Montreal Draw Preview: Djokovic Draws Nadal, Del Potro In Murray Quarter

by Sean Randall | August 2nd, 2013, 7:02 pm
  • 240 Comments

The Montreal Masters event kicks off on Monday and even though there are several absentees the draw is still a deep one with 17 of the Top 20 entered and accounted for. Rafael Nadal as a No. 4 seed was the wildcard and he fell on the Novak Djokovic side. Andy Murray wasn’t spared, on his half he’s got big men Tomas Berdych, John Isner and Juan Martin Del Potro who he could face in the quarters.

Djokovic beat Richard Gasquet in the final last year, and this time he might have to face the Frenchman in the quarterfinals. Djokovic, who’ll get a bye like the other Top 8 seeds, has to be pleased with his section. He’ll open against either Florian Mayer or Bernard Tomic, then likely Denis Istomin who I think takes out the slumping Janko Tipsarevic before the Gasquet rematch. Richard will be tested in the third I think by Kei Nishikori but he plays well in Canada and we’ll see that again from him.

Nadal returns to the hardcourts and the site of his 2005 win over Andre Agassi and I like his draw. There is Jerzy Janowicz in the third round but the Wimbledon semifinalist hasn’t proven himself a big threat on the outdoor hardcourts yet and someone like Juliean Benneteau could blitz him in his opener. In the quarterfinals Rafa could face Stan Wawrinka who like Roger Federer is also dealing with some back issues but the greater likelihood is German veteran Tommy Haas will be the guy standing there.


I’ll make Berdych the slight favorite in a very difficult quarter that includes Isner, Kevin Anderson, Nicolas Almagro, Gilles Simon and David Ferrer. The quick courts should help the big servers and this section is full of them, including Almagro! The Czech, though, could have the toughest road of anyone with Anderson, Isner and Ferrer looming. But I’m take Tomas here. After Rafa won in 2005, who beat him in 2006? It was Tomas!

In the last quarter, it’s a two man show with Murray and Del Potro and I don’t see anyone getting in the way of that blockbuster quarterfinal. Grigor Dimitrov might push Murray a bit in the Scot’s opener and Del Potro could be tested by the struggling Canadian Milos Raonic in the third round, but otherwise it should be smooth sailing for the two former US Open champions and two guys. And right now if there is a rematch of their 2009 Montreal final I’ll take Murray to beat Delpo again in Canada.

So my early semifinals look like Djokovic v. Nadal, Berdych v. Murray. In my final I’ll pick Djokovic over Murray, but a lot will depend on how they play leading up to that point.

This will be Murray’s first event since winning Wimbledon, and it will be interesting to see his level as he looks ahead to that US Open defense. Does Lendl want Murray winning everything right out of the gate, or a would a slow build toward New York be more beneficial?

For Djokovic, he really needs to get his game on track. After failing to win either Indian Wells or Miami, if any player needs to win Montreal it is him. And he’s a 3-time Canadian Open champion whereas he’s never won in Cincinnati. So the time now for Novak.

As for Nadal, if he can put together a few good wins, push Novak in the semifinals and leave Montreal with no knee issues, that’s probably a good week. Especially after the Wimbledon disappointment.

Another player under the spotlight this week in Raonic. It’s his home event and as the face of Canadian tennis it’s really the biggest tournament of his 2013 season.

Also look for players doing well in Washington – like Isner, Anderson or Haas – then having to quickly play in Montreal on Tuesday or even Monday. It’s summer, it’s hot and the grind can take its toll.

Matches begin on Monday on the Tennis Channel.


You Might Like:
Cincinnati Preview: Can Djokovic Keep it Going? Will Federer Defend?
Father Federer in Murray Half in Montreal; Djokovic, Roddick in Nadal’s
Wimbledon Men’s Draw Preview: Nadal Falls With Federer, Murray In Quarter Of Death
US Open Draws: Women’s Singles Preview
Djokovic, Nadal Resume Rivalry in Montreal; Will it be Roger’s Cup?

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240 Comments for Montreal Draw Preview: Djokovic Draws Nadal, Del Potro In Murray Quarter

Brando Says:

Spot on analysis Sean! I think you are right re all the big players. Mind you: Andy does have a relatively brutal draw: Dimitrov, Gulbis, Delpo, Berdych, Djokovic are possible opponents. That’s rough IMO! I cannot see Andy winning since:1- the draw, 2- I honestly don’t think he’ll go all out for the win. He’ll pace himself smartly for the Open. Right now I’m fancying a Djokovic v Del Potro final, with a Novak win. My fav Rafa? Sean is right: 3 wins, a good SF v Nole and good knees at the end of the week would be a really good week for Rafa. I don’t think he’s seeking/ expecting more than that from his first tourny in many weeks.


M Says:

“Another player under the spotlight this week in Raonic. It’s his home event and as the face of Canadian tennis it’s really the biggest tournament of his 2013 season.”

Not only that, but he made kind of a mess in DC. His mental game seems to need a tweak.


El Flaco Says:

Wow! Nadal’s quarter has 4 qualifiers and 2 WCs. Murray’s only has main draw entrants and Djoko’s only has 1 WC.

I think your analysis is good Sean. Jerzy is a threat to Nadal, but he is the only one. Haas is going deep in DC so he will probably be out of gas. He played 2 matches yesterday alone. He may even pull out if he ends up in the final there. Wawa has never beaten Nadal and never will.

Djokovic could get upset by Tomic in his 1st match, but if he gets by that it should be smooth sailing to the semis.

Murray has the toughest quarter. No relief. He will have a good opponent for every round and the most difficult quarterfinal if he meets Delpo.

Ferrer has a decent draw. He should make it to the quarters to face Berdsh!t although Anderson could upset the Czech.


laslo Says:

El Flaco
I don’t ever put any faith in Anderson.


AD Tennis Says:

Great Analysis Sean!

Agree with you – Djokovic – Murray are the here and now of tennis. Cannot see anyone stopping them this year from ending the year no.1 and no.2. I think Djokovic will be no.1 at year end, but surely Murray is his biggest threat, going forward.

Nadal, going by past results may not be much of a factor. As you said, if he can come out of Montreal without further damaging his knees and career, it would be an achievement. If he doesn’t win here, he is unlikely to make much noise in other tournaments. He has never won Cincinnati, Shanghai, Paris and WTF. His record at USO is the least impressive of the big 4.


James Says:

It will be a Nadal-Murray final with Murray winning the title.
Nadal will beat Djokovic in 3 in the semi final. Delpo wil play good like always but Murray won’t give him the pace he wants. Murray will prevail over Delpo in 2 or 3.


Margot Says:

@ the DA
Had a closer look and now think Andy’s draw is a bit of a minefleld:
Gulbis: If he turns up wanting to play some tennis then we all know how good he can be…
Delboy: Beat Andy very recently and coming into fine form
Berdych: Always gives Andy grief or
Ferrer: Makes Andy run and run and run so more, so if A escapes all that….?
However, whatever happens this is just an appetizer,so won’t waste too much angst, I wish…..;)


James Says:

@Margot, I’d like Rafa to win Montreal but I think it’s gonna be Murray this time. However I do see Rafa making the final after beating Djokovic in the semi final. I guess that might shock most tennis fans that Nadal can beat Novak on a HC.
I think Novak will win Cincy!


metan Says:

@ James,
You become visionary like Courbon, lol. But your vision is not good, duh.
I’d rather do business with Jamie astrologer. Come on Jamie, tell us please who is the winner of Montreal???


James Says:

haha @metan, so who do you think will win in Montreal? ;)


the DA Says:

@ Margot – Yes, I agree – a bit tricky. I’m just curious to see how he is after Wimby. Will that be the final piece of the puzzle which sees his confidence levels surge? I don’t know. I’ve got a season ticket on the Muraycoaster and I have a feeling it’s premature to ask for a refund ;) But yes, it’s nice to not so much invested in this tournament. Just an aperitif (clink)!


the DA Says:

^ it’s nice to not “have” so much invested….


Margot Says:

@ James
Lol such confidence, obviously NOT a Murray fan…;)
@ the DA
Noooo, no refund yet!
But meanwhile, clinkety, clink indeedy. 11.40 a.m, perfect time and the most glorious day here too :)


James Says:

@ Margot, I also predicted a Murray win over Djokovic at Wimbledon. Also I think Murray can win a golden career slam at some point in his career. NOT a Murray. True.


metan Says:

@ James,
My opinion is not matter. Now and the most important thing is get Novak’s magic drink so I can have enough more energy to cheer up our man in every match until he bites the trophy. Licorice tea will be good,♥!


James Says:

*fan

of the big four, I find his game the most boring, but I think it’s very effective. Well, I thought he was very impressive in Wimby final.


Giles Says:

IMO they are all boring apart from Rafa. I am not saying this because Rafa is my fave but he brings so much energy and passion to a tennis court like no other. No one is even close compared to him.
Vamos Champ!!


the DA Says:

Rafa and Andy will be practicing together today. Hope we get some good pix.


holdserve Says:

Even Bodo who never fails to vilify Rafa admitted tennis is more exciting when Rafa is around.
He brings passion and excitement to every match.
He made the Fedal rivalry thrilling, jolting the tennis world from its complacency that it had found its goat in Federer and preventing tennis from becoming a boring spectacle with 2nd tier guys like Roddick, Hewitt etc being Fed’s main rivals.
Then just when everyone was ready to anoint Rafa the goat after 2010, he loses 7 straight finals to Nole once again creating confusion and suspense and talking about losing his passion.
He then goes into an incredible clay season in 2012 mowing down all comers (on red clay)and then loses to Rosol at Wimbly!
The scene is almost repeated in 2013 except that he loses Monte Carlo to Nole.
Anyway, now that he is back I am waiting to see, is he going to show Nole his place by thrashing him on a hard court?
As you can see, every match is part of an enthralling story.
Only Muzza has a story anywhere close to this.
Nole and Fed are boring. There’s no story.


