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[Peru]

When does the French Open start?

Q next week, for real Sunday 22nd.

Djokovic has decided t o play rather badly this match? Solid enough from Murray, but something bugging the D joker. Had to happen sometime, I guess.

I can not describe my unbounded ecstasy earlier today as Maria spanked Caro the destructive pusher in straight sets. If she can stay that solid tomorrow vs Sam then my hopes coming in to Roland Garros will be too high, and set up for disappointment as usual.

 

[perfectchaos007]

Murray serving for the match

 

[zero_suit]

Murray serving for the match

 

[Peru]

Hysterical if the worst player of the year is the first to beat Djokovic.

 

[perfectchaos007]

Murray throws in a double fault in that game on cue. Djokovic breaks back

 

[Hours Left]

Worst time to double fault ever.

C'mon Novak!

 

[zero_suit]

Murray throws in a double fault in that game on cue. Djokovic breaks back

Damn

 

[clemenx]

Eeek, what the hell, Murray?

 

[rando14]

Yes! Djokovic lives!

 

[LabouredSubterfuge]

I've not been watching too much Tennis of late but this is immense.

 

[perfectchaos007]

Now Murray has to hold to stay in the match. Down 5-6

 

[Hours Left]

Just one more break please Djokovic.

 

[clemenx]

What a disgrace this Murray for the top 4. I don't care if he wins, that service game for the match was embarrassing haha.

 

[modulaire]

that looked spectacular.

 

[perfectchaos007]

aaaand we go to a 3rd set tiebreak. Can't wait to see some Murray fail here

 

[Hours Left]

Dat mini-break.

 

[rando14]

aaaand we go to a 3rd set tiebreak. Can't wait to see some Murray fail here

Haha you called it. 5-1, Murray's melting.

 

[Hours Left]

Wow.

 

[clemenx]

Nole beast.

LOL Murray, he was a break up twice on the 3rd set.

 

[rando14]

36 in a row!

 

[Hours Left]

Djokownage.

 

[perfectchaos007]

Djokovic beats Murray in the tiebreak 7-2! the streak is still alive! What an epic fail by Murray dropping his serve that would have won him the match. lol

 

[Peru]

Still, gotta wonder if his streak ends tomorrow.

 

[Sax Russel]

The back half of that last set was completely edge of my seat mind bendingly intense.

 

[Nemo]

Another Nadal djokovic final? Shieeet

We're getting spoiled here

 

[Peru]

Such a fucking rush. I'm so happy, so happy. Slams, whatever, this is a tier 1 tournament and I never thought it'd happen six months ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvXFP-ba7T0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvXFP-ba7T0

 

[Cubsfan23]

no way nadal loses again

 

[Nemo]

no way nadal loses again

If he loses it's gonna be close. Amazing final going on, hope djokovic can keep up the level

edit, he breaks!

 

[Rafa=FedKilla]

Nadal really standing close to the baseline and attacking more this time around.

 

[Peru]

If Nadal worked some more depth on his shots, bit more pro-active.

 

[Rafa=FedKilla]

Now Nadal knows it feels to lose all hope on his favorite surface.

 

[rando14]

Djokovic just broke Nadal again.

Ho boy, if Djokovic wins Rome... well let's just say, this upcoming French Open is going to be incredible.

 

[Nemo]

Shit, I wonder how Nadal is doing mentally. Also that fall was pretty nasty, looked like he rolled his ankle, but he's moving fine now

 

[jett]

Fucking beat this guy Nadal, come on. :|

 

[Peru]

Triple match piin t

 

[clemenx]

I don't want to see this match if Djoko doesn't close it here... too tense!

 

[clemenx]

Djokobeast

 

[Peru]

That's it. Beat Nadal four finals in a row. Nadal GOAT no more.

 

[Lagspike_exe]

The indisputable king of tennis.

 

[zero_suit]

That's it. Beat Nadal four finals in a row. Nadal GOAT no more.

Won't matter if Nadal wins the French.

 

[anonnumber6]

Going to find the odds on the Joker doing a calendar grand slam...

 

[Nemo]

Unbelievable. That backhand, sooo good.

Djokovic's achievements now are set in stone

 

[Magicpaint]

Won't matter if Nadal wins the French.

Well, now that is up in the air with the way Novak is playing isn't it?

At the very least he must be doing Nadal's head in big time!

 

[d+pad]

Wow. Not only is Novak heads and shoulders above the rest of the tour at this point, he is most definitely planted firmly in Nadal's head. Never thought I'd see the day where *that* happened!

Anyway, Novak's clearly the favorite for the French, despite the fact that he's never made the final before. It'll be interesting to see if both his mind and body hold up through two weeks of five set matches.

I won't be surprised if he pulls it off, honestly, although I won't exactly be surprised if someone takes him out either. The one given about streaks like this is that they have to end eventually...

