The Tennis Thread

[Atobe the king]

He actually always has some tight first rounds early in wimbledon...but this time he didn't get through it.

[Josef K.]

Murray has an open route to the final. Now knowing him he may not use it. -_-; I do not think it is sealed for Djokovic, I think Federer might shine once more, grass is his thing! Come on!

[Atobe the king]

Murray....Murray. No the british media will put even MORE pressure on him. There was an article on the ATP site about Nadal being in Murrays way at wimbledon in 08,2010,and 2011. When Nadal got knocked out the french it put more pressure on federer because it's like "holy crap everyone expects me to win". Murray probably feels that too.

[goldb]

So Andy Murray finally reaches a Wimbledon final and faces Federer who is in great form in this tournament. It's gonna be a really open match I believe and both players have a real chance at winning it.

[Atobe the king]

17 Baby~
Gutted for Murray but he has what it takes.

[goldb]

What a brilliant match. Murray totally had Federer pegged in that first set and was unlucky to not win the second set which was close too. As soon as they came back from the rain delay, there was only one player in it. Faultless 3rd and 4th set by Fed.

Murray I hope will take a lot from this, reaching his first Wimbledon final. He knows he can do it now and I hope he wins it because he deserves it. His speech at the end was pulling my heartstrings boy, so many feels.

All in all it was a lovely game where the important and most points were decided on fantastic shot-making by both players.

17 Grands Slams, back to world no.1; Olympics in 20 days. Could be a career defining summer for Federer.

[Josef K.]

So who is up to win the US open guys? It seems nothing is safe to say now, with Nadal not being there, as a huge lost to this sport :(, to Murray having a weird form after the Olympics, I am going for another Novak vs Federer here. Though Federer really is showing even greater class than ever, he is making history with everything he does form now on.

[goldb]

Gutted to not see Nadal play again for a while, his injuries are becoming more frequent and lasting longer iirc. Hopefully it's not career threatening. As for the US Open, I'm going for a Federer vs "your guess here" final; he's been on better form than pretty much most of the top ranks and is playing some amazing tennis like you said. Djokovic disappointed at the Olympics, so he may be wanting to prove something and come back with a bang, so we'll see.

What's up with Murray's form? I've not followed any of the tournaments in the last few weeks...

[Josef K.]

Well the AO has started? Why so little interest in tennis? :( So yeah, I feel the whole tennis community is suffering a major blow by Nadal not being that active, a great player has been lost, things would have been so much more interesting in every tournament that he did not play in.

They do say Djokovic is in his top form, I dunno, Federer does pretty nicely on the hard court so I expect him to grab this one right under Djokovic's nose. It's going to be tight, this year overall, considering that last year no one had consistent form. I do like and expect something like that this time around as well.

[goldb]

Quickly regarding Nadal; I've read here (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/21036474) that he's scheduled for his now long overdue comeback in next month's Brazil Open.

I can't believe I've been at home all this time and forgotten about the tennis; for shame. Looking at the men's results, first upset would be Mikhail Youzhny losing to an unseeded player but to be honest I think he's been gradually losing his form for the last few years...(not that it was ever at the top level).
It's definitely going to be a good year, and the winner of this slam will set the pace for the remainder of the season. With Murray winning the last slam and Olympics, its given him much needed confidence to know that he CAN do this, so hopefully he's still got that mindset going into this. I expect it to be very close between Federer and Djoko.

[FrostyMouse]

Right, so my picks for the AO title are Djokovic and Serena. I know that I'm not really going out on a limb there, but you can't pick Ferrer to be your AO Champion and expect to be right, no offense to Ferrer or anything. In terms of Serena, she's better than every other player out there when she comes to play, so yeah. Azarenka and Sharapova have been quite impressive so far in this AO, but those are the first few rounds against pitiful players. We'll see what Sharapova does when comes up against Venus in the blockbuster third round match.

[Josef K.]

What a match, will this be a boost to Djokovic? O_O

[goldb]

That sort of result can only be positive for him. He may be tired and not fully recover in time for his next match but he'll massive momentum now. Of selected results, only notable defeat is Ivanovic to Radawanska, and 5th seed Kerber to 19th seed Makarova but to be honest I dunno either of them :oh

[Hardy]

We'll see what Sharapova does when comes up against Venus in the blockbuster third round match.

6-1 6-3 :derp

[Josef K.]

That sort of result can only be positive for him. He may be tired and not fully recover in time for his next match but he'll massive momentum now. Of selected results, only notable defeat is Ivanovic to Radawanska, and 5th seed Kerber to 19th seed Makarova but to be honest I dunno either of them :oh

I was debating it with my friends, has Djokovic lost, it would appear that Federer was a clear win for this one, of course now Djokovic is on fire and this will bring more troubles for Federer.

The highlight of course is that maybe we can see Wawrinka reach new heights in his next tournaments and matches he may climb to the top 10, and cause some damage.

[goldb]

I was debating it with my friends, has Djokovic lost, it would appear that Federer was a clear win for this one, of course now Djokovic is on fire and this will bring more troubles for Federer.

The highlight of course is that maybe we can see Wawrinka reach new heights in his next tournaments and matches he may climb to the top 10, and cause some damage.

True. Also Federer didn't have it all easy in his way in his last match, though he won in straight sets. I'm also not ruling out Andy Murray at this stage. He is facing Giles Simon in the next round, but Simon had a near 5 hour match with Gael Monfils so he'll be tired; so hopefully Murray can capitalise on this and make short work of him.

That's what always worries me with players that perform like this and lose, some use it as a lesson to improve, others become dejected and lose their edge. I hope for him that it'll push him forward; for such a long time he's been under Federer's shadow in his nation's eyes, it'll be good for him to get out of it.

[FrostyMouse]

So, Serena aggravated her ankle injury in her doubles loss, and then against Sloane Stephens, Serena could barely move, although she won the first then. Then, she hurt her back and could barely serve or make shots and still nearly wins, but at the end, ESPN treated Sloane Stephens like she was a heroic winner. When Pam Shriver interviewed her after the match, Sloane Stephens acted as if she went out there and beat normal Serena, not hobbled Serena who couldn't serve and couldn't hit towards the corners.

I just want Azarenka to kill Sloane Stephens and then beat Sharapova.

[Hakuteiken]

Sloane Stephens was introduced back a year or a bit more ago as the new Serena Williams, I believe. It's not that really surprising for ESPN to give her more credit than perhaps she deserved. She is nowhere near that level, but still made a very impressive run to the semis so far.
I'm not writing her off, since the fans will probably be cheering for her against any other opponent since she's so young.

Nice to see a surprising name deep in the draw. Look at the men's lineup. Top seeds battling it out. If it's Sharapova vs Azarenka in the final in the women's draw as well, it'll be such a shame.

[Josef K.]

Damn, Ferrer vs Almagro and Federer vs Tsonga are really matches that could have gone either way. Nice to see Federer play a match where he was pushed to his limit at times, that means he can be ready for Murray and then probably Djokovic.

Well at least the women have one surprise indeed. :)

[goldb]

Gutted to see Serena fall, but after her doubles defeat yesterday I knew it'd be tough for her today. I think with her out, I'm rooting for Sharapova to win it all. For a very long time she had potential and seen as a rising star but she didn't really fullfill that, though lately she's come really close and only falling to Serena in major events.

Glad to see my main man Federer come through against Tsonga, who is not an easy player for Fed. This match would surely have taken a fair bit out of him, so we'll see how he recovers. On the other hand, Murray made some light work of his oponnent, so he's the fresher of the players making it to the next round.

[FrostyMouse]

My picks were Serena and Djokovic. Now that Serena's injury forced her out, I'm taking Azarenka and Djokovic.

---------- Post added at 11:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:38 PM ----------

Solid, solid win from Li Na there!

Mary-Joe goes, "Sloane Stephens has the game to beat Azarenka. It's whether she's mentally strong enough to get it done." Oh, come on, ESPN! You never act this way about Serena and now you're fawning all over Sloane? I'm disgusted.

Kill her, Azarenka, kill her!

---------- Post added January 24, 2013 at 01:40 AM ---------- Previous post was January 23, 2013 at 11:30 PM ----------

Azarenka won and after some gamesmanship in the second set up 5-4, she broke Sloane to win. Now, ESPN's decrying her for taking a timeout to calm down and relax. This is just crap.

