***Novak knows tennis patterns when rallying to a surreal level. Add that to a exceptional retrieving ability where the ball seems to slow down a fraction on his side of the net.***
This is so reminiscent of Barry Bonds in his "hey day!" No matter how hard a pitcher threw the ball, it looked as if it was in slow-motion as Barry yanked it out of the yard w/ no problem! Its amazing he was able to do that; esp. w/ how many managers just walked the guy intentionally! It's like that w/ Nole saying he has no real comp. @ this X &'s being gifted majors w/o Fedal to stop him! More horseshit of course!
***...So if there's a yr. when Djokovic wins just 1 slam (or = 2) combined w/ playing very few tourns., it w/b hard for him to hold the #1 spot. I think he can reach 400-450 wks @ #1.***
Nole's reign is already in jeapardy! Even though he's won 3 Majors, like '16 w/ 2 Majors & 4 Masters, he still wound up 2nd behind Murray who played so many 500 events, he not only caught up to Nole, but put his own career in jeapardy when he began to brk down! Djokovic's just 2000+ pts ahead of Med who still has a chance to steal YE #1! It's BS, but that's how it works = w/ the Big 3 in charge of the tour!
***W/ this win Djokovic's almost guaranteed to have #1 throughout the yr. (Med's def. a huge # of pts. til the end of the yr.), & he'll prob. have #1 until @ least the FO or next yr.'s Wimbl. which's like 375 wks or so. So really all I'm talking about is I think he can win (some say 'vulture') another 120 wks or so to reach 500 & not nec. in a row. ---
Poor Roger fans. Must be tough seeing Djoker strip Roger of all big recs., wks @ #1, slam rec., Masters titles. Not only this, Rog has a losing rec. vs Djoker & could never topple Rafa @ FO. Djoker also has the Nole-Slam, but prob. > devastating is how Djoker has beaten Rog in his house, in 3 big finals @ Wimbl. Djoker has invaded Rog & Rafa's houses & brought the houses down. Man, I hope Djokovic doesn't get 8 or > Wimbl., this w/b an insult to Fed. As a person who was never Rog's biggest fan, even I wouldn't want this, so he sails into sunset w/ @ least 1 rec. in tact!
Rafa fans are equally frustrated...Well, hey, denial will eventually lead to acceptance, = for you. Yeah, Djoker's the GOAT it seems. ---
As of NOW, Djoker clearly leads the GOAT race, but it's not over yet. Can Rog & Rafa turn things around?
Why Novak The GOAT:
1. Rec. wks @ #1. 2. Tied for slam rec. 3. Winning rec. vs the other 2 in the GOAT debate. 4. Only 1 of 3 who has won all 4 slams in a row. 5. Most Masters win. 6. Putting all big titles together - Masters, ATP Cup, Slams, Nole's totals the highest ever.
7. Toppled Roger in his house (Wimbl.) 3 X's in finals. 8. Only player to topple Rafa in his house twice (French) & has > wins over Rafa on clay.
9. Arguably, the > complete game. No weaknesses. Nadal may have > spin, Roger > variety, but looking @ their game in terms of strengths/weaknesses, Djoker may have the > complete game of all. As Uncle Tony always says 'w/ Roger, we had a strategy, w/ Djokovic, none.'
a.) Amazing groundstrokes, =ly as eff. on any surface. b.) Amazing defense, movement. Prob. best ever. c.) Amazing offense from baseline w/ ability to take ball early & employ uncanny depth consistently.
d.) Arguably the best return ever. e.) A very eff. serve w/ great placement. f.) Very eff. dropshot. g.) A very eff. slice, which he has used eff. on grass. h.) As of recent, very good volleys w/ ability to S & V w/ great effectiveness.***
The rec. doesn't lie, but fans still delusional!
***I like Rafa. In fact, @ his best, beats Djoker on clay...
But Djoker has beaten Rafa @ French (clay) > anyone else & also beaten Roger @ Wimbl. > anyone else. Crazy. True makings of The GOAT.***
1. Borg 1145 2. Laver 1057 3. Djokovic 995 4. Nadal 959 5. Federer 879 6. Rosewall 786 etc...
I like the article's descrip. of Borg as "Sandy Koufax in Wimbl. whites." Clearly this metric goes the other direction, biasing those who didn't play many Open Era Slams. Laver barely played 8 Slams after his great '69 season, despite being prob. the best player on tour for another 2 yrs, top 10 thru '75, & playing a few titles thru '79. We also haven't seen Rafa & Novak go thru a real decline phase yet, so their avgs will likely go down un< they retire soon. But they'll almost certainly remain > dom. > Roger by this metric. ---
Fun stat: Groups of 60 Slams - Roger, Rafa, Novak.
All 6+ Slam winners born '39-69: Newcombe, Borg, Connors, McEnroe, Lendl, Wilander, Edberg, Becker.
All non-Big 3 Slam winners born after Becker (+ Muster, born month 1/2 B4): Thiem, Murray, Wawrinka, Cilic, del Potro, Gaudio, Roddick, Ferrero, Costa, Hewitt, Johansson, Safin, Ivanisevic, Kuerten, Kafelnikov, Moya, Korda, Rafter, Krajicek, Muster, Bruguera, Stich, Chang, Courier, Agassi, Sampras.
% of Open Era Slams won by the Big 3: 28.2% (60 of 213) % of Slams won since 1st Big 3 Win: 83.3% (60 of 72) ---
Novak's already officially qualified for the WTF. If cut's made today, the remaining 7 players in order are as follows: Tits, Matteo, Rublev, Sasha, Med, Rafa & Hubi. There w/b lots of twists & turns over the next 4 months.***
But somehow he hasn't officially been anointed YE #1! Hard to believe w/ 3 majors under his belt! That's SICK AF IMO! So reminiscent of '16 when Djokovic had 2 majors, a USO final, & 4 Masters wins, but still wound up 2nd to Murray! This needs t/b fixed, m/b give > pts for the majors! In the old days this would never have happened! BJK was unofficially #2 in '75 due to her winning Wimbl. B4 her retirement! That couldn't happen today!
***Fed beat Nadal twice @ SW19. And Nadal's a >er player > anyone Borg faced. Borg also faced Nastase & Tanner.***
Borg got an early start preparing for Wimbl. due to his upset in Paris by Panatta! Bjorn ended up str.-setting the field thru the final vs Ilie in '76! The match w/ Tanner in '79 is what made "Breakfast @ Wimbledon!" It was a nice match going 5 sets!
***But isn't that same for Fed in '06,'07,'08,'09? J/b he lost the final apart from '09 doesn't mean he got the Xtra X. He was there @ the RG til the end & then played the grass warmup B4 Wimbl. Most people forget Fed played AO also, so there was always > milage on Fed's body til Wimbl. so his 5 in row trumps for me.***
...Borg won FO, then traveled directly to Wimbl. to start training! He had "DAYS" until his 1st opening match! Most FO players who did well were in desp. strs. so soon trying to change surfaces on the fly! They were often upset @ Queens, then "gone too soon" in the 1st Rd. @ Wimbl., but somehow Borg escaped when grass was treacherous! Fed's had every brk poss. btw FO & Wmbl. w/ his very own "warm-up" event so I call BS on the comparison. Borg wins over Fed in the turnaround debate!
***Murray was vulturing to grab > pts & take @1 just for some per. of X. He was good, but not #1 good tbh.***
It was made > disturbing as Novak had won 2 majors, completed his Nole-Slam, & was in the finals of the USO & YEC in '16! How was he not YE #1 for the season? That was whack, but Murray played so much that yr. he broke himself down & he's never been the same since! He tries to play the game that got him there, but it's weak where he's being overpowered by kids!
***So where is Murray in wks @ #1? High or very low? ...Yes you can become #1 if you are great player & vulture some extra 500, 250 if you get lucky too, but overall it's sign of consistency being >er > other players.***
OTTH Murray only held the #1 ranking for a very short X; > of it during the dead per. btw The YEC & AO! He was born in the wrong era! If not for Fedalovic, he'd prob. of won @ least 6-8 majors & count< Masters! I've hated his defensive game so it's saved me from blogging about him being one of the best!
***We have 3 players w/ 20 Slams each. What's the TB? - My answer, when they're all from the same era, is H2H & particularly H2H in slams?
Basically the GOAT debate's a quest to try & work out who was the best player ever, but we can't do that w/ players who've never played each other or played in completely diff. X's w/ diff. equip. We can't compare Laver w/ Sampras, but we can compare him w/ Emerson. Despite him having > slams, no one has ever placed Emerson ahead of Laver, in part b/c of the CYGS, but mainly contemporaries know that Laver was by far the >er player due to the H2H.
McEnroe's only 1 slam behind Lendl, but again it's obvious from their H2H that Lendl was the much >er player. Sampras' way ahead of Agassi, but if their H2H were close, it'd raise ??'s, how can you be the GOAT when you weren't unequivocally the Greatest of Your Own X? But Sampras has a dom. H2H so that ?? doesn't exist.
So w/ all 3 tied on 20, it's clear to me that Nadal & Djokovic are some way clear of Fed. Nadal has the nod on H2H in slams vs Djokovic. Djokovic has the nod overall in H2H & has a NCYGS.
...Djoko gets the benefit of doubt for winning 3 Slams @ 34. Nadal gets the benefit of doubt for being an unstoppable clay force in his 30s, = w/ a clearly declined clay game, I don't think it's fair to not give Fed his due for what he did B4 his H2H losses started racking up in '08.***
***Nole’s always been very skinny; by far the skinniest out of the Big 3.***
If you limit carbs, it's almost imposs. to hold onto fat of any kind; hence the emaciated app. of Nole! That was a big deal a dec. ago which turned his life & career around, elim. gluten from his diet & dealing w/ breathing issues! He took ex. of Lendl to new hts. of conditioning!
***Just think about the fact that a lot of people considered Wawrinka fat for a tennis pro :-D***
I think Nalbandian & Ferrer suffered from the same misconceptions! I always thought they just looked horrible in the clothes they wore; mostly ill-fitting or baggie! I think I was a bit like that; the barrel chest makes the shirt stand out a bit = if slim-waisted! Stan was part of ESPN Mag. "Naked Issue," & was as fit as any person I've ever seen!
***Anyone know who of Goran or Vajda w/b present w/ Djoko in Tokyo? Think it's crazy w/ so much Covid around that he's willing to increase poss. chances of contracting it & preventing him playing USO or @ least threatening his health B4 such a big event.***
Logic says this is a once in a lifeX chance either way! As lib. as I am, "I'd still beg off Tokyo" w/ their underlying issues no matter the precautions! It'd immortalize him to win OG & finish it off w/ a OGCYGS if USO Chp. in the cards like Steffi on the ladies' side! I feel he's going above & beyond due to Fedal mythology! He won't feel "the love" the way they have it & he's trying to leave "NO DOUBT!" We can hark on the age diff., the early dom. that changed over X, w/ recs inflated by the tech, conditioning advances, & homogenized court surfaces! A 100 yrs from now, no one'll care! It's why Borg's legend is still way up there b/c of his "mythos!" Right now Fedal have it, but Nole's knocking on the door!
***I do think the slam race btw Nadovic is far from over. It won't be over til 1 of them has @ least 4 > slams. And still....We've seen how it works.
Djokovic wins Wimbl.'19 = this match was decisive for the slam race, now it's almost certain Djokovic will catch Fedal.
Djokovic's default @ USO = he missed a huge opp., slam race is prob. for Nadal now.
Nadal destroys Djokovic in Paris'20 = the race is def. over. Nadal's a lock for next RG. He may win the CYGS next yr. & AO's a must-win for Djokovic.
Djokovic beats Nadal & wins RG'21 = the slam Race is def. over. Djokovic will make the CYGS & Nadal's never winning a slam again, not = RG.
If Nadal wins the USO this yr., all we'll hear is how he has a good chance to win the AO, how he's a lock for RG, how he could win the CYGS in '22, & how Djokovic is done & never winning a slam ever again.
If Djokovic wins the USO, all we'll hear is he's the GOAT &'ll win 10 > slams & how Nadal's done done done for good this X.
Even Fed. Imagine he won Wimbl. or wins the USO. All we'd hear is how he can still win @ least 1 of not 2 slams next yr., how he's the GOAT for winning a slam @ 40 & how he's still in the run for the slam race.
This is neverending. Again, I don't think the slam race w/b a done deal anyX soon. No one can predict what'll happen.
Even if Djokovic wins the USO, it's only 21-20. All it takes is a massive injury in '22 or a bad yr. like '17, & Nadal becomes the huge fave everywhere next yr., & could easily win 2, if not 3 slams, making 23-21 by the end of '22.
And even if Nadal wins USO, it's also 21-20. W/ Djokovic fave for AO & Wimbl. for @ least 2 > yrs...
I'll only consider Djokovic winning the slam race if he wins this USO & wins 3 slams next yr. (24) while Nadal is still stuck @ 20 by the end of '22. There has t/b 4 if not 5 slams btw them. A 3 slams gap isn't enough. We've just witnessed it this yr. (from the humilation in RG & 17-20 to 20-20, 8 months later).***
***...The same phenomenon's happening w/ Fed on dedicated F1 forums. They are mostly clue< & believe he still must be the GOAT when the conversation rarely arises. Yet on these F1 forums there's nothing close to a consensus on Schumacher as the GOAT, much like here w/ Fed, w/ a good # actually putting him outside = the top 5, citing elements such as sportsmanship & comp. and all the usual jazz.***
It's what seems to happen over X! The GOAT of a certain era is demoted severely when someone else takes over! We proclaimed Sampras the GOAT w/o = a FO Final on his resume! After Fed zipped past him in < a decade, he was placed behind Laver who owns 2 CYGS; 1 Am.. 1 Pro! Borg has consistently stayed "up there" thru his legend retiring when everyone knew he'd continue winning FO's for another 4-5 yrs! It's all gonna end up hope< w/ certain groups believing > in Fedal > Djokovic who's obliterating their recs sooner > they accomplished them!
***It was the media which promoted Fed & his fans too, so for Novak to beat him, the media + fans have to promote him. Otherwise who decides whether Sampras is the GOAT or not? For many Sampras might still be the GOAT. Recency bias always takes over.***
I know what you mean! The world will proclaim Djokovic "THE GOAT" after all's said & done, but Sampras is my GOAT b/c of his 6 str. YE #1's w/ comp. a lot deeper due to court specialists! The tech & homogenized courts have just made Djokovic > like a Lendl 2.0; a machine that can't be stopped! ---
Well they're off & running in Tokyo! I had no idea GB put Murray in the Singles' draw as well! What a waste, but I guess the def. champ. has to make an appearance = if in an invisible wheelchair! That was hilarious from Mary, "it's only 11 AM & it's hotter > the hinges of HELL out there!"
***Andy has WD from singles play due to a quad strain. Unlucky?***
I think he just didn't want to go out in this heat & get run to death by FAA!
***Assuming Sampras, Agassi, Federer, Djokovic, Nadal, Safin, Hewitt, Roddick, Stan, Murray, Kuerten, Bruguera, Courier, del Potro, etc. etc all born in the same yr. & playing for a per. of 12-14 good yrs B4 next-gen. arrives, conditions similar to the 90s.
I miss those old days where @ any given Major, there c/b a dozen players who had won something; @ least a lowly AO from the 70's! I'm glad they turned things around & are on = footing w/ the other majors! Lendl, Wilander, Navratilova, & Evert helped make them what they are today by going "down under" every yr. bringing other top talent who won like Edberg & Mandlikova!
***W/ Big 3 & everyone else in the 90s, surely we would've got such a scenario.
Nadal & rest of the clay courters would clean up Clay. In odd yrs when Nadal loses, surely it w/b the clay courters winning. Fedovic, Pete, Agassi all w/b on 0.... no room for vultures.
W & USO w/b too fast. Sampras & Fed would win them; almost all. Djokovic would also take 2-3 slams (he's too good to not win anything) but not > ...Nadal + Agassi w/b on a royal 0 .... no room for vulturing.
AO w/b the most closely fought slam btw Fed, Novak, Agassi, Safin, Nadal .... all like slow courts too. Pete wins 0 since he hates slow courts.
No room for any sort of GS or CYGS type stuffs....***
***Fed looks anxious & confused last 2 yrs as it dawns on him he'll be heading into retirement while there are 2 active players w/ > slams > him. He prob. always envisaged nice exit interviews asking him how it feels t/b GOAT, etc - not going to happen now.***
IMO, Fed had to see this coming yrs ago, but his ego wouldn't allow him to act upon it! I'm one of those people who thought he prob. would/should've retired if/when he had taken OG in '12! I just didn't think it worthwhile hanging on these last 8-9 yrs to only acquire 3 Majors when the masses could've asked "what if?" as w/ Borg! Now he'll allow 2 players to jet past him in the major ct. while still active! Pete got 8+ yrs of adulation & being thought "The GOAT!" It's already past tense when it comes to Roger!
***Good post, though not sure he should've retired in '12? No way could anyone have seriously anticipated Djoker could just win slams @ will like this, or to top it off w/ CS @ age 34. Sure there was some chance, but really it w/b reasonable to think it wouldn’t happen. Any way it’s Fed’s worst nightmare coming true B4 his eyes & he can’t stop it. As great a career as he’s had it's going t/b very bittersweet. The '19 Wimbl. loss he'll never get over. He just served 2 aces in a row to get to 40-15 double MP, & very nearly served another ace to finish the match in style. It just missed, & the rest is history. ---
...IW, Miami -> IW becomes 1250 MC, Madrid, Rome -> MC becomes 750, Rome becomes 1250 Canada, Cincinnati -> Cincy becomes 1250 Shanghai, Paris -> Paris becomes 750
I'd also want Halle t/b @ least a 750, if not a 1000 for the grass season t/b > just some irrelevant tourneys, Halle/Queens, & Wimby.***
To go along w/ that, they also need to look @ the pts. given for winning Majors! I've already kvetched about this B4! Back in '16 after Djokovic wrapped up his Nole-Slam you'd think he'd invariably end up as YE #1; esp. after getting to the finals of the USO & the YEC/WTF! It came down to the last match of the season where Murray stole it w/ 1 major & every 500 he'd get to! He's been paying for it ever since; totally brk'n down B4 his X! Now, w/ Djokovic owning 3 Majors, he's still not secure in taking #1 YE ranking due to a ton of pts. Med needs to defend this Fall! Could lightning strike again? Doubtful since I believe Djokovic will get pts. from the Olympics & The USO along w/ a slow fade of Daniil!
***...Imagine they + a 5th slam & someone gets to 21 one day, there w/b a huge asterisk b/c The Big 3 only had 4 chances/yr. If they start upgrading / downgrading Masters 1000 to ATP 750 or Masters 1250, it w/b a total shambles. The Masters 1000 recs w/b irrelevant then. If Djokodal end up w/ 40 Masters & some day a new guy wins 41, but some of them only give 750 pts., asterisks everywhere. And so on. ---
It's not just about winning majors, but about the pts. on offer @ all stages. It w/b 1 thing if Djokovic had def. Nadal in all 3 GS finals, but Nadal won everything else going. The pts. on offer @ majors in gen. are too low. They s/b worth @ least 3x any MS event. ---
Who's the best ever Open Era player that isn't considered an ATG?
Andy! He lived in the era w/ 3 20+ Slam winners, still won 3 Majors & made the final of 8 others. Made 10 other SF's to boot. He took a dozen M1000s, was #1 for a X, a YE #1, won the ATP/YEC, & 2 OG's.
I think the other contender is Vilas who got 2 of the weakest Slams among multi-major winners in the Open Era (the AOs B4 the 80s). Though his USO was reasonable, & despite having no Borg in his RG, twas still fairly solid. I'd rank his Slam achievements as on-par (or so) w/ Murray. Murray is ahead elsewhere due to 2xOG, ATP Finals, & many M1000s. Vilas mostly just went for clay titles (though he did get plenty of tier 1 clay titles too). I'd say Murray ahead due to the comp.***
***Hewitt was >er > Sampras in '00-02. ...Sampras' a GOAT candidate & former GOAT while Hewitt isn't = an ATG. He's in the league of Murray-Stan-Roddick & nothing >.***
Well unfort. for all concerned, "EVERYONE" was >er > Sampras during a per. '00-02! After winninng Wimbl. in '00, he fell off a cliff unable to win anything for over 2 yrs. IMO, a final indignity was losing a 2nd Rd. match to some Swiss player @ '02 Wimbl. I'd never heard of; George Bastl! That '02 USO finale saved his legacy = though he had broken the rec. & had 13 Majors! "Thanks Andre for being Pete's pigeon so many X's!"
***Not everyone, but quite a few:
Sampras was ranked 3rd @ the end of '00 when Hewitt was 7th, Kuerten #1, Safin ranked #2, & Agassi 6th.
Sampras was ranked 10th @ the end of '01 when Hewitt was #1, Kuerten ranked #2, & Agassi #3.
Sampras was ranked 13th @ the end of '02 when Hewitt was #1, Agassi ranked #2, & Safin #3.
Do you know why/how Sampras won USO in '02? Sampras won it b/c Hewitt was on the opp. side of the draw w/ Agassi. Had Hewitt been on this side of the draw then he would've taken out Pete for sure. Everybody who witnessed tennis in that era knows that Hewitt was returning the Sampras serve - >er > Agassi was & his passing shots were also much >er > Andre's circa '01-02. Pete was completely sorted out by Hewitt. Twas luck that Hewitt was taken out by Agassi & then Agassi was gassed out for the final. Pete tamed a tired Agassi in the final or else it was Agassi's slam if the draw was opp. w/ Hewitt-Sampras in the semis. That's how good Hewitt was back then. Senior posters in age here know what Hewitt was in early 00s & how he had brought down Sampras. ---
If Fed, Sampras, Nadal, Djokovic, Agassi, Safin, Muster, Kuerten, Bruguera, Hewitt, Roddick, Murray, etc., etc ... every great player of the last 30 yrs born in the same yrs & turning pro in early 90s then this whb their slam counts over a per. of 12-15 yrs that they'd compete @ the >est level.
If these people of the JOC cared what people thought, this event wouldn't be going on now! The populous @ large are 9 to 1 vs this invasion of their country while a pandemic rages! I love giving people the benefit of the doubt, but this Japanese OC a-holes lied about the climate conditions! They knew they were lying! They were = busted on it, but decided "the games go on! $$'s t/b made! Pandemic be damned!"
***Well putting Tokyo in a 'state of emergency' for the games has done lit'l to stop the rising #'s of COVID in the country, regardless of what their people think. ...that the games shb cancelled. Lets us hope in '24, the Olympics in Paris, this horrid pandemic w/b gone; hopefully.***
IDK about being gone, but manageable w/b nice! Here in the States there are cons. parts of the country that're still fighting to preserve their rights t/b jerks! They're showing up in hospitals > & >, now begging for a vacc. that'll do them no good! I hate making Fed. mandates, but it wouldn't be the 1st X we've done it! Kids are commanded by law to have shots to stave off measles, mumps, & chicken pox to attend public school! Out in Calif. & NY I'm sure we've had a segment of elitists who thought they could/should cheat the system by buying proof of vac. over actually doing it! It's backfired on all concerned! I'm just glad I'm old &'ve learned to turn a deaf ear & blind eye to the madness around me as things "go to shit!" Is that a lit'l too morose?
***In Sydney we're in lockdown for another month; it w/b 2 months. We can't get a grip on this Delta variant of COVID which spreads quickly. I'm back in ICU. We have had a death of a young woman in her 30's w/ no underlying issues. All of the patients have not been vacc. Our gov't now & health officials are pleading w/ people to get shots.***
Cons. have hindered our efforts here, making it akin to Nazi German death camps when we even hint @ another lockdown! W/o a doubt, we're the > self-indulgent community in the world who HATE being = inconvenienced! It's so easy to change things b/c no ones' ever really satisfied! We have so much we can do to keep us occupied, but some flip out! I'm not shedding one tear for us when other countries are truly in a bad way! They can't order "take out" or a movie on the internet! I get so frustrated w/ the masses @ X's! They're NEVER HAPPY! I'm satisfied AF, but I've already lived while these young 'uns have been spoiled rotten by inattentive parents of my gen.!
***In the matter of one's health someX's we have t/b 'inconvenienced.' This is a world wide pandemic that isn't going away. People have to manage the best they can & always take precautions. We'll have to learn how to live w/ this pandemic the best way we can. ---
Some casual fans ignore everything, ...since the pandemic hit, my focus has been > on my 1st love, baseball, & < so on tennis, I've only kept up w/ the Slams.***
The pandemic prob. changed a lot of my priorities when it came to sports! I'm just getting back into basketball playoffs; w/ the Lakers elim. a great start! We can talk about other things than LBJ now! Liked the upsets; esp. w/ ATL's success! They don't deserve it after watching them for decades not support their teams! Even the Hawks failed to sellout for the Bulls in the playoffs in their "Hey Day!" They actually moved to a college gym so it would appear > like they cared! The Falcons got > adulation due to Deion Sanders, the new stadium, & making the playoffs! Haven't seen that fever pitch of support in yrs though! I was the > disturbed w/ how The Braves made the city proud yr. in/yr. out back in the 90's, but playoff games had empty seats! Shame!
***Don't know how Djokovic c/b clear Goat now, always losing in the biggest stage in tennis Olys. And it's been on his fave surface too, 3 out of 4 times; 2008,'16,'21. OMG that's embarrassing for Djokovic. Nadal still holds on to Co-Goat w/ Djokovic for now.***
Only Fedal fans can morph this into something > meaningful to justify their narrow beliefs when it comes to GOAT-dom! It's like you've been in an iso-tank until now & have no clue Djokovic has already won 3 Majors this season! He was going that extra mile to make it Golden! I didn't want him to put excess pressure on himself trying to win a BO3 event that doesn't guarantee success = though he's been @ the top of his game! It was a "Big ASK!" So what; Rafa has that hardware! Djokovic has everything else includ. > YE #1's, wks @ #1, & 5 YEC's! Now whacha got?
***...It all comes down to USO for me. Also Nadal has 2 Gold medals not just one. ---
Can Novak complete CYGS? Can Ralph stop Novak @ USO, if they meet? Which next gen'r'll shine @ USO? Will it be Med, Sasha, Perseus or someone else? Will Roger demonstrate semblance of TMF?
Latest odds after the bookies had some X to digest Novak's failure & tantrums in Tokyo.
As you can see, Novak has more chances of winning the USO than the rest of the field combined; but only barely larger.***
OTTH, Borg won the FO (when 1st) & Wimbl. in '78 & 80, but only got to the final of the USO! Nadal mhh a chance in '10 winning 3 in a row, except AO 1st in the season & retired in the 3rd set in QF to Murray due to injury!
***Of all the 3/4 Slam winners, Rafa is the only one to have won RG, Wimbl. & USO in same yr. '10.
Looks like Rafa's the 1 that has come closest to CYGS in '10. Would've won if not for AO injury.
- 3/4 SLAMS
Male OE players who've won 3 GS events in season: '74 Connors, USA (AO, Wimbl., USO) '88 M. Wilander, Swed. (AO, FO, USO) '04 Fed, Swit. (AO, Wimbl., USO) '06 Fed, Swit. (AO, Wimbl., USO) '07 Fed, Swit. (AO, Wimbl., USO) '10 Nadal, Spain (FO, Wimbl., USO) '11 Djokovic, Serbia (AO, Wimbl., USO) '15 Djokovic, Serbia (AO, Wimbl., USO) ---
In GS's Win % outside clay vs Top 10 ranked players (Min. 30 matches)
01. Sampras - 76.32% 02. Djokovic - 74.19% 03. Fed - 70.89% (This was 77+% on 1st 1/12 when he was 30)
""History doesn't rec. how Fedal passed the 78 days during which NATO bombed Yugo. Novak, who turned 12 as he sheltered, has cause to rem. his movements. Those who'd begrudge this man his hard edges might consider where he got them. At some pt., perhaps NY next month, the Serb w/b the >est male tennis player ever. (4 > slams sex-qual. will go.) At no pt. will he have been the > admired: not = 2nd->, not = of his era. The mystery's why. His style's attritional, say purists, as though angels weep when Nadal plays. ...The nationalism: how many in the lukewarm crowds = know of it? True, he crashed a sparkling party a dec. ago. But the brk-up of “Fedal” was no ruder > Nadal’s own usurpation of the Swiss. Stylistically, in fact, it was < of a shock....
I'm inclined to blame the personality-worship of tennis, the favored sport of people who don’t like sport. But = this won’t do. Djokovic's the > expansive & curious of the big 3. He's not just multilingual but absorbed by the learning. He roams well east of his Serbian Orthodoxy for beliefs or at least practices. Whether or not his diet stems from “quantum physics,” how telling that he cares. His critics don’t = get his real flaw right. It's not the bionic coldness that Slav athletes have had pinned on them since Rocky IV, so much as its near-opposite. A man who maintains a “gratitude journal” & “connection w/ my own soul” has too open, not too closed, a mind. And if his personality were the kind you can cut your fingers on, how could it not be? W/o whitewashing life in Basel or Mallorca, 1990s Belgrade was quite the hardship posting....
In 20 yrs in & around pols, 1 truth has taken a while to reg. on me. A “back story” cts for almost nothing. It brings lit'l understanding from the public. It earns 0 lat. for personal flaws. Even aside from natural present-bias, voters have lots of reasons to discount the biographical. Those who had a benign start in life want no reminding of their dumb luck. Those who didn’t want no reminding of their failure to reach escape velocity. ...If you bound out of a traumatic youth in sunny form, the trauma +s nothing to your appeal. If you crawl out scarred & prickly, expect no licence for those foibles. This is no < true in the workplace > in the public square. I have seen careers stall over it.
Given what Djokovic comes from, his personal intensity is natural. But he gets no pass for it. He is judged as Fedal are, despite formative differences that include a birth on the harsh side of the Iron Curtain. How often we prefer the idea of “mobility” to its individual case studies.""
I think Djokovic skipping Toronto was a good idea, but skipping Cincy is not. He needs to wipe out the neg. energy of Olympics.***
I think Djokovic & his team know what's best! So far they've been right a lot > not while winning majors in bunches to catch Fedal when > thought it imposs.! When he got to 12 majors, some of us already thought he s/b proclaimed the BOAT after stellar seasons in '11 & '15! W/ any luck & his normal mental toughness, Nole should do = >er by closing this deal on a CYGS! That missed OG could actually help!
***Remarkable how some lit'l off-the-cuff musing comes to own someone's psyche.***
It's not just "off the cuff musing!" I mon. other bds where Fedal fans think tennis begins & ends w/ them! I personally have no dog in this hunt! My fave player's Borg w/ Sampras "MY GOAT" = w/o a FO final! "The recs" started saying Djokovic w/b the BOAT & the knives came out! IMO, it prob. started after Nole won his 12th Major! He was coming up fast & many got nervous saying "he can't catch up!" They're still living in an alt. reality! The rec. is the rec. w/ Djokovic prob. owning it soon w/ lit'l chance of anyone dom. so thoroughly his or her sport!
Big 3 slams won beating that event's past & future champ. (1 player who won the event B4 & after the match):
Djokr (6): AO08, AO11, USO11, W14, W15, AO16
Nadal (4): W08, AO09, USO13, RG20
Fed (1): W12 --
Big 3 slams won beating X of that event's champs:
Fed (6): USO04, W05, USO05, USO07, W12, AO17
Nadal (4): RG06, RG07, RG08, W08
Djokr (2): USO11, USO15 --
Big 3 slams won beating X of that event's past champs:
Fed (4): USO04, W05, USO05, AO17
Djokr (2): USO11, USO15
Nadal (0): ===
The winner of this tourn. is determined by > pts won. H2H of Big 3: 2 pts for a win & a pt. each for a tie.
Basically the pt. is to determine the best H2H rec. w/o the lopsided matches favoring 1 player’s fave surface/slam @ the expense of another’s.
AO:
Nadal beats Fed b/c he has a 3-1 lead @ the AO Djokr beats Nadal b/c he has a 2-0 lead @ the AO Djokr beats Fed b/c he has a 4-1 lead @ the AO
FO:
Nadal beats Fed b/c he has a 6-0 lead @ the FO Nadal def. Djokr b/c he has a 7-2 lead over him Djokovic & Fed tie b/c they are 1-1 @ the FO
Wimbl:
Fed beats Nadal b/c he has a 3-1 lead @ W Djokr beats Nadal b/c he has a 2-1 lead @ W Djokr beats Fed b/c he has a 3-1 lead @ W
USO:
Fed & Nadal tie b/c they are 0-0 @ the USO Nadal beats Djokr b/c he leads 2-1 @ the USO Djokr & Fed tie b/c they are 3-3 @ the USO
Final Placings:
1st PL. – Djokr, 10 pts from a poss. 16 2nd PL. – Nadal, 9 pts from a poss. 16 Last – Fed, 5 pts from a poss. 16***
The prob. was Roger wasn't playing that hot back in '09! He was quite lucky to have gotten away w/ performances dramatically er prepared to face Djokvoic in '15 in that big yr. after having played w/ the new racquet for 4-5 yrs now. His '17 resurgence could've come a lot earlier. He wasted so many good yrs & today he's a loser b/c of that.***
***Djokovic is the flavor of the month. But in a few yrs, when the dust has settled, of course Fed will remain the most loved & revered player & gen. seen as the GOAT. Comparable to Serena & Steffi. A few yrs ago many liked (!) Serena & = called her women's GOAT. Nowadays only Serena fanatics still think she's the greatest.***
The problem is, w/ all her ability, Serena "half-arsed" it! She came & went from the tour as she pleased; esp. early on! She had all kinds of outside interests w/ acting, clothing design, & red-carpet walking in gen.! She prob. shg past 30 majors, but it wasn't t/b! Making major finals of late is her KARMA! Evert, Martina, King, Court, & others were committed while Serena did her own thing! It's gonna cost her w/ her stock going down & Navratilova's going up as X goes on IMO w/ 59 Majors on her resume! No one else is close in the OPEN Era!
***Edberg & Lendl had quite the rivalry @ the AO w/ their H2H being 2-2 there, 3 of them 5-set'rs:
Great! Lendl, Edberg & Becker had quite the rivalry. They played in an Era that incl. Sampras, Agassi, McEnroe, Stich, Courier, & Ivanisevic. That's REAL comp. Things were not as lopsided as it was in the 21st century w/ Fed/Nadal/Djokovic.***
I used to muse that @ any given Major or Masters 1000 event, you could have 8 to a dozen GS winners in the draw; esp. B4 the top players began going "down under" in the 80's! The men have become like the women were back then w/ just 3 or 4 winners of majors in a draw! Now w/o Fedal, it's been slim pickin's w/ WC's like Murray, Cilic, & Wawrinka dragging around their old carcasses! Thiem is a shell of himself & we're still waiting for Tsitsipas & Zverev to win who've had their chances!
***I personally think all 3 (Fed, Nadal & Djokovic) benefitted from court homog. & lack of credible opps. Compare this vs the late 80s/ early 90s (Alphab.) :Becker, Courier, Connors, Edberg, Ivanisevic, Krajicek, Lendl, McEnroe, Muster, Rafter, Stich, Sampras. This is insanely high comp. Each surface had its specialists. That's why, = today, to me, Sampras' in my ATG top 3 B4 Fed/Nadal/Djokovic. ---
In TTC Forum: Fed fans dislike Novak b/c he's vulturing a weak era from '17 onwards. Fed'd vulture just 3 slams in this phase, Nadal'd vulture 6 slams, while Novak vultured 8 slams & looks set to vulture another 5-6 slams. That's why people are PO'd b/c all sorts of recs are brk'n.
Novak fans dislike Fed out of sheer jealousy. He's been GOAT for like 12-15 yrs, the status of the > celebrated Tennis player. Still Fed refuses to go, steals all the limelight; "retire old man! Why block limelight that should've fallen on Novak? Despite dom. the last dec. he remains under the shadow of Fed. This bothers Novak as well as his fans a lot.
Nadal fans are somewhere in btw, their hero a 1-trick pony who looks like Superman during the clay season & outside that he's an injured man. So they're forced to watch Fed dom. 00s & Novak dom. 10s despite Nadal being @ his peak in both decades. So they've teamed up w/ Fed since Novak is 1 now. Their own hero Nadal seems finished now so they're upset.***
***Yes, Fed won 3 slams during the Inflation Era. But during his peak/prime ('04-09), he won 14 slams & surpassed Pete's rec.
And, Djokovic is not still in his prime:
Geriatric Fed & Past-prime Nadal (though Rafa's ger. in exp.) won 6 of 6 slams from '17 AO-'18 RG.
Past prime/Ger. Nadal & Past-prime Djokovic won 8 of 9 slams from '18 WB-'20 RG.
Past prime Djokr won 3 of 3 slams from '21 AO-'21 WB.
These players have dom. @ the slams during the Inflation Era, but they're still past/way-past their primes. Fedal are out for the yr., & poss. 4ever.
I think you're judging prime based on old standards. In the YE top 10 in '15, Djokovic was the 2nd youngest in the group @ age 28, but = then he was closer to 29 than 28. Half of that top 10 were in their 30s & Fed @ 34 was #3. Due to science & tech. improvements in training, nutrition, & equip., players are simply playing better longer. The only X Djokovic's game took a serious dip was when he was struggling w/ an elbow injury throughout '17. This was the same per. when 1/2 of the best players on tour either went out or played poorly thru injury. In +tion to Djokovic, we're talking about Murray, Wawrinka, Nishikori, & Raonic. This was when Fedal won their majors. Before this, Djokovic utterly dom. by winning 4 majors in a row. After he recovered, he dom. again & won 8 of the next 11 majors, excl. the one in which he was DQ'd (since that outcome was not due to skill). His match prowess has not dipped in a significant way & hence, he's still in his prime. ---
Ralph is Out. No US Open. It's a DAMN shame. Speedy recovery towards Rafa & his team.***
So predictable! It's amazing for someone who strives t/b the GOAT! How much longer are we going t/b subjected to this BS by Fedal?
***I dunno Fiero; since when are injuries in sport BS? If anything, taking care of his body has actually extended Nadal’s career far beyond what the naysayers predicted & hoped.***
But that's the thing! It isn't just injury when it comcerns these players! A lot of it has to do with age! In the past the game didn't move this fast and older players could hang in there! Rafa's still trying to play the same way he did at 15 which is as stupid AF! He has a good net game, but over the last decade he's allowed "WC, Qualifiers, nobodies, & never-weres" to extend him to the limit! It's hard to feel ANYTHING for players who do this to their bodies; esp. someone like Murray! No one has to play that much of a defensive game, being run to death, then whine about being tired or hurt! Screw that; "stretch like Djokovic and save yourself!"
***Rafa's missing the rest of '21. Djokovic couldn’t ask for a better op. to do it.***
Medvedev's a lot > dangerous regard< if Rafa stayed or not! That guy c/b "scary" good @ X's; then others he'll crash & burn early!
***Med's now my #1 hope to win the US Open.***
That's the shameful part of this thing we call an ATP race! Djokovic's lost a couple YE #1's on the last day of the season holding X majors! In '16 he owned 2 completing his Nole-Slam, & was in the finals of a 3rd & the YEC finishing #2 behind Murray! Med's still in the running this yr. w/ Nole's 3 majors setting himself up for immortality! It w/b ridiculous if this were to happen again!
***Whomever becomes #1 deserves it. Rankings are objectively based on #'rs. It’s not a judged sport.***
So you'll have no prob. if Med snatches #1 @ YE regard< of what Djokovic has accomplished this season?
***Again, it’s all about math. My theoretically having a problem w/ Medvedev becoming #1 w/b a judgement call, & it’s not a judged sport.***
***Fed's enjoyed the GOAT status for 15+ yrs. All that hype that surrounded him B4 brk'n Pete's rec. & then what surrounded afterwards has been massive. ...If Fed did not want this to happen then he shouldn't've helped Novak at all those Wimbl. & USO's; he failed. ...that will now come back to bite his ass as he has allowed someone to enter his territory & m/b = surpass all his recs. Not a pleasant feeling after enjoying all this limelight for so long. ---
Djokovic can overcome any opposition, as in 10-1 rec. vs Fedal in his last 11 Slam matches against them. And don't say they were washed up & old. In that span, if they had overcame Djokovic, Fed would've +ed 5 > Slam titles & Nadal 3 >.***
...Most of his major wins came w/ victories over other Big 4 members; usually having to overcome 2 of them! He has a few easy finals of late so Nole's vulturing titles now! ...It's like "cry me a river" he's had bad luck w/ injury! IMO Rafa wouldn't be so beat up if he didn't play such a def. game allowing nobodies & never-weres to extend him to the limit Rd. after Rd.! Fed's simply past it & shouldn't be brought up again when it comes to the GOAT race!
***What do you guys think should ATP do to combat the obvious cheating that players like Tsitsipas are indulging in? It's not fair to the opps & also to the fans to wait all these ridiculous amts. of X. Time limits for bathroom brks? Requiring players to submit all their comm. devices @ the start of the match? (Back to school?)
Or just simply allow coaches to coach @ all X's or m/b + a coaching brk or something of the sort that you can take like once per match?***
The prob. is "it's in the rules!" Players have been taking advantage of "the rules" for as long as I can recall! One person has lit'l prob. getting thru a match while the other may or may not need to relieve themselves. They take the brk to brk up the momentum of their opp.! I recall a WTA clay Ch. back in '91 w/ Graf & Sabatini! Graf was winning comfortably, but Gabby took 2 brks that were allowed by rule to change clothes right when Graf was about to serve for the set! Gabby came back to brk serve both X's, subsequently going on to win the match & tourn.! It happens; almost to Zverev yesterday vs Tsitsipas, but was able to win anyway!
***Remove all MTOs, no leaving the court for any reason whatsoever. Last man standing wins.***
That would definately speed up play! It's amazing how this has gotten so out of hand w/ the MTO's, relentlessly toweling off, getting coaching advice, & the challenging of calls that make no sense! Most of it is to stall, rest, & aggravate as we all know it! We would have > upsets if top players were made to play on & stop their acts set up to save their asses when down & out!
***YUP! In the amateur era there were NO CHAIRS @ Wimbl. for players to sit on. They stood during the changeovers. - Perhaps the MTO's & potty brks have been factored into the bottom line by organizers to allow X for fans to purchase strawberries & cream & Pimm's Cups.***
Or it's this style that has caused the issue! ...The same has to happen to Nadal who's allowed many to push him to the limit from the 1st Rd. on unfortunately! It's that defensive way of playing that has taken out Murray & Chang in the past! All that running & hustling for balls has to have an affect & it's hard to have any real feelings or sympathy for them! It's their choice to play like that which is idiotic IMO! No one s/b surprised or = upset about this issue! It's not like they're limping out of the sport w/o accomplishments!
***Nadal obviously played to his strengths as any other playstyle would have most likely not have seen him end up w/ 20 slams. He could've served >er, but as USO'10 suggested that was unsustainable for his left arm. Swapping a >er serve for a weaker FH in gen. rallies wouldn't have boded well for him.
Hitting deeper & flatter? I don't think that would've worked for Nadal given the amt. of spin he imparts on the ball. So really I feel that he chose the right option playstyle wise throughout his career. However I expected Nadal to burn out yrs ago. What's his slam winning length; something like 19-34?? 15 yrs? I honestly wonder how many "vitamins" this guy has taken throughout the course of his career & = B4 then! lol! ---
Osaka's a yawn to me. I admire her tennis skills that's all. ...if you want to discuss her tennis skills that's fine by me.***
Well I can't help asking, WHY are you attacking this articulate, young lady? I don't see a real reason! Enlighten me! Who in the women's ranks is exciting you so much to call Osaka boring? I keep asking, but can't get a real answer of "why do women hate other women?!" The patriarchal system is BS; > like being evil, HS 'mean girls' IMO! I'm so disappointed! WOW!
***The media has never given Osaka a hard X. ...It is part of a player's duty to attend press conferences.***
I don't understand! Tennis is a sport, not Int'l affairs where war, disease, terrorism, = rights, or the like is an issue! Osaka's knowledgeable & imppressive enough to talk about any subject, but people "coming at her" about it c/b or not a fair ?? if it's a scrambled mess! Unfortunately that so called respected reporter's ?? was screwed up and unintelligable for the most part! I understood what he was asking, but to me it made no sense b/c Osaka had just come off a match win! Why not ask about TF match? I hate these press conferences b/c it invariably shows how highly skilled wordsmiths can turn into blithering idiots in these circumstances! Asking cliche ??s of "how do you feel winning/losing a match" is just embarrassing to hear again & again!
***Sports are supposed t/b about the masses forgetting their problems for awhile. Of course new ones start w/ allegiance to particular teams. Too much $$ now. ...Thus people that want to see political views can pay for it.***
Well we all saw & heard Trump make a huge political deal about football kneeling yrs ago! It shows there are plenty of a-holes out there hanging on his every word! It's sad & pathetic since the man eventually w/b found certifiable! It's a wonder we survived those 4 yrs! The residual stink of his admin. & governing is still apparent!
***So you would be ok with listening to a short religious sermon before the game or show, right?***
It already began decades ago w/ the faux routine of saluting the flag & singing of the "SBB" B4 every sporting event! Most people don't = remember when it started or why, they just do it following along like sheep!
***I wonder what the Big 3 themselves think about all the "weak era" talk?***
Their eyes are aching from rolling in their sockets listening to that BS! Back in the 70's you'd say it was a weak era where many players were just fodder for the elites of the game; Laver, Rosewall, Newcombe, Ashe, Borg, Connors, McEnroe, & Lendl! It was tough to beat BORG = if down & out w/ MP's vs him! He made it to his appt'd Rds from the age of 16! The top 4 or 8 seeds got thru w/ m/b an upset on grass or clay! The Big 3 now are just making it look like a weak era due to their excellence! Btw the racket tech, shady strings allowed, & homogenized courts, it's just been tough for "also rans" to brk thru their ranks so selfishly "owning it" for almost 20 yrs! This is unprecedented dom. by 3 players as evidenced by the hoarding of 60 Majors & almost 100 Masters 1000 events won by them OTTH!
***Yep, I honestly think they spend < X thinking about weak era talk > I do thinking about infrastructure policy in northern Guinea-Bissau. ---
I love when Fedal fans say he's inflating his slams yet when he went awol for '17-mid '18, Fedal won 6 slams in a row & Fed got 2 AO's (can’t beat Nole there) & a Wimbl. All benefitted, but Djokovic has been so dom. these last 10 yrs as a whole & he deserves it.***
There's no logic to the hypocrisy = when confronted w/ the facts; hence the moniker "fanatics!" ---
Very weak era way back when! Rod's >est comp. came from his contemporaries & countrymen, all trained by Harry Hopman "down under!" Lucky for him his true rival was all but out out of the game, Lew Hoad! IIRC, Rod went down in flames their 1st 8 meetings!
***Lew Hoad went off the rails, IIRC, so Rod Laver couldn't do much about that. ---
They still have nothing > lawn chairs @ Wimbl.***
I've always been peeved w/ Wimbl. & the people who run it! The lean major of the 4 will always have the status of history & static life due to tradition, but the facts are they cut corners, overcharge the people, & have an inflated sense of importance & worth! I recall the 1st X I was sorta appalled w/ them when I heard they made $7M in early yrs of the tourn. in mid 70's! That was a lot of $$ back then! (Ref. USO @ $90K in '82) The $$ was literally pocketed by the tourn. w/ low prize $$'s, the women always making < the men, & after all said & done, Wimbl. only donated $100K in trying to get excellence out of British tennis players! I don't = want to look up how much $$'s changing hands these days! I'm sure it's obscene! ---
It's Murray's reward & punishment for playing in the same era as "The Big 3!" He prob. would've won 6+ Majors but for Fedalovic! He got the MOST out of his limited ability, playing such a def. game, but he c/b proud of his efforts to win 3 Majors (2 W,1 USO), a YEC, 2 OG Medals, & held the #1 ranking for a min.! Anyone would kill for such a rec., but I'm sure it had to kill him to stand next to Djokovic so many X's as the R-up @ all those AO finals! He beat him on grass @ Wimbl. & @ the USO on HC so he has the game, but he just couldn't snatch one of those AO & it has to weigh on him someX's! He's beat up his body & it's use< to cont. @ this level b/c he's getting embarr. in the 1st Rd. of 250 level events! He's only hurting his legacy un< like Roger & Connors he has that true love of the game where it doesn't matter as long as he's confortable & having fun out there! And people say I hate on other players! This is practically a tribute OTTH!
***It's clear in this match who's match-tough & who's rusty btw Tiafoe & Murray in Winston. As Jon Wertheim says, "we don't get to tell players when they should retire." We can opine about it, & oh, you do. But it's still up to them.***
***...Just some desp. PR spin. Look how badly they try to make Shapovalov sound like a formidable GS SF opp. to Nole @ Wimbl.; embarrassing. Djokovic cruised to a SF where he ran into Denis, a young flamethrower who appeared t/b unlocking his final form in real X.***
I think it's a no win situation trying to cherry-pick SF & Finalists who've played vs the elites in Major situations! Most have had pigeon matches, but Novak's not on that list! He's had some brutal tourn. draws, always having to deal w/ Fedal & Murray which is why I apprec. his results >! Why we need to do this w/ rec.bks out there to refresh "cobwebbed" memories is beyond me! Fedal had lit'l resistance early on w/ just a smattering of contests w/ Djokovic extending Rafa & actually def. Roger! I find Roger getting "FAT" off Roddick for so many yrs is the biggest joke if you want to do this! The only reason Roger won Wimbl. in '09 was due to such an easy pigeon to choke like a dog when it counted in that 2nd set TB up X set pts!
***Meh, why must every Djokovic thread turn into an effort to prove he’s better > Fed? Bang that drum some >.***
Unfortunately it needs t/b reiterated again & again b/c the masses forget! And when they do shake the cobwebs & acknowledge it, excuses are invoked about age, surface, & past accomplishments! It's lame & it's a shame the tennis intelligentsia needs t/b beat over the head w/ facts since they can't seem to accept the "old GOAT" didn't last long & has been overtaken by 2 players B4 he = retires! ---
Nadal's prob's always been how hard he worked to play & win during the clay season! He's beat up & it's a wonder he won those 4 USO's! He's usually "done" by Wimbl. which is why he has never been able to hold onto the #1 ranking for very long; = allowing old man Fed to supplant him during Djokovic's absent from the top ranks in '17-early'18! Add the fact he has no YEC's, it just proves my pt. yr. after yr. = when playing @ his best! This is why he's not "The GOAT!" His consistency over the yrs has been on clay & nowhere else! NO GOAT here!
***W/ homogenized conditions & baseline play all tour long, all yr. long... Not really. We'll see a few guys get to & surpass 20 MAJORS in the next 20 yrs if conditions stay the same. - While I think recs will always get broken eventually, I think it's going to take longer > that.***
Well there's a way, but I've been horrified to think of it for a while! We hinted @ it out here & dismissed the poss.! W/ all the belly-aching of players about how strenuous the season is, it's only a matter of X B4 the MAJORS go BO3 sets! It's already been bad enough when Masters Finals were cut to BO3! It's made it poss. for the Big 3 to rest up, concerve energy, & snatch up just about 90+% of all Masters' events for the last 15+ yrs! That special player(s) won't come out of this crop, but 50 yrs down the line when they go either BO5 using NG scoring or just totally weasel out & go BO3 @ all the MAJORS! We won't see it, but it can easily happen if the rules cont. to evolve as they have in the last dec. or so! These changes have certainly faciitated this Big 3 of unprecedented dom., but it can happen again on a >er scale determined by newfangled fitness programs, stereoids being allowed to prevent injury or improve recover, & the sorriest option of weeding the scoring down in the name of brevity for TV streaming!
***Of course it's impressive, but the fact that 3 guys have done it shows it's not an anomaly, a freak of nature. IDK the next X there w/b one of those will not be denied, super comp. athletes in tennis, but when there is there won't be anything stopping them getting well over 20 slams. I'd see a dom. player w/ no Big 3 to hinder them getting to 30.***
***For a man of his age, = w/ his strict diet/stretching, etc., it's a lit'l unnatural for him to never get tired (seemingly). He wears down players 1/2 his age (or so). He's a incredible player, but I'd not be surprised if there was a Lance Armstrong moment coming. ---
I w/b not just surprised, but absolutely shocked. I do believe he (& your fave player, no matter who he is) is likely on some stuff. I also believe that a doping controversy for one of the Big 3 & GOAT w/b truly curtains for tennis financially. It would never come out. And also, as long as TUEs cont. t/b granted, tennis continues to silently support it. ---
Novak's had a strict diet & training regimen for over a decade. I think he understood that's what he needs to stay @ the top. Give credit where credit is due.***
Some have to find a reason to make sense of his dominance I guess! It's kind of pathetic! The same was said about Rafa, but it's died down!
***Endurance athletes do not peak in their early/mid 20s. Djokovic's right @ the tail end of an endurance athletes peak age range. - Not in tennis though.***
Fed was still winning past 35! Did anyone say something about him in '17 outlasting Rafa in many matches except on clay in Paris @ the FO in '19?
***Fed had to completely retool his game past 32/33 & focus on shortening the pts; the opposite of Djokovic is doing i.e. outgrinding all the 20 something yo supposedly @ their physical peaks. He said so himself. He proudly claims that he is confident he can outlast all of the younger guys in BO5. Djokovic doesn't = get affected in the slightest w/ all the 5 setters he plays. ---
It's not really a big secret. Flexible body, broad, but lighter frame (considerably < body wt. than his fellow peers), disciplined diet, focused workout. If he'd have been as heavy as he was in '11-15, he'd not have survived this long in terms of fitness. It was a smart choice to have dropped some body-wt. unlike Fedal. ---
I don't think Novak dopes. Ot's compatible w/ his personality of jumping from fad diet to new fad diets, which begun w/ no gluten & ended up w/ him vegan, or his refusal of vaccines, or his following of a Spanish guru that had him starved looking like Karen Carpenter. That kind of person m/b unbearable, but it's not the kind of person that would dope. ---
The impressive thing w/ Djokovic is not that he’s not getting tired; his cardio's better > 18-24 yo. The impressive thing is that his joints & muscles have held up & he’s avoided injuries since the elbow. It’s a testament to the work he puts in on flexibility & whatever he’s doing post matches to keep joint inflammation down. ---
Don’t believe ND dopes, but I didn’t believe Armstrong did either. Still I think it’s his diet & training that's his secret. The reason he wins is his comp. sucks. Occam’s razor. Don’t complicate this.***
There were many who knew Armstrong used, but he silenced them thru courts! The closest Nole's been to court was his unfiled "A & B" of the lineswoman last yr.!
***The one thing w/ Djokovic that has t/b discussed here is that there is no PED on Earth that can give you the ridiculous flexibility he has. That is solely a product of hard work, extensive yoga, & freakish discipline & dedication. Also try eating vegan for a month. His discipline & rigor to his routine is up there w/ the best across all athletics, PEDs or no PEDs.***
***Nole's 1st Master was Montreal, & he def. #3 Rodick in the QF, #2 Nadal in the SF, & #1 Federer in the final. It was '07.***
This is what makes me laugh when people talk about diff. eras for Fedalovic! That's so fk'n ridiculous as you've highlighted w/ that early success vs Fedal! Over those early yrs, it was Djokovic that kept Fed from winning > AO's w/ lone losses to Nadal & Murray! People have selective memory! I give credit where credit's due; = w/ Nadal who's no fave of mines! Others have literally "lost it" w/ hyperbole as if Novak doesn't have anyone who's capable of beating him! Undermining this great achievement's mindblowing IMO! Most would love t/b there as history's being made, but the detractors will always have reason to have reservations concerning Djokovic!
***Djokovic's Journey - '21 USO QF'S:
The #1 seed once again drops 1st set, looked in trouble vs #6 seed, Berrettini of Italy. But once again he found an extra gear, moving into the SF w/ a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 victory.
His 2 >est rivals, Medvedev & Zverev made their way to the SF in str. sets, meaning 3 out of 4 top seeds would feature in the last 4. - SUMMARY B4 SF
All Slam contenders make SF. ---------------------------- '62 & '69 are only yrs. when all 4 top seeds make the SF.
In '33*, '56 & '21, 3 of top 4 make the SF. In '38*, 2 of top 4 seeds make SF.
* in '33 & '38 the tourn. split the seeds into US players & Int'l players. I've used the top 2 from each category for these figures. ----------------------------------------- Djokovic has dropped the most sets (4) on way to SF Budge is only player not to drop a set.
'21 Djokovic -4 sets '69 Laver -3 sets '33 Crawford -2 sets '62 Laver -1 set '56 Hoad -1 set '38 Budge -0 sets ----------------------------------------- Biggest upset: '33 #1 US seed Ellsworth Vines elim. 4th Rd. ------------------------------------------- Contender 5 set matches: '69 RD 4: Laver v Ralston -------------------------
SF:
Djokovic faces #4 seed, Zverev (who ended chances of the "GS"). In match that's epitome of tense baseline tennis, fortunes swing to & fro, til Djokr once again raises his level that bit >er > opp., finally winning: 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
His final match vs #2 seed, Medvedev, although not @ his best, wins easily in str. sets.
DJOKOVIC PLAYS FOR THE GS! ---
A disappointment... To me, Novak's already GOAT based on stats (> wks @ #1, tied for slam rec., > Masters, 5 EOD @ Tour Cups, won Nole-Slam, winning H2H vs Fedal, beat Roger 3 X's in Wbl. Finals, Rafa twice @ FO....), but I wanted him to seal the deal & get CYGS so = the deniers can't deny it.
...Medvedev played the match he had to play today, smart tactics. He needed to serve well; DF a lot towards the end, but he had already done the damage by then. Novak had > probs returning his serve than Berretini's or Zverev's... it could've been due to faster conditions (day match vs other 2 were night matches), but the serving was key for Medvedev.
...Both AO & USO finals were 3 sets, roughly around same # of games (AO - 27 games, USO - 30 games). A comparison of stats:
***Seeing that the mythical GS eluded Djokovic last night, fans might turn their attn. towards Laver's '69 achievement > ever. I won't be surprised if some BIG 3 fans will now jump into the Rocket's camp everyX the GOAT debate w/b present ...I wonder what some old timers like @Fiero425 who had the privilege to witness much of OE's tennis have to say?***
I won't hark back to Rod ever! He has something that'll never be matched; owining 2 CYGS's (1 Am., 1 Pro) from '62 & '69 resp., but that's it! As a tennis historian I recall > def. info to boister my arguments that as > as he was he was nowhere near as good as today's Djokovic! Laver lost a lot of yrs from '62 to late '68 as a Pro B4 OE @ the USO! He also won > of his majors as an Am. when the top players had already left the ranks to turn pro! I always have to give a reality chk to people by noting Lew Hoad started out his rivalry w/ Rod going 8-0! So the dom. is nowhere near as complete as it is w/ Djokovic! He can still crow about his rec. while detractors can continue creating reasons to undermine his dom. as he +'s to recs he owns already!
***Well, we can only compare greats based on what they achieved in their respective eras, otherwise tennis has evolved so much since 1960s it's not = funny. - 21 in '21 didn't Happen. ...There's a 3 headed GOAT...It's Karma for Novak & m/b the will of the tennis Gods.***
No sense in being greedy! Nole's won 3 of the 4 Slams 3 X's now; just like Fed! So that's another rec. matched or surpassed! EveryX he plays he w/b extending his recs! Novak's already getting the 'thumbs-up' that "you are the GOAT!" Sascha said it after he def. Nole @ the Olympics & Danill said it in his acceptance speech after winning his 1 major!
***Wait til Rafa kicks their ass again. They both w/b saying the same words to him. Tennis players are always prisoners of the moment. Until Roger or Rafa says, Novak you're the GOAT, Novak's just another champ. who's currently tied @ the top of the GS titles list. Nothing > or nothing <.***
Well if I were Nole, I wouldn't wait for that to happen! The records will be added to his record and taken from Fedal as time goes on!
***Novak just got his clock cleaned by the most mentally prepared player today who came today w/ a BETTER executed strategic plan. Daniil's post chp. speech saying Novak is the greatest was what he said about Rafa a few yrs ago when he lost. Rafa had just destroyed him in Montreal a few wks earlier by losing < 4 games IIRC. It was Daniil's game that broke Nole's will just like the last X Rafa def. Novak @ RG and a few yrs ago @ the USO. Novak lost his confidence which quickly fatigued his legs & his enthusiasm to compete.***
Well @ that X, Nadal had a signif. lead of 3 or 4 majors over Nole! What was he going to say to the guy, "sorry, but = though you kicked my ass, Nole will eventually come close to winning the CYGS & match you & Roger so I have to grant him that honor of 'GOAT?'" I don't think it would've gone over well!
***I've seen 4 CYGS (Laver x2, Court, Graf) so it isn't as special to me as it w/b to anyone who hasn't seen it. His failing keeps Laver's name in all the discussions about great players, and by extension those other players he played vs & w/o whom tennis would not be what it is today.
The fact Laver did it in the Open Era is another bonus b/c it stops him being airbrushed away as they are trying to do w/ Court on the women's side. I keep seeing recs in the women's game referring to the Open Era. Since the OW's irrelevant for the women b/c there was no professional tour w/ the best players as there was for the men. My interpretation is that they are trying to airbrush her slam rec. to make Serena seem >er. Recency hype @ its best.***
***...Novak played Nobody. His road was not difficult, IMO. - I beg to differ. ...not in Sept. '21
Daniil prior to this victory had won the YEC on HC, 4 diff. Masters on HC (5 finals in all), made the SF's or >er in 4 out of the last 5 HC Majors, & made 2 prev. Major finals (USO & AO). One could argue he had 2nd best rec. of anyone who had not yet won a Major in the last 20 yrs. He's beaten Djokovic 4 X's, includ. 3 yrs on HC. Did I mention he's also ranked #2 in the world?
So one could argue that Medvedev pushing thru the final ceiling & winning a HC Major = over #1 Novak is hardly a shocker result.
One could also argume that Zverev is also due any X to win a Major b/c of his natural progression (HC Major finalist, twice Major SF, 5 Masters HC finals, 2 Masters HC wins, HC Olympic title, HC YEC, etc) & prob. the 3rd best rec. of someone who has yet to win a HC Major. He has beaten Novak 3 X's, includ. twice in HC w/ this yr's Olympics. Did I mention he's ranked #4 in the world (a smidge behind Tsitsipas)
Novak played them both back to back, as well as playing the Wimbl. finalist (Berretinii) in the QTRS.
I'd say Novak had prob. the toughest QTR/SF/FINAL path possible. AT the least by the X he played Daniil, he was a bit battered & bruised (give Berretini & esp. Zverev an assist).
So if Novak had won the USO & completed the CYGS w/ this cast of '21 players, IMO it wouldn't have put any * in front of it. ---
Medvedev deserves this win. He played his best match. Djoker could not bring best game; that's it. But I hope 21st will come in '22. Now I hope he could win some Masters to bypass Nadal w/ 36.***
I'm not going to sulk over this loss! I had felt early on Djokovic had the toughest road to the final & he needed Med t/b upset! He's the only player who can go "toe to toe" w/ Djokovic & the X's he's defeated is when Nole can take his legs away! That wasn't happening this match & very early on I didn't see a comeback! If it had been Sascha I'd have hope, but Daniil's tough! He has that ugly kind of game I dislike, but it's oh so eff. w/ sneaky power & catlike quickness! He never really struggled & only gave us a glimmer of hope DF'n a game away in the 3rd! This is =alent to Navratilova outlasting Evert & Goolagong, but had no respite needing to survive the next wave of players in Graf, Sabatini, & Seles! It's going to get tougher & tougher to get motivated to compete & the losses will come! I just hope Djokovic can hold it together for the next season or 2 to separate himself from Fedal!
***You've prob. heard/read that I've always regarded the mythical GOAT as "the best player in the (all) OE until now."
Hence, I don't really consider Laver, Rosewall & those who preceded them. And yes, while there are significant differences btw the X of, say, Connors/Borg & The Big 3, there's enough commonality for me to compare their overall achievements. ...
Achievement-wise, I thought that Novak's 4-in-a-row wasn't respected enough, yet I still give the (true) CYGS a lit'l > credit > the NCYGS. It doesn't bother me that in '69 it was only played on 2 surfaces, rather > 3 -- that's not Rod's fault. I don't give his '62 GS the same wt. Still impressive, but the tour was split.
...Right now (not knowing how to mix Laver, Rosewall & poss. Pancho (so hard to assess his career fairly, though I think of him as potentially = a better Sampras), nobody in the OE has accomplishments on par w/ Roger, Rafa & Novak. Looking @ all their achievements, I think Novak's a fairly clear #1. I'm not sure btw Fedal for who's 1-B & who's 1-C. If I included those who started B4 the OE, I still lean to The Big 3 as 1-3, followed by Rocket, & poss. Rosewall & Gonzales; then go to Pete & Borg.***
***I think Nole's GOAT right @ this moment b/c he has the DCGS & > wks @ #1. But if they all end up w/ 20 Slams, Fed might eventually seem t/b the GOAT b/c of his longevity & 2 huge things: he won 3 slams after turning 35 & was the oldest #1 ranked player @ age 36-8. If Novak wins no > Slams & his career fades, many will put Fed ahead b/c of those 2 things- he dominated as an old man. Of course Nadal fans can always pt. to 13 RG's which is obviously just insane.
If Novak gets to 21 & the other 2 remain @ 20, I don't think there's 1 single argument for Fedal t/b GOAT. It's put to bed if Novak gets 21. Serious tennis fans know wks @ #1 is massive (as is the DCGS), but in 10-120 yrs, that fades in > people's minds. But # of slams is the defining criterion for GOAT, @ least for > tennis historians/analysts. ---
I don't see anyone w/ = or stronger case for GOAT title...
Wks @ #1 YE #1 Double CGS Def. >est rivals (GOAT opp.) @ their pet slam > once Double GM Better H2H > fellow GOAT candidates > overall big titles
These are the overwhelming achievements that tilt the scale towards Novak & we all know it...Both Fedal are quite inferior.
Seems like only Djokovic that can + few > Slams & Masters B4 he retires... ---
Djoking aside, I have Djoker ahead of Nadal significantly & ahead of Federer slightly right now. Any add'l losses won't change that. But big wins will allow him to put them farther into the rear view mirror; provided that they don't + to their own tallies. - He’s the statistical GOAT, meaning that w/ pure #'s & measurements, Novak's the BOAT (male that is).
But of course people have diff. opinions, so GOAT can mean anything to anyone. ---
I was about to worry about Nole being punished for being so successful by not being able to defend as many Slams next season! The thing is, back in '16, he also held 6 Masters titles from '15 so by the end of '16, Murray was able to cobble enough pts together to snatch YE #1! Next yr. in '22, Djokovic may not win as many Majors, but he's not defending a bunch of Masters' pts. so he won't fall in the rankings un< there's a total collapse in his game!
***Fed '15 vs Djokr '21
Comparing the yrs in which they both turned 34.
Slams:
AO: Fed lost in 3R to Seppi. Djokovic won it. Obviously, Djokovic >er. But if Fritz had held his head/was as solid as Seppi, he could've taken out Djokr who was hampered in that match.
RG: Fed made it to QF, losing 1 set, but lost to peak Wawa in strs. Djokovic won it. Obviously, Djokovic >er. But '15 RG Djokovic > '21 RG Djokr & given '15 Wawa beat '15 Djoko convincingly, he'd have beaten '21 Djoko convincingly as well.
Wim: Fed demolished Murray in the SF. Djoko had to rely on Shapo choking big X in the 1st 2 sets. Fed was also > dominant/impressive in the Rds prior. Yeah, Djoko won his final vs a meh Berretini in 4 sets & Fed lost to peak Djoko in 4 sets, but I don't think Fed was any worse level-wise in Wim. '15 final compared to Djoko in Wim. '21 final.
Their stats @ respective Wimbledons are about the same overall despite Fed facing '15 Djok & '15 Murray, both of whom are significantly >er > anyone Djoko faced in Wim. '21.
Fed's serving stats a lit'l >er > Djoko's & Djoko's return stats a lit'l >er > Fed's
Serve: Fed @ 95.5% hold, Djoko @ 93.8% hold. Fed winning 75.7% service pts, Djoko winning 73.7% service pts.
Conclusion? Fed in Wim. '15 > Djoko in Wim '21, clearly
USO: Fed came into the final w/o losing a set, including dismantling Wawa in the SF. Lost to peak Djokovic in a tight 4-setter in the final. Djokovic struggled on his way to the final & lost in straights to Med. Obviously Fed was >er.
Other tournaments til USO:
Fed in '15 won Cincy & Brisbane/Dubai/Istanbul/Halle, made the final of IW/Rome
Djokovic in '21 Won Belgrade, made final of Rome
So Fed clearly >er here.
Win loss record:
Fed was 51-8 til USO Djokovic 44-6 til USO
Summary:
'15 as a yr. was a relatively weak one, similar to '06, '10.
Fed made 2 Slam finals & a QF in '15 as opposed to Djoko in '21 winning 3 Slams & making a Slam final.
So how much worse was '21 compared to '15? Quite a bit, I'd say.***
-The Era of the Big 3 Winds to an End...or Does It?
W/ Daniil Medvedev's victory over Novak Djokovic @ the USO, it's tempting to say--finally--that the changing of the guard's here. It seems like it's been yrs now that we've been expecting this to occur, but the proverbial "Big 3"--Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, & Djokovic--kept re-asserting themselves over younger gens.
