First round
Djokovic over Golubev in 3, Stepanek over Cuevas in 3
Simon over Kravchuk in 3, Haase over Pospisil in 4
Youzhny over Ward in 5, Wang over Gonzalez in 4
Querrey over Klahn in 3, Melzer over Tsonga in 5
Gulbis over Zopp in 4, Stakhovsky over Berlocq in 4
Chardy over Cox in 3, Verdasco over Matosevic in 4
Cilic over Mathieu in 4, Edmund over Haider-Maurer in 4
Donskoy over Tomic in 5, Berdych over Hanescu in 3
Murray over Goffin in 3, Andujar over Rola in 5
Kamke over Hernych in 4, Bautista Agut over Johnson in 4
Anderson over Bedene in 3, Roger-Vasselin over Volandri in 3
Gabashvili over Puetz in 4, Fognini over Kuznetsov in 4
Dimitrov over Harrison in 3, Thiem over Saville in 4
Becker over Young in 5, Dolgopolov over Groth in 4
Seppi over Mayer in 4, Brown over Baghdatis in 4
Kuznetsov over Evans in 5, Ferrer over Carreno Busta in 3
Wawrinka over Sousa in 3, Lu over Nedovyesov in 4
Reister over Russell in 5, Istomin over Tursunov in 4
Lopez over Sugita is 3, Falla over Pavic in 3
Nieminen over Delbonis in 4, Isner over Smethurst in 3
Janowicz over Devvarman in 3, Hewitt over Przysiezny in 3
Mannarino over Riba in 3, Robredo over Lacko in 4
Mahut over Granollers in 4, Giraldo over Gimeno-Traver in 4
Muller over Benneteau in 5, Federer over Lorenzi in 3
Raonic over Ebden in 3, Sock over Herbert in 4
Kubot over Struff in 4, Garcia-Lopez over Lajovic in 4
Kohlschreiber over Sijsling in 3, Bolelli over Ito in 5
Kudla over Ilhan in 4, Nishikori over De Schepper in 5
Gasquet over Duckworth in 3, Kyrgios over Robert in 4
Vesely over Estrella Burgos in 3, Monfils over Jaziri in 3
Karlovic over Dancevic in 4, Kukushkin over Sela in 4
Rosol over Paire in 4, Nadal over Klizan in 3
Second round
Djokovic over Stepanek in 3
Simon over Haase in 5
Youzhny over Wang in 4
Melzer over Querrey in 4
Stakhovsky over Gulbis in 5
Verdasco over Chardy in 4
Cilic over Edmund in 4
Berdych over Donskoy in 4
Murray over Andujar in 3
Bautista Agut over Kamke in 4
Anderson over Roger-Vasselin in 4
Fognini over Gabashvili in 4
Dimitrov over Thiem in 4
Becker over Dolgopolov in 4
Seppi over Brown in 5
Ferrer over Kuznetsov in 3
Wawrinka over Lu in 3
Istomin over Reister in 3
Lopez over Falla in 4
Isner over Nieminen in 4
Hewitt over Janowicz in 4
Robredo over Mannarino in 4
Mahut over Giraldo in 5
Federer over Muller in 3
Raonic over Sock in 3
Kubot over Garcia-Lopez in 5
Kohlschreiber over Bolelli in 3
Nishikori over Kudla in 4
Gasquet over Kyrgios in 3
Monfils over Vesely in 4
Karlovic over Kukushkin in 4
Nadal over Rosol in 3
Third round
Djokovic over Simon in 3
Melzer over Youzhny in 4
Verdasco over Stakhovsky in 4
Berdych over Cilic in 4
Murray over Bautista Agut in 3
Anderson over Fognini in 3
Dimitrov over Becker in 4
Ferrer over Seppi in 3
Wawrinka over Istomin in 4
Lopez over Isner in 4
Hewitt over Robredo in 4
Federer over Mahut in 3
Raonic over Kubot in 3
Kohlschreiber over Nishikori in 4
Gasquet over Monfils in 4
Karlovic over Nadal in 4
Fourth round
Djokovic over Melzer in 3
Berdych over Verdasco in 5
Murray over Anderson in 3
Ferrer over Dimitrov in 4
Lopez over Wawrinka in 4
Federer over Hewitt in 3
Kohlschreiber over Raonic in 5
Gasquet over Karlovic in 4
Quarterfinals
Djokovic over Berdych in 4
Murray over Ferrer in 4
Federer over Lopez in 4
Kohlschreiber over Gasquet in 5
Semifinals
Murray over Djokovic in 5
Federer over Kohlschreiber in 3
Final
Federer over Murray in 4
[polldaddy poll=8141085]
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[polldaddy poll=8141091]
[polldaddy poll=8141096]
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Comments and your own predictions are appreciated!
bring on the HATE!
No hate here. I am very similar on my picks. Major differences were that I had BabyFed over Ferru, GGL over Gasquet, and Federer beating Djokovic in the final. Also have Baghdatis reaching round of 32 and I think Sijsling will give Kohlschreiber trouble. Nice to see a lot of people are picking Lopez and Federer to both do well. Almost forgot to mention that I have Tsonga reaching the second week. I know you love that pick. I heard Ben picked Jo to beat Novak.
Gasquet over GGL*
Wow! Ricky, your comment sounds like a comment of a REAL Fed fan! 🙂
Surprise to see Brown over Baggie!
Brown beats Rafa in Halle but goes down to baggy in the first round at Wimby! So much for Brown being in Rafa’s half hoping for another miracle!! Enough of the conspiracy, i say! Perhaps Baggy was just not having any of it!
Ricky, please tell me that this is your idea of a joke. Rafa out in the third round to Karlovic? I am not even sure that Karlovic will get there! Rafa is not going to get knocked out in the early rounds this time.
Fed to win? Really? Not gonna happen.
i’m not sure Karlovic will get there either. What’s your point?
I’m CERTAINLY not sure Nadal will even get to R3.
Ricky,
My point is that Rafa is not losing to the likes of Karlovic. So it’s apparent that you think that Rafa getting knocked out early in Wimbledon the last two years will happen again this year.
I don’t agree that Rafa’s going out in the third round. This year he’s going to make it to the second week.
NNY,
Who according to you wins Wimby? (if not Fed)
If Rafa gets to the second week, I think he’s got a very good chance. The only way Fed can win is if Rafa gets knocked out early. But even then I don’t know that he can beat Novak or Murray even at Wimbledon. I think Murray’s got a better shot than Fed.
Yup….many here are saying that if there is no rafa to deal with, Fed will win Wimby. I think Murray will have an edge over Fed…
If Fed reaches the final, Muzz won’t be able to beat him. Fed and Rafa are different animals altogether in slam finals.
Karlovic over Nadal??? Really??
Can’t really argue on other picks due to the ensuing predictability..
^^ i meant ‘ensuing unpredictability’
what does “ensuing predictability” mean?
i would be very surprised if Nadal beats Karlovic before the grass turns to clay
I would be stunned if Karlovic beats Nadal,the thing is how will Karlovic break Nadal? And we know Karlovic gets nervous in tiebreaks against top players, very poor vs top 5 in tiebreakers. Nadal very good vs big servers like Karlovic,Isner and Raonic.. Isner and Raonic would handled it better than dr Ivo in those tight situations.. Nadal?s biggest test will be Klizan in R1
Karlovic playing GREAT all-court tennis by his standards of late
Nadal probably not at 100 percent and won’t be serving well
Ricky,
My opinion is that of the big 4 rafa is the most likely to not make the semis. but if he they all make the semis I think rafa is the most likely to win. As he owns Federer, Murray has never beat him at Wimbledon and I don’t think Novak is as good on grass as people think. Rafa would beat fed in the semis however Fed is an almost certainty to get there where Rafa I am not confident at all.
agreed with this. Fed has basically no chance vs. Rafa.
So if its Fed vs Rafa in semis, whom do you pick Ricky? And sets/score?
Some bold predictions, love it! Really intrigued by Nadal and personally, think he will go out to Klizan or Karlovic. I’m already regretting going for Klizan. However if he gets through the first three rounds unscathed, I think he then becomes the favourite to win the whole caboodle.
I originally had Kohlschreiber to the QFs, but lost my nerve. I just can’t trust him to win four matches, as good a player as he can be on grass. I picked him to the QFs in 2011 I think and he bombed out R1. He should beat Sijsling but a tough start with a 0-3 H2H.
Ricky – thanks for the wonderful predictions.
This will turn out to be true as your prediction in 2012!
This is Grass, anyone can beat mediocre Nadal here and if he reaches SF somehow then Fed will thrash him.
Weep fan girls…
you know what?! I am not hopeful that rafa will get through the first three rounds! but tell you what! if he gets there you’ll learn something! THERE WILL NEVER COME A DAY WHEN ROGER BEATS RAFA IN A SLAM EVER AGAIN!!!!!
Wow, were your eyes closed while shouting that?
I think sabs you are a more illogical fan girl than any of Rafas fan girls here :-). Its high time you realize and understand yourself soon 🙂
Hahahaa……………..
You remember 2012 SF against Nole ???
And your pre- match predictions, Men love classy federer and you have your right to drool over your preferred…
Continue your drama….
sabs (at 11:40 am),
—Men love classy federer—
I haven’t noticed he has had followers
http://i2.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article401835.ece/alternates/s615/roger-federer-pic-reuters-image-1-181118962.jpg
https://twitter.com/augustazeight/status/480967779823394816/photo/1
Personally, I don’t think Fed has another slam in him, not even Wimbledon.