[Hakuteiken]

Why do they need to praise Serena's game? Every time she faces another so called top opponent, she destroys them :toc
Surprised to see in-form Sharapova getting crushed, hm..

[FrostyMouse]

Why do they need to praise Serena's game? Every time she faces another so called top opponent, she destroys them :toc
Surprised to see in-form Sharapova getting crushed, hm..

It's that we always hear more about others than Serena, even though Serena is acknowledged to be the best player. Serena was disrespected by the media as a whole after her injury-plagued loss to Sloane.

Yeah, I had expected Sharapova to win like 6-2 6-3 and then lose in three tough sets to Azarenka in the Final.

[Hakuteiken]

It's that we always hear more about others than Serena, even though Serena is acknowledged to be the best player. Serena was disrespected by the media as a whole after her injury-plagued loss to Sloane.

Yeah, I had expected Sharapova to win like 6-2 6-3 and then lose in three tough sets to Azarenka in the Final.

Tennis media is on hunt for a new face. Williams sisters have been around for like 13 years from now, and no replacement arrived. Sharapova had the media support, but her tennis isn't at that level, Wozniacki was one of the worst #1 in recent times, the Serbs (Ivanovic & Jankovic) didn't become a new great duo (Henin & Clijsters) and hopes are on Azarenka or some other to dominate.
I bet the only reason they made such a fuss over that loss is the apparent lack of excitement factor. The organization needs more heroes for the public eye, and who is more suitable than a teenager? Like Oudin back a couple of years ago in US Open.

I have no idea why they brought down the aura of success from Sloane to keep the attention on Serena, though.

[FrostyMouse]

That is true, at least to some extent. Kvitova won one major, but then fell off the face of the map (she's still in the top 10 or 15 though). Safina probably produced the single worst performance we'll ever see in a Grand Slam Final and now she no longer plays tennis.

I thought that they acted as if Sloane's victory was over a 100% Serena and the injuries didn't matter. The way that some of the commentators waxed on about how Sloane was awesome was really distasteful. I would've had no problem if they talked about how Serena was suffering and her inability to move and serve really gave Sloane a chance, but they didn't word it like that.

[goldb]

Gosh, Djokovic absolutely crushed David Ferrer in straight sets to reach the final for the 3rd year running. Murray and Federer tomorrow is the semis to watch; I don't think the former has been tested much or at all over the course of this tournament, so playing Federer is his first and biggest test.

Li Na demolished Sharapova, I'm so disappointed, she was outplayed and Li was just all over her and very ruthless in her game. I hope she regroups and takes the positives of her tournament to the next one and not sulk around.

Azarenka doesn't look too good going into the final, Frosty. I'm tempted to go with Li for the win. The former had difficulties breathing in her semis, I hear? as well as other things too.

[FrostyMouse]

Gosh, Djokovic absolutely crushed David Ferrer in straight sets to reach the final for the 3rd year running. Murray and Federer tomorrow is the semis to watch; I don't think the former has been tested much or at all over the course of this tournament, so playing Federer is his first and biggest test.

Li Na demolished Sharapova, I'm so disappointed, she was outplayed and Li was just all over her and very ruthless in her game. I hope she regroups and takes the positives of her tournament to the next one and not sulk around.

Azarenka doesn't look too good going into the final, Frosty. I'm tempted to go with Li for the win. The former had difficulties breathing in her semis, I hear? as well as other things too.

Yeah, I watched it and it was a killing. I'll be curious to see who comes through the other SF. As you pointed out, Murray hasn't had to struggle much, whereas Federer was pushed against Tsonga.

I don't like Sharapova anyway, so I was happy. Li Na looks to be the favorite going into the final. Azarenka had an on-court panic attack and couldn't breathe.

[goldb]

For the second semis, who are you going with?

[FaustXIII]

Awesome Djokovic is Awesome

I want him and Federer to face in the Finals!

[goldb]

So Murray advances to the final. The match going to 5 sets makes it look a lot tighter than it actually was. If you look at the results results for each sets, Federer was stubborn in taking the sets in tie breaks, which looked like it was the only way he could win those. And to be honest, Murray was slacking in moments in those sets, so let those go. Very good performance from Murray and I fancy his chances against Djoko, but he'll have to be more ruthless.

[Atobe the king]

Huh. You're not giving any credit to Federer lol. There's another player involved there, you're treating him like some top 50 player. Extending the match to 5 sets is "stubborn" :V ? let those go? Haha. Old man Fed reached the semis, that's about as much as i can ask of him. 2 more hours on court than Murray and had a taxing opponent the round before while Murray had not been tested the entire tournament. Anyway, as good as Roger is he really shouldn't be beating these players, this the Murrayvic Era. He's had many chances to shine on Laver arena. That said, i like Djokovic to take it. Aside from the Wawrinka match he's annihilated everyone, AO is /his/ slam as far as I'm concerned. Not to mention an extra day of rest.

Just realize Murray has made 3 Slam finals in a row. He's finally realizing his potential.

[FrostyMouse]

I expected a five set win for Murray, honestly.

Um, I think Djokovic takes it in five, but you never know. My estimation of Murray went way up last season after winning the Olympic Final (virtually the Wimbledon final, athough not exactly) and beating Djokovic in the US Open Final.

[goldb]

Huh. You're not giving any credit to Federer lol. There's another player involved there, you're treating him like some top 50 player. Extending the match to 5 sets is "stubborn" :V ? let those go? Haha. Old man Fed reached the semis, that's about as much as i can ask of him. 2 more hours on court than Murray and had a taxing opponent the round before while Murray had not been tested the entire tournament. Anyway, as good as Roger is he really shouldn't be beating these players, this the Murrayvic Era. He's had many chances to shine on Laver arena. That said, i like Djokovic to take it. Aside from the Wawrinka match he's annihilated everyone, AO is /his/ slam as far as I'm concerned. Not to mention an extra day of rest.

Just realize Murray has made 3 Slam finals in a row. He's finally realizing his potential.

:XD Yeah. he was at a disadvantage like you said after his 5 set round with Tsonga and considering his age also, it was a feat and testament to his ability to get this far and go the distance. But what I meant in the end is that I was never in doubt about the result of the match as I was watching it.

[Atobe the king]

I expected a five set win for Murray, honestly.

Um, I think Djokovic takes it in five, but you never know. My estimation of Murray went way up last season after winning the Olympic Final (virtually the Wimbledon final, athough not exactly) and beating Djokovic in the US Open Final.

Olympics was strange, since its a bunch of 3 setters then a 5 setter. Federer was emotionally/physically drained from that Delpo epic. Murray was superb, likely would have won either way. Murray winning the USO was no surprise, he'd been making great strides since he teamed up with Lendl (in majors, his normal tournament performance was subpar last year...not a single masters i think? he's generally good for 2 or 3). Aside from the wawrinka match...Djokovics matches were eerie. He hits winners at will It's almost creepy.


:XD Yeah. he was at a disadvantage like you said after his 5 set round with Tsonga and considering his age also, it was a feat and testament to his ability to get this far and go the distance. But what I meant in the end is that I was never in doubt about the result of the match as I was watching it.

Oh i knew he'd lose lol. I just want this quarterfinal streak to go on for a while. I feel that wimbledon was the last hurrah but come on...taking back the ranking? winning wimbledon? 6 titles including 2 masters? Excellent year for a past his prime 31 year old haha. But Murray is on a mission, with new belief now that he's got the slam monkey off his back...he's taking wimbledon this year imo.

Oh right...Rafa coming back next month, I'm not fond of him but I've truly missed his presence.

[FrostyMouse]

Olympics was strange, since its a bunch of 3 setters then a 5 setter. Federer was emotionally/physically drained from that Delpo epic. Murray was superb, likely would have won either way. Murray winning the USO was no surprise, he'd been making great strides since he teamed up with Lendl (in majors, his normal tournament performance was subpar last year...not a single masters i think? he's generally good for 2 or 3). Aside from the wawrinka match...Djokovics matches were eerie. He hits winners at will It's almost creepy.

I can agree with the points you made there.

Djokovic only had to play less than 90 minutes against Ferrer, whereas Murray had to go five sets against Federer, so I give the advantage to Djokovic in this final.


Oh i knew he'd lose lol. I just want this quarterfinal streak to go on for a while. I feel that wimbledon was the last hurrah but come on...taking back the ranking? winning wimbledon? 6 titles including 2 masters? Excellent year for a past his prime 31 year old haha. But Murray is on a mission, with new belief now that he's got the slam monkey off his back...he's taking wimbledon this year imo.

