Indian Wells Stunner: Nadal Bitten By Dogged Dolgopolov In Third Round

Fantastic result, finally the luck runs against Nadal for once. crying after the match AGAIN btw, what a joke, guy dominates for 15 months and then acts like the end of the world when he loses a match.
hope someone crushes him in Miami as well.

March 10th, 2014 at 11:57 pm

… he wont show at Miami .. he didnt last year …

March 11th, 2014 at 1:04 am

I think he will skip it and I certainly hope he does….want him up and gunning for his 9th FO!!

March 11th, 2014 at 1:13 am

Doglo used his vanity and change of pace to keep Nadal guessing and on the run. He many a times, wrong footed Nadal.

Awesome display if some very interesting tennis by Doglo. He applied some of stapeniks tactics of hitting slow spinning shots to Nadals backhand, which would take Nadal way off the court.- he played with a aces in degree of unpredictability which made it difficult for Nadal to guess which direction to run to.

Very entertaining match.- interestingly Doglo has never been able to beat Djokovic or Federer.

March 11th, 2014 at 1:15 am

Wawrinka is playing the best of all, if only he could not respect Federer so much

March 11th, 2014 at 1:15 am

Correction to my above post – – Doglo used his variety…..

March 11th, 2014 at 1:16 am

—
Sean,
Are you pickin Stan? A bold pick but a worthy one. He is playin
lights out so far. My pick was Nole from the start, if he is going to make a statement that he is serious this year he has to start doing well here. Also, if Fed makes a run also here, he backs up his Dubai and good semi final run at AO. Some very interesting things can be surmized from this tourney going forward!

March 11th, 2014 at 1:16 am

At this moment Fed and Wawa are teamed up against Raonic and Gulbis – all 4 still very much alive in the singles draw.

It almost looks like an exhibition. The 4 guys are playing like they actually enjoy playing the sport.

What a concept!

March 11th, 2014 at 1:16 am

Kudos to Dolgo…….he hung in there and beat the number one player in the world. Good luck to him for the rest of the tournament!!

March 11th, 2014 at 1:17 am

Congratulations Sloane Stephens!

March 11th, 2014 at 1:19 am

@Skeezer

I’m here……..HEAD COCKROACH! lol

March 11th, 2014 at 1:20 am

Okiegal,
You are NO cockroach! Lol,
Beautful Dragonfly? Perhaps.

March 11th, 2014 at 1:26 am

Nadal going out (should) light a fire under every player in left in the draw… but especially:

Fabio Fognini.
_____________________and…

…Kicking himself now:

Gael Monfils

March 11th, 2014 at 1:36 am

@Gordon,

I agree. Watching these top guys play doubles is extremely entertaining. Also the first much Fed/Waw played against doubles specialists Bop/Qur was very fun to watch. Lots of great points and lots of volleys. Love it! It’s a shame that it’s so difficult to find tv-coverage from these matches (at least here in Finland).

March 11th, 2014 at 1:39 am

Mike,
Dolgopolov played well with his shots. Rafa didn’t.
That’s why he won. Great for him.
He cried cos he was upset, what’s wrong with that. It has nothing to do with his performing last year.
He will be back as usual. Just minor things. It is not end of the world. 😁

March 11th, 2014 at 1:44 am

It’s also a bit funny that many people do not concider Stan as a favourite to win the whole thing even if he’s playing great, he’s 13-0 this year, and currently world number 3. People are still picking Andy, Fed and maybe even Dimitrov over him… Interesting to see if Wawrinka can maintain his level, especially if he plays Roger in QF.

March 11th, 2014 at 1:55 am

OMG that was horrible from Andy! Couldn’t get a first serve to save his life and, why oh why oh why, all those awful drop shots? Took me right back and not in a good way either.
It was torture to watch.
Back still not right, confidence zero I guess. Never again, please Andy!
Fortunately Ivan will be in Miami.
*Breathes sigh of relief.*

March 11th, 2014 at 2:01 am

What I do know is that this loss should light a fire under Novak Djokovic who, by the way, also didn’t look that great in his first round win Sunday. This should also give Federer hope and perhaps even Murray who frankly looked like a mess today against the youngster Jiri Vesely.

Why should it “light a fire”? Isn’t the trophy motivation enough for these guys? Is the implication that they should just pack it in with Nadal in the draw? More of the “OMG healthy Nadal never loses he’s unstoppable just hand him the trophy” stuff.