This! I agree.
If Rafa goes out before semis, I’m picking Fed. He will be the crowd favourite regardless of who he meets in the finals.
#WhenTheCatsAway
#18?
“When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea”. Eric Cantona
Rafa will, most likely, not reach the 2nd week. If he does, he is fav. to win Wimbledon.
Fed will not beat Rafa even if they play in R1 (in semis Fed will lose in 3).
My favourites are Murray, Djokovic, Federer in that order.
Rafa is bit of an X-Factor. Will have to watch a match or 2 before we can make any predictions about his chances.
Hey nadline, I fail to understand your analogy …
Ricky is just trying to get a rise from Nadal fans by his predictions just like when seagulls follow a fishing boat to eat the sardines that will be thrown into the sea.
We will seewhat’s going on, no?
Ha,Ha. So right, Ricky enjoys making the milk curdle…………
I agree that we shud wait for rafa to play his opening match before assessing his chances. However, I still believe rafa is not going out in the first week this time.
NOBODY is a better critic of his game than rafa himself ! He is completely honest and is extremely well self-aware. He is not like federer who always says he is playing well and the matches are on his racket. Rafa is different. He does not very often say he is feeling really good and confident about his game openly. He is saying it now ! This says something… Rafa is practicing quite well and there is no hesitation in his mind.
Rafa is reaching week 2. I don’t know how many sets that will require but I am confident about it happening. I am not saying it is not possible that rafa will crash out early again but I do feel its highly unlikely.
@vamosrafa,
I feel basically the same as you. It’s true that we need to see how Rafa looks in his first match. That will give us a sense of where he’s at. But I think you are right in believing that Rafa will not go out in the first week this time. When Rafa feels that he has something to prove, that’s when he can be his most dangerous.
Of course there is a possibility that Rafa could crash out early, but I just think he’s ready to do well this time.
The sun has been shining in the south of England for the last couple of weeks so the grass will not be as slippery as it was last year and Rafa is not playing until Tuesday, so there will be some wear and tare too so it won’t be fresh and lush. There were so many casualties last year.
Darcis fell over badly during his match with Rafa and had to have surgery on his shoulder as a result. He said he did not feel much during the match but the next day he could hardly move it. I tripped and twisted my knee on the pavement 2 years ago and felt nothing until the next day and eventually had to have surgery to sort it out.
Firstly, Karlovic can lose in any of his matches before R3. If we have a Rafa vs karlovic match, it will be tricky for rafa. Remember rafa vs Karlovic in Queens qtr final in 2008? Rafa won 6-7 7-6 7-6 and Karlovic hit 32 aces. Rafa has been the best in handling the big servers but on slick grass, karlovic will be a challenge. I don’t think Karlovic is winning that match . I would say Rafa in 4 instead of karlovic in 4.
One of the issues rafa has on grass ,esp in week 1 is his ROS. When huge serve are directed to his forehand, it becomes difficult for him. Because of the court speed and conditions, rafa does not have time to take proper swings on the ball so he often blocks/chips forehand returns (as he lacks a compact forehand ROS swing like Federer or Djokovic or Murray). This can put him in trouble. Rosol benefitted him and so did Darcis last year and so did all those players who have pushed rafa hard in the first week of Wimby. karlovic ,however, does not have a good and consistent enough game to take adv of those chipped returns on regular enough basis and I believe karlovic’s 2nd serve is not THAT good. it’s attackable.
Rafa will handle karlovic. I am not even thinking about his match. I just want Rafa to win his first two matches with conviction. he will be nervous but he will be very eager to play well.
@vamosrafa,
I like your analysis of a possible third round match with Karlovic. I already said that Karlovic has to get there first. I don’t care if he happens to be in so-called good form right now. He has never been able to do anything at slams. I don’t see why at his age now that he would be able to take out Rafa. Of course it’s always a tough one for Rafa. But in a best three out of five, I like Rafa’s chances. I honestly am not going to think about Karlovic yet. Rafa has to get through his first two matches.
“I feel like, yeah, if things click here, I should be able to win the tournament,” Federer said Saturday.
Ricky I bet you read this comment nd picked Federer right?
Oh, I see, thx nadline.
Well, Ricky has been very contemporary with his predictions lately, FO = Nadal, Wimby = Federer 🙂
It’s already very refreshing to read that Rafa is feeling confident about his knees on grass this year.
I am not sure which is a bolder pick – Fed winning it all or Rafa losing to Karlovik? 😉
BTW who has Fed picked as the favorite? I kinda trust his judgement? He usually tells it in his pressers
Fed is backing himself.
By “if things click here” Fed means if Rafa goes out before they get to play against each other 🙂
Absolutely. Fed’s 2009 and 2012 wins were because there was no Rafa in his way. Really, Rafa is the only player who can almost always stop Fed. Fed vs Andy or Nole is a toss up.
Right on! That’s Fedspeak for Rafa going out early!
I still think that as much as fed wants to avoid rafa , he has some willingness to play rafa on grass. fed has a big ego and I think he believes he can upset rafa on grass. I am not sure if he has the complete self-belief but on grass there will be some belief. He has tried and failed on clay infinite times. On hard courts, well he even lost in indoor last year. Grass is left. He would love to avoid rafa but he won’t hate is as much as he would at lets say, RG or AO.
I agree here. I think he wants to beat Rafa once in a slam before he retires. His motivation will be very high aat Wimby as it will be his best chance and if theroof is closed, he will be salivating 😉
I wonder if Rafa wins Wimby like I am hoping and feeling since long (maybe more a wish ;-)) , wonder what so called xperts and so many folks on this form will have to say? 🙂
haha…there response will be to pick against Rafa the next year as well. Lol
their*
Sanju – June 23, 2014 at 9:49 am
‘I wonder if Rafa wins Wimby like I am hoping and feeling since long (maybe more a wish ;-)) , wonder what so called xperts and so many folks on this form will have to say?’
The same they’ve been saying (the xperts) all throughout Rafa’s career, blablabla, physicality, blablabla, unyielding spirit and competitive mindset, blablabla, and then they’d still give Nole as favourite to win the USO
Why are most Rafans here putting this statement ‘ Most likely Rafa wont make the second week?’. I guess too scared with results of past 2 years
And I thought I was pessimistic. I think I am better than many here 😉
rafa WILL make it to the second week ! Vamos Rafa!
@Sanju,
I am not pessimistic. I do think that Rafa will get to the second week. I disagreed with Ricky’s prediction.
I understand people being skeptic about Rafa’s chances on grass…after all he went out TOO early in the two past attempts and he recently lost to Dustin Brown ?! for God sake…so why would anyone blame Ricky for predicting Rafa would go out to Ivo “the big hitter” who is playing his best tennis ever ATM…
However, it is unpredictable Rafa we are talking about here…his No1 position is at stake…he knows he could earn some points here so he will fight harder than ever…his draw although looking difficult may as well serve him good since he will not need to play long points on the slippery grass in the early rounds…I think Rafa will beat Klizan although I expect Rafa to be nervous and Klizan to be hipped since EVERYONE now believes he could beat Rafa on grass which really makes Rafa’s life difficult…I hope Rafa’s serves well…those ‘body serves’ that Rafa invented recently are so effective…let’s see if he could produce some easy points against Klizan to shake him up…the first set is crucial…all I am afraid of is Rafa himself…I hope he believes he can do it…the rest will come…
Vamos Rafa!
I think we are realistic and take it one match at at time, Rafa’s last seasons here have been disastrous so there’s plenty of reasons to be wary. This year though, there are different sensations… but we won’t go as far as to say that there’s a good chance of winning the tournament even before it has started as some others do…
All things aside, one really has to marvel at the fact that federer, at age 32 (almost 33), is still a genuine contender on slam level (at least at Wimby). We all know that Rafa is perhaps too big an obstacle for him but against djokovic and Murray, Fed will have a very good change. Rafa, then Murray and Djokovic in his order are fed’s biggest obstacles to an eight Wimby crown. Rafa is more than an obstacle though.
*a very good CHANCE
*in THIS order
I am interested in knowing what Ricky’s pick is IF rafa goes past the third round . What do ya see, Dimon?
I asked him the same. Whom does Ricky pick if Rafa Fed square off in semis
I am interested in knowing if whether Ricky thinks rafa will win the whole thing if he gets past the 3rd rnd
Ricky already answered that:
Ricky Dimon says:
June 23, 2014 at 4:53 am
agreed with this. Fed has basically no chance vs. Rafa.
Nadal will be out in the first round and Federer in the second. Murray or Djokovic will likely win the title but I would love to be surprised by somebody else winning it. Would be great for tennis.
nothing will be better than nadal winning his 15th Slam lol
#eclipsingSampras
#CatchingRoger
tennis and sports overall tend to take care of themselves
Fed’s smugness had reached critical levels when Rafa came along and shook the tennis world.
This year’s RG has shown the first signs of mental fatigue for Rafa, maybe next year will be someone else’s turn to win, who knows?
