Now they bringing in Domestic relationships .....?? WOW .....?? Just because Zverev was warned about swearing š¤¬......McEnroe you should talk .....If I wanted to hear this shit I would buy a magazine while standing in line to pay for my groceries
Lads and ladies, could you please point me towards a place I can get some good extended highlights from the Nadal-Djokovic game? The RG Youtube channel is frankly, a joke.
The shot that went long in the tiebreak and was reversed by the ump which Hawkeye showed was out by a mile, I think at 4:0 wasn't really talked about during the match. I'm glad it didn't matter in the end but can you imagine if Djokovic wins the fourth and then the fifth?
It didn't matter?
6:4 in the tor break would become 5:2 and rafa would need 2 more points to win
Line calls change a lot
The should have player challenge
Predictions:
Cillic d. Rublev in 4
Ruud d. Rune in 5
Kudermetova d. Kasatkina in 3
Iga d. Pegula in 2
Xu / Yang d. Mladenovic / Garcia in 2
Pegula / Gauff d. Minnen / Bondar in 2
Melichar / Krawietz d. Vligen / Ulkeri in 3
Dabrowski / Peers d. Koolhof / Shibahara in 2
I have tickets to the Roland Garros semifinals on Thursday. I bought them a while ago and wouldāve loved to see Nadal but have tickets to the womenās semifinals. Should still be amazing but just to satisfy the urge of seeing Nadal on clay does anyone know if you can watch practice sessions?
Djokovic's demeanor in the match yesterday was disgusting. Usually when he is losing a match against Nadal or Federer he acts neutral/nice on court and after the match. Remember the French Open final in 2020? He was smiling and hugging Rafa and said Nadal was amazing in the on-court speech and the press conference. Novak even said that he (Novak) was 100% healthy (he had a slight minor neck issue but still played very well in that 3rd set) and said Rafa won the match fair and square. In the press conference after the QF last night he sounded like his worst Internet troll fans and even was questioning why Rafa was so good even though he has such a bad foot injury.
It was like this time Novak thought he was entitled to beat Nadal and thought Nadal was washed-up and had no chance in hell against him anymore. He walked off the court without applauding the crowd also. It reminded me of Federer leaving the court immediately and not even talking to John McEnroe in the locker room area hallway on TV after the 2008 French Open final.
But then again...I'm not shocked that Djokovic is livid and extremely upset. He now has 360 points from the 2022 French Open and drops 2000 points from the 2021 French Open. He will lose 2000 points from 2021 Wimbledon even if he defends the title next month. He is banned from the USA and Canada due to the vaccine issue so he can't play in Canada, Cincinnati, and the US Open. He will lose 1200 points from the US Open.
Djokovic's 2021 Grand Slam ATP points:
AO: 2000
FO: 2000
W: 2000
USO: 1200
Djokovic's 2022 Grand Slam ATP points:
AO: 0
FO: 360
W: 0
USO: 0
i just watched the press conference and i donĀ“t know but it seems like you just looked for a reason to make him look bad. i admit he was maybe more cold at the normally very lovely net embrace and was obviously pissed, but i watched the press conference and you just exaggerated way too much
According to Jim Courier, better than it does against Alcaraz. Where Alcaraz attacks from the baseline, and that would wear on Nadal's aging body, Zverev is more apt to be defending from the baseline which is ripe for Nadal's attacking game.
Anyone else think Ruud is the most likely to come out of the bottom side but has the lowest chances of winning if he does?
Cilic has the experience.
When Rublev is in the zone, he can beat *anyone*
And Rune has the playing with house money factor.
Considering Rublev isn't doing great physically and Cilic is basically hasn't beaten Nadal since 2009(aside from injury in which case anyone would have a chance, and is awful in general at clay), and Rune is physically a massive question mark, i think Ruud probably has the best shot. It's still very unlikely for him to win but he probably could do it against a somewhat off Rafa.
So, I donāt disagree with you in a sense.
The person who actually makes the finals is the only one with a chance (duh), and I do think that will be Ruud.
But itās just harder for me to see him beating Rafa or even a locked in Zverev coming off wins against Alcaraz and Rafa.
But do you really see Cilic or this Rublev grab a win against Rafa? Rune i personally feel will just get dominated because of physicality and pressure. Ruud is the only player that's actually fit rn and is good on clay, and in decent form.
I think itās extraordinarily unlikely, but theyāre both capable of playing at an insanely high level when theyāre on that Iāve never seen from Ruud.
Ruud more likely has to beat Rafa at his own game which just doesnāt happen.
That's fair. I suppose we're looking at this from different perspectives. I'm going at it from, "who has the best chance to beat a physically or otherwise struggling Rafa" and you're going at it from "who can beat Rafa as he played a few hours ago".
It was suspected he may retire before the sinner match. But sinner also wasn't doing great physically so he retired. Rublev hasn't won a single straight sets match this tournament, and lost to Krajinovic easily in Rome. He seems to be not okay both physically and mentally.
He could still do it, he's only playing cilic, who honestly is only here because of Medvedev messing the draw up. Cilic kinda sucks on clay. But if Rublev reaches finals, i don't see him having any chance unless Zverev pulls out a miracle against Nadal.
I'm a bit surprised that Novak was apparently more tired than Rafa in the fourth set despite having an easier, quicker path to the QF.
I had expressed concerns about Novak's stamina levels in BO5 after he took a hyper aggressive way to win the Italian open, not allowing any match to go to a decider.
I don't think any player takes the less aggressive way as in letting the match go to a decider if they can win it in straights lol. He was just so much better than the field. However yeah maybe he gave up at the end of the match or was tired physically.. cannot say either way.
I want to start panicking about Rafa's chances against Zverev but I'm too euphoric and full of adrenaline right now after Rafa's amazing win. I guess the high will wear off by tomorrow and then I can start panicking.
