rafa over djokovic in the final!

vrael,

I hope you are right!

I just took a closer look at Ricky's picks and color me surprised! So Rafa won't meet Ferrer in the quarterfinal? He gets Simon instead? Interesting. Sod over Ferdasco? So there is some doubt as to what kind of form Murray will be in for this tournament. I am not as sure about Verdasco. I am also not sure about Roddick over Nole, although it is true that Roddick has been playing very well. However, Nole has been in great form so far this year. I am thinking that he will get to the semis. Until he shows me a reason not to pick him, then I will stick with him. I think a quarterfinal matchup between Nole and Roddick should be great.

I also see that there is some doubt about Fed, too. Anything can happen, so we will have to see how it plays out. Sod is going to earn his spot in the semifinals here, because he has a really tough draw. Why am I thinking that there will be an upset somewhere along the way?

I don't care as long as Rafa wins. That would be a great way for him to come back from his injury!

Also, something I've never really seen before: nearly all the top singles players are also playing doubles. I think the only ones not playing in the top 15 are Roddick and Fish, excluding the absentees Monfils and Youzhny.

i hope i am right too NNY......rafa needs to navigate through the early rounds cautiously....once he finds his rythm,it will be no stopping him....he loves the courts in indian wells.....they suit him i guess....slow and high bouncing(the weather helps the bounce i think).....so if i had to bet some money...i would put it on rafa or nole

It's nothing short of amazing that specialist singles players can win significant doubles titles over the doubles specialists like Fed/Wawa (Olympics), Rafa/Marc (I/W), Melzer/Petchz (Wimbledon).

If there were fewer tournaments in the season which would enable the singles players to participate more in doubles tournaments, we would have a very different hierachy in doubles.

vrael,

Fortunately, Rafa will have one or two easy opponents in the early rounds. That should give him enough match play to deal with Monaco or Tsonga or Baggy. The real test will be if he meets Ferrer. Rafa looked good in his two DC matches, so I think he should do well here. He will be anxious to get back to his winning ways and this tournament is good for him.

I was a little surprised that Ricky picked Roddick to get past Nole, but it could happen. He also doesn't think that Ferrer will get through to meet Rafa. He picked Simon. I also think it's interesting that he sees Sod coming out of his part of the draw to meet Rafa in the semis.

I just like the bottom line, with Ricky predicting a win for Rafa! I will be so happy to finally see him back on the court in competition. I live in L.A., so Rafa is in my neighborhood, my time zone. I will get to see all of his matches! YAY!

I go with Ricky's prediction this time...Nole, although playing with HUGE confidence these days may end up losing to Roddick who always seems more dangerous to Nole than Federer for that matter...if Andreev beats Nishikori, he will give a hard time to Fed and I know Fed fans do not like seeing Russian in Fed's early rounds...but I disagree Fed could end up losing to Roddick...I think he could more likely end up losing to Berdy...Fed has more chance of beating A.Rod if they meet...and Murray, well, you never know what his mind is up to these days...he has the game, but does not have the confidence and he is likely to end up losing to Verda..and Rafa...hmm, IMO he has got a perfect draw...he likes playing his fellow Spaniards on hard courts and out of all the hard hitters he could have faced I think he would anyway have preferred to get Tsonga...the surface is suitable to Rafa and he is clear favorite for the title...I also believe Rafa has the game to beat Sod and he will...well, not to go into further predictions, just to say that I like what Ricky predicted and I vote for it!

Vamos Rafa!!!

NNY...ferrer is a beast....a friend of mine is attending indian wells,he was there around the practice courts and he told me that ferrer hit with bellucci under the harshest sun....after that he had a gruelling session with rafael for almost 2 hours....giving his best at every point...he is looking good....the problems he had during the davis cup...pinched nerve in the neck or something....are gone

i would disagree with ricky....rafa vs ferrer is ON....a fit rafa beating him a close 2 or 3 sets most probably

rafa and marc are in the same half as roger and wawrinka in the doubles draw...:)

Quite unlikely that Roddick will beat Nole and follow that up with beating Fed. Beating both Nole and Fed back to back is hard to do in a Masters series, unless you are Rafa on clay. I think the finalists will be Nole and Rafa. If the conditions at IW is windy, I think Sod or Murray will find it hard to deal with Rafa. I really hope to see a Rafa vs Nole final. I think Nole has been playing more like Rafa nowadays on the hard courts, he no longer take too much risks playing 'paint the line tennis' but rather beefed up his defence and he can turn defence into offence effectively like Rafa. If Rafa can find his big serve and lethal cross court backhand, it will be a close competition with Nole, but I still think Rafa can over power Nole when there's a need to do so.

Out of topic.
<<Argentina's David Nalbandian, No. 19 world ranking, will go through surgery Thursday to remove a hernia and will be sidelined at least two months. >> [marca, 10.03.2011]

Poor Nalby, I hope he'll recover in time for the DC tie in July. I know the DC meant alot to him and Argentina has a good chance of progressing to the semifinal.

I wish Nalby well, he's had more than his fair share of surgeries.

I like Ricky's predictions, I just hope he's right. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Rafa should take this title for the 3rd time.

RD really getting patriotic provocative lately!

vrael,

Fed is playing against Daniel Nestor and Max M so i think Fed will lose early.

champ00289,

thats a pity...

first-round picks:

De Voest
Sweeting
Devvarman
Malisse
Anderson
Istomin
Haase
Karlovi c

Berrer
Marchenko
Seppi
Del Potro
Berankis
Tipsarevic
Zverev
Starace

Blake
Mello
Cuevas
Lopez
Bopanna
Giraldo
Hewitt
Mayer

Kukushkin
De Bakker
Serra
Davydenko
Raonic
Harrison
Petzschner
Nishikori

yudude, I think all the top players are readying themselves to play in the Olympics doubles by taking part in doubles now. Nadal, Fed, Djoko and Murray are all playing with fellow nationals. Also, maybe they need some successes to qualify for their country's Olympics doubles.

BERDYCH, Tomas (CZE)/TIPSAREVIC, Janko (SRB) is a strange doubles team. I wonder how that came about...

I'd love to see Federer play Dustin Brown.

vrael,

Thanks for the info about Ferrer. So he is healthy again and playing like a beast! :) Interesting, because Ricky predicted that Rafa will meet Simon in the quarterfinals. I haven't taken a close look at Ferrer's early round opponents, but I find it hard to think that anyone can stop him from a quarterfinal showdown with Rafa. I know that Rafa will want to beat him this time, now that he is healthy again. It will be a touch match, as it always is against Ferrer.

I find myself going back and forth regarding a possible semifinal match with Roddick and Nole. Roddick has been a really tough opponent for Nole in the past. Will this new, more confident and focused Nole be able to get the win now? My initial thought was that it would be a Rafa/Nole final. Now I am not as sure. If they should meet, I think it would be a terrific matchup. I hope to see Rafa's big serve booming again.

On another note, I am truly sorry to hear that Nalby will once again need surgery. He really has had a tough time of it lately. Get well soon, Nalby!

NNY, it's simple. If it is played at night, Novak wins. If it is played during the day,...
Novak wins :)

My early prediction:
Nadal over Soderling, Federer over Djokovic
Nadal over Federer.

NNY, that potential Djokovic-Roddick match would take place in the quarters and not semis.
stu, :D its about time Nole wins against him, dont you think? he had the same kind of losing streak against tsonga a couple of years ago and ended that in indian wells if im not mistaken.

vij - no

yes, I agree mriiidula, I used to consider Tsonga a scare before but not since that IW match. Nole just lets people get in his head; at one time I think Muzz was too. New Nole who beat Muzz at the AO _should_ be able to handle Roddick. And maybe this is a biased opinion as a Novak fan, but I really don't think he was himself when he lost to Roddick at AO 09 and IW 09, after which (and due to other past experiences), Roddick is firmly entrenched in his head now.

AO 09 is understandable (wasnt it a heat issue?) but IW 09 is not. that was one of the matches that year (and there have been a lot of them) when i wished i was courtside so that i could whack his head.

i dont know how well roddick is playing at the moment, i havent seen his matches, but i think novak will win that one. the semi is the big one - not many people can beat roger federer three times in a row in the space of three months!

stu, 3/10/11 10:11 PM,

Spoken like a Nole fan!:)

mriidula,

So it's Roddick and Nole in the quarterfinals! Sorry, I stand corrected and thank you for pointing it out. I go back and forth on a possible Roddick/Nole matchup. I agree that this is a new Nole, a more confident, mature, focused young man who has really stepped it up and has played some great tennis. Roddick is a fierce competitor who will give it his all.

One thing that I think may help Nole is the fact that he has beaten Fed twice in the last two slams and again in Dubai. This may give him the belief that he can now beat Roddick. Confidence and mental toughness is extremely important. Anyway, they both have to get there first, so we will see.

Also, Fed has to get to the semis for a possible meeting again with Nole.

LOL, Ricky, it would be nice to see Roddick equal his 2010 results at IW by getting to the finals. However, I doubt that will happen as his draw is pretty tough and, as per usual, he's landed in Fed's side of the draw 24 times now during their career. The Djokovic fans complain about him landing in Fed's side of the draw, well it was worse for Roddick, regardless of what number he's ranked, except when he was ranked No. 2, then they were on separate side. djokovic only b egan beating Fed after Fed became weakened from mono and now that Fed's older, well, it's not even worth debating. A difference of 7 years between athletes is a huge boon for an opponent who's younger.