Oh right...Rafa coming back next month, I'm not fond of him but I've truly missed his presence.

I don't know. Perhaps. Wimbledon could go either way. What's your pick for the Australian Open, Murray?

Having Rafa in the SFs would've been a lot better than Ferrer. A lot more competition that way.

[Atobe the king]

Ferrer is like...amazing. He beats everyone. Except the top 4..poor guy :(. Watching the replays....Murrays serving has gotten much getter and he was thumping winners in the fifth set. But Djoker is so good it's eerie. The US open conditions were windy and awkward, the sets Djokovic won were pretty lopsided iirc? He's also beaten Murray the last few times. I feel like AO is to Djoker as Wimbledon was to Fed. As for wimbledon itself. It's Murrays most successful slam iirc. 08 Quarters, 09,10,11 semis, 12 finals. He's a great grass court player who came up a bit short.

[FrostyMouse]

Yeah, Atobe, while Murray has improved, I think that the AO is Djoker's domain. In the SFs last year, however, Murray took Djokovic to a five hour fifth set and then Djokovic beat Nadal in six hours in the Final.

[Hakuteiken]

Djoko is the superior player, but it doesn't matter that much in the big picture. He wouldn't want to deal with Murray's stamina card as the game progressed, so, he should try to end it before it goes to another five-setter.

[goldb]

This final has been gruesome, Djokovic is slowly getting the better of this match but bloody hell! He's an amazing getter and defensive player. Murray really has missed some chances to have taken the first 2 sets. 4th set currently...

[FrostyMouse]

Djokovic wins his third consecutive Australian Open title.

[goldb]

Congrats to Djokovic, I think the best player won( extra day off helped but I don't think it was THE deciding factor). Murray looked really good in that first set and second set too; had he taken the chances to break that he had in that opening point, things could've gone differently. I felt that during the 3rd set, he was increasingly showing signs of fatigue or at least a noticeable drop in levels, and Djokovic pounced on that.

[Hakuteiken]

In the end, Djokovic was too good for Murray, at least in Australian Open. He definitely has developed a particular love for this tournament, after all.

---------- Post added at 06:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:33 AM ----------

On another note, this was Andy Murray's third runner up finish in AO, not to mention his overall 1-5 GS finals record. He has been pushed into the role of loser by the dominating forces of the game.

[FrostyMouse]

In the end, Djokovic was too good for Murray, at least in Australian Open. He definitely has developed a particular love for this tournament, after all.

---------- Post added at 06:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:33 AM ----------

On another note, this was Andy Murray's third runner up finish in AO, not to mention his overall 1-5 GS finals record. He has been pushed into the role of loser by the dominating forces of the game.

Yeah, he has, although he did get a win over the Djoker in the US Open and a win over Fed in the Olympic Final (although that was only three sets through the SFs, so not exactly the same).

[Atobe the king]

Just like i said, Djoko has this. This is his backyard he plays too well here.

[Josef K.]

So going by this we can expect a repeat of last years. :p Everyone wins one slam. :D

Seriously though, you could see it in Djokovic's eyes he really wanted this, and he was determined to get it. Murray is more about proving that he can be a really top player, h is good, I do expect him to win a slam this year as well.

[Atobe the king]

I like Murray but....he benefited a lot from Nadal not being there :(. If Nadal made it through Wimbledon he would have beaten Murray..he beat Murray 08,10,11 iirc We'll see what happens based on Rafas level. He's set to play Sao Paolo in a few weeks!

[goldb]

Besides Sao Paolo where Nadal is expected to return, there aren't many other notable events in February. We have the Davis Cup first round happening from 4th Feb and I think a couple of ATP 500 events. We do though, get 2 almost simultaneous Masters right at the start of March.

Adding a poll to discuss how many Grand Slams we think Djokovic will get this year.

[Josef K.]

It might just be me, but I just can not see Djokovic winning the French title, for me it somehow always was the hardest, but maybe just because Nadal has been ruling there for a long, long time. He is coming back, I hope for a more interesting second slam.

[FaustXIII]

2 grandslams for djokovic this year I think, I answered the poll

[Atobe the king]

It might just be me, but I just can not see Djokovic winning the French title, for me it somehow always was the hardest, but maybe just because Nadal has been ruling there for a long, long time. He is coming back, I hope for a more interesting second slam.

After the first rain delay iirc, in the 3rd set. He took 6 straight games after being down 0-2, then took 2-0 in the 4th....he had all the momentum before they stopped for the day tbh :/

[goldb]

It might just be me, but I just can not see Djokovic winning the French title, for me it somehow always was the hardest, but maybe just because Nadal has been ruling there for a long, long time. He is coming back, I hope for a more interesting second slam.

Not only do I not see Djoko winning the French but neither do I see Nadal holding it. I dunno, I think it may go to Federer. Though bringing this back to Djokovic, it would be a huge personal victory for him to at the French; he knows he's got the game to win anywhere else and he's been very close to getting it at the French so that will be fun to see. And as things have it, it is the next Slam on the calender :derp. The other slam I see him taking is either Wimbledon or US Open; I say either because I believe Murray will take one or the other, leaning more towards Wimbledon as he was ever so close last year.

[FrostyMouse]

I think that Nadal won't be in tip-top shape by the time that the French comes around, so I see Djokovic winning the French and either Wimbledon or the US Open, so I'm going for three Grand Slams for Djokovic this year.

[Atobe the king]

Idk man. Nadal has his muga no kyouchi ready
http://cdn-sports.ladmedia.fr/images/media/tennis/atp/articles/atp-nadal-de-retour-a-vina-del-mar/nadal-retour/4681545-1-fre-FR/nadal-retour.jpg

[FrostyMouse]

Nadal beating low level players on a clay court doesn't prove too much to me. We'll see how he is when it comes time for Indian Wells and Miami.

[goldb]

I'm more happy that his knee seem to be holding and he's getting some good workout. Like you said, he won't be facing any real test until the Masters next month. It'll be interesting to see how he fairs not only against the top 3 but against those also in the top 10; they'll be sure to give him a good run for his money.

[Atobe the king]

He's skipping Miami, as is Federer iirc. It's not very fair to call them low level players...anyone in the top 200 is a high level player :/ there's like over a 1,000 in the ATP iirc? maybe more. They're not TOP players but they're not low level. It's about getting matches under his belt and building confidence. If he can come back and just win a title he'll build a good amount of confidence and that's the most important factor. He's in no shape to beat the other members of the Big 4 though.

[FrostyMouse]

Atobe, if you can wipe them away like 6-2 6-1 or something, they're not really much of a challenge. Yes, they're still top 200 players, but when the top players are so much better than them, it's not that much of a test.

Skipping Miami isn't the way to earn points.

[Atobe the king]

Lol, they don't really care about points. He's been number 1 before, it's about longevity. Federer lightened his schedule and Nadal has complained for YEARS that he thinks the tennis year is too long.

[FrostyMouse]

Ah, but the difference is that as No. 4, Rafa has to face Djokovic in the SFs of tournaments, instead of getting to take on Murray or Fed, two players who he has the advantage against. Rafa's won one match out of eight or nine against Djokovic; admittedly, that match was the French Open Final in 2012, but so what?

---------- Post added February 11, 2013 at 01:11 AM ---------- Previous post was February 09, 2013 at 09:20 PM ----------

So, Atobe, now that Nadal lost on RED CLAY to the world No. 73, a player who hadn't advanced past the second round of any Tour-level events in 2012, in the Vina del Mar Final, what are your thoughts? :derp

[Atobe the king]

First off...I'm not a Nadal fan, I'm a Federer fan. I'm only rooting for Nadal to make a come back because a big 3 is really unbalanced....idk what's with the tone in your post but it doesn't seem very friendly as if you think Idk what I'm talking about I didn't just get into this sport. Nadal leads the H2H VS Djokovic like...19-14 :V, he beat him at Monte Carlo Masters and Rome Masters and THEN the french open that was 3 in a row so i have no idea what you're talking about. http://www.atpworldtour.com/Players/Head-To-Head.aspx?pId=N409&oId=D643

As for the match...*shrug* he got tight many times in the 3rd set. And Zeballos went for his shots and played out of his mind. The opponent he played in the Semis (Chardy) has a much more impressive resume than Zeballos and just made the quarters of the AO and Nadal pretty much dismantled him (as he did to Zeballos a few years ago).