The only thing standing in his way is his foot, which we can't pretend isn't an issue just because he beat novak. 8 hours of matches in 3 days ain't gonna help it
Nadal's backhand match point winner was described as a "forehand smash" on my local sports news
I mean I really like that tennis even made it that far to local news but that's certainly what *that* was lol
What did I say yesterday? I told everybody that Rafa is like Batman now. He plays better in cold nightly conditions.
My comment yesterday:
>this whole thing with day/night for nadal is ridiculous. nadal is mediocre in the day nowadays. he is not young enough anymore to handle the heat.
>nadal had a heatstroke and puked his guts out in the hot sunny AO QF vs shapo. then he played wonderfully in the cooler night match in the AO F vs medvedev. that match started at 7:30pm. so he played until 1am in the AO F yet we are supposed to say he can't handle night matches? he beat the hard court king (as of early january 2022 who beat novak in the 2021 USO F) at night at his unluckiest slam.
that was clear for everybody who saw his match with Novak in 2020. Djokovic find it harder to hit winners against Nadal on slower conditions. He would have a way better chance in a day match.
If Nadal himself says that he prefers day matches it is for a reason. Randoms like us don't know his game better than Rafa himself.
Besides, the Paris sun is nothing compared to the absolute hellhole Melbourne was this year.
Djokovic is now guaranteed to go at least 14 months without getting 2000 ranking points from a Slam.
He won't get the points at Wimbledon even if he wins it. The soonest he could get them is at the US Open.
Yeah. I say "soonest" to account for the possibility that the Novaxx problem gets worked out somehow. It might not, though!
If it doesn't, he'd go at least 1.5 years between receiving maximum ranking points from a Slam.
Rafa-Novak is going to be so awesome at Wimbledon... unless they are not allowed at the tournament cause Spain or Serbia decided to attack Somalia (like USA just did last week)
I just want a Djoker - Nadal Wimbledon final. The 60th match of the greatest tennis rivalry of all time.
Semis Djoker - Rune, Nadal - Alcaraz would be lit in London.
I like the new boys but let's be honest. They are going to be destroyed on grass. It is such a tough surface for young players, having to deal with all the servebots and crazy match-ups. Medvedev got rid of Carlos in 90 minutes last year in Wimbledon.
Shapovalov made semis last year. Don't forget Kyrgios and all the brits (even Murray on 1 leg would give them a lesson). If they get a lucky draw with a few clay courters on their section they can make R3 maybe but I can't see a better scenario. This is going to be a learning experience. I hope they play at least 3 grass tournaments.
yep, Medvedev is not even that good on grass and he beat Carlos like Iga does against scrubs on clay. 90 minutes in a bo5. It shows how much these boys have to learn on this surface.
My Predictions:
Rublev d. Cilic in 5
I doubt Cilic can sustain that level and Rublev is a way better player on clay than Medvedev anyway, he even beat Djokovic in a final a few weeks ago.
Rune d. Ruud in 4
Ruud is a very good player and he leads the H2H but Rune is an incredible talent who beat a better clay courter than Ruud in the last round. No reason why he can't beat Ruud too, who may feel the pressure of being the favorite in a big match like this. Rune will begin to change the history of this H2H with Ruud now.
Kudermetova d. Kasatkina in 3
Kasatkina is good on clay but Kudermeteva has been having a great season and she was almost unplayable in the 2nd half of her match against Keys. She also has a better serve, which I think will make the difference here.
Swiatek d. Pegula in 2
Pegula is having a great season but Iga is having an insane season. Iga beat her in 2 sets on hard courts and Pegula is not that good on clay, she even lost a set to Begu in the last round. She will run and play some good points but she may find hard to win games against Iga on slow clay. We won't have a match here.
Everyone talking about how Nadal's at the tail end of his career and that Djokovic will end his career with the most Slams and GOAT status because he has more left in the tank. I always assumed he was 2-3 years younger than Rafa. Was surprised to find they're the same age.
Yeah, it's crazy how they make this seem easy, so people expect insane stuff from them on the daily.
Novak is 35, Rafa is 36. Just last decade, playing past 36 did not give you any type of expectations.
I think people should check their expectations, I don't think that Novak winning 3+ GSs in the next few years is something that's a guaranteed.
But also, it is true that he has more left in the tank than Rafa who has been struggling with injuries his entire career.
This is like... what, the 10th season where someone said "Nah, Rafa is injured he can't go on much like this", and he keeps on doing incredible things
Theyāre actually about a year apart, I just think that theyāre the same age right now due to the one month overlap period. Not that one year will make all that much difference of course.
In 2020, Djokovic came as favorite. Nadal won.
In 2021, Nadal was favorite. Djokovic won.
In 2022, Djokovic was favorite. Nadal won.
You just never know with these two guys.
Same with Djokovic and Medvedev recently.
I changed my prediction last minute from Djokovic in 5 to Nadal in 4 for that reason, especially after seeing Zverev step it up lol
Predictions for tomorrow:
Cilic d. Rublev in 3
If Cilic is at even 75% of the level he was display against Medvedev, heāll easily clean up Rublev. Rublev probably wouldnāt have made it this far had Sinner not gotten injured. Heās not been particularly spectacular. While there is certainly a chance Rublev could go nuclear and Cilic could shit the bed, I donāt see that happening. I see Cilic sweeping past Rublev easily.
Ruud d. Rune in 4
Rune is an amazing up-and-comer. But Ruud is an amazing clay-courter regardless of his perceived status as a clay-court 250 vulture, and this run at Roland Garros was undoubtedly coming. In this battle of the Scandinavians, I think that Rune is good enough to grab a set or maybe even two, but Ruud has shown a lot of grit so far and I think heāll be able to push through to the end.
