Wimbledon day 6 Thread

[invisiblecoolers]

Mikhail Kukushkin  (KAZ) v Rafael Nadal  (ESP) [2]

Santiago Giraldo  (COL) v Roger Federer  (SUI) [4]

Stan Wawrinka  (SUI) [5] v Denis Istomin  (UZB)

Milos Raonic  (CAN) [8] v Lukasz Kubot  (POL)

Jerzy Janowicz  (POL) [15] v Tommy Robredo  (ESP) [23]

Simone Bolelli  (ITA) v Kei Nishikori  (JPN) [10]

Nick Kyrgios  (AUS) v Jiri Vesely  (CZE)

Rohan Bopanna  (IND) [8] Aisam Qureshi (PAK) [8] v Vasek Pospisil  (CAN) Jack Sock (USA)

Interesting matches,

1]we wanna see what this kid Kyrgios upto after a great game against Gasquet, can he continue that? if he does he might get a date with Rafa.

2]Bolelli has the style of Fed, long time back I called him the poor man's Fed and I still stick to that, I don't think so Kei will have an easy match.

3]We have Roger , Rafa on centre court, may not be great opponents but these days does it really matter?

Finally we got a double match of an interesting pair of CANUS Pospisil and Jack SOCK .

Player of the tournament - Andy by a mile, great exhibition of skill, grass court play, aggression, groundies, serve, volley and running forehands, his aggressive running forehand last game was a treat to the eyes and he is playing better than 2012/2013.

Note: Coolers without smiley is very strange, I had to control my smiley buttons coz for some reason there is a bug in this forum which is loading the threads so slowly when a smiley is added, this wasn't an issue in the past, may be the mods and Admins can take the issue a bit more seriously, its now months since this issue is sorted out.

[Mad for Chelsea]

Thoughts from me:

Kukushkin is the sort of player who could have been an awkward early opponent for Nadal. Basically a ball-basher, hits the ball very hard off both wings, but with Nadal having already seen off two similar guys in the previous two rounds I don't expect him to have any trouble here. Also Kukushkin doesn't have the huge serve that Klizan and Rosol have. Rafa in 3 sets, the first two well-fought.

Giraldo has nothing to bother Federer with on grass. Federer to cruise through.

Wawrinka should ease past Istomin, but you're never quite sure with Stan recently. Think Istomin will nick a set, but lose in 4.

Raonic vs Kubot could be a good match, Kubot had a good run last year here, and is in R3 again. I think Raonic's heavy serve will be too much though, he'll come through in 4.

Janowicz vs Robredo could depend on how well Janowicz has recovered from yesterday's exertions. If he's recovered well I expect him to win, he's a much better grasscourt player than Robredo. But if Robredo can hang in there, I think Janowicz will struggle to last the distance. Janowicz in 4 or Robredo in 5.

Bollelli I'm surprised has made it this far. Sure he has a pleasant game but no real weapons and is ill-suited to grass IMO. Kei in straights.

Kyrgios vs Vesely I'm excited about. Two up-and-coming youngsters playing good tennis, possible future stars? I confess to never having watched Vesely, but it seems he's more suited to clay or HC than grass looking at his previous records on tour. Kyrgios has a big game, and I think he'll overpower Vesely in four sets.

[Guest]

Thank god for Petchy!!

Barker and Austin driving me potty!

[The Special Juan]

Ah it's the rain. Highly suspect that Fed and Nadal are playing walkovers yet both are on Centre

[The Special Juan]

If I ever hear the number "77" again.................

[Guest]

Ah it's the rain.  Highly suspect that Fed and Nadal are playing walkovers yet both are on Centre

Shhhhhh it's only Andy who plays walkovers

[Jahu]

MOTD: Sabine-Ivanovic. Well that could be best combo for a night out too, or in.

[Guest]

I like the way you think

[Jahu]

Join buddy, I ain't selfish   

[Guest]

Stupid rain!!

[kingraf]

This Kukushkin doesn't have the most inspiring record... Upset alert then.

[The Special Juan]

Nadal's been falling over a lot this year.  I don't watch a lot of his matches so I have to ask if this is out of the ordinary?

(Ordinary for him grass?)

[kingraf]

Kukushkin seems to have selected the "First strike" tactic. Interesting to note how many players have no forsaken percentage tennis and decided its better to go big or go home vs Rafa.

[The Special Juan]

I think it's because players have seen the go-big-or-go-home brand of tennis work many times against Nadal. Why try to outrally a man who, at the moment in time, is nigh unrallyable?

[JuliusHMarx]

Kukushkin seems to have selected the "First strike" tactic. Interesting to note how many players have no forsaken percentage tennis and decided its better to go big or go home vs Rafa.

Probably because it's more likely to have some success on grass and otherwise it becomes a physical battle, which Rafa will win anyway.

[CaledonianCraig]

Kukushkin seems to have selected the "First strike" tactic. Interesting to note how many players have no forsaken percentage tennis and decided its better to go big or go home vs Rafa.

