Did Djokovic Make A Big Mistake?

Monte Carlo was not a mandatory tournament and Djokovic hardly needed the points. Heading into the final against Rafa should he have withdrawn if he felt unable to compete emotionally? Has he "let the genie out of the bottle" by losing so convincingly to Nadal and giving Nadal a huge boost in confidence?

Did Djokovic make a big mistake?

I think it was a huge error and i went on the record as saying he should never have gone to monte carlo at the outset when he announced he would be attending. As you say Hawkeye he didn't need the points and he ended up being ambushed by circumstances and gifted some confidence back to Nadal. I don't know if I would go so far as saying that Djokovic let the genie out of the bottle. I mean were we surprised that an off form Djokovic lost to Nadal at his favorite tournament? Or that Nadal can win barcelona?

It is funny how lionized the guy who won last week becomes on the internet. How after every tournament win they are new and improved. And after every tournament loss they are spiraling out of controlling.

Not for me. If Novak really was empty on energy - and only he really knows that - then the fact that he reached the final and refused to withdraw for me adds another string to his bow.

Novak used to have a reputation for being someone who was quick to withdraw, and yet he refused to do so in Barcelona. That for me shows an improvement, not a backwards step.

Yes, the win gave Nadal confidence and will make their next meeting very interesting... But personally I still think Novak will have the better of Nadal more times than not as his game matches up so well, lets be honest Nadal seems to give him the least problems out of the top 4, certainly in the last 16 months anyway.

Most importantly he has gone some way to removing the question marks about him being a soft touch or being quick to retire. I was impressed both by his desire to complete the tournament, and his graciousness in defeat.

A step forward for Rafa certainly, but a step back for Novak? Quite the opposite in my opinion.

Good comments that I concur with by Danny, I think the fact that clearly poor version of Djokovic managed to get to the finals of a clay masters when frankly he was an emotional wreck especially in the Dolgopolov match is a huge gut check and if anything Novak can build on that. We talk about how Novak is off but lets remember he is the clear points leader in 2012. But still overrall I wish he wouldn't of played monte carlo especially in this busy summer with the olympics coming up. In retrospect it was a poor bit of scheduling on his part or on part of his team.

I think it was good for him to play, and not dwell too much on the sad events. Tennis gave him an outlet. He played well enough to reach the final, as Danny says.

He will be all right, SoCal.

laverfan wrote:I think it was good for him to play, and not dwell too much on the sad events. Tennis gave him an outlet. He played well enough to reach the final, as Danny says.

He will be all right, SoCal.

Of course Djokovic will be "all right" I doubt he's going to disappear in a puff of smoke because Nadal has beat him. If I was Marion Vidor I would be telling Djokovic to discount the match and try and see it as invalid... But the thing is Nadal is now a lot more than "all right" he will be feeling great. Watching his tennis now Nadal is also playing great...

Next time they play no matter how much Djokovic has convinced himself that their last match was "invalid" he will be facing a very different opponant to the one that fluffed a backhand when a break up in the 5th at a slam.

How much was Djokovic game affected can not be judged. Sampras once won despite death of his former coach during a major. Muhammed Ali won his bout despite divorce before the fight. It was right for Djokovic to continue. If he is as good as he is, one defeat is not going to change the outcome. If not, water would find its own level.

socal1976 wrote:Good comments that I concur with by Danny, I think the fact that clearly poor version of Djokovic managed to get to the finals of a clay masters when frankly he was an emotional wreck especially in the Dolgopolov match is a huge gut check and if anything Novak can build on that. We talk about how Novak is off but lets remember he is the clear points leader in 2012. But still overrall I wish he wouldn't of played monte carlo especially in this busy summer with the olympics coming up. In retrospect it was a poor bit of scheduling on his part or on part of his team.

Oh come on socal... we know that Novak was deeply affected by his grandfather´s death I would hardly have called him and "emotional wreck" he picked himself up and brushed himself down.. went to the Players party and got to the semi´s. It was good that he did that but "emotional wreck" hardly

to answer the OP - not a big mistake IMO, however it can't be nice to face Nadal while grieving the loss of a family member and not playing at 100%, so perhaps an experience to be avoided in retrospect.

I made mistake and said semis should have been final of course

hawkeye wrote:
Of course Djokovic will be "all right" I doubt he's going to disappear in a puff of smoke because Nadal has beat him. If I was Marion Vidor I would be telling Djokovic to discount the match and try and see it as invalid... But the thing is Nadal is now a lot more than "all right" he will be feeling great. Watching his tennis now Nadal is also playing great...

Next time they play no matter how much Djokovic has convinced himself that their last match was "invalid" he will be facing a very different opponant to the one that fluffed a backhand when a break up in the 5th at a slam.

Like the Tweener that Federer missed against Safin in AO 2005, or the FH that Djokovic did not miss against Federer in USO 2010/2011, or the FH Federer hit at the tape against Nadal at W2008.

Have a , relax.

laverfan

... Well yes on such "small" things the world turns. What was the score when Federer "hit the tap against Nadal at Wimbledon 2008"? I don't remember that shot.

Thanks for the beer... I better not let anyone see me drinking it just now.

Lately when he loses to his big 3 rivals (Nadal and Fed in WTF, Murray Cincy and Nadal MC) he loses by landslide scores. Seems to lack the fight he's found in the slams into the 100's.

