The Early French Open Thread

[Fiero425]

A Stan in Form.

I'll have to stick to the most obvious candidate to upset Nole; Roger! Even on clay he has a chance if he plays his game and attacks the net, serves lights out, and frustrates Nole! It happened in 2011 when Djokovic was still undefeated at 42 matches! There was the added pressure of that, but it was still on clay! Roger obviously has a mental thing going on which caused Nole to drop serve twice at Wimbledon last season trying to wrap it up in 4; couldn't do it! The problem is I don't think Roger will get a sniff of another final; even seeded #2! He has to get past so many young guns who are hungry and see he's vulnerable in his aging state of decay! :cover uzzled :nono :angel:

Even though I am a Roger Fan, I don't see Roger defeating Novak at RG. The key differential
between them is in baseline rally play. You cannot totally avoid baseline game, especially on clay.
Novak outscored Roger about 3 to 1 in the baseline war in Rome finals.

I don't think it's going to happen; question was "who would Nole least like to meet in the final!?" :angel: :dodgy:

 

[Haelfix]

Even though I am a Roger Fan, I don't see Roger defeating Novak at RG. The key differential
between them is in baseline rally play. You cannot totally avoid baseline game, especially on clay.
Novak outscored Roger about 3 to 1 in the baseline war in Rome finals.

He did beat him in 2011 at Novak's absolute peak, so it's not completely crazy. But yea I agree, 3-1 neutral rally point differential is simply not going to get it done. Attacking the net is suicide on clay, and it seems like Roger's trickery is starting to not work as much against Novak.

He is just unable to really stretch Novak like he used too with the forehand, and he doesn't hit the ball well on the run anymore. Unless that changes, you are looking at a routine 3 set wins.

One sorta sees the dilemma. Playing within himself, Roger invariably loses a very close set of tennis to Novaks best tennis. If he goes for broke, he might win the set but more often than not he UEs himself into oblivion. There is no solution unless his overall level improves.

 

[herios]

Perhaps it was asked earlier, and my apologies if it has been, but has their ever been another time in history when there were 3 active career Grand Slam winners?
So excited for Nole to do it this year at RG. I hope he can hold up to the pressure.

Well, Fed and Rafa and Agassi were together for some time.

When Agassi was still around, Roger and Rafa were not career grand slam winners yet.
Rafa was just a RG winner.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Perhaps it was asked earlier, and my apologies if it has been, but has their ever been another time in history when there were 3 active career Grand Slam winners?
So excited for Nole to do it this year at RG. I hope he can hold up to the pressure.

Well, Fed and Rafa and Agassi were together for some time.

When Agassi was still around, Roger and Rafa were not career grand slam winners yet.
Rafa was just a RG winner.

Ya, you are right. Agassi retired in 2006 whereas Rafa finished his career slam stuff only at 2010 USO. The answer to original question then is NO. There were only 7 career grand slam winners
two from 30s, two from 60s and three from recent times. So, we don't have to check the details
for others.

 

[Fiero425]

Well, Fed and Rafa and Agassi were together for some time.

When Agassi was still around, Roger and Rafa were not career grand slam winners yet.
Rafa was just a RG winner.

Ya, you are right. Agassi retired in 2006 whereas Rafa finished his career slam stuff only at 2010 USO. The answer to original question then is NO. There were only 7 career grand slam winners
two from 30s, two from 60s and three from recent times. So, we don't have to check the details
for others.

What's been the most amazing so far is in quick succession how we had 3 time major winners in the last decade; 3 for Roger alone! We hadn't had one of those since Connors in '74; Lavers '69 GS before that! Add Nole soon to the CGS winners; we can only hope! :angel: :dodgy:

 

[Carol]

Perhaps it was asked earlier, and my apologies if it has been, but has their ever been another time in history when there were 3 active career Grand Slam winners?
So excited for Nole to do it this year at RG. I hope he can hold up to the pressure.

Well, Fed and Rafa and Agassi were together for some time.

When Agassi was still around, Roger and Rafa were not career grand slam winners yet.
Rafa was just a RG winner.

Agassi retired in 2006, Rafa was 18 years old which means he didn't have still too much time and age to grand slam winners, isn't?

 

[Carol]

On Thursday Rafa Nadal will receive the highest award of Paris "Grand Vermeil" medal, the most distinctive award from the City of Paris. Rafa will receive the prestigious award at the ceremony at City Hall, the municipality said in a statement :clap

 

[herios]

Well, Fed and Rafa and Agassi were together for some time.

When Agassi was still around, Roger and Rafa were not career grand slam winners yet.
Rafa was just a RG winner.

Agassi retired in 2006, Rafa was 18 years old which means he didn't have still too much time and age to grand slam winners, isn't?

Rafa was 20 in 2006....

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

hyeon chung, Christian garin lost 1st rd qualifying French open.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

There are three clay court title winners this year, who will be unseeded at RG. They are
Victor (the old man), Jack Sock (the young man) and Martin Klizan. Among these three,
I would consider Martin Klizan as the most dangerous floater.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Nadalites, take heart. Even this year, Rafa is still the second best clay court player in terms of clay court ranking points accumulated. See article by Kamakshi titled clay court rankings.