[FrostyMouse]

First off...I'm not a Nadal fan, I'm a Federer fan. I'm only rooting for Nadal to make a come back because a big 3 is really unbalanced....idk what's with the tone in your post but it doesn't seem very friendly as if you think Idk what I'm talking about I didn't just get into this sport. Nadal leads the H2H VS Djokovic like...19-14 :V, he beat him at Monte Carlo Masters and Rome Masters and THEN the french open that was 3 in a row so i have no idea what you're talking about. http://www.atpworldtour.com/Players/Head-To-Head.aspx?pId=N409&oId=D643

As for the match...*shrug* he got tight many times in the 3rd set. And Zeballos went for his shots and played out of his mind. The opponent he played in the Semis (Chardy) has a much more impressive resume than Zeballos and just made the quarters of the AO and Nadal pretty much dismantled him (as he did to Zeballos a few years ago).

I didn't say that you were a Nadal fan. I was just pointing out that Nadal losing on clay, even with injuries, just doesn't happen to players not named Djokovic, Soderling, or Federer. I never once implied that you only just got into the sport either...I'm not really sure how you came to that conclusion. I want Nadal back because it'll make Majors more competitive because Djokovic crushing Ferrer into a pulp wasn't really a good SF.

There was nothing unfriendly in my post, I was joking around the whole time as evidenced by the :derp smilie. Yeah, I know Nadal leads Djokovic 19-14 all time, but recently, Djokovic has had the better of the matches, winning seven in a row at one point, although Djokovic lost three matches in a row in the early part of 2012 when he seemed a bit down. I thought Djokovic had won one of those three clay matches in 2012, so it was like 8 wins in 10 matches, but instead it's 7-3 lately.

The thing is that, injuries or not, Nadal does not get tight on clay against lesser opponents. I know that Nadal beat Chardy, but the fact that he couldn't beat Zeballos is the issue here. If you want to compete for a title, even if you're not in full match fitness, you can't be losing on your best surface to an unfavored opponent.

I'm arguing that the massive amount of stress that Nadal's put on his knees over the years has really started to impact him and I'm not sure if he'll really be able to make it back into Major-winning form. He can easily be a top 10 player even if he's not at the very top of his game, but I somehow feel that this many knee injuries is going to be extremely difficult to return from. If Nadal can't push himself to the limit, he can't win a Major.

[Atobe the king]

I didn't say that you were a Nadal fan. I was just pointing out that Nadal losing on clay, even with injuries, just doesn't happen to players not named Djokovic, Soderling, or Federer. I never once implied that you only just got into the sport either...I'm not really sure how you came to that conclusion. I want Nadal back because it'll make Majors more competitive because Djokovic crushing Ferrer into a pulp wasn't really a good SF.

He lost to past his prime Juan carlos ferrero in 08 due to blisters :(. I wouldn't put Soderling up there either, I don't think he would have consistently been able to challenge him.


There was nothing unfriendly in my post, I was joking around the whole time as evidenced by the :derp smilie. Yeah, I know Nadal leads Djokovic 19-14 all time, but recently, Djokovic has had the better of the matches, winning seven in a row at one point, although Djokovic lost three matches in a row in the early part of 2012 when he seemed a bit down. I thought Djokovic had won one of those three clay matches in 2012, so it was like 8 wins in 10 matches, but instead it's 7-3 lately.


That smiley looks like a trollface so i misconstrued what you're intentions were, sorry for the misunderstanding. 2011 Djokovic wasn't even real, rafa never did the things to Federer that Djoker did to him...it was unreal.



The thing is that, injuries or not, Nadal does not get tight on clay against lesser opponents. I know that Nadal beat Chardy, but the fact that he couldn't beat Zeballos is the issue here. If you want to compete for a title, even if you're not in full match fitness, you can't be losing on your best surface to an unfavored opponent.

Ehh..i think you're looking into it a bit too much, it was his first tournament back. If he loses Sao Paulo as well then the road to recovery is looking like it'll be longer and longer. Pressure got to him...if he wins it signifies that he is back and ready to play..he loses and it looks really bad (as it does now). Zeballos had nothing to lose so he played like a madman. That break nadal gave right back was downright baffling.


I'm arguing that the massive amount of stress that Nadal's put on his knees over the years has really started to impact him and I'm not sure if he'll really be able to make it back into Major-winning form. He can easily be a top 10 player even if he's not at the very top of his game, but I somehow feel that this many knee injuries is going to be extremely difficult to return from. If Nadal can't push himself to the limit, he can't win a Major.

I think he'll be fine. Don't picture him competing for anything but the french though.

[FrostyMouse]

He lost to past his prime Juan carlos ferrero in 08 due to blisters :(. I wouldn't put Soderling up there either, I don't think he would have consistently been able to challenge him.

Blisters are always hard to deal with, but I questioned that loss to JCF, honestly. Soderling beat Nadal when Nadal was injured, but was crushed by Federer in the Final due to nerves. The next year, Soderling beat down Federer, but a healthy Nadal crushed Soderling. If Soderling had been able to remain healthy, I think that he could've proved to be a thorn in Nadal's side if his game had developed more.


That smiley looks like a trollface so i misconstrued what you're intentions were, sorry for the misunderstanding. 2011 Djokovic wasn't even real, rafa never did the things to Federer that Djoker did to him...it was unreal.

Ah, okay.

Well, there's no denying that 2011 Djokovic was an all time great season.


Ehh..i think you're looking into it a bit too much, it was his first tournament back. If he loses Sao Paulo as well then the road to recovery is looking like it'll be longer and longer. Pressure got to him...if he wins it signifies that he is back and ready to play..he loses and it looks really bad (as it does now). Zeballos had nothing to lose so he played like a madman. That break nadal gave right back was downright baffling.

Perhaps I am reading too much into the loss. I think that the reason that I'm weighting the loss more heavily is that it was on clay. If the loss was on a hard court, I wouldn't have a problem accepting it. Somehow, I expect Nadal to not win Sao Paulo after this result.

I know that Zeballos played well, but Nadal doesn't give breaks back like that.


I think he'll be fine. Don't picture him competing for anything but the french though.

Well, Sao Paulo will give us an indication of whether or not Nadal has it at all right now.

I don't see Nadal realistically competing for the French this year. Perhaps next year, but not this year. I picked Djokovic to win the French, completing the career Grand Slam, and one of the other two Majors, for a total of three this year.

[Atobe the king]

Nole has a great chance at the french. Clay is easily rogers worst surface these days imo. I think he doesn't really "care" about RG anymore. Its still early! Nadal has some time but Nole is probably feeling fearless after handily (aside from Wawrinka he had pretty much no trouble...it was like feds 2010 AO except we knew he'd pull through against Davydenko) winning another AO. Things will be interesting!

[FrostyMouse]

The problem for Nadal is that he just lost on clay. ;)

Unless Nadal's 100% healthy, he's not beating Djokovic.

[Hakuteiken]

The problem for Nadal is that he just lost on clay. ;)

Unless Nadal's 100% healthy, he's not beating Djokovic.

It was actually a bit odd to see him losing on clay to such an opponent. If his opponent has been a newcomer, I could understand, but that person is nearly a veteran by tennis career standards, so, alarming for Nadal's condition, I'd say.

[Atobe the king]

Zeballos went to Sao Paulo and lost 7-6,0-6,0-3 (retired). Nadal/Nalbandian scheduled to play Zeballos and another player in doubles but given that Zeballos retired from singles I don't see that happening lol.

[FrostyMouse]

Given that he appears to have injured himself, I didn't check, but it appears to be the case, who knows then. We'll see how Nadal does in the singles.

[Atobe the king]

I'm focusing on Rotterdam this week tbh haha, but yeah

[FrostyMouse]

Nadal withdrew from the doubles to, as the BBC put it, "rest his sore left knee ahead of his opening singles match today."

[Atobe the king]

Smart move on his part since i think he's playing the whole golden swing.

---------- Post added at 03:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:39 AM ----------

Wow Federer plays some horrible tennis in rotterdam :(

[FrostyMouse]

Atobe, I don't search for streams online of insignificant tournaments, honestly, so, I don't know.

[Atobe the king]

Huh? Rotterdam is a 500 event. And i haven't watched tennis streamed in years i watched the match on tv. I watch all tennis available to me not just slams or masters.

