2017 AUS open - Fed back in the finals
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 2:22 pm    Post subject: 2017 AUS open - Fed back in the finals

highlights vs wawrinka


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PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 2:52 pm    Post subject:

Nadal looks like he will be there too.

It will be :

Serena vs Venus on Saturday

Federer vs Nadal on Sunday.

What year is this?
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 3:15 pm    Post subject:

2009
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 5:13 pm    Post subject:

I tried to stay up and watch, couldn't.
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 7:00 pm    Post subject:

As always, I stay up and watch the Aussie Open. Federer looked like he had a super-easy win, as he got up 2 sets to none and Wawrinka looked disinterested. He took a medical timeout and just came out ripping the ball and going for it and it seemed to catch Federer off-guard. I still thought Federer would win the 4th set, but Stan got the break late in that set and won that too. Then Federer was facing break points early in the 5th and it seemed like the unthinkable could happen. Stan had fought so hard to get the match back on level terms, but once he failed to get that break in the 5th, it seemed like he finally blinked.

Federer must be hoping for Dimitrov to beat Nadal, because Nadal is 23-11 against him. As Andy Roddick says, tennis is about matchups, and it's just not a good one for Fed against Rafa. He doesn't like Nadal's heavy, high-bouncing shots, especially to the backhand side.

I expect Serena to beat Venus, but I'm pulling for Venus, as the obvious underdog here. To see her pure joy in reaching the final was awesome.

It's been a unique tournament, with so many older players having a resurgence. The story of Serena's semifinal opponent, Lucic-Baroni, is also an incredible one. This is a woman who played Serena at Wimbledon...in 1998! She made the Wimbledon semifinals in 1999, so we're talking about 18 years between Grand Slam semifinal appearances. She had to endure so many personal problems and injuries, including overcoming an abusive father. It really was a remarkable story.
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 7:43 pm    Post subject:

I don't think Serena wants to play Venus in the AO finals. I'll watch to see how much fire she brings.
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 7:50 pm    Post subject:

So do you think Serena will go easy on her older sister and give her a final sendoff? I think she wants to but her competitive juices won't allow her to not compete.
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 8:11 pm    Post subject:

lakersken80 wrote:
So do you think Serena will go easy on her older sister and give her a final sendoff? I think she wants to but her competitive juices won't allow her to not compete.


No I don't think she'll go easy on her. To do so would damage her brand and legacy. It would be very difficult to disguise a tank.
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 8:38 pm    Post subject:

jodeke wrote:
lakersken80 wrote:
So do you think Serena will go easy on her older sister and give her a final sendoff? I think she wants to but her competitive juices won't allow her to not compete.


No I don't think she'll go easy on her. To do so would damage her brand and legacy. It would be very difficult to disguise a tank.


I don't think Serena wants to beat her either. I know she can. I am personally rooting for Venus though. She has looked really good this tournament. It would be a great story I think.
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 8:40 pm    Post subject:

ChickenStu wrote:
As always, I stay up and watch the Aussie Open. Federer looked like he had a super-easy win, as he got up 2 sets to none and Wawrinka looked disinterested. He took a medical timeout and just came out ripping the ball and going for it and it seemed to catch Federer off-guard. I still thought Federer would win the 4th set, but Stan got the break late in that set and won that too. Then Federer was facing break points early in the 5th and it seemed like the unthinkable could happen. Stan had fought so hard to get the match back on level terms, but once he failed to get that break in the 5th, it seemed like he finally blinked.

Federer must be hoping for Dimitrov to beat Nadal, because Nadal is 23-11 against him. As Andy Roddick says, tennis is about matchups, and it's just not a good one for Fed against Rafa. He doesn't like Nadal's heavy, high-bouncing shots, especially to the backhand side.

I expect Serena to beat Venus, but I'm pulling for Venus, as the obvious underdog here. To see her pure joy in reaching the final was awesome.

It's been a unique tournament, with so many older players having a resurgence. The story of Serena's semifinal opponent, Lucic-Baroni, is also an incredible one. This is a woman who played Serena at Wimbledon...in 1998! She made the Wimbledon semifinals in 1999, so we're talking about 18 years between Grand Slam semifinal appearances. She had to endure so many personal problems and injuries, including overcoming an abusive father. It really was a remarkable story.


Yeah that Federer match was a strange one. I thought Federer was going to win the 3rd pretty easily, and Stan was annihilating the ball. I'm surprised he kept it up as long as he did.

I don't think Federer wants to face Nadal at all. Nadal looks really good right now, and he has the advantage against Federer at this point of their careers.

I don't think Dimitrov has a chance against Nadal though. He's going to get the Federer treatment and it won't be pretty. Nadal looked really great against Raonic
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 8:46 pm    Post subject:

I don't know how many remember when Venus and Serena first came on the scene and Venus was beating everybody, Richard Williams said Serena was the better player. Turns out he knows his daughters.
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 8:57 pm    Post subject:

PEDs
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:22 pm    Post subject:

jodeke wrote:
I don't know how many remember when Venus and Serena first came on the scene and Venus was beating everybody, Richard Williams said Serena was the better player. Turns out he knows his daughters.


I remember watching a set between Venus and Serena in 1994 at the Forum. It was shortly after Agassi had won the '94 US Open, and just before Venus turned pro in late October of that year. Venus was 14 and Serena would've been 12 or 13 (I can't remember if this event was before her birthday in late September). The event was an exhibition featuring Agassi and Sampras, and some other pros. I got there early and with a sparse crowd just filling into the arena, they announced that these 2 top junior players from Compton were going to play a set against each other, and that they were sisters. It's not like I was that engaged in watching, but I definitely remember thinking how hard they hit the ball from the baseline at such a young age. Neither could serve big yet.

Here we are, more than 22 years later, and the Williams sisters are about to combine for a 30th Grand Slam singles title. It's incredible.
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:26 pm    Post subject:

Shlumpledink wrote:
ChickenStu wrote:
As always, I stay up and watch the Aussie Open. Federer looked like he had a super-easy win, as he got up 2 sets to none and Wawrinka looked disinterested. He took a medical timeout and just came out ripping the ball and going for it and it seemed to catch Federer off-guard. I still thought Federer would win the 4th set, but Stan got the break late in that set and won that too. Then Federer was facing break points early in the 5th and it seemed like the unthinkable could happen. Stan had fought so hard to get the match back on level terms, but once he failed to get that break in the 5th, it seemed like he finally blinked.

Federer must be hoping for Dimitrov to beat Nadal, because Nadal is 23-11 against him. As Andy Roddick says, tennis is about matchups, and it's just not a good one for Fed against Rafa. He doesn't like Nadal's heavy, high-bouncing shots, especially to the backhand side.

I expect Serena to beat Venus, but I'm pulling for Venus, as the obvious underdog here. To see her pure joy in reaching the final was awesome.

It's been a unique tournament, with so many older players having a resurgence. The story of Serena's semifinal opponent, Lucic-Baroni, is also an incredible one. This is a woman who played Serena at Wimbledon...in 1998! She made the Wimbledon semifinals in 1999, so we're talking about 18 years between Grand Slam semifinal appearances. She had to endure so many personal problems and injuries, including overcoming an abusive father. It really was a remarkable story.


Yeah that Federer match was a strange one. I thought Federer was going to win the 3rd pretty easily, and Stan was annihilating the ball. I'm surprised he kept it up as long as he did.

I don't think Federer wants to face Nadal at all. Nadal looks really good right now, and he has the advantage against Federer at this point of their careers.

I don't think Dimitrov has a chance against Nadal though. He's going to get the Federer treatment and it won't be pretty. Nadal looked really great against Raonic


No way Dimitrov beats Nadal. However, I think there's a good chance that Federer wants to see Nadal in the final to have a chance at ending the GOAT debate in style.
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 11:46 pm    Post subject:

Nadal is a -260 favorite over Dimitrov, who is at +220. Serena is -480 for the women's final, with Venus at +380.
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 6:31 am    Post subject:

I just watched all 4 hours and 56 minutes of Nadal's win over Dimitrov. I can honestly say that it was one of the best tennis matches I have ever seen, and it's not recency bias, either. Just toe-to-toe shotmaking for nearly 5 hours. It felt like anyone could win any rally because either one of them were capable of taking control of a rally with a single shot, and both of them were covering the court incredibly well and keeping points alive with amazing defensive shots. It was really riveting stuff to watch.

And now the Fed vs. Rafa final is upon us. Rage, rage against the dying of the light!
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 7:49 am    Post subject:

ChickenStu wrote:
I just watched all 4 hours and 56 minutes of Nadal's win over Dimitrov. I can honestly say that it was one of the best tennis matches I have ever seen, and it's not recency bias, either. Just toe-to-toe shotmaking for nearly 5 hours. It felt like anyone could win any rally because either one of them were capable of taking control of a rally with a single shot, and both of them were covering the court incredibly well and keeping points alive with amazing defensive shots. It was really riveting stuff to watch.

And now the Fed vs. Rafa final is upon us. Rage, rage against the dying of the light!


I appreciate you saying that because I was debating whether to catch this in full some weekend when I have time. Last couple of years I don't really sit and watch a lot of any match unless I hear it was a great one. In last year's Slams or even the year before, I don't remember any memorable high level matches late in Slams worth watching for great level of play alone (I thought Del Potro matches in Olympics, not just vs Rafa and Murray but that Djokovic match too, were incredible).

Raging on both men and women's sides
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 9:07 am    Post subject:

focus wrote:
ChickenStu wrote:
I just watched all 4 hours and 56 minutes of Nadal's win over Dimitrov. I can honestly say that it was one of the best tennis matches I have ever seen, and it's not recency bias, either. Just toe-to-toe shotmaking for nearly 5 hours. It felt like anyone could win any rally because either one of them were capable of taking control of a rally with a single shot, and both of them were covering the court incredibly well and keeping points alive with amazing defensive shots. It was really riveting stuff to watch.

And now the Fed vs. Rafa final is upon us. Rage, rage against the dying of the light!


I appreciate you saying that because I was debating whether to catch this in full some weekend when I have time. Last couple of years I don't really sit and watch a lot of any match unless I hear it was a great one. In last year's Slams or even the year before, I don't remember any memorable high level matches late in Slams worth watching for great level of play alone (I thought Del Potro matches in Olympics, not just vs Rafa and Murray but that Djokovic match too, were incredible).

Raging on both men and women's sides


Yeah. My interest in pro tennis has waned considerably since I quit playing. I will probably watch the men's final out of slim hope I can see Roger defeat Rafa in a major final again before he retires.
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 9:11 am    Post subject:

You know, this Aussie Open is playing unusually fast. Faster than it has historically. This should give Federer an edge. But he plays like a wuss against Nadal. The "GOAT" should be able to win one of these - which is not asking for too much. But if forced to wager, I'd bet on Nadal. Wouldn't put a cent on Federer.
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 9:23 am    Post subject:

The early line is out, and perhaps it's a good sign for Federer that Nadal is only an extremely slight favorite. Nadal is -125 and Federer is +115, so it's practically a pick 'em. The court conditions, the fact that Federer has an extra day of rest, and the fact that Nadal just played for nearly 5 hours all give Federer an edge...but the matchup edge belongs to Nadal.
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 9:48 am    Post subject:

ChickenStu wrote:
The early line is out, and perhaps it's a good sign for Federer that Nadal is only an extremely slight favorite. Nadal is -125 and Federer is +115, so it's practically a pick 'em. The court conditions, the fact that Federer has an extra day of rest, and the fact that Nadal just played for nearly 5 hours all give Federer an edge...but the matchup edge belongs to Nadal.


What are the court conditions and weather like down there? Melbourne used to be the highest bouncing courts out of the four slams which would favor Nadal.

If it comes down to hot weather and the ball jumping off the court surface I pick Nadal.
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 10:18 am    Post subject:

numero-ocho wrote:
ChickenStu wrote:
The early line is out, and perhaps it's a good sign for Federer that Nadal is only an extremely slight favorite. Nadal is -125 and Federer is +115, so it's practically a pick 'em. The court conditions, the fact that Federer has an extra day of rest, and the fact that Nadal just played for nearly 5 hours all give Federer an edge...but the matchup edge belongs to Nadal.


What are the court conditions and weather like down there? Melbourne used to be the highest bouncing courts out of the four slams which would favor Nadal.

If it comes down to hot weather and the ball jumping off the court surface I pick Nadal.


The AO changed from Rebound Ace to Plexicushion a few years back. It's definitely slower and bounces a little more than the US Open, but it really depends on the weather.
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 11:22 am    Post subject:

nevitt_smrek wrote:
You know, this Aussie Open is playing unusually fast. Faster than it has historically. This should give Federer an edge. But he plays like a wuss against Nadal. The "GOAT" should be able to win one of these - which is not asking for too much. But if forced to wager, I'd bet on Nadal. Wouldn't put a cent on Federer.


Federer hasn't played well in Finals either.

I imagine nerves will be a factor, and Nadal looks healthy and confident. I've never seen Nadal deal with nerves before
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 1:47 pm    Post subject:

DuncanIdaho wrote:
numero-ocho wrote:
ChickenStu wrote:
The early line is out, and perhaps it's a good sign for Federer that Nadal is only an extremely slight favorite. Nadal is -125 and Federer is +115, so it's practically a pick 'em. The court conditions, the fact that Federer has an extra day of rest, and the fact that Nadal just played for nearly 5 hours all give Federer an edge...but the matchup edge belongs to Nadal.


What are the court conditions and weather like down there? Melbourne used to be the highest bouncing courts out of the four slams which would favor Nadal.

If it comes down to hot weather and the ball jumping off the court surface I pick Nadal.


The AO changed from Rebound Ace to Plexicushion a few years back. It's definitely slower and bounces a little more than the US Open, but it really depends on the weather.


The court has been playing very fast this tournament. There's even talk that the balls don't have as much felt on them, meaning they are more apt to fly through the air more quickly and go through the court faster. It would explain not only Federer doing well in conditions like that (a fast hard court, basically), but Venus, too. Heck, it even suited Lucic-Baroni's game, a flat hitter of the ball, and it might explain how she dusted #3 Aga Radwanska like it was nothing. Faster surfaces do tend to favor the older players, as well, since the slower the court, the more grueling the points tend to be. (Don't tell that to Nadal and Dimitrov though, as their match was a war!)
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 3:45 pm    Post subject:

ChickenStu wrote:
DuncanIdaho wrote:
numero-ocho wrote:
ChickenStu wrote:
The early line is out, and perhaps it's a good sign for Federer that Nadal is only an extremely slight favorite. Nadal is -125 and Federer is +115, so it's practically a pick 'em. The court conditions, the fact that Federer has an extra day of rest, and the fact that Nadal just played for nearly 5 hours all give Federer an edge...but the matchup edge belongs to Nadal.


What are the court conditions and weather like down there? Melbourne used to be the highest bouncing courts out of the four slams which would favor Nadal.

If it comes down to hot weather and the ball jumping off the court surface I pick Nadal.


The AO changed from Rebound Ace to Plexicushion a few years back. It's definitely slower and bounces a little more than the US Open, but it really depends on the weather.


The court has been playing very fast this tournament. There's even talk that the balls don't have as much felt on them, meaning they are more apt to fly through the air more quickly and go through the court faster. It would explain not only Federer doing well in conditions like that (a fast hard court, basically), but Venus, too. Heck, it even suited Lucic-Baroni's game, a flat hitter of the ball, and it might explain how she dusted #3 Aga Radwanska like it was nothing. Faster surfaces do tend to favor the older players, as well, since the slower the court, the more grueling the points tend to be. (Don't tell that to Nadal and Dimitrov though, as their match was a war!)


Really good point. It reminded me that they were saying that from the beginning of the tournament that the courts were playing fast. Venus and Lucic Baroni - definitely some evidence there.

I don't think Nadal owns Federer. Nadal just wasn't good enough to get to as many Wimbledon and hard court finals especially 2nd half of the seasons to meet up with Federer. Anyway, this time I think Federer actually looks really great, moving as well as I recall seeing him since 2010 or so. His shots especially backhand he is driving like he used to. And he was basically blocked by Djokovic in Slam finals recently, not like he had terrible tournaments all over the place, he got to Wimbledon and USO finals a few times and Djokovic was blocking him.

Meanwhile Nadal has only won two Slams vs Federer not on clay back in prime Nadal years. Also, Nadal hasn't looked quite as quick as he was to me, nor is he quite hitting that forehand like I remember. His intelligence and competitiveness fight is just as sharp as before though, and that could get to Federer's head though along with all the wins.

So I see Federer as close to his this decade peak, the surface being faster helping him, Nadal a day less rest and a long tough match in SF and Nadal not moving quite as well or smacking that forehand as well as he was even in 2014 before it all went south. He might get that back by the time clay season rolls in. I got Federer winning, and hope he does. Actually I switch back and forth. Both these guys are great, and this might be Nadal's last chance to win a non-clay Slam ever.

Would love to see Venus win, but no problem if Serena does. Venus looked like she won already getting to the final, which really she did.
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