Tennis 2020

Good win for Rafa. I feel he should have won the match quicker, but overall he has to be happy. I fancy Thiem to beat him in the QFs though.

He's playing really well, looks like a threat on hard courts and came close in USO18.
 
Brophs said:
I’d disagree with that. He has lots of talent but not the game. His movement is suspect, he doesn’t have the fitness or match smarts in any sort yet of consistent way and he’s way, way below his ranking in terms of returning stats, which means he can’t get a foothold against good players. I like a lot about him but there’s a touch of Sharapova about him now. He’s long since been an irrelevance at Slams. I also think his indifference/lack of motivation has a lot to do with his awareness of his own chances of success rather than solely some sort of mental weakness.
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Agree with this though I would argue if he had a Murray like mentality he could overcome those weaknesses and win slams but his problem is he realises it will take a shit tonne of effort and he’s given up already. If he can’t win through sheer natural talent he can’t be bothered which is an awful mentality for an elite sportsman.
 
saivet said:
Good win for Rafa. I feel he should have won the match quicker, but overall he has to be happy. I fancy Thiem to beat him in the QFs though.

He's playing really well, looks like a threat on hard courts and came close in USO18.
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If Nadal hits it as short as he often did today I think Thiem will just let rip. Nadal is usually good against the Next Gen and Thiem hasn't been amazing this tournament but if he plays like he did in London I think he'll beat Rafa.
 
wr8_utd said:
If Nadal hits it as short as he often did today I think Thiem will just let rip. Nadal is usually good against the Next Gen and Thiem hasn't been amazing this tournament but if he plays like he did in London I think he'll beat Rafa.
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Thiem got progressively better as the tournament went on. He completely obliterated Monfils today, if he’s not at peak level then he’s close.

In that regard, today could be seen as a good workout for Nadal. His general level isn’t the problem though, it feels like he caught the old Fed syndrome, having one inexplicably terrible service game per set and terrible break point conversion.
 
Thiems been good. I think it will be similar to the US open match they had a few years back. Nadal to be fair has been serving well this tournament. He will have better luck at returning Thiems serve but then you can say the same about Thiem returning his serve.

Interestingly it’s the first time Zverev and Wawrinka meet each other.
 
Zverev has impressed, very much going under the radar, having not dropped a set.
 
InfiniteBoredom said:
Thiem got progressively better as the tournament went on. He completely obliterated Monfils today, if he’s not at peak level then he’s close.

In that regard, today could be seen as a good workout for Nadal. His general level isn’t the problem though, it feels like he caught the old Fed syndrome, having one inexplicably terrible service game per set and terrible break point conversion.
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This has become routine for Rafa over the last 3-4 years. He could be in total and complete control of a match and he just suddenly throws in 4 errors in a game and gets broken. He used to be extremely strong mentally but the nerves he's developed over the last couple of years just keep costing him.

As for Thiem, I think it'll be an even bigger test than Nick for sure. He's had a lot of good hard court wins over the past year or so and unless the occasion gets to him, he really should be winning a set atleast.
saivet said:
Zverev has impressed, very much going under the radar, having not dropped a set.
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His first serve percentages are through the roof! He's not been below 74% in any match and that's insane.
 
Del Potro having another surgery.

As harsh as it sounds, I think it’s best he retires. He’s had a very good career and made a lot of money despite the host of injuries. It’s sad he got injured just when he was world

All these injuries you just don’t want to see him injure himself any further where he can’t do basic things. I can’t blame the guy for constantly coming back because it’s amazing how he does it.
 
Fed got broken twice and lost the 2nd set 6-2.

Still hurts seeing him losing rallies to a journeyman but time waits for no one I guess.
 
3 forehand errors to get broken back to back, got 3 break points next game and on the 3rd got animated and argued with the umpire, then Sandgren won 3 straight points to consolidate. Now he’s gone off court for treatment.

It’d be a miracle if he wins this.
 
MTO on for Federer, hopefully nothing serious.

Seemed strange Federer complaining about the warning he received. Not sure what he said fully, but sounded like he said "feck *something*".
 
saivet said:
MTO on for Federer, hopefully nothing serious.

Seemed strange Federer complaining about the warning he received. Not sure what he said fully, but sounded like he said "feck *something*".
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Either the back or the groin, could be both because he isn’t moving well and there’s absolutely no bite in his strokes.
 
Don’t blame him because of the money he gets but he really should leave the exhibition matches until he is retired. No idea why he thought having those matches with Zverev after the season ended was a good idea.
 
I know he is proud of never having retired from a match in his career. But he should give it up if he can’t go on rather than prolonging as there’s a big season coming up.
 
Sandgren very tight. Unforced errors on 3 match points. 5-5 in the 4th
 
Blimey, Federer wins the tie break. Sandgren had 7 match points in the set!!
 
Thank feck. Sandgren is one of those few players I want to lose every game and be vanished from the tour. He’s made questionable tweets and liked tweets from the usual racists .
 
First Millman and now this fellow just didn't have the bottle to see out the win. Unbelievable
 
InfiniteBoredom said:
Nah, Fed is atrocious at taking break points this match, he needs to be at least a couple of breaks up to smell the finish line.
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Sandgren just looks completely demoralized right now. Lot of time in the 4th set, it seemed like Federer was just hanging around and waiting for Sandgren to make an error.
 
Utdfrom2002 said:
Sandgren just looks completely demoralized right now. Lot of time in the 4th set, it seemed like Federer was just hanging around and waiting for Sandgren to make an error.
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He’s angry and frustrated, but not giving up. He knows the conditions still favour him.

Fed got out of jail by being passive last set, but you can’t expect to win while being outstroked and outserved without monumental mistakes from the opponent.
 
The way this fortnight has gone for Federer, you just know even Novak will hold and throw away match points next match.
 
elmo said:
It's incredible that Federer is still progressing so far in he major opens at his age.
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It is incredible from Nadal, Djokovic and Wawrinka not just Federer to be progressing far in majors at their age.
 
Have to feel a bit for Tennys. To lose 7 match points, poor guy won't sleep for weeks.
 
Ball kid didn’t do Sandgren any favours. He didn’t look right after that.

But nobody wants to see Sandgren vs Djokovic/Raonic in the semi finals of a slam.
 
Have to say while I despise Sandgren’s personal views and politics, he’s a fighter on the court and can legitimately feels hard done by.
 
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