"Nadalmania" Rules in Barca!!!

Thanks to Josefina we have on-the updates from the Open Seat Godo in Barcelona, as translated by Cin. Muchas gracias, ladies!

It is apparent things are very different with Barcelona, where Rafa is a huge here. Unlike MAC and SE's experience in Monte Carlo, getting close to Rafa is nearly impossible.

Monday/Tuesday

I am in Barcelona. Things at Godó are with too much sun, and security is so strict.
Oportunities to see Rafa are a few, that is the truth.

When they are on the practice courts, security men close the doors and only the media can access to them.

But we can know that Rafa is in the club, because I could see his car at the entry. It is a Kia, and says “Kia – Rafael Nadal”.

As you know, he will play tomorrow agains Feli, and I hope could tell you more.
When I bought the tickets I didn’t realize that they are not on the front of the players' chairs. They are for behind them, so I will be sit oppositte Rafa tomorrow.
I will take pictures but not so close to him.

Wednesday:

We continue on a sunny day in Barcelona and to find Rafa is still a impossible mission. Every day is more people following him. So, the anothe option is: To see tennis!

I started seeing Nieminen vs Kohlschreiber match on the court three. This court has one good thing, it has the sit beside the corridor, which players pass when they go from the house of the club to the practising courts. Too much noise here, because, as you can imagine, there will be too many people looking for a Rafa’s signature.

Ferrero vs Beto Martin… It is a crazy thing to sit behind a player that people wants to be close, because they analyze how he wears, during the match they dont respect the silence... “Ferrero your are a good boy, the best, please give me something frm you, give you towel, something...I want you signature..” All people want something.

Costa vs Hrbaty… Costa retires of professional tennis in this tournament.
He is kind, cute, pleasant with people, even during the match. The first day Costa had a hard match but yesterday he won easier than before and playing good tennis.

Next match on central court: Rafa Nadal vs Feliciano López, but I had to wait 40 minutes...

I went to see Robredo vs Potito Starace... second and definitive 6-0. Just finished before Rafa’s match started.

Rafa came to central court, people adored him. He sat on his chair. He has too bottles of water...ohh Surprise! The bottles have his name on. NADAL... some players have their own bottles, but it is the first time I see the name on them.

Central Court is a full. People I didn’t see on previous days, come to see Rafa Nadal. Even press box has people. Every day there are ten journalists but today is almost full...

The match starts and Rafa put quickly 2-0 up, but when he is serving por 3-0, Feli breaks. Next the games more or less are disputed until the 5-4 that Rafa is able to make break him to the Feli to gain the Set 6-4.

Second set: Feli committed more errors and everything was easier for Rafa.
The match ends 6-4 and 6-2. it lasted one hour and quarter.

Kids go to Rafa chair... All people want something of him... He signs autographs and send his muñequeras to the air, the towels and such.

Tve and Tve3 interview Rafa.

It is time to go, but Rafa decides to sign autographs to the other side on the court. An exemplary behavior by him, without a doubt...

The multitude disappears in the match of Verdasco versus Calleri... lost Calleri.

Tennis finishes for today, tomorrow will be another day... Rafa will play against Ivan Navarro Pastor...

Thursday

Cloudy day in Barcelona, it is perhaps badly an omen?

Godo without sun is not the same, so I decide to go later than yesterday to the club.

When I arrive I see one boys running, Rafa finishes arriving in one from seat of the organization, (the kia is in the same place), and I ask Rafa to sign my ticket, because I don’t have any thing else.

I go for a walk, and then I see David Ferrer training on court three...
Albert Costa goes out and walks to the practising court. I see suddenly that one camara of the TVE remains in that court... They begin to fall drops of rain, but I think for someone important must be coming to train. Ferrero goes out with Perlas and people of his team and then they go to the court beside.

At 12 noon, Rafa appears, and go training with Albert Costa, and then with his uncle Toni.

When the training was ending Carlos Costa appears and takes Rafa for the club and the children who were hoping for autographs did not get any.

After that I went to central court and I could see the ending of Almagro against Coria. When it finished I came back to hotel to have lunch and to change my clothes.
Sun is going out. Who were signing on the Sport Man stand?? Rafael Nadal, ejej.
There were a lot of people asking for a signature. Impossibe mission!!! But I could take some pictures.

One of the security guards was the same one that were in central court near my seat and he let to me pass so that it was able to make a photo that is not moved...
I hope the day goes on well.

And it did, with some strange twists.

Second part of the day. Albert Costa leaves profesional tennis in a match he lost to Ferrero. People do stop to applaud. He is a CRACK, yeah!

Rafa Nadal and Ivan Navarro arrives to the central court when Albert Costa leaves it. ATP members have arrived before to give Rafa a prize.

Unlike yesterday, today there was less public in central court. Maybe because people thought that Rafa will win fast or maybe because the sky was cloudy and it seems to rain sometime.

The first Set was very disputed, Rafa can’t win easy the points, but the surprise came in the second Set...

Nothing related to tennis. Suddenly, a girl with a mask in her face jumped to the central court and she was tied to the net. She took a poster with her that did not manage to unfold because the security guard wrinkled it.

Meanwhile Rafa waited next to the press box. Finally the people from maintenance arrived, they cut the her from the net and the security personnel took her.
The match finished with the result of 6-4 and 6-2, but I believe that all we continued thinking about the girl.

Tomorrow Rafa will play against Nieminen... not before 4.45...

¡¡¡ Vamos Rafa !!!

Stay tuned for more news from the front lines in Barca!!!

Josefina