Stan the Grand Slam Man: Australian Open Reaction

by Ben Pronin | January 28th, 2014, 12:08 am
  • 148 Comments

In the fourth round of the 2013 Australian Open, the two time defending champion and world number one Novak Djokovic took on the 15th seeded Stanislas Wawrinka. At the time, Djokovic was 11-2 against Wawrinka, not having lost to the Swiss since 2006 and not even dropping a set since 2009. He was the favorite not just for the match, but for the entire tournament. But rather than coasting, Djokovic found himself down 1-6 2-5 before righting the ship and eventually outlasting Wawrinka 12-10 in a five set epic. Little did we know, this was only the beginning.

Wawrinka would go on to have his best season to date. He reached the quarterfinal stage of the French Open before reaching his first major semifinal at the US Open. In New York, Wawrinka plowed through defending champion Andy Murray and 2012 semifinalist Tomas Berdych before losing to Djokovic in another long 5 set clash. Wawrinka’s year would be capped off with his first appearance in the World Tour Finals where he went 2-1 in round robin play and lost to the eventual champion in the semifinals: Djokovic, of course.

While Wawrinka put up consistent results throughout the year, he only bagged one title, a 250 event on clay in Portugal. Two of his four opponents were ranked well outside the top 100. He did reach a Masters final, also on clay, in Madrid, falling to the King of Clay himself, Rafael Nadal. So in a way, Wawrinka’s first major championship at this past Australian Open was both a year in the making, and completely out of left field.


Wawrinka is now 10-0 on the year, having won a warm-up event in Chennai. The irony? This is the first year of Wawrinka’s entire career where he won multiple titles in a single season. Pause and digest. Stan Wawrinka played incredible tennis in Australia. He mixed brutal and physical tennis with sublime shot making and flair. He dominated with his serve, blasted winners from the baseline, and mixed in enough volleys to make you think forays to net are still a viable option. He did it all and he did it great.

After Wawrinka’s dramatic win over Djokovic in the quarterfinals, I received a text from a friend asking “Is Wawrinka good now, or does he just trouble Djokovic?” I answered, “A little bit of both.” But I think we can all admit that Wawrinka is simply great now. He’s a grand slam champion, the first player to beat Djokovic and Nadal to win a major title. Nothing came easy, although at times he certainly made it look that way.

The great thing about Wawrinka’s win is that he’s flipped the tennis world on its head. Going into the match, everyone expected Nadal to get his 14th major and second career slam. There was chatter about a calendar slam, his lead in the rankings would be as big as his biceps (not that it isn’t huge anyway), and he would be the undisputed number 1. Now it’s not as clear. Nadal is definitely number 1, but will he sustain it? How will this new injury affect him?

I’m legitimately wondering if Wawrinka can become number 1. As of now, he’s a favorite to win the US Open. He’s capable on clay, and he’s pushed Andy Murray on grass before. So if he can stay consistent and bag a few more big titles, who knows? The great thing is, even if Wawrinka’s career were to end today, he’d have a left a huge mark on tennis history.

Final Thoughts

-When Djokovic played two horrendous points to lose in the quarterfinals, a lot of people were putting the nail in his coffin. And while the end of the match was certainly trouble, the loss doesn’t look nearly as bad as it did originally. Now we can say Djokovic was the only player to come anywhere close to beating the most in form player of the moment.

-Everyone is assuming Murray will be in prime shape to defend his Wimbledon title. However, while he did well in reaching the quarters, he didn’t face any quality opposition and showed some physical limitations in his loss to Federer. I hope the best for Murray, but he only has, at most, 3 more tournaments on his preferred surface before moving to clay, the surface that hurts his back the most. Even if he’s ready to defend Wimbledon, he might have a tough time moving through a draw given his current ranking is 6th. Especially considering Wawrinka actually has a better record against Murray than any other member of the Former Big 4.

-If not for Federer, Sampras would still be the most decorated slam champion. If not for Nadal, Federer would have 20+ slams. If not for Djokovic, Nadal would have surpassed Federer by now. If not for Nadal’s physical brand of tennis and willingness to sacrifice his body for glory, he wouldn’t be anywhere close to the GOAT discussion. Nadal’s injury was unfortunate, but it takes nothing away from Wawrinka’s win. Although Nadal certainly tried to fully undermine Stan’s win by saying he felt something during the warm-up, he showed no signs of injury until visibly tweaking something when he was down a break in the second set. And he was obviously hampered for a few games when he came back from his MTO. But I find nothing classy about saying that he was injured before the match even started. Say you got the injury when you called the MTO and leave it at that.

Also, Nadal’s blister dominated the headlines for most of the second week. This one may or may not be Nadal’s fault, but the hype around it was ridiculous. Murray was playing his second tournament after back surgery and this barely got mentioned. No matter how you cut it, and I’m sure Nadal will agree, a back injury is significantly more severe than a bloody blister.

Looking forward to a great 2014!


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148 Comments for Stan the Grand Slam Man: Australian Open Reaction

keenan Says:

An insightful summary, thanks. I was frequently frustrated with the blister talk. Nadal himself said it only affected his serve and yet his serve % and speed didn’t alter materially. No asterix should accompany Stan’s much deserved and overdue Grand Slam win.


malher Says:

luv the article!!!!


Steve 27 Says:

So Pronin doesnt know how the media works?. Are you naive or do I have to explain you?


metan Says:

Ben.
The person who never lost a set against wawa was Rafa not Nole. Can you please check the data ????


tfouto Says:

metan,

read the article. Where on earth does Ben says that?

How old are you?


Okiegal Says:

The hype around the blister was ridiculous……Yes it’s that bloody news media again that won’t let well enough alone. I’m getting to where I can’t hardly stand the press……getting on my last nerve!


Giles Says:

Ben Pronin obviously has a very very short memory in regard to sets joker has lost to Wawa. Wake up Pronin and get your facts straight.


Giles Says:

tfouto. Read first paragraph.


