I think Nadal needs to consider getting a new coach after this. Like Djokovic did with Becker.
Tennis 2015
- Thread starter Sean_RedDevil
- Start date
So the one year I decide to root for Nadal and have some money on him he fecks it up like never before. Feck all those federer and djoko years when i was willing them to win but got massacred by him.
I am here @Bojan11 and I am very surprised. Nadal has taught me a lesson every frigging year for the past decenium for rooting against him at RG. The one year that I have been converted he loses me money.
cnut.
cnut.
If Murray does win that then that will be a tough match for Djokovic. Certainly far tougher than Nadal on current form.
15 winners is embarassing.
Uncle Toni can't cut it any more
I hope so. Shame to see Rafa go like this. He's certainly past his peak but I'd love to see him playing at a much higher level soon.
Its a sad day for Tennis.
ffs get a grip
He should keep Toni, but get someone else in too. Djokovic didn't ditch his coach, when he got Becker in.
But that was pretty sad to watch. McEnroe was spot on that Nadal just had no energy and nothing in his legs.
Beyond done. It'd take insane luck for Rafa to win anything serious from here, there was genuinely no reason for him to be playing as if he were that broken otherwise, he's physically done......probably mentally too in the third, but he was just nowhere to be seen in the first two. Stan would of had him in straight sets.
It was actually quite odd seeing him on the verge at times in the third though, given how he put Federer to the sword. I don't think either he or Djokovic got any glee out of doing it, but you've got to strike while they are down in sport, end of.
It was actually quite odd seeing him on the verge at times in the third though, given how he put Federer to the sword. I don't think either he or Djokovic got any glee out of doing it, but you've got to strike while they are down in sport, end of.
Djokovic destroyed him. Excellent. 23:21 head to head I think.
Some rather funny comments here about Rafa, as I had yesterday Novak is playing at an incredible level right now which is hard for anyone to match. Rafa will be ok but if Nole continues this level he will sweep pretty much every slam for a couple of years
No matter how you put it, or if you dont like his style of play, Nadal is one of the greatest players of all time, if a match really highlights his decline, it's sad isnt it?
Well past it IMO. He can't move anymore.
He said it's a sad day for tennis. It's sad for Nadal, but we all hope he is back. Where as tennis will get a new French open champion, which is good for the sport.
It's a sad day for Tennis if one of it's all time best players cant compete at the highest level anymore, maybe he'll make a huge comeback in the future, but his poor season has been 'climaxed' with an overpowering. It's sad to see one of the all time greats playing at such a level.
Someone said above Wawrinka and Murray would have destroyed Nadal today and I agree. I don't even think Djokovic was amazing in that game, but yet could end up being one of his biggest wins in his career. I seen Djokovic play a lot better than that.
Be nice to see Federer-Nadal in the Quarters of Wimbledon, been a while ey? Not even sure Nadal can get that far though.
Either the drugs have dried up, or his bodies done at the level that makes him a contender, that was a great performance by Nole, but it was easy for him too. People have been saying it for years that his body will go on him, and a 10 year run with 14 GS with already 2 comebacks from injuries isn't exactly all that bad is it?
Either the drugs have dried up, or his bodies done at the level that makes him a contender, that was a great performance by Nole, but it was easy for him too. People have been saying it for years that his body will go on him, and a 10 year run with 14 GS with already 2 comebacks from injuries isn't exactly all that bad is it?
Never write off Rafa. Yes, he looks physically in bad state but for someone who was told he won't be able to play tennis at highest level due to injury when he was still in teens, he has defied odds so often to become one of the all time best of the game. I hope he has one last push left in him for 1-2 more slams.
For now though, it is all about career slam for a phenomenal player who richly deserves it and then possibly, calendar slam this year.
For now though, it is all about career slam for a phenomenal player who richly deserves it and then possibly, calendar slam this year.
Well the highest level comment can be debated. We'd see what happens in the next year or so with Nadal.
But the French open will get a new champion. I don't think Djokovic has it in the bag, some make out to be. He'd have to do a lot more work than today for it.