Both Federer and Djokovic have beaten Nadal at IW, let me remind you. Murray is another matter, having been destroyed by Nadal in the ’09 final (and he has never won here). But he, too, has a chance.

It’s not so much he lost early at Indian Wells

Um, it is in fact a big deal that he lost early given that he’s made at least the semis at IW for eight straight years. In that time he made the final half the time and won 3/8 of the time.

Agreed that Wawrinka is playing extremely well and will be hard to beat.

March 11th, 2014 at 2:02 am

@Metan

I love to see a man cry…..it shows a softer side to the male species…..there is not a thing wrong with it to my way of thinking……Fed cried…Rafa cried….so what???

March 11th, 2014 at 2:12 am

Sean,
Noted, It was a complement, not otherwise. Unless you think a Dragonfly represents something other. She is a champ of Rafans.

March 11th, 2014 at 2:26 am

@Mr. Larvey,
Thanks for pointing out the 13-0 for Stan. Would like to see him back up this match with another beatdown. Nice to see the non Rafa, Fed, Murray and Nole type breakthrough. Only good for Tennis. Hoping for some Grigor magic also this year.

March 11th, 2014 at 2:31 am

Nishikori and Haas are playing to a sadly empty stadium. Haas just took the 1st set in a tie break. Kei struggling on serve.

The spectacle is over in stadium two. Federer/Wawrinka took the first set in a tie break. Second set is on serve and destined for another tie-break. I wonder how Gulbis and Raonic got paired – by choice or was it random?

The Swiss pair just edged by the young guns, winning the doubles match in two tight sets.

March 11th, 2014 at 2:33 am

Interestingly, so far Nadal never defend the non-clay titles. History speak for itself. He loses points big time for GOAT status here.

March 11th, 2014 at 2:47 am

@Skeezer

Don’t get yourself in trouble because of little ole me! LOL Far from beautiful, but I do look a little better than a cockroach, I suppose!

Back to tennis….Novak vs Stan in the finals, Stan is still looking awesome…..Novak is not playing at his potential. The top half is getting interesting! Cant wait for Fed and Stan….should it happen.

March 11th, 2014 at 2:56 am

Haas is through in straights. Nishikori faded pretty badly in the second set; shame because this match had the potential to be a blockbuster, and it was for a little over a set.

March 11th, 2014 at 3:15 am

Somehow, I m lil bit relieved to see haas over kei against fed here. Though haas is no pushover, but I think fed feels comfy against SHBH players than the DHBH ones. I feared kei as he is playing good tennis of late and a great mover on court. But nevertheless, haas vs fed will be a cracker, if haas raises his game to match fed’s. Go roger :)

March 11th, 2014 at 3:16 am

Haters having a field day gloating at Rafa’s loss. He lost a match, nobody died.
Remember Karma!

March 11th, 2014 at 4:10 am

No grigor-berdych, nishikori-federer or tsonga-JMdP.. No worries, Gulbis-Grigor and Fed-Haas should be as fun and maybe Lopez gets a chance to soar, he’s also fun to watch when on song. Too early to say but Dimitrov-Djokovic could be something for the bookies..

Me too thinks Mr. Larvey’s totally right, people tend to be a bit starstruck – i.e. stick with the old greats. Wawrinka totally is the man to beat after that display, even if Seppi was a perfect matchup to a player in flow; no pace changes or mixing it up played into Wawas hand, Seppi just tried to go toe to toe. And besides the shotmaking Wawa was really moving well. On top of superb reading, but still.
Even if Haas won Fed a while ago, I can’t imagine it would happen again simply because Fed is in this form (read: a consistent enough powerhitter needed to get him out of his comfort zone, Haas is too similar to Fed, just a fracture behind in every department).
And Federer, he HAS the toolbox to throw some rocks in the Wawa machinery. Still’d go with Wawa though.
Tursunov is one of the guys with a level enough head that he know’s that the only way for him to survive is to hit Roger of the court. That makes the gameplan simpler and he almost got it done.

Berdych was a total dissappointment, Andy gets leeway from coming off the sidelines for his ultra defensive gamestyle, but I hope Dolgo blows him of the court if he continues like that.

