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[benniebone]

  What a marvellous video Nalbandian, thankyou so much for sharing it with us

[scotnadian]

When was that, 2005? Things change.
Didn't realise he was still living in Spain at 18. When did he move to London then?

Thing sure do change, Luke.
The vid is cited by BBC as June 2005, which would have made him as just turned 18.
No idea when he moved to London, except that he bought the house in 2009.

[teejay1]

I don't understand why clay is Rafa's best surface because it causes less stress to his knees but for Andy clay causes more stress to his knee?

I've often wondered about that too. I imagine it might be because the problems they have are different.

It always makes me think because I suffer a bit with a touch of arthritis in my wrists. Some people find cold weather can make them worse. Cold weather can be a problem for me, but I can also have a problem if it gets very hot, especially if it is humid.

I suppose there is no one size fits all type of thing, if that makes sense.

[benniebone]

I think you are talking to me, Bennie? And you are welcome
Amazing how far he's come since those days.
What a trip it's been.

Forgive me for this error but again thankyou for the tape

[Aileen]

I'm sure Andy's knee is an issue for him on the clay, and has held him back. I know he has said that it is the surface he finds most difficult, for that reason.

Without making Andy sound like a wreck, I also wondered about his ankles in terms of sliding. Wouldn't sliding put a lot of strain on the ankles? - I know, stupid question, but because I don't walk it's not something I know about. I was just thinking that Andy has had ankle injuries in the past, and last year one of the comms said he only has one working ligament in the one ankle (not sure how many you're supposed to have) so I could imagine that he'd be a bit wary of sliding if it was likely to risk a serious injury.

There are three ligaments on the outside of the ankle and one inside the ankle joint itself, although that one is only likely to be affected if the ankle is severely fractured.

I heard the comm say that too but I've never come across any other reference to that fact, so I wonder where he got it from (and comms aren't always correct anyway).  Also, given what I said above, if that were true, then I very much doubt that Andy would be able to play tennis at all because the ankle would be very weak and would need a strong support - and the supports Andy has are light ones, so they're there as a preventative measure rather than an absolute necessity.

I don't understand why clay is Rafa's best surface because it causes less stress to his knees but for Andy clay causes more stress to his knee?

I think that, as TJ has already said, that the reason could be due to the fact that their problems are different.  Anyway rather than me trying to explain Andy's problem, this is a link to an excellent article which was published on the BBC website on 26 May 2010 in which leading sports physician Dr Andy Franklyn-Miller gives an insight into the condition in very clear layman's terms - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/8704999.stm

[teejay1]

There are three ligaments on the outside of the ankle and one inside the ankle joint itself, although that one is only likely to be affected if the ankle is severely fractured.

I heard the comm say that too but I've never come across any other reference to that fact, so I wonder where he got it from (and comms aren't always correct anyway).  Also, given what I said above, if that were true, then I very much doubt that Andy would be able to play tennis at all because the ankle would be very weak and would need a strong support - and the supports Andy has are light ones, so they're there as a preventative measure rather than an absolute necessity.

Thanks for that info Aileen. It's funny, my sister is a nurse, and I kept meaning to ask her the question, but it's tough to work 'how many ligaments are there in an ankle?' into the coversation lol.

I wondered about the truth of it to be honest, because I'd never heard it before either. I knew about Andy's knee, and I knew Andy had ankle injuries - in fact, wasn't an ankle injury the reason he cramped at Queen's in 2005? - but I'd never heard about the one working ligament until it was said in commentary, and as you said, they aren't always right. If it is true it's remarkable that Andy moves anywhere near as well as he does.

[Aileen]

Thanks for that info Aileen. It's funny, my sister is a nurse, and I kept meaning to ask her the question, but it's tough to work 'how many ligaments are there in an ankle?' into the coversation lol.

I see what you mean.   Maybe though you could bring Andy into a conversation, given that I assume your sister knows you're a tennis fan?

I wondered about the truth of it to be honest, because I'd never heard it before either. I knew about Andy's knee, and I knew Andy had ankle injuries - in fact, wasn't an ankle injury the reason he cramped at Queen's in 2005? - but I'd never heard about the one working ligament until it was said in commentary, and as you said, they aren't always right. If it is true it's remarkable that Andy moves anywhere near as well as he does.

I know I'm flailing in the dark a bit here, my only very limited knowledge of human anatomy being based on biology lessons at school and looking stuff like this up on the internet, but it seems logical to me that if only one out of four ankle ligaments are 'working' (rather an odd way of putting it anyway) then the ankle would be so unstable that even walking without a strong brace would be difficult, if not impossible - and I'm sitting here wiggling my own ankle around and trying to imagine this scenario.  I really do think that that commentator (and I can't remember who it was) got his information from wherever it was spectacularly wrong.

What happened at Queens, as I remember it, was that Andy was chasing down a ball but because his legs were cramping he went over on his ankle, although the injury wasn't bad enough to stop him playing later at Wimbledon.  I did read somewhere, probably in his autobiography, that he had suffered an ankle injury when he was younger, although I don't think details were given other than the fact that since then he'd always worn a support to protect it - and of course after what happened at RG in 2011 he's always worn a similar support on that ankle too.  The supports he wears are flexible and light but still firm enough to significantly reduce further injury.  In fact I've even discovered which ones he wears - Aircast A60 - thanks to a mention of him on a physio website! 

   

[ProdigyEng]

But wouldn't you think that sliding would put more stress on the knees?

I'm not sure. I think with Rafa the way he runs around the ball to hit shots most would hit on the backhand, with a forehand, is a LOT more stressful on his knees as it's a sudden stop once he's in position. On Clay I don't think sliding gives that much of a sudden stop and I can't picture how it would put stress on the knees, but not sure.