The real Tennis thread.

[Sciocco]

Re:

Delpo up to 63 in the live rankings. He should beat Wawrinka hands down. Wawrinka hasn't beaten a top 10 player all year, and is somehow #3 in the world. Murray-Dimitrov should be a great match, Nishi-Karlovic shouldn't.

Making the SF would put him around 40th as well too.

Delpo for the Calendar year grand slam 2017!

 

[Red Rick]

Djokovic' draw is slowly turning out to be a joke. I'm really disappointed with tonights results

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

Djokovic' draw is slowly turning out to be a joke. I'm really disappointed with tonights results

Monfils will destroy him.

 

[Red Rick]

Hopefully, but then Monfils is pretty clueless about how to play Djokovic and is 0-12 against him, not to mention Monfils has stamina issues and Djokovic is fresher than a Slam semifinalist has any right to be.

 

[Sciocco]

I'm hoping Djokovic and Nishikori win. My preference for the title would be Nishikori > Djokovic > Wawrinka > Monfils. Looking at who's left I wouldn't be that surprised to see Djokovic get two more retirements this US Open. Would be really weird though.

 

[BullsFan22]

I am hoping Wawrinka vs Monfils in the finals, because I would LOVE for Stan to tie Murray for GS titles (3) and it would obviously mean Gael's first GS final, but I for probable high quality tennis, then one would point towards a Djokovic Wawrinka final. These two have played each other enough times over the years to know what to expect. The three straight years of Australian Open meetings, last years Roland Garros final, the 2013 US Open Semi Final where Stan choked a bit and generally how well their games match up.

If it's a Nishikori Monfils match, I am not really sure what to expect. Neither guy are the toughest mentally, though I give Kei the edge there, but they are fast, athletic (especially Monfils), and can rally well if they are up for it. It would be Nishikori's second slam final. In 2014 he was utterly dominated by Cilic, who played a wonderful tournament and to cap it off, the final. Monfils has had the most success on the Paris clay, in terms of grand slams, and this would quite something if he were to end up in the final and win it, at the age of 30. Would he be the oldest first time GS winner if he were to win?

 

[Red Rick]

Monfils is so hopeless against Djokovic. He actively tried to tank at 5-1 down in the first, but then Djokovic manages to *** up the game even harder. Painful to watch. I can cry about it, but I rather choose to laugh hysterically at it.

 

[BullsFan22]

This has got to be one of the measliest runs towards a GS final that I can remember. Yes, Djokovic making it this far is not a shocker (though his form has been somewhat spotty coming into the tournament). He had some shoulder issues (perhaps he still does?) early on, but the run of results here is just, well...fascinating, to say the least: First round, plays arguably the worst match of his season against a guy that played even worse and one that hasn't played a whole lot of tennis in the past year or so due to ongoing injury issues, but somehow took out a set from Djokovic. He had a walkover in round 2, against one the men he lost to earlier this year, Jiri Vesely. Plays an over the hill 34 year old Youzhny. Youzhny is actually an excellent player, underrated for his career, IMO. He's won 10 or more titles, made it to the QF or better at all four majors (two time semifinalist at the US Open), 2 Davis Cups with Russia...but really nothing to speak of since the US Open 2013, when he made the QF, losing to Djokovic. Youzhny's form has gradually fallen since 2013, and he too, has had some injury problems, but I think when you are well into your 30's in tennis, you are going to see a dip more often than not. So Youzhny managed 6 games before he had to retire. Djokovic then plays a relative unknown Kyle Edmund. Apparently a good player with some potential, but hasn't produced anything spectacular in his career thus far. He is a pedestrian 14-27 for his career up until the US Open. But hey, he did start AND finish the match. So kudos there. Then Djokovic sees Tsonga. I thought this had potential to see some fireworks. No it did not. Tsonga retires after losing the first two sets. Tsonga was always a tough nut to crack for Djokovic, but once Djokovic got to the very top in 2011, Tsonga has hardly done much to him. Still, I thought we could have been in for a surprise. And now Monfils. Almost a carbon copy of the Janowicsz match from round 1. Tons of errors, injury time outs, no rhythm, lethargic players....

So that's two retirements, one walkover, one unheralded, inexperienced player that has twice as many losses as wins in his career so far, and two opponents that looked almost disinterested out on court.

I hope for the tournaments and spectators sake, the Wawrinka Nishikori really heats up and goes the distance and so does the final, because apart from a couple matches, this has got to be one of the most lethargic US Open men's tournaments I can remember, and Djokovic's path to the final has been laughable.

 

[Red Rick]

I just get so tilted watching Djokovic taking medical time outs every single match he doesn't win easily enough.

