Aus open prediction game: Day 9

Agut (44) vs Tsitsipas (28)

Nadal (5) vs Tiafoe (66)

Pavluchenkova (33) vs Collins (33)

Kvitova (16) vs Barty (30)


LS: Tsitsi, Tiafoe, Collins, Kvitova

Looks like I have to root for Djokovic

Tsitsy, your time has come!

Come on... NAdal's had another of his classic cake walks. The luck will end eventually.  He never seems to get any decent player early on. This draw has been a joke.  But Tsitsy is a league above all the losers Nadal's so far played.

Tiafoe made Nadal look good today as he was still in 7'th cloud from reaching a GS QF.

Tsi will be a better bet.

Greek surfer dude can become a god if he can withstand grunty mcgrunter. With his strong bh he has more of a chance than the other players grunty beat. 

Just annoys me grunty only had to play over the hill Berdy yet Fed gets a rising youngster.

I am so happy for "Greek surfer dude".
He came in the nick of time.

Today, I even asked my Greek colleague how to cheer for him, so here we go:

ELA RE STEPHANEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

p.s.
I like his words about his next match:
“I played him once on clay, once hard court,” said Tsitsipas of Nadal, who will be his semi-final opponent on Thursday. “I felt very close to beating him in Toronto, though the score was 6-2, 7-6. I remember coming back to the locker room and promising to myself I'm going to do much better against him next time.”


Reminds me sooooo much of young Nole when he said Nadal was beatable.
Of course, he is very different. Tennis is lucky to have him.

Daniel2 wrote:Come on... NAdal's had another of his classic cake walks. The luck will end eventually.  He never seems to get any decent player early on. This draw has been a joke.  But Tsitsy is a league above all the losers Nadal's so far played.

Agree.

As yahoo says, those joke opponents made him look better than he actually is.
Tsits definitely won't be a walkover.

I just wish GP came out of his hibernation and share his clinical diagnosis/view.
Tenez has ignored my question about the "map" where we used to be able to see who is watching the forum.
That way we can see if GP is at least OK.

rotla,

do YOU know why we don't have the map (satellite view) any more and is it possible to bring it back at least for a few weeks.

thanks

Stop spying on people, if GP wants to login and view he can, if not he can read un-logged in. I think its the 7'th time you are longing for GP and where is GP   I have his contact if you want it 

Who is Watching forum option doesn't mean anything, you can leave the web browser open on certain thread and be shown for weeks as watching it while not touching or viewing the Forum at all 

Sometimes I think Mrs LK shows real potential being a poster on here. Got the highlights of todays play on. She makes such observations "I can't stand watching Djokovic as he bounces that frigging ball into oblivion" or "I don't get why Nadal has to undergo that ritual on every serve. Hit the ball damnit." but then lets herself down in the same sentence by saying "bloody Americans!" Me "He's Spanish" Mrs LK "He is?" 

She has much to learn 

The one thing Tsitipas won't do against Nadal is bottle it. That's what impressed me when he played Federer. Could've felt sorry for himself with how that 1st set tiebreak ended. Many would've played the victim and folded. He re-grouped, got on with it and back into the match. 

No moaning. Plays with a real care free attitude. He enjoys being on court. Refreshing to see.

LK, nice to know that she is smarter and more observing than you 

Lets see how Tsi behaves in a GS SF, something Zverev in his 5y of Pro Player has never been into.

I don;t think he is scared of big names across the net, just hope he can hold his nerves with Nadal rituals and annoyances that he brings into court.

I reckon you’re right lk; he’ll probably lose but it won’t be because he’s a bottler like Dimitrov, Nishikori, or the rest of that hopeless generation.

It wound me up no end to see Federer lose but even I have got to the point where I wouldn’t mind seeing Fed step off to retirement, I just don’t want those other two a$$h0les to snaffle his records. I’d be so happy to see Tsitsipas playing Raonic in the final, hopefully with the Greek winning.

bogbrush wrote:I reckon you’re right lk; he’ll probably lose but it won’t be because he’s a bottler like Dimitrov, Nishikori, or the rest of that hopeless generation.

It wound me up no end to see Federer lose but even I have got to the point where I wouldn’t mind seeing Fed step off to retirement, I just don’t want those other two a$$h0les to snaffle his records. I’d be so happy to see Tsitsipas playing Raonic in the final, hopefully with the Greek winning.

The issue is that until recently it seemed the AO was off limits for Nadal. Essentially it was RG and USO (in the event Djokovic was dispatched early on). Even though he is 3 Slams behind, the fear is if he wins the AO, then the FO and USO become a distinct possibility. What this era needs now is what Federer had in his pomp. Genuine rivals at all events. Firstly it was only Nadal who seemed to be able to lay a glove on Federer and then eventually with time Djokovic and then later Murray (mainly the primary). 2 strong rivals and even a difficult 3rd is more than enough for a one man dynasty. You now have a 2 man dynasty and which then requires double the rivals. Worst part for Fed fans is there are now genuine strong rivals for Djokovic or Nadal. The best hope Murray or an on song Wawrinka are all but gone and all hope rests on anyone in the draw being inspired and playing lights out tennis eg Kyrgios/Rosol Wimbledon. That's needed at every Slam from here on out if Federer is to preserve 20 as the leading benchmark.

