Wimbledon Day 7: Monday, July 1 - Order of Play

[herios]

Verdasco made it, congrats to you herios!

I am really happy. He played a very good match, broken once but broke back right again. He faced a much less experienced version of Karlovic.
This is so shocking to see him in a QF at Wimbledon after the season he's had.
Darren Cahill who used to work with him, said that Fernando considered to skip initially Wimbledon as he felt he needed to go back to clay to rebuild his ranking post Wimbledon and he just came here after he felt he played well and got into a good rhytm in Eastbourne. Great decision as he already moves up significantly following this run.

 

[Denis]

I remember Krajicek considered skipping Wimbledon 1996 for the same reason. Showing up didn't turn out too bad in the end either.

 

[tented]

Verdasco made it, congrats to you herios!

I am really happy. He played a very good match, broken once but broke back right again. He faced a much less experienced version of Karlovic.
This is so shocking to see him in a QF at Wimbledon after the season he's had.
Darren Cahill who used to work with him, said that Fernando considered to skip initially Wimbledon as he felt he needed to go back to clay to rebuild his ranking post Wimbledon and he just came here after he felt he played well and got into a good rhytm in Eastbourne. Great decision as he already moves up significantly following this run.

And didn't someone (Brad Gilbert?) say Verdasco just switched to a new Babolat racquet? I could be confusing this with someone else.

 

[Andrew William]

Is it just mental with Verdy? I mean, at times throughout his career he's looked on the verge of something really special. That marathon match with Nadal at AO, that run at Monte Carlo, amongst other achievements. His serve has pop, strong forehand with some variation, and he's athletic. Glad he is gaining confidence.

 

[El Dude]

Verdasco's up to #35 after winning today. I personally doubt he can get back to the top 10, but I've always enjoyed his game.

 

[Johnsteinbeck]

I agree with the gist of this but don't be surprised if Andy and Novak start losing a step as soon as next year when they'll be turning 27, a very common age for players to lose half a step (see "Federer, Roger" and seemingly "Nadal, Rafael").

I'm not saying that Ferrer would be the new player to beat, mind you, just that at some point there's going to be a crack in the "Hegemony" and we'll likely look back on it as a Slam won by someone else. While obviously Djokovic and Murray are the clear favorites, perhaps this tournament isn't done with surprises yet. But while I could see Ferrer beating Andy, if and only if Andy had a head-case match, I just can't see him beating Djokovic under almost any circumstances. So yeah, it would require some upsets.

This reads as though you're reaching to cover yourself (imo). Ferrer is not going to beat Murray on grass unless Andy falls and breaks his leg. The crack in the hegemony as you call it obviously is that Roger is slowing down and is not his dependable self in the slams the way he used to be. Murray and Djokovic will have to lose more than a step for the other guys to have a chance.

i think if there were to be a crack in the hegemony on the Djokorray side, it won't be "losing a step"-related for the next two years. there are, however, other ways not to make semis and finals, and we've seen that with Murray very recently. Novak has been blessed in that regard when it counted the most (not just "lucky" of course, as he put in the hard work to stay fit when it matters). still, a two-way stranglehold is less likely to hold up fitness and health-wise than a four-way. and right now, it's two plus a question mark (Rafa), plus a downward pointing arrow (RF).

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Is it just mental with Verdy? I mean, at times throughout his career he's looked on the verge of something really special. That marathon match with Nadal at AO, that run at Monte Carlo, amongst other achievements. His serve has pop, strong forehand with some variation, and he's athletic. Glad he is gaining confidence.

yeah, i think Fernando is a great example of how much of the game is mental. when he's got his act together, he's clearly top 10 stuff... just much too volatile.

 

[Andrew William]

Murray and Djokovic will have to lose more than a step for the other guys to have a chance.

This.

 

[herios]

Verdasco made it, congrats to you herios!

I am really happy. He played a very good match, broken once but broke back right again. He faced a much less experienced version of Karlovic.
This is so shocking to see him in a QF at Wimbledon after the season he's had.
Darren Cahill who used to work with him, said that Fernando considered to skip initially Wimbledon as he felt he needed to go back to clay to rebuild his ranking post Wimbledon and he just came here after he felt he played well and got into a good rhytm in Eastbourne. Great decision as he already moves up significantly following this run.

And didn't someone (Brad Gilbert?) say Verdasco just switched to a new Babolat racquet? I could be confusing this with someone else.

