Roddick Bounced; Remaining Favs Federer, Murray, Nadal in Cincinnati Action Today

Two double faults and a 47% first serve percentage for Fed; it’s early in the match but he’ll have to serve better.

So far Ferrer’s injury / knee seems okay.

Chardy will indeed be tough for Djoko; their last two meetings, while going Djoko’s way eventually, weren’t cakewalks. And Chardy pushed Roddick somewhat at Wimbledon this year. He’s got a great serve and good touch. Not so sure about strategy though. It seemed at the AO that once Djoko got a read on his serve, he was fine. In a 3 set encounter, the upset is more likely. I hope Djoko can get through.

August 20th, 2009 at 12:35 pm

Fed looks horrible. Out of sorts. He really needs to pick up the level of his game. He looks like he’s totally out of confidence.

August 20th, 2009 at 12:40 pm

Ok Fed, good start to set 2. Settle down and win this match.

August 20th, 2009 at 12:47 pm

What a shame; Ferrer gets the break then gives it right back to Fed, who was basically a spectator in that last game. No wonder he’s slamming his racquet. I’d love to see Ferrer finally get a win over Fed, but some players choke when they’re ahead, playing well, against a top guy. You could see it with Seppi and Nadal yesterday. When behind, as the commentators noted, Seppi played awesomely and hit some doozies, but as soon as he took a lead, he choked his shots. Mental toughness … never underestimate it.

August 20th, 2009 at 1:41 pm

Obviously the mono episode was a huge event in Federer’s career, but I wonder if, over the last year or so, the mental thing hasn’t been an even bigger problem.
When he was in his prime, he could routinely blow most opponents off the court (except Rafa on clay), and it has clearly been hard for him to come to terms with the fact that this is no longer the case.In fact, I’m not sure he HAS entirely come to terms with it. After last year’s US Open, I wouldn’t dream of making any predictions, but at the moment Fed seems vulnerable. If the fatherhood factor was to be a settling influence, it doesn’t seem to be working yet.

August 20th, 2009 at 1:54 pm

True, Federer is not playing great hardcourt tennis….. but the same could be said about his hardcourt game last year… and he still won the US Open (by beating Murray btw)

August 20th, 2009 at 2:03 pm

Colin, I remember Agassi talking about the sort of pressure Roger put him under – making every game difficult, Agassi thinking “Good I held to open the match 1-0 good …” I don’t think Roger is playing at that level each week any longer. Maybe after hanging with Pete in LA he saw the wisdom of holding serve and coasting sometimes until a guys service game shows a few cracks or maybe it is age or a mental grind thing etc. Federer can still play that style of constant pressure tennis – Haas in the Wimbledon semis, but more and more he is not doing so for whatever reason(s) (decline? conserving energy to peak at the slams? new strategy?). I think Roger looked at Montreal and Cincy as a way to get some computer points and match play in before New York. He should go through vs. Hewitt or Querrey, but Murray is the young lion right now.

August 20th, 2009 at 2:13 pm

“I think Roger looked at Montreal and Cincy as a way to get some computer points and match play in before New York.”

He said during his on-court interview after the match that he doesn’t need any match play as prep for the USO.

August 20th, 2009 at 2:18 pm

Von,

That is what he said, but it seems like a performative contradiction to be playing Cincy with two small babies in Ohio if he did not need to be there. I think he wants to get sharper and get some computer points to try to finish 2009 #1. So I guess I don’t take what he said at face value.

August 20th, 2009 at 2:26 pm

Von, he said exactly the opposite after his match with Acasuso, so I think he just mis-worded it or wasn’t thinking too clearly.

August 20th, 2009 at 2:28 pm

Better late than never, but my HUGE congrats to Mrs.Margot, Collin, Kimmi and other Murray fans. I hope Mc Enroe gets it right this time and either of the Andys go on to win the US Open. I’d be very happy though if Murray wins USO 09, he really needs a slam to silence detractors. Good luck thus to Murray, Federer and Roddick for the USO, and also to Del Potro!

August 20th, 2009 at 2:28 pm

Guga …. where IS Guga????? But I am happy to see the Joker playing like HE CAN! Does anyone notice that whenever Djokovic makes AWESOME shots (like he usually does)- that’s about the ONLY time Brad Gilbert shuts up. Someone give Gilbert a clothesline so he can hang laundry and gossip to his heart’s content. It’s okay to do so I suppose, but not really too professional if you’re a commentator …

August 20th, 2009 at 2:29 pm

Dan: “So I guess I don’t take what he said at face value.’

I would love to answer the above quote, but I digress …. incongruence …..

August 20th, 2009 at 2:29 pm

Kimo: OK , LOL.

August 20th, 2009 at 2:29 pm

Even though I thought Djoko was a bit of a snob when he was playing his best in late 07, early 08, right now I kinda want him to get back to that level. I think he still isn’t accustomed to the Head racquet, he was way better with his Wilson one. Still, it’s his fault that he went for the money.

I think Djoko has the perfect balance between offense and defense, and when he’s at his best there really aren’t any weaknesses in his game.

August 20th, 2009 at 2:42 pm

He’s a new dad. He’s probably thinking more about going home and seeing his baby girls than he is about winning another Masters title.

His apparent distraction isn’t a good sign, but it’s not the end of the world, either.

August 20th, 2009 at 2:50 pm

i personally couldn’t care less if fed wins this tourny. he has achieved almost everything in his career; would gladly have a new face winning.

August 20th, 2009 at 2:54 pm

The only outdoor hard court title Roger has won in past 2 yrs is the last year’s US open. And more than him dropping his level, it’s been the case of opposition getting better. Almost every player now can play very well on the hard courts. Even on the faster hard courts, you still get reliable bounce and firmer footing. So more players can hang in there with him in rallies and wait for his forehand to go away for few games. On grass/clay, still lot of players cannot move well or react well to the variety he can dish out. At the US open, the best of 5 still favor more experienced players like Roger, but winning is getting harder on hard courts.

August 20th, 2009 at 2:58 pm

tennisontherocks:

“The only outdoor hard court title Roger has won in past 2 yrs is the last year’s US open. And more than him dropping his level, it’s been the case of opposition getting better.”

So are you saying that for the previous 6 years the opposition was weaker on hardcourts?

August 20th, 2009 at 3:07 pm

Kimo,

You know I am a Djoko fan, one of the few around here, but even at his best, there are some weaknesses in Djoko’s game: first, he needs to learn to volley better and second I worry about his movement sometimes. He’s incredibly flexible but I worry that he’ll suffer injuries in the future if he’s not careful. A few of his “moves” on the court could be more economical. The other weakness is and will always be the asthma, though he seems to have that under control with the new fitness coach.

Having said all that, his groundstrokes are fab when firing as is his serve, because he has nice disguise on it, uses a variety of placements and techniques, and thus, when it’s consistent (which unfortunately hasn’t been enough lately), it’s a weapon. I agree with you too that he can move between defence and offense effectively.

He could definitely be more mentally tough / stable. Much as I like his personality, he could use a little leveling out during matches. Save the antics for before and after. Though the odd operatic gesture on the court is welcomed! : ) At least by me.

August 20th, 2009 at 3:09 pm

tennisrocks: Agreed. Hard courts have the most depth of competition. The top players–Murray, Djokovic, and Roddick–are there largely on the strength of their hard-court results. Nadal is an exception, in that the foundation of his high rank is his clay-court victories, but he also posts excellent hard-court results.

But as far as the lack of variety goes, a fast hard court can provide opportunities for aggressive play that aren’t there on clay.

August 20th, 2009 at 3:27 pm

jane,

While I agree with everything you wrote, I don’t see them as weaknesses. He’s not the best volleyer, but he volleys well. He’s not the best server, but he serves well. His backhand is just about as good as a double-handed backhand gets. His forehand isn’t as good as Federer’s (whose is?), but I don’t think there’s anyone out there who can hits a down-the-line forehand better. The fact that it’s easier for him to hit the ball down-the-line than cross-court is a HUGE plus. His strokes are flat, and if you look at men’s tennis right now, flat hitters are taking over (Tsonga, Simon, Del Potro!!!, Soderling). His movement on clay is flawless, on hardcourts solid, on grass….terribly lacking. But hey, he only plays two grass tournaments a year.

Mentally and Physically he hasn’t matured as fast as one might have liked, but he’s still right up there with the best in that department. While I have never seen Fed get tired physically on a tennis court, he does have bad days mentally. Rafa can get tired (Hamburg 07, Chennai 08, Summer 09). So Djokovic is not that bad. I think he’s now mature enough to realize that he has about two more good years in him before he declines so let’s not waste anytime retiring matches.

August 20th, 2009 at 3:39 pm

jane:

“..but even at his best, there are some weaknesses in Djoko’s game: first, he needs to learn to volley better and second I worry about his movement sometimes.”

I know you’re concerned about Djoko’s net game, and often talk about him getting help in that area, but don’t you remember he had that help when he hired one of the Woodies about 18 months ago? I think at that time his net game had progressed to where he beat Tsonga by taking the net away from him at the AO? So are you saying he’s still not doing well at the net and needs more help? If so, I disagree, because I think he’s fine at net, but he seems hesitant to come in, and I don’t blame him because going up to the net in today’s game is somewhat of a death wish unless a player is absolutely sure as to what he wants to do, or else he’ll be passed, especially against players like Nadal and Murray. Anyway, that’s just my take on the whole net game, etc., and Djoko’s net prowess, and I could be totally wrong.

August 20th, 2009 at 3:40 pm

Murray had a relatively easy win over Step; I hope Djoko can come through. Chardy might be a tough one…

Thanks for your reply Kimo; it’s certainly encouraging.

Von, thanks, too, for your input. It’s so nice to talk about Djoko’s game with other people! LOL. Anyhow, you’re right about one of the Woodies, and it did help; however, I feel he’s regressed at net and it may be a confidence thing as he knows he’s much stronger from the baseline. I just feel that with his physical weaknesses, which seem to be at bay or lessened at present, if he could shorten points by getting into the net, it would help him. It may even be what he needs to get a little better on grass.

Anyhow, Chardy just kindly handed over his serve to Novak; let’s see if Novak can hold on and capitalize on Jeremy’s slip. : )

August 20th, 2009 at 3:45 pm

For some time in that match, Murray had a really good first serve percentage, but it dropped off somewhat in the second set. Nonetheless, the serve seems to be coming back, which is good.
I’m always surprised how well Andy copes with hot conditions. I don’t imagine there’s a whole lot of heat and humidity in Dunblane! No doubt it helps that he spends time in Florida.

August 20th, 2009 at 3:50 pm

Already Djoko gave the break back and blew three break point chance since; ARRRRGHHHH. Come Nole!

August 20th, 2009 at 3:55 pm

Hewitt is going to eat Sam for lunch because Sam is playing with approximately 17 hours of recovery time and in the day. Ouch.

August 20th, 2009 at 3:56 pm

‘Von Says:
tennisontherocks:

“The only outdoor hard court title Roger has won in past 2 yrs is the last year’s US open. And more than him dropping his level, it’s been the case of opposition getting better.”

So are you saying that for the previous 6 years the opposition was weaker on hardcourts?’

NO. I don’t buy these weak era/strong era arguments. The game is in constant state of evolution. Roger set the bar with his ‘all court’ game, the others have improved and closed the gap. That does not mean people are blowing him off the court in first round. But they are staying around long enough to draw errors from him. That used to happen even when he was winning titles each week-in/week-out. He used to go up 2 breaks, then get broken, but then tighten the ship quickly. Now he is failing to close out some these tight matches.

August 20th, 2009 at 3:58 pm

Rest assured Jane, I’m convinced Novak will pull out the win!

Murray is impressive(funny, even the irritating Murray is growing on the Veno)

After watching Fed play today I really don’t think he’ll stand a chance against Andy…

I’m missing any enthusiasm and “joie de jouer”(pardon my French) from Fed…Really weird to see him so uninterested on court….

August 20th, 2009 at 4:01 pm

easy win for Serena. She has good chance to close the ranking gap here, so I hope she goes deep.

August 20th, 2009 at 4:06 pm

Veno, you’re kind, but this is insanity. It gets to the point that i don’t even want to watch his matches anymore as it’s not enjoyable when he struggles so much. Sigh. If only his serve was as good as it was late 07 -early 08. It wasn’t remarkable, but he could count on it consistently, especially when he needed to. Oh well, fingers crossed. I’ll start some laundry to vent my nerves. LOL. Clean house a coming~

August 20th, 2009 at 4:08 pm

Oh wow, is Hewitt taking Sam to the cleaners or what? rusty is just firing those FHs at will without any mercy. OY

August 20th, 2009 at 4:11 pm

Von, you’re correct about the recovery time issue though; Hewitt had basically twice the amount that Querrey did, given that Sam played late into the evening last night. Too bad. Oh well, Rusty deserves some wins and Sam’s been on a bit of a tear during the USO Series.

August 20th, 2009 at 4:13 pm

Sam Querry lost a set to 1 without holding serve!!!!
Unheard of!!!

The rusty ankle biter is rippin’ it up!!!

August 20th, 2009 at 4:14 pm

Sam’s looks as though his legs are wooden.

August 20th, 2009 at 4:17 pm

Too bad I can’t see the tournament anywhere here :(

But based on the scoreboards and results of last week, it seems Murray is the only one who is playing consistently good tennis and is a level above others. I’m really really wondering if he can do it in a slam now. Since this time last year he has dominated the hardcourts and master series events. But it shows that slams are different. For tennis it would be good if he could win the US open.

