Australian Open - 2020

Thanks Jahu for starting the thread.

Once again Djoko v Federer. Nadal having lost all his matches lately v Federer he will find this very convenient. Medv being a nut case not so on form this early year it is a good draw.

Nadal has a hard draw.
Medvedev played great in ATP Cup, taking Djokovic to 3 very close sets. He will probs take Nadal to a 5 setter like at USO.

Nadal also is playing second, so only gets one day break after his SF, which gives an advantage to Fed vs Djok. That's bad because Med semi may be very tiring, if he gets there.

R4- Kyrgios (5050 match?)
QF- Thiem (recently beat both fed and djo in WTF, probably slight favourite agianst nadal)
SF- Med

I agree now looking at the full draw that Nadal once past the first 2 rpunds it is getting tougher. Gjoko has it easier.

I am hoping for a smoky atmosphere which should handicap the road runners.

Fed won’t mind this draw, he has to play them both I’d they get there.

Yeah, someone stoke those fires!

Felix serves well.

This new Gen they make a point with a single shot. They are the anti RRunners. It is good for the future of tennis.

Rub has really got to improve at the net. An easy volley for a triple MP missed!

Very gutsy play from Rub to save the set.

Did not watch the last set. But Rub keeps being unbeaten in 2020. He is getting impressing. Hope he has enough energy left for the AO.

Rublev is the new Lendl. Shapo v Rublev should be the remake of Mc v Lendl.

Shapo gone.  Hilarious.

summerblues wrote:Shapo gone.  Hilarious.

He needs a better coaching team, he is often nervous in big moments and loses the gained advantages. One of wins in b03 against Nadal can't be a life long resume. He needs to build on those rather than cherishing on.

At 18-19 Nadal was extremely fearless for his age. I'm yet to see someone even close to that even at 20-21.

Fogna gone too. So is Coric ( another failure from the next-gen). Why Fed had to be the unlucky one to be chased by 2 great players from his next-gen, while Nadal-Djo can keep making merry as they have no rivals even in the next 2-3 generations.

It is truly dismal. This sport might as well be locked in 2008 because since Djokovic broke through absolutely nothing new has happened. That’s 12 years of the same matches, the same set of winners, the same style of play. No wonder the head-to-head records in some cases are starting to look like an Isner-Mahut final set (in the days when such things were allowed). Actually, that’s an idea. How about at 20-all players have to play a single tie breaking match and the loser retires?

Thank God I’ve got Liverpool to keep me entertained because I can barely raise any enthusiasm for tennis now.

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:At 18-19 Nadal was extremely fearless for his age. I'm yet to see someone even close to that even at 20-21.

One cannot compare a player whose game is based on fitness while that fitness was way above his peers even at 18!!!That in itself gave Ndal a huge confident boost very early on. Shapo has a technical game and that will take more time to get confidence from. He might never get that confidence but at least he has a game based on talent. Sure he lost today but he can still play amazing for his age. Nadal never does.

When Djokovic got better physically than Nadal, the latter became his bunny and lost all that aura of mental toughness, losing 7 finals in a row.

bogbrush wrote:...Thank God I’ve got Liverpool to keep me entertained because I can barely raise any enthusiasm for tennis now.

That's the feeling I had for a while but now the tables are turning. I'd be surprised if a youngster/youngish were not win the AO.

I hope you’re right Tenez. I suppose I’d be a liar if I said I’d root for one against Federer in the final but standing a bit further back if I wasn’t told that was the scenario I’d certainly hope someone like Medvedev, Thiem, whoever wins. Not sure about Zverev.

I don't know why everyone's desperate for the new gen to win.
I am quite happy for the oldies to last and dominate as long as they can.

There is a lot of talent among the newbies but they are not as exciting to watch. I think it's their size; they are too tall and despite being good movers just don't have that sublime footwork of the Big Three. And that is what's making the difference.

They have the power, good games, and even good fighting mindsets. Clearly that is not enough.

noleisthebest wrote:....There is a lot of talent among the newbies but they are not as exciting to watch.

And you say you have been saying the same things for years here?

Federer moving well so far. Feels he is 5 years younger. Good news even if we know he is fragile.

Tenez wrote:Federer moving well so far. Feels he is 5 years younger. Good news even if we know he is fragile.

That was true the first set. Much less so afterwards in spite of his easy win.

His shot making is still amazing.

His draw is quite cool till the semi.

Keeping the hours on the clock low too.

Tenez wrote:

Tenez wrote:Federer moving well so far. Feels he is 5 years younger. Good news even if we know he is fragile.

That was true the first set. Much less so afterwards in spite of his easy win.

His shot making is still amazing.

His draw is quite cool till the semi.

