Australian Open 2012: Discussion Thread

Pighead

Morrisseeee wrote: »

Game over, Murray looses.................again! Will he ever win a GS ??!!

I'm still convinced he can. The naysayers will point to yet another disappointment at the business end of a Grand Slam but he is so so close. In my opinion there is barely anything between the top four in the world at the moment.

Murray is getting closer all the time. It's not even a matter of belief. He came back strongly in that final set and it came down to millimetres in the end. That lob that was called long in the second last game looked in to me but unfortunately for Murray he had no challenges left.

Unfortunately for Murray the French and Wimbledon represent his least likely chances of success so he's gonna have to wait til September to mount another realistic challenge.

On Djokovic, you have to admire the guy. Looked down and out twice in that match and somehow summoned energy to turn it around. That huge risky second serve when Murray had a break point to make it 5-6 in the final set was very brave. Hope he recovers well and we get another epic on Sunday morning. Hard to call but I'm gonna have to go Nadal.

walshb

I bet Nadal is freaked. He knows he beats Murray, but knows Novak has his number.

velo.2010

Murray is unfortunate in that he's playing against arguably the 3 greatest players of all time in actual performance terms. I think he needs a break if he is going to get a slam win, ie. one of the top 3 to drop out on his side so he has a clear run to the final and hope the other two have a right old dingdong of a match. Probably has to happen at the US.

If they weren't pills he was a poppin' then I'd love to know what exactly Djoko was snacking on under that towel! Had to laugh when he was telling Courier his energy levels were down to water and banana's.:pac:

steelcityblues

Excellent match this morning, but the last thing I wanted was another Nadal/Djokovic final. I fear that Djokovic will win again in 4 sets, but hope to be proven wrong. Nothing worse for a neutral than a one-sided rivalry.

Murray is rapidly improving, and it will be interesting to see his form book going into the French. One of the best matches I have ever seen.

RosyLily

I agree with Pighead. Andy looks even closer to winning a Grand Slam. To come back after losing the 4th set 6-1, then going 2-5 down in final set only to pull it back showed how mentally strong Murray is. On his day, he can beat the best; he's just gotta believe it. IMO, he's got 1 finger on a GS...whichever one it will be.
Ivan Lendl lost 4 GS finals before finally winning his first. Could Andy Murray replicate this feat?? Quite possibly!!

Bravo to both players though; they played some amazing tennis. I was shattered watching it!!

Really impressed by the quality of tennis in the SFS, both men's and women's. They really showed why people love tennis.

_Bella_

velo.2010 wrote: »

No one commenting on Novak's pill-popping? Did the same last year at the US. Found 'new' energy against Nadal in that final and seems to have found 'new' energy again today after looking out on his feet in the second.

Are you sure that wasn't his inhaler, thats what it seemed like to me?

Fantastic match anyway. Full of drama, and showed the progress Murray has made. Has been a of the great Grand Slam on both the men and women's side. I'm tipping Sharapova for tomorrow, she really wants it and has been playing very well. Hopefully her serve doesn't let her down. I think Nadal has to be favourite for the mens as he has been playing very well and has had the extra days rest.

bnt

I guess I'm the only person watching the Women's Single final, then? I came in when Sharapova was 2-0 up in the first set, and the commentators were wondering when Azarenka would wake up. Two games later ... she did. Took the first set 6-3, and the second set 6-0 for the championship and the world #1 spot.

It looked like Azarenka basically neutralised everything that Sharapova could offer, leading to more forced and unforced errors. Sharapova's first serve let her down too often, slowing the pace down, and that allowed Azarenka to play with much more variety, including some good-old-fashioned net play. Great stuff.

Don't know much about Ms. Azarenka, but she seems like an interesting character - or maybe it's just those specs: :cool:

vgv

I was hoping that Murray would be able to take another step in his development as a player and beat one of the big 3(N F D)as these are the only guys he seems unable to ever beat.And while he did give Djokovic a tough game I really thought this was one he could and should have won.In the second and third sets Djokovic seemed to be struggling but Murray could just not put him away quickly.The third set was almost 90 mins and was decided by a tiebreak when really it should never have got that far.It seemed that every time Murray went slightly ahead he would do something stupid and let Djokovic back in.He was never comfortable having the lead and played godawful in the first and particularly the 4th set,which was unforgiveably bad.It made me almost angry:mad: to watch him fight back in the fifth and then blow more break pts to go 6-5 up,not necessarily by getting outplayed but by making errors that he seemed to avoid making until the really crucial points.It seems to me that he has the tools to be a Slam winner but lacks the self belief and needs to become more ruthless.However he is certainly a class above Henman and Rusedski and I believe if he keeps on improving as he has been,he will be a Slam winner.

