Australian Open 2012 - Day 8

First topic message reminder :

Interesting matches in a few hours. I am going to bed as usual but will be reading teh savvy comments when I wake up....

Gasquet v Ferrer....C'mon Gasquet!!!! (Yes I still believe in him! )

Allez Joe too!

Murray Kukushkin shoudl be interesting if Kuku has recovered and woudl be interesting to see how Djoko reacts when playing against the crowd.

Oh and not to look too much of an ATP fan...I know that Sharapove is playing Lisicky....I am 100% behind the Lisicki...

Come on Hewitt, knock him out for good!!!

This is looking like bagels and breadsticks.

Damn right

I think on this surface DJoko can "contain" all the top players. I'd give him a much better % of winning than BB actually. close to 70 %.

The only one who he may find hard to contain is Del Potro.

Djoko Delpo could be teh best possible final.

And maybe Murray can ave a say in this. He is playing pretty well too. Can he deliver when it matters? We know Djoko can.

Djoko broken! First time this tournament. He should lose as he has the ugliest plasticky Adidas trainers I have ever seen.

Djoko trying to be over aggressive....doesn't suit him.

I think federer could also trouble Novak if he plays his best tennis. The match last year was very close and Federer had the opportunity to serve out the second set iirc. Novak is obviously playing very well but it's difficult to gauge his exact level since the opposition was poor. But admittedly this surface magnifies his strengths.

It's moving on I am afraid. It will have to be perfect Federer...with a perfect crowd.

Wilander describing the change in tennis over the last 20 years very well.

Has Djoko got a shoulder problem? His second serve is doddgy.

For me the best make up of the 'top 5' would be Nadal vs. Del Potro QF with the winner to face Murray, and Fed vs. Djoko SF.

Why, apart from the fact that I want Fed or Murray to win?

Fed vs. Djoko matches have been the best of the last 12 months and unless they are drawn in the SF I don't see Fed getting through to him for the final.

I'd love to see Nadal face Del Potro at this respective stage in their careers.

On the current draw I think it's very likely to see Djoko winning yet another slugfest vs. Nadal unless the latter's powers are depleted from last year.

oh oh ...Hewitt forcing Djoko is a bit of running!

Come on Hewitt you've warmed up now stop playing around.

Hewitt on fire, breakes again Djoko. Apart form a few silly mistakes and UE, he seems to be able to hold on rally.

That was a great game from lleyton to break back.

I am not watching, but is something very funny going on. 9 games so far with serve held only three times?

Into the second set and Hewitt yet to hold serve...

Still, nearly lunchtime here - a sequence of breadsticks and bagels would be appropriate.

A question that comes to mind, especially given that Djoko will be against Ferrer next up: What is the fewest number of games a player has lost in an open era slam in reaching the QFs or SFs?

probably Borg at one of the FO's

emancipator wrote:probably Borg at one of the FO's

Assuming it is the overall winner, which is likely but not assured.

If byes don't count, I'd guess Rosewall in 1971 at Aus Open because the draw was <128 then and he did it without losing a set.

Other winners without losing a set were:

Fed 2007 Aus
Nadal 2008/2010 RG
Nastase 1973 RG
Borg 1978/1980 RG and 1976 Wimbledon

Djoko 2:3 Hewitt - if Hewitt takes this game its back on break...

Looking at the match you woudl not think that one is so much better than the other. They have long close excanges but at teh end...one is moving better than the other and tat makes a huge difference.

Hewitt playing some great points. Love how he's standing so close to the baseline.

6-3 is the furthest Djokovic has been pushed in any set so far at the AO 2012. I was thinking that a 6-2 6-2 6-2 win to Djokovic over Hewitt here would be about par.

Some of the lob play has been incredibly accurate.

The depth of Djoko's shot is pretty amazing.

I bet Hewitt believes he is going to win that match!

Tenez wrote:I bet Hewitt believes he is going to win that match!

That's the great joy of Hewitt, he keeps all his opponents honest and he's definitely been worth his WC (If I'm right that he had one).

Can Hewitt do better than 2-6 in this set to go better than par?

Well I do.

What happens at the beginning of each set; after the first game they change ends without much of a "rest". How long are they given to change ends after the first game of the first set? Is it 30 seconds?

How long has this rule been in play?