[FrostyMouse]

So? You want me to watch an event with only one top level player in it? Not going to happen. I want to see a titanic final and that's not going to happen with Federer vs no one.

[Atobe the king]

I see, difference of opinion then i suppose. I just want a place to discuss tennis lol If you've been to a dedicated tennis forum they're pretty terrible.

[goldb]

Serena Williams won Qatar Open to reclaim no.1 spot. Awesome. I hope she can keep it for a while and stay away from injuries.

[Atobe the king]

Yeah that's pretty cool. Staying injury free in her case is so hard...not getting any younger. Had 2 huge scares in the AO

[Hakuteiken]

Serena Williams won Qatar Open to reclaim no.1 spot. Awesome. I hope she can keep it for a while and stay away from injuries.

And interestingly, she became the oldest woman to do so.
I was surprised to see the great Steffi Graf not holding that record, but it only lasted until I remembered she retired relatively young, around 30 or so.

[goldb]

Though not a Masters, has anyone been following the Dubai championship? It's quite far gone now. Djoko defeated (http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/tennis-djokovic-overcomes-stubborn-del-potro-dubai-155504096.html)Del Potro in one of the semis and could potentially face Federer in the final, if Fed beats Berdych( currently 1 set all).

[Atobe the king]

Maaaan Federer screwed up. On the other hand..my god Nadal. Demolished Ferrer, it's like he wanted to make sure Ferrer knew who the REAL spanish number 1 is.

[FrostyMouse]

Maaaan Federer screwed up. On the other hand..my god Nadal. Demolished Ferrer, it's like he wanted to make sure Ferrer knew who the REAL spanish number 1 is.

Nadal massacring Ferrer is a very good sign.

Djokovic beat Berdych pretty convincingly, even if 7-5 6-3 isn't a blowout.

[Atobe the king]

Djoker owns Berdych pretty much...he routines him these days like Fed did before 2010 :(. I think Berdych has one win over him maybe. Nadal will be at Indian Wells so things should be interesting.

[FrostyMouse]

Yeah, Djoker doesn't really lose to Berdych, although Berdych gave Djoker his toughest match in the AO in a way.

[Atobe the king]

Naaah that had to be Wawrinka lol..12-10 in the 5th i think?

[FrostyMouse]

Naaah that had to be Wawrinka lol..12-10 in the 5th i think?

Oh, right. I'd forgotten about the Wawrinka match and I actually watched the entire match live. :(

[goldb]

Almost forgot that BNP Paribas Open(Indian Wells Masters) started this week( 06/03 - 17/03), with all the top 4 participating. Looking forward to seeing Nadal in action, particularly. Roger Federer is the defending champion but Djokovic is on the back of his win at Dubai over Berdych and is most favourite to triumph. How do we see this panning out?

We also have the women's going on here; Azarenka is defending her title.

[FrostyMouse]

I'm going to say Djokovic wins Indian Wells.

In terms of the women's, I don't know. Serena does win if she's fully healthy, but that's not always the case.

[goldb]

Yeah similar to how Fed was when he reigned, I increasingly find it hard to bet against Djoko in many tournaments. Biggest casualty of the players so far is Baghdatis losing in the first round.

[Atobe the king]

Serena and Venus don't go to Indian Wells they've been boycotting for a while now over a racism incident iirc. Federer has a shot, playing well. But my money is on Djoker. I'm paying more attention to Ernests Gulbis, who seems to be taking tennis seriously again. I'd say biggest Casualty is Tipsaravic losing 6-2,6-0 to Ernests gulbis considering he's number 9 in the world haha.

[goldb]

Gulbis was a player I was looking at a few years ago, when he advanced to latter stages of tournaments and put up good performances against top seeds. He had a lot of potential, then he dipped....I don't recall why or if it was injury related.

Oh the William sisters boycott; wow that was so long ago that I'd forgotten about it. I found an outdated article here (http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/columns/story?columnist=drucker_joel&id=3952939)if you anyone wants to read.

[FrostyMouse]

Yeah, I recall that, Bob, but I had thought that Serena had played Indian Wells last season and they'd finally gotten past that, but I guess not.

[Atobe the king]

Gulbis was a player I was looking at a few years ago, when he advanced to latter stages of tournaments and put up good performances against top seeds. He had a lot of potential, then he dipped....I don't recall why or if it was injury related.

Oh the William sisters boycott; wow that was so long ago that I'd forgotten about it. I found an outdated article here (http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/columns/story?columnist=drucker_joel&id=3952939)if you anyone wants to read.


I think Gulbis has a win over Djoker, Federer,Berdych,Tipsaravic and was the only one to take a set off Nadal on clay in the 2010 season. It wasn't injury, he lost focus unlike most players this isn't his financial ticket his family is extremely wealthy. He also got into some trouble with a prostitution scandal. Seems his party days are behind him though top 15 talent imo

[FrostyMouse]

I think Gulbis has a win over Djoker, Federer,Berdych,Tipsaravic and was the only one to take a set off Nadal on clay in the 2010 season. It wasn't injury, he lost focus unlike most players this isn't his financial ticket his family is extremely wealthy. He also got into some trouble with a prostitution scandal. Seems his party days are behind him though top 15 talent imo

Yeah, his family's wealth made him complacent at times.

He has the talent, so I would like to see him really improving.

---------- Post added March 14, 2013 at 11:47 AM ---------- Previous post was March 13, 2013 at 01:16 AM ----------

Rafa barely overcame Gulbis and Roger barely beat the Stan Man.

[goldb]

So they're meeting in the next round; the results and how they may have struggled to overcome their respective opponents will mean nothing now. I want to say that Federer has the edge over Rafa form-wise but I won't put anything past Rafa. It'll be nice to see these 2 clash again after so long.

[Atobe the king]

That was not the blockbuster match we expected...was reminiscent of their Miami 2011 match. I wonder if Feds back was bothering him since they mentioned he wasn't moving well halfway through the Wawrinka match. If Nadal beats Berdych and then Murray/Djokovic....

[FrostyMouse]

No, it most definitely was not. Fed's back has appeared to have been bothering him for a while. That was a great result for Nadal so early into the comeback, regardless of anything. The Ferrer win didn't mean that much to me, although it was still a good improvement, because Ferrer just fails against Nadal, but this win was very important going forward for Nadal.

We'll see what happens in the rest of Indian Wells.

[goldb]

Oh now that was a surprise; not the win but Federer not even getting a set in. I'd like to read his post-match interview to see if he mentioned his back as being a problem at all. So we've got Nadal vs Berdych as one of the already decided semis. With then Djokovic vs Tsonga and Murray vs Del Potro making up the last quarters. Mouthwatering matches these are.

[Atobe the king]

He mentioned his back, but downplayed it and said it's no excuse:

Federer has been dealing with a back issue during the tournament, but did not use it as a reason for his defeat, having come through a three-setter a day earlier against compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka.

“[It was the] same as against Stan. I mean, I could play,” said Federer. “I'm happy to be out there and able to compete. But it's obviously a small issue.”

What's interesting is what Nadal said:

"I played a fantastic first set, in my opinion. The second set was strange," said Nadal. "The second set, I think Roger didn't fight as usual. He probably had some problems and he didn't feel enough comfortable to keep fighting."
Now Djokovic killing a deflated Tsonga....what a tournament this is turning into :(. Hopefully the semis are good.

---------- Post added at 09:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:31 PM ----------

Lol...Man these quarter final matches have been crappy and one sided. Murray will stay at 3 in the rankings, Federer at 2. After Miami Nadal will pretty much be defending everything, Djokovic looks like he wants to repeat 2011.

[FrostyMouse]

It happens though.

There is a reason, Atobe, that I picked Djokovic to win three Slams this year.

[goldb]

Definitely a weird round of quarters, though I had a hunch that Del Potro would beat Murray, but I was almost certain Djokovic would win. :XD I gave Tsonga no chance at all but 54 minutes? come on now...

I want to see Del Potro win this Masters, it would be interesting and open things up a bit; give the other top 10 and rest motivation and belief that it's not a monopoly at the top. Interestingly he is the only one outside of Nadal, Federer, Murray and Djokovic to have won 1 of the last 30-odd Grand Slams.

[FrostyMouse]

Bob, realistically, Murray is sort of in the same category as Del Po as they've both only won one Major.

