Most Memorable Moments Of 2013

In terms of tennis itself, for me, 2013 is a year to forget.

I can't recall a single match I'll want to see on replay.
There have been some occasional sparks and sets, but even they are a blur now.
In fact, the only thing I can remember from all of 2013 was a set Federer played against Simon earlier in the year, as well as a set against Robredo at USO.

A few sublime shots  from Dolgo, mad rides  from Paire, Nole's win in Monte Carlo, a nice run from Berankis in AO, several chokes from Stan & Ferrer... and these:

I think it has to be Djokovic throwing away the french open title by touching the net, and Nadal pointing at the net all obnoxiously.

I can't really remember anything from this year. Every time I think of a match, its from last year. I'm not sure if its because I haven't had time to watch matches or that it was such an uninspiring year. I used to be able to roll off a list of all the grand slam quarter finalists, but I had to dig really deep to remember who was in the Australian Open final now!

Good grief...just had a look back at the 2013 ATP calendar. Did Nadal really win IW, Rogers Cup and Cinci.

Don't usually watch WTA, but Sabine Lisicki's run at Wimbledon was memorable for me. Power and precision. Shame she didn't win the final.

Polly 81 wrote:Good grief...just had a look back at the 2013 ATP calendar. Did Nadal really win IW, Rogers Cup and Cinci.

Of course not....Wake up!  

Definitely Nole charging the net at the French. I took a day off work to watch the match on TV. For the most part, the match was not of the best quality. Especially Nole was subpar but he somehow made it to the fifth set, when the match finally took off. They both saved their best tennis for the fifth set, especially Nole came out playing fantastic and got himself a break up. After that, the momentum started shifting slowly but Nole looked like he might cross the finish line...

...until that moment. He must be still having nightmares. And nobody but himself to blame.

It's funny, but I have no memory from that match at all, and most others, but I do remember all the emotion and events around it.
That entire RG was so different in a negative way: the way Federer played and lost so meekly to Tsonga, then the way Tsonga lost even more meekly to Ferrer who then obliged to the trend and lost meekly to Nadal (he did put up a bit of fight though).
With Nole, it was heartbreak from start to finish.
I don't think his ankle was 100% which may explain his unusual, cautious movement.
Plus the death of his coach he called second mother, not being able to attend her funeral...and all that desire that burned and burned him all that time.
Very dramatic.
Look forward to their rematch in 2014.
Would be worth the ticket for the final.

Yes but in a way not too different from the 2006 FO final from Nadal and Federer. Remember: Federer won 61, then had 3 points for a 2/0 up or in that 2nd set. That would have kept Nadal under pressure. Nadal was not nearly as "good" then as now.

This FO13 semi was the most dramatic match and my worst result for 2013.

noleisthebest wrote:It's funny, but I have no memory from that match at all, and most others, but I do remember all the emotion and events around it.
That entire RG was so different in a negative way: the way Federer played and lost so meekly to Tsonga, then the way Tsonga lost even more meekly to Ferrer who then obliged to the trend and lost meekly to Nadal (he did put up a bit of fight though).
With Nole, it was heartbreak from start to finish.
I don't think his ankle was 100% which may explain his unusual, cautious movement.Plus the death of his coach he called second mother, not being able to attend her funeral...and all that desire that burned and burned him all that time.
Very dramatic.
Look forward to their rematch in 2014.
Would be worth the ticket for the final.

The ankle may have played a role. Did he take a MTO? I think to remember so.

Tenez wrote:
The ankle may have played a role. Did he take a MTO? I think to remember so.

No he didn't, stop clutching at straws Tenez.
He beat Nadal at Monte Carlo after recovering from the ankle injury... why would it suddenly affect him a month later. He himself said it was no longer troubling him.

If he had his time over again, Nole would probably not have played Monte Carlo, playing on a raw ankle however well taped and numbed with painkillers could only made things worse.
I saw him live in his first match against Goffin and noticed the movement straight away.
Normally, after Nadal and Fed, he is the best mover on clay, but in that match, he looked very cautious, just not commiting with his feet.
Large part of it must have also been the fear of not reinjuring it or making it worse.

Julia Santamaria wrote:

Tenez wrote:
The ankle may have played a role. Did he take a MTO? I think to remember so.

No he didn't, stop clutching at straws Tenez.
He beat Nadal at Monte Carlo after recovering from the ankle injury... why would it suddenly affect him a month later. He himself said it was no longer troubling him.

I remember him taking a pill or going out of the court for a while. Something like that. And one thing I remember he did trip early in the first set and the camera were showing it so I am not clutching at straw...you are though obviously.

At least did you notice he played very poorly for nearly 2 sets...or were you glued to watching Nadal's shiny gorgeous muscles?  