Nowadays, it's not even worth hazarding which side Roddick will land on = Federer's side. That said, and in view of the fact that Federer is safely entrenched into Roddick's head, I doubt Andy will get past Fed, even if he does beat the Joker, which I'd love to see happen again. Then, maybe, the Joker fans will stop coming up with their ridiculous excuses for his losses to Roddick, as I see the usual excuses being written from the Joker fans discrediting Roddick's win over him. Funny, that some forget Roddick beat both Nadal and Djokovic in Dubai in 2008, and I wonder what excuse was proffered for those losses to Roddick at that time?

Another reeason I doubt Roddick will do well is the mono issue. He looked awfully frail and pale at Memphis, and even though he won the title, it was obvious that he was sick. I don't know if playing in Davis Cup was a good or bad decision. Maybe, he got some matches in for practise, but how could that help his present state of health? Djokovic couldn't play DC because he claimed he was fatigued from Dubai, hence, how could a sick Roddick not be fatigued from Memphis and Davis Cup?


And, the most glaring reason Roddick won't be doing well, is the IW court speed. It's tailor-made for those players who like to have a lot of time on their hands, so they can set up to hit their shots. Anyway, only time will tell.

"And maybe this is a biased opinion as a Novak fan, but I really don't think he was himself when he lost to Roddick at AO 09 and IW 09, after which (and due to other past experiences), Roddick is firmly entrenched in his head now."

Yeah, he wasn't himself, he was going mad from the AO sun. Is the Pope Catholic ? = Goes without saying, it's a biased opinion for sure!!!!!! LOL, it's so hard for some to give credit where it's due. If it's not injury, it's sun, it's Todd Martin, fatigue, sucking up to Kobe Bryant, et al., and soon it will be due to the witch doctor. LOOOL

It's nothing short of amazing that specialist singles players can win significant doubles titles over the doubles specialists like Fed/Wawa (Olympics), Rafa/Marc (I/W), Melzer/Petchz (Wimbledon).

nadline: 'If there were fewer tournaments in the season which would enable the singles players to participate more in doubles tournaments, we would have a very different hierachy in doubles."

I don't think it's fair to allow the top players to play doubles, as they are much stronger opponents with their serve and groundies. The doubles players are better at the net, but the singles players with a good serrve, as has been seen, are much more formidable opponents.

I think the doubles players should have their turf to themselves, without the singles players encroaching, as they make a lot less money than the singles players. And the singles players should stick to their turf. It's only fair .... I doubt the singles players would like for the top doubles players to start playing singles and beating them out of a singles title. If that were to happen, I'm sure they would be bellyaching big time. I thought that it was unfair to the doubles players at the Olympics for the singles players to compete againt them = unfair advantage, especially from the top singles player.

Good article Ricky.

Surprising picks! You really think that Roddick beats Djokovic and Fed back to back? Extremely unlikely IMO.

I'd wager that Roddick doesn't even beat Djokovic. Novak is a different player than he has been for the past 2 years. In his own words - now he has a serve!
The dynamics of the Djokovic-Roddick matchup will change quickly. Even Murray had beaten Djokovic thrice consecutively, but we saw what happened @ AO

In any case, should he somehow get past the Djoker, Roddick ain't beating Fed. That's like a once in a lifetime occurrence :)

I'm more inclined towards Fed vs Djoker and Nadal vs Murray SF. Both should be great matches esp. Nadal vs Murray . That match would provide an indication of Nadal's form given Murray is the toughest matchup for him on this surface..

I don't know who will be in the finals but if Roddick meets Federer, he is not going past him. Somehow, Roddick, I think, loses the match in his mind even before the first ball is struck if the player across the net is Federer.

holdserve: "I don't know who will be in the finals but if Roddick meets Federer, he is not going past him. Somehow, Roddick, I think, loses the match in his mind even before the first ball is struck if the player across the net is Federer."

In my earlier post, I said as much. Roddick won't beat Fed, period. No matter what, as Roddick plays tight from the get go whenever he lands in Fed's side of the draw. it's as though he says to himself, why bother beating the others, I'll lose to Federer when we meet. And, going on that premise, he plays lousy. At '09 Wimby, he played loose, because he would meet Fed at the final. Had it been the other way around, Andy would have bottomed out. Look at the WTF, and there is your answer. How could he have lost to Berdych, over hwom he's had wins? Well, the next guy up was Fed. I wish I could sit Andy down and give him a pep talk, but that's not possible.

I say this without prejudice. I don't think that Djokov ic is that much of a different player, I'd say he's gotten some very easy draws and played a lot olf night matc hes.

When he played vs. berdych at Dubai, he got very, very lucky. He was struggling and just pushing back the balls. Then Berdych injured his leg, and the Joker got the win. in that match i didn't see a very different Joker at all. i saw the same weak joker who can't handle tough, top 10 opponents, who are int their prime, and is very susceptible to the weather conditions. To reiterate, i don't see him as this greatly improved player, but one who got very favorable draws and weather conditions.

no, no prejudice at all...

" So Rafa won't meet Ferrer in the quarterfinal? He gets Simon instead? Interesting. "

My thought too, NNY.

I'd actually hoped for a Ferru-Simon final in Rotterdam before they both bottomed out.

Before he won at Davis Cup, Ferru won his 11th title and back-to-back championships in Acapulco. And anyone who thinks Ferru won his QF with Rafa just because Rafa was hurt needs to watch those first three games of their match again in highlights.

I'm watching for a Ferru-Rafa rematch looming ... and neither of them will be phoning it in.

It's good to see the top half of the draw playing before the bottom half.

Seems like everyone is forgetting that Nole beat Roddick at the WTF. Now, surely, Andy was recovering from a tough illness. That said, I think it's fair we apply the same standards to both regarding their wins/losses.

Btw, I can't stand predictions. I don't care about H2Hs. Every match is a new match. Every opponent is tough. Everyone can lose to everyone, specially the top 10-30 guys. There is so much that can go wrong for any of them. Rafa, Rog, Nole, A-Rod... they all need to sweat through the opening rounds to even get to the QF. So, lets not get carried away to soon. Lets just enjoy round after round, go one match at a time and root fairly for our fave.

danica, you are right. I don't engage in predictions either, great for those who make them having a bit of fun, but I always feel I'm jinxing my player by presuming they will win anything. As you say, anything can happen, there are probablities of course but no certainties.

nadline, danica, I do a bracket challenge and I find it really good fun! Difficult not to put Andy winning everything of course....but that would be extremely silly ;)

nadline,

All nadal fans should be happy that his half has started first..LOL

champ, I am happy that Rafa's half is playing first, I hate having to play catch-up when other players are already into the next round.

mara002,

I did see the final in Acapulco between Ferru and Almagro. The first two sets went to tiebreaks and it was a closely contested match. I don't know if Almagro had some kind of injury or it was simply fatigue, but he just folded in that third set. I think Ferru is playing some of the best tennis of his career. He is looking great right now.

I am sure that Ricky has a basis for his prediction, however I would be very surprised not to see Ferru get through to the quarterfinals. I am hoping that Rafa will get there, too. I think his early round matches are not all that tough.

danica,

I happen to feel the way you do about predictions. Sometimes I am willing to make general predictions about how players will do, but I am not one to engage in a lot of specific predictions all the way through a tournament. It is true that anything can happen, especially with the young guns like Dolgo, Raonic and Berankis. Nothing should be taken for granted.

I don't assume that Rafa will get through, but if his draw looks reasonable then I will feel better about his chances. If it is a quarterfinal meeting between Rafa and Ferru again, then I expect a competitive, tough match.

I know that there are many who enjoy the game of predicting. So basically it's - to each his own.

deuce - any place you recommend for bracket challenges? i do something similar for football, fantasy football, but havent come across anything as engaging as that for tennis..

FYI
Saturday's schedule is released. Rafa will play on Saturday (the fourth match on the Stadium 1).

See more info on the tournament website.

vrael,

Fed is playing against Daniel Nestor and Max M so i think Fed will lose early.
champ00289
, 3/10/11 3:05 PM

Got that one wrong by a lot. Pretty impressive win by Roger and Stan. Guess they're the early favorites.

mriiidula: I'd recommend the ATP bracket challenge. I'd say almost every player on tour has a "group" and most are "public" and you just join any time b4 the first ball is struck. You can also create a "private" group for you and your friends.
Andy M has over 300 in his group YAY! :)

good call re. Chardy, Ricky.

i second the ATP bracket challenge! too late for IW now I think, but make sure you sign up for Miami mriiidula!

deuce - thanks! i'm in, but i have to wait til march 21st for miami. aaahhh if i'd only joined just a couple of days ago! and i tried to search for you, but there are so many people called deuce on there!

stu - already did, come and join the fun!

federer/stan WON....WOW!

mriiidula, Brilliant, welcome aboard but u wouldn't be in andy's group would you? mriiidula, Yes! So many "deuces" on there :) so have changed my name :) I blog regularly on tennisx and am in that one too. Perhaps we should start tennistalk group? You kind of compete within the group and amongst the groups. Am rubbish this time, was much better for AO.

no i'm not, but i'm part of nole's group as well as gilles simon :)
yea we should, for starters i'm sure stu will join :P do we only compete within our groups though? or is there a separate ranking for all those taking part? fantasy football has both..

