Clay Court Season Thread

[bksballer89]

Serena vs Sloane today

 

[bksballer89]

Serena vs Sloane today

 

[Fiero425]

Well it's getting to the nitty gritty in the 2nd round of Madrid! It's a tough draw and they've already lost their top seed; Roger Federer! He went down in 3 sets to Aussie phenom Nick Kyrgios; all tie-breakers! It was a good match, but not what I'd call "lights out" tennis; more 1st strike with fast conditions! Took just 2 1/2 hours! Discuss!

 

[bksballer89]

Rafa out of the top 5 for the first time in 10+ year

 

[bksballer89]

Wow our men suck on clay excluding Isner

 

[Fiero425]

Wow our men suck on clay excluding Isner

Querry has JW Tsonga in the 1st round in the Italian Open! Tough draw for everyone really!

- 2015 Internazionali BNL d'Italia Men's Singles - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia -

 

[nuraman00]

Berdych is so scary. He controls points, then just makes mistakes at the wrong time. Too much self-inflicted damage. If he could have cut down on some mistakes, he could have won. FED won in 2 sets.

FED is now a surprising 4-0 against Berdych on clay.

Djokovic beat Nishikori in 3 sets.

Wawrinka was down a break twice in the 1st set, but broke back to tie it again each time.

In the 1st set tiebreaker, Nadal had a 6-2 lead. Wawrinka then won the next 5 points, and eventually won the tiebreak 9-7. Such fortitude from Wawrinka. He's also done a much better job returning Nadal's serve, then from 2013 and earlier.

 

[nuraman00]

Wawrinka broke Nadal twice in the 2nd set. He also faced a lot of break points, but fought them off. He showed a lot of determination, and beat Nadal in straight sets.

After losing the first 12 matches in his career against Nadal, and going 0-26 in sets, he now has wins over him at the 2014 Australian Open, and Rome.

Wawrinka hit many good shots with his forehand.

Nadal, as usual, hit good saving shots on the run.

FED vs. Wawrinka SF

Djokovic vs. Ferrer SF

 

[nuraman00]

Wawrinka won the first 3 games.

FED then won the match in straight sets.

FED won 25 of the last 30 points of the match.

Wawrinka seemed detached. Maybe he didn't want to show too much negative emotion in front of his friend, the same as he wouldn't show too much happiness if he was winning. Also, in the past, he'd get very visibly frustrated when he was losing, in this matchup, and it didn't help. So maybe he was trying a different approach.

Regardless, it just wasn't a good match, especially given the stakes (SF) and occasion (night, Masters 1000 SF).

I guess these things happen, the next match between them will probably be good. They can't all be good.

FED to play Djokovic tomorrow in the Finals, for a big title he's never won.

 

[bksballer89]

I wonder if @cezero think Rafa is a lock for the French. 5 losses on clay this year. He had 6 losses on clay from 2005-2014.

The man is done. He will need a heck of a draw and some upsets in order to win the finals IMO. I give him a fighters chance because beating him 2 of 3 is different than 3 of 5

 

[cezero]

I wonder if @cezero think Rafa is a lock for the French. 5 losses on clay this year. He had 6 losses on clay from 2005-2014.

The man is done. He will need a heck of a draw and some upsets in order to win the finals IMO. I give him a fighters chance because beating him 2 of 3 is different than 3 of 5

He's still my favorite to win it, yes. Best of 5 in Paris where he's lost 1 match in his entire life is different. Not sure how else I can put it.

I'd rather see Nole or Fed win.

It's not like I'm some Rafa nut. I've never been a fan of his. He has one of the ugliest forehands in the history of tennis, IMO, no matter how effective it is.

For the record, if I had to rate who I'm a fan of most in the current ATP top 10, it would go like this:

1. Fed
2. Nole
3. Murray
4. Ferrer
5. Wawrinka
6. Rafa
7. Berdych
8. Cilic
9. Nishikori
10. Raonic

 

[bksballer89]

He's still my favorite to win it, yes. Best of 5 in Paris where he's lost 1 match in his entire life is different. Not sure how else I can put it.

I'd rather see Nole or Fed win.

It's not like I'm some Rafa nut. I've never been a fan of his. He has one of the ugliest forehands in the history of tennis, IMO, no matter how effective it is.

