2018 AO Men's QF: Nadal - Cilic

[brokenshoelace]

Nadal looks out of it, physically. Game over.

 

[britbox]

The fifth set will determine the narrative for the match afterwards...

 

[Moxie]

You're missing our point. We know the reality. It's a reality that flies in the face of what Cilic is capable of. The point is, if we were designing a player to trouble Rafa, we could do worse than constructing a Cilic. Problem is his faulty genitalia

I'm not missing your point. All Fed fans think there is no player invented that should trouble Roger. Such a great champion. I'm saying I'll have a little bit of that chutzpah and say, STOP. I'm not interested in your theories and "what ifs." Cilic has been terrible v. Rafa until today.

And I think Rafa is done.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Nadal was looking hurt or fatigued before this. So absolutely. Are you guys also willing to admit the difference between this and the Wawrinka match when he was down a set and break before the injury?

No "you guys." Everyone admits Wawrinka was outplaying Nadal before the injury because it's a fact reflected by the scoreline prior to the injury. The difference was always in whether it was a done deal even without the injury,

 

[britbox]

It's over.

 

[britbox]

DId Nadal just veer away from a handshake at the last second?

 

[mrzz]

Just asking, if Cilic wins this and Rafa is physically struggling, can we use that as a reason, or will the narrative shift to Cilic playing very well, which everyone was denying prior to the injury?

Jokingly I would answer "it depends on what you guys pick first".

Seriously, I would say that Cilic started out by missing too much, and improved a lot during the match, helped also by Nadal's passive play in large stretches.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Also, has Cilic starred in a porno that I'm unaware of? (gross). Everyone seems to be familiar with his genitalia.

 

[Federberg]

Just asking, if Cilic wins this and Rafa is physically struggling, can we use that as a reason, or will the narrative shift to Cilic playing very well, which everyone was denying prior to the injury?

Lol! The way he's limping around, this looks legitimate. Please note that we non-Rafa fans tend to object to the "he would have won if..." argument. But let me be frank here. I will stipulate that Rafa would win this match but for this apparent injury. Is that satisfactory? But note... I utterly reject that in the matches against Stan and Soderling. Those guys had penis's

 

[brokenshoelace]

This tournament is fucking cursed for Nadal. He had a decent path to the final. Oh well.

 

[Denis]

Not able to watch this live, just following the scores and your commentary, but how is it over? Is nadal serving underhand?

 

[britbox]

Not able to watch this live, just following the scores and your commentary, but how is it over? Is nadal serving underhand?

I could have sworn he was going to shake Cilic's hand after the first game.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Not able to watch this live, just following the scores and your commentary, but how is it over? Is nadal serving underhand?

Not quite but he's limping around and not chasing balls.

 

[Federberg]

I could have sworn he was going to shake Cilic's hand after the first game.

Me too!

 

[brokenshoelace]

Jesus I've seen this sight way too many times at the AO. Is there a reason why Nadal gets hurt there so often when it's the start of the season? It really is weird.

 

[Federberg]

Not quite but he's limping around and not chasing balls.

yup agreed. Even the most rabid Nadal-hater couldn't construct an argument for why it would be necessary to play possum here. Not against Cilic. This has to be real

 

[Moxie]

Please direct me to where Federberg or myself said Cilic "should" beat Nadal or have a better career than him. We are just saying he has the type of game that can trouble Nadal a lot more than he has. Seriously it's nothing to be upset about.

It's insulting. You would not tolerate that talk about someone with such a record v. Roger. I'm pushing back. And UPSET? Rafa is probably injured and done. Give me a break.

 

[Federberg]

Jesus I've seen this sight way too many times at the AO. Is there a reason why Nadal gets hurt there so often when it's the start of the season? It really is weird.

It really is odd. It's like Roger with Montreal and Novak in Cincinnati. Novak could play his biggest client there and somehow I think he would find a way to lose. Tennis is odd like that

 

[brokenshoelace]

I hate to be heartless but Nadal only has himself to blame. If he doesn't fall apart in the second set this one is over in straights and he's rested for the semis, no injury, no nothing.

 

[Federberg]

This is tragic