grand Slam. Nadal, 35, also downed Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev on his way to the title and seven-time major winner Mats Wilander thinks watching Nadal play now is like watching "Federer when he was at his best".
Mats Wilander says he finds Rafael Nadal more “fun” to watch than Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer – and is “blown away” by the way he hits the ball.
Nadal, 35, continued his French Open dominance by winning a record-extending 22nd Grand Slam title in Paris, beating Casper Ruud in the final.
The Spaniard is now two clear of long-time rivals Djokovic and Federer in the all-time Grand Slam standings.
While Federer is usually labelled the most graceful of the trio, Wilander is enjoying Nadal’s style of play more than ever.
“The older I get, the more I enjoy watching him play,” the seven-time Grand Slam champion and Eurosport analyst told L’Equipe.
“We see that he trusts his variations more than when he was 22 or 23 years old. I find his tennis more fun than Roger's or Novak's.
“With Roger, everything seems easy. It's simple and aesthetic. Rafa is different: his true personality arises when the racquet hits the ball.
“Of course, the beginning and the end of the motion are not as fluid as with Roger. But the contact with the ball is so pure, his touch on the ball is so extraordinary that I am blown away.
“I've always loved its intensity and emotional involvement. But before, there was a repetitive aspect to his game. We knew exactly how he was going to win the point. And we knew he would win 6-2 6-2 6-2.
“Now he creates uncertainty: what will he do on the next move? It's like watching Federer when he was at his best. I no longer want to commentate on his matches, I just want to watch him play.”
https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/roland ... tory.shtml
A mimo wszystko uważam, że w finale znacznie trudniej ich pokonać- szczególnie Rafę. 