CAMELOT FANTASIES
Camelot Tennis Universe => General Pro Player Discussions => Topic started by: Clay Death on April 20, 2014, 09:29:44 pm
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Federer said he'd take a few weeks off. A few weeks mean more than one week, so he's clearly not being true to his words. He won so much and he's filthy rich, but still can't afford to stay more than 1 week at home with his wife and newly born babies. Anyways.
Ha ha ha. I agree.
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Federer said he'd take a few weeks off. A few weeks mean more than one week, so he's clearly not being true to his words. He won so much and he's filthy rich, but still can't afford to stay more than 1 week at home with his wife and newly born babies. Anyways.
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Nishi came into the final match with a plan. He's going to outhit and outrun Nadal and make it a very short and quick win. In his mind, either he'd win or lose but that was the plan - not that he though he'd definitely win but he definitely had his hope. And he did a good job too until he took the break in the 2nd set. You know, these top players especially Federer and Nadal - they are like sharks. They can smell blood from miles away and they are always hungry and desperate. So when Nishi took that break, it sent Nadal a message that he was waiting for and he struck right away. Nishi knew he had no chance in the 3rd set since he was coming off a marathon match against Ferrer and had only less than 24 hours recovery time. Something that took away most of his stamina. So he wanted to keep things short if possible and had he not taken that short break to get his back fixed, I believe he would have won the match in straight sets. But that break was unfortunate and deciding factor of the match. He showed he was injured and it's never a good idea especially if you are leading the set and only a couple of games away from winning the match.
Well, what's done is done. Nadal did get lucky with the draw opening up nicely and then followed by a half dead opponent in the final. But then again, sometimes things do happen for a reason and players do get lucky - it's not just Nadal.
Congrats to both. Nishi played an excellent tournament. And I am glad he's taken himself out of Rome. This will give him enough time to heal his back and get his strength back.
Nadal, along with Andy, is going through a very low phase at the moment though Nadal is still playing a lot better than Andy - clay's notwithstanding. They are humans after all.
Oh and I am surprised (or maybe not) Federer is playing in Rome only after a week long break.
A low phase indeed. I think they're both playing well below their level.
I never thought Federer would miss too many tournaments, but I absolutely expected him to be at RG, that due date was about a month away.
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Yeah, I agree. I am too not getting Andy's smile either. Some of the Murray fans think it's so cute and cheeky but I can't help but feel there's more to it than that. I have a hunch but I want to wait for it until the end of year.
Wimbledon will tell a lot or perhaps it will tell all.
Ha ha ha. I can't wait. Do spill the beans, Emma.
It's actually not too mysterious, really. You know how Andy is and how he berates himself if he's not happy with his own play. Lately he's stopped doing it because he's performance he is now finding at appalling level and that's generating that sarcastic smile at his own self. If you watched any of his recent matches, you would see him smiling after errors that he wouldn't be making otherwise. He smiled in the same manner after he won against Almagro because in his mind, he didn't feel he was the true winner.
If he's berating himself or kicking himself - that would mean he still wants to play well and win the match. And that he has some fire left in him and he's trying to ignite that. Lately he doesn't even feel that and he smiles at himself because he finds it hopeless.
I guess he had relied on Lendl a bit much to motivate him when things are down (it was bound to happen after the Wimbledon win, something he chased all his life) but the sudden departure of Lendl brought him even more down. He did not at all see that coming so he feels clueless.
It's a pity though that he's unable to motivate himself. He badly needs a coach who will bring him back from his own misery and will motivate him to achieve something much bigger. It will have to be someone he truly likes, because he's the kind of a person or player who likes to win for others. He's already done a great deal for his country so whatever is left will have to be something for himself and he's not too keen on that.
Let's see what happens. Let's see who he hires. He has finally narrowed it down to a couple of people but he hasn't talked to them yet. Let's see if this new coach can do wonders. It will be a lot up to Andy as well and I hope Andy understands that too.
This doesn't mean though he's depressed. He's, in fact, a bit too happy and content.
Great stuff, Emma. I agree 100%.
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excellent post emma.
Federer had been training on clay. I had a feeling that he was going to show up in rome. he wants to do well at RG.
so rome masters will give him a chance to check his progress against the top players.
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Nishi came into the final match with a plan. He's going to outhit and outrun Nadal and make it a very short and quick win. In his mind, either he'd win or lose but that was the plan - not that he though he'd definitely win but he definitely had his hope. And he did a good job too until he took the break in the 2nd set. You know, these top players especially Federer and Nadal - they are like sharks. They can smell blood from miles away and they are always hungry and desperate. So when Nishi took that break, it sent Nadal a message that he was waiting for and he struck right away. Nishi knew he had no chance in the 3rd set since he was coming off a marathon match against Ferrer and had only less than 24 hours recovery time. Something that took away most of his stamina. So he wanted to keep things short if possible and had he not taken that short break to get his back fixed, I believe he would have won the match in straight sets. But that break was unfortunate and deciding factor of the match. He showed he was injured and it's never a good idea especially if you are leading the set and only a couple of games away from winning the match.
Well, what's done is done. Nadal did get lucky with the draw opening up nicely and then followed by a half dead opponent in the final. But then again, sometimes things do happen for a reason and players do get lucky - it's not just Nadal.
Congrats to both. Nishi played an excellent tournament. And I am glad he's taken himself out of Rome. This will give him enough time to heal his back and get his strength back.
Nadal, along with Andy, is going through a very low phase at the moment though Nadal is still playing a lot better than Andy - clay's notwithstanding. They are humans after all.
Oh and I am surprised (or maybe not) Federer is playing in Rome only after a week long break.
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Yeah, I agree. I am too not getting Andy's smile either. Some of the Murray fans think it's so cute and cheeky but I can't help but feel there's more to it than that. I have a hunch but I want to wait for it until the end of year.
Wimbledon will tell a lot or perhaps it will tell all.
Ha ha ha. I can't wait. Do spill the beans, Emma.
It's actually not too mysterious, really. You know how Andy is and how he berates himself if he's not happy with his own play. Lately he's stopped doing it because he's performance he is now finding at appalling level and that's generating that sarcastic smile at his own self. If you watched any of his recent matches, you would see him smiling after errors that he wouldn't be making otherwise. He smiled in the same manner after he won against Almagro because in his mind, he didn't feel he was the true winner.
If he's berating himself or kicking himself - that would mean he still wants to play well and win the match. And that he has some fire left in him and he's trying to ignite that. Lately he doesn't even feel that and he smiles at himself because he finds it hopeless.
I guess he had relied on Lendl a bit much to motivate him when things are down (it was bound to happen after the Wimbledon win, something he chased all his life) but the sudden departure of Lendl brought him even more down. He did not at all see that coming so he feels clueless.
It's a pity though that he's unable to motivate himself. He badly needs a coach who will bring him back from his own misery and will motivate him to achieve something much bigger. It will have to be someone he truly likes, because he's the kind of a person or player who likes to win for others. He's already done a great deal for his country so whatever is left will have to be something for himself and he's not too keen on that.
Let's see what happens. Let's see who he hires. He has finally narrowed it down to a couple of people but he hasn't talked to them yet. Let's see if this new coach can do wonders. It will be a lot up to Andy as well and I hope Andy understands that too.
This doesn't mean though he's depressed. He's, in fact, a bit too happy and content.
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Oh, did I forget to mention? I'm quite unhappy with Clay Warrior.