Bad Knee Rules Says:

What is wrong here?
———-
In the fourth round of the 2013 Australian Open, the two time defending champion and world number one Novak Djokovic took on the 15th seeded Stanislas Wawrinka. At the time, Djokovic was 11-2 against Wawrinka, not having lost to the Swiss since 2006 and not even dropping a set since 2009. He was the favorite not just for the match, but for the entire tournament. But rather than coasting, Djokovic found himself down 1-6 2-5 before righting the ship and eventually outlasting Wawrinka 12-10 in a five set epic. Little did we know, this was only the beginning.
———-

Nice article Ben.


tfouto Says:

“In the fourth round of the 2013 Australian Open, the two time defending champion and world number one Novak Djokovic took on the 15th seeded Stanislas Wawrinka. At the time, Djokovic was 11-2 against Wawrinka, not having lost to the Swiss since 2006 and not even dropping a set since 2009. He was the favorite not just for the match, but for the entire tournament. But rather than coasting, Djokovic found himself down 1-6 2-5 before righting the ship and eventually outlasting Wawrinka 12-10 in a five set epic. Little did we know, this was only the beginning.”

Giles.

“At the time, Djokovic was 11-2 against Wawrinka, not having lost to the Swiss since 2006 and not even dropping a set since 2009.”


tfouto Says:

I guess there are people here, who are young enough or passionate enough to dont even read properly the article. They just read a phrase and forget what is between.


Giles Says:

Sorry am I missing something here or have I lost my eyesight?
Didn’t Wawa take 2 sets off joker in AO 2013??


Bad Knee Rules Says:

Keep trying!
———-
In the fourth round of the 2013 Australian Open, the two time defending champion and world number one Novak Djokovic took on the 15th seeded Stanislas Wawrinka. At the time, Djokovic was 11-2 against Wawrinka, not having lost to the Swiss since 2006 and not even dropping a set since 2009.
———-


tfouto Says:

Again. Read carefully. You will get there.

“At the time, Djokovic was 11-2 against Wawrinka, not having lost to the Swiss since 2006 and not even dropping a set since 2009.”


gonzalowski Says:

Nice reading as always, BUT:
“…Nadal certainly tried to fully undermine Stan’s win by saying he felt something during the warm-up,…” this is crap IMO, I don’t think Nadal is telling a lie here but the truth, so Ben STOP being mean towards Rafa, you peevish! ;)

“…he showed no signs of injury until visibly tweaking something when he was down a break in the second set…” maybe being surpassed by Wawa was sign of the injury (I say MAYBE)


Giles Says:

Apologies to Pronin. Completely misread the opening paragraph.


Giles Says:

#Nadal
I still think everybody healthy Rafa wins the match. @andyriddick#FOXSportsLive


gonzalowski Says:

People, who do you bet are going to be 2014 RG finalists?


gonzalowski Says:

I still bet on Rafa and Nole


Steve 27 Says:

Rafa of course. Djokovic? Wawrinka and Del Potro can defeat him on clay.


Tootie Says:

I’m glad Stan is No. 1; he has played so well lately. What puzzles me is how he has gotten more attention than Novak ever did for winning it three times.


Giles Says:

I believe Delpo’s right wrist is troubling him now. He is going to see a quack in the States. Hope all will be ok for him.


roy Says:

‘ Nadal’s injury was unfortunate, but it takes nothing away from Wawrinka’s win.’

Of course the injury takes away from Stan’s victory. Nadal tried to not let it take away from Stan’s victory by finishing the match, but of course it does. What planet are you on?

The win has a massive asterisk, and that’s putting it nicely. Stan’s case isn’t helped by the fact he did not even play well after the first set, losing a set to somebody who couldn’t serve over 140km’h or run for balls.

Stan’s performance against Djoker does not change the fact his performance in the final after the first set was mediocre. He almost look like choking it to a wounded bull. And he was LUCKY to get away with the title.

FACT.

‘Although Nadal certainly tried to fully undermine Stan’s win by saying he felt something during the warm-up, he showed no signs of injury until visibly tweaking something when he was down a break in the second set.’

So because you couldn’t visibly see the injury it didn’t exist. Genius. ‘fully tried to undermine’. Please, show you anti-Nadal bias more. The subtlety is killing us.

‘And he was obviously hampered for a few games when he came back from his MTO’

Hampered? You mean serving 140km/h or less serves and not moving, with the crowd absolutely silent waiting for him to retire any moment? That’s not ‘hampered’, that’s crippled in pro-tour terms.

‘A few games’. Laughably dishonest. Did you actually watch the match? He served second serves or slower and didn’t run for gettable balls for TWO SETS at least. How many games in two sets? Tell me you can count past two. And in the fourth set Nadal was playing at 75% tops, which was obvious to anyone watching the speed gun and Nadal’s lack of defense.

You’re either incapable of overcoming an absurd bias, or need to try paying attention during matches.

Stan started very well. Nadal became extremely hampered. Stan almost looked like choking to a wounded bull. Scraped over the line.

This is about the most unconvincing slam victory you’ll get. Not all Stan’s fault. But get real.


gonzalowski Says:

Giles, yes I hope too Martin to be fit.

Agree with roy last message.


Giles Says:

This is the first time in a very long time that Ben Pronin has put pen to paper writing an article. Geez he even shows his hatred in a biased article on which posters are expected to comment. Hey Pronin that “bloody blister” did all the damage to Rafa causing the bad back. He had to tweak his game to accommodate for the blister. Can you hold a racquet and play effectively with that “bloody blister” bearing in mind the location of the blister? Bet you can’t.


Giles Says:

Is the old man Swiss #2 and world #8 playing Davis Cup or is he as usual laying the burden on Wawa?


John Says:

LMAO @ Giles

This guy is too funny.


Margot Says:

“Murray was playing his second tournament after back surgery and this barely mentioned.”
Right on Ben. Now perhaps fair minded Fedfans will admit there’s rather a large * against Fed’s win.
On the other hand they probably wont.


Hippy Chic Says:

Margot exactly it was only Murrays second tournament back,you and the DA both said you would be delighted if he made the second week,you havent made an excuse here all youve done is used a little perspective,sometimes people seem to lack that thinking oh sore loser having a rant,when sometimes there are grey areas instead of things always been black or white.


