Mutua Madrid Open ATP1000 02-11 May 2014

[Fiero425]

^ OK, enough digression. Now what about your position of the 500s, vs. the ones in So. America?

What about them? The older I get, the less I seem to care! The majors and Masters events decide the true best of the best! Those smaller events are more embarrassing than anything in my book; esp. when it's Nadal blowing out some player we've never heard of! Speaking of embarrassing, he had to of smarted a lot by going down to Zeballos in Chile last season; WHO? even when Fed does it year in and year out in Basil; gets more notice in my book when he goes down to defeat! Haas made Basil more of an event due to upset of Roger! I found tennis a lot more compelling and interesting when the top rung lost periodically! Loved having the odd winner at a major like Gomez at the FO in '90 over Agassi! It was getting old seeing Federer and Nadal splitting the spoils for quite a while until Nole asserted himself! It's getting a little better; Wawrinka at AO couldn't have come at a better time! It keeps me wondering how things might shake out! There's no guarantee the big 4 are going to dominate! Before this year, you couldn't say that; now we can! :angel: :idea:

 

[Moxie]

^ OK, enough digression. Now what about your position of the 500s, vs. the ones in So. America?

What about them? The older I get, the less I seem to care! The majors and Masters events decide the true best of the best! Those smaller events are more embarrassing than anything in my book; esp. when it's Nadal blowing out some player we've never heard of! Speaking of embarrassing, he had to of smarted a lot by going down to Zeballos in Chile last season; WHO? even when Fed does it year in and year out in Basil; gets more notice in my book when he goes down to defeat! Haas made Basil more of an event due to upset of Roger! I found tennis a lot more compelling and interesting when the top rung lost periodically! Loved having the odd winner at a major like Gomez at the FO in '90 over Agassi! It was getting old seeing Federer and Nadal splitting the spoils for quite a while until Nole asserted himself! It's getting a little better; Wawrinka at AO couldn't have come at a better time! It keeps me wondering how things might shake out! There's no guarantee the big 4 are going to dominate! Before this year, you couldn't say that; now we can! :angel: :idea:

While the Majors and Masters (and WTF) are clearly the premier events (duh,) the 500s are just the rung below, and as I mentioned, the tops have to play some. I doubt you were dispassionate when Djokovic beat Nadal in Beijing last fall.

It wasn't embarrassing for Nadal to lose to Zeballos in Chile last year. It was his first tournament back, he made the final, and, if you could have been bothered to watch these insignificant tournaments in So. America, you would have seen that Zeballos was very valiant in that final. And you're the one saying that tennis is better with new winners. In any case, it's a distraction from the point: I'm surprised that you look down your nose at them, when there are so many that top players take seriously. Especially as tune-ups to other events. And surely have more prestige than others, but they do have it. Remember that Halle and Queens are "only" 250s, and yet they attract the top players as prep for Wimbledon.

 

[Fiero425]

^ OK, enough digression. Now what about your position of the 500s, vs. the ones in So. America?

What about them? The older I get, the less I seem to care! The majors and Masters events decide the true best of the best! Those smaller events are more embarrassing than anything in my book; esp. when it's Nadal blowing out some player we've never heard of! Speaking of embarrassing, he had to of smarted a lot by going down to Zeballos in Chile last season; WHO? even when Fed does it year in and year out in Basil; gets more notice in my book when he goes down to defeat! Haas made Basil more of an event due to upset of Roger! I found tennis a lot more compelling and interesting when the top rung lost periodically! Loved having the odd winner at a major like Gomez at the FO in '90 over Agassi! It was getting old seeing Federer and Nadal splitting the spoils for quite a while until Nole asserted himself! It's getting a little better; Wawrinka at AO couldn't have come at a better time! It keeps me wondering how things might shake out! There's no guarantee the big 4 are going to dominate! Before this year, you couldn't say that; now we can! :angel: :idea:

While the Majors and Masters (and WTF) are clearly the premier events (duh,) the 500s are just the rung below, and as I mentioned, the tops have to play some. I doubt you were dispassionate when Djokovic beat Nadal in Beijing last fall.

It wasn't embarrassing for Nadal to lose to Zeballos in Chile last year. It was his first tournament back, he made the final, and, if you could have been bothered to watch these insignificant tournaments in So. America, you would have seen that Zeballos was very valiant in that final. And you're the one saying that tennis is better with new winners. In any case, it's a distraction from the point: I'm surprised that you look down your nose at them, when there are so many that top players take seriously. Especially as tune-ups to other events. And surely have more prestige than others, but they do have it. Remember that Halle and Queens are "only" 250s, and yet they attract the top players as prep for Wimbledon.

Sorry it's "bugging" you so much! I thought I was entitled to "my" opinion, but I guess I'm in the wrong forum! :nono uzzled

 

[Moxie]

^ OK, enough digression. Now what about your position of the 500s, vs. the ones in So. America?