James Says:

@ Giles, Fed is pretty exciting to watch for a tennis fan. Rafa? He’s exciting to watch even for non tennis fans.


Giles Says:

Well hopefully the “Sean Jinx” is in place! Lol


Faleye o kehinde Says:

Nadal remains my man any day,he personally makes tennis so exciting anytime he’s around. I believe that any tennis turnament without Rafa is just child play, on a good day,Novak and Murray cannot withstand Nadal


madmax Says:

I feel the title belongs to novak.

Things have been remarkably quiet regarding his training regime and what he has been up to, apart from a few days in Italy.

He will be well rested and surely has to be the favourite, along with Murray?


skeezer Says:

Heroic.

Fan’s Touching Story Will Make Roger Federer Your Favorite Athlete:

http://mashable.com/2013/08/01/roger-federer-fan-wish/

26.7k shares

Worth the revisit.

.


James Says:

On papaer Novak is the favorite, closely followed by Andy. Rafa would be the 3rd favorite followed by Delpo. But in reality, Rafa and Delpo can both wreck havoc and put all these predictions on paper to nothing.


skeezer Says:

@El Flaco,

Re; 8:54 post.

This is why you’re seeing the Rafanatics coming out armada style and are posting like WWZ Zombies ;)


James Says:

@skeezer, touching. That was very nice of Roger.

Also not to forget the generosity of Andy Murray who donated his Queen’s prize winning money to the fight against cancer.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-2343475/Andy-Murray-showed-emotional-shed-surly-tag–Mike-Dickson.html


nadalista Says:

……….and of course don’t forget the touching, obligatory @skeezer insult at all Rafans. What would a thread be without one…………


skeezer Says:

@James

I didn’t see that, Nice! Cheers to Andy for sure on that!


Colin Says:

One of the amazing things about internet sports forums is this:
A player has a certain type of game. Some tennis fans praise him to the skies for that game, while other tennis fans castigate him for being boring – because of that very same style!

I lost count of the number of times Rafa was for a long time portrayed as a “moonballer” (just as Murray was dismissed as a “pusher”). Now someone here has just said any tournament without Rafa is “child’s play”.
For me, excessive focus on one player suggests, not love of tennis, but something akin to worship of a pop star.
Regarding Murray’s gesture at Queen’s, might I point out that it was, I think, revealed contrary to his wishes.


El Flaco Says:

skeezer Says:
@El Flaco,

Re; 8:54 post.

This is why you’re seeing the Rafanatics coming out armada style and are posting like WWZ Zombies ;)
– – – – – – – – – – –
Yeah I noticed that. Even when the thread isn’t about him they have to talk about him. Someone mentioned another website went down and they came over here.

Funniest comment I read on the other thread said the WTF/TMC is an “exhibition” and not up to ATP “standards”. LOL. I just ignore it. There is no point in arguing with that level of ignorance. These people are clueless fan boys and girls. In my neck of the woods we call those people the pink hat crowd.


Kimberly Says:

don’t forget to do brackets everyone!

I picked Del Potro to win the tournament


Kimberly Says:

challenge.atpworldtour.com join group tennis x fans. Very user friendly and easy.


skeezer Says:

Colin,

So agree with your post there.

So Andy didn’t want to donate his winnings?

@El Flaco

“pink hat crowd”. Lol I shall remember that one ;)


holdserve Says:

In my circle those who do not even know that the WTF is actually no better than an exhibition are called first level incompetents (see the Kirkpatrick model of competence) i.e. they are so ignorant, they do not even know they are ignorant.
They are the pointed hat people! One can only feel sorry for them.


Giles Says:

skeezer the geezer experiencing comprehension problems yet again. “So Andy didn’t want to donate his winnings?” Andy wanted to and did donate his winnings but did not want any publicity of his charitable act!! Kapeesh??


the DA Says:

@ skeezer – It wasn’t that he didn’t want to. The stupid commentator Andrew Castle announced to crowd that he had donated his winnings as a joke. It made for an awkward situation but the fact is he ultimately made the decision to donate and it shouldn’t detract from the sincerity or generosity of the gesture.


V.arunachalam Says:

The draw ll test all the super stars to a great extent. I expect big upsets here & there.Nadal is a black horse & can not be written off. The final ll be between Nadal & Delpatra with Nadal to win provided Nadal’s knee cooperates till the end.


Margot Says:

Andy didn’t want the fact that he’d made the donation public knowledge.
Andrew Castle should have kept his nose out.


Anna Says:

Holdserve – You are quick off the mark. Love “the pointed hat people”. LOL.


nadalista Says:

@Anna, you beat me to it!

@Holdserve, you’re on fire, Hehehe!


madmax Says:

James Says:
@skeezer, touching. That was very nice of Roger.

Also not to forget the generosity of Andy Murray who donated his Queen’s prize winning money to the fight against cancer.

James,

We all know that Ross, Andy’s friend had cancer – why was it made public in the first place? Cancer is cancer and everyone has been touched by it in some way, through family, friends, 6 degrees of separation, you know what I mean? and things like this should be kept private, BUT, the “winnings?” 76,000? is a drop in the ocean for someone of his wealth – have I missed a nought somewhere? and I would have liked it better if this was kept quiet.

Regarding Roger, he didn’t divulge this information to the media, t’was the excited teenager, about a month later? Could hardly control her glee about meeting Roger. That, I can understand, but giving 76,000, sorry – it just doesn’t hold the same amount of ‘touchy feely’ ness to me. Sorry.

All tennis players give to charity and organise charitable events, and they are in a privileged position to do so, but I think when you bring friends into it – I kind of don’t buy it, don’t know why either.

A ‘nice’ gesture, nevertheless.

Any contribution towards a deadly disease, including anyone walking down the high street, could give money to a charitable organisation, their praises are just not sung.


skeezer Says:

Love those pointed hat Wizards, amazing intellects. now about those pink hat ones…..


nadalista Says:

For Rafans!

http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Rafael+Nadal+gets+early
+start+Rogers/8744247/story.html

Vamos Rafa…….


Brando Says:

Re Andy: why the ill judgement of him? Unbelievable! The guy gave his winnings out of sheer sincerity to the charity fund. All was private until the gossip queen Andrew Castle mouth ran away from his intellect (yet again). Andy didn’t ask for that at all, and hus generous act cannot be seen together with Castle’s idiocy. And about the amount: whether one is poor and can only give the smallest of amounts or is rich and gives a mind boggling amount, in either case the number given is insignificant as opposed to the generosity, concern shown to your fellow being: which is equal in measure for both. And by the way: who’s to say Andy didn’t donate even more? No one knows. All we know is that which is public: which little when it comes to a privacy loving Murray, and close to scarce when making a call on how generous he is or can be. Let’s stay schtum on what we don’t know about and commend what we do know: someone gave a sum that can make a difference to those who need it. My respect to Andy for that act of genorisity!


Margot Says:

@Brando
Well said :)


madmax Says:

Brando, I hear you.


Colin Says:

Well said, Brando. I don’t think it was Madmax’s intention, but his remarks unfortunately come over as a part of the prevailing urge to put an asterisk against anything Murray says or does.

I’d say Federer’s admirable action didn’t “cost” him anything, financially, professionally or personally. Had I been in his position I would not have wanted to meet the nice young lady, because I’m an antisocial misanthrope, and I wouldn’t have enjoyed it. I’d have done it, out of a sense of duty, but I wouldn’t have enjoyed it. I’m sure Roger did enjoy it so, as I say, it cost him nothing in any way.


courbon Says:

@ metan: Never pay attention to my predictions-almost always wrong.Seriously…
Apart from lycoric tea you forgot you have to stretch out-endlessly stretching and stretching…
I miss Jamie too…


courbon Says:

Ah, Nadalista is having a wet dreams again…


nadalista Says:

@Courbon, shame on you……..get a hold of yourself, this is a family site. What is wrong with you people?

Yuck……


James Says:

Well said @Brando! I couldn’t have sait it better.

Andy’s a young man in his mid 20s and can choose to spend his money whichever way he wants. That he chose to donate it to support the fight against cancer, to me shows that the man does care. Seriously, how many pro athletes in the world would do that? I’m not saying he’s the most generous pro athlete of all time. He probably isn’t. But imo he did make a difference in the lives of those who’d benefit from his generous giving. He may not be my favorite tennis player but my respect for the man has def grown.


courbon Says:

@ Nadalista: You are the one putting a link with the sexiest man on earth, darling…


Bada Bing Says:

Madmax, Skeezer, Ben, Courbon and other Fed/ Novak fans

I’m leaving this site as Wog Boy and others here have already done. This site has turned from a nice blogsite to an ex tennis-talk Nadal fan site. I wish you well.


courbon Says:

@ Bada Bing:Can I have a suggestion?Take a break but come back! With Jane not posting for a while, also Wog Boy not posting, (Mat 4 sometimes and harry ) there is nobody to support Novak apart from you and me.


Brando Says:

@Bada bing: stay. ALL are welcome. I do not understand the sudden exodus at all.


nadalista Says:

@courbon, as you so correctly note, he is the sexiest man on earth, cannot be associated with……..yucky stuff. And the link? Very wholesome indeed!

Btw, I enjoy reading your posts (the one at 2:55pm excepted), very grown up…..


Anna Says:

Why, I believe I just talked to Wog Boy yesterday. Yes, there appears to be a number of Nadal fans here now, but a year or two ago it was mostly a Federer fan site with the Rafa fans putting up with trash talk. Actually, I’m not seeing a lot of trash talk at all. There’s been a lot of praise for a number of players the last few weeks by Nadal fans. Just not enough talk about your fav to keep you happy I guess. Buh bye Bada Bing.


Giles Says:

Rafa will be playing doubles with Andujar.
Vamos!


skeezer Says:

Bada Bing,

You’ll be missed. Please hurry back soon ! :). and take this with you, Nole is the number 1 player in the world no matter what pink hat people say.


nadalista Says:

Oh that’s fantastic news @Giles! He needs the match-play, sharpen up before the singles play…..

Vamos Rafa!


