US Open - Magical season eases Nadal's pain

Eurosport - Mon, 08 Sep 03:56:00 2008

World number one Rafael Nadal eased the pain of his semi-final loss to sixth-seeded Briton Andy Murray at the US Open by reflecting back on a near-perfect season.

TENNIS 2008 US Open Rafa Nadal - 0

Over the last four months, the muscular Spaniard has won a fourth successive French Open, his first Wimbledon title and Olympic gold in Beijing before ending a record 237 consecutive weeks at the top of the rankings for Roger Federer.

Although disappointed to be upset 6-2 7-6 4-6 6-4 by Murray in the final Grand Slam event of the year, Nadal was delighted to reach the semi-final stage at Flushing Meadows for the first time.

"I accept the losses with the same calm when I win," the 22-year-old Majorcan said after succumbing to Murray in three hours 30 minutes in the showpiece Arthur Ashe Stadium.

"So I am disappointed? Yes. But at the same time, I am happy because I did good semi-finals here.

"Probably when I arrived here, my situation wasn't the best to play a good tournament with too many tournaments and too many matches on my shoulders.

"But I fight well and I had a good tournament so I go from the US Open with positive things, with a good tournament, no?"

Nadal's magnificent 2008 campaign has included eight ATP titles and a win-loss record of 75-9. The Spaniard has lost only three times in his last 57 matches and has achieved every goal he laid out for himself at the start of the year.

"Almost a perfect season, no?" he said with a smile. "I did incredible things for me. What I didn't expect was a season like this after starting out playing so-so.

"Roland Garros (the French Open), a perfect tournament. And then an unbelievable win at Queen's after Roland Garros. For me, the more unexpected victory of the season, Queen's.

"And later, Wimbledon. You know how important it is for me to win Wimbledon after two years playing the final," he added, referring to his successive defeats by Federer before finally beating the Swiss maestro to clinch the grasscourt title.

"After Wimbledon, I had a big goal in my mind. The number one (ranking) and the Olympics and for sure, finally, the U.S. Open.

"So I did every tournament very well and I am happy for everything. But the season is not over and I have the semi-finals of the Davis Cup."

Nadal paid tribute to Murray's display at Flushing Meadows where the Briton was also appearing for the first time in the semi-finals.

"He played well. I have my chance in the fourth and I didn't convert," said the Spaniard, who had beaten Murray in their previous five meetings. "He played better than me and he beat me. I just congratulate him."

Murray will face four-times defending champion Federer in Monday's final and Nadal predicts a close battle.

"Tomorrow Andy has his chances," he said. "I think Federer is going to be the favourite but Andy is doing very well. He is having a very good second part of the season. He's a very, very good player and he can do everything."

Reuters

Comment 25 - 44 of 44

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  1. watching live!

    From nthk8, on Mon 8 Sep 10:48PM

  2. com45..spread the love son

    From nthk8, on Mon 8 Sep 10:47PM

  3. nthk8: homofhobics are homos themselves 90% of the­ time, according to research, the other 10% wher abused­ as childresn, which one are you?

    From gefmontano, on Mon 8 Sep 10:39PM

  4. Murray is a typical brit cry baby, no wonder brits­ havent won anything latelly(years and years). Nor the­ football team, Hamilton or Murray for that matter. Go­ Roger or Rafa no need to worry, Murray willbe the­ eternal number 69.

    From gefmontano, on Mon 8 Sep 10:34PM

  5. com42..lets hav a threesom n comfort each other..u.­ rafa n toni..we understand your pain after rafa lost to­ murray..take it easy son..

    From nthk8, on Mon 8 Sep 10:02PM

  6. com42..uncle toni should giv u some buddy love..nadal­ 22yr five gs..maybe his last gs for sure..nadal still­ play catchup again..poor lad..

    From nthk8, on Mon 8 Sep 10:00PM

  7. nadal wil hav to improve his game to hold on to­ num.1..get boris becker to teach him how to serve big n­ volley well on hardcourts then he b complete player..