Now he has Rome to straighten things up. He did not look good out there today folks.
Respectfully,
masterclass
he is just not working hard enough in practice general masterclass and it showed today.
and what is worse, he is not working hard on the things he needs to: the backhand and the return of serve.
this last 20 minutes at the end of his 90 minute practice sessions to play some points or a practice set does not give him a chance to work on his return. and in course of that practice set or just points that are played, he runs around his backhand as much as possible.
and as you have suggested and as I have noted in his practice sessions, he is just running around his backhand to hit as many forehands as possible.
he just does what he wants to. I can assure you that he is not listening to anybody but himself.
so all these short cuts are making his life very hard out there. that is why he got run over by ferru in monte carlo. he had not lost to ferru on in clay in 10 years.
same with almagro in Barcelona: he had never lost to almagro. he slaves away against him for 2 hours and 48 minutes in barcelona.
so they are all working and all improving. nadal refuses to improve this year.
on another note that is probably why the world watches him. he gives them all a chance to beat him and sometimes they do.
he gives them 1/2 the court. he gives up his chance to let his backhand get into some sort of rhythm. he gives them chances on their serve as he just looks to hit forehands on the return of serve if he can.
his slice as weak. he poses no threat at the net.
so I believe that nadal holds the world on the edge of the seat . they all have their chances to beat him because he leaves so much off the table.
his athletic ability, his blinding speed, his physicality, his amazing movement, his topspin forehand, and his will has always been enough for most of them but now it is getting easier for them and harder for him.
why? very simple. as I have suggested, he just does not put in the work like he used to.
this is not rocket science.
now he has 1000 points to defend in rome also. what he needs to show himself is that he can improve with each match. that will get him the title and it will send out a clear message.
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Oh, did I forget to mention? I'm quite unhappy with Clay Warrior.
Now he has Rome to straighten things up. He did not look good out there today folks.
Respectfully,
masterclass
Um, it was kind of implied, LOL!
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Oh, did I forget to mention? I'm quite unhappy with Clay Warrior.
Now he has Rome to straighten things up. He did not look good out there today folks.
Respectfully,
masterclass
Did not look good? He looked downright horrible. And as you predicted he needed divine intervention.
Although Nadal is going through a rough patch, it doesn't really bother me. It's hard to compete at such a high level for a decade and counting. Sometimes, something's got to give, and the rain must fall on everyone.
I don't think he's going to be able to recover in time this year. There appears to be too much going on in his psyche. I think the problem is mental more than anything and he hasn't quite gathered his bearings.
But hey, it's just tennis, matches, and careers. As long as you have your health, family, and a support system, those kinds of things go out the window for me.
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Oh, did I forget to mention? I'm quite unhappy with Clay Warrior.
Now he has Rome to straighten things up. He did not look good out there today folks.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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And it's over. Nishikori clearly injured, down 3-0 , has retired. A real shame for him, he was playing so well. Well, that's the story of his career also. He does get injured a lot, though he has been better this year than most. Nadal takes Madrid.
Congratulations to Nadal and his supporters.
Commiserations to Nishikori and his fans.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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And Nishikori has lost his edge and is broken for the set to even it up at 1 all. Nadal looks in the driver's seat now as Kei's back appears to be hurting him. He was clearly looking to end points quickly on his serve. A failed drop shot and going for lines with abandon. Sad for him and his fans, but Nadal and his fans have a reprieve. 1 more set for the title.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Now Nishikori takes an official MTO for his back. Worrying looks from his team.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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And Nadal finally breaks. Nishikori down 15-40, having some trouble getting to the balls wide to his backhand, serves well to get back to deuce. But then he makes an unforced error, and then after a long rally, Kei hits the net cord and the ball sails long. Nadal makes big fist pump on the Nishikori error and crowd goes wild. Not the most polite crowd, but their hero is down, so it is what it is. They would be wildly cheering double faults now. Kei's physical condition might be in question now.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Nishikori and Nadal both hold, and it's 4-3 Nishikori to serve, but he has called the trainer. Trainer is on taking care of his back, but no official MTO. Oh my. Nishikori so close to the finish line. Two more holds will do it. Rafa needs some divine intervention the way Kei has been playing. He's simply outplaying Nadal, hitting strong to his backhand wing, opening up the court, and hitting sharp angles to the forehand. If Rafa gets to those, then Kei hits behind Rafa as he runs to cover the backhand. Same patterns.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Nadal held his service game, and had Nishikori on the ropes on his serve, but Nishikori escaped with some good serving. Nishikori might be running out of steam, but he still is up a break at 3-1. Nadal has to hold and try to keep pressure on Nishikori. Crowd screaming for Nadal on Nishikori errors and during points. Nishikori complained to chair ump, but chair ump said he can do nothing. Didn't even make an announcement to ask the crowd to stay quiet during points. Not that it would help...this is Madrid :)
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Nadal broken straight away in the opening game of the second set. Then Rafa had triple break point on Kei, and Kei somehow managed to come up with 5 straight points to win the game. Not looking good for Rafa. Kei on a roll.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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And Nishikori at 40-15 takes the first set 6-2 with an ace down the middle. Nadal continuing to spray errors at an alarming rate. I believe he has 2 winners and 12 or 13 UE's. Nadal and Madrid fans look in shock. Rafa needs to right the ship in a hurry. He serves first and must hold, I believe.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Rafa narrowly avoids being broken again for the breadstick. Kei had set point, but a good forehand by Rafa got him back to deuce, then Kei hit a drop shot attempt into the net (which Nadal was on anyway), and Nadal served it out. Now Nishikori has a chance to serve for the set.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Nadal unraveling. Broken again. Down love - 30 immediately, then Nishikori kindly gave up two unforced errors, then Nadal double faulted to hand Nishikori a break point. Nadal failed to get the first serve in, and looped a slow second serve which Nishikori quickly crushed to Nadal's forehand side, and Nadal couldn't handle it. This set is probably gone unless Kei muffs it. Nadal looks discouraged, not surprisingly. Let's see if he can fight back.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Sadly for Rafa, Kei Nishikori is quicker around the court than he is these days. Nadal broken. Nishikori up 2-1 in the first set. Nadal also handed a double fault to Kei and a couple of unforced errors in that game. Rafa must do better.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Precisely general hercules.
But if I don't see him doing it in practice, how is he going to do it in match play? I see what he does in practice. He hits 3, 4, maybe 5 backhands and then dumps one into the net or sails one wide. Then he goes back to running around it.
Toni should have two players or even a ball machine hitting to his backhand for as long as it takes each day.
What is as long as it takes?
Don't let him leave the practice court until he has hit 40 or 50 backhands in a row without missing, 75% cross court, 25% down the line.
Then he can take the center of the court without fear and stop giving up so much territory. The man is getting older in terms of mileage. He needs to play smarter as he gets older. If he can't get off the baseline and come to the net to save energy, then he needs to position himself optimally on the baseline.
Watch this epic 80+ stroke rally at the 1978 Roland Garros final between Bjorn Borg and Guillermo Vilas.
I rarely see Borg put himself out of position and he was very fast on the court. Vilas also. These are a couple of the greatest clay court players in history.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZZMuXBr_Hk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZZMuXBr_Hk)
Respectfully,
masterclass
Wow, good stuff, masterclass.
I don't know what's wrong with Rafa. Mentally, he doesn't seem with it, much like Murray, OBE.
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Soon it's going to get very difficult to tell Nadal from the lines officials. Nadal is the one in the blue shirt...
