Has Novak turned the corner against Nadal?

[Didi]

I honestly think Djokovic is a lock for the AO 2014 and don't see anyone beating him there, especially if he turns on that scary Travis Bickle grin. Nadal and Murray in 2012 and Wawrinka in 2013 had him on the brink of defeat and played some of the best baseline stuff you are ever going to get to see and I believe they could have beaten anyone in history on that day, yet Djokovic found a way to win on all three occasions. The court suits and complemens his entire game so well, it's almost as if it is a part of him, his soul and culture.

Like an Anaconda or Python bustling and hustling in the amazon jungle and waiting for the poor victim to arrive. It's the perfect symbiosis such as Paris was for Borg and Nadal, Wimbledon for Pete and (among others) the USO for Roger etc. To me Djokovic appears pretty much immortal on the AO court, yes, there I said it and I'm aware of the hyperbole. You need a shotgun and nuclear weapon to beat him. I would have killed to see peak Novak vs. peak Federer/Agassi on the AO court. That would have been something, good lord. A bloodbath royale with french fries and coke and the winner being the last man standing in the truest sense of the word.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Actually, you may be right. FO is possibly won by more nonames. However, AO is probably
second at least in that regard. I will have to look up the stats. But, I am sure both
USO and Wimbledon are almost never won by nonames (there are some minor exceptions).

At least lot of starnge players have reached the finals of AO even in the recent past.
Think Baghdatis, Tsonga (stranger at that time), Gonzalez etc.

 

[Moxie]

USO and Wimbledon are the least likely, or used to be, to get surprise winners, because everyone played them. The French Open has not had so much "no-name" winners as clay specialists, who win once only, or never win elsewhere. (Guga Kuerten won the FO 3 times, but never won any other Major.) Remember that it isn't in the far too distant past that 3 of the Majors were played on grass and only RG was played on clay. That is the genesis of "ghettoizing" clay players.

 

[DarthFed]

I honestly think Djokovic is a lock for the AO 2014 and don't see anyone beating him there, especially if he turns on that scary Travis Bickle grin. Nadal and Murray in 2012 and Wawrinka in 2013 had him on the brink of defeat and played some of the best baseline stuff you are ever going to get to see and I believe they could have beaten anyone in history on that day, yet Djokovic found a way to win on all three occasions. The court suits and complemens his entire game so well, it's almost as if it is a part of him, his soul and culture.

Like an Anaconda or Python bustling and hustling in the amazon jungle and waiting for the poor victim to arrive. It's the perfect symbiosis such as Paris was for Borg and Nadal, Wimbledon for Pete and (among others) the USO for Roger etc. To me Djokovic appears pretty much immortal on the AO court, yes, there I said it and I'm aware of the hyperbole. You need a shotgun and nuclear weapon to beat him. I would have killed to see peak Novak vs. peak Federer/Agassi on the AO court. That would have been something, good lord. A bloodbath royale with french fries and coke and the winner being the last man standing in the truest sense of the word.

No one is a lock in this day and age, not even Rafa at RG with Djoker floating around. I do think with the end of the season, and his 3 in a row there he should be considered a healthy favorite going in but far from a lock. This Fall, and losing the #1 might have helped him hit the reset button following 2 awful GS finals, but we will wait and see.

 

[Didi]

I'm not sure, Darth. With Nadal there was/is always the real possibility that someone like Soderling 09 has the the day of a lifetime and comes out relentlessly attacking Nadal's backhand, pushing him back on a consistent basis and painting the lines all day long until the bitter end. We might see such a display occur only once in a decade but technically it's possible and Robin proved it. With Djokovic on the AO court I don't feel it's really possible for this current generation which excludes Prime Federer.

Of course Novak is not unbeatable in Melbourne since this is not some Dragonball superhero comic stuff but you can't attack his forehand, you can't attack the backhand and you won't get any free points on your serve. There is no weak point to attack. In addition to that he defends like a demon, can run for 6 hours and turns defense into offense just as well. Novak on the OZ court is as close to the complete package of a player as you are ever going to see.

When he is in full force without mental lapses which of course are always a huge concern with this guy, it's arguably tougher to beat him there than Nadal in Paris. I know many will disagree and it is certainly controversial but I really believe this. Murray has the ability to put him off balance with clever slices and variety but on the AO court which isn't as quick as Wimbledon and the US Open I don't think he'll be able to hit through his defense often enough over 4-5 hours.

 

[Srini]

Djokovic hasnt turned the corner yet but he has firmly set himself up to be able to do so next year. He should maintain focus and stamp his authority with a win over Rafa at AO or FO. Both of them have games to beat each other on all surfaces but confidence is the key. Right now Djokovic seems to be slightly more confident.

 

[calitennis127]

Nice to see you taking some Initiative Kieren

Well, you know me, always one for the quiet life. I thought, after all the excitement and feudal wars of the previous nine months, why not a simple thread that should provoke nothing other than agreement and harmony?

I thought though that this was my role on the boards?

 

[DarthFed]

I'm not sure, Darth. With Nadal there was/is always the real possibility that someone like Soderling 09 has the the day of a lifetime and comes out relentlessly attacking Nadal's backhand, pushing him back on a consistent basis and painting the lines all day long until the bitter end. We might see such a display occur only once in a decade but technically it's possible and Robin proved it. With Djokovic on the AO court I don't feel it's really possible for this current generation which excludes Prime Federer.

Of course Novak is not unbeatable in Melbourne since this is not some Dragonball superhero comic stuff but you can't attack his forehand, you can't attack the backhand and you won't get any free points on your serve. There is no weak point to attack. In addition to that he defends like a demon, can run for 6 hours and turns defense into offense just as well. Novak on the OZ court is as close to the complete package of a player as you are ever going to see.

When he is in full force without mental lapses which of course are always a huge concern with this guy, it's arguably tougher to beat him there than Nadal in Paris. I know many will disagree and it is certainly controversial but I really believe this. Murray has the ability to put him off balance with clever slices and variety but on the AO court which isn't as quick as Wimbledon and the US Open I don't think he'll be able to hit through his defense often enough over 4-5 hours.

The first part of the last paragraph is the point I'm getting at. Technically, Nole has the best game there by miles, it is too slow to hit him off the court but he has plenty of offense to take it to his opponents. You just wonder if you'll see tight moments like you saw at Wimbledon and USO this year if Nadal or Murray play him.

We will agree to disagree about Nadal at RG. The Sod match happened but aside from that and the match with Djokovic this year you've never seen a match anywhere near as close with Rafa at RG as Djokovic-Wawrinka in 2012 AO. A big upset of Djokovic at AO is unlikely, but it is about 10 times more likely than a big upset of Nadal at RG.

 

[BalaryKar]

I have not read the complete thread. Rafa is one of the most unbelievable sportsperson of all times and I believe that turning the corner against him is the most useless thing against him because the fight against Rafa is always in a circle (don't go by the rectangular shape of the tennis court, please do not mislead yourself), and the more corners turned will be detrimental to your own purpose and will get back to you only.