The first-ever Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer showdown at the U.S. Open is becoming closer and closer with each passing round. They are two wins apiece away as the action heads into Monday, when quarterfinal spots will be at stake.
(1) Rafael Nadal vs. Alexandr Dolgopolov
Nadal and Dolgopolov will be squaring off for the ninth time in their careers when they clash in round four of the U.S. Open on Monday. The head-to-head series stands at 6-2 in favor of Nadal, who has won four of their five previous hard-court encounters. Dolgopolov’s victories came in a duo of three-setters; he prevailed 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) at the 2014 Indian Wells Masters and 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-4 one season later on the grass of Queen’s Club. They most recently faced each other earlier this year in Brisbane, where Nadal restored order to the matchup by getting the job done 6-3, 6-3 for his first defeat of Dolgopolov since the 2014 Rio de Janeiro title match.
Not many could have predicted that this borderline rivalry would be renewed in New York when the draw was revealed last Friday and put them three rounds away from one another. After all, a struggling Dolgopolov had been just 16-17 in 2017 with five retirements and recent match-fixing accusations in Winston-Salem–where he lost right away to Thiago Monteiro 6-3, 6-3. Out of seemingly nowhere, however, the world No. 64 has advanced at the U.S. Open by beating Jan-Lennard Struff (in five sets), Tomas Berdych (four), and Viktor Troicki (three). If Dolgopolov’s tournament got off to a relatively slow start, Nadal has been a master of starting each match slow only to right the ship. The world No. 1 defeated Dusan Lajovic 7-6(6), 6-2, 6-2, came back from a set and a break down to beat Taro Daniel 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, and fought past Leonardo Mayer 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday evening. Nadal is now looking to advance farther than the fourth round in Flushing Meadows for the first time since he last captured the title there in 2013. Although the Spaniard is not looking invincible and Dolgopolov has a decent history against him, the underdog will have to do much more than beat Struff, Troicki, and an injured Berdych in order to inspire real confidence. Nadal has done well to find solutions to early problems so far this fortnight and it should not take him long to solve a familiar foe in Dolgopolov.
Pick: Nadal in 3
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(3) Roger Federer vs. (33) Philipp Kohlschreiber
It is becoming a trend at this U.S. Open: Federer facing an opponent against whom he owns double-digit wins compared to zero losses. The Swiss had been 16-0 against Mikhail Youzhny, 12-0 against Feliciano Lopez, and now he is 11-0 at the expense of Kohlschreiber–his Monday opponent. Counting the trio of victories Federer has already scored at this U.S. Open, he is a combined 43-0 against his first four adversaries. Despite those gaudy numbers, though, it has not come easy. The 36-year-old needed five sets to scrape past both Frances Tiafoe and Mikhail Youzhny before raising his level considerably in a 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 rout of Lopez on Saturday night.
Kohlschreiber earned another shot at Federer by defeating Tim Smyczek, Santiago Giraldo, and John Millman, The 37th-ranked German has not yet dropped a set nor even been extended to a single tiebreaker. He is a perfect 11-0 in non-retirement matches since Wimbledon and 15-0 in his last 15 sets dating back to the Kitzbuhel quarterfinals. During this stretch, however, Kohlschreiber has not faced anyone in the current top 25. The competition level now ratchets up exponentially in the form of Federer, who eased concerns surrounding his potentially bad back with his much-improved performance against Lopez.
Pick: Federer in 3 losing 12 games or fewer
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WWW?
Rafa in four, Fed in three or four.
I can’t believe, Fed keeps having those guys who lost to him >10 times with 0 win against him, one after another! First Youzhny, then Feli and now Kohl! Not to mention Ferrer at Montreal! They’re just hopeless against him!
The are good player’s and they can win but i don’t think they can cos R. Federer is something else.
It’s not just a physical battle but psychological as well, if they are psychologically prepared/ready they will have a shot.
Roger Federer has not lost a tournament this year when he wins 2 matches, so it will be really hard, maybe impossible.
Montreal 2017??
Nice well done! So it’s possible, i forgot.
I picked A. Zverev to win Montreal in my bracket and i also put some money in that match and won.
A. Zverev is not here, so who can do it?
There’s no need to ask that question, let’s see how things unfold. We’re not the ones who determine the results!
Dolgopolov in four and Fed in three losing 12 games or fewer
Once R. Federer starts playing no one can stop him.
Don’t get this twisted but R. Nadal is in BIG trouble, if he doesn’t want to get embarrassed he better lose b4 he meets Federer cos if he meets R. Federer the 4th time this year it would be brutal.
Nothing will stop R. Federer 4rm winning his 3rd Grand Slam this year, mark my words.
Ricky picked F. Lopez to defeat Roger Federer in 4, when we all know that Roger Federer will win title.
I told everyone not to panic, even some of Roger Federer fans here, R. Federer is one of my favourites and i know he will win the title but some of Federer fans are doubting him and that’s disappointing.
I really like R. Nadal and i mean it but Roger Federer will win his 3rd Slam this year.
I don’t think Roger Federer will be playing Professional tennis in the next 3-5 years, what do you guys think?
Do you see Federer playing in the US OPEN in the year 2020?
When this great player(R. Federer) retires, it will break my heart, tennis as we know it will be over, it will be dead without him.
Soccer is my favourite sport but tennis is winning my heart.
I can’t remember the last time i watched a soccer match from beginning to end(full 90 minutes).
I have always loved tennis but i became passionate with it in 2014.
When did you guy’s fall in love with tennis?
This site is turning out to be a borderline trolling site with people trolling garbage..Ricky – Please do something about this. It is getting irritating.
Your comments are what is garbage, who is stopping you from supporting the player you like.
What kind of useless statement is that, i like R. Nadal a lot but i believe R. Federer will win the title.
Once R. Federer wins two matches in a tournament this year it’s game over.
Did I make a reference to you? Why are you taking it personally.
Look up definition of trolling..saying the same thing again and again on different threads is called trolling 🙂
Sure Roger can win , he is more than capable. I also feel he is favorite but saying same thing over and over on all threads is borderline irritating 🙂
Be careful with your words, don’t you ever tell me to look up something again.
If you read my comments, you will notice the difference, i made some additions to it but even if i didn’t how does this effect you?
You said you weren’t referring 2 me and yet you are telling me to look up the definition of a word.
I will say this again, plzzz be careful with your words, i don’t have the time 4 silly conversations & useless statements.
If you would like to discuss tennis or other important subjects fine but mind your words.
Ok keep trolling 🙂
Believe me! You don’t want me to respond to that NONSENSE you posted.
Got to be smart. Best ignore.
Rafa early slow starts are worrying to say the least. Dologopolov can be tricky and hope Rafa wakes up. It is important Goffin wins against Rubulev..rafa has never played against Rubulev and he will surely have his jitters there too..
Fed in my opinion is going to face no trouble vs Kohls..against Thiem/Delpo he can drop a set.
Also, of late, Rafa seems to be having trouble breaking down these single hand back handers. Mayer hung with Rafa trading blows, Rafa pummeling his BH and Mayer standing his ground. I noticed that since his recent return from injury.
maybe his FH has lost its earlier zing and venom..also maybe others like Fed are hitting over the BH and stretching Rafa on FH..its always been his vulnerable side if stretched
In AO and even later, Fed kept taking ball early and hitting over his BH and hence overcame Rafas FH barrage..
Whatever it is, I found myself willing Rafa to just Find a FHDTL and end the point rather than pummeling Mayer’s BH to no effect. I think the potency of Rafa’s FH also has a lot to do with his court positioning. His “natural” defensive court positioning is not doing him any favors these days, definitely affecting the potency of his FH.
how do you see his next 2 matches panning out RITB? And his semi with Roger if it comes to pass?
I feel Roger is surely in semi and has definite advantage over Rafa if Rafa makes it.
Well, Dolgo is going to be a challenge because of his unpredictability. I feel Rafa will win but he has to avoid being stretched otherwise his campaign is over. Like you, I hope he gets to play Goffin after, not Rublev because Rafa has not played him before and Rafa always finds it tricky playing players he has not met before.
I’ll wait to see how Rafa fares against Dolgo and Goffin/Rublev before pronouncing on the semis…
Have you had a chance to watch Rublev, RITB and Sanju?
From what I watched of Rublev, he’s well on his way to being toast – he struggled with Dzumhir. Talented young man, no doubt, a man for the future, certainly, but the 19 yr. old would not threaten Rafa at this point in this or any GS. For one thing, Rublev needs a fitness coach like Sascha Zverev has to put some muscle on him. He’s underdeveloped right now. I’d like to see Rublev v Shapovalov!! Shapo at 18 is stronger and more dangerous than Rublev.
Also doubt very much that Rublev will make it past Goffin, even though Goffin may not be 100% yet. He’s lacking match fitness post knee injury. But Goffin is one of my favorite players because of his speed and the way he takes the ball early. Rublev tends to hang back too much and doesn’t play his best on hc. No doubt in a few years, if we are lucky, Rublev should be fighting it out with the best of his age group.
I don’t see Rublev bothering Rafa at all right now. the question is, can he bother Goffin?
Shaky, nervous first set Rafa under a closed roof will prevail!
No, have yet to watch Rublev play @ratcliff. Well, from your take looks like I shouldn’t worry too much but guess what, players get a second wind when they see Rafa across the net these days and Rafa does struggle against players he hasn’t played before.
Most of these youngsters are woefully short, stamina wise. None of them seem to be investing in that side of their game, which is surprising, especially if they have any GS ambition.
I am really nervous about the Dolgo match. Mercurial player who has it in him to rattle Rafa. Rafa’s BP conversion rate is cause for concern, pointing to nascent anxieties. He really needs to get his nerves under control because Dolgo will everything in his power to get under his skin.
I am just glad he won’t have to face the Canadian youngster, Shapo, until in the finals if he makes it that far. He’s got game…….and good attitude.
To be honest my initial thoughts on Rublev vs Goffin is that Rublev will win. Even though I like Goffin gen times better I feel Rublev will be fresher and more importantly I still don’t know if Goffin is really back. He is in the fourth round but he’s mightily struggled against weaker opposition to get here and then was fortunate enough to come up against an injured Monfils. My first thoughts are Rublev upsets Goffin but I’ll have to think about that one.
Avoid being stretched. Wanted to touch upon this. Is there a belief that Rafa is fatigued. I believe even though Rafa’s matches are lasting two and a half hours on an average, they have not been that physical like Aus Open matches against Zverev and Monfilis.
Or Is Rafa really tired ? I believe fatigue wont be factor as long as Rafa keeps winning till four sets . What do you think ?
By stretched I mean stretched on fh side. Not stretched as in fatigued
I wish Rafa would get a sports psychologist on board, anything to get his nerves under control. He is no longer a spring chicken so less time spent on court will always be advantageous.
Well, Dolgo will not engage in long rallies, that is not his style so in theory, the match should not stretch too far. Dolgo is also a confidence player and if he gets a set off Rafa, especially the first set, then Dolgo could really become a nuisance. I hope Rafa comes in hot, takes the first set and keeps squeezing…………..
Hahaha! Guess which animal always come to my mind when I think of Rafa playing? A giant python. I have visions of Rafa slowly wrapping his game around his opponent’s torso and …………..squeezing, slowly…….until the opponent is a lifeless rag-doll, ready for the coup de grace, being swallowed…….
Sorry if that was too graphic but I am feeling particularly evil today, really pumped for this Dolgo match………
hahhaha too bad we have to wait until tomorrow for Rafa v Dolgo! Dang. All ATP matches tomorrow look interesting – maybe even exciting.