Regarding Federer and his record of 20 slams, I find it lame that people here are hoping eg Nole etc to preserve it.

Come one, guys!

Why should Nole preserve Federer's record?
Why did not Federer win enough slams so nobody from this era can catch him?

Is it Nole's fault Federer stubbornly stuck to his small racquet?

I thought not.

So he won what he won. Noone stopped him from winning more except his stubborn self.

Nadal is very close. Nole wants the record, too. And both can actually do it. Nadal much closer than Nole.

Whoever does it in the end - Federer will always be Federer, Nadal will always be Nadal and Nole will always be .... the best!

noleisthebest wrote:
Tenez has ignored my question about the "map" where we used to be able to see who is watching the forum.
That way we can see if GP is at least OK.

rotla,

do YOU know why we don't have the map (satellite view) any more and is it possible to bring it back at least for a few weeks.

thanks

Didn't see it. I also miss that map.

Nobodies ‘asking’ for that, they just want to see things settle out the way we want.

What we also want, just as much if not more, is some interest to return to the sport. It’s bloody awful that 2019 looks exactly the same as 2008. It’s not just new personalities that are needed but some different tennis.

I can’t think of another sport which has got into this mess, not even team sports like football where the dominant teams of 2008 - Manchester United and Arsenal - are tragically (ha ha!) miles behind Liverpool and Manchester City.

If it’s a Nadal / Djokovic final then what exactly is the point of watching it? We’ve seen it before about 50 times, it’s very predictable and unless one of them loses a leg it’ll take up half the day.

bogbrush wrote:Nobodies ‘asking’ for that, they just want to see things settle out the way we want.

What we also want, just as much if not more, is some interest to return to the sport. It’s bloody awful that 2019 looks exactly the same as 2008. It’s not just new personalities that are needed but some different tennis.

There are plenty of personalities on tour, more than ever before: old, new...maybe you don't watch enough.

bogbrush wrote:
If it’s a Nadal / Djokovic final then what exactly is the point of watching it? We’ve seen it before about 50 times, it’s very predictable and unless one of them loses a leg it’ll take up half the day.

Again, as if finals are the only thing to watch.
Last year's best match at Wimbledon was semi between Nole and Nadal.
This Oz it's been Federer-Tsitsipas.
Great matches don't grow on trees.

And I think you view the past through rose-tinted glasses. It wasn't that great as it looks from the distance.
So enjoy the battles as they come: Cilic's sobbing, Stan's roars, Ivo's cool aces, Fognini's magnificance on clay, Delpo's awesome FHs....and I could go for a long time.
Even Nadal is watchable these days.

nadal, djokovic, federer... some decided to spend 15 years hating certain tennis players, some others enjoyed a unique magic era

an era which is about to end

we that decided to enjoy it, are very very lucky

the good thing is that after this era, another will come, and we will enjoy it too

naxroy wrote:nadal, djokovic, federer... some decided to spend 15 years hating certain tennis players, some others enjoyed a unique magic era

an era which is about to end

we that decided to enjoy it, are very very lucky

the good thing is that after this era, another will come, and we will enjoy it too

The only magic there was Federer's artistry and the way he managed to handle those physical monsters with his magic wand.

Who will remember the Murray-Djoko-Nadal matches?

There's no magic in allowing people like Nadal to abuse the rules with impunity and play a boring defensive style that's successful because tennis conditions changed to accommodate it.

It's Federer who made the matches entertaining.  Nadal v Djok is a baseline bore that most people forget the instant it's played.  You can swap Nadal for any number of defenders and it's still Federer making it a spectacle.

No way, Nadal hits so many memorable foreheads, especially passing shots, during a match.

....yes but only his ass fingering and bottle perversion will be remembered once he quits tennis. Yes the RG titles too, so I'm fair.

yeah, what I said

naxroy wrote:yeah, what I said

And what we said.

Pouille wins deservedly...could have won in 3 had had a bit more luck.

I was surprised to see Rao play quite poorly considering how he cut through his draw.

Yes Raonic bad today.

Glad Williams fuckedup a 5:1 and 40:15 2 MP lead in 3rd and lost next 6 games in a row for a total meltdown hahaha

Come on Ninjaaaa, time to graduate to Samurai ffs.

Jahu wrote:Yes Raonic bad today.

Glad Williams fuckedup a 5:1 and 40:15 2 MP lead in 3rd and lost next 6 games in a row for a total meltdown hahaha

Come on Ninjaaaa, time to graduate to Samurai ffs.

Not quite. Already a set and break down...

why is Nishi still sticking to his old team? In pro-tennis every coach has an expiry date after which they can't add anything new to your game.

Why is anyone still wondering why that failure fails?