2016 U.S. Open: Day 7, September 4 - Order of Play

[the AntiPusher]

Rafa was not the only one to be nervous in the TB, even in this match. The very first point of the TB was an easy put away for LP and he missed it too due to nervousness. It happens and it is part of the game.

If several points were lost due to nervousness by both players, that would be good enough to call it a poor match. If several points were lost by one player, then you can say he choked. But, there were just three nervous misses in the TB that I can remember. I would say that is part of the game.

What the HELL is Rafa nervous about..he hasn't won anything (GS) since 2014! You have to go for it.,you are the Legend ! Not some kid who can't volley at the net better than my Grandmother

I actually think the complete opposite. He has a great volley. Sure he missed a few, but who doesn't? Did you see that incredible stop volley where he held I believe to go up 6-5 or maybe it was when he went up 5-4? pavlik will hopefully have that in the highlights.

Front.. I can occasionally make a stabbed volley and I have bad knees..When the score was 40-15 Rafa hit a ball down the line that was probably going out and Lucus tried to volley it and the ball didn't make it back to mid part of the court.. That's who Lucus is at the net..a very below average net player..

 

[the AntiPusher]

1 ace for during a 4 hour match? I could do better, you brainless, ball-less pu$$y. Screw you and your defensive tennis. The idiot couldn't out hit LUCAS POUILLE. I truly never want to see you play ever again, I hope your wrist snaps in half and have to retire on the spot.

AND NOW LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE SCRIPT:
Monfils and POUILLE (OMG) in the quarterfinal will fight to the death only for a chance to bend over for mister world #1. Why show any courage when you really need to, right?

I don't understand why are you watching in the first place?

Why? I literally did this. Hey, I have time to watch Nadal's match, he is playing POUILLE, a young guy who hasn't proven himself on the big stages yet, Dullito was the overwhelming favourite. Ok, let's watch it. Here we go. And then he proceeds to play one of the worst matches I ever watched, worse than he did during the AO this year, about the same level as USO last year, just putting shots back into play.
It's for the best anyway.

Finally the Truth..Rafa played the worst match since Verdasco at AO but F3 was worst..it's the same formula ..high balls hit to the op and they cream it while Rafa tries to retrieve it..

 

[the AntiPusher]

Before Nadalites bring up wrist, knees, ribs, heart, lungs etc, let me say that Lucas did not defeat a crippled lame duck Rafa. Rafa was fully fit and running around like energizer bunny for 4 hours. No excuses, please. :nono

Rafa choked...his ridiculous tactic of standing that far back on ROS is so freakin outdated.,ignorant and self torturous ..I thought Lucus P was the 14 time career grand slam champion.. Rafa and his team had a absolutely NCAA Jr college approach to playing players besides Federer is astounding that he EVER win another title..What does Rafa have to loose..why he holds back is beyond reasoning..Rafa had no business ever loosing a set to this guy,..Monfils will beat the living horse manure out of this guy..Rafa needs a ReAl coach who played the game not some favorite Uncle..Damn:devil

Come on A-P, you're being unfair.

Firstly, old goats get nervous. Navratilova told us that centuries ago. And it's hard to imagine Rafa ever holding up on the big stage now, no matter how well he plays. It's a pattern, and it has little to do with style of play. He had a gimme forehand at 6-6 in the tiebreak and he shanked it, so it isn't style of play, it's between the ears. It happens. Happened to Pete too, Federer, all of them eventually are unable to stay steady in tight matches.

Secondly, Pouille is a kid of substance, played a great match and took his chances with panache. I enjoyed watching him, while wishing him all the evil under the sun, if you get my drift...

Rafa doesn't get tight when he playing with Marc Lopez..he plays like a beast..a man possessed but for himself he plays like Shirley Temple playing go fish

 

[Front242]

They both played very high level tennis. Talk about over exaggeration. Pouille was just better when it counted. You can't have played a bad match when it came down to 7-6 (6) in the 5th set ffs.

 

[AnonymousFan]

Monfils and Tsonga could potentially meet in a SF for a spot in a slam final. That's awesome.

I don't know from what I have seen from Pouille he might have a say. I could see him taking out Le Monf.

Hopefully he has enough left in the tank after three consecutive matches going the distance.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Toni last year said that he would consider making some changes to the coaching team if things hadn't gotten better . Okay let's have some action..A change(I not asking Toni to leave but an addition to the coaching team) is coming ..[/i]

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

I don't think a coaching change at this point in his game is going to work. He is past his peak. He might be able to maintain and put himself in position like Federer has, but the longer you go without a slam win the harder it gets. Serena knows this which is why she is doing her best to stay in the winner's circle because when you are still there players know you aren't going anywhere quite yet.

