Tennis 2015

“I actually had quite good results in the juniors on it. I always enjoyed it. It was a challenge for me and I liked the way that you had to play on it. It’s a different style of tennis that you need to play on the clay."

Nice translation to "best results", but not quite. His best result was on hard....end of. It should also be noted that because he was in an Spanish academy, his schedule was HEAVILY lopsided towards clay tournaments, yet despite that, he still won more junior hard titles than clay ones, obviously including the US Open.

tbf, he was a good clay doubles player.
 
Zen said:
“I actually had quite good results in the juniors on it. I always enjoyed it. It was a challenge for me and I liked the way that you had to play on it. It’s a different style of tennis that you need to play on the clay."

Nice translation to "best results", but not quite. His best result was on hard....end of. It should also be noted that because he was in an Spanish academy, his schedule was HEAVILY lopsided towards clay tournaments, yet despite that, he still won more junior hard titles than clay ones, obviously including the US Open.

tbf, he was a good clay doubles player.
Click to expand...

He won 3 titles on clay in 2003 as a junior in one year. Which was more than he won on any other surface, when he was a junior. Grand slams don't only count.
 
Clay is not Murray's strongest surface. There should not be any doubts about it. He is not bad at it, obviously. He is baseline player so he can adjust to clay but the slower speed than hard courts means it is not best suited to his overall style. His only 2 clay titles came this year which is indicative. On top of that, if he has opponents like Nadal and Djokovic, his attritional tennis style can't work often vs them on slower surfaces. His grand slam win percentage is pretty much same across all surfaces with clay marginally lower.Wimbledon is where he has highest win % which is surprising but then Wimbledon are no longer the serve & volley paradise they used to be and baseliners are finding it more & more comfortable, plus home support means he has done v. well there.

Overall Murray is a quality player and is capable of doing well across surfaces. He has also worked hard on improving where he is weak. Just unfortunate that he is playing in same era when 3 of the all time greatest are playing.
 
Bojan11 said:
He won 3 titles on clay in 2003 as a junior in one year. Which was more than he won on any other surface, when he was a junior. Grand slams don't only count.
Click to expand...

I covered this already. He entered probably like 3 times as many clay tournaments due to his location, and won the same amount on both with his BEST result coming at the US Open. Absolutely no one considers anything other than a Grand Slam their best result, even if they've won 47 Masters or some shit.
 
Grass is Murray's best surface. He's outstanding on the stuff, and it's a sham that there isn't a Masters event on the old turf. Hell, Queens was only lifted to a 500 event last year. Hard is his most successful as a product of the calendar.

Clay is his weakest surface, but the lack of titles (a criticism I never supported) is something he could have and should have changed years prior to this. If he had wanted then he could have taken the litter of multiple 250 events over the years.

He's having a solid tournament. Would love to see him win it.
 
Yet to loose since he got married... way to go Andy!

i will be focusing all my mental energy this days towards Andy and a victory in Paris.
 
Bit strange to see both federer and nadal so clearly last their best. Federer has managed to sustain his general level pretty impressively but simply seems unable to hold it together for the grand slams against decent opponents. Nadal's body and mental strength seems to be have regressed big time. He was always more dependant on his physicality so it's going to be tougher for him to get back to his previous levels.
 
So the only challenger to Djoker is Andy Roddi.....sorry, Andy Murray now that Fed and Nadal look past their best? Are there any good young and upcoming players who look like they can challenge him in the next couple of years? The Nishikori's or the Raonic's don't look up to it to me.

Are we officially living in the Noval Djovokic era?

Will anyone know why Bouchard is not playing the French? Or was she knocked out in the earlier rounds?
 
If Nick Kygrios can keep his head together then he should compete right at the very top.

Borna Cornic already has a couple of big scalps at only 18, with an incredibly impressive junior slam record to boot.
 
I wonder what odds you can get on Djokovic doing the calender grand slam this year.
clear favourite for the French now and must be the favourite for Wimbledon and the US open as well

Of course it wont be easy but Rafa and Federer are not the players they once were and he has such a good record against Murray that its got to be a semi realistic possibility
 
It is a bit sad to see Rafa decline. I was never his biggest fan but the intense competition between the top four players was always great to watch. With Federer and Rafa slipping it is sad that it has come to an end. Tennis needed Rafa at the time though, imagine how many slams Fed would have if Nadal had not come along!

Expect Djokovic to beat Murray. As much as I want Murray to win I just can't see it. He will have to serve brilliantly because his 2nd serve is just such a huge weakness. Novak to beat Wawrinka in 4 sets in the final to get the career slam (deservedly so too).
 
Class match at the moment between Serena Williams and Timea Bacsinszky.

Bacsinszky takes the first set (4-6)
 
How many GS titles will Đoković have? Somewhere between Laver/Borg and Sampras?
 