Today not so much – except for the first one – Shapo v PCB. And on the WTA side: Garbine vs Kvitova 😀
Benny, I’m very high on Goffin after his win over Pella and watching him in the first set v Monfils yesterday. Goffin was an ace machine over those 5 sets vs Pella. I don’t think of Goffin as an ace machine nor did I think he’d come out strong the following match! Monfils was able to fight and make one set competitive — and it was a beautiful to watch the good friends go at it: Goffin and Monfils. I didn’t see any problem with Goffin’s movement. Unfortunately, Monfils retired after losing the first set — he was having a knee issue and wasn’t able to keep up the level in the 2nd set. I am surprised how well Goffin has performed.
Very confident that Rublev is going to lose LOL….we’ll see 😀
fg and other ppl who were sure of Rafa winning USO 2017..what is your take now after seeing Roger today?
atul…your take?
vamosrafa…???
I fell asleep and missed Roger’s match. But polishing off Feli in 3 sets tells me that he’s getting more comfortable than in the Youzhny match, the last time I watched Fed. We’ll see which Federer turns up and what Kohls can do. If he beats Kohls in straight sets…well, god bless him. I picked Fed to lose to Kyrgios in my bracket, but my hopes expectations were far too high for Kyrgios.
Apparently Fed is not done yet, lol. Rafa is my title winner pick.
I agree about Rafa; if he can get past Dolgo who is a tricky opponent that won’t give Rafa any rhythm, I think Rafa will be in good position for the title.
Love watching Dolgo when he’s on. But picking him to win more than two rounds at any tournament is risky. He’s dangerous no doubt. But he’s already had a tough 5 set win over Struff, a 4 set win over poor Berdych and then straight sets easy win over Troicki, a guy that was ready to have his ticket punched.
Maybe I’d feel differently if I truly thought Dolgo had a shot at winning a GS title, but I don’t. I’d hate to see him somehow beat Rafa, then lose the next round as usual.
Rafa can win it, even with a fired up Dog. I’ll admit I didn’t think Dolgo would get this far — there’s always a possibility. More likely, Rafa in 3, or at his nervous worst, 4 or 5.
Dolgo beat a subpar Berdych (Berdych was back from injury, not much match play prior to USO).
Dolgo’s problem is his going for broke mentality, sometimes pulling the trigger too soon. Rafa standing so far back may play into Dolgo’s hands, Dolgo will serve his usual quick serve and then rushes forward to the net to intercept Rafa’s weak ROS.
rc,
I really appreciate your attitude. You keep it real. It seems obvious to me that Fed fans want Dolgo to take out Rafa. I think it’s wishful thinking because he’s done nothing recently to indicate that he can make a serious run.
The guys he beat are NOT Rafa! As you said, Berdy had a back issue. Troicki is nothing these days. Rafa is a big step up.
I think it will be tricky and I hope that Rafa doesn’t come out with a slow start again. I think he’s playing himself into form and that’s a good thing.
I know you are not a Rafa fan. You call it as you see it. But I do appreciate the respect you show for Rafa.
Thanks, Nny!
I’m more of a Rafa fan than I think! I’m missing Novak of course – and Andy Murray. But Vamos Rafa 😀
??? I would LOVE to see Fedal semifinal what are you talking about?! But I truly believe Dolgopolov will win just as I truly believed Muller would!! I have great respect for Rafa as most on this site do. Honestly I don’t know how you can’t have respect for a guy like Nadal. Extremely hard worker, total badass, has dominated a tournament with ten wins at it, and just fighting so hard every point like it’s the last. Rafa matches are always exciting to watch and I don’t root against Rafa in his matches for the sake of being a Fed fan. Only time I admit my logic was sort of wishful thinking was the RG final but that’s got nothing to do with Fed it was Stan who I am a huge fan of which I’m pretty sure most on here know including you.
I just read there were rumours all day of Roger pulling out from tournament..haha..and he comes and puts a masterclass 🙂
Did you really expect Feli to trouble Fed? I don’t get that. Feli’s game plays right into Fed’s wheel, much like SHBH used to play into Rafa’s…….
No I was sure Fed would roll over him. I was surprised that anyone even thought otherwise. Feli would always have rolled over so would Verdasco and so would many others…
He didn’t roll over. Fed was just back (no pun intended).
people expected Fed to trouble Fed. had nothing to do with Lopez.
so now he is back to being fav Ricky for title in your eyes?
Ricky said it right. I expected Fed to trouble Fed – that is always a possibility. At his age, I expect anything – same with Venus Williams.
I agree with Ricky, it’s more to do with Fed than with Feli! Feli’s game plays into Fed’s hands; it’s the counter punchers and the hard hitters who have better chances vs Fed.
Fed had problem with Youzhny not because of Youzhny’s game but because of how Fed played!
Kohls shouldn’t give Fed any trouble but DelPo or Thiem just might. Will be interesting to see who gets through. Delpo looked much better in his last match. Thiem really likes the very slow USO court this year. Gives him time for his big swings.
Thiem surprises me, I guess the slower court here (slower than AO) suits his game better. Thiem has a big serve, big FH and good SHBH, there’s no reason he can’t do well on slow to medium fast HCs.
As for Delpo, what’s with him that he slipped and fell so frequently on a HC (he fell thrice during his match with Agut)? I think Thiem will beat Delpo and face off with Fed in the QF.
That’s my bracket pick, Thiem over Delpo. I don’t know why Delpo is falling down, but if he isn’t too beat up, he could hit Thiem off the court – less easily than he did RBA but I see a few brackets picking Delpo over Thiem. Both would be dangerous to Fed – but maybe not as dangerous as Fed is to himself, lol
I don’t know. Is it possible Fed’s been telling the simple truth? Not enough practice coming into the tournament because his back was recovering? Fed does not seem to need match play to find his rhythm the way Rafa does, but he DOES need to practice, like everyone else.
Actually, what he said was that he was worried about his back (not that it was actually hurting) in the first match, and that played on his mind. In the second match, he said it was lack of practice.
If his back is fine, and he’s now back into form, he’s just resumed being the best player on tour and the clear favourite to take the title.
Based off how he played last round, Del Po should win. I dunno if he will replicate that performance or anything close to it though.
Agree – Delpo over Thiem. I didn’t pick Delpo because I was doubtful of his form. But after yesterday, have changed my mind…I think.
I’m picking an upset this round: Dolgo over Rafa in 5. The Dog (one of my faves) is one of the most talented players on tour and he is on a serious roll. Fitness and health has always been a problem for him, but he seems healthy at the moment. He’s also playing like a guy with something to prove.
To avoid the upset, I think Rafa needs to play more aggressively than he has been, and to move forward in the court. Alex can hit with some crazy angles and spin, and I think if Nadal lets him dictate play he is going to be out of the tournament.
I don’t see Kohlschreiber really troubling Federer this round; Fed in 3, maybe 4. However, he is going to have a real challenge in the following round, regardless of whether it’s delpo or Thiem. If Kohl can stretch him to 4 or 5 sets, I think fatigue is going to be a factor going forward.
Highly doubt Rafa will lose to Dolgo. I thought Rafa played significantly better yesterday despite the struggle.
I think Rafa is reaching the semis at least.
Sanju, I think then it depends on his opponent. Fed in full form means trouble. Though, I don’t think we have seen the last of Fed’s back troubles. Anything can happen in the next 2 rounds for Fed.
Atul,
I agree with your take on Rafa. He’s getting better with each match. He has raised his level of play and coming from behind and finishing strong will help him. He starts getting on a roll and I love how he seemed to feed off the crowd yesterday.
I also agree that we may not have seen the last of Fed’s back problems. You never know with backs.
I never take anything for granted at a slam.
Dolgo I agree will pose a trouble to Rafa. The same happened in wimby where rafa lost to Miller out of nowhere by playing really bad and right.
I think if he gets past dolgo then qf will be easier.
Nadal didn’t play bad at all against Muller. I mean he hit the most aces he’s hit in a match ever (20 plus) and Muller just kept bombing his serves as well. If you watched it it was just a high level match. Yeah Nadal missed a few big chances but so did Muller before finally winning.
It also wasn’t out of nowhere. Many, including myself and Ricky, had Muller over Nadal from the start of the tournament.
I know Muller plays well on grass but Rafa was on a roll after RG and even handed Kachanov the previous round very well. Kachanov is the tall hitter that usually gives Rafa fits. Few expected Rafa to lose to Muller that day. I remember you saying Muller over Rafa. Exactly what is worrying me as you saying Dolgo over Rafa (:-
Rafa can beat Rafa and that is the issue..his tightness, nervy starts are an issue. My only comforting factor is Moya is around unlike Wimby.
Not sure why I am nervous about dolgo so much.
I think Rafa will win. Dolgo is not a bug server , not a very tall player. I felt Mayer was more intimidating.
Dolgopolov is a lot better than Mayer. And he’s beaten Nadal. He also plays at a very quick pace which typically bothers Nadal. I highly doubt Nadal will feel less of a threat or less “intimidated” when playing Dolgopolov.
Rafa is not losing to Dolgo! He’s getting match tough and coming from behind and being pushed to raise his level of play, will stand him in good stead.
I am encouraged by Rafa’s performance. We are starting to see some vintage Rafa shots.
Ok I feel otherwise but it’s just my opinion. And it’s not cuz I’m a Fed fan!! Your implicit hostility to Fed fans like myself on here is pretty annoying. If I pick against Rafa you automatically misjudge why I’m picking against him. I gave completely understandable reasons for why I’m picking against him. Same with that Muller pick that I was roasted by Rafans on here for nonstop. You’re too sensitive about your guy, saying shit like how I’m disrespecting him with this pick and how I’m trying to trigger Rafans. Well I guess everyone here was disrespecting Fed when they picked against him vs Lopez because that’s all I’m doing in this case. By your logic I guess most on here are really disrespecting Shapovalov and triggering Shapovalov fans by picking Carreno Busta!! Gimme a break…
Benny,
You are the one who is getting way too sensitive! Get the chip off your shoulder!
I have not seen one person here trash Fed or take cheap shots at him when he struggled in his first two matches! Yet Fedexal has come in here and trashed Rafa repeatedly in his last two matches! So spare me the faux outrage! That’s a pathetic attempt to rile up Rafa fans! Then Fedexal disappears once Rafa is winning.
Lose the attitude! Don’t accuse me of being hostile to Fed fans and whine and play the victim! Someone picking Lopez to beat Fed match be a bad prediction. But at least Fed fans did not have to read the garbage that Rafa fans did when he was struggling!
I have had it up to here with you! Maybe you should have read Ricky’s prediction for Rafa and Dolgo! You have no real basis either with past history or performance in slams, to predict so definitely that Dolgo will beat Rafa!
So if I think it’s wishful thinking on the part of Fed fans, then that is MY opinion!
Ricky predicted Lopez beating Fed. Is that disrespecting Fed? Ricky was basing his prediction on how Fed looked and played in his previous two matches!
I have not thrown any insults or cheap shots st Fed in his first two matches. So I can speak as a Rafa fan who does not go there. So don’t tell me how I feel sbout Fed fans on this site!
You’re 100% completely missing my point. I’m not saying anyone disrespected Fed at all. I don’t feel Fed gets disrespected at all on here ever. I’m saying that when I pick against Rafa you act like I’m disrespecting him. What I’m saying is based off of your definition of “disrespecting” a player by picking against them, people were disrespecting Fed. I know they actually weren’t!! Reread what I said you’ll get what I mean. I never actually think anyone disrespects Fed on here. I meant to make it clear when I said “by your logic.” Obviously I don’t actually think people are disrespecting Federer if they pick against him. It’s just that’s what you’re doing here with me when I pick against Rafa.
Also you’re the one whining about my anti-Rafa pick. Lol imagine if I was like “oh my gosh you guys seriously think Federer is gonna lose to a guy who he is 12-0 against? He won’t lose.” I didn’t say that because I’m not sensitive to picks against Fed at all. I mean when people on here constantly talk about how Rafa will win these tournaments and analyze his chances, a lot of the time I don’t get triggered even though I completely disagree because he literally hasn’t won a hard court title in years and hasn’t shown great hard court form lately at all and has dropped the opening set in both his first two matches here. I get it though because they are Rafans and makes sense to analyze your guys chances and have hope for him to do well, I get that completely. Only thing I get annoyed at or sensitive about is when you or others generalize Fed fans and say we try to trigger you guys and hate on Rafa. Having a different opinion than you isn’t supposed to trigger you.
