2020 Australian Open QF: Rafael Nadal vs. Dominic Thiem

[Federberg]

It probably shouldn't have been a close match but for Medvedev's starting slow, then allowing Rafa to run him to death due to playing so deep! Those drop-shots had to be exhausting to Daniil, but it's on him if he's hanging out by the "back stop!" Rafa does it too; hence the drop-shot success of Nick Kyrgios just days before!

Medvedev has a big job to do, to prove to himself that he can win a 5 setter. Because if I'm anyone else in the top 10 at a slam, I'm going to do everything I can to take him into deep waters and another 5th set (if I'm not playing that well), because I'll be everything I can take him out in a final set

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

There really wasn’t much between these two at the end of it as they both ended it with the same differential +16. The only difference is Thiem was dictating play.

 

[Jelenafan]

I think there's this fundamental misunderstanding about sports. Sportsmen aren't playstation characters that can optimise their levels at will. Particularly in a sport like tennis which is Mano a Mano. One player normally tends to win by finding a way to make the other uncomfortable. At the highest level if both players were able to play at their very best they would be flinging winners all over the place. But that rarely happens in the real world. One player is better able to elicit errors from the other. As for the rest of it, Rafa is older and smarter. Within the confines of his style and personality I'm sure Rafa didn't feel the need to red line it against weaker opposition. He would have been saving himself for precisely this sort of of match, and he wasn't able to do that.... because of Thiem

If I had a dime for every time a player loses the rationale by the fans being “ He wasn’t at his best...”

 

[Jelenafan]

Are you suggesting that Nadal lost because he didn’t play his best? On clay I would agree, but the match they played at the US Open in 2018 was very close. I don’t like the Austrian that much either, but I think on hard courts he can hold his own against Nadal.

I do like Theim and I think it’s fair to say he can hold his own against anyone on HC . He’s beaten everyone hasn’t he?

 

[Bonaca]

I think there's this fundamental misunderstanding about sports. Sportsmen aren't playstation characters that can optimise their levels at will. Particularly in a sport like tennis which is Mano a Mano. One player normally tends to win by finding a way to make the other uncomfortable. At the highest level if both players were able to play at their very best they would be flinging winners all over the place. But that rarely happens in the real world. One player is better able to elicit errors from the other. As for the rest of it, Rafa is older and smarter. Within the confines of his style and personality I'm sure Rafa didn't feel the need to red line it against weaker opposition. He would have been saving himself for precisely this sort of of match, and he wasn't able to do that.... because of Thiem

Or the other way around

 

[Bonaca]

I do like Theim and I think it’s fair to say he can hold his own against anyone on HC . He’s beaten everyone hasn’t he?

Right and was beaten by everyone more often.

 

[Bonaca]

No joking anymore, let me be clear:

This Domi guy was today the better player and deserved to win. It was a very close battle.
He is a hell of a player when reaching this level, on HC and clay.

 

[Fiero425]

If I had a dime for every time a player loses the rationale by the fans being “ He wasn’t at his best...”

We accept it at times; just depends on what side of the trolling you're on! I joined in with many who gave Roger cover early on when Rafa was "owning" his arse 15 years ago! People should have gotten off of that when Nadal took Fed to 5 sets at Wimbledon in '07! That should have told us all, "this is no fluke! This kid is kickin' 'The Goat's' butt!" When Rafa actually won in '08, everyone was weepy for Roger! Why? He'd won 5 in a row! I'm sure no one cried when Rafa was eliminated at the FO in '09 by Soderling! I know I cheered like it was some kind of right for Fed to have his chance to win in Paris even if on the wings of a scrub!

 

[Federberg]

We accept it at times; just depends on what side of the trolling you're on! I joined in with many who gave Roger cover early on when Rafa was "owning" his arse 15 years ago! People should have gotten off of that when Nadal took Fed to 5 sets at Wimbledon in '07! That should have told us all, "this is no fluke! This kid is kickin' 'The Goat's' butt!" When Rafa actually won in '08, everyone was weepy for Roger! Why? He'd won 5 in a row! I'm sure no one cried when Rafa was eliminated at the FO in '09 by Soderling! I know I cheered like it was some kind of right for Fed to have his chance to win in Paris even if on the wings of a scrub!

So the guy who beat Rafa was a scrub? Wow...

 

[Jelenafan]

We accept it at times; just depends on what side of the trolling you're on! I joined in with many who gave Roger cover early on when Rafa was "owning" his arse 15 years ago! People should have gotten off of that when Nadal took Fed to 5 sets at Wimbledon in '07! That should have told us all, "this is no fluke! This kid is kickin' 'The Goat's' butt!" When Rafa actually won in '08, everyone was weepy for Roger! Why? He'd won 5 in a row! I'm sure no one cried when Rafa was eliminated at the FO in '09 by Soderling! I know I cheered like it was some kind of right for Fed to have his chance to win in Paris even if on the wings of a scrub!

