Early Talk about Roland Garros

[nehmeth]

RE: 2014 Masters Series Rome Final: Djokovic v. Nadal

At that level one point doesn't make the difference.. unless it's match point.. which it wasn't. It would actually diminish Novak to say that he lost because of that. He has far greater mental resources than that. Clearly he didn't have enough belief. It remains to be seen whether the place where he's at now is more secure. If it is.. he'll probably pull it off this time. It just seemed to me in this match, that when he was playing his game he's just better than Rafa at the moment. The only thing is that I'm still not confident that we can rely on Novak to just play tennis. Until he wins another big one, the question is out there...

Well said. The belief was not there then and until he wins another big one, it remains to be seen if he will. Here's to hoping this is the year he punches through. :celeb:

 

[Kieran]

RE: 2014 Masters Series Rome Final: Djokovic v. Nadal

I think Novak looks good now, as far as winning more majors is concerned. He may even win Paris. The winning shot in slams is the mental shot, and he's back on course with that now. But if he loses in Paris, how will that affect him?

And if he wins Paris, how will that affect him also?

 

[brokenshoelace]

RE: 2014 Masters Series Rome Final: Djokovic v. Nadal

But if he loses in Paris, how will that affect him?

Negatively.

And if he wins Paris, how will that affect him also?

Positively.

I know the great Serbian Slayer better than anyone old sport, so you have to take my word for it.

 

[Kieran]

RE: 2014 Masters Series Rome Final: Djokovic v. Nadal

And if he wins Paris, how will that affect him also?

Positively.

I know the great Serbian Slayer better than anyone old sport, so you have to take my word for it.

Well, I was hoping you'd say he'd retire, but I respect the fact that you know him even better than General Death knows Rafa...

 

[nehmeth]

RE: 2014 Masters Series Rome Final: Djokovic v. Nadal

I think Novak looks good now, as far as winning more majors is concerned. He may even win Paris. The winning shot in slams is the mental shot, and he's back on course with that now. But if he loses in Paris, how will that affect him?

And if he wins Paris, how will that affect him also?

Well, he lost RG in 2011 and won Wimbledon and the US Open.
He lost RG last year and made it to the final of Wimbledon and the US Open
Ralf spanked his pants at the US Open last year and he came back and won everything the rest of the year.

If he wins RG?? That's (as yet) uncharted territory. :s

 

[Kieran]

RE: 2014 Masters Series Rome Final: Djokovic v. Nadal

That's true, Nehmeth, but this year he's gonna be a dad, and also, is this maybe his best chance to win Paris, outside of 2011, which seems so distant now?

 

[nehmeth]

RE: 2014 Masters Series Rome Final: Djokovic v. Nadal

That's true, Nehmeth, but this year he's gonna be a dad, and also, is this maybe his best chance to win Paris, outside of 2011, which seems so distant now?

"But he's going to be a Dad"? Is that going to make him a worse tennis player? How the heck is anyone supposed to know? There's no answer for that except time will tell.

Is this his best chance to win since 2011? He's in better form coming into the French than last year. He got down a set against Ralf yesterday and came back strongly. How does that help his confidence in being able to come back and win if they meet in the French?

Ralf is going into the French without MC and without Rome and a win on the claycrete of Madrid. He's a confidence player. He was up on Novak and pressing in Rome, but was unable to elevate his game when his opponent did. How will that affect him with the same guy staring him down across the net in the final?

Time will tell. I'm hopeful that Novak will do well.

I'm also aware that Rafa hasn't lost RG except when Robin Soderling beat him 2009. The only guy on tour who hits anywhere near that consistently and hard is Stan - who's been subpar after beating Nole and Ralf in Oz. To win, Novak has to get to the final and then play his finest tennis against the best ever on clay. Big ask of anyone.

 

[Riotbeard]

RE: 2014 Masters Series Rome Final: Djokovic v. Nadal

That's true, Nehmeth, but this year he's gonna be a dad, and also, is this maybe his best chance to win Paris, outside of 2011, which seems so distant now?

"But he's going to be a Dad"? Is that going to make him a worse tennis player? How the heck is anyone supposed to know? There's no answer for that except time will tell.

Is this his best chance to win since 2011? He's in better form coming into the French than last year. He got down a set against Ralf yesterday and came back strongly. How does that help his confidence in being able to come back and win if they meet in the French?