When you're watching women's tennis, they'll show the draw and show who's won a Major and you can see plenty of players, but right now, there are only six men who you can show that about. Roddick retired last year, Safin retired a few years ago, I forget when Juan Carlos Ferrero retired, and Hewitt is still kicking, although only just. I would've thought that Hewitt would've retired already.

[goldb]

So essentially it's just the top 3+ Murray and then you have the others.

Ferrero officially retired in October(?) 2012 after the Valencia Open; he announced it'd be his last tournament before putting down his racket. Hewitt seems determined not to leave, content in getting to knockout rounds of tournaments then biting the dust; if that. He just doesn't stand out anymore and so you don't really consider him for Slams or other opens. Though you can always count on him for a surprise/shock result.

[FrostyMouse]

If not for the wrist and knee injuries, Del Po actually looked like the better top level talent than Murray. Remember when he beat Federer off the court in a come from behind win in the 09 US Open Final?

[Atobe the king]

Hewitt...like a lot of the 30+ crowd has a kid. And it means a lot to these guys for their kids to be able to see their dad play,Federer almost bust out in tears when he looked up at Mirka and his daughters after winning wimbledon last year (also one of the reasons Haas and Blake are still around). Hewitt mentioned in an interview how much it means to practice with his kid, that and...it's Hewitt. He knocked out Isner so i thank him for that~

Keep in mind that I like Del Potro over Murray but i feel like Murray>Del po despite that US open victory. He's back to that level since last year imo, Del po barely has masters semis and finals, Murray has a nice little masters collection in addition to his USO victory. Many feel Federer should have won that USO match..he toyed around with Del Po too much early on and suddenly its 5-2 in the 5th. Not saying Del potro didn't earn his victory in any sense but Murray has the better results overall. Murray's form heading into this was in question because he hadn't played since the AO...bad idea imo, while Del po built up confidence and is playing into form.

As for Indian wells...Nadal just took out Berdych 6-4,7-5. Some people speculated there was actually nothing really /wrong/ with his knees but he needed a break from the sport. After losing that first tournament he's been on a tear. Whether or not he beats Djokovic thoghuh...(sorry, don't picture Del Po beating Djoker)

---------- Post added at 08:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:12 PM ----------

I eat my hat, good stuff del potro....I /think/ he can beat Nadal but we'll see.

So we have Del Potro VS Nadal for tomorrows Final~I'm excited because i expected it to be a Djokovic kills whoever final. RIP win streak :(

[FrostyMouse]

When Djokovic was up 3-0 in the third set, I thought it was over, but then he completely went away. He didn't hit anywhere near the corners and when Del Po was showing injury, instead of pushing him back and forth like the Djokovic we've come to know, he sort of let Del Po off the hook.

[goldb]

Arrgghh I left the match when it was 5-4 to Djoko in the first set cos of work! :darn I can't believe Del Potro won and Nadal beating Berdych; good stuff. Now the question for me is, can Nadal complete the amazing comeback or will Del Potro be just one step too far. With him coming into the tournament after winning the previous ones(only challenge he had there was Ferrer iirc), I was happy for him to just reach the knockout and wasn't sure how he'd fair against the big hitters but he seems comfortable.

I'm really happy to see Del Potro injury free and playing well, I've missed 09 version when he was on a prowl and like Frosty said, that US Open Final :XD

[Atobe the king]

Nadal was match ready back at the end of 2012 iirc, he was to play in the abudhabi exo..but got a stomach virus. All he needed was match fitness, and as a player of his level usually does they don't take long to bounce back. Starting during the golden swing was a smart move lol.

Either Del Potro wins his first masters...or Nadal breaks the tie with Federer yet again lol.

[FrostyMouse]

Indeed, Atobe. It seems that I was wrong about Nadal's level of fitness.

[Atobe the king]

Holy crap...when del po was bludgeoning the Ball i forgot he was playing Rafa who wouldn't take this lying down lol...So now he has the record again at 22 masters won....then he'll sweep more during the clay court swing unless Djoker has anything to say about it. Good stuff from Juan though...the big guy ran out of gas :(

[goldb]

Congrats to Rafa for going clear on 22 Masters titles. Really bad luck for Del Potro who like you said atobe, just seemed to have ran out of gas near the end; especially being 2-0 up on that final set too.

Miami Masters is up next from 19/03 - 31/03 and....and Djokovic is defending this one, having beaten Murray in last year's final.

[Atobe the king]

Miami looking Meh...Federer outright skipped it, Nadal pulled out. Murrays form is shit,Gulbis and some others pulled out as well :/

[goldb]

So Djoko is looking to cake-walk this one, and I think he'll take out the frustration of not winning Indian Wells on whoever stands in his path here :teehee.

[FrostyMouse]

Probably, Bob, but you never know. Down 3-0 in the third set, I never would've expected Del Po to win the third set. Del Po was looking gassed, but the Djoker just went away.

[Atobe the king]

He'll kill murray in the final again methinks.

[goldb]

It'd be good for Murray to reach the final again; seeing that there isn't as much competition as in Indian Wells.

[Atobe the king]

Ironically, despite the olympics/USO win...he's performed worse outside of slams since hooking up with Lendl....i feel like he's the most vulnerable of the top 4.

[goldb]

Very true. He seemed to have a lot of confidence after the USO and Olympics, but I haven't seen him give any commanding performances in a while. Definitely the weakest link in that top 4; Del Potro or one of the others just below him are more than ready to pounce. Problem also is that even with them, there's noone besides Nadal, Federer or Djokovic that can give a sense of invincibility on the court.

[Josef K.]

These in between-grand slam tournaments are really bad foreshadowing of the 4 grand slams where the top really is the top. I do expect Nadal to win again there, despite how many titles Djokovic might stack up till then.

[Atobe the king]

Federer has no aura of invincibility anymore, Nadal destroyed that in 2008 imo. Nadal has one right now because he sent out a MAJOR statement at Indian wells that was his first non clay court title since 2010 iirc....And he beat Federer,in-form berdych, and super in-form Del Potro to do it. People thought it was going to be a Murrayvic rivalry but Nadal is ready to show otherwise.

[FrostyMouse]

Djokovic massacres Lukas Rosol, the guy who knocked out the injured Nadal in Wimbledon last year, 6-1 6-0, but Del Po loses.

[goldb]

Murray is also through. I'm surprised to see Del Potro out so soon; maybe fatigue from the previous tournament has caught up to him?

[Atobe the king]

Indian Wells + Miami is a killer D:

---------- Post added March 27, 2013 at 12:46 AM ---------- Previous post was March 24, 2013 at 09:05 PM ----------

Wow....35 year old Haas beats Djokovic lol. Picking him as a lock for tournaments seems to be jinxing him lol. Was fun to watch I've always liked Haas. Depending on who's side he's on i think Berdych makes the final.

[FrostyMouse]

Maybe being expected to win is getting to him.

[Atobe the king]

If it didn't get to him during that 41 match winning streak I think it'd be strange that it got to him now. But this is why we watch sports imo...the unpredictability,game needs some shaking up. I honestly hope Murray doesn't win so someone outside of the big 4 can make a headline.

[goldb]

Well I'm indifferent to Murray winning to be honest but it'd be a good chance for him; the best he's likely to get for a while anyways, with Nadal, Fed and Djoko all not being there. But I think someone outside the top 4 will win. Maybe Haas will be full of confidence after his win over Djoko but if Berdych gets to the final, my money is on him.

[FrostyMouse]

I had actually thought that Berdych would've been the next one to break through at a Major, but he always seems to run into Djokovic.

[Atobe the king]

Djoker,Nadal seem to mostly routine him at slams. Murray beat him at the USO iirc but that was a windy day and he couldn't handle it. He's been on a Tear this year though.

[goldb]

Murray is through to the semis in straight sets. Berdych is playing Gasquet now and Gasquet won the first set 6-3. Not looking good.

Regarding that, they've all seemingly had the chance to break into that major group and top tier; Berdych, Tsonga, Gasquet, Ferrer, Del Potro( closest and grand slam winner) but through a mix of injuries and performance inconsistencies.

[Atobe the king]

Hah Gasquet handles berdych..derailing my plans...I hope Gasquet or Haas wins it ;-;

[goldb]

Aaaand in comes Murray to snatch it away from everyone lol. I actually watched some of the match yesterday. With Ferrer taking the first set, I thought it would've been tough for him to hold on but still betted that he'd come through. Murray really stuck to his guns and the proved the fitter of the 2. Gutted for Ferrer but this was a good opportunity for Murray, as the previous top 3 were all out or didn't participate in the event. So getting this gives him a boost going into the next Masters and French Open.

