Scary Nadal Faces Former Clay King Ferrero; Djokovic v. Nalbandian in Monte Carlo

I’ll second Kimmi’s earlier thanks – really appreciate that you post the “order of play” for the next day’s matches.

April 15th, 2010 at 8:52 pm

Tough match for Rafa tommorow, Ferrero means business.

April 15th, 2010 at 8:56 pm

Oh great. Sean’s prediction is the same as my final four in the challenge draw: Djoko, Verdasco, Ferrer, and Nadal.

April 15th, 2010 at 8:59 pm

“Fat Dave” has been looking pretty lean & mean lately. I’m liking his chances against the Djoker.

April 15th, 2010 at 9:07 pm

I refuse to pick the Djoker-Nalby match. Nalby has got to be the greatest enigma of the last, say, 5 years.

As for the rest, I think Nadal will win but I wanna see a great match between two of the best clay courters in the last decade. Ferrero might only have 1 FO but that’s 1 more than just about every active player left.

Ferrer and Kohls should be good and I agree that Ferrer will come through. Montanes could be the “Ljubicic” of this tournament but we’ll see. I’d like Verdasco to get through.

April 15th, 2010 at 9:23 pm

Jane, thanks for the link on the other thread.

My favorite line:
“In the past 12 months there has sometimes been an unselfconscious tendency for his team to refer to how the peerless Federer plans his schedule and organises his priorities — as if the itinerary of a player who has won 16 major titles should work as an approach for someone searching for his first.”

Funny, and I completely agree. Even when he was winning Masters last year, he was always talking about focusing mostly on the slams. I know all players want to peak at the slams but completely overlooking other events, ala Federer, is just dumb for someone of Murray’s age and (lack of) experience. Talk about jumping the gun.

April 15th, 2010 at 9:27 pm

NELTA, you did good. those four are still alive and looking good for the semi.

here are my picks

For verdasco, after taking out his nemesis berdych, he is done good enough to reach the semi imo. Montanes run should end tomorrow.

Kohl vs ferrer. Kohl is riding high on confidence after that Murray win too. but I think ferrer will just edge it.

Djoko played very well today, I think he will have too much fire power for nalbandian. But my heart says Nalbandian.

Nadal v ferrero..at least there will be some good rallies that we can enjoy..nadal matches have been boring so far. Nadal to win.

April 15th, 2010 at 9:35 pm

Nadal, Ferrer, Verdasco will get through imo, but I think Ferrero may push Rafa more than he has been so far; I refuse, like Ben, to call Nalby vs. Djoko (a) because I don’t wanna jinx Nole, and (b) for the same reason Ben said – Nalby’s an enigma and his form is picking up. So who knows! My heart hopes Djoko can win it and that he gain some confidence, but I totally like Nalby and his play. I will cheer for Nole and wait and see. Hope it’s a good match.

April 15th, 2010 at 9:51 pm

Ben you’re welcome; I thought it was a good summation of possible factors affecting Murray.

April 15th, 2010 at 9:51 pm

these people should give murray a break!

Murray had a serious wrist injury last year that took him out of competition in Tokyo and Shanghai masters; he also was not able to play to his potential at the US open.

In order to save himself from these injuries he has to be smart about his schedule.

I agree he is cut down some tournament but apart from cutting down some, he is still playing all masters and a few 500s…queens 250 is still in his list.

he had Barcelona, Rome and Madrid planned initially in his clay schedule..what is wrong with that..not everybody is playing MC which is a week after the grueling american hard courts..he was not gonna be the first one to skip that.

or is this the fact that he did not play Doha or Marseille? I don’t see what is wrong if murray is copying federer schedule either; he needs to make sure, in order to have a long successful career you have to be smart …. I bet you will see delpo cutting down his schedule big time when he gets back..he wouldn’t want the repeat of this long layoff, would he?

April 15th, 2010 at 10:21 pm

Kimmi, just wondering if you read the whole article? I thought what they were saying is that they didn’t think he should over-focus on peaking for slams *to the detriment of his results at smaller events*. (i.e., Fed’s results as smaller events don’t matter as much since he’s already achieved unprecedented milestones). Here’s the full quote:

“in the wake of the Kohlschreiber defeat, Murray acknowledged that he had spoken to his team about refocusing on the Masters series events, which are the tier beneath the Grand Slams. Quite right. In the past 12 months there has sometimes been an unselfconscious tendency for his team to refer to how the peerless Federer plans his schedule and organises his priorities”

April 15th, 2010 at 10:38 pm

Kimmi, you are right. Too much is being made out of Murray’s misfortunes over the past 2 months. He is no different from the other top players who have/are currently going through a slump. Let’s look at the top three and how they have dealt with adverse times:

Fed: His nightmare started after the lopsided FO’08 loss and the heartbreaking Wim’08 loss to his arch rival. While Nadal ruled high, Fed’s confidence was in tatters. I would argue he won the US open despite the slump (Nadal ran out of gas after a terrific season, Murray tired after battling his way to the first GS Finals. Fed did play well against Murray and Djoko, but both he and them were far from their best. The fact that he won US open during this time is a testimony to his mental strength even when the going is rough. He did not turn things around until he got the lucky break at the FO’09 due to Nadal’s bad luck. But the point is, he didn’t let the chance slip away. That ended Fed’s slump of over 1.5 years.

Djoko – For reasons I can’t understand, he has not had the best results (barring WTF) since USO’08. Roddick match USO incident, Racquet change, painful losses to Nadal and “?” could all be reasons why. Unless he gets a great result, I would say he has still not recovered since USO’08.

Nadal – After FO’09, Rafa has not been the old Rafa…maybe that will change here with him winning. But I don’t see how he can keep going too far this clay season (I mean winning FO) after putting the kind of mileage that he is planning to (he plans to play 3 more events between now and FO!). He has been titleless for nearly a year! That’s very poor considering his lofty standards.

This being the case, I don’t understand how one can say Murray stands out in terms of being out of sorts. I am pretty sure his current form makes him feel worse than the loss at the AO. Despite knowing he is not ready, I think he entered the tournament just to try and keep his ranking…which he anyway is going to lose now. Clay not being his best surface and ‘home’ GS Wimbledon to follow (where I think he will be pressure-cooked by the British press), things are not looking very promising for him till the hardcourt season begins again. But he is so talented and he may surprise us. If he does, he truly would have arrived and we can expect him to win the USO even.

April 15th, 2010 at 10:44 pm

jane, I did not read the whole article; I was going with what ben said above..and I thought it was just not fair for murray to be labeled that way.

*If* murray has aknowledge the focus was not there then i rest my case. (I will look for his full post match interview)

April 15th, 2010 at 10:56 pm

Kimmi, blank – I agree with both of you that Andy M is hounded too much, particularly by the British/Scottish press, and, ironically, the article link I posted mentions (a) “paralysis from analysis” and possibly (b) “too many voices”/coaches as factors affecting him. Meanwhile, they’re writing an article analyzing him. LOL! : D

blank: “I would say he has still not recovered since USO’08.” Well, it’s coming on 1.5 years, which was when you say Fed got over his, so…? Can I be hopeful? ; )

In all seriousness, you’re right that they all go through ups and downs, and funches also pointed out the “big picture” recently too.

April 15th, 2010 at 11:33 pm

The one thing that puts Murray in a different place than the other top three, is that he has not yet won a grand slam. I have to believe that this is part of why there is so much focus and speculation on the state of his game now. When you have that kind of talent and haven’t won your first grand slam, fair or not, it leads to a lot of questions.

I am not saying that it’s right or a good thing. I am just saying that this is the way it is. Also, comparing Murray to Fed and Rafa, who managed to keep an iron grip on the two top spots, while winning almost every grand slam, is a problem. The other top three have all proven themselves by winning a grand slam. Fed and Rafa have proved that they can stay at the top for a long period of time and dominate the sport. Murray has yet to accomplish any of this. To many he is unrealized potential. That does not mean that he won’t ultimately get there, but as of yet it has not happened.

I feel for him with all the public discussion about his game, his mental fortitude, his personal life, all of it. The kind of scrutiny which he is facing is difficult to handle, but inevitable if you want to be among the best in tennis.

April 15th, 2010 at 11:44 pm

With the way Nadal is playing, he should get through against Ferrero probably in a tough three setter. But you never know in Tennis where anything can happen. All said and done, Nadal is the favourite and the pressure will be on him to continue his winning streak. I thought Nadal is not being helped by the two easy early rounds which might play spoilsport. However, Nadal being what he is you have to fancy him even though Ferrero is a tough nut to crack especially on Clay and who has been former World No.1 just by his clay court prowess. As regards Djokovic, the way he is playing he is the only threat to Nadal in this tournament as far as I can see with the only other who can give some semblance of flight would be David Ferrer who Nadal will be meeting in the semi finals if all goes well. With the quarters at stake, there are 5 Spanish contingent in that eight and this goes to prove how far the Spanish are dominating the Sport especially on Clay courts.

