Miami 2018

What’s going on with Djokovic? He can’t be breathing heavy already, either this is his acting beyond previous levels or something weird is going on.

I don’t buy a short break can do this to him.

bogbrush wrote:What’s going on with Djokovic? He can’t be breathing heavy already, either this is his acting beyond previous levels or something weird is going on.

I don’t buy a short break can do this to him.

Low confidence.
(hence the acting etc)

Well....then downhill after that. He is not healed yet. He is not going to stop rafa on clay. That's for sure.

There is nothing wrong with him.

I don’t care...so long as that stupid wife who has chased away all his coaches is looking miserable in the box.

Djoko is starting to get on my nerve. He is a bit of a drama queen! He really wants us to know that he is not 100%.

Just focus and get on with it!

Can you imagine if he was playing Federer or Nadal? He wouldn’t get a game.
His only hope is the braindead player on the other side today.

Tenez wrote:Djoko is starting to get on my nerve. He is a bit of a drama queen! He really wants us to know that he is not 100%.

Just focus and get on with it!

You’ve just realised this?

World Class correction!

Wrong, but deafeningly decisive.

Tenez wrote:Djoko is starting to get on my nerve. He is a bit of a drama queen! He really wants us to know that he is not 100%.

Just focus and get on with it!

It’s both pathetic and embarrassing...plus the grunting.

He really should grow up...and hove some self-respect.

The wife is on the edge of her seat...will her “new age” Hollywood friends still love her and party invitations dry up if Nole loses..

So Djoko 2 days ago says: Finally I feel no pain playing, today goes home. He is on a different planet.

noleisthebest wrote:He really should grow up...

That's what it is. Bizarrely he seems very mature on other aspects.

Very poor from Rublev. 5/1 up.....but find himself SP down.

This Nike pick and black gear is not helping the juniors! Only Chung is doing well and he ain't wearing this ugly thing!

Tenez wrote:Very poor from Rublev. 5/1 up.....but find himself SP down.

And loses the TB from 3/0 up!


He is very 1D. Being 1d with lots of margins a la Nadal can work very well. But being 1D while having such small margins, it's very dangerous!

And Rublev messing up 3 break back points at 54..loses the second set 64. Very disappointing. he was volleying a bit more a few months ago.

Tenez wrote:He is very 1D.

He is the ultimate ball basher. There is nobody out there whom the term ball basher describes better.

I saw he was up 4:0 in the first set, and now I get home and see he lost in straights

Tenez wrote:Bizarrely he seems very mature on other aspects.

Does he?  I am trying to think of whether I would term him "mature" and I am not sure.  He strikes me as quite intelligent, and he can certainly express himself well.  But not sure I would see him as "mature".

Tenez wrote:He is not going to stop rafa on clay. That's for sure.

We will have to hope that Rafa will be off-form; I do not see anyone giving a fit Rafa much trouble.  Who would have a chance?  Delpo?  Chung?  Thiem if he finds form?  Someone else if they manage a one-off freak performance?  I am not optimistic.

Delpo and Chung for sure can take sets off Nadal. Winning is another matter.

Shapovalov cruising.

The main challenge to Nadal is whether this hip thing is sorted. Obviously Djokovic isn’t a threat to the level of a Ferrer never mind Nadal, Federer won’t be playing and I don’t see anyone other than Del Potro on a crazy day bothering him.

I suppose strange things can happen but it’s hard to see Nadal failing to win his 11th French Open.

Fairly comfortable for Shapovalov.  Technically it counts as an upset I suppose, since Dzumhur was seeded and Shapo was not, but Shapo always looked far superior.

Unbelievable how dull watching Zverev vs Medvedev is.  Djoko vs Murray looks entertaining in comparison.

I can’t believe how little Zverev seems that bring. I don’t see amazing speed, there’s power but nothing scary, just nothing to show why this could ever be a dominating player. 

And as you say, dead boring to watch.

Zverev is my worst Nexgen player.

Just watching Tiafoe for now. He is so "American"!. Funny guy though. I don;t mind him.

Kyle lost that 3rd set due to fitness. Well he hasn;t lost yet....

Anyone got a link for Fed?
Can’t open bet 365 for some reason.

I am on tennisTv..quite good.

Fed is either tired or his back is playing up

I quit tennis tv a few years ago...useless customer service.

Fed playing terrible here.

Finally got it working...

What ugly spinny FH Kokkinakis has, didn’t notice it in the past.

From what I’ve just seen, Fed’s playing quite well.

