2021 Australian Open Final: Novak Djokovic vs. Daniil Medvedev

[MargaretMcAleer]

The tennis australia chief name is Ms Jayne Hrdlicka. Just found out.

But even without the references to the vaccines, praising the Victorian Government and her waiting on the crowds to settle, etc her Eight Minute Speech was too long. As a mattter of interest how long was her speech in the ladies final? I did not see it.
Perhaps this american tennis australia import would be better suited if she runs for politics (as in her country, not here) or for the united nations.

Actually it was a good speech,no mention of politics or vaccines.Concentrated on women in sport etc.It wasn't as long as the mens final speech she gave at all.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

mr vladivedstok was maybe too confident before the final ..

but after 5-5 and quickly down set and a break it seemed to mess with the glorious vision of glory he had going on in his head and his brain flew away to hide in the dark.

 

[Vince Evert]

DJOKOVIC's 9TH SYMPHONY

An extended highlight video from the official AO channel here:

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Funny to look at the poll results of this thread. 70% called for Med to win. None called (not even GSM) for Nole to win in straight sets.

 

[Moxie]

Funny to look at the poll results of this thread. 70% called for Med to win. None called (not even GSM) for Nole to win in straight sets.

Absolutely no one thought that would be a straight sets match. But look at the poll for RG last fall. Most picked Novak to win, and he got skunked. Only one person, I think, picked Rafa in straights. We're not terrific prognosticators, apparently. But as to the set-up for this AO final, Djokovic looked beatable, and Medvedev was very much trending. I guess we learned something about betting against the house. AO is Novak's House, and RG is Rafa's.

 

[Vince Evert]

Actually it was a good speech,no mention of politics or vaccines.Concentrated on women in sport etc.It wasn't as long as the mens final speech she gave at all.

I would like to take back some of my earlier comment regarding Ms Jayne. I see and note her background is also in the airline industry and currently is the C.E.O of Jetstar. She also is resident of australia for over 10 years and married to one. Not sure how she came to be the CEO of Tennis Australia but there's probably a good reason for it such as being qualified and tennis background of some kind. However I still feel some of her remarks and long speech was uncalled for being a Tennis Event NOT a COVID public campaign. Seems obvious the people have heard enough, perhaps more so Victoria where that state was the hardest hit.

 

[MikeOne]

Hey, Mike, nice to see you around. Look, I take your point, and I absolutely don't like to hear people making like the loser just played crap when he was made to look like mush because the other guy was so much better. But you did watch that match, I assume. Djokovic started out top of the drawer. Then he let up and Medvedev caught up. An absolutely garbage game kept him from at least getting the first to a TB. Then Novak, for no reason, drops serve at the head of the 2nd. Medvedev fails to walk through an open door. I'm not saying he would have won, but he had opportunities to make a match of it, and it's not just because Djokovic was so clutch.

Please tell me the opportunities that Stan missed in the 2017 FO final. Not a reasonable comparison. Not even close. I'm saying that Medvedev had no game plan, and didn't execute at all. Not taking away from Djokovic, but he did offer up opportunities. For sure, by the end he was steamrolling, and really hitting his stride, and it IS his Slam. But there is nuance within the conversation, and if you watched the match, Medvedev had opportunities that he failed to capitalize on, and that's on him, not just Djokovic. I think that's a fair statement.

So how about i use your logic. In 08, Federer played like garbage, had nothing to do with Nadal, in that RG final. In 07 final, Fed won first set 6-1 in RG finals and had a mysterious letdown and let nadal nada l back in the match. In 13 semis, Djokovic missed an overhead, easy shot... to go up in 5th set, he was already up.... Nadal was lucky. In 14 semis, ferrer took first set off Nadal and took gas off the pedal... let Nadal back in. In USO final, Medvedev should've won that match vs Nadal, med better on hards, just was weak mentally. Thiem was tired and washed out in 20 RG final after that 5 hour battle with Djokovic in semis.. Thiem had opportunities... let them slip, took a set off.. if he only wasn't wasted and tired. Stan played scared and HORRIBLE in 17 RG final... no way he loses like that to nadal, he had won RG year before, he choked!

We can play this game all day long because it's very easy to do. Oftentimes, one player looks bad because of the opponent's play. The opponent is part of the puzzle... Medvedev cannot just play the same way he played against others, vs an in form Djokovic. Neither can any player play comfortably in the zone tennis vs Nadal at RG. Remember, 9 AOs and 13 RGs, for A REASON.