Kinds sad that Nishikori lost yesterday ...

mriiidula, you go onto the site to where it names your groups, just under that it says "view all" and when u do that you'll see every group is ranked. A Fed group leads with a Rafa group second ;) One group seems to have hundreds and hundreds, must help your average. U can join any "public" group u want, which is really good.

karlovic - ferrer, what a hilarious match-up. i hope karlovic wins, he's fun!

deuce, got it thanks. we need to have a tennistalk group, just for fun ;)

yeah! what a worthy win for karlovic.

Hey croc, R U from Croatia? Anyway, you wished for Ivo to win and he did. Congrats to him and to you (if you are from Croatia)

That's some of the best groundies I've seen Ivo hit. Good win for him.

Hope all the big-serve haters liked that one.

Glad a *big* server won, especially Karlovic. I feel those who complain about the big servers are lacking in their appreciation of the serve. What is the single most important shot that begins the game? The serve. without it, a player is lost.

I've the fdeeling som e don't like big servers is due to the fact that their faves aren't one = jealousy. a serve, executed perfectly, is a thig of beauty ...... Go big servers !!!!!

If someone has a complete game, it is nice to watch him play. Just seeing someone hit aces isn't entertaining. Ivo won because he played good and did not rely entirely on his service. Nadal had a service hold % of 90 in 2010 which is just below Roddick's 91% ,despite all those aces. So, I doubt that his fans are jealous of big hitters. What is critical for winning a match is a high service hold. Aces help in that but can hardly be called things of beauty though , of course, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder so, I won't dispute aces looking beautiful to you. But with the rise of the big servers, the game was getting over in less time than the time players spent between points. Luckily, due to a combination of factors, stars like Fed, Nadal etc have been able to provide spectators with entertaining games to watch and have therefore saved tennis.

In previous post, read "But with the rise of the big servers, the points were getting over in less time than the time players spent between points." instead of the corresponding line there referring to games getting over.

" So, I doubt that his fans are jealous of big hitters."

I suppose your post is directed to me. And, why do you feel that I'm talking about the Nadal fans? I'm talking about posters, who are fans of several players, and who don't like to see big servers, period, and some, yes, it's because their faves don't have great serves. That said, I suppose some nadal fans will fall into that category. Just tell me this, if the serve isn't that important to some Nadal fans, then why were they so overjoyed when he began souping it up for the USO?

I remember Fed fans who used to bash Roddick for his serving prowess, yet, when Fed began to win a lot of points on serve, they were all happy that Fed's serve became a weapon.

A serve takes a lot of skill to execute, even though you might not think so. If, that were not the case, and it's nothing to be enthralled about, then please tell me why there isn't a greater number of huge servers on the tour? I'm positive David Ferrer would rather have a huge serve in lieu of him having to grind out points to the point of exhaustion in order to obtain a winner.

To reiterate, a serve is a thing of beauty and it takes a lot of skill to execute. If that weren't the case, then ask Guillermo Coria, Ana Ivanovic, Dementieva and Sharapova, what happened to their careers when their serve went AWOL. If the serve is clicking, then everything else falls into place -- it's a known fact. Anyone who wants to argue that fact, well, it's their prerogative. I just happen to dislike people bashing the big servers for their skill. I prefer to see an ace, hit with precision (and it's not easy to just hit that spot on the line so precisely) than watch two men go at each other as though it's a gladiatorial war. After all, tennis, is not a war of attrition.

As for the match being over in a short space of time, I'm sorry but I don't appreciate viewing a three-set match lasting for 4 hours to the point of both players suffering from utter exhaustion. The after effects of which became very psychological. That's not my idea of an entertaining tennis match.

The reason some players have to take longer in between serves is mainly due to them trying to catch their breath after exerting themselves on a long point. For me it's boring, but to each his own, and I'm not going to fault others who like that kind of play. However, it seems that the current day tennis fan seems to enjoy that kind of MO, whereby player A can outlast player B in long, extensive rallies and wear the opponent down to obtain the *W*. That's akin to a boxing match, and survival of the fittest.

In sum, there are many aspects to the sport of tennis, and a serve has its place, because without it, it's like a man trying to go upstream in a canoe without a paddle.

"Luckily, due to a combination of factors, stars like Fed, Nadal etc have been able to provide spectators with entertaining games to watch and have therefore saved tennis."

Yes, without a doubt, a combination of factors have helped the present day stars to a large extent. Take the racquets they use vs. the racquets of yesteryear, plus the strings (Fed says this is the age of the string technology), the slowing down of some of the surfaces, and the other technology available to them, and one can say without a doubt that those factors have helped the players to provide viewers with entertainment galore. I'd bet DelPotro wouldn't have been able to hit such fierce FHs with a wooden racquet and the old strings. In essence, one cannot compare yesteryear to the present. It's also what makes the argument for GOAT an exercise in futility.

Further, Unless I am suffering from amnesia, I don't recall any time in tennis' history when it needed a saviour. LOL. I believe, Sampras, Agassi, Lendl, Borg, Becker, Connors, McEnroe et al, were fantastic players, with tons of diversity to their games, provided us with oodles of entertainment, and did NOT need to turn the sport into a war of attrition. So to say, Federer and Nadal *saved* tennis, is sorta ludicrous to me. Yes, they've both done a lot for tennis, from the baseline, but I don't think they saved tennis. No man is bigger than the sport. It was there before they entered, and it will be there after they are gone.

Give me an S&V player any day over a baseliner. And, for those who think S&V is easy, think again.

S&V hasn't disappeared because of dearth of S&V players. It is just that somebody who plays S&V almost exclusively would lose because today the technology and the power and speed of the players makes it certain that you will be passed several times if you keep rushing to the net. Federer is as complete a player as you can find and he was forced to become a baseliner to reduce risk. Now that he is aging, he is trying to play more S&V to shorten the points but while it may help in best of 3 sets, he will be forced to move to the baseline in the longer version.
Sampras played in a different era ( besides he had other weapons too) but in the noughties if there had been only big servers like Karlovic, Isner, Raonic and to some extent Roddick ( he can't be clubbed with the others because he does have other weapons though limited), tennis would have lost appeal. Talented players like Fed and Nadal saved the day. We seem to be going through another transition with giants rising in the rankings. In the olden days, a powerful giant was handicapped by movement. But now it seems modern training is making them nimble. This seems bad news for if the game is taken over by big hitting giants, the multifaceted game of the complete player would be bludgeoned to death and like basketball we will have only giants in the game.

Ferrer does not have a good serve because he is short. Ivo does because he is a giant, more than a FOOT taller than Ferrer.

A good server is not necessarily a good S&Ver.

I did not say tennis was passing through crisis for centuries and required saviours who arrived in the 21st century. Von, you aren't suffering from amnesia. You just misunderstood, possibly for strategic reasons.
No, Federer and Nadal were the saviours for tennis when it could have degenerated to a 1-D display if there had been only big servers around. Many of them are able to serve a mindboggling number of aces only because of their superior height.
As I mentioned earlier, another crisis could be brewing if more giants rise.

stu,

Good point!

holdserve: I'm not using strategy, and I never argue on strategy, but on facts. :) Hey that's my background = dealing in factual evidence.

C'mon, tennis would have never deteriorated into a one-dimensional game, ever. There were many others holding up the sport. Agassi, Hewitt, Steps, Tommy Haas, even my beloved, Andy R., whom you don't much care for, :), but yes, Nadal and Fed have brought more dimensions into the sport, but they weren't the saviours.

I'm still not in favour of those long, drawn out points though, which leaves both players utterly exhausted. Can you honestly tell me that's fun to watch? C'mon, be truthful. I don't enjoy a 30 point return, period. I feel exhausted just watching!

I guess Sampras was an aberration as he's one of the all-time best servers, and he's tall. That said, there goes the notion about a huge server not being an effective S&Ver.

With respect to the giants, I don't like them taking over the sport, and it's been a pet peeve of mine for quite a while now. But, it's not about the serve that I dislike, I dislike the advantage their height provides. Take for instance Roddick, he has one of the best second serves, but it's a kicker, which bounces right in the strike zone of the giants return = ineffective for Roddick's serve. Use the same second serve on a less taller player and it's a weapon that's very effective.

Then the giants have such wide retrieiving spans off of both wings, which turns them into ball retrieiving machines. Now how would a guy who's 5'10, be able to handle that kind of player? All Depotro has to do is take two steps to the right or left and stick his racquet out to block the return, as opposed to Ferrer, who literally has to run to get to the return shot. That's the problem I see, and it's not about the serve.

I've been a proponent of placing the giants in their own league, period. Anyone over 6'2, send them to the giants league, because their height provides them with an unfair advantage, in reach, and trajectory.

Ivo played well

and it probably helps my quarterfinal pick of Gilles Simon

But serve is the most noticeable part of their weaponry. When you face Isner, it is apparently like a tree serving to you. With that height, they have a big advantage in serve and can hit aces with greater ease. They have good reach and span and now with better movement they are fast becoming difficult to beat.
Finally, we found a common grouse. The rise of the giants.
Actually, if a 6'1" or 6'2" chap hits aces, I do admire the shot but when it is hit by the giants, it somehow doesn't look that good and even seems unfair like robots battling with humans.

