The Rankings Thread (ATP)

[DarthFed]

That and maybe Nole has the belief that getting momentum back after a horrendous summer campaign could benefit him next year. He doesn't need to have good energy to win his DC matches either...

I actually hope he won't get to #1 before Roland Garros. That will teach him not to lose against Rafa already won matches.

Short-sighted thinking. If Nole is #1 before RG that means he almost certainly won AO and then did well in the spring hard courts and clay, ie he would have a lot of momentum. And momentum vs. Rafa and in general is needed to have a legit chance vs. him at RG.

 

[nehmeth]

If Nole is #1 before RG that means he almost certainly won AO and then did well in the spring hard courts and clay, ie he would have a lot of momentum. And momentum vs. Rafa and in general is needed to have a legit chance vs. him at RG.

Well said.

 

[brokenshoelace]

That and maybe Nole has the belief that getting momentum back after a horrendous summer campaign could benefit him next year. He doesn't need to have good energy to win his DC matches either...

I actually hope he won't get to #1 before Roland Garros. That will teach him not to lose against Rafa already won matches.

Already won? As in the umpire said "Game, set and match Djokovic" yet Nadal still won? Damn, that's even more impressive...

The closest that match was to being "already won" was when Nadal served for it in the fourth set.

PS: It's curious you're talking about matches (plural). What other match was Djokovic close to winning? The one that went to a tie-break in Montreal? Novak had THAT already won? When?

 

[Kieran]

What about the Australian Open final in 2012? Already lost?

Mastoor lives in an alternative reality, one where truth is false and his false is real...

 

[Denis]

That and maybe Nole has the belief that getting momentum back after a horrendous summer campaign could benefit him next year. He doesn't need to have good energy to win his DC matches either...

I actually hope he won't get to #1 before Roland Garros. That will teach him not to lose against Rafa already won matches.

they were not already won matches..

if they were then he would not have lost..because he would've already won..but he didn't win because they were not already won but very much still up for grabs.

Agreed. He needed to close them out and failed.

It's nice to see the way he's stepped it up in the last part of the season. Hope he can keep it going and win here too.

On the other point Mastoor made I think I agree. Nadal is probably going to get a ton of points at the AO and Novak has some to defend so I don't think Novak will get the no 1 before RG. Which is not a bad thing in a way, it will keep him extra focussed. Clay season will determine it.

 

[Kieran]

I think if Rafa goes deep in Oz, he won't be threatened at the top until the US Open. He's prohibitive favourite on clay and he can gain at Wimbledon...

 

[Denis]

After Oz Djokovic has not much to defend until Wimbledon comparatively speaking. Rafa won almost every tournament in the spring. Rafa is only 1400 points ahead at the moment.

 

[Kieran]

Most of Rafa's points are on clay, but also, he didn't play Miami.

Gonna be very interested to see if Rafa can finally defend a title off clay next year. Incredibly he's never managed it. He has at least four attempts in 2014.

But that's the future! Today could see him help his year end cause a lot...

 

[Front242]

Most of Rafa's points are on clay, but also, he didn't play Miami.

Gonna be very interested to see if Rafa can finally defend a title off clay next year. Incredibly he's never managed it. He has at least four attempts in 2014.

But that's the future! Today could see him help his year end cause a lot...

Another point to note re GOAThood in the future

 

[brokenshoelace]

Every year, I run across the same problem with the WTF: A big time match happens to be taking place at the same time as the UEFA Champions League. In this case, Federer-Djokovic is going head-to-head with Juventus vs. Real Madrid. I'm afraid Tennis will have to take a backseat for the night.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Most of Rafa's points are on clay, but also, he didn't play Miami.

Gonna be very interested to see if Rafa can finally defend a title off clay next year. Incredibly he's never managed it. He has at least four attempts in 2014.

But that's the future! Today could see him help his year end cause a lot...