And look at what’s happened to the Spanish national football team in Brazil, there are just shifts in momentum. One can’t keep winning forever and it’s up to the new generations to step it up and show the enthusiasm and dedication of their predecessors
Shireling (at 10:40 am),
—This year’s RG has shown the first signs of mental fatigue for Rafa—
Rafa was suffering from mental fatigue BETWEEN the 2014 AO and RG.
Steady on Shireling. Rafa is not ready to step down yet.
yes Augusta, that’s correct.
I meant to say that it was the first RG where I’ve seen Rafa ‘tired of winning’…
Shireling ( at 10:53 am),
I don’t think, THIS man is tired of winning:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t1.0-9/10450785_770784189609399_4207684894568256846_n.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bp98avjCQAMmk1-.jpg
I find the BBC coverage so incestuous. Even though I am British, I find it annoying that all the ‘experts’, presenters, journalists, the birds, the world and his wife have to promote Murray. Nothing’s changed even after he’s won the title. Last year we were greeted every morning with Sue Barker cooing about Laura Robson and Andy Murray. Every s i n g l e day, morning, noon and night.
It’s an international competition isn’t it?
If Scotland proclaims its independence, will you British still cheer for Murray?
Well I’m cheering for a Spaniard now. So no change there, then.
🙂
Cheering for Rafa no doubt.
Got to wait though and see him play his first match.
Very difficult to make any predictions re Rafa given what transpired in the last couple of years.
However, I strongly believe that if Rafa reaches the 2nd week, he will be fav.
The responses of the Big 4 on the ATP site run true to form. Federer with his usual bravado talking up his own chances; Djokovic boasting about his chances but hedging his bets by talking about his injury problems; Andy being realistic, admitting he will be nervous in the early rounds and also accepting it will be a struggle to defend his title; Rafa, as always, never taking the possibility of winning for granted and refusing to look ahead beyond each round. But this year he is sounding quietly confident.
Fantastic roar from the crowd as Andy comes onto court to start the defence of his title.
People have been queuing since Saturday to get a place on Centre Court for this match.
I was just gonna say how it is wonderful to see the crowd greeting and admiring their Champion …Andy’s mother looks so proud…this is what I miss when Rafa steps on the court of RG…and he is their nine-time Champion now…
natashao2013 (at 12:11 pm)),
Roar from the crowd as Rafa steps on the court of RG (starts at 1:55 mark)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqe1c8pGPac
ed what exactly did Djoko say about his wrist again?
I so want a Rafa Murray final here in Wimby. God please grant it to me.
See ATP site here
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2014/06/25/Wimbledon-Preview-Djokovic.aspx
Last week he ducked out of his match at Boodles saying he couldn’t take the risk of playing (an exhibition match, pleeeeze) because of his wrist. A repeat of what happened when he pulled out of a charity match prior to Monte Carlo citing his wrist was too bad for him to play.
The reason why I and so many people are sceptical is the on-off nature of the injury.
Same thing happened last year with his intermittent ankle problem.
natashao2013 – June 23, 2014 at 12:11 pm
‘… and he is their nine-time Champion now…’
Correction = ‘.. and he sis THE nine-time Champion now…’
I don’t understand WHY Rafa fans spread myths created by Fed fans that the RG crowd doesn’t support Rafa!
Video. Rafael Nadal talks about the French crowd (2012)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbhirAf_hBs
I think the ‘you’ Rafa referred to includes Hawkeye.
I surfed Youtube. The difference between Fed fans and Rafa fans is that Fed fans have posted a video of his win at RG in 2009 “The French Open – Roger’s Standing ovation”, but Rafa fans have not made videos of NINE (!) standing ovations Rafa has received at RG after winning the trophy! That’s how people get the impression that only Fed has received ovations!
It’s more like the Rafa fans have spread the myth that Rafa is not treated well at the FO.
I have only seen Rafa fan’s whining about that thing.
Rafa’s words here are consistent with his past criticisms of the French.
First of all, he recognizes the “history” there and does not refute it.
After a long pause to choose his words carefully, Rafa says, “The crowd here is ALMOST perfect every time.”
Again, any time Rafa criticizes the crowd (only at the French BTW), it takes a lot!
The French have historically been very disrespectful of Rafa. Everybody knows this.
Sorry for the Rafans and federazzi who try to spread the myth that they have always respected Rafa.
#HowManyTimes
#YoureWelcome
#Again
a rather subdued roar that Augusta… 🙂 more like a growl 🙂
exactly… 😉
Mind you, I think the response was OTT because it’s Andy and the BBC has be hyping it up no end. The crowd are never that exercised about the defending champion walking onto the court.
Believe it or not, I missed it because I was on my dentist’s list for cancelled appointments, and they called me at 12.30 to be there for 12.45, just as I was getting excited for the great walk-on. The treatment didn’t take long so I was back whilst they were still warming up. I’m going to rewind to see them take to the court.
lol, nadline, you really live tennis! incredible fan you are 🙂
I watched the walk-on now and I have to say, I have NEVER seen the defending champion get a standing ovation ever and I’ve been watching tennis for a few decades now.
^^^ that
you said it all… 🙂
Does anyone have the slightest idea how the ATP decides which player to feature on their Home Page. Why Dolgo and Ferrer during Wimbledon?
@nadline 1:00pm
I haven’t a clue…………..
I agree the sycophantic chats and commentaries are becoming wearisome.
JMac is well and truly on board the Murray bandwagon. The sycophantic commentary on the BBC is really too extreme. It doesn’t matter how much they big Murray up, he still has to win the matches.
Verdasco sent packing
That’s Ricky’s first prediction that’s gone wrong.
I bet Rafa will be served more support/appreciation/admiration from the Wimby crowds tomorrow when he steps on the court than what he has ever received from the RG crowds…and it’s not only because nadline is there… 🙂
Sadly, I’m not there I’m watching on TV.
it does not matter whether you are physically there or not, you are still close enough to send him good vibes and enormous support from all the Rafans here… 🙂
Vamos nadline! 😀
Rafael Nadal: Wimbledon 2014 Champion.
#NID
#15
#3
Vamos!!
I just love this highly optimistic, motivating and convincing post! 🙂
Vamos Rafa!
Murray wraps it up in three
https://twitter.com/Wimbledon/status/481077009171636224/photo/1
Vamos Champ!!
About your comments on Rafa not tired of winning at RG, perhaps you’re right 🙂 a whole decade of winning there would be even more Epic, beyond legend if that’s possible 🙂
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/tennis/483994/I-m-fitter-than-I-ve-been-for-years-says-Rafael-Nadal-on-eve-of-Wimbledon
“At last I am confident that I can play a lot of matches on grass. Before, I was not. It’s the best I have felt for two years.”
How can anyone doubt this man’s motivation this year?
Opponents: be afraid, be very afraid…………
That’s nothing to be afraid of…
Nothing to be afraid of really.
Check with Fed. 🙂
Rafa’s form and confidence has hardly ever been a concern for RF.
Rafa turns up in the same way against him every time. It’s more of a concern which Fed turns up against him.
LOL..”Rafa’s form and confidence has hardly ever been a concern for RF.” Are you serious?? Rafa’s form is a HUGE concern for everyone including federer. how on earth can you say rafa always turns up the same way? The rafa of RG 2008, for example, makes RF’s form totally irrelevant ! On many occasions, Rafa is not playing his best tennis yet he is able to dig out a win over Federer ..but on some occasions, rafa is playing so well that he just destroys federer without giving him a chance
Rafa’s performance in madrid 2009 , for e.g….rafa played a very average match (for reasons we know) which gave an in-form RF a winning chance !
When rafa comes out playing his AGGRESSIVE BEST against federer, its almost a certain win for rafa, usually in a dominant fashion .. When rafa is playing vulnerable tennis or average tennis, THEN federer has a shot of beating him IF he is able to muster enough mental strength
How did Muzza look out there?, the 3rd set nearly went to a tie-break
Gulbis won in three tie-breaks, the last one 12-10!
Winning a match in 3 tiebreaks is just … wrong. Basically the winner never broke serve. One reason why Wimbles is not my favorite tournament.
Wimbles is the same as French Open and Aussie Open in this regard. US Open is even worse with no 5th set TB.
Stepanek is waiting for Nole in the 2nd round.
nadline, the US coverage is even worse. Al least you get coverage of a real contender.
While the defending champ was playing today, we mostly had to watch American Sloan Stephens go out in straights followed by Ryan Harrison losing to BabyFed.
I usually cheer against the Americans because the US coverage is forced to cover the real contenders.
Well, luckily Rafa and Murray are not in the same half of the draw, because when their matches clash we’ve had to watch Rafa on the Red Button which means you can’t record the match or pause or reverse and that also goes for nonentities like Laura Robson, Heather Watson, Dan Evans, James Ward etc. I too root against the lot of them so that we can have a better coverage.
This has been going on for years since the days of Rusedski and Henman.
At least Muzza is a far better consolation to the sorry lot the yanks force feed us.
#GoBlake
hawkeye63 (at 4:11 pm)
—-the US coverage is even worse…—
That’s why you don’t know how the crowd behaves at Rafa’s matches.
With that “logic”, this implies that all posters here besides you, nadline and abhirf are watching US coverage.
Hilarious!
Please gussie, the French open is over. Time for you to move on to spreading your next myth, for sure, no?
Yet another Ricky pick bites the Dust(in).
Too much credit given to players who beat Nadal when he’s nowhere near 100%.
