Djokovic Will Not Play On Blue "Clay" Again

First topic message reminder :

After Nadal issued his ultimatum to Tiriac Djokovic has issued his own. If Madrid courts remain blue he will not play either...

Djokovic has just said he will follow Nadal's lead & not play Madrid next year if clay stays blue. Piles pressure on Tiriac

https://twitter.com/#!/Ringham7

Thank you LuvSports! for your response and explanation.
However, it does not really matter what Federer says how long he is planning to play. That is like saying that women is planning to have a child in the age of 50, but the question is, will the body allow this? So Federer has maybe another year max of nice playing, but without too many tournaments won. What he had accomplished by now, that is more or less it.
Nadal and Nole and Murray have many more years (including the injury time) to play and to prove. They deserve to have their voices heard especially because they secreficed in life more then others to get to this point. Federer's accomplishments were all on the traditional surfaces. Why differently for these others? So that fans can enjoy to watch drama with crippled and insulted?

There was a little poll among players (I think I saw it some time ago on the ATP's web site) and they were asked many questions like: who would you like to go to see the move with; who would you like to have a drink with… No one, as I remember, ever mentioned Federer. Even before he had these twins, no player could relate to him. And yeah my white wall in front of me is very nice, too. Except that is not that arrogant and estranged. To me he is like a woodoo member. Always using some phycological manipulations, while others get focused to their own game during the match and after the match they behave with all their human like characteristics, sad, mad, emotional, angry, proud...

touch(A)parabola wrote:

There was a little poll among players (I think I saw it some time ago on the ATP's web site) and they were asked many questions like: who would you like to go to see the move with; who would you like to have a drink with… No one, as I remember, ever mentioned Federer.

Ahh. Poor Roger! I would volunteer to see a movie with him and go for a drink.

Oh. Poor you hawkeye. Count on paying for all of it from your own pocket. Maybe you can be joined by Tiger Woods and Prada/Vogue lady. You will survive somehow. I wish you all the best!

What on earth are you talking about Parabola?

Federer has been one of the most popular players on tour amongst his peers.

He tends to be more friendly with the older players ie those of the same generation as him who he can relate to more. Most of the tour players are now younger than him. Not many of them are married with children, therefore it's not surprising that they may not relate to him as much as to each other.

The payers have great respect for Roger. He is a living legend to many of them. Some of them probably feel a little in awe of him.

As for him using 'psychological manipulations' - get real buddy. Roger rarely comments in public and his responses are usually mature and measured. He lets his tennis do the talking. If you find him dull as a personality, fair enough, each to their own. However his tennis is anything but dull. He is clearly the most talented and versatile player on tour - even at this age. The fact that he successfully reverted to serve and volley (1st and 2nd serve) against Raonic when he was not feeling confident from the baseline (after a long break) shows the measure of his talent and adaptability. Can you imagine The Nadull or The Djoker trying the same tactics?

As for Roger not winning too many tournaments going forward (ie over the next year), are you sure about this? After all he's won 6 tournaments over the last 6 months compared to Nadal's two. The truth is it is very hard to predict what the future holds for Roger with any certainty. Of course there is, and will continue to be, a decline. However he is the greatest player ever to pick up a racket and thus he still has the potential to achieve great things.



emancipator

The reason why Nadal is being criticised is because he has a track record of throwing his dummy out the moment things don't go his own way.

He has been complaining non-stop about one thing or another since the start of 2011.

His suggestions for 2 year rankings and his desire to reduce the tour in a manner which ONLY benefits the top players have rightly warranted ridicule.

Any one who browses other tennis forums and not just this one will notice that many fans of the sport (including Nadal fans) are just getting tired of his woe-is-me attitude. Do you think Roger enjoyed watching the surfaces slow down year after year, reducing his chances against the other top players? Yet he barely made a squeek - he just gone on with it. Something Nadal should learn to do. After all he is very priveledged to be in the position that he is in.



emancipator

i was going to say something similar emancipator but you have summed it up (in essay form ) pretty damn well!

touch(A)parabola wrote: They deserve to have their voices heard especially because they secreficed in life more then others to get to this point.

I am surprised that you are willing to make such an unsubstantiated claim.

touch(A)parabola wrote: Federer's accomplishments were all on the traditional surfaces. Why differently for these others? So that fans can enjoy to watch drama with crippled and insulted?