Brando Says:

@nadalista: please don’t be offended by Courbon nadalista. He strictly meant it tongue in cheek, and in humour. So I hope no offense was taken as it would only be due to a minor misundertanding. Sometimes what we write doesn’t fully communicate what we mean. A cheeky comment could be taken seriously due to the language used.


skeezer Says:

I am sticking around for Rafafanatics enjoyment. Its always a pleasure to be your hot and sexy punching bag.


nadalista Says:

@Brando, I most certainly was not offended by @courbon’s comment at 2:55pm at all! I was also being playful, though clumsily now I see!

And I mean what I said about @courbon, he is a great guy judging from his posts….

#respect


Giles Says:

@nadalista. Would you like the honour of responding to geezer’s post @ 3 47 pm?


Brando Says:

@courbon: I hope you stick around as it’ll be crap if another good poster who’s enjoyed by others here bids goodbye unnecessarily. IMHO: I don’t see why folks are leaving. There are Rafa fans here but it’s the same as before pretty much. Fed? Well skeez, max, Ben, Michael and others are here like before. Muzza has Margot, DA, Colin like before. So I don’t see why Novak fans are leaving as there is no reason for it. Whichever players is most successful usually leads to TX being filled with that players fans: 09- Fed, 10- Rafa, 11/12 Novak, 13-?. It’s always been like that, but never too bad. So stick around please as it’s a shame to see posters go when it’s not as bad as they think it is. The reality is always better than the perception: so stay!


Brando Says:

@Nadalista: thanks that’s awesome. I knew you were cool enough to see better. And Courbon is a ace poster so it’s good to see you being fine with him. Props for that. :-)


nadalista Says:

@skeezer 3:47 pm;

Why thank you, kind sir! Very considerate of you.

The very thought of you leaving is enough to make a Rafanatic reach for the hemlock!

#Not

Hot and sexy? Puleeze……..


nadalista Says:

Hahaha @Giles! I already have………..I mean, poor @skeezer, the grief we Rafanatics cause him……just by being alive!


Giles Says:

@ nadalista. Lol. Thank you kind Rafan!


nadalista Says:

Oh no, @Giles did you hear? Rafa/Andujar are playing Ferru/Deliciano in the 1st round doubles match……….Rafa/Andujar will definitely be bounced, would have liked Rafa to get 2 dubs matches under his belt, ah well…………..


James Says:

Some of you Fed/Nole fans, what’s the problem if TX has more Rafa fans posting? If you feel that there aren’t enough Novak fans or Fed fans atm, keep posting about your favorite players, their news. More Fed or Nole fans will soon join you. You Novak fans, show your support for your guy as he looks to defend his Rogers Cup title. And Fed fans, the Fed express will be back on tour at Cincy. I still think he is good enough to compete at the highest level provided he isn’t bothered by his back.


James Says:

@skeezer, I do enjoy reading your posts about Roger and other tennis related stuff, even though you at times come across as a bit of anti-Nadal. But you’re one of those fans that actually know tennis, so respect there, bru!


Giles Says:

@nadalista. I had looked at the draw and am not too bothered with their opponents. Rafa and Pablo should beat them.
#Optimistic


James Says:

@nadalista, why do you think Ferrer and Lopez would be too much for Nadal and Andujar? Ferrer and Lopez aren’t some double specialists, are they?


Giles Says:

@James. Did you say “a bit of anti-Nadal”? Try fervent anti-Nadal!!!


Giles Says:

Rafa is a great doubles player, ask Marc Lopez


James Says:

@Giles, I think skeezer’s a good tennis fan. I don’t think he dislikes Rafa that much. As a Fed fan, I guess it’s kinda hard for him to appreciate Rafa for the obvious reasons, no?


skeezer Says:

Thanks James and ditto for u..


Steve 27 Says:

We need more Murray and Del Potro fans
where are they?


Skeezer Says:

^well, they WERE here, wonder why they left ( eyes rolling away ).


Steve 27 Says:

in victory all is bliss, but only in defeat are the true fans


Skeezer Says:

^best quote so far Steve 27


Ben Pronin Says:

James, it has nothing to do with the favorites winning or losing. You Rafans are a vicious lot. Anna, really? No trash talk? The last week most of you guys spent attacking Djokovic and his dad. What about Toni Nadal admitting he coaches Nadal from the stands? Or wishing Federer and Djokovic an injury?

Of course you guys don’t see it. You’re wearing those wonderful Nadal-colored glasses. Skeeze is a serious trooper. The reality is everyone else is leaving because you guys attack them nonstop. Hypocrites galore.


Steve 27 Says:

You Rafans are a vicious lot.

generalization is always wrong and unjust. but I understand some fans’ animosity towards certain player, after all, you can not please all alike.


Ben Pronin Says:

It has nothing to do with the player and you guys clearly don’t get it.


Steve 27 Says:

and you guys clearly don’t get it

no, you show your education with phrases like that and then you walk asking for respect.


Ben Pronin Says:

Damn Steve, you got me. My education? Because my grammar isn’t up to your standards? Ok, good job refuting my point, though! Why bother when you can just nitpick entirely irrelevant things in my post. Clearly you’re a really smart guy. You must have been a debate champion back in your day.


Steve 27 Says:

Remind this:
The superior man blames himself inferior man blames others.


Anna Says:

Get off your high horse Pronin. If anyone had a right to complain about Nole’s dad it would have been Fed fans, and there were a lot of them voicing their opinions across the sights. He was much harder on Roger than Rafa. What your miffed about is the negative response you got to your doping theories. Tenacity is mostly a good thing unless your a pitbull unwilling to relinquish or move on. In that case it’s definitely a liability, and all the good grammar in the world won’t compensate. Unfortunately, that pitbull has nothing on you Ben. I’m pretty sure you’ll be dragging out your theories again just as soon as the opportunity arises.


Anna Says:

Ben – And obviously you didn’t read the interview where Toni supposedly wished an injury on Roger or Nole, or you would know that the context of what was said was in humour. In other words, Rafa has spent his time on the bench, now it would be nice for someone else to step up. He wasn’t wishing broken bones on anybody. Jeez, why don’t you at least read what he said before running your mouth.


holdserve Says:

I think only nadalista and me from TT are posting here. Hawkeye hasn’t posted for quite some time. Maybe he is busy with the Montreal Masters as he is from Canada. Who knows he might be umpiring or something.
NNY has barely made 2 posts.
So why the grouse about TT Rafa fans?
I think Nole fans are leaving this site and tennis too because they are disillusioned with their Fave losing to Rafa and Muzza in slams, Nole behaving badly with the Madrid crowd, his Dad shooting his mouth off…
If Nole wins USO, many Nole fans will come and trash talk Rafa as they were doing in 2011 when they wrote horrible stuff about Rafa in tennis forums and on his FB wall.
So calm down folks, Nole fans will come back sooner or later because Nole is bound to win a slam within the next one year.
Hats off to skeezer who bravely stands his ground despite the dismal performance of his idol. I agree he knows tennis and seems a true tennis fan. I also agree with another poster here that skeezer does not really hate Rafa.


Ben Pronin Says:

Anna, this has nothing to do with my doping theories. I refuse to get off my high horse though. Why did you ignore the fact that Toni admitted to breaking the rules? You’re the one who said that there hasn’t been much trash talk lately when there’s a ton of trash talk towards Novak from your ilk all the time. What are you even lying about? Just notice the trend. It’s not that everyone has become a Nadal fan, it’s that the fans of almost everyone else has left. Let’s just wait to see how happy you guys are about Murray’s victorious when he starts kicking Nadal’s ass.


holdserve Says:

In a lighter vein,hats off, which hats, pink hats or pointed hats?


Steve 27 Says:

Keep waiting


chris ford Says:

You know, at this point, when Djokovic and Delpo saw the Draw, they were probably delighted that the other guy was in the other half. After Delpo showed everyone at Wimbledon that at his best, he just might take a match from Murray or Nole – even at their best.
I honestly think Djokovic wants Rafa over the re-emerged 2009 level of quality Delpo …and Juan Martin wants to air it out on Murray again and take a break from Nole and Gradiator tennis.


Fedster Says:

The reason for Djokovic fans’ exodus is quite simple. Its the big mouth behaviour of Djokovic fans, his parents and Djokovic himself.
Its all there for everyone to see how he and his fans claimed that Djokovic will beat everyone infrom of him. But his actual level of tennis is far below the standards set by their mouth.

When their words came back to haunt them they had nowhere to hide and they promptly went back to their hole. This is not only about tennis-x. This is happening in most of the forums.


Ben Pronin Says:

Pretty sure Djokovic is still number 1.


Fedster Says:

But in terms of popularity and sponsorship income he is number 4.

Why is that ?


Fedster Says:

After 2012 AO he has won 1 slam, lost 2 to Murray, 2 to Nadal and 1 to the 31 yr old Federer.
And he is in his PRIME whereas others are not.


Fedster Says:

He is barely hanging on to his AO and he is getting pummelled by his main rivals in most the big matches.
He is no.1 by virtue of his smaller tournament wins just like wozniacki. Ofcourse he is better than her because of his AO.


jamie Says:

@metan

Montreal and Cincinnati are just tuneups and I’m too lazy to take a *good look* and predict the winner.

I can tell you who will win the big one though, the USO this year.

The USO winner this year will be Murray.


Brando Says:

Re Skeezer: agree that he’s not a Rafa hater. He’s said genuinely, uncalled for nice things about Rafa. He’s just a hardcore Fed fan who has a ongoing, amusing back and forth with Giles and Nadalista. It’s good fun and humour.


Ben Pronin Says:

You’re comparing Djokovic to Wozniacki… Yeah you sound really credible.


Brando Says:

Re good fan: IMO they are ones who stick around when their fav is getting his butt kicked. They ALL do at one time or another. Recently Fed has been down yet Skeez, Max etc have been still posting showing support and hope. Real fans. Novak post Wimby: Courbon has been here and been upbeat too. These folks are real fans IMO. The rest? They go hide when their fav has been whooped and come to gloat when he’s a success. You know the type: gravy train fans only!