You tell him Tenez, that guy doesn't know what he's talking about.

Absurd performance by Federer today

No need to moan about the next gen, who cares about them

I find this AO quite interesting. Lots of good players maturing and some good old ones too.

Sure disappointed by Shapo but I would not read much into it. He can be deadly next time around. I think he put himself in a stupid position when he criticised the tournament.

Tenez wrote:I find this AO quite interesting. Lots of good players maturing and some good old ones too.

Sure disappointed by Shapo but I would not read much into it. He can be deadly next time around. I think he put himself in a stupid position when he criticised the tournament.

He came across as very millennial, very snowflake. I bet he has a poster of Greta Thunberg in his bedroom.

By the way, watching the great & stupid of the World fawn over the Cabbage Patch doll really explains why every so often a Joan or Arc turns up. There's just something about this sort of person that causes political types to use them. I wonder when she gets burned at the stake?

bogbrush wrote:

Tenez wrote:I find this AO quite interesting. Lots of good players maturing and some good old ones too.

Sure disappointed by Shapo but I would not read much into it. He can be deadly next time around. I think he put himself in a stupid position when he criticised the tournament.

He came across as very millennial, very snowflake. I bet he has a poster of Greta Thunberg in his bedroom.

By the way, watching the great & stupid of the World fawn over the Cabbage Patch doll really explains why every so often a Joan or Arc turns up. There's just something about this sort of person that causes political types to use them. I wonder when she gets burned at the stake?

You may be right that she'll end up a bit like La Pucelle, she should avoid Rouen, but why damage your point with an unnecessary ad hominem?  No need to call her the Cabbage Patch doll, particularly when, wittingly or not, 'cabbage' has connotations of mental illness and it's well known she has various conditions including Aspergers?  There's plenty room for criticism of large aspects of her message, and certainly some of her cultist followers, without resorting to that.

Do you know what a cabbage patch doll is?

Here......

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=cabbage+patch+dolls&qpvt=cabbage+patch+dolls&FORM=IGRE

No connotations, but a Global brand the USP of which was that every doll was technically unique. And looks like Greta Thunberg.

bogbrush wrote:

Tenez wrote:I find this AO quite interesting. Lots of good players maturing and some good old ones too.

Sure disappointed by Shapo but I would not read much into it. He can be deadly next time around. I think he put himself in a stupid position when he criticised the tournament.

He came across as very millennial, very snowflake. I bet he has a poster of Greta Thunberg in his bedroom.

My worry with Shapo is that he is not very smart and therefore not mentally up for the job. But he remains an amazing talent. I hope he can do more than Gasquet though.

I would not compare Joan of Arc who kicked your asses with Greta. Being burnt or finishing on a cross does not diminish the achievement of a lifetime.

Possible paths to SF:

Rafa: Carreno-Busta - Kyrgios/Khachanov - Thiem
Medvedev: Popyrin - Wawrina - Zverev/Goffin
Fed: Millman - Fucsovics - Fognini
Nole: Nishioka - Schwartzman - Tsitsipas

Can you pick the easiest one?

From what I saw of Medvedev when he was playing Novak at the ATP cup, I thought he played well enough to beat Rafa.  In a way, it would be interesting to see them play in the SF to confirm.  Preferably though Rafa loses before then.

Tenez wrote:

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:At 18-19 Nadal was extremely fearless for his age. I'm yet to see someone even close to that even at 20-21.

One cannot compare a player whose game is based on fitness while that fitness was way above his peers even at 18!!!That in itself gave Ndal a huge confident boost very early on. Shapo has a technical game and that will take more time to get confidence from. He might never get that confidence but at least he has a game based on talent. Sure he lost today but he can still play amazing for his age. Nadal never does.

When Djokovic got better physically than Nadal, the latter became his bunny and lost all that aura of mental toughness, losing 7 finals in a row.

Djoko isn't winning against Nadal coz he is fitter. He has changed his game-plan and was finally able to put it in place something which he had figured in 2006. Of course, more match experience helped too. Djoko's fitness has only helped to implement that game. 

 Besides beating the top and some of the best and established clay-courters, week over week, its more than just fitness. He didn't beat Fed in their 1st meeting on HC due to fitness. Nadal brought a game that Fed hadn't seen before and was  surprised. 

We have been on this topic before. And as last time, we are still holding on our views. 

summerblues wrote:Possible paths to SF:

Rafa: Carreno-Busta - Kyrgios/Khachanov - Thiem
Medvedev: Popyrin - Wawrina - Zverev/Goffin
Fed: Millman - Fucsovics - Fognini
Nole: Nishioka - Schwartzman - Tsitsipas

Can you pick the easiest one?

Till SF Fed should be the happiest.

bogbrush wrote:Do you know what a cabbage patch doll is?

