If Rafa Had Had Novak's Recent Results Many Would Be Writing Him Off

Novak's recent results are not particularly sparkly.

IW Semi's
Miami R16
Monte Carlo Won
Madrid R32
Rome Quarters

If Rafa had these results even after coming back from injury there would be question marks about his future career. But looking around reporters appear sure that Novak's recent results are not significant... Interesting!

We were discussing Novak's results in the match thread earlier, hawkeye. You should go and check it out - come for the Novak stats, stay for the Berdych pun storm.

Djokovic now, as Federer was in his "hey day," is the "victim" of his amazing run over 2011, and though slightly less in 2012 (not comparing the length or titles of the two "runs," just that he's been amazingly successful of late). Indeed his latest loss today is pretty spectacular - 6-2, 5-2 - you've got to believe it's pretty much over. But well done to Berdych.

I do wonder if the ankle injury is at the back of his mind though, aside from his assurances that it is not an issue at this point. His court coverage at times today was just inspirational, and incredible!

Nadal in his comeback has been tremendous. Though in his first two tournaments back, the only "Top Player" he faced was Ferrer, but demolished him, which was quite amazing. Nadal's had some really tough matches in last couple of tournaments but I think this will serve him well in Paris as he is truly "battle tested." Hopefully it won't have been too arduous, and "costly" in the French Open though.

Going to be interesting to see how Berdych plays, and Nadal, tomorrow in the semifinal.

If Rafa had those results then yes, people would be questioning him because of his injury lay off. If Rafa had those results at any other time people would just assume its a minor blip, just as they are doing with Novak.

I mean, does anyone seriously think there should be questions over Novak's future? Come on! That's ridiculous.

@HE... are you now pursuing Djokovic (ankle) and Murray (hip), both?

hawkeye wrote:Novak's recent results are not particularly sparkly.

IW Semi's
Miami R16
Monte Carlo Won
Madrid R32
Rome Quarters

If Rafa had these results even after coming back from injury there would be question marks about his future career. But looking around reporters appear sure that Novak's recent results are not significant... Interesting!

Rafa is a legend of the game and Djoko not atleast not yet, so obiviously for Rafa's standard it would have been considered very poor, but for Djoko's standard thats not bad, outside 2011 in which year he has performed better than 2013?

invisiblecoolers. Mmm. Yes I think that is what is being said.

laverfan. What are you talking about? Your making things up.

hawkeye wrote:laverfan. What are you talking about? Your making things up.

Just poking fun at you, HE. Nothing offensive is intended.

HE, this is what JJ thinks of Djokovic , - https://www.606v2.com/t44234-jerzyjanowicz-thinks-djokovic-is-false-and-likes-to-showoff

Djokovic is in a slump no doubt, as ylopnom correctly pointed out I don't think his ankle is one hundred percent. He didn't practice between Davis cup and MC and between MC and Madrid. But he wasn't playing well at IW and Miami either so maybe the ankle doesn't explain everything. I don't think he is playing well enough to dethrone Nadal at FO. And I agree with the OP, he is definetly slumping but I don't think anyone has written off Nadal. Not I that is for sure. But I find it funny how the Nadal the shell of himself from 2008 is most likely going to win his 6th tournament in 8 tries. Because I remember distinctly in 2008 and 2007 how he was winning every tournament he entered in.

I don't agree socal, I think he was playing well in those tournaments (e.g. vs tsonga at IW qf) but just when he did lose he didn't play that well.

Terrible from Novak to lose 5 games in a row from 5-2 up, not even Murray would lose in that position. Two tournaments now he loses to players who are not top 4 level, Monte Carlo maybe took too much out of him? Well done Tomas, you showed a spirit of a giant today, now go and make Nadal's tournament a misery too.

I guess so though Djokovic is by far the better player, strange that.

Luvsports, your statements can apply to any player good or bad. I mean you have to look at the big picture and not a loss of a set here a bad match there. I just love it how on the Rome match thread when Gulbis was hitting every single shot imaginable, playing out of his mind. Everyone was saying Nadal is not the same Nadal and his game is so off. I wonder what they will say when he wins Rome again most likely and goes on to repeat at RG, I mean if he loses a set or match in queens after that are we still going to have to listen to talk about how Nadal was better in 08 and 07, did he win every tournaments he enered in back then?

socal1976 wrote: But I find it funny how the Nadal the shell of himself from 2008 is most likely going to win his 6th tournament in 8 tries. Because I remember distinctly in 2008 and 2007 how he was winning every tournament he entered in.

