2018 AO Men's QF: Nadal - Cilic

[the AntiPusher]

Very sad to see Rafa retire. Looks like the AO is cursed for him. He has been injured at least 4 times in different years. 2 of these injuries were in finals - so perhaps 2 of these (at least) were title opportunities lost.

When he's been fit - he's lost 2 finals after being a break up in the 5th. What is it about this tournament that makes Nadal either injured or to choke? Either he doesn't prepare right or there is something about the surface. Maybe it's just crazy dumb luck.

I think the only chance for Nadal today was to think to himself - " I'm not doing too well physically, so I have to be off court in under 3 hours". He could have managed that had he NOT been passive in set 2 , won it and wrapped the match in straights. He would have still lost the final to Fed, but better to lose late than early.

Anyway, bad luck for Nadal. Commiserations to his fans. Obviously feel devastated that Rafa had to go out this way. Stayed up the whole night and gosh the next 10 hours of the work day are going to suck..

yes Jimmy..Rafa was the architect of his own demise..he played too freaking passive when he was up a break in the 2nd..i just woke up at that point in the match..i could have stayed asleep..We all knew he was gonna get destroyed by Roger in the finals playing the way he has been competing this year. I would like to see Chung make it to the semis vs Roger .

 

[10isfan]

On the bright side for Nadal fans, it is his thigh, not his knees. Muscular injury heals much more quickly than joint injury. Nadal will be fine in a couple of weeks.

 

[Moxie]

Remember when everybody used to shite on Roger for all the 5-setters he lost - and say Nadal has more guts and ALWAYS wins his 5-setters? Well...age ain't just a number. Nadal himself said it was harder to close out matches now than when he was younger because more goes through the brain and the tension sets in. Now look at Nadal, 31, and Djokovic, 30 - losing close 3 and 5 set matches that they used to win in their prime. I think this could finally be the year that a fork will be stuck in the Big 4's dominance.

Except Roger's 5-setters were when he was younger. Different reasons.

 

[Federberg]

Except Roger's 5-setters were when he was younger. Different reasons.

Could you elaborate on what those reasons are?

 

[Moxie]

Could you elaborate on what those reasons are?

Somebody posted that Rafa said that, as he gets older, he thinks about things more and the stress of the 5th gets to him more. He saying his has come late-career. Not so for Roger.

 

[Federberg]

Somebody posted that Rafa said that, as he gets older, he thinks about things more and the stress of the 5th gets to him more. He saying his has come late-career. Not so for Roger.

Ok.. I'm confused, that's what @Busted said so by bringing Roger into it I assumed you had something else to say?

 

[Moxie]

Ok.. I'm confused, that's what @Busted said so by bringing Roger into it I assumed you had something else to say?

No. I was just saying that Roger's wasn't age-related.

 

[Federberg]

No. I was just saying that Roger's wasn't age-related.

Ok I'll pull the troops back behind the DMZ then...

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Commiseration to Nadalites. I did not see the match at all. I need to catch the highlights.

Hope he can recover in time for the dirty season, if not before.

 

[I.Haychew]

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

"Cursed" may be a bit of an exaggeration, being that he DID win it in 2009.

 

[crystalfire]

"Cursed" may be a bit of an exaggeration, being that he DID win it in 2009.

and made the finals multiple times

 

[Moxie]

"Cursed" may be a bit of an exaggeration, being that he DID win it in 2009.

I got this from a certain friend of ours in Ireland:

2006 - absent through injury
2007 - played
2008 - semi
2009 - won
2010 - retired injured v Murray
2011 - hamstring injury v Ferrer
2012 - Novak
2013 - absent through injury
2014 - back injury v Stan
2015 - coming back from injury
2016 - Shit
2017 - Federer
2018 - retired injured v Cilic

I edited out some of the rudeness. But, given that Rafa is an all-time great, that is some bad luck. You may not agree.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I got this from a certain friend of ours in Ireland:

2006 - absent through injury
2007 - played
2008 - semi
2009 - won
2010 - retired injured v Murray
2011 - hamstring injury v Ferrer
2012 - Novak
2013 - absent through injury
2014 - back injury v Stan
2015 - coming back from injury
2016 - Shit
2017 - Federer
2018 - retired injured v Cilic

I edited out some of the rudeness. But, given that Rafa is an all-time great, that is some bad luck. You may not agree.

I agree that Rafa is quite unlucky at AO. But, I would only count the 4 times he was injured (Murray, Ferrer, Stan and Cilic) and 2 times he was forced to withdraw. Others are normal happenings.

 

[Moxie]

I agree that Rafa is quite unlucky at AO. But, I would only count the 4 times he was injured (Murray, Ferrer, Stan and Cilic) and 2 times he was forced to withdraw. Others are normal happenings.

Hmm...obviously. Doh! It gives the full picture, though.

 

[brokenshoelace]

"Cursed" may be a bit of an exaggeration, being that he DID win it in 2009.

Talking about his injuries there, not his results.

 

[Front242]

I got this from a certain friend of ours in Ireland:

2006 - absent through injury
2007 - played and got destroyed by Gonzalez.
2008 - semi. Destroyed by pretty much unplayable Tsonga in the best match he (Tsonga) ever played hands down.
2009 - won
2010 - retired injured v Murray
2011 - hamstring injury v Ferrer
2012 - Novak
2013 - had a sore ickle tummy. Poor, poor Wafa. NOT injured. Mostly this was his choice not to play due to what he considered not enough practice time though ironically he had way less time to practice this year but he was not injured. That's bs from Kieran.
2014 - back injury v Stan
2015 - coming back from injury
2016 - Shit
2017 - Federer
2018 - retired injured v Cilic but was getting his ass handed to him before he got injured anyway from midway through the match as Cilic was pretty much unplayable like USO 2014 and likely would have won anyway and this is the general consensus with most people I've talked to who watched the match. His 5 set record is not good last few years.

I edited out some of the rudeness. But, given that Rafa is an all-time great, that is some bad luck. You may not agree.

^ Fixed that for you.

 

[Moxie]

^ Fixed that for you.

:lulz2: And I did suggest that you catalogue his losses.

 

[brokenshoelace]

^ Fixed that for you.

Wait wait wait wait wait, I know I'm late to the part but what's that?

Nadal was getting his ass handed to him by Cilic before the injury? He was up 2 sets to 1.

And Cilic was unplayable? Are you fucking kidding me? Did you seriously watch the match?

The match in which Nadal was getting his ass handed to him in Australia before the injury was Murray in 2010, when he was down 2 sets to love.

 

[Andy22]

AO is part of a hat trick of cursed events, 1. Never win Miami curse . 2. Federer cry baby curse . 3. The triple hat trick curse, never win hard court event, more than 3 times India wells, Montreal, USO 3 titles

 

[DarthFed]

He doesn't deserve to win any hard court event more than 3 times. It'd be like me saying Roger is cursed at IW because he's only won it 5 times.