Nitto ATP Finals, London

[Nadalfan2013]

Well, if only I had expressed myself so simply, it would be easy and we could all agree, but you'll notice I haven't been wholly negative about Moya, and I agreed that Rafa likes him and so his addition to the team isn't without any worth at all. You need to read my posts and not just react to what you want to see. Like, I also didn't say that Rafa "would have won" Wimbledon if Moya was there.

As for Wimbledon, Rafa having him there during a stressful sleepover would have been much better than not having him there. He's now the head coach and so therefore has a position of influence. If you believe he'd have made no difference in that scenario then I'd have to ask you where you think he does make a difference.

If he could make a difference, then why wasn't he there? Small things matter, at that level - and this isn't a small thing.

I get it, by the way, that there's an obvious scheduling issue for Moya with Wimbledon, maybe he has family obligations that keep him from traveling, and that's understandable that he puts his family first, but it's a bizarre situation for a player of Rafa's stature to head to Wimbledon without his coach...

Things can never be perfect in tennis or life in general. Since 2017 Nadal has won 2 USO and 4 RG and now has the slam record, so for me with such huge success it's hard to focus on the negative such as what would have happened at Wimbledon. We will never know. All I know is that the addition of Moya to the team has been very positive but it doesn't mean that it has to be perfect. Maybe next year he will win Wimbledon, we will see.

Nadal throughout his career has often had down moments due to injuries or missed opportunities in certain tournaments (2017 AO, 2012 AO, 2018 Wimbledon, etc.), but in the long term it has always worked out. In a way, maybe that loss at Wimbledon, or losses at the AO or missing the USO this year have kept him hungry and motivated and ended up bringing him even more success in the long term.

 

[Kieran]

Things can never be perfect in tennis or life in general. Since 2017 Nadal has won 2 USO and 4 RG and now has the slam record, so for me with such huge success it's hard to focus on the negative such as what would have happened at Wimbledon. We will never know. All I know is that the addition of Moya to the team has been very positive but it doesn't mean that it has to be perfect. Maybe next year he will win Wimbledon, we will see.

Nadal throughout his career has often had down moments due to injuries or missed opportunities in certain tournaments (2017 AO, 2012 AO, 2018 Wimbledon, etc.), but in the long term it has always worked out. In a way, maybe that loss at Wimbledon, or losses at the AO or missing the USO this year have kept him hungry and motivated and ended up bringing him even more success in the long term.

I agree with this, my friend, and hopefully we'll have many more great successes. Rafa has been a great champ for us. I was watching a video of him ealier from 2009, versus Safin in Beijing, and I was thinking, there have been very few players as compelling and dramatic to watch in the histry of our sport as Rafa Nadal.

Look at the opening point to see what a great and honest player he's always been:

 

[Nadalfan2013]

I agree with this, my friend, and hopefully we'll have many more great successes. Rafa has been a great champ for us. I was watching a video of him ealier from 2009, versus Safin in Beijing, and I was thinking, there have been very few players as compelling and dramatic to watch in the histry of our sport as Rafa Nadal.

Look at the opening point to see what a great and honest player he's always been:

There will never be another Nadal.

 

[Kieran]

There will never be another Nadal.

I tend to agree. Or, we'll wait a while. He's certainly the most unique stylist since the great days of Borg and McEnroe, who were both very unorthodox players...

 

[Kieran]

Novak laying down a marker against Diego...

 

[Fedal_fan]

2020 Nitto ATP Finals — Preview and Predictions

Who do you think will win the ATP finals this time around?

My thoughts are given below.

 

[Moxie]

2020 Nitto ATP Finals — Preview and Predictions

Who do you think will win the ATP finals this time around?

My thoughts are given below.

(*SPOILER ALERT*) You have Djokovic not even getting through the group stage, and Zverev repeating by beating Nadal in the final. Bold predictions. Even before yesterday, I'd have picked several others over Zverev to win the whole thing.

 

[Moxie]

The “why he’d have a porn star in his box” is hard to answer if we take it too literally. Though when you mention Djokovic, now I see your point. Novak could have a coach who sticks pins in voodoo dolls sitting alongside a blow up doll masseuse, and it would “just Novak things.”

I don’t see any good that he’s done for Rafa. If I see anything in Rafa’s game now, I’ve seen it there before. So it isn’t only skipping Wimbledon - which is unforgivable and bizarre, since Rafa’s whole purpose is to compete for the greatest prizes, and somehow his coach is like, yeah I’m skipping that, I’ll see you at the next one.

You think it wouldn’t help if he was there? So then he wouldn’t help Rafa anywhere. What’s his point if Rafa goes in overnight two sets to one behind against his biggest rival, and his coach is no use to him?

And if he could have been use to him, why wasn’t he there?

Personally, I think the real work of the coach happens in the long hours of work on the practice courts. Otherwise, we may as well be in favor of on-court coaching. Now, I do agree that it's weird that he skipped two Wimbledons, but you can't imagine that he did that against Rafa's wishes and remained his coach. There were glimpses of things we see more of now previously in Nadal's game already, but I do think Charlie has talked him into trusting them more often in match play.

Enough on this, I guess, or we should debate it on the Rafa fans thread.

