Nandita Sridhar

WELCOME RAFAEL: The World's second best tennis player, Spain's Rafael Nadal, obliges a fan with an autograph after his arrival for the Chennai Open beginning on New Year's Day. — Photo: K. Pichumani

Chennai: What Andy Roddick couldn't do with demonic serving, what Lleyton Hewitt failed to do with wheels for legs, and what Marat Safin couldn't manage with talent in abundance, Rafael Nadal did with a top-spinning forehand almost at chin-music height and a pair of legs running on fifth gear. We're not just talking about beating Roger Federer more number of times than losing to him at the World No.1's prime. We're talking about a repeated and successful assault on a perceived `weakness' of an opponent who leaves most clueless and with their minds clouded with too much awe to even contemplate methods of winning.

Fearless

Tennis needs such fearlessness, and his methods haven't gone unnoticed in Chennai, where the World No. 2 is possibly one of the most eagerly awaited top-seeds in the history of the event. Forget the booming ticket sales for a minute and watch little kids holding rackets bigger than themselves, talk about watching Nadal. His impact has been profound.

And he can thank that Federer-troubling forehand for that. A close look, albeit a less threatening one was on view on Friday evening when the top-seed practiced with fellow-Mallorcan Bartolome Salva Vidal (the duo was given a wildcard for the doubles draw). After some ping-pong tennis fun, he got more serious, with a light warm-up after being given the traditional welcome earlier in the day.

Moya's presence

While the two were hitting on Centre Court, another Spaniard — though one might not call him that in Chennai, a city he loves as much as the city loves him — practiced his once-deadly forehand in the outside court. Two-time champion Carlos Moya arrived on Friday, hitting the courts in the evening.

Earlier, touch-man, Fabrice Santoro treated those watching to a full-fledged display of tennis that once prompted Marat Safin to remark, ``being told I would play Santoro was being told I was to die." The `magician', with quick hands hit some easy-on-the-eye-tough-on-the-opponent's-patience shots, that one has come to expect of him. Just watching the two (Nadal and Santoro) practice, one after the other, gave a slight glimpse of the variety that could be in store, provided they last the distance.

Nadal mania

But the tournament right now, as the kids would vouch for, is mostly about Nadal. He showed us in 2006, what confidence could do. Some might have grudgingly admired his remarkable comeback from injury in early 2006.

http://www.hindu.com/2006/12/30/stories/2006123004832000.htm

Nadal to team with Vidal in Chennai Open doubles