The Official Tennis Thread

[Orior]

Two sweaty girls knocking the pan out of each other right now, on Sky Sports 1

[muppet]

Two sweaty girls knocking the pan out of each other right now, on Sky Sports 1

Watching on CBS, in Dublin. 

[gallsman]

Can't wait for Rafa-Djokovic tonight. Nadal has been phenomenal on hard courts this year, looks to be moving freely and isn't wearing tape on his knees for the for the first time in a long time. Would be slightly worried Nadal might be a bit undercooked after Gasquet offered little in the semi-final.

[muppet]

Can't wait for Rafa-Djokovic tonight. Nadal has been phenomenal on hard courts this year, looks to be moving freely and isn't wearing tape on his knees for the for the first time in a long time. Would be slightly worried Nadal might be a bit undercooked after Gasquet offered little in the semi-final.

Yea, he is untested and hasn't beaten anyone of note in this year's Championship. 

[gallsman]

Can't wait for Rafa-Djokovic tonight. Nadal has been phenomenal on hard courts this year, looks to be moving freely and isn't wearing tape on his knees for the for the first time in a long time. Would be slightly worried Nadal might be a bit undercooked after Gasquet offered little in the semi-final.

Yea, he is untested and hasn't beaten anyone of note in this year's Championship. 

The point I was making was that he'd steamrollered everyone which, no mtter how good you're playing, doesn't prepare you for Djokovic. Djokovic was taken to the absolute limit by Wawrinka. Rafa hadn't even dropped serve until Gasquet took one off him.

Looking good at the minute though 

[Syferus]

A tennis player with ropey knees may as well sit in the house. Nadal will never be the same again. Agree with lads above, Nadal might score another French Opens, Fed another couple and Murray and Djoker will probably divvy up the rest over the next 4 years or so. If The Big 3 consists Djokovic and Murray, who will take the third spot in a few years?

Not a bad year for a lad with fücked knees, eh?

[moysider]

Nadal is transformed. Losing all that bulk has done his knees no harm.

[gallsman]

Absolutely delighted. The ninth game of the 3rd was obviously the turning point. Coming back from 0-40 down (heart was in mouth when he tripped over himself) seemed to just take it out of Djokovic and the resistance and form he'd mustered in the second and first half of the third sets crumbled.

13 Slams and only just turned 27. New love of hard courts and playing without tape on his knees for first time in years. Probably odds on to match and break Federer's record of 17, assuming Fed doesn't add to his.

[nrico2006]

Absolutely delighted. The ninth game of the 3rd was obviously the turning point. Coming back from 0-40 down (heart was in mouth when he tripped over himself) seemed to just take it out of Djokovic and the resistance and form he'd mustered in the second and first half of the third sets crumbled.

13 Slams and only just turned 27. New love of hard courts and playing without tape on his knees for first time in years. Probably odds on to match and break Federer's record of 17, assuming Fed doesn't add to his.

Barring injury Nadal should at least get the 17, he is basically a cert for the French and I'm sure he will be fired up for Wimbledon given his recent performances/absences there.  Not long to the Aussie Open now and if he keeps playing on the hard courts the way he has been this year he will be favourite for that one too.  I think Federer could win another one yet though.

[gallsman]

Absolutely delighted. The ninth game of the 3rd was obviously the turning point. Coming back from 0-40 down (heart was in mouth when he tripped over himself) seemed to just take it out of Djokovic and the resistance and form he'd mustered in the second and first half of the third sets crumbled.

13 Slams and only just turned 27. New love of hard courts and playing without tape on his knees for first time in years. Probably odds on to match and break Federer's record of 17, assuming Fed doesn't add to his.

Barring injury Nadal should at least get the 17, he is basically a cert for the French and I'm sure he will be fired up for Wimbledon given his recent performances/absences there.  Not long to the Aussie Open now and if he keeps playing on the hard courts the way he has been this year he will be favourite for that one too.  I think Federer could win another one yet though.

I think that for Fed to win one these days, he'll need big slip ups from Nadal, Djokovic and Murray. I can't see him beating two of them on his way to a Slam when he'll also have to get past the like of Berdych, Del Potro and Wawrinka. Nadal will shift focus to the World Tour Finals in London as he's never won them. He'll likely be World No. 1 by that stage and if he wins, will be a red hot favourite for the Aussie Open.

Djokovic yesterday reminded me of Nadal against him in 2011. Doing the same things that made him great and the top player in the world and, as the Americans say, "executing", albeit with a lot of unforced errors. Nadal has changed his game though and has found a bit of a formula that Djokovic can't quite work out. Considering his dominance since 2011, two slams out of the last 8 is a poor return for him. Think he needs to go back to the drawing board the way Rafa has done this year and did in 2010 after his injury in '09.

[gallsman]

he is basically a cert for the French

I wouldn't necessarily agree with that btw. Djokovic beat him in the Monte Carlo final this year and their semi at Roland Garros could have gone either way. Assuming both are fit, I can't see anyone threatening either of them on clay.

[nrico2006]

he is basically a cert for the French

I wouldn't necessarily agree with that btw. Djokovic beat him in the Monte Carlo final this year and their semi at Roland Garros could have gone either way. Assuming both are fit, I can't see anyone threatening either of them on clay.

Djokovic did well to beat him in MC but in retrospect Nadal wasn;t long back at that stage or even when he played the French.  I definitely see him winning another 3 or 4 French Opens alone. 

[mouview]

Nadal a very fine player without doubt, but even should he beat Fed's record I still think Fed (and Djokovic) are better tennis players. Nadal relies to a large extent on power whereas the others are more shot makers and have more variety to their games.

The '08 Wimbledon final will never be forgotten though; 2 men absolutely in the zone. One of the greatest finals in any sport I've ever seen.

[gallsman]

Nadal a very fine player without doubt, but even should he beat Fed's record I still think Fed (and Djokovic) are better tennis players. Nadal relies to a large extent on power whereas the others are more shot makers and have more variety to their games.

The '08 Wimbledon final will never be forgotten though; 2 men absolutely in the zone. One of the greatest finals in any sport I've ever seen.

Some of the shot making Nadal made in that match (and the Australian in '09) is as good as anything Federer produced in his pomp. To dismiss Nadal as a bull is ludicrous. Nadal relies on spin more than power - other players hit the ball much harder and flatter than he does.

[Orior]

Great win for Murray in the fifth set. Quite an amazing finish.