The real Tennis thread.

[SafeBet]

Alcaraz is so *** good.

Thank you for reading my TED talk.

Just as I thought Nadal was gone for good and we didn't have to deal with a freaking robot for ar least a few years.

 

[Red Rick]

Just as I thought Nadal was gone for good and we didn't have to deal with a freaking robot for ar least a few years.

He plays so much more like Djokovic or even Federer than Nadal.

 

[SafeBet]

He plays so much more like Djokovic or even Federer than Nadal.

His shots are a lot more natural, that's true, but the mental stability + physical strength at that age screams Nadal to me.
If he puts everything together and stays healthy he's going to be borderline unbeatable.

 

[Red Rick]

His shots are a lot more natural, that's true, but the mental stability + physical strength at that age screams Nadal to me.
If he puts everything together and stays healthy he's going to be borderline unbeatable.

He's ranking ahead of Nadal and Djokovic at their age, and this is despite losing half a year of play due to COVID and COVID still affecting the rankings heavily.

People are talking about future big rivalries now but if Alcaraz is dispatching Sinner comfortably on HC at this stage in their career that doesn't bode well for an evenly matched rivalry.

 

[SafeBet]

He's ranking ahead of Nadal and Djokovic at their age, and this is despite losing half a year of play due to COVID and COVID still affecting the rankings heavily.

People are talking about future big rivalries now but if Alcaraz is dispatching Sinner comfortably on HC at this stage in their career that doesn't bode well for an evenly matched rivalry.

Sinner would need a dramatic improvement in both serve and net game to stand a chance.
He looks like a humble kid and a hard worker, so I'm pretty sure he will improve both to some degree, but his touch just isn't there. At the end of the first set he was 4/14 in net points. Baseline bombs won't be enough with Alcaraz.

 

[Red Rick]

Sinner would need a dramatic improvement in both serve and net game to stand a chance.
He looks like a humble kid and a hard worker, so I'm pretty sure he will improve both to some degree, but his touch just isn't there. At the end of the first set he was 4/14 in net points. Baseline bombs won't be enough with Alcaraz.

Serve, yes. But one of my pet peeves is how overrated the importance of net game tends to be. Going from a terrible to average/adequate volleyer matters very little. I think it's more important to be world class from the baseline than to be a less terrible volleyer. To me it looks like Sinners forehand isn't world class, and Alcaraz' combination of great forehand and ridiculously good aggressive footwork can just run circles around a lot of players.

Sinner looks really good destroying journeymen but looks like an easy matchup for Zverev and Medvedev right now, who I consider to be the standard for that sort of player. Their combination of serving big and being defensively extremely solid is kinda infuriating.

 

[Red Rick]

Oops

 

[BullsFan22]

Not sure what will happen in the final. Djoković clinched the year end #1 ranking, so there’s less pressure on him now, maybe even for Medvedev also. Medvedev hadn’t played that well until today. I didn’t see the match, so I am just going by the scoreline. Was Medvedev really good or Zverev subpar or both? In any case, Novak will be looking for redemption and Medvedev to defend his title. Could be a high quality affair or someone will be underwhelming, I don’t see anything in between.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Just as I thought Nadal was gone for good and we didn't have to deal with a freaking robot for ar least a few years.

Escape From Alcaraz.

 

[Red Rick]

Not sure what will happen in the final. Djoković clinched the year end #1 ranking, so there’s less pressure on him now, maybe even for Medvedev also. Medvedev hadn’t played that well until today. I didn’t see the match, so I am just going by the scoreline. Was Medvedev really good or Zverev subpar or both? In any case, Novak will be looking for redemption and Medvedev to defend his title. Could be a high quality affair or someone will be underwhelming, I don’t see anything in between.

Medvedev was good but Zverev was trash in that match.

Brilliant win for Djokovic today. Best he's played since the RG semi. Really need to to get that win as well. Best Bo3 match I've seen this year.

 

[BullsFan22]

Medvedev lost his serve in the 3rd set the same way he lost it in the 2nd, leading 40-15 in the game, relatively early in the set. Something about that scoreline and Djoković

 

[Red Rick]

Expected semis at the WTF apart from Ruud. Djoko will need to go through both Zverev and Medvedev once again

 

[Nirvana]

Today Sky had Federer as guest via Skype during the pre match comment, his last injury should have been really bad because he said he just started walking again and still can't drive a car, and when Lorenzi asked him if he wants to be in Turin next year he said that he'll try to be there in 2023 because next year he won't play until at least late summer but the rehab could even need the whole year since he doesn't want to rush things like he did in the past to avoid having problems again after some months.

 

[Red Rick]

Today Sky had Federer as guest via Skype during the pre match comment, his last injury should have been really bad because he said he just started walking again and still can't drive a car, and when Lorenzi asked him if he wants to be in Turin next year he said that he'll try to be there in 2023 because next year he won't play until at least late summer but the rehab could even need the whole year since he doesn't want to rush things like he did in the past to avoid having problems again after some months.

