tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post9111819870949435712..comments2024-03-26T22:14:18.179-05:00Comments on Jamie - Fiero425's Personal BLOGs: What's Up? Topic #16; Entries 07/15 - 10/15Jamie / Fiero425http://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-88289236752079744082015-10-13T23:16:55.242-05:002015-10-13T23:16:55.242-05:00***BEST SEASONS EVER:
Fed '06
- 4 Masters tit...***BEST SEASONS EVER:<br /><br />Fed '06<br />- 4 Masters titles, 2 Runner Ups, 1 2R, 2 skip<br />- 1 500 title<br />- 3 250 titles<br />- 19 top 10 wins<br />- 92 total wins<br />- 5 losses<br /><br />- VS -<br /><br />Djok '15<br />- 6 Masters titles, 2 Runner Ups, 1 skip<br />- 1 500 title<br />- 1 250 QF<br />- 34 top 10 wins<br />- 83 total wins<br />- 5 losses <br /><br />So that leaves:<br />- Fed: 3 250 titles + 1 Masters 2R + 24 more non-top 10 wins<br />- Djok: 2 Masters title + 1 250 QF + 15 more top 10 wins<br />---<br /><br />Best level of play is a toss up btw Djokovic '11 and Federer in '05 IMO w/ Federer '06 close behind.<br /><br />Best year considering competition is Djokovic '11 by far.<br /><br />Best year in terms of just results (just out of the last 30 yrs) w/b Djok '15 if he wins another Masters and the WTF, otherwise Federer '06.<br /><br />Djokovic at his best is far scarier for prime Nadal than Federer at his best just due to the match up/psychology/etc..., so naturally in a field where Nadal is the other prominent factor, Djokovic will be more dominant over his main rivals. That is a given.<br />---<br /><br />01. Rod Laver 1969.<br />02. Roger Federer 2006.<br />*2. Novak Djokovic 2015. + Shanghai / Paris + WTF<br />03. Novak Djokovic 2011.<br />*3. Novak Djokovic 2015. + WTF<br />04. Roger Federer 2004.<br />*4. Novak Djokovic 2015. + Shanghai / Paris<br />05. Novak Djokovic 2015.<br />06. Roger Federer 2007.<br />07. Jimmy Connors 1974.<br />08. Rafael Nadal 2010.<br />09. Mats Wilander 1988.<br />10. John McEnroe 1984.<br />---<br /><br />I think Djokovic's competition in 2011 was better than Federer's in 2004. Peak Nadal and still very strong Federer > Hewitt and Roddick for instance. I think both years had some decent depth too. I also think Djokovic's 2011 was better than Federer's 2004. So I couldn't agree on that.<br /><br />I see your point about not losing to anyone in the top 10, but that w/b a separate category, like best performance against other top players. Overall it is kind of the Nadal vs Federer logic. Is it really better Nadal loses to Blake, Youzhny, or Davydenko instead of Federer when he loses, just like is it better that Federer is losing to a bunch of people outside the top 10, but no real top guys.<br />---<br /><br />So it's not so easy to say 5 > 4 Masters or that Djokovic winning WTF undefeated matches Federer exactly. There needs to be more to bridge the gap of the Bo3 abomination. I'm an understanding fello so I'd just add 50% of a Bo5 Masters Final win over Bo3, meaning 2 Bo5 Masters is equal to 3 Bo3 Masters. Now let's analyze:<br /><br />Federer<br />- 3 Slams, 1 Final<br />- 4 Masters, 2 Finals (5 were Bo5)<br />- Undefeated WTF (Bo5)<br /><br />Djokovic<br />- 3 Slams, 1 Final<br />- 4 Masters, 2 Finals<br /><br />The Bo5 factor results in Federer's Masters resume equating to 5.5 Titles and 3 Finals. So Djokovic needs 2 more Masters and match the undefeated WTF to MATCH Federer's 2006. Will be tough indeed.***<br /><br />Thanks for the data guys!Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-31145460080777252212015-10-13T18:31:29.611-05:002015-10-13T18:31:29.611-05:00***Well, I was at work, but mhb some mighty good S...***Well, I was at work, but mhb some mighty good SABR from Rodge today. SABR - Sayonara, Adios, Bye, Roger. He said Ramos played well so good going. Not a great finish to the year ranking wise for Roger though.***<br /><br />Call me "OLD," but this is how it typically has been historically! The better players were "done" by this X of the season and were easily susceptible to upsets! Look at the record; winners like Tsonga, Davydenko, Enqvist, and Nalbandian OTTH! We've been spoiled w/ 3 great players who always seem "to be right there" at every major event! Bout X someone lost early beside Nadal and Murray!<br /><br />***I don't get this trend towards slower courts. They s/b speeding them up. We have enough baseline rallies in the game. X to increase the speed!***<br /><br />They could do more than routinely hit to each other's weakness or strengths! There are angles that c/b taken, hitting behind a player, & periodically attacking the net on deep approaches! Little of that is done; esp. in the lower tier of players who have all kinds of ability, but forget how to play in the crunch! It's weird to see how they come and go after so much promise! The last wave of Dimitrov, Simon, Gulbis, Isner, and so many others seem to have reached a ceiling only to fall back into obscurity! This has allowed "senior citizens" to excel and show their stuff late in their careers like Cilic, Anderson, Robredo, and a few other geezers! We can only hope the latest crop of Raonic, Kei, and a few others don't totally break down physically before they have to give it up!<br /><br />***...I am not predicting whether Rafa will win a Slam or not in '16, but I do predict that if he does not win 1 in '16, he's never, ever going to win another.***<br /><br />Down the line in '17 or '18, Rafa might surprise us all and take a FO! Roger snuck 1 more at Wimbledon in '12! That's Rafa's best bet; not sure he's a real threat in the other majors! He's had trouble even getting out of the early Rds @ Wimbledon; how can he win? At least he got to his appointed match against Nole before he was so rudely auf'd at the FO! It all remains to be seen how long Rafa's willing to stay on tour w/o winning a major! He can still make a fantastic living; appearance fees, exhbs., & endorsements! Will he hang around like Connors, not even getting a sniff of a title after '85, but having a great run late at a USO at 39 yo? Even getting to Roger's age is debatable IMO! Can Nadal continue to toil in the 2nd tier and luck into another major final against an unseeded underdog? Not likely!<br /><br />***That is total BS. Kim Clijsters came back from retirement after giving birth to a child. She did not even have a ranking next to her name when she came back. She played 2 or 3 small tourneys and then won the USO immediately. That kind of thing will not happen in ATP. Roger is trying to constantly innovate to keep him relevant. Rafa is trying to "recover" his old form. That kind of "recovering" is not going to work when you're Slamless for 2 yrs in a row and w/ the style of play of Rafa. Finally, even the mighty Roger did not win a slam (at least not yet) after being Slamless for 2 yrs in a row. Even though he won 1 in '12, he had won AO in '10 and so it's just a year gap.***<br /><br />I was just musing and forgot about Kim and now that I think about it, Goolagong won her last Wimbledon in '80, many years after her last major and a couple of kids! The ol' memory is really slipping!<br /><br />***Shanghai repeatedly getting the best ATP 1000 tourney as voted by players.***<br /><br />Poor, naïve child! They bought it w/ prize money of $4,195,895; 3rd amongst the Masters after IW & Miami! The reason I respect Rome and MC more b/c they've kept it simple w/ their ICONIC & historic relevance! They've also been able to keep the prize money down to a reasonable level for 1 tourney; avg. $2.5 million!Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-66986610583260616242015-10-12T13:43:52.223-05:002015-10-12T13:43:52.223-05:00***I will always prefer Nole's '15 to 2011...***I will always prefer Nole's '15 to 2011 mainly b/c the run took a lot out of Novak and by this X during that year he was washed up. This year he comes to this section of the tour looking very well and ready to take on anyone. This bodes well for a strong year end, unlike in '11 and an equally good kick off of the next year. This is more important at this stage of his career.***<br /><br />Nole overplayed in 2011; actually participating and winning an inaugural event owned by his family I guess in Serbia before the FO! When you make final after final as Nole has done in the past few yrs and esp. this season, you have to be more judicious in your appearances and he's done a very good job of that; managing his schedule!<br /><br />***Before thinking of beating Novak, Rafa has to manage to beat the other top 10 players when he faces them. His record against top 10 is 2-8, beside Djokovic, also Murray, Wawrinka, Raonic, Berdych and Nishikori defeated him. OK, with Tomas he is 1-1 for the season.***<br /><br />Some of those matches lost, Rafa was leading; within a point or 2 of winning! In the case of Raonic, he actually had multiple MP's and gave it back in 3 sets! AMAZING! How do you recover from that?<br /><br />***Novak is starting to pick and choose his tournaments just like Federer. I think the 3 losses (FO, Montreal, Cincy) helped him more than anything. Constantly winning can get to a person. We saw that w/ Serena this year. While it's a shame he missed out on a GS or a calendar sweep of the Masters, he seems to be centered, sure of himself, and perfectly happy where he is; w/o the pressure of perfection. Winning the WTF w/b too much pressure, so I think he should let Murray wrap this season up w/ a WTF/Davis Cup double-whammy.<br />---<br /><br />It seems to me that Nole is really in his prime now. His confidence is supremely high. He has had a better year at the majors and the Masters events (and on clay) than in 2011. It is like comparing Nadal in 2010 versus 2013--which was more dominant? Hard to say, but I think I'd put this year over 2011. He rather routinely disposed of Rafa today and he looked comfortable doing it. Stan and Roger might be the only 2 who can go toe to toe w/ him now and they will lose most of the X.***<br /><br />You guys have it, except I don't think he should relent and give up anything; esp. the YEC! He needs to continue piling up #'s on the ATP to get his true and aggregate level in comparison to the GOAT and GOAT-in-waiting! Even though he's owned the last couple seasons, the fans, ad campaigns, and commentators still fall back into talking about Federer and Nadal! It just isn't right, but what can we do?<br /><br />***Maybe if enough of us do what you did and become nouveau-Novaks, then he might be talked about more often. - '09 was recoverable, but 2012 was a more difficult one to recover from b/c Nadal was a few years older and you could see by then he had already lost some of his explosiveness. This year is not about injuries at all; just an all around physical decline at age 29 that has seen him become a barely top 10 player.*** <br /><br />Back in '09 & '12, I was just hopeful! I can do w/o watching, seeing articles, or hearing from Rafa again! I've never cared for his entire act on the court which is why I've been looking forward to these "times" like no other "hatah!" I'd just assume he hang around longer and get embarrassed like he had to be yesterday in China! More and more players are finding ways to extend him or complete a victory that most still are shocked to see and hear about! I've been saying for years that defensive counter-punching game was going to run him out of the sport before another player, but I'm not sure now! It looks as if he thinks everything can turn and he will be on top again! I guess you have to think that way; why else even compete? I just hope he can at least make it to the later Rds to meet his main rivals Nole and Roger! Maybe they can improve their #'s!Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-80624236161607202352015-10-11T15:11:09.529-05:002015-10-11T15:11:09.529-05:00***...Given tennis history & Djokovic's ag...***...Given tennis history & Djokovic's age, we could very well see an '89 Wilander situation.***<br /><br />Did any #1 disappear off the face of the Earth faster than Wilander? WOW! It was a compressed "Borg career" in 1 season; '88 flying high & the following yr was being upset in the 2nd Rd of the USO by a kid named Pete Sampras! He had to be terribly burned out from his excellence of the previous year I hardly think Nole will fall off the planet like that; 2012 was close, but he still won a few tourneys!<br /><br />***Seriously? 1 Slam, 2 finals, 3 Masters 1000s + 3 finals, the WTF and 75 match wins still sounds pretty good to me!***<br /><br />A lot better than Wilander's '89 and being shut out completely! I'll take Nole's 2012, but I'm hoping for better to back this season up as less than a fluke!<br /><br />***Beijing was going to be advantageous for Rafa b/c China Open a slow HC. The score is a little misleading and Nadal has to see some positives.***<br /><br />I only woke in X to see the 2nd set, but what about that BS about the court being too slow and an inability to hit winners? Both had some; obviously Nole had a lot more! Those were grueling points and I agree, the score is quite misleading where both were playing well, but the World's #1 was not giving Rafa air to do much! He's truly dominant and you can't have his fans musing about anything being different in the foreseeable future since this has nothing to do w/ injury or lack of competitive play! I didn't see much of their exh., but Nadal and Djokovic even played 1 of those that went "lickety split!" Rafa's just not going to challenge Nole at this X; even on clay!<br /><br />***Vinci really knocked Serena down; incredible that the loss at the USO caused the end of her season.***<br /><br />This so reminds me of Navratilova at the end of '84; had just won 6 majors in a row from '83 Wimbledon thru '84 USO and was going for her own CYGS! Not sure you can equate the pressure; not even sure Martina had any, but the exact same thing happened; lost AO semi (end of the season then) to a perennial doormat in Sukova! She did have the added stress of being on a 74 match winning streak IIRC so she must have had the weight of the world on her! I distinctly remember her winning the 1st set 6-1, but they were all tough games making it kind of misleading! ... but she didn't get it and Helena finished her off in 3!<br /><br />***...I don't see why that real reason needs to be covered up concerning Serena taking off for the rest of the season?***<br /><br />B/c the rules of the ATP & WTA is for all qualifying players to show up at the YEC to at least schmooze w/ sponsors and fans! There will be penalties b/c the WTA knows damn well she's just devastated; not an injury keeping her away!<br /><br />***You got a point. But, I don't think she's hiding it to avoid penalties. Remember, she also said in the last interview at USO that no she did not feel the pressure. That was again a false statement caused by pride. She was obviously under pressure and she knew it and we knew it and Orcene knew it too, as she disclosed to press.***Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-65665768468616540462015-10-09T16:26:09.760-05:002015-10-09T16:26:09.760-05:00***Truth Teller Kevin McCarthy Drops out of Speake...***Truth Teller Kevin McCarthy Drops out of Speaker Race - Wow!! Tell the truth and you have to end your ambitions! The rigth-wing doesn't want anybody to know the real reason for these 7 fake investigations on Benghazi fever! The right-wing is in turmoil!***<br /><br />Turmoil is stating it mildly! This is a full on revolt in the Rep. Party! They may even need Dems to help seat a compromise Speaker! Looks like Boehner is just going to have to stay in lieu of total chaos! It w/b funny if it weren't so serious! Debt limit and budget legislation needs passing before the end of the year! What will become of this country?<br /><br />***I think they should make a reality show out of them. Its fun to watch! They will just hold the country hostage again like they did in 2013! Obama said he's not going to play w/ them again. He said he will not sign another 'stop gap' funding bill for a few months.<br />---<br /><br />Why Do 43% of Reps think Obama is Muslim? B/c 43% of Reps are ignorant. - The Dems have little to do w/ the ideological combat among the Rep caucus.***<br /><br />True enough, there's not a lot the Dems can do while this plays out! All they can really do is sit back and watch the "fire" burn! What can they really do? The Reps are obviously and collectively "insane!" They wanted Congress and got it; but like a dog running after a car, don't have a clue what to do w/ it once they've caught it! The hypocrisy and disingenuousness of their party is showing quite obviously! ...but Boehner keeps calling on the more reasonable of the other party to get the business done that can't wait for the mental health of his caucus to arrive! Looks like they're willing to walk off the side of the cliff again just in X for Xmas to try and defund PPP; even though their reasoning was manufactured! That's ok; just paves the way for Hillary next year! Reps will take a stand, the President will bluster and point out their insanity, then they'll CAVE like they always do! Politicians are truly gutless and don't deserve to be in the offices they serve!<br /><br />***The Dems CAN sit by the sidelines and cheer for the Rep. circular firing squad, but Pelosi is ambitious. If they find an opportunity, I'm guessing she'll take it. - Pelosi is a shrewd politician - this will be interesting to watch. I suspect Tom Cole will emerge as leader, otherwise the floor vote could go to Pelosi.***<br /><br />Speaking of Pelosi, someone mused about a handful of Reps actually voting for her along w/ the Dems! They do not want this to be a protracted fight just to get another Speaker only to have them vilified, undermined, and deposed w/i a year! Why do you think Ryan has told his caucus to "go fish?" He doesn't want anything to do w/ that shark tank called the "freedom caucus!" Have you ever heard of someone turning down this position? You know it has to be a zoo for him to do this; truly unprecedented! At least I know where my entertainment will come from for the next few months while these idiots shoot at each other in a Presidential cycle; "thanks mohrons!"<br /><br />***Pelosi plus Establishment Reps could govern very well. The Dems would need the Reps to stay in power and both sides could bring bills to the floor w/o the crazies. Might be closer to what the founders had in mind.***<br /><br />Sounds like a plan!<br /><br />*** Rep. Chaffetz says he's found no evidence of wrongdoing by the family planning provider - Why isn't this thread more popular? lol!***<br /><br />Cons don't want to hear that kind of news! They want scandal and shifty dealings to show up! It doesn't matter that there have been 7 or 8 Congressional hearings and even though Rep. run, "THEY HAVE FOUND NOTHING!" On Fox and all the hardcore cons. radio host don't bring it up either! They start their programs talking about "the ongoing investigation into Hillary Clinton's Email" dealings includ. the record dump for this month! (YAWN)Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-38663759753421167212015-10-08T02:00:44.348-05:002015-10-08T02:00:44.348-05:00***...Why do Reps have to sort out Obama's Put...***...Why do Reps have to sort out Obama's Putin mess? Obama's the one who welcomed Putin into Syria w/ a big toast.***<br /><br />There's a cumulative effect when you have obstructionists working against a sitting President and the best interests of their country! Everyone in the world saw what a mess was going on several years ago; getting over the stock market crash, Wall Street malfeasance, 2 wars winding down, and a hard fought battle to pass and successfully retain Obamacare! Refusing to compromise on a budget for so many years w/ continuing resolutions is not good business practices and that consumed Obama's X and energy! You think other countries didn't take advantage of that; esp. PUTIN? If you deny it, you're as delusional as your Presidential hopes!<br /><br />***Remember how well you libs got along w/ Bush? Me either.***<br /><br />OBTW, if anyone tries to associate, compare, or even try a simile to how Dems treated "W," they obviously need their Fk'n heads examined! Bush pretty much got all he wanted since the Dems never wound this country down to a crawl and STOPPED it so gratuitously costing us BILLIONS! He got his cabinet in a timely fashion, budgets continued to be negotiated and passed, and he got all the money he wanted for his petty wars! The "nuclear option" wasn't used on every bit of business w/ Congress; ever! Obama's still waiting for a full cabinet and other positions t/b filled; so you're kidding right? Spare me!<br /><br />***Snow White and the 7 Reps (or 8):<br /><br />Snow White - Clinton<br /><br />Wicked Witch - Fiorina<br /><br />Prince Charming - Rubio<br /><br />Trump - Happy<br />Sanders - Doc<br />Bush - Grumpy<br />Carson - Bashful<br />Cruz - Dopey<br />Paul - Sleepy<br />Christie - Sneezy***<br /><br />Well done Crane; thanks!<br /><br />***So no one was complying you say? Then why did these HOUSE and INDEPENDENT investigations reach the conclusions they did: no wrong doing by HRC? <br /><br />The problem is, as McCarthy said, you haven't been able to pin anything HRC, BHO, or anyone else your pals want to politically damage. You don't find it the least concerning that we did near as many investigations into 9/11/01 where there was much death and destruction and people stalling the committee as this one has had?***<br /><br />If they don't find dirt, it couldn't be a thorough investigation in the conservative mind! Of course, if they're being scrutinized, you're supposed to take their word "we're as upfront as anyone" in DC! Well that's one way to look at them! If anyone were as beleaguered w/ being 0checked out as much as the Clintons, all of THEM would be in jail; ALL OF THEM! If they had anything after 20+ years of this BS, we would know about it by now!Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-3424119885608519832015-10-06T00:46:04.208-05:002015-10-06T00:46:04.208-05:00***H2H is only important when the 2 players in que...***H2H is only important when the 2 players in question career achievements (majors + minors) are almost identical. H2H can be used as the 1st TB to determine GOAT ranking.***<br /><br />This isn't the 1st X this has happened; an aberration of "The Best" of an era w/ a losing record to their closest rival! IIRC Lew Hoad just about owned Rod Laver, beating him the 1st 7 or 8 matches they played! I initially gave Roger the benefit of the doubt since so many of Rafa's wins were on clay, but after a while; esp. after Rafa came back to beat Roger at '08 Wimbledon, I had to look at other reasons there was such a disparity in their H2H record! Obviously 1 player had the other's # and I had to accept it! Both Roger and Rafa had significant leads over Nole, but over the last 5 yrs, he's been able to turn it around and after all is said and done, they'll only own more majors w/ Nole taking and setting the records concerning Masters 1000's! And we thought we had seen and lived the Golden Age w/ Borg, Connors, McEnroe, & Lendl, then the coming of Sampras, Agassi, Courier, Becker, & Edberg! Who would have guessed the current "Big 3" would eclipse them all w/ effort to spare?