Ruthless streak needed
Smith ‘hurt’ by Proteas’ panicky display
PARIS: Rafa Nadal says winning a French OpenWimbledon double for the third time in his career will be “complicated” but is highly motivated to have a go as he prepares for the grasscourt season.
The 31-year-old captured an unprecedented 10th Roland Garros title in sensational style on Sunday, thrashing Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka in the final after a faultless fortnight in Paris.
It maintained a return to form and fitness for the Spaniard who also reached the Australian Open final at the start of the year and who climbed to number two in the rankings yesterday - his highest mark since 2014, since when he has often been battling injuries.
Inevitably thoughts are already turning to Wimbledon and the prospect of Nadal repeating his 2008 and 2010 victories - both of which followed hot on the heels of winning French titles without dropping a set as he did this year.
Nadal, never one to fuel the hype, warned against installing him as a favourite on the Wimbledon lawns where he has also lost three finals; especially as his recent record there is dismal.
“Since I have had problems with my knee, since SOUTH Africa’s timid performance in their crushing eight-wicket defeat to India in ICC Champions Trophy on Sunday has really “hurt” former captain Graeme Smith.
Smith was on commentary duty at The Oval while the Proteas were capitulating in front of him. The 36-yearold, who has felt the brunt of similar defeats at major ICC tournaments during his leadership term, felt the pain of the 2012, playing on grass has been very complicated for me,” Nadal, who lost only 35 games at Roland Garros to become the first player to win the same grand slam title 10 times in the professional era, said.
“We’ll see how my knee behaves. Playing on grass is very special. You need to play at a lower level. The body posture is down. You have less stability.
“But keep in mind I played five finals in Wimbledon. I like playing on grass. On grass, anything can happen. I’m motivated.”
After steamrolling through the European claycourt season, compiling a win-loss record of 24-1 with titles in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid before regaining his French Open crown, Nadal will spend a few days relaxing at home in Mallorca before playing in the Wimbledon warm-up at Queen’s Club.
After weeks spent on the bouncy red clay, it is a tough transition and Nadal is well aware of the dangers having suffered early defeats at Wimbledon to the likes of outsiders such as Steve Darcis, Lukas Rosol and Dustin Brown.
Since losing in the 2011 final to Novak Djokovic he has not gone beyond round four while last year he nation back home lamenting yet another Proteas failure. “I left the ground Sunday feeling as many South African fans will be feeling. Disappointment that the team haven’t managed to recreate the form and the brand of cricket that have seen them be so s u c c e s s f u l in white ball cricket over the past 12-18 months. “I still care deeply about the environment that I spent so much time building as a player, and it hurt to see such an unrecognisable South Africa performance. The side have been missing that spark, or that intensity to their play that characterises South Africa cricket,” Smith said in his column for www.icc-cricket.com
Unlike the form team of this tournament, England, who have adopted an almost cavalier adventurous brand of cricket, South Africa climbed into their shells when it mattered most. The World’s No 1 ranked ODI team failed to impose themselves on the opposition with star opening duo Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock setting the trend by preferring to absorb the pressure exerted by the Indian bowlers instead of laying a marker down themselves.
“With the bat, there was a real chance to make an impression on the game early, by looking to, at least, try and put the India seam- could not play because of the left wrist injury that curtailed his French Open. He also pulled out in 2009 when his creaking knee prevented him from trying to defend his title.
“I could win the first two matches and then things could change,” Nadal, whose first grand slam title for three years took his total to 15, said. “The fact is that the two first matches could be very dangerous.
“I need to feel strong, low, and have powerful legs to play well in Wimbledon. If I have pain in the knees then I know from experience that it’s almost impossible. If I am healthy and I am able to have the right preparation I’ll have my chances.
Nadal’s incredible form - he is 43-6 so far this season - means there is also the strong possibility of overhauling Andy Murray and ending the year as world number one for the first time since 2013.
“Winning these kind of titles, then you have chances to become any number on the ranking. I don’t know. I am playing well. If I am able to keep playing well, why not?” he said.
“I am right now seeded No. 2. We will see what happens during the rest of the year. It really depends on me.” – Reuters ers under pressure.
“That didn’t happen, and this cautious style of play that seems to lack the intent that we’ve seen from the same players previously, is what puzzles me the most,” Smith said.
“What I would have liked to have seen from the guys at the top of the order is, at least, an attempt to put Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar under pressure. Anything to put them off their game and bring their plans in to question. Our approach was far more conservative.”
Smith believed this approach set in the “panic” that occurred later when South Africa suffered two run outs, which included the crucial wicket of ODI captain AB de Villiers.
“Whereas I’ve grown so used to the free flowing, often powerful starts to our batting, today was slightly timid and that led to a position where you could almost see a panic creep in to our play.
“Panic related to getting ‘a score’, and panic about how we were going to get to 300 plus which seems to be par in this tournament so far,” he explained.
“Mindset, and your approach to the game, are those one percent factors that make the difference at this level. When those factors are not there, you pay the price and it’s the team’s approach that has been the missing ingredient.
“If you’re ever so slightly off the boil that will translate to the performances on the field and often it just doesn’t look right. Since the team have started against England in May, it hasn’t looked right to me as an observer.”