2020 French Open Final: Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal
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Kieran
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It really was. How was Rafa's serve? Sealing it with an ace was just the ice-cream on top of a chocolate cake. He dominated Novak, harried and harrassed him, so then the UFE's grew etc. Today isn't a day to be saying what if. It is what it is, as Bob Dylan says....
Kieran
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Did I use the word invincible? no, but I think at the latter stages, once he'd knocked the clay off his plimsolls, he was virtually unplayable. Anyway, we won't ever be able to go back in time and change things...
Would you like to run down Nadal’s list of losses at Wimbledon? Rosol and Dustin Brown perhaps?
The point is, to say that Nadal ever showed a higher level on grass than what Federer has is ridiculous.
MargaretMcAleer
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Wonderful to see you Keiran....how about our boys performance !
Nadal was like a god on grass 2008-10 way higher level than federer and these matches you show don't matter because its only early rounds.
The one thing you can never take away from Nadal is that he maximizes his opportunities. He always brings his best and that is more than can be said of almost everyone.
Nadal would never, for example, serve 40% in the first set of a Grand Slam final - to his credit.
Kieran
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Nice to meet you, Margaret!. It was a display on a par with anything we've seen. Given the stature of his opponent, it was a ruthless killings, a bludgeoning, a masterpiece. In such a lousy year for everybody, it was a priceless gift...
yes Nadal just as bad but Federer the second grass court king behind djokovic who beaten federer in 3 wimbledon finals so this upset even worst. And I stand by Nadal getting to a much higher than federer in 2010s, Nadal 13 majors federer only 5?
If he had a way higher level on grass than Federer in 2008, why did he only win it 9-7 in the 5th? Lol.
And yes, early round matches do count if you are comparing level.
Kieran
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He probably has, though. Federer won a 6-0 first set against Rafa at Wimbledon in 2006, I dunno what the stats are but it didn't last as long as the first set today. If Rafa reaches a final, he's playing at a certain level, and though he's taken some beatings in finals, his effort is honest. But hey, Novak hammered Rafa in Oz last year. Roger has beaten him, they've all got great wins and horrible defeats to look back on...
federer had lots of 5 set battles early in wimbledon just like Nadal So dont try to be smart your NOT LOL.
The set you are talking about was at 2006 Wimbledon - Nadal’s first final there. There is no comparison between Nadal being overwhelmed by Federer at his peak at his best tournament in Nadal’s first Wimbledon final with what Djokovic did today. This was Djokovic’s 5th Roland Garros final, 3rd against Nadal and 8th match overall against Nadal at the French Open. There was no excuse to serve 40% in the first set.
Djokovic is not 19 years old anymore.
Kieran
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I agree largely but, I think now is an opportunity for you to praise the winner. Novak was trying but Rafa was celestial. He disturbed everything in Novak's game today...
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Roddick won a first set 6-0 at the 2004 USO.
Unfortunately tennis.com only keeps stats for the overall match, not per set, so there’s no way to prove or disprove any of this on their site.
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In 2008, Federer did not drop a set before the final. In 2009, he only dropped one set before the final. And in the prior years I don’t recall him ever going to 5 before the final.
Nadal’s best run at Wimbledon was in 2008 but there’s no way his level was above Federer’s. Nadal’s only other title at Wimbledon required him to win 2 5-setters.
Nadal also got to a higher level of god mode tennis on hard courts than both Djokovic and Federer as well in 2010,2013 2009, 2019 of course Nadal favorite surface stats and level are far greater than Djokovic and Federer favorite surface stats as well like I said greater player Nadal.
To be honest, it’s hard to gauge how well Nadal was really playing since he wasn’t tested (score-wise) until the 3rd set. This match never really got off its feet and that owed to Djokovic’s serving.
Like I’ve been saying, as great a year as Djokovic has had, the one vulnerability has been serve. And that really caught up with him against Tsitsipas in the 3rd set and then today in the first set.
Not closing out Tsitsipas was also the difference between coming out fresh and coming out sluggish. So the poor serving cost Djokovic twice.
