Jill b
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 Nadal wary of enigmatic Scud
Nadal wary of enigmatic Scud
Sunday Aug 27 12:21 AEST
Mark Philippoussis may have escaped the pre-US Open spotlight but he hasn't escaped the attention of his first-round opponent, Spanish sensation Rafael Nadal.
Philippoussis hasn't yet been sighted at Flushing Meadows as the bulk of the field for the year's final major have been hard at it getting set for Monday's start to the tournament.
Australian Davis Cup captain John Fitzgerald said he hadn't heard from the 1998 finalist, while others have reported Philippoussis to have been preparing in Florida.
It emerged though, that the Australian wildcard had been fine tuning his game at a charity doubles event at Long Island, just outside New York City.
And, despite the two-time grand slam runner-up having slipped to 113th in the rankings, Nadal is on guard ahead, mindful that Philippoussis has the power game to blow any rival on his day.
The world No.2 admitted he wasn't exactly thrilled to be opening against one of the most enigmatic figures in tennis.
"He's a big server, so it's going to be a tough match. The first round is not a comfortable rival," Nadal said.
"He's a good player. He was in the top 10. He's played very good matches, so we'll see.
"I know if he is playing his best, it's going to be very, very tough."
While the two-time French Open champion dispelled any lingering doubts that he was merely a claycourt specialist with his progression to this year's Wimbledon final, Nadal has to prove his credentials at the hardcourt majors.
Only once in five attempts - and never at Flushing Meadows - has Nadal made it past the third round at either the US Open or Australian Open, leaving Philippoussis with a glimmer of hope, even if most pundits have written off the 29-year-old Victorian as a spent force.
Nadal, though, is bent on rectifying his poor record in New York, which reads: 2nd rd, 2nd rd, 3rd rd.
"The US Open is one of my special goals of the year," he said.
"I was playing bad the last two years, so it's going to be important for me this tournament.
"I have worked a lot the last weeks to be ready for here. When I started the season, I always was thinking about this tournament.
"Last year I played my worst tournament of the year here and this year I want to change that. I want to play a good tournament and I need to be 100 per cent physically and mentally for sure."
If he fails to perform, Nadal said he would offer no excuses - regardless of the surface.
"I always say that the toughest thing is to play good," he said.
"If you are playing good, you have a chance on any surface. If you are playing bad, you are going to lose here, on clay, on ice, on the beach ... anywhere."
Nadal and Philippoussis won't clash until at least Tuesday (Wednesday AEST), with the men's and women's first-round matches at Flushing Meadows played over three days.
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27/Aug/06, 16:20
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flipfanatic
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Location: Australia
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Re: Nadal wary of enigmatic Scud
Hope Nadal is shaking in his boots 
Seriously.... Good to hear some news about Mark at last! Good to hear that Mark was extra some extra match practise in at a doubles charity event.
Perhaps Mark has been laying low this week working hard with Macca, much like he did prior to Wimbledon at Stoke Park.
GO MARK !!!!!!!!!! ++++++++++++++++++++
Val
Last edited by flipfanatic, 27/Aug/06, 16:51
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“It’s in my heart to give it one more go” - Mark
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27/Aug/06, 16:51
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