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The French Open 2020

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Post by sirfredperry Thu 24 Sep 2020, 5:38 pm

First topic message reminder :

With the draw about to be made for RG, I thought I would get this topic going.

For me - and I say this every year - Rafa is clear favourite, although the strange nature of all sport this Covid-19 year might mean someone else (Thiem? Djoko?) might have a chance.

Halep stands out as the women's favourite, particularly as some of the top women are not appearing. More on this after the draw.

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Post by sirfredperry Wed 07 Oct 2020, 7:01 pm

Djoko at least getting some points on his first serve (his first set stats were quite awful).

Now 5-2 up and back in the match.

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Post by CaledonianCraig Wed 07 Oct 2020, 7:05 pm

And Djokovic breaks to take the second set 6-2.

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Post by Soul Requiem Wed 07 Oct 2020, 7:08 pm

Oh what a surprise he's stopped pretending to be injured now.

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Post by sirfredperry Wed 07 Oct 2020, 7:11 pm

The Djoko serve improved and the UEs decreased.

We've seen Djoko playing comparatively poorly before in slams only to get thru and then pull out all the stops in the next match.

He wasn't all that great in some of the AO matches in 2019 but then destroyed Rafa in the final.

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Post by slashermcguirk Wed 07 Oct 2020, 7:15 pm

Soul Requiem wrote:Oh what a surprise he's stopped pretending to be injured now.

Change the record!

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Post by Soul Requiem Wed 07 Oct 2020, 7:22 pm

slashermcguirk wrote:
Soul Requiem wrote:Oh what a surprise he's stopped pretending to be injured now.

Change the record!

I will when Djokovic stops with this gamesmanship crap.

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Post by JuliusHMarx Wed 07 Oct 2020, 7:25 pm

Soul Requiem wrote:
slashermcguirk wrote:
Soul Requiem wrote:Oh what a surprise he's stopped pretending to be injured now.

Change the record!

I will when Djokovic stops with this gamesmanship crap.

He'll never stop. His whole career is littered with examples of dramatically over-playing injuries followed by miraculous recoveries.

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Post by CaledonianCraig Wed 07 Oct 2020, 7:25 pm

Djokovic breaks to lead 2-0 in the third set.

For me this is my take on it. Novak has always prided himself on supreme fitness and mental clarity which is without match when he is fully fit. Put any doubt in his mind and it scrambles his mind and plays tricks with him. He evidently had some twinges in his neck/left arm and it had him worrying how hard he could push himself. He was cautious and tentative - not his normal game and it showed. The longer the match has gone on he has found he can play through the 'issue' and that has helped him mentally and the confidence returns with it.
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Post by slashermcguirk Wed 07 Oct 2020, 7:32 pm

JuliusHMarx wrote:
Soul Requiem wrote:
slashermcguirk wrote:
Soul Requiem wrote:Oh what a surprise he's stopped pretending to be injured now.

Change the record!

I will when Djokovic stops with this gamesmanship crap.

He'll never stop. His whole career is littered with examples of dramatically over-playing injuries followed by miraculous recoveries.

Usual nonsense on here, why would he need to fake an injury if he is the better player? Usual anti Novak nonsense, even if he was feigning injury why doesn’t the opponent just go and win then?

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Post by sirfredperry Wed 07 Oct 2020, 7:33 pm

Looks a fairly routine win for Djoko now after that poor start. Not sure if it's going to be great for him to gift an opening set if he eventually plays Rafa in the final.

As I write, CB breaks back and we're on serve in the third.


Last edited by sirfredperry on Wed 07 Oct 2020, 7:38 pm; edited 1 time in total

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Post by CaledonianCraig Wed 07 Oct 2020, 7:33 pm

Carreno Busta breaks to bring it back on serve in the third set.
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Post by CaledonianCraig Wed 07 Oct 2020, 7:35 pm

slashermcguirk wrote:
JuliusHMarx wrote:
Soul Requiem wrote:
slashermcguirk wrote:
Soul Requiem wrote:Oh what a surprise he's stopped pretending to be injured now.

Change the record!

I will when Djokovic stops with this gamesmanship crap.

He'll never stop. His whole career is littered with examples of dramatically over-playing injuries followed by miraculous recoveries.

Usual nonsense on here, why would he need to fake an injury if he is the better player? Usual anti Novak nonsense, even if he was feigning injury why doesn’t the opponent just go and win then?

