Upset corner: AO 2018 edition

[Moxie]

Well, well...Benneteau fails to serve it out, and Goffin has new life.

 

[Moxie]

And Benneteau pulls it out! Great win for the veteran, and Goffin is done.

 

[herios]

And a break in the 4th. He's going to have a long way to go to make good on his hype, now. Benneteau making the most of it, for a guy who's retiring...(I think?)

Why do you think that?

 

[mrzz]

Why do you think that?

Freudian slip. Secret wish for all players aged 35 or more to retire.

 

[britbox]

I'm sure I read somewhere that this is Bennetau's last AO.

 

[herios]

Freudian slip. Secret wish for all players aged 35 or more to retire.

35+ club is still alive and kicking!

 

[mrzz]

35+ club is still alive and kicking!

30+ club, on the other hand, not that good. Wawrinka down 0-2 and barely moving.

Edit: Wawrinka is moving, but it is strange. Almost not bending the knees to sever. Credit to Tennys Sandgreen for playing great tennis regardless.

 

[10isfan]

Wawrinka wasn’t healed enough to play AO. I hope he recovers fully before staging a comeback.

Surprised to see Goffin going out. The heat could have been a factor?

 

[Moxie]

Why do you think that?

They talked about it during Bercy, because he said that would be his farewell to that tournament, and he'd retire in 2018.

 

[El Dude]

35 And Over Club
2. Federer (36)
36. Lopez (36)
37. Ferrer (35)
43. Lorenzi (36)
56. Benneteau (36)
80. Dr Ivo (38)
83. Estrella Burgos (37)
84. Youzhny (35)
103. Mahut (35)

There's a bunch that will enter it this year - Muller, Kohlschreiber, Verdasco, F Mayer, Garcia Lopez, Hsun Lu.

Anyhow, they're definitely fading away...Roger had Feliciano and Ferrer keeping him company in the top 20, but both seem to be in serious decline.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Deliciano has said he will retire by the end of this year. He is mainly waiting to break Roger's record of consecutive slam appearances.

 

[Fiero425]

Deliciano has said he will retire by the end of this year. He is mainly waiting to break Roger's record of consecutive slam appearances.

Well I guess that's one way to keep your name out there besides being fodder for Nadal most of the time! He has so much ability, but as usual wound up being a classic underachiever! Like Dimitrov, they can win on any surface, but inexplicable lose to players not in their class! He can beat either Fedal, then drop a match to some no name LL or WC! It just makes no sense! Love his aggressive game and can watch him all day long; in more ways than one (Deliciamo indeed)! :whistle: :heart:

 

[Busted]

And Benneteau pulls it out! Great win for the veteran, and Goffin is done.

I just saw the score. This is why I keep saying guys like Dimitrov and Goffin are nothing but top 10 placeholders. More than half of the time they can't win the matches they should. If Dimitrov loses to Rublev today I won't be a bit surprised.

 

[Busted]

30+ club, on the other hand, not that good. Wawrinka down 0-2 and barely moving.

Edit: Wawrinka is moving, but it is strange. Almost not bending the knees to sever. Credit to Tennys Sandgreen for playing great tennis regardless.

I didn't see the match but surprising after the match Stan said it wasn't his knee that was the issue and he was happy with the progress he'd made in the 12 days he was in Oz. He said he was going back to work on his fitness and his game in general. Wonder if he's ever going to hire a new coach? He needs one for his mental game if nothing else.

 

[El Dude]

Feliciano Lopez is basically Fernando Gonzalez Lite.

I just saw the score. This is why I keep saying guys like Dimitrov and Goffin are nothing but top 10 placeholders. More than half of the time they can't win the matches they should. If Dimitrov loses to Rublev today I won't be a bit surprised.

Hmm...maybe. I think Dimitrov is a top 5 placeholder in that if Murray, Djokovic, Wawrinka, and maybe Kei and Milos weren't injured last year (although I think he's better than the latter two), he would have finished somewhere in the #6-8 range. But i don't agree that he's a top 10 placeholder. He is a legit "second tier" talent. He hasn't shown the consistency of a Berdych or Tsonga, but is about as good - at least now. I expect him to float around in the #5-15 range for the next 3-5 years.

Goffin might be more of a placeholder and fits in with "third tier" players like Almagro, Gasquet and Verdasco who have brief visits to the top 10 but don't remain there for more than a year or three. I think Sock will be in this group as well.

 

[Busted]

Deliciano has said he will retire by the end of this year. He is mainly waiting to break Roger's record of consecutive slam appearances.

He'll do that at the FO, but really - is it as impressive a feat when a guy has never even been to the SF of a Slam? He's played 64 straight Slams now and has only made it to the QF 4 times. Sure...it's better than most players, but for a guy to have 19 Slams, 29 finals, blah, blah, blah and to have played in 65 straight? That's a crazy "iron man" stat that will undoubtedly get the PED conspiracists started up again...

 

[Busted]

Well I guess that's one way to keep your name out there besides being fodder for Nadal most of the time! He has so much ability, but as usual wound up being a classic underachiever! Like Dimitrov, they can win on any surface, but inexplicable lose to players not in their class! He can beat either Fedal, then drop a match to some no name LL or WC! It just makes no sense! Love his aggressive game and can watch him all day long; in more ways than one (Deliciamo indeed)! :whistle: :heart:

Uh...Feliciano Lopez has never beaten Roger but your point is still valid. Definitely an underachiever but I think that has something to do with his suspect backhand... And really...he just looks good. He shouldn't have to WIN, too...

 

[El Dude]

Fabrice Santoro has some "impressive" records:

- Most matches lost (444)
- Most Grand Slam matches lost (70)
- Most bagels against (52)
- Most breadsticks against (138)

Feliciano has lost the most Masters matches (126).

Oh, and while we're on such things, Julien Benneteau has played the most ATP finals (10) without any titles.

 

[Moxie]

He'll do that at the FO, but really - is it as impressive a feat when a guy has never even been to the SF of a Slam? He's played 64 straight Slams now and has only made it to the QF 4 times. Sure...it's better than most players, but for a guy to have 19 Slams, 29 finals, blah, blah, blah and to have played in 65 straight? That's a crazy "iron man" stat that will undoubtedly get the PED conspiracists started up again...

Oh, give ol' Feliciano his due. It'll basically be his claim to fame. Well, that and his face. He'll have that over Roger. So what?

 

[mrzz]

35 And Over Club
2. Federer (36)
36. Lopez (36)
37. Ferrer (35)
43. Lorenzi (36)
56. Benneteau (36)
80. Dr Ivo (38)
83. Estrella Burgos (37)
84. Youzhny (35)
103. Mahut (35)

There's a bunch that will enter it this year - Muller, Kohlschreiber, Verdasco, F Mayer, Garcia Lopez, Hsun Lu.

Anyhow, they're definitely fading away...Roger had Feliciano and Ferrer keeping him company in the top 20, but both seem to be in serious decline.

I saw Ferrer playing this year and I won't be surprised to see him again in the top 20 at least. Lopez is no stranger to the #30-#50 range. Lorenzi had his career high just last year. Benneteau had his career high (25) as late as 2014 (so at 33 years old), and just recovered from outside the top 100 to close to #50 (one more win and he'll get there). Estrella Burgos is at #79, but given that his career high is 43 (just in 2015, at 35, after spending his life well outside the top 100). So, ok, fading away, but in a slow and steady way down.