Djoko has been far from convincing the whole match, but took everything that was offered to him. Sinner missed every chance he had.
Tennis 2023
- Thread starter GuybrushThreepwood
- Start date
Can’t stand him, but he’s bloody good.
Yeah my thoughts too
He has to reach the final first
Nice casual win. Hopefully next semi is closer.
Won first two sets last year and still failed to get the job done,clearly he hasn't learnt anything from that one which is sad to say.
I don't think he is looking for adoration. He is using lack of support for extra motivation. He is in uncomfortable position where crowd is always against him and he chose to take a path of trying to antagonize the crowd even further. I prefer that over those stupid heart/arm gestures. Embrace the hate. Novak is so opposite of polite western society so might as well use it as fuel.
Yeah feels like the only one who learned something that day was Novak
Like he needed to anyway,used to be a big Goran fan until he joined Djokovic's team too
I really quite like Novak fighting with the crowd. It's a tool that always lets him up his game. Rune did it alot during the clay season and it makes a spectacle and always gave him juice whilst wigging out his opponent.
Moreso for Djoko as he must feel genuine pity/boredom with a lot of these guys, super easy in tennis to drop your level in that situation.
Moreso for Djoko as he must feel genuine pity/boredom with a lot of these guys, super easy in tennis to drop your level in that situation.
Is this being played at Etihad? So many empty seats.
About to post the same thing. Can't remember a Wimbledon men's semi final so poorly attended.
Very nondescript, predictable Championships as a spectacle. Sparse crowds and not many games worth watching.
Pretty big gulf between the two in that set.
Hopefully it stays that way! Med not really serving his best and can't hang with Alcaraz at the baseline, for touch or for movement at the moment.
Hopefully it stays that way! Med not really serving his best and can't hang with Alcaraz at the baseline, for touch or for movement at the moment.
Alcaraz breaks early in the second.
Relative to his experience on grass, this is pretty astonishing even by his standards.
Relative to his experience on grass, this is pretty astonishing even by his standards.
His level since the Jarry match has been very impressive, reckon he's got a good chance on Sunday.
Even more funny because he was talking about it pre match and he said the match won't go the way it went last year. He's right, he didn't even come close to a set this time.
From the little I've seen of both this fortnight, Carlos is probably playing the far better tennis of the two but form does go out of the window when you're facing Novak in a final, especially in Australia or here. It's going to be a lot more mental than anything. For the sake of tennis and competitiveness, we could really really do with a Carlos win on Sunday!
Christ this was dull. This generation from the 90s mostly just consists of useless bums. First they got schooled by the 70s/80s, now by the 00s.
Oof what a shot to finish it.
Should be a decent final at least
It was the same at Roland Garros. Novak will know he has up his game and I'd expect him to come out firing. If Carlos can keep calm and avoid the nerves/cramps he will have a good chance.
I don’t think Alcaraz can beat Djokovic on grass at this moment in time but I’d love to see it, if only to shake things up.
Rubbish semi finals in what's been an underwhelmed tournament at best. Hopefully the final bucks the trend.
I think the nerves will play a large part. One of the rare occasions Novak has been nervy was in that USO final vs Medvedev and he got demolished there. Now that he's already out there at the top, I don't see any nerves for him. Carlos though, I just hope he's calm this time, like you said. He also needs to maybe alter things a bit vs Novak instead of going all out attack and aggression. Really difficult to keep that up over 5 sets.
I think it's been a very good tournament apart from the men's semis.
Absolutely the final I wanted.
Would still give Djoko the edge given recent history but it's great for Alcaraz to have a chance to repair that at the next big slam opportunity.
Be massive for Alcaraz to win though and he definitely can, but I still doubt it!
Would still give Djoko the edge given recent history but it's great for Alcaraz to have a chance to repair that at the next big slam opportunity.
Be massive for Alcaraz to win though and he definitely can, but I still doubt it!
I agree. Perhaps its because he realised the match up is good for him but when I watch Alcaraz play sometimes, like today, think he plays the unecessary outrageous shot which is entertaining and fine in matches like today but I don't think it's sustainable against Djokovic.
Djokovic isn't blitzing players but he's so ruthlessly efficient that I think Alcaraz needs to minimise the high risk and exhibition style tennis.
I think Alcaraz will cope better, he went into that RG as the bookies favorite pre tournament and in the match against Novak. While there will still be pressure on him, on Sunday the burden of being the favorite won't be on him.
Ultimately, I think it will be a bit similar to Federer vs Nadal in 2006 or 2007, a really good effort but Djokovic might never been in significant danger and that Wimbledon experience will see him through.
If someone can do it it's him for sure. Would be fun to have a new rivalry, in the form they're both in its hard to imagine they won't meet eachother again in multiple slam finals.
I feel exactly the same way. I don't think it'll be quite 2007 because that was a match Rafa really could have won but I feel it'll be more of the 2006 final where Carlos will compete but fall short.
And agreed about the style of play, I've found Carlos' all out aggression and attacking something that'll work against a majority of this tour given how crap it is but not against Novak and Rafa (till a year ago atleast).
Have barely watched, partly because timing doesn't work and the highlights package offered by Wimbledon on Youtube is just awful. Tuned in for the semis, and what a disappointment!