And Verdasco just because he had a deep run last year?
(Same goes for picking Rafa to go out early dismissing his recent claim to be feeling well and wanting to do good. I can’t think of an example of Rafa being so positive entering a tournament and not doing well.)
#HowManyTImes
#YoullLearn
I’ve stopped fretting about picks and predictions. They are meaningless.
Yeah I don’t read anything into them but its still fun having a go at Ricky especially when he ignores Rafa’s good feelings heading into Wimbly. 🙂
Two things stand out. It is rare for Rafa to sound so upbeat before any tournament let alone a Slam. Secondly, he is looking so relaxed and clearly enjoying himself – clearly the down-time in Majorca did him a world of good. Fingers crossed he brings that to the court.
agreed! I said this earlier…its very rare for rafa to be so upbeat…this won’t be wasted…rafa will strike ….watch out
Tsonga Tsailing Tso far. Up 4-0 over Melzer (picked by Ricky to go to the 4th round).
#HowManyTimes???
haha…nice …Tsonga Tsailing Tso far
Tspoke too Tsoon!
(Tserves me right for jumping on Tsonga’s bandwagon. Down two sets to one ATM)
i tsold you tso!
Seppi is another of Ricky’s picks that has gone pear shaped.
Watching Djokovic match now. No signs whatsoever of the ‘wrist problem’ but I have lost count of how many times today the pundits and commies have referred to it. You could be forgiven for thinking his arm was in plaster.
Djokovic said he is totally pain-free now so the commies and fans should stop discussing it i guess and focus on the tennis…the good thing is that all members of the big 4 are fit at the moment
It was kind of annoying to hear the commies go on and on about Novak’s wrist. He skipped an exho and looked good in his first match. So there’s nothing to talk about.
his wrist may suddenly start being a BIG ISSUE when Nole reaches semis or the final to that matter…or it may as well be the “vomiting case” or contact lenses or breathing problems…ridiculous…he should stop making excuses like that…
Ricky’s picks that have gone down the tube
Rola bt Andujar
Puetz bt Gabashvilli
Saville bt Thiem
Tomic bt Donskoy
It’s impossible to get all these picks right. Nobody can get them right unless a fluke of miraculous proportions takes place. I don;t even know who some of these players are !
Rola? Puetz? Saville? Tomic I know but the other three I’ve never heard of let alone seen them play.
exactly ! lol…how on earth is one supposed to get these picks right when you don’t even know who these guys are lol…. Ricky is just doing his usual thing by calling all the matches… you can’t get these right too often
Rola played for Ohio State. Puetz played for Auburn. Saw both play in college.
Saville i saw play last year in Atlanta. No idea how on Earth he beat Thiem.
i Like ricky’s pick ‘Lopez over wawrinka…’ in the 4th rnd…
Yes! Given that Wawrinka hasn’t done anything at Wimbledon in the past and his recent results. I like that pick!
Rafa is 2nd on CC tomorrow.
Federer is 1st on #1 court.
https://twitter.com/LuisGatTWI/statuses/481113214688956417
Lol 🙂
ha. what did the umpire reply? Play the match porco fog, play the match instead to put the gel in your hair?”
Fognini probably spoke in Italian
https://twitter.com/LuisGatTWI/statuses/481149581833822208
I have to admit, I’m nervous about Rafa’s match tomorrow. Just want to see Rafa play well at Wimbledon again.
Vamos Rafa
well. you know what they say? lightning doesn’t strike in the same place twice…I think Rafa will be fine and win in 3 tight sets.
So, let me understand this: Djokovic can’t get a Slam win these days to save his life and Wimby is asking if he will overtake Fed’s Slam tally????
RT @Wimbledon : “Can #Djokovic overtake #Federer’s 17 Grand Slams? Tweet us #yes or #no using #TheWorld The stats so far… pic.twitter.com/j7xynW8r7w”
I, too, am very nervous about Rafa’s match tomorrow. I was following the tweets of people who were at Rafa’s practice today. He played a practice set against Alejandro Falla (Roger’s opponent in the final in Halle), and lost the set 4-6. I assume he wanted to practice with Falla because Falla is a lefty and tomorrow he’ll be facing Klizan, also a lefty. One of the tweeters noted that Rafa was noticeably angry when he lost the set. The same tweeter also noted that Falla left the court “half-dead” but Rafa continued to practice with Marc Lopez.
Klizan should win tomorrow no doubt about it.
Aw jeez filter??? Wha’ happen?
hahahahahahaha.
Next!
You know what Rafa says about people who have no doubts…..
@filter, now that Klizan lost, can we expect the following from you to keep your spirits up?
“Rosol should win tomorrow no doubt about it.”
#KeepHopeAlive
#ClosetFedalFan
I think it’s normal to get butterflies before Rafa’s first match. But I am not going to read much into Rafa’s practice today with Falla. Practice is practice. I remember when Rafa was practicing well, yet it didn’t transfer to the court. That was his post AO funk and the lingering back problem.
Rafa is well aware of what has happened the past two years. He seems determined to right the ship this time. He knows only too well how dangerous the early rounds can be. I expect him to be as ready as he can for his first match.
filter – June 24, 2014 at 12:31 am
If you say ‘should’, that’s just you stating your favouritism to Nadal losing. If you follow this up with ‘no doubt about it’, again it just shows that in your mind you are convinced that Rafa ‘should’ lose. Apart from your predilection your statement doesn’t really bring in any value to this thread since whether or not you are doubtless about Rafa’s defeat is inconsequential tu us all.
Who has lost 3 grass matches in a row and 4 of 5? I’ll give you a hint. It’s not Klizan. Just following the trend.
^^Who has won just one match at Wimbledon? I’ll give YOU a hint. It’s not Rafael Nadal.
Who has been in five finals at Wimbledon and won two titles? Get your history straight!
The winner of the tournament would be from the bottom half of the draw!
And your reason for saying the same Abhi?
Yo mean Roger or Rafa 🙂
who so ever among them reaches the Final.
Maybe, even F.Lopez can win it. He is looking in great touch.
Lopez? is that a joke?
@vamosrafa
Lopez has been playing some excellent grass court tennis of late..
Who knows if things fall in place for him..
Sure. Feli made the quarters.
Three years ago.
Before he was an old man.
Like Fed and the rest of Fed’s quarter.
#Rigged
I think Rafa can expect a lot of dropshots today
One of these things is not like the others…
https://twitter.com/Tennis/status/481479175979556866
#CupCakeDraw
#Rigged
#ConspiratorPostOfTheDay
Benneteau. Really Tiggy?
I guess he was the bigg-EST threat though.
#ForSnowDevil
#Relativity
#OldTimers&DirtBallers
My guess is that Rafa will be on Court 1 vs Rosol.
(Muzza on ct 1 tomorrow.)
Staying with your Fed pick Ricky?
If so, who’s gonna stop Rafa, no?
#Checkmate
Nole has to face Stepanek in R2 , Tsonga in R4.. Gulbis in Qf..
#ToughestDraw
IF tsonga gets there and IF Gulbis gets there. Besides, Tsonga has been been awful tennis. He needs a big revival
@vamosrafa,
who will beat Tsonga before the 4th round??
Yep, just like Fed got the easiest quarter with ZERO 25 and under threats…
Rafa: Raonic, Nishikori
Fed: pfft.
Muzza: BabyFed
Nole: Gulbis
Fed : Stan, Lopez
Wasn’t aware they were 25 and under.
Stan. At Wimby. A threat. Hahahahahaha.
#YoullLearn
Raonic too hasn’t made it past 2nd round, no.
Wasn’t aware what “ZERO 25 and under threats” meant…
I thought you were referring to their potential quarter finalists.
Raonic hasn’t had as near as many chances as Stanisfluke.
Took Fed three sets and two tiebreaks to beat Milos in Halle when Milos was just 21.
Fed would prefer to play Stan on grass than Milos who he was lucky to beat. Milos is a much better player today than two years ago.
#CupcakeDraw
^^ So is Stan.
Out of context.
I will repeat.
Raonic is a much better player today than he was when Fed scrapped by him on grass two years ago.
#HopeThisHelps
#PleaeComeAgain
Better, but still not good enough.
#HopeThisHelps
To summarize, Fed would rather have Stanifluke than Raonic on grass for reasons exhaustively explained.
Raonic has the potential ability to take the racquet out of his opponent’s hands. Fed scrapped by him two years ago.
Grass is by far Stanifluke’s worse surfrace. Stanifluke is struggling since AO.
#YoullLearn
Let the tournament progress
#YouWillLearn
Rhetoric without substance.
#MaybeYouWontAfterAll
is @filter the same as @Twinge from TT??
Sounds same with his/her Fedal era comments.
^^I don’t know, @abhirf. This @filter certainly shares @Twinge’s antipathy towards Fedal with none of @Twinge’s caustic humour I am afraid! @filter just comes across as jealous and bitter. Bitterness without humour is, well………boring.
Also, @Twinge was clearly and positively a Muzza fan. Hard to know who @filter supports to be honest. All I see are just anti-fedal posts from him (yes, gotta be a he), nothing positive about any player. Shame.
Bad for tennis? Easy Fedal.
Good for tennis? Nishikori, Dimitrov, Raonic, Thiem, Gulbis, Dolgopolov, Tomic, Lajovic, Janowicz, del Potro. I could go on but new blood is badly needed at these type of major tournaments.