<br /><br />***The fact that Federer well into his 34th year is world #2 and has been the only real consistent challenge to Djokovic since after the last FO should say volumes about the current level of competition. Novak was unfortunate earlier in his career to have to contend w/ 2 of the greatest players in history in their prime and it rather limited his results and ascendency to the very top. He suddenly came into his own in 2011 w/ a superb year. ...Nadal was still the 1 to beat at RG, and a solid threat at the other majors, but was susceptible to absences from the tour. NOLE continued w/ a high standard from that point, staying in the top 1 or 2 through the present, but still not winning more than his fave major each year except for '14 where he won Wimbledon instead, even though Federer was hurt in '13, Murray had his back operation and took '14 to recover, & Nadal wasn't a factor after RG '14.<br /><br />Now he's finally poised to take advantage of a out-of-sorts, injured/recovering, or declined Nadal since mid-'14 who's a year older at RG. Murray was out-of-sorts through most of '14, and though finally returning to a pretty high level, hasn't come close to threatening Djokovic yet as he has folded in the crunch against him, and hasn't played Federer since the WTF debacle. ...The hope for some new strength lies in the rising younger gen. of Kyrgios, Coric, Kokkinakis, Thiem, etc. But they probably won't be ready to be year rd competitive for at least 3-4 years, though they could surprise here or there.<br /><br />...Murray looks poised to return to full potency, but looks like he has a mental block w/ No1e at the moment. I don't think we can write off Nadal until he calls it quits, even though he's up and down still. And at some point the youngsters will rise. I hope nobody begrudges No1e for his period in the sun. As I mentioned earlier, he had a tough task when he was younger and paid his dues. He is playing well, and with confidence, it should carry him to some more great victories for a time if he can stay healthy and motivated. We will see.<br /><br />...Djokovic has actually evolved at a X where it might be realistic for him to hold ground at the top of the game into his 30s, w/ a delayed "rubber band" effect of the tour catching up, which will only probably properly start w/ the generations that come after Nishikori/Dimitrov/Raonic. You could call that lucky for Djokovic or just call it impressive that Fedalovic collectively hit a pseudo-ceiling. ...Will the following gen. ever be good enough to get there and do they have the talent? Djokovic has room to spare due to the heights he has reached, so who is going to seriously dethrone this master of all surfaces, unless he suffers not just a slight decline, but a significant one?***Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-64071765907501603482015-10-04T00:37:53.945-05:002015-10-04T00:37:53.945-05:00***...then all the sudden 2015 Rafa had his worst ...***...then all the sudden 2015 Rafa had his worst year since '04; going from #1 in 2014 to #10 in '15. I mean it's like Nole who is 1 year younger than Nadal will wind up winning nothing next year.***<br /><br />Well that shouldn't happen, but I have noted a "slide" in 2012, getting to final after final, but just not being able to finish! I hope by doing so well this year doesn't hurt Nole in '16! Heaven knows we've seen it happen w/ Rafa enough; never defended a title off clay which is amazing for a player being aspired to being "The GOAT!"<br /><br />***...Nadal has had physical problems for a very long X, and if you can't see that Nadal has been the most affected by injuries and physical probles out of the Top 4 then I pity you. If Nadal had been blessed w/ the physical health of, say, Djokovic, he'd probably be sitting on 18/19 Slams right now.***<br /><br />Oh please, Nadal has all kinds of "blessings" having to do w/ body, heart, and skill! The jerk actually changed to playing left-handed to gain an advantage! The reason he has the body of a 40 year old is b/c of him exhausting, using, and extending that physicality getting into early rd wars w/ players IDK! That's on him due to his stubbornness of playing that stupid counter-punching style; same for Murray! They have the ability to do more and close out matches in straights, but they aren't motivated enough until it's almost too late and they have to have miraculous comeback after miraculous comeback! There's nothing admirable about doing that w/ some player not even ranked in the top 30 if all concerned know both could do better w/o a lot of exertions!<br /><br />***Unlike Federer who can often blow away lower ranked players in a tsunamai of talent w/ relatively low physical wear and tear. Nadal OTOH is more workman and relies far more on defense ("grinding") to get the job done.<br />---<br /><br />Nadal tends to be risk averse, which has turned out to be a liability for him. When he accepts risk, he's the one who blows people off the court. His 2013 Summer HC campaign proves that.<br />---<br /><br />Over the last 5 yrs and 21 Slams, 19/21 have been won either by Novak or the player who beat him! The only exceptions are Rafa in FO '11 and Cilic in USO '14. Almost every X, to win a slam you've had to either be Novak, or beat him. Quite an impressive stat. I think it's a good argument for calling 2011-present the 'Djokovic era' - a debate that happened on this forum a while back. However, during the 'Federer era', Roger's stats in this regard are even more impressive. From WD '04 to AO '10, every single Slam was won either by Roger or the player who beat Roger! For almost 6 years - 23 Slams in row - you had to beat Roger to win it.Extraordinary dominance!<br />---<br /><br />H2H comes up a lot when comparing current rivalries like Federer-Nadal, Nadal-Djokovic or Djokovic-Fed. It seems to me though that that is only b/c they're all currently active, and the use of H2H is only to stake claims on fan's idol(s) and therefore bring down their idol's main rival(s). ...Lendl-McEnroe (21-15), McEnroe-Connors (20-14), Connors-Lendl (13-22) are all lopsided H2Hs, yet the trio of legends are all regarded as ='s, and that's mainly b/c their slam tally is more or less identical, give or take 1 or 2. ...I firmly believe that in 20 or 30 yrs from now, when the current Big 3 would have long retired and assuming they finish up on fairly similar slam count (give or take a couple), then they would pretty much be regarded as ='s, b/c in the year 2045, people w/b looking at career slam tally to measure tennis greatness, not H2Hs.***Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-49207802102950492832015-10-03T17:49:15.945-05:002015-10-03T17:49:15.945-05:00***President Says He Won’t Sign Another Continuing...***President Says He Won’t Sign Another Continuing Resolution...The President spoke at a WH news conference today. The gov't's open and operating under a continuing resolution through Dec. 11. Obama called the CR a “gimmick” that sets up another crisis just 2 wks before Xmas.<br /><br />“This is not the way the United States s/b operating,” he said. “Oftentimes, I hear from folks up on Capitol Hill [about] the need for American leadership, the need for America to be #1. Well, you know what? Around the globe, part of what makes us a leader is when we govern effectively and we keep our own house in order and we pass budgets and we can engage in long-term planning, and we can invest in the things that are important for the future. That’s U.S. leadership.”<br /><br />The gov't cannot simply continue kicking the can down the road, Obama said, and a firm budget is needed for Americans to do long-term planning. “That’s true for our military, true for our domestic programs,” he added. He warned Congress he will not sign another CR in Dec. “I will not sign another short-sighted spending bill like the 1 Congress sent me this week,” he said. “We purchased ourselves 10 additional wks; we need to use them effectively.” He also called on Congress to end sequestration spending cuts in any budget it sends to his desk. He said sequestration cuts have hurt the military and the economy.<br />---<br /><br />The President is right. And Congress, rearing on their high horse of moral superiority, are wrong to try to hold the entire nation hostage for their pet moral issues. The reports I've read of it indicate the United States of America is the only nation on Earth with a "debt ceiling". It's a hideous failed experiment! The original purpose of the debt ceiling was to prevent this:<br /><br />Our debt ceiling does NOT force Congress to cut spending, or raise revenues; to run surpluses and pay off the astronomical U.S. Fed debt. Instead it gives Reps the illusion of leverage to coerce advantage for their anti-choice moral / political agenda.<br /><br />- SCOTUS has ruled it's the law of the land.<br /><br />- The U.S. electorate has elected the officials necessary to preserve a woman's right of choice.<br /><br />- And even the Rep. leadership admits, these coercive congressional shenanigans are detrimental.<br /><br />But the People tossed control of both houses of congress to the Reps; but even now w/ Boehner & McConnell in charge, they STILL won't balance a budget! The most recent U.S. President to "balance" consecutive budgets was President William Jefferson Clinton (D-AR). Reps may be very nice people, but recent decades of their PERFORMANCE in office proves beyond doubt, REPUBLICANS ARE NOT FISCAL CONSERVATIVES.***<br /><br />It's about X to really put the Reps on the hot seat. This is a perfect X to put the screws to them. I love it! McCarthy, or whoever they choose over him will have a lot of negotiating to do w/ the Dems to get a long-lasting and significant BUDGET after years of this BS w/ CR's! That's been the gutless way to run things and Obama's putting a stop to it in his last year in office; BOUT X! He'll prove how gutless they are if they allow this to perpetuate into the holidays! As usual, it'll all be on the Reps; no way around it!Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-80999282401832784642015-10-01T22:20:06.957-05:002015-10-01T22:20:06.957-05:00***Planned Parenthood Chief Destroys Conservative ...***Planned Parenthood Chief Destroys Conservative Congress - Cecile Richards, embarrassed right wing loon Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), but not as much as he embarrassed himself. She fire bombed the rest of the right-wing idiots up there in this illegitimate spectacle guised as a congressional hearing. Chaffetz opens by saying that if (PP) had not been receiving money from the Gov't, his parents, who died from cancer, would be alive today, b/c that money whb spent on cancer research. Seriously? Wow!<br /><br />He then went on to tell Richards about a report that he claims he got directly from their business profile about how abortions have increased and cancer screening decreased. Seconds later it was revealed the chart he used had the sourcing from an anti-abortion group and not from PP. After Richards pointed that out to Chaffetz, he quickly retreated, had violent shakes, and turned off his mike.***<br /><br />That was hilarious; Chaffetz commenting that PP gives Dems political contributions! Why would she give any Reps any funds to use them to pound her org.? What an idiot!