    From nthk8, on Mon 8 Sep 9:49PM

  8. nthk8 u piece of s$%t look at theese numbers: Nadal at­ 22 has 5 GS titles and Federer had none. Nadal may not­ reach the 12 GS titles Federer has but he already is a­ great chapion. He never said he would want to be better­ than Federer, he even recognised that to him be #2 for­ Federer tasted almost as like as to be the real #1. At­ 22 Nadal has more titles than Federer had.
    Learn to­ see things as they are or go to your bedroom and cry­ because until the end of this year we are in­ Nadal's year!

    From tiagomarcelino, on Mon 8 Sep 9:48PM

  9. rafa dont care if we hated him..cus rafa hav loving­ uncle toni by his backside.

    From nthk8, on Mon 8 Sep 9:42PM

  10. look at how rafa stand when receiving a serve..legs­ wide apart,bend 45degrees n uncle toni loving every min­ of it..nadal grunt is too noisy thus murray hav to put­ earplugs to shut n beat nadal up..thank murray !!

    From nthk8, on Mon 8 Sep 9:25PM

  11. com34..may u get choke on tennis ball or rafa balls..

    From nthk8, on Mon 8 Sep 7:31PM

  12. COM29..rafa stil play catchup again..fed u on ur way to­ 13..rafa way back..rafa hav the olympic gold n so does­ fed..

    From nthk8, on Mon 8 Sep 7:24PM

  13. COM36..DON ACT LIKE U KNW TENNIS..A LOST IS A­ LOST...RAFA SHOULD WEAR PANTIES NK TIME THEN HE WIL­ WIN,,,,

    From nthk8, on Mon 8 Sep 7:14PM

  14. nadal is a gentlemen on and off court not like federer­ who is a sourgraper... since lossing his number ranking­ to nadal, you can feel in his interviews that he is­ jealous of nadal being the number one... yes, he did­ win so many tournaments already and is on the brink of­ breaking sampras record but he is not acting what a­ true tennis player is supposed to that he is not the­ number one... please tell federer to act as a­ gentlemen...

    From robertxxx111, on Mon 8 Sep 5:59PM

  15. Zamfir, lol ;))

    From Pitic, on Mon 8 Sep 5:39PM

  16. You know the name AADITYA is named to a person who has­ a short memory and short tongue. Remember a baby who is­ trying to speak and only crawling? what are their first­ alphabet?? aa di..t .........ya! And you couldnt stop­ rolling with laughter because nadal get lost to Murray?­ who sound pathetic? who sound LOSER? YOU! why we need­ to laugh when somebody get lost..like uncivilized­ people do...ah yes...the reason why..aadit­ adiya...mamiyat mamiya... hahadyi hadiya...bi..badu­ badu...ya..shaparmuhutapa!!!khawal!!

    From zamfir, on Mon 8 Sep 5:31PM

  17. aaditya, it seems you know a lot about gays, sorry, but­ i would bet you really are :-s

    From Pitic, on Mon 8 Sep 5:21PM

  18. He's simply nr 1. Vamos Rafa!

    From Corina, on Mon 8 Sep 4:25PM
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    cudnt stop rolling with laughter.
    pathetic loser nadal­ look at his face when murray went to the net to shake­ hands with him.
    uncle toni and his gay eentourage were­ defeat written all over.
    bloody queen nadal rrichly­ deserves this loss.
    am partying and so will every true­ tennis lover, cant stop laughing.

    And now i know why­ he keeps scratching his @#$%. Thanks to nth for the­ information.
    good riddance of very putrid rubbish. rot­ in uncle tonis @#$% hole rafa

    From aaditya, on Mon 8 Sep 4:23PM

  20. Rafa, you are THE BEST... No matter what... :D

    From proud_croat_girl, on Mon 8 Sep 3:08PM
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