 

[d+pad]

One more thing: Although I've never been much of a Sharapova fan, I think it's kind of cool that she won this tournament. Does this mean she's back and will contend at Wimbledon and the US Open? Will be interesting to see...

 

[Magicpaint]

Wow. Not only is Novak heads and shoulders above the rest of the tour at this point, he is most definitely planted firmly in Nadal's head. Never thought I'd see the day where *that* happened!

It's crazy because that's exactly the edge Nadal always had over Federer. It was that head game. It's interesting to see Nadal get that same medicine he has dished out over the years.

I am more and more convinced he is going to be the new dominant figure in tennis as he destroyed all my skepticism over the past couple of months: When Nole won in Indian Wells it was supposedly Nadal's poor first serve percentage that aided his victory, then when Nole repeated the same thing in Miami, it was the luck of the tie break, I thought...oh and it was hardcourt anyway, let's see how he does on clay! Fastforward to Madrid and he does it in straight sets. Oh but that is hardly Nadal's favourite CLAY surface. Had to do with the high altitude and speed, and of course even Federer beat him there, so what? Rome would be a much better indication since that's a slow claycourt much like RG where Nadal has been near flawless.

Straight sets victory for Nole, again. *gasp* I didn't even think he would have enough gas in the tank after that three hour epic against Murray. Amazing.

 

[Peru]

One more thing: Although I've never been much of a Sharapova fan, I think it's kind of cool that she won this tournament. Does this mean she's back and will contend at Wimbledon and the US Open? Will be interesting to see...

It's the first time in a long while she's been this consistent throughout a tournament, including taking out the #1 in straight sets and not choking the final.

Nevermind US Open and Wimbledon, though, it's all about the French Open now. And I just don't see clay as her weakest surface anymore. Ultimately Azarenka and Clijsters will be the favorites, but IF everything works out... well, she has a shot at a career Grand Slam. But we don't really know, I just take this tournament victory as it is and won't set myself up for disappointment demanding more.

 

[Magicpaint]

It's the first time in a long while Sharapova's been this consistent throughout a tournament, including taking out the #1 in straight sets and not choking the final.

Nevermind, US Open and Wimbledon, though, it's all about the French Open now. And I just don't see clay as her weakest surface anymore. Ultimately Azarenka and Clijsters will be the favorites, but IF everything works out... well, she has a shot at a career Grand Slam.

I don't even think Clijsters will make the French. Her injury during a cousin's wedding? She is likely joining the sisters on a break.

Anyway this is Sharapova's best bet for the career slam. The French open though, is very notorious for having oddball winners come from apparently nowhere to win it (Iva Majoli in 97, Myskina in 2004, Schiavone last year) or go very far. But it would be nice to see her go all the way.

 

[d+pad]

I am more and more convinced he is going to be the new dominant figure in tennis as he destroyed all my skepticism over the past couple of months.

Well, clearly he is going to be the dominant player of this year. Beyond that? I guess we'll see. I don't say that because I'm a Nadal or Fed fan or whatever -- I'm saying it because these kinds of things can change like the flip of a switch.

Consider when Graf was destroying everybody in 88 and 89. She gets to the FO final in 90 by barely losing a match all year and then gets walloped by Seles. What happens the rest of the year? She struggles, and doesn't win another GS title until Wimbledon 91. Who could have seen that fall coming?

Also, consider Nadal and Federer in the last few years. Fed won everything until last year's French, and then he was out of contention until last fall, when suddenly he was back in contention again. And now? No one even talks about him. Same w/ Nadal, really. He won the last three GS of last year. This year? Everything thinks Novak will win a calendar-year GS now.

Personally, I think it all comes down to the FO (and Wimbledon, too) for Novak. If he wins the French, who knows what could happen for him? If he loses, though, it could literally be a game-changer for him and everybody else. Would it hit him hard? Would he go into Wimbledon, where he's never made the final, with doubts?

It's going to be a very interesting FO, regardless!

 

[d+pad]

It's the first time in a long while she's been this consistent throughout a tournament, including taking out the #1 in straight sets and not choking the final.

Nevermind US Open and Wimbledon, though, it's all about the French Open now. And I just don't see clay as her weakest surface anymore. Ultimately Azarenka and Clijsters will be the favorites, but IF everything works out... well, she has a shot at a career Grand Slam. But we don't really know, I just take this tournament victory as it is and won't set myself up for disappointment demanding more.

Yes, you're right -- this is the first time since she came back from shoulder surgery that she has been consistent through an entire tournament, IMO. That's a really big deal, esp. mentally.

I still think clay is her weakest surface, but that doesn't necessarily mean much in the current environment. Whether she is able to make a move and even win the FO, though, I think will come down in large part to her draw. If she faces a strong and consistent clay-courter, she could face some real problems.

That said, she has to be considered one of the favorites at this point.