Monte Carlo Rolex Masters

[Front242]

Stan was hitting lasers off both wings and has a huge serve to boot. It was all clicking that day. That is not Rafa's game needless to say.

Yeah.... that's why Rafa has won 9 RG and 14 GS :laydownlaughing

No, there's a very different reason for that stat!

 

[10isfan]

I am surprised most of you can't see that Monfils was pushing. Nadal was not. His shots were slow because Monfils was not giving him pace, and generating his own would have been tough.

Monfils doesn't know how to play tennis. That is the only logical explanation for the way he approaches the sport. Pushing is a viable strategy, but not for him, and he doesn't understand that. He should have come out blasting, and taken risks to end it in two sets. Instead, he ran and ran, only to lose in three. That is much worse because watching a pushfest is horrible. Watching a clay match is bad enough. I am eager for the tour to move onto grass and hard courts again.

I am not saying the above because I am a Fed fan. I give full credit to Nadal who probably has the highest tennis IQ on the planet. He rarely makes a mistake in shot selection, and is one of the greatest players in history. I just enjoy attacking tennis over the endless rallies.

 

[the AntiPusher]

I am surprised most of you can't see that Monfils was pushing. Nadal was not. His shots were slow because Monfils was not giving him pace, and generating his own would have been tough.

Monfils doesn't know how to play tennis. That is the only logical explanation for the way he approaches the sport. Pushing is a viable strategy, but not for him, and he doesn't understand that. He should have come out blasting, and taken risks to end it in two sets. Instead, he ran and ran, only to lose in three. That is much worse because watching a pushfest is horrible. Watching a clay match is bad enough. I am eager for the tour to move onto grass and hard courts again.

I am not saying the above because I am a Fed fan. I give full credit to Nadal who probably has the highest tennis IQ on the planet. He rarely makes a mistake in shot selection, and is one of the greatest players in history. I just enjoy attacking tennis over the endless rallies.

No..That's not his game. Gael's plan is to keep the ball in play and if he is pulled out of position to go for the winner at that point. Sure , he goes for winners if he has set up his combos. Monfils has the ability and accuracy to be a power player but again his game is based on defense. To say that he is not a player that plays with strategy unfair and very bias. Gael's issue is he expends too much energy durng matches and does not have the long term endurance of top 10 player..

 

[Carol]

I am surprised most of you can't see that Monfils was pushing. Nadal was not. His shots were slow because Monfils was not giving him pace, and generating his own would have been tough.

Monfils doesn't know how to play tennis. That is the only logical explanation for the way he approaches the sport. Pushing is a viable strategy, but not for him, and he doesn't understand that. He should have come out blasting, and taken risks to end it in two sets. Instead, he ran and ran, only to lose in three. That is much worse because watching a pushfest is horrible. Watching a clay match is bad enough. I am eager for the tour to move onto grass and hard courts again.

I am not saying the above because I am a Fed fan. I give full credit to Nadal who probably has the highest tennis IQ on the planet. He rarely makes a mistake in shot selection, and is one of the greatest players in history. I just enjoy attacking tennis over the endless rallies.

If you look these few highlights you can see that Monfils is better player than you think. I remember before his injuries (when he was the rubber man) how many times he gave hard times to the top players. i haven't seen him for long time to play so well like in this whole tournament, match by match including the final

http://youtu.be/oB1lKuQd-jw

 

[El Dude]

It's possible that this is the breakthrough he needs to be more confident and assertive - or else this is a false dawn and his old problems haven't gone away, or fully been cured. Too early for us to measure him against Novak, but he played some great stuff this week.

I suspect it is somewhere in-between. Rafa just won his second or third best tournament (after Roland Garros and maybe Barcelona). He proved that he can still win on clay, and probably that he is still a top 2 clay player. But we haven't seen him play anything like this anywhere else in a couple years, so I'm not sure how he'll do after Roland Garros.

Still, as a Rafa fan you have to be encouraged that he will, at the least, remain one of the favorites for the next couple months. After that, who knows.

