Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin Del Potro will be squaring off for the 15th time in their careers and in a second consecutive Grand Slam when they meet again in the Wimbledon quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Nadal is leading the head-to-head series 10-5 after dominating Del Potro 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 in the French Open semifinals. The Spaniard is 6-2 in their last eight encounters and 2-0 in their last two, having also prevailed 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 in the 2017 U.S. Open semis. They previously collided at Wimbledon in 2011, when Nadal got the job done 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 on the second Monday.
This marks the second consecutive occasion on which Del Potro is facing Nadal with no days of rest after winning a delayed match. It happened at Roland Garros due to rain, as the Argentine eventually outlasted Marin Cilic in a fourth-round affair. Del Potro’s match against Simon was the only fourth-rounder that did not finish on Monday, as play was suspended due to darkness with the world No. 4 leading two sets to one. He returned on Tuesday to battle back from a break down in the fourth and win 7-6(1), 7-6(5), 5-7, 7-6(5).
Del Potro preceded that result with more straightforward victories over Peter Gojowyczk, Feliciano Lopez, and Benoit Paire. The 2009 U.S. Open champion is now 32-7 for the year and fourth in the race to London–less than 1,000 points out of second.
Nadal had struggled at Wimbledon over the past five seasons, but he has been armed with good health ever since skipping the February and March hard-court swing. Following continued dominance on clay, the world No. 1 now finds himself in his first quarterfinal at the All-England Club since 2011. Nadal has advanced so far without dropping a set while disposing of Dudi Sela, Mikhail Kukushkin, Alex De Minaur, and Jiri Vesely.
“Of course it’s an important result for me,” the second seed assured. “But when I came here, I came here thinking that I could produce a good result…. I will practice for one hour (on Tuesday). I (will) do some treatment with my physio and I am going to watch the [World Cup]. Then I am probably going to be relaxing a little bit at home; maybe cooking a little bit at lunchtime.”
Del Potro, on the other hand, was busy finishing off his tough one against Simon on Tuesday. Although the underdog is capable of taking the racket out of Nadal’s hands and blowing him off a grass court, conditions are suiting Nadal just fine this fortnight and Del Potro will almost certainly be unable to win this one quickly. If a competitive contest that approaches or even exceeds the three-hour mark is in store for Wednesday, Nadal should have a considerable edge in the stamina department.
Pick: Nadal in 4
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WWW?
Vamos!
Ricky, 10 days ago you had DelPotro over Nadal in 4 today you have Nadal over Delpo in 4, what’s changed? It can’t be because Delpo had to finish his match today, surely?
Nadal has looked way better than expected and conditions have also played way better than expected for him.
Also Delpo was bad against Simon.
Ricky is right, Delpo was bad against Simon, and he’s not that good against Paire either. Delpo should’ve the ability to put Simon away sooner, yet he was dragged into a grinding war by Simon.
Rafa is playing better tennis than Simon here, I don’t see him having to grind to beat Delpo. In fact, I feel playing against Vesely is/was at least of some help to Rafa, as according to his coach Roig, Rafa was dictating play against Vesely in order not to allow Vesely to play his big serving and big hitting game. Vesely is no Delpo of course, but the gameplan against Vesely could well be used against Delpo, and Rafa certainly has to up his level in order to do so against Delpo.
lucky,
I had the sense watching Rafa’s match with Vesely, that he simply did not allow him to play his game. Rafa used the drop shot effectively since Vesely was not moving into the court. He also used his slice to keep the ball low and exploit Vesely’s mediocre movement.
Rafa threw a lot at Vesely and just took him out of his game. Now I do think that it will be tougher to do against the likes of Delpo. He has a much mite high quality game and it will be more of a challenge to take Delpo out of his game. But Rafa is the one who can do it.
I don’t have a problem with anyone picking Delpo to beat Rafa in the quarterfinals before the tournament started. Rafa did not play in a warm up tournament. Only two exho matches. He has not gone past the fourth round in recent years.
However, seeing how well Rafa is playing and how he has gotten better with every match, I now think that Rafa will beat Delpo. This will be his first real test. It’s a big step up from the caliber of players he’s faced so far.
In DelPo’s defense, I swear sometimes Simon’s game is literally hypnotic. I can’t think of another player who, for no discernible reason, causes his opponent to play so far below his usual level like Simon does.
I mean, Fed sometimes makes his opponents look bad, but it’s usually due to Federer being…well..Federer. With Simon, I get to the end of the match and I marvel at the fact that NOBODY played well.
but Simon and Delpo have actually had some…dare i say…high-quality ones in the past!
Flukes happen, of course. I’m just saying that when Simon is involved, it’s not like anyone is surprised when the match is kinda terrible.
fair
Simon won Hamburg beating Monfils, Almagro and Verdasco on clay , pretty impressive, but I wonder how much was down to his opponents being tired, soon after Wimby.
Can’t speak for Ricky but I also had Delpo over Rafa and doubt very much at this point that Delpo will beat Rafa. There was just some doubts in my mind about Rafa at Wimbledon. Now I’m pretty certain after watching both play this tournament that the winner is Rafa.
Rafa and Delpo are second on centre after Nole and kei. Roger starts on court one.bet he doesn’t want to play there!
You bet he doesn’t 🙂
Can’t actually remember fed ever playing anywhere but centre in the late stages of wimby!
Guess he’ll have to cut tim henman from his address book now!
What if it rains and he can’t play under the roof!!😀😀
what’s the forecast
25/26 ricky! I live very close so it’s the same for me. It’s pretty breezy today i can’t remember if it will be tomorrow but probably will…
what is that farenheit?
Was only joking about rain! None is expected.
Yes apparently in 2015 against i think Simon
I read that it’s Djoko who requested for CC; according to that article, Djoko was worried that the Monfils/Anderson match yesterday would go five sets and he heard that should that happened, his match vs Khachanov would be postponed to today. He complained that his matches were often the last match of the day and he had to play in dimming daylights, and he hardly played at CC.
I guess giving him the first slot at CC for the QF is the best solution, as Fed will be playing in the first slot at Court 1; and unless it rains all day, Fed as the no.1 seed who plays first should be able to complete his match tomorrow.
Fed’s half should start first hence he’s not being put second at CC. I think they also feel confident that with Fed at Court 1, it’ll fill to full capacity. They’re not putting Rafa first at CC as it’ll crash with Fed’s match and so not great for viewership purposes, as they’re the two most popular tennis players, ahead of Djoko.
Will Fed be given an orientation course on CC and he’ll need GPS to find his way there? 😉 They should have put him on court 1 in the earlier rounds. Everything is so Fed orientated which is unfair to the rest of the players.
If Fed serves an ace or plays a winner they enthuse about so much you’d think no one else does that.
Btw did anyone else notice how quickly rafa was playing the points against vesely!? I was counting and he was usually at or under 20 seconds which is amazing for him! I was very relieved as aderaski was umpiring and she has really gone after him before.
Andy murray backs Novak to win Wimby
https://metro.co.uk/2018/07/10/andy-murray-backs-novak-djokovic-beat-rafael-nadal-roger-federer-en-route-wimbledon-title-7700702/
The article doesn’t really say that sanju! Murray just says he is capable of beating Roger and rafa..not that he thinks he actually will…!
well he said he has got a very good shot. Ofcourse no one can really say what will happen. However stupid it may sound..there is a 1 percent chance too that Fed may lose to Kevin Anderson..its tennis and anything can happen and no prediction comes with surity.
whats your sense amy, Mira for rafa tomorrow? Have not seen Mira post at all in a day..
That’s because when u guys happily chatting here,my world is still dark & i’m zzzzzzz Sanju!…Now,i’m awake..and my guts just told me that Rafa will win tomorrow![Insyaallah!]…Whoooooo!!….I think maybe in 3 sets Sanju!
Then there’s the concern of DelPo’s fitness too…I think his groin still give him trouble…And to spar with Rafa u need 100% healthy…I think Rafa will try to make him run a little bit more tomorrow…I have no doubt Rafa will win…I just hope,he will not spend so much time on court…To prepare for much bigger challenge with Novak….
VAMOS RAFA!!WOOOOHOOOOO!!…BRING IT ON!!