Simple Transition era. 50% of prime Nadal is enough to mop almost everything today.

Josiah Maiestas wrote:Terrible from Novak to lose 5 games in a row from 5-2 up, not even Murray would lose in that position. Two tournaments now he loses to players who are not top 4 level, Monte Carlo maybe took too much out of him? Well done Tomas, you showed a spirit of a giant today, now go and make Nadal's tournament a misery too.

Rafa just found Berdych a joke and voluntarily practiced with him in the 2nd set for a few games.

hawkeye wrote:Novak's recent results are not particularly sparkly.

IW Semi's
Miami R16
Monte Carlo Won
Madrid R32
Rome Quarters

If Rafa had these results even after coming back from injury there would be question marks about his future career. But looking around reporters appear sure that Novak's recent results are not significant... Interesting!

Not really. It have confirmed what we'd all suspected for a while that Rafa wasn't quite up to it on Hard Courts. However, you are correct that if Rafa had these results on his very much favoured surface there would be an enquiry

If Novak is still failing to make finals at the end of the US Open, this might be a worthy article

invisiblecoolers wrote:

socal1976 wrote: But I find it funny how the Nadal the shell of himself from 2008 is most likely going to win his 6th tournament in 8 tries. Because I remember distinctly in 2008 and 2007 how he was winning every tournament he entered in.

Simple Transition era. 50% of prime Nadal is enough to mop almost everything today.

Simple you can't even remember your own quotes, here it is for you. And I quoted it word for word, and took nothing out of it and added nothing to it. I know this is unfair on my part, I should just make up positions for you and attack them like many of my detractors do to me.

Socal was proved right here, for now anyway.

My favorite things about todays win was that it exonorated Nadal's philosphy of going 100% at every ball and fighting for every point. Its that exact mindset that has given him a huge shot at winning a Slam (be honest, how many players would have fought so hard in that "netgate" rally? Quite a few shots I could see the prodigal son Gulbis just giving up on). Its a lesson to kids, really. Now...

If Nadal had Djokovic's results, he'd still be two in the Race to London...

kingraf wrote:My favorite things about todays win was that it exonorated Nadal's philosphy of going 100% at every ball and fighting for every point. Its that exact mindset that has given him a huge shot at winning a Slam (be honest, how many players would have fought so hard in that "netgate" rally? Quite a few shots I could see the prodigal son Gulbis just giving up on). Its a lesson to kids, really. Now...

If Nadal had Djokovic's results, he'd still be two in the Race to London...

Kingraf, the cumulative effect of fighting for every ball got to Djokovic tonight. I am convinced he blew a couple of those overheads simply because other points in the match where Nadal ran everything down and it left him a bit frustrated and harried. So I agree with you if you have the skill set to pull it off.

socal1976 wrote:

kingraf wrote:My favorite things about todays win was that it exonorated Nadal's philosphy of going 100% at every ball and fighting for every point. Its that exact mindset that has given him a huge shot at winning a Slam (be honest, how many players would have fought so hard in that "netgate" rally? Quite a few shots I could see the prodigal son Gulbis just giving up on). Its a lesson to kids, really. Now...

If Nadal had Djokovic's results, he'd still be two in the Race to London...

Kingraf, the cumulative effect of fighting for every ball got to Djokovic tonight. I am convinced he blew a couple of those overheads simply because other points in the match where Nadal ran everything down and it left him a bit frustrated and harried. So I agree with you if you have the skill set to pull it off.

In Nadals book he said "I don't expect to get to every ball, but its important my opponent sees me try and almost get there, so next time he may try and go for too much"

Mind you, Novaks retrieving skills are right up there as well as are Murrays. It seems to change every week who is the best defender. Novak is the best defender on a hard court, Nadal on a clay court and Murray can have his day on any surface he uses a bit more feel to get back into a point than the other two

Nadals forehand impressed me a lot today, it seemed much more of a weapon than I have seen it in a while against Novak, usually the serb seems to neutralise it but today he couldn't. Novaks backhand on the defence wasn't quite there today either in my opinion. His balance is so important to him, and even though he is incredibly good on clay I think he loses a lot of his best asset (movement) on clay and also on grass. He is the hard court king though, I would be surprised if he didn't end up with at least as many hard court slams as Federer