Tokyo Olympics 2021 - 24th July to 1st August 2021

[GameSetAndMath]

Even I feel sorry for Novak (not so much for missing the SOG). He should at least have got a silver medal in MD. He messed up both.

 

[AnonymousFan]

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Hottie #1 defeated Hottie #2! Pablo should just stick to underwear modeling and forget about the tennis! I've never seen him win much!

Agreed, PCB has no chance in the consolation match.

Novak can now start a shop selling Bronze medals.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Zverev,

"I was trying to play nice tennis where I was trying to outlast Novak which you can't really do on a hard court especially when he's playing well.So after that I thought I'm gonna use my power and try to hit the ball as hard as I can and it worked out well".

 

[GameSetAndMath]

We now know that Novak definitely will not get the Gold Medal as Tignor has cursed him.

Thanks Tignor; Keep up the good work.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Novak can be defeated and can loose at the USO

While anything is always possible, I highly doubt Novak can be stopped at USO.

I think the fact that he lost here would only increase his chances at USO, as he will be more determined, not to mention best of 5 favors him.

 

[Fiero425]

While anything is always possible, I highly doubt Novak can be stopped at USO.

I think the fact that he lost here would only increase his chances at USO, as he will be more determined, not to mention best of 5 favors him.

It only makes sense, but the hatah's will gather and come up with all kinds of scenerios to try and defeat this historic moment! If Fedal in this position, it would be all good! With Djokovic, they're wishing illness, injury, and probably "Tonya Harding" knee-capping to stop the man from completing this CYGS!

 

[Moxie]

So Novak will have to play for consolation prizes both in singles and mixed doubles.

I know you were against Novak playing the Olympics, for just this possible outcome. That he expends a lot of physical and emotional energy, and comes up short. Which is exactly why I hoped he would go to Tokyo, as a non-fan. I'm sure that he will try to get a bronze for his partner in mixed, but he clearly was not that interested in another bronze in 2012, so I doubt he's going to put himself out for another bronze here in singles.

It has been pointed out, though, that Steffi Graf had the luxury of already having her CYGS before she had to decide whether or not to play the Olympics. I will give it to Novak that that was a hard choice to make, and it may not pay off for him.

 

[Moxie]

While anything is always possible, I highly doubt Novak can be stopped at USO.

I think the fact that he lost here would only increase his chances at USO, as he will be more determined, not to mention best of 5 favors him.

Come on...he barely had competition at the OG. And he was playing like he was zoning. I'm going to watch the Zverev match, but there is a good chance that what happened to Novak is what happened to Serena in the SF USO 2015...the pressure got to her. If that's the case, he's vulnerable at the USO. 1-6 in the 3rd set? What happened there? I have to say, if Serena in 2015 couldn't make it 2 more matches, given the pressure, I don't see Novak doing it. He's rarely as tough as she is/was at her best. Could happen, but I think the competition will be tougher at the USO. And the weather will still be brutal.

 

[Moxie]

So, who do you like for the gold medal? Germany or Russia? I'm not especially a fan of Khachanov, so I'll vote Zverev.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Come on...he barely had competition at the OG. And he was playing like he was zoning. I'm going to watch the Zverev match, but there is a good chance that what happened to Novak is what happened to Serena in the SF USO 2015...the pressure got to her. If that's the case, he's vulnerable at the USO. 1-6 in the 3rd set? What happened there? I have to say, if Serena in 2015 couldn't make it 2 more matches, given the pressure, I don't see Novak doing it. He's rarely as tough as she is/was at her best. Could happen, but I think the competition will be tougher at the USO. And the weather will still be brutal.

Novak won the first set and was a break up in the 2nd and went totally downhill losing eight games in a row. It is more of Sasha winning rather than Novak losing due to pressure (at least that is what I think). I have not seen the full match though.

Novak got broken four times in a row; two of them were at the beginning of the 3rd set, leading to an intermediate score of 0-4 in 3rd.

Very definitely, all of us would agree that pressure got to Serena and she lost a winnable match against an opponent no one thought is capable of beating her. But, I still am not so sure that Novak is weaker than Serena mentally. You have to realize that Serena almost never had a competition (so to speak) whereas Novak had to grow up in Fedal era. It is easy for him to fold early saying Fedal was so great and I was born in the wrong time and he did not.

 

[the AntiPusher]

While anything is always possible, I highly doubt Novak can be stopped at USO.

I think the fact that he lost here would only increase his chances at USO, as he will be more determined, not to mention best of 5 favors him.

Come on GSM..the odds for him to win the Gold medal is a helluva lot higher than winning the USO and capturing the grand slam

 

[Fiero425]

Novak won the first set and was a break up in the 2nd and went totally downhill losing eight games in a row. It is more of Sasha winning rather than Novak losing due to pressure (at least that is what I think). I have not seen the full match though.

Novak got broken four times in a row; two of them were at the beginning of the 3rd set, leading to an intermediate score of 0-4 in 3rd.

Very definitely, all of us would agree that pressure got to Serena and she lost a winnable match against an opponent no one thought is capable of beating her. But, I still am not so sure that Novak is weaker than Serena mentally. You have to realize that Serena almost never had a competition (so to speak) whereas Novak had to grow up in Fedal era. It is easy for him to fold early saying Fedal was so great and I was born in the wrong time and he did not.

