2021 In Between Grand Slam Thread

Girly Gal · 30-07-2021 4:23pm

Bad day for Djokovic, out on the double! Steffi will stay as the only Golden Slam winner for a long time to come as doubt we'll see anyone get as close again in the near future Calendar slam still there for him, which would be an amazing achievement.

Thought I'd read the score wrong first, as I'd seen he was a break up in the second set. I wonder did playing in the doubles catch up with him. It would be very Zverev to go on and lose the final now. The Olympics does have a habit of throwing up strange winners down through the years.

sxt · 30-07-2021 4:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117682347#Comment_117682347

Djkovic completely ran out of juice at the end there. With a bit of time off, I think you will see a completely rejuvenated djkovic at the US open

30-07-2021 6:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117683796#Comment_117683796

He didn't take to the high heat and humidity either.

Still all to play for in New York

30-07-2021 9:05pm

"I feel terrible," said Djokovic, who refused to blame the incredibly humid conditions.

"It's just sport. He played better. You've got to give him credit for turning the match around. He served extremely well. I was not getting too many looks at the second serve.

"My serve just drastically dropped. I didn't get any free points from 3-2 up in the second. My game fell apart."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/58023509

yerwanthere123 · 31-07-2021 11:28am

Oof, Djokovic loses the bronze medal match and then withdraws from the mixed doubles match. Bad form.

Well done to PCB, beats the world #1 and #2 to snatch the bronze, great week for him.

redlad12 · 31-07-2021 11:32am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117682587#Comment_117682587

Goatovic haha

31-07-2021 11:37am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117686207#Comment_117686207

pulled out with a shoulder injury you did forget to mention?

surely just an oversight on your part.

he had to withdraw from the US Open in 2019 with the same injury

His serve has been dramatically off the last couple of days and that's where it particularly affected him before

he has already committed to going to Paris in 3 years time

redlad12 · 31-07-2021 11:38am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117686207#Comment_117686207

It's shite like that why he has never been universally loved. He comes across frequently like a bit of prick which is fair enough but he can't then turn around and moan about not being loved. It's very bad form.

Hemison32 · 31-07-2021 11:43am

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yerwanthere123 · 31-07-2021 11:46am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117686230#Comment_117686230

So he could play through the injury in singles? But not for his mixed doubles match. How strange. Harsh for Nina Stojanovic who likely won't get this chance again.

31-07-2021 11:52am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117686255#Comment_117686255

not strange at all - didn't want to aggravate / damage it more when he's going for a unique and historical achievement in men's tennis

in fairness mixed doubles is at best a sideshow /novelty event at any tournament as you well know with pittance prize money

being honest it doesn't deserve to have an Olympics medal really - at all considering it's relative novelty status in normal tennis

nobody remembers who the feck won any medal in that event in Rio

Djokovic was as the Olympics and certainly played a part

Nadal and Federer - didn't bother their hole to go at all along with others who cried off

Even though he obviously has the most impressive list of records ever assembled in men's tennis already I just hope that he can be right for the US open and give the calendar slam a proper go

31-07-2021 12:01pm

the troll ignore user feature is a blessing alright

Girly Gal · 31-07-2021 12:17pm

I'd still be surprised if he doesn't win the US Open, he has remarkable powers of recovery, but, missing out on the Olympics Gold will be a massive disappointment for him, it's the only major honour he hasn't won. He only has 1 opportunity left and the whole tennis landscape will have changed in 3 years time, he's unlikely to be as dominant next time as he is now.

Djokovic losing also gives a bit more hope to others at the USO, the aura of invincibility has been dented a little. It makes the USO more interesting; can Djokovic claim the calendar slam, can Nadal get to 21 first, can Thiem defend his title or can one of Tsitsipas, Zverev or Medvedev make the breakthrough.

31-07-2021 12:46pm

depends what state he arrives to the US Open and if he plays anything in the meantime

very unusual the way that he gave up a winning position - something went off on him - I think that the heat and humidity did certainly get to him - one place where being 34 is not an advantage for sure

he's not a machine as some seem to think - keeping up that level of performance that he showed this year for every match in every event is very very difficult to do - the body can get drained.

he's taking a fatalistic stance on things from what he said today

he gave it a good shot and it didn't work out

others weren't even bothered going

the bigger prize is still there to be tried for

===========>

"I do have a regret for not winning a medal for my country and opportunities missed both in mixed doubles and singles and, yeah, I just didn't deliver yesterday and today," Djokovic told reporters.

