The Tennis Thread

[Guest]

Wikipedia can't answer that question.

[bukie]

During Federer's prime years, his main age-comparative competition was Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt and Nikolay Davydenko.

 

Right now, Nadal's main age-comparative competition is Novak Djokovic, Robin Soderling, Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin Del Potro.

 

I'd say it's pretty comparable.

[Guest]

During Federer's prime years, his main age-comparative competition was Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt and Nikolay Davydenko.

 

Right now, Nadal's main age-comparative competition is Novak Djokovic, Robin Soderling, Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin Del Potro.

 

I'd say it's pretty comparable.

 

I think Nadal's competition is significantly tougher. Federer is still good, Djokovic has won a major and been to a couple finals, Del Potro is either 20 or 21 and has won a major and Andy Murray's been to a couple finals. Hewitt in 03-06 can't touch either Djokovic or Del Potro and is comparable to Murray while Davydenko never even made a major final.

 

Even Roddick has been a mediocre player (relative to Murray/Del Potro/Djokovic) outside of Wimbledon. He won the US Open once and made the final another time but that's about it. He's made 10 major semifinals, five of which were finals, by age 28 while Djokovic already has nine major semifinals, with three finals at age 23. He's also a virtual lock at this point to make the quarters in all four majors while Roddick frequently lays an early round egg (05US, 06Aus, 06Wim, 08Aus, 08Wim, 09US, 10Wim, 10US).

[Vanilla Ice]

Definitely think Nadal's competition is harder through age 24. Don't think it is too particularly close. I think Nadal has a very good chance at breaking the record, if his knees don't give out. That is a pretty big if, though.

[shnsajax]

Nadal is 24 and has 9 grand slams. Federer through age 24 had 5 grand slams(and won 3 in both his age 25 and 26 years).

 

The next two years will determine if Nadal has any chance. The peak age in Men's Tennis has dropped a lot over the past decade, and Nadal's past injury problems will weigh on him if they continue. Its not realistic for him to win 6 majors over a two year period, but he is half way there and thats a huge reason for why Federer is where he is.

[TruffleShuffle]

are tennis players required to sign something before a major that if they win, they will fall down on the ground in feigned amazement and exhaustion? wow roger federer is on the ground amazed that he won his 90th major of his career.

[jersey cubs fan]

are tennis players required to sign something before a major that if they win, they will fall down on the ground in feigned amazement and exhaustion? wow roger federer is on the ground amazed that he won his 90th major of his career.

 

It's hard work and exhausting to keep your composure when you are on the verge of a major victory. Aside from the energy lost just playing the game, I'm sure it's a very natural reaction to just have your body more or less give out when you go from staying calm cool and collected to champion.

[Magnetic Curses]

no one in this country cares about nadal, they want to see an american, and i don't blame them. i'd imagine tennis does much better when americans succeed.

 

I'm more interested in Nadal than Federer. I even switched over to the match last night during the last set to catch him winning the title. That's a big deal for me, but in fairness the Jets/Ravens game was pretty lackluster.

 

I do want to see an American though.

 

agreed, nadal is more watchable. and i'm glad finally someone other than federer is on top.

 

i just want to watch tennis and care about it again.

[jersey cubs fan]

no one in this country cares about nadal, they want to see an american, and i don't blame them. i'd imagine tennis does much better when americans succeed.

 

I'm more interested in Nadal than Federer. I even switched over to the match last night during the last set to catch him winning the title. That's a big deal for me, but in fairness the Jets/Ravens game was pretty lackluster.

 

I do want to see an American though.

 

agreed, nadal is more watchable. and i'm glad finally someone other than federer is on top.

 

i just want to watch tennis and care about it again.

 

There's only about three weeks a year I've ever watched tennis and cared about it, and it sure as heck isn't going to be once football has started up.

[Magnetic Curses]

i didn't say i wanted to watch it during football season and i've never watched it outside of grand slam season with the occasional davis cup match.

[jersey cubs fan]

i didn't say i wanted to watch it during football season and i've never watched it outside of grand slam season with the occasional davis cup match.

 

I have no interest in the Australian (when is that January?), and have only ever cared about Wimbledon and some of the French. There's too much other stuff going on to care about the US open, and there's nothing worse than bandwagon NYC tennis fans who suddenly become experts and obsessed with it for 2 weeks.

[shnsajax]

So Pete Sampras had almost all of his tennis trophies stolen from storage. Luckily he still has 13 of his 14 majors he said, but that would really suck. I don't get having them in storage to begin with. Hopefully he will get them recovered.

[Wilson A2000]

So Pete Sampras had almost all of his tennis trophies stolen from storage. Luckily he still has 13 of his 14 majors he said, but that would really suck. I don't get having them in storage to begin with. Hopefully he will get them recovered.

 

I just read that too. Why steal that? Is there a black market for Samprass's tophies? Someone just stole Nadal's $525,000 watch he had been playing with too.

[Guest]

So John Isner needs extra games in a fifth set in a major. Where have I heard this before?

 

I'm going to take the under on 138 total games this time, though. That Wimbledon match was also his last 5-setter.

 

Also, the winner gets to be waxed by Nadal in 90 minutes in the next round.

[bukie]

So John Isner needs extra games in a fifth set in a major. Where have I heard this before?

 

I'm going to take the under on 138 total games this time, though. That Wimbledon match was also his last 5-setter.

 

Also, the winner gets to be waxed by Nadal in 90 minutes in the next round.

He had it in the fourth set, but blew it in the tiebreak with two DFs.

[Guest]

Djokovic-Federer set for one semifinal with the potential of Murray-Nadal for the other.

[Guest]

Nadal's first service game against Ferrer lasted 22 points and nearly 17 minutes.

[Guest]

One year ago today, on Australia Day, Rafael Nadal lost to Andy Murray in the Australian Open, retiring in the middle of the third set. It was his last loss in a major.

 

He's now down two sets to Ferrer and might retire in this match also.

 

EDIT: No retirement but still a three-set loss.

[shnsajax]

So much for the Rafaslam.

[wvcbxl]

FYI Justine Henin officially retired today due to lingering injuries (exactly one year after attempting her comeback)

 

With her typical "Ardennais" character, that musty have been a difficult call, but the right one to make, imho.

[Guest]

Nice choke job by Federer in the second set. Up 5-2, though only one break, and Djokovic wins five straight to take the set.

 

We're one set win by Djokovic away from only the third final without either Nadal or Federer since the start of the 2005 season. Interestingly enough, the other two were also in the Aussie, in 2005 and 2008, when Federer lost to the eventual champion in the semis (Safin and Djokovic) both times.

 

EDIT: Federer goes down in three and it's the first time since 2003 that he hasn't held at least one of the four majors.

[javy knows my name]

I can't believe I'm watching a Grand Slam final without either Federer or Nadal

[Guest]

Murray sucked last night, though credit to Djokovic because he actually played pretty well.

 

Murray's got to pick it up or else he's going to turn into the next Andy Roddick - a guy who can make quarters and semis with some regularity with the occasional final mixed in. But Djokovic is a head above Murray right now and Federer, even with his struggles, is No. 3 at the moment.

[shnsajax]

Austin is going to be hosting the Davis Cup vs. Spain July 8th-10th. I would love to go to this but I will hopefully be out of the country at this time. This is also the weekend after Wimbledon so Rafa could very easily not be playing which would be great for the US.

[Guest]

Djokovic just beat Nadal 7-5, 6-4 in the final of the Madrid Masters for his first win over Nadal on clay. He's now 32-0 on the year which is the second-best start to a year since 1980. I'd love to see Djokovic-Nadal in the French Open final.