Hippy Chic Says:

I wonder what Jamie and his pyschic have to say about Stan winning the AO,i bet they never saw this one coming,funny how hes not actually put in an appearance though hmmmm????


van orten Says:

bravoooo article ben…. this is exactly what i like to read. the truth… fed has a great chance in wimby and the upcoming dubai and indian wells should suit him too. waiting for the next mto by rafa..


van orten Says:

well the first two sets there was nothing even a fit murray could have done. he simply ran out of gas in the fourth set. like fed last year after his second 5 set match in a row vs murray ..so this is all part of the sport. i do not know why wins by such a beloved and obviosly talented player as fed get always asterisk.. i mean he lost so many matches he should have never lost and we do not say asterisk here pls. it is just fate at that moment. deal with it. you cannot have it all


Hippy Chic Says:

Federer was the better player against Andy,Stan was the better player against both Rafa and Novak,and its as simple as that really,no astericks,but sometimes a little perspective wouldnt go a miss.


Lesego Says:

No asterix over Stan’s win whatsoever. If an injury prohibits you from playing, you don’t play. If you play, then don’t bring up said injury as excuse for your loss.

Rafa lost, Fed lost, Djoko lost, Murray lost. Deal with it already.


Zeljko Says:

@Tootie
What puzzles me is how he has gotten more attention than Novak ever did for winning it three times.

Well people like to hate more than to complement.
When Joker won his first GS he was not near that publicity. Stan won it in 28 and people are talking of him as a 19 year old prodigy.Very biased and unfair to the achievements of other great players.


Hippy Chic Says:

Zeljko maybe its because Stan has lived for so long in the shadow of Roger that this is such new teritory,also hes 28 years old which is unusual for a player to win their 1st GS,its not unexpected to see a player at the age of 19 winning their 1st ever GS,just a thought,and my two cents,Stans an amazing player but he needs to back this up and quickly simply because of his age and the young players coming through,his chances will get harder and harder,time will tell if hes actually reached his peak all too late?


Emily Says:

@ Giles, Delpo has right wrist issues again? Where did you see that?

I have always loved watching Stan play and he both deserved and earned this win. I don’t see him as future number 1, but he is definitely a force to be reckoned with and the number 3 player in the world. I’m excited for the rest of the season and perhaps there will be less big four talk since only two of them are in the top four in the rankings. (I know there are extenuating circumstances for Murray, but it was just something I noticed yesterday when checking out the rankings).

I wouldn’t go after Rafa for his comment about feeling his back during the warm up. The press wanted him to say that so people who have never heard of Stan could process this result IMHO. We here know Stan’s abilities, but a casual fan doesn’t. I thought the fact that he only allowed two questions about the injury in the press conference was the right call. Him losing in a slam final is a big deal, no matter whether you’re a Rafa fan or not. Am I a so-called vamoshead, no, but do I care when the #1 player is injured b/c of the ripple effect, yes. Also, I don’t like when anyone is injured and can’t play their best tennis.

Let’s just be excited and keep the hating to a minimum considering we’re a month into the season.


Hippy Chic Says:

Lesgo exactly right,but can you please tell that to the very same people that called Rafas year overated last year,simply because Novak wasnt actually good enough to make all those finals that Rafa did make,such is the double standards that go on around here.


Emily Says:

@ Giles, my bad, just read the Delpo article and feel like it’s deja vu all over again


Hippy Chic Says:

Emily theres a thread about Delpos wrist injury just come up if your interested?


skeezer Says:

Ben,
Great read, thanks.
Vamosheads; Stan won. Quit whining. Move on. Just send Rafa a get well soon Card.


Brando Says:

‘ Although Nadal certainly tried to fully undermine Stan’s win by saying he felt something during the warm-up,’:

Well done Ben, thanks for showing your true colours there.

Thanks for informing us that Rafa wanted to undermine and belittle Wawa’s win. We were all fooled thinking otherwise so thank you for using your great, unique insight to all things Rafa and what he intends and shining some light on his evil nature.

Well done Ben, hope Sean and the gang give a well deserved cookie for this revelatory disclosure.


El_Flaco Says:

Great champions sometimes win even with an injury. Federer did it at the 2012 Wimbledon.


metan Says:

Ben.
I am sorry . I had misread your sentences and glad that you decide to write an article again instead of wtite on comments only. Keep up the good works but please don’t so biased about my idol Rafa ;-)


volley Says:

“As of now, he’s a favorite to win the US Open. He’s capable on clay, and he’s pushed Andy Murray on grass before”

Yes I remember the nail biter from Wimbledon 2009 very well. The only other time they met on grass Andy dismantled him in straight sets. Grass is clearly his worst surface. He has had 5 1st round losses at Wimby, including last year, and only reached the 4th round twice. I don’t think he moves as well on it and isn’t comfortable with the lower bounces. Stan has better chances to improve his ranking on HC and clay imo.

As for whether he’s favorite for the USO. Let’s see if he can consolidate his first slam with good results at the next 3/4 Masters. His record at the Masters is relatively unremarkable with only 2 finals and 2 SFs in a 10 year span. I understand the excitement that a breakthrough elicits and the inclination to hype but we’ve seen how 1st time slam winners can suddenly flounder. Hopefully he can keep his head together and ignore all the noise and glare of the spotlight as well as raised expectations.


skeezer Says:

El_Flaco,
Well said!


Giles Says:

@metan. Don’t hold your breath. He is what he is.
#LeopardNeverChangesItsSpots


Giles Says:

Yes indeed “Great champions sometimes win with an injury”.
Ask Rafa. The man has been playing and winning with injuries for most of his career .


the DA Says:

@ El flaco – “Great champions sometimes win even with an injury. Federer did it at the 2012 Wimbledon”

Indeed they do. OTOH, sometimes an injury can lead to upsets by unheralded players like Delbonis and Brands; or even a loss to a previously dominated player like Robredo. Nobody except the player knows how severe the injury is nor the extent to which it inhibits their play or erodes their confidence.

Look at Andy. He was called a drama queen at RG and accused of faking or playing possum by clutching parts of his body. One year later he withdraws from RG, wins Wimbledon and suddenly undergoes an invasive back operation – a hugely risky move for any athlete at the peak of his career. We didn’t saw that coming.

Most players probably play through some level pain and often manage to win. Sometimes we don’t notice, sometimes we can see clear signs that the injury is having an impact: for example, Federer fans knew something was wrong after Wimbledon just due to his erratic serve including many rare audible grunts. I was skeptical until he later confirmed a back issue. Likewise, you know something’s very wrong if Nadal can only roll in 90mph first serves.

