Monte Carlo Rolex Masters, Monaco, ATP Masters 1000
- Thread starter Moxie
- Start date
brokenshoelace
Grand Slam Champion
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2013
- Messages
- 9,380
- Reactions
- 1,334
- Points
- 113
Not sure if I'm watching the WTA or a 14 time Grand Slam winner. This serving is unacceptable. From both actually. Monfils can hit monster serves routinely, so quite why he doesn't go for it is beyond me. And Nadal, well, that's some pathetic serving. Win or lose, this doesn't bode well moving forward.
britbox
Multiple Major Winner
I still think Nadal takes the match... but it's underlined a few things rather than answered any questions about his game.
britbox
Multiple Major Winner
britbox
Multiple Major Winner
Will be interesting to see how Monfils responds to being in a decider in a protracted battle, because he has a habit of zoning out and going walkabout the longer it goes.
britbox
Multiple Major Winner
Monfils was a bit lucky with that net ping pong... might have been a miss by Nadal but Monfils played a volley when the ball was definitely going out.
... and follows it up with a double.
... and follows it up with a double.
britbox
Multiple Major Winner
brokenshoelace
Grand Slam Champion
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2013
- Messages
- 9,380
- Reactions
- 1,334
- Points
- 113
Contrary to what the commentators are trying to sell, this is an ugly, ugly match, with some great rallies occasionally.
britbox
Multiple Major Winner
britbox
Multiple Major Winner
Nadal needs to put the foot on the throat right now. Hold here... Monfils is there for the taking.
brokenshoelace
Grand Slam Champion
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2013
- Messages
- 9,380
- Reactions
- 1,334
- Points
- 113
brokenshoelace
Grand Slam Champion
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2013
- Messages
- 9,380
- Reactions
- 1,334
- Points
- 113
Yeah that's fair. I think a match automatically loses a lot of its entertainment once players drop their serve too routinely, regardless of whether or not the score remains tight. It just kills a lot of the enjoyment for me.
britbox
Multiple Major Winner
Movements been good, Serve a joke and he's made a ton of errors you wouldn't see him make in his prime. Mentality won through though. Monfils zoned out after levelling it and you knew Rafa would be pissed after losing the second and up the ante in the third. Champions mentality vs Flake.
brokenshoelace
Grand Slam Champion
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2013
- Messages
- 9,380
- Reactions
- 1,334
- Points
- 113
One major problem for Nadal today, other than the obvious, and it's something he's struggled with his entire career, is his inability to end points with his down the line backhand. He either puts too much top spin on it, giving the opponent a chance to get back in the rally (and often times, reset it), or doesn't hit it close enough up the line, and it ends up almost landing close to the center (it's hard to describe but if you've noticed it you'll know what I'm talking about). So many times he had Monfils scrambling all over the court, stretched out wide to his right hand side, and Gael hits a short cross court forehand that Nadal is subsequently unable to put away, which unnecessarily extends the rally and often results in Nadal over-hitting and making the error out of frustration.
The other ground stroke related problem today is not pulling the trigger on his forehand up the line and especially, inside out early in the rally. Monfils will retrieve for days, and is really hard to hit through. The inside out forehand is the difference maker when you pull the trigger early in the rally and it's no surprise it's the shot Gael struggled to deal with the most when Nadal actually executed it. So many rallies could have been a lot shorter.
All in all, this can't be anything but a positive week though, in light of the past 18 months or more. But make no mistake about it, Novak isn't sweating this sort of performance. It's actually matches like this that tell me at this level, Nadal isn't taking a set off Novak. As in, Novak would probably have a harder time dealing with inferior players to Nadal.
And good god, that serve...
The other ground stroke related problem today is not pulling the trigger on his forehand up the line and especially, inside out early in the rally. Monfils will retrieve for days, and is really hard to hit through. The inside out forehand is the difference maker when you pull the trigger early in the rally and it's no surprise it's the shot Gael struggled to deal with the most when Nadal actually executed it. So many rallies could have been a lot shorter.
All in all, this can't be anything but a positive week though, in light of the past 18 months or more. But make no mistake about it, Novak isn't sweating this sort of performance. It's actually matches like this that tell me at this level, Nadal isn't taking a set off Novak. As in, Novak would probably have a harder time dealing with inferior players to Nadal.
And good god, that serve...
