Gerry Weber Open (Halle) 9-15 June 2014

[herios]

Browns team celebrating like he just won a slam. He put in a great performance, though.

Brown is a 29y old who's career high stays at 82. For him, to defeat number 1 and 14 times GS champion HAS TO FEEL LIKE A SLAM TITLE.
He will have a nice story to tell to his grandchildren

 

[brokenshoelace]

Momentum players are generally difficult to handle on grass. Unfortunately for Nadal, there are a lot of them.

 

[Kieran]

I wouldn't be overly worried by Brown at Wimbledon. He caught Rafa at exactly the best time to catch him.

I agree though, that Rafa needs to improve - but that would have been true even if he won today...

I'm not worried by Brown at Wimbledon. I'm worried by Nadal, since it seems "the best time to catch him" nowadays is anywhere on grass.

Well, it's his first day on it, in a match. Not a good result, but that's as much because of Brown's inspired shot-making. Rafa will improve, hopefully, and be sharper at Wimbo. I would also have liked him to get about three matches in Halle, but it wasn't to be...

 

[shawnbm]

My LORD!!!! I did not expect to hear this about Rafa at Halle. He obviously needs to hit the practice courts quite a bit between now and The Championships. Wow!

 

[Fiero425]

I wouldn't be overly worried by Brown at Wimbledon. He caught Rafa at exactly the best time to catch him.

I agree though, that Rafa needs to improve - but that would have been true even if he won today...

I'm not worried by Brown at Wimbledon. I'm worried by Nadal, since it seems "the best time to catch him" nowadays is anywhere on grass.

No one wanted to listen! I said he should probably skip this tourney! Rafa SHK he wasn't ready to go from clay, right to grass! He's no BORG! :clap :snigger :laydownlaughing :angel:

 

[herios]

Front, you should also place a bet that Brown will lose to Kohlschreiber.

No need for any more bets for a while, tented. I just made 27k! Thank you Brown and Nadal!

Good for you front and good for Brown of course

 

[Kieran]

I wouldn't be overly worried by Brown at Wimbledon. He caught Rafa at exactly the best time to catch him.

I agree though, that Rafa needs to improve - but that would have been true even if he won today...

I'm not worried by Brown at Wimbledon. I'm worried by Nadal, since it seems "the best time to catch him" nowadays is anywhere on grass.

No one wanted to listen! I said he should probably skip this tourney! Rafa SHK he wasn't ready to go from clay, right to grass! He's no BORG! :clap :snigger :laydownlaughing :angel:

Er...Borg didn't play warm-ups at all...

 

[Fiero425]

I wouldn't be overly worried by Brown at Wimbledon. He caught Rafa at exactly the best time to catch him.

I agree though, that Rafa needs to improve - but that would have been true even if he won today...

I'm not worried by Brown at Wimbledon. I'm worried by Nadal, since it seems "the best time to catch him" nowadays is anywhere on grass.

No one wanted to listen! I said he should probably skip this tourney! Rafa SHK he wasn't ready to go from clay, right to grass! He's no BORG! :clap :snigger :laydownlaughing :angel:

Er...Borg didn't play warm-ups at all...

I well know that! That's what makes him greater than Nadal will ever be no matter the Major count! He played with a crappy wood racket and the grass was like running and hitting on glass! :angel:

 

[Front242]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMzETqGPA3E&feature=player_detailpage[/video]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOXp7AhCAPQ&feature=player_detailpage[/video]

 

[brokenshoelace]

I wouldn't be overly worried by Brown at Wimbledon. He caught Rafa at exactly the best time to catch him.

I agree though, that Rafa needs to improve - but that would have been true even if he won today...

I'm not worried by Brown at Wimbledon. I'm worried by Nadal, since it seems "the best time to catch him" nowadays is anywhere on grass.

Well, it's his first day on it, in a match. Not a good result, but that's as much because of Brown's inspired shot-making. Rafa will improve, hopefully, and be sharper at Wimbo. I would also have liked him to get about three matches in Halle, but it wasn't to be...

That's the worrying part. The last two times he struggled to get some matches in before Wimbledon, it didn't end well. Actually, the last two Wimbledons didn't end well, period. This is not clay. Playing himself into form is a far riskier proposition, and the amount of first week five setters he's had, even when he was making the finals routinely, is an indicator. There is cause for concern. Unlike the FO, where in spite of his "struggles" he was a lock to make the final. I'm guessing that unnamed player might show up a couple of weeks late

 

[Kieran]

I wouldn't be overly worried by Brown at Wimbledon. He caught Rafa at exactly the best time to catch him.

I agree though, that Rafa needs to improve - but that would have been true even if he won today...

I'm not worried by Brown at Wimbledon. I'm worried by Nadal, since it seems "the best time to catch him" nowadays is anywhere on grass.

No one wanted to listen! I said he should probably skip this tourney! Rafa SHK he wasn't ready to go from clay, right to grass! He's no BORG! :clap :snigger :laydownlaughing :angel:

Er...Borg didn't play warm-ups at all...

I well know that! That's what makes him greater than Nadal will ever be no matter the Major count! He played with a crappy wood racket and the grass was like running and hitting on glass! :angel:

Well, there's a lot to dispute in that statement right there, but let's begin with the fact that this statement you just made is unrelated to the one you made before it - except for the couple of digs at Rafa.

Borg didn't go straight from clay to grass tournaments.

And this match was a lucrative warm-up, practice one for Rafa. Would have been better for him to win, but he'll get as much practice on grass elsewhere, and likely against quality players.

