2013 Monte Carlo F: Nadal vs. Djokovic

[calitennis127]

Rafa has some way to go to regain his intensity for the big matches, post-injury.

Yeah, he was really missing that "intensity for the big matches" in the Acapulco and Indian Wells finals.

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For me, in this mtch, is not Rafa's mental strength which is glaring, rather his mental collapse in the TB, following the previous game, when he was broken at love.

I'm sorry, but the 5-4 break was simply Novak raising his level of tennis. Nadal did not give those points away cheaply. Djokovic took them.

This match end was a deer in the headlight peformance by Rafa, exactly the opposite of a mental strength.

No, it was a case of him playing an opponent who has a higher ceiling for maximal performance than Nadal himself does. That is why he lost, not because he was stunned or bewildered by facing Djokovic for the first time in almost 11 months.

But, of course, all of us e pick different moments in a match, depending on our point of view.

I disagree. Broken always likes to make this contention about me, but he is wrong. I take everything into account and look at the whole picture.

I don't care how you slice it - Nadal has to be the only guy who at 15-40, 0-5 would manage to save 7 set points and lose the set 6-2. I also don't care how you slice it when it comes to the end of the second set - what Djokovic did in the 4-5 game with Nadal serving for the set was produce some remarkable tennis.

I am not making "arbitrary" points that "suit my narrative". I am describing reality for what it is, taking into account the whole picture.

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

LMAO, are you really using this match as an example of Nadal's mental strength and fight? Not much of that in this match. Every time he broke Djokovic in the second set Djokovic broke right back and at a love when Nadal was set to serve for the second set. The tiebreak was weak stuff from Nadal. Sure there are momentum changes, but everything was heading in Nadal's direction for set two when as you put it he stopped Djokovic from dropping a bagel on him in set 1. Djokovic is a fantastic returner, so I always expect him to be in every service game, but still all of the momentum was leaning in Nadal's favor in set two I would say. He failed to capitalize on it.

 

[shawnbm]

The thing that is becoming more concerning over the last three years is that Novak is making beating Nadal in a big match almost routine. It does not look like he is out of his comfort zone at all for large stretches of a match. It is as if he turned a corner two and half years ago and does not look back. Nadal did that to Federer in 2008--Fed still won some after that, but Rafa has made beating Fed look routine a number of times. Nole is now doing that to Rafa. I really feel that Murray and Roger have the better shot at beating Djokovic in big matches now. I think the next time they meet it may be even more matter-of-fact.

 

[Kieran]

The thing that is becoming more concerning over the last three years is that Novak is making beating Nadal in a big match almost routine. It does not look like he is out of his comfort zone at all for large stretches of a match. It is as if he turned a corner two and half years ago and does not look back. Nadal did that to Federer in 2008--Fed still won some after that, but Rafa has made beating Fed look routine a number of times. Nole is now doing that to Rafa. I really feel that Murray and Roger have the better shot at beating Djokovic in big matches now. I think the next time they meet it may be even more matter-of-fact.

In fairness, Shawn, Rafa won the last 3 quite handily before his enforced sabbatical. I wouldn't set too much store on Sunday's result. I'm usually the first to get pessimistic inside, but it's neither dinged nor donged my pessimism bell yet...

 

[shawnbm]

I hear ya, Brother Kieran, but apart from those three matches, Nole has owned Rafa on all surfaces. More disturbingly, there are large patches in their matches where Nole looks methodical in his staying with Nadal and then finishing him off. I think those three victories had as much to do with Nole's admitted let down after the prior year and a half of unsustainable heights as Rafa doing things differently or that much better (recall the death in the family during the MC affair). I hope I am wrong, but it is unsettling to me how routine Nole can and does win over Nadal. Perhaps I am more pessimistic than you?

 

[Didi]

I agree with Shawn but it's a typical cycle that always occurs in tennis.

Nadal found his match in Djokovic.
Before that Federer found his match in Nadal.
Roddick and Hewitt found their match in Federer.
Agassi found his in Sampras.
Becker and Lendl their in Edberg.
Edberg his in Wilander.
Wilander his in Lendl.
McEnroe his in Connors.
Connors his in Borg.
Borg his in McEnroe.
Vilas his in Borg.

They all find their match at some point who makes beating them look so easy. There will be a player who will make beating the Djoker look easy. The question is not if, just when and who. The only player who never got bossed around by a rival was Pete Sampras if we exclude old Pete's encounters with Hewitt. And poor Murray is losing to everybody. See, the world is not fair.

 

[britbox]

I agree with Shawn but it's a typical cycle that always occurs in tennis.

Nadal found his match in Djokovic.
Before that Federer found his match in Nadal.
Roddick and Hewitt found their match in Federer.
Agassi found his in Sampras.
Becker and Lendl their in Edberg.
Edberg his in Wilander.
Wilander his in Lendl.
McEnroe his in Connors.
Connors his in Borg.
Borg his in McEnroe.
Vilas his in Borg.

They all find their match at some point who makes beating them look so easy. There will be a player who will make beating the Djoker look easy. The question is not if, just when and who. The only player who never got bossed around by a rival was Pete Sampras if we exclude old Pete's encounters with Hewitt. And poor Murray is losing to everybody. See, the world is not fair.

Agree with the sentiment, but you got some of the matchups mixed up a bit.

 

[Didi]

Agree with the sentiment, but you got some of the matchups mixed up a bit.

You are right of course, I wrote it spontaneously just out of my distant memory within a couple of seconds at work, so it's bound have some flaws but I'm glad you get the idea behind it.

 

[imjimmy]

This is an excellent article. I thought Rafa's hit his backhand well since his return, but it's amazing how Djokovic breaks it down. To the point where Nadal feels pressure on his forehand, and is compelled to hit bigger and miss:

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/04/17/Brain-Game-Djokovic-Stops-Nadal-Runaround.aspx

 

[the AntiPusher]

This is an excellent article. I thought Rafa's hit his backhand well since his return, but it's amazing how Djokovic breaks it down. To the point where Nadal feels pressure on his forehand, and is compelled to hit bigger and miss:

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/04/17/Brain-Game-Djokovic-Stops-Nadal-Runaround.aspx

I would be interested to see Rafa's winning percentage when he gets his flat first serve in against Djoker. Routinely (against Rafa's spin/kick serve), Djoker is controlling the point at the onset by pinning Rafa to the deep baseline with a very well struck service return where the probability of Rafa regaining control of the point is very marginal at best. This is huge disadvantage againt someone that have the penetrating groundstrokes as the does that world's #1(Djoker). Its an uphill battle regardless if you are the greatest ever on the dirt.