Nadal Ousted, Federer v Djokovic Friday in Miami

First! Just kidding.

April 2nd, 2009 at 9:36 pm

amazing disaster!
love Rafa’s Spanglish!

Rest well Rafa and get ready for the clay season. Congratulations to JMDP.

April 2nd, 2009 at 9:38 pm

It was an insignificant loss for Nadal, no one can win all the time. Nadal was tired and this loss, instead of showing Nadal’s vulnerability, serves as a warning, to beat him, he has to be really tired after many matches and even so, he will go away without a fight. What a terrible warning to all tennis players including one named Roger Federer!

April 2nd, 2009 at 9:38 pm

“it was amazing disaster.”

That’s classic.

April 2nd, 2009 at 9:40 pm

He will not go away without a fight (correction).

April 2nd, 2009 at 9:41 pm

“Coach’s box” not “coaches box”. Sorry I couldn’t resist pointing that out. Texting and twittering seems to be eliminating the apostrophe, and I am resisting it!

Well, it sounds like JMDP is not short on confidence! I suspect he and his coach studied some tapes of that IW match against Rafa. He definitely seemed to have a plan today.

April 2nd, 2009 at 9:42 pm

Yes, that phrase “amazing disaster” seems somehow like a paradox, but true on some deeper level. Like someone on the other thread said, JMDP kind of out-rafaed Rafa.

April 2nd, 2009 at 9:44 pm

jane,

Yeah, not short on confidence at all. He definitely earned the win, though, as St4r5 just alluded. Congrats to JMDP for securing a first masters(‘) series semi appearance.

I wonder if Murray is wishing he’d practiced longer this afternoon.

April 2nd, 2009 at 9:49 pm

I think I have the Murray / JMDP quarter from the USO taped; maybe I’ll re-watch it to see. It’d be interesting to compare. Anyhow, am off for a bit. Nice chatting.

April 2nd, 2009 at 9:50 pm

Take care, jane.

April 2nd, 2009 at 9:54 pm

Is this Del Potro’s first time beating someone in the top four? I don’t think he has staying power in the top ten but I wouldn’t mind being proven wrong. It would make the top tens’ matchups even more exciting!

April 2nd, 2009 at 10:02 pm

I love Jou Nadal, when I dont get it, I dont care,
and I keep loving jou any way, but I just want to say, that whitout jou in the central cort, every thing looks less beautiful, becouse jou have so much passie in jour game, jour way to play, is the best entertainement in my life. I will see jou again, By By

April 2nd, 2009 at 10:04 pm

Dogs within a five mile radius go deaf every time the Williams Sisters play a match. Now all we need is Sharapova and another shrieker playing doubles against them. Christ.

April 2nd, 2009 at 10:06 pm

I liken Venus’ sounds to a puppy yapping. It’s a short, yap, yap. Serena on the other hand is a very real scream. So we have, yap, yap, scream — yap, yap, scream. Hey a chorus.

April 2nd, 2009 at 10:24 pm

I think we’ve seen this week a real eye opener into the weakness of Nadal’s game. In all honesty, if you watch the game against Wawrinka, it’s all about pushing Nadal around the court. He’s great at wearing an opponent down, but if you keep your unforced errors fairly low, he’s ripe for the taking. I am a huge Fed fan but appreciate Nadal as the best competitor in world sport (barring Tiger) and I must say the other night it was clear that if Fed could only keep his error count down a few per set, he’d clean up in straight. Nadal clears the net on groundstrokes by 2 yards – that’s hardly ultra aggressive. I believe Fed when he says if he plays his best on clay he can beat Nadal. We say in 2006, he cleaned him up in the first set playing just that way. I also back Murray to play the same way. Predictions for year end rankings = 1. Nadal (purely on points to date + clay court season), 2. Fed (he will win Wimbledon and US again) 3. Murray (clearly a class above Novak and no.1 in 2010), 4. Novak (only just, Tsonga will rack up some points). Time out.

April 2nd, 2009 at 11:03 pm

Federer can no longer play his “best.” You are talking about 2006, this is 2009. No way Nadal is more vulnerable than Federer right now. He makes a ton of errors and still matches up horrible with Nadal. He’s too arrogant to adapt his game and he’s losing his go-to forehand, on a good day it can still hurt opponents but on a bad day it’s an error machine. I think he can still win one slam this year but no way, in my opinion, will he win two. I would be pretty surprised if he can recover at Wimbledon after last year. Nadal and the young guys are rising and Federer is on the decline. Unless Nadal is taken out by someone else I don’t see Federer winning two slams; how soon we forget what happened at Australian Open.

April 2nd, 2009 at 11:33 pm

“Fernando “Hot Sauce” Verdasco’s game was about as attractive as his faux-hawk”

Hmm, where are the tennis-x staff photos?

April 2nd, 2009 at 11:53 pm

poor verdascp = what the hell happened?

and i have to eat my words from yesterday – didn’t think del potro had it in him…after seeing him being mopped up by fed at the AO and dismissed by nadal at IW, who would of thunk?

nice win for him.

April 2nd, 2009 at 11:55 pm

In my opinion, I think Nadal lost the match on purpose.

April 3rd, 2009 at 12:05 am

So, is anyone giving Delpo the edge over Murray because his game is also grinding, like Rafa’s or do other variables outweigh? Jane, if you watch their USO match, I’d be interested in your thoughts (even though it was 7 months ago. I didn’t see it but from the scoreline it looked fairly close.

April 3rd, 2009 at 12:11 am

Jo;

He looks like one but I don’t think he does. Del Potro played very well today… He shows us that all media coverage that he obtains all this while is not exaggerated or overrated. I think he really deserves it…

April 3rd, 2009 at 12:15 am

St4r5

I agree. This is not a significant loss for Rafa. But a significant win for JMDP.
When Rafa won Federer in their first encounter when he was just 17 ( Miami 2004), Rafa said something like:” If someone like me plays the best he can and someone like Federer- the world number 1- has a bad day, then I have a chance to win the match.”

Perhaps pretty much what happened today. JMDP was inspired and fought all the way. Played the best he could and Rafa had lots of errors. He played horrible throughout the tournament. But it is not a GS and Rafa has already two important titles and I hope he can win more this year. Of course shows what a great champion JMDP is too. Perhaps many players would have lost all hope after being two breaks down, but he did not and was rewarded for that.

I agree that no one can win 100%. I am happy that Rafa has some time to rest before MC.

blah
I agree that Fed of 2006 is different to Fed in 2009 and Rafa of 2006 is very different to Rafa of 2009. I hope Rafa improves more and gets better and can reach his full potential as a tennis player.

April 3rd, 2009 at 12:19 am

God Dam it Nadal lost! Atleast now he gets more of a rest before he literally dominates every one in the clay season with his clay court skills. I just cant believe what a difference a court surface makes. Nadal just literally dominates on clay his not just one level up from the rest but i would say atleast 2 levels better. He clearly is the best ever clay court player. Hope Nole or Murray can win the Miami title. Anyone besides Federer so he cant talk his s**t!

