Putting Rafa on the Couch

I bet it feels really, really great whenever Rafa Nadal beats Jo-Dub Tsonga. Rafa loses a few matches here and there, sure, but there are a few that I think really mean something to him - losses to Nalbandian, losses to Soderling, and that Australian Open 2008 loss to Tsonga.

Not that Rafa has a personal problem with Tsonga or anything, but I think that loss really messed with his head, and no matter how many times he beats him, that loss hangs with him. It really was a beatdown, and I think it freaks Rafa out that Jo-Willy has the power to do that whenever he's on fire... and Rafa doesn't know when that will be.

Totally didn't mean to embark on a Rafa psychoanalysis there, but then I don't mean to write a lot of things and I do, so there you go. Rafa is someone who really likes control, I think - certainly, tennis-wise, he plays much better when he can impose his game and control play - and Jo-Willy is someone he can't control. He knows Jo has the power there to totally eat him for breakfast... and it weirds him out that he doesn't know when that is, or when it will be, or...

...yeah, well anyway. Rafa won. He beat Jo in straights. Nice work Rafa.

Other winners include Gael Monfils, who only ever seems to win in France. What's up with that? He beat Mighty Marin and is apparently still in the running, or recently was, or something, for London, which I don't quite understand. He made quarters in Roland Garros... but what else has he done this year?


Today's Results

Rafael Nadal def. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 7-5 7-5
Novak Djokovic def. Robin Soderling, 6-4 1-6 6-3
Gael Monfils def. Marin Cilic, 3-6 6-4 6-4
Radek Stepanek def. Juan Martin del Potro, 4-0 retired