April 15th, 2010 at 11:59 pm

Mindy, great post and very true. I think the scrutiny he faces is maybe more intense than most, though, since the UK are so hungry for a slam chance and they see his potential. Murray may feel even more pressure because while, as you say, “The other top three have all proven themselves by winning a grand slam” it’s not only that – now Delpo has won one, too, and of course Roddick has one, and has come close 4 times since. So in the top ranked 7 players, only Andy and Davydenko remain slamless. Murray’s been in two finals, though, so those chances probably weigh on his mind.

Personally, i didn’t think he played as well as he had in other AO matches in the first 2 sets of the final; it’s like he settled down or woke up in the third set.

But I am confident he’ll have more chances and he’ll win a slam soon; he’s too talented not too.

April 16th, 2010 at 12:04 am

A lot of folks are saying the Nadal/JCF match might be close? I hope so, but honesly, I don’t think so. I mean, Tsonga pushed JCF today on clay! I predict the match with Nadal might be something like 6-2 6-3 to Nadal. I hope I’m wrong and they go 3-tight sets, but I’m not feeling it. Maybe JCF can prove me wrong! lol!

On the Djokovic match. Heck, who knows with both of them. lol! Too close to call.

April 16th, 2010 at 12:04 am

Basically Murray is having an attitudunal problem towards the game. Moroever with the hard court season ending things are not going to be easy for Murray considering that the coming months will be dominated by Clay and Grass court tournaments at large. I happen to see many comments about the loss of morale for Murray especially after his loss to Federer at the Australian Open. But honestly nobody expected him to win the Australian Open and that too against the indomitable Grand Slam wizard known as Federer. If somebody rooted for him, it was the British Press which went ga-ga over him totally blinded by nativity and without pondering over as to who was his challenger. None of the betting racquet gave Murray some kind of a chance against Federer with the odds unevenly stacked up for Federer. Despite this if Murray is going to lose his sleep for losing to Federer then he is living in a fools paradise because there is no shame in losing to a player as great as Federer is. If any Player will be upset by such a loss he is not fit to play Tennis. Moreover Murray must now watch out as he is losing to lesser ranked players like Kohlschrieber and Fish in straight sets which should make him worry.

April 16th, 2010 at 12:06 am

Michael:

“… there are 5 Spanish contingent in that eight and this goes to prove how far the Spanish are dominating the Sport especially on Clay courts.”

With the exception of Coria winning one MC title, since 2002, the Spaniards have kept an iron rip on MC. Nadal being the only winner since 2005.

I like Juan Carlos a lot, and had he not been playing vs. Nadal, I would have been rooting for him to win the whole thing, with gusto. But, Nadal desperately needs to wina title, and losing at MC would create doubts in his mind going forth. That said, I’m hoping for Rafa to win tomorrow (a verry tough choice for me) and also win the tile. C’mon Rafa, you can do it, so jujst do it!!

April 16th, 2010 at 12:09 am

Ferrero may have been pushed hard by Tsonga but lets not forget Tsonga crushed Ferrero 2 and 2 just a few weeks ago. That’s a pretty good turnaround, imo.

April 16th, 2010 at 12:26 am

Von, Every match is different and it will all boil down to what kind of form they are in on the given day. On paper, Nadal is the favourite against Juan and he should be having a easy day out. But you cannot tell for sure in Tennis where just some mistakes in crucial points could do the damage or even the luck can play spoilsport in the form of netcord. Nevertheless, going into the match, Nadal should be the favourite and it should be split 70:30 in his favour considering the confident way he is playing at the moment. But I thought the danger to Nadal will not come from Ferrero, but David Ferrer at the Semis and if all goes well against Djokovic in the finals if at all he manages to reach there. All said and done, you are right, Nadal needs this win to boost his confidence level. But I would not say he is desperate because his performance so far this year has been good since he managed to reach the Semis of the Masters at Miami and Indian Wells where I thought he played really well and I saw glimpses of the Nadal of yore. Nadal is not the kind of player who will lose confidence after a loss. What I admire about him bascially is his never-say-die attitude. I like Nadal as a player and as a competitor even though I am a great fan of Federer foremost. But that does not diminish my admiration of Nadal who is a wonderful player and a treat to watch.

April 16th, 2010 at 12:26 am

One of the bad qualities I find in Murray is that he never acknowledges that the other player played well against him when he gets defeated. He always stresses about him playing badly to lose. This is bad sportsmanship.

April 16th, 2010 at 12:32 am

Ben, that win vs. Tsonga was on hardcourt, and this is clay, JCF’s forte He won MC two years in a row.

_______________
Michael:

I suppose “desperately” might not be the correct word, but I do think Nadal needs to win his first clay court tournament, which is the present one, to keep building up his confidence, and place him in the right frame of mind for the FO.

I’m a bit on the fence here about “Nadal is not the kind of player who will lose confidence after a loss.” Yes, he gives off that aura that losses don’t phase him, but I think that deep down he does feel a loss, except he’s not one for verbalizing it to the press.

“But that does not diminish my admiration of Nadal who is a wonderful player and a treat to watch.”

I agree that he’s a treat to watch. Although, I must confess, that he is an acquired taste and grew on me. I was not always an admirer of his, but after his FO loss, and the manner in which he conducted himself after that rude awakening, his parents’ divorce, and losing his No. 1 ranking, my admiration o, and for him grew by leaps and bounds. He’s a young man who possesses wisdom beyond his years. Mazeltov to him!!

April 16th, 2010 at 12:56 am

Michael: Murray’s not the only one. There are a few who do that. I remember on player who said that “it was more me making errors than him winning.” sheesh. Talk about bad sportmanship! That turned me off completely.

April 16th, 2010 at 12:58 am

“my admiration o,” s/b “my admiration of..”

April 16th, 2010 at 1:02 am

Von, “it was more me making errors than him winning.” – I cannot remember that. Who said this ? Is my guess correct ? Was it Federer ? Sometimes some tough losses make even a good sportsman like Federer to lose his sense of balance.

April 16th, 2010 at 1:16 am

Michael: No, it wasn’t Federer.

April 16th, 2010 at 1:17 am

Michael, it may be true that Murray emphasizes his bad play, but (this is speculation admittedly), if a bunch of British journalists are interviewing him, say, it’s possible that they are asking questions like “what’s wrong with your form?” and so forth; thus, his answers may be skewed by the questions. I’d have to look at some interview transcripts to confirm that. However, I haven’t found Andy M to be a “bad sportsman”, maybe just very concerned about his own form and in his own head as a result.

Some players are better with the press and with pressure than others but I don’t know if it always correlates that they exhibit “bad sportsmanship”.

April 16th, 2010 at 1:24 am

Von, You are right about the attitude part of Nadal which has to be imbibed and admired by one and all. After all the tribulations both physically as well as mentally, for him to come through all such adversities speaks volumes about his perseverance, fortitude and will power. He did not lose his focus even after not winning against a top 10 ranked player since his return after that injury. Nadal knew in his inner heart that Clay was his forte and he can well reestablish himself once that season starts. His patience has paid off. Although it would be unwise to label Nadal as just a Clay court specialist when he is good on all the courts as otherwise how can a player come to three consecutive Wimbledon finals ? Even Federer has remarked that the best of Nadal is yet to come. May be he is right. Nadal has the potential to be classified in the group of legends.

April 16th, 2010 at 1:26 am

Michael “Sometimes some tough losses make even a good sportsman like Federer to lose his sense of balance.”

Or any player for that matter – well said.

April 16th, 2010 at 1:27 am

Von, If it wasn’t Federer, who was that ?

April 16th, 2010 at 1:27 am

Michael: I’d rather not say because the hatchet man will be ready to lop off my neck, even though he’s done his share of criticizing, and then some. I shouldn’t have said anything.

Re: Nadal, Federer knows what he’s talking about. If he doesn’t, who does?

April 16th, 2010 at 1:35 am

From Murray’s transcript after losing to Kohls:

Re: on his recent 3 losses –

“I have to make sure that, uhm, you know, I don’t panic. You know, everyone I think can go through periods where they don’t play well. ****You know, I’ve lost to good players.****
Obviously, the score line has not been very close in the last couple of matches.”

Re: on Kohls’ play / their match –

“Well, he plays well on clay. He was very consistent today. Didn’t make many mistakes.
But, you know, at this level, you need to force your opponents to hit errors, and I wasn’t able to do that. You know, I was making mistakes. I’d only played him once before earlier this year. You know, his game hasn’t changed that much. You know, he just played very solid, made a lot of balls, and I made all the errors.
So that’s why the result ended up that way. ”

I think when he’s says “that’s why the results ended up that way”, he means lopsided but I could be generously interpreting that because I like Murray.

Murray does say that Kohls played “solid” “consistent” “didn’t make mistakes” “plays well on clay” “made a lot of balls” (i.e., hit winners?) Meanwhile he says he wasn’t able to “force the opponent to hit errors” and that he made too many “mistakes”.