Brando Says:

Re Absent fans: People who are regular poster on TX for a while can tell easily that: 1- most of the same old Rafa fans are here 2- same with Muzza (Margot, Colin, DA and racquet pops in now and then as always) 3- same with Fed fans (Ben, Skeez, Max, Michael etc). There’s hardly any other fan group except the absent Djokovic group. That’s it. Why are they absent? Here’s why…


Legend Says:

“Re Skeezer: agree that he’s not a Rafa hater. He’s said genuinely, uncalled for nice things about Rafa.”
Yeah she even claimed that Rafa was her main man…LOL


jamie Says:

@holdserve

Nole will only win one of the next five slams and the slam that he will win will be AO 2014.

Nole will not win USO 2013, RG 2014, Wimbledon 2014 or USO 2014.


Brando Says:

Re Djokovic: first and foremost: it always been a small group here on TX of which Courbon is still around but from the noticeable absentees: 1- Mat4: he last said his father was really ill. One hopes that he has recovered well from his illness. Understandably such matters far outweigh posting on TX. I hope- believe- that soon Mat4 shall return when he feels it’s fine to do so. Best wishes to him and his family. 2- Wog Boy: he only recently said he’ll be gone a while. Why? Since NO Novak fans seems to be around. Fair enough. Hopefully he’ll return. Finally 3- Jane: sadly it seems she got bullied out of here by Danny Morris- a rafa hater. A shame. There you have it. Beyond that how many other regular Nole fans were there? IMO: close to zero. Just folks who pop in now and then. That’s it.


Legend Says:

Brando,

Agree about courbon. He is a great tennis fan. Unfortunately only he and jane are the only genuine Nole fans who know tennis in this site. Others are mostly nationalistic extremists (ex. wogboy) or the fake ones who want Nole to protect their fav’s legacy (ex. skeezer).


Brando Says:

Big prediction: When Novak does well and win some trophies-he will- the so called Rafa site (once Fed site) will become a Nole lovefest. Why? Since he’ll be a success and fans most gloat. It’s the way it’s always been on here: whichever players rules the roast so do his fans on here. Novak had some tough, bummer loses at FO and Wimby. Hence his ‘vocal’ fans are schtum and absent. Once he wins again, they’ll be here in full voice. As glory hunter fans do. Mark my words. This isn’t a revelation but a truth ALL folks know is true themselves. Just the way the cookie crumbles in fandom and blogging sadly!


Brando Says:

@Legend: LOL on first post and completely agree 100% on the 2nd post. You speak the brutal truth. I have long said this: for me Courbon is the best fan out of anyone here: he’s genuine, roots for his guy hard, has no malice towards other players and is a class act with good humour. Post FO loss for nole who was here saying congrats to Rafa fans? Courbon. Post Wimby final who was almost the ONLY nole fan saying kudos to Andy fans? Courbon. And he’s still here. Respect to him. It would be a major bummer if he left. Hope not!


holdserve Says:

Ben,
Why wouldn’t anyone compare Nole to Wozniacki? You brought it on yourself by saying:
Pretty sure Djokovic is still number 1.

If what you can derive comfort from is that he is no. 1 i.e. being no. 1 is what’s most important, well that’s wozniackism.


Nadalista Says:

I know Rafa is a first class dubs player, it’s Andujar I’m not sure about. Felli is a dubs specialist, he has represented Spain as a dubs player in Davis Cup. Not sure about Ferru as a dubs player but he is #3 in the world, must count for something.

As for this “we are leaving because Rafans are having a good time on tennis-x and we’re not”, because that’s what it is, my 2 cents: it’s a free world. Sorry if your hissy-fit does not distract me from my knitting. I, as a Rafan, am not responsible for other people’s happiness, definitely do not have those powers, nor do I care to have them!

As for calling us Rafans a vicious lot, ouch, that hurt. #not. If anyone seriously thinks I log onto tennis-x blog with malice afore-thought (which some people do btw) all I can say is you are sadly mistaken. Having said that, there is a lot to be said for “lost in translation”, cultural differences etc, etc which means we don’t always get each other’s humor. But hey, that’s what makes life interesting, no?

Oh, and @holdserve, don’t believe the seeming TT hate-fest. A lot of tennis-x bloggers were patrons and fans and like us, they miss TT.


Fedster Says:

Spot on holdserve.

It being no.1 is all then wozniacki is definitely as good as Nole.

Nole is a poor no.1 compared to the likes of post prime Federer even in 2009 (forget abt 2004-07).

Today’s Nole is a pwssy compared to the great no.1s of the past. Nole 2012/2013 is a Djoke compared to even himself in 2011. You have to go back atleast 10-12 years to find a worse world no.1.


Fedster Says:

It -> If


Nadalista Says:

And for me, @courbon is not just a Nole fan, he’s a tennis fan.

As for @skeezer, of course he does not hate Rafa, he’s just jealous of him. He’s probably out working hard as we speak trying to buff himself up so he can squeeze into a pair of Armani briefs!


Brando Says:

@Nadalista: LOL, great post! You right: Courbon is not just a nole fan but a fantastic tennis fan. Skeez? LOL, Interesting theory….


Margot Says:

@ Steve 27
I’ve been posting on here for years and there’s never been more than 3 or 4 people on here who have Andy as their numero 1. Even after 2 slams, that’s not changed and thus, unlikely to do so. We are a small, unique bunch, heavily into pain I feel…;) And, I might add, still neurotically nervous whenever Andy plays.
Plenty of folk have Andy as their second favourite, and the same with JMDP.
In other news, Andy is playing doubles with Colin Fleming. Really pleased as match practise is the thing at the mo.


metan Says:

Jamie,

Thanks for your prediction. But no good news for me and wonderful news for Murray’s fans here. Are you sure the moon, the stars and other planetary position is for Murray???? Hope you didn’t read wrongly.☺♡


AD Tennis Says:

I think it is clear that this is the pecking order in tennis [no. of fans and off-court achievements]:

Federer, Sharapova, Nadal, Murray/Serena/Novak.

The 1st 3 are clearly established in terms of off-court achievements [endorsements, appearance fees and similar parameters].

The last 3, the order fluctuates as their on-court achievements fluctuate.

For sheer on-court achievements, I would rank them as such:

Federer, Serena, Nadal, Djokovic, Sharapova, Murray.


madmax Says:

Oh, and @holdserve, don’t believe the seeming TT hate-fest. A lot of tennis-x bloggers were patrons and fans and like us, they miss TT.

August 4th, 2013 at 12:07 am

Nadalista, sometimes you come across as verging on ‘reasonable’, problem is it doesn’t last. If you miss TT so much (trash talk site, anti fed site, rafa girlie site), then do us a favour and frequent the defunct site, in fact, start up one of your own? no?

You seem to have a long running verbal bashing with skeezer which spoils it here. You have only come on here because your old TT site is no more *heart breaks*, you can be vicious and sarcastic and to be honest skeezer is right. If you want to talk about rafa’s tackle, arse, underpants and all that it holds (yuk), it’s really distasteful when you don’t really say so much about his tennis, but talk about his body. God! then you are seriously on the wrong site. You bring it down a level when you talk about his body – it verges on porn to be honest. Of course you will disagree.

Anna, Ben is pretty stable here and very fair.

Wog boy is still posting, on another thread – one of the good guys

Jane is on vacation and am sure will be back.

Courbon, I enjoy watching Novak, he is my no. 2 and always has been, so whilst not in the category of being his no. 1 fan,he is the best player in the world right now, stats prove that and I wait to see the developing rivalry with Murray – it’s good to know that others have broken the grip on the roger/rafa rivalry, but it is still missed by others in lots of ways.


Nadalista Says:

@madmax, I am going to address you this once and for the last time: please do not read my posts, skip over them. Henceforth, I will extend the same courtesy to yours.

And oh, if @skeezer has a problem with my posts, he can and will address me himself, which he has done before, unless you are @skeezer?

If you continue writing to me directly without invitation I will deem your posts to me as stalking and report you to the Administrators accordingly.

Please be guided accordingly.

Leave me alone. Thank you.


Giles Says:

@madmax. So, you think “Ben is pretty stable here and very fair”. Let’s see now, his post on August 3rd 2013 at 9.30 pm says inter alia “Let’s just wait and see how happy you guys are about Murray’s victorious when he starts kicking Nadal’s ass”.
You have the temerity to call him stable inspite of that post?
One thing is for sure you are the most unstable poster here with all your droolings over fed. You sound like a love sick school boy. Why don’t you wrap him in cotton wool along with his trophies and pay homage to him 24/7.


madmax Says:

Will do Giles!

Over and out!

A pity that you take one or two of Ben’s posts in response to a whole array of comments received and which you choose to ignore. Try to see the whole picture, won’t you? “Drooling” over Fed.

Hardly. The guy right now is in trouble. Just happy to support the Fed in his time of need. Don’t need to comment on his body, know what I am saying G?


madmax Says:

to the one who does not want to be addressed, you make a very good point. Thanks for that.

Hopefully moderation is not as lackadaisical as it was on the other, so no need to tell them their job – they will keep a good track on the comments made and received here – just count yours and the direct assassination of skeezer’s posts and THEN we are are talking, and if I want to comment on skeezer’s post then I will. umm, er – free country? Good that you point out the moderation so go carefully now won’t you? Applies to us all.

You won’t get away with half as much as you did on the other site, that’s for certain.


Nadalista Says:

Hmmmm, Andujar’s dubs record ain’t too shabby it would appear. He’s been to four doubles finals over his career, and he is no slouch as a singles player either. Rafa may get the 2 doubles matches I am hoping for him after all…….

Andiamo Rafa!


Ben Pronin Says:

I wouldn’t say I’m very fair. I try to be sometimes but I’m quite sick of the Rafa fans on here. Nadalista, you are just a bad poster.

