Wimbledon Seedings: Rafael Nadal Seeded 5th, Women Unchanged

Wow, imagine if the quarters goes like this:

– Djoko x DelPo (last year Olympics rematch)
– Murray x Berdy (they play tough matches)
– Federer x Nadal (re match after 08′)
– Ferrer x Tsonga (re mach after RG 13′)

This would be the most excitimg quarters, but Nadalversus Djoko or Murray would be exciting as well.

June 19th, 2013 at 10:24 am

The tournament is trying hard to fix Rafa and David Ferer in the quarter if Rafa seeding is no. 5, otherwise it’s gonna cost tickets sales. Everyone makes money, imo.

June 19th, 2013 at 10:32 am

Why couldn’t they have just moved Nadal up to the 4th seed? We all agree he’s a better grass court player (well, any surface) than Ferrer, and further is a 2 time champion. What is the point of the Wimbledon seeding formula if they don’t take past Wimbledon results into account?

June 19th, 2013 at 10:57 am

I am sorry, but by your logic Federer should be the top seed at Wimbledon, USopen, WTF, dubai, Indian Wells, cincinnati and so on where he is head and shoulders above every one.

what matters is the atp ranking and recent grass-court form and an objective formula lets ferrer the lucky break so be it. I think ferrer is a clown of a player, but he earned his seeding.

Tough luck for rafa fans – maybe murray will pull out in the last minute, no?

June 19th, 2013 at 11:07 am

“Tough luck for the Rafa fans”. Hmm. It might turn out to be tough luck for the top 3. If Rafa is playing well he will get to the semis beating one of them along the way. We shall see!
Vamos Rafa!!

June 19th, 2013 at 11:46 am

I am sorry, but by your logic Federer should be the top seed at Wimbledon, USopen, WTF, dubai, Indian Wells, cincinnati and so on where he is head and shoulders above every one

___________________________________________

I agree that ATP ranking is the main basis for seeding. I recall when Sampras was seeded number 1 for Wimbledon even in years when he wasn’t ATP ranked #1. My point is simply that Wimbledon shouldn’t claim to have a special formula if they don’t bother changing it, such as this year when they have a strong case to seed Nadal #4.

June 19th, 2013 at 11:55 am

ferrer deserves his seeding and i am happy for him! nadal is where he is supposed to be; he is battled tested and is well acquainted with challenges. all he can do is the best he can; he should not worry about things out of his control such as the draw. rafa will just fine, i have total confidence in him. how far he will go is an unknown, but one thing is for certain, he will fight until the end. we will see what happens in due time!

June 19th, 2013 at 12:04 pm

That was then. At that time clay courters whined and threatened to boycott wimbledon accusing Wimbledon of favoring their past champs. So Wimbledon came with an objective formula.

The formula puts rafa at 5th. Let us face it, rafa did himself no favors by losing to rosol and sitting out olympics. I know that most rafa fans believe those injuries are some blackmagic done by rest of the ATP players, but trust me, rafa and uncle toni should not have tailored rafa’s game to ensure he gets max success on clay, when everybody knows that Wimbledon is the tournament of the Tennis Gods.

@Giles: We will see. Outside clay, Ferrer has a 3-3 record on rafa outside clay. never met on grass.

Novak has 12-7 outside clay, and 1-2 on grass winning their biggest match on grass.

Roger is 8-7 outside clay and 2-1 on grass.

Murray is the only guy with a less than equal record against rafa outside rafa’s favorite surface. Murray actually has a most pathetic record even outside clay against rafa. Good for him that he is so bad on clay that he doesn’t play rafa 14-15 times on clay like Roger/Nole/Ferrer.

If he did, he would have been 30-5 or something like that in h2h against rafa. LOL!

June 19th, 2013 at 12:12 pm

http://alturl.com/v62y7
Rafa fans.

June 19th, 2013 at 12:13 pm

@Danny… Rafa wasn’t trying to do himself a favor by losing to Rosol, and missing the Olympics, and 2 Grand Slams and the YEC. Rafa fans don’t claim black magic over that. We know he was injured. It’s the fans of ‘others’ that claim all the ‘conspiracy theories’ like yours.

As far as Wimby being the most well known among non-tennis fans, I’ll agree. But IMO, the players will gladly win ANY of the FOUR Slams out there. Doubt they will be picky about that.

June 19th, 2013 at 12:27 pm

Bring Nadal to Nole’s draw. Nole will show is real boss of tennis. And then he eat grass to show he is real Goat.

June 19th, 2013 at 12:42 pm

http://alturl.com/3xf5p
Great article on Rafa’s seeding. Note key words “A human touch, rather than the computer’s calculations, might have produced a different outcome though”.
Why should they be bothered to apply the human touch when they have a machine doing their work for them. What, and give them a shorter tea break!!
Vamos Rafa!

June 19th, 2013 at 12:45 pm

Same old , same old…..

People who gee up their favs as if that has any effect on the other players, and then disappear when their fav underperforms……

Humility, it’s a virtue.

June 19th, 2013 at 12:49 pm

Nadal is fake humility not real humble like Nole. Nole is gentleman. He will do what Federer cannot. Beat Nadal. Nole will not bow to brute force of Nadal like Federer. He will be real tennis goat. He proudly tear his shirt again and beat his chest loud to show he is king of all.

June 19th, 2013 at 12:57 pm

Why so many people like Nadal so much? At work also people say Nadal is great tennis. NO. Nole is real tennis great. Not fake clay Nadal. Maybe he greatest in clay but outside clay? Nole beat him again and again. Maybe he want to make Nole tear shirt again and again lol but Nole is rich now. He have many more.
Why many tennis journalists complaining Nadal got no 4 seeding. But that because he no great outside clay. Ferrer play better in grass. Great decision by Wimbledon committee.

June 19th, 2013 at 1:02 pm

Nole humble? Give me a break and take your BS elsewhere. So tearing his shirt on court is called humility these days? Geez! Nole lost to Nadal in the GS he wanted most. Live with it!
#VamosKing

June 19th, 2013 at 1:36 pm

Nole tearing shirt is his style to show his passion for the game. Nadal cannot beat him on his own. Everybody know that. Chair umpire won the RG match for Nadal. Poor Nole. But he is greatest fighter. He will thrash Rafa next year in FO and complete his Career Slam.
Tell me who is no.1? No1e. He will break Nadal’s record for sure. He may lose 100s of shirts in the process but he has lots of money. Maybe he will more grass and clay but he will be biggest champion all time.

June 19th, 2013 at 1:49 pm

The number of things TennisZod is trolling at once is mind boggling.

June 19th, 2013 at 1:50 pm

I mean Nole will eat more grass and clay as its his style of unique celebration

June 19th, 2013 at 1:51 pm

“Chair umpire won the RG match for Nadal”. Nah, Nadal won the match fair and square. Nole lost to the King!
Vamos Rafa!

June 19th, 2013 at 1:53 pm

I have no idea why Ben think I am trolling. Calling Nole greatest is trolling? Too many Nadal fanss here. Sad for tennis.

June 19th, 2013 at 1:57 pm

Nole will beat your king next year in RG. Nole is a force of nature Nadal don’t escape.

June 19th, 2013 at 1:59 pm

Will be interesting to see who Nadal is to meet in the quarter finals. Doubt it will be Nole.

June 19th, 2013 at 2:06 pm

“I mean Nole will eat more grass and clay as its his style of unique celebration”

ok.

June 19th, 2013 at 2:09 pm

troll zod, 21 is coming for your idol and this cant stop it.

June 19th, 2013 at 2:16 pm

Humble Rafa, meet TennisZod
TennisZod, meet Humble Rafa

June 19th, 2013 at 2:16 pm

TennisZod is way more funnier than Humble Rafa. A welcomed relief.

He will thrash, and break, and tear, and eat. Force of Nature.
You go Zod! lol..

——

“Same old , same old…..”
@nadalista. Really? Just when I thought I read my last Rafa cheer leading delusional post TennisZod comes and brings a breath of fresh air and saves the day!.Yay!!

June 19th, 2013 at 2:21 pm

Murray

in regards to Rafa being seeded 5th and the potential clash with a top 4 in the qtrs;

“I’d sign up to be in the quarter-finals against Rafa tomorrow if someone offered me that.”

Now there is the right attitude!!

June 19th, 2013 at 2:39 pm

LOL! Rafa fans now want the human touch? LOL! maybe they should determine tennis ranking by human touch? like they do the scoring in Gymnastics. What is the point of these matches anyway.

All the top 4 seeds have earned their seedings. Sad for Rafa fans, but I am glad there are fans like Brando who are not whining and crying but looking at it positively. I absolutely detest when the ATP/ITF modify rules and cover-up for top players. As I said, cry me a river when rafa/andy are injured when playing attacking/aggressive tennis and not when playing modified fetch some 10meters behind the baseline.

June 19th, 2013 at 2:56 pm

It doesn’t matter to me that Rafa is seeded #4 or #5. What matters is how he’s gonna play. It’s not like he’ll be playing a 5 setter with each of the top 3 or 4.
Vamos Rafa!

June 19th, 2013 at 3:05 pm

Zod saving the day? I can’t deal with this.

June 19th, 2013 at 3:13 pm

In the context of the article I posted “human touch” translates to officials getting off their backsides and making a rational decision. Formulae be damned. Who has the best record on grass apart from fed? Nadal. Why have some of the ex pros, namely Johnny Mac, Brad Gilbert et al been calling for some discretion relating to Rafa’s seeding? Because at the end of the day discretion should have been used by the officialdom and they failed! Anyhow it is what it is and if Rafa is playing well that is all that matters to this Rafan.
#VamosKing

June 19th, 2013 at 3:28 pm

Zod and skeezer the geezer make a great team the latter leaning on Rafa haters as usual to get his kicks.
#Pathetic
#20-10
#MassacreInRome

June 19th, 2013 at 3:31 pm

danny says ” cry me a river when rafa/andy are injured when playing attacking/aggressive tennis and not when playing modified fetch some 10meters behind the baseline.”

