What Henri Leconte thinks about Rafa..
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F-S: Do you think that Rafael Nadal will take back his crown this season?
Henri Leconte: Yes, I think so. This year, Nadal really got organized. By not playing in Barcelona, he has scheduled in a little break to arrive more fresh in Roland Garros. I think that he’s stronger than before. Before, he would surprise his opponents by his way of playing and his movement. I always said that he needed to change the way he views tennis and he needed to evolve, move more forwards. He’s managed to do so and he’s never gotten discouraged.
F-S: The spectators of Roland-Garros have sometimes been hard on Nadal. How do you judge that public?
H.L. It’s a very difficult, very demanding public. There are a lot of educated people there, they know the sport and yet, I think that by whistling at Nadal, they’ve shown a lack of fair-play and a lack of understanding of tennis. They are very hard, versatile. They had only one wish that year, to see Federer win. Nadal felt it. For him, Roland-Garros is his garden and he was disgusted by it. This year, he wants his revenge.
Henri Leconte: Yes, I think so. This year, Nadal really got organized. By not playing in Barcelona, he has scheduled in a little break to arrive more fresh in Roland Garros. I think that he’s stronger than before. Before, he would surprise his opponents by his way of playing and his movement. I always said that he needed to change the way he views tennis and he needed to evolve, move more forwards. He’s managed to do so and he’s never gotten discouraged.
F-S: The spectators of Roland-Garros have sometimes been hard on Nadal. How do you judge that public?
H.L. It’s a very difficult, very demanding public. There are a lot of educated people there, they know the sport and yet, I think that by whistling at Nadal, they’ve shown a lack of fair-play and a lack of understanding of tennis. They are very hard, versatile. They had only one wish that year, to see Federer win. Nadal felt it. For him, Roland-Garros is his garden and he was disgusted by it. This year, he wants his revenge.
Rafael Nadal may end up facing six different players in Paris over the next two weeks, but he has only one real opponent left on clay: Bjorn Borg.
This tournament doesn’t really start until Rafa Nadal returns to the courts he once made his own.
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