CANADIAN MASTERS 2013 MONTREAL 2-11 August

[GameSetAndMath]

Saw the Jerzy Nadal match. Totally brilliant imo, and classic Nadal (winning when being outplayed).

OK, I do think that there will come a time where Jerzy will be the worst possible nightmare matchup for Rafa, not unlike what Del Potro was a few years ago. He does things that makes Rafa really uncomfortable and for most of the match he had him on a shoestring. But of course, as usual Rafa won every single big point (or made JJ lose them) and that was good enough to win as it so often is.

Now, JJ fell into a lot of Rafa's cagey tricks and traps that really made it hard for him to win, and I think they are easily correctable by judicious coaching. I remember when Novak used to fall for some of that stuff too, and by simply removing the mental hiccups it produces a 4 or 5 point swing that really made the games much closer.

JJ had 8 or 9 double faults and a first serve percentage of less than 50%.
That kind of numbers do not augur well for a player whose game is primarily
dependent on good serve (and secondarily on drop shots from any point
in the court).

 

[Moxie]

Saw the Jerzy Nadal match. Totally brilliant imo, and classic Nadal (winning when being outplayed).

OK, I do think that there will come a time where Jerzy will be the worst possible nightmare matchup for Rafa, not unlike what Del Potro was a few years ago. He does things that makes Rafa really uncomfortable and for most of the match he had him on a shoestring. But of course, as usual Rafa won every single big point (or made JJ lose them) and that was good enough to win as it so often is.

Now, JJ fell into a lot of Rafa's cagey tricks and traps that really made it hard for him to win, and I think they are easily correctable by judicious coaching. I remember when Novak used to fall for some of that stuff too, and by simply removing the mental hiccups it produces a 4 or 5 point swing that really made the games much closer.

I agree it was a thrilling match. I also agree that JJ, serving better could given Rafa more trouble. However, I also think that Nadal is trying to solve the problem of the big-serving tall trees who don't get so much bothered by his high-bouncing spin. He had a good serving day. And he knows he can't just wait them out at the baseline. I think he showed that he's learning how to play these tall guys, who by conventional wisdom, should trouble him, and have.

 

[Haelfix]

JJ had 8 or 9 double faults and a first serve percentage of less than 50%.
That kind of numbers do not augur well for a player whose game is primarily
dependent on good serve (and secondarily on drop shots from any point
in the court).

Sure, there is no doubt that he gave the match away (and he wiffed big on a number of big points as well), but I mean he was completely dominating Rafa for large periods of the match despite all of that, yet as usual Rafa tends to find a way to win (this despite not playing that well himself, other than the serve which was great).

Rafa probably has won more matches in his career, where he should have lost, than just about any other player in history. Maybe Brad Gilbert is up there. And there is a design to it all, its not just aura or mental stength, but there is a very specific and intelligent plan that he executes to perfection. You can just see the court start to shrink for the opponent near the end, and its very much of a gradual process where he takes certain things away from the opponent and then makes you think about each and every point.

 

[Haelfix]

I agree it was a thrilling match. I also agree that JJ, serving better could given Rafa more trouble. However, I also think that Nadal is trying to solve the problem of the big-serving tall trees who don't get so much bothered by his high-bouncing spin. He had a good serving day. And he knows he can't just wait them out at the baseline. I think he showed that he's learning how to play these tall guys, who by conventional wisdom, should trouble him, and have.

There is definitely a certain youngness to JJ's game that Rafa exploited. Rafa's return position really threw him for a loop, and Jerzy never really picked the correct serve placement (possibly b/c he hasn't quite developed them yet). He should have been body serving him, but he almost never did, and he never threw in some change of paces either (slice out wide etc).

Meanwhile he really wasn't that sharp with his own returns, despite having numerous looks.

 

[Moxie]

I agree it was a thrilling match. I also agree that JJ, serving better could given Rafa more trouble. However, I also think that Nadal is trying to solve the problem of the big-serving tall trees who don't get so much bothered by his high-bouncing spin. He had a good serving day. And he knows he can't just wait them out at the baseline. I think he showed that he's learning how to play these tall guys, who by conventional wisdom, should trouble him, and have.

There is definitely a certain youngness to JJ's game that Rafa exploited. Rafa's return position really threw him for a loop, and Jerzy never really picked the correct serve placement (possibly b/c he hasn't quite developed them yet). He should have been body serving him, but he almost never did, and he never threw in some change of paces either (slice out wide etc).

