Rome Masters 2015

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2EzjrXazBU[/video]

 

[tented]

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Centrale Start 12:00 noon

[2] Simona Halep (ROU) v [10] Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP)

Not Before 2:00 pm

[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) v [7] David Ferrer (ESP)

Not Before 4:30 pm

[3] Maria Sharapova (RUS) v [Q] Daria Gavrilova (RUS)

Not Before 8:00 pm

[2] Roger Federer (SUI) v [8] Stan Wawrinka (SUI)

[5] Marcel Granollers (ESP) / Marc Lopez (ESP) v Nick Kyrgios (AUS) / Jack Sock (USA)

---

Pietrangeli Start 12:00 noon

[3] Timea Babos (HUN) / Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) v [8] Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) / Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)

[1] Martina Hingis (SUI) / Sania Mirza (IND) v [4] Caroline Garcia (FRA) / Katarina Srebotnik (SLO)

Kevin Anderson (RSA) / Jeremy Chardy (FRA) v Pablo Cuevas (URU) / David Marrero (ESP)

 

[Puppet Master]

I don't want to see Fed crushed in the final. He doesn't have a bloody chance, and this is only if he does manage to beat Wawrinka.
I'd hate to imagine what will happen to Rafa for the rest of the season. I would be delusional to have any belief left in him at this point. It's perhaps better to pause this season after the FO, and then the decision: can he return to his best level, or leave Djokovic and Fed to toy around with the rest of the tour.

 

[crystalfire]

I don't want to see Fed crushed in the final. He doesn't have a bloody chance, and this is only if he does manage to beat Wawrinka.
I'd hate to imagine what will happen to Rafa for the rest of the season. I would be delusional to have any belief left in him at this point. It's perhaps better to pause this season after the FO, and then the decision: can he return to his best level, or leave Djokovic and Fed to toy around with the rest of the tour.

this is preposterous. wtf? you want rafa to quit tennis? seriously?

 

[Denis]

I don't want to see Fed crushed in the final. He doesn't have a bloody chance, and this is only if he does manage to beat Wawrinka.
I'd hate to imagine what will happen to Rafa for the rest of the season. I would be delusional to have any belief left in him at this point. It's perhaps better to pause this season after the FO, and then the decision: can he return to his best level, or leave Djokovic and Fed to toy around with the rest of the tour.

Its more likely to be Murray and Djokovic.

 

[August]

I just don't think Stan will have anything left for Fed after having to redline like this tonight.

This wasn't such a long match so recovery shouldn't be such a problem, even though Fed has had some more time for recovery. Still the SF will be a night match so there's time for recovery. But of course, Stan must have the right mood tomorrow. Is he mentally ready to bring another great performance or was today's win only a mental boost for him? Or might the win make him feel too good and lose focus?

But assuming he's well ready to play his best tennis tomorrow, I pick him to win. Let's remember MC last year. Or the WTF where he had the tools to win. And Stan likes to play on clay which is also Roger's worst surface. Roger has the advantage in routine but Stan should have the tools to win if he played his best tennis.

 

[Federberg]

Wow! Stan stepped up. Just got home and saw the youtube highlights posted in here. Rafa was 6 - 3 up in the breaker and lost? Then he loses 6 - 2 in the next set?? If the score was 6 2, 7 6 that's one thing. But for Stan to win pulling away... doesn't bode well. This is surely the first time Rafa hasn't won a single title in the clay swing :nono

 

[crystalfire]

I just don't think Stan will have anything left for Fed after having to redline like this tonight.

This wasn't such a long match so recovery shouldn't be such a problem, even though Fed has had some more time for recovery. Still the SF will be a night match so there's time for recovery. But of course, Stan must have the right mood tomorrow. Is he mentally ready to bring another great performance or was today's win only a mental boost for him? Or might the win make him feel too good and lose focus?

But assuming he's well ready to play his best tennis tomorrow, I pick him to win. Let's remember MC last year. Or the WTF where he had the tools to win. And Stan likes to play on clay which is also Roger's worst surface. Roger has the advantage in routine but Stan should have the tools to win if he played his best tennis.

cant believe im agreeing with this but ya if stan plays like he did today he should win. it would be really interesting to see a djoker stan final. i think stan stands a great chance at another masters if he gets there

 

[Kirijax]

Stanimal, The Original Sexy Beast! :clap

 

[Fiero425]

Stanimal, The Original Sexy Beast! :clap

From what I understand, he's free! :angel: :dodgy: :devil

 

[Kirijax]

Should @VasekPospisil worry? A new bromance is brewing between @JackSock/@NickKyrgios in Rome. http://bit.ly/1e5Ekha

Sock-Krygios Bromance

 

[Johnsteinbeck]

I just don't think Stan will have anything left for Fed after having to redline like this tonight.

This wasn't such a long match so recovery shouldn't be such a problem, even though Fed has had some more time for recovery. Still the SF will be a night match so there's time for recovery. But of course, Stan must have the right mood tomorrow. Is he mentally ready to bring another great performance or was today's win only a mental boost for him? Or might the win make him feel too good and lose focus?

But assuming he's well ready to play his best tennis tomorrow, I pick him to win. Let's remember MC last year. Or the WTF where he had the tools to win. And Stan likes to play on clay which is also Roger's worst surface. Roger has the advantage in routine but Stan should have the tools to win if he played his best tennis.

cant believe im agreeing with this but ya if stan plays like he did today he should win. it would be really interesting to see a djoker stan final. i think stan stands a great chance at another masters if he gets there

exactly. it's on Stan's racquet, in the end. if he does anything like he did last night, an in-form Djokovic is probably the only one who can stop him.