...The best single stat's that since Fed won his 1st Slam @ Wimbl. in '03, the 3 are responsible for 60 of 73 Slams. That 19-yr. span ('03-21) includ. 8 yrs in which those 3 players won all 4 Slams.
The dom. came in sev. waves. The 1st was the classic "Fedal Era," when Fedal won every Slam from RG in '05 to Wimbl. in '09, w/ the lone exception being Novak's 1st Slam @ '08 AO. After del Potro's upset of Fed @ the '09 USO, the Fedal duo won every Slam in '10, & then joined by Novak in '11, & then Andy Murray in '12, winning a Slam in both that yr. & '13. So if '04-10 was the Fedal Era, '11-13 was the era of the "Big 4."
...Novak reclaimed dom. over the tour in '15, having his best yr., = as Fedal were slam-< for the 1st X since '02. In '15-16 it looked like Rafa was finally losing the war of attrition to Father X, & Roger seemed unable to get past Novak, so it seemed that the era was finally ending. But then '17 happened, & we saw both Fedal reclaim a high level, splitting the 4 Slams, & the Big 3 won 14 str. Slams from AO '17 to '20 FO.
...Until Dominic Thiem won the '20 USO, no player born after '88 (Cilic & del Potro) had a Slam title to his name. In other words, as of pre-USO in '20, no player age 30 or younger had a Slam title - unprecedented in the OE, if not all of tennis history. ...Novak re-asserted himself & won the 1st 3 Slams of '21 B4 Med upset him @ USO. So it would seem that--if we only look @ Slams--there's no changing of the guard, just 2 younger guys sneaking in a Slam title in each of the last 2 yrs.
...Important titles. In total, there are 14 which are essentially the main events of the ATP tour: 4 Slams, 9 Masters & YEC/WTF's, w/ every 4th yr. yielding a 15th, the OG's. There are about 12 ATP 500 tourns. in any given yr., & 40 ATP 250s, + a few non-tour tourns. But these are basically "non-essential." Most top players play a few every yr., but every top player--barring injury or some other circumstance--shows up for the big titles.
In other words, by looking @ the big titles we can see that the guard is, indeed, changing.***
-...But as a gen. rule, any given gen. doms the tour for about 1/2 a dec. B4 giving way to the next. ...The 2 >est players of the 1st dec. of the 20th century, Fedal were born 5 yrs apart, in '81 & '86. So I used those 2 yrs as the center-pts for their resp. gens, so that "Gen. Fed" are those players born from '79-83 (+/- 2 yrs from Roger's birth yr., '81), & "Gen. Nadal" (now Djokodal or Nadalkovic) is '84-88. After them is the previously mentioned Lost Gen., born in '89-93, & then Next Gen. ('94-98), & what I'm calling the Millenial Gen. ('99-03).
...NG'rs winning 6 of 7 of the non-Slam big titles, & 6 of 10 big titles overall this yr. In other words, the Djokodal Gen. has won 40% of big titles this yr compared to 62.5% in '20. Even if they win the WTF & Paris, that still will yield them only 1/2 of all big titles this yr.
The changing of the guard really began in '17, but only tentatively. '16 saw the Djokodal Gen. win all 15 big titles -- only the 2nd X (after '13) that they won every big title. But w/ Roger's resurgence in '17, & strong performances by G. Dimitrov & A. Zverev's 1st big title, younger gens began to take away some of those big titles. And it was gradual, w/ '18-19 still seeing that shift delayed, w/ younger gens still not brking thru @ a Slam.
Thiem's win of the USO in '20 was a sign. milestone; as previously mentioned, he became the 1st player born after '88 to win a Slam. But he did so w/o def. any of the Big 3. This yr., Med not only beat #1 Djokovic, in the process he prevented the Serbian great from capturing the 1st true GS since Rod Laver in '69.
As a side note, '20 also saw a NG'r win > titles > anyone else: Andrey Rublev w/ 5, w/ Novak winning 4. But given that it was an abbrev. season. This yr., 4 players are tied w/ a tour-leading 4 titles: Djokovic, Medvedev, Zverev, & Casper Ruud (who, being born in Dec. 22, '98, is tech. a NG'r, but on the cusp of the Millenial Gen).
I think we'll see Med, Zverev, & Tsitsipas linked historically, as the "Biggish 3" of NG I think they'll all win 1-4 Slams apiece, which's a wide range, but the main pt. is that (I think) they all win Slams, poss. X, but not all-X-> level. It seems there's a Millenial Gen. Biggish 3 forming as well in FAA, Sinner, & Alcaraz, but it's obviously too soon to tell, & I'm not quite ready to write Musetti off from exclusion - nor am I convinced that one of them won't emerge as dom.
But @ this pt., I w/b surprised if any of the NG emerged as "the guy." Med might end up being the 1st among near-=s, but I just don't see him running away w/ it. M/b he wins 4 Slams & the other 2 win 2 apiece. But I don't see Med winning, say, 6-8, & the other winning 0-1.***
There's a correlation btw "Lost Gen" (b.'89-93) & Ashe's gen. ('39-43). Both came after a monster gen., & really only had 1 good player. Further, just as it c/b argued that Ashe belongs w/ the later gen. (b.'43), so too could Thiem (b.'93) be considered part of Next Gen.
...I think a > accurate "span" depiction would vary somewhat, so "Lost Gen." w/b '89-92, & Ashe w/b part of a '43-48 group.
Similarly, I'd prefer grouping Pancho ('28), Sedgman ('27), & Trabert ('30) all as part of the same gen.
I'm playing w/ the idea of a "cluster" approach; each gen. is centered around great players, so it varies over X.***
Very impressived! ...It's not as informative to me of course since I've lived it, but it needs t/b transposed to hardcopy periodically b/c so many detractors can't seem to absorb this info! I keep hearing of a "weak era" when it isn't possible w/ all of the "Big 3" @ the ht. of their powers going @ it event after event! Besides that, they've also traded being YE #1 while Fedovic owned the YEC like no other 2 competing @ the same X! Every rec. will end up being theirs not b/c of a weak era, but showing how special (phys./ment,) they are to reign surpreme for almost 20 yrs w/ the end seeming to close soon!
***Look, I prefer Federer's style. He's my fave player of all X. But in the end, greatness should primarily (if not only) be about results. Not style or grace or likability, but how good a player is @ beating other players consistently over X. At most, those factors c/b used as TB'rs.
Right now, I think it's very close & prefer the "3-headed GOAT" answer. But if I had to choose just one as the GOAT, it w/b Novak. And of course, it's far > likely that Novak will pad his resume & gain some distance on the other 2.***
As impressive as Novak's rec., no one else but me seems to acknowledge, he's not only matched or succeeded Fedal, he did it in rec. X! So many have made such a big deal about the age disparity, but forget to make note he's surpassed Fed over 6 yrs ahead of him!
***That's not quite true. Roger won his 20th Slam @ the AO in '18 when he was 36 yo. Novak won his 20th @ RG when he was 34. So it was 2 yrs ahead, or 2.5 if you want t/b exact. Rafa's 20th was also @ 34.***
***...I love Mac & his hyperbole over the GOAT discussion. He changes his choice with every Slam match it seems.***
McEnroe, Wilander, & many others jumped on Nole's bandwagon after he completed his Nole-Slam winning FO in '16 w/ just 12 Majors! He had a lit'l "down per." w/ drama & injury, but he's given me no reason to believe Fedal c/b a part of some 3-headed GOAT to appease their fans! Djokovic acquired his resume in rec. X, defeating Fedal along the way = w/ detractors giving that "weak era" argument! 10 yrs ago Fed was "the man" = though his H2H sucked vs his closest rival! I've never thought Nadal The GOAT since his limitations are so obvious! Djokovic came along & swept them all away, acquiring recs Fedal can't come close to or "ever!" I'll let you guys vacillate, hmmmm, & hawww trying to make something out of nothing, but IMO after all's said & done, The LONE GOAT w/b Djokovic! He was a match was a CYGS FFS! Have we forgotten so soon?
***6 yrs younger & barely able to beat a geriatric 13-12 in the 5th @ Wimbl. he'd easily have lost if said geriatric didn't play his 2 MP's like crap. ---
...always like the ref. to Hoad. Wish I'd've seen what all the fuss was about/***
Hoad, like Djokovic was just a match away from a CYGS as well! FFS, have we forgotten so soon? It was just last wk!
***During the AE, the best player in the sport @ that X ('56) was a pro, Pancho Gonzales. He did beat some good players, includ. Rosewall in some of those Slams, but it was a diff. era. Just as Laver's 1st CYGS was nothing comparable to his 1 in '69.***
But it's already on rec. that HOAD owned Laver early on, starting their "so called" rivalry 8-0 in Lew's favor! We've seen Rod come up short in those 2 WCT Finals on TV in '71 & '72 to Rosewall! But b/c he won 2 CYGS (1 Am., 1 Pro), shortcomings were overlooked! We gave the same considerations to Sampras who never had a sniff of a FO final! We were going to do the same for Fed B4 he finally took his lone FO Chp.! Djokovic has already surpassed Fedal in so many ways already, but "denial's > just a river in Eqypt!" It's desperate IMO to try & hold off the inevitable! I jumped off Fed's bandwagon; admittedly so, but there's a superior rec. still unfolding & it's hard to stay neutral! SomeX's riding the fence can have 1 pk. up splinters! I'll keep it simple & just say it's akin to "'coming in/getting out' of the rain!" Do we really need t/b convinced?
***The aging Pancho Gonzales came back to the pro tour in '64 & bested Rod Laver in H2H matches over the course of the yr., he won > often > not over the 25/26 yo Laver who was 2 yrs in as a pro & 3 yrs removed from his Cal. yr. Amateur GS.
Speaking of that CYGS in '62, that yr. Ken Rosewall won 10 pro tournaments & by > pundits was the best male tennis player, but of course was excl. from playing Wimbl., US Champs, etc.
Even afterwards, it wasn’t until the late 80’s & early 90’s that all the top men figured it was imperative to play all the Majors. Andre Agassi ended up #3 for '88 & “chose” not to play the AO or Wimbl. that yr. j/b. (Didn’t play W for 3 str. yrs) The AO was on a HC yet Agassi a top 10 player opted not to play it from '88 til '95, a whopping 7 yrs. Can you imagine that happening today?
Federer, Nadal & Djokovic have played under the luxury that the Majors are their top focus & the ult. barometer, so comparing Majors make sense for them, but pre -Sampras all bets are off.***
Top 30 hardest slams: Djokovic 16 Nadal 10 Federer 4
Top 20 hardest slams Djokovic 10 Nadal 7 Federer 3
Top 10 hardest slams Djokovic 5 Nadal 4 Federer 1
Top 5 hardest slams Djokovic 3 Nadal 2 Federer 0
Hardest slam Djokovic --------
Top 30 easiest slams Federer 16 Nadal 10 Djokovic 4
Top 20 easiest slams Federer 11 Nadal 6 Djokovic 3
Top 10 easiest slams Federer 6 Nadal 3 Djokovic 1
Top 5 easiest slams Federer 3 Djokovic 1 Nadal 1
Easiest Slam Federer ---
The list is flawed, but the order of who had it the hardest is correct. IDK why that's a sensitive subject or why people get defensive about it. It really boils down to this...
Top 5 wins in their 20 Slam wins 1. Djokovic - 28 2. Nadal - 24 3. Federer - 19
Top 10 wins is one thing, but beating the top 5 is usually as hard as it gets in a Slam & Djokovic just beat those players the most. ---
...a system, giving 5 pts for #1, 3 pts for shared #1, 2 pts for #2, & 1 pt. for shared #2. Updated list thru '21 (Novak #1 for this yr., Medvedev #2):
1. Djokovic 42 2. Gonzales 40 3t. Tilden 39 3t. Federer 39 5. Nadal 37 6. W. Renshaw 35 7t. Laver 33 7t. Rosewall 33 9. Sampras 31 10. D. Budge 27 11. J. Kramer 26 12t. L. Doherty 25 12t. Wm. Larned 25 14t. R. Doherty 24 14t. Lendl 24 16. Borg 23 17. F. Perry 21 18. E. Vines 20 19t. J. Pim 19 19t. B. Riggs 19 19t. Connors 19 19t. McEnroe 19
...Andy Murray ranks just @ the edge of top 50. Emerson has lit. 0 pts as he was never considered as one of the top 2 players in the sport.***
Murray's the > unlucky having to deal w/ Fedalovic & unable to fulfill his promise w/ them standing in the way! He's able to steal a few titles from Novak & the #1 YE ranking in '16, but never really challenged Fedal in majors but once! I'd give Murray 2 or 3 good yrs as #1 if not for the Big 3, but his major ct. prob. would only double! His def. game made him vuln. where all that running does lit'l good but shorten a career! ===
***Feliciano Lopez (Team Europe) & Jack Sock (Team World) are the alts of next wk's Laver Cup.***
Just looked @ Deliciamo's rec.! IDK how he was so successful, worth millions & running Madrid Masters! You can count the # of X's he made it past the 2nd Rd. in majors on one hand! He never won a Masters, & his personal life has been a tossed salad w/ his 1st wife divorcing him after only 11 months of marriage due to excessive cheating! I guess longevity certainly has it's privileges; ask Fed!
***Good looks can carry you a lot these days; I know Judy Murray is a big fan of Lopez's. ...This yr. w/o Fed playing & Rafa injured, I wonder if it w/b a sell out w/ no big draw cards this yr.? ---
Who'll end up w/ > USO Titles-: Nadal or Djokovic?***
I'll give Djokovic @ least 1 > chance to tie Nadal in Flushing! There are so many reasons why the USO has been one of the toughest events to win! It's a wonder a handful of players (Sampras, Fedalovic, Connors, McEnroe, Lendl) have X titles while some "greats" (Borg, Hoad) don't = have one! Even some "also rans" like Roddick, Vilas, Cilic, & Orantes have one!
***The young guns are going to deny the USO to both of them in the future. Nadovic prob. won't win any> USO's.***
Even though I favor Djokovic as the GOAT, I've gone out of my way to accom. & hoped the NG'rs'd finally take over the tour by actually beating Fedalovic! It's not the Big 3's fault or prob. that they've psychologically had a hold over this era of tennis, extending their tenure to 20+ yrs which's set > of a precedent over & above the winning of all major events yr in & yr. out! Even way back when, the most dom. players didn't win everything; = Borg or he'd have a USO listed under his name & Sampras would have a FO crown! They had their chances; Borg on 3 diff. surfaces so it's on him alone!
***The AO's the culm. of the season's beginnings, & it's when the yr-ly tour really gets going. Then we have the clay season, which culm. w/ RG, followed by grass culm. in Wimbl., & the American tour in the USO. Finally we have the post-USO late tour culm. in the WTF.
...If we have 2 poles: One, that Slams are "everything," & the other following a strictly ATP pt. valuation, my contention is that the "best" perspective--as far as considering >ness--is somewhere in-btwn. Other titles, & overall accomp. matter. I'll consider 4 ex.: Slam results other > wins, WTF, Masters, & Rankings.
...WTFs: SomeXs called the "5th Slam," it's an unusual tourn. in that only the top 8 ranked players appear. Meaning, every match's vs a diff. opp. It includes 5 matches, & 2 players may face each other > once. It doesn't have the cache as GS, but's the next > important tourn. on the tour, & arguably just as diff. to win.
Masters: As w/ the Slams, the 9 Masters (ATP 1000) tourn. are the bread & butter of top players. Due to their BO3 format, upsets are > common @ Masters > they are at Slams. The Masters are obviously < important > Slams & < diff. to win > the WTF, but are still important hallmarks of accomp. & >ness, as far as the wk-ly grind of the tour's concerned.
Rankings: ...The #1 player in the sport has been the best player for the previous 52 wks or >, which is exceedingly diff. to do. This c/b illustrated by the fact that there are far > GS winners who have never been #1 in the ATP era ('73-present) > there are #1s who never won a Slam.
Just as we shouldn't ignore non-winning results in GS, so too should we not ignore rankings below #1. I'd argue that being world #2 is similar to being the R-up in a Slam, being ranked #3-5 similar to being a SF, ...being ranked #2 is no easy task, & shouldn't be ignored b/c it isn't as "sexy" as #1.
Other Factors: There are numerous other factors to consider, includ. stats & accomp. like overall titles, match winning %, Slam inning %, finals winning %, range of tourn. on diff. surfaces, H2H recs vs chief rivals, & so forth. ...
The GS are, &'ll likely always be, rightfully considered the > important tournaments in prof'l tennis. They have a long history, w/ Wimbl. going back to 1877, & are what everyone thinks of when they think of tennis. History gen. doesn't remember Masters finals, but will always remember Fed's epic win @ the '17 AO or Nadal's sea-changing win @ '08 Wimbl., or the iconic Borg-McEnroe clashes. But while they should always be considered as arguably the most important factor in a tennis resume, they aren't the only important factor, & overly focusing on them--w/o also considering other factors such as other "big title" tournaments & rankings--leads to a distorted idea of what "greatness" means when assessing players & comparing them.
...So really we have 3 orders of majors: Am. GS, Pro Slams, & OE GS. And then we have all the other tournaments. And then other statistics, rankings, etc. And this doesn't = touch upon the depth & diversity of talent, tech. & health developments, the influence of media, economic considerations, & so forth.
...In the end, there is no clear or easy way to rank & compare historical players. What we have are a variety of perspectives or lenses to consider. The problems arise when we approach the issue from just a singular lens, such as GS titles, which leaves us w/ ridiculous assertion such as "Roy Emerson was >er > Pancho Gonzales" or "Johan Kriek was >er > Marcelo Rios."
That said, to paraphrase a perhaps over-used saying, but a true 1 nonethe<, the fun of it is in the journey: in considering & talking about it. While we'll likely never know who was >er, Kramer or Connors, it's awfully fun to talk about.***
***Aside from something like '10 GS wins' or '200 wks @ #1', nothing really came to mind - and those are aggregate career achievements. Then I think I found the perfect stat. Winning the Chan'l-Slam.
Chan'l-Slam (FO + Wimbl. wins - same season):
Women's winners:
M. Court ('70) B.J. King ('72) C. Evert ('74) M. Navr'lova ('82,'84) S. Graf ('88,'93,'95,'96) S. Williams ('02)
Men's winners:
R. Laver ('69) B. Borg ('78-80, 3 cons. yrs) R. Nadal ('08,'10) R. Federer ('09) N. Djokovic ('21)
Does that not look like an exhaustive list of Open Era GOAT candidates to you? PETE is really the only miss here, & BJK's the only non-contender IMO. To me it looks like a strong predictive stat.
Just goes to show how ridiculous of an achievement the FO+Wimbl. double is.***
IDK what people will do when the men's game starts to reflect the women's! There m/b no consensus #1 w/ rankings flipping around!
***Those are just periods of transition. We saw it in the men's game in the late 90s, early 00s w/ 12 players being #1 btw '96 & '04 until Fed took over. Pete's dom. saw Muster, Rios, Moya, Kafelnikov, Agassi, & Rafter sneak in, then younger guys started taking over w/ Safin, Kuerten, Hewitt, Ferrero & Roddick. Then Federer.
M/b we see a similar situation if & when Medvedev steals the top slot from Novak ('22 AO?). We might see Novak get > X, but it w/b mixed w/ Daniil, m/b Zverev, Tsitsipas, & 1 or 2 others B4 one of the younger guys takes over (Sinner? FAA? Alcaraz?).
Or we m/b lucky to see another mid-to-late 80s when you had numerous elite players, w/ no single guy standing out above the rest. Starting w/ the end of McEnroe's reign in '85, you've got Mac, Lendl, Wilander, Edberg, & Becker, then Courier, Sampras, & Agassi entering the mix starting in '92. ---
Oh yeah, Fiero, someone'll emerge in the WTA to dom. Osaka seemed like the person, but hasn't quite (yet) estab. herself. Coco? Raducanu? I don't follow it closely enough to have an educated guess.***
***I soooooo wanted Connors t/b the one to stop Borg @ Wimbl. when I was younger & was up 2 sets to love in '81 SF vs the Angelic Assassin, but lost 6-4 in the 5th—I was crushed, = though I had nothing vs Borg & came to admire him > & > as the yrs passed. I just wanted Jimbo to win. From that era, Connors beating McEnroe in the '82 Wimbl. the next yr. was thrilling for me then. Loved that! ---
Roddick was an extremely flawed tennis player. Big serve & a FH he'd hit early in a rally. Roddick's groundstroke was @ the collegian level at best.***
Roddick reminded me of the boy phenoms of my era w/ a serve, big FH, & not much else; ex. Krickstein & Arias come to mind!
***Do you think Roddick had a >er career > Safin or Yeveny K.?***
Hardly! Safin "worked" both Sampras & Fed in Majors while Roddick barely got a sniff! Kafelnikov won 2 Majors & OG in 2000!
***Good points Fiero!- - The Big 4 was never a thing. Out of respect for rankings consistency I'll concede there was a top 4 once. But only ever a Big 3.***
True enough, but going back to the beginning of Open Tennis, there's always been a "Big 4" = if you had to create them out of whole cloth like making Gerulaitus part of the quartet being "BFF" w/ Connors, McEnroe, & Borg! A > legit 4th was Vilas, but he came & went from the tour due to suspensions of under the table $$ to play tourneys! I think that was part of him being managed by Tiriac! Murray wasn't as phony winning 3 majors, a YEC, & held the #1 ranking! Most #4's never get there; regard< if something happens to the players above them! Borg w/b seeded if he came back 2 yrs later just lying on the beaches of Monaco! The closest we come to this actually occurring was "old man" Connors coming back from the dead as #3 behind Borg & McEnroe, but w/ Bjorn retired, McEnroe unmotivated, w/ the help of Lendl actually pulled "a Fed" winning 3 majors late in his career; 2 USO's & a Wimbl.!
***Connors wasn't dead when he came back to win those majors. Borg had finally gotten the upperhand on Jimbo in '79 after Connors had held it thru '78. McEnroe was coming into his own & was troubling both Connors & Borg. I noticed Connors slipped when he met his wife & married taking X off of the tour for a few wks as Borg clearly went to #1 & McEnroe a strong #2 which remained that way thru '80. McEnroe slid ahead of Borg in '81 & Connors was a close #3 & in '82 he simply had a resurgence in play & = pk'd up a lit'l > speed on his serve. He legit. topped McEnroe & the rising Lendl that yr. & again in NY in '83 (over Ivan). ...Connors didn’t back into those 3 majors; won them as the >er player. It's part of his durability & tenacious drive to win.***
I always feel some kind of way as Graf went about her business after Seles stabbed! Never cared for either player, but I still SMH as Graf accum. Majors & wks @ #1 while Seles was "getting over" being assaulted by a German Graf fan!
***Which is why I personally don't put too much wt. in Graf's #'s & I saw her entire run. Her wks @ #1 & Slam ct. w/b lower if Seles was still around, who had her # @ the X, & = @ Wimbl. made her 1st final, meaning = on grass she was starting her assault.***
I didn't watch the Wimbl. Final w/ Graf & Seles, but the pts I saw were phenomenal w/ great "gets" on old, choppy grass IIRC! The score didn't reflect the inevitable outcome; + taking hrs to complete b/c of X rain delays!
***...GOAT criteria, ...there are levels to consider:
Career accomps, which basically come down to stats. This is the only truly objective level, but still requires context. Another area of consideration is career vs peak. The 1st has to do w/ longevity & sustained excel., while the latter has to do w/ how good a player as @ their very best.
Qualities related to skill, mentality, & other intangibles that figure into performance, but can't be easily quantified. These are gen. based upon personal eyewitness accts, as well as assessments by various analysts.
Qualities related to style, persona, mystique, etc, that aren't quantifiable, but still are part of a player's legacy. ---
...a player might have a formidable aura, but only until they don’t, & then -...It’s just so difficult to measure so many things, then align them w/ the past & their wholly diff. ideas of >ness, that considering who is GOAT is really a discussion that'll never have a resolution, methinks…***
The older you are, the > subjective it c/b due to the diff. eras, how tennis & physicality of the game has changed over the yrs, homog. of court surfaces, & the level of play due to tech. & nutr. advancements! I started playing just after Open Tennis estab.; '71! ...I had no reason not to believe Laver the BOAT w/ 2 CYGS! Reading about the game later I had many 2nd thoughts develop due to the X's of Am/Pro! OTTH, I had to give consideration to past champs starting w/ Tilden, Budge, Gonzales, then my pre-era faves of HOAD, Laver, Rosewall! It wasn't about the Major ct. back then since these players were out of the running as Pros until '68! I guess that's why Borg became a legend so soon w/ 11 Majors in the Open Era!
Borg was the 1st I could put w/ the legends once I started to get serious! From him the honor of GOAT went to Sampras = w/o a FO final! It didn't last long w/ the style & grace of Fed! We thought he w/b on top for a while, but it was not t/b! In so many ways he's already been surpassed by 2 other players w/ my $$ on Nole that he'll wind up alone on top w/ the > majors, wks. @ #1, Double "CGS" & "Golden Masters," ...I could go on! If it had only to do w/ Majors, Borg wouldn't have ever been recognized as a GREAT w/ just 11 of them so I know where the board is coming from! We do"lean" on #'s too much, but if Fedalovic have "all the #'s" behind their names, I'm not sure how we can look back @ past champs & come up w/ reasons why they s/b shoulder to shoulder with these 3 ATG's who are under our noses right now!
***@Fiero425, Laver's the GOAT @ the X he played. He was >> his best contemporary, Rosewall, & had surpassed Gonzales, Tilden, & all the other pro greats b/c of his two CYGS & his overall accomp.
And then we have the OE. We can say, as you say, that Borg was the 1st "GOAT" of the OE, but we can't say that he surpassed Laver in terms of accomplishments. Plus, he's problematic b/c McEnroe, for a short X, was beating him left & right. And then Sampras took the crown, then Fed, & then Nadal & Djokovic joined the party.
So my pt. is, Laver's the GOAT of tennis up thru the transition to the OE & its 1st few yrs. He mastered the Am., Pro, & OE tours in a way that no other player did.
So I think when we're talking about the GOAT, we're talking about 4 players that m/b mentioned, the 1st who was the GOAT of tennis up thru the transition of the OE--about 90 yrs--& then the trio of Fedalovic who have surpassed everyone since.
If nothing else, I feel comfortable placing those 4 above everyone else, as the "Big 4" of tennis history. The next 4, the "2nd Quartet," is a bit trickier, but'd def. incl. Tilden & Gonzales, prob. Rosewall & Sampras.***
***You are #1 in a season when you’ve won 27/28 GS matches. If the ranking system & the post-USO Exo/app. $$ season doesn’t reflect that reality then the prob. is the ranking system.***
W/ Novak skipping IW's, he's putting himself in jeapardy of losing the YE #1 ranking! Thank goodness Daniil has a ton of pts to defend thru the YEC/WTF! Hopefully Nole gets some rest, but gets back on court to make sure he acquires that 7th YE #1 to set himself apart form Fedal & Sampras!
***Remember, this yr. the YE #1's calc. on pts won this yr. & not the #1 ranking pts where some carry over. Djokovic's pretty safe for #1 ranking though he may lose a wk. after IW if Medvedev wins that. The bigger issue is Medvedev is only about 2000 pts behind for the YE #1. ---
I hope Novak works to defend that @ Paris, m/b Vienna, & the Turin YE Chps. What a mess. So there's a poss. & probable scenario in which Djokovic will ct. his wks @ #1, but he won't be awarded w/ YE #1 finish. ---
Among all the crazy crowning achievements that Djokovic has put together - The Slam rec., the Masters record, the CDGM rec., the most wks @ #1 rec., the > YE #1's rec., the NCYGS, the CS, the Chan.-Slam; being the 1st to achieve the Double CS across 3 surfaces was a truly historic moment in prof. tennis.
Slam sequence:
AO '08 AO '11 W '11 USO '11 W '14 USO '15 RG '16 RG '21 ---
There are a # of players in that upper echelon & they were the best @ various pts in X & are brothers in >ness. Total dom. comes only once in awhile. Laver had a per., Connors in '74, Borg in '79, Sampras in the early '90s, Fed from '04-07, Rafa in '10 & again in '13, then Nole in '11, '15 & '21.
All of those yrs featured X Slams & winning %'s of around 85-90% or >er of matches or events won. Of those, I think special mention for Laver, Connors, Borg, Federer & Novak during those yrs as they dom. everything & everybody = though Borg had some issues w/ Mac & Fed w/ Nadal on clay back in those yrs. Otherwise, all those guys obliterated the field in those dom. yrs. That's really all one can say. Who @ their best would win more? No idea—likely surface dependent. ---
Tier 5 : Gaudio, Thiem, Medvedev, Muster, etc. Tier 6 : Nalbandian, Raonic, Nishikori, Tsonga, Zverev, Tsitsipas, etc. Tier 7 : Top 50 players who are journeymen Tier 8 : Those ranked outside the top 100 ---
Sorry, but Henman s/b nowhere near a list of past greats; = a Tier 7! I'd feel >er if you meant Justine Henin! A couple good outings w/o a final isn't enough!
***So Murray spent > X @ #1 than Becker, during the > stiflingly comp. era in men's tennis, & this is still an argument?***
Back in those days a Major tourn. could have a dozen GS event winners! Today w/ Fedal fading, there's only a handful of players outside Djokovic! There wasn't a lock on #1 like it's been w/ Fedalovicray!
***Yeah, except Murray's run @ #1 was already 5 yrs ago now. And things were a lot diff. then. Winning in an era w/ extreme parity is < impressive than winning in an era of oppressing dominance by 3 ATGs. ---
Nadal's a tier 1 player. I'd also bump Lendl down to tier 3 or raise Connors to tier 2.***
Lendl was unfortunate to start play @ end of Borg era, then have to deal w/ the next wave; Connors, McEnroe, Edberg, Becker, Cash, & Wilander! Then Agassi, Chang, Courier, & Sampras! He never had it easy! Lendl was the consummate prof. & like Djokovic got very lit'l love from the Tennis Intelligentsia!
1) Borg McEnroe Connors 2) Fed Nadal Djok 3) Sampras Agassi 4) Becker Edbgerg 5) Lendl Wilander***
B4 I get started, I've lived all these tennis eras of so called rivalries! Most of these c/b classified as rivalries, but Sampras - Agassi's a stretch! Andre won few matches vs Pete that counted; = if you feature their lone FO match! It was > media hype > anything, but was lit'l > of a match-up > Fed had w/ Roddick IMO! Sampras has owned Agassi from the beginning! I didn't know much about Sampras in '90, but he swept thru Lendl & McEnroe B4 dismantling Agassi in the USO final! That was a shock & was only an ex. of things to come ending w/ their last encounter @ '02 USO Pete still "owning" Agassi who won > majors after Sampras' retirement!
***Just a pt. about Fedal. Rafa went 6-1 in '05-06 only losing on grass to Roger. Roger made a lot of clay finals & lost to the >er superstar to come. Bad luck for the Swiss. Then in '06-07, Fed went 5-2 over Nadal up until the clay court season in '08. Up until then it was not ownership of anyone but 8-6 for Rafael & most of those were clay events.
'08-09 saw the 1st of 2 cycles where Nadal got the >er of his rival (Novak was still new to the triumvirate), but it really was a beat down in '10-14. Rafa dom. Roger in those yrs. Then in '17-18, Roger dom. Rafa losing only once (in Paris) over a stretch of 7 matches. So, it has gone back & forth, but Nadal certainly was > dom. after '08 for a # of yrs. As to “owning Roger,” I get it, but there were really a series of streaks.***
After all said & done, that was a lot of posting to say "yeah, you're right @Fiero425 after initially disputing your premise!"
***You know the entire GOAT scenario - Fedalovic - & I think everyone is entitled to have a fave. ...It gets ugly, people make it personal forgetting this is a sport. ...Getting back to Novak, I think it's wonderful when someone becomes a part of history. I know he mhb terr. disappointed. The game's so physical, when I saw he had entered Tokyo I thought he was playing far too much tennis. But that was his call - the "Golden Slam" was calling his name. In the end, in NY, he fell short. I know some Fedal fans were rejoicing, I didn't = watch the final b/c I really don't think I could've enjoyed it. I just wonder how many yrs it w/b B4 another player has the op. to win the GS. That is my take on the whole scenario.***
Amen & hallelujah to that! I really only "lose it" when some isolated fans lose perspective & elevate their fave w/ unusually fantastic opinions or commentary that aren't based in reality! I was guilty of it saying Fed was the GOAT when Nadal was owning him very early on; not just on clay! The mythos of Fedal started getting on my nerves which's why I shifted attn. to Novak; actually creating a blog w/ his move toward >ness back in '15! No 1 thought he'd surpass Fedal so quickly, but he has & is still +ing to his rec. while they're foot-dragging their retirements! It's hard watching the tour w/o them they've been such a staple out there for well over 20 yrs! I've already slowed viewership of the ladies = though > comp.! I hope some1 catches my eye on the men's tour to cont. my fandom of the sport starting in '71!
***Fedal are >ER all around players than Novak. Rafa's & Roger's front court (OH & net games) are @ a diff. level > Novak can ever dream about.***
When it comes to "who's >er," I just look @ Connors & Borg! Connors won > titles & has those 5 USO's that Borg only had a sniff @, but when it comes to history & legendary status, Borg's name will always come up 1st! He had a terr. limited game, but was the GOAT early on in the PRO era w/ 11 Majors! Sound familiar?
***...Novak can easily go on another tear, but it depends if the next gen. can piggybank off Medvedev's brk-thru. Tsitsipas c/b streaky, & not in a good way, but he came close to the brk-thru. Zverev's also close. These 3 (Medvedev, Tsitsipas & Zverev) have an opp. @ the AO HC to make a statement. Fed I feel is done. All his conditioning/training /therapy & rest can't compensate for a body that won't cooperate. He certainly did not overplay this season, but his body couldn't take it. As a 40/41 yo next yr., he's prob. hoping for an abbr., short farewell @ a few beloved tourns. such as Wimbl.
The real WC IMO is Rafa. Is his body done @ age 35 or can he mount a comp., credible campaign for 1 or 2 > seasons? ON clay you can't count him out, & on HC & grass he's a factor when healthy. The prime word being healthy. He's been WO 4 or 5 X's in his career so of course his detractors are coming out of the woodwork to state that once again (hope springs eternal), but we're going to have to wait to see how '22 looks.***
All true! I just wonder about the competency of those who are saying Novak's done b/c he lost 1 match in 4 Majors, winning 27! It's been the total extremes of 1/2 saying "by winning the '21 USO & completing the CYGS, it'd set him apart from Fedal for good" over the other 1/2 who think "he'll spiral out of the top rung right away dropping AO in '22!" It makes lit'l to no sense b/c we've all been wrong so often dealing w/ these 3 players over the yrs! Not sure Roger could summon up enough to do much else on the tour but say "farewell!" Even w/ the deal he had to of made w/ The Devil in '17, his reward was a heartbreaking loss w/ 2 MP's @ his fave event in '19! He hung on for over 5 yrs to win those 3 majors to hold off the inevitable & puffed up his wks @ #1, but in the end it only sets him > apart from past GOATs Borg & Sampras! Nadal's playing possum; getting his rest by not playing for the rest of this season, & w/b ready to try & get that elusive 2nd AO so he can match Nole's "Double CGS!" There's no reason Nadal shouldn't have another good run on clay, culm. in a 14th FO, but if the NG can finally assert itself, that might push him overboard w/ Roger on the sidelines of the tour!
***Ah, the deal w/ the Devil, when old Gerontius became a child again, innocent & playful, & dashing about in the midday Sun. What a peculiar sight that was. I recall a BBC reporter telling us, 'w/o a smidge of irony that Fed was incredible. That @ the age of 35 he’d +ed “staggering stamina” to his game.' How we all applauded!
Great post bro, though I think you’re being a lit'l shrewd about Rafa. He has a serious foot condition, and we hope he can play in Oz, and win it, but neither of these things is guaranteed. Good pt. also about how Novak would've become the supreme deity had he won vs Med, but the fact he lost proves he’s a bum. However, he’s got to deal w/ this now, & it won’t be easy. I imagine he’s still kicking himself. It may affect him & so may the confidence boost Medvedev has now…***
***Shapovalov needs to get it together. He falls apart yet again in another tourn. He's too talented to not be making it farther > 3rd Rd. @ IW. He def. needs someone to help him w/ his shot selection & playing w/ margin.***
It's what happens to these young phenoms who have a bit of success too early! It's all too easy to lose motivation, feed off the + commentary, then fall precipitously! I was just thinking earlier of all the players who've made a name for themselves by upsetting a top player to never being heard from again besides the honorary mention when that top player is upset again! Shapo came along & upset Nadal back home in the Can. Masters 2 yrs ago, but making this past Wimbl. SF has been > of a neg. > a + as he's done nothing since! The accolades were so plentiful, predicting great things for him! You can't listen to that BS! It's destroyed > players > helped in the past! During this rain delay, they showed Grigor D. who was monikered, "Baby Fed!" It's done him lit'l good outside of one Masters' win & a YEC 2 yrs ago!
***It's not that the success came too early, for the most part. It's just that for every potential great or = medium great, there are 20+ who just don't turn out that way. That's why the Big 3 are so superior. To name but a few of the disappointments over the past 2 decades: Safin, Nalbandian, Dimitrov, Kyrgios, Nishikori, Coric, Raonic, = Janowitz & Rosol. A great upset, as you say, then they go nowhere, of the last 2. I don't think Shapo is a lost cause, nor's FAA, who seems for now t/b a damp squib. But they certainly don't make anything consistent of their talents. It IS frustrating. ---
The men's tour's already sliding into a dark age, awaiting the next dramatic giants & so lit'l wonder that the women's was > interesting this yr. The men's has become stale for a long X really, w/ the field gathering such meager pickings over the last 2 dec. It's extraordinary, but it's also damning of the field, & the men's game by ext. People used to get het up when I'd remind them that Roger was racking up slams too easy B4 he faced a fellow great player, but I also said & still believe that it's damning of the men's game that Rafa has 13 FO's, when the prev. rec. was only 6. Roger has 6 Oz titles & now Novak has 9 when the prev. OE rec. was a paltry 4. So many recs have been obliterated, like as if we're watching a gen. of sprinters running sub-6 sec. 100m's... ---
Fed would have many FO titles if he didn't have his misfortune of the clay GOAT around. It's pretty easy to envision Fed getting owned on clay by Borg & Lendl.***
That c/b said about a lot of players; "if not for ....., such & such whd ...!" We were conned w/ Fed! Everyone thought him the KING who not only played well, but did it stylishly! Unfort. for him Nadovic came along & burst that bubble! If not for Nadal, Fed may've won 2 > FO's & if not for Novak Fed would've won > Wimbl. & AO's, but that isn't what happened! We have to adjust our thinking & rationale as far as I'm concerned!
***You're right, & perhaps I sold Bruguera short, as he did manage to beat a baby version of Fed on clay. I wanna be fair to Bruguera, b/c although Fed was pre-prime in 2000, Bruguera was well past his prime by 2000.***
***Tennis’s Big 3 have dom. the men’s game in an unprecedented manner over the last 18 yrs. Btwn them, from '03 until '21, they have won 60 of the last 71 GS titles (Wimbl. was cancelled in '20 due to the Covid-19 pand.). Each has dom. a separate GS tourn.: In +ition to winning 13 FO titles, Nadal has also won an OGM in the men’s singles, while Fed has won 8 Wimbl. titles & Djokovic has 9 AO titles to his name.
Djokovic fans argue that he's the >est since he has a winning rec. vs his 2 rivals &'s the only 1 of the 3 to have won each of the 4 GS's @ least twice. Fed’s fans argue that he has the longest run @ being #1 in the world — 237 str. wks. Djokovic, while having held the #1 ranking for > wks overall (344) was ranked #1 cons. for only 122 wks. Nadal only 56 wks. ---
Nadal had a >er peak > Djokovic on grass (proven by the 5 finals in a row @ Wimbl.-'06-11), but Djokovic has had a > longer prime on clay > Nadal (winning 2 RGs & 10 clay Masters over a decade). ---
Med c/b unreliable (after loss to Grigor up a set & 2 brks @ IW's). He's similar to all younger guys compared to "Big 3" when it comes to playing wk. in wk. out. - And this is why the 'Big 3' are what they are. Yr-in/yr-out of not just winning a few things, but > everything. I think it's hard for all of us to = apprec. any> what that kind of concentration & consistency it takes, b/c Roger, Rafa & Novak have made it look, if not easy, @ least poss. But then everyone in their wake, Lost Gen, Next Gen, Next-Next Gen. proves just how hard it is. I think that's why, when we look @ the youngsters, a lot of us seem t/b noting the ones that seem to have a certain stability & maturity, along w/ skills. I'm not saying that Med's a lost cause b/c of what happened yesterday. He'll likely = be the 1st of the rest to get to #1, but he'll always be in the scrum & won't rise to the level of world beater, if you ask me. I give him 3 Majors, tops. ---
4 surprise SF-ists after Med, Perseus, & Sascha were upset in IW!***
Pressure & expectations change which puts top players in precarious positions; esp. late in the season when they're run down! I love how the Fritz's excelling, but it won't last! Playing good, solid tennis only gets you so far! To reach & stay @ or near the top a real weapon is needed! Isner & Querrey have skated thru w/ mostly their serves & an honory mention of their FH's & net play! Taylor's had a nice run, but I can't see it going on for any significant length of X! He still needs a player to self-destruct to help along the way! JUST SAYING!
***...This Masters' usually held in March, B4 Miami. This yr. it's held shortly after a slam, during an Oly. season. It was obvious the top players weren't gonna be @ 100%. These guys don't care enough about a Masters after so many > important events. The rest of the field takes advantage, good for them, but I doubt we'll suddenly see these guys in every SF of Masters from now on. Players like Dimitrov, Basilashvili & Fritz are very inconsistent anyway. I'm sure Zverev, Medvedev & Tsitsipas will bounce back quickly. They weren't playing that bad IMO.*** ---
Navratilova played until she was almost 50 yo winning her last major @ '06 USO MxD. w/ Bryan @ 49: a month B4 her 50th BD.
***Martina c/b argued as the best all around female player ever. She won so many majors (59) btw singles, doubles & MxD. It’s not = close w/ anyone else. 177 career doubles, 167 singles, 10 mixed majors alone. Played almost 30 yrs on the tour.***
IMO there's no argument. It's a joke thinking Graf or Serena measure up when their rec. is either inflated in Steffi's case due to stabbing of her closest rival while Williams' limitations are glaring. Martina has twice as many titles as > men & women combined. It's a real joke.
***Shanahan's overrated as a coach, & since so many of my relatives are hardcore Niner fans, from a place of caring I always say Niner fans are simply Cowboy fans w/ >er & healthier tailgate grub.***
Hate to say he's still riding his dad's coattails! I don't pay that much attn. outside of teams interested in, but Shanahan's history shows prolific offenses that'll get you a lead, but somehow forget the fundamentals in the crunch & doesn't perform late in games to lose them! Happened in ATL &'s still happening in SF!
***However in the Niner's case it's = worse. They had a DEFENSE for the ages, truly exceptional & overwhelming. When they got to the SB 2 yrs ago, that defense & a great running game carried the team to the edges of ult. victory & somehow managed to lose b/c they couldn't muster a competent offense when it counted. W/ 1 qtr. to go., Jimmy G. in the crunch wasn't going to pass muster & who'll know when they get the =alent of that defense again.*** ---
Your QB sabotaged it all in GB! He gets his huge contract, they kiss his ass, but he's upset he can't make GM decisions! Heaven knows they've fk'd it up B4 not getting Rodgers > help, but the receivers he has had over the yrs have hurt the team w/ drops & a sieve as a defense! Even though in Chgo, I still used to like Rodgers as the best QB out there, but over the yrs his true colors have shown w/ finger pointing, bad mouthing of mgmt., & in the end not performing himself in important games @ home!
***"Jon Gruden resigns as LV Raiders HC - The resignation comes in the wake of a NY Times report that Gruden used misogynistic & anti-gay language in numerous emails over 7-yrs.***
I'm shocked to shit! I was drooling after that man yrs ago when still an asst. in Phili.! I can't believe what I'm hearing! He's destroyed while none of the incriminating evidence has = been revealed! How did this happen so fast w/o one email being published? I don't need to see it, but I'm just overwhelmed! I heard them speaking on the topic during the Bears game, I wasn't sure what it was all about until I looked it up! It's been so hush-hush, the commentary was only that "he had to go" & now he's gone! OMG!
***The NY Times are going to publish the content of the emails. He knew it was going to come out the entire wkend. Gruden had always been a known a-hole. He was protected b/c of his white privilege. He has been exposed for the racist, homophobic, misogynistic bigot he's always been. He's not gonna get another football related gig = @ the Jr. HS level. Good Riddance. ---
Gruden's e-mails were bad enough. And what about the other NFL execs/ops that RECEIVED these e-mails & apparently thought they were OK? M/b some of the recipients responded back to Gruden about the offensive nature of his messages. But nothing like that has been mentioned by the people who've reported about the emails. So...I sadly assume Gruden's just one small cog in a much >er wheel - a culture of racism, misogyny & homophobia. Very sad. I hope some + change can come out of all this.***
Rublev's playing too many tourns. Lost early to Mannarrino in St. Pete.***
Reminds me of another Russian that couldn't leave tour a wk. or 2 to rest if he could help it; running himself into the ground B4 his X, Nikolay Davydenko! He looked older than a grandpa B4 30 playing wk. in / wk. out, getting to #4 & taking a YEC IIRC! He pushed the Big 4, but success was fleeting! He was an enigma, wrapped in a conundrum! He may have also been investigated for match fixing when gambling was > rampant in the sport!
***Kafeknikov was like that too, playing too much. People said it was b/c he was afraid of running out of money…***
Yevgeny must've gotten over it! After winning 2 majors, retiring & earning over $20M, he became a prof. poker player, later a golfer! Never saw it, but he was referenced during tournaments I watched over a decade ago when "Texas Hold 'em" was so popular!
***Including dubs, who has the > yrs btw their 1st & last Slam appearance?
Navratilova '72 to '06 for 34 yrs. ---
...Serena is ahead of everyone ... a full 20 yrs. btw '99 & '19. Navratilova too has a 19 yrs btw '75 to '94.***
Martina did > appear in Majors! She was actually winning them until her last in '06 taking MxD's w/ Bob Bryan getting her to 59 Chps.! Overall she has 167 in singles titles w/ 177 Dubs! No one else can compare to that which is a joke when not mentioned w/ Graf, Court, & Williams!
***I see Murray's wearing down his opps w/ some long matches. I really admire his efforts, he looks good to reach top 20 if he stays healthy & play spoiler in slams, poss. = win some >er tourn.***
The only person getting worn down w/ the way Murray plays is Murray himself! He was gassed today trying to play that silly, def. game vs some kid from Spain; Alcaraz! He was a lit'l wild @ X's, but it was controlled aggression keeping Murray on the run in long, sustained pts that had the old man bending over a few X's trying to catch his breath! It took a while, but still str.-setted 3 & 4 in Erste Bank Open!
***It was just a shame that Fed didn't play Djokovic in that kind of '17 form while the latter was struggling. Djokovic basically went the Nadal route * avoided Fed & thus kept his mental edge.***
Avoided? OTTH Novak kept Fed from taking 1/2 dozen > majors "down under" over the yrs not to mention 3 Wimbledons & a USO Final! Novak didn't have any help needing to go thru both Fedal @ X's! Avoiding? I think not! If anything he was tested > any other GOAT since the BIG 4 were almost never upset!
***...The issue's about Fed getting periods to vulture wins vs a sub-par Djokovic. He didn't have quite as many ops as vice versa. The diff. is certainly < extreme in this rivalry compared to Fedal, though (4 matches in '13 rofl).
'15 & '17 are about level I'd say. At the >est events:
AO: '17 by a clear margin IW: '17 by a clear margin & '15 wasn't = that bad
Miami: '17 by a clear margin MC: '15 by default b/c '17 DNP Madrid: '15 by def. = w/ an opening Rd. loss
Rome: '15 by default RG: '15 by default Wimbledon: '17 by a lit'l bit Canada: '17 by default Cinci: '15 by def., but I doubt '17 chd anything to top it
US Open: '15 by a fair margin Shanghai: '17 by a clear margin Paris: '15 by default WTF: '15 by a bit
'17 played a much > truncated season, but pulled out gen. > impressive results in the few tourns he entered. '15 deserves credit for maintaining a pretty good level despite playing a > complete season, but he did have plenty of weird losses in the Masters. ---
W/O a doubt Fed would have decimated '17-18 Djokovic. I still believe to this day that Novak had Fed in the back of his mind in that Chung loss in '18 (though Chung did play well) & didn’t really want any part of Fed @ that pt.
I would have loved to see ‘17 Roger 6 months earlier getting a chance @ Novak @ Wimby/USO ‘16. That would've put an end to basically every narrative about mental strength & “peak Roger” circling around that X, & I also think Novak might've risen to the challenge a bit > if it was Roger on the other side of the net. ---
Aussie Open: who should host it if not Melbourne?***
For as long as I can recall New Zealand's where they ship undesirable events! A couple decades ago there was a disease going around "horses," so Olympic equestrian events were held in NZ instead of the mainland!
***NZ's fond of using the word "pure" B4 anything & everything, so naturally if an event wants t/b disease-free then it's your best bet... outside of Auckland. ---
Emma's on a roll in the WTA Tour! Two match wins in cons. matches!***
Is Britain on a roll? Looks as if not for Murray trying to hog the spotlight with his lame comeback, Emma & Norrie w/b getting > press & praise! Is GB going t/b a tennis powerhouse? It's been yrs since the women have challenged int'lly like this w/ the likes of Wade, Barker, & Durie! Back then it made sense to have team exhs. like Wightman Cup! Anabel Croft's the only Brit woman I can think of who tried to make a name for herself! She did so, but not as a tennis player!
***Fed has 1 single final loss @ the AO & holding that against him isn't fair IMO.He = avenged that loss in '17.***
OTOH Nadal's still floundering after all these yrs trying to complete his double CGS w/ sev. finals' losses "down under!" His best chance was vs Wawrinka in '14, but Stan was "zoning! Djokovic murdered him in '19 w/ "Gawd-mode" tennis!
***Yeah, Nadal @ the AO since '09 has been such a weird story. He should def. have @ least 2. - He's come so close in a few instances, but still no cigar. That '14 AO loss was for me as suprising as Fed losing the USO Final in '09. Fedal were overwhelming faves going into those resp. matches.***
We s/b saying the same about Roger in Paris w/ all his chances & finals! Djokovic rectified his shortcomings by def. Nadal & going on to win his 2nd FO!
***Well Fed always lost to Nadal & so did Djokovic. Novak was just able to still be playing great tennis @ a X where Nadal was 35 & injured. lol***
Well if you want to play that game, we can take about 1/2 dozen majors off Nadal's resume! That's why they play the matches & tourns.! Nadal vultured > majors w/o having to play Nole IMO!
***I was wondering how many X's Fedal encounter came short @ USO of being held for one match & who of both was the one who couldn’t “keep” the appt.?***
For the USO it's easy OTTH! In '10 Fed failed to get thru Nole in the SF holding 2 MP's vs him! Rafa waiting in the final may have won 4, but his success has been as sporadic there as it is "down under" w/ only 1 chp.!
***I also recall:
Nadal losing to Delpo in USO '09, thus negating a Fedal final.
Any > of these?***
I figured the failure was on Nadal's part since Fed made 6 finals in a row, then got to '15 final when Nadal was in a funk & being upset all over the place!
***What you said about USO'10, happened exactly again in'11. Fed lost to Nole in SF's squandering 2 MPs.
That was also a Fedal final negated.
Nadal won '10 final (achieving his CGS) & Nole won '11 final. ---
Fed '08 Nadal (OG & Chan'l Slam winning) going down in 4 to Murray was pretty bad.
‘09 Nadal - slightly injured, but got destroyed by Del Po
‘10 & ‘11 Fed, obviously had MPs to face Nadal, but there was some Novak guy on the other end. Tbh Fed should've won @ least one of those.
‘13 Fed lost to Robredo (lol) one match B4 a QF showdown w/ Rafa, but he was prob. in the worst shape of his career.
‘17 Fed losing to Del Potro in the quarters directly B4 a SF w/ Nadal as well.
2 matches away:
‘19 Fed lost in the QFs & would've only had to beat Medvedev to set up a final.
‘06 Nadal lost to Youzhny, then whh to beat Roddick to set up a final.
‘07 Nadal lost to Ferrer, then said “now is not the X to talk about my injuries.”
They seemed to alt. healthy yrs @ the USO, ‘12 Nadal injured, ‘13 Fed injured, ‘14 Nadal injured, ‘15 Nadal playing crap, ‘16 both finished, ‘18 Nadal hurt & retired+Fed bad, ‘20/21 both skipping losing to Delpo in USO '17 QF, negating a Fedal SF.
Basically it’s a lit'l bit of Rafa’s body falling apart after RG+Wimby finals a lot, a bit of Rafa being bad @ the USO pre-'10, a bit of 40-15, a bit of Fed being in mostly poor form post ‘11, & a bit of bad luck w/ the draw.***
Nadal only loses a match if injured; didn't you know that? Uncle Tony made sure we heard all about it B4, during, & after a loss! RUDE!
***I believe it's the tennis Gods punishing the NY crowds for their boorish behavior over the yrs. - Nadal also was pretty 'meh' on HC pre-'10, AO ‘09 his only HC Final. Federer, +ionally, was just as 'meh' post-'10, only one chp.-level run after '11 ('15) which is pretty shocking given his earlier success there. Their ‘USO Primes’ overlapped m/b 2 or 3 yrs total & Murray/Djokovic got in the way.***
***Projected Q/F's based on seeds @ Paris Masters:
Djokr (1) v Ruud (6) Rublev (5) v Zverev (4) Tsitsipas (3) v Sinner (8) Hurkacz (7) v Med (2)***
Well we all know that ain't gonna happen! Anyone's vuln. in Paris @ this X of yr.! It's notorious for upsets & Chp. wins! All we need to do is look back a few yrs where Sock came out of nowhere to take Paris & make the '17 finals of the YEC! It's a springboard for some up & coming talent, but IMO it's been > a resting ground for Srs; esp. if @ the top of the game! Djokovic's an anomaly where it appeared he got stronger after the USO as opposed to Nadal who's emotional done for the season; hence no Paris Masters wins or YEC to his name!
***This Masters tourn. has always thrown up 'surprise winners' due to the fact it's the last one of the yr., > players are carrying injuries @ this X of the yr. - Nadal's gen. not so "emotionally" spent as physically. Plus, he's just not as good indoors. Reading your posts, AP & Kieran's about playing indoors yourselves due to inclement weather. It's hardly a wonder Nadal isn't great indoors. He lives in an island paradise & barely had to. ---
Nole entered the top 100 @ the age of 17 & @ the age of 19 he won the 1st tourn. of the Master Series. At the age of 20, he reached 3rd place on the world ranking list & the 1st GS.***
All the > impressive of Djokovic to brk. so many recs in a shorter amt of X over Fedal! Nole's for the > part won his titles in bunches; hence sneaking up on Fedal w/ 3 Majors this season to tie @ 20! They thought they had > X, but unfort. the rest of the tour has been just as uncoop. as when they reigned! While the "Big 3" have been on the shelf, the NG'rs haven't exactly taken advan. of their absence!
***From Paris Masters'14 to RG'16, Novak put together some of the > awe inspiring streaks of wins possible.
In these 18 mo. Djokovic achieved:
5 Slams, incl. a NCYGS, a 1st ever CS, a 2nd 3 slam season AO-W-USO, rec. =ing > AO titles
10 Masters titles, incl. > Masters won in a single season, B2B Sunshine-double, 1st to win the 1st 3 Masters of the season, 7 out of 9 diff. Masters events
Reached the final of every single event he played from AO'15 - AO'16, which incl.'15 AO, Dubai, IW, Miami, MC, Rome, RG, W, Can., Cincy, USO, Beijing, Shanghai, Paris, WTF, '16 Doha & AO
Back to back wins @ the WTF, allowing him t/b the only player to win the WTF 4 X's in a row
>est pts accum. in history - 16,585
At the conclusion of RG'16, he was reigning def. undisputed champ. @ AO, IW, Miami, Madrid, RG, W, USO, Beijing, Shanghai, Paris & WTF, holding all the >est titles on all 3 surfaces & indoors. He had also won the clay crown, winning all of MC, Madrid, Rome & RG during this run. It was this run spec. that earned him the title of Earth's Mightiest Warrior, a run that broke all boundaries & set new horizons on what was poss. It'll take a monumental effort of epic proportions for this 18 mo. per. to ever be eclipsed.***
You can count Nole's WD's on 1 hand while Fedal have lived off their reps for yrs skipping event after event! If Fed had retired in '12 after his Wimbl. win, he'd still be touted as the GOAT! I think he only hurt his legend by hanging on for 8 > yrs only acquiring 3 > Majors!
***Nope, Fed did himself a big favor by not retiring in '12 & continuing until '21-22.
...i.e. Sampras was head & shoulders ahead of Agassi as a player in '01 & once he crossed Emerson nobody cares whether he had not won the FO or if Agassi had won all 4 slams @ least once. Today, 20 yrs later people in their 20s & 30s are saying on social media that Agassi winning all 4 slams @ least once is a great feat b/c the Big 3 also did that. Sampras being the only 1 out of the 5 ATGs in the last 30 yrs to not do that makes him look inferior & @ best on par w/ Agassi. People who never saw him play don't know that he dom. the 90s or m/b they don't care. So Agassi's stock has gone up & Sampras' down for the people who never watched them play.
Same way had Fed retired in '12, people would've said, ok he left @ 31. He was Nadal's pigeon & was a coward to retire early (like Borg) b/c Novak had also arrived. But in these 9 yrs Fed earned @ least $600 M, won 3 slams after 35, went toe to toe w/ Djokodal in 5 sets a few X's. Youngsters have seen the old man play, so they know that he's special.
...Beating Roger in tennis stats (like Slams, Wks @ #1, YE #1's) is only the 1st part of the challenge. The real challenge w/b to surpass his brand-value & popularity to become a bigger icon......! Un< this hurdle is passed, nobody can surpass him as the GOAT b/c GOAT-hood in reality's a popularity contest among the best ATGs who can raise a stake on that claim. ---
...This stretch is said t/b so great b/c Nole held all 4 Slams. Yet in many Goat debates, it's said that Slams aren't everything.***
Way back when, Majors weren't the "be all, end all;" esp. early in the OE! Many players skipped AO & FO for one thing! Only Wimbl. & the USO was important on the sched. & it was > about tradition w/ > prize $$ being doled out in exhs & "made for TV" events! I think it was Lendl who made it important to @ least try winning any & all majors making AO relevant in the 80's along w/ help from Wilander & Edberg! The same happened w/ the women in '81 w/ Navratilova & Evert! B4 them the aggregate # of majors was low for the top players compared to today!
***Kei Nishikori has WD from Stockholm tourn. next wk. w/ a back injury. He's looking forward to having a strong pre-season training to make '22 a great yr.***
Another one of those huge wastes of talent! Kei challenged & beat Nadal on clay! He obviously made a name for himself by upsetting Novak @ USO in '14 making the final, but going down to Cilic! He has all the shots w/ a big serve & good stamina! His prob.'s his body's betraying him! Some people can't abuse their bodies like Nadal & Djokovic! I'd think people would @ least take Nole's lead in stretching! It was something I never did as a jr. or sr.; = from the start of the day! I warmed up "on court!" The > I might do to get the heart rate up by taking a lap or 2 around the court! ...Somehow I only had 2 bouts of abdominal strain! You get into a serving groove & the next thing you feel like your guts are about to push thru your belly! The only other troubles I had had to do w/ racket choices! Some can exacerbate "tennis elbow!"
***Quite frankly I don't think Kei's body's made for tennis; like how many X's has his body parts been injured? He does play an offensive style of tennis, gets in a good position in a tourn., then gets injured; either has to retire or WD. He's exciting to watch when 'on' though he's not getting any younger.***
Most ATP singles wins as World #1: 1. Djokovic - 418 2. Federer - 417 3. Connors - 390 4. Lendl - 366 5. Sampras - 322 6. Nadal - 250 ---
Note that Djokovic has played 5 yrs < on the tour > Fed, but he's beaten > top 5 players & top 10 players, meaning his comp. has been relatively tougher.***
For some strange reason that doesn't seem to sink into the skulls of some Fedal fans! They blast Nole's accomplishments invoking this age diff., but stats show = w/o mentioning Roger, he's done > in < X! Very TROLLISH!
***The per. from '15-21 is where old players have feasted like never B4 & the next rung of players couldn't do anything . There were @ least 2 gen. of players who pretty much won nothing of note. (The Dmitrov, Raonic, Nishikori, Delpo, Cilic, Goffin, Thiem). Players who prior to '15 ranked outside top 10 & 20 became top 5 & 10. ---
The following gen. won nothing outside of Cilic & Thiem, but that's b/c they followed The Big 3, 3 outlier players who dom. tennis in a way never seen B4. On top of that, Nadal/Djokovic's gen. also had Berdych, Murray, Tsonga, & Wawrinka to contend w/. It wasn't like Cilic, Nishikori, Raonic, & Thiem didn't @ least contend. They often went deep in Slams. They just couldn't overcome 3 players, all contending t/b GOAT @ the same X. Delpo was just unlucky that he was injured 1/2 his career & Nishikori & Raonic have also had to deal w/ ext. injury. It's not that they were "very weak," but that their opp. was very strong. You can't get any stronger > 3 simultaneous potential GOATs. In any case, '21 has seen a changing of the guard as Med, Zverev, & Tsitsipas have come into their own. Tsitsipas beat Nadal @ the AO, Zverev beat Nadal on clay in Madrid, & Medvedev beat Djokovic @ the USO. This gen. of players has already been beating Federer > often > not. Now they'll go into matches w/ Nadal as the faves & into matches w/ Djokovic w/ = odds. ---
I'm a big Bjorn Borg fan from the 70's, but I'm surprised Leo got a WC w/o playing in the qual. Rds when he's 2000+ in the World. He plays Tommy Paul in the 1st Rd. I wonder how many games Leo will win?***
Bjorn w/b in the stands to watch! S/b very nastalgic & a real event for the tourn. = if Leo's slaughtered 0 & 0 by Tommy! - It might end up being the same circus when Borg's 1st wife played & won a small tourn. back in '80; "game, set, match, & chp. Mrs. Borg!"
I awoke this morning to hear, see, & digest that Aaron Rodgers considered himself immunized from Cov-19, but now found to have LIED to all concerned! He supposedly had some kind of alt., but it had not been approved t/b enough so he & the team are in trouble after his maneuvering around other players & press conferences w/o a mask! What a douche! Just another reason to have complete disgust w/ the self-entitled persona of Rodgers! So far he's only to miss game vs KC Sunday, but > punitive measures should & will occur!
- Aaron Rodgers considered himself ‘immunized’ w/ vaccine alternative -
***I know it's been characterised as a lie, but it's really not. Misleading yes, but he was extremely careful w/ his wording. Also my understanding is that the Packers knew all about it. It wasn't exactly a secret in-house. The only issue is whether he was fully compliant w/ the protocols for the unvaxxed. When he used the word "immunized" it should've raised a red flag. I will say that when he referred to the unvaxxed as "them" that was taking the misrepresentation to the next level. Sneaky lit'l bugger.***
What made it worse was that Rodgers wasn't observing 'any protocols;' unmasked, glad-handing & greeting folks, & going into press conferences seeming w/o a care in the world! He needs t/b punished severely along w/ the team!
***Dr. House says everyone lies. Don't forget it. - Who cares? The scamdemic is over.***
Hard to believe we have = one of this type of people living in the country, but unfortunately there are millions which's why we w/b waging a war on this flu for yrs to come!
***IDK if any other player has lied or @ best misled everybody about this particular thing. It has been reported that the vaccinated people can pass the virus to others, so how much of a health hazard was Rodgers in this instance? IMHO, this could wind up in court w/ the NFL suspending him & injunctions against that suspension & other judges issuing a delay of those injunctions. IOW, a real nut-roll. Rodgers is a great QB, but he's also a real prick.***
I was a huge fan of Rodgers from the beginning = though I lived in Chgo! I gave him every benefit of the doubt from Favre refusing to reliquish the reigns yrs ago to blaming others for a Packers' loss! His buck-passing turned into elevated arrogance thinking he should have a say in personnel changes & hires! He's making close to $40 M and like so many of these prima-donnas out there, "it's never enough" to satisfy them & their egos!
***According to vid the NFL was fully aware he was unvaccinated & did nothing. I think if I was one of the teams that were penalized I'd be suing the NFL.***
I wasn't paying attn., but faintly heard from Dan Leb. on TV an NFL player was fined over $14,500 for brk'n of protocols! It's logical Rodgers w/b paying back fines regard< if the league knew or not! He's been exposed as a LIAR! The way Aaron was walking around as if he didn't have a care in the world & saying he "passes no judgment on players who haven't been immunized!" What a great guy!
Novak acquired a few notorieties by winning Paris Masters today over Med; a rec. 6th title, won Paris Clay event too, & now holds the rec. for 37 Masters & a 7th YE #1!
***The idea that Fed had the >est game is >ly debatable...
Nadal. "I played vs a player who did everything perfectly. IDK anybody who's ever played tennis like this. Since I know this sport I've never seen somebody playing @ this level." (On Djokovic after getting demo'd @ Doha)
Toni & Rafa have always admitted that they never could find a strategy vs Novak, but had one vs Federer
...Others have said that Djokovic attained a >er level > Federer. The stats sort of prove it. Novak has all the recs & has been as dom. as Federer ever was. Novak was able to win all 4 Slams in a row & almost won CS: Fed could never do it. Novak has beaten Federer in 3 Wimbledon finals & bested Nadal twice @ RG. ---
Hence the term ‘Lit'l 3’ when ref. top NG'rs - no chance of being the next ‘Big 3.’***
After the act of Fedalovic, will there ever be another "Big 3?" Their dom. has been unprecedented in the OE! We may never see their like again!
***We'll see lots of baseline grinders like Djokovic. M/b a few really dom. def. clay courters like Nadal. Federer... never again.***
People aren't speaking on their styles, but the prospects for that kind of dom.! I say it won't happen in my lifeX!
***I think Novak has started to edge forward & away from not only Rafa, but also Roger. If he retired right now, we could say m/b Roger's overall rec. is = or slightly >er, or m/b Rafa will win enough to = or surpass Novak. But given where we are now & the probable future, I think it's becoming harder & harder to say that Novak doesn't have the statistical edge. If I ignore the #'s & just ask the ??, "Who's the >est player of the 3?" My answer is....well, it is unanswerable. Novak doesn't "feel" greater > either Roger or Rafa. He's reached Rogerian levels of dom. although not for 4 yrs str. like Roger in '04-07. He's seemed unbeatable, but never quite like Rafa on clay from '04-14.***
It's hairspitting going on here & now trying to make an issue of the level of dom. instead of looking @ the overall pict. & recs! Well that's 1 way to elevate someone running in 3rd place to the top of the podium! Regard< of our feelings, 100 yrs from now they'll only look @ the raw #'s & w/o a doubt Djokovic's owning the rec.bks! I wasn't sure he could finish off Medvedev in Paris yesterday b/c I don't think he's particularly played well since his defeat of Rafa in the FO SF! He never had to extend himself to win Wimbl.! The USO caught up w/ him not up to his standard; just good enough to stay ahead of these newbies who are aging fast w/ failure after failure to usurp the throne!
***So B4 Djokovic broke all these recs, the argument was 'Roger GOAT b/c Roger has the recs.' Now that Novak broke the recs, change of tone, 'Well, BUT, Roger had the >est game'
The ??'s by what measure? I can see the 2nd argument having some merit IF Novak had played 25 yrs, grinding wins w/o dom. & Fed dom. for 5 yrs like no-one else could. THIS IS NOT THE CASE. Djokovic has been as dom. as Fed ever was. The Djokovic of '11, '15-16 was as dom. a player as you will ever see, = won 4 slams in a row! He was trouncing Nadal on clay (in '11)... So not only does Novak have the rec.bks., he was as dom. as Roger. Also, Novak has > complete results across surfaces.... yeah, = > Roger. ...In the end, it comes down to who's game we preferred to watch, who was > aesthetically pleasing, & who our fave player was?***
***I hope to see Novak get in about 14-15 tourns. a yr. But X'll tell. I w/b shocked if he doesn't go to the AO since he already lost the opp. to win the '20 Wimbl. & USO. I do still think he'll get to 380-400 wks @ least in the next yr. w/ m/b some wks #1 for Medvedev interspersed here & there.***
Dream on; SORRY! This is about as much as we're gonna see of Djokovic I'm afraid to say! I doubt he'll go out of his way to hold the #1 ranking after this yr.! Majors are his last "must have" which will set him apart from Fedal! He's already accum. all the other meaningful recs includ. the Double CGS, a Nole-Slam, 2 Golden Masters, 37 Masters 1000 Chps., won 9 AO (3 str. twice, '11-13 & '19-21), & now 7 YE #1's OTTH! Nole can only + to these #'s as he did 2 days ago in Paris!