Just like his spin bro Nadal, Kokkinakis clocks an avg 29 secs between points!
(and has the cheek to complain about being given time violation...)

Fed is late reacting! It looks like he knows what he should be doing but tiredness is preventing it.

Fed has no chance in this tournament. He is just too tired!

Tennis has reached the stage where it’s very difficult to win a point quickly from the baseline. Most players can rally ad nauseum.

And Fed is clearly not enjoying giving his best vs a dull Kokkikakis...so grinding the match...it’s a such a shame so few tournaments allow Federer’s talent to shine, real shame!

Come on send home this greek fuck.

Fed just floating, he should be home resting.

Someone hang the DJ noooow!

noleisthebest wrote:Tennis has reached the stage where it’s very difficult to win a point quickly from the baseline. Most players can rally ad nauseum.....

I don't think that's the reason. Fed was just still tired. If you look at the first set....it was very easy for him....then whether it is the back or simply stiffness/tiredness, he was playing without legs and that makes the task very difficult.

Tenez wrote:Fed has no chance in this tournament. He is just too tired!

He played more often matches like this in Miami. It's his American Monte Carlo: the crowd is too loud when they need to shut up. Definitly not his fav place to be.

It never was going to be easy. He came here with a nagging feeling after losing the IW final, and there was an unusual amount of pressure for a first round, because of the #1 ranking. On top of that, this Kokki guy got more cocky by the minute. I could feel Fed's annoyance: Kokki plays a lot of teasing shots but when he has the chance he pulls the trigger, and exactly tonight all those balls went in. 

The pressure is back on Nadal, since he's got the top spot back. But players who are able to take advantage of that (like kokki tonight) are hard to find on clay

yes teh number 1 race may have added some extra pressure, but frankly he made too many UEs and a lot of his shots were quite conservative and not hurting.

I don;t mind the loss as I thought he would not even bother play Miami after his IW loss. Just a shame he lost that final though.

Anyway, I feel he has no choice but to enter a clay tournament now and that is good news to me!

Tenez wrote:Anyway, I feel he has no choice but to enter a clay tournament now

I hope not!

As long as today's loss is not a sign that Fed's magic resurgence is coming to an end, I do not care much about today's result.  His goal should be try to win both Wimbledon and the USO.  Hard but not totally out of reach.  If he does that, he will be in a position to go for YE #1 anyway.

I just hope that Fed was not tanking today in order to give himself more rest for the clay court season  I really really do not want him to play clay.

... but I should add that I have this nagging feeling that Fed will play some clay this year.

Tenez wrote:yes teh number 1 race may have added some extra pressure, but frankly he made too many UEs and a lot of his shots were quite conservative and not hurting.

I don;t mind the loss as I thought he would not even bother play Miami after his IW loss. Just a shame he lost that final though.

Anyway, I feel he has no choice but to enter a clay tournament now and that is good news to me!

Yeah, totally. It looked like he was squeezing his racquet handle, he was very cramped when hitting the ball.

And i tell you he's not going to play on clay.

summerblues wrote:As long as today's loss is not a sign that Fed's magic resurgence is coming to an end, I do not care much about today's result.  His goal should be try to win both Wimbledon and the USO.  Hard but not totally out of reach.  If he does that, he will be in a position to go for YE #1 anyway.

I just hope that Fed was not tanking today in order to give himself more rest for the clay court season  I really really do not want him to play clay.

He'll try but what are the odds? USO is not AO. At least 10 players have a decent chance to beat Federer in that sandpit.
Personally i think he only cares for Wimbledon from now on.

gallery play wrote:At least 10 players have a decent chance to beat Federer in that sandpit.

Hah.  Maybe that is why bookies have Nole as the favorite to win the USO (!).  But no, I do not agree.  If Fed plays well he will have a very decent chance to win it.

gallery play wrote:Personally i think he only cares for Wimbledon from now on.

Luckily, W come before the USO rather than vice versa.  So he can give W his all and then focus on the USO with all he has left, rather than first try to decide whether or not to go all out for the USO or save himself for W.

summerblues wrote:

gallery play wrote:At least 10 players have a decent chance to beat Federer in that sandpit.

Hah.  Maybe that is why bookies have Nole as the favorite to win the USO (!).  But no, I do not agree.  If Fed plays well he will have a very decent chance to win it.

You know what?  Put 500 dollars on him!  It's a very decent chance eh?

Fed has now confirmed he will NOT be playing on clay this year. So no last minute surprise after all.