Meanwhile he really wasn't that sharp with his own returns, despite having numerous looks.

Agreed. It was a bit of a rookie error-fest, which is what I suspected, and why I wasn't that nervous about JJ v. Rafa in this particular match.

He'll get smarter in his choices, but I think he has a lot to build on, and not just being tall and having a big serve. (Which clearly wasn't the thing that was getting it done today.) I know some are in his camp, some aren't, but I am. He's got touch at the net, and movement around the court, and he doesn't just bludgeon a shot. He's a work-in-progress, but I think he's got serious potential.

 

[Kieran]

Rafa probably has won more matches in his career, where he should have lost, than just about any other player in history. Maybe Brad Gilbert is up there. And there is a design to it all, its not just aura or mental stength, but there is a very specific and intelligent plan that he executes to perfection. You can just see the court start to shrink for the opponent near the end, and its very much of a gradual process where he takes certain things away from the opponent and then makes you think about each and every point.

This should be framed and hung in the Louvre. Spot on and brilliant analysis... :clap

 

[the AntiPusher]

nole has this in the bag now.
all the heavyweights of hard courts are out:

1. Tsonga is out
2. andy murray is out
3. roger is out
5. ferru is out
6. nadal is plain out of it

just cough up the title for nole now and lets head over to cincy.

That's not a lot of faith in your champion, old sport. :nono

Agreed.. Clay Death...Maybe you should change your name back to the lover of Delilah .. That guy never lost faith in his champion

 

[Mastoor]

If Samson is on the bandwagon to the side of good - I can only applaud to it. :clap

I only now realised that the featured match is in between Rafa and the Bosnian dude who played with Rafa's precious bottles in Melbourne. Hope Marinko comes up with even better tricks this time. May be interesting.

 

[Mastoor]

JJ had 8 or 9 double faults and a first serve percentage of less than 50%.
That kind of numbers do not augur well for a player whose game is primarily
dependent on good serve (and secondarily on drop shots from any point
in the court).

Sure, there is no doubt that he gave the match away (and he wiffed big on a number of big points as well), but I mean he was completely dominating Rafa for large periods of the match despite all of that, yet as usual Rafa tends to find a way to win (this despite not playing that well himself, other than the serve which was great).

Rafa probably has won more matches in his career, where he should have lost, than just about any other player in history. Maybe Brad Gilbert is up there. And there is a design to it all, its not just aura or mental stength, but there is a very specific and intelligent plan that he executes to perfection. You can just see the court start to shrink for the opponent near the end, and its very much of a gradual process where he takes certain things away from the opponent and then makes you think about each and every point.

Well, those matches that come to my mind also involve some help from the chair. For example, if Mohammad Lahyani were in RG semi this year instead of that idiot Pascal Maria, he would see the ball "dead" when No1e was caught in the net and the crucial point would go to No1e.

 

[Moxie]

JJ had 8 or 9 double faults and a first serve percentage of less than 50%.
That kind of numbers do not augur well for a player whose game is primarily
dependent on good serve (and secondarily on drop shots from any point
in the court).

Sure, there is no doubt that he gave the match away (and he wiffed big on a number of big points as well), but I mean he was completely dominating Rafa for large periods of the match despite all of that, yet as usual Rafa tends to find a way to win (this despite not playing that well himself, other than the serve which was great).

Rafa probably has won more matches in his career, where he should have lost, than just about any other player in history. Maybe Brad Gilbert is up there. And there is a design to it all, its not just aura or mental stength, but there is a very specific and intelligent plan that he executes to perfection. You can just see the court start to shrink for the opponent near the end, and its very much of a gradual process where he takes certain things away from the opponent and then makes you think about each and every point.

Well, those matches that come to my mind also involve some help from the chair. For example, if Mohammad Lahyani were in RG semi this year instead of that idiot Pascal Maria, he would see the ball "dead" when No1e was caught in the net and the crucial point would go to No1e.

You're only thinking of one match, Mastoor, and you're just wishing that it hadn't been called (fairly) as it wasn't called on Raonic (unfairly.) That was a long match in which Novak was largely out-played. It didn't ride on that one point, however crucial the timing. Djokovic had opportunities to overcome that disappointment, but didn't capitalize.