Perhaps seeing that method is the one Rafa is least comfortable with as in hard-hitting. Rosol showed the way on grass a couple of years ago and had some success again this year, Klizan won a set off him playing that way as well. I wish Andy would take note.

[Mad for Chelsea]

to be fair to Kukushkin, this is how he plays pretty much every match. He basically has plan A: belt the ball hard and plan B: belt it harder if it comes back...

[kingraf]

How many times has it actually worked though? Rosol was an outlier - a decent player having a career day. I take your point though... just think it's a red herring.

[CaledonianCraig]

On grass it is no myth that you have to hit big and deep against Rafa and not allow him to settle and you will keep him under control to a point. Andy, far too often, plays it his way and gets into a cat and mouse type rallies and Rafa will pounce first hence Rafa's great record V Andy.

[JuliusHMarx]

How many times has it actually worked though? Rosol was an outlier - a decent player having a career day. I take your point though... just think it's a red herring.

How many times has it worked on grass playing it the other way?

[The Special Juan]

Wow Nadal just hit a 125mph serve. Must be one of his fastest ever?

[kingraf]

Think he served a legal one at 136mph USO 2010. I know he served at 140mph during that tourney as well, but I can't remember if it was in or not.

[The Special Juan]

WHAT!!!!??? That's unbelievable. You just don't think that would be possible with his serve.

[The Special Juan]

Nadal fans better get used to the hit n hope tennis here. If he plays Raonic that's exactly what will happen.

[Jahu]

Kuku kicking ass.

[kingraf]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws5jFNAGfM4

Can't find the 140mph, so I assume it was out.

[CaledonianCraig]

Well well well. Kukushkin takes the first set 7-6.

[kingraf]

Sheesh - again?

[The Special Juan]

Oh look, a toilet break

(You know I jest)

[laverfan]

Last time Kukushkin watched while Rosol played, is it going to be the other way today?

[Mad for Chelsea]

superb TB from Kukushkin it must be said. Took advantage of Nadal uncharacteristically missing a lot of first serves. Thought Nadal was too timid though, just waiting for Kukushkin to make the errors, and when he didn't had no answer.

[summerblues]

What a cool TB. Totally against the flow of the play in the rest of the set though.

Yet again, Nadal loses 1st set. He did win the last set in the first two matches and if he continues to do that, he should be ok.

[The Special Juan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws5jFNAGfM4

Can't find the 140mph, so I assume it was out.

Poor Feli!! Nadal must have something against him to be serving like that.

[CaledonianCraig]

Sheesh - again?  

And to echo what I have said all three of his matches he has lost the first set playing players big hitting and flat. Keeping that level up for those three (or two and Kuku I believe) is just asking too much as they are playing above themselves to win one set let alone three.

[kingraf]

As a Nadal fan, I don't mind these extended matches. Indeed given the paucity of matches he's had on grass since 2012, I do feel that the longer his matches go without him being in any real danger (ie, two sets down), the better. I just don't like boom boom tennis!

[CaledonianCraig]

As a Nadal fan, I don't mind these extended matches. Indeed given the paucity of matches he's had on grass since 2012, I do feel that the longer his matches go without him being in any real danger (ie, two sets down), the better. I just don't like boom boom tennis!

Yes it gives him practice but it is more time on court/energy expended. I am sure he'd much sooner have straight sets wins in an hour and a half which he is yet to have.

[CaledonianCraig]

All Rafa really needs to do is hold his serve and wait for Kukushkin's level to dip as it surely will. As long as he maintains his own level reasonably high you'd still make him an odds on favourite to win. Credit to Kukushkin though as I thought this would be a walk in the park for Rafa.

[The Special Juan]

I get the feeling 1 break in this set for Nadal will change the match completely.

[CaledonianCraig]

I get the feeling 1 break in this set for Nadal will change the match completely.

Agreed.

[The Special Juan]

There it is. Two good returns there to nick it.

[kingraf]

Nadal breaks, and it all starts with that flukey angled service return winner at 40-30. Sometimes you're better lucky than good

[CaledonianCraig]

That should settle Rafa down now and surely there is no way back for Kukushkin in this set as he has barely threatened the Rafa serve throughout.

[The Special Juan]

Nadal breaks, and it all starts with that flukey angled service return winner at 40-30. Sometimes you're better lucky than good

If he goes on to win this match we all know he was lucky and didn't deserve it

[kingraf]

Uncle Toni back in a neutral white shirt today. That red Nike shirt really stood out next to the suits in the Rosol match

[The Special Juan]

Now that's a forehand.

[kingraf]

WHAT. A. FOREHAND. 5-1 Nadal

[CaledonianCraig]

Cracking course court winner and Rafa now cruising in thew second set. Serving to win it 6-1.

[The Special Juan]

No toilet break though??

[kingraf]

6-1 Nadal. Best he's played all tournament.

[kingraf]

The engine's purring now.

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