2016 Roland Garros: Paris Sidewalk Cafe Discussions
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Rafa will become more dangerous the deeper he gets into the draw. He is most vulnerable, IMO, in the first week. No player gains confidence from wins like Rafa.
Having said that, I simply cannot see him raising la coupe de les mousquetaires for a 10th time.
But for the dominance that was Rafa, the French Open has always been the most wild of the Slams, hardest to predict. Choosing Djokovic as this year's champion is an safe pick, but I'm going out on a limb for Monfils. If he's healthy and his head is on straight, I think he can do some damage. He lit up the arena in Lille for Davis Cup (on clay) and with the home crowd behind him I can hardly imagine a more satisfying win.
I'm not putting money on it, mind you.
Having said that, I simply cannot see him raising la coupe de les mousquetaires for a 10th time.
But for the dominance that was Rafa, the French Open has always been the most wild of the Slams, hardest to predict. Choosing Djokovic as this year's champion is an safe pick, but I'm going out on a limb for Monfils. If he's healthy and his head is on straight, I think he can do some damage. He lit up the arena in Lille for Davis Cup (on clay) and with the home crowd behind him I can hardly imagine a more satisfying win.
I'm not putting money on it, mind you.
britbox
Multiple Major Winner
britbox
Multiple Major Winner
Agreed... Cilic was a surprise US Open winner also a couple of years ago. Sport can be very unpredictable.Last year was a big surprise, who in the world was thinking on Wawrinka lifting that Trophy? nobody but it's true that if Rafa is not in the roll then it could be another surprise but I hope don't see any
Moxie
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This is why I don't bother with "reality TV," which is not wholly unscripted. If you want in-the-moment drama, watch sports.
EdbergsGhost
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There is always a first time.
forget about Monfils. he is a basket case.
just give the trophy to Djokovic and lets move on to Wimbledon.
he is the most prepared. he has worked the hardest for it. and he has focus, drive, determination, and relentless will to win.
and he has no competition. what great place for him.
rafa is completely and totally irrelevant in the sport now. Roger is 100 years old and Andy does not have a forehand.
2016 is going to be even better for Djokovic than 2015. he can break every record under the sun. except for 2 of course:
obviously he wont win RG 9 times. nobody will. not even the gods can win 9 RG crowns. and he wont win 7 Wimby crowns.
just give the trophy to Djokovic and lets move on to Wimbledon.
he is the most prepared. he has worked the hardest for it. and he has focus, drive, determination, and relentless will to win.
and he has no competition. what great place for him.
rafa is completely and totally irrelevant in the sport now. Roger is 100 years old and Andy does not have a forehand.
2016 is going to be even better for Djokovic than 2015. he can break every record under the sun. except for 2 of course:
obviously he wont win RG 9 times. nobody will. not even the gods can win 9 RG crowns. and he wont win 7 Wimby crowns.
Moxie
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As soon as you crown Djokovic the winner and move on, you poison the well. Since this is cafe conversation, I can say there is not only a scenario whereby Nole doesn't win, but one whereby Rafa does.
You sneer at me for being hopeful for Rafa, but then you show optimism, yourself. You're conflicted, I get it. Not without merit. RG is a long way off, anyway.
You sneer at me for being hopeful for Rafa, but then you show optimism, yourself. You're conflicted, I get it. Not without merit. RG is a long way off, anyway.
nobody will sneer at you on my watch here.
feel free to blindly worship your players.
and come talk to me when he can beat somebody barely above challenger level.
did i or did I not tell you that 2016 was going to be far worse than 2015 for Rafa.
he has zero work ethic. he does not care to win. get that through your skull once and for all.
our player does not care to win. how much more evidence do you need.
how about first round to 2nd round losses at 100% of the slams. how about zero titles. how about not even a worthless 250 level event on clay. well you are seeing that and still you have your blindfolds on.
lets hear about your resurgence theory once again.
he has moved on. he just stays in the spotlight for various other reasons.
how the hell do you expect him to win when he has no fitness and barely 20% of his once great ground game. cant you see that he is not doing a damn thing about his game and his fitness?
rod laver said the other day that he may even forgotten to hit the damn ball. that is the same thing cash said. he said that rafa needs to go out there and hit a million balls.
well he doesn't want to. he just wants his endorsements, his golf, his tennis academy, and his money.
it is his life and his career. he ended his career all by himself. now we will just have the memories of his greatness.
you and manuel Santana are just alike: he said that rafa cant win the important points anymore. but that he can win RG.
how about he cant win any points at all soon enough. he cant even get the damn ball back on their serves even on clay--in mickey mouse events-- against unknown players who will never amount to anything.
doesn't that tell you anything.
I am afraid our player has gone home Moxie.
Rafa cant win RG even if djokovic, Federer, andy murray, and stan retired tonight.
a player that cant even beat challenger level players cant win RG.
you forget how rafa won RG in the past: his success was first paved on the red clay. it was there that he would gather his game and his momentum and his confidence. he would dominate them all on the red clay. and he would do that for nearly a decade.
it was a process. he also had supreme fitness, youth, and superb physicality required for his style of play.
Rafa cant win RG even if djokovic, Federer, andy murray, and stan retired tonight.
a player that cant even beat challenger level players cant win RG.
you forget how rafa won RG in the past: his success was first paved on the red clay. it was there that he would gather his game and his momentum and his confidence. he would dominate them all on the red clay. and he would do that for nearly a decade.
it was a process. he also had supreme fitness, youth, and superb physicality required for his style of play.
nobody dares sneer at you on my watch.