***You m/b correct. What has been lost in the Big 3 Goat debate is that these guys have driven each other. If Djokovic wins 2 slams next yr., = his drive may decrease since he'll > thoroughly have cemented the GOAT debate.***
Novak m/b treating Med as Nav'ova did w/ Graf; her last major rival B4 retirement! Nole only has 2 choices; use Med-threat to drive him for a lit'l bit >er or lose interest after winning a couple majors next season! Heaven knows Sampras lost his comp. spirit after winning Wimbl. in 2000 over Rafter! He went over 2 yrs w/o a single chp. win, stealing that last USO over Agassi in '02! Novak has the chance to pad his #'s w/o Fedal to contend w/ as much w/ the NG'rs out there pretty weak-minded & unable to finish him off!
***Hurkacz could make some noise in the Red Group @ YEC this coming wk.***
Very impressive @ X's! His Wimbl. win this yr. over Fed's still worth watching! Hurkacz's the 1st Polish player to make a name for himself since Wojtek Fibak back in the 70's! Woj coached Lendl for a bit B4 Roche took over in mid 80's!
***You can say this any tourn. for Hurkacz. He won a Masters then lost 5 in a row, then had a great Wimbl. run. He's such a hit & miss player who you don’t know what you'll get. That'll always cause problems.***
We've been so spoiled by the excellence of Fedalovic we're not being very fair to the NG'rs of this era! They're good, but have a mental deficiency when it comes to playing the BIG 3 & can't seem to overcome it! Sinner went down to Murray yesterday & he's nowhere near what he was when thought t/b part of the Big 4!
***People say '04-07 & '17-21 are weak eras j/b they were so spoilt in btwn. You have Sampras B4 them w/ 14 Slams which was the > in OE history & in the last 20 yrs, 3 players not just passed it, but destroyed it. Tennis might become fun for a while in a few yrs when you have diff. winners as it w/b > unpredictable, but the level w/b so much of them going forward. - Yeah he’d match Fed's rec. of 6 titles & also match Feds rec. of winning the event in 3 diff. locations if he does win the title in Turin next wk. Another wk. that can bring > source of big motivation to Novak. Every tournament now he’s looking to smash yet > new recs in.***
***The last 18-yo's in the top 20 were Nadal & Gasquet. Even Delpo, Novak, Andy, Roger, & Hewitt didn't make it until they were 19.
By my accting, here are the Open Era players to make it to the top 20 as 18-yo's, going back chronologically by birth yr:
'03: Carlos Alcaraz (pending) '86: Rafael Nadal, Richard Gasquet '82: Andy Roddick '74: Andrei Medvedev '72: Michael Chang (@ 17) '71: Goran Ivanisevic, Pete Sampras '70: Andre Agassi (17) '68: Kent Carlsson '67: Aaron Krickstein (17), Boris Becker (17) '66: Stefan Edberg '64: Mats Wilander (17), Jimmy Arias '60: Ivan Lendl '59: John McEnroe '56: Bjorn Borg (17)
As can be seen, the biggest gap by far is that 1st one, 17 yrs btw Alcaraz & Nadal/Gasquet. There were quite a few of the players born in the 60s & 70s, & thus turning 18 in the 80s & 90s. Michael Chang was the last 17-yo in the top 20.
Or to brk it down: 17 18-yo's in the top 20 12 of them (71%) won @ least 1 Slam 9 of them (53%) won 6+ Slams 3 of them (18%) are what @Fiero425 called "Boy Wonders" (Carlsson, Krickstein, Arias) who went on to have rather disappointing, if still solid careers. I suppose Gasquet could be considered such.
Andrei Medvedev (no rel. to Daniil, afaik) won 4 Masters in the mid-90s, but after finishing #6 in '93 (@ age 19), faded & never finished in the top 10 again, despite reaching the '99 RG final, losing to Agassi in 5 sets, despite winning the 1st 2 sets 6-1, 6-2. That was after def. Gustavo Kuerten in the QF. ---
...The Djokovic haters will pt. to Djokovic dom. '11-21 when Fed was past his prime. They'll ignore any high level Fed attained btw '11-21 & just double down that he was just not @ his best. Djoker haters will also make excuses for Nadal in '11, a yr. he battled Djokovic for 6 major titles, in Masters' finals (IW, MIA, MC, Rome, W, USO) & after a '10 season where he won 3 slams. They'll claim Rafa's prime was '06-10... and totally ignore Rafa's '13 season & fact that he = became #1 as late as '19. The power of rationalizing is extremely powerful in us humans.
Here's how this becomes such a circular argument. So Djokovic was lucky '04-07 Fed wasn't around btw '11-21? Ok. Now where was peak Djokovic btw '04-07? So right back at you... now we are back to square 1; reaching a dead end here.
So 'past' his best Fed was able to beat '11 Djokovic in FO semis so 'imagine' peak Fed! Well, 'baby' Novak beat '07 Federer in finals of a master, imagine peak Novak!
So Djokovic dom. '15-16 during per. when Rafa was injured? Okay, so, what about '17? Djokovic had a nagging injury that yr. He didn't play after Wimbl. & guess who ended up #1 that year? Rafa. Meanwhile, Fed, who had been dom. by Djokovic @ AO & = Wimbl. ('14-15 finals) sneaked in AO & Wimbl. wins. So coincidence that Fed won '17-18 AOs whilst Novak was dealing w/ injury after being owned by Novak @ AO for yrs?...
...We never saw '04-07 Fed face off vs '11,'15-16, &'21 Novak. However, here's a fact. Fed was able to summon his peak level after '07. He just wasn't able to dom. day in day out as he did. Fed didn't just suddenly drop in '08 & never was able to play his peak level again. This is just extremely dumb. The man was winning majors in '17 & '18! Same, Novak in '08 was playing great tennis. He beat '07 Fed in finals of a masters & dom. Fed in '08 AO. ...Nadal started his career in '05 & '06; '07 was only the beginning. Rafa's best yrs were '08, '10, '13, & in '19 re-gained #1. Those who say he was @ his best in '07 are either Fed fanatics or Nadalites; as they're laying the foundation to make excuses as to why Rafa was sub-par during Djokovic's domination.***
***Novak had to subdue 2 GOATs & his own gen. who want to bring him down.
Murray+Stan+Del Potro + Nishi are like quad of Hewitt + Roddick + Safin + Nalby
So Novak facing all of them is like Fed facing his own gen. & an add'l Fed+Nadal from late 90s + early 00s who are est. ....how tough would that have been for Fed?
...Except:
1. Fed lost once combined to Hewitt, Roddick, Safin, Nalby from '04-09 in slams & = in that match he had a MP
Djoko lost 4 X's to Murray, Stan, Nishi in '12-14 alone. Of course he lost to Stan twice in '15-16 & Querrey in '16.
2. Fed was only a real factor vs Djoko in 2 out of the 12 slams from '12-14 (Wim.'12, Wim.'14). Contrast to Nadal in '05-07 who faced off vs Fed 5 X's in slams & was a real factor in all of them. OBTW, Nadal faced off vs Djoko in slams 5 X's in '12-14, the exact same.
Fed also faced Nadal from '05 & Djokovic from '07 itself. Something which you conveniently ignore.
...Like I said, Fed won 8 slams from '07-12. ---
Since quite a while it was btw Nole & Roger. Nadal > one step behind the Maestro.***
Not t/b shady AF, but he'll always run a distant 3rd IMO! Nadal has tons of accomplishments, but the imbalance bothers me where he has his OG's, a CGS, & 13 FO's w/ his obvious superiority's only on clay! Fedovic have 11 YEC's btw them while Rafa's only gotten a sniff making 2 finals! Again, just pointing out the facts over the many yrs, Rafa's motivation to = play tennis seems to wane after the FO; hence 2 Wimbl. 4 USO, & few Masters in isolated good Summers in '10 & '13! Roger tech. s/b in 3rd place since Nadovic have a H2H edge over him, but his "style & grace" on the court has t/b acknowledged! How many X's have I given demerits to Nadal for having one of the ugliest games to watch? Each Era should prob. be allowed their own GOAT feeling down the line someone will come along to surpass Novak's recs! I know it won't happen anyX soon! His #'s collectively w/b X< when we thought it w/b Roger being lauded 100 yrs from now! Laver's still my overall GOAT, then Borg, m/b Sampras, but the #'s belie any attempt rationally to put Nadal @ the top = if he went wild & collected 4 > Majors! The overall shortcomings would tilt towards a > rounded player from the past!
***IDK how you say "obvious imbalance on his resume" right after you note that Rafa has a CGS. There's a lot of subjectives in your post here ...Yes, he has 13 FO titles, & lots of clay titles, but he also had an All-X great on HC & grass on one end of his career, & an All-X great on HC w/ a game that transitioned to grass later on the other end. ...I don't see anyone putting Rafa @ the top, = w/ 4 > Majors, but I do see that there's a Big 3 in this era, & that's hard to discredit completely.***
I think Borg is a legit. rival to Nadal in any era! Bjorn dom. RG like no other B4 him @ the X, dropping only 2 matches to the same player; Adriano Panatta ('73 & '76)! Unless you lived during that era, you wouldn't remember that Borg physio-system was superior w/ a very low heart rate! It was why you had t/b a very aggressive & successive attacker of the net to defeat him on the slow crushed surface of the Terre Battue! B4 retiring he defeated Ivan Lendl in the '80 YEC Finals in NY & RG the following yr. in '81! As much credit as people want to give Rafa, the racket tech's assisting him so much! Borg played w/ a stick & tight strings & somehow won 11 Majors; 3 Wimbls. right after winning in Paris the wk. B4! Borg truly was a genius on the court while any others pale in comparison no matter how many clay titles recently vultured over the yrs!
Sage Steele Jason Whitlock Larry Elder Candice Owens Tim Scott Allen West***
WTF for? They aren't trying to "pass" for White or believe cons. are fair & =table when push comes to shove? The list are mostly a-holes w/ their own selfish agendas siding w/ malevolent forces @ X's like the Rep. party! That's not Obama or Harris! ;-(
***I agree w/ you on the list, but I still think Obama & Harris belong on that list j/b they lie to Afro-Americans to get elected & then forget about them when they get their position & help everyone else instead of Black people.***
I understand where you're coming from, but if they so much as lift a finger to obviously help Blacks, you'll hear their detractors speaking of favoritism! You know the game! The Clintons were all for Gay rights, but it cost them early on back in the 90's & cons. went on a Jihad vs gays in the military! It continued thru "W" in his re-election in '04, but the overkill brought about Gay Marriage! We can only hope they keep overreaching so it backfires, but right now the lines have been drawn! We're a grievance society & everyone's only looking out for themselves instead of the country!
***We shg all the favoritism from the Obama admin. for 8 yrs, but we didn't get nothing b/c you know this country has gotten over 400 YRS of free favoritism out of Black people & we need to start paying them for that favoritism.***
Unfortunately Obama was a lit'l weak in trying to appease "the right!" He ejected > Mexicans back home > any Rep. in the past; was still someone to spit on & disrespect! I won't ever forget that treatment of the man & his family! All Reps are scum as far as I'm cocnerned! How they can still align w/ such hateful people is beyond me; esp. after Jan. 6th!
It'll prob. be another 100 yrs B4 we can = speak about race w/o boths sides blood pressure going sky high! There's White guilt on 1 side & resentment by Blacks how slow "so called" = rights have come to them on the other! Like the Jews wandering the desert for 40 yrs for offending God, it's gonna take a lot longer to get over not just the injustice of America's past, but the evil intent that persists trying to fight change! Trump didn't help the situation; pretty much exposed some sleeping giants of bigotry & hatred unfort.! Reps have shown their entire ass, but somehow they hold the reins of gov't across the country! B/c they're cons. & speak the truth they like to hear, they're willing to sacrifice their own lives & the lives of their kids as COVID continues to ravage "red states!"
***You know politics buddy. Enjoy the rest of your day; mask up & stay safe.***
***We can argue all day about ephemeral qualities such as Roger’s “beautiful game” or who each player faced when winning these big titles, but as @Fiero425 pt.'d out, history will not consider these things. They’ll look @ the #'s on Wiki to see who tops the various lists. ---
...I don't see this era falling into some dusty & ossified list of stats. As long as there are sports, there w/b sports "nerds" who will delve deeper. I don't see this era as ever 100% settled. And why should it be? ---
Fed Skipping AO is very alarming, but Wimbl. is concerning b/c it's his best opp. to remain comp. vs the top 20. The mind is willing, but the body isn't capable. I hope I'm wrong.***
You're kidding right? Roger barely survived his early Rd. matches vs nobodies! Mannarino might've beaten him but for his injury!
***You're too eager & quick to poor dirt on poor Roger's career.***
It's fk'n well overdue IMO! I won't miss him! It's X for the NG'rs to take over; it's been X! Oldies but goodies are just sucking up all the oxygen = when not playing! Novak's the only one really accomplishing anything while Fedalray are just taking up space in the news & ATP draws w/ WC's & over-inflated rankings!
***The NG'rs have only themselves to blame. They’ve had yrs to prove themselves, & have failed to become > dom. > the Big 3. You can’t blame the “oldies but goodies” for succeeding, thus making headlines — they’ve been doing exactly what the NG'rs shb doing for ages. We’re finally seeing some success w/ the Next NG'rs such as Medvedev, Zverev, & Tsitsipas, but let’s face it: they’re succeeding during a X when the Big 3 are waning. ---
...You could argue some dom. player of another era, but not one of these 3.***
Sure we can! Djokovic has set recs that may never be approached & he did it in a shorter amt of X since everyone makes a deal of his age! He's already surpassed Fedal in so many ways; Double CGS, Nole-Slam, 37 Masters event, 7 YE #1's, & obviously wks @ #1 is huge! Nadal's not looking to set recs b/c he's nowhere near doing it! I'd say that to my detracters as well!
***Nole had 7 slams going into his 28 yo season. - Zverev wins the 1st set 7-6(4) w/ some > shots @ crucial X's in the 1st set of this YEC SF. Highly comp. 1st set.
It's come down to nerves and Sascha's has held up pretty well so far! I'm very impressed! Not sure how mot. Djokovic c/b to fight just for the privilege to allow Med to take him to the limit! It w/b just to match Fed's rec. of 6 YEC's! Nole might allow Roger that bone from what I've seen of the match!
***One of Sascha's main problems' been 'focus' in matches, though he seems t/b 'tuned in' so far in this match; quite frankly knowing he has to.***
Focus & what I've been nagging about for yrs, "the will to finish off the elites!" That's been the saving grace of the Big 3 gobbling up all the major events! Too often when ahead, some players find a way to lose crucial matches vs them! Obviously not so much now, but %'s been in good stead for them for almost 2 decades & only lately break-thrus w/ the NG'rs! I didn't sweat Novak going down to Stefanos in the FO final = when 0-2 in sets! Med's the only one who doesn't seem to quiver @ facing Novak! It was quite surprising Med got s&v'd off the court in Paris 2 wks ago! SURPRISE!
***I think we have been 'spoilt' by the Big 3 over the yrs & expect these players like Med, Zed, & The Young Greek TBA to play @ a high level, & brk-thru winning GS & Masters events. All players dev. @ their own pace, others not @ all. Lets see how those players dev. in '22 & win a major. Med did win the USO in > style this yr).***
'69: Rod Laver won the GS when 3 of the 4 majors were on grass & the AO had a bye in this era.
'74: Jimmy Connors won all 3 majors that he played. He DNP the FO due to the WTT ban. Connors beat Ken Rosewall 6-1, 6-1, 6-0 to win the USO in the > lopsided major final victory ever.
'79: Bjorn Borg won 2 of the 3 majors he played, losing the USO QF to Tanner. As usual, he DNP the AO.
'84: John McEnroe won 2 majors, having lost the FO final to Lendl after a 2-0 set lead. He DNP the AO (on grass) due to a wrist injury. His 82-3 rec. is the best for a single season in the OE & he started the yr. w/ a 42-match win streak.
'86: Ivan Lendl won the FO & USO & lost to Boris Becker in the Wimbl. final & DNP AO. Lendl won the YEC w/o dropping a set while beating #4 Edberg, #3 Wilander, & #2 Becker in a row. Also won YEC earlier in Jan. B4 move to Nov.
'05: Roger Federer won 2 majors & lost in the SF's in the AO & FO to Safin & Nadal, respectively.
'06: Roger Federer won 3 majors & lost the FO to Nadal. In his 92-5 rec., 4 losses were to Nadal & 1 loss was to Murray.
'10: Nadal won 3 majors & went out to Murray in the AO QF's. He swept the clay Masters 1000s for the only X in his career.
'11: Novak Djokovic won 3 majors & lost the FO SF to Fed. He had a 43-match win streak, the 3rd longest among men in the OE, & went 10-1 vs Fedal combined.
'15: Novak Djokovic won 3 majors & lost the FO final to Wawrinka. He won the WTF for the 4th cons. season, & reached 15 finals in 16 tourns. played. Djokovic is the only player ever to beat every player in the top 10 in a single yr. going 31-5 vs the top 10 (86%). ---
How's Djokovic '15 running away w/ this over a 17 title CYGS season from Laver & Mac's absolute masterpiece of an '84?***
All kinds of recs were set in '15; winning 3 Majors, 6 Masters events, the YEC, & accum. the > ATP pts ever! Laver & McEnroe were geniuses in their own right, but their path was made simpler w/ limited comp. & surface changes! Novak won anywhere & everywhere & truly dom. the tour! Both Laver & McEnroe were pretty much done afterwards; esp. John who never made another major final! Nole actually got >er; hence '18 &'21!
The tour was quite fractured early on B4 the ATP consolidated everything in '90! You had independent tours where players like Nastase & Connors played, The WCT going up & down in importance for others, while the ITF was still responsible for the Majors! There were tons of lucrative exhs. & shoot-outs; esp. back in the 70's! Money on the tour was still miniscule in comparison to today so $$ was > important to make over winninng tourns.! Lendl & Wilander made it > important to win majors by going to all 4 early on when > players skipped The FO & AO! Borg made the FO what it is today by winning 6 of 8 yrs he played! I never really gave Connors much "due" b/c of those 2 major wins over an old geezer; Rosewall!
***M/b this was the > unpopular move in tennis history to change format of DC.***
Tech. we can fault the entire tour for how they've weakened > of the >est tennis recs by changing formats, dates, & other requirements to win! I know they want to speed up things to elim. 4-5 hr. contests, but that c/b done by speeding up play & not allowing relentlessly toweling off X along w/ challenges to calls! The game has sped up requiring super excellence, but allowing so much X btw pts, that's what's extending the X on matches! Make the player suffer w/ a lit'l sweat! The ball bouncing, toweling off, & challenging every call c/b cut if there's a will to do it! We all know it won't happen; esp. after they've "whiffed" @ dealing w/ all the extraneous noise & grunts that come out of these players! Idiotic!
***Can Nole match Steffi's rec. wks @ #1? (377)
I'm not for ATP/WTA comparisons in gen., but still... it c/b 1 last obj. if he decides it.
...It means he needs 24 > wks if he wants 378. 24 wks... in a nutshell until after RG. If my ct. is correct, he would have 376 if he loses it on Mon., June 6th (after RG).
In other word If after the RG final he's still #1, he'll wrap up his 376th wk. & have this rec.
He's now 2900 pts ahead of #2 Medvedev & 3700 ahead of #3 Zverev... big & small @ the same X.
#4 Tsitsipas is 5000 pts behind & has way too many pts to defend until RG. Virtually impossible he catches Djokovic up by RG.
In Australia, they'll drop...
Djokovic: 2650 (2000 Melb.'21 & 650 ATP Cup '20) Medvedev: 1700 (1200 Melb.'21 & 500 ATP Cup '21) Zverev: 750 (720 Melbourne '20 & 30 ATP Cup '21)
Btw Australia (ATP Cup + Melbourne) & RG, they'll drop all the Covid pts
Total (approx., rounded to 50) pts dropped until the wk. after RG
Djokovic: 6750 Zverev: 3600 Medvedev: 3000
Zverev's currently 800 pts behind Med, but will also drop 600 > pts by RG. That means Med has > chances to take over #1 by RG.
Zverev's 3700 pts behind Nole & Djokovic will drop +3150 pts.
Therefore, Zverev needs to win 550 > pts > Djokovic btw now & RG if he wants t/b #1 by RG.
Medvedev's 2900 pts behind Djokovic & he'll drop +3750 pts.
Therefore, Djokovic needs 850 > pts > Med if he wants to secure #1 until RG.
If Djokovic doesn't play in Australia, he can kiss this rec. good-bye for now.
If Djokovic plays AO, he'll basically need slightly >er results > Med btw now & RG.
Djokovic has a huge adv. over Med during the clay season, but Med can rack up A LOT of pts btw Rotterdam / IW / Miami if Djokovic skips the Sunshine double.***
***Going back to the days of Borg, Connors, McEnroe, Lendl, Sampras, Agassi, Safin, Fedal, & Murray, not one of those gentlemen would have played the role of this Drama Queen. History may &'ll look back unfavorably on the reign of this current #1.***
Yeah, let's totally disregard, forget, &/or forgive the "Diva" antics of Nastase, Connors, McEnroe, Agassi, & Becker! Please! They're > famous for being A-Holes really! McEnroe's cleaning up in commercials on that petulant persona created by "the tennis brat!" I'll take the articulate & > down to Earth character of Novak over Connors or Becker anyX! He's disappointed me over this issue of C-19 & common sense, but there's no reason for him t/b held > accountable > political leadership around the world that keeps strife going in one way or another! Deflecting to this one man is not going to prove anything!
***Did anyone else see Novak in favor of Best of 3 @ Majors? Thoughts? ---
Well, you w/b taking away the tradition of BO5 sets @ the Majors. How many X's have we seen a player come back from 2 sets down & win. We'd lose that possibility & the excitement that generates. Many players are slow starters & need BO5 to prevail. W/ BO5 the >er player usually finds a way to win. W/ BO3 the loss of a serve or a poorly played TB can end an individual's campaign. I know I'm simplifying the process, but let's keep the BO5 in the majors. ---
Agreed. Plus, switching to best-of-3 would negate the sport’s entire history of statistics & records. Winning Wimbledon 8 X's, RG 13 X's, or the AO 9 X's wouldn’t be as difficult to achieve, thus taking away the efforts Federer, Nadal, & Djokovic have put into winning them.***
Finally a fk'n voice of reason! IMO it w/b insane & blasphemous to lower the level & history of majors like this w/ BO3! They have been around for over a century & to placate spoiled, petulent athletes that don't want to "work for it" w/b a travesty! Making these historic events BO3 is a joke & I hope it doesn't happen in my lifeX which is short thank GAWD!
***We won't see blue clay until Rafa & Novak are either gone or insignificant.***
They hated it! Novak only played to get one Rd. further > Rafa to help him get his ranking back up! The stuff was made for > aggressive players like Roger!
***The issue had NOTHING to do w/ the color BLUE--the court was new in Madrid & had problems w/ dampness that made the footing problematic, but Roger & Serena who won had no complaints.***
I never said it had anything to do w/ the color! The > traditional clay players couldn't deal w/ how slippery it was! Rafa & Novak afraid of "pulling" something!
***I can pick up the ball on RG clay as clearly as on a HC, so I have no complaints. The other clay events should just copy them. If its a ?? of TV clarity....***
That's where the $$'s coming from! Those seats & concessions are a small fraction of the $$'s that come into these major events! Whenever they belly-ached about prize $$ I always rolled my eyes! The $$'s obscene all around tennis when players were just hoping for a couple rackets & food $$ to show their skills!
***...The blue clay court was primarily a marketing gimmick sold as functional. I didn't think it = worked well on my TV @ least.***
I couldn't see much going w/ such a dark background of that deep blue color! Going to optic yellow balls was such a game changer when tennis took off in the mid 70's! Wimbl. of course was rather late to the party staying w/ white balls until the 80's suggesting "all tournaments should follow our lead!" What a bunch of jerks!
***Novak's not > mature > Rafa, but it takes him < X to get his trust confidence to where it needs t/b tourn. match tough. Fiero m/b you can pipe in & + something to it.***
You covered it! I believe = in Rafa's advanced yrs & supposed maturity, he still needs a lot of practice & matches to feel confident competing @ his highest level! I think a lot of it has to do w/ him playing left-handed = though he's a natural righty! I'm surprised > shots don't go wayward due to this forced way of playing the game!
***Exactly 100% correct. He's playing w/ his "off" hand. Good post Fiero!*** ---
Wow! Murray's not doing much t.b taking this match in Mubadala! Nadal's just not all there! How can he be a fave "down under" playing like this?
***Dude relax. Mucho tranquilo. It's just an exh. Rafa couldn't beat Murray who is the.... jajaja***
I can't be exercised by 2 players I can't stand watching! I'm rather indifferent really, hoping for the inevitable changing of the guard!
***Murray was the better player today. Rafa had over 41 UFE. Quite frankly I didnt think he'd win. Rafa needs > match play, so I hope he'll play the ATP pre-tourn. in Melbourne B4 the AO. ---
I also have players that I don't like. I just don't watch them un< they're playing my fave players.***
I love a good humiliation of Rafa or Andy! IMO it's just a lit'l > embarrassing for Nadal to go down to a "pusher" like Murray!
***...If you're a fan as I am, I'd much rather have him be terrible today, and have a match under his belt B4 he plays in Australia. Good for Murray, who really seems t/b eager to return to the tour & challenge for titles again.***
I ony give Fedal fans GRIEF b/c Novak isn't allowed a bad outing; EVER! ...The hyperbole's always out of control b/c Nole's normally the > prepared of the the Big 3 each & every X he goes out there! The rare upsets occurred '17-early'18! Drama had t/b going on behind the scenes so I give him a pass! I used to think Ivan Lendl was the All X true "Iron Man" of the tennis elites! It's the reason he owns the AO = w/ the many wins of Fed! What's helped is Nadal's never ready early in the season; hence only winning ONE "down under" after so many attempts! Now I've jinxed NOVAK!
***Nole's just obsessed w/ records.***
Novak has no choice but t/b obsessed w/ tennis recs b/c favorability & tennis intelligentsia say being the GOAT is btw Fedal & no one else!
***Yes, he has to keep winning & winning if he wants t/b finally acknowledged by the Western estab. & their media puppets as one of the >est champs ever. As an Eastern kid from a war torn poor country, he simply has no choice in this regard. - Djokovic should've won in '16 & '20 if we're completely honest. In a way he underachieved, as he should have 9 ITF World Chps titles by now. :( ***
Those were 2 travesties thinking about a player w/ 2 majors & 2 finals in another major & the YEC in '16, but is YE ranked #2 behind a player w/ 1 major & a bunch of 500 level tournament wins! It was actually a deficiency for Nole winning 3 majors & the YEC in '15, but can win YE #1 w/ just 1 major on occasion like '14! Something needs t/b done; m/b give > pts for majors!
01. Navratilova @ her peak never had any rivals who owned her, unlike Graf who struggled a lot w/ Monica Seles.
02. Navratilova @ her peak in singles was also a champ. doubles player, can't say the same about Graf. Now don't say that doubles don't have any bearing on GOAT. It does when we are discussing @ the >est level as to how good a tennis player's coordination was on court @ her peak w/ other teammates in a team match. This also matters.***
It begins & ends w/ Navratilova as far as I'm concerned! We can't just say her doubles rec. doesn't ct. toward her "owning" the OE w/ 59 Majors, winning 9 Wimbls., 167 Single titles, 177 in doubles, taking 6 majors in a row over her closest rival, & spanned a career @ the top from BJK & Goolagong to holding off the young 'uns Graf & Seles! Winning her last major @ 50 can't ever be surpassed!! Graf's rec. will always have an * behind it due to Seles being stabbed! Serena just doesn't have the body of work coming & going; lit. holding the women's tour hostage @ X's waiting for her to return after another extended, vol. absense! No other top pro ever did such a thing! How can she be thought the "GOAT" w/ 1/2 the rec. of Navratilova & Evert outside of Single Majors? Martina prob. would've won > singles majors if she wasn't so busy playing into the night in doubles to the very end of her career! It had to of taken a toll on her mental & physical energy over 30 yrs!
***True, Navratilova's hands down the GOAT. Serena isn't = close in doubles & that's a big gap. I just separated Serena b/c athleticism has gone up in the 21st Century & Serena stands tall in the modern era, so she too stands out in her own w/ the #'s & longevity. But no doubt Navratilova @ peak was quick w/ her hands. She's the GOAT if everything taken into acct., all IFs & BUTs considered.
We can def. make a case for Navratilova. What I'd like to + is that out of all the women we are talking here she's the only one who had to face another (borderline) GOAT candidate in Evert for almost all her career (on top of a young, but already very good Graf towards the end). Neither Graf nor Court nor Serena had anything comparable. Would Graf have won fewer slams w/ a healthy Monica around? Sure, but this holds true for every player if you throw another ATG in one of her best slam winning periods. Would that have reduced Graf to a 15 slam winner? Hell no. ---
On a pure technique level Hingis is "the one." Rarely misses BH's, & can place it anywhere from on the court. Martina has exquisite lobs (prob. the best along w/ Murray). & redirection abilities DTL the best. If you have to consider pace too, then Novak.***
Thinking back, I can still see Hingis hitting some "sky high" lobs that dropped on the baseline frustrating the best of them by being able to stay in a pt. when Amazons started to take over in the late 90's; The Wms, Capriati, Seles, Graf, & Davenporte OTTH!
***I think Djokovic's BH is the best. Not the > aesthetically pleasing, but that thing is efficient as Hell.***
That down the line wrist shot DTL over the >est part of the net is a thing of beauty &'s "$$," embarrassing the best of them standing there looking w/o a play!
***TMF’s posts are a sign of relief amongst the sea of pro-Djokovic supporters on this forum.***
Then this is the only place! As I've belabored to death how the Tennis Intelligentsia has proclaimed "tennis begins & ends w/ Fedal;" stop any alt. discussion! It's a joke in the grand scheme of things no matter what we say or do as Nole-Devotees, the balance is against Novak = w/ all his stellar #'s & recs achieved! Fedal's pedestal's set too high in the sky for any other intelopers believing t/b = close to them! It started here on this board musing "Novak's finished b/c he didn't complete the CYGS!" I feel sorry for anyone to = think such a thing after watching this man prepare for just about any contingency for the last fk'n decade!
***For Fed & Djokovic 3-slam seasons:
'04 YE top-3: 23 yo Fed, 22 yo Roddick, 23 yo Hewitt '06 YE top-3: 25 yo Fed, 20 yo Nadal, 25 yo Davydenko '07 YE top-3: 26 yo Fed, 21 yo Nadal, 20 yo Djokovic
'11 YE top-3: 24 yo Djokr, 25 yo Nadal, 30 yo Federer '15 YE top-3: 28 yo Djokr, 28 yo Murray, 34 yo Federer '21 YE top-3: 34 yo Djokr, 25 yo Medvedev, 24 yo Zverev ---
In gen. it’s really quite diff, to win 3 slams in a yr. & all efforts s/b applauded.***
Seeing this achievement, I just wonder how Nadal's in the convo? It's ridiculous to = muse about him being the GOAT w/ that much of a deficiency in his rec.! He couldn't stay on the court very long B4 brk'n down; hence his rec. @ #1 a serious joke! People throw out that he has 1 extra USO! SO what? Novak has 6 Wimbls. to Nadal's 2! We can't use #'s much in any way to elevate Nadal to status of Fedovic, but it's nuts IMO!
***I feel Laver did not have any pressure for his CYGS compared to what Novak had in '21, even Steff's OGCYGS might not have much pressure on her since she was young & new. Even Becker once was asked on his wimbl. @ '85 & he said that back in those days there was no social media. Pressure was <, now the pressure on a teenager/a player is massive & that's why you dont find teens dom. the sport now as B4.
Is that true? M/b in the modern era Laver or Graf or others who did win all 4 slams wouldn't win them if they were competing now. Pressure now is unthinkable and far > ...***
I think it's amazing Djokovic, @ his age w/ all these accomp. newbies actually got to the 28th Major match! I was concerned only w/ Medvedev! That's no 2nd guessing after the fact BS! I knew Nole's only way of getting thru the tourn. was if Daniil was upset! He's like Mecir, 'The Big Cat' getting around the court & massaging the ball back forth w/ power & touch! Novak has t/b @ his ult. best playing very aggressively! He was softened up by Sascha in SF so I wasn't surprised in the least that Med won comfortably! Novak whh to play like he did @ the AO or Paris Indoor; playing a rather ugly match of overstriking & keeping the pts short! He actually S & V'd his way to that Masters win in Paris! Novak wasn't playing that well & Med was on his game to make short work of him! I have to ?? the intelligence of anyone who's been trying to undermine or diminish this accomp. by saying "he's done!" That's insane, but many think he won't win anther major! Those same geniuses think Fed can compete @ Wimbl. for yrs to come! So disturbing!
***The '93 AO's the one X her fans saw Graf crumble under the sustained pressure from Seles. This was not a one-sided drubbing nor a narrow loss (like RG). It was a hard fought match, but one in which Seles prevailed by a good margin. There was every poss. for the script to have played out very diff. had Seles not been stabbed. ...Graf was in a funk in 91; esp. regard< of Seles.***
I watched that '93 AO Final! I was no fan of Graf's, but I was almost hoping she'd win! Never a Seles fan w/ the way she played; esp. making all that Fk'n noise after every shot! It was ugly tennis! Graf was up a set @ a brk! I was screaming @ the TV, "go the net & finish off the pt!" Seles was just not missing & Graf lit. choked this match away b/c of her intransigence w/ trying to go toe to toe! At Wimbl. Steffi attacked the net so we know she can do it! It seems after all this X, an * will have t/b attached to Graf's rec. as Seles had her # except on grass! They had some tough matches, but Monica was just stronger mentally! The longer the match the >er for her b/c Graf would crack eventually! She just wasn't accustomed to someone outlasting her except for the few X's w/ Sabatini & Sanchez-V.!
***I agree on much of what you say except the Wimbl. part. ...In order for her to remain in that zone, she had to keep her gameplan very simple & this was beginning to become her undoing vs Seles b/c Seles was so brilliant @ anticipating. The '93 AO has brilliant exhibits that indicate how things may have panned out.
2 exhs:
...Graf's in all sorts of trouble though she defends brilliantly to prolong the pt. But Seles, like Agassi, could hit a brilliant off-bounce smash from the baseline & Graf has no answer to that weapon.
...You can see Seles start to step into the court to take on the Graf slice &'s able to seriously rush her by doing that up 4-2 in the 3rd. So the moment Graf's able to get out of that mini-crisis, she lets Seles have a crack @ her FH side instead. ---
IDK what happened btw the ears in Graf's case, but after '89, it seemed (@ least until '95) that Graf didn't enjoy comp., as in battle. If she couldn't win easily, she got frustrated or = flustered. In this match, she started slowly, played >er in the 2nd set, but again faded away in the 3rd.***
Some tumultuous goings on during that per. concerning her dad, his cheating on her mom, then the tax evasion that sent him to jail! That may have contrib. to it!
***I get that, but it actually got = > toxic in '95 & she just shut out all that stuff to clutch it out. She was not able t/b that way in '90-94. I think her twin losses to Seles on clay in '90 rattled her & after that, she started doubting herself = vs other oppts.***
She was having problems w/ lit'l known players like Amanda Coetzer, then a couple of big losses to Mary Pierce!
***I think the Coetzer problems started > later (in '97-98), but yes, got blown off the court by Pierce @ RG. That poss. set up her Wimbl. capitulation. - The simple truth is nobody knows what whh if no stabbing. Yes Seles was winning > of the slams over those 2 yrs, but they weren’t easy romps. She won a couple slams after saving MP's v the likes of Mary in ‘91 AO semis 6-3, 0-6, 9-7. That score & that quality of opp. doesn’t look like an ATG who’s unbeatable. Navratilova was a granny @ the X, but she beat Seles 4 X's in '91-93 per. In fact Navratilova @ age 37 beat Seles in their last ever meeting in '93 before stabbing.***
I'm guessing that last match in '93 was Paris Indoor! Martina just relentlessly attacked Seles & volleyed out of her mind to overcome Seles @ her best!
***After today's debacle (game vs Saints), Antonio Brown's about as secure w/ the Bucs as he ever c/b. Bucs just lost 3 of their top receivers to injuries (Evans, Godwin, Fournette). ---
Well Brady didn't like losing last night. Walked up to Saints coach @ 1 X & reportedly said "eff you." Then after he threw an interception, threw a surface Pro tablet, shattering it.***
Even that "toss" went wayward & missed the mark! Losing his core receivers got Brady out of his "nice guy persona" as he cursed Saints' interim-coach Dennis Allen last night! Tom's just tired of being embarrassed on Nat'l TV by this team as they've done him in by a lot 4 of their 5 meetings! Brady won their playoff game last season!
***I can understand his frustration, but I never like to see bad sportsmanship. There's just no excuse - these are grown men. Go home & throw something if you need to.***
I couldn't've enjoyed the game > if the score was > lopsided! I get so tired of "The GOAT" talk w/ Brady! The team wins w/ him, but if they lose, it's everyone else's fault! Skip Bayless slurps him up & down every single day! There are no saints out there! I've always thought Brady a fraud, but nothing's stuck to him so far; = w/ all the scandals while back in NE!
Seems like no team wanted to clinch as top contenders not only lost, they were smoked like Detroit detroying Arizona! New Orleans shutting out The Bucs had t/b the > entertaining last night as Brady was so distraught; rocked w/ X sacks, a forced fumble, & an interception!
***Antonio Brown 'no longer a Buccaneer' after top<, mid-game meltdown vs. Jets. Leaves the game in the 3rd Qtr.***
This is all on Brady! The coach didn't want to have anything to do w/ the guy; actually putting his foot down earlier, but the Primma Donna TB12 overrode him like he did when Belichick wanted to dump him yrs ago by going to the owner! All these guys are a-holes who aren't just happy winning, they want to accomplish > by getting Brady the MVP which is so out of reach! Mahomes blew it today vs Cinn. & Rodgers should secure the title if he completes the deal over Minn. tonight!
***It has to the coach. They have way too much talent on both sides of the ball for it to not be the coaching staff.***
I just find it hilarious how The Cowboys are like The Yankees getting all kinds of pub & respect = when they suck by getting prime game X's vs good teams who defeat them pretty easily @ X's! It makes no sense to me! They haven't done shit in over 25 yrs! I've seen them go down in flames to backup rookie QB's, injured QB's, & = "over the hill" QB's! Why do they get props all too often when we know they're really hot garbage &'ll falter when under the gun?
***When 2 ATGs face each other on grass (assuming they are both great on the surface), the younger will almost always win due to decline in athleticism, speed, etc. Remember Navratilova vs Graf @ Wimbl.? Steffi leads their H2H, but Martina's still the >er & greater grass player & nobody (sane) would deny that. I also rarely see people praising Fed's wins over Novak & Murray (these 2 players have won 8 Wimb. titles combined) back to back in '12, which was a great achievements & you wouldn't expect him to pull it off @ the age of (almost) 31.***
We think alike! Having the most titles doesn't measure ability & talent! Borg won 5 in a row, but I'd never say he's the best grass court player! That's ridiculous! Even though I can't stand McEnroe, he's one I wouldn't want to play; esp. w/ that can-opener serve out wide! I had such a X w/ left-handers B4 rackets went high tech in the 80's! W/ wood, I was absolutely helpM @ X's! Becker's another 1 w/ all the talent in the world, but only 3 Wimbls.! Djokovic might end up the GOAT, but I'd never say he's the best on grass w/ 6 Wimbl. wins so far! It was kinda funny how he was favored last yr. to win & barely put up a sweat def. all comers w/ Fedal out of the way; Rafa hurt & Fed wasting his X trying to survive early Rds! If 1 > person says he thinks Roger's comp. @ Wimbl., I think I'll throw up! He barely got past the 1st Rd. by Mannarino getting injured!
***Djokovic turned 23 in '10. That's the age when Fed won his 2nd Wimbl. It isn't like Novak has been mediocre for a long X.***
You c/b assured that > fanatics out there who think tennis begins & ends w/ Fedal believe Roger did it all; the earliest & the >! Rafa has wins that we can't = find in rec.bks! It's prob. why I favor Novak so much; having to overcome so much to get = the smallest of recognition by the Tennis Intel!
***Roger's big prob.'s he lost @ his pet slams to the 2 young guys. W/ Roger never losing W in '08,'14,'15,'19 he whh 24 slams. I guess end of the day pet slams makes a huge diff., the way Rafa has defended clay, Novak has defended his AO. Things don't look well for Roger despite being the best player on grass. M/b that's why 2 youngsters are level w/ him now & have punctured his GOAT status. ---
Djokovic deserves credit for staying in his prime longer & @ an older age no <.***
I grew up where age was just a #! If you had the ability & talent of a champ., it didn't matter if opps have 10+ yrs age diff.! No one gave Rosewall a brk for being 10-15 yrs older > Connors going down in flames to the new gun, why'd I give Roger any grace just 5-6 older? He made a Wimbl. final in his 20th yr. of being a pro & had 2 MP's vs Novak! How can we use age much when it comes to players "in the elite?" This is about talent & resolve! When Novak was injured & going thru personal drama behind the scenes, Fedal took advantage of that & split the majors btw them for over a yr.! Fedal are synonymous w/ tennis & age isn't thought about! Novak's the anomoly where he wins regard< of being in his peak or not hanging in there = if he isn't playing well! Medvedev was the only player I was concerned w/ @ the USO where Nole was trying to complete his CYGS! Novak puts stress on himself when playing Daniil either falling apart losing in str. sets like he did or "over playing" shots as he did @ AO over him or S & V action to take Paris Masters over a month later! It's not age which determined their match & the age diff. is > pronounced btw them & Fedal!
***The only ?? once Nole solved those breathing & stamina prob. was when the next ATG would come in to challenge 30 yo Novak. That not happening has shaped a lot of this narrative. ...It w/b interesting to see if he deals w/ it >er > 34-35 yo Fed. I'm not seeing that person, so perhaps Novak can mount a >er rec. > Fed has since 94-10. He's got to come from behind @ the USO & Wimbl. to have >er career %'s > Fed. I'm not surprised that his rec.'s >er > Fed's @ the FO & AO. The 2 players are pretty =ly matched if you take all surfaces into acct. ---
Peak/prime Federer never lost to Murray @ the slams & post-prime Fed lost to him only once. But this has nothing to do w/ Nole losing '14 AO, '15 RG, & '16 USO to a player he once owned.***
You can't win them all or Fed would have over 30 major! Spare me! Your standards like > is wholely out of perspective due to excel. of Fedalovic! It makes no sense to put their standards against other players! I certainly wouldn't do it to them as X goes on! Everyone have to lose some matches! Nadal was hard to beat @ FO, Nole rarely lost "down under," & Fed "USED" to own Wimbl. & the USO! X's change! You have t/b smarter > that!
***It isn't enough that Rafa & Muzza are practically the same gen. as Nole & had to deal w/ them throughout his whole career. Two players as the proof was the toughest opps to Fed & had + H2H vs him = as babies during his ERA + Fed himself!***
It doesn't matter! Fed fans'll find a way t/b in total denial when it comes to facts, pics, news, & social media concerning the achievements & support given to Djokovic! The delusion is real!
***LOL, in 1 breath, Murray's not very good. In another, he's = to Rafa or Novak. Which is it? And where's Murray been since '17? "Whole career..."
Also, where's the ATG that emerged in '17 to challenge 30 something Djoker?***
Maybe Medvedev! You never know! I think he's been as successful as Novak @ the same X; prob. ahead of him! He's made 3 Major finals, won 1, & took out the #1 player while doing it! Hmmm, sounds about the same really +ing on the YEC he won 2 yrs ago!
***Jury's still out on Medvedev for me.***
It was for Novak as well! B4 he got his gluten thing & breathing issues taken care of he was thought t/b a choker or quitter! It was all over here & the media!
***Yes, we don't know what we don't know. Here's to an unpredictable future.***
Nole knows he can leave Aust. anyX, but he's playing Hamlet & actually dividing the country from what I hear in the news! There are 2 factions in the country, the tour, & tech. people around the world! It'd prob. rival giving Borg the boot in Paris '77 due to him playing WTT! I had forgotten until recently that it wasn't on him that he didn't play the FO that season! I thought he just left for Wimbl. early to get in extra practice defending his title! Normally Bjorn had < a wk. to acclimate himself to grass! M/b Tiriac helped so his charge, Vilas c/b thrown a bone by taking that FO! He only had 1 > chance & that was in '82 vs another freakin' Swede; a very young Matts Wilander!
Watching news clips from around the world & Australia in particular where Nole's PR's working! Tennis Aust.'s made to look foolish along w/ pols > concerned w/ their own popularity in an election yr! Just saw Justin Quill of Chan. 9 say "Australia's being made to look like oppressers" the way they've treated Novak, the #1 player in the World! Now Zali Steggall is lambasting officials! I said this was going t/b a mess & it has; really much >er > I thought! Now Chris Smith's giving it a go agreeing it's been shameful; the pols & treatment where food w/ maggots being served @ that dump hotel!
***When the topic about vacc. came up months prior, PM Morrison backed off & tried to distance himself from it by saying this decision & who w/b permitted to play in the AO he'd defer to Victoria. It w/b up to Victoria he said. When the backlash happened after Djokovic got the exemption, that's when he wanted to play political puppet master & regened on that earlier statement, & made a real mess of things in the process. He also called Victoria X X's trying to get them to approve Djokovic's visa b/c he wanted to keep his hands clean, & they said "no, that's your job." Every decision he made in regards to Djokovic was pol. & he got burned in the end, which is what he deserved. ---
He's a liar. Not in any way involved w/ the process which is Border Force & the Ministers of Immigration & Home Affairs. - I'm told we're not expecting to hear from Immigration Minister Alex Hawke today. - There's no pressure to get rid of Novak. The usual suspect wants to look tough on protecting borders. So a tennis player w/ a visa issue happens t/b avail.***
...The process was archaic & unprof'al which's why he's walking around free as we speak! It mhb nice for him to follow along w/ the rest of us & "take his medicine," but there have been some other top athletes out there who've skipped "the poke!" ...The rules don't alway apply! It chb done quietly, but "they blew it" trying to make an ex. of him! Now it's backfired & there's a possibilty this could have lasting affects on the tournament's future! A ton of top players have already bowed out; a few uncertain due to injury! The draws are already becoming decimated! Do they really want to "boot" Novak w/ that heavy contingent of Serbian fans? I mean it might get real ugly down there!
***Clearly there has been confusion btw the state of Vict., TA, the Fed gov't, & now the courts that represent the gov't. But you are right to say that Novak has skirted resp., & gets away w/ it b/c that's what the elites do. It's just that that's a bitter pill to swallow for the man-on-the-street. And he/she/we don't like to have it thrown in our faces. This is a PR nightmare in many ways, not least for Novak. But I don't think the AO has to suffer. And the draws have not been "decimated," you drama queen. I think there is every chance of a really interesting tourn., men's & women's, = if Novak gets the boot. Novak's far from the only story in tennis, & I thought you were a proponent of other players making a mark.
***Nole's dad said that his son's "being held captive." Novak's free to leave anyX!***
Novak's playing Hamlet & actually dividing the country from what I hear! There are 2 factions in the country, the tour, & tech. people around the world! It'd prob. rival giving Borg the boot in Paris '77 due to him playing WTT! I had forgotten until recently that it wasn't on him that he didn't play the FO that season! I thought he just left for Wimbl. early to get in Xtra practice defending his title! Normally Bjorn had < a wk. to acclimate himself to grass! M/b Tiriac helped so his charge, Vilas c/b thrown a bone by taking that FO! He only had 1 > chance & that was in '82 vs another freakin' Swede; a very young Matts Wilander!
Nole's PR's working! Tennis Aust.'s made to look foolish along w/ pols > concerned w/ their own popularity in an election yr! Just saw Justin Quill of Chan. 9 say "Australia's being made to look like oppressers" the way they've treated Novak, the #1 player in the World! Now Zali Steggall is lambasting officials! I said this was going t/b a mess & it has; really much >er > I thought! Now Chris Smith's giving it a go agreeing it's been shameful; the pols & treatment where food w/ maggots being served @ that dump hotel!
***When the topic about vacc. came up months prior, PM Morrison backed off & tried to distance himself from it by saying this decision & who w/b permitted to play in the AO he'd defer to Victoria. It w/b up to Victoria he said. When the backlash happened after Djokovic got the exemption, that's when he wanted to play political puppet master & regened on that earlier statement, & made a real mess of things in the process. He also called Victoria X X's trying to get them to approve Djokovic's visa b/c he wanted to keep his hands clean, & they said "no, that's your job." Every decision he made in regards to Djokovic was pol. & he got burned in the end, which is what he deserved. ---
He's a liar. Not in any way involved w/ the process which is Border Force & the Ministers of Immigration & Home Affairs. - I'm told we're not expecting to hear from Immigration Minister Alex Hawke today. - There's no pressure to get rid of Novak. The usual suspect wants to look tough on protecting borders. So a tennis player w/ a visa issue happens t/b avail.***
...The process was archaic & unprof'al which's why he's walking around free as we speak! It mhb nice for him to follow along w/ the rest of us & "take his medicine," but there have been some other top athletes out there who've skipped "the poke!" ...The rules don't alway apply! It chb done quietly, but "they blew it" trying to make an ex. of him! Now it's backfired & there's a possibilty this could have lasting affects on the tournament's future! A ton of top players have already bowed out; a few uncertain due to injury! The draws are already becoming decimated! Do they really want to "boot" Novak w/ that heavy contingent of Serbian fans? I mean it might get real ugly down there!
***Clearly there has been confusion btw the state of Vict., TA, the Fed gov't, & now the courts that represent the gov't. But you are right to say that Novak has skirted resp., & gets away w/ it b/c that's what the elites do. It's just that that's a bitter pill to swallow for the man-on-the-street. And he/she/we don't like to have it thrown in our faces. This is a PR nightmare in many ways, not least for Novak. But I don't think the AO has to suffer. And the draws have not been "decimated," you drama queen. I think there is every chance of a really interesting tourn., men's & women's, = if Novak gets the boot. Novak's far from the only story in tennis, & I thought you were a proponent of other players making a mark.***
***...Another blunder. A huge # of people in this world think that the Olympic Games are the biggest sporting event.***
It used to be anyway! I haven't cared for the OG's in decades, just watching the Fig. Skating every 4 yrs if comp.! The commercialism took over back in the 80's! His Excellency, Juan Antonio Samaranch corrupted the process as the IOC grew w/ outright bribery going on to host a Games! I was so glad we didn't get the '16 Summer Games! I'd've had to leave Chgo. for a few wks!
***Seles was never going to win the GS w/ her being incapable of winning that event. That achievement was far beyond her skillset.***
Well, women's tennis was a lot weaker back then! Seles might have snuck in a win @ Wimbl. if enough happened to facilitate an easy final! There have been plenty! Do I really need to reference one of the weakest after all the top players were upset in '94; Conchita vs old lady Martina?? It was embarrassing when Tauziat was def. by Novotna & Bartoli over Lisicki! Seles was able to come back 2+ yrs after her stabbing to make a USO final in '95 losing to Graf, then won AO in '96! Seles' game mhb limited, but she found a way to make #1 above Graf for yrs as a teenager!
***...And Seles was not trashed by Graf twice. Don’t fabricate however desperate you are. ...in matches where Monica’s edge over Graf, her mentality, plays its part. Still teen, but > improved of course, Seles “vultured” the '92 RG & '93 AO too I guess. You know, right before the stabbing, after which Graf started dom. the slams again. And yes, Sabatini & Novotna sucked all the confidence out of Graf; by no means it was Seles.***
Some fans can't see the forest for the proverbial trees! I got another one who thought Seles wouldn't deserve a Wimbl. if things didn't fall into place! I guess they're ready to take all the odd winners of the chp. & remove their names off the trophy like Martinez, Hingis, & Bartoli! Idiots!
***IIRC Tracy Austin, Andrea Jaeger, & Martina Hingis improved after age 19.
Austin? - The girl who as a 16/18-yo was 9-3 win/loss vs peak Evert '79 - '81; 8-4 vs peak Navratilova from mid-'79 - '81.
Jaeger? - The girl who as a 15-yo beat peak Navratilova 4 X's in '80/81; & as a 16-yo beat peak Evert 3 X's in '82.
Hingis? - The girl who won 3 slams @ age 16 & was #1 for 209 wks.
Seles? - The same prodigy, but not an athlete. This type of player usually fizzles out very fast. Only 1 player who had supreme success as a teenager & later - the great Steffi Graf (a.k.a. GOAT)! ---
B/c Fed's close to Djokovic in age to beat him, Their age diff. is only 6 yrs. If their age diff. was 13 yrs or = 10 yrs, do you think Novak will lose?? Can you imagine anyone born in '75 or anyone born in '77 beat '87 born Djokovic in 2010s? It's impossible.
So Graf (her peak yrs) losing twice to Navratilova despite 13 yrs age gap's what seriously punctures her argument for GOAT & of course Seles factor is also there, 4 FO's + 1 AO = 5 slams flat from '93 onwards which we can reduce from Graf's tally. Those'd all be won by Seles. At W+USO, yes Seles was not very good, but Seles was a 2 X USO champ too; could expect her to take 1-2 slams there too = though it was her weak surface. That's why I said 6-7 slams w/b reduced from Graf's tally of 22 w/ Seles there. This is only fair b/c Martina played majority of her career in the presence of another GOAT candidate in Evert, so some adjustment has t/b done for fair comparison.***
***At this stage, the tickets are sold & the TV rights secured. The absence of Novak won’t affect the income of AO if they decide to deport him.***
The Event can still end up having a huge cross to bear if they make the wrong decision! Tech. there's no right or wrong decision since this has gotten so big making Int'l news all day long! Novak's the #1 player in the world! This stall isn't helping! Taking away his Visa in the 3rd Rd. would end up looking = > punitive than kicking him out now! It'd happen! I'm just shocked to see this happening so late in the game!
***If they're going to take away his visa, it should happen today or tmrw. That, however, may not make him leave the country, or prevent him playing some or all of the tourn. His expensive lawyers can block his expulsion. But I do agree that if they're going to yank his visa, they should get on the stick, & do it in the next 48 hrs. They're already looking weak on the issue. If they wait >er, Djokovic & his lawyers'll really have made them look like chumps. ---
What is your all X top 10 for ladies?***
...Martina Navratilova the GOAT! I don't GAF about Serena, Graf, & Court w/ their limited resumes!
1- Navratilova w/ 167 Singles, 177 Doubles titles, 74 match winning streak, won 6 Majors in a row, 9 Wimbledons, a "Box Set" completed @ AO '03 w/ Paz, taking her last major @ '06 USO approaching 50 yo! NUFF said!
2) Serena - She chb the GOAT but for limited play interest & injury! She literally came & went from the tour on whims!
3) Graf - Hard to put her anywhere near the top since we all know her resume's inflated due to Seles being stabbed in '93!
4) Court - She has 62 Majors to her credit, but > of them in pre-Open era when AO was lit'l > a Nat'l Champ. B4 the mid 70's!
5) Evert - Won 157 titles along w/ 18 Majors; > a clay court great IMO!
6) Seles - No real fan in any capacity, but she was on a trajectory t/b an ATG but for the stabbing!
7) Henin - Did a lot w/ that lit'l body of hers! Most women were Amazons in comparison, but she got the job done!
8) Hingis - Limited resume, but she did a lot B4 age 20, being the youngest to win a major, 3 AO in a row, & held the #1 ranking for over 200 wks!
9) King - She's the Mother of women's pro tennis & deserves > credit > her 12 Major titles!
10) Venus - Limited game & very few wks @ #1, but strong when she didn't have to play Serena or Hingis!
Just OTTH you understand!
***Nice List. I agree w/ it... Seems fair. Truly Martina & Serena are the champs..... The 1 & 2. A cut above the rest. - Steffi won her 21st slam @ 27 & then had a "reconstructive" knee surgery. Her resume's deflated bigly; that she has only 22 slams' a cruel joke. She was still improving @ age 26/27 & would've dom. @ least until age 35.***
You're kidding right? Who cares about drama behind the scenes? Other players have injuries & despicable family members! That's not part of the rec.!
***They just deported Novak. Australia's lost. I thought the people would stand up to that tyranny. I was way wrong. ---
1. Austr. grants him permission to come into country 2. Austr. denies him citing invalid medical exemption 3. Judge sides w/ Djokovic by pointing out Austr. didn’t cancel visa by following due process
4. Austr. then changes tune & admits exemption was valid (inval. their original cancel decision), but that now Djokovic had become a threat to public order. LOL. Has anyone seen any evidence he was the leader of anti-vaxxers in all of '21? A threat to civil order, like some terrorist? Djokovic has never been a leader of anti-vaxxers, they just made him one in order to create a villain to save face due to their failed policies.
The > X goes by, > & > will see Djoker as a victim of politics & a hero... & then he'll get the slam rec. & go down as GOAT & an activist hero fighting totalitarianism. I think this is all great for Djokovic legacy.***
The majority of the populous was weighing their own frustration "living the life" in Austr. the last 2 yrs! From what I hear it was oppressive how they locked things down for months @ a X! They don't want to see a celebrity skirt the rules = though it was their own gov't that allowed a loophole! This is on all 3 governing bodies: Victoria Prov., The Fed, & Tennis Austr.! Someone approved a Visa for Djokovic so it's not on him as much! He was autho'd to fly in from someone! This whole thing turned unnec. into "Brk'n Int'l News" for over a wk! Someone shm a definitive dec. to deal w/ the situation on Day 1! If going hard, GO HARD & not = give Djokovic any reprieve or appeal! Again, this is on local governing bodies & judge!
***I’m embarassed for some who support this j/b you don’t want Nole to beat your precious Fedal in slams. He will; far superior to both of them today & has been past 10 yrs. It may = happen @ FO, which w/b amazing.
Ya'll s/b ashamed of yourselves. Here’s a guy who's arguably the GOAT &'s shown us all how to work hard & persevere. The Austr. gov't granted him an exemption, tried to cancel his visa on invalid grounds (admitted), court sided w/ Djoker, then EO using completely diff. reasons (that he's a threat to public order), then cancels visa. The judges cave in given how embarrasing it whb for Novak to def. the gov't.
In many ways, this is great. Novak's now seen as a hero & fighter for freedom vs totalitarian regimes. Austr.’s incompetence & failed policies unearthed & on the spotlight around the world. He has detractors? The same people who didn’t like him B4 so no change here, but he’s now seen as a fighter for freedoms and oppression. He'll get all the recs, he’s just a >er player > Fedal for rest of their careers.
"Thank U Nole for staying strong & fighting evil oppr. & totalitarianism! Go FO! Wimbl.! USO! You w/b fresher & > mot. > ever! Screw AO, U have 9 of them. Your GOAT status w/b enhanced by bal. your slams wins > =ly. Go Novak! Hero activist & GOAT!"***
***I think Mats Wilander is on some type of medication...saying he "loves to watch Rafa" & he's such a motivator & a problem solver. Just last month he suggested Rafa should retire. lol!***
Well, he's not totally insane! After Novak won his FO in '16, m/b got to about 12 majors, he thought a new GOAT had come of age! He assured us that Djokovic would overtake Fedal & brk just about every rec. they held! ALL TRUE!
***Apparently he was off his medication when he said that. lol! Matt changes his opinion on players like the wind. - He must've taken lessons from McEnroe. ---
Murray should "go out" how he wants, which is prob. fighting until he's 100% broken.*** . All the > entertaining to see him play as well as he ever has, but having lit'l to no impression on this kid ranked outside the top 100! Murray's out there as well, getting accomm. by 14 of 16 tourns. to avoid qualifying! How long can he keep taking advantage of his status pushing a > deserving player out of a tournament? He's good for 2 or 3 Rds if he can play his mind games w/ >er players! I didn't apprec. his way of playing since the beginning! I said he was destined for a wheelchair if he insists on grinding out all his matches instead of "taking it to them:" esp. in early Rds! Nadal has the same brain disorder; allowing lower ranked players to take him to the limit unnec.!
***He should @ the very least have one last go @ Wimbl. Connors reached the SF of the USO after some surgeries. Murray might have one last good deep slam run. Wimbl.'s his best shot to go deep.***
I'll never understand people thinking j/b players like Murray & Federer are so seasoned & understand the surface well, they can manage a late run on grass! Federer had his & then some w/'19! Those days are gone! Today's kids pound the ball & it's not enough to anticipate well & dig deep to hustle down bullets being shot @ them! Federer was embarrassed last yr! The man had t/b delusional to think he was going anywhere after Mannarino took him to the limit in the 1st Rd! It was only a matter of X when someone who #'s the ball was going to run him ragged! I've lit'l to no sympathy for players like Andy who thinks he can continue playing that silly def. game @ his age!
***It’s like watching an ex-heavywt. boxer who's just going to get hurt b/c they no longer have the skills they had B4. It’ll just hurt Andy’s legacy IMO & he has nothing > to prove. ---
No one's forcing him t/b out there. ...it could enhance his legacy! The guy's playing on a replaced hip. I'm not sure people understand how impressive that is. Dude's a FREAK. He's making finals of tour events & = won a title last yr. over Wawrinka.***
***Antonio Brown has been a problem child either on or off the field his entire career. B/c of his immense talent he was coddled & that behavior was tolerated. This enabled that behavior & it only got worse.***
We need t/b > specific! Tom Brady was the one who overrode common sense by vouching for this clown & saying "everything w/b ok!" WRONG! It's not like Brady doesn't know! They've worked together B4 off & on thanks to the headcase this guy obviously has been over they yrs! It's embarrassing to see someone who knows the whole sports' world is watching him, but goes out in a blaze of glory no other player in history will ever outdo short of shooting someone on the field, ala "The Last Boy Scout!"
***He's so talented that his character flaws have been overlooked. SomeX's it works out for both the team & player. Last yr. it looked like it was w/ him & TB. Well, he crashed & burned. Brady didn't really have a lot of exper. w/ the guy. He only played 1 game for the Patriots w/ a handful of practices. All Brady knew about him was that he was extremely talented.***
That's making excuses for someone who's "a felon!" Committing fraud w/ a fake Covid card's irredeemable IMO! Yeah I'm cop, prosecutor, & judge! I'm skipping being any part of a jury as their decision making of late has been as contemptable as actual crime they're adjudicating! AB has had every opp. & allowed every latitude! TBF, I'm also done w/ that lying POS Aaron Rodgers for being another doctor/scientist wanabee! He ended up coming down w/ C-19; +ed irony that he tested common sense by going to a crowded Halloween party dressed as "John Wick!" Of course he could've contaminated the whole locker-room if not for HQ protocols! He poss. could've infected the press when he wasn't wearing a mask in those media rooms!
***Brady, like Rodgers would sell their grandmother to win. Brady cheated in NE. Getting AB, the headcase onto his team's just his MO. ---
I bet there w/b very lit'l support for keeping Novak in the draw &'d welcome his removal.***
Well DUH; they want to win! ...Right now, Austr. has every right to make conditions for entry, but separate entities w/i have confused the issue leading to this debacle! That isn't on him = though all this chb avoid by "a poke!" The thing is, he isn't the only top athlete objecting to this mandate! In the States we have Kyrie Irving who lost millions of $$ refusing to submit to local mandate! Aaron Rodgers actually deflected about his own vac. status until discovered he wasn't & picked up virus @ Halloween party! Antonio Brown was ready to commit a felony by purchasing a vac. card! It doesn't make it right, but let's not make out Novak's being the lone a-hole in the world!
***Granted Brady/Belichick. won the 1st 3 SB's b/c of defense, the next 3 were b/c of Brady (& luck). In the end QB matters > coach.***
Not sure we'll see another one of these lifeX contracts waiting for coach to have 1 foot in the grave like Shula & Tom Landry! I think Cowher got out after 10 yrs! Worked out! Eventually Belichick will have to pass on the baton!
***Raiders squeezed into the playoffs for the 1st X in a billion yrs.***
That was some confusing end to their season! They had "life & death" power over the Chargers in that last game! If tied, both whg to the playoffs! It got down to the waning moments of OT & it looked as if that would happen until LA coach called X out! That blew it! Raiders kicked winning FG & that's the end of that season for Chargers!
***The Cowboys just went down in flames to SF 49'rs. Bye-Bye Jerry Jones for another playoff yr.***
As long as he's alive, that team will find a way to lose; esp. being favored @ Home! Over the last 25+ yrs I've seen them go down to rookie QB's, bk-up QB's, QB's "over the hill," & QB's so bad they had no other wins under their belt! The Cowboys have a way of making them all great! Hilarious! I can't wait to see the pain in Skip Bayless' face when he has to host FOX Sports', "Undisputed" w/ Shannon Sharp tmrw!
***They’ve lost to AZ 6 out the last 7 X's they’ve played them the last 10 or so yrs.***
Prob. goes back to '98 when Cowboys won the "old East" undef. in the Div.! It was a joke & they proved it by going down in flames to AZ at Home scoring only 1 TD in their playoff game! The Boys haven't been the same since "The Triplet" = w/ Parcells @ the helm! As long as Jerry puts in his 2 cts this team's going nowhere; esp. a Conf. Chp.! In my sports' lifeX, Pittsburg has had 3 coaches in 50 yrs! The Boys were stable for almost 2 decades w/ Tom Landry, but since Jerry's been the owner, their overall status' high, but results on the field have been mediocre no matter the talent! This team finds ways to lose when it really cts! It's Jerry's cross to bear after firing their best coach, Jimmy Johnson! I thought for quite a while, "this is a joke!" No man's ego is that big to put his franchise's winning ways in jeopardy! He proved me wrong, & he's been paying for it ever since! The team still makes the > $$, but they haven't won shit since '95!
***No one gets rid of the ball faster > Brady. Something like 2.5 secs.***
Please don't bring up that selfish POS! Why TF was he in the game in the 4th qtr. yesterday? He was sacked 3 str. X's on 3rd down attempts! This is about him looking to steal the MVP award & I think it's criminal! If he gets hurt on something late when his wrinkled, old arse s/b on the bench, I'm going to LMAO! He such a selfish pr!ck!
***I never understand why the starting QB's still playing when the games won. Why wouldn’t you want to give your backup qb as many snaps as you can? If I were a coach you'd always see my 2nd & 3rd string qb's when the games are blowouts.***
The same c/b said when the game's lost! Reminds me of SF SB Season of '94! They were on a tear, but Phil. was sacking & intercepting him again & again! Seifert took Young out in the 3rd QTR early since the line couldn't protect him! Grbac did his best, but he also threw 2 Int. & got sacked 2 > X's losing 40-8!
***Sun. Playoff Games (TB vs LR) & (KC vs Buff)***
It's been "upsets galore" in the NFL Playoffs since Sat. w/ Tenn. Titans going down to Cincy Bengals & GB dropping home field adv. & the game to San Fran. 49rs! Wow! Both #1 seeds are out after receiving a "bye!" Looking @ Tampa Bay Bucs now being dom. in the 1st 1/2 20-3 after sacks, knock downs, & another interception of Brady! His mouth is even cut & bloody! The personal fouls are hurting TB, BIG X! Lucky for Tampa that a fumble was called on the 1 yard line w/ 18 secs. to go!
***You know your team's in trouble when you are that close to the goal line & the coach settles for a FG.***
Well, if you recall last season, GB went for a FG in the waning mins of their playoff game loss needing an Onside Kick to = stay in it! Needing 8-11 yards on 4th Down has only been done routinely by LAC's QB Hebert vs the LV Raiders!
***And wouldn’t this be 3 in a row for the Chiefs? But a part of me wants to see Mahomes school this Allen kid. Plus I hear Bills fans are annoying.***
I was a huge fan of Buffalo way back when! They had a real cast of characters for yrs like Kelly, Thomas, Smith, Bennett, Tasker, Reed, & > making 4 SB's in a row! KC's trying to outdo them by winning his 1st already!
***Yeah, I liked Levy's Bills too--let me +--losing 4 str. Superbowls & a boatload of my $$. LOL ---
KC lost, won then lost right? This w/b their 4th trip? Is that right?***
People think he lost the SB when going down to NE that last season B4 Brady went to Tampa in '19!
***Oh yeah. He got screwed in the game B4 the Superbowl.***
KC survived over Buffalo in OT! What a game; 25 pts in the last 2 min. A shame someone had to lose! Allen threw for 9 TD in 2 games &'s going home!
***I'm a Chief’s fan & couldn't sleep last night. That game & seeing 2 QBs give their all—incredible game. I look @ the AFC & see a slugfest for yrs to come: Mahomes, Allen, Burrows, Herbert, Alexander….and who knows who'll emerge w/ them? What a great X t/b a fan. I’m also continually awed by the speed of Tyreek Hill. ---
In '18 the Chiefs lost in OT to the Patriots for the AFC Chp. The Patriots won in OT & Mahomes never touched the ball. The Chiefs presented a rules change for OT & met w/ a resounding NO & some suggested sour grapes. And well, YEAH, we wanted to see Mahomes have a shot in OT. Their argument was the players were so fatigued by the end of the game that a prolonged OT might create > injuries & go on & on & on. But I think there are options out there. Rich Eisen mentioned one: Let's say team A wins the coin toss & takes the ball to the end zone in 6 moves. Then team B will have 6 moves to = the score. If they don't...game over. If they make it in 5....they win. ---
Who are you picking to make the Super Bowl?***
I've been a fan of KC since Schottenheimer days w/ Derrick, Montana, & Allen! I see no reason to believe they shouldn't win next Sun., but both teams s/b rather beat up! Burrows was sacked 9 X's & pounded! IDK how he won this game b/c he was under the gun all game long, but he hung in there finally winning his 2nd road playoff game! Cincy never did that B4 = w/ those great teams of Anderson & Boomer as QB's! They needed that HOME advantage, but X's have finally changed after living in the desert for over 30 yrs! Living Cal. for over a decade back in the 90's, I'm happy both NFC teams are from there! Either can make it vs KC! Mahomes has to + to his Olympic prowess in just 4 yrs! Most players go a whole career w/o sniffing this kind of success! I just can't think of a player making such a splash & still excelling past all expectations somehow! Back in my day everyone thought Marino would get back to X SB's & he never made another after '84! He was semi-owned by Buff., New Eng., & = The Jets & Colts took turns beating up on him in the old "AFC East!"
