Rafael Nadal Falls - Finally

Well, Well, Well.......It has happened. Finally it has happened. Rafael Nadal falls. After a dream run for the past 3 years and a fairytale run at Roland Garros for the past 4 years it finally has ended for Nadal. Rafael Nadal lost to Robin Soderling in four sets in the fourth round of the French open. Nobody in their wildest dreams expected this to happen. Now the draw is all open and people are expecting Roger Federer to complete his career slam by winning the only grand slam that has eluded him for so long.

Rafael Nadal has had a amazing run for the past few years where he has trounced every opponent he has come across even the great Roger Federer. The only time Federer has been able to stop him was during his favorite grass court Wimbledon but last year Rafael Nadal broke the Roger Federer fortress by playing one of the best match in the history of modern tennis. People said Nadal can't win on hard court, he proved everybody wrong by beating Roger Federer once again in a classic 5-set final. That day when i saw Roger Federer crying, my heart went out to him and since that day i want him all the more desperately to break Pete Sampras record of most grand slam wins...poor Roger Federer...going down slowly and slowly. But still what has been amazing has been Roger Federer's ability to come back again and again and perform well at the grand slams consistently.

Now here we see Rafael Nadal facing his first major loss after many years. Now it would determine whether he is a great player of all time or just one of the best of his generation. That is because he lost on his favorite surface in 4 sets to a unknown guy named Soderling whom he had beaten 6-0, 6-1 a month back. If he would have lost to Roger Federer in a final which would have lasted 4-5 sets, it would have meant that Nadal struggled till the last and then failed to a superior opponent. Here it was all struggle. Nadal's defeat to Andy Murray in US Open was not that big an issue because it was hard court which is not his favorite surface. But when the same thing happens to him on clay court, on which he is considered the best player of all time thats a matter of concern. Now is the true test of his character. Roger Federer went down and came back and won the US open last year and even this year he is looking good. Can Rafael Nadal do the same thing and show the world that he is really a champion player of all time. Only time will tell....But whatever happens i won't write Nadal off so quickly. I think he will be back and back with a vengeance. See you in Wimbledon. Lets hope we get to see one more Federer-Nadal final in Wimbledon, in which as i have always done would support Federer.

Go Roger, go!!! Get this French open into your bag and show that you are the best player of all time.