Monte Carlo Rolex Masters

[Fiero425]

Calm down! Let's not get ridiculous now! Hyperbole does not become you! :nono :angel: :dodgy: :cover

 

[nehmeth]

It would be interesting if anybody who watched the match could give a report.

No big deal for Novak, but not an ideal way to start the clay season either.

Nole's first match back on dirt and Vesely didn't allow him to play his way into form. He had to bring his A game and did not. Very similar to his loss to Wawrinka, big guy striking the ball purposefully, going for his shots and not missing much. Nole was way back, playing safe, keeping the ball in play and being forced to scamper about like a little rabbit. Pressure was on him and he was the one making dumb choices in big moments.

It should be a good reminder for him and hopefully will be more of an incentive than if he had won through. Good for me too as I have a busy rest of the week. Cheers Vesely, and well done.

 

[Riotbeard]

I just saw the score and am actually kind of stunned that Djokovic lost in the 2nd round. It's his 2nd loss of the season and it's only April! Shocking! :lolz: How long before people start to say he's too old, his best days are behind him, he's lost a step, the younger guys have caught up, he'll never win another tournament and he might as well go ahead and retire? :laydownlaughing

Seriously though, good for Vesely. The question now is - can he win his next match? Because none of these guys ever seem to be able to back up a big win.

I know you jest, but the decline has to start somewhere, sometime. I don't think this is it, that Novak is about to fall off a cliff. And certainly even he is allowed off days. But consider:

*Vesely (#55) Is the lowest ranked opponent Novak has lost to in six years
*It is Novak's first loss at a big tournament (Slam, WTF, Masters) since he lost the Cincinnati Masters to Roger Federer back in August of last year (actually, he lost a match to Roger at the WTF in November, but went on to win the tournament)

The bottom line: What this tells us is that Novak is not unbeatable, and that's rather huge. He is still (by a good margin) the best player on tour and is likely to remain the best player for the foreseeable future, but Jiri let us know that the gap might not be quite as big as it has been over the last year and a half, or at least 7+ months.

True, but he also has to lose at these events occasionally, so in opposite context, he has only lost once at a big event once in the last 7+ months. For some reason, I prefer that framing, haha.

Correction: Novak has lost twice at major events in the last 7+ months. Round robin against Fed at the WTF.

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZmGMBYhsFA[/video]

 

[Front242]

Just home and shocked to see Novak lost. 990 points lost today as well. No longer double Murray now. Nadal's window of opportunity got a bit bigger with today's results also. Be hilarious if Nadal lost to some donkey and Roger won the tournament that has always alluded him in his first tournament back since his only ever surgery in his career lol.

 

[Fiero425]

Just home and shocked to see Novak lost. 990 points lost today as well. No longer double Murray now. Nadal's window of opportunity got a bit bigger with today's results also. Be hilarious if Nadal lost to some donkey and Roger won the tournament that has always alluded him in his first tournament back since his only ever surgery in his career lol.

That would surely show how pathetic this era is to allow such a thing to happen! :nono :cover :eyepop

 

[Front242]

Just home and shocked to see Novak lost. 990 points lost today as well. No longer double Murray now. Nadal's window of opportunity got a bit bigger with today's results also. Be hilarious if Nadal lost to some donkey and Roger won the tournament that has always alluded him in his first tournament back since his only ever surgery in his career lol.

That would surely show how pathetic this era is to allow such a thing to happen! :nono :cover :eyepop

Well Roger himself was pathetic to have lost, forget the year, when up 5-3 I believe in set 1 and 4-0 in set 2 against Nadal only to lose the match 7-5 7-5. And he played like a tool in that final against Wawrinka.

 

[Puppet Master]

From what I saw, Novak was clutch as hell, but Vesely was hell's older brother today. He didn't ballbash, nor did he make Djoke commit loads of errors like Simon for example, he just played within his game, and executed almost perfectly and beat him fair and square. It's not that he was super passive, on the contrary, he tried to be aggressive, but just got outplayed from the baseline. It will be interesting who will even appear in the final. One would assume it to be Fedal #35 but it's not that straightforward.

 

[Puppet Master]

And I am really sorry Novak fans, most of you people are good, on this forum at least but I have to share a thought I had
Roger and Rafa's new duo:
Hit the road Djoke, and don't you come back
No more no more no more.... :laydownlaughing

 

[BIG3]

GSW cannot keep season undefeated, it is better to lose to Timber Wolf than to Spur.

The same for Nole.

 

[BIG3]

Nole lost in 2R, then Barcelona lost in Champion League, maybe GSW tonight?

 

[herios]

I am fine with Nole's loss, especially to Vesely.
RG is what counts.

 

[Thrash13]

From what I saw, Novak was clutch as hell, but Vesely was hell's older brother today. He didn't ballbash, nor did he make Djoke commit loads of errors like Simon for example, he just played within his game, and executed almost perfectly and beat him fair and square.

I didn't watch the entire match, but I watched the last half of it. I also think Vesely was just better today, and that's that. Djokovic didn't play his best, but he definitely didn't play bad by any means. Congrats to Vesely on a great win. Hopefully, he'll at least win the next one to validate it a little. I'm guessing he'll get beat by Monfils though.

This loss will probably fuel Djokovic more than anything in recent memory, and he could end up being a nasty force to be reckoned with at Roland Garros. I'd bet a good pot of money on him completing the career Grand Slam next month. However, it has definitely spiced things up in Monte Carlo for the next few days!

 

[Fiero425]

And I am really sorry Novak fans, most of you people are good, on this forum at least but I have to share a thought I had
Roger and Rafa's new duo:
Hit the road Djoke, and don't you come back
No more no more no more.... :laydownlaughing

I doubt either will do much better; esp. Rafa who has so many nemesises in his path; Thiem (though hurt), Wawrinka or Raonic, and maybe Murray!

 

[Mile]

Novak was opening restaurant day earlier in Monaco.

Tennis is out probably...joytime, start of deceasing... etc

 

[Shivashish Sarkar]

So, the streak of winning 7 consecutive big tournaments is now over. This loss is not something to get
very ashamed of because one can't keep winning every tournament he plays. These losses are bound to occur once or twice a year. It's just that his perfect record of the season is now spoiled a little bit. This doesn't indicate a decline of Djokovic. He shouldn't be anywhere close to his decline since we won an IW-Miami double. I don't know if we can say right now that Novak's clay court game has declined a little bit. That can still be the case. But its a doubtful thing. Perhaps, he couldn't quickly adjust to the clay surface.

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T3LmWOHD2k[/video]

 

[mouse]

Paire should've had this match wrapped up with a double break in the second

Now hes serving to take it into a tie break

 

[mouse]

Murray 1-1

I can see Paire losing comfortable in the 3rd now

 

[mouse]

Paire serving for the match!