Clay, Grass and HC have been traditional surfaces for the last 30+ years. Speeds of courts can be argued. Injuries are part of the sport, some are injured more than others.

touch(A)parabola wrote:There was a little poll among players (I think I saw it some time ago on the ATP's web site) and they were asked many questions like: who would you like to go to see the move with; who would you like to have a drink with… No one, as I remember, ever mentioned Federer. Even before he had these twins, no player could relate to him. And yeah my white wall in front of me is very nice, too. Except that is not that arrogant and estranged. To me he is like a woodoo member. Always using some phycological manipulations, while others get focused to their own game during the match and after the match they behave with all their human like characteristics, sad, mad, emotional, angry, proud...

Laureus Awards 2005-2008 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laureus_Awards, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_career_achievements_by_Roger_Federer

If you do not like a player, say so. Do you remember the Berdych-Nadal argument in Madrid? Was Federer involved in it?

All seems like a big fuss over not much to me. A 25 year-old loses to a guy he usually beats for fun, and feels it is due to an unnecessary change in playing conditions. Ergo, he is pi$$ed off. I don't agree with everything he said, but can at least understand it.

Tipsy beats Djokovic.

laverfan wrote:Tipsy beats Djokovic.

I love how Nole decided not to win this match. But at some point at the end of the second set I started worrying that he may get back into the game. He kept putting aces without wanting. We Serbs love Spain, but no thank you again the next year.

Yes, there he was trying to lose it and almost accidentally won.

Right.

I think a few factors for that match:
1. Novak seemed bodily tired....all that tape? May be saving himself for Rome?
2. Tipsy played well
3. Novak was clearly aggrevated by the courts again, eating at his morale to be able to compete here
4. The crowd gave him the bird at 2-5 and he ralleyed a little but Tipsy clung on

I had identical feeling to yours bogbrush. Usually Nole gets emotional when he is upset. This time, phlegmatic completely. Not interested at all in anything around him and wishing to pack his bags as soon as possible.

Irony is dead.

Strange results. Nadal and Djokovic out. Federer still there. 2 Masters titles is actually an overachievement if we base it on the form of others around him. How far behind Rafa will he be in points should he succeed in Madrid?

touch(A)parabola wrote:I love how Nole decided not to win this match. But at some point at the end of the second set I started worrying that he may get back into the game. He kept putting aces without wanting. We Serbs love Spain, but no thank you again the next year.

I saw two Serbian players in Djokovic and Tipsarevic on court playing a Tennis match. Hopefully Tiriac's apology and fixes to the court surfaces make it acceptable and players of all rankings show up for the competition.

LK, if Fed wins Madrid my understanding is he goes #2, Nadal then needs to win Rome to go into RG as #2 seed.

http://live-tennis.eu/

Lydian, Federer has 90 points to defend in Rome (R16 Gasquet). Nadal has the Finals (600) to defend.

It is not a given that Federer will win Madrid. He is the highest seed left in the tourney, though.

Exactly. Chances are looking good right now for fed as #2 seed in Paris as he is now strong fave for this title on Sunday and little points to defend next week...but you never know, I do think Nadal will be a man on a mission in Rome. Infact I dare say he's already practising on red clay.

Deja Vu - same BBC report with Djokovic swapped for Nadal:

"Novak Djokovic angry at Madrid court after Janko Tipsarevic loss
...
Djokovic lost 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 to fellow Serb Janko Tipsarevic and vowed not to play in the competition next year if the controversial surface is retained.

"In 2013, if they play on blue [clay], they can have their own tournament but I am not coming for sure," he said.

"It is simple - no blue clay for me. The test has failed."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/18038812

I think it's really bad form for the #1 to behave like this. Doesn't he understand how influence can be exerted without the press conference? A word in the right ear, a conversation behind closed doors where you have all the access you need and you keep your powder dry for a time you really need it, build respect and forge alliances.

It's just very immature in my opinion.

Oh yes BB, the guy who says he likes honesty in a press conference as long as federer is the guy being honest now has a problem with Djokovic being honest in his press conference. I think what is more immature is leaving after a loss and railing against your opponents lucky shot all incredulous like. Please, he didn't like the surface it played like crap and the footing was bad. Tiriac played fast and loose with the players health on this one as well experimenting with a surface that created a lot of footing problems. Aren't you the guy by the way who was standing up for people's rights to be honest in presser and not be diplomatic?

