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Originally Posted by aepps20
When was she ever lying though? In fact, find me a top player on either tour that doesn't say the exact same thing when they lose. Rafa is a guilty as the next guy, look at his 09 interview after soderling beat him at the French Open and he said what every top player says.Originally Posted by SinnerP
Anyway, yeah Joe, I think we've talked about his in the previous slam and the slam before that and the one before that... people praise him for how 'great' he is when he wins, but seem to forget how he acts the few times he loses. Or maybe some of his fans just don't want to know... or perhaps his 'greatness' justifies it? Hmmm.Originally Posted by JOE CAMEL SMOOTH
It's not low-key or gentlemanly at all though.
I've been saying this for years, and it's why I dislike him even though I love the way he plays.
He is the least gracious loser in the world. Unlike guys like Rafa who are constantly praising their opponents and are always gracious in victory or defeat, Roger always uses the "I didn't play that well" argument or some other BS.
The message is clear: He didn't win, I lost. I played poorly, if I had played up to my usual standards I would've won.
This happened all the time when he was still #1 yet Rafa murked him head-to-head. There were always little swipes and underhanded comments from Roger after losing.
I think Rafa's been the most genuine guy I've seen in a long time in praising their opponents.
This is also why I was never a fan of Serena. She often does the same when she loses... "I didn't do this, didn't do that..."...
Q. It was a great four‑year winning period. All things had to end, and it happened today, your series of wins. Did you expect such power tennis fromSoderling before the game? Were yousurprised during the match of the way he hit his ball consistently so hard,especially on the forehand, but also in general?
RAFAEL NADAL: No. No, no. He didn’t surprise me,because I know how he play, how dangerous he can be. Yesterday I didn’t play my best tennis. No, I didn’t attack in no one moment. I play very short, and I make him very easyto play at this level.
So when one player bad,must lose. That’s what happenedtoday. I have to accept with the samecalm when I win than when I lose. Afterfour years I lose here, and the season continue.
Q. Were you surprised that he was able to sustain the level of play that hedid throughout the match? Did you expecthim, at some stage, to perhaps have a little dip, which he never really did?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, you know, when, for ‑‑ I playedvery short, you know. I play veryshort. I didn’t play great. I didn’t play with calm at no one time duringall the match.
That makes him easy toplay at this level during all the match, no? So was my fault, and more than ‑‑ well, sure, he did well. He did very well, but I didn’t ‑‑ yeah,I think I didn’t play my best tennis. And I didn’t play not my best tennis, no? I didn’t play my tennis, and for that reasonI lose. That’s it.
Sinner- I didn't bring it up but Serena Williams came to mind as soon as I started writing that about Roger. She is EXACTLY the same!! For some reason I don't fault her as much for it in my mind.....it may be unfair for me to give her a pass and not Fed but I feel like she's a hothead and she is so fired up after a loss that she can't bite her tongue. Roger seems way more composed.
As for Rafa......that's one interview and while he sort of pulls that card he doesn't do it to the extend Roger consistently does. He lost, to a clearly inferior opponent (as opposed to when Roger loses to Rafa), of course he's not gonna have good things to say about his own play. At least he gives Soderling SOME credit. And most of the time he says the "right things." He is pretty gracious in defeat. A lot of times Fed gives his opponent zero credit, which rubs me the wrong way.
I love watching Roger play though.....and while I think Rafa will win I don't think it will be in straight sets.