***What's your opinion on the HOF noms of Bonds, Clemons, McGwire, & Sosa? They don't belong in the HOF. Neither do Shady Brady & Belicheat of the NFL. Should any of them be in the HOF?***
Absolutely not, esp. Sosa! He's just some "also-ran" that took advantage of the X's w/ steroids to make a name for himself w/ McGuire for all the wrong reasons! At least Clemons & Bonds had already "made their bones" B4 being caught! Brady & Belicheat will make it on the 1st ballot, early on! No one seems to care that they prob. "jobbed" the system for yrs winning those 6 SB's! I'm just so glad Phili. played out of their minds to def. them a few yrs ago! That was a great game!
***Yeah, good pt. on Sosa. I couldn't've said it >er on shady Brady & Belicheat. They're a lock on the 1st Rd. ballot HOF & sadly, NFL fans worship them as the best QB & best coach ever & don't care how they've tainted a great sport. ---
Brady has a special skill level. But it's absurd to say he's the >est QB of all X. He isnt = in the top 25 & here's WHY. He had the fortune of coming into the league when Marino & Kelly were retiring in their careers so he never played vs top notch comp. as they did back in that era. Had he played vs those HOF'rs, no way in Hell do they win so many div. titles. They beat up on creme-puffs that college football teams could beat any day.
...Back in those days the QB got thrown around like a rag doll. In this era from the last 20 yrs, they've put a skirt on the QB, ESP. Brady. He's a wuss who couldn't = take a mere minor hit to the knee w/ a helmet. He missed the entire season after that. ...yeah, that was really special the yr. he lost to the Eagles, getting beat by a journeyman backup QB no <. Brady's the best QB in the past 20 yrs cause of his special skill level. I'll say that, but he sure as Hell is not the GOAT, not = close.***
I don't think Brady has shaken the hand of Foles after all this X & his 2nd loss to the Bears 2 yrs ago! That was hilarious! He was PO'd, rattled, & thought the last 4th down was a 3rd down! Genius w/o really getting rocked as he could've in the past! Chgo beat him up, but so does New Orleans & the LA Rams!
I was almost hoping he'd hang in there 1 > season to get rocked! Whenever he lost, commentators gave credit to the "geriatric of the league" over all else! It was usually the defense's problem, but forget when Brady scored 24 unanswered pts! The defense gave him short fields w/ X turnovers by LA Rams! Idiots; esp. Skip Bayless who schlurps Brady up almost every day! Ernestine s/b jealous!
***The Bengals defense stepped it up in the 4th. Several possessions by Chiefs, Patrick had no one open. I'm disappointed of course, but Bengals did the job.***
OCO, KC helped w/ that loss! Bad decisions across the board starting w/ that failed score just B4 the 1/2!
***That was an easy FG to take, but they got cocky.***
They never learn! No lead's safe & hubris breeds losses in the end so many X's! Karma's always smacking these a-holes in the face, but you'd think after last wkend's games of upsets, if one play > is allowed, it can cost you! Idiots! KC fk'd up!
***Brady announced his retirement now to steal some of the thunder away from the Super Bowl that he's not playing in.***
Exactly! It's quite childish for someone of his age! I felt the same about A-Rod in negotiations w/ the Yankees during the World Series yrs ago! You'd think their agents w/b a maturing force for their clients image so they're allowed to pull this shit! I was such a fan of the guy going back to the "Tuck Rule" saving his arse that 1st playoff run! I was all for that perfect season way back when, getting so tired of Miami Dolphins '72 team toasting themselves when others come close! The longer he hung around the > I disliked the guy! He only gave > fuel to my animus when caught taking advantage of cheating w/ "Spy-gate!" Even w/ all his "awe shucks" persona, he just got dirtier as the yrs went on! "Good luck & goodbye TB12!"
***...I was in stitches when I discovered those pics that prove Brady is Bisexual, not = trying to hide that from the public like you would think he would want too.***
I didn't get an alert either! I hadn't seen it B4 you pointed me in that direction! Whatever; anything's possible! I've avoided sports news who continue to deify the guy! They can call him the GOAT if they like, but I'd like to see what he'd do B4 rule's changes occurred that put QB's in skirts!
***Exactly. He played in the era that Marino & Kelly did when QB's didn't have skirts on & football was football where defenses were allowed to play defense. He wouldn’t have even lasted one season for the > important reason I have stated a million X's which is there was a day & age when QB's were thrown around like a rag doll & no flags were thrown. Brady's a wuss. He couldn’t even take a mere helmet to the kneee one season missing an entire season over a tiny lit'l thing like that. If he had to miss an entire season over a mere helmet to the knee, anybody who thinks he could've surivived in that era of the 1980’s is living in a fantasyland. I guarantee you Brady went whining to go Goddell after that hit & told him the NFL needs to crack down on hits to QB's = > so than they already were @ the X.
It used t/b remarkable if a QB back in those days played into their 40’s. Now b/c of skirts being put on them, it's become the norm for them to play into their 40’s now. They don’t have to endure the wear & tear on the body as QB's back then in that era had to so it takes longer to take a toll on them than it did back in those days.
It all makes sense WHY Brady is leaving now when he is. As one other person stated earlier, for the 1st X in his life in a playoff when it's a close game. He didn't get the calls by the refs he always got in his career to advance to the SB so many X's so he whines & pouts B4 packing up his toys in anger leaving. ---
The Cardinals & Lions did win NFL Chps (B4 SB's)***
I keep musing about how many NFL teams haven't = played a SB, > < win one! Even the worst teams should get there! It should embarrass some orgs. where Exp. Clubs just created w/i the last 3 decades have made Chp. Games as well as SB's, while storied, legendary teams like Detroit & Cleveland have never = had a sniff!
***The latest NFL suit has no real specifics & no legitimate reasons for the suit & to make it a class action suit. There's nothing there. Now, if Flores was told to throw games & get paid exactly $100,000 per game lost, then that's a legal issue, not a civil issue. Some people have a problem w/ rejection. They have to blame someone & throw the Kapernick claim into the mix.***
It's one of those "no win" issues having t/b > open to hiring of Black head coaches! Being Black, = I can't say we should "make" owners hire > Black HC's or GM's, but that isn't how free enterprise works! If they're > comfortable w/ a White guy running things, = "into the ground," it's their business! The Rooney Rule was helpful in @ least getting some interviews, but we can't expect old, white owners/guys to change their spots & open their minds to a "man of color" running the show! Baltimore's @ the top w/ a Black GM, but the rest of the league sucks in this respect w/ so many minorities playing the game w/ no one of their heritage in real power to affect change! What happened? We were on track for a while w/ 6 to 7 Black HC's, now down to 1! That's sad!
***Did those coaches win? I don’t really follow the coaches. If they didn’t win then where are they now? There aren’t a lot of > players that become > coaches. Now they go into broadcasting. What's the coaching pool w/ respect to black coaches?***
I know it sounds crazy, but it shouldn't matter really! White HC's are allowed to fail for yrs, then get another job immediately after being fired! I think that's why people are looking @ this issue so much! Black coaches who're winners mean nothing @ the same X! There are plenty of them who've won SB's as asst. coaches, but aren't ever given an interview, > < a HC job!
***Lovie Smith is one that comes to mind as HC of the Vikings yrs ago? Yes, some great OC & DC coaches that are minority (Hispanic, Asian, & Black) should get >er shots @ HC'ing positions, but the asshole from Miami is way out of line on his lawsuit & hurting future complaints by legit people that were shafted b/c of their race.***
Lovie took the Bears to the SB back then in '07! He prob. should've lasted longer, but his own cons. play calling ruined the teams IMO! He got vindictive @ the end of his tenure & fired Ron Rivera who was up for his job, later going to Carolina as their HC, now in Wash'ton! He needed seasoning after errors in clock mngmt. & wasted challenges! I'd take him now! I also like what Pederson did in Phili.!
***Lovie's stupidity in my personal opinion was sticking w/ Rex when you had Orton that was a >ter clock managing QB… ...My pt. is very few minority coaches get a 2nd chance. The idiot that coached Miami isn’t helping @ all!***
Well Flores thinks he's helping the future potential HC's like that baseball player, Curt Flood demanding free agency! He knows he may never get another job!
***Is that true? I’d like to see a study on that before agreeing. I’m not disagreeing. Just one to have that substantiated.***
Both Jimmy Johnson & Bill Belicheat are thought t/b 2 of the best HC coaches & assessors of talent! Their assts are given HC jobs all over the place w/ lit'l success! Tampa Bay won SB last yr. & I didn't hear of Byron Leftwich getting many if any interviews for HC! It was warranted, but didn't happen! There are plenty of ex. out there!
***When Daniil won a set he would make the pleading gesture to the crowd, waving his arms in the air to invite them to support him. I hope he’s not going t/b needy like Djokovic. He’d get a lot > support from fans if he ignored them & let them appreciate the match their own way.***
Needy? That's so easy to say when Fedal already get all the "props" & adulation they want around the world w/o asking! Novak's accomplished the exact same achievements if not > w/ a Nole-Slam, a DCGS, 7 X's YE #1, etc., etc., etc.!
***This w/b Rafa's 29th Major final. Daniil's playing the tennis expected of him, as the #1 player in the tourn., but cracks in the armor have been showing last 2 of Rds. Rafa'll know what he has to do to win AO Final. In the USO final '19, he came to net many X's & won a lot of those exchanges. If Daniil gets way ahead of him, I don't think he'll win. If Rafa serves well, & troubles Meddie, he can work the head. If it comes down to the pressure, btw the 2 of them, Rafa wins. Rafa needs to bring his best game, but so does Med. ---
Tsitsipas actually played the 1st 2 sets very well vs Med in the SF. Nadal isn't young any>, but he's still a very strategic tennis player. He'll def. havw to serve well & mix up his shot selection from the baseline. I know for sure Toni Nadal talked to Rafa after the FAA match vs Med. If Tsitsipas can develop some strategy vs Med, then Nadal can certainly plan a good gameplan. ===
Murray should self-medicate @ this stage, he knows enough, or bring Lendl back for one last foray. Glad to see him persevere though… - Murray has received WC's into Rotterdam, Dubai, & Doha tourns.***
The self-indulgence of this guy taking spots from more deserving players in a draw can't be emphasized enough as far as I'm concerned! I'm sure most will say he has more drawing power, but he knows he's wasting his time! He might upset another "oldster" or "up and comer," but the days of major wins are over! Playing for the fun of it would be ok if there weren't so many others trying to work their way to his past status!
***The days of major winning for about 97% of the field are over - did you not read the memo? Fedalovax have won 137 of the prev. 138. But people love to see great players & Andy & Stan are the +2 of the Big 3 era. I think Andy's also very popular, so he'll draw a crowd > most youngsters. I doubt he thinks he'll win a slam, but he's on the verge of breaking back into the top 100!***
If Murray had played in another era, historically he'd of really made a name for himself outside of "Big 3!" ...Murray & Wawrinka were Novak's only real "thorny" opps! He won > of their meetings, but each stole 3 majors from him! He w/b on his way to 30 instead of just 25!
***Why are people triggered if Murray gets a WC? Tennis is a business & a spectator sport. They'll bring in anyone who can bring in > $$.***
B/c Murray had his X! Now he's taking away a spot in the draw from someone > deserving b/c he's outside the top 100! That selfishness is on him & the promoters of tourns. who pull this shit again & again!
***You do make a valid pt. I don't see him playing past this yr. if he keeps coming up w/ the same results, but you never know!***
The insecurity of Rafa fans is unbelievable! They absolutely hate that the NG like Sascha & Daniil have > respect for Nole & give him all due props for what he's doing while Nadal's limping around! Rafa did a great thing winning an AO after so many yrs. of futility, but it's a joke when there's this animus about who's the GOAT when his rec. is so unbalanced in respect to surface! Spare me the BS from these people!
***That’s outta the blue, brother! But Novak has 12 out of 20 on HC's & Rafa has 13 out of 21 on clay. It’s not such a diff., really. Just be thankful they play 2 slams on HC's & not on clay.***
It appears Nadal's only bothered by 1 player! He aways thinks he has a chance vs anyone else, but = Uncle Tony said, "we don't have a game plan of attack vs Nole!" He's prob. thinking "we're Novak's bitch & there's just not a lot we can do about it outside of Paris & = that's collapsed!" ...Making up alt. scenarios isn't going to do Rafa fans any good! If we had 2 majors on clay, I think Nole w/b making the approp. changes to help him win! Have we been watching the same tennis seasons? Djokovic fk'n won 3 majors & was in the final of the 4th last yr. @ 35! When has Rafa done that = in his prime? You think he still has a chance to do that if Nole's DQ'd off the tour over his stance w/ vaccines? Dream on babe! WTF?
***And yet, Rafa’s on 21, w/o doing that in his prime? And yes, I think Rafa would still have won if Novak had been allowed to lie & cheat his way in. The hostile crowd would've seen Novak off in the 1st wk.; in tears, most likely. But Rafa was playing so freely & so well, I think he’d have won regardless of who he faced.***
Your rec.-keeping's incomplete! You forgot "wks @ #1, YE #1's, YEC's, a Nole-Slam, & a Double CGS winning all Masters events @ least twice!" Come on, you're smarter > that! Don't let fandom make you look incompetent & partial vs facts & figures! - Novak's been dealing w/ unruly crowds of A-Holes for as long as I can recall! They tried to push Fed over the finishing line @'15 USO & '19 Wimbl. & we know what happened! Roger was the one left in tears!
***You’re in a mood, eh? Look, Novak not being there doesn’t mean he’d have won AO if he was there. Rafa’s missed the last 2 USO's & Novak hasn’t won them. ...***
Yep, in a real state here! I'm not = a fan of the way Djokovic plays! Like Lendl back in the day, I apprec. him taking the wind out of the sails of 2 A-hole fan faves in Connors & McEnroe! Djokovic's doing me the same favor of limiting the adulation & sycophantic apprec. of Fedal! He'll make their names insignificant after all's said & done IMO! The Tennis Intelligentsia will look > & > foolish as Nole tops their #'s & >!
***Well we agree on Lendl, so that’s something. But really, you know I’m trying to concentrate on watching highlights of Rafa’s stupendous, historic victory in Australia.***
***Well, w/ Trevor Lawrence as the Jaguar's QB, they're going to find a new HC w/ a lot > exper. in coaching > Byron Leftwich who only has 4 or 5 yrs & only 2-3 as a OC. Doug Pederson was HC of Philly for 4 yrs & an extensive coaching career as coordinators. Byron simply needs to coach a lot > yrs. M/b take a HC'ing job in college. That's why he wasn't getting many interviews. Not b/c he's black.***
I don't think there s/b some kind of mandate that a min. # of coaches s/b minorities! I've never looked @ life like that as a black person! It's up to the league to weed out potential new owners who they know are just "good ol' boys!" It's just a bad look where most of the players in the NFL are minorities, but the leadership roles so limited! At least basketball is 1/2 way there! Baseball's still a mess though!
***The Chargers don’t, but that couldn't be any further from the truth to say the Rams don't have a following. They may not be loud & boisterous rapid fans like say Pittsburgh or Green Bay, but as I just proved from this post, usually for most Ram games in LA, there's a huge turnout of Rams fans where the majority fill the stadium. The 49ers are just a rare exception. Count on SB Sunday having the majority of fans being Ram fans.***
Cal's one crazy place! Lived out there for a lit'l over a decade! I'm no expert on the psychosis of sports in that state; esp. So Cal! Sports outside of basketball just isn't taken that seriously! It's > of a status symbol to have 3 or 4 football & baseball teams, but the Dodgers have fans that are notorious for arriving late & leaving early! Why GO? When I lived in Sacr., they felt lucky to have a team so sellouts were cons. for seasons @ a X!
***That’s the mistake a lot of people make in saying they don’t pack them in for Rams games cause that's how it is w/ the Rams as well. By the mid 2nd qtr., it always gets packed. ---
Rodger's only a couple pts higher > Burrow & Burrow's > valuable to his team than Rodgers. Give him OPOY & we have no argument.***
Brady was desperate to take another MVP this season! Rodger's an A-Hole, but totally deserved it = though a perennial loser in Conf. finals as the fave @ home! I liked Burrows!
***Rodgers looks like a greasy haired, redneck out of the swamps of Louisiana. He's also a Liar.***
You sound like you're talking about Favre! Rodgers' following in his footsteps! I'm no fan of his! I used to feel for him w/ the DIVA act of Favre had him waiting to take his place! He got all the accolades from the press, & I respected his ability = though owning our Bears! What set me off him eventually was his own arrogance & ego! He was drinking it all in, so he refused to take any responsibility for the state of affairs if GB lost! He threw teammates "under the bus" & management couldn't do enough for him! Then he made the mistake of vouching for his good bud, ex-baseball player, Ryan Braun! Not sure how long it took for Braun t/b busted for taking steroids! The last straw for anyone s/b Rodgers' condescending attitude concerning vax for COVID! It was bad enough he misrepresented his own "status," but to go to a crowded Halloween party w/ no mask wearing, it was a wonder he didn't fall more ill when he contracted it! What a doofus! I'm so done w/ the guy = as a human being! He's trash!
***I don't think it matters to Rafa if Novak passes him, main thing for Rafa is to be healthy, enjoy his tennis and be competitive in the matches, that's the main points I feel for Rafa moving forward. Thank God the curse of the AO for Rafa and his fans is over.***
Rafa has no choice but to accept it since inevitably Novak will pass him up! Is there even a doubt? Some idiots on another site have said Novak may never win another major! Those people need serious fk'n help!
***Does anyone know if Djokovic can get past Dubai & still be #1, or does it end there? I think he's the defending champ. there, so he can't win any> pts.***
I thought I heard Nole will prob. lose the #1 ranking b/c his AO pts from last yr. will come off soon (later start in 2021)! Not sure Dubai could save him! He's set "wks @ #1" @ a # that I won't ever see broken un< Roger makes another deal w/ the Devil for 1 last good run this season!
***Oh, OK. If this is it, then what an incredible run @ the top of the rankings! He got that 7th YE #1 to go w/ it. Yeah, w/ Fed pretty much gone, it w/b crazy to see who can ever surpass this #r. It'll take a monumental effort! ---
Acapulco player list looks impressive: Med, Zed, Tsi, Rafa, Matteo,...If Med wins the title in Acapulco, he's #1. If not, the Russian would need to advance one extra match > Djokovic in Dubai. ---
...Medvedev would climb to #1 Feb. 28th if:
Med wins the Acapulco title, regard< of Djokovic’s results in Dubai Med reaches the Acapulco final & Djokovic doesn't win the Dubai Med reaches the Acapulco SF's & Djokovic doesn't reach the Dubai Final Med reaches the Acapulco QF's & Djokovic doesn't reach the Dubai SF's Med loses in the 1st Rd. in Acapulco & Djokovic doesn't reach the Dubai QF's***
They see Djokovic is somehow vulnerable due to AO expulsion! The pts are going to seriously tighten up un< Novak does his usual "double Masters" winning of IW & Miami on a trot into the clay season! BTW, Med isn't playing Dubai!
***Given the news that Nole plans to hold his ground & won't get vaccinated (https://t.co/io8nmEGdRB):
Where do you see Novak Djokovic finishing the yr. in '22?
Remember, if current vaccine mandates hold, he's ineligible to play 6 Masters & 2 Slams:
Masters: IW, Miami, Cincy, Rogers Cup, Rome, Paris Slams: FO/US Open (vaccine mandates in both Paris/NYC, entry to country),
Leaving only Dubai, Belgrade, Madrid, Wimbl., & Shanghai as events on his schedule. ?? on Monte Carlo.***
***I'm from Melbourne, I'm telling you Novak had no chance this year...He whb boo'd out the stadium.***
Well, we'll see how history judges that irrational sentiment! I'm thinking your ancestors are going t/b shaking their heads in shame wondering "WTF? We're lucky anyone comes to this Gawd-forsaken desert continent! Here we are banning the #1 player in the world?"
***Him getting banned was of his own doing.***
W/ the 3 governing bodies, someone must've told him "come on down! You have an exemption!"
***It was no doubt "a big balls up" from Tennis Australia. ---
What the Hell's going on w/ the Young Greek def. by a Russian Qual.?***
We've been so spoiled by the excellence of the Big 3 we can't explain away or allow a loss to anyone outside of that group! ...NG will never be = close to their "like" unfortunately!
***You're right. Still, I feel he has been over playing of late. His new coach was w/ him as well.***
I think most players are playing too much; esp. the top players desperate for $$ & pts! That's where a lot of these losses come from IMO! All players, men & women are putting too much pressure on themselves to perform, & it can cease t/b any fun on the tours! Novak seems t/b quite happy while pulling back on his schedule! NG'rs don't have that luxury yet b/c they haven't "arrived!" Only X will tell how far they can go w/ the constant pressure & injuries that occur w/ so much playing tennis around the world!
***Agree w/ over playing, though @ what cost down the track, The human body can only take so much. ---
+++FEDERER+++
MP WASTED (24)
'21 Doha QF Basilashvili 6–3, 1–6, 5–7 (1) '19 Wimbl. F Djokovic 6–7(5), 6–1, 6–7(4), 6–4, 12–13(3) (2)! '19 Madrid QF Thiem 6–3, 6–7(11), 4–6 (2) '18 Wimbl. QF Anderson 6–2, 7–6(5), 5–7, 4–6, 11–13 (1) '18 IW's F del Potro 4–6, 7–6(8), 6–7(2) (3) '17 Stuttgart R16 Haas 6–2, 6–7(8), 4–6 (1) '17 Dubai R16 Donskoy 6–3, 6–7(7), 6–7(5) (3) '16 Stuttgart SF Thiem 6–3, 6–7(7), 4–6 (2) '15 Madrid R32 Kyrgios 7–6(2), 6–7(5), 6–7(12) (2) '14 Rome R32 Chardy 6–1, 3–6, 6–7(6) (1) '13 Dubai SF Berdych 6–3, 6–7(8), 4–6 (3) '11 USO SF Djokovic 7–6(7), 6–4, 3–6, 2–6, 5–7 (2) '10 Paris SF Monfils 6–7(7), 7–6(1), 6–7(4) (5)! '10 USO SF Djokovic 7–5, 1–6, 7–5, 2–6, 5–7 (2) '10 Miami R16 Berdych 4–6, 7–6(3), 6–7(6) (1) '10 IW's R32 Baghdatis 7–5, 5–7, 6–7(4) (3) '06 Rome F Nadal 7–6(0), 6–7(5), 4–6, 6–2, 6–7(5) (2) '05 MC QF Gasquet 7–6(1), 2–6, 6–7(8) (3) '05 AO SF Safin 7–5, 4–6, 7–5, 6–7(6), 7–9 (1) '03 Miami QF Costa 6–7(4), 6–4, 6–7(7) (3) '02 AO R16 Haas 6–7(3), 6–4, 6–3, 4–6, 6–8 (1) '01 Paris R32 Novak 4–6, 7–6(4), 6–7(2) (1) '01 Halle QF Rafter 6–4, 6–7(6), 6–7(4) (1) '00 Vienna SF Henman 6–2, 6–7(4), 3–6 (2)
'21 Rome R16 Shapovalov 3–6, 6–4, 7–6(3) (2) '21 Barcelona F Tsitsipas 6–4, 6–7(6), 7–5 (1) '19 WTF's RR Medvedev 6–7(3), 6–3, 7–6(4) (1) '17 Beijing R32 Pouille 4–6, 7–6(6), 7–5 (2) '16 IW's R16 Zverev 6–7(8), 6–0, 7–5 (1) '15 Paris R16 Anderson 4–6, 7–6(6), 6–2 (1) '14 Rio SF Andujar 2–6, 6–3, 7–6(10) (2) '10 Tokyo SF Troicki 7–6(4), 4–6, 7–6(7) (2) '10 Cinci R16 Benneteau 5–7, 7–6(6), 6–2 (1) '09 Paris R32 Almagro 3–6, 7–6(2), 7–5 (5) '09 Madrid SF Djokovic 3–6, 7–6(5), 7–6(9) (3) '09 IW's R16 Nalbandian 3–6, 7–6(5), 6–0 (5)! '08 Chennai SF Moyá 6–7(3), 7–6(8), 7–6(1) (4) '06 Rome F Federer 6–7(0), 7–6(5), 6–4, 2–6, 7–6(5) (2) '06 Marseille R32 Rochus 4–6, 6–2, 7–5 (1) 2005 Aus Open R64 Youzhny 6–1, 4–6, 4–6, 7–5, 6–3 (1)
–––––––––––––– ***DJOKOVIC***
MP WASTED (3)
'18 Queen's F Cilic 7–5, 6–7(4), 3–6 (1) '09 Madrid SF Nadal 6–3, 6–7(5), 6–7(9) (3) '07 Rotterdam SF Youzhny 6–3, 6–7(7), 5–7 (3)
MP SAVED (15)
'20 Dubai SF Monfils 2–6, 7–6(8), 6–1 (3) '19 Wimbledon F Federer 7–6(5), 1–6, 7–6(4), 4–6, 13–12(3) (2)! '19 Rome QF del Potro 4–6, 7–6(6), 6–4 (2) '17 Doha SF Verdasco 4–6, 7–6(7), 6–3 (5) '15 Montreal QF Gulbis 5–7, 7–6(7), 6–1 (2) '12 Shanghai F Murray 5–7, 7–6(11), 6–3 (5)! '12 Roland Garros QF Tsonga 6–1, 5–7, 5–7, 7–6(6), 6–1 (4) '11 London WTF RR Berdych 3–6, 6–3, 7–6(3) (1) '11 US Open SF Federer 6–7(7), 4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 7–5 (2) '10 US Open SF Federer 5–7, 6–1, 5–7, 6–2, 7–5 (2) '10 IW's R32 Kohlschreiber 6–3, 2–6, 7–6(3) (3) '09 Basel SF Stepanek 6–7(4), 7–5, 6–2 (3) '09 Halle R16 Serra 5–7, 7–5, 6–1 (5) '07 Vienna QF Chela 6–3, 5–7, 7–6(2) (2) '05 Wimbl. R64 G.Lopez 3–6, 3–6, 7–6(5), 7–6(3), 6–4 (6)!* ===
Serena @ present is too busy w/ her many business interests. I feel another GS title has passed her by. I also think the Achilles injury she sustained last yr. took a long X to heal. Dragging Olivia around can't be helping.***
That's been Serena's problem since the beginning of her successful stretch! She started "slacking off," doing other things outside of tennis, then arriving @ the AO to 'play into shape!' She got away w/ it so many X's early on, she prob. thinks she can still do it that way! If BJK gives advice, > people listen! If Serena doesn't, it w/b on her when wasting her X = trying to win another major! She's breaking down & pushing an old, beaten body which doesn't improve over X!
***Age does creep up w/ all players, agreed, though I had no prob. @ all w/ either Serena or Venus pursuing outside interests. You can't spend 24/7 thinking tennis. That's where I feel players can have 'burn out.' Another factor taking some X away from tennis you realize how much you miss the game.***
***You don’t think Serena Williams beats Navratilova 9 out of 10 matches?***
Absolutely not! Martina's way of playing & attacking relentlessly approaching the net dealt w/ the best of them in her era who hit every bit as hard as Serena! Navratilova was defeating Graf & Seles in her waning yrs approaching 40 by taking it to them = though twice their age! Wms had trouble w/ Navratilova's namesake Hingis @ X's & she hit powder-puff shots winning w/ her brain! Serena wasn't that dominating no matter how they laud her! She started having terrible losses in Major finals; the Wimbl. wipeouts by Kerber & Halep in '18 & '19 respectively still baffle me! Navratilova's the true Queen of Tennis!
***I'll say this. I believe Martina would've beat Serena. Mentally. And Martina had the physical too. - It seems Fed fans had their "copes" ready B4 Nadal's 21st happened.***
I'm one that thought Fed should've left after his Wimbl. win in '12! It would keep him up w/ Djokodal = if they had passed him sooner! Now he's limping out & to this day I don't think winning those extra 3 Majors after futility of 5+ yrs was worth it! He's allowed 2 players to wipe away his recs B4 he = retired! At least when he overcame Sampras, he had been off the tour for over 8 yrs! Fed's stuck in 3rd ALL X as far as I'm concerned! I thought him the best @ 1 X, but he hung on too long allowing Nadovic to have their way w/ him!
***True, @ least Sampras walked off as the best player of his X & Federer can't claim that. - Agreed, retiring after '12 w/ the rec. @ least allows for 2 things to happen... 1stly, if you retire w/ the rec., you always have an argument in the GOAT debate. 2ndly, it allows for the mystery of.... "What if he played 2012 onwards?" As it stands now we know exactly what happened & the mystery is removed. ---
Fed has won 33 titles since '12. You think this diminishes his legacy somehow?***
Unfortunately, of those 33 titles (if right), only 3 of them were Majors! That's what hurts him! A few Masters & NO YEC Chp. +ed to his resume! Sorry!
***Carlos Alcaraz has WD from Acapulco after winning in Rio.***
M/b he knows his limitations! When these guys go far & are lucky enough to actual win a title, they can't keep it going! They brk down so it's almost normal to avoid the next tourn. after a good run! The real SuperMEN of tennis are fading away, so we need to get used to this stuff! Consistency's a thing of the past!
***Well seeing he's just 18 yo & had to play b2b SF's w/ rain delay B4 playing the final the next day. I can understand why he WD. He's the youngest to win a ATP 500 title, so I think @ this stage we can give him a pass. ---
Djokovic is beyond a doubt the Best of the Big 3 & this is not b/c of him blooming early or comp. being weak later on. It's j/b this whole era is about ball bashing 7 who bashes the ball better > Djokovic? One s/b thankful that he had gluten allergy in the beginning, then suffered weird defeats to Murray-Stan & later threw some slams via Throat-gate/Vax-gate, or else he w/b having all the recs. It's inevitable really, he will reach 25-26 Slams.***
***They cheated. Bonds, McGuire & Sosa! They used steroids & human growth hormone to brk the recs of players who didn't cheat. None of them s/b in the Hall b/c nobody s/b in there who cheated. None of them!***
There's the "slippery slope" theory that comes into play! How many shady characters are already in the HOF; some known "killers" & "racists?" No one wants to open that can of worms! You might lose 1/2 the inductees! It never was meant t/b the "Hall of Character & Morals!" It's just a reason to elevate some players over others by noting how charitable or outspoken! SO?
***The op is totally wrong; other way around. The HOF w/b a failure if they inducted him or those other 3 in. They are currently the "Hall of Shame" for leaving Rose out. This would further cement that title. Bonds, Sosa, McGuire & Clemons got nothing on "shady Brady" & Belicheat though on cheating & tainting a great sport, when they get inducted. The NFL HOF will then become the NFL Hall of Shame as well right? ---
You're trying to excuse one person's bad behavior b/c someone else mhb bad as well! That doesn't fly w/ me. All of those players KNEW that they were breaking the rules. All of them KNEW they were gaining an unfair advantage over players who didn't use PED's! They made their millions. They got their endorsement deals. They were adored by the fans. Then the truth came out. You reap what you sow.***
I'm no fan of Bonds = though I lived out in SF during his "hey day!" Even though a true jerk, Bonds was still "must see TV!" ESPN was breaking in on their telecast for every batting opp.! So often gutless turds walked the man intentionally! Mike Scioscia actually had his pitcher do it @ the WS in '02 in the 1st Inning! Condemnation of this trivial shit while someone like Trump was undermining the dem. fabric of the country is a fk'n joke IMO! Down the line, > rational thinking people w/b in a position to + these players b/c they accomplished a lot B4 they started taking PED's & that's a fact!
***You've chosen to ignore the very real damage that's been done to an entire gen. of young people who were led to believe that shooting themselves up w/ PED's was what they HAD to do in order to compete @ a high level. They did it b/c their idols did it. It was the dirty lit'l secret that people whispered about in locker rooms. People like Bonds helped to glamorize PED's. What's sad about him is that BEFORE he started cheating...he was a shoo in first ballot Hall of Famer! He threw it all away however b/c he was jealous of the attn. that McGuire & Sosa were getting in their home run race. His vanity has led him to where he is now.***
Oh pls! You're obviously skipping the nasty early days of baseball when Blacks couldn't play! Spare me the pity party for guys who weren't able to play b/c of Bonds, Clemons, & McGuire! You really don't want to open up that can of warms either! There's a gen. of players you're talking about; I'm talking about a whole fk'n race couldn't play w/ lilly-white players b/c they didn't want to! It was no secret either which was spoken of openly! FU & the horse you rode in on!
***Cincy & LA Rams are playing it safe. The same issues that sunk the Patriots during their "perfect" SB. Line 'em up '5 wide' & cut them apart. Neither team was willing to commit to this. I'm sorry. Those penalties were bullshit. What an abject disappointment.***
They refs were bored & hadn't gotten much air X on TV! It had to come sooner or later!
***Very enjoyable game. Surprised @ the lack of penalties called in the 1st Half, esp. where the Bengal receiver face-masked a Ram defender & threw him to the ground B4 catching the ball. Thought the Half-X show sucked though.***
That's why in the end I tip my cap to the Rams! Cincy was "acting up" long B4 the game was over & it made me side w/ LA! That idiotic celebration was over the top! I've never seen a player out of uniform +ing to the mayhem in the Endzone after the interception of Stafford just B4 Half-X! It contrib. to their own self-destruction! Flexing & hotdogging it after a play s/b kept to a minimum!
***Yeah, all the celebration & showboating after = routine plays is getting pretty old. Was happy to see Stafford win one. Can't be easy wasting your prime yrs on a crappy team.***
Happens > often than NOT! How many 1st Rd. picks are destined to fail by being selected by the season's previous loser team? Many 1st Rd. picks have to deal w/ yearly changes to asst. coaches & off. schemes! Look @ what Trevor Lawrence has had to deal w/ after so much success in college! Detroit had chances, but some teams find ways to lose games in the final secs. of games! I'm ok w/ RAMS winning though!
***...Something is going on. Teams have to be getting some vibe from him that he’s not “the guy.“***
I'm not demanding anyone hire a black coach in the NFL, but it looks bad to see just 1 HC in a league of 32 teams! Basketball & baseball straightened themselves out yrs ago, while football is fk'n it up BIG X & look horrible doing it! IDK what c/b done; m/b make sure the league gets > progressive & enlightened owners as the teams shift hands! ===
***I'm over Jason Brown. I think he's a lovely skater & seems like a very nice person, but his skating doesn't excite me anymore.***
Excitement wasn't going to get the job done anyway! Jason doesn't have the tech. ability to compete these days! Our own FS Assoc. is doing a deservice to him & the team when they pump him up w/ scores that aren't nearly in line w/ what he laid out on the ice! Other countries do the same, but it was almost embarrassing seeing his scores making him 4th w/ 1 missed quad while others are spinning out of their minds! Reminds me of Kwan getting extra credit for just showing up @ Nat'ls! ---
Nathan Chen crushed the field for the OG Medal in FS! "Congrats Nathen!" Jason Brown brought back "Schindler's List" for LP!
***We can't really know what Hanyu's thinking was. I think it's very hard to put ourselves in the minds of high-profile champions who are under tremendous pressure & high expectations from themselves & from others.***
I think if he had gotten over the obsession of that silly 4A, he would've @ least made the podium! He blew it!
***I’m pretty sure > people still see Fed as the GOAT ;)***
They can delude themselves all they like! The #'s belie any reality that Fed's the GOAT! I already wrote that people could muse about him being the GOAT > +ly if he had retired after his Wimbl. win in '12! An OG Medal would've capped off his career, but it didn't happen! He decided to futilely hang around for over 5 yrs B4 +ing 3 > majors to his rec. while Novak was injured & emotionally distracted! Roger did well to take 5 str. matches from Rafa, but he's still way behind them both H2H! I say he hurt his legacy! The Tennis Intelligentsia can continue to promote the game believing TENNIS begins & ends w/ Fedal, but it's not based in fact! It truly is delusional thinking!
***Federer's the only member of the Big 3 whose fans call him non-peak/old merely aged 26. ...Nadovic possess a far > physically demanding > Roger, so it's unbelievable that Roger ended his peak sooner > them. Fed was aged merely 26 @ WB'08 & 27 @ the AO'09. He was @ his peak, but b/c he lost to Nadal, his fans make up the excuse that he was "non-peak/old."***
Roger really wasn't being tested early on w/ his pigeon, A-Rod, an aging Agassi, the headcases of Safin & Nalbandian, & a waning Hewitt!
***The many Slams Nadalovic won since '10 w/o each other:
Since they're not 1 person, let's split it up & + Roger:
Roger - AO ('04, '06), FO ('09), W ('03-05,'09), USO ('06) Rafa - AO ('22), FO ('10, '17, '18), USO ('17,'19) Nole - AO ('13, '15, '21), FO ('16), W ('21), USO ('18)
... Djokovic has won 11 of his last 14 majors w/o having to face Nadal.***
So what? The rec. shows Rafa's been hard-pressed to take sets off Djokovic off the clay surface in yrs! WTF does it matter Nole won 11 majors w/o meeting him?
***I'm not disagreeing w/ what you said. I was just arguing they had each other part. - 21 > 20...***
For now! We'll see how long it lasts! I seem to remember 12-17-20 not that long ago! It became 20-20-20 real quick! We'll see how it ends!
***You realize the current Ukraine regime is a US puppet, yes? They have been attacking the Donbass for the last 8 yrs, & not a peep from mainstream western journalists who now weep crocodile tears for Ukraine. The whinging from the Russophobes in recent days has been ridiculous, throwing toys out of the pram b/c the US isn't getting what it wants.***
What country isn't abusing or oppressing a group? No matter WTF Ukraine is doing, they shouldn't be encroached on by another authoritarian country like Russia! We've done it enough ourselves over the yrs for so called humanitarian reasons = though we're FOS!
***The hair dude has a heart. "The Hill:" Russian tennis player signs camera 'No war please' after victory in Dubai.***
He also doesn't want to become a pariah on the men's tour! Heaven knows I cut off many people who supported the tyranny of a Trump Admin.!
***What's wrong w/ the Young Greek going down to Norrie in SF. HIS pappy's there in Acapulco. '22 hasn't been a > start for the Greeks.***
That's the problem w/ today's gen.! They'll never measure up to the Big 3! The consistency isn't going t/b there! ...The Big 3 could get on a roll & win 3-4 chps in a row! We can forget about that in the foreseeable future! The NG'rs won't test the #'s of Fedalovic! We all might as well get used to diff. levels of mediocrity; esp. w/ this crop! The game's just too tough physically & mentally!
'04 Miami R32: Nadal d Fed (6-3, 6-3) '05 Miami F: Fed d Nadal (2-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-1) '05 FO SF: Nadal d Fed (6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3) '06 Dubai F: Nadal d Fed (2-6, 6-4, 6-4) '06 MC F: Nadal d Fed (6-2, 6-7, 6-3, 7-6) '06 Rome F: Nadal d Fed (6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6) '06 FO F: Nadal d Fed (1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6) '06 Wimbl. F: Fed d Nadal (6-0, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3) '06 M's Cup SF: Fed d Nadal (6-4, 7-5) '07 MC F: Nadal d Fed (6-4, 6-4) '07 Hamb. F: Fed d Nadal (2-6, 6-2, 6-0) '07 FO F: Nadal d Fed (6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4) '07 Wimbl. F: Fed d Nadal (7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-2) '07 M's Cup SF: Fed d Nadal (6-4, 6-1) '08 MC F: Nadal d Fed (7-5, 7-5) '08 Hamb. F: Nadal d Fed (7-5, 6-7, 6-3) '08 FO F: Nadal d Fed (6-1, 6-3, 6-0) '08 Wimbl. F: Nadal d Fed (6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7) '09 AO F: Nadal d Fed (7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2) '09 Madrid F: Fed d Nadal (6-4, 6-4) '10 Madrid F: Nadal d Fed (6-4, 7-6) '10 WTF F: Fed d Nadal (6-3, 3-6, 6-1) '11 Miami SF: Nadal d Fed (6-3, 6-2) '11 Madrid SF: Nadal d Fed (5-7, 6-1, 6-3) '11 FO F: Nadal d Fed (7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1) '11 WTF RR: Fed def. Nadal (6-3, 6-0) '12 AO SF: Nadal d Fed (6-7, 6-2, 7-6, 6-4) '12 IW's SF: Fed d Nadal (6-3, 6-4) '13 IW's QF: Nadal d Fed (6-4, 6-2) '13 Rome F: Nadal d Fed (6-1, 6-3) '13 Cinci QF: Nadal d Fed (5-7, 6-4, 6-3) '13 WTF SF: Nadal d Fed (7-5, 6-3) '14 AO SF: Nadal d Fed (7-6, 6-3, 6-3) '15 Basel F: Fed d Nadal (6-3, 5-7, 6-3) '17 AO F: Fed d Nadal (6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3) '17 IW's R16: Fed d Nadal (6-2, 6-3) '17 Miami F: Fed d Nadal (6-3, 6-4) '17 Shanghai F: Fed d Nadal (6-4, 6-3) '19 FO SF: Nadal d Fed (6-3, 6-4, 6-2) '19 Wimbl. SF: Fed d Nadal (7-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4)
HC: 11-9 to Fed Clay 14-2 to Nadal Grass: 3-1 to Fed Carpet: 0-0 In Majors: 10-4 to Nadal***
***...Borg did win 3 GS titles w/o dropping a set...'76 Wimbl.,'78 FO,'80 FO.***
When will you ever learn I'm the only tennis historian you can really trust?
***You do know your history. If only you were as conversant w/ your present. For example, you still seem to think that Rafa is a defensive tennis player. Medvedev too. Do you really think that gets anyone to #1? Your Novak plays a lot of defense, & then, like the other 2, turns it to offense. I guess this conclusion comes from your not watching sports anymore.***
...Watching tennis doesn't do what it once did! I can still deal w/ Nadovic, but how long will that last? Either Nadal will break all the way down or Djokovic c/b legis. right out of the game! That w/b one way to keep Nadal ahead for good in the GOAT race!
***I don't think these are the only options. Nadal seems t/b healthy, for now. And no one's trying to "legislate" Novak out of the game. It is clear to him what he can do, or not to play, & he's committed to not getting vax'd. No one created those border rules to keep Novak from being the GOAT in tennis. ...That's not a conspiracy against him...that is his choice.***
Over the yrs there are players I just never cared for from the beginning! SomeX's it had to do with their ego/arrogance, a bad attitude/sportsmanship, or > fame than actually warranted! It was hard to like/love players like Connors, McEnroe, Agassi (image is everything), Becker, Nadal, & now Medvedev (ugly game)!
***Everyone's allowed to like who they like for their own reasons & dislike who they dislike for same. But pretending they're terrible @ the game just b/c you don't like them shows ignorance of the game, & I know you're not ignorant of the game. I don't like Novak @ all, & I like him increasingly < all the X. But I don't pretend he's not a great tennis player.***
Who said Nadal isn't a great player? His results are limited in comparison to Fedovic! Their resumes are a lot > impressive & spread out while Nadal's real claim to fame is on his clay performances! He still is short several titles that Fedovic have X chps like the YEC! Nadal's nowhere near a Golden Masters when Novak's a double winner!
***Djokovic would trade all his YEC's for 1 OG. Nadal has the 2 things that Djokovic wants the > which is the Slam rec. & the OG. Also there's no such thing as Fedovic.***
M/b! Over the yrs the bar has moved sev. X's! I'm sure some of us agreed Nole would give up a few AO's to get 1 FO yrs ago! How X's have changed after winning his 2nd last yr.! As for Fedovic, they set themselves up & apart from Rafa in the rec.-bks w/ a > diverse resume! Roger & Nole won 3 Slams in a season 3 X's; Rafa once! The YEC's hard to overlook where the likes of Davydenko & Dimitrov are on the Cup w/ a conspicuous omission of an ATG! Those are glaring gaps in his resume! All 3 have them!
Borg's was the USO! For Laver it was the WCT Chp.! Now it's all about the MAJORS! Since it's so close, what else c/b done but to shred their recs down to minutia? I'm looking @ Masters, YEC's, & wks @ #1! Rafa winning 13 @ 1 event eclipsed about all the greats in Paris alone! My animus mhb residual feelings after failed attempts by Roger & Novak losing those FO finals! They just wanted 1 out of all those moments 10-15 yrs ago! WOW! There w/b obvious opposing views, but I'm well doc. on here & elsewhere!
***Nadal'd rather have another RG title (= if he already has 100) > a 1st WTF. Nobody cares about WTF; nice to have, but not a big deal. It's just like a Masters 1000 type of title @ this pt. far behind a Slam or OG. And yes, NOW it's about the Majors & OG's. In the Big 3 era they (Fedalovic + Murray) have all said that the Slams & OG are the ult. goal. Compare the Big 3 then Nadal comes out on top!***
***This is what happens when sporting bodies start caring about $$ & eyeballs: they start catering to the casual & non-fan b/c they want growth. Honestly, I've all but given up on > sports b/c of this phenomenon.***
I've been watching < & < sports due to this phenomenon! It's > about $$ & catering to the masses than the real fans of the game! Players in team sports are the biggest jerks out there! They supposedly collectively look after one another, but the top echelon makes 100 X's > $$! SUCKERS! If you look deep, winning isn't = as important as stroking egos! Durant left Golden State after winning 2 NBA Chp. b/c it "wasn't his team; more Curry's!" They couldn't do enough to satisfy him w/ $$ & constantly "stroking him!" Now he's floundering in NJ w/ other stars w/ all kinds of expectations & a true lack of good results! Idiotic! Don't get me started on football!
***Actually w/o Federer, Nadal & Novak, there's nothing interesting about ATP. I don’t think they'll draw bigger attn. than WTA.***
I started to watch < & < last spring w/ Novak out of IW & Miami! It just wasn't worth watching w/o The Big 3! We've been trained & spoiled by their excellence going on 20 yrs! We'll never see anything like it again!
***It looks like Novak will not play tennis in March, as he concedes he'll not be able to enter the US. ...Lacoste, which m/b Djokovic's biggest sponsor is said t/b unhappy about the vaccine position. Novak's Swiss watch company sponsor Hublot said getting vax'd is a personal choice & didn't plan to drop Novak.***
The world's making it seem like Novak's the only prof. athlete who's refusing t/b vax'd! Come on; that's just plain stupid!
***Personally speaking I feel everyone has the right to their own opinion regarding vaccs. Novak isn't the only player not t/b vax. Though seeing Novak's the world #1 player they prob. expect him t/b 'a role model' to the rest of the ATP players & get vac'd.***
But there are plenty of players who're in the same boat! Other players were deported from Australia, but his name was the one bandied about!
***Private companies like Lacoste have the right to choose who they want to assoc. themselves w/. So they can decide that they don't want someone who's unvaccinated to represent them if they believe it hurts their image.***
Who said diff.? I'm totally in the corner w/ people who live by credo of "Laissez Faire!" People have rights to make their own choices! If NFL owners don't want to hire a Black coach, IDK how you can force that issue! We have strict rules concerning Covid here in the States! Djokovic can't play IW & Miami! Australia refused to allow Djokovic to play! They just looked bad making it an Int'l incident! Someone told Novak he had a loophole! He didn't fly down there w/o assurances from 1 or 2 of the 3 governing bodies! Someone gave him the ok! I just hope it doesn't hurt the event after such confusion! I didn't watch much of it @ all; esp. the final! It was BOGUS exclud. the def. champ. who was ready, willing, & able to play! No one can tell me any diff. w/ Nadal shamelessly gaining an adv. to get his double CGS!
Fed: 11 HC (3 Rebound Ace, 5 Deco Turf, 3 Plexicushion). 1 Red Clay, 8 Perennial Rye Grass
Nadal: 6 HC (4 Deco Turf, 1 Plexicushion, 1 Green Set -really a Plexicushion hybrid since only top layer's Green Set), 13 Red Clay, 2 Perennial Rye Grass
Djokovic: 12 HC (3 Deco Turf, 7 Plexicusion, 2 Green Set), 6 Perennial Rye Grass, 2 Red Clay
...In fact, only 5 major events (slams, M1000, & 500) are Category 4 or >er (Halle, Queens, Wimbl., Wash'ton, & Austr.). This combined w/ modern equip. has made S&V a dinosaur. - There are 2 HC Slams & thus twice as many opps. to win them. I'm not sure why I rarely see people make this observ. in these Slam distr. threads...).***
Must be other people! I've been making a huge deal out of this saying it's hard to make Rafa the GOAT due to his unbalanced resume! If not for clay he wouldn't be in the top 6 IMO! His lack of a YEC & his < 1/2 "wks @ #1" can't be overlooked when it comes to Novak & Roger!
***Hindsight's a wonderful tool to have after Nole's decision to do Olympics.***
What reason would he have he couldn't do it? At 35 he was still the toughest out, = on the clay of RG! I had no doubt he'd come back in his match vs Stefanos, but it was almost predictable he wasn't up to the challenge of beating Daniil in NY! He was the only one I worried about & hoped someone'd upset him B4 the final! I know players limitations = if a fanatic! I was one who thought Nole should skip Olympics, but he thought he could get thru it unscathed! He was wrong! It almost ruined his entire 2nd 1/2 of the season close to losing out on YE #1!
***I think everyone knew he was not going to defeat Medvedev @ the USO. The mental pressure he was under again, understandably was far too emotional. Anyway, he has a chance now to defend RF & Wimbl. this yr. ---
...Sampras won 14 slams but never = made 1 RG final***
We were all desperate to see history made by anointing Sampras the GOAT w/o making a FO Final! After the likes of Fedalovic, we have t/b ashamed of ourselves! At least Sampras enjoyed 8+ yrs of that moniker! Fed didn't leave the tour fast enough & was overtaken by 2 other ATG's! He'll eventually be only thought of as a 3rd wheel after Nadovic have finished up, absolutely destroying the rec.-books w/ their consistency!
***Glad Nadal has won > double Borg's titles @ RG?***
Borg took on all comers w/ lit. a stick & strings strung to the feel of a glass pane! Rafa has had the benefits of "the X's" w/ superior training, tech improvements of rackets & strings, w/ homogenous courts! It'll continue t/b w/ > people & a brain to know Borg's huge & will cont. t/b so b/c of his diverse winning from the slowest of clay in Paris to the slickness of choppy grass w/i a wk. @ Wimbl.! That'll set him apart from all players now & into the foreseeable future due to the greedy Big 3 who sucked up > of the major events for the >er part of 20 yrs! It w/b impossible for their feats t/b surpassed in anyone's lifeX today! Nadal can vulture all the FO's he wants, having just 2 split Wimbl. Chps. on grass, = his Chan'l Slam of '10 can't compare to Borg's who took FO & Wimbl. 3 str. yrs alone surpassing Rafa for the X! ...Bjorn did so much in those 8 yrs while Nadal's still toiling the fields trying to catch up after 15+! Borg still has > YEC's & Wimbl. which w/b a great career alone!
Never cared for LeBron even as a kid! Now as an adult, he's acting like a petulant child! Wanting to play w/ his son Bronny in the future is a "pipe dream" &'s just another way of trying to set himself up on a pedestal he doesn't deserve! He's not "Mr. Klutch" & runs from the free-throw line! He's no Jordan so he needs to get off that!
***I don't get how the Lakers can make the playoffs. They keep losing. Seems to me the Clippers are 7 games ahead of them. Clippers are 8. Isn't it the top 8? How are the Lakers going to overcome being 7 games behind w/ 20 games left? ESPN said Lakers have 65% chance of making the playoffs? HOW?
...LeBron's fans cheered when he beat whoever he beat in the finals right? I don't = remember who he beat all his wins were so unmemorable. Can you imagine if you put MJ's brain in LeBron's body?***
I'm the same way; Iconic players are universally cheered, but I have a prob. when they hang on too long! Right now in tennis it's Federer! He was the GOAT, but over the last decade his shine has dimmed & he's looked bad while it happened! Brady was winning to the last, but I'm so over him & his legend! I never cared for LeBron thinking him > a mercenary moving around the way he does! He made > finals than MJ, but he lost a bunch of them; w/ a charitable donation from Golden St. a few yrs ago up 3-1 ("Thanks Draymond")! Don't forget teams #9 & #10 have a "play in!" Lakers can always drag up the rear, but still go home early!
***Made more finals than MJ, but hasn't won as many right? Is Fed still playing?***
Fed's trying to come back from another knee surgery! He hasn't played since last season @ Wimbl.! I think he wants to give it 1 > "go" on grass @ 40! He'll only get himself humiliated trying to play kids who are pounding the ball &'ll run his old ass into the court!
***He could have 1 > in him. What about Tiger? I think he's done. But I was glad he got that 1 > major. Shut his critics up who said he never would.***
People were so sure Tiger would brk all the recs., but he blew it! Jack Nicklaus' 18 majors' still safe! Tiger too much like dad & fk'd up his legacy! He just def. Mickelson recently in some inaugural event called the PIP, but another MAJOR's prob. out of the ?? for both of them!
***Tiger's still on the Mt. Rushmore of golf. ...Golf needs a guy. Basketball always has a guy. Baseball & Football not so much. There's no hands down greatest guy in the NFL or NBA. Jim Brown or Nolan Ryan? Ok Brady but besides him. No LeBron =lent in the MLB right?***
It's happening in all sports really as we age out along w/ the athletes! I barely watch tennis since The Big 3 are fading! Djokovic & Nadal have 2 > good yrs in them, but the next gen. hasn't caught my attn.! I haven't watched a complete baseball game since my White Sox won back in '05! I didn't = watch a moment of the Cubs run! Basketball'n almost unwatchable IMO! The players' fundamentals are pathetic compared to the much larger egos! The $$'s gotten out of control & never seems t/b enough! My Mt. Rushmore w/b > antiquated:
1) B. Borg 2) M. Ali 3) Pele 4) Magic Johnson/M. Jordon 5) A. Palmer/J. Nicklaus 6) Jim Brown/J. Montana 6) H. Aaron/Reggie Jackson
***I love those guys who make you watch a sport j/b of them. Reggie Jackson was one of those players. I feel like the NBA greats are being replaced by the new guys. It’s a good X to watch. Chris Paul I feel just will never get it done, but Phoenix looks good. I'll give you > names. McEnroe, Sugar Ray Leonard, & I agree no soccer player has captured my attn. since Pele.***
***W/b crazy if they meet again @ RG this yr. & Djokovic beats him again. Would Nadal still claim it's a foot problem? Or would it be an age excuse this X?***
The fans will def. come up w/ a reason! They just can't give Novak credit for his accom. saying things like he waited until Fedal aged out! That was a decade ago! Why're they still around beating the rest of the tour, but not Djokovic? Idiotic, but what else c/b said? Excuses, excuses, excuses!
***I just chk'd the #'s, & yes, Rafa has >er results in Slams. I don't care for how long Rafa hasn't won a set. Djokovic started his career in '11? What magical med. solved his health problems? ---
I don't think the "Fedal aged out" excuse has any merit nor did it ever. Djokovic was beating both of them all the way back in '07. That's 15 yrs ago. He showed he was the real deal. I recall B4 every draw, people w/b looking closely to see which side of the draw Djokovic's on; Fed's or Nadal's.***
Nadal's been struggling to = get sets off Novak on HC & grass! Nadal's dom. in Paris & = that fell by the wayside last yr.! The delusion's real w/ some fans that can't seem to accept that!
***Rafa gets a good lead on his adversaries b/c of his clay dom. He racked them up @ MC, Rome, & Hamburg/Madrid & RG. That's how he built such exten. leads in the H2H early on. Djokovic has taken 20 Slams away from Nadal. ---
Nadal was moving '>er' in AO22 b/c none of the balls coming across the net were from Djokovic. W/o Djokovic playing tennis, Nadal would have won AO'19 or RG'21. Fed would have won WC'15 or WC'19. ...'Real' Rafa beats all & gets injured mentally when Djokovic defeats him. ---
I think Djokovic has done much > damage to Nadal in this past decade which includes stopping him in X Masters & Majors or ability to accum. a rec. # of wks @ #1. Nadal was far > dom. pre-'11. If Djokovic wasn't born, Nadal wouldn't have had a rival & w/b prob. on his 35th Major right now & prob. over 400 wks as #1.***
That alone is worth lauding Djokovic! The delusion's real when Nadal fans can say he hurt Nole >! Rafa was already well ahead but caught! Nole picked up titles in bunches, eventually overtaking both Fedal except in Majors! For him to have tied them so soon was unfathomable except the true experts! We/they saw the potential @ 12 Majors completing his Nole-Slam & CGS all in one swoop in '16!
***...Nadal has got all the big ones. RG'12, RG'13, USO'13, & RG'20 were all historically hugely significant & all went Nadal's way. Masters 1000-wise I agree, Djokovic had held the upper-hand clearly. Pretty sure though Nadal would prefer it that way Rd. The bttmline is Nadal has crossed the finish line. He has the Slam rec. Djokovic has never held it. So really Slam-wise as Nadal is 10-7 ahead in their h2h.***
Picking out 3 random FO's & a USO victory makes lit'l to no sense historically! I can do that for Novak w/ '11 & '18 Wimbl., '12 &'19 AO's,'21 FO, &'11 USO to get his 1st 3 Slam season! Wks @ #1'll come into serious play! We'll have to wait until they both retire w/ things so close!
***...Nadal has 21 Slams + OGM. That's 22 really big titles, & that isn't something you can dismiss. He has >est BO5 winning %, >est overall winning %, 5 Davis Cups (29-1 Singles rec.), 2 OGM's (1 Dubs., 1 Sin.), & 11 doubles titles. He's 30-9 Bo5 Final matches. I think he's the GOAT outdoors player (OE), best clay player of all X, & >est DC player along w/ Borg in OE. ND's the >est HC player, >test Bo3 player (OE), & >est returner. The >est OVERALL player & my pick for GOAT is Rod Laver. If ND wins another RG or Nadal a 3rd Wimbl., I may change my mind. At minimum, they should pass 109 ATP titles which is only a lit'l > 1/2 of Laver's 200 titles.***
***Pete Rose s/b in the Hall. He never cheated on the game itself or juiced up to play. His sin was gambling on the game; a bad idea but not valid excuse to ban him from the Hall since the game itself wasn't damaged by his play on the field.***
I understand where you're coming from, but the rule about gambling on the game is written all over! As a manager, that lowlife POS shouldn't go into the HOF until after he passes on! He should get no accolades about his accomplishments until he's taking that final "dirt nap!" Same goes for Roger Clemens & Barry Bonds!
***MLB proposed Spring games to begin on or about March 17th & reg. season Opening Day t/b on or about April 5th.***
One Conf. w/o a DH used t/b what set them apart when referencing them on ESPN as the "Major" &/or "Jr." League IIRC! I don't watch Baseball any> so makes lit'l sense watching their results! ...$$ has gotten out of hand in a sport few really watch! ESPN's made sport of baseball by describ. patrons disguised as "empty seats!" I used t/b a huge ATL Braves fan back in the 90's but they couldn't fill the seats in the playoffs or World Series @ X's! ATL didn't deserve their sports' teams! Living in Sacr. yrs ago, the franchises there had never failed "selling out" for the "Kings" or a World football league team I didn't pay attn. to! Being sustained w/ Cable $$ just to say it's an option is a huge amenity!
***Beats me how. It was just agreed to raise the min. salary to $765,000/ yr:). So $$'s coming from somewhere. - Best job in pro sports.***
If you like sitting on your ass > of the X! Back in the day baseball players had to take "greenies" just to stay awake & motivated to make an appearance @ the plate every 3rd inning! ===
***It's funny we never talk about Isiah Thomas in Detroit. He isn't celebrated. He s/b. He's our Jordan, Magic Johnson, Bird, Hakeem. He s/b worshiped around here, but for some reason he just isn't. Is he that much of an asshole? At least he won us 2 Chps. Remember you can't talk about the Magic Bird Jordan era & skip over the Piston's.***
How can you forget Thomas is one of the colossal A-Holes of all X? Beside puffing up his own >ness, he failed @ just about everything he tried doing after playing thru his own ineptitude & scumball-ness! For some reason, he kept getting chance after chance to stay on top, including coaching of men, women, & kids in college! He was also President of B-Ball Ops. running the Knicks! No one forced him to sexually harass the staff! He cost MSG over $11 M to settle a claim! Heaven knows what was settled w/o our knowledge! It's always been something w/ this guy, but for some reason he'd throw that smile out there, speak softly, & people would get over it!
***I haven't forgot. Or, I think we kind of have forgotten but that's b/c he has sort of disappeared. We don't talk about him much. When people talk about him, it's how he wasn't picked for the Olympics b/c he was such a dick. Or how he didn't shake hands when he lost to Jordan. Amazing how that'll ruin an otherwise great legacy. You pretty much nailed it summing up Thomas. LOL. Good job.***
As long as he gets on TV to highlight a game or sit there announcing a live one, he'll always have a forum to spout how great he was & salvage the reps of his team after that abysmal act losing to Chgo in '91!
***I still love our Bad Boys. Even though I know if they weren't MY Bad Boys I'd hate them so much. LOL. The only likable guy was John Salley.***
***Is it true that Djokovic will get back his #1 ranking on the 14th of March due to Medvedev dropping pts from Marseille? Then it'll depend on what happens in IW's.***
Well that didn't last long! Med got 3 wks out of it anyway! Only Moya & Rafter held it for < X @ 2 & 1 wk. respectively! A-Rod (13 wks) was the last 1 to hold the #1 ranking outside of the Big 4 who ruled for almost 20 solid yrs! This kind of dom. might never again happen as in past gens well B4 the Open Era! It prob. won't happen again; @ least in my lifeX!
***Fritz called Nadal the GOAT. "One of the >est, if not the greatest, of all X."***
What else is Fritz going to say while Rafa's standing right there? "I just beat your ass, so Novak m/b the GOAT?" It was the same w/ Med & Zverev! They each said "you are the GOAT" after they def. him @ USO & Olympics respectively last season! That's what they do!
***...Yeah, Fritz out fake-injured Nadal. Taylor won IW's in str. sets over Rafa.***
That's hilarious! Nadal's always playing hurt & commentators will shill for him & his camp! Courier might as well have been on the payroll the way he lauded Rafa's courage to go out there to play some kid! (YAWN) Been listening to this BS for over a decade! "Don't compete if you're hurt; otherwise shut up & play cretin!"
***M/b we should've told Rublev this was a ATP 500 tour.***
The draw's about as weak w/ all the WD's, retirements, & injuries! It's only going to get worse IMO w/ how these people overplay!
***This Sunshine Swing's difficult coming from a slow high bouncing court to a > faster court in Miami. I know Novak's rec. here okay so you don't have to remind me he owns 6 titles. ---
Big 3 @ Masters surface that least suits their game:
#1 on HC #3 on grass after Fed & Pete #3 on clay after Nadal & Borg ---
It's true that Djokovic's ever so slightly >er on clay > Nadal is on HC. It's actually the only thing that separates them in the H2H, but it's very close...
H2H: Djokovic 30 - 28 Nadal HC H2H: Djokovic 20 - 7 Nadal Clay H2H: Nadal 19 - 8 Djokovic Grass H2H: Djokovic 2 - 2 Nadal
It's that 1 win for Djokovic @ RG'21 that separates them. What a rivalry! ---
Djoko missed out in USO '12-14 &'16. Plain & simple. Djoko had an easy stroll in the USO'15 SF).
Djoko's USO'11 was legit tough. USO'15 was meh (one good, but not > opp. in Fed USO'15 final), USO'18 was weak.
Djoko's already had 4 easy HC wins past his prime (USO'18, AO'19, AO'20, AO'21 - though AO'19 was prime level from him).
Fed USO'09,'11 > Djoko USO'18, AO'20,'21 CLEARLY & those are 2 that Fed didn't win.
USO'15 is around there or >er > 3 of those 4 (USO'18, AO'20, AO'21).***
The Men's game has a real chance to finally "pass the torch" from Fedalovic w/ all these new Masters' Champs! Carlos can poss. skate by Stefanos, Dom, & Sascha! They've allowed Sr. citizens to hold them off in the rankings! Daniil had a real chance to settle comfortably into being #1. Again, it escapes the NG'rs allowing Nole to take back the top spot!
***There’s a large & welcomed dollop of truth in there, Bro. The players like Tsitsipas & Zverev, who allowed the geriatrics to have their way w/ them, won’t have the backbone to hold off an Alcaraz or Felix if they develop as we think they might.
Look at all the gens of tennis players who’ve been hopeless, in the face of the Big 3?: Rogers contemps like Roddick, Safin, Nalbandian, then the next bunch like Tsonga, Berdych, Gasquet, & the Missing Link gen. of Grigor, Samurai & Cough Drop. Now the gen. that followed them, Tsitsipas & Zverev, Med, etc, they’re already in danger of looking old. IDK if I missed any gens in btwn. What might help Carlos, Sinner & Felix is that they barely knew the Big 3.***
It wasn't bad enough The Big 3 won most of the Majors in the last 20 yrs, they didn't leave much in the way of crumbs, stealing > of the Masters & YEC's as well! Their stranglehold over the tour m/b loosening up w/ Fed already gone, Nole banished until next week, & now Rafa injured! The new crop think of them as legends who should "push off!" The respect ain't there! Carlos should've won that match over Rafa @ IW's! I think CA will take their next meeting; = if on clay! I'm calling it!" These newbies have no real fear! It's about X!
***I recall McEnroe losing to Sampras in '90 @ the USO & what struck him was the feeling that these youngsters loved beating him; just to say they beat Mac. Unfort. during the reign of the Big 3, & particularly in the early yrs of Rogers easy dom., players were just as happy to say they played "Roger Federer." I never got the feeling that losing hurt them as much as it should have. Some spirit was lacking in the old trousers dept., in prev. iterations of the Next Gen. I like style of young players like Carlos & Felix in particular. I like the attitude. I hope they never get happy w/ where they are, but keep pushing themselves harder.***
Oh, DYK? Behind the scenes you were not only expected to lose to Roger, but you were supposed to also enjoy it; singing his praises during the award's ceremony! I was run off from watching the Men's tour for a few years with "The Fedal Show!" The delusion was REAL behind Roger's so called dominance was so imagined when you seriously look at it! It 'd sound like "hating" so I'm going to just say nothing!
***It was always known that clay was Rafa's best surface & the favored surface for > Spanish players. That was instrumental in Tiriac negotiating w/ the ATP for Madrid to take Hamburg's place as one of the Spring clay Masters. Madrid's a Masters 1000 which makes it Spain's premier tennis tourn. & Tiriac & the Spanish tennis estab. wanted to make it as accessible as poss. for Rafa & the other Spanish players.***
Tennis c/b like other sports w/ their premiere events/venues depending on if a country has a top-flight player or not! It was obv. why Germany had 6 major events on both the ladies & men's tour due to Graf & Becker! Anyone remember the "GS Cup?" It was just another YE Tourney handed over to Deutschland back in the 90's! I'm surprised there aren't > events in Spain w/ so many players from there including Nadal!
***Of the top 5 youngest slam winners, 4 won their 1st @ RG (Chang, Wilander, Borg, Nadal). All of them were 18 or of the top players avoided the FO back then! The ones who ventured onto the Terre Battu that was pretty slow found they could've saved on hotel accommodations un< they wanted to hang around for the shopping! Even though Agassi was Sampras' pigeon, their lone QF match in Paris was a wipeout for Andre! Sampras had 2 chances @ the ht. of his powers, but there were too many clay specialists he had to overcome losing to eventual champ. in '96 SF (Kafelnikov); never reaching a final! Borg elevated FO!
***Players Who Won 1st Big Title @ 18 or <: - 17y,3m - Chang -'89 Roland Garros 17y,7m - Becker -'85 Wimbl. 17y,8m - Becker -'85 Cinci Masters 17y,9m - Wilander -'82 RG 17y,11m -Borg -'74 Rome Masters 17y,11m -Borg -'74 RG 18y,2m - Borg -'74 Boston Masters 18y,5m - Chang -'90 Can. Masters 18y,7m - Wilander -'83 MC Masters 18y,7m - Becker -'86 Wimbl. 18y,8m - Becker -'86 Can. Masters 18y,10m -Nadal -'05 MC Masters 18y,10m -Carlos Alcaraz -'22 Miami 18y,10m -Nadal -'05 Rome 18y,11m -Nadal -'05 RG 18y,11m -Borg -'75 RG 18y,11m -Wilander -'83 Cinci
So it has been done 17 X's by 6 players: Chang x2, Becker x4, Borg x4, Nadal x3, Wilander x3, Alcaraz x1.
Alcaraz turns 19 on May 5, so will have one > chance @ a Masters to + to his tally (MC), but turns 19 @ Madrid Open & w/b 19 when RG rolls around.
Still, that's very impressive company: One GOAT contender, 3 ATG's, & Chang, who was very good.
