Roddick, Masked Djokovic Roll in Paris; Federer, Nadal Play Wednesday

by Sean Randall | October 28th, 2008, 5:31 pm
  • 42 Comments

Indications are the men’s regular season will go out with a proper bang this week at the Paris Tennis Masters. Today favorites Andy Roddick, Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin Del Potro and my man Gael Monfils all won rather handily to advance into the third round. ADHEREL

And with Rafael Nadal (who plays Florent Serra Wednesday), Roger Federer (meets Robin Soderling) and Andy Murray (to play Sam Querrey) still to play there’s a lot to look forward to this week in the final stop on the regular tour calendar. And I should add that it’s both nice and surprising to see the top players making the effort this week.

Eyeballing the draw, Nadal is really looking strong to reach the last four with only Monfils in his way. I’ll pick the surging Andy Murray is the favorite to face him in the semifinals. The Scot though will have to navigate possibly Del Potro or Nalbandian, who appear to be headed to yet another collision this month (they’ve split there two prior meets).


In the bottom half, if there’s one match I want to see its Roddick v. Djokovic, but we’re still a ways away from that tasty rematch of their US Open clash. Roddick, who destroyed Feliciano Lopez moments ago, will next have no easy match in the Gilles Simon-Igor Andreev winner. I like Simon there. And Djokovic will also likely have to deal with a Frenchman in JW Tsonga who faces Stepanek tomorrow.

In the last quarter Federer’s path couldn’t be much easier. Soderling’s tricky no doubt, but then a likely date with Marin Cilic followed by a showdown with James Blake in the quarters, neither of which should pose much of a threat for the Swiss who’s been flying high since his US Open title. And right now I actually like Rog here to come through for this title. The draw and what looks to be a slower surface than Madrid set up really well for Fed.

Of course there is also an ongoing race for the last three spots at the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai. And at the moment it’s still hard to bet against the current three favorites – Roddick, Del Potro and Simon – getting in. For that not to happen a Blake, Ferrer, Tsonga, Wawrinka or Nalbandian will have to go very deep in this field, and I really don’t see that happening. That said if there’s a long shot I’d take Nalbandian only who needs to defend his title and win Paris to harbor a chance, but heck, he could do it.

All five guys in chase are playing Wednesday, so by this time tomorrow the last eight could very well be set.

As for Djokovic and his mask, apparently it works. In addition to scaring me, it scared Dmitry Tursunov into submission today. I wonder if he’ll accessorize, or maybe play with it on. Oh the options…To be honest, though, for now I’m just going to act like I didn’t see it (but I did!), and I’ll leave it at that.


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42 Comments for Roddick, Masked Djokovic Roll in Paris; Federer, Nadal Play Wednesday

Von Says:

Djoko provided some comedic relief for me today. I had to do a double-take watching him make his entrance onto the court. There could be two reasons for the mask (1) he’s probably having problems facing the glare of the light when initially stepping onto the court; or (2) he’s preparing for halloween. He was wearing the correct colors and all he needed was a splash of orange to complete his ensemble for halloween; we’ll probably see the orange splash on that day. Djoko’s match with Tursunov was over rather quickly, due to Tursunov’s retirement with a bum shoulder.

Roddick looked very fresh in his match with Lopez, which lasted for 65 minutes. Lopez was extremely disgruntled throughout the entire match and seemed relieved when it was over.

Looking at the entire draw, I’d say without a doubt the Roddick/Djoko section is the toughest with some very tough opponents, and they have their work cut out for them. Roddick is 1-0 against Simon, but their only meeting was played more than a year ago, so it will be interesting to see the outcome if they do meet.


TD (Tam) Says:

dear Von!

Andy looked great today against his match with Lopez. Lopez looked very disgruntled. I hope Andy can put Simon away. it will be difficult but not impossible.

Did you see this article on ESPN?
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/columns/story?columnist=harwitt_sandra&id=3667422

Sean I think alot of people would like to see a Roddick-Dojokovic rematch. ;)

what on earth has happened to Marat Safin?


