The Grandstand’s Ricky Dimon and Joey Hanf of The Tennis Nerds preview and pick the four men’s fourth-round matches on Tuesday at Wimbledon. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are two wins apiece away from a semifinal showdown.
(WC) Nick Kyrgios vs. (2) Rafael Nadal
Ricky: After a substantial early-match scare against 2012 Wimbledon conqueror Lukas Rosol, Nadal has watched his draw open up. He got Mikhail Kukushkin instead of Ivo Karlovic in the third round and now he gets Kyrgios instead of Richard Gasquet. Kyrgios has the game to trouble Nadal with a huge serve and a flat, punishing backhand but he is just 19 years old and has never been anywhere close to this stage of a Grand Slam. This is by far the biggest match of the Australian’s career. Youthful exuberance will not allow him to be afraid and the underdog may take advantage of a slow-starting Nadal, but the world No. 2 will wear Kyrgios down sooner rather than later. Nadal 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Joey: When filling out the draw, very few if any could have predicted this round of 16 match. Nadal dropped the first set in each of his first three matches and was one point away from going down two sets to love against Rosol. But the Spaniard found a way in each of those matches, and is starting to play really good tennis on the grass. However, he will be in for his stiffest test of the tournament when he plays the 19-year-old Kyrgios. The Australian saved nine match points in a five-set epic with Richard Gasquet and then took out fellow young gun Jiri Vesely in four sets. Kyrgios has big weapons; the serve is his greatest asset and the forehand has been praised as a great shot. But the backhand is personally my favorite shot that Kyrgios possesses. He hits it flat and it has a slight resemblance to Marat Safin’s two-handed hammer. Nadal will struggle to break early, but once he get’s one, it’s probably over. Nadal 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.
[polldaddy poll=8154282]
(5) Stan Wawrinka vs. (19) Feliciano Lopez
Ricky: I had Lopez in the quarterfinals from the start and there is certainly no reason to change it now. The Queen’s Club runner-up and Eastbourne champion has maintained his impeccable ways on grass so far this fortnight. He has been broken only once in three matches, including none during a big win over John Isner on Monday. Wawrinka did not have too much trouble reaching the fourth round, although he struggled through a four-setter against Yen-Hsun Lu in the second round. Lopez 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(6).
Joey: Of the four round of 16 matches to be played Tuesday, this one should be the best. Lopez is a different player on grass. His serve-and-volley game is the most effective in the modern game. His often-criticized backhand is actually effective on grass, because his sharp slice stays very low. Wawrinka has struggled at Wimbledon in the past, but he was impressive in his straight-set win over Denis Istomin in the third round. Wawrinka’s serve is very effective on grass; he really flattens it out more often than he does on clay. We can expect a few tiebreakers and this match will be decided by only a few crucial points. With each guy having to play on back-to-back days, fatigue could be an issue. It really could go either way, but I’ll go with Wawrinka in five. Wawrinka 7-6(7), 6-7(3), 6-4, 2-6, 7-5.
[polldaddy poll=8158208]
(23) Tommy Robredo vs. (4) Roger Federer
Ricky: This isn’t 2013 anymore. A resurgent Robredo played some of the best tennis of his career last spring and summer, while Federer was flailing away in his worst-ever form. The result was a stunning fourth-round U.S. Open upset–with relative ease, too–in Robredo’s favor. Still, Federer leads the head-to-head series 10-1 and something along the lines of their first 10 encounters can be expected on Tuesday. The 32-year-old Swiss could not be more comfortable on this surface and he completely thrashed all three of his first-week opponents. Robredo, on the other hand, is coming off a five-setter against Jerzy Janowicz. Federer 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.
Joey: These two last met in the round of 16 at the 2013 U.S. Open, with Robredo pulling off a shocking straight-set upset of Federer. Now on grass, Federer has a chance to get revenge (if he likes that sort of thing). Robredo was impressive in taking out 2013 semifinalist Jerzy Janowicz in the third round, rebounding in the fifth set while just beating out darkness. But things will get much tougher against Federer, who has been at good-but-not-quite-great levels through his first three matches. If you’re a Federer fan, the good news is that he always raises his standard in the second week of Wimbledon. These two have never played on grass, but Federer owns the head-to-head series 10-1, with that lone loss coming just nine months ago. Expect Federer to roll. Federer 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-2.
[polldaddy poll=8154285]
(8) Milos Raonic vs. (10) Kei Nishikori
Ricky: Nishikori leads the head-to-head series 2-0 after beating Raonic in a pair of tiebreakers earlier this season in Madrid, but they have never faced each other on grass. Raonic had been surprisingly poor on the slick stuff prior to this Wimbledon, but he has cruised in straight sets in all three of his matches without dropping serve a single time. Nishikori, on the other hand, needed five sets to get past Simone Bolelli in the third round. Of course, the No. 10 seed’s form hardly matters because Raonic will take the match completely out of his opponent’s hands. Raonic 7-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Joey: For a good two and half hours, it didn’t look like we would get this matchup. Nishikori trailed Bolelli two sets to one and was down match point, but he recovered to win in five. Raonic has been imperious on serve, having only faced one break point through three matches while hitting 73 aces. The Canadian had struggled with his movement on grass in the past, but it looks like he’s getting comfortable on the surface where he could do the most damage. Grass is definitely Nishikori’s worst surface, but he’s still capable of hanging with Raonic, at least on his own serve. Unfortunately for Nishikori, he won’t get many looks on the Raonic serve. Count on at least one tiebreak, with the Canadian prevailing and setting up a potential quarterfinal against Nadal. Raonic 6-4, 7-6(6), 6-7(5), 6-4.
[polldaddy poll=8158205]
Can’t wait for Nadal v Kyrgios. I’d say Rafa in three sets, but expecting a couple of tiebreaks and a really entertaining match. I would definitely give the edge to Lopez over Wawrinka. All the matches on grass seem to have given him a great deal of confidence and he’s won almost all the tiebreaks he has played this tournament. In the last match, I’m going for Nishikori in 4. I think the tight match against Bolelli will actually go in his favour.
https://twitter.com/augustazeight/status/483875420442730496/photo/1
This is the second match for Fed in Court 1, and Stan never got a CC match?
pity on you wimby!!!!!
They had to make up the schedule so that Fed/Robredo/Lopez/Stan almost play at the same time.
And your point is?
Nadal is the World No. 1.