This is absolute nonsense! It's like saying when Murray beats Nadal at Rotterdam or Federer at Dubai then he's got a huge edge going into the slams. Funny that, as Murray never converted that supposed edge.

Novak will blot it out and come back fighting. He's the only man strong enough in this era of brute force wins the day who can stop Nadal and WILL do so! He will inflict Nadal's second career defeat in gay Paris!

And remember, everytime Nadal wins a slam, especially Roland Garros, it causes thousands of premature births of cute baby animals. Sadly, without vetinerary support most of them perish!

Isnt it just as well that we ALL have our own opinions on the subject... yours is just one.

He's the only man strong enough in this era of brute force wins the day who can stop Nadal and WILL do so! He will inflict Nadal's second career defeat in gay Paris!

Nadal is untouchable in the RG. He will only lose there if this happens:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFQ5sL4483Y

I wouldn't go as far as Super D Boon, but i think as I have stated before that people are making a very big deal out of this monte carlo final. Is nadal better for the win absolutely, does this give him the edge for the rest of the clay court season well I think it is too soon to tell. I don't think nadal has done anything to address the larger structural weaknesses he has in his matchup with Djokovic. he still can not break down Novak's backhand with his cross court forehand like he would like. And on his day Novak returns nadal's serve about as well as anyone.

I think by now socal.. with the greatest respect.. we know what your views are-
You are in danger of overstating your point if you dont mind my saying

No problem haddie.

socal1976 wrote:Good comments that I concur with by Danny, I think the fact that clearly poor version of Djokovic managed to get to the finals of a clay masters when frankly he was an emotional wreck especially in the Dolgopolov match is a huge gut check and if anything Novak can build on that. We talk about how Novak is off but lets remember he is the clear points leader in 2012. But still overrall I wish he wouldn't of played monte carlo especially in this busy summer with the olympics coming up. In retrospect it was a poor bit of scheduling on his part or on part of his team.

*Well done for Djoko getting to the finals in such a difficult week
*In 2012 Djoko has a lead of 480 - not great given the number of tournaments to come
*In English we say "wouldn't have" not "wouldn't of"
*Maybe a result of grief - but in the final I felt Djoko was thinking and Djoko wan't - tennis is a form of physical chess and he lost.
*Last season, Nadal seemed bemused in the 'chess' game - I think he's back in the A stream

sorry - meant Nadal was thinking and Djoko wasn't....oops

Personally I can't see that Nadal has changed anything significant about his game, so still see Djokovic as having the measure of him in slams. Given his history, RG is a lock for Nadal one would think but in the other slams I'd say Djokovic still holds the cosh hand.

Talatonian, plz don't edit my posts i type them fast and make numerous spelling and grammatical mistakes. I have bad flashbacks of high school english. On the tennis end, I don't know really what you mean about tennis chess, what strategy comes into play when your opponent can't hit 4 balls in a row on a clay court that is slow as death?


I tend to agree with reckoner. I think people will see that when Novak is near his best he will have Nadal's number even at the slams. In my mind the rivalry is on Novak's racquet. Yes if he plays subpar and Nadal plays well he will obviously lose, but we already knew that going into MC. I think Nadal has real structural problems in his matchup against the Novak Djokovic of the last 15 months and nothing I saw in MC makes me change my opinion on that point.

In English we write please not plz Sorry no offence meant.
Tennis as a physical form of chess: well in MC Nadal constricted Djoko by serving to his body and playing to centre court thus impeding his freedom to hit alarming angles - a strategic manouevre reminiscent of chess. As for the future - we'll see.

Talatonian wrote:Sorry no offence meant.

Shouldn't that be "Sorry, no offence meant." with a comma?
Otherwise it could be taken to mean that you regret that you failed to mean offence.

Talatonian wrote:In English we write please not plz Sorry no offence meant.
Tennis as a physical form of chess: well in MC Nadal constricted Djoko by serving to his body , As for the future - we'll see.

Its called Monte Carlo and not MC ,
We'll is not a word in English its the short made form of We will , so before changing rules check whether you follow it or not.
well if one type of short form is allowed so is the other one.

Everybody in the world now know Plz stands for Please.

invisiblecoolers wrote:

Talatonian wrote:In English we write please not plz Sorry no offence meant.
Tennis as a physical form of chess: well in MC Nadal constricted Djoko by serving to his body , As for the future - we'll see.

Its called Monte Carlo and not and not MC ,
We'll is not a word in English its the short made form of We will , so before changing rules check whether you follow it or not.
well if one type of short form is allowed so is the other one.

Everybody in the world now know Plz stands for Please.

easy to get folks off topic- now back to Djoko?

Talatonian serving Djokovic to the body is all fine and well its part of the standard ATP playbook for playing Djokovic. When Novak is reacting and returning well he adjusts to the tough serves, he returned like garbage in MC. This of its self doesn't address the fact that angles are nadal's game and a fundamental part of his game, and that Djokovic does that at least as well as Nadal. He moves wide and cuts off the wide angles well, and its a fundamental part of Nadal's games to use those angles against his opponent. That is simply not as effective against Djokovic. His return in particular stood out as the poorest part of his game in MC, he missed numerous easy returns that he usually pounds deep and solid. Not really indicative in my mind of Nadal's superior serving. Again when your opponent can not hit 4 balls in a row on a clay court it isn't hard to hold your serve.

Harsh on the top ranked player there. He atleast defeated the Murray slayer, Berdych!