Tenez wrote:

Julia Santamaria wrote:

Tenez wrote:
The ankle may have played a role. Did he take a MTO? I think to remember so.

No he didn't, stop clutching at straws Tenez.
He beat Nadal at Monte Carlo after recovering from the ankle injury... why would it suddenly affect him a month later. He himself said it was no longer troubling him.

I remember him taking a pill or going out of the court for a while. Something like that. And one thing I remember he did trip early in the first set and the camera were showing it so I am not clutching at straw...you are though obviously.

At least did you notice he played very poorly for nearly 2 sets...or were you glued to watching Nadal's shiny gorgeous muscles?  

He left to go to the toilet, not sure that means anything.
And I can't remember him tripping up in the first set either.

And whether he 'played poorly' or not is your judgement- Nadal's record in the French Open can make someone believe there have been 50+ people playing poorly against him with the exception of Soderling in a row.

noleisthebest wrote:I saw him live in his first match against Goffin and noticed the movement straight away.

Yes I noticed the movement too, I noticed there was nothing wrong with the movement.

'The ankle is not bothering me anymore' was Djokovic's comment:
http://msn.foxsports.com/tennis/story/novak-djokovic-says-injured-ankle-not-bothering-him-anymore-051213



How many excuses are you building for the FO match now?
We've heard:
-Djokovic took a MTO (not true)
-Djokovic took a pill (ditto)
-NITB noticed movement from Djokovic (unlike normal when he's static I suppose?)
-The fact the courts weren't watered inbetween sets (which isn't normally the case anyway) 'unfairly' cost Djokovic the match
-Djokovic had an ankle injury, even though he said it wasn't bothering him

The memorable moments from 2013 for me are:

1. The 1st Set of AO QF match between Stan Wawrinka and Djokovic. The tennis Stan played in that first set was probably the greatest I've seen in many years. In fact Stan played the most fantastic tennis of this year in my opinion. 


2. Fed hitting  a shot passing winner across the net at W 1st round.

3. The best S&V tennis is a long long time by Sergiy Stakhovsky at W 2nd round against Fed. Simply fantastic.

4. Fed losing to Tommy Robredo in st. sets at USopen 4th round.

5. Delpo beating Nadal at Shanghai semis.

Julia Santamaria wrote:Yes I noticed the movement too, I noticed there was nothing wrong with the movement.
The ankle is not bothering me anymore' was Djokovic's comment:
http://msn.foxsports.com/tennis/story/novak-djokovic-says-injured-ankle-not-bothering-him-anymore-051213
How many excuses are you building for the FO match now?
We've heard:
-Djokovic took a MTO (not true)
-Djokovic took a pill (ditto)
-NITB noticed movement from Djokovic (unlike normal when he's static I suppose?)
-The fact the courts weren't watered inbetween sets (which isn't normally the case anyway) 'unfairly' cost Djokovic the match
-Djokovic had an ankle injury, even though he said it wasn't bothering him

I am not surprised with your comment.
You are not very perceptive of finer aspects of the game, especially players' movement. You couldn't even discern between Nadal's fake leg problem in his loss to Darcis, yet it was Darcis who actually carried an injury and a serious one.
As a Nadal fan you are used to him and his uncle always moaning about something. So much so that apparently even Andrew Castle started citing "knee" excuses as it was becoming apparent Nadal was going to lose the WTF final to Nole.

Most players carry minor injuries all the time, sometimes they play through a lot of pain and discomfort.
But no player worth his/her salt will moan or advertise them.

Even at my short experience of club level I have quickly learnt that's it only the cheaters that mention excuses even before the play start: I haven't played for ages, I've had a cold, etc etc...and then you see them seething after every point they lose,  because that is one thing they fear and hate most.

But anyway, this is digressing from the original topic.

noleisthebest wrote:

Julia Santamaria wrote:Yes I noticed the movement too, I noticed there was nothing wrong with the movement.
The ankle is not bothering me anymore' was Djokovic's comment:
http://msn.foxsports.com/tennis/story/novak-djokovic-says-injured-ankle-not-bothering-him-anymore-051213
How many excuses are you building for the FO match now?
We've heard:
-Djokovic took a MTO (not true)
-Djokovic took a pill (ditto)
-NITB noticed movement from Djokovic (unlike normal when he's static I suppose?)
-The fact the courts weren't watered inbetween sets (which isn't normally the case anyway) 'unfairly' cost Djokovic the match
-Djokovic had an ankle injury, even though he said it wasn't bothering him

I am not surprised with your comment.
You are not very perceptive of finer aspects of the game, especially players' movement. You couldn't even discern between Nadal's fake leg problem in his loss to Darcis, yet it was Darcis who actually carried an injury and a serious one.