April 16th, 2010 at 1:36 am

Jane, The British Press owns up Murray when he emerges victorious and isolates him as a Scott when he gets defeated. That is the sad part. This guy is being dissected to bits and pieces by the crazy British Press who are waiting for that elusive Champion to emerge from amongst their ranks for may be six decades on and the wait is going on fruitless for all these years. This places tremendous pressure on the shoulders of Murray whenever that guy manages to reach a Slam final. More so, now, when he has been defeated consecutively in two of the slam finals by Federer in straights that will add a bit more pressure on Murray when he reaches his third final even against a lesser ranked player. This makes the task of Murray much harder than anybody could imagine. It is good that we can be an optimist and hope that Murray’s hard work becomes fruitful but the road ahead is pretty tough.

April 16th, 2010 at 1:37 am

Von, Now I can make a guess. It was Nadal.

April 16th, 2010 at 1:38 am

Michael – exactly. Maybe that’s why I try to remain supportive of Murray (besides that I like his tennis and what I have seen of his personality) because of the pressure he must feel internally and externally.

April 16th, 2010 at 1:43 am

Michael: What’s this, process of elimination?? Smart. No, it wasn’t Nadal.

April 16th, 2010 at 1:43 am

Here’s a link to an article about the clay season, but it’s written in a really unique, almost metaphorical, way. Thought it interesting …

http://www.sportskeeda.com/2010/04/16/monte-carlo-rolex-masters-a-summer-of-dirty-delight/

April 16th, 2010 at 2:15 am

For some strange reason, you keep me guessing Von.

April 16th, 2010 at 2:26 am

Jane, Forgive me for saying this. Murray is too much defensive and he just doesn’t have the necessary ammuntion for offence where his skills are pretty limited and he will always found it wanting against top ranked players. If Murray wants to win a grand slam he must hone up his aggressive game. But that is easier said than done since they come by instinct. You cannot change an overtly defensive player to an aggressive player overnight.

April 16th, 2010 at 2:29 am

I have mixed feelings about Murray. I am not a fan, but still can have some compassion for a player going through an extremely tough time. It’s hard to carry the weight of your country’s hopes for an end to a terrible drought in the sport of tennis. I don’t believe in wishing anyone ill. Everyone deserves a shot at reaching their true potential.

Now, as far as Rafa’s match with Ferrero, well I am not sure how I feel. I know that this will be the first real test for Rafa in this tournament. The first two matches were like warmups. Now it’s the real thing. Ferrero is an experienced, strong clay court player who is more than aware of just how tough it is to beat Rafa on this surface.

I would be happy to see a straight set win for Rafa, but it could be a tough one. I won’t be watching it, since the time difference out here in L.A. means staying up most of the night. I will just wish Rafa the best of luck as he pursues his quest to end the title drought.

April 16th, 2010 at 4:36 am

Mindy @12.44: exactly, I was going to make that point myself. Delboy and Djko have both won slams, it must increase Andy’s ptessure on himself.
Michael@12.32: if Andy breaking down at AO and saying he wished he could play like Fed, isn’t acknowledging his superiority, I don’t know what is.
jane: believe nothing you read in Daily Mail. It is an AWFUl newspaper that continually plays a nasty two faced game. Gives with one hand, takes withthe other. God, I feel a rant comoing on…stop now…

April 16th, 2010 at 5:46 am

good to see ferrer playing well again.

danger time here though…he is serving for the match at 7-5 5-4 then he chokes. I know, they say serving for the match is always difficult…he gets broken and get kohl back in this match.

now, we have the dog fight, kohl has spring in his feet, why not he could win this one.

crazy stuff, lets see what kohl can do.

April 16th, 2010 at 6:23 am

ferrer shouting, screaming at himself

5-1 up in this tie break

make that 6-1

5 match points

and he takes it 7-5 7-6

April 16th, 2010 at 6:32 am

first time semi finalist in MC ferrer, this will set him up well for this year.

rising up in the ranking again..good for him.

April 16th, 2010 at 6:38 am

Von and Michael,

Allow me to interrupt your guessing game about who said, “it was more me making errors than him (her) winning.” I have heard that post-match remark repeatedly before but I think you are mistakenly alluding it to a male player. I think it was a female tennis player who owns that quotation. I am sure you know who she is.

April 16th, 2010 at 6:50 am

Polo, Now I can make that guess, it should be Clijsters.

April 16th, 2010 at 7:07 am

NO WAY ferrero will make a match out one today.

he is already broken in his opening games. I have not seen nadal matches this week, I tell you he is back..back and ready on clay…the way he is constructing the points, he does not have to go for the lines. winners are way inside the box..ferrero is kept guessing. oh boy!

April 16th, 2010 at 7:09 am

Hahaha! Michael. Let us see if Von agrees.

April 16th, 2010 at 7:11 am

mmm..ferrero has a break point

April 16th, 2010 at 7:15 am

hmmmmmmmmmmmm! ferrero breaks back..WHAT! i have to take my 7:09am post back…

April 16th, 2010 at 7:18 am

The wind is getting crazy.

April 16th, 2010 at 7:19 am

Kimmi, I would have to see how Rafa plays a top ten player before I decide if he’s back or not.

April 16th, 2010 at 7:20 am

That wind must have destructed nadal rhythm i think..it was very bad kimo, i agree!

its raining now…sad coz the match was shaping up very well..i hope ferrero continues to play well so that we get a good match.

April 16th, 2010 at 7:26 am

Thanks Kimmi, so Ferrer beat Kohls? They haven’t posted the result anywhere on the ATP or MC website. They haven’t updated the challenge draw. There is also a section in the scoreboard that shows all the results and nothing there either. ???

April 16th, 2010 at 7:47 am

anyone has a livestream for nadal/ferrero match?..thanx

April 16th, 2010 at 7:47 am

NELTA, Ferrer beat Kohls 7-5, 7-6. Play is currently suspended due to rain.

April 16th, 2010 at 7:55 am

Djokovic off and running, winning the first 11 points against Nalbandian on his way to a two-break lead.

April 16th, 2010 at 9:58 am

margot – okay thanks for the info re: Daily Mail. I can see what you mean, as that article is “take” and “give” too. Great point about Murray’s post-AO loss speech; I think it was very heartfelt and sportsmanlike.

Wow – just checked scores and it looks like Djoko has the first set in the bag. I hope he can keep it up.

April 16th, 2010 at 10:10 am

Wow, the commentators are fawning over Djokovic!

April 16th, 2010 at 10:22 am

Nalby’s playing quite well at the moment.

April 16th, 2010 at 10:42 am

Nole’s fire is BACK!

April 16th, 2010 at 10:47 am

fantastic scoreline..and 0 DFs!

April 16th, 2010 at 10:52 am

stu – YAY! That was a nice win. Where is OllyK? Nalby was even showing flashes of his old form, those great angles off the backhand side, and also great net play, at least in the second set. But Novak was great today. And it isn’t even like he is getting in a huge percentage of first serves: decent, but not fantasic. But his second serve has been good enough and NO doubles! WOOT! : D

April 16th, 2010 at 10:55 am

I don’t understand how he can switch to his old serve, just like that. And why he didn’t try it against little Rochus.

April 16th, 2010 at 10:56 am

Novak’s playing really well this week! Maybe we’re gonna have a rematch of last year’s final. That would be nice, both Nadal and Djoko want this one really bad. Will probably be rooting for Novak, but it’d be nice to see Nadal take this one home again. I’m sure a title would do a world of good for him. (Though admittedly, for them both!)

April 16th, 2010 at 10:58 am

Are you guys seeing the footage of Novak going “back stage” / under the stands to sign autographs? Lots of fans there. Cute.

April 16th, 2010 at 11:05 am

Congratulations, dear friends! There’s a hope for Nole, after-all! I’ll join you from now on.

Sar, see you at Serbia Open! I’m happy to announce that I bought the tickets for two semifinals matches as well as for the finals, Sunday May 9th.

Who else is coming? OllyK, shame on you! Drop Dubai, come back home to cheer for our champ!

That’s for now. See you later, folks.

April 16th, 2010 at 11:05 am

jane: r u at last beginning to relax? I thought Djko looked very good today. His movement, which I love, was excellent and he looked a lot less hot and bothered than Nalby. Well done! And lucky you! Sacking your coach obviously does wonders for your game! Bye, bye Miles? Do hope Djko gets to the final bcos, apart from anything else, Spanish players seem to lie down and die for Rafa.

April 16th, 2010 at 11:08 am

And, of course, special thanks to Jane, stu, sar, Kimmi, MMT, Margot, skeezer and others. They know why…

April 16th, 2010 at 11:09 am

Hi Duro! hope you’re well. :)
margot, I’m not sure if relaxed is the right word, but am feeling happier about his game/prospects. After that abysmal serving and those painful-to-watch, laborious matches earlier, it’s just nice to see him play his best tennis, you know? I love his movement too, especially on clay (not on grass). Maybe Murray does have too many cooks? I don’t know. It was working up till the AO. And Miles seems to have a low-key demeanor which may be a good counter-balance to Murray? Why you do you say “bye bye miles”?

April 16th, 2010 at 11:17 am

jane: cos sacking Tod worked for Djko and I sometimes think Miles has done as much as he can with Andy, sorry should’ve put a capital, was confusing. Yes, I too think Djko moves best on clay, he seems made of rubber on that surface!
hi Duro and congrats to you too! Your man’s cooking and looking good!

April 16th, 2010 at 11:28 am

Speaking of Miles, he was sitting behind Novak’s girlfriend today taking some notes.