^^Well, for some, mediocrity really is good. Thanks for letting us know all we need to know about you.
That’s an insult to twinge who had some great wit and entertaining personality. Twinge was a devout Muzza fan.
filter is your basic fly-by-night dime-a-dozen one-dimensional troll with no imagination. Hardly worth responding to sad to say. Just throwing shite out to get a rise.
Tomic? hahahahahaha, shows how much it knows about tennis.
^^^^^Twinge was a lot of fun and witty too. And HE knew his tennis. A milder form of you in fact.
I sure hope Ricky’s Wawa prediction pans out, and early too, so we can stop being fed this sort of tripe:
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/06/25/sports/tennis/wimbledon-2014-wawrinka-steps-out-of-federers-shadow.html?_r=1
“But what about now, after Wawrinka, the proverbial Everyman (if only in the context of world-class tennis), has in the last six months achieved what Federer has not done in two years — won a major and solved the riddle of Rafael Nadal?”
Fed just needs to solve the riddle of having Rafa injured during the match. Brilliant ploy by Stanisfluke Wawrinka. Why didn’t Fed think of that?
But filter, no one hands greatness out for free they have to earn it. These young players have to do the same……………….beat the best to be the best. Rafa beat the World #1 at the age of 17 at their first meeting.
All I can say ritb is that they obviously don’t want the facts to get in the way of a good story, also that they think Rafa is a riddle to be solved shows nothing but respect for him.
I want Rafa and Stan to meet asap so that Rafa can kill the ridiculous assumptions that he beat a fit Rafa. They never even mention that Stan beat a fit Novak, which suggests to me that Novak doesn’t command the same respect as a tennis player as Rafa.
” They never even mention that Stan beat a fit Novak, which suggests to me that Novak doesn’t command the same respect as a tennis player as Rafa.”
True dat, well said……………
Hey Ricky, who’s gonna take out Rafa for your Fed pick now?
#Rhetorical
#YoullLearn
The Rafa-train just left Klizan station and is bearing down on the Fed station, with a scheduled stop at the Rosol station tomorrow. Scheduled maintenance will take place at the Fed station, before making another tilt at the Final station.
Vamos!
This article from Tiggy was quietly updated yesterday.
http://issues.tennistuesday.net/6-24-2014/p/5
Fed’s biggest threat in his tough quarter was originally 32 yr old Benneteau but is now suddenly Stanisfluke Wawrinka (never past the 4th round).
#CupcakeQuarter
Stan better than Raonic, no.
(Never been past the 2nd round)
That’s a statement. Not a question.
And I agree. No. Nor on grass.
Raonic is young. Stanifluke has had nine appearances compared to Raonic’s four and has only made it two rounds further than Raonic.
Two years ago when Raonic was just 21, Fed beat Raonic on grass 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3).
Raonic is a much better player now and I am sure, Fed is happy to have Stanifluke in his comfy quarter instead of Raonic.
#YoureWelcome
^^ Just your assumption, no.
Stan has been playing much better for past 1 year, improving his game. He did beat Fed this year.
I can’t see how Raonic would have been a tougher opponent for Fed. He just has a big serve, while Stan has an all court game.
And so much for the young guns when all they have done is wilt against the top guys on countless opponents. They have been schooled numerous times.
Check the Halle scoreline from TWO years ago.
Fed choked under pressure of last chance for a career MC win.
Other than MC, Stanifluke is a meagre 7-6 between AO and grass season this year and has never gone past the 4th round. His last four losses against players ranked 70, 35, 116 and 70.
#15minutesOfFame
#GameOver
^^ oops typo. i meant ‘countless occassions’
There’s no need to check the scoreline. I watched that complete match.
I have watched every Fed vs Raonic match. All Fed has to do is wait to get a read on that serve. It may cost him a set but not the match.
Raonic still has a long way to go.
(BTW, according to your reasoning above, Benneteau should be a bigger threat to Fed, no. Stretched him to 5 sets here, even Hewitt has defeated Fed on the grass)
No. It’s relative.
Bennetteau is two years further from his peak playing years.
Raonic is two years closer to his peak playing years.
I don’t believe Fed thinks deciding set tiebreaks are a sound strategy to consistent success.
#HopeThisHelps
#YoureWelcome
I always suspected Wimby patrons of having good taste, now I know why:
https://twitter.com/Wimbledon/status/481775903216001025/photo/1
The World’s taste – on the left; the Hill’s taste – on the right:
https://twitter.com/augustazeight/status/478856751912321025/photo/1
BTW, did Stakhovsky really took Fed’s words of meeting in the Final seriously 😉
Ricky did pick Staks over Gulbis in 5.
Well, he is like Klizan. Swing away at everything and 1 or 2 will go in from time to time, fore sure, no?
Rafa should actually be paid an appearance fee at Wimby 2014. He is the only one of the Big 4 with interesting matches.
^ you mean to say Klizan vs Rafa was interesting.
It would probably go down as one of the worst matches of the tournament.
^^You watched it, so did the whole universe for that matter, waiting (and some hoping) for Rafa to implode.
That’s major interest.
I mean, look at Muzza rolling over Rola……..
#Yawn
Riiiight. Fed over Lorenzi had soooo much more going for it.
pfft.
Spoken like a true fedfan.
I watched Fed vs Lorenzi, Muzza vs Goffin, Nole vs Golubev, so did the world…
^^@ritb and @hawkeye
Spoken like true Rafans
At least one player was/is playing some good tennis in those 2 matches.
In Rafa vs Klizan, it was just shabby from both.
Well with that “logic”, you’d be better off watching Dancing WIth The Stars than either of those two matches.
Fed beat another player from his Weak Era.
#GeezersAndDirtBallers
#Rigged
As if Klizan is some next generation star.. pfft..
and with your logic, you’d be better off watching Golf or Dancing with (whatever it is)
#ConsistentlyInconsistentBallBashers
Again. You are cherry picking out of context. One step above insults.
Never said Klizan was. Show me.
This is what I said:
Rafa: Raonic, Nishikori
Fed: pfft.
Muzza: BabyFed
Nole: Gulbis
#HopeThisHelps
#YoullGetThere
#PleaseComeAgain
^ you are doing the cherry picking.
Did Rafa play Raoni/Nishi.. no.
#HopeThisHelps
#YouAreWelcomeAgain
Yes. He’s played both.
As usual, you don’t seem to have a relevant point.
#Deflection
Do you even try to read and comprehend what you write..
I will help you..
^^@ritb and @hawkeye
Spoken like true Rafans
At least one player was/is playing some good tennis in those 2 matches.
In Rafa vs Klizan, it was just shabby from both.
hawkeye63 says:
June 25, 2014 at 1:38 pm
Well with that “logic”, you’d be better off watching Dancing WIth The Stars than either of those two matches.
Fed beat another player from his Weak Era.
#GeezersAndDirtBallers
#Rigged
abhirf says:
June 25, 2014 at 1:46 pm
As if Klizan is some next generation star.. pfft..
and with your logic, you’d be better off watching Golf or Dancing with (whatever it is)
#ConsistentlyInconsistentBallBashers
hawkeye63 says:
June 25, 2014 at 1:51 pm
Again. You are cherry picking out of context. One step above insults.
Never said Klizan was. Show me.
This is what I said:
Rafa: Raonic, Nishikori
Fed: pfft.
Muzza: BabyFed
Nole: Gulbis
#HopeThisHelps
#YoullGetThere
#PleaseComeAgain
abhirf says:
June 25, 2014 at 1:58 pm
^ you are doing the cherry picking.
Did Rafa play Raoni/Nishi.. no.
#HopeThisHelps
#YouAreWelcomeAgain
hawkeye63 says:
June 25, 2014 at 2:03 pm
Yes. He’s played both.
As usual, you don’t seem to have a relevant point.
#Deflection
Can I know when did Rafa played Raonic or Nishi in Wimbledon 2014. He’s only played Klizan as far as I can remember.
As I said
#CherryPickingHawkeye
#PoorArguements
#LosingRegularly
OMG, that post was scoretracker worthy.
#ADD
You didn’t say at Wimby.
#Revisionism
#YoureWelcome
Totally agree, ritb. In fact, Rafa always puts on the best show even when it’s a straight forward victory.
Amy Fetherolf is an idiot, or is just plain jealous of Rafa’s volleying skills:
RT @AmyFetherolf : “Rafa’s good up at the net, but calling him the best volleyer on tour is laughable.”
Stepanek is the best at the moment.
No. Best S&V possibly but not best volley overall.
Muzz and Fed have better volleys than Rafa.
Not according to John McEnroe (quite the volleyer himself so he knows of what he speaks).
I just hope Fed comes to net many times against Rafa like he did in 2008.
^^
#CherryPickingHawkeye
Abhirf out of arguments (as poor as they were).
(post left blank intentionally)
#NotWorthyOfAResponse
#NoSubstanceNorHumour
Still you Respond
#CherryPickingHawkeye
#YouAreWelcomeAgain
Abhirf out of arguments (as poor as they were).
(post left blank intentionally)
#NotWorthyOfAResponse
#NoSubstanceOrHumour
This is what the poor woman, Amy Fetherolf, has as justification for her opinion on Rafa’s volleying skills:
RT @AmyFetherolf : “Did anyone ever consider that Rafa wins such a high % of points at the net because he only comes in when he’s set up the point well?”