Next up events-wise, we've got the Davis Cup Quarter-finals from 5th April, 2 ATP 250 events and then Monte-Carlo Masters on 15th April. I think that's my next big event, as I don't usually follow the Davis Cup.

[Atobe the king]

I dislike davis cup...so skewed :(. Some countries like serbia only have 2-3 good players. SUI only has Federer and Wawrinka and sometimes federer doesnt even play. Spain has so many good players they can not have Nadal or Ferrer and still do well lol.

[goldb]

Yes, from the very few matches I've seen over the years, Wawrinka is more active than Federer. The top players( top 4 mainly) aren't often featured. I know Nadal plays quite often though.

Oh have you guys read about Murray signing his new management deal (http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/tennis-murray-management-deal-pave-way-tennis-ipl-143642441.html)and now it ties in with this IPL-type event? I'd heard about it a very long time back but it seems to have come up again recently with this new deal.

---------- Post added April 14, 2013 at 02:52 AM ---------- Previous post was April 06, 2013 at 10:05 PM ----------

Monte Carlo Masters begins today(14th April) until 21st April. Djokovic, Murray and Nadal will all be there and Federer is not featuring; I don't think he plays this one very much. Nadal will be aiming to lift the trophy for a 9th successive time. Are we betting against him?

[FrostyMouse]

You're right, Bob. I don't recall the last time Fed played at Monte Carlo.

Even two years ago, Djokovic couldn't win here. He beat Nadal in the next two clay Masters, but not this one.

[goldb]

Yeah I thought so, because I was trying to think back to previous years and couldn't remember his participation. I recall that; Nadal won on the back of seven straight defeats to Djokovic or something like that.

I'm going to go for Nadal in this tournament, if only marginally. He's got the upper hand experience of winning this tournament and is on the back of quite a few successes, but always Djokovic will not be letting this go without a massive fight.

[Atobe the king]

Djoker skipped Monte Carlo in 2011, which is incidentally the last time Federer played it iirc (losing to Melzer!). Its not mandatory i believe. Djoker struggling all week and then puts on a good match today. How about Grigor Dimitrov though...6-2 in the second set over Nadal at Monte Carlo of all places lol.

[goldb]

I really thought Djoko would lose his opening match after conceding the first set and not playing particularly well in that( from what little I saw), but he came through it. We've lost Berdych, Gasquet, Murray and Del Potro; all in straight sets if I recall.

Oh wow, I didn't see Nadal's results! :o I knew he won but 2-6? jeez....

[Atobe the king]

Lol that's like...the 7th set Nadal has lost at monte carlo since 05..ridiculous. Djoker rolled his ankle during davis cup and i think it's sort of bothering him. Nadal Tsonga should hopefully be good tomorrow haha

[goldb]

Only 7 in years? That's nothing short of incredile.

That is the semis highlight. I expect Djokovic to have an easier time with his match againt Fognini.

[Atobe the king]

Hahahhahahha. The CC season, and the french open just got really interesting....Djoker beat Nadal on clay for the 3rd time..and this time at Monte Carlo aka Nadals marquee event. That's a huge psychological blow, and a boost for Djokovic since the last time they played he lost.

[FrostyMouse]

A big win for Djoker over Nadal in the Finals of Monte Carlo. 6-2 7-6 (1).

[goldb]

Hahahhahahha. The CC season, and the french open just got really interesting....Djoker beat Nadal on clay for the 3rd time..and this time at Monte Carlo aka Nadals marquee event. That's a huge psychological blow, and a boost for Djokovic since the last time they played he lost.

Exactly, this is his favourite event. The defeat made worse by that and the fact that it was straight sets, not even a struggle or extensive final set; like Djokovic just came and took it from him without much of a fight. Definitely a huge blow has been dealt to Nadal here.

He can hope to regain some belief in the Barcelona Open which he plays at tomorrow (http://www.atpworldtour.com/Scores/schedule.aspx?EventId=425), but Ferrer is also at this one and will surely be looking for revenge.

[Atobe the king]

I don't picture Ferrer beating Nadal at Barcelona but anything can happen so hopefully its a fun event

[goldb]

I don't picture Ferrer beating Nadal at Barcelona but anything can happen so hopefully its a fun event

True, I doubt Nadal would be so rocked as to lose 2 events like this in a row; except losing against Djokovic but he isn't here. But anything is possible though, can you imagine the ensuing speculations if he loses here?

[Atobe the king]

If he loses his career as clay emperor is pretty much done lol.

---------- Post added April 24, 2013 at 03:44 PM ---------- Previous post was April 23, 2013 at 11:42 PM ----------

Ferrer ousted in round 1, what a shock lol

[goldb]

LOL saw that earlier on. Nadal must be dancing in his locker room; one less competitor to face.

---------- Post added May 04, 2013 at 11:03 AM ---------- Previous post was April 24, 2013 at 09:31 PM ----------

Madrid Masters starts tomorrow and is running until 12th May ( immediately followed by the Rome Masters). The top 4 are all present and have all won this event previous; with Federer being the defending champion. Del Potro is out with a virus.

I think I'll go for Djokovic for this one, to follow up on the previous tournament win. And you guys?

Also in other news, the Chief of ATP has died (http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/tennis-atp-chief-drewett-dies-aged-54-155041674.html) from Motor Neurone Disease.

[Atobe the king]

Djoker got this. Sad for the chief :(

[FrostyMouse]

Yeah, Djoker's my pick here. Unfortunate about the ATP Chief. I wish his family well in their time of grief.

[goldb]

Djokovic lost (http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/tennis-federer-makes-winning-return-madrid-160215840.html) in 3 sets to Dimitrov in the 2nd round of the Madrid Masters. So, who're routing for now? :derp

[FrostyMouse]

I'm going to say Murray, actually.

[Atobe the king]

Wow, Dimitrov...so proud ;;. After he took Nadal to 3 in Monte Carlo i thought maybe he'd make this a close match but to win. Such a dramatic match haha. Nadal will win most likely. Murray is /not/ beating Nadal on clay lol.

[FrostyMouse]

Wow, Dimitrov...so proud ;;. After he took Nadal to 3 in Monte Carlo i thought maybe he'd make this a close match but to win. Such a dramatic match haha. Nadal will win most likely. Murray is /not/ beating Nadal on clay lol.

Murray has won this title though, apparently. I was watching Sky Sports News on Fox Soccer and they said that all of the Big 4 had won this Masters.

In case you were wondering, I support Djokovic over anyone not named Roddick, but Roddick retired, so...

[Atobe the king]

Haha duuuude I loved Andy ;;. I miss him, luckily i follow him on twitter so i still get his humor now and again. As for Murray winning this, the Madrid Masters used to be an indoor hardcourt event that took place in the fall. The last year it was a hard court event was 2008 (when Murray won it). Since 09 it's been a clay court tournament moved to spring to likely replace the former Hamburg Masters. Federer won it 3 times, once on hard, twice on clay. Nadal once, and Djokovic once (clay for both).

There's a chance though. Rafas form isn't /up/ there despite results this year. And Murray and him had a tight match at monte carlo in 2011 so anything can happen. But Murray was pushed my Florian Mayer, went out of Monte Carlo really early and in an interview basically said "Im not a claycourt player" (despite a SF at RG) lol

[FrostyMouse]

Haha duuuude I loved Andy ;;. I miss him, luckily i follow him on twitter so i still get his humor now and again. As for Murray winning this, the Madrid Masters used to be an indoor hardcourt event that took place in the fall. The last year it was a hard court event was 2008 (when Murray won it). Since 09 it's been a clay court tournament moved to spring to likely replace the former Hamburg Masters. Federer won it 3 times, once on hard, twice on clay. Nadal once, and Djokovic once (clay for both).

There's a chance though. Rafas form isn't /up/ there despite results this year. And Murray and him had a tight match at monte carlo in 2011 so anything can happen. But Murray was pushed my Florian Mayer, went out of Monte Carlo really early and in an interview basically said "Im not a claycourt player" (despite a SF at RG) lol

Yeah, Andy was great, but he somehow had no forehand for like the last three years. After he lost that Wimbledon Final to Fed, his spirit seemed to have been crushed.