March 11th, 2014 at 4:43 am

Oh, and Nadal should be given a break, eight double faults tells enough of the story, he’s just not in the groove yet. A clay legacy for the ages is being built, so no wonder if he skips Miami.

March 11th, 2014 at 4:47 am

Van Orton from the other thread some of us have to get up early,so therefore we have to go to bed early,unfornunatly real life gets in the way of ones love of the beautiful game,just what exactly is Rafa supposed to do lose to make you happy?for crying out loud man the guy is doing his job by trying to win a tennis match,but in the end Dolgo won and what a win it was too,so there you go you got what you wanted,but then again who knew,aint that why they go out and play the matches?

March 11th, 2014 at 4:55 am

Bom Kelvin Rafa has never defended a none CC title,Novak has never defended a none HC title,but thats why they go out and play these matches to see if they can buck the trend,what difference does it make anyway,why make such an issue about it?

March 11th, 2014 at 4:59 am

Chico Rafa already has a CC legacy for the ages already built,he already has 8 FOs,even if he doesnt win it this year,surely he has nothing left to prove there?

March 11th, 2014 at 5:02 am

Not the time for GOAT talk either,this was Alexs day,let him enjoy the win,i didnt see the match as it was on too late for me,but was Alex really good or Rafa off?

March 11th, 2014 at 5:18 am

Where are the haters Giles? And don’t you think the term ‘haters’ is a figment of your imagination? Karma.

March 11th, 2014 at 5:27 am

Skeezer from the other thread thankyou,and no problems,ifs,buts or excuses Alex won the match fair and square,and as a player i do like him and his game so kudos to him for that.

March 11th, 2014 at 5:32 am

———-
Bom Kelvin Rafa has never defended a none CC title,Novak has never defended a none HC title,…
———-
What has Novak got to do with this thread? You omitted to say “nothing against Novak and his fans but …”.

March 11th, 2014 at 5:39 am

Bad Knee Rules its called perspective,ok nothing against Novak or his fans but.. anyway i was making a comparison,why is it an issue with one player but not with another,but then again why pull me up about going off topic,when the site is full of people that do exactly the same thing everyday pfft.

March 11th, 2014 at 5:46 am

^And i thought this thread was supposed to be about Alexs win,not Nadals inablity to defend a none CC title,but whatever such is the double standards^.

March 11th, 2014 at 5:48 am

Funny how each and every comment is turned into some federal case,you cannot say anything sometimes without it been scrutinized by some people,and yes i know ive just done exactly the same thing.

March 11th, 2014 at 5:52 am

Alison, nothing against you but …. try somebody else for a change, somehow you always throw in Novak.

March 11th, 2014 at 6:08 am

Bad Knee Rules as i already said i was just drawing a comparison,if BK had not said that then the Novak thing wouldnt have even come up,but many people bring up other players too even when the thread topic has nothing to do with that particular player,but funny how when people say nothing against you but..or nothing personal but..,when in fact it usually means the exact opposite.

March 11th, 2014 at 6:18 am

Purcell. Shhhhhhhh
You are one of them!

March 11th, 2014 at 6:40 am

@ Hippy Critique ;)

‘Being’ as under construction. I don’t think he is done yet and I believe he rather wants to set up for a 9th FO than +1 Sony smthng on a surface that is not ideal for his knees.

But I hear you thinking, 8 or 9, same difference, both are prob. gonna last his lifetime?

March 11th, 2014 at 8:03 am

It was a brilliant comeback by Rafa in the third set, but it was just not enough. Dolgopolov stood his ground in the tiebreak and was not afraid to take the game to Nadal. Both survived anxious moments in the breaker with Rafa wilting in the end. Well played Dolgopolov and I hope he takes this forward and milk the maximum out of this win.

March 11th, 2014 at 8:13 am

Michael i didnt actually see the match as yet,due to work commitments,nothing to with bailing out on Rafa as some people like to believe,but i digress,and thanks for putting things into perspective,i also give huge props to Alex as this was his day and not Rafas,i dont know if he will play Miami i would think if there is something wrong its probably best that he rests,im not predicting a decline or anything as he already has two titles from 3 finals this year,and its still early in the year,but its coming to the point where he will as somebody pointed out some days ago that he will start to lose close matches like he did last night,which happens to all players eventually,im resigned to the fact that this might/will be the year he wont actually win at the FO,the law of averages catches up with all players,but then again thats why we tune in,and i will still enjoy seeing what unfolds,i enjoy tennis and i enjoy watching Rafa win or lose.