It’s petty to say he “undermined” the win when if you read the presser he was bombarded with questions about his back. You’ll see that after his initial answer he continually tries to move on from the subject but they persist in trying to make it the story.


the DA Says:

We didn’t see that coming. oops


Giles Says:

Wawa’s rant to the umpire demanding information on Rafa’s MTO was disgraceful to say the least. Gimelstob who is on the ATP board has said it is privileged information between Trainer and Player. In other words Wawa was completely out of order.
MMT might like to read this post.


Brando Says:

@the DA:

Great post.


SG1 Says:

Good article Sean. Particularly like the “if” paragraph. Who knew there was some Kipling stirring within you?

I agree with you on a lot. I think Stan has announced his arrival and I do believe he’ll make his presence felt for a while.

I also agree that Rafa didn’t need to mention the injury being there before the match. If you’re seriously injured, don’t play. Once you step on the court, there’s no place for excuses. I do believe he was hurting badly but as you said, his actions took credit away from Stan which wasn’t cool.


Okiegal Says:

@DA

That’s exactly what I said in previous posts…..the very first question was about his back…..and two more questions….would not give it up. Rafa was very congenial. They brought up about the Aussie crowd and Rafa said nothing bad about the booing audience. This guy gets no respect. Faking an injury just because he is two sets down??? Don’t think so. You could tell he definitely had a problem. The tears……strictly from disappointment.

Great post, but it will fall on deaf ears!!

This article…..BFB!!


Giles Says:

^^^ But he wasn’t seriously injured before the match. The injury worsened during the match.


Giles Says:

My last post for SG1


the DA Says:

@ SG1 – “Good article Sean”

Wait, is Sean also Ben? Like a (meaner) alter ego? ;)


skeezer Says:

“But he wasn’t seriously injured before the match. The injury worsened during the match.”

Then why did he have to mention it?

#whiner

SG1,

He starting playing well in the 3rd and 4th, Serves picked up in MPH….looked like the pain killlers kicked in to me.


Polo Says:

Now Wawrinka is a bad guy for asking what the medical time out is for. And Nadal is another bad guy for taking the time out. Roger, Novak, Andy, they are also bad people if you listen to the analysis of people who don’t know them. I now believe that all tennis players are evil.


skeezer Says:

Polo,
Everyone but Nadal, no?


Slice Tennis Says:

I thought Stan beat Rafa and won his slam.

But looking at the jubiliation of weak era goat fans it appears as if Fed won his 18th slam and Rafa’s back is broken once for all and his career is over.

LMAO.


Giles Says:

skeezer. I do wish you would stop your babbling and dribbling. Stick the dummy back in your mouth.


Tennis Vagabond Says:

Well, about 60 comments of the same old bickering lately, nobody is really talking about the main point of the article: STAN.

And the fact is, as Ben lays it out, we all should have expected big things from him. He had a huge 2013 and was within a point here or there of really turning the year upside down for everyone.

But most of us had him way down our list, definitely behind Ferrer, Berdych, Tsonga and Del Potro. Let alone Fed or Murray.

I don’t think we’ll make that mistake again in 2014. After the tourney, I still wondered if Stan would be a one slam wonder and go back to his top ten shadows. After reading Ben’s history above, I can see that Stan has really arrived, and he is in the stratosphere with the Big Four.


skeezer Says:

“I do wish you would stop your babbling and dribbling. Stick the dummy back in your mouth”
Exactly giles. Read your own words.

@Slice Tennis
So your first post from dissapearing from all the trash talkin you delved out and “rafa is my god” left you speechless I see. Now you have come to participate in the celebration. Most excellent. LMAO.


logan Says:

I think Rafa faked injury against Stan Wawrinka, because he knew he was being outplayed and was probably going to lose. I didn’t notice anything physically wrong with him at all in the first set, he was just being schooled by Stan. I think this was a low-class move by Rafa. He totally screwed up Stan’s victory. Stan wasn’t able to really celebrate at all, and everyone was puzzled by what they just saw. I ask you this….If Rafa had won the first set and was up 2-0 in the second, would he still have had that “injury” and left the court for 10 minutes? Rafa should be ashamed of himself..
He never takes medical timeout when he is winning. He tried the tactic to get into stan’s head and it seemed to work for a bit. What he didn’t count on was the crowd booing him when he came back from the locker room so he really had to pretend he couldn’t move or hit the ball. But notice how well he did later in the match as he was winning the rallies. But intermittently all of a sudden couldn’t move again whenever stan was clearly winning a point. He was serving like 183 kph in 4th set all of a sudden. This was a total disgrace.

He talks about his injuries even before the start of the match to take every possible credit from his opponent if god forbid he lose. Be it against soderling, ferrer, Murray, rosol, darcis and now Stan. Nadal fans can ignore these tactics but causal tennis fans don’t.
Stan deserve this Aussie open fully.


Lesego Says:

At this rate, Gulbis could beat Haas for his first ever slam but it would still end up as a Federer vs Nadal mellee on this forum.

Congrats to Stan the Man, you did what other 127 people couldn’t do.


Daniel Says:

Regardless if the media asked and pressure him, Nadal can deal with it better. What some are saying and Ben implied in the articles is that it was evident to most he was injured so no need for him to say he was injured during warm up. That comment he could control as much as some will say (oh, now you want him to lie) because in the end, this comment took away Stan awesome form in first set and discredit his play.
He took the MTO after 3-6, 1-2 second set and his game was never the same after that, so no need to mention he injured before match. If he was the “champions of the champions” he wouldn’t say that immediately after the match. Could have said a little longer, similar to what happened in RG 09′. He didn’t mention injury after Soderling loss, but a few days later when he withdraw from Wimbledon. Same with Federer mono when he lost to Djoko in AO 08′. Of course, we could say that tghey mentioning it later is also bad sportsman but at least they didn’t do it right in the conference room after the loss. That was, un necessary, as much as he was trying to be honest.

They filter all the time what they tell us and we can’t believe everything they say because the very next tournament or week a different statement is made. Murray didn’t mention his back during Wimby 13′ and he won it. HAd he lost, I bet he will say he was not fully healed and this would be confirmeb by his surgery weeks later. He won Wimby injured, sacrificed RG to play 2 weeks with the injury and give a shot at Wimby. In the short sdcale it payed of, now he is a Wmby champipon. In the long scale maybe the doctors advised him not to play, we will never know. Can only speculate.