April 3rd, 2009 at 12:19 am

I do hope Juan has enough left in him to give andy a competitive match. So often I see guys really gear themselves up to beat the top person-Roger or Rafa-and then it’s like _that was the final and they just deflate in the next match. Perhaps Juan’s “big” confidence will see him through. As for Rafa and his “amazing” disaster-LOL-since he’s a match by match guy, every match is significant to him, even if it isn’t really. Still, you really can’t win everything. If one person won everything all the time, it would become very lopsided and boring.

April 3rd, 2009 at 12:21 am

tenisbebe,

I like Del Potro but he’s not that great to beat Nadal after he lost 2 of his first serves. We are talking about Nadal not any other player. Nadal was playing Great. I bet Del Potro know it too. Anyway, I really want to see Fed vs. Murray in the final. I really want Fed to win, so he can get his confident back.

April 3rd, 2009 at 12:35 am

Jo says: “tenisbebe, I like Del Potro but he’s not that great to beat Nadal after he lost 2 of his first serves. We are talking about Nadal not any other player. Nadal was playing Great. I bet Del Potro know it too.” Well Rafa said he felt he played terrible – he was quite emphatic about this – & that Delpo played well but not unbelievable. DelPotro, on the other hand, said that he did play unbelievable, that it was required to beat the world’s #1. Go figure.

I’m not sure which post of mine you are responding to but I just feel that Delpo may have a very good chance against Murray this time around for a variety of reasons and wanted to feel others out.

April 3rd, 2009 at 1:02 am

Federer was definitely at a different level in 2006. Even so, it sure looked to me that he made Rafa look silly on clay for multiple stretches of games (both service and return)in their first two encounters of the 2008 clay season. Unfortunately for Federer, he was unable to keep it together and Rafa went on to win those matches. At the French Open, however, Rafa made Federer look even sillier (with Fed’s help – not that Rafa needed it). Even in 2009, I believe that Federer can do just as he did in those stretches of games last year, but I really can’t say I see his chances of maintaining that kind of control over Rafa for two or three straights sets on clay as anything more than exceptionally slim. I imagine that Federer will have several more matches in his career where everything just clicks for him. The likelihood that those clicks will coincide with his facing Rafa on a clay court seems very low, however, and whether that will/can ever happen for him with Rafa on the other side of the net is a whole different question. Time may or may not tell, but conjecturing about it can be nice too.

April 3rd, 2009 at 1:11 am

tenisbebe, there are as we know two attributes needed to win a match – technique and temperament. Whether or not Del Potro played great strokes (looked pretty good to me), you must admit he showed great character not folding when he was a double break down against trhe World No 1.
As for the semi, I tend (optimistically) to back Murray to win. Andy, IF he plays at his best, may not be stronger or tougher than Nadal, but will have more variety. Those constant changes of pace and spin may (and I hope will) not allow Del Potro to settle.

April 3rd, 2009 at 2:42 am

Okay, I did rewatch the USO quarter final between Murray and JMDP: 7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-5 for Murray.

Both of their serves were up and down in that match, which may be in part because they’re both great returners. Mid 4th set, Murray was at 7/18 on break point chances, and JMDP at 5/12. Both also showed nerves and frustration; Murray and JMDP looked calmer in the matches I’ve seen in Miami.

Murray pros: played amazing defense; when he mixed the pace it worked well; however he didn’t always use that strategy and when he gave JMDP pace, JMDP fed off it. He won most of the longer rallies. He stood way back on the return to try to cut off the angle created by JMDP’s height; this worked only when JMDP served out wide, which he did a lot. Clearly the fitter one and the better mover is Andy.

Murray cons: lapses in concentration and even strategy at times. Lost lead 1st set. Lots of errors on the backhand side. Horrible at challenges.

JMDP pros: sometimes effective at luring Andy in and passing. Good at pushing Murray back and stepping into the court. Very good touch at the net. Definitely the more aggressive player in this match. He hit some zingers!

JMDP cons: movement was sketchy; this may’ve improved by now. He tended to be impatient at times, pulled the trigger too soon. He made errors when Andy changed up the pace. Lost his lead in the fourth set. Also horrible at challenges. He was less fit; you could tell he was almost in pain in the fourth set; I don’t know if he was cramping or what. But one would think he’s worked on that.

Based on this match I’d have to favour Murray as his pros outweighed JMDP’s; since then I think they’ve both improved. It may help JMDP that he’s just played – and beaten – Rafa, whereas Murray has hardly broken a sweat the last two matches he’s played. But I’d still give the edge to Murray.

April 3rd, 2009 at 3:03 am

Based on what i’ve seen from the quarter F’s.. I think Novak is showing signs of being the break thru player that he was in 2007. His game is pretty ‘on’ right now and he is playing a litle more aggressive than he has been in the past (latter half of ’08).
Federer on the other hand hasn’t instilled any real confidence, with the way he’s been playing and i stil believe that if Novak can pepper his backhand, then Fed’s error count will reach the Empire state !
Predictions – Apart from the heat and of course, Roger bringing in his A game, I don’t see Novak losing this one..

April 3rd, 2009 at 8:38 am

I stopped watching at 3-0 Nadal in the 3rd – big mistake. Congratulations to delPo; great win. Rafa can chalk this one up to fatigue – he should never have played Rotterdam, because it all adds up.

As for delPo v Murray – this one’s got a Murray lashing written all over it. delPo was very competitive, but Rafa gave him a lot of points and Murray will not. Also, Murray’s retrieving and variety will elicit a lot of errors. There is also the subtext of their encounter in Rome last year, and I guarantee Murray will be thinking aobut it, even though he had no business having a go at delPo.

Wade said: “He clearly is the best ever clay court player.”

I’m sorry, have you ever heard of a player named Bjorn Borg? He played the french open 8 times and won 6. He only lost twice in his career there, and to the same player (Adriano Panatta). I wouldn’t be so quick to brush him aside until Rafa reaches 6 – then I’ll be the first one to agree with you. Until #6 though, for me, the master of clay is still Borg.

April 3rd, 2009 at 8:46 am

Ra said: “Even in 2009, I believe that Federer can do just as he did in those stretches of games last year, but I really can’t say I see his chances of maintaining that kind of control over Rafa for two or three straights sets on clay as anything more than exceptionally slim. I imagine that Federer will have several more matches in his career where everything just clicks for him. The likelihood that those clicks will coincide with his facing Rafa on a clay court seems very low, however, and whether that will/can ever happen for him with Rafa on the other side of the net is a whole different question.”