This is one reason I'm unhappy with Clay Warrior.
This was his return position against Monaco, who might get his serve between 105 and 110 mph on a good day. I think I occasionally saw him leaning on the back fence when he faced some other servers.
He can't be playing this far behind the baseline against players like Ferrer and Nishikori.
They tend to hit flatter and more angled shots, which will just go by him if he positions himself so far back.
He also has been hitting too many balls short from this deep position.
An aggressive player who is not afraid of Nadal will take advantage of that.
If Rafa had played almost anyone with aggression and consistency instead of Monaco, I don't think he would have won that day. Rafa's game was awful, especially in the first set, which he still won 6-1, which should tell you something about Monaco. Rafa has been somewhat better in his last couple of matches, but look who he was playing. Nieminen and Berdych. Nieminen is outside top 30 on clay. Berdych loses to Nadal before he steps on the court and might as well be out of the top 100 when he plays Nadal. Ever since Madrid 2006, where Berdych last beat Nadal and was booed off the court by the fans for his antics and got a severe reprimand from Nadal, Berdych has not won against Nadal in 17 straight matches. I think one more match sets or ties this ignominious record.
Rafa's confidence may be higher after his last couple of matches, but I don't know if that was the real factor anyway. He had simply been playing badly, so of course he didn't have confidence. Short returns, poor serving, favoring his backhand wing (running around the backhand), leaving too much court open on his forehand, and also missing simple shots that he would normally make 98 out of 100 times.
He needs more work, more matches on clay, pure and simple, to hone his ground game. Getting to the final in Madrid will help, and a final in Rome would be great for him. I think he would still be a little light on match play going into RG, but if he can get past the first 3-4 rounds playing good tennis, then he would be very difficult to stop by the time he gets to the semis and final.
I know I must sound a bit harsh considering Nadal hasn't dropped a set yet in Madrid, but I try to see things as they are with Rafa and others, not as I wish them to be. He's going to playing some good clay court players sooner or later and he needs to be ready.
Respectfully,
masterclass
spot on as usual general. this is just ridiculous. I know he is getting it done right now but there is just no need to play that far back against a guy who is lucky to win 1 game against you.
that is the time you work on a few things.
yesterday he admitted that he does not like when he has to hit more than 5 backhands in a row or something to that effect.
we know that Rafa. you don't want to hit any backhands.
that just increases his work. he gives up too much court and then he has to run like hell to cover the space he is handing them as a gift. he is not as fast as he used to be.
also why not control the center of the court. then all the space is accounted for and they will have to go for more.
Your post is funny too!
Why do you suppose he likes to play so far back all the time? It is confusing to me, as well. And, as you said this was the perfect opportunity to work on some things with the draw that he had, but maybe his confidence is really low. I don't know. I'm about to get off of his train too.
Just kidding, I'll never do that, but he is getting on my nerves right now.
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Soon it's going to get very difficult to tell Nadal from the lines officials. Nadal is the one in the blue shirt...
This is one reason I'm unhappy with Clay Warrior.
This was his return position against Monaco, who might get his serve between 105 and 110 mph on a good day. I think I occasionally saw him leaning on the back fence when he faced some other servers.
He can't be playing this far behind the baseline against players like Ferrer and Nishikori.
They tend to hit flatter and more angled shots, which will just go by him if he positions himself so far back.
He also has been hitting too many balls short from this deep position.
An aggressive player who is not afraid of Nadal will take advantage of that.
If Rafa had played almost anyone with aggression and consistency instead of Monaco, I don't think he would have won that day. Rafa's game was awful, especially in the first set, which he still won 6-1, which should tell you something about Monaco. Rafa has been somewhat better in his last couple of matches, but look who he was playing. Nieminen and Berdych. Nieminen is outside top 30 on clay. Berdych loses to Nadal before he steps on the court and might as well be out of the top 100 when he plays Nadal. Ever since Madrid 2006, where Berdych last beat Nadal and was booed off the court by the fans for his antics and got a severe reprimand from Nadal, Berdych has not won against Nadal in 17 straight matches. I think one more match sets or ties this ignominious record.
Rafa's confidence may be higher after his last couple of matches, but I don't know if that was the real factor anyway. He had simply been playing badly, so of course he didn't have confidence. Short returns, poor serving, favoring his backhand wing (running around the backhand), leaving too much court open on his forehand, and also missing simple shots that he would normally make 98 out of 100 times.
He needs more work, more matches on clay, pure and simple, to hone his ground game. Getting to the final in Madrid will help, and a final in Rome would be great for him. I think he would still be a little light on match play going into RG, but if he can get past the first 3-4 rounds playing good tennis, then he would be very difficult to stop by the time he gets to the semis and final.
I know I must sound a bit harsh considering Nadal hasn't dropped a set yet in Madrid, but I try to see things as they are with Rafa and others, not as I wish them to be. He's going to playing some good clay court players sooner or later and he needs to be ready.
Respectfully,
masterclass
You have such a dry sense of humor. I love it. Leaning on the back fence. That was rich! I don't think you're being hard on Rafa. You are right in what you're saying, so it is what it is.
I don't understand Monaco either. He's got skills, but seems to lack confidence. I'm about to give up on him after all these years. Total stagnation. I can't take it.
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Yeah, I agree. I am too not getting Andy's smile either. Some of the Murray fans think it's so cute and cheeky but I can't help but feel there's more to it than that. I have a hunch but I want to wait for it until the end of year.
Wimbledon will tell a lot or perhaps it will tell all.
Ha ha ha. I can't wait. Do spill the beans, Emma.
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Little beast 5'9" David Ferrer took down the towering 6' 10" John Isner, yet again, 6-4, 6-4.
Ferrer's return of the Isner serve was just incredible. In the first set, Isner put 83% of his first serves in, but Ferrer won 38% of those, which is a high number against Isner. Isner's first serve in pct, declined to 73% (still very good) in the second set and Ferrer's pct won increased to 42%. Of course, clay tends to negate the serve some, but still a great return game from David. And then once the returns were in Ferrer has the better ground game, and one break for Ferrer each set is all it took.
So Quarter Finals are going to be:
[#5] Ferrer vs. Gulbis
[#10] Nishikori vs. F. Lopez
[#1] Nadal vs. [#6] Berdych
Giraldo vs. Bautista Agut (edited: Bautista Agut is now a very slight favorite)
Favorites in bold.
Do you see any upsets?
Respectfully,
masterclass
Nope. You got them all right. I might have guessed them all, except Ferrer. I don't even want to start on him. You never know what he's going to do when a potential threat is across from him.
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nishikori removes ferru from the facilities in 3.
so now the tables are set for the final: Rafa vs Nishikori
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ferru took the 2nd set.
now it gets interesting.
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I just saw the tail end of the match general. He got it done in straights, 4 and 3, against Bautista Agut.
He's cleaned up some of the bad errors he was producing.
Let's see how he does in the final.
I hear Nishikori is hurting some. Hope he doesn't have to pull out of the Ferrer match.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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I am having a look at the match general masterclass.
he is playing it from downtown Madrid.
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Precisely general hercules.
But if I don't see him doing it in practice, how is he going to do it in match play? I see what he does in practice. He hits 3, 4, maybe 5 backhands and then dumps one into the net or sails one wide. Then he goes back to running around it.
Toni should have two players or even a ball machine hitting to his backhand for as long as it takes each day.
What is as long as it takes?