Nadal is all time great undoubtedly. It shouldn't be even argued upon. I personally like all styles of play and love the big 3 equally.
I said so because it was bit of overreaction. It is sad for Rafa, not for the game. Game moves on. Rafa is not done yet too imo. He will be back.
Nadal torn a new one
If only Novak wasn't in this competition... Murray having a great tournament and knowing that all likelihood leads him into Novak's path.
You know, Murrays going a bit under the radar here, doing a pretty nifty job on Ferrer too.....be pretty funny if he turned over Novak. Finally gets his man, and then Murray, a never known clay court player, beats him.
Murrays best surface as a kid was clay. But he was a never known clay player because Nadal took the majority of tournaments.
But I was thinking that too. It would be funny seeing that and then Wawrinka winning the final.
Think I see it quite differently, ofcourse the game movea on, probably it will never sport. Doesnt mean it cant have a sad day, maybe not 100% similar but the day when I see C.Ronaldo is past it or retires, will be a sad day for football for example. But ofcourse new brilliant players will come.
Well Ferrer now serving for the third set.
Murray only trained on clay for like 2 years at the tail end of his youth career. I've never seen him claim it as his best surface as a kid, nor would his results imply that. Nadal gobbling them all up has nothing to do with his early round knockouts. Nadal gobbling them up means people generally underrate how good Federer was on clay(very probably top 5 all time on the surface, just doesn't have the titles to back it up, but he'd beat Kuerten etc), the French was still quite a bit more specialist too when Federer was going well on it, Murray would struggle to make the semis in the mid 2000's.
I'm not sad or even surprised by the Nadal defeat really. He's been nowhere close to his best for the best part of a year and has been woeful on clay. At best, I hoped for a set today.
Nadal physically is not the same player. He will need to adapt his game to still be a very strong force in years to come.
it should start from the coaching staff
His best results as a junior came on clay. He even said that the other day.
He has underachieved on clay, but he's always reached the quarters or semis in most tournaments. So I would say they are hardly classed as early round knockouts. And he's close to reaching his third French open semi final.
Nadal's game is all about his physicality. If he can't cut it physically anymore then he is done as a force at this level.
It was always expected that his decline would be swift once it did set in because of his playing style.
I wouldn't even be surprised to see him retire within the next year or so.
It was always expected that his decline would be swift once it did set in because of his playing style.
I wouldn't even be surprised to see him retire within the next year or so.
His best junior result was the US Open....which he won.
"Clay is a surface I have never felt that comfortable on." - Like legitimately two days ago. He'll probably say something similar soon, and praise why Ferrers so tough on the surface.
Having work and missing all these matches is killing me. Got home just in time for the 4th Murray set and he looked brilliant, though sadly that's probably still not enough to beat Djokovic.
A potential run to the Wimbledon final for Djokovic or Federer who are both guaranteed the top 2 seeds:
3rd - Kyrgios
4th - Nadal (he's pretty much out of the top 8 for Wimbledon)
QF - Wawrinka (or Berdych/Ferrer/Roanic likely 5-8)
SF - Murray(or Nishikori)
F - Federer/Novak
3rd - Kyrgios
4th - Nadal (he's pretty much out of the top 8 for Wimbledon)
QF - Wawrinka (or Berdych/Ferrer/Roanic likely 5-8)
SF - Murray(or Nishikori)
F - Federer/Novak
After all this hype, it'd be hilarious if Murray actually beats Djoko now. Even funnier if he then ends up losing to Tsonga in the final 
He also said his best results came on it. And you know they play other tournaments besides grand slams at junior level.
He's underachieved on it. His game is suited to playing on all surfaces. But he's reached his third semi final French open. Its hard trying to focus on a surface, when someone dominant as Nadal is around. Those players in the mid 2000s like Gaudio and Kuerten would have struggled in the era of prime Nadal and Federer. I also think Djokovic would have beat them.
Weird seeing Nadal dropping down to 10 or 11 in the rankings.