Well, with his current H2H against Nadal (which is really an “amazing disaster” :-) ), Fed knows very well it HAS to click – and we all know where… The truth is, unless Nadal doesn’t break one of his legs, he’s not going to turn that H2H around in any way, so his only real chance of redeeming himself against the Spaniard (and Fed knows it very well) lies in winning the FO… Whether he can do that (especially after that last year’s humiliation) is of course another story, but really, that’s the only way I can see him erasing those 3 heavy blows which he suffered against the Spaniard at FO & Wimby 2008, and then at AO 2009…

April 3rd, 2009 at 9:07 am

Did no one have their coverage cut off? Early in the tie break MSG+ cut off their coverage to show the face off in the Islanders game. I missed the last 3 or 4 minutes. Did that not happen to anyone else. It was awful!

April 3rd, 2009 at 9:25 am

MMT says “There is also the subtext of their encounter in Rome last year, and I guarantee Murray will be thinking aobut it, even though he had no business having a go at delPo.”

In watching the USO quarter final again, the match ended with a number of words expressed at the net between these two: respectful, possibly apologetic words. They had their arms over each other’s shoulders; they seemed, imo, the have clearly let bygones be bygones. So I don’t think there will be much subtext.

I agree that Murray will likely win this match, but I don’t know if it will be as lopsided at the last two matches, maybe 2 tight sets. But it depends on how JMDP bounces back or what kind of confidence he brings into this match.

April 3rd, 2009 at 9:45 am

MMT says “There is also the subtext of their encounter in Rome last year, and I guarantee Murray will be thinking aobut it, even though he had no business having a go at delPo.”

Jane says “In watching the USO quarter final again, the match ended with a number of words expressed at the net between these two: respectful, possibly apologetic words. They had their arms over each other’s shoulders; they seemed, imo, the have clearly let bygones be bygones. So I don’t think there will be much subtext.”

According to someone I know who knows Delpo quite well, this is not true – he DOES NOT LIKE Murray – period. They may pretend in public that all in well but I think the bad blood b/w them that’s not going away anytime soon. Another possible tennis rivalry is just delicious, yes?

April 3rd, 2009 at 10:22 am

Jane: “They had their arms over each other’s shoulders; they seemed, imo, the have clearly let bygones be bygones. So I don’t think there will be much subtext.”

Well is that just fine and dandy? Okay, okay, so there won’t be much subtext…could you just let me imagine it? :-) I just makes the matches so much more interesting. I mean, tell the truth; wasn’t it juicy when one of the Williams sisters would play Hingis? Or Henin? Lendl v. McEnroe? Connors v. Anyone?

…disappointed…

April 3rd, 2009 at 10:23 am

does anyone know if the semis are going to be played today or tomorrow? The OP is not out yet, which is strange.

April 3rd, 2009 at 10:28 am

Thanks Colin, Jane & MMT for your insights. Murray’s variety & “junkballing” (as the Brit commentators call it) shouldn’t allow Delpo to get into a rhythm however with the perseverance & grit he showed vs Rafa he may make inroads. Am hoping this is a well contested, close match.

April 3rd, 2009 at 10:33 am

jane,

Nice analysis. I only saw a couple sets of that match, but I do recall seeing a lot of what you mentioned. I, too, give Murray the edge in this one primarily because it seems to me that Murray beat JMDP in several different ways while JMDP could only overcome Murray in one; And I think JMDP would have to play his absolute best aggressive game to only possibly overcome Murray’s defense.

“JMDP cons: movement was sketchy”

Nice.

April 3rd, 2009 at 10:34 am

zola Says: “does anyone know if the semis are going to be played today or tomorrow? The OP is not out yet, which is strange.” Zola, during the Wms sisters match last night, they showed today;s schedule as follows:

1pm EDT Fed vs Djoko
7pm EDT Delpo vs Murray

Don’t know what the weather is now in Miami but am going with this scheule. Hope this helps.

April 3rd, 2009 at 10:35 am

MMT – did you read my post of 10:22am? All is not lost if you are looking for “subtext”……

April 3rd, 2009 at 10:39 am

tenisbebe, oh well, you have an insider’s scoop do you? I guess that trumps my mere match viewing, in which case, I’ll have to concede that there may well be subtext after all, and MMT won’t have to only imagine it.

Ra, actually it was amazing to me how much Murray got back in that JMDP USO match; wow. I was flabbergasted. Murray really had to work for that win, but I can’t recall the last time he’s worked like that; maybe the match between Murray and Federer at the Masters Cup was the last time I have seen Murray pushed like that, in really tight sets. I guess the AO Verdasco match had moments, but there were more tipsy-turvy momentum swings and breaks of serve consolidate. In that quarter with JMDP, they could rarely get a lead against one another; it was tight. Very well fought. An enjoyable re-watch. I hope we see another match along those lines.

April 3rd, 2009 at 10:50 am

thanks tennisbebe for the order of play.

I wish the semis were played back to back. This way the finalist who has his match earlier has an advantage. I hope it is an easy match for Murray and he can rest as opposed to his grueling match with Rafa in US Open prior to his final with a well-rested Federer.

April 3rd, 2009 at 10:53 am

That was a great match by Delpotro. I dont remember anyone coming back from a double break against Nadal in the final set. Though nadal must already have had his eyes set on the clay season, there is a possibility that this might have bigger consequences. More so, since delpotro can translate his game to clay…. hopefully, this clay season will not turn out to be a massacre like last year’s french open. That was one of the worst GS in a long time with no instant classic matches at all.

The weather in Miami is cloudy and windy, so any advantage Roger might have from the noon scheduling will be negated and with Roger’s game being scratchy, it is hard to predict the winner. I just hope Novak will not bring his WTA dramatics to the match though. I for one am getting repelled from his efficient and exciting game by such pettiness. If he is really not fit, he should not take the court. Retiring mid-way in the match or routine trainer massages just ruin the flow of the match. I mean, you dont have to be entirely like blake or Roger and have like 1 or 2 trainer calls a year, but people like Rafa, the two Andys and many others donot resort to abuse of the rule. Novak has crossed the line for a good time now, which is a pity since his game is good enough not to resort to such pettiness. I hope he gets a good trainer and sorts this out soon.

The 2nd semi-final, murray’s only reason to lose should be lack of match practice. We will learn more about delpo’s character and conditioning on how well contested the match will be. If I were in delpo’s team, I would tell him this is a serious “statement” match. If he can fight the odds and beat murray, he should soon be in the top 5 and keep his ascent upwards on the fast-track!

Last but not the least, I wish azarenka can do a sharapova and give serena a royal challenge. The WTA needs some real rivalries like the justine-serena one. I am not holding my breath though.

All in all, exciting tennis for the weekend.

April 3rd, 2009 at 11:00 am

There is a day’s rest between the semi-finals. Murray/delpo should have no tiredness excuse if they lose the final to Roger/Novak.

April 3rd, 2009 at 11:03 am

Nadal was ready to lose… Got away from Nalbandian, Wawrinka, and finally JMDP caught him!