Holdserve, if saying that Novak is still number 1 is bringing Wozniacki comparisons upon myself then I’ll make sure to remember that and make every stupid possible comparison when anyone says anything about Nadal. Djokovic is being criticized for losing to his main rivals in the biggest events. Wozniacki doesn’t have big rivals. Djokovic only has small titles? This year he has a slam and a masters and Dubai which has the field of a masters. He’s also defending the WTF where he went undefeated against 8 top 10 players. Just a horrible number 1. How does he live with himself???


nadalista Says:

@Ben Pronin,

You must be reading my posts to be judging me as such. Thanks, you care. To me, you are just a humourless bore, couldn’t care what you think of me, really.

Now go find someone else to bully, please.

Thank you my fan.


Kimberly Says:

All the new tennis talk people, for the masters some of us do a group bracket challenge where all are welcome, have been doing it for years. Pick a bracket, join our group and chat also on the atp site.
challenge.atpworldtour.com join group tennis x fans.

Just to let everyone know my eight year old son in leading the points for this year in our group. Probably because he never misses picking a bracket whereas I slacked off and forgot to do rome.


nadalista Says:

Geez, who would have thunk it? There’s a mini-nadalista obsession going on here….get a life, people. Stop taking yourselves so seriously…..

*yawn*


nadalista Says:

@Kimberly,

Thanks for the invitation, will certainly look it up!


AD Tennis Says:

To compare Novak to Wozniacki shows a distinct lack of tennis knowledge. One can, by similar logic, compare Nadal to clay court specialists of the past who could not match their success on clay with their results on grass/hard courts. Yes, Nadal has 2slams on grass and 2 on hardcourts, but he is fast losing ground to Novak/murray on grass and murray on hardcourts. Novak already has a superior record than Nadal on hardcourts. Indoors, Murray/Novak are better players. Nadal ranks quite poorly on indoor courts.

Given the internet is a prime place for abusing FREEdom of speech, it is no surprise.

I have seen mis-informed posters accuse Federer of fixing draws, Nadal/Djokovic of doping and Murray/Wimbledon/ATP of working together towards putting Fred Perry’s ghost to rest. Conspiracy theories are dime-a-dozen.

I hope the moderators do not drop the ball like they did on the other site and put people trying hard to run the conspiracy theories on the leash.

“He’s also defending the WTF where he went undefeated against 8 top 10 players. Just a horrible number 1. How does he live with himself???”

Good point Ben Pronin. Novak is the undisputed no.1 tennis player right now. It might change at the end of the year, but let the Novak haters or Rafa fans be warned – Novak was in a similar situation last year and we all know how that turned out.

We will get a good idea of the rest of the season in a week’s time. Let us see who gets off the blocks racing. 2-time defending and 3 time champ Novak or US/Wimbledon champ Murray or someone else. or the perennial threat Del Potro – is he finally going to take the next step to move into the top 3?

Time will tell…..


Josh39485 Says:

Overall a reasonably well-balanced draw. I’m playing the ATP Draw Challenge and am finding it incredibly difficult to pick results; even the winner is not a given.


Kimberly Says:

Josh please join our group. tennis x fans!

I have picked Delpo for the winner. My thought process is that Murray will not yet go full steam, but perhaps its a mistake, Delpo just looked so strong in Washingston. Yet he really has not been known to string events together. After Indian Wells he lost first round in Miami to Kamke (I was there for the match actually) and he was pretty lackluster.

Against Haas last night in Washington he hit a forehand winner at 111 mph!


Josh39485 Says:

@Kimberley:

Sure no problem! My username on the site is Krish4791 – I’ll join right away.

Yep, I’m a little scared of DelPo because if he turns up he could wreck my draw completely atm. I’ve hesitantly gone for a Djoko-Murray final


Josh39485 Says:

I’ll be way behind anyway seeing as I didn’t participate at Indian Wells or Miami :(


nadalista Says:

Cool,cool, cool……

Wonder if this means they all had dinner together?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=671281382900512&set=a.243128879049100.76928.243123739049614&type=1&theater

#Buona Notte


skeezer Says:

^Just post a facebook page link, not a bunch of the same links to the site. Plate signing is newsworthy? Pffft. Thanks to your poster love giles, everyone knows (or should know according to you types ) how to get to Rafa’ FB page.

Looks like TT here more and more…..


nadalista Says:

^^no need to thank me @skeezer, the pleasure was mine. Glad you enjoyed the picture…….


AD Tennis Says:

Kimberly:

You summarized the Delpotro Dilemma perfectly. I agree with your analysis, but I think Novak will step it up like last year.

It is hard to see beyond Novak or Andy at this time. Their rivalry has caught fire. Murray was getting bagged at the slams by the top 3, but he seems to have turned it around in the last 1 year. Whether he can sustain that and seal the year end number 1 ranking, is the big question right now. Very exciting times in tennis.


holdserve Says:

The theory that the draws are fixed is based on statistical evidence. The theory that the draws are random is not supported by stats and is based on blind belief in the ATP/ITF rulebook which says the draws are random.
However, given the freedom on the internet, flat earthists ( the irrationals) who from the time of dawn of human race have always been in the majority, will definitely have the upper hand in the short run, trying to stifle rational thought and debate.
But again as history has proved, it is quality over quantity and in the long run, superior thought prevails!


nadalista Says:

Quite funny how Rafa is expected to match his success on clay with his results on grass/HC but Novak/Andy are not expected to match their success on grass/HC with their results on clay.

Ja ja, no bias there, very objective.

#ClayIsNotTennis
#TheEarthIsFlat


Josh39485 Says:

@nadalista

?


Kimberly Says:

I bet a lot of the brackets will look very different, many different possible winners. I kep wavering between Delpo and Djokoivc. I do think Djokovic will be like ok, andy rafa, nice wins on clay and grass but don’t forget who is king of the cement here!


Giles Says:

http://alturl.com/xu59k
Citi Open introduces new court drying method!! Lol


holdserve Says:

nadalista, loved your comment at 1:14pm!


Anna Says:

A few years ago Madmax was trying to convince everyone that Roger had a Roman nose, and asked, “Isn’t Roger so handsome? Love that hair with the golden flecks, his smile, that Roman nose”.

Only slightly hypocritical Madmax. You’ve mooned over Roger’s body parts many a time, but no one has the right to drool over Rafa.

I say drool on Nadalista. By the way there are some excellent photos on Buzzfeed. Google it.


tennisx hippy chic Says:

Personally i dont think theres anything wrong in complimenting a player on their looks,as long as it doesnt take over the love of tennis itself,Rafas fans do it,Novaks fans do it,Rogers fans do it,Mat4,Wogboy,and Courbon compliment Sharapova on her looks,as does Colin with Pironkova so its hardly exclusive to Rafa fans,however going back i have to say although i enjoyed it at the time,i rather wish Rafa had never done Armani,as he doesnt seem to get taken seriously as the amazing tennis player that he is anymore,which is a shame really.


tennisx hippy chic Says:

For what its worth im a Rafa fan,who actually thinks Roger,Novak and Andy all all handsome,just like Rafa is handsome.


tennisx hippy chic Says:

Im thinking Delpo is the USO dark horse,i believe hes ready for another crack at a GS title,i will say its 50/50 between Andy and Nole,with Delpo next,with Rafa and Roger i would put them with about an even chance after Delpo,much would depend on everybodys form leading upto the USO though.


Nativenewyorker Says:

Ben,

Your comments have convinced me that I shouldn’t even try to come back to discuss all things tennis. You are making generalizations and lumping all Rafa fans together.

I think we are pretty diverse group. However, you now blame the Rafa fans who have come here for ruining this site. I seem to remember a while back reading you saying that the incessant bashing of Rafa and all the anti-Rafa talk was getting out of control. I thought that was a reasonable observation. I had some hope after reading that comment. But now you have switched it up and are blaming Rafa fans for making others leave.

I well remember when I posted here regularly a few years ago. It was a challenging prospect to try to post as a Rafa fan. The Fed fans were the clear majority and didn’t have much tolerance for Rafa fans. They made it pretty tough here and then even followed us over to TT to continue the battle.

As holdserve said, I have only posted a few times, so I won’t have to shoulder the responsibility for dragging down this site. Perish the thought! I don’t think Rafa fans are driving anyone away. There are some people here who you couldn’t drive away with a crowbar.

As for Madmax, this is someone who spent almost as much time harassing Rafa fans on TT as she spent here. Her comments do not surprise me in the least. It was also interesting to read the ongoing comments trashing TT before it went under. Some people seemed positively obsessed. But those of us who posted at TT for some time, know what it felt like to be targeted and attacked by select people from this site.

The bad blood is still evident. That’s why I know that I can’t post here on a regular basis. I don’t intend to let myself be blamed for people leaving or anything else that happens on this site.


tennisx hippy chic Says:

Danny Morris verbally bullied anyone who was a Rafa or Murray fan prior to the Wimbledon final,even the Novak fans like Jane and Courbon whom said they were cautious and didnt want to count their chickens before the final,they were both accused of not been true Novak fans,so IMO this bullying is not just exclusive to Rafa fans,its just some fans and the way that they are unfortunatly.


Ben Pronin Says:

Native new Yorker, I get annoyed when bashing of anyone gets out of hand. When someone says something baseless about Nadal and his clay records I think it’s dumb. Same way it’s ridiculous to say Djokovic is getting dominated by his rivals. Last year he ended up with winning records over Murray and Federer although Nadal did get him. This year he hasn’t faced Federer but he’s 1-1 with the other 2. And yet he’s the worst number 1 in years?

I don’t lump all Nadal fans together. There are some good ones. MMT? Voicemail? Kimberly and Alison. But the ones who post the most like nadalista and Giles are horrible. I think mem is pretty good even though he (she? ) disagrees with just about everything I say.

But if Federer fans were so horrible in the past is that why Nadal fans are returning the favor? Then why are they so nasty towards Djokovic fans? And they’ll probably be nasty towards Murray and his legion and soon as he gets some big wins over Nadal, too.