Sorry NNY I was overreacting a bit. You are right let’s just drop it. I’m blowing it out of proportion I apologize. Good luck to your guy and I wish him luck too because I do truly want that Fedal semifinal!!
Dolgo’s go for broke style will be his own undoing. He tends to pull the trigger at the wrong time! Rafa can handle Dolgo, his 6-2 H2H does mean something. Moreover, at a slam in a BO5 match, Rafa has time to steady himself and outlast Dolgo. Rafa in four or five sets.
Losing two of the last three to Dolgo may also mean something. ?♂️
Good to see your confidence NNY, Atul..hope it comes true.
Losing 2 of the last 3 may not mean much here..one was in 2015 right in IW when he was losing to everyone and 1 was on grass again in 2015 ..
Er… Rafa winning the most recent one may also mean something right?? You can’t pick and choose what you want, just accept the full package, i.e. Rafa is 6-2 and has won their most recent encounter, and the most recent encounter matters more than the past two wins of Dolgo during 2014/2015!
Fair point lucky. That could be the case. I personally feel head to head likely won’t have an effect in general I was just playing around with that statement. Both guys will be aware of the threat ahead and it should be a good contest with a lot of fun rallies. Can’t wait to see how it unfolds!!
Benny,
You and I have had gotten along well here. I don’t want to lose that by letting this disagreement get out of hand. You love this sport and I appreciate and respect that. I absolutely love this sport, too. That is why we are here.
If you say that you genuinely believe that Dolgo will beat Rafa, then we just have to agree to disagree. I will leave it at that.
But I do not like being accused of hostility to Fed fans. I give Fed respect. I try to be respectful to Fed fans, unless they give me a reason not to respect them. I have stated too many times on this site that I want to see Fed fans posting here, as well as fans of other players. It’s good to have different points if view and diversity.
On that note, I am just going to stick with what I have predicted for Rafa’s next match.
Same here. I have fun with these debates to be honest. But you’re right I don’t want it to get out of hand. Agree to disagree is right. ?
Although Rafa has been raising his form a bit, Dolgo is playing the best tennis I’ve seen him play in a long time. He is very much a form player, and when his form is on, he’s top 10. Of course Nadal could win, but I don’t think he will. A close match in any case.
As usual, Joe always predict that Rafa will lose his matches, so far Rafa proves you more wrong than right!
I haven’t predicted that he will lose thus far. I actually thought he would have an easier time with his first three opponents.
Rafa is ranked #1 almost exclusively on the basis of his clay court season. On HC he has not shown himself to be anything close to the world’s best player. Dolgo, meanwhile, is playing at a much higher level than his ranking suggests. So I’m saying Dolgo in 5. Even you seem to think Rafa will lose 1 or 2 sets before winning. So maybe we’re not too far apart on this one.
You said, you don’t think he(Rafa) will win!
Yeah, of course, I think Rafa will lose and you think he will win. We disagree on that. But we both seem to think it will be fairly close.
He meant so far in the tournament leading up to this round when he said “thus far”
What gives me confidence is that so many fedfans here cheer for Rafa to lose to Dolgo and if he wins they will definitely predict him losing to the likes of Rublev (beating Goffin would also be out of question I presume) This only means that they FEAR Rafa! There must be something Rafa is doing right then ??
Dolgopolov will beat Goffin or Rublev if he beats Nadal. Just my opinion.
Nats,
That is what I have been trying to say. But you said it much better!
Thank you!
?
By “so many” Fedfans, you mean all 2 of them? 😉
Nats, I want Dolgopolov to win against Nadal because he’s pretty much my favourite player. (If he plays against Federer, I will be cheering for Dolgo). However, I don’t think Federer has much to fear from Nadal on HC anymore. If they meet, Nadal of course has a chance to win. But I think Roger has exorcised the mental demons that plagued him for years against Rafa, and if anything it’s now Nadal who fears Federer (at least off clay). Early on in the USO Rafa said he’d rather not play Roger, something he said earlier in the season as well.
haha.. that statement meant nothing. Nadal has been saying the same about all his big rivals for the last decade. He didn’t mean to say he is scared to play Fed but rather meant to say he obviously prefers to play against easier players. So, it is typical Rafa. I don’t think he is afraid or something.
Fed’s losses were NOT only about mental issues but also about being outmatched in terms of shot-making and patterns of play. If Fed starts to play near his best and Rafa’s forehand is not consistent, I would Adv Fed. But, if Rafa’s forehand is near its best, Rafa will be controlling a lot of the rallies.
Well, I remember many comments in the past where Rafa and (more) Tony expressed confidence before playing Federer. Objectively, I think Nadal preferred to play Roger over some other top players in the past.
However, all of that was before Roger’s new racquet/bigger serve/BH; and before the demon-shattering win in the AO final. I haven’t seen anything this year to suggest that Nadal can hang with Fed playing near his best on a HC. Now, if the Rafa of the FO final suddenly shows up, that’s a different story. But there’s no evidence to suggest that will happen.
Joe, let’s not make it sound as if Fed bulldozed over him in the AO final! He BARELY won and was down 1-3 in set 5. We don’t even know if Rafa’s inability to shift to a higher gear in thr 5th set was due to his long semi.
Rog attacked Rafa’s ROS so much early in the year and since then, Rafa has significatly improved his second serve so won’t be easy to attack now. To me that was the biggest difference federer made.
Nadal’s forehand whenever he was hitting it with depth was still controlling the tempo of so many rallies in AO. He needs to ensure his forehand is on fire and he has to avoid some ‘old habits’ which I have talked about many times.
Regarding his approach, no, I have not seen any change. He jas never expressed the confidence you are referring to. He has always praised Federer and has said he needs to play his best to have his chances. Rafa saying he’d rather about Fed, Djo etc is nothing. I am sure Fed would alao want to avoid Rafa but has never said it. It is just two players with different ways of handlinf the press.
vr,
Thanks for a great response! I think you were spot on! This revisionist history is really kind of annoying to read. You made some great points about the AO final that should be kept in mind. To read some comments here, one would think Fed just rolled over Rafa in that final.
I also think it’s important to remember that the AO court was playing extremely fast this year. I remember because the conspiracy theorists were convinced that this was done expressly to ensure Fed victory. But Rafa more than held his own.
The USO courts are playing slow according to the ESPN commies. They say tha benefits Rafa.
Considering how Rafa has dominated in the H2H with Fed, I don’t think he had to fear him. Rafa is just honest when he talks about preferring to play someone else. He’s said the same about playing Novak!
VR, I may be wrong about past comments; I can’t provide any links. But as I saw the AO final, Fed dominated when he played well, and it’s only when his level dropped that Rafa was able to stay close. Subsequent matches on slower HCs haven’t helped Nadal. At the moment, the 4 match win streak says more than the overall H2H, which is heavily skewed by clay in any case.
NNY, I don’t mean to annoy you. I just think you’re very easily annoyed.
NNY,
Thanks for adding that the AO courts were playing faster. It is not as simple as Fed fans think it is. There are not going to be any surprises either. Rafa will come what is going to come at him and he will be ready if they meet. The main issue is not Fed but Rafa finding his best form.
It is going to be very close but both have some work to do.
I think Delpo is going to edge out Thiem and he will be a threat as well.
Joe,
I am a staunch fan of Rafa but I am also an analyst of the game. I can often talk about how matches play out while keeping my Rafa bias aside.
In the AO final, Fed came out dominating and Rafa was not doing great. He was holding his serve but I was concerned. I knew he was not getting enough depth on his forehand and it is a matter of time before he gets dominated by this red hot Fed. I kept saying this to my wife who was sitting next to me and in no time did Rafa lose his serve and the set eventually.
In set 2, Rafa improved right away. He flattened out his backhand more and the depth of his forehand shots improved. He was dictating so many more points and had Fed moving from side to side. Fed’s first serve went AWOL for a while and he was getting bossed around on his second serves (winning less than 50%).
Did fed make more UE in set 2? Yes! He made more errors because: (i). Rafa pressed harder and (ii). He couldn’t sustain the high risk strategy and that is pretty normal against a great defender like Rafa.
In set 3, Fed was CRUSHING returns, hitting so cleanly off both wings and denying Rafa any opportunities with great first serves.
To cut it short, Sets 4 & 5, I observed that whenever Rafa was getting good length on his forehand, he was getting neutral balls which he could attack and control the points. What he got punished for was landing CC forehands short (in or around the service box) in an attempt go simply get them high to Fed’s backhand. In the past, these would often result in rather tentative backhand responses from Fed but that time Fed was better able to step in and generate more pace. This was one of the ‘bad habits’ Rafa had in the HC matches against Fed this year. He was so much used to these patterns and reverted to them often. If you notice, there were patches where he was getting good depth AND even if he was landing his forehand short, he was getting them really high (NOT an easy thing to do on a consistent basis).
Another bad habit in Indian wells was serving too much to Fed’s backhand and paying the price. Some lessons were learnt in Miami but a bad forehand and low confidence didn’t allow him to create opportunities.
I do think ROS has made the biggest difference rather than the backhand in the rallies. Rafa will be able to handle that aspect much better now but he won’t win unless his forehand is sizzling hot!
I love how people actually GET OVER disagreements here even though they support different players…
Talk Tennis is cancer to read.
Benny, Joe has been predicting Rafa losing to this and that player ever since early this season, even on clay, and that’s what I meant.
Shapo lost -_- I don’t like PCB at all.
I thought PCB played such smart tennis. With the crowd on Shapo’s side, he just kept playing really good tennis while Shapo made far too many errors. It’s a whole different thing to play in a slam.
Too much hype can be a bad thing. Now Shapo has to put in the hard work and improve. He’s got a lot of natural talent but that isn’t enough.
He played well but I was rooting for Shapo haha. Want to see some #NewGen wrecking but 4R isn’t too bad of a run.
Shapo had way too many opportunities he didn’t take.
Shapo did well to get as far as he did. PCB played a very smart match and out steadied him in the TB’s, which really were not close. Remember Shapo had to come through qualies so he’s got a lot of matches under his belt in a very short time. I like what I’ve seen of him so far. Great attitude. Over the next few years we’ll see what he’s really made of.
Really like Shapo’s maturity and attitude during interviews and matches.
I agree about seeing what Shap’s made of in the next few years.
Very true. PCB was a class act at the end and played super smart tennis. Much respect for the wily Spaniard. Hopefully Shapovalov can continue playing at this level and keep improving.
This Shapo kid, I went off him when he stunned Rafa in Montreal. How dare he? He will only get back into my good graces when he remembers his place and loses to Rafa, henceforth.
I’m watching him……….
Yes! How dare he beat Rafa! That was not okay! Next time he needs to lose!
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RITB 3.0,
That’s not fair.
Stanley, I’m never fair where Rafa is concerned. All regular Tenngranders know that……………
Right on! Preach it!