 

[the AntiPusher]

I don't think a coaching change at this point in his game is going to work. He is past his peak. He might be able to maintain and put himself in position like Federer has, but the longer you go without a slam win the harder it gets. Serena knows this which is why she is doing her best to stay in the winner's circle because when you are still there players know you aren't going anywhere quite yet.

That's very much BS..Rafa has as much tennis and athletic ability as Murray, Djoker Federer or Monfils. His game needs to be reconstructed to be imposing..he just said the same thing in his pressor..he didn't make any excuses but he said he needs to be more imposing on his opponent.
Rafa said that," I needed something else that I didn't have today. I will keep working until I find it."
That's coaching

 

[Kieran]

They both played very high level tennis. Talk about over exaggeration. Pouille was just better when it counted. You can't have played a bad match when it came down to 7-6 (6) in the 5th set ffs.

That doesn't make logical sense, buddy. Of course you can have played a bad match and lose 7-6 in the fifth. Ask Darth. He thinks Roger played a lousy match that he lost 9-7 in the fifth...

 

[Front242]

They both played very high level tennis. Talk about over exaggeration. Pouille was just better when it counted. You can't have played a bad match when it came down to 7-6 (6) in the 5th set ffs.

That doesn't make logical sense, buddy. Of course you can have played a bad match and lose 7-6 in the fifth. Ask Darth. He thinks Roger played a lousy match that he lost 9-7 in the fifth...

Well, Roger was shite in that match for the first 2.5 sets but seriously, this match between Nadal and Pouille was mostly very high level from both guys. Just like with Roger these days, it still usually takes a very good match from the opponent to barely beat them so he can hardly have played like some of the Nadal fans here are claiming.

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

I don't think a coaching change at this point in his game is going to work. He is past his peak. He might be able to maintain and put himself in position like Federer has, but the longer you go without a slam win the harder it gets. Serena knows this which is why she is doing her best to stay in the winner's circle because when you are still there players know you aren't going anywhere quite yet.

That's very much BS..Rafa has as much tennis and athletic ability as Murray, Djoker Federer or Monfils. His game needs to be reconstructed to be imposing..he just said the same thing in his pressor..he didn't make any excuses but he said he needs to be more imposing on his opponent. That's coaching

Key words: He needs to be more opposing. A coach won't make him that only he can make himself that. I mean just like Federer has put himself in winning positions before only to lose it because he doesn't have a grip on the big points and probably never will again consistently. You can't teach the big points. Rafa and Federer are on the same trajectory if you think about it. The reality of it is Nadal is one more big injury away from retirement I would say, so trying to adjust his game could prove costly especially if an injury strikes again.

 

[the AntiPusher]

They both played very high level tennis. Talk about over exaggeration. Pouille was just better when it counted. You can't have played a bad match when it came down to 7-6 (6) in the 5th set ffs.

That doesn't make logical sense, buddy. Of course you can have played a bad match and lose 7-6 in the fifth. Ask Darth. He thinks Roger played a lousy match that he lost 9-7 in the fifth...

Roger wouldn't have lost to Pouille today , or 3 years from now. Roger would have pressured the kid and made it uncomfortable .. Roger would let that serve push him four to six feet beyond the baseline to return serve..Roger wouldn't never put Darth in this position to endure watching horsebleep like today's effort by Rafa. Watch what Monfils does to Pouille.

 

[Front242]

Nadal hasn't had a big injury in years and the talk of retirement due to injury with him has always made me laugh. Why? I'll tell you why. Because for all the constant talk of Nadal being so injured so so much of his career, he's had zero surgery due to injuries sustained through tennis. ZERO. He had appendix surgery and besides that he has had only treatments that were not surgery. So, really, talk of injuries ending his career are a bit laughable. Del Potro would clearly have the wrist injury Nadal had in exchange for his 2 years back and 3 surgeries, likewise Haas with his 9 surgeries. Give me a break with Nadal retiring due to injuries with no surgery please, not to mention each and every time he's ever been off tour he storms back lol.

 

[the AntiPusher]

I don't think a coaching change at this point in his game is going to work. He is past his peak. He might be able to maintain and put himself in position like Federer has, but the longer you go without a slam win the harder it gets. Serena knows this which is why she is doing her best to stay in the winner's circle because when you are still there players know you aren't going anywhere quite yet.

That's very much BS..Rafa has as much tennis and athletic ability as Murray, Djoker Federer or Monfils. His game needs to be reconstructed to be imposing..he just said the same thing in his pressor..he didn't make any excuses but he said he needs to be more imposing on his opponent. That's coaching

Key words: He needs to be more opposing. A coach won't make him that only he can make himself that. I mean just like Federer has put himself in winning positions before only to lose it because he doesn't have a grip on the big points and probably never will again consistently. You can't teach the big points. Rafa and Federer are on the same trajectory if you think about it. The reality of it is Nadal is one more big injury away from retirement I would say, so trying to adjust his game could prove costly especially if an injury strikes again.

