Roger and Rafa are done

[lob]

Darth, it’s hard to keep with your versions of Federer. When a player steps out on the court that’s it. I mean geeze 3 years (2014-2016) and it’s not Roger out there? This isn’t Orphan Black with clones running around.

Too pat and convenient to say when your player loses, “it wasn’t really him out there”. Again who was it?

ND is a truly great player He wouldn't be that great if he couldn't beat Roger no?
I wonder why? Up until Roger was thirty including Djokovic's best year, he had an even record. That although Djokovic didn't play Roger until Roger had won 11 slams. Get that. Eleven slams.

Stakhovsky, Tsonga(twice) Berdych (twice) Robredo, Cilic, Raonic, Anderson, Milman, Gulbis are all also in the list of players who took out Roger in five setters after he turned 28. Not exactly elite company.


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[GameSetAndMath]

Fed casually said in the on-court interview after winning his first match at USO that "Almost time to retire - but not yet". But, then later he downplayed it in the press conference. Perhaps, a Freudian slip. I would not write off Federer. He still has the possibility of grabbing a Wimbledon or AO. But, I don't anticipate him playing beyond 2020.

Rafa will not retire until he loses at RG for three years in a row or he becomes a paraplegic, whichever happens first.

 

[lob]

Rafa will not retire until he loses at RG for three years in a row or he becomes a paraplegic, whichever happens first.

How can anyone talk about Nasal being done? Rafa has a few more RGs in him for sure.

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[DarthFed]

How can anyone talk about Nasal being done? Rafa has a few more RGs in him for sure.

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Yes I expect many more awful days courtesy of that despicable blue-collared peasant. He doesn't need to be in decent form to win his precious dirt tournaments

 

[El Dude]

People keep assuming that Rafa is going to win "at least a few more" RGs, but that seems less likely now that Novak is back. Also, remember that Rafa turns 33 at the next RG. He's no spring chicken. And we have Thiem and Zverev becoming more and more relevant on clay.

Let's see how things look in 2019. If Novak wins it, all of a sudden Rafa is turning 34 at his next chance to win it. Hard to see "a few more" then. I could see 1-2 more, but probably no more than 2 - and probably not two if he loses in 2019.

 

[lob]

People keep assuming that Rafa is going to win "at least a few more" RGs, but that seems less likely now that Novak is back. Also, remember that Rafa turns 33 at the next RG. He's no spring chicken. And we have Thiem and Zverev becoming more and more relevant on clay.

That's because they started saying that his style of tennis is unsustainable as far back as 2007 and 2008. Then after 2009 they called the official beginning of the end. Experienced players then opined that knee tendinitis was incurable and a death knell in pro tennis. Last I checked it is 2018 and he added SEVEN more RGs, 3 THREE USO and a Wmb.

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[El Dude]

My point, @lob , is that he's at an age where we really should be conservative with our predictions and re-evaluate on a year-by-year basis. To assume that he has "at least a few more" RGs in him implies that not only can no one beat him there, but that he can continue doing what he's doing for 3+ more years, if not 4-5.

I'm not saying he can't, just that I'm hesitant to say "at least a few more."

 

[Carol]

LOL good to know that you recognize yourself as an overzealous Nadal fangirl.

LOL and don't you recognize yourself as an overzealous Federer fanboy? your comments don't say something different

 

[Carol]

I have not any idea why some people likes to put Rafa and Roger in the same way. First at all they are 5 years apart, second if we see what they have done this year I think Rafa has done much better. He won everything on clay, he played only Wimbledon reaching the final and he was too close to win, he won Toronto, skipping Cincy and he had a very tough opponents in the USO, the match with Thien was the best and more interesting match of all the tournament but unfortunately his knee "woke up" again like it happened last year in Shanghai but this time he decided to stop to avoid the worst. Meanwhile Roger won the AO but he lost in IW, Miami, then he skipped all the clay season, he lost in the QF in Wimbledon (his best surface) he skipped Toronto, he lost in Cincy playing horrible and also in the USO before the QF (without any injury).
Hope Nadal will skip Asia and be ready for the MC and if he won't then to be ready for the next AO which is time to get his second title after to be so close so many times

 

[Carol]

People keep assuming that Rafa is going to win "at least a few more" RGs, but that seems less likely now that Novak is back. Also, remember that Rafa turns 33 at the next RG. He's no spring chicken. And we have Thiem and Zverev becoming more and more relevant on clay.

Let's see how things look in 2019. If Novak wins it, all of a sudden Rafa is turning 34 at his next chance to win it. Hard to see "a few more" then. I could see 1-2 more, but probably no more than 2 - and probably not two if he loses in 2019.

In 2019 Rafa is turning 33 and Novak 32, what's the difference? And Novak is back but never like 2011 and 2015 so I think we should wait to see how 2019 will be but I don't see Novak winning everything, someone else will do too for sure

 

[El Dude]

In 2019 Rafa is turning 33 and Novak 32, what's the difference? And Novak is back but never like 2011 and 2015 so I think we should wait to see how 2019 will be but I don't see Novak winning everything, someone else will do too for sure

I don't see him winning everything, either. But I do think his resurgence hurts Rafa in terms of being a sure thing at RG.

