Upset Corner - AO 2017 Edition

[GameSetAndMath]

When Rafa plays Milos, I will be ardently rooting for the referee.

 

[rahulpawar]

I think it was a high quality match and Nadal played quite well. He was being little tentative to attack during the first 3 sets, but he definitely was attacking a lot more in the last 2 sets.

Hope, he plays more freely in the next matches ( eg. He was very defensive during the tiebreak today ).

 

[the AntiPusher]

I'm having serious doubts about Zverev now. His fitness is poor, his game unimaginative. He's tall, athletic, and has power, but I don't see that "it" factor that all greats have. I think he'll win Slams, but at this point I don't quite see a future great. He needs something to differentiate himself. All the greats have their own "X-factor" and I don't see it with him.

As for Rafa, I didn't really feel it until now but I'm ready to see him fade away. I don't enjoy watching him play tennis.

Rafa plays the type of tennis most of us weekend warriors try to play..it may not be appeasing to the eye but it gladiator like...

 

[rahulpawar]

I'm having serious doubts about Zverev now. His fitness is poor, his game unimaginative. He's tall, athletic, and has power, but I don't see that "it" factor that all greats have. I think he'll win Slams, but at this point I don't quite see a future great. He needs something to differentiate himself. All the greats have their own "X-factor" and I don't see it with him.

As for Rafa, I didn't really feel it until now but I'm ready to see him fade away. I don't enjoy watching him play tennis.

Rafa plays the type of tennis most of us weekend warriors try to play..it may not be appeasing to the eye but it gladiator like...

Yes, its a matter of taste. And when he is hitting down the line forehands freely, his game becomes a treat to watch.

 

[kskate2]

When Rafa plays Milos, I will be ardently rooting for the referee.

Hold your horse on that. The French pusher just broke and captures 3rd set

 

[the AntiPusher]

I'm having serious doubts about Zverev now. His fitness is poor, his game unimaginative. He's tall, athletic, and has power, but I don't see that "it" factor that all greats have. I think he'll win Slams, but at this point I don't quite see a future great. He needs something to differentiate himself. All the greats have their own "X-factor" and I don't see it with him.

As for Rafa, I didn't really feel it until now but I'm ready to see him fade away. I don't enjoy watching him play tennis.

Are you kidding me, about you have doubt about Zverev future..because of his fitness..are you serious..dude he is only 19...he was facing a former man-child who ran the kid "Johnson " into the sand harden grit court..it takes time ..

Eg Novak had the worst fitness on tour..the reason that they have the non medical timeout for cramps is because of what Novak pulled against Monfils..he took about 3 medical timeouts that accumulated to over 40 plus mins because Novak was allowed to wait til the tournament medical doctors to arrive from the outer courts.. it changed their careers..Gael became the ATP clown and Djoker got so called gluten fit..

AZ is the real deal give him time..he showed pure True Grit today..:clap

 

[the AntiPusher]

When Rafa plays Milos, I will be ardently rooting for the referee.

Hold your horse on that. The French pusher just broke and captures 3rd set

Don't be surprised if he pushes this til a 5 set

 

[the AntiPusher]

I'm having serious doubts about Zverev now. His fitness is poor, his game unimaginative. He's tall, athletic, and has power, but I don't see that "it" factor that all greats have. I think he'll win Slams, but at this point I don't quite see a future great. He needs something to differentiate himself. All the greats have their own "X-factor" and I don't see it with him.

As for Rafa, I didn't really feel it until now but I'm ready to see him fade away. I don't enjoy watching him play tennis.

Rafa plays the type of tennis most of us weekend warriors try to play..it may not be appeasing to the eye but it gladiator like...

Yes, its a matter of taste. And when he is hitting down the line forehands freely, his game becomes a treat to watch.

Understood :clap

 

[the AntiPusher]

My guess is he doesn't win another game and will go down 6-2 in the 5th set. What a disappointment.

Same. He's been poor but so has Nadal to allow a guy playing poor to take him to 5 sets. The match has been around 4 hours long now.

I thought you were going to be sleeping..I knew there was some weird witch doctor that was casting evil :devil spells over the Spanish Bull

 

[the AntiPusher]

I'm no Rafa fan, but ya'll leave that dude alone. At least he didn't get outgunned like the defending champ. Zverev isn't fit enough to compete in best of 5 matches yet. Hopefully he'll get there soon, but you have give credit where it's due, Nadal survived a barrage of bombs being thrown at him.

I don't understand why Rafa isn't your cup of tea but I think I can figure what the common denominator may be the Swiss King

 

[the AntiPusher]

My guess is he doesn't win another game and will go down 6-2 in the 5th set. What a disappointment.

Same. He's been poor but so has Nadal to allow a guy playing poor to take him to 5 sets. The match has been around 4 hours long now.

Four hours too long..why punish and torture yourself.,you should go do some charity or community service work.,maybe when Rafa plays, you should go to the local senior citizen complex and be their new announcer for bingo or whatever game you senior Brits prefer..

 

[atttomole]

I'm not loving what I'm seeing of Zverev right now (fourth set, just got broken in the second game). He's got a big game: great serve (when it is in) with an immense angle - he jumps like Sampras, nice second serve even, and some good power and angles. But he doesn't seem to have a lot of variety or finesse, and I'm worried about his mental game. He showed fight and tenacity in that third set, but he also seems to lack that extra something you need to win in big situations. Who knows, maybe it is just a matter of age, but a lot of what I see now is similar to what I saw when he lost to Rafa last year. He should be developing beyond that. What I'm worried is that he could very go down the Berdych/Tsonga path: Slam talent, but not Slam mentality.