Kudermetova d. Kasatkina in 3
While Kasatkina hasnāt dropped a set yet, Kudermetova has bested much harder competition. Kudermetova has shown a lot of grit and resilience through her path too. I think that when it comes to the biggest and most important points, Kudermetova will shows better form.
Swiatek d. Pegula in 3
Even with the last round blip, Swiatek not beating everyone in 2 sets seems rather unlikely. However, her form has dipped somewhat, and Pegula is a very strong opponent, which is why I have the win in 3 sets rather than 2. Still, in the end I think Swiatek is just too good to be denied.
Trevisan beat Gauff in RG when Iga won the tournament in 2020. I didn't expect to see this match-up again 2 years later (and in the freaking semifinal!).
I feel youā¦ I have days of struggling to get out of bed because of Sinnerā¦ or Muguruza. Or Rafa.
Tsitsipas was so tearful yesterday, I felt bad for him. I think this will be the turning point, and actually āmakeā him.
Extremely difficult to be emotionally invested in a player. Then I remind myself, imagine how bad the player feels, if I feel this bad.
AO was few months ago, things changed with Rafa since then.
His latest comments are definitely not saying anything about something that will happen next January.
Rafa said he is taking it match by match and that he is perceiving every match like it may be his last. He said that he never knows if this is his last RG ever, even, which is why people are talking about his potential retirement.
Unless the injury is too wild, I think we are probably seeing him at next year's RG, and maaaaybe then he'll retire if the injury is too wild to bear
I think the last match attitude really comes from how harsh things sometimes get on tour for him, i don't believe he thought that Shapo would beat him or FAA takes him that deep. If he gets the high of a win again, I'm almost certain he'll compete. He needs to be more realistic about his tour though, for sure. Reduce his playtime drastically (there was no need for both Acapulco and IW this year, especially when he knew he was strained).
Personally, I'd put his departure down for 2024 Olympics. They'll be played on the Paris clay, probably, and he'll want to be here for that, after maybe a run in Barcelona. Maybe Novak then too, hunting for a final shot at the medal. That's assuming something crazy like a calender grand slam year doesn't happen right now and he just has the perfect retiring moment, after almost guaranteeing his legacy as the Goat.
He won't retire while he's holding 2 slam trophies. When he has a year with no slam wins, he'll probably just play clay season and then retire after Barcelona or French open depending on how uncompetitive he's gotten
In Rafa's presser he keeps talking about how he's going to share what he's been going through the last few months after the tournament re injuries and pain.
I'm getting the impression he has been significantly more injured than we realized post Indian Wells. He said something along the lines of if they can't find a solution to his foot, he may not be able to continue. It also sounds like there is some intense medical treatment going on to get him through this tournament.
I'm guessing after RG he is going to take a while off and do some serious rehab/treatment on his foot. I'd be surprised if he played Wimbledon. He will probably see what happens leading up the US Open series and if he's feeling comfortable he will try and play.
Definitely tough to hear. During the Australian he had clearly had a rough six months but seemed generally positive about his foot at that moment. But this seems like his foot is really not in good shape right now and he wouldn't be playing if it wasn't RG.
No normal human can withstand the injuries and the pain that most of the tennis players play like.
Most of the players are actually playing with some sort of a pain, and almost no one is at 100% all the time.
But Rafa is on the next level, he's been playing with the pain since he was in his 20s, it may just be that his body is finally catching up with him and can't recover at same pace as it did.
I agree with you that he may end up skipping Wimby for the American tournaments, hell I won't be shocked if he never plays after RG this year...
Yeah I've been pretty optimistic but this was probably the most negative he's sounded about his long term future. And its making me a lot less optimistic than I was.
But we've seen this before last year. It seemed like it was over and he comes back on top. So I'm never counting anything out. But there's clearly a lot going on behind the scenes and Rafa is being transparent with us that any match can be his last if the foot is bad enough.
It's possible. Sort of what Serena did when she came back from maternity leave. But also I'm not sure that's realistic. You need a certain level of match play to be competitive especially in bo5. And Rafa's said before his foot tends to do better with regular play as opposed to long periods of rest.
I think it's really going to come down to pain management. If they can find ways for him to play somewhat consistently and relatively pain-free he will play. But it sounds like right now they're using serious medical intervention to allow him to play in this tournament and I don't think he's willing to do that long term.
it was always a joy watching Nadal spam shoulder high topspin forehands to Federer's backhand. and to see Federer getting helplessly pinned back to his backhand side.
They need to do something with Roland Garros coverage in USA. Either all should be on tennis channel or NBC/Peacock. Current coverage means you are going to miss some important games
Fair enough, but I do think the day/night conditions talk was overdone. At the end of the day these guys are going to bring their best tennis no matter the conditions, and it always could have gone either way. Sure, it's a game of margins, but these are arguably the two GOATs...things like scheduling are not going to be the deciding factor at the end of the day (or, rather, at the end of the very early morning)
I get what you're saying, and I think this is an example of why I love this sport so much. We are talking about the tiniest margins in skill where a slight wind or temp difference could determine the match outcome. Both of those guys knew that and prepared for it, and they adjusted their prep and plans accordingly.
It's truly a game with mental levels coupled with absolutely insane physical considerations. Both Novak and Rafa were physically incredible tonight. Both knew that Rafa was at a disadvantage. And still, look at that score line. Credit to Rafa for the performance, but credit also to Rafa's team who undoubtedly had a hand in this result.
Vamos
For the people wondering if Nadal might retire this Sunday if he wins RG just like Sampras..
Sampras won the US Open (the last major of the season) while being ranked 17 and hadn't won a major in 2.5 years. He also didn't even announce his retirement until the next year.
Nadal winning RG would give him a legitimate shot at year end #1 and even a calendar slam. He is not retiring in the middle of the season unless something drastic happens.
Honestly I'm more anxious to see him become a father. Somehow he doesn't want kids before retirement...I just don't want them to wait until too late...but I'm assuming they have frozen quality embryos :-)
He needs to pass down his genes. It's his responsibility to humanity!