Ricky,

Do you know something that the rest of us don't? Honestly, would you really have predicted that Ivo would beat Ferrer? I would have liked to see that match! Honestly, who is left to even challenge Simon in that part of the draw? Baggy is out, I think Tsonga is out, too and Murray is gone.

What a day!

Well, holdserve, we've got to agree on something, yes? And, at least you acknowledge that 6'2, roddick included, hitting a serve is is something nice to see.

to reiterate my point on the giants, put them in a league of their own. There's a movie by that name :). I think the shorter guys need to incorporate mini-trampolines as part of their standard equipment, to enable them to return the serve of the giants. just think how poor Olivier Rochus must feel next to Isner and Karlogvc. it's similar to Gulliver's travels with the Lilliputians. LOOOL. It's an invasion of the giants!!!!!!!

Ricky: There are times Dr. Ivo can play some very effective groundies. He did so in his match vs. Fed at Cincy a few years back. That said, Dr. Ivo on song with his goundies and serve being on the same wave-length, can and do, produce some WOW shots. I think Dr. Ivo, when he's in the groove can beat any player. I happen to like Dr. Ivo -- he's a very soft and gentle giant.

But Von, he is a giant!

When I complain about big servers I don't include the likes of Roddick who also have a game and not just rely on their serve. Roddick also has a natural talent to serve well, his serve is not due to being excessively tall, I would say he is more like Sampras in that context. No one will ever say Sampras was all serve.

The serve is important and a good weapon and everyone wants to have a great serve, but when the player is one dimensional, it's not enjoyable to watch. To serve endless aces just because of your height is an unfair advantage.

Neither the long rallies nor the big serves three shots end the point tennis appeal to me. Thank goodness Rafa, Fed, Nole and Murray don't play like that. They have their all round game and do not depend solely on one particular shot to win the game. The four guys' appeal lies in their excellent shot making, excellent footwork and their thinking game. They are the entertainers of the game when they play their best tennis and especially playing against each other.

Quite surprised how Karlovic managed to break Ferrer. I know Ferrer's serve isn't a big weapon, but he can rally with anyone for most of the day so I'd expect him to win 3/4 rally points against Karlovic and that should be all you need to hold your own games. If he'd lost 76 76 that can happen with a ball here and there in the breakers. Didn't see the match, did David look injured or was Karlovic really frustrating him like he can with some class slices and volleys?

karlovic is not just a giant. he's spent hour after hour endlessly practising his serve. his great serve is the work of lots of hard work and lots of talent. and of course his size helps him.

holdserve: no i am not croatian. but i appreciate karlovic and his game. and i appreciate anyone who gives ferrer a beating, with his foul mouth he deserves it every time.

derstatic. yeah karlovic was indeed frustrating him with his nice slices and chip and charge tennis. also he made some extrordinary winners with his forehand. ferrer got too defensive, just fed balls back to karlovic's backhand. such poor imagination. a well-deserved loss for ferrer.

@holdserve, 3/12/11 11:32 PM

Fed's worshippers hate not only Rafa, they hate his friends too. :D

Augustina08,
Interesting!

I don't understand why people hate the big-servers just because they're tall. Being tall has it's advantages. It's genetic.

I've heard that Rafa is naturally muscular ; that he doesn't even lift weights. If so that's genetic just like being tall.

Why hate tall players because they're taller and not hate Rafa because he's naturally stronger than most guys? Some people are just born with natural advantages that makes them better suited for sports than others.

numero,
Most Fed fans do hate Rafa, don't they? About the muscular part, vicious Fed fans have passed unfair remarks and probably got banned from this site.

numero,
I don't know why you should bring Rafa into this discussion. He did look muscular but I doubt that he is more muscular than Federer who has a very muscular lower body. Considering that Fed and Rafa have about the same height and weight, it is a safe estimate that they have the same amount of muscle.
Also, by exercising in the gym, anyone can develop muscles but can we, even if we want, become taller?
I don't like the tall guys because they can win with less talent against a shorter more gifted guy. I see them as a threat to the well being of the game as they could take over tennis and reduce it to a game less dependent on skill.
Maybe, in the future we need to introduce some handicaps so that genuine talent and skill will not be bludgeoned out of existence.

@numero, 3/13/11 6:12 PM
---I've heard that Rafa...doesn't even lift weights---

He trains his muscles in different ways.

Rafael Nadal Training Program:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqXGVU5KoRQ&feature=related

I don't know why Fed fans should feel weight lifting is the only way of building muscles?
Also that muscles are required only in the arms.

numero,
Most Fed fans do hate Rafa, don't they?
holdserve
, 3/13/11 6:52 PM

Trying to be funny? It seems as though it's more of Rafa's fans that hate the taller guys like yourself. I like Roger and also the taller guys.

For years the shorter guys had an advantage over the bigger guys. It was a vast difference in ability to move around the court. Now that gap is closing as the bigger guys are better athletes.

Incidentally, one of the changes to neutralise the bigger guy's serves is helping them. All of the courts have been slowed down so much the bigger guys have more time to get to more shots. It's harder to get shots by them because the ball moves more slowly. Plus less free points on serve made them work harder on the ground games.

Why is this argument made only in tennis? I don't hear basketball fans complaining about players being too tall. Or volleyball, football, baseball? If you're too short to play tennis, go play table tennis then! Or bowling, darts, etc. Don't hate on tall people just because they're tall. What next? Hating people because of the color of their skin? Oh wait, people have been doing that for years. It's still discrimination, just a different kind.

holdserve,

You ask why Rafa is being brought into this discussion. It always happens with those who are either diehard Fed fans or simply anti-Rafa.

Holdserve: I know Karlovic is a giant, but I love his soft, laid-back demeanour. I like some players for their personality and huge heart.

I'm the type of fan who not only likes a player for his tremendous court skills, but the entire person I see on the court. It's one of the reasons I like some players who are not even in the top 10. You mentioned recently that I'm a loyal Roddick fan, but you kinda intimated in a round about way, that you felt somewhat sorry for me due to being disappointed. Well, that's a bit true, I have been disappointed, especially at Wimby '09, but please don't feel sorry about my disappointments with Roddick. If I wanted to back a player that wins a lot, I'd be on Nadal's and Fed's band-wagon, but winning everything by my fave, is not of utmost importance to me. I know there are many fans who jump on band-wagons at the blink of an eye if they see a player having a good run at a few tournaments and winning -- they don't hesitate to crown that player their next fave. I'm not like that -- I'm loyal to my chosen fave.

In view of the foregoing, I like Karlovic for his soft/laid back personality. Unfortunately, he's a big server, which causes many to dislike him, but he's not only a serve, he can hit groundies and some beautiful volleys, also. I don't mind a big server who's got more than a serve going for them. What I do dislike is that some of them don't make an effort to do anything else, but serve. DelPotro has said many times, he does not like to run. he only wants to hit a big serve and then blast his FH. To me that's tantamount to being one-dimensional.

With respect to the Nadal/Fed like/dislike/hate scenario on this site and others. I think it's very pungent on both sides -- not one is better than the other. I've seen some extremely distasteful comments from both sides, hence, it's kinda ridiculous for a Nadal and/or Fed fan to point fingers at each other.

-----
luckystar: Some of the extra long points are indulged in by the top players also. Keep one extra ball in play and work the point to the bitter end. That said, it's not only the other players who engage in that MO, but the top players do it also. However, many don't seem to mind that type of play when they see it happening, because they know that those players have other shots in their arsenal. I think that the knock on Nadal by some in the tennis world, is that his style of play, is one of attrition, and many of his fans would like to see him shorten the points, as he engages in some very long rallies. I think the plaintive cry has always been that his type of play is very wearing on his body = knee problems. Just look at the winners to errors ration when he plays.. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

To sum it up, whether we like the giants, the ball bashers, the pushers, et al., it's what makes tennis exciting, and not everyone can like the same player. Taste is a very personal thing, as in one man's meat is another man's poison.

------------
croc: Glad you mentioned Ferrer's filthy mouth. He's one who gets away with his expletives because he uses a second language, while the English speaking athletes, are lambasted just for an umpire tussle because their comments are audible. I don't think it's that the ESL players who curse non-stop are allowed a free pass, while others are crucified. Additionally, Ferrer, engages in severe temper tantrums, but that again, is overlooked.

holdserve: It's somewhat difficult to leave nadal and Fed out of most discussions, as they are the top two in tennis at the moment, thus comparisons will always be made, and they will be brought into the conversation. At the beginning of this thread, Roddick was brought into several discussions by the Joker fans, albeit the topic was the Joker, but there aren't any roddick fans to counter, so no big deal, the Joker fans can talk as much as they want. I happened to make a comparison on another thread between the two and I got crucified for my comments by the Joker fans, not to mention the instigators who were just itching to incite to earn themselves some kudos under the guise of appearing to be fair. LOL.

I think there are fair fans on both sides, and there are some off the wall fanatics, but that's to be expected on this or any blog-site. Unfortunately, some love to push the heat by generalizing, which is somewhat unfair, especially, since there's a majority of some players' fans. At times, it becomes an exercise in futility trying to get a point across, as the discussion becomes a free-for-all, and a one-for-all = majority wins.

Addendum to my post: I'd like to ask a question: What's wrong with mentioning/including any player on any thread? Is there some law prohibiting this? I see at other sites where people go off topic all of the time, and in some ways, their comments seem to add some dimension to the topic being discussed. Anyway, just askin'........