So fed lost the AO to Rafa who didn’t need to play tennis against him, only modified fetch? Maybe fed or Nole need to learn to play modified fetch? Whether you like it or not, Rafa plays tennis. Even fed said after Halle that it is hard to play S&V anymore. Get with the current times Danny. The top 5 play tennis, just some of them have different styles and that works for them against others as have been proven.

June 19th, 2013 at 3:47 pm

Zod can easily talk about Noles domination at Roland Garros while its a year away. Meanwhile, the match I watched less than two weeks ago, he lost.

June 19th, 2013 at 3:48 pm

http://www.globaltennisnetwork.com/tennis-tournaments/bracket-challenges/bracket-challenge-page/mainBracketPage/428-tennis-x-fans-wimbledon-atp

June 19th, 2013 at 3:57 pm

Formulae be damned. Rankings be damned. If rafa should be seeded 4, Federer should be seeded ahead of Nole and Murray. His achievements at wimbledon dwarf the achievements of the rest of the field put together.

Last 10 years, Fed 7 titles and rest of field 3.

I wish the rafa fans would see the sense like Brando does. If rafa with all his pedigree did not lose to rosol in 2nd round and sat out olympics, there would be none of this discussion. Rafa knows this and he has not complained. I am sure if Rafa thinks things are unfair, he wouldn’t mind boycotting the tournament like he told madrid when he did not like their blue clay.

June 19th, 2013 at 3:57 pm

http://alturl.com/bmsvt
Zod. This is for you!

June 19th, 2013 at 3:59 pm

Rafa DOES NOT care but some of his fans do!
Vamos Rafa. Stay healthy.

June 19th, 2013 at 4:04 pm

That tells a lot about the fans, unless you think rafa is a kiddo who lets wimbledon and fo bully him.

June 19th, 2013 at 4:14 pm

I’d like to know why almost every post I have tried to make in the past week, has been “awaiting moderation” or flat out deleted. I guess skeeze and the fedfans are cherry picking what is debated now.

June 19th, 2013 at 4:15 pm

^^^ TROLL!!

June 19th, 2013 at 4:24 pm

Nadal fans now afraid because he is seeded 5 for bad showing in grass. What if he meet Nole? Nole thrash him like always.
Nole, please bring 20 extra rackets, 3 extra tshirts and come hungry. Lot of rackets to break (Nadal become afraid), a shirt to tear after victory and Wimbledon grass eat to celebrate Novak style. I hope organizers dont mind Nole eating some grass. He is the real Goat. Nadal and his arrogant fans, 16 coming.

June 19th, 2013 at 4:32 pm

“I hope organizers dont mind Nole eating some grass. He is the real Goat.”

Ehh, @Zod, you may wanna dial back some of this ehh, GOAT-speak. You see, Fedfans do not take kindly to such intonations. The only reason they are tolerating this now is the faint hope that Novak lives up to expectations and stops Rafa accumulating more slams.

If Novak does not, heaven help you……….ever heard of the term, “memory like an elephant”?

All I can say is, tread carefully……..tread carefully……

June 19th, 2013 at 4:41 pm

“everybody knows that Wimbledon is the tournament of the Tennis Gods.”

ROFL. You’d think there would be more tournaments on grass to highlight Wimbledon’s importance. It’s a slam of equal value to the other 3. No more, no less. If it were really worth more, it would be worth double the rankings points, double the money, and worth counting as two grand slams for a title instead of one.

June 19th, 2013 at 5:40 pm

Nadalista, but Federer never eat grass. How is he the Goat? Ok kidding. He is great I like him but he is not a force of nature like Nole. Thats why Nadal beat him many times. Nadal also beat Nole many times but before Nole became better. Now he is best. He eat grass to show he is real Goat. If Nole want to win he win Wimbledon.
Federer fans dont hate Nole because Nole play superior tennis not like running and hitting the ball game of Nadal. Nole also most humble and funny. He make fun of Nadal bad habits in tennis court.

June 19th, 2013 at 6:01 pm

WTF

You’re forgetting the role of symbolism. I remember the great Australian John Newcombe coming to visit Centre Court off season one year. He remarked that for him, it was like a cathedral. That’s powerful imagery. I don’t suppose it is universally conceived quite like that,yet I think Wimbledon is thought of as special by most tennis fans, the world over. In England, even people who have no interest in tennis think of Wimbledon as having some kind of status which goes beyond sport. They are glad it is there, even if they never want to watch a tennis match. And in some obscure way, they are proud of it.

Much is made of tradition – the sober dress, the not playing on Sunday, the strawberries and cream, the bowing to royalty (gone now) and so on. But these are relatively trivial matters, an attempt to give body to something which in fact eludes definition. You couldn’t invent Wimbledon. It somehow emerges into being, without anyone having intended it, from beginnings which are local and humble.

The concept of Wimbledon appeals to something very similar to the sense of the sacred. Since religion has largely vanished in England (oh, there are odd pockets remaining of one fundamentalism or another, but nothing too drastic), institutions like Wimbledon take on a meaning which is hard to fathom but goes beyond tennis.

So no, to “double ranking points”, “double money” and so forth would be to completely miss the point (apart from being absurd). The essence of Wimbledon is not material. Insofar as Wimbledon is a tennis tournament, then due respect is given to the material, in the same way as with any other tournament. But insofar as Wimbledon is something beyond this, it cannot have material acknowledgement.

It is very hard trying to describe what is special about Wimbledon. It’s one of those things which everyone really understands but doesn’t quite know how to put into words.

June 19th, 2013 at 6:29 pm

WTF, if you don’t consider Wimbledon as THE most prestigious tennis tourney in the world is either you don’t know tennis or only began followimg since 2004 when a certain spaniard burst into the scene! Sorry I don’t like to have judgemnts or prejudice but in regards to Wimbledon there isn’t an argument. Ask Nadal if he prefers to have 8 Wimbledons or 8 RG and you will be surprised about his answer.

As grendel pointed out above, it is tennis holly graal. Most old toruney, most traditional and the list goes on. This has nothing to do with Fedalovic wars, it is what it is.

June 19th, 2013 at 9:15 pm

“It’s a slam of equal value to the other 3.”

@grendel

Well, you stoled my thunder in a response I was going to write. But I am very happy and content you wrote it, as I could not have wrote it with the style and sanity you possess. ;)

June 19th, 2013 at 9:35 pm

A few here go on about basketball, but does anyone watch hockey? Anyone? Anyone?!

June 19th, 2013 at 9:59 pm

TennisZod,
Great posts. Keep it up !
You are now challenging the likes of skeezer with your objectivity.
Feels really great whicle reading your posts. A welcome relief for us.
The only concern is you are also pulling down the great Federer sometimes comparing wth Nole. Please avoid it. He is the ULTIMATE GOD of tennis.

June 19th, 2013 at 10:01 pm

TennisZod,

Let me introduce you to RFF ( aka Roger Fake Fan…aka Humble Rafa ),

Enjoy your interaction with him, he is not as good as you, but he tries. He needs 2 monikers to try and get attention, you only need one. Have fun with him.

June 19th, 2013 at 10:09 pm

Roger Federer Fan,
Thank you. I like that you are Federer fan. I like Federer also but Nole is the no.1 now. Federer have 17 GS so he is current tennis goat. Nole want to be goat one day so he eat grass to show everyone when he beat the talentless Nadal in 2011 Wimbledon final. For you Roger fans and us Nole fans (real tennis fans) it always a pleasure to watch Nadal lose. Lets hope for another early loss for clay court player Nadal in Wimbledon.

June 19th, 2013 at 10:43 pm

@Zod,

You sound more cocky than your idol Djokovic. I hope we all get to watch Nadal give him 21 this tournament.

June 19th, 2013 at 10:56 pm

I don’t.

June 19th, 2013 at 11:48 pm

I actually do not mind characters like @TennisZod, I only wish they understood satire, they could make their point and be funny at the same time. As it is, it’s just dredging up old clichés, boring.

Could do with some comic relief before the draw……..

June 20th, 2013 at 1:26 am

“I actually do not mind characters like @TennisZod”

Oh but then you do. You go on to say so.
Aren’t you and Giles…… “characters?”
I find him very satirical. He is satirically funny and makes his satirical point at the same time.

#callhumblerafatocomplain
#rffwillhelpyoutoo
#thetideturnsandthegangwhines
#breathoffreshair

June 20th, 2013 at 1:52 am

@skeezer, I am not surprised you find him funny, which just proves your sense of humour is different from mine, as if we didn’t know already!

I meant what I said, I do not mind him at all, hope he continues posting. Pity he isn’t funny. Could garner more attention (in addition to yours) that way……….

June 20th, 2013 at 4:43 am

….and oh, thank you for “lumping” me together with @Giles, compliment accepted…

June 20th, 2013 at 5:08 am

Thank you @nadalista.
I posted a link on one of the other threads that Rafa will play an Exo tomorrow with Nishikiori at the Hurlingham Club. I suspected he might just to get more practice in.
Vamos King!

June 20th, 2013 at 6:05 am

Jane i love hockey i used to play it at school alot,unfortunatly i dont get it on terrestrial TV where i am,except for on the odd sporadic occasions,i used to play Netball alot too,and i still love watching it,along with tennis and football,hockey and netball are my favorite sports.

June 20th, 2013 at 6:39 am

I hate hockey.

June 20th, 2013 at 8:07 am

Grendel lol very straight and to the point there,no BS required.

June 20th, 2013 at 8:12 am

Danny Morris call Ferrer a clown…
:) comparing the amounts he earns with you, you know who is the clown…

And you must be too stupid to appreciate a good person like David

June 20th, 2013 at 8:22 am

Tennisx hippy chic

there’s a character called Dunbar in the novel Catch-22 who also hates hockey. He makes a point of playing it whenever he can. I bet you can’t guess why……

June 20th, 2013 at 8:32 am

Grendel your right no i cannot guess why..

June 20th, 2013 at 9:30 am

Margot

I know you follow the fortunes of the young Brits, to some extent anyway. What do you think of Kyle Edmund? He lost last night to Simon, 6-7, 6-7. He was clearly trying right to the end. That’s a bit unusual. I’m keen to see what he’ll be like when he is serving for the match against a high calibre player.
Meanwhile, they come and go, these promising youngsters. What’s your feeling about young Edmund? Might he keep coming?

