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The Tennis Thread

Arnoldtoo

The thinking ape's ape
May 18, 2006
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Can't see anyone other than Djokovic winning the Aussie Open after watching him spank Nadal today. The scoreline - 2 & 6 - flattered Rafa.
 

Arnoldtoo

The thinking ape's ape
May 18, 2006
35,338
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Federer beats Millman 10-8 in 5th set tie-break having been 4-8 down. Ridiculous!

And ridiculous that the match finishes just before 1am! A good job he now gets a day off.
 

ralvy

AVB my love
Jun 26, 2012
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Federer beats Millman 10-8 in 5th set tie-break having been 4-8 down. Ridiculous!

And ridiculous that the match finishes just before 1am! A good job he now gets a day off.

That's why I love the Australian Open (my favorite sports event in the world after the Olympics) and the US Open, late night tennis!

Federer would most likely have to face Fognini on the fifith round, so I don't see him making the semis this time around.

Anyway, there will be some very attractive matches tonight (Guatemala time), will definitely try to stay up all night watching tennis.
 

ralvy

AVB my love
Jun 26, 2012
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Wow! Federer is about to finish an impressive comeback, after saving seven match points. Tennys Sangren won't be able to sleep very well tonight, I think.
 

Arnoldtoo

The thinking ape's ape
May 18, 2006
35,338
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Wow! Federer is about to finish an impressive comeback, after saving seven match points. Tennys Sangren won't be able to sleep very well tonight, I think.

I was watching the third set and they said Federer was injured; he certainly looked it on the forehand side. Did he look okay by the end?
 

DanielCHillier

Well-Known Member
Feb 26, 2014
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I was watching the third set and they said Federer was injured; he certainly looked it on the forehand side. Did he look okay by the end?
Wasn't watching, but listening to 5 live they said it was a back issue. Even if he is fit, I don't see him getting past Djokovic unfortunately.
 

Arnoldtoo

The thinking ape's ape
May 18, 2006
35,338
54,974
Wasn't watching, but listening to 5 live they said it was a back issue. Even if he is fit, I don't see him getting past Djokovic unfortunately.

Me neither, especially since he's had some long matches, and even though it's Federer, he's 38. Barring an unlikely Raonic comeback, it all points to Djokovic in the final again, and odds on to win it.
 

ralvy

AVB my love
Jun 26, 2012
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I was watching the third set and they said Federer was injured; he certainly looked it on the forehand side. Did he look okay by the end?

He started looking fine just before the fourth set's tiebreak. He said on the post match interview with Courier that he simply was feeling his groin a bit stiff (or whatever we wanted to call it).
 

ralvy

AVB my love
Jun 26, 2012
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Me neither, especially since he's had some long matches, and even though it's Federer, he's 38. Barring an unlikely Raonic comeback, it all points to Djokovic in the final again, and odds on to win it.

Raonic was playing an amazing tournament, the fact that Nole beat him in straight sets tells me that he's on an whole different level (yet again). I do think either Thiem or Rafa can make it an interesting final, but I will be very surprised if Djocovic doesn't win it.
 

Chris12

Well-Known Member
Mar 6, 2013
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Somehow Zverev has turned around his performances pre AO and could make the finals. Pretty impressive.
 

Arnoldtoo

The thinking ape's ape
May 18, 2006
35,338
54,974
Somehow Zverev has turned around his performances pre AO and could make the finals. Pretty impressive.

I really like Sascha as a player (first posted on this thread about him 4 years ago almost to the day!) and am really pleased that he's made his first slam semi. He had a hell of a year last year but still ended up #8 in the world. Great performance so far. Against Stan he didn't lose a point on his serve in the 2nd set and got 90% first serves in!

Having said that, I'll be really (& happily) surprised if he beats Thiem in the semi. If he does get to the final, odds-on against Djokovic, he could just do it.

But he's always reminded me of Murray, and I think it'll be a while yet before he wins one. Hope I'm wrong!
 

JCRD

Well-Known Member
Aug 10, 2018
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Djokovic really is a great player.

and Barbara Schett has sensational legs...
 

Arnoldtoo

The thinking ape's ape
May 18, 2006
35,338
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When the dust settles, he should be talked as an even greater player than both Rafa and Roger.

Would you agree that the GOAT judgement should include more than just titles?

E.g. phenomenal though Djokovic is, of the three of them I know which one I would most want to watch.
 

JCRD

Well-Known Member
Aug 10, 2018
19,153
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When the dust settles, he should be talked as an even greater player than both Rafa and Roger.

Federer is an artist and Nadal is well whats the opposite of artistry? Djokovic I see as a bit of both really but in essence saying he is a battler would be doing him a disservice. I really like Djokovic but unfortunately some of the tennis crowds have their faves and really like players who suck up to them
 

ralvy

AVB my love
Jun 26, 2012
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Would you agree that the GOAT judgement should include more than just titles?

E.g. phenomenal though Djokovic is, of the three of them I know which one I would most want to watch.

Yeah, definitely. But Djokovic could be on his way to shatter Federer and Nadal's GS records, and if he does then it will become impossible not to call him the goat.

The truth is, Federer fell a bit short of what he should have achieved (while Nadal is probably over achieving a bit), I think he only won one major between 2010 and 2016.
 

Arnoldtoo

The thinking ape's ape
May 18, 2006
35,338
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Yeah, definitely. But Djokovic could be on his way to shatter Federer and Nadal's GS records, and if he does then it will become impossible not to call him the goat.

The truth is, Federer fell a bit short of what he should have achieved (while Nadal is probably over achieving a bit), I think he only won one major between 2010 and 2016.

The GOAT discussion I'm really not going to get into* - Laver, anyone? - but I do think Djokovic will beat Federer's total. Rafa might, but it's a big ask to win 2 more French and I'm not sure he will win any other now.

*But it's Rog!
 

ralvy

AVB my love
Jun 26, 2012
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The GOAT discussion I'm really not going to get into* - Laver, anyone? - but I do think Djokovic will beat Federer's total. Rafa might, but it's a big ask to win 2 more French and I'm not sure he will win any other now.

*But it's Rog!

I only mentioned the term GOAT because you did it first, haha. I really can't speak about that because I only started watching tennis at the US OPEN of 1999.

Rafa definitely can win a couple more majors, but he needs to hurry up because players like Thiem, Medvedev and Zverev are finally coming off age, and it's not going to get any easier from now on. But after he won the US Open last year, I can't rule him out from anything.
 
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