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The real Tennis thread.

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Re: Re:

Red Rick said:
tobydawq said:
How can you hate Federer this much?
He always beat my fave player, and he had some of the falsest modesty and fakest humility I have ever seen in an athlete. And naturally everyone loved him.

I'm half serious here, I don't really hate him, but I do dislike the religion that is his fandom.
Yeah, Federer's fans are terrible, i think are the second worst after Messi's ones but i don't think we should blame the sportsman if his fans have created a sect rather than fanclubs.

Federer should be hated only for his continuous gifting matches to everyone, i think mentally he's very weak, a player with Federer's talent mixed with Ferrer's attitude probably would have won the double of what he really has.

Anyway in this week we have seen a very good level from him, probably the best Federer since 2017 early season and he has done better on the slow Miami than on the fast Indian Wells, i wonder if that has to do with the fact that he'll return to clay this year and he had to adjust his game for that.

Funny stat, he's the first repeat winner this season, until Indian Wells we had 19 different winners.
 
Perhaps I haven't really been exposed enough to annoying fans to understand what you mean. I don't visit tennis forums and I don't really know any people who follow the sport as relatively closely as I do.

101 down, 8 to go. Will he get there? Two months ago I was inclined to say no, but now the balance has shifted.
 
Re:

tobydawq said:
Perhaps I haven't really been exposed enough to annoying fans to understand what you mean. I don't visit tennis forums and I don't really know any people who follow the sport as relatively closely as I do.

101 down, 8 to go. Will he get there? Two months ago I was inclined to say no, but now the balance has shifted.
It's mostly just the insane praise he gets for every fart. Especially if you compare it to Nadal or Djokovic. the ATP made a poster of the first quarter of the year and they barely made the effort to put Djokovic in that, despite him being #1 and winning the first Grand Slam of the year. That kind of crap happens all the time. Also, Isner apparently was injured toward the end of the match, and cue the Fed fans talking about how Nadal faking injury.

I think it depends on whether he plays 2021. I don't see him getting there before that. He doesn't play enough smaller tournaments and even if he just won a 1000, he's a huge underdog in anything above 500s. Basically he's only a favorite in Halle and Basel in the rest of the year.
 
Re:

SHAD0W93 said:
I don't understand how you can be upset he gifts matches in the smaller tournaments. In comparison that would be like a top tier sprinter going to pad his wins in super small races. Once you win so many big stuff the small stuff starts going away.
I don't mean gifting in a literally way, no one in tennis gift anything because of the structure of the sport, you always needs the more points possible to upgrade/maintain your ranking and then get better schedule and draws.

By gifting I mean all the matches he usually loose by laziness, mental weakness or God knows why, and are a lot, all his career is constellated by matches lost that should have won and more at high level than in little tournaments, ask Nadal or Djokovic for reference, sometimes he has even lost in an tragically horrible way, a match like 2008 French Open final is a shame for the sport, was like an exhibition with the number 500 for Nadal. He has lost the 2015 U.S. Open final despite having 23 break points, something unbelievable, in Rome was able to lose a final against Felix Mantilla, a player that is remember (by who remember him) only for this match (and he's not the only one), I think we could write a book on matches that Federer had lost, for this reason I say that player with his talent and Ferrer's attitude would have won the double of what he really has.
 
Re: Re:

Nirvana said:
SHAD0W93 said:
I don't understand how you can be upset he gifts matches in the smaller tournaments. In comparison that would be like a top tier sprinter going to pad his wins in super small races. Once you win so many big stuff the small stuff starts going away.
I don't mean gifting in a literally way, no one in tennis gift anything because of the structure of the sport, you always needs the more points possible to upgrade/maintain your ranking and then get better schedule and draws.

By gifting I mean all the matches he usually loose by laziness, mental weakness or God knows why, and are a lot, all his career is constellated by matches lost that should have won and more at high level than in little tournaments, ask Nadal or Djokovic for reference, sometimes he has even lost in an tragically horrible way, a match like 2008 French Open final is a shame for the sport, was like an exhibition with the number 500 for Nadal. He has lost the 2015 U.S. Open final despite having 23 break points, something unbelievable, in Rome was able to lose a final against Felix Mantilla, a player that is remember (by who remember him) only for this match (and he's not the only one), I think we could write a book on matches that Federer had lost, for this reason I say that player with his talent and Ferrer's attitude would have won the double of what he really has.

The guy has played 1,460 matches at professional level. Of course there's going to be some unfortunate losses. The US Open final you are referring to is of course especially frustrating but I don't think anybody was thinking he was the favourite going into that (did he even break once in that match?).
 
So the ITF has announced the format for the Olympics. Doubles matches will get a championship tiebreak instead of a full 3rd set, and the men's final will be a Bo3 tiebreak sets format.

