Australian Open 2012 - Day 3

First topic message reminder :

It all happens here. Dimitrov won teh first set v Almagro.

Nadal has had a good fight v old Haas and Fish was grilled by Falla.

Delpo in 3 v Kavkic.


Dolgo and Karlo in the lead v their opponents.

lydian wrote:Well Dolgo's words about the condition make it clear that sometimes the condition affects him badly, other times clearly not, it's not a black or white thing. Also...many people, like your brother, can have it and not know it...or have a mild form....it's at the pro-athlete level that the effects of the condition emerge. This article discussed that further.....
[/i]

I am sure Dolgo is clean but nowadays in sport there are advantages in having free pass to transfusions!

But what you are saying is that without the conditions they woudl be even fitter...which is hard to imagine in the case of Sampras and Dolgo this week.

That's my only question mark. Federer hasn;t got that condition, is very fit, yet has an average 5th set record where we have all seen him running out of gas despite his economical game.

It makes you wonder whether Fed and others would not be better off with Thalassemia.

I would figure he was only allowed transfusions on a serious medical need basis.

I'm not saying anything other than what those articles outline. This is not a conditions discussion, its a medical discussion.
Both Sampras and Dolgo were/are very fit as core players (Sampras less so in my belief in later years...hence the reliance on his serve).
This blood condition hits them unpredictably on-court and affects recovery between matches.
Clearly Dolgo is ok in 5 sets sometimes, as was Sampras, at other times he feels dreadful when he goes on court...its not black/white thing.
They have both said this in interviews and other experts agree with them...whats the issue here?

We share different beliefs over Federer's 5 set record.
In my opinion it has nothing to do with fitness/medical.
Similarly with Sampras.
I believe in 5 set situation Sampras' mental strength and serving ability made the difference.
Federer has been losing 5 sets regularly across his career so we cant say its suddenly a physical thing for him in a physical era - or has it been a "physical era" since 2004 now...?
But we never agree, as you know, on this central point about him running out of gas (as per the Rome 2006 5hr marathon example) so lets not keep going around in circles.

I dont see why you have to be cynical about Dolgo's condition. He has a medical condition...he's admitted it, and has been open about how it affects him. Similarly Sampras was open about it later on in his career. But we're not talking full on sickle cell anemia here.

So when you say "It makes you wonder whether Fed and others would not be better off with Thalassemia" it sounds to me like you dont believe the condition affects him or Sampras despite the very open comments Dolgo made in that interview above.

Are you're calling them liars...?

lydian wrote:We share different beliefs over Federer's 5 set record.
In my opinion it has nothing to do with fitness/medical.

Of course...it's the mind. Wyse woudl be happy to know he is not the only one around here.

I have just watched the first game of Nadal v Haas. Has anybody seen the game? played under hot conditions....Nadal was moooooooonnnballing crazy. I have never seen the ball going as high on every points.

3 UEs from Haas gives Nadal the first game and break of the match!

Ugly! Frankly.

Nice side stepping of the question Tenez

It may affect them is a particular way but not on the energy level on a court.
No! I saw and see no signs of lethargy in those 2 players....if anything Dolgo is amazingly lively and quick.