ATP 500/250: Basel & Valencia

read the rumour that Serena might be pregnant.

Tenez wrote:read the rumour that Serena might be pregnant.

Who's the lucky guy?

Back just in time to see a bit of Stan The Man.

Does anyone know the score for Coric-Anderson, can't find it even on ATP website, useless...

Btw, where is everyone?

You are not all sulking because we disagree on one thing, are you?

Ok, found it, Kev demolished Coric.

Coric in no man's land with his tennis.

Has he reached his level of incompetence?

noleisthebest wrote:Ok, found it, Kev demolished Coric.

Coric in no man's land with his tennis.

Has he reached his level of incompetence?

He was born too late! Strangely enough he is not losing many points from last year performance....according to live ranking.

It is no coincidence that Granollers rhymes with Moonballers!

Tenez wrote:It is no coincidence that Granollers rhymes with Moonballers!

Oh, they started!
No Valencia on tennistv.
Bet365, here I come!

Oh, good, Rubi just broke.

Wow, what FH lasers!!!!
And not even 18.

Go Rubi!

Is Granollers trying to look like Paire with this beard...

Over in Basel, Stan routinely dispatching Ivo who is not that great at the net, in fact.

Rubi looks like he's grown taller since summer.

Just dropping focus slightly as rallies get long.
Granollers getting really cheap points because of it.

Still, Little Dragon wins set one!

And now set two...he can't afford any lapses.

Oh no, he is wearing the silly sleeve, too!

Granollers's tennis is so ugly and bad it should be made illegal.

Rub is a raw talent. I like what I see...even if he makes many mistakes...those will be cut down in a few months/years and then his best shots will get even better.

Tenez wrote:Rub is a raw talent. I like what I see...even if he makes many mistakes...those will be cut down in a few months/years and then his best shots will get even better.

He is, so confident on his FH, and his ability.
Very good at saving and converting BPs in this match.

I like his footwork, the little steps have improved, only losing points on sheer inexperience.

Rubi needs to learn his BHDTL asap!

noleisthebest wrote:Rubi needs to learn his BHDTL asap!

I think it is actually excellent. Sure plenty of UEs.....but it;s there....it's just a question of tuning.

My son is back from Uni...we are going to have something to eat.

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Rubi needs to learn his BHDTL asap!

I think it is actually excellent. Sure plenty of UEs.....but it;s there....it's just a question of tuning.

My son is back from Uni...we are going to have something to eat.

His BH is good but he got caught with it on the BH corner so many times.
He hasn't gone DTL once...but doesn't matter, nice win and super FH.

Bon appetit!

Stan managed to squander a break up in the second set and now lagging a break down in the third....

noleisthebest wrote:

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Rubi needs to learn his BHDTL asap!

I think it is actually excellent. Sure plenty of UEs.....but it;s there....it's just a question of tuning.

My son is back from Uni...we are going to have something to eat.

His BH is good but he got caught with it on the BH corner so many times.
He hasn't gone DTL once...but doesn't matter, nice win and super FH.

Bon appetit!  

A few times I saw...including a great winner....I guess in the second set.

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Rubi needs to learn his BHDTL asap!

I think it is actually excellent. Sure plenty of UEs.....but it;s there....it's just a question of tuning.

My son is back from Uni...we are going to have something to eat.

His BH is good but he got caught with it on the BH corner so many times.
He hasn't gone DTL once...but doesn't matter, nice win and super FH.

Bon appetit!  

A few times I saw...including a great winner....I guess in the second set.

That's good.
He is so fired up and aggressive. And brave. I really like that.
As you say, he'll smooth rough edges with time, and he is not impatient in points.

It's good we have him, Chung and a few other exciting young players.

About time!

So, Stan is out...not good. But that's him...casual, relaxed, human.

And now Dimi-Nadal...

What can Dimi do to trouble Nadal?
Be ultra aggressive?
Be patient?
Or just be all that plus lucky?

Can he reinvent himself after the years Rasheed/locusts/have eaten?

Come on Dimi, show some heart!

Goodall of Nadal: "volleys are his forte!"

Why can't people have some measure these days...everything has to be so bombastic.

Koening makes a good point about Dimi's BH saying it lacks natural timing Fed or Stan have.

I call it talent.


Still, hats off to him for playing it. He may improve it, still young.

Nadal shanking from the baseline just like against Rosol.

