Early Wimbledon Talk

[GameSetAndMath]

I think all members of big four have fairly equally difficult draw. Usually somebody's draw will stand out as being very easy or very difficult. This time it is not the case.

Fed has Dog to open with, always a tricky opponent. Even the Serbian Lajovic has booming serves and Fed has to face him in R2. Mischa the S&V guy in R3, Baby Fed or Big John in R4, Sasha or Raonic in QF. Even though it is not going to be a walk in the park, I expect Fed to reach SF at least.

Andy has easy opener. Then he has the dangerous floater Brown. However, I think Brown will not be a dangerous guy for Andy. Fog, is a nobody in grass and Andy meets him R3. Andy might have to meet Kyrgios in R4 who is dangerous on paper. However, while Kyrgios has won against all other members of Big Four, he has not yet managed to win against Andy. In QF, Andy gets Tsonga/Querry/Verdasco/Wawrinka. Again should be manageable. In summary, even though there are several dangerous folks here, they are not particularly dangerous to Andy (they would be more dangerous to other members of big four) and so I expect Andy to make it to SF at least.

Rafa has couple of easy rounds. Then comes Kachanov in R3, a difficult customer. In R4, Rafa will play against Karlovic/Rosol/Muller.
My pick for the guy who will send Rafa fishing in Mollarcoa this year is Gilles Muller (although there is some chance that Kachanov might have already done that job). I expect Cilic to win this quarter.

Novak has couple of easy rounds and then has JMDP in R3. But, JMDP is not exactly making waves recently either and so Novak should be able to take him out especially if JMDP cannot do anything other than slice the backhand. However, either Lopez in R4 or Berdych in QF should take out Novak due to his current bad form. I expect Lopez or Berdych to win this quarter.

Finally, projecting a Murderer final, with #19 happening this year at SW19. Go Fed.

 

[Shivashish Sarkar]

Yes, Roger vs Murray final is very possible and to a decent extent probable.

 

[atttomole]

I think all members of big four have fairly equally difficult draw. Usually somebody's draw will stand out as being very easy or very difficult. This time it is not the case.

Fed has Dog to open with, always a tricky opponent. Even the Serbian Lajovic has booming serves and Fed has to face him in R2. Mischa the S&V guy in R3, Baby Fed or Big John in R4, Sasha or Raonic in QF. Even though it is not going to be a walk in the park, I expect Fed to reach SF at least.

Andy has easy opener. Then he has the dangerous floater Brown. However, I think Brown will not be a dangerous guy for Andy. Fog, is a nobody in grass and Andy meets him R3. Andy might have to meet Kyrgios in R4 who is dangerous on paper. However, while Kyrgios has won against all other members of Big Four, he has not yet managed to win against Andy. In QF, Andy gets Tsonga/Querry/Verdasco/Wawrinka. Again should be manageable. In summary, even though there are several dangerous folks here, they are not particularly dangerous to Andy (they would be more dangerous to other members of big four) and so I expect Andy to make it to SF at least.

Rafa has couple of easy rounds. Then comes Kachanov in R3, a difficult customer. In R4, Rafa will play against Karlovic/Rosol/Muller.
My pick for the guy who will send Rafa fishing this year is Gilles Muller. I expect Cilic to win this quarter.

Novak has couple of easy rounds and then has JMDP in R3. But, JMDP is not exactly making waves recently either and so Novak should be able to take him out especially if JMDP cannot do anything other than slice the backhand. However, either Lopez in R4 or Berdych in QF should take out Novak due to his current bad form. I expect Lopez or Berdych to win this quarter.

Finally, projecting a Murderer final, with #19 happening this year at SW19. Go Fed.

