Wimbledon Day 9, Wednesday 10th July

Gentlemen's QF:

CC:
Djokovic vs Goffin
Nishikori vs Federer

No. 1:
Pella vs Bautista Agut
Querrey vs Nadal

The tournament is really just about starting today (tomorrow in my time zone).  QF opponents for the Big 3 are not top tier, but they are not totally out of place here either.  On paper, they look to me as roughly equally worthy opponents for the Big 3:

Nishikori is highest ranked and best of them overall, but he has been quite poor on grass in the past.  On the other hand, Querrey is overall the weakest but grass is his strongest suit and has had more success here in the past than Goffin or Nishi.  Goffin is somewhere in-between.

Funnily enough, each of the Big 3 lost their most recent match vs their opponent:

Djoko to Goffin in 2017 in Monte Carlo.
Fed to Nishi last year at the tour finals.
Rafa to Querrey in 2017 in Acapulco.

It would be funny if the eventual champ came from the fourth - and forgotten - QF.

Good luck Roger!
Good luck Sam!
IDEMO MAJSTORE!
Good luck Bautista Agut!

Y’know, I could live with Federer losing if the other two did too. 

I’m really sick of the stagnation of this sport, so much so that I’m not really watching it much this year. I saw all this many times in previous years and in the other tournaments, it makes as much sense to watch some repeats.

Some numbers:

5:1
7:3
4:1
13:12

The first three are the H2H of Djoko vs. Goffin, Federer vs. Nishikori, Nadal vs. Querrey.  Agree with SB that none of these guys are out of place in a slam QF - in fact they've all been there before at least twice.  There's a case for saying that Querrey is the most redoubtable opponent at Wimbledon, both in terms of his style of play and his record there.  The Big Three should have more than enough, but I don't think we'll see three straight set victories.  I also agree with BB that I'm heartily sick of the stagnation in the men's game.

The final figure is the first ever final set tie-breaker at Wimbledon which took place yesterday in the men's doubles R3 match between Kontinen/Peers vs. Ram/Salisbury, which finished after 4hrs 29mins.  I'd give a welcome to this innovation, preserving the special nature of a deciding set at a slam, but greatly reducing the risk of devastation for the next round and boredom for the watchers.

I only hope that Nishikori does not perform his QF hari-kari act, namely a drawn-out five-setter ensuring that that whoever wins is shafted for the SF - in fact I hope he loses without too much fuss.

Nishi will be tough to beat, Unfortunately he plays his best when he thinks he has nothing to lose (v Federer) and plays nervous when he thinks he has the game to beat the top (Nole and nadal).

Tenez wrote:Nishi will be tough to beat, Unfortunately he plays his best when he thinks he has nothing to lose (v Federer) and plays nervous when he thinks he has the game to beat the top (Nole and nadal).

Lol - I love some of the mental gymnastics that take place on here at times. Much as I like his game, Kei is a near walkover for Fed on grass. He just doesn’t have the serve or return game to deal with Fed.

Goffin needs to take a couple of steps back when returning serve

Goff breaks than get broken, keep it up,

What a choke by Goffin that was

Goffin has some talent, but mentally a flake and has terrible shot selection.

He was 4-3 with a break, 30-0 up on his serve, then went AWOL

Again in that point, Goffin had a smash, and just hits it softly right at Djokovic. What is he doing?

Oof - the first serve that just missed shaving the line at 30-0, 4-3 was where it all went wrong for Goffin.  Looks like he had time to think, 'I'm putting Djokovic to the fire' during the time taken for challenge, double faulted, and the rest was history.  

He reminds me of Henman in a way - a skillful player with sufficient strengths to trouble most guys, but lacking a major weapon or the general weight of shot to keep the really top guys at bay when not firing on all cylinders.

Goff do something you useless fuk

Agut kicking ass, 1st set in and 2:0 up.

Nole is such a good frontrunner. He sizzles when he gets loose. :bubble:

How the heck do you arrive at QF of W and get bageled? You can't fucking hold 1 serve of yours?

I love Nole better and more than ever before!

Nadal will be remembering how Djokovic is 'king of the overhead'.

Expected more from Goffin

Novak flying. Scary

Next year Goffin will be better!

Goffin goes 4-3 30-0 up.... then loses 15-2. I don't care how good Djokovic is that can only happen when 

1. Goffin has no weapons
2. His opponent is a wall
3. The courts support it

A monster server like Dr Ivo on decent grass courts would have done miles better despite being ancient and rubbish.

At least Serena and her fanboy are losing.

Djokovic will win this Wimbledon at a canter.

DEC1M8 wrote:Djokovic will win this Wimbledon at a canter.

amen to that!

bogbrush wrote:Goffin goes 4-3 30-0 up.... then loses 15-2. I don't care how good Djokovic is that can only happen when 

1. Goffin has no weapons
2. His opponent is a wall
3. The courts support it

A monster server like Dr Ivo on decent grass courts would have done miles better despite being ancient and rubbish.

