French Open 2012

[Butcher32]

That backhand has to be one of the most vulnerable target in the history of top players in tennis. I am amazed that no one took advantage of it other than Rafa and Novak.

 

[bullish23]

No wonder Fed thought out loud he hoped to be playing tsonga. He showed total disrepect to novak with his comments after the quarters and copped a spanking today.

 

[Dipper]

.. Plus you almost always know Nadal will win the men's so no surprise factor there.

I think Djokovic would probably have beaten Nadal if he'd made the final last year, and whilst I think Nadal will win tomorrow there's still that sneaky feeling that Djok has still got his number, clearly he's not at the same level as last year and Nadal seems to be a bit better but losing 3 out of the last 4 GF finals to the same bloke must carry over some mental baggage.

Nadal can be a slow starter and if he loses the 1st set you never know, if it's shitty cold damp weather I'd have thought that would be to his disadvantage also.

Certainly not seeing it as a foregone conclusion this year.

 

[Caesar]

This thread is not edition #9583 of why Butcher32 thinks Federer is a crap player. Start a new thread if that's what you want to talk about.

 

[Butcher32]

OK did that boss

 

[Mint Condition]

That's the worst Federer has played at a slam for quite a few years I think. No shot was working for him. Djokovic had some good moments but also some really average ones, and he'll have to lift a considerable amount to have any hope against Nadal. Still, he gets his chance at 4 in a row now. This tournament really needs a decent final.

its amazing how bombarding on his backhand wing is giving novak good results..memo to the rest of the blokes on tour (specially hewitt and roddick), thats how you to beat federer.

Genius! Oh man, it seems so obvious now you've pointed it out. You should write to all the players on the tour immediately to share with them this secret unbeatable tactic. If only every player that's ever played Federer ever hadn't thought of trying that before!! Imagine if Djokovic had thought of it last year, he might have won the CYGS already and be going for 6 in a row on Sunday! Oh well, still gotta give him his dues, especially considering he's been able to exploit it now when Federer is better than he's ever been.

 

[Butcher32]

That's the worst Federer has played at a slam for quite a few years I think. No shot was working for him. Djokovic had some good moments but also some really average ones, and he'll have to lift a considerable amount to have any hope against Nadal. Still, he gets his chance at 4 in a row now. This tournament really needs a decent final.



Genius! Oh man, it seems so obvious now you've pointed it out. You should write to all the players on the tour immediately to share with them this secret unbeatable tactic. If only every player that's ever played Federer ever hadn't thought of trying that before!! Imagine if Djokovic had thought of it last year, he might have won the CYGS already and be going for 6 in a row on Sunday! Oh well, still gotta give him his dues, especially considering he's been able to exploit it now when Federer is better than he's ever been.

yeah worst he has played for a long time for sure.
the only person who ever did it reaped the benefits, no one is able to do it consistently so far.Good on Novak.Earlier in his career he went to his forehand and got burnt.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Just have a feeling Djokovic will will the title now,Nadal would have been hoping to play Federer as he would thrash him. Nole is a horrid matchup for Djokovic. Classic final, Djokovic in 5.

 

[Flameboy]

Nah I think Rafa will get him this time. Came agonisingly close in Melbourne and went on to beat him at Monte Carlo and Rome. He has the form and at the FO is nigh unbeatable.

Nadal in 3. 6-4 7-5 6-2.

 

[red+black]

Its because she feels the pressure when shes expected to win, thats why she lost in the first round at the Aus Open after winning the US Open. Against Serena, no one gave her a chance so she had no pressure and just went for it and blasted winners non stop.
Stosurs a mental midget unfortunately.

I call BS on no one giving Sam a chance at the US and that's why she won. But you are right that she is a mental midget, [her mental issues are] an embarrassment to her profession amongst many other women that probably should have chosen an alternative career. I have no idea how someone gets this far into their career and never overcomes such mental fragility. I can accept that sports men and women can go through a stage of the yips, mental weakness, doubt, whatever, but to always have it and never conquer it? As Martina says below, you have to win the matches you're supposed to win, and far too often, she doesn't. She should have won a French then made the final here and lost to Sharapova. That would be acceptable. One day her opponent is saying she plays like a man, a couple days later she's playing like a little girl. She needs to harden the firetruck up.
http://www.theage.com.au/sport/tenn...-stosurs-french-surrender-20120609-202bk.html

EDIT NOTES: needed to add bit in []'s cos my intention was not clear first time round

 

[hirdy_is_champ]

I call BS on no one giving Sam a chance at the US and that's why she won. But you are right that she is a mental midget, an embarrassment to her profession amongst many other women that probably should have chosen an alternative career. I have no idea how someone gets this far into their career and never overcomes such mental fragility. I can accept that sports men and women can go through a stage of the yips, mental weakness, doubt, whatever, but to always have it and never conquer it? As Martina says below, you have to win the matches you're supposed to win, and far too often, she doesn't. She should have won a French then made the final here and lost to Sharapova. That would be acceptable. One day her opponent is saying she plays like a man, a couple days later she's playing like a little girl. She needs to harden the firetruck up.
http://www.theage.com.au/sport/tenn...-stosurs-french-surrender-20120609-202bk.html

I agree with your overall sentiment, but an embarassment to her profession and chosen an alternate career? I think her GS title and rather ridiculous bank account say otherwise. I think you can put part of it down to her personality, by all accounts she's a bit shy and introverted, i.e. when she gets all the this attention she probably freaks out. Seriously the way she behaved in that Errani match, she was so agro (by her standards at least) that she effectively let Errani know she was shitting herself. Honeslty, that's what I found to be quite weird. The most annoying thing about it is, she definitely would've pushed Sharapova in the final. Italy would be loling at her.