The pt. being, 18-yo's who win big titles tend to become ATG's. All of a sudden Alcaraz has jumped to the top of the queue of the "next dom. player," ahead of Sinner, FAA, & the rest.***
***Players Who Won 1st Big Title @ 18 or <: - 17y,3m - Chang -'89 Roland Garros 17y,7m - Becker -'85 Wimbl. 17y,8m - Becker -'85 Cinci Masters 17y,9m - Wilander -'82 RG 17y,11m -Borg -'74 Rome Masters 17y,11m -Borg -'74 RG 18y,2m - Borg -'74 Boston Masters 18y,5m - Chang -'90 Can. Masters 18y,7m - Wilander -'83 MC Masters 18y,7m - Becker -'86 Wimbl. 18y,8m - Becker -'86 Can. Masters 18y,10m -Nadal -'05 MC Masters 18y,10m -Carlos Alcaraz -'22 Miami 18y,10m -Nadal -'05 Rome 18y,11m -Nadal -'05 RG 18y,11m -Borg -'75 RG 18y,11m -Wilander -'83 Cinci
So it has been done 17 X's by 6 players: Chang x2, Becker x4, Borg x4, Nadal x3, Wilander x3, Alcaraz x1.
Alcaraz turns 19 on May 5, so will have one > chance @ a Masters to + to his tally (MC), but turns 19 @ Madrid Open & w/b 19 when RG rolls around.
Still, that's very impressive company: One GOAT contender, 3 ATG's, & Chang, who was very good.
The pt. being, 18-yo's who win big titles tend to become ATG's. All of a sudden Alcaraz has jumped to the top of the queue of the "next dom. player," ahead of Sinner, Auger-Aliassime, & the rest. ---
Nadal seems like he won’t be back til Rome & we don’t know how close to 100% he w/b after the injury. Novak hasn’t played meaningful tennis since Nov., & we don’t know how many clay tournaments he w/b able to play. As the yr. progresses, Nadal will heal > & both him & Novak will get > match practice. If Alcaraz is going to win a slam this yr. (I don’t think he will), he’ll prob. have to do it @ RG.*** ---
I see Brooksby as a "Courier-clone" playing w/ a lot of intensity & passion! It's the reason Jim didn't last long @ the top due to a lack of real skill! He was one of the 1st, along w/ Agassi who just tried to take the cover off the ball!
***I think it's a fair comparison. He = looks a bit like Courier & TBH Courier was no choirboy on the court either. However, I think Brooksby has a >er BH. It's not as > a relative liability as Courier's was. Like I said, @ 6'4" he could develop > to his game, > punch so to speak. Courier's always trotted out as the poster child of burnout b/c of being over conditioned/ practice fiend, but who knows? That to me seems > a mental attribute/factor as opposed to just overtraining. I think of Courier > like he had a very eff., but somewhat limited game. Once others figured it out he struggled a bit b/c he really had no Plan B. Sampras dom. him decisively once he got going.***
***Many Agassi fans use the excuse that he was 3-0 vs Sampras in AO & FO. They complain that Sampras got 6 GS matches in USO (4) & Wimbl. (2) which skewered the GS H2H. Unfortunately, that doesn't change the fact that he's still 0-6 in those matches.
Collectively Nadal is 16-2 vs Fedovic in BO5 clay. Outside of clay he's still 7-10 vs Fedovic in BO5 matches. In +tion, he did win other "bigs" vs them in the Olympics & ATP Finals.
When Fed's lumped together w/ Djoker, it's always smoke & mirrors. ---
Actually, it's smoke & mirrors when Fed's lumped together w/ Djokadal b/c he's a player of a diff. gen.
What's not smoke & mirrors are the #'s btwn the 2 contemps. From '08-22:
Nadalovic won 11 AO titles, but met twice. Nadalovic won 8 WB titles, but met twice. Nadalovic won 7 USO titles, but met 3 X's.
26 AO/WB/USO titles won over 15 yrs. w/ them meeting 7 X's.***
***Nadal & Federer have done the most for tennis. Djokovic was trying to in a diff. way as he wanted to brk into other markets like Asia & So. America. Zverev & Tsitispas seem t/b trying to destroy the game along w/ Kyrgios. Their behavior's appalling & damages the sport.***
We've truly been spoiled w/ the consistency & longevity of The Big 3! We're going to compare every player by their standard of greatness unfortunately! No one will come close in this era of "also rans!"
***BJK & Althea Gibson for equality. Bjorn for the modern style.***
For some strange reason The Tennis Intelligentsia believes tennis begins & ends w/ Fedal! I think that's ridiculous since their rivalry was a sham! Nadal owned him from very early on & barely got close in the end w/ a nice run by the old man a few yrs ago! Fed's real rival is Novak who seem to have had > memorable moments!
***I'm pinning all my hopes on Alcaraz. I also want FAA to step up. Had hopes for Sinner, but I think I was wrong. Zverev, Tsitispas, & Medvedev are just awfully limited players. As X goes on, Big 3 fans will become One family & pretty quickly once they have finally gone. Almost 20 yrs they werked it & entertained us leaving it all out on the court. And all 3 were great role models. Yes, Djokovic @ X's is petulant, but gen. he's a good guy. Tennis needs Alcaraz to fulfill the hype in him.***
People are already writing Novak off since he's only played a handful of matches! People are like that; IDIOTS @ X's!
***Absolutely. We’ve seen that it’s foolish to write off any of the Big 3 @ any X. That they can suddenly spark to life w/ a venom & sweep all B4 them. I think Novak w/b ready for Paris, & that’s all that matters. He’ll settle. MS tourneys are only warm-ups for the likes of him & Rafa. ---
I don't think anybody w/ good common sense is completely writing off the #1 player. I'm sure he'll get back to some kind of normal B4 EOY. ---
Fed's the > popular player, but he came on the back of an era filled w/ superstars like Pete, Agassi, Steffi, & = the Wm. sisters were already quite popular when he came on the scene.***
Fed made a name for himself early w/ the exit of Sampras & the waning career of Agassi! The rest just wasn't too impressive w/ nice runs like Hewitt, Kuerten, & Safin, but no one w/ lasting consistency @ the top of the ranks! It was an easy 3 seasons taking 3 majors & only being held back from a CYGS by dropping final after final to his nemesis, some kid by the name of Rafa Nadal in Paris! I didn't think his records c/b matched, but Novak has already surpassed him w/ Double GM's, a Nole-Slam, 3 seasons of his own w/ 3 Major wins, & being 1 match away from his own CYGS! He holds so many other recs that w/b inevitably unmatched & put out of reach like 366 wks @ #1 & counting!
***...Malone & Dr J in Phili? Fuck. I want to see that 4 game series def. of LA Lakers.***
This collab. was the polar opp. a > current situation like Durant @ Golden St.! It was Curry's team = though KD won MVP Finals Honors! His ego couldn't deal w/ it which couldn't be filled by $$ & ass-kissing! Today's athletes have really put me off pro sports of late! The NFL though was spectacular w/ all those playoff thrillers, but I can honestly do w/o Baseball, Hockey, The Olympics, & Soccer! At least in Soccer the obscene salaries are taken care of by the owners & their wealth I'd hope! Salaries for USA sports are so out of control, = the concessions have taken the avg. family out of the price range to enjoy an event!
***...Durants career knowing or thinking he & LeBron w/b the Bird-Magic of today. I really thought Durant was great. And today they talk very highly of him like he’s unstoppable. Is he bet> Kobe? Yianni? He gets hurt a lot. Is he past his prime? Will the Nets win it all? They need to let Kyrie play.
Warriors finally got Green back & Curry got hurt. Can they win it all? The Suns will fail = though they look > right now = w/o Chris Paul.
I can’t wait to see Russell Wilson play Mahomes twice. I heard Brady was going to retire & run the Miami team but that black coach suing screwed it up. So Brady has nothing to do for a yr. When the lawsuit is over, Brady will run the Dolphins next yr. Who w/b the coach? Sean Payton from the Saints. Not this yr., the nex season. You heard it here 1st. ===
Many never thought Bradshaw & Montana w/b surpassed.***
Well Brady was helped by rules changes that put skirts on QB's & you're not allowed to breath on them too hard! He's truly taken advantage of that & whines the loudest when touched; hands up, mouth open!
***While I was watching the Bradshaw TV show about him & his family. He was asked about it..."you know what? He didn't make the rule, but if I was playing in this X I'd prob. take as much of advantage as you can. The name of the game is winning." ---
Father X's undefeated. But there don’t seem t/b major signs of decline in Brady. If you’re leading the league in passing as part of your “decline”.…***
It depends on who you play! He still got "worked" by a few teams! I always give the "side-eye" to some stats & usually ask "who did they play that season?"
***Gisele didn't apprec. the blood she got in her mouth after the bloody lip the Rams gave him in the NFC playoff game. She found it "gross."***
***Russian tennis players w/b barred from competing @ Wimbl. in June, a decision that'll prevent current #2 @DaniilMedwed from playing in the season’s 3rd GS.***
This isn't like the old days! Too much $$ & ATP pts are t/b gotten! No way will the players unite & skip the biggest event of the season in support!
***Novak's gonna regret his AO hoax for many reasons but the main one? I believe that’s why Marjan bailed on him. He's a serious tennis man. He w/b missed.***
It doesn't appear that Novak regrets much! It may have something to do w/ growing up in a war torn country! He takes a stand, someX's not so popular! He's prob. the > misunderstood so it has & will cost him! He's willing to stand his ground! So far he's still #1 in the world w/ a poss. to hold onto it = longer > expected if events start barring the Russians & Belarusians! Needless to see the players are staying away from the topic! They don't want to seem hypocritical when they proudly compete in those "said" events like Wimbl.!
***ITA w/ you about the players being quiet, though it’s early yet. The ATP's still the players' union, right? They represent the players? So let’s see if they grow a pair & defend their members. I also agree that Novak has grown up in a tough place, but I disagree that this makes him tough enough that he doesn’t care.***
I didn't say he "doesn't care!" I just say he makes a decision & sticks to it! I think he's prob. the > thoughtful & honest of the Big 3 BTW! His philanthropy's legendary, he takes X to learn other languages (up to 11 w/ Chinese?), & stands up for other players! How many X's have players "gushed" after losing to Novak about how he spoke to them when they 1st got on the tour, practiced w/ them, & answered their ??'s?
***...Novak didn't stick to his guns vs Oz & their vax mandate. He looked for the work-around, & thought he had it. Sure, he's good @ languages, which is a gift, but he's not necess. good @ the empathy of reading cultures, which is the > important part about learning languages. Not just having a good ear & memorizing a few phrases. He certainly got the Aussies all wrong when he crowed about his (supposed) exemption into Australia. His English is excellent, his Italian is pretty good, & his French is > passing, but not by much. How much Chinese does he speak, really?
As to being the most "honest & thoughtful," well, surely that's a fan's perspective. SomeX's he's honest to a fault, such as exposing his vacc. opinions B4 he needed to, then wondering why he kept getting asked about it. He thinks a lot about his 'New Age' concepts, but some of them are pretty weird & misguided.***
The delusion "is real" every X we try to include Murray as a significant player in the GOAT race! WHY? Fedalovic have 20+ Majors & well over 20 or 30 Masters 1000 wins respectively! They've owned the tour for almost 20 str. yrs! Murray mhb a signif. #1 & champ. if not for being born the same yr. as Djokovic! No matter how hard he practiced his game, he barely made a crack in the pedestal that they stand on! We really need to quit b/c it's looking > embarrassing the longer this charade goes on as he wastes another WC next wk. in Madrid! Only one of the WC's went to a Spanish player & the country's up in arms! Corps run the show, so tourn. officials barely have a say after all's said & done! They prob. want to see Murray & Osaka along w/ other big name draws!
***If the French gov't would also think of banning Russian & Belarus players @ RG this yr.? There's an upcoming election in France & Macron isn't very popular.***
If Putin bombs another hospital or school it might happen! Outrageous behavior begets > outrageous behavior! That's the way of the world!
***Tsitsipas vs Alcaraz gonna be the match of the tournament. Stefanos might prevail this X, but it’ll tell us = > about Carlos...***
I wonder will it get t/b as cantankerous as the earlier match w/ Norrie? I wasn't watching, but heard it was getting rancorous w/ the players! Norrie was pulling a "Hewitt" w/ "come on's" when his op. made an UFE! That's so tacky, but Nadal does it too! Few are immune to the behavior for the > part!
***The Young Greek's not a 'happy camper' nor his dad. He was upset w/ Carlos taking a toilet brk ....talk about "Pot Calling Kettle Black." lol!***
I'd have > sympathy for him if Tsitsipas wasn't the reason the rules had t/b enforced > rigidly! I can still hear Murray whining about their USO match from last yr! Whaaaaa, over an extended "toilet brk!" Poor thing cooled off & couldn't get heated back up b/c he was so old!
***Well Zverev's another player not fond of The Young Greek, his toilet brks., & his father coaching from the sidelines. - So Tsitsipas can't solve the Alcaraz puzzle, 3:0 must be hurting. Alcaraz rose up to expectation once again.***
There's no puzzle! Tsitsipas' a decent enough player but limited as > of today's automatons who just whack the ball as hard as they can! How many X's was he drop-shotted? He barely got 2 steps B4 giving up! He doesn't learn that being so far behind the baseline makes him vuln. to it again & again! His volleying sucks as well w/ him usually helpless @ the net un< the pt. already won w/ the approach! This crap w/ his DAD is just psychopathic w/ the old man enabling him to think he's doing nothing wrong!
***ITA. His volley game s/b improved & I did see him getting dropshoted B4 > usual, but again Alcaraz has a very good hand & his dropshots seem deadly too. I think the Greek has a very strong connection w/ his dad & I don't see them brk'n up any X soon. But you never know; one thing's their relation which I respect & another all this coaching crap during matches. ---
It's called a ‘wildcard’ & tourn. organizers can do whatever they want. Murray's getting another one. Rankings used to qualify for main draw & qualies only.***
Like France, Spain has a # of top flight players already qualifying to play into the draw directly! If another Spaniard wanted entry, it m/b almost as much a waste to give to them as it w/b to Murray except he fills seats! I'm no fan of Murray & I think it's a travesty he's allowed to milk the system just to go out early in tournaments @ this stage in his career! He's had his X, got to #1; let others have a chance to shine!
Going back 20 yrs., never had a Twitter acct.! It was just another way of monitoring my every move! I foresaw cameras everywhere, so I didn't feel compelled to sign up for any of the so-called necessities of life in "Social Mediums" like Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat, having no idea what "dropping in on someone's DM's means!"
***You are a wise man sir. All these social media outlets are simply tools for Gov'ts to monitor people. Yes, nowadays many set up fake accts., but originally people didn't & therefore their pol. views, etc. from 10 yrs. ago & photos of drunken nights out, banter remarks w/b somewhere access. should the authorities or press want to brk someone. When out in the street it's best to lit. act like a zombie. Wear plain clothes & give nothing away. Cameras are everywhere. ===
...This situation w/ Russia & Ukraine > likely won’t end w/ diplomacy…***
Not a chance! Russia's already out there on an island by themselves w/ > if not all countries sticking w/ embargos to them! It's unfortunate that some leaders abuse their power! No country is immune to it; just look @ the States! Trump was about as insane, but still has rabid support by many who don't know any >er! It has nothing to do w/ intelligence or = common sense! My ex-roommate from college is a Mensa member, but he proudly wears a Trump T-shirt! They follow these crazies b/c they speak their language! They like being separate from others; a >er level of racism that's pretty disgusting in this era we're living in! You'd think it w/b part of the past, but the world is going backwards when it comes to = rights & access! You can pass all the laws you want, but if states or countries don't GAF, you'll need to go thru a protracted legal battle to deal w/ the situation!
***Italy's gov't wants to exclude Russians from the tourn. in Rome which begins on May 2nd. They're putting pressure on the organizers. Italian PM Mario Draghi, who has repeatedly condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, is determined to use his influence to ban Russian & Belarusian pros. The President of Italy's Olympics Comm., Giovanni Malago, advocates a ban which he says in line w/ the IOC's decision on individual sports. Sec. of State for Sport, Valentina Vezzali stressed that Italy stands by Ukrainian athletes & adheres to the decisions of the IOC & Int'l Feds. ---
...There's no evidence to prove "everyone" referred to a "Big 4" when 3 were in the running for the best of their gen. Murray > certainly was not, nor would he ever be the best of his gen., thus he wasn't the focus of the rivalry in the way of Djokovic, Nadal & Federer. Any references to a "Big 4" wasn't long-lasting across their careers.***
I never =ted them, but over the yrs I referred to them in my BLOGS as "The Big 4" to designate their consistency to make the SF of > major events! It was descriptive in that way alone! Murray had an early advantage over Fed that didn't last, & he only upset Novak a few X's that mattered! He had nothing on Rafa but a couple Masters 1000 victories IIRC! He doesn't want to talk about that AO rec., dropping all those finals to Novak & 1 to Roger!
***Then your recall is imperfect. He also had a couple of Slam victories vs RAFA as well as 2 other title matches (in which he bageled Rafa on both occasions). Murray sums up the attitude on here to his achievements in this sport very well when he tweeted, "how soon they forget?" Persistently in his case.***
- Filler POST! Lost 1 so needed to add 1 post to make 100:
To keep my wt. under control when it's already gotten out of control, I desperately have to go extreme Fasting to bring down blood pressure issues! Been getting all the symptoms that go w/ it all @ once; headaches that come & go, #'ing in the ears, elevated heart rate, periodic bouts of GOUT! - I think spreading out the meals is > for maintenance > actually getting the full benefit of FASTING! X spikes of Insulin due to intake of anything outside an eating window defeats efforts to losing wt. IMO! ;-)
Adopting Intermittant Fasting supposedly takes care of a lot of ailments including psoriasis, diabetes, HB pressure, etc.! It also has restorative properties making you look younger! ...As for the program, it's very important not to brk. the fast by eating = a grape! I found taking something supposedly nutritious wasn't helping me; > like spiking my insulin levels which was putting me on track for diabetes! You can't = eat a grape @ 3 AM! It wastes all those other hrs of fasting when it needs @ least 6-12 hrs to get the benefits of a fast! The stomach has t/b completely empty! I usually stop eating around 4 or 5 PM & only drink water, blk. coffee (no cream/sugar, Stevia ok), & green tea! Staying away from prepared meals is also key b/c so much fat, salt, & sugar added! ...My chart says I lost 10#'s after just 3 days! I was eating what I wanted for the most part, but cut myself off after 6-8 hrs! The results slowed until I started cutting some calories & shortened the eating window which got me to 25-30# down! Everyone's system is diff., but I think it worked best for me since I was an athletic male who played tennis almost every day when I was younger! My last suggestion is to brk. the fast w/ a small cup of bone broth! There isn't as much a shock to the system & the insulin levels aren't spiked so many hrs of nothing in your stomach! A good chicken bone broth is just 30-50 calories & that's the 1st thing I have around 11 AM or so before bacon & eggs! ...Start & pace yourself as you see fit, but the >er results occur w/ > of these suggestions! - Autophagy ====================
A real child of the late 70's and early 80's I see! Disco was officially done (over done) by early 80's, but was still popular in the dance clubs! I continued finding the best disco imports downtown! During that per. I was in college & a member of Columbia Record Club & filled in the spaces in my collection during sale periods! I had all the formats; album, cassette, & 8-Track & still have them in boxes upstairs w/ working players! I miss those days of "The DIVA;" Donna Summer, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Patty LaBelle, Barbra Streisand, & Whitney Houston! Then there were the boy Divas in Boy George, George Michael, Teddy Pendergrass, Rick James, & Sylvester!
***I was just a lit'l kid in the 70s (born in'73), so wasn't aware of funk & disco @ the X. I got into funk in my late teens, so early 90s. DJ'd for a bit in the late 90s.***
***Novak knows tennis patterns when rallying to a surreal level. Add that to a exceptional retrieving ability where the ball seems to slow down a fraction on his side of the net.***
ReplyDeleteThis is so reminiscent of Barry Bonds in his "hey day!" No matter how hard a pitcher threw the ball, it looked as if it was in slow-motion as Barry yanked it out of the yard w/ no problem! Its amazing he was able to do that; esp. w/ how many managers just walked the guy intentionally! It's like that w/ Nole saying he has no real comp. @ this X &'s being gifted majors w/o Fedal to stop him! More horseshit of course!
***...So if there's a yr. when Djokovic wins just 1 slam (or = 2) combined w/ playing very few tourns., it w/b hard for him to hold the #1 spot. I think he can reach 400-450 wks @ #1.***
Nole's reign is already in jeapardy! Even though he's won 3 Majors, like '16 w/ 2 Majors & 4 Masters, he still wound up 2nd behind Murray who played so many 500 events, he not only caught up to Nole, but put his own career in jeapardy when he began to brk down! Djokovic's just 2000+ pts ahead of Med who still has a chance to steal YE #1! It's BS, but that's how it works = w/ the Big 3 in charge of the tour!
***W/ this win Djokovic's almost guaranteed to have #1 throughout the yr. (Med's def. a huge # of pts. til the end of the yr.), & he'll prob. have #1 until @ least the FO or next yr.'s Wimbl. which's like 375 wks or so. So really all I'm talking about is I think he can win (some say 'vulture') another 120 wks or so to reach 500 & not nec. in a row.
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Poor Roger fans. Must be tough seeing Djoker strip Roger of all big recs., wks @ #1, slam rec., Masters titles. Not only this, Rog has a losing rec. vs Djoker & could never topple Rafa @ FO. Djoker also has the Nole-Slam, but prob. > devastating is how Djoker has beaten Rog in his house, in 3 big finals @ Wimbl. Djoker has invaded Rog & Rafa's houses & brought the houses down. Man, I hope Djokovic doesn't get 8 or > Wimbl., this w/b an insult to Fed. As a person who was never Rog's biggest fan, even I wouldn't want this, so he sails into sunset w/ @ least 1 rec. in tact!
Rafa fans are equally frustrated...Well, hey, denial will eventually lead to acceptance, = for you. Yeah, Djoker's the GOAT it seems.
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As of NOW, Djoker clearly leads the GOAT race, but it's not over yet. Can Rog & Rafa turn things around?
Why Novak The GOAT:
1. Rec. wks @ #1.
2. Tied for slam rec.
3. Winning rec. vs the other 2 in the GOAT debate.
4. Only 1 of 3 who has won all 4 slams in a row.
5. Most Masters win.
6. Putting all big titles together - Masters, ATP Cup, Slams, Nole's totals the highest ever.
7. Toppled Roger in his house (Wimbl.) 3 X's in finals.
8. Only player to topple Rafa in his house twice (French) & has > wins over Rafa on clay.
9. Arguably, the > complete game. No weaknesses. Nadal may have > spin, Roger > variety, but looking @ their game in terms of strengths/weaknesses, Djoker may have the > complete game of all. As Uncle Tony always says 'w/ Roger, we had a strategy, w/ Djokovic, none.'
a.) Amazing groundstrokes, =ly as eff. on any surface.
b.) Amazing defense, movement. Prob. best ever.
c.) Amazing offense from baseline w/ ability to take ball early & employ uncanny depth consistently.
d.) Arguably the best return ever.
e.) A very eff. serve w/ great placement.
f.) Very eff. dropshot.
g.) A very eff. slice, which he has used eff. on grass.
h.) As of recent, very good volleys w/ ability to S & V w/ great effectiveness.***
The rec. doesn't lie, but fans still delusional!
***I like Rafa. In fact, @ his best, beats Djoker on clay...
But Djoker has beaten Rafa @ French (clay) > anyone else & also beaten Roger @ Wimbl. > anyone else. Crazy. True makings of The GOAT.***
***Top 5 wins leaders:
ReplyDelete1. Djokovic 105
2. Federer 104
3. Lendl 94
4. Nadal 85
5. Becker 68
Top 10 wins leaders:
1. Federer 224
2. Djokovic 223
3. Nadal 171
4. Lendl 162
5. Connors 138
- Weeks at #1:
1. Djokovic 329+
2. Federer 310
3. Sampras 286
4. Lendl 270
5. Connors 268
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GS Pts per Slam:
1. Borg 1145
2. Laver 1057
3. Djokovic 995
4. Nadal 959
5. Federer 879
6. Rosewall 786
etc...
I like the article's descrip. of Borg as "Sandy Koufax in Wimbl. whites." Clearly this metric goes the other direction, biasing those who didn't play many Open Era Slams. Laver barely played 8 Slams after his great '69 season, despite being prob. the best player on tour for another 2 yrs, top 10 thru '75, & playing a few titles thru '79. We also haven't seen Rafa & Novak go thru a real decline phase yet, so their avgs will likely go down un< they retire soon. But they'll almost certainly remain > dom. > Roger by this metric.
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Fun stat: Groups of 60 Slams - Roger, Rafa, Novak.
All 6+ Slam winners born '39-69: Newcombe, Borg, Connors, McEnroe, Lendl, Wilander, Edberg, Becker.
All non-Big 3 Slam winners born after Becker (+ Muster, born month 1/2 B4): Thiem, Murray, Wawrinka, Cilic, del Potro, Gaudio, Roddick, Ferrero, Costa, Hewitt, Johansson, Safin, Ivanisevic, Kuerten, Kafelnikov, Moya, Korda, Rafter, Krajicek, Muster, Bruguera, Stich, Chang, Courier, Agassi, Sampras.
% of Open Era Slams won by the Big 3: 28.2% (60 of 213)
% of Slams won since 1st Big 3 Win: 83.3% (60 of 72)
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Novak's already officially qualified for the WTF. If cut's made today, the remaining 7 players in order are as follows: Tits, Matteo, Rublev, Sasha, Med, Rafa & Hubi. There w/b lots of twists & turns over the next 4 months.***
But somehow he hasn't officially been anointed YE #1! Hard to believe w/ 3 majors under his belt! That's SICK AF IMO! So reminiscent of '16 when Djokovic had 2 majors, a USO final, & 4 Masters wins, but still wound up 2nd to Murray! This needs t/b fixed, m/b give > pts for the majors! In the old days this would never have happened! BJK was unofficially #2 in '75 due to her winning Wimbl. B4 her retirement! That couldn't happen today!
***Fed beat Nadal twice @ SW19. And Nadal's a >er player > anyone Borg faced. Borg also faced Nastase & Tanner.***
ReplyDeleteBorg got an early start preparing for Wimbl. due to his upset in Paris by Panatta! Bjorn ended up str.-setting the field thru the final vs Ilie in '76! The match w/ Tanner in '79 is what made "Breakfast @ Wimbledon!" It was a nice match going 5 sets!
***But isn't that same for Fed in '06,'07,'08,'09? J/b he lost the final apart from '09 doesn't mean he got the Xtra X. He was there @ the RG til the end & then played the grass warmup B4 Wimbl. Most people forget Fed played AO also, so there was always > milage on Fed's body til Wimbl. so his 5 in row trumps for me.***
...Borg won FO, then traveled directly to Wimbl. to start training! He had "DAYS" until his 1st opening match! Most FO players who did well were in desp. strs. so soon trying to change surfaces on the fly! They were often upset @ Queens, then "gone too soon" in the 1st Rd. @ Wimbl., but somehow Borg escaped when grass was treacherous! Fed's had every brk poss. btw FO & Wmbl. w/ his very own "warm-up" event so I call BS on the comparison. Borg wins over Fed in the turnaround debate!
***Murray was vulturing to grab > pts & take @1 just for some per. of X. He was good, but not #1 good tbh.***
It was made > disturbing as Novak had won 2 majors, completed his Nole-Slam, & was in the finals of the USO & YEC in '16! How was he not YE #1 for the season? That was whack, but Murray played so much that yr. he broke himself down & he's never been the same since! He tries to play the game that got him there, but it's weak where he's being overpowered by kids!
***So where is Murray in wks @ #1? High or very low? ...Yes you can become #1 if you are great player & vulture some extra 500, 250 if you get lucky too, but overall it's sign of consistency being >er > other players.***
OTTH Murray only held the #1 ranking for a very short X; > of it during the dead per. btw The YEC & AO! He was born in the wrong era! If not for Fedalovic, he'd prob. of won @ least 6-8 majors & count< Masters! I've hated his defensive game so it's saved me from blogging about him being one of the best!
***We have 3 players w/ 20 Slams each. What's the TB? - My answer, when they're all from the same era, is H2H & particularly H2H in slams?
Basically the GOAT debate's a quest to try & work out who was the best player ever, but we can't do that w/ players who've never played each other or played in completely diff. X's w/ diff. equip. We can't compare Laver w/ Sampras, but we can compare him w/ Emerson. Despite him having > slams, no one has ever placed Emerson ahead of Laver, in part b/c of the CYGS, but mainly contemporaries know that Laver was by far the >er player due to the H2H.
McEnroe's only 1 slam behind Lendl, but again it's obvious from their H2H that Lendl was the much >er player. Sampras' way ahead of Agassi, but if their H2H were close, it'd raise ??'s, how can you be the GOAT when you weren't unequivocally the Greatest of Your Own X? But Sampras has a dom. H2H so that ?? doesn't exist.
So w/ all 3 tied on 20, it's clear to me that Nadal & Djokovic are some way clear of Fed. Nadal has the nod on H2H in slams vs Djokovic. Djokovic has the nod overall in H2H & has a NCYGS.
...Djoko gets the benefit of doubt for winning 3 Slams @ 34. Nadal gets the benefit of doubt for being an unstoppable clay force in his 30s, = w/ a clearly declined clay game, I don't think it's fair to not give Fed his due for what he did B4 his H2H losses started racking up in '08.***
***Nole’s always been very skinny; by far the skinniest out of the Big 3.***
ReplyDeleteIf you limit carbs, it's almost imposs. to hold onto fat of any kind; hence the emaciated app. of Nole! That was a big deal a dec. ago which turned his life & career around, elim. gluten from his diet & dealing w/ breathing issues! He took ex. of Lendl to new hts. of conditioning!
***Just think about the fact that a lot of people considered Wawrinka fat for a tennis pro :-D***
I think Nalbandian & Ferrer suffered from the same misconceptions! I always thought they just looked horrible in the clothes they wore; mostly ill-fitting or baggie! I think I was a bit like that; the barrel chest makes the shirt stand out a bit = if slim-waisted! Stan was part of ESPN Mag. "Naked Issue," & was as fit as any person I've ever seen!
***Anyone know who of Goran or Vajda w/b present w/ Djoko in Tokyo? Think it's crazy w/ so much Covid around that he's willing to increase poss. chances of contracting it & preventing him playing USO or @ least threatening his health B4 such a big event.***
Logic says this is a once in a lifeX chance either way! As lib. as I am, "I'd still beg off Tokyo" w/ their underlying issues no matter the precautions! It'd immortalize him to win OG & finish it off w/ a OGCYGS if USO Chp. in the cards like Steffi on the ladies' side! I feel he's going above & beyond due to Fedal mythology! He won't feel "the love" the way they have it & he's trying to leave "NO DOUBT!" We can hark on the age diff., the early dom. that changed over X, w/ recs inflated by the tech, conditioning advances, & homogenized court surfaces! A 100 yrs from now, no one'll care! It's why Borg's legend is still way up there b/c of his "mythos!" Right now Fedal have it, but Nole's knocking on the door!
***I do think the slam race btw Nadovic is far from over. It won't be over til 1 of them has @ least 4 > slams. And still....We've seen how it works.
Djokovic wins Wimbl.'19 = this match was decisive for the slam race, now it's almost certain Djokovic will catch Fedal.
Djokovic's default @ USO = he missed a huge opp., slam race is prob. for Nadal now.
Nadal destroys Djokovic in Paris'20 = the race is def. over. Nadal's a lock for next RG. He may win the CYGS next yr. & AO's a must-win for Djokovic.
Djokovic beats Nadal & wins RG'21 = the slam Race is def. over. Djokovic will make the CYGS & Nadal's never winning a slam again, not = RG.
If Nadal wins the USO this yr., all we'll hear is how he has a good chance to win the AO, how he's a lock for RG, how he could win the CYGS in '22, & how Djokovic is done & never winning a slam ever again.
If Djokovic wins the USO, all we'll hear is he's the GOAT &'ll win 10 > slams & how Nadal's done done done for good this X.
Even Fed. Imagine he won Wimbl. or wins the USO. All we'd hear is how he can still win @ least 1 of not 2 slams next yr., how he's the GOAT for winning a slam @ 40 & how he's still in the run for the slam race.
This is neverending. Again, I don't think the slam race w/b a done deal anyX soon. No one can predict what'll happen.
Even if Djokovic wins the USO, it's only 21-20. All it takes is a massive injury in '22 or a bad yr. like '17, & Nadal becomes the huge fave everywhere next yr., & could easily win 2, if not 3 slams, making 23-21 by the end of '22.
And even if Nadal wins USO, it's also 21-20. W/ Djokovic fave for AO & Wimbl. for @ least 2 > yrs...
I'll only consider Djokovic winning the slam race if he wins this USO & wins 3 slams next yr. (24) while Nadal is still stuck @ 20 by the end of '22. There has t/b 4 if not 5 slams btw them. A 3 slams gap isn't enough. We've just witnessed it this yr. (from the humilation in RG & 17-20 to 20-20, 8 months later).***
***...The same phenomenon's happening w/ Fed on dedicated F1 forums. They are mostly clue< & believe he still must be the GOAT when the conversation rarely arises. Yet on these F1 forums there's nothing close to a consensus on Schumacher as the GOAT, much like here w/ Fed, w/ a good # actually putting him outside = the top 5, citing elements such as sportsmanship & comp. and all the usual jazz.***
ReplyDeleteIt's what seems to happen over X! The GOAT of a certain era is demoted severely when someone else takes over! We proclaimed Sampras the GOAT w/o = a FO Final on his resume! After Fed zipped past him in < a decade, he was placed behind Laver who owns 2 CYGS; 1 Am.. 1 Pro! Borg has consistently stayed "up there" thru his legend retiring when everyone knew he'd continue winning FO's for another 4-5 yrs! It's all gonna end up hope< w/ certain groups believing > in Fedal > Djokovic who's obliterating their recs sooner > they accomplished them!
***It was the media which promoted Fed & his fans too, so for Novak to beat him, the media + fans have to promote him. Otherwise who decides whether Sampras is the GOAT or not? For many Sampras might still be the GOAT. Recency bias always takes over.***
I know what you mean! The world will proclaim Djokovic "THE GOAT" after all's said & done, but Sampras is my GOAT b/c of his 6 str. YE #1's w/ comp. a lot deeper due to court specialists! The tech & homogenized courts have just made Djokovic > like a Lendl 2.0; a machine that can't be stopped!
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Well they're off & running in Tokyo! I had no idea GB put Murray in the Singles' draw as well! What a waste, but I guess the def. champ. has to make an appearance = if in an invisible wheelchair! That was hilarious from Mary, "it's only 11 AM & it's hotter > the hinges of HELL out there!"
***Andy has WD from singles play due to a quad strain. Unlucky?***
I think he just didn't want to go out in this heat & get run to death by FAA!
***Assuming Sampras, Agassi, Federer, Djokovic, Nadal, Safin, Hewitt, Roddick, Stan, Murray, Kuerten, Bruguera, Courier, del Potro, etc. etc all born in the same yr. & playing for a per. of 12-14 good yrs B4 next-gen. arrives, conditions similar to the 90s.
AO: Djokovic 4, Federer 4, Agassi 2, Sampras 0 Nadal 1, Safin 1
FO: Djokr 0, Fed 0, Agassi 0, Sampras 0, Nadal 10, Kuerten 1, Bruguera 1
Wimbl.: Djokovic 1, Federer 5, Agassi 0, Sampras 6, Nadal 0
USO: Djokovic 2, Federer 5, Agassi 0, Sampras 5, Nadal 0
Total:
Fed: 14
Sampras: 11
Nadal: 11
Djokovic: 7
Agassi: 2
Safin: 1
Kuerten: 1
Bruguera: 1
Murray: 0
Stan: 0
Roddick: 0
Hewitt: 0***
I miss those old days where @ any given Major, there c/b a dozen players who had won something; @ least a lowly AO from the 70's! I'm glad they turned things around & are on = footing w/ the other majors! Lendl, Wilander, Navratilova, & Evert helped make them what they are today by going "down under" every yr. bringing other top talent who won like Edberg & Mandlikova!
***W/ Big 3 & everyone else in the 90s, surely we would've got such a scenario.
Nadal & rest of the clay courters would clean up Clay. In odd yrs when Nadal loses, surely it w/b the clay courters winning. Fedovic, Pete, Agassi all w/b on 0.... no room for vultures.
W & USO w/b too fast. Sampras & Fed would win them; almost all. Djokovic would also take 2-3 slams (he's too good to not win anything) but not > ...Nadal + Agassi w/b on a royal 0 .... no room for vulturing.
AO w/b the most closely fought slam btw Fed, Novak, Agassi, Safin, Nadal .... all like slow courts too. Pete wins 0 since he hates slow courts.
No room for any sort of GS or CYGS type stuffs....***
***Fed looks anxious & confused last 2 yrs as it dawns on him he'll be heading into retirement while there are 2 active players w/ > slams > him. He prob. always envisaged nice exit interviews asking him how it feels t/b GOAT, etc - not going to happen now.***
ReplyDeleteIMO, Fed had to see this coming yrs ago, but his ego wouldn't allow him to act upon it! I'm one of those people who thought he prob. would/should've retired if/when he had taken OG in '12! I just didn't think it worthwhile hanging on these last 8-9 yrs to only acquire 3 Majors when the masses could've asked "what if?" as w/ Borg! Now he'll allow 2 players to jet past him in the major ct. while still active! Pete got 8+ yrs of adulation & being thought "The GOAT!" It's already past tense when it comes to Roger!
***Good post, though not sure he should've retired in '12? No way could anyone have seriously anticipated Djoker could just win slams @ will like this, or to top it off w/ CS @ age 34. Sure there was some chance, but really it w/b reasonable to think it wouldn’t happen. Any way it’s Fed’s worst nightmare coming true B4 his eyes & he can’t stop it. As great a career as he’s had it's going t/b very bittersweet. The '19 Wimbl. loss he'll never get over. He just served 2 aces in a row to get to 40-15 double MP, & very nearly served another ace to finish the match in style. It just missed, & the rest is history.
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...IW, Miami -> IW becomes 1250
MC, Madrid, Rome -> MC becomes 750, Rome becomes 1250
Canada, Cincinnati -> Cincy becomes 1250
Shanghai, Paris -> Paris becomes 750
I'd also want Halle t/b @ least a 750, if not a 1000 for the grass season t/b > just some irrelevant tourneys, Halle/Queens, & Wimby.***
To go along w/ that, they also need to look @ the pts. given for winning Majors! I've already kvetched about this B4! Back in '16 after Djokovic wrapped up his Nole-Slam you'd think he'd invariably end up as YE #1; esp. after getting to the finals of the USO & the YEC/WTF! It came down to the last match of the season where Murray stole it w/ 1 major & every 500 he'd get to! He's been paying for it ever since; totally brk'n down B4 his X! Now, w/ Djokovic owning 3 Majors, he's still not secure in taking #1 YE ranking due to a ton of pts. Med needs to defend this Fall! Could lightning strike again? Doubtful since I believe Djokovic will get pts. from the Olympics & The USO along w/ a slow fade of Daniil!
***...Imagine they + a 5th slam & someone gets to 21 one day, there w/b a huge asterisk b/c The Big 3 only had 4 chances/yr. If they start upgrading / downgrading Masters 1000 to ATP 750 or Masters 1250, it w/b a total shambles. The Masters 1000 recs w/b irrelevant then. If Djokodal end up w/ 40 Masters & some day a new guy wins 41, but some of them only give 750 pts., asterisks everywhere. And so on.
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It's not just about winning majors, but about the pts. on offer @ all stages. It w/b 1 thing if Djokovic had def. Nadal in all 3 GS finals, but Nadal won everything else going. The pts. on offer @ majors in gen. are too low. They s/b worth @ least 3x any MS event.
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Who's the best ever Open Era player that isn't considered an ATG?
Andy! He lived in the era w/ 3 20+ Slam winners, still won 3 Majors & made the final of 8 others. Made 10 other SF's to boot. He took a dozen M1000s, was #1 for a X, a YE #1, won the ATP/YEC, & 2 OG's.
I think the other contender is Vilas who got 2 of the weakest Slams among multi-major winners in the Open Era (the AOs B4 the 80s). Though his USO was reasonable, & despite having no Borg in his RG, twas still fairly solid. I'd rank his Slam achievements as on-par (or so) w/ Murray. Murray is ahead elsewhere due to 2xOG, ATP Finals, & many M1000s. Vilas mostly just went for clay titles (though he did get plenty of tier 1 clay titles too). I'd say Murray ahead due to the comp.***
***Hewitt was >er > Sampras in '00-02. ...Sampras' a GOAT candidate & former GOAT while Hewitt isn't = an ATG. He's in the league of Murray-Stan-Roddick & nothing >.***
ReplyDeleteWell unfort. for all concerned, "EVERYONE" was >er > Sampras during a per. '00-02! After winninng Wimbl. in '00, he fell off a cliff unable to win anything for over 2 yrs. IMO, a final indignity was losing a 2nd Rd. match to some Swiss player @ '02 Wimbl. I'd never heard of; George Bastl! That '02 USO finale saved his legacy = though he had broken the rec. & had 13 Majors! "Thanks Andre for being Pete's pigeon so many X's!"
***Not everyone, but quite a few:
Sampras was ranked 3rd @ the end of '00 when Hewitt was 7th, Kuerten #1, Safin ranked #2, & Agassi 6th.
Sampras was ranked 10th @ the end of '01 when Hewitt was #1, Kuerten ranked #2, & Agassi #3.
Sampras was ranked 13th @ the end of '02 when Hewitt was #1, Agassi ranked #2, & Safin #3.
Do you know why/how Sampras won USO in '02? Sampras won it b/c Hewitt was on the opp. side of the draw w/ Agassi. Had Hewitt been on this side of the draw then he would've taken out Pete for sure. Everybody who witnessed tennis in that era knows that Hewitt was returning the Sampras serve - >er > Agassi was & his passing shots were also much >er > Andre's circa '01-02. Pete was completely sorted out by Hewitt. Twas luck that Hewitt was taken out by Agassi & then Agassi was gassed out for the final. Pete tamed a tired Agassi in the final or else it was Agassi's slam if the draw was opp. w/ Hewitt-Sampras in the semis. That's how good Hewitt was back then. Senior posters in age here know what Hewitt was in early 00s & how he had brought down Sampras.
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If Fed, Sampras, Nadal, Djokovic, Agassi, Safin, Muster, Kuerten, Bruguera, Hewitt, Roddick, Murray, etc., etc ... every great player of the last 30 yrs born in the same yrs & turning pro in early 90s then this whb their slam counts over a per. of 12-15 yrs that they'd compete @ the >est level.
AO: Djokovic 4, Fed 4, Agassi 2, Sampras 0, Nadal 1, Safin 1
FO: Djokovic 0, Fed 0, Agassi 0, Sampras 0, Nadal 10, Kuerten 1, Bruguera 1
Wimbl.: Djokovic 2, Fed 6, Agassi 0, Sampras 6, Nadal 0
USO: Djokovic 2, Federer 5, Agassi 0, Sampras 5, Nadal 0
Total:
Fed: 15
Sampras: 11 (Double digits like a boss)
Nadal: 11
Djokovic: 8
Agassi: 2
Safin: 1
Kuerten: 1
Bruguera: 1
Murray: 0 (Not = single digit)
Stan: 0
Roddick: 0
Hewitt: 0
Del Potro: 0
This is where your Guru Murray w/b along w/ all the other guys of his league, sitting on 0***
If these people of the JOC cared what people thought, this event wouldn't be going on now! The populous @ large are 9 to 1 vs this invasion of their country while a pandemic rages! I love giving people the benefit of the doubt, but this Japanese OC a-holes lied about the climate conditions! They knew they were lying! They were = busted on it, but decided "the games go on! $$'s t/b made! Pandemic be damned!"
ReplyDelete***Well putting Tokyo in a 'state of emergency' for the games has done lit'l to stop the rising #'s of COVID in the country, regardless of what their people think. ...that the games shb cancelled. Lets us hope in '24, the Olympics in Paris, this horrid pandemic w/b gone; hopefully.***
IDK about being gone, but manageable w/b nice! Here in the States there are cons. parts of the country that're still fighting to preserve their rights t/b jerks! They're showing up in hospitals > & >, now begging for a vacc. that'll do them no good! I hate making Fed. mandates, but it wouldn't be the 1st X we've done it! Kids are commanded by law to have shots to stave off measles, mumps, & chicken pox to attend public school! Out in Calif. & NY I'm sure we've had a segment of elitists who thought they could/should cheat the system by buying proof of vac. over actually doing it! It's backfired on all concerned! I'm just glad I'm old &'ve learned to turn a deaf ear & blind eye to the madness around me as things "go to shit!" Is that a lit'l too morose?
***In Sydney we're in lockdown for another month; it w/b 2 months. We can't get a grip on this Delta variant of COVID which spreads quickly. I'm back in ICU. We have had a death of a young woman in her 30's w/ no underlying issues. All of the patients have not been vacc. Our gov't now & health officials are pleading w/ people to get shots.***
Cons. have hindered our efforts here, making it akin to Nazi German death camps when we even hint @ another lockdown! W/o a doubt, we're the > self-indulgent community in the world who HATE being = inconvenienced! It's so easy to change things b/c no ones' ever really satisfied! We have so much we can do to keep us occupied, but some flip out! I'm not shedding one tear for us when other countries are truly in a bad way! They can't order "take out" or a movie on the internet! I get so frustrated w/ the masses @ X's! They're NEVER HAPPY! I'm satisfied AF, but I've already lived while these young 'uns have been spoiled rotten by inattentive parents of my gen.!
***In the matter of one's health someX's we have t/b 'inconvenienced.' This is a world wide pandemic that isn't going away. People have to manage the best they can & always take precautions. We'll have to learn how to live w/ this pandemic the best way we can.
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Some casual fans ignore everything, ...since the pandemic hit, my focus has been > on my 1st love, baseball, & < so on tennis, I've only kept up w/ the Slams.***
The pandemic prob. changed a lot of my priorities when it came to sports! I'm just getting back into basketball playoffs; w/ the Lakers elim. a great start! We can talk about other things than LBJ now! Liked the upsets; esp. w/ ATL's success! They don't deserve it after watching them for decades not support their teams! Even the Hawks failed to sellout for the Bulls in the playoffs in their "Hey Day!" They actually moved to a college gym so it would appear > like they cared! The Falcons got > adulation due to Deion Sanders, the new stadium, & making the playoffs! Haven't seen that fever pitch of support in yrs though! I was the > disturbed w/ how The Braves made the city proud yr. in/yr. out back in the 90's, but playoff games had empty seats! Shame!
***Don't know how Djokovic c/b clear Goat now, always losing in the biggest stage in tennis Olys. And it's been on his fave surface too, 3 out of 4 times; 2008,'16,'21. OMG that's embarrassing for Djokovic. Nadal still holds on to Co-Goat w/ Djokovic for now.***
ReplyDeleteOnly Fedal fans can morph this into something > meaningful to justify their narrow beliefs when it comes to GOAT-dom! It's like you've been in an iso-tank until now & have no clue Djokovic has already won 3 Majors this season! He was going that extra mile to make it Golden! I didn't want him to put excess pressure on himself trying to win a BO3 event that doesn't guarantee success = though he's been @ the top of his game! It was a "Big ASK!" So what; Rafa has that hardware! Djokovic has everything else includ. > YE #1's, wks @ #1, & 5 YEC's! Now whacha got?
***...It all comes down to USO for me. Also Nadal has 2 Gold medals not just one.
---
Can Novak complete CYGS? Can Ralph stop Novak @ USO, if they meet? Which next gen'r'll shine @ USO? Will it be Med, Sasha, Perseus or someone else?
Will Roger demonstrate semblance of TMF?
Latest odds after the bookies had some X to digest Novak's failure & tantrums in Tokyo.
Novak ---- 39/40 ~ 50.63%
Ralph ---- 7 ~ 12.50%
Medvedev ---- 38/5 ~ 11.63%
Sasha ----- 12 ~ 7.69%
Perseus ------ 16 ~ 6.25%
As you can see, Novak has more chances of winning the USO than the rest of the field combined; but only barely larger.***
OTTH, Borg won the FO (when 1st) & Wimbl. in '78 & 80, but only got to the final of the USO! Nadal mhh a chance in '10 winning 3 in a row, except AO 1st in the season & retired in the 3rd set in QF to Murray due to injury!
***Of all the 3/4 Slam winners, Rafa is the only one to have won RG, Wimbl. & USO in same yr. '10.
Looks like Rafa's the 1 that has come closest to CYGS in '10. Would've won if not for AO injury.
- 3/4 SLAMS
Male OE players who've won 3 GS events in season:
'74 Connors, USA (AO, Wimbl., USO)
'88 M. Wilander, Swed. (AO, FO, USO)
'04 Fed, Swit. (AO, Wimbl., USO)
'06 Fed, Swit. (AO, Wimbl., USO)
'07 Fed, Swit. (AO, Wimbl., USO)
'10 Nadal, Spain (FO, Wimbl., USO)
'11 Djokovic, Serbia (AO, Wimbl., USO)
'15 Djokovic, Serbia (AO, Wimbl., USO)
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In GS's Win % outside clay vs Top 10 ranked players (Min. 30 matches)
01. Sampras - 76.32%
02. Djokovic - 74.19%
03. Fed - 70.89% (This was 77+% on 1st 1/12 when he was 30)
04. Mcenroe - 63.89%
05. Becker - 62.5 %
06. Agassi - 55 %
07. Nadal - 51.22 %
08. Edberg - 48.57%
09. Wawrinka - 48.39%
10. Lendl - 47.73%***
***DJOKR NEWS:
ReplyDelete""History doesn't rec. how Fedal passed the 78 days during which NATO bombed Yugo. Novak, who turned 12 as he sheltered, has cause to rem. his movements. Those who'd begrudge this man his hard edges might consider where he got them. At some pt., perhaps NY next month, the Serb w/b the >est male tennis player ever. (4 > slams sex-qual. will go.) At no pt. will he have been the > admired: not = 2nd->, not = of his era. The mystery's why. His style's attritional, say purists, as though angels weep when Nadal plays. ...The nationalism: how many in the lukewarm crowds = know of it? True, he crashed a sparkling party a dec. ago. But the brk-up of “Fedal” was no ruder > Nadal’s own usurpation of the Swiss. Stylistically, in fact, it was < of a shock....
I'm inclined to blame the personality-worship of tennis, the favored sport of people who don’t like sport. But = this won’t do. Djokovic's the > expansive & curious of the big 3. He's not just multilingual but absorbed by the learning. He roams well east of his Serbian Orthodoxy for beliefs or at least practices. Whether or not his diet stems from “quantum physics,” how telling that he cares. His critics don’t = get his real flaw right. It's not the bionic coldness that Slav athletes have had pinned on them since Rocky IV, so much as its near-opposite. A man who maintains a “gratitude journal” & “connection w/ my own soul” has too open, not too closed, a mind. And if his personality were the kind you can cut your fingers on, how could it not be? W/o whitewashing life in Basel or Mallorca, 1990s Belgrade was quite the hardship posting....
In 20 yrs in & around pols, 1 truth has taken a while to reg. on me. A “back story” cts for almost nothing. It brings lit'l understanding from the public. It earns 0 lat. for personal flaws. Even aside from natural present-bias, voters have lots of reasons to discount the biographical. Those who had a benign start in life want no reminding of their dumb luck. Those who didn’t want no reminding of their failure to reach escape velocity. ...If you bound out of a traumatic youth in sunny form, the trauma +s nothing to your appeal. If you crawl out scarred & prickly, expect no licence for those foibles. This is no < true in the workplace > in the public square. I have seen careers stall over it.
Given what Djokovic comes from, his personal intensity is natural. But he gets no pass for it. He is judged as Fedal are, despite formative differences that include a birth on the harsh side of the Iron Curtain. How often we prefer the idea of “mobility” to its individual case studies.""
- https://www.ft.com/content/24356049-83e4-44b9-bf2d-a4e746ce4349 -
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I think Djokovic skipping Toronto was a good idea, but skipping Cincy is not. He needs to wipe out the neg. energy of Olympics.***
I think Djokovic & his team know what's best! So far they've been right a lot > not while winning majors in bunches to catch Fedal when > thought it imposs.! When he got to 12 majors, some of us already thought he s/b proclaimed the BOAT after stellar seasons in '11 & '15! W/ any luck & his normal mental toughness, Nole should do = >er by closing this deal on a CYGS! That missed OG could actually help!
***Remarkable how some lit'l off-the-cuff musing comes to own someone's psyche.***
It's not just "off the cuff musing!" I mon. other bds where Fedal fans think tennis begins & ends w/ them! I personally have no dog in this hunt! My fave player's Borg w/ Sampras "MY GOAT" = w/o a FO final! "The recs" started saying Djokovic w/b the BOAT & the knives came out! IMO, it prob. started after Nole won his 12th Major! He was coming up fast & many got nervous saying "he can't catch up!" They're still living in an alt. reality! The rec. is the rec. w/ Djokovic prob. owning it soon w/ lit'l chance of anyone dom. so thoroughly his or her sport!
***Here's a comparison of Big 3 perf. vs champs @ each of the GS tourns.
ReplyDeleteBig 3 slams won beating that event's champ:
Nadal (18):
RG05, RG06, RG07, RG08, W08, AO09, W10, USO10, RG11, RG12, RG13, USO13, RG14, RG17, USO17, RG19, USO19, RG20
Djokr (17):
AO08, AO11, W11, USO11, AO12, AO13, W14, AO15, W15, USO15, AO16, W18, USO18, AO19, W19, AO20, RG21
Fed (13):
AO04, W04, USO04, W05, USO05, W06, USO06, AO07, W07, USO07, USO08, W12, AO17
--
Big 3 slams won beating that event's past champ:
Djokr (16):
AO08, AO11, W11, USO11, AO12, W14, AO15, W15, USO15, AO16, W18, USO18, AO19, W19, AO20, RG21
Fed (10):
W04, USO04, W05, USO05, W06, USO06, W07, USO07, W12, AO17
Nadal (9):
W08, AO09, RG11, USO13, RG17, USO17, RG19, USO19, RG20
--
Big 3 slams won beating that event's def. champ. or finalist (if they beat them in the final the yr. B4):
Djokr (10):
AO08, AO11, W11, USO11, AO12, AO15, W15, USO15, AO16, RG21
Fed (5):
W05, USO05, W06, W07, W12
Nadal (5):
RG07, RG08, W08, RG11, RG19
--
Big 3 slams won beating that event's def. champ. or finalist (...) or next yrs champ. or finalist (if beat in the final the yr. after):
Nadal (13):
RG05, RG06, RG07, RG08, W08, AO09, RG11, RG13, RG14, RG17, RG18, RG19, RG20
Djokr (12):
AO08, AO11, W11, USO11, AO12, AO13, W14 AO15, W15, USO15, AO16, RG21
Fed (9):
AO04, W04, USO04, W05, USO05, W06, AO07, W07, W12
--
Big 3 slams won beating that event's past & future champ. (1 player who won the event B4 & after the match):
Djokr (6):
AO08, AO11, USO11, W14, W15, AO16
Nadal (4):
W08, AO09, USO13, RG20
Fed (1):
W12
--
Big 3 slams won beating X of that event's champs:
Fed (6):
USO04, W05, USO05, USO07, W12, AO17
Nadal (4):
RG06, RG07, RG08, W08
Djokr (2):
USO11, USO15
--
Big 3 slams won beating X of that event's past champs:
Fed (4):
USO04, W05, USO05, AO17
Djokr (2):
USO11, USO15
Nadal (0):
===
The winner of this tourn. is determined by > pts won. H2H of Big 3: 2 pts for a win & a pt. each for a tie.
Basically the pt. is to determine the best H2H rec. w/o the lopsided matches favoring 1 player’s fave surface/slam @ the expense of another’s.
AO:
Nadal beats Fed b/c he has a 3-1 lead @ the AO
Djokr beats Nadal b/c he has a 2-0 lead @ the AO
Djokr beats Fed b/c he has a 4-1 lead @ the AO
FO:
Nadal beats Fed b/c he has a 6-0 lead @ the FO
Nadal def. Djokr b/c he has a 7-2 lead over him
Djokovic & Fed tie b/c they are 1-1 @ the FO
Wimbl:
Fed beats Nadal b/c he has a 3-1 lead @ W
Djokr beats Nadal b/c he has a 2-1 lead @ W
Djokr beats Fed b/c he has a 3-1 lead @ W
USO:
Fed & Nadal tie b/c they are 0-0 @ the USO
Nadal beats Djokr b/c he leads 2-1 @ the USO
Djokr & Fed tie b/c they are 3-3 @ the USO
Final Placings:
1st PL. – Djokr, 10 pts from a poss. 16
2nd PL. – Nadal, 9 pts from a poss. 16
Last – Fed, 5 pts from a poss. 16***
The prob. was Roger wasn't playing that hot back in '09! He was quite lucky to have gotten away w/ performances dramatically er prepared to face Djokvoic in '15 in that big yr. after having played w/ the new racquet for 4-5 yrs now. His '17 resurgence could've come a lot earlier. He wasted so many good yrs & today he's a loser b/c of that.***
***Djokovic is the flavor of the month. But in a few yrs, when the dust has settled, of course Fed will remain the most loved & revered player & gen. seen as the GOAT. Comparable to Serena & Steffi. A few yrs ago many liked (!) Serena & = called her women's GOAT. Nowadays only Serena fanatics still think she's the greatest.***
ReplyDeleteThe problem is, w/ all her ability, Serena "half-arsed" it! She came & went from the tour as she pleased; esp. early on! She had all kinds of outside interests w/ acting, clothing design, & red-carpet walking in gen.! She prob. shg past 30 majors, but it wasn't t/b! Making major finals of late is her KARMA! Evert, Martina, King, Court, & others were committed while Serena did her own thing! It's gonna cost her w/ her stock going down & Navratilova's going up as X goes on IMO w/ 59 Majors on her resume! No one else is close in the OPEN Era!
***Edberg & Lendl had quite the rivalry @ the AO w/ their H2H being 2-2 there, 3 of them 5-set'rs:
'85: Edberg wins 6-7 (3-7), 7-5, 6-1, 4-6, 9-7
'90: Lendl wins 4–6, 7–6 (7–3), 5–2 (Edberg ret.)
'91: Lendl wins 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
'92: Edberg win 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1
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Great! Lendl, Edberg & Becker had quite the rivalry. They played in an Era that incl. Sampras, Agassi, McEnroe, Stich, Courier, & Ivanisevic. That's REAL comp. Things were not as lopsided as it was in the 21st century w/ Fed/Nadal/Djokovic.***
I used to muse that @ any given Major or Masters 1000 event, you could have 8 to a dozen GS winners in the draw; esp. B4 the top players began going "down under" in the 80's! The men have become like the women were back then w/ just 3 or 4 winners of majors in a draw! Now w/o Fedal, it's been slim pickin's w/ WC's like Murray, Cilic, & Wawrinka dragging around their old carcasses! Thiem is a shell of himself & we're still waiting for Tsitsipas & Zverev to win who've had their chances!
***I personally think all 3 (Fed, Nadal & Djokovic) benefitted from court homog. & lack of credible opps. Compare this vs the late 80s/ early 90s (Alphab.) :Becker, Courier, Connors, Edberg, Ivanisevic, Krajicek, Lendl, McEnroe, Muster, Rafter, Stich, Sampras. This is insanely high comp. Each surface had its specialists. That's why, = today, to me, Sampras' in my ATG top 3 B4 Fed/Nadal/Djokovic.
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In TTC Forum: Fed fans dislike Novak b/c he's vulturing a weak era from '17 onwards. Fed'd vulture just 3 slams in this phase, Nadal'd vulture 6 slams, while Novak vultured 8 slams & looks set to vulture another 5-6 slams. That's why people are PO'd b/c all sorts of recs are brk'n.
Novak fans dislike Fed out of sheer jealousy. He's been GOAT for like 12-15 yrs, the status of the > celebrated Tennis player. Still Fed refuses to go, steals all the limelight; "retire old man! Why block limelight that should've fallen on Novak? Despite dom. the last dec. he remains under the shadow of Fed. This bothers Novak as well as his fans a lot.
Nadal fans are somewhere in btw, their hero a 1-trick pony who looks like Superman during the clay season & outside that he's an injured man. So they're forced to watch Fed dom. 00s & Novak dom. 10s despite Nadal being @ his peak in both decades. So they've teamed up w/ Fed since Novak is 1 now. Their own hero Nadal seems finished now so they're upset.***
***Yes, Fed won 3 slams during the Inflation Era. But during his peak/prime ('04-09), he won 14 slams & surpassed Pete's rec.
ReplyDeleteAnd, Djokovic is not still in his prime:
Geriatric Fed & Past-prime Nadal (though Rafa's ger. in exp.) won 6 of 6 slams from '17 AO-'18 RG.
Past prime/Ger. Nadal & Past-prime Djokovic won 8 of 9 slams from '18 WB-'20 RG.
Past prime Djokr won 3 of 3 slams from '21 AO-'21 WB.
These players have dom. @ the slams during the Inflation Era, but they're still past/way-past their primes. Fedal are out for the yr., & poss. 4ever.
I think you're judging prime based on old standards. In the YE top 10 in '15, Djokovic was the 2nd youngest in the group @ age 28, but = then he was closer to 29 than 28. Half of that top 10 were in their 30s & Fed @ 34 was #3. Due to science & tech. improvements in training, nutrition, & equip., players are simply playing better longer. The only X Djokovic's game took a serious dip was when he was struggling w/ an elbow injury throughout '17. This was the same per. when 1/2 of the best players on tour either went out or played poorly thru injury. In +tion to Djokovic, we're talking about Murray, Wawrinka, Nishikori, & Raonic. This was when Fedal won their majors. Before this, Djokovic utterly dom. by winning 4 majors in a row. After he recovered, he dom. again & won 8 of the next 11 majors, excl. the one in which he was DQ'd (since that outcome was not due to skill). His match prowess has not dipped in a significant way & hence, he's still in his prime.
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Ralph is Out. No US Open. It's a DAMN shame. Speedy recovery towards Rafa & his team.***
So predictable! It's amazing for someone who strives t/b the GOAT! How much longer are we going t/b subjected to this BS by Fedal?
***I dunno Fiero; since when are injuries in sport BS? If anything, taking care of his body has actually extended Nadal’s career far beyond what the naysayers predicted & hoped.***
But that's the thing! It isn't just injury when it comcerns these players! A lot of it has to do with age! In the past the game didn't move this fast and older players could hang in there! Rafa's still trying to play the same way he did at 15 which is as stupid AF! He has a good net game, but over the last decade he's allowed "WC, Qualifiers, nobodies, & never-weres" to extend him to the limit! It's hard to feel ANYTHING for players who do this to their bodies; esp. someone like Murray! No one has to play that much of a defensive game, being run to death, then whine about being tired or hurt! Screw that; "stretch like Djokovic and save yourself!"
***Rafa's missing the rest of '21. Djokovic couldn’t ask for a better op. to do it.***
Medvedev's a lot > dangerous regard< if Rafa stayed or not! That guy c/b "scary" good @ X's; then others he'll crash & burn early!
***Med's now my #1 hope to win the US Open.***
That's the shameful part of this thing we call an ATP race! Djokovic's lost a couple YE #1's on the last day of the season holding X majors! In '16 he owned 2 completing his Nole-Slam, & was in the finals of a 3rd & the YEC finishing #2 behind Murray! Med's still in the running this yr. w/ Nole's 3 majors setting himself up for immortality! It w/b ridiculous if this were to happen again!
***Whomever becomes #1 deserves it. Rankings are objectively based on #'rs. It’s not a judged sport.***
So you'll have no prob. if Med snatches #1 @ YE regard< of what Djokovic has accomplished this season?
***Again, it’s all about math. My theoretically having a problem w/ Medvedev becoming #1 w/b a judgement call, & it’s not a judged sport.***
***Fed's enjoyed the GOAT status for 15+ yrs. All that hype that surrounded him B4 brk'n Pete's rec. & then what surrounded afterwards has been massive. ...If Fed did not want this to happen then he shouldn't've helped Novak at all those Wimbl. & USO's; he failed. ...that will now come back to bite his ass as he has allowed someone to enter his territory & m/b = surpass all his recs. Not a pleasant feeling after enjoying all this limelight for so long.
ReplyDelete---
Djokovic can overcome any opposition, as in 10-1 rec. vs Fedal in his last 11 Slam matches against them. And don't say they were washed up & old. In that span, if they had overcame Djokovic, Fed would've +ed 5 > Slam titles & Nadal 3 >.***
...Most of his major wins came w/ victories over other Big 4 members; usually having to overcome 2 of them! He has a few easy finals of late so Nole's vulturing titles now! ...It's like "cry me a river" he's had bad luck w/ injury! IMO Rafa wouldn't be so beat up if he didn't play such a def. game allowing nobodies & never-weres to extend him to the limit Rd. after Rd.! Fed's simply past it & shouldn't be brought up again when it comes to the GOAT race!
***What do you guys think should ATP do to combat the obvious cheating that players like Tsitsipas are indulging in? It's not fair to the opps & also to the fans to wait all these ridiculous amts. of X. Time limits for bathroom brks? Requiring players to submit all their comm. devices @ the start of the match? (Back to school?)
Or just simply allow coaches to coach @ all X's or m/b + a coaching brk or something of the sort that you can take like once per match?***
The prob. is "it's in the rules!" Players have been taking advantage of "the rules" for as long as I can recall! One person has lit'l prob. getting thru a match while the other may or may not need to relieve themselves. They take the brk to brk up the momentum of their opp.! I recall a WTA clay Ch. back in '91 w/ Graf & Sabatini! Graf was winning comfortably, but Gabby took 2 brks that were allowed by rule to change clothes right when Graf was about to serve for the set! Gabby came back to brk serve both X's, subsequently going on to win the match & tourn.! It happens; almost to Zverev yesterday vs Tsitsipas, but was able to win anyway!
***Remove all MTOs, no leaving the court for any reason whatsoever. Last man standing wins.***
That would definately speed up play! It's amazing how this has gotten so out of hand w/ the MTO's, relentlessly toweling off, getting coaching advice, & the challenging of calls that make no sense! Most of it is to stall, rest, & aggravate as we all know it! We would have > upsets if top players were made to play on & stop their acts set up to save their asses when down & out!
***YUP! In the amateur era there were NO CHAIRS @ Wimbl. for players to sit on. They stood during the changeovers. - Perhaps the MTO's & potty brks have been factored into the bottom line by organizers to allow X for fans to purchase strawberries & cream & Pimm's Cups.***
Or it's this style that has caused the issue! ...The same has to happen to Nadal who's allowed many to push him to the limit from the 1st Rd. on unfortunately! It's that defensive way of playing that has taken out Murray & Chang in the past! All that running & hustling for balls has to have an affect & it's hard to have any real feelings or sympathy for them! It's their choice to play like that which is idiotic IMO! No one s/b surprised or = upset about this issue! It's not like they're limping out of the sport w/o accomplishments!
ReplyDelete***Nadal obviously played to his strengths as any other playstyle would have most likely not have seen him end up w/ 20 slams. He could've served >er, but as USO'10 suggested that was unsustainable for his left arm. Swapping a >er serve for a weaker FH in gen. rallies wouldn't have boded well for him.
Hitting deeper & flatter? I don't think that would've worked for Nadal given the amt. of spin he imparts on the ball. So really I feel that he chose the right option playstyle wise throughout his career. However I expected Nadal to burn out yrs ago. What's his slam winning length; something like 19-34?? 15 yrs? I honestly wonder how many "vitamins" this guy has taken throughout the course of his career & = B4 then! lol!
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Osaka's a yawn to me. I admire her tennis skills that's all. ...if you want to discuss her tennis skills that's fine by me.***
Well I can't help asking, WHY are you attacking this articulate, young lady? I don't see a real reason! Enlighten me! Who in the women's ranks is exciting you so much to call Osaka boring? I keep asking, but can't get a real answer of "why do women hate other women?!" The patriarchal system is BS; > like being evil, HS 'mean girls' IMO! I'm so disappointed! WOW!
***The media has never given Osaka a hard X. ...It is part of a player's duty to attend press conferences.***
I don't understand! Tennis is a sport, not Int'l affairs where war, disease, terrorism, = rights, or the like is an issue! Osaka's knowledgeable & imppressive enough to talk about any subject, but people "coming at her" about it c/b or not a fair ?? if it's a scrambled mess! Unfortunately that so called respected reporter's ?? was screwed up and unintelligable for the most part! I understood what he was asking, but to me it made no sense b/c Osaka had just come off a match win! Why not ask about TF match? I hate these press conferences b/c it invariably shows how highly skilled wordsmiths can turn into blithering idiots in these circumstances! Asking cliche ??s of "how do you feel winning/losing a match" is just embarrassing to hear again & again!
***Sports are supposed t/b about the masses forgetting their problems for awhile. Of course new ones start w/ allegiance to particular teams. Too much $$ now. ...Thus people that want to see political views can pay for it.***
Well we all saw & heard Trump make a huge political deal about football kneeling yrs ago! It shows there are plenty of a-holes out there hanging on his every word! It's sad & pathetic since the man eventually w/b found certifiable! It's a wonder we survived those 4 yrs! The residual stink of his admin. & governing is still apparent!
***So you would be ok with listening to a short religious sermon before the game or show, right?***
It already began decades ago w/ the faux routine of saluting the flag & singing of the "SBB" B4 every sporting event! Most people don't = remember when it started or why, they just do it following along like sheep!
