Rafa vs. Monfils

[Denis]

Well Roger isn't an elite player at this point either. He has to prove he can become one again. I think it is obvious that Rafa would be quite pleased to see Roger in the semi instead of Murray. He'd probably rather see Roger than Tsonga too.

Of course Nadal would prefer to play Federer. That however, would not make it "easy," especially since this would mean Federer went through Tsonga and Murray back-to-back, which isn't too shabby, and might qualify him to be back among the "elite."

You sound like Nadal a semi is never going to be easy, but the point is of all the realistic routes to the final, meeting the fedster in the semis is by far the best for Rafa. Hence, easy. Comparatively speaking of course, but that's always the case with tennis.

 

[the AntiPusher]

If Monfils is the toughest person in the way of a GS final it is the easiest path in history bar none. This isn't worthy of a poll, but anyways it will be Rafa in an easy 3. Not sure why/how Monfils is being so badly overrated.

I think that you may be the only person on this planet who feels Gael is overrated. Some one stated recently that he doesn't have a lot of weapons,(Monfils has an above average server that he can easily clock consistently 125 mph and above. He has all the strokes mastered so I beg to differ in regards to him being overrated. Monfils just isn't 100 mentality focused and committed get to the top, its just the way he is. Trust me, Rafa or Fed will tell you , this guy is very talented, very dangerous and not badly overrated.

 

[DarthFed]

If Monfils is the toughest person in the way of a GS final it is the easiest path in history bar none. This isn't worthy of a poll, but anyways it will be Rafa in an easy 3. Not sure why/how Monfils is being so badly overrated.

I think that you may be the only person on this planet who feels Gael is overrated. Some one stated recently that he doesn't have a lot of weapons,(Monfils has an above average server that he can easily clock consistently 125 mph and above. He has all the strokes mastered so I beg to differ in regards to him being overrated. Monfils just isn't 100 mentality focused and committed get to the top, its just the way he is. Trust me, Rafa or Fed will tell you , this guy is very talented, very dangerous and not badly overrated.

Rafa would tell you anyone is dangerous. Monfils is dangerous if you don't rate things such as point construction, shot selection and mental toughness highly. To my memory he has only made one GS semi, RG 08, and probably a couple quarters at most. It's not that he doesn't have the mentality to get to the top, he doesn't have the mentality/ability to get anywhere near it.

 

[Fiero425]

If Monfils is the toughest person in the way of a GS final it is the easiest path in history bar none. This isn't worthy of a poll, but anyways it will be Rafa in an easy 3. Not sure why/how Monfils is being so badly overrated.

I think that you may be the only person on this planet who feels Gael is overrated. Some one stated recently that he doesn't have a lot of weapons,(Monfils has an above average server that he can easily clock consistently 125 mph and above. He has all the strokes mastered so I beg to differ in regards to him being overrated. Monfils just isn't 100 mentality focused and committed get to the top, its just the way he is. Trust me, Rafa or Fed will tell you , this guy is very talented, very dangerous and not badly overrated.

... the score against Nadal tells a different story! Thank Gawd I didn't stay up to watch it! The top half is still tougher it seems to me! If Ferrer was in Rafa's half of the draw, it would be the easiest route to the final! For a change Nole got a break; no Fed, Tsonga, or Murray in the bottom half! Don't get me wrong, Wawrinka and Berdych are no slouches, but he's proved he can make it through them for the most part when he's on his game; even if it takes 5 sets when pushed! As a thread I created last year, the name of the trophy should be named after Djokovic if he takes it again! No one in the open era has been as successful with successive wins at this event!

 

[brokenshoelace]

If Monfils is the toughest person in the way of a GS final it is the easiest path in history bar none. This isn't worthy of a poll, but anyways it will be Rafa in an easy 3. Not sure why/how Monfils is being so badly overrated.

I think that you may be the only person on this planet who feels Gael is overrated. Some one stated recently that he doesn't have a lot of weapons,(Monfils has an above average server that he can easily clock consistently 125 mph and above. He has all the strokes mastered so I beg to differ in regards to him being overrated. Monfils just isn't 100 mentality focused and committed get to the top, its just the way he is. Trust me, Rafa or Fed will tell you , this guy is very talented, very dangerous and not badly overrated.

That "someone" is me and what I said is he doesn't have a lot of weapons to trouble Nadal in the match-up, and yeah, unless I've been watching a different guy all that time, I'm right. He can clock huge on the serve. Whoopti-doo. What else can he do? Rip a huge forehand every once in a blue moon after playing a 70 stroke rally passively?