Not by getting bp's vs. his opponent like Goffin did, but by the dreary exponent of firing down enough bullets to hang on to his serve and taking a spin in any resulting tie-breakers.  I agree it looks better on the scoreboard, and makes for a bit of a crap shoot, but I don't hanker after the days of 1991 when Stich v. Edberg went 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 7-6 in the SF without getting to a single bp on the Edberg serve.

I'd like to see slightly quicker conditions (probably a faster ball easier than mucking about with the surface) and most of all, better players coming up.

barrystar wrote:

bogbrush wrote:Goffin goes 4-3 30-0 up.... then loses 15-2. I don't care how good Djokovic is that can only happen when 

1. Goffin has no weapons
2. His opponent is a wall
3. The courts support it

A monster server like Dr Ivo on decent grass courts would have done miles better despite being ancient and rubbish.

Not by getting bp's vs. his opponent like Goffin did, but by the dreary exponent of firing down enough bullets to hang on to his serve and taking a spin in any resulting tie-breakers.  I agree it looks better on the scoreboard, and makes for a bit of a crap shoot, but I don't hanker after the days of 1991 when Stich v. Edberg went 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 7-6 in the SF without getting to a single bp on the Edberg serve.

I'd like to see slightly quicker conditions (probably a faster ball easier than mucking about with the surface) and most of all, better players coming up.

No, don't get me wrong, it's crap to watch. What I mean is that Goffin is just a much less good version of Djokovic and the nature of their games, on a slow court, is that it's entirely possible for every game to go the same way whereas a proper power player on a fast court will always stay competitive even if they're no great shakes (think Muller a few years ago beating Nadal).

Come on, Guidooo!

Funny how draws can look with hindsight:

If Djoko gets to the final, Goffin will have been the highest ranked player he has faced, and one of two seeds in the 20's. 
If Nadal gets to the SF, he won't have faced a single seed.
If Federer gets to the SF, he will have faced three seeds, #27, #17 and #8

Each of them have dropped 1 set so far.  Those of us who thought Nadal's being seeded #3 was the most significant part of the draw may have been vindicated by the end of today.

barrystar wrote:If Djoko gets to the final, Goffin will have been the highest ranked player he has faced. 

Fed asleep on 1st serve.

And gets broken. Wake the fuck uppp

Ooof - both Federer and Murray drop serve simultaneously.  In what's been a tight match so far, Murray's may well be determinative of the final set.  Let's hope Fed's will not be.

If Fed gets to the SF and faces Nadal, a start like that would be pretty much game over.

Stfu @Becker, I wouldnt mind a 5 setter today, listen to that shit while he sells his trophies to feed himself, prick.

chum jetze

Expect a quick 6:3 from Fed now.

In my opinion, both Federer and Nadal have to win today for either of them to have a chance in the final against Djokovic.
If it's either Nadal vs Nishi, or Fed vs Querrey, it wouldn't build up enough confidence to face Djokovic.

Fed unsettled, easy man easy, crush himmm

Agut lookin good, 4:1 up in 4th.

Federer wouldn't beat a blanket on this form, let alone Nadal, Querry, or Djokovic

A challenge to catch the breath.

Ffs come onnnn now, get some of the ammunition out.

Damn - that was an important hold for Nishikori.  God the Courts are slow - if he gets past this struggle he'll struggle vs. Nadal, let alone Djoko.  His supporters looking very nervous.

If Fed loses today, the tournament is also over for Rafa.

DEC1M8 wrote:If Fed loses today, the tournament is also over for Rafa.

Weak jinxing.

No it’s not jinxing, this time.
I thought before today, Nadal would beat Fed (in 4 sets) if they met. Beating Fed would give Nadal the confidence to believe against Djokovic.
If Nadal’s form isn’t good enough to beat Fed, he has no chance against Djokovic anyway.

Fed beaten fairly in 1st set, Nishi even done a lot of S&V

Wake the fuck up Fed, go go go quick ones now and time for some good old magic.

barrystar wrote:Damn - that was an important hold for Nishikori.  God the Courts are slow - if he gets past this struggle he'll struggle vs. Nadal, let alone Djoko.  His supporters looking very nervous.

https://video.eurosport.fr/tennis/wimbledon/2019/video-les-balles-de-wimbledon-plus-grosses-quailleurs-6-cest-enorme_vid1218498/video.shtml

Those guys are saying exactly what I have been saying the last 15 yars!. Balls are 6% bigger than the rest of the tour.

6% is huge considering that the more the ball spins, the more it slows down and the harder it is to inject pace into it and the muscle you have the easier it is to inject pace.

Added to that the second week as less grass it makes it a slower tournament than the French. That is how teh FO had more breaks than Wimbledon in 2008 or 10.

They also say that the bounce is 30cm higher than before the change of balls (2002).