Is Rafa going to win RG 2020?

[Jelenafan]

Rafa has Fabio but I dunno, Fognini with his knee surgeries may not be running on all engines.

 

[Moxie]

Rafa has Fabio but I dunno, Fognini with his knee surgeries may not be running on all engines.

I think it was ankle surgeries, in May, but no, I'm not worried about F3 in the same way.

 

[AnonymousFan]

Yes, barring injury

 

[mrzz]

No.

 

[Moxie]

No.

Is that wishful thinking, or confidence? You keep predicting that the big 3 are done. So if Nadal doesn't win, who does?

 

[backhandslapper]

My personal bet is... No.

Too much rust he hasn't had time to get rid of -- and too little steam in that FH. I vividly remember last year when it took him about three clay tournaments to find his rhythm/confidence. And he's more than a year older now. He'll look OK in the early rounds as his scared opponents will respectfully assist him in whipping their butts, but he'll begin to look shaky/tired deeper in. Once he runs into someone capable of putting up a fight, he'll look just as helpless as he did against Diego.

Thiem is a favorite to me.

 

[don_fabio]

There is supposed to be a lot of rain next week in Paris. They might struggle with the schedule. At least they have a roof on Chatrier now. Also don't know if it was mentioned, but they are going to use different balls, heavier as they say.

 

[Jelenafan]

Is that wishful thinking, or confidence? You keep predicting that the big 3 are done. So if Nadal doesn't win, who does?

Wishful thinking in this thread? I'm shocked, shocked.

 

[Moxie]

There is supposed to be a lot of rain next week in Paris. They might struggle with the schedule. At least they have a roof on Chatrier now. Also don't know if it was mentioned, but they are going to use different balls, heavier as they say.

I did actually mention that in my response to your list of potential issues for Rafa. I think weather and the new balls may affect the spin and bounce he normally gets on clay. They won't help.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I did actually mention that in my response to your list of potential issues for Rafa. I think weather and the new balls may affect the spin and bounce he normally gets on clay. They won't help.

Rafa has already practiced with the new balls in Spain.,heavier due to the cooler conditions in Paris.

 

[10isfan]

Nadal has easy opponents in the early rounds. 8 qualifiers in his quarter. Is that a record? Thiem will probably not make it to the semi. Every player in his quarter is scary. I predict a Nadal Djoke final. It’s a coin flip at that point.

 

[Jelenafan]

Nadal has easy opponents in the early rounds. 8 qualifiers in his quarter. Is that a record? Thiem will probably not make it to the semi. Every player in his quarter is scary. I predict a Nadal Djoke final. It’s a coin flip at that point.

I believe Federer had similar draws at Wimbledon.

Theim with his SF, SF, F, F results the last 4 years, hard to see some of these earlier round challenges outlasting him best of five. Worst case scenario would be his having back to back to back long grinding out matches.

 

[Moxie]

I believe Federer had similar draws at Wimbledon.

Theim with his SF, SF, F, F results the last 4 years, hard to see some of these earlier round challenges outlasting him best of five. Worst case scenario would be his having back to back to back long grinding out matches.

With Thiem's draw, especially, it's hard not to see a Nadal v Djokovic final, though I think he was only poised to spoil Djokovic's half. I do agree it's almost a coin-flip, but if Rafa is on good form, he still caps Novak at RG.

 

[Bonaca]

With Thiem's draw, especially, it's hard not to see a Nadal v Djokovic final, though I think he was only poised to spoil Djokovic's half. I do agree it's almost a coin-flip, but if Rafa is on good form, he still caps Novak at RG.

Of course its ALL about Bob’s form.
It begins today, we will see in two weeks what happens.
Looking forward what excuses will come around the corner this time (AO 19 was pretty good)
.
Ehem , is Bob ok to you? Political correct?

 

[Moxie]

Of course its ALL about Bob’s form.
It begins today, we will see in two weeks what happens.
Looking forward what excuses will come around the corner this time (AO 19 was pretty good)
.
Ehem , is Bob ok to you? Political correct?

I think it's fair to say that it's a lot about the form of the guy who has won the tournament 12 times. If Novak could beat Rafa at RG with Nadal playing his best, or even close, he'd have done it before. Let's not forget that Novak is the guy who lost the title when he didn't even have to play Rafa, ok? As to excuse-making, you've done a pretty good job of blaming the weather, the haters and the powers that be when things don't go so well for Novak, so be careful of that glass house.

As to Bob the Builder, I don't like it and I think it's inaccurate, but you do you. As to the other, let me just say that (to borrow a phrase,) sneering at political correctness is the last refuge of a scoundrel. You want to say sexist, homophobic things and then blame others for "curtailing" your rights. This is basically a self-moderating forum. If you say something that other members find offensive, we have the right to call you out on it. You also have the right to ignore what we say. What the Admins do about it is a different matter.

 

[calitennis127]

If Novak could beat Rafa at RG with Nadal playing his best, or even close, he'd have done it before.

He did do it - in 2015, when I was the only one on here saying Nadal was fine and there was no reason to say that he was "done." I was of course proven right in subsequent years (just as I have been with every age argument) but people like you are too dumb to realize it, let alone acknowledge it. Djokovic also was 10 minutes from beating Nadal in the 2014 final before he flopped at the end of the 2nd set.

Let's not forget that Novak is the guy who lost the title when he didn't even have to play Rafa, ok?

Let's not forget that Djokovic is the 5-time Rome champion and has beaten Nadal at every clay Masters event as well as at Roland Garros, ok?

As to the other, let me just say that (to borrow a phrase,) sneering at political correctness is the last refuge of a scoundrel.

No, it is the sentiment of a rational and well-informed person, which you are not.

You want to say sexist, homophobic things and then blame others for "curtailing" your rights.

You are one of those people who adheres to the 5-word vocabulary of "racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, and transphobia" as if it is a profound way of looking at the world. It's not. It's completely silly and irrational.

This is basically a self-moderating forum. If you say something that other members find offensive, we have the right to call you out on it.

And others have the right to tell you that your sanctimonious posture is tiresome and rooted in a stupid view of the world.

 

[calitennis127]

Of course its ALL about Bob’s form.
It begins today, we will see in two weeks what happens.
Looking forward what excuses will come around the corner this time (AO 19 was pretty good)
.
Ehem , is Bob ok to you? Political correct?

Bonaca, keep being you and don't let Moxie tell you how to be. Just ignore her silly moralizing and schoolmarmish finger-wagging. Her view of history is unfounded and baseless. And she is using it to stifle your free expression. You should feel free to make whatever jokes you like.

 

[Nadalfan2013]

I liked what I saw from Nadal today, good start!

 

[Ricardo]

Bonaca, keep being you and don't let Moxie tell you how to be. Just ignore her silly moralizing and schoolmarmish finger-wagging. Her view of history is unfounded and baseless. And she is using it to stifle your free expression. You should feel free to make whatever jokes you like.

if one is realistic, of course it is about Nadal's form over anything else.........he is the greatest clay courter ever lived. Djoker has never been that level on clay, even at his best he was beat by Fed (2011) and Stan (2015), of course they both played amazing to do so. Meanwhile, peak Nadal wouldn't have been beat by anyone at RG.

 

[mrzz]

if one is realistic, of course it is about Nadal's form over anything else.........he is the greatest clay courter ever lived. Djoker has never been that level on clay, even at his best he was beat by Fed (2011) and Stan (2015), of course they both played amazing to do so. Meanwhile, peak Nadal wouldn't have been beat by anyone at RG.

...anyone but Soderling.