US Open Day 4: Thursday, August 29 - Order of Play

[Moxie]

Monfils is hilarious, shaming the guy in the 2nd row who was using flash. He's very relaxed, and John is looking like he's having physical issues.

 

[atttomole]

What a point from Isner and Monfils!! Would love to see that one again on the highlights show.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Aw, you gotta get up for Monfils, man!

Sure, but highest ranked American player is playing in his home tournament...and the crowd is cheering when he misses a first serve?:huh:

He shouldn't get a pass with the crowd just because he's a US player. We know Monfils is charismatic. John shouldn't expect it; he's trying to earn it, and that's so much the better.

Maybe I am missing something here, but in all my years of watching US Open, I have never seen anything like this...nowhere even near. Isner is not a 20 year old kid. He is 28, he has earned some respect already. All the commentators are saying the same thing, that they have never seen anything like this...

Maybe I am overreacting...:s

 

[Moxie]

I think you are overreacting. The USO crowd doesn't tend to be especially nationalistic, (unlike the French, for example.) It tends to appreciate a showman, like Monfils, and a good show, like this match. What a fun match!

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

TB it is...

 

[Moxie]

that was a fantastic drop shot from La Monf.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Well done big guy. Nice match.

 

[Moxie]

Absolutely. I think Isner is playing his best tennis of late. Just glad to see Monfils in the hunt.

 

[brokenshoelace]

I think too many people are ignoring Isner as a potential roadblock for Nadal. You never want to play this guy, on any surface, ever, because the match is literally decided by a couple of tie-break points, or one bad service game. If Nadal misses a first serve at 30-30, and Isner rips out a hail marry return, suddenly he's got break-point, and that is essentially the set (if he converts). Or take the same scenario at 4-4 in the tie-break. Likewise, you have to stay unbelievably focused on his serve (you really have to fight boredom) in order to pounce when he misses a couple of first serves and try to play yourself into that service game.

Nadal didn't get a single break point in their Cincinnati match, which is pretty telling. Personally, I am not looking forward to this match as a Nadal fan. Now obviously, Nadal should win, and will likely do so, but I could think of easier fourth round matches (try every other potential 4th round opponent that the top players have in this draw).

Now the surface is interesting, because on one hand it makes Isner all the more difficult to break, but on the other hand, I think it's going to be un uphill battle for him to get in Nadal's service games if Rafa is serving well. At the French Open, when Isner took it to five sets, the clay actually gave him time to line up his shots, take huge swings at the ball, and fire off that forehand of his (while his game bores me, he knows how to use it to good effect). So in that regard, I think he'll struggle more from the baseline than he did against Nadal on clay, curiously enough.

 

[Moxie]

^ I don't think it's so much ignoring it as much as, 'what is there to say?', though you've managed it. I think John is playing some of his best tennis this summer. The challenge is obvious...all too obvious. The only thing to do is play John. Nadal has ever, and has most recently, handled him. I think he will, again.

However, Isner could prevail, and would likely get Roger. I do think that whomever gets out of this quarter will likely be the finalist from this half, and the opportunity is not lost on either Nadal, Isner or Federer, I'm sure.

 

[Denis]

I agree that Nadal might find the toughest 4th round opponent in Isner of the major players. It will likely be his only real hurdle on the road to the final IMO, but it's not a particularly large one either considering Nadal's form.

Hoping Djokovic gets his act together and is able to get there too, otherwise it is goodbye to the No 1 ranking very soon, he might not even keep it before the year ends.

 

[Riotbeard]

Aw, you gotta get up for Monfils, man!

Sure, but highest ranked American player is playing in his home tournament...and the crowd is cheering when he misses a first serve?:huh:

He shouldn't get a pass with the crowd just because he's a US player. We know Monfils is charismatic. John shouldn't expect it; he's trying to earn it, and that's so much the better.

Maybe I am missing something here, but in all my years of watching US Open, I have never seen anything like this...nowhere even near. Isner is not a 20 year old kid. He is 28, he has earned some respect already. All the commentators are saying the same thing, that they have never seen anything like this...

Maybe I am overreacting...:s

I don't know. I found it pretty disturbing. It's one thing to show appreciation, and whole other thing to root for the other guy.

 

[the AntiPusher]

I think too many people are ignoring Isner as a potential roadblock for Nadal. You never want to play this guy, on any surface, ever, because the match is literally decided by a couple of tie-break points, or one bad service game. If Nadal misses a first serve at 30-30, and Isner rips out a hail marry return, suddenly he's got break-point, and that is essentially the set (if he converts). Or take the same scenario at 4-4 in the tie-break. Likewise, you have to stay unbelievably focused on his serve (you really have to fight boredom) in order to pounce when he misses a couple of first serves and try to play yourself into that service game.