As for Roddick, I think it’s great he lost! Not because I like him to lose, but I think it’s much better for him leading up to the US open. He can use the rest. Just as it was a smart decision from DelPo to pull out of Cincy. 3 weeks of b2b tournaments is too much.

I didn’t see Fed play, but if he struggles against a guy like Ferrer (a guy who has never troubled him), it doesn’t sound very promising for a possible match against Murray.

Maybe he is into Sampras mode now. And the Sampras mode can mean two things:
1) he doesn’t care about anything but slams anymore. All other tournies are just warm ups
2) after breaking the record (and in his case twins too!), just losing that extra drive and motivation. Like Sampras did after getting to nr 13.

Let’s hope Rafa will get some matches and rythm and that he will be back to his old level soon. I didn’t see him play, but from what I’ve heard here, he was not close to his old self.

August 20th, 2009 at 4:19 pm

PietjeP: Try ATDHE.net — it’s live streaming and good HD quality, if I might add. When the menu comes up just look for the yellow tennis balls and you’d be able to see both matches side by side on your computer screen. Enjoy!

I’m glad that Roddick lost and I had mentioned two days ago that I think he’s lose early at Cincy due to the many matches he’s played over the past 2-3 weeks. I hope he’ll rest and work on his serve, which has been off IMO, and also fine tune the weak areas in his game.

August 20th, 2009 at 4:25 pm

PietjeP: “2) after breaking the record (and in his case twins too!), just losing that extra drive and motivation. Like Sampras did after getting to nr 13.”

I don’t think Sampras’ problem was lack of motivation but more about his back injury which he struggled with for over two years prior to No. 14.

August 20th, 2009 at 4:27 pm

Gotta say, Chardy is good, and he’s really cute too; I like the new, shorter haircut. He’s got potential like a lot of the Frenchies, and he’s only 22, so he’s got youth on his side, for now, too. But still, come on Novak!!

August 20th, 2009 at 4:29 pm

Chardy is hanging on for dear life after being break point down.

Sam has broken back in the other match so we now have a match.

August 20th, 2009 at 4:30 pm

Well Sam’s got a break now; maybe he can make a match of it after all?

August 20th, 2009 at 4:32 pm

Hey Jane, believe me now? You can relax a little eh?

Vonnie, how you doing?

August 20th, 2009 at 4:44 pm

Veno: I’m fine, and thanks for asking.

August 20th, 2009 at 4:47 pm

Djokovic should get to the SF unless Davy takes him out but I believe Davy has some injury issues. I doubt whether Nadal will be able to beat Djokovic due to his present form, which means Djokovic could be in the finals.

August 20th, 2009 at 4:50 pm

Von, I sure hope you’re right, because Djoko has finals points to defend from last year and with his current slide he needs to keep all the points he can. Oh well. Doesn’t really matter if he goes down to five or six; it might even wake the dude up a little! Sheesh. Gave his break back … AGAIN!

Veno, cleaning. That’s my M.O. during Novak’s matches; my son and husband know whenever he plays because the house sparkles. If he gets deep in a tournament it means underneath the fridge and stove, the floor is spic and span, because I’ve moved them in frustration. LOL!! “OY” as Von would say.

August 20th, 2009 at 4:55 pm

Jane says: “cleaning. That’s my M.O. during Novak’s matches; my son and husband know whenever he plays because the house sparkles. If he gets deep in a tournament it means underneath the fridge and stove, the floor is spic and span, because I’ve moved them in frustration. LOL!! “OY” as Von would say.”

Oy Vey! and LOL and LOL again!!!

We had some of your thunder storms here tonight Von!
It was(let me calculate) 99 F here today and very humid(Floridian like) and when it started to cool down…hail storms, thunder storms and wind gusts of over 17 mph…..ugh….

August 20th, 2009 at 5:01 pm

17 must be 70 mph

August 20th, 2009 at 5:02 pm

Sam is hanging in there. I am hoping against hope Novak can hold and serve the dang match out. Course he’s down love-30. Brutal… and sighs galore. I’d have to sit on my hands if I were at this match live.

I wonder how Sar is handling it??

August 20th, 2009 at 5:06 pm

Veno: I saved some money this week at the car wash. I simply backed my car out of the garage, and left it out on the driveway to get washed by the thunderstorm. Nothing washes the cars like a heavy rainfall and without spots too. So now my car is all bright and shiny.

Yes, 99 F is hot and humid for Europe. In Florida the rain is our saving grace, which is great for the lawn and vegetation.

August 20th, 2009 at 5:07 pm

jane: Why the anxiety? Djoko is a set and a break up, so you should be feeling calm instead of anxious. I wish Roddick had such an easy match last night instead of that humdinger. OY

August 20th, 2009 at 5:09 pm

Good 1 on the car lol.

My parents in Spain have the same….When living in the Netherlands they were bummed cause it rains here a lot of days, but now in Spain they do rain dances out in their garden during the summer lol…

August 20th, 2009 at 5:09 pm

Novak scrapes through; good job Djoko!!! He played meekly, with 58% first serves and 4 doubles, but luckily Chardy wasn’t at his best either. I don’t even know who Djok meets next; will have to consult the draw.

I wanted an all-Andy semi on one side and a Djok vs/ Nadal on the other. But it’s looking like Fed vs. Murray and we’ll see…. I think Rafa will come through and hopefully Djok so we have some tight and well contested semis.

August 20th, 2009 at 5:11 pm

Congrats Jane, on your house being clean I mean of course. A good win for Novak, hope his confidence grows and if he faces Rafa, he’ll probably take it and can take huge confidence from it.

Good to see Sam is really in the match with the Rust-meister now!!!

Sar must be almost tumbling off the edge of her seat in the stadium now…

August 20th, 2009 at 5:12 pm

Von,

I think the anxiety stems from the fact that he loses his serve so much. So then he has to work to get the break back again. But all told, I am anxious pretty much all the time. As Woody Allen said once, the up side to being anxious is that my metabolism is working hard and keeps me thin. LOL.

I want Sam to win more, but if Leyton comes through, that’s fine too.

August 20th, 2009 at 5:14 pm

Hey Jane, Novak has to wait who wins the Davy-Gilly(Simon) match first. That will be his opponent in the quarters.

August 20th, 2009 at 5:16 pm

Well, Rusty is through to the QFs.

Sam has to work on his fitness issues. He fades out after winning a tiring match and fails to show up the next day similar to what he did at Indy.

Congrats on Djoko’s win, jane!

August 20th, 2009 at 5:21 pm

Von;

Thanks for the link! For today it’s too late (work tomorrow), but I’ll watch tomorrow’s matches and onwards!

I don’t know about Sampras’ motivation. I recall an interview long time ago, where he said after winning 13 (or 14?) there wasn’t anything out there that motivated him. He felt like he had accomplished all his goals and didn’t have the drive for travelling and spending hours on the practise courts. I know his back hampered him badly his last years. Maybe it’s a combination of both. Anyway, it will be very interesting to see what will happen with Fed after this year.

With Roddick I agree. Maybe even better for him would have been to pull out of Montreal. Those b2b tournaments are a killer if you go deep in the draw. Like in Cincy; the high seeds will have to play 5 consecutive days to win the title!

I’m off to bed. Hopefully Rafa will play a nice match with PHM later this night. It’s good to see him back on the tour.

August 20th, 2009 at 5:26 pm

:-) for now. I’m saving 3 more ))) till Sunday.

August 20th, 2009 at 5:30 pm

Thanks Veno and Von – I just checked the draw and yeah, Novak has to face Davy or Simon, both grinders in a way. Djok will have to serve better to come through as the long points won’t help him.

Too bad Sam couldn’t make it through. So does Hewitt face Fed now? That could be an interesting match; i don’t know if they’ve played recently.

August 20th, 2009 at 5:31 pm

PietjeP;

You’re welcome! I hope you get to watch the matches tommorow and they’ll be enjoyable. If that link doesn’t work, let me know and I’ll give you another one; I’ll be watching some matches on my computer and I’ll see your post, but I’m sure you’ll be happy with it. Sleep well and sweet dreams!

August 20th, 2009 at 5:33 pm

You’re welcome Jane. Last time Hewitt faced Fed was Wimbledon 2008 4th rnd :) Fed won in straights

August 20th, 2009 at 5:33 pm

Federer is 28. He is certainly past his prime. He has been past his prime for over 2 years now. In a best of 3 format, he is more likely to lose, and that’s what we have been seeing the last couple of years. I don’t think that’s going to change in the years to come.

Agassi was an exception, who managed to regain top fitness at age 30 (but even he lost 14-15 matches a year in the early part of this decade, when he was No 1 on and off). So federer losing 10-12 matches this year shouldn’t surprise anyone. In his BEST years Sampras lost 14-15 matches a year. What’s the big deal?

I think the ridiculously high standard federer set from 2004-06 (15 losses in 3 years), and then just 9 losses in 2007 – you can’t expect anyone to do that at age 28….. Nobody has ever done it at that age, and nobody probably will. Heck, nobody has done it at ANY age (going 247-15 over 3 years).

So Federer is going to win very few tournaments from now on, especially outside of slams. In best of 5, he has a better chance of winning, because of experience and fitness. But fitness cannot substitute for hand-eye coordination, that will obviously be slower as you age.

Djokovic looks good in Cincy. Roddick was tired, I think. Murray has looked strong this summer. DelPo will be back fresh for the USO. I am not that positive about Nadal, but he is a fighter. And Federer will obviously be tough to beat at the USO.

I think Federer wanted whatever points he could get at these two masters – he must be really hoping to retain the No 1 ranking the rest of the year, and even a few hundred points helps. I am sure he wants the “286 weeks at No 1” record from Pete as well – he is probably about 40 weeks shy of that as of now. So if he can stay No 1 till the AUS Open, he get a good 25-30 more weeks, which brings him very very close. And he doesn’t have too many points to defend until the madrid masters next May – if he can stay No 1 till then, he breaks that record too. That might be on his mind. Defending the USO would be an important step there. He doesn’t have too many points to defend after that. I think he will push himself hard for another year or so, at least….

Lets see, this is the most “Open” US Open in a long time……

August 20th, 2009 at 5:40 pm

jane: You’re welcome!

I don’t think Davy is a grinder per se; he takes the ball early and takes time away from his opponent. Simon, is a pseky player whereby he just lurks and waits, but also not a typical grinder, but more like a stalker. LOL.

August 20th, 2009 at 5:40 pm

Late on the discussion- a few thoughts

Hewitt won’t win another slam, but he might trouble and tire out the top guys in the USO so that they are not at their peak condition for the rest of the tournament. He still has that same fight to the last breath mentality.

I don’t think the winner of this tournament would get that much of an edge going into the U.S. Nadal has the most to gain here because he needs to get his game up to where it was before.

If Federer loses here it won’t really affect his chances, and I don’t think Roddick going out is a sign of what’s to come. He had faced some giant servers in the two three weeks and made it deep into the previous two tournaments. He has to stay sharp though- I think his return game is the one aspect where he hasn’t improved that much upon. A big server could mean trouble for him at the U.S.

I saw a discussion on Djokovic- I think he’s fine at the net and I don’t think that would be the thing that stops him from winning a open. He needs to hold his service games and not fade as the match goes. Again- mental and physical fitness. That serve has to be more consistent.

I can’t tell if Murray is ever going to win a slam playing his style- he needs to turn on the more aggressive side of his game or he will be knocked out in 5 sets playing that passive junkballing style.

I want to see Simon make some noise here and at the U.S.O, though now that is looking rather unlikely. I think I’ll take any frenchman- Tsonga, him, Monfils, Gasquet (if he ever does come back)- all of them have talent but they never get to and stay at the top.

I’ll be happy if anyone other than Federer or Nadal wins the USO, for obvious reasons.

August 20th, 2009 at 5:53 pm

USAIN BOLT!!!!! GOAT!!!!!!!! PERIOD!!!!!!!

August 20th, 2009 at 5:55 pm

Ya, Hewitt can tire out people. He did that to Agassi in the USO semi in 2002 – Agassi was washed out when he faced Sampras the very next day in the final.

I don’t Murray’s playing style, its too boring – but its effective most of the time. But I agree, its not going to win him too many slams.

Djokovic is looking a bit better at Cincy, but the mental part of it is a big question mark. Same with DelPo – I don’t think he is still ready to win a slam.

Much as I dislike his game, I think Murray is looking pretty good going into the USO…..

August 20th, 2009 at 5:57 pm

blah:

“..and I don’t think Roddick going out is a sign of what’s to come.He had faced some giant servers in the two three weeks and made it deep into the previous two tournaments.”

Thank you! It’s what I’ve been saying all along that Roddick had to face too many (4) huge servers one after the other and that’s more than enough to tire anyone out. Also, his serve failed him at the most crucial points. Andy’ll have to work on his serve and his return game to be ready for the USO and this early loss was exactly what he needed to get the kinks ironed out of his game. I’m hoping he gets the job done.

August 20th, 2009 at 6:01 pm

Simon just failed to serve for the first set…If he loses the first set, it will be curtains

August 20th, 2009 at 6:10 pm

Dunno if I agree on the extra tiring issue because he faced gullivers back to back to back…

Why would it be physically tougher to play a Gulliver with a huge serve?