Soooo, when else is Rafa supposed to approach, when he has NOT set up a point well? So, good volleyers approach the net blind? Thank goodness Rafa is not as dumb as Amy Fetherolf.
The BBC is showing Murray on one channel and a British girl on the other channel, even though her match finished ages ago and showing nothing of Ferrer or Dimi’s matches.
The BBC should realize that this is an international competition. I also love the way they refer to all the British players by their British ranking and everyone else by their world ranking. What’s the fact that Heather Watson is the British #1 got to do with anything at Wimbledon?
Yep. in Canada, if it’s not an American such as Querrey or Isner, now we have the Canadian sports network, replacing the American feeds with the court coverage of Milos and Genie (which admittedly is still better than the US players).
Fed looking old…
https://twitter.com/Tennis/status/481780215836721152
#AgeCreamCandidate
For abhirf…
https://twitter.com/thetennisspace/status/481757341789208576
That’s routine stuff..
For Rafa.
nadline, you beat me to the punch(bag). 🙂
That’s routine stuff for any professional tennis player..
#PoorRafans
#PunchBags
(post left blank intentionally)
#NotWorthyOfAResponse
#NoSubstanceNorHumour
Aw c’mon @abhirf, don’t be jealous……….
Still you responded
#YouAreWelcomeAgain
Abhirf out of arguments (as poor as they were).
(post left blank intentionally)
#NotWorthyOfAResponse
#NoSubstanceNorHumour
@ritb
Jealous of what??
That’s really routine stuff that we get to see.
They may appear special to you guys just cause of being Rafa fans, but the truth is we get to see these shots nowadays much more.
Wimbledon must be “you guys” because Rafa had their Shot Of The Day.
#YouLose
#PleaseTryAgain
^^ Your point being??
There are shots of day for every day, no.
That makes it a routine thing, no.
Also, 1 good point doesn’t reflect the quality of the match else Fognini and La Monf would have always featured in the matches of tournament.
#YouLose
#PleaseTryAgain
Well maybe not but “1 good point” is more than you’ve made all day, no?
Ting!
Why is Dimi on CC and Ferrer is shoved to Ct #2. They have put Dimi in the elite abnd even before he’s done anything. So he won a 250 at Queens………:( He is not even in the top 10.
Dimitrov = all hat and no cattle.
Blaz Rola rolled over winning just two games vs. Muzz.
This just out. Rola to be in Fed’s US Open quarter.
#YoureWelcome
how did Muzz win so easily?
Blaz Rola.
#GoBlake
Hey Ricky, who’s gonna beat Rafa now for Fed to win Wimbly?
#RadioSilence
#Shhh…CheckmateAtWork
#abhirfKnowsYourPain
#TooHotToTouch
Rosol
Ricky Dimon says:
Nadal over Rosol in 3
#TooLate
#WaffleCone
abhirf, would you care to put up some of the amazing shots you refer to other players to prove your point?
you can find those on youtube if you are really interested.
I can’t share these links due to incompatibility of the device I’m using.
#TechnicallyHandicapped
Very convenient excuse. Just tell us who was playing these amazing shots, when and where so we can do the search.
It’s upto you whether you see it as a excuse or well whatever…
But the reality is I can’t and it doesn’t changes
If you do want to check those, you may well start with Monfils, Fognini, Dimitrov. Fed, Nole, Muzza, Tsonga etc etc..
Just search their names with suffix ‘best points’ and you will find plenty of those.
Wimbledon has all of those “shots” and they picked Rafa.
Over Fed.
#YouLose
#PleaseTryAgain
Wimbledon of course won’t show ‘those shots’ from other tournaments, no.
#InabilityToComprehendFlaresAgain
#PleaseTryAgain
@nadline,
An even better place would be to check out the ATP World Tour channel on youtube and search for the hotshots on the channel.
We’re not a mind readers abhirf.
You keep adding qualifiers AFTER the fact.
Hilarious.
That didn’t require any mind reading.
As I said you were just doing cherry picking without even reading properly.
“qualifiers AFTER the fact.’ – That statement probably requires much of a mind reading than mine’s.
Truly Hilarious
Abhirf out of arguments (as poor as they were).
(post left blank intentionally)
#NotWorthyOfAResponse
#NoSubstanceNorHumour
Hawkeye out of arguments (as poor as they were).
(post left blank intentionally)
#NotWorthyOfAResponse
#NoSubstanceNorHumour
You can also watch Dimitrov vs Saville.
So many contenders for shot of the day.
#IfYouAreReallyInterested
OK, we’ll see if Dimi and Saville make the Wimbledon Shot of the Day.
I said contenders for it, not the SHOT.
They may give it to him, but think they will give it from the Muzza match.
#TopGuysFriendlyTournaments
#TopGuysFriendlyTournaments
Better than Fed’s then.
#Progress
Today is a dull day at Wimby.
Not Really.
@nadline10 at 2:27 pm, totally agree. Even @abhirf would rather spend his time amusing us than watching what’s on offer!
Really???
You think so??
Then probably I should warn you from having any such imaginary beliefs.
Gosh!!
#PoorNadarazzis
Abhirf out of arguments (as poor as they were).
(post left blank intentionally)
#NotWorthyOfAResponse
#NoSubstanceNorHumour
#PunchbagFederazzi
#NoOriginality
Hawkeye out of arguments (as poor as they were).
(post left blank intentionally)
#NotWorthyOfAResponse
#NoSubstanceNorHumour
#PunchbagFederazzi
#NoOriginality
Thanks for proving my point abhirf!
Hilarious!
#YouLose
#PleaseComeAgain
#LikeShootingFishInABarrel
I’ve noticed that no matter who is playingand who the commies are, they can’t help referring to what Nadal does, what to do against him etc. Amazing!
#ArmchairQuarterbacks
#GoldStandard
#Phenomenadal
Does anyone think Radek AKA Czech Lady Whisperer has a chance against Nole?
I don’t think Radek will beat Nole.
But he has a really good chance of stretching Nole to 4 or 5 sets.
no
The Royal Box is empty for Nole’s match.
Have just seen Camilla there.
#RoyalByMarriage
She’s probably rooting for the Czech Lothario.
Stepanek has an excellent game for grass ,esp for these early rounds
exactly.
Pretty tough for other players for him being an unseeded opponent here
He will test Nole.
agreed… btw, Muller will also be a tough one for federer… these players are quite some test if the top players get them in the early rounds
@vamosrafa,
haven’t seen Muller play for past 2 yrs.
Don’t know his current state of game.
his big-hitting can be dangerous though.
Too old.
#GeezersAndDirtBallers
#CupCakeQuarter
@abhirf, that’s the thing about Players like Muller. They are nowhere to be seen but they often come out in the grass reason like worms do in rainfall !
Muller will play his game. He’l serve really big and hit flat and approach the net. Fed’s return game will have to be clicking. One break of serve is usually enough>
Fed’s back was not in a good state last year. This year he seems more confident. He’ll handle these challenges much better I suppose
^^^^^In short. No. Much as I would enjoy to see the Upset of the Tournament. lol.
Who knows.. You may get to see it..
Fishface will choke here.
#NID
This Djokovic does not look convincing to me…………..and Le Grouper does not look serious out there.
Hey @Sanju, you must be very pleased with Rafa’s positive attitude at Wimby 2014. You have always complained that Rafa is too negative about his chances:
“Good training session in Wimbledon. It was very sunny!”
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152312246026026
I predicted him to win Wimby 2014, did I not? I think I am the only guy on this site who said it out loud 🙂
Haha. Like I said.
Fishface lost just six points in his 1st five service games. Fivein his 6th.
#MentalMidget
#WeakEraPlayer
#Yawn
#NID
there was a convo above regarding the volleying skills of Rafa,Fed,Muzz, Stepanek..here is my take on it:
I don’t think federer is that good a volleyer. Federer is a very good volleyer but he has limitations at the net…. Federer has much better reflexes in the forecourt than rafa…so does Muzz…
But, Rafa to me, is the best when it comes to hitting touch/drop volleys..he does that much better than fed… rafa does not have great punch volleys and he does not like to play totally reflex volleys….But when he moves in with purpose, he has better volleys than Both Fed and Muzz
Fed can look like an excellent volleyer but sometimes he looks like a very confused net player ! That happens esp against rafa when fed is out of sorts…
Mcenroe thinks rafa is the best volleyer among the big 4 !
Regarding fed vs rafa, I think rafa has much better touch volleys while federer has the better punch and instinctive volleys…
Stepanek is a very good NET RUSHER but not necessarily the best of volleyers… Tsonga has really good volleys too !
Better punch volleys?…. or punchbag volleys.
hahaha… I mean hitting though the volleys lol..
rafa often makes too thin a contact on his volleys and that costs him sometimes when going for the open court….
haha I know VR, just poking fun at abhirf’s expense.
Nice analysis. Would still like to see Rafa go to net more, especially on grass.
hahah yeah I can see that 😛
and yes, Rafa going to the net more often would be great because that would mean rafa is playing very aggressive tennis… It’s very very rare for rafa to venture the net on neutral balls….he can do that on mid-court balls but not often….rafa’s improvement on volleys and net play is MIND-BLOWING.