March 11th, 2014 at 8:41 am

This must be a shocker !! Dolgopolov getting the better of Rafa. It was a strange match where the two players were just finding it difficult to hold their serve during the entire match. Rafa’s supposedly back problems has restrained him from going all out on his service motion and that is for sure hurting him. What is not normally appreciated is the quality of Rafa’s serve which wins him most of his matches. Rafa usually has a good first serve percentage in most of his matches and that keeps him in good stead. But in Indian wells and also in the previous clay court tournament which he won, he is having problems with his serve. That is definitely not good news for him. That being said, nothing can take away the victory from Dolgopolov who played a scintillating match. Dologopolov is a pretty erratic player but always has the capability of pulling up surprises with his incredible and exquisite shot making abilities. He is an unorthodox player and you never know what to expect from him going into a match. This is one of those days where his game was working and that literally ended Rafa’s dreams of a back up win at the tournament. Now this shocker opens up the tournament especially for Roger who can now fancy his chances of winning the tournament.

March 11th, 2014 at 8:42 am

Alison,

“One Swallow doesn’t make a summer”. We need to wait and watch. I was fortunate to see this match and I thought that Dologopolov didn’t play extraordinary Tennis. Infact earlier Stepanek played much better against Rafa. Probably the back issue is putting constraints on the speed of Rafa’s serve and he is afraid to go all out. That takes much out of his game as his opponents can breathe easy. What is not often given due credit is the serve of Rafa. He is a great server not by speed, but by variation and movement and pretty consistent. Most of the matches his first serve percentage would be over 70%. But on this day, it was below 70% and worse still his serves were not effective to prevent his opponents from attacking it from the word go. Nevertheless, you cannot close the gate for Rafa with just this loss. He has come back from far greater crisis haunting him in the past and so I am keeping my fingers counted. That being said, I think in this year’s Rolland Garros, Novak has a great chance of realizing his dream. I hope he wins that tournament. Rafa doesn’t need to prove anything over there. He is already heralded as the GREATEST on Clay.

March 11th, 2014 at 8:50 am

I am so happy for Dolgopolov. He was long overdue for a win over one of the top guys. He’s played some crazy matches against Murray and Djokovic in the past.

I’m not shocked by this win, though. I watched their match in Rio and Dolgopolov gave Nadal plenty of fits there, too. But beating Nadal on clay is pretty much impossible although I thought he had a chance there. But last night I knew Dolgopolov had as good a chance as any. And after the second set I called him winning the third set 6-3 and I was so close to being right. That he somehow won in a tiebreaker makes it a lot more epic but also a lot more shocking. I cannot believe that Nadal missed that forehand at 5-5 in the breaker. My jaw dropped. But then it dropped even more when Dolgopolov hit crazy forehand after crazy forehand to win match point.

As far as the rest of the tournament goes, it’s no secret Wawrinka is playing the best tennis of anyone. He’s simply the only one playing good tennis at all. After him, I’d peg Djokovic and then Federer as the favorites. And since Wawrinka and Federer are slated to meet each other, I’m giving the slightest edge to Djokovic to win the title if he makes the final.

Beyond that it’s hard to see anyone pulling it off. I can’t see Dimitrov beating Djokovic in the semi and then Federer/Wawrinka in the final. And he’s playing Gulbis in the next round and that could very well turn into another hot mess of a match.

It’s still early but I think the Big 4 era may be coming to a close. That doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t be winning big titles but we could be seeing a lot more upsets and surprising winners. Hopefully the younger players will use this time to establish themselves.

March 11th, 2014 at 9:02 am

Michael given im not allowed to mentioned the world number 2,all i will say is i dont believe Rafa not winning the title will all of a sudden make it a shoe for the world number 2,as he is also having mental issues of his own,new teritory in the form of Stan, and Andy who i believe even though his comeback is proving tricky has another level to go up IMO,add to that he doesnt actually hold a GS ATM for the 1st time since 2011,losing at his favorite GS,and its not 2011 its 2014,3 years have passed since.

March 11th, 2014 at 9:03 am

Rafa winning any of the GS this year,would mean the only thing he would be doing is breaking his own record.