Djokovic was moving fine in the French Open, that much was clear.
I actually said at the time both Nadal and Darcis looked uncomfortable during the Wimbledon match; Nadal more so as he couldn't even run to get drop shots.
Not to say that Darcis didn't deserve the win; turning up fully fit to a match is part and parcel of tennis.

Well Djoko thrashed Nadal at MC a few weeks earlier...so a sudden loss could certainly be explained. And the funny thing is that despite playing poorly, very poorly, Djoko was close to cross the line first and it was not Nadal's brio that saved him, it was Djoko's schoolboy error.

Comprendes?

Nothing better than a Djoko Nadal discussion to breath life into a forum!  

Tenez wrote:Well Djoko thrashed Nadal at MC a few weeks earlier...so a sudden loss could certainly be explained. And the funny thing is that despite playing poorly, very poorly, Djoko was close to cross the line first and it was not Nadal's brio that saved him, it was Djoko's schoolboy error.

Comprendes?

Did Nadal get 'thrashed' at MC? The first set yes, not the second set surely?? It was a tiebreak, and Nadal was even serving for the second set IIRC. If he had served it out, Nadal could have won the match.
And you say Djokovic was playing 'very poorly', but don't you always say that whenever Djokovic loses to Nadal. Isn't it a coincidence?

And you say it was Djokovic's error, if you can remember Nadal couldn't convert that break point after Djokovic ran into the net... it was only after a few deuces Nadal could break. And even then it was 4-4, so it didn't actually give Nadal the lead at all.
Honestly instead of still making pathetic excuses just admit Nadal won, and Djokovic lost  

Tenez wrote:Nothing better than a Djoko Nadal discussion to  breath life into a forum!  

There's no discussion here, you and NITB just clutching at straws because Nadal beat Djokovic in the French Open  

Remember after the French Open Tenez, their next meeting was in Montreal and Nadal won that too.

Julia Santamaria wrote:And you say Djokovic was playing 'very poorly', but don't you always say that whenever Djokovic loses to Nadal. Isn't it a coincidence?

Of course....Everybody knows that Djoko owns Nadal. What happened again in their last  2 encounters? And Djoko was extremely tired...he could not even play the double in that DC...yet he trashed, yes thrashed, Nadal.

You know I always say what I see....nothing more nothing less.

Speak of the devil , Toni announced "they" are planning to equal Laver's double slam (have 2 of each slams), i.e. win AO 2014.
We all know what that means...one gory, ugly, physical final....I just hope Nole manages to serve well and keep his focus and composure. He loves those medium hard courts in Melbourne, so I hope they don't get slowed down.

I really don't want him to win by outlasting, though...I don't think he'd survive another one of those AO 2012 marathons
The 2013 version of Nadal's physical level has been scary, and I have a sneaking feeling he'll reach the new "highs" in January...

noleisthebest wrote:... those medium hard courts in Melbourne, so I hope they don't get slowed down.

cough cough! Medium pace? unless they cover them with a rat glue trap coat they won't get any slower.

I really don't want him to win by outlasting, though...I don't think he'd survive another one of those AO 2012 marathons
The 2013 version of Nadal's physical level has been scary, and I have a sneaking feeling he'll reach the new "highs" in January.

It's only 6 or 7 weeks away, time flies...

Tenez wrote:

Julia Santamaria wrote:And you say Djokovic was playing 'very poorly', but don't you always say that whenever Djokovic loses to Nadal. Isn't it a coincidence?

Of course....Everybody knows that Djoko owns Nadal.

Good logic this:
-Nadal overall has a 22-17 H2H against Djokovic
-Whenever Djokovic beats Nadal, it's because Nole deserves full credit
-Whenever Nadal beats Djokovic, it's because he played very very poorly, and whatever other excuse you can randomly make up on the spot (weren't you rambling on about some pill earlier?)

So therefore Djokovic 'owns' Nadal, as in all fair matches Djokovic has won. Given that Djokovic thus owns him we can now assume that all other Nadal wins are due to extenuating circumstances... blah blah blah and now we're back on this mythical self-perpetuating cycle which you've made up .

Tenez wrote:
And Djoko was extremely tired...he could not even play the double in that DC...yet he trashed, yes thrashed, Nadal.

Oh thank goodness, here I was thinking one break a set was not a thrashing, but now you've put it in bold letters we can now know for sure that it was.
Compared to the very close match at Monte Carlo 2012, Nadal winning 6-3 6-1 was a real nail-biter.

Tenez wrote:
You know I always say what I see....nothing more nothing less.

No you don't, you make up whatever nonsense you see fit to boost your pre-held ideas.

btw you said you would reply on the 'hypocritical' thread- but you haven't.