Novak is looking good, a little too good for my liking because I have him losing in my challenge draw to Verdasco in the semis. I’m not liking that pick now. The bottom line on the serve is he’s not hurting himself by giving away free points on double faults. His movement/defense was excellent today and I think that was the difference. Nalbandian is a great ball striker, but doesn’t have the court coverage.

April 16th, 2010 at 11:38 am

well i hope we get a good final. i’m hoping for nadal and novak. should be an awesome slug fest.

April 16th, 2010 at 11:38 am

Looks like Verdasco will win his match also. That will be three (3) Spaniards in the SFs.

I’m hoping for 2 great SFs and a super-terrific final.
________________
NELTA: Nalbandian’s court coverage is hampered by (1) his weight problem, and (2) he’s recently had surgery for his hip, and that requires at least 6 months before a player can be fully functional. I’m surprised David got this far in MC, but clay is much better for his hip than HC.

________________
Polo: you’re correct, I’ve heard a couple of female players make similar remarks, but I also heard it said by a male player.

________________

Michael: My lips are sealed! LOL.

April 16th, 2010 at 11:47 am

Welcome back, Duro!

Nole’s movement was excellent, and he’s got some of his paint-the-lines precision back (was missing last year). The serve still needs improvement, but will do for now on clay, as long as he stops giving away free points. I wonder if the DFs have something to do with confidence, in which case they might resurface against Rafa or even Nando?

It does seem like we’re heading towards a Nole-Rafa final, doesn’t it? YAY!

April 16th, 2010 at 11:51 am

Those three were some great wins for Rafa. Without dropping a set. Man, is he back!
There is a reason why hatchet woman picked Rafa (over her own fav) three times in a row in her Challenge Draw.

April 16th, 2010 at 11:57 am

margot – I knew you meant “M”iles. I know what you mean, i.e., sometimes a coach has done as much as they can for a player. But it doesn’t seem like Miles has hindered Murray’s game in any sense. But something to light a fire under the player always helps.

NELTA – tough to say. Verdasco has played Djoko *really* close in the past so not sure Djoko’s return game will work as good against him. I also noticed Miles taking notes in the stands during Nalby and Djoko’s match. I wonder why? Just ideas perhaps.

andrea – hope so too!

April 16th, 2010 at 12:00 pm

Wow, what a way to start the morning: wake up to a Djokovic super-victory :)

Nice to see that he played really well, too, and Nalbandian didn’t pull one of his “I don’t care about tennis” days.

I’m a little upset Ferrero couldn’t push Nadal more but I’m not overly surprised. At least we finally have a good idea of where Nadal’s game is: top form. Ferrer will be another good test but, although he can rally with Nadal better than just about anyone, he doesn’t have the put away shots to finish him on clay. Hopefully Nadal and Djokovic continue to gain momentum and put on a fantastic final in the end.

April 16th, 2010 at 12:03 pm

Yes Von. I am aware of those issues with Nalbandian. He might be a quarter step slower than he was prior to the surgery. I thought of his movement/defense as adequate before the surgery, but didn’t think it was one of his strengths.

April 16th, 2010 at 12:08 pm

Verdasco is looking good. Nice lob there.

April 16th, 2010 at 12:15 pm

Hey Duro, sent you the location of our seats. Hoping for a good tourney if we can get there due to the Iceland volcano ash.

I saw Miles watching Novak/Nalbanian. That was strange. Anyway, I hope Novak can make it to the final and not lose points.

Bryans out too.

April 16th, 2010 at 12:25 pm

sar – what’s up with the Iceland volcano ash; isn’t all air travel suspended a.t.m.? Have you heard any news?

April 16th, 2010 at 12:30 pm

Here I am, jane!!! I was out of town all day, just got home and saw fatastic statistics! Congrats people. Our boy is back! Thank God! :)I won’t be able to watch semis, but I strongly believe that Nole will be in finals again and if so, none will stop me on Sunday to watch him!!
Duro, glad you are back! I’m so sorry for you loss, I’ve just read blog archive…Hope you are feeling better now.. And, I would really love to come to Belgrade in May to cheer for our champ, I was on Serbia Open last year every day! But unfortunately it won’t possible this year. :( But, I know you and sar among other fans will be more than enough for Nole to lift the trophy once again!!
Ajde, Noleeee!

April 16th, 2010 at 12:37 pm

*so many typos in my last post..sorry, ppl, I was ecstatic when I saw result! :)

April 16th, 2010 at 12:39 pm

Hi OllyK – nice to “see” you back and “ecstatic”.
————————————————
Verdasco really has choked away his lead a bit here; I mean credit to Montanes for upping his level. But Verdasco kind of lost the plot there.

April 16th, 2010 at 12:50 pm

I am a die hard Nole fan and therefore, very happy with Nole’s win today. As far as him being back to his old game? I am sorry but I cannot agree that he is back to his old self YET. I know his potential and the best is yet to come. He may be on its way back but he is not back to his 2009 clay court game. Today he played intelligently, pushed Nalby and exploited Nalby’s weaknesses, (lack of movement and consistency). Nalby, could not seem to find the court especially from the FH side and had it been a different player on the other side of the net instead of Nalby, exploiting Nole’s second serve, Nole would have had many troubles. Now the one I think is really back to his good old self on clay is Nadal, successfully painting lines and going full steam ahead hoping to get another Monte Carlo title. Hoping for a Rafa-Nole final and some good tennis…

(Don’t have much time to post. I read all posts regularly; welcome back Duro, I hope all is well with your family; Jane, as usual you really keep up with all the posts staying devoted to our hero and Stu you always pop in when needed).

Michael, as far as Von’s secret I know who he is referring to, about that statement,…….. Greetings Von, I look forward to seeing Rodick’s form on clay, or is he just waiting for Wimby?

April 16th, 2010 at 1:09 pm

Hotsauce chokes and Montanes unexpectedly takes the set. Goodall and Koenig are saying Verdasco has never reached Masters semi and the pressure got to him. Maybe they are right, but Montanes played some gutsy slice volleyes to come back from 1-5 and make it a match. Good for Verdasco to start with a break in the decider.

April 16th, 2010 at 1:10 pm

Hotsauce is making sure of things now; looks like Montanes will have a bagel for all of his efforts to get it to a third set.

April 16th, 2010 at 1:22 pm

what happened to montanes in set 3?!

April 16th, 2010 at 1:23 pm

I figured Nadal wouldn’t have that much trouble today and he didn’t. I thought the Novak match would have been closer, and it wasn’t; I thought Verdasco would win in straight sets after the first set and he didn’t! I’m not good at this clay court stuff! lol!

On form now, it looks like we might have a Nadal/Djokovic final…we will see. If so, I still look for Nadal to win in straight sets (sorry Jane).

April 16th, 2010 at 1:25 pm

MarKoPolo:

Hello to you too. Ahhso, you know my secret, well please don’t spill the beans.

With respect to Andy R., he’ll be playing in Madrid, and I hope he can better last year’s results there.

BTW, MarkoPolo, I’m a gal.

April 16th, 2010 at 1:40 pm

Von, we all know your “secret”. We just choose not to encourage that kind of discussion.

April 16th, 2010 at 1:45 pm

Fot,

No so sure if Rafa will win in straigths against Djoko. Djoko won last 3 encounter and the last man Nadal would won’t in a final would be Djoko.
Okay, he never lost on clay to him but he needs this title baddly, the pressure will be all on him. If Nadal for one minute thinks about the effects of losing a clay final to Djokovic (losing 4 straight macthes) he will be in serious trouble.
Plus, Djoko will virtually secure seed n. 2 for RG.

This match has to happen and as Kimo pointed out will be true test for Nadal mfacing a top 5 opponent.

April 16th, 2010 at 1:54 pm

Oh WOW, did Montanes have a let-down in the third set.

________________
stu: It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why you would *we* would choose not to ecourage that discussion, would it?? LOL

April 16th, 2010 at 1:55 pm

In Monte Carlo, I would predict that Nadal would beat God, Allah (insert deity here) in straight sets. He’s the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, better on this surface than any player has been on any surface in tennis history.

Djokovic, though, is the only player with any shot to hang with him on these clay courts. When they meet in the final, the most likely outcome will be Rafa in one close set and one relatively easy set, but if Djokovic zones out from start to finish, Nadal’s long tournament drought may become a factor in his head.

April 16th, 2010 at 2:00 pm

U mean that I *we* have better things to do with our time than trash talk? Yep, no need for a rocket scientist to figure that out

April 16th, 2010 at 2:08 pm

stu: You looking to start something? I have a right to make a comment and I didn’t trash talk, anyone, I spoke the truth. If I remember correctly when you came on this site you were doing the trash talking, until you were put in your place, so just let’s stop right there.

April 16th, 2010 at 2:11 pm

Voicemale keeps pointing out that Nadal has been having trouble closing out matches when they’ve been close. If anyone can keep things close against Nadal, it should be Djokovic. So I think we’ll see where Nadal stands.

I think Federer is better on grass than Nadal is on clay… maybe.