"The level of tennis dropped also due to exhaustion, you know, mentally and physically."

Players have struggled with the Tokyo heat and humidity throughout the tournament, requiring cold showers, ice packs and other cooling fans.

"But I don't regret coming to the Olympics at all," he said. "Of course not. I believe there is no coincidence in life, everything happens for a reason and I had some heartbreaking losses at the Olympic Games and some big tournaments in my career."

Djokovic, 34, pledged to give it one more shot at the Olympics in three years' time in Paris.

"I know that I will bounce back. I will try to keep going for the Paris Olympic Games. I will fight for my country to win medals. Sorry that I disappointed a lot of sports fans in my country, but that's sport."

The Serb can still win all four majors in a calendar year - only achieved in the men's game by Don Budge and Rod Laver (twice) - when he competes at the U.S. Open which starts on Aug. 30.

"The consequences physically hopefully will not create the problem for me for (the) U.S. Open. So that's something that I'm not sure about right now, but I'm not regretting for giving it my all because at the end of the day when you play for a country that's necessary."

"I know that those losses have usually made me stronger."

31-07-2021 12:49pm

Ignore list must really annoy trolls I'm guessing 😂😂😂

Weepsie · 31-07-2021 3:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117686230#Comment_117686230

The shite this thread had about Osaka and biles (and from his own mouth too) during the week though is shown up for what it is though.

When chips are down, and for dkokovic in fairness that's very rare, but when they are he is among the first to whinge and find an excuse.

If it was another player, people would be tying themselves up to say how disrespectful etc it is.

Decent thing to do is pull out the singles and play the doubles. Less chance of injury too there. That's what Murray did, but Murray , while not as good a player, is a class act

yerwanthere123 · 31-07-2021 4:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117686273#Comment_117686273

Ooh I dunno, I feel Djokovic would've mustered the strength to continue had he won his singles match today. It's just very harsh on Stojanovic, an unheralded player with a huge chance.

Also I don't think your jabs at Nadal or Federer are very fair. Nadal is playing a reduced schedule and has nothing left to prove at the Olympics. Federer is pushing 40 and on his last legs, no explanation needed.

yerwanthere123 · 31-07-2021 4:16pm

Delighted for Bencic! Yes the Olympics is not the pinnacle of this sport, but a gold medal is a gold medal and Bencic will forever be a part of history because of it. Would love to see her do the double tomorrow also.

MisterAnarchy · 31-07-2021 4:42pm

Fair few temper tantrums from Novak in that match.

He flung his racket into the crowd after one point and mangled his racket off the net support after another.

Novak has been in grind mode for the last few years, and in best of 3 if a player goes balls out, he struggles .

He is relying more on his opponent making errors than hitting winners himself.

The heat and humidity in Tokyo was very high, it was 31 degrees at 9am this morning local time.

31-07-2021 4:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117687157#Comment_117687157

Comparing Murray to Djokovic here at the Olympics is really a bit silly and doesn't bear comparison.

Murray, with all due respect to his past, is finished as a top-level singles player. He had zero chance of getting to the medal rounds in the singles.

He dropped out of the singles early whereas Djokovic was still involved in a singles medal match today.

There is no comparison here really. Murray dropping out of the singles to focus on the doubles was merely pragmatic and indeed only happened when the doubles had surprisingly resulted in a win over the second seeds in the doubles in the first round. So it was with a view to getting a doubles medal purely.

Also Djokovic only dropped out of the mixed doubles after the singles game.

The singles game was on first and so he played it.

“I am dealing with injuries. Not one, more than one."

Why is so impossible for it to be the case that he aggravated one of those injuries further in the singles game?

Hardly a stretch ffs

Those who want to view it in some conspiracy theory way will do so but it's a totally logical sequence of events.