Anyway, I wasn't expecting Novak to beat Roger so easily seeing how he's sort of struggled through his matches, but I guess Rog has struggled just as much. I wish Jo was in the final

 

[matt_897]

I call BS on no one giving Sam a chance at the US and that's why she won. But you are right that she is a mental midget, an embarrassment to her profession amongst many other women that probably should have chosen an alternative career. I have no idea how someone gets this far into their career and never overcomes such mental fragility. I can accept that sports men and women can go through a stage of the yips, mental weakness, doubt, whatever, but to always have it and never conquer it? As Martina says below, you have to win the matches you're supposed to win, and far too often, she doesn't. She should have won a French then made the final here and lost to Sharapova. That would be acceptable. One day her opponent is saying she plays like a man, a couple days later she's playing like a little girl. She needs to harden the firetruck up.
http://www.theage.com.au/sport/tenn...-stosurs-french-surrender-20120609-202bk.html

While I agree that the loss on Thursday night was unacceptable and she will have to harden up to overcome this, it will go down as her worst loss of her career arguably but that post is downright offensive. Embrassment to her profession? First off, go win a grand slam title yourself before you make statements like that, it happened only 9 freakin' months ago, she played some great tennis to win the title, to only prove that she has overcome her "mental weakness" before to do what only a handful people have done in this profession as well. An embrassment to her profession, that post is an embrassment to this thread.

 

[hirdy_is_champ]

This is slightly off topic, but I've just been browsing through MTF, and they have a photo Mr Djokovic tweeted of himself watching a soccer match. However there is a laptop near by where it looks like he is accessing MTF. Surely he would not be so silly? Although some silly women's player Kudryatseva or someone actually posted on twitter that she vistied some "forums" and pretty much posted that all the people were idiots or something. Surely players should know better not to access these cess pits...

 

[Caesar]

Djokovic is probably Clay Death.

 

[Rabbit of Caerbannog]

Anyway, I wasn't expecting Novak to beat Roger so easily seeing how he's sort of struggled through his matches, but I guess Rog has struggled just as much. I wish Jo was in the final

The match was a little closer than the score suggests. Federer threw away a break in the first set and a double break in the second incredibly. Djokovic was too consistent from the back of the court, but I think 3 sets to 1 would've been a more appropriate margin.

 

[Selective Retention]

4-0 start to the women's final. Sharapova shredding Errani.

Stosur

 

[CHBench]

Cadantu
Morita
Shuai
Zakopolova
Kanepi
Kvitova
Errani

Breeziest cakewalk to a GS title ever?
Pova had stiffer resistance at the Italian Open FFS.

 

[pepsi]

Cadantu
Morita
Shuai
Zakopolova
Kanepi
Kvitova
Errani

Breeziest cakewalk to a GS title ever?
Pova had stiffer resistance at the Italian Open FFS.

You can't help your draw and who your next opponent is. Stosur had a similarly easy run to the semis and she could not make the final. Plus the French Open often throws up some upsets and surprises. Sharapova has been the most consistent player at slams over the last year, so deserved another GS title.

 

[hirdy_is_champ]

Unbelievable ridiculous joke. I am not watching, and am going to pretend this never happened. You know what's also ridiculous, Casey Dellacqua took a set of Errani in round 1. Sam drowning sorrows right now probably. Biggest bloody free hit for a GS ever, just because everyone else falls over. French also cannot stand Sharapova, they boo her for no reason, they'll be annoyed.

 

[Flameboy]

Farce of a tournament but well done Maria

4 GS Titles now. I reckon she'd want at least a couple more than that by the end of her career.

 

[CHBench]

I agree, it's not Sharapova's fault, she still had to close the deal which she's done emphatically, but jesus, that is a tasty slice of tennis fortune.

She lost a lot of confidence after her shoulder went bust, but i think this will break the dam wall for her, many more slams to come for Maria.

Im definitely not a fan, but good on her.

 

[pepsi]

Can't disagree with anything you said CHBench. Still can't stand the noise she makes and whenever I watch her matches it is on mute, as it was tonight.

On a side note, how different does Monica Seles look these days?

 

[matt_897]

I would say that I would pick her for Wimbledon but of course, it's so unpredicctable. Say what you want about the draw but she has beeen the best player all clay season so it's a good result for tennis.

 

[bombermick]

Errani has to be one of the easiest grand slam opponents ever. What a missed opporunity for Sam ... again.

 

[CHBench]

Can't disagree with anything you said CHBench. Still can't stand the noise she makes and whenever I watch her matches it is on mute, as it was tonight.

On a side note, how different does Monica Seles look these days?

What shits me is how she, and the Williams sisters crank up the volume when it starts to get a bit tight.

Relying on Novak to keep up with Rafa and rescue this RG, cause it's been pretty forgettable.