Oh, right, right, I'd forgotten that Madrid was hard court before it replaced Hamburg. Even still though, it's Ion Tiriac and that awful blue clay, or did they get rid of that?

We'll see. I don't like Murray at all (although Sai loves him), but I think he could have a chance here. Federer's a safer pick, but I don't think Federer's really a favorite for any tournament anymore.

[Atobe the king]

Idk whats up with Fed this year lol,he's certainly still capable. And nah, after Nadal and Djokers complaints they went back normal red clay. Sai loves Murray, forgot about that. He's fine i guess, i just wanted him to get a slam to shake up the monopoly of the big 3 and show that "hey I'm here to play too" but i find him to be the weakest of them by far. His results vary a lot more and he's the most prone to shock exits. I really thought Mayer had his number today.

[FrostyMouse]

Idk whats up with Fed this year lol,he's certainly still capable. And nah, after Nadal and Djokers complaints they went back normal red clay. Sai loves Murray, forgot about that. He's fine i guess, i just wanted him to get a slam to shake up the monopoly of the big 3 and show that "hey I'm here to play too" but i find him to be the weakest of them by far. His results vary a lot more and he's the most prone to shock exits. I really thought Mayer had his number today.

Right. You can't piss off the top two clay court players in the world and expect to get away with it.

Yeah, the truth is that Murray's not consistent enough. Then again, Djoker hasn't been that consistent this season either, although he does have a Major.

Mayer looked to have the advantage, but it didn't pan out.

[Atobe the king]

So after Djokovic loses to Dimitrov, Federer loses to Nishikori. I hope this is a wake up call for both of them. Pretty much Nadals tournament to win at this point lol.

[Hardy]

If Haas beats Ferrer he wins this, I'm calling it now :derp

[goldb]

Nah with Federer and Djoko being out, this is Nadal's tournament to lose.

[Atobe the king]

This is why people dislike upsets i guess...neithe Dimitrov or Nishikori could back up their big wins.

[goldb]

Murray lost to Berdych in straight sets, who then fell to Wawrinka. So we've got Nadal vs Wawrinka for the men's final and S. Williams vs Sharapova for the women's.

A little gossip for you; Sharapova is dating Dimitrov. Lucky bastard.

[FrostyMouse]

She used to be engaged to NBA player Sasha Vujacic, but after he started playing in Turkey, she ditched him.

[goldb]

So Serena takes the women's title; in straights sets 6-1 6-4 and increasing her record against Sharapova to 15-2. I read something on Eurosport that pretty much sums up how well I think Serena's played in this tournament.


An outstanding week for Serena extending her ownership of Maria, Madrid and the NO 1 ranking. She has shown a great display of the variety in her game and why she OWNS the WTA. A massive slap in the face for the haters, doubters, confused and poor clay court analysts.

Take nothing away from Sharapova though, I think against any other player, she would've come up on top.

[FrostyMouse]

Yeah, but Serena always beats Sharapova, apart from that Wimbledon Final with the umpire who incorrectly awarded Sharapova a point during a tiebreak.

[goldb]

Yeah, but Serena always beats Sharapova, apart from that Wimbledon Final with the umpire who incorrectly awarded Sharapova a point during a tiebreak.

Definitely Williams owns her. I feel for Sharapova sometimes about that, she could have so many titles if it wasn't for Williams. The best she can do is to capitalise in any event where Serena falls short and play her best when they face off.

[FrostyMouse]

Definitely Williams owns her. I feel for Sharapova sometimes about that, she could have so many titles if it wasn't for Williams. The best she can do is to capitalise in any event where Serena falls short and play her best when they face off.

I don't. I don't like Sharapova and the fake smile and everything she puts on. She's also not Russian. She's lived in America for like 15-16 years.

---------- Post added at 11:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:18 AM ----------

I'm an American though, so I support Serena.

[Atobe the king]

I can't stand either williams sister. That is all lol. I also don't believe in supporting a player because they're from your country, Roddick was the only American player i liked.. I can't stand Isner and he bores me to tears. Harrison needs to work on his demeanor on court, fish is on his way out,Querrey is okay i guess. Imo nationalism has no place in the sport outside of davis cup and the olympics. These guys/girls should (and probably do) play for themselves first and foremost.

Every player puts on a fake PR personality for the press, this isn't limited to Maria lol. Djokovic is probably the fakest of the fake despite me liking him. As for her not being russian...nishikori has been here for half his life. Tommy Haas is actually a US citizen now,Djokovic doesn't live in Serbia,and a good chunk of the French players live in Switzerland.

---------- Post added at 12:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:13 PM ----------

Oh right, Nadal won. #surprisesurprise

[FrostyMouse]

Well, I have to say that Roddick and Serena are the only American tennis players I've ever supported. I wasn't really being nationalistic there.

Isner represents a brand of tennis I don't support.

Maria's pretty bad with it though. Djokovic is entertaining.

Yeah, but a lot of players train in America.

Haas isn't a German anymore? Lame.

---------- Post added at 12:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:19 PM ----------

It was against Wawrinka though. How Wawrinka even got to the final, I don't know.

---------- Post added at 12:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:21 PM ----------

Oh, well, Haas has dual citizenship now, so it's not like he's no longer German.

[Atobe the king]

My point was just that a lot of players don't really live in their country anymore lol, or spend huge chunks of their life here. Nishikori mentions moving here at a really young age and learning english as he went along haha. Sorry for the assumption, I just know some people who will support any american player even if they're not particularly worthy of it lol.

Wawrinka getting there doesn't surprise me, he's a good player but he wasn't beating or even getting a set off Nadal tbh lol. Hopefully Rome is more interesting

[FrostyMouse]

Yeah, but not all of them go, "I'm Russian and that's so important to me, even though I haven't lived there since I was a young child."

Wawrinka's not great on clay though, so it did surprise me.

The only thing that matters is Roland Garros.

---------- Post added May 15, 2013 at 06:00 PM ---------- Previous post was May 12, 2013 at 12:52 PM ----------

Murray gets injured today and considers himself a doubt for Roland Garros.

[Atobe the king]

Siiigh Murray :(

[goldb]

Holy....Nadal just lost the first set against Gulbis 6-1. :huh

[Atobe the king]

Gulbis took it to Nadal on clay a few years ago so I'm not /too/ surprised but yeah holy shit lol.

[goldb]

Gulbis took it to Nadal on clay a few years ago so I'm not /too/ surprised but yeah holy shit lol.

I think that was in Rome too, about 3 years ago in the semis iirc. I'm not surprised at Nadal losing the set but the manner in which he lost it and the score. He didn't seem to be in that first set at all.

[Mazino]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=165r4mM9edc&feature=player_embedded#!

[FrostyMouse]

Gulbis couldn't get it done in the end, however.

---------- Post added May 17, 2013 at 01:26 PM ---------- Previous post was May 16, 2013 at 04:52 PM ----------

Is Djokovic okay? He blew a chance to serve out the match and lost to Berdych, someone he never loses to.

[Atobe the king]

I have to wonder, i thought he was on track after the Madrid loss but....welp.

Janowicz gave me Roddick vibes with those serves, but Federer adapted lol

[FrostyMouse]

I think he has an ankle problem or something and we have seen in the past that if Djokovic's movement is hampered, he's like 50% of the player he normally is.

[Atobe the king]

He said his ankle was well rested after Monte Carlo (but used his lack of practice as a reason for his loss to Dimitrov) he was about to win 6-2,6-3, he didn't look hampered to me at all TBH, he just got outplayed.

[FrostyMouse]

I know he didn't really look hampered, but who knows. Maybe there's still something going on that we didn't see. It's definitely not encouraging going into Roland Garros.

[Atobe the king]

He thinks he can win RG, but that's likely just PR talk honestly. Nadal over Berdych, no surprise there.

[FrostyMouse]

Yeah, no surprise there.

In the end, Nadal is the favorite going into RG.

---------- Post added May 19, 2013 at 03:19 PM ---------- Previous post was May 18, 2013 at 01:59 PM ----------

Rafa easily dismisses Fed in the final.

[goldb]

LOL man, that was such a demolition. Rafa going into RG full of confidence and hopefully Federer will not get too bummed after this lesson.

[FrostyMouse]

Yeah, it wasn't close. It summed up why Fed hasn't been winning big matches lately. When Nadal was out last season and Djokovic was a bit off his form, Fed won Wimbledon, but that's it for the past like three years really.