ROLAND GARROS FIRST ROUND: RAFA NADAL VS MARCOS DANIEL
May 25, 2009
Rafa Nadal trained for a long 2-hour period yesterday in company of Argentinean Sergio Roitman as part of his preparation for today’s first-round encounter against Brazil’s Marcos Daniel.
It will be the beginning of Rafa’s biggest French Open challenge as he attempts to become the first man ever to win Roland Garros five times in a row.
The match is scheduled second on Center Court (Philippe Chartrier) in what will be Rafa’s first encounter against the 31-year-old Brazilian.
As Rafa put it yesterday “it won’t be easy” for either of them…
“Easy is never the right word to describe [the situation]. He will come into the match a bit tired and I am the kind of person to never play well in the first round. The first round is always difficult for me,” said Rafa at a press conference. “[Against] Dabul, I didn’t concentrate enough, didn’t take it seriously and he came out and played real well,” continued the World No.1 in regards to his (one set, 7-5) loss at an exhibition match over the weekend.
Marcos Daniel is a qualifier whose best result at this tournament was achieved last year when he reached the second round. So far, this year, he’s made it into the quarterfinal of the Belgrade Open and won a couple of challenger tournaments in Marrakech and Zagreb.
The World No.1 also took the opportunity to tell the press how he feels about the challenge he faces coming into the French Open as the defending champion and about the possibility of making history again.
“I don’t think about winning a fifth title at all”, “[The] records and [historic achievements] are just for you to look at at the end of your career, not when you’re still playing,” then he continued “ If I lost here it wouldn’t be a tragedy and [want it or not], it will happen someday. Let’s just hope that it won’t [happen] this year, [but if it does] I will have to face it calmly, the same way I face my victories.”
“[Tennis or any sport in general] is not designed for you to win all the time,” concluded Rafa.
Vamos Rafa!
ORDER OF PLAY
Dinara Safina v Anne Keothavong
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