CAMELOT FANTASIES
Camelot Tennis Universe => General Pro Player Discussions => Topic started by: Clay Death on November 11, 2013, 12:58:41 am
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Emma,
I disagree. Nadal is one of the few champions who has had to deal with two primary foes at the same time. Although Federer’s peak years were from 2003-2007, I don’t think Federer’s peak years impacted Nadal too negatively since Nadal has never had a particularly difficult time with Federer, on any surface besides indoors. Novak, OTOH has always been the primary foe of Nadal’s and the opponent Toni most feared from the beginning.
If Federer’s peak years were from 2003-2007, that gives Fed five years of peak performance. Nadal is such that people have a hard time determining his prime since he began winning so early. Traditionally, those that peak early, burn out early. So, Nadal has the distinction of beating Federer before his prime, before going on to deal with his most difficult opponent in Novak soon after his own prime began. This has resulted in a ten year period of playing at an extremely high level for an extended period of time.
Federer's best years were from 2003 to 2007 in the sense of peak time, so by the time Nadal finally started exploring outside clay, Federer already had his best years behind him.
I don’t agree that Federer's best years were behind him, because although Federer’s results have tapered off, he still had mastery over Novak and Andy (Andy, particularly in the key matches). Nadal was the only threat to Federer, IMO, during his entire career. I also think part of Federer’s “issues” can be directly attributed to the psychological damage that Nadal has inflicted upon him over the years and has nothing to do with his level of play.
I think Nadal faced more competition than Federer, because Federer was the ATP poster boy and you had professionals being too intimidated to actually play him based on his status in the game. Meanwhile, they came after Nadal like rabid dogs. Roddick, Berdych, Wawrinka, del Potro, amongst others regularly did not give their best against Federer, although with the exception of Roddick, they had the tools to do so.
I don’t give Novak and Andy a pass for their mental shortcomings, because both were equipped with the necessary tools from the onset. The fact that they did not take advantage of some of their prime years lies solely on them.
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Messi loses out to Del Potro in Argentina:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/messi-loses-del-potro-argentina-210600314--sow.html
Buenos Aires (AFP) - Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi may have been crowned world footballer of the year four times, but in his native Argentina it's tennis giant Juan Martin del Potro who is top dog.
World number five Del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion, edged out Messi to claim Argentina's Sportsman of the Year award at the Sporto Argentino Festival.
"I am very happy to have received the Gold Prize of Clarin," del Potro wrote on his Facebook page.
"It was a great year, much better than I expected. I was there, fighting in the first place. The main thing is I feel very close to the top of the world again. I'm already looking at next season."
Del Potro won four titles in 2013 and was runner-up at the Indian Wells and Shanghai Masters.
He also made the semi-finals at Wimbledon, losing a five-set epic to Novak Djokovic in the longest men's last-four clash in the history of the tournament.
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Hewitt retirement plans on hold:
http://www.sportinglife.com/tennis/news/article/553/9070778/hewitt-retirement-plans-on-hold
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andy murray is named the sportsman of the year:
http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2013/dec/13/andymurray-christineohuruogu
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CD,
I really hope Rafa does it, because I think he's had a much harder road to glory.
Hi TT, I don't necessarily think so. Mainly because, as I see it, Nadal only had to deal one opponent at a time. For example, from 2005 to 2010 it was Federer and Federer's best years were from 2003 to 2007 in the sense of peak time, so by the time Nadal finally started exploring outside clay, Federer already had his best years behind him. In those years, he pretty much dominated all surfaces other than clay. It's to only Federer's credit that he continued to play very well even after 2008 and stayed very, very consistent.
And Nole didn't peak until 2011 and Murray until 2012. In those years, Nadal only had one true rival and that was Nole. Murray had always been a mental midget - reason why he had to go and get Lendl so that he could finally take that quantum leap and these two haven't met since then. For example, in 2012 Nadal didn't play USO. In 2013, Nadal didn't play AO and Murray didn't play FO and while Nadal went out quite early at Wimbledon, Murray too followed suit at USO, so Nadal never had to play against Murray. He was still left with to deal with one rival only. So while his best years are definitely 2008, 2010 and 2013, he didn't necessarily face more competition than Federer.
It's actually Nole and Murray who have much tougher roads than both Federer and Nadal as they had to face both Nadal and Federer not to mention each other since 2008.
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French Open champion---Michael chang---to coach Nishikori:
http://www1.skysports.com/tennis/news/12110/9067861/
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CD,
I really hope Rafa does it, because I think he's had a much harder road to glory.
I don't think it's his style of play. He can't help having that bone in his foot. His style doesn't look half as demanding as Nole's to me.
Nole contorts his body something fierce.
Other than Nadal's knees, he's never had back issues or shoulder injuries like the others.
I think it is going to happen in Melbourne.
its time.
and you are right: he has to work so much harder for his wins than the others. his style of play is very demanding.
and then he has to try to defeat the all time greats for his slams.
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CD,
I really hope Rafa does it, because I think he's had a much harder road to glory.
I think it is going to happen in Melbourne.
its time.
and you are right: he has to work so much harder for his wins than the others. his style of play is very demanding.
and then he has to try to defeat the all time greats for his slams.
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CD,
I really hope Rafa does it, because I think he's had a much harder road to glory.
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Nadal vs Fed:
**interesting stats and informative read:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/roger-federer-rafael-nadal-thorny-subject-competitive-eras-170300220--ten.html
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Andrew Castle's favorite tennis tournaments:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/10494006/Andrew-Castle-on-his-favourite-tennis-tournaments.html
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andy will miss sports personality of the year awards:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/sports-personality-of-the-year/10508315/Andy-Murray-will-miss-BBC-Sports-Personality-of-the-Year-Awards-in-order-to-prepare-for-Australian-Open.html
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manolo Santana:
rafa can hit 17 slams:
http://www.stevegtennis.com/2013/12/manolo-santana-nadal-can-equal-federer-in-grand-slam-titles/
I'll bet some people on other tennis boards are spitting mad.
This is one "expert" that don't want to hear from.
Rafa is chasing history. I think he will do it.
I have lost most of my friends who were massive roger Federer fans.
can you believe that? I supported some of these people for years and now they are no where to be found.
I even asked them to help us initially to get our Camelot off the ground and up and running. well they not only ran, they did not even have the guts to wish us good luck.
it does not matter now. we did it.
you, me, and the others here did it all by ourselves.
we made it happen and now there will be no stopping us ever.
we have Camelot and it is ours to share with the world.
we have a home while all those I counted on are running like dogs on the street with no place to turn to.