Numero, why should you equate my reservations about too tall players with your perception of Rafa being too muscular? Why did you not equate it with objections to Fed being naturally too healthy with naturally too much stamina and never missing grand slams?
I thought too tall guys diminished the game. You seem to be implying that that has been the impact of Rafa's muscles on the game. Another expression of your hate?
The reason Wimbledon slowed down its surface was to keep spectator interest from falling with the advent of big servers who reduced the game to 1-d.
If too tall guys take over the game and spectator interest continues, there should be no problem but I fear they may diminish the game. Without spectator interest, a sport cannot survive. Perhaps, if that happens, tennis could introduce height categories like Boxing has weight categories.
It was ridiculous enough your talking of Rafa's muscles when we were discussing the impact of too tall men. Now by equating worrying about too-tall men to racism, you have really surpassed the limits of absurdity.

Von,
Talking about Rafa's muscles when we are talking about the bad effects of too tall men on the game was not only irrelevant but definitely offensive.

holdserve,

If you noticed, numero tried to make an analogy to the sport of basketball, where size is a necessity and essential to being competitive. It's comparing apples and oranges, if you will. There are sports where height is a disproportionate advantage and sports where it is not.

You ask a number of questions in your latest post. The simple fact is that you are being baited. There was no reason to bring Rafa into the discussion. Muscles do not equate to height. You mentioned some of Fed's innate advantages. Well said!

It's interesting that when a Rafa fan expresses concern because he is being artificially injected into a conversation about very tall players, that is inferred as being somehow oversensitive and all kinds of hidden agendas and ulterior motives are ascribed.

The simple fact of the matter is that Rafa's muscular build has precisely nothing to do with these extremely tall players who can stand on a court and be ace machines. The minute someone reasonably tries to point out the absurdity of the comparison of muscles to height, as though Rafa is the only muscular tennis player, then that person's motives are questioned.

holdserve: I don't want to get into the middle of the muscles topic, but maybe you're being a bit too sensitive on the muscles thing? Yes? No? I think it's fantastic that Nadal can have such well-formed muscles without having to labor at lifting weights, etc., so maybe you can look at it that way = be proud. Gosh, I think there are tons of guys who'd give a month's salary to get those biceps. I'm not one for huge muscles on a guy, as I like well-toned as opposed to bulging, but I know there are women who swoon over those bulging muscular bodies. I laugh when I see middle-aged women swooning, but you know the saying, to each his own.

Nadal is from a family that's muscular so his muscles are definitely genetically related. Look at Uncle Toni's legs, they are like tree trunks. God bless 'em.

holdserve,

Do you happen to be one of those middle-aged women swooning? :)

If you noticed, numero tried to make an analogy to the sport of basketball, where size is a necessity and essential to being competitive

Nativenewyorker
, 3/13/11 11:33 PM

Have you ever heard of Nate Robinson? Spud Webb? Mugsy Bogues? Your ignorance to the sport of basketball is obvious. My point is that whether height is an advantage or not, tall players should not be discriminated against for their height and they have just as much right to play tennis as anybody else.

I can see this is going to turn nasty, as it did on the thread with the Joker. The instigator is at it big-time. Every comment I write it's picked up and the childish taunting begins. I'm nolt the one who'll look bad. Anyway, enjoy the ride, and hopefully it doesn't backfire, big-time. holdserve, you've got a friend who needs some attention!!! LOOOL

There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all. " Peter F. Drucker

numero,

Calling me ignorant about basketball is a compliment coming from you. There was absolutely no reason for you to mention Rafa's muscles in a discussion about height among tennis players, but you did it anyway.

So now you are saying that height is a disadvantage in basketball? That's funny! Yes, there are smaller guards and that's why they play those positions! However, if you want to be a center then I don't think it would work if you weren't tall. The whole point of bringing in other sports was ridiculous and absurd.

You just want to instigate and create a nasty fight. So sad.

Oooh, now there are mysterious accusations about an instigator. I am not the one who has an obsessive hatred of Nole! I have no problem giving him credit, of course then I am accused of being patronizing! You just can't win with some people.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! LOL!

Maybe to change the focus here ... to tennis at IW ... Julian Benneteau has almost bagelled Melzer in their first set. Surprising.

I agree smr. I'm not going to get suckered into another free-for-all drawn-out mud-slinging garbage argument. Some people thrive on that. I see we're back to the Joker, in an effort to earn kudos by being childish and bratty.

Bennetau is a very good player and can be dangerous when he's in the zone. I wonder if melzer is tired from playing so much tennis recently. he played DC last weekend.

So now you are saying that height is a disadvantage in basketball?

Nativenewyorker
, 3/14/11 12:10 AM

Saying that shorter guys can play in no way says that it's a disadvantage to be tall.
You stated that height was a requirement to be competitive in basketball and I gave you a few examples to prove you wrong.

Honestly I'm a bit disappointed because that's all you could come up with. You seem to be one of the very few intelligent Rafans here.

I don't wish to start anything. All I wanted to do was defend the taller guys and their rightful place in tennis and I've done that. So I'll take the higher road and not post on this thread any longer.

"So I'll take the higher road and not post on this thread any longer."

Same here. Some people feel that the only way they can shut up others is to gang up on them. I object to others stipulating what another can or cannot write, just because it offends them. Too bad, as the blog becomes stagnated. I suppose there are many chiefs and deputies.

Well, if people post with hidden agenda they should expect to get bashed. No point in then putting on an air of injured innocence and declaring they would take the high road. Pity they did not take the high road at the outset and had stopped themselves from making snide comments.
Rafa is not the only guy with muscles. Fed has equal muscles. Look at his height and weight. Why wasn't he mentioned?

numero,

It is truly unfortunate that someond has to try and take advantage of a disagreement when that person is not involved. Of course, all it does it ratchet up the intensity and serves no constructive purpose at all.

In a spirit of an honest attempt to reach some kind of common ground and civility, I will say that I simply thought that your reference to Rafa being muscular was not the best analogy in relation to extremely tall tennis players.

I do take exception to being called ignorant. However, I accept your compliment about one of the few intelligent Rafa posters on here in the spirit in which you made it. Sorry that I couldn't come up with a better example!

Thank you for reaching out in a reasonable way. I do notice that sometimes there are blatantly disrespectful comments made about Fed, so it cannot be easy to read it. I consider this to be resolved and have not hard feelings towards you. Hopefully in the future we can have some interesting, thoughtful discussions.

Again, many thanks for being the one to try and defuse this issue quickly! :)

I am sure all the top players are strong and well-muscled as it is required to be at the top. Fed is just as well-muscled as RAfa so why isn't that being talked about?
In all probability Del Potro and Karlovic have more muscles than Nadal and Federer.
So, why is so much being said about Rafa's muscles? He has a beautiful well proportioned athletic body as seen in the Armani ads. His legs aren't like tree trunks and he does not have bulging biceps. He looks beautifully proportioned. Von seems to be anti-Rafa too from the patronizing tone of her remarks about Rafa's muscles and his uncles.

NNY, don't apologize to Rafa haters. An apology is due from numero for making remarks about Rafa's muscles in a context which seems to indicate offensive intent.

I've got a friend!!!! tah dah. LOOOOOL

holdserve: you're entitled to your comments. show me where did I say Rafael Nadal's legs are like tree trunks? And where did I say he has bulging biceps? You've got a mucho problem, but it's nice that you've got a lot of support from your cohort, who should apologize for butting in.

I suppose it went over your head about the taunting from your cohort towards me? Anyway, numero made someone happy with the morsel of praise. That's what we live for. LOOOL.

I know what's happening, as i see it being done on every thread I post on. Pavlov's bell begins to ring and the jealousy comes out. I'll be harassed and picked on until I stop posting = mission accomplished. And, despite all of the lies and attempts to discredit me, very few are interacting with the chief who craves attention? sheesh, this is pitiful..

Oh , Von, you were friendless till now?

holdserve: No way, and it's why there's this insatiable need to get rid of me by dgging up old stuff with the embellishments. Or haven't you noticed that stupid question about your being middle-aged and swooning?

@2:03 am. I was being facetious, extremely so.

Von look at your post above made at 11:37 pm on 03/13/11 (:Von , 3/13/11 11:37 PM About bulging muscles and tree trunks and heredity.

holdserve: if it will make you feel better so be it. I was referring to Toni Nadal's legs looking like tree trunks in a complimentary way. No one can separate heridtary traits -- it's very visible.

I could have taken umbrage to your post to me re roddick, wherein you very carefully reminded me about his *lone* GS in 2003, and the condescending manner/tone of your polt but I let it go. Guess why? I'm not one for wasting anger on such trivialities or petty nonsense. However, i did see the implication of your statement. i'd be very daft if I didn't.

I don't see why you should be so upset and take stuff so personally if anyone remarks on nadal's muscles. The whole tennis media does that. Are you going to incur an aneurysm over that? I can't believe how much you're taking this stuff so personal. Anyway, if it will make you feel better, mea culpa. OY VEY

One last thing, holdserve. I'm neither a Fed nolr nadal fan, and as such, i can be very fair in my comments. I've got to say that you are extremely critical and effusive/negative in your comments towards Federer, yet you can't handle just the mere mention olf Nadal's muscles. It has certainly sent you into a tail-spin. The manner in which you are behaving is extremely disturbing. This is a BLOG SITE, and if you don't want to read anything unfavourable, then I think you're in the wrong place. However, you just cannot attack people for their opinions, and not expect retaliation.