Von Says:

TD(Tam):

How are you? You’ve been absent for a while. I’m always delighted to hear from you. Thanks for sharing that article. I’m happy there are writers who look at the whole picture, and give credit where credit is due. I don’t care what others say about him, I think he’s a terrific person and I like him. I know you do too.

Yes, our guy looked very sharp today. Did you see that one serve of Lopez’ where he shouted back at the linesman for shouting out ‘fault’ at the top of his lungs. LOL. I was cracking up with laughter. Poor guy (Lopez) he looked like he was about to strangle Andy and everyone else.

I’m looking forward to a Djoko rematch too. I’m curious to see how the present day Simon would play against Andy, but that’s dependent upon Simon getting past Andreev. Either way, Andy has his work cut out for him. I don’t think I’ll ever understand the draws — they are so lopsided. I hope Andy at least makes it to the QFs. The commentators mentioned they heard a rumor that A-Rod would most probably skip the TMC even if he qualifies. i hope he’d reconsider, this way I’ll have something to look forward to. I suppose the novelty has worn off for that event after being there 5 times. I hope you’ll find the time to watch his subsequent matches and post more often will ya. :P

Poor Marat, did he receive a drubbing at the hands of monaco in the first set in his match. I with Monaco.


Von Says:

TD(Tam):

BTW Andy’s is not bald anymore!

“I with Monaco.” Should read: I was angry with Monaco for beating up on dear Marat. Poor guy.


Ezorra Says:

I’m sure that most of you have read the q&a below. Anyway, for further info, just click:

http://www.atptennis.com/1/en/2008news/sharkbites11.asp

This calendar year none of the three different Grand Slam winners were ranked number one at the time they won the title. When was the last time this happened?
– Tatu Paasimaa, Helsinki, Finland
The last time none of the four Grand Slam winners were No. 1 came in 2003 when No. 2 Andre Agassi (Australian Open), No. 3 Juan Carlos Ferrero (Roland Garros), No. 5 Roger Federer (Wimbledon) and No. 4 Andy Roddick (US Open) were winners. That was also the last year four different players won each of the Grand Slam titles.

In 2008, are there other players other than Andy Murray and Gilles Simon to have registered victories against Nadal, Federer and Djokovic ?
– Antoine Kerfant, Madrid, Spain
Andy Roddick is the other player to beat Nadal, Federer and Djokovic this season.

Why did the doubles team of Pablo Cuevas and Luis Horna qualify for the Tennis Masters Cup if they are not in the Top 8?
– Felipe Gonzalez, Santiago, Chile
Since they won a Grand Slam title and were among the Top 20 teams, they automatically qualify. This is according to the qualification rules set with the ITF and Grand Slam tournaments.

Before Lleyton Hewitt’s fall from the Top 50 in the ATP Rankings, When was the last time Australia did not have a player in the year-end Top 50?
– Elsie Anderson, Melbourne, Australia
The last year an Aussie did not finish in the Top 50 year-end ATP Rankings was in 1991. Wally Masur was the highest-ranked Aussie that year at No. 57.

Could you please explain why Moya and Nadal did not receive doubles ranking points for their win in Madrid, yet Mirnyi and Robredo received 75? Both teams won one match and lost in the round of 16.
– Joel Mallett, Canberra, Australia
Moya and Nadal didn’t receive ATP Ranking points in doubles because they withdrew from the second round while Mirnyi and Robredo played and lost their match. Rules state: Should a doubles match in an ATP tournament be uncontested or fail to be completed, the losing team shall only receive points and prize money from the previous round. They received previous round (1st) money and 0 points since no points are awarded in the first round of doubles.

Did Rafael Nadal play junior tennis?
– Henrik, Norway
Nadal played in only two international junior tournaments in 2002, at Wimbledon where he reached the semifinals (l. to Lamine Ouahab) and junior Davis Cup in France (winning all five of his singles matches).

What was the age of the oldest world number one since the ATP Rankings started and who was he?
– Doreen, Singapore
Andre Agassi, at 33 years, 2 months, is the oldest man to hold No. 1 in the history of the ATP Rankings (since 1973).