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manolo Santana:
rafa can hit 17 slams:
http://www.stevegtennis.com/2013/12/manolo-santana-nadal-can-equal-federer-in-grand-slam-titles/
I'll bet some people on other tennis boards are spitting mad.
This is one "expert" that don't want to hear from.
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Federer on twitter:
http://tennis.si.com/2013/12/09/roger-federer-twitter-question-answer-bob-mike-bryan/?eref=si_tennis&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_tennis+%28SI.com+-+Tennis%29
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manolo Santana:
rafa can hit 17 slams:
http://www.stevegtennis.com/2013/12/manolo-santana-nadal-can-equal-federer-in-grand-slam-titles/
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andy murray is the most talked about topic in U.K.
http://tennis.si.com/2013/12/09/daily-bagel-andy-murray-facebook/?eref=si_tennis&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_tennis+%28SI.com+-+Tennis%29
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Somdev Devvarman aims to hit top 60:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/top-stories/Somdev-Devvarman-hopes-to-break-into-top-60/articleshow/27133357.cms
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John McEnroe Rips Doubles, Says He’ll Take Federer/Nadal Over The Bryans Any Day!
by Tom Gainey | December 8th, 2013
Speaking at the Statoil Masters earlier this week, outspoken legend John McEnroe ripped into the current state of doubles on the tennis circuit, calling for the discipline to be abolished!
“Why we are even playing doubles at this point is a mystery to me,” McEnroe told the Telegraph. “I love doubles but I don’t even recognise what this is. … They play an inch from the net. It is like wham, bam, thank you ma’am.
“If you cut out doubles and gave that money to singles players ranked between 200 and 1,000, maybe that would do something for the game. Then some other guy who never really had the chance to play ends up becoming No 100 in the world instead of quitting when he’s No 400.
“Most doubles players, I hate to say, are the slow guys who were not quick enough to play singles.”
As the moment few top singles players enter doubles tournaments and among the final 16 men (8 teams) to qualify for the London ATP Finals event last month, only the Bryans, Leander Paes, Radek Stepanek and Fernando Verdasco were among the faces an average fan would recognize.
And even the Bryans, one of the all-times greats, were in McEnroe’s crosshairs.
“What do you think they are playing doubles for? I like them and single-handledly they’ve tried to keep doubles going. There is something cool to watch these twins.
“But sometimes I hear people saying they are the greatest doubles players of all time. I’m like ‘Excuse me?’ If you put Federer and Nadal together, I am taking them.”
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Patrick rafter wins 2nd London crown:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/12/49/Statoil-Masters-Sunday-Rafter-Henman.aspx
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johnny mac still raising hell on the court and still winning tournaments:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/12/49/Statoil-Masters-Sunday-McEnroe-Wilander.aspx
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johnny mac and Federer join roger Federer on twitter:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/12/49/Statoil-Masters-Saturday-Ask-RF-McEnroe-Rafter.aspx
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tennis community reacts to Mandela's passing:
http://tennis.si.com/2013/12/05/serena-williams-roger-federer-react-nelson-mandela-death-legacy/?eref=si_tennis&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_tennis+%28SI.com+-+Tennis%29
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tennis stars step out to raise money for cancer research:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/12/49/Cancer-Fundraiser-NYC-Blake-Gimelstob-Roddick-Isner.aspx
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John McEnroe makes controversial call for doubles tennis to be ditched from the major tournaments
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/10498835/John-McEnroe-makes-controversial-call-for-doubles-tennis-to-be-ditched-from-the-major-tournaments.html
Doubles tennis must be in a bad way if John McEnroe, whose alliance with Peter Fleming brought him four Wimbledon titles, is calling for it to be scrapped from major tournaments.
Having flown into London this week for the Statoil Masters - an annual veterans’ event staged at the Royal Albert Hall - McEnroe was in feisty form on Thursday as he questioned what the team format is bringing to professional tennis.
“Why we are even playing doubles at this point is a mystery to me,” said McEnroe. “I love doubles but I don’t even recognise what this is. If there was a volleying contest from the service line, most of these guys couldn’t . . .” He stopped and sighed. “They play an inch from the net. It is like wham, bam, thank you ma’am.
“If you cut out doubles and gave that money to singles players ranked between 200 and 1,000, maybe that would do something for the game. Then some other guy who never really had the chance to play ends up becoming No 100 in the world instead of quitting when he’s No 400.
“Most doubles players, I hate to say, are the slow guys who were not quick enough to play singles.” The most successful male Americans of the moment - financially at any rate - are the Floridian twins Bob and Mike Bryan, whose 344 consecutive weeks at the top of the rankings is a record for any pairing.
That's weird, considering how much he played doubles. Unfortunately, John's ideas usually gain steam and come to fruition.
johnny mac is just looking for attention.
doubles is a very vital part of this sport and always has been. it can never be scratched.
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Ana gets by Maria in an exo in Bogota, Colombia:
http://www.sportinglife.com/tennis/news/article/553/9061366/sharapova-beaten-on-return
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John McEnroe makes controversial call for doubles tennis to be ditched from the major tournaments
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/10498835/John-McEnroe-makes-controversial-call-for-doubles-tennis-to-be-ditched-from-the-major-tournaments.html
Doubles tennis must be in a bad way if John McEnroe, whose alliance with Peter Fleming brought him four Wimbledon titles, is calling for it to be scrapped from major tournaments.
Having flown into London this week for the Statoil Masters - an annual veterans’ event staged at the Royal Albert Hall - McEnroe was in feisty form on Thursday as he questioned what the team format is bringing to professional tennis.
“Why we are even playing doubles at this point is a mystery to me,” said McEnroe. “I love doubles but I don’t even recognise what this is. If there was a volleying contest from the service line, most of these guys couldn’t . . .” He stopped and sighed. “They play an inch from the net. It is like wham, bam, thank you ma’am.
“If you cut out doubles and gave that money to singles players ranked between 200 and 1,000, maybe that would do something for the game. Then some other guy who never really had the chance to play ends up becoming No 100 in the world instead of quitting when he’s No 400.
“Most doubles players, I hate to say, are the slow guys who were not quick enough to play singles.” The most successful male Americans of the moment - financially at any rate - are the Floridian twins Bob and Mike Bryan, whose 344 consecutive weeks at the top of the rankings is a record for any pairing.
That's weird, considering how much he played doubles. Unfortunately, John's ideas usually gain steam and come to fruition.
