2018 In Between Grand Slam Thread

Floppybits

Serena is being a bit precious about the drug testing. All professional athletes are subject to testing and it is something all athletes sign up to when they are professional.  One of Serena's gripes with the testing is that it is done when it suits the tester and not when it suits Serena.  All athletes at the top of the sport not matter the sport should be tested more. 
Enough of Serena, good win for Murray last night in another 3 setter. He looked good and was moving well, I don't what happened to him in the second set but he recovered well to win the third.

walshb

Why is Murray playing at 2.30 in the morning local DC time?

walshb

FFS, Murray....pull yourself together, man!

Joe_ Public

I have a tiny feeling you might not be watching live coverage.

CassieManson

Joe_ Public wrote: »

I have a tiny feeling you might not be watching live coverage.

It was live coverage - the match finished at 3am Washington time!

He's back on later tonight.

Joe_ Public

CassieManson wrote: »

It was live coverage - the match finished at 3am Washington time!

He's back on later tonight.

Quite right, stand corrected. Very humble apologies.

Joe_ Public

He’s the last of the 4 scheduled q/fs tonight so very likely another late/early night in store.

walshb

Latest ever finish at that tourny, not by much though.

Mad hour to be playing..

Joe_ Public

Andy not best pleased anyway, threatening to withdraw before his q/f.

"I don't think I should be put in a position like that," Murray, who was in tears at the end of the match, said.

"(My body) doesn't feel great right now. I've had a few long matches. Finishing matches at three in the morning isn't good for anyone involved in the event, players, TV, fans, anyone.

"When you're expected to come back and perform the next day, I think that's unreasonable. That's something the tour needs to look at."

"Not playing, potentially, is possible. I don't know how players are expected to recover from that," Murray said.

"It's like playing two matches in a day. I'm not sure how well I'll recover from that."

walshb

He was very emotional. What was all that about?

He's a grown man. Played a tennis match, and he was wailing like he'd been just told that his whole family had been wiped out...

Hector Savage

https://twitter.com/KAndersonATP/status/1026620825896546304

Djokovic and Anderson won their doubles match at the Rogers cup

Floppybits

Hector Savage wrote: »

https://twitter.com/KAndersonATP/status/1026620825896546304

Djokovic and Anderson won their doubles match at the Rogers cup

Watched the first set of that?  They got off to a shaky start, Anderson was broken in the first game. I hate seeing players like this entering the doubles, you know that if they go well in the singles they will just pull out of the doubles.  Kinda demeans the doubles competition that players use them like this.

lostcat

Floppybits wrote: »

Watched the first set of that?  They got off to a shaky start, Anderson was broken in the first game. I hate seeing players like this entering the doubles, you know that if they go well in the singles they will just pull out of the doubles.  Kinda demeans the doubles competition that players use them like this.

agreed, most of the top (mens at least) players aren't that hot at doubles at any rate and only use it to sharpen up their net game a bit. Nadal and Federer are both very decent doubles players (not sure which of them is the goatiest at it ) but most of the rest of the top 20 arent up to much. a good doubles specialist team would beat them handy.

lostcat

interesting quotes from Marian Vajda around the conditions he had before returning to coach Djokovic :

“Tennis can not be based on philosophy. It is a man vs man sport. If you want to be the best, you have to do repetitions in training, play games and be strong mentally.
“When you see the opponent, you must focus on where to hit the ball, not think about Buddha.”

Exit stage left Pepe, Djokovic wisely deciding that transcendental truth could always be found after 35, but slam titles perhaps not.

mickmackey1

lostcat wrote: »

agreed, most of the top (mens at least) players aren't that hot at doubles at any rate and only use it to sharpen up their net game a bit. Nadal and Federer are both very decent doubles players (not sure which of them is the goatiest at it ) but most of the rest of the top 20 arent up to much. a good doubles specialist team would beat them handy.

If you asked the top doubles players who they would like to partner from a choice of Federer or Nadal, I don't think there's much doubt what the answer would be...

Also give the top guys a few matches to sharpen up, and I'm sure they'd be wiping out the doubles specialists before long.

Floppybits

mickmackey1 wrote: »

If you asked the top doubles players who they would like to partner from a choice of Federer or Nadal, I don't think there's much doubt what the answer would be...

Also give the top guys a few matches to sharpen up, and I'm sure they'd be wiping out the doubles specialists before long.