Djokovic's forehand went wayward and was out of control! It was flying on him in the match late and continued in the doubles! Maybe nerves, but if I had to point at a particular part of his game, I'd say it was the FH, then the serve late getting impatient doing crazy SnV tactics! He needed BO5 to straighten it out!

 

[Moxie]

Novak won the first set and was a break up in the 2nd and went totally downhill losing eight games in a row. It is more of Sasha winning rather than Novak losing due to pressure (at least that is what I think). I have not seen the full match though.

Novak got broken four times in a row; two of them were at the beginning of the 3rd set, leading to an intermediate score of 0-4 in 3rd.

Very definitely, all of us would agree that pressure got to Serena and she lost a winnable match against an opponent no one thought is capable of beating her. But, I still am not so sure that Novak is weaker than Serena mentally. You have to realize that Serena almost never had a competition (so to speak) whereas Novak had to grow up in Fedal era. It is easy for him to fold early saying Fedal was so great and I was born in the wrong time and he did not.

I have only seen highlights so far, too, so it's hard to tell, but it did seem like Novak kind of folded, given what we know about Zverev.

I think you are comparing apples to oranges in terms of mentally tough Serena v. mentally tough Novak. Serena, pre-baby, was one of the toughest competitors in the game, men's or women's. In 2015, and 2 matches away from the real GS, Serena buckled. I do not think that Novak has been generally as strong, mentally, as Serena. You want to say that, over the course of his career, since he has challenged Fedal, he's been tough. But that's where I say false comparison. It's not a fair comparison to make it for Novak about across his career, and for Serena about a specific moment. Djokovic has actually wilted under certain types of direct pressure. Which has been less true of Serena, until post-baby, and also chasing the elusive 25th Major.

Novak fell apart basically for 2 years after finally completely the career slam/Nole slam. He couldn't pull off the win v. Wawrinka in 2015, after he managed to beat Nadal at RG. He was pretty much utter crap at the end of last year, after a spectacular start. When he's on, and confident, he does seem unbeatable, but when he's off, please don't tell me he's as tough as Serena, for most of her career.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Djokovic's forehand went wayward and was out of control! It was flying on him in the match late and continued in the doubles! Maybe nerves, but if I had to point at a particular part of his game, I'd say it was the FH, then the serve late getting impatient doing crazy SnV tactics! He needed BO5 to straighten it out!

I thought Sasha played as aggressively as he could. Kept the ball deep and his serves were coming out of a trees.. hopefully he will play like this at the USO if he faces Novak again.

 

[the AntiPusher]

I don't know why Sasha had to tell Novak he is the greatest of all time..that's like a guy sleeping with Halle Berry and said you're the best ever because their caught up in the moment.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I have only seen highlights so far, too, so it's hard to tell, but it did seem like Novak kind of folded, given what we know about Zverev.

I think you are comparing apples to oranges in terms of mentally tough Serena v. mentally tough Novak. Serena, pre-baby, was one of the toughest competitors in the game, men's or women's. In 2015, and 2 matches away from the real GS, Serena buckled. I do not think that Novak has been generally as strong, mentally, as Serena. You want to say that, over the course of his career, since he has challenged Fedal, he's been tough. But that's where I say false comparison. It's not a fair comparison to make it for Novak about across his career, and for Serena about a specific moment. Djokovic has actually wilted under certain types of direct pressure. Which has been less true of Serena, until post-baby, and also chasing the elusive 25th Major.

Novak fell apart basically for 2 years after finally completely the career slam/Nole slam. He couldn't pull off the win v. Wawrinka in 2015, after he managed to beat Nadal at RG. He was pretty much utter crap at the end of last year, after a spectacular start. When he's on, and confident, he does seem unbeatable, but when he's off, please don't tell me he's as tough as Serena, for most of her career.

There was no direct pressure on Novak during those two years. He just was not there for two years starting from 2016RG. It is not because of his inability to withstand pressure.

Novak losing to Stan in 2015 is mostly a case of Stan winning the match by hitting winners left and right. Yesterday's win of Sasha is almost similar (see Sasha's own statement in the presser). Novak losing to Stan in 2015 or to Sasha today is in no way comparable to Serena losing to Vinci. Vinci is primarily a doubles player and stood no chance of winning against Serena in anybody's radar. Yet she won, it clearly shows that it is because of Serena's inability to cope with pressure. On the other hand even before Olympics started, everybody knew that Sasha, Tits and Med are all capable of beating Novak in best of 3 format matches.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Come on GSM..the odds for him to win the Gold medal is a helluva lot higher than winning the USO and capturing the grand slam

No, I don't think so. Even before the Olympics started, I stated in this very thread that he is vulnerable in best of three format to players like Sasha, Tits and Med. Moreover, that is the general thinking as well, not just my thinking alone.

 

[Fiero425]

I don't know why Sasha had to tell Novak he is the greatest of all time..that's like a guy sleeping with Halle Berry and said you're the best ever because their caught up in the moment.

You caught that? It's been happening to Fedal for years! Now that Djokovic has come up so fast, winning Majors in bunches, it only makes sense the NG see him as the GOAT over the old guys!

 

[Andy22]

Don't know how Djokovic can be clear Goat now Always losing in the biggest stage in tennis Olympics. And it's been on his Favourite surface too 3 out of 4 times 2008, 2016 2021 OMG that's embarrassing for Djokovic. Nadal still holds on to Co-Goat with Djokovic for now.