Australian Open - 2020

I think the Kyrgios mind games worked though, because Nadal has looked nervous for long periods today.

But unfortunately for Nick I think it has worked on himself too, poor discipline in key moments.

Nadal is not playing as well as last year.

I have also the feeling that the conds are so slow that players are not tempted by hitting through the ball. Hence the poor quality match.

Yeah Nadal was actually moaning a few days ago lol, saying the ball was too heavy and slow. Said he wanted day matches and heat so the ball moves a bit faster and has more zip.

Nadal is playing better this set... not as nervous.

Having said that Kyrgios serving 21 aces in nearly half the amount of games Fed v Pete in Wimbledon 2001! If I remember those 2 had served 25 aces each that day.

Shows how serve has evolved since.

BEL19VE wrote:Nadal is playing better this set... not as nervous.

He has always been nervous, except when well ahead as now.

Tenez wrote:Nadal is not playing as well as last year.

I have also the feeling that the conds are so slow that players are not tempted by hitting through the ball. Hence the poor quality match.

I only saw the first set, which was of high quality. However, the fact there have been over 100 winners to circa 60 UEs suggests to me that the standard has probably remained relatively high.

Nadal was really good in set 1, and is playing well in this set so far.
He wasn’t great in sets 2 and 3.

Has anyone seen anything of Zverev so far this tournament? He’s not dropped a set yet and dispatched Rublev in routine fashion. It’s very different to his usual approach of battling through regular 5 setters. He will be very fresh for the QF onwards. Going under the radar, as he’s been in poor form for a while, but could he be about to make a major breakthrough?

and i knew he'd be nervous serving it out.

That was nerves....and you cannot that obvious nerves with Fed wasting his W MPs.

Finally Kyrgios shows some guts in that last point, come ooooon!

Believe is back behind the sofa.

What the fucj was that

well done Rafa
Kyrgios was a threat indeed.

Now Thiem

So interesting QF - if still dominated by the old brigade:

Nadal (33) v Thiem (26)
Wawrinka (34) v Zverev (22)
Federer (38) v Sandgren (28)
Djokovic (32) v Raonic (29)

Average age 30.25.

That said, it’s still four players with a combined total of nearly 60 slams against four players from younger generations with no slams. Could be a changing of the guard or we could see four over 30s SF. I’m predicting:

Thiem d Nadal in 4 sets
Wawrinka d Zverev in 4 sets
Federer d Sandgren in 3 sets
Djokovic d Raonic in 4 sets

Theim can outlast Nadal and he can also outhit him.  Kyrgios always comes close but blows it on tie breaks.

Thiem d Nadal in 4 sets
Zverev d Wawrinka in 4 sets
Federer d Sandgren in 3 sets
Raonic d Djokovic in 4 sets

Thiem Zverev Federer Djokovic will be the semis for sure

BEL19VE wrote:Thiem Zverev Federer Djokovic will be the semis for sure

Amateur jinxing.

Come on, this is not your best level.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/51263945

Awaiting his opinions on other religious positions.

bogbrush wrote:

BEL19VE wrote:Thiem Zverev Federer Djokovic will be the semis for sure

Amateur jinxing.

Come on, this is not your best level.

Okay fine I will up my game.

3 REASONS WHY THIEM WILL BEAT NADAL:

1/ In USO 2018, Nadal only win 7-5 in a 5th set TB. However since then Thiem has improved on hard courts as he showed by beating Federer and Djokovic at the WTF. Meanwhile nadal has got shit, movement declined massively.

2/ Thiem will be physically fresher. Thiem Nadal will be a physical match, and the younger star will have more energy as he rekt monfils, while Nadal had a nearly 4 hour marathon vs Kyrgios

3/ Daniel and Slippy, both tennis experts, have concluded that Thiem will win in 4 sets. Thus the result is no longer in doubt.

BEL19VE wrote:3 REASONS WHY THIEM WILL BEAT NADAL:

1/ In USO 2018, Nadal only win 7-5 in a 5th set TB. However since then Thiem has improved on hard courts as he showed by beating Federer and Djokovic at the WTF. Meanwhile nadal has got shit, movement declined massively.

2/ Thiem will be physically fresher. Thiem Nadal will be a physical match, and the younger star will have more energy as he rekt monfils, while Nadal had a nearly 4 hour marathon vs Kyrgios

3/ Daniel and Slippy, both tennis experts, have concluded that Thiem will win in 4 sets. Thus the result is no longer in doubt.

lol

Of course Thiem can beat nadal, but lets wait.

barrystar wrote:

bogbrush wrote:

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.

Again we agree - I said a 'ridiculous' person with 'unattractive' views, not a 'bad' person.  I won't be taking it up with an entity which is a figment of her fevered imagination.  She is merely one example of religious types whose overwhelming concern seems to be matters sexual - like the absurd recent pronouncement on civil partnerships by CoE Bishops.  I don't doubt that like them she thinks she's carrying out an ordained duty.  If only they could see it, some of her 'woke' critics also verge on the ridiculous with the contortions they get themselves into.