Rafa fans will not be amused by what you wrote here.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

With respect to @Busted, the notion that only the Big 4 have a realistic chance to win Wimbledon is a failure of imagination, and a bit ignoring the year in real-time. Except for Federer, there's a percentage chance for any of the other 3 to be upset in the first week. Chances go up exponentially if they don't, obviously. Here is where each must show how much they want it. Because: who else? Much talk of Kyrgios, and I like him for a Wimbledon one day, but his hip issue is likely no joke. Sasha Zverev has exposed that his grass game is still lacking a lot of fine points, specifically net chops, even as much as he doesn't lack for ambition and the ability to learn quickly. Everyone keeps shoe-horning Del Potro into the odds race, but...seriously? Maybe he'll be "back" by the USO, but he's not winning Wimbledon. I don't care for Cilic, but I think he should be considered a higher possibility than maybe anyone outside of the Big 4. Then, maybe Stan. As to your #4, I think we may see a lot of upsets and craziness in the first week.

A non big four member might win it. But, I would give zero chances for a non big four members to win it after beating three of the big four members one after the other. I would also give them less than 5% chances to win it, if they have to face two of the big four.

The only realistic way for a non big four member to win is if there are quite a few upsets and the non big four guy does not face the big four guy in final.

 

[Carol]

I think all members of big four have fairly equally difficult draw. Usually somebody's draw will stand out as being very easy or very difficult. This time it is not the case.

Fed has Dog to open with, always a tricky opponent. Even the Serbian Lajovic has booming serves and Fed has to face him in R2. Mischa the S&V guy in R3, Baby Fed or Big John in R4, Sasha or Raonic in QF. Even though it is not going to be a walk in the park, I expect Fed to reach SF at least.

Andy has easy opener. Then he has the dangerous floater Brown. However, I think Brown will not be a dangerous guy for Andy. Fog, is a nobody in grass and Andy meets him R3. Andy might have to meet Kyrgios in R4 who is dangerous on paper. However, while Kyrgios has won against all other members of Big Four, he has not yet managed to win against Andy. In QF, Andy gets Tsonga/Querry/Verdasco/Wawrinka. Again should be manageable. In summary, even though there are several dangerous folks here, they are not particularly dangerous to Andy (they would be more dangerous to other members of big four) and so I expect Andy to make it to SF at least.

Rafa has couple of easy rounds. Then comes Kachanov in R3, a difficult customer. In R4, Rafa will play against Karlovic/Rosol/Muller.
My pick for the guy who will send Rafa fishing in Mollarcoa this year is Gilles Muller (although there is some chance that Kachanov might have already done that job). I expect Cilic to win this quarter.

Novak has couple of easy rounds and then has JMDP in R3. But, JMDP is not exactly making waves recently either and so Novak should be able to take him out especially if JMDP cannot do anything other than slice the backhand. However, either Lopez in R4 or Berdych in QF should take out Novak due to his current bad form. I expect Lopez or Berdych to win this quarter.

Finally, projecting a Murderer final, with #19 happening this year at SW19. Go Fed.

And later you wake up

 

[Carol]

Nice picture of Hass with his girls and Rafa

https://i1.wp.com/rafaelnadalfans.f...xhibition-match-at-hurlingham-club-2017-7.jpg

 

[GameSetAndMath]

And later you wake up

Why? Do you think that the match in which Rafa loses (to Kachanov or Muller) will be so boring that I will fall asleep?

 

[Carol]

Why? Do you think that the match in which Rafa loses (to Kachanov or Muller) will be so boring that I will fall asleep?

Nope, what I mean is that when you wake up and see that everything was just a dream then......

 

[Horsa]

I've just come up with a poem I thought some people might want to see.

Next week Wimbledon will be here.
It's a British tennis players event of the year.

They dish out their strawberries & cream.
If their players win their faces beam.

They sip pimms & lemonade, orange squash or champagne.
Before they got a roof they used to stop play & listen to Cliff Richard sing in the rain.

That was in the times of McEnroe, Agassi, Becker, Seles, Navratilova, Hingis, Graf & Cash.
Everyone hoping their favourite player their opponents did thrash.

I might add to it later & hope people enjoy it.

