Here are some of my favorite photos from the Final & You can view over 100 photos in the 2 Slideshows Ive created.. easier viewing for my followers.. :) Enjoy the moment Rafa fans! Clay is definitely our time to shine!

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Some Practice footage of Rafa before the semi's Published on Apr 28, 2012 by bcnopenbs


Barcelona semifinals last game Published on Apr 28, 2012 by vamosrafelnadal


OnCourt Interview English via ATP


OnCOurt Interivew after winning semis - (Spanish) Published on Apr 28, 2012 by ATPWorldTour


Highlights via Published on Apr 28, 2012 by RAFApedia


HotShots via RAFApedia

Here are some of my favorite pics of the match, you can see the entire series in the SLIDESHOW






Photos: GettyImages/Bancosabadell

Photos:

• Complete HD  SLIDeSHOW of match photos & after the match. 
• HD ScreenShots via RAFApedia FB

Videos:

• Rafa OnCourt Interview [spanish] via RAFApedia
• Rafa's TennisTV Interview [spanish] via atp
• Rafa's TennisTV Interview [English] via atp
• Nadal vs Tipsarevic HotSHot via RAFApedia
• NADAL vs Tipsaravic Highlights via RAFApedia

Defending champion Rafael Nadal recorded his 25th match win of the season Friday, dismissing fifth seed Janko Tipsarevic 6-2, 6-2 in the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell quarter-finals.
The World No. 2 won 81 per cent of his second serve return points to break the eighth-ranked Tipsarevic five times, wrapping up his third straight victory over the Serbian in 83 minutes. He faltered just once on serve, in the fourth game of the second set, as he improved to a 33-1 event record.
"I felt well. I played a very good match, better than yesterday," said Nadal. "Very happy to be back in the semi-finals.You cannot expect an easy match against the No. 8 in the world. 6-2, 6-2 is a very good result for me."
The 25-year-old Nadal has not lost at the ATP World Tour 500 clay-court event since 2003, and has lifted the trophy on his past six appearances (2005-2009, 2011). He entered the tournament on the back of his eighth consecutive triumph at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters (d. Djokovic), where he collected his record-breaking 20th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown.
"I have a lot of confidence from my past results here but it doesn't mean it will continue that way," Nadal said. "Each match is different. I go on court and try my best in every moment and hope it goes well for me."
In the semi-finals, Nadal will play No. 9 seed Fernando Verdasco. The 2010 titlist led Kei Nishikori 4-2 before the eighth seed retired with an abdominal injury.
Verdasco is looking to win his first title since tasting victory in Barcelona two years ago. He finished runner-up to David Ferrer in Acapulco.
The Spaniard will aim to collect his first win in 13 meetings with Nadal.



Source: ATP

• Rafa Nadal is through to the quarterfinals after defeating Robert Farah, 6-2, 6-3. He will play Janko Tipsarevic in the third match on Pista Central on Friday. The first match starts at 12:30 p.m. local time, 11:30 a.m. BST, 6:30 a.m. EST.

World No. 2 Rafael Nadal held off a spirited challenge from Robert Farah on Thursday, beating the Colombian qualifier 6-2, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell.

The Spaniard has not lost a match at the ATP World Tour 500 clay-court tournament since 2003 and improved to a 32-1 event record as he defeated Farah in 86 minutes. World No. 246 Farah rallied from an early break down in the second set, but was broken twice more as Nadal swept to victory.
The 25-year-old Nadal has won the title on his past six visits to Barcelona, defeating David Ferrer in last year’s final. The Mallorcan is coming off his 20th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 victory at last week’s Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, where he defeated Novak Djokovic in the final, and has a 24-3 match record on the season.
The top-seeded Nadal goes onto face fifth-seeded Serbian Janko Tipsarevic, who dismissed Portugal’s Frederico Gil 6-2, 6-2 in 69 minutes. The Serb has lost both his past two meetings with Nadal, including once on clay, and is bidding to reach his third ATP World Tour semi-final of the season.

Check out more HD Photos at the SLIDESHOW




VIDEOS:

• Barcelona 2012 - Thursday Hot Shot via ATPWorldTour
• Barcelona Open Thursday Wrap via ESPN

Check out The Video's from Rafapedia.com::

• highlights: HD Video Highlights 
• interview: Post Match Interview 
• photo-album HD: Rafapedia HD ScreenShots
• Video Presser Rafa discussing David Ferrer

Source: ATP

Post Match OnCourt Interview Published on Apr 25, 2012 by RAFApedia



Rafael Nadal vs Guillermo García-López R2 Barcelona 2012 - Special Highlights by RAFApedia

SLIDeSHOW with 50 HD Photos

some of my favorites..

