Argentina Open

[Kieran]

5-5. Good for the youngster to hang with Nadal like this...

 

[nehmeth]

And you keep saying you don't like Coric, or you like Thiem better. Why are you allowed to repeat yourself but not I?

I didn't say you couldn't, but you could at least give a different reason than the three years difference. I think Coric is a bit of a wuss. Thiem has grit to him. I thought he would go away after that second set and here he is battling on.

 

[nehmeth]

Now if only Thiem's muscle memory on serves would hold on to what he just did throughout the tiebreak.

... so far, so good.

 

[Kieran]

Score? Who looks most likely?

Sounds like it's a great match...

 

[nehmeth]

Score? Who looks most likely?

Sounds like it's a great match...

6-3 in the tiebreak.... Thiem has two chances to close this out.

 

[nehmeth]

Thiem moves on...

 

[Front242]

Well done and about Thiem it's over. You owned him.

 

[Kieran]

Good win for the youngster! :clap

Was the match as good as the score indicated?

 

[Front242]

Good win for the youngster! :clap

Was the match as good as the score indicated?

No. Full of slop really.

 

[shawnbm]

Thiem played with no fear and hit with abandon. Nadal is anxious

 

[Fiero425]

Thiem played with no fear and hit with abandon. Nadal is anxious

I keep telling people true competitive players without confidence aren't going to win; no matter their resume! Most think it's the legs, but it's obviously "the head" that goes first; Rafa's truly lacking in confidence! :nono :angel: :dodgy:

 

[Kieran]

Impressive that Thiem held on and took it. I always like to see younger players hang tough, sometimes especially in a sloppy match...

 

[Front242]

Guys, this isn't about confidence ffs. Don't get Carol started. There are tons of things wrong with his game.

 

[mrzz]

Yeah, the match was full of ups and downs. Very nervous from 2-2 on third onwards. Thiem gifted the break back early in the third, then saved a match point later. Some very good shots from both sides occasionally, both a lot of UFES too, so, in the end, a good match to watch but average technically wise.

I guess most, if not all, of the other players from Thiem generation would have wiped their pants... I said during the AO that I was jumping in the Thiem bandwagon, let's see how long is the ride.

 

[Front242]

Thiem is yet another guy like Nishikori who could be so much better if he had a good serve but it's mostly very poor. No power and poor placement, mostly into the net or miles long. Needs to work on that a lot and hits way too many errors.

 

[Kieran]

Guys, this isn't about confidence ffs. Don't get Carol started. There are tons of things wrong with his game.

Well, Carol and Bodo, let's be more clear. And I think confidence raises a players levels in all areas of their game too. it's not all about confidence, but until that gets sorted, we can't know what % the rest of it is...

 

[shawnbm]

What was most impressive to me about the youngster was that he won by coming from Match Point down. He said to Match Point with an impressive inside out forehand winner

 

[herios]

:deadhorse:deadhorse:deadhorse
Domi stuck his fork in the bull (no emoticon with a fork, but the hammer is not bad either)

 

[Front242]

Guys, this isn't about confidence ffs. Don't get Carol started. There are tons of things wrong with his game.

Well, Carol and Bodo, let's be more clear. And I think confidence raises a players levels in all areas of their game too. it's not all about confidence, but until that gets sorted, we can't know what % the rest of it is...

Bodo's far from an expert and like most here can't even see Nadal is slower, which means not only running around the court but reaction speeds, getting to shots, lining up shots, his forehand is very erratic, he hits it very short a lot of the time (since around 2009 now this has been the case) and his serve is easy to return. His game won in the past due to its physicality and now that this is noticeably fading away along with his muscles, so is he.

 

[nehmeth]

:deadhorse:deadhorse:deadhorse
Domi stuck his fork in the bull (no emoticon with a fork, but the hammer is not bad either)

Now if we could only get the "dead Bull" emoticon. :snicker.