ATP 500: Queens, Halle

Just tuned in...last time I saw Nadal at Queens was in 2008/9 I think when he beat Nole in that epic close match...how things have changed.

Tenez wrote:Does Nadal want to go far at Queens? Or does he wish to rest for the big one? A set down, he does not look too concerned.

I think he would love to win the whole thing, losing today would be a disaster for his already shaky confidence.

Keothavong is a good umpire.

Dolgo is just being silly, squandering points...he can win this so easily.

I know I've said it before, but Dolgo's serve is something else, it really is!

Nadal's hit some good shots, but his game is so disjointed, so reactive.

Though, it was fun to see him exchange BH slices with Dolgo.

As usual, some Yank sounding commentator is just pathetic...trying to convince the masses what a great volleyer Nadal is.

Well looks like Nadal is motivated after all. Is Djoko playing Queens?

Both hit some good shots and both had some bad errors in the TB.

noleisthebest wrote:As usual, some Yank sounding commentator is just pathetic...trying to convince the masses what a great volleyer Nadal is.

I started to write a new topic on volleying last weekend. But did not get to finishing it. I'll resume soon.

No, Djoko is not playing. He is licking his wounds presumably.

Tenez wrote:Well looks like Nadal is motivated after all. Is Djoko playing Queens?

No, but confirmed for Boodles along with Gasquet, Sock...the list is not finalised yet.
I am going again this year, but will bring the racquet, too

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:As usual, some Yank sounding commentator is just pathetic...trying to convince the masses what a great volleyer Nadal is.

I started to write a new topic on volleying last weekend. But did not get to finishing it. I'll resume soon.

Lovely!

Dolgo misplayed that point at 30-30. Cost him the break.

Nadal brings an awful lot of balls back. A lot of them are sliced BHs but quite a few are flat pacy BHs too.

Rafa's out.

Cool, very well done from Dolgo in the end.

Dolgo did not even play that well..beside that penultimate point (return). Nadal's FH in that last points sums it up: Lack of confidence (or guts) but strange as he played quite well in the last 2 sets.

Rafa played fairly well the last two sets but even then he was still making a good few cheap errors. He made a couple of really bad ones in TB for example, but he got away with it as Dolgo returned the favor later.

Dolgo did play a little better at the end of the third set - enough to put more pressure on Rafa I think.

But I was still surprised at how well Nadal kept the ball in court...it's when he tried to attack that he made unusual errors, I agree.

Very happy for Dolgo.

What to make of Nadal? He just can't seem to piece himself together this year.

He needed a long winning streak on clay and didn't get it.
Hard to imagine him do it on American hard courts.

Is he even relevant any more?

noleisthebest wrote:Very happy for Dolgo.

What to make of Nadal? He just can't seem to piece himself together this year.

He needed a long winning streak on clay and didn't get it.
Hard to imagine him do it on American hard courts.

Is he even relevant any more?

I think he has done extremely well the previous years. How many times did he win in the past from a losing position. Always saving BPs, SPs, and MPs....This year it's going like everybody else. He just won Stuttgart winning again a few very close matches.

He will be dangerous in WImbledon, especially if he gets through the second week.

It's been a long time since he's made it to second week.

Not writing him off, but Nadal and the tour are moving in opposite directions.

I found it funny to see him swing from being visibly nervous and fearful to Vamos! mode in a matter of a point or two.

He is an incredible opportunist, and you are right - he has won so much on the back of his opponents' fear and panic.

Ha you are loving it aren't you nitb.
He's still top 10.

I knew Dolgo would be a tough opening round fixture, and so it proved, Nadal was poor in the first and third set and deserved to lose.

I think in many ways it's fair to write Nadal off, but also I think it's fair to keep in mind that there is a possibility that we may be proved wrong. Sport can be unpredictable at times.

Again some good matches today.

Federer-Gulbis
Gasquet-Raonic
Stan-Anderson
Simon-Kokinakis

Kim Jong-Un wrote:I knew Dolgo would be a tough opening round fixture, and so it proved, Nadal was poor in the first and third set and deserved to lose.

I think in many ways it's fair to write Nadal off, but also I think it's fair to keep in mind that there is a possibility that we may be proved wrong. Sport can be unpredictable at times.

It's time to see the depth of Nadal's tennis/talent/ability.
He clearly can't go on like before.

Can he adjust?
Can he take the ball early?

We haven't seen much proof of that so far.
Quite the contrary - at times he looks burnt out.

Amazing how many players look akward & mechanical on grass. No suppleness, no grace.

Huge swings, wooden footwork, everything appears oversized with Stan and Anderson.

As if they don't know what to do with all that power. Very little finesse.

In comparison, Fed and Kholi were pure symphony the other day.

Nice to see Stan happy and relaxed.
I was worried he'd be a bit tense after RG.

He is in a sweet spot of his career and it shows in the laid-back ways. Munching on a banana and smiling in the changeover, fully aware of what's going around him.
Breath of fresh air!

Stan's trade-off for all that power is no hands.
How far can it take him on grass?

If he gets into the 2nd week he will be dangerous, but he can be susceptible to an early defeat ala 2013 vs hewitt.

luvsports! wrote:If he gets into the 2nd week he will be dangerous, but he can be susceptible to an early defeat ala 2013 vs hewitt.