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After yesterday, I am suffering US Open withdrawal… Anyone here who has never had the chance to attend the US Open, I would highly recommend it. I honestly had one of the best days of my life. I got to see the two greatest male tennis players of all-time (imo) play in the biggest tennis stadium in the world, and they both won! I also got to see Del Po on Grandstand (the overall best venue on the Open, imo). And to cap it all off, when 3/4 of Ashe emptied out after the Fed match because it was so late, I was able to move down to courtside seats for Keys-Vesnina. It is seriously mind blowing to be that close to the court where so many great players have won titles. I was like a star-struck little kid, freaking out about the fact that I could practically reach down and touch the court that Rafa and Fed were both standing on earlier in the evening. Plus, the Keys match was awesome, and the crowd being allowed to move down to the courtside rich-people seats really allowed the crowd to spur on Madison to get the win. It was definitely the best sporting moment I’ve ever experienced. Plus, Lindsay Davenport was sitting like 10 feet to my right haha. Alright, enough gushing. I just don’t have anyone else to share my feelings about yesterday with because none of my friends care about tennis. But all of you do! So anyone who will ever have an opportunity to attend the US Open- do it! You will not regret it…
That’s awesome bro. Nothing beats watching the greatest players live. And I agree about grandstand. My favorite court to watch at is the old Louis Armstrong but they took it down and made a new one I guess. Grandstand is probably a great atmosphere. Outside courts have the greatest atmosphere and Arthur Ashe is just surreal to watch from.
For the Rafans- one of the more exciting moments of the night for me was when Rafa finally broke in that epically long game in the second set. Seeing him do one of his trademark Rafa celebrations, and how the crowd reacted with him, it was like a religious experience haha. The energy coming from Rafa and the crowd when he got the break was so palpable. I probably jumped 10 feet out of my chair when he got the break haha! I definitely had some similar moments in the Fed match, feeling the energy so strongly. But Fed’s celebrations are more tame, like a “c’mon” or that Swiss-German word he yells that I don’t know what it is. With Rafa, especially since he had struggled leading up that break, his celebration was so energetic and meaningful… And I thought of all of you Rafans at that moment. 🙂
We thought of you too, Kevin! So happy that you had a great, great experience your first time at Ashe! An exciting Rafa match, then seeing Fed at his best. What could be better?
wow so you got to see both Rafa and Rog! lucky you! I am sure it was INCREDIBLE 🙂
Going to the Open today Kevin. And I doubt I will have anything close to the experience you had.
But that’s a great recap. My 3rd year on the trot and the experience every year has been better than the one before.
Kevin BTW, reading your experience has got be pumped up. I needed some encouragement for the long commute from mid town to queens:)
There are more than a 100 comments on this page but I can’t see page 2, am I the only one seeing this?
Is something wrong with my system?
Or is everyone just replying on each others comment?
No, only one page. Probably just lot of replies.
Thanks!
I suspected, you guys had a lot of fun and I don’t want to spoil the party by posting without replying, am tempted post to post directly but won’t bite.
I don’t want to read all this comments but I noticed that Nativenewyorker is being hostile to Benny G & R. Federer’s fans, that’s not right.
Please chill out.
Stanley,
You have called me out here a few times, so I feel the need to respond.
First, Benny and I are fine! We can disagree and still have respect for each other. As Azurite pointed out, people here can disagree but still manage to not let it get out of control.
You need to stop trying to stir up trouble by publicly calling out people to harass them.
Summing it up, quit trolling on this site!
Me and NNY are good Stanley. Now who else is pumped up for today’s matches?! I’m especially excited for Del Po vs Thiem. What a quality matchup that is.
In my opinion, Rafa is NOT losing to Dolgo!
Apart from nerves, the biggest problem I see with Rafa’s game is his forehand return. Players are just thumping flat serves to his forehand (esp in the ad court) and he is struggling to even get them back!! He is confused about his positioning and there is uncertainty in his mind. At the french, he got like 85% of first serves back and his forehand returns averaged around 115 KMH , whereas they are only averaging 85 KMH at his year’s USO. He is just not making good enough contacts with the ball and is not sure where to stand given his struggles.
I did notice, however, that when his forehand gets better in the match, his forehand return also gets slightly better. I think it is due to the confidence he gets when he is hitting his forehand well. Everything gets a boost when his forehand turns into the ‘fearhand’.
I am happy with Rafa’s backhand. His DTL backhand is leaking some unusual errors but his CC backhand and the slice are working pretty well.
The serve is fine but would like to see him going for riskier first serves more!
He’ll be keen to get a good start today. He can get on a roll and win in 3 but if Dolgo comes out playing his aggressive, mercurial brand of tennis without many mistakes, he could surely do a lot of damage.
I say Rafa in 3 but losing a set will not be a surprise at all.
VR, you always come out with some interesting stats. I didn’t realize that there was that much of a difference in FH ROS speed for Rafa between FO and USO. That’s huge and very hard to explain. Everyone is saying that this USO is a very slow surface, which should suit Nadal. It’s just weird that he would have that much more trouble reading the opponent’s serve.
However, the difference in quality between Rafa on clay vs. other surfaces has always been hard to explain (for me, at least). Given that he’s not injured or obviously fatigued, I think the explanation for the difference in his level this year must be almost entirely mental, because since the French it’s almost like he’s a different player.
Thanks Joe. Yeah the stat was pretty surprising to me as well! I do have some answers to your queries but will share later as I got to do some work for now.
Regarding his ROS, he has had this issue in the past but somehow manages to find thr right balance later in the tournament. I think nerves are aggravating it and playing indoors aint great either. I hope he plays in outdoor conditions all his next matches.
Goos luck to both Rog and Rafa!
Vamos Rafa, let’a do this!
Note: The stat was quoted by Eurosport expert Patrick Mouratoglou.
Nny!…Have u already read this?If not…it’s a very very good article..it can answered all our questions of why?what?WTH?WTC?Oh!s@#$!oh d@#$!…oh @#$%^&*#$@#$!! for the last 2 months at least…Hope u will feel relief and satisfied after reading it k?
http://www.tennisworldusa.org/tennis/news/Rafael_Nadal/46925/carlos-moya-nadal-is-nervous-i-explain-you-why-/
Yes, Mira, this is basically what I was saying in the previous comment. Rafa just gets very nervous and it really affects his play.
Yeah Joe!…Me too have been saying about this since he lost to Muller at Wimby..and now, hear it from Moya himself and confirmed this makes me feel very relieved..because i don’t have to answer a ridiculous question to myself everytime he played crap..One thing about him that we familiar with is that…he’s a problem solver and he will get over this sooner or later…IMO,it’s just a matter of time..Insyaallah…
MA,
Thanks for this. It’s been so frustrating watching Rafa. Moya knows Rafa so well. I hope that he can help him get through these doubts that seem to plague him.
I think the last two matches will help Rafa to gain confidence, good feelings and the rhythm and timing on his groundstrokes.
Thanks for the link! Glad to see you here!
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Hey Nny!!…Morning!!…Oh wait,wait!…Check this out Milady!!
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/67/f1/b2/67f1b23fe90e2aaa3aef17f935197caa–floral-quotes-garden-quotes.jpg
Hehe….very glad to ‘see’ u too Nny!!…Oh!bout Rafa..yeah…agree with u Nny,i think all Rafa needs[atm at least] is pass the always difficult Dolgo today and Rog in semi…in my opinion,if he can get pass those 2,he’ll win USO…But,let’s face Dolgo first!…We worry about Rog later…
Yay! you are back 😀 Hello Mira Andi – Boss – Smarty Pants hehehehe
Oh hello Miss Original Recipe Smarty Pants!..Hehehehawhawhaw[this is donkeylike laugh okay Boss?]
You are the smarty pants… and the Boss. It’s all settled. just have a look at the Draw Challenge heehaaaw
😀
And, RF is expected to win this one in 3 or 4 sets. I have been consistently saying that making predictions about RF is not easy and only his next performance will be able to tell us about his prospects. He played a good match in the 3rd round but until he does so again, this time against a good baseliner, I won’t say he is back to being title favourite etc.
A solid win against Lopez does not mean that much. But yes, if he performs really well today, then one can say he is feeling fit and confident and is ready to go all the way. I am so convinced as yet.
Has anybody else difficulties to open tenngrand? For a while I got only Manga pictures…
I had problems last night getting on the site. I kept getting this weird list of indexes.
yeah there were issues but they are all resolved now I reckon. Happy Tenngrand-ing
yep. Fail. Fixed now.
Was it hacked? That’s what appeared to me
yep
Yeah I got a sketchy Palestinian link kinda thing. Props to Ricky for fixing it and keeping the greatest tennis site alive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX2jkicJUQw
Just check out the reaction Rafa is getting here from the crowd. Fun to watch! So popular this guy is.
Stay focused, remain confident and be strong, Rafa!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DI494DaXcAASOWg.jpg
I thought The Grandstand was extinct that scared the mess outta me. I had nobody to discuss that Querrey match with so I literally left my thoughts on Ricky’s IG ?? Anyways Querrey was a god last night you can’t convince me otherwise. 53 winners and 8 unforced errors. What in gods name did he eat for breakfast.
Couldn’t access the site earlier.. Just got the hackers!! Lot of stuff by them next to the site name on Google.. If I hadn’t used the site before I wouldn’t click on it with all that weird stuff there..
Yeah that was weird….Tenngrand hacked and gone. A moment of desperation. I gave up and went to sleep. Didn’t watch Querrey.
rc,
Trust me! You did not miss anything last night! If you blinked, then you would have missed it!
Great match if you are a Querrey fan, but for anyone wanting a real match it was not entertaining.
I like to think that if Isner had gotten there, we would have seen a better match.
Rafa up a break!!! ‘
vamos!!
Much better start from Rafa! I was hoping that he would step it up in this match.
But now Rafa is in a tough service game.
Hold Rafa!
Rafa cannot let up here.
Yes! Rafa holds! Good job!
Rafa takes the first set!!!!
Finding it very very difficult to use the site today.. Can’t even get back on the wta page..
Go Rafa!!!
Anyone have a link for Goffin v Rublev?
Rafa’s got this handled ?
Nny can you tell me how he is playing!?
My computer is broken so am on live scores..
Wow! I just checked, Rafito is playing well.
Please don’t win lol! But if he does fine, congrats to all rafans in advance.
playing pretty well, Amy!
amy,
I wish you could see this, because Rafa is really feeling it in this match. Holding his serve in that first set when Dolgo had break points, was key. He’s being aggressive and the forehand is on fire. He also hit a blistering DTL backhand winner with perfect precision.
They showed a graphic on ESPN showing that Rafa is hitting more away from the middle of the court with his forehand. Much more effective.
Suffice to say that this is the best rafahas looked by far. Dolgo is playing better in the second set, but Rafa is on fire today.
This is what I have been waiting to see!
I totally agree with this assessment.
vr,
High praise from you! I just wanted to help Amy out since she can’t see the match. I will say that Dolgo is playing better in the second set. I think he realized that he has to raise his level of play because Rafa has come out so sharp.
So far they are on serve. No early break due Rafa. Much tighter set with Dolgo holding more easily. So Rafa cannot afford a letdown.
TREMENDOUS backhand drop volley winner from Rafa. Exquisite touch! 1-1! He is dialled in today
Rafa’s forehand is a lot steadier today and no wonder his ROS and basically the whole game is more stable.
Goffin apparently “can’t move an inch” to his forehand. Also much better start from Rafa than his previous matches.
Just from looking at the score, it looks like a battle with Goffin and Rublev. Surprised to se Rublev won the first set. But Goffin has rebounded nicely in the second set.
well Goffin is up a double break, so….
I have a partial pirated stream. And Goffin isn’t moving as well as I thought plus Rublev is HEARTLESS taking advantage 😀
Goffin might not make it. I guess he’s got Davis Cup on his mind also. I don’t think he’ll give this his all because of the knee.
Rublev playing better than he did vs Dzumhur too. Psyched
Rublev got the first set 75. And Goffin is hanging in there 5-5 2nd set.
OMG. I’m cheering for Rublev now… Goffin would not last another match. 🙁
Goffin got away with the win over Pella by way of having a great serving day. And then he got lucky with Monfils being the more injured one yesterday. But it’s painful for me to watch him. He’s just playing around out there when he should be done already!! Dang Goffin!
Rublev wins the 2nd set TB. Please retire, Goffin, please.
I deserve a big fat “I told you so.” I overestimated Dolgopolov’s ability to maintain the level he displayed vs Troicki. He was in the zone and stayed in the zone but today he’s too spotty with his shot making and Nadal is Nadal so he is making him pay the price.