Fed is completely done normally. Even without injury he would be struggling heavily now due to age. If he's not playing by the grass season next year I don't really see the point.

Meanwhile, WTF final was a bit underwhelming, but the Djoko vs Zverev semi was really good.

But the meme match all tennis fans have been waiting for is upon us this week. Austria vs Serbia in Davis Cup. Novak vs Djokovic. Only one man may survive

 

[Nirvana]

Fed is completely done normally. Even without injury he would be struggling heavily now due to age. If he's not playing by the grass season next year I don't really see the point.

Meanwhile, WTF final was a bit underwhelming, but the Djoko vs Zverev semi was really good.

But the meme match all tennis fans have been waiting for is upon us this week. Austria vs Serbia in Davis Cup. Novak vs Djokovic. Only one man may survive

He said that every time he plays on the grass it gives him problems to his knees and gets injured so probably he wouldn't play there even if fit. Anyway the point is that he wants to be injury free so he can go on playing for many years even if he won't be competitive anymore at high level, he just like to play.

 

[Red Rick]

He said that every time he plays on the grass it gives him problems to his knees and gets injured so probably he wouldn't play there even if fit. Anyway the point is that he wants to be injury free so he can go on playing for many years even if he won't be competitive anymore at high level, he just like to play.

He can play charities and exhos for the rest of his life, that much is true. You can't half ass it at that level at that age. Nobody can.

 

[tobydawq]

Well, it doesn't seem like Djokovic will get his 10th Australian Open title this year...

 

[Red Rick]

COVID has more wins over Djokovic at Grand Slams than the nextgen.

 

[Cookster15]

COVID has more wins over Djokovic at Grand Slams than the nextgen.

As an Australian I find this very embarrassing. Vaccination does not prevent catching or transmitting Covid-19. Dumb rule, yet the sheep here are cheering. Sad.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Given the high transmission rate that we now have in Melbourne, I see no reason for not letting him in. People just playing politics.

Tournament could become a major farce anyway, as I imagine there will be numerous players thrown out mid tournament with covid.

 

[Cookster15]

Given the high transmission rate that we now have in Melbourne, I see no reason for not letting him in. People just playing politics.

Tournament could become a major farce anyway, as I imagine there will be numerous players thrown out mid tournament with covid.

I agree and I am in Sydney which I am sure you know is even worse (new cases). As a result of this I am also now questioning why we are asked to show vaccination status when we enter some venues / shops or restaurants - what are they trying to prevent?

Effectively the rule is saying we don't want unvaccinated visitors, including professional sports competitors to potentially take up a hospital bed should they fall ill in Australia.

I really wish the Australian public would try to use their brains and become informed rather than allow themselves to be led like sheep.

 

[gregrowlerson]

I agree and I am in Sydney which I am sure you know is even worse (new cases). As a result of this I am also now questioning why we are asked to show vaccination status when we enter some venues / shops or restaurants - what are they trying to prevent?

Effectively the rule is saying we don't want unvaccinated visitors, including professional sports competitors to potentially take up a hospital bed should they fall ill in Australia.

I really wish the Australian public would try to use their brains and become informed rather than allow themselves to be led like sheep.

Yep. In reality it's even more of a 'Joke' considering that Novak has had covid, and won grand slams AFTER having covid.

Unless Novak was planning on doing a friendly tour of numerous aged care facilities and hospitals, then why the hard stance?

Perhaps we will even end up losing the tournament (in time). After all, Novak has been allowed to play all the other slams.

 

[yaco]

It's interesting that three other players/officials entered with the same medical exemption visa without a word - Australia, particularly Melbournians have been very unwelcome to the participants in the last two Oz Opens.

 

[Cookster15]

It's interesting that three other players/officials entered with the same medical exemption visa without a word - Australia, particularly Melbournians have been very unwelcome to the participants in the last two Oz Opens.

The last two Oz Opens are effected by the pandemic. Small village mentality is alive and well in Melbourne . Sadly polls are saying most agree he should be deported, but we have another cringeworthy cultural habit here known as "tall poppy syndrome".

I don't like Djokovic but I am not comfortable for why his visa required him to be fully vaccinated - that is why I asked the question on the Covid-19 thread.

Latest news this morning a leading Melbourne lawyer says there is a chance Djokovic could be allowed to play the Australian Open while his lawyers attempt to fight his deportation.

 

[BigCoward]

I agree and I am in Sydney which I am sure you know is even worse (new cases). As a result of this I am also now questioning why we are asked to show vaccination status when we enter some venues / shops or restaurants - what are they trying to prevent?

Effectively the rule is saying we don't want unvaccinated visitors, including professional sports competitors to potentially take up a hospital bed should they fall ill in Australia.

I really wish the Australian public would try to use their brains and become informed rather than allow themselves to be led like sheep.

I would have thought that was obvious to absolutely everyone by now.