April 16th, 2010 at 2:14 pm

Ben: “I think Federer is better on grass than Nadal is on clay… maybe.”

How did you come to such a conclusion, and what’s the basis.?

April 16th, 2010 at 2:16 pm

Ben, “I think Federer is better on grass than Nadal is on clay… maybe.”

Hmmm I think that’s a really, really tough claim to prove. Nadal has had that 81 match (81 matches!!!!!!!!) winning streak on clay and there are way more clay events; thus, a streak like that would be harder to keep up in a way. On grass Fed plays two tournamnets a year; Halle and Wimbledon; last year he didn’t even play Halle. Meanwile Nadal plays at least 4 often 5 clay events a year — consecutively (unlike hard courts, which are broken up) and almost invariably wins them all.

How about they are the Kings of their respective surfaces and leave it at that??

April 16th, 2010 at 2:22 pm

It’s tough to compare the statistics.

But Federer on grass is as good as one can play tennis.

April 16th, 2010 at 2:24 pm

Well that’s the thing. 81 matches over 3 years. Federer had a 65 win streak over 6 years. Even with only 1-2 events a year, he managed 65 straight wins. But again, it’s hard to compare the statistics.

It’s a different game so, yeah, let’s just say they’re the kings of their surfaces.

April 16th, 2010 at 2:26 pm

Ben, they’ve both been such stalwart competitors it’s just tough to break it down. Obviously Fed has the pedigree of few, with his unprecedented slams titles and all surface, all court, all the time tennis game, but Nadal has not been far behind in his hunt, a master of clay close if not equal to Borg, an incredible improver and then victor on grass, and always in the hunt even on hard courts. They are two great players. Full stop.

April 16th, 2010 at 2:32 pm

Yes, I’ll go with that…both are Kings of their surface. And ironically, both stopped the other in that streak! Roger beat Rafa to end his 81 streak on clay; and Rafa beat Roger to end his 65 streak on grass! lol!

I think grass can give you more ‘upsets’ because of big servers getting hot rather than clay but that’s just my opinion. I do think the clay players have more of an advantage than grass players just because there are so many tournaments on clay. I wish there was at least ONE master’s event on grass, but that’s another topic. Wonder how the grand slam titles would be had the grand slams been like it was in the past with the AO, Wimbledon, and US Open all played on grass. My how things have changed! lol!

April 16th, 2010 at 2:32 pm

I’m not saying Nadal isn’t incredible on clay. Not at all. Saying Federer is better isn’t exactly an insult. And it is fitting that both ended the other’s streak.

April 16th, 2010 at 2:38 pm

Fot: ” I do think the clay players have more of an advantage than grass players just because there are so many tournaments on clay.”

But this could also be seen as a disadvantage, particularly if looking at it from a “streak” perspective. In other words, other players have way more chance of getting grooved on clay while playing over 3, 4, 5 events that are consecutive and leading up to the slam. Whereas with grass, it’s usually one small tournament and a slam.Other players have less chance to hone their skills, movement, etc on grass. It comes down almost to innate ability and/or how their game naturally translates to grass. (perhaps it’s the same with clay in that game/suitability thing, but I still maintain a player has a better opportunity to play into form, get a feel for the surface before the FO).

THAT’s why I think Nadal’s run of 81 is utterly outstanding; how did he defend, defend, defend *5 tournaments in a row, every year, for 3 years? Particularly meeting Fed in finals of many of them.

April 16th, 2010 at 2:45 pm

Ben: “But Federer on grass is as good as one can play tennis.”

On grass, he is second to Sampras.

April 16th, 2010 at 2:53 pm

For the Djoko fans: http://espn.go.com/sports/tennis/blog/_/name/tennis/id/5082385/martin-djokovic-doomed-from-the-outset

Interesting article. There is also an very interesting blog by Patrick Mouratoglou (in french) about “double coaching” and Djoko. BTW, it is probably one of the best blog about tennis, since Mouratoglou is a well known coach. (Here is the link: http://fr.sports.yahoo.com/tennis/patrick-mouratoglou).

April 16th, 2010 at 3:01 pm

betting.betfair.com said: “Nalbandian to be Serbinated”, ha ha ha! They were right…

And now, Verdasco to be Serbinated and then Novak to be Nadalated. Inevitable, unfortunately…

Ajde Nole, so help you Vajda! Become a third King!

April 16th, 2010 at 3:08 pm

Fot says:
Wonder how the grand slam titles would be had the grand slams been like it was in the past with the AO, Wimbledon, and US Open all played on grass. My how things have changed! lol!
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
I know. We tend to forget the surface changes. The U.S Open was grass then went to clay and finally hard. Jimmy Connors beat Borg twice in the finals of the U.S Open on clay.

Some people forget that Wilander has 2 grass court grand slams(AO 1983,1984)

April 16th, 2010 at 3:16 pm

Nadal had said at the start of this season that his focus is to regain Wimbledon. Thus it is also to be implied that he TRULY BADLY wants not just Wimby, but also his beloved FO back. So far as I have seen or known or experienced, Rafa does what he says, he’s not a day-dreamer! Rafa can be MOST DANGEROUS at Wimbledon apart from Fed. So Nadal haters and Nadal @$$-kissers both have to watch out for him this season! I think Rafa’d come back in style and I’d bet my money more on Rafa than on Fed at this point of time, though I would like to see Roddick/Muzza winning Wimby and Fed/DP/Muzza (ok, ok, may be I’m too wishful about Muzza winnin FO, but the heart says him) winning FO. Things are proving to be very interesting. And I’d stated it for quite some time now that those who think Rafa’d find it difficult to win RG or any other slam, may be in for a BIG surprise. Bring ’em on! Go Tennis

April 16th, 2010 at 3:20 pm

Well, it’d be something to see Rafa being finally Djoked at the MC, if it goes that far.

April 16th, 2010 at 3:23 pm

Sean Randall almost always seems to be scared of the most of the top guys except Roddick. Interesting huh!

April 16th, 2010 at 3:27 pm

Heck, I forgot about Nalby! How I wish Nalby won the MC, it’d be better than even Nole winning it! :) Show Nalby, show yourself!

April 16th, 2010 at 3:30 pm

I mean ‘wins the MC’.

April 16th, 2010 at 3:31 pm

Huh, if it happens I’ll carry you on my back all the way from China to Paris, buy you the tickets for the Rolland Garros Nadal matches and return you back for free.

April 16th, 2010 at 3:31 pm

I mean Rafa being Djoked on clay finally…

April 16th, 2010 at 3:33 pm

Jane I don’t know what is going on but I found this Pravda piece. Don’t know if it’s all true but interesting read. I hope it clears up though. Arrrgh.

http://english.pravda.ru/world/europe/15-04-2010/113035-icelandic_ash-0

April 16th, 2010 at 4:05 pm

Sar, don’t you even think about skipping “our” tournament!

April 16th, 2010 at 4:33 pm

sar, from what I understand, (I looked it up after asking you) it’s supposed to clear up in the next week. I hope you get to go to Ireland and Serbia! I think it’s bad in the UK/Scotland right now though – maybe margot or madmax can confirm that for us. My fingers are crossed for you!!

April 16th, 2010 at 4:37 pm

Maxi and Margot can’t see our posts from it.

April 16th, 2010 at 4:54 pm

“Huh, if it happens I’ll carry you on my back all the way from China to Paris, buy you the tickets for the Rolland Garros Nadal matches and return you back for free.”

Wow Duro! You’re THAT sure its not gonna happen?!

April 16th, 2010 at 5:11 pm

OMG, 6-3 6-2! Sounds like Djoko is playing well and back to his clay best? Sad for nalbandian but I am glad he got to the qtrs here..I hope he gets back to his best that can be enjoyable to watch.

Congrats to Nole and his fans..looks like my buddy hot sauce will not have a chance unfortunately :( especially after that strange perfomance today. 1st semi in Master series is great.

April 16th, 2010 at 5:24 pm

Djokovic on being the only non-Spaniard in the semis:
” “If I’m representing the rest of the world, [it] must be a big responsibility,” said Djokovic smiling.”

April 16th, 2010 at 5:25 pm

Not at all, stu. It just means that I would be so happy, so to do it. Now you get it?

April 16th, 2010 at 5:29 pm

Careful what you promise Duro. Something tells me you might have to deliver on it :)

April 16th, 2010 at 5:33 pm

Personally, I’m not looking past Verdasco; they played here last year and Djoko lost a set to Hotsauce. So don’t write Nole into the final yet. Dasco ended last year in the top ten; he is no slouch! If Novak makes it to the final, let the speculations begin.

[I don’t see him beating Rafa if he makes the final, but I’d hope for a tight slug-fest : ) anyhow. If Novak gets past Verdasco, I think his draw has been good in getting him prepared – Wawa, Nalby and then another lefty Spaniard.]

April 16th, 2010 at 5:43 pm

p.s. So nice to see you back Duro.

April 16th, 2010 at 5:45 pm

stu, it’s worth it.