Nadal just outplaying the Ukrainian. He should hold easily here. He’s in fine form.
Excellent returning from Rafa today! Where are all those critics who keep saying his deep return positioning automatically means he can’t play aggressively and is doomed??? If you think that, you don’t know Rafael Nadal’s game well enough.
Hope Rafa serves this set out here with ease.
Yes! Rafa breaks! Now serve it out with ease Rafa!
Rafa playing very solid after two sets, better than I expected. Dolgo is not playing as well as I had hoped, but the biggest problem is the ROS, which is just terrible. If Rafa could stand to move forward, Alex needs to move back a bit! He insists on staying close to the baseline and just isn’t timing things right. I thought he was improving in the second set, but Rafa played a great game to break at 4-4. I still think Dolgo has chances; let’s see.
Rafa takes the second set!!
Nny thanks for your great post above!!
Wish I could watch!!
Feeling a bit tearful over Rafa stepping it up!!
Playing like the no.1 player in the world today. This will be over pretty soon.
Nadal breaks to start the third set!
Can’t watch the match, just occasionally, but I am so happy the way Rafa is playing!
Vamos!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Dolgo looks like Kyrgios when he doesn’t want to play.
The Dog is a walkover for Nadal. This is a really bad matchup because Nadal competes a trillion times better than the flashy Dog.
Not even worth watching IMO, i’m interested in this Russian Rublev’s potential
Rafa is just getting everything today, nothing is getting past him, not even the best dropshots.
Nadal is taking Dolgopolov to the cleaners. I was so wrong. Dolgopolov is so inconsistent he just slaps all day. How in the world does he expect to beat Rafa playing like this? Nadal deserves this win 100% he’s playing a million times better and most importantly smarter.
Dog just looks so disinterested in this match.
Nadal breaks again. 3-0
Benny, as I said, Dolgo’s go for broke tennis is his own undoing; he just doesn’t have the patience or the consistency to string a few good shots together.
Rafa said it best about Dolgo: ‘he can play amazing shots but sometimes a little bit unpredictable. He combined amazing points with mistakes….’
Dolgopolov is trash literally just missing so much it’s not even funny. Nadal doesn’t even have to play well to win but since he is playing well he’s absolutely killing him. Clinical from the Spaniard
Nadal is playing very well, but to me it doesn’t look like he’s even trying his best atm.
That was the best I’ve seen Nadal play on HC since he beat Dimitrov at the AO. He played a great match.
Nadal knew this was a practice session before the match started. There’s absolutely no chance at all that the Dog could even give Nadal a match.
Please, Jim. All these experts with the benefit of hindsight. Dolgo had plenty of chance; otherwise he wouldn’t have beaten Nadal in 2 of 3 previous meetings. He just got badly outplayed today, simple as that.
Rafa: Winners-22
UE-10
Dolgo:
Winners- 22
UE- 30
He’s barely sweating! This is Nadal,and on top of that it’s so bright! Shows how easy this match is going for him, and how effortlessly he’s taking Dog out!
Not sure how many people here have observed/realized how much Rafa’s improved second serve has stifled Dolgo’s attack play on second serve returns!
That was minimally important, VR. Rafa’s 2nd serve isn’t bad, but it was more that Dolgo just wasn’t hitting it on either serve. He needed to take a couple steps back on the 1st serve, and one on the 2nd.
Rublev is only 19. If he stays healthy he’ll be the next Kafelnikov.
Dolgopolov is just broken.
I can’t help but feel like there’s literally 0 effort going into this match.
No intensity from Dog, and Rafa doesn’t need to try to win.
Bad Boy!
This is going to be over.
SO happy to see Rafa back in the QF of USO. Haven’t seen in him here in a long while!
Dog gave up in set 3 but that hasn’t affected rafa’s intensity.
Dolgo is a joke. Thank you for annihilating this idiot Rafa. Fedal semifinal looming… ?
Easy, Benny. Dolgo was just not on today, though he played some good tennis in the second set. Give the dude some credit; he’s had a bad few weeks.
He does it!
Nadal destroys Dog 6-2,6-4,6-1 to book a spot in the QF’s for the first time since 2013!
Don’t know how people were justifying their Dolgo picks. He is NOT the player to rely on!!! Only way for him to win was to have Nadal playing like shit and giving him confidence.
Rafa played like a BOSS. Such a well-rounded performance. Forehand and ROS were so much better today.
This will give loads of confidence to Rafa.
Looks like Rublev is going to be next.
Goffin ain’t coming back from two sets down, so Rublev shouldn’t really be a problem……
Then again I thought the same with Shapo in montreal, but Rafa is playing way way way better than then so, I think Rafa will come to SF in straight sets. 🙂
Hope Roger vs Rafa is a thing!
Easy to say in retrospect, VR. When Dolgo was returning decently and serving well, in the second set, he was right with Rafa, who played great, all credit to him. Maybe you mean it was unrealistic to expect Dolgo to back up his last match with comparably good play, but he had played a few good matches, and I don’t think it was unreasonable to think he would continue. It was clear that something was bothering him from the beginning today. Plus, Rafa really raised his level; that was at least as unexpected as Dolgo’s poor play today.
Nah Joe, Rafa raising his level for this match is expected, just like Fed raising his against Feli!
Dolgo’s poor play today isn’t unexpected either, as he’s playing Rafa, not a Berdych who’s coming back from injury, or a Troicki who moves at least half a step slower than Rafa.
Lucky,
Bravo! Well said! I expected Rafa to come out playing much better after his match with Mayer. You could see Rafa coming up with some vintage shots in that match once he broke Mayer. That’s what Rafa needed in order to raise his level of play.
It just baffles me that anyone could expect it from Fed against Feli, but not Rafa against
Dolgo!
I remember pointing out that Dolgo beat a Berdy with a bad back and a Troicki who is not anywhere even close to Rafa! Getting wins against them should not have inspired confidence.
Oh and just to make the point, I said all this before the match!
50th Match win for Rafa the USO. 50-10 is his record now
Congtats Rafa and Rafa fans!! I guess there was no need to worry 😀 Vamos Rafa!
How’s gassy old rublev doing rc??
He’s in better shape than Goffin…much to my pain — pain to watch Goffin still trying to play injured.
Goffin simply refuses to retire. He must be staying out there to get the match practice. He doesn’t take an MTO. But he’s definitely not out there in any shape to win. Maybe the pain isn’t getting any worse and he wants the get some cardio.
Not nice to watch rc!!
I know you like goffin a lot.
Vr nny
Has the fearhand been topnotch all the way through..?
That’s the key to Rafa taking the title.
Where is nny??!!
Amy,
Yes. I am here! The answer is the fearhand is back! That really is the key shot for Rafa! When he gets it working, his whole game comes together!
You would have been very happy to see Rafa today! ROS was working well, forehand and backhand and volleying at net.
This was great to see!
So happy nny!!
Yes the forehand is the key because that’s the barometer of Rafa’s mental state..
Has he played rublev before? Looks like it will be him..
Amy,
I don’t think he’s played him before. I posted some thoughts about Rafa facing Rublev. We know that if’s tricky with these young guys who get on a roll and get through unexpectedly. They have nothing to lose.
But Rafa’s performance today gives me reason to think that he will be ready. I always believe that Rafa has the advantage in a best of five set match. He will be physically stronger and will need to wear down Rublev.
It’s been great to have you here live blogging with us! I hope you get to see Rafa’s next match!
I will try hard to be around to live blog nny!!
Thanks for your great posts!
Always a pleasure to blog with you vr and rc!!
It certainly was today, Amy. Could improve a bit more but a huge step in the right direction.
Great to hear vr!!I was very nervous about this match… Was completely wrong thank god!!
Looks like he will play rublev next..
Those predictions of Dolgo beating Rafa were way off base! I knew that Rafa would win, but did not think it would be this easy!
Rada is peaking at the right time. He has another gear or two. Hopefully we will see him play even better in the quarterfinals.
Way off base is an understatement. Rafa would have won even if Dolgopolov played better because Rafa is back to being in great form. But I must admit I was pretty disappointed with the effort Dolgopolov put forth. From the start, he was just whacking the ball as hard as he could either forty feet out or for a winner but mostly forty feet out. One game there were three shots he hit that bounced so far out I didn’t see the ball actually bounce. I truly expected the good in form Dolgopolov that actually cares to show up today. Boy was I wrong!! Once again thank you for teaching him a lesson Rafa. Dolgopolov deserved no more than the seven games he got off of you lol
Amy darling, Rafa will likely have Rublev next or an injured Goffin (why is he still out there!) Goffin would certainly have beat Rublev if he was 100%.
Not to put Rublev down. He actually appears to be playing better today but I’d have to say much of that is due to Goffin’s inability to move freely. Rafa v Rublev will be good! A good experience for Rublev – making the quarters is no small feat for the 19 year old.
I get nervous about these young lower ranked guys who get on a roll. Who would have thought this 19 year old would be on the brink of making the quarterfinals! He backed up his win over Dimi.
He will come out with no pressure, nothing to lose and just go for his shots. Rafa played well today and seems to be getting into good form now. He will have five ready for this kid. I feel better because of his performance today.
Oh snap nny!!
Exactly my thinking!!
Have they met before rc??
Rafa doesn’t like playing against people he’s never played against before!!
Worry worry worry!! That’s my telos!
Nny I was completely wild of the mark in fearing dolgo would win!
I am a big eedjit!!
Amy,
You can’t be blamed for being nervous about Rafa facing Dolgo. Given how he has struggled, there was reason. But I think the Fed fans who thought Dolgo would actually win, was wishful thinking.
I think this performance is an indication that Rafa is getting back to his best.
No they have not met. But I watched Rublev both yesterday and right now. The only way he is winning is because Goffin doesn’t have both legs working. But I will say Rublev appears motivated and more energized than yesterday. Remember Rublev came through qualifying and that’s how he played yesterday – it showed! But he’s got some adrenaline racing through his veins and not a sign of bad gas. LOL . but tommorrow he’ll be bent over holding his side trying to compete with Rafa! 😀
Rublev is seizing the day with both hands….actually looking better as the match gets close to over. Wow. Congrats Andrey Rublev for making it this far.
Sad for Goffin, playing like that but he refused to retire….must not be that concerned.
His idols are Marat Safin and Rafa Nadal. bless his heart….he’s going to be severely punished by Rafa LOL beaten to smithereens!
Nadal’s serving is impressive today.
70% first serves in, 82% won, and 79% 2nd serves won.
rc,
Brad Gilbert said in ESPN that if Rublev plays against Rafa the way he played today, then it’s going to be ugly!
Nny
I believe Gilbert used the word “hammered”. If Rublev plays like he did today he’ll get hammered by Rafa 😀 I was listening to ESPN but watching Rublev v Goffin on a dicey free stream.
Vaaaamoooos Rafa!!!! ✌ ✌ ✌ ✌
I think I played a solid match. I know he is a player who can play amazing shots but sometimes a little bit unpredictable. He combined amazing points with mistakes so I tried to be focused with myself.
He was returning with a slice forehand I felt that, if I hit the forehand down the line, he has less space to attack.
Carlos Moya, it is great to have him on the team. He’s more than a coach. He’s one of the best friends I ever had on the tour.
I think he came with a lot of motivation and ideas and very positive all the time and believing a lot in what we’re doing. A combination of him, Toni and Francis has been great. (via BBC)
^ Rafa’s words after the match.
Thanks for placing Rafa’s words here, vr. Rafa has never been stingy about sharing credit for his wins. One of the many, many things I love about him. I know he and Carlos have had a beautiful friendship and now a beautiful coaching relationship.
Thrilled with this win and more thrilled to see Rafa playing really well. I know the Dog can be dangerous – he’s also very up and down. I also know that Rafa’s quite capable of starting off slowly and improving as a tournament goes on. He’s a worker and a thinker.
no worries, Ramara 🙂
Way to go, dear Rafa! Four down! ????