I think mira is very optimistic that rafa will win ! I never ever make predictions about rafa! Am way too superstitious! Mira will tell me off for saying this but I am nervous that rafa hasn ‘t had a bad match where he is visibly on edge yet! There is usually one so I hope it’s not tomorrow..
It’s better he is nervous tomorrow than in the final or semi right.
Which was the nervous match say for fo 17..I believe none right..which was it for uso 17..maybe 3rd round ? But more than the edge match..I think its the match that makes him confident that he has a real good shot as he has ironed out chinks n challenges.
Yeah!!U’re right amy dear!!Hahaha…I can’t help from being optimistic amy!!…I am a very positive person..and if i think Rafa will win..i will say it straight away!….Same if i have doubt of some sort,i will say it too…Remember i’m very skeptical about Rafa’s chances before the tourney start?And after i saw his 1st & 3rd match,i already knew that this is a different Rafa from the one who played here for the past 6 years!….Different guys!!…Why??
Yesterday,i read an article Rafa said he’s playing without pain…WITHOUT PAIN GUYS!!…Can u believe it??Playing without pain on grass??…That’s the key!!…And it’s bcoz of the hot weather i think…that makes the court dried & hard & bcoz of that,the ball bouncing higher than usual…so,Rafa don’t have to bend his knees lower to get the ball…So,his knees not suffered much…And he’s very comfortable playing in this conditions that suits him very well…
About nerves…I don’t think it’s going to be a big factor anymore guys!…I’m terrified when i’m thinking about his nerves before the tourney…But,not anymore guys!…When Rafa beat Vesely[with commanding scores],he also break his Wimby curse…And it gives Rafa a hell of a confident to do well in his next match..Believe me!…I also believe that what we’ve seen atm is the Rafa version of 2008,2010..but with more tools this time..which is more dangerous for his opponents…I don’t say he will win Wimby…yet!Considering he has to face Nole & Fed…But this version of Rafa is the one that we call it…Vintage Rafa…At least this is my brain talking!..We will see whether it’s true or not in a couple of days time…If not,it’s clear that my kneecap do the talking today!!,,Hahahaha….
Sorry for the long post guys!…But i can’t help it!!…I have a very good feelings again today!…
Mira, I’m with you about Rafa. I like what I’ve seen of Rafa on grass this year. Even though he was good last year too on grass but last year I saw a hesitant Rafa playing against Muller, one who’s clearly short of match practices.
This year, Rafa plays with more determination and more conviction I feel (even though he hasn’t played any warm up event). His last two matches where he came out all guns blazing against potentially dangerous opponents made me feel that Rafa is/was ready this time to go far (and possibly could win the whole thing) even though the road ahead from QF onwards would be tough.
PS. Rafa himself felt that he played well against Kukushkin, even better than against Sela. I think most if not all of us are/were puzzled why Rafa felt that way, because among his four matches, that Kukushkin match seemed to be the worst in terms of the way Rafa handled his opponent.
MA,
Thank you so much for bringing up that Rafa has said he is feeling very good physically! On ESPN the other day they were discussing how they asked Rafa if the warm conditions were the reason he was doing so well. But he said no, it was that he is healthy, his knees are feeling good and physically he is just feeling very good. As you said, this is music to our ears!
When Rafa is healthy, watch out! He has looked so comfortable in his matches. I can’t remember the last time I saw him this way on the grass. I am happy for him. Also, I think he does not have the mental pressure that he had at RG. He can play freely now.
I have good feelings about how he will do in his next match. He has broken through the barrier and is in the quarterfinals. He has handled his opponents very well. The first good news we got was the draw. It was a good one in the early rounds. Just what Rafa needed! Even though lower ranked, we have seen him lose to lower ranked players in the past. So nothing was to be taken for granted in these early rounds. But Rafa came through with flying colors.
I am feeling it just the way you are.
😍
Mira good to see your confidence. It’s good to take it match by match. I hope Rafa wins today n then the next 2 matches too god willing.
Yeah Lucky!…Me too!…I never thought that i can watch this version of Rafa once again!..NEVER!!…God!..I miss ed the old/vintage Rafa very much!!…And his form in DeMinaur match was just sooooo amazing..It was like watching the 22 year old Rafa with no baggage in his mind…
Also i agree about Rafa vs Muller’s match last year…’Hesitant Rafa’..exactly!…I remember how pi@#ed i am to see Rafa playing so passively,so far behind the baseline..just let Muller dictated the game/him…It’s so easy to do that when Rafa sent the signal that Muller had him by the neck…It’s not fun for us fans to see that..But,it’s the truth…Imo,Rafa was the one who should insert his authority..but that’s not the case last year…But this year…’That Rafa’ is a mere shadow from what we’ve seen so far…Insyaallah,everythings will come naturally if he keep being healthy…Vamos Rafa!!
Nny!…Yeahh!!…Your thought exactly what i have in mine Nny!!…Oh My God!!….I’m so so happy to know that everythings clicking perfectly for our Rafa atm!…Hopefully we can keep continue watching this amazing Rafa for next 3 rds…It’s not every year that we’ve been blessed watching Rafa play freely without pain…Right Nny?Thank u God!!
Sanju!….Yeah!..We take it match by match!…I just hope,Rafa would not spend so much time on court…That is very important..If he play like in DeMinaur’s match,the chance of him ending the match quickly is pretty high…Also hope he will not waste too many BP’s when it’s given to him…Vamos Rafa!!
amy,
You are correct, I read it and Murray is not making a prediction. People can say whatever they want to say. As Rafa has said so well in the past, what counts is what happens on the court.
….and on the day!!
yep
All i know is that I would be so so so so happy if Rafa wins!
Vamos!!
I think the hitout again at Simon will be perfect preparation for this. Del Potro looks really fit, strong and hungry to me.
He gets a 2nd crack at Nadal in a short period but on Nadal’s weakest surface.
Could be match of tournament, I’m looking forward to this one.
Del Potro in 5
Delpo in 5?! Delpo will collapse by the time he gets to 5th set with Rafa!!!
Gosh jim predicting rafa will lose! There’s a first time for everything😀
Oh sorry I completely forgot he picked Marterer to beat him at Rg!
Ha ha you and your predictions. Perfect source of entertainment for me. Have you counted how many times your prediction has gone right. But again I am happy first mission for nadal accomplished i.e JC predicting a nadal loss. Thanks from an avid nadal fan.
Rafa Rules, yes, “Jim Courier’s” prediction prowess is nothing he can make a living with, lol! Often it’s more wishful thinking anyway as far as Rafa is concerned. I’m not saying that Delpo can’t win. But from what we saw from both players so far a Delpo-win is unlikely.
Simon is a tough customer for a player like Del Potro that hits straight up and down the court.
Nadal in 4, maybe even 3. He’s just playing to good right now for me to predict he will lose to Del Po, especially since Del Po will be tired and hasn’t looked so great in his last match or two.
I don’t see anyone realistically knocking off Rafa who hasn’t knocked him off at Wimbledon before. Not this year. I pray that we get a Rafa-Nole semi. I’m sure Rafa wouldn’t mind getting revenge for 2011 Wimby. 🙂 Same with Fed- he wouldn’t mind redeeming himself after shitting the bed in 2015 vs. Nole!
And there we go again: we are well into the second week of a slam, eight players are left – and not a single one of the highly praised young guns has even managed to reach the quarterfinal. Four of the players are already thirtysomethings. The others are in their late twenties, and all are seasoned hands. Four of them are slam winners, three of them are double digit slam winners and GOAT candidates. Three of the quarterfinalists are multiple Wimby Champions. The future of tennis has again be postponed.
While I’m of course happy for Rafa, I’m starting to find the overall picture of men’s tennis quite depressing. I had really hoped to see a few fresh faces reaching the latter stages of the tournament. It’s just not happening. The only one who didn’t disappoint was Tsitsipas. But I’m very reluctant to jump on his bandwagon just yet. It’s too early to assess his true potential. Shapovalov for example who had his grand coming out last season, had a very mediocre year so far. It remains to be seen how he will fare during the American hardcourt season one year after he entered the stage with a bit bang. Cannhe defend any of his points? So, let’s observe Tsitsipas closely for now and hope for the best. I liked what I saw so far and he seems to have a healthy amount of fighting spirit.
I think Tsitipas has the best potential; his father is his coach, watching over him closely. It reminded me of Rafa and Toni. Tsitipas said his idol is Fed and he watched a lot of videos of Fed’s matches and he said he wanted to play like Fed.