<br /><br />***The Reps were extremely obstructionist when the Dems (Pelosi & Reid) controlled both houses. They said: elect us, put us in power, and we'll stop obstructing and actually accomplish something. When will this modest accomplishment going to begin? So their great big accomplishment for 2015 is to postpone the debt ceiling crisis until a few wks before Xmas?<br /><br />- Russia is interfering in Syria. What are they doing about that? They have the Constitutional authority to declare war. What are they doing w/ it?<br /><br />- We're $18 $Trillion in debt. Why don't they have a viable balanced budget proposal?<br /><br />- Our VA is still on shaky ground. What are they doing to insure our military combat veterans are getting what they have earned?<br /><br />The reason I'm not more disappointed in the Reps is b/c: I really don't expect much from Reps. And that's what they consistently deliver.***<br /><br />Reps are doing exactly what I expected; still fighting amongst themselves & accomplishing "nothing!" Things just don't change b/c they promise better! According to Boehner or McCarthy, they passed 300 bills! Throwing together a bunch of papers they know won't get past the Senate and a Presidential veto is not accomplishing much except maybe wasting X, money, and all those copies of future garbage!<br /><br />***F4, I'm not sure the Dems. are much better. ...But I'm not letting the Reps off the hook. And the horror here is the Reps are playing into the Dem's hands! They promised they'd stop being obstructionist, and do something if they were returned to power. The electorate kept its end of the bargain, the Reps in Congress have not. Reps cook up a scandal w/ lies. Rep. voters will swear to it and march off the tall cliff edge on election day 1 by 1.***<br /><br />What's so pathetic and ironic is as much as they've tried to tarnish her reputation, she still polls better than all of their candidates and would beat them; HELL even w/ Sanders and Biden! The Rep. Party is a mess and everyone knows it, including smarter Republicans; though there are "few!"<br /><br />***Well that is the thing, Boehners resignation has created a false idea the Crazies are taking over the party. Nothing c/b further from the truth. The Suicide Caucus might have 40 votes on a good day. 30 is more like it. The problem IS, Boehner and McConnell have been made the scapegoats for the Hard Right's own personal failures. On Obamacare, the trade deal , PP or any other agenda the far right carps on incessantly. That is to a large part the establishment's fault for not fighting back. But those days are over. Leadership roles are being pulled, compromises are becoming fewer and farther btw w/ the hard right. Like Paul said about Cruz yesterday. Calling your own party members liars and traitors has bad consequences. And the Chickens are coming home to roost now.***<br />Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-85214753794612073302015-10-01T02:54:09.034-05:002015-10-01T02:54:09.034-05:00***All I need to understand is that anytime any li...***All I need to understand is that anytime any liberal says we're a democracy, they get viciously attacked by the rightwingers who insist "we're a republic!"***<br /><br />It's the quality or lack thereof of the new brand of Rep. that admit to obstruction and couldn't care less if the country goes under if they can make a point about "less gov't, being pro-life, and tax cutting!" They joke about shutting down the gov't these days; even though it costs us more in the long run! I find them to be the most "unpatriotic" group that would rather burn it all down just to have a "talking point!"<br /><br />***Iranian Prime Minister: Reps Are ‘Laughable’, ‘Couldn’t Find Iran On A Map’***<br /><br />Well Reps are idiots! Why are people surprised we're a laughing stock to the world; esp. after how they treated an incoming President in Obama back in '09? It was disgusting, disrespectful, insulting, and undermined the office! I better not ever hear any BS from these animals hearing anything disparaging about them if ever a Rep. sits in that chair again in my lifetime! "F" them!<br /><br />***So your claiming she didn't say that she knew that what Obama saying that you could keep your insurance was untrue?***<br /><br />Still living in the past I see! OMG, will these people ever move on? I know it isn't possible, but we can still hope these JOHNNY "one notes" can actually grow and help situations instead of exacerbating them! Let Hillary's emails, Benghazi, Obamacare, and PPP alone; ya got nothing!<br /><br />***Fiorina is as phony as the videos - You said it was a "phony" video. What is the context that it s/b viewed in that makes it phony. Did the things happen in the videos or not?***<br /><br />Reps don't even try to fake making sense! They just throw shit at a wall and then watch it slide down while they talk! These SLEAZEBAGS on the 'right' harassing this poor woman will pay in the end! They have no credibility and have a lot of nerve questioning her like this!<br /><br />***Fiero.... so is Planned Parenthood selling body parts of human beings? There is video of them doing so. Is there something "deceptive" about the video?***<br /><br />You are so full of shit! How many X's does someone w/ common sense have to tell you it's a HUGE LIE? The woman who's baby was used in the damn video came out telling the world today says so! Her baby died in a premature birth and has nothing to do w/ PPP! You're a joke!<br /><br />***The establishment is backing Kevin McCarthy for Speaker.<br /><br /> The Tea Party will fight it - perhaps by promoting Cruz.<br /> That's consistent w/ their strategy of fighting battles that cannot be won.***<br /><br />I can't ever remember a Senator sticking his nose in the business of the HOUSE as much as CRUZ! I guess since his brethren hold him in such contempt, he might as well play w/ other children of the Tea Baggers over in their playground! Heaven knows all he can do is lob grenades w/ no real explosive in them; more like firecrackers!<br /><br />***...There's no "question of whether Cruz can be in the line of succession." This is just another lie.***<br /><br />After Cruz's horrendous tenure in the Senate; wouldn't be surprised if the party actually runs someone against him!Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-31406977947210429812015-10-01T02:51:37.932-05:002015-10-01T02:51:37.932-05:00***I think Rafa needs to recover his form 1st. The...***I think Rafa needs to recover his form 1st. Then assess if he needs any changes.***<br /><br />Well Rafa and his camp are going to have to make a decision 1 way or the other! So far just playing it his way isn't getting him anywhere; actually losing to former "punching bags!" Losing twice to F3 on clay, then at the USO w/ a huge lead, you have to say "all Rafa-dites are a little concerned;" maybe a lot!<br /><br />***The decline is not in sight. He seems confident in himself.***<br /><br />2012 was a little disappointing; esp. losing those finals against Rafa when it appeared he had taken ownership of their rivalry winning 7 in a row from '11 IW to '12AO! Roger can only dream about winning matches that consistently against Rafa! Winning '16 AO might "stem the tide" and my fears of a repeat slide!<br /><br />***It was quite amazing he even got 7 in a row, on all 3 surfaces. For me, the period btw '13 AO & '14 Wimbledon was the problem. 3 finals, but all 3 losses. That is where he lost the chance to get to 18. The potential Djoker Slam does not interest me as much as '16 RG alone, b/c he can play the rest of his career w/o any concerns or regrets. Anyway, since you mentioned the "repeat slide," maybe he bounces back in '19.<br />---<br /><br />...There's no argument for Novak's 2015. 2011 is the only 1 that can stand up next to Roger's 2006 IMO.<br /><br />1. Roger Federer – 5 str. Wimbledon, 5 str. USO (17 overall)<br />2. Rafael Nadal – 5 str. RG (14 overall); also 4 str. RG<br />3. Bjorn Borg – 5 str. Wimbledon; also 4 str. RG (11 overall)<br />4. Pete Sampras – 4 str. Wimbledon (14 overall)<br />5. Novak Djokovic – 3 str. AO (10 overall)<br />6. Ivan Lendl – 3 str. USO (8 overall)***<br /><br />Nole still takes up room in the recordbooks concerning Masters 1000's; winning the 1st 3 of the season and the 1st 4 he played, & being a R-up in his 5th and 6th! Djokovic may never get anywhere near Roger and Rafa in GS wins, but he's likely to obliterate other records set by FEDAL!<br /><br />***You didn’t like my rejiggering of the list?***<br /><br />I can’t argue w/ any of your listing, giving Borg bonus points for what he accomplished in just 7-8 yrs! I’ve written extensive on him w/ results that you have to think of as “staggering!” He won Paris and Wimbledon back to back 3 str. years (’78-’80); almost 4! He won the “Old World Triple;” Rome, Paris, Wimbledon in ’78! He had to survive many challenges in winning those 5 Wimbledons; actually coming back from the grave on a few occasions! ...In his last season, it seemed like it w/b a routine in ’81; won the FO over a newcomer in Ivan Lendl and made the final of Wimbledon! After losing it, I figured he could turn it around in NY! Another crushing loss and that was it! ...I do give him GAWD-Like status; so thanks for that!<br /><br />***Holy Moley; most of the top women knocked out of Wuhan Open.***<br /><br />This is the X of the year where they're all breaking down! The season really is too long, but they pros can't give up the money and points! Nole's one of the rare players that somehow keeps it together during this Asian swing before the YEC!<br /><br />***I think it's definitely too long, but I'd also argue the real problem is scheduling. There's 1 week btw the USO and the Asian swing beginning. Not to mention that the summer is JAM PACKED. I feel like there's so much incentive to pack in more tournaments throughout the year. This means shorter X's at home for the player to train and recharge.***Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-38221401153407179992015-09-27T21:41:37.052-05:002015-09-27T21:41:37.052-05:00***Djokovic has the fewest retirements and W/O amo...***Djokovic has the fewest retirements and W/O among Top 10 players (last 300 matches)<br /><br />Djokovic: 0<br /><br />Federer: 2<br />-2014 WTF F vs Djokovic: W/O<br />-2012 Doha SF vs Tsonga: W/O<br /><br />Murray: 3<br />-2015 Rome R16 vs Goffin: W/O<br />-2013 Rome R32 vs Granollers: 3-6 7-6(5) RET<br />-2012 Canada R16 vs Raonic: W/O<br /><br />Nadal: 1<br />-2012 Miami SF vs Murray: W/O<br />---<br /><br />Still, WTF is best-of-3, gives Roger more of a chance.***<br /><br />Those 4th sets are just entertainment for the fans really! Reminds me of WTA YEC going best of 5 sets to keep Navratilova on the court longer than 38 min. in her prime! Against Murray, Federer, & Wawrinka, Nole's made them look bad in some of those 4th sets; sometimes a bagel!<br /><br />***Novak has the best 5-set record against the others in the Big 4 and overall as well, but followed very closely by Rafa. RF on the other hand has a pitiful 5-set record for an alleged GOAT. RF starts matches great, but gets weaker and weaker - mentally mostly - as the match goes on. Whereas Novak just gets better and better. Another reason RF has more success recently against Novak is that Novak prepares a lot more seriously for Slams than other events, compared to RF.<br />---<br /><br />Nadal won 3 slams in 2010 on 3 different surfaces where he started to find his peak form on other surfaces like HC and not just clay. Federer wasn't in sights to reach slam finals so he pretty much was ready to take over after 2010. Plus he was at a ripe age of 24. No one expected Novak to step in 2011 though and have the season as he did so things were setup for Nadal.