Australian Open Day 10-14 - Djokurray! And others! :P

First topic message reminder :

Also not Berdych's biggest fan, but I do like him, and he's a watch connoisseur, I'm an amateur watch maker... Gotta support the market!

Broken to love again?!

Madness.

Sheer madness.

Metal midgetry of the highest order.

What a horrible horrible game from Nole.

No choking this time Stan, please.

Just two games Stan, just Two.

Can a metal midget be called iron man?

kingraf wrote:I thought Dimitrov played exceptionally well in that semi final, and deserved at least a fifth set. Just because Djokovic didn't look great, doesn't mean he wasn't, Dimi was on flames that day

+1

HM Murdoch wrote:Broken to love again?!

Madness.

Sheer madness.

Metal midgetry of the highest order.

I don't think it's mental midgetry (my computer is telling me that's not a word btw), I would associate that with doing poorly in the big moments.
I just don't Djokovic ever had the total intensity that someone like Nadal has in Slams.

Yessssss

This match hasn't gone on too long, so if we do go five, I don't think we're at the stage of either man arriving "damaged" for the final

kingraf wrote:This match hasn't gone on too long, so if we do go five, I don't think we're at the stage of either man arriving "damaged" for the final

Even if they are not damaged, if they play like this, Andy will eat them up in nice easy three sets.

Just remember KR told you Wawrinka at 11/1 was worth a punt at the end of the first set

kingraf wrote:I thought Dimitrov played exceptionally well in that semi final, and deserved at least a fifth set. Just because Djokovic didn't look great, doesn't mean he wasn't, Dimi was on flames that day

I agree Dimitrov played well, but the fact is Djokovic was poor in the rallies. Really, if not for Dimitrov's ridiculous service games where he served the double faults, he would have been in a great position in all the sets.
I did a stats check of those two matches just now, and Djokovic hit 20 more winners in the final compared to semi, and 1 less UE in the final compared to the semi (keep in mind that the final was 5 sets and not 4).

Who would Novak prefer playing on this court, Stan or Murray...?

Novak should've had the confidence to win this in 4 after the easy route he's had.

Could have at least then taken my 3/1 punt in the third.

Its a 5th set, I didnt think it would happen this year. This saga is a bit like Ward-Gatti.

Yes! Stan and Nole going into the fifth set. I wonder if that ever happened before.

Why is it that Simon Reed always stays in the commentary box, and Frew McMillan and Mats Wilander swap.

Frew is by far the best commentator.

Most people are keen to see 5th sets but does anyone really want to see more of this?

Josiah Maiestas wrote:Who would Novak prefer playing on this court, Stan or Murray...?

Novak should've had the confidence to win this in 4 after the easy route he's had.

Clearly Murray. Djokovic has hammered him twice on this court. Whereas Stan and Djoko are playing a third 5 setter in 3 years.

Yes yes yessss

Keep it up Stan, take the fifth quickkkkk

Yes yes yessss

Keep it up Stan, take the fifth quickkkkk

HM Murdoch wrote:Most people are keen to see 5th sets but does anyone really want to see more of this?

Yes ?

It Must Be Love wrote:

kingraf wrote:I thought Dimitrov played exceptionally well in that semi final, and deserved at least a fifth set. Just because Djokovic didn't look great, doesn't mean he wasn't, Dimi was on flames that day

I agree Dimitrov played well, but the fact is Djokovic was poor in the rallies. Really, if not for Dimitrov's ridiculous service games where he served the double faults, he would have been in a great position in all the sets.
I did a stats check of those two matches just now, and Djokovic hit 20 more winners in the final compared to semi, and 1 less UE in the final compared to the semi (keep in mind that the final was 5 sets and not 4).

That's kind of how I remember it.

Dimitrov played well for his usual standard.

Djokovic didn't play very well. Tentative is how I remember it.

Those elements combined made for a close match.

summerblues wrote:

kingraf wrote:This match hasn't gone on too long, so if we do go five, I don't think we're at the stage of either man arriving "damaged" for the final

Even if they are not damaged, if they play like this, Andy will eat them up in nice easy three sets.

If Novak does sneak this, I expect him to rise to the occasion in the final. In the Wimby final, I thought he showed a lot of heart and fight, something he isnt showing as much of here.

The quality has actually slightly improved, Wawrinka started to back himself to hit out more; and Djokovic was not terrible but just solid.

If you expecting Stan to win... then you better have wanted to see more of this

It Must Be Love wrote:The quality has actually slightly improved

Agree, not quite as bad as early on, but still very poor.

Djokovic 0 winners last set????????

Omg

Oh! gorgeous bhdtl!

ooooooh... latelateate challenge and its in! BP Stanimal

Take it Stan take ittttt

Thats good composure from Novak, he could have blown up there but kept his cool.

Match has normally swung after someone's missed breaks. Expect the standard serving collapse

Yep, Djokovic has a great chance to break here.

Well sets 1-4 have been a bit disappointing on the whole (moments of magic interspersed with spells of mediocrity from both players) but its been a great start to set 5 and this match is finally showing signs of sparking into life. Match could really go either way from here. If Wawrinka cuts down on the errors he should be winning this but equally I think Djokovic is going to step up a gear at the business end of this match.

I could have almost guaranteed that would happen. Expect Djokovic to close the show with the end in sight

Omg from a BP up to 0:2

Come on Stannnnnn

Oh Stan, what are you doing.

kingraf wrote:I could have almost guaranteed that would happen. Expect Djokovic to close the show with the end in sight

My expectation is that he'll hand the break straight back.

Come on, i want some 10:8 or someting on this set

Surely that's it now, 4-0 up with 2 breaks, Djokovic won't lose this from here. Just way too many errors from Wawrinka today.

Nole up 4:0 without even playing that well.

On paper losing a semi-final to world number 1 Djokovic in 5 sets at his favourite tournament is no disgrace, but its the manner of the defeat - all those squandered opportunities and wayward errors, that's disappointing. Djokovic has been well below his best today - he's been there for the taking, but unlike Berdych against Nadal, Wawrinka is not taking advantage today.

Those who are watching  - what's happened? Has Novak upped his level or has Stan imploded?

HM Murdoch wrote:Those who are watching  - what's happened? Has Novak upped his level or has Stan imploded?

Combination of both.

Wawrinka just got bagelled. Djokovic wasn't great or even very good... Wawrinka just crashed, which was always dangerous as he wasn't playing at a particularly high level to begin wirh

Congrats Nole; he will need to improve for the final.

This was about as dull as a 5-set match can be.

bit of both HM, Djokovic found more depth on his shots and at least wasn't allowing Stan the free swings at the ball, but wasn't exactly peppering the corners with winners either, most points were won off Stan's errors.

Overall if Djokovic plays like that in the final, against Murray playing as he did in his semi, I'd make Murray a pretty firm favourite. Expect Djokovic to improve significantly though...

HM Murdoch wrote:Those who are watching  - what's happened? Has Novak upped his level or has Stan imploded?

Stan imploded. Nole was poor throughout while Stan was poor in the first 4 sets and shocking in the 5th.

So...

Was this match:

a) the usual evaporation of Novak's form as a slam nears its end?

or

b) a Wimbledon-esque scrap that precedes a much improved performance in the final.

I'd say 'a' has occurred much more frequently than 'b'....

Djokovic to walk the final. 4/0 in Australian Open finals, including two easy wins against Murray.