Not for long.
Fed in 3!
Rafa in 3!
Wawa in 4!
Milos in 4!
So far, this Fed/Robredo match is a blowout. Roger takes the 1st set in 22 minutes.
Fed match is on red button, and they show Sharapova match live on BBC 2
Pathetic !!!!
I rather watch sharapova/merger. Fed/robredo is a damp squip!!! Robredo sent an imposter to play today, seriously!!!
LOL…Rafa losing the first set in a TB. I think he will win in 3. Kei in 4, kind of late for Roger-Boredo, but I think [hope] Lopez can mount a come-back.
8 people voted that N-KYR will beat Rafa?
They were right.
How many tiebreaks has Lopez played so far at these Championships?
I think Stan would have much more of a chance against Roger instead of Lopez, roger/Stan should be good. Seems Kei is getting the better of Milos. How can Lopez be up 6:3 in a tie beak and lose?!!
Stan seems to be in the drivers seat in this one against Lopez, and Roger has his puppet Robredo on a string!
Joey: “the Spaniard found a way in each of those matches, and is starting to play really good tennis on the grass. However, he will be in for his stiffest test of the tournament when he plays the 19-year-old Kyrgios. The Australian saved nine match points in a five-set epic with Richard Gasquet and then took out fellow young gun Jiri Vesely in four sets”.
Jiri Vesley and Gasquet are no Nadal.
Exactly!!! Gasquet threw this match away, having 9, nine march point chances!!! Do you really think Rafa will NOT capitalize on 9 match points……….never!!!!!!!
You’re right. Nadal never got to match point though.
Has anyone played as many TBs in one tournament before than Feli has played at this Wimbledon?
Lopez vs
Yuichi
76 76 76
Pavcic
64 76 75
Isner
67 76 76 75
Stan (so far)
67 67
🙂
Nasal does not seem nervous, which is great, but his serves are not quite on song yet,and he has not been able to read the young man’s serve! Easy holds so far. Not sure if Kyrios will be able to keeping serving that way for the whole match
Rafa is playing way too tentative…….would not be surprised if he loses first set. He should play better once he settles! But all I see so far from Kyrios is his serves…..his movement looks to me limited!
Where is everyone?! Feels really lonely out here!
Rafa to meet Milos next if he passes this test! Rafa has it really tough, having to work the hardest!
Raonic just beat Nishi in 4. Hopefully, Rafa makes it through to the next round. It’ll be more of the same. Ugh.
Yep!! Almost seems unfair!!!
Why does Nadal always play so poorly in the 1st set? There’s another one gone.
Rafa serve is way off, low 1st serve percentage. Awful returning, poor approach shots. Complete joke of a first set from Nadal.
what the hell is Nadal doing?? Has a look at a second serve at 4-3 in the breaker and gives it back to him at about 30 mph before the baseline. Does he like losing the first set?!
And there goes the set. 2014 grass court Nadal is a joke.
Don’t forget 2012 and 2013.
i think we should resign ourselves to Rafa losing the first set…
Here we go, we had already anticipated that, didn’t we? It makes me wonder how Gasquet was able to win the first two sets !
Probably because he played better than rafa’s first set. Rafa also played very badly as well as Kyrgios playing well. Much too much credit is always given to Nadal’s opponents. When Nadal is playing poorly he drops the ball much too short, this makes opponents look incredible.
Hi Mona. I’m watching. Holding my breath though. This Nick guy is being a pain in the butt.
Yeah, but Rafa did not play a bad first set though, except for a few points, his serve has not been great, he needs to ramp it up. Rafa needs to hold and try to return those bombs!
rafa serving first in the 2nd will hopefully keep him in the lead. How long can this N-KYR guy keep it up?
As long as Nadal keeps on playing terribly.
Does anyone know who this terrible commentator is alongside Henman and JMac on the BBC? He is INCREDIBLY biased towards Kyrgios and INCREDIBLY naive.
This kind of tennis is annoying, not entertaining.
I agree…….just boom, boom, boom!!!! That is the kinda like the sister to serve and volley in the 90’s!!!
I was just going to post the same thing. I’m annoyed. Think I’ll switch over to the Swiss-Argie match.
This is ridiculous. Commentators are acting like Krygios is just too good but Nadal is missing everything when he gets into the rally.
This is more than exiting. How can always trying to make a mach physical and making opponent play worse is better? Its allways the same and boring.
It’s a sport, not a parlor game. Heaven forbid one should think that physicality, endurance, and strength should be a part of it. In this case it happens to be Rafa on the other side of the net, but I’d feel the same no matter who Kyrgios was playing.
huh…good Rafa was able to win the second set…he needs to step it up now…please Rafa, don’t be so defensive…
Step it up now, Rafa…don’t let him back into the match…
phewwwwwwwwwwww ! I was nervous ! Krygios’s serve in the first set was INSANE. Rafa made a couple of blunders in the tie break and lost it. Kyrgios’s serving quality dropped a tad in the second set and rafa started reading his serve better. Rafa is returning 2nd serves well !
I will be calm when rafa wins this set
This is the worst I’ve seen Nadal play on Grass since Darcis. Missing so many routine forehands.
Nadal putting in too many careless shots. Will feel better if he raises his level of intensity. He doesn’t need a five-setter at this stage.
This game not physical yet……..far from it, its been only 21/2 sets……..Curios should not be hurting…..only 19!
Yeah, I find Rafa is not efficient enough on break point chances and opportunities….but he’ll learn!
Curios seems to be getting tired…….his first serves are waning! Rafa hurry up…….end that in four!
He took your advice.
Nadal has had so many opportunities in this 2nd set. Seen many second serves and just returned them on the service line. Not even close to good enough.
This is looking horribly like it’s heading to another tie-break/
Rafa should really be playing these tie-breaks a whole lot better!!! These errors are very costly!! He should have been near to winning this tie-break already!
WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH NADAL’S FOREHAND?!! MISSING SO MANY.
Nadal has been so so poor this match. Dropping the ball so short. Awful from the world number 1. Nadal is out of wimbledon.
What is with RAFA and these tie-breaks…….horrid!!!!
Rafa needs to be much more aggressive!!! His only chance here is to make this guy run and break him….another tie-break would be fatal!!
wow. just. wow.
What kind of tactics you expect from 19 year old. He shows his best shots against this maraton runer.