June 20th, 2013 at 9:53 am

Ah, X hippy chic. Well, the thing about Dunbar is that he was terrified of dying. Of course, in the special circumstances of being a pilot in the 2nd World War, this fear was not unreasonable.

Anyway, Dunbar realised that when you are very bored, time passes more slowly. He reckoned, therefore, that the longer the periods in which he was bored, the more extended his subjective experience of being alive – thus effectively postponing the moment of death. So he deliberately chose to do the things which particularly bored him and avoided those things he enjoyed. Enjoyment, pleasure, happiness in any shape or form was unacceptable since in such states of mind, time passes more quickly and hastens therefore the approach of death.

Dunbar particularly hated hockey. He hated watching it, and even more, he hated playing it. Therefore, he played it whenever he could, and when he couldn’t play it, he would watch it.

In this way, he experienced supreme boredom and effectively extended his lifespan.

June 20th, 2013 at 10:10 am

Grendel haha fair enough,i always loved playing it when i was at school,but my absolute favorite sport was playing Netball,i was pretty good at it without bragging,and you tend to enjoy something when your good at it,but now i just watch it,i dont play any sport anymore at the age of 45 i get knackered just walking to Tescos,Janes really opened up another can of worms here lol.

June 20th, 2013 at 10:18 am

Nole/Dimitrov exho is underway. I don’t know if anyone is interested – not many Nole fans around these days. : / Anyhow, here’s the link:

http://www.theboodles.com/

June 20th, 2013 at 10:24 am

Jane, did Dimitrov win the first set?

June 20th, 2013 at 10:42 am

Yes, Ben. But it’s been very loose and fun exho tennis. Some amazing shots because of that looseness, though – enjoyable to watch. Looks like the crowd have a few drinks. ;)

June 20th, 2013 at 10:44 am

He did, 7-5.

June 20th, 2013 at 10:45 am

They’re laughing literally every other point. It’s like a sitcom with a laugh track.

June 20th, 2013 at 10:49 am

And now Dimitrov just did a little striptease for the crowd.

Tennis Burlesque, lol.

June 20th, 2013 at 10:50 am

Djokovic with the vital break!

I love these personalities. Seriously, I really really hope “black heart” Dimitrov becomes a top player one day. It’ll be good for tennis.

June 20th, 2013 at 10:53 am

Sounds like alot of fun Jane,i would pay good money to see just that if nothing else,my dirty dirty mind lol.

June 20th, 2013 at 10:54 am

Did you see that Ben? All those “lets” on purpose? :D And Nole gave the game to Grigor. Ha ha …

June 20th, 2013 at 11:00 am

I’m watching on and off, mostly listening to the “smack” and “whack” of the ball.

All tournaments should do what the boodles is doing with this easy live streaming. Incredible.

June 20th, 2013 at 11:07 am

I know Ben – you just click on the link and voila!

June 20th, 2013 at 11:09 am

OMG, what a rally, ha ha. :)

June 20th, 2013 at 11:14 am

Very fun and enjoyable. Over, but really, who cares about winning. This after match stuff is almost as good.

Jealous – that woman’s 40th birthday – hugs from both Nole and Grigor. Loved the hug at net, and also how they let the ball girls play the penultimate points.

And now Nole can’t do the Sharapova imitation because “someone” might get mad, and Nole thinks Grigor can do it better because he knows her so well.

Now they’re BOTH doing Sharpie imitations, ha ha.

June 20th, 2013 at 11:20 am

For any and all “Armada” lovers; here are F-lo, Hotsauce, Pico and Nico (wow, great nicks hey?) posing for Esquire and looking *very* dapper. :)

http://www.esquirelat.com/moda/610454/deporte-del-glamour/

June 20th, 2013 at 11:24 am

hehe…F-Lo looks like such a dandy.

June 20th, 2013 at 11:35 am

The video of Nole and Grigor doing Sharapova impersonations is already up on YouTbe ()wow, so quick!):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WYokGZ8pOEw

June 20th, 2013 at 11:47 am

I have to say, Nole nails it. Grigor’s is passable.

June 20th, 2013 at 11:50 am

i have read that nadal will be playing a warm-up exhibition at the bnp paribas tennis classic-hurlingham. his first match will be tomorrow against kei nishikori.
does anybody know if it will be live streamed? if so, where can i find it?

June 20th, 2013 at 11:54 am

^ it doesn’t look like they’re streaming. I’m trying to find one for Andy’s match against Nishikori today and haven’t so far.

June 20th, 2013 at 11:58 am

@mem. So far as I am aware there is no live streaming. If I hear any different I will post on this thread

June 20th, 2013 at 11:59 am

thanks guys!
if you hear anything please let me know.

June 20th, 2013 at 12:03 pm

mem – can’t answer your question. but your mention of Hurlingham brings back memories. we used to go there as children,both to play and to watch. I can recall being given a membership card as an Easter present, as was my younger sister. She put on a face and barely agreed to accept it. her point was that this was the sort of thing you should get anyway. A proper present was chocolates and stuff like that. I, ever the hypocrite, politely accepted the card, indicating that this was a nice present. Actually, I was just as disappointed as my sister. She got her anger out straightaway, I harboured mine.

There’s a nice looking match coming on at hertogenbosch between Halep and Suarez. They are both wonderfully skilful tennis players – none of that ballbashing tedium – and also quite different from each other. I wonder if there is a stream for that?

June 20th, 2013 at 12:09 pm

Predictions for Wimbledon by famous astrologer
this is for you Jamie
http://www.sallykirkman.com/blog/who-will-win-wimbledon-2013

June 20th, 2013 at 12:32 pm

Grendel…you hate hockey? Is there a reason why? Maybe you don’t get to see enough of it to appreciate how great (and ridiculously tough) these athletes are.

I dare anyone to come up with a more exciting team sport to watch. Granted I’m Canadian and biased to be sure but the intensity of a playoff or Olympic medal hockey game blows away anything else I’ve ever experienced.

June 20th, 2013 at 12:34 pm

As for Wimbledon, I stick by my pick that Djokovic will come out on top. I think it’s his time.

June 20th, 2013 at 12:35 pm

SG1, I agree – the intensity of playoff and Olympic hockey is unreal. It’s also a fun game to analyze imo. But I too am Canadian and probably biased. Although driving to the London City Airport, but Czech cab-driver told me he doesn’t really know who Berdych is but he LOVES hockey. ;)

June 20th, 2013 at 12:42 pm

*my Czech…not *but

June 20th, 2013 at 12:43 pm

hello there grendel,

your fun memories sound unforgetable! thanks for sharing!

i always have a difficult time finding live streams for certain matches, particularly top players. maybe it’s just me not knowing where to go, but unless they are streamed on livescorehunter, i don’t have much luck. if it wasn’t for bad luck i would probably have no luck at all. anyway, i’ll try to check out the matches you mentioned. right now, im searching all over the place for the nadal exhibition. i would love to watch the other participants
(tsonga, murray, haas,) too. you know me, it is no secret that i am a rafa nadal die-hard or some may call me a fanatic or whatever. anyway, i wish we could adopt rafa, LOL!

enjoy wimbledon, should be filled with intrigue and excitement!

June 20th, 2013 at 12:50 pm

You could try “sport lemon TV” for streams; I often have “luck” there.

June 20th, 2013 at 1:04 pm

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=iTlmxRx_lJM&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DiTlmxRx_lJM

laslo,

Stornoud is predicting Nadal

June 20th, 2013 at 1:14 pm

hockey is the most exciting team game? Maybe in canada. Most of the world prefers football. The World’s version – not the American one.

June 20th, 2013 at 1:19 pm

By the law of averages somebodys predictions will be correct.

June 20th, 2013 at 1:19 pm

thanks jane! i’ll check it out.

June 20th, 2013 at 1:22 pm

I love Hockey and Netball.

June 20th, 2013 at 1:22 pm

http://www.globaltennisnetwork.com/tennis-tournaments/bracket-challenges/bracket-challenge-page/mainBracketPage/428-tennis-x-fans-wimbledon-atp

BRacket challenge, I want lots of participants.

June 20th, 2013 at 1:24 pm

SG1

was being vaguely humorous about hockey. however, when I moved school, they didn’t play football (soccer), at which I was quite good, but played hockey instead. A lot of the kids from the feeder schools were already familiar with hockey, but I never got the hang of how to use those bloody sticks. certainly it required skill, but increasingly not a skill I wanted to acquire. Sour grapes, I expect.

jane, that sport lemon thing might do the job, thanks.

Just watched Wozniacki v. Makarova, mainly to see how good Woz is, since Robson got quite close to her, so I was really trying to check on Robson’s form.

This Makarova is something else. She lost 9 straight games on the run in middle of the match – otherwise, she looked better than Woz. How do you work that out? definitely a mental thing. The Woz is solid as a rock, never changes – Makarova seems to be about 6 people rolled into one.

One or two things I did notice. How come a former #1 can be relatively iffy on the fh? It’s generally o.k, but every now and then she hits long for no particular reason, and it seems to be an arm shot. but that’s an elementary error – a club coach would be onto you for that. I suppose you have to assume these star players are human – if they haven’t sorted out the basic strokes at a very young age, there’s always going to be a vulnerability, just occasionally popping up.

Woz has got a new racket – obviously she feels she’s not going to be able to live with the top lot without exerting more power. I had the impression it’s working up to a point. Little Errani also has got a new racket, paying out £30,000 to sever her contract on old racket. Well, after that beating from Serena, you can see why. I wonder if it’ll make much difference, though.

June 20th, 2013 at 1:39 pm

Thankyou Kimberly already pre registered,just waiting now for the draw to come out.

June 20th, 2013 at 2:04 pm

Any luck with the live streaming then Mem?

June 20th, 2013 at 2:07 pm

This is a shocker! Radek Stepanek is divorcing Nicole Vaidisova because he has supposedly started dating Petra Kvitova. ?? I guess Radek “The Worm” Stepanek will mean something else entirely now.

June 20th, 2013 at 2:13 pm

Stepanek is big proof why women in tennis are not that smart.

j/k ladies.

#Just A Joke

June 20th, 2013 at 2:20 pm

The DA dear god that man must be great in bed,or are you joking?im waiting for some sort of punch line lol.

