As usual - money talks and *** walks.
And technically, once you're pro enough you know when to walk.
-
The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to
In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.
Thanks!
And technically, once you're pro enough you know when to walk.
Bo5 match practice.
It doesn't make a whole lot of sense cause he skipped so much of the clay season and probably could have played Madrid/Rome, etc.
Federer obviously withdrew to watch Van der Poel.
And maybe collected some fee along.
And maybe collected some fee along.
Doesn’t make much sense. He should have just skipped RG as well. The least he could have done was play and finish every match. Nobody would fault him for losing, to anyone. If he wanted match practice, he should have played at least one other clay tournament. By doing what he did, he gave little respect to these tournaments.
Medvedev embarrased himself yesterday vs Tsitsipas. Not by losing, but by throwing a fit while 2 sets down and serving to stay in the match only to end up getting broken from 40-0 up including underarm serving on MP down and getting passed straightaway.
This guy will be #1 if Djokovic doesn't win Wimbledon.
This guy will be #1 if Djokovic doesn't win Wimbledon.
He choked sets 2 and 3 away. He didn’t convert many chances. What I like about him is that he’s honest and straightforward. So many today give boring, predictable answers, Medvedev is different.
Watching Swiatek and Sakkari, I am reminded why I don’t watch much women’s tennis these days. To think that best of three matches should be paid equally as best of 5, especially when the quality is so awful. Also Sakkari’s endless fist pumps after every point, even when her opponent misses easy shots or double faults is pathetic.
It's hard to call in choking when the dominance ratio (%return points won/%serve points lost) in those sets is ~0.7. Him even getting a few chances is the big outlier tbh.
I have never been more impressed with Djokovic' mentality than now. 2019 Wimbledon is MP down on Feds serve, you don't have the match in your hands anymore, not really. Here, look at what happened.
In 2020, he barely scrapes by Thiem in the AO final.
COVID happens.
He gets in a *** storm for COVID shenigans
Wimbledon is canceled.
He gets DQd from the USO in an absolute freak incident.
Makes RG final, but gets absolutely crushed by Nadal
He comes back to the AO. Grinds through injury niggles, is somehow a betting underdog vs Medvedev, then destroys him.
Then he comes back to RG, and despite everything, despite being destroyed in the previous year, despite not having beaten Nadal on clay in nearly 5 years, despite the crowd being once again against him. He comes in with the absolute belief he can beat Nadal. His celebration vs Berrettini was controversial, but goddamnit it only showed how hungry he was. How badly he wanted to play Nadal again. The match happens, and he goes 5-0 down in the first. Flashbacks to the final last year, where he got bageled in the first set. But no, he fights himself into the match. Saves SPs in a 1'40 set, before just outclutching Nadal in the 3rd set tiebreak, then delivering the virtual bagel to top it off. Relatively serene in celebrating it.
During the match I wondered multiple times what it would be like. Not only to have a Grand Slam on the line, but to have your entire legacy on the line. And these guys are just living it.
What a win.
In 2020, he barely scrapes by Thiem in the AO final.
COVID happens.
He gets in a *** storm for COVID shenigans
Wimbledon is canceled.
He gets DQd from the USO in an absolute freak incident.
Makes RG final, but gets absolutely crushed by Nadal
He comes back to the AO. Grinds through injury niggles, is somehow a betting underdog vs Medvedev, then destroys him.
Then he comes back to RG, and despite everything, despite being destroyed in the previous year, despite not having beaten Nadal on clay in nearly 5 years, despite the crowd being once again against him. He comes in with the absolute belief he can beat Nadal. His celebration vs Berrettini was controversial, but goddamnit it only showed how hungry he was. How badly he wanted to play Nadal again. The match happens, and he goes 5-0 down in the first. Flashbacks to the final last year, where he got bageled in the first set. But no, he fights himself into the match. Saves SPs in a 1'40 set, before just outclutching Nadal in the 3rd set tiebreak, then delivering the virtual bagel to top it off. Relatively serene in celebrating it.
During the match I wondered multiple times what it would be like. Not only to have a Grand Slam on the line, but to have your entire legacy on the line. And these guys are just living it.
What a win.
Not that surprised by Djokovic's win and he may end up with the most GS titles . He's obviously a champion but I never warmed to him as a sports personality. That said when the big four that became the big three and is becoming the big two is finally over, men's tennis should get more interesting again. Without Murray's constant injuries and Fed's aging it probably would have gone on even longer. To have four players dominate an individual sport for so long in the same era is rare and may never happen again.