1 more than Agassi with a Career GS. Both oddly dominated the Aussie Open, despite Agassi skipping it for years. He'll obviously smash past most though. I'd say he's a shoe in for 12, if his body also keeps up and the talent behind doesn't start to up their game on a consistent basis, 14 quite easily....and possibly take over Federer, but you are talking 3 more seasons there...11 should he win the Calander Slam....3+3+1 in 2018, or 2+2+2+1 in 2019. He'll be 31 and 32 in those years, might rue some of them endless runner ups he seemed to give up in.
 
Women's tennis is really in a rut. Serena is still dominant. No real challengers are coming through. When the odd challenger like Azarenka does come through, they don't last for the long haul for one reason or another. The women's game currently is basically Serena way way way out in front and then a group of 10-12 players closely matched among themselves.
 
darioterios said:
How many GS titles will Đoković have? Somewhere between Laver/Borg and Sampras?
Click to expand...

Djokovic will get to around Sampras' number of slams possibly more. He's competitive on pretty much every surface and at the moment he is much better than any other player on tour. The old guard like Federer and Nadal are on the wane and the newer challengers will take time to catch up to him IMO. I can see him winning quite a few slams over the next 3 years.
 
Ole's_toe_poke said:
Djokovic will get to around Sampras' number of slams possibly more. He's competitive on pretty much every surface and at the moment he is much better than any other player on tour. The old guard like Federer and Nadal are on the wane and the newer challengers will take time to catch up to him IMO. I can see him winning quite a few slams over the next 3 years.
Click to expand...

It's strange calling Rafa old. He's only a year older than Novak. The whole changing of the guard headline yesterday was cringeworthy. Djokovic has been lucky he hasn't had any major injuries. Federer and Murray have both had issues with their back in recent years and what's to say Djokovic doesn't have the same problems. Last year after Nadal beat Djokovic at the French, a lot of people were saying he could beat Federers grand slam record.

How I wish Del Potro was fit. I said it a few days ago, but he would have won more slams if it wasn't for his wrists. He destroyed peak Federer and Nadal in 2009, when at the time the likes of Djokovic and Murray always lost to them in big matches.
 
Ole's_toe_poke said:
Women's tennis is really in a rut. Serena is still dominant. No real challengers are coming through. When the odd challenger like Azarenka does come through, they don't last for the long haul for one reason or another. The women's game currently is basically Serena way way way out in front and then a group of 10-12 players closely matched among themselves.
Click to expand...
Even today when she was reported to have been sick(She did look a bit shit)she could always take it too other level when it was need(Bacsinszky didn't win a single game in the last set).

It would've have been interesting to see how the women's game would have look if Henin and Clijsters had stayed on(Or not have taken a break) because then you would of had a very good pool of players competing

. Serena

. Azarenka

. Henin

. Clijsters

. Sharapova

The only really negative things I notice when watching the current crop of players(Top 5 and below) are

There seems at times a certainly level of expectancy in some players(Mainly the small players) when facing a Serena or Sharapova(Basically player who hit the ball very hard and fast). There doesn't seem to be much of a gameplay, it all feels very routine like. Which I'm sure isn't the case all the time(I image it pretty dam hard to effect the game when Serena or Sharapova are on top form)


But the biggest thing is the complete lack of constantly on their own serve. Players like Lisicki, Ivanovic and Wozniacki(Although I have watch much of Wozniacki to be fair)completely crumble when any sort of pressure is put on them(That includes serving for the set/match). These players are in their mid/late twenty and yet they sometimes look as though it's their first time at a slam(It's extra annoying with Lisicki as she really can play at times).

Still none of this should take away from Serena. Just an incredible player.
 
Bojan11 said:
How I wish Del Potro was fit. I said it a few days ago, but he would have won more slams if it wasn't for his wrists. He destroyed peak Federer and Nadal in 2009, when at the time the likes of Djokovic and Murray always lost to them in big matches.
Click to expand...

Del Potro was in great form in 2009, especially in the closing part of the season, but that's an overstatement.


HtH matches in 2009 (and in career), according to atpworldtour.com:

Del Potro: Fed 2-3, Nad 3-1, Djok 0-1, Murr 1-3 (Fed 5-15, Nad 4-8, Djok 3-11, Murr 2-5)
Djokovic: Fed 3-2, Nad 3-4, Del Pot 1-0, Murr 0-1 (Fed 19-20, Nad 21-23, Del Pot 11-3, Murr 18-8)
Murray: Fed 2-1; Nad 1-2; Djok 1-0 , Del Pot 3-1 (Fed 11-12, Nad 6-15, Djok 8-18, Del Pot 5-2)



Grand Slams 2009:

