OT: Pro Tennis Thread

[10spro]

The mental part definitely plays a big part as Nishikori finished off Raonic in five tough sets early this morning. Milos is yet to beat him, and even though he's ranked higher than Nishikori and his game has grown immensely, he lacks the killing instinct. Having a big serve is a plus but he's got to improve on the long rallies and be more consistent.

Dimitrov-Monfils is a toss up for me today but there will be definitely some high caliber tennis to watch there.

Will be watching also Fedeter at Primetime. He's looking good to reach the finals as I still believe he can win one more GS tournament.

[JackB1]

The mental part definitely plays a big part as Nishikori finished off Raonic in five tough sets early this morning. Milos is yet to beat him, and even though he's ranked higher than Nishikori and his game has grown immensely, he lacks the killing instinct. Having a big serve is a plus but he's got to improve on the long rallies and be more consistent.

Dimitrov-Monfils is a toss up for me today but there will be definitely some high caliber tennis to watch there.

Will be watching also Fedeter at Primetime. He's looking good to reach the finals as I still believe he can win one more GS tournament.

Love Nishikori's game. He's just tenacious and gives his all on every point. I think he will be top 10 player soon.

Dimitrov/Monfils is interesting because the winner would play Fed. A Fed/Monfils matchup would be entertaining as heck.

Sadly, I don't think Fed has enough to win a GS final anymore. He can be competitive against Djokovich, but I don't see him winning. He will probably get a shot at him this weekend and it should be very interesting, but Fed just doesn't play his "A" game for the entire match usually and that costs him against a tough competitor like Djokovich.

[10spro]

Monfils dispatched Dimitrov iin straight sets. I don't think one can say it was biz as usual for the Frenchman as he was sucking air midway thru the second set but definitely served well at key points during the match. Some brilliant rallies as expected from both players but Monfils was just steadier today.

Cilic and Simon are battling out now, another toss up in my view perhaps giving Cilic a slight advantage but the Frenchman is a great counter puncher and if he returns well, he could advance instead to the quarters. It could go the distance.

[rhymes450]

Monfils dispatched Dimitrov iin straight sets. I don't think one can say it was biz as usual for the Frenchman as he was sucking air midway thru the second set but definitely served well at key points during the match. Some brilliant rallies as expected from both players but Monfils was just steadier today.

Cilic and Simon are battling out now, another toss up in my view perhaps giving Cilic a slight advantage but the Frenchman is a great counter puncher and if he returns well, he could advance instead to the quarters. It could go the distance.

Yeah it was a good performance from Monfils in the end, though he had a mental meltdown in the 2nd having been a set up. I tend to agree with Jack in some ways about Monfils but his potential is undeniable and he has been unlucky with injuries, not to mention coinciding with some of the most remarkable players in the history of the game.

Just going to return to the Cilic-Monfils match. BTW, I'm streaming this through an Xbox360 Eurosport Player app (I think it's a "Jasper") and I'm wondering how many hours of continuous streaming the machine is likely to withstand (35ºC max in Madrid today) without blowing up. If anyone has any advice on that one I'd appreciate it.

[JackB1]

Would like to see Murray take down Djokovich today to set the stage for a Murray/Fed Final. Or better yet,
have either Wawrinka or Nishikori take out the winner of that one. Fed vs Monfils scares me a bit, but I
think Fed can use his startegy and smarts to outwit Monfils on the court. Then he just has to worry about
the winner of Berdych and Cilic.

[rhymes450]

Would like to see Murray take down Djokovich today to set the stage for a Murray/Fed Final. Or better yet,
have either Wawrinka or Nishikori take out the winner of that one. Fed vs Monfils scares me a bit, but I
think Fed can use his startegy and smarts to outwit Monfils on the court. Then he just has to worry about
the winner of Berdych and Cilic.

It's a big match for Murray, maybe the one he's been waiting for. As far as I know, he hasn't beaten any of the really top guys since Wimbledon last year and his subsequent back surgery. I'd like to catch it but it's going to be a very late start here in Europe, six hours ahead of New York time. Definitely going to catch the Wawrinka v Nishikori match, which could be a cracker too.