According to TheTimesOnline Rafa has a hairline fracture, the article was posted after the final by

Although The Times has learnt that Nadal had a hairline fracture in the left foot that he hurt against Juan Martín del Potro in the fourth round and may not play for six more weeks, he put up no excuses for his defeat, his third in five Wimbledon finals.

As ever with Nadal, he accepted defeat with humility and honesty, although he was hurting inside. The 25-year-old would have won his eleventh grand-slam and moved to within five of Federer’s total of 16 had he won. Now he has to accept that he is second best in ranking terms again.

“We can analyse that my game is not bothering him,” Nadal said. “We have to find how I can bother him. I did in the past. He’s in the best moment of his career. I am in one of the best moments of my career, but still not enough for him. I have to play longer. I have to play more aggressively. I have to have less mistakes.

“Seriously, I lost because I am playing against the best player of the moment, the best player of the world tomorrow, and I am the second. And when you play against these players and they are playing unbelievably, the normal thing is [to] lose. That’s what happened the last few times.”

Nadal added that fathoming out a plan to beat Djokovic is now his priority. “Even last year when I was winning three grand-slams, I knew my level was not for ever,” he said. “Probably the level of Novak today is not for ever. I’m going to be here fighting all the time, waiting for my moment to beat him.”

Nadal had already decided that he would not play in the Davis Cup World Group second-round tie away to the United States in Texas this week, but if he has to take six weeks off, he will have little practice on hard courts before he opens his US Open title defence next month.

show me ur teeth!

VIDEO:
Rafa's Video Presser Excerpt:

http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/interactive/video/index.html  via Wimbledon Site


Post Match Interview with JMAC


 Wrap up:



Top 10 Shots at Wimbledon


Rafael Nadal admits he was 'outplayed' in Wimbledon final:: ViaBBC



Wimbledon 2011: Rafa Nadal wary of Novak Djokovic:: via BBC
 

Not too keen on posting many photos of Rafa loosing but..You can view the photos as a slideshow or an album if you want to use my links...



STATS:

Just a few words ..

We all need to vent, I am with you all on this.. BUT please do so respectfully of Rafa Nadal & his entire TEAM. Please understand that the person who wants to win most is RAFA.. this is Rafa's life, his career, his bread & butter [so to speak]. No matter what any of us say & think the only thing we can do is chose to accept the positives & look at the negative & try to understand/learn from them.

for the record.. no matter what game plan you try to instill .. when mentally you are stuck.. there is no rainbow at the end in any situation. Tennis is in my book 65% mental! Would he benefit from a psych i think YES.

Also I refuse to give Djokovic credit cause I just don't see where he's playing so amazing.. Look at what Rafa did to him in the third set. Is it possible for Rafa to defeat him YES it is!!! But it takes belief, it takes more than what Rafa is capable right now. To hold it together long enough for a victory. it hurts me very much to see Rafa so mentally strong always, seem so fragile now.. But Rafa has accomplished way to much for me to start second guessing him & his Team's choicesl.

but I tell you one thing..I will always be a Rafa fan through the good & the bad I will always believe in him..Rafa is a champion on/off court! Whether he is #1, #2 or #100.

so por favor.. remember Rafa needs our support!

How would you describe the way Novak played today, especially in the second set?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I think he played very well in the second. Is difficult to describe.
But, anyway, he played better than me. For that reason he is the champion here. So I just can congratulate him. That's the true. He played very, very, very high level for moments, and I played a little bit lower than the previous days.

Q. Did his attacking force you to play short?

RAFAEL NADAL: No. I played short because I played short I think today. He's doing great. He's doing few things fantastic. But I had to play better to win, and I didn't today. I played little bit less aggressive.
And the most important thing, to win in matches here, to win tough matches like today, like two days ago, the most important thing is play well the important moments. There is few points in the match that can change the match, and I didn't today.

Q. After a match like this, we can think of many reasons for the outcome. Is it possible that one of them is Novak was able to handle your forehand better than the other players?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, when one player beat you five times is because today my game don't bother him a lot. Today probably against me he's playing better than my level. And find solutions, that's what I have to try and that's what I gonna try.
Anyway, seriously, I only lose matches this year against him. That's the true. When I was healthy, I only lost against him. That's the true. The rest of the matches, I don't want to count in Queen's, two days ago two weeks ago, three weeks ago, because is different conditions for me.
When I was hundred percent to play, I lost against him five times. The rest of the year I won almost every match. So I'm doing the things very well probably not against him. That's what I have to change.
Probably the mental part is little bit dangerous for me, because when I arrive to the 5 4, I played a bad game with 30 Love. When I arrived to 4 3 of the fourth set, I played another bad game with my serve.
That's what I say: to win these kind of matches, I have to play well these kind of points can change the match. When I had the breakpoint at the first set, at the first game of the fourth set, I didn't play well that point. That was a big moment for me. Because I came back after 6 1, start the fourth with a break can change everything.
I didn't play well these moments. That's what happened in Indian Wells, that's what happened in Miami, and that's what happened here. I? Don't want to count in Madrid and Rome because he played much better than me.
But these three times, that's what happened. And to change that is probably be little bit less nervous than these times, play more aggressive, and all the time be confident with myself. That's what I gonna try next time.
If not, I gonna be here explaining the sixth.