***<br /><br />People don't think about that; Nadal cruising into 2011 w/ not a care in the world winning last 3 majors of 2010; except that Nole "got his act" together! Nadal was in final after final from IW/Miam, then Madrid/Rome, but was bested each X by Djokovic; the clay events in straight sets! Nadal did his thing in Paris, but Roger had upset Nole in the semi so we'll never know how that "could have gone" and changed history! Nadal <br /><br />continued making major finals, losing each in 4 to his nemesis from Serbia! You can say if not for Nole, Rafa may have dominated for years to come! He's only been able to find form in 2013; other than that he's been scratchin' just to remain in the top 10!<br /><br />***Nadal '10 - Tourneys played - 17<br /> Finals reached - 9<br /> Titles won - 7<br /><br />Nadal '11 - Tournaments played - 17<br /> Finals reached - 10<br /> Titles won - 3<br /><br />That damned Djokovic.<br />---<br /><br />Beijing 2014 - USO 2015: Novak has lost just 6 matches in 12 months (w/ no defeats vs Nadal), an avg. of 1 loss per 2 months<br /><br />Beijing 2012 - FO 2014: Novak lost 14 matches in 20 months (w/ 4 defeats vs Nadal). If you factored out the 4 Nadal losses, you w/b looking at 10 losses in 20 months, an average of 1 loss per 2 months.<br /><br />Additionally:<br /> 4/6 slams won from Wimb 14 - USO 15 w/ 1 loss to GOATing Wawrinka and 1 in a subpar display vs Nishikori<br /><br /> 4/6 slams won from AO 13 - FO 14 with 1 loss to GOATing Wawrinka and 1 in a subpar display vs Murray<br /><br />It seems to me like Novak's over-all level dropped considerably following his USO 2011 win, until about his USO 2012 loss (still winning AO in this span b/c of how much the surface favors him, but in 2 nailbiter SF/Fs as opposed to the dominant win in 2011).<br /><br />But from Beijing 2012-current, his level has been continuously high (outside of the post-marriage hangover in the 2014 fast HC season). The gap in achievements in 2015 vs Beijing 12 - FO14, has almost everything to do w/ Nadal producing an equally high level of GOAT play simultaneously (which we have not seen before in this sport). Now in '15, removing that anomaly of insanely strong competition, Djokovic's true dominance vs the field can shine through the way (and in many ways greater) than Feds did. Case in point is the 24 top 10 wins by Nadal in 2013, was matched by Djokovic in both 2012 and 2013, and is the ALL TIME RECORD.***Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-37487035839643353842015-09-27T15:21:45.792-05:002015-09-27T15:21:45.792-05:00***Not to start a comp. war, but how's Nole...***Not to start a comp. war, but how's Nole's current comp. much better than Roger's in '06? Note that Roger had Rafa near his best on clay. Right now Nole has a fairly washed up Roger, a badly faltering (perhaps washed up Rafa) and then just Murray.***<br /><br />They're a lot better than that! Berdych, Ferrer, Cilic, Wawrinka, Kei, Raonic, Dimitrov, Simon, and so many more are quite competitive and can take any of the Big 4 out! Nole's had to dig himself out of hole many a X of late; DOPO just last month in Cincy!<br /><br />***I don't agree the tour's particularly weak at the moment as the old generation is going out and the young 1 is unable to rise to the occassion. Ferrer, Berdych & Wawrinka were both in their early 20s during the '06 run, an age where you are normally entering your prime. You still had great players like Roddick, Davydenko, Nalbandian, Hewitt, Blake, Haas and so forth. Nadal was much more of a threat than he is now, and you even had a young Murray who was quite good (he gave Fed his only non-clay loss of the season). 2006 wasn't a super strong year like '03, '04, '08 & '11, but it's competitive w/ several of the recent era mediocre years like '09 & '13. I'd compare this era to the 2001-02 seasons, where there was a bit of a generation change and a power vacuum.<br />---<br /><br />SABR is dead; Nole killed it. - That is just not true:<br /><br /> 1. In Cincy, Fed won a point at a key moment in TB against Novak using SABR.<br /><br /> 2. At USO, even though Fed lost the match, Fed won 50% or more of his SABR attempts against Novak.<br /><br />SABR is alive and well.***<br /><br />Maybe, but Nole wounded it a bit! Everyone believes he hasn't played well in months really, but he still was able to get to the final and dispatch Federer w/ only a modicum of effort! Roger has to continue employing the tactic periodically or he'll have no chance so it's a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenerio!<br /><br />***Comparisons with Federer are misguided, IMO, b/c of the difference in style, economy of play, and "other" factors. Fed is a pretty young 34, whereas Nadal is an old 29. There's also the confidence factor; I don't think Fed ever showed such a lack of self-confidence as Nadal is showing now. Even if he has only 1 Slam in a very long X, Fed is, at least, almost always competitive. Nadal can't even get deep into a Slam anymore, let alone win them-and that trend is likely to become MORE pronounced, not less.<br />---<br /><br />Although this is true, a young 34 is still going to turn out to be older than an old 29 more X's than not. It's possible - if unlikely - that Nadal could regain some of his old form and win a Slam in 2018. It's extremely unlikely that Federer will do so. (Federer w/b the oldest titlist on the ATP tour since 1989 if he won a title of any sort in 2018, let alone a Slam).<br />---<br /><br />Once you reach major finals, anything can happen. Nadal's knees are more likely 39. One only has to remember how 151-0 turned into 151-1, against the less than immortal Fog, in the 1st week of a Slam. Now factor a stronger opponent, later in a Slam, If ya can't win from ahead, or behind, that kind of limits your options.***<br /><br />Well if anyone can do it, Roger can, but as I've been saying for years, he needs an assist like Soderling at '09 FO! People forget he's only won 1 major since '09 and has only played a handful of finals w/ dismal results!<br /><br />***Will Novak Djokovic be the GOAT? - No, he won't, but if he gets to 14, even w/o RG, then I imagine he w/b considered at least the 2nd greatest player of the Open era, which w/b a remarkable achievement when you consider where his career was at this X 5 years ago.<br />---<br /><br />Even after Djokovic's AO and Wimby wins this year, nobody was discussing GOAT and equaling or crossing 17 Slams. It is perhaps a nod to the fact that DJ is covering new ground (has any player previously won 3 slams in a year at age 28?) and that there's something relentless about this guy, just like his game.***Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-49162321244448366382015-09-27T03:52:33.468-05:002015-09-27T03:52:33.468-05:00***The #1 reason in my mind Roger's not winnin...***The #1 reason in my mind Roger's not winning slams anymore is that he can't maintain it as long as a Nole can. How much court X did Roger see at this USO until the final?Even at his age, he had enough in the tank for the final, even a long 1. And contrary to popular belief, I have always thought he is one of the toughest out there mentally. You can't perform at the level that he has for over a decade w/ a big bullseye on your back w/o being tough. ...Does not matter against 99% of the field. Matters against Nole, who has the ability to get his consistency back even after losing it for 1/2 an hour or so. W/ Roger, once it is gone, so goes his game. He makes final pushes and such, but too little too late for a slam.***<br /><br />The thing is Nole wasn't at his best and he still won The USO over Roger! Federer had every opportunity to do well; in shape, no long drawn out matches in early Rds, and was on a winning streak taking Cincy just a 2 wks before beating Nole in the final! It couldn't have been a better opportunity for him at 1 of his fave majors; winning it 5 years in a row and even more semi-finals! As well as Roger's playing and a legitimate #2 getting to 2 major GS finals, I still can't see him winning 1 unless there are some significant upsets of the other top players!<br /><br />***I actually agree that Nole was not at his best in the Open final. But even when he is not at his best, he is consistently sending balls back. Maybe not hitting the trademark DTL BH winners and stuff, but he gets it back in the court and deep. When ROGER is not at his best, he sprays shots all over the place and loses points. That has been the difference btw the 2 in the recent finals I believe. Roger needs to attack & it has to work. Nole does NOT need to attack to win matches, even though it helps. Nole will win the baseline rallies against Roger at this point in their respective careers, w/o attacking or redlining. Roger's Plan A has to work the whole match to beat Nole in a slam final. - Nole has had the # of geriatric Fed. Much different scenario than Rafa.***<br /><br />Unfortunately it took years, but I've come to realize Rafa owns Roger; lock, stock, & barrel! Nadal runs a "bit of game" on Roger (esp. on clay), but he's been doing it for years and it shb overlooked and conquered by now if there was a chance! Roger needed Soderling to take Nadal out of '09 FO or he still wouldn't have one; "thanks ROBIN! I hope Roger sent you something nice!" He probably didn't which is why Roger was taken out of the FO the following year! "No appreciation!"<br /><br />***I was hoping we will get to see Fed having the # of washed-up Rafa. But, Rafa seems to be too washed up that Fog has his # and Fog would not let Rafa meet Fed.***<br /><br />From here on out, I don't think we can trust either to go far enough to meet in 1/4's, semi's, & finals! Playing those 2 major finals by Roger w/b the highlight of his twilight years while Rafa may have to start battling from the 1st Rd! That aura of invincibility has been ripped and many more think they have a chance to claim their scalps!<br /><br />***I think that your comments about Roger's slam future are both pure conjecture and disrespectful of Roger's making 2 GS finals in '15.***<br /><br />Well there's been the combination of Roger playing well and then there's the gutless play of the rest of the tour allowing him this nice run at #2; Murray at the top of the list who s/b ashamed of himself! How does he let a senior citizen "school" him on grass as he did this year at Wimbledon? At one point, Roger was scratchin' the points contest around #6 w/ Murray doing more this spring! I was thinking the rankings were all wrong until Andy lost in straights to the old man! That's gutless play IMO! The thing is, even subpar play from Nole got the job done winning 3 of 4 majors and a finalist in the other! Winning his 1st 4 Masters makes the rest of the season a cakewalk for him!Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-13222563006776732672015-09-27T03:49:46.677-05:002015-09-27T03:49:46.677-05:00***The GOP Party is so dysfunctional each of us c/...***The GOP Party is so dysfunctional each of us c/b Sigmund Freud and none of us could tell the others how to fix the mess. Its all a self-hating, self-defeating cesspool. How bad is it? A Rep. can't run as a Republican in the Rep. primary. That is how freaking crazy it is. You have to run as some great undefined "something else." And, it is just getting worse. Trump. In any other circumstance I would have to declare that wasn't a pun. But, it ain't. It's just that crazy.<br />---<br /><br />I think you've got it! The Rep. 