It’s party time in Mallorca

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Rafael Nadal said he was going to spend time fishing and partying before setting his sights on the one Grand Slam title he has never won — the US Open.
The Spanish world number one said he was heading home to his Mediterranen island of Mallorca to have fun with his friends on the beach after winning his second Wimbledon title. The 24-year-old claimed his eighth Grand Slam crown when he beat Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 on Sunday.

The French Open champion is also due to have treatment on his troublesome knees - which prevented him from defending his 2008 Wimbledon trophy last year - to get him in shape to fight the US hard court season.
But for now, it’s party time for Nadal. “We’re going to think about US Open in one month. Right now we just relax and enjoy this amazing season,” the left-hander said.
“It was very difficult for me to be back at my best. I did, so it is very important and emotional moment for me. I want to enjoy that.
“I keep working to try to be in the US Open, finally ready to try to win. But for sure the US Open is going to be one of my goals for rest of my career. But right now it’s enjoy the beach, fishing, golf, friends, party, and Mallorca.”
Nadal is dubbed the “King of Clay” thanks to his five French Open titles and near-invinciblity on the slow surface. But having suffered only two defeats at Wimbledon since 2005 - and both of those in finals - it may not be long before he is considered tennis royalty on grass too. “If you really want to play well in one surface and you are a good player, I think in the end you are going to find a way,” Nadal said. “And for me, to play on grass always was my dream, and to play here for me was all my life a big goal for me. I think I have a very good thing to play here on grass - the movement. I move well on this court, and that’s very important part of the game.
“Sure, later my serve always was improving a little bit. It is important to play more aggressive than on the rest of the surfaces. The main thing is to really want to improve on every surface. On grass it is the main thing.”
Nadal reckons his success is down to sheer belief, relentless hard work and constant efforts to improve his game. And the Wimbledon champion reckons keeping it up will drive him towards bettering his two US Open semifinal appearances.
“The last seven months or six months of the 2009 season. I was ready to fight, but not to play like I am doing now.” — AFP

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Federer drops to No.3 in rankings
London, July 5: Roger Federer slipped down one place to world number three on Monday, the first time the Swiss great has been ranked outside the top two since November 2003.
Federer, winner of a record 16 Grand Slams, suffered a shock quarterfinal defeat to Czech Tomas Berdych at Wimbledon.
Federer also lost at the same stage of the French Open in June, breaking a record sequence of 23 consecutive semifinal or better appearances in Grand Slams going back to Roland Garros in 2004. Serbian Novak Djokovic, who reached the semifinals at Wimbledon, is now world number two. — Reuters