Don't let him leave the practice court until he has hit 40 or 50 backhands in a row without missing, 75% cross court, 25% down the line.
Then he can take the center of the court without fear and stop giving up so much territory. The man is getting older in terms of mileage. He needs to play smarter as he gets older. If he can't get off the baseline and come to the net to save energy, then he needs to position himself optimally on the baseline.
Watch this epic 80+ stroke rally at the 1978 Roland Garros final between Bjorn Borg and Guillermo Vilas.
I rarely see Borg put himself out of position and he was very fast on the court. Vilas also. These are a couple of the greatest clay court players in history.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZZMuXBr_Hk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZZMuXBr_Hk)
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Soon it's going to get very difficult to tell Nadal from the lines officials. Nadal is the one in the blue shirt...
This is one reason I'm unhappy with Clay Warrior.
This was his return position against Monaco, who might get his serve between 105 and 110 mph on a good day. I think I occasionally saw him leaning on the back fence when he faced some other servers.
He can't be playing this far behind the baseline against players like Ferrer and Nishikori.
They tend to hit flatter and more angled shots, which will just go by him if he positions himself so far back.
He also has been hitting too many balls short from this deep position.
An aggressive player who is not afraid of Nadal will take advantage of that.
If Rafa had played almost anyone with aggression and consistency instead of Monaco, I don't think he would have won that day. Rafa's game was awful, especially in the first set, which he still won 6-1, which should tell you something about Monaco. Rafa has been somewhat better in his last couple of matches, but look who he was playing. Nieminen and Berdych. Nieminen is outside top 30 on clay. Berdych loses to Nadal before he steps on the court and might as well be out of the top 100 when he plays Nadal. Ever since Madrid 2006, where Berdych last beat Nadal and was booed off the court by the fans for his antics and got a severe reprimand from Nadal, Berdych has not won against Nadal in 17 straight matches. I think one more match sets or ties this ignominious record.
Rafa's confidence may be higher after his last couple of matches, but I don't know if that was the real factor anyway. He had simply been playing badly, so of course he didn't have confidence. Short returns, poor serving, favoring his backhand wing (running around the backhand), leaving too much court open on his forehand, and also missing simple shots that he would normally make 98 out of 100 times.
He needs more work, more matches on clay, pure and simple, to hone his ground game. Getting to the final in Madrid will help, and a final in Rome would be great for him. I think he would still be a little light on match play going into RG, but if he can get past the first 3-4 rounds playing good tennis, then he would be very difficult to stop by the time he gets to the semis and final.
I know I must sound a bit harsh considering Nadal hasn't dropped a set yet in Madrid, but I try to see things as they are with Rafa and others, not as I wish them to be. He's going to playing some good clay court players sooner or later and he needs to be ready.
Respectfully,
masterclass
spot on as usual general. this is just ridiculous. I know he is getting it done right now but there is just no need to play that far back against a guy who is lucky to win 1 game against you.
that is the time you work on a few things.
yesterday he admitted that he does not like when he has to hit more than 5 backhands in a row or something to that effect.
we know that Rafa. you don't want to hit any backhands.
that just increases his work. he gives up too much court and then he has to run like hell to cover the space he is handing them as a gift. he is not as fast as he used to be.
also why not control the center of the court. then all the space is accounted for and they will have to go for more.
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(https://www.camelotfantasies.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs30.postimg.org%2Fn334at4ch%2Fnadul.jpg&hash=09e2c2fb566ed38ec996b4b957ff56a8f46efa32)
Soon it's going to get very difficult to tell Nadal from the lines officials. Nadal is the one in the blue shirt...
This is one reason I'm unhappy with Clay Warrior.
This was his return position against Monaco, who might get his serve between 105 and 110 mph on a good day. I think I occasionally saw him leaning on the back fence when he faced some other servers.
He can't be playing this far behind the baseline against players like Ferrer and Nishikori.
They tend to hit flatter and more angled shots, which will just go by him if he positions himself so far back.
He also has been hitting too many balls short from this deep position.
An aggressive player who is not afraid of Nadal will take advantage of that.
If Rafa had played almost anyone with aggression and consistency instead of Monaco, I don't think he would have won that day. Rafa's game was awful, especially in the first set, which he still won 6-1, which should tell you something about Monaco. Rafa has been somewhat better in his last couple of matches, but look who he was playing. Nieminen and Berdych. Nieminen is outside top 30 on clay. Berdych loses to Nadal before he steps on the court and might as well be out of the top 100 when he plays Nadal. Ever since Madrid 2006, where Berdych last beat Nadal and was booed off the court by the fans for his antics and got a severe reprimand from Nadal, Berdych has not won against Nadal in 17 straight matches. I think one more match sets or ties this ignominious record.
Rafa's confidence may be higher after his last couple of matches, but I don't know if that was the real factor anyway. He had simply been playing badly, so of course he didn't have confidence. Short returns, poor serving, favoring his backhand wing (running around the backhand), leaving too much court open on his forehand, and also missing simple shots that he would normally make 98 out of 100 times.
He needs more work, more matches on clay, pure and simple, to hone his ground game. Getting to the final in Madrid will help, and a final in Rome would be great for him. I think he would still be a little light on match play going into RG, but if he can get past the first 3-4 rounds playing good tennis, then he would be very difficult to stop by the time he gets to the semis and final.
I know I must sound a bit harsh considering Nadal hasn't dropped a set yet in Madrid, but I try to see things as they are with Rafa and others, not as I wish them to be. He's going to playing some good clay court players sooner or later and he needs to be ready.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Very happy for Nishi but not for Gulbis I am hoping he'd convert it against Ferrer soon. I mean he should have done it by now but ... oh well.
Berdych vs Nadal is one of the most boring and predictable matches of all time.
Nadal was handed a very good draw to begin with but now with Dimitrov losing and Murray faltering, it has opened up so much more.
looks like nadal will make the final now where it will be either ferru or nishikori.
both are dangerous players at the moment but that is where nadal has to step up his focus and his intensity and show them who is the boss.
nadal basically has to overpower ferru or nishikori in the final and get this Madrid deal done. he cant allow them to dictate play.
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Very happy for Nishi but not for Gulbis I am hoping he'd convert it against Ferrer soon. I mean he should have done it by now but ... oh well.
Berdych vs Nadal is one of the most boring and predictable matches of all time.
Nadal was handed a very good draw to begin with but now with Dimitrov losing and Murray faltering, it has opened up so much more.
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Yeah, I agree. I am too not getting Andy's smile either. Some of the Murray fans think it's so cute and cheeky but I can't help but feel there's more to it than that. I have a hunch but I want to wait for it until the end of year.
Wimbledon will tell a lot or perhaps it will tell all.
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Ferru vs gulbis on deck.
Bautista-Agut removes giraldo from the facilities.
Makes sense doesn't it? While Giraldo is good he's not that good and Andy should have won that match. Agut would have been really tough for Andy since he's so on form these days but Andy did beat Almagro in the very first round. I really don't think Andy is that bad on clay. Either he's not feeling it or he just doesn't care enough.
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Nishikori snatches the first set.
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Ferru vs gulbis on deck.
Bautista-Agut removes giraldo from the facilities.
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Had to repost this. I don't know what happened.
I know what you mean. I don't like that all out dominance either. If Anderson could at least win once, it might unlock some of the demons in his mind.
It has to be hard to know, that no matter how hard you try, there's a possibility that you might meet your nemesis, and then it's game over.
