January 2018
This year with threadmarks
Different sport. Keane had one too but was never the same after that.Murray's Instagram post makes it sound like surgery might be the only option. Could be the end of him as a top player, the likes of Hewitt and Nalbandian never really recovered from theirs.
A 50% Murray got to the 5th set of Wimby's quarter. The field is so weak atm that once he gets back to any reasonable semblance of form he's in with a chance so I don't see him retiring, yet.Hope Murray retires from playing. Time to think about his long term health and it's unlikely he will get back anywhere close to his top previous standard.
This makes me jellyWatching Federer vs USA! Didn't get to watch him last year. Felt bad for Sock lol. The cheers for Federer were so much louder.
The AO last year was a brilliant tournament and Djoker/Murray barely factored in it.Serena pulled out.
Djokovic and Nadal are in a exhibition tournament this week. The Aussie open organisers must be praying they get through that. It went from one of the most anticipated Aussie open to now looking like another boring slam if Nadal and Djokovic pull out.
Kyrgios potentially too!The AO last year was a brilliant tournament and Djoker/Murray barely factored in it.
It's up to the young 'uns to pose a challenge and make it exciting, and the likes of Stan, Nishikori, Cilic etc.. as well. Dimitrov-Nadal semi was a roller coaster of a match for example.
Are those two definitely playing?The AO last year was a brilliant tournament and Djoker/Murray barely factored in it.
It's up to the young 'uns to pose a challenge and make it exciting, and the likes of Stan, Nishikori, Cilic etc.. as well. Dimitrov-Nadal semi was a roller coaster of a match for example.
I was speaking generally, not confirmed yet but Nishikori likely out. Stan I think will make it and the event director seems confident Novak and Nadal will be there.Are those two definitely playing?
Nishikori is officially out while Wawrinka and Dkokovic still seem very doubtful, Nadal seems guaranteed to play unless he has another issue although how sharp he will be is questionable.I was speaking generally, not confirmed yet but Nishikori likely out. Stan I think will make it and the event director seems confident Novak and Nadal will be there.
To be brutally honest, I wouldnt mind a walkover of a tournament for Fed after the way Nadal breezed through USO but he didnt exactly look convincing in Perth, scraping through against Sock and lost the tie break first set against Sascha. So if he's not likely to win I dearly hope that one or some of the younger guys can make an impression this year.
I was slow on Nishikori, last I checked was couple of weeks ago for all male players. He's out.Nishikori is officially out while Wawrinka and Dkokovic still seem very doubtful, Nadal seems guaranteed to play unless he has another issue although how sharp he will be is questionable.
Generally I don't care who wins the grand slams but the last two of last year on the men's side were so underwhelming, the women's events were good, due to the injuries and lack of high quality opposition for the eventual winners (the French was slightly different because although it was a procession at least Nadal had to beat some very good players). I really hope if Federer does win it then he is at least properly tested by some of the younger players stepping up, it's time for the likes of Dimitrov, Zverev and maybe even Kyrgios to get to a slam final this year.
He had that at Wimbledon..I was speaking generally, not confirmed yet but Nishikori likely out. Stan I think will make it and the event director seems confident Novak and Nadal will be there.
To be brutally honest, I wouldnt mind a walkover of a tournament for Fed after the way Nadal breezed through USO but he didnt exactly look convincing in Perth, scraping through against Sock and lost the tie break first set against Sascha. So if he's not likely to win I dearly hope that one or some of the younger guys can make an impression this year.
That was due to Fed and Nadal coming back to a level that nobody expected them to ever again. Feds looked a bit shakey since Wimbledon. He was fantastic in Shanghai but other tournaments not so much.The AO last year was a brilliant tournament and Djoker/Murray barely factored in it.
It's up to the young 'uns to pose a challenge and make it exciting, and the likes of Stan, Nishikori, Cilic etc.. as well. Dimitrov-Nadal semi was a roller coaster of a match for example.
His Wimbledon was comparable to Nadal's French. Dominant but still had to beat good players. At the USO Nadal played PCB in semi and Kevin Anderson in final ffs, you couldn't draw a more walkover-y route than that.He had that at Wimbledon..
