Why 2018 is going to be a blood-bath (maybe)

[Moxie]

Pardon me, Moxie, but you're being downright silly about Roger's "stamina" at the AO last year. That match was 3 1/2 hours with quick sets (other than the 5th set) and only 1 rally that went more than 25 shots. And they do rest every odd numbered game so it's not like they played constantly for 180 minutes without any breaks.

Roger clearly said that for the first time in 15 years he had more than 2 weeks to prepare for the AO and was able to spend 2 months doing nothing but working on his fitness, working on his backhand and playing practice sets. Two months of doing nothing but working out 5-6 hours a day? He damned well better have good stamina or else Pierre Paganini is overpaid. If you'll note, the 2nd half of the season wasn't as successful as the first half in part because he didn't have 2 months to do nothing but fitness and practice. Even said about the Nishikori 5-setter that he was surprised he was able to hang physically with Kei because stamina was one of the things he was worried about after not playing for 6 months.

Nadal was off for 4 months at the end of 2016, too, and I don't see you questioning why Rafa was able to play 3 1/2 hours against Roger, 5 hours against Dimitrov, and 4 hours against Sascha Zverev. Nadal ha been accused of using steroids far more often than Roger ever has and yet he commented on how much harder it was to play this many long matches at 31 than it was at 25. But...he's still doing it, so does that mean he must be getting some illegal assistance?

The whole finger-pointing-at-the-player-you-don't-like thing is silly. I don't think either one of them are stupid enough to be doing PEDs. There's too much endorsement money at stake - not to be mention their legacies. No top athlete who's the face of their sport with a whit of integrity wants to be the next Lance Armstrong.

@Busted: You, like Front, have really missed my point, which was simply to point out Front's double-standard. I'm not accusing Roger of anything. I'm accusing Front of selectively choosing whom to accuse based on circumstantial evidence. If Roger were not his favorite, but rather a rival of his favorite, and still with the same set of circumstances, Front would be yelling "dope" from the rooftops.

 

[mrzz]

@Moxie and @Busted:

I recognize a consistent argument when I see one. I also quickly checked and there are in fact nuances -- what does not have much nuances is Celiac disease. In that case all is pretty radical, and by chance I am familiar with the processes of producing food completely gluten free -- thing is so radical that you quickly understand how serious it is. But there is indeed, for example, non-celiac wheat sensitivity. Thank you both for the valuable info.

Regarding Djokovic, I would still put the diet behind other aspects. He was already a major winner in 2008. I mean, he surely already had very professional around him. For me it is just unthinkable that only in 2010 -- more than three years after the guy entered the top 10 and more than two after he won his first major -- that someone thought "oh, let's check his food allergies/intolerances". Sorry, there is surely a minimum level of professionalism involved and I simply don't buy some things.

I am not saying the diet is useless. I am saying if it was to be so crucial someone would have figured it out before. I still find much more credible that a set of reasons are behind his raise in level, and the first one is even more focus on training. But there are surely other ones.

pretty soon your trying to live on air and water.

That explains much of your rants....

 

[Moxie]

@Moxie and @Busted:

I recognize a consistent argument when I see one. I also quickly checked and there are in fact nuances -- what does not have much nuances is Celiac disease. In that case all is pretty radical, and by chance I am familiar with the processes of producing food completely gluten free -- thing is so radical that you quickly understand how serious it is. But there is indeed, for example, non-celiac wheat sensitivity. Thank you both for the valuable info.

Regarding Djokovic, I would still put the diet behind other aspects. He was already a major winner in 2008. I mean, he surely already had very professional around him. For me it is just unthinkable that only in 2010 -- more than three years after the guy entered the top 10 and more than two after he won his first major -- that someone thought "oh, let's check his food allergies/intolerances". Sorry, there is surely a minimum level of professionalism involved and I simply don't buy some things.

I am not saying the diet is useless. I am saying if it was to be so crucial someone would have figured it out before. I still find much more credible that a set of reasons are behind his raise in level, and the first one is even more focus on training. But there are surely other ones.



That explains much of your rants....

I think you have too much faith in conventional medicine, even for a top athlete. Gluten sensitivity is a fairly recent thing, in terms of it being understood, and doctors aren't nutritionists, though, arguably, they should be. In any case, I do think that several things came together to take Djokovic to another level. One may have been commitment to training, though there is no reason to think he wasn't training hard before. Another is confidence, and I think that contributed hugely. When he beat Roger in the SF of the USO in '10, he got over a hump. He has spoken of that. That was a big win for him. And later that year, he won DC for Serbia. (I'll just mention my theory of the Davis Cup bump here.) So he was brimming with confidence when he got to the AO '11. Many have noted that he's an emotional player, and confidence helps his low-margin game. But I do think that getting his health sorted was a factor. He's had far fewer retirements since identifying a wheat-sensitivity.