Vamos!
I predicted that RAFITO would win but i didn’t want him to win,i have not officially predicted that Rafa would lose any of his last 4 matches because i knew he would win.
I thought Rafa would blow D. Lajovic away so i picked him to win in 3 easy sets i.e under games, after that prediction failed i started picking the over.
Today Rafa blew A. Dolgopolov away, his best win in this tournament.
You guy’s know that i like R. Nadal and if you don’t know, i do like him he is amazing and i like BUT RAFITO won’t reach the Finals.
I want to predict that he would lose his next match but i need to be careful and i need 2 do some minor research.
If R. Nadal defeats A. Rublev his next match won’t be pretty, no matter who he meets, if it’s R. Federer i believe Roger will win in 3 sets not 5 sets maybe 4 but i believe Roger can do it in 3 tight sets, others might win in 5 or 4 sets but R. Federer will do it in 3 sets, maybe 4.
I wish all tennis fans the best, let the best man/player win no matter who it is, but i know it’s Roger Federer.
R.I.T.B 4.0(Roger is the best)lol!
R.I.T.B 3.0 how are you doing?
Joe,
I am not doing any ‘told you so’ or something like that.
I do not honestly understand the rationale behind picking Dolgo. It is not about analyzing it in retrospect. I can’t remember who it was but I even read someone saying before the match that Rafa will lose because he is not playing well AND because Dolgo is red hot and when he is red hot, he is very difficult to stop!
I can understand if someone put emphasis on the first point but Dolgo getting on a role and being that difficult to stop for a player of Nadal’s caliber? WHEN has Dolgo gone on a roll honestly? He has not made it past the 3rd round in RG and Wimby and this 4th rnd was his best at the USO. His wins over Rafa in 3 sets meanr very very little. He beat Rafa in 2015 (the worst year ever for Rafa) and IW 2014 which was also a very bad patch for Rafa following his AO back injury.
It would have been shocking if Dolgo had actually played at a high level consistently for 4-5 sets against one of the best defenders the game has ever seen.
VR, of course my prediction was based on Nadal playing at his current level, which since the FO has been pretty average. Otherwise he wouldn’t have lost early in the tournaments he’s played. He also hasn’t performed well at the USO for several years, so there wasn’t a lot of reason to think he would step it up. Just recently on this forum, some hardcore Nadal fans have suggested that maybe Nadal should stick to clay from now on.
Yes, Dolgopolov is inconsistent. But he’s had a lot of injuries over the years, in addition to having a rare health condition. As I said, when he’s healthy and not fatigued, he’s an extremely dangerous opponent. So, I stick to my claim: it wouldn’t have been shocking had he won. Shocking was Nadal losing to Shapovalov or Lukas Rosol, not a player who has been ranked as high as 13 and was starting to show signs of playing at that level again.
I was one of those who suggested that Rafa should just stick to clay, if he couldn’t overcome his nerve and kept losing winnable matches on the HCs.
Apparently Rafa did overcome his nervous issue to beat whoever in front of him, it’s just that he took longer than necessary to do the job. Rafa knows Dolgo’s style of play and he’s well prepared, I’m sure he knows better than any of us here. It’s not like Rafa hasn’t played against a Dolgo at his best (Rio 2014 final); chances of Rafa winning > Dolgo’s and it’s not like Rafa almost lost his matches here, to start with. To me, it’s a matter of Rafa winning in straight sets or going the distance.
Fed when playing well had his hiccups too, losing to Donskoy on Dubai fast HC and to Haas on grass, so Rafa losing on HCs while disappointing wasn’t something impossible. It’s the way Rafa lost (from winning position vs Shapo and he came out flat vs Krygios) that was disappointing.
Rafa had his hiccups here at the USO but was able to overcome them and progressed so it’s something positive and he’s improving. He rarely played badly once reaching the QF of a slam, his 2015 being the exception.
Joe Smith (AT 1:27 AM),
OMG! Rosol is still (!) on Fedfans’ mind!
It was me I just thought because Rafa doesn’t usually like playing mercurial guys who play with a lot of shotmaking and play at a very quick pace. Examples would be Dustin Brown and Kyrgios. And I thought Dolgo, who possesses those qualities, had a real shot considering he won two of their last three matches and he got on a roll against Troicki that was what I referred to. But I should’ve realized he wouldn’t be able to sustain that level over five with Rafa. My mistake but I had honest reasoning behind it. Dolgopolov really looked to be approaching peak form and Rafa still struggled early in all his prior matches which isn’t something you want to do against a guy like Dolgopolov. But it was Dolgopolov who was worse at the start and Rafa just ran away with it, slinging fearhands and letting Dolgopolov quickly go away.
Benny, Rafa had problem with Brown and Krygios because their encounters were on grass. Rafa lost to Krygios at Cincy because Rafa really came out flat; Rafa did play horribly at Montreal and Cincy this season.
Rafa wasn’t playing badly this USO, only started slowly hence his opponents could take advantage but once Rafa regain his calm, he swept them aside. Dolgo couldn’t sustain his hit or miss style for three or more sets so it’s unlikely he’s going to beat Rafa.
I would also say that should Rafa meet Shapo here, Rafa would beat him too. If Shapo couldn’t have an edge over PCB, he couldn’t over Rafa here.
Also I figured this crazy tournament might just get crazier. But not that crazy thankfully. We are still gonna get that Fedal semifinal ? I’m so excited for that!!
Rafa in 3…GOAT in 3
That forehand from Delpo was at least at Mac speed!!! 2 sets each!!!
Kohlschreiber needs his own GOD MODE switch to flip.
Down 2 sets to love to Fed. 64 62
But apparently Fed just left the court for a private MTO. Huh?
Fed waa damn good in set 2! What’s with the MTO?
Something needed privately adjusting… so they say. Had to go off court for it but whatever it was didn’t require much time hahahahaha
I though it was odd that Fed decided to take the MTO after winning the second set. I guess he is managing the back issue. The ESPN commies said that players do that when they need treatment for the lower body. They have a room where they can get a massage or treatment.
I don’t see Kohls troubling Fed and I think Fed knows that. The MTO might have been precautionary.
Also, credit to you for picking the match correctly beforehand.
And to Rafa for a dominant performance. If he plays like that against Fed playing like he did against Kohls, it will be a close match. I’d still give Roger the edge based on his serving today. However, Roger has a tough match ahead of him before then (Rafa maybe not so much against Rublev).
Sorry, this comment was meant for vamosrafa.
Maybe. Delpo’s been sick last couple of days. He credited the crowd with pulling him through the match. He won’t have so much of the crowd with him vs Roger. We shall see.
I think Delpo can recover given two days of rest. I think it may be a night match for his QF, so he will feel better without the heat. He really looked sick during his match with Thiem.
I thought Thiem was going to beat him comfortably but credit to Delpo for turning things around. I don’t think he will beat Fed, but may push Fed to the limit. He’s not like Feli or Kohl, who are hopeless against Fed, not even a single win after > 10 encounters; Delpo at least has 5 wins over Fed in their 20 encounters. I doubt it will be straight forward for Fed.
Don’t think Delpo has anything left for the match with Fed. He played on adrenaline and won through feeling unwell. Even in his post match interview he made a remark regarding his next match and possible rematch with Fed at USO saying: this ( victory) is enough for me… Fed will have an easy time with Delboy..
I would love to think that Delpo could make a match of it. If he wasn’t sick and didn’t play a marathon five setter in which he had to come back from two sets down, then he might be able to do it. But I think Delpo won’t have much left. I would love if he proved me wrong, but Fed will be fresh as a daisy and it should be a routine match for him.
Delpo’s match lasted only 3 hrs 35 mins, it’s not even a 4 hour match. If that’s enough to give Delpo physical fitness problem, then he’s really a very unfit player.
I’m sure Thiem, should he win, would be fit to play two days later. Delpo really messing up the draw and makes life easier for Fed. I mean he saying things like that is totally unprofessional, I’m not sure Thiem would be happy hearing that. Delpo was just happy to reach the QF??
Fed will thrash delpo. Firstly he was sick second he played a 5 setter. Horrible of thiem to lose this match this way.
When is the semi…is it Friday or saturday
Dolgo didn’t turn up, simples. But that’s Dolgo, mercurial. It was easy for Rafa, which I like. He was able to play with calm, hopefully this settles his nerves which for me, are what stands between him and a 3rd USOPEN crown.
There’s also a guy named Roger standing there.
Hey @Joe Smith, I wrote my post of 6:23 AM below just for you………..?
Unlike Uncle Toni, I want a Fedal semi. I want Rafa to win his 16th Slam by beating Fed on the way, that would be awesome.
Toni says he would rather Rafa plays someone else, not Fed, if he makes it to the semi. Carlos Moyà says why not, Rafa will be ready for Fed if he gets to the semi. I’m with Carlos on this. What’s been the deciding factor in Fed’s victories against Rafa this year has been attitude in my opinion. Fed seems to have a new positivity against Rafa, something he never had before. Rafa needs to dent this positivity and a good being over Fed, especially here on his favourite surface, will do the trick.
This is why Carlos’s attitude is helpful and Toni’s is not at this juncture. Carlos needs to banish Toni to sight-seeing in New York so he does not infect Rafa with his negativity about playing Fed. What Raf needs right now is someone who tells him he is #1 for a reason, he has a lop-sided H2H with Fed for a reason, he has the weapons to re-awaken those doubts in Fed’s head.
C’mon Rafa! You are the boss. Put Fed in his place…………better than everybody else, except you.
Frankly what gives me confidence is not rafa himself but Carlos moya. Carlos has been positive influence.
However I still feel advantage fed if semi happens and I hope rafa proves me wrong.
I’m the opposite @Sanju, I feel Rafa breaks the 3-match losing streak this time round for the same reason for your positivity: Carlos. Carlos wants the Fed monkey off his back. Can’t sit well with him knowing Fed’s resurgence over Rafa started when he joined the coaching staff.
However rafa has to dispatch rubulev first. Never played him before.
I expect Rafa to bide his time in the first set, figuring out his game and then drop the hammer. No way Rafa’s not making the semis!
?RITB!
I agree with you. In fact I blame Toni (I’ve repeated this many times) for making Rafa the nervous, panicking, lacking in confidence guy that he is now. Toni always dent Rafa’s confidence by saying he’s not the best, other top players are more talented than him, he even said that had Murray or Djoko played to their full potential talent wise, he won’t know what to do to help Rafa overcome them! Such words from a coach’s mouth, no wonder Rafa become so low in confidence and so nervous prone!
Rafa should have gotten in Moya well before last year, maybe before Moya worked with Raonic. Rafa had wasted two solid years ‘wandering in the wilderness’ when his whole team couldn’t help him get out of there.
Imo, had Rafa skipped the AO in 2015 and came back to play on clay in Feb just like he did in 2013, perhaps his 2015 might turn out to be similar to his 2013. Rafa needs to build confidence from winning matches.
Moya really has a positive impact on Rafa, since he joined the team, Rafa’s career has headed in the right direction, back on track in his winning ways and even reaching the pinnacle in the rankings. I do hope Moya’s presence at this USO really helps Rafa to his 3rd USO title, which I think as long as Rafa plays to his full potential without any doubt in his head, he’s capable of doing so.
I think Toni was essential to Rafa during his formative years because he was such a precocious talent he needed someone to infuse humility in him to prevent him losing his way like how some of today’s youngsters, like Kyrgios, have.
Now Rafa is older, he has lost some of that precocious advantage, he needs to replace it with something else: positive attitude. This is where Carlos comes in, to re-jig that balance, bring in a different perspective, especially on attitude. You could be right, maybe this re-balancing should have been done earlier, maybe they realized the change needed to be made late, this is why Toni is stepping down now. It really is time for Toni to step down, he has done his part.
