ATP 500/250: Rio, Marseille, Delray

summerblues wrote:...on the other hand, Rafa has broken him 14 times so far...

Yeah, but Nadal stays further back on the baseline?

Who cares about break points stats.

noleisthebest wrote:Because it shows the lack of ball-striking skill, the further away from the net you are, the less you are a tennis player and more an endurance athlete.

But tennis at top level is played more and more that way, your attempts at cheap shots (highlighted in bold) notwithstanding.

Plus surely you have seen enough of it by now to cease to be shocked?

Te whole match could have turned on that missed BP from Dolgopolov...such a shame, still, all is not lost,
COME ON DOLGO, DO IT FOR UKRAINE!!!!!!!  

15 now.

This could still be the best Dolgo has ever done against Nadal.  In their previous matches, he was broken at least three times each.  Only twice so far today.

Of course, if he somehow breaks, then turns it around and wins the set and the match, that will be even better.

Dolgo's returning has been very disappointing, esp on his BH.

Not very wise to stand inside the court, even if it's the 2nd serve...a penny for his dad's/coach's thoughts on that one....

Cool

GO DOLGOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!    

Dolgo, break him now; it's not like you have never broken him before.

The crowd has clearly been pro-Dolgo the entire match, nice to see...
His tennis is spectacular when he gets in the groove!

Nadal looks like a joke every time he is at the net without his choice.

And that serve from Dolgopolov was definitely on the line, not out at all...

Nadal is so limited it's hilarious :P

Oh well.  Congrats Rafa, well done in the end.

FedererKing wrote:Nadal is so limited it's hilarious :P

Yeah, really hilarious... !

Also nice to see the BBC say he is "back from injury" lmao.. must be getting ridiculous even for them to keep saying it as he wins a title running about like the lame ass he is

noleisthebest wrote:
Dolgo, from brilliant to horrid in less than 24 hours...

That's the Nadal effect. You are asked to play a different ball. How many times did Federer play superbly on clay against everybody but could not find his game on the final v Rafa? Rafa physically destroys feel and timing. That's his tactic...and only one.

You've been proven wrong, stop repeating it.

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:
Dolgo, from brilliant to horrid in less than 24 hours...

That's the Nadal effect. You are asked to play a different ball. How many times did Federer play superbly on clay against everybody but could not find his game on the final v Rafa? Rafa physically destroys feel and timing. That's his tactic...and only one.

I noticed that, esp in the first set, he was so frustrated, but got better in the 2nd set once he adjusted a bit.

He started off his usual taking the ball super early, but couldn't control the ball, then started spinning it and rallying, and that somehow gave him the feel back to finally play his game later in the second set.

He was so unlucky he didn't convert one break point early in the 2nd set, where Nadal managed to retrieve a shot I don't think even Murray&Nole put together could have ...it was almost eerie, like he managed to bend time and get to the ball.

Julia Santamaria wrote:You've been proven wrong, stop repeating it.

Are you going to show us again the 1 or 2 points in the whole match that will prove that wrong?

Chris Kermode complained that Rio Open owes ATP $3m.
Nole said they never paid him his appearance fees for last year exo against Nadal there, either.

I wonder what made Nadal turn up there again this year, then.
According to his Uncle, Rafa is such a "good man", we can only conclude he must have given up his fees and played for free...

Tenez wrote:

Julia Santamaria wrote:You've been proven wrong, stop repeating it.

Are you going to show us again the 1 or 2 points in the whole match that will prove that wrong?

Nope, I'm not talking about 1 or 2 points.

noleisthebest wrote:Chris Kermode complained that Rio Open owes ATP $3m.
Nole said they never paid him his appearance fees for last year exo against Nadal there, either.

I wonder what made Nadal turn up there again this year, then.
According to his Uncle, Rafa is such a "good man", we can only conclude he must have given up his fees and played for free...

Or gave him Nole's instead.

Such is the power of his humble, sweaty charisma....

It's sad to see that once SA gets the chance to organise some tournaments, they start messing around with the money.

I'd love a 5th GS in SA.....but not if they mess up big time like that.

Poor countries don't tend to handle money properly unfortunately, everyone tries to steal as much as they can while they are in power.

We'll see how they go with the Olympics...

As for the 5th slam, I was originally against it, as China has been pushing for one for some time.
They have zero tennis tradition, and I'm not even sure tennis is popular there at all.
It would be wrong to have a slam somewhere just because they can afford it...

I never thought of South America for a slam, but it could work there as they've had a lot of good players.
I'd give Brasil and Argentina a masters 1000 to handle for 10 years first and then decide.
Ideally to replace the double US IW/Miami ones, but how likely is that to happen....

I also think it's a shame Russia don't have any high profile tournaments.

noleisthebest wrote:I never thought of South America for a slam, but it could work there as they've had a lot of good players.
I'd give Brasil and Argentina a masters 1000 to handle for 10 years first and then decide.
Ideally to replace the double US IW/Miami ones, but how likely is that to happen....

I also think it's a shame Russia don't have any high profile tournaments.

yes....n yes.

I agree South America should be given more status, I really think they should bring a Masters tournament for the Rio Open (currently a 500), instead of Paris Masters perhaps.