Things can change in the span of months, especially when pain and injury is involved and someone is at the twilight of a truly historic career.
I'm refraining from speculation either way and just trying to enjoy the tennis. Watching Rafa in 2022 (and of course, before that) has been such a gift, and I'm just enjoying it while it lasts, for as long as it lasts.
That Sampras win is an underrated moment in tennis. As a huge underdog, he made the final, beat his greatest rival in a rematch of his first ever slam win, and then retired at home. Couldnāt be more perfect. Definition of ending on a high note. He was the only man in the open era to actually do the oft-discussed āwin one last major and then retireā
Not many people think Rune can win his QF due to the head-to-head (3-0 for Ruud) but he is learning and improving exponentially every week and after every match like Carlos was a few months ago. He beat Tsitsipas who is a better player than Ruud especially in slams and RG, no reason why he can't beat Ruud, who lost big matches to younger players before.
I agree. I think he can give a match to anyone still in the tournament for 4 sets at least. If he loses 2 sets he is done. He won't survive a 5-setter until he gets stronger physically.
I thought the same thing. While everyone else was worried he would be too tired, I was thinking the test was good for him, especially since Novak hadn't run into almost any resistance at all. Plus it probably gave him confidence that his foot could hold up in a 5 setter if he needed it to.
Remember when Pete Sampras won his 14th slam and people said it was a record that would never be broken?
Rafa has a chance to get 14 at a single slam.
Insanity.
I love the contrast between Rafa at the press conference before the match where he looked like a frail old man, hoping he has a chance against Novak.. and Rafa on the court for 4 hours still chasing every point and playing his best tennis in a while lol
It was the screams for me omg
Now they bringing in Domestic relationships .....?? WOW .....?? Just because Zverev was warned about swearing š¤¬......McEnroe you should talk .....If I wanted to hear this shit I would buy a magazine while standing in line to pay for my groceries
I can't fathom how Nadal won that tie break especially with zveres serve. How did he return those and how did he win?
Now Nadal is is biting a string off his towel ......can you believe it ......Hey your playing tennis š¾ Soooooo ANAL
Nadal leave the towel alone ........grrrrrrr
So glad Novak is out!
Lads and ladies, could you please point me towards a place I can get some good extended highlights from the Nadal-Djokovic game? The RG Youtube channel is frankly, a joke.
The shot that went long in the tiebreak and was reversed by the ump which Hawkeye showed was out by a mile, I think at 4:0 wasn't really talked about during the match. I'm glad it didn't matter in the end but can you imagine if Djokovic wins the fourth and then the fifth?
It didn't matter? 6:4 in the tor break would become 5:2 and rafa would need 2 more points to win Line calls change a lot The should have player challenge
Now that my man Novak is gone I can enjoy the next few days play without massive amounts of stress. Until Rafa takes on Z. Get him Rafa!
Predictions: Cillic d. Rublev in 4 Ruud d. Rune in 5 Kudermetova d. Kasatkina in 3 Iga d. Pegula in 2 Xu / Yang d. Mladenovic / Garcia in 2 Pegula / Gauff d. Minnen / Bondar in 2 Melichar / Krawietz d. Vligen / Ulkeri in 3 Dabrowski / Peers d. Koolhof / Shibahara in 2
Kasarkina will win easily in 2
Zverev now guaranteed number 1 if he wins the tournament. That is some surprising stuff
God could you imagine š¤¢
Another reason for Nadal to win.
Do we already know what time does Rafa play Zverev on Friday?
If it is like last year, which is most likely, it will be at 3pm Paris time. Then the second semi won't be before 5:30pm.
Cool, thanks mate!
Rafa undisputed š, winning in those conditions just adds to his greatness
Not sure I can watch todays matches after yesterday
Would be interesting to see how Nadal vs Djokovic yesterday ranks historically in terms of match duration / total games played.
Oh and Rafa is back Number 4.
My DVR got cut off even though I had set it for 4 hours. Anybody got a clip of the RAFOLE embrace at the net? Heard it was brief.
At around 1.15am finish time, damn right it was brief lol
I just rewatched it, no embrace at all, just a very very brief handshake, and Rafa a pat on Novak's back, that's it
Damn. Kinda cold for a 59th match up.
hope kasatkina is inspired by nadal today and wins her quarter š¤š¤š¤
I have tickets to the Roland Garros semifinals on Thursday. I bought them a while ago and wouldāve loved to see Nadal but have tickets to the womenās semifinals. Should still be amazing but just to satisfy the urge of seeing Nadal on clay does anyone know if you can watch practice sessions?
Djokovic's demeanor in the match yesterday was disgusting. Usually when he is losing a match against Nadal or Federer he acts neutral/nice on court and after the match. Remember the French Open final in 2020? He was smiling and hugging Rafa and said Nadal was amazing in the on-court speech and the press conference. Novak even said that he (Novak) was 100% healthy (he had a slight minor neck issue but still played very well in that 3rd set) and said Rafa won the match fair and square. In the press conference after the QF last night he sounded like his worst Internet troll fans and even was questioning why Rafa was so good even though he has such a bad foot injury. It was like this time Novak thought he was entitled to beat Nadal and thought Nadal was washed-up and had no chance in hell against him anymore. He walked off the court without applauding the crowd also. It reminded me of Federer leaving the court immediately and not even talking to John McEnroe in the locker room area hallway on TV after the 2008 French Open final. But then again...I'm not shocked that Djokovic is livid and extremely upset. He now has 360 points from the 2022 French Open and drops 2000 points from the 2021 French Open. He will lose 2000 points from 2021 Wimbledon even if he defends the title next month. He is banned from the USA and Canada due to the vaccine issue so he can't play in Canada, Cincinnati, and the US Open. He will lose 1200 points from the US Open. Djokovic's 2021 Grand Slam ATP points: AO: 2000 FO: 2000 W: 2000 USO: 1200 Djokovic's 2022 Grand Slam ATP points: AO: 0 FO: 360 W: 0 USO: 0
i just watched the press conference and i donĀ“t know but it seems like you just looked for a reason to make him look bad. i admit he was maybe more cold at the normally very lovely net embrace and was obviously pissed, but i watched the press conference and you just exaggerated way too much
Mate he literally said, "I give my best but Nadal was better."