 

[Kieran]

Well, those matches that come to my mind also involve some help from the chair. For example, if Mohammad Lahyani were in RG semi this year instead of that idiot Pascal Maria, he would see the ball "dead" when No1e was caught in the net and the crucial point would go to No1e.

Eh, are you blind?

 

[the AntiPusher]

JJ had 8 or 9 double faults and a first serve percentage of less than 50%.
That kind of numbers do not augur well for a player whose game is primarily
dependent on good serve (and secondarily on drop shots from any point
in the court).

Sure, there is no doubt that he gave the match away (and he wiffed big on a number of big points as well), but I mean he was completely dominating Rafa for large periods of the match despite all of that, yet as usual Rafa tends to find a way to win (this despite not playing that well himself, other than the serve which was great).

Rafa probably has won more matches in his career, where he should have lost, than just about any other player in history. Maybe Brad Gilbert is up there. And there is a design to it all, its not just aura or mental stength, but there is a very specific and intelligent plan that he executes to perfection. You can just see the court start to shrink for the opponent near the end, and its very much of a gradual process where he takes certain things away from the opponent and then makes you think about each and every point.

Yep.. There is some method to Rafa's "madness".. Very well put Hal:clap

 

[Front242]

http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013/08/del-potro-mad-raonic-not-calling-penalty-self/48679/#.UgTa8KwwswA

 

[kskate2]

We lost 3 more trees yesterday: DP, JJ and Berd.

 

[ClayDeath]

nole has this in the bag now.
all the heavyweights of hard courts are out:

1. Tsonga is out
2. andy murray is out
3. roger is out
5. ferru is out
6. nadal is plain out of it

just cough up the title for nole now and lets head over to cincy.

That's not a lot of faith in your champion, old sport. :nono

Agreed.. Clay Death...Maybe you should change your name back to the lover of Delilah .. That guy never lost faith in his champion

blind worship is no my thing.


I prefer to be more objective.

I also know his game better than anyone alive or dead.

 

[Kieran]

blind worship is no my thing.


I prefer to be more objective.

I also know his game better than anyone alive or dead.

Well, the fact that Nadal won yesterday without playing great tennis says that he's not "out of it." In fact, he should only get better and find more rhythm as the event progresses, so having faith isn't "blind" - it's informed by experience.

This guy is good enough to win this! He's won it twice and he has no player who he should fear.

Come back, General Samson! Your troops are getting angsty and are sitting too long in pubs waiting for battle.

Yours Sincerely,

Lord Wedgie
Hammer of the House of Nadal
Knuckle Duster of the Left Hand

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Is anyone sensing a trend where lesser ranked players are showing more confidence and belief in themselves against the top dogs? Thinking if they can just play their games , they will always have a chance? Is it because of what has happened to Federer, folks are thinking "Look, if guys ranked same or lower than me can take out Roger, why can't I do the same ?". I don't know. Seems to me a couple years back, it was almost a given that the big 4 , or at least 3 of them were going to be in the semis of pretty much every tournament. Now, we are not too shocked when a Gulbis takes Murray out. Istomin played his game last night and gave himself a nice chance. I watched half of Nadal's game yesterday , and I can safely say JJ could have, maybe should have, won that one. Feels like nothing is a given anymore, and I am actually liking it...well maybe not so much when Roger is playing, but am I too far off?

 

[Kieran]

Good point, Murat! It's getting Old Skool again: the field are participating. When they give up the smiley faces at the net during the handsome loser man-hugs, then we'll see scowls and yowls and real disappointment at defeat.

There's more to life than a big fat paycheck - and a desire to go all the way through a Champ is one of them...

 

[shawnbm]

Rafa probably has won more matches in his career, where he should have lost, than just about any other player in history. Maybe Brad Gilbert is up there. And there is a design to it all, its not just aura or mental stength, but there is a very specific and intelligent plan that he executes to perfection. You can just see the court start to shrink for the opponent near the end, and its very much of a gradual process where he takes certain things away from the opponent and then makes you think about each and every point.

This should be framed and hung in the Louvre. Spot on and brilliant analysis... :clap

I agree with you, Kieran. Well thought out by Haelfix. It has always seemed to me that he and his team have high tennis IQ--they think things through.

 

[djmm]

Milos The Cheater has lost my respect