Aus open prediction game: Day 11

Kvitova (16) vs Collins (50)

Pliskova (20) vs Osaka (12)

Nadal (10) vs Tsitsipas (50)


LS: Collins, Osaka, Tsitsipas

Good luck Stefanos!

The first serious player Rafa is facing.  He played well against Fed, showed great attacking skills, solid volleys, great defense and movement so maybe he does have a chance.  On the other hand, he barely beat a somewhat below par Roger, he has a SHBH, and his return of serve is not the best, so maybe he does not have a chance.

I go with "he has a chance".  I did have a look at Rafa's third set vs Berdych, and when Berdych was playing well he was able to push Rafa who even looked a bit nervous at times.  Rafa is trying to play aggressive, but he often falls back to defensive mode when pushed hard.  Stefanos has the game to push him.  Hopefully he can sustain it and win three sets.

I am not waking up to watch it, so you guys please take care of the match.

Well done, OsakAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

Yesssssssss Osaka does it again, go go go go

Come.on Cipiripitas crush himmmm

In trouble already.

PLease someone explain to Daniel that Nadal has again clearly improved in 2019!

Wow

Yes he is playing well....even better than Djokovic. But can he sustain it if Djoko throws a few long rallies?

Important to note that if Nadal is playing so aggressively, it's because he has no longer the choice.

Tenez wrote:Important to note that if Nadal is playing so aggressively, it's because he has no longer the choice.  

and so he has said

but the match is young still

Come TSI wtf kick some assss

Nadals level has dipped this set

Tsi needs this second set to take, might unrattle Rafa a little

Tenez wrote:In trouble already.

PLease someone explain to Daniel that Nadal has again clearly improved in 2019!

Nadal was always able to play aggressively. He is not retriever el-lobber ala-Murray.  He only chooses wisely when and against whom to play.

wow..nice hold.

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

Tenez wrote:In trouble already.

PLease someone explain to Daniel that Nadal has again clearly improved in 2019!

Nadal was always able to play aggressively. He is not retriever el-lobber ala-Murray.  He only chooses wisely when and against whom to play.

So why could not he beat Djoko when Djoko was retrieving?

I’ve got an hour break...so tu ing in...

ALE RE STEPHANOS, GO YOUNG LION, GOOOOOO!!!!

Tenez wrote:

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

Tenez wrote:In trouble already.

PLease someone explain to Daniel that Nadal has again clearly improved in 2019!

Nadal was always able to play aggressively. He is not retriever el-lobber ala-Murray.  He only chooses wisely when and against whom to play.

So why could not he beat Djoko when Djoko was retrieving?

Winning is a different thing. We are talking about the strategy being applied against certain opponents.
 Nadal does play more aggressive against Djokovic, especially in the last few years. 
See Wimbledon 2018. Even on clay Nadal is aggressive against Djokovic.

noleisthebest wrote:I’ve got an hour break...so tu ing in...

ALE RE STEPHANOS, GO YOUNG LION, GOOOOOO!!!!

I already like Sitsipas simply because he is a SHBH, they are precious.

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:I’ve got an hour break...so tu ing in...

ALE RE STEPHANOS, GO YOUNG LION, GOOOOOO!!!!

I already like Sitsipas simply because he is a SHBH, they are precious.

I like him a lot full-stop.
The complete package.

If only wifi at work was not as slow as hell...

I’m “there” in spirit, though.

Noooo... break at the business end of the set. Tsi hasn't even seen a BP as yet.

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

Tenez wrote:

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

Tenez wrote:In trouble already.

PLease someone explain to Daniel that Nadal has again clearly improved in 2019!

Nadal was always able to play aggressively. He is not retriever el-lobber ala-Murray.  He only chooses wisely when and against whom to play.

So why could not he beat Djoko when Djoko was retrieving?

Winning is a different thing. We are talking about the strategy being applied against certain opponents.
 Nadal does play more aggressive against Djokovic, especially in the last few years. 
See Wimbledon 2018. Even on clay Nadal is aggressive against Djokovic.

We are not talking about ballet dancing here. Nadal was not capable of winning v Djoko being aggressive. He was hitting the ball hard, has always but was not nearly that aggressive.

If you can't see the difference between now and then, you are missing out something. Now he may have a chance to beat Djoko being the more aggressive of the 2. Was never the case before.

Tenez wrote:Yes he is playing well....even better than Djokovic. But can he sustain it if Djoko throws a few long rallies?

Not sure.
Unlike Nadal, Nole does not need to intimidate opponents and build his confidence by going at full pelt.

His motto actually is your poster name - “bring it on/give it to me”...(and I’ll deal with it).
Haven’t your worked that out by now?