 

[10isfan]

I am surprised most of you can't see that Monfils was pushing. Nadal was not. His shots were slow because Monfils was not giving him pace, and generating his own would have been tough.

Monfils doesn't know how to play tennis. That is the only logical explanation for the way he approaches the sport. Pushing is a viable strategy, but not for him, and he doesn't understand that. He should have come out blasting, and taken risks to end it in two sets. Instead, he ran and ran, only to lose in three. That is much worse because watching a pushfest is horrible. Watching a clay match is bad enough. I am eager for the tour to move onto grass and hard courts again.

I am not saying the above because I am a Fed fan. I give full credit to Nadal who probably has the highest tennis IQ on the planet. He rarely makes a mistake in shot selection, and is one of the greatest players in history. I just enjoy attacking tennis over the endless rallies.

No..That's not his game. Gael's plan is to keep the ball in play and if he is pulled out of position to go for the winner at that point. Sure , he goes for winners if he has set up his combos. Monfils has the ability and accuracy to be a power player but again his game is based on defense. To say that he is not a player that plays with strategy unfair and very bias. Gael's issue is he expends too much energy durng matches and does not have the long term endurance of top 10 player..

If he expends too much energy relying on defense, and he has the accuracy and ability to be a power player, then he should be a power player. This is what I mean about his not understanding how to play the sport. He has a style that is not appropriate. A defense player should have high endurance and usually lacks power. He developed into a defense player because he has speed, but he also has power. He actually has both which should have enabled him to win multiple majors. I assume people must have told him all this, but he is not coachable.

 

[BIG3]

Congratulations to Rafa and his fans. Shame on ESPN not carrying the final.

I just hope Nole and Rafa in different half of RG and meet in the final. It would be amazing either for Rafa 10th trophies or Nole Slam. If that's the case, I'm curious to know whom Fed fans will root for and why.

 

[Front242]

I am surprised most of you can't see that Monfils was pushing. Nadal was not. His shots were slow because Monfils was not giving him pace, and generating his own would have been tough.

Monfils doesn't know how to play tennis. That is the only logical explanation for the way he approaches the sport. Pushing is a viable strategy, but not for him, and he doesn't understand that. He should have come out blasting, and taken risks to end it in two sets. Instead, he ran and ran, only to lose in three. That is much worse because watching a pushfest is horrible. Watching a clay match is bad enough. I am eager for the tour to move onto grass and hard courts again.

I am not saying the above because I am a Fed fan. I give full credit to Nadal who probably has the highest tennis IQ on the planet. He rarely makes a mistake in shot selection, and is one of the greatest players in history. I just enjoy attacking tennis over the endless rallies.

Yup, he was pushing 90% of the match except for the occasional down the line winner when he saw an opening. The only way he is beating top 10 players is to consistently play aggressive tennis and go for winners at every occasion and he didn't do that yesterday. Most of his shots were like a practice session and much of the match looked like amateurs tapping the ball lightly over the net as result of Monfils giving no pace to Nadal with his stupidly slow shots.

 

[10isfan]

When I see pros playing the wrong styles, I blame their early coaches who should have explained and drilled the correct ones.

As a Fed fan, I will be cheering for Nadal over Djoke. I think most would agree with me.

 

[Mile]

OK, what i saw there...

1. second set Nadal got off in wet
2. he went to bathroom
3. third set he won 6:0


Just observation, cause didnt follow all.

 

[Kieran]

Good to see the Fedfans still anxious. Tells me Rafa did great.

Now, anybody else here wish he'd skip Madrid?

 

[Mile]

Good to see the Fedfans still anxious. Tells me Rafa did great.

Now, anybody else here wish he'd skip Madrid?

Nope, but i might say...he was off to it for current months, and RG is comming and he is back on it. Maybe. We might see the result 10 years later, in a book, saying ohhh i am so sorry...Agasi.

My thoughts.

 

[Kieran]

Good to see the Fedfans still anxious. Tells me Rafa did great.

