2014 Miami Quarterfinal: Nadal vs. Raonic

[Front242]

Rafa will win this but it's a matter of time before Milos' serve will decide the outcome!

I would say it's Rafa's serve that will decide the outcome.

I wasn't talking about this match, but Rafa's serve is questionable at best, how will it hold? Down the road....

Rafa's serve has been good up until this match, in the tourney. Raonic puts so much pressure on a player's serve, I don't worry about how Nadal's held up. It held up well enough. And he won.

Rafa is the champ, but Milos and Big John are the future, mark my word, the serve is the kicker here, them two have the best serves in the game.

Karlovic has a better serve than Raonic and I'm sure he'd have served higher percentages against Nadal than Raonic. Trouble is his movement is even worse but then he's a better volleyer and occasionally does hit some nice DTL FHs like he did against Roger. I'd say Isner and Karlovic have much more consistent serves than Raonic.

 

[tented]

Rafa is the champ, but Milos and Big John are the future, mark my word, the serve is the kicker here, them two have the best serves in the game.

Karlovic has a better serve than Raonic and I'm sure he'd have served higher percentages against Nadal than Raonic. Trouble is his movement is even worse but then he's a better volleyer and occasionally does hit some nice DTL FHs like he did against Roger. I'd say Isner and Karlovic have much more consistent serves than Raonic.

Absolutely.

 

[Front242]

Amazingly I see Nadal and Karlovic have only played each other 3 times which is surprising.

 

[Moxie]

Milos played prettier than Rafa...
What's up with the towel-down after every point, irritating to me and disrespectful!

You sure about that? I'd say it's a tie at best. He hit some hideous backhands :gross:

"Pretty" tennis is the eye of the beholder, as we well know around here. Personally, I would find it difficult to ever describe Raonic's tennis as "pretty," but I thought he had a game plan and tried well to execute it. Also, while he doesn't have but a few dimensions to his game, I thought he made the most of them tonight.

Well, that wasn't pretty to most but I did call it a tie in its ugliness If those backhands were making the most of his dimensions then he has a lot of work to do. I lost count the amount of times his backhands didn't even make it to the middle of the net and landed at the very bottom. Terrible execution and Ljubicic needs to work with him on that shot a lot before he has a shot at beating the big guys. If he's serving 55% and missing tons of backhands, not to mention routine forehands he won't beat Nadal.

Let's leave off what I find lovely about Nadal's game that you never will. However, it wasn't his loveliest display. Raonic made a big effort, but why do you think he had such a low first serve percentage, and why did he find the net so often, for such a tall guy? Pressure. Raonic is not multi-talented enough for the mistakes he made to be all about him. By the same token, Rafa served poorly at times, and tightly, because of the pressure Raonic puts on an opponent. Overall, I'd say Raonic is improving.

 

[tented]

Amazingly I see Nadal and Karlovic have only played each other 3 times which is surprising.

And even that was too many. :snigger

Honestly, Karlovic seems like a really nice, funny guy, but I can't stand it when Rafa and Roger have to play him.

 

[Front242]

^ Well I've seen some great displays from Nadal too but that wasn't one of them!

 

[Front242]

Amazingly I see Nadal and Karlovic have only played each other 3 times which is surprising.

And even that was too many. :snigger

Honestly, Karlovic seems like a really nice, funny guy, but I can't stand it when Rafa and Roger have to play him.

By contrast though Federer has played Karlovic 12 times v only 3 times for Rafa. Granted Fed is older but still, quite a difference there.

 

[Andrew William]

I enjoy all types of players. I think that's the best part of Tennis, is that there is no 'one mold'. There are some who can serve fantastically and have great forehands, but who have shortcomings elsewhere. Whilst others that can move like the wind and counter punch, but are limited offensively. I really loved Roddick and he was pretty much a serve and forehand to start, and grew his game to a point where he was a bit more balanced. Before him, I was enthralled by Andre Agassi and his shot making ability. I really can appreciate the full spectrum of talents this game has to offer.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Can someone post the stat (winners/ufe) of the match. I missed the whole match.

 

[Riotbeard]

Amazingly I see Nadal and Karlovic have only played each other 3 times which is surprising.

Rafa tanks every time karlovic is in his draw in order to preserve his h2h. :laydownlaughing

 

[Front242]

Amazingly I see Nadal and Karlovic have only played each other 3 times which is surprising.

Rafa tanks every time karlovic is in his draw in order to preserve his h2h. :laydownlaughing

I saw some clowns on tennis.com proclaiming that's why Roger lost yesterday to preserve his winning h2h over Novak. Such fanboy nonsense. Unreal. He probably relishes the challenge to avenge his final loss last week more like it.

 

[Riotbeard]

Amazingly I see Nadal and Karlovic have only played each other 3 times which is surprising.

Rafa tanks every time karlovic is in his draw in order to preserve his h2h. :laydownlaughing

I saw some clowns on tennis.com proclaiming that's why Roger lost yesterday to preserve his winning h2h over Novak. Such fanboy nonsense. Unreal. He probably relishes the challenge to avenge his final loss last week more like it.