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rusedski tells murray to find new focus:
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/rusedski-tells-murray-he-must-find-new-focus-8987085.html
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John McEnroe makes controversial call for doubles tennis to be ditched from the major tournaments
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/10498835/John-McEnroe-makes-controversial-call-for-doubles-tennis-to-be-ditched-from-the-major-tournaments.html
Doubles tennis must be in a bad way if John McEnroe, whose alliance with Peter Fleming brought him four Wimbledon titles, is calling for it to be scrapped from major tournaments.
Having flown into London this week for the Statoil Masters - an annual veterans’ event staged at the Royal Albert Hall - McEnroe was in feisty form on Thursday as he questioned what the team format is bringing to professional tennis.
“Why we are even playing doubles at this point is a mystery to me,” said McEnroe. “I love doubles but I don’t even recognise what this is. If there was a volleying contest from the service line, most of these guys couldn’t . . .” He stopped and sighed. “They play an inch from the net. It is like wham, bam, thank you ma’am.
“If you cut out doubles and gave that money to singles players ranked between 200 and 1,000, maybe that would do something for the game. Then some other guy who never really had the chance to play ends up becoming No 100 in the world instead of quitting when he’s No 400.
“Most doubles players, I hate to say, are the slow guys who were not quick enough to play singles.” The most successful male Americans of the moment - financially at any rate - are the Floridian twins Bob and Mike Bryan, whose 344 consecutive weeks at the top of the rankings is a record for any pairing.
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Federer may not appoint another coach:
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013/12/federer-may-not-appoint-another-coach-undecided-davis-cup/49903/#.UqEt0GeA19A
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what is this all about? I just saw this article at another site:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/novak-djokovic-refreshes-roger-federers-memory-162200751--ten.html
I saw this earlier. I meant to post it, but got distracted and forgot about it.
It seems Novak didn't appreciate Roger not acknowledging his status in the game.
looks like they don't like each other. oh well. maybe they will iron out their differences in 2014.
I was just now at yahoo sports site.
I came across this article.
seem like somebody set out to impersonate Federer:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/tennis-busted-racquet/man-impersonates-roger-federer-streets-shanghai-gets-bombarded-154840113--ten.html
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what is this all about? I just saw this article at another site:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/novak-djokovic-refreshes-roger-federers-memory-162200751--ten.html
I saw this earlier. I meant to post it, but got distracted and forgot about it.
It seems Novak didn't appreciate Roger not acknowledging his status in the game.
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andy murray can challenge in australia:
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/tennis/25240733
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biggest upsets of 2013:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/12/49/Biggest-Upsets-Top-5.aspx
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high expectations for andy murray in 2014:
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/tennis/25233538
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what is this all about? I just saw this article at another site:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/novak-djokovic-refreshes-roger-federers-memory-162200751--ten.html
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Federer training in Dubai and tesging larger racquets:
http://tennis.si.com/2013/12/03/roger-federer-testing-larger-racket-head-frames/?eref=si_tennis&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_tennis+%28SI.com+-+Tennis%29
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andy murray is stepping up training in Miami:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/andymurray/10495947/Andy-Murray-feeling-rusty-as-he-steps-up-training-schedule-in-Miami-after-back-surgery.html
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Final 2013 Grades for the ATP Top 20
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1862006-final-2013-grades-for-the-atp-top-20?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=tennis
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top 10 funniest moments in tennis in 2013:
http://www.tennisnow.com/News/Top-10-Funniest-Tennis-Moments-of-2013.aspx
You know there's a place for that. It should be called "Just for Laughs."
I actually cried at Janowicz. I had seen it on YouTube, but with the music and the gifs tears were streaming down my face. I called my bored teenager in to look at it, he fancies himself as too cool for anything that I like. But, even he had to laugh, although he did try to hide his big grin behind his hand.
That needs a place of its own. It would be so cool to go there whenever you were in need of a laugh.
When, he went to the chair, somewhat composed, and said, "for what?" I thought I would bust a gut!
I am liking the idea already.
lets do it.
it will be called "Just For Laughs".
we really do need a place like that.
you come up with the best ideas.
Thanks!
Don't you think this place is bringing out the creativity in us? How often do you have a place to connect where people don't want anything from each other but decent conversation and a place to share their interests?
This is a goldmine, CD. You'll see. Just be patient.
I'm a member for life.
you know that I needed a home. I created a single largest thread in the history of mankind at MTF.
I founded the "castle" at mtf which now has around 400,000 posts and counting. it will have a few million before all is said and done.
well those idiots banned me from there because I was too popular and I was a high profile nadal fan.
general masterclass took on all of MTF in order to defend me.
they did not take general masterclass seriously. they chose to not listen to him which was a huge mistake on their part.
so we are here now and now nobody on the planet can mess with us ever again.
now we will make history again and this history will be fun too.
and we came up with a perfect home. it is none other than Camelot.
you are going to be a huge part of the story here as are embla and emma.
thank goodness we have sara and laurice here too.
now there is no stopping us.
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top 10 funniest moments in tennis in 2013:
http://www.tennisnow.com/News/Top-10-Funniest-Tennis-Moments-of-2013.aspx
You know there's a place for that. It should be called "Just for Laughs."
I actually cried at Janowicz. I had seen it on YouTube, but with the music and the gifs tears were streaming down my face. I called my bored teenager in to look at it, he fancies himself as too cool for anything that I like. But, even he had to laugh, although he did try to hide his big grin behind his hand.
That needs a place of its own. It would be so cool to go there whenever you were in need of a laugh.
When, he went to the chair, somewhat composed, and said, "for what?" I thought I would bust a gut!
I am liking the idea already.
lets do it.
it will be called "Just For Laughs".
we really do need a place like that.
you come up with the best ideas.
Thanks!
Don't you think this place is bringing out the creativity in us? How often do you have a place to connect where people don't want anything from each other but decent conversation and a place to share their interests?
This is a goldmine, CD. You'll see. Just be patient.
I'm a member for life.
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top 10 funniest moments in tennis in 2013:
http://www.tennisnow.com/News/Top-10-Funniest-Tennis-Moments-of-2013.aspx
You know there's a place for that. It should be called "Just for Laughs."
I actually cried at Janowicz. I had seen it on YouTube, but with the music and the gifs tears were streaming down my face. I called my bored teenager in to look at it, he fancies himself as too cool for anything that I like. But, even he had to laugh, although he did try to hide his big grin behind his hand.
That needs a place of its own. It would be so cool to go there whenever you were in need of a laugh.