No, you are correct. Cahill also said that he switched ato a new racket but wasn't that recent and he started struggling after that. Cahill said him not to, and he stubbornly stuck with it. I do not have the info when this happened, perhaps his bad results in the last few months could be attributed to that.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

del potro wins set two... 7-6 (1)...seppi is still pushing like a male wozniaki, :nono

change channel and murray lost his serve ??????????????????????????.

 

[herios]

OK, Misha, now take out Muzza and you'll have a crack to my man Verdy:laydownlaughing

 

[DarthFed]

4 straight games for the mad doctor. Wow!

Hopefully DP has enough left in the tank to knock the Ferret out

 

[herios]

4 straight games for the mad doctor. Wow!

Hopefully DP has enough left in the tank to knock the Ferret out

Amusing how many of you rooting against David.
If JM takes him out, I won't get upset, because he is one of my core guys.
I am rooting for David only as a contrarian when I am seeing so much adversity.

 

[Andrew William]

Youzhny is really raising his game. Let's see if Andy can sneak back into this second set.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Some of the balls Murray get to just amaze me...

 

[Denis]

4 straight games for the mad doctor. Wow!

Hopefully DP has enough left in the tank to knock the Ferret out

Amusing how many of you rooting against David.
If JM takes him out, I won't get upset, because he is one of my core guys.
I am rooting for David only as a contrarian when I am seeing so much adversity.

Well actually it is only me and Darth that don't root for Ferrer. Everyone else here likes him. uzzled

 

[Andrew William]

This is tremendous tennis from both sides. What a bh from Murray to even up things!

 

[Denis]

del potro wins set two... 7-6 (1)...seppi is still pushing like a male wozniaki, :nono

change channel and murray lost his serve ??????????????????????????.

Murray's playing rope-a-dope to extend the match so Nole v. Haas has to play into twilight. Cagey fellow.

True though, I prefer no roof against Haas. Then again they are making the court more compatible to Novak's style.

 

[Andrew William]

what a shot from Murray.

 

[El Dude]

herios, I like David Ferrer. But he IS beatable and it is hard seeing him beat any of the "Big Four" in a Final, except for perhaps Andy Murray and a declined Federer. But he's clearly the "best of the rest" and, one could argue, now the 4th best player in the world, at least if and when Roger starts playing better. But I would love to see Ferrer win a Slam - what a great thing for tennis and, I think, would mark the end of the FedalDjokurray Hegemony.

That will not happen. Ferrer will be in a wheelchair the day Murray and Djokovic start losing a step. He is 5 years older. He will have to depend on upsets to win one. A lot of upsets. Granted if that happens, he is likely to win it.

I agree with the gist of this but don't be surprised if Andy and Novak start losing a step as soon as next year when they'll be turning 27, a very common age for players to lose half a step (see "Federer, Roger" and seemingly "Nadal, Rafael").

I'm not saying that Ferrer would be the new player to beat, mind you, just that at some point there's going to be a crack in the "Hegemony" and we'll likely look back on it as a Slam won by someone else. While obviously Djokovic and Murray are the clear favorites, perhaps this tournament isn't done with surprises yet. But while I could see Ferrer beating Andy, if and only if Andy had a head-case match, I just can't see him beating Djokovic under almost any circumstances. So yeah, it would require some upsets.

This reads as though you're reaching to cover yourself (imo). Ferrer is not going to beat Murray on grass unless Andy falls and breaks his leg. The crack in the hegemony as you call it obviously is that Roger is slowing down and is not his dependable self in the slams the way he used to be. Murray and Djokovic will have to lose more than a step for the other guys to have a chance.

I just love being accused of disingenuity! What you perceive as me "reaching to cover myself" is just me being open to possibilities and not having a hard opinion either way.

I don't think the hegemony is being cracked, except as you say because Roger (and perhaps Rafa) is showing obvious signs of decline.

My point is simply that at some point Novak and Andy are going to lose a half-step. It happens to all players, and most around age 27. I've been suggesting that we'll see that next year from them, but that their dominance won't really start being challenged until 2015 or so. But if Ferrer--or anyone--was able to win Wimbledon, to me it might be the tournament that we look back as the early signs of the hegemony breaking up - Roger and Rafa out in the first two rounds and someone else winning it all.

 

[Andrew William]

I hope Murray is alright.

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pristine dropper

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and just like that Murray goes up 2 sets to love.