June 20th, 2013 at 2:20 pm

Tennis x hippy,

no luck yet, but i won’t give up searching.

June 20th, 2013 at 2:22 pm

grendel,

To me Wimbledon carries no special significance. Maybe because I didn’t follow Tennis decades ago when it might have been more special. I don’t doubt that Wimbledon matters for these people, but to me, anyone who says a person’s 13 grand slams is a better tally than someone’s 14 grand slams because the 13 had more Wimbledons in them than the 14, is a tool.

If you tell me I can have a career with 14 slams (1 Wimbledon, 4 AO, 5 FO, 4 USO) or 13 slams (10 Wimbledon, 1 FO, 1 AO, 1 USO), I will take the 14 any day of the week. Not even give two seconds of thought to it. If anything, only being able to win 1 of each of the other slams suggests that player is weaker at three other venues than they are on the one.

I think the whole tradition thing with the white dress, the refusal to play on the first Sunday, and Center Court being the “biggest court in the world” (literally untrue, Arthur Ashe is) just makes this tournament very pretentious. It’s the most overrated of the four in my opinion. I’m not calling it the worst (For me they are all equal), just overrated.

Arthur Ashe stadium is far more grand looking and awe inspiring to be in than Center Court which to me looks very dull. The lack of a roof until very frequently just served as endless frustration. For some reason it always rained in July in London, until the roof was completed.

You’re entitled to treat the event as sacrosanct, but I won’t have any of it, or anyone who argues that a career is better than another if it has more Wimbledon titles in it.

June 20th, 2013 at 2:27 pm

Someone is probably going to quip that it also rains every September in New York. You’d be right about that. But the USO doesn’t have an insistence on not playing on the middle Sunday, to further screw with the scheduling when it does happen. And they’ve shown in recent years no reluctance to postpone the men’s final to a Monday if it rains on Sunday.

June 20th, 2013 at 2:32 pm

I can’t agree, WTF. I’ve been to Wimbledon once. It was in March, so not during the tournament. I went to the gift shop, the museum underground, and took a little tour around the grounds. We went to Centre Court where there was some big lamp thing just above the court to produce what looked like artificial sunlight. It was as grand as it gets. The green, the grass, the roundness of the stadium. Maybe it’s because it was my only time there, and I’ve been to the US Open half a dozen times now. But Wimbledon is just awe-inspiring. And I was there during construction where it looked horrible.

Ashe, on the other hand, is plain looking. Typical tennis stadium, typical sports stadium, even. It’s almost too big for its own good. What is the point of nose bleeds if you can’t see the ball?

I think I would take a diverse portfolio, too. But I don’t know, I’ve never won Wimbledon. Look at Federer. The guy has 7 Wimbledon titles, and only 1 French Open, and a bunch at the others. But every year his main goal is Wimbledon.

Bodo just wrote some more garbage: http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013/06/uncomfortable-questions-grass-stain/47977/#.UcNFz6z-JK8

I’m going to join Nadal fans here and call Bodo a hater. Yes, the surface has become too similar with all other tournaments, but it’s simply not true that no adjustments need to be made. Nadal is the best example of this. You watch him at the French where he’s 12 feet behind the baseline. And then at Wimbledon, where he learned to get on the baseline, serve bigger, serve with more variety, finish points at net, hit a flatter forehand and backhand, even slice better. All for Wimbledon (which has translated into him being a better player overall). Players don’t have to serve and volley to win, but defense alone won’t win you Wimbledon.

June 20th, 2013 at 2:36 pm

^and then you had Borg.

June 20th, 2013 at 2:38 pm

“If you tell me I can have a career with 14 slams (1 Wimbledon, 4 AO, 5 FO, 4 USO) or 13 slams (10 Wimbledon, 1 FO, 1 AO, 1 USO),”

Not looking or understanding the totality of the game and how important one looks at ones career over the various surfaces they have championed. imho.

June 20th, 2013 at 2:41 pm

WTF: Yep you are right: 14>13, anytime of the week. That said: Wimby is the no.1 slam: this is just a simple fact. In terms of slams it’s:1- Wimby, some distance, then it depends on what part of the world you are from for no.2: some say RG others USO. After which finally no.4 is AO. A slam is a slam at the end of the day, but Wimby is the most prized one for sure.

June 20th, 2013 at 3:02 pm

We can all have opinions, but to the sports world Wimbledon is Tennis’ world cup. It is like the olympics gold in 100m or swimming. Yes there are world championships and other stuff, but Olympics is the real deal.

If a player ends his career without Wimbledon titles, he will not be looked as favorably by history as someone who wins it. Look no further than Ivan Lendl and Boris Becker. Boris is looked at as a n equal or greater champion than lendl when lendl has 2 slams and loads of weeks at no.1

Wilander who has numbers closer to becker than lendl is considered inferior by tennis historians/experts.

Sampras would not have been anointed top 3 players of all time if he had 7 FOs and 0 wimbledons. To deny Wimbledon’s unique importance reflects on the ignorance of a person regarding the game of tennis and its history.

June 20th, 2013 at 3:03 pm

Who regards Becker as greater than Lendl? No one. But they had a great rivalry.

June 20th, 2013 at 3:15 pm

+1 to Brando’s post

The USO is higher than the French – purely because US has had the tennis world on a string at tennis’ peak. Late 70s and 80s. Connors, Mcenroe, Evert, Agassi, Sampras – Total stalwarts.

Even now, Fed’s endorsements superiority [65 million$ to about 21 million$ for Rafa and Nole combined] is due to the fact that he is hands down the biggest tennis star in USA.

June 20th, 2013 at 3:16 pm

Most tennis and sports experts do, Ben. Then again the sports experts rate MJ greater than LBJ, but you surely haven’t come across them, have you?

June 20th, 2013 at 3:19 pm

Ben–Big game tonight

June 20th, 2013 at 3:23 pm

“Maybe because I didn’t follow Tennis decades ago when it might have been more special.”

This logic is so ridiculous. I have never met Newton,Einstein,Shakspeare and the likes but surely we can read about them if we are literate and willing to learn? I suggest going to a nearby library and picking up some books on tennis history.

Even my grandmom who has not had formal education knows about Shakspeare.

June 20th, 2013 at 3:26 pm

@DM:

Completely disagree on that reasoning.

Sure it may have had interest generated. But so did FO with Borg, Lendl in early 80s then Lendl/ Wilander etc.

BOTH have had big names.

And Fed’s endorsement deal? LOL man wake up. That’s an irrelevant point regarding such an issue: it’s specific to Fed and his marketability in one particular market especially: the USA.

I’m not going to get into the whole USO v FO since that’s a whole load of arguement that is not worth it for me.

I’ll stake with the consensus line for many: they’re on a par!

June 20th, 2013 at 3:30 pm

I’ll stick> i’ll stake.

Yikes, reason enough not to argue on this issue!

June 20th, 2013 at 3:31 pm

If you ask the top 4 players – which slam would they covet the most if they were to have only 1 slam, I am certain Wimbledon would be the unanimous choice.

You can repeat that with the top5 players all time on both men’s and women’s side. Please let me know if you get any other slam other than Wimbledon as the players’ top choice.

June 20th, 2013 at 3:33 pm

Becker > Lendl:

LOL, you must be kidding right?

Lendl is easily regarded as the greater of the 2.

And more to it: is impact on future generation players is also highly regarded.

Would Sampras be regarded no.3 of all time with 7 FO and 7 HC slams?

OF COURSE he would.

Exactly who else would be his rival to such a position?

BORG- that’s it.

And what does Borg have?

6 FO. Sorry Bjorn but: 7>6

Then 5 Wimby’s right.

Well 5 USO titles plus 2 at AO is better. Considering:

1- It’s 2 slams more. In a numbers game that counts for a lot.

2- 5 USO is hardly a achievement to be sniffed at. It’s not 5 Wimby’s, granted, but not exactly a poor 2nd now is it?

3- Then the 2 slams at a different slam also suggests that 1 player was more capable at winning slams at more locations than 2 particular events.

Add in more YEC, weeks at no.1, YE no.1 etc etc, then for sure Pete would have STILL been no.3 ahead of Borg.

June 20th, 2013 at 3:40 pm

“Who regards Becker as greater than Lendl? No one.”

Yep. No one does.

However, I agree that Wimbledon is the most coveted title.

June 20th, 2013 at 3:43 pm

Danny, are you kidding me? First of all, I never rated Lebron higher than Jordan. Lebron’s barely halfway through his career and has loads to do. I only say they shouldn’t be compared. Offensive to Jordan and undue to Lebron.

And no, tennis experts do not rate Becker higher than Lendl. No one does, except you, apparently. Lendl has way more records, made a way bigger impact on the game, and is regarded as a greater player.
Some proof:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_Greatest_of_All_Time

I’ve always felt like the US Open is closer to Wimbledon in terms of importance. It generates the most buzz, it has the most money, it does have the biggest stadium. It’s also the last slam of the year, the last chance for anyone and everyone to win a major, which, to me, gives it a certain “world finals” feel.

But it’s hard to say. Nadal’s dominance at the French has made it much more important. It’s now the absolute hardest major to win by anyone not named Rafael Nadal. Before Nadal, I’d say it was last. Agassi made the Australian Open look more important. Federer carried that on and now Djokovic does. I wouldn’t say it’s dead last by any means. In fact, the US Open has become sort of “someone might as well win this” event. But it’s still the US Open.

Overall, a slam is a slam. Wimbledon is still the most prestigious, but that doesn’t mean it’s the most important.

June 20th, 2013 at 3:43 pm

‘If you ask the top 4 players – which slam would they covet the most if they were to have only 1 slam, I am certain Wimbledon would be the unanimous choice.’:

COMPLETELY AGREE!

I think the ONLY one to say otherwise would be Rafa.

I think he would choice RG.

Now that’s not because he feels RG> Wimby, but because as a kid it THE slam he most wanted to win.

And as a Spaniard who learnt his game on the red stuff, I find that to be an understandable preference.

June 20th, 2013 at 3:43 pm

‘In fact, the US Open has become sort of “someone might as well win this” event. ‘:

Ben you got to be kidding there right?