You state that numero should apologize. I'm dumbfounded as to why he sholuld do that, when you are making unsavoury comments abolut federer elsewhere. I suppose it's the old addage: don't do what I do, but do what I tell you to do? How very incongruent!!!!!

Von, now I understand why you don't have much friends here. It seem that we have to say things literally before you can grasp what we meant. Of course the top players also engaged in long rallies and even three shots end a point game too, but the difference is that they don't so that all the time, except on clay where point construction is more important as it not easy winning cheap points by serving. The difference is these top players have more game than just engaging in long rallies or relying solely on serves to win.

When you talk about Rafa playing attrition tennis, well that happened in the past when he was younger. He started much younger than most guys out there and had to do more running because at that time his skill sets were not complete. People always talk about the way he plays being damaging to his body, but he only has knee and foot issues. Those who run alot also have knee issus, like Ferrer, Monfils and Simon, but their achievements are much less impressive than Rafa's. Others have wrist issues, shoulder issues, hips issues, back issues too, so do they also have problems with the way they play?

I for one like Rafa well before he has become what he is now. I'm not one who jump on bandwagon, so no Raonic or whoever for me. I like some players other than Rafa because I like their game, eg Davy, Simon, Cilic and Llodra. They are also pleasant guys on and off the courts. Not so much hate about big servers, but rather feel irritated at times when all they display is big serves only and nothing else. Of course if they display other skills like good ground games, then they are more pleasant to watch, like how Karlovic plays against Ferrer. Ferrer lost because of his poor anticipation of Karlovic's game other than his serves. He has to do better next time they meet.

Haha, I haven't taken umbrage, nor am I upset. Numero and you are upset. If you don't like my comments about Fed, you are free to attack. Anyone put restraints on you? I did not like numero's comments and made known my feelings. Where's the incongruence?
As for saying numero owed Rafa fans an apology, it was only because NNY was trying to appease numero who did not deserve it. Is anyone forcing numero to apologize?

Haha, I haven't taken umbrage, nor am I upset. Numero and you are upset. If you don't like my comments about Fed, you are free to attack. Anyone put restraints on you? I did not like numero's comments and made known my feelings. Where's the incongruence?
As for saying numero owed Rafa fans an apology, it was only because NNY was trying to appease numero who did not deserve it. Is anyone forcing numero to apologize?

@Von, 3/14/11 2:45 AM
--- remarks on nadal's muscles. The whole tennis media does that---

Don't just talk about them, enjoy! Over 100000 viewers already did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbfFeXPkvsQ

Haha, thanks, Augustina08!

luckystar; Et tu Brute!!!!!!! I'm not here to make friends luckystar. If you want to get down and dirty about such stuff, be my guest -- it's kindergarten stuff. Now I understand why there aren't any fans of other players here. I don't need friends on a blolgsite who use me for the sole purpose of trying to rid it of a few posters they didn't like, and when I didn't care to be involved anymore, turned on me using likes to cement their position.

FYI, you sound like a teenager whose identity is locked into how many friends they have. sheesh.

It's obvious why I don't have friends here. I'm not a Nadal fan. Just take a look at this thread and the comments from 3 Nadal fans attacking me for my comments. Hey, that tells me that I'm in the wrong place. You guys are very thin-skinned. Muscles, game, et al. is a sore point. yet, you're all vedry lavish with the criticism

You can get upset about my comments on Nadal's game, that's your prerogative. I see comments on Roddick's game all the time and it doesn't phase me. Guess, why? he ain't perfect. The difference is that you think Nadal's perfect and it's why you're so ticked olff.

holdserve: how come you're laughing about the muscles on YouTube? Aren't you angry that the muscles are being sholwn? LOOOOOOOL

You guys are a bunch of contradictiolns..

Von, your post doesn't make sense. Is english not your 1st language or do you respond without reading?
I have already said that Rafa has a beautiful body, not bulging muscles. All top 10 stars have good muscles, there is nothing too much about Rafa's muscles that numero should have mentioned it equating it with being too-tall when too-tall was being discussed as bad for tennis.. Federer also is equally musclebound as proved by his height and weight. It wasn't that I objected to Rafa's muscles being mentioned since obviously every elite star has them. I objected to Rafa's muscles being singled out as if it is bad for the game. Had numero mentioned Rafa's muscles admiringly, I wouldn't have minded. Is that clear now? Incidentally, every point in this post has been repeated by me at least two times but you refuse to read or understand and come out with your irrelevant responses.
But what is wonderul about Rafa is that his muscles are part of a beautifully proportioned body and it is always a pleasure to look at them. No wonder he is the model for Armani.
I laughed because Augustina08 was obviously laughing at you. Not about the muscles.

Von I think you're the one being childish here. Once I disagree with you, you starts calling me childish. Don't accuse me of saying that Rafa's game is perfect, he's not but so are the games of many others.

From what you post here, I can see that you are anti Nole most of the time. You seemed unhappy because most of us here aren't Roddick fans and you are quick to discredit Nole for his wins. Even a simple discussion about long rallies and huge serves, you need me to elaborate in details what I posted earlier on, when those who have watched the top players played their game would understand me, ie the top players simply have more games than just playing long rallies and serving big. It's understood that anyone can involve in long rallies and
in big serve big forehand games at times, but top players don't need to do that all the time. That's the difference that I'm talking about.

I actually have nothing against you, but after your post addressed to me earlier on, I think I understand now why you are getting all those responses directed at you. I shall stop here, not wishing to be involved with all these quibblings going on here.

correction : turned on me using likes to cement their position. likes s/b lies.

tah tah

I didn't call you childish because you disagreed with me. Read again. I called you childish because you claimed you can see why I don't have any friends here. That's kid stuff. Kids tell each other "nobody likes you" "you don't have any firends,." and " I don't want to be your friend. " Need I elaborate more?

I Never claimed/pretended to like the Joker, and I've said so openly. It's not a secret. unlike the one who's taken up that to use it to discredit me. She also stated she didn't like the Joker on the other thread. So it's a crime if I don't like him? Too bad. I'll say it again, I don't like the Joker and it's due to a little thing called *respect*. I also said that previously.

FYI, I never asked you to elaborate, you're doing that all by yourself. I merely stated my views on what I see the top players doing. So don't twist this. It's here in black and white on this very thread.

I don't care whether you have anything against me. And, with respect to:

"I think I understand now why you are getting all those responses directed at you. "

Again, you sound very childish. Anyone with one eye and half a brain can see why I'm being attacked for my comments. It's simple. Anyone wanting to post on this site MUST lavish praise on the players who are the most popular among the fans here. God help those who have a different opinion. Some of you don't want a discussion, you want blind, lavish praise. I can't do that.

If you didn't want to get involved in the back and forth, then it's simple, you didn't need to write the childish drivel. But, it's not like you've nolt been involved in quibblings before -- many times.

Posting on this site is like trying to navigate through a land-mine. It ain't worth it.

Question: don't you find it strange that there are so few fans of other players posting here? I wonder why? Another poster has to apologize for mentioning *muscles*. sheesh.

BTW, to the didactic one: We *defuse* bombs, and we *diffuse* situations. Got it, oh preachy one. And, what will you do for an encore to score some kudos with the Joker fans. Tell them truthfully how much you hate him? LOOOL

Excuse me Von, if your post is directed at me,naturally I'll respond, it's call courtesy. It seems that you're the one having problem here because you're hurling insults at others, calling people here half brain. Though this is an Internet forum and nobody knows you personally, by hurling abuses at others here reflects what sort of person you really are. You don't care what others think that's your problem, so getting all those responses are also your problems. Others can post what they want to post like what you are doing, I'm not responsible for what others said. Stop addressing anything to me now, I won't be responding, don't wish to respond to any rude people anyway!

And now back to tennis

Raonic vs harrison R3. The future is now ! Who r people taking? I'm going with Ry.

I will answer you. you need some comprehension lessons.

I never called anyone a half brain. I said: "Anyone with one eye and half a brain can see why I'm being attacked for my comments. "

Now tell me and show me, where did I accuse anyone on this site as having *half a brain*.

I think you need to read more carefully. You want to argue, be my guest, but do so with the truth, not distortortion, and without your generalizations. i did not hurl abuses at anyone.

Yes, anyone can post anything, and I never said you're responsible for their comments.

I'm a bit puzzled as to why you are taking this situation so personal. Had you not gotten into the dirt by stating the chilish stuff, and all the other Joker stuff, (which is superfluous) I wouldn't have said anything. Get down from Mount Olympus puhleeze about what sort of person I am. Here again, it's down in dirt. What do you know about the type of person I am? You argue with childish inferences. sheesh. Enough puhleeze. I can tell you one thing, I'm not a phoney, and I have the guts to back up my statements. Now that's the type of person I am. Are you????

GO RYAN!

Ricky, I think Raonic will win, unless Harrison is a good returner of serves. It should be an interesting match.

They should put all the ace machines in the same section so that they can knock each other out leaving just one for the other players to get rid of.

Go Ryan!

