Roland Garros 2013: Day 7 01/06/2013

And it's one set in the bag for Nole, 6:2. Can he finish the match tonight?

Dimi is a talented scrapper. I realise that his best perf on clay were down to his retireving skills.

He is not in the match here...>>Djoko very focused.

Wow, Isner 4:1 in the third!

Tenez wrote:Dimi is a talented scrapper. I realise that his best perf on clay were down to his retireving skills.

He is not in the match here...>>Djoko very focused.

Last night when I looked for that interview link, I actually read Dimi's last interview, and was/was not surprised with this comment:


Q. What's it really like to be playing Djokovic and have a chance to get in the fourth round?

GRIGOR DIMITROV: I mean, it's a great feeling, obviously. I'm going to smile coming out on the court. That's the one thing. Smiling won't win the match. (Smiling.) It's a great feeling, and again, it's the third round. Definitely on a big court. Good odds, I mean, for everything. So, you know, most important thing is just to, you know, to go out there obviously and just try to of course try to enjoy the game. And in the same time I'm really looking forward to play at my best. And you never know what's going to happen. But, I mean, I don't think I can explain the feeling, you know, going out on court and being able to compete.

Q. What do you like the most about playing on a really big court?

GRIGOR DIMITROV: Well, everything. You have more space to run, obviously. You know, it's more crowded, and I think the whole flare in the air, you just feel it. It's a big thing. It's a big court. Obviously things are coming also to you, as well, and you try to do the best you can and obviously brings you good thoughts.

Nole grinding Dimi to dust!
I can't believe he actually lost to him a few weeks ago.

Commentators saying Dimi is disadvantaged by the racquet he is playing, apparently same one as Sampras's.

Nole breaks.

noleisthebest wrote:Nole grinding Dimi to dust!
I can't believe he actually lost to him a few weeks ago.

Yes. That's the word.

Dimitrov really disappointing. He has only spent a few hours on court this entire tournament and looks so lethargic and clueless.

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Nole grinding Dimi to dust!
I can't believe he actually lost to him a few weeks ago.

Yes. That's the word.

And the worst is, Dimi is falling for it, totally gutless. He is playing a DBHanders game with a SBH, not good.

I like listening to Jim Courier commentate, really good!
He is giving Dimi another 18 months to become the full package. About right, he's got a long way to go if he wants to live up to the hype that precedes him.

WOW!!!!!!

Haas comes back from 1:4 to 5:5 in the 5th!!!!
Apparently Isner had a match point.

Nole in the 3rd gear here, not even tested by Dimitrov.
Almost experimenting by going for the FH deep corners now and again, just to keep them tuned in for the semifinal

Isner in his grind clutch survival Wimbledon court 18 mood: all he wants to do is keep his serve and hopes Haas combusts.
Does not even move for the drop-shots.

If Haas loses this he will be kicking himself.

Nole takes the 2nd 6:2, as well

Stan does The Shot return against JJ, earns the match point...and takes it!
Playing Gasquet next.

Nole up a break in the third

Haas-Isner 8:8 in the fifth, and going nowhere fast

Haas breaks and serves for the match!!!
Watching two matches at the same time, good fun!

And Haas finally ends the agony by taking the match point number 13.

Fresh Youzhny waits in the QF.

Nole double break up in the third 4:1.

Superb win & match from Nole, was in his No Pasarant mode from the start and showed Dimi the way to practice court.

Safe mix of suffocating grinding and excellent serving was enough to dispatch Dimitrov more than comfortably today.

Dimitrov should go back home and rethink his game-plan, baseline scrambling is not going to get him anywhere fast, he is nowhere near as quick as Roger or strong as Stan to be able to afford rallying from the baseline as a SBH-er.
Did not show any plan B when faced with Nole wall today and it was very disappointing.

Order of play out for tomorrow:

Phillippe Chatrier 10.00 AM UK time

Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)vs.Angelique Kerber (GER) [8]
Serena Williams (USA) [1]vs.Roberta Vinci (ITA) [15]
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) [6]vs.Viktor Troicki (SRB)
Gilles Simon (FRA) [15]vs.Roger Federer (SUI) [2]

Suzanne Lenglen 10.00 AM UK time

Kevin Anderson (RSA) [23]vs.David Ferrer (ESP) [4]
Tommy Robredo (ESP) [32]vs.Nicolas Almagro (ESP) [11]
Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) [20]vs.Sara Errani (ITA) [5]
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [4]vs.Ana Ivanovic (SRB) [14]

Theres 35yr old "weak era" Haas making it to the second week upsetting Isner ( the stronger,more verssitle era) along the way....

