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*Official* Tennis Thread

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Murray frustrates me. Plays within himself so much.

He's made a career out of coming out on top of these matches nearly all of the time though. Wawrinka really should have the first set in the bag already.
 

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Murray's gone to pieces now. 36% first serves in for the third set.

Wawrinka looked absolutely gone at 0-3 in the second set, now he's 2-1 up with a break in the fourth. Great effort from the little dude, but he needs to finish the job.
 

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It's as though they're taking it in turns to get adrenaline rushes that make them forget they're hurt.

Commentators reckon Murray was saying "That's it. I'm done." when he went down a break at the start of this set.
 

Scaly piscine

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
The sort of toothless performance Paper Tiger would have been proud of, at least Henman had some bottle though even if he was crap.
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
That is such an awesome result.

Fed, get scared buddy. Rafa is on his way to his first US Open final!
 

Spudsy2061

U19 Cricketer
That is such an awesome result.

Fed, get scared buddy. Rafa is on his way to his first US Open final!
Nope. So long as the match is played at night, Rafa can turn it in. His ball dies at night, which can get WRECKED by anyone with a decent inside-out forehand. Verdasco should knock him out in the quarters. If not it'll be a Fed v Nadal final, but Fed should walk away with title number 17 at that time and then announce retirement.
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
Haha you're wrong, but we'll see.

I have $5 on Verdasco at $270 so I wouldn't mind him beating Rafa.
 

Spudsy2061

U19 Cricketer
Hoping Stosur can take out Dementieva here. Go Sammy
I'd like to see that too, and I think we're heading for a classic match here but I think Elena will have more in the tank. That said I know you love Rafa, but he's never really had game in New York so I never really expected him, nor will I until he proves me wrong, to ever get it. At the Aussie open he did well when he won that major but I think a lot of other factors helped play into why he did win there. For example the Semi-Final and Final were not blistering hot nor blistering humid like it gets in New York. Also he played those matches in the afternoon as opposed to the dead of night, which kills his ball (as I've stated many times before). That mixed with the chatty New York crowd which he doesn't enjoy mid-match and I think he allows too much to get on his mind while playing here. I think it's different because at other parts of the world he goes to people show up to see great tennis where at in New York they show up more to be entertained. He's always been over-rated in New York and I think he always will be. He's won the French and Wimbledon yes but those were two wildly different surfaces than the hard courts of New York and in two vastly different climates (from pleasant and mildly warm in France to mildly overcast and cool in England). The ball in New York just acts different than in Australia or France or New York, and that's partly because they use Wilsons over here, which Nadal has never posted good results with either. That's why I think there's just too many factors that Nadal has not been able to dominate with than at other slams or tournaments, so I don't expect him too. Certainly Federer is the favorite, but I must say Nadal's odds should be evened with those of a big slugger like Verdasco, who can really slam forehands like we saw from Del Potro last year. Certainly if Nadal were to face Del Potro at the slam here again this year then Martin would blow him off the court, so him being out is a tiny blessing in disguise. Having said that it's just that Nadal is too over-rated, and at the New York it's for his own good. I think it's fallacy to take results at the opposite hemisphere on opposite surfaces that do things way different than that of the hard New York courts and use them to predict what will happen. That's partly why results here at the Open are the best precursor to what will happen. That can't be said for Murray this year, and certainly he was better than 3rd round, but without a coach you wont' go anywhere at any major. Having said that this is why Federer looks so good right now, partly because he's good at the Open and has been. It's been his most successful slam for sure (slightly more than Wimbledon yes) and I think that's why he looks like the clear favorite, where as Nadal's game just never seems up to par here in North America. For me I'd put money on Verdasco, because since Nadal has under-performed for whatever reason here in the US, you might as well use the overly unintelligent hype towards your advantage. It will certainly be interesting to see but looking at the draw if Nadal does knock out Verdasco than he's got a favorable into the finals. This could give him the extra push to win it, but I still wouldn't like his chances over Federer, or even Soderling actually, but it is the quarterfinal he needs to win in order to even give himself a hope at winning the US.
 

vcs

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the above is why the below happens....and also why he has failed in the big matches so far...
Pretty much spot on.

I only watched the first set of Venus vs. Peer but I thought the quality was very high if you could ignore the shrieking.
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
I find Peer very enjoyable to watch. Good competitor, can just never really take the next step.
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
For example the Semi-Final and Final were not blistering hot nor blistering humid like it gets in New York. Also he played those matches in the afternoon as opposed to the dead of night, which kills his ball (as I've stated many times before).
The Aust Open final was at night as was the semi. And the semi was the longest Aust Open match in terms of minutes ever in the history of the Open. So I guarantee you that match went late!
That mixed with the chatty New York crowd which he doesn't enjoy mid-match and I think he allows too much to get on his mind while playing here.
If you think perhaps the most focused tennis player in the last 20 years won't win the US Open because of a chatty crowd, then I really think you're not giving Nadal enough credit.
He's won the French and Wimbledon yes but those were two wildly different surfaces than the hard courts of New York and in two vastly different climates (from pleasant and mildly warm in France to mildly overcast and cool in England). The ball in New York just acts different than in Australia or France or New York, and that's partly because they use Wilsons over here, which Nadal has never posted good results with either. That's why I think there's just too many factors that Nadal has not been able to dominate with than at other slams or tournaments, so I don't expect him too.
I agree this is clearly his most unfavourable conditions. However last year he was playing at barely 75% and he made the semis.

He's much fitter now and has come in better prepared. He could make the final.

And if he comes up against Federer, the surface is irrelevant. It's all mental, and we know Fed has a block when he comes up against Rafa,
 

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