'party' is in chaos. A new organization needs to emerge. One that can provide rational governance. - Just for shits and giggles, I am going to start asking some of the members if they are willing to admit to being a Rep? Really now, are you admitting to being an Establishment Rep.? LMFAO... Wait... Any Nixon Reps in da house?***<br /><br />I think they might be too embarrassed to admit it these days!<br /><br />***Hell, don't look know but being labeled a Rep. in the new GOP is worse than being labelled a liberal.***<br /><br />What I figured a couple years ago when things were going to shit, I suggested a handful of Reps would side w/ sanity and the Dems and put Pelosi back in charge! I'm sure they thought about it or mused how sane it w/b b/c Boehner's been a disaster! Obama was too kind today about Boehner; esp. about being honest when dealing w/ him! That's total BS b/c we all know he made a couple of agreements w/ the President, but his caucus put the kibosh on all of it! Who are we kidding? This man had to be the weakest Speaker in the history of the position; actually weeping on too many occasions to count! Have you ever heard of such a thing?<br /><br />***...She s/b glad and let the process play out if she expects to be exhonorated...but...after all, it is a problem that she created. She's the 1 who decided to put gov't business in w/ her personal business...against the rules of the admin.***<br /><br />Keep harping here and on FNC; what does that say about all your kvetchin' but Hillary still beats all of the top candidates? I find that pathetic and hilarious at the same X! You'll never learn that going up against the Clintons is futile! Every X you think you have them, we move on while you stand there PLAYIN' w/ yourself! The rating of Congress might go up if they take care of normal business and start acting like a true governing body!<br /><br />***I'd guess Packer's skipped over the Pope's American visit altogether... much more important to watch FNC and stay against President Obama & Hillary Clinton like it was months ago. Living in the past is their thing.***<br /><br />That's exactly what was going on; while other stations were covering this monumental Papal visit, FNC is still talking about Hillary's email, her lack of trustworthiness, and how lawless Obama has been! They are almost suggesting a shutdown instead of just reporting the facts that Boehner's already made a deal to keep the gov't running through the end of the year! You can always depend on these numb-nutts to continue living in the past!Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-24046367504965200782015-09-25T16:48:04.285-05:002015-09-25T16:48:04.285-05:00***Real Household Incomes Fall 5.9% Under Obama! -...***Real Household Incomes Fall 5.9% Under Obama! - Whenever I hear some talking head in the MSM say "economic recovery," I want to pull my hair out.***<br /><br />Get over yourselves! You can't blame this on OBAMA; not in the least! He's wanted to do things, maybe take care of infrastructure in the country, but has been thwarted by Reps and the "Sequestor" since he became President! The way I see it, we've been lucky after "W" trashed the whole economy! People are fortunate to be making anything the way I see it! Unemployment is still going down, even if it's not fair; blame that on greedy bastards running the businesses! Profits are up so if salaries aren't going up, that is hardly on Obama!<br /><br />***Boehner resigns - I wish Boehner well in retirement. He's probably done the best that c/b expected w/ one of the most obnoxious clan of members of his own party dragging him down. Indeed, sometimes the Dems were easier to work w/ many X's. The Suicide/Freedom Caucus is having big wet dreams of a coalition; not happening. About as weird as the idea of Kaisch appointing Cruz! ...McCarthy has votes already stolen to get his 218.***<br /><br />Reps are a mess! They said if they got control, things would run swimmingly; "yeah, they're drowning!" The only thing they can do is run things into the ground! Truly pathetic! Criticize Pelosi all you want, things got done w/ a minimum of fuss! Boehner s/b truly embarrassed, having the most dysfunctional Congress in history! He lost his Majority Leader in an election and the bills he did pass were DOA dealing w/ defunding Obamacare or other programs! I suppose McCarthy can't screw it up any worse!<br /><br />***You make a very sharp point F4. When the Dems controlled both Houses, the Reps were extremely obstructionist. And they did indeed say, give us both houses, and we'll get things done. WHAT HAVE THEY DONE?***<br /><br />It's been one "Continuing Resolution" after another for years b/c nothing can be agreed upon! Dems want to play ball, but w/ Reps it's their way or "the highway!" Compromise is a dirty word in their lexicon and they openly admit it many X's! Dems don't have a "Hastert Rule," but that is why little to nothing gets done when Reps are in charge!<br /><br />***The same is true of Dems after Nov '14. Reps. are guilty as charged. However, this didn't start until the beginning of 2015. At the most, 9 months ago. They haven't gotten much don; agreed, but it's not that they didn't try. There was always the spoiler in the mix...Obama's veto and the inability to get enough Dems to then override that veto. It really helps to put things into context. There is plenty of failure to act responsibly on both sides of the aisle.<br />---<br /><br />Well F4, IDK what the Obama / Boehner "Grand Bargain" was all about. But indeed, compromise was probably a significant element of it. As you suggest; that gets a veto from the "tea party," the Norquist crew, etc. Ironically, the Rep. Demigod, Ronald Reagan was a notorious compromiser.<br /><br />Reagan and Speaker Tip O'Neill shared ethnic background. They got stuff done together. So it seems today's Reps like Reagan emotionally; but oppose his methods of success tactically. And we face another gov't shutdown b/c of it. That would seem to me to violate their oaths of office; but what the heck? It's just a technicality. It's just their Constitutional duty. No big deal (to them).***Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-62387552291362041732015-09-25T16:46:35.474-05:002015-09-25T16:46:35.474-05:00***The next census will make it harder and harder ...***The next census will make it harder and harder to "crack and pack." Sooner or later the Gerrymandering will break. Too much demographic change.***<br /><br />Another 2 years of Reps running things this way, Gerrymandering won't help them! Obviously Dems won't vote for them, but their own core constituency has to be displeased since Obama has had one victory after another; w/ SC solidifying his programs in law! Reps kept talking about repealing or replacing; neither is getting done anytime soon! McConnell and Boehner promised so much if they got to take over Congress! It's happened; belatedly though! Their favorability is hovering around 9%! Reps might just stay home in protest '16 & '18!<br /><br />***I think it's going to get really depressing when the GOP can only hold a few governorships.***<br /><br />The states that elected these Gov's, including IL. here, they have no one to blame but themselves when they all start having serious problems! You can't keep cutting taxes w/o credit ratings suffering like NJ and skyrocketing deficits like Wisc., FLA, and MI.! Brown had to come back and save Cal. after Arnold almost drove it into the sea! They'll never learn!<br /><br />***If Fiorina wants to destroy Planned Parenthood....She should become it's CEO - Now I don't care who you are, that thar is funny!***<br /><br />That is hilarious and true! The woman keeps interviewing and takes no responsibility for what she did as CEO; "everyone ..., and this was more about the family not wanting to go another direction!" She's full of shit and a liar; funny how she has the nerve to talk about Clinton's veracity! She's also delusional saying PPP does this and that; profiting off the selling of body parts! "I saw that video where a fetus was on a table, heart beating, legs kicking, but had people saying we need to keep this baby alive to harvest it's brain!" The woman is certifiable!<br /><br />***Hillary admits her only qualification: She owns a vagina - She knows that her vagina is what will give her the best chance of becoming President.***<br /><br />She can't possibly screw up the country worse than "W!" It's like everyone including JEB forgot about "911, Katrina, 2 wars, a stock market crash, auto industry in distress, and banks going under!" "He kept us safe!" Yep; I guess you can look at it that way if delusional!<br /><br />***Can One of you Right Wing Loons remind Ben Carson that there is no Religious Test to be POTUS - Even Ted Cruz is knocking Ben. Ben should post here... his bigotry w/b allowed on PPIII***<br /><br />Some cons and Reps really showing their ignorance; a religious test and openly criticizing the POPE b/c he's being political? WOW! They really live in the past and would barely edge out of their caves if more liberal and open people weren't around for them to raise their torches in opposition!<br /><br />***In my post, I said we should have an American President. We might be at war w/ Islam in the near future, and you really want a Muslim in the White House? Get a grip and stop trying to be so PC. Pretty soon nobody will be able to speak b/c everything we say will be racist. Is that what you want America to become? I don't, so I will continue to give my opinion, as that is my right as an American; today anyhow.***Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-33523128724418875692015-09-24T16:01:50.107-05:002015-09-24T16:01:50.107-05:00***I don't agree that Roger's losses have ...***I don't agree that Roger's losses have to do w/ the mental aspect. For me, it's a level of play issue 1st and foremost. In all those finals and semis where he's had a chance but lost, he's been outplayed in all of them pretty much from the beginning to the end. I'd say on the contrary that he managed to stay in them, despite being outgunned and made the matches much closer than they would normally be. I'd contrast that w/ say, the AO2009 which was more of a gameplan/mental issue (there Roger was outgunning Nadal, but eventually lost b/c he got tight).<br /><br />When I say athleticism, I mean the combination of size/stamina/speed/explosion/strength. Cilic and Wawrinka are much stronger, more explosive players w/ more stamina/recovery than Roger and are thus better athletes at this stage of their careers, even if Roger still has a step on them in the movement department. Roger isn't winning baseline wars, precisely for this reason.<br />---<br /><br />Not to start a competition war, but I will bite, how is Nole's current competition much better than Roger's in 2006? Note that Roger had Rafa near his best on clay. Right now Nole has a fairly washed up Roger, a badly faltering (perhaps washed up Rafa) and then just Murray.***<br /><br />As much as I call the rest of the tour GUTLESS, they're a lot better than that; PLEASE! Berdych, Ferrer, Cilic, Wawrinka, Kei, Raonic, Dimitrov, Simon, and so many more are quite competitive and can take any of the Big 4 out these days! Nole's had to dig himself out of holes many a X of late; DOPO just last month in Cincy!<br /><br />***In a word--No. Federer was more dominant, lost fewer matches and lost fewer sets.