March 11th, 2014 at 9:14 am

It is very clear that Nadal wants to play the clay court events mostly + GS. He does not care about IW+Miami…he’s getting ready for his Madrid+Barcelona+Montecarlo+Rome+RG preferred events.
What is sickening is that he says “I played bad” as if across the net nobody would be playing.
Right after the clay court season he might get hurt again and have a crushing 2015.
So, where is Nadal’s game at? One should only look into his tricks pattern to get the answer to that.

March 11th, 2014 at 10:08 am

“Remember Karma!”
Karma got served.
——
Thought the same of Dolgo when he first came out. Got to see him at IW a few years back. He was very interesting to watch, but when he got pushed his tricks fell apart. Not so last night. Furthermore, he had the soon be be former #1 guessing this way and that, not Rafa like at all. Congrats to Dolgo, hope to see some more of the “quirk” on tour!

March 11th, 2014 at 10:15 am

the world number ones, the top 3 players
last 6 years

federer
nadal
djokovic
federer
djokovic
nadal
……
they all have in common that they played very consistent and winning half of the tourneys they were entering over a period of 8- 10 months and then fell into a period of being vulnarable again before the semis. rafa is entering that period right now. lets not forget that he won 500 rio . as long as he wins fo everything is fine and no one should start panicing only because he lost early in a masters 1000.

this was not the last act in 2014. the dramatic ones are yet to come

March 11th, 2014 at 10:21 am

Dolgopolov is very popular in the desert and it started in 2011 when he and Xavier Malisse won the doubles title. I don’t think they played together after that, maybe once, Xavier and Dog, but the chemistry was right and they produced some spectacular tennis that had the fans cheering them above both Federinka and even the Brian Brother’s.

Will be interesting to watch how the Fognini/Dolgopolov match goes. If Fognini plays anything like he did yesterday, that will be a win for Alex. Maybe I am wrong but, that is the match I would pick to see live tomorrow if I was there. It is going to be a show.

March 11th, 2014 at 10:32 am

@Larvey, nobody thinks Stan is a favorite to win since the ‘dreamers’ believe he only won the AO because somebody had a ‘back’ problem, even though Wawrinka has been playing this well for about a couple of years now.

I am just surprised at this ‘new found’ crying since Federer was very heavily descended upon when he cried how many years ago at the AO.

And this reverse thing where, when ‘we’ win we are a hundred percent and when ‘we’ lose. then we have not fully recovered from some imaginary problem is beginning to look like a gimmick to ‘protect’ certain favorites at all cost!!

By the way, who on the circuit is always a hundred per cent? I would like to know.

I guess also that someone couldn’t fit in an injury time to be able to ‘gamesmanship’ things over for some kind of win (a win is a win, as they say) for fear of another boo!

March 11th, 2014 at 11:30 am

Nice to see Dolgopolov play well again after dropping in the rankings.

From the top guys, only Stan seems to be playing very well. But if winning ugly gets Andy a W, so be it.

March 11th, 2014 at 11:39 am

skeezer. Karma will be served back to its rightful owner and that is YOU.
Carry on gloating, after all it’s what you do best. Thankful that you don’t get given an opportunity to do so as often as you’d like.
Vamos Rafa
Stay healthy!

March 11th, 2014 at 11:48 am

Stan won’t win because he doesn’t believe he can beat Fed.

Dolgo played just well enough to win. Nothing special. Stepanek should have won but he choked. If dolgo didn’t win, Fog or someone else would shortly thereafter.

Michael, Nadal didn’t fight back in the third. Dolgo choked under pressure.

Nadal will be in Miami but he’s in a serious funk that started in the AO final with a back spasm but now is simply mental.

At best, he will shake this off during clay season. Not in Miami.

This tournament is now Fed’s to lose IMO. He is playing very well despite a somewhat shaky start in IW.

Stan, undefeated as he may be this year, is simpky not a factor here with Fed in his path. However, he is the second favourite behind Fed.

March 11th, 2014 at 12:22 pm

There are a lot of good reasons for a person to cry (man or woman). Crying over losing a tennis match doesn’t wash with me. I like Rafa and I am a fan but if you’re a professional athlete, you aren’t supposed to cry over a loss. I’m not a pro athlete so I guess I shouldn’t judge but it just seems immature. A big part of sport is learning how to lose with dignity and class. Nicklaus was runner up is 19 majors and he didn’t cry after any of them. And he had back problems throughout his career. Never saw Borg or Sampras cry after a loss either. Lendl lost 11 major finals and did not cry after any of them.