So, pro Rafa fans will see no harm of him saying he was injured before match, non Rafa fans or fan of sportsman behavior will find it uncalled for, because it diminishes Stan`s victory even further due to what happened already.


Giles Says:

Wawa beat an injured opponent. End of!!!
No accolades for Wawawawa from me!!


gogol Says:

two things:

1. why blame media for asking nadal questions about his back? on the court nadal had a massage, he took medical time out, he winced, cried and he bent over throughout the match. *of course* media would ask abuot it!! its not rocket science. they are reporting on what they and everyone watching saw. its dumb to blame media for asking questions and reporting. they are doing their job and nadal made clear what he wanted the crowd his opponent and everyone else to know. he was not feeling well. he played it up. toni says now 3 days later his back will be fine.

2. its interesting as poster tennis vagabond mentioned that noone was even seeing stan as a threat when the writer of the report showed stan was a threat even last year. he almost beat djokovic in two 2013 slams both on hard. people were saying give the trophy to djokovic beofre oz started. this showed how making comments about draws is many times useless and wrong. people were saying nadal would win the final,get a calendar slam, second career slam, make 14, and some nadal’s fans are downplaying stan’s win saying he would not have won if nadal was healthy. thats unfair to stan.


boss Says:

Enough. I am usually a bystander who just reads comments here, but this is too much. Just accept that Wawrinka won a well-deserved title and focus on the player you support…even better? focus on your lives…fighting over this won’t get you anywhere in life and everybody here knows that.

@Giles at this point, you are starting to sound like a psycho…either chill and go back to normal commenting or just gtfo…your presence is merely sparking more unnecessary arguments


jimbojones Says:

End of the day Stan has an Australian Open singles title and an Olympic Gold in doubles in his growing trophy case.


Giles Says:

boss. Read the rules on this site before using abusive acronyms.
I repeat Wawawawa beat an injured opponent!!!


courbon Says:

How Eawrinka going to sleep …he did not get accolades from Giles.And he wanted that so much…his life is ruined.


Giles Says:

^^^ Hahaha!!


boss Says:

…can this guy hear himself? #psychostatus


skeezer Says:

harry,
Great read. Thanks.


courbon Says:

@harry: Hi there.Nice to see you back posting.I thought you are gone forever!
Thanks for the link, really nice article.


courbon Says:

@ skeezer: I’m curious how you fell ( as Fed fan ) after AO? To me, as neutral, Fed leaves me with mix feelings.He played very well, he is definetly on upward line but then he get usual Nadal slap.So to me,leaves things unanswered regarding his 2014 campaign.Whats your take?


Okiegal Says:

Who would win in this match up, Fed or Stan?? Curious of everyone’s take on this.


Jo Says:

Stan beat Novak. He beat Nadal w or w/o injury. It was a total outplay. And Im really amazed how effective the attacks of the 1HBH in fast courts.


Michael Says:

One should not try to belittle Stan’s win due to Rafa’s injury. Ofcourse, there can be post mortems and speculative debates which counts for nothing. Stan has the Cup and the prize money – Period. He has beaten Novak and Rafa on the way to secure the Cup and that will be imprinted in the record books. In any Sport, you are always expected to be fit and cannot forward the lack of it as an excuse for your defeat. Fitness is the key ingredient of a successful Sportsperson. If you are not fit, you are unfit for victory. The matter of “IF only” makes little sense here.


Humble Rafa Says:

Even though I am still recovering, I keep getting a lot of questions from the Tennis world. I will answer them between doctor visits.

Question from Skeeze the Beeze

Why did you not have any injury during the semi final? If you did, we would have had an all Swiss final and an 18th grandslam?

Humble: Just like parents don’t have sex in front of their children, a goat owner doesn’t like losing to the goat, no matter what. So injuries don’t happen in matches between goats.


skeezer Says:

@Humble Rafa
I heard SNL is taking applcations for comedy. You could try. Just trying to help with your unemployment. I know its rough trying to be funny here. Good luck with that. Sincerely, Skeeze.

@Michael. Agreed. Please try to tell this reason to vamosheads.

@courban,
You are a dream ;)
Totally agree. But it will be fun to watch what this improvement(Feds) does, no?
How about Nole? What is your take? I find it hard to believe that he won’t get some Slams this year. For me, watching Nole, it’s all about his mindset. He can accomplish ANY tourney if he gets the desire, the commitment and motivation. He has the tools in his arsenal to take anyone down…….


courbon Says:

@ skeezer: Sorry for delay on reply but we sleep in Europe,while you posting.
Absolutelly agree about Fed.Maybe with big luck (like not having Nadal on other side of net ) and playing incredible tennis he can win his last major.I can not count him off completely after how he pulled his Wimbledon win (complete surprise to me).
Novak?I’m not sure.i can see three scenarios-
very optimistic (for novak fan ): he gets very angry now ( like after US Open ) and starts winning left and right, culminating in RG win.
More realistic: His struggles continue but he masters US Open or Wimbledon win ( I belive he is not that bad on grass, opposite of belief of majority on this blog that he is crap on grass ).
Pesimistic: He nevers recover and wins just one more slam next year and that’s it.
I don’t have to tell you which version I prefer (-:
P.S. So funny you putted a link for Metro newspaper.I use to read this free magazine every morning on underground going to work.You made me fell nostalgic about England.


harry Says:

Courbon: Thanks and really nice to see you too. I was not gone — reading and posting here is time-consuming and I was busy over the last few months. I like the three scenarios in your 12:54 post. Hope scenario 1 happens ;)

Shout out to Hippy Chick, Skeezer and others too…


Hippy Chic Says:

Harry thanks and nice to see you too,funny what Skeezer says about Novak winning anything he sets his mind to,is exactly the same way i feel about Rafa.