Ralf is going into the French without MC and without Rome and a win on the claycrete of Madrid. He's a confidence player. He was up on Novak and pressing in Rome, but was unable to elevate his game when his opponent did. How will that affect him with the same guy staring him down across the net in the final?

Time will tell. I'm hopeful that Novak will do well.

I'm also aware that Rafa hasn't lost RG except when Robin Soderling beat him 2009. The only guy on tour who hits anywhere near that consistently and hard is Stan - who's been subpar after beating Nole and Ralf in Oz. To win, Novak has to get to the final and then play his finest tennis against the best ever on clay. Big ask of anyone.

It is pretty crazy when you consider, had Kei's back not gone out, Rafa would most likely have not a single clay masters going in the season.

 

[nehmeth]

RE: 2014 Masters Series Rome Final: Djokovic v. Nadal

I'd change "most likely" to possibly. And with a diminutive player like Kei the body giving out is often part of the equation. But yeah, Ralf might have been heading toward France with no clay shields at all.

 

[Kieran]

RE: 2014 Masters Series Rome Final: Djokovic v. Nadal

That's true, Nehmeth, but this year he's gonna be a dad, and also, is this maybe his best chance to win Paris, outside of 2011, which seems so distant now?

"But he's going to be a Dad"? Is that going to make him a worse tennis player? How the heck is anyone supposed to know? There's no answer for that except time will tell.

Is this his best chance to win since 2011? He's in better form coming into the French than last year. He got down a set against Ralf yesterday and came back strongly. How does that help his confidence in being able to come back and win if they meet in the French?

Ralf is going into the French without MC and without Rome and a win on the claycrete of Madrid. He's a confidence player. He was up on Novak and pressing in Rome, but was unable to elevate his game when his opponent did. How will that affect him with the same guy staring him down across the net in the final?

Time will tell. I'm hopeful that Novak will do well.

I'm also aware that Rafa hasn't lost RG except when Robin Soderling beat him 2009. The only guy on tour who hits anywhere near that consistently and hard is Stan - who's been subpar after beating Nole and Ralf in Oz. To win, Novak has to get to the final and then play his finest tennis against the best ever on clay. Big ask of anyone.

Good post, brother. It's hard to know how these things pan out, how becoming a daddy will affect him, this is why they're questions, not statements. His intensity level may drop and be becomes a sappy-pappy, or else it goes the other way and spurs him on.

He responded to everything yesterday in the best possible way, which is encouragement for him. He broke back immediately in the last two sets, which is a sign to me that he was playing within himself. From Rafa's perspective, he didn't play well, but still got close, so he can take heart also, but he needs to find his level.

Roll on Paree, eh?

 

[nehmeth]

RE: 2014 Masters Series Rome Final: Djokovic v. Nadal

Yep. I hope both of them build on their matches leading up to the final, that they both stay free of injury and that there would be a classic final played out on the terre battue... with Novak winning of course.

 

[TsarMatt]

RE: 2014 Masters Series Rome Final: Djokovic v. Nadal

BTW, yet again discussing The Net Cord Touch That Shook The World feels like spending a holiday with a drunk uncle.

This is turning into, like, the most notorious photo in tennis history:

Nothing notorious about it. Just like there's nothing notorious about players using Hawkeye to challenge an opponent's shot.

Rafa was correct...

Oh, absolutely, I'm not denying that. I just remember it happening live and the whole anti-Rafa section on a particular tennis forum blowing up like crazy for simply pointing his finger.

It was so hilarious because he was right but they were too obscured with hatred to see it. It's become quite the 'notorious' picture across that landscape.

I guess I should have clarified that in my post, though.

 

[Riotbeard]

RE: 2014 Masters Series Rome Final: Djokovic v. Nadal

I'd change "most likely" to possibly. And with a diminutive player like Kei the body giving out is often part of the equation. But yeah, Ralf might have been heading toward France with no clay shields at all.

That's fair, although I wasn't saying anything Rafa and Toni didn't say or at least implied.

 

[Kieran]

RE: 2014 Masters Series Rome Final: Djokovic v. Nadal

Oh, absolutely, I'm not denying that. I just remember it happening live and the whole anti-Rafa section on a particular tennis forum blowing up like crazy for simply pointing his finger.

