Nadal 5-1 will history go against him?

Despite being a Roger fan through and through, I don't believe the time out was a big factor. Yes Roger was playing blistering tennis to take a 5-1 lead and I would think it has to be his mental fragility - the one that only happens on clay against Rafa - that was his downfall. Roger is too skilled and talented to let a injury time out disrupt his rhythm.

Odd that no one yet has mentioned that Roger was up 4-0 in the second set against Rafa in the Monte Carlo final (playing the same blistering tennis to get him a 5-1 lead in Hamburg), then got wiped 5-7 on a 7 game to 1 ride by Rafa.

Rafa has proven that he is not a quitter or a person who employs gamesmanship on the court. He only takes a time out when it is legitimate. Anyone who doubts that his thigh strain was fake, is nuts. Look at

a) the amount of tournaments he played this season - enough to destroy the body and legs;

b) the blisters on his feet at Rome, yet he did not quit the match and lost a very one sided match.

c) Take into consideration the semi final that Rafa played against Djokovic - that was gruelling and I am surprised he had anything left in the tank for the final.

Unless he all of a sudden starts behaving like McEnroe, or quitting like Novak, this will be more a final remembered for Roger again blowing a big lead against Rafa. Sadly, that is the striking memory for me from this match. Rafa has way too much respect for Roger (and vice versa) for him to ever play "dirty" tactic tennis.

In the end, I was glad that it was a great, tight final, rather than a retirement at 2-5 down in the first set.

It's because his top seed for the AO. If Federer was still Number One, he would be in Rafa's place (playing yesterday) and had a 5 setter match then it's just the same. he would have not sufficient rest for the match tomorrow. So if Nadal's conference ended at 3:30 and was only able to sleep at 4:30. So what? He only needs 8 hours of sleep to be fully rested. It's not like he's doing anything exhausting today and besides, the match tomorrow is at 7:30pm. If you're a real sports player, if you lose the match then that's only what you're capable of. Djokovic lost because that is only what he's capable of. he didn't have any illness or anything and both he and andy played in the same conditions.

People are more likely to remember that Roger let a 5-1 lead slip away. It doesn't matter what Rafa did, how did Roger lose 6 games in a row?

Rafael is definitely not in the same category as Djokovic is with his injury timeouts (practically whenever things aren't going his way) and retirements. It's funny that in Monte Carlo he couldn't play for just two more games because he had a sore throat, when Rafael played an entire match with a giant blister on his foot in Rome.

So my answer is no to this question.

No way. Rafa is a warrior...he almost never retires from matches, no matter how hurt he is. Nobody tries more than Rafa, except maybe Lleyton Hewitt back when he was winning slams, and when he calls for a trainer I have no doubt that it is a legitimate injury.

Nadal will probably be known for his fantastic muscular arms that girls will drool over for eons. But, it was bad timing that he took the injury timeout at 5-1

Rafa broke and then took the injury timeout before his own serve. That is the proper way to take an injury timeout so as not to throw the other guy's serving rythm off.

So no.

Some are talking about this. I am not so sure it will be forever remembered. Maybe.

SCREW THAT! Rafa is a BAMF! he is beast! federer is way more of wimp than him. Djokovic is a loser. 4X FRENCH OPEN this month

the injury is not fake! and he's a real fighter..