 

[Moxie]

Didn't see a minute of Djokovic today, but caught some of Medvedev d. Zverev. He threw up some crazy junior tennis moon balls and even the underhand serve! In the second set, when he was winning! Annacone said it's really funny to see a 6'6" guy who's a rhythm-disrupter and a counter puncher. This is what I like about Medvedev...he thinks out there, he's crafty and he's not afraid to use some goofy weapons. I'll be waiting to hear the derision laid on Meddie that Rafa gets for the odd moon ball. (And I'm sure I'll keep waiting.)

 

[Kieran]

Personally, I think the real work of the coach happens in the long hours of work on the practice courts. Otherwise, we may as well be in favor of on-court coaching. Now, I do agree that it's weird that he skipped two Wimbledons, but you can't imagine that he did that against Rafa's wishes and remained his coach. There were glimpses of things we see more of now previously in Nadal's game already, but I do think Charlie has talked him into trusting them more often in match play.

Enough on this, I guess, or we should debate it on the Rafa fans thread.

Nah, we don't need to argue it, it's not gonna change anything. I know a few Rafa fans who like Moya, as you do. I ain't buying but that's grand, they ain't selling.

Didn't see a minute of Djokovic today, but caught some of Medvedev d. Zverev. He threw up some crazy junior tennis moon balls and even the underhand serve! In the second set, when he was winning! Annacone said it's really funny to see a 6'6" guy who's a rhythm-disrupter and a counter puncher. This is what I like about Medvedev...he thinks out there, he's crafty and he's not afraid to use some goofy weapons. I'll be waiting to hear the derision laid on Meddie that Rafa gets for the odd moon ball. (And I'm sure I'll keep waiting.)

I missed them both but can imagine how formulaic and brutal it must have been for Schwartzman. However, Medvedev is looking strong, by the sounds of it. he's a guy who's come awake just as the season ends, which bodes well for him, if he can keep his nerve. He hasn't been easy pickings for Novak, either. That should be a great match. I must say, I love the RR format, we still can't write the losers off, and form players can start well and still not make the semis. I think the two form players in this group will, though...

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I think Danii is a player that can give anyone 'headaches' quite frankly,he seems to have found some form maybe at the right time,especially on a HC,I am looking forward to him playing Novak.

 

[Kieran]

I think Danii is a player that can give anyone 'headaches' quite frankly,he seems to have found some form maybe at the right time,especially on a HC,I am looking forward to him playing Novak.

That match will tell us a lot, won't it Margaret? If one of them goes away easy in it, it might signal that today's result was inflated, but if it's a brawl, then maybe both of them will be legit contenders for the final...

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

That match will tell us a lot, won't it Margaret? If one of them goes away easy in it, it might signal that today's result was inflated, but if it's a brawl, then maybe both of them will be legit contenders for the final...

Novak looked strong in his match against Diego,though Diego really did not have the weapons to upset him,Danni has given Novak trouble in the past.....anyway we shall see.

 

[Moxie]

That match will tell us a lot, won't it Margaret? If one of them goes away easy in it, it might signal that today's result was inflated, but if it's a brawl, then maybe both of them will be legit contenders for the final...

I'm watching the replay of Djokovic v. Schwartzman now. Schwartzman broke right off, but Djokovic settled in. It wasn't a walk in the park, because Schwartzman is/was making him work for it, as he does. Note that this match went just seconds longer that Rafa's match v. Rublev yesterday, even though the match yesterday went a couple more games.

Djokovic surely will have his radar up for Medvedev, but Danni also has some accounting to do for last year. I'm hoping it's a good brawl. (Obviously, I'm hoping that it goes Medvedev's way, too.)

Likewise Nadal v. Thiem tomorrow will tell us something. Undercard is Tsitsipas v. Rublev. While I like the Greek, general purposes, I'm feeling Rublev tomorrow.

 

[tented]

I'm feeling Rublev tomorrow.

 

[Moxie]

Oh, man. Rafa was up 5-2 in that breaker, he had 2 sets points, and the first lead Thiem gets in the TB, he takes the set.

 

[rafanoy1992]

Thiem saves 2 set points and won the 1st-set tiebreaker 9-7. As for Nadal, he had a 5-2 lead in the TB and set point in his own serve. Nadal has to convert these set points...

At the very least, Nadal should win this 2nd set because he can still win the group even if he loses this match. But he needs to win this 2nd set...

 

[Fiero425]

I wasn't watching much; flipping around and only checking 1st set between Nadal and Thiem! It finally ended in a TB by well over an hour! Both had set points and at one time I heard the returners had won 10 of the 1st 12 points! Nadal attacked the net successfully, but %-wise Thiem was ahead 6 of 7 points won! We're in for a long day at the office I guess; esp. if Nadal wants to come back! That's how I feel about his attitude about this tourney! For the FO, he'll wreck his body, but for the YEC I've never seen any real desire! Making a couple finals was happenstance playing for almost 2 decades!

 

[kskate2]

I agree with this, my friend, and hopefully we'll have many more great successes. Rafa has been a great champ for us. I was watching a video of him ealier from 2009, versus Safin in Beijing, and I was thinking, there have been very few players as compelling and dramatic to watch in the histry of our sport as Rafa Nadal.

Look at the opening point to see what a great and honest player he's always been:

Now Marat could have been a porn star and I do mean that literally.

 

[Kieran]

Now Marat could have been a porn star and I do mean that literally.

Who knows what great strange things Marat got up to in his private moments.

But you, know, he always comes across as a great bloke..