Maybe he needs a 120" racquet

Apart from having excellent footwork, Nadal also has good foot control, could've been a decent footballer.

Strange to see him puffed after a relatively short rally (max 8 shots), but all along the baseline, requiring so much more effort, focus and timing.

Welcome to the tennis court, Rafa!

Anyway...even disjointed and shanking he breaks back and wins the first set.
Dimi has nothing to bother him with. Nothing.

Nadal gets broken straight away at the beginning of the second set (didn't see it) and now back to his comfort zone well behind the baseline.

Gets broken again!

So...as I suspected against Rosol yesterday, he can't last long playing on the baseline, it's too tough for him atm.
Rosol was going formhis shots, but Dimi doesn't have the fire-power, still enough comsistency to keep Nadal rallying.
Funny, that drained Nadal pretty quick!

Mentally probably more than physically as he is so unused to dealing with faster playing, his confidence is very thin, or more non-existent on the baseline.

So dealing with the problem by reverting to his supermoonballing old game.
Not working. 0:4 down.

Still by yourself? That's bad!

Tenez wrote:Still by yourself? That's bad!

You know me...

One set all.

Will the toilet break after the 2nd set make any difference for Nadal?

Nadal is nervous! he is making more UEs...but that I guess is down to trying to take the ball earlier and being more aggresssive.

So Nadal got broken in the first game of all three sets now!
Really struggling with timing, clinging onto the match with his fingernails atm.

His shots are clearly flatter than before. Not sure it works in his favour though.

Nadal loves being in the tennis mud up to his eyeballs, digging, stumbling, wading through it all...and winning in the end.
Then in the press conference he'll say: "I fighted well, no?"

Tenez wrote:His shots are clearly flatter than before. Not sure it works in his favour though.

They are draining him faster than his old moonballs.

Nadal is standing so close to the baseline this year....his strategy cannot be clearer.

As a result I am pretty sure rallies are easily 10% faster than in 2013.

Tenez wrote:Nadal is standing so close to the baseline this year....his strategy cannot be clearer.

As a result I am pretty sure rallies are easily 10% faster than in 2013.

Yes..
Amazing what a split second closer can do to a potential GOAT

Imagine him SABR-ing...

He just won a fast exchange with Dimi

Speaking of Dimi, well at least Rasheed made him fit. Doesn't look tired at all.

Tenez wrote:Nadal is standing so close to the baseline this year....his strategy cannot be clearer.

As a result I am pretty sure rallies are easily 10% faster than in 2013.

Joking aside, I think a combo of flatter hitting and moonballing could work really well for him.

I hope FK can see Nadal's flatter hitting, too.

Come on LS, and Donald, get from behind those sofas and share some of your observations here.

It's not tribal warfare, just light tennis talk & fun here

Yes he is playing well but that kind of game is not going to help him against the better players...cause they love the fallter shots.

and yes a mixture of flat and moonball is of course a must to break timing.

Tenez wrote:and yes a mixture of flat and moonball is of course a must to break timing.

It should all only get easier for him as courts will be slower elsewhere.

Even in O2. I can't see him making the semis, there, though.

Oh, some gorgeous matches tomorrow:
Federer-Kohlschreiber & Gasquet-Thiem.

Interesting to watch this back...very poor performance from Djoko. His shots are powerless there....yet nadal stands 2m further back on return than in Basel.

Watching this clip...I just realised that again Djoko was 1 set all, 44 all 3rd set and 0/40 up (3 BPs) for 5/4 and serving for the match despite having powerless shots!

noleisthebest wrote:

Tenez wrote:and yes a mixture of flat and moonball is of course a must to break timing.

It should all only get easier for him as courts will be slower elsewhere.

Even in O2. I can't see him making the semis, there, though.

I don't think he'll ever catch Murray and Djoko again. I am actually sure he won't. Those 2 have clearly stepped it up in the last 2 years .

Dimitrov should seriously consider retirement.

Yes, Nole looks almost sedated, weak volleys...no sharpness at all esp the FH.

Nadal - the opposite.

I wonder what the turning point was for him to make this radical move forward to the baseline.

Does he have any Plan B careers you think ?

DONALD TRUMP wrote:Dimitrov should seriously consider retirement.

No, just a switch to DBH.

Nadal's fitness is absurd in that clip......some 54 shots rallies. Sure played at 2mph but still....lots of running.