I will unleash massive and deadly verbal devastation that is worse than a damn hanging.
Moxie
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Only you, I guess. And you're still not interested in my theory. Ah, well, so much for cafe conversation. You introduce a forum for speculation, and then you shut it down. Djokovic is going to win. Nadal has no interest or lingering ability. I'll take my coffee to go, thank you.
lay out your theory.
we are all ears. you are talking to a lot of people here.
I am not the only one here.
and this is not my forum. even Camelot is not my forum. Camelot is a magical place that people helped create for each other and for others.
Discuss Tennis and Camelot are for the people of the world and by the people of the world.
everyone is welcome to share their thoughts and their inspirations. absolutely nobody will be left behind.
post away and have a blast.
only way I give Rafa a chance--and it is just a tiny chance because of the limited fitness--is that if he somehow magically and miraculously wins Monte Carle, Barcelona, and Rome.
and he beats djokovic at least once in the process. then and only then can I say that Rafa has a shot of making it into the 2nd week RG.
but if you ask 100% of the tennis experts if this particular scenario is possible, they would all laugh at us.
now back to reality: he has to work for 2017. nothing is likely to happen in 2016. he is getting worse, not better.
and he beats djokovic at least once in the process. then and only then can I say that Rafa has a shot of making it into the 2nd week RG.
but if you ask 100% of the tennis experts if this particular scenario is possible, they would all laugh at us.
now back to reality: he has to work for 2017. nothing is likely to happen in 2016. he is getting worse, not better.
Moxie
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I don't think he has to win MC, Barcelona (and Madrid) and Rome. He has to make a great show of the clay season, I'll give you that. For his own confidence. He's won RG without a Full House going in, so that's not necessary. It's about where his confidence is.
And now it's also about the draw. Well, fair enough...the Fed people are all over how he might yet win another Wimbledon or USO, and it's been about the draw, for years. So fine, I'm saving up my pennies to bribe the ITF (which apparently is plausible,) for this scenario:
Let's say Djokovic draws the likes of Kyrgios and Thiem in his quarter, and Wawrinka in his half. This would be tough, and he's got his nerves to contend with...being the Nole Slam and the Career slam on line, etc. And say Rafa has Roger in his quarter and a potential Murray SF. Not so bad. If someone knocks out Novak before the final, so much the better. Anyway, whomever Rafa might meet in the final, he has a better muscle memory than any of them for winning there.
So, a few things might have to fall into place, and that would mean Rafa playing better for a start, I'll give you that. But the scenario is not implausible.
That's my 2 cents over coffee.
And now it's also about the draw. Well, fair enough...the Fed people are all over how he might yet win another Wimbledon or USO, and it's been about the draw, for years. So fine, I'm saving up my pennies to bribe the ITF (which apparently is plausible,) for this scenario:
Let's say Djokovic draws the likes of Kyrgios and Thiem in his quarter, and Wawrinka in his half. This would be tough, and he's got his nerves to contend with...being the Nole Slam and the Career slam on line, etc. And say Rafa has Roger in his quarter and a potential Murray SF. Not so bad. If someone knocks out Novak before the final, so much the better. Anyway, whomever Rafa might meet in the final, he has a better muscle memory than any of them for winning there.
So, a few things might have to fall into place, and that would mean Rafa playing better for a start, I'll give you that. But the scenario is not implausible.
That's my 2 cents over coffee.
britbox
Multiple Major Winner
If Nadal has a decent swing with the preceding masters events (I mean decent by the standards of the tour, not his own previous history) and navigates through the first week at Roland Garros then fitness should be a moot point... He's in the business end of Roland Garros, probably pretty fit and gaining confidence. I doubt many people will want to see him across the other side of the net in that scenario.
but you folks are assuming that he wants to win.
he does not care to win. the game is pretty much gone. the fitness issue is massive and hangs over him like a dark cloud.
he has thrown in the towel.
you cant solve the fitness issue on the beaches and the golf courses. ground game can only be fixed on clay.
and yet what is he doing about it? NOTHING. he is farting around with his token/cosmetic practice on the hard courts.
it is not even a real practice session. it is more of a farting around session. hanging around in his backhand corner hitting a few lazy forehands.
and then he complains that his backhand is off like he did for Buenos Aires. he said his backhand was not working well.
that is the same thing he said when he lost to Fog in Barcelona last year.
so a lot of excuses and endless lip service but very little work on the game and fitness.
he is going backwards, not forward.
he does not care to win. the game is pretty much gone. the fitness issue is massive and hangs over him like a dark cloud.
he has thrown in the towel.
you cant solve the fitness issue on the beaches and the golf courses. ground game can only be fixed on clay.
and yet what is he doing about it? NOTHING. he is farting around with his token/cosmetic practice on the hard courts.
it is not even a real practice session. it is more of a farting around session. hanging around in his backhand corner hitting a few lazy forehands.
and then he complains that his backhand is off like he did for Buenos Aires. he said his backhand was not working well.
that is the same thing he said when he lost to Fog in Barcelona last year.
so a lot of excuses and endless lip service but very little work on the game and fitness.
he is going backwards, not forward.
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