For the record, if I had to rate who I'm a fan of most in the current ATP top 10, it would go like this:

1. Fed
2. Nole
3. Murray
4. Ferrer
5. Wawrinka
6. Rafa
7. Berdych
8. Cilic
9. Nishikori
10. Raonic

Why are you so low on Kei? Just curious

For me my order would look like this

1) Nole
2) Wawrinka
3) Murray
4) Nishikori
5) Fed
6) Ferrer
7) Rafa
8) Cilic
9) Berdych
10) Raonic

Also today on tennis channel they were bitching about Rafa being a 6 or 7 seed at the French and suggested the French based their seeding just as Wimbledon does. You agree or not?

 

[cezero]

I don't like Nishikori because there's nothing special about his game. Everything is solid and he moves well. Sounds like a couple of other players I didn't care for: Chang and Hewitt. If Nishikori ever wins multiple majors, it'll be because the rest of the field is spectacularly weak.

And I'm very much against the seeding shifts that Wimbledon does from time to time, though of all of the majors, it makes the most sense to do it there. Grass season is very short, after all, so it's a little bit justified, maybe.

Clay season is far too long, IMO, and it has benefited Rafa greatly for a decade. He earned where he's at right now, and the talking heads who say he should get special treatment are fucking stupid.

 

[bksballer89]

I don't like Nishikori because there's nothing special about his game. Everything is solid and he moves well. Sounds like a couple of other players I didn't care for: Chang and Hewitt. If Nishikori ever wins multiple majors, it'll be because the rest of the field is spectacularly weak.

And I'm very much against the seeding shifts that Wimbledon does from time to time, though of all of the majors, it makes the most sense to do it there. Grass season is very short, after all, so it's a little bit justified, maybe.

Clay season is far too long, IMO, and it has benefited Rafa greatly for a decade. He earned where he's at right now, and the talking heads who say he should get special treatment are fucking stupid.

I think it was just one of them. It was Justin Gimelstob who said they should change it because it would rob tennis fans if we see Rafa/Novak in the Quarters instead of the finals. Tracy Austin was against it as she said it would not be fair to those players who earned their ranking from their performance so far this year.

 

[cezero]

I think it was just one of them. It was Justin Gimelstob who said they should change it because it would rob tennis fans if we see Rafa/Novak in the Quarters instead of the finals. Tracy Austin was against it as she said it would not be fair to those players who earned their ranking from their performance so far this year.

players' ranking are based off the last 52 weeks of play. in other words, the seeds aren't based off of "performance so far this year", they're based off of play since mid-May of 2014.

 

[nuraman00]

Why are you so low on Kei? Just curious

For me my order would look like this

1) Nole
2) Wawrinka
3) Murray
4) Nishikori
5) Fed
6) Ferrer
7) Rafa
8) Cilic
9) Berdych
10) Raonic

Also today on tennis channel they were bitching about Rafa being a 6 or 7 seed at the French and suggested the French based their seeding just as Wimbledon does. You agree or not?

Yeah, I heard that yesterday.

I'm not a fan of seeding changes.

Your seed should be what your ranking is. Your ranking is what you deserve to be, at that point in time, heading into the tourney.

 

[nuraman00]

I think it was just one of them. It was Justin Gimelstob who said they should change it because it would rob tennis fans if we see Rafa/Novak in the Quarters instead of the finals. Tracy Austin was against it as she said it would not be fair to those players who earned their ranking from their performance so far this year.

Besides agreeing that the ranking is a fair evaluation of the previous 52 weeks of performance, I also don't mind having a good match earlier, as a consequence. It adds something else to look forward to, in case that round of the draw is boring.

For example, in 2013, when Berdych and Monfils met in the 1st round, because Monfils was just coming back from injury, I was excited about it. Monfils was ranked low because of his long injury absence.

And, that match was the highlight of the 1st round, a great 5 setter.

 

[nuraman00]

I also think complaining about seeding, or the draw, in most sports, isn't the kind of discussion I like. I'd rather talk about the actual game being played itself.

 

[nuraman00]

 

[cezero]

Yeah, I heard that yesterday.

I'm not a fan of seeding changes.

Your seed should be what your ranking is. Your ranking is what you deserve to be, at that point in time, heading into the tourney.

Yep. I agree.

People forget just how much Rafa has benefited from the extended clay court season with all of those MS 1000 tournaments in the past. It's been a cake walk for him up until now to accrue enough points during the dirt season to keep him as a top 3 seed at Wimbledon, the US Open, and Australia.

Gimelstob and the idiot I've seen on USA Today talking about the universe bowing down to Rafa this year for his seed at the French is really annoying.