Hippy Chic Says:

Michael nice post,funny how some people like to invent certain senarios to suit their own personal beliefs,Rafa lost because Stan was better pure and simple,likewise Novak lost because Stan was better,the winner wins and the loser loses,you go on to court then your fit enough to win or lose,i laughed a few days ago when one poster boldly stated that Novak would be smiling about Stans win hmmmm,i hardly think so when he lost he was most likely bitterly dissapointed to lose the only GS he was actually holding at the time,he may like and be a friend of Stan and Rafa i dont know,and i dont think it matters much personally?but i very much doubt he cared whether it was Stan or Rafa either way,the point been it wasnt him,silly statement and very bizzare analysis.


madmax Says:

Margot Says:
“Murray was playing his second tournament after back surgery and this barely mentioned.”
Right on Ben. Now perhaps fair minded Fedfans will admit there’s rather a large * against Fed’s win.
On the other hand they probably wont.

January 28th, 2014 at 7:36 am

Seriously margot, give it very looonngggggg rest.

There are NO asterisks against any slam win. None.

If you are injured. Don’t play. If you have had minor back surgery, but it is really major back surgery (no pun intended), then don’t play.

All players play to win. You win some. You lose some.

Poor Stan. The man of the moment who gets shuved to the back of the queue because of some *clearing through* injury by his opponent. Doesn’t matter. The first set and a half, were absolutely sublime. Sublime tennis from Stan nd he was keeping Rafa at the back of the baseline, pushing him further and further behind the line, for the most part.

Rafa’s interview was fair. He gave all credit to Stan. He played a match in good health, and had the balls to complete it, even though, he was not at his best.

Stan should be given the kudos he deserved. He took out the world no. 2, the one guy that everyone things is the ONLY guy who can compete with Rafa in terms of stamina, strength, shot making and self-belief, that alone deserves immense recognition, STAN TOOK OUT NOVAK DJOKOVIC. THE MAN WHO TOOK AWAY 7 FINAL WINS, IN A ROW, FROM RAFAEL NADAL. Stan then went on to beat Rafa in the final. If he was struggling (Stan) in the first two sets and Rafa was winning, I can understand the nitpicking, but he was actually winning a lot of the points from Rafa, before Rafa buckled, and that is why he deserves this win.

*NO ASTERISK* I would like to add :)

Even Rafa said that in his pres conference.

Leave it where it belongs. Stan won the match. Nothing more to say.


madmax Says:

Fed’s win was legit.

Fed gave credit to Andy, appreciated that he was coming back from his MINOR back surgery, NON-INVASIVE, MINOR back Surgery “Andy’s words”, and even Andy said it was “lack of match practice”, nevertheless, I thought Andy played a blinder. Considering his MINOR, NON-INVASIVE back surgery.

Great that Andy was passed “fully fit” to play at the AO by his team Doctor and supported by his team.

Else why play? Go back to Miami, enjoy the sunshine, train harder at your training camp, enjoy your time with friends and family to relax, BUT then he would have missed out on the MATCH PRACTICE, which is what he wanted. Even afterwards he admitted that he felt he had left the time he didn’t play, for too long.

He admitted that “my strategy didn’t work”.

But, absolutely no doubt that Andy will be a force to be reckoned with – and soon.


gogol Says:

why bizarre that djokovic would be happy stan wins? that makes sense. he could be happy for at least two reasons. 1) that nadal doesnt increase point lead more because winnig finals would mean almost one thousand more points for nadal and 2) because djokovic would know he lost to eventual champion who was playing mindblowing tennis and beat three top tens in a row to get title, and first player ever to beat nadal and djokovic for the slam win. it is not bizarre to me poster hippy chick that someone could say djokovic could be happy that stan won.


Hippy Chic Says:

Gogol fair enough i can see it from that angle i suppose,and granted with Stan winning Rafa doesnt widen the gap points wise which is some small comfort,i still think he would rather have the title himself though,as he lost and doesnt actually hold a GS ATM,still its all speculation,and it doesnt make any difference anyway.


Bad Knee Rules Says:

@gogol

I like your moniker.


Hippy Chic Says:

Bad Knee Rules whos your favorite player just wondering??


SG1 Says:

the DA Says:
@ SG1 – “Good article Sean”

Wait, is Sean also Ben? Like a (meaner) alter ego? ;)

——

LOL! Sorry Ben. Tells you where my head’s at during working hours.


SG1 Says:

Giles Says:
^^^ But he wasn’t seriously injured before the match. The injury worsened during the match.

————————

I believe he was hurting before the match even if the injury wasn’t as painful. But why even go there and talk about this “hurt before match started thing” after a loss. He’s just taking away from Stan’s win. Just based on taking the MTO’s, it was clear he was in bad shape during the match. Rafa made an honest mistake on this one. I don’t think he meant to steal Stan’s thunder but to some degree he did. I don’t think Rafa will make this mistake again.


SG1 Says:

skeezer Says:

SG1,

He starting playing well in the 3rd and 4th, Serves picked up in MPH….looked like the pain killlers kicked in to me.

———————

We’ve all watched Rafa for a lot of years. Yes, he did look somewhat better in sets 3 and 4 (How could he look worse than he did in Set 2?). This being said, he wasn’t moving anywhere near the way he can. And while his serve was increasing in speed, most of his serves will still in low 100’s (Mph). Also far from what he’s capable of. Rafa’s court coverage and tenacity are what make him special. Once he loses that edge, he can be beaten.


Okiegal Says:

Well, I remember Rafa’s first AO win, and his opponent stole his thunder, and humble Rafa was standing there helping him……so I don’t want to hear the thunder theory. The only thunder I care to talk about is the OKLAHOMA THUNDER…….just saying!! Lol


Okiegal Says:

@SG1 @8:33

Spot on, good post.


skeezer Says:

SG1,
The way Stan was hitting the ball there were multiple winners he hit that anyone would have a hard time retrieving, including the worshopped one. When the rare times a player can pin Rafa on his BH side, his chop(not a slice) BH in response is food for the hungry. Stan saw this, and had the tools and the know how to execute.
As a player you should know beating a wounded warrior is at times very dangerous. There is nothing to lose, for the wounded, so they release and play all out. This was revealed in the 3rd set.
I saw NO eveidence of lack of movement by Rafa in 2 sets. And why did he win the 3rd with a so called mediocre serve? It was all Stan’s bad play and Rafa continued to play badly cause of his “injury” but still take the 3rd convicingly?
Sorry, but overall Rafa just got beat by a better player, and imo leaned on his “back” to blame the loss. I am not doubting he was hampered by “something”, but “what” that was and is still a mystery. He has a history of these things, and everyone knows it.
Unc Toned even said his back will be fine in a week or 2. How serious was it? End of story.