 

[Denis]

This wasn't such a long match so recovery shouldn't be such a problem, even though Fed has had some more time for recovery. Still the SF will be a night match so there's time for recovery. But of course, Stan must have the right mood tomorrow. Is he mentally ready to bring another great performance or was today's win only a mental boost for him? Or might the win make him feel too good and lose focus?

But assuming he's well ready to play his best tennis tomorrow, I pick him to win. Let's remember MC last year. Or the WTF where he had the tools to win. And Stan likes to play on clay which is also Roger's worst surface. Roger has the advantage in routine but Stan should have the tools to win if he played his best tennis.

cant believe im agreeing with this but ya if stan plays like he did today he should win. it would be really interesting to see a djoker stan final. i think stan stands a great chance at another masters if he gets there

exactly. it's on Stan's racquet, in the end. if he does anything like he did last night, an in-form Djokovic is probably the only one who can stop him.

Lol, let's not get overexited over this win shall we? I like Stan, but there are serious deficiencies to his game, not least an average second serve, a tendency to play too far back because of the line-up time with his backhand, and mental unstableness.

Nadal was pushing last night, enabled Stan to play the way he did. Except from that brilliant tie-break, not too much was required from him anyways.

I voted for Stan in three, but that was because I like him better than Federer and how I've seen Federer play before Rome. Odds are he is doing a bit better now.

 

[shawnbm]

There is no guarantee that if Stanislas plays like he did against Rafa he wins against Federer. Why? Roger serves much better than Rafa on any surface and is more aggressive with his shot selection than Nadal; he forces the moment faster. Stanislas can't play the same way against Roger for Roger won't start long baseline rallies with tons of topspin into Wawrinka's backhand. It's an entirely different animal for the "Stanimal". Federer should win this.

 

[dropshot tom]

Didn't Rafa win a clay court title in Buenos Airies on Feb, beat Juan Monaco.

 

[August]

Didn't Rafa win a clay court title in Buenos Airies on Feb, beat Juan Monaco.

But this is the first year he hasn't won a European/post-Miami clay event before RG.

And even if we counted the South American clay events, this must be the first year since 2005 when Rafa hasn't won a M1000 /500 on clay (or any surface) before RG.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

^^since 2004.

 

[Johnsteinbeck]

cant believe im agreeing with this but ya if stan plays like he did today he should win. it would be really interesting to see a djoker stan final. i think stan stands a great chance at another masters if he gets there

exactly. it's on Stan's racquet, in the end. if he does anything like he did last night, an in-form Djokovic is probably the only one who can stop him.

Lol, let's not get overexited over this win shall we? I like Stan, but there are serious deficiencies to his game, not least an average second serve, a tendency to play too far back because of the line-up time with his backhand, and mental unstableness.

Nadal was pushing last night, enabled Stan to play the way he did. Except from that brilliant tie-break, not too much was required from him anyways.

I voted for Stan in three, but that was because I like him better than Federer and how I've seen Federer play before Rome. Odds are he is doing a bit better now.

Yeah, i might have gone overboard a bit. It's true, the staying back for example is an issue that can be exploited. My Point should've been, though: Stan is capable of a level of Power tennis that could blow the current version of Fed off the court, and Ferrer as well. If he loses to Fed, it will be because he's not up to it mentally.


Also, gotta love it when the WTA takes almost three hours for a match when i'm waiting for Novak and Daveed. And at 3.30, the broadcaster will change to the Hockey World cup :/

 

[Denis]

exactly. it's on Stan's racquet, in the end. if he does anything like he did last night, an in-form Djokovic is probably the only one who can stop him.

Lol, let's not get overexited over this win shall we? I like Stan, but there are serious deficiencies to his game, not least an average second serve, a tendency to play too far back because of the line-up time with his backhand, and mental unstableness.

Nadal was pushing last night, enabled Stan to play the way he did. Except from that brilliant tie-break, not too much was required from him anyways.

I voted for Stan in three, but that was because I like him better than Federer and how I've seen Federer play before Rome. Odds are he is doing a bit better now.

Yeah, i might have gone overboard a bit. It's true, the staying back for example is an issue that can be exploited. My Point should've been, though: Stan is capable of a level of Power tennis that could blow the current version of Fed off the court, and Ferrer as well. If he loses to Fed, it will be because he's not up to it mentally.


Also, gotta love it when the WTA takes almost three hours for a match when i'm waiting for Novak and Daveed. And at 3.30, the broadcaster will change to the Hockey World cup :/

Tell me about it. Well I guess from a WTA perspective its a win that it wasn't a blowout. Both players are actually quite entertaining to watch.

 

[Johnsteinbeck]

Lol, let's not get overexited over this win shall we? I like Stan, but there are serious deficiencies to his game, not least an average second serve, a tendency to play too far back because of the line-up time with his backhand, and mental unstableness.

Nadal was pushing last night, enabled Stan to play the way he did. Except from that brilliant tie-break, not too much was required from him anyways.

I voted for Stan in three, but that was because I like him better than Federer and how I've seen Federer play before Rome. Odds are he is doing a bit better now.

Yeah, i might have gone overboard a bit. It's true, the staying back for example is an issue that can be exploited. My Point should've been, though: Stan is capable of a level of Power tennis that could blow the current version of Fed off the court, and Ferrer as well. If he loses to Fed, it will be because he's not up to it mentally.


Also, gotta love it when the WTA takes almost three hours for a match when i'm waiting for Novak and Daveed. And at 3.30, the broadcaster will change to the Hockey World cup :/

Tell me about it. Well I guess from a WTA perspective its a win that it wasn't a blowout. Both players are actually quite entertaining to watch.

Yeah - i'm not even disinclined to watch a little WTA tennis, if it's a decent match up, now and then, to be honest. Just that my local provider only has ATP rights, so i was stuck watching reruns of high School Volleyball in the meantime, no kidding.