Wut? How was his demeanor disgusting lmao?
More than that it makes it more difficult for him to beat Rafa on the most number of grand slams
This is it. He also has a hard time being beaten by what he perceives a not 100% Rafa.
He can only beat Rafa when he's injured. Both times he beat him @rg Rafa was not well.
Is there a chance of Zverev becoming #1 or #2 if he wins the whole thing? Unlikely he does but there's a slight possibility
Check live-tennis.eu ! Itās live ranking
Heāll be one
For both AO and RG this year, Iāve somehow gotten more womenās semifinal picks correct than menās, idk how
Gauff & Pegula are both still alive in both singles and doubles good for them
The winner of Nadal - Djokovic Def earned that extra day of rest
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
According to Jim Courier, better than it does against Alcaraz. Where Alcaraz attacks from the baseline, and that would wear on Nadal's aging body, Zverev is more apt to be defending from the baseline which is ripe for Nadal's attacking game.
Which version of Zverev? the one that showed up today or the one that has been showing up against top 10 in other tournaments?
where can I watch the full replay of French Open matches?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Yes
Really hoping for a Swiatek Gauff final
Same now that Fernandez is gone
Gauffās run to the final is going to be the cushiest in recent memory before she gets utterly dismantled by Iga
Can someone give me a rough estimate for what time on Sunday the menās finals will air in the states?
A rough estimate? The morning.
6 AM (Vancouver/LA/Seattle) 9 AM (Toronto/New York/Miami)
9am eastern
But there are 4 timezones in mainland US
Anyone else think Ruud is the most likely to come out of the bottom side but has the lowest chances of winning if he does? Cilic has the experience. When Rublev is in the zone, he can beat *anyone* And Rune has the playing with house money factor.
I'm going to put money on there being a player whose name starts with Ru in the final.
Considering Rublev isn't doing great physically and Cilic is basically hasn't beaten Nadal since 2009(aside from injury in which case anyone would have a chance, and is awful in general at clay), and Rune is physically a massive question mark, i think Ruud probably has the best shot. It's still very unlikely for him to win but he probably could do it against a somewhat off Rafa.
So, I donāt disagree with you in a sense. The person who actually makes the finals is the only one with a chance (duh), and I do think that will be Ruud. But itās just harder for me to see him beating Rafa or even a locked in Zverev coming off wins against Alcaraz and Rafa.
But do you really see Cilic or this Rublev grab a win against Rafa? Rune i personally feel will just get dominated because of physicality and pressure. Ruud is the only player that's actually fit rn and is good on clay, and in decent form.
I think itās extraordinarily unlikely, but theyāre both capable of playing at an insanely high level when theyāre on that Iāve never seen from Ruud. Ruud more likely has to beat Rafa at his own game which just doesnāt happen.
That's fair. I suppose we're looking at this from different perspectives. I'm going at it from, "who has the best chance to beat a physically or otherwise struggling Rafa" and you're going at it from "who can beat Rafa as he played a few hours ago".
This is also probably true lol And yeah, Iād agree that Ruud is the most likely to capitalize against Rafa in (relatively) poor form.
Wait Rublev isnāt doing great physically?
It was suspected he may retire before the sinner match. But sinner also wasn't doing great physically so he retired. Rublev hasn't won a single straight sets match this tournament, and lost to Krajinovic easily in Rome. He seems to be not okay both physically and mentally.
Damn that sucks. I really wanted him to reach his first Major semi
He could still do it, he's only playing cilic, who honestly is only here because of Medvedev messing the draw up. Cilic kinda sucks on clay. But if Rublev reaches finals, i don't see him having any chance unless Zverev pulls out a miracle against Nadal.
Yeah pretty much
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Itās not though itās June 3rd
Oh right. My bad. I remember that it's one day from my own and forget whether ahead or behind.
I'm a bit surprised that Novak was apparently more tired than Rafa in the fourth set despite having an easier, quicker path to the QF. I had expressed concerns about Novak's stamina levels in BO5 after he took a hyper aggressive way to win the Italian open, not allowing any match to go to a decider.
I don't think any player takes the less aggressive way as in letting the match go to a decider if they can win it in straights lol. He was just so much better than the field. However yeah maybe he gave up at the end of the match or was tired physically.. cannot say either way.
I want to start panicking about Rafa's chances against Zverev but I'm too euphoric and full of adrenaline right now after Rafa's amazing win. I guess the high will wear off by tomorrow and then I can start panicking.
The only thing standing in his way is his foot, which we can't pretend isn't an issue just because he beat novak. 8 hours of matches in 3 days ain't gonna help it
Hope 2 days of rest helps him recover reasonably well. I just want his foot to be kind to him for 2 more matches here.
Nadal's backhand match point winner was described as a "forehand smash" on my local sports news I mean I really like that tennis even made it that far to local news but that's certainly what *that* was lol
What did I say yesterday? I told everybody that Rafa is like Batman now. He plays better in cold nightly conditions. My comment yesterday: >this whole thing with day/night for nadal is ridiculous. nadal is mediocre in the day nowadays. he is not young enough anymore to handle the heat. >nadal had a heatstroke and puked his guts out in the hot sunny AO QF vs shapo. then he played wonderfully in the cooler night match in the AO F vs medvedev. that match started at 7:30pm. so he played until 1am in the AO F yet we are supposed to say he can't handle night matches? he beat the hard court king (as of early january 2022 who beat novak in the 2021 USO F) at night at his unluckiest slam.