She is 77 for "God"'s sake. Can't people respect the ancients nowadays? They belong to a different time and have been brought up with different values. The stupid ones, like McEnroe, are those who think their views are an improvement from the past. The wheel turns and our liberalism views are far from ideal and we might be judged stupid and arrogant who fucked up the planet by our successors (should we allow them to survive in the world we are giving them).

I don't particularly share Margaret's views but it is her views and I don;t care if it offends some people as I don't think we should all think alike.

I agree Tenez. Tolerance means nothing unless it applies to things we disagree with, and surely the only useful standard is not to do harm.

The funny think about the woke liberals is that they would now fiercely denounce Martin Luther King; after all, it was he who hoped for a World where his children would be judged not by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. Myself, I think that quote is wonderful.

Fine, I think Margaret Court should have the freedom of speech to say what she wants.
Thus, I have freedom of speech to say that hating on gay people on the basis of a religious book which is almost certainly false, is absurd.

Yes, you do. She’d say she doesn’t hate, but I’m with you in the sentiment.

Well, Federer now plays the insanely named Tennys Sandgren. I mean, where does the surname “Sandgren” come from, for Gods sake?

I do fear for old Fed in a semi with the juiced Scream. This event is so pitifully slow that Nadal is complaining so I could see only great pain from that one.

bogbrush wrote:I mean, where does the surname “Sandgren” come from, for Gods sake?

Does you remember the surname "Lundgren? Yeah the one named Dolph who kicked Rocky's butt, so he is Swedish and Tennys is named after his Swedish great-grandfather and they seem to have kept the 'gren" swedish surname too.

Gren Name Meaning

Swedish: ornamental surname from Swedish gren ‘branch’ (Old Norse grein). In some cases the name may have been chosen with some reference to the notion of the ‘branches’ making up a family ‘tree’, but it also falls into the category of words denoting natural features, which were drawn on heavily when Swedish surnames came to be formed wholesale in the 19th century.


===============

The world No 100, who still lives in the Tennessee town of Gallatin – about 30 miles from Nashville – where he was born 28 years ago and mainly makes noise in the major championships because of his archly obvious moniker and occasional flashes of muscular brilliance, on Sunday earned the right to play the world No 3.


https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jan/26/roger-federer-australian-open-tennys-sandgren

So much stuff for a surname 

Wow Jahu,  this is some serious lecture on Swedish surnames.

I have no idea who will advance in the top half.  Nevertheless, my predictions:

Nadal d Thiem in 4.  I can see this go either way but Nadal looked more impressive from what I have seen so far.

Zverev d Wawrinka in 4.  This is even harder to predict.  Zverev has been under the radar a little, which I think helps him.  But would not be surprised by anything from Stan in 3 to Zverev in 3.

Federer in 3.  No matter how poor Fed's form may be, surely Tennys cannot give him trouble?

Nole in 3.  I cannot see how Raonic troubles Nole.  Maybe Nole could drop a set at most if he loses focus.

I have not thought this AO looked particularly slow from what I have seen.  But maybe that is because the matches I have seen been all daytime matches.

Daytime is quicker, and I believe Nadal when complaining about the surface speed mentioned that he preferred (and thus probably requested for his R3) it.

Also the temp in Melbourne has been quite low, esp at night. Hard to see past Djokovic winning with these conditions. Imo only thiem can beat Djokovic.

Fed comfortable enough so far today.  Really lucky with his draw this year.

Mhmm… Fed gets broken his first service game in 2nd set.  This came out of nowhere.

Oh my, this is not going as planned.  Fed loses second set 2:6.  Oh my oh my...  ...never saw this coming.

This is now a horror show from Fed.  0:2 in the third, piling error upon error.

Fed gets to 0-40 on Sandgren's serve, but cannot break.  0:3 in the third.

MTO for Fed.

He swore and then lost the plot with the umpire and line judge when given a code violation for it.

Sandgren takes third set.  So Fed is now 1-2 down going 6:3 2:6 2:6.  Not looking pretty.  I need to get some sleep so will be checking out.

Federer needs to get out of here. Whatever’s wrong with him, it’ll only lead to crushing later on.

5 sets needed to beat Milkman, 4 to beat Fuscovics, 1-2 down and TB in 4th set. Not encouraging at all.

Ball girl just ruined Tennys'es knee???

3:5 down on TB


Come.on Fed, take it ffs

3:6 Fed gone

Omgggg 6:6 hahaha go go go

9:8 Fed go goooo

10:8 hahahahaha superb nerves,

Two sets all then. Just the seven match points saved so far...

What’s actually wrong with Fed? Commentators saying he’s injured but he looks to be moving well (only saw the tiebreak).