I’m a Federer fan, we know how many titles he has won so far, but I’ll like to know how many cars has he won so far? And from which tournaments?
– Chua Ya Wen, Singapore
With the assistance from ATP staffer Martin Dagahs, Federer has won four Mercedes-Benz cars from 2003-04, ’06-07 Tennis Masters Cup; four Lexus cars from the 2005-06-07-08 US Open and one BMW from the 2003 BMW Open in Munich.

Who reigned the longest as number one and for how many weeks?
– Abi Davies, Bradford, United Kingdom
Pete Sampras is the all-time leader with 286 weeks at No. 1 followed by Ivan Lendl (270), Jimmy Connors (268) and Roger Federer (237).

Has there been anytime a match played on the ATP Tour been below the temperate of 0ºC (32ºF)? If not, what is the coldest match ever?
– Oscar, Palencia, Spain
No match has been played below freezing and no records have been kept on the coldest matches. But most likely it would be in the mid-40’s (F) with Scottsdale a front runner.

Has one country won both the Davis and Fed Cups in the same year? If so, when?
– Jose Montiel, Venezuela
The United States and Australia are the only two countries to achieve the double. The last time it happened was in 1990 by the U.S. (also 1963, 1969, 1978-79, 1981-82). Australia has done it three times (1964-65 and 1973).

Did Rafael Nadal ever retire in a singles match?
– Ravi, Sydney, Australia
In 409 career ATP level matches, Nadal has retired from four matches due to injury (’07 Cincinnati 2nd RD vs. Monaco; ’07 Sydney 1st RD vs. Guccione; ’06 Queen’s QF vs. Hewitt; ’05 Auckland 1st RD vs. Hrbaty) and withdrawn in the middle of a tournament once due to injury (’04 Estoril QF vs. Gasquet).

How many times did Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal lose in the semifinals, when both of them participated in the same tournament, such as the Australian Open and Madrid this year?
– Ramana, Hyderabad, India
This year, besides the Australian Open and Madrid, Federer and Nadal also lost in the semifinals in Indian Wells. Prior to this season, it has never happened.

Who has won the most ATP titles in his caareer?
– Gorjan Milanovski, Probistip, Macedonia
Jimmy Connors is the Open Era (since 1968) leader in men’s tennis with 109 singles titles. Todd Woodbridge is the all-time leader in doubles with 83 titles.

The Ricoh ATP MatchFacts doesn’t mention any stats about the play at the net, the backhand or the forehand during the year. Is it possible to have some figures concerning those aspects of the game ?
– Dany Mpoy, Brussels, Belgium
The Ricoh ATP MatchFacts are generated from the chair umpire’s scoring and 10 statistical categories are maintained throughout the season. Judgmental statistics such as winners, unforced errors and net approaches are kept by statisticians during Grand Slam tournaments and other events during the season but there’s no official tracking system.


Ezorra Says:


Special stats assistance by Fernando Sanchez and Bram Tukker.


gulu Says:

Dat was a classy articl by n intelligent and undeceiving writer about our lovabl Andy Rod.I really liked it! By d way congrats Von n TD( Tam) for d good victory by Rod! :-) Hopin dat Rod’s charged up 2 take on d opponent in his next match.Good luck Rod!


ATP NO Says:

Sean,

Why do you say “The … slower surface than Madrid set up really well for Fed”????


gulu Says:

Nole in mask! :-o Now this is some valuabl bit of information! ;-) I’d mak sure of checkin him out ! Von, is Nole lookin great in this new avatar(means form/incarnation type stuff) ! I just can’t help waitin 4 his next watch ! :-)


grendel Says:

Ezzora: “When was the last time Australia did not have a player in the year-end Top 50?” I’ve always felt there are just two eras in Australian postwar tennis. The first, when they produced champion after champion after champion – Laver, Hoad, Rosewall, Emerson, etc, culminating in Newcombe and Roche. Even their second ranked players – people like Mal Anderson, Ashley Cooper – were high class.

And then there’s the 2nd era, where a star here, a star there can occasionally be discerned in the prevailing gloom – Cash, Rafter, Philippoussis, Hewitt. Bearing in mind Australia’s small population, this second era isn’t too bad in absolute terms – but considering a)Australia’s unique tennis tradition and b) the fact that Australia is generally sports mad, Australian tennis results in the last 30 years or so are really pretty disappointing.