What about them? The older I get, the less I seem to care! The majors and Masters events decide the true best of the best! Those smaller events are more embarrassing than anything in my book; esp. when it's Nadal blowing out some player we've never heard of! Speaking of embarrassing, he had to of smarted a lot by going down to Zeballos in Chile last season; WHO? even when Fed does it year in and year out in Basil; gets more notice in my book when he goes down to defeat! Haas made Basil more of an event due to upset of Roger! I found tennis a lot more compelling and interesting when the top rung lost periodically! Loved having the odd winner at a major like Gomez at the FO in '90 over Agassi! It was getting old seeing Federer and Nadal splitting the spoils for quite a while until Nole asserted himself! It's getting a little better; Wawrinka at AO couldn't have come at a better time! It keeps me wondering how things might shake out! There's no guarantee the big 4 are going to dominate! Before this year, you couldn't say that; now we can! :angel: :idea:

While the Majors and Masters (and WTF) are clearly the premier events (duh,) the 500s are just the rung below, and as I mentioned, the tops have to play some. I doubt you were dispassionate when Djokovic beat Nadal in Beijing last fall.

It wasn't embarrassing for Nadal to lose to Zeballos in Chile last year. It was his first tournament back, he made the final, and, if you could have been bothered to watch these insignificant tournaments in So. America, you would have seen that Zeballos was very valiant in that final. And you're the one saying that tennis is better with new winners. In any case, it's a distraction from the point: I'm surprised that you look down your nose at them, when there are so many that top players take seriously. Especially as tune-ups to other events. And surely have more prestige than others, but they do have it. Remember that Halle and Queens are "only" 250s, and yet they attract the top players as prep for Wimbledon.

Sorry it's "bugging" you so much! I thought I was entitled to "my" opinion, but I guess I'm in the wrong forum! :nono uzzled

You are entitled to your opinion, but you are expected to defend it. I have offered several points about why 500s are better than "quallies," and why they are deserving of attention. And including 250s that are. You have no response. I don't think it's a lot to ask, if you're going to go all exclamatory about how 500s mean nothing.

 

[Front242]

No embarrassment whatsoever losing to Zeballos who played the match of his life. Most nobodies have one day of divine intervention like this and that was his day just as Stakhovsky, Rosol, Darcis, etc have all had theirs too and never come close to playing that well since. In the case of poor Darcis I believe he hasn't played in nearly a year. Nasty shoulder injury.

 

[Fiero425]

No embarrassment whatsoever losing to Zeballos who played the match of his life. Most nobodies have one day of divine intervention like this and that was his day just as Stakhovsky, Rosol, Darcis, etc have all had theirs too and never come close to playing that well since. In the case of poor Darcis I believe he hasn't played in nearly a year. Nasty shoulder injury.

It happens so infrequently, we know these guys even though their upsets were years ago! :lolz: Soderling backed it up though with another win at year end's finale; RR in straights IIRC! The end of a perfect year for poor ol' Rafa! Is that the year he lost all 3 of his RR matches? Why go? :nono uzzled

 

[Front242]

^ 'cos how he is ever supposed to win it if he doesn't play there lol? I'm no Nadal fan but he'd clearly like to win that tournament and made the final again last year.

 

[Fiero425]

^ 'cos how he is ever supposed to win it if he doesn't play there lol? I'm no Nadal fan but he'd clearly like to win that tournament and made the final again last year.

I was speaking of Rafa attending that season; rhetorically really! He obviously wasn't in it mentally or physically! :nono :angel:

 

[Front242]

^ Gotta be in it to win it and there's no saying the opponents were gonna be playing lights out either at the end of the season. Sometimes the favourite plays like crap in any given tournament and though Nadal wasn't the favourite he'd surely be dense to not play. And he's not dense.

 

[kskate2]

Fiero,

Enough already. Stop hijacking this thread to discuss things that aren't related. This is about a Masters 1000 event held in Madrid, Spain. If you want to discuss the WTF, sub-par 500 events or you just want to whine about the way things used to be, please find an existing related thread or start a new one.

 

[Moxie]

Fiero,

Enough already. Stop hijacking this thread to discuss things that aren't related. This is about a Masters 1000 event held in Madrid, Spain. If you want to discuss the WTF, sub-par 500 events or you just want to whine about the way things used to be, please find an existing related thread or start a new one.

I'm not sure that's fair on Fiero. I've been trying to get him to defend his position, so I'm at least as guilty of derailing this thread. However, I'd still like to see if he comes up with an answer.

I don't think we have to be so vigilant about how a thread stays on track, especially because this one falls fallow, now that there is a thread for the final. Can we just let a conversation run its course?

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

10 match points, I thought we had got lost in some weird self regurgitating time loop for a bit.

forever to be trapped in the same narrow score bubble..over and over. :emperor:

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcAv8-m4sbc[/video]

 

[Kirijax]

No celebration from Nishikori. Just exhausted relief. Hope he can get ready for tomorrow.

 

[brokenshoelace]

In the case of poor Darcis I believe he hasn't played in nearly a year. Nasty shoulder injury.

That should teach him

 

[pavlik89]

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

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKVgcZ5fGMU[/video]