LOL, i doubt ANY slam is a: oh this isn’t all that prestigious, let any old fool win here.

June 20th, 2013 at 3:46 pm

not sayin Becker is better than so and so. But Becker did win Wimbledon at 17. Unreal in todays modern game.

June 20th, 2013 at 4:22 pm

How can anyone say AO is less important than other Slams? Look at the great Nole. He won almost nothing more outside AO, yet he is no1.

June 20th, 2013 at 4:31 pm

WTF

Plenty of good points have been made, but I’d just like to address one or two of yours.

Wimbledon is not great on grounds of aesthetics. Or size. Or little peculiarities, such as not playing on Sunday. You want to call that pretentious? Fine, although I’d have thought inconvenient would be more to the point. The sheer obstinacy of the management team on this score has given me near apoplexy more than once.

So far as slam count is concerned, I think few would disagree with you. Pure numbers count here, no doubt.

I made the point in my earlier post that the greatness of Wimbledon does not depend on material factors. You have not even considered that – do you have no soul, man? are you a cursed child of utilitarianism?- and so you have missed the whole point of Wimbledon.

People in the jungles of South America, the fringes of the Arctic, the plateaus of Tibet, the tablelands of South Africa will know nothing about how Wimbledon looks, how it is organized. And they will care less. What they will know is that Wimbledon is holy, that it is the home of tennis. They will understand and respect this, whilst knowing nothing of tennis other than that it exists, because they will be able to relate to the idea of an object of veneration being intangible.

Wimbledon is an idea. It is a mystique. Criticise it for its pretensions, lambast it for its follies, run campaigns to reorganize it entirely in terms of finance, accessibility, and anything else you can think of.

All very worthy and necessary, no doubt.

And the essence of Wimbledon will not have been touched. If you have no romance in your soul, you will never grasp this simple but profound truth.

June 20th, 2013 at 4:33 pm

‘How can anyone say AO is less important than other Slams? Look at the great Nole. He won almost nothing more outside AO, yet he is no1.’:

LOL you legend! :-)

June 20th, 2013 at 4:54 pm

AO > FO because Nole > Rafa no.1 > no.5

June 20th, 2013 at 4:55 pm

grendel, you make Wimbledon sound like something very complicated. It’s a Slam. Most prestigious along with AO because of only Nole.

June 20th, 2013 at 4:57 pm

“Wimbledon is an idea. It is a mystique. Criticise it for its pretensions, lambast it for its follies, run campaigns to reorganize it entirely in terms of finance, accessibility, and anything else you can think of.
All very worthy and necessary, no doubt.
And the essence of Wimbledon will not have been touched. If you have no romance in your soul, you will never grasp this simple but profound truth.”

That is Wimbledon??? Sound like for old English people. AO very exciting with shirt tearing, beating chest, Tarzan style celebrations. Nole!

June 20th, 2013 at 5:06 pm

Is TennisZod from the RFF and HR family? ;) I am beginning to wonder.

June 20th, 2013 at 5:08 pm

That’s when you know Nole has made it. You have a hater/stalker like humble rafa does to Roger.

Nole – has better record than Rafa at USO and year end championships too. I have money on Nole ending with a better career record than Nadal at all slams except french and weeks at number 1. You will get good odds on Nole overtaking Rafa’s slam count too – though that would be touch and go. I bet a good amount on Federer beating Sampras’ GS record in 2004 and that one of my smartest investments. I hope Nole will prove lucky for me too.

Are any of you guys into betting?

June 20th, 2013 at 5:12 pm

DM, bet on Nole. You become rich! Just a matter of time before 6 become 13 and more. I like your thinking. You wise man.

June 20th, 2013 at 5:23 pm

” He won almost nothing more outside AO…”

You’re kidding right? He’s won a few other things – a couple WTFs, Davis Cup, several Masters titles (including 8 of the 9 possible), USO, Wimbledon, etc., etc. :)

And in his spare time he’s finding homes for dogs… so cute.

“Today morning my friends from Dog Trust came to see me and brought along playdate for Pierre. She is beautiful 1 year old Goldendoodle who was just recently left by her owners. Jelena and I named her Bella because she is so beautiful and white (in Serbian white is Bela too). So I committed to help them find her new family if you are interested or know someone who could be interested on this little friend contact them through this telephone number 020 7837 0006 (only in UK) or their website http://www.dogstrust.org.uk Let’s find her home! Everyone deserves to have a family! #ahome4bella”

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/5827_575552469164275_1537255438_n.jpg

June 20th, 2013 at 5:23 pm

“Is TennisZod from the RFF and HR family?”

Who are they? Nole fans?

June 20th, 2013 at 5:24 pm

Now Ben:

Dont get so pedantic. The core argument here is Wimbledon being the most important slam of all. Even if you go by that tennis channel list, why is wilander with 7 slams considerably lower than becker with 6 slams?

Wilander never won wimbledon, becker never won FO.

what is your spin on this?

For more proof on Wimbledon being greatest. One of the top 3 greatest of all time has no french open. and 3 out of top 10 men’s players have no french.

Bottomline- French Open not critical for GOAThood. In contrast 9 of the top 10 GOAT men’s players have Wimbledon. The number is similarly high for USO.

Nadal has made FO important? The dude gets treated like a nobody at french – booed by the crowd and Federer gets much more importance. Doesn’t sound to me like someone who is really that important if he doesn’t get prime importance in the slam he dominates. Maybe you need to go and share your tennis knowledge with them, Ben.

June 20th, 2013 at 5:26 pm

jane, they talk Slam. So I say not many outside AO. But AO is very important because Nole make it. He become real great and true no1. Other tournaments he won many. He will win many more than clay court player Nadal.

June 20th, 2013 at 5:27 pm

TennisZod, no I don’t think they’re Nole fans. Stick around; you’ll find out who they are. :)

June 20th, 2013 at 5:31 pm

jane, thanks for share link. Nole and Jelena very good heart people. They help dogs finding home. So nice of them.
They so different from Nadal and Xisca who killed baby sharks. Is Nadal tennis player or fisherman? He better in fishing I’m sure then play real tennis.

June 20th, 2013 at 5:36 pm

@TennisZod 4.57

Not the content, the style and grammar. There’s your answer, jane. The mask always slips eventually…A lamentable lack of concentration….

June 20th, 2013 at 5:51 pm

@Tennis Zod:

‘Who are they? Nole fans?’:

LOL, they may as well be considering the dearth of Nole fans here.

Nole fans are ones you’ll easily recognize when they appear here Zod, don’t you worry about that.

They appear like a pack of hyenas:

Right now they are away licking their wounds and drowning their sorrows after the big talk of winning FO by them at a canter came to a colossal nothing.

That’s what they do when things go tits up (as they say here in the land of all that’s good and fair) and just disappear from here.

You’ll see them appear whenever Nole wins the AO or something beyond that and laud it up as a colossal achievement by the Chosen Child, and then act all sour when things go against him with crap like: ‘oh it’s the rigged draw’, ‘heck it’s the weather’, ‘darn him for taking time off to prepare for our Chosen Child’ etc etc: you’ll notice the crap when you see it.

They are their for his success and disappear before a call of ajde when things go wrong.

Stick around:

You’ll seem them cry foul play tomorrow if Rafa ends up in his half.

Amusement guaranteed!

June 20th, 2013 at 6:01 pm

Points the top 5 have to defend for the rest of 2013:

http://rafaelnadalfans.com/2013/06/20/points-the-top-5-have-to-defend-until-the-end-of-2013/

June 20th, 2013 at 6:02 pm

PS Zod:

Forget Rafa and Fed, that’s a long stretch off yet.

But you are smart, so I think you are onto it anyhow:

You say he has won little outside AO.

Rephrase that to outside 2011- 1 mere season- then you’ll say all of a sudden:

hold on- even ANDY MURRAY can possibly surpass that!

So look over your shoulder is the advice of the hour: especially if Muzza lands Wimby like he seems the favorite to do so!

June 20th, 2013 at 6:04 pm

@Brando, I doubt Nole will get Nadal in his quarter of the draw. I’d think as #1 seed he’s earned an easier opponent in the quarter final than a dangerous #5 Nadal. It might Federer who gets Nadal. Let’s see when the draw is out.

June 20th, 2013 at 6:07 pm

Brando “They appear like a pack of hyenas:

Right now they are away licking their wounds and drowning their sorrows after the big talk of winning FO by them at a canter came to a colossal nothing.”

And which Nole fans are these?

Neither mat4 nor Wog boy thought Nole would beat Rafa. And they are the ONLY other Nole fans here. Well there’s courbon too but he hasn’t disappeared.

In actually fact NONE of us regular Nole fans thought Nole would win the FO. We tend to all err on the side of pessimism.

So, I ask again sincerely – to which “pack of hyena” Nole fans are you referring?

June 20th, 2013 at 6:08 pm

@James:

Thanks for that.

Honestly: I have ZERO care for the ranking.

Should our guy stay fit and healthy throughout the remainder of the year then the rest shall take care of itself! :-)

Let’s just enjoy the show and leave all the calculations to those who like to worry about such things.

For now its Wimby and let’s see what goes down there.

VAMOS RAFA!

June 20th, 2013 at 6:09 pm

@James:

You are right- let’s see how the cookie crumbles.

But TBH: I rather have Rafa facing Novak than say Muzza.

Ferru is a no brainer, and then Fed is a tricky one. IF he’s one then obviously he’s still the man on grass.

Let’s see what unfolds, if it’s Novak then get ready for ‘it’s a fix I tell ya’ cries tomorrow! :-)

June 20th, 2013 at 6:12 pm

‘Well there’s courbon too but he hasn’t disappeared.’:

My apologies to Zod:

COURBON is one Novak fan who hasn’t disappeared in a sour state at all.

He’s a real Novak fan Zod: heck even in February I remember he was the ONLY ONE who was wishing for a fully fit Rafa to face Novak at FO.

Then when Novak lost he congratulated Rafa and stuck around.

THAT is a REAL FAN.

He showed real confidence in his guy, and stuck around when thing’s didn’t go his way like the cool customer he is.

You’ll recognize the hyenas Zod when you’l see them- but this poster definitely isn’t one!