Yup and why the hell thump hell out of your left arm whilst you are at it inflicting needless pain on yourself. Just for show? Nah.
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Post by Duty281 Wed 07 Oct 2020, 7:37 pm

Djokovic rode the peak and got back into the match. Now he's being challenged again - how will he respond?

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Post by Soul Requiem Wed 07 Oct 2020, 7:45 pm

Utter nonsense of course he was feigning injury unless you believe he made a superhuman recovery.

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Post by sirfredperry Wed 07 Oct 2020, 7:51 pm

Having survived an awkward seventh game in the third set, Djoko breaks in the eight game and then holds for a two sets to one lead.

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Post by slashermcguirk Wed 07 Oct 2020, 7:51 pm

Soul Requiem wrote:Utter nonsense of course he was feigning injury unless you believe he made a superhuman recovery.

You keep believing that. He is world number 1 with 17 slam wins, something tells me he knows how to win matches without the need for what you are suggesting

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Post by CaledonianCraig Wed 07 Oct 2020, 7:51 pm

Djokovic breaks and romps on to take the third set. He is a set away from another RG semi.
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Post by Soul Requiem Wed 07 Oct 2020, 7:52 pm

slashermcguirk wrote:
Soul Requiem wrote:Utter  nonsense of course he was feigning injury unless you believe he made a superhuman recovery.

You keep believing that. He is world number 1 with 17 slam wins, something tells me he knows how to win matches without the need for what you are suggesting

He knows how to cheat you're right.

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Post by JuliusHMarx Wed 07 Oct 2020, 8:07 pm

slashermcguirk wrote:
JuliusHMarx wrote:
Soul Requiem wrote:
slashermcguirk wrote:
Soul Requiem wrote:Oh what a surprise he's stopped pretending to be injured now.

Change the record!

I will when Djokovic stops with this gamesmanship crap.

He'll never stop. His whole career is littered with examples of dramatically over-playing injuries followed by miraculous recoveries.

Usual nonsense on here, why would he need to fake an injury if he is the better player? Usual anti Novak nonsense, even if he was feigning injury why doesn’t the opponent just go and win then?

There's a difference between faking and over-playing. Either he does it 'cos he's a drama queen, or (as CC says) he can't deal mentally with a slight tweak, or he does it to try create doubt in the mind of his opponent (is he really injured, how much, should I play percentage, or go for the kill?). Or a combination of those. But there's have been loads of times where he's looked out on his feet, or unable to hit the ball without severe pain etc, only to be perfectly alright 10 minutes later. I can't see how anyone can deny that.

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Post by CaledonianCraig Wed 07 Oct 2020, 8:18 pm

It is quite possible/probable he is a hypochondriac. A niggle/twinge to those people are something far worse in their mind. As I said Novak's game is built around supreme physical and mental fitness and when all is well he is generally unstoppable. Today all is not well and these twinges evidently play with his mind. How far can I push myself? How bad is the injury? How much is it inhibiting me? And on top of that he has to try to win a tennis match against a player in the top twenty in the world.
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Post by CaledonianCraig Wed 07 Oct 2020, 8:29 pm

Djokovic breaks to lead in the fourth set.
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Post by CaledonianCraig Wed 07 Oct 2020, 8:50 pm

And Djokovic seals a 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-4 win against Carreno Busta in 3 hours 10 minutes. It leaves more questions than answers though but sets Novak Djokovic up with a semi against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
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Post by Guest Wed 07 Oct 2020, 8:51 pm

The Greek boy will fancy his chances if Djokovic plays like that on Friday

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Post by sirfredperry Wed 07 Oct 2020, 8:54 pm

Strange old match. Quite scrappy and with no real rhythm for a while but then a terrific last few games with both men, finally, playing well at the same time.

CB is a very solid player and must be very difficult to play against. He has good defence and makes his opponent play the extra shot.

Certainly Djoko can't afford such a slow start in his next match, but I'm predicting he'll play a lot better in the semi.


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Post by Duty281 Wed 07 Oct 2020, 8:57 pm

Well that was an excellent response from Djokovic and a pretty solid, comfortable win in the end. His semi-final with Tsitsipas should be a close contest, and possibly a match to rival yesterday's epic.

Can't say the same for Nadal's semi-final, which should be another straight sets win for the Spaniard.

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Post by slashermcguirk Wed 07 Oct 2020, 9:23 pm

Soul Requiem wrote:
slashermcguirk wrote:
Soul Requiem wrote:Utter  nonsense of course he was feigning injury unless you believe he made a superhuman recovery.