Whenever I think the UCI is doing a crap job at making their sport better I imagine the ITF is calling them and telling them 'hold my beer'.

Sadly I think it's only a matter of time before we see Bo3 at Grand Slam level, which would be so infuriating I can't put it into words.
 
Re: Re:

tobydawq said:
Nirvana said:
SHAD0W93 said:
I don't understand how you can be upset he gifts matches in the smaller tournaments. In comparison that would be like a top tier sprinter going to pad his wins in super small races. Once you win so many big stuff the small stuff starts going away.
I don't mean gifting in a literally way, no one in tennis gift anything because of the structure of the sport, you always needs the more points possible to upgrade/maintain your ranking and then get better schedule and draws.

By gifting I mean all the matches he usually loose by laziness, mental weakness or God knows why, and are a lot, all his career is constellated by matches lost that should have won and more at high level than in little tournaments, ask Nadal or Djokovic for reference, sometimes he has even lost in an tragically horrible way, a match like 2008 French Open final is a shame for the sport, was like an exhibition with the number 500 for Nadal. He has lost the 2015 U.S. Open final despite having 23 break points, something unbelievable, in Rome was able to lose a final against Felix Mantilla, a player that is remember (by who remember him) only for this match (and he's not the only one), I think we could write a book on matches that Federer had lost, for this reason I say that player with his talent and Ferrer's attitude would have won the double of what he really has.

The guy has played 1,460 matches at professional level. Of course there's going to be some unfortunate losses. The US Open final you are referring to is of course especially frustrating but I don't think anybody was thinking he was the favourite going into that (did he even break once in that match?).
Yes, some losses are natural, everyone has bad days but I think that for a player of his talent are way too much.

In 2015 he wasn't considered favourite only because of age, his level in that U.S. Open (and also in Wimbledon) was incredible and looked better than Djokovic, if I recall correctly he didn't loose a set until the final in both tournaments and walked on the opponents playing also two masterpiece semifinals against strong players like Wawrinka and Murray, but in the finals he was levels below his previous rounds performances.
2015 Federer's level is probably underrated because he hasn't won anything big but was the best Federer seen after 2012, I've never understood why he parted ways with Edberg after that year.
 
Re:

tobydawq said:
How can you care that much about doubles? I don't imagine the endurance aspect plays a particularly big role in doubles anyway.
I'm mainly talking abou the singles final being Bo3. 7 years ago every round except the final was Bo3 with a no tiebreak deciding set with the final being Bo5, then they added deciding set tiebreaks and now they're scrapping the final format. Somehow great formats keep getting ***. Davis Cup was a great thing and then they ruined it completely.

Doubles can be really fun to watch on occasion, especially during the Olympics when most top singles players also enter doubles and often also mixed doubles. Both Federer and Nadal have won Olympic Gold in doubles, and Murray won Olympic Silver in mixed doubles in 2012.

Basically I see a lot of people whining about how tennis is devolving into boring baseline rallies and I see a lot of players also complain how doubles is composed of talentless hacks who couldn't make it in doubles, while doubles is very often a lot more spectacular than singles.
 
Re:

tobydawq said:
Well, it looks like the clay court season will be another Rafa procession.
Rafa was terrible at the start of his match today. Can't get away with that if Fognini decides to show up. Fognini will want to show up, he's from Sanremo so MC is basically his home tournament.

Nadal/Fognini can be the craziest matches
 
Re:

tobydawq said:
Okay, I actually didn't see any of the matches today. I just saw that Djokovic lost and I see him as the only player who can possibly beat Nadal on clay (I know that Zverev and Thiem also have a chance on a good day). But his form is not the best.
Zverev is in absolutely rotten form, and Thiem has basically had one good tournament this year.

The only reason I think Nadal will lose matches this year is that he's 33 and he's never actually won all 5 tournaments he usually plays before. He's gone unbeaten before but then he dropped out of one of the tournaments every time.

That being said, I'm not writing off Djokovic until he loses at Roland Garros. He's definitely taking it slower with smaller tournaments this year, and I don't expect that to change until after the US Open if he needs it to get YE#1.
 
Veni

Vidi

Fognini

giphy.gif
 
Like i said after Indian Wells if he has some problems and/or he's not in top shape he looses also on the clay because his game is based on physical dominance and at the moment he can't play his game.
Maybe he's not "an injured man that play tennis" like uncle Toni said a couple of weeks ago but he's the first to say that the injuries he sustains everytime he play on the hard are taking their toll, after the match he said that in last year and an half he has been around 60%/70% of shape on most occasions (i think the only exception was last spring).
 