 

[Carol]

I don't see him winning everything, either. But I do think his resurgence hurts Rafa in terms of being a sure thing at RG.

We'll see but I hope Rafa wins other GS and not only RG and maybe he or someone else will be the one who hurts Novak and his resurgence, you never know....

 

[El Dude]

We'll see but I hope Rafa wins other GS and not only RG and maybe he or someone else will be the one who hurts Novak and his resurgence, you never know....

I could see a battle royale between Rafa and Novak at the AO and a dogfight for the first half of 2019, with them splitting the first two Slams.

But yeah, again, you never know...

 

[Jelenafan]

Yes I expect many more awful days courtesy of that despicable blue-collared peasant. He doesn't need to be in decent form to win his precious dirt tournaments

Translation: I think it’s more his exceptional standard of play is higher than others on clay but what the hey, 11 FO’s need to be deconstructed somehow ...

Yes I expect many more awful days courtesy of that despicable blue-collared peasant. He doesn't need to be in decent form to win his precious dirt tournaments

It never fails to amuse me that there is a subset of fans so *angry* about Nadal's clay court dominance (how dare he??!!) that they use the desperate and transparent tactic of minimizing his accomplishments on the terre bateu. If only others would step up to the plate than he wouldn't have the UNDECIMO (so far) clay court wins including the French. Heck, other than Nadal, how many players have won the Monte Carlo tournament more than a couple of times?

 

[DarthFed]

Translation: I think it’s more his exceptional standard of play is higher than others on clay but what the hey, 11 FO’s need to be deconstructed somehow ...


It never fails to amuse me that there is a subset of fans so *angry* about Nadal's clay court dominance (how dare he??!!) that they use the desperate and transparent tactic of minimizing his accomplishments on the terre bateu. If only others would step up to the plate than he wouldn't have the UNDECIMO (so far) clay court wins including the French. Heck, other than Nadal, how many players have won the Monte Carlo tournament more than a couple of times?

Buddy you keep mistaking my meaning. Nadal is so far ahead of everyone on clay that he doesn't have to be in good form (for his standards) to reign supreme. I'm complementing him on how spectacular he is on clay. I've actually been saying for years that he can win many more RG's even if his movement becomes poor because 99% of the tour can't handle his rally forehand on clay.

 

[Moxie]

Translation: I think it’s more his exceptional standard of play is higher than others on clay but what the hey, 11 FO’s need to be deconstructed somehow ...


It never fails to amuse me that there is a subset of fans so *angry* about Nadal's clay court dominance (how dare he??!!) that they use the desperate and transparent tactic of minimizing his accomplishments on the terre bateu. If only others would step up to the plate than he wouldn't have the UNDECIMO (so far) clay court wins including the French. Heck, other than Nadal, how many players have won the Monte Carlo tournament more than a couple of times?

It never fails to amuse me the implication that terre battue isn't actually a surface that counts. The endless sniffing..."peasant," and "dirt." Oh, right...grass is wherein heaven lies. And somehow they hold HC above clay, even though clay is more of a classic surface, like grass.

 

[Jelenafan]

Buddy you keep mistaking my meaning. Nadal is so far ahead of everyone on clay that he doesn't have to be in good form (for his standards) to reign supreme. I'm complementing him on how spectacular he is on clay. I've actually been saying for years that he can win many more RG's even if his movement becomes poor because 99% of the tour can't handle his rally forehand on clay.

Darth Perhaps I was distracted by reading him described as the despicable blue collared peasant. I’m sort of at a disadvantage since I can’t bring myself to tote Federer’s impressive grass court tennis with a matching interesting description of his persona.

Though the Swiss do wear Ledenhosen too, don’t they? Hmmm.......

 

[DarthFed]

Darth Perhaps I was distracted by reading him described as the despicable blue collared peasant. I’m sort of at a disadvantage since I can’t bring myself to tote Federer’s impressive grass court tennis with a matching interesting description of his persona.

Though the Swiss do wear Ledenhosen too, don’t they? Hmmm.......

If I'm forced to complement him I must be allowed to appropriately insult him beforehand

 

[Moxie]

If I'm forced to complement him I must be allowed to appropriately insult him beforehand

#Darthrules

 

[lob]

It never fails to amuse me the implication that terre battue isn't actually a surface that counts. The endless sniffing..."peasant," and "dirt." Oh, right...grass is wherein heaven lies. And somehow they hold HC above clay, even though clay is more of a classic surface, like grass.

On the contrary. If I am guessing correctly, RG is the only slam that hasn't fukked up their courts. At least so far. Respect. The pressures must be tremendous. Especially after a Spanish invasion, occupation and Emperor. Contrast it with the POS administrators across the channel and across the Atlantic.

The fact of the matter is that tennis on clay and tennis on grass *were* often virtually different sports, especially after graphite and space age strings. So fukcing what? Of course each hardcore fan base will be snobbish or oblivious. Males being males and all. It always amuses me that most Americans think of 'soccer' as a children's sport and the rest of the 'world' scratches their head as to what American 'football' and baseball are. Digging up or tearing courts to exhume $$$ is a barbaric practice.

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