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By Chris Oddo/ Friday, January 24, 2014
The blister heard ’round the tennis world has taken on a
life of its own in Melbourne, but Rafael Nadal says it
won’t be a problem come Sunday.
Photo Source: AFP
The blistering hot Aussie summer heat of week one left
Rafael Nadal dealing with a giant blister on the palm of his
left hand, but the Spaniard says it shouldn’t impact his
bid for a 14th career Grand Slam title during Sunday’s final
against Stan Wawrinka.
Nadal Tames Surging Federer to
Reach Australian Open Final
Nadal, who had thick wrapping on his hand during his
quarterfinal match with Grigor Dimitrov (and
claimed that the blister and the tape made it extremely
difficult for him to serve), went with a smaller, circular
bandage on the hand during his semifinal against Roger
Federer on Friday.
It enabled Nadal some more freedom to move the hand, but the
downside is that it is difficult to keep the circular patch in
place for a whole match.
After Nadal’s 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-3 takedown of Federer, the
Spaniard deflected questions from Jim Courier
about the blister during an on-court post-match
interview, saying “Too much talk about the blister…
the blister is okay.”
Nadal’s blister – like a little red crater of pain:
pic.twitter.com/ZwX5EK0JZd— Juan José Vallejo (@juanjosetennis)
January 24, 2014
But in the pressroom he spoke more openly about the blister heard
’round the world:
Q. You took a timeout because of the blister.
You said the other day you were having trouble serving. Any
problems with that tonight at all?
RAFAEL NADAL: We maked the tape a
little bit smaller. That help me. Is true that making the
tape smaller, I assume a little bit more risk that the tape
can go. I don’t know how many times I can change the tape
during the match, because to change the tape I need the
trainer. I need to wait at the end of the set, or if is an
emergency that happen that the tape gone in that
point.So I need the trainer in that moment. If that happen again, I
don’t know how the rules are, but is a little bit more risky.
But the blister is good. Is not bad. Looks better every day.
We are doing the right things. Blister today is not a problem
any more for normal life. Is not painful.Problem is to play tennis. The only problem is the position
of the blister, the place. Because if is in another place, I
will no have problem because I don’t feel pain today. Problem
is to cover that blister in the position where that is.
With another day to heal, and another day
to work with his team on taping techniques, Nadal should be in
good shape for the final. He was able to finish off Federer in
2:24 on Friday, but if Wawrinka, who has never taken a set off
Nadal in their 12 previous meetings, should push Nadal into a
fourth or fifth set, the blister—or rather the efficacy of the
newer, sleeker tape job—could be put to the test.
Nadal is bidding for his 14th career
Grand Slam title, and would become the first player in Open Era
history to own multiple titles at all four Grand Slams if he
can defeat Wawrinka on Sunday.
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