April 16th, 2010 at 5:46 pm

Jane, the pleasure is all mine. I missed you, guys and I needed some brighter moments after long time of not so bright ones. You were hanging on there well as usual, Jane. Sorry about Andy. For the first time a felt something for him. I don’t like what’s happening to him at all. He doesn’t deserve to be booed or out two times in row in first matches he plays. Too good to experience that. Although he’s Novak’s number 1 threat for the throne after these two tennis Metusalems retire, I don’t like something like that happens to him at all.

April 16th, 2010 at 5:58 pm

Oh Von, I see you are trying hard to get rid of another new poster and ruin this blog site. Are you having another bad hair day? Stu, don’t pay any attention to our resident crackpot. I’m surprised she hasn’t accused you of ‘pushing fire.’

April 16th, 2010 at 5:58 pm

jane, Nando HotSauce (who I like BTW) is much better on HCs than he is on clay. And of the 5 straight times Nole has beaten him, 3 have been on HCs. 2 on clay. I feel good about tomorrow, much better than the Wawa or Nalby matches. Of course thats taking into account only their tennis skills and not Nole’s ability to switch a button and have an off-day!

April 16th, 2010 at 6:01 pm

thanks goatgalz, but don’t worry about it. it was my fault – i tried for a very long time to keep my mouth shut but ended responding. will try not to get provoked from now on!

April 16th, 2010 at 6:04 pm

stu, fair enough: I will try to ride your optimistic wave. (I like hotsauce too) Duro, you’re a kind soul; I do think Andy M will bounce back soon.

April 16th, 2010 at 6:05 pm

Careful what you feel, stu. I didn’t forget Nando wiped off Novak in Kooyong! It was brutal! Just don’t tell me that was an exhibition match. Didn’t matter. He’s capable of beating Novak very well. Is he gonna do it? Of course, not!

April 16th, 2010 at 6:08 pm

All I can say is that I’m excited about him still being in the conversation during the final weekend :D. See ya tomorrow guys!

April 16th, 2010 at 6:11 pm

Even though I like verdasco, if he goes to the final, i don’t see him challenging rafa…verdasco never believe he can beat rafa.

while Djoko had 3 straight wins over rafa, though on HC..I think he should feel pretty good on his chances going to the final..i would like to see that match.

Djoko wants his first win over rafa on clay and rafa wants to win his first title..what a mouth watering match. bring it on.

April 16th, 2010 at 6:14 pm

Hi, Kimmi. How long shall we wait for “our” final? Your guy’s fault again…

Cheers, stu.

April 16th, 2010 at 6:19 pm

sorry, rafa does not want to win his first title..wooo, that came out sooo wrong. should be “first title in 11 months”

April 16th, 2010 at 6:20 pm

Duro..I know I know..I will try to be cool :) Murray is not on Noles league at the mo…but I don’t lose hope.

Clay is just sooo wrong for him right now, hope we meet on grass..murray will probably be ranked # 6 then..he likes to meet the bid boys in the qtrs final and beat them…ask nadal!

April 16th, 2010 at 6:24 pm

Stu,You know what smart Serbian people say:”Smarter will stop first”.Smart from YOU.

To all NOLE’S fans I hope our happiness will not finish tomorrow.

April 16th, 2010 at 6:26 pm

And where is Juan Martin Del Potro!??? Is that guy alive? He practically doesn’t exist back from US Open Title! It’s not only injury, it’s his game that didn’t get chance to be recognized yet as a top contender game. He needs to prove lots of things yet. I am calling out i am it (who will join us soon (I know I said it the same last time two months ago)) to take a stand defending his fav! We again have big three on the scene! If Fed fails to defend his next two big titles (which is very possible) he’ll join the club very fast! And if Rafa’s knees screw up again we’ll have last man standing on the top. Novak Djokovic! Ha ha ha, sounds nice (to me), but lots of ifs….

April 16th, 2010 at 6:39 pm

Your dreaming again duro..not too fast!

April 16th, 2010 at 6:42 pm

Hey, Kimmi, lots of sleepless nights, so I need it a bit (dreaming, I mean). It wouldn’t be too fast. You can take off Paris points from Fed right now as far as my desire is concerned…

April 16th, 2010 at 6:53 pm

Since it’s 1 am in the Noleland and time to go to sleep, I’d like to say hello before that to Maxi and countess. I didn’t hear from them a long time ago. Miss you, guys. Maxi, you are close to my land. Come to Serbia Open. Sar is coming, too. I’d like very much to meet you, as well as all of my friends here, but I know everyone can’t come this time. You can come with Sar. I’ll be there coming from Montenegro (550 km from Belgrade) I would come on foot, as far as the tennis and Nole are concerned.

Good night, all. PS. Hot sauce Tabasco Verdasco on the menu tomorrow!

April 16th, 2010 at 7:07 pm

Duro, let me bring you back to reality. Djoko was struggling big time since beginning of this year..he is playing very well this week but it is only three matches, and to lesser players.

Now if he beat nadal on sunday, I could probably start thinking of joining your bandwagon..it could be one of the major steps he needs to take to concur federer.

April 16th, 2010 at 7:08 pm

Hello all,

Nole? I don’t know about winning this tourney but he is looking better, got deep into the tourney so far, hope he continues…:)

April 16th, 2010 at 7:18 pm

“Huh Says:
Sean Randall almost always seems to be scared of the most of the top guys except Roddick. Interesting huh”

Huh, haven’t you noticed, there aren’t many Roddick fans here, and I suppose you know why. It’s the reason that the fans of some players feel they can trash talk him and get away with it. When anyone answers them, they are deemed to be the bad guy, by the *Goat* Galz and others.

Carry on smartlessly guys, and talk the usual rubbish.

April 16th, 2010 at 7:38 pm

Michael: I think you’ve got your answer. LOL.

April 16th, 2010 at 7:40 pm

WTF! Network…………….Breaking News on the Clay Court season!!!!!

Skeezer reporting here for WTF! Network…..

Change in Clay court color?

In our investigation, the RCCD ( Rafa Continues Clay Domination, uh er,,,correction…. the…. Red Clay Committee Directive ) has a fight on their hands against the WCSRA ( World Can’t Stand Rafa Association, uh er,,,correction….the… World Clay Surface Rules Association ).

Anonymous sources have said that the debate is over the “possible” color change at the French this year. Known for ions as Red, the WCSRA is petitioning to change the color of the famous Red Clay to……Yellow.

Apparently many players have spoken anonymously favoring the change, quoting one player “…..anything that will confuse the “King of Clay”, so we have some kind of chance, makes perfect sense to me. If the court is yellow, the ball is yellow; maybe it will confuse Rafa so we have a chance, no? If this happens, for sure I will also be wearing yellow clothes, if I play Rafa. I am excited now if this happens!”,

Skeezer out reporting from France live for WTF! Network…. “Ahead ( ok…sometimes behind ) of the Game”.

April 16th, 2010 at 7:44 pm

goat galz: ” Are you having another bad hair day?”

Yeah, I did, and it was caused by the rain, but unfortunately, I couldn’t find an umbrella because someone had shoved it up way up your *SS. I hope it didn’t hurt too much.

You’re so pitiful that you can only get a pity post when you form an alliance with another roddick hater. sheesh. BTW, how about talking some tennis, I mean T E N N I S THE SPORT AND NOT JUST POSTING INANE COMMENTS ON A TENNIS WEBSITE FOOLING YOURSELF THAT YOU’RE TALKING TENNIS. LOOOOOL

April 16th, 2010 at 8:11 pm

Von – I was once a detractor, now I hear wedding bells for the two of us. For me, Roddick is second only to Nadal (to whom I am thrilled you are warming).
I agree with you that Roddick is underappreciated here. I admire his perseverance as much as you have admired Nadal’s; having been knocked down more than a few times.
Unfortunately personalities affect me too much to be a ‘good’ fan of the sport (I like Roddick greatly because of his entertaining interviews) so I rarely blog here…but I’m reading and sympathizing.
Now what is your ring size?

April 16th, 2010 at 8:23 pm

Rsutherland: I have missed your insightful posts, which are too infrequent — come back don’t stay away. Rafa needs your support here, and I need your Roddick support, also..

I warmed up to Rafa for quite a while now, but have been silent, and I only hope he wins tomorrow and on Sunday, Go NADAL, kick some butt!!

Is that a proposal I see?? I wear a size 6-1/2 to 7 ring. Be careful now, I love large diamonds, and you know the saying, diamonds are a girl’s best friend. But, an eternity band will do just fine instead of a marquise cut …..

Take care and let’s see some posts tomorrow.

April 16th, 2010 at 8:30 pm

“goat galz April 16th, 2010 at 5:58 pm post”

Normally I don’t give responses to stuff like this but,……..C’mon!

Is this a Tennis talkin site or a personal attack trash talkin site? Give some slack to posters Favs, Geeeeeez.

We talk and debate tennis off the articles written…..Not to hard to follow…..

Class, gg, you don’t have. Credibility, neither.

Provoking posters will get you what you give out, and degrades the tennis blog. If you insist, your at the wrong site.

May I suggest if you might find better Fodder at http://www.jerryspringer.com, lots of Fodder comments you can make up there with your type of people….

April 16th, 2010 at 8:45 pm

I love what Novak said about Nalbandian: ““He has one of the cleanest, nicest tennis shots on the tour at this moment. So if the ball gets to him, if he’s on time [and] balanced, then he can beat anyone.”