Agreed, but most of that improvement happened years ago IMO.
He is too conservative still and needs to end points earlier by coming to net more often when the opportunities present themselves.
All of a sudden my comments are not appearing in the Recent Comments Column and one is under moderation…
Hey Ricky, are you Sean Randall in disguise?
#RafanTribulations
^^^^^^That happened to me too earlier today.
Has there been any more speculation by the commentators about the ND wrist. Or has that subject finally been laid to rest?
It’s on standby.
#HoldingPattern
Like abhirf’s “logic” lol!
^^^^ ?
or Hawkeye’s logic??
More originality
Again, thanks for proving my point for me lol..
Well that’s quite the weak era challenge ol’ fishlips is presenting Nole with down a set and a break.
#ThreeAndOut
#NID
^^Hey don’t laugh, this is scintillating stuff for @abhirf, complete with mind-boggling shot-making! 😀
^^
#PoorNadarazzis
#GoodAtImaginingThingsOnly
abhirf misses the weak era.
^ there has never been a weak era. It’s just a poor Nadarazzi myth to salvate themselves.
Weak era = no consitent player meeting the No. 1 player in slam finals.
#AllCreditToHoldserve
^^
“#AllCreditToHoldserve”
Poor you.
Fell for a delusionist.
Probably this would help..
http://www.oregonlive.com/the-spin-of-the-ball/index.ssf/2014/06/is_rafael_nadal_the_best_becau.html
Anytime I see a link from oregonlive, I immediately dismiss.
#FederazziFanboy
Ok so you can continue to feel and wish whatever you want.
I don’t expect the Rafa fans to understand any sane logic that speaks about Fed and his dominance.
Hard to accept for Rafa fans.
#PoorNadarazzis
Thanks for your permission!
BTW, he can’t dominate his competition the way Rafa has with a winning record against everyone in the Top 40.
Most great players past and present have stated Rafa is the GOAT!!!
(e.g., McEnroe, Agassi, Nole, Muzza to name just a few). Even the great Pete Sampras says if he had such a losing record against Agassi, it wouldn’t sit right with him.
#23-10
I didn’t said that Fed is the GOAT.
Even in the article I mentioned above, they present Rafa mostly with the GOAT label.
I just mentioned it so that you can just understand what Fed did in his prime was remarkable due to his unmatched ability and not cause of some weak era.
I won’t go on into the GOAT arguement (there can’t really be one, that’s what I feel)
Federazzi Weak Era defined well by Holdserve (unchallenged by abhirf).
#PatentInfringement
#Federazzi(TM) have no originality nor sense of humour.
(nor logic come to think of it)
#PoorNadarazzis
#PoorLogics
(response left empty due to lack of abhirf’s point)
#Humb1e
Holdserve was hardly ever able to define weak era.
All that she could do in the end was to bring up the H2H of Rafa & Fed.
But, I think I should not be arguing with someone who believes in delusionist Holdserves logics.
^^ in reply to @Hawkeye’s 5:05 pm post.
Nope. Wrong again. I provided holdserve’s objective definition above.
Please read more carefully/
“Weak era = no consitent player meeting the No. 1 player in slam finals.
#AllCreditToHoldserve”
So according to Holdserve’s logic, the weak era lasted till 2011 FO, no.
#PoorNadarazzis
#PoorAtLogic
#DelusionistFanboy
Ferru down a break in the deciding set.
Andy’s draw getting even easier. Not necessarily a good thing before a Nole SF.
Especially as he has had a virtual w/o for his first two matches.
He was quite ill last weak with speculation that he might pull out so might have something to do with it.
and Berdych is down a set and in a 2nd set TB with……………..Tomic.
Because……….
Is anyone watching BerTom vsTomBer??
That’s actually not bad abhirf. Your post of the day!
Not like Rafa’s shot of the day, but still.
#BetterLateThanNever
It’s probably yours best post of the Day.
#BetterLateThanNever
(response left empty due to lack of abhirf’s point)
#Humb1e
#Yawn
Still you responded
#You’reWelcome
Abhirf out of arguments (poor as they were).
(post left blank intentionally)
#NotWorthyOfAResponse
#NoSubstanceNorHumour
#PunchbagFederazzi
#NoOriginality
Hawkeye out of arguments (poor as they were).
(post left blank intentionally)
#NotWorthyOfAResponse
#NoSubstanceNorHumour
#PunchbagFederazzi
#NoOriginality
Federazzi have no originality of their own. Should have quit after TomBer BerTom.
Like Stanisfluke, you had your 15 seconds of fame.
Jimmy Wang (true name, born in Saudi Arabia) is up a set on Youzhny;
Simon up a set on Haase;
Wang!
Johnny Mac says Rafa should have been top seed at Wimby………..
Now there’s a man who knows his tennis.
They should either go with ATP ranking or existing formula.
They used to just make it up.
It’s over for Ferru, bar the shouting…….
Kuznetsov serving for the match
Ferru out.
Is Djokovic wearing legal shoes this year?
He left last year’s shoes in his egg.
^^^^
Too funny! 🙂
Ferrer out
RT @Wimbledon: “Ferrer, who reached the R16 at the last 16 Slams, is OUT. The 7th seed falls to Andrey Kuznetsov, who beats a top 10 player for the 1st time”
Potential Muzza-Dimitrov quarterfinal.
Wow, Daveed loses 2/6 in the 5th. He looked tired.
Ferru should have withdrawn from Wimby.
He was really ill and it showed in his matches.
The last thing I read about Ferrer’s illness was that it had lingered for over 10 days and it included significant stomach distress. He was having a series of tests done but I don’t remember seeing anything after that. It might’ve been a factor in this loss.
Wang leading Youzhny 2 sets to love…..
Djokovic beating up on an Old man and fist-pumping like mad………..
and why isn’t Djokovic getting a time violation warning?
Because he has a losing h2h vs Fed and he’s not the GOAT.
#Obvious
Rafa 1st to qualify for year end exhos:
https://twitter.com/BenRothenberg/status/481842626023677952
#GOAT
#NID
#IndoorsIsForPunchbags
^ That’s why Rafa is punched out there evey year, no.
He puched punchbag out last meeting there from what I recall but just an exho anyways.
#IndoorsIsForPunchbags
#4-1
#RafaThePunchbag
#CherryPicking
#Yesteryear
#Yawm
hawkeye63 says:
June 26, 2014 at 11:02 am
#CherryPicking
Just like you have been doing through all along.
#YouAreWelcomeAgain
#Boring
The above post from “abhirf” is too dull for a witty and thoughful response.
Please do not reply as this is an automated response.
#Zzzzzz
I am losing patience with the BBC.. The constant interruptions to bring updates from other matches is getting to me.
Thanks to Hawkeye for introducing us to definish.com one can watch all the scores on other courts while keeping an eye on this less than exciting Centre Court match.
Yeah its pretty good but that site covers ATP level tournaments much better with Match Results and OOP. Hoe they add this soon for majors.
Looks like Bojangles will defeat Vika in the next upset…leads 4-1 in the 3rd.
OMG, a prime federazzi article abhirf would be sure to love.
http://espn.go.com/tennis/wimbledon14/story/_/id/11133196/wimbledon-rafael-nadal-gone-champ-challenger-london
Among other federazzi statements, she makes a big deal out of Rafa’s 1st set loss yesterday (but doesn’t mention Fed’s 1st set loss on grass this year).
federazzi journos trying to write Rafa out of the tournament before he meets fed in the semis.
Hilarious!
#CantWait
Nole will break here to serve out the match.
#ThreeAndOut
#NID
One BBC commentator refers to Djoko as the ‘would be champion’, he was introduced as the favourite by JMac similarly the same commentator kept referring to him as the favourite at RG.
He is/was the favourite.
He has been the favorite so far but he won’t be the favorite when week 2 rolls around….esp qtr final onward
Oh abhirf, say it ain’t so…
Your post of the day wasn’t even yours???
https://twitter.com/BenRothenberg/status/481848753591451648
#NoOriginality
#GiveCreditWhereCreditsDue
#ShouldHaveKnown
#SoDisappointedInYou
#TomBer(TM)
TomBer over BerTom…wish I had thought of that…clever.
(so does abhirf)
^^ Hawkeye, your above post shows again you hardly read anything you are posting the tweet after the 3rd set, when I had posted the same thing in b/w the 2nd set
#YouAreWelcomeAgain
#PoorNadarazzis
#FalseImaginations
???
Pfft
@Hawkeye 5:21 pm
I should have probably copyrighted that.
Never knew Rothenberg read Tenngrands forum.
#OriginalCreations
#StopPiracy
Chapeau to old Steps hanging on in there to the bitter end.
Berdy takes the TB to go 2:1 up on Tomic. He’s been making heavy weather of his matches so far.
Steps won set 3! hoping for a combative set 4.
Watching a bit of the Azarenka/Jovanoski match. The commentator just described Jovan’s grunt as “multisyllabic.” lol. It is.
So is Francesca Schiavone’s with three!
That must be some noisy match, no?
Nole should really just fire BB.
Agree…send him back to his broom closet. Have to say, BB has not aged well. He looks like an alcoholic. or maybe he’s a redneck. Is that an insult to rednecks?
I think it’s just embarrassment.
#DoingTheBlushings
I think it’s just embarrassment.>>
BB is always embarrassed? yeah, maybe you’re on to something.