However, he’s into point construction too, not so much an aggressive player the way Fed is. Perhaps he can have the best of both world, ie a combination of Fed’s and Rafa’s game/style – aggressive with strategic thinking.
Shapo’s coach is his mum if I’m not wrong. I think Shapo’s idol is also Fed, hence he plays with a SHBH and an ultra aggressive style, more aggressive than Fed’s perhaps, more like going for broke all the time. I do feel as he matures, he should tone down on that go for broke approach, and learns how to hold back at the right time, perhaps one day he could play like Fed.
Sasha is the ‘oldest’ among the three and more established, I feel he has all the tools to play the defense/offends game, but like Murray, he tends to hold back on his aggression, and so let his matches dragged on unnecessarily.
Coric/Chung play like a Djoko, Chung admitted that he wants to play like Djoko (I think Djoko is his idol) except of course they do not have Djoko’s weapons, may be some but not all.
JDP will have to play like he did back in the Olympic Games……..that’s his only chance….so I’m saying Rafa in 3.
which Olympics?!?!
Delpo was awesome at both!!!
Scoot, Delpo was indeed awsome in Rio. But Rafa wasn’t in form at all back then. He had just come back prematurely from his wrist injury in order to participate at the 2016 Olympics. And he was also very exhausted, since he wasn’t fit in the first place. He also had played doubles as well and just won the gold medal. But despite all these disadvantages he still almost won against Delpo!
Rafa has won most of his important matches against Delpo, though. I think he will so so again tomorrow. But he might lose his first set in grass this year. Delpo often plays well against Rafa in patches. But normally he can’t sustain it. The might even be a psychological block.
Correction: five of the quarterfinalists are thirtysomethings! I forgot John Isner who also has celebrated his 30th birthday already. And Delpo isn’t too far off. Could this be one of the oldest slam quarterfinals ever??
As to tomorrow’s matches: the older players of each match-up will win. Djoker over Kei, Fed over Anderson, Rafa over Delpo and Isner over Raonic – although I’m not quite sure about the match of the ace machines. This one could go either way. Raonic is the more talented player but Isner has been the far more successful player lately.
Raonic is more talented? On what grounds?
Ricky, how am I supposed to know why Raonic is more talented than Isner?? Genetics, upbringing, eating habits, Eastern European origins? ☺
Whatever – but while Raonic has been more successful at the slams and has had more wins over top ten players than Isner, Big John has been far more successful recently – mainly because Raonic has been injured a lot.
I think Raonic has worked a lot more at his game, on grass. He’s had McEnroe as a coach and got to the Wimby final beating Federer , what has Isner done?
Don’t think theres much in it, talent wise.
Del Po in five. I am completely on the fence here, just sticking with my pick from the beginning of the tournament.
Do you really think Del Potro will have enough to stop Rafa? He looked doubtful against Simon, and Rafa is much better.
Del Po shows up for big matches, and this surface gives him the best shot at an upset. A champ like him can typically find his rhythm even if he didn’t have it in his prior match. And if he finds his rhythm and looks like he did for the first couple matches of the week, he’s gonna be a very very tough out.
I agree with Benny! Delpo is a big match player who often looks a lot worse against lower ranked players…
Hello to everyone from London! 🙂 Rafa will take care of this in 3 or 4 sets.
Just thought of dropping my occasional message before Rafa’s important Qtr final.
Hey VR!!…Nice to see u here!!…How r u Bro??Life treat u well i take it?hehehe…Oh!..missed your analysis so much VR!..Hoping u will come back permanently!
VR,
You know how much I miss you because I tell you every time you drop in and post! Guess who is back with us? Cheryl Murray! She is posting here and will be writing her great blogs again! Something worth coming here to read!
I would love to hear your analysis of Rafa’s form right now and his chances, but it’s good to know that you seem confident he will win.
I keep hoping you will change your mind and come back to us!
😁
Hi VR! It’s so nice to see you on here. Indeed, I will be a regular contributor here with Ricky. I’m excited to see everyone again and I can’t wait to get back to blogging regularly. 🙂
I underestimated Rafa in this tournament,and he is playing much better than I expected. Del Potro did not look good against Simon, and he looked very tired. Del Potro might take the first set, but then he would get too tired and Nadal would win.
Nadal in 4
Djokovic is looking good but Nadal will have it tough against Delpo in the quarters http://www.138mph.com/wimbledon-2018-mens-quarterfinals-preview-and-analysis/
Conditions favour Rafa, and I think Delpo get tired in the heat. Nadal in 4.
Delpo is actually the player I would least want to see Fed play in the final, if he makes it there. He always plays Fed tough and might have the best chance of beating him of those remaining. Player I most want to see is Novak, partly for payback. (I also think he is the most likely finalist from that side).
That’s cool that Rafa likes to cook! I picture these guys all having a personal chef.
Rafa lives his life like any ordinary people. He goes to buy his own groceries and he does the cooking. I think his parents and uncles want him to grow up like any other normal children and not to be spoilt or felt entitled esp when his family is quite well off financially.
Rafa’s whole family lives like common people 🙂
In the video below, Rafa is going grocery shopping in Wimbledon village. At the beginning of the video, Rafa’s dad rides his bike behind Rafa.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk5qxfwHnzc/
Bayley & Sage thanked Rafa for shopping in their store and wished him ‘good luck’:
https://twitter.com/bayleyandsage/status/1016259297553022976/photo/1
Counting down
Four more days to see Rafa holding Wimbledon trophy
3 more matches
Stop it fg. What makes you so confident he can beat delpo Novak fed back to back
That would be incredible. But not as incredible as Delpo beating Nadal, Djokovic and Fed in a row. That I’m sure would be once in a lifetime.
I think Sanju is right. Dreaming is ok but we being rafa fans should not count the chickens before they hatch. So we should not openly declare that rafa will be the champ like some fed fans say about fed. Just like rafa we should take one match at a time. It is improbable that rafa wil defeat delpo,djoko,fed b2b2b that too on grass. Mind it I said it is improbable but not impossible. We should stay grounded and yes VAMOS RAFA.
No way it is impossible but since it’s grass it’s highly difficult . I hope he scales the ladder of improbability to possibility in 4 days
Stay focused, remain confident, be strong and fight bravely, Rafa!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dhz8JGhXcAAfZoG.jpg
I think Rafa will win this one too, the ball seems to be bouncing higher which suits his knees and his style. Also, Delpo isn’t the kind of guy who tends to play well on consecutive days, and not having a full day’s rest will probably cost him in a best-of-five match against Rafa.
I can see del Potro winning against big 4 on some occasions. If he does it here, I’d be surprised though.
https://www.thenational.ae/sport/tennis/federer-too-good-for-anderson-as-del-potro-downs-nadal-wimbledon-quarter-final-predictions-1.748952
That was a pretty good analysis. Certainly if delPo serve is near its best, he should be at least equal and maybe have an edge. He will have plenty of chances to break the Nadal serve, which seems to be improving slightly but is still vulnerable.
My doubts are mainly around Delpo’s fitness. I could see him taking the first set and then tiring as he did last year at USO. But if he has enough in the tank, then this is an extremely close match-up.
Another interesting stat from the Fed-Anderson preview was that the latter has been broken six times in the tournament so far. None of those guys were as good on ROS as Fed.
Do you see Delpo serving at his best all match?? If he could he would’ve beaten Simon earlier instead of being stretched to four long sets with three TBs and in four and a half hours! Why won’t he bring his best serving in that match? That’s because he couldn’t!
I dont understand how people predict a delpo win in 5 sets. If it goes 5 sets the big man is in trouble. For a delpo win it has to be in straights. If nadal gets a set he will finish the match after that. Delpo has to prevent the match from being too physical.
I largely agree with this view. Delpo probably has to win in three, maybe four if the sets aren’t long/TB’s. If the sets and points are long, I see Rafa eventually wearing him down, even at Wimbledon.
A fresh Delpo is pretty much the most dangerous non Big 4 player on tour, especially on hard courts. On grass, after playing the previous day? Still potentially tricky, but not nearly as much.
agreed with all of this
So when Delpo lost to Rafa it’s because he’s tiring, but when he lost to Fed going the distance he wasn’t tiring?