Please elaborate my friend…

August 20th, 2009 at 6:12 pm

Because they are more difficult to break and the matches are much longer and tiring, that’s why. Let’s see another top 4 player deal with four (4) huge servers one after the other and come out fresh, then we’ll talk, until then ……

August 20th, 2009 at 6:22 pm

I don’t know if playing big servers generally takes longer, but it can be exasperating, which is certainly mentally tiring. Moreover, it’s tough to get into any kind of rhythm in those big server matches, so that can be frustrating too.

August 20th, 2009 at 6:27 pm

The matches are longer in the number of games played, plus the tiebreaks, as opposed to playing a player who’s not a huge server and is easier to break. Why is it that so many were scared on Fed’s behalf when he had to face Karlovic? And, why do so many fear when Karlovic is playing against their fave? Well, Roddick had to face in essence four (4) Karlovics, Querry in 3 tight sets, Karlovic, Isner and then DelPotro. If that’s not tiring, then what is?

August 20th, 2009 at 6:33 pm

Great first set! Hopefully, the next set will be as competitive.

August 20th, 2009 at 6:35 pm

“Because they are more difficult to break and the matches are much longer and tiring, that’s why. Let’s see another top 4 player deal with four (4) huge servers one after the other and come out fresh, then we’ll talk, until then ……”

Still not an answer to my question Von.
Playing Karlovic is hardly fatiguing(as Roddick himself told after beating him in Queens)
Mentally it could be straining though, physically, no.

And I disagree that those matches take longer, the evidence of match times is against that claim. The games go much faster…

August 20th, 2009 at 6:35 pm

Von says: “Well, Roddick had to face in essence four (4) Karlovics, Querry in 3 tight sets, Karlovic, Isner and then DelPotro. If that’s not tiring, then what is?”

Not disagreeing there Von.

What if he had faced Ferrer, Hewitt, Davydenko and Djokovic in a row?

August 20th, 2009 at 6:37 pm

Great first set indeed, however, strange scoreline…

August 20th, 2009 at 6:38 pm

Wow, Gillie is throwing some tantrums, but he doesn’t know how to smash a racket lol, not even a solid crack in it…it takes skill :)

August 20th, 2009 at 6:40 pm

Veno: I said in the amount of games played. Those matches are mentally draining because one miss and the set’s gone. Also, what’s mental translates to the physical and that’s why it’s tiring. I’d much prefer to do a job that’s physical than one that’s mental, believe me. After a day’s work to mentally think through points come up with answers to rebuttals, I’m dog tired and can barely make home driving without falling asleep.

August 20th, 2009 at 6:42 pm

Lol Vajda in the shadow….it looks hot out there!

August 20th, 2009 at 6:42 pm

At the USO he had Gulbis, Santoro, Ferrer, Seppi and Djokovic.

August 20th, 2009 at 6:44 pm

Yeah, I guess there are more games if there are no breaks of serve in a match. But there are also less rallies, since those guys – esp. Isner and Karlovic – can earn a lot of “cheap” or “quick” points on their serves, which are unreturnable. Hence, there is often less running and less hitting. I guess it balances out. The best matches, imo, are when a returner is paired up with a server, a la Sampra vs. Agassi, and/or two “all-court” guys, like Nadal vs. Fed, is pretty good too (though Nadal leans toward returner and Fed toward server – Fed’s dropped off in terms of his returning abilities imo).

I thought Simon would win the first set, but Davy prevails! Davy’s serve is as up-and-down as Djoko’s. He loses it but then can break back.

August 20th, 2009 at 6:44 pm

I get your point Von. One asterisk on that thesis though…

You, as well as me “work”with our minds and that is way more exhausting and draining over long periods of times and you can’t switch off your brain.
The way athletes engaging in physical work outs use their brains is a very different one to said before mentioned way….Maybe not possible to make the assumption. As Roddick himself admitted, not really tiring, a lot of walking from side to side….

August 20th, 2009 at 6:46 pm

True Jane, but however up and down Davy is, stealing that 1st set makes me believe he’ll take the second too….

August 20th, 2009 at 6:48 pm

hey guys, is Nadal’s match on the same court they’re playing this 3rd rnd?

August 20th, 2009 at 6:51 pm

jane; OK. Talk to me when next Djoko faces Karlovic, Querrey, Karlovic, Isner and DelPotro in a row — I’ll bet you we’ll see the panic button hit big time. LOL. You too Veno when it’s your fave’s turn. For now, I’ll leave the matter alone … until then …..

August 20th, 2009 at 6:51 pm

Veno: Nadal is on the main court; same as Fed and his match will be coming up in a few minutes, and it’s the reason why I’m chatting now. just waiting ….

August 20th, 2009 at 6:52 pm

Hi all, jumping in here. I think Roddick is playing great and the loss was good for him. He needs to rest. His game might need a few tweaks but he certainly is a front runner at the USO, esp. with the rest.

Djoko and JMDP don’t look like they are quite there yet for the USO but JMDP might surprise if he come in well rested and healthy. Hope his shoulder is doing ok.

Murray looks strong. I don’t like his style of play either but no one can deny his results and his ego which can take him to the win. He’s definitely where he is for a reason and I’ll give him that respect.

Fed is a strange one. We can’t take his play here and in Montreal to really mean anything. he has always mentally excelled at slams and he has an added incentive to win his 6th in a row and the USO. I will say that he does look like his level is down quite a bit and he just might not have it in him to win it. I hope he at least makes the semis but I feel it will be really unpredictable.

I hope Nadal does well and I’d love to see him end the year at #2 behind Fed. He’s such a great competitor and so fun to watch.

August 20th, 2009 at 6:53 pm

Dear Von, you’re looking at it the wrong way. Not my intention in the least to attack Andy and not trying to diminish how tough a task it was for Andy to have played those guys day after day the past 2-3 weeks….Not making inference to how my fave would get through it(I actually think it would suit Fed)
Just wondering if it would significantly differ from playing say, 4 different-style opponents is all.
(It’s an occupational hazard I guess)

August 20th, 2009 at 6:56 pm

Playing big servers are draining- I think Roddick would have been more in his comfort zone playing the alternative three players you mentioned. Four of them in a row then them again the next tournament is a lot. You are under constant pressure to hold serve, each set has a very good chance to go to the tiebreaker, and being unable to convert their break points is frustrating. Roddick was trying his absolutely hardest to break some of these guys- after getting the serve back you have to deal with the huge ground strokes- he was diving and saving for balls.

Being put under constant pressure like that throughout the tournament and then running into Del Potro as the final big server, playing three tournaments back to back. It’s a different kind of fatigue than being run around by players like Nadal. It’s hard to explain but I think anyone that has played tennis matches knows how tiring it is to get a guy who’s impossible to break.

August 20th, 2009 at 6:56 pm

Von, I’m with you on Roddick’s fatigue. That’s why it’s no surprise he lost in Cincy. These guys need to pace themselves. Not sure why they would choose to play 3 weeks in a row. That doesn’t make sense to me.

August 20th, 2009 at 6:57 pm

Scottish: Hello! Roddick needs to get his serve in motion. I saw a glimpse of that happening last night. All he needs is some rest, and he’ll be fine for the USO.

I’d also like to see Nadal do well tonight and at this tourney, but I doubt it, considering his poor form which shows he’s struggling. Hopefully, he’ll become more tuned by the time the USO comes around.

August 20th, 2009 at 6:58 pm

And another note- yes it is a match up thing also. Like I said I think Roddick’s return game is the one part he hasn’t improved that much upon. He shouldn’t get out-aced by many guys, and I thought certainly not Federer. The thing is that their serve isn’t necessary better than Roddick’s- it’s just he has a harder time reading where it’s going than guys like Federer and Murray, and the other tall guys have an advantage because of their reach.

August 20th, 2009 at 6:59 pm

Tx for the Nadal reply Von!

Can’t believe how much UE Davy has already made…

August 20th, 2009 at 6:59 pm

Von, I am not saying it’s not a *hugely* difficult task to face all those big servers in a row; I agreed with you that it’s very mentally exhausting, as said above. I am merely saying it’s perhaps not as physically exhausting as playing someone like Ferrer or Nadal or something, who make opponents hit a lot of balls and run them side to side and front to back. But I suppose you could make the argument that the tension that builds up in the returner from waiting for those gigantic serves could be physically taxing, too, and I could see your point there.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:00 pm

blah; “Being put under constant pressure like that throughout the tournament and then running into Del Potro as the final big server, playing three tournaments back to back. It’s a different kind of fatigue than being run around by players like Nadal. It’s hard to explain but I think anyone that has played tennis matches knows how tiring it is to get a guy who’s impossible to break.”

Again, thank you. Also, let’s not forget that at that same tourney, DC, DelPotro didn’t have to face one big server, plus he got a walk-over from Soderling. I’m going to say it again, had their paths been reversed, well, I know the answer. And, then pretty much a repeat in Montreal. Sheesh. then, we get to cincy and his first opponent is Querrey. If that’s not draining, what else is?

August 20th, 2009 at 7:03 pm

Nice essay Blah, lot of points make sense. But being a returner myself I always relished playing opponents with huge serves. I felt in my comfort zone. I hated playing guys who could change things up and had a lesser serve but a far more versatile all round game. With the hugies(Gullivers) you know exactly what to do and 1 break per set would seal the deal. Still tough, but all execution…to me that was not draining although sometimes there was nothing I could do and they beat me anyway….

August 20th, 2009 at 7:03 pm

blah: I think Roddick has eye problems. He does not see the ball clearly, not just reading the serve, but actual distance, and it was a big problem for him in the dark at the FO. it’s one of the reasons he thinks he sees the ball in when it’s out. LOL.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:05 pm

OK time to watch Nadal. Ouch, I so love PHM, but I so want Nadal to regain his confidence, so come on Rafa, chop, chop !!!!!!

August 20th, 2009 at 7:08 pm

I luv ya Von, but you have to be careful with your reasoning there. Imo you centre too much around the “what ifs” Try looking at the factual situation from a little greater distance and try to assess which factors in the myriad are contributing to a theory about how and why something transpired as it did and which factors aren’t. Go from the factual situation and through this process come to conclusions in stead of stating conclusions first and then backwards induce the facts that play into the confirmation of said conclusion.(Please don’t hit me)

August 20th, 2009 at 7:09 pm

Ok everyone…Let’s watch Rafa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vamos!!!!!!!! Enjoy

August 20th, 2009 at 7:10 pm

Guess Simon and Davy are going three…

Didn’t realize Nadal was playing so soon; will have to search that match out. I think Nadal should come through.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:12 pm

Looks like Davy is going to a third. Djoko is going to have the edge over him because he only played two sets, plus there’s a difference of about 4 hours recovery time that will be shorter for Davy/Simon, and that is assuming their match will be around 1:00 pm tomorrow.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:12 pm

I know there’s a lot of discussion about the USO and who is going to win but as a Fed fan all I can say is that this year has already been such a great year for him and he has given us Fed fans so much to cheer for and be happy about that I’m really thankful for his success this year. I hope he wins the USO but if he doesn’t it’s not going to be a let down this year. I’d like to see him be ranked #1 at the end but if he doesn’t just getting it back was such a great thing to watch.

Go Fed!!

August 20th, 2009 at 7:13 pm

Nadal is 8-0 H2H against PHM, from this we can safely say Rafa win here.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:15 pm

I wouldn’t mind Fed winning a sixth USO, but I really hope Andy Roddick wins it. The guy so deserves it and think about what a site it would be to see him standing on center after converting match point….wow

August 20th, 2009 at 7:16 pm

Veno: I am talking facts, and I’m going to shoot you not hit you. LOL. In my personal life, I have to sift factual evidence not hearsay and what ifs scenarios from conjecture and inference but hard, cold facts. As I said, I’m going to shoot you then i’ll be tried for assault and battery! LOL.

Let’s just can this and look at the match and leave it for when and if it happens in the future.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:17 pm

Von- I think Roddick is going to be fine for the U.S Open as long as he doesn’t run into a ridiculous draw like Querrey- Isner- Karlovic- Del Potro, lol. Even going by chance it’s easy to lose on of those if you play four of them in a row- one bad serving day and you are done. I think the 5 set format will even out the playing field a little because it’s more tiring for tall guys to go the distance and for their serves to click all the way through.

Veno- Just depends on the player I guess. Personally I think it’s a combination of trying to cover the huge range of where the serve could go, then having to get ready for a follow up shot after you extended yourself to even get the serve back, being aced on break points and then having to hold serve again two minutes right after you held serve last time. These matches almost always goes down to the wire and my legs are usually gone by then. I’d much rather play someone who I can get into rallies with and that can let me get into a rhythm.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:17 pm

I wouldn’t mind Fed either but Andy Murray please make this your year.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:18 pm

Rafa will have to keep the balls deep or PHM will rip ’em Soderling style…

August 20th, 2009 at 7:19 pm

Veno: “..and think about what a site it would be to see him standing on center …”

Which web-‘site’ are we talking about? LOL. Sorry, your arguments have tired me out so I can’t let that pass.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:19 pm

Let’s just can this and look at the match and leave it for when and if it happens in the future.

Deal, I’ll bring the wine and you’ll provide dinner :)

August 20th, 2009 at 7:20 pm

Chardy to pull out an upset… Oh, Steve…

August 20th, 2009 at 7:20 pm

Hahaha, Von, what a cheap shot….ok, unforgivable, however English is my 3rd language and it’s past 1 am here :)

August 20th, 2009 at 7:21 pm

Maybe the reason Roddick is so tired from playing big servers is because he’s not a very good returner.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:22 pm

blah: Thanks for your confidence with respect to Andy D. I guess by now you know my pet peeve — the draw. LOL. I guess that’s why you put the ‘LoL’ in? Yes. You’re teasing me.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:22 pm

i can see rafa going down today. phm is no slouch.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:22 pm

I agree that if Davy wins, Djoko will have an edge; however, if Simon wins, I don’t think it will make that much difference to him. I say this only because Simon is the type to grind out his wins, and he often plays long matches. So I think he’d be able to hold his own against Djoko regardless of the recovery difference. It may have a small effect, but I’d think less of an effect than on Davy, who’s coming back to form from injury. Who knows though? It could be completely the other way round! Am merely speculating.