Is Haas really 35!!!

Great set of SBH-rs left in the draw: Haas, Kohlschreiber, Fed, Stan, Robredo,Youzhny, Gasquet, Almagro, SUPER!!!!!

Veejay wrote:Theres 35yr old "weak era" Haas making it to the second week upsetting Isner ( the stronger,more verssitle era) along the way....

Yes I wish Federer was as fit as Haas.

noleisthebest wrote:Is Haas really 35!!!

Great set of SBH-rs left in the draw: Haas, Kohlschreiber, Fed, Stan, Robredo,Youzhny, Gasquet, Almagro, SUPER!!!!!

Yes it's a bizarre but recent trend.

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Is Haas really 35!!!

Great set of SBH-rs left in the draw: Haas, Kohlschreiber, Fed, Stan, Robredo,Youzhny, Gasquet, Almagro, SUPER!!!!!

Yes it's a bizarre but recent trend.

What's your explanation for it, maturity, stamina/strength, experience?

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Is Haas really 35!!!

Great set of SBH-rs left in the draw: Haas, Kohlschreiber, Fed, Stan, Robredo,Youzhny, Gasquet, Almagro, SUPER!!!!!

Yes it's a bizarre but recent trend.

Not only that..Haas is ranked 12th!!

noleisthebest wrote:

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Is Haas really 35!!!

Great set of SBH-rs left in the draw: Haas, Kohlschreiber, Fed, Stan, Robredo,Youzhny, Gasquet, Almagro, SUPER!!!!!

Yes it's a bizarre but recent trend.

What's your explanation for it, maturity, stamina/strength, experience?

Not sure really but maturity of those talented players seems the main reason to me. The balls look less bouncy also than in the past...don't you think?

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Is Haas really 35!!!

Great set of SBH-rs left in the draw: Haas, Kohlschreiber, Fed, Stan, Robredo,Youzhny, Gasquet, Almagro, SUPER!!!!!

Yes it's a bizarre but recent trend.

What's your explanation for it, maturity, stamina/strength, experience?

Not sure really but maturity of those talented players seems the main reason to me. The balls look less bouncy also than in the past...don't you think?

That's good!
Maybe that explains why Nadal is tiring so quickly and has been so frustrated with the scheduling

BTW, why are the balls less bouncy, because of the balls themselves or because the clay may be damp from all the rain?
I hope the former.

..don't know....don't even know if they are less bouncy. It appears so. Probably the cool temps.

Can Federer win tomorrow his 243rd consecutive slam 1/4F?

Tenez wrote:Can Federer win tomorrow his 243rd consecutive slam 1/4F?

I can't really see Simon stopping him. Last time they played in Rome, Fed utterly destroyed him and played some totally phenomenal tennis.

btw, a scary figure that is!

What's the real number? It goes back to FO 2004, correct? so reaching 1/4F 9 years in a row...tomorrow? 36?...well 35 so far, lets not jinx it.

noleisthebest wrote:Order of play out for tomorrow:

Phillippe Chatrier 10.00 AM UK time

Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)vs.Angelique Kerber (GER) [8]
Serena Williams (USA) [1]vs.Roberta Vinci (ITA) [15]
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) [6]vs.Viktor Troicki (SRB)
Gilles Simon (FRA) [15]vs.Roger Federer (SUI) [2]

Suzanne Lenglen 10.00 AM UK time

Kevin Anderson (RSA) [23]vs.David Ferrer (ESP) [4]
Tommy Robredo (ESP) [32]vs.Nicolas Almagro (ESP) [11]
Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) [20]vs.Sara Errani (ITA) [5]
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [4]vs.Ana Ivanovic (SRB) [14]

My picks are (please transfer them to the appropriate thread):
Kuznetsova, Williams, Tsonga, Federer, Ferrer, Almagro, Errani, Ivanovic.

Heavy rains in Bangalore has power outage in some places and my Internet service provider is suffering downtime. Couldn't access internet at all since yesterday morning. Today being Sunday, I don't think it will be corrected either today.

So still wait for the points table. I'll keep my promise of a full tounament. no matter what.

You a star Rotla!