June 20th, 2013 at 6:16 pm

Excuse me? Did I disappear in a “sour state”?

Who said the others did so?

Might they be taking a break from posting like you did as well Brando?

What’s with these attacks on “Nole fans” today?

June 20th, 2013 at 6:19 pm

LOL.

Hooo haa!

June 20th, 2013 at 6:21 pm

Rafa fans:

Do us sports fans a favor and stop talking about “staying fit”. It’s like kim kardashian talking about how computers work.

You and your idol have no clue. Kneedal spends half the year sitting in his house.

June 20th, 2013 at 6:26 pm

@grendel
Haven’t seen too much of Kyle but I rally like what I’ve seen. Gr8 movement round the court for a big guy, interesting technique on his forehand but seems to work and really keen to put in the hard work necessary to do well. With good results he’s climbing fast. Think he’s the best of the youngsters And I’m looking forward to watching him. Saw Delpotro whoppping Evans at Queens. Hmmm. So much wasted talent and think he’s left it too late.
I’ve started to look more closely at serves, have become quite fascinated….;) cos all it is is throwing the ball up and whacking it, isn’t it? But no. Dan throws the ball way to the front and has to lean into it, so starts off off balance and I’d say disadvantaged. Now where did he learn that? Saw Berd and his ball toss goes into the clouds, like Soderlings, and Paire has a short ball toss then a very small wristy like slap but how effective, wow. So different and that’s just 3. You’re so close at Queens you’re kind of forced to start thinking about why one shot is so effective and another isn’t. and you come away with even more respect for the skills of even lowly ranked players.
But Dan’s an interesting and bloody minded character so part of me thinks, good on him!

June 20th, 2013 at 6:27 pm

Rafafanatics fully enjoy and encourage HR and RFF comments, so whats wrong with TennisZod?

#itsabittertaste

June 20th, 2013 at 6:27 pm

Hey Brando,
Dont you know Nole fans are saints ?
May not be as good as my gang led by skeezer. But gradually getting there.

June 20th, 2013 at 6:30 pm

I like Tennis Zod: his brand of comedy is more than welcome on my account for sure.

Just like HR, RFF his take on events is more than a refreshing sight to the usual kind around here.

Besides: Novak can do with more fans here considering the obvious dearth of them- even if it’s a comical one.

June 20th, 2013 at 6:32 pm

Brando, we’re getting a bit triumphalist aren’t we? I thought you were a bit more urbane than that. There’s all kinds of reasons why people take time off from blogs. mat4, for instance, often drops out for a while, always has done. And nor is he remotely triumphalist himself. I can remember him wryly remarking, after Djokovic had won a slam (possibly Wimbledon)that the elation soon went, and before long it was just as if he had never won. That’s not the attitude of someone who sulks when his man is defeated. I disagree with mat4 about some things, about the draw being fixed for instance, a strange hobby horse of his. We’ve all got our little eccentricities I daresay. But, by and large, he is an excellent poster – as is Wog boy. You don’t know why he’s taken time off. Why make aspersions? They’ll reflect on you, you know.

And obviously jane. She takes the rough with the smooth. There is one very old Djokovic poster who disappeared 2 or 3 years, I often wonder what happened to him. Shital Green – ever hear from him, jane?

June 20th, 2013 at 6:37 pm

@RFF:

Speaking of the devil! :-)

LOL oh great one, this poster was ignorant of that fact.

-‘Dont you know Nole fans are saints ?’:

Yep, they sure are.

A very saintly bunch especially at knocking his records in the face of others fans.

The laughable thing is:

In comparison to your highness, Fed, Rafa and according to Tennis Channel, atleast 30 plus other players his record isn’t much to toot a horn about it!

But they are a saintly bunch: so who knows, they may know better than us mere posters.

-‘May not be as good as my gang led by skeezer. But gradually getting there.’:

Yep, NO ONE can cheer lead like your band leader of choice.

A GOAT of cheer leading for the GOAT himself- a worthy fit.

Agree on the getting there part though:

With a roll call of fans such as Serbian Hammer, Tennis Zod, WTF, Mila etc etc he’s truly building a fanatical following that’s ready to go against reality to toot the horn of the Chosen Child.

He’s got them well trained I say- almost as you have trained your lot, oh great one! :-)

June 20th, 2013 at 6:39 pm

@Grendel:

I consider you a resident poster, at least one who is familiar with most here, including myself.

My ‘reference’ was to the guest appearance artists: you know the type: gone forever, but here before anyone has whistled for them whenever a moment is there to laud their fav, and especially knock down others.

Mat4? He’s alright. To his credit: he’s been upfront and did say he’ll take a break should Nole not win FO due to the disappointment.

Fair enough. I get it.

Wog Boy? No comment.

June 20th, 2013 at 6:46 pm

yes, I like Tennis Zod, his humour has no malice in it. But as I said, he did momentarily drop his guard…

Margot – what about Graf, goodness she flung it high. You wonder how these sort of things originate. All in one go, an incremental increase? There was someone who was a good friend of Federer’s who also tossed the ball very high, for the life of me can’t remember who it was. Sign of the beginning of the end, you know.

What always intrigues me about the serve is why some are so much faster than others? Whence these huge disparities? It’s something to do with rhythm and timing, obviously, but it’s not anything you can see. And why is Monfils so much slower than Roddick, given the similarities of their actions? And why are some people called huge servers – Cilic, del Potro – whilst someone like Andy Murray can actually serve faster than either of them (he was clocked at 138mph at Queens)but is never called a huge server. And so on.

Yes, I shall keep a beedy eye on Edmund….

June 20th, 2013 at 6:52 pm

grendel, actually Shital (i am it) has posted from time to time but rarely anymore. But I know he landed a prestigious academic job so he’s probably super busy. We used to have sar, a lovely & pithy Nole poster, and Duro, too, but both have gone. There’s only ever been a smattering of Nole/Muzz fans here though. But it’s still a good place to post, generally speaking.

June 20th, 2013 at 6:54 pm

skeezer Says:
Rafafanatics fully enjoy and encourage HR and RFF comments, so whats wrong with TennisZod?

#itsabittertaste

Skeezer,
ROTFL. Are you really that dumb. I hope you are just prentending to be one.
Didnt you get a hint from Jane and Grendel ?
TennisZod’s sole objective is to make you types look silly and he has got it perfectly right.
He set the trap and you fell for it just like a brainless 10 yr old.
I really pity the creature (cat/dog or whatever it is) that married you.

TennisZod is well and truly on par with RFF and HR.

June 20th, 2013 at 6:56 pm

“But as I said, he did momentarily drop his guard…”
LOL. The smart ones like you got it, but the dumb ones still dont seem to get that.

June 20th, 2013 at 6:59 pm

Brando, I don’t know if WTF is a Nole fan; I thought he was a Fed fan for some reason? Serbian-Hammer? Mila? Of course there are “guest” fans like this of ALL the top guys who make a cameo and leave; I don’t think we should single this out as a Nole fan phenomenon.

June 20th, 2013 at 7:01 pm

@Legend:

I’m not going to deny:

I did laugh at most of your post, but:

‘I really pity the creature (cat/dog or whatever it is) that married you.;

That’s not right.

It’s uncalled for.

Stick to the blogger if you have something to say about their blogging: let’s not go beyond that.

Just a tip, otherwise I generally like your posts for sure.

June 20th, 2013 at 7:01 pm

I think tennis zod is RFF and Humble Rafa.

My husband left for the Heat game with a client/friend and left me at home with two kids. Boooooooo.

June 20th, 2013 at 7:14 pm

good grief, jane, was shital green i am it? I had no idea. their styles seemed quite different somehow. Also, i am it was very sarcastic at my expense and, showing commendable restraint, I overlooked his satirical digs. However, before you start thinking this is too out of character to be quite believable – I am generally pretty easy to provoke, as you must have noticed – I was playing a DEEP game. Yes, I knew that i am it was just waiting for a return salvo, so I decided not to give him one. Pretty baffled he looked, too, I can tell you. Well, I think he did. There were some definite psychic emanations oozing through the ether…

Now, shital green on the other hand, if we leave aside the business of Von whose cause he temporarily took up, was generally pretty friendly to me. It’s all a bit confusing. Damn good for the soul though, eh?

June 20th, 2013 at 7:15 pm

“I don’t know if WTF is a Nole fan; I thought he was a Fed fan for some reason?”

What? WTF is a Nadal man isn’t he?

June 20th, 2013 at 7:19 pm

Very, very interesting article:

Novak believes that Andy can handle the pressure at Wimby- I agree.

But look what he also mentions about the Olympics:

“The Olympic Games in London were as strong as any grand slam, everyone played except Rafa [Nadal],” said Djokovic

It was a very strong tournament and was very intense, there was that extra pressure on everybody because we were not playing for ourselves we were playing for our country and that was something special – no other tournament can match that sensation”.

Pretty much sums up how highly players rate the Olympics!

The rest:

http://tinyurl.com/o4ljrwy

June 20th, 2013 at 7:27 pm

grendel, re: WTF – now, I really don’t know. Perhaps a polymorphous fan?

There’s not a lot of us left from 2006/7 days when Shital posted – there’s, um, “sensational safin,” Daniel, you, me, Tennis Vagabond, MMT (who still pops in occasionally), funches, zola, who shows up sometimes too. Is that it? SG1 – is that SG? I remember an SG.

Not sure how good for the soul it is, lol. But it’s something to stave off the inevitable, like hockey does for some. ;)

June 20th, 2013 at 7:47 pm

Whatever happened to Voicemail? Huge Nadal fan but actually knew his stuff, not a troll like most of the other fanatics.

June 20th, 2013 at 7:50 pm

Voicemail1? Completely forgot about him. Wow, he is a real loss. Hands down the best Rafa poster and my fav. Knew his stuff A-Z and I really used to love reading his views on Rafa’s game. Big loss for sure.

June 20th, 2013 at 7:57 pm

It would be epic to see someone draw Nadal then run the gauntlet of beating three of the top 4 back to back for the title. (realistically this would be Federer, Djokovic or Murray)

June 20th, 2013 at 7:58 pm

Ben, not sure. He used to post once and a while, around slam time, until even last year or year before, I think. But haven’t seen him in a while round here.