[10spro]

Fantastic first two setters between Novac and Andy as the two heavy hitters were putting on a show. Middle of the third set you could tell that Murray's leg started to shake as Djokovic steadily wore him down. With a little more match fitness under his belt, Andy may have had the chance to battle it for a fifth. But he just didn't have the stamina that the tough first two sets took out of him.

Someone that doesn't have problems going to the distance so it seems is Nishikori who upset Wawrinka earlier on. I honestly did not expect him to outlast the Swiss man after his late tough setter win vs Raonic in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, but you can see the influence of Michael Chang in him, the never die attitude on the court. Question is does he have anything left in the tank against Djoko.

Primetime match: Federer-Monfils. Should be a great show.

[JackB1]

Cant wait for Monfils/Fed. Predict the master will quickly dispatch the head-case Frenchman.

Murray/Djoko provoded some good moments...the first set was awesome, but then Murray completely fell apart in the tiebreak.
Djokovich looks on his game, which could prove trouble for Fed if he makes it to the finals. Hopefully Nishikori can take him out.
It's certainly possible the way he's playing.

[rhymes450]

Nishikori was great in Madrid when he looked odds on to win before injury struck and Rafa "stole" the title. He looks a very complete player and he certainly hugged the baseline and managed to force Wawrinka back a few feet. I'll miss Wawrinka's huge game. He hit some unbelievable winners off both wings last night, some from a few yards behind the baseline but in the end he wasn't consistent enough.

I think Murray's game is in a very good place. He hit some enormous forehands yesterday, which hasn't always been a feature of his game, and he was definitely winning the forehand to forehand exchanges by the end of the 2nd set but he just couldn't match Novak physically. It seems he's still struggling to get back to 100% in that department following surgery.

Really looking forward to seeing how Nishikori gets on with Djokovic.

I think Fed's main obstacle in terms of getting to the final is Berdych, who's been a consistently better performer than either Cilic or Monfils and has what Hewitt referred to after their first-round encounter as "easy power". Also in Berdych's favour is that he tends to play well against Roger and doesn't seem to be fazed by the Swiss maestro.

Edit: been busy all day and just checked in to see how the tournament was going after posting the above and find Berdych with his back to the wall against Cilic so if he wants to face Fed he's going to have to get out of a hole.

[10spro]

I had the PIP going as I was following the Seahawks and the great escape by the great Federer. He didn't serve well at all the first two sets and he was spraying his forehand everywhere. Monfils was just playing his game, his backhand control was outstanding and he served very well until the middle of the fourth set were he had two double faults in a row. Just couldn't capitalize on the two match points as Federer fought them off brilliantly and as the match went on, the smooth Swiss started to play better. His serve was accurate again and was holding serve well in the last set when he played his best tennis.

Cilic is playing very well, the last time they played in Toronto they went the distance with Federer winning 6-4 in the decisive set. He has to serve better in the semis if he wants to make another trip the finals.

Great come back tonight.

[10spro]

Both players played under very difficult weather conditions and I am not sure how Kei keeps playing so consistent, especially after his long long previous matches. He can hit winners from both wings and perhaps adapted better to the steaming heat in the upset of the year.

Djoko gave full credit to Nishikori at the end, as Kei was more consistent under the difficult conditions.

Funny thing, he was contemplating about not playing the US Open a couple of weeks ago due to a foot injury and was hitting balls from a sitting position. Look where he is today, standing tall.

Japan must be going nuts.

[10spro]

The upsets are complete. Cilic just played the match of his life, the serve, the return, his powerful forehand. And consistently throughout the three sets in under two hours. This dude always had the potential,a couple of years back I thought he made a breakthrough by beating top five guys but lacked the consistency to do it in an entire tournament.

His serve improved even more with Goran under his wings, you can see how quickly he snaps that wrist as Ivanicevic used to do. Roger never found his rhythm, he didn't serve well again and his strokes fell short creating easy put aways by Cilic.