And man do I dislike watching Rafa play. I know he isn't just defense, but from a purely spectator perspective--and someone who enjoys variety and finesse--his game is so tedious. He plays the percentages, waits for his opponent to error. I know he is extremely effective but there's just no art to his game. Ugh.

I always thought you generally like Rafa and you speak positively about him,
even though you are a Fed fan, but I am shocked you could say this about Rafa.

 

[the AntiPusher]

I'm not loving what I'm seeing of Zverev right now (fourth set, just got broken in the second game). He's got a big game: great serve (when it is in) with an immense angle - he jumps like Sampras, nice second serve even, and some good power and angles. But he doesn't seem to have a lot of variety or finesse, and I'm worried about his mental game. He showed fight and tenacity in that third set, but he also seems to lack that extra something you need to win in big situations. Who knows, maybe it is just a matter of age, but a lot of what I see now is similar to what I saw when he lost to Rafa last year. He should be developing beyond that. What I'm worried is that he could very go down the Berdych/Tsonga path: Slam talent, but not Slam mentality.

And man do I dislike watching Rafa play. I know he isn't just defense, but from a purely spectator perspective--and someone who enjoys variety and finesse--his game is so tedious. He plays the percentages, waits for his opponent to error. I know he is extremely effective but there's just no art to his game. Ugh.

I always thought you generally like Rafa and you speak positively about him,
even though you are a Fed fan, but I am shocked you could say this about Rafa.

El Dude consistently backhand slaps Rafa and his fans like their his bald headed stepchildren..he doesn't give a damn if Rafa ever wins again, IMO

 

[kskate2]

I'm no Rafa fan, but ya'll leave that dude alone. At least he didn't get outgunned like the defending champ. Zverev isn't fit enough to compete in best of 5 matches yet. Hopefully he'll get there soon, but you have give credit where it's due, Nadal survived a barrage of bombs being thrown at him.

I don't understand why Rafa isn't your cup of tea but I think I can figure what the common denominator may be the Swiss King

He's a little too defensive for my cup of tea. The Swiss King is a-ight. My fave player retired many moons ago. I've had to endure all kinds of eras waiting to see the next best thing.

 

[atttomole]

I'm not loving what I'm seeing of Zverev right now (fourth set, just got broken in the second game). He's got a big game: great serve (when it is in) with an immense angle - he jumps like Sampras, nice second serve even, and some good power and angles. But he doesn't seem to have a lot of variety or finesse, and I'm worried about his mental game. He showed fight and tenacity in that third set, but he also seems to lack that extra something you need to win in big situations. Who knows, maybe it is just a matter of age, but a lot of what I see now is similar to what I saw when he lost to Rafa last year. He should be developing beyond that. What I'm worried is that he could very go down the Berdych/Tsonga path: Slam talent, but not Slam mentality.

And man do I dislike watching Rafa play. I know he isn't just defense, but from a purely spectator perspective--and someone who enjoys variety and finesse--his game is so tedious. He plays the percentages, waits for his opponent to error. I know he is extremely effective but there's just no art to his game. Ugh.

I always thought you generally like Rafa and you speak positively about him,
even though you are a Fed fan, but I am shocked you could say this about Rafa.

El Dude consistently backhand slaps Rafa and his fans like their his bald headed stepchildren..he doesn't give a damn if Rafa ever wins again, IMO

But I think he is one of the Fed fans who says a lot of positive things about Rafa. I even remember him posting that he wants Rafa to win another French Open.

 

[atttomole]

I am Fed fan myself and was rooting for Zverev.

 

[Front242]

My guess is he doesn't win another game and will go down 6-2 in the 5th set. What a disappointment.

Same. He's been poor but so has Nadal to allow a guy playing poor to take him to 5 sets. The match has been around 4 hours long now.

I thought you were going to be sleeping..I knew there was some weird witch doctor that was casting evil :devil spells over the Spanish Bull

I tried to sleep but couldn't 'cos my wife got up early to go shopping and her mum is over so they were babbling downstairs and I couldn't sleep. Had to get up to mind the little dude then while they went shopping. He flew around the kitchen for 20 minutes in his walker and then pooped Actually I'd compare the quality of the match to his poop Watched the last few games and then went back to bed for an hour when he got sleepy.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Same. He's been poor but so has Nadal to allow a guy playing poor to take him to 5 sets. The match has been around 4 hours long now.

I thought you were going to be sleeping..I knew there was some weird witch doctor that was casting evil :devil spells over the Spanish Bull

I tried to sleep but couldn't 'cos my wife got up early to go shopping and her mum is over so they were babbling downstairs and I couldn't sleep. Had to get up to mind the little dude then while they went shopping. He flew around the kitchen for 20 minutes in his walker and then pooped Actually I'd compare the quality of the match to his poop Watched the last few games and then went back to bed for an hour when he got sleepy.

:laydownlaughing

 

[the AntiPusher]

I always thought you generally like Rafa and you speak positively about him,
even though you are a Fed fan, but I am shocked you could say this about Rafa.

El Dude consistently backhand slaps Rafa and his fans like their his bald headed stepchildren..he doesn't give a damn if Rafa ever wins again, IMO

But I think he is one of the Fed fans who says a lot of positive things about Rafa. I even remember him posting that he wants Rafa to win another French Open.

This is true El Dude is alright

 

[Front242]

I don't mind watching Nadal when he's playing well and belting the trademark banana forehands down the line but there was none of that in this match. Pretty poor viewing on both sides. They can both play much, much better. Still, a win is a win, so his fans and he himself can be happy with that. If Zverev improves his fitness and irons out the sloppy serving and high unforced errors, he'll be a force to be reckoned with. For now, personally, I only see him as a threat to beat the top guys in best of 3 events though. Still, early days yet and he has the whole year and indeed 10-15 years ahead of him.