The real Tennis thread.

[Atwood]

***t!! double fault. Aarrgh....

Rafa and Marc it is. Well done. Geez.....

 

[Atwood]

Just heard that Murray and Watson are have been added to the mixed doubles draw -- Mergea/Niculescu withdrew.

Gael Monfils has his confident, philosophical and cool side showing in pre - QF match interview. I have no favorite between Gael and Kei - Japan/France. It's all good. Still think it's between Rafa and Andy for gold. both are showing superhero ambition!

Spanish bromance is a tie! Contador/Herrada and Nadal/ M, Lopez

 

[Red Rick]

Nishikori should be the big favourite vs Monfils. Monfils will have to be very agressive, because if Ninja is playing his agressive game, Monfils isn't gonna be able to run enough down. And he'll be running for hours and many kilometers miles behind the baseline. I just hope Bautista doesn't take out Del Potro. Nadal should win vs Belucci, and Murray should win vs Johnson.

 

[BullsFan22]

Re:

Just heard that Murray and Watson are have been added to the mixed doubles draw -- Mergea/Niculescu withdrew.

Gael Monfils has his confident, philosophical and cool side showing in pre - QF match interview. I have no favorite between Gael and Kei - Japan/France. It's all good. Still think it's between Rafa and Andy for gold. both are showing superhero ambition!

Spanish bromance is a tie! Contador/Herrada and Nadal/ M, Lopez

Cilic had 60 unforced errors in a three set match. Not sure what sort of confidence Monfils can get from someone making that many errors in a best of three match, apart from winning, which is always nice.

 

[Atwood]

Re: Re:

Cilic had 60 unforced errors in a three set match. Not sure what sort of confidence Monfils can get from someone making that many errors in a best of three match, apart from winning, which is always nice.

You made me go look it up. You are close. Monfils 33 to Cilic 53 unforced errors for the match. But looking at stats for the entire win by Monfils (I only watched the last set), I think Monfils has reason to feel pretty good.
http://rio.tennis-live-scores.com/match/TEM001601

Feeling good enough to beat Nishikori? Not sure. It won't be easy but odds are closer than I expected:
http://www.oddsportal.com/tennis/world/atp-olympic-games/

Del Potro vs Bautista-Agut should be a close one too.

And should be good tennis -- singles, doubles, and mixed again.

 

[Atwood]

Didn't see the match but can't believe Monica Puig actually made it into the final... anyone know what happened to Petra Kvitova?
Congrats to Monica and Puerto Rico!

 

[Sciocco]

Re:

Didn't see the match but can't believe Monica Puig actually made it into the final... anyone know what happened to Petra Kvitova?
Congrats to Monica and Puerto Rico!

Puig is now locked in to Puerto Rico's 9th Olympic medal. If she loses the final she'll be PR's third silver medal. If she wins it'll the first gold medal in history for PR... I know who I'm rooting for.

I'm also cheering for Nishikori and Delpo to win their current matches and then beat Murray and Nadal tomorrow. Both have looked shaky several times this tournament so there's a chance Nishikori and Delpo could take them out. I'd favor Nishikori in a final match between the two.

 

[Red Rick]

Good thing Nadal won. I have nothing against Belucci, but the crowds at a possible Belucci - Del Potro match would've gone mad. I hope Monfils pull through though.

 

[Atwood]

Re:

Next week is Cincinnati, mandatory ATP 1000, and I don't think any of the top 5 will be there. Djokovic already pulled out, Fed is out for the year, I think Murray is very likely to pull out if he goes through to the finals, which I think he's very likely to do. Nadal is playing 3 events with a wrist injury, and wouldn't play if it weren't the OG. Wawrinka has a back injury and is unlikely to play as well. We may finally get somebody younger than Djokovic winning an ATP 1000

Wawrinka turned up for the draw ceremony in Cincy. And they, in Cincy, are planning on Nadal and Murray:
https://twitter.com/CincyTennis
Not sure in reality how Murray and Nadal will be there, since both are likely to be competing for gold on Sunday. We'll see.

Congrats to Nada/Lopez winning doubles gold!

 

[Atwood]

Re: Re:

[quote="
Puig is now locked in to Puerto Rico's 9th Olympic medal. If she loses the final she'll be PR's third silver medal. If she wins it'll the first gold medal in history for PR... I know who I'm rooting for.

I'm also cheering for Nishikori and Delpo to win their current matches and then beat Murray and Nadal tomorrow. Both have looked shaky several times this tournament so there's a chance Nishikori and Delpo could take them out. I'd favor Nishikori in a final match between the two.

