The Early French Open Thread

[Denis]

I guess I will have to start watching Rafa from the first round now. Can't afford to miss some tennis history. I really can't see Nadal winning playing like this.

 

[golds girl]

I guess I will have to start watching Rafa from the first round now. Can't afford to miss some tennis history. I really can't see Nadal winning playing like this.

This is true...but there are but a few who can out grind Nadal for THREE sets on clay...I think he'll still go deep at the French.

 

[Denis]

I guess I will have to start watching Rafa from the first round now. Can't afford to miss some tennis history. I really can't see Nadal winning playing like this.

This is true...but there are but a few who can out grind Nadal for THREE sets on clay...I think he'll still go deep at the French.

He might very well. But do you honestly think Nadal could have turned it around against Stan tonight? If anything, he was getting worse during the match.

The advantage of RG is that the conditions suit Nadal better. Hotter weather, play during the day, bigger court. We shall see.

 

[tented]

I guess I will have to start watching Rafa from the first round now. Can't afford to miss some tennis history. I really can't see Nadal winning playing like this.

This is true...but there are but a few who can out grind Nadal for THREE sets on clay...I think he'll still go deep at the French.

I do, too. He doesn't feel as much pressure when it's best-of-five. He knows he can turn things around, whereas there's more of a sense of panic in these best-of-three tournaments if he drops a set.

 

[Kieran]

I know there's a bunch of giddy Djoker fans won't sleep tonight, but just remember:

 

[Denis]

I guess I will have to start watching Rafa from the first round now. Can't afford to miss some tennis history. I really can't see Nadal winning playing like this.

This is true...but there are but a few who can out grind Nadal for THREE sets on clay...I think he'll still go deep at the French.

I do, too. He doesn't feel as much pressure when it's best-of-five. He knows he can turn things around, whereas there's more of a sense of panic in these best-of-three tournaments if he drops a set.

This is basically based on nothing. How does he know this. He has never had to do it, except for the Isner match where he looked awfully displaced.

 

[crystalfire]

I guess I will have to start watching Rafa from the first round now. Can't afford to miss some tennis history. I really can't see Nadal winning playing like this.

lolol thats true. but i think he wins against most players at the level he played today. just that stan was sh!tting on those forehands.

 

[Kieran]

This is true...but there are but a few who can out grind Nadal for THREE sets on clay...I think he'll still go deep at the French.

I do, too. He doesn't feel as much pressure when it's best-of-five. He knows he can turn things around, whereas there's more of a sense of panic in these best-of-three tournaments if he drops a set.

This is basically based on nothing. How does he know this. He has never had to do it, except for the Isner match where he looked awfully displaced.

Yeah but there's time and space in a best of five, that's what T is saying. Lose a set and go down a break in the second, in a best of three, and he's not responding well. The best of five format should suit him better.

But he's never looked so lost and rusty heading to Paris before...

 

[tented]

^ Thanks, Kieran. You saved me the time of having to explain this simple concept.

 

[Denis]

I know there's a bunch of giddy Djoker fans won't sleep tonight, but just remember:

You will have two more weeks give or take where you can still do this. Enjoy it!

 

[Denis]

I guess I will have to start watching Rafa from the first round now. Can't afford to miss some tennis history. I really can't see Nadal winning playing like this.

lolol thats true. but i think he wins against most players at the level he played today. just that stan was sh!tting on those forehands.

Im not sure. He was awfully passive today and shanking. It's not looking good. But it seems to be patchy as he was fine against Isner. He needs good conditions and no off-day to get far.

 

[nehmeth]

I know there's a bunch of giddy Djoker fans won't sleep tonight, but just remember:

You mean when they meet in the quarters due to Ralf losing his #4 ranking?? That could be ugly.

 

[crystalfire]

I know there's a bunch of giddy Djoker fans won't sleep tonight, but just remember:

You mean when they meet in the quarters due to Ralf losing his #4 ranking?? That could be ugly.

at this rate we'll be calling that the real "final" lmao

 

[lacatch]

A friend of mine who is a Rafa fan speculated that after today's performance in the Rome quarters (and in light of the clay season to date), Rafa might claim injury and pull out of the French because an early loss there would devastate him. At first I totally dismissed the idea, but I think there could be a slight chance---"damage control".

 

[Fiero425]

A friend of mine who is a Rafa fan speculated that after today's performance in the Rome quarters (and in light of the clay season to date), Rafa might claim injury and pull out of the French because an early loss there would devastate him. At first I totally dismissed the idea, but I think there could be a slight chance---"damage control".

Every couple years his fans have to go through this stuff! It's worse each time and if he were to skip FO altogether, we know the end is near! :nono :angel: :dodgy:

 

[tented]

A friend of mine who is a Rafa fan speculated that after today's performance in the Rome quarters (and in light of the clay season to date), Rafa might claim injury and pull out of the French because an early loss there would devastate him. At first I totally dismissed the idea, but I think there could be a slight chance---"damage control".

No, he'll want the chance to win. He knows he can't keep winning it every year -- there will be another loss, it's just a matter of when. But if he doesn't go, he won't have the chance to win. And as poorly as he's been this season, it's still highly unlikely he would lose early (as in, before the quarterfinals) at RG.

 

[lacatch]

A friend of mine who is a Rafa fan speculated that after today's performance in the Rome quarters (and in light of the clay season to date), Rafa might claim injury and pull out of the French because an early loss there would devastate him. At first I totally dismissed the idea, but I think there could be a slight chance---"damage control".

No, he'll want the chance to win. He knows he can't keep winning it every year -- there will be another loss, it's just a matter of when. But if he doesn't go, he won't have the chance to win. And as poorly as he's been this season, it's highly unlikely he would lose early (as in, before the quarterfinals) at RG.

Again, I think it's dangerous to predict this year's FO performance based on what Rafa has done in the past. He clearly isn't the same animal, at least for the time being. And if he ran into a Belluci or Kyrgios in any early round, or another inspired heavy hitter, they could take Nadal out in his current state.

 

[tented]

A friend of mine who is a Rafa fan speculated that after today's performance in the Rome quarters (and in light of the clay season to date), Rafa might claim injury and pull out of the French because an early loss there would devastate him. At first I totally dismissed the idea, but I think there could be a slight chance---"damage control".

No, he'll want the chance to win. He knows he can't keep winning it every year -- there will be another loss, it's just a matter of when. But if he doesn't go, he won't have the chance to win. And as poorly as he's been this season, it's highly unlikely he would lose early (as in, before the quarterfinals) at RG.

Again, I think it's dangerous to predict this year's FO performance based on what Rafa has done in the past. He clearly isn't the same animal, at least for the time being. And if he ran into a Belluci or Kyrgios in any early round, or another inspired heavy hitter, they could take Nadal out in his current state.

It's possible, but I still think it's highly unlikely in a best-of-five format, on clay.

 

[herios]

Following today, the top 4 seed for RG will be:
Nole, Roger, Andy and Tomas

 

[tented]

Following today, the top 4 seed for RG will be:
Nole, Roger, Andy and Tomas

Will this be the first time Berdych has been seeded in the top 4 at a slam? I'm thinking yes, but I could be forgetting something based on a withdrawal, for example.