The guy is a tremendous athlete, but as far as tennis talent goes, he's nothing special. He can hit huge, and that's about it. I don't see what's "dangerous" about Monfils...when has he ever caused a serious upset?

 

[Luxilon Borg]

If Monfils is the toughest person in the way of a GS final it is the easiest path in history bar none. This isn't worthy of a poll, but anyways it will be Rafa in an easy 3. Not sure why/how Monfils is being so badly overrated.

I think that you may be the only person on this planet who feels Gael is overrated. Some one stated recently that he doesn't have a lot of weapons,(Monfils has an above average server that he can easily clock consistently 125 mph and above. He has all the strokes mastered so I beg to differ in regards to him being overrated. Monfils just isn't 100 mentality focused and committed get to the top, its just the way he is. Trust me, Rafa or Fed will tell you , this guy is very talented, very dangerous and not badly overrated.

That "someone" is me and what I said is he doesn't have a lot of weapons to trouble Nadal in the match-up, and yeah, unless I've been watching a different guy all that time, I'm right. He can clock huge on the serve. Whoopti-doo. What else can he do? Rip a huge forehand every once in a blue moon after playing a 70 stroke rally passively?

The guy is a tremendous athlete, but as far as tennis talent goes, he's nothing special. He can hit huge, and that's about it. I don't see what's "dangerous" about Monfils...when has he ever caused a serious upset?

I think you grossly under estimate Le Monf's racket skills and talent.

His main issue has been and will probably continue to be court positioning and shot selection.

He is a nightmare to play when he is healthy and focused.

20 feet behind the baseline and playing defense at 6 foot 4.... Puzzling.

 

[Moxie]

... the score against Nadal tells a different story! Thank Gawd I didn't stay up to watch it! The top half is still tougher it seems to me! If Ferrer was in Rafa's half of the draw, it would be the easiest route to the final! For a change Nole got a break; no Fed, Tsonga, or Murray in the bottom half! Don't get me wrong, Wawrinka and Berdych are no slouches, but he's proved he can make it through them for the most part when he's on his game; even if it takes 5 sets when pushed! As a thread I created last year, the name of the trophy should be named after Djokovic if he takes it again! No one in the open era has been as successful with successive wins at this event!

It is good you didn't watch, Fiero, because Rafa's level, regardless of Gael's, would be giving you nightmares. :angel: :snigger

I do remember you suggesting that they should name the trophy here after Novak. Not sure they're interested in naming these trophies. (The one at RG is called the 'Coupe des Mousquetaires,' but I'm pretty sure they're not going to change that for 'Coupe de Nadal,' even after he retires.) There's a ways to go for him to even tie Roger and Pete with their 7 Wimbledon titles, too, and no one is naming anything after them…and Pete's even retired. Nole might get a court, but you'll probably have to wait about 20 years for that. I get the fan's pride of achievement in Australia, though.

 

[Riotbeard]

Watching the match right now. Nothing to be really read from it like Tennis.com attempted in the reaction piece. Rafa was steady Monfils was awful regularly hitting basic rally balls 5 feet long. Not Rafa's fault mind you, but it makes it hard to gauge his level as Gael didn't make him do anythin.

 

[brokenshoelace]

If Monfils is the toughest person in the way of a GS final it is the easiest path in history bar none. This isn't worthy of a poll, but anyways it will be Rafa in an easy 3. Not sure why/how Monfils is being so badly overrated.

I think that you may be the only person on this planet who feels Gael is overrated. Some one stated recently that he doesn't have a lot of weapons,(Monfils has an above average server that he can easily clock consistently 125 mph and above. He has all the strokes mastered so I beg to differ in regards to him being overrated. Monfils just isn't 100 mentality focused and committed get to the top, its just the way he is. Trust me, Rafa or Fed will tell you , this guy is very talented, very dangerous and not badly overrated.

That "someone" is me and what I said is he doesn't have a lot of weapons to trouble Nadal in the match-up, and yeah, unless I've been watching a different guy all that time, I'm right. He can clock huge on the serve. Whoopti-doo. What else can he do? Rip a huge forehand every once in a blue moon after playing a 70 stroke rally passively?

The guy is a tremendous athlete, but as far as tennis talent goes, he's nothing special. He can hit huge, and that's about it. I don't see what's "dangerous" about Monfils...when has he ever caused a serious upset?

I think you grossly under estimate Le Monf's racket skills and talent.

His main issue has been and will probably continue to be court positioning and shot selection.

He is a nightmare to play when he is healthy and focused.

