Is Djokovic a threat to Federer's 17?

[britbox]

To me tennis this year is just not the same, I have loved watching Nadal, Fed and Novak. It was brilliant having them all playing great tennis for the past few years. I am hoping that all three find their fitness and form next year. Thev game needs them badly. There are some good younger players of course but some of them are already showing signs of repeated injury and or fatigue eg Edmunds, Thiem. But I don't see anyone with a game to rival the three great ones.

Re Feds lifestyle, I don't know how he does it! I think his wife totally devotes herself to his interests and the children whereas Jelena has a demanding business role in Novak's foundation. And the press tends to support him whereas they misreport and criticize Novak continually - at least they do here in the UK. But even so Federer handles the life brilliantly well.

Hi Mary, what are the UK press reporting on Novak? When I was in the UK, Tennis reporting was always pretty minimal outside Wimbledon or if Murray went on a run at a major. Interested to hear the slant...

 

[Billie]

I am the same as @Mary and actually think that Fed and Rafa not being the challenges like in the previous years took a little bit out of Nole as well. He loved and treasured facing off against them. Hopefully next year they will all be healthy and able to put show for us, along with younger guys.

 

[Mary]

Hi Mary, what are the UK press reporting on Novak? When I was in the UK, Tennis reporting was always pretty minimal outside Wimbledon or if Murray went on a run at a major. Interested to hear the slant...

At the moment its all about Murray taking over. Lots of stuff about Novak being finished. Much criticism of him getting frustrated and tearing his shirt. They say he gets away with behaviour that Kyrgios is punished for.

He has been criticized for supporting Sharapova. Earlier in the year they made much of him saying innocent till found guilty in relation to doping concerns and accused him of match fixing when he said he had been offered money to drop a match. Also supposed to be having affairs with Sharapova and Padrone. In spring they went big time on the sex discrimination stuff. Basically they talk him down whenever possible to talk Murray up.

Its not just Novak of course. The press here is vicious to many people. Currently there are loads of complaints about the Sun, Express and Mail inciting racial hatred and Liverpool has banned the Sun, other cities showeing signs of doing so too. Liverpool taxis are brtight yellow with Don't buy the Sun in big scarlet letters!

 

[Billie]

I think it was Billie or a different poster that recently said losing the number one rank at the end of the year or early on next year might be good for Novak to get his focus back and I agree with that viewpoint. I also think it is likely that Murray gets the #1 either this year or early next year. Nole struggled after RG this year but up to that point he won 2 majors and 3 MS events so that's a ton of points to defend.

Correct, I said that losing #1 ranking could be a blessing in disguise. Not that I really want him to lose it. But then again next year after FO he can gain a lot since he didn't do that well during that period of time this year. All positives.

 

[britbox]

At the moment its all about Murray taking over. Lots of stuff about Novak being finished. Much criticism of him getting frustrated and tearing his shirt. They say he gets away with behaviour that Kyrgios is punished for.

He has been criticized for supporting Sharapova. Earlier in the year they made much of him saying innocent till found guilty in relation to doping concerns and accused him of match fixing when he said he had been offered money to drop a match. Also supposed to be having affairs with Sharapova and Padrone. In spring they went big time on the sex discrimination stuff. Basically they talk him down whenever possible to talk Murray up.

Its not just Novak of course. The press here is vicious to many people. Currently there are loads of complaints about the Sun, Express and Mail inciting racial hatred and Liverpool has banned the Sun, other cities showeing signs of doing so too. Liverpool taxis are brtight yellow with Don't buy the Sun in big scarlet letters!

Ha ha... I lived in Liverpool for 20 years and my missus is a scouser (or Liverpudlian, as she doesn't like the term "scouser")... your comments on the taxis made me laugh... that is Liverpool through and through. Long memories and anti-establishment. That will be more about the Sun's reporting of the Hillsborough disaster though than racial stuff.

There seems to be a general mission to vilify anything related to Russia at the moment... directly or indirectly. I read some of the UK Press online... and the hypocrisy is incredible. I've lost any respect for the BBC...

 

[Mary]

Ha ha... I lived in Liverpool for 20 years and my missus is a scouser (or Liverpudlian, as she doesn't like the term "scouser")... your comments on the taxis made me laugh... that is Liverpool through and through. Long memories and anti-establishment. That will be more about the Sun's reporting of the Hillsborough disaster though than racial stuff.

There seems to be a general mission to vilify anything related to Russia at the moment... directly or indirectly. I read some of the UK Press online... and the hypocrisy is incredible. I've lost any respect for the BBC...