When, he went to the chair, somewhat composed, and said, "for what?" I thought I would bust a gut!
I am liking the idea already.
lets do it.
it will be called "Just For Laughs".
we really do need a place like that.
you come up with the best ideas.
-
top 10 funniest moments in tennis in 2013:
http://www.tennisnow.com/News/Top-10-Funniest-Tennis-Moments-of-2013.aspx
You know there's a place for that. It should be called "Just for Laughs."
I actually cried at Janowicz. I had seen it on YouTube, but with the music and the gifs tears were streaming down my face. I called my bored teenager in to look at it, he fancies himself as too cool for anything that I like. But, even he had to laugh, although he did try to hide his big grin behind his hand.
That needs a place of its own. It would be so cool to go there whenever you were in need of a laugh.
When, he went to the chair, somewhat composed, and said, "for what?" I thought I would bust a gut!
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tickets go on sale on December 13 for Rio Open:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/12/49/Rio-Open-2014-Launch-Bellucci-Nadal-Ferrer.aspx
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john newcombe wants Bernard tomic to work harder:
(https://www.camelotfantasies.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1322.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu572%2Fspartacus120%2Fspartan%2520images%2Fthis%2520is%2520sparta%2Fsparatus-1%2Fcool%2520pix%2Fart-tomic-620x349_zps4eb988f1.jpg&hash=6074aca771788b0f4999261f335a1e76517fe1f6) (http://s1322.photobucket.com/user/spartacus120/media/spartan%20images/this%20is%20sparta/sparatus-1/cool%20pix/art-tomic-620x349_zps4eb988f1.jpg.html)
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/john-newcombe-wants-bernard-tomic-to-train-harder-20131202-2yky4.html
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Roger Federer: I’m Not As Fast As I Once Was, But By April I’ll Be Caught Up On My Training
by Tom Gainey | December 3rd, 2013
http://www.tennis-x.com/xblog/2013-12-03/14275.php
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nole will not get involved in politics:
http://tennis.si.com/2013/12/02/novak-djokovic-will-not-get-involved-in-serbian-politics/?eref=si_tennis&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_tennis+%28SI.com+-+Tennis%29
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Serena: "Venus and I changed tennis".
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013/11/serena-we-changed-tennis/49877/#.Upy1D2eA2po
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I hear berdych and Federer are starting to really enjoy twitter. they are having a lot of fun with it.
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French people like Gasquet speaking english is just so very very cute!
Will follow Berdych now on Twitter
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Good stuff.
It's nice knowing about other players.
I saw a little bit of him, but remember all the hoopla going on about him.
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top 10 funniest moments in tennis in 2013:
http://www.tennisnow.com/News/Top-10-Funniest-Tennis-Moments-of-2013.aspx
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what has been roger Federer been doing:
(https://www.camelotfantasies.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1322.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu572%2Fspartacus120%2Fspartan%2520images%2Fthis%2520is%2520sparta%2Fsparatus-1%2Fcool%2520pix%2Fproxy_zps1e0c9efd.jpg&hash=9ef6464e570e16763a8a124fb20d76a97dd51e12) (http://s1322.photobucket.com/user/spartacus120/media/spartan%20images/this%20is%20sparta/sparatus-1/cool%20pix/proxy_zps1e0c9efd.jpg.html)
http://www.tennis-x.com/xblog/2013-12-01/14271.php
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Did Rafael Nadal Make Almost $10 Million For Playing One Week of Tennis In South America?
by Tom Gainey | December 1st, 2013
According to Swiss news agency Blick, Rafael Nadal collected close to $10 million dollars for playing a one week exhibition circuit down in South America last month.
Nadal’s South American series took him to Lima, Peru (v. Ferrer), Chile (v. Djokovic) and Buenos Aires (v. Nalbanian, v. Djokovic).
Nadal’s $10M haul for playing four matches compares very favorably to what he earned by playing in 82 matches and winning 10 titles on the ATP Tour which awarded him just over $14.5M.
Before heading to South America, Nadal also participated in a free exo for Richard Branson in Necker Island.
Last year Federer went down to South America and reportedly returned $12M richer from the trip.
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Rafa could take a page from Borg's book. He almost never played a tournament between Roland Garros and Wimbledon, as after the long clay season, he didn't really need tournament play. But he practiced like the devil to prepare for the different surface.
It was at the Cumberland Club in Hampstead that Borg would prepare for Wimbledon. It was said that when he started his practice on grass he was fumbling everything because of the different timing required. Many of the club members thought they could beat him the first couple of days of practice, he was so bad. But by the time he left to play at Wimbledon, he had beefed up his serve, his volleys, and his timing was usually ready. He would practice hours a day, maybe 5 or 6 with his sparring partners, maybe with his coach Bergelin, maybe with Vilas, maybe Panatta, mostly with his close friend, Vitas Gerulitais. They would rally at first, then play sets. On days it would rain, he would move around London suburbs to courts that were not wet or sometimes indoors. Ideally he would get at least 25-30 hours of practice a week before Wimbledon, depending on the weather, of course.
It's very curious that in 1981, when he ended up losing his 5 year hold at Wimbledon to McEnroe, was the year Borg broke his practice pattern that he had since 1976. In 1981, he stayed at the Sheridan Park Tower for the two weeks, instead of the Holiday Inn Swiss Cottage not far from the Cumberland Club. And he only practiced two days at the Cumberland Club.
Here are a couple of good articles regarding his practice regime:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1124577/5/index.htm (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1124577/5/index.htm)
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19800623&id=RbYsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PxMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3392,5116580 (http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19800623&id=RbYsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PxMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3392,5116580)
Respectfully,
masterclass
great stuff general. that is excellent info.
borg did not really believe in those warm-up events leading up to Wimbledon.
he felt he could get far more out his long practice sessions on grass.
also borg was always on the cutting edge: he knew he was rock solid off the ground.
what he wanted to improve was his return and he did. even to this day he attributes his 5 Wimbledon titles to his improved return.
you cant work on that in match. you have to put in the hard yards on the practice courts.
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Rafa could take a page from Borg's book. He almost never played a tournament between Roland Garros and Wimbledon, as after the long clay season, he didn't really need tournament play. But he practiced like the devil to prepare for the different surface.
