Barcelona 2017

So Nadal sounds like he's rounding into some kind of form judging by recent results. Yet the few times I've watched him play on clay this year he hasn't looked convincing to me, but then I suppose over the years that has been his great trick. Many a times he's looked eminently beatable and yet come out the victor.

He does look better than 2015 and probably similar or slightly better than clay season last year. He's obviously growing in confidence and he's winning the big points again.

Of course he hasn't played anyone of any real note in this run. Tomorrow will tell us a little bit more but too much more because Thiem, I don't think, is a top contender for RG - maybe a dark horse but no more.

We will know exactly where Rafa is once he plays Djokovic, Federer, Wawrinka and possibly Murray.

Even during the few points Imsaw vs the SBH Zebalos, Nadal did not look convincing.

Has he beaten any top ten players this year?
And if so has he beaten anyone ranked above him?

Jahu wrote:Any talk of injuries should be banned in this forum, you're on the court, you're healthy.

See now Andy's elbow kicking ass and wins him second set.

One can be on the court and injured. Nothing wrong with that.

Sure it's wrong, injured go home, don't taint other guys win over you, by your real/fake injury.

If Fed can quit a WTF Final, no one should show injured and pray on luck, not fair.

Last night in Seattle.

In one of the "intervirw clips" here, he says he is def playing French and he won't be just showing up.

http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2017/04/roger-federer-john-isner-live-match-africa-4-seattle-bill-gates/65704/

thats great news,really looking forward to seeing back competing at RG
i think that he must be fancying his chances having looked at whats been going on during the clay season so far

Veejay wrote:thats great news,really looking forward to seeing back competing at RG
i think that he must be fancying his chances having looked at whats been going on during the clay season so far

Likely so.
After Miami he obviously didn't plan to play on clay but i guess he feels the urge to defend his slam record. For now it seems he's the only player who's able to stop Nadal.
He doesn't want to end his career with any regrets.

Meanwhile: Thiem's game is like Bruguara on clay in the nineties. It lacks the bite one needs these days.

Still for now holding ok against Nadal.

pfff, what an error fest

Finally some meat on Thiem's FH, but he mishits a lot

Still holds: 3-3. But it's a tedious match. Hard to watch, too hard for me.

gallery play wrote:Finally some meat on Thiem's FH, but he mishits a lot

He needs a bigger frame!

I would have loved to see Federer in Madrid or Rome.

Thiem beaten so easily.

Didn't watch the match so don't know how well either played.

Thiem hasn't made any progress since this time last year. Plays so far behind the baseline.

In fact all of these guys: Raonic, Nishikori, Thiem, Zverev, Dimitrov, are not even in the Murray, Hewitt, Safin class in terms of their tennis aptitude. Hell, Davy and Nalbandian had more talent than these guys combined. They're utterly hopeless.

A 35 and 31 yr old dominating the tour. Granted those two are exceptional - except Rafa is playing very ordinary tennis from what I've seen this year - and still winning.

Fed would of won MC and this, Rome and Madrid too, RG of course, here I said it

Chung was the one who troubled him most....for a set. So Nadal has decline hey?

Veejay wrote:thats great news,really looking forward to seeing back competing at RG
i think that he must be fancying his chances having looked at whats been going on during the clay season so far

I just had two shots of my dad's plum brandy (rakija).
Woooow!

And i remembered this one:



And I also remember being annoyed with Fed for wasting himself in Holywood, thinking his career was fading away...and how that little Chico toasting him to be number one again sounded really like a death knoll...that neither believed.

But maybe I was wrong

I mean that would be AWESOME!

The mere fact we have a legit hope to toast is brilliant!

To be number one again, Roger!  (we ned a shot glass smiley here asap rotla! )

I only saw last two games. Thiem was baaaad.
And disappointing...clearly annoyed about something, whacking FHs recklessly.
It was 3/3 UEs while I was watching.

These youngsters need to learn to accept losses gracefully...and flatten their shots!

... wrote:I only saw last two games. Thiem was baaaad.
And disappointing...clearly annoyed about something, whacking FHs recklessly.

Frustrated I think.  He played the first set ok - about as well as he can play these days and when it became clear it was not going to be enough he started going for too much and was spraying it all over the place in the second set.

It was a very traditional Rafa match - like in the old days.  If you do not play aggressive to keep him pinned on the defensive he will eventually take the rally over with his heavy shots but if you do play aggressive he still returns enough balls that you are likely to lose on bad W/UE count.