Here......

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=cabbage+patch+dolls&qpvt=cabbage+patch+dolls&FORM=IGRE

No connotations, but a Global brand the USP of which was that every doll was technically unique. And looks like Greta Thunberg.

I well remember cabbage patch kids and the stupid hysteria about them when I was young and the whole saga about them being 'born' somewhere outdoors.  Hence my care to write 'wittingly or not'.  To me, describing Greta as looking like a slightly moon-faced children's doll has always been a bit close to the knuckle.  You may think that desperately over-sensitive, but even so, it's not a brilliant response to say, 'the personal insult I intended by my epithet for a 17-yr-old girl with aspergers was slightly different to the one you thought might come across.'

Serena Williams falls short yet again - the quest for 24 is becoming quite the saga (I hope she's a blueprint for Nadal's quest for 20, but I think he's got more left in the tank and less doubty young opponents than her).  

I think Margaret Court is currently a ridiculous figure with some unattractive views, but I am enjoying how the woke folk in the WTA and at the AO are tying themselves in knots over whether and how to acknowledge the undoubted fact of her past prowess as a tennis player.

Tsitsipas is a set down against Raonic.. Come on Tsitsi. This is your slam to win. Do it.

Now a further trouble... an early break in the 2nd set.. Wake the F up.

Tenez wrote:I would not compare Joan of Arc who kicked your asses with Greta. Being burnt or finishing on a cross does not diminish the achievement of a lifetime.

Didn't she get shafted by the French nobles? They handed her over didn't they?

She was an outstanding figure in French history; the only French person not to get absolutely smashed by the English every time we went to war.

barrystar wrote:

bogbrush wrote:Do you know what a cabbage patch doll is?

Here......

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=cabbage+patch+dolls&qpvt=cabbage+patch+dolls&FORM=IGRE

No connotations, but a Global brand the USP of which was that every doll was technically unique. And looks like Greta Thunberg.

I well remember cabbage patch kids and the stupid hysteria about them when I was young and the whole saga about them being 'born' somewhere outdoors.  Hence my care to write 'wittingly or not'.  To me, describing Greta as looking like a slightly moon-faced children's doll has always been a bit close to the knuckle.  You may think that desperately over-sensitive, but even so, it's not a brilliant response to say, 'the personal insult I intended by my epithet for a 17-yr-old girl with aspergers was slightly different to the one you thought might come across.'

Yeah, I do think you're being a complete snowflake.

She looks like one of them. Doesn't mean she's retarded or even ugly, she just looks like one of them. I couldn't care less if she's got Aspergers, she spends all her life wandering around trying to screw up how I get to live my life and calling people all sorts of bad things while basking in the adulation of cretins. Frankly, remarking on her moon face is nothing compared to the harm she's trying to do to others and the sheer arrogance of her behaviour.

barrystar wrote:Serena Williams falls short yet again - the quest for 24 is becoming quite the saga (I hope she's a blueprint for Nadal's quest for 20, but I think he's got more left in the tank and less doubty young opponents than her).  

I think Margaret Court is currently a ridiculous figure with some unattractive views, but I am enjoying how the woke folk in the WTA and at the AO are tying themselves in knots over whether and how to acknowledge the undoubted fact of her past prowess as a tennis player.

Margaret Court believes in God and follows his teaching. To me that makes her an idiot, not a bad person.

Take it up with Him, she's just doing what she's been told.

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

summerblues wrote:Possible paths to SF:

Rafa: Carreno-Busta - Kyrgios/Khachanov - Thiem
Medvedev: Popyrin - Wawrina - Zverev/Goffin
Fed: Millman - Fucsovics - Fognini
Nole: Nishioka - Schwartzman - Tsitsipas

Can you pick the easiest one?

Till SF Fed should be the happiest.

Exactly.  That was my point.

Not like it is doing Fed a whole lot of good now.

I watched the 4th set - Millman able to boss Fed around the court with his power.  I have to go to work now, but Djokovic's half looks very comfy all of a sudden - Tsitsi gone and Fed either gone or - even if he advances - not looking his sharpest.

This is pissing me off. Djokovic now with a cakewalk path.

That was soooooooooooo close. Only the Super TB format saved him.

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:That was soooooooooooo close. Only the Super TB format saved him.

Fed acknowledged this in on court interview.

Saved by the bell, Milliman led 3:0 and 8:4 then lost next 6 points to 8:10.

Fed wake the fuck up for next match.

Feels very Wanko Tipsarovic 2008, and we know what happened in the semi that year

He was so good in R2, this performance was inexplicable.

Tbh Federer and Nadal both look poor. Djokovic will cruise. In fact I’m almost certain he’ll win CYGS.