But, the list is somewhat skewed as it considers the SA clay events also.

Here are the top 10 from the list.

1. Novak Djokovic 2,000
2. Rafael Nadal 1,615
3. David Ferrer 1,400
4. Andy Murray 1,340
5. Tomas Berdych 1,140
6. Roger Federer 950
7. Kei Nishikori 860
T8. Fabio Fognini 635
T8. Pablo Cuevas
10. Stanislas Wawrinka 540

 

[Carol]

When Agassi was still around, Roger and Rafa were not career grand slam winners yet.
Rafa was just a RG winner.

Agassi retired in 2006, Rafa was 18 years old which means he didn't have still too much time and age to grand slam winners, isn't?

Rafa was 20 in 2006....

And? how many players have had 2 GS winners at 20 years old? not too many....:nono
Remember that Roger and Rafa are not the same age now and before (2006) :snicker

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

^^and..you were wrong about nadals age. that's it.

 

[ftan]

RE: Rankings

^^I just wish its not Roger!!

 

[Fiero425]

RE: Rankings

^^I just wish its not Roger!!

You're assuming a lot! Just because Roger made Italian final doesn't mean he's a legit #2 seed in Paris! Both Roger and Rafa have to step it up or one or the other is going to drop out of the top 10! :angel: :dodgy: - Someone's going down early; just hope it isn't NOLE! :dodgy:

 

[Moxie]

I'm looking forward to RG more than any other slam in recent history. I'm intrigued to see if Novak can withstand the level of expectation that will fall on him. This is stuff that Roger and Rafa have had to deal with for years, but I'm not sure if Novak has ever experienced what is likely to happen. Yes of course he's been favourite before, but this is different. He's favourite, and he has targeted this tournament specifically. If he's able to pull it out, he'll go up in my estimation even more. This is big time champion stuff! Fedal stuff...

I think he will pull it out. He had been close a few times before at RG, since 2011 (at least
three times, 2011, 2013 and 2014). So, he must have learned the lessons by now on how to
handle it.

At any rate, I too am excited to watch RG this year. I will probably not miss a single match
of any member of big four, but definitely not that of Rafa and then that of Novak and then that
of Fed and then that of Andy (in that order).

Me too. And probably in that order

Wow...you guys are most excited to watch a player you don't like just because you hope to see him lose. That's some serious spite, boys.

 

[Fiero425]

I think he will pull it out. He had been close a few times before at RG, since 2011 (at least
three times, 2011, 2013 and 2014). So, he must have learned the lessons by now on how to
handle it.

At any rate, I too am excited to watch RG this year. I will probably not miss a single match
of any member of big four, but definitely not that of Rafa and then that of Novak and then that
of Fed and then that of Andy (in that order).

Me too. And probably in that order

Wow...you guys are most excited to watch a player you don't like just because you hope to see him lose. That's some serious spite, boys.

...and? Nothing better than seeing Nadal go down in flames playing that stupid, defensive style allowing unranked players to take him to the limit! :angel: :dodgy:

 

[Carol]

^^and..you were wrong about nadals age. that's it.

It makes any difference?

 

[Carol]

Me too. And probably in that order

Wow...you guys are most excited to watch a player you don't like just because you hope to see him lose. That's some serious spite, boys.

...and? Nothing better than seeing Nadal go down in flames playing that stupid, defensive style allowing unranked players to take him to the limit! :angel: :dodgy:

Ugh, that is a very bad feeling and very bad teste, has you suffered so much to come to think that way?
I don't care if your fav loses or wins (he also has lost against un ranked players) but reading such a #%## comment then you know about...what goes around comes around, yep!

 

[Billie]

I think he will pull it out. He had been close a few times before at RG, since 2011 (at least
three times, 2011, 2013 and 2014). So, he must have learned the lessons by now on how to
handle it.

At any rate, I too am excited to watch RG this year. I will probably not miss a single match
of any member of big four, but definitely not that of Rafa and then that of Novak and then that
of Fed and then that of Andy (in that order).

Me too. And probably in that order

Wow...you guys are most excited to watch a player you don't like just because you hope to see him lose. That's some serious spite, boys.

Oh come on, there is plenty of spite around here from all sides. As if this was just invented in the last few days.

I would like to see one Nadal fan who doesn't wish for Nole's worst possible failure in Paris. And if it happens, I am sure we'll read about it here.

And considering how the pressure is raising and some stupid predictions and statements that I keep reading from tennis experts and players, I am almost at the point of not reading anything anymore. I don't think there was such hype about a slam event in a long time. It is almost not fair to Nole considering this is not his best surface.

For the first time in my following him I am actually glad that he went to Milan yesterday to open his food label and participated in a charity soccer match in Monaco tonight therefore occupying his mind with anything but tennis. I usually don't like it when he engages in these things so close to a major, but this time it might be an exception.