Wimbledon 2013: Day 9 Men's QF

Day 8 been and gone, we have the last 4 ladies standing.
Men's turn to fight for the semi-final spots next:

Centre Court
1.00pm
GENTLEMEN'S SINGLES - QUARTER-FINALS
David Ferrer (ESP) [4]
v
Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) [8]

Fernando Verdasco (ESP)
v
Andy Murray (GBR) [2]


No.1 Court
1.00pm

Novak Djokovic (SRB) [1]
v
Tomas Berdych (CZE) [7]

Lukasz Kubot (POL)
v
Jerzy Janowicz (POL) [24]

Definitely the line-up few could have predicted...Let's hope for a good day of tennis...whatever that means these days!



One thing breaks my heart when I see this line-up: not one single backhand left. Sad times for Wimbledon...  

Hope Delpo can do it...but I see

Ferrer, Verdasco, Jerzy and Djoko.

Cannot see verdasco beating murray, set at best.

Tenez wrote:Hope Delpo can do it...but I see

Ferrer, Verdasco, Jerzy and Djoko.

Same here.

luvsports! wrote:Cannot see verdasco beating murray, set at best.

 Verdasco might lose it emotionally but he has the power to blast past Murray. If he plays like he played so far he has a chance. Not sure he lost a set even.

I haven't seen Versasco play in Wimbledon( or even on grass - ever) but if he is in his AO. 2009 form, Murray should not be a problem.

My picks:

Delpo, Murray, Berdy, Kubot

legendkillar wrote:My picks:

Delpo, Murray, Berdy, Kubot

 Right the opposite of my choice ....I think you are right about picking Murray...the rest not so.

I don't know Tenbo. I think there is a sting in the tail somewhere still. I do fancy Delpo and I do wonder what Jerzy has left in the tank. Berdy I think could upset the apple cart. I think the occasion will get to Nando.

Delpo could retire early here after a heavy fall. 
He's crying whilst he's playing. Fight on delpo!!!

6-2! wow! Go on Delpo!!!

Delpo being more aggressive than usual because of the injury!

1st set novak

so after djoko goes to the aussie bar and has a "walkabout" (not that bad was it?), he comes from 3-0 to lead 4-3 2nd set

the most amazing 2 points to win save and then win a TB and the match from Delpo.

Berdych living to his reputation...could have easily been 2 sets up but loses in 3!

To be 2 breaks up on the World No.1 and give them back is a crime. That's what goes with being number 1. Does the guy across the net have the same belief than the other. Berdych clearly didn't.

But Berdych never did....be it world number 1 or against almost any player ranked above him.

Verdasco playing not as good as previous round still wins that first set.

wow 2-0 nando. Murray is playing poorly.

Murray breaks. Even though he plays with fear. Without the help of the crowd he would already have lost this match.
Anyway, i hope murray wins, it's the only chance on a reasonable exiting final.

Wimby crowd are such fairweather fans. Only sing when ya winning!
Olympic crowd were so much better!

nah, this crowd helps him a lot, besides Andy knows how to get the crowd involved.

so fifth set, Andy the strong favorite now

True, Murray is favorite to win this one now but I think the real winner is JJ as facing this Murray would be easier on him than facing this Verdasco...

Based on the fifth set, Tobasco deserves the victory.

Verdasco does not feel any pressure it seems, Andy is paralyzed by it. He'll never win this Wimbledon edition if he can't play more freely than this

I hate it that murray played such defensive & passive tennis to win through and the guy going for his shots got beaten.
If he wasn't british i deffo wud support nando over murray

gallery play wrote:Murray breaks. Even though he plays with fear. Without the help of the crowd he would already have lost this match.
Anyway, i hope murray wins, it's the only chance on a reasonable exiting final.

 He does doesn't he? Understandable as he has the pressure of a whole nation.

But again....lungs and legs make the difference nowadays......even on grass.

I did not see the last 3 sets... Murray got a close escape...pretty similar to his Gasquet escape....you just knew that Verdasco was going to lose over the distance.

I had a most wonderful day at Wimbledon today, saw both matches on C1 (even a bit of oldies doubles!)
I'll write a bit more about it tomorrow.

you went again?!?!? jealous! take me please haha

I knew Fiasco wouldn't be able to deliver when it counted.

Murray has to improve or he will be dead meat against Djokovic.

I had a fabulous day at Wimbledon yesterday.
The weather was perfect, the tennis was good, I saw Nole-Berd, JJ-Kubot and "senior" doubles: Santoro&Ruds vs Martin&Glimestob.
The crowd was super, but you usually get a bit more it you get involved yourself.