What can account for Australia’s ludicrous dominance in the first era? There was the presence of Harry Hopman, generally reckoned to be the greatest coach in tennis history. There was the fact that success breeds success: Laver and Emerson had the great Hoad and Rosewall to look up to, Newcombe and Roche aspired to Laver and Emerson’s level. And finally, perhaps, outside Britain (hopeless, as always) and France (French, as ever), litle serious tennis was played in Europe.

What does remain remarkable is how hugely superior to America Australia was in the “first era”. Never again will Australia dominate. But it would be nice to see some great players emerge from down under, all the same. It has, quite frankly, been a very lean period, and for me, the world is not quite to rights when Australia is a sort of Latvia or Ecuador in tennis terms.


Naresh Says:

About Federer having an easy draw..i don’t think so, first up he faces Soderling (the guy who gave Nadal a major scare at the Wimbledon 07). The guy just came off beating Giles Simon and going on to win Lyon..We know how much the big seeds stress on the importance of 1st round matches..this ones tricky ! Assuming he does get thru, he’ll be potentially facing Marin Cilic, who i think is one of the guys to look for in the Near future.He’s had tough matches against Djokovic & Murray, this hard court season.He’s got all the shots and will surely want to put up a good show against the former No.1. With Blake having beaten Federer at Beijing, he’s gotten the confidence to do it again..So Federers draw may look easy on paper, but it’s far from that !


gulu Says:

Agree with u Naresh!


gulu Says:

Simon is throu to next round with a nice win! He’s hot really!


Colin Says:

TD (Tam) – I love that word “disgruntled” because it reminds me of a line from one of P.G.Wodehouse’s stories: “If not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled”.
Oh, by the way, Come on Murray!


grendel Says:

Peter Fleming remarked in the course of Simon’s victory over Andreev that in his day, Brad Gilbert most closely approximated Simon. Stick the ball over the net and wait for the other geezer to make a mistake and meanwhile every now and then, pull out a surprise cracker. Gilbert was a formidable player – got to #4, after all. He had a very different mien to the calm, almost invisible Simon, though. According to McEnroe, Gilbert maintained a nonstop monologue in his matches, making remarks like “Now why did I do that? What could possibly have prompted such an insanely stupid error? What’s going on, do I belong in a tennis court or a mental hospital?”. This stuff used to drive McEnroe nuts, not just because it affects concentration. I imagine McEnroe didn’t take kindly to the assumption underlying Gilbert’s ceaseless mutterings, namely that when he, Gilbert, lost a point, it was entirely owing to an incomprehensible lapse on his own part, and had nothing to do with McEnroe’s skill.

Mark Petchey also made the point, saying that this was very difficult to pick up on television, but Murray had confirmed it to him following his last match with Simon that the Frenchman hits the ball late so that the opponent is into his split step preparation almost too early, and is constantly having to adjust. Needless to say, I haven’t noticed this, but I thought it might be interesting for those who have the eyes to see.


grendel Says:

Colin: ““If not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled.” One of Wodehouses’ more memorable lines, for sure.Correct me if I am wrong, but I think it referred to Bingo Little. Bingo, if you recall, was a keen tennis player – when all else was falling apart, as it tended to in Bingo’s world, tennis alone guaranteed that the world was not an entirely wicked place.


Von Says:

Per the commentators, Nadal’s uncle says he’s in poor shape physically and is worn-out, things are breaking down. However, despite it all, he’s playing singles and doubles in Paris. If this is true about Nadal’s present form, then why is he even playing in Paris — (he’s got enough medical proof to pull out; Gasquet did it), much more playing singles AND doubles? I’m sorry I don’t see the sense in this nonsensical scanario nor the method to the madness.

Djokovic was ridiculed for publicly statiing he had fitness issues at the USO (I’m not a Djoko fan), but in essence isn’t this what Nadal’s doing via Uncle Toni? These PR conferences by uncle Toni speaking on Nadal’s behalf I feel are a bit much. Here we have a matured man, with many years of wisdom, speaking on behalf of his nephew, who is quite capable of speaking for himself, which renders Nadal the player, devoid of criticism since he didn’t make that statement. However, on the other hand, we see the young players who speak up for themselves being ridiculed for their youthful, inexperienced statements. What’s wrong with this picture? I believe Nadal has the cheesiest draw in Paris, in fact it’s so cheesy that even though he’s in such poor physical condition, he can still play singles AND doubles. Unbelievable.


