Nadal looks to recover extra spark in 2012
Rafael Nadal says his game this year has been too predictable and he
has sometimes lacked drive on court - weaknesses he plans to overcome
for Wimbledon and the 2012 Olympics.
"With the years, you lose a bit of intensity. Intensity in your
self-belief, concentration, being positive, believing things will go
well - those are in the mind. With the years you lose that a bit," he
told the Spanish daily El Pais in an interview published Monday.
The 25-year-old world number two led Spain to a fifth Davis Cup title
in December and won the French Open this year.
Number one
But he lost in the Wimbledon and US Open finals to Novak Djokovic and
surrendered his number one spot to the Serb as a result.
"My mind was good in the first half of the year, not perfect because
I needed a bit more in the games against Djokovic. But it was fine," he
told the paper.
"I have started to work, fight again.. but clearly I lacked a bit in
my level of tennis. When you have it, your mind responds better. I have
needed to be less predictable playing. I have been too predictable many
times during the season," Nadal said.
Opponents
"Those are things that I have to recover for 2012." Nadal said he had
to play more inside the court to overwhelm his opponents and take
control instead of letting them dictate matches. "In 2011 there have
been moments where I have lacked an extra something," he said."
The Spaniard said he had a good 2011 overall but felt he was "bad"
towards the end of the year and "very bad" when he crashed out of the
season-ending ATP World Tour Finals to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
"It was not a complete disaster but I did not win because I was too
anxious," Nadal said. "I tell myself: 'If I do a bit more I will be
nearly back to winning anything again'. That is the motivation.
Recovering the extra will that makes you give a bit more of yourself,"
he added. AFP
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