It was so hilarious because he was right but they were too obscured with hatred to see it. It's become quite the 'notorious' picture across that landscape.

I guess I should have clarified that in my post, though.

Oh, I've seen Nole fans still insist that Nole was robbed and deny that he broke the rules. I've seen the umpire called a cheat - and I've seen the suggestion that the umpire served a subsequent "silent ban" for making such an error.

Not all of these have I seen on this forum, but it seemed harder to accept that he blew it than it was to blame others...

EDIT: it makes a lovely avatar pic, though... :clap

 

[nehmeth]

RE: 2014 Masters Series Rome Final: Djokovic v. Nadal

Nice avatar. First time I saw the pic was today. Good to see one of Ralf sans the grimace.

 

[Federberg]

RE: 2014 Masters Series Rome Final: Djokovic v. Nadal

"But he's going to be a Dad"? Is that going to make him a worse tennis player? How the heck is anyone supposed to know? There's no answer for that except time will tell.

Is this his best chance to win since 2011? He's in better form coming into the French than last year. He got down a set against Ralf yesterday and came back strongly. How does that help his confidence in being able to come back and win if they meet in the French?

Ralf is going into the French without MC and without Rome and a win on the claycrete of Madrid. He's a confidence player. He was up on Novak and pressing in Rome, but was unable to elevate his game when his opponent did. How will that affect him with the same guy staring him down across the net in the final?

Time will tell. I'm hopeful that Novak will do well.

I'm also aware that Rafa hasn't lost RG except when Robin Soderling beat him 2009. The only guy on tour who hits anywhere near that consistently and hard is Stan - who's been subpar after beating Nole and Ralf in Oz. To win, Novak has to get to the final and then play his finest tennis against the best ever on clay. Big ask of anyone.

For me one of the most interesting things will be where Stan (and to a lesser extent Kei) end up in the draw. Let's not take it as given that these guys are going to make the finals. For what it's worth I place a higher likelihood of Novak making his way through more comfortably than Rafa. Rafa just looks so shaky right now. But at the same time, I would suggest that Stan represents a greater threat to Novak than to Rafa. Stan surely can't be sure in his mind if he has the ability to compete with Rafa on the red stuff, while he'll believe he can beat Nole no matter what. The only other spoilers I can see are Roger, Murray and Ferrer. But these guys may actually help Nole and Rafa by clearing out threats against them. Anyway.. exciting stuff. As big a Fedfan as I am, I want to see a Nole-Rafa final at RG. But obviously I won't complain if Roger somehow gets to the final... except if he a certain individual is on the other side of the netuzzled

 

[TennisFanatic7]

I agree with what's being said here. As much as confidence has played a role in Rafa's play in recent weeks, he doesn't seem to be moving quite as well either. He's got more than sufficient attacking weaponry to take down even the top guys if he goes for a more aggressive approach.

 

[DarthFed]

RE: 2014 Masters Series Rome Final: Djokovic v. Nadal

Roger and Stan both figure to be big threats to Novak if that is the semi. Nole seems to be the only one to really bring out Roger's game on a consistent basis and the disdain is probably a big part of the reason for it. I still think Nole has a bigger chance of being upset than Rafa before the final.

 

[Federberg]

RE: 2014 Masters Series Rome Final: Djokovic v. Nadal

Roger and Stan both figure to be big threats to Novak if that is the semi. Nole seems to be the only one to really bring out Roger's game on a consistent basis and the disdain is probably a big part of the reason for it. I still think Nole has a bigger chance of being upset than Rafa before the final.

I'm not so sure anymore. I remember when Roger first started showing signs of weakness, more guys went into matches against him with belief, I have a feeling we're going to start seeing this with Rafa now. As for Novak? I really expect him to be in killer mode at RG. But this is just my musings of course...

As for Roger and Nole.. I get the impression that things have improved between them, but I guess from a competitiveness point of view it might still be tight

 

[DarthFed]

RE: 2014 Masters Series Rome Final: Djokovic v. Nadal

^ Things have probably improved since 2008 but I still get the feeling they aren't buddies by any means. Nole still has to show he doesn't have some mental block at majors at this point. He seems to play worse in best of 5's the past couple years as compared to these MS events. Amazing Fall season last year, and great North American Hard season... with an awful loss to Stan at his best major sandwiched in between.