Australia: n/a
France: Fed def. Del Pot 3-2 (S)
Wimbldon: n/a
USA: Fed def. Djok 3-0 (S); Del Pot def. Nad 3-0 (S); Del Pot def. Fed 3-2 (F)

Masters Finals 2009, London: Fed def. Murr 2-1 (RR); Del Pot def. Fed 2-1 (RR); Djok def. Nad 2-0 (RR); Murr def. Del Pot 2-1 (RR)



These head-to-heads may be relevant re players' 2009 form as well (same source) -

US Open 2008 (last GS of the year) + Australia 2010 (first GS of the year):

Del Pot v Murr 0-1
Djok v Fed 0-1
Murr v Fed 0-2
Murr v Nad 2-0


Masters Finals 2008:

Murr v Fed 1-0



Finals:

USA 2008: Fed def. Murr 3-0
Masters 2008: Djok def. Davydenko 2-0

Australia 2009: Nad def. Fed 3-2
France 2009: Fed def. Soderling 3-0
Wimbledon 2009: Fed def. Roddick 3-2
USA 2009: Del Pot def. Fed 3-2
Masters 2009: Davydenko def. Del Pot 2-0

Australia 2010: Fed def. Murr 3-0
 
Last edited:
Stan's playing some good stuff right now, up a set and a break vs Tsonga. Think I said before that the final might end up being a one-sided affair but if he can keep this up he could give Djokovic plenty of trouble.
 
Bojan11 said:
How I wish Del Potro was fit. I said it a few days ago, but he would have won more slams if it wasn't for his wrists. He destroyed peak Federer and Nadal in 2009, when at the time the likes of Djokovic and Murray always lost to them in big matches.
Click to expand...
:nono:

It's a shame Robin Soderling had all his problems too, he had it in him to win a slam.
 
Nole just too good. Seems like he will make the next step to his first RG title and the deserved personal GS.
 
Terrible crowd at Rolland Garros
Last time a french tennis player qualified for the final was 27 years ago and this is how the stands were for a large part of the game. Wawrinka got constantly booed all match long and specially at the end (the Cup Davis defeat might have something to do with it). In Paris, people know feck all about supporting sportsmen.
 
kouroux said:
Terrible crowd at Rolland Garros
Last time a french tennis player qualified for the final was 27 years ago and this is how the stands were for a large part of the game. Wawrinka got constantly booed all match long and specially at the end (the Cup Davis defeat might have something to do with it). In Paris, people know feck all about supporting sportsmen.
Click to expand...
Pretty awful that(Do you know how expensive the tickets were ?). Off topic but a Google of the football attendance in France(Have no idea how accurate they are)shows that they are pretty low as well.Around mid 80 to 70% full over a season.
 
Last edited:
So...looks like Nadal is finished in terms of slams, or at least in terms of catching Federer.
 
I don't think Soderling was really a GS contender, he was absolutely destroyed in both finals by both the players he beat to get to his back to back finals. Maybe, but I doubt it. And by "destroyed"....i mean not even getting to a tie break iirc, not going the distance with Fed oddly collapsing.

DelPo, Tsonga, Berdych were and are all superior variations on that style. DelPo probably being the best all round. Then again, Cilic has a slam, if you get ultra hot as a tall power hitter with efficient movement, then anyones got a chance I guess. All these players have had random days of destroying the big four, but never in a final....Cilic fluked into Nishikori of course.
 
Not watching it, but has Murray started his usual claiming he's injured / ill whenever he's losing yet?
 
Too late. Has Djokovic ever lost from being 2-sets up? Can't ever remember it happening.
 
Random Djoko brainfart, well done to Murray to stepping to take full advantage of it like he did at Wimbledon two years ago.
Fair fecks Muzza lad.
 
Zen said:
I don't think Soderling was really a GS contender, he was absolutely destroyed in both finals by both the players he beat to get to his back to back finals. Maybe, but I doubt it. And by "destroyed"....i mean not even getting to a tie break iirc, not going the distance with Fed oddly collapsing.

DelPo, Tsonga, Berdych were and are all superior variations on that style. DelPo probably being the best all round. Then again, Cilic has a slam, if you get ultra hot as a tall power hitter with efficient movement, then anyones got a chance I guess. All these players have had random days of destroying the big four, but never in a final....Cilic fluked into Nishikori of course.
Click to expand...

Del Potro did it in 2009 when he was first guy to beat Nadal and Federer in a grand slam. Ended Federers long winning run at the US open and then his wrists fecked up in 2010. And that really cost him the momentum he had at the time.
 
Bojan11 said:
Against Jurgen Melzer in 2010 apparently.
Click to expand...

Yeah French Open QF, I remember that match. Probably the best performance from a tennis player from Austria since the Muster days. But while Djokovic was already a great player then, he was not as dominant and good as he has been in the last years.

Typical medical out, expect him to fly now and destroy Murray :lol:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.