***I wonder what the Big 3 themselves think about all the "weak era" talk?***
ReplyDeleteTheir eyes are aching from rolling in their sockets listening to that BS! Back in the 70's you'd say it was a weak era where many players were just fodder for the elites of the game; Laver, Rosewall, Newcombe, Ashe, Borg, Connors, McEnroe, & Lendl! It was tough to beat BORG = if down & out w/ MP's vs him! He made it to his appt'd Rds from the age of 16! The top 4 or 8 seeds got thru w/ m/b an upset on grass or clay! The Big 3 now are just making it look like a weak era due to their excellence! Btw the racket tech, shady strings allowed, & homogenized courts, it's just been tough for "also rans" to brk thru their ranks so selfishly "owning it" for almost 20 yrs! This is unprecedented dom. by 3 players as evidenced by the hoarding of 60 Majors & almost 100 Masters 1000 events won by them OTTH!
***Yep, I honestly think they spend < X thinking about weak era talk > I do thinking about infrastructure policy in northern Guinea-Bissau.
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I love when Fedal fans say he's inflating his slams yet when he went awol for '17-mid '18, Fedal won 6 slams in a row & Fed got 2 AO's (can’t beat Nole there) & a Wimbl. All benefitted, but Djokovic has been so dom. these last 10 yrs as a whole & he deserves it.***
There's no logic to the hypocrisy = when confronted w/ the facts; hence the moniker "fanatics!"
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Very weak era way back when! Rod's >est comp. came from his contemporaries & countrymen, all trained by Harry Hopman "down under!" Lucky for him his true rival was all but out out of the game, Lew Hoad! IIRC, Rod went down in flames their 1st 8 meetings!
***Lew Hoad went off the rails, IIRC, so Rod Laver couldn't do much about that.
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They still have nothing > lawn chairs @ Wimbl.***
I've always been peeved w/ Wimbl. & the people who run it! The lean major of the 4 will always have the status of history & static life due to tradition, but the facts are they cut corners, overcharge the people, & have an inflated sense of importance & worth! I recall the 1st X I was sorta appalled w/ them when I heard they made $7M in early yrs of the tourn. in mid 70's! That was a lot of $$ back then! (Ref. USO @ $90K in '82) The $$ was literally pocketed by the tourn. w/ low prize $$'s, the women always making < the men, & after all said & done, Wimbl. only donated $100K in trying to get excellence out of British tennis players! I don't = want to look up how much $$'s changing hands these days! I'm sure it's obscene!
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It's Murray's reward & punishment for playing in the same era as "The Big 3!" He prob. would've won 6+ Majors but for Fedalovic! He got the MOST out of his limited ability, playing such a def. game, but he c/b proud of his efforts to win 3 Majors (2 W,1 USO), a YEC, 2 OG Medals, & held the #1 ranking for a min.! Anyone would kill for such a rec., but I'm sure it had to kill him to stand next to Djokovic so many X's as the R-up @ all those AO finals! He beat him on grass @ Wimbl. & @ the USO on HC so he has the game, but he just couldn't snatch one of those AO & it has to weigh on him someX's! He's beat up his body & it's use< to cont. @ this level b/c he's getting embarr. in the 1st Rd. of 250 level events! He's only hurting his legacy un< like Roger & Connors he has that true love of the game where it doesn't matter as long as he's confortable & having fun out there! And people say I hate on other players! This is practically a tribute OTTH!
***It's clear in this match who's match-tough & who's rusty btw Tiafoe & Murray in Winston. As Jon Wertheim says, "we don't get to tell players when they should retire." We can opine about it, & oh, you do. But it's still up to them.***
***...Just some desp. PR spin. Look how badly they try to make Shapovalov sound like a formidable GS SF opp. to Nole @ Wimbl.; embarrassing. Djokovic cruised to a SF where he ran into Denis, a young flamethrower who appeared t/b unlocking his final form in real X.***
ReplyDeleteI think it's a no win situation trying to cherry-pick SF & Finalists who've played vs the elites in Major situations! Most have had pigeon matches, but Novak's not on that list! He's had some brutal tourn. draws, always having to deal w/ Fedal & Murray which is why I apprec. his results >! Why we need to do this w/ rec.bks out there to refresh "cobwebbed" memories is beyond me! Fedal had lit'l resistance early on w/ just a smattering of contests w/ Djokovic extending Rafa & actually def. Roger! I find Roger getting "FAT" off Roddick for so many yrs is the biggest joke if you want to do this! The only reason Roger won Wimbl. in '09 was due to such an easy pigeon to choke like a dog when it counted in that 2nd set TB up X set pts!
***Meh, why must every Djokovic thread turn into an effort to prove he’s better > Fed? Bang that drum some >.***
Unfortunately it needs t/b reiterated again & again b/c the masses forget! And when they do shake the cobwebs & acknowledge it, excuses are invoked about age, surface, & past accomplishments! It's lame & it's a shame the tennis intelligentsia needs t/b beat over the head w/ facts since they can't seem to accept the "old GOAT" didn't last long & has been overtaken by 2 players B4 he = retires!
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Nadal's prob's always been how hard he worked to play & win during the clay season! He's beat up & it's a wonder he won those 4 USO's! He's usually "done" by Wimbl. which is why he has never been able to hold onto the #1 ranking for very long; = allowing old man Fed to supplant him during Djokovic's absent from the top ranks in '17-early'18! Add the fact he has no YEC's, it just proves my pt. yr. after yr. = when playing @ his best! This is why he's not "The GOAT!" His consistency over the yrs has been on clay & nowhere else! NO GOAT here!
***W/ homogenized conditions & baseline play all tour long, all yr. long... Not really. We'll see a few guys get to & surpass 20 MAJORS in the next 20 yrs if conditions stay the same. - While I think recs will always get broken eventually, I think it's going to take longer > that.***
Well there's a way, but I've been horrified to think of it for a while! We hinted @ it out here & dismissed the poss.! W/ all the belly-aching of players about how strenuous the season is, it's only a matter of X B4 the MAJORS go BO3 sets! It's already been bad enough when Masters Finals were cut to BO3! It's made it poss. for the Big 3 to rest up, concerve energy, & snatch up just about 90+% of all Masters' events for the last 15+ yrs! That special player(s) won't come out of this crop, but 50 yrs down the line when they go either BO5 using NG scoring or just totally weasel out & go BO3 @ all the MAJORS! We won't see it, but it can easily happen if the rules cont. to evolve as they have in the last dec. or so! These changes have certainly faciitated this Big 3 of unprecedented dom., but it can happen again on a >er scale determined by newfangled fitness programs, stereoids being allowed to prevent injury or improve recover, & the sorriest option of weeding the scoring down in the name of brevity for TV streaming!
***Of course it's impressive, but the fact that 3 guys have done it shows it's not an anomaly, a freak of nature. IDK the next X there w/b one of those will not be denied, super comp. athletes in tennis, but when there is there won't be anything stopping them getting well over 20 slams. I'd see a dom. player w/ no Big 3 to hinder them getting to 30.***
***For a man of his age, = w/ his strict diet/stretching, etc., it's a lit'l unnatural for him to never get tired (seemingly). He wears down players 1/2 his age (or so). He's a incredible player, but I'd not be surprised if there was a Lance Armstrong moment coming.
ReplyDelete---
I w/b not just surprised, but absolutely shocked. I do believe he (& your fave player, no matter who he is) is likely on some stuff. I also believe that a doping controversy for one of the Big 3 & GOAT w/b truly curtains for tennis financially. It would never come out. And also, as long as TUEs cont. t/b granted, tennis continues to silently support it.
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Novak's had a strict diet & training regimen for over a decade. I think he understood that's what he needs to stay @ the top. Give credit where credit is due.***
Some have to find a reason to make sense of his dominance I guess! It's kind of pathetic! The same was said about Rafa, but it's died down!
***Endurance athletes do not peak in their early/mid 20s. Djokovic's right @ the tail end of an endurance athletes peak age range. - Not in tennis though.***
Fed was still winning past 35! Did anyone say something about him in '17 outlasting Rafa in many matches except on clay in Paris @ the FO in '19?
***Fed had to completely retool his game past 32/33 & focus on shortening the pts; the opposite of Djokovic is doing i.e. outgrinding all the 20 something yo supposedly @ their physical peaks. He said so himself. He proudly claims that he is confident he can outlast all of the younger guys in BO5. Djokovic doesn't = get affected in the slightest w/ all the 5 setters he plays.
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It's not really a big secret. Flexible body, broad, but lighter frame (considerably < body wt. than his fellow peers), disciplined diet, focused workout. If he'd have been as heavy as he was in '11-15, he'd not have survived this long in terms of fitness. It was a smart choice to have dropped some body-wt. unlike Fedal.
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I don't think Novak dopes. Ot's compatible w/ his personality of jumping from fad diet to new fad diets, which begun w/ no gluten & ended up w/ him vegan, or his refusal of vaccines, or his following of a Spanish guru that had him starved looking like Karen Carpenter. That kind of person m/b unbearable, but it's not the kind of person that would dope.
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The impressive thing w/ Djokovic is not that he’s not getting tired; his cardio's better > 18-24 yo. The impressive thing is that his joints & muscles have held up & he’s avoided injuries since the elbow. It’s a testament to the work he puts in on flexibility & whatever he’s doing post matches to keep joint inflammation down.
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Don’t believe ND dopes, but I didn’t believe Armstrong did either. Still I think it’s his diet & training that's his secret. The reason he wins is his comp. sucks. Occam’s razor. Don’t complicate this.***
There were many who knew Armstrong used, but he silenced them thru courts! The closest Nole's been to court was his unfiled "A & B" of the lineswoman last yr.!
***The one thing w/ Djokovic that has t/b discussed here is that there is no PED on Earth that can give you the ridiculous flexibility he has. That is solely a product of hard work, extensive yoga, & freakish discipline & dedication. Also try eating vegan for a month. His discipline & rigor to his routine is up there w/ the best across all athletics, PEDs or no PEDs.***
***Nole's 1st Master was Montreal, & he def. #3 Rodick in the QF, #2 Nadal in the SF, & #1 Federer in the final. It was '07.***
ReplyDeleteThis is what makes me laugh when people talk about diff. eras for Fedalovic! That's so fk'n ridiculous as you've highlighted w/ that early success vs Fedal! Over those early yrs, it was Djokovic that kept Fed from winning > AO's w/ lone losses to Nadal & Murray! People have selective memory! I give credit where credit's due; = w/ Nadal who's no fave of mines! Others have literally "lost it" w/ hyperbole as if Novak doesn't have anyone who's capable of beating him! Undermining this great achievement's mindblowing IMO! Most would love t/b there as history's being made, but the detractors will always have reason to have reservations concerning Djokovic!
***Djokovic's Journey - '21 USO QF'S:
The #1 seed once again drops 1st set, looked in trouble vs #6 seed, Berrettini of Italy. But once again he found an extra gear, moving into the SF w/ a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 victory.
His 2 >est rivals, Medvedev & Zverev made their way to the SF in str. sets, meaning 3 out of 4 top seeds would feature in the last 4.
-
SUMMARY B4 SF
All Slam contenders make SF.
----------------------------
'62 & '69 are only yrs. when all 4 top seeds make the SF.
In '33*, '56 & '21, 3 of top 4 make the SF.
In '38*, 2 of top 4 seeds make SF.
* in '33 & '38 the tourn. split the seeds into US players & Int'l players. I've used the top 2 from each category for these figures.
-----------------------------------------
Djokovic has dropped the most sets (4) on way to SF
Budge is only player not to drop a set.
'21 Djokovic -4 sets
'69 Laver -3 sets
'33 Crawford -2 sets
'62 Laver -1 set
'56 Hoad -1 set
'38 Budge -0 sets
-----------------------------------------
Biggest upset:
'33 #1 US seed Ellsworth Vines elim. 4th Rd.
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Contender 5 set matches:
'69 RD 4: Laver v Ralston
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SF:
Djokovic faces #4 seed, Zverev (who ended chances of the "GS"). In match that's epitome of tense baseline tennis, fortunes swing to & fro, til Djokr once again raises his level that bit >er > opp., finally winning: 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
His final match vs #2 seed, Medvedev, although not @ his best, wins easily in str. sets.
DJOKOVIC PLAYS FOR THE GS!
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A disappointment... To me, Novak's already GOAT based on stats (> wks @ #1, tied for slam rec., > Masters, 5 EOD @ Tour Cups, won Nole-Slam, winning H2H vs Fedal, beat Roger 3 X's in Wbl. Finals, Rafa twice @ FO....), but I wanted him to seal the deal & get CYGS so = the deniers can't deny it.
...Medvedev played the match he had to play today, smart tactics. He needed to serve well; DF a lot towards the end, but he had already done the damage by then. Novak had > probs returning his serve than Berretini's or Zverev's... it could've been due to faster conditions (day match vs other 2 were night matches), but the serving was key for Medvedev.
...Both AO & USO finals were 3 sets, roughly around same # of games (AO - 27 games, USO - 30 games). A comparison of stats:
AO:
aces/Dfs, ND 3/2, DM, 6/4
Winners/UFEs, ND 20/17, DM 24/30
USO:
aces/Dfs, ND 6/3, DM, 16/9
Winners/UFEs, ND 27/38, DM 38/31
Medvedev hit 10 > aces
Djokovic hit 21 > UFEs
Medvedev hit 14 > winners
So 14 > winners for Med > he hit @ AO & 21 > UFEs for Djokovic, which is extremely unusual for him in 3 sets. That's the match.***
Thanks!
***Seeing that the mythical GS eluded Djokovic last night, fans might turn their attn. towards Laver's '69 achievement > ever. I won't be surprised if some BIG 3 fans will now jump into the Rocket's camp everyX the GOAT debate w/b present ...I wonder what some old timers like @Fiero425 who had the privilege to witness much of OE's tennis have to say?***
ReplyDeleteI won't hark back to Rod ever! He has something that'll never be matched; owining 2 CYGS's (1 Am., 1 Pro) from '62 & '69 resp., but that's it! As a tennis historian I recall > def. info to boister my arguments that as > as he was he was nowhere near as good as today's Djokovic! Laver lost a lot of yrs from '62 to late '68 as a Pro B4 OE @ the USO! He also won > of his majors as an Am. when the top players had already left the ranks to turn pro! I always have to give a reality chk to people by noting Lew Hoad started out his rivalry w/ Rod going 8-0! So the dom. is nowhere near as complete as it is w/ Djokovic! He can still crow about his rec. while detractors can continue creating reasons to undermine his dom. as he +'s to recs he owns already!
***Well, we can only compare greats based on what they achieved in their respective eras, otherwise tennis has evolved so much since 1960s it's not = funny. - 21 in '21 didn't Happen. ...There's a 3 headed GOAT...It's Karma for Novak & m/b the will of the tennis Gods.***
No sense in being greedy! Nole's won 3 of the 4 Slams 3 X's now; just like Fed! So that's another rec. matched or surpassed! EveryX he plays he w/b extending his recs! Novak's already getting the 'thumbs-up' that "you are the GOAT!" Sascha said it after he def. Nole @ the Olympics & Danill said it in his acceptance speech after winning his 1 major!
***Wait til Rafa kicks their ass again. They both w/b saying the same words to him. Tennis players are always prisoners of the moment. Until Roger or Rafa says, Novak you're the GOAT, Novak's just another champ. who's currently tied @ the top of the GS titles list. Nothing > or nothing <.***
Well if I were Nole, I wouldn't wait for that to happen! The records will be added to his record and taken from Fedal as time goes on!
***Novak just got his clock cleaned by the most mentally prepared player today who came today w/ a BETTER executed strategic plan. Daniil's post chp. speech saying Novak is the greatest was what he said about Rafa a few yrs ago when he lost. Rafa had just destroyed him in Montreal a few wks earlier by losing < 4 games IIRC. It was Daniil's game that broke Nole's will just like the last X Rafa def. Novak @ RG and a few yrs ago @ the USO. Novak lost his confidence which quickly fatigued his legs & his enthusiasm to compete.***
Well @ that X, Nadal had a signif. lead of 3 or 4 majors over Nole! What was he going to say to the guy, "sorry, but = though you kicked my ass, Nole will eventually come close to winning the CYGS & match you & Roger so I have to grant him that honor of 'GOAT?'" I don't think it would've gone over well!
***I've seen 4 CYGS (Laver x2, Court, Graf) so it isn't as special to me as it w/b to anyone who hasn't seen it. His failing keeps Laver's name in all the discussions about great players, and by extension those other players he played vs & w/o whom tennis would not be what it is today.
The fact Laver did it in the Open Era is another bonus b/c it stops him being airbrushed away as they are trying to do w/ Court on the women's side. I keep seeing recs in the women's game referring to the Open Era. Since the OW's irrelevant for the women b/c there was no professional tour w/ the best players as there was for the men. My interpretation is that they are trying to airbrush her slam rec. to make Serena seem >er. Recency hype @ its best.***
***...Novak played Nobody. His road was not difficult, IMO. - I beg to differ. ...not in Sept. '21
ReplyDeleteDaniil prior to this victory had won the YEC on HC, 4 diff. Masters on HC (5 finals in all), made the SF's or >er in 4 out of the last 5 HC Majors, & made 2 prev. Major finals (USO & AO). One could argue he had 2nd best rec. of anyone who had not yet won a Major in the last 20 yrs. He's beaten Djokovic 4 X's, includ. 3 yrs on HC. Did I mention he's also ranked #2 in the world?
So one could argue that Medvedev pushing thru the final ceiling & winning a HC Major = over #1 Novak is hardly a shocker result.
One could also argume that Zverev is also due any X to win a Major b/c of his natural progression (HC Major finalist, twice Major SF, 5 Masters HC finals, 2 Masters HC wins, HC Olympic title, HC YEC, etc) & prob. the 3rd best rec. of someone who has yet to win a HC Major. He has beaten Novak 3 X's, includ. twice in HC w/ this yr's Olympics. Did I mention he's ranked #4 in the world (a smidge behind Tsitsipas)
Novak played them both back to back, as well as playing the Wimbl. finalist (Berretinii) in the QTRS.
I'd say Novak had prob. the toughest QTR/SF/FINAL path possible. AT the least by the X he played Daniil, he was a bit battered & bruised (give Berretini & esp. Zverev an assist).
So if Novak had won the USO & completed the CYGS w/ this cast of '21 players, IMO it wouldn't have put any * in front of it.
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Medvedev deserves this win. He played his best match. Djoker could not bring best game; that's it. But I hope 21st will come in '22. Now I hope he could win some Masters to bypass Nadal w/ 36.***
I'm not going to sulk over this loss! I had felt early on Djokovic had the toughest road to the final & he needed Med t/b upset! He's the only player who can go "toe to toe" w/ Djokovic & the X's he's defeated is when Nole can take his legs away! That wasn't happening this match & very early on I didn't see a comeback! If it had been Sascha I'd have hope, but Daniil's tough! He has that ugly kind of game I dislike, but it's oh so eff. w/ sneaky power & catlike quickness! He never really struggled & only gave us a glimmer of hope DF'n a game away in the 3rd! This is =alent to Navratilova outlasting Evert & Goolagong, but had no respite needing to survive the next wave of players in Graf, Sabatini, & Seles! It's going to get tougher & tougher to get motivated to compete & the losses will come! I just hope Djokovic can hold it together for the next season or 2 to separate himself from Fedal!
***You've prob. heard/read that I've always regarded the mythical GOAT as "the best player in the (all) OE until now."
Hence, I don't really consider Laver, Rosewall & those who preceded them. And yes, while there are significant differences btw the X of, say, Connors/Borg & The Big 3, there's enough commonality for me to compare their overall achievements.
...
Achievement-wise, I thought that Novak's 4-in-a-row wasn't respected enough, yet I still give the (true) CYGS a lit'l > credit > the NCYGS. It doesn't bother me that in '69 it was only played on 2 surfaces, rather > 3 -- that's not Rod's fault. I don't give his '62 GS the same wt. Still impressive, but the tour was split.
...Right now (not knowing how to mix Laver, Rosewall & poss. Pancho (so hard to assess his career fairly, though I think of him as potentially = a better Sampras), nobody in the OE has accomplishments on par w/ Roger, Rafa & Novak. Looking @ all their achievements, I think Novak's a fairly clear #1. I'm not sure btw Fedal for who's 1-B & who's 1-C. If I included those who started B4 the OE, I still lean to The Big 3 as 1-3, followed by Rocket, & poss. Rosewall & Gonzales; then go to Pete & Borg.***
***I think Nole's GOAT right @ this moment b/c he has the DCGS & > wks @ #1. But if they all end up w/ 20 Slams, Fed might eventually seem t/b the GOAT b/c of his longevity & 2 huge things: he won 3 slams after turning 35 & was the oldest #1 ranked player @ age 36-8. If Novak wins no > Slams & his career fades, many will put Fed ahead b/c of those 2 things- he dominated as an old man. Of course Nadal fans can always pt. to 13 RG's which is obviously just insane.
ReplyDeleteIf Novak gets to 21 & the other 2 remain @ 20, I don't think there's 1 single argument for Fedal t/b GOAT. It's put to bed if Novak gets 21. Serious tennis fans know wks @ #1 is massive (as is the DCGS), but in 10-120 yrs, that fades in > people's minds. But # of slams is the defining criterion for GOAT, @ least for > tennis historians/analysts.
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I don't see anyone w/ = or stronger case for GOAT title...
Wks @ #1
YE #1
Double CGS
Def. >est rivals (GOAT opp.) @ their pet slam > once
Double GM
Better H2H > fellow GOAT candidates
> overall big titles
These are the overwhelming achievements that tilt the scale towards Novak & we all know it...Both Fedal are quite inferior.
Seems like only Djokovic that can + few > Slams & Masters B4 he retires...
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Djoking aside, I have Djoker ahead of Nadal significantly & ahead of Federer slightly right now. Any add'l losses won't change that. But big wins will allow him to put them farther into the rear view mirror; provided that they don't + to their own tallies. - He’s the statistical GOAT, meaning that w/ pure #'s & measurements, Novak's the BOAT (male that is).
But of course people have diff. opinions, so GOAT can mean anything to anyone.
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GOAT Tier:
Tier 1 : FEDERER, Djokovic, Sampras & Nadal
Tier 2 : Borg, McEnroe, Lendl, Connors & Agassi
Tier 3 : Becker, Wilander, Edberg
Tier 4 : Safin, Courier, Kuerten, Murray, Hewitt, Roddick, Stanimal, Ivanisevic, Bruguera, etc.
Tier 5 : Gaudio, Thiem, Medvedev^ (*new entrant on list)
Tier 6 : Nalbandian, Raonic, Nishikori, Tsonga, Zverev, Tsitsipas, etc.
Tier 7 : Top 50 players who're journeymen
Tier 8 : Those ranked outside the top 100***
The delusion is real when it comes to NOLE! ;-)
I was about to worry about Nole being punished for being so successful by not being able to defend as many Slams next season! The thing is, back in '16, he also held 6 Masters titles from '15 so by the end of '16, Murray was able to cobble enough pts together to snatch YE #1! Next yr. in '22, Djokovic may not win as many Majors, but he's not defending a bunch of Masters' pts. so he won't fall in the rankings un< there's a total collapse in his game!
ReplyDelete***Fed '15 vs Djokr '21
Comparing the yrs in which they both turned 34.
Slams:
AO: Fed lost in 3R to Seppi. Djokovic won it. Obviously, Djokovic >er. But if Fritz had held his head/was as solid as Seppi, he could've taken out Djokr who was hampered in that match.
RG: Fed made it to QF, losing 1 set, but lost to peak Wawa in strs. Djokovic won it. Obviously, Djokovic >er. But '15 RG Djokovic > '21 RG Djokr & given '15 Wawa beat '15 Djoko convincingly, he'd have beaten '21 Djoko convincingly as well.
Wim: Fed demolished Murray in the SF. Djoko had to rely on Shapo choking big X in the 1st 2 sets. Fed was also > dominant/impressive in the Rds prior.
Yeah, Djoko won his final vs a meh Berretini in 4 sets & Fed lost to peak Djoko in 4 sets, but I don't think Fed was any worse level-wise in Wim. '15 final compared to Djoko in Wim. '21 final.
Their stats @ respective Wimbledons are about the same overall despite Fed facing '15 Djok & '15 Murray, both of whom are significantly >er > anyone Djoko faced in Wim. '21.
Fed's serving stats a lit'l >er > Djoko's & Djoko's return stats a lit'l >er > Fed's
Serve: Fed @ 95.5% hold, Djoko @ 93.8% hold. Fed winning 75.7% service pts, Djoko winning 73.7% service pts.
Return: Fed @ 26.4% brks, Djoko @ 28.3% brks. Fed winning 38.3% return pts, Djoko winning 41.3% return pts.
--
If we take stats B4 the final (Wim. '15 final Djoko & Wim. '21 final Berretini are like gigantic miles apart)
Serve: Fed @ 98.9% hold, Djoko @ 94.6% hold. Fed winning 78.6% service pts, Djoko winning 74.9% service pts.
Return: Fed @ 31.5% brks, Djoko @ 28.6% brks. Fed winning 40.2% return pts, Djoko winning 41.7% return pts.
--
The service stats diff. widens obviously. Fed also surges ahead on brk%, = w/ a lit'l < % of return pts won.
Keep in mind that Ded's comp. B4 the final was significantly >er: Murray, Groth, Querrey (Simon, RBA, Dzhumur)
Djokovic: Shapo, Fucsovic, Kudla (Anderson, Draper, Garin)
Conclusion? Fed in Wim. '15 > Djoko in Wim '21, clearly
USO: Fed came into the final w/o losing a set, including dismantling Wawa in the SF. Lost to peak Djokovic in a tight 4-setter in the final. Djokovic struggled on his way to the final & lost in straights to Med. Obviously Fed was >er.
Other tournaments til USO:
Fed in '15 won Cincy & Brisbane/Dubai/Istanbul/Halle, made the final of IW/Rome
Djokovic in '21 Won Belgrade, made final of Rome
So Fed clearly >er here.
Win loss record:
Fed was 51-8 til USO
Djokovic 44-6 til USO
Summary:
'15 as a yr. was a relatively weak one, similar to '06, '10.
Fed made 2 Slam finals & a QF in '15 as opposed to Djoko in '21 winning 3 Slams & making a Slam final.
So how much worse was '21 compared to '15? Quite a bit, I'd say.***
***Tennis Gens. & the Changing of the Guard:
ReplyDelete-The Era of the Big 3 Winds to an End...or Does It?
W/ Daniil Medvedev's victory over Novak Djokovic @ the USO, it's tempting to say--finally--that the changing of the guard's here. It seems like it's been yrs now that we've been expecting this to occur, but the proverbial "Big 3"--Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, & Djokovic--kept re-asserting themselves over younger gens.
...The best single stat's that since Fed won his 1st Slam @ Wimbl. in '03, the 3 are responsible for 60 of 73 Slams. That 19-yr. span ('03-21) includ. 8 yrs in which those 3 players won all 4 Slams.
The dom. came in sev. waves. The 1st was the classic "Fedal Era," when Fedal won every Slam from RG in '05 to Wimbl. in '09, w/ the lone exception being Novak's 1st Slam @ '08 AO. After del Potro's upset of Fed @ the '09 USO, the Fedal duo won every Slam in '10, & then joined by Novak in '11, & then Andy Murray in '12, winning a Slam in both that yr. & '13. So if '04-10 was the Fedal Era, '11-13 was the era of the "Big 4."
...Novak reclaimed dom. over the tour in '15, having his best yr., = as Fedal were slam-< for the 1st X since '02. In '15-16 it looked like Rafa was finally losing the war of attrition to Father X, & Roger seemed unable to get past Novak, so it seemed that the era was finally ending. But then '17 happened, & we saw both Fedal reclaim a high level, splitting the 4 Slams, & the Big 3 won 14 str. Slams from AO '17 to '20 FO.
...Until Dominic Thiem won the '20 USO, no player born after '88 (Cilic & del Potro) had a Slam title to his name. In other words, as of pre-USO in '20, no player age 30 or younger had a Slam title - unprecedented in the OE, if not all of tennis history. ...Novak re-asserted himself & won the 1st 3 Slams of '21 B4 Med upset him @ USO. So it would seem that--if we only look @ Slams--there's no changing of the guard, just 2 younger guys sneaking in a Slam title in each of the last 2 yrs.
...Important titles. In total, there are 14 which are essentially the main events of the ATP tour: 4 Slams, 9 Masters & YEC/WTF's, w/ every 4th yr. yielding a 15th, the OG's. There are about 12 ATP 500 tourns. in any given yr., & 40 ATP 250s, + a few non-tour tourns. But these are basically "non-essential." Most top players play a few every yr., but every top player--barring injury or some other circumstance--shows up for the big titles.
In other words, by looking @ the big titles we can see that the guard is, indeed, changing.***
***...A Detour into Gen. Theory:
ReplyDelete-...But as a gen. rule, any given gen. doms the tour for about 1/2 a dec. B4 giving way to the next. ...The 2 >est players of the 1st dec. of the 20th century, Fedal were born 5 yrs apart, in '81 & '86. So I used those 2 yrs as the center-pts for their resp. gens, so that "Gen. Fed" are those players born from '79-83 (+/- 2 yrs from Roger's birth yr., '81), & "Gen. Nadal" (now Djokodal or Nadalkovic) is '84-88. After them is the previously mentioned Lost Gen., born in '89-93, & then Next Gen. ('94-98), & what I'm calling the Millenial Gen. ('99-03).
...NG'rs winning 6 of 7 of the non-Slam big titles, & 6 of 10 big titles overall this yr. In other words, the Djokodal Gen. has won 40% of big titles this yr compared to 62.5% in '20. Even if they win the WTF & Paris, that still will yield them only 1/2 of all big titles this yr.
The changing of the guard really began in '17, but only tentatively. '16 saw the Djokodal Gen. win all 15 big titles -- only the 2nd X (after '13) that they won every big title. But w/ Roger's resurgence in '17, & strong performances by G. Dimitrov & A. Zverev's 1st big title, younger gens began to take away some of those big titles. And it was gradual, w/ '18-19 still seeing that shift delayed, w/ younger gens still not brking thru @ a Slam.
Thiem's win of the USO in '20 was a sign. milestone; as previously mentioned, he became the 1st player born after '88 to win a Slam. But he did so w/o def. any of the Big 3. This yr., Med not only beat #1 Djokovic, in the process he prevented the Serbian great from capturing the 1st true GS since Rod Laver in '69.
As a side note, '20 also saw a NG'r win > titles > anyone else: Andrey Rublev w/ 5, w/ Novak winning 4. But given that it was an abbrev. season. This yr., 4 players are tied w/ a tour-leading 4 titles: Djokovic, Medvedev, Zverev, & Casper Ruud (who, being born in Dec. 22, '98, is tech. a NG'r, but on the cusp of the Millenial Gen).
I think we'll see Med, Zverev, & Tsitsipas linked historically, as the "Biggish 3" of NG I think they'll all win 1-4 Slams apiece, which's a wide range, but the main pt. is that (I think) they all win Slams, poss. X, but not all-X-> level. It seems there's a Millenial Gen. Biggish 3 forming as well in FAA, Sinner, & Alcaraz, but it's obviously too soon to tell, & I'm not quite ready to write Musetti off from exclusion - nor am I convinced that one of them won't emerge as dom.
But @ this pt., I w/b surprised if any of the NG emerged as "the guy." Med might end up being the 1st among near-=s, but I just don't see him running away w/ it. M/b he wins 4 Slams & the other 2 win 2 apiece. But I don't see Med winning, say, 6-8, & the other winning 0-1.***
***Dude—curious as to whether the Laver-Rosewall dom. reflects input from Pancho or Hoad or Newcombe?
ReplyDelete---
Hoad, yes, but Pancho no. Hoad was born in '34 like Rosewall, Laver in '38, w/ Emerson btw them in '36. Pancho was born in '28 & Newcombe in '44.
Again, the gens are arbitrary, but in terms of 5-year spans, you've got:
'44-48: Newcombe, Kodes, Nastase, Smith
'39-43: Ashe
'34-38: Laver, Rosewall, Hoad, Emerson, Santana
'29-33: Trabert
'24-28: Pancho, Sedgman
There's a correlation btw "Lost Gen" (b.'89-93) & Ashe's gen. ('39-43). Both came after a monster gen., & really only had 1 good player. Further, just as it c/b argued that Ashe belongs w/ the later gen. (b.'43), so too could Thiem (b.'93) be considered part of Next Gen.
...I think a > accurate "span" depiction would vary somewhat, so "Lost Gen." w/b '89-92, & Ashe w/b part of a '43-48 group.
Similarly, I'd prefer grouping Pancho ('28), Sedgman ('27), & Trabert ('30) all as part of the same gen.
I'm playing w/ the idea of a "cluster" approach; each gen. is centered around great players, so it varies over X.***
Very impressived! ...It's not as informative to me of course since I've lived it, but it needs t/b transposed to hardcopy periodically b/c so many detractors can't seem to absorb this info! I keep hearing of a "weak era" when it isn't possible w/ all of the "Big 3" @ the ht. of their powers going @ it event after event! Besides that, they've also traded being YE #1 while Fedovic owned the YEC like no other 2 competing @ the same X! Every rec. will end up being theirs not b/c of a weak era, but showing how special (phys./ment,) they are to reign surpreme for almost 20 yrs w/ the end seeming to close soon!
***Look, I prefer Federer's style. He's my fave player of all X. But in the end, greatness should primarily (if not only) be about results. Not style or grace or likability, but how good a player is @ beating other players consistently over X. At most, those factors c/b used as TB'rs.
Right now, I think it's very close & prefer the "3-headed GOAT" answer. But if I had to choose just one as the GOAT, it w/b Novak. And of course, it's far > likely that Novak will pad his resume & gain some distance on the other 2.***
As impressive as Novak's rec., no one else but me seems to acknowledge, he's not only matched or succeeded Fedal, he did it in rec. X! So many have made such a big deal about the age disparity, but forget to make note he's surpassed Fed over 6 yrs ahead of him!
***That's not quite true. Roger won his 20th Slam @ the AO in '18 when he was 36 yo. Novak won his 20th @ RG when he was 34. So it was 2 yrs ahead, or 2.5 if you want t/b exact. Rafa's 20th was also @ 34.***
Thx for making me out t/b a liar El! ;-)
***...I love Mac & his hyperbole over the GOAT discussion. He changes his choice with every Slam match it seems.***
ReplyDeleteMcEnroe, Wilander, & many others jumped on Nole's bandwagon after he completed his Nole-Slam winning FO in '16 w/ just 12 Majors! He had a lit'l "down per." w/ drama & injury, but he's given me no reason to believe Fedal c/b a part of some 3-headed GOAT to appease their fans! Djokovic acquired his resume in rec. X, defeating Fedal along the way = w/ detractors giving that "weak era" argument! 10 yrs ago Fed was "the man" = though his H2H sucked vs his closest rival! I've never thought Nadal The GOAT since his limitations are so obvious! Djokovic came along & swept them all away, acquiring recs Fedal can't come close to or "ever!" I'll let you guys vacillate, hmmmm, & hawww trying to make something out of nothing, but IMO after all's said & done, The LONE GOAT w/b Djokovic! He was a match was a CYGS FFS! Have we forgotten so soon?
***6 yrs younger & barely able to beat a geriatric 13-12 in the 5th @ Wimbl. he'd easily have lost if said geriatric didn't play his 2 MP's like crap.
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...always like the ref. to Hoad. Wish I'd've seen what all the fuss was about/***
Hoad, like Djokovic was just a match away from a CYGS as well! FFS, have we forgotten so soon? It was just last wk!
***During the AE, the best player in the sport @ that X ('56) was a pro, Pancho Gonzales. He did beat some good players, includ. Rosewall in some of those Slams, but it was a diff. era. Just as Laver's 1st CYGS was nothing comparable to his 1 in '69.***
But it's already on rec. that HOAD owned Laver early on, starting their "so called" rivalry 8-0 in Lew's favor! We've seen Rod come up short in those 2 WCT Finals on TV in '71 & '72 to Rosewall! But b/c he won 2 CYGS (1 Am., 1 Pro), shortcomings were overlooked! We gave the same considerations to Sampras who never had a sniff of a FO final! We were going to do the same for Fed B4 he finally took his lone FO Chp.! Djokovic has already surpassed Fedal in so many ways already, but "denial's > just a river in Eqypt!" It's desperate IMO to try & hold off the inevitable! I jumped off Fed's bandwagon; admittedly so, but there's a superior rec. still unfolding & it's hard to stay neutral! SomeX's riding the fence can have 1 pk. up splinters! I'll keep it simple & just say it's akin to "'coming in/getting out' of the rain!" Do we really need t/b convinced?
***The aging Pancho Gonzales came back to the pro tour in '64 & bested Rod Laver in H2H matches over the course of the yr., he won > often > not over the 25/26 yo Laver who was 2 yrs in as a pro & 3 yrs removed from his Cal. yr. Amateur GS.
Speaking of that CYGS in '62, that yr. Ken Rosewall won 10 pro tournaments & by > pundits was the best male tennis player, but of course was excl. from playing Wimbl., US Champs, etc.
Even afterwards, it wasn’t until the late 80’s & early 90’s that all the top men figured it was imperative to play all the Majors. Andre Agassi ended up #3 for '88 & “chose” not to play the AO or Wimbl. that yr. j/b. (Didn’t play W for 3 str. yrs) The AO was on a HC yet Agassi a top 10 player opted not to play it from '88 til '95, a whopping 7 yrs. Can you imagine that happening today?
Federer, Nadal & Djokovic have played under the luxury that the Majors are their top focus & the ult. barometer, so comparing Majors make sense for them, but pre -Sampras all bets are off.***
***Big 3 GS Titles by Difficulty
ReplyDeleteTop 30 hardest slams:
Djokovic 16
Nadal 10
Federer 4
Top 20 hardest slams
Djokovic 10
Nadal 7
Federer 3
Top 10 hardest slams
Djokovic 5
Nadal 4
Federer 1
Top 5 hardest slams
Djokovic 3
Nadal 2
Federer 0
Hardest slam
Djokovic
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Top 30 easiest slams
Federer 16
Nadal 10
Djokovic 4
Top 20 easiest slams
Federer 11
Nadal 6
Djokovic 3
Top 10 easiest slams
Federer 6
Nadal 3
Djokovic 1
Top 5 easiest slams
Federer 3
Djokovic 1
Nadal 1
Easiest Slam
Federer
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The list is flawed, but the order of who had it the hardest is correct. IDK why that's a sensitive subject or why people get defensive about it. It really boils down to this...
Top 5 wins in their 20 Slam wins
1. Djokovic - 28
2. Nadal - 24
3. Federer - 19
Top 10 wins is one thing, but beating the top 5 is usually as hard as it gets in a Slam & Djokovic just beat those players the most.
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...a system, giving 5 pts for #1, 3 pts for shared #1, 2 pts for #2, & 1 pt. for shared #2. Updated list thru '21 (Novak #1 for this yr., Medvedev #2):
1. Djokovic 42
2. Gonzales 40
3t. Tilden 39
3t. Federer 39
5. Nadal 37
6. W. Renshaw 35
7t. Laver 33
7t. Rosewall 33
9. Sampras 31
10. D. Budge 27
11. J. Kramer 26
12t. L. Doherty 25
12t. Wm. Larned 25
14t. R. Doherty 24
14t. Lendl 24
16. Borg 23
17. F. Perry 21
18. E. Vines 20
19t. J. Pim 19
19t. B. Riggs 19
19t. Connors 19
19t. McEnroe 19
...Andy Murray ranks just @ the edge of top 50. Emerson has lit. 0 pts as he was never considered as one of the top 2 players in the sport.***
Murray's the > unlucky having to deal w/ Fedalovic & unable to fulfill his promise w/ them standing in the way! He's able to steal a few titles from Novak & the #1 YE ranking in '16, but never really challenged Fedal in majors but once! I'd give Murray 2 or 3 good yrs as #1 if not for the Big 3, but his major ct. prob. would only double! His def. game made him vuln. where all that running does lit'l good but shorten a career!
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***Feliciano Lopez (Team Europe) & Jack Sock (Team World) are the alts of next wk's Laver Cup.***
Just looked @ Deliciamo's rec.! IDK how he was so successful, worth millions & running Madrid Masters! You can count the # of X's he made it past the 2nd Rd. in majors on one hand! He never won a Masters, & his personal life has been a tossed salad w/ his 1st wife divorcing him after only 11 months of marriage due to excessive cheating! I guess longevity certainly has it's privileges; ask Fed!
***Good looks can carry you a lot these days; I know Judy Murray is a big fan of Lopez's. ...This yr. w/o Fed playing & Rafa injured, I wonder if it w/b a sell out w/ no big draw cards this yr.?
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Who'll end up w/ > USO Titles-: Nadal or Djokovic?***
I'll give Djokovic @ least 1 > chance to tie Nadal in Flushing! There are so many reasons why the USO has been one of the toughest events to win! It's a wonder a handful of players (Sampras, Fedalovic, Connors, McEnroe, Lendl) have X titles while some "greats" (Borg, Hoad) don't = have one! Even some "also rans" like Roddick, Vilas, Cilic, & Orantes have one!
***The young guns are going to deny the USO to both of them in the future. Nadovic prob. won't win any> USO's.***
Even though I favor Djokovic as the GOAT, I've gone out of my way to accom. & hoped the NG'rs'd finally take over the tour by actually beating Fedalovic! It's not the Big 3's fault or prob. that they've psychologically had a hold over this era of tennis, extending their tenure to 20+ yrs which's set > of a precedent over & above the winning of all major events yr in & yr. out! Even way back when, the most dom. players didn't win everything; = Borg or he'd have a USO listed under his name & Sampras would have a FO crown! They had their chances; Borg on 3 diff. surfaces so it's on him alone!
***The AO's the culm. of the season's beginnings, & it's when the yr-ly tour really gets going. Then we have the clay season, which culm. w/ RG, followed by grass culm. in Wimbl., & the American tour in the USO. Finally we have the post-USO late tour culm. in the WTF.
ReplyDelete...If we have 2 poles: One, that Slams are "everything," & the other following a strictly ATP pt. valuation, my contention is that the "best" perspective--as far as considering >ness--is somewhere in-btwn. Other titles, & overall accomp. matter. I'll consider 4 ex.: Slam results other > wins, WTF, Masters, & Rankings.
...WTFs: SomeXs called the "5th Slam," it's an unusual tourn. in that only the top 8 ranked players appear. Meaning, every match's vs a diff. opp. It includes 5 matches, & 2 players may face each other > once. It doesn't have the cache as GS, but's the next > important tourn. on the tour, & arguably just as diff. to win.
Masters: As w/ the Slams, the 9 Masters (ATP 1000) tourn. are the bread & butter of top players. Due to their BO3 format, upsets are > common @ Masters > they are at Slams. The Masters are obviously < important > Slams & < diff. to win > the WTF, but are still important hallmarks of accomp. & >ness, as far as the wk-ly grind of the tour's concerned.
Rankings: ...The #1 player in the sport has been the best player for the previous 52 wks or >, which is exceedingly diff. to do. This c/b illustrated by the fact that there are far > GS winners who have never been #1 in the ATP era ('73-present) > there are #1s who never won a Slam.
Just as we shouldn't ignore non-winning results in GS, so too should we not ignore rankings below #1. I'd argue that being world #2 is similar to being the R-up in a Slam, being ranked #3-5 similar to being a SF, ...being ranked #2 is no easy task, & shouldn't be ignored b/c it isn't as "sexy" as #1.
Other Factors: There are numerous other factors to consider, includ. stats & accomp. like overall titles, match winning %, Slam inning %, finals winning %, range of tourn. on diff. surfaces, H2H recs vs chief rivals, & so forth. ...
The GS are, &'ll likely always be, rightfully considered the > important tournaments in prof'l tennis. They have a long history, w/ Wimbl. going back to 1877, & are what everyone thinks of when they think of tennis. History gen. doesn't remember Masters finals, but will always remember Fed's epic win @ the '17 AO or Nadal's sea-changing win @ '08 Wimbl., or the iconic Borg-McEnroe clashes. But while they should always be considered as arguably the most important factor in a tennis resume, they aren't the only important factor, & overly focusing on them--w/o also considering other factors such as other "big title" tournaments & rankings--leads to a distorted idea of what "greatness" means when assessing players & comparing them.
...So really we have 3 orders of majors: Am. GS, Pro Slams, & OE GS. And then we have all the other tournaments. And then other statistics, rankings, etc. And this doesn't = touch upon the depth & diversity of talent, tech. & health developments, the influence of media, economic considerations, & so forth.
...In the end, there is no clear or easy way to rank & compare historical players. What we have are a variety of perspectives or lenses to consider. The problems arise when we approach the issue from just a singular lens, such as GS titles, which leaves us w/ ridiculous assertion such as "Roy Emerson was >er > Pancho Gonzales" or "Johan Kriek was >er > Marcelo Rios."
That said, to paraphrase a perhaps over-used saying, but a true 1 nonethe<, the fun of it is in the journey: in considering & talking about it. While we'll likely never know who was >er, Kramer or Connors, it's awfully fun to talk about.***
***Aside from something like '10 GS wins' or '200 wks @ #1', nothing really came to mind - and those are aggregate career achievements. Then I think I found the perfect stat. Winning the Chan'l-Slam.
ReplyDeleteChan'l-Slam (FO + Wimbl. wins - same season):
Women's winners:
M. Court ('70)
B.J. King ('72)
C. Evert ('74)
M. Navr'lova ('82,'84)
S. Graf ('88,'93,'95,'96)
S. Williams ('02)
Men's winners:
R. Laver ('69)
B. Borg ('78-80, 3 cons. yrs)
R. Nadal ('08,'10)
R. Federer ('09)
N. Djokovic ('21)
Does that not look like an exhaustive list of Open Era GOAT candidates to you? PETE is really the only miss here, & BJK's the only non-contender IMO. To me it looks like a strong predictive stat.
Just goes to show how ridiculous of an achievement the FO+Wimbl. double is.***
IDK what people will do when the men's game starts to reflect the women's! There m/b no consensus #1 w/ rankings flipping around!
***Those are just periods of transition. We saw it in the men's game in the late 90s, early 00s w/ 12 players being #1 btw '96 & '04 until Fed took over. Pete's dom. saw Muster, Rios, Moya, Kafelnikov, Agassi, & Rafter sneak in, then younger guys started taking over w/ Safin, Kuerten, Hewitt, Ferrero & Roddick. Then Federer.
M/b we see a similar situation if & when Medvedev steals the top slot from Novak ('22 AO?). We might see Novak get > X, but it w/b mixed w/ Daniil, m/b Zverev, Tsitsipas, & 1 or 2 others B4 one of the younger guys takes over (Sinner? FAA? Alcaraz?).
Or we m/b lucky to see another mid-to-late 80s when you had numerous elite players, w/ no single guy standing out above the rest. Starting w/ the end of McEnroe's reign in '85, you've got Mac, Lendl, Wilander, Edberg, & Becker, then Courier, Sampras, & Agassi entering the mix starting in '92.
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Oh yeah, Fiero, someone'll emerge in the WTA to dom. Osaka seemed like the person, but hasn't quite (yet) estab. herself. Coco? Raducanu? I don't follow it closely enough to have an educated guess.***
***I soooooo wanted Connors t/b the one to stop Borg @ Wimbl. when I was younger & was up 2 sets to love in '81 SF vs the Angelic Assassin, but lost 6-4 in the 5th—I was crushed, = though I had nothing vs Borg & came to admire him > & > as the yrs passed. I just wanted Jimbo to win. From that era, Connors beating McEnroe in the '82 Wimbl. the next yr. was thrilling for me then. Loved that!
ReplyDelete---
Roddick was an extremely flawed tennis player. Big serve & a FH he'd hit early in a rally. Roddick's groundstroke was @ the collegian level at best.***
Roddick reminded me of the boy phenoms of my era w/ a serve, big FH, & not much else; ex. Krickstein & Arias come to mind!
***Do you think Roddick had a >er career > Safin or Yeveny K.?***
Hardly! Safin "worked" both Sampras & Fed in Majors while Roddick barely got a sniff! Kafelnikov won 2 Majors & OG in 2000!
***Good points Fiero!- - The Big 4 was never a thing. Out of respect for rankings consistency I'll concede there was a top 4 once. But only ever a Big 3.***
True enough, but going back to the beginning of Open Tennis, there's always been a "Big 4" = if you had to create them out of whole cloth like making Gerulaitus part of the quartet being "BFF" w/ Connors, McEnroe, & Borg! A > legit 4th was Vilas, but he came & went from the tour due to suspensions of under the table $$ to play tourneys! I think that was part of him being managed by Tiriac! Murray wasn't as phony winning 3 majors, a YEC, & held the #1 ranking! Most #4's never get there; regard< if something happens to the players above them! Borg w/b seeded if he came back 2 yrs later just lying on the beaches of Monaco! The closest we come to this actually occurring was "old man" Connors coming back from the dead as #3 behind Borg & McEnroe, but w/ Bjorn retired, McEnroe unmotivated, w/ the help of Lendl actually pulled "a Fed" winning 3 majors late in his career; 2 USO's & a Wimbl.!
***Connors wasn't dead when he came back to win those majors. Borg had finally gotten the upperhand on Jimbo in '79 after Connors had held it thru '78. McEnroe was coming into his own & was troubling both Connors & Borg. I noticed Connors slipped when he met his wife & married taking X off of the tour for a few wks as Borg clearly went to #1 & McEnroe a strong #2 which remained that way thru '80. McEnroe slid ahead of Borg in '81 & Connors was a close #3 & in '82 he simply had a resurgence in play & = pk'd up a lit'l > speed on his serve. He legit. topped McEnroe & the rising Lendl that yr. & again in NY in '83 (over Ivan). ...Connors didn’t back into those 3 majors; won them as the >er player. It's part of his durability & tenacious drive to win.***
I always feel some kind of way as Graf went about her business after Seles stabbed! Never cared for either player, but I still SMH as Graf accum. Majors & wks @ #1 while Seles was "getting over" being assaulted by a German Graf fan!
***Which is why I personally don't put too much wt. in Graf's #'s & I saw her entire run. Her wks @ #1 & Slam ct. w/b lower if Seles was still around, who had her # @ the X, & = @ Wimbl. made her 1st final, meaning = on grass she was starting her assault.***
I didn't watch the Wimbl. Final w/ Graf & Seles, but the pts I saw were phenomenal w/ great "gets" on old, choppy grass IIRC! The score didn't reflect the inevitable outcome; + taking hrs to complete b/c of X rain delays!
***...GOAT criteria, ...there are levels to consider:
ReplyDeleteCareer accomps, which basically come down to stats. This is the only truly objective level, but still requires context. Another area of consideration is career vs peak. The 1st has to do w/ longevity & sustained excel., while the latter has to do w/ how good a player as @ their very best.
Qualities related to skill, mentality, & other intangibles that figure into performance, but can't be easily quantified. These are gen. based upon personal eyewitness accts, as well as assessments by various analysts.
Qualities related to style, persona, mystique, etc, that aren't quantifiable, but still are part of a player's legacy.
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...a player might have a formidable aura, but only until they don’t, & then -...It’s just so difficult to measure so many things, then align them w/ the past & their wholly diff. ideas of >ness, that considering who is GOAT is really a discussion that'll never have a resolution, methinks…***
The older you are, the > subjective it c/b due to the diff. eras, how tennis & physicality of the game has changed over the yrs, homog. of court surfaces, & the level of play due to tech. & nutr. advancements! I started playing just after Open Tennis estab.; '71! ...I had no reason not to believe Laver the BOAT w/ 2 CYGS! Reading about the game later I had many 2nd thoughts develop due to the X's of Am/Pro! OTTH, I had to give consideration to past champs starting w/ Tilden, Budge, Gonzales, then my pre-era faves of HOAD, Laver, Rosewall! It wasn't about the Major ct. back then since these players were out of the running as Pros until '68! I guess that's why Borg became a legend so soon w/ 11 Majors in the Open Era!
Borg was the 1st I could put w/ the legends once I started to get serious! From him the honor of GOAT went to Sampras = w/o a FO final! It didn't last long w/ the style & grace of Fed! We thought he w/b on top for a while, but it was not t/b! In so many ways he's already been surpassed by 2 other players w/ my $$ on Nole that he'll wind up alone on top w/ the > majors, wks. @ #1, Double "CGS" & "Golden Masters," ...I could go on! If it had only to do w/ Majors, Borg wouldn't have ever been recognized as a GREAT w/ just 11 of them so I know where the board is coming from! We do"lean" on #'s too much, but if Fedalovic have "all the #'s" behind their names, I'm not sure how we can look back @ past champs & come up w/ reasons why they s/b shoulder to shoulder with these 3 ATG's who are under our noses right now!
***@Fiero425, Laver's the GOAT @ the X he played. He was >> his best contemporary, Rosewall, & had surpassed Gonzales, Tilden, & all the other pro greats b/c of his two CYGS & his overall accomp.
And then we have the OE. We can say, as you say, that Borg was the 1st "GOAT" of the OE, but we can't say that he surpassed Laver in terms of accomplishments. Plus, he's problematic b/c McEnroe, for a short X, was beating him left & right. And then Sampras took the crown, then Fed, & then Nadal & Djokovic joined the party.
So my pt. is, Laver's the GOAT of tennis up thru the transition to the OE & its 1st few yrs. He mastered the Am., Pro, & OE tours in a way that no other player did.
So I think when we're talking about the GOAT, we're talking about 4 players that m/b mentioned, the 1st who was the GOAT of tennis up thru the transition of the OE--about 90 yrs--& then the trio of Fedalovic who have surpassed everyone since.
If nothing else, I feel comfortable placing those 4 above everyone else, as the "Big 4" of tennis history. The next 4, the "2nd Quartet," is a bit trickier, but'd def. incl. Tilden & Gonzales, prob. Rosewall & Sampras.***
***You are #1 in a season when you’ve won 27/28 GS matches. If the ranking system & the post-USO Exo/app. $$ season doesn’t reflect that reality then the prob. is the ranking system.***
ReplyDeleteW/ Novak skipping IW's, he's putting himself in jeapardy of losing the YE #1 ranking! Thank goodness Daniil has a ton of pts to defend thru the YEC/WTF! Hopefully Nole gets some rest, but gets back on court to make sure he acquires that 7th YE #1 to set himself apart form Fedal & Sampras!
***Remember, this yr. the YE #1's calc. on pts won this yr. & not the #1 ranking pts where some carry over. Djokovic's pretty safe for #1 ranking though he may lose a wk. after IW if Medvedev wins that. The bigger issue is Medvedev is only about 2000 pts behind for the YE #1.
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I hope Novak works to defend that @ Paris, m/b Vienna, & the Turin YE Chps. What a mess. So there's a poss. & probable scenario in which Djokovic will ct. his wks @ #1, but he won't be awarded w/ YE #1 finish.
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Among all the crazy crowning achievements that Djokovic has put together - The Slam rec., the Masters record, the CDGM rec., the most wks @ #1 rec., the > YE #1's rec., the NCYGS, the CS, the Chan.-Slam; being the 1st to achieve the Double CS across 3 surfaces was a truly historic moment in prof. tennis.
Slam sequence:
AO '08
AO '11
W '11
USO '11
W '14
USO '15
RG '16
RG '21
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There are a # of players in that upper echelon & they were the best @ various pts in X & are brothers in >ness. Total dom. comes only once in awhile. Laver had a per., Connors in '74, Borg in '79, Sampras in the early '90s, Fed from '04-07, Rafa in '10 & again in '13, then Nole in '11, '15 & '21.
All of those yrs featured X Slams & winning %'s of around 85-90% or >er of matches or events won. Of those, I think special mention for Laver, Connors, Borg, Federer & Novak during those yrs as they dom. everything & everybody = though Borg had some issues w/ Mac & Fed w/ Nadal on clay back in those yrs. Otherwise, all those guys obliterated the field in those dom. yrs. That's really all one can say. Who @ their best would win more? No idea—likely surface dependent.
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Tier 1 : FED, Djokovic, Sampras & Nadal
Tier 2 : Borg, McEnroe, Lendl, Connors & Agassi
Tier 3 : Becker, Wilander, Edberg
Tier 4 : Safin, Courier, Kuerten, Murray, Hewitt, Roddick, Stanimal, Ivanisevic, Bruguera, etc.
Tier 5 : Gaudio, Thiem, Medvedev, Muster, etc.
Tier 6 : Nalbandian, Raonic, Nishikori, Tsonga, Zverev, Tsitsipas, etc.
Tier 7 : Top 50 players who are journeymen
Tier 8 : Those ranked outside the top 100
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...Tier 7 >est non-Slam Winners: Ferrer, Corretja, Henman
Tier 8 - Anyone else***
Sorry, but Henman s/b nowhere near a list of past greats; = a Tier 7! I'd feel >er if you meant Justine Henin! A couple good outings w/o a final isn't enough!
***So Murray spent > X @ #1 than Becker, during the > stiflingly comp. era in men's tennis, & this is still an argument?***
Back in those days a Major tourn. could have a dozen GS event winners! Today w/ Fedal fading, there's only a handful of players outside Djokovic! There wasn't a lock on #1 like it's been w/ Fedalovicray!
***Yeah, except Murray's run @ #1 was already 5 yrs ago now. And things were a lot diff. then. Winning in an era w/ extreme parity is < impressive than winning in an era of oppressing dominance by 3 ATGs.
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Nadal's a tier 1 player. I'd also bump Lendl down to tier 3 or raise Connors to tier 2.***
Lendl was unfortunate to start play @ end of Borg era, then have to deal w/ the next wave; Connors, McEnroe, Edberg, Becker, Cash, & Wilander! Then Agassi, Chang, Courier, & Sampras! He never had it easy! Lendl was the consummate prof. & like Djokovic got very lit'l love from the Tennis Intelligentsia!
***List the order in which you like rivalry the >
ReplyDelete1) Borg McEnroe Connors
2) Fed Nadal Djok
3) Sampras Agassi
4) Becker Edbgerg
5) Lendl Wilander***
B4 I get started, I've lived all these tennis eras of so called rivalries! Most of these c/b classified as rivalries, but Sampras - Agassi's a stretch! Andre won few matches vs Pete that counted; = if you feature their lone FO match! It was > media hype > anything, but was lit'l > of a match-up > Fed had w/ Roddick IMO! Sampras has owned Agassi from the beginning! I didn't know much about Sampras in '90, but he swept thru Lendl & McEnroe B4 dismantling Agassi in the USO final! That was a shock & was only an ex. of things to come ending w/ their last encounter @ '02 USO Pete still "owning" Agassi who won > majors after Sampras' retirement!
***Just a pt. about Fedal. Rafa went 6-1 in '05-06 only losing on grass to Roger. Roger made a lot of clay finals & lost to the >er superstar to come. Bad luck for the Swiss. Then in '06-07, Fed went 5-2 over Nadal up until the clay court season in '08. Up until then it was not ownership of anyone but 8-6 for Rafael & most of those were clay events.
'08-09 saw the 1st of 2 cycles where Nadal got the >er of his rival (Novak was still new to the triumvirate), but it really was a beat down in '10-14. Rafa dom. Roger in those yrs. Then in '17-18, Roger dom. Rafa losing only once (in Paris) over a stretch of 7 matches. So, it has gone back & forth, but Nadal certainly was > dom. after '08 for a # of yrs. As to “owning Roger,” I get it, but there were really a series of streaks.***
After all said & done, that was a lot of posting to say "yeah, you're right @Fiero425 after initially disputing your premise!"
***You know the entire GOAT scenario - Fedalovic - & I think everyone is entitled to have a fave. ...It gets ugly, people make it personal forgetting this is a sport. ...Getting back to Novak, I think it's wonderful when someone becomes a part of history. I know he mhb terr. disappointed. The game's so physical, when I saw he had entered Tokyo I thought he was playing far too much tennis. But that was his call - the "Golden Slam" was calling his name. In the end, in NY, he fell short. I know some Fedal fans were rejoicing, I didn't = watch the final b/c I really don't think I could've enjoyed it. I just wonder how many yrs it w/b B4 another player has the op. to win the GS. That is my take on the whole scenario.***
Amen & hallelujah to that! I really only "lose it" when some isolated fans lose perspective & elevate their fave w/ unusually fantastic opinions or commentary that aren't based in reality! I was guilty of it saying Fed was the GOAT when Nadal was owning him very early on; not just on clay! The mythos of Fedal started getting on my nerves which's why I shifted attn. to Novak; actually creating a blog w/ his move toward >ness back in '15! No 1 thought he'd surpass Fedal so quickly, but he has & is still +ing to his rec. while they're foot-dragging their retirements! It's hard watching the tour w/o them they've been such a staple out there for well over 20 yrs! I've already slowed viewership of the ladies = though > comp.! I hope some1 catches my eye on the men's tour to cont. my fandom of the sport starting in '71!
***Fedal are >ER all around players than Novak. Rafa's & Roger's front court (OH & net games) are @ a diff. level > Novak can ever dream about.***
When it comes to "who's >er," I just look @ Connors & Borg! Connors won > titles & has those 5 USO's that Borg only had a sniff @, but when it comes to history & legendary status, Borg's name will always come up 1st! He had a terr. limited game, but was the GOAT early on in the PRO era w/ 11 Majors! Sound familiar?
***...Novak can easily go on another tear, but it depends if the next gen. can piggybank off Medvedev's brk-thru. Tsitsipas c/b streaky, & not in a good way, but he came close to the brk-thru. Zverev's also close. These 3 (Medvedev, Tsitsipas & Zverev) have an opp. @ the AO HC to make a statement. Fed I feel is done. All his conditioning/training /therapy & rest can't compensate for a body that won't cooperate. He certainly did not overplay this season, but his body couldn't take it. As a 40/41 yo next yr., he's prob. hoping for an abbr., short farewell @ a few beloved tourns. such as Wimbl.
ReplyDeleteThe real WC IMO is Rafa. Is his body done @ age 35 or can he mount a comp., credible campaign for 1 or 2 > seasons? ON clay you can't count him out, & on HC & grass he's a factor when healthy. The prime word being healthy. He's been WO 4 or 5 X's in his career so of course his detractors are coming out of the woodwork to state that once again (hope springs eternal), but we're going to have to wait to see how '22 looks.***
All true! I just wonder about the competency of those who are saying Novak's done b/c he lost 1 match in 4 Majors, winning 27! It's been the total extremes of 1/2 saying "by winning the '21 USO & completing the CYGS, it'd set him apart from Fedal for good" over the other 1/2 who think "he'll spiral out of the top rung right away dropping AO in '22!" It makes lit'l to no sense b/c we've all been wrong so often dealing w/ these 3 players over the yrs! Not sure Roger could summon up enough to do much else on the tour but say "farewell!" Even w/ the deal he had to of made w/ The Devil in '17, his reward was a heartbreaking loss w/ 2 MP's @ his fave event in '19! He hung on for over 5 yrs to win those 3 majors to hold off the inevitable & puffed up his wks @ #1, but in the end it only sets him > apart from past GOATs Borg & Sampras! Nadal's playing possum; getting his rest by not playing for the rest of this season, & w/b ready to try & get that elusive 2nd AO so he can match Nole's "Double CGS!" There's no reason Nadal shouldn't have another good run on clay, culm. in a 14th FO, but if the NG can finally assert itself, that might push him overboard w/ Roger on the sidelines of the tour!
***Ah, the deal w/ the Devil, when old Gerontius became a child again, innocent & playful, & dashing about in the midday Sun. What a peculiar sight that was. I recall a BBC reporter telling us, 'w/o a smidge of irony that Fed was incredible. That @ the age of 35 he’d +ed “staggering stamina” to his game.' How we all applauded!
Great post bro, though I think you’re being a lit'l shrewd about Rafa. He has a serious foot condition, and we hope he can play in Oz, and win it, but neither of these things is guaranteed. Good pt. also about how Novak would've become the supreme deity had he won vs Med, but the fact he lost proves he’s a bum. However, he’s got to deal w/ this now, & it won’t be easy. I imagine he’s still kicking himself. It may affect him & so may the confidence boost Medvedev has now…***
***Shapovalov needs to get it together. He falls apart yet again in another tourn. He's too talented to not be making it farther > 3rd Rd. @ IW. He def. needs someone to help him w/ his shot selection & playing w/ margin.***
ReplyDeleteIt's what happens to these young phenoms who have a bit of success too early! It's all too easy to lose motivation, feed off the + commentary, then fall precipitously! I was just thinking earlier of all the players who've made a name for themselves by upsetting a top player to never being heard from again besides the honorary mention when that top player is upset again! Shapo came along & upset Nadal back home in the Can. Masters 2 yrs ago, but making this past Wimbl. SF has been > of a neg. > a + as he's done nothing since! The accolades were so plentiful, predicting great things for him! You can't listen to that BS! It's destroyed > players > helped in the past! During this rain delay, they showed Grigor D. who was monikered, "Baby Fed!" It's done him lit'l good outside of one Masters' win & a YEC 2 yrs ago!
***It's not that the success came too early, for the most part. It's just that for every potential great or = medium great, there are 20+ who just don't turn out that way. That's why the Big 3 are so superior. To name but a few of the disappointments over the past 2 decades: Safin, Nalbandian, Dimitrov, Kyrgios, Nishikori, Coric, Raonic, = Janowitz & Rosol. A great upset, as you say, then they go nowhere, of the last 2. I don't think Shapo is a lost cause, nor's FAA, who seems for now t/b a damp squib. But they certainly don't make anything consistent of their talents. It IS frustrating.
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The men's tour's already sliding into a dark age, awaiting the next dramatic giants & so lit'l wonder that the women's was > interesting this yr. The men's has become stale for a long X really, w/ the field gathering such meager pickings over the last 2 dec. It's extraordinary, but it's also damning of the field, & the men's game by ext. People used to get het up when I'd remind them that Roger was racking up slams too easy B4 he faced a fellow great player, but I also said & still believe that it's damning of the men's game that Rafa has 13 FO's, when the prev. rec. was only 6. Roger has 6 Oz titles & now Novak has 9 when the prev. OE rec. was a paltry 4. So many recs have been obliterated, like as if we're watching a gen. of sprinters running sub-6 sec. 100m's...
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Fed would have many FO titles if he didn't have his misfortune of the clay GOAT around. It's pretty easy to envision Fed getting owned on clay by Borg & Lendl.***
That c/b said about a lot of players; "if not for ....., such & such whd ...!" We were conned w/ Fed! Everyone thought him the KING who not only played well, but did it stylishly! Unfort. for him Nadovic came along & burst that bubble! If not for Nadal, Fed may've won 2 > FO's & if not for Novak Fed would've won > Wimbl. & AO's, but that isn't what happened! We have to adjust our thinking & rationale as far as I'm concerned!
***You're right, & perhaps I sold Bruguera short, as he did manage to beat a baby version of Fed on clay. I wanna be fair to Bruguera, b/c although Fed was pre-prime in 2000, Bruguera was well past his prime by 2000.***
***Tennis’s Big 3 have dom. the men’s game in an unprecedented manner over the last 18 yrs. Btwn them, from '03 until '21, they have won 60 of the last 71 GS titles (Wimbl. was cancelled in '20 due to the Covid-19 pand.). Each has dom. a separate GS tourn.: In +ition to winning 13 FO titles, Nadal has also won an OGM in the men’s singles, while Fed has won 8 Wimbl. titles & Djokovic has 9 AO titles to his name.
ReplyDeleteDjokovic fans argue that he's the >est since he has a winning rec. vs his 2 rivals &'s the only 1 of the 3 to have won each of the 4 GS's @ least twice. Fed’s fans argue that he has the longest run @ being #1 in the world — 237 str. wks. Djokovic, while having held the #1 ranking for > wks overall (344) was ranked #1 cons. for only 122 wks. Nadal only 56 wks.
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Nadal had a >er peak > Djokovic on grass (proven by the 5 finals in a row @ Wimbl.-'06-11), but Djokovic has had a > longer prime on clay > Nadal (winning 2 RGs & 10 clay Masters over a decade).
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Med c/b unreliable (after loss to Grigor up a set & 2 brks @ IW's). He's similar to all younger guys compared to "Big 3" when it comes to playing wk. in wk. out. - And this is why the 'Big 3' are what they are. Yr-in/yr-out of not just winning a few things, but > everything. I think it's hard for all of us to = apprec. any> what that kind of concentration & consistency it takes, b/c Roger, Rafa & Novak have made it look, if not easy, @ least poss. But then everyone in their wake, Lost Gen, Next Gen, Next-Next Gen. proves just how hard it is. I think that's why, when we look @ the youngsters, a lot of us seem t/b noting the ones that seem to have a certain stability & maturity, along w/ skills. I'm not saying that Med's a lost cause b/c of what happened yesterday. He'll likely = be the 1st of the rest to get to #1, but he'll always be in the scrum & won't rise to the level of world beater, if you ask me. I give him 3 Majors, tops.
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4 surprise SF-ists after Med, Perseus, & Sascha were upset in IW!***
Pressure & expectations change which puts top players in precarious positions; esp. late in the season when they're run down! I love how the Fritz's excelling, but it won't last! Playing good, solid tennis only gets you so far! To reach & stay @ or near the top a real weapon is needed! Isner & Querrey have skated thru w/ mostly their serves & an honory mention of their FH's & net play! Taylor's had a nice run, but I can't see it going on for any significant length of X! He still needs a player to self-destruct to help along the way! JUST SAYING!