Weak Era vs Golden Era, there is only going to be one result, Djokovic. I feel sorry for Hewitt though, injuries just did not help his career.

Hewitt is serving at average speed of 169 KMH 1st and 140 KMH 2nd...and only 51% 1st serves which is poor for that speed. Thats just not going to get the job done against a returner like Djokovic - its no wonder he can barely hold serve.

But Hewitt may be able to get more into the match if Djokovic just loses that 1-2%...Hewitt never gives up for sure and has a good record at turning matches around. Just dont see it happening here today.

Simple_Analyst wrote:Weak Era vs Golden Era

Cogent analysis as always - it's irrefutable that Hewitt's age don't come into it.

Well he could be 21 and it still wouldn 't help him. A fighter on court but not enough.

Hewitt used to serve in the 190s / 200s, so probably time and injuries have caught up with that part of his game.

Barrystar - you are correct that Hewitt was a wild card, and has clearly fully justified that decision. Then again, was there ever any doubt that he would maximise his potential in the tournament?

I think it is a "different game" nowadays. Technology and fitness.

Nore Staat wrote:I think it is a "different game" nowadays. Technology and fitness.

Aye, but if we are in the wobbly business of comparing eras it is fair to say that a 20-yr old Hewitt would be a challenge to any of the top 4.

Maybe we'll see a repeat of the FO 2008 final score line.

Birds stop play.

barrystar wrote:

Nore Staat wrote:I think it is a "different game" nowadays. Technology and fitness.

Aye, but if we are in the wobbly business of comparing eras it is fair to say that a 20-yr old Hewitt would be a challenge to any of the top 4.

... and he would have been brought up on the new technology.

or not

Normally when there is a change in technology you get the very young players coming through. The fact that this hasn't happened suggests that the technology hasn't changed significantly for at least five years (?) So maybe recent progress has been in the fitness and mobility.

Nore Staat wrote:

barrystar wrote:

Nore Staat wrote:I think it is a "different game" nowadays. Technology and fitness.

Aye, but if we are in the wobbly business of comparing eras it is fair to say that a 20-yr old Hewitt would be a challenge to any of the top 4.

... and he would have been brought up on the new technology.

And will still not be good enough

Nore Staat wrote:I think it is a "different game" nowadays. Technology and fitness.

That's an understatement.

As Wilander puts it, "How did Federer manage to stay with those guys at the top for so long is a mystery!"

Just let's look at a few players Federer was fighting to get the the top in 2001:

Di pasquale, Escude, Burgsmuller,Vinciguerra

They were all good but the game moved on since those guys were in the top 50. But SA should be in no illision that the current top 50 will sound very week in 10 years time...and I doubt Djoko or Nadal will be near te top then....

When the clock strikes 12 O'Clock (Melbourne time) maybe the fairy god-mother takes away Djokorella's powers.

Is Djokovic sweating?

Simple_Analyst wrote:

Nore Staat wrote:

barrystar wrote:

Nore Staat wrote:I think it is a "different game" nowadays. Technology and fitness.

Aye, but if we are in the wobbly business of comparing eras it is fair to say that a 20-yr old Hewitt would be a challenge to any of the top 4.

... and he would have been brought up on the new technology.

And will still not be good enough

I suppose that I have taken the bait stupidly - but at the USO 2001 a 20-yr old Hewitt at the height of his game mashed a 30-yr old Sampras. We are watching Djoko at the height of his game (it's taken him 24 years) beating Hewitt who is days from his 30th birtday. I'll not say that a 20-yr old Hewitt would necessarily have beaten Djoko, but he'd have been a very stiff test I suggest.

Simple_Analyst wrote:

Nore Staat wrote:

barrystar wrote:

Nore Staat wrote:I think it is a "different game" nowadays. Technology and fitness.

Aye, but if we are in the wobbly business of comparing eras it is fair to say that a 20-yr old Hewitt would be a challenge to any of the top 4.

... and he would have been brought up on the new technology.

And will still not be good enough

What a moron you are. You must be the biggest troll on the internet!

I think Hewitt just needed to keep the rallies going there, I think he pushed it unnecessary. Djokovic seemed to be flagging.

One thing for sure is that without Hewitt, Federer and all the players before him, Djoko woudl not be as good.

I am a moron for having then common sense to state the facts? Lol what ever.......