CAMELOT FANTASIES

Quote from: Clay Death on March 14, 2017, 08:03:03 am

general I saw some of the highlights of the Rafa match:

1. he does not have enough sting/bite to his shots

2. he doesn't have enough spin. the spin of old days. he blames it on the dry heat.

3. he doesn't have sufficient fitness. that is one reason he is choosing to stay on the hard courts. he doesn't have the fitness to grind it out on clay.

4. he still cant volley. he is terrified at the net for a brave warrior. I saw one volley and that says it all. he again guided and pushed it when he could have clobbered it out of existence.

so naturally he got a reply which he could not handle.

5. return is weak

6. his most significant weapon--his topspin forehand--lacks the spin, power, and the accuracy.

7. confidence level needed to win titles is not there. I can tell easily that he really doesn't believe. and he is not dumb. he knows he cant win because he has been farting around for 4 years while the world has been busy with continuous improvement.



I cant see him winning any titles anywhere.

Great post general, but a little sad for me. 

I still see only one solution. 

He has to overcome his infatuation with hard courts and get some courage and get back on the clay.
Who said it?  "It is clay or the exit. "

As I said in the other thread, he needs to skip Miami, practice and work hard on the clay for a month and maybe get in a small tournament before Monte Carlo.
Nothing comes easy after 30, he has to work twice as hard.  I don't buy the "missing a great serve" excuse.  He has rarely had a great serve.  His second serve return was maybe the worst I've seen it.  His first serve return just sits up begging to be spanked.

He is fit and healthy enough to get out there and get his game back on the clay, he just has to want it badly enough.
From match to match, you can still see the brilliance at times.  But it is not consistent anymore. He misses basic shots he would never miss in his prime.
If he doesn't want it enough to work for it, he might as well go to his Academy with his Uncle and teach the kids.

Respectfully,
masterclass

he always has a few excuses handy.

he is almost always out of position. what the hell does that tell you?


he is not fit enough and he is not really hungry enough.



better get our roger Federer thread moving again at MTF.


it looks like he can take this masters title.


and I have him as the favorite for Wimbledon.


it was pat cash and a few others who said: it is clay or the exit.


but you will recall that we always call it 3-4 years in advance of the experts.


we saw his game and fitness slipping 4-5 years ago. he made that bloody decision himself to let everything go.


he is highly resistant to change.


I would not surprised at all if he gets injured in Miami.


why the blood hell go there when you know that you are going to laughed off the courts on clay too.

why not go straight to clay and start working on your ground game.


and give yourself a small chance to make a deep run at RG.

Roger Federer thread at MTF is rocking.

Title #91.  Congrats to Federer and his fans.  Condolences to Rafa and his fans.

The heat and humidity made the match a little less interesting than it should have been.

But if you noticed, Rafa seemed more affected by it.  His face was quite red, he had the ice towels around his neck and a big fan blowing on him.

Roger was just drinking a lot of water and breathing a little harder than usual.   

So Rafa still has fitness work to do, if he is interested in doing it.

Aside from that, Rafa was still returning from downtown Miami and it just seems to send that message - I'm terrified, and naturally, many returns, especially in the second set landed too short.  Positioning has to improve.  He had his chances in the 1st set, but couldn't break Roger.

Forget the hard courts Rafa.  Get it going on the clay.

Roger says he is taking time off now until Roland Garros.   I think it may be a little too much.  One other clay tournament would be ideal.  But who am I to question him. He came straight to AO after 6 months off and won it.  It seems obvious to me that Federer is resting up for the grass season, and the summer hard courts in the USA.

Let's see what Rafa can do on the clay.  Let's see if and when Murray and Djokovic return.

Respectfully,
masterclass

I don't know general.  If Djokovic, Murray, and Federer are not playing then Rafa has a chance.

I guess there is always Wawrinka.  But who else, the Lost Generation like Dimitrov, injured Raonic, always injured Nishikori?  Or maybe the Next Generation, like Zverev and Kyrgios?

It seems that Rafa could do well on the clay if he puts in some effort.  He's the greatest clay warrior of the generations.  That has to count for something.

Respectfully,
masterclass

General, I think Monte Carlo still has the most magnificent view in tennis, but if Rafa plays back any further he'll need to hit from his JetSki.





Respectfully,
masterclass

General, I think Monte Carlo still has the most magnificent view in tennis, but if Rafa plays back any further he'll need to hit from his JetSki.





Respectfully,
masterclass

he might as well just stay in his own backyard in Mallorca general.


the man is hell bent on hitting from 1900 miles behind the baseline.