Stan will always go for his shots, always. Even the high risk ones at crunch times. This is where Norman has calmed him down to choose the right moment before pulling the trigger. But by nature and his usual tennis, his shot selection at times will always be questioned. So there is a possibility of him losing early as well.


But he has all shots and perhaps the best shot-maker currently, so can beat anyone out there.

noleisthebest wrote:Amazing how many players look akward & mechanical on grass. No suppleness, no grace.

Huge swings, wooden footwork, everything appears oversized with Stan and Anderson.

As if they don't know what to do with all that power. Very little finesse.

In comparison, Fed and Kholi were pure symphony the other day.

You have got the eye of a ballet dancer critics. You notice things most of us don't.

Oh, T, that's one of the nicest compliments I've ever received, thank you. 


But really, I have learnt all I know about tennis from you.

Another quick exit for Coric, he is learning quickly it's hard to survive without weapons these days.

Just saw the last game, Berdych blew him off the court as well as outplayed.

Gulbis-Federer next.
Also starting Gasquet- Raonic.

Stereo time!

Get a room

What do you mean?

You've got to love Fed's shameless confidence!

"I never thought that I could ever play so well in my career on grass. It was always a dream to play such good tennis on grass or even be able to play on a grass court. Where I grew up in Switzerland, there was only sand, carpet or dirt. So a grass court was always a dream.

At this stage of my career I want to have the perfect preparation for Wimbledon. That means a victory".

Gulbis-Fed so much better to watch than Raonic-Gasquet, no fault of Gasquet, though.

I know Raonic has high hopes for grass, but I think clay and slow hard is his best surface, similar to Stan.

You don't like giants...we know this...with teh exception of Karlo for some reasons!.

Karlo is a "natural", organic giant, like Anderson.

I think tennis loses its flavour when played by very tall players, they just can't move that well.

Raonic is so by the book, he's got his couple of tricks and that's it.
Too tense.

I don't mind giants now and then, but it looks they are slowly taking over the sport....

Enjoying Fed-Gulbis, Halle providing better tennis than Queens so far.

How Federer manages to slap his FH so super-loosely all the time I'll never know.

Gulbis actually looks better on TV than live. His FH is powerful but not that cleanly hit at all.

At this stage of my career I want to have the perfect preparation for Wimbledon. That means a victory.

Did he not say just after he lost at RG something along the lines of that he was fine with that loss, his game was good, and was hoping to win Wimbledon?

It will not be easy, but he is probably a second or third favorite - and quite justifiably - so why not aim high?

That's what I said, as well.
He is my first favourite.

By far the best player on grass. This year, unlike last, he is one with his racquet on the FH.
I just hope his back holds.

Did he have the larger racquet last year already?

Tenez wrote:Did he have the larger racquet last year already?

He did, but was not confident on his FH.

He came to Wimbledon after semi-disappointing RG and an interrupted momentum (birth of second twins) he started gathering through hard-court and clay season.

Remember how Mirka had to kick him back into arena as he loved being around their new babies?

I get it!
(or maybe I don't )

Did Nadal enter these back to back grass tournament to get more grass points and bump his seeding to top 8 for that special formula Wimbledon have?

Did he make it to top 8 (by Wimbledon seeding standards) or not?

Being outside top 8 could see him with a very tough draw.

"Total ATP points accumulated by a player till 16th of June (i.e., the Monday before the start of the tournament) + Total grasscourt points accumulated by a player in the preceding year + 75% of grasscourt points in the grasscourt event where a player has achieved his best result in 2012 (i.e., the year before the previous one)."

1		Novak Djokovic	SRB	13845	-	-	-	-	-
2		Roger Federer	SUI	9255	-	Halle QF	-	9345	9665
3		Andy Murray	GBR	7040	-	London R16	-	7040	7450
4		Stan Wawrinka	SUI	5790	-	-	Lost in London R16	-	-
5		Kei Nishikori	JPN	5570	-	Halle R16	-	5570	5980
6		Tomas Berdych	CZE	5050	-	Halle QF	-	5080	5400
7		David Ferrer	ESP	4490	-	-	-	-	-
8		Milos Raonic	CAN	4440	-	London QF	-	4530	4850
9		Marin Cilic	CRO	3540	-	London R16	-	3585	3995
10		Rafael Nadal	ESP	3135	-	-	Lost in London R32	-	-
11		Grigor Dimitrov	BUL	2600	-	London R16	-	2600	3010
12		Jo Wilfried Tsonga	FRA	2565	-	-	-	-	-

Going by this I don't think Rafa will get a top 8 seed as his last 2 years have been poor on grass and Dimi (sf wimby and queens win '14) 
Cilic (qf last year and queens final '13) and Raonic (sf last year) all have done better than him.

That's a bit unreal.
I must say Wimbledon draw is going to be more interesting than ever.
In theory Nadal could play any top 8 on second Monday (if he makes it to second Monday that is).

But somehow, it doesn't feel like he's any/much threat. He'll need to be super lucky to get to week two.

I admit it's so strange to view him like that now. The Boogeyman has gone!

I know he doesn't have many points to defend till the end of the year, but that's part of calendar he has not flourished in the past, all faster (relatively!) and indoor.

Fascinating to observe how Federer and Nadal are coping/ageing respectively, despite the fact Fed is 5 years older.

I had a preposterous hunch Nadal would retire before Fed some years ago, of course that may not happen...they are such a charismatic pair!