US Open, Flushing Meadows, NY USA - Grand Slam (Men)

[Fiero425]

No, he's won the USO playing aggressively, so he's challenged himself to winning it by playing as passively as possible. He has to pose some challenge, given that almost all the best are missing or upset.

Who you tellin'? Nadal plays a LL in the next round; Leonardo Mayer! WHO? In the 3rd round of a major? This is disgusting! Thankfully I have other things to watch!

 

[Moxie]

I'm hoping he was only doing what he thought he had to v. Daniel, but steps it up here now. He won't win the USO by playing this lazy down the road.

 

[rafanoy1992]

The thing about this match is that Nadal is actually hitting the ball well and hitting it deep down the baseline. He is also serving well too.

The main problem is that he is being passive on one of his better shots (return of serve). And when he gets passive on the return of serve, then he gets passive everywhere eg...serve, forehand and backhand.

For now, he is fine because his opponents can not hurt him too much on the ground but once he gets a player that can get hot AND he starts playing badly then watch out...

 

[Moxie]

Hate to agree but it seems to be the case. If Grigor couldn't make a run here it's never happening. Given the state of Fed and everyone else missing I feel like what should've been a QF with Rafa may have almost felt like a final especially if Cilic doesn't make it from the bottom half.

Again, I didn't get to watch any tennis all day, so I didn't see why Dimitrov lost in straights. And Rublev is a comer. Who saw the match? But one does lose any faith in Dimitrov. Everyone thought he had a shot at Rafa.

 

[Moxie]

The thing about this match is that Nadal is actually hitting the ball well and hitting it deep down the baseline. He is also serving well too.

The main problem is that he is being passive on one of his better shots (return of serve). And when he gets passive on the return of serve, then he gets passive everywhere eg...serve, forehand and backhand.

For now, he is fine because his opponents can not hurt him too much on the ground but once he gets a player that can get hot AND he starts playing badly then watch out...

Yes...he's making himself work too hard.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Rafa used to stand far back while returning big servers. But, now it is slowly becoming a habit. He stands far back even for ordinary servers.
Anyway, he has the match in control now and he won't let it go.

I think this is the weirdest GS I have seen (considering men's part only).

 

[Moxie]

Rafa used to stand far back while returning big servers. But, now it is slowly becoming a habit. He stands far back even for ordinary servers.
Anyway, he has the match in control now and he won't let it go.

I think this is the weirdest GS I have seen (considering men's part only).

Actually, it was where he started, stand back, and count on his ground game. Some of the middle part of his career, he decided to get more aggressive on ROS, so this isn't a recent habit, but a return to comfortable. This is where he started.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

NKIB, Shapo playing his first GS gets placed in Ashe again. This means the chances that he will lose in 3rd round has come down considerably. The kid loves limelight and he is not going to go down in a big stadium.

 

[Moxie]

Seems that Daniel's legs are gone.

 

[Carol]

The same reason you haven't seen Roger coming forward more when that's one way to get himself going. He's trying to hit himself out of trouble. Frankly Roger's looked like he's trying to get some reps in to get the timing down on his shots. Same with Nadal - just keep pounding away and eventually he'll get the timing right.

I understand they can't play well and win every time, I understand that they can be surprised by an opponent who has the best day of his life, I understand if they play a very competitive and tied match then someone has to win or to lose but what I CAN'T undertand to start a match playing so passive, the return in "Buffalo" and being so erratic and much less being enough rested and playing with a kid who doesn't have even a good record in HC

 

[Carol]

I'm not sure the kid is so tired because he continues running like crazy

 

[Fiero425]

Seems that Daniel's legs are gone.

He played yesterday which gives Nadal that little bit of an advantage since he played on time under the roof 2 days ago like Federer! This reminds me of a circumstance 30 years ago where a lower ranked player's match didn't end until after midnight, but they had him on the court against Connors at noon! I would have told those people to KMA and demand a better reason than a need to catch up with matches! The guy went down meekly 2, 2 & 2! This is why the US Open is on the bottom of my list of majors! It's been a joke as long as I can remember!

 

[Moxie]

Ok, not stunning, but not bad.

 

[Carol]

Nah Rafa, if you want a chance to reach the finals you will have to lift that game starting to your return position!

 

[rafanoy1992]

We will see on how Nadal will start his next match. Hopefully, he does not start as passive as these last two matches.

 

[Carol]

LOL the was funny, did you see when Rafa hit the ball to that group and one of the guys trying to reach the ball felt down?

 

[GameSetAndMath]

It is interesting to take a look at the odds just before the tourney started (but after andy dropped out).

Here it is again.


1. Roger 15/8
2. Rafa 7/2
3. Sasha 11/2
4. Grigor / Cilic 18
6. Nick 22
7. Thiem 33
8. JMDP 40
9. Tsonga 60
10. Isner 66
11. Berdych 80
12. Ferrer / Uncle Sam 100

Of the 14 players who were deemed to have a 1% or better chance to win it all, six have gone home (Sasha, Grigor, Nick, Tsonga, Bird and Ferrer). Morevoer, the other eight who are left are hardly impressing anybody with their play either. I will post the revised odds tomorrow morning to give the market some time to digest the happenings so far.

 

[kskate2]

USO Order of Play for Third Round Friday, September 1, 2017

 

[the AntiPusher]

LOL the was funny, did you see when Rafa hit the ball to that group and one of the guys trying to reach the ball felt down?

Rafa was very close to accomplishing the challenge by Tom Rinali

 

[isabelle]

Mr Vavrinec plays with fire.....no good for his old back