April 3rd, 2009 at 11:17 am

well, if it is along match, one day may not be enough. If tiredness is no excuse, I wish for once to see Federer playing the late matches and come to a final with less rest than his opponent.

Federer had more rest in Wimbledon 07 final against Rafa, in US Open 08 against Murray and AO 09 against Rafa and again here the winner of the first semi will have more rest.

One semi is 11 am and the next 7 pm. Why not 11 am and 2 pm? or 5 pm and 7 pm?

April 3rd, 2009 at 11:19 am

[…] Here is the original:  Nadal Ousted, Federer v Djokovic Friday in Miami […]

April 3rd, 2009 at 11:19 am

Duro,
right. Rafa did not play his best in IW and won just because of his will. Here he did not have a good match since the beginning of the tournament. he could have gone against Wawrinka or Gil and actually that would not have been a bad thing. He could have had more rest ahead of the clay season.

April 3rd, 2009 at 11:22 am

Yeah, I checked the weather forecast; there’s call for possible afternoon thunder showers, some wind, which means it could be muggy (if Djoko does have asthma, which I’ve read some places, then mugginess will aggravate it). Here’s a link:

http://www.holiday-weather.com/miami/index.html

Long Live …

You’re certainly entitled to your opinion about Novak, and many, many people agree with you and judge him harshly. I’d just ask you to remember that ALL PEOPLE are different and therefore deal with things (weather, anxiety, health problems etc) differently. Some people have strong constitutions and never catch a bug; others catch everything. And that’s not excuse-making. I agree with you that Novak should deal with his fitness and/or health issues, as I’ve opined on numerous occasions.

But if you don’t want people mud-slinging Federer, why call Djoko “dramatic” “abusive” and “petty”? Then surely it’s fine for others to call Federer “arrogant”? I think one could find evidence to support such a notion regarding Roger.

Notice that Novak only sought help the other day when he was up a break, a set and literally almost finished the match? I don’t think he’d do that unless there was something seriously bothering him. And at least he overcame it this time, which was a positive step. Let’s hope he does that more consistently: tries to fight through how he’s feeling a bit more. If he retires against Federer today I will be utterly disappointed and perhaps even a little “repelled” as a fan.

But I won’t attack his character. I try to avoid going down that road.

April 3rd, 2009 at 11:26 am

Jane
I don’t think Djoko has asthma. He had breathing problems because of a deviated septum ( I might be wrong) and I think he has surgery for it.
To me his breathing problems stem from anxiety. The more he matures and gets more xperience on the court the less that will happen.

Also now that we talk about time outs, JMDP called for a massage at 5-4 third set before Rafa’s serve and no one seemed to be bothered by that.

April 3rd, 2009 at 11:39 am

I know what he’s had surgery for zola; but I have read elsewhere that he could have a mild form of asthma affected by stress, weather and possibly also exertion which any form of asthma is affected by – I know; I have it). Have you ever heard of “sports induced asthma”? It exists. Commentators have speculated as much about Djokovic. Moreover, if it’s ONLY anxiety, then why would all of his anxiety happen in day time matches, generally speaking? He almost always plays well in later matches. This suggests, to me anyhow, there is perhaps an underlying condition, whether it’s a breathing or conditioning or fitness, which may or may not also be aggravated by anxiety.

Everyone calls time outs from time to time, some more than others. Who cares? Why keep track? Only if it’s breaking the rules should it be a major concern. Same with taking major time between serves, like Rafa, Tsonga, Djoko and many others so, unless the umpire warns them and calls them on it, then so be it.

April 3rd, 2009 at 11:58 am

Which brings me to a point about umpires: what is their job these days? I take issue with the fact that they cannot overrule a machine (at IW that call which went against Ljubicic was brutal). Why are they there then? To keep score? If the machine makes mistakes when there are shadows, isn’t that precisely the time to use humans? I actually like Hawkeye a lot, and support it altogether, but umpires should be a little more proactive in the matches at times. If they have the benefit of line judges and hawkeye then perhaps they could do a better job at paying particular attention to overrules and regulations? Okay – rant done.

April 3rd, 2009 at 12:03 pm

Jane,
that’s right that he has more trouble in the hot weather. Are they allowed to use puffers or some medication during the match? I have seen players taking pills.
Has he retired in all of his day matches? I don’t think so. It was always against big names. That’s why I think it is anxiey , or at least partly. Not that he is scared of the opponent, but maybe it kicks in when he is frustrated or disappointed, which does not happen often against lower-ranked players. Maybe it is a combination of things.

To me, when a player retires, he is depriving himself of a win. So he has already been punished for a physical or whatever condition and the other player gets a cakewalk. What tells me more about a player’s character is the way they behave against other players, fan, media, umpire, ballkids, etc. I think Djoko has been very careful in the way he is conducting himself and that is a great improvement.

About injury time outs, it is right that as long as the rules are there no one should blame the players for using the time outs. It is up to the ATP to put a machanism in place to see if an injury time out was absolutely necessary or not. Cramp is a fitness problem not an injury.

Someone here suggested long time ago that a physio should be present on court between the points. I like that idea and I think it will help reduce the injuries.

April 3rd, 2009 at 12:10 pm

Jane

***Which brings me to a point about umpires: what is their job these days? I take issue with the fact that they cannot overrule a machine (at IW that call which went against Ljubicic was brutal). Why are they there then? To keep score? ***

I think Goodall said the exact same thing in IW. He was so frustrated by the umpire sitting there and doing nothing with all these wrong calls affecting the match. Seriously the lineperson is corrected by the Hawk-eye and the umpire cannot over rule the hawk-eye. Then why the heck are they sitting there?

April 3rd, 2009 at 12:14 pm

“Also now that we talk about time outs, JMDP called for a massage at 5-4 third set before Rafa’s serve and no one seemed to be bothered by that.”

Yes Zola, but he didn’t take the three minutes medical time-out, he just got a massage during the break between games. So there’s really nothing to get bothered about.

April 3rd, 2009 at 12:14 pm

zola,

Every retirement that I recall has been during the day: Roddick (AO), Fed (MC), Davydenko (when winning during Davis Cup), Rafa (Wimbledon – injury, not breathing).

All of these were against top players – but he’d beaten every one of them before; he took sets off Roddick & Rafa in the matches I mentioned, and was winning against Davy. (I am not touching on any pre-2007, as that was before his surgery.)

As I said above, I agree with you that anxiety could be a factor, and stress can trigger asthma. So I agree that it’s likely a combination of things.

He does need to be stronger and do whatever he needs to get past this, but it’s not a simple thing, and should be considered in its complexity.

I too feel his shown maturity and while he’s a bit of a volatile character, he’s grown and generally seems to learn from his mistakes. Which is another reason why I think that if the retiring were a simple matter, he’d’ve quit it altogether.

“Cramp is a fitness problem not an injury.” Interesting point; so are you suggesting when players are cramping they should not be allowed treatment? Just wondering.