If you don't think it fits here please let me know & I'll move it to my poems.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Nice picture of Hass with his girls and Rafa

https://i1.wp.com/rafaelnadalfans.f...xhibition-match-at-hurlingham-club-2017-7.jpg

I made a wager with Darth that Tommy would beat Nadal like he did Fed.,did I win my $200 Euros!

 

[Moxie]

Rafa fans should breathe a sigh of relief - he looks like he has a pretty easy section. He could face Khachanov in the 3rd round, the maybe either Karlovic or Muller in the 4R, then Cilic/Nishikori in the QF. But no Dimitrov, Zverev, Kyrgios, etc, until the SF or later.

I said earlier in this thread that I think Cilic has the best chance outside of the Big 4 to take the title, so I'd say he's the biggest obvious threat before Murray. In fact McGrogan picked Cilic to win it all. Of course, based on the past few years, you never know where the banana peel could come, and I'd say Muller is the other one. However, I'm not unhappy about the draw at all. I guess the lucky shirt worked.

 

[10isfan]

I think Murray isn't fully healthy so I don't expect him to get very far. Cilic vs Fed final is what I predict.

 

[Moxie]

I think Murray isn't fully healthy so I don't expect him to get very far. Cilic vs Fed final is what I predict.

That prediction is not without merit. I hope you'll put paid to it by playing the draw challenge. Here is a link to the thread that tells you how to play.

 

[El Dude]

I think Murray isn't fully healthy so I don't expect him to get very far. Cilic vs Fed final is what I predict.

That's my prediction as well. Roger gets revenge for the 2014 US Open SF.


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[rafanoy1992]

That's my prediction as well. Roger gets revenge for the 2014 US Open SF.


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Or Cilic gets revenge from last year's defeat

 

[Carol]

I made a wager with Darth that Tommy would beat Nadal like he did Fed.,did I win my $200 Euros!

If you did bet for Tommy then you lost your 200 Euros

 

[Moxie]

Rafa fans will not be amused by what you wrote here.

Not pleased by all of his prognostications, but I thought it was a reasonable write-up.

 

[Moxie]

That's my prediction as well. Roger gets revenge for the 2014 US Open SF.


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Or Rafa gets revenge for the AO this year. At least some folks are recognizing the quiet threat that is Cilic.

 

[lob]

It's interesting that many observers have pointed out that Rafa is in a great position to win another Wimbledon this year. He was going into 12/13/14 as the RG champion but there wasn't this much talk of his being one of the favorites. It does appear that with La Decima in the bag, Rafa is super motivated to settle all discussion about his off-clay greatness by nabbing this one. Moya may help him get there. At the very least, Rafa is not going to be caught off guard. Rafa is a confidence player. It will take a genuinely superior performance to take him out at SW19. Also in New York.

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[the AntiPusher]

It's interesting that many observers have pointed out that Rafa is in a great position to win another Wimbledon this year. He was going into 12/13/14 as the RG champion but there wasn't this much talk of his being one of the favorites. It does appear that with La Decima in the bag, Rafa is super motivated to settle all discussion about his off-clay greatness by nabbing this one. Moya may help him get there. At the very least, Rafa is not going to be caught off guard. Rafa is a confidence player. It will take a genuinely superior performance to take him out at SW19. Also in New York.

Sent from my 6045O using Tapatalk

I agree..it's been my thoughts ever since he captured RG..Rafa had the most pressure EVER..no real threat from Novak Andy and no participation from Roger , he had to win RG. Not only did he win it he dismantled the field which means that he executed Toni/Moya/Frankie R Architecture perfectly. Speaking of an architect, Toni knows how to dissect Roger's game if Rafa can maintain his health. Rafa's primary goal is to protect his fragile serve which won't be accomplished by pace or speed but by pinpoint placement combined with stepping inside the baseline to take control of the center of the court. Second, Rafa has got to extend the point which Federer and Luby have countered by playing first strike tennis with the juiced up backhand. Now he can open up his shoulders and go after it..