20 feet behind the baseline and playing defense at 6 foot 4.... Puzzling.

When has he ever been a nightmare, and to whom?

As far as his racket skills, his touch isn't that good, his return is mediocre to poor, and his rally groundies are somewhat sub-par. It's especially noticeable on the forehand: when he lets rip, it's obviously a huge shot. But on a stroke to stroke basis, meaning the rally forehand, it's a borderline average shot.

So what's so special about his racket skills?

 

[rafanoy1992]

I saw some parts of the match. I loved Nadal's aggressiveness in this match. Yes, Monfils sprayed a lot of errors but Nadal was still hitting his shots with authority. In addition, Nadal's serve was phenomenal again. Let's hope he can stay aggressive throughout the tournament so he could win his second career grand slam.

 

[Luxilon Borg]

If Monfils is the toughest person in the way of a GS final it is the easiest path in history bar none. This isn't worthy of a poll, but anyways it will be Rafa in an easy 3. Not sure why/how Monfils is being so badly overrated.

I think that you may be the only person on this planet who feels Gael is overrated. Some one stated recently that he doesn't have a lot of weapons,(Monfils has an above average server that he can easily clock consistently 125 mph and above. He has all the strokes mastered so I beg to differ in regards to him being overrated. Monfils just isn't 100 mentality focused and committed get to the top, its just the way he is. Trust me, Rafa or Fed will tell you , this guy is very talented, very dangerous and not badly overrated.

That "someone" is me and what I said is he doesn't have a lot of weapons to trouble Nadal in the match-up, and yeah, unless I've been watching a different guy all that time, I'm right. He can clock huge on the serve. Whoopti-doo. What else can he do? Rip a huge forehand every once in a blue moon after playing a 70 stroke rally passively?

The guy is a tremendous athlete, but as far as tennis talent goes, he's nothing special. He can hit huge, and that's about it. I don't see what's "dangerous" about Monfils...when has he ever caused a serious upset?

I think you grossly under estimate Le Monf's racket skills and talent.

His main issue has been and will probably continue to be court positioning and shot selection.

He is a nightmare to play when he is healthy and focused.

20 feet behind the baseline and playing defense at 6 foot 4.... Puzzling.

When has he ever been a nightmare, and to whom?

As far as his racket skills, his touch isn't that good, his return is mediocre to poor, and his rally groundies are somewhat sub-par. It's especially noticeable on the forehand: when he lets rip, it's obviously a huge shot. But on a stroke to stroke basis, meaning the rally forehand, it's a borderline average shot.

So what's so special about his racket skills?

Honestly, if you don't see it, I can't convince you. So I will end that discussion. He is a better athlete than he is tennis player due to his approach to the game.

There are 6 or 7 players on the planet that can make him play desperate tennis as he did last night.

Nadal was absolutely BRUTAL last night.

 

[calitennis127]

Monfils's game has really degenerated and deteriorated to even worse than what it was before. His playing style is now tailor-made to get dismantled by anyone who is striking the ball cleanly and looking to be somewhat offensive.

I really don't think it is possible for a French player to ever be #1, for the same reason that Paris is always rated the most romantic city. The culture is naturally feminine. Great for high fashion and delicate artistry, not good for producing masculine competitors.

 

[Moxie]

Watching the match right now. Nothing to be really read from it like Tennis.com attempted in the reaction piece. Rafa was steady Monfils was awful regularly hitting basic rally balls 5 feet long. Not Rafa's fault mind you, but it makes it hard to gauge his level as Gael didn't make him do anythin.

There's a lot of back-and-forth on that. I understand that Monfils didn't turn out to be worthy competition, (though regularly '5 feet long' is an exaggeration.) However, it shouldn't diminish the fact that Nadal stepped his level up by quite a lot. One thing doesn't completely inform the other. And we shouldn't make total mincemeat of Le Monf as a competitor. That he can't get Nadal, is one thing, but that he's never a threat is another.

 

[rafanoy1992]

Watching the match right now. Nothing to be really read from it like Tennis.com attempted in the reaction piece. Rafa was steady Monfils was awful regularly hitting basic rally balls 5 feet long. Not Rafa's fault mind you, but it makes it hard to gauge his level as Gael didn't make him do anythin.

There's a lot of back-and-forth on that. I understand that Monfils didn't turn out to be worthy competition, (though regularly '5 feet long' is an exaggeration.) However, it shouldn't diminish the fact that Nadal stepped his level up by quite a lot. One thing doesn't completely inform the other. And we shouldn't make total mincemeat of Le Monf as a competitor. That he can't get Nadal, is one thing, but that he's never a threat is another.

