2014 US Open Quarterfinals: Djokovic vs. Murray

[Riotbeard]

Took longer than it should have, but NOLE NOLE NOLE!

 

[Moxie]

Atta Boy Novak...predicated you would win in 4 sets

You're on a roll, fashionista!

Too bad that Murray couldn't see the match through. Once faced with a real challenge, it's not like Novak looked unbeatable. The fitter man won.

 

[Front242]

That's modern tennis in a nutshell. It's no longer about shot making winning matches but fitness.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Atta Boy Novak...predicated you would win in 4 sets

You're on a roll, fashionista!

Too bad that Murray couldn't see the match through. Once faced with a real challenge, it's not like Novak looked unbeatable. The fitter man won.

I am on a roll... I have picked all the winners in both ladies and mens matches
Wish I could pick the winning Lotto numbers though...
I hope Murray's back will be okay felt bad for him.

 

[Front242]

Doubt it's anything major seeing as he still won a good few love service games at the end.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

So, Andy kept his track record of losing to Novak once he loses the first set, intact.

 

[Moxie]

That's modern tennis in a nutshell. It's no longer about shot making winning matches but fitness.

I'd say it's a combination, though, isn't it? Between Murray and Djokovic, it can come down to fitness, because of the way they play, and the resulting 'how they play against each other.' A shot-maker still has a place in the game. But they all have to be fit. That is not a question.

 

[Front242]

That's modern tennis in a nutshell. It's no longer about shot making winning matches but fitness.

I'd say it's a combination, though, isn't it? Between Murray and Djokovic, it can come down to fitness, because of the way they play, and the resulting 'how they play against each other.' A shot-maker still has a place in the game. But they all have to be fit. That is not a question.

A bit of both sure but predominantly fitness is what prevails in the modern game imo. cali also agrees. He loves the stamina topic

 

[GameSetAndMath]

This is one of rare ATP matches where both players had a negative differential for
Winners - UFE. Novak is -2 and Andy is -18. Almost like your typical WTA match.

 

[Moxie]

That's modern tennis in a nutshell. It's no longer about shot making winning matches but fitness.

I'd say it's a combination, though, isn't it? Between Murray and Djokovic, it can come down to fitness, because of the way they play, and the resulting 'how they play against each other.' A shot-maker still has a place in the game. But they all have to be fit. That is not a question.

A bit of both sure but predominantly fitness is what prevails in the modern game imo. cali also agrees. He loves the stamina topic

:laydownlaughing Yes, that old, unprejudiced expert of the modern game. Where is he, btw? Come on, you've been with the rest of us, I think, to declaim the lack of fitness, mental and physical in such nice shotmakers as Nishikori and Dimitrov. How can you have men play best of 5 matches in sometimes very tough conditions, and have it not come down, in part, to fitness? But also mental toughness. It has to be a combo, though I don't think fitness wins in the end over better tennis, if you have both. It's when push comes to shove, as it did tonight, with Djokovic and Murray. Either would have beaten most of the field handily tonight. But, against each other…different story. Something has to give, and it was Murray's fitness, tonight. That doesn't mean that the only reason Djokovic won is that he's fitter. He's also great in many other ways. It's about being the full package.

 

[nehmeth]

Congrats to Novak...

 

[Federberg]

That's modern tennis in a nutshell. It's no longer about shot making winning matches but fitness.

I'd say it's a combination, though, isn't it? Between Murray and Djokovic, it can come down to fitness, because of the way they play, and the resulting 'how they play against each other.' A shot-maker still has a place in the game. But they all have to be fit. That is not a question.

A bit of both sure but predominantly fitness is what prevails in the modern game imo. cali also agrees. He loves the stamina topic

:laydownlaughing Yes, that old, unprejudiced expert of the modern game. Where is he, btw? Come on, you've been with the rest of us, I think, to declaim the lack of fitness, mental and physical in such nice shotmakers as Nishikori and Dimitrov. How can you have men play best of 5 matches in sometimes very tough conditions, and have it not come down, in part, to fitness? But also mental toughness. It has to be a combo, though I don't think fitness wins in the end over better tennis, if you have both. It's when push comes to shove, as it did tonight, with Djokovic and Murray. Either would have beaten most of the field handily tonight. But, against each other…different story. Something has to give, and it was Murray's fitness, tonight. That doesn't mean that the only reason Djokovic won is that he's fitter. He's also great in many other ways. It's about being the full package.

I think that fitness is definitely a big component, but you have to be good enough. To be honest, I'm a bit disgusted with the US Open officials. I think, more than any other slam, scheduling decisions here have had an historic impact on who wins. They really should do something about this. I appreciate that tv is hugely important, but the most important thing has to be the competition. It feels like the product is being compromised by a-hole tv executives

 

[calitennis127]

Atta Boy Novak...predicated you would win in 4 sets

You're on a roll, fashionista!

Too bad that Murray couldn't see the match through. Once faced with a real challenge, it's not like Novak looked unbeatable. The fitter man won.

LOL.....this is how Nadal has won the majority of his significant victories. Anyone remember the 2013 victory over Del Potro in Indian Wells?

What about Nadal's victory over Murray in 2011 at Wimbledon as well as the US Open? Fitness, fitness, fitness, fitness, fitness.

