2023 Australian season

Happy New year to you ....or to me if everybody has left. 

Just looking at this match. 



Djoko still impressive physically. Korda has quite a good game. I loved his father's game.

Rune has the best BH ever! Not as stylish as SHBH...but it is clearly the most efficient of all players past and present.

can a SHBHer beat Djokovic ,,,besides Stan and Roger?

The answer is no and glad to see Nadal out of the GOAT discussion now.

Tenez wrote:The answer is no and glad to see Nadal out of the GOAT discussion now.

Why do you prefer Djokovic over Nadal?

He is a better player. A far better player. ..even if he has an ugly style.

Tenez wrote:He is a better player. A far better player. ..even if he has an ugly style.

What is this ' far better player'? Can you elaborate? 

Djokovic's game is about maintaining a high-level play for longer than his opponent. And he can do that most of the time against anyone out there. His game has no obvious visible weakness which can be exploited ( Fed and Nadal both have visible weaknesses which players exploit at times). This is a winning solid strategy. However, there is nothing spectacular about it. Its a high level plain game.

Peakes and Ridges in one's game make it an interesting watch. Nadal is in that category. He can change gears and adapt new strategies as he did in AO2022 final.

Watchability-wise, Nadal for me is definitely more watchable. His tennis is interesting. Djoko's tennis is High level and consistent and affective. But boring.

Nadal 22 slams. Djoko might get 2-3 more. 3 slams are not 'far'.

I would no longer take into account solely the number of slams as a GOAT measuring stick. 

TDs have completely messed up the diversity of slams hence they have been able to collect slams without the challenge the different surfaces posed to the players. 

An example Nadal could not get past a seeded player in the US prior to 2010. That year they increased the ball size (and added sand in the paint) to allow Nadal to get to the final and win it. 

Those kinds of things, including draw fixing have made the results less of importance. 

Nadal has been allowed to cheat beyond reason and I do not care about his number of slams. Maybe one day it will come out. 

Same for Djoko to some extend but at least he taught Nadal a lesson with his own medecine.

Tenez wrote:I would no longer take into account solely the number of slams as a GOAT measuring stick. 

TDs have completely messed up the diversity of slams hence they have been able to collect slams without the challenge the different surfaces posed to the players. 

An example Nadal could not get past a seeded player in the US prior to 2010. That year they increased the ball size (and added sand in the paint) to allow Nadal to get to the final and win it. 

Those kinds of things, including draw fixing have made the results less of importance. 

Nadal has been allowed to cheat beyond reason and I do not care about his number of slams. Maybe one day it will come out. 

Same for Djoko to some extend but at least he taught Nadal a lesson with his own medecine.

Slam count is 1 parameter in GOAT list.


"Same for Djoko to some extend but at least he taught Nadal a lesson with his own medicine."
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I really don't see Djoko teaching Nadal any 'lesson'. Nadal never got wiped off. As late as last year Nadal beat him at RG. 


Djoko is the real weak era GOAT. He has truly benefitted from the lack of talented, abled younger generations. Delpo, Nishikori and Murray( a bit) were perhaps the best suited to dislodge him from the younger lot, but they all suffered injuries and Djoko could continue his reign.




Djoko's GOAT stats will last longer than anyone. He isn't that good is he? So why is it satisfying to see him keep on succeeding? Just to keep Nadal's records down?

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:
Djoko's GOAT stats will last longer than anyone. He isn't that good is he? So why is it satisfying to see him keep on succeeding? Just to keep Nadal's records down?

Thatls good enough for me. Djoko is even better than Nadal on clay. Nadal has just been pretty lucky a few key times. But regardless, Madal can't win a slam within the rules. That in itself is enough to demote him. 

You remember our long discussions in the past about Fed v Nadal mental strength...Once again I was right there. I always said Fed was stringer mentally but his problem was technical. You disagreed. You thought Nadal was stronger mentally. Yet asa Federer solved the tech problem by adopting the bigger frame, Nadal got thrashed by Federer at every occasion.