April 3rd, 2009 at 12:20 pm

[…] Nadal Ousted, Federer v Djokovic Friday in MiamiHow to Play Tennis in the Wind — and Win. April 2nd, 2009. Nadal Ousted, Federer v Djokovic Friday in Miami by Staff. World No. 1 Rafael Nadal was denied a first Masters Miami title on Thursday when the Spaniard was upset by ….. At the French Open, however, Rafa made Federer look even sillier (with Fed’s help – not that Rafa needed it). Even in 2009, I believe that Federer can do just as he did in those stretches of games last year, but I really can’t say I see his … […]

April 3rd, 2009 at 12:21 pm

Jane,

I have done my fair bit of Novak defense over the pre 2008 period, but he has overused his slack. I will respond to you later, but let me say that I would have been the happiest if Novak played on in Monte Carlo or even the 2009 aus open or if he refrained from the drama in NY last year, failing to take the joke when andy dished it.

I will be as happy as you if he wins Miami with no more trainer calls. Can you promise there will be none? I can promise you none from Roger in the next 2 matches. I am sure most intelligent Tennis fans know where to put the money on this one.

Later…. enjoy the semis :)

April 3rd, 2009 at 12:32 pm

Jane,
no, I am not suggesting no treatment for cramp, because I cannot watch a person in pain. I still have images of Baghdatis playing Agassi while cramping. But it is not an injury. It is lack of fitness.

Perhaps the player should be given some time out by himself, to ice or do something. but calling a trainer to make him fit so that he can play another player who has already worked months on his fitness does not seem fair.

April 3rd, 2009 at 12:45 pm

or better, if the player cannot continue the match, it has to be stopped.

April 3rd, 2009 at 12:46 pm

zola says “…. cramping. But it is not an injury. It is lack of fitness.” “or better, if the player cannot continue the match, it has to be stopped.”

I agree – no trainer calls for cramping. If the person can’t play through the cramps, they must retire (and then can get treatment). Cramps are very painful but as far as I know you can’t die from them. Even though it was a player cramping that was the impetus for MTO’s, cramping is a lack of fitness and should not be treated as medical.

April 3rd, 2009 at 12:54 pm

Long Live… I’ve never seen you posting here before, unless you’ve changed your name, so I haven’t seen you doing any defending, only chiding.

zola, & also tenisbebe, “I still have images of Baghdatis playing Agassi while cramping.” Me too – that was brutal. I was under the impression cramping could be caused by fluid loss and/or anxiety, in which case I would guess it’s not only a fitness issue. But I agree that it’s not an “injury” per se either. i would suggest no more than one timeout, a short one, for cramping, and after that, it’s retire or suck it up. I think in some long hot matches, rehydration may help, so they deserve at least the opportunity to do that.

April 3rd, 2009 at 1:12 pm

Jane – Fluid loss, yes, not hydrating properly the day before (not day of) a match in extreme conditions. I still say no MTO’s for cramping, whether it’s Serena or whoever. You are a softy Jane :)

April 3rd, 2009 at 1:28 pm

Thank you tenisbebe: I have just now seen your post! I’ll now be watching with both eyes!

April 3rd, 2009 at 1:41 pm

This entire match has been an amazing disaster (although not without significant and profound entertainment value).

April 3rd, 2009 at 2:44 pm

Long Live… says “I can promise you none from Roger in the next 2 matches. I am sure most intelligent Tennis fans know where to put the money on this one.”

Well, I guess Fed won’t need to take a time out since he won’t be IN the next match! I hope you didn’t lose too much money. ;-)

(Sorry for gloating just a little but you kind of asked for it.)

April 3rd, 2009 at 3:25 pm

Ra, my empathy to you for Fed’s meltdown. As I said on the other thread, maybe this’ll be a catalyst for change. It helped through the rest of the 3rd set. Maybe he should’ve smashed it sooner? Hope you’re around for JMDP / Murray later.

April 3rd, 2009 at 3:27 pm

tenisbebe says “You are a softy” – guilty as charged; I cry in telephone commercials. LOL

April 3rd, 2009 at 3:28 pm

Wow, so much has happenend today, and of course, so much has been said, that’s a lot to assimilate, dissect and comment, but I’ll try nonetheless, angering some by pointing out the truth of my perceptions, and possibly gaining enemies while losing friends. Anyway, here goes:

First of all, I’d like to say congrats to Djoko and fans for his win v. Federer. Djoko should send a thank you note to A-Rod for softening up Fed. Duro, a personal congrats to you, because you asked the last time Djoko won, where is your congrats.

I was very disappointed at the quality of today’s match. It was nothing special and the match was decided on who produced the least errors and could hold onto their service games, due to the match being extremely error-prone by Federer and Djoko as well. It seemed Federer mentally gave up and just stayed the course of the match wishing for it’s end, after his FH began misfiring so crazily. A few days ago some were stating Fed’s FH was working well, especially against Dent, and I laughed to myself thinking which match were they viewing. Well, his FH was working better against Dent and Roddick, who always provides Fed the target he craves, than today, where it went berserk.

In summary, to coin one of Djoko’s statements, when he lost to Roddick at IW, and this now pertains to what Federer could say: ‘it was more me making UEs than him doing anything special”. I know this will probably anger jane, who’s very touchy on the subject and/or truth regarding Djoko, but people, it’s how I saw the match. I can’t lie and do a snow job, sorry. If Federer had kept up his performance as he did in the first set, or half of what he did in his match v. A-Rod, Djoko would probably not have won. Since, I’m a fan of neither player, I think I’m speaking objectively and not subjectively. However, in the end all that matters is the “W” n’est ce pas, which was Djoko’s and hats off to him for reaching the finals. I know jane will have many defenses to proffer, but it’s OK, I understand.

jane: “Every retirement that I recall has been during the day: Roddick (AO), Fed (MC), Davydenko (when winning during Davis Cup), Rafa (Wimbledon – injury, not breathing).”

There has been much deliberation with respect to the weather, and time of day Djoko’s matches were played, but this whole week has been very mild weather with some nice breeze to offset any humidity. Hence, no need for the hot weather affecting Djoko or becoming a factor that should be of such pivotal concern.

Re; The retirement in MC, let’s not forget this is Djoko’s place of residence, so how can he live there if he cannot handle the weather. I believe his retirement was due to feeling “dizzy”. In DC, that match was played in Serbia, in the cold weather — no sun there. he said he had the flu, but left that day to fly to France to to play in Marseille.

The AO, yes it was hot, but it wasn’t about his breathing/asthma, was it? And, even though the deliberations were many, the heat wave began the next day.