I can’t see any changes Fed’s made to his game except attitude and this has paid off big time. After the Do,go match Rafa said he was calm on court and the result showed. He needs to bring that calm, and belief, into every match.
If he can beat Fed en route to the title it would be massive, massive.
RITB 3.0 (AT 8:03 AM),
Toni & Rafa have explained several times why Toni will stop travelling with Rafa next year.
In July, asked AGAIN at press conference about uncle Toni’s decision, Rafa replied:
“I answered couple of times this question. I understand your question, but we cannot be talking about this after every Grand Slam, no? We talk about that in Roland Garros. Here the same. We had the great story together. Still year to play. But that’s it. It’s not the end of the world. He’s not leaving to China, as I said a lot of times now. He’s there in the academy. I will be practicing there. We live just two minutes walking from his house to my house, so not a big deal.”
Maybe you’re right about Moya, but I remember what he said after the Indian Wells loss, which was pretty defeatist: sometimes, when Roger is playing his best, there is not much the other guy can do. Some people on this forum didn’t like Moya saying that, and thought it wasn’t any better than Toni. Myself, I think what Moya said is just true, even if the other guy is Rafa -as long as the match isn’t on clay.
So: As I see it, this match is still on Roger’s racquet. He has beaten Nadal 3 times on HC this season, and that will definitely be in Nadal’s mind. Once narrowly (at AO) and twice soundly, even on a slow HC (in Miami) like this one.
The real wildcard, in my opinion, is Roger’s back. He’s been very honest about it. He denied it was a problem in first two rounds but he admitted that yesterday’s MTO was for that reason. If it flares up, that obviously could change everything -including in the delpo match. However, if Roger is healthy, and especially if he serves like he did against Kohlschreiber, where he didn’t even face a break point in 3 sets, I think he’s a clear favourite against Rafa if they meet.
Please do not bring up Roger’s back issue,@Joe Smith. I am not saying Fed’s lying but it just brings back harrowing memories of Rafa being pilloried by Fedfans for doing exactly that: mentioning a physical ailment he might be carrying while playing, being labeled a whiner, told to not talk about his injuries and that if he is playing he is fit, being told they were excuses in case he lost.
So, yeah, forgive me if I, as a Rafan am a bit touchy about the subject of injuries thanks to Fedfan abuse against my fav on the issue.
If Fed is playing, he is fit, shall we go with that?
Thanks.
Well RITB, it’s not that simple, as I’m sure you know. Would you say that since Rafa was playing during the 2014 AO final, he was fit? Didn’t think so; neither would I. I’ve not one of those Federer fans who thinks Nadal makes up his injuries.
Fed says his back was fine after the treatment against Kohls, and I believe him. I assume it will be fine at the start of the delpo match. But unless he’s making things up, he’s re-aggravated it over the last month, and I was just pointing out that it’s always possible he re-injures it mid-match. If so, I assume we’ll be able to tell, as we could in the 2nd set against Zverev in Montreal or (more obviously) in Rafa’s match against Stan at the AO.
A lot of these guys carry nagging injuries, especially at their age.
Is the semi on Friday or Saturday. A lot will depend if it’s indoors and in day or night.
SFs are on Friday. The first SF starts at 4pm which I think should be the bottom half who starts first. So, if Rafa plays in the SF, it will be after that, so most likely it’ll be an evening match or even a night match.
that directly plays into Feds hands (:-..night match..no heat..Fed has played almost all his matches at night.
If it’s Fedal no question, it will be a night match. The night conditions and noise will suit Fed better but Rafa will bring it…….
I want Rafa to complete the Fed-Slam: beating Fed at every Slam. Now that Fed appears to have decided the better part of valor is to avoid RG, he will never have an opportunity to return the favour.
I feel the only chance for Rafa is if Fed is very tired. But he has a flat tired ill DElpo , so he will finish his qtr really quick and be fresh for semi.
I somehow cant see how Rafa will beat Fed with the way things have panned this year, this being a faster HC, it is at night(no sun which Rafa loves), maybe even indoors if it rains and now Fed even fit with no back issue.. Everything is stacked against Rafa and if he pulls it out, it will indeed be massive..
According to the ESPN commies, most of whom know their tennis, the USO courts are playing much slower than they have in recent years.
USO is now way slower than wimpy and EVEN MORE slower than AO.
how do neutral observers see Rafa-rubulev and Rafa-Fed (if it happens)
I don’t see why Rafa couldn’t beat Fed at night. Rafa, unlike Feli or Kohl, doesn’t play into Fed’s hands. Rafa’s counter puncher style is made to counter Fed’s aggressive play. Rafa is way quicker than any of Fed’s oppontents so far, has better game plan to counter Fed’s game.
Unlike at the AO, Rafa wasn’t stretched physically here, and so I feel he still can bring his best to his SF match.
R.I.T.B 3.0,
You are a true fan and i love your confidence but don’t wish that Rafito meets Fed cos it won’t pretty.
R. Federer in 3 sets or maybe 4 if he meets R. Nadal, R. Federer will win his 3rd Slam this year.
If R. Nadal defeats Federer(that won’t happen) all is good cos Rafito deserves it, he has been phenomenal this year especially on clay and very competitive on all surfaces.
His next match Andrey Rublev won’t be easy even if Rafito wins in 3 sets it would be tight, i have not made my final decision on that match, Rafa & Rafans need to be careful cos there is a storm coming and no one can weather it(maybe in the QF but definitely in SF).
Having said all that am wishing U & others the best.
Take care!
Thanks @Stanley.
I am hoping Fed brings his A game should Fedal happen on Friday! I want Fed beaten fair and square, it’s time to remind him who’s the boss in this match-up……….
Sweetie(R.I.T.B 3.0) i love your confidence i really do, i like U but Fed is the boss this year no matter what happens.
He will bring his A game OK and U won’t like it cos it won’t pretty, maybe U & I should fight first, because the result might determine who wins FEDAL’s match.
Are you in or out?
By the way, do you play tennis or other sport?
Or do U just love watching it?
Or is it both?
@Stanley, please do not call me Sweetie, grosses me out. My online username will do just fine, thanks.
Yes, I do participate in sporting activities, my favourite being running, distance running.
I am sorry OK!
I didn’t mean to offend you, am really sorry and glad you told me.
You love running that’s nice, i hope you don’t run away when Federer defeats Rafa.
Take care!
You can live in a fool’s paradise because Federer knows he is not the boss. He says Rafa forced him to up his game. No more pansying about like a bad ballet dancer.
Pansying about like a bad ballet dancer? Damn. But yeah Roger has had to adapt his game due to Rafa I’m glad that they have given us such a great entertainment and rivalry. But Roger is the favorite if they meet since he’s won four straight I don’t know he wouldn’t be considered so especially after his drubbings of Lopez and Kohlschreiber that show he is fit enough to play at a high level again.
I don’t know how*
@ RITB
You tell him!!!!
Can’t quite decide if Stanley rubs people up the wrong way deliberately or if he simply can’t help treading on someone’s toes every time he opens his mouth. On balance suspect it is the former.
of course it is the former lol.
Ed251137,
Why would you say that?
Calling someone Sweetie is not a bad thing, there are some who don’t like it and she pointed it out and i respect that.
When i say someone is a sweetie(only women) i simply mean they are a nice person and she is a nice person who is passionate about tennis and is a huge fan of R. Nadal.
I like and admire her confidence/support 4 Nadal and she knows it.
Plzzzzzzzzzzzzzz don’t get twisted OK and i was talking to her not U please respect that.
To Nadline 10,
Please be careful with your words, if someone believes that R. Federer is the boss this year against R. Nadal or the best player this year, they are not living in a fool’s paradise.
3 wins in a roll in two finals is impressive, it is difficult to defeat a good player twice but to do it thrice in a year against one of the best is AMAZING!
I don’t know why i keep saying this but i say it because some of you misunderstand me, i like Rafa and i know without a doubt that i might like/love more some of U and i am not joking.
I believe that if R. Federer meets R. Nadal, Federer will win in 3 sets or maybe 4.
What is wrong with that statement?
If you disagree, please disagree, don’t say that i am rubbing you the wrong way.
We are all fans and you have the right just as i do to express your support/love 4 the player you love like.
If my support for R. Federer rubs you or others the wrong way, i do not apologize, i repeat i will not apologize.
I have predicted in this site that Roger Federer will lose particular match and it came to fruition, i don’t have any special power but no one will stop this GREAT player from winning his 3rd Slam this year not even R. Nadal(no disrespect there just how i see it).
Am a little busy so….
You shouldn’t need to apologize for the fact that you support, Stanley, as MANY people on here are exactly the same way with Rafa as you are with Federer. You just stand out so much because you’re the only die-hard Federer fan (aside from Benny). I may not agree with some of what you say, Stanley, but you shouldn’t have to apologize for having faith in your favorite player to beat his arch-rival. That’s how it works, right? 🙂 I’m not saying that I necessarily think it will happen, but I assure you that there would be nothing out of the ordinary to pick Federer over Rafa in 3 or 4 if they meet… It also wouldn’t be out of the ordinary, imo, to pick Rafa over Fed in 4, for obviously different reasons than why someone would pick Fed. For the most part, when Fedal are both playing pretty well, the vast majority of each guy’s respective fans are going to pick their guy to win haha! It’s just reality!
it is absolutely fine to pick Fed as the winner. He has won 3 matches this year and him beating Rafa in let’s say 4 sets is a real possibility here as well. I do think Ed was referring to something else, though. Anyway, it doesn’t concern me at all and I will just wait for tomorrow’s matches.
ed,
It is definitely the former! Also the way in which Stanley addresses female posters on this forum is inappropriate.
RITB rightly spoke up after he called her “sweetie”! That is completely uncalled for.
This is a tennis forum, not a dating site!
Fed was pretty impressive last night. He now has confidence in his movement and the looseness and freedom can be felt in his game in his game now. I expect him to play even better going forward. He did take an MTO but seemed totally fine so I am guessing he will be ready.
I won’t say Delpo will be totally flat and can’t do anything etc. Delpo has huge reserves. Remember how he fought against Murray in the Olympics final when everyone thought he’d be totally spent?
Even if Delpo were playing his best with 100% fitness, he’d still be a big underdog.
I like Delpo and I am happy for him. The guy is a warrior and he has suffered so much so it is nice to see him make a good run. However, I get annoyed by his backhand! I just cannot comprehend his inability/reluctance to hit backhands DTL! He hits about 99.99% of his backhands CC ! WHY?! He can even keep like a 75-25 proportion but at least try to open up the court and go DTL!! Ever since his comeback, he has been so reluctant to hit DTL. There have been a few matches where he has hit them and they work REALLY well and allows him to dictate more with his forehand. Hitting CC only and slicing it half the time will NOT cut it against Federer. He’ll run around his backhand to punish all day long.
If Delpo is to have any chance, he better be prepared to change direction on his backhand and serve really well. I am not sure how sick he is but I am not buying into his ‘this is enough for me’. He was just being grateful and will do everything he can to stop Fed.
Here is what Delpo had to say:
“I don’t know how I was able to win that match,” del Potro said to ESPN in his post-match interview. “I was sick the last two days and I tried to play as best that I can. When I saw this crowd cheering for me, I was trying to feel better. I fought like this because of these guys.”
“I was exhausted after the last point of the match. But I’m so glad to go through. I played a fantastic battle against one of the best players on the tour.
“I was thinking to retire in the middle of the second set because I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t move well. Dominic was dominating the match so easily. But then when we started the third set, I broke his serve very quick, and then I won the set in 20 minutes. Then the story changed a lot. I started to see the crowd. I took all the energy from the fans. That’s what I did in the end, just keep fighting. I didn’t give up on any points from the third until the fifth set. I was ready to win the match in that moment.”
