ATP Masters 1000: Monte Carlo 2018

Nadal, Thiem and Nole all in the same quarter!

p.s.
I still can’t believe Minte Carlo is getting away with a 1000 tournament status with such small draw.

Here is the draw:


http://www.protennislive.com/posting/2018/410/mds.pdf

Nice field, even Shapo is there!

Yes it is a nice draw!. Some good early round matches. Shame no Chung!

Very unbalanced draw surely? Looks incredibly top heavy . Nadal, Thiem, Djokovic, Goffin and Dimitrov all potential winners. Only Zverev from the bottom half would arguably be on that level on clay.

For once!......

I guess the Prince has not been kind to his resident Djoko, heavy draw on that side, or they are hoping a bit of a Nadal-Djoko match.

Slippy wrote:Very unbalanced draw surely? Looks incredibly top heavy . Nadal, Thiem, Djokovic, Goffin and Dimitrov all potential winners. Only Zverev from the bottom half would arguably be on that level on clay.

Only on paper.

Thiem, Goffin are coming back from injury, Dimi is all over the place, Nole had to have draw fixed for him ( ) to finally win a match...playing Lajovic tomorrow.


My match of the day is Shapo-Tsitsipas.

Really excited about these two young SBH-ers keeping our beautiful game’s flame alive!

noleisthebest wrote:

Slippy wrote:Very unbalanced draw surely? Looks incredibly top heavy . Nadal, Thiem, Djokovic, Goffin and Dimitrov all potential winners. Only Zverev from the bottom half would arguably be on that level on clay.

Only on paper.

Thiem, Goffin are coming back from injury, Dimi is all over the place, Nole had to have draw fixed for him ( ) to finally win a match...playing Lajovic tomorrow.


My match of the day is Shapo-Tsitsipas.

Really excited about these two young SBH-ers keeping our beautiful game’s flame alive!

I think Lajovic will beat him, he is good player to take advantage of the current Djoko. 

If he loses who is he going to fire next? His housemaid?

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

I think Lajovic will beat him, he is good player to take advantage of the current Djoko. 

If he loses who is he going to fire next? His housemaid?

No, she is safe.

Rotla, Nole would have beaten Lajovic today even with his left arm.

I like Nole's red and white outfit, very stylish.

As for tennis, he needs a square meal or a slightly heavier racquet.
And he badly needs confidence, which is why this match is a dream for him as he is playing with the house money.

Not sure how much he will take away from it, but def better than a loss.

Shots are all ok, BH, FHDTL. Serve ok. Movement good. Because of the lack of weight in the shots, he looks even more weaponless. Basically his game is all there minus confidence and match fitness.
It's hard to assess how he'd go with a more committed player today, e.g. Ramos who is smiling cheekily in the stands.

A few more wins and he should be competitive, though.
Will be interesting to see him vs Coric next.

Mum in the stands to give her son some love. He needs it.

Lajovic totally got the cheque this morning from Djoko and just gifted the match, to give some support to DJoko so he does not lose the first match on his home turf 

Ouch!
Tsitsipas cleaned Shapo, didn’t expect that...has anyone seen it?
I was just gong to watch it and saw it’s already finished...

Did not see anything. I have been DIYing and gardening all day.

Looks like Djoko has had a confidence boost. Hopefully he can switch it on again.

I only saw the second set...not bad after three straight losses.

Mother and Vajda in the box.

Wife in Pepe's "academy" in Spain.

Lajovic was already prepared for the loss before the match started. Djokovic not ordinary at best. Played very much the same way he lost in the 2 sunshine tournaments. Only this time his opponent wanted to lose.

noleisthebest wrote:Ouch!
Tsitsipas cleaned Shapo, didn’t expect that...has anyone seen it?
I was just gong to watch it and saw it’s already finished...

Same here. Seeing the stats, Shapo didn't play too well even on his own part, poor 1st server % ( 42%), BP conversion was poor.

Its okay, even Fed took his time to really turn up into the GOAT. Only Nadal started like no one else.

So Nadal playing tomorrow looks like. It's going to be interesting to see how he copes with playing 5 matches in a row at nearly 32.

New territory for him.

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:Lajovic was already prepared for the loss before the match started. Djokovic not ordinary at best. Played very much the same way he lost in the 2 sunshine tournaments. Only this time his opponent wanted to lose.

Yes, but that made all the difference allowing him breathing space to relax and experience a win, also to start rebuilding that superfragile confidence.

