Well played, Rafa
Tennis Thread 2013
- Thread starter wr8_utd
- Start date
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
There will be a Lance Armstrong in Tennis one day.
Atleast I'll get to sleep early.
Get those blood bags out.
Get the feck in Rafa!!
Watch out Roger, Rafa's closing on your record
Watch out Roger, Rafa's closing on your record
I cant remember last time you let me down Rafa... you rock!!
thats fecked up
Rafa to win in 4 sets
Such a shame that Djokovic capitulated like that. Very unlike him in recent years.
Nadal deserves credit for staying in the points, but Djokovic should have taken that set off of him and then went on to cruise to victory. Big shame for him.
at Nadal's fall btw.
Nadal deserves credit for staying in the points, but Djokovic should have taken that set off of him and then went on to cruise to victory. Big shame for him.
at Nadal's fall btw.Novak's response to the first question
He's such a good guy.
He's such a good guy.
Rafael Nadal
13 Grand Slams
26 Master Series
head to head:
vs Roger: 21-10
vs Nole: 21-15
vs Murray: 13-5
The best player to play the sport in the last 15 years, easy. What a Champion.
13 Grand Slams
26 Master Series
head to head:
vs Roger: 21-10
vs Nole: 21-15
vs Murray: 13-5
The best player to play the sport in the last 15 years, easy. What a Champion.
Shouldn't it be 22-15 against nole now ? And also calm down
The speeches at the US open are crap. They barely give any time for the guys to speak and instead are more interested in announcing the prize money. Its a bit cringey.
Vuc is a bit blinkered.
true... my bad. Rafa intensity is contagious.
Congrats to Nadal, really amazing especially when you consider that by 2009, people were wondering if he'd even win ONE Us Open and he's gone on to do this. Also shows how much better he is on what is supposed to be his "worst" surface compared to how good his rivals are on theirs
Sad for Djokovic, just wasn't up to par tonight and he can't blame fatigue considering his usual stamina and the fact that he had time to rest. Don't why people keep bringing up 2011 Djokovic, I think that was an exception rather than the norm, tonight wasn't his usual level, but neither was 2011
Sad for Djokovic, just wasn't up to par tonight and he can't blame fatigue considering his usual stamina and the fact that he had time to rest. Don't why people keep bringing up 2011 Djokovic, I think that was an exception rather than the norm, tonight wasn't his usual level, but neither was 2011
Also, I think he and Serena's $3.6m prize money are the highest for any player in tennis history
Well that was something else
What a year he's had!
What a year he's had!
Rafa in one Austalian Open away from becoming the first man in the Open Era to win each slam atleast twice!
Nadal is better than Federer. Unlike Federer who had Nadal dominating him in Grand Slams (and other tournaments in a lesser manner), Nadal actually managed to turn it around when he met his bogey opponent in Djokovic who had won like seven times in a row (3 or 4 in Grand Slam finals) against him... Respect.
Now I hope he manages to break Federer's Grand Slam record so that the ones leaning on statistics will have no excuses anymore. This guy would definitely be breaking Federer's record (at 27! he'd probably be 1 or 2 more slams closer) if he wasn't always injured and forced to pull out of Grand Slams or be hampered by his knees in them.
The hapless Swiss is probably shitting it now, there's definitely another two French Opens titles left in Nadal, which means he'll only need to scrape a Grand Slam here and there... injuries permitting..
Now I hope he manages to break Federer's Grand Slam record so that the ones leaning on statistics will have no excuses anymore. This guy would definitely be breaking Federer's record (at 27! he'd probably be 1 or 2 more slams closer) if he wasn't always injured and forced to pull out of Grand Slams or be hampered by his knees in them.
The hapless Swiss is probably shitting it now, there's definitely another two French Opens titles left in Nadal, which means he'll only need to scrape a Grand Slam here and there... injuries permitting..
madness that he may break Fed's record
The e-fights between the Nadal and Fed die-hards are about to reach One Direction/Justin Beiber levels of obsession.
The e-fights between the Nadal and Fed die-hards are about to reach One Direction/Justin Beiber levels of obsession.
Madness my arse. Would you say it is a possibility that Nadal wins 3 more French opens in his career? He needs 5 slams in 3 years (don't see his body holding up at close to peak level much longer than that), he's probably done that before.madness that he may break Fed's record
The e-fights between the Nadal and Fed die-hards are about to reach One Direction/Justin Beiber levels of obsession.
And no Nadal 'die hard', in fact I have mixed feelings... if you can look back far enough in my posting history, you will see that I have always rooted against Nadal in his battles vs Federer and Djokovic... I simply do not like him, but he has earned my respect for showing time and again what a great player he is which I can not deny... I always believed maybe Federer could turn it around but alas, I had to accept reality.
