Rafa raises the bar too high

Whose domination is more forceful, the Oz cricket team or Rafael Nadal on the brick-red clay tennis court? When I saw that SMS on my cell today, it had me thinking.

I know the comparison between two different sport makes no sense. And here, it is a team versus an individual. Yet, if simply winning has to be the point of analysis, I would say Nadal’s success – 20th career title – has been amazing.

What has made the Spaniard, still a month short of his 21st birthday invincible is his approach. To be winning the 72nd match on clay without getting beaten is a barrier which perhaps can never be broken. Heck, the same goes for the Oz team, winning three World Cups on the trot. But I am not going to get bogged down by cricket. I think we, in India, have been fed on an overdose of it in the last few months.

I have met Nadal a few times and what touched me most is his simplicity.
Superstars can be a bit kinky if they want but Rafa, as he is popularly known, comes across a mere mortal when you meet him face to face. I still remember, last February in Rotterdam, he was supposed to be the star face on view. A foot injury saw him pull out, though he did make it a point to come and address the media and express his apologies for pulling out.

This January, when everyone was guessing what was the figure which Nadal got as appearance money to come for the Chennai Open, the left-hander was not one bit bothered. He was in the zone even at the start of the season, though being bumped out by Xavier Malisse before the final was a bit hard for Chennai fans to digest.

As the season shifted from hard to clay and even numero uno Roger Federer was losing to a player almost forgotten – Guillermo Canas – Nadal was reminding us repeatedly of his clay touch.

For sheer endurance, winning matches on clay is not easy. There is no doubt the surface places less demanding on the body compared to hard courts. But for a man who has perfected the art of winning without much fuss, the new milestone is something which will remain untouched for years to come – at least on clay.

The real challenge – the French Open – is round the corner. But I guess even as we discuss the Oz invincibility in ODIs and the World Cup, you could be sure, Nadal has his sights set on raising the bar.

If you win seven matches on the trot, it results in a Grand Slam title win.
So 72 matches unbeaten on clay is mind boggling for everyone other than Nadal.