2018 Australian Open, Melbourne - ATP GRAND SLAM

[GameSetAndMath]

Matches that did not happen at this AO.

1. JMDP vs. Goffin 4R (both flunked out)
2. Djokovic vs. Thiem QF (both flunked out).
3. Rafa vs. Grigor SF (both flunked out).

I haven not seen this many projected matches getting cancelled due to BOTH players flunking out in the same GS.

I think this means we probably have new world order now.

In the new world order, Fed shall remain the King and all the Ministers will be replaced.

 

[mrzz]

In the new world order, Fed shall remain the King and all the Ministers will be replaced.

Back to the DMZ my arse... Let's break all the treaties!

 

[Fiero425]

Matches that did not happen at this AO.

1. JMDP vs. Goffin 4R (both flunked out)
2. Djokovic vs. Thiem QF (both flunked out).
3. Rafa vs. Grigor SF (both flunked out).

I haven not seen this many projected matches getting cancelled due to BOTH players flunking out in the same GS.

I think this means we probably have new world order now.

In the new world order, Fed shall remain the King and all the Ministers will be replaced.

It would be nice! Before the Big 4 took over, AO was likely to at least have some upsets and have an odd finalist like Tsonga or Baghdatis, then out of the blue tourney winners like Johansson or Korda! I would be gratified to have that new world order to begin! No matter how good, after a while, I'd like the next generation to have their chance at greatness! :whistle:

 

[Federberg]

It would be nice! Before the Big 4 took over, AO was likely to at least have some upsets and have an odd finalist like Tsonga or Baghdatis, then out of the blue tourney winners like Johanssen or Korda! I would be gratified to have that new world order to begin! No matter how good, after a while, I'd like the next generation to have their chance at greatness! :whistle:

Lol! I bet you'd be one of the first to complain if we have another non-entity final like the one Johanssen was in!

 

[Fiero425]

Lol! I bet you'd be one of the first to complain if we have another non-entity final like the one Johanssen was in!

Not if they backed it up and continued winning! Many were hoping for Grigor to make it to the final after winning his 1st Masters and the YEC, but it was not to be! I've been hoping for Zverev to come into his own, but again, he just hasn't matured enough to back up the game he has to beat just about anyone! :whistle: :cuckoo:

 

[Federberg]

Not if they backed it up and continued winning! Many were hoping for Grigor to make it to the final after winning his 1st Masters and the YEC, but it was not to be! I've been hoping for Zverev to come into his own, but again, he just hasn't matured enough to back up the game he has to beat just about anyone! :whistle: :cuckoo:

I think we have to accept the fact that the Big 3 are different beasts. We've never seen their like before. It might be injuries and old age that do them in rather than being usurped. I'm ok with that. Particularly if Novak and Rafa are hobbled for the rest of the year. Who knows if Rafa can't get himself together before the clay season. Roger might make an appearance at RG (I imagine they would plead with him to do that) and with neither Novak or Rafa there he might finally do the one thing he hasn't done. Heck what am I saying! I'll just be happy if he wins this one. Had to pause and touch wood there...:hunting:

 

[Fiero425]

I think we have to accept the fact that the Big 3 are different beasts. We've never seen their like before. It might be injuries and old age that do them in rather than being usurped. I'm ok with that. Particularly if Novak and Rafa are hobbled for the rest of the year. Who knows if Rafa can't get himself together before the clay season. Roger might make an appearance at RG (I imagine they would plead with him to do that) and with neither Novak or Rafa there he might finally do the one thing he hasn't done. Heck what am I saying! I'll just be happy if he wins this one. Had to pause and touch wood there...:hunting:

True enough, but I've felt this way many times before starting with "old man" Rosewall! Mon Dieu, he hung on to 45 or 46! As the 14th seed, he actually had the nerve to show up at the USO when it was on clay in '77! Like he didn't know he wasn't going to go down and go down hard to some kid who would embarrass his old arse; the arrogance of it all! IIRC, I think it was Higueras that ran him off the clay at Forest Hills in the 3rd RD! Loved Martina Navratilova, but by '93-94 she was done and wasting her time! She gave me one more thrill by beating Monica Seles at the VS of Palm Springs in '91, but after that, she was also wasting her time! That was a nice ending to make Wimbledon final in '94, but was helped by upsets of Graf in the 1st round by Lori McNeil! 'The Big 4' are another breed indeed! Every time you think "it's over," they come back stronger; esp. Federer! Not sure about Nole and Andy this time unless they get illicit help like some think of other players that will remain nameless for the time being! :whistle:

 

[Federberg]

True enough, but I've felt this way many times before starting with "old man" Rosewall! Mon Dieu, he hung on to 45 or 46! As the 14th seed, he actually had the nerve to show up at the USO when it was on clay in '77! Like he didn't know he wasn't going to go down and go down hard to some kid who would embarrass his old arse; the arrogance of it all! IIRC, I think it was Higueras that ran him off the clay at Forest Hills! Loved Martina Navratilova, but by '93-94 she was done and wasting her time! She gave me one more thrill by beating Monica Seles at the VS of Palm Springs in '91, but after that, she was also wasting her time! That was a nice ending to make Wimbledon final in '94, but was helped by upsets of Graf in the 1st round by Lori McNeil! The Big 4 are another breed indeed! Every time you think "it's over," they come back stronger; even Federer! Not sure about Nole and Andy this time unless they get illicit help like some think of other players that will remain nameless for the time being! :whistle:

Especially you mean?