Did you hear the commentators say Anderson's wife tweeted, "there are three things certain in life: death, taxes, and berdych vs. Anderson.
At least she has a sense of humor about it.
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Little beast 5'9" David Ferrer took down the towering 6' 10" John Isner, yet again, 6-4, 6-4.
Ferrer's return of the Isner serve was just incredible. In the first set, Isner put 83% of his first serves in, but Ferrer won 38% of those, which is a high number against Isner. Isner's first serve in pct, declined to 73% (still very good) in the second set and Ferrer's pct won increased to 42%. Of course, clay tends to negate the serve some, but still a great return game from David. And then once the returns were in Ferrer has the better ground game, and one break for Ferrer each set is all it took.
So Quarter Finals are going to be:
[#5] Ferrer vs. Gulbis
[#10] Nishikori vs. F. Lopez
[#1] Nadal vs. [#6] Berdych
Giraldo vs. Bautista Agut (edited: Bautista Agut is now a very slight favorite)
Favorites in bold.
Do you see any upsets?
Respectfully,
masterclass
Just guessing, but I'll say Gulbis takes out Ferrer. I have no idea about their h2h.
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wow emma. Giraldo is playing some great tennis as of late.
Tsonga is not too shabby on clay.
good win for giraldo.
here is the order of play for tomorrow. some outstanding battles tomorrow.
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Scores/schedule.aspx?EventId=1536
You got that right General. Giraldo is playing top 10 clay tennis right now. I thought he looked better against Tsonga, but then he didn't need to be at his best today against Andy Murray, OBE. I'll have to say that Murray looked like he was on some other planet today, or wanted to be on one.
Murray was making errors left and right, his not so good serve today getting broken once in the first and twice in the second, but instead of being furious with himself, yelling at his box, his usual persona to get himself sorted out, instead he was often smiling and chuckling to himself like he was deranged or something. He just looked like he wanted to be somewhere else. I don't think the match with Almagro could have taken that much out of him. Maybe the late Baltacha's death is affecting him? Who knows? Maybe he's feeling back problems again? I expected a better effort from him today, but alas, it wasn't to be.
I know clay is not Andy's surface, but I think it will help him with his ground game if he could play a few more matches on it before giving up the ghost. We know on clay that his serve is negated, so that doesn't help him. It could be this Lendl separation is mentally affecting him more than he is letting on. Again, who knows? I think we will really know what's going on this summer, when he plays on grass and the US Open series. I had predicted near the end of last year not to expect Murray to be near his best till summer because of the back surgery, but I had hoped for more progress than this. IF he doesn't do well at Wimbledon, we could see him slip out of the top 10. Oh well, it is what it is.
Nadal is the only one left in the tournament out of the "big 4". He still needs to improve. Nieminen was no test on clay. Berdych is up next for Nadal. He played fairly well against Dimitrov, but is winless in his last 17 matches vs. Nadal, so I'm not sure he'll be a good test either. But who knows? Almagro had never beaten Nadal before Barcelona, so anything can happen.
Respectfully,
masterclass
Funny stuff, masterclass, especially the way you described Andy. He did seem out of it. I thought the same thing. I was perplexed at him laughing, but maybe it was a combination of all those things.
Andy seems to be biding his time, as well. Maybe, he's saving his energies for the grass and hard court season, not wanting to over tax his back.
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Well, he struggled in the initial game but won 1 and 0? I mean come on. You can't possibly complain about it, herc.
Poor Anderson. Always the bridesmaid to Berdych.
Isner gets it really rough. 7-5 in the 3rd and the other two being settled in the TBs? Ferrer must be itching to play a dead Isner already.
I know what you mean. I don't like that all out dominance either. If Anderson could at least win once, it might unlock some of the demons in his mind.
It has to be hard to know, that no matter how hard you try, there's a possibility that you might meet your nemesis, and then it's game over.
Did you hear the commentators say Anderson's wife tweeted, "there are three things certain in life: death, taxes, and berdych vs. Anderson.
At least she has a sense of humor about it.
Aww....poor thing. She's got good humour not doubt but it's also sad because she knows what the outcome is no matter where they meet. I always root for Anderson against Berdych even though I like both of them, but I'd like to see Anderson win at least 1 time. I want to see him smile and feel proud. And of course now I'll have to think about his sweet and funny wife too. lol
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Little beast 5'9" David Ferrer took down the towering 6' 10" John Isner, yet again, 6-4, 6-4.
Ferrer's return of the Isner serve was just incredible. In the first set, Isner put 83% of his first serves in, but Ferrer won 38% of those, which is a high number against Isner. Isner's first serve in pct, declined to 73% (still very good) in the second set and Ferrer's pct won increased to 42%. Of course, clay tends to negate the serve some, but still a great return game from David. And then once the returns were in Ferrer has the better ground game, and one break for Ferrer each set is all it took.
So Quarter Finals are going to be:
[#5] Ferrer vs. Gulbis
[#10] Nishikori vs. F. Lopez
[#1] Nadal vs. [#6] Berdych
Giraldo vs. Bautista Agut (edited: Bautista Agut is now a very slight favorite)
Favorites in bold.
Do you see any upsets?
Respectfully,
masterclass
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que pasa general masterclass.
I have the order of play for tomorrow:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Scores/schedule.aspx?EventId=1536
action is heating up. nishikori is one of the rising stars on the tour. he can play on any surface.
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wow emma. Giraldo is playing some great tennis as of late.
Tsonga is not too shabby on clay.
good win for giraldo.
here is the order of play for tomorrow. some outstanding battles tomorrow.
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Scores/schedule.aspx?EventId=1536
You got that right General. Giraldo is playing top 10 clay tennis right now. I thought he looked better against Tsonga, but then he didn't need to be at his best today against Andy Murray, OBE. I'll have to say that Murray looked like he was on some other planet today, or wanted to be on one.
Murray was making errors left and right, his not so good serve today getting broken once in the first and twice in the second, but instead of being furious with himself, yelling at his box, his usual persona to get himself sorted out, instead he was often smiling and chuckling to himself like he was deranged or something. He just looked like he wanted to be somewhere else. I don't think the match with Almagro could have taken that much out of him. Maybe the late Baltacha's death is affecting him? Who knows? Maybe he's feeling back problems again? I expected a better effort from him today, but alas, it wasn't to be.
I know clay is not Andy's surface, but I think it will help him with his ground game if he could play a few more matches on it before giving up the ghost. We know on clay that his serve is negated, so that doesn't help him. It could be this Lendl separation is mentally affecting him more than he is letting on. Again, who knows? I think we will really know what's going on this summer, when he plays on grass and the US Open series. I had predicted near the end of last year not to expect Murray to be near his best till summer because of the back surgery, but I had hoped for more progress than this. IF he doesn't do well at Wimbledon, we could see him slip out of the top 10. Oh well, it is what it is.
Nadal is the only one left in the tournament out of the "big 4". He still needs to improve. Nieminen was no test on clay. Berdych is up next for Nadal. He played fairly well against Dimitrov, but is winless in his last 17 matches vs. Nadal, so I'm not sure he'll be a good test either. But who knows? Almagro had never beaten Nadal before Barcelona, so anything can happen.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Would have liked Dimitrov to win today but Berdy played better and deserved the win. Nadal vs Berdych is a terrible matchup mostly because of Berdy. He not only tends to bend over to Nadal each time but also, he has no patience against Nadal.