Nole is in the beggars can’t be choosers state now.
It’s mind-boggling how he managed to get to it, though...

Djoko needed a proper match to take the rust off and not a walkover, Lajovic can play nicely, he is not a bad player.

Rublev is going to blow away thiem.. Thiem has also reached his glass ceiling. 

I doubt he will reach even a QF in any of the European clay events, maybe Estoril but won't win even that.

Thiem plays make or break game.. very much ala-Verdasco... its difficult to get consistent results with that kind of play.

Never seen a player waste so much power on court as Thiem, he desperately needs a good coach to channel that power, maybe Magnus Norman? Do a little magic he did with Stan's power.

Shame Rubi lost...On paper he should have won.

Unfortunately sweat and spin rule on clay like never before.

Coric should be an actual test for Djokovic. Lajovic was as good as a walkover.

Nishikori is under the radar slayed Berdych on the way.

Match of the day:

Djokovic-Coric

If Coric repeats his form he showed vs Fed recently this is going to be a very tough match for Nole.

Also, 

Nadal-Bedene (now a Slovenian, again)

 Ot expecting a surprise, but Bedene is able to be dofficult, a poor man’s Seppi.

Just picked it up at 76 5/4 40/0 Djoko but just missed his 3 MPs!

....but it reminds us how dead boring those games are.

It's absolutely terrible terrible tennis. Poor commentators, what can they talk about in such boring match?

Djok to beat Thiem? Probs. Hope not though.

I want Djoko to beat Thiem cause I want a Djoko Nadal match.

Just came back from lunch in Windsor.  

Read that Nole had 10 MPs!


How did he move/play?

Tenez wrote:I want Djoko to beat Thiem cause I want a Djoko Nadal match.

Thiem is a SBH Nadal.

noleisthebest wrote:

Tenez wrote:I want Djoko to beat Thiem cause I want a Djoko Nadal match.

Thiem is a SBH Nadal.

That's the only thing that saves him.

Just startd watching Nadal-Badene.
Badene playing ok.

How did he manage to lose the first set 6:1?

What is going on through cameraman’s only braincell when he is showing us a super slow-mo close up of the tip of Nadal’s nose drippong with sweat!

Nadal giving Badene his evil “how-dare-you-play-this-well-against-ME” look, love it!

noleisthebest wrote:Nadal giving Badene his evil “how-dare-you-play-this-well-against-ME”  look, love it!

And just as I typed this, Badene plays two ultra stupid shots and gets broken....

noleisthebest wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Nadal giving Badene his evil “how-dare-you-play-this-well-against-ME”  look, love it!

And just as I typed this, Badene plays two ultra stupid shots and gets broken....

On clay Nadal asks too many questions which are difficult to put away over and over. He defends like a wall and then use the court dimensions and slow pace to get angles for passes from extreme corners.

Lots of players can play good for a while, but its too difficult to keep doing it.

On clay Nadal asks a very simple question. Can you hit enough winners past me to win.

Tenez wrote:On clay Nadal asks a very simple question. Can you hit enough winners past me to win.

They may be winners against anyone but Nadal. And he won't be lobbing ala Murray, he gives back a difficult ball. His transition from defense to attack is tremendous on clay.

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

Tenez wrote:On clay Nadal asks a very simple question. Can you hit enough winners past me to win.

They may be winners against anyone but Nadal. And he won't be lobbing ala Murray, he gives back a difficult ball. His transition from defense to attack is tremendous on clay.

That's why I mentioned "past me".

Though Murray and Djoko have overtaken Nadal on clay in that department...at their peak that is.

Tenez wrote:

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

Tenez wrote:On clay Nadal asks a very simple question. Can you hit enough winners past me to win.

They may be winners against anyone but Nadal. And he won't be lobbing ala Murray, he gives back a difficult ball. His transition from defense to attack is tremendous on clay.

That's why I mentioned "past me".

Though Murray and Djoko have overtaken Nadal on clay in that department...at their peak that is.

Djoko at peak is at par with Nadal, not ahead imo. The way he turned his it in 2013 after 2011,2012 against Djokovic.. I can't say Djoko's peak is ahead of Nadal.

Murray?? Seriously on clay??

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

Tenez wrote:

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

Tenez wrote:On clay Nadal asks a very simple question. Can you hit enough winners past me to win.

They may be winners against anyone but Nadal. And he won't be lobbing ala Murray, he gives back a difficult ball. His transition from defense to attack is tremendous on clay.