Cilic kept attacking his backhand with a kick serve and played outstanding tennis.

Who would have thought a Croatian-Japanese finals?

[rhymes450]

The upsets are complete. Cilic just played the match of his life, the serve, the return, his powerful forehand. And consistently throughout the three sets in under two hours. This dude always had the potential,a couple of years back I thought he made a breakthrough by beating top five guys but lacked the consistency to do it in an entire tournament.

His serve improved even more with Goran under his wings, you can see how quickly he snaps that wrist as Ivanicevic used to do. Roger never found his rhythm, he didn't serve well again and his strokes fell short creating easy put aways by Cilic.

Cilic kept attacking his backhand with a kick serve and played outstanding tennis.

Who would have thought a Croatian-Japanese finals?

The other day watching the last few games of the Cilic v Berdych match, I was thinking that if the guy can keep serving like that, he's going to be unbeatable. During that match, somebody mentioned that it was like a flashback to Ivanisovic. Been busy the last few days and only caught the end of the Fed match, but in his last two service games he was unplayable again.

Saw a little bit more of the Djokovic v Nishikori match and Nishikori was incredible off the ground. Djokovic has been the best ball striker in the game for a few years now but today he met up with a guy who can take over that crown and I think the Japanese player has a more attacking mentality than Nole. The only thing he lacks really is a serve that would save him some groundwork.

My feeling is that Cilic will have to serve very well again to beat Nishikori, who's going to be the best returner (bar Simon arguably) that he'll have met to date in the tournament.

First GS since the AO in 2005 that hasn't featured one of the big 4, which is a pretty big deal for anyone who's been following the sport over the last few years.

[wco81]

See Roger had his way clear, with Nadal injured and Djoko upset earlier.

So he loses to some other guy, after barely making the semi final after a comeback.

The trend is going the wrong way. It would be a greate shock if he did win another major.

[10spro]

See Roger had his way clear, with Nadal injured and Djoko upset earlier.

So he loses to some other guy, after barely making the semi final after a comeback.

The trend is going the wrong way. It would be a greate shock if he did win another major.

So easy to see it thru your eyes eh? At 33 making it yet to another GS semis is no easy task. Whether one wins by straight bagels or struggles for a win, at the end of the day what counts is the W. And no one has won more matches this year than Roger. As Chrissy Evert said the other night: 'That was the best Federer come back ever'.

And with all the respect I have for Nadal and Djoko, I don't see them reaching the quarters, semis or finals of a GS as consistent as Federer has, once they reach the tender age of 30+.

[wco81]

Maybe, but they'll still own Federer if he's still playing then.

Every year the list of players whom he can't beat in the majors will continue to grow. Hell maybe that list will grow from major to major.

[JackB1]

I am so disappointed in the Fed / Cilic match. Federer couldn't have asked for an easier path to the finals of a major.
I doubt he will ever have another opportunity like this one. I'm sorry to say, but I think he's won his last major.
It's just very long odds when you are > 30 and he just doesn't have his "A" game anymore. He's just another top 10
player now. I hope he proves me wrong but I can't see it happening. When Monfils took him to match point, I knew
he was in trouble.

[10spro]

I am so disappointed in the Fed / Cilic match. Federer couldn't have asked for an easier path to the finals of a major.
I doubt he will ever have another opportunity like this one. I'm sorry to say, but I think he's won his last major.
It's just very long odds when you are > 30 and he just doesn't have his "A" game anymore. He's just another top 10
player now. I hope he proves me wrong but I can't see it happening. When Monfils took him to match point, I knew
he was in trouble.

Whether he can win another GS or not, that can be debated among fans til the day that he retires. And it's very possible that he may never win another GS event. What bugs me is that people seem to write him off for not winning a major event when getting to the top four in a big tournament is a great accomplishment in its own and almost impossible to accomplish at the tender age of 30+.