Q. How much of those four finals against Novak affected your confidence?

RAFAEL NADAL: I started the match without thinking on that. But that's true. When you arrive to 5 4, these moments probably affects a little bit. That's what happened, and that's why.

Q. You've lost to Novak five times this year.

RAFAEL NADAL: I know that. We were talking about that (smiling).

Q. Why do you think you can't beat him? Do you think there's a psychological reason?

RAFAEL NADAL: You are hear that? I just explained that.

Q. Is there a technical reason? Is he handling your topspin forehand better with his two handed backhand, taking it early?

RAFAEL NADAL: The game is easy. The game is not that difficult. So think about a lot of things will be a mistake, in my opinion. Don't think is how you playing well, how you not playing that well.
Is true we can analyze that my game is not bothering him. We have to find how I can bother him another time. I did in the past.
He's in the best moment of his career. That's true, too. I am in one of the best moments of my career. Still not enough for him. I have to play longer. I have to play more aggressive. I have to have less mistakes. Yes, that's what I have to do.
But start to think if his backhand or he takes the ball earlier, yeah, he's very complete player. He has good backhand, very good forehand, good serve. His movements probably are one of the best in of the world in this moment.
Seriously, I lose because I am playing against the best player of the moment, the best player of the world tomorrow, and I am the second. And when you play against these players and they are playing unbelievable, the normal thing is lose. That's what happened last few times.
My experience says this level is not forever. Even for me when I was last year winning three Grand Slams, my level of last year is not forever. Probably the level of Novak of today is not forever. I gonna be here fighting all the time, waiting my moment. I don't have to wait a lot, because I already won three tournaments this year and one Grand Slam. But waiting my moment to beat him another time.
I understand the sport like this. When one player is better than you, at this moment the only thing you can do is work, try to find solutions, and try to wait a little bit for your time.
Last five times wasn't my time. I gonna wait and I gonna try to a sixth. And if the sixth doesn't happen, to the seventh. It's going to be like this. That's the spirit of the sport.

Q. Emotionally, is this the most difficult defeat of your career?

RAFAEL NADAL: For sure not. C'mon.

Q. Which is?

RAFAEL NADAL: Is difficult to say now. You know, after playing eight finals this year, winning Roland Garros few weeks ago, play the final here cannot be the toughest lose of my career.
You know how is the toughest moment? When I am in Australia and I finish the match and I am injury; when in 2010 I have to go out of Australia with an injury, That is the toughest moment. That's the game: sometimes you win; sometimes you lose.
Three weeks ago I was winning in Roland Garros; today I was playing the final here and I lost. That's the sport. We started 128 players. One have to win. I was the second. Is a good result for me. For sure always the goals and the objective probably is win every time, but everybody lose. Nobody's winning everything.
But he going to lose in the future. I going to keep losing a lot of matches in the future. I gonna try my best in every moment. But for sure this is not the toughest loss in my career.

via ubi

 [article before the final]

From the Sunday Times via Barry Flatman

Nadal shuts out the past
The defending champion will ignore recent losses to Djokovic as he bids for a third Wimbledon title this afternoon

As an evening chill settled on Wimbledon, the indecision of Toni Nadal became almost comical. Three times he took off his sweatshirt and then decided things were a little too cool and pulled it on again. Yet if the coach, mentor and controller of the defending champion couldn’t make up his mind with his own attire, he was insistent on his nephew’s impending task.

Ever since Rafael Nadal left Centre Court on Friday after again emphasising his big-match dominance over Andy Murray, the focus has been switched to addressing the task of putting Novak Djokovic’s four final victories against the Spaniard into context before another confrontation today with the prize far more prestigious.

One thing Uncle Toni cannot control is how his nephew answers questions, but undeniably there was a hint of derision as he heard what has been said about the 28th encounter between the new world No 1 and the player he will officially dethrone after a 57-week tenure of top spot on the ATP World Tour rankings. “Nole’s [Djokovic] mental position over me is probably a little bit better because he won the last four finals against me,” said the top seed, who has suffered seven defeats so far this year compared to Djokovic’s one, but is unbeaten in his last 20 matches at Wimbledon. “All I can say is I will try my best. I have to play aggressive. I have to play with intensity, with rhythm.”