Nadal didn't get a single break point in their Cincinnati match, which is pretty telling. Personally, I am not looking forward to this match as a Nadal fan. Now obviously, Nadal should win, and will likely do so, but I could think of easier fourth round matches (try every other potential 4th round opponent that the top players have in this draw).

Now the surface is interesting, because on one hand it makes Isner all the more difficult to break, but on the other hand, I think it's going to be un uphill battle for him to get in Nadal's service games if Rafa is serving well. At the French Open, when Isner took it to five sets, the clay actually gave him time to line up his shots, take huge swings at the ball, and fire off that forehand of his (while his game bores me, he knows how to use it to good effect). So in that regard, I think he'll struggle more from the baseline than he did against Nadal on clay, curiously enough.

Good points BS, however my good friend, Isner still have to face Kohlshreiber who took out Isner last year in the round of 32. Here is their H2H

Year Tournament & City Surface Round Winner & Score
2012 US Open
NY, U.S.A. Hard R32 Kohlschreiber, Philipp
6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 Stats
2012 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Canada
Toronto, Ontario Hard R16 Isner, John
6-7(3), 6-4, 6-4 Stats
2012 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome
Italy Clay R64 Isner, John
2-6, 7-6(3), 6-2 Stats
2010 Beijing
China Hard R16 Isner, John
7-6(3), 3-6, 6-3 Stats

 

[kskate2]

I didn't see the match, but USO has been rooting against American's for years. Martina talked about it extensively in one of her older interviews. Monica Seles and even lately Venus has said that in the twilight of their career they're finally seeing overwhelming support from NY crowd.

 

[Moxie]

Aw, you gotta get up for Monfils, man!

Sure, but highest ranked American player is playing in his home tournament...and the crowd is cheering when he misses a first serve?:huh:

He shouldn't get a pass with the crowd just because he's a US player. We know Monfils is charismatic. John shouldn't expect it; he's trying to earn it, and that's so much the better.

Maybe I am missing something here, but in all my years of watching US Open, I have never seen anything like this...nowhere even near. Isner is not a 20 year old kid. He is 28, he has earned some respect already. All the commentators are saying the same thing, that they have never seen anything like this...

Maybe I am overreacting...:s

I don't know. I found it pretty disturbing. It's one thing to show appreciation, and whole other thing to root for the other guy.

I wrote that during the match, and I thought they were showing Gael some love, and looking to see another set. It did carry on, though and was sometimes very loud. And then there was "USA! USA!" I think that crowd might have been drunk. uzzled But it was odd, even though Monfils is an appealing character, that they'd cheer so audibly for him.

 

[Denis]

The thing I like about the US Open is that it is less chauvinist than Wimbledon and RG. Rooting for someone because he or she happened to have arbitrarily been born in the same geographic space makes absolutely no sense. Root for someone you enjoy watching or enjoy listening to in interviews or something related to the actual person, but not because of nationality. The blindness of the Brits is particularly appalling in that respect.

 

[Johnsteinbeck]

Haas is going through quite a rough game vs Lu serving at 2-3 in the second. he looked quite in command, going a set and a break up, but seems to be mightily struggling now, bickering about his equipment and so on. and Lu is getting into a nice rhythm.

quite entertaining match, crowd is packed... they always like Tommy here, don't they?

 

[Emma]

The thing I like about the US Open is that it is less chauvinist than Wimbledon and RG. Rooting for someone because he or she happened to have arbitrarily been born in the same geographic space makes absolutely no sense. Root for someone you enjoy watching or enjoy listening to in interviews or something related to the actual person, but not because of nationality. The blindness of the Brits is particularly appalling in that respect.

I guess you are forgetting all the past American USO champions - the likes of Connors, Sampras, Agassi etc.

 

[Luxilon Borg]

Haas is going through quite a rough game vs Lu serving at 2-3 in the second. he looked quite in command, going a set and a break up, but seems to be mightily struggling now, bickering about his equipment and so on. and Lu is getting into a nice rhythm.

quite entertaining match, crowd is packed... they always like Tommy here, don't they?

They pack it in for Haas because he is supremely talented and a real professional. He is better technically at 35 then at 25.

I know his assistant coach..he is a local guy.

 

[Emma]

Youzhny 5-0 up on Dolgo in the 2nd. Has won the first too. Not sure what's going on with Dolgo. I know he's not that consistent but this set is pretty abysmal for that.