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French Open 2021

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  • Registered Users Posts: 54,495 ✭✭✭✭walshb


    Girly Gal wrote: »
    At the time I thought that record would stand for a long time, yet, Federer had broken it around a decade later, hard to believe 3 players are now on or around 20 with 2 likely to finish with more. Not sure Sampras was that interested in the record, kinda came as a byproduct of his domination at Wimbledon and USO. Chasing the slam records wasn't something players did until recently, a lot of top players didn't travel to the AO until the late eighties/ early nineties. Federer was really the first player I recall actively chase the record, Nadal because of his ridiculous record at the FO is up there almost by accident, not sure he was really bothered by it until he realised he could overtake Federer. Djokovic got dragged into it trying to get to the other two's level and now looks set to outlast and overtake them.

    Imagine Nadal didn't exist....Fed could be on mid to high 20s, and Nole in the 20s....

    Fed is up there in the top three greatest ever clay court players...

    He'd have maybe 5 French titles had it not been for Nadal.....


  • Registered Users Posts: 54,495 ✭✭✭✭walshb


    josip wrote: »
    That was the year he had glandular fever, so that interview doesn't count.

    The 2008 glandular fever really takes the moaning biscusit from Fed fans...

    I think the chap got to 3/4 slam finals that year....


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    walshb wrote: »
    Imagine Nadal didn't exist....Fed could be on mid to high 20s, and Nole in the 20s....

    Fed is up there in the top three greatest ever clay court players...

    He'd have maybe 5 French titles had it not been for Nadal.....

    maybe not...

    I_Borg_Star_Trek_TNG_HD.jpg

    and Lendl


  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 2,449 Mod ✭✭✭✭Rob2D


    He is. Fed had the all time record for match wins at Roland Garros until he stopped attending. Then Nadal overtook him.


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  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    It's the sort of sport where title totals count and pretending someone doesn't exist doesn't.


  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 2,449 Mod ✭✭✭✭Rob2D


    He's not top 3 but he's for sure up there.


  • Registered Users Posts: 54,495 ✭✭✭✭walshb


    Rob2D wrote: »
    He's not top 3 but he's for sure up there.

    At his best on clay he beats everyone not named Nadal.........

    Made 4 consecutive finals as well

    Him and Nole would have some epic close ones, but he can beat Nole on clay...


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    walshb wrote: »
    At his best on clay he beats everyone not named Nadal.........

    Made 4 consecutive finals as well

    Him and Nole would have some epic close ones, but he can beat Nole on clay...

    They are 4 - 4 on clay (of course fed not seen on clay much in the last years) but ND has beaten Nadal 7 times on clay Vs only 2 for fed.

    ND also has more titles on clay


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,890 ✭✭✭Furze99


    walshb wrote: »
    What are you getting at?
    glasso wrote: »
    are you yourself trying to start up a doping discussion - please don't?!

    Well I just hope for both your & tennis's sake that you're right and the longevity of these older players is not exposed to be a 'cheat' in the future. Personally I have grave doubts. But we all make up our own minds.

    I state again - they are mid 30s, not early 30s. Prevailing time & again in a game that requires skill, power & stamina. No real precedence for it in the professional era of mens tennis. No particular parallels you can draw in other sports that require similar attributes. Golfers go on for ever but that's relatively sedate and they fall apart as well with injury.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 54,495 ✭✭✭✭walshb


    Furze99 wrote: »
    Well I just hope for both your & tennis's sake that you're right and the longevity of these older players is not exposed to be a 'cheat' in the future. Personally I have grave doubts. But we all make up our own minds.

    I state again - they are mid 30s, not early 30s. Prevailing time & again in a game that requires skill, power & stamina. No real precedence for it in the professional era of mens tennis. No particular parallels you can draw in other sports that require similar attributes. Golfers go on for ever but that's relatively sedate and they fall apart as well with injury.

    You have grave doubts because Roger won slams aged 35/36?

    Hardly ancient…


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Furze99 wrote: »
    Well I just hope for both your & tennis's sake that you're right and the longevity of these older players is not exposed to be a 'cheat' in the future. Personally I have grave doubts. But we all make up our own minds.

    I state again - they are mid 30s, not early 30s. Prevailing time & again in a game that requires skill, power & stamina. No real precedence for it in the professional era of mens tennis. No particular parallels you can draw in other sports that require similar attributes. Golfers go on for ever but that's relatively sedate and they fall apart as well with injury.

    I count mid 30's as 35 and 36 as do most definitions

    Djokovic turned 34 less than 1 month ago.