You keep believing that. He is world number 1 with 17 slam wins, something tells me he knows how to win matches without the need for what you are suggesting

He knows how to cheat you're right.

No he knows how to win

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Post by slashermcguirk Wed 07 Oct 2020, 9:29 pm

It will be interesting to see how schwartzman gets on against Nadal. He will have gained a lot of confidence beating him in Rome and after the win vs Thiem. 1st set so crucial for him but Nadal to win in 3 or 4

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Post by Duty281 Wed 07 Oct 2020, 10:34 pm

Carreno-Busta echoing the thoughts of some on here.

Djokovic was coy about his injuries later and would only say: “I had some neck and shoulder issues. I’m still in the tournament, so I don’t want to reveal too much. I’m feeling OK. As the match progressed, I warmed up and the pain faded away. It allowed me to play better and feel better.”

Carreño Busta cast doubt on the seriousness of Djokovic’s injuries. “That’s normal, no? He makes always [such gestures],” he said. “The last years he’s always doing this when he has problems on court. I don’t know, maybe it’s the pressure or something that he needs to do it. But he continues playing normal, no? I don’t know if he’s in pain really, or he has mental [issues].”


https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/oct/07/novak-djokovic-enters-french-open-semi-finals-but-faces-fitness-battle

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Post by No name Bertie Wed 07 Oct 2020, 10:35 pm

Rumour had it that Djokovic started this match with a broken neck and then broke his left arm towards the latter end of the first set, but he was still too good for Carreno Busta.  

The last time Djokovic played Carreno Busta in a grand slam, Djokovic got so frustrated towards the latter end of the first set, rather than breaking his own arm he tried to murder a line judge and was harshly disqualified.
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Post by JuliusHMarx Wed 07 Oct 2020, 10:40 pm

Carreno-Busta wrote:He makes always [such gestures]. The last years he’s always doing this when he has problems on court.

slashermcguirk wrote:Usual nonsense on here

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Post by JuliusHMarx Wed 07 Oct 2020, 10:40 pm

No name Bertie wrote:Rumour had it that Djokovic started this match with a broken neck and then broke his left arm towards the latter end of the first set, but he was still too good for Carreno Busta.  

The last time Djokovic played Carreno Busta in a grand slam, Djokovic got so frustrated towards the latter end of the first set, rather than breaking his own arm he tried to murder a line judge and was harshly disqualified.

Laugh

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Post by sirfredperry Thu 08 Oct 2020, 7:45 am

Interesting what CB said afterwards about Djoko and his injuries.

The CB comments lead us to ask if Djoko - at times -  is faking, in some pain but nothing too awful, over-exaggerating, playing for sympathy? Or What?

It could be called prima donna-ish or drama queen-ish. It's not a great look for a number one, although I recall Virginia Wade causing a stir some time back by calling Andy Murray a drama queen.

I'm sure a lot of players start matches without being in great shape. But they just get on with it.

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Post by Soul Requiem Thu 08 Oct 2020, 8:05 am

You simply do not play the way Djokovic does if you're going into matches injured, just simply would not happen. He likes to have a ready made excuse in the event that he loses and frankly it's pathetic.

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Post by sirfredperry Thu 08 Oct 2020, 8:14 am

As for today, I make Swiatek and Kvitova favourites in the semis.

I thought Swiatek might have had trouble in her q-f. I still think it could be tricky for her today but I'm taking her to make the final.

It's a real contrast with the other semi where we have two GS champs in action. If Kvitova is at her best, she'll win, as there are few who can match her clean hitting.

But Petra can have her off days when the UEs pile up. Kenin is feisty and could have a good chance if Kvitova is just a bit off.


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Post by CaledonianCraig Thu 08 Oct 2020, 8:22 am

It really is funny how posters on a forum with no inside knowings of tennis players and their bodily movements can form deep-rooted opinions.

I was dubious at first when commentators mentioned an injury but then we see Djokovic playing bizarre shots at bizarre times. That was the first clue. Second clue he came out with tape on his neck so obviously something there unless people are seriously thinking he thought right I am going to feign an injury today against a player I have played four times and beat four times. Daft. And then we have Mark Petchey - a tennis coach of good standing who knows all about players movement in shots. He does this in his job to analyise and improve on players movements he is coaching. He spotted Djokovic playing shots in ways not usual or natural to Djokovic traits of a player trying to improvise to limit pain. And then we had Djokovic repeatedly thumping himself on the arm in frustration. Like Lloyd Grossman use to say in Through the Keyhole 'the clues are there'.