I think Simon/Rafa can handle Karlovic and Fed can handle Raonic. The top players are after all the top players, they can handle whatever style of play they have to face.

luckystar, hope you are right, but I can't help feeling the tension when a player has to contend with someone serving from the 49th floor of a skyscraper.

Go Meelosh! Hope your back is okay so that it is a fair competition between the up-and-comers!

nadline, Rafa and Lopez did just beat the giant Croatians in the doubles...

^^^, It's not that I think they can't beat them, Rafa is 5.0 h2h against Ivo and Isner, well 6.0 if you include Raonic, it's just painful to watch, and the giants do have an unfair advantage.

Hello all. Ricky usually moderates his own blog, but I want to jump in and remind everyone to keep the personal insults about each other out of the comments section. They have no place here.

^^^^^^^ +1

Raonic would normally win, but injury gives harrison an opening.

Ricky, what's wrong with Raonic?

cherylmurray, he had a back issue in his match against Mardy. Spasms I think...

If Federer could win 16 GS with back problems, I am sure Raonic wouldn't be hampered by back spasms. He is only 20.
But I would love Harrison to win. He has a more complete game. But, of course, Raonic has greater chance than Harrison of troubling Federer.

I watched that match and Raonic was struggling with some kind of back issue. At times he pulled up and seemed to be in some discomfort. Fish had his chances to break him in that second set, but couldn't get the job done. Raonic stayed strong mentally and managed to get the win.

I am not that familiar with Harrison's game, so I am not sure what to expect. Raonic said that the one day of rest will give him a chance to get some treatment for the back and help him to be ready. Since we don't know the exact nature of the problem, it's hard to say how it will affect him in his next match.

Almagro beaten in 3 sets by Montanes.

One more 'hot player' is out - Nicolas Almagro, who was in Rafa's quarter.

soderling's out in straights as well. unexpected? pretty open, that quarter.

In order to go up the rankings a lot of players ran themselves ragged in February playing too many tournaments and now that's taking it's toll, especially on the ones who did well like Sod and Raonic, Almagro and Ferrer.

this is a HUGE opportunity now for Delpo to reach the semis and rack up points

both Murray and Soderling out in his section. He NEEDS to capitalize.

Delpo really starting to get back to his pre-injury level.
Look at Devvarman go. :)

XMan on the comeback trail

Great tie-break from Devvarman!

And Rafa's next opponent is...S.Devvarman.

Ricky,

You saw Somdev's match, I think slowly and steadily he is making a good progress..He is fighting against good players and results are coming in his favour.

Talk about an opportunity on a silver platter -- that's what is the scenario for DelPotro in this tournament. That whole section is now wide open.

I agree with Ricky's thoughts about Delpo. This is a big opportunity for him to go deep here. He may not get many chances like this won, so he needs to do well and just go for it. I don't think he's there yet, but he is getting better as he continues to play.

I felt so sad for Sweeting today -- he looked so lost and disappointed at the same time. Some of these early round matches are very boring in that they are so very lopsided in talent. I don't know who came up with this format for the draws, but to me, it's just a waste of time for a very low ranked player to even take the court against a top notch player.

smr - yes, Somdev was down 5-2. Then played the last 5 points brilliantly to win it 7-5. Great tiebreak.

champ00289 - very impressed. Played aggressive and started hitting winners in the 3rd set. Serve has improved has well. Somdev can be a staple of the Top 50 for the next 5 years. His ceiling is not much higher than that, but that would be darn good career.

Ricky,

Agree with you, I feel he started playing well since late last year.. He is 25/26 but he is still young compared to others of same age as he started his career quite late..

Vijay once said "Indian matures late" this might turn out to be true for him..There is still some areas where he can improve if he wants to be in the top 50 or even higher.

Goodness am gobsmacked, saw Somdev playing a few weeks ago, was it S. Africa, and he didn't look too good. Well, he's surely improving now :)

so its countrymen vs IDOL for me tonight

somdev might....just might make a set competetive!!!

Somdev can fight. He's India's DC hero. I think he played for three consecutive days during the DC tie against Serbia and he had beaten Tipsy in one of the live rubbers. He's improving steadily since making the final of Johanesberg. I think his ranking should go up quite a bit now that he makes the 4R here.

Yeah, Somdev will fight for sure...but I just can't see Rafa losing to him in any way...he may have to work a bit harder, these newcomers are always stubborn and tenacious, but Rafa should handle it in a right way...anyway, I think all these qualifiers and wildcard players have only one goal against top five players: to win as many games as possible and make a mach somewhat competitive and fun for the crowd...I think none of them have any expectations for a win...

its lightweight vs a heavy weight......im afraid somdev doesnt have much to hurt rafael....hoping for a fight atleast!

Of course I don't mean that Somdev can beat Rafa. He had played against Fed in Dubai and was beaten handily by Fed, so I don't expect him to beat Rafa. Its good to see some young players rising in the rankings. Somdev may not be that young, and doesn't come with big weapons but I like his fighting spirit.

This should be an interesting year, as we have Dolgo, Raonic, Berankis, Somdev, Tomic, Harrison and Dimitrov coming of age, and Delpo coming back from his injury and Cilic showing signs of getting out of his slump finally. Also the top three guys are as solid as ever, only poor Murray seems to have some unsolved problems.

Luckystar - there are few players I respect more than somdev. But let's not overreact to one tournament and put him into that group mentioned above of extremely talented 20yearolds!

Soderling is doubtful for Miami because of his foot injury.

I heard that Sod was also ill with a virus and that it was his foot plus the sickness that hurt him in the match with Kohls.

what an amazing win by the Indo-Pak Express! a straight sets beating really.

very cool, mriiidula.....paes and bhupati seem less of a threat than they used to these days...

Yes Robin said himself he shouldn't have played yesterday as it made his foot worse. I guess that means he'll drop to 5 for the clay season.

stu, do you know any site where i can stream doubles matches? i would've loved to watch that match..as well as nole's doubles match yesterday, but livescorehunter didnt have any doubles matches on.

mriiidula, i've been watching matches on espn3.com...don't know if it's available in Singapore...they tend to show the most exciting match at any given time, which is rarely the doubles but maybe you would get to see key points...otherwise i have no idea!

stu, i'm in the UK at the moment :) will give it a try! let me know if you come across anything though

No doubles not shown in Singapore. Now showing the Raonic/Harrison match. I like how Harrison returns Raonic's serves. I saw Harrison's matches at USO last year, like the way he played there, didn't know his ROS was that good. Like his all round game, he has played against Raonic at the challenger level, so may be that's why he's confident when dealing with Raonic's serve.

Yeh Rick, you're right....Murray was a very big "question mark"....has he lost it for good?...sampras seems to think so. really impressed with samdev and Raonic this week! SD in Atl.

We shall see but I don't agree with these picks. Ricky Dimon you are predicting the one dimensional Roddick to upset the on fire Novak in the Qf and then beat his nemesis Federer in the SF? Djokovic should beat Roddick handily, the Question should be will Roddick get to the QF?

of course Roddick will make the quarters. He has a very good chance against Djoker, too.

Was there a time in Roddick's career that he's been one-dimensional? I don't think so.

Haha, Ricky's american partiality is speaking. Considering this is a tournament of upsets, I wouldn't rule out Roddick beating Djokovic but if it happens, then it would be an upset.

Lets wait and watch,

Berdych will be sent packing by Wawrinka and we will have another Swiss quarter final this year..

Djoker will end Troicki's run in singles.

Delpo could make it to semis against Nadal..and Nadal will be there in Final.. there are not too many danger players left in Nadal's Side..

It's good to see 3 American men make it to R16 at IW.

Wow, Nole has a singles match and a doubles match today. I don't know whom to support in the doubles match really, I'll be happy no matter the outcome.

Delpo could make it to semis against Nadal..and Nadal will be there in Final.. there are not too many danger players left in Nadal's Side..

champ00289 , 3/16/11 8:17 AM


Well there is still one giant left in Rafa's draw.

Cute response from Somdev when asked whether he had a plan for playing against Rafa:
"you know, on the bright side, I've seen him play way more than he's seen me play,..."

haha yeah, that's one way to look at it!

well said by Som

As nadline said, there is still a giant lurking in Rafa's draw. We shouldn't forget about Karlovic. That guy is never easy to play against, so I hope Rafa brings his big serve.

Yes, I am assuming that Rafa gets past Som!

as bad as Nadal's return of serve is, he generally does not have trouble with Dr. Ivo

Ricky, I hope you are right. Rafa is 3.0 h2h against Ivo, but he is still a pain to play.

stu@ 4.009 re Somdev: oh that's so sweet :) Do hope he is not over awed by Rafa and doesn't suffer a dose of the Gulbis "I've- never- played- tennis-before- in- my- life- and- what- are- those- lines- for?" sickness, because it is truly horrible.

deuce, the poor guy's had a hectic 2 weeks tho, played 3 days for DC in Serbia and had to get thru quals here immediately after. not that i think he had a shot if he was fresh, but as a newcomer i'd definitely choose different circumstances to meet Rafa, even if only to make an impression on him...