Okiegal Says:

Yes, Skeezer, you are right, Rafa won the 3rd set because Stan played like crap. I couldn’t believe he lost that set. I was very surprised by that. Makes me wonder how tough Stan really is. He should have put him away in the third. Rafa wasn’t playing that good, really, Stan just lost focus, I suppose.


Giles Says:

“How serious was it? End of story”.
Serious enough to hamper his movement and serve and therefore not be competitive. End of story.


Okiegal Says:

@Giles ^^^^^^Exactly. I read on NADAL NEWS site and there was an update on his doctor’s appointment regarding the back……worse than they first thought. Has some edema and it mentioned the L1 L2, taking muscle relaxers and something for the inflammation. Will have another screening to see when he can gradually start practicing again. They’re not sure if he will get to do the next scheduled tournament or not…..FYI….Rafa fans, the ones who really care!


Giles Says:

@Okiegal. Let’s hope he follows doctor’s orders and has complete rest. Knowing Rafa, he will.
Vamos Champ!


Okiegal Says:

I hope so too. I think he has learned his lesson. I believe he will back out of any tournament if he feels he should. I think he is listening to the doctors more now……thank goodness!!


SG1 Says:

Skeezer,

I think I’ve stated on several occasions that Stan is full value for the win. You can’t win a slam if you don’t get to the final. Stan played incredible tennis to get himself in position to win this major.

I’ve also said that I believe that Rafa was injured to a degree that prevented him from playing the way he truly can. This is all my opinion of course. You believe that Rafa was capable of beating Stan with this back injury. This is your opinion.

Stan is a damned good player. Maybe even on the brink of becoming a great one. I don’t think Rafa could have beaten anyone one of the top 15 players in the world with the injury he had. Definitely none of the top 10 players in world and not a player of Stan’s caliber. When I look at Stan’s skill set, I believe he has the talent to be No.1. I don’t think he’ll ever be No.1 but his game is there. Big serve, big forehand, big backhand, strong as an ox, quick around the court. How could an injured Rafa have any hope of beating a player like this with his movement hampered?


SG1 Says:

And Stan was on top of his game.


SG1 Says:

Okiegal and I seem to agree on Rafa but where basketball is concerned, we’re on different ends of the universe. I’m a Laker fan through and through.


Margot Says:

@Madmax
ROFL YOU give it a rest!
@HippyChick
Love your reference to Jamie, our very own Mystic Meg. A tad discredited, I’d say!
To everybody criticising Rafa, what about JMDP’s 8 minute “shower” break?


Hippy Chic Says:

Margot yeah its usually Nole this,Nole that,lost all credibility now IMO,and about Delpo and that 8 minute break,hardly a mention about it,i could just imagine the reaction had Rafa done that,such is the double standards that go on here??


Okiegal Says:

@SG1

Well, my moniker says it all, I suppose. You follow a very successful NBA team…..the Lakers have had some great players. We do disagree on bball but thank goodness we have our heads on straight when it comes to tennis!!

I agree with your post on Rafa being hampered by his back, tbh I don’t know how anyone who has watched Rafa play in all his great matches, could not see that at the AO. He is a fighter and only gives up when he’s forced to. Those who think he was faking…..why didn’t he win the match? He won the 3rd set because Stan played poorly. There were so many shots Rafa didn’t even go for. How often do you see Rafa do that??? NEVER!! We’ve beat this horse to death. Rafa fans know he was hurt and non Rafa fans know it too, IMO, but like to put him down because they are jealous, maybe??? I don’t really know why they keep kicking at this amazing athlete unless it’s because he owns Federer. Good reason as any, I suppose.

VAMOS RAFA!!


Margot Says:

@Hippychicky.
Yep. Too true about double standards….and Jamie…though neither of us took the predictions too seriously, I seem to remember…;)


Okiegal Says:

@Chic

Thanks for bringing up Delpo’s toilet break, had forgot all about that……same story, the double standard!! It’s very plain to see on this forum that Rafa is the only player that gets called out for it. People are obsessed with Rafa….Rafa fans and non-Rafa fans!! I know why I am but not sure about the other group!! Lol


Okiegal Says:

I watched the 2012 Rafa vs Novak Aussie final and I know I would have rather seen Rafa play a tough 5 setter and lose than what I saw the other day, but I imagine Stan the Man loved the way it played out


courbon Says:

@ Okiegal: Are you obsessed or just madly in love?


Okiegal Says:

@Courbon

Hahaha. Maybe a little of both, love like I would a son and definitely obsessed by the way he plays tennis. Love his style. I was also obsessed with Borg at one time……go figure……both great clay court players. Trust me, to be in love love, not. I would be considered a very old old cougar!!! Lol


Okiegal Says:

Hey, Courbon, font single me out, I’m just one of many!! Lol


Okiegal Says:

^^^^^^ should say DON’T


courbon Says:

@ Okiegal: Just joking.He does affects women like no other sportsman ( I watched him in 2012 Wimbledon, lots of girls around me-did not pay attention to tennis just laughed at the comments around me…” You think he is good lover?”, ” He is much taller then I thought!” and so on…very funny ) I have to admit.And he is fantastic tennis player.Like a Borg…
P.S.-Young or old kougar…is still a cougar.(-:
Off to bed, goodnight ( if you are from America, good day )


Bad Knee Rules Says:

In the end it turned out to be a strained bum muscle, not his back. How appropriate.


gogol Says:

@hippy chick poster how did nole lose all credibility? or may be i did not understand you. sorry if it is that


gogol Says:

@ bad knee rules poster thank you for compliment on my name. it’s after that russian writer!


Bad Knee Rules Says:

@gogol@8:35pm

I thought so.


Okiegal Says:

@Courbon

I’m sure he does affect a lot of his female fans in that way, but not me! I got away from tennis after Sampras faded away. One day I was channel surfing and I came across the French Open and saw this kid from Spain win his first slam. I was hooked from the get go! I have watched every match of his that was possible from that time. I know you aren’t a Rafa fan but I know from reading your post that you are fairminded person. I appreciate all great tennis players and what they each bring to the table. I can tell you do too, because you can have a civil conversation with the “enemy”! LOL

Yes, I’m here in the states, my bedtime about 2 am, I’m a night owl.