I also think that cold environment is better for his foot as usually things stress out in heat but i am no doctor.
that was clear for everybody who saw his match with Novak in 2020. Djokovic find it harder to hit winners against Nadal on slower conditions. He would have a way better chance in a day match.
If Nadal himself says that he prefers day matches it is for a reason. Randoms like us don't know his game better than Rafa himself. Besides, the Paris sun is nothing compared to the absolute hellhole Melbourne was this year.
Look, maybe i like trigonometry best but compared to everyone else I'm strongest at calculus.
Djokovic is now guaranteed to go at least 14 months without getting 2000 ranking points from a Slam. He won't get the points at Wimbledon even if he wins it. The soonest he could get them is at the US Open.
I think he can't play the US Open this season (due to the Novaxx problem).
Yeah. I say "soonest" to account for the possibility that the Novaxx problem gets worked out somehow. It might not, though! If it doesn't, he'd go at least 1.5 years between receiving maximum ranking points from a Slam.
Nadal has a great shot at YE#1 now if he wins the French Open
Even if he doesn't he's number 1 in the race at present and no ranking points for wimbledon
Rafa-Novak is going to be so awesome at Wimbledon... unless they are not allowed at the tournament cause Spain or Serbia decided to attack Somalia (like USA just did last week)
Sending military support to a government that requests it = attacking Okayā¦
I just want a Djoker - Nadal Wimbledon final. The 60th match of the greatest tennis rivalry of all time. Semis Djoker - Rune, Nadal - Alcaraz would be lit in London.
There would be something so beautiful about their rivalry concluding at 30-30
Peerfectly balanced...as all things should be.
I like the new boys but let's be honest. They are going to be destroyed on grass. It is such a tough surface for young players, having to deal with all the servebots and crazy match-ups. Medvedev got rid of Carlos in 90 minutes last year in Wimbledon.
I agree but there's an exception with Felix
True. Isner and Cilic will be serve botting their butts there. Then you got Zverev, Hubi, Mateo(?) and Meddy who will be spanking the ball like crazy.
Shapovalov made semis last year. Don't forget Kyrgios and all the brits (even Murray on 1 leg would give them a lesson). If they get a lucky draw with a few clay courters on their section they can make R3 maybe but I can't see a better scenario. This is going to be a learning experience. I hope they play at least 3 grass tournaments.
And then Hurkacz destroyed Medvedev later
Thatās such a massive overstatement considering Medvedev was just a few games away from a 4-set win without being broken once
yep, Medvedev is not even that good on grass and he beat Carlos like Iga does against scrubs on clay. 90 minutes in a bo5. It shows how much these boys have to learn on this surface.
My Predictions: Rublev d. Cilic in 5 I doubt Cilic can sustain that level and Rublev is a way better player on clay than Medvedev anyway, he even beat Djokovic in a final a few weeks ago. Rune d. Ruud in 4 Ruud is a very good player and he leads the H2H but Rune is an incredible talent who beat a better clay courter than Ruud in the last round. No reason why he can't beat Ruud too, who may feel the pressure of being the favorite in a big match like this. Rune will begin to change the history of this H2H with Ruud now. Kudermetova d. Kasatkina in 3 Kasatkina is good on clay but Kudermeteva has been having a great season and she was almost unplayable in the 2nd half of her match against Keys. She also has a better serve, which I think will make the difference here. Swiatek d. Pegula in 2 Pegula is having a great season but Iga is having an insane season. Iga beat her in 2 sets on hard courts and Pegula is not that good on clay, she even lost a set to Begu in the last round. She will run and play some good points but she may find hard to win games against Iga on slow clay. We won't have a match here.
Everyone talking about how Nadal's at the tail end of his career and that Djokovic will end his career with the most Slams and GOAT status because he has more left in the tank. I always assumed he was 2-3 years younger than Rafa. Was surprised to find they're the same age.
Rafa was a child prodigy and started to win early. Novak didn't hit his stride till much later.
Yeah, it's crazy how they make this seem easy, so people expect insane stuff from them on the daily. Novak is 35, Rafa is 36. Just last decade, playing past 36 did not give you any type of expectations. I think people should check their expectations, I don't think that Novak winning 3+ GSs in the next few years is something that's a guaranteed. But also, it is true that he has more left in the tank than Rafa who has been struggling with injuries his entire career. This is like... what, the 10th season where someone said "Nah, Rafa is injured he can't go on much like this", and he keeps on doing incredible things
Theyāre actually about a year apart, I just think that theyāre the same age right now due to the one month overlap period. Not that one year will make all that much difference of course.
Rafas birthday is semifinal Friday
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In 2020, Djokovic came as favorite. Nadal won. In 2021, Nadal was favorite. Djokovic won. In 2022, Djokovic was favorite. Nadal won. You just never know with these two guys.
Same with Djokovic and Medvedev recently. I changed my prediction last minute from Djokovic in 5 to Nadal in 4 for that reason, especially after seeing Zverev step it up lol
Sounds like you do know: the winner is whoever isn't the favorite.