MisterAnarchy

bnt wrote: »

I guess I'm the only person watching the Women's Single final

People have sense,I cant remember the last time I saw a decent womans final,they tend to be short one sided affairs .

bnt wrote: »

It looked like Azarenka basically neutralised everything that Sharapova could offer, leading to more forced and unforced errors. Sharapova's first serve let her down too often, slowing the pace down, and that allowed Azarenka to play with much more variety, including some good-old-fashioned net play. Great stuff.

Sharapova is a completely one dimensional player .
If Plan A doesnt work she gets shown up.
She got annihilated in the Aus final by Serena Williams a few years ago,Kvitova hammered her last year.

Had to laugh when Virginia Wade was saying the other day that Sharapova was as mentally strong as Nadal :rolleyes:
Herself and Wilander are clueless

hollowlands

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMMPG4bc-sE

Surely he wouldn't take anything dodgy when it would be so easy to get caught on camera. It's still strange behaviour though.

walshb

hollowlands wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMMPG4bc-sE

Surely he wouldn't take anything dodgy when it would be so easy to get caught on camera. It's still strange behaviour though.

He's hiding what he's taking, yet showing the world that he's hiding what he's taking.

_Bella_

Djokovic is not playing well. A lot of unforced errors and hasn't been serving great either. He doesn't seem comfortable at all and I could see Nadal sweeping this in three sets.

fryup

walshb wrote: »

He's hiding what he's taking, yet showing the world that he's hiding what he's taking.

but they're checked after each game aren't they??

walshb

fryup wrote: »

but they're checked after each game aren't they??

They are tested after, and randomly I would think, so he can do as he likes, but he is subject to the same tests as others.

Great game at the moment. Novak is puttin' on the pressure now in set 2.

walshb

2 sest to 1 Novak. He really is upping the tempo. Nadal looks lost. Glad it's Novak and not Murray in there, getting beaten.

Novak is just physically stronger. He is mostly the boss in the rallies. The only man who can do this to Nadal.

wreckless

so they have a roof but only decide to close it when it really starts to rain heavy causing the match to stop and brilliant momentum to stop too????

50 plus scubbers out with towels now

Dick Turnip

Apparently it's in the tournament rules that they can't close the roof until it starts to rain.

Is it just me or is 90% of the crowd shouting for nadal? wonder why they're so overwhelmingly rooting for him?

walshb

It's going toa 5th. Novak let that slip. Nadal's scrambling and recovery are out of this world.

Pighead

Think the crowd just wanted to see a fifth set.

Unbelievable from Nadal in that 4th set. He was being outplayed, outthought and outmuscled by Djokovic yet somehow he dug in and pulled it out of the bag. Djokovic just started missing the lines during tat tiebreak and it's very hard to call from here. Novak playing the better tennis but Nadal has the bit between his teeth now.

sunbabe08

what a match. a treat to watch

Pighead

Apparently this match is now the longest Grand Slam Final in history. Playing for 5 hours at this stage. Djokovic understandable looking the more weary of the two. Looking very ominous for him.

NickDrake

Sleaziest umpire of all time

NickDrake

Nadal's visits to Dr. Fuentus look to be paying off again.

wreckless

some rally, come on nadal

snubbleste

It'll have to end some time..won't it?

mike65

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Didn't some game last about 19 games for the final set at Wimbledon last year?

walshb

Nadal cracks. I must say I think Novak deserves this. He has been mostly the boss in all the rallies. Nadal's reoveries are sensational, but Novak is the boss.

_Bella_

What an absolutely fantastic match. Unbelievable strength from Djokovic to win that last set. Best match of Novak's career!

steelcityblues

Cannot possibly think of the right words to use for describing that match.

One of the best sporting moments of my life.

grohlisagod

That was truly incredible from both guys. I can't even imagine going through that for nigh on 6 hours.

I've been a Djokovic fan for years and to see the man's hard work and sacrifice pay dividends is a joy to behold. My respect for him has gone through the roof after that though. 5 hours against Murray, 6 against Nadal. Immense.