Von Says:

gulu:

“Von, is Nole lookin great in this new avatar(means form/incarnation type stuff)!”

I can’t say he looked great, perhaps a bit goofy, but I’m thinking it’s a pre-halloween kind of celebration, or maybe, it could be his means of adjusting to the bright lights on the court. He gave me a few laughs yesterday for sure. :P

I’m with you about Andy looking good yesterday and hopefully he’ll move past the hot Simon. I’m still baffled Simon has some energy in his tank left but he could be running on fumes, who knows. we’ll see what happens tomorrow.


Early Halloween for Djerk? « thedoublebagel Says:

[…] Djokovic wore this mask during his opening match at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris and.. nothing. It definitely scared his opponent, Dmitry Tursunov, that he couldn’t find any sort of rhythm during their match and his shoulder […]


Sean Randall Says:

ATP NO, I say the surface sets up well for Fed because I think does given his likely path of opponents like Soderling, Blake and possibly Roddick who I think all favor quicker surfaces.

Von, regarding player participation, I don’t have the actual numbers but it should be noted some of the top guys like Federer and Nadal will earn a hefty bonus payout just for playing Paris. Why Nadal would subject himself to doubles is anyone’s guess.

Grendel, interesting stuff regarding Simon and comparisons. I see some Mecir, some Davydenko, some Ginepri, some Bagdhatis in him (did i leave anyone out?). Actually, I might just settle on Simon being a better version of Grosjean and Clement.

Naresh, I would say on a faster surface this would be a trickier draw for Fed. But this one looks a tad bit slow, which should take away from some of the strengths of Fed’s opponent.

It is the last week of the year, though, anything can and usually does happen so nothing should really be much of a surprise (actually seeing Rafa and Roger go at it in the final would be!)


Von Says:

Sean Randall:

I’m one who places great emphasis on taking care of one’s body, our temple, since we’ve only got one in a lifetime. I also liken our bodies to a car’s engine — there’s only so much longevity before things begin to break down, but with the correct maintenance and rest, it will in the long run last that much longer and perform at its peak. I also feel that money is inconsequential when one’s health is at stake, e.g., Mario Ancic comes to mind. I’m sure Ancic would gladly give up a cool million bucks in exchange for a healthy body again. Ergo, if Nadal is in as poor of a shape physically as his uncle states (or is this a PR stunt), and/or wants us to believe, (per his shoulder/behind problems at Madrid), and considering the many millions he has made thus far, why would he even bother to further endanger his health for a few more paltry bucks, and those are paltry bucks for him. Are we being a Silas Marner here and/or being Penny wise, pound foolish? Resting now will pay huge dividends over the next 12 months. I’m sure he would like to win the TMC as the icing on the cake for his year. I believe Nadal had a similar scenario in Monte Carlo, playing singles and doubles, but then the unkind clay schedule was blamed for his blisters which appeared in Rome. I’m sorry, but I honestly don’t understand why some of these players are so unkind to their bodies, and further, I don’t understand the enormous appetite for more and more money.


Von Says:

With respect to the paris court, I heard the commentators state that the court is much slower which does not benefit the big servers. karlovic was unable to serve as hugely as he always does, which resulted in an easy win for Kiefer. Not too many players are hittng the big serves/aces, but my guy A-Rod is achieving his fair quota. I suppose it’s a matter of what suits which player. Today, should give us a fair idea as to the court’s slowness/fastness, when Soderling meets Fed, since both players are good in the serve department as well as groundies, etc.


JoshDragon Says:

Hopefully Nadal will be able to make the finals, I’m glad he has a good draw although Murray is going to be tough.