Hillsborough was the start of it but they have published montages of Sun front pages full of appalling racial stuff. Latest is Gary Lineker on twitter calling for compassion to refugees and the Sun calling for BBC to sack him. They employ reporter who hacked phones for Murdoch of course, didn't sack him! Because of Garry Leicester is now following Liverpool and I believe Newcastle. People are hiding copies in shops and taking all the free ones and burning them. Lots of support too for the news reporter the Sun ed criticised for wearing a hidjab.

Lots of anti Russian stuff despite the fact that to our shame we are supplying bombs to Syria, dear Boris says if we didn't someone else would. That man deserves a lifetime achievement award for idiocy and point missing

Edited to add BBC is dreadful these days, dumbed down rubbish programmes and state propaganda for news. News ed is a Murdoch man. I hkope Cliff Richard gets millions from them!

 

[Mary]

I am the same as @Mary and actually think that Fed and Rafa not being the challenges like in the previous years took a little bit out of Nole as well. He loved and treasured facing off against them. Hopefully next year they will all be healthy and able to put show for us, along with younger guys.

I have wondered if seeing Rafa and Fed injured has made Novak very conscious of his own injuries and given him a feeling of time running out? And you are right, the level of competition motivated him. I once heard him say that matches at that level are why they play the game.

 

[Billie]

I have wondered if seeing Rafa and Fed injured has made Novak very conscious of his own injuries and given him a feeling of time running out? And you are right, the level of competition motivated him. I once heard him say that matches at that level are why they play the game.

And it makes sense. These guys have been at it for over a decade, it is normal that during that time they had their ups and downs. And most of the years at least two of them were competing at the highest levels. This year it's been a bust for both Fed and Rafa.

I can't say what is in Nole's head or what has been going on, but to me, it looks more like mental than physical issues. Of course when your heart is not in it, then you start to press, and then you get all kinds of aches, then he doesn't play or train for a week or two and then tries again. So that hasn't been working well. I have learned a long time ago that there is nothing for me to do but just hope he figures out whatever is wrong or not working well.

 

[britbox]

Hillsborough was the start of it but they have published montages of Sun front pages full of appalling racial stuff. Latest is Gary Lineker on twitter calling for compassion to refugees and the Sun calling for BBC to sack him. They employ reporter who hacked phones for Murdoch of course, didn't sack him! Because of Garry Leicester is now following Liverpool and I believe Newcastle. People are hiding copies in shops and taking all the free ones and burning them. Lots of support too for the news reporter the Sun ed criticised for wearing a hidjab.

Lots of anti Russian stuff despite the fact that to our shame we are supplying bombs to Syria, dear Boris says if we didn't someone else would. That man deserves a lifetime achievement award for idiocy and point missing

Edited to add BBC is dreadful these days, dumbed down rubbish programmes and state propaganda for news. News ed is a Murdoch man. I hkope Cliff Richard gets millions from them!

The Sun has always been trash... ever since I remember. I never bought it in the first place... BUT it's the individuals who allow the trash rather than the publication who should be brought down... The notorious Hillsborough article was forced through by Kelvin Mackenzie (then-editor) against the advice of his subordinates. It's guys like McKenzie who should be sought out and hung out to dry... moreso than the publication...

McKenzie is a grade A wanker and I loved it when he got doorstopped himself...

 

[Mary]

Mackenzie is a disgrace. That is a brilliant clip. I loved a recent John McDonell quote when a reporter rang him for an interview. Reporter introduced himself ax a journalist from the Sun. Mc's response was "you can be one or the other but not both!"

Mackenzie is the main issue but I feel our press is run by too few owners, would've glad to seen any Murdoch paper go. We no longer have any honest main stream media here which is a big cause of the UKs problems.

 

[Mary]

And it makes sense. These guys have been at it for over a decade, it is normal that during that time they had their ups and downs. And most of the years at least two of them were competing at the highest levels. This year it's been a bust for both Fed and Rafa.

I can't say what is in Nole's head or what has been going on, but to me, it looks more like mental than physical issues. Of course when your heart is not in it, then you start to press, and then you get all kinds of aches, then he doesn't play or train for a week or two and then tries again. So that hasn't been working well. I have learned a long time ago that there is nothing for me to do but just hope he figures out whatever is wrong or not working well.

I think he has lost confidence, but I still feel that may well be due to injury. He has clearly been in pain and there is likely to be weakness in the damaged area. It's noticeable that in recent matches hge has started OK but after about an hour his serve and forehand weaken - pain meds wearing off possibly. l also wonder about the relationship with Becker. I noticed that when Jelena was watching a few weeks ago she was sat quite a way away from his team. When I have seen her before she has usually been right up front with them. He has taken breaks as you say but I suspect not long enough because of the pressure of defending points. We may know more next week.