Ugh. Just. Ugh 🙁
Nadal is going out of wimbledon in 4… to a 19 year old. What a joke.
Rafa’s serves in the tie-breaks just goes AWOL
Rafa in a defensive rather careless mode…this is such a lousy play from Rafa…this guy isn’t even playing that well, but Rafa’s balls lending too short and easy to attack…even when Rafa is able to return he loses the rallies…Gosh…this hurts…
Shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GAME OVER. Rafa’s terrible play continues at wimbledon. So bad from him, Kyrgios was solid, but Rafa was at about 60% today. Where did his forehand go?
What a lazy way to go out of wimbledon, theres no drive, no classic Nadal fight.
So both defending RG champions, Rafa and Sharapova are out today! Wow!!! Did not believe that was going to happen to Rafa too!
The match last 2 hours is far from boom boom boom, and yet new guy is beating top form Nadal.
LOL “top form Nadal”. Just because this 60% Nadal would beat 100% Federer in straights doesn’t mean Nadal is playing well. What a reet.
Nothing is working for Rafa.
Well, I now resigned to Rafa losing. Very sad. Rafa has such bad luck drawing players like this.
Vamos Rafa!
Krygios isn’t that good though, Rafa has been truly poor in this match. Has played the 30-30 points awfully.
Awful tennis from Nadal. So so bad.
To lose now will break Rafa’s heart. Focus Rafa please.
Well, Rafa rules RG, You can’t win them all.
Vamos Rafa!
No, that’s a bad way to look at this result. Rafa should be winning them all. He’s better than Djokovic, Murray and Federer and so shouldn’t be playing this poorly before he can reach them.
The trouble is Kyrgios will lose in the next round.
What a shit way to go out of wimbledon. Hoped Nadal would have at least played decently.
yup…can’t have it all…
Everybody here said Nadal in second week cant be beaten.
Then everybody said he is on mission, he will refuse to fail again.
Have fun!!! The luck of the draw was certainly not on Rafa’s side today! But its ok……..Rafa will be back….as always! Today the better player won.
Kyrg will be demolished in the next round…Rafa donated him the win…
He played Rafa well and held his nerve, good for him. But he is young, he has a chance to goo deep. Rafa did not play badly at all, except for his serves which let him down at the crucial moments, esp in the tie-break!! Better luck next time, Rafa!!!
And plus, he was mostly aggressive in the second set, but lost his intensity in the third and fourth! No doubt Curious is a tricky customer, but at least Milos has his serves to bail him out, Rafa doesn’t!
“Rafa did not play badly at all”
That must be a joke!? He was awful!
It’s just bad luck with his draw.
Vamos Rafa
🙁
If Rafa can’t play better currently, then it was better to lose to THAT guy than anyone else left in the draw.
I agree…all the big hitters in Rafa’s draw…too difficult task for Rafa on grass…
oh well, Fed will be revealed…
meant to say relieved..
^^^^^^That too.
YESSSSS!!! Tennis is half way to being saved! A teenager! New blood! Finally! Now it’s up to Stankonia to finish the job! GOAT my foot can’t beat a teenager.
Neither could Roger, are you forgetting that?!! Didn’t Rafa beat Roger as a teenager, Idiot….!
Filter’s not a Fed fan. (S)he hates them both you idiot. (I also think it’s funny how the high schooler whines and calls for the moderator when it is called an idiot, yet there’s no moderation here when you call a Fedal hater.one. hmmmmm….)
Precisely there is no such thing as a GOAT.
What I find so hard to comprehend is that Gasquet at least took it to five sets.
Gasquet played better than Nadal today. That’s how bad Nadal was.
But I dont this he served that well against Gasquet, did he?!
Moot point. Nadal is one of the 2 best players to ever play the game, so the match was on his racquet not Krygios’. Rafa played awfully.
He didn’t play like this against Gasquet nor against Velsey. They get extra adrenalin against Rafa.
I hope he goes on to win the title because I don’t want anyone of the Big 3 to win it.
He wont win the tourney, by the time he get to Milos or Roger, he would already have been pooped!!!! Roger now has a free pass to the finals!
No chance. Winner of Murray/Djokovic wins.
N-KYR will suffer from “upset-itis” and lose in the next round. Just like all the other players who have beaten a top 4 and then go on to lose in the next round. Enjoy your victory N-KYR…
Just got home to catch Rafa losing the TB in the 3rd. Commies Rafans, I am gutted. I was looking forward to Rafa playing Fed on grass again. But that is not what the organisers wanted. I know, I know, some will say it is sour grapes on my part, yep, guilty as charged. They lined up the big hitters in Rafa’s path for a reason. It is what it is.
Go home and rest Rafa. You have a Slam under your belt already.
Vamos!
They lined up Dick Gasquet for him. Problem is he couldn’t get there.
I’m watching football now. Can’t listen to Sue Barker and JMac anymore. Too painful. I was rooting for Gasquet to win his match because at least Rafa know how to play Gasquet. Rotten draw for Rafa. Anyway, can’t cry over split milk. It is what it is.
Me too, Nadline, the draw was really lop-sided with big hitters! Its just begs the question, is it really luck of the draw, after all!
No, it was on Nadal’s racquet and he lost it. Don’t blame it on the draw/
^^Am also watching football and guess what, Messi also having a bad day at the office. Gutted though I am I feel for Rafa. He looked more mentally tired out there than anything. Think of all the emotional energy he expended at RG and in the early rounds at Wimbledon trying not to go out early, especially with all the heavy hitters lined up against him. Just imagine, if he had beaten this Curious guy today, he would have been facing another big hitter tomorrow. No, too much……………
It’s okay, maybe Wimby doesn’t like Rafa anymore. I am already looking forward to USOpen 2014!
Rafa will be back!
Vamos!
Rafa missed the few chances he got. I guess he was nervous and who can blame him.
We can all blame him. His performance was shocking.
That’s the worst I’ve ever seen Nadal play in the 2nd week of a slam. Inexcusable.
@greg, I haven’t had a chance to watch the match yet but this may sound weird but it’s true: your take of Rafa’s play gives me heart. If Rafa had lost playing his very best then that would have been it, the end. But knowing he played poorly means the Rafa we know is out there.
If anyone finds Rafa’s presser, please do post it, thanks!
That was Nadal at about 60%. No idea why. Maybe emotional toll of coming through lots of tight moments in first week.