“You’re certainly entitled to your opinion about Novak, and many, many people agree with you and judge him harshly. I’d just ask you to remember that ALL PEOPLE are different and therefore deal with things (weather, anxiety, health problems etc) differently.” jane

jane, why is it when anyone states the obvious with respect to Novak you term it as judging him “harshly”. Gosh, look at how Roddick is judged: as one-dimensional, a pusher (Sean’s latest pet phrase for A-Rod) a donkey, a pansy, he sucks, a bully, et al. And, what has he done to earn any of those descriptive adjectives? Absolutely nothing, except according to their perception, he’s deserving of such. However, in Djoko’s case, there is some truth to his retirements and/or semantics, hence how could they be harsh? Sometimes, I truthfully have to admit, he does do that inhaling thing with his dropped shoulder stuff and the ‘woe is me’ look to put his opponent off, which is OK, but it is difficult for another player to play against an opponent who appears to be struggling, and it really throws them off and their game.

On the subject of the medical time outs, I think that’s a very touchy subject. Some have stated about physios being present to diagnose the problem, etc., but can we in conscience call Nadal’s numerous medical time-outs all injuries? The injury time-out he had in his match v. Federer in MC to tape his fingers just seconds before the match began, another couple of matches to tape his patella, tape his foot v. Nalby, for which he already had a bandage on, and many others. Are those injuries? I don’t think so. Not to mention when he was stalling for time rooting through his bag, with his shoe off because he was losing the match v. Nalby. To me that was gamesmanship, and it worked, it completely threw off Nalby, who lost his momentum = Nadal wins. Anyway, all of these things are within the rules, I suppose, but if they are, how could cramping not be considered a real injury time out, even if it’s due to conditioning? I think taping fingers and an already taped foot, does not need a trainer, and a player could finish his match without a trainer call. Cramps is a very different matter and it’s not always a conditioning problem, more of a problem regarding unbalanced electrolytes, sometimes due to the heat when a player loses a lot of fluids, e.g., salt/potassium. It could also happen if someone happens to curl their toes in a wrong position, that and many other things.

I’ve been criticized for criticizing the umpires. But I’ll say it again, they just sit there like a bump on a log, and stare into space, not following what’s happening. The most attentive, but nasty umpire, is Lars Graf. The others need a good scolding because many players have lost their matches due to the umpires’ negligence. ATP needs to do something and fast. A lot of Roddick’s faults on serve down the T are so close, and I’ve said it again, he should challenge. In his match v. Fed, there was a serve from Fed down the T called good, which was way off, not even an inch close. And, there was the useless bump/umpire, with his head and eyes, some place else, other than on the court. Had Roddick not challenged, it would have been an ace for Federer. It’s no wonder Andy loses it with the umpires and I don’t care who harps on that, and some love to harp to the point of being redundant, they are not the ones playing the match, he is, and he’s darn well entitled. He could have probaably won the 2002 USO had there not been a bad call against him v. Hewitt in the QFs. From that people learn and they are ever watchful — it becomes a Pavlov’s Bell situation for them.

jane: “Long Live… I’ve never seen you posting here before, unless you’ve changed your name, so I haven’t seen you doing any defending, only chiding.”

He’s posted many times with many, many names. The last one Federer Rules, when he applauded you because you thought Mirka’s pregnancy was wonderful, and I was the ‘scum of society”. You were bringing back respect to women for that remark. His all-time famous name is “Roddick is a Donkey, but what’s happening today bro, you can’t dance or do anything, because your tail is stuck between your legs and you’ve got to hop on one foot outta here. Sorry, I couldn’t let that one pass. And, you can’t use your other name of “Federer rules”, because he ain’t ruling now, comeuppance is a b**ch, ain’t it? So I guess you’ll have to resort to plain old ‘Jack” “Fed Ex”, “latent talent”, etc., etc., Too many to list, but you get my drift, don’t ya? You’ve got a very discernible writing style that you can’t hide, and my eyes find it all the time after a few sentences. Anyway, carry on smart-lessly, as per usual. Blue skies are gonna clear up, put on a happy face!!!!

April 3rd, 2009 at 6:49 pm

Von, I don’t have a problem with anything you’ve written; it all seems fair enough to me. I agree it wasn’t a great match by either guy (have said as much), and have also, on another thread, already acknowledged that Andy may’ve “softened” up Fed for Novak.

You’re right that there is truth to Djoko’s bad retirements; I don’t like them either and hope those just go away. I guess I can’t help defending him because I do believe there are differences to people in terms of endurance, immune system etc. However, he should get better conditioning, as mentioned. I do try to be objective, but it’s tough sometimes!

I wondered about “Long Live…” as soon as s/he said s/he had done some defending of Djoko before but was now “repelled”; I had seen this post-name for the first time only after (or during?) Roddick’s match so had assumed it was a new poster. I don’t have your eye for writing styles and such.

Anyhow, hope you get to see the Murray / Del Potro match.

April 3rd, 2009 at 7:10 pm

Von, I’ve disagreed with Sean about that “pusher” label, too, both when Roddick played Rafa and when he played Fed the other night, wherein both Sean and Giner were focusing on Federer’s “bad” play as opposed to Roddick’s “good” play (as commentators often do when Roger is playing). Sean likes to call Novak a “garbage collector” so I get your drift.

April 3rd, 2009 at 7:15 pm

Von, thanks for congrats, but what’s that? It’s even more than 3 miles long!???? Behave yourself ha ha ha! Nole is back! The whole this tournament is showing it, slowly, in the shadow, not payed so much attention to, but confidently… A class is a class.

April 3rd, 2009 at 7:17 pm

To Von, I think that Roddick should have won that match against Fed but it was his own fault that it happened again. I don’t know why, but each time he plays against Fed he alters his game for the worst. His ususal backhand slice returns are gone, he is not building poins and he starts rushing for winning shots. If he can just stop thinking about who is on the other side of the net and concentrate on playing his strategy, Fed will not have a chance at taking a match from him…

On your comments about the heat wave … Sorry, but I will never forget those > 60C on-court measurments. And who was taking presidence over Djokovic to play an evening match? An unranked player(!) by the name of Jelena Dokic. Novak as defending champion could not get what he deserved. On the next day, when Serena was losing ground, they quickly stopped the match! The Decisions that were made during those two days by AUS organizers (behind the closed door) are the most contraversial in recent tennis history!
Hopefully Djokovic can bounce back on this win and forget the whole AUS debacle.

April 3rd, 2009 at 7:55 pm

Von, Von, Von, you won’t escape with this! Nole was up two set against Davidenko, the DC match had been played in Moscow, not Serbia, Nole retired cause he had a flu and we all had it in Serbia and Montenegro at that time (I remember it very well, cause I had it too. It was like couple of days after AO 08). He tried as much as he could, but retired because of illness after losing one set and couldn’t hold anymore. As for MC match against Federer, it was very hot and if you were watching the match you would see Novak struggling with a heat and breathing especially. He was all red in the face, fighting for the air, it was only a matter of time to realize he couldn’t go on. In the Wimbledon, he had extremely exhausting five-setter match against Bagdatis, won but couldn’t recover against Rafa, blisters all over his feet. Bagdatis was again his L’Ouverture before this years retirement in AO (played exhausting match till 2:30 am), got only a day to rest and scheduled to play in the inhuman conditions in the hottest sun, denying his request to be scheduled in the evening. RG 07 against Rafa, blisters again. All in all, the theme is already old and repeated too many times. The thing is, Novak Djoković has never retired without a reason! It’s the only thing that matters for us who love him and support him and root for him. He won a big match today, proved couple of things to himself especially, because we never doubted him, and he deserves every credit for his achievements (including the heroic win over Tsonga), so it’s not the time to repeat that old story anymore, but to give him all the credit he deserves, for the success of being finalist in Miami as well as for his recovering, achievements, talent, and overcoming the problems with his self confidence, new racquet issues, and his shaky form from the beginning of the year. Novak is back! Congrats to that!

