love...

THIS:

photo of rafael nadal at the 2010 italian open, by andrew medichini/AP via nytimes.com photo replay, may 2, 2010.

nadal defeated his countryman, david ferrer, after two rain delays, two sets, 7-5, 6-2.

THIS: maximum favorite writer reconsiders rafa (a "clay-court special-ist" after all)...

and THIS:

at the italian open, may 2, 2010. photo by pier paolo cito/AP via tennis.com