I’m jealous that you have seen Rafa play in person. To see a real live match is on my bucket list. The one in Cincy would be the closest to Oklahoma. I’m gonna try to get hubby to take me. He has relatives there. He can visit and I can watch Rafa, he hates tennis, in fact he hates sports, period! I think that is odd for a man not to like sports. As long as he doesn’t interfere with my tennis, all is good. I watched the AO at 2:30, he set the alarm so I would wake up……was shocked he did that, so I think I’ll keep him around!!

Vamos Rafa and get well!


courbon Says:

@ Okiegal: Keep your hubby-he seems like a caring guy.I’m not much in to sport also, apart from tennis.I like to play basketball and tennis, but mostly in my life is music and books…………..
Oklaham-very pretty! I just watched on TV some programme about it-yesterday!
Well, in Europe is much easier to see tennis. Like I live in south west France, so I can see qouple of tournaments without excesive travelling-5 hours to Barcelona, 5 hours Paris, 6 hours Monaco.I can not afford to go all of them in one year so I decide it every year to visit one.And this year ( now you gonna be even more jelaous!)I decide it to go to Roland Garros. Probably 4th round , two days, so I can all the guys. I’ll say Hi to Rafa from you…(-:


Okiegal Says:

@Coubon

Please tell him I said hello! Yes I’m more jealous now than ever! . You have a good time. Who will you be cheering for? Are you a Fed or Novak fan??I can’t remember……..or maybe neither…….Andy is my second favorite and then Roger.

VAMOS RAFA!!!


Hippy Chic Says:

Gogol you did misunderstand my post,if you read again i didnt actually say Nole lost all credibility,what i said was Jamie lost all credibility with his pyschic predictions is all.


Hippy Chic Says:

Courbon just to add to Okiegals post,i too will be rather jealous that your getting to see him play live,ive had friends say they have seen him play live and pictures dont actually do justice as to how good looking he is in person,so say hi to Rafa from me too ;))..


metan Says:

@Alison, Rafa is really. HANDSOME. please watch him live when he is in London. And he is sexy..too. I guarantee you 100%.


Hippy Chic Says:

Metan thanks for that bit of info,he is indeed young enough to be my son though,i dont actually live near London so my chances of seeing him play live are slim unfortunatly,but ill take your word for it friends have seem him and have said exactly the same thing as you,i take it you have seen him play live though?


metan Says:

Alison,
Watch his tennis live and met him actually. I am one of his crazy fan . He is down to earth and a shy guy imo.


Hippy Chic Says:

Okiegal Courbons a Nole fan,but he admires and respects the achievements of Rafa,Roger,Andy,Delpo,Stan etc etc,most of all hes a very fair,honest and unbiased fan of the game of tennis as a whole,i was a fan of Andre and Pat before Rafa came along,i just loved their matches,i loved Gorans fiesty attitude but i was never a fan of his tennis to be honest,and Pete was a nice guy but his matches always left me feeling cold,i was gutted that Pat was denied the Wimbledon title to Goran in that fantastic final,which came only second to the final between Rafa and Roger in 2008 IMO.


Okiegal Says:

@Chic

I knew Courbon was a fan of one of them. I knew from his posts that he loves tennis,period. He has intelligent conversations with all fans. I find this very refreshing. I want to see Rafa play so bad, but think I better get that done soon, for I fear our guy will be retiring in a couple of years. I don’t see Rafa continuing to play if he’s not 100% most of the time…..I will be sad if and when that happens. I liked Pat Rafter too. The first time he said “sorry mate” on an errant ball toss, I thought that was adorable. A great personality on court. Yes the 2008 Wimby was a classic for sure. I did not miss one second of that match! I just hope to see Rafa playing deep in tournaments. That is s tall order now days!!

Vamos Rafa…..get healthy,there’s work to do! (I’m so selfish) lol


Okiegal Says:

@Metan

You lucky dog…..seeing Rafa play in the flesh….simply MAHVALOUS, I’m definitely jealous!!

Vamos Rafa!!!


madmax Says:

Margot Says:
@Madmax
ROFL YOU give it a rest!
@HippyChick
Love your reference to Jamie, our very own Mystic Meg. A tad discredited, I’d say!
To everybody criticising Rafa, what about JMDP’s 8 minute “shower” break?

January 30th, 2014 at 1:16 pm

You have become so very boring Margot. I am actually quite surprised that you want to ignore every ting that Andy says about his minor, non invasive back surgery. Your his body guard, right?


madmax Says:

*everything*

Getting ahead of myself! :)


courbon Says:

Hi girls, or shall I say ‘Rafa groupies’?
Thanks for compliments girls, I’m blushing now.
To confirm metan’s words-He is very handsome in flesh.Ok, I’m bloke, don’t ask me for details but looks quite good to me.
If I meet him, I’ll say hello from you!


harry Says:

ha ha courbon! you deserve the compliments ;-)


harry Says:

@HC — i don’t see grendel posting. is he around?


Hippy Chic Says:

Harry no Grendel unfortunatly,but im glad your good self,and the much missed Ajet are posting again,i wish Swiss Maestro would start posting again too.


Hippy Chic Says:

Okiegal Pats gorgeous and was a great volleyer,Andre likewise and was a great returner,i loved that match up,about Rafa well he intends to play Rio in 2016,so im wondering if he might call it a day after that,although win or lose injuries or no injuries i would hope he plays for as long as possible.


Hippy Chic Says:

Hi Courbon and your very welcome lol,just to let you know im Rafas number 1 groupie,forget that girl from Oklahoma lol err just kidding.


Okiegal Says:

Hey, Chic, you can have top billing as #1 Rafa fan in England, but I’m #1 Rafa fan in Oklahoma!

Courbon, you can stop blushing now! Even though I don’t know you from Adam, I can read between the lines and tell that you are as nice bloke!! You can start blushing again!! LOL


Okiegal Says:

@Margot

You can talk about Andy’s surgery all you want to……I agree with you 100%. If a person is anesthetized, that makes it major as for as I’m concerned!! A Doctor told me that once. Was he put to sleep??

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