He's a fecking monster on hard courts. This is no surprise, Rafa needs to be at his total best for him to be successful on this surface against the best players. Remember Tsonga dismantling him in the Aussie a couple of years back.
US Open 2009 Flushing Meadows
- Thread starter Alex
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He's a fecking monster on hard courts. This is no surprise, Rafa needs to be at his total best for him to be successful on this surface against the best players. Remember Tsonga dismantling him in the Aussie a couple of years back.
Fantastic from Del Potro. If he plays like that tomorrow he could well overwhelm either Federer or Djokovic.
Pot roast overwhelmed Nadal. Rafa must still have some physical issues to be as uncompetitive as that.
Rog and Novak have come out of the lockerrooms, Come on Fed!
Novak to serve first
Federer looked a bit rusty, dont think he returned a ball in that first game. Neither player has played since Wednesday, madness
Forgot this one. How's it looking (except the scorline)?
4-3 on serves both players have broke each other the last two games
You're assuming that he's unfit. He seemed to be moving and playing like his usual self. Except Del Podro was far too good for him. He often struggles against powerful hitting.
Someone explain that decicion to me.
It's hardly 'assuming' now, is it?
Sky Sports | Tennis | News | Nadal pulls out of Davis Cup
Coupled with the fact he's playing on hard courts which are bound to affect his tendinitis injury he's just from, I'd say it's fair to say he's either injured or not at his best physically.
And if you honestly think he was 'playing and moving like his usual self' then there's nothing more to say. You obviously either haven't watched him or don't know what you're looking for. Strange that every commentator/pundit reporting on the game made mention of his physical difficulties.
But I should say that's not to take away from Del Potro who was simply outstanding.
Djokovic loses first set - this is when he starts to give up.
I just wrote a long reply to this one which got wiped out
In a nutshell it was that there isn't any quote there that actually says he had difficulties during the game against Del Podro, that Gonzalez actually said (i think) that against him Nadal was striking the ball and moving better than their previous encounters despite the treatment and finally, that irrespective of injury issues IMO Nadal wouldn't have bothered Del Podro the way the latter played today.
bollocks, he was down 5-1 against Nadal in the 3rd set at the Roland Garros and turned it around and had set points of his own, lost in the tie break. Was an amazing set.
federer is like a terminator today.
I just wrote a long reply to this one which got wiped out
In a nutshell it was that there isn't any quote there that actually says he had difficulties during the game against Del Podro, that Gonzalez actually said (i think) that against him Nadal was striking the ball and moving better than their previous encounters despite the treatment and finally, that irrespective of injury issues IMO Nadal wouldn't have bothered Del Podro the way the latter played today.
I'm afraid I only saw a highlights package of his game against Gonzalez, so I can't give a complete opinion, but I didn't think he was moving at his best in that either.
But I watched the match in it's entirety today, and I'm absolutely positive he wasn't anywhere near his best physically. He was so late to the ball so often, and he couldn't seem to generate any real power, which even the most ardent of Nadal haters would admit is one of his strengths.
I would say the fact he got treatment in one game, lost the next, and had pulled out of Davis Cup prior to the loss for the same injury was a pretty good indication that he has a problem. How big a problem is debatable, but he looked nowhere near to his best today, IMO. How the match would have gone with both players playing at the level Del Potro was at (given Nadal is clearly capable of that) is anyone's guess.
I watch a lot of tennis, absolute love it as a sport to watch. Tell me something, is Nadal's game really about power? I've always felt his game is all about his ability to chase down pretty much eveything and barely ever make a mistake. Good consistant hitting from the back of the court. I've just never felt power is one of his assets. Maybe it's poor understanding on my part of the game but i don't think he hits as many out right winners as players with real brute strength in their groundstrokes do.
I don't think he has that much less power than the other players, but he uses much heavier spin which means the ball doesn't fly through the court. Del Potro today was a brilliant example of how hitting the ball flat on a hard court can be effective. Horribly so when you have to face it, in my experience (though I've never had to face anyone in the same league as Del Potro
) Nadal never seemed to be able to hit the ball as hard as he can to bring the ball down deeper into the court, and force Del Potro further back. And when you have a player like Nadal who relies on spin more than most, his hitting can look terribly pedestrian if he's not at his best (even more so with a 6"6 monster down the other end bludgeoning the ball back time after time), with a lot of short balls being the obvious symptom.
IMO, of course.
seriously, federer is an insane tennis player but god is he boring. it's like watching a dull computer animated character, no facial expressions, no smiles, no anger, no sweat, nothing. what a robot!
Federer wins the second with a beautiful inside out forehand. Djokovic is up against it now. He seems to be getting the worst of the luck too.
Federer takes second set. It's just a formality here on.
ffs, Djokovic didn't do much wrong there he was extremely unlucky.
just what does it take to beat that man for once!
Federer has never lost any (and won 148) grand slam matches from 2 sets up.
For some reason his first serve seems slightly off today.
The shot around the net in the first set and the backhand flick bobbling over the net to get set point in the second were class!
I don't understand this claim at all. For me how enjoyable a tennis player is, related to his game rather than his sweat and smiling habits. Federer is the most graceful tennis player i've ever seen. A bit like Zidane in the way everything he does has a touch of class or genius to it.
that's all very fine and I enjoy watching him playing as well. all Im saying is he has got a dead boring, emotionless on-court presence. thats all.
Did you see that!
feck me what a shot
Stunning between the legs winner by Federer. What a shot!
feckin' hell. What a shot. Can't beat a doughnut to give you match point in a slam.
Best shot I've ever seen.
7-6-7-5 7-5 Federer
Federer is immense!
feckin hell, what a player
unbelievable
What a fecking shot.
Even Fed himself calls it his greatest shot ever.
Fair play to Djokovic, he hung in there, but Federer was just too good.