Remember, it was Lopez who first exposed the crack in the Djokovic armor

[scoop]

Feliciano Lopez is getting a lot of credit now for his superb grass results but one achievement of his career which is overlooked and forgotten is that the Spaniard was the first player to expose a crack in the mighty Djokovic armor last year.

Flashback to the Australian Open final last year. Djokovic was at the height of his power, having crushed Andy Murray in the Australian final 61 75 76 for his third consecutive major title. Djokovic had never looked better and was in top form.

Then in his next tournament in Dubai three weeks after conquering Melbourne, Djokovic appeared to be continuing his destruction of the ATP Tour. In the first two rounds of Dubai, Djokovic blasted Robredo and Jaziri by identical 61 62 drubbings. Then in the quarterfinal, Djokovic collided with Feliciano Lopez.

In an astonishing result, Lopez outplayed the world no. 1 with an impressive 6-3 first set. Djokovic strangely retired from the match citing or claiming a contact lens malfunction.

Djokovic had appeared unbeatable up until that set with Lopez but that one blip was considered a fluke result even though two weeks later Djokovic struggled to subdue journeyman Kukushkin in a five hour, five set marathon 67 76 46 63 62.

Djokovic regained his old dominant form by winning Miami and Indian Wells, Madrid and Roland Garros.

But it was that one curious, odd loss to Lopez which seemed to trigger the chain of events which eventually led to Djokovic regressing in the second half of the year with his poor results at Wimbledon, Rio Olympics and the US Open.

Is it possible Feliciano Lopez’s superb play caused the minute puncture in the Djokovic dam which subsequently eventually burst in total collapse?

Tennis history will forget this Djokovic vs Lopez duel in Dubai but it may have been the stimulus for the shift in the balance of power which saw Andy Murray to take over the no. 1 ranking in 2016 with now Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal now engaged in an epic fight to determine the 2017 world no. 1.

 

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Henk writes:

Do remember that match and also how Novak retired, yet again. However, Novak did win some important titles after, so who knows Scoop if that was the puncture moment. Fast forward to Queen's on Sunday. A nail-biter final with a result that couldn't have happened to a nicer and more deserving guy. Love the fact that two 35-year-olds dominated tennis news last weekend. 30's may indeed be the new 20's for the next years. As you said in another thread, Agassi played his best tennis in his 30's and it looks like Roger and Rafa are the living proof of what may still be in store. This also means there's still hope for Andy and Novak to find their winning ways again too.

 

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Duke Carnoustie writes:

I still think it's the two days of the Querrey match that changed everything. Of course, Djoker, still won in Canada and got to the U.S. Open final. Those are results he wouldn't get now.

 

[scoop]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

But Duke the loss to Lopez was the first irregularity. The Querrey loss and perhaps the loss to Vesely got the most attention but the Lopez loss was the first crack. Also the five hour five set struggle with Kukushkin was stunningly odd. Maybe someday Djokovic will reveal it all in a book but I doubt it. Too personal and too private.

 

[TFBlogGuest]

Duke Carnoustie writes:

Kozlov, Fritz, Klahn, McDonald and Fratangelo all win at Wimbledon. Ram defeats Opelka and Sandgren takes down Mmoh as well.

 

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Andrew Miller writes:

Sure, I'll buy that explanation.Players usually can't id when things turned the wrong way. I'm sure Kerber has no clue.

 

[TFBlogGuest]

catherine writes:

Andrew - Yes you're right, not just about tennis players but other people as well whose talent seems to desert them. Sometimes no point in looking around for obvious solutions - either retire or take a long break, which has been known, or carry on, trying not to ruminate,and let the unconscious do its work. We just haven't access to what's going on in there and stretching out on a couch isn't for everyone and isn't always helpful. I don't get the feeling Angie introspects that much which is probably best for her. It seems Agassi will be around at W'don for Djokovic. Could be slippery courts at Eastbourne - rain threatening. A few strategic retirements ?