———————

Kimmi, I don’t think H2Hs are definitive; with Nadal not at peak form, it’s not unthinkable that he could lose here to PHM. He’s already down a break.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:23 pm

Yeah, he’s such a ‘pansy’.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:24 pm

How many UE has Nadal done so far ? Does not look good.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:25 pm

i am rooting for rafa today but i generally don’t like his game.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:25 pm

Nadal looks like an average player right now. I hope he can pick it up. Fed looked sloppy today too but he managed to make it happen.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:26 pm

Von Says: “jane; OK. Talk to me when next Djoko faces Karlovic, Querrey, Karlovic, Isner and DelPotro in a row — I’ll bet you we’ll see the panic button hit big time. LOL. You too Veno when it’s your fave’s turn. For now, I’ll leave the matter alone … until then …..”

I don’t know what this comment has anything to do with the original discussion (Games are much longer and tiring when playing huge servers).

Also, I looked at the total time spent by both Roddick and Del potro in Washington tournament before they met in the final. They spent almost same time despite Del Potro playing one less match.

Roddick – 397 min
Del Potro – 384 min

August 20th, 2009 at 7:27 pm

Lol, 2 spectators coming in late who witnessed the first USO……

August 20th, 2009 at 7:27 pm

Veno:

“Hahaha, Von, what a cheap shot….ok, unforgivable, however English is my 3rd language and it’s past 1 am here :)”

It was done purely in jest and no offense meant whatsoever. I have tons of typos, so it’s not a slight against you, but merely jesting. Hope you understand, and sorry if i’ve offended you.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:28 pm

I’m not a fan of Nadal’s play, but his grit and fighting spirit…..Ai Caramba!!!!!!! Vamos Rafa

August 20th, 2009 at 7:29 pm

his grit or girl?

August 20th, 2009 at 7:31 pm

Von says: “It was done purely in jest and no offense meant whatsoever. I have tons of typos, so it’s not a slight against you, but merely jesting. Hope you understand, and sorry if i’ve offended you.”

That’s even a bigger joke than the cheap shot LOL!!!

You know me well enough by now that I don’t take offense to comments from anyone easily. Let alone from you dear friend.

I always say, be sharp with your tongue to dish out a critical remark, be as prepared to swallow the same coming right back at ya!!!!

August 20th, 2009 at 7:31 pm

Nadal is now warming up and he’ll break back if PHM isn’t careful.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:31 pm

sensationalsafin- I agree that Roddick’s return game is the odd one out of the top six; he can’t block back serves like Federer and Murray, but even Fed can’t escape going to tiebreaks with guys like Karlovic. Playing 4 of those in a row with JMDP being the fourth? I am not defending him, just pointing out what I see.

Simon broke already. Jane, I agree that fatigue won’t affect Simon much. The key to beating him is to be even more patient than him. Simon gets frustrated if his opponent still hasn’t made an error after 20 shots in a rally and starts making errors himself. He can break at anytime and has no problem coming back in a match though, so it’ll be a good indicator of where Djokovic’s game is if they face each other in the next round.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:32 pm

i am supporting rafa because i don’t want to see his girl disappointed.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:32 pm

Rafa!!!! Don’t slide on HC!!!!

August 20th, 2009 at 7:33 pm

Veno: Thanks, I’ll be prepared for the ones coming right back at me. LOL. What did Muhamad Ali say — sting like a bee. LOL.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:33 pm

blah: I think Simon is ‘pesky’ and he’s a stalker at the baseline just waiting, and waiting, and waiting.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:35 pm

LOL PHM using Rafa’s tactics against Fed against Rafa….Amazing

August 20th, 2009 at 7:35 pm

Very good analogy there Von, you’re the bee, I’m the butterfly :)

August 20th, 2009 at 7:36 pm

Can anyone tell me if the “Hawkeye System” is a laser-sensored grid-system?

August 20th, 2009 at 7:37 pm

I’m not a Nadal fan, but it really makes me sad to see him struggle so much, and I can sympathize with his fans for what they must be feeling when he plays.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:38 pm

I’m surprised by how many people have jumped on the Roddick bandwagon. Truly shocked. Besides the fact that Roddick was out of sorts for whatever reason, he’s still not some amazingly great player the likes of which have never been seen before. He’s had some tough matches, that’s life for pros. You’d think the task of going deep in a couple tournaments has never been done before. Not only has it been done, but Roddick himself has won Cincy and Canada back to back en route to a US Open final in 03. Maybe it’s age. But Roddick is a much better player now than he was on 03. And we’re not talking about Del Potro or Djokovic who have fitness issues, Roddick’s a friggin bull. I’d say Roddick, Federer, and Murray are the 3 fittest players on tour at this moment. The guys are tanks who don’t get tired. Roddick didn’t look tired, it just seemed like something was off. It happens. Especially after a lot of matches. He coulda played Ferrer, Davydenko, Simon, and Hewitt a lot in his last few matches and yesterday’s result could have been exactly the same. “Show me someone from the top 4 who can handle playing so many big servers and blah blah blah Roddick’s so awesome blah blah Roddick blah.” What a freaking joke. Why do Fed fans and other fans of players get nervous when they play Karlovic, because against Karlovic sh*t happens. I don’t really wanna see anyone lose to Karlovic, Roddick very much included. I’d rather see someone like Roddick who’s got plenty of variety and is capable of staging spectacular matches go far in tournaments than Karlovic just ace his way through one. But to say that Roddick is just so impressive for beating so many big serves because, apparently, no one else can do that, is just dumb. Federer can’t beat big servers? Nadal? MURRAY??? Djokovic as of right now can’t beat anyone but he did beat Chardy, who’s no slouch in the serving department. I just don’t see why Roddick is so praised for doing simple things lots of other players have done and continue to do.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:40 pm

Rafa’ll be back…I worry not and tennis is so much for the better….

August 20th, 2009 at 7:40 pm

Veno: I don’t know much about Hawkeys, but based on MRIs, I’d say it’s an imaging system, where the contrast is what’s picked up and then translated.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:40 pm

‘Veno Says:
Can anyone tell me if the “Hawkeye System” is a laser-sensored grid-system?’

No. Just take lot of pictures and then trace the trajectory to figure out where it lands. So there is no ‘sensor’ on the court. Hope this helps.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:41 pm

And there he is!!!!!!

August 20th, 2009 at 7:41 pm

Wow that was the Nadal we love. Awesome!!

August 20th, 2009 at 7:41 pm

tx tennisrocks….man, time to upgrade the system….

August 20th, 2009 at 7:42 pm

Oh my God, the whole point was LOST.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:42 pm

tennisontherocks
tennisontherocks
tennisontherocks

August 20th, 2009 at 7:44 pm

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet. Come on Rafa!!

August 20th, 2009 at 7:45 pm

This is actually very good for Rafa!!!

August 20th, 2009 at 7:45 pm

“But to say that Roddick is just so impressive for beating so many big serves because, apparently, no one else can do that, is just dumb.”

THIS IS HOW GARBAGE STARTS. Who’s dumb? It’s called an opinion, and has got nothing to do with being dumb.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:45 pm

Oh and I’m a little disappointed to see JMDP clumped with the likes of Karlovic and others. JMDP is an awesome player with more than just a huge serve (although it is very huge). JMDP has great ground strokes, otherwise he wouldn’t have edged out Roddick like that, twice. Roddick wouldn’t lose a battle of the heart to just a big serve. JMDP clearly has a lot more game than the likes of Karlovic. What sucks is that JMDP is only getting better, so Roddick and everyone else better watch out. And I’m not trying to knock Roddick at all because not even Fed’s 2 slams this year have impressed me as much as Roddick’s improvement. I remember back when Roddick’s “down the line backhand” was in reality a “down the middle of the court backhand”. He’s now able to get real depth and hit lots of angles off the side. And his forehand has gotten bigger, imo. But that improvement doesn’t mean his now the greatest thing ever. He’s still Andy Roddick and he can still screw up like he always has. He’s just better now and less likely to.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:46 pm

Then the opinion is not thought out enough therefore it’s dumb because it’s too far from reality.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:48 pm

keeps using the Rafa tactics against him lol

August 20th, 2009 at 7:48 pm

Roddick sure brings out hatred. ouch

August 20th, 2009 at 7:52 pm

Oh well, just as I thought, PHM, gave back the break.

August 20th, 2009 at 7:55 pm

An opinion can be a lot of things, but never dumb

August 20th, 2009 at 7:55 pm

That was a VERY important hold for Nadal!

August 20th, 2009 at 7:56 pm

“i am supporting rafa because i don’t want to see his girl disappointed.”

LOL!

August 20th, 2009 at 7:58 pm

Rafa should either switch the Cobalt shirt for a Tiger-red one or his sweat band and head band should be virgin white. Just my opinion or is that dumb?

August 20th, 2009 at 8:00 pm

I think Rafa will lose 7-5 6-0

August 20th, 2009 at 8:00 pm

LOOOOL…..Cahill said the craziest thing just now referring to Todd Martins center placed fh when pulled out of the deuce court…whahaha…Against a righty…maybe, bu Nadal is a lefty…just plug it in the center while the lefty is standing at his own deuce court….What a joke

August 20th, 2009 at 8:03 pm

there was the home run baseball swing again!!!

August 20th, 2009 at 8:08 pm

nadal”s match score please…

August 20th, 2009 at 8:09 pm

OY, typical PHM.

August 20th, 2009 at 8:10 pm

classic Rafa

August 20th, 2009 at 8:10 pm

that’s the pinnacle of defense from rafa and gets the break. nice work there.

August 20th, 2009 at 8:11 pm

“I’m surprised by how many people have jumped on the Roddick bandwagon. Truly shocked. Besides the fact that Roddick was out of sorts for whatever reason, he’s still not some amazingly great player the likes of which have never been seen before.”

I didn’t say he was.

“He’s had some tough matches, that’s life for pros.”

Yes, and draws happen to everyone, but playing that many big servers in a row is not tough? come on. I am not saying it doesn’t happen to other players, but for the past month it’s been happening to Roddick, and it could be a reason why he went out early in Cincy. When you play against that many big servers in that short period of time and it goes down to a tie breaker everytime, you will probably lose one of them.

“You’d think the task of going deep in a couple tournaments has never been done before. Not only has it been done, but Roddick himself has won Cincy and Canada back to back en route to a US Open final in 03. Maybe it’s age.”

It has, but fatigue takes its tow on everyone. Nadal got worn out during clay season, and he’s one of the fittest players. I am not just talking about this year either. He never had a clean sweep of clay titles even though he has the ability to.

“But Roddick is a much better player now than he was on 03.”
Agree.

“And we’re not talking about Del Potro or Djokovic who have fitness issues, Roddick’s a friggin bull. I’d say Roddick, Federer, and Murray are the 3 fittest players on tour at this moment. The guys are tanks who don’t get tired. Roddick didn’t look tired, it just seemed like something was off. It happens. Especially after a lot of matches.”

“He coulda played Ferrer, Davydenko, Simon, and Hewitt a lot in his last few matches and yesterday’s result could have been exactly the same.”

I don’t think you understand me. I said Roddick doesn’t match up well against big servers in 3 setters. Just like Federer doesn’t match up well against counter punchers like Simon and Murray.

“Show me someone from the top 4 who can handle playing so many big servers and blah blah blah Roddick’s so awesome blah blah Roddick blah.” What a freaking joke. Why do Fed fans and other fans of players get nervous when they play Karlovic, because against Karlovic sh*t happens.”

Think of Federer playing against 3 counter punchers in a row and facing Murray at the end. Would it be crazy to say he got a bad draw for him? Does that excuse him or Roddick from losing? no, but you could see their draw being a reason why they lost and you could say that it’s hard to see the same happening to them the next tournament.

“I don’t really wanna see anyone lose to Karlovic, Roddick very much included. I’d rather see someone like Roddick who’s got plenty of variety and is capable of staging spectacular matches go far in tournaments than Karlovic just ace his way through one.”

Okay.

“But to say that Roddick is just so impressive for beating so many big serves because, apparently, no one else can do that, is just dumb.”

I never said that, or even implied it.

“Federer can’t beat big servers? Nadal? MURRAY???” Their game matches up better against big servers.

Think of Nadal playing against consecutive flat hitters, Fed playing against consecutive counter punchers.

“Djokovic as of right now can’t beat anyone but he did beat Chardy, who’s no slouch in the serving department.”

Chardy is not a big server like the players mentioned, come on.

“I just don’t see why Roddick is so praised for doing simple things lots of other players have done and continue to do.”

Nobody is praising him. Nobody said other players can’t do these things. I am not even finding excuses for him. I don’t care that he lost these tournaments. It’s you who has this “everybody is giving Roddick undeserved praise” mentality.

Bad matchups happen to everyone, and I think that can be pointed out as a reason. I rarely bring up draws, but this instance it’s hard to ignore. The whole reason this was started was because I said I don’t think one needs to worry about Roddick, not to praise him.

