ATP Masters 1000: Monte Carlo

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Seeing Med glisten in the sun temptingly, makes me want to catch a plane to Monte Carlo and dive into the blue NOOOOOOOOW!!!!!!!!

It is true isn't it. It's such a beautiful sea.

Yes, it certainly is.
There is something special about it.

Wow!

I just saw the score, Vesely won the first set 6:4!

And is a break up in the third! Go go go!

Just sat down to watch at last!

Nole hasn't got his footwork ready for clay yet.

That's all it is.

Though, it looks like he is actually tanking. Not that bothered at all.

These Czechs are all cheeky monkeys!
Vesely spread and flapped his arms in the middle of the point to distract Nole.

Lendl, Stepanek, Rosol all belong the same "school".

Lendl was much better behaved than any other champs of his era actually.

I thought Djoko was tanking.....or very nervous.

both Djoko and Vesely played gutless. The latter can be excused due to the circumstances.

Vesely is one player we noticed early here on OTF!

Tenez wrote:Lendl was much better behaved than any other champs of his era actually.

I thought Djoko was tanking.....or very nervous.

Good point. Still not an angel...

Regarding tanking, I am pretty sure he did.

I have an idea or two why.  

Tenez wrote:both Djoko and Vesely played gutless. The latter can be excused due to the circumstances.

Not really. Vesely has no excuse to be gutless with such a big serve. He's been playing like that for a whole now, actually.
But good on him to keep the nerve.
Some excellent dropshots, too.

Vesely has been very disappointing for a good year and a half.
He played great to win his first title in Auckland '15 (age 21) and has done nothing since - couple of months off turning 23.
Not a fan of his tennis at all but happy he won or rather Djoko lost.

Tenez wrote:

Vesely is one player we noticed early here on OTF!

Pouille playing quite well, too.

Clay suits his style more than hard court, in fact.

Gorgeous order of play for tomorrow.

Now that Nole has strategically & generously left the stage, like in good old days - ABN!

noleisthebest wrote:

Tenez wrote:Lendl was much better behaved than any other champs of his era actually.

I thought Djoko was tanking.....or very nervous.

Good point. Still not an angel...

Regarding tanking, I am pretty sure he did.

I have an idea or two why.  

Becker certainly wanted him to win...so if he was tanking, it was not something he shared.

Tenez wrote:
Becker certainly wanted him to win...so if he was tanking, it was not something he shared.

Well spotted.
Boris wants Nole to always win.

Nole needed & wanted rest. And a bit of fun.
Big battles await.

Plus he's made the rest of the draw & Federer happy.

Everyone's a winner.

Yes though I am not convinced he tanked. Clay is a strange surface and suddenly you can completely lose confidence on it.

Fed v Guga in 2004 was a perfect example.

Tenez wrote:Yes though I am not convinced he tanked. Clay is a strange surface and suddenly you can completely lose confidence on it.

Fed v Guga in 2004 was a perfect example.

He played too poorly not to have tanked.
It was as good a loss as he could get.

Playing both Rome and surprisingly Madrid.

He's had very tough last few months.

I only saw the 3rd set so can't say much more. His footwork was definitely not good.

ALLEZ BENOOOOOIIIIIIIT!!!!!

Tenez wrote:Yes though I am not convinced he tanked. Clay is a strange surface and suddenly you can completely lose confidence on it.

Fed v Guga in 2004 was a perfect example.

Tanked in the first match of an Masters tournament in the beginning of clay season? I don't think so. Maybe if it was Madrid or Rome and Djokovic has already won MC. Maybe then in the 3rd rnd or QF... not before.

Losing momentum is not something any player would want.

Can't see the match but keeping an eye on the scoreline. Doing well Paire, the 2nd best player is definitely not the 2nd best.

Benoit Paire: 

real weapons
real game
real tennis


So good to watch.

Making Murray look out of place in every way.

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

Tenez wrote:Yes though I am not convinced he tanked. Clay is a strange surface and suddenly you can completely lose confidence on it.

Fed v Guga in 2004 was a perfect example.

