Determination

Nadal loses to Djokovic again last night

Last night my boy Cliff and I painfully analyzed the unseemliness of Rafa Nadal losing two straight clay titles (Madrid/Rome) to Novak Djokovic in straight sets no-less (not to mention the hard court titles at Miami and Indian Wells this year).

How can it be that a young man so determined and so skilled on clay is now standing in the unmovable shadow of an opponent he has beaten many times before?

I like tennis.  It is a lot like life.  The game can turn on one determined point.  Just like life.  And, just because you are dominant and doing well does not mean that something/someone can't put you down on your ass like Djokovic has done to Nadal.

But being the big Rafa fans that Cliff and I are, it's no easy pill to swallow.  In MotoGP I have just put the losing Valentino Rossi down to crap Ducati motorcycles (and I don't watch that mess anymore).

Nole the new number one?

Respect must be paid to Djokovoc who has dispensed with Federer, Murray, Soderling and Nadal time and time again and now is unbeaten for 37 matches this year.  He is very likely to set a new unbeaten record and become the number one player by the time he reaches the final in Paris (French Open).

But that is not a foregone conclusion.  Tennis has unbalanced moments just like life.

I think Nadal will win in Paris.  He is relentless over five sets and Djokovic may be energized like hell but back-to-back titles and facing Nadal over five brings a whole new set of challenges.

Still, Djokovic has raised the bar and it is good for tennis all-around.

The struggle for Nadal and the others will be about beating Djokovic's determination.

In the end the overall winner will not necessarily be the one who crosses the finish line dramatically or the one who takes the title(s).

The ones who stick through determination to what they believe and win when they are losing -and even after they have lost- are the ones to watch and learn from and admire.

Just like in life.

Onward!

Rafa Picture Credit
Nole Picture Credit