“Then the opinion is not thought out enough therefore it’s dumb because it’s too far from reality.”

Improve your reading skills.

August 20th, 2009 at 8:12 pm

6-5 Nadal!

August 20th, 2009 at 8:12 pm

PHM still using a crafty tactic…

August 20th, 2009 at 8:15 pm

Classic Tenacious R~! Who wants it more? Rafa. Of course.

August 20th, 2009 at 8:16 pm

classic Rafa….heck classic PHM too

August 20th, 2009 at 8:16 pm

Who’s Nadal next opponent if he beats PHM?

August 20th, 2009 at 8:16 pm

rafa takes the set. whoooo…whoooo

August 20th, 2009 at 8:17 pm

lol blah…..better change your name to blahblah!

August 20th, 2009 at 8:17 pm

Benneteau

August 20th, 2009 at 8:18 pm

These last 2 games of the 1st set have been a classic Nadal. That is – make the opponent hit (or I should say miss) that one more shot…

August 20th, 2009 at 8:19 pm

or is that Murray’s QF opp…

Then it would be either Chris Guccione or Tomas Berdych, they’re playing now

August 20th, 2009 at 8:19 pm

how is rafa playing guys???….im at work and missing his match..yesterday he wasnt that convincing for me..still brushing off his rust i think

August 20th, 2009 at 8:21 pm

Guccione or Berdych.

August 20th, 2009 at 8:21 pm

Darn it, I forgot about Guccione/Berdych. They are now 2-2. Thanks, Veno.

August 20th, 2009 at 8:23 pm

Either one could be a problem for Nadal, but it looks like he’s finding his form here, so it might not be that easy.

August 20th, 2009 at 8:24 pm

everyone will pose a threat to Nadal. It’s his mentality, experience, name and foremost the string technology that gets him through :)

August 20th, 2009 at 8:26 pm

berdych should get through. against berdych, rafa trails 1-3 on hard court.

August 20th, 2009 at 8:34 pm

I saw that break coming… 2-1 Nadal!

August 20th, 2009 at 8:36 pm

Rafa has this match in the bag…Enjoy all…way past my bedtime..

Bye Vonnie….be good :)

August 20th, 2009 at 8:36 pm

early break. vamos rafa.

August 20th, 2009 at 8:37 pm

Does anybody have any other live stream link apart ATDHE?

August 20th, 2009 at 8:38 pm

Veno: Goodnight and I’ll catch ya tomorrow!

August 20th, 2009 at 8:38 pm

Sam: here’s a good one.

http://www.fromsport.com/c-4.html

August 20th, 2009 at 8:39 pm

Two big FH misses from Mathieu, and Nadal leads 3-1.

August 20th, 2009 at 8:41 pm

Berdych is a break up on Guccione, but their match is not as exciting as Nadal’s match.

August 20th, 2009 at 8:42 pm

Thanks Von .

But I will still keep track of posters.:)

August 20th, 2009 at 8:44 pm

Sam: You’re welcome and I wouldn’t want you to stop your tracking one bit, so keeping on trackin’ or truckin’ whichever tickles your fancy. LOL. Does that link work for you? If so,, enjoy the matches.

August 20th, 2009 at 8:48 pm

Rafa should win but i don’t think he will win this event. Cincy is not his goal though.

I like Sean and Dan’s writing kind of yin and yang.

August 20th, 2009 at 8:49 pm

Nadal is really finding his game and is looking good. If he can keep gaining confidence he will really be tough. He looks like he is on a mission.

August 20th, 2009 at 8:49 pm

wow rafa with a double break lead. he is about 75% back.

August 20th, 2009 at 8:49 pm

Nadal looks as though he really wants to win this match — he’s very pumped up.

August 20th, 2009 at 8:49 pm

guccione is a set and a break down. he is gone.

August 20th, 2009 at 8:51 pm

Rafa is looking g-o-o-d, and he’s playing not too badly either. LOL. Seriously, though, Rafa is playing very well – not his best or anything, but as good as we can expect. And very determined, which always makes watching his matches thrilling, imo.

August 20th, 2009 at 8:54 pm

5-1 Nadal

August 20th, 2009 at 8:54 pm

Scottish: How did you like that one — threaded the needle there.

August 20th, 2009 at 8:56 pm

Well blah, I can’t say much. But I don’t see big servers as a terrible match up the way counter punchers are to Federer and flat hitters are to Nadal. I think Roddick’s got a pretty good if not great record against big servers. As to everything else you said, well you got me.

August 20th, 2009 at 8:56 pm

6-1 rafa

August 20th, 2009 at 8:57 pm

I don’t want to jinx him, but this is certainly the best set Nadal’s played since his return to the courts!

August 20th, 2009 at 8:59 pm

Von, So nice!! I’m really enjoying watching him back in action. Been too long to see him play this good. Come on Fed/Nadal final. :-)

August 20th, 2009 at 9:01 pm

Hey Von after your beloved AR who are your next 4 favs in general?

August 20th, 2009 at 9:02 pm

Scottish: Don’t embarass me, LOL.

Safin, Murray, Gasquet, and Blake (sad one here). Then there are others like PHM, Fish, Querrey and of course, the Americans (who I always root for). I admire Hewitt’s tenacity.

August 20th, 2009 at 9:07 pm

I see Nadal is still with his bottle placement routine. LOL.

August 20th, 2009 at 9:08 pm

Makes sense you would cheer for yankees. :-) It’s against the law not to in the great USA right?

August 20th, 2009 at 9:08 pm

Scottish: I forgot Tsonga, which should be before Blake..

August 20th, 2009 at 9:10 pm

Not really, but I’ve always been a patriotic one.

August 20th, 2009 at 9:11 pm

Scottish: Hey, Yankees are Northerners, and we’re talking the whole USA here not just North but South also.

August 20th, 2009 at 9:12 pm

Yeesssssssss!! Awesome stuff. Can’t wait for Qfs. Nadal is on his way. fed will make his adjustments and pick up his game. Looking to be some great semis again this week!!

August 20th, 2009 at 9:12 pm

Good one Von. Us Eskimos think all Yankees are in the south. LOL

August 20th, 2009 at 9:13 pm

And, Nadal wins, to the cheers and ovation of the crowd!

Goodnight all and enjoy the matches tomorrow. manana.

August 20th, 2009 at 9:13 pm

rafa surely gave the impression tonight that he is back but i think he has a few more miles to go. he looked happy and confident which was good. job well done.

August 20th, 2009 at 9:14 pm

Congrats to all the winners today. Rafa is back, or near anyhow. He did seem excited to get that win and that excitement is infectious. I guess Berdych is next on tap for him.

Definitely Murray has the easiest quarterfinal match, but Benneteau is no slouch; he can play well on any given day, and he has a lot of variety, as he showed at the French against Tsonga, and at Wimbledon against Djoko.

But Fed vs. Hewitt, Nadal vs. Berdych and Djoko vs. Simon are tougher matches i would think. Djoko has the highest ranked opponent, and going by match ups (or H2Hs) Rafa could have a tough one against Berdych.

Anyhow, another day of tennis tomorrow!

I hope we get Sar’s report by then. : )

August 20th, 2009 at 9:18 pm

Looks like 1, 2, 3, 4 are once again in for the semis! Should be a great QF day tomorrow!

August 20th, 2009 at 9:18 pm

When was the last time the top 4 made the semis?

August 20th, 2009 at 9:22 pm

It was clear to me tonight when they announced that Roger had requested the second match on after Murray tat he is ducking Murray before the US Open……If Murray wins tommorrow, and than Federer comes out and loses to Hewitt we will know what Montreal was all about……I do not like to say that a player is ducking another player, but it looks like Federer is…….He said during the cay court season this year that not playing Rafa too many times before Rolland Garos was crucial and I think the same goes for Murray……Sorry to burst your bubble tennis fans, but it looks like this is what Federer is doing!

August 20th, 2009 at 11:13 pm

I am really late coming on here with my thoughts. But I just wanted to savor Rafa’s great victory. I am beyond happy. I have watched him struggle mightily to find his game. It’s been tough. But in this match, I think he found himself and he knows it! He managed to play his way into the match. He was really out of rhythm in the beginning, but Rafa thinks when he is out on the court.

Did you guys see that backhand winner he hit on the dead run way out of position? Maybe the best point of the match. It’s those kind of shots that got him back in the match. It made me realize just how very much I have missed his great play. He can generate excitement like no one else. I could see him start to take control of the match and make those magnificent shots. What a joy to see!

The second set was almost vintage Rafa. I am a smart enough fan of Rafa’s to realize that he is not there yet. But he has gotten so much better after every single match. He’s feeling his way, trying to find the timing, but now at least he is going for the shots and making more than he is missing. I noticed that he had 29 winners to 22 unforced errors for the match. I think that is the correct statistic. That’s good news. Rafa at the top of his game would have even fewer unforced errors, but I am not complaining. Not one bit!

The best moment was seeing him dancing to center court and pumping his fist for the crowd. It has been a long, dark journey back for him. To see him in this moment, feeling it, owning it, was beyond beautiful. Time is Rafa’s biggest enemy right now. He is trying to accelerate his recovery in a compressed time frame. It’s not an easy task. But this was the first time that I saw that look in Rafa’s eyes – I call it the look of the bull. He needed this great match. He will have his hands full with Berdych tomorrow night. But I believe if he plays like he did today, without that slow start, then he will win the match.

How great would it be to see all four of the top seeded players in the semifinals? Wouldn’t that be a barn burner!! Murray is looking formidable, but I have never warmed to his game. I appreciate his talent and gifted play, but I just don’t get the same visceral rush of excitement that I do watching Rafa. I haven’t watched Simon enough lately to know if he has a chance against Djoko. I think Djoko’s mental strength and conditioning are always question marks. He hasn’t been playing particularly great tennis, but I am not about to count him out. I would so love to see Rafa and Djoko go at it in the semis! What a treat! Now that would be the biggest test for Rafa going into the U.S. Open.

I am eagerly awaiting tomorrow’s matches. It should be fantastic tennis.

Vamos, Rafa!!

August 21st, 2009 at 2:34 am

I think Fed is better off playing best of five matches than three setters….The reason why he has phenomenal records in slams..He has this great ability to comeback when he is one or two sets down…

August 21st, 2009 at 3:44 am

veno: hooray!! Am sure given time you’ll love Andy M as much as I do…….!
jane: please stop cleaning your house, it’s sparkly clean now! Remember that Quentin Crisp quote about dusting, “Don’t lose your nerve after 6 months.”
sportsfan: much as I’d like to believe that TMF is scared of Andy M., I REALLY can’t!

August 21st, 2009 at 9:36 am

Rafa was awesome last night, took him a while to get into his groove, but once in it there was no stopping him. Aside from the injury time out, I find thet players always come out with all guns blazing against Nadal, the pressure him in the first set, but can’t keep it going for a whole match.

Rafa is better off playing Berdych than Guccione whom he’s never played before, that could be tricky.

August 21st, 2009 at 9:51 am

Today I will go to the last part of Federer, see Murray but switch back and forth to the grandstand to see Nestor and Z. After that I will see Djokovic who will be having a late afternoon match, eat, hopefully catch up with tennisbebe again and see Nadal. Please let there be cloud cover.

August 21st, 2009 at 10:00 am

Murray has looked good here, most of the time. There have been a few lapses in concentration. I get this sense though that he’s feeling a little more pressure on his shoulders this year. Last year he won this event and made the Final of the US Open, so this time the spotlight on him is a little warmer now. And that affects your play – every swing of your racquet is a little heavier with all the scrutiny.

August 21st, 2009 at 10:32 am

Viocemale 1: your comment is interesting and pertinent but I take heart from the fact that the USOpen is Andy’s favourite tournament, he actually said that mid-Wimbledon and I just love that kind of honesty, tactless though it may be! He also loves New York and the people, so here’s wishing and hoping…..and the pressure WILL be far less than Wimbledon. There’s pressure on Fed, Rafa, Roddick too, so it’s more even I guess.

August 21st, 2009 at 11:49 am

Margot:

Murray had said the US Open was the tournament he most wanted to win even as far back as the spring of 2007. He clearly understands hard courts are his best chance to win a Major. And Federer took a lot of grief in Australia for daring to question Murray’s status as the favorite this year Down Under. But Roger was proved right, intimately understanding the nature of the Murray game. Murray’s Rope-A-Dope game is a tough plan to sustain over a Best of Five Set match, and especially when you have to win 7 of those over two weeks for a Major Title. He’s very well suited to a Masters Series Hard Court program of playing 5 Best of Three matches in one week.

I disagree pressure is on Nadal or Roddick at the US Open, at least when compared to Murray, especially since Murray’s ascended to #2 in the world. The Open will be a very tough test for either Federer or Murray, or maybe both. Can you imagine having to go through Del Potro/Roddick in the QF’s, then face Nadal/Djokovic in the SF’s and STILL have a Final to play the next day? Oy!

August 21st, 2009 at 12:18 pm

Murray is boring to watch. He simply just hits the ball back and never really goes for anything. Eventually his opponent gets bored and tries to hit a winner. The lesser talented players make more unforced errors and they loose.

It also gets really old fast listening to him yell so much.

August 21st, 2009 at 12:34 pm

A lot depends on the draw, especially at the US Open. Its REALLY STUPID of the organizers at the USO to have the men play best of 5 semi on saturday, and then come back less than 24 hours later to play best of 5 final.