Murray will win it, after all they smoothed his path to defending his title.
better Murray than Rog-Nole.
This, I do not like………………..
RT @christophclarey: “#Nadal’s last three #Wimbledons
2012 Loss 2r Rosol (Rank 100)
2013 Loss 1r Darcis (Rank 135)
2014 Loss 4r Kyrgios (Rank 144)”
Truly awful.
Wimbly organizers got what they want by throwing enough hard servers at Rafa to increase the odds against him and pave the way for a Fed Muzza final.
I’m now for Raonic first then anyone but Fed or Muzza.
Vamos Rafa no matter what!
#Rigged
anyone but Nole…I want Muzzah or Milos or even Dimi. Just not Nole or Roger.
^^me and you, @Jeu Nadal. I will now be rooting for Muzza. Hell, he better win this after the pain the organisers have gone to make sure he does. After that, anyone but Nole or Roger, especially Roger.
Of course, the icing on the cake will be, for Muzza to win the tournament he will have beaten Novak in the semis making him drop his finalist’s points………….
Commies RAFANs, What is there to be sad about?
RAFA won last 2.9/3.0 slams…
But please have the humility to admit he is bit behind when it is Grass.
# Grass is not grinding
All these big hitters have won their previous rounds before meeting RAFA, nothing wrong with draw at all.
Nole has insane draw, Stapanek, Simon, Tsonga, Cilic, Andy — that is tough.
RAFA is good in Clay, clay alone.
^^Yep, Rafa is good in Clay, clay alone. What then does that say about THOSE who are good at everything else when Rafa beat them on grass and HC to win those 5 Slams? Hahaha…………
There are guys who won 16 Non clay slams!
Its sad that RAFA could not take advantage of his preferable scheduling and early matches, he played all his matches in CC.
RAFA’s reflexes are bit mediocre for Grass play, that is the difference.
There will be poetic justice this time and Nole will win.
Didi you see Nole’s returns ystrdy against Joe?
You do realize that djokovic is a hard court specialist? He’s won 5 hard court slams to just 1 grass and 0 clay.
Nadal has 9 clay slams, 2 grass court slams, and 3 hard court slams. He’s the best all rounder in the history of tennis.
Lol at a djokovic fan giving grief to Nadal about being a specialist on one surface. Djokovic is the biggest one surface pony of all time!!
The funny thing is the surfaces have been homogenized. If grass was fast like the last century Fedal would have 0 titles on grass. One would have all hard court and the other all clay court titles.
https://twitter.com/BBCSport/status/484050290313003008/photo/1
Vamos Rafa, no matter what!
The sad thing is Nick Curious will not improve beyond this victory today, this was is nirvana. We have seen this movie before: big hitter plays lights out at Wimby, beats Rafa and that’s it for him. It is a pity they do not hand out trophies for beating Rafa, I think it is a shame guys like this have nothing but reams of blog copy to remind them of their feat.
Rafa? He will do what he has done before under similar circumstances: move on to the next tournament while poor Nick will be stuck in that freeze-frame win forever, with nothing else to show for his career. I hope he proves me wrong but I have a sneaky feeling I am right………….
^^^ No He is cool compared to Rosol, He will be in the Final..
He will be stopped by Nole, Nole alone.
This Wimby belongs to Nole.
^^Interesting. So you are backing Nick curious to beat your guy Fed after beating (according to you) Raonic? Tell you what, if Nick Curious prevents Fed from winning Slam #18 I will root for him too!
Did you watch Fed today?
Very bad, this kid would have beat him too.
I am looking for Fed’s relexes/God mode shots, which may save him against this kid.
@sabs, do not invest too much emotional energy in this kid, yet. You are setting yourself up for major disappointment. In fact, I am willing to bet a second mortgage on Milos taking him out tomorrow.
Another Rosol………….
Sabs can’t read. I said Nole and Rafa had the toughest quarters by design to set up a dream final.
Surface has nothing to do with it.
Fed wouldn’t have survived Rafa’s quarter either and probably not Muzza but. Oth were handed select puffy cake draws.
Fed gets nothing but clay courters and fellow geezers.
Given his rigged tough draw I think Nole deserves it as much if not more than anyone else.
Don’t want the riggers to be rewarded for their fixed draws.
Have a nice break in the sand Rafa.
RT @SI_Tennis: “Nadal: “I tried. I lost. That’s the easiest way to explain that. I lost. Is not a drama. Is nothing strange.” Happy with his level.”
I am happy with your level too, Rafa, win or lose!
Vamos!
Why didnt he change the grip when serving?Tony will be mad about this loss, will put him again on PED’s before US open to gain extra 10mph on serve.
(sabs can’t read.)
No, surface had little to do with it.
I could have looked at the draw without the Top 4 and easily determined who was in what quarter.
Wimbly gave easy quarters to Fed and Muzza which is why both look so good so far.
Nole and Rafa had toughest draws with mostly hard hitters in Rafa’s draw.
One dimensional grinding doesn’t put you in five Wimby finals with two titles including one over Fed but I wouldn’t expect a fedbot fanboy to know any better.
That’s why, after Raonic, I’m for anyone but Fed or Muzza. I don’t want to see the riggers rewarded.
Nole, given his rigged difficult draw, deserves it as much if not more than anyone left in the draw.
To be honest, the lack of subtlety by Wimby this year in rigging the draw and the schedule has left me a little bemused. I want Muzza to profit from it now but I fear Novak will blow him off the court when they meet. Muzza has had it too easy, has not been tested and he has not been very aggressive, too passive in his play……….
Old man fed is being propped up by rigged draws to maximize revenues.
Tennis, from a purist sportsfan’s view, sad to say, will be better of when Fed retires.
^^Agree with you but Rafa also has pull, why don’t they do him the same favours too? Where is @holdserve when you need her? Could do with her erudite theories on rigged draws!
Not enough pull to affect Wimbly desires to have a Fed Muzza final.
50% or more will cheer for Fed in that matchup at Wimbly.
#Lemmings
When Fedal retires tennis will be awesome.
The draw for Wimby 2015 is out. Rafa’s quarter:
R1: Rosol
R2: Karlovic
R3: Nick Curious
R4: Raonic
Didn’t they put just about anyone who beat Rafa (or almost beat him) on clay this year into his RG quarter?