“I’m so happy to go through after playing this great match. I enjoyed it a lot. I think it’s enough for me but maybe I have the chance to play Roger again, which is special for me, and I would like to play my best tennis.”
“I feel tired. We cannot do magic. But hopefully my day off tomorrow I can recover a little bit more. Then I will see if I’m ready to play in good conditions against Roger.”
Let’s not talk about Fedal when we are not even there yet! Both need to win one match. The USO has been cursed in terms of not letting these two meet. They were slated to meet in the 4th rnd in 2013 and even that couldn’t happen!! Out of nowhere Fed lost to Robredo in the 3rd ! Sure, totally different circumstances and both are in a great position to win but you never know.
True
Wise words, VR.
Excellent point, VR!
They were expected to meet in QF in USO 2013 and Fed lost to Robredo in 4th round.
Ah yes, you are right, Sanju. The point still holds though 😉
Fed and Nadal were scheduled to meet in 2013 USO QF. Fed lost in 4th round.
No Fedal talks agree. Though I feel Rafa is more likely to have an upset than Roger. Not bcoz Rafa is not good but he is more susceptible to upsets by first timers eg Pouille last year in USO, Shapovalov this year etc.
I hope Rafa really comes out strong.
Eh Rafa will kill Rublev anyways lol. Straight sets and anything else will surprise me.
you have a point, sanju. However, Qtr finals is just about the stage at which I have enough confidence in Rafa to hold his fort against inspired opponents. He played really well yesterday and I think he will look to to continue.
Looks like tomorrow is going to be indoor conditions as rain is expected. If Rafa can win tomorrow, he will be playing in outdoor conditions as rain is not expected later in the week.
The following post is addressed to all those who have been following my take on Fedal matches this year and, of course, to all those interested in Fedal matches (pretty much everyone covered I guess lol):
So, I have been trying to break down and analyze the Fedal matches this year. Fed fans have been emphasising on their man’s improved backhand as the main reason while a lot of the Rafans have been emphasising Rafa’s inability to show the same mental fortitude he’s always had against Fed.
While both of these factors have played a part, I have been stressing the most on fed’s ROS being the biggest reason for this turn around. I have seen extended highlights of Fedal matches this year multiple times and to me it really stood out how Fed is almost always hitting topspin backhand returns and almost quitting his backhand slice returns. Fed hitting backhand slice returns in the period prior to 2014 was quite common and Rafa had developed deadly patterns (esp on the ad court) to get sliced returns and dictate with his forehand.
Now, Fed started to change his returning approach 2014 onward. I finally found some cool stats to support and quantify these claims:
In 2014 AO SF with Rafa, Fed was already hitting 66% of his backhand returns with a topspin backhand. The number was 42% in AO 2013 on average.
Now coming on to the AO 2017 final, fed hit a staggering 95% of his backhand returns with a backhand drive and only 5% slice returns! This is a HUGE change for not only Fed but also for Rafa! Not only were they topspin returns, they were hit flatter and the bigger frame helped in get more on the wide serves.
THIS really shocked Rafa in both AO and IW and his patterns were shaken. His service patterns were disrupted and fed was on to his aggression mode much earlier in the earlier even in return games. While Rafa’s faced these patched from fed in the past, they were for small duration in the sets and Fed was not able to commit to those patterns. I think Ljubicic has really backed him up and they have shown full commitment.
It is mind boggling that Fed hit only THREE sliced backhand returns over FIVE SETS in the AO final!! He was that much comfortable and confident with his game plan. It worked and no wonder was more lethal in IW!
This is testimony to Fed’s greatness but also tells me Rafa’s serving was quite incapable of dealing with Fed’s improved returning .It makes sense to me why Moya has been stressing so much about Rafa’s second serve and I am glad it is a more offensive shot now. There is NO question Rafa has to hit better spots with his first serve. He needs a sharper angle on the wide serve to force fed to hit slice returns. His body serves DID NOT work that well this year against Fed so some pondering is needed.
He can still develop winning patterns but there is work to be done both strategically and in terms of execution.
And, Fed’s improved backhand is NOT a myth. Yes, this is coming from a Rafan and I have no doubts. He has been taking the ball a tad earlier, hitting bigger and flatter when needed and the high ball hasn’t bothered him unless it’s really high. The deep forehand from Rafa, or even the high ones with good action and angle on them, were still effective but the short forehands were punished. Rafa’s kind of lost the luxury of hitting the reset button in rallies by simply hitting high to Fed’s backhand. Not saying Fed was incapable of putting the ball away with his backhand in the past but his ability is greater now. It is more difficult for Rafa to turn defense into offense so he needs a bit more aggression on his counter-punching.
For the stat lovers, Fed hit 8 backhand winners in the 5th set alone of the AO 17 final whereas, he hit 3 winners in the ENTIRE AO 2014 SF against Rafa. It is a new threat but it is a secondary threat if we include ROS.
Yeah there is no doubt Fed’s backhand has greatly improved this season. I feel that it is why he has had the edge over Nadal this season and because of this major improvement he doesn’t really get badly affected by Nadal’s forehand anymore. That’s what I’ve perceived from watching their matches at least. Fed has been the aggressor for much of the time.
Excellent analysis !! Fed’s ROS specially CC backhand on Deuce court and DTL on Ad court just does not give Rafa time to adjust after his serve. He used to do that earlier. And Fed is really hitting his BH CC flat while rallying and breaking Nadal’s forehand.
Before people criticise me for my double standards of talking about Fedal mysely while asking others not to , please note that I just came across some good stats and did not want to miss sharing with you guys lol.
I still maintain that talks of Fedal SF at USO 2017 should wait until tomorrow evening when he are sure they are meeting in the SF! 🙂
I absolutely think we should hold off on a possible Fedal match until it is a reality.
I always take it one match at a time. So I am focusing on Rafa’s match with Rublev.
For sure. And we do seem to have lost sight of the fact that even IF there’s a FEDAL semi the winner is by no means guaranteed to win the final.
who will beat them from the other side? The semi is the real final. Unless ofcourse one gets injured in final like Rafa at AO 14
Only guy who can stop either of them is a god mode Querrey.
Brilliant analysis as always vr!!
I do feel that the confidence fed has now with the new racket means that not only does he have more technical control with the backhand but he is simply far more willing to go for broke. There seems to have been a kind of cognitive feedback as a result which lifts his whole game against Rafa now he’s released from his old fear of the ball getting up high….
Amy, thanksss 🙂
Yeah, the ease the looseness he showed in IW really was telling of how much confidence he now has in his game. He played quite freely.
However, Rafa was able to counter some patterns in Miami and I felt his execution was not great and he made bad errors. His 2nd serve is stronger now and I am sure his 3 coaches will have pin-pointed specific areas to look for. It is all about building good momentum by dispatching Rublev in ruthless fashion! If he can do that, there is no reason why he can’t step up and reverse the losing trend against Fed.
I have been very optimistic about Rafa since the first round. I will repeat what I have been saying all along: I do not think there is good enough reason why Rafa would NOT perform well at the USO this time! I feel he has gone past the initial hurdles and will continue to build momentum now.
Yes I believe he can beat fed vr..but he must not start falling into old habits constantly hitting to Fed’s backhand as if he was playing on clay!fed will just anticipate ahead and rip the ball otherwise..
Having Moya around will help him a lot imo.. he’s an excellent tactician..
But most of all Rafa will need to hit the forehand really well..if that shot isn’t on the money he won’t win…
okay how can Rubulev trouble Rafa? I have not seen him play at all but if he could take out Grigor..he must be having something in him..Even Goffin said something to the effect of how good Rubulev is.
In my honest opinion Rublev won’t trouble Rafa at all. All factors point to an easy win for Rafa.
I found these pieces from Fed’s presser interesting:
‘We both play different. Because of his surgery, I think his backhand has changed. He uses his slice much more. Just alone because of that, the game would be different. I’m playing more aggressive, as well, on the return.
‘I think Rafa’s (forehand) for me is maybe number one. It depends on what surface we’re talking about. But just throughout the career, I think Rafa’s is extremely high, if not my favorite one.
But DelPo’s (forehand) is flat. When it’s flat, clearly margins are smaller. You also have to be in really good position, court position, to be able to do it, when he can do it from further back, as well. He’s got a great forehand down the line, inside-out forehand, which in my opinion are maybe more difficult shots to hit.”
so, talking about his more aggressive approach, Federer also mentions his RETURN! So even he himself believes his return has been the biggest contributor 🙂
Don’t you think that Delpo mainly hitting slice cc backhands – when he has to hit a bh – is due to his left wrist injury? He’s just not been the same since all those surgeries on it. I don’t know why he wouldn’t use his former bh if he could.
Roger’s never been classed as a great returner, like Djokovic and Murray. He’s got flashy shots and great movement, sure, reads the game very, very well, but his real strength is his serve.
Ramara,
I understand why the big man is forced to hit slices now. What I don’t understand is the reluctance to hit his backhand DTL rather CC all the time. He even had this problem prior to surgery but not as much. He just gets really stubborn with the CC backhand pattern.
Regarding fed’ return, yes you are right. But, he is now an offensive returner. You could extract defensive returns from his backhand in the past as he used to hit way more slice returns but now he tries to drive through his returns majority of the times.So, he is a more offensive returner now.
Ramara,
That’s my sense of it with Delpo. Because of the surgeries, he can’t hit the backhand the way he used to. I have to believe that, as you said, if he could hit if the way he used to then he would.
I should not be saying this but Rafa needs some time to adapt to a different pattern of play thrown at him. He is just that kind of a player who needs time whether to get confidence, play into form etc. He lost to Novak 7 times in 2011/12 before adapting and developing patterns of his own. Thats why I am kinda sure he will lose to Fed as he will need time to counter a plan to attack those new patterns.
A part of me would hate to see him lose to Fed in a slam again something we were not used to seeing for 9 years (AO was a shock and it hit real hard as it robbed him of a double career slam ) and hence I wonder if its okay to lose to Rubulev instead . Yes I know I will get lynched for saying this but cant help it :-). I would be overjoyed to see Rafa beat Fed but sorry I just dont see it happening at all given how things have panned out this year. It may happen next year but too early this year I feel going by past Novak experience.
Sanju,
I don’t see it that way. Just because it took Rafa seven straight losses to find the answers to Novak, does not mean that it had to be that way before Rafa finds the answers to Fed. Novak was always a tough match up for Rafa. Then we got Novak 2.0 in 2011. I think Novak presented more problems for Rafa. Rafa has dominated the H2H against Fed. Now Fed has made adjustments and it’s up to Rafa to counter with adjustments of his own.
Keep in mind how close that match was at the AO. That was also a very fast court. Rafa has not done anything at slams for almost three years. Yet he got to the final and was even up a break in that fifth set.
I think Rafa was caught iff guard by Fed’s backhand adjustment. IW and Miami were too soon for him to have an answer. But Rafa has improved his serve quite a bit, especially his second serve now. I am sure that he and Moya will have worked on adjustments to counter Fed’s backhand should they meet in the semifinals.
I have learned never to count out Rafa. If he gets to the semis and meets Fed, I do not see the inevitable outcome that you do.
i hope the outcome will be different to the inevitable one i see and i will be happiest one to see it panning out differently.
I see you point, Sanju. I also said something similar after Miami. Rafa does need some time to sort out issues regarding patterns. We have the Djokovic example and before that it was players like Blake, Nalbandian etc.
Having said that, this one has its unique dynamics. I agree with NNY with the Djokovic problem was more acute. Rafa had actually made some good adjustments in Miami but the execution was not sharp. I felt that throughout the match watching it live.
The huge success on clay and improvements in his 2nd serve give me real hope that he can turn this around here. We will be in a better position to comment after watching his performance tomorrow.
I shall now save further analysis for the actual match haha
vr,
?
tomms schedule out
rafa gets day match..fed night yet again
fed will have played 4 of his 5 matches at night..rafa just 1