We can point to a ton of missed opportunities and bad play by losers... Federer squandered a a high # of break points vs Rafa in some RG finals. You say, 'Nadal too good', cali would say 'Federer a mental midget and WEAK'. It's all to do with our biases... you clearly don't like Djokovic, cali hates Nadal.

it's just very easy to point to a bad point here and there, a missed break point here and there, how they look vs how they looked vs others... this is just easy stuff, we can all do it. The problem is stats and facts don't lie. Remember rafa in 19 AO? He DESTROYED Tsitsipas... then how did he look in finals? The complete oppopsite, USELESS AND ABUSED by Djokovic. Did Nadal, who is extremely mentally strong, just happen to summon his best vs Tsitisipas but choke in finals? the difference was Djokovic... not Nadal playing poorly.

NO-ONE is going to look good vs Djokovic in AO when he is in top form... NO-ONE. Stan may be the exception but Stan has a very powerful game where he can take racquet off Djokovic. Meddvedev can't do that... When Djoker is at the top of his game, Medvedev is going to look bad. Djokovic has even made Federer look pedestrian at AO, in 16 those two sets 1,2 vs Fed, Fed looked like a college player... When Novak is striking ball well, serving well.... and not missing, sorry, medvedev is outclassed, so is nadal, on this surface, at AO. When you are facing Djokovic, you will have times when you will get discouraged because Novak's game is too tough.... yes there will be some downs... same with nadal at RG. The question is why? It's Nadal and Djokovic doing this to opponents...

 

[Moxie]

So how about i use your logic. In 08, Federer played like garbage, had nothing to do with Nadal, in that RG final. In 07 final, Fed won first set 6-1 in RG finals and had a mysterious letdown and let nadal nada l back in the match. In 13 semis, Djokovic missed an overhead, easy shot... to go up in 5th set, he was already up.... Nadal was lucky. In 14 semis, ferrer took first set off Nadal and took gas off the pedal... let Nadal back in. In USO final, Medvedev should've won that match vs Nadal, med better on hards, just was weak mentally. Thiem was tired and washed out in 20 RG final after that 5 hour battle with Djokovic in semis.. Thiem had opportunities... let them slip, took a set off.. if he only wasn't wasted and tired. Stan played scared and HORRIBLE in 17 RG final... no way he loses like that to nadal, he had won RG year before, he choked!

We can play this game all day long because it's very easy to do. Oftentimes, one player looks bad because of the opponent's play. The opponent is part of the puzzle... Medvedev cannot just play the same way he played against others, vs an in form Djokovic. Neither can any player play comfortably in the zone tennis vs Nadal at RG. Remember, 9 AOs and 13 RGs, for A REASON.

We can point to a ton of missed opportunities and bad play by losers... Federer squandered a a high # of break points vs Rafa in some RG finals. You say, 'Nadal too good', cali would say 'Federer a mental midget and WEAK'. It's all to do with our biases... you clearly don't like Djokovic, cali hates Nadal.

it's just very easy to point to a bad point here and there, a missed break point here and there, how they look vs how they looked vs others... this is just easy stuff, we can all do it. The problem is stats and facts don't lie. Remember rafa in 19 AO? He DESTROYED Tsitsipas... then how did he look in finals? The complete oppopsite, USELESS AND ABUSED by Djokovic. Did Nadal, who is extremely mentally strong, just happen to summon his best vs Tsitisipas but choke in finals? the difference was Djokovic... not Nadal playing poorly.

NO-ONE is going to look good vs Djokovic in AO when he is in top form... NO-ONE. Stan may be the exception but Stan has a very powerful game where he can take racquet off Djokovic. Meddvedev can't do that... When Djoker is at the top of his game, Medvedev is going to look bad. Djokovic has even made Federer look pedestrian at AO, in 16 those two sets 1,2 vs Fed, Fed looked like a college player... When Novak is striking ball well, serving well.... and not missing, sorry, medvedev is outclassed, so is nadal, on this surface, at AO. When you are facing Djokovic, you will have times when you will get discouraged because Novak's game is too tough.... yes there will be some downs... same with nadal at RG. The question is why? It's Nadal and Djokovic doing this to opponents...

I didn't say that the only reason Medvedev lost that final is that he played poorly and nothing to do with Djokovic. I'm perfectly happy if Djokovic fans think he played his best tennis in that match, because he had lapses, and all I've said is that Medvedev failed to capitalize. And then he totally went away in the 3rd. Of course that has more than a little to do with playing Novak in the AO final where he is, to-date, unbeaten. But I'm far from the only person who was shocked that Medvedev didn't have more fight in him for that match. I'm assuming you watched it? As to the 2019 AO, now THAT was a complete A-game from Djokovic. And I've certainly never said that it was "mysterious" how Nadal had such a poor final after such an otherwise good run of play. I don't think he played his best, but I'm willing to concede that he wasn't allowed to.

 

[Front242]

Djokovic definitely played better in 2019 and had no letdowns that I recall unlike against Medvedev this year who had his chances but blew them.