 

[Busted]

A sign that Nick Kyrgios is removing his head from his anal cavity to prevent further Tomicitis...or just a momentary attempt at growing up? You be the judge -

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/kyrgios-brisbane-feature-december-2017

Less Basketball & More Tennis For Kyrgios In 2018

There has never been a question about Nick Kyrgios’ talent. But now the Australian is more determined than ever to make the most of it and continue his rise up the ATP World Tour. He will debut in the main draw of the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp, which will take place from 31 December through 7 January.

“I’m training much harder in the gym, so hopefully my body gets stronger and I can go deeper into tournaments on a more consistent basis,” Kyrgios said. “I’m taking much better care of my body now, and I feel like I’m giving myself the best possible chance of winning tennis matches. My hip isn’t troubling me and I’m being more disciplined with my rehab, so hopefully the hard work starts to pay off.”

The right-hander was hampered by a hip injury toward the end of the 2017 season, losing in the first round of three of his final four tournaments before ultimately cutting his campaign short after the European Open in Antwerp. The three-time ATP World Tour champion has been open about spending time on the basketball court for fun despite having some niggles.

“Playing lots of basketball wasn’t great for my body, people have told me that and I’m now starting to listen,” Kyrgios said. “So I’m feeling fit, healthy and as motivated as I have for a while. I feel much more ready to go and play good tennis than I did this time last year. I’ve also improved my diet, all the things you need to do to be at your best.”

Kyrgios got a practice session in on Wednesday at Queensland Tennis Centre, the home of the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp. He last appeared in Brisbane five years ago, losing in the first round of qualifying against compatriot James Duckworth.

The 22-year-old is plenty familiar with the facility ahead of his first main draw appearance at the tournament.

“I’ve also trained here in the off-season in the past, so I feel very comfortable out here,” Kyrgios said. “It’s a great tournament with a very strong field again this year, so I’m very excited. It’s great preparation for the Australian Open, but I’m not thinking about the A.O. or any other tournament at the minute. I’m just focused on getting my year off to a good start here in Brisbane.”

Other players competing in the event include Rafael Nadal, the No. 1 player in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Andy Murray and Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov, who won in Brisbane last season.

Kyrgios's most recent appearance was at a charity exhibition against Juan Martin del Potro on 15 December in Argentina. The Australian donated $100,000 of his appearance fee straight to his NK Foundation, which strives to both increase access to and provide sport to underprivileged & disadvantaged youth.

ATP ACES For Charity: Nick Kyrgios

While Kyrgios has not set any goals or completed his full schedule for 2018 just yet, he is excited about doing two things in particular.

“My main goals are just to stay healthy and play as much tennis as I can,” Kyrgios said.

 

[Busted]

I was listening to an in-depth story on gluten intolerance v. faddish avoidance of gluten. Very informative. Doctors seem to agree that there are two kinds of problems. One is Celiac's disease, which is a big problem, though not always as violent as you claim, but gluten for these people is dangerous. Another, also valid, is a vaguer and not well-understood (in terms of origin) gluten intolerance. For these people, eliminating gluten from the diet can make them feel better, have more energy, even relieve long-term depressions. I have a friend in this category and the change it made for her was remarkable. (Also interesting: for those of us who have no problems, it's actually harmful for us to avoid it completely.) As to Djokovic, he was always a very talented player, but we all know that he had random health issues/breathing problems that perhaps held him back. I find it completely plausible that he found the source of his problems and they were relieved by diet.

One of the things I've learned recently from the allergist - with all the various trees and grasses that I'm allergic to - and people never really think about this is the whole taxonomy of plant families and how trees (and grasses) are related to each other. You learn that kind of stuff in high school science then promptly forget about it unless you go into a science-related field. My allergist was telling me that an allergy to certain grasses could explain why some people have gluten intolerances or can't eat the meat from grass-fed animals depending on what grasses the animals were fed. I never even considered this stuff when I went for a consultation. I was just sick of taking allergy drugs and constantly having sinus infections. If you do the extended allergy blood panel you can find out your allergies to non-major foods, ie proteins, additives and preservatives. For instance - dairy allergies? Are you allergic to natural elements in dairy or just intolerant? Is it the whey and casein - which are natural proteins found in all mammalian milk? Or are you merely unable to tolerate the lactose - sugar - in the milk? The latter is not an allergy; the former is. For some people it can both. So if you're allergic to whey or casein means you shouldn't eat anything that adds those things to increase the protein value. Then you end up having to read all packaged foods to check the ingredients before you buy them. Or, if you're a multi-millionaire like Djokovic you hire people to make sure what you're eating fits strict dietary guidelines for your allergies/intolerances. And if you can afford to do that and are disciplined enough to stick to it? Then, sure, why can't you transform your body and your stamina in 3 months?

