Wimbledon Day 1: Monday, June 24 - Order of Play

[tenisplayrla08]

Your words would make more sense if you were rooting for Darcis and Nadal was leading right now.

Not following you. How would it make more sense if Nadal was leading right now? What has rooting for Darcis have to do with that?

Ah, yeah, that was a little vague. To clarify: usually the underdog is coming from the mindset of "I'm playing well. I'm not too far behind, he's only won 12 points more." Though here Nadal is the favorite, so saying that "it's not like Darcis is showing him around" is a little ironic, because typically a comment like that would come from the underdog side. Then again, I think Nadal likes being the underdog. He thrives on that mindset.

Hmm still not following sorry. I was trying to make an assessment of whether Nadal would get upset based on the first two sets. The first two sets were very close, so if it goes on like this Nadal could very well win.

That's what I mean: when things are close the underdog is the one who would usually find a positive in only trailing by a total of 12 points. Thus, I don't think it necessarily indicates that Nadal, the favorite, might come back.

On a different, and more important, note: Why does grass give Nadal more problems than hard courts? He was fine at Indian Wells and clay but here we go again on grass with his knees. I don't understand it.

I'm following you lindseywagners. Your first post of this conversation that is. I don't agree that grass gives Nadal more problems. He's only played one hard court tournament. But, still, he has played on it more in his career. But, even still, he's won 2 grass slams, both here at Wimbledon of course, and only one hard court slam, despite the fact that he's quite good on hard courts and has won plenty hard court tournaments. I don't think he's struggling with the transition is my point. He's moving fine. He's just playing poorly. The grass is not the problem. And by poorly, I mean, poorly for Nadal. He's not awful. Darcis is great, for Darcis. But he's not phenomenal. It's just weird.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

bp wafa ,,un- vamos rafa cant move properly

 

[kskate2]

Saved

 

[El Dude]

I'll probably be accused of being fatalistic, but I think what we're see is the first layer of Rafa's decline. Most great players drop a half-step at around age 27, which Rafa just turned a month ago. That's 2008 for Federer, 1998 for Sampras, etc. What I mean by "layer" is that he remains strong most of the time and at what he does best - clay court play - but he's showing cracks in other venues, namely grass, and is less consistent. Again, think about Federer from 2008 on; he might have only lost a fraction of a step, but he wasn't the same player he was from 2004-07 (plus Nadal was in his prime).

This match is far from over, though. One thing I realized while watching it is how the tennis scoring system is made for comebacks. I mean, if it were just a point total like other sports, it would be virtually impossible for Nadal to come back as Darcis wouldn't even have to out-play him to win. But the tennis scoring system, with points, games, and sets, allows for comebacks.

 

[kskate2]

GP for Darcis

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

wafa needs the operation he should have had last year

 

[Denis]

Definetely something wrong with Nadal.

 

[kskate2]

5-3. one game away

 

[Denis]

Darcis is going to serve for the match. Or he could break Rafa.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

Definetely something wrong with Nadal.

wafa movement is getting worse as we go on..i seen almost every point:nono

 

[El Dude]

Yeah, did you see his leg shake there?

So if he loses are we going to see another 7-month pout? JK!

 

[Denis]

???

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

cant believe this

 

[kskate2]

No MTO's in this match?

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

nadal is sh@gged up for sure uzzled

 

[kskate2]

5-4. Darcis to serve for it

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

no mto..

rafa got the knee strapping on..either he can run or he cant....

that's it.

 

[Denis]

Serving for the match.

 

[kskate2]

Maybe he's not really hurt. He could just be flat because he didn't have any grass court prep.

 

[tenisplayrla08]

We'll have a changeover. And then Steve Darcis. Let me repeat that. STEVE. DARCIS. Will serve for the match, over Rafa Nadal. In. The first round. Of Wimbledon. :0