***<br /><br />Federer was more dominant and lost fewer sets in his "day!" His style of player hypnotized his opposition and he floated through many a tourney w/o much fuss! Nole is dominating in his own way; taking his 1st 4 Masters of the season and surviving tough wins at Wimbledon and the USO! I still SMH over seeing the dominance of these 3 players routinely taking 3 of 4 majors, but Nole's had that little extra w/ his dominance in the fall going into the WTF! His run the last several years is unprecedented w/o even checking the record! Most top players are so drained that they're lucky to win more than a couple YEC's, but to also take the Masters events leading up to it can't of been done as routinely as Djokovic these last several years!<br /><br />***Tennis Generations, Part Two: Before the Open Era - In case anyone is wondering, here is what I have planned:<br /><br /> 1. Open Era Generations - Introduction<br /> 2. Before the Open Era<br /> 3. Gen 1: Dominance from Down Under (1934-38)<br /> 4. Gen 2: Ashe and Who? (1939-43)<br /> 5. Gen 3: A New Era (1944-48)<br /> 6. Gen 4: Connors & Crew (1949-53)<br /> 7. Gen 5: First and Greatest of the Swedes (1954-58)<br /> 8. Gen 6: Johnny & Ivan (1959-63)<br /> 9. Gen 7: Matty, Stefan, and Boris (1964-68)<br /> 10. Gen 8: American Greatness (1969-73)<br /> 11. Gen 9: Inbetweeners (1974-78)<br /> 12. Gen 10: Generation Federer (1979-83)<br /> 13. Gen 11: Rafa & Novak (1984-88)<br /> 14. Gen 12: The Donald Young Guns, aka the Lost Generation (1989-93)<br /> 15. Gen 13: A New Hope? (1994-98)<br />---<br /><br />Novak has reached the final of every big event in which he has competed (i.e. all except Madrid) since the Paris Masters last year. i.e.:<br /><br /> Paris - won<br /> WTF - won<br /> AO - won<br /> IW - won<br /> Miami - won<br /> M-C - won<br /> Rome - won<br /> FO - final<br /> WD - won<br /> Canada - final<br /> Cinci - final<br /> USO - won<br /><br />So if Novak can reach the final of Shanghai, he will have reached at least the final of every Slam and Masters in which he has competed for a whole year! Has anyone ever done this before? Roger came close in '06, but he lost in the 2nd Rd of Cinci, as well as missing Hamburg & Paris Masters. In other words, if Novak were to make the final in Shanghai, would this be the most consistent 12 months at the top level that anyone <br />has ever achieved? (I wonder how it compares to dominant 12 month periods by players further back in X?)***Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-16499397046467524332015-09-24T13:12:37.699-05:002015-09-24T13:12:37.699-05:00***Comparing Roger's '06 w/ Novak's cu...***Comparing Roger's '06 w/ Novak's current run:<br /><br /> Roger's Jan '06 - Dec '06:<br /> Wins 3 of the 4 Slams, final of the other<br /> Wins WTF<br /> 4 Masters wins, 2 finals, 1 2nd Rd, 2 absences.<br /><br /> Novak since Nov '14:<br /> Wins 3 of the 4 Slams, final of the other<br /> Wins WTF<br /> 5 Masters wins, 2 finals, 1 absence.<br /><br />So actually, regardless of what happens in Shanghai, is Novak's Nov '14 - Oct '15 the most consistently dominant 12 months ever?***<br /><br />In a word "yes!"<br /><br />***We can break this down into individual factors that matter w/ Roger:<br /><br /> 1. Only Wimby or USO. The other 2, AO and RG are much longer shots. He hasn't made a final in 5 yrs.<br /><br /> 2. Not getting upset early to a lower ranked player: has happened at all Slams. Seppi, Gulbis, Stakhovsky, Robredo.<br /><br /> 3. Not losing to a big hitter such as Berdych, Tsonga and maybe a few other players that 'get hot.'<br /><br /> 4. Not losing to Nadal IF he has to play him. He may not play Nadal, but if he does, I think Rafa walks into the match as the fave irrespective of his form. It's been 8 yrs since Roger beat Rafa in a major.<br /><br /> 5. Not facing Nole in the Final. Given the past 3 major finals btw them, Novak will walk into the match w/ too much confidence in addition to his peak game.<br /><br /> 6. 1st serve %. This used to bail him out when he was in trouble. But now, it inevitably drops in major finals.<br /><br /> 7. Not getting nervous, throwing BP's and big pts away. It is not as if Roger hasn't played well enough to win a slam. Of course he has; thrice in the past 2 years. <br /><br /> 8. Not sticking to an attacking game in finals. Although Roger has been able to transition to a much more attacking game plan w/ more/better net approaches, he has a tendency to revert back to baseline rallies in major finals. Again, it c/b nervousness and confidence issues. But he cannot outplay the top players from the baseline.<br /><br /> 9. FH unforced errors neutralizing the rest of his game. This is again something that happens w/ disturbing frequency on big points and BP's in major finals.<br /><br /> 10. 5 setters and stamina. A strong opponent in the final walks in knowing Fed's poor 5th set record in finals and his possible stamina issues in the 5th.<br /><br /> 11. Roger's waning 'opportunistic instincts.' When we look at RG '09 & Wimbledon '09, it can be argued that he "should not" have won them. Twice he came close to losing in RG '09. Roddick "should" have won the Wimbledon '09 final. But Roger rose to the occasion multiple X's when he needed it most.<br /><br /> 12. His laid back approach. When he's playing well enough to make it to the final, Roger doesn't seem to take a step back before the final and consider all the possibilities long and hard. Even a clear knowledge of what went wrong in previous finals can prevent some mistakes. This also provides more confidence to the opponent b/c he knows the Roger will not systematically tailor his tactics to his weaknesses.<br /><br />Many if not most of the above factors must swing the right way for Roger to win a major. What are the chances?***<br /><br />...I guess you can say thinking about it that Roger's "been done" since '08 when Nadal took ownership of the tour! Roger's played a few finals and goes years w/o a real sniff; '12 being his last great year w/ Wimbledon, taking #1 ranking back, and winning Silver in the Olympics! It's been only cosmetic IMO ever since! He's won some Masters, but when it comes to actually finishing in major finals, he's come up short again and again! We shouldn't be surprised w/ all of us hoping someone will donate a GS his way and I just can't see it happening! The competition has been ferocious even though I've been calling them gutless for years coming up short until recently! I think we'll know all by the AO how well a season all of the BIG 4 will be having, but Nole's KING for now!Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-8537895028317082262015-09-23T18:21:05.615-05:002015-09-23T18:21:05.615-05:00***Roger's coaching team is planning on evolvi...***Roger's coaching team is planning on evolving Roger's game further. In particular, he mentioned Roger can certainly improve his net play. Actually, w/ innovations such as SABR and his overall game becoming more aggressive, he always has a chance.***<br /><br />I've been saying for yrs he had to do just "this!" He isn't going to take out Nole from the baseline! He has to attack as he does on faster surfaces like Dubai and Cincy!<br /><br />***He is indeed coming to the net more often since Edberg came on board. However, his execution at the net is not as good as it c/b.<br />---<br /><br />He's had 3 legitimate chances now, and he's been outplayed in all of them (twice by Djokovic, once by Cilic) despite valiant physical and mental efforts. In some sense it's been the same problem for a very long X, really since '08 when he was no longer the best athlete or 1 of the best athletes in tennis.<br /><br />Tennis was always a young man's game for these reasons and even the greatest tennis talent the world has ever seen can't stop "Father X" or make up for rather large athletic deficits. I think the draw would have t/b very favorable to him for a chance to win another, but even then, I don't think he has the peak level to beat either an 'in form' Djokovic/Murray/Nadal or even an 'in form' player riding a hotstreak like Wawrinka or Berdych.<br />---<br /><br />Roger can definitely beat Murray and has already done so w/ quite a statement in Wimbledon this year. It'd be much more difficult at the AO and possibly even RG to beat Murray now that he's getting better on clay, but at the USO and Wimbledon my money w/b on Federer beating Murray > than 60% of the X. Nole's clearly the toughest ask for Roger these days, but a lot of it seems to be something of a mental block. Sure Novak's ROS is unreal, but there were plenty of X's in these 3 losses to Novak where it most definitely wasn't all down to ROS and just sloppy play from Roger that made the difference. ...We've said he needs to work on his FH. A few less sloppy netted HD's at inopportune moments may have been the difference btw Roger being 4/23 on break points in the USO final versus say 10-12 for BP's.<br />---<br /><br />...Sure Roger doesn't move nearly as well as he used to, but I'd still say he is well above average overall. Certainly he moves better than the likes of Stan and Cilic who have won 3 of the past 8 Slams. Stamina is a big issue and was part of the reason the Wimbledon final turned real ugly this year. Against the elite players Roger has to get it done in 3 or 4 and b/c of that, he pretty much needs to win the 1st set or it's probably over.<br /><br />...I think a big factor in the last 2 finals is that the moment clearly got to Roger. The way Roger played at USO final would've probably gotten by anyone but Novak, but the way he played the Wimbledon final he would've been beaten by Murray (who he destroyed in the semis) and a host of others. So even if Nole is knocked out, I still wonder if Roger can truly get past the nerves in a Slam final again?<br />---<br /><br />If Roger catches Murray in a final, I am betting on him, at least for the coming year.***Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-975420733012462992015-09-22T14:18:50.365-05:002015-09-22T14:18:50.365-05:00***Djokovic is widely considered to be 1 of the gr...***Djokovic is widely considered to be 1 of the greatest returners in the history of the sport, an accolade given to him even by Agassi. Though staying clear of best ever conversations, tennis coach Nick Bollettieri has continually been praising Djokovic:<br /><br />“When you look at match players in the history of tennis, I don’t believe that anybody can equal everything on the court that Djokovic does. I don’t think you can find a weakness in his game. His movement, personality, his return of serve, his serve, excellent touch, not hesitant in coming to the net, great serve. Over all, almost every player has a downfall; to me he doesn’t have one. He’s perhaps the best put-together player that I’ve seen over 60 yrs.” <br /><br />Tennis pundits have classified many of Nole's matches as some of the greatest contests ever, w/ the '12 AO final being considered the greatest match ever seen, as a testament to his greatness as a tennis player. Some longtime analysts claim that the Djokovic-Nadal rivalry ranks as the best rivalry in tennis history primarily b/c of the quality of matches they produce.***<br /><br />I've seen them come and go for well over 40 yrs! Someone can have a CY and you never hear from them again; Soderling & Del PO at the top of the list! Then you have this current crop like Dimitrov, Simon, Dopo, and so many others that can contest for a Master for a few months, then totally forget how to play the game after that! This 'BIG 4' have staved off many challenges w/ little sweat; almost always making SF and F until recently! Now it's more about the 'BIG 2' w/ a semi-challenge going on w/ Murray & Federer! So far Murray's results may be better, but H2H Roger has embarrassed him w/o losing a set! How do you do that; esp. against a relatively OLD MAN? Right now it's all about Nole; w/ a lock on #1 in the foreseeable future!