Moxie, here's a video example of Nadal's aggressiveness affecting Monfils

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXxWR3VazpQ

 

[Moxie]

Monfils's game has really degenerated and deteriorated to even worse than what it was before. His playing style is now tailor-made to get dismantled by anyone who is striking the ball cleanly and looking to be somewhat offensive.

I really don't think it is possible for a French player to ever be #1, for the same reason that Paris is always rated the most romantic city. The culture is naturally feminine. Great for high fashion and delicate artistry, not good for producing masculine competitors.

What an astonishingly sexist and ignorant thing to say! To characterize a city by gender is weird enough. But it may also have escaped your noticed that not all French players are from Paris, either.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Monfils's game has really degenerated and deteriorated to even worse than what it was before. His playing style is now tailor-made to get dismantled by anyone who is striking the ball cleanly and looking to be somewhat offensive.

I really don't think it is possible for a French player to ever be #1, for the same reason that Paris is always rated the most romantic city. The culture is naturally feminine. Great for high fashion and delicate artistry, not good for producing masculine competitors.

Dude, seriously...:nono

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I did not see this match at all. I was thinking Gael will take a set or at least he will
make the score of one set tight (as Moxie said). However, I am seriously disappointed
by the scoreline.

Now, I think nothing can stop Nadal from reaching final.

 

[Haelfix]

Monfils's game has really degenerated and deteriorated to even worse than what it was before. His playing style is now tailor-made to get dismantled by anyone who is striking the ball cleanly and looking to be somewhat offensive.

I really don't think it is possible for a French player to ever be #1, for the same reason that Paris is always rated the most romantic city. The culture is naturally feminine. Great for high fashion and delicate artistry, not good for producing masculine competitors.

That's really ridiculous. Yannick Noah and Henri LeConte say hello. Zidane says hello. Rinet and Darbelet in Judo say hello. Marcel Cedan in boxing says hello.

They are routinely amongst the best countries in the world in girly sports like Judo, K1, Rugby, soccor the xgames and so forth.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

By making this kind of remarks Cali is losing credibility fast.

 

[brokenshoelace]

I think that you may be the only person on this planet who feels Gael is overrated. Some one stated recently that he doesn't have a lot of weapons,(Monfils has an above average server that he can easily clock consistently 125 mph and above. He has all the strokes mastered so I beg to differ in regards to him being overrated. Monfils just isn't 100 mentality focused and committed get to the top, its just the way he is. Trust me, Rafa or Fed will tell you , this guy is very talented, very dangerous and not badly overrated.

That "someone" is me and what I said is he doesn't have a lot of weapons to trouble Nadal in the match-up, and yeah, unless I've been watching a different guy all that time, I'm right. He can clock huge on the serve. Whoopti-doo. What else can he do? Rip a huge forehand every once in a blue moon after playing a 70 stroke rally passively?

The guy is a tremendous athlete, but as far as tennis talent goes, he's nothing special. He can hit huge, and that's about it. I don't see what's "dangerous" about Monfils...when has he ever caused a serious upset?

I think you grossly under estimate Le Monf's racket skills and talent.

His main issue has been and will probably continue to be court positioning and shot selection.

He is a nightmare to play when he is healthy and focused.

20 feet behind the baseline and playing defense at 6 foot 4.... Puzzling.

When has he ever been a nightmare, and to whom?

As far as his racket skills, his touch isn't that good, his return is mediocre to poor, and his rally groundies are somewhat sub-par. It's especially noticeable on the forehand: when he lets rip, it's obviously a huge shot. But on a stroke to stroke basis, meaning the rally forehand, it's a borderline average shot.

So what's so special about his racket skills?

Honestly, if you don't see it, I can't convince you. So I will end that discussion. He is a better athlete than he is tennis player due to his approach to the game.

There are 6 or 7 players on the planet that can make him play desperate tennis as he did last night.

Nadal was absolutely BRUTAL last night.

I'm not asking you to "convince" me. Why do people always think you have to change someone's mind in an argument?

I'm genuinely asking, what is it so special about Monfils' racket skills? In my post above, I highlighted why I don't think he's super talented with my breakdown of his game. I'm only asking you to give me your assessment.

"As far as his racket skills, his touch isn't that good, his return is mediocre to poor, and his rally groundies are somewhat sub-par. It's especially noticeable on the forehand: when he lets rip, it's obviously a huge shot. But on a stroke to stroke basis, meaning the rally forehand, it's a borderline average shot."

I thought the above was fair.