Internazionali BNL d'Italia, Rome ATP 1000, 2018

[El Dude]

I almost don't care if No1e wins or loses to Rafa in this match because No1e is bound to beat him 7 times in a row again and it doesn't matter whether that starts in Rome or in Paris.

:suicide:

 

[Chris Koziarz]

I must say I'm concerned that faker will be fatigued tomorrow after two consecutive three setters specially the one vs ninja so dull could get lucky yet again but the roast is still on.

I like your ability to invent nicknames but I have to disappoint you: faker won't save tennis tomorrow. Or more precisely, he's unlikely to achieve that. Dull is in top form while faker still very unstable emotionally. He'll have plenty of opportunities to complain about bad shoes, fogged contact lenses, stomach upset because he's eaten something intolerable, etc. while Dull will be stamping his reign on his surface.

 

[Chris Koziarz]

I almost don't care if No1e wins or loses to Rafa in this match because No1e is bound to beat him 7 times in a row again and it doesn't matter whether that starts in Rome or in Paris.

Your adoration for your man (clearly, on this forum there is no other fan matching your openness and passion about any player) creates a bias in your prediction. The prediction is very unlikely to happen: Novak never won Rafa 7 times in a row and there is no indication he will ever do it. There is also only a very small chance (admittedly no zero) that he does it in Roma or RG.

 

[Carol]

Novak is physically pretty good and he is going to try everything he can but unless Nadal would play as bad as in Madrid I don't think he has too much chance. I hope to see a Nadal-Zverev final

 

[Carol]

Your adoration for your man (clearly, on this forum there is no other fan matching your openness and passion about any player) creates a bias in your prediction. The prediction is very unlikely to happen: Novak never won Rafa 7 times in a row and there is no indication he will ever do it. There is also only a very small chance (admittedly no zero) that he does it in Roma or RG.

He did and that's why his fans still are keeping that in their mind but as you are saying I don't see how he could do it again, that incredible and unrepeatable level of Novak at that time you can't see very often and Nadal is not the same player of the 2014 (after the AO) and 2015

 

[DarthFed]

Fabio was working hard to keep his emotions in check what I saw of him yesterday v. Thiem and today v. Rafa. But he couldn't keep up his game and intensity today, which Rafa did. He wasn't at all "clownish" today, so that's unfair. I don't know exactly what Fognini's problem is...focus, fitness, too emotional, lack of discipline in his approach, all of the above...but it translates to inconsistency. There are lots of other players whose talent we admire, but that's not all there is to it.

I didn't see the match, I'm just saying in general he is clownish. As for his problems I'd say he flat out doesn't care at the end of the day. He's still making good money but you only have to see him a few times to realize he doesn't seem terribly ambitious.

 

[Moxie]

I didn't see the match, I'm just saying in general he is clownish. As for his problems I'd say he flat out doesn't care at the end of the day. He's still making good money but you only have to see him a few times to realize he doesn't seem terribly ambitious.

I think that's changed in the last couple of years, when he's had a bit more success. I'm not the one who tends to go for the "love of a good woman" trope, but I suspect maybe being married to an ex-player who happens to have a major would keep someone a bit more on his toes. It's not like he can coast without it being noticed by someone who's opinion likely matters to him. I just watched the last 2 matches he played in Rome, but he was dead serious.

 

[Moxie]

Nadal didn't start serving great, but got out of trouble in that last game with his serve. But he's got to make that better.

 

[britbox]

Djoker looks well up for this one.

 

[britbox]

I'm guessing all this crowd chanting isn't coming from the tennis stadium? I see the venue is on a large complex including the Olympic Stadium. I wonder who else is playing?

 

[DarthFed]

I think that's changed in the last couple of years, when he's had a bit more success. I'm not the one who tends to go for the "love of a good woman" trope, but I suspect maybe being married to an ex-player who happens to have a major would keep someone a bit more on his toes. It's not like he can coast without it being noticed by someone who's opinion likely matters to him. I just watched the last 2 matches he played in Rome, but he was dead serious.

I've followed him for many years, he's no different now than he was 5 years ago. I'd chalk up him being serious to it being his home tournament. I also think he's generally up for matches on clay vs Rafa as it is obviously the ultimate challenge.

 

[britbox]

I'm guessing all this crowd chanting isn't coming from the tennis stadium? I see the venue is on a large complex including the Olympic Stadium. I wonder who else is playing?

Lol. Just realised the noise was coming from another tab that had Spanish football on.

 

[monfed]

lol@peak dull struggling vs a recovering faker. what a talentless creature, just waits for opponents errors.

 

[monfed]

faker had him in all his games. Pity he couldn't expose the moonballer.

 

[Moxie]

Djoker looks well up for this one.

If he was having motivation problems, I'm sure playing Nadal is a big motivator. First set Nadal...whew!

 

[10isfan]

Dumb point by Djoke to lose the first set.

 

[Moxie]

faker had him in all his games. Pity he couldn't expose the moonballer.

One wonders why you bother to watch.

 

[the AntiPusher]

One wonders why you bother to watch.

One wonders why anyone bothers to respond to his posts if all they are out troll latent.

 

[DarthFed]

Figured Nole might play respectable one set and killed the other. This embarrassment is a necessity for him though if he ever is to truly become relevant again.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Rafa is serving with more confidence.. Time to bring out the cc bh and send Novak to Paris early.