It was at the Cumberland Club in Hampstead that Borg would prepare for Wimbledon. It was said that when he started his practice on grass he was fumbling everything because of the different timing required. Many of the club members thought they could beat him the first couple of days of practice, he was so bad. But by the time he left to play at Wimbledon, he had beefed up his serve, his volleys, and his timing was usually ready. He would practice hours a day, maybe 5 or 6 with his sparring partners, maybe with his coach Bergelin, maybe with Vilas, maybe Panatta, mostly with his close friend, Vitas Gerulitais. They would rally at first, then play sets. On days it would rain, he would move around London suburbs to courts that were not wet or sometimes indoors. Ideally he would get at least 25-30 hours of practice a week before Wimbledon, depending on the weather, of course.
It's very curious that in 1981, when he ended up losing his 5 year hold at Wimbledon to McEnroe, was the year Borg broke his practice pattern that he had since 1976. In 1981, he stayed at the Sheridan Park Tower for the two weeks, instead of the Holiday Inn Swiss Cottage not far from the Cumberland Club. And he only practiced two days at the Cumberland Club.
Here are a couple of good articles regarding his practice regime:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1124577/5/index.htm (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1124577/5/index.htm)
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19800623&id=RbYsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PxMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3392,5116580 (http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19800623&id=RbYsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PxMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3392,5116580)
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Did Rafa play in Halle last year?
I heard he has a deal so he will play another tournament than Queens.
By the way CD.. I am maybe able now to get tickets and very good seats for Queens and Wimbledon! Was lucky when I was eating out yesterday!
well we will just have to see Embla. you know he is going to be tired after taking another RG crown.
and all that work on the red clay leading up to RG is also brutal. it takes a lot out of him.
so no telling what he is going to do.
my own guess: he may skip again. he is a creature of habit to some extent. he may try to repeat what he did last year as much as possible.
you will love queens. we have a thread on that venue. I think it is one of the best in the sport.
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Did Rafa play in Halle last year?
I heard he has a deal so he will play another tournament than Queens.
By the way CD.. I am maybe able now to get tickets and very good seats for Queens and Wimbledon! Was lucky when I was eating out yesterday!
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nadal's schedule for 2014:
**just a few events have been confirmed so far.
http://rafaelnadalfans.com/2013/11/30/rafael-nadal-2014-schedule-where-does-rafael-nadal-play-in-2014/
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Spartan stan to continue working with Norman:
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013/11/wawrinka-continue-working-norman/49874/#.Upp-WWeA2po
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bryan brothers put together their best year ever in 2013:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/11/48/Doubles-Season-Review.aspx
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ESPN Tennis Blog: The Day Federer Retires
http://espn.go.com/blog/espntennis/
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a season to be thankful for:
(https://www.camelotfantasies.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1322.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu572%2Fspartacus120%2Fspartan%2520images%2Fthis%2520is%2520sparta%2Fsparatus-1%2Fcool%2520pix%2Fseason-1_zps5bcfbde6.png&hash=7a586a1d08472dee710fa8a8ce7d8d30346a20fe) (http://s1322.photobucket.com/user/spartacus120/media/spartan%20images/this%20is%20sparta/sparatus-1/cool%20pix/season-1_zps5bcfbde6.png.html)
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del potro is the top seed in Sydney:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/11/48/Delpo-Headlines-In-Sydney.aspx
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milos continues to rake in national awards:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/11/48/Raonic-Sportsnet-Award.aspx
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(https://www.camelotfantasies.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1322.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu572%2Fspartacus120%2Fspartan%2520images%2Fthis%2520is%2520sparta%2Fsparatus-1%2Fcool%2520pix%2Fexosampras--300_zps002dceeb.jpg&hash=65b4a5b1afc705b703bc6b2888fa24fbb9a618bc) (http://s1322.photobucket.com/user/spartacus120/media/spartan%20images/this%20is%20sparta/sparatus-1/cool%20pix/exosampras--300_zps002dceeb.jpg.html)
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time to step up fight against doping:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/25109296
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top 10 stars head to Sydney:
http://www.sportinglife.com/tennis/news/article/553/9045790/top-10-stars-head-for-sydney
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http://tennis.si.com/2013/11/27/daily-bagel-pete-sampras-roger-federer/?eref=si_tennis&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_tennis+%28SI.com+-+Tennis%29
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Bruguera to coach Gasquet in 2014
PARIS (Reuters) - France's number one Richard Gasquet has secured the coaching services of double French Open winner Sergi Bruguera of Spain, sports daily L'Equipe reported on Wednesday.
L'Equipe said world number nine Gasquet, had told the paper that Bruguera, who triumphed at Roland Garros in 1993 and 1994, would start in February.
Gasquet, who parted with Italian coach Riccardo Piatti during the ATP World Tour finals earlier this month, will still work with compatriot Sebastien Grosjean.
Under Piatti and Grosjean this year, Gasquet reached the U.S. Open semi-finals and claimed a World Tour finals spot for the first time since 2007.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Alison Wildey)
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http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/bbc-sports-personality-of-the-year-2013-the-10-contenders-to-win-the-spoty-award-8965206.html
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more breaking news here folks. laura robson is stepping up her Australian Open preparations.
http://www1.skysports.com/tennis/news/12110/9044365/
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excellent. keep bring the good news to Camelot.
I just saw your post at tennis warehouse. looks like there is talk that clay warrior will be sleeveless at flushing meadows in 2014.
;D ;D
Yeah, I don't really care what he wears. I just want him to win the trophy!
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More breaking news.
How awesome!
Pete will give out the 2014 AO trophy!
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/r...002-2urxh.html
w.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/r...002-2urxh.html
OMG - that is so neat. I am taking two weeks off! Hopefully this will be a very memorable event.
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Federer, murray, and berdych named among the most stylish:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/11/47/GQ-Style-Awards-Federer-Murray-Berdych.aspx
Glad to see Murray there. He's the most stylish player on court. I mean look at the stuff he wears. Very well coordinated, colourful and full of youth. And he has the body to carry it.
But read the comments just underneath the article.
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http://tennis.si.com/2013/11/26/2013-season-biggest-surprises/?eref=si_tennis&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_tennis+%28SI.com+-+Tennis%29
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breaking news: andy murray is the favorite to be the sports personality of the year:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/sports-personality-of-the-year/10476288/Poll-Andy-Murray-is-favourite-to-be-named-Sports-Personality-of-the-Year-but-who-gets-your-vote.html
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excellent. keep bring the good news to Camelot.
I just saw your post at tennis warehouse. looks like there is talk that clay warrior will be sleeveless at flushing meadows in 2014.
;D ;D
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More breaking news.
How awesome!
Pete will give out the 2014 AO trophy!
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/r...002-2urxh.html
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I would have to agree.
he might play until he is 36-38. that is as far as I can see right now anyway.