– 13 straight non-clay slams with Nole in Fed’s half
– last five non-clay slams with Fed avoiding Nole’s half
– last four RG draws with Fed avoiding Rafa’s half
#Rigged
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
so far, Nole is the only one deserving to win the title given the draw he has got and the performance he displayed…the draw Murray and Fed have got is plain ridiculous…
I tend not to believe in these stories about the rigged draw but I am now inclined to think it may all be true…yes, the same happened with Rafa’s draw at RG with all those who beat or came close to beat him on clay lined up..
I feel hurt that Rafa lost today because I really felt he could go far this time…the big hitters are just a lottery players…this young guy today was more than a big hitter, he simply gave it all…and his belief combined with Rafa’s poor play gave him the win…however, I am almost sure this is where his run stops…
I saw only the 3rd and 4th sets. Very disappointed with the way Rafa played yesterday. Having set point in 3rd and losing it. He was passive and scared yesterday. Rafa did not deserve to win yesterday. When he was younger, he was fearless, he has lost that quality now. Nick was just in a zone yesterday as he himself admitted. I was fearing this match and my fears came true (:-
This loss erases the myth that Rafa in 2nd week would be a tough customer. No Rafa will always be vulnerable on grass till he plays, I am certain of that.
On Wimby 2014, I am rooting for Murray now but will be okay if Novak takes it too. Grigor will give Murray a good fight. However Fed, NO NO NO but hes in the final for sure. I dont see either Stan or Milos beating Fed. Stan though was lovely against Lopez yesterday however not sure if he will replicate that level against Fed. However if Fed wins No 18, irrespective of the luck of the draw, it will be a remarkable achievement given his age.
I wonder why Rafa only out of the Top 4 has this major issue against big big hitters.
I wonder how many more slams Rafa has in him, hopefully 2-3 more atleast, but cant be sure.
Sanju, you have mentioned the point that I have been brooding on for most part of the day. A guy like Federer has reached the final again and again at this event by taking down so many big servers though his ROS is not as good as Rafa’s. At least Djoko and Murray have established themselves as one of the better returners on tour.
After Rafa’s Wimbledon debacle these past few years, my respect for Federer has gone up a few more notches for all he has achieved here against the big servers. He has taken Roddick down thrice. If anyone else takes it, it would be well deserved. Djoko has been slamless for so long and would be perfect for him to bounce back from the RG disappointment. Andy has worked hard to come back after a back surgery and Federer is turning back the years at 33.
I hope Rafa wins Wimby once more. For all the big hitters that have been in his draw the past three years, I hope he gets the rub of the green and gets an easy draw in the next few years. I certainly think Rafa has to be at the mercy of the draw at Wimbledon henceforth.
Like Rafa said he did not play badly. The worst he did today was probably getting broken in the 4th set.
Well worst he did is fearing in every TB. He has lost all the TBs on grass this Wimby, how bad is that now? Clear confidence issue on grass.
@Sanju says “He has lost all the TBs on grass this Wimby, ”
Not true. He won the 2nd set TB against Rosol.
Actally vmk1, we are wrong. Fed did get hit off the court by Berdy in 2010 and Tsonga in 2011. They served awesome esp Tsonga and just hit him off the court. Only difference is they are noted players in the Top10.
“I wonder why Rafa only out of the Top 4 has this major issue against big big hitters.”
You might as well ask why Rafa has so much trouble playing indoors.
Or this: I wonder why Muzza only out of the Top 4 has this major issue on clay. After all, he is the only one never to have won a title on clay.
Rafa has major issues against big hitters ON GRASS, not on every surface. His overall H2H against big hitters attests to that.
I think there is a game going on on Tour right now and it’s called, “how to beat Nadal”. You hear it spoken by commies during matches, even those which do not involve Rafa. You see it in the way players react after beating Rafa. We are now seeing it in the way tournament organisers are rigging draws to handicap Rafa (yes, I am looking at you RG and Wimby).
I hope Rafa gets a good rest, he needs it after that grueling RG. He has all those points to defend on the North American HC swing.
Vamos Rafa!
We have to admit it RITB that out of the Top 4, Rafa has the biggest issue handling big hitters on grass and faster surfaces. Nothing wrong in accepting that.
He is better than the other members of Top 4 in handling many other things and challenges, howver in this department, they are better than him.
On why players play that inspired against him compared to others, its simple, they respect him and his abilities far far more and believe it is a bigger scalp to claim just like Serena on the womens tour. I think it is a compliment to him. He needs to be ready for it.
@Sanju, I agree with you that Rafa has problems handling big servers on faster surfaces and grass is one of them. But we must also not forget that Rafa usually needs time to figure out a player and first time meetings are always tricky for Rafa. So, let’s wait and see…….
Yes, players fear Rafa that much is clear and I think tournament organisers are looking for shock value more and more and what better value than the shock of having the most feared player bundled out?
For me, I hope it’s either Murray or one of the newcomers to win the whole thing.
I am thinking if stars are aligning to have Fed win his 18th. I mean he announced himself as a contender upfront and said ‘ If things click’. Well the biggest obstacle in his path is out now, so it cant click better than this.
In the recent years, this part of the slam is when he has struggled the most. He breezes through the first few rounds and gets beat when he meets the first sign of stiff competition. But one thing is for sure, if he does take it, it would have been well deserved for duking it out through all the adversity he has suffered last year.
Rafael Nadal was reluctant to declare Nick Kyrgios the next big thing in tennis, even as John McEnroe was suggesting that the wildcard who had beaten the world No.1 was capable of going all the way to the Wimbledon winner’s circle as a 19-year-old on debut.
“For me is very easy to say he can be top 10. I think he can do. Is not an issue that I think he can not do it,’’ said Nadal. “But when we see a young player that arrives to the tour and plays a great match or plays a great tournament, people say he will be the next big star.
“Some things are right — sometimes arrive, sometimes not. So depends how the things improve over the next couple of months, years, for him. So if he is able to keep improving, he will be. If not, will be more difficult.’’
Quite a sober analysis, then, even if the Kyrgios performance was defiantly not. The audacious Canberran kept belting his serve, and thumping his groundstrokes, time after time, In the end, it was Nadal who played more tightly, having won the second set and believing himself to be superior player in the third, but admitting he was outplayed on either side.
Advertisement Youth helps, admitted the winner of 14 grand slam titles, and in this case the fearless nature of it outweighed his own vast reserves of experience.