I get that on any given day even pros at the highest level sometimes are a bit off, regardless of the opponent. When a player is making tons of UFE’s it’s not always about their opponents high level. It happens.

My issue is with the rationale that the victory by the opponent isn’t “legit” because the player was not at their best. It doesn’t matter, the victory and loss still count. You can’t wish it away as if it didn’t occur.

Most champs can win even not playing at their peak, but again every match dynamic ( including opponents level and play) is unique. Unless you have Serena vs. Sharapova where it doesn’t matter, Serena peak or not t was going to beat her like a drum every time. Or at least for 15 consecutive years.

 

[Jelenafan]

Medvedev has a big job to do, to prove to himself that he can win a 5 setter. Because if I'm anyone else in the top 10 at a slam, I'm going to do everything I can to take him into deep waters and another 5th set (if I'm not playing that well), because I'll be everything I can take him out in a final set

Shades of early Agassi.

 

[Fiero425]

So the guy who beat Rafa was a scrub? Wow...

"Here we go; Mr. Sensitive!" No Soderling is no scrub! I still do and will forever think Roger owes that man a lot; "a house back in Sweden would be nice!" Roger never really came close to winning the FO over Nadal with multiple opportunities! We gave him excuses; a lot of it gamesmanship by Rafa and we rationalized why he was never in the winner's circle accepting his own "Coupe des Mousquetaires!" Soderling and Soderling alone got him that TROPHY so no, he's not a scrub! He's obviously better than Roger will ever be on clay since he was able to beat Rafa on his HOME COURT and Roger never did!

 

[Federberg]

"Here we go; Mr. Sensitive!" No Soderling is no scrub! I still do and will forever think Roger owes that man a lot; "a house back in Sweden would be nice!" Roger never really came close to winning the FO over Nadal with multiple opportunities! We gave him excuses; a lot of it gamesmanship by Rafa and we rationalized why he was never in the winner's circle accepting his own "Coupe des Mousquetaires!" Soderling and Soderling alone got him that TROPHY so no, he's not a scrub! He's obviously better than Roger will ever be on clay since he was able to beat Rafa on his HOME COURT and Roger never did!

I'm sure even you can appreciate the ridiculousness of your last sentence. Seeing as he lost to Roger. But I'll leave you to your... whatever..

 

[Front242]

I never said it was a blowout. It was clearly a very close match.

I agree it was very close although I'd love to dig out the posts from Nadal clowns claiming matches Federer lost with similar scoreline weren't close because "he only won one set".

 

[atttomole]

I do like Theim and I think it’s fair to say he can hold his own against anyone on HC . He’s beaten everyone hasn’t he?

What is your point? I don’t know if he has beaten everyone, but I know he has beaten Federer and Nadal. Not sure if he has beaten Djokovic or Wawrinka on hard courts.

 

[Jelenafan]

I agree it was very close although I'd love to dig out the posts from Nadal clowns claiming matches Federer lost with similar scoreline weren't close because "he only won one set".

Im sure I can dig out posts from the 2017 AO final when Methuselah won in a fifth set after Rafa was up a break when one particular poster claimed it wasn’t really that close.


Having said that, there are plenty of four set matches where one player loses the first set, and then blows out the other player the last 3 sets. Zverev/ Wawrinka comes to mind. If you want to compare that 4 setter to the Theim/Nadal 4 setter as both “very close” go right ahead.

 

[Fiero425]

I'm sure even you can appreciate the ridiculousness of your last sentence. Seeing as he lost to Roger. But I'll leave you to your... whatever..

Then beat him the following year depriving us of another Rafa beat down of "The GOAT" in the final on the Terre Bateau of Roland Garros!

 

[Jelenafan]

What is your point? I don’t know if he has beaten everyone, but I know he has beaten Federer and Nadal. Not sure if he has beaten Djokovic or Wawrinka on hard courts.

My point is that he’s improved on HC in the last 12 months where’s he’s a top threat to anyone now.

He beat Novak on indoor HC at the YE ATP in Nov. , hasn’t beaten Wawrinka but they last played on HC in 2014.

 

[mrzz]

If you put together Thiem's results against the big three in the last, say, two full years, his tittles, major finals, big tournaments finals, there is no way around the fact that he is the major threat to the big three. It is just too many matches against those guys with a positive outcome.

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

I am really hoping Thiem can win the title. He has a slam coming to him. I hope he schedules himself well this year.