it's nothing to do with being 'blessed' it's a skill he's honed and perfected and speaks volumes that you can't even give him credit for it, pretty desperate just to big up your man, should get you head out of Nadal's arse.Tennis 2019
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it's nothing to do with being 'blessed' it's a skill he's honed and perfected and speaks volumes that you can't even give him credit for it, pretty desperate just to big up your man, should get you head out of Nadal's arse.Nadal has been playing some incredible tennis this tournament, obviously his improved serve counts for a lot. I can't see Djokovic (if he progresses) containing him when he's in the form like that but I at least see him making Nadal work to win it as it has been piss easy for him up until the final. Credit to the man, in some ways he reminds me of Ronaldo simply relentless.
Think some are underrating Djokovic's chances in the final. The man is an absolute beast and no matter how good Rafa has been all tournament, Novak is a different level altogether. Rafa has had an amazing tournament no doubt but he's honestly not really been tested. Tiafoe, Berdych and Tsitsipas to get to the finals is a pretty easy draw.
I can't see beyond Djokovic for the final with it being here in Australia where Novak is unbeatable in finals.
I can't see beyond Djokovic for the final with it being here in Australia where Novak is unbeatable in finals.
@wr8_utd that is a ridiculous comment re Federer’s serve. That serve is a thing of beauty, honed over the years by a man who’s not particularly physically gifted per se. Nadal and Djokovic can’t serve quite like Federer - that’s a mark of how good Federer’s serve is... it cannot be dismissed. Fortunately, no rationally objective tennis fans do dismiss it.
Boiling down Federer’s stylistic difference to the other two to his first serve is frankly absurd. The slices, drop shot, volley, net approach, even something niche like SABR, variety and the willingness of trying things out and mixing it up is why he is good to watch, and it’s a sentiment shared not only among fans but the professional tennis players and commentators.
Yes, he is top 3 in the all time ace number but no one would ever describe Karlovic and Isner as aesthetically pleasing.
Yes, he is top 3 in the all time ace number but no one would ever describe Karlovic and Isner as aesthetically pleasing.
I'm not saying Federer's serve isn't a thing of beauty and I'm sure a lot of hard work has gone into it and I'm also extremely envious that Rafa doesn't have a serve remotely similar to his. All I said was with a serve like that which lets you dictate points, get a lot of free points and make points a lot shorter does help. Nadal or Djokovic can't really S&V with the serves they have. Nadal does it sometimes when in trouble and when he hits the serve out wide to the BH but in general he doesn't have a good enough serve to really be able to dictate points and hence the "defensive" game. He or Novak will never be as aesthetically pleasing as Federer.
Thrilling match, can go both ways.
This is going to end faster than yesterday’s match.
I'm at work and completely forgot that the game has started only to see your post and get my hopes up and then I check the livescore.The final shall be grand. Kinda was hoping Djokovic would make relatively easy work of this so hes a bit fresher for the final too. Hoping we get a classic for that.
Missed the first set - Djokovic as imperious as the score suggests? Or Pouille playing terribly? Both?
Both. Djokovic has been good, but Pouille hasn’t helped himself.
Thanks - should be a thrilling final with Nadal/Djok in this form.
Pouille just too reckless. Gifted the game and break to Djokovic.
These players lose before they even have stepped on the court against Nadal/Djokovic.
Your own fault for believing it would be any different this time. just seen the scoreBoth players will be fresh for the final on Sunday
Luckily, Kitzbühel is on pretty soon.
Embarrassing semi finals. Feel sorry for the people who paid big money to watch them. They not even been contests.
Didn't expect anything else. This is what happens when you get players ranked outside the Top 10 in semfinals.
I can't remember a pair of such embarrassing semi finals, at least on this level.
Good, a point away from the highlight of the day, an interview.
Djokovic has probably been on the court for 90 minutes when combining his quarter and semi final... embarrassing.
There's still such a big gap between the Big 3 and everyone else, unfortunately. If the likes of Zverev, Goffin, Thiem have an early exit, you'll always have such one-sided semis.
The quality of the men's tour is actually pretty weak right now. If you take away Nadal and Djokovic, you've got a perpetually injured Del Potro, an about to retire Federer, mentally weak players like Cilic and Kei, rubbish youngsters (in Slams) like Zverev and Shapovalov and the likes of Dimitrov, Raonic, Berdych who are all no challege to the Top 2 at all.
Neither has been truly challenged till the final. Djoko may have dropped two sets but that was more of a lapse on his part really than his opponent being good.
Neither has been truly challenged till the final. Djoko may have dropped two sets but that was more of a lapse on his part really than his opponent being good.
Thiem only makes semis at RG, Goffin doesn't make semis anyway and Zverev is an absolute joke in the Best of 5 format.
Whats so embarrassing about not being able to compete with 2 of the best tennis player of all time? Some of you need to gain some perspective.
I was personally referring to the crowds that have paid tickets for two Djokovic matches - the first match versus Nishikori ended in 30 mins or something, and tonight, in what, 80 mins. It’s a little embarrassing for those two players to be honest.