 

[TFBlogGuest]

Andrew Miller writes:

Mischa Zverev vs Harrison, an interesting rivalry as these guys have tracked each other for over a year including head to head battles it's a statement match, may seem like no big deal but there's some bragging rights riding on the outcome.

 

[Busted]

Lemme see if I have your premise right - Feliciano Lopez taking a set off Djokovic, followed by a subsequent SIGHT ISSUE, ie, an inablity to SEE due to eye irritation caused by his contract lenses, MAY have been the beginning of Djokovic's downfall? Seriously? And do you not think man has been to the moon? Sorry, but if you've ever worn contacts you know that if the eye is irritated - you have to take them out and you can't see. Djokovic apparently didn't have a pair of eye glasses with him - or can't play wearing his glasses. That whole not being able to see thing was just that - he couldn't see. I don't think it was a sign of anything other than - he couldn't see that day.

Djokovic's bigger problem is his personal life seems to be imploding - despite a 2nd child being on the way - and that he stopped eating meat "for ethical reasons." Well, I have yet to hear of an elite athlete who's stayed at the top by eating a vegan diet and only getting protein from "eggs and occasionally fish." My advice to Nole - set your ethics aside for the next 4-5 years and have a freaking steak. You're not getting any younger and you're not as talented and versatile as Roger Federer. You've got one game plan - and that's predicated on your fitness and stamina, so tell the PETA folks you're putting your ethics on hold for a while because your GOAT dreams are going up in smoke - and not even tasty barbecue smoke.

 

[Busted]

Duke Carnoustie writes:

I still think it's the two days of the Querrey match that changed everything. Of course, Djoker, still won in Canada and got to the U.S. Open final. Those are results he wouldn't get now.

No this I'll agree with. The Querry loss messed with his head. The fact that he couldn't get it together the 2nd day had to be troubling. He got to the US Open final - but he didn't have to go through Federer, Nadal or Murray to get there - and yet he still lost to Stan. The fact that he'd lose 3 big Slam matches to Stan in 3 years? That probably hasn't helped his psyche either. It was one thing when he was losing Slams to Roger and Nadal - but Stan? Mentally that may have taken a toll on his conficence, too.

 

[TFBlogGuest]

Andrew Miller writes:

Nice to see Jay Clarke in qualies at Wimbledon versus Ymer. Clarke is from the UK and when the UK press went on and on about how there was no one after Murray as a successor here was this junior plugging away and doing well and the lta could care less. We talk about the usta and really smack it, but the lta seems far, far worse. It's a low performance organization whose greatest asset is coach Leon for Davis cup. They should put him on top of the lta because it sucks.

 

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Andrew Miller writes:

Djokovic is just as talented as Federer and Nadal. That's why he was giving them the no daylight treatment for five of the last six years and monopolizing the slams, leaving a bone for Nadal, a few for Wawrinka, etc. Who knows when it went wrong. It could have been winning the French Open - Agassi once said his win against Becker in the us open semifinals was so grueling that it sent him into a tailspin. Point is it's a fools errand to pinpoint this stuff. Maybe the seeds had been there further back. What's been astonishing to me is how with no Djokovic to fear suddenly Federer and Nadal have bounced back so easily. Shows how much they feared him.

 

[TFBlogGuest]

catherine writes:

Andrew - the next LTA chief is David LLoyd's son (and that does make me feel old) who is only in his early 40s so we will see how that works out. David was a constant and vitriolic critic of the LTA. But as I've said before, I really don't think the LTA has much to do with emerging British talent. It administers/promotes the game and that's about all. Leon's a good coach but that doesn't mean he'd be any good at heading an organisation - probably not. There's more decentralising now which is a good trend. One consequence is that young players are more likely to stay with their coaches than be rushed off to some power house in London where they may well not thrive. In another sport, the Olympic Gold medallist heptathlete Jessica Ennis grew up and developed in Sheffield with the same coach from ten years old. And she didn't do too badly.