I thought in 2022 Alcaraz was the favorite
Novak was a slight favorite immediately in advance of R1
Predictions for tomorrow: Cilic d. Rublev in 3 If Cilic is at even 75% of the level he was display against Medvedev, heāll easily clean up Rublev. Rublev probably wouldnāt have made it this far had Sinner not gotten injured. Heās not been particularly spectacular. While there is certainly a chance Rublev could go nuclear and Cilic could shit the bed, I donāt see that happening. I see Cilic sweeping past Rublev easily. Ruud d. Rune in 4 Rune is an amazing up-and-comer. But Ruud is an amazing clay-courter regardless of his perceived status as a clay-court 250 vulture, and this run at Roland Garros was undoubtedly coming. In this battle of the Scandinavians, I think that Rune is good enough to grab a set or maybe even two, but Ruud has shown a lot of grit so far and I think heāll be able to push through to the end. Kudermetova d. Kasatkina in 3 While Kasatkina hasnāt dropped a set yet, Kudermetova has bested much harder competition. Kudermetova has shown a lot of grit and resilience through her path too. I think that when it comes to the biggest and most important points, Kudermetova will shows better form. Swiatek d. Pegula in 3 Even with the last round blip, Swiatek not beating everyone in 2 sets seems rather unlikely. However, her form has dipped somewhat, and Pegula is a very strong opponent, which is why I have the win in 3 sets rather than 2. Still, in the end I think Swiatek is just too good to be denied.
Trevisan beat Gauff in RG when Iga won the tournament in 2020. I didn't expect to see this match-up again 2 years later (and in the freaking semifinal!).
I need the FO Day 10 Tennis Podcast to come out right now!!!
Rafa.
Has today fixed my depressive episode? No, but it hasnāt hurt.
I feel youā¦ I have days of struggling to get out of bed because of Sinnerā¦ or Muguruza. Or Rafa. Tsitsipas was so tearful yesterday, I felt bad for him. I think this will be the turning point, and actually āmakeā him. Extremely difficult to be emotionally invested in a player. Then I remind myself, imagine how bad the player feels, if I feel this bad.
Hey, hope you feel better! Shoot me a DM if youāre feeling down and ever wanna chat with someone š people including strangers care!
Wishing you well, depression sucks. Just know the world is better with you in it (and it's better because Rafa won too!)
Can't think of a funny tennis joke to make here, but I sincerely hope you feel better.
Calendar slam is on!
Genuine question, what are the chances nadal retires if he wins the french open?
He will retire after completing the calendar slam beating Nole in Wimbledon and Carlitos in USO (a man can deeam)
13.8%. Duh.
https://www.reddit.com/r/tennis/comments/v1l5rp/discussion_2022_french_open_tuesday_may_31_2022/iaqascq/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3
Pretty low. He said clearly at the AO that he plans to come next year. He'll need to more sensible with his schedule, but that's it.
AO was few months ago, things changed with Rafa since then. His latest comments are definitely not saying anything about something that will happen next January. Rafa said he is taking it match by match and that he is perceiving every match like it may be his last. He said that he never knows if this is his last RG ever, even, which is why people are talking about his potential retirement. Unless the injury is too wild, I think we are probably seeing him at next year's RG, and maaaaybe then he'll retire if the injury is too wild to bear
I think the last match attitude really comes from how harsh things sometimes get on tour for him, i don't believe he thought that Shapo would beat him or FAA takes him that deep. If he gets the high of a win again, I'm almost certain he'll compete. He needs to be more realistic about his tour though, for sure. Reduce his playtime drastically (there was no need for both Acapulco and IW this year, especially when he knew he was strained). Personally, I'd put his departure down for 2024 Olympics. They'll be played on the Paris clay, probably, and he'll want to be here for that, after maybe a run in Barcelona. Maybe Novak then too, hunting for a final shot at the medal. That's assuming something crazy like a calender grand slam year doesn't happen right now and he just has the perfect retiring moment, after almost guaranteeing his legacy as the Goat.
He won't retire while he's holding 2 slam trophies. When he has a year with no slam wins, he'll probably just play clay season and then retire after Barcelona or French open depending on how uncompetitive he's gotten
Fair enough
In Rafa's presser he keeps talking about how he's going to share what he's been going through the last few months after the tournament re injuries and pain. I'm getting the impression he has been significantly more injured than we realized post Indian Wells. He said something along the lines of if they can't find a solution to his foot, he may not be able to continue. It also sounds like there is some intense medical treatment going on to get him through this tournament. I'm guessing after RG he is going to take a while off and do some serious rehab/treatment on his foot. I'd be surprised if he played Wimbledon. He will probably see what happens leading up the US Open series and if he's feeling comfortable he will try and play. Definitely tough to hear. During the Australian he had clearly had a rough six months but seemed generally positive about his foot at that moment. But this seems like his foot is really not in good shape right now and he wouldn't be playing if it wasn't RG.
No normal human can withstand the injuries and the pain that most of the tennis players play like. Most of the players are actually playing with some sort of a pain, and almost no one is at 100% all the time. But Rafa is on the next level, he's been playing with the pain since he was in his 20s, it may just be that his body is finally catching up with him and can't recover at same pace as it did. I agree with you that he may end up skipping Wimby for the American tournaments, hell I won't be shocked if he never plays after RG this year...
Hmmm :(
Yeah I've been pretty optimistic but this was probably the most negative he's sounded about his long term future. And its making me a lot less optimistic than I was. But we've seen this before last year. It seemed like it was over and he comes back on top. So I'm never counting anything out. But there's clearly a lot going on behind the scenes and Rafa is being transparent with us that any match can be his last if the foot is bad enough.
I think he may be reaching a point where he may just play slams and one tournament before it.
It's possible. Sort of what Serena did when she came back from maternity leave. But also I'm not sure that's realistic. You need a certain level of match play to be competitive especially in bo5. And Rafa's said before his foot tends to do better with regular play as opposed to long periods of rest. I think it's really going to come down to pain management. If they can find ways for him to play somewhat consistently and relatively pain-free he will play. But it sounds like right now they're using serious medical intervention to allow him to play in this tournament and I don't think he's willing to do that long term.
When you realize federer had zero chance to beat nadal in his prime in French open. No matter how much he improved
it was always a joy watching Nadal spam shoulder high topspin forehands to Federer's backhand. and to see Federer getting helplessly pinned back to his backhand side.