“The sport is a mental part a lot of times,” said Nadal. “He has things, positive things, to be able to be a good player. But at the end, everything is a little bit easier when you are arriving. Everything is new. Nothing to lose. Everything is good. Everything is positive. You can do whatever and will be positive, and everybody see just the good things on you.’’
Nadal pointed out that when he was 19, he was already an established grand slam player [in fact, he had already won the first of his nine French Opens by then], and considered it “strange” that players are now maturing so late.
“Nineteen years old is a perfect age to be on the tour and to play well. That’s what happened with all the great players in the past. Is nothing new. When I was young, I was looking about the players that were great players, the top players, Lleyton, Roger, Ferrero, Moya, a lot of ones, Becker. They are there with this age. Is something that I always thought I had to be there at that age. With 19, I always thought I had to be with the tour if I want to be a professional tennis player.’’
Nadal admitted he was unable to read the Kyrgios serve, which produced 37 aces, and was broken just once in almost three hours, while repeatedly hauling the teenager out of trouble. And on grass, said the second seed and dual Wimbledon champion, that was enough.
“In the tiebreak he was able to serve better than me. So that’s an advantage,” said Nadal. “I could serve better on the tiebreaks. But 5‑all in the second set in the tiebreak, second serve, net, inside for him, second serve big. Then he repeat the second serve with 140 miles the second serve.
“That’s happens when you have nothing to lose.You can play that way. Players who really play for being in the last rounds, think about win the titles, it’s not easy to create the second serve 114 at 5‑all in the tiebreak, but that’s what happened today. Congratulations to him. For me, beach. For me, I going to go to the beach in Mallorca.’’
^^All Rafa is saying here is true. The pundits are going on and on about how Nick is the first teenager to beat a #1 at a GS since Rafa beat Fed at RG on his debut. But correct me if I am wrong, but didn’t Rafa back that up by winning the Slam? So, let Nick win Wimby 2014 before comparing him to Rafa, please. Otherwise, he is just another Rosol and Darcis.
I know people are eager for “new blood” on the Tour but they have to show up, and win, week in week out, against ALL players, not just Rafa, before they can assume the mantle of genuine contenders. He juts beat Rafa, good for him. He now joins Dustin Brown and Davydenko as the only 2 current players with a positive H2H against Rafa, lol!
Now let us see if he can back it up.
I laughed my ass off when my compatriot won. I hope he isn’t a flash in the pan like tomic though….It’s been a while since my country has had any decent players. It would be nice if Kyrgios won the title as a teenager(like boom boom did) but that’s a pipe dream. His 2 hander reminds me of Safin’s.(like joey said)
I dont want to comment on whether there is blatant rigging of draws happening because it is speculative, but do you think if there is indeed aa blatant rigging, it will yield the results for whoever it is rigged for? Karma anyone?
If it is deliberately being made more difficult for Rafa which agian I dont want to comment on as it is speculative , however we need to believe that eventually justice and truth prevails. Rafa will overcome all odds to win and the universe will help him overcome it.
@Sanju, I do not have facts to back up my claims of handicapping Rafa, I am going by what I see and believe. Like I said in my other post, this is being done for revenue. It has nothing with liking or disliking Rafa, it’s pure commerce. Rafa is the most feared therefore the one to attract the most “hits” if bounced. Rafa is the most followed player on the Tour, you do the maths…………..
@Sanju,
I agree with you!
i just hope people aren’t complaining about playing Kyrgios (a 144th-ranked wild card) in the quarterfinals.
Rosol in R2 and Karlovic (potentially) in R3 was an awful draw. but not Kyrgios.
Ricky, nobody was complaining about Rafa playing Rosol when they first met because nobody had seen him play Rafa before. The same with Kyrgios, nobody had seen him play Rafa before this is why nobody gave him a chance. After Rosol beat Rafa he became a danger-man for Rafa by most people. I am sure the same will be said for Kyrgios. I actually think Kyrgios has a better game than Rosol and is mentally stronger….
Kyrgios will be exponentially better than Rosol…. In fact, he might be already!
^^I agree. So with 20-20 hindsight, Kyrgios was a much more awful draw for Rafa than Rosol and Karlovic.
no, the Rosol and Karlovic draws were way worse
Well, which is it Ricky: is Kyrgios better than Rosol or not? If he is, then he has to have been a worse draw, no? I mean, compared to Rosol. Also, Rafa knew what to expect from Rosol and Karlovic, he did not for Kyrgios.
absolutely gutted because I felt rafa was really well prepared to fight for the title and win it. His serve was pretty good, his backhand was getting so much better , ROS was getting better and the forehand is always there in the big matches.
It’s so unfortunate that rafa ran into this guy who had a crazy day. He is a very big server but he served even better against rafa. Rafa was unable to read his first serve for the entire mach except for a few moments. Rafa punished him on 2nd serves in set 2 and for a good part of set 3. The problem was the every time rafa had a chance, it was erased by a mighty 1st serve. That being said, rafa played some points poorly in tie breakers. He missed an easy 2nd serve return and a backhand DTL in set 1’s TB. He was also not at is best in the 3rd set TB.
I so wish rafa had taken that set point in the third set 🙁 it was , however, once again erased by a huge first serve up the middle.
These players with no expectations are dangerous for rafa. They come out playing like there’s no tomorrow. Rafa would have dealt with raonic because he knows what to expect from him.
Rafa’s level of play was GOOD for a 4th rnd match. He would have easily won against a quality opponent. Kyrgios met him perhaps a round too early. Rafa’s return struggles big time on grass against huge servers. He keeps improving it little by little with every match so I guess he had not improved enough so far.
We know he was below his best on many important points…but……it’s just unfortunate.
Rafa won’t be able to hold on to his number 1 ranking for long unless djokovic loses in his qtr or semi.
I am ,however, confident of a strong showing in the North American hard court season. Rest well, rafa. You can come back next year. Stay healthy !
At least he is leaving wimbledon healthy ! The back and knee have both responded pretty well .
No 1 is least of the bother frankly
Djokovic cannot take away his No 1 at end of Wimby unless he wins Wimby
@vamosrafa,
I feel the same as you regarding this young guy coming a round too early. Although it’s been said that Rafa is dangerous when he reaches the second week, in the fourth round he’s still not at his best. We have seen him start peaking at the quarterfinals through to the end. So he wasn’t in his best form. He had the absolute worst opponent at the wrong time.