Me too: rooting for Delpo and Nishi. Just watched my recording and Delpo looked tired -- he'll have his cheering section to fire him up -- if possible. And Monica Puig winning gold for Puerto Rico would be incredible! Angie Kerber winning gold would be great too. Both are hard-working, deserving champs.

 

[Red Rick]

Rafa is so not playing I think. Or he recovered from wrist injury whilst playing 10 tennis matches in less days. Don't see Murray going, he's been going deep all year, Olympics are draining, US Open is nigh, with Djokovic in questionable shape, etc.

Anyway, Nadal/Lopez won OG in doubles tonight. Very cool. Though during the medal ceremony I wasn't sure if Nadal was letting it sink in or that he was slowly dreading the thought of playing Juan Martin Del Potro tomorrow

 

[Atwood]

Yeah, it would be asking a lot for Rafa and Andy to make it to Cincy. However, I'm sure they'd both get byes and not be scheduled until Wed. or Thurs.

I was a little surprised that Serena took a wild card into Cincy. I thought her shoulder was bothering her. anyways...

 

[Red Rick]

Cincy is a 48 player draw, you still have to play 5 matches if you're gonna win. I hope they pull out though, because I think they'll break down in the fall season if they'd go deep in Cincy and US Open. Murray also still has the Davis Cup to think about later on

 

[Atwood]

Nishikori saving match points. Too little too late though. Andy Murray easily in two sets without breaking a sweat. Maybe Rafa and Delpo will be better. Fans getting ramped up for it.

 

[BullsFan22]

Another great win for Del Potro! Though this has a similar tone to the London tournament. Del Potro played a brutal SF and will no doubt be feeling it physically, as did Federer entering the final in 2012. Not Murray's fault obviously, but he's had two Olympic final opponents that have had to play rough semifinals. I hope Del Potro has just enough to get one more famous win and complete the comeback.

 

[Atwood]

Another great win for Del Potro! Though this has a similar tone to the London tournament. Del Potro played a brutal SF and will no doubt be feeling it physically, as did Federer entering the final in 2012. Not Murray's fault obviously, but he's had two Olympic final opponents that have had to play rough semifinals. I hope Del Potro has just enough to get one more famous win and complete the comeback.

I missed the match but hope the same! Would be great if Delpo got the Gold this time. I don't think he can do it but we'll see.

This Kerber vs Puig match is heating up. I'll feel a little bad for the older one, Kerber, but I think Monica Puig could, maybe, get the win. She playing the match of her life, aggressive, going for broke and her shots are landing in. And as I type that Angie gets a break and...the 2nd set...

Come on, Monica!

 

[Atwood]

It's incredible -- great story too. Monica Puig did it.
Olympic Gold - Puerto Rico.

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah, crazy stuff. Hopefully she doesn't go away into the obscurity of the lower top 100, never to be heard from again.

 

[Atwood]

That was a nice scene at the medals ceremony. Monica standing between two magnificent grand slam champions. And to think she just beat both of them.

I don't know if this is a one-off, she'll have done enough in tennis, and that will be it. WTA #34, 22 years old, has one wta title. Hope she keeps going.

Feeling bad for Angie Kerber -- I'm sure she'd rather have the gold and she's not going anywhere... maybe the next #1! Petra Kvitova still looked a bit slow in her matches, I thought -- not at her Fed Cup or Wimbledon champ best.

 

[BullsFan22]

It's pretty cool to see such an outsider win in the olympics. Puig was actually a good junior player. Only one WTA tour level title, and that was two years ago. She's actually had a career year up to this point (prior to Rio), so this just adds to it.

I, too, hope it's not a one-off, and that she continues on. This reminds me of Gaston Gaudio's win at Roland Garros in 2004. Gaudio was an underachiever up to that point, he had the talent to win big matches, on clay mostly, but never did anything big until that match. He was solid for the next couple seasons, but I think he just lost interest after a while. I don't know what Puig will do, but hopefully she build's on this and moves up the rankings and contends in the majors. It's always nice to see new faces at the top!!

 

[SeriousSam]

Duracell Murray on the court now. This will be very, very tough and grueling match if Del Potro is to prevail

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Looks like Juan Martin is coming back in the game. Thankfully! His long forehands are too much for Murray to handle right now

 

[Red Rick]

This is best of 5. Murray's defence is just too good most likely. Del Potro is lucky Murray has gifted 2 breaks back

 

[SeriousSam]

Del Potro seems close to collapsing. Doesn't have the fitness to beat Murray

 

[SeriousSam]

One set all. They should up the ante by promising the Falkland Islands to the country of whoever triumphs.