It would be Nadal or Murray.

mickmackey1

Floppybits wrote: »

It would be Nadal or Murray.

Ah Jamie Murray, good point.

mickmackey1

Djokovic knocked out by 19yo Tsitsipas in Canada, seemed to be playing as poorly as during his slump. He sure is one strange... fish.

jr86

Even before last night's result - and while it'll be easier to judge his real level after the US Open - I'm still not fully convinced Djokovic will ever get back to his best on a consistent basis, and I think there has been an overreaction from many after his W'don win - typical in the tennis world!

If we're truly honest he had a very handy route to the semis, which gave him ample opportunity to play himself into form and to generate momentum. There he played very well to beat Nadal in a topsy turvy match, but this is Nadal who hadn't even made a W'don quarter since 2011. Anderson was never going to be much of a challenge in a slam final

His win loss percentage for the year is still very poor by his standards so for me 11/4 are daft odds to win the USO. Not that I'd fully write him off, but it wouldn't shock me at all if he went out early either. I don't think he'll ever rediscover his aura of old or his heyday form/consistency again

dominatinMC

jr86 wrote: »

Even before last night's result - and while it'll be easier to judge his real level after the US Open - I'm still not fully convinced Djokovic will ever get back to his best on a consistent basis, and I think there has been an overreaction from many after his W'don win - typical in the tennis world!

If we're truly honest he had a very handy route to the semis, which gave him ample opportunity to play himself into form and to generate momentum. There he played very well to beat Nadal in a topsy turvy match, but this is Nadal who hadn't even made a W'don quarter since 2011. Anderson was never going to be much of a challenge in a slam final

His win loss percentage for the year is still very poor by his standards so for me 11/4 are daft odds to win the USO. Not that I'd fully write him off, but it wouldn't shock me at all if he went out early either. I don't think he'll ever rediscover his aura of old or his heyday form/consistency again

I tend to agree. Reflecting on that SW semi vs. Nadal, I really think that Nadal choked a bit, and that Djokovics improved serve bailed him out on numerous occasions. Nadal seemed largely to be on top in the rallies, and Djokovics groundstrokes didn't seem to be as penetrative as before. Watching yesterdays match, it was obvious that his groundstrokes were way off, I read some post on Twitter about him using a new racquet now - maybe that has something to do with it. In any case, USO will give us a real indication of where he is at.

dominatinMC

Good win for Nadal yesterday, I didn't see that coming on his first foray onto hard courts since the AO. Tsitsipas looks the real deal, probably my pick out of the emerging next gen, much prefer him to Zverev. USO should make for the best GS this year, a lot of players finding form at the right time.

Floppybits

Cincinnati on this week. Murray plays Pouille in his first round match and Wawrinka plays Schwartzman tomorrow.  Nadal has withdrawn.

walshb

Nole/Fed later in their first meeting since Australia 2016

RF a bookies favorite..

Bykobap

Golden... Ha ha c

yerwanthere123

US Open thread here.

mickmackey1

Nadal out of Beijing and Shanghai, 1100 points gone.

Johnmb

mickmackey1 wrote: »

Nadal out of Beijing and Shanghai, 1100 points gone.

He's safe from Federer, but Djokovic looks like he'll have a pretty easy run to the year end number one spot. He'll be 1,215 points behind Nadal once the 1,100 come off, and has the grand total of zero points to defend for the rest of the year, with two Masters, a couple of optional 500s, and the ATP Finals to come. That's a total points of 4,500 if he were to win them all. Even just winning two will do it for him, and his form indicates that is well within his abilities...

mickmackey1

Johnmb wrote: »

He's safe from Federer, but Djokovic looks like he'll have a pretty easy run to the year end number one spot. He'll be 1,215 points behind Nadal once the 1,100 come off, and has the grand total of zero points to defend for the rest of the year, with two Masters, a couple of optional 500s, and the ATP Finals to come. That's a total points of 4,500 if he were to win them all. Even just winning two will do it for him, and his form indicates that is well within his abilities...

Nadal has points to gain in Paris and London, could still be close. On the other hand he may concentrate on being right for Australia.

jr86

I'd doubt we'll see Nadal again this year

Johnmb

mickmackey1 wrote: »

Nadal has points to gain in Paris and London, could still be close. On the other hand he may concentrate on being right for Australia.

He's pulled out of the other two through injury, I'd be surprised if his season isn't over.