Monte Carlo Masters 2018

[Federberg]

He's looking miles sharper than he has been. Much more interesting than Thiem in the first, but then in the 2nd, he looked weaker, and Dominic broke him twice. Interested to see if he fights for this decider, or fades.

was the deterioration stamina related you think?

 

[Federberg]

I swear Novak looks thinner

 

[DarthFed]

It's baby steps for Nole. Problem is he was doing this at times last year too. At the end of the day he's losing to someone who is also coming back from injury and it's a player he would annihilate if he was "old Novak" (sorry to the Thiem nuts but that's the truth)

 

[Federberg]

just been watching the last few games. It's hard to believe this is a 12 time slam champion I'm watching

 

[Moxie]

I swear Novak looks thinner

Mastoor wants to feed him a schnitzel and Mary Carillo says she wants to feed him a hoagie.

 

[Moxie]

He looked a lot better in the first, but now he's the Novak that runs out of steam later in the match.

 

[DarthFed]

Mastoor wants to feed him a schnitzel and Mary Carillo says she wants to feed him a hoagie.

He was thin but very toned when he was dominating. I could tell last year that he is not anywhere near as toned and it made sense when you hear Becker say that Nole was slacking off and not working as hard.

 

[DarthFed]

just been watching the last few games. It's hard to believe this is a 12 time slam champion I'm watching

Yeah I know what you mean. And he's been playing pretty poor since RG '16 and disastrously bad since the start of 2017. You guys may be right that he's done.

 

[Moxie]

was the deterioration stamina related you think?

Before it seemed motivational, but now it does look like lack of fitness.

 

[Moxie]

Yeah I know what you mean. And he's been playing pretty poor since RG '16 and disastrously bad since the start of 2017. You guys may be right that he's done.

If he can stretch out his still-brilliant patches, he's still looking so dangerous. I think Vajda being back is a good move, and Mastoor says get the old physio back. It's worth a try.

 

[Federberg]

Yeah I know what you mean. And he's been playing pretty poor since RG '16 and disastrously bad since the start of 2017. You guys may be right that he's done.

I've never committed to him being done. I just said I wanted to see evidence that he wasn't. I was willing to give him a pass up until the US Open, then he got injured so I thought, give him this year off. But I am seriously unimpressed with his mental attitude. As someone (can't remember who) said this is looking more and more Wilanderish by the tournament. The fire's gone

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

I feel like this is a good step forward for Nole. He lost a couple of first rounders, than won a round against an OK player, won the next against a good player who was hot, lost to a really good one on his favorite surface on a decider. That is some sort of momentum no.
He will be alright.

 

[DarthFed]

I feel like this is a good step forward for Nole. He lost a couple of first rounders, than won a round against an OK player, won the next against a good player who was hot, lost to a really good one on his favorite surface on a decider. That is some sort of momentum no.
He will be alright.

You definitely are a glass half full type of guy even if the glass is looking 10% full right now.

As bad as last year was for Nole he still decked Thiem in Rome and made the finals, and he looked OK on grass and then suddenly was done for the year. It's still looking like a very uphill battle right now. This tourney may just be baby steps because he's been doing so poorly before it.

 

[DarthFed]

I liked Rafa a lot better when he wasn't playing. Garbage surface brings the jerk to life.

 

[Moxie]

I liked Rafa a lot better when he wasn't playing. Garbage surface brings the jerk to life.

I think this is your line, but I have to be glad when you're unhappy...means Rafa is playing well, which he is. BTW, clay is a legit surface, not garbage, whether you like it or not.

 

[Moxie]

You definitely are a glass half full type of guy even if the glass is looking 10% full right now.

As bad as last year was for Nole he still decked Thiem in Rome and made the finals, and he looked OK on grass and then suddenly was done for the year. It's still looking like a very uphill battle right now. This tourney may just be baby steps because he's been doing so poorly before it.

Murat is not just optimistic to say that things are going in the right direction for Nole. It's been positive progression for Novak since the Daniel match. And I'm not invested in that.

 

[DarthFed]

Murat is not just optimistic to say that things are going in the right direction for Nole. It's been positive progression for Novak since the Daniel match. And I'm not invested in that.

Positive progression since Daniel match?? He lost to Daniel, got blown out by Paire at what might be his best tournament (Miami) and now lost meekly the last two sets to a guy also coming off an injury. The win over Coric was nice but as of now he still hasn't shown anything for quite awhile.

 

[DarthFed]

I think this is your line, but I have to be glad when you're unhappy...means Rafa is playing well, which he is. BTW, clay is a legit surface, not garbage, whether you like it or not.

It is garbage in my not so humble opinion. Just a war of attrition and there are plenty of alternative (boring) sports for that.

 

[the AntiPusher]

It is garbage in my not so humble opinion. Just a war of attrition and there are plenty of alternative (boring) sports for that.

Would you consider it a garbage surface is Roger was maybe 4-5 time RG title holder instead of *09 title over Soderling

 

[Moxie]

It is garbage in my not so humble opinion. Just a war of attrition and there are plenty of alternative (boring) sports for that.

Oh, right...no skill involved. A completely different sport from "real" tennis. I don't even know why you bother to watch.