 

[Fiero425]

Especially you mean?

Thank you!

 

[Moxie]

Matches that did not happen at this AO.

1. JMDP vs. Goffin 4R (both flunked out)
2. Djokovic vs. Thiem QF (both flunked out).
3. Rafa vs. Grigor SF (both flunked out).

I haven not seen this many projected matches getting cancelled due to BOTH players flunking out in the same GS.

I think this means we probably have new world order now.

In the new world order, Fed shall remain the King and all the Ministers will be replaced.

LOL, GSM. As if the throngs were clamoring for those matches! You sure you're not just looking for another excuse to rub it in?

 

[GameSetAndMath]

LOL, GSM. As if the throngs were clamoring for those matches! You sure you're not just looking for another excuse to rub it in?

Oh, boy you imagine things. Cool off. I have not even seen the match.

 

[herios]

Matches that did not happen at this AO.

1. JMDP vs. Goffin 4R (both flunked out)
2. Djokovic vs. Thiem QF (both flunked out).
3. Rafa vs. Grigor SF (both flunked out).

I haven not seen this many projected matches getting cancelled due to BOTH players flunking out in the same GS.

I think this means we probably have new world order now.

In the new world order, Fed shall remain the King and all the Ministers will be replaced.

There is no doubt the shake-up of the ATP hierarchical order is continuing this year with even more intensity.
No doubt the numerous injuries facilitates it, but is what happens in sports.
I was thinking how far back in time you will have to go back to find a similar unexpected top 4 in a slam?
One is Edmund who was ranked 49 before the event started, the other will be either Chung ranked 58 or Sandgren ranked 97. Two of these guys are very young considering the aging field, Edmund 22 and Chung 21. So the long waited transition is now unfolding.

 

[El Dude]

A major result of aging is increased propensity for injury, so I think the two go hand in hand: injury and aging, and thus the shift in the hierarchy.

I say this because it seems some seem to downplay the aging of the elite as a causative factor in the shake-up, instead focusing on injury, when we generally can't separate aging and injury (not saying you are doing this, @herios, but your post reminded me of this).

In other words:

Aging of elite ---> more injuries of elite + rise of younger players ---> shift in hierarchy.

There's also a bit of a chicken-egg thing with the Rafa-Novak generation elite and the weak LostGen. While I do think the latter is historically shallow in terms of talent, they might look even worse because they're in the wake of arguably the greatest generation in Open Era history, but that greatness is artificially magnified by the weakness of LostGen...so a chicken-egg thing.

 

[Moxie]

Oh, boy you imagine things. Cool off. I have not even seen the match.

Not really necessary for demonstrating

A major result of aging is increased propensity for injury, so I think the two go hand in hand: injury and aging, and thus the shift in the hierarchy.

I say this because it seems some seem to downplay the aging of the elite as a causative factor in the shake-up, instead focusing on injury, when we generally can't separate aging and injury (not saying you are doing this, @herios, but your post reminded me of this).

In other words:

Aging of elite ---> more injuries of elite + rise of younger players ---> shift in hierarchy.

There's also a bit of a chicken-egg thing with the Rafa-Novak generation elite and the weak LostGen. While I do think the latter is historically shallow in terms of talent, they might look even worse because they're in the wake of arguably the greatest generation in Open Era history, but that greatness is artificially magnified by the weakness of LostGen...so a chicken-egg thing.

I get where you're going with the chicken-egg thing. The Lost Generation may be especially weak, and I rather think they are. However, it would have been unrealistic to expect a Federer/Nadal/Djokovic to come up next. What we didn't get was a Safin or Nalbandian. (Don't even try to say that Dimitrov has been.) That's why we're looking to the NextGen. I think the injuries matter as far as the Big 4, but less so as far as the Lost Gen. They really making their mark on tennis, anyway.

 

[britbox]

Nadal's been ripping into the tour organisers for the hardcourt injury epidemic.

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[/parsehtml]Link: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/...m-australian-open-chance-20180123-h0n9ag.html

Couple of things...

a) Perhaps Nadal should actually start taking better care of his own schedule in Federer-type style. I mean why the hell is he scheduled to play a hard court event in Acapulco? He doesn't have to play all these hard court events - he chooses to play a ton of them.

b) A lot of the injuries are happening to older players... this is father time. It's life.

 

[Denis]

^ agreed. No need to play in Mexico.

They should play more clay events though after Nadal retires. I love clay.

 

[britbox]

^ Nah, let's bring in some more grass court tennis.

 

[isabelle]

^ agreed. No need to play in Mexico.

They should play more clay events though after Nadal retires. I love clay.

according to l'Equipe, he hopes to be ready for Acapulco (Delpo, Zverev, Thiem 'll also play)

 

[Federberg]

^ agreed. No need to play in Mexico.

They should play more clay events though after Nadal retires. I love clay.

Lol! Why after Rafa retires?

 

[Fiero425]

^ agreed. No need to play in Mexico.

They should play more clay events though after Nadal retires. I love clay.

People are forgetting high appearance fees at lesser tourneys! Rafa's a money HO and isn't going to pass up a big check! :whistle: