Expert picks are back for the second week at Wimbledon, where quarterfinal action takes place on Wednesday. Spaniards Rafael Nadal and Roberto Bautista Agut have respective matchups against Sam Querrey and Guido Pella. The Grandstand’s Ricky Dimon and Cheryl Murray along with Mert Ertunga of Mertov’s Tennis Desk make their picks.
Sam Querrey vs. (3) Rafael Nadal
Ricky: I was wrong about Nadal vs. Nick Kyrgios, in that an absolute beatdown was forecasted. It turned out to be what is still the best match of the tournament. But Querrey isn’t Kyrgios; at least he’s not an Against-Nadal-Kyrgios. The 6’6” American will be somewhat competitive, for sure, as he has been broken only once through four rounds and is making his third quarterfinal appearance in the last four Wimbledons. But other than in round two, Nadal has been destroying people. Querrey, on the other hand, is coming off a tough fourth-rounder against Tennys Sandgren–a grass-court result that is less than encouraging, it has to be said. Nadal in 3: 6-4, 7-6(5), 7-5.
Cheryl: Ordinarily, I would surmise Querrey’s chances against Nadal as “slim.” But the American is playing some really good grass-court tennis this fortnight and Wimbledon is where Querrey is at his most dangerous, so a routine victory for Nadal is not a foregone conclusion. That’s not to say that a Nadal win isn’t highly likely. The Spaniard is playing magnificent tennis, seemingly buoyed by his second-round revenge win over Kyrgios. If Querrey serves well he could snag a set (or even two), but it’s hard to imagine him playing well enough to dispatch the world No. 2. Nadal in 4: 7-5, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4.
Mert: This is a solid test for Nadal, one that should provide for a close match but one that he should slip by at the end of the day. Querrey has won all of his service games but one (71 out of 72). He will probably only lose his serve once against Nadal, too (ok, maybe twice), but that shall be too many because he is unlikely to break Nadal’s serve. Nadal is quite successful, too, in this category (56 out of 59 service games held). On the other hand, Querrey is at the bottom of the pack out of the eight quarterfinalists in terms of return games won with an alarming 18 percent (13 out of 72). The Spaniard needs to keep a high first-serve percentage to avoid Querrey blasting returns for winners (whether he will make them consistently or not, that is another story). I believe there will be one or more tiebreakers, and if the underdog can steal one (or two) this could go to five sets, but a four-setter sounds more realistic to me. Nadal in 4: 7-5, 6-7, 7-5, 7-6.
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(26) Guido Pella vs. (23) Roberto Bautista Agut
Ricky: Bautista Agut has benefited from a favorable draw, but who cares? He has been awesome the whole, and he at least destroyed No. 10 seed Karen Khachanov during the first week. The Spaniard is 12-0 in total sets and only Khachanov managed to even force a single tiebreaker. Pella is making a quick turnaround after coming back from two sets down to stun Milos Raonic in a thrilling five-setter. It has been an incredible run for the Argentine, but it likely ends here. RBA is on fire, and outside of the Big 3 there may be no one on tour better at completely taking out an opponent’s legs. Bautista Agut in 3: 7-6(6), 7-5, 6-1.
Cheryl: Pella may have had the most impressive first four rounds in the entire men’s draw. He not only stunned 2018 finalist Kevin Anderson in the third round, but he also came back in the round of 16 to take out the 15th-seeded Raonic. The Argentine isn’t exactly a Wimbledon specialist, either. He’s played three other times, with a pair of first-round exits and a third-round result to show for his efforts. RBA’s first-week run wasn’t quite as impressive as Pella’s, but was close. He ousted Khachanov and then clobbered Benoit Paire on Monday. RBA has a 2-0 record over Pella and the Spaniard’s matches have been far more routine. Pella will fight hard, but RBA should come through his quarterfinal. Bautista Agut in 4: 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.
Mert: Can Pella pull another one again? More importantly, does he have enough stamina left to take out a player who will surely not go down without a battle? You don’t win easy matches, nor do you get to win points short-cut points against Bautista Agut. You win, but you will suffer. Or he outlasts you, out-rallies you, and exhausts you. Pella has his hands full. RBA is the only player in the quarterfinals not to have lost a set. He will continue that streak today after a close first set. Bautista Agut in 3: 7-5, 6-3, 6-2.
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WYG?
Nadal and RBA, both in 4
Nadal in 5. Bautista in 4.
5…oh no..you want us to pass out is it 🙂
Rafa in 3
Agut in 5
Nadal in three easy sets, losing not more than 10 games
3 easy sets, lol! Are u trying to jinx Rafa?
Rafa in 3
Pella in 5. A heart pick, not serious, but I just love Guido Pella and want his exellect grass court game to continue. 🙏
Pella has now beaten Cilic, Anderson and Raonic at Wimby, so he must be doing something right. But he will be tired.
Querrey struggled a bit against Sandgren , so I cant see Querrey beating Rafa here , very different conditions to Acapulco where he did beat him.
Bautista in four , Nadal in five.
No he didn’t beat Cilic. He’s not in Rafa’s quarter of the draw. It’s Sousa who beat Cilic in R2.
Pella beat Cilic last year, the defending finalist.
I meant last year
I like him, but not this time. Screwed up my bracket 🙂
Pella that is
Pella screwed up a lot of people’s bracket and helped me stay in touch. All you Raonic pickers 😀
This match hangs on Querry’s serve; it’s pretty much as simple as that. If his serve is on (along with the second strike FH), then the match will take on the character of Nadal-Kyrgios in sets 3-4. Querry isn’t a great returner and Nadal has been serving extremely well, so don’t expect a lot of break points against the Rafa serve. If Querrey can’t bring the serve, the match will be over quickly. But if he continues to serve as he has been, Nadal will find it just as hard to manufacture BPs as he did against Kyrgios. Expect a lot of TBs, where anything can happen. Nadal in 5.
Querrey has had just seven tiebreaks out of 14 sets and broken just once in 16 break point chances.
Rafa plopped back on Court 1 to boot. All we need now is a closed roof ffs (with showers forecasted).
I wonder about this closed roof thing . Has Nadal a poor record ‘indoors’,ie when its normally an outdoor tournament?
RBA is playing the best tennis I have ever seen him play. Pella has been inspired, but I don’t think he has the energy left to make this competitive. Batista-Agut in 3.
Post from vamosrafa:
I was trying to post after the Kyrgios match but my posts were not going through. A bit outdated now but will share some interesting serving stats:
*posting under a different user until the issue with my account is fixed.
-Rafa won 82% first serve points compared to Nick’s 71%
-NK’s fastest serve was a second serve clocked at 143MPH !
-Rafa won 71% second serve points so his second serve was as effective as NK’s first serve!
I think Rafa was RUTHLESS against Tsonga. I had zero doubts about his chances against Tsonga but was still impressed with how well he played.
Rafa’s baseline game, return, serve as well as the mental game are on point and he is getting better and better.
I don’t think Sam can beat this Rafa. Rafa will land enough returns back and his ‘average groundstroke’ is too good to be overpowered over 5 sets.
I think Rafa wins this in 3 sets or may be 4 (could lose a tie break).
I am aware of the threat posed by Sam’s game on this surface but there I have total faith in Rafa’s game at the moment. I believe we are heading for a fedal semi.
Nadal 3-1
Bautista_Agut 3-0
Bautista Agut has a good chance of playing the sunday. He must have a quick match against a tired Pella and he play well against Djokovic but friday will be semi-finals (nervous? sure, he will be nervous).
Rafa in 3; RBA in 3
Rafa, good luck tomorrow! We all know you can do it……so just do it!!!
Querry will beat Nadal in 4 sets. His service is even 2 steps better than Kyrgios. Querry has actually NOT BAD ROS, and his tall stature and Nadal’s relatively NOT SO GREAT SERVE should let Querry creating decent BP chances against Nadal. Querry’s ROS is highly underrated. Against Peak Djokovic in 2016 Wimbledon, he won first service ROS almost twice more than the greatest returner of all time. Querry created staggering 19 BP chances against Peak Djokovic at that time. A bad returner can’t get that many BP chances on grass against the man who had won consecutive 4 grand-slams. You can’t bagel the likes of Theim on Wimbledon who has great service.
And Querry’s ground game is not that bad. WHEN HE IS ON, his ground can damage seriously on Wimbledon grass.
Querry loves grass and Wimbeldon, has already beaten the likes of Djokovic and Murray at Wimbledon. Only service can’t let you beat those Giants at Wimbledon. Querry also sounds mentally strong. Always sounds calm and how many times you have found striking ACES on Breaking Point?
This should be the toughest possible guy Nadal is going to face before Semi-finals. When Draw came out, more than Kyrgios and Tsonga, it was Querry who was the toughest.
Nadal is the best returner in the last 52 weeks. Querry lost 22 games against Sandgren. Querry only got 5 breakpoints in that game (nearly one per set). You can win against Nadal with only one oportunity of break per set. I think, that Nadal can do a best work than Sandgren. I think Nadal will win in 3 sets.
