2016 Australian Open match discussions

[Carol]

Carol, there were threads in other forums discussing why the other spanish players used to fold so heavily against Nadal. A lot of Nadal fans were part of the discussion. This started to change (and slowly, in fact) just in the last two years, and even so most victories from the other Spaniards against him were in injury comeback periods. Up until 2013 all those guys (Ferrer, Verdasco, Lopez, Almagro) had almost zero victories combined against Nadal, even on surfaces were they should have some kind of advantage. Ferrer had a few more, but in two of them I remember pretty well that Nadal was clearly injured. And, before you get defensive (sorry…), the same use to happen with Wawrinka against Federer (not anymore) and with the other serbs (Troicky, Tipsarevic) against Djokovic.

Ok, yes, Federer, Novak and Nadal are the best players of their countries so it's very logic that their countrymen try to give them more fight, it's a honor for them to beat them but they can do it just a few times ,just check the stats

 

[Moxie]

Carol, there were threads in other forums discussing why the other spanish players used to fold so heavily against Nadal. A lot of Nadal fans were part of the discussion. This started to change (and slowly, in fact) just in the last two years, and even so most victories from the other Spaniards against him were in injury comeback periods. Up until 2013 all those guys (Ferrer, Verdasco, Lopez, Almagro) had almost zero victories combined against Nadal, even on surfaces were they should have some kind of advantage. Ferrer had a few more, but in two of them I remember pretty well that Nadal was clearly injured. And, before you get defensive (sorry…), the same use to happen with Wawrinka against Federer (not anymore) and with the other serbs (Troicky, Tipsarevic) against Djokovic.

Mrzz, you are trying to make the rather outrageous claim that Spanish players have historically tanked against Nadal.  Yes, it's been suggested before, in the distant past on other forums.  (And yes, it was Denis who brought it up.)  Nadal beat them all when he was beating everyone else, too.  And less so, when he was beating everyone less often.  This is not a mysterious formula.  And Ferrer beat Nadal all the way back in the 2007 USO.  No injury, no conspiracy motivation.  It's not even like there are just 2 or 3 other Spaniards, like (as you mention,) Serbs or Swiss.  If you're calling out what you see as a conspiracy, I'd say that's a lot of players to get on board.

 

[herios]

Milos Raonic wins in 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 over Lucas Pouille

 

[Moxie]

Gulbis/Chardy is tight as a drum.  Chardy just broke for 5-5 in the 3rd, and they have a set a piece.

 

[Carol]

Watching Muzz playing, does someone know where his wife is going to have the baby, in Miami or Scotland?

 

[Moxie]

Chardy just lost the 3rd.  Playing too passively and waiting for the Gulbis errors.  Looks like mrzz might have called the Muller/Fognini upset.  On serve in the 3rd, but Muller has the first 2 sets.

 

[Moxie]

F3 and Muller are going to 1st set tiebreak and Sousa is up 6:3 vs Kukushkin. Chardy stole set #1 7:5 from Ernie. I don’t have these on TV so I am just checking scores. And F3 loses the 1st set TB 8:6. Come on Fabio, re-group.

Fabio won the 3rd set TB, and seems to have called the trainer.

 

[Billie]

Billie wrote:
F3 and Muller are going to 1st set tiebreak and Sousa is up 6:3 vs Kukushkin. Chardy stole set #1 7:5 from Ernie. I don’t have these on TV so I am just checking scores. And F3 loses the 1st set TB 8:6. Come on Fabio, re-group.

Fabio won the 3rd set TB, and seems to have called the trainer.

That's just too bad for F3.  He is still fighting though, on serve in the 4th.  Gulbis is duking it out with Chardy as well, this one is on serve in the 5th set.  Tough first round matches for all 4 players.

 

[Billie]

Nando was under some pressure but holds...3 all in the first.  All right, enjoy the rest of the action.

 

[Moxie]

Gulbis serves for it in the 5th, and chokes.  5-5.

 

[EdbergsGhost]

Nando was under some pressure but holds…3 all in the first. All right, enjoy the rest of the action.

First set to Fernando.  

 

[Moxie]

Billie wrote:
Nando was under some pressure but holds…3 all in the first. All right, enjoy the rest of the action.

First set to Fernando.

Fernando has been playing the more aggressive tennis, by far.  Not a good start from Rafa.  But Rafa gets the break in the 2nd, after a hard fight.  This will shift momentum, I suspect.

K. Andersand retired, and Chardy/Gulbis still goes on.

 

[britbox]

Good hold for Nadal. 3-1 up in the second.

 

[Moxie]

Chardy finally wins 13-11 (?) in the 5th.  4 hr. 43 mins.  It was a bit of a mess of a match, and Chardy wasn't the better for much of it, by far.

 

[Moxie]

Oh, and mrzz was right:  Fognini went down to Gilles Muller.  In 4.  Great upset call.

 

[britbox]

Verdasco breaks back in set 2. 4-4.  This is getting interesting.

 

[Moxie]

Rafa is serving poorly and not playing with aggression.  Even with the break-back, he's going to have to go up a level to win this with confidence.

 

[britbox]

Verdasco doesn't consolidate. Rafa takes the second set.

Even stevens.

 

[Moxie]

Vintage point from their 2009 match and Nadal takes the set.    and *whew*!

 

[Mastoor]

F3 and Muller are going to 1st set tiebreak and Sousa is up 6:3 vs Kukushkin. Chardy stole set #1 7:5 from Ernie. I don’t have these on TV so I am just checking scores. And F3 loses the 1st set TB 8:6. Come on Fabio, re-group.

Fognini was frustrated for not being able to break. In the end he lost 3 tie breaks while he won 1. His half is opening up.