 

[TFBlogGuest]

catherine writes:

Eastbourne rained out. Truncated W'don prep for some.

 

[Federberg]

Andrew Miller writes:

Djokovic is just as talented as Federer and Nadal. That's why he was giving them the no daylight treatment for five of the last six years and monopolizing the slams, leaving a bone for Nadal, a few for Wawrinka, etc. Who knows when it went wrong. It could have been winning the French Open - Agassi once said his win against Becker in the us open semifinals was so grueling that it sent him into a tailspin. Point is it's a fools errand to pinpoint this stuff. Maybe the seeds had been there further back. What's been astonishing to me is how with no Djokovic to fear suddenly Federer and Nadal have bounced back so easily. Shows how much they feared him.

I really don't understand comments like this. Novak was playing in Australia wasn't he? As I recall Roger and Rafa still decided to compete, they didn't run and hide. Not sure how we get to the assumption of either of them being scared. In any case you could easily flip that "observation" and say it shows how lucky Novak has been that he hasn't had to contend with an injury free Federer or Nadal and has been free to "steal" slams. Now they're fit, they're back, they're dominating. For what it's worth, I don't think either of those speculations (yours and mine) are correct. It's sports, these things just happen. Let's try to stop developing fantasy "theories" that have absolutely no basis in fact..

 

[TFBlogGuest]

Duke Carnoustie writes:

Did anyone watch Thiem's stunning loss today? I just saw the highlights and he really pulled a Kyrgios. It almost looked like he tanked the match, hitting shots well past the baseline and overheads into the net. Remember this was the guy who bludgeoned Novak at RG. It seems impossible to believe he was trying, losing to a No. 222-ranked player from India.

 

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Hartt writes:

I saw the whole match between Thiem and Ramanathan and I don't think Thiem tanked. He had an off day, he's human, not a machine. And even a player ranked No. 222 is capable of playing some good tennis, which is what Ramanathan did today. For example, he hit a terrific BH volley that he had to jump for and soon followed that with an excellent passing shot. Overall he was solid and deserved to win.

 

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Hartt writes:

Regarding the LTA, Michael Downey, when he was still head of Tennis Canada and some time before going to the LTA. talked about the role of federations. He said a federation cannot produce top tennis players, although it can assist in their development. I think he is right - the most important aspect is the player himself/herself, but there are so many other factors, including the coaching the player received as a child. I imagine trying to make changes in an old, established organization like the LTA is very difficult. Tennis Canada, over 10 years ago under Downey's leadership, did make dramatic changes in their approach and has had success as a result. But although they did assist a player like Milos Raonic when he was a teenager and when he made the transition into the pros, much of Milos' success came down to his own drive and determination and the huge number of hours his first coach, Casey Curtis, donated to developing him as a player. Although Tennis Canada can claim a bigger role in the development of 16-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime, it is still just one of the parts of the puzzle. I think this is true of any federation and top players. The federation can help with good training facilities, coaching support, financial support and advice. But in the end of the day they can't actually produce top players.

 

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Andrew Miller writes:

Huh? Djokovic won 10 slams from 2011 to 2016, or ten of twenty four slams. He did the majority of the winning out there and only finished second on the dirt. Since his freefall began at Wimbledon, Federer and Nadal have reemerged in full force, with Nadal getting his first slam since two years ago and Federer his first in five years, since his 2012 Wimbledon. These are facts, Djokovic dominated for five years and players had few answers for him. Ten to Djokovic Four to Nadal One for Federer One for Cilic Three for Murray Three for Wawrinka

 

[TFBlogGuest]

Andrew Miller writes:

It's obvious. When Djokovic is far from his winning ways Federer and Nadal are sharper and more confidant out there. Djokovic had all the answers. Now he doesn't and is very diminished. Statement of fact, Federer and Nadal had no answers for him. Now they don't need them.