Most likely, Nadal will be the No 3 seed. IF nadal reaches the semi, whoever gets to play nadal will be washed out for the finals. The person having the tougher semi will lose the final, as simple as that. If the AUS open did the same thing, no way would Nadal have won the AUS open this year, after having to play 5 hours plus against Verdasco in the semi. The one day’s rest allowed him to recover (and that was the right thing to happen).

The USO leaves too much to chance – I really dislike that about the last major of the year. I am surprised people don’t bring it up that often.

As for Murray, I really don’t see him as a big contendor for major titles. He just plays at the back of the court, deep behind the baseline – moves well and quickly, and has mostly loops the ball in. He doesn’t even have some of the strengths that nadal has. Even if Nadal never wins another non-clay slam title, I think he will end up with more non clay grand slams that Murray’s total grand slam tally.

August 21st, 2009 at 12:41 pm

I don’t agree that Murray is boring to watch at all; I like his intelligence on the court – very cat and mouse. He can also be very explosive, especially with his on-the-run shots.

Also I am not sure I agree with Voicemale1 that Murray’s game is not suited to slams; after all, he is getting deeper into the slams, having played the USO finals and Wimbledon semis. And he got to the quarters at the French. If he can get that deep – especially to the semis or the finals – there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with his style of play with regards to winning a slam. Maybe he needs to step it up. But I do think that Murray was zonked at last year’s USO final after playing two days in a row in a grueling match with Nadal. Fed really played excellent tennis in the final, aggressively took it to Murray. But it could’ve been more competitive. I think Murray might’ve been a bit nervous too, it being his first slam final and all.

All that said, I do agree with Voicemale1’s earlier point that Murray can still have concentration lapses. And there’s no doubt he could step it up and be more aggressive at times. He can lapse into passivity. But he can also be surprisingly aggressively.

It’s like the people that say Nadal just hits the ball back and waits for the opponent to make a mistake; that;s just not the case. Look at last night – 29 winners from Rafa. That’s not the mark of a player looking to make the other guy make a mistake.

The mantra “controlled aggression” may fit; know when to use defense, to be patient and keep the ball in play, and when to go for broke and finished the point.

On a side note, I just noticed that Murray and Djoko are equal in career singles titles now – 13 each.

August 21st, 2009 at 12:44 pm

FiG says “Its REALLY STUPID of the organizers at the USO to have the men play best of 5 semi on saturday, and then come back less than 24 hours later to play best of 5 final.”

I agree. I’ve never understood why they do it this way. It also gives one guy considerably less recovery time if he plays the second semi, when the final match is the very next day. It’d be better to have the “day off” format they have in all the other slams, so they have a little more time to re-boot.

August 21st, 2009 at 12:48 pm

Fitness, youth, and racquet technology can produce a player like Murray (and to some extent Nadal). I would love to see these sort of players compete when they are 28-29. They will just suddenly disappear the way players like Wilander and Bruguera did.

Someone who can serve and volley would be very effective against these type of players, since he can call their bluff of constantly just looping the ball in several feet above the net. Its a pity nobody does that today (well, to some extent, the current racquet technology and huge racquet heads are to blame for that).

August 21st, 2009 at 12:50 pm

Jane, Beauty is in the eye of the beholder for sure. :-) I think Murray has improved a lot this year and has a legitimate shot at the USO. I just don’t really think his play is up to the level he needs though. He played mediocre in Montreal and cruised to the final where he played an exhausted JMDP and still dropped a set.

If any of the big guys had played him with energy and on game he wouldn’t beat them. He just doesn’t seem to have the consistency. Certainly over 3 sets he has an edge over most player. But over 5 sets it’s a different story.

August 21st, 2009 at 12:51 pm

FIG, it seems to me that the 4 majors should all be played the same way to make sure they are consistent. It’s really a disservice to tennis fans to have a tired guy play in the final. Not sure there is anything we can do about it though is there?

August 21st, 2009 at 12:54 pm

Admittedly, Murray’s serving awfully today. And if he were to play like this at a slam, he would not win. He’s having an “off” day today so far.

Scottish, perhaps he needs to step his level up sometimes, as mentioned. But I do think he can be and has been aggressive, just maybe not consistently enough. I would agree with that sort of an assessment. I think his style of tennis is fascinating to watch though, when he’s on his best form.

MDP is actually an excellent match up for Murray and their contests are always exciting. It’s like they both bring their best (for the most part) when they meet, kind of like Fed and Rafa.

August 21st, 2009 at 1:00 pm

JMDP and Murray have some bad blood between them which I think helps make the matches that much more exciting. I can’t think of any rivalry I’ve seen in sports lately then Fed/Nadal. No matter where you stand on either side it’s amazing to watch.

August 21st, 2009 at 1:09 pm

I did say yesterday that I thought Murray had the easiest semi here; however, however, I also mentioned this: “Benneteau is no slouch; he can play well on any given day, and he has a lot of variety, as he showed at the French against Tsonga, and at Wimbledon against Djoko.” Benneteau is showing that variety today, big time. That, coupled with poor serving by Murray, is making this a great day for Julien. Murray is going to go out, unless he can find another gear SOON!!

margot are you yelling at the TV yet?? Wake up Andy M!

August 21st, 2009 at 1:14 pm

The US Open scheduling has strictly to do with Television. CBS Sports owns the broadcasting right to the event, and they don’t want to do what NBC Sports does with both The French & Wimbledon – show the Semis of Friday, which everyone hates. Those two Majors force NBC to show the Semis (and they only air one of them) on tape delay for one reason: money. The Today Show is a huge Cash Cow for NBC and no way will they preempt that for live tennis very people few will watch anyway.

CBS Sports wants all the tennis crammed into the window of coverage they want to provide, and that means weekends only. CBS wanted to Ladies Championship at night – so the tournament obliged. As long as the broadcast rights are owned by a major network the US Open Mens Semis 7 Final will be 24 Hours away from each other.

August 21st, 2009 at 1:20 pm

Andy is back and I don’t see JB keeping up his game. That last rally almost put me to sleep and JB should have put it away. Andy will will win the next 2 sets.

August 21st, 2009 at 1:20 pm

That last 34 stroke rally was classic Murray, some aggressive shots, mixed with some amazing defense. He switches effortly between defense and offence when he chooses. Let’s see if he can hold now and make a match of it!

August 21st, 2009 at 1:21 pm

LOL, should be effortLESSly.

August 21st, 2009 at 1:21 pm

Murray is through now. JB is fading fast. I predict 6-2 last set.

August 21st, 2009 at 1:52 pm

ROddick played a beautiful match against Murray at Wimbledon. That’s the way to play him. Murray is not someone who will hang tough in a 5th set, or even a 4th, unlike players like Federer or Nadal.

August 21st, 2009 at 1:59 pm

OK Murray lasted it out. Didn’t need to lay much in that last set. Now it’s time for the main draw! Go Fed!

August 21st, 2009 at 2:23 pm

Commentator just said Djoko had the chance to go to #2 in the world 3 separate times and couldn’t win. Anyone know what those matches were?

August 21st, 2009 at 2:37 pm

jane: Andy played so dreadfully in the first set, boy does the wind upset him{!} that I almost had to go and do some housework…..managed to restrain myself however……
you guys are wrong, Andy can play aggressively, they were talking about this on Tennistv and one of them says he plays his best tennis when he is aggressive and it’s only a matter of minor adjustments. For me it’s almost as if he lacks a belief in his ability and falls back on the defensive game as kind of a comfort blanket. I think he’s still maturing and developing as a player. He’s so smart he’ll get there.
jane again: good luck to Djko tonight. Simon has not a hope in hell of beating Rafa but Novak certainly can so goooooooo!

August 21st, 2009 at 2:45 pm

Good afternoon to all! I’m finally able to break free from what I had previously thought would have been an easy depo day – wow, was I wrong — it was anything but easy. I see from the posts that Murray was stretched to a 3rd set, but he was finally able to pull out the win — good for him. He’s had a very kind draw in this tourney, which was a blessing in many ways considering he played the final at Montreal.

Anyway, all that said, are we ready for some fun and excitement which is what we all crave for, hence our glue-like position in front of our TV screens? LOL. Do I hear a resounding YES.

August 21st, 2009 at 2:56 pm

Players don’t (and can’t) really change their fundamental style of play and mindset once they have been a few years on the tour – a 15 year old in training? Yes. Murray at 22? No. Murray is intrinsically a defensive player, and will always be like that. Its not that he can’t play offense – it’s just not his style or mindset. And considering that he doesn’t need to play offence to win against most players – he’s never going to change.

A dreadful match is Nadal vs Murray. Until last year, Murray was not fit enough to last against Nadal. Now that he is fit, their match might just go on forever. In fact, it is Nadal who will try to hit a winner before Murray does!

Murray is going to enjoy his youthful couple of years, and then just fade away. He might win a slam (or maybe two) in the meantime, but not more than that.

August 21st, 2009 at 2:56 pm

Beautiful backhand down the line by Rusty, which is just like him to find an open spot.

August 21st, 2009 at 3:00 pm

In 2 years some fresh and fit 20 year old will come and whip these older defensive players away (Murray, Nadal, etc.).

Don’t worry about Federer. He has achieved the Zenith. Now everything else is gravy. He’ll get some. Let’s see who the next double digit slam winner turns out to be. After Nadal there’s just nobody.

If Fed wins another couple of slams – he would have set an “Usain Bolt” type record. Truly – that guy is astounding! 9.58 in 100m and then 19.19 in 200! I think he will break the 9.50 ini 100m and 19 sec barrier in 200m, and we may never see that broken in our lifetimes!

August 21st, 2009 at 3:01 pm

On that note, I think Usain Bolt should start running the 400m – I think he could break the 43 sec barrier there (current record is 43.18 by Johnson, I think). He just needs to run the next 200m in less than 24 seconds!

If athletics was like swimming, we would have had a 50m race, 150m race, 100m with green shoes, 200m with black shoes, etc, and he would have 14 golds like Michael Phelps!

August 21st, 2009 at 3:04 pm

Fed is Goat: there’s a biblical quote about the sun blinding the eye, I think it applies to you. Even if you hate Murray’s game surely you can acknowledge his natural talent, not a lot to do with racquet technology IMHO.
Since I’m not gifted with prophecy I’ll just let Andy’s future tennis do the talking.

August 21st, 2009 at 3:05 pm

FIG, “. and we may never see that broken in our lifetimes!”

‘Never’ is not a word that one should believe to be carved in stone throughout the ages. Whenever we think that’s so the unthinkable happens. I’m sure there will be players who will beat Federer’s 15 slams record just like he broke Sampras’ 14 and a sprinter who’ll break Bolt’s records, just like Bolt broke those records of his predecessors. Remember: where there’s life there’s hope, and time and tide waits for no man.

August 21st, 2009 at 3:06 pm

look like very tricky conditions…..

August 21st, 2009 at 3:08 pm

Hewitt’s first serve percentage is very low. he needs to try to bring that up, not that it’s of the utmost importance in some matches, but considering who’s on the opposite side of the net it will be of the utmost significance.

August 21st, 2009 at 3:11 pm

Veno: It’s very windy.w

August 21st, 2009 at 3:11 pm

thought so, have no sound, but it’s what it looks like…

Rusty looking very rusty though…

August 21st, 2009 at 3:14 pm

I’m with Von on records. Fed is the best right now but he definitely isn’t out of reach. Sure if he wins 5 more it will be tough. But even then you never know.

August 21st, 2009 at 3:14 pm

Scottish: Who would have thought the new strings and racquet technology would have made so many players appear to be awesome and shot-making geniuses? Well, technology could evolve even more and then many records will be easily broken. In Bolt’s case though, the food industry will have to come up with more creative health supplements that will make the next generation of sprinters look like superman. Again, where there’s life there’s hope, and hope springs eternal.

August 21st, 2009 at 3:19 pm

Von,

If you read my post carefully – I said we MAY never see that broken in OUR LIFETIME. So two qualification. First, MAY… Second, a time qualification (say another 30 or 40 years). Some sport records have survived 40 or 50 years, some even more – Usain Bolt’s runs MAY be in that category (again, note the word MAY).

About Federer, again, if you read carefully, I said “IF HE WINS ANOTHER COUPLE OF SLAMS” – so IF he gets to 17 slams, that COULD be an Usain Bolt type record. Well, in the open era, Borg won 11, then Sampras broke it 30 years later. Then Federer broke it in 7 years. I think a record of 17 or 18 slams may stand for 30 or 40 years. I think that’s not unreasonable to think.

And MARGOT, you worry about yourself – don’t speculate on what applies to other people, who you don’t know. And if you read carefully, I never said I “HATE” murray’s game. I “dislike” it. Keep your acidic comments about other posters to yourself. I am not commenting on you, or on Murray. I am commenting on Murray’s playing style. If you can’t take it, its your problem.

And regarding Biblical quotes – I won’t even go there, but keep them to yourself.

August 21st, 2009 at 3:19 pm

Veno: Try the below link. I’m using the computer video instead of the TV where there’s talking, and talking, and talking …..

http://www.fromsport.com/video-58793.html

August 21st, 2009 at 3:21 pm

tx Von, but doesn’t work…and Justin.tv I have to pay for after 1 minute…

August 21st, 2009 at 3:24 pm

On slams, in 40 years of Open tennis, only 3 players have double digit slam wins in singles on the men’s side. So statistically, 10 slams is pretty darn rare. And it just gets exponentially more difficult from there onwards… A record of 17 or 18 slams may survive a long time.

With so much physicality involved, the prime years of a tennis player have shortened over the last 40 years. Its very difficult for someone to continue winning slams for a long time in today’s tennis world, hence its not going to get any easier in the future.