***...This Masters' usually held in March, B4 Miami. This yr. it's held shortly after a slam, during an Oly. season. It was obvious the top players weren't gonna be @ 100%. These guys don't care enough about a Masters after so many > important events. The rest of the field takes advantage, good for them, but I doubt we'll suddenly see these guys in every SF of Masters from now on. Players like Dimitrov, Basilashvili & Fritz are very inconsistent anyway. I'm sure Zverev, Medvedev & Tsitsipas will bounce back quickly. They weren't playing that bad IMO.***
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Navratilova played until she was almost 50 yo winning her last major @ '06 USO MxD. w/ Bryan @ 49: a month B4 her 50th BD.
***Martina c/b argued as the best all around female player ever. She won so many majors (59) btw singles, doubles & MxD. It’s not = close w/ anyone else. 177 career doubles, 167 singles, 10 mixed majors alone. Played almost 30 yrs on the tour.***
IMO there's no argument. It's a joke thinking Graf or Serena measure up when their rec. is either inflated in Steffi's case due to stabbing of her closest rival while Williams' limitations are glaring. Martina has twice as many titles as > men & women combined. It's a real joke.
***Shanahan's overrated as a coach, & since so many of my relatives are hardcore Niner fans, from a place of caring I always say Niner fans are simply Cowboy fans w/ >er & healthier tailgate grub.***
ReplyDeleteHate to say he's still riding his dad's coattails! I don't pay that much attn. outside of teams interested in, but Shanahan's history shows prolific offenses that'll get you a lead, but somehow forget the fundamentals in the crunch & doesn't perform late in games to lose them! Happened in ATL &'s still happening in SF!
***However in the Niner's case it's = worse. They had a DEFENSE for the ages, truly exceptional & overwhelming. When they got to the SB 2 yrs ago, that defense & a great running game carried the team to the edges of ult. victory & somehow managed to lose b/c they couldn't muster a competent offense when it counted. W/ 1 qtr. to go., Jimmy G. in the crunch wasn't going to pass muster & who'll know when they get the =alent of that defense again.***
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Your QB sabotaged it all in GB! He gets his huge contract, they kiss his ass, but he's upset he can't make GM decisions! Heaven knows they've fk'd it up B4 not getting Rodgers > help, but the receivers he has had over the yrs have hurt the team w/ drops & a sieve as a defense! Even though in Chgo, I still used to like Rodgers as the best QB out there, but over the yrs his true colors have shown w/ finger pointing, bad mouthing of mgmt., & in the end not performing himself in important games @ home!
***"Jon Gruden resigns as LV Raiders HC - The resignation comes in the wake of a NY Times report that Gruden used misogynistic & anti-gay language in numerous emails over 7-yrs.***
I'm shocked to shit! I was drooling after that man yrs ago when still an asst. in Phili.! I can't believe what I'm hearing! He's destroyed while none of the incriminating evidence has = been revealed! How did this happen so fast w/o one email being published? I don't need to see it, but I'm just overwhelmed! I heard them speaking on the topic during the Bears game, I wasn't sure what it was all about until I looked it up! It's been so hush-hush, the commentary was only that "he had to go" & now he's gone! OMG!
***The NY Times are going to publish the content of the emails. He knew it was going to come out the entire wkend. Gruden had always been a known a-hole. He was protected b/c of his white privilege. He has been exposed for the racist, homophobic, misogynistic bigot he's always been. He's not gonna get another football related gig = @ the Jr. HS level. Good Riddance.
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Gruden's e-mails were bad enough. And what about the other NFL execs/ops that RECEIVED these e-mails & apparently thought they were OK? M/b some of the recipients responded back to Gruden about the offensive nature of his messages. But nothing like that has been mentioned by the people who've reported about the emails. So...I sadly assume Gruden's just one small cog in a much >er wheel - a culture of racism, misogyny & homophobia. Very sad. I hope some + change can come out of all this.***
***Big Tourns. won by Big 4 (Djokr, Fed, Nadal, Murray):
ReplyDelete'02 - 1/14 (7.1%)
'03 - 2/14 (14.3%)
'04 - 7/15 (46.7%)
'05 - 11/14 (78.6%)
'06 - 11/14 (78.6%)
'07 - 12/14 (85.7%)
'08 - 13/15 (86.7%)
'09 - 11/14 (78.6%)
'10 - 11/14 (78.6%)
'11 - 14/14 (100.0%)
'12 - 14/15 (93.3%)
'13 - 14/14 (100.0%)
'14 - 10/14 (71.4%)
'15 - 13/14 (92.9%)
'16 - 13/15 (86.7%)
'17 - 9/14 (64.3%)
'18 - 9/14 (64.3%)
'19 - 9/14 (64.3%)
'20 - 4/7 (57.1%)
'21 - 4/12 (33.3%)
Big Tourns. won in the yrs Big 4 won > Biggies ('11,'13,'12,'15,'08,'16):
Djokovic 38
Nadal 19
Murray 16
Federer 8
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Most ATP Titles in the OE
1. Connors 109
2. Federer 103
3. Lendl 94
4. Nadal 88
5. Djokovic 85
6. McEnroe 77
7. Borg 64
= Sampras 64
9. Vilas 62
10. Agassi 60
11. Becker 49
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From '10 YEC to '13 YEC the Big 4 won 43 Big tourns. out of 44. Crazy stuff
Djokovic 18
Nadal 12
Federer 7
Murray 6
Ferrer 1
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Rublev's playing too many tourns. Lost early to Mannarrino in St. Pete.***
Reminds me of another Russian that couldn't leave tour a wk. or 2 to rest if he could help it; running himself into the ground B4 his X, Nikolay Davydenko! He looked older than a grandpa B4 30 playing wk. in / wk. out, getting to #4 & taking a YEC IIRC! He pushed the Big 4, but success was fleeting! He was an enigma, wrapped in a conundrum! He may have also been investigated for match fixing when gambling was > rampant in the sport!
***Kafeknikov was like that too, playing too much. People said it was b/c he was afraid of running out of money…***
Yevgeny must've gotten over it! After winning 2 majors, retiring & earning over $20M, he became a prof. poker player, later a golfer! Never saw it, but he was referenced during tournaments I watched over a decade ago when "Texas Hold 'em" was so popular!
***Including dubs, who has the > yrs btw their 1st & last Slam appearance?
Navratilova '72 to '06 for 34 yrs.
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...Serena is ahead of everyone ... a full 20 yrs. btw '99 & '19. Navratilova too has a 19 yrs btw '75 to '94.***
Martina did > appear in Majors! She was actually winning them until her last in '06 taking MxD's w/ Bob Bryan getting her to 59 Chps.! Overall she has 167 in singles titles w/ 177 Dubs! No one else can compare to that which is a joke when not mentioned w/ Graf, Court, & Williams!
***Who won the > slams w/i a dec. (dom.)?
1. Graf (GER) 21 ('87-96)
2. Court (AUS) 17 ('64-73)
2. Navratilova (USA) 17 ('78-87)
2. Federer (SUI) 17 ('03-12)
5. Wills (USA) 16 ('23-32)
5. Djokovic (SRB) 16 ('12-21)
7. S. Williams (USA) 15 ('07-16)
7. Evert (USA) 15 ('74-83)
9. Nadal (ESP) 14 ('05-14)
10. Sampras (USA) 13 ('93-02)***
***I see Murray's wearing down his opps w/ some long matches. I really admire his efforts, he looks good to reach top 20 if he stays healthy & play spoiler in slams, poss. = win some >er tourn.***
ReplyDeleteThe only person getting worn down w/ the way Murray plays is Murray himself! He was gassed today trying to play that silly, def. game vs some kid from Spain; Alcaraz! He was a lit'l wild @ X's, but it was controlled aggression keeping Murray on the run in long, sustained pts that had the old man bending over a few X's trying to catch his breath! It took a while, but still str.-setted 3 & 4 in Erste Bank Open!
***It was just a shame that Fed didn't play Djokovic in that kind of '17 form while the latter was struggling. Djokovic basically went the Nadal route * avoided Fed & thus kept his mental edge.***
Avoided? OTTH Novak kept Fed from taking 1/2 dozen > majors "down under" over the yrs not to mention 3 Wimbledons & a USO Final! Novak didn't have any help needing to go thru both Fedal @ X's! Avoiding? I think not! If anything he was tested > any other GOAT since the BIG 4 were almost never upset!
***...The issue's about Fed getting periods to vulture wins vs a sub-par Djokovic. He didn't have quite as many ops as vice versa. The diff. is certainly < extreme in this rivalry compared to Fedal, though (4 matches in '13 rofl).
'15 & '17 are about level I'd say. At the >est events:
AO: '17 by a clear margin
IW: '17 by a clear margin & '15 wasn't = that bad
Miami: '17 by a clear margin
MC: '15 by default b/c '17 DNP
Madrid: '15 by def. = w/ an opening Rd. loss
Rome: '15 by default
RG: '15 by default
Wimbledon: '17 by a lit'l bit
Canada: '17 by default
Cinci: '15 by def., but I doubt '17 chd anything to top it
US Open: '15 by a fair margin
Shanghai: '17 by a clear margin
Paris: '15 by default
WTF: '15 by a bit
'17 played a much > truncated season, but pulled out gen. > impressive results in the few tourns he entered. '15 deserves credit for maintaining a pretty good level despite playing a > complete season, but he did have plenty of weird losses in the Masters.
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W/O a doubt Fed would have decimated '17-18 Djokovic. I still believe to this day that Novak had Fed in the back of his mind in that Chung loss in '18 (though Chung did play well) & didn’t really want any part of Fed @ that pt.
I would have loved to see ‘17 Roger 6 months earlier getting a chance @ Novak @ Wimby/USO ‘16. That would've put an end to basically every narrative about mental strength & “peak Roger” circling around that X, & I also think Novak might've risen to the challenge a bit > if it was Roger on the other side of the net.
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Aussie Open: who should host it if not Melbourne?***
For as long as I can recall New Zealand's where they ship undesirable events! A couple decades ago there was a disease going around "horses," so Olympic equestrian events were held in NZ instead of the mainland!
***NZ's fond of using the word "pure" B4 anything & everything, so naturally if an event wants t/b disease-free then it's your best bet... outside of Auckland.
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Emma's on a roll in the WTA Tour! Two match wins in cons. matches!***
Is Britain on a roll? Looks as if not for Murray trying to hog the spotlight with his lame comeback, Emma & Norrie w/b getting > press & praise! Is GB going t/b a tennis powerhouse? It's been yrs since the women have challenged int'lly like this w/ the likes of Wade, Barker, & Durie! Back then it made sense to have team exhs. like Wightman Cup! Anabel Croft's the only Brit woman I can think of who tried to make a name for herself! She did so, but not as a tennis player!
***Fed has 1 single final loss @ the AO & holding that against him isn't fair IMO.He = avenged that loss in '17.***
ReplyDeleteOTOH Nadal's still floundering after all these yrs trying to complete his double CGS w/ sev. finals' losses "down under!" His best chance was vs Wawrinka in '14, but Stan was "zoning! Djokovic murdered him in '19 w/ "Gawd-mode" tennis!
***Yeah, Nadal @ the AO since '09 has been such a weird story. He should def. have @ least 2. - He's come so close in a few instances, but still no cigar. That '14 AO loss was for me as suprising as Fed losing the USO Final in '09. Fedal were overwhelming faves going into those resp. matches.***
We s/b saying the same about Roger in Paris w/ all his chances & finals! Djokovic rectified his shortcomings by def. Nadal & going on to win his 2nd FO!
***Well Fed always lost to Nadal & so did Djokovic. Novak was just able to still be playing great tennis @ a X where Nadal was 35 & injured. lol***
Well if you want to play that game, we can take about 1/2 dozen majors off Nadal's resume! That's why they play the matches & tourns.! Nadal vultured > majors w/o having to play Nole IMO!
***I was wondering how many X's Fedal encounter came short @ USO of being held for one match & who of both was the one who couldn’t “keep” the appt.?***
For the USO it's easy OTTH! In '10 Fed failed to get thru Nole in the SF holding 2 MP's vs him! Rafa waiting in the final may have won 4, but his success has been as sporadic there as it is "down under" w/ only 1 chp.!
***I also recall:
Nadal losing to Delpo in USO '09, thus negating a Fedal final.
Any > of these?***
I figured the failure was on Nadal's part since Fed made 6 finals in a row, then got to '15 final when Nadal was in a funk & being upset all over the place!
***What you said about USO'10, happened exactly again in'11. Fed lost to Nole in SF's squandering 2 MPs.
That was also a Fedal final negated.
Nadal won '10 final (achieving his CGS) & Nole won '11 final.
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Fed '08 Nadal (OG & Chan'l Slam winning) going down in 4 to Murray was pretty bad.
‘09 Nadal - slightly injured, but got destroyed by Del Po
‘10 & ‘11 Fed, obviously had MPs to face Nadal, but there was some Novak guy on the other end. Tbh Fed should've won @ least one of those.
‘13 Fed lost to Robredo (lol) one match B4 a QF showdown w/ Rafa, but he was prob. in the worst shape of his career.
‘17 Fed losing to Del Potro in the quarters directly B4 a SF w/ Nadal as well.
2 matches away:
‘19 Fed lost in the QFs & would've only had to beat Medvedev to set up a final.
‘06 Nadal lost to Youzhny, then whh to beat Roddick to set up a final.
‘07 Nadal lost to Ferrer, then said “now is not the X to talk about my injuries.”
They seemed to alt. healthy yrs @ the USO, ‘12 Nadal injured, ‘13 Fed injured, ‘14 Nadal injured, ‘15 Nadal playing crap, ‘16 both finished, ‘18 Nadal hurt & retired+Fed bad, ‘20/21 both skipping losing to Delpo in USO '17 QF, negating a Fedal SF.
Basically it’s a lit'l bit of Rafa’s body falling apart after RG+Wimby finals a lot, a bit of Rafa being bad @ the USO pre-'10, a bit of 40-15, a bit of Fed being in mostly poor form post ‘11, & a bit of bad luck w/ the draw.***
Nadal only loses a match if injured; didn't you know that? Uncle Tony made sure we heard all about it B4, during, & after a loss! RUDE!
***I believe it's the tennis Gods punishing the NY crowds for their boorish behavior over the yrs. - Nadal also was pretty 'meh' on HC pre-'10, AO ‘09 his only HC Final. Federer, +ionally, was just as 'meh' post-'10, only one chp.-level run after '11 ('15) which is pretty shocking given his earlier success there. Their ‘USO Primes’ overlapped m/b 2 or 3 yrs total & Murray/Djokovic got in the way.***
***Projected Q/F's based on seeds @ Paris Masters:
ReplyDeleteDjokr (1) v Ruud (6)
Rublev (5) v Zverev (4)
Tsitsipas (3) v Sinner (8)
Hurkacz (7) v Med (2)***
Well we all know that ain't gonna happen! Anyone's vuln. in Paris @ this X of yr.! It's notorious for upsets & Chp. wins! All we need to do is look back a few yrs where Sock came out of nowhere to take Paris & make the '17 finals of the YEC! It's a springboard for some up & coming talent, but IMO it's been > a resting ground for Srs; esp. if @ the top of the game! Djokovic's an anomaly where it appeared he got stronger after the USO as opposed to Nadal who's emotional done for the season; hence no Paris Masters wins or YEC to his name!
***This Masters tourn. has always thrown up 'surprise winners' due to the fact it's the last one of the yr., > players are carrying injuries @ this X of the yr. - Nadal's gen. not so "emotionally" spent as physically. Plus, he's just not as good indoors. Reading your posts, AP & Kieran's about playing indoors yourselves due to inclement weather. It's hardly a wonder Nadal isn't great indoors. He lives in an island paradise & barely had to.
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Nole entered the top 100 @ the age of 17 & @ the age of 19 he won the 1st tourn. of the Master Series. At the age of 20, he reached 3rd place on the world ranking list & the 1st GS.***
All the > impressive of Djokovic to brk. so many recs in a shorter amt of X over Fedal! Nole's for the > part won his titles in bunches; hence sneaking up on Fedal w/ 3 Majors this season to tie @ 20! They thought they had > X, but unfort. the rest of the tour has been just as uncoop. as when they reigned! While the "Big 3" have been on the shelf, the NG'rs haven't exactly taken advan. of their absence!
***From Paris Masters'14 to RG'16, Novak put together some of the > awe inspiring streaks of wins possible.
In these 18 mo. Djokovic achieved:
5 Slams, incl. a NCYGS, a 1st ever CS, a 2nd 3 slam season AO-W-USO, rec. =ing > AO titles
10 Masters titles, incl. > Masters won in a single season, B2B Sunshine-double, 1st to win the 1st 3 Masters of the season, 7 out of 9 diff. Masters events
Reached the final of every single event he played from AO'15 - AO'16, which incl.'15 AO, Dubai, IW, Miami, MC, Rome, RG, W, Can., Cincy, USO, Beijing, Shanghai, Paris, WTF, '16 Doha & AO
Back to back wins @ the WTF, allowing him t/b the only player to win the WTF 4 X's in a row
>est pts accum. in history - 16,585
At the conclusion of RG'16, he was reigning def. undisputed champ. @ AO, IW, Miami, Madrid, RG, W, USO, Beijing, Shanghai, Paris & WTF, holding all the >est titles on all 3 surfaces & indoors. He had also won the clay crown, winning all of MC, Madrid, Rome & RG during this run. It was this run spec. that earned him the title of Earth's Mightiest Warrior, a run that broke all boundaries & set new horizons on what was poss. It'll take a monumental effort of epic proportions for this 18 mo. per. to ever be eclipsed.***
You can count Nole's WD's on 1 hand while Fedal have lived off their reps for yrs skipping event after event! If Fed had retired in '12 after his Wimbl. win, he'd still be touted as the GOAT! I think he only hurt his legend by hanging on for 8 > yrs only acquiring 3 > Majors!
ReplyDelete***Nope, Fed did himself a big favor by not retiring in '12 & continuing until '21-22.
...i.e. Sampras was head & shoulders ahead of Agassi as a player in '01 & once he crossed Emerson nobody cares whether he had not won the FO or if Agassi had won all 4 slams @ least once. Today, 20 yrs later people in their 20s & 30s are saying on social media that Agassi winning all 4 slams @ least once is a great feat b/c the Big 3 also did that. Sampras being the only 1 out of the 5 ATGs in the last 30 yrs to not do that makes him look inferior & @ best on par w/ Agassi. People who never saw him play don't know that he dom. the 90s or m/b they don't care. So Agassi's stock has gone up & Sampras' down for the people who never watched them play.
Same way had Fed retired in '12, people would've said, ok he left @ 31. He was Nadal's pigeon & was a coward to retire early (like Borg) b/c Novak had also arrived. But in these 9 yrs Fed earned @ least $600 M, won 3 slams after 35, went toe to toe w/ Djokodal in 5 sets a few X's. Youngsters have seen the old man play, so they know that he's special.
...Beating Roger in tennis stats (like Slams, Wks @ #1, YE #1's) is only the 1st part of the challenge. The real challenge w/b to surpass his brand-value & popularity to become a bigger icon......! Un< this hurdle is passed, nobody can surpass him as the GOAT b/c GOAT-hood in reality's a popularity contest among the best ATGs who can raise a stake on that claim.
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...This stretch is said t/b so great b/c Nole held all 4 Slams. Yet in many Goat debates, it's said that Slams aren't everything.***
Way back when, Majors weren't the "be all, end all;" esp. early in the OE! Many players skipped AO & FO for one thing! Only Wimbl. & the USO was important on the sched. & it was > about tradition w/ > prize $$ being doled out in exhs & "made for TV" events! I think it was Lendl who made it important to @ least try winning any & all majors making AO relevant in the 80's along w/ help from Wilander & Edberg! The same happened w/ the women in '81 w/ Navratilova & Evert! B4 them the aggregate # of majors was low for the top players compared to today!
***Kei Nishikori has WD from Stockholm tourn. next wk. w/ a back injury. He's looking forward to having a strong pre-season training to make '22 a great yr.***
Another one of those huge wastes of talent! Kei challenged & beat Nadal on clay! He obviously made a name for himself by upsetting Novak @ USO in '14 making the final, but going down to Cilic! He has all the shots w/ a big serve & good stamina! His prob.'s his body's betraying him! Some people can't abuse their bodies like Nadal & Djokovic! I'd think people would @ least take Nole's lead in stretching! It was something I never did as a jr. or sr.; = from the start of the day! I warmed up "on court!" The > I might do to get the heart rate up by taking a lap or 2 around the court! ...Somehow I only had 2 bouts of abdominal strain! You get into a serving groove & the next thing you feel like your guts are about to push thru your belly! The only other troubles I had had to do w/ racket choices! Some can exacerbate "tennis elbow!"
***Quite frankly I don't think Kei's body's made for tennis; like how many X's has his body parts been injured? He does play an offensive style of tennis, gets in a good position in a tourn., then gets injured; either has to retire or WD. He's exciting to watch when 'on' though he's not getting any younger.***
***VS Top 10
ReplyDeleteDjokovic 225-103
Federer 224-123
Nadal 178-99
Lendl 166-92
Wks @ #1
Djokovic 346+
Federer 310
Sampras 286
Nadal 209?
YE #1
Djokovic #7?
Sampras 6
Fedal 5
Big titles
Djokovic 61
Nadal 57
Federer 54
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Most ATP singles wins as World #1:
1. Djokovic - 418
2. Federer - 417
3. Connors - 390
4. Lendl - 366
5. Sampras - 322
6. Nadal - 250
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Note that Djokovic has played 5 yrs < on the tour > Fed, but he's beaten > top 5 players & top 10 players, meaning his comp. has been relatively tougher.***
For some strange reason that doesn't seem to sink into the skulls of some Fedal fans! They blast Nole's accomplishments invoking this age diff., but stats show = w/o mentioning Roger, he's done > in < X! Very TROLLISH!
***The per. from '15-21 is where old players have feasted like never B4 & the next rung of players couldn't do anything . There were @ least 2 gen. of players who pretty much won nothing of note. (The Dmitrov, Raonic, Nishikori, Delpo, Cilic, Goffin, Thiem). Players who prior to '15 ranked outside top 10 & 20 became top 5 & 10.
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The following gen. won nothing outside of Cilic & Thiem, but that's b/c they followed The Big 3, 3 outlier players who dom. tennis in a way never seen B4. On top of that, Nadal/Djokovic's gen. also had Berdych, Murray, Tsonga, & Wawrinka to contend w/. It wasn't like Cilic, Nishikori, Raonic, & Thiem didn't @ least contend. They often went deep in Slams. They just couldn't overcome 3 players, all contending t/b GOAT @ the same X. Delpo was just unlucky that he was injured 1/2 his career & Nishikori & Raonic have also had to deal w/ ext. injury. It's not that they were "very weak," but that their opp. was very strong. You can't get any stronger > 3 simultaneous potential GOATs. In any case, '21 has seen a changing of the guard as Med, Zverev, & Tsitsipas have come into their own. Tsitsipas beat Nadal @ the AO, Zverev beat Nadal on clay in Madrid, & Medvedev beat Djokovic @ the USO. This gen. of players has already been beating Federer > often > not. Now they'll go into matches w/ Nadal as the faves & into matches w/ Djokovic w/ = odds.
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I'm a big Bjorn Borg fan from the 70's, but I'm surprised Leo got a WC w/o playing in the qual. Rds when he's 2000+ in the World. He plays Tommy Paul in the 1st Rd. I wonder how many games Leo will win?***
Bjorn w/b in the stands to watch! S/b very nastalgic & a real event for the tourn. = if Leo's slaughtered 0 & 0 by Tommy! - It might end up being the same circus when Borg's 1st wife played & won a small tourn. back in '80; "game, set, match, & chp. Mrs. Borg!"
I awoke this morning to hear, see, & digest that Aaron Rodgers considered himself immunized from Cov-19, but now found to have LIED to all concerned! He supposedly had some kind of alt., but it had not been approved t/b enough so he & the team are in trouble after his maneuvering around other players & press conferences w/o a mask! What a douche! Just another reason to have complete disgust w/ the self-entitled persona of Rodgers! So far he's only to miss game vs KC Sunday, but > punitive measures should & will occur!
ReplyDelete- Aaron Rodgers considered himself ‘immunized’ w/ vaccine alternative -
***I know it's been characterised as a lie, but it's really not. Misleading yes, but he was extremely careful w/ his wording. Also my understanding is that the Packers knew all about it. It wasn't exactly a secret in-house. The only issue is whether he was fully compliant w/ the protocols for the unvaxxed. When he used the word "immunized" it should've raised a red flag. I will say that when he referred to the unvaxxed as "them" that was taking the misrepresentation to the next level. Sneaky lit'l bugger.***
What made it worse was that Rodgers wasn't observing 'any protocols;' unmasked, glad-handing & greeting folks, & going into press conferences seeming w/o a care in the world! He needs t/b punished severely along w/ the team!
***Dr. House says everyone lies. Don't forget it. - Who cares? The scamdemic is over.***
Hard to believe we have = one of this type of people living in the country, but unfortunately there are millions which's why we w/b waging a war on this flu for yrs to come!
***IDK if any other player has lied or @ best misled everybody about this particular thing. It has been reported that the vaccinated people can pass the virus to others, so how much of a health hazard was Rodgers in this instance? IMHO, this could wind up in court w/ the NFL suspending him & injunctions against that suspension & other judges issuing a delay of those injunctions. IOW, a real nut-roll. Rodgers is a great QB, but he's also a real prick.***
I was a huge fan of Rodgers from the beginning = though I lived in Chgo! I gave him every benefit of the doubt from Favre refusing to reliquish the reigns yrs ago to blaming others for a Packers' loss! His buck-passing turned into elevated arrogance thinking he should have a say in personnel changes & hires! He's making close to $40 M and like so many of these prima-donnas out there, "it's never enough" to satisfy them & their egos!
***According to vid the NFL was fully aware he was unvaccinated & did nothing. I think if I was one of the teams that were penalized I'd be suing the NFL.***
I wasn't paying attn., but faintly heard from Dan Leb. on TV an NFL player was fined over $14,500 for brk'n of protocols! It's logical Rodgers w/b paying back fines regard< if the league knew or not! He's been exposed as a LIAR! The way Aaron was walking around as if he didn't have a care in the world & saying he "passes no judgment on players who haven't been immunized!" What a great guy!
Novak acquired a few notorieties by winning Paris Masters today over Med; a rec. 6th title, won Paris Clay event too, & now holds the rec. for 37 Masters & a 7th YE #1!
ReplyDelete***The idea that Fed had the >est game is >ly debatable...
Nadal. "I played vs a player who did everything perfectly. IDK anybody who's ever played tennis like this. Since I know this sport I've never seen somebody playing @ this level." (On Djokovic after getting demo'd @ Doha)
Toni & Rafa have always admitted that they never could find a strategy vs Novak, but had one vs Federer
...Others have said that Djokovic attained a >er level > Federer. The stats sort of prove it. Novak has all the recs & has been as dom. as Federer ever was. Novak was able to win all 4 Slams in a row & almost won CS: Fed could never do it. Novak has beaten Federer in 3 Wimbledon finals & bested Nadal twice @ RG.
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Hence the term ‘Lit'l 3’ when ref. top NG'rs - no chance of being the next ‘Big 3.’***
After the act of Fedalovic, will there ever be another "Big 3?" Their dom. has been unprecedented in the OE! We may never see their like again!
***We'll see lots of baseline grinders like Djokovic. M/b a few really dom. def. clay courters like Nadal. Federer... never again.***
People aren't speaking on their styles, but the prospects for that kind of dom.! I say it won't happen in my lifeX!
***I think Novak has started to edge forward & away from not only Rafa, but also Roger. If he retired right now, we could say m/b Roger's overall rec. is = or slightly >er, or m/b Rafa will win enough to = or surpass Novak. But given where we are now & the probable future, I think it's becoming harder & harder to say that Novak doesn't have the statistical edge. If I ignore the #'s & just ask the ??, "Who's the >est player of the 3?" My answer is....well, it is unanswerable. Novak doesn't "feel" greater > either Roger or Rafa. He's reached Rogerian levels of dom. although not for 4 yrs str. like Roger in '04-07. He's seemed unbeatable, but never quite like Rafa on clay from '04-14.***
It's hairspitting going on here & now trying to make an issue of the level of dom. instead of looking @ the overall pict. & recs! Well that's 1 way to elevate someone running in 3rd place to the top of the podium! Regard< of our feelings, 100 yrs from now they'll only look @ the raw #'s & w/o a doubt Djokovic's owning the rec.bks! I wasn't sure he could finish off Medvedev in Paris yesterday b/c I don't think he's particularly played well since his defeat of Rafa in the FO SF! He never had to extend himself to win Wimbl.! The USO caught up w/ him not up to his standard; just good enough to stay ahead of these newbies who are aging fast w/ failure after failure to usurp the throne!
***So B4 Djokovic broke all these recs, the argument was 'Roger GOAT b/c Roger has the recs.' Now that Novak broke the recs, change of tone, 'Well, BUT, Roger had the >est game'
The ??'s by what measure? I can see the 2nd argument having some merit IF Novak had played 25 yrs, grinding wins w/o dom. & Fed dom. for 5 yrs like no-one else could. THIS IS NOT THE CASE. Djokovic has been as dom. as Fed ever was. The Djokovic of '11, '15-16 was as dom. a player as you will ever see, = won 4 slams in a row! He was trouncing Nadal on clay (in '11)... So not only does Novak have the rec.bks., he was as dom. as Roger. Also, Novak has > complete results across surfaces.... yeah, = > Roger. ...In the end, it comes down to who's game we preferred to watch, who was > aesthetically pleasing, & who our fave player was?***
***I hope to see Novak get in about 14-15 tourns. a yr. But X'll tell. I w/b shocked if he doesn't go to the AO since he already lost the opp. to win the '20 Wimbl. & USO. I do still think he'll get to 380-400 wks @ least in the next yr. w/ m/b some wks #1 for Medvedev interspersed here & there.***
ReplyDeleteDream on; SORRY! This is about as much as we're gonna see of Djokovic I'm afraid to say! I doubt he'll go out of his way to hold the #1 ranking after this yr.! Majors are his last "must have" which will set him apart from Fedal! He's already accum. all the other meaningful recs includ. the Double CGS, a Nole-Slam, 2 Golden Masters, 37 Masters 1000 Chps., won 9 AO (3 str. twice, '11-13 & '19-21), & now 7 YE #1's OTTH! Nole can only + to these #'s as he did 2 days ago in Paris!
***You m/b correct. What has been lost in the Big 3 Goat debate is that these guys have driven each other. If Djokovic wins 2 slams next yr., = his drive may decrease since he'll > thoroughly have cemented the GOAT debate.***
Novak m/b treating Med as Nav'ova did w/ Graf; her last major rival B4 retirement! Nole only has 2 choices; use Med-threat to drive him for a lit'l bit >er or lose interest after winning a couple majors next season! Heaven knows Sampras lost his comp. spirit after winning Wimbl. in 2000 over Rafter! He went over 2 yrs w/o a single chp. win, stealing that last USO over Agassi in '02! Novak has the chance to pad his #'s w/o Fedal to contend w/ as much w/ the NG'rs out there pretty weak-minded & unable to finish him off!
***Hurkacz could make some noise in the Red Group @ YEC this coming wk.***
Very impressive @ X's! His Wimbl. win this yr. over Fed's still worth watching! Hurkacz's the 1st Polish player to make a name for himself since Wojtek Fibak back in the 70's! Woj coached Lendl for a bit B4 Roche took over in mid 80's!
***You can say this any tourn. for Hurkacz. He won a Masters then lost 5 in a row, then had a great Wimbl. run. He's such a hit & miss player who you don’t know what you'll get. That'll always cause problems.***
We've been so spoiled by the excellence of Fedalovic we're not being very fair to the NG'rs of this era! They're good, but have a mental deficiency when it comes to playing the BIG 3 & can't seem to overcome it! Sinner went down to Murray yesterday & he's nowhere near what he was when thought t/b part of the Big 4!
***People say '04-07 & '17-21 are weak eras j/b they were so spoilt in btwn. You have Sampras B4 them w/ 14 Slams which was the > in OE history & in the last 20 yrs, 3 players not just passed it, but destroyed it. Tennis might become fun for a while in a few yrs when you have diff. winners as it w/b > unpredictable, but the level w/b so much of them going forward. - Yeah he’d match Fed's rec. of 6 titles & also match Feds rec. of winning the event in 3 diff. locations if he does win the title in Turin next wk. Another wk. that can bring > source of big motivation to Novak. Every tournament now he’s looking to smash yet > new recs in.***
***The last 18-yo's in the top 20 were Nadal & Gasquet. Even Delpo, Novak, Andy, Roger, & Hewitt didn't make it until they were 19.
ReplyDeleteBy my accting, here are the Open Era players to make it to the top 20 as 18-yo's, going back chronologically by birth yr:
'03: Carlos Alcaraz (pending)
'86: Rafael Nadal, Richard Gasquet
'82: Andy Roddick
'74: Andrei Medvedev
'72: Michael Chang (@ 17)
'71: Goran Ivanisevic, Pete Sampras
'70: Andre Agassi (17)
'68: Kent Carlsson
'67: Aaron Krickstein (17), Boris Becker (17)
'66: Stefan Edberg
'64: Mats Wilander (17), Jimmy Arias
'60: Ivan Lendl
'59: John McEnroe
'56: Bjorn Borg (17)
As can be seen, the biggest gap by far is that 1st one, 17 yrs btw Alcaraz & Nadal/Gasquet. There were quite a few of the players born in the 60s & 70s, & thus turning 18 in the 80s & 90s. Michael Chang was the last 17-yo in the top 20.
Or to brk it down:
17 18-yo's in the top 20
12 of them (71%) won @ least 1 Slam
9 of them (53%) won 6+ Slams
3 of them (18%) are what @Fiero425 called "Boy Wonders" (Carlsson, Krickstein, Arias) who went on to have rather disappointing, if still solid careers. I suppose Gasquet could be considered such.
Andrei Medvedev (no rel. to Daniil, afaik) won 4 Masters in the mid-90s, but after finishing #6 in '93 (@ age 19), faded & never finished in the top 10 again, despite reaching the '99 RG final, losing to Agassi in 5 sets, despite winning the 1st 2 sets 6-1, 6-2. That was after def. Gustavo Kuerten in the QF.
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...The Djokovic haters will pt. to Djokovic dom. '11-21 when Fed was past his prime. They'll ignore any high level Fed attained btw '11-21 & just double down that he was just not @ his best. Djoker haters will also make excuses for Nadal in '11, a yr. he battled Djokovic for 6 major titles, in Masters' finals (IW, MIA, MC, Rome, W, USO) & after a '10 season where he won 3 slams. They'll claim Rafa's prime was '06-10... and totally ignore Rafa's '13 season & fact that he = became #1 as late as '19. The power of rationalizing is extremely powerful in us humans.
Here's how this becomes such a circular argument. So Djokovic was lucky '04-07 Fed wasn't around btw '11-21? Ok. Now where was peak Djokovic btw '04-07? So right back at you... now we are back to square 1; reaching a dead end here.
So 'past' his best Fed was able to beat '11 Djokovic in FO semis so 'imagine' peak Fed! Well, 'baby' Novak beat '07 Federer in finals of a master, imagine peak Novak!
So Djokovic dom. '15-16 during per. when Rafa was injured? Okay, so, what about '17? Djokovic had a nagging injury that yr. He didn't play after Wimbl. & guess who ended up #1 that year? Rafa. Meanwhile, Fed, who had been dom. by Djokovic @ AO & = Wimbl. ('14-15 finals) sneaked in AO & Wimbl. wins. So coincidence that Fed won '17-18 AOs whilst Novak was dealing w/ injury after being owned by Novak @ AO for yrs?...
...We never saw '04-07 Fed face off vs '11,'15-16, &'21 Novak. However, here's a fact. Fed was able to summon his peak level after '07. He just wasn't able to dom. day in day out as he did. Fed didn't just suddenly drop in '08 & never was able to play his peak level again. This is just extremely dumb. The man was winning majors in '17 & '18! Same, Novak in '08 was playing great tennis. He beat '07 Fed in finals of a masters & dom. Fed in '08 AO. ...Nadal started his career in '05 & '06; '07 was only the beginning. Rafa's best yrs were '08, '10, '13, & in '19 re-gained #1. Those who say he was @ his best in '07 are either Fed fanatics or Nadalites; as they're laying the foundation to make excuses as to why Rafa was sub-par during Djokovic's domination.***
***Novak had to subdue 2 GOATs & his own gen. who want to bring him down.
ReplyDeleteMurray+Stan+Del Potro + Nishi are like quad of Hewitt + Roddick + Safin + Nalby
So Novak facing all of them is like Fed facing his own gen. & an add'l Fed+Nadal from late 90s + early 00s who are est. ....how tough would that have been for Fed?
...Except:
1. Fed lost once combined to Hewitt, Roddick, Safin, Nalby from '04-09 in slams & = in that match he had a MP
Djoko lost 4 X's to Murray, Stan, Nishi in '12-14 alone. Of course he lost to Stan twice in '15-16 & Querrey in '16.
2. Fed was only a real factor vs Djoko in 2 out of the 12 slams from '12-14 (Wim.'12, Wim.'14). Contrast to Nadal in '05-07 who faced off vs Fed 5 X's in slams & was a real factor in all of them. OBTW, Nadal faced off vs Djoko in slams 5 X's in '12-14, the exact same.
Fed also faced Nadal from '05 & Djokovic from '07 itself. Something which you conveniently ignore.
...Like I said, Fed won 8 slams from '07-12.
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Since quite a while it was btw Nole & Roger. Nadal > one step behind the Maestro.***
Not t/b shady AF, but he'll always run a distant 3rd IMO! Nadal has tons of accomplishments, but the imbalance bothers me where he has his OG's, a CGS, & 13 FO's w/ his obvious superiority's only on clay! Fedovic have 11 YEC's btw them while Rafa's only gotten a sniff making 2 finals! Again, just pointing out the facts over the many yrs, Rafa's motivation to = play tennis seems to wane after the FO; hence 2 Wimbl. 4 USO, & few Masters in isolated good Summers in '10 & '13! Roger tech. s/b in 3rd place since Nadovic have a H2H edge over him, but his "style & grace" on the court has t/b acknowledged! How many X's have I given demerits to Nadal for having one of the ugliest games to watch? Each Era should prob. be allowed their own GOAT feeling down the line someone will come along to surpass Novak's recs! I know it won't happen anyX soon! His #'s collectively w/b X< when we thought it w/b Roger being lauded 100 yrs from now! Laver's still my overall GOAT, then Borg, m/b Sampras, but the #'s belie any attempt rationally to put Nadal @ the top = if he went wild & collected 4 > Majors! The overall shortcomings would tilt towards a > rounded player from the past!
***IDK how you say "obvious imbalance on his resume" right after you note that Rafa has a CGS. There's a lot of subjectives in your post here ...Yes, he has 13 FO titles, & lots of clay titles, but he also had an All-X great on HC & grass on one end of his career, & an All-X great on HC w/ a game that transitioned to grass later on the other end. ...I don't see anyone putting Rafa @ the top, = w/ 4 > Majors, but I do see that there's a Big 3 in this era, & that's hard to discredit completely.***
I think Borg is a legit. rival to Nadal in any era! Bjorn dom. RG like no other B4 him @ the X, dropping only 2 matches to the same player; Adriano Panatta ('73 & '76)! Unless you lived during that era, you wouldn't remember that Borg physio-system was superior w/ a very low heart rate! It was why you had t/b a very aggressive & successive attacker of the net to defeat him on the slow crushed surface of the Terre Battue! B4 retiring he defeated Ivan Lendl in the '80 YEC Finals in NY & RG the following yr. in '81! As much credit as people want to give Rafa, the racket tech's assisting him so much! Borg played w/ a stick & tight strings & somehow won 11 Majors; 3 Wimbls. right after winning in Paris the wk. B4! Borg truly was a genius on the court while any others pale in comparison no matter how many clay titles recently vultured over the yrs!
***...The list:
ReplyDeleteSage Steele
Jason Whitlock
Larry Elder
Candice Owens
Tim Scott
Allen West***
WTF for? They aren't trying to "pass" for White or believe cons. are fair & =table when push comes to shove? The list are mostly a-holes w/ their own selfish agendas siding w/ malevolent forces @ X's like the Rep. party! That's not Obama or Harris! ;-(
***I agree w/ you on the list, but I still think Obama & Harris belong on that list j/b they lie to Afro-Americans to get elected & then forget about them when they get their position & help everyone else instead of Black people.***
I understand where you're coming from, but if they so much as lift a finger to obviously help Blacks, you'll hear their detractors speaking of favoritism! You know the game! The Clintons were all for Gay rights, but it cost them early on back in the 90's & cons. went on a Jihad vs gays in the military! It continued thru "W" in his re-election in '04, but the overkill brought about Gay Marriage! We can only hope they keep overreaching so it backfires, but right now the lines have been drawn! We're a grievance society & everyone's only looking out for themselves instead of the country!
***We shg all the favoritism from the Obama admin. for 8 yrs, but we didn't get nothing b/c you know this country has gotten over 400 YRS of free favoritism out of Black people & we need to start paying them for that favoritism.***
Unfortunately Obama was a lit'l weak in trying to appease "the right!" He ejected > Mexicans back home > any Rep. in the past; was still someone to spit on & disrespect! I won't ever forget that treatment of the man & his family! All Reps are scum as far as I'm cocnerned! How they can still align w/ such hateful people is beyond me; esp. after Jan. 6th!
It'll prob. be another 100 yrs B4 we can = speak about race w/o boths sides blood pressure going sky high! There's White guilt on 1 side & resentment by Blacks how slow "so called" = rights have come to them on the other! Like the Jews wandering the desert for 40 yrs for offending God, it's gonna take a lot longer to get over not just the injustice of America's past, but the evil intent that persists trying to fight change! Trump didn't help the situation; pretty much exposed some sleeping giants of bigotry & hatred unfort.! Reps have shown their entire ass, but somehow they hold the reins of gov't across the country! B/c they're cons. & speak the truth they like to hear, they're willing to sacrifice their own lives & the lives of their kids as COVID continues to ravage "red states!"
***You know politics buddy. Enjoy the rest of your day; mask up & stay safe.***
***We can argue all day about ephemeral qualities such as Roger’s “beautiful game” or who each player faced when winning these big titles, but as @Fiero425 pt.'d out, history will not consider these things. They’ll look @ the #'s on Wiki to see who tops the various lists.
ReplyDelete---
...I don't see this era falling into some dusty & ossified list of stats. As long as there are sports, there w/b sports "nerds" who will delve deeper. I don't see this era as ever 100% settled. And why should it be?
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Fed Skipping AO is very alarming, but Wimbl. is concerning b/c it's his best opp. to remain comp. vs the top 20. The mind is willing, but the body isn't capable. I hope I'm wrong.***
You're kidding right? Roger barely survived his early Rd. matches vs nobodies! Mannarino might've beaten him but for his injury!
***You're too eager & quick to poor dirt on poor Roger's career.***
It's fk'n well overdue IMO! I won't miss him! It's X for the NG'rs to take over; it's been X! Oldies but goodies are just sucking up all the oxygen = when not playing! Novak's the only one really accomplishing anything while Fedalray are just taking up space in the news & ATP draws w/ WC's & over-inflated rankings!
***The NG'rs have only themselves to blame. They’ve had yrs to prove themselves, & have failed to become > dom. > the Big 3. You can’t blame the “oldies but goodies” for succeeding, thus making headlines — they’ve been doing exactly what the NG'rs shb doing for ages. We’re finally seeing some success w/ the Next NG'rs such as Medvedev, Zverev, & Tsitsipas, but let’s face it: they’re succeeding during a X when the Big 3 are waning.
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...You could argue some dom. player of another era, but not one of these 3.***
Sure we can! Djokovic has set recs that may never be approached & he did it in a shorter amt of X since everyone makes a deal of his age! He's already surpassed Fedal in so many ways; Double CGS, Nole-Slam, 37 Masters event, 7 YE #1's, & obviously wks @ #1 is huge! Nadal's not looking to set recs b/c he's nowhere near doing it! I'd say that to my detracters as well!
***Nole had 7 slams going into his 28 yo season. - Zverev wins the 1st set 7-6(4) w/ some > shots @ crucial X's in the 1st set of this YEC SF. Highly comp. 1st set.
It's come down to nerves and Sascha's has held up pretty well so far! I'm very impressed! Not sure how mot. Djokovic c/b to fight just for the privilege to allow Med to take him to the limit! It w/b just to match Fed's rec. of 6 YEC's! Nole might allow Roger that bone from what I've seen of the match!
***One of Sascha's main problems' been 'focus' in matches, though he seems t/b 'tuned in' so far in this match; quite frankly knowing he has to.***
Focus & what I've been nagging about for yrs, "the will to finish off the elites!" That's been the saving grace of the Big 3 gobbling up all the major events! Too often when ahead, some players find a way to lose crucial matches vs them! Obviously not so much now, but %'s been in good stead for them for almost 2 decades & only lately break-thrus w/ the NG'rs! I didn't sweat Novak going down to Stefanos in the FO final = when 0-2 in sets! Med's the only one who doesn't seem to quiver @ facing Novak! It was quite surprising Med got s&v'd off the court in Paris 2 wks ago! SURPRISE!
***I think we have been 'spoilt' by the Big 3 over the yrs & expect these players like Med, Zed, & The Young Greek TBA to play @ a high level, & brk-thru winning GS & Masters events. All players dev. @ their own pace, others not @ all. Lets see how those players dev. in '22 & win a major. Med did win the USO in > style this yr).***
***Which are the best OE seasons?
ReplyDelete'69: Rod Laver won the GS when 3 of the 4 majors were on grass & the AO had a bye in this era.
'74: Jimmy Connors won all 3 majors that he played. He DNP the FO due to the WTT ban. Connors beat Ken Rosewall 6-1, 6-1, 6-0 to win the USO in the > lopsided major final victory ever.
'79: Bjorn Borg won 2 of the 3 majors he played, losing the USO QF to Tanner. As usual, he DNP the AO.
'84: John McEnroe won 2 majors, having lost the FO final to Lendl after a 2-0 set lead. He DNP the AO (on grass) due to a wrist injury. His 82-3 rec. is the best for a single season in the OE & he started the yr. w/ a 42-match win streak.
'86: Ivan Lendl won the FO & USO & lost to Boris Becker in the Wimbl. final & DNP AO. Lendl won the YEC w/o dropping a set while beating #4 Edberg, #3 Wilander, & #2 Becker in a row. Also won YEC earlier in Jan. B4 move to Nov.
'05: Roger Federer won 2 majors & lost in the SF's in the AO & FO to Safin & Nadal, respectively.
'06: Roger Federer won 3 majors & lost the FO to Nadal. In his 92-5 rec., 4 losses were to Nadal & 1 loss was to Murray.
'10: Nadal won 3 majors & went out to Murray in the AO QF's. He swept the clay Masters 1000s for the only X in his career.
'11: Novak Djokovic won 3 majors & lost the FO SF to Fed. He had a 43-match win streak, the 3rd longest among men in the OE, & went 10-1 vs Fedal combined.
'15: Novak Djokovic won 3 majors & lost the FO final to Wawrinka. He won the WTF for the 4th cons. season, & reached 15 finals in 16 tourns. played. Djokovic is the only player ever to beat every player in the top 10 in a single yr. going 31-5 vs the top 10 (86%).
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How's Djokovic '15 running away w/ this over a 17 title CYGS season from Laver & Mac's absolute masterpiece of an '84?***
All kinds of recs were set in '15; winning 3 Majors, 6 Masters events, the YEC, & accum. the > ATP pts ever! Laver & McEnroe were geniuses in their own right, but their path was made simpler w/ limited comp. & surface changes! Novak won anywhere & everywhere & truly dom. the tour! Both Laver & McEnroe were pretty much done afterwards; esp. John who never made another major final! Nole actually got >er; hence '18 &'21!
***Players by Total Big Titles:
62 Djokovic
57 Nadal
54 Federer
33 Lendl
32 McEnroe, Sampras
31 Connors
27 Agassi
25 Laver, Borg
23 Becker
20 Murray
15 Wilander
14 Edberg
13 Rosewall
12 Newcombe, Nastase
9 Courier, Muster, Kuerten
8 Ashe, Vilas, Chang, ZVEREV
Players w/ 4+ big titles in a season, by # of seasons:
10 Djokovic
9 Nadal
7 Federer
5 Lendl
4 Connors, McEnroe
3 Laver, Borg, Sampras
2 Rosewall
1 Nastase, Wilander, Edberg, Becker, Agassi, Muster, Rios, Murray, ZVEREV
By > big titles in a season:
10 Djokovic ('15)
9 McEnroe ('84)
8 Federer ('06), Djokovic ('11)
7 Lendl ('86), Fed ('04), Nadal ('13)
6 Laver ('69, '70), Sampras ('94, '97), Fed ('05, '07), Nadal ('08, '10), Djokovic ('14, '16), Murray ('16)
5 Nastase ('73), Connors ('76), Borg ('79, '80), Lendl ('82, '85, '89), McEnroe ('83), Wilander ('88), Fed ('17), Nadal ('05), Djokovic ('12, '13)
4 Rosewall ('68, '72), Laver ('68), Connors ('74, '78, '83), Borg ('78), McEnroe ('78, '81), Lendl ('87), Becker ('88), Edberg ('90), Agassi ('95), Sampras ('95), Muster ('95), Rios ('98), Fed ('09, '12), Nadal ('07, '09, '17, '18, '19), Djokovic ('08, '18, '19, '21), ZVEREV ('21)***
The tour was quite fractured early on B4 the ATP consolidated everything in '90! You had independent tours where players like Nastase & Connors played, The WCT going up & down in importance for others, while the ITF was still responsible for the Majors! There were tons of lucrative exhs. & shoot-outs; esp. back in the 70's! Money on the tour was still miniscule in comparison to today so $$ was > important to make over winninng tourns.! Lendl & Wilander made it > important to win majors by going to all 4 early on when > players skipped The FO & AO! Borg made the FO what it is today by winning 6 of 8 yrs he played! I never really gave Connors much "due" b/c of those 2 major wins over an old geezer; Rosewall!
ReplyDelete***M/b this was the > unpopular move in tennis history to change format of DC.***
Tech. we can fault the entire tour for how they've weakened > of the >est tennis recs by changing formats, dates, & other requirements to win! I know they want to speed up things to elim. 4-5 hr. contests, but that c/b done by speeding up play & not allowing relentlessly toweling off X along w/ challenges to calls! The game has sped up requiring super excellence, but allowing so much X btw pts, that's what's extending the X on matches! Make the player suffer w/ a lit'l sweat! The ball bouncing, toweling off, & challenging every call c/b cut if there's a will to do it! We all know it won't happen; esp. after they've "whiffed" @ dealing w/ all the extraneous noise & grunts that come out of these players! Idiotic!
***Can Nole match Steffi's rec. wks @ #1? (377)
I'm not for ATP/WTA comparisons in gen., but still... it c/b 1 last obj. if he decides it.
...It means he needs 24 > wks if he wants 378.
24 wks... in a nutshell until after RG.
If my ct. is correct, he would have 376 if he loses it on Mon., June 6th (after RG).
In other word If after the RG final he's still #1, he'll wrap up his 376th wk. & have this rec.
He's now 2900 pts ahead of #2 Medvedev & 3700 ahead of #3 Zverev... big & small @ the same X.
#4 Tsitsipas is 5000 pts behind & has way too many pts to defend until RG. Virtually impossible he catches Djokovic up by RG.
In Australia, they'll drop...
Djokovic: 2650 (2000 Melb.'21 & 650 ATP Cup '20)
Medvedev: 1700 (1200 Melb.'21 & 500 ATP Cup '21)
Zverev: 750 (720 Melbourne '20 & 30 ATP Cup '21)
Btw Australia (ATP Cup + Melbourne) & RG, they'll drop all the Covid pts
Djokovic: 500 (Dubaï 2020), 70 (IW + Miami '19), 90 (Monaco '21), 340 (Belgrade + Belgrade2), 500 (Madrid '19) and 600 (Rome '21). Total : 2100
Medvedev: 250 (Marseille '21), 270 (IW + Miami '21), 180 (Monaco '19), 150 (Barcelona '19), & 90 (Madrid '21). Total : 950
Zverev: 500 (Acapulco '21), 180 (IW'21), 90 (Monaco '21), 45 (Munich '21), 1000 (Madrid '21), 180 (Rome '21) & 125 (Geneva '19). Total : 2100
In RG:
Djokovic: 2000
Zverev: 720
Medvedev: 360
Total (approx., rounded to 50) pts dropped until the wk. after RG
Djokovic: 6750
Zverev: 3600
Medvedev: 3000
Zverev's currently 800 pts behind Med, but will also drop 600 > pts by RG. That means Med has > chances to take over #1 by RG.
Zverev's 3700 pts behind Nole & Djokovic will drop +3150 pts.
Therefore, Zverev needs to win 550 > pts > Djokovic btw now & RG if he wants t/b #1 by RG.
Medvedev's 2900 pts behind Djokovic & he'll drop +3750 pts.
Therefore, Djokovic needs 850 > pts > Med if he wants to secure #1 until RG.
If Djokovic doesn't play in Australia, he can kiss this rec. good-bye for now.
If Djokovic plays AO, he'll basically need slightly >er results > Med btw now & RG.
Djokovic has a huge adv. over Med during the clay season, but Med can rack up A LOT of pts btw Rotterdam / IW / Miami if Djokovic skips the Sunshine double.***
***Going back to the days of Borg, Connors, McEnroe, Lendl, Sampras, Agassi, Safin, Fedal, & Murray, not one of those gentlemen would have played the role of this Drama Queen. History may &'ll look back unfavorably on the reign of this current #1.***
ReplyDeleteYeah, let's totally disregard, forget, &/or forgive the "Diva" antics of Nastase, Connors, McEnroe, Agassi, & Becker! Please! They're > famous for being A-Holes really! McEnroe's cleaning up in commercials on that petulant persona created by "the tennis brat!" I'll take the articulate & > down to Earth character of Novak over Connors or Becker anyX! He's disappointed me over this issue of C-19 & common sense, but there's no reason for him t/b held > accountable > political leadership around the world that keeps strife going in one way or another! Deflecting to this one man is not going to prove anything!
***Did anyone else see Novak in favor of Best of 3 @ Majors? Thoughts?
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Well, you w/b taking away the tradition of BO5 sets @ the Majors. How many X's have we seen a player come back from 2 sets down & win. We'd lose that possibility & the excitement that generates. Many players are slow starters & need BO5 to prevail. W/ BO5 the >er player usually finds a way to win. W/ BO3 the loss of a serve or a poorly played TB can end an individual's campaign. I know I'm simplifying the process, but let's keep the BO5 in the majors.
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Agreed. Plus, switching to best-of-3 would negate the sport’s entire history of statistics & records. Winning Wimbledon 8 X's, RG 13 X's, or the AO 9 X's wouldn’t be as difficult to achieve, thus taking away the efforts Federer, Nadal, & Djokovic have put into winning them.***
Finally a fk'n voice of reason! IMO it w/b insane & blasphemous to lower the level & history of majors like this w/ BO3! They have been around for over a century & to placate spoiled, petulent athletes that don't want to "work for it" w/b a travesty! Making these historic events BO3 is a joke & I hope it doesn't happen in my lifeX which is short thank GAWD!
***We won't see blue clay until Rafa & Novak are either gone or insignificant.***
They hated it! Novak only played to get one Rd. further > Rafa to help him get his ranking back up! The stuff was made for > aggressive players like Roger!
***The issue had NOTHING to do w/ the color BLUE--the court was new in Madrid & had problems w/ dampness that made the footing problematic, but Roger & Serena who won had no complaints.***
I never said it had anything to do w/ the color! The > traditional clay players couldn't deal w/ how slippery it was! Rafa & Novak afraid of "pulling" something!
***I can pick up the ball on RG clay as clearly as on a HC, so I have no complaints. The other clay events should just copy them. If its a ?? of TV clarity....***
That's where the $$'s coming from! Those seats & concessions are a small fraction of the $$'s that come into these major events! Whenever they belly-ached about prize $$ I always rolled my eyes! The $$'s obscene all around tennis when players were just hoping for a couple rackets & food $$ to show their skills!
***...The blue clay court was primarily a marketing gimmick sold as functional. I didn't think it = worked well on my TV @ least.***
I couldn't see much going w/ such a dark background of that deep blue color! Going to optic yellow balls was such a game changer when tennis took off in the mid 70's! Wimbl. of course was rather late to the party staying w/ white balls until the 80's suggesting "all tournaments should follow our lead!" What a bunch of jerks!
***Novak's not > mature > Rafa, but it takes him < X to get his trust confidence to where it needs t/b tourn. match tough. Fiero m/b you can pipe in & + something to it.***
ReplyDeleteYou covered it! I believe = in Rafa's advanced yrs & supposed maturity, he still needs a lot of practice & matches to feel confident competing @ his highest level! I think a lot of it has to do w/ him playing left-handed = though he's a natural righty! I'm surprised > shots don't go wayward due to this forced way of playing the game!
***Exactly 100% correct. He's playing w/ his "off" hand. Good post Fiero!***
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Wow! Murray's not doing much t.b taking this match in Mubadala! Nadal's just not all there! How can he be a fave "down under" playing like this?
***Dude relax. Mucho tranquilo. It's just an exh. Rafa couldn't beat Murray who is the.... jajaja***
I can't be exercised by 2 players I can't stand watching! I'm rather indifferent really, hoping for the inevitable changing of the guard!
***Murray was the better player today. Rafa had over 41 UFE. Quite frankly I didnt think he'd win. Rafa needs > match play, so I hope he'll play the ATP pre-tourn. in Melbourne B4 the AO.
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I also have players that I don't like. I just don't watch them un< they're playing my fave players.***
I love a good humiliation of Rafa or Andy! IMO it's just a lit'l > embarrassing for Nadal to go down to a "pusher" like Murray!
***...If you're a fan as I am, I'd much rather have him be terrible today, and have a match under his belt B4 he plays in Australia. Good for Murray, who really seems t/b eager to return to the tour & challenge for titles again.***
I ony give Fedal fans GRIEF b/c Novak isn't allowed a bad outing; EVER! ...The hyperbole's always out of control b/c Nole's normally the > prepared of the the Big 3 each & every X he goes out there! The rare upsets occurred '17-early'18! Drama had t/b going on behind the scenes so I give him a pass! I used to think Ivan Lendl was the All X true "Iron Man" of the tennis elites! It's the reason he owns the AO = w/ the many wins of Fed! What's helped is Nadal's never ready early in the season; hence only winning ONE "down under" after so many attempts! Now I've jinxed NOVAK!
***Nole's just obsessed w/ records.***
Novak has no choice but t/b obsessed w/ tennis recs b/c favorability & tennis intelligentsia say being the GOAT is btw Fedal & no one else!
***Yes, he has to keep winning & winning if he wants t/b finally acknowledged by the Western estab. & their media puppets as one of the >est champs ever. As an Eastern kid from a war torn poor country, he simply has no choice in this regard. - Djokovic should've won in '16 & '20 if we're completely honest. In a way he underachieved, as he should have 9 ITF World Chps titles by now. :( ***
Those were 2 travesties thinking about a player w/ 2 majors & 2 finals in another major & the YEC in '16, but is YE ranked #2 behind a player w/ 1 major & a bunch of 500 level tournament wins! It was actually a deficiency for Nole winning 3 majors & the YEC in '15, but can win YE #1 w/ just 1 major on occasion like '14! Something needs t/b done; m/b give > pts for majors!
***Navratilova is superior to Graf for 2 reasons:
ReplyDelete01. Navratilova @ her peak never had any rivals who owned her, unlike Graf who struggled a lot w/ Monica Seles.
02. Navratilova @ her peak in singles was also a champ. doubles player, can't say the same about Graf. Now don't say that doubles don't have any bearing on GOAT. It does when we are discussing @ the >est level as to how good a tennis player's coordination was on court @ her peak w/ other teammates in a team match. This also matters.***
It begins & ends w/ Navratilova as far as I'm concerned! We can't just say her doubles rec. doesn't ct. toward her "owning" the OE w/ 59 Majors, winning 9 Wimbls., 167 Single titles, 177 in doubles, taking 6 majors in a row over her closest rival, & spanned a career @ the top from BJK & Goolagong to holding off the young 'uns Graf & Seles! Winning her last major @ 50 can't ever be surpassed!! Graf's rec. will always have an * behind it due to Seles being stabbed! Serena just doesn't have the body of work coming & going; lit. holding the women's tour hostage @ X's waiting for her to return after another extended, vol. absense! No other top pro ever did such a thing! How can she be thought the "GOAT" w/ 1/2 the rec. of Navratilova & Evert outside of Single Majors? Martina prob. would've won > singles majors if she wasn't so busy playing into the night in doubles to the very end of her career! It had to of taken a toll on her mental & physical energy over 30 yrs!
***True, Navratilova's hands down the GOAT. Serena isn't = close in doubles & that's a big gap. I just separated Serena b/c athleticism has gone up in the 21st Century & Serena stands tall in the modern era, so she too stands out in her own w/ the #'s & longevity. But no doubt Navratilova @ peak was quick w/ her hands. She's the GOAT if everything taken into acct., all IFs & BUTs considered.
We can def. make a case for Navratilova. What I'd like to + is that out of all the women we are talking here she's the only one who had to face another (borderline) GOAT candidate in Evert for almost all her career (on top of a young, but already very good Graf towards the end). Neither Graf nor Court nor Serena had anything comparable. Would Graf have won fewer slams w/ a healthy Monica around? Sure, but this holds true for every player if you throw another ATG in one of her best slam winning periods. Would that have reduced Graf to a 15 slam winner? Hell no.
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On a pure technique level Hingis is "the one." Rarely misses BH's, & can place it anywhere from on the court. Martina has exquisite lobs (prob. the best along w/ Murray). & redirection abilities DTL the best. If you have to consider pace too, then Novak.***
Thinking back, I can still see Hingis hitting some "sky high" lobs that dropped on the baseline frustrating the best of them by being able to stay in a pt. when Amazons started to take over in the late 90's; The Wms, Capriati, Seles, Graf, & Davenporte OTTH!
***I think Djokovic's BH is the best. Not the > aesthetically pleasing, but that thing is efficient as Hell.***
That down the line wrist shot DTL over the >est part of the net is a thing of beauty &'s "$$," embarrassing the best of them standing there looking w/o a play!
***TMF’s posts are a sign of relief amongst the sea of pro-Djokovic supporters on this forum.***
ReplyDeleteThen this is the only place! As I've belabored to death how the Tennis Intelligentsia has proclaimed "tennis begins & ends w/ Fedal;" stop any alt. discussion! It's a joke in the grand scheme of things no matter what we say or do as Nole-Devotees, the balance is against Novak = w/ all his stellar #'s & recs achieved! Fedal's pedestal's set too high in the sky for any other intelopers believing t/b = close to them! It started here on this board musing "Novak's finished b/c he didn't complete the CYGS!" I feel sorry for anyone to = think such a thing after watching this man prepare for just about any contingency for the last fk'n decade!
***For Fed & Djokovic 3-slam seasons:
'04 YE top-3: 23 yo Fed, 22 yo Roddick, 23 yo Hewitt
'06 YE top-3: 25 yo Fed, 20 yo Nadal, 25 yo Davydenko
'07 YE top-3: 26 yo Fed, 21 yo Nadal, 20 yo Djokovic
'11 YE top-3: 24 yo Djokr, 25 yo Nadal, 30 yo Federer
'15 YE top-3: 28 yo Djokr, 28 yo Murray, 34 yo Federer
'21 YE top-3: 34 yo Djokr, 25 yo Medvedev, 24 yo Zverev
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In gen. it’s really quite diff, to win 3 slams in a yr. & all efforts s/b applauded.***
Seeing this achievement, I just wonder how Nadal's in the convo? It's ridiculous to = muse about him being the GOAT w/ that much of a deficiency in his rec.! He couldn't stay on the court very long B4 brk'n down; hence his rec. @ #1 a serious joke! People throw out that he has 1 extra USO! SO what? Novak has 6 Wimbls. to Nadal's 2! We can't use #'s much in any way to elevate Nadal to status of Fedovic, but it's nuts IMO!
***I feel Laver did not have any pressure for his CYGS compared to what Novak had in '21, even Steff's OGCYGS might not have much pressure on her since she was young & new. Even Becker once was asked on his wimbl. @ '85 & he said that back in those days there was no social media. Pressure was <, now the pressure on a teenager/a player is massive & that's why you dont find teens dom. the sport now as B4.
Is that true? M/b in the modern era Laver or Graf or others who did win all 4 slams wouldn't win them if they were competing now. Pressure now is unthinkable and far > ...***
I think it's amazing Djokovic, @ his age w/ all these accomp. newbies actually got to the 28th Major match! I was concerned only w/ Medvedev! That's no 2nd guessing after the fact BS! I knew Nole's only way of getting thru the tourn. was if Daniil was upset! He's like Mecir, 'The Big Cat' getting around the court & massaging the ball back forth w/ power & touch! Novak has t/b @ his ult. best playing very aggressively! He was softened up by Sascha in SF so I wasn't surprised in the least that Med won comfortably! Novak whh to play like he did @ the AO or Paris Indoor; playing a rather ugly match of overstriking & keeping the pts short! He actually S & V'd his way to that Masters win in Paris! Novak wasn't playing that well & Med was on his game to make short work of him! I have to ?? the intelligence of anyone who's been trying to undermine or diminish this accomp. by saying "he's done!" That's insane, but many think he won't win anther major! Those same geniuses think Fed can compete @ Wimbl. for yrs to come! So disturbing!
***The '93 AO's the one X her fans saw Graf crumble under the sustained pressure from Seles. This was not a one-sided drubbing nor a narrow loss (like RG). It was a hard fought match, but one in which Seles prevailed by a good margin. There was every poss. for the script to have played out very diff. had Seles not been stabbed. ...Graf was in a funk in 91; esp. regard< of Seles.***
ReplyDeleteI watched that '93 AO Final! I was no fan of Graf's, but I was almost hoping she'd win! Never a Seles fan w/ the way she played; esp. making all that Fk'n noise after every shot! It was ugly tennis! Graf was up a set @ a brk! I was screaming @ the TV, "go the net & finish off the pt!" Seles was just not missing & Graf lit. choked this match away b/c of her intransigence w/ trying to go toe to toe! At Wimbl. Steffi attacked the net so we know she can do it! It seems after all this X, an * will have t/b attached to Graf's rec. as Seles had her # except on grass! They had some tough matches, but Monica was just stronger mentally! The longer the match the >er for her b/c Graf would crack eventually! She just wasn't accustomed to someone outlasting her except for the few X's w/ Sabatini & Sanchez-V.!
***I agree on much of what you say except the Wimbl. part. ...In order for her to remain in that zone, she had to keep her gameplan very simple & this was beginning to become her undoing vs Seles b/c Seles was so brilliant @ anticipating. The '93 AO has brilliant exhibits that indicate how things may have panned out.
2 exhs:
...Graf's in all sorts of trouble though she defends brilliantly to prolong the pt. But Seles, like Agassi, could hit a brilliant off-bounce smash from the baseline & Graf has no answer to that weapon.
...You can see Seles start to step into the court to take on the Graf slice &'s able to seriously rush her by doing that up 4-2 in the 3rd. So the moment Graf's able to get out of that mini-crisis, she lets Seles have a crack @ her FH side instead.
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IDK what happened btw the ears in Graf's case, but after '89, it seemed (@ least until '95) that Graf didn't enjoy comp., as in battle. If she couldn't win easily, she got frustrated or = flustered. In this match, she started slowly, played >er in the 2nd set, but again faded away in the 3rd.***
Some tumultuous goings on during that per. concerning her dad, his cheating on her mom, then the tax evasion that sent him to jail! That may have contrib. to it!
***I get that, but it actually got = > toxic in '95 & she just shut out all that stuff to clutch it out. She was not able t/b that way in '90-94. I think her twin losses to Seles on clay in '90 rattled her & after that, she started doubting herself = vs other oppts.***
She was having problems w/ lit'l known players like Amanda Coetzer, then a couple of big losses to Mary Pierce!
***I think the Coetzer problems started > later (in '97-98), but yes, got blown off the court by Pierce @ RG. That poss. set up her Wimbl. capitulation. - The simple truth is nobody knows what whh if no stabbing. Yes Seles was winning > of the slams over those 2 yrs, but they weren’t easy romps. She won a couple slams after saving MP's v the likes of Mary in ‘91 AO semis 6-3, 0-6, 9-7. That score & that quality of opp. doesn’t look like an ATG who’s unbeatable. Navratilova was a granny @ the X, but she beat Seles 4 X's in '91-93 per. In fact Navratilova @ age 37 beat Seles in their last ever meeting in '93 before stabbing.***
I'm guessing that last match in '93 was Paris Indoor! Martina just relentlessly attacked Seles & volleyed out of her mind to overcome Seles @ her best!
***After today's debacle (game vs Saints), Antonio Brown's about as secure w/ the Bucs as he ever c/b. Bucs just lost 3 of their top receivers to injuries (Evans, Godwin, Fournette).
ReplyDelete---
Well Brady didn't like losing last night. Walked up to Saints coach @ 1 X & reportedly said "eff you." Then after he threw an interception, threw a surface Pro tablet, shattering it.***
Even that "toss" went wayward & missed the mark! Losing his core receivers got Brady out of his "nice guy persona" as he cursed Saints' interim-coach Dennis Allen last night! Tom's just tired of being embarrassed on Nat'l TV by this team as they've done him in by a lot 4 of their 5 meetings! Brady won their playoff game last season!