Why do people doubt that Rafa could beat a Delpo who’s fit and healthy, when Rafa had time and again beaten Delpo , 10 times all in all, and had beaten Delpo when Delpo was ranked in the TOP ten?
Because this is grass, where Rafa hasn’t done well for a long time; and in this tournament Nadal hasn’t played anyone that good yet.
Remember, I’ve picked Nadal to win in 4. I just thought the analysis that Jim Courier linked to was interesting.
So what when it’s grass? It’s not like Delpo himself has good records on grass! When was the last time he’s being to a QF at Wimbledon? 2013 I believe. He also had lost early in the past two years and was absent in 2014/2015. As I said, if he’s playing very well, he ought to dispatch Simon earlier but he couldn’t. Rafa is playing well here and was playing better than Delpo too last year. Why discount Rafa here but not Delpo?
Joe, we will see ☺ It would be foolish to deny that Delpo could prove to be a tricky opponent for Rafa, who has indeed not played anyone that good, yet, at this year’s Wimby. But Rafa has an excellent best-of-five record against Delpo (question:how many times has Delpo beaten Rafa in best-of-five matches? I can only remember USO semi 2008…). So, a psychological element comes into play as well.
Incredibly the average age of all quarterfinalists ist 31 years and 5 months, and only three players aren’t thirtysomethings, yet, although Delpo will join the club in two months! This has to be the oldest slam quarterfinal ever!
And we fools thought that a young gun may go far at this year’s Wimby…
I get the impression that the younger generation simply decided to go into a state of hibernation and wait for the older players to die – which has to happen for sure within the next several decades. Therefore it just may work ☺
Did that Jim Courier watched the matches or not? Rafa served very well throughout his matches except in R2. He lost concentration in the third sets to lose serve but quickly broke back. If his serve was so easily broken how could he win all four matches in straight sets?
Delpo lost serve a few times against Simon, and Simon should have won the fourth set when he was leading 3-1 going for 4-1 but Simon himself wasn’t serving well and so he ended up losing the set and the match. If I’m not wrong Paire too had broken Delpo’s serve too. The writer Jim Courier had not taken into account Delpo’s loss of serves but chose to concentrate on how Rafa lost his.
Rafafans: I’m fairly optimistic that Rafa will beat Delpo – but dreaming of the title, just because Rafa beat four decidedly mediocre players so far, although fairly convincingly, is totally premature! If he could pull this Off, it would be one of the toughest road to the Wimby title ever. This is true btw for all players left in the top half. Delpo would need to beat three GOAT contenders in a row who together accumulated 13 Wimby trophies – so far! It’s not gonna happen for Delpo. Fed has still the easier path to the trophy, than Delpo, Rafa and Djokovic, methinks. But from now on he won’t have anymore cakewalks, either. Anderson/Isner/Raonic – one of those guys may give him some trouble and steal a set or two. Fed is still my slight favorite for the title, though.
As to Kei – he won’t win against the Djoker, mostly because he won’t be fully fit. He never is at the latter stages of a tournament. That’s why he has won so few titles, despite his undeniable talent. I don’t know any top player, whose health is so fragile, although Delpo might be the runner-up in that department. Just remember, when Kei had Rafa on the ropes at the Madrid final – and then had to give up! That was one of the most unsatisfying title wins ever for Rafa and his fans!
Jeez! BBC commies are describing raonic as “an intellectual and a deep thinker” because he writes letters to himself!!
Can think of other words to describe that particular activity!
Simon was a very strong formline, only dropped one set against Ebden before Del Potro. Ebden was a very strong formline.
Del Potro is a very strong formline. Only dropped one set against Simon. Beat Paire in straight which was massive, that shouldve gone 5. beat Lopez in 3, that shouldve gone at least 4.
Del Potro is well in this.
Nadal has played no one yet.
Del Potro had his chances at RG and didnt take them because he’s not comfortable enough on clay to take on someone like Nadal over 5 sets.
He will get even more chances in this match and I think he’ll take them.
Odds for this match should be Nadal 1.70 / Del Potro 2.30
Just MO.
Pat Cash:
” Rafa and Federer are 2 of the greatest smashers of all time. “
Rafa being Rafa, beating Nole and Fed in a slam was his routine.
It is not something that impossible for him. I have full confidence in him.
if it does not happen probably something is bothering him like rg 08, and three years ago in a row.
Still 18th slam in 5days time.
fg, you know that I am a rafafan, too, but your remark is just wishful thinking ☺ Rafa hasn’t beaten Fed and the Djoker routinely for quite a while, lol! Even in Rome this year with a Djoker still in a slump there was a very tight set! And Rafa hasn’t won against Fed in years – as incredible as this sounds! I’m not saying that he can’t do it any longer. And this odd statistics has a lot to do with Fed avoiding Rafa on clay in the last two years, and not Meeting him in the semis of the USO 2017. Also, the conditions on CC could be somewhat advantageous for Rafa – if they even meet on Sunday. But Rafa beating Fed routinely? In the last two seasons it was more the other way round, as hard as this is to admit for rafafans…
I still believe Rafa has the upper hand. Fed won on hard court last year. 2008 memory is still in his mind if he meets Rafa. Winning one slam final in AO17 does not change the equation much.
Rafa beats Fed routinely in slams.
This is not Nole year 2011/14/15, he won’t beat Rafa here.
Bookies gave 1.45 for Nadal when odds opened and were being giving below what his odds should be. The dumb market gobbled those odds thinking they were getting a good deal.
Should be 1.70 and the market thinks it should be 1.30-1.40
Nishi breaks back!! Some great points already!!
Nishi’s backhand is so good this wimby!
Wow, KA up 3;0 in the 2nd. Do we have an unexpected match on our hands?
Feds in trouble. This might be the upset we’re anticipating with Fed after starting the grass court season far from his usuall “sharp” self.
I just dont think Fed is going to win it this year and i’ll stick with that prediction.
I had this feeling too, he might beat Anderson still but his game today does not bode well for the rest of tourney
he wont play any rallies against Isner or Raonic tho
Djokovic could be in trouble also. If you forget about Nishikori’s wrist and look at his results, upset is certainly on the cards.
It is going to be repeat of USO final this weekend 😂
At the moment, it’s looking like there’s a chance of it happening!
Can KA pull off the biggest win of his career?
would be by a mile!
Nope, not a mile!
KA taking time away from Fed. The new master of the forced error.
well played KA under big pressure
Fed with a rare easy hold
Rafa is hitting that DTL forehand brilliantly so far. It’s a good sign.
Yeah Nny!…That means he’s very confident atm…
Damn!!!
And double damn!!!
Feels like rafa should already have broken…
Big hold from Del Potro
how are people watching that over Fed-Kando?
Rafa missed a chance to break and serve for the first set.
I predict Rafa breaks right here to take the first set.
Rafa made a couple of errors that game…
Yessss!!!💘
Yeesss!!1st set in hand!!…2 more Rafa!!..Wooohoooo!!
Delpo needed the first
I hope so!
Well done to Rafa to break fir the first set. He is looking very sharp.
Keep it up Rafa!
Oups, Wrong thread!
One down, two to go!
Vamos Rafa!
They showing Rafa and Roger match side by side, lol!! Fun, very fun!
But Rafa is playing well, except for a few unfortunate errors where and there!
Vamos!
The stars are aligning so much for Rafa to win this whole thing…
Plz dont say that yet, lol!
Novak is having the last laugh here!! He gets to c how his potential opponents are playing while resting, lol!
Come on fed!! I don’t want Anderson to win!
Kevin Anderson was the one that could bring a big game on grass and cause a boilover in the final.
Whats Rafa doing? Hitting all the wrong shots! His BP conversion is no good and they dont come readily!
Rafa hasn’t had a better chance to win Wimbledon that he now does, since 2011. He’s gotta take it!!
Ffs!!
Dreadful game by rafa!!
Rafa was outplaying Delpo and just throws his service away!
Rafa donated break and probably set too… Damn!
Vamos Champ!
Whats Rafa trying to do?? Why suddenly serves so poorly? Fed departing shocked him?
Please concentrate on the job at hand, unless you want to follow Fed out of Wimbledon!
Rafa is just sooooooo annoying!!! Im going yo get lunch, ridiculous!
Yeesss!,,,That’s how to play Rafa!!….Forced DelPo running from side to side!!
