*Official* Tennis Thread

[Jono]

Did his hammy during his match against Benneteau, but a Ferrer plays on and wins itbt. Reckon he just gave up.

I remember watching the match, and I'm pretty sure he lost the first set fair and square, and then twinged his hammy in the second. Gave up in the third.

 

[morgieb]

The big question is, will Gulbis return to his old self?

 

[Jono]

Fed is going to beat Rafa.

Looks that way anyway. Fed from 2-4 down in that 1st set just flicked a switch and played ama-ng clay court tennis.

 

[Jono]

Fed has cracked it at the umpire!

Broken first game of the first and now broken first game of the second.

Fed stopped play when the ball was in. Linesman, umpire and hawkeye says it was in but Fed refuses to believe it

 

[Jono]

Fed is going to beat Rafa.

False alarm

Good match 5-7 6-1 6-3.

Score is a bit misleading actually, Fed played better than those last two sets suggest.

 

[vcs]

Same old story with breakpoint conversion against Rafa. Still, at least 'twas a contest.

 

[Jono]

Not only was it a contest though, he was playing differently. He came to the net a lot, he was going for winners off his forehand etc.

So to his credit, he tried to change his game, which he hasn't been willing to do from 2006-2010 against Rafa on clay.

The amount of net point winners he had for a clay court match is incredible really. He should play that way against Rafa on hard court too, rather then just get pantsed in baseline rallies.

 

[Jono]

At a set and a break down against Bellucci, Djokovic really should have lost. Well the old Djokovic would have.

Instead we didn't see him yelling at his box, complaining about contact lenses, complaining about his stomach or even taking an injury timeout. All he did was be patient and his game clicked, and he romped it home.

Cannot wait for his match against Nadal in their third consecutive Masters 1000 final. Difference this time is its on Rafa's clay!

Djokovic has won his last 33 matches, and has been undefeated in 2011.

Rafa has won his last 37 clay court matches, and hasn't lost on clay since 2009.

Something's gotta give

 

[Jono]

About to start.

Can honestly say I am hoping for a Novak win tonight. Will really fire up the clay court season and throw the cat amongst the pigeons.

Novak will have to be at his absolute best.

 

[Jono]

This is unbelievable tennis already.

Nadal had two break points and Novak just smashes a bunch of winners from there.

He then breaks Rafa immediately after.

2-0 Novak!

 

[Jono]

Make that 4-0 Novak

 

[Jono]

Cannot believe Novak did not serve that set out. Epic choke at 5-3 30-0 with an easy smash and he hits it straight to Nadal.

Nadal has gotten back into this game by hitting it to Novaks' forehand, not his backhand. He was getting owned by Novak's backhand earlier in the set.

Nadal now saves set point on his serve. Incredible match.

 

[Jono]

Novak eventually gets him. 7-5.

 

[Jono]

Nadal just hit a lob through his legs over Novak's head as a clean winner

 

[grecian]

How does he miss that?

 

[Jono]

As Robbie Koenig said, Novak has been playing tennis from another planet!

Straight sets wins! 7-5 6-4.

it doesn't matter who misses or plays....nadal will win...

doesn't matter....nadal cannot lose

it's not a question of whether you watch or not or whether his opponents make it "interesting", there is no one in the current atp tour who can beat him on clay when he is healthy, fit and motivated...of course i am sure it's nice for you that you still feel that edge-of-the-seat excitement when murray takes a set off him...

Well well well...

 

[Jono]

Oh man I cannot wait for the French Open.

Tonight was just a win for tennis. Amazing performance from both players, and the result the clay court season needed.

Can't believe there is still a Rome Masters 1000 to come before the French. Novak should consider skipping that if he reckons his body needs a rest.

 

[cricman]

Amazing Mental Strength to Still win the 1st Set, like I said after Indian Wells

Like I said Before

To put into words how Nole is playing now goes like this ... Best Return Game in the World (Agassi + Conners) + Insane Court Coverage (Chang + Hewitt) + Great 2H Backhand (Nadal like) + Wicked Forehand. Also his Serve is Very Solid.


He's gonna be a huge threat on Clay

Anyone's Forehand Right Now (Except Maybe Del Po) < Nole's 2H Backhand

 

[Jono]

Your point about his backhand is so true. It is just ridiculously brilliant right now. Devastating.

Nadal came back into the first set when he started going for Novak's forehand, which started to give way. But once his forehand started kicking it, there was absolutely no where Nadal could go. He could not hit through Novak.

He is in a wonderful position whereby he cannot lose if a player continues to go toe-to-toe with his backhand. If that is the case, if his forehand is reasonably good, he pretty much will beat anyone.

It will be interesting to see whether he can do it on the slower clay of Roland Garros, but you'd be silly to doubt him.

WAFG

 

[Magrat Garlick]

34 wins in a row?

Yeah, mentally weak.