There was no denying that the expression on Nadal’s face had grown ever more frustrated and concerned with each Masters 1000 series trophy Djokovic lifted in his triumphant march through the early months of 2011. First there was Indian Wells and then Miami on American cement, which went some way to redressing the balance of last year’s US Open triumph for the Spaniard. But Madrid and Rome on Nadal’s banker surface of clay, now that was altogether a different matter.

More so than ever before, Nadal's game throughout the fortnight has appeared in perfect harmony with the demands of grass “What I will tell Rafael over and over again before he walks out on Sunday is that those matches are in the past and gone,” said Toni. “There is nothing he can do to change anything and so there is no point in concerning himself by concentrating on them. Since then we have again experienced the joy of winning Roland Garros and now we are here at Wimbledon with 20 wins in a row. They are things that Rafael must have in his illusion, not losing the four finals, which are finished.”

The Nadals are tight-knit. Regularly turning away to take counsel in the Mallorquin dialect of Spanish from his brother and Rafa’s father, Sebastian, Toni continued: “I will talk to you about the four finals but I do not intend to speak of them with Rafael. What is the benefit? He knew what he did wrong at the time and we don’t need to return to those days.

“At Indian Wells Rafael was better in the first set but did not have too good a mentality as the match got older, but it was understandable as that tournament was his first after getting injured with his leg at the Australian Open. After that Miami was very close and was just a matter of one or two points. Madrid and then Rome were different: Nole’s mentality from the unbeaten run he was enjoying was a great boost and he showed us what he could do on clay.”

By common consent, Djokovic’s form throughout Wimbledon has been less dominant, but not a word of criticism is forthcoming from Team Nadal. By the same token, nobody other than Rafael himself is voicing any praise for what the Serb has achieved to reach his first final at the All England Club after twice falling at the semi-final stage.

When it comes to experience at this advanced stage on the grass of London SW19, Nadal has a massive advantage. This will be his fifth final in six years and he was forced to miss the 2009 event because of injury, so denying him the only previous opportunity to defend this title. More so than ever before, his game throughout the past fortnight has appeared in perfect harmony with the demands of grass.

Whether he would have been so dominant a couple of decades ago, when serve was far more dominant, the bounce was lower and pace rather than weight of shot was paramount, is another argument that has no validity in a Nadal mind.

What is certain is that while the hallmarks of the Nadal game are power and almost superhuman physicality, there is also wondrous touch and an increasing ability to apply that bygone art of playing serve and volley tennis when the opportunity presents itself. The Spaniard happily goes through the gears imparting spin and slice before delivering the killer blow with sheer strength.

Against Murray in the semi-final, Nadal’s scarcity in terms of unforced errors committed in the final three sets could only be described as mean-spirited. He gave almost nothing to the Scot, with not a solitary unforced error in the second set, just two in the third and one in the concluding fourth.

“We have to have a look about the statistics, but not everything is statistics, no?” Nadal asked in his characteristic questioning manner. “The important thing for me is that I am again playing the Wimbledon final for the fifth time. I never thought this was going to happen for me on the grass. I think is a great effort because for years there was no Spaniard playing the later stages here and many of the players from my country didn’t even come to play the tournament.”

In the same resigned way that Nadal’s Spanish predecessors such as Sergi Bruguera, Alex Corretja, Albert Costa, Alberto Berasategui and even fellow Majorcan Carlos Moya would habitually book their summer vacation during the final week of June and first of July, common consensus decreed that the feats of Bjorn Borg in winning back-to-back French Open and Wimbledon titles would never again be repeated.

If Nadal today claims his 11th Grand Slam title, he will be only 29 days older than Borg when the Swede became the youngest player to amass such numbers. Fittingly the one-time Ice Man will be in the Royal Box today.

“To do what Rafa does, winning on grass, you need to play on clay and do well, physically and mentally,” insisted a magnanimous Borg. “You need to play a lot of tournaments and be so physically and mentally tough. My message to Rafa at this stage would be ‘Don’t change anything; why should you?’.

“All you need to do is go out and hit the ball the same way you did on clay. You have played the tough matches, you are mentally and physically ready. Admittedly the grass is slower today than when I played but that plays into Rafa’s hands.

“I think Rafa is the same as me, which is refreshing in a way. He is hardened on the Roland Garros clay, so when he moves to grass, he takes that match toughness with him.”

Uncle Toni would certainly subscribe to such a point of view, seeing it as far more pertinent than the small matter of those four final victories for Novak Djokovic.