The Djokovic mask thing is awesome. Although he could have picked a better one. It looks like a cross between Zorro and Batman.


gulu Says:

Von,100 % agree with u about Toni Nadal’s spokesmanship ! Non-Rafa fans hav been hearin sinc Wim dat Rafa’s tired ! I was just wonderin whose fault it is if a player’s tired or is attacked by virus or has some structural defect or other maladies?


NachoF Says:

Anyone has got a link to a live stream of the Fed match??… I cant believe its not oN ESPN… it makes me so mad.


gulu Says:

I’d happily behead the Star Sports owner 4 not showin Roger’s match live in spite of d promise 2 telecast d Paris event live! It’s 1.00 clock at night here in India n I m stil awake in d hope of seeing Fed’s match,but now I can only say ‘Bastards’!


gulu Says:

Would you peopl believ me if I say that d useless channel was showin stupid round one matches of unknown players which I actually saw! But it’s not shown Roger’s or Rafa’s match live, damn it! Why the hell the channel’s showin at all? Bastards !


gulu Says:

My anger has settled down a bit after knowing thro the live score that Fed clinched the first set 6-4.


NachoF Says:

Im watching it at justin.tv


gulu Says:

Yesssss! Roger won


Von Says:

gulu:

I never read the links that are posted on Uncle Toni’s interviews, because I’m not interested in what Uncle Toni has to say with reference to Nadal’s thoughts, etc. — I want to hear it from the horse’s mouth, which is, Nadal. I feel the same goes for those ‘user friendly’ interviews which are done at the players’ homes. The interviewee is prepped and drafts are done before we see the final product, which translates to portraying the player as super classy, smart, generous, etc., and it’s a far cry from their true personalities. The same goes for Uncle Toni’s speeches, how could he possibly know exactly and precisely how or what Nadal feels about any situation? All he can do is transmit what he hears from their conversations and his observation of what he thinks is going on with his nephew; let Nadal tell us himself. For all we know, Nadal could be having a love/hate relationship with his uncle, who wouldn’t be any the wiser. My reason for mentioning this topic is based on the fact that those players, e.g., Djokovic et al., speak for themselves are somewhat at a disadvantage in their interviews in comparison to Nadal who has Uncle Toni to speak for him. The other guys can’t come across as wonderful because they are young and lack Uncle Toni’s wisdom, experience and craftiness to portray themselves as a sweet smelling rose, albeit there are some thorns.

After watching the Fed/Soderling match, I have to agree with Sean that the Paris court’s slowness does neutralize Fed’s opponents’ strengths. Soderling was ineffective with his serves, and he did what he always does — choke. Soderling could have easily won the second set tie-break, but he just choked away his chances = Fed victory.

I can tell you’re very angry, gulu, with the TV station, and you have my sympathy. It’s rather frustrating when the network is showing every other match except for the one you really want to see. Tomorrow try Justin.TV for Fed’s matches. I’ll try to remember to post the link if I see it. Smile, :P the main thing is that Fed won, and he did just enough to win. I believe he’ll make it through to the SFs easily.


grendel Says:

Von: surely it is the prospect of more points which motivates Nadal, not more loot. I am sure he is aware that a lot of people think his occupancy of the #1 slot is a temporary affair, and he is extremely keen to prove them wrong. This is pure guesswork, but I sometimes think his extravagant praise of Federer is not simply a deft manouevre to take the pressure off himself, though it is that. Nor is it to be taken at face value, although there is genuine mutual admiration between the two players. But I wonder if Nadal partly goes on about Federer being the best in history and so on because he believes, deep down, that he is better than Federer – better, that is, than history’s best. But that doesn’t quite add up, does it? Both Federer and Nadal have, in a sense, been each other’s curse – but also each other’s opportunity. If Nadal can consolidate his hold over Federer, and even better, start to approach his records, it is fairly evident that if Federer really had been history’s best, then he is no longer – Nadal is. I’m not saying I believe Nadal is entirely conscious of all this, I doubt if he is that calculating. But at some level, he probably does think a bit like this, and I do think there is no limit to either Nadal’s or Federer’s ambitions. And I think their respective fans are perfectly well aware of this. It remains to be seen if somebody else, Murray say, comes along to spoil the party.