I don’t know why Rafa didn’t that from the start…
Yess!! Rafa breaks back!😀
YEEESSSSSS….wooohoooo!!Break back!!..Don’t give up on him yet guyzzzz!!
Concentrate! Don’t get broken again!
Yes Rafa breaks back! Rafa seems a bit shakened by Fed’s departure. Come on Rafa, focus!
Rafa definitely making more errors…
When was the last time Fed lost when up 2:0?
Probably Wimbledon 2011 vs. Tsonga. Then it almost happened again the following year vs. Benneteau, but he survived that one.
Phew!!! This is stressful!
Yeeesssss!!…1 more game Rafa!!…Let’s do this!!
Tiebreak ! Ugh!
This is nervous time.
Ffs!!! Df!
Nerves!nerves!!…That’s alright Rafa!…Relax & calm down!
Unbelievable!😢😢
Rafa chucked that away!
So Rafa loses the TB. That stinks. Now it’s a battle.
Very bad breaker played by Rafa . In fact DelPo was the better player in the breaker. Rafa just could not return his serve.
I think if DelPo serves to find his mark, it could be tough for Rafa.
Now it’s Rafa fans turn to be nervous.
Whats happening to Rafa?? Why the DF and then lost the TB too when he’s leading?
He really makes hard work of everything! He really makes a mess of everything, and Djoko will be laughing all the way with Fed out and Rafa and Delpo still battling out there!
Lucky, he’s playing Del Po in fast conditions- it shouldn’t be easy! As we just witnessed with Fed, even the best players get tight sometimes, especially against big servers. They can’t help but have that voice in their heads telling them not to screw up because the other guy can hold pretty easily.
I felt before the match that Rafa would win in 3 or 4, and I see know reason to think that won’t still happen.
Rafa’s own fault donating this set to Delpo…oh, well! His own nerves got him! That’s tennis!!Forget about it, Rafa and move on!
Vamos Champ!
I could Feel that double fault coming! He should be up 2 sets!
Rafa has to up his game now!
Delpo is serving better now…
Feeling nervous…
I swear if I get this pick right and not the Fed pick….🤦♂️🙁
Rafa has the second set within his grasp yet he still lose it. Im truly disappointed with how Rafa played that second set; he looked anxious once he knew Fed was out i feel. He just has such fear of everything!
Also Delpo is serving first😕
I think Rafa will up his game in this set & win it..He always does…It’s his pattern..
Rafa isn’t hitting the fh so well now…
Andy Murray is commentating on this match. He says rafa is in trouble now and I agree.
Look how confident Delpo looks now!
My instinct is to say, “C’mon guys, since when has Rafa being 1-set-all with Del Po at a major ever ended in a loss for Rafa?”
But then I realized I could have said, “Since when has Fed ever lost from 2-0 up against a player like Kevin Anderson?” And that would have been stupid for me to have said that, clearly!
I learned today that anything can happen. Especially on hard, dry Wimbledon grass…
But that being said- c’mon guys, there’s no reason to panic! 🙂
Let’s not give up on Rafa. It took Novak four sets to beat Nishi.
Kevin,
The voice of reason. All this doom and gloom because they are a set apiece. Let’s see what happens.
Many predicted Rafa would at least lose a set. It’s not like he’s playing Vesely or the others. Delpo is a quality player and this is grass not clay.
Its Rafa making a mess of it that’s really disappointing. I mean hes the better player in both sets but somehow he just messed things up, lost his serve lamely and then DF at a crucial point in the TB!
In fact he made a few poor shot selections during the two sets probably because he was nervous knowing how big Delpo’s serve could be.
It’s frustrating to see Rafa lose the TB the way he did, but this match was never going to be easy. It is what it is. I never thought it would be a straight sets victory.
Remember how you all reacted when Del Po won the first set at US Open? Remember how Rafa fought like he always does and won in 4? Just think about that, and stay positive! If we don’t want both of Fedal out of the tournament, we gotta stay positive!
If Fedal loses in one day, I may cry
I still believe that Rafa will win…Insyaallah!
Rafa simply gave confidence to Delpo, and lost some of his own confidence…what is worrying is Delpo is looking better and better out there and Rafa has to be perfect to stop him…one mental lapse and this set is gone! Rafa needs to be smart out there!, mix it with some drop ahots and slices! He can’t let Delpo dictate the points…
Vamos Rafa!
I wait for Rafa to come up with his DeMinaur form..but so far..none!..That’s why he lost 2nd sets..It’s the Rafa vs Kukush’s version!LOL!!…But..hehe..i still very much believe in this ‘less aggressive’ version..
Rafa had no choice but take chances in this sets…there’s plenty given!..Take it Rafa!!
I think Rafa’s return of serve has gone worse . He was returning way better. Agreed DelPo is serving well, but Rafa’s return is atrocius.
One the rally kicks in Rafa is the favorite. Maybe he is too cautious to keep the ball in the court and away from DelPo’s forehand.
Ohohohohoho!!..My God!..can’t believe it!!…Rafa clearly don’t want to win!..heh heh…oh well…What can we say about it….
Well tha t was horribly predictable!
Delpo really believes he can win …
If rafa hadn’t double faulted on his serve in the tiebreak and taken the set this match would have been over..😢
Agree. that was turning point. rafa let him in to the match instead of 2-0 up.
Thats why I’m so pissed at Rafa for losing that second set. I mean why give your opponent hope and the chance to come back into the match? Why he just couldnt stay focused for a bit longer to win the second set?
I know Delpo is serving well but he’s not returning well. I think if its Delpo vs Djoko, Djoko will most likely win the match, he has better ROS than anyone else.
yep True
See, winning that second set is so crucial esp against a big server like Delpo. Its a winnable set but Rafa somehow trying his best to lose it.
It looks like Rafa is following Fed out of Wimbledon. Evrn if he somehow comes back to win this match, he’ll lose to a well rested Djoko in the next round.
I think Delpo with his big serves has a better chance against Djoko.
Djokovic will probably beat either 🙁
Now rafa has to serve second again…
Yeah!Agree Lucky!
Why do you say this ? DelPo had a long match , with no rest day. Still he can win today and he is playing a well rested player.
Imperative for Rafa to win today and forget about rest and exhaustion. He should hold serve and try and make DelPo run more with drop shots and volleys
This is the danger of Del Po in big matches. Once he finds his rhythm…..
Rafa has to break early… He isn’t holding his nerve under pressure..
Of course Del Po believes he can win- he’s a champion! But guess who is 17x the champion that Del Po is? Rafael Nadal. And Rafa being 2-1 down has never meant he doesn’t still want to win. Have faith people!
No Kevin, looking at how Rafa plays now – poor ROS, poor shot selection, one dimensional hitting – he’s not going to win. Its like vs Muller last year, he just doesnt change anything despite when losing.
Please rafa stop going to the bh and use your forehand again!
Rafa only knows how to go CC, no DTL shots at all!!
Lucky…Do u think Rafa’s game now is similar to Muller’s match?Less aggressive..let his opponents dictating him…Somehow i feel a little bit Deja vu here…
No, to me Muller’s game was harder to handle as he hardly missed any serve and he S&V instead of going into rallies.
Rafa is playing better this year than last year. He had the chance of a two sets lead but he got nervous, served poorly to lose his serve and then DF in the TB and then lost the set.
Delpo just continued to serve well and let Rafa self destruct.
Why is he deserting the patterns which were beating Delpo before!! Lack of confidence…
I haven’t been able to watch anything. Has Rafa not been able break down Del Po’s backhand enough? Has Del Po just been able to dictate everything? Did Rafa get passive? What’s the deal?
Rafa was winning initially by going for winners with the forehand. In the third set he just kept pummeling delpo’s bh…
Do it now rFa!!!
Yesss!! Some sloppy play from delpo!!
Now hold rafa!!!
If DelPo can break Rafa back,i will be very very pi@#ed off!!
I was hoping that Rafa came out all guns blazing like vs Vesely and took control immediately but he somehow wished to go into rallying with Delpo and trying to grind Delpo doen instead; to me that’s not a good strategy when Rafa himself also got tired while doing that.
I told you guys there was no reason to freak out!!
Rafa has not won the fourth set yet.
Rafa really need to go and improve his ROS, he doesnt even know how to block back a big serve; perhaps he should go watch some videos of how Fed, Djoko and Murray do that.
