Wawrinka Injures Back, Gives Federer Walkover Into Basel SFs; Tsitsipas Tsurvives

Sorry to post about an unrelated topic. I was disappointed twice in a row with Djokovic. He showed even less heart and less desire to win than the Tsitspas match. 147 km first serve at 9-9 in the tie break. Then on match point he slices to backhands in a row that he could have easily flattened out. I know it’s exhibition. But I can’t even remember the last time Nadal even took a set off of Djokovic in an exhibition match let alone win the match. He had zero fire against Tsitsipas either. He is so unpredictable since the 2016 loss of desire. You never know when he is not going to feel like playing a match anymore. He has thrown in more of those types of matches this year than last year. By far. Just stops caring. The only match last year that I distinctly remember him doing that was against Zverev in the WTF’s in the second set. Very half hearted effort. This year he has maybe 5 matches like that. Both against Bautista Agut that he lost. The Medvedev match in Cincinati and the tsitsipas match and maybe even the Kohlshriber match. That’s one big difference between Nadal, Federer and Djokovic. Federer and Nadal fight to win every match. Djokovic doesn’t the way he used to.

October 24th, 2019 at 9:16 pm

Dave, then why didnt he donate the Wimb final when he has no fire?

October 25th, 2019 at 6:21 am

Exhibition matches are for fun, not fire. And it’s close to the end of the year; no one wants to (further) injure a tired body in a meaningless exo.

October 25th, 2019 at 10:12 am

I realize that. But the player still wants to win the match. Nadal wasn’t playing like it was an exo match that’s for sure. He hit one serve that he missed at 224 kms. He was really going for his shots. When Federer pulled out for the finals of the WTF’s with a back injury there is no way Djokovic was going to allow himself to lose to Murray in the Exo set. Even if the players don’t say it, they still like to win exo matches.

October 25th, 2019 at 1:37 pm

I’m definitely also one that thinks the draw system has flaws in it. The last 5 tournaments that Medvedev and Djokovic have both been in, they have been drawn in the same half or closer. The last 4 masters 1000’s in a row. 3 of the 4 majors they were drawn in the same Quarter. 2 Masters 1000’s in a row it’s Tsitsipas in Djokovic’s QF followed by Medvedev in the Semi. Lots of patterns. Kind of like Del Potro getting drawn with Djokovic lots in the past. So the ones where they use a random computer system, it seems like there is definitely a flaw.

@ Daniel,

You are good with numbers. What are the mathematical odds of that happening?

October 25th, 2019 at 3:15 pm

Dave, you forgot another Nole’s strange match, 2016 WTF against Andy, the match in which all he had to do was to send ball back across the net, considering Andy had 4,5 hours (methinks) match day before, instead he lost easily in 2 without any fire, the bigger shock was his statement after the match that the moment he started the match he knew he can’t beat Andy, that was the statement from Djokovic!?
Besides, he is in the same half with Medvedev in Paris and Tsitsipas and Thiem:)

October 25th, 2019 at 5:12 pm

Wog Boy,

This match was the one that actually bothered me the most of all of them. Andy plays almost 4 hours and the later night match. Has 16 or 18 hours to recover. Djokovic just played amazing against Nishikori and beat him in barely over an hour. It’s for the WTF and Year End Number 1. Not only that, but Murray double faults twice in his first service game and DJokovic doesn’t even get another point in that game. The match in 2017 against Thiem at the French Open was another one.

And I don’t mean to upset Federer fans with this comment or downplay how good Federer did at Wimbledon. Despite somehow winning Wimbledon that performance by Djokovic in that match was disappointing for me. I was super disappointed throughout the match. He was missing something that wouldn’t have been missing prior to the 2016 meltdown.