Josh39485 Says:

Fans bashing each other has become inevitable. Sweeping generalizations have become inevitable.
The amount of hate for each top player has been perpetually increasing – Youtube is where you’ll find the greatest number of trolls, although Bleacher Report and TT are 2 other good places to look. Mostly, these people are little children who know nothing about tennis and use the comments sections as an excuse to bad-mouth other people; it’s easy to tell because they are never commenting during normal school hours.

Even on the ATP site, I’ve been praying that they just get rid of the facebook comments section; each time I scroll through an article/match report, I find fans going at each others’ throats – no-one bothers to back down, they just argue for the sake of arguing. Sometimes I’ve felt ashamed to be a Federer fan based purely on the comments made by some idiots who start a fight. Then, we get vicious attacks by further idiotic Rafa fans, who also bring Djokovic into the conversation, which then sets off the short-tempered Nole fans, and somehow the arguments end with Murray fans getting involved once everyone starts hating on Murray.

No way of ending this, really. It would be good if we could preserve all such comments pages and get the Big 4 to read them after they’ve all retired, and realise exactly what has been going on behind the scenes whilst they’ve been out on the courts achieving more than anyone else on the internet.

Well, there’s that rant over.


Brando Says:

@Ben:

Please Ben- knock off the BS will ya?

It’s tiresome, one note, predictable, silly and above all else: Old.

Another Fed fan trying to paint a picture where he lumps Rafa fans together and calls them a problem.

Now that’s news.

Correction: old news!

Please give it a rest. Just look at the angelic behaviour of some so called Fed fans and then play the morale police to Rafa fans will you.

This goes to you and all posters:

IF a certain poster gets on your nerve: scroll down.

IF someone consistently grates you with silly childish comments: scroll down.

Or better yet: complain to the TX admin, they’ll deal with it.

But please:

do not moan about it. Especially when generalization’s are made that are nothing other than tribal views that are long held and plain old predictable.

This BS needs to stop. So don’t add to it by talking this rubbish.

Over and out!


Josh39485 Says:

Actually, another thing:

In fact, now that it comes to this, what is the purpose of even being a die-hard fan? I mean – it’s a fantastic feeling when your idol achieves great things, but usually I feel as if it’s just like trying to live life through someone else’s success. In an ideal world, we’d all sit back and appreciate the sport for what it really is.

The worst time of the year? Without a doubt when Wimbledon comes round. Since I live in England, all my regular threads become full of several ill-informed Brits who suddenly pretend to become tennis experts over a period of 2 weeks. They either jump on the Murray bandwagon and call everyone else crap, or someone sparks off the age-old English/Scottish/British debate and ruins the entire experience for true fans of the sport.


Fedster Says:

Ben Pronin Says:

“Last year he ended up with winning records over Murray and Federer although Nadal did get him. This year he hasn’t faced Federer but he’s 1-1 with the other 2. And yet he’s the worst number 1 in years?”

Ben

Instead of personal attacks please try something objective once (for a change)

Can you please name the worst world number one in the past 10 yrs “objectively” ?


Ben Pronin Says:

The past 10 years? I think Djokovic is a better number 1 than Nadal. If we include 2003, then surely Ferrero and Roddick are way worse number 1s. So, of the whopping 5, he’s the second or third best number 1 we’ve had. Oh woe is him.


Skeezer Says:

Apparently Rafafanics didn’t really read Ben’s
last post.
This is typical of the rabid rafafanatic fan, who can’t discuss with actual knowledge, just the lashing of toungues routine at posters. A TT specialty.
I have seen Ben post for years and to say he is a Fed fanatical fan with bias is like saying whote is black. He. Actually has written for T-X and at times has wrote fair stuff.

#muchtolearnyougpadawans
#quickwiththetype,slowwiththebrain.


Steve 27 Says:

Margot, you demonstrate the true meaning of what is really a true fan. Not like others who are jumping on the bandwagon winner. I’m sure as the months pass, the legion of fans of Andy will be increased significantly.


Steve 27 Says:

jamie, who will win AO 2014, RG 2014, Wimbledon 2014 and UO 2014. to bet some money.


Steve 27 Says:

If you read Tx in 2006 or 2007, the posters back then of the crying man are horrendous and very nasty to Rafa Nadal especially, and in a minor level to Djokovic compared to what some person described as unpleasant fans. Go over previous years and will tell you I no lie.


Skeezer Says:

Referring to 5;36 post. Read and respond. Ben speaks truth. This is the true, not the ocd tt true. HR knows.

#mylovemyrafa
#allaboutarmaniorknee
#rafainbikiniwetdream


metan Says:

Skeezer at 10:40 pm lol. those highlights are killing me.


skeezer Says:

@metan
;)
Good luck in Montreal. He has a duck draw and hope the knee holds up. Quality draw, looks like a fun one to follow. He should go far!


Brando Says:

@Skeezer:

1.07 post Skeez: we need more of him!

Me like! ;-)


Nativenewyorker Says:

Ben,

I have a great deal of respect for you, even though I don’t always agree with you. I know you are a big Djokovic fan. I do not subscribe to anyof this trashing of his record. He has been able to hold onto the #1 ranking for most of the last two years. That deserves respect. I do think that he has been somewhat inconsistent in the quality of his tennis this year, but he continues to at least get to the semis of slams, if not the finals.

He has won the AO, semis at RG and Wimbledon and now should be looking forward to the North American hard court season. For what it’s worth, you will not hear me trash him or demean his record. I respect the top players in this game. It’s not easy to stay at the top in this sport and still Djokovic is there. So all credit is due to him. He’s not the worst number one as far as I am concerned.

You mentioned a few great Rafa fans. I have enjoyed reading their posts. I have to say that I love Mem, because you always know where she is coming from.

I can only speak for myself. I only brought up the past for the purpose of making my point. However, I am not about getting even with the Fed fans over the past. That’s not why I have tried to come back here to post. I also will make it clear that I do not begrudge Djokovic’s wins over Rafa. They were well deserved. There is no enmity on my part for Djokovic or his real fans, not the trolls who have cropped up here and on TT before it closed down, to go after people like Jane for supposedly not being a good enough Djokovic fan. Yes, I am talking about Danny Morris. That’s someone who could really drive people away.

Finally, I do like nadalista. I know her from TT and have enjoyed some great discussions about all things tennis. So I guess we will have to agree to disagree about her.

Once the tennis starts, I will make the attempt to join in the discussion in good faith. If I can do that, fine, if not then I will know to leave.


Nativenewyorker Says:

Sorry, I had to come on here to correct my previous post before someone jumps all over me. Of course, Djokovic did get to the final at Wimbledon by beating Delpo in a very memorable match.

I don’t know how I managed to get that wrong, but just wanted to set the record straight.


John Says:

Ben Speaks the truth, if anyone should stop the BS its Nadalista and Giles, not BEN!

Nadal fans will stick up for the worst of there ”kiddy club”.

They don’t say a word about the endless abuse by there kiddy club members, as soon as someone brings it up, hooray- they’re here to defend their little trolls.

No values, no standards, no morals, no life, couch potatoes. Those are the things these horrible, horrible posters have in common

Don’t try silence the Messenger.

These dreadful woodworms should be smoked out, they are making this site rotten.

Ive seen 5 year old girls show more intelligence and wit than this bunch. Its as if these in-house Nadalits are experiencing puberty while screaming at a Bieber concert, while writing comments on TX on there Smart phones.

Time for a clean house, smoke em out.


harry Says:

@Bada Bing:

Re Nadal fans: as hippy chic, Ben and NNY have said, Nadal has his share of good and bad fans [like every other player]. I think it is a case of selection bias in all of us [at least it is difficult to get away from selection bias] that fans of a player notice the bad ones of another player when their own favorite gets bullied [but don’t when the bullies happen to be fans of their own favorites].

Re all good posters leaving: again, it just appears so. Some of the regular posters are taking a break (for personal and other reasons); but there are many good ones who are posting — during my quick scan of the thread, i spotted many. For instance: hippy chic, courbon, Wog boy, the DA, Ben, skeezer, Colin, and others.

This is a short off-season (between Wimbledon and the USO series) and nature of the discussion is usually different at these times — sometimes it can get analytical & interesting, but at others it can be just bickering.

@hippy chic:

Re Jane: if it was a bad case of bullying, may be, some of us should have written something at that time (i missed those posts)… But i think Wog boy also gets bullied quite often (for his ethnicity and otherwise); it is not clear to me when other posters should intervene: personally, I wrote against two sets of attacks (when i thought it was too much) — once when Margot was bullied last year, and when Contador was abused earlier this year. My own view is that there should be a stronger “yellow/red card” system here :-) But with regards to that, I seem to be in the minority here (jane did say that last year)…


tennisx hippy chic Says:

Harry hi Jane is posting on the bracket challenge,and has said that she wont be posting here on TX as the joy has gone out of it,with all the Nole hatred that went with Wimbledon,whether she has decided on this indefinetly i dont know?likewise Contador has said the same?this is very sad and i would hope they will be just changing their minds at a later date after having a break,and likewise Bada Bing?i agree in that the moderation could be much better than it is,the comments are borderline downright plain nasty,not to mention unsavoury at times,its supposed to be a game which we all enjoy after all,having said that ill stick around as theres still some good stuff,well for now anyway.


tennisx hippy chic Says:

Harry i like the idea of posters been given a warning for bullying,then a ban ifit continues,its deciding where you draw that line though i suppose hmmm.


harry Says:

@Hippy Chic:

You are, as usual, a great poster to read; yeah, i too hope that the others turn up after a break :-) Talk to you later — i’ve got a busy week :-)


nadalista Says:

Jeez, Fed hits a rough patch and the bullies come outta the woodworks, frothing like there’s no tomorrow……..

Carry on lads, hope you feel better after your hissy-fits……

So looking forward to Rafa’s first match……..

Vamos Rafa!!


tennisx hippy chic Says:

Harry :-)) yeah me too see ya lol.