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Hmm....Dimitrov has fallen apart just as I thought. Berdy leads Dimitrov 3-0 in the 3rd. Can Dimi make a comeback?
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looks like berdych might be able to remove dimitrov from the facilities. he has the inside track in the deciding frame.
he leads 3-0 in the 3rd.
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morning emma, general masterclass, and the others.
here are all the live scores:
http://www.tennisexplorer.com/live/#inscore_ifheight_xdc_4221
nishikori managed to snatch the first set in a breaker.
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I'm still not happy with Clay Warrior...
I'll show you why later.
Respectfully,
masterclass
I am not happy with him either. he better start working harder.
he is in a race against time.
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Nishi wins the 1st set. So relieved. ;D
And Berdy takes the 2nd set in the same fashion as the 1st 6-3. On to 3rd. Can't call the 3rd set to be honest.
Nadal and Nieminen have just started their match.
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Nishi and Raonic have now moved on to 1st set TB. Scary stuff for me. Come on, Nishi. You've come this far and now don't let me down.
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Dimitrov commits double fault at deuce and pays the price. Berdych is now 4-2 up in the 2nd set. Not going to be easy for Dimitrov.
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Nishi finally held to make it 5 all. Phew! I was worried. ;D
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I cannot tell you how many unforced errors these two - Berdych and Dimitrov - have committed so far. One too many.
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Well, he struggled in the initial game but won 1 and 0? I mean come on. You can't possibly complain about it, herc.
Poor Anderson. Always the bridesmaid to Berdych.
Isner gets it really rough. 7-5 in the 3rd and the other two being settled in the TBs? Ferrer must be itching to play a dead Isner already.
Did you hear the commentators say Anderson's wife tweeted, "there are three things certain in life: death, taxes, and berdych vs. Anderson.
At least she has a sense of humor about it.
Aww....poor thing. She's got good humour not doubt but it's also sad because she knows what the outcome is no matter where they meet. I always root for Anderson against Berdych even though I like both of them, but I'd like to see Anderson win at least 1 time. I want to see him smile and feel proud. And of course now I'll have to think about his sweet and funny wife too. lol
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wow - Nishi was as good as 0-40 up on Raonic's serve and still couldn't manage to break his serve and of course, great hold by Raonic. But then in the next game, Nishi got broken and let Raonic lead 5-3. And now Nishi has broken Raonic back. lol 5-4 2nd set.
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I'm still not happy with Clay Warrior...
I'll show you why later.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Anderson just cant get away from berdych.
and berdych just cant stop beating Anderson. poor Anderson.
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Giraldo has removed Tsonga from facilities in straight sets.
Wow, I didn't see or hear that!
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Well, he struggled in the initial game but won 1 and 0? I mean come on. You can't possibly complain about it, herc.
Poor Anderson. Always the bridesmaid to Berdych.
Isner gets it really rough. 7-5 in the 3rd and the other two being settled in the TBs? Ferrer must be itching to play a dead Isner already.
Did you hear the commentators say Anderson's wife tweeted, "there are three things certain in life: death, taxes, and berdych vs. Anderson.
At least she has a sense of humor about it.
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Well, Dimitrov finally wins. So sad for Copil. He played a fantastic match but his unforced error at crucial moment (during the final set TB) did him good. Great effort from him regardless and he should be proud.
Dimi moves on to play Berdy next. Though Dimitrov has the H2H in his favour (2-0), they have yet to play on clay. This will be a tough match I think given that Dimitrov didn't have it easy today and Berdy dismissed Anderson with ease. I am sure Berdy is very keen on meeting Dimitrov at this point.
And Lopez gets the win as well and is now set to play Thiem next. Thiem had an excellent win over Stan just yesterday so may not be there mentally for his next match.
that is going to be some battle. I will take berdy in 3.
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wow emma. Giraldo is playing some great tennis as of late.
Tsonga is not too shabby on clay.
good win for giraldo.
here is the order of play for tomorrow. some outstanding battles tomorrow.
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Scores/schedule.aspx?EventId=1536
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Giraldo has removed Tsonga from facilities in straight sets.
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Well, Dimitrov finally wins. So sad for Copil. He played a fantastic match but his unforced error at crucial moment (during the final set TB) did him good. Great effort from him regardless and he should be proud.
Dimi moves on to play Berdy next. Though Dimitrov has the H2H in his favour (2-0), they have yet to play on clay. This will be a tough match I think given that Dimitrov didn't have it easy today and Berdy dismissed Anderson with ease. I am sure Berdy is very keen on meeting Dimitrov at this point.
And Lopez gets the win as well and is now set to play Thiem next. Thiem had an excellent win over Stan just yesterday so may not be there mentally for his next match.
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Very, very tight stuff so far in both matches. Copil just survived a break point and now about to hold.
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Lopez and Youzhny have squared things off with 1 set all and on serve in the 3rd. Dimitrov and Copil have done the same and on serve as well.
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Dimitrov has lost the 1st set against Copil in the meantime. 2 all in the second.
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On the other news Gulbis has taken care of Dolgo. Very tough draw for Dolgy unfortunately but I like Gulbis too and know he's very in form this year. Simon is out too - to Kubot the lucky loser.
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Well, he struggled in the initial game but won 1 and 0? I mean come on. You can't possibly complain about it, herc.
Poor Anderson. Always the bridesmaid to Berdych.
Isner gets it really rough. 7-5 in the 3rd and the other two being settled in the TBs? Ferrer must be itching to play a dead Isner already.
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nadal is picking up where he left off. he did not waste any time getting broken after leading 2-0 with little or no pressure.
he has got to start taking better care of his serve.
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So question is, who will be removed from the facilities tomorrow? Is it going to be Andy or is it going to be Almagro?
I wanna see more of Andy so please be it Almagro.
I think Andy should be able to get it done emma. it will be a good win for Andy.
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berdych most definitely has Anderson's number. he removes him from the facilities in straights.
http://www.tennisexplorer.com/live/#inscore_ifheight_xdc_5650
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So question is, who will be removed from the facilities tomorrow? Is it going to be Andy or is it going to be Almagro?
I wanna see more of Andy so please be it Almagro.
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I hear Fog might be facing fines and a possible ban from the Rome Masters.
you are right Emma. stan was removed from the facilities in 3 sets today.
here are all the results for today:
http://www.tennisexplorer.com/results/
That sounds good and hopefully it will happen. He needs to learn his lessons. Even Dolgo looked quite annoyed with him when he took the bathroom break or whatever it was. I only saw a few points during that time. Dolgo played however fantastic tennis especially towards the end of 1st set to take the set.
I almost wish though Andy was on the other side of the draw thought no side is all that easy for him anyway.
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I hear Fog might be facing fines and a possible ban from the Rome Masters.
you are right Emma. stan was removed from the facilities in 3 sets today.
here are all the results for today:
http://www.tennisexplorer.com/results/
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Has Paire retired against Simon? I take it he's injured himself or maybe already had one to begin with? Anyway, don't think that's good news for Federer since the last meeting with Simon didn't go too well for him at RG. If Simon stays fresh he can do some damages here. I am sure the loss hurt the last time. He'd have to be extremely eager and motivated though.
Verdasco, Nishi, Tsonga, Isner etc. are all winners today.
Looks like Almagro and Golubev are set to play tomorrow which means Andy will play on Wednesday. And I guess both Nadal and Federer are set to play on that day as well.
Oh no! I am so tired of these Wednesday starts. Wednesdays are busy for me. This is the third tournament in a row that this has happened.