Re:

Nirvana said:
Like i said after Indian Wells if he has some problems and/or he's not in top shape he looses also on the clay because his game is based on physical dominance and at the moment he can't play his game.
Maybe he's not "an injured man that play tennis" like uncle Toni said a couple of weeks ago but he's the first to say that the injuries he sustains everytime he play on the hard are taking their toll, after the match he said that in last year and an half he has been around 60%/70% of shape on most occasions (i think the only exception was last spring).
Fognini is a super tricky opponent on clay and in windy conditions when searching for form it makes for perfect circumstances for a terrible match.

Sure Nadal has gotten slower, but he's still one of the best ball strikers in the game.
 
I just had a guy down in 7-Eleven who struck the jackpot and won a bunch of money on that match, lmao. I think it was like 7,5 (may have been a live odds) at 1000 DKK. I was like good *** dude, how did the black french guy do, Monfils, trying to pretend I knew anything about the sport (ok I actually know more than most since Im kinda a sports maniac, but still).
 
Re: Re:

Red Rick said:
Nirvana said:
Like i said after Indian Wells if he has some problems and/or he's not in top shape he looses also on the clay because his game is based on physical dominance and at the moment he can't play his game.
Maybe he's not "an injured man that play tennis" like uncle Toni said a couple of weeks ago but he's the first to say that the injuries he sustains everytime he play on the hard are taking their toll, after the match he said that in last year and an half he has been around 60%/70% of shape on most occasions (i think the only exception was last spring).
Fognini is a super tricky opponent on clay and in windy conditions when searching for form it makes for perfect circumstances for a terrible match.

Sure Nadal has gotten slower, but he's still one of the best ball strikers in the game.
A totally fit and in top shape Nadal would eat alive Fognini. If he's going to win he'll become the worst Master 1000 winner since 2001 when we had winner such as Portas and Pavel.

Nadal has to cut the more possible his appearances on hard if he wants to win. If it's not something serious probably he'll be back to a sufficent fitness/form in time for the Roland Garros and Wimbledon but if this summer when they'll return to hard courts he'll injury himself again the loop will start again.
 
Re: Re:

Nirvana said:
Red Rick said:
Nirvana said:
Like i said after Indian Wells if he has some problems and/or he's not in top shape he looses also on the clay because his game is based on physical dominance and at the moment he can't play his game.
Maybe he's not "an injured man that play tennis" like uncle Toni said a couple of weeks ago but he's the first to say that the injuries he sustains everytime he play on the hard are taking their toll, after the match he said that in last year and an half he has been around 60%/70% of shape on most occasions (i think the only exception was last spring).
Fognini is a super tricky opponent on clay and in windy conditions when searching for form it makes for perfect circumstances for a terrible match.

Sure Nadal has gotten slower, but he's still one of the best ball strikers in the game.
A totally fit and in top shape Nadal would eat alive Fognini. If he's going to win he'll become the worst Master 1000 winner since 2001 when we had winner such as Portas and Pavel.

Nadal has to cut the more possible his appearances on hard if he wants to win. If it's not something serious probably he'll be back to a sufficent fitness/form in time for the Roland Garros and Wimbledon but if this summer when they'll return to hard courts he'll injury himself again the loop will start again.

Well, it's either going to be him or Dusan Lajovic.

But at least they're players who can play the game and not only winning because they are 3 metres tall and can serve with 250 kmph...
 
Re: Re:

tobydawq said:
Nirvana said:
Red Rick said:
Nirvana said:
Like i said after Indian Wells if he has some problems and/or he's not in top shape he looses also on the clay because his game is based on physical dominance and at the moment he can't play his game.
Maybe he's not "an injured man that play tennis" like uncle Toni said a couple of weeks ago but he's the first to say that the injuries he sustains everytime he play on the hard are taking their toll, after the match he said that in last year and an half he has been around 60%/70% of shape on most occasions (i think the only exception was last spring).
Fognini is a super tricky opponent on clay and in windy conditions when searching for form it makes for perfect circumstances for a terrible match.

Sure Nadal has gotten slower, but he's still one of the best ball strikers in the game.
A totally fit and in top shape Nadal would eat alive Fognini. If he's going to win he'll become the worst Master 1000 winner since 2001 when we had winner such as Portas and Pavel.

Nadal has to cut the more possible his appearances on hard if he wants to win. If it's not something serious probably he'll be back to a sufficent fitness/form in time for the Roland Garros and Wimbledon but if this summer when they'll return to hard courts he'll injury himself again the loop will start again.

Well, it's either going to be him or Dusan Lajovic.

But at least they're players who can play the game and not only winning because they are 3 metres tall and can serve with 250 kmph...
If Fognini wins it's not nearly as bad as the Jack Sock vs Krajinovic final of Paris 2017.

Fognini beat #3 Zverev, #12 Coric (top 10 seed) and he beat Nadal on a clay court.
 

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