That's why I mentioned "past me".

Though Murray and Djoko have overtaken Nadal on clay in that department...at their peak that is.

Djoko at peak is at par with Nadal, not ahead imo. The way he turned his it in 2013 after 2011,2012 against Djokovic.. I can't say Djoko's peak is ahead of Nadal.

Murray?? Seriously on clay??

Murray nesrly beat Nole in RG in 15 (and 16) something Nadal could not.

There is no hope for Goffin...he chokes and tightens and from 5:1 manages to lose 4 straight games by playing safe.

noleisthebest wrote:

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

Tenez wrote:

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

Tenez wrote:On clay Nadal asks a very simple question. Can you hit enough winners past me to win.

They may be winners against anyone but Nadal. And he won't be lobbing ala Murray, he gives back a difficult ball. His transition from defense to attack is tremendous on clay.

That's why I mentioned "past me".

Though Murray and Djoko have overtaken Nadal on clay in that department...at their peak that is.

Djoko at peak is at par with Nadal, not ahead imo. The way he turned his it in 2013 after 2011,2012 against Djokovic.. I can't say Djoko's peak is ahead of Nadal.

Murray?? Seriously on clay??

Murray nesrly beat Nole in RG in 15 (and 16) something Nadal could not.

Nearly beat doesn't count for me. He hasn't beaten Djokovic.  Has Murray beaten Nadal at RG? NO.
Has Nadal beaten Djoko at RG : YES all the years except 2015.
Has Nadal beaten Murray on clay. Yes except 2015 Madrid.

You you still want to put Murray ahead of Nadal on clay?

noleisthebest wrote:There is no hope for Goffin...he chokes and tightens and from 5:1 manages to lose 4 straight games by playing safe.

There is Goffin thread I'm tempted to go.

noleisthebest wrote:There is no hope for Goffin...he chokes and tightens and from 5:1 manages to lose 4 straight games by playing safe.

Although I didn’t try to jinx, it kind of worked!
Tjouh the whole jinxing thing really annoys me, I am glad Goffin is through!

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

Tenez wrote:

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

Tenez wrote:On clay Nadal asks a very simple question. Can you hit enough winners past me to win.

They may be winners against anyone but Nadal. And he won't be lobbing ala Murray, he gives back a difficult ball. His transition from defense to attack is tremendous on clay.

That's why I mentioned "past me".

Though Murray and Djoko have overtaken Nadal on clay in that department...at their peak that is.

Djoko at peak is at par with Nadal, not ahead imo. The way he turned his it in 2013 after 2011,2012 against Djokovic.. I can't say Djoko's peak is ahead of Nadal.

Murray?? Seriously on clay??

Murray nesrly beat Nole in RG in 15 (and 16) something Nadal could not.

Nearly beat doesn't count for me. He hasn't beaten Djokovic.  Has Murray beaten Nadal at RG? NO.
Has Nadal beaten Djoko at RG : YES all the years except 2015.
Has Nadal beaten Murray on clay. Yes except 2015 Madrid.

You you still want to put Murray ahead of Nadal on clay?

Peak Murray (2015/6) beats Nadal on clay now.
He has a better BH and the FH does not make much diference with either style of play as it’s all percentage.

I would have liked to see them face each other in RG.
In 2015 Nadal lost to Nole there in straight sets (and Murray nearly beat Nole in 5 in the semi)
In 2016, Nadal didn’t play.
In 2017, Murray didn't play (or was injured).

Nadal does not ask any difficult questions, he just keeps the ball in play ad nauseum, doesn’t play attacking, shotmaking tennis.

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

Tenez wrote:

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

Tenez wrote:On clay Nadal asks a very simple question. Can you hit enough winners past me to win.

They may be winners against anyone but Nadal. And he won't be lobbing ala Murray, he gives back a difficult ball. His transition from defense to attack is tremendous on clay.

That's why I mentioned "past me".

Though Murray and Djoko have overtaken Nadal on clay in that department...at their peak that is.

Djoko at peak is at par with Nadal, not ahead imo. The way he turned his it in 2013 after 2011,2012 against Djokovic.. I can't say Djoko's peak is ahead of Nadal.

Murray?? Seriously on clay??

You maybe right about Murray though I thought Murray started to trouble Nadal on clay in 2011....and beat him twice on clay including in their last match. I was so confident at the time Murray got better than Nadal on clay that even put money on it. So it;s not that far fetch...even if Murray did not win 10 GS on that surface.