Congratulations to Novak. The GOAT continues to GOAT and the kids continue to just not be good enough to beat a 36 year old. He's going to win another 2-3 Slams next year as well.
Tennis 2023
- Thread starter GuybrushThreepwood
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Imran (@Annihilate Now!) look forward to a new life under Ruben Amorim. What system will we be playing? What players will impress? and how will it all go? We also say goodbye to Ruud Van Nistelrooy and review United's 3-0 win at home against Leicester City.
fair play to Sinner, but it's always nice to see Djoko wipe the floor with the next gen, especially in front of the hostile home crowd. it's crazy to think he once played against the likes of Safin, Henman and Rusedski yet he's still going so strong in soon to be 2024. simply the greatest. probably the worst smash among the best players as well.
Sinner wasn't terrible today but Novak was obviously going to be a lot more unplayable today. I think absolutely everyone saw this coming after Novak survived the Group stages
The Australian Open needs Medvedev and Carlos to rediscover their forms at the soonest so we can have a bit of a battle. Sinner has shown huge improvement in the last month or so but not sure you'd still back him to hold up vs a Novak in 5 sets the way Carlos and Medvedev (at their best) can.
Predictable. Easy win for Djokovic.
Frightening level from Novak in these last two games, looked as unplayable as ever. Ominous for Australia.
Yeah too much was made out of a one-off Wimbledon final win for Alcaraz vs Djokovic. He's went on to lose only once since that Wimbledon final, beat Alcaraz 2 times out of the 2 times they met after Wimbledon, won 3 out of the 4 Grand Slams, wins the ATP Finals by showing these youngsters AGAIN what a guy nearly twice the age of some of them can do and finishes the year as the world number one.
Dominance.
And to think he was one easy volley on Break Point vs Carlos in the Wimbledon final away from doing the clean sweep this year. Carlos is good but he isn't yet a patch on Novak really, sadly. I think 2025 is probably when these guys may finally start beating him regularly.
Djokovic was unreal both today and in the semi final. Weirdly, he seems to be losing a few more sets here and there in the early rounds of things but once it gets to the business end of it he just puts the foot down and has a level no one else can get near.
Possibly a recency bias but what I have seen in forehand/serve department is potentially the best Novak was ever been able to produce. Some aspects of the game are definitely fading but power play is amping up.
Brilliant to see Novak dismantling all these records one by one through sheer determination over the current gen (who aren’t as bad as folks make out). He’s definitely amped up the attacking side of the game recently too, I don’t think anyone can accuse of him of just being a “pusher” anymore (which itself is a weird way to put down a player)
His serve is surely the best it's ever been.
His serve has been a weapon, especially in recent years. He might not have the big serve of the kids but he's just so clutch with it when needed and gets enough free points.
So in the Davis Cup Sinner saved 3 match points to beat Djokovic in their singles match, and then teamed up with Sonego to beat Djokovic / Kecmanovic in the decisive doubles rubber. Very impressive stuff as he continues his rise, and excellent end to the season.
Italy are through to their first final since 1998, and have the opportunity to win the competition for the first time since 1976.
I still think that this current Davis Cup format that has been in place in 2019, is a joke though. I much preferred the old format, with best of 5 set matches and the home and away format which generated considerably better atmospheres. We can largely thank Pique for IMO ruining this historic competition - also Nadal fully supported the change.
Italy are through to their first final since 1998, and have the opportunity to win the competition for the first time since 1976.
I still think that this current Davis Cup format that has been in place in 2019, is a joke though. I much preferred the old format, with best of 5 set matches and the home and away format which generated considerably better atmospheres. We can largely thank Pique for IMO ruining this historic competition - also Nadal fully supported the change.
I think, physically, this is probably asking too much of players at this stage of the season.
Tough loss. Novak has a big problem choking when he represents Serbia. Probably why he can’t win Olympic gold.
But under the old format, it would just be the final at this stage of the season, not the quarter-finals and semi-finals as well. The few players involved would only have matches over 3 days.
The current format, in many ways, can actually increase the workload for more players at the end of the season.
Plus of course for ties that don’t involve the host nations, either in the group stage or in this ‘knockout bracket’ there are often empty seats and unenthusiastic crowds. Part of what made the competition great IMO, was the passionate, partisan crowds that are only possible with a home / away format. Not to mention that the old format increased the probability of tennis fans from countries that don’t host grand slams and masters series events, like Serbia, getting to watch high level tennis in person. Serbia haven’t played a home Davis Cup tie for several years now.
He also looked nervous when he played in the tournament in Belgrade in the past, with a lot of domestic fanfare.
Saying that, he won all 7 of his singles matches in 2010 as he led Serbia to Davis Cup glory, and then all 7 of his singles matches in 2013 when he led Serbia to another final. His victories in the 2010 final, kick-started his insane winning run and rise to the top in 2011. His Davis Cup record is arguably superior to that of Nadal, who for one reason or another was always absent whenever Spain had a difficult away tie, and often only showed up for home ties on clay.
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Initial thoughts?
leave it as it is and just add a fifth grand slam at the end of the year.
You reckon? There's already too much tennis to be adding another Grand Slam in my opinion.
there obviously is and personally I wouldn't change anything. but... If I had to include Saudi Arabia into everything, I'd simply gave them december which is always free. new grand slam, new atp 1000, whatever they want, just don't revamp anything as there is no need for these "game changer" stuff.
my country won the Davis Cup recently and played another final soon after that and yet, recent editions after they changed the format weren't even on TV. nobody seemed to care either. that's what happened the last time they talked about game changers, they made a mess of what used to be interesting tournament.
in general, very few things in tennis need changing.
my country won the Davis Cup recently and played another final soon after that and yet, recent editions after they changed the format weren't even on TV. nobody seemed to care either. that's what happened the last time they talked about game changers, they made a mess of what used to be interesting tournament.
in general, very few things in tennis need changing.
Only thing I’d change in tennis is take 1 hard court master and promote Queens/Halle to a Masters tournament.
Hard to say which one to eliminate. Maybe Canada masters. All others are very well established and have amazing venues.
I hade Saudis. I’m an old man and I don’t want these nonorganic changes. Makes me sick. Hopefully they go broke somehow.
Hard to say which one to eliminate. Maybe Canada masters. All others are very well established and have amazing venues.
I hade Saudis. I’m an old man and I don’t want these nonorganic changes. Makes me sick. Hopefully they go broke somehow.