Rafa at the 2007 Torneig Illes Balears
by Ammie
It may not be a Grand Slam but there's no doubt that the Torneig Illes Balears is a jewel amongst exhibition tournaments. Set on the beach at Calvia in Mallorca, this year's two day event was headlined by a four-man contest between Rafael Nadal, Carlos Moya, David Nalbandian and Nicolay Davydenko. Rafa was drawn to play Nalbandian in the semi-finals on Wednesday 11th April, with the winner advancing to the finals on the Thursday.
Rafa certainly made the most of his sojourn on home soil. Before the first match, he took the opportunity to launch his biography at the tournament. 'Rafael Nadal: Cronica de un Fenomeno' is written by Spanish sports writers Jaume Pujol-Galceran and Manel Serras, and features a foreword by Uncle Toni, as well as material directly contributed by Rafa. Part of the book focuses upon Rafa's past battles against injury, when he doubted he might never play again. Against such a harsh reminder, it was a great relief to hear that Rafa's current foot injury seems to be on the mend. "It is quite good," Rafa said during the tournament, and he added that, injury-wise, the clay would be a kinder surface to play on than the hard courts.
Apart from the stubborn bottle of champagne during the trophy ceremony, Rafa progressed through the tournament's other demands without any obstacles. Although it was his first match-up against Nalbandian, he came through in straight sets, winning 7-6, 6-3. Since Moya had beaten Davydenko, the final was thus an 'all-Mallorcan' affair. Despite the momentary intrusion of traumatic memories about Rafa's loss to Charly in Miami last year, it was comforting to remember that Rafa had won in their previous two encounters on clay. However, the start of the match certainly seemed tight, with Rafa only winning the set in the tiebreak. Moya then steamed ahead to take the second set, and the VB's collective nerves started to show symptoms of incipient fraughtness. But Rafa rallied back magnificently, breaking Charly twice, to win the set, match and tournament, 7-6, 3-6, 6-1.
Another glittering trophy for Rafa's bedroom (or for him to donate to charity!), and a great start to his return to clay. Well done Rafa!
However, arguably more important than winning the trophy was the opportunity of some clay-court practice before Monte Carlo. After his recent tournaments on hardcourts, it was no surprise to hear that Rafa had been experiencing some difficulties in readjusting back to the red stuff. After his semi-final on Wednesday, Rafa declared that "I found myself to be quite bad. It is my first game on clay in many months and I have felt that in the distances, the way of running". But showing the spirit of a true champion, Rafa seemed perfectly upbeat about this: "You have to take all of these things game-by-game, and day-by-day. It wasn't anything that I wasn't expecting".
Rafa also seemed prepared to deal with the pressure of defending his King of Clay title. "It cannot be that I win all the tournaments in clay for three years in a row" he said. "The important thing is to feel that you are playing well and to assume that it is normal for the victories not to repeat themselves". That sounds like a very healthy attitude. By taking things game-by-game, and not setting too high expectation for the season, Rafa will hopefully be freed up to just focus on his game, an approach which should help along the victories too. Rafa said he was happier with his play during the final, and the experience of beating two established claycourters so early in the season should give his confidence a boost for Monte Carlo.
Finally, no commentary about Rafa at the Torneig Illes Ballears would be complete without mentioning the personal significance of this event for him. Other tournaments might yield ATP ranking points, but here is the only opportunity for him to play at home, in front of all his legions of proud local fans, family and friends. Wearing the jacket he was given there last year, Rafa was quick to emphasise the importance of the event during the ceremony. "It means very much…there are no other opportunities for me to be able to play here" he said, "It is always a pleasure for me to play in Mallorca." Given this, it is no surprise that Rafa expressed considerable enthusiasm for the idea of an official Mallorca Open, an enthusiasm that would surely be shared by all his fans, as it would almost certainly be a guaranteed event in Rafa's calendar.
But in the meantime, it's always very special to see Rafa proudly holding aloft a winner's trophy. Let's hope that there's many more to come this year!