April 3rd, 2009 at 8:01 pm

Nadal is not going to be overly disappointed by this loss. The clay season is just ahead, and that’s going to be a lot of tennis. He knows he can’t win them all. Indian Wells + Miami + MC + Rome + Madrid + Roland Garros, and some smaller events thrown in like Barcelona.. win them all? Unlikely. That will be the longest win streak in who knows how long.

A loss was due, and he knew it was coming.

I do not think he will win all 3 clay masters this season either, though it’s not beyond the realm of possibility. I don’t think anyone has ever done it before.

April 3rd, 2009 at 8:13 pm

Duro: If you read my post carefully, you’ll see I stated Djoko retired in DC due to the flu, but what I don’t understand is why he went to Marseilles that same day, even though he was sick. that’s the reason he was criticized.

I never mentioned the Wimby match, and I also stated in MC that the retirement was due to his dizziness. I defended Djoko on his retirement in MC and got blasted by many. I also thought it was rude of Federer to tell Djoko’s parents to “shut up” and I got killed by Fed fans for weeks. I made some enemies because of that defense. jane can verify this because that thread was a busy one. And, even though Djoko was not my player, I went to bat for him, and have done so many times, more than Djoko’s fans defending A-Rod. I only referred to the retirements because it was mentioned in jane’s post today. You need to know a little more history mon ami, before jumping out at moi.

Yes, he deserves credit for everything he’s done, and I won’t deny that.
_____________
Gordon: According to the Aussie residents who blogged here, the court temperature was not as you state, and the heat wave did not begin until later the next day in Serena’s match. The evening match was given to Dokic who is representing Australia and the tournament wanted her to have the marquee match. It’s the usual custom for countries to give marquee matches to their own. I’m in agreement with you. I hope Djoko can withstand a hot day and then the AO fiasco will be forgotten.

April 3rd, 2009 at 8:24 pm

Von, how can I read it more carefully when it’s couple of miles long (kidding, of course)? Ok, it’s all Jane’s fault! Je suis tres desole pour ca, mon amie. Because of your credits for defending Novak I will never again “jump out” at toi! Novak will take this one (tournament, of course). See you around, tomorow.

April 3rd, 2009 at 8:33 pm

Von:

“He (Roddick) could have probaably won the 2002 USO had there not been a bad call against him v. Hewitt in the QFs.”

That was 2001, the year Hewitt won it. I just rewatched that incident on Youtube recently (I remember watching it live at the time). Roddick was 18 at the time, and his reaction was very immature even though he genuinely was robbed, which then had him fuming in rage, costing him the game and match. Roddick’s outbursts today are nothing like what they were in his teen years.

I totally concede that he was robbed of the match and that it was very unfortunate for him to not have hawkeye back then. However, thinking back now, I don’t think he would have beat Hewitt. He would have held and then lost either 5-7 or 6-7. At critical stages of a match, Hewitt was just far further ahead mentally than Roddick was at the time, and would not have lost when it mattered most (i.e. tie breaks or serving to stay in the match).

And had he beaten Hewitt, Pete would have been waiting. I was a big sympathizer of Roddick that year, but I don’t think he would have won the Open in any case.

Also, in the French Open match he played against Hewitt where he retired at one set all, I don’t think he would have beaten Hewitt there had he not injured himself either. Hewitt owned him until mid 20’s and those wins were all mental, and clay was not his best surface.

April 3rd, 2009 at 8:34 pm

Duro: If you were to use the translator I searched for so diligently and gave to you, you’d not mind my 3 plus mile posts. ha, ha. Sleep well knowing your boy is winning the tournament as you say. Good night and kiss the baby tennis genius. I love how babies smell. If I were rich to employ 24-hour nannies, I’d have another. Boo hoo.

April 3rd, 2009 at 8:42 pm

Von says:

“Gordon: According to the Aussie residents who blogged here, the court temperature was not as you state, and the heat wave did not begin until later the next day in Serena’s match. The evening match was given to Dokic who is representing Australia and the tournament wanted her to have the marquee match. It’s the usual custom for countries to give marquee matches to their own. I’m in agreement with you. I hope Djoko can withstand a hot day and then the AO fiasco will be forgotten.”

I’m from Melbourne and I can concur that the heat that day was nothing compared to the heat wave that was to come. Djokovic’s match was played in mild conditions compared to the following few days when the roof had to be shut (to the advantage of some players and detriment of others). If Djokovic was around on those hotter days, he would have been killed.

The air temp during Djoko’s match with Roddick was 28C (82F). The days following, the temp soared to 41-44C (106-112F). If he couldn’t handle 28C without risking his health, he would have died if he played in 44C heat without the roof. Local commentators were pointing out that the heat wasn’t that bad and were shredding him for not being able to withstand them. If this was NY which is also known to be hot (and windy), he wouldn’t have even been protected by the roof.

To rub it in, only an hour after the match he retired from, in his presser he said he felt better and was ready to go back out on court again… ugh.

I still like the guy, because he has the rare combination of talent and smug confidence (saying Federer is ‘vulnerable’ and his mother saying “The King is dead, long live the King”), but he has to work on his credibility a bit.

April 3rd, 2009 at 8:44 pm

Giner; thanks for the correction. I’m not always right, but seldom wrong, and when I’m wrong it’s always the year, because I don’t look up stats but commit everything to memory.

I still think A-Rod would have gotten further in the USO had it not been for Hewitt. Nowadays A-Rod is the boss not Hewitt. Isn’t it amazing how things and reality changes?

April 3rd, 2009 at 8:45 pm

Giner,

“his reaction was very immature even though he genuinely was robbed” Well Andy was robbed, 19 years old, and close to a major break through there. No wonder he freaked out.

April 3rd, 2009 at 8:46 pm

Duro,

I am hoping you were kidding. If not, please go look at my earlier posts on this thread; you’ll see I was defending Novak’s retirements today. Anyhow, see you soon. Take care of the 5 month old.

April 3rd, 2009 at 8:47 pm

Jane, of course I was kidding! Von mentioned you before so I used it! Novak will win this tournament. I have no more doubts. Wait and see.