I once thought he might play until he is 43 or so but then this back issue this year suggests that he may not be able to.
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That's a bit far-fetched. 35 Would be hard enough, 60 is out of the question.
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check this out. nastase is in the news. he says Federer can play until he is 60 years old:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/top-stories/Federer-can-play-until-he-is-60-says-Nastase/articleshow/26418139.cms
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It looks like they had a swell time!
A funny and interesting rivalry when the stakes aren't so high?
Nice!
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photos:
nadal and nole goofing off in argentina:
http://tennis.si.com/2013/11/25/photos-rafael-nadal-novak-djokovic-david-nalbandian-argentina-exhibition/?eref=si_tennis&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_tennis+%28SI.com+-+Tennis%29
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Melanie Oudin has a muscle damaging condition:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/tennis/news/20131125/melanie-oudin-muscle-damaging-condition.ap/?eref=si_tennis&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_tennis+%28SI.com+-+Tennis%29
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2013 in review:
http://www.tennisnow.com/News/2013-in-Review-Andy-Murray.aspx
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what a match that was. incredible stuff from dynamitrov.
how about his win over ferru? that has to be of grigor's finest matches as well. he had to come from behind to accomplish that one.
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best ATP matches of 2013:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/11/48/Best-ATP-Matches-5-To-3.aspx
Grigor's win over Nole at #5, great memories :)
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/10471399/The-tennis-ace-whose-greatest-challenge-was-to-beat-cancer.html
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best ATP matches of 2013:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/11/48/Best-ATP-Matches-5-To-3.aspx
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nadal topples djokovic. collects trophy from actor Will Smith:
http://www.sportinglife.com/tennis/news/article/553/9041243/nadal-topples-djokovic
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ITF chief asks for understanding: Troicki Ban
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/tennis/news/20131123/itf-misunderstanding-troicki-doping-suspension.ap/?eref=si_tennis&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_tennis+%28SI.com+-+Tennis%29
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Chinese duo to Melbourne:
http://www1.skysports.com/tennis/news/12110/9040780/
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http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ex-tennis-champ-mulloy-celebrates-180659803--ten.html
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Federer to go Brisbane international and andy murray to abu dhabi.
http://www.sportinglife.com/tennis/news/article/553/9033070/tough-test-for-murray
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Rafael Nadal enters first live poker tournament
World tennis number one Rafael Nadal, a fervent poker player since a knee injury sidelined him from his day job in 2012, will play his first live poker tournament next month, organisers said Wednesday.
Nadal will play in a charity tournament in the Czech capital Prague on December 12 -- part of the European Poker Tour, to be held from December 8 to 18, said online gaming firm PokerStars, with whom Nadal has an endorsement deal.
"Rafa will play against some of the biggest names on the international professional poker circuit, along with other sporting legends, who will be announced over the coming weeks," the company said.
So far the Spanish tennis champ has only played in online poker tournaments.
"I have been playing poker online for almost 18 months and now I'm looking forward to the challenge of playing my first live tournament," Nadal, 27, said in a statement released by PokerStars.
"It's no secret that I love the competition and that's what I like about poker," he said. "It's a game of skill that requires mental strength and the ability to out-think your opponents and in that way there are similarities to tennis."
Nadal's "poker coach", Alfonso Cardalda, recently told journalists in the Czech Republic his trainee had started out with only a "basic notion" of poker but had made rapid progress thanks to his "competitive spirit".
Nadal has made a blistering return to tennis from his career-threatening knee injury, winning 10 titles -- including the French and US opens -- in the past 10 months and closing out the 2013 season in the number one spot.
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Serena Williams wins the wta player of the year award for the 5th time:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/williams-earns-5th-wta-player-145119581--ten.html
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nole gives tennis lessons to schoolchildren in argentina (video):
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/video/2013/nov/22/novak-djokovic-tennis-lessons-schoolchildren-argentina-video
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Federer, murray, and berdych named among the most stylish:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/11/47/GQ-Style-Awards-Federer-Murray-Berdych.aspx
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strong field set for Brisbane:
http://www.sportinglife.com/tennis/news/article/553/9033261/strong-field-set-for-brisbane
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murray could meet nadal in the semis at Doha:
http://www.sportinglife.com/tennis/news/article/553/9033070/tough-test-for-murray
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and here is more coaching news. british #1 laura robson has hired a team of coaches:
http://www1.skysports.com/tennis/news/12110/9033361/
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Report: Paul Annacone coaching Sloane Stephens on a trial basis
http://tennis.si.com/2013/11/19/paul-annacone-coaching-sloane-stephens/
No. 12 Sloane Stephens is working with coach Paul Annacone during the offseason on a trial basis, according to Tennis.com.
Some interesting off season news.
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they just cant get along.
somebody who knows his argentine tennis history told me recently that jose luis clerc and vilas never got along well either.
so maybe its in their blood.
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del potro lashes out:
http://tennis.si.com/2013/11/19/juan-martin-del-potro-argentine-tennis-federation-davis-cup-hypocrisy/?eref=si_tennis&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_tennis+%28SI.com+-+Tennis%29
What is it with the Argentinians and Davis Cup? They all seem to want it badly, yet they have such a poor history of actually working together in order to win it. They should take a cue from the Spaniards, and see how effectively they work as a true team in order to succeed. Not to mention the Czechs Stepanek and Berdych: a two-man team who wins Davis Cup.
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del potro lashes out:
http://tennis.si.com/2013/11/19/juan-martin-del-potro-argentine-tennis-federation-davis-cup-hypocrisy/?eref=si_tennis&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_tennis+%28SI.com+-+Tennis%29
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I always thought Andy's fear of winning far exceeded his fear of losing; although, he'd always say that it was always the fear of losing that paralyzed him in the final and he'd feel his legs heavy more than usual. I don't agree. The fear of winning was a complete unknown factor for him whereas fear of losing was much more familiar to him, as he had been then there one too many times. And surely you don't need too many losses there to experience the fear of losing once you experience it the first time.
The fear of winning was far more overwhelming for him as he didn't know what to expect after that or how he'd react to that. He was in total shock after winning the USO and forgot to celebrate and looked confused and dazed. He got criticized for it a lot too but I understood his salutation. It took a lot of time for him to recover from that win as it took time to truly sunk in. He had one too many losses and close losses too right after the USO. And of course, as suspected, his win came over on hard and away from home, and not on grass where he seemed more comfortable but obviously, the pressure and the unknown both were so much greater there.