Honestly, I always thought the "never defended a title off of clay" to be quite meaningless. So if Nadal wins Miami instead of IW next year, that means he didn't defend his IW title, but won an equally prestigious tournament on the same surface a week or so later. What does that prove, whether positively or negatively?

The whole thing about defending titles is consistency. Since that implies that you're winning year after year. I doubt anyone would accuse Nadal of being inconsistent.

 

[Kieran]

You're right, it's more a curiosity than a big deal. Still, it would be nice to see it happen.

At Flushing Meadows...

 

[Denis]

Well, the facts seem to suggest that he is pretty inconsistent outside clay for his standards. Maybe IW and Miami are somewhat similar, but not being able to defend a title once is an indication of inconsistency for a 13 time GS champion.

Edit: the Fedster defended his US Open and Wimbledon titles 4 times in a row each and defended his AO title once. Ralf only has RG going for him.

 

[Kieran]

Every year, I run across the same problem with the WTF: A big time match happens to be taking place at the same time as the UEFA Champions League. In this case, Federer-Djokovic is going head-to-head with Juventus vs. Real Madrid. I'm afraid Tennis will have to take a backseat for the night.

Watch them both, no?

 

[nehmeth]

Every year, I run across the same problem with the WTF: A big time match happens to be taking place at the same time as the UEFA Champions League. In this case, Federer-Djokovic is going head-to-head with Juventus vs. Real Madrid. I'm afraid Tennis will have to take a backseat for the night.

Watch them both, no?

Or watch one live and DVR the other. Have had to do that on occasion with USA football season in full swing here.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Every year, I run across the same problem with the WTF: A big time match happens to be taking place at the same time as the UEFA Champions League. In this case, Federer-Djokovic is going head-to-head with Juventus vs. Real Madrid. I'm afraid Tennis will have to take a backseat for the night.

Watch them both, no?

Or watch one live and DVR the other.

Yup, exactly.

Juventus are my favorite team and have been since I was a kid, so I'm way too invested in them to flip back-and-forth between their match and Novak-Roger. I'll probably switch to tennis every now and then to check the score, but I won't be "watching" the match per se.

 

[Riotbeard]

Most of Rafa's points are on clay, but also, he didn't play Miami.

Gonna be very interested to see if Rafa can finally defend a title off clay next year. Incredibly he's never managed it. He has at least four attempts in 2014.

But that's the future! Today could see him help his year end cause a lot...

Honestly, I always thought the "never defended a title off of clay" to be quite meaningless. So if Nadal wins Miami instead of IW next year, that means he didn't defend his IW title, but won an equally prestigious tournament on the same surface a week or so later. What does that prove, whether positively or negatively?

The whole thing about defending titles is consistency. Since that implies that you're winning year after year. I doubt anyone would accuse Nadal of being inconsistent.

I didn't know about this. Rafa is not even contending for GOAT now. He's a hack :lolz:

 

[GameSetAndMath]

We have reached a point where #1 Scenario is now very simple (as Nadal
won today against Ferrer).

One more win by Nadal clinches YE #1 for Nadal.

If Nadal does not win one more match, one match loss by Djokovic
either here at WTF or at DC also clinches YE #1 for Nadal.

So, the ONLY SCNEARIO under which Djokovic can become YE#1 is
if Nadal loses all matches for the rest of the year and Djokovic wins all
matches for the rest of the year.

 

[Kieran]

not being able to defend a title once is an indication of inconsistency for a 13 time GS champion.

Winning a major every year for a record nine years is to be quite consistent, I would say...

 

[nehmeth]

We have reached a point where #1 Scenario is now very simple (as Nadal
won today against Ferrer).

One more win by Nadal clinches YE #1 for Nadal.

If Nadal does not win one more match, one match loss by Djokovic
either here at WTF or at DC also clinches YE #1 for Nadal.

So, the ONLY SCNEARIO under which Djokovic can become YE#1 is
if Nadal loses all matches for the rest of the year and Djokovic wins all
matches for the rest of the year.

Congratulations Rafa on year end number 1. :clap