Watching Sampras break down after his coach was diagnosed with terminal cancer was understandable. But Pete never cries after a loss. It was after all, just a tennis match.

Watching DelPo in pain recently holding his wrist and in tears is also something I can understand. Being in pain for a long period can put anyone to tears.

Rafa…pull it together. It’s unbecoming of a tennis player of your calibre to cry over losing a tennis match.

March 11th, 2014 at 12:39 pm

In professional team sports, you will see most players who are on the losing side of a championship tear up.

I think Nadal tears up here because he let himself down.

March 11th, 2014 at 12:56 pm

(American) football players cry after losses all the time. From high school to the pros. Think about how much fans invest themselves emotionally into their favorite players and teams. Now imagine how emotionally invested the actual players are. It might not be manly or whatever but it’s understandable. Although I don’t know why Nadal cried last night but he lost a nailbiter so his disappointment makes sense.

March 11th, 2014 at 1:01 pm

The only person I see being negative and rude here is a Fanboy called Giles. Otherwise everyone seems really nice.

Hoping for a great week of tennis and commiserations to all the Nadal fans who have behaved really well despite his loss.

March 11th, 2014 at 1:13 pm

Oh and by the way: who is calling who a cry baby now?

Yeah, thought not. That is KARMA.

March 11th, 2014 at 1:17 pm

@Ben

Love your take on “man” tears. I feel the same way.
Nice post!

March 11th, 2014 at 1:37 pm

The big 4 are called the big 4 because of consistency week in and week out……the young guns have a lot to prove week in and week out……can they do it? If the big 4 get weaker, possibly. We will see……IW is getting very interesting! I hope to see Fed and Wa Wa have a go at each other…..should be fun!!

March 11th, 2014 at 1:59 pm

Okiegal me too,i dont see anything wrong in crying,personally i love to see a man cry,it shows they have feelings,i dont want men to be made of stone,i cry when im happy or sad,i cry at the drop of a hat,Rafa,Roger,AndyDelpo i dont know if Stan cried when he won the AO?id be more shocked if he hadnt to be honest.

March 11th, 2014 at 2:05 pm

John thankyou i will try to behave but i cant make any promises,this been the dysfunctional blog and all lol.

March 11th, 2014 at 2:06 pm

WTA picks for today

Bouchard
Wozniaki
Lauren Davis
Sloane Stephens
Agnieszka Radwanska
Cibulkova
Georgi
Na Li

ATP picks

Cilic
Bautista-Agut
Gasquet
Lopez
Djokovic
Dimitrov
Benneteau
Isner

Must see Matches

Dimitrov/Gulbis
Bouchard/Halep
Davis/Dellaqua
Cibby/Kvitova
Giorgi/Panetta

March 11th, 2014 at 2:09 pm

Simone Halep is off to a 5-0 lead. Come on, Genie!

Cilic/Robredo on serve.

March 11th, 2014 at 2:33 pm

Cheers John. I love you too! NOT!

March 11th, 2014 at 2:36 pm

Thanks, John, our guy had a bad day at the office….but I feel sure he will pull himself together and get back to work, he usually does!

March 11th, 2014 at 2:49 pm

Me too John. I will try my best to live up to your high standards!!!

You are so humble and objective, it will be difficult!

Huggs! BFFs!!!

March 11th, 2014 at 2:55 pm

“I am just surprised at this ‘new found’ crying since Federer was very heavily descended upon when he cried how many years ago at the AO.”
Yep, and by the “you know who’s ” who have suddenly disappeared.
Karma is served.
Don’t have an issue with Rafa crying, nor Fed. Competitors lay it all out there, and the highs are incredible and the lows are devastating. Experiencing them both makes you a better Champion, no?

March 11th, 2014 at 3:04 pm

“There’s no crying in tennis! NO CRYING!” Where’s Tom Hanks when you need him.

March 11th, 2014 at 10:22 pm

@SG1
Lol, you made me laugh. reflect. I mean, in the real world, there are more important things to he crying about. These guys, young, the world in front of them, fit, healthy, rich, playing a game for work and getting to travel the world…..really? A reason to cry? Pffffft! Tom Hanks indeed ;)

March 11th, 2014 at 10:29 pm

My WTA picks were get such a fail.