?It?s one of those things when you?re playing with confidence, playing well, you want to keep playing, and it doesn?t happen too often,? Somdev said after the match. ?I mean, for Rafa and Fed (Roger Federer) it does, but for a majority of players it?s one of those things ? you want to kind of ride on the momentum and keep playing, and hope for the best in your next matches,? he said.

he also said that rafael is one of his idols...and he respects him a lot

@deuce....somdev is not as talented as MR. gulbis....but he does'nt suffer from that terrible sickness you are talking about.....he might get "breadsticked" today but that won't be because he doesn't care...he will get bullied and beaten...:(

vrael, I really do hope not :( As I said above he's obviously much improved from the last time I saw him. I hope he goes on improving as I thought that comment about Indian players maturing later was very interesting and could be apt in this case.

I wonder why they have 6 matches scheduled on stadium court 1 today and only 4 on court 2. Wouldn't it have made sense to play the Tommy-SamQ match on court 2, so that the singles players on court 1 finished at a decent hour?

i read that comment too deuce.....seems to be true in somdev's case...looking forward to the match....its 2 a.m here in india....will have to wait some more i guess

@vrael..hey buddy..shud be a strange match for you, we all know how much u love rafa but somdev is indian and i can imagine this is tough...aisam playing against rafa would be really strange for me too lol

hello friend....yes its a strange match for me...i would be cheering for somdev.....supporting the underdog comes instinctually to me....thats how i started loving rafa after he beat federer in their early encounters.......it might be the first time in 5 years that i wouldnt mind rafa losing... he doesn't have much to defend here anyway......rafa wont lose though,im in a dilemma.....aaaaarghh.....im confused....:(

What are you guys talking about, Nadal shouldnt lose more than 5/6 games to this guy

tennis2011,

Though Nadal will win this match, what we want to see is how somdev respond to the challange, somdev lost to Fed 6-3 6-3 in Dubai, and that experience would be helpful for him.

Somdev playing best tennis of his small career(he has spent only 3 years on tours).So it could be a good learning experience for him..

And it wont be Djoker vs Rod , Roddick is out..

I know Roddick is out Roddick isn't all that good honestly, we all know he can serve but all other aspects of his game are mediocre. Roddick is on the way down has been for some time. His big Serve was enough to win from 2003 to 2005 even then Federer had his game figured out and then other players started to figured out a way deal with his serve. second thing he serves a lot less aces and service winners now and his forehand isn't as potent as it once was, that means He isnt gonna win a lot of matches on the strength of his serve he doesn't scare any one anymore once the rallies start most top 25 players know they have a very good chance against Roddick.

lets be perfectly clear on this somdev isn't among any group of talented up and coming youngsters. He is 26 years old which isn't the right age to build a strong career and he doesn't possess any big shot. Tomic is not even 19 years old, Raonic Dimitrov are also 20 or less and these guys have bigger weapons they younger a lot taller and stronger than somdev and have more time to improve and build a tennis career. 26 isnt the right age for a break out in tennis

tennis2011,

You are right, that 26 isnt the right age for breakout in tennis, but if you want example lets take Melzer, he is in top 10 and is 29..He turned pro in 1999 so after 10 years he atleast reached top10..

And Somdev is from India, where people follow (atleast 90% of indians) cricket only...So in such country opting for another sport and proving ur self and opening doors for others is bigger achivement, he has played well for his country performed well against big guns in DC and won commonwealth and Asian games...

In Sommdev's case his lateness in good part to going to college before turning pro?

Yeah but melzer started his career in 1999 so he has experience on his side by the time somdev has experience of playing on his side he will be too old for tennis I dont see somdev reaching top 10 most people ranked above him are younger and stronger than he is. Somdev is a Top 40 type of player who if results go his way may end up in top 30 some-time, but still I believe he is over achieving with his ability where as people like Gulbis gasquet and even baghdatis are under achieving despite having huge potential. In the past players Nalbandian have under achieved he is on his last legs though.

What are you guys talking about, Nadal shouldnt lose more than 5/6 games to this guy
tennis2011 , 3/17/11 1:48 AM

I am satisfied with somdev's performance, he played a really good game..He made world no.1 to play for 2 hrs..someone who people think, should have lost so easy as 6-3 6-2, i think this is a solid performance which can help him start putting more effort to get good results..

Rafa did not seem like the world #1 today. I am very disappointed with his performance.

Anyway Fed has got the break..

vrael: didn't see match but looks as if your man gave a good account of himself and did not succumb to Gulbis fever :)
On fromsport they're calling Harrison "Justin Bieber" lol

nice stuff from Somdev and Harrison tonight

Nadal and Federer....not so much

Fedal looked out of sorts tonight, especially Rafa. He seemed so nervous. Both of them feeling the pressure against these young challengers? Fedal missing so many first serves and had so many unforced errors. I hate it when their detractors will start saying it's the end of Fedal domination again. Hope Fedal do better in their next match(es).

Well lucky, they've both got to the quarters, that must be some consolation ;) We all know that Rafa gets better and better as tournaments progress anyway. Not so sure about Fed but only saw second set when there were some old style Fab Fed shots!
No, Nole has looked by far the most impressive so far.....but what's this...Gasquet coming up on the outside lane....? Don't worry Nole fans as soon as Gasquet realises he could win the tournament, he will lose....

exactly, deuce...that is precisely my thinking of 'Baby Federer' i.e. Gasquet...he will start making errors and surrender as soon as he smells the chance to win...

I didn't see Nole v Troicki but the result is a surprise, but Gulbis handed the match to Djoko on a plate let's face it, Golubev didn't live up to the hype. Rafa does get nervous sometimes and he knew Davverman wasn't a walk over and was probably going for too much. Today he'll have to be very careful not to drop his serve or it will all be over against the giant. He needs to play with some colm!

Harrison was good, no doubt about it and Federer had to pull out all the stops to get past him.

Today is another day, hope Rafa doesn't break his perfect h2h against Ivo.

@deuce...yeah he did OK...rafa helped him by playing poorly...i was surprised by the scoreline

so SO impressed by Somdev - i woke up this morning and checked out the scoreline expecting a one-sided match, and was pleasantly surprised. very proud!

i saw some highlights too....somdev was junk balling...playing a little bit like murray....giving no pace to work with.....and rafa was making more errors than usual.....the quality of the first set was poor....second set was a bit better from both actually..

I would definitely say that the quality of Rafa's tennis wasn't good in the first set, since he made 22 UE's. That says it all. However, he did get it together in the second set and got the win. Rafa was also struggling with his serve in that first set. Somehow, he manages to find a way to win even when he isn't playing his best. That's why he is a champion.

Somdev acquitted himself very well. He made Rafa work for it, kept his calm and played well. Good for him!

When it comes to facing Ivo Karlovic in the quarter-finals, Rafa knows he will have to raise the bar. ?It?s going to be a really difficult match. You have to be very focused with your serve. You can't make any mistakes with your serve,? he said. ?In the returning games, you just have to try your best and wait for a chance. You know you're not going to have a lot of chances and you have to be lucky?.

"Normally if you break him it's because he made mistakes, not because you are hitting good shots. You are in his hands all the time, If he serves well, there is nothing to do. A lot of times [you will find yourself] very far away from the ball. [So far taht] you are not even close to touching the ball. It's like [being a goakleeper and you are facing] a penalty every time. You have a 50% chance of knowing where the ball is gonna go."

from rafaelnadal.com

That quote indicates that Rafa knows full well what to expect from Ivo. I have to expect that he will have his serve working better. This would be a great time to get that USO big, booming serve going again!

Yes, what happened to the USO serve? He got shoulder injury afterwards so he's not doing it as much now, maybe.

luckystar - devvarman is not a "young challenger"

what's up with the schedule? why are Rafa/Ivo and Delpo/Tommy playing today, and not the others?

stu - its back to one half of the bracket one day, the other half of the bracket the next day

only all of fourth round was same day. Thats how they always do it in Indian Wells.

Yeah, there is quite an age gap between 'young challengers.' R.Harrison was born on May 7, 1992 and S. Dev Varman - on February 13, 1985.

thanks Ricky. what a strange system...to me it would make more sense to play all the QFs on the same day; but I'm sure there's a reason....

Somdev is young in terms of 'tennis' age. Anyway his physical age is not old either,26 is not old. He may have a few good years ahead of him, though not as long as what Raonic, Harrison and the other youngsters can have.

Del Potro walked into SFs. Robredo is injured.

Gasquet beat Roddick in straight sets and then won 6 games against Djokovic LOL if this was a night match Gasquet would have won less than 6 games

How do you know tennis2011? You always like to speculate. Who knows, Gasquet may also benefit from playing at night. Gasquet not known to be a very fit player, playing at night may also benefit him too. Now I don't want to speculate like you, just leaves things as they are.

luckystar dont you speculate? You posted this on the other thread

"The way Karlovic played, I don't think the likes of Fed, Nole or Murray can fare better than Rafa. They might need to go to three tie breaks!"

This was not a speculation? If it wasnt was it a fact? So how do you know that an inform Djokovic who hasnt lost a match all year wouldnt have fared better than a rusty Nadal who is making a come back after an injury? We all speculate time and again.

You see tennis2011, I'll not go into speculation like that unless to counter some speculation like yours. When did I start saying things like no one can play better than Rafa against Karlovic? You're the one who started all these, by discrediting Rafa's win and saying that he tool to long to beat Karlovic. Please fo to the other thread to see my response to you about Nole. What I normally do for tennis matches is join in the fun and predict the outcome of matches, like many others do here.

yea, djokovic's perfection is on the line alright. sigh.