EDIT: Let me clarify - it’s embarrassing for the elite athletes I meant. It’s a phenomenal achievement generally but I’m sure Pouille/Nishikori (moreso the former, but there have long been accusations that nishikori is mentally fragile) will be a little embarrassed about how it turned out.
Well I think it also partly comes to down the fact that someone like Pouille even made a semi final.
We've had it quite a bit on the men's side over the past couple of years with fairly random players making the semis or final. The ones who should be doing better have not even been losing to the 'right' players (Zverev) in particular.
I meant the chasing pack in general. I don't consider the likes of Del Potro, Cilic, Raonic & Co. to be consistent GS challengers either, they usually go deep in 1 or 2 slams per year and that's it.
Yep it's a very very weak field right now outside of the Top 2 and Federer as well to some extent. There have been a lot of very poor and low ranked Semi finalists in Slams off late.
I felt Carreno Busta or Raonic would have given Djokovic a better game. Same outcome but something competitive. That wasn’t competitive at all. Pouille had more luck breaking Djokovic than holding his serve. Raonic atleast would have held his serve.
Nishikori is a waster and the sooner he disappears from the men’s game the better. 19 retirements, probably needs to make a permanent retirement if his body can’t hold up to men’s tennis. Doesn’t help that he makes a challenge out of the earlier rounds. Cillic at times can look good, but can never seem to put it together often against the top guys.
Khachanov was disappointing this tournament. Lost to Batista Agut in three sets whilst everyone even Murray on one leg were taking him to 5 sets.
Medvedev was the only one who pushed Djokovic in this tournament. Berdych in the third set only was the only one to have pushed Nadal.
Dimitrov is another who is the biggest mystery in tennis. Hyped for I don’t know why. Hires coach after coach and it tends to be the same outcome.
For the first time in a while the women’s slam was more exciting than the mens.
Del Potro made semi finals and finals appearance last year. He also lost a thriller to Nadal at Wimbledon. He was getting that consistency back and spent majority of last year being the third best player in the world before Djokovic came back. He may lose to the big three but atleast he makes it competitive and there’s a chance he could beat them. That’s despite having multiple serious write surgeries. Nishikori, Pouille and Berdych don’t give me that belief.
Thiem got knocked out early and made some remarks about his body not being right. I still don’t think he has it in him to win something big. Even when he knocked out Nadal at Madrid you thinking ok he’s going to send a message to everyone there’s another challenger on clay. But he bottles the final vs Zverev. Then goes out in Rome early. Granted he reached the French open final with some luck that Zverev was injured against him and Cecchinato has no business being in a semi final of a slam, but it wasn’t even competitive and Nadal didn’t even have to play brilliant.
Also BBC were saying tickets for the semi finals were ranging from £100 to £400. Imagine paying that much for that.
Nishikori is a waster and the sooner he disappears from the men’s game the better. 19 retirements, probably needs to make a permanent retirement if his body can’t hold up to men’s tennis. Doesn’t help that he makes a challenge out of the earlier rounds. Cillic at times can look good, but can never seem to put it together often against the top guys.
Khachanov was disappointing this tournament. Lost to Batista Agut in three sets whilst everyone even Murray on one leg were taking him to 5 sets.
Medvedev was the only one who pushed Djokovic in this tournament. Berdych in the third set only was the only one to have pushed Nadal.
Dimitrov is another who is the biggest mystery in tennis. Hyped for I don’t know why. Hires coach after coach and it tends to be the same outcome.
For the first time in a while the women’s slam was more exciting than the mens.
Del Potro made semi finals and finals appearance last year. He also lost a thriller to Nadal at Wimbledon. He was getting that consistency back and spent majority of last year being the third best player in the world before Djokovic came back. He may lose to the big three but atleast he makes it competitive and there’s a chance he could beat them. That’s despite having multiple serious write surgeries. Nishikori, Pouille and Berdych don’t give me that belief.
Thiem got knocked out early and made some remarks about his body not being right. I still don’t think he has it in him to win something big. Even when he knocked out Nadal at Madrid you thinking ok he’s going to send a message to everyone there’s another challenger on clay. But he bottles the final vs Zverev. Then goes out in Rome early. Granted he reached the French open final with some luck that Zverev was injured against him and Cecchinato has no business being in a semi final of a slam, but it wasn’t even competitive and Nadal didn’t even have to play brilliant.
Also BBC were saying tickets for the semi finals were ranging from £100 to £400. Imagine paying that much for that.
ATP gonna look like WTA when the Big 3 retires.
I think the WTA is actually in a good place though as far as tennis goes. They have a lot of good young players and the top 20 or so are all capabable of beating each other.
Their problem might be a lack of superstar when Serena retires, but I think Osaka's personality could take her someway to being the next face of the WTA.
Yep, that's what I meant. But I don't think I'll watch a lot of it, because it seems to me it's going to be like Championship - interesting in terms of results, but not much quality.
This final has everything to be one of the matches of the century. Can’t wait.
After extensive research I have come to the conclusion that Rafa is winning the final in 4 sets
5 sets I think. Tie break final set.
Will the final be on domestic TV or not?