He's won more titles than anyone else, he's relatively been injury free and in my eyes, the best player that touched a tennis racket ever. The men's side is ultra competitive and anyone in the top 100 can knock you off if you're not having a good day as Cilic did with Federer. And the Croat has been a top 15 for awhile, not too shabby either for a guy that had all the weapons but just lacked consistency in the past until he hooked up with Goran.

Whether the Swiss man can win another major or not again is debatable, but one thing people can't take for granted is that we are witnessing alive the best player in the sport, and appreciate his effortless tennis and shot making skills. He may not be number one today, and may never reach that spot again even if he was to win a GS next year.

But with Nadal's chronic injuries and Djoko entering parenthood, I doubt these two can match the consistency that Roger has shown in the GS events after 30+.

[wco81]

How long was Federer on top before Nadal approached on the scene?

Hey I would like for him to set the record. He seems to be a nice enough guy, more so than someone like Djokovic.

Just observing that he's losing his battle against time. He's still good enough to make a very good living on the tour. But at this point, the records probably matter to him more than the money.

Maybe since he's been playing the sport since he was a kid, he's not ready to give it up, even if he deep down suspects that he can't win any more of the titles he wants most.

[10spro]

How long was Federer on top before Nadal approached on the scene?

Hey I would like for him to set the record. He seems to be a nice enough guy, more so than someone like Djokovic.

Just observing that he's losing his battle against time. He's still good enough to make a very good living on the tour. But at this point, the records probably matter to him more than the money.

Maybe since he's been playing the sport since he was a kid, he's not ready to give it up, even if he deep down suspects that he can't win any more of the titles he wants most.

I am not sure which record he's chasing after, because he's won it all. The only title missing for him is probably the Olympic gold in his neck. After the loss over the weekend, he clearly mentioned that he enjoys the game a lot still, whether it's a GS or regular tournament he approaches his matches with one goal in mind which is to win it all. His five consecutive US Open wins will probably last forever and only Nadal has a winning record against him.

I still believe his best chance to win an 18th GS is the big W in July but again as I stated above, whether he does it or not, he's the greatest player in the open era that played the sport.

[wco81]

I would take Sampras over him on grass or hard courts.

I thought he was chasing someone on the number of GS titles but he's got the most at 17.

But Nadal has 14 so he may not hold it too much longer.

[10spro]

I would take Sampras over him on grass or hard courts.

I thought he was chasing someone on the number of GS titles but he's got the most at 17.

But Nadal has 14 so he may not hold it too much longer.

And you think Nadal can keep it up with his long streak of injuries and the taxing style that he plays with? Past even 30? Think again.

Regarding the great Sampras, in his peak he never had players like Djokovic, Nadal and Murray to contest with. Maybe Agassi came close but he was dominant on his own.

This chart says it all, and it doesn't count the big W this year.

http://www.tennis28.com/studies/Federer_Sampras.html

[10spro]

Boy for a guy of his size, he definitely moves well. Well deserved, Cilic just destroyed Nishikori.

[rhymes450]

Boy for a guy of his size, he definitely moves well. Well deserved, Cilic just destroyed Nishikori.

Just what I was saying to a tennis coach friend of mine who has seen very little of the tournament...that looking at Cilic play, he doesn't give the impression of being a very tall player...there's none of the awkwardness you normally associate with players of that height. His powerful ground strokes were flowing again last night, the sliced backhand with sidespin, kept him nicely in the rallies when necessary and his serving was awesome again, not just in terms of power...the targetting was unbelievable too.

Since overcoming the sticky Simon in the round of 16, he's just overpowered his opponents. He's gone from being a player who seemed unlikely to fufill the great promise he showed a few years back to looking like he might well become the man to beat over the coming seasons, if he can maintain this form. Time will tell.

I think we'll be seeing a lot more of Nishikori too. Wawrinka seems to have opened things up with his win in Australia and 2014 might be remembered as the beginning of the end of the era of the big 4.

[rhymes450]

Gael Monfils up to mischief again over the weekend in the Davis Cup semi-final:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYl2TBwBap0

Reminds me a bit of myself when I was younger