I'd be more concerned about Murray losing, to be honest...

 

[brokenshoelace]

I wouldn't be overly worried by Brown at Wimbledon. He caught Rafa at exactly the best time to catch him.

I agree though, that Rafa needs to improve - but that would have been true even if he won today...

I'm not worried by Brown at Wimbledon. I'm worried by Nadal, since it seems "the best time to catch him" nowadays is anywhere on grass.

No one wanted to listen! I said he should probably skip this tourney! Rafa SHK he wasn't ready to go from clay, right to grass! He's no BORG! :clap :snigger :laydownlaughing :angel:

Er...Borg didn't play warm-ups at all...

I well know that! That's what makes him greater than Nadal will ever be no matter the Major count! He played with a crappy wood racket and the grass was like running and hitting on glass! :angel:

Uh, you know everyone else played with "crappy wood rackets" back then right? And no, playing on grass was nothing like running and hitting on glass.

 

[Kieran]

I wouldn't be overly worried by Brown at Wimbledon. He caught Rafa at exactly the best time to catch him.

I agree though, that Rafa needs to improve - but that would have been true even if he won today...

I'm not worried by Brown at Wimbledon. I'm worried by Nadal, since it seems "the best time to catch him" nowadays is anywhere on grass.

Well, it's his first day on it, in a match. Not a good result, but that's as much because of Brown's inspired shot-making. Rafa will improve, hopefully, and be sharper at Wimbo. I would also have liked him to get about three matches in Halle, but it wasn't to be...

That's the worrying part. The last two times he struggled to get some matches in before Wimbledon, it didn't end well. Actually, the last two Wimbledons didn't end well, period. This is not clay. Playing himself into form is a far riskier proposition, and the amount of first week five setters he's had, even when he was making the finals routinely, is an indicator. There is cause for concern. Unlike the FO, where in spite of his "struggles" he was a lock to make the final. I'm guessing that unnamed player might show up a couple of weeks late

Please, keep saying that: last bloke who said that was lucky for Rafa!

 

[brokenshoelace]

I'd be more concerned about Murray losing, to be honest...

Disagree.

 

[Fiero425]

I'm not worried by Brown at Wimbledon. I'm worried by Nadal, since it seems "the best time to catch him" nowadays is anywhere on grass.

No one wanted to listen! I said he should probably skip this tourney! Rafa SHK he wasn't ready to go from clay, right to grass! He's no BORG! :clap :snigger :laydownlaughing :angel:

Er...Borg didn't play warm-ups at all...

I well know that! That's what makes him greater than Nadal will ever be no matter the Major count! He played with a crappy wood racket and the grass was like running and hitting on glass! :angel:

Well, there's a lot to dispute in that statement right there, but let's begin with the fact that this statement you just made is unrelated to the one you made before it - except for the couple of digs at Rafa.

Borg didn't go straight from clay to grass tournaments.

And this match was a lucrative warm-up, practice one for Rafa. Would have been better for him to win, but he'll get as much practice on grass elsewhere, and likely against quality players.

I'd be more concerned about Murray losing, to be honest...

Whatever! Delude yourself if it gets you through the night! :laydownlaughing :lolz: :snigger

 

[Front242]

Murray will do his usual Hoodini lose the first set and win 3 sets to win 1 much of Wimbledon no doubt. Wouldn't be too concerned about him.

 

[brokenshoelace]

I wouldn't be overly worried by Brown at Wimbledon. He caught Rafa at exactly the best time to catch him.

I agree though, that Rafa needs to improve - but that would have been true even if he won today...

I'm not worried by Brown at Wimbledon. I'm worried by Nadal, since it seems "the best time to catch him" nowadays is anywhere on grass.

Well, it's his first day on it, in a match. Not a good result, but that's as much because of Brown's inspired shot-making. Rafa will improve, hopefully, and be sharper at Wimbo. I would also have liked him to get about three matches in Halle, but it wasn't to be...

That's the worrying part. The last two times he struggled to get some matches in before Wimbledon, it didn't end well. Actually, the last two Wimbledons didn't end well, period. This is not clay. Playing himself into form is a far riskier proposition, and the amount of first week five setters he's had, even when he was making the finals routinely, is an indicator. There is cause for concern. Unlike the FO, where in spite of his "struggles" he was a lock to make the final. I'm guessing that unnamed player might show up a couple of weeks late

Please, keep saying that: last bloke who said that was lucky for Rafa!

No no, I'm not actually making that prediction. But let's not kid ourselves: There is a trend re: Nadal on grass. This isn't some isolated $hit happens defeat, judging by the past couple of years. It by no means spells doom and gloom at Wimbledon, but it does mean that a repeat of the past two years is still very much possible, and there's nothing to suggest it isn't.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Main difference between Murray and Nadal on grass is that Andy has two main weapons that can get him out of trouble when he's not playing well: the serve and his return. Whereas, Nadal needs his ground game to work but against these players that give him no rhythm, it's all about how well he serves and returns (two things he's not doing well at the moment).

 

[Kieran]

Whatever! Delude yourself if it gets you through the night! :laydownlaughing :lolz: :snigger

There's nothing to delude myself about. I'm not concerned about this result in the slightest.

It's a 250 warm-up event, with a pot of cash as the added incentive. He can warm-up without it, and sleep comfy tonight on a bed of money...

 

[brokenshoelace]

Interesting stat: Nadal has lost his last 3 matches on grass. To #85 Brown, #135 Darcis and #100 Rosol. Not exactly a confidence booster.