It’s a straightforward yet very complimentary description of Nalby, whose shots have a kind of purity, they’re sublime.

Djoko’s such a good sport – in my opinion, of course.

April 16th, 2010 at 9:31 pm

jane: Djoko is right. Nadal and federer have also commented on nalbandian talent.

..but i don’t know if he can find his best game anymore. I did not see his match today..I was reading some comments during the match on another blog and few people mentioned he was a little slow getting to a lot of balls and made a lot of errors..but they also said djoko played well.

Nalbandian is still able to beat a lot of players like we have seen this week but he is not able to cope with top players like he used to be.

So, lets hope he gain his confidence and fitness and give us some great matches in the future (he loves indoor tennis)

April 16th, 2010 at 9:54 pm

Hi Kimmi – ” he was a little slow getting to a lot of balls and made a lot of errors” – yes, Nalby was restricted, but Djoko also exploited that by moving him from side-to-side. I think in the context of the above quote he mentioned how he tried to do that, to keep him off balance, as he knows how brilliantly he strikes the ball if he is in position. I only watched the second set, and I thought Nalby was really showing some of his talent, both at the net and from the baseline. From the reports I read, most people concur that Nalby played better in the second set.

I’d love to see him play well again Kimmi – am with you there.

April 16th, 2010 at 10:05 pm

I am also impressed with ferrer..he was on a slump for a while..i think for over two years but now he playing well. Its a tough ask to beat “the king of clay” but I think he will get more game off nadal than ferrero….ferrero got six, didn’t he? Ferrer will get more..I can feel it.

April 16th, 2010 at 10:12 pm

Perhaps Kimmi – I have missed all of Nadal’s matches as they’ve been early, but judging by the scorelines, it’s looking like it’s going to take little short of a miracle to derail the guy! : ) I am expecting him to win the title, potentially without dropping a set. If Djoko makes it past Hotsauce, then he may get a set. He got one last year.

April 16th, 2010 at 10:15 pm

I don’t know jane, I watched today’s match for the first time because others had no drama I got bored..today I though ferrero could pose a challenge.

There was a lot of wind in the first few games before the rain..but nadal was GOOD. The way he was costructing points was amazing. Ferrero was left standing most of the time and the winners just go past him.

But if djoko goes thru i feel it will be different. Djoko has the ability to hit thru nadal. he is also starting to find his game and the fact that he won their last three matches will give djoko some confidence. To be honest with nadal issues at the moment djoko has a chance but he needs to play at a very high level throughout. Can he do it? Because nadal wants this title..

That is why I am thinking it will be a mouth watering match…bring it on!

they both need to go past their semi opponent first ofcourse :)

April 16th, 2010 at 10:33 pm

Of course. We’ll know after tomorrow. Till then, I must mark. Cheers Kimmi.

April 16th, 2010 at 10:46 pm

Jane

I wouldn’t say it would take a miracle at all for Djoko to beat Rafa. The first two matches Nadal played here were against totally outclassed opponents. I have no idea how Monaco lost to Berrer because that guy was just a very, very ordinary round of 16 opponent.

In the quarters, Ferrero controlled many of the points from the baseline from what I saw (winning the majority of the baseline rallies in the early going), so I think if Djoko plays close to his best he has a very good chance if he and Rafa meet in the final.

Obviously though, it’s difficult to maintain a super high level against Nadal on clay when he’s making you work so hard to win most points.

April 16th, 2010 at 10:46 pm

Jane

Yes, nice comments about Nalbs. Another way of saying what Djoko said is that he’s one of the “cleanest ball strikers” in the game today. It truly is a pleasure to watch him play tennis.

I think Nalby is nothing all that special in terms of athleticism and he doesn’t have any big weapon, but his technique is up there with the best of them. I think he would be a good player to emulate for a junior learning to play the game.

April 16th, 2010 at 10:50 pm

David, its the heavy ball from nadal that is pushing guys back and back and back. Berrer was able to beat monaco but as soon as he felt nadal topspin ball he did not know what to do! I also think MC clay does wonders to nadals topspin.

April 16th, 2010 at 10:58 pm

Kimmi

I think the big problem Berrer had is that his 1-handed backhand just couldn’t hold up with all that spin. From what I saw of Nadal’s match with Ferrero, JCF looked fine in the rallies and dictated many of the points. Granted, I didn’t see all of the match.

But as for a potential Novak-Rafa final I think in general Novak matches up very well against Rafa. Djoko has the clear edge on hard courts and even on clay it’s a real dogfight.

April 16th, 2010 at 11:24 pm

Kimmi & Jane,

Nice to see some posters give Nalby the respect he deserves. He has proven in the past he can beat anybody, WHEN he is IN SHAPE and healthy. A great win for Nole, but I for one am hoping Nalby keeps getting better, which will keep the game even more interesting.

It is fun to see so far this year that the field has “been unpredictable” this year so far. However, the way Rafa has been playing……

Regarding the Semi’s

IMO Nole is not going to have a easy go if hotsauce continues his form. Hotsauce has been playing well on HC’s and continues on clay. This should be a great match-up with Nole’s serving motion back ( no pun intended ). Wish I could see it.

Nadal/Ferrer

Why would anyone not expect rafa to win in straight sets? I saw the match between them on HC just last month. DF did not have the firepower to match Rafa on HC, NOT Rafa’s favorite surface by a long shot. What gives DF a chance then against Rafa on clay? None.

I could be wrong on both counts but just my IMO…

I know Murray has already been discussed but he IMO is the only real letdown. I though he would pick it up after AO, but went to the tank.

Nole, despite the criticism for taking on TM, was trying to improve his game. Can’t knock him for that, hey he’s trying to improve, right?
At least he listened to the X-blog fans, and acted accordingly, ha! (j/k).

Rafa IMO looks like he is back physically, and until proven otherwise is the man to beat on clay.

Skeezer out….

April 17th, 2010 at 12:24 am

Mucho respect to skeezer weezer and Rsutherland for standing up for a loyal tennis-x contributor like Von!(and she has contributed much more than most of these immature djokovic fan migrants from tennis talk! [Duro, you know you are not included in this!])

And SW, good on you for giving it to that retarded senseless beach called GG, look for her other equally, dumb, stupid, moronic and pathetic form of existence called Cindy Beach….. I mean it is Cindy Brady, but I think Beach describes it better!

Here is her modus operandi :

Keep spouting insane, dumb venom on Von/Roddick, because there are not too many supporters for roddick (there are some “Fans” who once supported roddick, but Von is the only loyal Roddick fan, who stuck to him through thick and thin and did not jump to greener pastures, when they came along) and she keeps waiting like a cunning fox for some STUpid poster to start arguing with Von, to join them in maligning Von.

Anyhow, thanks for standing up against such pitiable forms of life as GG. I know we should be kind to all creations of God, however dumb and stupid, but when such creatures start getting mean, you got to kick their butt!

Last but not the least, Von…. dont stay away from tennis-x because of STUpid posters or that dumb creature. I know you have been fairer to most players than most others who PRETEND to be fair, over the years. Dont let some STUpid djokovic fan girls tell you what is right and what is not. We hav been around tennis-x much longer than these people who seem to be making their way from dumb/stupid sites like tennis talk. (again, I dont think all posters who came from TT are bad, there have been some nice posters like Duro and Maxi, but a bunch of them are the kind of people who made me averse to low-IQ tennis sites like TT…..)

I like the one about the umbrella up GG’s “hole-through-which-she-talks”. ROFL!

I would like to add though, for the level of stupidity of GG’s posts, I think whoever shoved it up, also opened it, once it was fully inside. LOL! no wonder her posts look like they come from the key-board of some old-constipated piece of crap who everyone spits on in personal life!

April 17th, 2010 at 1:05 am

Getting back to tennis, after seeing the nadal-ferrero match, I am thinking of retracting my statement that Djokovic is going to get his 1st clay win on Rafa, this year. Rafa is playing scary good clay-court tennis, at the moment and hard to see anyone able to take a set off him, when he plays like this. There is one guy I know, but he must be busy taking care of twin little barbie dolls, somewhere in Swissland (or did he get his butt down to Estoril, where he is playing).

That said, Djokovic is playing some good-ball and if he can play like he did on clay at pre-FO last year and pull one set against Rafa, when they do meet in the final (i think it is a when, not if, no disrespect to ferrer or nando), as i was saying, if he pulls the 1st set out, the 2nd might be easier, as rafa’s confidence should still be shaky. If rafa does win Monte-carlo, I am going to sell my joker beating the king of clay on clay, stock!

My prediction is king of clay (KOC) and joker in straights in the semis and in the final, KOC in 2 or joker in 3. I can’t believe I am saying joker has better chances than KOC, in coming victorious in 3 but such are the times!