I would like to think you’re right (though I really want Fed to beat Nadal in the SF), but I can’t believe that this version of Nadal is only going to win one set against Querrey. Rafa is just playing too well, and I think it’s going to take Fed’s best to beat him. OTOH, Querrey is certainly the type of player to beat Rafa on grass. I suppose if he serves 90% 1st serves he could win in 4 sets, but otherwise, no, I just don’t see it.
90% first serves is not humanly possible over 4sets I presume. I think querry can give rafa a scare but ultimately rafa will figure out a way to beat him. Here’s hoping for the best. Vamos Rafa
OK, I’m officially in the frazzling-for-Rafa faction now, lol! Betting analyst Jean Calvert picked Querrey. I may have underestimated Querrey. But he has already seized the scalps of two Former Wimby champions now. It’s not impossible that he will go for a third. However, neither Novak nor Andy were at the peak of their abilities when Querrey ambushed them. Looking at his great performances so far, I still expect Rafa to win, since his variety and tennis intelligence is better than Querrey’s and he hasn’t spent a lot of time on-court so far, but it might not happen in three sets.
I won’t get worked up just yet, though, since I don’t have the time to watch or follow the match.
Are you sure that Calvert has picked Querrey to win outright? I know that before the tournament, he picked Querrey as the best bet to win his quarter (at 38-1). So if he beats Nadal, I imagine that Calvert and his followers stand to make a lot of money. But I wasn’t aware that he has picked Querrey to win outright. One thing is for sure: that guy has been very good at picking winners lately.
who?
Sean Calvert
https://www.cbssports.com/tennis/news/2019-wimbledon-odds-predictions-tennis-expert-reveals-picks-for-rafael-nadal-vs-sam-querrey/
littlefoot,
Okay I am with you! The nerves have started to get to me! I am not even going to bother with predictions. I just know that Rafa is as ready as he can be. He is healthy, confident and playing some stellar tennis. He will not underestimate Querrey. I think it will be a challenge, but Rafa has always relished it.
If necessary, I can hide behind the couch or switch the channel.
😳
NNY, so, expert Sean Calvert was wrong and our gut feelings were right after all ☺ – although the first set was tighter than it needed to be. I was busy all day and couldn’t even follow scores, so I didn’t have any opportunity for intense frazzling-for-Rafa.
Joe Smith, I think a good version of Federer is enough to beat Nadal at Wimbledon, despite of the fact current Wimbledon is almost playing as slow as RG, but relative low bounce and normal conditions should be enough for a decent Federer to beat Nadal in 4 sets, if not in straight.
Nadal is indeed playing a great tennis, but the outcome of the Fedal in semi-final will be likely same as Australian Open Final 2019, where it was widely made an assumption as Nadal being Favorite to beat Djokovic considering Nadal hadn’t lost even a single set but suddenly a straight set beat-down occurred in AO final.
I am not sure Federer will beat Nadal in straight set, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Federer beats Nadal in straight sets. I think Nishikori is going to give Federer a lot of practice to face Nadal, if somehow Nadal manages to beat Querry which I don’t think will happen.
Ordinarily I might agree with you. But I have been extremely impressed with Nadal in this tournament. He is playing ultra aggressive tennis to a very high level. And the slow court/balls definitely help him. I would be thrilled but extremely surprised if Fed delivers a Novak-like beat-down of Nadal in the SF.
I’m calling it now, it will be an all Spanish men’s final at Wimbledon this year: Nadal vs Bautista Agut.
And Bautista-Agut will win the trophy ☺☺☺
You should bet a small amount of money on this outcome now. If it will happen you will earn some bucks😋
Rafa will win. RBA is to Djokovic as Davydenko is to Nadal.
Hey, I was joking and I believe, you are joking, too, since the probability that both Spaniards make it into the final is close to zero😉 Bautista-Agut won’t beat the Djoker and Rafa’s Road into the final is rocky, too.
I will bake and eat a nice crow cake if I’m wrong.
Littlefoot….Why u said RBA won’t beat Nole?I mean,RBA has beaten him twice if i’m not wrong…so the posibility is there right?(if he get past Pella that is!)…
I also think that RBA has slowly become Nole’s nemesis,the kind of opponent that can makes him nervous & potentially can creates an upsets..tho it’s really hard to do that giving the form of Nole atm…
wow
I expect Nadal will have to face the Querrey serve in 1-2 tiebreakers, but it’s still Rafa in 3 for me.
RBA in 4.
Querrey is a poor man’s Berdych except that his first serve seems to be his only weapon, when he gets it in and his ROS is not very good. If he redlines like he did in Acapulco last year against Rafa, it will be a contest but so far, he hasn’t played that attacking tennis. If they both play the way they’ve been playing, Rafa won’t have too much trouble.
Querrey heads the leaderboard for aces at Wimbledon this year, with 100 aces but that’s with 2 of his matches going to 5 sets.
I think you mean 4 sets.
You’re right – 4 sets.
Querrey won’t know what hit him
I’ve made a point of watching Querrey’s matches here just to work out what Rafa has to face. So far, I see no cause for concern because whilst Querrey is a big server, that alone doesn’t win matches, otherwise, Karlovic, Isner and Raonic would still be in the draw.
Querrey may come out and play great tennis like he did in the Acapulco final last year, other than that, I don’t see too much of a problem.
Rafa in 5, 2 sets going to tie breaks.
Keep that ROS sharp rafa…Vamos. 🙂
Stay focused, remain confident, be strong and fight bravely, Rafa!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D_GxUd2XYAA4WPg.jpg
Apparently Kei has a cold so Fed may be on court for a little over half an hour!☺
Looks like RBA may do this pretty quick. No. RBA squandered 3 break points.
Goffin playing well!hard to watch 2 matches at the same time!
Yeah both matches are awesome!
Pella keeping my hopes alive for him at the moment
Getting dizzy switching!
Back to this one where RBA has lost the break!
I knew this match was going to go on forever! Grrr!
RBA breaks. Ok I have to go out to buy icecream for later!
Big Al is right Pella probably too tired to go 5 sets and win. RBA in 3, I think. Pella unable to keep the level up.
That said, Keep fighting, Guido!! (if at all possible)
he is, for now
Pella up.a break in the third and RBA playing rubbish suddenly. Double grrr! I want this match to end so rafa can get on court.
I am waiting for this match to finish so I can disappear for a few :). Damn just like you thought.. This is going to take a while!
Talk about frustrating!!
I really wish that RBA could finish this in 3 sets. I want to see Rafa! The waiting is driving me crazy!
RBA showing why he isn’t a top player. Triple grr! Knowing him he will choke and we will go 5. If so I will go berserk!!
It really is sod’s law that Rafa has the most difficult opponent and he gets to.play after the slowest first match.
Ok let’s calm down with the Bautista Agut criticism. He just lost his first set of the tournament in the quarterfinals 😂
No thanks Benny!! We want rafa on court and f or This hell of waiting to end.
and don’t want the roof to be closed!
Yes exactly! I.have said one trillion times that’s the danger.
I know I’m late on these but my picks are Rafa in 4 and RBA in 3 (looks like Pella gonna take this set though)
I hope Agut and Pella don’t go five sets here! Pella seems to relish in playing five setters here! No good for whoever wins and no good for our Rafa who’s waiting to play his match!
If RBA lets this go to five sets, I will have a stroke!
I am going to the supermarket if this goes four sets. I need sustenance!
I have already been nny! I bought 3 bars of chocolate.
amy,
It’s early here but I need something sweet to handle the waiting and the nerves!
Yes definitely nny! Go for it! ☺
I feel a pint of chocolate ice cream will do. Preferably from Ben and Jerry’s involving chocolate cookie dough. Half baked Brownie dough and chocolate chip cookie dough. But it’s not going to happen. I must persevere! Been doing that too much lately LOL
fruity gelato, maybe.
Okay if’s going at least 4 sets. Off to the store!
Testing
Hi vr!! This is so annoying!!
RBA is a choker!
vr,
Are you going to be here with us for Rafa’s match? We need you!
Oh greAt Pella wins the set! Aren’t we lucky! Massive sarcasm emoji!
Oh I’m so sorry, not sorry, amy 😀
Busy rooting for Pella here…
Yes I know rc! Nole has a cakewalk draw to the final! More cake! I have cake on the brain!
Oh dear just eaten half a chocolate bar in one minute because I am getting so cross!
I have to say Pella has more game than Agut. Pella makes Agut looks one dimensional! It’s a pity he has to play so many five setters, that I think he will have no chances against Djoko (to get a set) should he reach the SF. His game could at least give Djoko some challenges, with his net rushing and lefty serve.
RBA would be way tougher for Djoker
one of the many reasons I root for Guido.
RBA running round to hit everything off his forehand!
Finally he wins!☺
Rafa on court!!
Court 1 is good for Nadal. It’s almost clay.
What are they waiting for with Rafa’s match?!! Choops! Hurry up already!!!
I really detest servebot tennis.
Break point!
Rafa freaking breaks!!☺☺
Now hold Rafa !!
I was not able to make any posts the last few days. WIll share my thoughts later but for this match I’ll say Rafa will win in 3 sets most prob. He is too sharp at the moment to let Sam take adv. Rafa’s first AND second (perhaps bigger than it’s ever been) are giving him extra comfort on return games
3-1 Rafa!!☺
No Amy, I want straights!! Lol!
My nerves really can’t freaking take it, lol!!
3-1 in games Mona!!
4-2 Rafa n ow!
A m giving updates for others!
Oh, sorry, lol!!!
I just got home. I was checking the score on my iPhone. Rafa up a break and now in a tight service game.
Hold Rafa!
Get a grip.Rafa! DF and an error! Break point against him.
Another Df!
No excuse for dfs against Sam who couldn’t return a toasted sandwich! Rafa holds!
Ooh Rafa! DF! Please hold your serve!
I am eating chocolate chip cookies and it’s barely lunch time!
Okay Rafa! Keep holding!
Double break and set points!☺
Saved by Querrey.
Rafa has to serve it out.
Querrey is blasting those serves. Rafa must get it done here to get that first set and make Querrey play from behind.
0-30! Come on rafa!
That’s y I hate these matches. arrggghhhhh!!
Rafa, c’mon!!
Rafa was serving so well, damn it!! They all are having hiccups in first set!!!
30 all! Set point! Deuce. Rafa isn’t serving well atm.
Time violation warning break ooint.😢
Shit Rafa gets broken having had multiple set points😢😢
This is me.
Rafa’s serve deserted him when he needed it. He sho uld have won that set already.
Break.points gone. Another one! Gone. Another one. Come on rafa! Break yes!☺ Now serve it out!
Why is Rafa so nervous and serving so poorly to lose serve? He’s always so nervous serving for set I really can’t stand it! Come on Rafa, do the job!!
How did rafa lose so many points on serve? Is querrey redlining or rafa making errors.? Unable to watch
Rafa not serving well
Rafa as usual is getting nervous at end of set especially when he’s serving for it, more so against a big server!
The set could have been done 6-4 by Rafa yet he served so poorly to lose serve and then almost needs to go to TB!
I mentioned before, Rafa’s newly acquired good serve is just newly acquired, its not a natural part of his game, unlike say a Querrey whose big serve is very much a natural part of his game. So, that’s why Rafa has so much problems with his serve once he gets tight especially at crucial moments.
It’ll be a long day at the office judging by how long it takes to complete one set of tennis.
It’s True. Another true, it is that any serve its ot a natural part ofhis game. I red a few years ago, that Nadal’s condition (its not lefty) affected him more in the serve.
0-30 again!😢
Rafa is having a bad serving day!!!! Wow!!! Terrible!!
What on earth is going on with Rafa! Please get a grip! He cannot get this done serving like crap.
30 all. Layhani partly responsible. Rafa can’t get a first serve in! 30-40😢 finally! Deuce! Ad Querrey😢 deuce. Ad Querrey😢 this is stressful. Set point! Set Rafa!!
@ Amy 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
Rafa serving so terrible. He should have got that set ages ago. Sigh!!
Layhani threw him with the time violation warning. He can get lost!! If it was Nick he would have given him a pedicure.
This is going to be hell on my nerves. Rafa picked the wrong time to serve poorly.
Yes but Layhani shouldn’t.have given him the warning at that point serving for the set.
Yeah, but he takes too damn long to serve!! Look how well he served in beginning of 2nd set!! Sometimes he needs the warning!!!
Did the crowd applaud when he was slapped with warning?
amy,
I agree.
At least he won the set without having to play a TB. But he should have just served it out the first time.
They said it’s very humid there today. Rafa’s shirt is drenched.
He’s drenched because he’s nervous against a big server! Rafa seems not having much confidence in his own serve imo.
NNY, Rafa is always like that when serving for set! He’s fast becoming like those low ranked players who lose their serve while serving for set against the TOP players.
lucky,
I was too nervous and I stopped watching. But since Rafa was holding his serve easily up until then, it does seem as though nerves got to him.
But the ESPN commies did say that it’s not all that hot but very humid today. Rafa tends to sweat profusely in humid conditions. But I will not disagree with you about nerves playing a part, too.
Ok I am not seeing great comments on here other than learning he won the first set. I will give it time and come back on here later. Good luck guys!.
Hopefully he loosens up and plays better..
2 break points for Rafa!☺
Yes! Break!☺
That’s what I want to hear Amy. Come on.😊
Stay with us PK!☺
I am. But not watching. Give me the good news
Rafa playing better now and holds easily
No, Rafa held serve easily and even broke Querrey’s serve at the beginning of first set but he tightened up when serving for the set and created a mess out of it. He’s fortunate that he need not go to a TB in the first set.
I hope there’s no repeat of set one in the second, and Rafa holds serve till the end! Come on Rafa!!
He seems to be unsettled a bit! Maybe its the humidity, lol! Cant play like this against Roger or Novak!
Sloppy again! Get a grip Rafa!
So sloppy. 2 break points Querrey.
Saved.Another sloppy shot. Deuce. Game point again. Finally Rafa holds. God this is such hard work!
Every service game of Rafa is such a torture! Why is he serving so poorly from end of first set onwards? He’s having too much respect for Querrey’s serve and FH imo. Another messy service game!
Oh god. Its torture even waiting to read comments on here. Did have a feeling he would save and hold. Am outta here for now. Will check back in later.
Why is Rafa not using his FH DTL when Querrey is camping at the BH corner? Make Querrey run, Rafa!
Some very odd shot selections
Rafa getting into Sam’s service games a lot! 2 break points☺
Rafa breaks!!!☺
Double break against Querrey serve shouldn’t be sniffed at
Nope! Did u see Rafa’s record at majors when leading 2 set up? 305:1! Lost to the Fog at US Open, sigh!
He definitely needs that insurance break, lol!
Rafa takes the second set 6-2☺☺
Super!. Cudnt resist coming back and that’s welcome news Amy. We are a bunch of nervous wrecks 🤣🤣
Rafa breaks first game PK! ☺
Amy. You are the gift that keeps on giving 😊
Double break Rafa PK!☺☺
Wow.. just wow.. now I am watching live scores… And hopefully watch his interview soon. Thanks Amy
40-15 and still not holding. Smh
Rafa should try not hitting with much pace to Querrey; Querrey seems unable to handle variation of pace in the shots.
Fed just finished off Kei in four sets, as expected, in two hours and 36 mins. .
Nadal serving up a beatdown!!
Querrey saves break point. Deuce. Sam holds.
Rafa holds to love☺
Fed will beat Rafa, IMO.
Not sure on this one. Too tight a call.
I don’t think so. Nadal had lost only 1 semi-final match (last year against Djokovic with under roof). There are 2 factors against Federer: stamina and floor. This friday will be a clay game.
If Rafa continues to mess up his own service games, then he’ll have a hard life vs Fed; even if he Beats Fed to reach the final, he’ll have a bigger problem if he faces Djoko in the final.
TBH, I don’t think Rafa is playing well in this match; it’s because it’s Querrey across the net, who basically doesn’t have much to offer except for his serve. If it’s Pella for example, Rafa will definitely be sweating even more and having a hard time beating him.
Rafa is fortunate not having to go to TB especially in the first set; he made a mess out of it while serving for the set; Fed or Djoko won’t give him much chances should he mess up like that.
Rafa wins! Not at his best but winning in straights against a big server is a fine achievement☺
Yes! Vamos!! 💪💪💪
Vamos Champ!
Yay! Congratulations all Rafans. Hopefully he plays better in the semi..
He will PK!!
Indeed!!
Fedal next!☺ Rafa will.up his game against Fed.
We Rafa fans have to be pretty happy he has got through his block on grass. Onwards and upwards!☺
Vamos Rafa! In the semis again! He was good enough today to win in straight sets. Ricky had it right!
Fedal again!
Big hug nny!!☺
True Amy. To think that we were staring at the Long hard draw for Rafa the day the Wimbledon draw was made known! Rafa has come a long way, navigating through such a dangerous route to the SF.
Two more matches to go I hope, just hope that Rafa will be successful and be the last man standing come Sunday.
Yes indeed lucky! We have to be proud of him !☺
Vaaaaammmmmooooossssss!
No way was Querrey going to beat Rafa. His serve is his only weapon and only his first serve. His ROS is appalling and he has no game.
SHFTW! (So happy for the win!) Fedal next! Woooot! Vamos Rafa!! Congrats to all the Rafans here. And to the Fedfans!
Rafa did not have a great serving day, but at least he KNOWS he has to serve better going forward. All of them save for Bastista had the hibigibies in the first set. These guys are super nervous and there’s immense pressure on them to perform. There is a lot riding on this for them. Cut Rafa some slack. He knows he’s playing well so there is no reason to think that he will lose to Fed based on his serving today! He’s a champ for a reason! Kei and Goffin gave up after set 1, Rafa will NEVER do that!!!
C’mon Rafa, bring that trophy home!!! I know you can do it!
Yes Mona!too much criticism of Rafa when both Nole and Fed had poor first sets. I expect all 3 to up their games next round. It’s very hard to play a big server on grass
I just came here n am surprised after seeing the score here to read Rafa did not play that well..what did he do bad? It’s not as if fed played great either against kei.
He didn’t serve well sanju. But to win in straights against a big server is a fine achievement and I am very happy and proud of him☺
Did he drop his serve multiple times ?
Only once when serving for first set! But he did well on second try obviously
Exactly Sanju! The way I look at it, Rafa is getting battle tested bcos in the upcoming rounds he will leave it all out there, and that is something he has done his entire career!! I always said from the beginning that Rafa will win Wimbledon, there is that fire in his eyes! He’s here to make a statement, esp after the roof and the seeding debacle!
In the semis both Rafa and Roger will be nervous in first set, but Rafa will find a way to win, especially if he wins first set! I will be shocked if Rafa loses to Roger, even if its grass, to me it matters not!!
I think we are too hard on Rafa at times. He was shaky in that first set but settled down and served better in the next two sets. It is very tricky to play a big server on grass. But Rafa beat him in straight sets. No tiebreaks. Rafa had no trouble breaking Querrey’s serve.
It was a very good performance from Rafa! He got stronger as the match went on. Rafa will know what he has to do against Fed. I expect him to bring his best.
At the moment Novak is the one thats cold and ruthless. Rafa has everything it takes to win but is more nervous messing up serving for the set and not holding easy. Fed I dont know if is as strong as 2017. I would give both a 50-50 chance to beat each other. Nadal may hold an edge believing again his game plan works.
But no I dont think either have a chance at Novak in the finals. He just is mentally superior at the moment. but as a fan, I would hope Rafa gets through all the way. Not impossible.
Rubbish PK!! Rafa can definitely.beat Nole! You are overestimating him. The real advantage Nole has is a very easy draw.
Rafa has played better tennis overall than Nole this wimby. McEnroe was saying precisely that yesterday and he is right.
Let’s see how Novak handles agut . He has lost the last 3 times against him . I don’t think he will roll over agut.
I hope you are right :). Novak ups his game when it comes to Rafa but if Rafa stands up to him like he did last year, I would be happy and yes would be a treat if he wins ( assuming he is over Fed) .
But whos not to say Novak wont lose to RBA..
He won’t lose to agut . It’s a centre court where agut has never played. The occasion can get to him. However his game style troubles Novak n his flat shots,his speed and balls coming back surely will result in a long match hopefully
What has Novak done in past 5 months after AO to justify being mentally superior ? The biggest moment where he was needed to be mentally strong at french..he totally messed up. So what mental strength are we talking about ?
Novak has the edge that’s it against both but both roger n Rafa can beat him..Rafa with slight better chance as fed can get weary as match goes on with Novak getting balls back all time.
Rafa is on a run of 17 wins as well. Winning begets winning!!
Uh Huh! I agree!
Its just body language Sanju. Look at how he came back down a break in the first set. absolute demolition in the second with Goffin. I am not saying he wins every match. Honestly back of my mind I hope RBA takes him down.
I just dont like Nadals chances. Maybe its the match up. Maybe I am just being a stupid fan getting nervous everytime he goes break point down .. Its quite normal to have ups and downs and our perspective changes after he wins as against watching him struggle during the match.
Agreed a lot of us are extra critical. Even today its the quarters and its not like Sam is a nobody. Few hours earlier Sam was dangerous having taken down Novak at his peak and now its like all he has is his serves. its how we are prior and post a result.
But lets face it. How many times has Novak beaten Rafa easy vs the other way around. The Aus Open final was a shocker. I had high hopes Nadal was in a perfect run to take Novak down but oh well it happens. I am happy and appreciative Nadal got his French and in his second consecutive Wimbledon semi. A couple of matches goes his way, I will be super happy.
Goffin started well but just choked under pressure, and that was it!! He just gave up, even the commies were frustrated!! So of course Nole made him pay, Goffin posed no resistance so Novak looked deadly!!
Who exactly has Novak faced?! None of those donkeys gave Novak a test. He has a free pass to the finals, well save for Agut, but chances Novak may win! If Goffin had more fire in his belly he could have taken a set, but he gave up after losing first set, hence made Novak look good!! Querry just did not have the tools to bother Rafa, except his serve!
Same way ppl were predicting Querry is in for a chance, has great serve blah blah blah! Tennis is always about ‘on the day’!! Rafa wins in str8ts, not ONE tie-break!
Rafa for the trophy!!! Vamos!!
Yep, never in doubt. Winning 6-2 6-2 against Sam is very impressive.
Wow, do we actually have a Fedal semi at Wimbledon?!
It will be a nice sunny day and I can only imagine the excitement.
So who is going to prevail?
VR, I know, but I’m not going to tell you, lol!!!
Is it sunny ..amy ? Sun means Rafa smiles
Rafa has to compensate for India’s horrible loss today at WC cricket
And he did. I was afraid I was going to have a bad day after India lost. Maybe I was being a lil too confident with Rafa. But thank God. Rafa played well enough to have a reasonably straight forward straight set win. He isnt tired. having a good decent run into the semis. a lil mental edge with winning the last match with Fed. Pretty much in a good place for now.
By compensate I mean win wimby not the qtrs 🙂
For now there is good hope he might. Let’s relax for a day. Our collective energy seems to help.hopefully he gets two more wins. He certainly deserves one more Wimbledon. Nite all
Yes it Will be warm and sunny on Friday sanju!☺ Lots of extra spin!
vr,
Aren’t you going to post your thoughts on who will win?
I wouldn’t go as far as to say I’d be “shocked” if Fed wins against Rafa, but I would be surprised. If it were almost any other year since 2010, then I wouldn’t be that surprised. It’s a different story now. Fed will be retired by August of next year (or whenever the Olympics are). This match is Rafa’s to lose. Maybe I would even feel a little differently if the court was playing quicker, but it’s actually the opposite. I don’t care how well Fed is still serving and playing at the net for almost 38- you cannot be lacking from the back of the court as much as he is now if you want to beat Rafa at a major. Again, I don’t know if I could quite use the word “shocked” yet, but I would absolutely be surprised. And I never would have been surprised by Fed beating Rafa at Wimbledon had it happened any other times in recent history.
One thing is for sure, as far as Fed kid concerned- he absolutely cannot afford to start out poorly like he did today and in his first round match. Before this year’s RG, I cannot remember the last time Fed failed to win one of the first two sets at a major- maybe AO 2016 against Novak? But it’s different now. Rafa is still at an extremely high level, and Fed is about to retire. He better win that first set if he wants to have any realistic shot.
The commies and BBC are mad with joy at the thought of a Fedal semi-final. Will.have huge viewing numbers. They are getting so excited that there is a danger they may spontaneously combust come Friday!
https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/video/interviews.html
Thanks Elizabeth , loved Aga too, good to see you here, and the rest of the crew 🙂 ….
Amy lol 🙂
I only saw third set of Nadal-Querrey. I didn’t think Rafa looked as good as he has in previous few rounds. And I thought Querrey was well below his best. Fed match I also only saw 4th set. Fed looked good to me but also not his best, and his inability to convert break chances was a concern.
That said, even with this being slower grass, it’s still grass and Fed still has the edge, as long as he serves well. But it’s slight, imo. This is the best Nadal has played on grass for a long, long time. He’s playing pretty similar tennis to Fed, actually, with a serve not quite as good but a baseline game that is a bit better. A lot will come down to the ROS and the first strike after serve.
A lot of people are mentioning the SF match at RG last month, but more relevant, imo, is the previous 5 match win streak Fed had, and particularly AO 2017. Even at RG, he played Rafa very evenly for two sets, much more than the scoreline indicates. But Fed didn’t serve well when he held game points; that was really the difference, probably due to the wind, which Rafa handled much better. I think he will serve well in this match, and that will be enough. Fed in 4, maybe 5.
Saw the match against Querrey. I didn’t expect much from the guy. He’s a humble man, total respect for him, but he played well only in the 1st set. Not very good at rallying, somehow similar to Isner. And of his 1st serve percentage is below 60 against Rafa, that’s not enough. Kyrgios still better, but a bit mentally unstable.
Ok, excited for this one. Hope Fed stays cool, no need to get emotional and start strong, aggressive.
Going forward, Rafa will have a lot more confidence against big serves, lol!
Rafa gets more dangerous in the latter part of GS! This semi final match will be brutal, but for who, lol!
Fed had a hard time vs Kei, against Rafa it’ll be worse for him.
Rafa is able to handle big serves and great serves throughout the event so he’s ready for Fed.