 

[Busted]

@Busted: You, like Front, have really missed my point, which was simply to point out Front's double-standard. I'm not accusing Roger of anything. I'm accusing Front of selectively choosing whom to accuse based on circumstantial evidence. If Roger were not his favorite, but rather a rival of his favorite, and still with the same set of circumstances, Front would be yelling "dope" from the rooftops.

If your point was to simply to address Front's alleged double-standard, then yeah, I completely missed that. All the PED finger pointing just seems silly to me. There are plenty of athletes who have done extraordinary things in their sports for long periods of time without using PEDs. To assume that someone is using PEDs because you don't understand how they're able to accomplish these feats is more a statement about how jaded we've all become because of some bad apples.. I'm not naive and have followed sports - not just tennis - for a long, long time. I know that the reality is that every sport has\had cheating at the top levels, but tennis, like golf, has been lucky to have players who've put the integrity of the sport ahead of personal gain or padding their bank accounts. Being able to play for 6 hours isn't what wins you the match - it's talent and luck. The loser is also playing for 6 hours - and unless it's Nadal - nobody is focused on how they were able to play for 6 hours, too.

 

[Busted]

@Moxie and @Busted:

That explains much of your rants....

:lulz2: Not really...I'm just perpetually cranky...and old enough to remember the good old days when players went out and played the damned game.and fans didn't nitpick everything to death on forums, blogs and social media. This can be fun...but then some people take it way too seriously and get OTT with crazy conspiracy theories and unfounded PED accusations. One day I expect to come here and find someone accusing Federer, Djokovic or Nadal of faking the moon landing or assassinating JFK. Never mind the fact that none of them were even alive when those events occurred...

 

[El Dude]

@Busted, I maintain that of the NextGen, Kyrgios is the most dangerous right now - more so than Zverev. In fact, as good as Zverev is--and I have no doubt he'll have a more successful career--I just don't see his peak form being as good as Kyrgios, at least from what we've seen so far.

Watch, for instance, the Laver Cup final vs. Federer. There was a sense that the match was Kyrgios's to lose, but Roger's experience and stronger mentality won through in the end.

 

[Busted]

I think you have too much faith in conventional medicine, even for a top athlete. Gluten sensitivity is a fairly recent thing, in terms of it being understood, and doctors aren't nutritionists, though, arguably, they should be. In any case, I do think that several things came together to take Djokovic to another level. One may have been commitment to training, though there is no reason to think he wasn't training hard before. Another is confidence, and I think that contributed hugely. When he beat Roger in the SF of the USO in '10, he got over a hump. He has spoken of that. That was a big win for him. And later that year, he won DC for Serbia. (I'll just mention my theory of the Davis Cup bump here.) So he was brimming with confidence when he got to the AO '11. Many have noted that he's an emotional player, and confidence helps his low-margin game. But I do think that getting his health sorted was a factor. He's had far fewer retirements since identifying a wheat-sensitivity.

I think maturity, growing up and committing to the sport on a different level - and being open enough to listen to the doctor who told him that he had a gluten intolerance - all helped Djokovic take it to another level mentally and physically. Lots fo people would have dismissed the doctor as a quack and not been open enough to give the dietary changes a chance. I think we can all agree that nobody ever questioned Djokovic's talent - just his head and his heart. I think the same was true of Roger. Watch old Federer pre-Wimbledon 2003 matches from ESPN, NBC, CBS, USA Network - and lots of times you'll hear the commentators talking about how talented he is, but when is he going to turn the corner. Djokovic won the AO in 2008 but then no more Slams for another 3 years. People were saying about him in 2009 and 2010 - Is this guy ever going to win another Slam? And now I think people say the same about Kyrgios as well. The talent is there but will the guy ever get it all together and win Slams?

 

[Busted]

@Busted, I maintain that of the NextGen, Kyrgios is the most dangerous right now - more so than Zverev. In fact, as good as Zverev is--and I have no doubt he'll have a more successful career--I just don't see his peak form being as good as Kyrgios, at least from what we've seen so far.

Watch, for instance, the Laver Cup final vs. Federer. There was a sense that the match was Kyrgios's to lose, but Roger's experience and stronger mentality won through in the end.

I concur that Kyrgios is more dangerous - and talented - than Zverev. He just has never had the same drive and ambition - tennis-night-and-day upbringing - as Zverev.

Re: the Laver Cup match? I never felt like that was Kyrgios' match to lose. It felt like it was Roger's match to lose (since he has more experience those kinds of matches) and Kyrgios' match to win. It always feels to me like Kyrgios goes into those matches with Roger, Nadal and Djokovic with a chip on his shoulder and trying to prove he's as good as they are. Which is great if it gets him to compete harder, but what's the point when the next match is Dimitrov or Murray and he can't be arsed to give his best? Hence the need to suck it up for the whole tournament and not just the odd show court match against one of the Big 3.