October 25th, 2019 at 7:03 pm

Prior to the 2016 Meltdown I felt confident in knowing if Djokovic was going to win a match beforehand or a tournament. Ever since seeing all of these matches and observing him, before a match, no matter who he is playing, I never feel 100% certain like I did in the past. And I don’t think he will ever revert back to pre-2016 again. This is a part of how he is now. And this isn’t to make excuses for him or say that’s the reason Djokovic lost. It’s just obvious in some matches. Like the Medvedev match in Cincinnati or the Tsitsipas match or the Zverev match in WTF, in the past he would have found a way to break either back or to get ahead to win the match. He was constantly able to before. The only match I don’t know if the old Djokovic would have won is the Zverev match. But he would have at least found a way to take it to a 3rd set. And even then, I would have felt more confident than how he is now.

October 25th, 2019 at 7:09 pm

So I will say this in advance. I honestly don’t see Djokovic winning Paris or WTF with what I have seen since Winning Wimbledon. He had no one dangerous to push him in Japan so the test wasn’t there to see if he would truly fight if he had to fight. I think he will fight 100% at Davis Cup. But that is the only guarantee. And I would be really surprised if he is in the top 2 after Australia next year. Medvedev won’t lose motivation anytime soon.

@WogBoy,

I was thinking today watching de Minaur today and other matches this year, Medvedev will have a real problem against him, especially in majors once he is fully mature. Medvedev won’t be able to get away with constantly going for 30 and 40 shot rallies and trying to wear him out. It just won’t work. It will backfire against Di Minaur the way it did against Djokovic in Australia. Di Minaur will just keep going and going at Medvedev. Where you can see other players aren’t up for it and get impatient and try and bail out of the rallies. Medvedev gets in peoples heads using this tactic. But Di Minaur will be one of the few that it won’t have the same effect.

October 25th, 2019 at 7:18 pm

Dave,
The changes started 3-4 ago and have nothing to do with his tennis or injuries, all these matches Nole in his old mindset would have won without a problem.
That’s why I separated Nole tennis player from the other Nole, what he is doing and preaching is load of brainwashing BS and moment he stops playing I won’t follow his private life.
As for De Minaur vs Medvedev, actually I watched their Sydney 2018 final. I cheered Medvedev then (not anymore), De Minaur was close but Medvedev outlasted him, maybe you are right, more mature De Minaur might do better against Medvedev.
To be honest, Medvedev plays extremely flexible tennis for 198cm tall player, no other player of his height or close plays so flexible, with a wingspan that reachesevery ball, not just reaches, but returning flat with interest and very deep, doesn’t give time to opponent to reorganise or apply different tactics, but I’ll repeat, focused Nole with clear are right mindset would beat him, but this Nole has anything but right and clear mindset, this time around he is done.
As you can see there is no Ivanisevic around (I haven’t see him), he was huge mistake and Nole lost lot of his fans because of him, Vajda is sticking only because he is extremely good man, loyal and doesn’t want to leave him when he is down, it is what it is, Nole is surrounded and surrounded to the wrong crowd.

October 25th, 2019 at 9:34 pm

“…surrounded and surrendered to the wrong crowd..” should say

October 25th, 2019 at 10:01 pm

Fed in ANOTHER ATP final. Ya mon.

October 26th, 2019 at 3:08 pm

Dave,
If you are around, I was wrong, Ivanisevic is in Paris with Nole, Vajda too, nice video of practice with Rafa in Paris, good to see them relaxed, Medvedev is there too, chatting with Nole, Rafa is #1 on Monday, here is the link:

https://youtu.be/a0jaXmY_DX0

October 26th, 2019 at 6:13 pm

Dave,
If you are around check this video, Rafa and Nole practice in Paris, I was wrong, Ivanisevic is there:

https://youtu.be/a0jaXmY_DX0

BTW, I sent similar post minutes ago and it got lost somewhere, strange?

October 26th, 2019 at 6:16 pm

Congrats Fed on your 50th win. Your career is a model for the rest: consistently great, always with the right attitude to compete, no matter the age.

October 26th, 2019 at 7:00 pm