April 3rd, 2009 at 8:59 pm

Giner:

“I do not think he will win all 3 clay masters this season either, though it’s not beyond the realm of possibility. I don’t think anyone has ever done it before.”

I stated either the beginning of this year or toward the end of last year that every player has a rip-roaring year and I think Nadal’s was 2008. That simple comment was labeled as ‘hatred’ for Nadal. But, be that as it may, I don’t feel Nadal will be as dominant as he was in 2008, even in the clay season, and my feelings are based on what I’m seeing. He has lost some speed, weight, his FH is making too many errors (perhaps he’s contracted Fed’s FH malady) and he’s not as sharp as he has been previously. IW is a court tailor-made for him, but not Miami, and had it not been for such an easy draw, he would have lost before the QF in Miami, based on his performance. Also, even though no one has mentioned this little tid-bit, I think Nadal beat an injured Murray at IW, albeit Murray never stated anything to that effect. In Murray’s SF match v. Fed he had that nasty groin injury and I’m of the opinion that it was the prevailing factor at the final match. It’s just a thought but I do wonder…

April 3rd, 2009 at 9:00 pm

Hi gang! Just checking in – cleaning my kitchen while watching the match. Enjoying it now that Delpo has woken up.

April 3rd, 2009 at 9:00 pm

gordon Says:

“On your comments about the heat wave … Sorry, but I will never forget those > 60C on-court measurments.”

That is not how things work. The ‘on-court’ temperature is the temperature of the court surface, not the air surrounding it. The court is going to be hotter than the air, because the court is absorbing the heat. Take a piece of metal and place it on the ground outside in 40C heat for a few hours. The metal will be much hotter than 40C (it might be 80-90C because metal is a good conductor of heat), but the air temp outside remains 40C. The court that day was 60C, but during the time of their match it was 28C and rising a bit. The air temp the following few days soared to 40C+.

“And who was taking presidence over Djokovic to play an evening match? An unranked player(!) by the name of Jelena Dokic.”

Jelena Dokic was the comeback story of the AO. She used to be a good player for Australia then sucked for years and was the next Cinderella story which the AO is known for producing somehow. There is nothing unusual about a tournament putting its own players in prime time slots. This is for local ratings purposes. The tournament cares more about local ratings than that of overseas broadcasts. If this was any slam but the AO, she would have had a morning or afternoon match.

“Novak as defending champion could not get what he deserved.”

He is not the only guy worthy of playing night matches, and they simply can’t all play night matches simultaneously without networks losing coverage on some matches. So they took it in turns. Djokovic last year beat a disadvantaged Hewitt whom Baghdatis kept up till 5AM the previous round while he himself was well rested. This time Baggy he was the one being kept up by Baggy and being finished by a guy who had more rest. He was served a dish of Karma.

“On the next day, when Serena was losing ground, they quickly stopped the match! The Decisions that were made during those two days by AUS organizers (behind the closed door) are the most contraversial in recent tennis history!”

There is no conspiracy here. The AO was not helping Serena out. It was unfortunate for Kuzy who was handling the heat better than Serena, but the temperature during that match was simply higher than it was during Djokovic’s. It’s not just temperature they use to make these decisions but also light intensity and humidity.

“Hopefully Djokovic can bounce back on this win and forget the whole AUS debacle.”

I don’t think it is on his mind anymore. He has had no qualms with retiring from matches before and has gotten over them quickly. I don’t believe anything the AO did was unusual, controversial or unfair. Dokic’s matches drew very high ratings locally and she was on a dream run. The Aussie crowd are quick to accept any player who puts (AUS) at the end of their name, regardless of their background.

April 3rd, 2009 at 9:00 pm

Duro I admire your certainty; I am jealous. It must be because you can read the stars. Well this Murray versus JMDP match has turned out to be interesting after all… but ack, must do my marking!

April 3rd, 2009 at 9:01 pm

tenisbebe you’re always cleaning; do you live in a mansion? :-)

April 3rd, 2009 at 9:02 pm

“And who was taking presidence over Djokovic to play an evening match? An unranked player(!) by the name of Jelena Dokic.”

Actually you’re wrong about this. Yes Dokic was playing that night, but the evening sessions on Rod Laver are always a women’s match followed by a men’s match. Dokic being put on prime time had no effect on whether her compatriot, Djokovic was playing day or night. If he was playing at night, his match would have followed after Dokic’s. He would not have been playing in place of Dokic, so they were not vying for the same night slot. The one who took Djokovic’s spotlight wasn’t Dokic but Federer playing Del Potro. If you’re going to measure who is the bigger star, Federer has won 3 Australian Opens to Novak’s 1 (and holds 12 slams more than Novak). He was also challenging for a place in history by matching Pete’s tally of 14 majors.

April 3rd, 2009 at 9:09 pm

“tenisbebe you’re always cleaning; do you live in a mansion?”

I think tenisbebe does what my husband says I do, “I like to clean the clean”. I stay up late at nights sometimes, cleaning. I suppose it’s an OCD thing. Ha, ha.

April 3rd, 2009 at 9:10 pm

Jane – I wish!!! I screwed up my back the beginning of March and couldn’t do anything for 3 weeks or so. I have been gritting my teeth every time I look at my floors & the rest of my house so now that spring in springing and my back is better, I MUST CLEAN!!!

So I see from the most recent posts you guys are STILL talking about Novak. HELLO is anyone watching this Murray/Delpo match? I feel bad for Delpo – he looks so tired.

April 3rd, 2009 at 9:12 pm

Yes, tenisbebe, I am watching Murray / JMDP, but I was commenting on the the “Miami Nice” thread since it seemed more relevant. Yes, JMDP looks tired, but he did well to steal the momentum back in the second set after a weak first one. I notice his serve going off at the moment. Murray’s up one break and fighting for a second.

April 3rd, 2009 at 9:18 pm

Yeah, do you think the serve thing he because of the pushing off effort of that back leg?

April 3rd, 2009 at 9:25 pm

Front leg, I mean.

April 3rd, 2009 at 9:25 pm

Yes, it could be. I think JMDP will take a lot away from these last two matches; he seems to me a very determined / ambitious character, so he’ll be fighting to make his mark this year too. Interesting…

April 3rd, 2009 at 9:30 pm

Giner,
Djokovic was supposed and should have played a night match at AO. It was clearly his turn and not Federer’s. Federer played only one match (compared to Novak’s three or four) during the day and that one he almost lost to Berdych. He had more time to rest than Nole. It simply wasn’t fair. Novak was a defending champion and as such, he deserved fair treatment. Sorry, I believe the organisation deliberately paved the path for both Rog and Serena.

Seems like Fed forgot how to play day matches.

PS: Murray won. Pity.

April 3rd, 2009 at 9:35 pm

Nah. It was nothing personal. Rafa will be defending champ next year, and you can bet he will not get all of his matches exclusively at night. The only guy who can is probably Lleyton Hewitt.

April 4th, 2009 at 1:54 am