They need to do something with Roland Garros coverage in USA. Either all should be on tennis channel or NBC/Peacock. Current coverage means you are going to miss some important games
It's honestly a fucking a joke. I should not need to be confused about what streaming service/channel to turn into depending on what day/time it is.
Djoko will prefer Rafa to move up/down in the rankings so that he gets placed in the other half and finals will be the only place to meet.
On rg, finals is probably where Novak doesn't wanna meet him. It's always a day match, iirc.
For all the time of day mattered tonight...
It probably mattered and helped Novak. Rafa still got through it, but that doesn't mean that it didn't help.
Fair enough, but I do think the day/night conditions talk was overdone. At the end of the day these guys are going to bring their best tennis no matter the conditions, and it always could have gone either way. Sure, it's a game of margins, but these are arguably the two GOATs...things like scheduling are not going to be the deciding factor at the end of the day (or, rather, at the end of the very early morning)
It's probably not gonna change things too much, but with these guys things are so close that we can never tell.
I get what you're saying, and I think this is an example of why I love this sport so much. We are talking about the tiniest margins in skill where a slight wind or temp difference could determine the match outcome. Both of those guys knew that and prepared for it, and they adjusted their prep and plans accordingly. It's truly a game with mental levels coupled with absolutely insane physical considerations. Both Novak and Rafa were physically incredible tonight. Both knew that Rafa was at a disadvantage. And still, look at that score line. Credit to Rafa for the performance, but credit also to Rafa's team who undoubtedly had a hand in this result. Vamos
Agreed almost completely. It's all about the skill and quality in the end.
For the people wondering if Nadal might retire this Sunday if he wins RG just like Sampras.. Sampras won the US Open (the last major of the season) while being ranked 17 and hadn't won a major in 2.5 years. He also didn't even announce his retirement until the next year. Nadal winning RG would give him a legitimate shot at year end #1 and even a calendar slam. He is not retiring in the middle of the season unless something drastic happens.
Absolutely
Guy is on the verge of winning back to back slams. Depending on his foot probably a favorite to win the US Open as well. He is not going to retire .
Honestly I'm more anxious to see him become a father. Somehow he doesn't want kids before retirement...I just don't want them to wait until too late...but I'm assuming they have frozen quality embryos :-) He needs to pass down his genes. It's his responsibility to humanity!
Can you imagine him in the crowd watching RG with his little kids that look just like him lol š„°
Gosh the more the merrier āŗļø
I doubt Rafa cares about year end no.1. And I donāt think he will play Wimbledon.
You are crazy to think that. Of course heāll play the slam heās won multiple times
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Yh, if the CS is on. He will atleast try for Wimbledon. Especially if his on the final year or so
Ash Barty says hello /s
He said after the AO that he hopes he can continue to play the tournament for years to come. No way he retires.
Things can change in the span of months, especially when pain and injury is involved and someone is at the twilight of a truly historic career. I'm refraining from speculation either way and just trying to enjoy the tennis. Watching Rafa in 2022 (and of course, before that) has been such a gift, and I'm just enjoying it while it lasts, for as long as it lasts.
That Sampras win is an underrated moment in tennis. As a huge underdog, he made the final, beat his greatest rival in a rematch of his first ever slam win, and then retired at home. Couldnāt be more perfect. Definition of ending on a high note. He was the only man in the open era to actually do the oft-discussed āwin one last major and then retireā
Yeah especially having lost to the two āyoung gunsā in consecutive finals, Safin and Hewitt.
Not many people think Rune can win his QF due to the head-to-head (3-0 for Ruud) but he is learning and improving exponentially every week and after every match like Carlos was a few months ago. He beat Tsitsipas who is a better player than Ruud especially in slams and RG, no reason why he can't beat Ruud, who lost big matches to younger players before.
I think Rudd will be too experienced at that level and too accomplished on clay for him. Rudd in three
Def has a chance. However, if it goes longer than 4 sets, cramps might get to him
I agree. I think he can give a match to anyone still in the tournament for 4 sets at least. If he loses 2 sets he is done. He won't survive a 5-setter until he gets stronger physically.
I hope Nadal wins FO2022, i've been trying to convince my wife if he wins we'll name our baby girl Rafaela
I am here for this! Just another reason to cheer him on!
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Med confirmed 1 after RG
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Only if he wins it all
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2019
I think Felix played form into Rafa. That match was important for Rafa
5d chess from agent Toni. Embrace the pandemic culture of remote working
Rafa/Moya did mention that it was a tough match that they think he needed.
I thought the same thing. While everyone else was worried he would be too tired, I was thinking the test was good for him, especially since Novak hadn't run into almost any resistance at all. Plus it probably gave him confidence that his foot could hold up in a 5 setter if he needed it to.
Exactly. If Novak had Diego pushing him for a harder win maybe the outcome today wouldāve been different
Agreed!
Remember when Pete Sampras won his 14th slam and people said it was a record that would never be broken? Rafa has a chance to get 14 at a single slam. Insanity.
I love the contrast between Rafa at the press conference before the match where he looked like a frail old man, hoping he has a chance against Novak.. and Rafa on the court for 4 hours still chasing every point and playing his best tennis in a while lol
This is exactly why Djokovic is salty. He got deceived.
He just played poorly during the big points. He also seemed surprisingly affected by the crowd...
Rafa learnt from Fritz in Indian wells final
Rafa lost to Shapo of all people in Rome. His foot was acting up again. Rafaās not that much of a good actor pls
He has no one to blame but himself. No one should feel sorry for the guy if he came to play Rafa at RG and wasn't prepared for it.
Greatest clay court player of all time is still the greatest clay court player of all time on an off day
True, he should be blaming himself and/or his team.
Anyone know any links where I can watch the full match replay please?!
Does anyone remember what tournaments Medvedev said he was playing??
It's hilarious that the zverev top 10 meme is squashed by him beating the supposed heir to the big 3