Margot Says:

@ harry
I was very grateful when u stuck up for me. Also, recently Brando and Kimberly gave me support and, again, it was really good.
Jane and I were horribly bullied by Danny Morris and co, and it felt awful. And Andy was ridiculed and diminished in every post. If he’d lost Wimbledon I would not have returned, because I knew it would’ve been intolerable. But presumable this is what DM wanted?
Anyway, nice to have you back and I’m still standing too :)


tennisx hippy chic Says:

Margot it would be nice if Danny Morris would just swallow his pride,and turn up and offer an apology to yourself and all Andys fans with whom he said some horrible things too,also it would be nice if he were to say ok Murray might not be my favorite player,but he was indeed a worthy winner at Wimbledon,it shows class to be a gracious looser,makes you look a better person when you hold your hands up and say sorry i got it wrong,personally i dont think ill be holding my breath waiting for that apology somehow,for what its worth i dont think i would have retuned either had Andy lost Wimbledon,i can only imagine what the forum would have been like.


Giles Says:

@ nadalista. Do you think fed is proud of his fans?
@ John Me thinks you should be smoked out. Ranting and raving like an an under nourished school kid. Jeez!! Before you start criticising Nadalista and myself, try looking closer to home. You are probably depressed due to your fave’s lay off but that is no excuse to vent your venom and hatred towards other posters.
#BeWithColm


nadalista Says:

@Giles,

Honestly, I couldn’t care less what Fed thinks of his fans, or what his fans think of me for that matter, best to let that movie run it’s course….bullies will be bullies.

You must understand, spewing venom and hatred towards other posters, especially Rafans, is a coping mechanism for these folks……nothing new there. Best to just observe the melt-downs, from afar,…….with “colm”.

You would think that by now they “get” that some of us are un-intimidatable…….

More important things to look forward to,no? Our guy playing in Montreal!

Vamos!!


Giles Says:

@nadalista. Absolutely right. :)
Vamos King!!


Josh39485 Says:

What is everyone smoking here? :)


Ben Pronin Says:

NNY, I think we all know I am not a big Danny Morris fan. I always say tennis has the worst fans. That goes for all the players. Right now it’s the uber Nadal fan club running the show. I don’t really get why, to be honest. I guess anticipation for this part of the season for him since he missed it last year? Either way, I don’t think there should be room for all the bashing (I don’t care if someone talks about how good looking a player is, that’s not a negative).

Nadalista, why are you pretending you’re not a bully?


Tennis fan Says:

I don’t know why people are relying on Jamie’s predictions. He hasn’t got all his predictions right this year. I hope Murray doesn’t win US Open 2013 as I can’t stand anymore of the hype with the British media.


Kimberly Says:

@NNY—great posts above. I would lurk a little on tennis talk and always read your posts anmd enjoyed them as you read mine. I remember you from when you posted here before when there were very few Rafa fans. While there are many more Rafa fans here there are less quality in the posts than there were before. I am glad to have you back as I consider your posts very high level in terms of the content. And Ben Pronin, while he makes some silly comments, also I respect as a poster.

To me a great tennis site is a mix of quality tennis talk about current players and game, match commnetary and analysis, historical conversation, technical tennis talk for those who play, a few jokers like Humble Rafa, Great Davy etc, even a little personal info while I know its frowned on (i think its cool that we have people from all over the world united by our love of this awesome sport) What I do not believe there is room for is personal attacks and insults of posters that make them feel unconfortable or unwelcome.


James Says:

nadalista is a bully? News to me!


James Says:

Btw aren’t Murray, Federer, Del Potro and Djokovic losing some ranking points they got from last year’s Olympic Games? Can anyone confirm please?


nadalista Says:

@James 11:45 am,

Hehehe! Careful, you may be construed as “defending” evil @nadalista and singled out for retribution……and in any case, you are a Rafan, therefore biased…….

Seriously though, everyone is entitled to their opinion, not offended at all. Didn’t even scroll up to see the source of the said opinion.

Montreaaaaaaal!!

Vamos!!


Giles Says:

@James. Olympic points dropped off today.


Legend Says:

James Says:
nadalista is a bully? News to me!

August 5th, 2013 at 11:45 am

Ofcourse nadalista is a bully. Dont you know this simple fact ?
Anyone who doesnt agree with Ben or Skeez and worship fed and nole is a bully….simple.


Brando Says:

Re bullying: Whom is getting bullied? By who? And over what? And who says they are getting bullied? Who is accusing others of being bullies? Since IF it all is the likes of Skeezer and Ben accusing the likes of Giles and Nadalista being bullies then: LMFAO- I’m sorry you’ll get nothing but hysterical laughter from me as opposed to agreement. Folks need to take a good look at their OWN posting history and long held prejudice before mouthing off and calling others ‘bullies’. They might be taken more seriously if it didn’t look like pot calling kettle black as it does in their case! Stop with the nonsense, the silly accusations and look forward to the USO swing!


skeezer Says:

“nadalista is a bully?”

Left hand can’t fathom the right hand cause they are on the same Bod.

“Anyone who doesnt agree with GIles or nadalista and worship Rafa and Rafa is a bully….simple.”

#thatsshebully
#mirrormirroronthewall


James Says:

just being honest, @nadalista. I haven’t seen you bully any poster and I don’t think you do. I’ve only seen you respond to other posters when they attack you first or take a pot shot at Rafa with their comments.

@Giles, I see. The ATP site hasn’t updated their ranking points yet then. If Murray loses 750 points, I don’t see him taking the year end no.1 ranking unless he defends his US Open title and win a couple more Masters. The fight for the year end no.1 is gonna come down to Novak and Rafa I guess. Novak is the slight favorite considering we’re entering the HC season now.


jamie Says:

SLAM WINNERS

USO 2013 Murray
AO 2014 Djokovic
RG 2014 Nadal
Wimbledon 2014 Murray
USO 2014 Del Potro


Margot Says:

@ Ben
If nalalista is a “bully” what the heck were Danny Morris, Djkovich23 etc etc?
@NNY
Brilliant post.


James Says:

@Legend, I see. Quite a few bullies around here then, no?


Brando Says:

@Margot: LOL, Danny Morris was a poster with a self professed superior intelligence. Apprarently. If that translates into being a complete numpty and harassing others for no need, then: yeah, he was superior to everyone here. By a colossal margin too. Long may he keep his superiority away from here!


James Says:

Believe it or not, Danny Morris was praise by some posters here for his “tennis knowledge” whilst the dude went on with his “claydal” “lady-forehand” comments, and acussing other posters of not being genuine Nole fan because they supposedly made some remarks about Federer/Mirka a few centuries ago.


James Says:

LOL @Brando, Danny Morris was indeed a superior internet bully.


nadalista Says:

Thanks guys for your support!

Wish you could all join me for a G & T at this point……..so, in lieu thereof I will drink to your good health!

*clink*

….and do have a laff………


Giles Says:

@James. ATP site has been updated. ND 12040, AM 8610, DF 7120, RN 6860, RF 5515. These are the ranking points as of today.


Brando Says:

@James:

No way!

The only one poster I saw praise DM was LONG LIVE THE KING- and he said that DM was a friend of his!

Honestly- the way I see it is:

1- ALL posters from ALL sides should relax. Take it easy and not invest too much meaning, attachment and emotion into posting on here.

2- Take it all in jest: NO ONE knows anyone here. All we are is folks who like the game of tennis and wish to talk about it.

No more or less.

3- Not take things personally: Sometimes some ‘Danny Morris type’s’ can make a personnel remark. Sadly that seems to be something that moderation cannot stop here: so I say folks should not take it seriously at all.

The internet gives a voice to some nasty characters online sadly. Folks who are sensitive should:

1- Recognize it
2- IF they spot such a poster then ignore their posts entirely
3- And KNOW that ‘resident posters’ who are familiar to them know better as to how they truly are

IMHO:

Their has not been one poster BAR DANNY MORRIS that I thought was a nasty poster in my entire time here on TX.

I pretty much have liked them all.

– Dave?: Went a bit out of hand at times but I liked him. He was different for sure.

– Sienna?: Amusing. Greatly amusing.

– Contador?: We had our back and forth akin to Skeez, Giles and Nadalista, but for me it wasn’t anything other than cheap banter on here.

Beyond that I cannot really think of another ‘character’ on here that has taken my notice as being something a touch different from what pretty much everyone else is:

reasonably nice, mannered and with their own way of seeing the game of Tennis.

It’s all good as far as I am concerned: just the big matches need to get here sooner!


Josh39485 Says:

@Brando Great post! I’m reasonably new here, so am not familiar with all these guys. Though the thing is, can we all adhere to those guidelines? If we can, we might all actually be able to enjoy some tennis over the next month in the lead up to the US Open!


James Says:

^ fully agree with you @Brando. Folks shouldn’t take things said here too seriously or personal. I don’t have a problem with any poster as of now. I had no problem with DM either but he clearly wasn’t being nice to some posters.
I think having different views on tennis, players, doping, it’s all good as long as we don’t resort to insults.

@Giles, thanks for the update.


Ben Pronin Says:

If they shouldn’t take things so seriously or personally then why do we get a flurry of personal attacks on here on a regular basis?

Like I said, Danny Morris was far from my favorite poster.


Brando Says:

@James, Josh:

Thanks.

I think we will all enjoy the USO series.

The thing is:

Post Wimby there has been a long break of inactivity from the top players.

Fans get restless.

So they resort to the old back and forth bickering in the absence of tennis.

Once Montreal truly starts on Wednesday, IMHO, all will be fine and minds will be focused on the here and now- that is on the Tennis.

This is all a storm in a cup of tea IMO.

Just nothing at all.

Now: speaking of Tea, excuse me for a while will you? I’m in need for some!


skeezer Says:

^Soo true. As an example, if I say:

RAFA STINKS

?? Suddenly, the fanatical armada turns into Darth Vader types ( more heavier breathing though with horns )

Love how they say “Danny Morris” types, like he had a “group”. LOL….


skeezer Says:

^off Ben’s post


skeezer Says:

http://www.livetennis.com/category/Livetennis-news/Guillermo-Vilas-expects-Roger-Federer-to-bounce-back-201308030004/

Well there is a least one qualified person out there who think Fed is gonna come back with measure.