June 20th, 2013 at 8:02 pm

Not sure if you caught this today Ben, but if you scroll ahead to 11:11, there’s an amazing rally.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3JmjX6wyE0

June 20th, 2013 at 8:33 pm

Ah, Voicemail – another enemy. Good poster, though, I agree. And what about Tennis Bullies? Of course, he was a Roddick man. The current crop of Americans are too gentle for his taste, I would guess – and also, not nearly successful enough. I always thought it was funny the way Von tried to sidle up to him. She was clearly torn by the fact that he was doing good work on the anti-Federer front, but on the other hand was perhaps just a mite too shady to be entirely acceptable in the Roddick camp. Still, she did make overtures – which he entirely ignored. You ignored Von at your peril, and I conceived a certain guarded admiration for Tennis Bullies…

Do you ever wonder what any of these people looked like? Suppose, for instance,that Tennis Bullies turned out to be a weedy little chap in glasses?

SG1 doesn’t sound like SG, who was kind of venerable and old-fashioned, though he did also come from Canada. However, having been so comprehensively fooled by the i am it persona, I don’t exactly trust my own judgement.

What about that chap who called himself Death’s Head or something – I think he really was dying, in fact. I presume he’s long gone. Also, Two Cents, he was around not so long ago. Then there was that geezer you were friendly with, the name’s gone again (it’s terrible; I suppose when you forget your own name, that’s when you know it’s curtains. Can you imagine someone introducing himself to you, and then he looks at you expectantly, and you hesitate, scratching your chin…) anyway, this chap hit with Mecir the Cat.
Well, time to hit the sack, I think.

June 20th, 2013 at 8:33 pm

Dimitrov’s talent is insane. But what is this, clay?

June 20th, 2013 at 8:40 pm

just before I hit the bed, yes that was an entertaining rally – Dimitrov doesn’t mind being the fall guy?
It’s interesting, I’ve been hoping for good things from Dimitrov. But at the French, he was woeful against Djokovic. Whereas Goffin was spectacular – there was really little to choose between him and Djokovic. So why is Goffin’s ranking so low? Does he just get bored or something, and can only perform on the big stage? Such a pity, he has a huge talent.

June 20th, 2013 at 8:45 pm

Goffin is a fighter, but he has few weapons.

June 20th, 2013 at 8:50 pm

Really am off – but first, Ben I usually agree with you, can’t on this occasion. Goffin was matching Djokovic from the back of the court, if anything, he looked the more accomplished player. He doesn’t have a big serve – is that it, doomed to languish in 40s and 50s? We’ll see. I think he suffers from Laura Robson syndrome – a natural affinity for the big stage, and a disinclination to put in the hours when nobody’s watching. Hopefully, that will change.

June 20th, 2013 at 9:08 pm

I’m not saying he’s not capable, but for the most part he doesn’t have a big weapon. He’s small, moves well, has good court sense, but nothing that stands out. Maybe he’s not putting in the hard yards, but even if he was, he could only do so much.

This tells you everything you need to know about Goffin right now:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Players/Head-To-Head.aspx?pId=GB88&oId=N289

June 20th, 2013 at 9:41 pm

From the link Brando gave:

“Of his own chances, he added: “The consolation is that I have Wimbledon coming up and there is no bigger motivation than playing in the most prestigious tournament in the world in our sport.

“It is the one I always dreamed of winning and it was the highlight of my career. I love playing in Wimbledon – the grass is the most special surface in our sport.”

That should settle where Wimbledon ranks with players : The most prestigious tournament in the world in our sport.

Amen to that! I hope rafa trolls who are continuously comparing other slams to wimbledon, take note!

June 20th, 2013 at 9:54 pm

Don’t understand the logic of defending Rafa to be No2 at Wimbledon. He is a 2nd round loser. What makes people think he should be seeded No 2. Not even sure how this discussion started in the media, when it was obvious he deserves the Ranking he has and the corresponding seeding.

No one is going to question when Rafa has a chance to win lots of points starting Wimbledon till WTF, when he defends no points. Most likely Rafa would go into next Wimbledon as No 1 seed.

Roger and Murray would be the players most affected by this seeding, not Nadal depending on the draw.

June 20th, 2013 at 10:15 pm

NBA final Update: close game, One quarter left, winner takes all, excuse me while I go have an anxiety attack.

June 20th, 2013 at 11:13 pm

Game set championship Miami!!!!!!!

June 20th, 2013 at 11:50 pm

Lebron James. Beast.

June 20th, 2013 at 11:55 pm

boom boom. Congrats, Kimberly :)

June 20th, 2013 at 11:59 pm

Congrats Kimberly. Wade saved his great talent for last. Lebron played like the beast he is.

San Antonio? GREEN should never play NBA basketball again. Never seen so many bozo plays to give it away for his team. For those who desire to watch it on DVR, watch Bonehead GREEN.

June 21st, 2013 at 12:00 am

Well Grendel, at least you still got your Wimbledon cathedral and its symbolism, isn’t it ? Shame for all those amazing mediaeval cathedrals you got in your country ! Is it the tourists and the few remaining crops of fundamentalists as you call them, that pay for their maintenance, or is it the English taxpayers?

June 21st, 2013 at 3:21 am

Personally speaking i have always as a Rafa fan had a pretty good relationship with the pound for pounders(Nole fans),Jane,Mat4,Wogboy,Courbon,Harry,Duro,are all pretty fair minded posters,take the rough with the smooth,Nina only posts occasionally and although shes a passionate and very sweet Nole fan she seems a bit of a sore looser,by attacking the Rafa fans as been irritating after the FO win,and likewise Rogers fans as been irritating when he won Wimby last year,Mila is only a sporadic poster who said some things about Noles chances post FO,and has made herself look rather silly,and been left with egg on her face,be nice if she showed up with an apology but im not holding my breath,however i am guessing that it could be possible that the reason people dont post for a while,is probably they have more important things going on in the real world,that are more important than tennis.

June 21st, 2013 at 4:36 am

@ grendel
Re Andy’s serve.
Perhaps because his second serve is still so bloody awful, it negates any positives about
his first? Honestly, why he can’t kick/slide it, or do almost anything else with it, I just don’t know, but more often than not it just plops enticingly onto the court and then gets pulverized! Oh how surprising..I have seen opponents completely lard it though, must be the shock of seeing this strange beastie approaching. Thankfully more often than not these days, Andy seems to manage to produce a wowzer to get himself out of trouble.
Seem to remember in the very distant past in quite a big match, a player served underarm, possibly to Connors? Lol the outcry, seemed really underhand, pun intended ;)

June 21st, 2013 at 4:53 am

So the draw is gonna be out in less than 10 min?

June 21st, 2013 at 4:54 am

Margot, the underarm server was Michael Chang, at the FO, against Lendl of all people! Can’t remember the year. maybe Andy should work on it.

Kimberly, congrats on the Heat, and thanks for putting up the bracket again. I’ll have a go once the draw is done. Listening in now!

June 21st, 2013 at 5:03 am

Wimbledon Draw:

Andy Murray and Roger Federer are drawn in the same half for Wimbledon and are seeded to meet in the semi-finals.

June 21st, 2013 at 5:07 am

Potential Wimbledon quarter-final match-ups: Djokovic vs. Berdych, Ferrer vs. Del Potro, Nadal vs. Federer and Tsonga vs. Murray.

June 21st, 2013 at 5:10 am

The big question is, where in the draw is Mr. Rosol? :)

June 21st, 2013 at 5:14 am

Nole plays Florian Mayer 1st round.

June 21st, 2013 at 5:18 am

Nadal will school Rosol this time. Fluke wins don’t happen all the time.
#20-10
#20-15

June 21st, 2013 at 5:18 am

Hewitt vs Stan in the 1st round! Why does Lleyton always get such unlucky draws?

June 21st, 2013 at 5:19 am

Dont get so defensive. Rosol is just a nobody. Too bad rafa had to lose to him in the 2nd round.

June 21st, 2013 at 5:19 am

Live reporting on

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/22999458

June 21st, 2013 at 5:19 am

DM, not being defensive, thought you’re one of those fanactics I like to have some fun with ;)
Rosol earned that victory fair and square. Don’t see it happening again any time soon though.

Rafa first match is against Steve Darcis

June 21st, 2013 at 5:22 am

Tipsy vs Troicki… too bad for Serbia :(

June 21st, 2013 at 5:23 am

no problems James. You are not alison league, but still not a rafa troll. Let’s have a FEDAL in quarter-final. :)

I think rosol will meet Roger in 3rd round, if I am not mistaken.

June 21st, 2013 at 5:24 am

Nadal, Federer, Murray to play on Day 1.

June 21st, 2013 at 5:24 am

wawrinka/hewitt VS rafa in 4th…. fed VS almagro in 4th….

June 21st, 2013 at 5:27 am

Tough draw for Federer this one. He needs to beat Nadal, Murray and Djokovic to lift the trophy one more time.

Djokovic’s path is clear to the finals unless someone decides to spoil the party for him. Possible but highly unlikely.

June 21st, 2013 at 5:29 am

tsonga/cilic in 4th and murray/tipsy in 4th

novak/haas and gasquet/berdych 4th rounders, kohli VS ferrer and delpo VS nishikori 4th rounder.

so far, draw is balanced 1 must say.

June 21st, 2013 at 5:30 am

“Tough draw for Federer this one. He needs to beat Nadal, Murray and Djokovic to lift the trophy one more time.”

True, but if anyone can do this on grass, it is the Swiss Maestro. He is 5 years removed from his peak, but if he plays like he did in the final 2 wimbledon matches last year, he can run through the 3 of them without even needing a 5th set. He did beat Nole and Murray in 4 sets last year.

If anyone got the easy draw, it is Murray and as we all know he really needs it. If he doesn’t win wimbledon this year, well, it could realistically be the end of the Murray mania.

June 21st, 2013 at 5:33 am

Roger will play Victor Hanescu 1st round,Rafa will play Steve Darcis ive heard of the guy,but dont recall ever seeing him play,Andy has Benjamin Becker,hmm is it me or does it already seem like a lopsided draw?