Part of my Wimbledon enjoyment is to try and talk to people. After all we all belong to the one and only Tennis Nation!
So.....there were two Brit girls (Nole fans) born in Florida next to me (with American accent) asking me to teach them how to say: Marry me Nole in Serbian!
They were oooooing and yaaaying all the time and even I got infected and joined them....( )
Then there was an elderly lady on the other side from Devon, munching on her finely sliced strawberries brought in a plastic box from home (no cream, of course!) who shared her pulling-off drop-shot secret with me.

And then there was the star of the show : The Yank.
Just like me, he was in a spectacular mood partly helped by Pimms (in his case, def not partly, he sounded like he'd had 10   )
I was gutted I ran out of battery so couldn't video him more....He was hilarious!!!!

https://s1118.photobucket.com/user/noleisthebest/library/Wimbledon%202013%20Day%209?sort=3&page=1

legendkillar wrote:My picks:

Delpo, Murray, Berdy, Kubot

 So 2 out of 4...like me.

I must say Delpo surprised me. He has a bad record v Ferrer so with his knee I was going to give him even less of a chance.

Verdy surprised me positively......but delivering those risky shots at the end of tight 5 sets...he was bouind to lose.

Jerzy and Djoko went as I planned.

noleisthebest wrote:I had a fabulous day at Wimbledon yesterday.
The weather was perfect, the tennis was good, I saw Nole-Berd, JJ-Kubot and "senior" doubles: Santoro&Ruds vs Martin&Glimestob.
The crowd was super, but you usually get a bit more it you get involved yourself.

Part of my Wimbledon enjoyment is to try and talk to people. After all we all belong to the one and only Tennis Nation!
So.....there were two Brit girls (Nole fans) born in Florida next to me (with American accent) asking me to teach them how to say: Marry me Nole in Serbian!
They were oooooing and yaaaying all the time and even I got infected and joined them....( )
Then there was an elderly lady on the other side from Devon, munching on her finely sliced strawberries brought in a plastic box from home (no cream, of course!) who shared her pulling-off drop-shot secret with me.

And then there was the star of the show : The Yank.
Just like me, he was in a spectacular mood partly helped by Pimms (in his case, def not partly, he sounded like he'd had 10   )
I was gutted I ran out of battery so couldn't video him more....He was hilarious!!!!

https://s1118.photobucket.com/user/noleisthebest/library/Wimbledon%202013%20Day%209?sort=3&page=1

Excellent clips NITB.....This guy was very funny.
 Probably one of those millionaires with too much money trotting the globe from places to be to the next one.

You could hardly be better placed. The umpire chair is the only next step up! How did you manage to get those?

Tenez wrote:
Excellent clips NITB.....This guy was very funny.
 Probably one of those millionaires with too much money trotting the globe from places to be to the next one.

You could hardly be better placed. The umpire chair is the only next step up! How did you manage to get those?

Oh, that's a top secret... let's  say I have a very special friend in this world  

btw, the Yank lives in Paris and among other things said he saw Santoro's first ever match in RG (which he did not miss the opportunity of telling him to which Santoro responded with stg I didn't understand, of course, so they had a banter and a good laugh), He also told me to cheer for Brian Brothers which are going for a Calendar slam and many other things, he was one of those people who was happy to be alive and enjoyed his time in Wimbledon immensely.
He was particularly funny trying to get a lesson in Polish language from a few Polish fans, so kept tongue-twisting all the time, particularly Kubot's name...which the Poles (fans) lost the patience with and said: it's just like Robot! Get it? KU-BOT  RO-BOT!
So the Yank was kuboting and roboting for the whole set....at one stage shouting out Koooubot, come on, it's 4th of July tomorrow!!!

I have just realised I doubled one clip, so have replaced it with the one I originally meant, it's called The Yank Has A View.....unfortunately in that one I ran out of video memory (so had to clear some of my older clips in order to video him more until the battery went nearly flat)

The Yank is hoping to become a Youtube star, but he'll have to settle for OTF, which is where only the best tennis fans like us and him gather

Andy's take on skill vs stamina:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/23174104

If anything, it's more likely that a player's endurance ability is something I'd find it hard to compete against. If you know someone can outlast you, it puts a lot more pressure on the beginning of the match. If someone just has a big shot then you can try to find ways to take that away from them. On the physical side, you can't stop someone from being fit.