April 17th, 2010 at 1:23 am

So far I know there is only one poster on this site who bends over instantly to any two-legged creature human or otherwise and begs for that umbrella to be shoved deep into her *ss, all the way up to her heart so she can feel in her throat, and that poster is not Goat Galz. And that kind of trash talk is not tennis either. Her moral and class which she evokes pretty routinely have been something along these lines–Hold my hand touch my wrinkly cups date me marry me and make sure to shove that umbrella into you know where I feel good and I am still a few years younger than Goat Galz though I may be your mommy’s age I am desperate, yada yada yada. This has been going on for God knows how long. The God of insanity if there is one must surrender her crown to this insane creature. I must admit you are making progress in geometric proportion. You deserve a round of applause.
Keep in mind everything you say on this site has been and will be documented with date stamps and links and will be produced as evidence if need be. As a matter of fact they have been Excel-charted and ready to go.
There is a solution and it is simple don’t let your ego get better of you which is to appreciate all athletes who work their heart out to win a match.

April 17th, 2010 at 1:33 am

jane,Duro: Hi! I’ll just have a look for some ash for you….just peering out of my window now….nope can’t see any….but all airoplanes in England/Wales grounded and many also from France to Norway. Volcano still spouting dust so they are very cautiously playing it almost day to day. Noboby seems to know how long for, depends on activity/direction of wind etc. Have friend meant to be going to Dubai tomorrow, unlikely.
Back to tennis! Come on Djko! Only one left to give Rafa a run for his money!

April 17th, 2010 at 2:04 am

Is o-kerr, Goat Galz pimp? What kind of a brainless idiot would defend her? Get your head out of her *ss, O-kerr and see Goat Galz for who she is. Are you that stupid?

April 17th, 2010 at 2:06 am

LLTK,

Kudos to you, everyone should have a passionate fav up here, and respect it. We listen to the Roddicks, the Nole’s, the Murray’s, Fed, the Vamos!! , etc., and 99% of the posters have respect. It’s the .00001% that want to name call, personally attack and stay “in a Jerry Springer” world. Like I said…go there if that is what you want to do….but don’t “taint” these great passionate tennis fans up here who want to talk tennis……

Out again….

Roddick won in Miami, and a lot of posters came out for him, great!

April 17th, 2010 at 2:12 am

O’kerr famous quotes

“So far I know there is only one poster on this site who bends over instantly to any two-legged creature human.”

?

“Hold my hand touch my wrinkly cups”

?

“yada yada yada”

Now that makes sense….

“The God of insanity”

Another ?

“…this site has been and will be documented with date stamps and links and will be produced as evidence if need be. As a matter of fact they have been Excel-charted and ready to go.”

Really?…..time for a therapist?

O’kerr..I mean GG..or ?

A big thank you for giving us such an insightful meaningful opinion on the recent tennis matches at Monte Carlo. I am really trying to get it, but, sorry,…. I don’t. Maybe someone else can help me…

Are you sure you weren’t trying to post to the jerryspringer blog site?

A helpful hint; They allow name calling up there also……….

That said, it is unfortunate for a tennis fan like myself to come back on the blog and see such non-tennis stuff going on. A great sport, and 99% of the posters have the freedom to give their opinion about the game, their favs.

Hell, posters like Kimmi, Jane, Contador, and across the globe from me like Duro, Maxi, Von will give us blow by blow of live matches going on. I appreciate you all very much.

OUT

April 17th, 2010 at 2:43 am

SW :

You really nailed the poster GG or beach or O-kerr, if I am not mistaken, O-kerr also posts as bjorn borg and some other retarded handles.

anyway, as you said such people belong on the Jerry springer blog….. who the eff knows, if Cindy/GG is o-kerr’s mom or something!

I mean, people can criticise a player but to have a vendetta against them as the stupid GG/beach does, is a no-no. any one who cannot give A-rod credit as a top-notch tennis player is posting from their butts!

at present his resume is better than anyone not-named nadal/federer. On hardcourt and grass, who has more titles and better H2Hs with other players between rafa and a-rod? anyone wanna argue this with real facts and not the kind that beach pulls out?

April 17th, 2010 at 3:07 am

LLTK,

You got it :) Thanks and appreciate it.

I am done though and want to talk tennis. Forgot to respond to your picks. Agreed that Rafa is the lookin very strong, and for sure my pick also to win the tourney, but my heart is with the Djoke fans. Which reminds me, where are the Rafa fans? If I was a die hard, I would be posting up here like crazy! VAMOS! All said and done, outside not winning a tourney in 11 months, he has the lookings of coming back to form, bigtime!Just in time for the Clay season……

We’ll see…:)

April 17th, 2010 at 3:18 am

Okay, here’s a Rafa fan posting! I am really thrilled to see Rafa looking quite at home on clay. I am hoping for a great win against Ferrer. Hopefully, it won’t be too tough. I want Rafa fresh and ready for Djoko.

I hope that Rafa wants this so bad that he can taste it! That is what it will take if he plays Djoko in the final.

April 17th, 2010 at 3:23 am

SW:

Guess the rafatards learnt their lessons from IW and miami….. where a bunch of them celebrated too early when Roger lost and then got their beatings when nadal left without cigar too…. by the way, by rafatards i mean totally whacko nadal fans, who worship at his altar.

I want rafa to win MC as I guess I have had enough of the Djokovic fans :D i guess the rafatards will pour out of their holes then and make me wish i didn’t hope for his win, but at this point, that is the lesser of 2 evils….. not to mention Rafa is my joint 2nd fav with a-rod these days.

what do you think of Roger’s picking estoril over MC? i think he did the right thing…. the King of the jungle, needs to taste some blood, even if it is a few relatively smaller kill. Big game can wait :)

April 17th, 2010 at 3:31 am

“I want rafa to win MC as I guess I have had enough of the Djokovic fans :D i guess the rafatards will pour out of their holes then and make me wish i didn’t hope for his win…”

Long live; LOOOOL. now, this is funny!

April 17th, 2010 at 5:24 am

@kimmi :

beware the fan who is high on kool-aid….. they can put even Goat Galz to shame on the insanity scale :D

lets get our digs into the rafatards before rafa wins MC, if he wins, we will probably have to wait for the green grass to sober them down…..

April 17th, 2010 at 5:48 am

LLtK… wow… it seems like you have a very long history with Rafa fans…

btw, talking about holes, some of the posters here have also been in the same holes same time last year, didn’t they?

As JT said; what goes around comes around…

April 17th, 2010 at 6:16 am

Feeling GREAT to see you LLTK! :)

Hi Skeezer! :)

Hi Mrs.Von! :)
Yes, Mrs.Von, I have noticed what u are saying, that’s why I commented. Few seem to have/had respect for Roddick as a tennis player here. But it matters not much as long as Rod has fans like u and Mr.Twocents. Hope Rod wins Wimby, that’s what I have been hoping for long.

Hi Duro! :)
I hope u will keep ur promise if that happens, I’m sure you’d, haha! Good for me to have some free trips and food and stuff. :)

April 17th, 2010 at 2:18 pm

Huh: Thanks for your good wishes for Roddick and your assessment of the situation on this site. People can tread on Roddick and bad-mouth him as much as they want, and they are supported en masse. God forbid a Roddick fan says anything about another player, albeit the truth, they’re shredded to pieces, which is not helpful to blogging, and it’s why so many Roddick fans have left. I suppose that’s the way the cookie crumbles, isn’t it?

April 17th, 2010 at 9:37 pm

Von,

You hang in there and hold your head up high! I am happy that Roddick won a Masters title. Well deserved! You have been there through all the ups and downs, never doubting your guy and sometimes being a lone voice on here. It’s not easy standing alone against people who like to gang up only when they have the advantage of larger numbers.

I see that a certain Fed fan is already getting distressed over Rafa fans (not “tards”) possibly being able to celebrate the end of his title drought. Don’t worry, if necessary we will do our celebrating elsewhere when the time comes. I wouldn’t want to upset the delicate sensitivity of a Fed fan having to read Rafa fans rejoicing in a much needed and long awaited win.

April 18th, 2010 at 1:23 am

“Miss you, guys. Maxi, you are close to my land. Come to Serbia Open”.

Duro! just found your post here! (taken me a while). sorry didnt see it earlier.

I would love to come and watch. and one day we will make that happen.

one day, Margot, Jane, “countess” and me are going to Miami – a girls weekend! I have been on holiday this week and I think Serbian open starts next week? or is it the week after? and am back at work! The best time for me is during the summer, when I have a block of 6 weeks off – Mid July until end of August, when I tend to go off travelling a bit more, so perhaps USOpen, Duro?!!! How sweet would that be?

Margot, you beat me to it! (volcanic ash question from Jane). Well, nothing this neck of the woods (south of England), but all flights grounded as you say, possibly for all this week and the effects for the next 5-6 months – It’s formula 1 day today, in Shanghai, and they are all stranded over there for the next week (F1 drivers, staff, cars). They need 6 Boeing 747’s just for the freight and no one is going nowhere for the next 7 days!

Europe is grounded.

Back to tennis.

Good luck to all rafa fans and to all verdy fans -Pleassssse let’s have a competitive match!

April 18th, 2010 at 3:58 am

Maxi, Sar is coming from London to Belgrade. You can join her! The tournament begins May the 3rd, but we bought tickets for semis and the final, 8th and 9th of May. Reconsider it.

April 18th, 2010 at 6:27 am