{"id":4345,"date":"2017-08-31T13:04:04","date_gmt":"2017-08-31T17:04:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/?p=4345"},"modified":"2021-12-23T19:51:42","modified_gmt":"2021-12-24T00:51:42","slug":"rafael-nadals-hypocrite-good-points","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2017\/08\/31\/rafael-nadals-hypocrite-good-points\/","title":{"rendered":"Rafael Nadal’s Hypocritical Comments Raise Good Points"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the last few day,s Rafael Nadal won his opening match at this year\u2019s US Open<\/a> comfortably 7-6 6-2 6-2 against Serbian Dusan Lajovic and will play the 121st ranked player Taro Daniel in the second round today. Amongst all thi,s it hasn\u2019t stopped the Spaniard from reacting strangely to Andy Murray\u2019s withdrawal affecting the draw–especially considering he has done the exact same thing in a Slam before himself. He also has not commented on the scheduling, which has gone his way; yet in the past has when it hasn\u2019t he has made a fuss about it.<\/p>\n

The Draw<\/h2>\n

To start we\u2019ll look at the draw. When the draw was made, second-seeded player Andy Murray was the World #2 and therefore placed in the bottom half. Roger Federer, a winner of two Grand Slams this year, was therefore the third seed with a 50\/50 chance (on paper) of being in Nadal’s or Murray\u2019s half.<\/p>\n

After the draw was made, due to an ongoing hip injury, the 2012 champion pulled out, leaving the bottom half without a top three player. The Spaniard commented after his first round win, saying<\/a>, \u201cIt was a little bit strange that he retired just the morning after the draw was made. It is something that is a little bit strange and difficult to understand.\u201d Of course, he mainly said because now the two highest ranked players to start the event, and by far the best two players of the season, are in the same half of the draw.<\/p>\n

However, he\u2019s rather being a hypocrite, since he did the same thing and withdrew after the Wimbledon 2009 draw was made but before play begun–leading to Juan Martin Del Potro being moved in the draw and therefore getting 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt in the second round, who he lost to in straight sets. In this year\u2019s case, 2014 champion and fifth seed Marin Cilic was moved into Andy Murray\u2019s spot, with a few lower seeds also being moved around. With the sudden surprise loss of Alexander Zverev in the second round last night, we are left in a unique situation where there isn\u2019t a top six player left in the bottom half of the draw and only one top 14 player. Meanwhile, as it currently stands, the top half has two of the top three and five of the top 14.<\/p>\n

The issue here is that according to the rules the number one to four seeds are all equal. That is why both at Wimbledon 2009 and the US Open the fifth seed was moved. Although occurrences like this are rare, realistically only the first two seeds are equal while the third and fourth seeds are equal to each other (but not the top two); there is no reason they should all be grouped together. Therefore, instead of Marin Cilic being moved it should have been the third seed Roger Federer who took Andy Murray\u2019s place. It\u2019s a stupid rule that needs to be fixed.<\/p>\n

\n

Yes, Federer should take Murray's spot.
Cilic – Federer's.
Goffin – CIlic's.
Sock – Goffin's.
etc<\/p>\n

— Oleg S. (@AnnaK_4ever) August 26, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n