5/17 on BP. He's just been atrocious converting all tournament.
Tennis 2018
- Thread starter Raoul
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He's done it!
Rafa wins it, phew
You were saying?
What a match.. one of the toughest matches Rafa has ever had - considering it isn't against Nole/Fed.
Great match. Fantastic performance from Thiem to take it to 5.
Brilliant match from both.
Thanks feck.
7am, on my way to work and I feel tired physically and emotionally.
7am, on my way to work and I feel tired physically and emotionally.
Brilliant game. Rafa should have really stepped it up in the fourth when he had the chance.
Del Potro lost to Nadal in 3 grand semi finals in past year. But this has to be his best chance.
Del Potro lost to Nadal in 3 grand semi finals in past year. But this has to be his best chance.
Wowow. My god. My heart can NOT take another match like this.
Can't believe the level these two were hitting at in the 5th set. Just incredible.
I'm so emotionally and mentally drained.
Don't care if he loses to Del Po now.
I'm so emotionally and mentally drained.
Don't care if he loses to Del Po now.
Very enjoyable match, great stuff from Thiem, but Nadal is like that cockroach that just can't be crushed.
Jesus, this prime presenter is awful. Keeps looking at her notes for help on who made the semi finals.
Wait, they have started tie breaks in the fifth sets now?
USO had them for a while now
4.5 hours vs Khachanov, 3 hours vs Basil, 5 hours vs Thiem. Wonder what Nadal's got left in the tank for Del Po and potentially Djoko. Two of the Top 3 matches this tournament have featured Nadal.
What a match and what a great win . Massive win for Rafa because in the last few years he has lost all confidence in 5 set matches , even Today he wasted so many opportunities in the 5th and to lose in the TB would have crushed him
I think the only things that work in favour of Nadal here is that Del Po's match against Isner was 3.5 hours during the day and correct me if I'm wrong but both SFs are on Friday, so he'll get two days rest.
Certainly won't be able to afford a long match against Del Potro as Djokovic will take him out again in the final.
Certainly won't be able to afford a long match against Del Potro as Djokovic will take him out again in the final.
Nadal has always enough left in the tank in a tournament. I so often thought he must be done after a previous 5-setter just to take the next one again in a draining 5-setter, rinse repeat.
First set obviously skewing things but interesting nonetheless.
Long way to go but if Nadal wins this tournament then I’d give him very good odds of catching or overhauling Federer. To equal Federer would only require him being the best player at the French twice more in his career. And if he’s still at that level I can’t see him not nicking another one or two elsewhere to go ahead.
Fitness permitting, obviously but at 32 he has plenty of time, in relative terms.
Fitness permitting, obviously but at 32 he has plenty of time, in relative terms.
And if Djokovic wins this tournament then he’s got a very good chance of oovertaking one or both of them.
I don't think he will quite reach it, but outside of the slams, I'd like to see him win Miami, Paris and the World Tour Finals to complete that collection.
Picking up an Australian Open would also make him the only player to have won each of the slams at least twice. Though for Novak it's the same, but with Roland Garros.
Cracking match. 7-5 in the fifth set tiebreak is such a cruel way to lose a match though - for that alone, the extended fifth set seems fairer.
He's only a year younger than Nadal, think he could overtake Nadal, but another 7 slams (assuming he wins here) is a massive ask to have more than Federer assuming he doesn't win any more.
I don't really care about Miami and I don't see him winning the WTF as he's too tired by the time the tournament arrives and with it being indoors, it's tough on him.
I'd love another Aussie Open though, 2 Slams at each would be huge for the supposed one court wonder.
Yeah 2 years back I'd have backed him to overtake them both but now I think Nadal's the only one he can match or overtake.
Yeah Nadal won just 7 points in that first set so does skew it
Also, pretty rare to see someone with only 9 more UE over 5 sets vs Nadal. Theim had 20 winners more and just 9 UE more and also way more aces.
He's always had enough in the tank at younger ages. At this point, he's had some pain in his knees, the heat and humidity and the long matches make it hard on him.
The good thing was that Del Po looked absolutely drained as well. If the match is the morning session, it could affect Del Po more than Rafa.
He's got almost three days to rest tho, I'm very sure he'll have no problems. If he goes all the way through another five setter than I could see that impacting his finals performance but for the semi-final he'll be rested I reckon.
Yeah but he’s more likely to win at the other surfaces than Nadal especially if he wins this.
First time ever Nadal wins a Grand Slam game even though he's won fewer games than his opponent.
Don't want to see him overtake Federer so hopefully Del Potro or Djokovic are up to the task.
Don't want to see him overtake Federer so hopefully Del Potro or Djokovic are up to the task.
We're all running on the assumption that Djoko makes the finals but he's not been very good himself and he's also got Cilic/Kei in the semis.
I dunno. At 31, winning 6 more grand slams is certainly doable, but I think it’d be a much bigger ask. I still have no idea whether winning slams at 36 or 37 is just an outlier or not. I suspect it is, or at least it can’t be assumed for all players. If, at 36 or 37, both Nadal and Djokovic are still at the sort of level Federer has been at the last couple of years, then I think both could overtake him. Over, say, the next 5 years, it wouldn’t be outlandish to suggest Djokovic to win 6 or 7 and/or Nadal to win 5 or 6, fitness permitting, as always. I suspect it won’t work out quite like that, though.
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If Nishikori makes the SFs then I struggle to see Novak losing that.
Cillic will definitely be a good challenge, his first of the tournament. A lovely route to the final, so difficult to judge where he's at.
R1 - Fucsovics
R2 - Sandgren
R3 - Gasquet
R4 - Sousa
QF - Millman
SF - Cillic or Nishikori
He had a similar run in 2016 where he made the final under cooked (played 3 injured players though) but lost to Stan who hadn't exactly been blitzing through his draw.
It's as easy as Nadal's draw last year except that his Del Po in the SF is harder than Cilic/Kei here. I am not very sure Djoko will beat Kei or Cilic. He'll definitely be favorite but he's not played well at all other than the Gasquet match.
Wow.....Naomi Osaka continues to steamroll the opposition. Future #1
Cilic just looks a total and complete bag of nerves every time he's faced with a pressure situation. Doesn't hit one first serve in the TB, hits 2 DF and loses the set.
Is this likely or another Zverev-esque prediction?
Zverev has admittedly been disappointing but it’s not over for him. He just needs to work with his new coach and make a few adjustments. Osaka is the real deal. Expect her to march right up the rankings as Serena gradually exits the scene.
Nishikori 4-1 up in the 5th set and on that I'm going to sleep.
It is more likely than Zverev due to the volatile nature of the WTA.
Being #1 there doesn’t really mean much nowadays though, Halep and Wozniacki both won a Slam this year and then proceeded to served up a bottlejob in the early rounds of the next.
Cilic getting attacked by a moth as he's preparing to serve.
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