He was also - not surprisingly - playing tons of high shots to Thiem's BH.

This was perhaps the best I have seen Rafa play in a couple of years.  I thought he played quite well at AO but I thought his remaining tournaments - in spite of good results - were not all that convincing.  But today he was close to his old level.

Somebody had better find some form soon or else he might be winning his 10th RG.  At this rate it might have to be Fed to stop him there, and even with new BH I think that would be a tall order.

... wrote:The mere fact we have a legit hope to toast is brilliant!

To be number one again, Roger!  (we ned a shot glass smiley here asap rotla! )

Let's not get too carried away - at this rate we might still end up "celebrating" Rafa at #1.

summerblues wrote:

... wrote:The mere fact we have a legit hope to toast is brilliant!

To be number one again, Roger!  (we ned a shot glass smiley here asap rotla! )

Let's not get too carried away - at this rate we might still end up "celebrating" Rafa at #1.

Probably, but the sweeter it is when Federer beats NAdal as no.1 later on this year

... wrote:I only saw last two games. Thiem was baaaad.
And disappointing...clearly annoyed about something, whacking FHs recklessly.
It was 3/3 UEs while I was watching.

These youngsters need to learn to accept losses gracefully...and flatten their shots!

 Yes, Thiem doesn't have it. He's overhyped. It's the kind of player you can lose all faith in after watching him a couple of games. And i watched it till 3-3, his best part of the match.

After all Fed won the AO without playing before. Maybe he can repeat at the French. It looks like he can tap on his genius at will nowadays.

summerblues wrote:

... wrote:The mere fact we have a legit hope to toast is brilliant!

To be number one again, Roger!  (we ned a shot glass smiley here asap rotla! )

Let's not get too carried away - at this rate we might still end up "celebrating" Rafa at #1.

Over my dead "..." body!

Tenez wrote:After all Fed won the AO without playing before.  Maybe he can repeat at the French.  It looks like he can tap on his genius at will nowadays.

Plus he is healthy and hungry!

gallery play wrote:

summerblues wrote:

... wrote:The mere fact we have a legit hope to toast is brilliant!

To be number one again, Roger!  (we ned a shot glass smiley here asap rotla! )

Let's not get too carried away - at this rate we might still end up "celebrating" Rafa at #1.

Probably, but the sweeter it is when Federer beats NAdal as no.1 later on this year

Ideally he beats him in RG final.
Why not!

Hopefully Babolat are going to produce reasonable balls this year.

Nadal won MC and Barcelona but I'm not taking too much out of these 2 wins. In both his wins the draw opened up for him at all stages and he wasn't facing anyone whom you would think can beat him. This was all routine work for him.

Well yes his 2 or 3 main opponents were not there or off form but it's the way he cut through his draws that remains impressive.

He did as well if not better than his previous peak years: 2008, 2010 2013. Distributing lots of bread sticks in the process. Once again, only a fit Djoko or Murray could beat him....no different than before.

It is different from before.

In Monte Carlo, Nadal probably would not have won without Goffin being blatantly robbed.

Far from sure that Goff would have kept that level for 2 sets....in fact very unlikely. Even Chung was a break up....however like most Nadal's opponents they end up with a very one sided second set.

Chung lost on the lack of experience...he panicked.

Goffin would have beaten Nadal.

The umpire knew it, that's why he did what he was told to do.

The draws are again becoming  interesting. It's more how his main opponents are set up now.
Just like when Nole was always in Fed's half in slams once upon a time, or Davy avoided.

Will Kyrgios & Delpo continue to be in Nole's quarter?

I have never respected Nadal or anything he has achieved, for me his career will always be one fake, rigged, dirty path. 

The fact the 95% of the world disagrees does not concern me at all.

Some harsh words on Thiem. Reckon if he had broke serve on that opening game, outcome might've been different. I know it's all good woulda, shoulda, coulda, but Nadal absolutely upped the ante at BP. Thiem does not have the tank to hit with sustained power. At times it was like watching the Nadal of old where he could absorb such power hitting and catch his opponent on the counter, and the match is done.

Seeing Nadal having to be more aggressive is quite exhilarating. He is finding himself having to go for the margins more so than not. As repeated by many, lets see how he does when running into Djokovic/Murray/Federer.