Here's hoping the final is a good one - though can't see Novak losing on grass.
Alcaraz v Novak final is the perfect finale
the one I certainly hoped for that’s for sure
Alcaraz, 20 years of age, looks the part, plays the part, already has a GS under his belt, this should hopefully be a belter
the one I certainly hoped for that’s for sure
Alcaraz, 20 years of age, looks the part, plays the part, already has a GS under his belt, this should hopefully be a belter
It’s always been that way and always will be. It’s Senna vs Prost all over again. He’s proven enough to be considered the technically best Tennis player that’s ever lived.
We love our heroes to have incredible ability married to some kind of X factor, regardless of whether that’s in victory or agonising defeat.
A mechanically perfect sportsman is never going to be as exciting or just plain loved as those with a chink in their armour (however small or frequently seen) and a helluva personality. Which Novak just doesn’t have. He’s just a bit of a dick and that’s never going to go away.
Yawn. Djokovic strolling to another Wimbledon and then to the Grand Slam. Where is the plot twist??
I think he generally wears it a lot better now, leaving aside off the court stuff. I like his elderstatesman villainry, his post match jibes are right on the edge too.
Probably helps that he's been able to be so dominant post Fedal, it doesn't spill over as much. There's an element of he just wants to be loved sympathy but the more he embraces it the more I like him.
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Are the boring tennis people just complaining because, dare I say it again, Rafa, but more specifically, Roger isn't just walking straight to the final/title? Very likely. It's hardly been any worse than some of the tournaments where it was just any of the Big 4 steamrolling to face each other. And certainly no worse than the Sampras and Fed(5-peat) years.
With the Big 3 steamrolling opposition to face each other, you often had 2-4 of the Big 4 in the semis at least and a lot of others hanging around in the draw. I don't think Djokovic winning itself is boring in itself as much as the lack of any real mild threat apart from Alcaraz. Lets look at Djoko's Slams so far:
AO: Wins the title after dropping just one set with his fiercest "challengers" being Tsitsipas, Rublev, and, erm, Di Minnaur.
RG: Wins the title with ease with his only challengers again being Khachanov, Alcaraz (who cramps and is a non-entity for two sets) and Ruud.
Wimbledon: He has been challenged more over here but that's also more to do with him being rather below par over the two weeks. Despite that, he's just had to play Hurkacz (who could have beaten Djokovic), Sinner (who is struggling to match his standards from last year) and Rublev. We can only hope Alcaraz, even if he doesn't beat him, can at least challenge Novak and not make it a procession.
For what it's worth, the Slams which had Novak (because of Covid-related reasons) and Federer missing, weren't the greatest either in terms of spectacles but fans knew Novak would be back so it wasn't doomsday for the long-term. Further, I don't think Djokovic winning Four Slams a year also would be boring if it wasn't just such a stroll to the title with no real challenges. Fans, especially in the last 15 odd years, have gotten used to a lot of blockbuster matches involving the Top 4 guys and then of course the occasional young challengers in later years such as Medvedev, Zverev, Thiem, and Tsitsipas who also added the occasional color and fun to the draw. Its not the dominance itself that is boring, its just the...field. Even at Wimbledon, apart from Novak (and now Carlos), the only competent players are Nick and Berretini and one of them withdrew while the latter has been either injured or just completely useless all season.
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Doesn't bother you that Nadal had no real "challengers" at RG for most of his run and had luxury runs in most of his US Open wins though does it? Just like it didn't bother Federer fans in his double 5-peats. Even in Nadal final years, him and Nadal were pissing it to the final a lot of the time.
I'll say it again....
People are moaning because they are Roger and Rafa superfans and not actual Tennis fans, and therein lies your problem in supporting individuals over the sport and or team in team sports. Time catches up to the individual quicker than Sport or Team.
I'll say it again....
People are moaning because they are Roger and Rafa superfans and not actual Tennis fans, and therein lies your problem in supporting individuals over the sport and or team in team sports. Time catches up to the individual quicker than Sport or Team.
Again, that's the point I made. Its not the real dominance of Novak that is "boring" right now as much as is the lack of anyone else good enough to remotely challenge him and also the lack of any real fun big matches. Nadal and Novak might have made RG and AO "boring" with their dominance but we still got some insanely fun matches over the years because you just always knew you have all three of them, plus Murray, in the draw as well as a lot of dangerous floaters. Going by your logic, I'd have had to find Australia Open boring over the years because of Novak's sustained dominance but I absolutely haven't because of how many thrilling matches and competitors there have been. This year, we're not seeing that in any Slam, so far.
I don't think it's that as much as when people get older they always like to view older things they experienced first hand as superior.
Obviously we can all point to great tournaments but as you say, plenty were processions. Of course tennis has just seen 3 all time greats play aside each other with a pretty great supporting cast which doesn't happen all too often, but still, tennis is tennis.
I don't really get it, Murray, Eubanks, Alcaraz, Djoko, Broady beating Ruud, without mentioning the Women. It's been great... Just enjoy it!
If we get a really good final regardless of winner it will be hard to fault it at all, everyone does want to see Djokovic pushed (over), though, which is natural.