<br /><br />***...Soderling and Delpo are top of the list 'cos the former had to quit playing due to mono and the latter is injured non-stop.<br />---<br /><br />Careful now when you talk about people racking up Slams while not beating great players in their prime. How many of Novak and Rafa's Slams have been against opponents well past their prime or opponents who weren't even great in the 1st place?***<br /><br />Who's had it tougher than Nole w/ Roger and Rafa getting "all the love" while he was the perennial #3 for a while until "breaking though" in '11? He only had 1 lower level player in Tsonga back in '08 final at AO! Since then he's had to deal w/ the other Big 4 in Murray, Federer, and Nadal! Fedal have had plenty of walkover competition in major finals; Ferrer, Roddick, Berdych, an aging Agassi, and others too numerous to name OTTH! Nole came of age, got his head on right, has a great team and work ethic, and he's finally reaping the benefits of that hard work! I give him all due credit and praise for what he's been able to accomplish w/ "most of the cheers" going to his rivals! I guess I love an underdog! I see so many parallels w/ Ivan Lendl when he had to compete against Borg, Connors, Agassi, Becker, Wilander, Edberg, & McEnroe; never got his due no matter how much he won!<br /><br />***Fiero, I'm not disputing Novak is playing great. Roger has been past his prime for years and his post was about Roger racking up Slams against no great players in their primes. You can say that about this era or in fact any era 'cos it'll never be the case that all the great players are the same age.<br />---<br /><br />...it's very true that Roger banged out over 12 Slams w/o beating a single great player in their prime. - Was Roger in his prime in '05, '06, '07, '08? Rafa beat him in all those years, and in '09 Roger won 2 Slams, and reached a further 2 finals; Rafa beat him in Oz. Nole beat Rafa in '11 & Oz in '12, then Rafa beat Nole in Paris in '12, and then beat the world #1 on HC's at the USO.*** Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-55262448927136976382015-09-17T20:37:21.791-05:002015-09-17T20:37:21.791-05:00***In total points earned, Djokovic has parked him...***In total points earned, Djokovic has parked himself w/i striking distance of a whole pack of players just barely ahead of him. In fact, Djokovic could potentially move all the way up to #2 by reaching the final at the AO.<br /><br />Career pts earned at GS<br /> 1. Roger Federer 58,795<br /> 2. Rafael Nadal 40,835<br /> 3. Jimmy Connors 40,480<br /> 4. Pete Sampras 40,385<br /> 5. Ivan Lendl 39,890<br /> 6. Novak Djokovic 39,790<br /> 7. Andre Agassi 37,675<br /><br />Nadal's lead on Djokovic is 1045, so if Rafa reaches the 4th rd or better, NOLE will have to win the title to pass the Spaniard. If Nadal reaches the final, he will prolong his stay at #2, which he earned at RG this year.<br /><br />Record against rivals - NOLE had 2 wins over top 10 ranked opponents in his run to the title. He now is 21-4 against top 10 opponents in '15 & 148-79 in his career. Those 148 wins are the 2nd most in tennis history behind only Federer.<br /><br />Against the Big Four, Djokovic has tied Nadal for the most wins w/i the 4-way rivalry.<br /><br />Wins against Big 4 (overall record)<br /> 1. Novak Djokovic 61(61-53)<br /> 1. Rafael Nadal 61 (61-37)<br /> 3. Roger Federer 45 (45-55)<br /> 4. Andy Murray 20 (20-33)<br /><br />Grand Slams - 10 GS titles now belong to Djokovic - 5 AO's, 3 Wimbledons, and 2 US Opens. He joins, Federer, Nadal, Sampras, Lendl, & Stefan Edberg as the only players w/ multiple slams at 3 different majors.<br /><br />Grand Slam titles (Open Era)<br /> 1. Roger Federer 17<br /> 2. Pete Sampras 14<br /> 2. Rafael Nadal 14<br /> 4. Bjorn Borg 11<br /> 5. Novak Djokovic 10<br /><br />Before taking the title in NY, Djokovic also won Wimbledon, making it the 3rd X that Djokovic had won cons. GS titles in his career. In the majors this year, Djokovic went 27-1, which equals the best record by a player in majors since Rod Laver won the GS in '69. Federer was the other player to go 27-1, doing so in '06.<br /><br />GOAT debate - Djokovic now holds many of his own records. The peak he has reached in 2015 is the highest peak ever reached by a player. He has won 4 of the 1st 7 1000 events played so far this year and reached the final of all 6 that he has played in, while winning 3 of the majors and all 4 major finals.<br /><br />Other than Fed though, nobody else is putting up #'s that are out of reach, except perhaps the incredible mark by Borg of 1148 ranking points earned per major. On the GOAT rankings, Federer may be out of reach for Djokovic right now, but everybody else is at risk of dropping behind Djokovic in the coming years. Ultimately, what we saw in the 2015 USO final were 2 of the sports all-X greats if not the 2 all-X greatest fighting for the most important trophy left in the 2015 season. Only X will tell how far Djokovic can climb the GOAT list.***Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-62031428062253849072015-09-15T19:12:30.094-05:002015-09-15T19:12:30.094-05:00***WINS AGAINST TOP-10 FOR DJOKOVIC IN THE SLAMS F...***WINS AGAINST TOP-10 FOR DJOKOVIC IN THE SLAMS FROM 2011-'15<br /><br />2011: 6 wins<br /><br />AO<br /> Berdych [6] QF 6–1, 7–6(7–5), 6–1<br /> Federer [2] SF 7–6(7–3), 7–5, 6–4<br /> Murray [5] F 6–4, 6–2, 6–3<br /><br />WIMBLEDON<br /> Nadal [1] F 6–4, 6–1, 1–6, 6–3<br /><br />USO<br /> Federer [3] SF 6–7(7–9), 4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 7–5<br /> Nadal [2] F 6–2, 6–4, 6–7(3–7), 6–1<br />--<br /><br />2012: 7 wins<br /><br />AO<br /> Ferrer [5] QF 6–4, 7–6(7–4), 6–1<br /> Murray [4] SF 6–3, 3–6, 6–7(4–7), 6–1, 7–5<br /> Nadal [2] F 5–7, 6–4, 6–2, 6–7(5–7), 7–5<br /><br />RG<br /> Tsonga [5] QF 6–1, 5–7, 5–7, 7–6(8–6) 6–1<br /> Federer [3] SF 6–4, 7–5, 6–3<br /><br />USO<br /> del Potro [8] QF 6–2, 7–6(7–3), 6–42–6,<br /> Ferrer [5] SF 6–1, 6–4, 6–2<br />--<br /><br />2013: 6 wins<br /><br />AO<br /> Berdych [6] QF 6–1, 4–6, 6–1, 6–4<br /> Ferrer [5] SF 6–2, 6–2, 6–1<br /> Murray [3] F 6–7(2–7), 7–6(7–3), 6–3, 6–2<br /><br />WIMBLEDON<br /> Berdych [6] QF 7–6(7–5), 6–4, 6–3<br /> del Potro [8] SF 7–5, 4–6, 7–6(7–2), 6–7(6–8), 6–3<br /><br />USO<br /> Wawrinka [10] SF 2–6, 7–6(7–4), 3–6, 6–3, 6–4<br />--<br /><br />2014: 3 wins<br /><br />RG<br /> Raonic [9] QF 7–5, 7–6(7–5), 6–4<br /><br />WIMBLEDON<br /> Federer [4] F 6–7(7–9), 6–4, 7–6(7–4), 5–7, 6–4<br /><br />USO<br /> Murray [9] QF 7–6(7–1), 6–7(1–7), 6–2, 6–4<br />--<br /><br />2015: 9 wins<br /><br />AO<br /> Raonic [8] QF 7–6(7–5), 6–4, 6–2<br /> Wawrinka [4] SF 7–6(7–1), 3–6, 6–4, 4–6, 6–0<br /> Murray [6]F 7–6(7–5), 6–7(4–7), 6–3, 6–0<br /><br />RG<br /> Nadal [7] QF 7–5, 6–3, 6–1<br /> Murray [3] SF 6–3, 6–3, 5–7, 5–7, 6–1<br /><br />WIMBLEDON<br /> Cilic [9] QF 6–4, 6–4, 6–4<br /> Federer [2] F 7–6(7–1), 6–7(10–12), 6–4, 6–3<br /><br />USO<br /> Cilic [9] SF 6–0, 6–1, 6–2<br /> Federer [2] F 6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–4<br />---<br /><br />I think it's now very clear that Djokovic's peak level is comparable to Federer's at his peak, w/ 2011 proving to be no fluke. Nole may end up beating as many top-10 players as Federer by the X it's all done. Both Federer and Djokovic have achieved years where they beat top-10 opposition 9 X's in the Slams. Djokovic has a chance this year to maybe achieve 30+ wins against top-ten players in 2015.<br /><br />Djokovic is very dominant this year, as Federer was in his best years. He c/b dominant next year too. Who would bet against him being a contender once again at all 4 majors? He's in his pomp. I maintain that 2015 Djokovic is the peak version of Djokovic I'd choose to enter some mythical GOAT chps.<br />---<br /><br />Djokovic H2H records:<br /><br />Nadal: 21-23<br />Federer: 21-21<br />Murray: 19-9<br />Wawrinka: 18-4<br />Berdych: 19-2<br />Ferrer: 15-5<br />CIlic: 14-0<br />Tsonga: 13-6<br />Del Potro: 11-3<br /><br />How do you dare call Djokovic a 1-year wonder?***Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854664721188119454.post-72945123268861516452015-09-15T19:10:47.532-05:002015-09-15T19:10:47.532-05:00***...Back to Novak, even after he drops a notch h...***...Back to Novak, even after he drops a notch he really could continue winning a Slam or 2 into his 30s considering the field. I see him winning many more Slams post-28 than Roger did (only 2 so far). Roger's Slam titles dropped off so precipitously b/c 2 things happened: his slight decline from 2007-09 continued so that he reached a lower plateau in '10, and during that X Rafa began his peak phase and Novak and Andy est. themselves as elite players. Even if Novak drops a bit in '16 and going forward, if he can maintain a high level he can really rack up some Slams b/c there are no equivalent young elites coming up. Where Roger had Rafa, Novak and Andy, Novak has Kei, Milos, and Grigor. That's what I meant by Novak having it comparatively easy in his late 20s than Roger had it during the same period of X. I could see Novak winning 6-8 Slams over the next 3 yrs. But of course it is probably unlikely that we won't at least see some surprises.<br />---<br /><br />There are few other aspects of Novak to consider:<br /><br />YE #1: This was achieved only 5 X's by Roger and 3 X's by Rafa. Of course, Pete has 6.<br />- This year is Novak's 4th year ending #1. He is a shoe-in for '16 and an almost shoe-in for '17.<br /> So, it looks like Novak can surpass Fed and equal Pete (though not in cons. yrs) in this regard.<br /><br />- Weeks at #1: This may be more difficult. He current has 164 wks at #1. Add 16 more wks to that as he is guaranteed to be #1 until next season starts and then it becomes 180. If he can remain #1 for 2 more years, which is difficult but not impossible, it becomes 290 and then he is very close to Roger.<br /><br />- # of WTF/YEC titles? Again here he is dangerously close to Roger and might reach and/or surpass him. Roger has 6 and Novak has 4 right now. If we give '15 & '16 WTF titles to Novak (which is not far fetched), he would already equal Roger.<br /><br />- GS? This is the 1 mostly talked about in the other thread. It looks like if Rafa remains static, Novak will surely reach him at the very least; even w/ a cons. est. of 2 slams in '16, 1 more in '17, and 1 more sometime before his career ends.<br />---<br /><br />As "awful" as Rafa has been, he's still #7 in the rankings and has a chance of finishing as high as #5. Clearly that isn't up to his own standards, but if he can make some adjustments then I don't see why he can't return to the #2-4 range. Unless, of course, the physical erosion is so great that he truly is in a downward spiral. To put it another way, while I don't think we'll ever see '13 Rafa, we might see something better than '15 Rafa.<br /><br />While he could go up to #2-4, he could also go even lower. X will tell in which direction he will go. I can see him replacing David Ferrer, being a collector of the smaller clay events (250 and 500) w/ the occasional Master finals and Slam SF. As we saw, that was enough for David to maintain a top 8 position up to 32 years. However David was a very good distance runner. That's where I'm curious how Rafa will be going forward in comparison to David. How well his running ability will held up. This year I saw not 1 instance that fatigue played a factor.***Jamie / Fiero425https://www.blogger.com/profile/09067317321797435654noreply@blogger.com