Tanked in the first match of an Masters tournament in the beginning of clay season? I don't think so. Maybe if it was Madrid or Rome and Djokovic has already won MC. Maybe then in the 3rd rnd or QF... not before.

Losing momentum is not something any player would want.

He wasn't too bothered at all yesterday.
Vesely played nothing special was winning all long rallies.
That is a dead giveaway it was a tank.

Just a very well masqued one.

Nole is a pro in every way these days!

ALLLEZ BENOIT ALLEEEEEEZ!!!!!

Show tennis "experts" what a great DBH is!

Murray getting battered, like it!!!

He wasn't too bothered at all yesterday.

nitb wrote:Vesely played nothing special was winning all long rallies.
That is a dead giveaway it was a tank.

Just a very well masqued one. 

Nole is a pro in every way these days! 

Okay, if that's what you want to believe. I would think it otherwise. 

Djokovic has won a ton of matches  playing nothing special and winning all long rallies. He tried that yesterday too, just that it didn't work.

luvsports! wrote:Murray getting battered, like it!!!

Tell me about it. I really enjoy when Mr. A. Murray gets hammered by some great shots.

Paire making Murray run like mad, love it!

luvsports! wrote:Murray getting battered, like it!!!

With or without vinegar, Sir?

Madam, me no like vinegar. 
Just wrap that Scottish haddock in newspaper and send him packing.

Choke?

Murray with a break... and Paire 4*-5 on server... Test of nerves.

luvsports! wrote:Choke?

Not choke, panic mostly. The sight of the finish line makes a lot of players freeze and stop thinking clearly. Thats why Murray is #2, game wise there are 20 better than him.

Gutted for Paire.

The worst kind of a loss.
I hope he recovers from it.

Fed playing awesome.

Looking really fresh and strong.

Impeccable footwork from Federer.

He just took SABR to a new level: he actually tried to half-volley the return with the BH...

Didn't work but was crazy to see.

That is sabr though.
No3 in particular. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYWle4HmzU8

luvsports! wrote:That is sabr though.
No3 in particular. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYWle4HmzU8

before I watched the clip, I had a feeling you meant that one! TB...very important!...and amazing timing!

I was watching a youtube clip with Djoko v Federer best points.....and then I remembered what McEnroe said to Brad Gilbert: "You should not be on the same court as me!". This is even more true between Djoko and Federer. Djoko is just a super Gilbert!

Another gutless  performance going on by Raonic. 

Tenez,
 
Do you still see him doing any better? And by when?

Bagel alert!!

I am not watching.....but yes I still see him do well if he stays injury free. I certainly don't think he will be a multi slam winners. But he can certainly win one or 2.

This defeat today is probably due to some injury. he has beaten Murray 3 times out of 7 so he can do it. Raonic not so long ago beat an inform Ferrer on clay....I think he has not been himself since that injury in Miami (IW?) final.

Nadal is on form again! he is going to be tough to beat on clay this year!

Stan did not play badly...but Nadal is everywhere.....like in the good old days....except that nowadays it does not impress as much as back then. We got used to it.

Stan is furious at the noisy restaurant crowd. I remember Fed losing his temper there a few years ago and I think this is why fed skipped it for a few years.

Tenez wrote:Nadal is on form again! he is going to be tough to beat on clay this year!

With Nadal's records on clay, he was always going to be tough to beat on clay. He feels most comfortable on it.

But the match is not over.

Stan did not play badly ? lol Tenez
He can't hit the target at all, he'd probably miss the toilet even if he was peeing sitting down.

Murray played a great match against Raonic on clay, obviously it took a few matches for him to adjust (hence dodgy start this week), but I feel clay is now Murray's best surface. I think he will win the tournament, comfortably.
Nadal is playing ok, very solid first set but Stan can easily improve from that, anyway Nadal's best surface now is hard court, so good to see him competing well.

Stan played well at first. He made Nadal run a lot and then saw that nadal coudl easily do teh running...that and the crowd put Stan off. SO of course he went through a bad patch but only when he realised his shots were all coming back!

Murray Nadal shoudl be interesting!

wow...what a point from Fed!

The knee seems alright