Internazionali BNL d'Italia, Rome - ATP Masters 1000

[Moxie]

Tomorrow Final for both players will mean..

Nadal: A chance to try to duplicate his levels from 2020.. Anything less in my opinion is not a failure but has diminished value prior to RG.

Djokovic: A chance to try his new counters to being totally dismantled by Rafa in last year's final at RG. Previously after the US Open 2013, Novak made the brilliant counters ( DTL BH to Rafa's BH which was exposed. Also, Novak's CC BH which pulls Rafa FH off the court)..

For the past few years with Moya Rafa has serve better to Novak's body and tried to improve his CC BH. Sometimes. It takes a few matches before he totally trust it which baffles me..

The keys are Rafa's DTL FH and Novak's serve. Whomever wins that battle should take the match. Either way, this shouldn't effect either player preparation for RG.

Roma(Rome) is a nice to have but not the goal.

Interestingly pre-gamed, thanks, AP. I thought Nadal playing Opelka today was good prep for him, not just because it was quick, but because he knew it had to be basically all about his serve, which was needing work.

Rafa fans are never happy to see Novak across the net, (so yes, @Front242, that's why we're perfectly fine to get a jaded version of him tomorrow.) When they played the Rome final in 2018, Novak had a few more hours on court that time, too. I think a tough QF v delPotro, and long SF v Schwartzman...didn't look it up. And still Rafa's nerves pushed it to 3. Hopefully the RG final last years has banished Djokovic somewhat from his mind and confidence on clay. But with whatever he has in the tank, I know that Novak will fight him for it.

Edit: It was the Rome 2019 I was talking about, but it was Delpo then Schwartzman that Novak had to get through to reach the final. Nadal handled Verdasco, then Tsitsipas in straights.

 

[Nadalfan2013]

GOATdal will win.

Djokovic will lose.

I will be right.

 

[Fiero425]

GOATdal will win.

Djokovic will lose.

I will be right.

Love when they count their chickens before they hatch!

 

[Moxie]

Tignor's take: https://www.tennis.com/pro-game/202...ting-saga-rome-final-2021-masters-1000/94029/

 

[Jelenafan]

OK, am i the only one who thinks Sonego should be lighting a cigarette after every rally ?

 

[Moxie]

Watching the rerun of Djokovic v Sonego. @Fiero425: I just saw Novak fist-pump his opponent's UFE. Can you stop pretending that Nadal is the only one that does it? (This is at 6-5 in the 2nd set.)

 

[the AntiPusher]

Tomorrow Final for both players will mean..

Nadal: A chance to try to duplicate his levels from 2020.. Anything less in my opinion is not a failure but has diminished value prior to RG.

Djokovic: A chance to try his new counters to being totally dismantled by Rafa in last year's final at RG. Previously after the US Open 2013, Novak made the brilliant counters ( DTL BH to Rafa's BH which was exposed. Also, Novak's CC BH which pulls Rafa FH off the court)..

For the past few years with Moya Rafa has serve better to Novak's body and tried to improve his CC BH. Sometimes. It takes a few matches before he totally trust it which baffles me..

The keys are Rafa's DTL FH and Novak's serve. Whomever wins that battle should take the match. Either way, this shouldn't effect either player preparation for RG.

Roma(Rome) is a nice to have but not the goal.

I thought he would say Sunday's outcome will not have any relevance to what happens in three weeks from now at RG.

 

[Moxie]

Trying to see the complaints that Fiero has about bad calls that got Novak to a 3rd set. A ball called good, that Novak conceded, that "might" have been good, based on unofficial Hawkeye. And a ball that may have been going out that Novak played. Is that it? Both would be on Novak, and neither decided the set. Still trying to figure out how Novak was hard done-by in losing that set.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

My Sports channel is replaying Rafa vs Reilly who reminds me of someone who has just walked out of the Woodstock Music Festival
Reilly's game really suits the grass,being so tall with a great serve and also good net play,he has great wing span with those long arms,hard to get a ball past him when he is on top of the net.He has had a great tournament making the s/final,also he had COVID earlier this year.

 

[the AntiPusher]

I see I am going to need to mute Jim Currier is the lead analyst today.

 

[Fiero425]

I see I am going to need to mute Jim Currier is the lead analyst today.

Better be careful or you might make the villain list by trying to "cancel" Jim Courier and muting his expressions of free speech! Awwwww!

 

[tennisville]

That point was good but didn't Nadal's racquet hit the net before the ball bounced twice when he fell? Shouldn't Djokovic have been given that point

Umnpiring is so biased when it comes to Nadal

 

[Moxie]

That point was good but didn't Nadal's racquet hit the net before the ball bounced twice when he fell? Shouldn't Djokovic have been given that point

Umnpiring is so biased when it comes to Nadal

Puh-leeze.

 

[Moxie]

Rafa breaks again, and Novak is pissed.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Rafa breaks again, and Novak is pissed.

He ain't pissed until he hits someone..he will be Aight.. great set of tennis by both and I am so happy Rafa finally ran around his BH to hit the inside out FH. That's always a good indicator that He is engaged .

 

[napo]

Nadal is serving like a god so far. >80% first serves. Wow.

 

[tennisville]

Puh-leeze.

What it is true, according to the rules the ball was still in play

 

[Moxie]

What it is true, according to the rules the ball was still in play

Based on you watching it on TV, and the ump being actually there? Right.

 

[napo]

wow 6:1 Novak. Happens not often to Nadal.
what important the first serve % is. Novak raised it over 70%, his ground game is equal to Nadals.
But Rafa will step up in the 3rd, for sure.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Okay Rafa lets serve this match out!