Vamos Jovanovski six points from the match!!!
Buh-bye fishface.
#3andOut
#NID
#ImaPoet
#DontEvenKnowIt
hawkeye63 (at 5:35 pm),
You said bye too soon!
Geez gussie, I thought you were abhirf for a moment. 🙂
Stone the crows……………….. 😀
All he had to do was win two last points on his own serve.
This has a lot to do with why he lost to Stanisfluke in the AO semis and why he’s 1-5 in his last six slam finals.
He will not win Wimbly.
#FireBB
Steps will fold now.
#Overachiever
#AntiJinxings
Hope they have the stretcher at the ready to carry Steps off the court at the end of this match……. 🙂
I hope the bandages are ready for Djoko’s arm.
haha 🙂
What are the odds he will mention it in his presser?
Like a fish out of water…
https://twitter.com/SI_Tennis/status/481854529672335360
Hawkeye, what’s the good of being the favourite if you don’t win the title?
No good. Wasn’t my point though.
What was your point?
nadline10 says:
June 25, 2014 at 5:20 pm
One BBC commentator refers to Djoko as the ‘would be champion’, he was introduced as the favourite by JMac similarly the same commentator kept referring to him as the favourite at RG.
My point is he is/was the favourite.
#DontYou???
https://twitter.com/BBC_Tennis/status/481854357327986689
Uncle Toni believes Nadal, who spent eight months out with a knee injury following the defeat by Rosol, is in better shape this year than he has been for two years for the rematch against the Czech.
“It’s a different Rafa Nadal than two years ago,” he said. “A better Rafa Nadal. In 2012, he had many problems when he arrived at Wimbledon.
“Rafa struggled in every practice, he couldn’t go down on his knees, which is important on grass, and his mentality was not good enough for that reason.
“But now he has good movement and not much pain. He is the number one in the world and that should give him some confidence.
“Of course, Rafa can lose because Rosol is a good player and he has a good serve, but I hope Rafa is good enough to beat him.”
Steps is treating this match like it’s a Davis Cup final.
oh come on, ok you can argue that fed’s prime was not in a ‘weak era’ but if you are comparing what fed went through in his prime and what nadal/djokovic have been going through, then OBVIOUSLY that era was much much weaker. 2008 onward and then esp 2010-11 onward it was the GOLDEN PERIOD… Lendl once said he would struggle big time in this golden age of the Big 4…countless examples of former players saying that..
I don’t think its a science….the ‘big 4’ has been the most lethal big 4 ever perhaps ! in terms of talent, fitness, consistency and everything else..
Djokovic alone is > Roddick+hewitt+safin
@vamosrafa,
Brilliant! You said it all so well! 🙂
WOW,..djokovic handed him that point ! AMAZING from nole 🙂
good to hear from you NNY 🙂 thanks
besides, look at djokovic’s consistency ! he is so damn consistent on slam level…he has 6 slams and he is a bigger a player than that!
Imagine winning a grand slam where you are to beat djokovic, federer back to back and imagine a grand slam where you have to beat Roddick,hewitt back to back ! please, don;t tell me its not a MUCH weaker era !
the problem was that NONE of fed’s competitors was a complete package, NONE ! hewitt was just a much downgraded version of djokovic and even Murray… Roddick was mentally nowhere as strong as these giants and he had weaknesses in his game….Safin, well, is one of the perfect examples of being a pure waste of talent ! Same goes for nalby ! There was a time l
Very commendable sportsmanship from Novak to concede that point to Step. This match is much tighter than I thought it would be. I knew Step could be trouble, but didn’t think it would be this close.
The top players concede points all the time. Rafa rubs marks off all the time and invites the umpire to inspect the line even after he’s been awarded the point.
no….I have not seen anyone concede this big a point… and this was quite different, the umpire had called a replay of the point but djokovic awarded stepanek the point !
@vamosrafa,
but Djoko and even Muzza have said it clearly no that they would not have been the same players today if it hadn’t been for Fed.
Besides, they still struggle against Fed when he is hardly playing anything good these days. What’s the guarantee that they would have beaten him in the slams in his prime??
I have no issue against the GOLDEN PERIOD which I think is true but if you start comparing other periods with this period than every era will be relatively weak, no.
And if this GOLDEN PERIOD is really the criteria to judge a player, then Nole should be the best, no. Won 5 slams (= to Rafa), reached most Slam finals, Won the most no. of masters, Won most no. of YEC’s.
This whole comparison thing is a dumb stuff.
Also, Djokovic may be > Hewitt+Safin+Roddick. But was he good enough to beat Fed in those slams in his prime, when he is losing so many finals. Highly doubtful..
Muzza.. well, he’s still not close to Djokovic, wouldn’t know if he could have presented any better challenge.
The biggest indicator is Rafa. Nole and Muzza are not able to beat Rafa who is not even close to his young days game. How would have they beaten against Fed in his prime??
“Lendl once said he would struggle big time in this golden age of the Big 4…countless examples of former players saying that.”
How would have these big 4 performed if they had to play in Lendl’s era with those racquets? tennis has not been the same, no.
The match Djoko vs Stepanek has lasted over 180 minutes. Great! The longer, the better!
Good job, Stepanek! 5 sets would have been better!
Why? Novak is quite fit. He’s not going to be tired out from a match like this. In fact, it could be quite the opposite. Since he hasn’t played any matches prior to Wimbledon, this match could give him the match play that he didn’t get prior to the tournament.
It was a surprising decision. I guess he felt confident he could win the game anyway.
…….. and if it went to a TB he would get the match.
lol…you’l never give djokovic credit, ed 😛 it was an awesome display of sportsmanship, nothing else… when the point is so big, you cannot pretend …
At RG IN 2011, it was set point to Lorenzi against Rafa and Rafa conceded a point to him and has done it countless times. Djoker and Rafa do it all the time much more than Fed and Muzz.
You’re right. It was a display of good sportsmanship and it is curmudgeonly of me to say it was a calculated risk.
Rafa never played Lorenzi at RG in 2011 !, are you talking about rome?
yes, rafa also concedes points… but this one here by djokovic was quite remarkable… cleaning a ball mark on clay before the umpire comes is good sportsmanship but in that scenario its delaying the inevitable because the umpire will eventually check…rafa , has however, conceded some points portraying great spirit..
I agree that rafa and nole concede the most points…
@vamosrafa,
You are absolutely correct. That was a crucial point in the match. If Novak was broken at that point, then Steps would be serving to win the fourth set and send it into a fifth set. In this instance, I give Novak credit for doing that.
Of course, Rafa concedes points. He is a great sportsman. But what does Novak conceding a critical point in a match have to do with Rafa/
Maybe Nole felt bad for when his racquet went over the net vs Muzz and he didn’t concede the point and is now trying to make up for it.
To give Djoko his due, he does that all the time, so does Rafa.
So much for BB’s input 🙂
lol…djokovic has been lucky in the tie break…match pnt
Will we see bandages?
I guess Rafa will be on Ct 1 tomorrow.
why are they not releasing the order of play ! waitinggg…Rafa HAS to get revenge..VAMOS
Rafa first on Centre court !!! I WILL BE IN OFFICE at that time 🙁 🙁
It will be warm and partly cloudy
http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=uk7dayx7;page=2;ct=9616~London%20Borough%20of%20Ealing;sess=#forecast
Just hope the roof is open for sure. Rafa is 1st on CC tomorrow.
Fed didn’t get his wish and should STFU about his laughings…
https://twitter.com/PseudoFed/status/481859887157501952
https://twitter.com/PseudoFed/status/481857217596260352
^^Woot! Too funny @PseudoFed, 1st tweet……….
Please tell me that they won’t have to close the roof for Rafa’s match!
Rafa needs to take it to Rosol and dispense with him once and for all!
Ohhh snap nny! 🙂
Because they are…. two wild and craaaazy guys!!!!
https://twitter.com/ATPWorldTour/status/481873495177981953
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpFNC7puU2M
Beauty and the beast. 🙂
^^Hawkeye, you and I think alike. When I saw the Step/Berdy bit on another website, the old SNL Martin/Aykroyd skits were the first thing I thought of. Those wild and crazy Czechs….
Too funny!
About time, Fab’s antics are not fab any more………….
RT @ESPNTennis: “Fognini’s first round antics, which included this scene, earned him a total of $27,500 in fines from Wimbledon http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=11124351 …”
Watch Rafa’s ball control skills, he really would have been a good footballer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEfuFtOeOoU&feature=youtu.be
Playing football with his little cousins, he really is relaxed about his match tomorrow.
Vamos Rafa!!
Another video of Rafa goofing around with his cousins today……
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyEH7Ir9k3o&feature=youtu.be
Gosh, what’s not to love about this guy? He cooks, he is close to his extended family. Just presses all the right buttons. Yum yum……….
“Cooking dinner after a long day of training and preparing for tomorrow!”
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152312825671026
So Steps did challenged Nole, as expected.
#OldIsGold
#NotWeak
#tingTingHawkeye (or HoldsEye)
Play of the Day belonged to Steps. So would have been a good match, no.
#HoldsEyeLogic
#YouAreWelcomeAgain (I’m bored now though, :p)
#HopeThisDoesn’tContinue
A full on drama as Djokovic falls over and rolls onto his shoulder.
^^^posted on the wrong thread