I was out and only saw the match from the latter part of the third set. Once he lost the first set, I just didn’t think he was going to win it in five. He has been behind in each of his matches. He battled mightily to get through those tough early round matches. But I was very worried about this guy. A young kid who can stand there and blast aces all over the place, filled with the brashness of youth who wanted to go out there and take it to Rafa
I am not worried about the #1 ranking at the moment. I am so disappointed that Rafa wasn’t able to really make a run here. It just seems tougher for him now at Wimbledon. I was thinking back to hjs matches against Haase and Petz in the 2010 Wimbledon. He was down two sets to one in both those matches. He fought and managed to get those wins.
It’s just a shame that Rafa had to meet this guy.
Sorry in my previous post I meant to say that once he lost the THIRD set, I didn’t think he would win the match.
this is so frustrating. Rafa had a great great chance to win Wimbledon 🙁 sighhhh
I hope he wins USO. He can do that ! The influence of big hitters is nowhere as big on hard courts, even on the fast hard courts
You really think he will win USO vamosrafa? Sorry I dont think he will. Infact if he wins any of the 3 – Toronto, Cincy, USO, I would be mighty surprised
Call me a pessimist but this is what I frankly feel
He outperformed our expectations mightily last year. Sadly this year he has let us down so far overall(despite FO win) and I think he will continue to underperform rest of the year.
He has never ever had strong 2 years in a row. Look at history
Fab 2008 followed by average and injury plagued 2009.
Fab 2010 followed by underwhelming 2011
Fab 2013 followed by subpar 2014 till now
I hope he proves me wong though for the balance 4 months of the tour
I don’t know if he will USO. What I am confident of is a strong showing ! As i said, In my view rafa was playing really on grass ! He was improving at a good rate and I was very confident he would be a mighty force by the time he reaches the semi and final.
Rafa will recharge now. His aggressive game from the baseline a really improved since Monte Carlo. I don’t see any reason why he will struggle. Mentally he is handling the loss well.
Speak for yourself @Sanju. Personally, I do not feel let down by Rafa at all this year. He is still #1, defended RG against expectations, added to his points at Wimby, he is relatively healthy. I am not prepared to pull the plug on his season before I see what he does in the NA HC swing. In fact, I am very bullish about his prospects there!
Wimbyis done and dusted, time to move on. I hope he takes advantage of this mini-break, recharges his batteries and comes back strong!
I am speaking for myself only. Where did I say I am talking on everyones behalf
Rafa has disappointed me this year for sure and I feel more bad as he does not have that many years left at the top to reach all milestones left to accomplish.
I hope he proves me wrong this year.
My expectations of Rafa maybe bit higher than most here, cant help it.
To me its been an okay season at best till now, infact I think from 2008 till 2014, its the worst year till now. Who can dispute that? The results speak for themselves, look at points gained /number of titles/finalist in race to London from 2008 till 2018, 2014 is the worst.
he will still have a chance if Fed doesn’t win Wimbledon (although Fed winning is looking increasingly likely with each passing day)
Sanju says: July 2, 2014 at 8:54 am
“He outperformed our expectations mightily last year. Sadly this year he has let us down so far overall(despite FO win) and I think he will continue to underperform rest of the year.”
let “us” down is not the same as let “me” down……………us is collective meaning there is more than you………
Love your optimism @vamosrafa. Of course we are all gutted he could not progress, that is the sport, no? The important thing is Rafa’s state of mind, healthy.
Can’t wait for Montreal!
Vamos!
I agree with RITB, Vamosrafa and others. Be glad Rafa played as well as he did and refrain from rebuking him for a loss against an upstart intent on blasting him off the court.
I had been quietly optimistic that if he negotiated the first three rounds he was in with a chance for a third Wimby title. He was looking fit and relaxed in the days before the tourney started and seemed more and more confident with each match. But after he trounced Kuku I was concerned he might have peaked a tad early and with the two day wait for his next match might lose the momentum that had built in the first week.
It was not to be. My heart bled for him as he left the court. If we are disappointed just imagine how gutted he was. To hell with the rankings, the H2Hs and the record books. Let’s savour every time he takes to the court and treasure each time he bites on another trophy.
“Let’s savour every time he takes to the court and treasure each time he bites on another trophy.” Amen to this!
Rafa is no Peter Pan, he is getting older and his game and body will respond accordingly. During the clay season, everybody bemoaned how Rafa had deteriorated, how he was losing to “nonody’s”, to the extent of writing him off another RG win. Overall, this year he has not been as dominant as say, last year but the fact is Rafa’s “mediocrity” is better than everybody else’s, otherwise he would not be #1 still. What is happening is that, because of age, Rafa’s performances are gravitating towards the Tour mean i.e. everybody else’s best. This is remarkable.
He has been struggling with a bad back right through RG this year. Look at Fed’s results when he was going through a similar issue last year.
As long as he is playing healthy I fancy Rafa’s chances in any match, on any surface.
I would dearly love to see Andy defend his title now Rafa is not there to stop him. But I have a sinking feeling that Djokovic has the most to gain by Rafa’s exit. I can’t bear the thought of his smirking and bellicose celebrations if he lifts the trophy. I know it is heresy to even contemplate the possibility but ( would almost rather see Mr. Smugalot add to his haul 🙁
This is what the tournament organisers are looking for, buzz around their tournament. If it was anybody else other than Rafa, nobody would still be talking about it. Let’s face, compare the buzz around the World Cup and that around Wimby………nuff said.
https://twitter.com/Wimbledon/status/484269651317489665/photo/1
@Sanju,
As I have said before, I defend your right to your feelings and thoughts. I can understand your disappointment. I try to put losses in perspective but sometimes it can take a while. You and I both thought that Rafa could win Wimbledon. So it’s natural to feel disappointment.
It’s true that Rafa is getting older now. That’s just the way it is in this sport. I also want to see him capitalize on his opportunities as much as possible.
I waited until today to post my thoughts. I try to hold back and process my feelings for a day. But it’s certainly your right to say what you think. I appreciate and respect your honesty and being true to your feelings. You love Rafa and want to see him have more great victories. But sometimes it’s just not meant to be.
