Tennis

[brehme1989]

Can't really call it a mental issue. I mean how can you be mentally leaking if you can take a 5-1 match point to a 5-5? It's phenomenal that she is still at an elite level at this age. Her shortcomings are mostly physical imo.

It's unbelievable that she left after winning Australia to give birth and 18 months later she was in the Wimbledon final. She lost pace and her typical aggression does not come out as it did before. Don't forget she's 38 years old (technically not yet). Only Navratilova managed to stay at this level at that age and she didn't leave the sport for 1 year and a half before returning to almost reach the top again. It's a young woman's sport. Just consider that this Andreescu girl wasn't even conceived when Serena won her first Grand Slam

 

[K.I.]

I am taking about the finals performances, her comeback after her serious injury and giving birth are great accomplishments but odds are the worst she should have done is win 1 or 2 out of 4. Not only did she lose all 4 but her performances were nowhere near her performances on the way to the finals. She even said its prob mental. Yesterday it took the crowd to bring her back from the dead and after she did she still gets broken again.

 

[thatdude]

I don’t think Serena losing in finals is going to damage her legacy. The fact she’s even getting there so often still is impressive

 

[Hasan]

What a final between Rafa and Russian guy

 

[K.I.]

Great final, both of them deserved to win.

 

[firmino]

i don't like nadal, compared to how federer plays he looks like a monkey to me. i feel that every time he wins a Grand Slam title, a hundred kittens die.

 

[brehme1989]

He's an amazing player but he has that robotic style about him that not many appreciate.

For me both Federer and Djokovic are far better tennis players, just not better athletes. Pete Sampras for me is still in the top 3. Maybe I'm a bit biased but whatever.

The sport has changed a lot since the mid 80s so it's unfair to compare with McEnroe, Borg, Lendl, Becker and all these guys. Look at the new generation, almost everyone is a giant compared to the previous generations.

 

[Howl]

When I was younger I disliked Nadal but it was only because he was Federers rival. As I got older I appreciated him and his game a lot more.

For me Federer will always be the GOAT and Nadal is up there with him too. Novak is behind those guys and I dont rate him as highly as those guys.

 

[thoriq_r9]

I think at their best, Djokovic beats both Fed and Nadal. He has the game win against them, the consistency, and his mental fortitude is second to none. Still, that does not necessarily make him the GOAT. In the Grand Slam title race, which is probably the metrics that matters most, he's still behind the other two.
My prediction is when they all retire, they will finish with similar number of GS titles, maybe a gap of 2 at most. Nadal has the best chance to end with the most titles, as he is younger and is only one title behind Federer. Also, he doesn't really have to be in his best to win another Roland Garros. Federer still has one or two before he retires. Djokovic needs to make up for the gap, but he is the youngest and, when in form, no one is stopping him.
In the end, it will come to personal preference between these three, whose tennis do you like best. For me, it's Nadal because I enjoy clay matches for some reason. Long rallies with high intensity, though I understand why some people would find it boring.

 

[K.I.]

Nadal def is the best to me, Djokovic had 2 5 set finals against Federer that he could have lost but he is up 4-1 again him in grand slam finals but is tied 4-4 with Nadal and he won 5 finals against Murray and 3 against non big 3 players, so if i rank them based on that Nadal is the best, not to mention he could have won more had it been for his injuries, Djokovic slight 2nd & Fed 3rd but overall 20 is the number to break to be considered the GOAT.

 

[Adriano@10]

Nadal def is the best to me, Djokovic had 2 5 set finals against Federer that he could have lost but he is up 4-1 again him in grand slam finals but is tied 4-4 with Nadal and he won 5 finals against Murray and 3 against non big 3 players, so if i rank them based on that Nadal is the best, not to mention he could have won more had it been for his injuries, Djokovic slight 2nd & Fed 3rd but overall 20 is the number to break to be considered the GOAT.

The head to head comp is a bit unfair to federer though lets not forget he s 5 years older then nadal and 6 older than Djokovic. When those two entered their prime federer was pretty much exiting his. The sheer fact that he can still keep up with those two is simply amazing.
To me roger is the goat at least of the modern times cause if björn borg would not have retired at 26 i dont think we d have this conversation cause he d be unreachable in terms of atp victories.
Anyways as a swiss guy i might be biased but i ve never seen a tennis player as elegant and as much better as the rest of the competition as federer was in his prime. Also while it s easy to admit that rafa probably is the greatest player we ve ever seen on sand we also have to say that out of Rafas 19 grand slam titles 12 are from paris.
Now with joker he s also very good but i just always get the impression that he only ever beats the other two when they are slightly out of form or injured.

 

[K.I.]

Yah i mean i cant argue there, i have no problem with anyone saying 1 of them is the best, people like different players and will use different metrics.

I didn't even mention the head to head with Nadal against Federer but even there Nadal is up 6-3. And even though there is an age gap at the time they were reaching finals RF was still like Max 30 which still puts him in his "prime", even now he looks as good as he ever was with the Wimbledon final being proof of that so you cant say what age is their prime anymore. They are all playing as good as they have ever played.

An example i always give is that Federer is the best ever but Nadal was like a machine who was programmed to beat the best.

 

[brehme1989]

Grande Tsitsipas

 

[brehme1989]

Nadal's comeback today in the 3rd set was something else. Down 4-0 to Medvedev and he took it to a tie break to win it after leading 6-5 and 0-30 in the 12th set. Thought Medvedev picked it up with those 4 unanswered points there but Nadal's mentality is phenomenal.

I'm still holding a grudge against him for not playing in that semi final in Paris 10 days ago. I didn't pay for a semi final ticket to see him announce he was hurt. And he cost me a Djokovic-Nadal final

Tsitsipas with the 2nd win in 2 games now as he just beat Zverev 2-0 following his first ever win vs "arch enemy" Medvedev two days ago.

Tomorrow we have a sudden death match between Djokovic and Federer whilst two days from now Nadal vs Tsitsipas may decide if Nadal will go through as well. Nadal's never won one of those ATP Finals things. Djokovic is a 5 time winner and Federer is the sole record holder of 6 titles. My guess is that whoever proceeds from the Djokovic-Federer "final" gets to win it. Doubt we'll have a new kid in the block this time like Zverev did last year, though I'd love it if Stefanos manages to win this. He's never won a big tournament and it'll be vital if he wants to be a legend in the making.

 

[brehme1989]

Amazing final just now. Tsitsipas with his first ever 1000+ Tour win vs Dominic Thiem. Superstar in the making.

Hopefully 2020 brings us at least 1 new Grand Slam winner. Hoping it's Stefanos with an Australia win

 

[thoriq_r9]

2020 might finally, finally, be that year when one of the new guys wins a grand slam ahead of The Big 3.

 

[brehme1989]

Anyone watching the Aussie Open?

Tsitsipas lost to Raonic yesterday with a 3-0. But I still consider there's a chance for a new guy to win it. Could be Medvedev. Going for another 3-0 win now.

Kyrgios vs Khachanov game is pretty good.

 

[brehme1989]

What a game, Kyrgios wins 3-2.

6-2
7-6
6-7
6-7
7-6 (10-8)

 

[brehme1989]

Men's semis:
Thiem vs Zverev
Djokovic vs Federer

Thiem beat Nadal in a phenomenal game. Some of his returns were out of this world.

 

[Adriano@10]

Men's semis:
Thiem vs Zverev
Djokovic vs Federer

Thiem beat Nadal in a phenomenal game. Some of his returns were out of this world.

it s gonna be another bummer of a day once federer gets thrown out by djoko tomorrow.