nadaLIVc - Rome Final Poll

[the AntiPusher]

Rafa has gotten enough gifts at Wimbledon. Last year was a real blessing with those conditions. It will be Roger's to lose this year, time for him to stop all the underachieving at Wimbledon.

I totally disagree..Novak and Roger was the real beneficiary of that dumbass decision to close the roof..Rafa played his butt off on grass and was playing at his Highest level in years..to give Novak handicapped advantage was too egregious..change the course of history..

 

[DarthFed]

I totally disagree..Novak and Roger was the real beneficiary of that dumbass decision to close the roof..Rafa played his butt off on grass and was playing at his Highest level in years..to give Novak handicapped advantage was too egregious..change the course of history..

Yep he played his butt off on a "grass" surface that allows him to kick the ball up shoulder height with a much slower bounce than any other grass court on tour. And he still couldn't beat a crap version of Novak. Rafa would have zero Wimbledons if the grass played like it's supposed to play and we all know that.

 

[DarthFed]

Roger's done.

I love it. You've been saying it for years...I can't think of a reason he shouldn't win Wimbledon this year especially with Djoker looking more 2017 than 2015. And he knows the legacy is on the line if one of his two closest wins RG. That will get the motivation back where it needs to be.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Yep he played his butt off on a "grass" surface that allows him to kick the ball up shoulder height with a much slower bounce than any other grass court on tour. And he still couldn't beat a crap version of Novak. Rafa would have zero Wimbledons if the grass played like it's supposed to play and we all know that.

Just Acknowledge the closing of the roof..you avoid that like a republican does anything anti Trump

 

[Moxie]

Yes Acknowledge the closing of the roof..you avoid that like a republican does anything anti Trump

And that the match was played over 2 days. I don't think at that juncture Novak was fit enough to win without an overnight intermission in the middle.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I must admit that after I wrote him off, the Peasant became relevant on grass (I will leave the complaints over the court to another day; for now it is what it is) again, coming out of no where with consecutive losses to players ranked outside 100 for four or five years in a row. With him rounding up to form, sadly, he may again be a force to be reckoned with even on green stuff.

 

[DarthFed]

Yes Acknowledge the closing of the roof..you avoid that like a republican does anything anti Trump

Yea they closed the roof as they were supposed to do so it wouldn't happen in the middle of the match. By complaining about it you just admit he can't play on lower bouncing grass. Key word there is grass. Remember how that tournament used to play?

 

[Moxie]

I love it. You've been saying it for years...I can't think of a reason he shouldn't win Wimbledon this year especially with Djoker looking more 2017 than 2015. And he knows the legacy is on the line if one of his two closest wins RG. That will get the motivation back where it needs to be.

I mostly said it to piss you off because you've been such on old cur. But I do think you mistakenly believe that he lacks motivation. What he suffers from is the effects of his age. Can't string the wins together or close out matches they way he used to.

 

[Moxie]

If Roger wins will you state on the Wimbledon final chat that you eat are prepared to eat crow with all the trimmings?

I'll eat crow when Darth does. Prepared by a neutral party (@kskate2?) or else we both get a taster. I like K's question as to what are the trimmings for crow? I'm hoping for fava beans and a nice Chianti. I'm guessing dessert is humble pie, in any case.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

so what is it now 33-33 masters titles each,

 

[GameSetAndMath]

so what is it now 33-33 masters titles each,

They were tied going into the final. Ralph leads 34-33 now.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

is the grass speed still a thing ?????????. move on folks..its getting on for 20yrs ago it was changed.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

that rafa/djoko wimby sf was unlucky..a rare showery day in a dry hot summer plus isner/kev serveathon beforehand

still ,,we got some late tennis with rafa/nj (2 sets?) under the roof. plus what felt like some extra bonus mens sf on the saturday.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Yea they closed the roof as they were supposed to do so it wouldn't happen in the middle of the match. By complaining about it you just admit he can't play on lower bouncing grass. Key word there is grass. Remember how that tournament used to play?

no no ..it was a new day..the sun was out ..they should have opened the roof...that's BS and you know it ..just Acknowledge it was the difference

 

[GameSetAndMath]

no no ..it was a new day..the sun was out ..they should have opened the roof...that's BS and you know it ..just Acknowledge it was the difference

The entire match has to be played in the same conditions at which it started (unless both players agree otherwise).

 

[Moxie]

The entire match has to be played in the same conditions at which it started (unless both players agree otherwise).

There's an argument that it doesn't. These roofs are fairly new, and a standard for decisions about how and when to employ them has not been established. At least a few sports writers on tennis/espn thought that not opening the roof on day 2 of that match was controversial, and leaving the choice essentially to Djokovic didn't really make sense. It is an outdoor tournament, after all. Another choice they could have made was not starting it at all, knowing that it wouldn't finish by curfew. However, on the Saturday, basically a lovely summer English day, they forced the crowd to sit in what was essentially a terrarium because they felt that the same conditions should apply unless both players agreed, and Djokovic, no dummy, didn't agree. I get called out for partisanship on this opinion, but I don't think I'm just arguing Rafa's case in this one match: in an outdoor tournament, the roof should be employed when necessary, and be opened when conditions allow. I don't think that opinion is either controversial or biased.

 

[The_Grand_Slam]

I must admit that after I wrote him off, the Peasant became relevant on grass (I will leave the complaints over the court to another day; for now it is what it is) again, coming out of no where with consecutive losses to players ranked outside 100 for four or five years in a row. With him rounding up to form, sadly, he may again be a force to be reckoned with even on green stuff.

Disagree.

I think conditions(hot weather) and easy 1st week draw helped him last year.Also JMDP played 3 days back-to-back which made his dropshot strategy work in the QF

 

[Moxie]

Disagree.

I think conditions(hot weather) and easy 1st week draw helped him last year.Also JMDP played 3 back-to-back which made his dropshot strategy work in the QF

Classic. It can never be that Nadal is any good and that his game could translate. Must be the heat, the grass and the draw, or how tired other players are. The man won Wimbledon 2 times. That doesn't happen by luck. And if he could get close last year, he could get close this one...or win it.

 

[The_Grand_Slam]

Classic. It can never be that Nadal is any good and that his game could translate. Must be the heat, the grass and the draw, or how tired other players are. The man won Wimbledon 2 times. That doesn't happen by luck. And if he could get close last year, he could get close this one...or win it.

I merely disagreed with the phrase "be a force to be reckoned with" and gave reasons why 2018 was an anomaly.

 

[Moxie]

I merely disagreed with the phrase "be a force to be reckoned with" and gave reasons why 2018 was an anomaly.

If you think that Nadal featuring in a Major is an "anomaly," and that his reaching the SFs last year doesn't make him a force to be reckoned with, I think you are guilty of underestimating him. Some poor results at Wimbledon notwithstanding, it's not like we're talking about any mid-grade player on the tour who's had the odd decent result on grass.