Australian Open Day 3: Wednesday, January 21

[brokenshoelace]

Rafa is now 17-5 in five setters. Not too shabby. Off the top of my head, the losses were to:

Hewitt (AO 2005), Federer (Miami 2005), Federer (Wimbledon 2007), Djokovic (AO 2012) and Rosol (Wimbledon 2012). One of those names isn't like the others.

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Puz2x6KiE1A[/video]

 

[Vince Evert]

Rafa is now 17-5 in five setters. Not too shabby. Off the top of my head, the losses were to:

Hewitt (AO 2005), Federer (Miami 2005), Federer (Wimbledon 2007), Djokovic (AO 2012) and Rosol (Wimbledon 2012). One of those names isn't like the others.

Strangely enough BS, Channel 7TWO are going to replay that 2005 match vs Hewitt after midnight local time, which I'm going to tape as I did not see it at the time -

12:30am - 5:00am
7TWO

Australian Open Tennis Classic - 2005 Fourth Round: Nadal v Hewitt - 7TWO (Repeat)
Sport
Catch all the tennis action in the 2005 match between Nadal and Hewitt.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Did you guys know that Roger Federer was stung by a bee during the first set of his match earlier today ? He came back and won in four sets, thanks goodness, LOL -

5pm — FEDERER STUNG BY A BEE, RECOVERS
IT’S not something we’re accustomed to seeing in the first week of a grand slam, but Roger Federer dropped the first set 6-3 against Italy’s Simone Bolelli this afternoon.

The Swiss bounced back quickly, however, to run out a comfortable 3-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 winner.

He was also stung by a bee, as you can see in the video above.
http://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-day-three-from-melbourne-park/story-fndkzym4-1227191692673

What's the health status of the bee afterwards of stinging the Mighty Fed

 

[Vince Evert]

LOL dunno but maybe the Bee instilled some honey in his gifted right hand as Fed's tennis was sublime after that.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Did you guys know that Roger Federer was stung by a bee during the first set of his match earlier today ? He came back and won in four sets, thanks goodness, LOL -

5pm — FEDERER STUNG BY A BEE, RECOVERS
IT’S not something we’re accustomed to seeing in the first week of a grand slam, but Roger Federer dropped the first set 6-3 against Italy’s Simone Bolelli this afternoon.

The Swiss bounced back quickly, however, to run out a comfortable 3-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 winner.

He was also stung by a bee, as you can see in the video above.
http://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-day-three-from-melbourne-park/story-fndkzym4-1227191692673

What's the health status of the bee afterwards of stinging the Mighty Fed

If it's a honeybee, it died. For real. Honeybees die after stinging. Can only imagine how much quicker death would be after stinging a GOAT.

 

[the AntiPusher]

woah. falling on his knees crying after 2nd Rd win against #112, says something about how intense that brush with an early exit was.
i'm really optimistic that in the end, the match will do more good than harm.

It will do him good as far as confidence goes and playing in the clutch (even though he played poorly in the clutch but as always, he fought). However, I worry about the physical toll it took on him. I think he's in a similar spot to where Murray was at last year at the same point. He just came back from injury and is not ready physically, and it shows through his game. The movement is worryingly off, and the serve is somewhat harmless.

I do think it's a bit much to ask from Nadal to go deep in this tournament. This is probably the first real "one match at a time" tournament of Nadal's career. Going deep is just a confidence builder, but if this month is any indication, he doesn't have a real shot of winning the tournament.

Here is my take...so days you just feel like crap.. So you just have to gut it out. Afterwards of winning a match like this, Recovery is primary. I think Rafa will rest the rest of the day and take the day off in his terms.. just a light practice. Once he has a chance to get reenergized, he will become the Latin Assassin again and try to play stronger the next rounds.. He will gain his confidence.. its a metal process. It happens..

 

[Front242]

Well he only plays Dudi Sela next so no major worries there.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Well he only plays Dudi Sela next so no major worries there.

As opposed to the mighty Smyczek?

 

[Front242]

Well he only plays Dudi Sela next so no major worries there.

As opposed to the mighty Smyczek?

Smyczek is a much better player and has some good wins against pretty good players.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Well he only plays Dudi Sela next so no major worries there.