March 11th, 2014 at 10:43 pm

“I am just surprised at this ‘new found’ crying since Federer was very heavily descended upon when he cried how many years ago at the AO”.
Understand this ‘S old lady, federer was “descended” upon not for crying (Geez everybody cries, it’s human nature) but for the timing thereof. He spoilt the presentation ceremony for Rafa. Even Rod Laver was embarrassed not to mention Rafa who was trying to console him instead of enjoying his moment of glory. He certainly could have picked a better moment but he didn’t. Hence all the criticism. Kapeesh?

March 12th, 2014 at 5:10 am

———-
He certainly could have picked a better moment but he didn’t.
———-

How stupid are you? You don’t pick the moment you cry – the moment picks you. Novak cried in the Beijing Olympic Games when he lost to Nadal, Delpo has cried a few times, Nadal cried when he was injured against Ferrer at AO, against Wawrinka at AO, and now against Dolgopolov. He didn’t pick the moment, the moment picked him. It’s human nature. Even the Terminator sort of cried.

March 12th, 2014 at 5:37 am

There is such a thing called”self control”. Ever heard of that??

March 12th, 2014 at 6:00 am

And BTW we are talking about a presentation ceremony. Did these guys cry during a presentation ceremony?

March 12th, 2014 at 6:02 am

^^^ Andy cried.

March 12th, 2014 at 6:27 am

I have never had an issue with crying whether its male or female,sometimes you can try really hard to restrain yourself and control your emotions,but sometimes your emotions just take over you,somehow for some reason its not considered manly to cry,the whole alfa male thing they are supposed to be the stronger sex,i love to see men cry,it shows that they are in touch with their sensitive side.

March 12th, 2014 at 6:40 am

Although i could be wrong i dont actually recall Andy crying when he won Wimbledon last year,however i do remember that he cried when he lost the previous year,i cried both times buckets too,same when he won the USO.

March 12th, 2014 at 6:45 am

Andy Murray AO 2010:

http://youtu.be/fUokvSACsBU

March 12th, 2014 at 6:54 am

http://alturl.com/9z824
Nice try. Now watch this. Faderer taking all the limelight for how long?

March 12th, 2014 at 7:32 am

Look at the faces of the officials, Rod laver and Mirka in the background! Total embarrassment for the runner-up.

March 12th, 2014 at 7:35 am

Am done with this subject now. Yaaaaaawn!

March 12th, 2014 at 7:37 am

Giles, only six messages of Fed’s crying habbits and you’re already done? Are you slowly becoming more tolerant to Fed? ;)

March 12th, 2014 at 8:30 am

Now, now Mr Larvey, be careful that doesn’t provoke seven, eight, nine and ten.

March 12th, 2014 at 8:39 am

It’s amazing … A healthy nadal was beaten by an ill Dolgopolov.I hope Nadal stops making injury excuses now.

For those who aren’t aware if Dolgos health issues,
Dolgopolov suffers from a hereditary disorder known as Gilbert’s Syndrome, which affects his liver, blood and often causes fatigue.] His condition worsens when he has to cross continents in extensive travel, requiring intravenous drug treatments and monitored diets to get himself back on track

March 12th, 2014 at 11:54 pm

Dc, I agree with you that RAFA should bring injury issues all the time but to say that healthy Rafa lost to ill Dolgo. It is a nonsense. If Dolgo wasn’t fit enough he wouldn’t play. He played from Rio without issues. And just for your information, A lot of pro athletes have health issues but carrying on playing coz their health issues don’t bother their game ie Ian Thorpe.

March 13th, 2014 at 12:24 am

With the quality of entries here, no wonder IW has been touted as the 5th major. Now I am not touting that it is per se, but what other tourney outside the majors brings the quality draw of top players, etc. The stadium court alone is second only to the majors. No other stadium can match it on tour.
This tourney is one of the most important and treasured on tour, no doubt!

March 13th, 2014 at 12:42 am

Dc, I mean should not.

March 13th, 2014 at 12:48 am

Miami, Rome, Madrid, Montreal, Cincinatti to name a few.

Treasured because of the nice location and tournament organization but no more important than any other 1000 level.

It’s called man-da-tor-y.

March 13th, 2014 at 10:30 am