Carreno Busta's English is not great but when he taps onto mental issues I think that is the gist of what I was saying last night. It would not surprise me in the slightest if Djokovic was a hypochondriac (a mental condition). His game is built around supreme fitness able to compete in matches lasting five hours plus with clarity of mental thought. Pretty unstoppable as his record shows when fit but once he gets an injury or a pain it gnaws at his psyche and he begins questioning himself. It becomes like a computer that momentarily crashes trying to reboot. It often does but not without issues which we saw yesterday. Yes we have seen it before but hypochondriacs and people in generally react differently to pain and it comes out in different ways. Sure its not fsir on his opponent but it is not intended to be. Heck there are medical timeouts in many tennis matches but the opponent just needs to stay focussed on their own game and get the job done. Djokovic is not a cheat as inferred here yesterday. As pointed out last night he is tenowned for conceding points that he knows were in if called out for his opponent. Early in the tournament when it was raining and his opponent was slipping the umpire came down and looked at court but told them to play on. The next point Novak's opponent slipped again and Djokovic went and sat down and said they weren't playing on with court like that. Seems sporting to me.

Anyway no doubt I will get shot down in flames for this post but hey-ho.
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Post by Soul Requiem Thu 08 Oct 2020, 8:45 am

CaledonianCraig wrote:It really is funny how posters on a forum with no inside knowings of tennis players and their bodily movements can form deep-rooted opinions.

I was dubious at first when commentators mentioned an injury but then we see Djokovic playing bizarre shots at bizarre times. That was the first clue. Second clue he came out with tape on his neck so obviously something there unless people are seriously thinking he thought right I am going to feign an injury today against a player I have played four times and beat four times. Daft. And then we have Mark Petchey - a tennis coach of good standing who knows all about players movement in shots. He does this in his job to analyise and improve on players movements he is coaching. He spotted Djokovic playing shots in ways not usual or natural to Djokovic traits of a player trying to improvise to limit pain. And then we had Djokovic repeatedly thumping himself on the arm in frustration. Like Lloyd Grossman use to say in Through the Keyhole 'the clues are there'.

Carreno Busta's English is not great but when he taps onto mental issues I think that is the gist of what I was saying last night. It would not surprise me in the slightest if Djokovic was a hypochondriac (a mental condition). His game is built around supreme fitness able to compete in matches lasting five hours plus with clarity of mental thought. Pretty unstoppable as his record shows when fit but once he gets an injury or a pain it gnaws at his psyche and he begins questioning himself. It becomes like a computer that momentarily crashes trying to reboot. It often does but not without issues which we saw yesterday. Yes we have seen it before but hypochondriacs and people in generally react differently to pain and it comes out in different ways. Sure its not fsir on his opponent but it is not intended to be. Heck there are medical timeouts in many tennis matches but the opponent just needs to stay focussed on their own game and get the job done. Djokovic is not a cheat as inferred here yesterday. As pointed out last night he is tenowned for conceding points that he knows were in if called out for his opponent. Early in the tournament when it was raining and his opponent was slipping the umpire came down and looked at court but told them to play on. The next point Novak's opponent slipped again and Djokovic went and sat down and said they weren't playing on with court like that. Seems sporting to me.

Anyway no doubt I will get shot down in flames for this post but hey-ho.

You need a new line Craig, people are allowed opinions you know.

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Post by sirfredperry Thu 08 Oct 2020, 9:16 am

At least Schwartzman will have had two days off before tackling Rafa tomorrow.

But I can't see the Argentine beating Rafa. Apart from the defeats by Rog and Djoko, a number of Rafa's GS losses have come when he's been blasted off the court (think Tsonga, Rosol, Brown and even an uncharacteristically-attacking Andy Murray at the 08 US Open semi).

Not sure Schwartzman has a big enough game to unsettle Rafa. He's not going to be serving bullets and his fighting ability almost certainly will not be enough.

We'll probably see a completely different Djoko against Tsitsipas than we saw last night. It seemed to me that Thiem was the only player likely to stop a Rafa-Djoko final. Once the Austrian got so fatigued he could not go any further, the final between the top two was practically confirmed.

Confirmed, that is, unless Tsitsipas can really turn it on. D'you think he can?

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Post by JuliusHMarx Thu 08 Oct 2020, 9:52 am

Craig, you take us to task for not knowing tennis players bodies etc but you seem to know their minds well enough to have diagnosed a mental health issue.