So two sets down.

I didn’t expect Tsits to be ready to beat Nadal with these balls (btw Tomicc was right to call them cheap and nasty, they fluff after two games), but it would be nice if he could squeeze out a set.

Well that's all over then - Tsitsipas getting 2 points out of the next 10 from 4-4 in the second set suggests that Nadal has his opponent exactly where he wants.

Djoko is not as confident as he used to be. And if he is slightly hampered, it is going to be very hard work.

Game over

I still think fed woudl have done much better than Tsi. Fed has experience. Probably not as good shots as Tsi nowadays but much less UEs and still a better serve.

All done here sadly, good run for Tsi anyway.

Tifaoe did better!

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

Tenez wrote:

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

Tenez wrote:In trouble already.

PLease someone explain to Daniel that Nadal has again clearly improved in 2019!

Nadal was always able to play aggressively. He is not retriever el-lobber ala-Murray.  He only chooses wisely when and against whom to play.

So why could not he beat Djoko when Djoko was retrieving?

Winning is a different thing. We are talking about the strategy being applied against certain opponents.
 Nadal does play more aggressive against Djokovic, especially in the last few years. 
See Wimbledon 2018. Even on clay Nadal is aggressive against Djokovic.

No way.
Nole is much closer to the baseline.

I wish youngsters would stop being intimidated and show some IQ vs this goon. 

FFS Nadal is obsessed with tennis I bet him and his gf have a lot to talk about! 
Xisca "How was your day chico?" Rafa "Oh you know, same as yesterday, and every day this year, hitting balls, sniffing my arse, pumping iron in the gym." 

Boring knob.

bad day for tsitsi

but not a good attitude in last set if you ask me

AceofDeath wrote:I wish youngsters would stop being intimidated and show some IQ vs this goon. 

FFS Nadal is obsessed with tennis I bet him and his gf have a lot to talk about! 
Xisca "How was your day chico?" Rafa "Oh you know, same as yesterday, and every day this year, hitting balls, sniffing my arse, pumping iron in the gym." 

Boring knob.

Not watching, but with youngsters it’s just the level of Nadal’a physicality.
I believe Tsits has the game and heart to take him on, but not the fitness yet.

Looking at the score, Taits is either knackered or just lost heart as it didn’t go the way he wanted.

AceofDeath wrote:I wish youngsters would stop being intimidated and show some IQ vs this goon. 

FFS Nadal is obsessed with tennis I bet him and his gf have a lot to talk about! 
Xisca "How was your day chico?" Rafa "Oh you know, same as yesterday, and every day this year, hitting balls, sniffing my arse, pumping iron in the gym." 

Boring knob.

Problem with yougsters is what I have been saying for 6 or 7 years now is that they simply lack experience.

Tsi will become a much better player than Nadal if he stays injury free....it doesn;t mean he will win as much.

well, didnt expect it to be so easy

nadal will play his 9th hardcourt slam final

his 5th here in australia. congrats to all nadal fans in the forum

Look at what an extra year of experience made to Nadal's game....imagine if Tsi had 10 more years experience!

noleisthebest wrote:

AceofDeath wrote:I wish youngsters would stop being intimidated and show some IQ vs this goon. 

FFS Nadal is obsessed with tennis I bet him and his gf have a lot to talk about! 
Xisca "How was your day chico?" Rafa "Oh you know, same as yesterday, and every day this year, hitting balls, sniffing my arse, pumping iron in the gym." 

Boring knob.

Not watching, but with youngsters it’s just the level of Nadal’a physicality.
I believe Tsits has the game and heart to take him on, but not the fitness yet.

Looking at the score, Taits is either knackered or just lost heart as it didn’t go the way he wanted.

I watched Tsitsi in this tournament and he seemed quite physically fit in his other matches. 

These young players need to have better shot selection, more than fitness, I think.

Tenez wrote:

AceofDeath wrote:I wish youngsters would stop being intimidated and show some IQ vs this goon. 

FFS Nadal is obsessed with tennis I bet him and his gf have a lot to talk about! 
Xisca "How was your day chico?" Rafa "Oh you know, same as yesterday, and every day this year, hitting balls, sniffing my arse, pumping iron in the gym." 

Boring knob.

Problem with yougsters is what I have been saying for 6 or 7 years now is that they simply lack experience.

Tsi will become a much better player than Nadal if he stays injury free....it doesn;t mean he will win as much.

Zverev was able to make it a 5 set match vs Nadal in 2017 and he wasn't that fit. I think it's more in the shot selection and self belief than fitness with these guys.

AceofDeath wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:

AceofDeath wrote:I wish youngsters would stop being intimidated and show some IQ vs this goon. 