No he didn’t. He played Del Potro in the semi and that wasn’t really a walk over considering he just beat Federer. Del Potro played well in the first set too. PCB played Anderson.His Wimbledon was comparable to Nadal's French. Dominant but still had to beat good players. At the USO Nadal played PCB in semi and Kevin Anderson in final ffs, you couldn't draw a more walkover-y route than that.
Nadal played Delpo in the semis. PCB - Anderson was the other semi.His Wimbledon was comparable to Nadal's French. Dominant but still had to beat good players. At the USO Nadal played PCB in semi and Kevin Anderson in final ffs, you couldn't draw a more walkover-y route than that.
Mea culpa. For some reason I remember it as Dolgopolov, PCB and Anderson.No he didn’t. He played Del Potro in the semi and that wasn’t really a walk over considering he just beat Federer. Del Potro played well in the first set too. PCB played Anderson.
Thiem-Stan and Berdych-Cilic is about even if you look at their form leading to and in the tournament. Stronger semi opponent for Nadal, just, given Thiem won a clay Masters.I proably wouldn't actually put that Wimbledon on par with Nadal at the French due to the semi and final opponents.
Stan had never lost a grand slam final whilst Cilic wasn’t even fully fit. So strong final opponent too.Thiem-Stan and Berdych-Cilic is about even if you look at their form leading to and in the tournament. Stronger semi opponent for Nadal, just, given Thiem won a clay Masters.
Thiem didn't win a Masters, he lost in the Madrid final to Nadal and got humiliated by an out-of-sorts Djokovic in the semis in Rome. Even with his rabbit in the headlights act in the FO semi he was probably still tougher than Berdych to be fair.Thiem-Stan and Berdych-Cilic is about even if you look at their form leading to and in the tournament. Stronger semi opponent for Nadal, just, given Thiem won a clay Masters.
Feckin' hell!!!Draw now out for the Aus Open.
Nadal and Federer should be fairly pleased.
Tricky draws for A. Zverev (Federer's half) and Kyrgios (Nadal's half).
Zverev projected to play his brother in R3 and then Djokovic in R4.
Nadal potential AO draw:
1R: Estrella Burgos
2R: Jarry/L.Mayer
3R: Coric/Dzumhur
4R: Isner/Dolgopolov/Schwartzman
QF: Cilic/PCB
SF: Dimitrov/Kyrgios/Sock
F: Federer
Federer's projected 2018 Australian Open draw:
R1 - Bedene
R2 - Struff
R3 - Gasquet
R4 - Querrey/Raonic
QF - Goffin/Del Potro
SF - Zverev/Thiem/Djokovic
F - Nadal
Will have to try and find the other players projected draws.
It is slightly trickier than Nadal but it is not that bad. He can face only one of Zverev/Thiem/Wawrinka/Djokovic. It is not that he is facing them all. Plus Wawrinka and Djokovic coming from long absence are not going to be as tougher challenge for Federer in current form, if at all one of those two makes it to semi.Feckin' hell!!!
And you forgot to add Wawrinka to this lot!!
I copied and pasted it from twitter.Feckin' hell!!!
And you forgot to add Wawrinka to this lot!!
That’s not strictly true. I rather play Del Potro early on in the tournament when he’s not in full flow. When he’s in full flow he is hard to stop. His stamina will have improved after the US open. This guy is capable of playing marathon matches like he has against Djokovic and Murray. He sometimes looks tired but then comes out with a brilliant forehand. You also have to remember he was suffering with a illness vs Thiem and yet still came back after two sets down. Thiem did choke it, but Del Potro still had to put pressure on him.It's not that bad for Federer, admittedly you want to meet Delpo as late as possible given how he runs out of gas by the semis but he's playing Auckland for some reason so maybe he'll tire out quicker. Raonic is a potential nightmare in R4 but then there's a good chance he doesn't even get that far. Rafa will obviously be the most pleased, even if he's half fit he'll cruise to the semis. Injury permitting I think it'll be him vs Djokovic in the final.