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Post by CaledonianCraig Thu 08 Oct 2020, 10:09 am

JuliusHMarx wrote:Craig, you take us to task for not knowing tennis players bodies etc but you seem to know their minds well enough to have diagnosed a mental health issue.

I do prefer professional opinion (Mark Petchey) over armchair fans opinion.

So if Nadal does play Djokovic in the final on Sunday or as brethren around here would have you believe it should be billed Lucky B******d V Cheating B******d. Jeez.

If that match comes about I will settle down to enjoy a titanic battle between two of the best to ever player the game. This despite the fact both have been major road blocks to my favourite player Andy Murray winning many more slams in his career.
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Post by Guest Thu 08 Oct 2020, 10:11 am

I think Nadal will beat Schwartzman in 4 sets at worst, potentially straight sets. Yes the Argentine won in Rome but Nadal’s serve went missing on that day.

I think Tsitsipas has a great opportunity against Djokovic. The Greek was outstanding against Rublev. This could be a potential 5 setter.

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Post by Soul Requiem Thu 08 Oct 2020, 10:12 am

CaledonianCraig wrote:
JuliusHMarx wrote:Craig, you take us to task for not knowing tennis players bodies etc but you seem to know their minds well enough to have diagnosed a mental health issue.

I do prefer professional opinion (Mark Petchey) over armchair fans opinion.

So if Nadal does play Djokovic in the final on Sunday or as brethren around here would have you believe it should be billed Lucky B******d V Cheating B******d. Jeez.

If that match comes about I will settle down to enjoy a titanic battle between two of the best to ever player the game. This despite the fact both have been major road blocks to my favourite player Andy Murray winning many more slams in his career.

In other words you're unable to formulate your own opinions and just regurgitate what you've heard on commentary.

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Post by No name Bertie Thu 08 Oct 2020, 12:12 pm

How are the conditions this October compared to the conditions in May/June when the french open is normally played?   Nadal indicates it is more difficult for him because the ball is spinning less - colder and damper (absolute humidity) - and presumably travels through the air more quickly (due to the condition of the ball).  

I seem to recall a while ago when Nadal was up against Djokovic and the conditions were drizzly.  The ball was not spinning and was heavy and Djokovic began to win games easily.  The match was stopped and played the next day when the conditions were dry and Nadal went on to win easily.
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Post by Guest Thu 08 Oct 2020, 12:27 pm

No name Bertie wrote:How are the conditions this October compared to the conditions in May/June when the french open is normally played?   Nadal indicates it is more difficult for him because the ball is spinning less - colder and damper (absolute humidity) - and presumably travels through the air more quickly (due to the condition of the ball).  

I seem to recall a while ago when Nadal was up against Djokovic and the conditions were drizzly.  The ball was not spinning and was heavy and Djokovic began to win games easily.  The match was stopped and played the next day when the conditions were dry and Nadal went on to win easily.
Courts are very slow. Nadal’s extreme spin has been nullified massively.

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Post by Duty281 Thu 08 Oct 2020, 12:53 pm

sirfredperry wrote:At least Schwartzman will have had two days off before tackling Rafa tomorrow.

But I can't see the Argentine beating Rafa. Apart from the defeats by Rog and Djoko, a number of Rafa's GS losses have come when he's been blasted off the court (think Tsonga, Rosol, Brown and even an uncharacteristically-attacking Andy Murray at the 08 US Open semi).

Not sure Schwartzman has a big enough game to unsettle Rafa. He's not going to be serving bullets and his fighting ability almost certainly will not be enough.

We'll probably see a completely different Djoko against Tsitsipas than we saw last night. It seemed to me that Thiem was the only player likely to stop a Rafa-Djoko final. Once the Austrian got so fatigued he could not go any further, the final between the top two was practically confirmed.

Confirmed, that is, unless Tsitsipas can really turn it on. D'you think he can?

The more I think about it, the more I think Tsitsipas will triumph. Provided he keeps up his aggressive, free-flowing tennis that has got him this far, and that he doesn't freeze up at the prospect of reaching his first GS final, I think he takes out the Serb in five sets.

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Post by MrInvisible Thu 08 Oct 2020, 1:50 pm

Great to see this forum coming to life again - the busiest I've ever seen it for Roland Garros during my time on here. Really been enjoying the tournament this year - has been a rare treat to see sustained quality sport on (terrestrial) TV during these bleak days.

Schwartzman v Thiem certainly the highlight of the mens' tournament so far - brutal long rallies interspersed with great touch and angles, and really nice to see respect Thiem had for his opponent at the end.