“I apologise to all the fans in Serbia who I have disappointed. I know everyone expected a medal, I did too. I feel bad for Nina because we did not fight for a medal in mixed, but my body said ’enough’: I have played under medications and abnormal pain and exhaustion. But again, my heart is in the right place, because I know that I gave my all. I love to play for my country. Unfortunately, I did not get the result I wanted, but that is sport, we move on,” he said.

Biles wasn't discussed in this thread at all really.

What Osaka has got to do with Djokovic I don't really know - mere irrelevant whatabouterry and it's a whole different subject on its own.

MisterAnarchy · 31-07-2021 4:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117687157#Comment_117687157

The comments about Osaka are valid and legitimate , Biles is also fair game.

Augme · 31-07-2021 5:01pm

If you agree to play in the singkes, do you have to okay the doubles? If not he should never have said yes, or been asked. He was never going to go all the way in the mixed doubles and was a guarantee to give up at some point.

Girly Gal · 31-07-2021 5:44pm

Given the conditions I think it was a crazy decision from Djokovic to play the mixed doubles, it's not as if he's a regular doubles player anyway; outside of Davis Cup he's hardly played doubles so not sure what he was thinking, apparently even the Serbian team were surprised he entered the mixed doubles. It was always a stretch for him to win a medal in mixed doubles given that most of the other teams had specialised doubles players playing. He obviously underestimated the challenge and comes away from the Olympics empty handed and with injuries which might cost him the calendar slam.

Furze99 · 31-07-2021 6:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117686207#Comment_117686207

Bad form - agreed but part of a pattern with Djokovic this past while. Did you see him flinging & whacking his racquet. It's like as if he thinks he has some divine right to come out on the right side all the time. Used to admire him, but his on court ego and alpha male carry on has put me off for a while now.

31-07-2021 7:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117687812#Comment_117687812

think that he really underestimated the conditions.

in retrospect not a good decision

that combo of very high humidity and high temperatures is awful to play sport in - much harder than high heat alone

impossible to say how much the extra matches from the mixed doubles exacerbated or caused the injuries that he has.

certainly affected his recovery and definitely was not good for exhaustion

as if players don't occasionally smash a racquet - what a laugh

here's 10 minutes of Federer smashing up racquets

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCTpZpJc1j0&t=115s

Weepsie · 31-07-2021 8:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117687568#Comment_117687568

They're not though. Their soft targets for internet edgelords that's all.

Djokovic had a period of the Yips himself, much like Biles Twisties. Plenty of defending of him for that, but him making a mistake because of his headspace won't end his career in the way it would in a sport like Biles

Weepsie · 31-07-2021 8:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117687561#Comment_117687561

Biles was picked out for criticism by a poster in the thread. Djokovic picked her out for it too. I agree with about Murray, but Djokovic has denied his playing partner a chance of an Olympic medal.

He would have been better to withdraw from his bronze singles and play the mixed if he had injury concerns. He'd have come out looking like a champ regardless of result due to th unselfish act it would have been. He'd have gone up in many people estimations no doubt.

This is no slight on his tennis career, as that would be foolish, but he's a top class whinger. Among the very best

“If you are aiming to be at the top of the game, you better start learning how to deal with pressure and how to cope with those moments, on the court and off the court,” this is verbatim Djokovic said on Wednesday. There's a wonderful irony then in what's happened today then. He can't just lose, he has to have some undercurrent of something wrong

31-07-2021 8:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117688528#Comment_117688528

What match was on first?

The singles.

If he had dropped out of that he'd be criticised for doing that. And you very well know that.

You don't have the faintest bog of a clue of what the extent of his injuries and level of exhaustion / wreckedness was before or after that singles match.

Djokovic is saying he's injured and exhausted physically - he's not pulling the " 'cos mental health" card so not sure why you see such irony as it doesn't really make sense.

walshb · 31-07-2021 8:27pm

Nole's behavior today was disgraceful

31-07-2021 8:33pm

it is a bit of laugh tho really

Djokovic says that he's injured and physically exhausted (and looks it) and he plays one match anyways but can't do the second in the same day after that (albeit a bronze medal match with a partner in the always ignored in any normal tournament mixed doubles) and he's again the devil incarnate

Federer pulls out of a Grand Slam after 3 or 4 rounds with no injury whatsoever and it's smart stuff!

2021 In Between Grand Slam Thread

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