    I'd be shocked if djokovic was on anything prohibited.

    Agassi won a slam at this age coming up on 20 years ago pretty much and sports science has come on light years since then.


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Ken Norton wrote: »
    Congrats to Djokovic on am amazing achievement, the much coveted double slam.

    He's been a great clay court player for over ten years now. I was convinced he would win it back in 2011 when he was in ultron mode. His semi final loss was still amazing though.


    wow that's one for the history books - nearly the last time Fed managed to ever beat Djokovic.

    Fed has been Djokovic's whipping boy since 2012 :pac:

    A long time for a Fed fan to suffer like that.


  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 2,449 Mod ✭✭✭✭Rob2D


    Ken Norton wrote: »

    All done with a pro staff 90. He might as well have been going out against those guys with a wooden spoon.

    I remember watching this, one hell of a match. Fed had to beat him to protect his year win percentage record. And he did, 5 years into his decline. Fast forward 8 years and again he has the beating of Nole at Wimby. But the last ball just didn't go his way.

    That's another big advantage Nole has always had. He never had anyone chasing HIM. Nobody nipping at his heels. He's always had everything to gain and nothing to loose. Easy to have a calm mindset when you're not under pressure to protect anything.

    And he never will either as all the crop coming up behind him turned out to be rubbish.


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    nowhere near as soft as 2004, 05, 06, 07 where Fed had to only overcome limited softies on the hard courts and Wimbledon except for maybe Safin who turned up once every few years.

    the pillow era years they should be known as really.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,810 ✭✭✭Hector Savage


    Rob2D wrote: »
    All done with a pro staff 90. He might as well have been going out against those guys with a wooden spoon.

    I remember watching this, one hell of a match. Fed had to beat him to protect his year win percentage record. And he did, 5 years into his decline. Fast forward 8 years and again he has the beating of Nole at Wimby. But the last ball just didn't go his way.

    That's another big advantage Nole has always had. He never had anyone chasing HIM. Nobody nipping at his heels. He's always had everything to gain and nothing to loose. Easy to have a calm mindset when you're not under pressure to protect anything.

    And he never will either as all the crop coming up behind him turned out to be rubbish.

    Federer did Nadal a massive solid that year, as if it were Djokovic in that final v Nadal ??? one result - 2011 he owned Nadal, beat him twice on clay madrid and rome masters , four straight sets ...


    But yes, auntie, bollocks, uncle...


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,026 ✭✭✭C__MC


    Nadal will definitely feel he has left at least three slams behind him most notably AO 12-W 18, AO 17


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,890 ✭✭✭Furze99


    glasso wrote: »
    nowhere near as soft as 2004, 05, 06, 07 where Fed had to only overcome limited softies on the hard courts and Wimbledon except for maybe Safin who turned up once every few years.

    the pillow era years they should be known as really.

    Why do you think that? The improvements in sports science apply equally and perhaps even more to up and coming players. They are quite capable of similar skill levels, are in their prime physically and less prone to injury. The only advantage on paper that the older Nadal, Djok and Fed have is experience. That counts for something but it's not everything. Look at many other sports where age & experience inevitably bends towards the end of peoples 20s and younger guys take over. It's life.


  • Registered Users Posts: 54,495 ✭✭✭✭walshb


    Furze99 wrote: »
    Why do you think that? The improvements in sports science apply equally and perhaps even more to up and coming players. They are quite capable of similar skill levels, are in their prime physically and less prone to injury. The only advantage on paper that the older Nadal, Djok and Fed have is experience. That counts for something but it's not everything. Look at many other sports where age & experience inevitably bends towards the end of peoples 20s and younger guys take over. It's life.

    If Nadals and Noles and Feds were coming through in their 20s, that may ring true....They are not. The elites today are simply not anywhere to the level of the big three....the top three are once in a lifetime type players. And even in their 30s, they are still very strong.

    Simple: Nadal and Nole and Fed from 2011-2018 would be too strong for the Nadal, Nole and Fed today..


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,810 ✭✭✭Hector Savage


    C__MC wrote: »
    Nadal will definitely feel he has left at least three slams behind him most notably AO 12-W 18, AO 17

    He won US17 and US19 which were jokes as in who he had to face - especially 17, the AO semifinal 2009 v Verdasco he should have lost, these things even themselves out.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 8,810 ✭✭✭Hector Savage


    Spotcurve wrote: »
    He somehow managed to lose to Wawrinka in the 2014 Australian Open, that was partly due to injury I think.