As opposed to the mighty Smyczek?

Smyczek is a much better player and has some good wins against pretty good players.

OK, seriously, define "much better" player. And who are these "pretty good wins" he had, and how do they stack up compared to Sela's wins? I honestly have no idea, but I'd be surprised if you do either. By the way, going by your criteria earlier, Dudi Sela is currently ranked 106th in the world, ahead of Smyczek.

Regardless the above logic is odd since if you're barely beating Smyczek, no match is "no major worries" unless your form improves drastically, which is a possibility.

 

[Front242]

^ Smyczek has beaten Nishikori twice and beat Karlovic at the AO '13. Sela has never beaten either of those and both are pretty good players.

 

[brokenshoelace]

^ Smyczek has beaten Nishikori twice and beat Karlovic at the AO '13. Sela has never beaten either of those and both are pretty good players.

Sela has beaten Fernando Gonzalez when Gonzalez was in his prime, Robredo, Youzhny, and Lukas Rosol who can actually do something other than serve (unlike Karlovic) to name a few. Again, the idea that there is some huge discrepancy between the two is simply not true, especially when Sela is actually ranked higher. And, even more importantly, considering the fact that both are ranked outside of the top 100, Nadal should dispose of either with ease, yet just went 5 sets with one, and therefore, it's wrong to act like the other match is a gimme, even though I do think Nadal will win more comfortably.

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLhzVkokV2o[/video]

 

[Front242]

Karlovic has massive wingspan at the net and at times a decent forehand too. I wouldn't say he's all serve. True it's obviously his main asset but he's broken players serves with good play too. Allow him get to the net and you're toast a good 50% of the time. Being ranked higher means nothing in terms of higher profile players beaten as there are so many players overplaying week in week out all year long and hence the ranking. Ferrer comes to mind. I think too much is made of players being easy to beat 'cos they're outside the top 100. On their day any of these guys has the potential to not only win but do so easier than a 5 set win. Peter Gojowczyk is another guy who is much better than his ranking would make you think but for some reason plays better against the top players than nobodies. Guess he relishes the challenge. Likewise with Smyczek.

 

[Front242]

Case in point, Karlovic just beat Djokovic at Qatar.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Karlovic has massive wingspan at the net and at times a decent forehand too. I wouldn't say he's all serve. True it's obviously his main asset but he's broken players serves with good play too. Allow him get to the net and you're toast a good 50% of the time. Being ranked higher means nothing in terms of higher profile players beaten as there are so many players overplaying week in week out all year long and hence the ranking. Ferrer comes to mind. I think too much is made of players being easy to beat 'cos they're outside the top 100. On their day any of these guys has the potential to not only win but do so easier than a 5 set win. Peter Gojowczyk is another guy who is much better than his ranking would make you think but for some reason plays better against the top players than nobodies. Guess he relishes the challenge. Likewise with Smyczek.

Or maybe Nadal just played awful?

 

[Front242]

I didn't watch it so can't comment but that wasn't anything I mentioned. I simply said no worries how he played there as Dudi Sela will be an easier match as he's not as good as Smyczek.

 

[brokenshoelace]

I didn't watch it so can't comment but that wasn't anything I mentioned. I simply said no worries how he played there as Dudi Sela will be an easier match as he's not as good as Smyczek.

And I'm saying there is something to worry about with Nadal in any match now because he's been in awful form since Wimbledon and has went through injuries, a surgery, back treatment, and is clearly not physically read for Grand Slam tennis, by his own admission, as evidenced by the fact that he cramped up after one hour of play. You also only need to look about the guys he's lost to since Wimbledon, as well as a crushing loss to Murray and a embarrassing loss to Berrer to know that nothing is guaranteed at this point.

Whether Sela is as good a player as Smyczek is irrelevant, because Smyczek isn't a good enough player to trouble Nadal anyway...yet he did, which tells you all you need to know about Nadal's level.

 

[Front242]

He's in much better shape than poor Del Potro who nobody seems to care about as there's been no commentary anywhere here about him since he dropped out of the tournament. He left the AO and had surgery yesterday again on his wrist. Plenty of players have suffered from cramping at the AO over the last few years btw so I don't think it's got anything whatsoever to do with fitness.