If the player is merely having a pop at the surface (an inanimate object) stating it wasn't to his liking then that is fair enough. After all Novak was making noises even after an earlier win in the tournament. It comes across as far worse if the digs are at another player.

You miss the point (again) socal. I am pointing out how juvenile the way Djokovic is in going about trying to change things. This has nothing to do with commenting on a match result.

I can't expect you to get this of course, you're so wrapped up in the thing you have going with Djokovic that all the Worlds issues simplify into for or against Nole.

Ivan Ljubicic has a sneaky plan

An idea for Davis Cup teams when hosting Spain or Serbia #blueclay

http://twitter.com/#!/IvanLjubicic1

Ha ha!

The point BB is making is that the surface this week has offered a chance for the further field. If anything I think he would be expecting a tad more consideration for the tennis contingent who may not get such good opportunities at a Masters event. Maybe Djokovic stating a self improvement may have been a much more respected comment.

Sort of, but mainly I think the #1 could be a bit more diplomatic and effective. Federer has been critical of the surface, but not in a way that humiliates the organisers or threatens. It's unnecessary to talk as Djokovic did, there are smarter ways to operate.

I'm all for an ultra fast surface like this week but not at this time of year...or else we might as well put in Hamburg clay just before USO!

We need proper parts of the season that offer consistently different challenges...slow high bouncing HC, proper clay, faster grass, faster HC, proper indoors, etc. what we don't need is for all the above to be randomised through the calendar bringing chaos to the tour.

Interesting article about the Madrid Open here: http://espn.go.com/tennis/story/_/id/7914555/tennis-madrid-paris-feeling-effects-not-getting-olympic-games

The USO had issues with 'wet' courts, for which no official apology was ever forthcoming form USTA, but Tiriac has apologised in the Press and stated his goal to 'fix' the underlying issues for court fitness.

Are Nadal and Djokovic cutting their noses to spite their faces?

Apart from Nadal and Djokovic, Del Po and Berdych played today as did Tipsy, but did their interviews reflect this type of an attitude (This is a genuine question)?

BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells, U.S.A. Hard $ 4,694,969 ($ 5,549,969)
Sony Open Tennis Miami, U.S.A. Hard $ 3,973,050 ($ 4,828,050)
Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters Monte-Carlo, Monaco Clay € 2,427,975 (€ 2,744,225)
Mutua Madrid Open Madrid, Spain Clay € 3,090,150 (€ 3,973,695)
Internazionali BNL d'Italia Rome, Italy Clay € 2,427,975 (€ 2,950,475)
Rogers Cup Toronto, Canada Hard $ 2,648,700 ($ 3,218,700)
Western & Southern Open Cincinnati, U.S.A Hard $ 2,825,280 ($ 3,433,280)
Shanghai Rolex Masters Shanghai, China Hard $ 3,531,600 ($ 5,891,600)
BNP Paribas Masters Paris, France Hard € 2,427,975 (€ 2,950,475)

They are making quite a bit of money, even if they do no play in the finals.

SoCal... Money being the 'great' incentiviser, why is the surface slipperiness now overriding the 'money' factor?

Perhaps as alluded to by Novak he feels unsafe on the surface as did Nadal. Also Novak seemed really cheesed off that none of the players were even told or consulted about the change of surface which has offended many of the players. Sure some players haven't spoken out publicly about the surface but how many have openly come out in support of the surface?

Novak really is a big girls blouse sometimes.

I have opposing theories on this.
1. Rafa just had a bad day at the office 5-2 up, went on auto, Verdy played like a man with nothing left to worry about...and the bizarre happened, as it does sometimes. Rafa will have already moved on - yeah he hated the surface and it affected his movement but it was mainly a bad day at the office. He'll have a point to prove in Rome...Verdasco had better hope he doesn't meet Nadal again! And I don't think Raonic will pose a problem, Rome isn't Madrid.
2. Novak is suffering from mental and physical exhaustion I believe...maybe the strain of being no.1, maybe his body can't live at this mega physical level like Nadal, maybe his motivation is starting to slip, maybe his grandfather dying has made him more circumspect..maybe all of these things...but I think he's finding it harder than before to maintain that mental and physical level of 2011. Plus he hated the surface as well.