Wimbledon, Day 5

A pretty uneventful day for the first Friday, bottom half looks much more interesting now.

Apart from Fed's, the one to keep an eye on is Zverev's match, he is down 2 sets to 1.




http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/scores/schedule/pdf/schedulePDF12.pdf

Querrey v Monfils looks vaguely interesting. They’ve only played once in the last 10 years (with Monfils winning on hard courts). My feeling is Querrey will be too strong on the grass but there’s some intrigue there. Rest of the day (bar the end of Fritz v Zverev) looks very predictable.

kohlschreiber anderson will be nice to watch too

What is it with A. Zverev and five-setters?

Fritz didn't turn up it seems...

Well he made it to court and that was about it.

Monfils a game away from a good win vs Querrey, who has been poor.

Monfils is actually playing well. That's not completely new, but what's amazing is that he's playing intelligently.

Raonic, Isner, Monfils, Tsitsipas, Struff...I actually don;t think Federer has it easy.

Nadal has bigger names but they are all on the other side of his own draw.

Really it’s Struff, Mannarrino, Anderson/Monfils, Raonic/Isner.

Not easy I agree. Probably not an enormous amount of running though.

bogbrush wrote:Not easy I agree. Probably not an enormous amount of running though.

Thats true...and that 's what matters. On the other side, it could be 3 TBs....and out he is...

Just poppoin on to say I bought a red RF t shirt the other day...

It feels great

Struff playing some good stuff (see what I did there?) and will be sick to be two sets down.

Maaaaan....I dunno if it’s the white italian wine talen ‘here....(I’m having a chill after three mega tough weeks at work) , but there is onky one Roger!

God bless him and keep him Beautiful!

bogbrush wrote:Struff playing some good stuff (see what I did there?) and will be sick to be two sets down.

He’ll get stuffed whatever he does! No way he can ruf(fle) Featherer’s stuff!

Fed really enjoying himself and a decent challenge from young Struff!

It’s just awesome to see him still hungru as ever...of not hungrier than ever!

Tears stuff this....electric!

Fed on CC like an Arabian Stallion running free

And may I quote myself:

“...He loves the ball,
She loves him back....”

I love tje fact Cilic lost early...you can see the effect in Fed having extra wind in his wings...thank you, God!

And how poignant it is to watch Roger fly in the evening light of English summer...

I only wish Van Gogh was alive to firstly enjoy and then capture that breathtaking athletic, artistic glory....

noleisthebest wrote:Just poppoin on to say I bought a red RF t shirt the other day...

It feels great

Lol! You fan girl!

noleisthebest wrote:And how poignant it is to watch Roger fly in the evening light of English summer...

I only wish Van Gogh was alive to firstly enjoy and then capture that breathtaking athletic, artistic glory....

I would like to know the brand of your rosé?

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Just poppoin on to say I bought a red RF t shirt the other day...

It feels great

Lol! You fan girl!

About time!
Red’s always been my favourite colour

Cool, so Fed plays the magic Manna next....lovely...we’ll have another gorgeous spin/sweat-free shot-making match!
Yu-huuuuuuuu!


Viva tennis




....and to conclude....

Life is beautiful!

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:And how poignant it is to watch Roger fly in the evening light of English summer...

I only wish Van Gogh was alive to firstly enjoy and then capture that breathtaking athletic, artistic glory....

I would like to know the brand of your rosé?

Amazing,y, it’s not rose...but

Bianco delle Venezie!

Saw it chilled in Italian shop in Windsor...I knew it had a story to tell!

I am pleased with what I saw today. He certainly doesn't move as well as last year but he can still get to far balls on big points so he is clearly playing 85% of his top deliberately. First cause at 37 soon he can't play 100% all the time, secondly cause he is also trying to avoid silly injuries. I was watching the game with my friend and at 5all second set I tell him watch Federer getting to more ball and do his best to break Struff....Fed did exactly that. After that it was plain sailing.

His BH worked well too. I think only a fit Djoko can beat him this year....I would not have worried had they played earlier rounds....but at the end of a tournament?

The backhand looked as solid as a rock.

Really there wasn’t anything to complain about and it’s great how little work he’s doing to get here.

Yeah, you can tell how much Fed’s in a match by how far he’s prepared to defend...and he really went full pelt at one stage.

I think Fed plays 100% only when he is pushed to...it’s just unnatural to flog oneself all the time.
(Only stupid Nadal tries to impress with his full on sweat bicep even before the match in the tunell )
Nole really stretched him in 2015...but Fed was not fresh...plus no neoBH.

Now...three years down the line and so much water gone under the bridge, I’d like to believe it would be a more balanced match.

I thought earlier how a possible reason Nole is looking undecided and lost on the court is because he knows he has lost the battle for “the best”...
So he is floating around like a ship with no compass in the open sea, full speed but no direction.

Anderson will be a banana skin. 
Mannarino isn't useless.
Raonic and Isner imho at the SF stage would not be as bad as Anderson in the form he's in.

But it's a lot better that than  dealing with Del Potro, Zverev, Kyrgios.

On Nadal's side:

Minaur could cause an upset but it's unlikely
Vesely and Fognini would have a great chance to beat Nadal.
Del Potro should waste Nadal but he's rather brainless against Nadal's one dimensional baseline game... because he too has a one dimensional baseline game.  Difference is Del Potro can actually attack and doesn't moonball - and has a superior serve.  But if he gets dragged into rallies, he loses - esp on backhand side.

Zverev / Kyrgios should murder Nadal.

Djokovic...  I am unconvinced by so far.  He won't be back to his best.

The most dominant win Fed had in Halle/Stuttgart was 6:3 6:4.  Most matches were far closer than that.

So far here, the closest match has been 6:3 7:5 6:2, i.e. Fed is winning much more easily here.

Based on his form going into the tournament, this is the best I have felt about his chances since the USO 07.

Of course, he is 37, so it is hard to feel certain about anything, but so far things are looking good.

Maybe the warm temps in london are helping his back.

Maybe. Though I think he is just taking his matches more seriously here.

Daniel wrote:Minaur could cause an upset but it's unlikely

It would not be the first time that Rafa lost to a 19-year old Aussie.  Fingers crossed.