Reminds me of when he played feds at the 02. He said it wasn't a great match as there wasn't very many long rallies (like there was in his djoko 02 match). 
Interesting how these players think. Him and feds think differently about these things.

summerblues wrote:Andy's take on skill vs stamina:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/23174104

If anything, it's more likely that a player's endurance ability is something I'd find it hard to compete against. If you know someone can outlast you, it puts a lot more pressure on the beginning of the match. If someone just has a big shot then you can try to find ways to take that away from them. On the physical side, you can't stop someone from being fit.

 Amen to that. That's why the mental side is so messed up when dealing with a physical player.

Yesterday is again the perfect example. The one mentally stronger able to go for his big shots yesterday was Verdasco (!) the one winning the match and "appearing" the mentally stronger at the end was the physical player, Murray.

Murray gave the very reason why he went for physical stamina instead of developing an aggressive and versatile game. To be able to play aggressive it has to be rewarding....nowadays with string and court pace, it's simply a bad choice....even on grass. Unless you are blessed with Fed's talent.

In my view Djoko is going to win this one. Though I hope Delpo can do it....Jerzy would be my second favourite.

Tenez wrote: Amen to that.

I knew you would like it

I wonder why he brought it up now - surely not in the context of his match against Jerzy or Fernando.  Is he thinking ahead to the potential final and worrying about Nole?

Tenez wrote:Murray gave the very reason why he went for physical stamina instead of developing an aggressive and versatile game. To be able to play aggressive it has to be rewarding....nowadays with string and court pace, it's simply a bad choice....

Ah, you added a bit.

But can you blame him?  It is not the players' fault - their role is to try to win as much as possible in the conditions they are given, not to play pretty tennis.  It is the tennis governing bodies that would be the ones to do something about it.

summerblues wrote:

Tenez wrote: Amen to that.

I knew you would like it

I wonder why he brought it up now - surely not in the context of his match against Jerzy or Fernando.  Is he thinking ahead to the potential final and worrying about Nole?

 Yes...that's his key problem v Nole...and was v Nadal.

summerblues wrote:

Ah, you added a bit.

But can you blame him?  It is not the players' fault - their role is to try to win as much as possible in the conditions they are given, not to play pretty tennis.  It is the tennis governing bodies that would be the ones to do something about it.

 Correct and I don't blame them...or I should not rather...but nowadays in this current era there is only one way to get really fitter and those who choose to go the physical route are usually those ready to break the rules.

If you are built and run fast like Bolt while running as long as a marathonian...it means something weird is going on behind the curtains. If somehow one still relies on talent to win then one could be forgiven...even if one also breaks the rules.

summerblues wrote:

Tenez wrote: Amen to that.

I knew you would like it

I wonder why he brought it up now - surely not in the context of his match against Jerzy or Fernando.  Is he thinking ahead to the potential final and worrying about Nole?

Nole is not fitter than Murray. He is just lighter and more energy efficient and can last longer because of that. I watched him twice this Wimbledon and esp yesterday from very close up, his long rallies don't include as much muscling as Murray's although, Murray does save a lot of energy using his BH slice which is not that great against Nole who jumps on it gladly.
If it comes to the final between the two, it will be the nerves that kill Murray, not Nole's fitness. Knowing he can't outrun Nole and knowing how much of running and consistent retrieving he'll have to invest in the match in order just to stay in it and hope Nole collapses like in that USO final so he can win, he'll just crumble as usual.
Neither of the two have any real weapons, but if Nole's serve clicks in, he'll be coming to the net and trying to finish points like that as much as possible.

noleisthebest wrote:

summerblues wrote:

Tenez wrote: Amen to that.

I knew you would like it

I wonder why he brought it up now - surely not in the context of his match against Jerzy or Fernando.  Is he thinking ahead to the potential final and worrying about Nole?

Nole is not fitter than Murray. He is just lighter and more energy efficient and can last longer because of that. I watched him twice this Wimbledon and esp yesterday from very close up, his long rallies don't include as much muscling as Murray's although, Murray does save a lot of energy using his BH slice which is not that great against Nole who jumps on it gladly.
If it comes to the final between the two, it will be the nerves that kill Murray, not Nole's fitness. Knowing he can't outrun Nole and knowing how much of running and consistent retrieving he'll have to invest in the match in order just to stay in it and hope Nole collapses like in that USO final so he can win, he'll just crumble as usual.
Neither of the two have any real weapons, but if Nole's serve  clicks in, he'll be coming to the net and trying to finish points like that as much as possible.

 That's what Murray means....the rest he doesn't care.

Djoko 2012 AO was unbelievable, like 11 hours in 3 days.

I don't think he's breaking any rules, I think his passion and determination gives him the adrenaline (thus energy) to keep fighting even when tired.