Why did Rafa win the 2nd and 4 plus the majority of the 5 set..he played more aggressive . Came forward and controlled the net. He played like that in the beginning of the fifth set and when he was down 3-6 in the tbr..thats imposing tennis..

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

Nadal hasn't had a big injury in years and the talk of retirement due to injury with him has always made me laugh. Why? I'll tell you why. Because for all the constant talk of Nadal being so injured so so much of his career, he's had zero surgery due to injuries sustained through tennis. ZERO. He had appendix surgery and besides that he has had only treatments that were not surgery. So, really, talk of injuries ending his career are a bit laughable. Del Potro would clearly have the wrist injury Nadal had in exchange for his 2 years back and 3 surgeries, likewise Haas with his 9 surgeries. Give me a break with Nadal retiring due to injuries with no surgery please, not to mention each and every time he's ever been off tour he storms back lol.

Hasn't stormed back yet....

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

That's very much BS..Rafa has as much tennis and athletic ability as Murray, Djoker Federer or Monfils. His game needs to be reconstructed to be imposing..he just said the same thing in his pressor..he didn't make any excuses but he said he needs to be more imposing on his opponent. That's coaching

Key words: He needs to be more opposing. A coach won't make him that only he can make himself that. I mean just like Federer has put himself in winning positions before only to lose it because he doesn't have a grip on the big points and probably never will again consistently. You can't teach the big points. Rafa and Federer are on the same trajectory if you think about it. The reality of it is Nadal is one more big injury away from retirement I would say, so trying to adjust his game could prove costly especially if an injury strikes again.

Why did Rafa win the 2nd and 4 plus the majority of the 5 set..he played more aggressive . Came forward and controlled the net. He played like that in the beginning of the fifth set and when he was down 3-6 in the tbr..thats imposing tennis..

I think age has a big part in this. We have seen it with Roger, Serena and Nadal where they impose their game and expect an implosion of sorts from their opponents, so they remove the foot off the gas, and it doesn't happen they go oh sh!t I might actually have to keep doing what I was originally doing when I was winning. Sometimes they have managed to right the ship and other times it had come back to bite them in the @ss like it did Nadal today. They are creatures of habit in which they think they can get away with a certain level of play when it comes to the lessors, and some of those lessors say not today.

 

[Front242]

Nadal hasn't had a big injury in years and the talk of retirement due to injury with him has always made me laugh. Why? I'll tell you why. Because for all the constant talk of Nadal being so injured so so much of his career, he's had zero surgery due to injuries sustained through tennis. ZERO. He had appendix surgery and besides that he has had only treatments that were not surgery. So, really, talk of injuries ending his career are a bit laughable. Del Potro would clearly have the wrist injury Nadal had in exchange for his 2 years back and 3 surgeries, likewise Haas with his 9 surgeries. Give me a break with Nadal retiring due to injuries with no surgery please, not to mention each and every time he's ever been off tour he storms back lol.

Hasn't stormed back yet....

I completely disagree. He's been playing top level tennis since his return and today also. His opponent just played the more important points better. If he was playing crap he'd have lost in straight sets.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Key words: He needs to be more opposing. A coach won't make him that only he can make himself that. I mean just like Federer has put himself in winning positions before only to lose it because he doesn't have a grip on the big points and probably never will again consistently. You can't teach the big points. Rafa and Federer are on the same trajectory if you think about it. The reality of it is Nadal is one more big injury away from retirement I would say, so trying to adjust his game could prove costly especially if an injury strikes again.

Why did Rafa win the 2nd and 4 plus the majority of the 5 set..he played more aggressive . Came forward and controlled the net. He played like that in the beginning of the fifth set and when he was down 3-6 in the tbr..thats imposing tennis..

I think age has a big part in this. We have seen it with Roger, Serena and Nadal where they impose their game and expect an implosion of sorts from their opponents, so they remove the foot off the gas, and it doesn't happen they go oh sh!t I might actually have to keep doing what I was originally doing when I was winning. Sometimes they have managed to right the ship and other times it had come back to bite them in the @ss like it did Nadal today. They are creatures of habit in which they think they can get away with a certain level of play when it comes to the lessors, and some of those lessors say not today.

Rafa is only 11 months older than Murray and Djoker ..how is as ancient like Fed or Serena

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

Hasn't won a slam since his return from injury. Hasn't even seen a final.

 

[Front242]

Hasn't won a slam since his return from injury. Hasn't even seen a final.

That doesn't mean he's not playing well. It means his opponents are just playing better.