    Yeah , stomach injury, christ that was unreal, I remember thinking career double slam coming up for Rafi




    StanWawrinkaHeadMelbourne2015.aspx
    :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 54,495 ✭✭✭✭walshb


    With all this talk

    Top three favorite slam finals that featured one or more of the big 3?

    Mine. In order

    1: Fed-Nadal 2017 Australia. First time I ever cheered for Rafa to win, and near the end I was so wanting Fed to win. Never been happier to be wrong on that one. I reckon it's Fed's sweetest and most impacting slam win.....to do it at 35 or so, and against a man that was hurting him in every slam before it...

    It also had one of tennis' greatest ever points at 40-40 and 4-3 to Roger in the 5th. The 26 or 28 strile rally that Fed won with a half volley forehand winner on the baseline.......what a shot.

    2: 2012 Australia......not much to say....just absolute mesmerizing. I always felt that Nole would win, even at a break down in the 5th set. What a war of attrition

    3: Wawrinka beats Nole RG 2015: Epic match, and epic winners all day long from Stan. Stunning!


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    The 2008 Wimbledon final was obviously pretty good.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,740 ✭✭✭Girly Gal


    Full house for the Wimbledon final, be a great atmosphere whoever gets there (Djokovic most likely be in it), not sure it's the correct decision overall, but, will definitely add to the final.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,306 Mod ✭✭✭✭mzungu


    Girly Gal wrote: »
    Full house for the Wimbledon final, be a great atmosphere whoever gets there (Djokovic most likely be in it), not sure it's the correct decision overall, but, will definitely add to the final.

    tenor.gif


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,810 ✭✭✭Hector Savage


    Girly Gal wrote: »
    Full house for the Wimbledon final, be a great atmosphere whoever gets there (Djokovic most likely be in it), not sure it's the correct decision overall, but, will definitely add to the final.

    Why is it not the best decision ?

    Are the variants "concerning" ?

    Is it a "crucial few weeks" ?

    Let people get on with their lives, you can hide under your bed for the next 2 decades if you want to ...


  • Registered Users Posts: 54,495 ✭✭✭✭walshb


    Federer did Nadal a massive solid that year, as if it were Djokovic in that final v Nadal ??? one result - 2011 he owned Nadal, beat him twice on clay madrid and rome masters , four straight sets ...


    But yes, auntie, bollocks, uncle...

    I was thinking similar here, but Nadal in 2011 RG was on fire...no certainty that Nole wins RG 2011

    Nole had bites at the cherry in the 2012 and 2014 finals I believe, and lost both.

    In 2012 Nole was on fire. Nadal was simply stronger.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,843 ✭✭✭dominatinMC


    walshb wrote: »
    I was thinking similar here, but Nadal in 2011 RG was on fire...no certainty that Nole wins RG 2011

    Nole had bites at the cherry in the 2012 and 2014 finals I believe, and lost both.

    In 2012 Nole was on fire. Nadal was simply stronger.
    Their 2013 semi final was (and still is) one of the best tennis matches I've ever seen. Definitely the best clay court match. Djokovic was a net cord away from defeating prime Nadal on clay. When the dust settles on this year, I think people will see that their semi this year, whilst very entertaining and enthralling, was nowhere near the quality of 2013.


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Their 2013 semi final was (and still is) one of the best tennis matches I've ever seen. Definitely the best clay court match. Djokovic was a net cord away from defeating prime Nadal on clay. When the dust settles on this year, I think people will see that their semi this year, whilst very entertaining and enthralling, was nowhere near the quality of 2013.

    don't remember watching it at the time tbh but it was obviously a thriller from the score.

    however the very fact that Nadal was in effect "dethroned" here will make the one this year more significant.

    it's the first time that he was playing well (although older - both were) when beaten.

    added to the the fact that it affects the endgame of the GS total more so in that slams added now are harder to claim back in the race.

    Matches are remembered for their overall significance, not just the performances / quality


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  • Registered Users Posts: 54,495 ✭✭✭✭walshb


    Their 2013 semi final was (and still is) one of the best tennis matches I've ever seen. Definitely the best clay court match. Djokovic was a net cord away from defeating prime Nadal on clay. When the dust settles on this year, I think people will see that their semi this year, whilst very entertaining and enthralling, was nowhere near the quality of 2013.

    Was that 9-7 in the 5th?

    Yes, meant to include that....

    2011-2014 for Rafa was his best ever years at RG for me....

    He was so so strong.....


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