It's only justice to see someone who has destroyed Federer starting at age 20 or so that he finally shuts up the last doubters. Although as I said, mixed feelings, I was rooting for Djokovic in this match and will probably not be able to help myself rooting for Federer (if he ever makes a GS final again) or Djokovic in future GS finals against Nadal...
Djokovic mentally the weakest? What a stupid thing to say.
He's had a shit draw. Del Potro pushed him to like 5 hours at Wimbledon and so did Wawrinka. Djokovic has proven he can beat Rafa at a grand slam and on a consistent basis. No doubt he'd be working on a plan. But I think Rafa would have beaten Murray easily last night. Murray for me never would be able to beat Rafa, when he is playing well. Djokovic has in the US open and Australian open finals.
Also if I were to choose my top 10 tennis matches of all time, I would say Djokovic would come up in like 5 of them. He never disappoints.
He's had a shit draw. Del Potro pushed him to like 5 hours at Wimbledon and so did Wawrinka. Djokovic has proven he can beat Rafa at a grand slam and on a consistent basis. No doubt he'd be working on a plan. But I think Rafa would have beaten Murray easily last night. Murray for me never would be able to beat Rafa, when he is playing well. Djokovic has in the US open and Australian open finals.
Also if I were to choose my top 10 tennis matches of all time, I would say Djokovic would come up in like 5 of them. He never disappoints.
I meant madness as in oh god it may actually happen. Seemed unthinkable it would be broken so soon.
Would still be surprised if it happens, Nadal just has too much mileage on his body, one can guess how it'll hold up. If he however wins two slams next year, then I'm almost certain he will
Yeah, I don't think its a done deal that Rafa will break Federer's record. Rafa's decline will be very steep once he loses his athleticism. Not sure he can play at this level past his 30s so he really has a couple more years to try and break the record.
Having said that, when history is written, Rafa should be listed as the greater player despite Federer having more slams.
Having said that, when history is written, Rafa should be listed as the greater player despite Federer having more slams.
Rafa is the best I've ever seen. Incredible player
I actually think Novak's level of play over 2011 was the best I've ever seen.
But you've to play at that level consistently otherwise I agree.
Name the people:
Federer got in a few slams before this intensely good era started so I think Nadal will go down as the better player. The funny thing is because his serve becomes a big weapon on hardcourts he might be more unplayable at Flushing than he is at Roland Garros. Certainly Novak came closer to beating him at the French.
It's still a trivial debate really.......Federer was consistent as hell at all 4 slams. Nadal is consistent as hell on one, was consistent on Wimbledon(5 straight finals exceptional form) which is now seemingly his worst somehow, and choppy on hard courts(especially when he comes up against hot power players like Tsonga or DelPo.....wouldn't be surprised if Roanic made his name by beating him at one of the hards next year). Nole beating Nadal at the French will go a whole long way to putting him in the debate too, especially if he goes into Wimbledon with that and the Aussie open. Huge ask, but that's how you get into the debate.
Djokovic is now Mr Consistency, just doesn't have the same killer instinct. Nadal proves everything else wrong, so I think he'll end up winning slams into his late 20's if not early 30's....none of the younger guys seem to be stepping up either.
Djokovic is now Mr Consistency, just doesn't have the same killer instinct. Nadal proves everything else wrong, so I think he'll end up winning slams into his late 20's if not early 30's....none of the younger guys seem to be stepping up either.
It's still federer for me.
Djokovic fans must be a bit worried though about his recent performances in grand slams? Losing in 4 sets to nadal and getting battered by Murray in the last two grandlsams, making as many errors as he as, signifies a huge drop in standards by him.
Britain in the world group... god help us if Murray's out.
João Sousa is the first portuguese to win an ATP title, he won the Malaysa Open by defeating the french Julien Benneteau 2-6, 7-6 6-4, he was 77 in the ATP ranking before the tournament.
Djokovic is doing nadal so far.
RAFA back to the Number 1
feck yeah
feck yeah
When Delpo is on fire, feck he is good. Today he overpowered Rafa and won quite easily. Plus Rafa's serving was awful...
Will play the final of Shanghai vs Nole... the title defender.
Nice nice game... Delpo for the win.
Will play the final of Shanghai vs Nole... the title defender.
Nice nice game... Delpo for the win.
If Delpo plays as well as he did yesterday, he will blow Djokovic on these fast courts as well. Djokovic will put more of a fight probably.
Del Potro just cannot get over that finishing line can he. He's got all the tools required but he needs to string the amazing performances he is capable of back to back in order to win one of these Masters. Djokovic has responded brilliantly since the US Open.