Now, anybody else here wish he'd skip Madrid?

Nope, but i might say...he was off to it for current months, and RG is comming and he is back on it. Maybe. We might see the result 10 years later, in a book, saying ohhh i am so sorry...Agasi.

My thoughts.

Yeah, the Fedfans are definitely getting anxious. That old stupid hoary old chestnut, by fans of the octogenarian who's dancing about the court like its 1999.

Let's keep the topic classy, eh? :cover

 

[Kieran]

It's possible that this is the breakthrough he needs to be more confident and assertive - or else this is a false dawn and his old problems haven't gone away, or fully been cured. Too early for us to measure him against Novak, but he played some great stuff this week.

I suspect it is somewhere in-between. Rafa just won his second or third best tournament (after Roland Garros and maybe Barcelona). He proved that he can still win on clay, and probably that he is still a top 2 clay player. But we haven't seen him play anything like this anywhere else in a couple years, so I'm not sure how he'll do after Roland Garros.

Still, as a Rafa fan you have to be encouraged that he will, at the least, remain one of the favorites for the next couple months. After that, who knows.

That's it. Consistency is the key. He hasn't had any since he came back in 2015, but he's had no reason to have confidence either. Now, he might, because however we look at it, he beat quality opposition this week, and also had to dig deep and win close ones with Murray and Monfils...

 

[DarthFed]

Good to see the Fedfans still anxious. Tells me Rafa did great.

Now, anybody else here wish he'd skip Madrid?

Nope, but i might say...he was off to it for current months, and RG is comming and he is back on it. Maybe. We might see the result 10 years later, in a book, saying ohhh i am so sorry...Agasi.

My thoughts.

Yeah, the Fedfans are definitely getting anxious. That old stupid hoary old chestnut, by fans of the octogenarian who's dancing about the court like its 1999.

Let's keep the topic classy, eh? :cover

The octogenarian that moves and plays about half as well as he used to? The one that isn't even ranked ahead of Andy frickin Murray anymore? Roger aged normally, I'm surprised people figured he'd be playing worse than he has the past few years. It is wishful thinking. The haters should be happy, especially since Roger hasn't done well at slams since 2012.

 

[Kieran]

Roger has aged very well.

But not all of us are in a hurry to usher him out of the game, I'm quite glad to see the old rotter now and again. Another couple of Fedal matches would suit me down to the ground...

 

[DarthFed]

If he had aged well he'd still be winning the occasional slam and given the current state of things he'd be #2 by a wide margin. I'd say he aged average, maybe worse than expected. He just isn't the average great player to begin with. I for one would expect 34 year old Roger to be ranked ahead of a Murray who hasn't impressed in a few years.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Congratulations to Rafa and his fans. Shame on ESPN not carrying the final.

I just hope Nole and Rafa in different half of RG and meet in the final. It would be amazing either for Rafa 10th trophies or Nole Slam. If that's the case, I'm curious to know whom Fed fans will root for and why.

my experience with Fed fans is that they NEVER root for Rafa in any scenario especially since Rafa's career GS titles are at #14 and Fed is at #17.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Good to see the Fedfans still anxious. Tells me Rafa did great.

Now, anybody else here wish he'd skip Madrid?

If Rafa does well this week at Barcelona he most certainly would consider skipping Madrid. There's nothing to be gained of significant for him but the points he has to defend.i

 

[Kieran]

If he had aged well he'd still be winning the occasional slam and given the current state of things he'd be #2 by a wide margin. I'd say he aged average, maybe worse than expected. He just isn't the average great player to begin with. I for one would expect 34 year old Roger to be ranked ahead of a Murray who hasn't impressed in a few years.

Actually, compared to every other high achiever in the sport, Roger is the exception in how they've aged. A remarkable exception.

Murray is six years younger. He should be ranked higher than Federer, and he should be beating him every match, but instead he's getting hammered. Even when Federer was at his best, he wasn't posting scores like he is now, against Murray...