Take Williams out of the mix in the women's game and the results are all over the place. Not sure why the current crop of female players struggle so much to be consistent at the top level. Players like Halep and others should have won more opens. The fact that Barty has been number one for quite a while now with only one major title says it all. At the moment it's hard to pick the next enduring women's champion who can play well on all surfaces. Barty is having some injury issues now, Osaka looked likely at one point. Maybe it will happen with one of the younger players. Williams can't be far off retirement.
Take Williams out of the mix in the women's game and the results are all over the place. Not sure why the current crop of female players struggle so much to be consistent at the top level. Players like Halep and others should have won more opens. The fact that Barty has been number one for quite a while now with only one major title says it all. At the moment it's hard to pick the next enduring women's champion who can play well on all surfaces. Barty is having some injury issues now, Osaka looked likely at one point. Maybe it will happen with one of the younger players. Williams can't be far off retirement.
Murray should not be mentioned in the same breath. He had a nice run in 2012 and 2013 where he eked out two slams and again in 2016. He’s an afterthought now. He never dominated anything. I don’t understand why some lumped him together wit the top three. What if Wawrinka beat Nadal in 2017? He would end up with a 4th slam. That would put him over Murray, or a title at Wimbledon, where he could have had a title at all four slams.
I guess so but he was always in the semi finals when he was fit without winning many titles. The media hyped the big four I suppose.
I suppose Olympic games don't count for anything.
Especially if none of the Big three were going for them.
Oh, wait...
Nicolas Massu won gold in singles and doubles, at the same games, in 2004.
Well, it provoked all the best to challenge him in Bejing.
And onwards.
Meaningless tournament, really.
It's not like the top 2 didn't show up in Athens. Federer and Roddick came into that tournament in blistering form. It's not like a tournament isn't worthy anything cause it had a weaker winner once.
Anyway, the Big 4 was always about consistency. It was there before Djokovic even won his 2nd Grand Slam, and by the time of his hip injury Murray was still closer in Slam finals to Djokovic than he was to Wawrinka. It was never about historical accuracy and putting them in the same tier.
Anyway, the Big 4 was always about consistency. It was there before Djokovic even won his 2nd Grand Slam, and by the time of his hip injury Murray was still closer in Slam finals to Djokovic than he was to Wawrinka. It was never about historical accuracy and putting them in the same tier.
The point is, the media hyped up the ‘big four’ for ratings, when by the time Murray got into that conversation, he was already way behind in terms of accolades. And since he last won a slam, Wawrinka has won a slam, Čilić has been to two more finals, Federer has won three slams, Nadal and Djokovic have won a bunch, Thiem managed to win one…
Is Tsitsipas capable of smiling? I find him so annoying to look at, Medvedev is the only one of the coming big four I like a little. Hopefully, new guys will emerge quickly to give them a run for their money when the current big two are finally done.
Djokovic to do the Golden Slam this year? I wouldn't bet on it but it's possible.
Djokovic to do the Golden Slam this year? I wouldn't bet on it but it's possible.
Tsitsipas is a bit of an odd guy, but I don't fault him for not really smiling after losing his first Slam final after going up 2-0 in sets.
As for the Golden Slam, it might happen, but I don't think it's worth talking about much. As a fan that sort of expectation just leads to disappointment. I just hope he gets enough rest to be fresh enough for Wimbledon.
Well, of course ot, but he also looked indifferent when he won the second set. It just feels a bit weird but of course, your guy does not exactly resemble Chaves all the time, either.
It's a strange tournament when a doubles player wins the women's tournament - At 27 years of age, Krajcikova had previously made the main draw for a Grand Slam on four occasions.
Murray was always part of the big 4 because he actually made it to Number one,something Wawrinka never came close to achieving.
Murray was always part of the big 4 because he actually made it to Number one,something Wawrinka never came close to achieving.
I'm not Tsitsipas fan, but I think that's just focus. A lot of players won't really express themselves much during a match. Nadal looks like he needs to fart 99% of the time he's on court.
I mistakenly opened page 1 of this thread earlier.
Page 1 is arguing about Murray big 4 or not, page 64 is arguing about Murray big 4 or not.
TRENDING THREADS
-
-
Liege Bastogne Liege-7 hour monument, Sunday, April 21, 2024- Started by topcat
- Replies: 985
-
Paris - Roubaix 2024, one day monument, April 7- Started by Dreginald
- Replies: 2K
-
-
De Ronde van Vlaanderen (270.8 km), 2024 March 31 (Sunday)- Started by Netserk
- Replies: 1K
-
-
Teams & Riders The Remco Evenepoel is the next Eddy Merckx thread- Started by DNP-Old
- Replies: 24K
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram