Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 18222 Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 8:19 am Post subject:
I haven't followed tennis that much in the last few years but what happened to Novak Djokovic? I read he was upset early. He withdrew from the U.S. Open last year, retired in a match at Wimbledon and lost in the QF at last year's A.O.? I thought he would be on top for awhile with Nadal and Fed declining.
I guess a lot of the new guard still hasn't figured out how to win five-set tournaments yet if vets like Fed (36) and Cilic (29) are still making finals. _________________ "Suck it up. Don't be a baby. Do your job." - Kobe Bryant
Joined: 25 Apr 2015 Posts: 31925 Location: Anaheim, CA
Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 11:18 am Post subject:
numero-ocho wrote:
I haven't followed tennis that much in the last few years but what happened to Novak Djokovic? I read he was upset early. He withdrew from the U.S. Open last year, retired in a match at Wimbledon and lost in the QF at last year's A.O.? I thought he would be on top for awhile with Nadal and Fed declining.
I guess a lot of the new guard still hasn't figured out how to win five-set tournaments yet if vets like Fed (36) and Cilic (29) are still making finals.
Injuries have permeated the men's game. Novak is still not quite right, with an elbow injury that was clearly affecting his game in Australia, and he took the last few months of the 2017 season off because of it. Andy Murray just underwent hip surgery and won't be back until Wimbledon at the earliest. Stan Wawrinka is still not recovered from his knee problems and was clearly hobbled while trying to play the Australian Open, losing in the early rounds to Tennys Sandgren. Kei Nishikori is playing challenger events as he tries to work his way back from a wrist injury that ended his 2017 season in August. Milos Raonic lost in the first round of the Australian Open, still not in shape after missing the US Open last year because of a wrist injury, and then hurting his knee in November; he basically came into the 2018 season cold and unprepared. We just saw Nadal suffer that hip injury, though it doesn't appear to be serious. All of these guys are fixtures in the top 10.
It's remarkable that Federer is the only top player that we're used to who is fully healthy. And of course, he took the second half of the 2016 season off with his own injury issues.
Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 18222 Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 2:35 pm Post subject:
ChickenStu wrote:
numero-ocho wrote:
I haven't followed tennis that much in the last few years but what happened to Novak Djokovic? I read he was upset early. He withdrew from the U.S. Open last year, retired in a match at Wimbledon and lost in the QF at last year's A.O.? I thought he would be on top for awhile with Nadal and Fed declining.
I guess a lot of the new guard still hasn't figured out how to win five-set tournaments yet if vets like Fed (36) and Cilic (29) are still making finals.
Injuries have permeated the men's game. Novak is still not quite right, with an elbow injury that was clearly affecting his game in Australia, and he took the last few months of the 2017 season off because of it. Andy Murray just underwent hip surgery and won't be back until Wimbledon at the earliest. Stan Wawrinka is still not recovered from his knee problems and was clearly hobbled while trying to play the Australian Open, losing in the early rounds to Tennys Sandgren. Kei Nishikori is playing challenger events as he tries to work his way back from a wrist injury that ended his 2017 season in August. Milos Raonic lost in the first round of the Australian Open, still not in shape after missing the US Open last year because of a wrist injury, and then hurting his knee in November; he basically came into the 2018 season cold and unprepared. We just saw Nadal suffer that hip injury, though it doesn't appear to be serious. All of these guys are fixtures in the top 10.
It's remarkable that Federer is the only top player that we're used to who is fully healthy. And of course, he took the second half of the 2016 season off with his own injury issues.
Ahh. OK. Thanks for the update. Professional tennis is such a grueling sport. They grind it out for two weeks then get a week or two to recover before the next tournament. It's really a testament to how well these athletes train and take care of themselves, especially players like Fed and Serena who are way past their prime years yet still competing in finals. _________________ "Suck it up. Don't be a baby. Do your job." - Kobe Bryant
Yep. I am not a big tennis fan, but I usually wind up watching a few hours of the Aussie Open. My eyeball assessment says that the men’s field is weaker than it was been in decades, largely due to injuries. The women’s field finally seems to be developing some real depth after about five years of mediocrity. Those of you who follow tennis may see things differently.
Joined: 26 Apr 2004 Posts: 17249 Location: In a no-ship
Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 4:34 pm Post subject:
Aeneas Hunter wrote:
Yep. I am not a big tennis fan, but I usually wind up watching a few hours of the Aussie Open. My eyeball assessment says that the men’s field is weaker than it was been in decades, largely due to injuries. The women’s field finally seems to be developing some real depth after about five years of mediocrity. Those of you who follow tennis may see things differently.
You're not wrong. Look at Fed's path to the championship this tournament, Rafa's path at the last USO, etc. They've played a list of mostly nobodies.
Joined: 25 Apr 2015 Posts: 31925 Location: Anaheim, CA
Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 3:04 am Post subject:
Wilt wrote:
DuncanIdaho wrote:
Novak also has some guru that he listens to that's been screwing up his game bigtime.
Didn't he also go vegan? I think I read that somewhere in the Serbian media (I'm from that region).
Arian Foster was never the same after going vegan, and Demaryius Thomas' performance has also slipped since he did the same.
For whatever reason, vegan or otherwise, Novak hasn't been the same since winning the 2016 French Open. When he did that, he completed the career Grand Slam, and it was a monumentally important thing to him. When the rest of his 2016 didn't go well, I just chalked it up to an understandable letdown. But perhaps it was something more. Then in 2017, his play didn't get any better, and then he got injured, and he still doesn't look 100%. I'll also note that a little after that 2016 French Open win, possible nude photos of him surfaced (where he may have sent them to someone that wasn't his wife), and I wonder if he felt like a protective shield was removed from his persona after that. I think something similar happened to Tiger Woods when the sex scandal broke.
Oh, also, there's a helluva women's final going on right now.
Joined: 25 Apr 2015 Posts: 31925 Location: Anaheim, CA
Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 3:36 am Post subject:
Wozniacki prevails! It was tough to follow Halep-Kerber, but this was a great match in its own right. I'm very happy for Caro, and the sheer joy she showed right after winning was pretty awesome. Halep showed great fight and tenacity all tournament, and much better focus, and if she can just maintain that, she'll win a Slam soon enough. In fact, she's probably the favorite in Paris, and I think she could avenge her surprise finals loss last year to Ostapenko.
Joined: 25 Apr 2015 Posts: 31925 Location: Anaheim, CA
Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 4:14 am Post subject:
Huey Lewis & The News wrote:
Halep should play hockey with how well she netted that ball in the last 2 games.
Haha, they were both really weary, particularly Halep, who had played a marathon match against Kerber in the previous round. And this match went over 3 hours also. Just like against Kerber, Halep was the aggressor, and in the previous match, she made more balls at the end than she missed. This time, in the last 2 games, she didn't. C'est la vie.
Joined: 18 Dec 2015 Posts: 5234 Location: So what's the uh...topic of discussion?
Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2018 2:45 am Post subject:
cilic is letting himself get distracted by whatever is going on with his racquet stringing against possibly the most relaxed and prepared athlete of all time _________________ "All wars are civil wars, because all men are brothers."
http://forums.lakersground.net/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=13018
He does it again, Wow. I ended up going to sleep after the 2nd set. I don't think they updated the rankings...Does this give him enough points to top Nadal and be ranked #1?
Joined: 25 Apr 2015 Posts: 31925 Location: Anaheim, CA
Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2018 6:02 pm Post subject:
^
No, he's still #2, but he just closed the gap significantly. Cilic moved up to #3. Cilic had a real shot to win that match. He was down a break at 1-3 in the 4th and it looked like Fed might cruise to the 4-set win, and then Cilic caught fire and reeled off 5 games in a row to win the 4th, as Federer stopped making first serves. Then the fifth set started and Cilic had 2 break points right away. If he gets that break, he's a runaway train at that point and who knows what happens. Then the second game was also a 50/50 game, won by Federer. Then at 2-0, another 50/50 game, again won by Fed. That was the match right there. Being up 3-0 settled Federer down, and his service rhythm came back. Cilic probably felt like he was so close to having the lead and all the momentum, and when it slipped away, he just couldn't get it back, with the finish line so close.
Twenty Slams. In men's tennis, it's pretty remarkable.
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