Thankfully, Wimbledon came 8/9 months after that and so he had enough time to deal and recover from that win. And I am sure a final appearance at the AO and finally beating Federer in a Major helped his confidence too by the time Wimbledon was around. Let's not forget the Olympics either where he saw back to back win over Nole and Federer but of course, naysayers or rather Federer fans will remind you at this point that, that win was helped by Del Potro, who took Federer to task when he involved him in a marathon match just prior. But what about Nole then? Was he not fresh enough in the semi where Andy straight setted him? This comes especially handy when just a year after in the same venue, Murray beats Nole again in straights in the final no less. This time too Andy supposedly got help from Del Potro, who took Nole to five sets in the semi, but if you go back to the Olympics, you'll see a fresh Nole wasn't much of a good against Murray in the semi anyway. But all in all, this is a no win situation for Andy. It's all about Federer and Nadal in the end.
Anyway, back to the point, I definitely thought it was his fear of winning that held him back but not fear of losing.
great post.
andy know how to play nole well. he almost took him down even on clay in rome a couple of years ago.
I expect murray to come back stronger than ever in 2014. no more playing with great deal of back pain. it held him back.
andy has a big time serve. now he will take that serve to a new level.
he has no problem blasting 135 MPH serves. the back held him back so he was not able to fully explore the possibilities. he has had to play with pain for over 18 months.
andy is my pick for Wimbledon.
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I always thought Andy's fear of winning far exceeded his fear of losing; although, he'd always say that it was always the fear of losing that paralyzed him in the final and he'd feel his legs heavy more than usual. I don't agree. The fear of winning was a complete unknown factor for him whereas fear of losing was much more familiar to him, as he had been then there one too many times. And surely you don't need too many losses there to experience the fear of losing once you experience it the first time.
The fear of winning was far more overwhelming for him as he didn't know what to expect after that or how he'd react to that. He was in total shock after winning the USO and forgot to celebrate and looked confused and dazed. He got criticized for it a lot too but I understood his salutation. It took a lot of time for him to recover from that win as it took time to truly sunk in. He had one too many losses and close losses too right after the USO. And of course, as suspected, his win came over on hard and away from home, and not on grass where he seemed more comfortable but obviously, the pressure and the unknown both were so much greater there.
Thankfully, Wimbledon came 8/9 months after that and so he had enough time to deal and recover from that win. And I am sure a final appearance at the AO and finally beating Federer in a Major helped his confidence too by the time Wimbledon was around. Let's not forget the Olympics either where he saw back to back win over Nole and Federer but of course, naysayers or rather Federer fans will remind you at this point that, that win was helped by Del Potro, who took Federer to task when he involved him in a marathon match just prior. But what about Nole then? Was he not fresh enough in the semi where Andy straight setted him? This comes especially handy when just a year after in the same venue, Murray beats Nole again in straights in the final no less. This time too Andy supposedly got help from Del Potro, who took Nole to five sets in the semi, but if you go back to the Olympics, you'll see a fresh Nole wasn't much of a good against Murray in the semi anyway. But all in all, this is a no win situation for Andy. It's all about Federer and Nadal in the end.
Anyway, back to the point, I definitely thought it was his fear of winning that held him back but not fear of losing.
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That would be nice. The more the merrier.
If all of the Top 4 are playing at optimal level, tennis fans can only sit back and enjoy what may be one of the best seasons tennis has ever seen.
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What's interesting is what Federer will do next year. Murray will be back, Nadal and Novak will be hungry, and del Potro and Berdych will surely want to build on this year's results.
Fed did come on stronger in the last few tournaments, but where does he go from here?
Excellent questions. I've been wondering about Murray coming back, and how it will impact the field. It could get exciting by the summer. I don't expect much out of him at the Australian Open, simply because he will not have been back long enough to take down the top guys. Indian Wells and Miami will tell us more, I think.
As for Federer, after an awful 2013 (by his standards, of course, i.e., winning only 1 title), 2014 can only be better, don't you think? Well, I hope so anyway. I think he'll regroup and refocus during the next month and a half, and come back ready in January.
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http://www.tennisexplorer.com/live/#inscore_ifheight_xdc_600
this is not a done deal yet for the Czech republic. stepanek is old and could cave in.
we will see how much gas he has left in the tank. this is his 3rd match in 3 days.
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It is fitting that they ended the season battling for the final title. I don't think Nadal played very well, but I'm just glad it's over. I am looking for to the AO though. I think next year will be very telling.
what a year it is going to be fur us fans.
I can hardly wait for 2014 to unfold. I think tennis is truly in its golden age and we are getting to witness it all.
so much excitement in the tennis world.
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What's interesting is what Federer will do next year. Murray will be back, Nadal and Novak will be hungry, and del Potro and Berdych will surely want to build on this year's results.
Fed did come on stronger in the last few tournaments, but where does he go from here?
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It is fitting that they ended the season battling for the final title. I don't think Nadal played very well, but I'm just glad it's over. I am looking for to the AO though. I think next year will be very telling.
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http://2013.australianopen.com/en_AU/news/articles/2013-11-14/201311141384406954729.html?promo=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Australian-Open+%28Australian+Open%29
(https://www.camelotfantasies.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1322.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu572%2Fspartacus120%2Fspartan%2520images%2Fthis%2520is%2520sparta%2Fsparatus-1%2Fcool%2520pix%2Fb_federer_10_02_zps8396f443.jpg&hash=706b7187e5b5b6003793095055f1d217fd8517e4) (http://s1322.photobucket.com/user/spartacus120/media/spartan%20images/this%20is%20sparta/sparatus-1/cool%20pix/b_federer_10_02_zps8396f443.jpg.html)
Sounds like fun, but why would he call it "A night with Roger Federer and Friends" when it's really "A night with Roger Federer and Tsonga"? (That's a rhetorical question, but it does seem odd that he wouldn't have included Tsonga's name.)