Yesss!!!😀
Go rafa!!!!😀
Now Rafa has won the fourth set! It’s going the distance.
Come on Rafa! You can do this!
Dont understand why now then Rafa becomes more aggressive. He couldve won the match already by now, instead he has to spend another hour on court getting things done.
Rafa was playing better at the end of that set..moving forward whenever he could!!!
Rafa’s got this! He has the momentum now. Del Po had to play tennis yesterday, so Rafa is fresher. Not to mention that Rafa is just the better player overall. Rafa should win this!
To win, Nadal just needs to stay focused on his service games. Can’t make sloppy mistakes when serving. He will get his chances on Del Po’s serve if he keeps the pressure on. Just can’t let Del Po gain momentum from a break or anything.
I for once think jim courier got it right saying delpo in 5. The more it goes the more it reminds me if muller
*of
Rafa really does look pumped out there.
He’s playing much better now.
Andy Murray saying it makes no difference who serves first in final set! Really!?
Anyway rafa is now playing way better😀😀
This is becoming a phenomenal battle. I’m sad I missed most of Fed-Anderson but I’m glad to see this one panning out to be a really enthralling match. These guys are warriors.
This match will be finished in four plus to five hours at least, not going to help whoever wins here for the next match.
I hate it that Rafa has to play this way, practically grinding away.
They have a day’s rest. That should help.
But,adv certainly to Novak Nny!..
MA,
We will see.
😘
Hehehe..Yes Nny!..We will see!
luckystar your logic is flawed. DelPo is fresh after 4 hours of tennis with no rest but Rafa won’t be against Djoker. At least talk logical. I agree he wont be fresh, but he would be up for it against Nole knowing that they have a wonderful chance with Fed out.
Also, I have seen Rafa’s last year Aus open match against Zverev and Dimitrov. Those were more physical.
I am really glad someone said it. Delpo has been able to hold his own today even after tough matches.
Rafa is as fit as they come. He will be ready. First he has to win this match. Then we can worry about how much he has left in the tank.
Yeah those were more physical fedexal, and so Rafa had it tough against Fed in the final. Djoko is a very fit guy and he doesn’t mind grinding; can Rafa out grind Djoko, after this five hours match?
The one area where rafa is consistently excellent is at net…
Yess!!!😀😀😀 what a backhand!!
Why are Rafa and Delpo slipping and falling so often? Even Fed slipped during his match vs Anderson. Its strange that now the grass has gone off a bit, the ‘clay’ surface becomes so slippery.
Now Rafa must consolidate!!
Rafa, please hold your serve!
What a hold!!!😀
Here comes rafa!!😀
Isner has broken the seemingly unbreakable Raonic twice today. This may sound crazy but I think Isner is a legit contender to win it all. If he keeps serving this well, and he is able to break someone like Raonic twice, then he might blast his way to a Wimbledon title.
God i hope not!
He invited the fascist moron to come and watch!
Or on the day, his serves may not work and lose!! No more predictions plz! Everyone has been wrong thus far!!
Now Vamos, Rafa!!!
Scratch that. He broke him three times. Isner through in a flash
Isner is the only man that has not been broken yet in this tournament. Isner should be able to get past Anderson, (He has beaten him the last five times), and then he could possibly beat Djokovic or Nadal.
Yeah, its likely Benny.
Be positive rafa! Don’t start grinding again!
I don’t understand why Rafa keep give the ball back to Delpo’s BH…He should give it to his FH too considering that area always empty…
#Don’tunderstand!
Agree mira! It’s driving me mad!
I AM already MAD!!!
And he his serves, just not good enough!
God i am half dead!
It’s Delpo going for the forehand winners! Come on rafa!
What a hold!!😀
Rafa is so stingy with his FHDTL and he takes ages just to hold serve! His serve is truly terrible, when he needs it he cant produce a good one!
Why going CC forever? Delpo is already well prepared for those shots. Its like Rafa cant think clearly. Delpo can serve so well to hold serve so easily whilst Rafa has to grind to hold serve!
This match takes so long that Isner has already won his match in four sets by now.
Exactly, but Novak seeing this already has the winning formula for beating Rafa, for sure!!
DelPo is playing beautiful tennis. Rafa needs to start this game well and stay away from DelPo FH. He is going for broke now !
Where were all those serves that Rafa served at the biginning of the match that Delpo couldnt even return them? Where are they now? Why Rafa cant serve like that anymore??
Exactly! Why did he keep serving to the same spot!
Rafa!!💘💘
My God he made it so hard for himself!
Finally!! Rafa!! Oh boy! Vamos!!!
I adore delpo!
G O A T
Rafa won!! I am in tears now! He fought back! What a match! I am exhausted.
I think Rafa has it easy in his other matches, so I don’t see any reason why he won’t be ready to take on Novak. He is in the semis!
He did it the hard way, but he had an opponent who would not quit.
For all we know, even if Rafa had won the second set, he might still have faced a battle. Look at what happened with Fed. He was up two sets and had a match point. You never know in this sport.
But in the end Rafa did it!
Guys lets give some credit to Rafa. DelPo was at his brutal best in fifth and Rafa resisted. Rafa should be able to recover. He knows Djoker is vulnerable as well. Djoker can’t ace Rafa like DelPo. DelPo serve was on another level, guy had 30+ aces something which Isner/Raonic/Anderson would be proud of. Lets see
☺☺☺
At least today Rafa was GOATER than the designated GOAT!
That last s et was a great set of tennis!
Really, i did not notice, was way too anxious, lol!!
Haha mona! Yeah I think I nearly died!
I hope moya flies over to give rafa some help with strategy…
It still makes me laugh that you guys were writing Rafa off after the third set as if he wasn’t still in fine position to win that match… The longer the match went on, the worse for Del Po!
I will be VERY surprised if Rafa doesn’t win the title
now… Fed was the only person left in the draw who Rafa has struggled against in recent years, and he gone! Nole has to much closer to his 2015 form than he currently is in order to beat Rafa in a major. And we all know what will happen in the final vs. Anderson/Isner. Rafa has that’s Wimbledon trophy within closer reach than it’s been in 7 years. He would be a fool to not take it now haha!
Kevin,
You and I had faith! We both were thinking the same way! Never write off Rafa!
Indeed!
I have the “Sanju Syndrome”. Just can’t watch Rafa live any more! Can’t deal with the nerves – MY nerves. Rafa’s younger. He can deal with his! Heckuva quarterfinal day though! Fed losing to KA deep in the 5th, who’d a thunk it? John Isner in a major final?!?! Grats to the Djoker fans – will anything be left of Rafa-Djoker after their semi? Just when you think tennis is totally predictable all the “experts” are wrong. Well, mostly, Djoker-Kei went pretty much as predicted.
Hey, what a day of tennis! Rejoice, all you Rafafans! I can’t believe all the negativity I’m reading Here. How can you think already about the Djoker now. Winning this epic fight ist good for Rafa! Who say that the Djoker would’ve fared better against Delpo! The Djoker has played well so far, but he really didn’t have a stern test, yet. Let’s wait and See. Who would’ve thought that Rafa would go further than Fed after years and years of disappointment and early round exits. Rafa didn’t go Fed’s way today. That’s good news.
I’m not so sure about that, lol!
Congrats to all rafans including myself. This has been such a roller coaster wimby with the biggest shock coming today
Rafa’s good serves deserted him and he really had to work so hard to win in the end.
Delpo serves and hits well and he’s certainly more confident than Rafa! Commies to him that he has to work so hard and still loses in the end.
Congrats to Rafa, into the SF again. I feel Rafa has not overcome his mental block at Wimbledon, he’s just as nervous in the QF and I foresee that he’ll be equally if not more nervous in the SF.
In the end, Rafa uses all his guile and fighting spirit to grind down Delpo. He has himself to blame for making life difficult for himself.
I thought he had a good chance of beating Djoko in the SF if he won this match in a relatively easier manner but now after 4 hr 45 mins of a match, he’s not going to beat Djoko in the SF.
So DelPo can beat Rafa after 4 hours who is all time great in grinding but Rafa after 4 hours with one rest day cant beat Djoker who has his set of problems.
Rafa’s match was not that physical , even Djoker himeslf has 2 four setters in one week. And Djoker isn’t used to winning. Lets see what happens.