If he wanted better h2h's he would just retire, because, it's unlikely he wins the majority of the matches against the younger guys. The hope is he can win one or two at the big moments.

 

[Front242]

Amazingly I see Nadal and Karlovic have only played each other 3 times which is surprising.

Rafa tanks every time karlovic is in his draw in order to preserve his h2h. :laydownlaughing

I saw some clowns on tennis.com proclaiming that's why Roger lost yesterday to preserve his winning h2h over Novak. Such fanboy nonsense. Unreal. He probably relishes the challenge to avenge his final loss last week more like it.

If he wanted better h2h's he would just retire, because, it's unlikely he wins the majority of the matches against the younger guys. The hope is he can win one or two at the big moments.

He better not retire with a losing h2h against Kei Nishikori :nono

 

[Moxie]

Amazingly I see Nadal and Karlovic have only played each other 3 times which is surprising.

Rafa tanks every time karlovic is in his draw in order to preserve his h2h. :laydownlaughing

Very likely. In the same way that Davydenko likely tanks every time he gets close to Nadal, in order to preserve his status as the only active player with a positive H2H over Rafa. :laydownlaughing

 

[Front242]

^ Davydenko is content with being only top 50 remember so he probably doesn't get past the first or 2nd round anywhere

 

[Front242]

^ Which is a shame as he used to be great to watch till that wrist injury Never been the same since.

Edit: I tell a lie. His ball striking is still great to watch but you know he won't win the big matches anywhere which is a shame.

 

[DarthFed]

Amazingly I see Nadal and Karlovic have only played each other 3 times which is surprising.

Rafa tanks every time karlovic is in his draw in order to preserve his h2h. :laydownlaughing

I saw some clowns on tennis.com proclaiming that's why Roger lost yesterday to preserve his winning h2h over Novak. Such fanboy nonsense. Unreal. He probably relishes the challenge to avenge his final loss last week more like it.

Yeah that's ridiculous considering he now has a losing record with a nobody instead. Roger has stayed around long enough to have a lot of poor head to heads, Murray and Novak are/will end up among them.

 

[Front242]

Amazingly I see Nadal and Karlovic have only played each other 3 times which is surprising.

Rafa tanks every time karlovic is in his draw in order to preserve his h2h. :laydownlaughing

I saw some clowns on tennis.com proclaiming that's why Roger lost yesterday to preserve his winning h2h over Novak. Such fanboy nonsense. Unreal. He probably relishes the challenge to avenge his final loss last week more like it.

Yeah that's ridiculous considering he now has a losing record with a nobody instead. Roger has stayed around long enough to have a lot of poor head to heads, Murray and Novak are/will end up among them.

Yup. I'm sure he wanted to lose that match yesterday :nono I should hope he's utterly disgusted with himself and works on his serving and focus again. You could see Mirka was disgusted anyway 'cos she knows he'll probably smash up half the house when he gets home! Their Miami hotel room has probably been trashed already!

 

[DarthFed]

Amazingly I see Nadal and Karlovic have only played each other 3 times which is surprising.

Rafa tanks every time karlovic is in his draw in order to preserve his h2h. :laydownlaughing

I saw some clowns on tennis.com proclaiming that's why Roger lost yesterday to preserve his winning h2h over Novak. Such fanboy nonsense. Unreal. He probably relishes the challenge to avenge his final loss last week more like it.

Yeah that's ridiculous considering he now has a losing record with a nobody instead. Roger has stayed around long enough to have a lot of poor head to heads, Murray and Novak are/will end up among them.

Yup. I'm sure he wanted to lose that match yesterday :nono I should hope he's utterly disgusted with himself and works on his serving and focus again. You could see Mirka was disgusted anyway 'cos she knows he'll probably smash up half the house when he gets home! Their Miami hotel room has probably been trashed already!

One would hope that's his reaction but I'd imagine at times losses don't bother him much anymore. With what he has accomplished and having a family some of these matches are no longer life and death and that leaves him at a disadvantage even against the lower rungs.

 

[Moxie]

Amazingly I see Nadal and Karlovic have only played each other 3 times which is surprising.

Rafa tanks every time karlovic is in his draw in order to preserve his h2h. :laydownlaughing

I saw some clowns on tennis.com proclaiming that's why Roger lost yesterday to preserve his winning h2h over Novak. Such fanboy nonsense. Unreal. He probably relishes the challenge to avenge his final loss last week more like it.

Yeah that's ridiculous considering he now has a losing record with a nobody instead. Roger has stayed around long enough to have a lot of poor head to heads, Murray and Novak are/will end up among them.

I'm sure it wasn't either of you, but there was much similar nonsense talk from certain (low-grade, surely,) Fed fans, when Roger was about to play Djokovic in the 2011 RG SF. Beat Novak, and end his streak…or face Rafa and the H2H?

Sorry if that's a bit jokey and crass…but that was a splash of cold water on my face that there were actually Federer fans who'd rather face a loss in SF final, than another loss to Nadal. OK, that was two forums ago. But we can't pretend that this mindset never existed. I'm just happy to see that good fans are combating against it.