NNY..dont worry..I am going to speak for myself and say exactly what I feel. I dont care if people like it or not, I am entitled to my opinions and will say it. If I feel Rafa has underperformed for me this year, it will stay that way irrespective of what others on this forum say. This site is meant to have diversity of opinions, it is not a Rafa fanboy/fangirl site to see nothing wrong in whatever he does or to paint a rosy picture always . It is good to look at the positive side but it is not always easy to look at eveything in a positive way after a bitter loss.
I definately dont think Rafa played well enough against Nick, he faulted on critical points. He was fearful and scared in my opinion. He is always vulnerable to big hitters on fast surfaces
What does not change though is that just coz I am disappointed by his season and others are not, does not mean they like him more than me or viceversa. Finally if he scales greater heights, we will be all equally happy.
Sanju (at 10:08 am),
—He was fearful and scared in my opinion—
And WHAT was he scared of?
Fearful of The big hitter in front of him and the fear of losing . He knows he is vulnerable to big hitters on grass.
How could you all not see the body language and face expressions. Its because he was fearful of losing, he played the big points bad.
Sanju (at 10:32 am),
Aren’t your extrapolating from your own feelings to his? I remember that you have been stressed before his matches.
silly me, I was posting my thoughts and frustration on the previous post, not realising that this one had been put up….
Well…. I say VAMOS NADAL for as long as he’s on tour but this loss is quite hard to understand… his 2nd serve was such a liability yesterday, Kyrgios just toyed with it… as for Kyrgious expected career.. he plays and moves better than Philipoussis but he’s got a frail frame .. let’s see how he performs on other surfaces
I could be wrong but I did not see as much animation from Rafa in the match against Kyrgios than against Klizan, Rosol and Kukushkin, even from Uncle Toni. I think Rafa expended so much emotional energy in those matches he was a little flat in yesterday’s match. He could have done with an opponent who gave him more rhythm, not demanded that much more concentration from him, which is needed for players he plays for the first time.
@Shireling,
I agree with your frustration regarding this loss. That’s why I didn’t post yesterday. I wanted some time to process it. The truth is that Rafa’s second serve has been a liability for a while now. That just puts more pressure on him to make his first serves. The serve is so much more important on grass, and that’s where I think Rafa has some issues.
I am certainly not going to get on the Kyrgios bandwagon yet. That happened with Janowicz last year and what has happened to him since? We will have to see if this guy can back up this kind of result.
The other point that I wanted to make, is that some here are conveniently forgetting that Rafa did get a break in not having to face Karlovic in the third round. Ricky had Rafa losing to him. Why? Because that’s exactly the kind of early round opponent on grass who is most dangerous for Rafa.
So for those who choose to complain about rigged draws again, the simple fact is that no one predicted this young guy to get through to the fourth round. There were other players who were expected to meet Rafa in the fourth round. The idea that anyone could have set it up for this guy to get through and wreck Rafa’s chances, is absolutely absurd. This was an unknown that could not have been planned.
There may be instances were the top four meet each other on a regular basis, such as to raise suspicions. But that is something else entirely than a young kid like this somehow getting through the first three rounds.
I also think that Rafa continuously losing the first set made it even tougher for him. He’s a great fighter and can come from behind, but against this kid I think he needed to win that first set. That would have put some pressure on his opponent for once.
So it wasn’t Karlovic, but an known guy with a similar type of game who was Rafa’s undoing.
Don’t know whether it was Rafa being flat or just that he had no answer to Kyrgios.
Rafa is used to bossing around and not only he wasn’t able to do that much but he was the one being bossed. I think losing the 3rd set, the way it happened (Kyrgios punishing his 2nd serve) affected him quite a lot.. from that moment on Kyrgios just got bolder whereas Rafa diminished… but, let’s not count our man out just yet, I’m sure he still has some battles to fight and win.
Well, maybe he had no answer because he was flat, at least flatter than normal! Or you could say, he became flat because he could not find an answer to Kyrgios……….
Having now watched the game I do not see the animation Rafa had in his previous games, that is where my flat description is coming from……….
My sense is that Rafa had no answer to Kyrgios. You mentioned how he lost the third set. That is the part of the match that I was able to watch. His second serve just couldn’t stand up to Kyrgios. Maybe at that point he felt that there was just not much more he could do.
No way am I counting out Rafa! He has shown resilience and an ability to bounce back from losses like this. The one thing that I do regret, is that he wasn’t able to take advantage of this opportunity to gain a nick chunk of points. Given what he is defending in the North American summer season, that would have been a good thing.
Sorry, meant to say NICE chunk of points!
No, Rafa missed many opportunities in the 3rd set. Didn’t take them. He had answers, ones that he normally makes, just couldn’t say them yesterday.
Young Bouchard is the real deal…………..she got game.
Interesting what the youngsters in the game say these days:
Dimitrov:
“I want to be great”
Kyrgios:
“I want to be #1”
I do not recall such statements from Rafa when he was starting out. He just went about his business and the rest followed. I prefer Rafa’s approach.
Rafael Nadal: “We’re leaving Wimbledon. I want to thank your incredible support, both when things work out and when they don’t.”
Vamos Rafa! Your true fans are always with you, when things work out and when they don’t……….
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152326043276026
It’s good for tennis that somebody else wins, new blood and all but, I just wish it was Novak or Fed doing the losing ….
^^Have you been watching tennis lately? These 2 have been a lot of that recently………losing, that is. 🙂
^^ should read, “have been doing a lot of that lately……….”
Great article by Simon Cambers about Rafa’s chances at Wimby, touches pretty much everything we have discussed on this board:
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/jul/02/rafael-nadal-wimbledon-defeat-world-no1-decline-grass
Even though Rafa had lost early the last couple of years, his loss to Krygios still rocks Wimbledon. Just goes to show that Rafa is still great despite these setbacks.
Vamos Rafa
Ooooh, the “flat” word! Commies saying Muzza is a little flat, Dimi currently leading at 5-1.
Have a funny feeling Andy is going down the same path. He is on the brink of losing the first set. The commies are all saying he is very ‘flat’ today.
^^Or maybe he has no answer to Dimi! 😉
#TakeYourPick
Thx for the article ristb,
True that nobody can count Rafa out of anything, even another final at Wimby but I for one would be surprised. It’s as unlikely as Fed playing another FO final, I’d say
I’m not watching the match ed251137 but 6 – 1 on the first set says it all :(.. damn, I was cheering for Andy now… c’mon Andy, snap out of it!
For Novak it seems to be another day at the office…
I hadn’t seen there was a Day 9 thread. Moving over there.