Good point! But Rafa needs to work on his serves, but i know he knows that!!
Exactly Mona! Rafa’s good serves deserted him in the fifth set and he had to work so hard to win! Djoko returns serves many times better than Delpo!
I’m not having any defeatist mentality, but watching the match as objectively as possible, it’s not difficult to see that Rafa:
1) wasn’t serving well as the match dragged on.
2) he couldn’t return big serves that well esp when Delpo was so determined in the fifth set not to lose his serve, after one bad service game.
3) Rafa was not using his FH DTL that often, he preferred going CC with both his FH, BH and inside out FH hit at his BH corner. By the fifth set, Delpo was so used to the pattern of play from Rafa that he knew exactly where Rafa was going to hit the ball.
4) it’s not difficult to notice that Rafa was nervous while serving for the set in the TB and he DF’d. Had he won that point he would’ve won the second set and saved an hour or so on the tennis court.
The good thing is Rafa’s fighting spirit, using his guile to make Delpo ran for all those drop shots. Rafa’s BH is also good though his FH could be better if he hit more DTL shots to surprise Delpo.
I think Djoko has the edge in the SF because Djoko is not Delpo, he can grind down anyone and the way he could retrieve so many shots, it’s scary. Rafa will have a hard time if he decides to grind his way to beat Djoko; it’s better that he comes out all guns blazing, plays like their USO2013 final, grabs the upper hand ASAP and not allowing Djoko time to fight back. He beat Djoko at the USO by playing aggressive tennis, not grinding tennis even though Djoko did turn the second set into a grinding war.
As for Delpo, he surprised me with his fitness. He did serve very well throughout the match, something I doubt he could do before the match as I thought he would be tired. I guess he did up his level for this QF as it’s against Rafa, though I feel he’s helped by Rafa’s nervousness when Rafa was serving for the second set in the TB.
You are a very fair observer, Luckystar. I’ve come to know this. I didn’t get to watch Rafa v Delpo but I will later. Novak looked good and he handled himself well vs the crowd and Kei. Rafa will have the crowd behind him.
I don’t feel certain at all about the outcome of their match. Rafa is extremely strong and fit right now. He really looks better than ever, imo. So good luck to you and Rafa. And hope they play a good match, Nole keeps his cool, and all goes well – no one gets injured. It’s going to be close and I really hope Rafa or Nole win the title! Not those guys on the other side!
Yeah!…I agree with everything u said Lucky!…And yeah,it seems Novak got big adv in this match…But,i also believe that Rafa will do his best to win…As his custom,and it happened many times before if u notice..1 day he played an amazing match…and the next whether he played bad/so-so..and next match once again played brilliantly…He played ok in Sela’s match…but so-so against Kukushkin..and played excellent again vs DeMinaur…So,i want to believe that Rafa will play brilliantly against Novak…
Mira, Rafa has to play aggressive tennis to beat Djoko; he can beat Djoko if he’s the more offensive player of the two. My fear is that Rafa will come out and starts playing Long rallies with Djoko, the way he plays against Delpo.
I feel Rafa and his team had gotten their strategy wrong against Delpo; perhaps like me, they thought Delpo would be tired by now after all the grinding he endured against Simon so Rafa played grinding tennis vs Delpo, making Delpo run, moving him around the court, engaging in long points.
I thought Rafa would come out and played like he did against Vesely, ie more aggressive with shorter points and rushed Delpo. He didn’t, until after losing the third set, that he changed his approach and started moving into the forecourt more and won points at the net. I feel thats why he won the fourth set and think he should play that way at the start of the match.
OMG either Anderson or isne r will be in the final😡 😡
Somebody shoot me…
epic day of tennis
Rafa or Nole Ricky??
have to watch everything back and assess. you will see tomorrow.
I bet you go for Nole!!
Please can we stop all the talk about Nole winning…He has had his own vulnerabilities and rafa can correct his strategy. I would like to see moya there now!
amy,
Yes please stop with this defeatist talk! One would think Rafa had lost reading the doom and gloom here Rafa just win a great victory! To put it down to nerves is to disrespect what Delpo did in this mstch. He threw everything he had at Rafa bad in the end, Rafa won!
If we learned anything today it’s that you never assume anything. Novak is not assured of anything. Let’s have some faith in Rafa! He did not give up, so don’t write him off,
Andy Murray was commentating nny and he said the final set was one of the greatest sets of tennis he had ever seen live…
High five!!!😀
I still really would like moya to fly over…think that would help Rafa..
God bless Sir Andy! Hope he’ll be fit for the USO!
amy,
Thanks for that. I would have liked to hear him. I think Delpo deserves a lot of credit for putting up such a great fight. People seem to forget that there are two players in a match. Sometimes what happens is not always in a player’s hands.
Rafa did play well fir the first two sets. He has had lapses in his previous matches, but his opponents were big able to capitalize. In this instance, Delpo did take advantage. He got back in the match. Rafa’s level seemed to drop and he seemed to lose his way while Delpo was crushing aces and blasting that forehand.
However, you could see the determination after Rada went down two sets to one. He was not going to lose this match. I could see it on his face. Not without a fight. He stayed strong. I do not think it was nerves at all. It was facing a top tier opponent for the first time in this tournament. Delpo was always going to be tougher on grass, Rafa has not had tough matches or been tested yet. Who knows what would have happened if he did win the second set. Look at what happened with Fed. What if Delpo has hung in there and mounted a comeback anyway? You never know.
I think one long match should not do Rafa in. He came in having only played two exho matches in preparation. He has bit been pushed past three sets. He’s got a day of rest. So let’s see what happens in the semis.
Andy Murray did a great job as a commentator. He knew what he was talking about not like most of them who just coast along and start gossiping when they have nothing to say.
Exactly, I feel the same way too! Talking about ppl’s biz!!!
High fives mira! If you haven’t gone to sleep!😀
Hehehe…Yeah amy!..High five!!..
To Nny & all Rafans too!!…
Isn’t it the middle of the night for you mira!?
i am half dead after watching
that…
I wont be surprised if Isner/Anderson come close to winning Wimbledon. They are plaing well. Big servers are always a worry.
Nobody kid yourself- Rafa is absolutely the favorite now. Of course Novak should never be counted out, but he’s just not the same player he used to be, and I just don’t see him beating Rafa in a major right now. Sure, Anderson/Isner can be tricky in these conditions, but upsetting a Big 4 guy in their first Wimbledon final? Please… We saw what happened to Cilic in his first Wimby final last year, and he’s actually won a major before haha!
Again, I’m not writing Novak off, but I will be very surprised if Rafa doesn’t win this title now…
Kevin, while I’m a bit less confident than you, I like your attitude! I can’t believe how much negativity ist floating around here amongst rafafans. Why? Rafa scored a great win – very important at this time in his career. And if he could win against a great Delpo, he has a chance against Novak, too, even if tiredness might be a slight concern. But c’mon! Rafa must be floating right now.
That said, don’t count out the players from the bottom half. I really hope that Anderson makes the final. And if he does, he will have a decent chance – no matter who his opponent will be.
I felt the same exact way at the US Open last year. As soon as Fed lost there, or maybe even before he lost since he didn’t look great the whole time, I immediately just did not realistically see how Rafa wasn’t going to win it. Ever since AO of last year, I’ve believed that Federer is the only guy who can challenge Rafa at the majors these days. So once Federer is out of a tournament, then to me Rafa goes from having had a good shot to win it all, to suddenly becoming likely to win it all. And that’s how I see it now! I just can’t see Novak or whoever in the Final beating Rafa in the business end of a major. It would absolutely be an upset if Novak beat him, and it would be a monumental upset of Isner/Anderson won.
I challenge those guys to prove me wrong, but I just don’t see it happening…
And I felt similarly when Rafa went out of the AO this year- I just didn’t see anyone else realistically challenging Fed once Rafa went out.
Really kevin? You don’t think Nole can beat him?
How is Rafa’s serve going to hold up against Nole ‘s ros?
Serious question not negativity…!