August 21st, 2009 at 3:24 pm

FIG: Yes you did say we ‘may never’ see that in our lifetime, but I’m just saying that we did see Sampras’ record broken in our lifetime, and we may also see Federer’s records broken in our lifetime, because again, all things are possible and many ‘may nevers’ do come to fruition at times, and when we least expect them to happen, as per the above cited example. Anyway, thanks for the discussion.

August 21st, 2009 at 3:28 pm

Veno: Here’s a link to the whole menu, see if you could find one of the three sites to give you sound. I have sound and in English too.

http://www.fromsport.com/c-4.html

August 21st, 2009 at 3:33 pm

Veno: Here’s another link to that site and you’ll be able to pick and choose from five (5) links:

http://www.fromsport.com/c-4.html

August 21st, 2009 at 3:33 pm

Already did to no avail my friend, but tx for the effort…

August 21st, 2009 at 3:35 pm

Fed looks better than against Ferrer…a little

August 21st, 2009 at 3:37 pm

Von;

That link from yesterday was working great during the Murray match! Now with Fed playing it seems to have slowed down a tad. But anyway, I saw more already then the last 2 weeks before :)

Murray vs JB was strange. After mid 2nd set JB was completely wasted! Can’t really say anything about it. Too strange! So many BP, maybe some winds. But Andy pulled it out alright.

Now Fed vs Hewitt. I expect a routine win for Fed. He got the 1st set. Hewitt makes more unforced errors then usually….

August 21st, 2009 at 3:39 pm

Sure, almost nothing is impossible, and we don’t know where Federer will end his career anyway. It’s always a probablistic statement, where, at some point, some things become highly improbable, though they are not impossible. I think 17 or 18 singles slams in mens tennis is one of those (Federer is not there yet).

And if Usain Bolt shatters 9.50 in 100m or 19sec in 200m, that might be in that category as well. Look at Long jump – 8.90m remained the record for I think 25 years or so, and then 8.95m is the record for the last 20 years or so. the 9m jump still remains elusive.

As records get higher and higher, they become more difficult to break… Remember, we are talking about a short history of 50 or 60 years in most sports, so in the initial years, more records will be broken. Swimming was an exception due to the controversial suits, that have now been banned anyway.

Margaret Courts 24 singles slam titles has been unbroken for 36 years! That is again one of those that may survive many more decades. Steffi came close with 22, but nobody else is anywhere near. The Williams sisters are nearing 30, and are not even there combined.

So ya, records are broken all the time, but once in a while a record is set that lingers on for decades and decades and decades. Some spots records have been unbroken for over 60 years now!

August 21st, 2009 at 3:41 pm

Rusty in trouble…

August 21st, 2009 at 3:42 pm

Scottish Says:

Commentator just said Djoko had the chance to go to #2 in the world 3 separate times and couldn’t win. Anyone know what those matches were?

Hamburg SF 2008 Nadal
Brisbane RD1 2009 Gulbis
Syndey SF 2009 Nieminen

I think.

August 21st, 2009 at 3:42 pm

PietjeP,

JB played a 3 hour match yesterday, and then came on court at 12 Noon today. So its no surprise that he was wasted in 1 hour. AM got lucky that JB had a tough match yesterday, otherwise he may have lost today.

August 21st, 2009 at 3:44 pm

PietjeP; Try closing the page and reopening/reconnecting again, and/or restarting your computer if that doesn’t work. It happens when too many viewers are on at the same time, which is not a mystery to me since I’ve given out the link to almost everyone in creation. LOL.

See my post @ 3:33 pm and try that link also which is the one I’m viewing and you can choose from five (5) links. Goodluck.

August 21st, 2009 at 3:44 pm

It was JB’s 5th match….

August 21st, 2009 at 3:45 pm

Thanks scineram. Djoko is a strange guy to figure out. Seems almost insecure in many ways and yet definitely has the game.

August 21st, 2009 at 3:46 pm

Safin, Hewitt, and Roddick – all have won slams (Safin and Hewitt twice each), and all have been ranked No 1 in the world. None of them has the “youth/age” advantage over Federer. And Federer OWNS all of them – 10-2 on Safin, 19-2 on Roddick, and 15-7 on Hewitt (assuming he wins today), including the last 13 straight.

So if a 22 or a 23 year old beats up a bit on someone 5 or 6 years older – that’s not all that relevant. Sampras losing to Safin in 2000, or to Hewitt in 2001 is similar – nobody can fight age….

August 21st, 2009 at 3:50 pm

Von;

Just closing and reopening worked great! Tnx!
Fed seems on his way to a ‘routine’ win.

You know what is strange. Hewitt and career. He was a number 1 and slam winner. But after 2003-2004 his star was fading. Ok he has had his bad luck with injuries, but still… ackward story…

August 21st, 2009 at 3:59 pm

Ahh.. Fed just won.
Now we will have an interesting match tomorrow! I’m not sure if Roger is up to it yet.

Let us just hope we will get a Rafa/Djoko SF in the bottom half! Strangely though, outside Murray, nobody seems in tip-top form.

August 21st, 2009 at 4:03 pm

Routine win for Fed. Had a very effective serving day – lost only 11 points on serve the whole match, no break points, 11 aces.

That squashes all these ridiculous charges that Fed is throwing matches away because he doesn’t want to play Murray before the USO!

Yeah right, this time his back is OK, the serve is working, lets see….

I hope Fed wins tomorrow against Murray….

As for Hewitt going down after 2003-04 – Fed had a lot to do with it. Hewitt lost to Federer 5 or 6 times in slams. Just like Roddick.

August 21st, 2009 at 4:09 pm

I never thought Fed was avoiding Murray. He has said that one of his goals is to help his H2H against Murray and Nadal. He might get a chance to improve both this week. I do think it will be a tough match for Fed to win tomorrow. I don’t see his confidence quite up there yet. Murray is just brimming and ready to attack.

August 21st, 2009 at 4:14 pm

Scottish, not sure if anyone answered you yet, as I haven’t finished reading the thread, but you asked re: Djoko getting to # 2 “Anyone know what those matches were?”

Two of them, I believe, were against Rafa on clay, so a slim-to-none chance!! One of them, the last one, would’ve been to over-take Fed at number 2 pre-AO at the beginning of the season, but because Djoko was both (a) not used to his new racquet, and (b) ill prepared for the new season, he BLEW this chance. However, it’s the only GOOD chance he really had, as trying to overtake Rafa on clay at Hamburg and the French is a nil prospect, imo. Anyhow, I am pretty sure those were his 3 “chances” to get #2.

August 21st, 2009 at 4:18 pm

PietjeP;

Great, I’m very happy you were able to see the match. I’ve found that closing the link and reopening sometimes helps when it’s stuck, or just clicking on the pause arrow and waiting. LOL. Bookmark both links and you can switch between the two.

I’ve finally been able to figure out that they all work from more or less pretty much the same feeds in most geographical locations and you’ve just got to work out for yourself which links are best suited to your country. Enjoy the matches and hope you stick around before it’s time to catch your beauty sleep. LOL. Veno is such a trooper he usually sticks around late into the early mornings at times just to hold my hands whenever Roddick is playing. I’m thinking it’s not so much the tennis he wants to see but just to hold my hands — can’t trust you Dutch guys you know — my ex dutch brother-in-law was one heck of a charmer. LOL.

August 21st, 2009 at 4:21 pm

Von; (and Veno)

Well sometimes I’m amazed with which matches Veno can watch. We are from the same bloody country (and thus time zone), but by the time I fall asleep, he is still up and running! Probably his profession is a burglar, :) (in which case; Veno we ARE AT HOME, SO NICK THE NEIGHBOURS!)

Time to catch some of Djoko’s match now!

August 21st, 2009 at 4:28 pm

It would be lovely to see a Fed-Nadal final! I have a feeling it will happen. Fed played better today than yesterday. Nadal played better yesterday as well. Murray was quite off today. Plus Murray has got to be a bit tired – he has this will be his 9th match in 11 days….

August 21st, 2009 at 4:28 pm

Has anyone noticed how many players have one knee bandaged? It’s almost as though there’s an epedemic of knee tendinitis spreading to infectious proportions.

August 21st, 2009 at 4:29 pm

BTW Von; what do you think of Hewitt’s career? Something strange about it, right?

August 21st, 2009 at 4:31 pm

PietjeP: “Well sometimes I’m amazed with which matches Veno can watch.”

I gave you the answer; he likes to hold my hands and sit on the couch next to me. Last night he said he’d make dinner, so go figure. LOL.

August 21st, 2009 at 4:31 pm

Von, tennis has a habit of bringing people together. LOL. Look at the Agassis and Federers t oname a few.

August 21st, 2009 at 4:33 pm

‘Fed is GOAT Says:
A dreadful match is Nadal vs Murray. Until last year, Murray was not fit enough to last against Nadal. Now that he is fit, their match might just go on forever. In fact, it is Nadal who will try to hit a winner before Murray does!’

what the hell are you talking about? their first ever match was a very entertaining 5 setter at Aus open and things have gotten better as Murray has improved in fitness. And at last year’s US open, Murray was just blasting the ball from the start. Both Murray and Djokovic’s two handed backhands are good enough to handle Nadal’s lefty hooks and that contributes to the longer rallies there. yes, Murray is more of a defensive player and may limit what he can achieve in his career. But a creative defense is more fun to watch than mindless offense.

August 21st, 2009 at 4:37 pm

PietjeP: “BTW Von; what do you think of Hewitt’s career? Something strange about it, right?”

I think Hewitt is just trying to squeeze out as much as possible from the dying embers of his career. When Hewitt was Hewitt he depended upon his speed to win, but after he injuries began piling up which affected his speed, that was the beginning of the end for him. Then there was the hip surgery which made things even more difficult and was the final nail. Therefore, all things considered, I think Hewitt will just keep hanging in by playing as much as he possibly can simultaneously by being a thorn in the sides of some players and one which should never be overlooked, being the spoke in their wheels, thereby causing some upsets, but I doubt we’d see any great runs to finals of the GS henceforth.

August 21st, 2009 at 4:40 pm

tennisontherocks – great points; you’re right that Murray and Nadal matches have been very fun to watch indeed. The Monte Carlo second set – esp. the tiebreaker – was thrilling also. And this is perfectly put as well: “a creative defense is more fun to watch than mindless offense.” Good post!

August 21st, 2009 at 4:40 pm

Scottish: “Von, tennis has a habit of bringing people together. LOL”

Hey, it brought the two of us together. LOL.

BTW, what do you think of your fave’s match play today? I think he brought his standard up and is sending a message to the gang. What do you think?

August 21st, 2009 at 4:42 pm

I think last year’s Canada MS was an exciting one to watch between Nadal and Murray. Here’s a link on Murray’s hopes for No. 1.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/21082009/58/murray-eyes-fight-number-spot.html

August 21st, 2009 at 4:45 pm

Fed is Goat: since this is the internet anyone can say anything, thus you are free to rubbish Murray’s talent and I am free to defend it, which I will continue to do.

August 21st, 2009 at 4:49 pm

Von, I thought overall Fed played better today and like Nadal is gaining confidence and rythm. I think he still needs a bit to go though to get back to his “normal” self that we saw at Wimbledon. Tomorrow’s match will be a good indication of where he stands. I think if he beats Murray it will make for more interesting chances going into the USO.

August 21st, 2009 at 4:50 pm

I’m out for the day. Have a great one. I’ll try and catch some of the Nadal match.

August 21st, 2009 at 4:52 pm

Von Says:

PietjeP: “Well sometimes I’m amazed with which matches Veno can watch.”

I gave you the answer; he likes to hold my hands and sit on the couch next to me. Last night he said he’d make dinner, so go figure. LOL.

Very true!!! :)

I have a friend over…everyone enjoy the matches and will talk to you guys later!!!!

August 21st, 2009 at 4:53 pm

Simon is getting stronger as the match progresses; Djoko not so much. I think this will be a tough one for Djoko to win, but I hope he can do it.

Alas, margot, my house is clean. What will I do? I suppose I can cook or something? LOL. I am glad to hear you restrained yourself from tidying up during Murray’s match; i think he woke up just in time today. Benneteau was on a bit of a roll, but Andy made sure to turn that around. That one lengthy rally was something else, and definitely a turning point for the match.

August 21st, 2009 at 4:56 pm

Von;

Yeah, exactly! But… when you nail it down. Hewitt was ‘wasted’ when he was around 23. Incredible when you think about it! Ok, injuries aside; it’s still incredible if you consider his slam and ranking record (78 weeks at nr 1 spot and winner of UO and Wimbledon). Take as reference the Hewitt/Fed H2H; he was on top of Roger the first 10 of their meetings.

Just interesting to think about…

August 21st, 2009 at 5:00 pm

Margot,

I have no problem in someone defending or criticizing any player. But do refrain from getting personal in saying remarks like “you have blinders on your eyes” or something. I couldn’t care less about that either – but if you are going to get nasty and personal, then I will definitely at least point it out. My objection is not to your defense of Murray, it is to your comment to me….

And then of course, this is the internet, so you can get as nasty, and even abusive, if you like. I don’t conduct myself that way, but everyone is different.

August 21st, 2009 at 5:03 pm

Hewitt is a grinder, so his getting “wasted” by age 23 is not that much of a surprise. Grinders don’t last long. Nadal and Murray fans should take note.

August 21st, 2009 at 5:05 pm

Well; small congrats to all Djoko fans! He has won the first set.