Andy almost always starts on Wednesday ...even in Slams and I always hate it! Nadal typically has earlier starts or so I think. Maybe herc can confirm.
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roberto bautista agut removes verdasco from the facilities.
That was a surprise I must admit. Rumour has it little Ms. Hingis was spotted in Verdasco's box hence the distraction? Dunno. Don't care really.
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Fognini threw everything out there at Dolgo ... from MTO to bathroom break to threatening the umpire but nothing stopped Dolgo from removing Fog from the facilities. I still feel if it wasn't for all those drama especially after the 2nd set, Dolgo would have won in straight.
He faces Gulbis next. Tough road for him, unfortunately.
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Well, Stan's draw was supposed to be easy but Thiem takes him out in the very first match he plays. Excellent result for Thiem. One cannot help but feel very happy for him.
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roberto bautista agut removes verdasco from the facilities.
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here is the order of play for tomorrow sports fans.
Andy and Rafa are in action tomorrow:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Scores/schedule.aspx?EventId=1536
Finally!
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here is the order of play for tomorrow sports fans.
Andy and Rafa are in action tomorrow:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Scores/schedule.aspx?EventId=1536
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coast is clear for guys like Rafa and Stan now. they should be able to get into the final.
dolgopolov removes fognini from the facilities.
here are all the live scores.
http://www.tennisexplorer.com/live/#inscore_ifheight_xdc_6685
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From Roger Federer's facebook page:
"I’ve decided to withdraw from Madrid to be with my wife Mirka during these next few exciting weeks for our family. I apologize to my fans and hope to be back in Madrid next year. I’ll be training near my home, and am excited to rejoin the Tour soon!"
Wishing good health and happiness to the coming baby Federer, Mom Mirka, and Papa Federer...
So the number 2 and 4 seeds are out.
Can Rafa and Stan hold up their end? Who else might take advantage of the turn of events?
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Has Paire retired against Simon? I take it he's injured himself or maybe already had one to begin with? Anyway, don't think that's good news for Federer since the last meeting with Simon didn't go too well for him at RG. If Simon stays fresh he can do some damages here. I am sure the loss hurt the last time. He'd have to be extremely eager and motivated though.
Verdasco, Nishi, Tsonga, Isner etc. are all winners today.
Looks like Almagro and Golubev are set to play tomorrow which means Andy will play on Wednesday. And I guess both Nadal and Federer are set to play on that day as well.
Oh no! I am so tired of these Wednesday starts. Wednesdays are busy for me. This is the third tournament in a row that this has happened.
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I don't think Nole will be there in Rome either. I do feel he's being extremely careful and aiming strictly for RG. The clay season is very long and drains players especially if they take part in each tournament and this season ends with two almost back to back Slams - RG and Wimbledon. Even Nadal seems to be conserving as much energy as possible. I do feel it's now coming down to Slams only for these top players. Nole hasn't won anything other than AO since 2011 and this year, he didn't even get that. Federer clearly wants another Slam to make sure Nadal doesn't come anywhere near him. Nadal is very keen on matching Sampras' record and Murray obviously wants to defend Wimbledon. That leaves the remaining Slams up for grab for any of these players and they all look desperate and hungry. And they are definitely far more focused on that.
Good stuff, Emma.
Enjoyable read.
Thank you, TT. I think the top players are feeling a bit threatened by some of the other players especially lately as well. Wawrinka, Nishikori, Dimitrov, Dolgopolov, Gulbis...to name a few and look how this year has already panned out so far. Who would have thought Wawrinka was going to win AO followed by Monte Carlo? And then Nishi comes along and takes Barcelona. So I am sure they feel it isn't going to be easy to win any Slam from this point on. Because not only you will have to battle the three other major contenders but you also have some other rising to the top who are perfectly capable of posing enormous danger. So obviously the Slams are the main target now for any of these players and conserving energy is the only thing they need since there's not much to improve when it comes to their respective game.
I agree, 100%.
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Dimitrov is playing the last match - at least on the men's side. 2-1 on serve.
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cup of lemon tea is now available at Emma's Café.
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Andy is very crafty on grass. he will get it together by then. I am expecting him to win the queens event also.
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Fognini is set to play Dolgo and I know many are finding it very interesting but Dolgo does lead Fog 4-0 and 3 of those 4 victories are on clay. He's not a good matchup for Fog by all accounts.
I need a cup of lemon tea.
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I would be a happy man if Rafa wins RG and Andy snatches Wimbledon.
their respective campaigns start here. they better start stringing some match wins here.
Sampras thinks it will be tricky for Andy to defend Wimbledon but I, on the other hand, think Andy knows what to expect. Or he's aware of the fact that, the expectations are different now. I still think winning it first time was far more challenging. He just needs to be in great form which is still a bit suspect.
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Girlado's grunt has gone through the roof now. And leads 4-1 to Hewitt.
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I would be a happy man if Rafa wins RG and Andy snatches Wimbledon.
their respective campaigns start here. they better start stringing some match wins here.
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Yes, he did. Hewitt is trying to win the 2nd in the meantime.
And he gets it. 1 set all vs Giraldo.
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lopez got it done in 3 today emma. he took the decider pretty easily. 6-2.
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Well and dandy, herc. Very much looking forward to Andy's match on Wednesday to say the least.
Lopez won the 1st set against Delbonis.
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what up emma.
here is the order of play for tomorrow:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Scores/schedule.aspx?EventId=1536
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Has Paire retired against Simon? I take it he's injured himself or maybe already had one to begin with? Anyway, don't think that's good news for Federer since the last meeting with Simon didn't go too well for him at RG. If Simon stays fresh he can do some damages here. I am sure the loss hurt the last time. He'd have to be extremely eager and motivated though.
Verdasco, Nishi, Tsonga, Isner etc. are all winners today.
Looks like Almagro and Golubev are set to play tomorrow which means Andy will play on Wednesday. And I guess both Nadal and Federer are set to play on that day as well.
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I don't think Nole will be there in Rome either. I do feel he's being extremely careful and aiming strictly for RG. The clay season is very long and drains players especially if they take part in each tournament and this season ends with two almost back to back Slams - RG and Wimbledon. Even Nadal seems to be conserving as much energy as possible. I do feel it's now coming down to Slams only for these top players. Nole hasn't won anything other than AO since 2011 and this year, he didn't even get that. Federer clearly wants another Slam to make sure Nadal doesn't come anywhere near him. Nadal is very keen on matching Sampras' record and Murray obviously wants to defend Wimbledon. That leaves the remaining Slams up for grab for any of these players and they all look desperate and hungry. And they are definitely far more focused on that.
Good stuff, Emma.
Enjoyable read.
Thank you, TT. I think the top players are feeling a bit threatened by some of the other players especially lately as well. Wawrinka, Nishikori, Dimitrov, Dolgopolov, Gulbis...to name a few and look how this year has already panned out so far. Who would have thought Wawrinka was going to win AO followed by Monte Carlo? And then Nishi comes along and takes Barcelona. So I am sure they feel it isn't going to be easy to win any Slam from this point on. Because not only you will have to battle the three other major contenders but you also have some other rising to the top who are perfectly capable of posing enormous danger. So obviously the Slams are the main target now for any of these players and conserving energy is the only thing they need since there's not much to improve when it comes to their respective game.