 

[calitennis127]

That's modern tennis in a nutshell. It's no longer about shot making winning matches but fitness.

I'd say it's a combination, though, isn't it? Between Murray and Djokovic, it can come down to fitness, because of the way they play, and the resulting 'how they play against each other.' A shot-maker still has a place in the game. But they all have to be fit. That is not a question.

A bit of both sure but predominantly fitness is what prevails in the modern game imo. cali also agrees. He loves the stamina topic

:laydownlaughing Yes, that old, unprejudiced expert of the modern game. Where is he, btw? Come on, you've been with the rest of us, I think, to declaim the lack of fitness, mental and physical in such nice shotmakers as Nishikori and Dimitrov. How can you have men play best of 5 matches in sometimes very tough conditions, and have it not come down, in part, to fitness? But also mental toughness. It has to be a combo, though I don't think fitness wins in the end over better tennis, if you have both. It's when push comes to shove, as it did tonight, with Djokovic and Murray. Either would have beaten most of the field handily tonight. But, against each other…different story. Something has to give, and it was Murray's fitness, tonight. That doesn't mean that the only reason Djokovic won is that he's fitter. He's also great in many other ways. It's about being the full package.

Moxie has to get this dig in against Djokovic because anyone with two eyes can see that whenever Djokovic has been on top of his game on any surface, he has clearly been a better tennis player than Nadal has ever been, with better shots and more game overall. Many have attributed Nadal's wins over Djokovic to fitness in large part, so this is Moxie's way of striking back. I would be upset too if my favorite player was up a set in the Rome final and then lost the final 2 because the other guy hit 45 winners to my guy's 15.

Better shotmaker, better player, more game. Novak Djokovic compared to Rafael Nadal.

 

[calitennis127]

And what about Nadal's joke of a win over Kohlschreiber last year when Kohlschreiber missed that easy overhead which completely swung the match? Kohlschreiber had been owning Nadal in the rallies for the most part.

That was one of Nadal's vintage fitness wins.

 

[calitennis127]

And dare I mention Nadal's BS wins over Janowicz and Federer last summer? Vintage Nadal "I need to wait until your level drops" fitness wins.

 

[nehmeth]

Hey Cali! :wave

 

[Federberg]

And dare I mention Nadal's BS wins over Janowicz and Federer last summer? Vintage Nadal "I need to wait until your level drops" fitness wins.

Are you going to force me to defend Rafa? :cry

If Janowicz or Federer were unable to maintain their level and Rafa struct when they came off it, then that's their fault. The fact that they were unable to close it out, says more about them than Rafa. This is sport, not some Olympian ideal about how winning should be done. I may not like it, but there it is.

My issues with Rafa arise from the fact that he sometimes resorts to disrupting his opponents play with antics. But as annoying as I find that, I'm even more annoyed with the other guy for not dealing with the situation.

 

[isabelle]

Congrats Nole but feel sad for Andy nevertheless

 

[Federberg]

That's modern tennis in a nutshell. It's no longer about shot making winning matches but fitness.

I'd say it's a combination, though, isn't it? Between Murray and Djokovic, it can come down to fitness, because of the way they play, and the resulting 'how they play against each other.' A shot-maker still has a place in the game. But they all have to be fit. That is not a question.

A bit of both sure but predominantly fitness is what prevails in the modern game imo. cali also agrees. He loves the stamina topic

:laydownlaughing Yes, that old, unprejudiced expert of the modern game. Where is he, btw? Come on, you've been with the rest of us, I think, to declaim the lack of fitness, mental and physical in such nice shotmakers as Nishikori and Dimitrov. How can you have men play best of 5 matches in sometimes very tough conditions, and have it not come down, in part, to fitness? But also mental toughness. It has to be a combo, though I don't think fitness wins in the end over better tennis, if you have both. It's when push comes to shove, as it did tonight, with Djokovic and Murray. Either would have beaten most of the field handily tonight. But, against each other…different story. Something has to give, and it was Murray's fitness, tonight. That doesn't mean that the only reason Djokovic won is that he's fitter. He's also great in many other ways. It's about being the full package.

Moxie has to get this dig in against Djokovic because anyone with two eyes can see that whenever Djokovic has been on top of his game on any surface, he has clearly been a better tennis player than Nadal has ever been, with better shots and more game overall. Many have attributed Nadal's wins over Djokovic to fitness in large part, so this is Moxie's way of striking back. I would be upset too if my favorite player was up a set in the Rome final and then lost the final 2 because the other guy hit 45 winners to my guy's 15.

Better shotmaker, better player, more game. Novak Djokovic compared to Rafael Nadal.

Better shotmaker? Can you break that down for me please? Not confronting you, just want to fully understand how you come to that conclusion. Do you assess each of their shots? Forehand vs forehand etc? Or is that an opinion based on feel?

Better player? Hmmm.... the facts don't support that

More game? Define game please

I think they're both extraordinary players, and perhaps because I'm not really a fan of either per se (although I do like Novak's game). I'm able to be a neutral on this issue. I may not like Rafa's style much, but I respect it. I don't respect some of the things he does, but that's just personal taste. I may not have liked Argentina in their pomp (with all the cheating and diving), but I was still able to admire their effectiveness. Same goes for Rafa (and Rafa fans.. chill out.. I'm not saying he cheats and dives :laydownlaughing)