Von Says:

grendel:

My discussion regarding the money issue was merely to address Sean’s comments that there’s a huge appearance fee in store for the Nos. 1 and 2 players in Bercy. Hence, I felt if that was indeed Nadal’s primary motivation then he should re-think that, because money is insignificant when one is suffering physically. I don’t think there’a any amount of money in this world that would be enough compensation for suffering pain or being inflicted with a long term illness. This is why I would like to hear from Nadal himself as to what’s his sole motivation for playing injured.

With respect to the points, I had mentioned previously that I feel he’ll do everything in his power to win at all costs to generate a large deficit in points between Fed and himself, and that I can understand, but again, when is enough, enough? Is it really worth it to be No. 1 for a few additional months at the expense of his body’s degradation? I’m sorry but I can’t correlate this is my mind to think anyone would place such an emphasis on numbers.

Whether he consciously or subconsciously (bearing in mind that subconscious rises to the conscious when we least expect it) believes he is better is debatable and only he can say yeah or nay. I’d hazard a guess that he feels he is, because guess what, he wouldn’t be human, especially in view of the fact that he’s got Fed’s number when they compete against each other. If Nadal didn’t feel he’s better than Fed, we’d hear him occasionally speak differently. It’s exceptionally easy to persistenly praise one’s opponent when we know within our hearts we’re better than they are. I can understand the occasional praising once in a while, but every time for 4 or more years? I’m sorry that’s highly unusual. Do you realize it’s almost like a perpetual litany that’s spoken. No one is that nice, I’m sorry, no one. I have a colleague who lavishes untold praises on everyone and as a result, he’s thought of by the less discerning, to be the “nicest guy”. Is he really? I’d say not, because when we’re alone discussing office politics etc., I hear the opposite about a few people from him. Summation, even the nicest of us are sometimes hypocrites, as the end justifies the means. My Dad used to say “Good name is nickname to a fool”, and there’s a Proverb in the Bible that states more or less the same. In a word, don’t believe all we hear and/or see because all that glitters is not gold, and we should live by a kind of caveat emptor mentality, even though I fail miserably.


Roddick v. Simon, Nadal v. Monfils Part of Intriguing Third Round in Paris Says:

[…]  Roddick, Masked Djokovic Roll in Paris; Federer, Nadal Play Wednesday […]


gulu Says:

Whoever thinks dat Fed’s the best in history, it’s like he’s insulting to Tilden,Gonzales, Laver,Borg and Sampras; and not just this,the thinker proves his ignorance too! All these players are unique in their own sense,same’s true 4 Feder
er as well !


gulu Says:

Nadal’s no ,no,no way better or in other words more special than Fed ! And don’t think that Rafa’d remain at d top for more than 100 weeks consecutively.D reason 4 my sayin this is Rafa’s already remained at very top alongwith Fed 4 more than 3 years.


gulu Says:

While Rafa may consider himself as better than Fed, Fed’s also sure that he’s better than Rafa ! And I’d dare say Fed’s better than Rafa !


Ezorra Says:

gulu, is that really important to determine who is better than who?


gulu Says:

Poor Nole,he lost to Tsonga! I am really happy for Tsonga, but extremely sad for Nole too. I may sound hypocritic or diplomatic here,but I mean what I say! :-( :-)


grendel Says:

“Whoever thinks dat Fed’s the best in history, it’s like he’s insulting to…..” Gulu, this is just Nadal’s way of speaking, and in any case, if I am right, he is not to be taken quite literally. I think it’s an excellent point you make, though, that Nadal being #2 for so long is going to make it very hard for him to stay for years as #1. Essentially, in this era we have had two #1’s – a strange situation.


grendel Says:

b.t.w., Djokovic didn’t play badly. But Tsonga is really something else, and then some, isn’t he. Be interesting to see how he handles Roddick’s serve. When Roddick is on a roll, he is very hard to beat, and he must be in with a decent chance of winning the whole caboodle. Mind you, so is Tsonga.
Djokovic was extremely sporting – I hope this completely undeserved reputation he has for arrogance will now die the death.


Von Says:

There’s a certain childlike innocence at times emanating from Djoko, which accounts for his unbridled speech; at least his peers know what to expect and where they stand.

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