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mardy fish to try his hand at professional golf:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/tennis/2013/11/14/mardy-fish-atp-pga-tour/3546977/
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davis cup news:
http://tennis.si.com/2013/11/14/davis-cup-preview-serbia-czech-republic-novak-djokovic/?eref=si_tennis&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_tennis+%28SI.com+-+Tennis%29
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http://2013.australianopen.com/en_AU/news/articles/2013-11-14/201311141384406954729.html?promo=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Australian-Open+%28Australian+Open%29
(https://www.camelotfantasies.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1322.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu572%2Fspartacus120%2Fspartan%2520images%2Fthis%2520is%2520sparta%2Fsparatus-1%2Fcool%2520pix%2Fb_federer_10_02_zps8396f443.jpg&hash=706b7187e5b5b6003793095055f1d217fd8517e4) (http://s1322.photobucket.com/user/spartacus120/media/spartan%20images/this%20is%20sparta/sparatus-1/cool%20pix/b_federer_10_02_zps8396f443.jpg.html)
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best photos from WTF:
http://tennis.si.com/2013/11/13/atp-world-tour-finals-best-photos/?eref=si_tennis&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_tennis+%28SI.com+-+Tennis%29
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http://www1.skysports.com/tennis/news/12110/9025426/
this should improve Czech republic's chances.
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nadal targets the Australian open:
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013/11/nadal-amazing-facing-djokovic-so-often/49771/#.UoQ7f53nZ9A
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Tipsy is doubtful for davis cup. final decision is to come tomorrow:
http://www1.skysports.com/tennis/news/12110/9024169/
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according to sports illustrated, nadal vs nole rivalry lacks certain something:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/tennis/news/20131113/nadal-djokovic-rivalry-mailbag/?eref=si_tennis&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_tennis+%28SI.com+-+Tennis%29
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mark philippoussis says Federer is not finished:
http://www.sportinglife.com/tennis/news/article/553/9024636/philippoussis-federer-not-finished
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andy is baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack.
he will play Tsonga at abu dhabi on December 26th:
http://www.sportinglife.com/tennis/news/article/553/9023609/murray-to-start-against-tsonga
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here is the book general tented.
I am definitely going to read this one once I get my hands on it.
(https://www.camelotfantasies.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1322.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu572%2Fspartacus120%2Fspartan%2520images%2Fthis%2520is%2520sparta%2Fsparatus-1%2Fcool%2520pix%2FTennis-Stories-img14394_668_zpsabb1562e.jpg&hash=c88307222ca1c8fc5df90ad266cee35b6844802c) (http://s1322.photobucket.com/user/spartacus120/media/spartan%20images/this%20is%20sparta/sparatus-1/cool%20pix/Tennis-Stories-img14394_668_zpsabb1562e.jpg.html)
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I missed it general.
does not surprise me however. he is just an unbelievable athlete.
Tsonga also has that ability.
and Federer can hit near flawless double handed backhands.
by the way I just created a special board for Sampras. we may have to do that for nadal as well. it wont be long before he has his 14 slams also.
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thanks for sharing andy's greatest moment to date general tented.
that was sensational stuff. I think that was one of the best things to happen to the sport of tennis.
it had to be andy to deliver that amazing piece of tennis history.
he has a new book out too about that. I will try to pick it up when I get a chance.
I'll bet the book is good.
I forgot to ask: Had you ever noticed that Novak switched to one hand to return the serve on championship point? I never had until Andy mentioned it in the BBC interview you linked to above.
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thanks for sharing andy's greatest moment to date general tented.
that was sensational stuff. I think that was one of the best things to happen to the sport of tennis.
it had to be andy to deliver that amazing piece of tennis history.
he has a new book out too about that. I will try to pick it up when I get a chance.
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In case anyone wants to relive the championship point:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29Woge-u9ns (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29Woge-u9ns)
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andy murray reflects:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/24912425
This was a great day for tennis. I was thrilled for Andy.
This part made me laugh:
"As I went down to pick up the towel [at deuce], I saw my arm and hand shaking and I've never had that before so I kind of realised that I was feeling the nerves a bit," he said. "You can imagine, with everything that is going on, when you look down and your hand is actually shaking, it doesn't help things."
I can only imagine how he felt, but it is funny that he had never had it happen before, considering the number of other important matches he had been in. I guess they were all culminating at that moment. Perhaps that level of nervousness is exactly what he needed to get over the threshold, and become a Wimbledon champion.
As always, great story you've linked us to, General.
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http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013/11/djokovic-net-rushing-key-high-ambition-2014/49772/#.UoKVeJ3nZ9B
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andy murray reflects:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/24912425
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nadal relishes a very special year:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/11/45/London-Finale-Monday-Final-Nadal-reaction.aspx
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Federer believes he will be just fine in 2014:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/tennis/news/20131111/roger-federer-2014-season.ap/?eref=si_tennis&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_tennis+%28SI.com+-+Tennis%29
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marrero dedicates the victory to his grandfather:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/10442595/ATP-World-Tour-Finals-2013-Tears-for-David-Marrero-after-victory-over-doubles-kings-Bob-and-Mike-Bryan.html
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nole pays tribute to his team:
http://www1.skysports.com/tennis/news/12110/9021902/
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nadal says that winning or losing today was not going to change his career:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/atp-world-tour-finals-2013/top-stories/Nadal-not-downhearted-despite-Djokovic-mauling/articleshow/25612071.cms
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http://sports.yahoo.com/news/djokovic-beats-nadal-win-atp-233323433--ten.html
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BBC extends ATP WTF deal:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/24897305
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Czechs pick interim coach:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/czechs-pick-interim-captain-davis-140227045--ten.html
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doping ban:
2 year ban for a Spanish star:
http://www1.skysports.com/tennis/news/12110/9021665/
http://www.sportinglife.com/tennis/news/article/553/9021706/doping-ban-for-llagostera-vives
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you are welcome general tented.
great to see you around.
I am looking forward to the battle tomorrow night from the O2 arena.
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here is one titled "fitting finale":
http://tennis.si.com/2013/11/10/rafael-nadal-novak-djokovic-atp-world-tour-finals-2/?eref=si_tennis&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_tennis+%28SI.com+-+Tennis%29
Good article. Thanks for sharing it.
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new andy murray book:
http://www.tennisnow.com/Blogs/NET-POSTS/November-2013-(1)/New-Book-Highlights-Andy-Murray-s-Win-at-Wimbledon.aspx
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http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/11/45/London-Final-Doubles-Final-Bryans-Marrero-Verdasco.aspx
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Spartan Stan talks about his #8 rank:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/11/45/London-Finale-Sunday-Wawrinka-Reaction.aspx
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here is one titled "fitting finale":
http://tennis.si.com/2013/11/10/rafael-nadal-novak-djokovic-atp-world-tour-finals-2/?eref=si_tennis&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_tennis+%28SI.com+-+Tennis%29
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post away articles and news here.
this one is about WTF:
**Robbie Koenig makes some remarks about Federer in this article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/11/sports/tennis/nadal-ousts-federer-in-atp-championship.html?partner=rss&_r=0