FFS Nadal is obsessed with tennis I bet him and his gf have a lot to talk about! 
Xisca "How was your day chico?" Rafa "Oh you know, same as yesterday, and every day this year, hitting balls, sniffing my arse, pumping iron in the gym." 

Boring knob.

Not watching, but with youngsters it’s just the level of Nadal’a physicality.
I believe Tsits has the game and heart to take him on, but not the fitness yet.

Looking at the score, Taits is either knackered or just lost heart as it didn’t go the way he wanted.

I watched Tsitsi in this tournament and he seemed quite physically fit in his other matches. 

These young players need to have better shot selection, more than fitness, I think.

In today’s tennis fitness first and then all the rest, I’m afraid.

Tsits has every shot in the book, he is a great natural talwnr, good hands, good tennis IQ, he outplayed Federer for crying out loud.

Vs Nadal, more fitness and a few more matches under his belt, just to pick up experience with dealing with his ball & pattenrs consistently.

Young Nole did not change his game when he started beatong Nadal in 2011, only his fitness.

The gap between them today wasn't fitness related

The opening words of the first sentence in the Daily Mail match report say it all,

 Rafael Nadal today slammed the door shut on the future

Yawn.  Like BB I find myself rooting for Djoko once more.

You guys and your “fitness”. Tsitsipas is a prodigious talent but he isn’t (yet) at a level where he can match one of the all time greats playing, in my view, at a level he hasn’t reached for several years. I only saw the first set and part of the second but Tsitsipas could do little with Nadal’s serve and was constantly under pressure on his own. Nothing to do with fitness - he just isn’t as good at tennis. Whether he will get there remains to be seen - he is very promising.

I’ve said throughout that Nadal’s level here has been scary good. Novak needs to somehow find his very best form for the final or hope Rafa’s level drops. At the moment, there has been a chasm between their standards in Oz.

I think the hope for Tsitsipas to beat Nadal today was too great here, he is just a young boy playing his first SF in a GS. 

Nadal went all in aggressive, he wants this AO more than Djoko. Tsi just no experience to handle Nadal or any B game.

Slippy wrote:You guys and your “fitness”.

Yes, fitness. Whether you like it or not that is what makes Nadal "great". The sheer force with which he
strikes the ball and somehow never gets tired. Or at least only one player on tour is able to tire him (mainly as he is more energy efficient)

Slippy wrote:
Tsitsipas is a prodigious talent but he isn’t (yet) at a level where he can match one of the all time greats playing, in my view, at a level he hasn’t reached for several years.

He beat Federer in four sets a few days ago which is what Nadal could not do even a break up in the fifth two years ago.

Slippy wrote:I only saw the first set and part of the second but Tsitsipas could do little with Nadal’s serve and was constantly under pressure on his own. Nothing to do with fitness - he just isn’t as good at tennis. Whether he will get there remains to be seen - he is very promising.

He is better because he is playing with one hand.
I hope you are able to grasp the difference.

Slippy wrote:
I’ve said throughout that Nadal’s level here has been scary good. Novak needs to somehow find his very best form for the final or hope Rafa’s level drops. At the moment, there has been a chasm between their standards in Oz.

I hope Nole is not injured, in which case Nadal can look forward to another platter.

Yeah it was a very exhausting match for Nadal today, thank goodness for his good fitness.
The stats showed that Tsitsi did more running, but the miles run by Nadal to and fro the toilet weren't counted.

Hahaha, Dec1 nice to see you still got some humour left in you.

Another who can play well at the start but not the end of tournaments.  Cheers for knocking out a player who had a chance of winning, Stefano.

Djok at his best - as usual - is clear favourite.  Coz all Nadal has is hitting to backhand every shot.

Nadal, of course, came into this tournament with questions about his lies... err injuries.

NITB:

1. Unless and until they ban 2HBs, the question of whether Tsitsipas is “better” comes down to whether he, with his one handed backhand, can beat Rafa, with his two handed backhand. If he loses to him, you may prefer his style or argue it takes more “talent”, but he is not a better tennis player. I hope you can understand that.

2. Beating Federer is still a great win but we have to be realistic. He beat a 37 year old Federer who hasn’t won a title for several months and lost to John Millman at the last slam. He isn’t the force he was in 2017 or before. It’s very different to facing what appears to be a rejuvenated version of Rafa. 

3. Good to see a pre match injury caveat. I trust if Novak loses with no sign of injury you’ll give Nadal full credit full credit for the obvious improvements he’s made in his game?

Great interview by Tsitsipas:

https://ausopen.com/articles/interviews/stefanos-tsitsipas-sf-interview