THE FALL OF ROME BY CRAIG CIGNARELLI

Written by: on 15th May 2015
Madrid Mutua Open tennis tournament
THE FALL OF ROME BY CRAIG CIGNARELLI

epa04740324 Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal celebrates after defeating Czech Tomas Berdych in their Madrid Mutua Open tennis tournament's semi final match at Caja Magica tennis complex, in Madrid, Spain, 09 May 2015. EPA/JUANJO MARTIN  |

Wikipedia (def) “The most pressing feature of Rome’s decline was the Roman state’s progressive inability to enforce its rule, either through the armed forces or by administrative means. The reasons for the collapse were debated at the time; they are major subjects of the historiography of the ancient world and they inform much modern discourse on state failure.” Before the time of North or South America, before Australia existed as a country, before democracy and capitalism and a million other global ideas, Rome ruled the center of the world.

 

As I sit here in chilled night air of Foro Italico, staring at the now-empty stadium where the evening’s last match finished around midnight, the decline of the Roman Empire is not lost on me. No one could defeat them. No Empire covered more territory, had more firepower, or believed they ruled the dirt they walked upon. And then, Rome fell beneath its own greatness and to invading barbarians. So it went tonight for Rafael Nadal at the hands of Swiss star Stan Wawrinka.

 

Rafael Nadal of Spain in action against Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland during their quarter final match of the Italian Open tennis tournament at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy, 15 May 2015. EPA/ALESSANDRO DI MEO

Rafael appeared to be fighting an internal enemy tonight, his monstrous weapons missing their targets by inches, his backhand return just slightly off center, his mental state more in competition with himself than his opponent. Wawrinka played high level tennis, capitalizing on Rafa’s short crosscourt backhands with enough forehand down the line winners to fill two hands. Rafa fought tenaciously, digging out several passing shots to keep Wawrinka from dominating, however, Rafa is now ranked number 7 in the world, and is clearly not in top form.

 

So the question looms. Will Rafa be ready for the French Open next week? Perhaps history can give us an answer.

 

Rugians took over Italy after deposing the last emperor in 476. The Ostrogoths conquered the Rugians and set up their Italian kingdom in 493.The surviving Roman population lived as an underclass.

 

The Franks were the most successful, absorbing or conquering the Frisians, Alemanni, and Burgunds.

 

The Saxons conquered today’s modern England.

 

In 711, an invading Muslim army of Berbers and Arabs conquered the Visigothic kingdom in Spain.

 

In 535, the Byzantines conquered the Vandal kingdom in North Africa, as was the Ostrogoth kingdom of Italy in 553.

 

The eastern portion of the empire survived as the Byzantine empire until 1453, when the Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople,

 

The point is, history says the barbarians, like Wawrinka, will destroy Rafa’s French Open, that the invaders are now here to conquer and to destroy the great Spanish Empire. But then, Nadal has nine French Open titles and history tends to repeat itself.

Rafael Nadal of Spain in action against Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland during their quarter final match of the Italian Open tennis tournament at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy, 15 May 2015. EPA/ALESSANDRO DI MEO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rafael will likely not be seeded number one this year, but as Roger said in his press conference today, “The guy is 58-1 and has lost one match on that court in 10 years. He’s clearly the favorite going into the tournament.”

 

As for me, it’s 1:00 a.m. and I’m sitting in a dark stadium freezing my ass off, and wondering when tomorrow’s match schedule is going to go up.

Topics: , , ,








10sBalls Top Stories

In Case You Missed It

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA thumbnail

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA

Tennis Canada announced on Wednesday that Eugenie Bouchard is the winner of the 2018 Excellence Awards in the Female Player of the Year and Singles Player of the Year categories.
TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE thumbnail

TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE

Time to get tickets to watch! Surly you have heard about The Largest Open Tennis Event in America!
TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER thumbnail

TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER

According to Uncle Toni, Rafael Nadal was supposed to be back at practice on either Dec. 4 or 5. Well, better late than never!
Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife thumbnail

Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife

Española y checa ya trabajaron juntas durante el pasado Open de Estados Unidos
ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS thumbnail

ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS

Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia hits a forehand to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia during her second round match at the Nature Valley International tennis tournament in Eastbourne, Great Britain, on Tuesday, June 26, 2018.