 

[Red Rick]

Funniest thing in the Djokovic Monfils match is that Monfils actually showed part of the perfect tactic against Djokovic. He was junkballing a bit at the end of the first and in the 2nd, and it worked, even though Monfils has like the worst slices in the top 20. Nobody is gonna beat him doing just that though, but it's part of the puzzel for sure. Avoid your standard baseline rallies at all costs.

That said, the US Open probably is the worst court to employ such a tactic as the ball still bounces high and fast enough to generate some pace off it. It should work way better at the Aussie Open, but then you just can't hope to outlast Djokovic, so you need to do something else as well.

 

[Brullnux]

Monfils is just less fit than Djokovic. If the match goes to 5 sets then Djokovic wins late in a tournament. Monfils will win a GS one day. Hopefully.

 

[Red Rick]

He's 30 already, he'll never win a GS. Stamina is an issue, but it's not the only reason he can't beat Djokovic. His shots take a huge amount of time to set up, and he can't take less time without hitting less cleanly and less accurately. He doesn't anticipate very well, and he's not that quick in the first 3m. And he has weak returns. He usually makes a lot of them, but he doesn't put anything on it, and against a player like Djokovic, he can't afford to start the point on the back foot. All this is reason why his talent is overrated. He's super fast on longer sprints (10m+), he can absolutely destroy the ball, and hit miracle shots, but he has a hard time stepping into the court and moving in good order, all of which is point construction and basically what wins matches.

Gael Monfils is almost a polar opposite of Kei Nishikori, except they're both injury prone and have stamina issues.

 

[SeriousSam]

Let's hope Stan isn't too tired and can offer some resistance

Djokovic now at 13 GS and it seems certain he'll pass Nadal next year. I don't think many saw that coming back in 2010.

 

[Red Rick]

Djokovic will likely pass Nadal, but I doubt he'll pass Federer. Murray has come closer the past year, and many of the younger players have made improvements. Not to mention the first signs of physical declines are there. He's dominated the Aussie Open in the last 6 years, but that's the one that will get harder to win more quickly as there he relies so much on athletic ability more than on clean hitting. He'll have a bit of a problem of not having a plan b, but it will be up to other players to go an dethrone him. For Djokovic draws like he had this tournament help massively.

 

[SeriousSam]

Up a break already, I think I'm turning this off

 

[Red Rick]

Stan's return is the worst

 

[BullsFan22]

Wawrinka is beating himself. Pure and simple. Djokovic isn't exactly playing wonderful tennis either, but he really doesn't need to do much the way Wawrinka is playing.

Really has been a free pass tournament for Djokovic, provided Wawrinka doesn't cut down on his errors. The retirements, the withdrawals, the other half of the draw being tougher, no Federer, Nadal still hasn't played a great grand slam tournament since Roland Garros 2014....It's all playing into Novak's favor.

 

[Red Rick]

Stanimal mode : engaged

 

[BullsFan22]

Pretty pathetic of Djokovic to call the trainer now that he is in BIG trouble, down 2-1 in sets and 3-1 in the fourth with Wawrinka about to serve. I hope he is really injured, but I just don't see it. To be fair to Djokovic though, this is one of the oldest tricks in the book and it has really been abused the last decade or so. Hopefully it doesn't damage Wawrinka's rhythm too badly, like Djokovic hopes it will, because that would be a great shame.

 

[SeriousSam]

wish i could mute mats

 

[SeriousSam]

yeessss

Stan the Djokovic Bane

 

[Sciocco]

An enjoyable match to watch which is definitely something for this US Open.

I hope Wawrinka goes full gas next Wimbledon.

 

[Red Rick]

Wawrinka will never win Wimbledon. It suits his game so badly. No surprise he's never been past the QF. He'll also be 32 next year, so time isn't on his side either.

 

[Sciocco]

Yes but there is a difference between Wawrinka and 3/4ths grand slam champion Wawrinka. He could rise to the occasion. It's all he's good for really as I don't expect to see him do much of anything until whichever slam he decides to win next year.

 

[Red Rick]

If Wawrinka goes Stanimal mode he's the favourite vs almost anybody in a best of 5. Except on grass. Grass neutralizes all the qualities he has and exposes all his weaknesses. Stanimal beats you by blasting you off the baseline and you have nowhere to hit to. However, he needs time to set up these shots, and that's why against Djokovic you at times saw him stand far behind the baseline to slowly blast himself into the rally. He can't do that on grass. You can't play like that on grass. The ball bounces too low for that. He can't turn rallies around by sheer power, his returns are too passive, they just sit up and the opponent can dictate and move in, whilst Stan has a subpar passing game for a top 5 player. Add a relatively low 1st serve percentage to that and he'll have all sorts of trouble against the likes of Raonic, Kyrgios, not to mention Djokovic or Murray.