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live scores for today:
http://www.tennisexplorer.com/live/#inscore_ifheight_xdc_2995
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order of play for tomorrow:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Scores/schedule.aspx?EventId=1536
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I don't think Nole will be there in Rome either. I do feel he's being extremely careful and aiming strictly for RG. The clay season is very long and drains players especially if they take part in each tournament and this season ends with two almost back to back Slams - RG and Wimbledon. Even Nadal seems to be conserving as much energy as possible. I do feel it's now coming down to Slams only for these top players. Nole hasn't won anything other than AO since 2011 and this year, he didn't even get that. Federer clearly wants another Slam to make sure Nadal doesn't come anywhere near him. Nadal is very keen on matching Sampras' record and Murray obviously wants to defend Wimbledon. That leaves the remaining Slams up for grab for any of these players and they all look desperate and hungry. And they are definitely far more focused on that.
Good stuff, Emma.
Enjoyable read.
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I don't think Nole will be there in Rome either. I do feel he's being extremely careful and aiming strictly for RG. The clay season is very long and drains players especially if they take part in each tournament and this season ends with two almost back to back Slams - RG and Wimbledon. Even Nadal seems to be conserving as much energy as possible. I do feel it's now coming down to Slams only for these top players. Nole hasn't won anything other than AO since 2011 and this year, he didn't even get that. Federer clearly wants another Slam to make sure Nadal doesn't come anywhere near him. Nadal is very keen on matching Sampras' record and Murray obviously wants to defend Wimbledon. That leaves the remaining Slams up for grab for any of these players and they all look desperate and hungry. And they are definitely far more focused on that.
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^Expected...
Don't expect to see Nole in Rome either unless you see him practicing hard on the courts between now and then. As far as I know he hasn't practiced since Monte Carlo. He was vacationing in Greece a few days ago. It wouldn't surprise me to see him take advantage of this respite to get married soon.
ATP rules need changing. Lucky losers shouldn't inherit a bye, replacing a top seed. They are lucky enough to get into the main draw, inheriting a bye is just too much.
They should change the rule to make them play a first round match with another qualifier. Or at least switch places with the top winning qualifier.
Too much incentive to tank in the final qualifying round.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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And here we go guys. Nole withdraws from Madrid.
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World No. 2 Novak Djokovic has been forced to withdraw from the Mutua Madrid Open, having suffered a recurrence of the right arm injury that afflicted him three weeks ago in Monte-Carlo.
“I am very sorry for the Madrid tournament and all the Spanish fans to have to pull out of the Mutua Madrid Open,” said Djokovic on Sunday. “I did everything possible in order to play in Madrid, which is one of the biggest events of the year, but unfortunately my right arm injury has flared up again.
“Now I will take some time to recover and heal my injury, hoping I will be ready for Rome. I look forward to returning to Madrid next year.”
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2014/05/19/Madrid-Sunday-Djokovic-Withdraws.aspx
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Both Harrison and Tomic are already out but looks like Tomic fought hard to win but couldn't make it, so a good effort there. Harrison is not all that good on clay anyway.
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Looks like Nole arrived late and now he's going through some tests to see if he's good to play. I suspect a pull out at the last minute. Or maybe he'll play a couple of matches and then tank or retire.
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great analysis general masterclass.
lot at stake here in terms of trying to get some momentum going for RG.
nadal needs some matches. he should have gone to estoril.
Federer will also try to start stringing some wins together as he eyes a prize at Wimbledon. he is playing good enough to make a run there.
nole might play it safe here if the wrist is not 100%. it is also a chance for andy murray to find out where his game stands at the moment.
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Interesting draw...
I believe Stan Wawrinka might have the easiest road as he doesn't play anyone particularly dangerous to him till the QF, and even there is undefeated vs. Nishikori or Raonic.
Andy Murray, OBE has a pretty tough road as befits his recent lower ranking. First up, Almagro, who is no slouch on clay, but does occasionally beat himself. If he gets past the Spaniard, it doesn't get easier.
Roger Federer might play a couple of players early that have given him trouble in the recent past in Simon and Robredo. Then if he gets by them, he has whomever comes out of the Murray section.
Novak Djokovic's section looks fairly brutal at first glance, but only Fognini or Dolgopolov, who play each other again, are real clay court dangers.
Rafael Nadal should reach the QF without too much trouble, when he would likely play either Dimitrov or Berdych. If he has trouble prior to that, it won't look good for him.
Anyway, I won't be surprised if Nole withdraws because of his wrist.
Tournament directors don't like announcing top player withdrawals too soon as it can hurt them at the gate.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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interesting draw princess emma.
thanks for posting the draw general masterclass.
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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The bottom half definitely looks heavier than the top half. Herc darling and the gang can't really complain about it. Nadal eats Federer for breakfast on clay and my man Murray has even much less of a chance though never say never. ;D
Nole's got a few key in form players on his side who can give him a lot of trouble and knock him out even.
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Madrid Main draw picture in Post #1.
Madrid Main draw PDF (http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2014/1536/mds.pdf)
Nadal Quarter
[1] Nadal vs Bye
Melzer vs Monaco
Nieminen vs Haase
Qualifier vs Haas [14]
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[12] Dimitrov vs Carreno-Busta
Copil vs Granollers
Anderson vs Stepanek
Bye vs Berdych [6]
Federer Quarter
[4] Federer vs Bye
Paire vs Simon
Seppi vs Verdasco
Bautista-Agut vs Robredo [16]
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[11] Tsonga vs Roger-Vasselin
Qualifier vs Hewitt
Qualifier vs Almagro
Bye vs Murray [7]
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Wawrinka Quarter
[8] Raonic vs Bye
Rosol vs Chardy
Garcia-Lopez vs Andujar
Dodig vs Nishikori [10]
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[15] Youzhny vs Qualifier
Delbonis vs Lopez
Qualifier vs Tursunov
Bye vs Wawrinka [3]
Djokovic Quarter
[5] Ferrer vs Bye
Ramos vs Mahut
Qualifier vs Kohlschreiber
Qualifier vs Isner [9]
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[13] Fognini vs Dolgopolov
Gulbis vs Janowicz
Cilic vs Sousa
Bye vs Djokovic [2]
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Madrid draw is out, folks and here's the PDF link to it.
http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2014/1536/mds.pdf
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He'd better win something fast.
He's messing up my television viewing.
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agreed princess TT.
either he will win both or he will take Rome.
he knows he has to focus now otherwise he will be a little too short on match play on clay.
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Hope the real Rafa Nadal shows up in Madrid. Winning can solve a lot of things. He needs a title in Madrid or Rome for his confidence.
The Real Rafa should show up soon. He's not used to losing this much.
It's either this tournament, or the next one.
I'll say Rome, he wins his first title in a while.
Fingers crossed.
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anybody has any info on the draw?
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Rome title would go a long way but Madrid title could make the rome title a little easier to snatch.
I am hoping for both for him. lets see how it plays out. he needs to string together a few match wins now.
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Hope the real Rafa Nadal shows up in Madrid. Winning can solve a lot of things. He needs a title in Madrid or Rome for his confidence.
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this is the big one sports fans. all the top guns will be there.
lets get this party started.
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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well there is not really much going on at Camelot anyway.
and this event will be here soon enough anyway.
is this there where Andy is expected to return to action?
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herc, isn't this a bit early?
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04.05.2014 Mutua Madrid Open
Madrid, Spain Clay € 3,671,405
(€ 4,625,835) SGL 56 DBL 24 Email Inquiry
+34 902-1-836-47
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