Onto the semi-finals. In the womens' Swiatek has obviously been the standout breakthrough player, with her demolition of Halep a real statement of intent. Podoroska is a different type of player - she lacks the firepower of the young Pole but is a v good strategic player on the clay. I expect she will try and mix things up and unsettle her opponent. However Swiatek is not a one-dimensional player and copes better with angles, dropshots and net approaches than many on the WTA. Therefore, unless Swiatek gets tight and starts missing her serves (she looked nervous at start of her quarter-final), we're looking at a fairly comfortable straight sets win for the Pole.

Kvitova has been in great form and looks more focused than I've seen her in a while. Kenin has mostly been v solid and Kvitova needs to watch out for that down-the-line backhand from the American. My heart says Kvitova though I have a nagging feeling Kenin will win this in 3 tight sets.

For Schwartzman his match with Nadal may have come a round or 2 too early. The Argentinian will clearly be showing the effects of his epic with Thiem, whilst Nadal is pretty unstoppable once he gets to this stage of the tournament. Schwartzman does have the game to trouble Nadal but I don't think we'll see that tomorrow as he will surely not be able to play with the same intensity. Straight sets Nadal - a tight 1st set, competitive 2nd set and runaway 3rd set - similar then to the quarter with Sinner.

Djokovic v Tsitsipas. Novak can be vulnerable at times to aggressive single-handed backhand baseliners (think Wawrinka and Thiem) - I think he would have far preferred to be facing Rublev who would be a much nicer match up for him. He may not have done much at Roland Garros yet in his career but Tsitsipas knows his way round a claycourt, having won a title on the surface. The Greek also seems in a better frame of mind than Djokovic. So, completely contradicting my earlier predictions of Djokovic to win the whole thing, I'm going for Tsitsipas in 5 here.

If he reaches the final I cannot see Tsitsipas beating Nadal. Thiem aside no player with single-handed backhand has come close to beating Nadal at Roland Garros - on top of Nadal's other strengths its a match-up issue once he starts peppering the backhand side with those monster forehands. If Djokovic gets through I do think he has a chance against Nadal in final.

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Post by bradman99.94 Thu 08 Oct 2020, 2:04 pm

Blimey! It’s not too friendly in here on occasions is it?

Feigning injury, illness or just tanking happens in most sports. I played local league table tennis to a good standard for many years and came across a few, whenever Gordon Greenidge limped you just knew he’d hit a century and certainly I’ve seen Djokovic do it enough times (when losing) to have noticed that he does do it! I have no idea why but I also have no doubt that despite his opponents voicing the opinion that it didn’t affect the result, it probably did in some subtle way. I thought CB’s comments were interesting as he was expecting it to happen. I think if you go in to a game with an injury you’ve given up the right to medical timeouts for that injury.

Anyway, Djokovic and Nadal for the Final with Djokovic to win in 4


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Post by sirfredperry Thu 08 Oct 2020, 2:29 pm

They're away in the first of the semis and Swiatek has made a hard-hitting start to go an early break up.

Podoroska finds herself pounding round the back of the court chasing the bullets. She's playing a kinda Golden Retriever game, and perhaps hoping that her opponent will start missing.

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Post by No name Bertie Thu 08 Oct 2020, 2:35 pm

Grand Slam tournaments for men's singles is not easy.  It is a bit of a marathon - seven rounds, best of five sets, over two weeks.  At some point the following information becomes important:

Men's Semifinals:
1) 28 years 2 months vs 34 years 4 months.
2) 22 years 2 months vs 33 years 4 1/2 months.

With regard Djokovic it is probably a number of issues:
a) "knowing" he should be beating his opponent without too much trouble
b) age related physical issues that stops him from doing what he wants to do (wear & tear)
c) not respecting his opponent (see a)
d) bit of a drama queen.

It was said of Andy Murray that he couldn't properly function if he bottled in his emotions - so he tended to "let it out" when he was on court.   It was only Federer, Nadal and Djokovic that really regularly troubled him on merit and playing against them he would tend to tone it down.
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Post by sirfredperry Thu 08 Oct 2020, 2:45 pm

Swiatek takes the first set 6-2. Really got too much power for the Argentine girl, who is pluckily trying to stay in the points.

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Post by sirfredperry Thu 08 Oct 2020, 2:59 pm

Now 3-0 Swiatek in the second set. Barring a wobble at the end she should be home and dry for the final.

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