June 21st, 2013 at 5:34 am

Should both make it to the quarter finals, Roger and Rafa at Wimbledon would be awesome! Even those that don’t watch much tennis love to see these two.

June 21st, 2013 at 5:34 am

Djokovics draw is a joke. It must have been rigged to favour him. :P

June 21st, 2013 at 5:38 am

It is what it is. The draw can only be lopsided if you thought Ferru is not a deserving 4th seed…..

June 21st, 2013 at 5:42 am

Danny, the path to another Wimbledon glory looks very difficult for Roger. If he can beat Nadal in the quarter final, then I think he can go all the way. He has the game and confidence against both Murray and Djokovic.

June 21st, 2013 at 5:43 am

Nadalista yeah exactly fair enough.

June 21st, 2013 at 5:43 am

Cheers Viz…against Lendl you say…eek!
Liking Andy’s draw :) Go Andy :)

June 21st, 2013 at 7:27 am

James – Agreed.

Right now my favorites for Wimbledon are

1)Novak – 60%
2)Nadal – 25%
3)Federer – 10%
4)Murray – 4%
5)Rest of the field – 1%

Federer’s toughest challenge is nadal as you have mentioned. However Rafa might have hewitt for a 4th rounder and it may not be easy at all. Hewitt is definitely 1 of the top 5 wimbledon players this era. Others = Roger, Rafa, Novak and other Andy = roddick.

I would like to believe winner of Fedal will win the trophy, but at this point in their careers, they dont want to be facing djokovic in a final after going through a tough field. So, Advantage Nole with the draw.

Cannot wait for the games to begin.

June 21st, 2013 at 7:40 am

Rafa fans. How does Rafa’s draw look to you? Any comments?

June 21st, 2013 at 7:47 am

I hope Janowicz-Federer match materialises on Manic monday. It would be an absolute blockbuster of a match. I remember their match in Rome where they totally took the surface out of the equation.

JJ served 140mph consistently and federer still out-aced him 12-5 or something like that.

June 21st, 2013 at 7:50 am

@Giles, considering his seeding, I think this is what I would call a base case scenario for Rafa. Best case would have been Ferru in the quarters and worst case would have been Novak in the quarters.

1. He should navigate the 1st week and emerge unscathed. There are no tall, big hitters, Paire excepted, thank God! If they meet, Rafa should dispose of Paire with minimum fanfare.

2. For Rafa, Wimby starts in the quarters, however I do not expect any problems there. Expect fireworks in the semis, Muzza will be a tough proposition. If Rafa does not get drawn into an exhausting, cat ‘n mouse game with Muzza, he should escape with the energy needed to face Novak.

The key for Rafa will be to bring his aggressive game early on, full arsenal of shots, especially the DTL shots to finish points early so he conserves energy.

My approach is the Rafa way: one match at a time…..

June 21st, 2013 at 8:14 am

Considering what happened last year, there is no other option for Rafa fans. It has to be one match at a time.

He doesn’t have the semi-finals or quarterfinals streak that even Djokovic has, forget Federer. Great to know rafa fans have learnt their lesson. Rosol has done the unthinkable and put sense into a most fanatical lot. ;)

June 21st, 2013 at 8:20 am

@Giles. I think it is fair for Rafa. All my friends on fb said so.
I just am worry for his first week. It isn’t about his opponent but the way he plays.

June 21st, 2013 at 8:27 am

For the record, at the slams:

Consecutive Finals streak: Roger – 10 & 8, Rafa 5, Novak 4

Consecutive semis – Roger 23, Novak 12 (active), Rafa 5 [equalled by Murray, LOL!]

Consecutive quarters – Roger 36 and counting, Novak 16 and counting! Rafa = 11.

June 21st, 2013 at 8:30 am

Agree @metan, the 1st week risk is not so much about who is across the net, but about Rafa adjusting to grass..

June 21st, 2013 at 8:36 am

@Giles: bummer draw IMO. Should Rafa get to the final he’ll likely face Novak. A fresh Novak from a bunny draw. Rafa though will likely be knackered. Fed and Muzza are beatable but it’s not going to be anything other than brutal. Whoever comes through that half is going to be shattered! And Novak: easy street to the final and then a shattered opponent, landed the jackpot. It’s unfair the way it has unfolded how the best player on grass may not win due to having a tiresome draw. Here’s hoping Rafa, Muzza or Fed can be fresh for the final!

June 21st, 2013 at 8:47 am

LOL! excuses already from Rafa fans. I thought the draw is what it is.

Remember USO 2010 and 2011? Djokovic had a brutal draw with Federer in the semis. Nadal had youzhyn in the semis one year and murray in the other.

Rafafans should be the last to complain about draws. Nole/Murray have had the worst draws for years being 3/4.

Nadal has got the draw that a 5th ranked player who lost to a 100th ranked player the year before deserves.

Fair draw!

June 21st, 2013 at 9:15 am

@Danny Morris: Here’s a challenge for you, a tough one: Write a post without mentioning ‘Rafa fans’ within it. Infact: follow the game without gawking over Rafa fans! What are you: a Fed fan or a stalker of Rafa fans? Seriously man: change your shtick: it’s getting tiresome and boring. We know you think little of Rafa and his fans- all good. But repeating the same crap time and time again: it becomes a bore. Change your lingo.

June 21st, 2013 at 9:23 am

@nadalista and @Brando. Thanks very much for your views.
Here’s hoping our man gets through the all important first week and then we shall see. Main thing of course that he is fit and healthy and playing well. Vamos Rafa.
Danny Morris is a big mouth and he should learn some manners if that is possible. He is just a troll who is desperate to be heard

June 21st, 2013 at 10:46 am

Brando:

Here’s a challenge for you. Try to express nole hatred with your own ID and not creating multiple IDs – nadalista and tennis zod. You are fooling none.

#Rosoled
#5-0 outside clay.
#2011 Wimbledon final was a spanking masterclass.

June 21st, 2013 at 4:03 pm

LMFAO, oh boy:

‘You are fooling none.’:

Er, I think I have you fooled for a start.

Correction: I think YOU have YOURSELF fooled for a start.

Keep engaging in your delusions: i’m here ready with the popcorn for some laughter!

June 21st, 2013 at 4:23 pm

why should a 27 yr old be knacked by the time he gets to a final?

#alwayslookingforexcuses
#Rafaearlybunnuydraw

June 21st, 2013 at 5:47 pm

Yeah right, Brando. Keep up your act. We all know who are the people who dislike Nole on this forum. Rafafans for whopping rafa 7 times in a row. 3 slams in a row. The massacre in 2011 USO/Wimbledon was priceless. Godkovic!

Von:

Your list of favorites is interesting and refreshing. I always like it when people can admire someone outside the Big 4. A lot of the fans who jump on the bandwagons of top players have no idea what is happening with the rest of the tennis world.

My wife is a roddick fan too and we actually met on a tennis site in 2005 with the Federer-Roddick era in full swing. I was a sampras fan who was devastated in 2002 with his retirement, but in 2003 wimbledon, I saw the future of tennis in the final. I can relate to how sad retirements of our favorite players are. I am from Guyana and I was recently devastated by the retirement of my favorite player in a sport called Cricket [the UK and Australian and Indian guys over here must know the player – Tendulkar]

Roddick was the GOAT of press conferences, in my opinion. Agassi comes very close, but his saintly act towards the end of his career was cloying and did not seem natural. Safin is up there and Gulbis certainly is making rapid progress. Jerzy Janowicz too. May their tribe be around forever. Nole was great, but at somepoint he decided to go down the Federer media-savvy route and avoided the path of these adventurers.

June 21st, 2013 at 9:33 pm

“why should a 27 yr old be knacked by the time he gets to a final?”

Where to start.

a) because the dude is only 2nd best of his generation on grass.

b) never can play more than 1 tournament per month outside clay without withdrawing or retiring.

c) has won 1 title outside clay in about 30 months.

need more reasons? LOL!

Maybe 27 is the new 30 in tennis.

June 21st, 2013 at 9:39 pm

This is the litmus test for Rafa. If he really is the 2nd best Grass court player of this era, he should not have trouble beating a Federer in decline and follow it by what Roger did when he was nearly 31 – beat Nole and Murray back to back on grass.

I dont think he will. My prediction is Nole winning his 2nd Wimbledon or Murray doing the unthinkable and helping Fred Perry’s ghost achieve some closure and get a break from the relentless and absolutely dimwitted british media.

June 21st, 2013 at 9:43 pm

danny, Rafa will win his 3 Wimbledon and tie Borg with his thirdchannel slam, be easy,man.

June 22nd, 2013 at 3:42 am

Nice to see the excuses in early when Fed loses, be it to Rafa, Muzza or Novak: he is in decline. So when was he in ascendancy? During the weak era of course.

June 22nd, 2013 at 4:00 am

“During the weak era of course”

rafa nadal started playing since 2011 (when the strongest era started) i guess and won 12 special slams specially arranged for him where he beat the world no. 1, 7 times in all 7 rounds in each special slam :)

June 22nd, 2013 at 7:55 am

#Nadalista

What Era?

The weak one where your fictitious boyfriend could only win on Clay?

#GetAlife

June 22nd, 2013 at 8:57 am

The same weak era which had hewitt, safin and Roddick – who were all no.1s before. Luckily for nadal, Federer was the only guy to stop him. If nadal started his career around 96/98, you can be sure the dude would have won 0 slams outside clay.

Check how Roddick mauled him in 2004 USopen. Hewitt still has a winning H2H against nadal outside clay. 4-1 and 5 out of 6 nadal wins against hewitt have come on clay. [No one except rafa fans should be surprised]

Even with the age disadvantage, Roddick is a respectable 3-5 against Nada and 5-4 against Djokovic. Safin was 2-0 against Djokovic.

Let us not forget Nalbandian who absolutely wiped the floor with Nadal in Madrid and Paris in 2007. Guess how many games Nadal won in those 4 sets in those 2 matches? 7. 6-1, 6-2, 6-4, 6-0.

I guess the golden era started only after 2011 I guess. Rafa fans, do tennis and tennis fans a favor and keep your illogical and irrational opinions to yourself.

June 22nd, 2013 at 11:19 am