Giles Says:

^^^ bounce back or bounced off? That is the question!! Lol


Josh39485 Says:

^ @skeezer Yeah but tbh, it’s Vilas and he’s come up this time with an outrageous prediction which, as much as I’d like to happen, has close to zero chance of happening


skeezer Says:

@josh

With you on that, but we all don’t know as much about Fed as Vilas does. Just saying…..

#hopeful


James Says:

My thoughts exactly @Brando. Once the top players are in action again, hopefully all the talks discussions become about tennis again.

@skeezer, I don’t think Roger is done winning tournaments yet. I mean it. If he’s fit, I still see him capable of taking on the other big boys on tour. It wasn’t just his tennis skills that won him those 17 Slams. I would give up on him only when he stops believing in himself or just can’t compete anymore physically.


James Says:

Enjoy your cuppa tea, @Brando! :)
I’m afraid, I’m gonna have to do with some beers here instead.


James Says:

Ben,

If someone is rude or a bullying type, it’s who they are regardless of who their fav player is. I try to ignore such type. I post my opinions here re tennis players, their rivalries, tournaments, etc. If anyone disagrees with me (as I sometimes do with other posters), it’s all fine with me. I don’t claim to know everything because I clearly don’t.
I hope I have not offended anyone with my posts.


Nina Says:

I think this tournament suits Novak better than anyone else. He’s won it many times and he always plays great in Montreal. Only threat will be Murray, i don’t think Nadal can beat Novak here.


James Says:

A good preview of the Rogers Cup. The writer picks Novak to beat Rafa in the semi final and Andy to beat Novak for the title.

http://www.thesportreview.com/tsr/2013/08/montreal-masters-2013-preview-novak-djokovic-andy-murray-rafael-nadal/


Josh39485 Says:

@James – If that happens that would be great for me, seeing as that’s exactly what I predicted in my ATP draw! :D


Andrew Miller Says:

Would say Delpo has the hot hand, Haas too.


Brando Says:

@James: the tea was good but the humble pie I’m handing Nina out of charity tastes even better. gluten free of course!:-)


Brando Says:

Nice preview by the way. Thanks for it. I reckon they all have a good chance as one another here. Starting off at a similar point: barring delpo. Juan Martin could win here me thinks.


Nativenewyorker Says:

@Kimberly,

Regarding your post @11:44 AM, thanks so much for your kind words. I appreciate it. I have hopefully learned from my prior experience on this site in the past. I now realize that it’s not necessary to confront anyone who disses Rafa. It can get to be a full time job! Sometimes it’s best to ignore those comments and move on.

As I said, I did not come here to settle past grudges. I do not hate any of the top players. I can appreciate them for the unique qualities they bring to this sport. We are lucky to be seeing a Golden Age in men’s tennis. I think it’s going to get even more competitive.

I also understand some of the long time posters feeling uncomfortable with some people coming over from TT. That’s why I haven’t posted much. I am testing the waters. If it can work and I can contribute to the tennis discussion, then all well and good. I love this sport.

One last thing. The post from John @5:54 AM is the kind of post that concerns me greatly. Way too much anger there.


Nativenewyorker Says:

Ben,

I wanted to say one more thing to you. I defended Djokovie on TT a while back when he was being attacked. I don’t remember exactly what the issue was at the time. I know that there was the ankle injury he had right before the clay season started. I don’t remember if that was the issue or it was something else.

I was called out by a long time Rafa fan for being supportive of Djokovic. It was quite surreal and uncomfortable. I was called our for being Djokovic’s new champion. So it’s not as though all Rafa fans are of one mind.

I did not back down in my defense of Djokovic. But it was a reminder that there isn’t absolute unity among Rafa fans. So I have gotten into trouble with fellow Rafa fans for standing up for another player.


Ben Pronin Says:

NNY, that happens with the craziest of fans. Alison has been accused to hating Nadal or being anti-Nadal or whatever before for not defending the idea that he’s the perfect human. I mean, it’s nuts. I was called a Federer hater a few years ago for criticizing his play in the Masters events.

I apologize for clumping the Nadal fans in the same group. It’s obvious there are a number of sensible fans, they’re just not as loud as the insane ones.


Kimberly Says:

NNY and Ben—I often call myself a bad Rafa fan in that I have very little interest in him until he dons the bandana and walks out on the court. Then I am obsessed. There is no one that will root harder for him than I. that footwork, the forehand, the speed, the anticipation and the bandana. That’s my boy.

Like NNY I see no need to trash or disrespect other great players who have worked very hard for their spot at the top and are just as good or perhaps better. Do I like Djokovic, NO. Do I respect his tennis, of course. I always rather liked Federer. To like one does not mean you have to hate the other.

NOW, I understand where some Fed fans dislike Rafa. Can you blame them? Can you blame Rafa fans for resenting Djokovic? It’s not the dislike that I see as wrong, its disrespect. It’s when you fail to acknowledge that greatness of the other. I acknowledge Djokovic has an amazing game, speed, power, strokes. But after 7 finals in a row do I like him. NO!

I am pretty much a one man woman. If Rafa loses in a tournament I root for the winner to be the one who will make Rafa loss less meaningful, not pass or put him out of reach in the rankings. My loyalty is to Rafa. But he does things that annoy me and as I said, I have almost zero interest in him off the court, less than other players even. In fact, I find his interviews state and canned (except when he responded to Gulbis nonsense that was great!)


Brando Says:

@Kimberly:

Great post. Especially in reference to your support of Rafa. Vamos! :-)


Giles Says:

http://alturl.com/iswea
Nice to see, fed fans supporting Rafa!


James Says:

lol @Giles, they’re just trying to get his autograph. Rafa’s a big name in the sporting world, you know. I would do the same if Roger was standing in front of me.


James Says:

“i don’t think Nadal can beat Novak here.”

That’s what almost everyone’s saying, Nina. Rafa’s last win against Novak on the HC was in 2010 USO final. So, I don’t blame them for thinking that Rafa has no chance against Novak on cement. It is up to Rafa to prove his doubters wrong. I think he will. He should.


Giles Says:

Rafa’s doubles match is on tomorrow at 12 noon local time.
Vamos!


Steve 27 Says:

thanks jamie, with Andy in the U.S. Open I will earn a lot of money.


James Says:

Btw has anyone read this yet? It’s Serbian doubles player Zimonjic on his summer practice with Nadal, said Rafa reminds him of Agassi.

http://rafaelnadalfans.com/2013/08/05/nenad-zimonjic-talks-about-his-summer-practice-with-rafael-nadal/


skeezer Says:

@ Kimberly

We need more fans like YOU ;)


Nadalista Says:

@James 6:01 pm;

Thanks! Interesting perspective from Zimo………


nadalista Says:

http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013/08/liftoff/48641/#.UgCed21RCDc

“For a month, fans of men’s tennis have subsisted on a sad diet of Viktor Troicki’s needle panic, Marin Cilic’s glucose overdose, and Roger Federer’s new-racquet act. It’s been a meager few weeks, but today the men will finally move on—minus those three players—in Montreal. A new season, with more and hopefully happier story lines, commences this week.”

Quite, Tiggy. Enough of the distractions, time to move on to the real stuff, tennis…….

Like most pundits, he’s picking Novak to win the whole thang………….we gonna see, no?

Vamos Montreal!!


Nativenewyorker Says:

@Kimberly,

Regarding your comment at 3:58 pm, I can appreciate where you are coming from. It was a real wakeup call when a longtime Rafa fan called me out for saying something supportive about Djokovic. That made me realize that there are some fans who will not tolerate anyone who says something nice or positive about a player who is not their favorite. I don’t get that at all.

Rafa respects the other top players. So why shouldn’t I do the same? It takes nothing away from my support for Rafa. I still am a huge fan. It is all about Rafa when he is playing. But that doesn’t blind me to the things that the other top players bring to this sport. I just call it as I see it. Sometimes I will be critical of the other top players if I feel it’s warranted.

I don’t converse with that Rafa fan anymore. If I even thought that maybe Rafa might not win a match and said so, I was again called out for not being a loyal Rafa fan. I try to be cautious in my predictions. If I am not sure that Rafa will win, then I will say so. I don’t subscribe to blind fanaticism.

I do get why some Fed fans don’t like Rafa. I wasn’t happy to see Djokovic beat Rafa seven times in a row. But hate him? No way!

I am somewhat different from you in that I do keep up with Rafa’s activities off the tennis court at times. I also really like his press conferences because when he talks about his game it’s extremely informative. He is honest about where he’s at, what he did well and what isn’t working. I love his insight.


tennis fan Says:

To Jamie,

You have been writing Roger off, you have done it again. Write Roger off at your own peril. I hope your predictions are wrong. Some you made earlier this year with other tournaments were wrong. I hope your Grand Slams are wrong. I don’t know why people are relying on your predictions.


tennisx hippy chic Says:

Nativenewyorker if i can chime in there for a second and say,i also know how it feels to have your status as a genuine Rafa fan questioned,as a Rafa fan he might be my favorite,but like yourself and Kimberly i dont think hes perfect by a long chalk,i have defended him when i think hes deserves it,and critiqued him when i think he deserves it,likewise with both Roger and Nole,and i agree in that sometimes this forum has been awfull to post on at times if your a Rafa fan,which it was a year ago when he was out injured,he was refered to as a hopeless cripple that belonged in a wheelchair,someone who would prostitute his own mother for money,having relations with Larry Ellison to get the conditions slowed down at IW,having relations with Monaco,his gender questioned,some really sick and personal stuff,that should have no placing on an internet forum,one poster told me get used to it the more Rafa looses the worse this forum will get,so presumably as a Rafa fan he wanted me gone,so i think its fair to say that this forum might sometimes get a bit Nadal heavy,but all the same,the guy and his fans sure as hell have to stomach their fair share of negativity too.

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