I agree, Amy. While I don’t understand the negativity, I also don’t think at all that Novak doesn’t have a chance. Of course He has a chance. And since Novak and Rafa haven’t played against each other for over three years in a slam match it’s very hard to predict what will happen. Especially Novak is hard to figure out here at Wimby. He has played well, but he also hasn’t been tested. I don’t consider Kei to be a stern test. But while Novak may still not be his old self, I also wouldn’t count on him still being in a strong slump…
Amy, notice I’m always careful to never use the word “can’t”. 🙂 Of course Nole can beat Rafa. Twice he’s had 7-straight wins over Rafa since 2011. However, I just personally don’t see it happening this time around. I still see Novak as not close to his best, while Rafa has played some of his best tennis the last couple years.
Well, Kevin, I hope you are right. I won’t mind losing this argument ☺
Let me just say this: even a dry and sunny Wimby isn’t like the USO. If Kevin reaches the final, he will be a much more dangerous opponent than at the USO. He’s just one of those guys who have been extremely frustrating for Rafa at Wimby for many years . And Kevin now has the added advantage that he has played in a slam final already. It won’t be a totally new experience for him, although a Wimby final may feel a bit different than a USO final. Anyway, at Wimby the big bittere always have a chance.
And Rafa will still have to make it into the final. He hasn’t played against Novak at the slams for over three years now – incredible! Last time was at RG 2015, where he lost in three sets. So much has happened since then, that it’s very hard to predict what will happen between those two.
We shouldn’t forget Rafa played really well in the first 2 sets and should have been up 2 sets to love! If he starts like that against Nole maybe this time he will see it through…
What a day this has turned out to be. Roger lost and Croatia beat England, lol!!!
At least the English spectators won’t be distracted by the soccer final on Sunday ☺
And Cilic has something to smile about, although he should be furious with himself for losing against Pella. Now, that Roger is out, he would’ve had a great shot at the final.
Also Nole raises his game against Rafa! Rafa will have to serve well to have a fighting chance. I don’t understand why he abandoned the sliding serve out wide and kept serving straight at Delpo! It gave Delpo so many changes on his serve!
That was a reply to littlefoot above!
Ikr!! I did not get it either!!
Interestingly the serve stats are better for Rafa than for Delpo. Rafa didn’t serve poorly, but he had a few poor moments at important junctions of the match. He really shouldn’t have lost the second set!
But then again, he dug in and prevailed – unlike in many other five-set tussles of the previous years at Wimby, where he always lost.This is the first five-setter in a long time which Rafa wins at Wimby. Actually, if you think about it – Rafa has lost many five-set matches at the slams in the last years. He used to be very good at five-setters in earlier years. But these stats have taken a drastic hit in more recent years. I can only recall many losses. So, this win over Delpo in five is very good news!
I expected Rafa to be nervous! He has lost so many matches on grass from the winning position, probably had same flashbacks when serving in the second set tiebreaker… however, Delpo was just amazing tonight! He is such a greal player and would have had a couple more GS titles if it were not for his unfortunate injuries. He served extremely well, held it together till the very end, fought like crazy on pure adrenaline. But Rafa, boy, his determination and warrior spirit should scare his next opponents. He was rock solid and managed to resist Delpo’s persistent attacking. This was a great match indeed!
Nole is back to his near best! Rafa has mental blockade when playing Nole which automatically erases some of his strength and aggressiveness! I don’t think Rafa will be tired as this match was not that physically demanding. Rafa and Nole will certainly engage into long rallies and Rafa will be ready for it! The match can go either way! Hope Rafa finds his best and stays as calm as possible.
Give credit to Delpo for being up to the task to face Goliath in Rafa! Give credit to Rafa for great volleys and drop shots and for good positioning on court and some memorable winners!
Bravo Rafa! So proud of you!
Vamos Champ!
Natashao, I also just remarked that Rafa lost so many matches at Wimby even after winning the first set. And he lost so many five-setters – not just at Wimby but also at other slams! Which is kind of surprising, since Rafa is the ultimate fighter. But his five-set stats have taken a drastic hit in recent years. I recall many more five-set losses than wins at the slams. When did he actually win the last five-setter at the slams before today? Do we have to go all the way back to the RG semis 2013 against Novak or is my memory faulty?? So, this must’ve been stressful for Rafa, but he dug in, came back and prevailed in a great match, which is already called by many experts the best of the years so far.
Yeah littlefoot, I remember before the rosol defeat, there were barely any 5 set defeats Rafa had taken. Miami 2005, Wimby 2007 and Australia 2012 came to mind. Since there were so many I lost count, Rosol, Fognini, Federer, Muller, Verdasco, Pouille.
Same for the first set record- he had defeats in MIami, to Ferrer, Djokovic after winning the first set.
Then rosol, fognini etc etc
In fact I think I recollect watching him win a match against Tim Smyczek in Australia 2015 which could be the last five setter he won.
vmk1, yes, the match against Smyczek was one of the few five-setters Rafa won in recent years. But he lost many more than he won. This is really kind of strange if you think about it. We’re talking about the ultimate fighter, the guy who never gives up! How can it be that his five-set stats have been so bad for many years now?? Strangely this shortcoming is rarely talked about by experts and commenters. But it must be in Rafa’s mind for sure – and in the minds of his opponents who have certainly registered this. Therefore this win against Delpo after he was two sets to one down is extremely important.
What a match. Congrats to Nadal on a huge win and getting further than I expected (though I predicted he would win this match). As many people including me suspected, delpo’s fatigue played a role in the end. Rafa is just the fitter player, and he was clutch at the end when it counted most. The running forehand to hold serve to 5-3 was a thing of beauty.
“I’m sorry for him, of course. But it is impossible to win always, even for him.
“Even if it will be probably a tough day for him because he had a lot of chances to win the match, match point, two sets to love. It’s a tough day.
“But that’s how works this sport, even more here on grass.
“I just feel sorry for him and congrats to Kevin.
Rafa when quizzed about Roger’s exit.
And then you have the other guy who laughed for ten minutes when Rafa was Rosoled
That was very gracious of Rafa. I would expect nothing less. He knows what it feels like. He knows what Wimbledon means to Fed.
I am just so proud of Rafa for fighting back in this match. Coming from behind to win on grass after the last tough years here, must be so satisfying for him. Also, he knows that Delpo left it all on the court. He survived the best from Delpo.
One can look at it two wayside- it was a grueling match that will cost Rafa in the semis, or he will gain confidence and belief and momentum from this great victory.
I watched the second set TB because I was too nervous to watch it live. Rafa was up 6-3. Then Delpo played two great points to erase two set points. But then Rafa did the unforgivable – he DF’d on set point. That was very costly. Delpo took that and ran with it. He started dictating play and Rafa was on defense. But after losing that third set, Rafa dug in and started to play better.
The bottom line – Rafa was tested by a great player. He triumphed in the end. It was great to see.
I’m just happy Rafa got the win in the end. Delpo played well, serving well especially and Rafa was right, Delpo deserved to win too. Both Rafa and Delpo are such fighters, they’ll never go down without fighting.
Rafa hopes he will recover in time for the SF; it’s important that he does, as Djoko will be another tough opponent. Djoko could just grind down his opponents, retrieving almost every shot it’s ridiculous at times.
I really don’t know who’s the tougher opponent for Rafa – Delpo or Djoko? Hope Rafa is ready for the battle with Djoko.
Djokovic will destroy Nadal in the semi 3:1 maybe 3:0.
haha
I did feel it was going to be that sort of match, with Nadal very hard to beat over five.But, was surprised how well Delpo played over the whole match. He didn’t deserve to lose.
It’s a bit like Delpo’s SF match vs Djoko back in 2013 Wimbledon when Delpo played his heart out but still lost. Djoko served many aces then and that helped him to overcome Delpo on that day.
It’s heart breaking to lose five setters like this but Delpo won some important epic five setters too, like beating Murray and Cilic to win Argentina’s first Davis Cup.
The bookies gave 2.10 for Nadal at the open knowing that he should really be 3s but the market would gobble up the 2.10 thinking it’s at least a 50/50 contest.
Djokovic is the far superior grass courter due to his ability to flatten out plus he’s fresher after a long break and had an easier run to the semis.
Nadal is worn out from a long clay court season and the 5-setter against Del Potro will be the final nail in the coffin.
Djokovic has a huge amount to play for so if things get tough he’ll be all in.
Expect to see the Djokovic of old in this one.
Have a feeling that, based on his “success” predicting Nadal matches, ol’ Jimbo here won’t be wagering any of his own coin on this match.
Hilarious.
Lol