Sometimes I wonder about the shot selection of Novak though. That ‘drop shot’ at the first set point; why?!?!

August 21st, 2009 at 5:05 pm

Djoke vs Nadal, Federer vs Murray – that would be exciting tomorrow, if nadal wins (djoke looks likely to win).

August 21st, 2009 at 5:09 pm

PietjeP: I think prior to age 23, Hewitt coasted on his speed to win matches, aside from his great return game, but as he got older he began losing his major weapon, his speed, hence the decline in performance and match wins. It always happens to the guys whose game is built around physicality and not talent, and when the physicality goes (speed in Hewitt’s case) they are lost and can only try to by picking up the odd run here and there. In gist, an athelethe’s success based on physicality is akin to survival of the fittest. Talent on the other hand, will always be there and can outlast the physicality.

August 21st, 2009 at 5:11 pm

Fed is goat;

Let us just wait with your final conclusion until everybody’s career is over. Time will tell.

Although I often said, for example, Nadal will not last longer than 25 because of his grinding style, it is just too early.

Nadal seems to shift more to an offensive game, especially on grass/hc. And if he can maintain that, his matches will shorten and thus his career will lengthen…

August 21st, 2009 at 5:11 pm

Von;

I can hear you and it sounds solid. It’s exactly what maybe could be happening to Nadal now, although his playing style changed somewhat the last 2 years.

Maybe it’s a good lesson to all youngsters out there. That technique is still the way to go… (and for us the nicest to watch ;))

August 21st, 2009 at 5:16 pm

I think Simon could win the second set as Djoko wore himself out during some prior games and moreso toward the end of the first set by becoming embroiled in too many long rallies.
_____________
Scottish & Veno I’ll probably catch ya later as I’ll be going out to dinner and won’t see Nadal’s match. I’m hoping Nadal will win though. and Veno, don’t do anything I won’t do and that leaves you with very little fun. LOL.

August 21st, 2009 at 5:16 pm

The other thing that becomes important as you grow older is the serve – that’s what won Sampras his last few slams, and that’s what’s helping Federer a lot these days. Unfortunately, Nadal’s doesn’t have an overpowering serve – in fact, Murray’s serve is better. So I am not sure about Nadal, how long he can stay at the top – he is definitely half a step slower right now compared to his peak… maybe its just the layoff.

August 21st, 2009 at 5:20 pm

PietjeP – thanks for the first set “accolades” LOL – I wonder about Novak’s “drop-shot-itis” as well. I guess, when it works, it works wonderfully (end point); but when it doesn’t, it doesn’t work at all (end point – in favor of the other guy :) ).

Von, Not sure if Djoko seems physically worn out or maybe just looks weary from the heat / humidity? That is not to say that Simon won’t win the second set; that’s a very real possibility. He often loses the first set in his matches (like with Davy) but then goes on to win the whole thing. He often works his way into a match, doesn’t he? Djoko should be aiming to win this in two sets – BIG TIME! If it goes to 3, I think Djoko’s chances will go down and Simon’s up.

August 21st, 2009 at 5:27 pm

FIG: The serve is usually the last to go in the good servers. For example, Sampras can still serve as good as some of the younger players on the tour and he can volley as well, a lot better than many IMO, so his serve and volley game is always going to be there.
_____________
PietjeP: As the saying goes, easy does it, and also all things in moderation. The youngsters need to learn that they must work hard on improvements, talent wise, rather than muscling their way into wins, which is easier to do but can be short-lived in the grand scheme of things. That girl Sharapova is a prime example of muscling the ball and the deleterious effects it can pose for any player.

August 21st, 2009 at 5:31 pm

Novak made 3 UE in that game and then top it up with a double fault. He is not looking good here..

August 21st, 2009 at 5:32 pm

jane: Simon’s strategy is to wear his opponent out in the first set and if he wins that set fine, if not, he knows by the second set his opponent will definitely begin to tire and then he can move in for the kill.

August 21st, 2009 at 5:33 pm

Good job by Nole to break back – BUT HOLD NOW. Sheesh.

August 21st, 2009 at 5:34 pm

Von, i love the way you put it yesterday; Simon is not so much a grinder but a stalker – LOL!

August 21st, 2009 at 5:35 pm

Also, Simon is not moving as well as he has been able to a couple of months ago and Djoko has picked up on this and is moving him all around. That bandage on Simon’s patella area tells me that he has some form of tendinitis or kne problem brewing.

August 21st, 2009 at 5:36 pm

Yeah jane, good he break straight back, and he hold the next game for 62 seconds Jason Goodall says..ha ha ha.. Djoko on the roll now…

August 21st, 2009 at 5:38 pm

jane: In a lot of respects many of the players are grinders also by working the point to the death. Djoko has been grinding out quite a few games but that’s what it takes to win against pseky players like Simon, who won’t go away. another thing that’s not working for simon is is serve. Ouch.

August 21st, 2009 at 5:39 pm

In the first set, the commentators showed where the two guys were hitting the balls, and Simon’s strokes had no discernable pattern whereas Djoko’s pattern backs up just what you said Von – that Novak is trying to move Simon side-to-side.

August 21st, 2009 at 5:39 pm

Yeah, Simon’s serve has been off and on all match – a couple of aces and a couple of doubles. No consistency whatsoever. I don’t think Novak has a hope against Nadal. He hasn’t faced a guy on top form yet, and I suspect Nadal is working his way into his best form and will be feeling confident. But Rafa has to get by Berdych and Djoko has to get through this before that could even happen. He has been bad a converting on break points today – only 2 out of 8 won! Durrrr.

August 21st, 2009 at 5:44 pm

I have my stream on mute because the sound is very bad, so I don’t know what the commentators are saying and each stream has different commentators. However, it’s easy to see what Djoko’s doing to Simon and why. In essecnce, exploit the opponent’s deficiencies. Anyway, Simon needs to be careful because he’ll make that knee even worse with all of the running around, and then he’ll be injured by the USO. I also think he’s tired because he played a late match last night, which means Djokovic will win in two sets.

August 21st, 2009 at 5:46 pm

That drop shot and Simon’s refusal/inability to even run to get it is a prime example of how much Simon is hurting.

August 21st, 2009 at 5:48 pm

Yeah Good win from Djoko! Come on Rafa and make it 4!

Goodnight everybody; I’m off to bed!

August 21st, 2009 at 5:55 pm

Congrats to Djoko! Yeah, too bad Simon was not at his best, but you’re right that’s he’s had the tougher go here, with a couple of long matches against Andreev and Davy. Djoko was fresher, and he capitalized on that. But he’ll need to do better – esp. if his opponent is Rafa. Anyhow, I wanted to at least get to the semis here and he’s done it, so I am happy about that. A win over Rafa right now would be spectacular for his confidence, even if it’s unlikely and/or even if it comes over a recovering Rafa. It would still give him a boost, which he could use going into the USO.

August 21st, 2009 at 5:57 pm

Congrats jane, Djoko won! I didn’t have a moment’s doubt that he wouldn’t have because Simon struggled a lot yesterday v. Davydenko and from the first game today it was obvious his game, serve and movement were off. Now, if we as observers can see this, could you just imagine how the players are able to pick up on these problems from the opponent and exploit their weaknesses? OY

August 21st, 2009 at 5:57 pm

PietjeP: Goodnight and sweet dreams of tennis!

August 21st, 2009 at 5:59 pm

BTW, thanks for posting those links Von – I was able to get English commentary through that whereas ATDHE didn’t have it this time. See you all later for Rafa!

August 21st, 2009 at 6:00 pm

You’re welcome jane! I doubt I’ll be around for Nadal’s match as I have dinner plans and am hoping that the thuinderstorms will not break until I return home. Enjoy Nadal’s match tonight everyone, especially my hand-holding friend Veno LOL

August 21st, 2009 at 6:04 pm

:-)) two more )) to go…

August 21st, 2009 at 6:53 pm

Fed is GOAT Says:
“The other thing that becomes important as you grow older is the serve – that’s what won Sampras his last few slams, and that’s what’s helping Federer a lot these days. Unfortunately, Nadal’s doesn’t have an overpowering serve – in fact, Murray’s serve is better. So I am not sure about Nadal, how long he can stay at the top – he is definitely half a step slower right now compared to his peak… maybe its just the layoff.”

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Conventional wisdom would hold that to be true. But let’s remember Agassi returned to the top, was ranked #1 and was still winning Majors at age 29 and up you couldn’t say it was his serve that got him there. More than anything it was his fitness. He played a Major Final at the US Open at age 34 after all. Sampras was hurt in his later career by the change of the game. The new racquet & string technology was making a net-rushing game much less productive than it was when he was at his peak. More and more guys were generating more power & spin from the base line than Sampras ever thought was possible back in the 90’s. It turned his once lethal volleys into sitting ducks, and many of those serves that never came back before were coming back at him with interest. From Wimbledon 2000 on he went title-less until the 2002 Us Open. So even his serve, great as it was, wasn’t enough to get him to win any tournament for over two years.

As for Nadal – if Andres Gomez can win the French Open at age 30 and beat Agassi at age 21 in the process, I’d say Nadal’s chances there into his late 20’s look pretty good. Even on grass at Wimbledon. The only guys who’ve been in the Wimbledon Final since 2004 are named Federer, Roddick and Nadal. That’s it. So I guess anyone would have to like his chances there for a while too. His serve need not be of Roddick type speed mostly because he’s left handed. The slider out wide on the Ad Court to most players is still as effective as a heater down the middle. And as Steve Tignor pointed out rightly about Nadal’s serve was it’s accuracy: he has about 5 different spots in the box he’s trained himself to hit with regularity. Against Mathieu last night he hit a lot of aces down the tee because Mathieu was waiting for the wide one. And when Mathieu moved over, Nadal handcuffed him with the serve directly into his right hip. With that many options Nadal will be able to keep a lot of guys guessing the more he changes the location of his serve. As long as he can keep placing it like that, he won’t need it to be at 130-plus MPH.

August 21st, 2009 at 6:57 pm

Voicemale1 is 100% correct about Rafa;s serve; just now the commentators were praising Rafa;s “smart” serving against Berdych. He keeps the opponents guessing re: placement, and his lefty advantage is an added bonus. I am starting to believe Nadal could win the USO this year.

August 21st, 2009 at 7:49 pm

Voicemale1- I agree. older guys with slams run into injury problems later though- this happened for both Agassi and Sampras and was a factor in why they retired. Nadal is only 22 and already has pretty serious knee problems, so in order to even play until he’s 30 he needs to protect his knees. At the max I could see him getting about 10 slams.

August 21st, 2009 at 8:03 pm

Blah:

Agassi’s injury that ended his career didn’t even develop in him until 2003 – he was 33 then. Sampras had just one injury late in his career: the herniated disc in his back in 1999 – but that didn’t stop him from winning Wimbledon the next summer. And Nadal can do what Sampras and many others did to add to his longevity when he gets older: skip the Australian. He’s already won it, and could decide to give the trip a pass if he was concentrating on the French & Wimbledon.

August 21st, 2009 at 8:22 pm

Voicemale1- I agree that he should skip tournaments, but first it’s hard to see Nadal doing that. And that was exactly my point- Agassi’s injury problem came when he was 33, Sampras’ herniated disc and ankle issue came late in his career as well. Nadal’s only 22 and he has already missed portions of each season due to the same knee injury. His style of play only adds to that concern.

August 21st, 2009 at 8:30 pm

Blah,

Nadal is 23….

Neither agassi nor sampras played so far behind hte baseline. Neither ran so much in every match. Nadal is never going to have the longevity of either of these two players.

If he has to skip anything, Nadal should skip the entire hardcourt season after wimbledon…. but that would be too long a layoff, he’s never going to do that, or be able to come back sharp in January every year.

In 2 years, Nadal will hit the age after which the probability of winning slams reduces dramatically for EVERY player.

And he would have put on more miles on his knees than almost anyone his age.

August 21st, 2009 at 9:31 pm

Fed is GOAT said: „If the AUS open did the same thing, no way would Nadal have won the AUS open this year, after having to play 5 hours plus against Verdasco in the semi.“

Even with the current format of having one day of rest between the semis and the finals, nobody expected Nadal to hold up physically – especially if it went to 5 sets. Yet he proved them wrong…

August 21st, 2009 at 11:07 pm

That’s the weird thing about both Nadal and Fed – just when you think they’re fading, gone, out of the water, they rise to the top again. You gotta hand it to them for being at the top so long and being so consistent – even if I wish another player or two would win a slam occasionally, they’ll have to overcame Rafa-Fed to do it.

August 21st, 2009 at 11:11 pm

“Even with the current format of having one day of rest between the semis and the finals, nobody expected Nadal to hold up physically – especially if it went to 5 sets. Yet he proved them wrong…”

The one day in between makes a HUGE difference. Remember Chennai when Nadal played 4 hours against Moya? The next day he was totally washed out against Youzhny…

Sure, some players may not be able to recover even with a one-day gap – but having the gap at least gives the players a decent chance of recovering.

Just for TV rights, the US Open does this really stupid thing of saturday-sunday semi and final. Its just absurd.

And USO is the only slam that plays a tie breaker in the 5th. Again, TV is behind this. I can understand playing tie breakers in the first 4 sets – but a 5th set going on until someone breaks serve is something very special about the slams. The last two wimbledon finals prove that, and many other such matches.

Of course, there’s nothing anyone on this board can do about it. Nevertheless, its absurd.

August 22nd, 2009 at 11:14 am