***I can understand his frustration, but I never like to see bad sportsmanship. There's just no excuse - these are grown men. Go home & throw something if you need to.***
I couldn't've enjoyed the game > if the score was > lopsided! I get so tired of "The GOAT" talk w/ Brady! The team wins w/ him, but if they lose, it's everyone else's fault! Skip Bayless slurps him up & down every single day! There are no saints out there! I've always thought Brady a fraud, but nothing's stuck to him so far; = w/ all the scandals while back in NE!
Seems like no team wanted to clinch as top contenders not only lost, they were smoked like Detroit detroying Arizona! New Orleans shutting out The Bucs had t/b the > entertaining last night as Brady was so distraught; rocked w/ X sacks, a forced fumble, & an interception!
***Antonio Brown 'no longer a Buccaneer' after top<, mid-game meltdown vs. Jets. Leaves the game in the 3rd Qtr.***
This is all on Brady! The coach didn't want to have anything to do w/ the guy; actually putting his foot down earlier, but the Primma Donna TB12 overrode him like he did when Belichick wanted to dump him yrs ago by going to the owner! All these guys are a-holes who aren't just happy winning, they want to accomplish > by getting Brady the MVP which is so out of reach! Mahomes blew it today vs Cinn. & Rodgers should secure the title if he completes the deal over Minn. tonight!
***It has to the coach. They have way too much talent on both sides of the ball for it to not be the coaching staff.***
I just find it hilarious how The Cowboys are like The Yankees getting all kinds of pub & respect = when they suck by getting prime game X's vs good teams who defeat them pretty easily @ X's! It makes no sense to me! They haven't done shit in over 25 yrs! I've seen them go down in flames to backup rookie QB's, injured QB's, & = "over the hill" QB's! Why do they get props all too often when we know they're really hot garbage &'ll falter when under the gun?
***When 2 ATGs face each other on grass (assuming they are both great on the surface), the younger will almost always win due to decline in athleticism, speed, etc. Remember Navratilova vs Graf @ Wimbl.? Steffi leads their H2H, but Martina's still the >er & greater grass player & nobody (sane) would deny that. I also rarely see people praising Fed's wins over Novak & Murray (these 2 players have won 8 Wimb. titles combined) back to back in '12, which was a great achievements & you wouldn't expect him to pull it off @ the age of (almost) 31.***
ReplyDeleteWe think alike! Having the most titles doesn't measure ability & talent! Borg won 5 in a row, but I'd never say he's the best grass court player! That's ridiculous! Even though I can't stand McEnroe, he's one I wouldn't want to play; esp. w/ that can-opener serve out wide! I had such a X w/ left-handers B4 rackets went high tech in the 80's! W/ wood, I was absolutely helpM @ X's! Becker's another 1 w/ all the talent in the world, but only 3 Wimbls.! Djokovic might end up the GOAT, but I'd never say he's the best on grass w/ 6 Wimbl. wins so far! It was kinda funny how he was favored last yr. to win & barely put up a sweat def. all comers w/ Fedal out of the way; Rafa hurt & Fed wasting his X trying to survive early Rds! If 1 > person says he thinks Roger's comp. @ Wimbl., I think I'll throw up! He barely got past the 1st Rd. by Mannarino getting injured!
***Djokovic turned 23 in '10. That's the age when Fed won his 2nd Wimbl. It isn't like Novak has been mediocre for a long X.***
You c/b assured that > fanatics out there who think tennis begins & ends w/ Fedal believe Roger did it all; the earliest & the >! Rafa has wins that we can't = find in rec.bks! It's prob. why I favor Novak so much; having to overcome so much to get = the smallest of recognition by the Tennis Intel!
***Roger's big prob.'s he lost @ his pet slams to the 2 young guys. W/ Roger never losing W in '08,'14,'15,'19 he whh 24 slams. I guess end of the day pet slams makes a huge diff., the way Rafa has defended clay, Novak has defended his AO. Things don't look well for Roger despite being the best player on grass. M/b that's why 2 youngsters are level w/ him now & have punctured his GOAT status.
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Djokovic deserves credit for staying in his prime longer & @ an older age no <.***
I grew up where age was just a #! If you had the ability & talent of a champ., it didn't matter if opps have 10+ yrs age diff.! No one gave Rosewall a brk for being 10-15 yrs older > Connors going down in flames to the new gun, why'd I give Roger any grace just 5-6 older? He made a Wimbl. final in his 20th yr. of being a pro & had 2 MP's vs Novak! How can we use age much when it comes to players "in the elite?" This is about talent & resolve! When Novak was injured & going thru personal drama behind the scenes, Fedal took advantage of that & split the majors btw them for over a yr.! Fedal are synonymous w/ tennis & age isn't thought about! Novak's the anomoly where he wins regard< of being in his peak or not hanging in there = if he isn't playing well! Medvedev was the only player I was concerned w/ @ the USO where Nole was trying to complete his CYGS! Novak puts stress on himself when playing Daniil either falling apart losing in str. sets like he did or "over playing" shots as he did @ AO over him or S & V action to take Paris Masters over a month later! It's not age which determined their match & the age diff. is > pronounced btw them & Fedal!
***The only ?? once Nole solved those breathing & stamina prob. was when the next ATG would come in to challenge 30 yo Novak. That not happening has shaped a lot of this narrative. ...It w/b interesting to see if he deals w/ it >er > 34-35 yo Fed. I'm not seeing that person, so perhaps Novak can mount a >er rec. > Fed has since 94-10. He's got to come from behind @ the USO & Wimbl. to have >er career %'s > Fed. I'm not surprised that his rec.'s >er > Fed's @ the FO & AO. The 2 players are pretty =ly matched if you take all surfaces into acct.
ReplyDelete---
Peak/prime Federer never lost to Murray @ the slams & post-prime Fed lost to him only once. But this has nothing to do w/ Nole losing '14 AO, '15 RG, & '16 USO to a player he once owned.***
You can't win them all or Fed would have over 30 major! Spare me! Your standards like > is wholely out of perspective due to excel. of Fedalovic! It makes no sense to put their standards against other players! I certainly wouldn't do it to them as X goes on! Everyone have to lose some matches! Nadal was hard to beat @ FO, Nole rarely lost "down under," & Fed "USED" to own Wimbl. & the USO! X's change! You have t/b smarter > that!
***It isn't enough that Rafa & Muzza are practically the same gen. as Nole & had to deal w/ them throughout his whole career. Two players as the proof was the toughest opps to Fed & had + H2H vs him = as babies during his ERA + Fed himself!***
It doesn't matter! Fed fans'll find a way t/b in total denial when it comes to facts, pics, news, & social media concerning the achievements & support given to Djokovic! The delusion is real!
***LOL, in 1 breath, Murray's not very good. In another, he's = to Rafa or Novak. Which is it? And where's Murray been since '17? "Whole career..."
Also, where's the ATG that emerged in '17 to challenge 30 something Djoker?***
Maybe Medvedev! You never know! I think he's been as successful as Novak @ the same X; prob. ahead of him! He's made 3 Major finals, won 1, & took out the #1 player while doing it! Hmmm, sounds about the same really +ing on the YEC he won 2 yrs ago!
***Jury's still out on Medvedev for me.***
It was for Novak as well! B4 he got his gluten thing & breathing issues taken care of he was thought t/b a choker or quitter! It was all over here & the media!
***Yes, we don't know what we don't know. Here's to an unpredictable future.***
Nole knows he can leave Aust. anyX, but he's playing Hamlet & actually dividing the country from what I hear in the news! There are 2 factions in the country, the tour, & tech. people around the world! It'd prob. rival giving Borg the boot in Paris '77 due to him playing WTT! I had forgotten until recently that it wasn't on him that he didn't play the FO that season! I thought he just left for Wimbl. early to get in extra practice defending his title! Normally Bjorn had < a wk. to acclimate himself to grass! M/b Tiriac helped so his charge, Vilas c/b thrown a bone by taking that FO! He only had 1 > chance & that was in '82 vs another freakin' Swede; a very young Matts Wilander!
ReplyDeleteWatching news clips from around the world & Australia in particular where Nole's PR's working! Tennis Aust.'s made to look foolish along w/ pols > concerned w/ their own popularity in an election yr! Just saw Justin Quill of Chan. 9 say "Australia's being made to look like oppressers" the way they've treated Novak, the #1 player in the World! Now Zali Steggall is lambasting officials! I said this was going t/b a mess & it has; really much >er > I thought! Now Chris Smith's giving it a go agreeing it's been shameful; the pols & treatment where food w/ maggots being served @ that dump hotel!
***When the topic about vacc. came up months prior, PM Morrison backed off & tried to distance himself from it by saying this decision & who w/b permitted to play in the AO he'd defer to Victoria. It w/b up to Victoria he said. When the backlash happened after Djokovic got the exemption, that's when he wanted to play political puppet master & regened on that earlier statement, & made a real mess of things in the process. He also called Victoria X X's trying to get them to approve Djokovic's visa b/c he wanted to keep his hands clean, & they said "no, that's your job." Every decision he made in regards to Djokovic was pol. & he got burned in the end, which is what he deserved.
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He's a liar. Not in any way involved w/ the process which is Border Force & the Ministers of Immigration & Home Affairs. - I'm told we're not expecting to hear from Immigration Minister Alex Hawke today. - There's no pressure to get rid of Novak. The usual suspect wants to look tough on protecting borders. So a tennis player w/ a visa issue happens t/b avail.***
...The process was archaic & unprof'al which's why he's walking around free as we speak! It mhb nice for him to follow along w/ the rest of us & "take his medicine," but there have been some other top athletes out there who've skipped "the poke!" ...The rules don't alway apply! It chb done quietly, but "they blew it" trying to make an ex. of him! Now it's backfired & there's a possibilty this could have lasting affects on the tournament's future! A ton of top players have already bowed out; a few uncertain due to injury! The draws are already becoming decimated! Do they really want to "boot" Novak w/ that heavy contingent of Serbian fans? I mean it might get real ugly down there!
***Clearly there has been confusion btw the state of Vict., TA, the Fed gov't, & now the courts that represent the gov't. But you are right to say that Novak has skirted resp., & gets away w/ it b/c that's what the elites do. It's just that that's a bitter pill to swallow for the man-on-the-street. And he/she/we don't like to have it thrown in our faces. This is a PR nightmare in many ways, not least for Novak. But I don't think the AO has to suffer. And the draws have not been "decimated," you drama queen. I think there is every chance of a really interesting tourn., men's & women's, = if Novak gets the boot. Novak's far from the only story in tennis, & I thought you were a proponent of other players making a mark.
***Nole's dad said that his son's "being held captive." Novak's free to leave anyX!***
ReplyDeleteNovak's playing Hamlet & actually dividing the country from what I hear! There are 2 factions in the country, the tour, & tech. people around the world! It'd prob. rival giving Borg the boot in Paris '77 due to him playing WTT! I had forgotten until recently that it wasn't on him that he didn't play the FO that season! I thought he just left for Wimbl. early to get in Xtra practice defending his title! Normally Bjorn had < a wk. to acclimate himself to grass! M/b Tiriac helped so his charge, Vilas c/b thrown a bone by taking that FO! He only had 1 > chance & that was in '82 vs another freakin' Swede; a very young Matts Wilander!
Nole's PR's working! Tennis Aust.'s made to look foolish along w/ pols > concerned w/ their own popularity in an election yr! Just saw Justin Quill of Chan. 9 say "Australia's being made to look like oppressers" the way they've treated Novak, the #1 player in the World! Now Zali Steggall is lambasting officials! I said this was going t/b a mess & it has; really much >er > I thought! Now Chris Smith's giving it a go agreeing it's been shameful; the pols & treatment where food w/ maggots being served @ that dump hotel!
***When the topic about vacc. came up months prior, PM Morrison backed off & tried to distance himself from it by saying this decision & who w/b permitted to play in the AO he'd defer to Victoria. It w/b up to Victoria he said. When the backlash happened after Djokovic got the exemption, that's when he wanted to play political puppet master & regened on that earlier statement, & made a real mess of things in the process. He also called Victoria X X's trying to get them to approve Djokovic's visa b/c he wanted to keep his hands clean, & they said "no, that's your job." Every decision he made in regards to Djokovic was pol. & he got burned in the end, which is what he deserved.
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He's a liar. Not in any way involved w/ the process which is Border Force & the Ministers of Immigration & Home Affairs. - I'm told we're not expecting to hear from Immigration Minister Alex Hawke today. - There's no pressure to get rid of Novak. The usual suspect wants to look tough on protecting borders. So a tennis player w/ a visa issue happens t/b avail.***
...The process was archaic & unprof'al which's why he's walking around free as we speak! It mhb nice for him to follow along w/ the rest of us & "take his medicine," but there have been some other top athletes out there who've skipped "the poke!" ...The rules don't alway apply! It chb done quietly, but "they blew it" trying to make an ex. of him! Now it's backfired & there's a possibilty this could have lasting affects on the tournament's future! A ton of top players have already bowed out; a few uncertain due to injury! The draws are already becoming decimated! Do they really want to "boot" Novak w/ that heavy contingent of Serbian fans? I mean it might get real ugly down there!
***Clearly there has been confusion btw the state of Vict., TA, the Fed gov't, & now the courts that represent the gov't. But you are right to say that Novak has skirted resp., & gets away w/ it b/c that's what the elites do. It's just that that's a bitter pill to swallow for the man-on-the-street. And he/she/we don't like to have it thrown in our faces. This is a PR nightmare in many ways, not least for Novak. But I don't think the AO has to suffer. And the draws have not been "decimated," you drama queen. I think there is every chance of a really interesting tourn., men's & women's, = if Novak gets the boot. Novak's far from the only story in tennis, & I thought you were a proponent of other players making a mark.***
***...Another blunder. A huge # of people in this world think that the Olympic Games are the biggest sporting event.***
ReplyDeleteIt used to be anyway! I haven't cared for the OG's in decades, just watching the Fig. Skating every 4 yrs if comp.! The commercialism took over back in the 80's! His Excellency, Juan Antonio Samaranch corrupted the process as the IOC grew w/ outright bribery going on to host a Games! I was so glad we didn't get the '16 Summer Games! I'd've had to leave Chgo. for a few wks!
***Seles was never going to win the GS w/ her being incapable of winning that event. That achievement was far beyond her skillset.***
Well, women's tennis was a lot weaker back then! Seles might have snuck in a win @ Wimbl. if enough happened to facilitate an easy final! There have been plenty! Do I really need to reference one of the weakest after all the top players were upset in '94; Conchita vs old lady Martina?? It was embarrassing when Tauziat was def. by Novotna & Bartoli over Lisicki! Seles was able to come back 2+ yrs after her stabbing to make a USO final in '95 losing to Graf, then won AO in '96! Seles' game mhb limited, but she found a way to make #1 above Graf for yrs as a teenager!
***...And Seles was not trashed by Graf twice. Don’t fabricate however desperate you are. ...in matches where Monica’s edge over Graf, her mentality, plays its part. Still teen, but > improved of course, Seles “vultured” the '92 RG & '93 AO too I guess. You know, right before the stabbing, after which Graf started dom. the slams again. And yes, Sabatini & Novotna sucked all the confidence out of Graf; by no means it was Seles.***
Some fans can't see the forest for the proverbial trees! I got another one who thought Seles wouldn't deserve a Wimbl. if things didn't fall into place! I guess they're ready to take all the odd winners of the chp. & remove their names off the trophy like Martinez, Hingis, & Bartoli! Idiots!
***IIRC Tracy Austin, Andrea Jaeger, & Martina Hingis improved after age 19.
Austin? - The girl who as a 16/18-yo was 9-3 win/loss vs peak Evert '79 - '81; 8-4 vs peak Navratilova from mid-'79 - '81.
Jaeger? - The girl who as a 15-yo beat peak Navratilova 4 X's in '80/81; & as a 16-yo beat peak Evert 3 X's in '82.
Hingis? - The girl who won 3 slams @ age 16 & was #1 for 209 wks.
Seles? - The same prodigy, but not an athlete. This type of player usually fizzles out very fast. Only 1 player who had supreme success as a teenager & later - the great Steffi Graf (a.k.a. GOAT)!
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B/c Fed's close to Djokovic in age to beat him, Their age diff. is only 6 yrs. If their age diff. was 13 yrs or = 10 yrs, do you think Novak will lose?? Can you imagine anyone born in '75 or anyone born in '77 beat '87 born Djokovic in 2010s? It's impossible.
So Graf (her peak yrs) losing twice to Navratilova despite 13 yrs age gap's what seriously punctures her argument for GOAT & of course Seles factor is also there, 4 FO's + 1 AO = 5 slams flat from '93 onwards which we can reduce from Graf's tally. Those'd all be won by Seles. At W+USO, yes Seles was not very good, but Seles was a 2 X USO champ too; could expect her to take 1-2 slams there too = though it was her weak surface. That's why I said 6-7 slams w/b reduced from Graf's tally of 22 w/ Seles there. This is only fair b/c Martina played majority of her career in the presence of another GOAT candidate in Evert, so some adjustment has t/b done for fair comparison.***
***At this stage, the tickets are sold & the TV rights secured. The absence of Novak won’t affect the income of AO if they decide to deport him.***
ReplyDeleteThe Event can still end up having a huge cross to bear if they make the wrong decision! Tech. there's no right or wrong decision since this has gotten so big making Int'l news all day long! Novak's the #1 player in the world! This stall isn't helping! Taking away his Visa in the 3rd Rd. would end up looking = > punitive than kicking him out now! It'd happen! I'm just shocked to see this happening so late in the game!
***If they're going to take away his visa, it should happen today or tmrw. That, however, may not make him leave the country, or prevent him playing some or all of the tourn. His expensive lawyers can block his expulsion. But I do agree that if they're going to yank his visa, they should get on the stick, & do it in the next 48 hrs. They're already looking weak on the issue. If they wait >er, Djokovic & his lawyers'll really have made them look like chumps.
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What is your all X top 10 for ladies?***
...Martina Navratilova the GOAT! I don't GAF about Serena, Graf, & Court w/ their limited resumes!
1- Navratilova w/ 167 Singles, 177 Doubles titles, 74 match winning streak, won 6 Majors in a row, 9 Wimbledons, a "Box Set" completed @ AO '03 w/ Paz, taking her last major @ '06 USO approaching 50 yo! NUFF said!
2) Serena - She chb the GOAT but for limited play interest & injury! She literally came & went from the tour on whims!
3) Graf - Hard to put her anywhere near the top since we all know her resume's inflated due to Seles being stabbed in '93!
4) Court - She has 62 Majors to her credit, but > of them in pre-Open era when AO was lit'l > a Nat'l Champ. B4 the mid 70's!
5) Evert - Won 157 titles along w/ 18 Majors; > a clay court great IMO!
6) Seles - No real fan in any capacity, but she was on a trajectory t/b an ATG but for the stabbing!
7) Henin - Did a lot w/ that lit'l body of hers! Most women were Amazons in comparison, but she got the job done!
8) Hingis - Limited resume, but she did a lot B4 age 20, being the youngest to win a major, 3 AO in a row, & held the #1 ranking for over 200 wks!
9) King - She's the Mother of women's pro tennis & deserves > credit > her 12 Major titles!
10) Venus - Limited game & very few wks @ #1, but strong when she didn't have to play Serena or Hingis!
Just OTTH you understand!
***Nice List. I agree w/ it... Seems fair. Truly Martina & Serena are the champs..... The 1 & 2. A cut above the rest. - Steffi won her 21st slam @ 27 & then had a "reconstructive" knee surgery. Her resume's deflated bigly; that she has only 22 slams' a cruel joke. She was still improving @ age 26/27 & would've dom. @ least until age 35.***
You're kidding right? Who cares about drama behind the scenes? Other players have injuries & despicable family members! That's not part of the rec.!
***They just deported Novak. Australia's lost. I thought the people would stand up to that tyranny. I was way wrong.
ReplyDelete---
1. Austr. grants him permission to come into country
2. Austr. denies him citing invalid medical exemption
3. Judge sides w/ Djokovic by pointing out Austr. didn’t cancel visa by following due process
4. Austr. then changes tune & admits exemption was valid (inval. their original cancel decision), but that now Djokovic had become a threat to public order. LOL. Has anyone seen any evidence he was the leader of anti-vaxxers in all of '21? A threat to civil order, like some terrorist? Djokovic has never been a leader of anti-vaxxers, they just made him one in order to create a villain to save face due to their failed policies.
The > X goes by, > & > will see Djoker as a victim of politics & a hero... & then he'll get the slam rec. & go down as GOAT & an activist hero fighting totalitarianism. I think this is all great for Djokovic legacy.***
The majority of the populous was weighing their own frustration "living the life" in Austr. the last 2 yrs! From what I hear it was oppressive how they locked things down for months @ a X! They don't want to see a celebrity skirt the rules = though it was their own gov't that allowed a loophole! This is on all 3 governing bodies: Victoria Prov., The Fed, & Tennis Austr.! Someone approved a Visa for Djokovic so it's not on him as much! He was autho'd to fly in from someone! This whole thing turned unnec. into "Brk'n Int'l News" for over a wk! Someone shm a definitive dec. to deal w/ the situation on Day 1! If going hard, GO HARD & not = give Djokovic any reprieve or appeal! Again, this is on local governing bodies & judge!
***I’m embarassed for some who support this j/b you don’t want Nole to beat your precious Fedal in slams. He will; far superior to both of them today & has been past 10 yrs. It may = happen @ FO, which w/b amazing.
Ya'll s/b ashamed of yourselves. Here’s a guy who's arguably the GOAT &'s shown us all how to work hard & persevere. The Austr. gov't granted him an exemption, tried to cancel his visa on invalid grounds (admitted), court sided w/ Djoker, then EO using completely diff. reasons (that he's a threat to public order), then cancels visa. The judges cave in given how embarrasing it whb for Novak to def. the gov't.
In many ways, this is great. Novak's now seen as a hero & fighter for freedom vs totalitarian regimes. Austr.’s incompetence & failed policies unearthed & on the spotlight around the world. He has detractors? The same people who didn’t like him B4 so no change here, but he’s now seen as a fighter for freedoms and oppression. He'll get all the recs, he’s just a >er player > Fedal for rest of their careers.
"Thank U Nole for staying strong & fighting evil oppr. & totalitarianism! Go FO! Wimbl.! USO! You w/b fresher & > mot. > ever! Screw AO, U have 9 of them. Your GOAT status w/b enhanced by bal. your slams wins > =ly. Go Novak! Hero activist & GOAT!"***
***I think Mats Wilander is on some type of medication...saying he "loves to watch Rafa" & he's such a motivator & a problem solver. Just last month he suggested Rafa should retire. lol!***
ReplyDeleteWell, he's not totally insane! After Novak won his FO in '16, m/b got to about 12 majors, he thought a new GOAT had come of age! He assured us that Djokovic would overtake Fedal & brk just about every rec. they held! ALL TRUE!
***Apparently he was off his medication when he said that. lol! Matt changes his opinion on players like the wind. - He must've taken lessons from McEnroe.
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Murray should "go out" how he wants, which is prob. fighting until he's 100% broken.***
.
All the > entertaining to see him play as well as he ever has, but having lit'l to no impression on this kid ranked outside the top 100! Murray's out there as well, getting accomm. by 14 of 16 tourns. to avoid qualifying! How long can he keep taking advantage of his status pushing a > deserving player out of a tournament? He's good for 2 or 3 Rds if he can play his mind games w/ >er players! I didn't apprec. his way of playing since the beginning! I said he was destined for a wheelchair if he insists on grinding out all his matches instead of "taking it to them:" esp. in early Rds! Nadal has the same brain disorder; allowing lower ranked players to take him to the limit unnec.!
***He should @ the very least have one last go @ Wimbl. Connors reached the SF of the USO after some surgeries. Murray might have one last good deep slam run. Wimbl.'s his best shot to go deep.***
I'll never understand people thinking j/b players like Murray & Federer are so seasoned & understand the surface well, they can manage a late run on grass! Federer had his & then some w/'19! Those days are gone! Today's kids pound the ball & it's not enough to anticipate well & dig deep to hustle down bullets being shot @ them! Federer was embarrassed last yr! The man had t/b delusional to think he was going anywhere after Mannarino took him to the limit in the 1st Rd! It was only a matter of X when someone who #'s the ball was going to run him ragged! I've lit'l to no sympathy for players like Andy who thinks he can continue playing that silly def. game @ his age!
***It’s like watching an ex-heavywt. boxer who's just going to get hurt b/c they no longer have the skills they had B4. It’ll just hurt Andy’s legacy IMO & he has nothing > to prove.
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No one's forcing him t/b out there. ...it could enhance his legacy! The guy's playing on a replaced hip. I'm not sure people understand how impressive that is. Dude's a FREAK. He's making finals of tour events & = won a title last yr. over Wawrinka.***
***Antonio Brown has been a problem child either on or off the field his entire career. B/c of his immense talent he was coddled & that behavior was tolerated. This enabled that behavior & it only got worse.***
ReplyDeleteWe need t/b > specific! Tom Brady was the one who overrode common sense by vouching for this clown & saying "everything w/b ok!" WRONG! It's not like Brady doesn't know! They've worked together B4 off & on thanks to the headcase this guy obviously has been over they yrs! It's embarrassing to see someone who knows the whole sports' world is watching him, but goes out in a blaze of glory no other player in history will ever outdo short of shooting someone on the field, ala "The Last Boy Scout!"
***He's so talented that his character flaws have been overlooked. SomeX's it works out for both the team & player. Last yr. it looked like it was w/ him & TB. Well, he crashed & burned. Brady didn't really have a lot of exper. w/ the guy. He only played 1 game for the Patriots w/ a handful of practices. All Brady knew about him was that he was extremely talented.***
That's making excuses for someone who's "a felon!" Committing fraud w/ a fake Covid card's irredeemable IMO! Yeah I'm cop, prosecutor, & judge! I'm skipping being any part of a jury as their decision making of late has been as contemptable as actual crime they're adjudicating! AB has had every opp. & allowed every latitude! TBF, I'm also done w/ that lying POS Aaron Rodgers for being another doctor/scientist wanabee! He ended up coming down w/ C-19; +ed irony that he tested common sense by going to a crowded Halloween party dressed as "John Wick!" Of course he could've contaminated the whole locker-room if not for HQ protocols! He poss. could've infected the press when he wasn't wearing a mask in those media rooms!
***Brady, like Rodgers would sell their grandmother to win. Brady cheated in NE. Getting AB, the headcase onto his team's just his MO.
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I bet there w/b very lit'l support for keeping Novak in the draw &'d welcome his removal.***
Well DUH; they want to win! ...Right now, Austr. has every right to make conditions for entry, but separate entities w/i have confused the issue leading to this debacle! That isn't on him = though all this chb avoid by "a poke!" The thing is, he isn't the only top athlete objecting to this mandate! In the States we have Kyrie Irving who lost millions of $$ refusing to submit to local mandate! Aaron Rodgers actually deflected about his own vac. status until discovered he wasn't & picked up virus @ Halloween party! Antonio Brown was ready to commit a felony by purchasing a vac. card! It doesn't make it right, but let's not make out Novak's being the lone a-hole in the world!
***Granted Brady/Belichick. won the 1st 3 SB's b/c of defense, the next 3 were b/c of Brady (& luck). In the end QB matters > coach.***
Not sure we'll see another one of these lifeX contracts waiting for coach to have 1 foot in the grave like Shula & Tom Landry! I think Cowher got out after 10 yrs! Worked out! Eventually Belichick will have to pass on the baton!
***Raiders squeezed into the playoffs for the 1st X in a billion yrs.***
That was some confusing end to their season! They had "life & death" power over the Chargers in that last game! If tied, both whg to the playoffs! It got down to the waning moments of OT & it looked as if that would happen until LA coach called X out! That blew it! Raiders kicked winning FG & that's the end of that season for Chargers!
***The Cowboys just went down in flames to SF 49'rs. Bye-Bye Jerry Jones for another playoff yr.***
ReplyDeleteAs long as he's alive, that team will find a way to lose; esp. being favored @ Home! Over the last 25+ yrs I've seen them go down to rookie QB's, bk-up QB's, QB's "over the hill," & QB's so bad they had no other wins under their belt! The Cowboys have a way of making them all great! Hilarious! I can't wait to see the pain in Skip Bayless' face when he has to host FOX Sports', "Undisputed" w/ Shannon Sharp tmrw!
***They’ve lost to AZ 6 out the last 7 X's they’ve played them the last 10 or so yrs.***
Prob. goes back to '98 when Cowboys won the "old East" undef. in the Div.! It was a joke & they proved it by going down in flames to AZ at Home scoring only 1 TD in their playoff game! The Boys haven't been the same since "The Triplet" = w/ Parcells @ the helm! As long as Jerry puts in his 2 cts this team's going nowhere; esp. a Conf. Chp.! In my sports' lifeX, Pittsburg has had 3 coaches in 50 yrs! The Boys were stable for almost 2 decades w/ Tom Landry, but since Jerry's been the owner, their overall status' high, but results on the field have been mediocre no matter the talent! This team finds ways to lose when it really cts! It's Jerry's cross to bear after firing their best coach, Jimmy Johnson! I thought for quite a while, "this is a joke!" No man's ego is that big to put his franchise's winning ways in jeopardy! He proved me wrong, & he's been paying for it ever since! The team still makes the > $$, but they haven't won shit since '95!
***No one gets rid of the ball faster > Brady. Something like 2.5 secs.***
Please don't bring up that selfish POS! Why TF was he in the game in the 4th qtr. yesterday? He was sacked 3 str. X's on 3rd down attempts! This is about him looking to steal the MVP award & I think it's criminal! If he gets hurt on something late when his wrinkled, old arse s/b on the bench, I'm going to LMAO! He such a selfish pr!ck!
***I never understand why the starting QB's still playing when the games won. Why wouldn’t you want to give your backup qb as many snaps as you can? If I were a coach you'd always see my 2nd & 3rd string qb's when the games are blowouts.***
The same c/b said when the game's lost! Reminds me of SF SB Season of '94! They were on a tear, but Phil. was sacking & intercepting him again & again! Seifert took Young out in the 3rd QTR early since the line couldn't protect him! Grbac did his best, but he also threw 2 Int. & got sacked 2 > X's losing 40-8!
***Sun. Playoff Games (TB vs LR) & (KC vs Buff)***
It's been "upsets galore" in the NFL Playoffs since Sat. w/ Tenn. Titans going down to Cincy Bengals & GB dropping home field adv. & the game to San Fran. 49rs! Wow! Both #1 seeds are out after receiving a "bye!" Looking @ Tampa Bay Bucs now being dom. in the 1st 1/2 20-3 after sacks, knock downs, & another interception of Brady! His mouth is even cut & bloody! The personal fouls are hurting TB, BIG X! Lucky for Tampa that a fumble was called on the 1 yard line w/ 18 secs. to go!
***You know your team's in trouble when you are that close to the goal line & the coach settles for a FG.***
Well, if you recall last season, GB went for a FG in the waning mins of their playoff game loss needing an Onside Kick to = stay in it! Needing 8-11 yards on 4th Down has only been done routinely by LAC's QB Hebert vs the LV Raiders!
***And wouldn’t this be 3 in a row for the Chiefs? But a part of me wants to see Mahomes school this Allen kid. Plus I hear Bills fans are annoying.***
ReplyDeleteI was a huge fan of Buffalo way back when! They had a real cast of characters for yrs like Kelly, Thomas, Smith, Bennett, Tasker, Reed, & > making 4 SB's in a row! KC's trying to outdo them by winning his 1st already!
***Yeah, I liked Levy's Bills too--let me +--losing 4 str. Superbowls & a boatload of my $$. LOL
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KC lost, won then lost right? This w/b their 4th trip? Is that right?***
People think he lost the SB when going down to NE that last season B4 Brady went to Tampa in '19!
***Oh yeah. He got screwed in the game B4 the Superbowl.***
KC survived over Buffalo in OT! What a game; 25 pts in the last 2 min. A shame someone had to lose! Allen threw for 9 TD in 2 games &'s going home!
***I'm a Chief’s fan & couldn't sleep last night. That game & seeing 2 QBs give their all—incredible game. I look @ the AFC & see a slugfest for yrs to come: Mahomes, Allen, Burrows, Herbert, Alexander….and who knows who'll emerge w/ them? What a great X t/b a fan. I’m also continually awed by the speed of Tyreek Hill.
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In '18 the Chiefs lost in OT to the Patriots for the AFC Chp. The Patriots won in OT & Mahomes never touched the ball. The Chiefs presented a rules change for OT & met w/ a resounding NO & some suggested sour grapes. And well, YEAH, we wanted to see Mahomes have a shot in OT. Their argument was the players were so fatigued by the end of the game that a prolonged OT might create > injuries & go on & on & on. But I think there are options out there. Rich Eisen mentioned one: Let's say team A wins the coin toss & takes the ball to the end zone in 6 moves. Then team B will have 6 moves to = the score. If they don't...game over. If they make it in 5....they win.
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Who are you picking to make the Super Bowl?***
I've been a fan of KC since Schottenheimer days w/ Derrick, Montana, & Allen! I see no reason to believe they shouldn't win next Sun., but both teams s/b rather beat up! Burrows was sacked 9 X's & pounded! IDK how he won this game b/c he was under the gun all game long, but he hung in there finally winning his 2nd road playoff game! Cincy never did that B4 = w/ those great teams of Anderson & Boomer as QB's! They needed that HOME advantage, but X's have finally changed after living in the desert for over 30 yrs! Living Cal. for over a decade back in the 90's, I'm happy both NFC teams are from there! Either can make it vs KC! Mahomes has to + to his Olympic prowess in just 4 yrs! Most players go a whole career w/o sniffing this kind of success! I just can't think of a player making such a splash & still excelling past all expectations somehow! Back in my day everyone thought Marino would get back to X SB's & he never made another after '84! He was semi-owned by Buff., New Eng., & = The Jets & Colts took turns beating up on him in the old "AFC East!"
***What's your opinion on the HOF noms of Bonds, Clemons, McGwire, & Sosa? They don't belong in the HOF. Neither do Shady Brady & Belicheat of the NFL. Should any of them be in the HOF?***
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely not, esp. Sosa! He's just some "also-ran" that took advantage of the X's w/ steroids to make a name for himself w/ McGuire for all the wrong reasons! At least Clemons & Bonds had already "made their bones" B4 being caught! Brady & Belicheat will make it on the 1st ballot, early on! No one seems to care that they prob. "jobbed" the system for yrs winning those 6 SB's! I'm just so glad Phili. played out of their minds to def. them a few yrs ago! That was a great game!
***Yeah, good pt. on Sosa. I couldn't've said it >er on shady Brady & Belicheat. They're a lock on the 1st Rd. ballot HOF & sadly, NFL fans worship them as the best QB & best coach ever & don't care how they've tainted a great sport.
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Brady has a special skill level. But it's absurd to say he's the >est QB of all X. He isnt = in the top 25 & here's WHY. He had the fortune of coming into the league when Marino & Kelly were retiring in their careers so he never played vs top notch comp. as they did back in that era. Had he played vs those HOF'rs, no way in Hell do they win so many div. titles. They beat up on creme-puffs that college football teams could beat any day.
...Back in those days the QB got thrown around like a rag doll. In this era from the last 20 yrs, they've put a skirt on the QB, ESP. Brady. He's a wuss who couldn't = take a mere minor hit to the knee w/ a helmet. He missed the entire season after that. ...yeah, that was really special the yr. he lost to the Eagles, getting beat by a journeyman backup QB no <. Brady's the best QB in the past 20 yrs cause of his special skill level. I'll say that, but he sure as Hell is not the GOAT, not = close.***
I don't think Brady has shaken the hand of Foles after all this X & his 2nd loss to the Bears 2 yrs ago! That was hilarious! He was PO'd, rattled, & thought the last 4th down was a 3rd down! Genius w/o really getting rocked as he could've in the past! Chgo beat him up, but so does New Orleans & the LA Rams!
***Tom Brady has decided to retire.***
- https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1487508331967258630 -***
I was almost hoping he'd hang in there 1 > season to get rocked! Whenever he lost, commentators gave credit to the "geriatric of the league" over all else! It was usually the defense's problem, but forget when Brady scored 24 unanswered pts! The defense gave him short fields w/ X turnovers by LA Rams! Idiots; esp. Skip Bayless who schlurps Brady up almost every day! Ernestine s/b jealous!
***The Bengals defense stepped it up in the 4th. Several possessions by Chiefs, Patrick had no one open. I'm disappointed of course, but Bengals did the job.***
OCO, KC helped w/ that loss! Bad decisions across the board starting w/ that failed score just B4 the 1/2!
***That was an easy FG to take, but they got cocky.***
They never learn! No lead's safe & hubris breeds losses in the end so many X's! Karma's always smacking these a-holes in the face, but you'd think after last wkend's games of upsets, if one play > is allowed, it can cost you! Idiots! KC fk'd up!
***Brady announced his retirement now to steal some of the thunder away from the Super Bowl that he's not playing in.***
ReplyDeleteExactly! It's quite childish for someone of his age! I felt the same about A-Rod in negotiations w/ the Yankees during the World Series yrs ago! You'd think their agents w/b a maturing force for their clients image so they're allowed to pull this shit! I was such a fan of the guy going back to the "Tuck Rule" saving his arse that 1st playoff run! I was all for that perfect season way back when, getting so tired of Miami Dolphins '72 team toasting themselves when others come close! The longer he hung around the > I disliked the guy! He only gave > fuel to my animus when caught taking advantage of cheating w/ "Spy-gate!" Even w/ all his "awe shucks" persona, he just got dirtier as the yrs went on! "Good luck & goodbye TB12!"
***...I was in stitches when I discovered those pics that prove Brady is Bisexual, not = trying to hide that from the public like you would think he would want too.***
I didn't get an alert either! I hadn't seen it B4 you pointed me in that direction! Whatever; anything's possible! I've avoided sports news who continue to deify the guy! They can call him the GOAT if they like, but I'd like to see what he'd do B4 rule's changes occurred that put QB's in skirts!
***Exactly. He played in the era that Marino & Kelly did when QB's didn't have skirts on & football was football where defenses were allowed to play defense. He wouldn’t have even lasted one season for the > important reason I have stated a million X's which is there was a day & age when QB's were thrown around like a rag doll & no flags were thrown. Brady's a wuss. He couldn’t even take a mere helmet to the kneee one season missing an entire season over a tiny lit'l thing like that. If he had to miss an entire season over a mere helmet to the knee, anybody who thinks he could've surivived in that era of the 1980’s is living in a fantasyland. I guarantee you Brady went whining to go Goddell after that hit & told him the NFL needs to crack down on hits to QB's = > so than they already were @ the X.
It used t/b remarkable if a QB back in those days played into their 40’s. Now b/c of skirts being put on them, it's become the norm for them to play into their 40’s now. They don’t have to endure the wear & tear on the body as QB's back then in that era had to so it takes longer to take a toll on them than it did back in those days.
It all makes sense WHY Brady is leaving now when he is. As one other person stated earlier, for the 1st X in his life in a playoff when it's a close game. He didn't get the calls by the refs he always got in his career to advance to the SB so many X's so he whines & pouts B4 packing up his toys in anger leaving.
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The Cardinals & Lions did win NFL Chps (B4 SB's)***
I keep musing about how many NFL teams haven't = played a SB, > < win one! Even the worst teams should get there! It should embarrass some orgs. where Exp. Clubs just created w/i the last 3 decades have made Chp. Games as well as SB's, while storied, legendary teams like Detroit & Cleveland have never = had a sniff!
***The latest NFL suit has no real specifics & no legitimate reasons for the suit & to make it a class action suit. There's nothing there. Now, if Flores was told to throw games & get paid exactly $100,000 per game lost, then that's a legal issue, not a civil issue. Some people have a problem w/ rejection. They have to blame someone & throw the Kapernick claim into the mix.***
ReplyDeleteIt's one of those "no win" issues having t/b > open to hiring of Black head coaches! Being Black, = I can't say we should "make" owners hire > Black HC's or GM's, but that isn't how free enterprise works! If they're > comfortable w/ a White guy running things, = "into the ground," it's their business! The Rooney Rule was helpful in @ least getting some interviews, but we can't expect old, white owners/guys to change their spots & open their minds to a "man of color" running the show! Baltimore's @ the top w/ a Black GM, but the rest of the league sucks in this respect w/ so many minorities playing the game w/ no one of their heritage in real power to affect change! What happened? We were on track for a while w/ 6 to 7 Black HC's, now down to 1! That's sad!
***Did those coaches win? I don’t really follow the coaches. If they didn’t win then where are they now? There aren’t a lot of > players that become > coaches. Now they go into broadcasting. What's the coaching pool w/ respect to black coaches?***
I know it sounds crazy, but it shouldn't matter really! White HC's are allowed to fail for yrs, then get another job immediately after being fired! I think that's why people are looking @ this issue so much! Black coaches who're winners mean nothing @ the same X! There are plenty of them who've won SB's as asst. coaches, but aren't ever given an interview, > < a HC job!
***Lovie Smith is one that comes to mind as HC of the Vikings yrs ago? Yes, some great OC & DC coaches that are minority (Hispanic, Asian, & Black) should get >er shots @ HC'ing positions, but the asshole from Miami is way out of line on his lawsuit & hurting future complaints by legit people that were shafted b/c of their race.***
Lovie took the Bears to the SB back then in '07! He prob. should've lasted longer, but his own cons. play calling ruined the teams IMO! He got vindictive @ the end of his tenure & fired Ron Rivera who was up for his job, later going to Carolina as their HC, now in Wash'ton! He needed seasoning after errors in clock mngmt. & wasted challenges! I'd take him now! I also like what Pederson did in Phili.!
***Lovie's stupidity in my personal opinion was sticking w/ Rex when you had Orton that was a >ter clock managing QB… ...My pt. is very few minority coaches get a 2nd chance. The idiot that coached Miami isn’t helping @ all!***
Well Flores thinks he's helping the future potential HC's like that baseball player, Curt Flood demanding free agency! He knows he may never get another job!
***Is that true? I’d like to see a study on that before agreeing. I’m not disagreeing. Just one to have that substantiated.***
Both Jimmy Johnson & Bill Belicheat are thought t/b 2 of the best HC coaches & assessors of talent! Their assts are given HC jobs all over the place w/ lit'l success! Tampa Bay won SB last yr. & I didn't hear of Byron Leftwich getting many if any interviews for HC! It was warranted, but didn't happen! There are plenty of ex. out there!
***When Daniil won a set he would make the pleading gesture to the crowd, waving his arms in the air to invite them to support him. I hope he’s not going t/b needy like Djokovic. He’d get a lot > support from fans if he ignored them & let them appreciate the match their own way.***
ReplyDeleteNeedy? That's so easy to say when Fedal already get all the "props" & adulation they want around the world w/o asking! Novak's accomplished the exact same achievements if not > w/ a Nole-Slam, a DCGS, 7 X's YE #1, etc., etc., etc.!
***This w/b Rafa's 29th Major final. Daniil's playing the tennis expected of him, as the #1 player in the tourn., but cracks in the armor have been showing last 2 of Rds. Rafa'll know what he has to do to win AO Final. In the USO final '19, he came to net many X's & won a lot of those exchanges. If Daniil gets way ahead of him, I don't think he'll win. If Rafa serves well, & troubles Meddie, he can work the head. If it comes down to the pressure, btw the 2 of them, Rafa wins. Rafa needs to bring his best game, but so does Med.
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Tsitsipas actually played the 1st 2 sets very well vs Med in the SF. Nadal isn't young any>, but he's still a very strategic tennis player. He'll def. havw to serve well & mix up his shot selection from the baseline. I know for sure Toni Nadal talked to Rafa after the FAA match vs Med. If Tsitsipas can develop some strategy vs Med, then Nadal can certainly plan a good gameplan.
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Murray should self-medicate @ this stage, he knows enough, or bring Lendl back for one last foray. Glad to see him persevere though… - Murray has received WC's into Rotterdam, Dubai, & Doha tourns.***
The self-indulgence of this guy taking spots from more deserving players in a draw can't be emphasized enough as far as I'm concerned! I'm sure most will say he has more drawing power, but he knows he's wasting his time! He might upset another "oldster" or "up and comer," but the days of major wins are over! Playing for the fun of it would be ok if there weren't so many others trying to work their way to his past status!
***The days of major winning for about 97% of the field are over - did you not read the memo? Fedalovax have won 137 of the prev. 138. But people love to see great players & Andy & Stan are the +2 of the Big 3 era. I think Andy's also very popular, so he'll draw a crowd > most youngsters. I doubt he thinks he'll win a slam, but he's on the verge of breaking back into the top 100!***
If Murray had played in another era, historically he'd of really made a name for himself outside of "Big 3!" ...Murray & Wawrinka were Novak's only real "thorny" opps! He won > of their meetings, but each stole 3 majors from him! He w/b on his way to 30 instead of just 25!
***Why are people triggered if Murray gets a WC? Tennis is a business & a spectator sport. They'll bring in anyone who can bring in > $$.***
ReplyDeleteB/c Murray had his X! Now he's taking away a spot in the draw from someone > deserving b/c he's outside the top 100! That selfishness is on him & the promoters of tourns. who pull this shit again & again!
***You do make a valid pt. I don't see him playing past this yr. if he keeps coming up w/ the same results, but you never know!***
The insecurity of Rafa fans is unbelievable! They absolutely hate that the NG like Sascha & Daniil have > respect for Nole & give him all due props for what he's doing while Nadal's limping around! Rafa did a great thing winning an AO after so many yrs. of futility, but it's a joke when there's this animus about who's the GOAT when his rec. is so unbalanced in respect to surface! Spare me the BS from these people!
***That’s outta the blue, brother! But Novak has 12 out of 20 on HC's & Rafa has 13 out of 21 on clay. It’s not such a diff., really. Just be thankful they play 2 slams on HC's & not on clay.***
It appears Nadal's only bothered by 1 player! He aways thinks he has a chance vs anyone else, but = Uncle Tony said, "we don't have a game plan of attack vs Nole!" He's prob. thinking "we're Novak's bitch & there's just not a lot we can do about it outside of Paris & = that's collapsed!" ...Making up alt. scenarios isn't going to do Rafa fans any good! If we had 2 majors on clay, I think Nole w/b making the approp. changes to help him win! Have we been watching the same tennis seasons? Djokovic fk'n won 3 majors & was in the final of the 4th last yr. @ 35! When has Rafa done that = in his prime? You think he still has a chance to do that if Nole's DQ'd off the tour over his stance w/ vaccines? Dream on babe! WTF?
***And yet, Rafa’s on 21, w/o doing that in his prime? And yes, I think Rafa would still have won if Novak had been allowed to lie & cheat his way in. The hostile crowd would've seen Novak off in the 1st wk.; in tears, most likely. But Rafa was playing so freely & so well, I think he’d have won regardless of who he faced.***
Your rec.-keeping's incomplete! You forgot "wks @ #1, YE #1's, YEC's, a Nole-Slam, & a Double CGS winning all Masters events @ least twice!" Come on, you're smarter > that! Don't let fandom make you look incompetent & partial vs facts & figures! - Novak's been dealing w/ unruly crowds of A-Holes for as long as I can recall! They tried to push Fed over the finishing line @'15 USO & '19 Wimbl. & we know what happened! Roger was the one left in tears!
***You’re in a mood, eh? Look, Novak not being there doesn’t mean he’d have won AO if he was there. Rafa’s missed the last 2 USO's & Novak hasn’t won them. ...***
Yep, in a real state here! I'm not = a fan of the way Djokovic plays! Like Lendl back in the day, I apprec. him taking the wind out of the sails of 2 A-hole fan faves in Connors & McEnroe! Djokovic's doing me the same favor of limiting the adulation & sycophantic apprec. of Fedal! He'll make their names insignificant after all's said & done IMO! The Tennis Intelligentsia will look > & > foolish as Nole tops their #'s & >!
***Well we agree on Lendl, so that’s something. But really, you know I’m trying to concentrate on watching highlights of Rafa’s stupendous, historic victory in Australia.***
***Well, w/ Trevor Lawrence as the Jaguar's QB, they're going to find a new HC w/ a lot > exper. in coaching > Byron Leftwich who only has 4 or 5 yrs & only 2-3 as a OC. Doug Pederson was HC of Philly for 4 yrs & an extensive coaching career as coordinators. Byron simply needs to coach a lot > yrs. M/b take a HC'ing job in college. That's why he wasn't getting many interviews. Not b/c he's black.***
ReplyDeleteI don't think there s/b some kind of mandate that a min. # of coaches s/b minorities! I've never looked @ life like that as a black person! It's up to the league to weed out potential new owners who they know are just "good ol' boys!" It's just a bad look where most of the players in the NFL are minorities, but the leadership roles so limited! At least basketball is 1/2 way there! Baseball's still a mess though!
***The Chargers don’t, but that couldn't be any further from the truth to say the Rams don't have a following. They may not be loud & boisterous rapid fans like say Pittsburgh or Green Bay, but as I just proved from this post, usually for most Ram games in LA, there's a huge turnout of Rams fans where the majority fill the stadium. The 49ers are just a rare exception. Count on SB Sunday having the majority of fans being Ram fans.***
Cal's one crazy place! Lived out there for a lit'l over a decade! I'm no expert on the psychosis of sports in that state; esp. So Cal! Sports outside of basketball just isn't taken that seriously! It's > of a status symbol to have 3 or 4 football & baseball teams, but the Dodgers have fans that are notorious for arriving late & leaving early! Why GO? When I lived in Sacr., they felt lucky to have a team so sellouts were cons. for seasons @ a X!
***That’s the mistake a lot of people make in saying they don’t pack them in for Rams games cause that's how it is w/ the Rams as well. By the mid 2nd qtr., it always gets packed.
---
Rodger's only a couple pts higher > Burrow & Burrow's > valuable to his team than Rodgers. Give him OPOY & we have no argument.***
Brady was desperate to take another MVP this season! Rodger's an A-Hole, but totally deserved it = though a perennial loser in Conf. finals as the fave @ home! I liked Burrows!
***Rodgers looks like a greasy haired, redneck out of the swamps of Louisiana. He's also a Liar.***
You sound like you're talking about Favre! Rodgers' following in his footsteps! I'm no fan of his! I used to feel for him w/ the DIVA act of Favre had him waiting to take his place! He got all the accolades from the press, & I respected his ability = though owning our Bears! What set me off him eventually was his own arrogance & ego! He was drinking it all in, so he refused to take any responsibility for the state of affairs if GB lost! He threw teammates "under the bus" & management couldn't do enough for him! Then he made the mistake of vouching for his good bud, ex-baseball player, Ryan Braun! Not sure how long it took for Braun t/b busted for taking steroids! The last straw for anyone s/b Rodgers' condescending attitude concerning vax for COVID! It was bad enough he misrepresented his own "status," but to go to a crowded Halloween party w/ no mask wearing, it was a wonder he didn't fall more ill when he contracted it! What a doofus! I'm so done w/ the guy = as a human being! He's trash!
***I don't think it matters to Rafa if Novak passes him, main thing for Rafa is to be healthy, enjoy his tennis and be competitive in the matches, that's the main points I feel for Rafa moving forward. Thank God the curse of the AO for Rafa and his fans is over.***
ReplyDeleteRafa has no choice but to accept it since inevitably Novak will pass him up! Is there even a doubt? Some idiots on another site have said Novak may never win another major! Those people need serious fk'n help!
***Does anyone know if Djokovic can get past Dubai & still be #1, or does it end there? I think he's the defending champ. there, so he can't win any> pts.***
I thought I heard Nole will prob. lose the #1 ranking b/c his AO pts from last yr. will come off soon (later start in 2021)! Not sure Dubai could save him! He's set "wks @ #1" @ a # that I won't ever see broken un< Roger makes another deal w/ the Devil for 1 last good run this season!
***Oh, OK. If this is it, then what an incredible run @ the top of the rankings! He got that 7th YE #1 to go w/ it. Yeah, w/ Fed pretty much gone, it w/b crazy to see who can ever surpass this #r. It'll take a monumental effort!
---
Acapulco player list looks impressive: Med, Zed, Tsi, Rafa, Matteo,...If Med wins the title in Acapulco, he's #1. If not, the Russian would need to advance one extra match > Djokovic in Dubai.
---
...Medvedev would climb to #1 Feb. 28th if:
Med wins the Acapulco title, regard< of Djokovic’s results in Dubai
Med reaches the Acapulco final & Djokovic doesn't win the Dubai
Med reaches the Acapulco SF's & Djokovic doesn't reach the Dubai Final
Med reaches the Acapulco QF's & Djokovic doesn't reach the Dubai SF's
Med loses in the 1st Rd. in Acapulco & Djokovic doesn't reach the Dubai QF's***
They see Djokovic is somehow vulnerable due to AO expulsion! The pts are going to seriously tighten up un< Novak does his usual "double Masters" winning of IW & Miami on a trot into the clay season! BTW, Med isn't playing Dubai!
***Given the news that Nole plans to hold his ground & won't get vaccinated (https://t.co/io8nmEGdRB):
Where do you see Novak Djokovic finishing the yr. in '22?
Remember, if current vaccine mandates hold, he's ineligible to play 6 Masters & 2 Slams:
Masters: IW, Miami, Cincy, Rogers Cup, Rome, Paris
Slams: FO/US Open (vaccine mandates in both Paris/NYC, entry to country),
Leaving only Dubai, Belgrade, Madrid, Wimbl., & Shanghai as events on his schedule. ?? on Monte Carlo.***
He should stay in the top 5 regardless!
***I'm from Melbourne, I'm telling you Novak had no chance this year...He whb boo'd out the stadium.***
ReplyDeleteWell, we'll see how history judges that irrational sentiment! I'm thinking your ancestors are going t/b shaking their heads in shame wondering "WTF? We're lucky anyone comes to this Gawd-forsaken desert continent! Here we are banning the #1 player in the world?"
***Him getting banned was of his own doing.***
W/ the 3 governing bodies, someone must've told him "come on down! You have an exemption!"
***It was no doubt "a big balls up" from Tennis Australia.
---
What the Hell's going on w/ the Young Greek def. by a Russian Qual.?***
We've been so spoiled by the excellence of the Big 3 we can't explain away or allow a loss to anyone outside of that group! ...NG will never be = close to their "like" unfortunately!
***You're right. Still, I feel he has been over playing of late. His new coach was w/ him as well.***
I think most players are playing too much; esp. the top players desperate for $$ & pts! That's where a lot of these losses come from IMO! All players, men & women are putting too much pressure on themselves to perform, & it can cease t/b any fun on the tours! Novak seems t/b quite happy while pulling back on his schedule! NG'rs don't have that luxury yet b/c they haven't "arrived!" Only X will tell how far they can go w/ the constant pressure & injuries that occur w/ so much playing tennis around the world!
***Agree w/ over playing, though @ what cost down the track, The human body can only take so much.
---
+++FEDERER+++
MP WASTED (24)
'21 Doha QF Basilashvili 6–3, 1–6, 5–7 (1)
'19 Wimbl. F Djokovic 6–7(5), 6–1, 6–7(4), 6–4, 12–13(3) (2)!
'19 Madrid QF Thiem 6–3, 6–7(11), 4–6 (2)
'18 Wimbl. QF Anderson 6–2, 7–6(5), 5–7, 4–6, 11–13 (1)
'18 IW's F del Potro 4–6, 7–6(8), 6–7(2) (3)
'17 Stuttgart R16 Haas 6–2, 6–7(8), 4–6 (1)
'17 Dubai R16 Donskoy 6–3, 6–7(7), 6–7(5) (3)
'16 Stuttgart SF Thiem 6–3, 6–7(7), 4–6 (2)
'15 Madrid R32 Kyrgios 7–6(2), 6–7(5), 6–7(12) (2)
'14 Rome R32 Chardy 6–1, 3–6, 6–7(6) (1)
'13 Dubai SF Berdych 6–3, 6–7(8), 4–6 (3)
'11 USO SF Djokovic 7–6(7), 6–4, 3–6, 2–6, 5–7 (2)
'10 Paris SF Monfils 6–7(7), 7–6(1), 6–7(4) (5)!
'10 USO SF Djokovic 7–5, 1–6, 7–5, 2–6, 5–7 (2)
'10 Miami R16 Berdych 4–6, 7–6(3), 6–7(6) (1)
'10 IW's R32 Baghdatis 7–5, 5–7, 6–7(4) (3)
'06 Rome F Nadal 7–6(0), 6–7(5), 4–6, 6–2, 6–7(5) (2)
'05 MC QF Gasquet 7–6(1), 2–6, 6–7(8) (3)
'05 AO SF Safin 7–5, 4–6, 7–5, 6–7(6), 7–9 (1)
'03 Miami QF Costa 6–7(4), 6–4, 6–7(7) (3)
'02 AO R16 Haas 6–7(3), 6–4, 6–3, 4–6, 6–8 (1)
'01 Paris R32 Novak 4–6, 7–6(4), 6–7(2) (1)
'01 Halle QF Rafter 6–4, 6–7(6), 6–7(4) (1)
'00 Vienna SF Henman 6–2, 6–7(4), 3–6 (2)
MP SAVED (22)
'20 Aus Open QF Sandgren 6–3, 2–6, 2–6, 7–6(8), 6–3 (7)!!
'19 Rome R16 Coric 2–6, 6–4, 7–6(7) (2)
'19 Madrid R16 Monfils 6–0, 4–6, 7–6(3) (2)
'18 Halle R16 Paire 6–3, 3–6, 7–6(7) (2)
'17 Miami QF Berdych 6–2, 3–6, 7–6(6) (2)
'16 Wimbl. QF Cilic 6–7(4), 4–6, 6–3, 7–6(9), 6–3 (3)
'14 London WTF SF Wawrinka 4–6, 7–5, 7–6(6) (4)
'14 Shanghai R32 Mayer 7–5, 3–6, 7–6(7) (5)
'14 US Open QF Monfils 4–6, 3–6, 6–4, 7–5, 6–2 (2)
'11 Madrid R32 López 7–6(13), 6–7(1), 7–6(7) (1)
'06 Shanghai TMC RR Roddick 4–6, 7–6(8), 6–4 (3)
'06 Halle QF Rochus 6–7(2), 7–6(9), 7–6(5) (4)
'05 Dubai R16 Ferrero 4–6, 6–3, 7–6(6) (2)
'03 Houston TMC RR Agassi 6–7(3), 6–3, 7–6(7) (2)
'03 Paris R16 Verkerk 6–7(3), 7–6(12), 7–6(6) (4)
'03 Cincinnati R64 Draper 4–6, 6–3, 7–6(10) (7)!!
'01 Vienna R32 Massú 4–6, 7–6(8), 6–4 (3)
'01 Miami R16 Johansson 7–6(3), 5–7, 7–6(7) (1)
2000 Basel SF Hewitt 6–4, 5–7, 7–6(6) (1)
2000 USO R128 Wessels 4–6, 4–6, 6–3, 7–5, 3–4 RET (1)
2000 Marseille QF Ljubicic 6–2, 3–6, 7–6(5) (2)
'99 Rotterdam R32 Raoux 6–7(4), 7–5, 7–6(3) (2)***
***NADAL***
ReplyDeleteMP WASTED (8)
'19 Acapulco R16 Kyrgios 6–3, 6–7(2), 6–7(6) (3)
'16 Buenos Aires SF Thiem 4–6, 6–4, 6–7(4) (1)
'15 IW's QF Raonic 6–4, 6–7(10), 5–7 (3)
'10 Doha F Davydenko 6–0, 6–7(8), 4–6 (2)
'05 Cinci R64 Berdych 7–6(4), 2–6, 6–7(3) (3)
'04 Stuttgart QF Ferrer 3–6, 7–6(3), 5–7 (3)
'04 IW's R32 Calleri 4–6, 6–3, 6–7(10) (2)
'03 Bastad QF Lapentti 6–3, 3–6, 6–7(6) (5)!!
MP SAVED (16)
'21 Rome R16 Shapovalov 3–6, 6–4, 7–6(3) (2)
'21 Barcelona F Tsitsipas 6–4, 6–7(6), 7–5 (1)
'19 WTF's RR Medvedev 6–7(3), 6–3, 7–6(4) (1)
'17 Beijing R32 Pouille 4–6, 7–6(6), 7–5 (2)
'16 IW's R16 Zverev 6–7(8), 6–0, 7–5 (1)
'15 Paris R16 Anderson 4–6, 7–6(6), 6–2 (1)
'14 Rio SF Andujar 2–6, 6–3, 7–6(10) (2)
'10 Tokyo SF Troicki 7–6(4), 4–6, 7–6(7) (2)
'10 Cinci R16 Benneteau 5–7, 7–6(6), 6–2 (1)
'09 Paris R32 Almagro 3–6, 7–6(2), 7–5 (5)
'09 Madrid SF Djokovic 3–6, 7–6(5), 7–6(9) (3)
'09 IW's R16 Nalbandian 3–6, 7–6(5), 6–0 (5)!
'08 Chennai SF Moyá 6–7(3), 7–6(8), 7–6(1) (4)
'06 Rome F Federer 6–7(0), 7–6(5), 6–4, 2–6, 7–6(5) (2)
'06 Marseille R32 Rochus 4–6, 6–2, 7–5 (1)
2005 Aus Open R64 Youzhny 6–1, 4–6, 4–6, 7–5, 6–3 (1)
––––––––––––––
***DJOKOVIC***
MP WASTED (3)
'18 Queen's F Cilic 7–5, 6–7(4), 3–6 (1)
'09 Madrid SF Nadal 6–3, 6–7(5), 6–7(9) (3)
'07 Rotterdam SF Youzhny 6–3, 6–7(7), 5–7 (3)
MP SAVED (15)
'20 Dubai SF Monfils 2–6, 7–6(8), 6–1 (3)
'19 Wimbledon F Federer 7–6(5), 1–6, 7–6(4), 4–6, 13–12(3) (2)!
'19 Rome QF del Potro 4–6, 7–6(6), 6–4 (2)
'17 Doha SF Verdasco 4–6, 7–6(7), 6–3 (5)
'15 Montreal QF Gulbis 5–7, 7–6(7), 6–1 (2)
'12 Shanghai F Murray 5–7, 7–6(11), 6–3 (5)!
'12 Roland Garros QF Tsonga 6–1, 5–7, 5–7, 7–6(6), 6–1 (4)
'11 London WTF RR Berdych 3–6, 6–3, 7–6(3) (1)
'11 US Open SF Federer 6–7(7), 4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 7–5 (2)
'10 US Open SF Federer 5–7, 6–1, 5–7, 6–2, 7–5 (2)
'10 IW's R32 Kohlschreiber 6–3, 2–6, 7–6(3) (3)
'09 Basel SF Stepanek 6–7(4), 7–5, 6–2 (3)
'09 Halle R16 Serra 5–7, 7–5, 6–1 (5)
'07 Vienna QF Chela 6–3, 5–7, 7–6(2) (2)
'05 Wimbl. R64 G.Lopez 3–6, 3–6, 7–6(5), 7–6(3), 6–4 (6)!*
===
Serena @ present is too busy w/ her many business interests. I feel another GS title has passed her by. I also think the Achilles injury she sustained last yr. took a long X to heal. Dragging Olivia around can't be helping.***
That's been Serena's problem since the beginning of her successful stretch! She started "slacking off," doing other things outside of tennis, then arriving @ the AO to 'play into shape!' She got away w/ it so many X's early on, she prob. thinks she can still do it that way! If BJK gives advice, > people listen! If Serena doesn't, it w/b on her when wasting her X = trying to win another major! She's breaking down & pushing an old, beaten body which doesn't improve over X!
***Age does creep up w/ all players, agreed, though I had no prob. @ all w/ either Serena or Venus pursuing outside interests. You can't spend 24/7 thinking tennis. That's where I feel players can have 'burn out.' Another factor taking some X away from tennis you realize how much you miss the game.***
***You don’t think Serena Williams beats Navratilova 9 out of 10 matches?***
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely not! Martina's way of playing & attacking relentlessly approaching the net dealt w/ the best of them in her era who hit every bit as hard as Serena! Navratilova was defeating Graf & Seles in her waning yrs approaching 40 by taking it to them = though twice their age! Wms had trouble w/ Navratilova's namesake Hingis @ X's & she hit powder-puff shots winning w/ her brain! Serena wasn't that dominating no matter how they laud her! She started having terrible losses in Major finals; the Wimbl. wipeouts by Kerber & Halep in '18 & '19 respectively still baffle me! Navratilova's the true Queen of Tennis!
***I'll say this. I believe Martina would've beat Serena. Mentally. And Martina had the physical too. - It seems Fed fans had their "copes" ready B4 Nadal's 21st happened.***
I'm one that thought Fed should've left after his Wimbl. win in '12! It would keep him up w/ Djokodal = if they had passed him sooner! Now he's limping out & to this day I don't think winning those extra 3 Majors after futility of 5+ yrs was worth it! He's allowed 2 players to wipe away his recs B4 he = retired! At least when he overcame Sampras, he had been off the tour for over 8 yrs! Fed's stuck in 3rd ALL X as far as I'm concerned! I thought him the best @ 1 X, but he hung on too long allowing Nadovic to have their way w/ him!
***True, @ least Sampras walked off as the best player of his X & Federer can't claim that. - Agreed, retiring after '12 w/ the rec. @ least allows for 2 things to happen... 1stly, if you retire w/ the rec., you always have an argument in the GOAT debate. 2ndly, it allows for the mystery of.... "What if he played 2012 onwards?" As it stands now we know exactly what happened & the mystery is removed.
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Fed has won 33 titles since '12. You think this diminishes his legacy somehow?***
Unfortunately, of those 33 titles (if right), only 3 of them were Majors! That's what hurts him! A few Masters & NO YEC Chp. +ed to his resume! Sorry!
***Carlos Alcaraz has WD from Acapulco after winning in Rio.***
M/b he knows his limitations! When these guys go far & are lucky enough to actual win a title, they can't keep it going! They brk down so it's almost normal to avoid the next tourn. after a good run! The real SuperMEN of tennis are fading away, so we need to get used to this stuff! Consistency's a thing of the past!
***Well seeing he's just 18 yo & had to play b2b SF's w/ rain delay B4 playing the final the next day. I can understand why he WD. He's the youngest to win a ATP 500 title, so I think @ this stage we can give him a pass.
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Djokovic is beyond a doubt the Best of the Big 3 & this is not b/c of him blooming early or comp. being weak later on. It's j/b this whole era is about ball bashing 7 who bashes the ball better > Djokovic? One s/b thankful that he had gluten allergy in the beginning, then suffered weird defeats to Murray-Stan & later threw some slams via Throat-gate/Vax-gate, or else he w/b having all the recs. It's inevitable really, he will reach 25-26 Slams.***
***They cheated. Bonds, McGuire & Sosa! They used steroids & human growth hormone to brk the recs of players who didn't cheat. None of them s/b in the Hall b/c nobody s/b in there who cheated. None of them!***
ReplyDeleteThere's the "slippery slope" theory that comes into play! How many shady characters are already in the HOF; some known "killers" & "racists?" No one wants to open that can of worms! You might lose 1/2 the inductees! It never was meant t/b the "Hall of Character & Morals!" It's just a reason to elevate some players over others by noting how charitable or outspoken! SO?
***The op is totally wrong; other way around. The HOF w/b a failure if they inducted him or those other 3 in. They are currently the "Hall of Shame" for leaving Rose out. This would further cement that title. Bonds, Sosa, McGuire & Clemons got nothing on "shady Brady" & Belicheat though on cheating & tainting a great sport, when they get inducted. The NFL HOF will then become the NFL Hall of Shame as well right?
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You're trying to excuse one person's bad behavior b/c someone else mhb bad as well! That doesn't fly w/ me. All of those players KNEW that they were breaking the rules. All of them KNEW they were gaining an unfair advantage over players who didn't use PED's! They made their millions. They got their endorsement deals. They were adored by the fans. Then the truth came out. You reap what you sow.***
I'm no fan of Bonds = though I lived out in SF during his "hey day!" Even though a true jerk, Bonds was still "must see TV!" ESPN was breaking in on their telecast for every batting opp.! So often gutless turds walked the man intentionally! Mike Scioscia actually had his pitcher do it @ the WS in '02 in the 1st Inning! Condemnation of this trivial shit while someone like Trump was undermining the dem. fabric of the country is a fk'n joke IMO! Down the line, > rational thinking people w/b in a position to + these players b/c they accomplished a lot B4 they started taking PED's & that's a fact!
***You've chosen to ignore the very real damage that's been done to an entire gen. of young people who were led to believe that shooting themselves up w/ PED's was what they HAD to do in order to compete @ a high level. They did it b/c their idols did it. It was the dirty lit'l secret that people whispered about in locker rooms. People like Bonds helped to glamorize PED's. What's sad about him is that BEFORE he started cheating...he was a shoo in first ballot Hall of Famer! He threw it all away however b/c he was jealous of the attn. that McGuire & Sosa were getting in their home run race. His vanity has led him to where he is now.***
Oh pls! You're obviously skipping the nasty early days of baseball when Blacks couldn't play! Spare me the pity party for guys who weren't able to play b/c of Bonds, Clemons, & McGuire! You really don't want to open up that can of warms either! There's a gen. of players you're talking about; I'm talking about a whole fk'n race couldn't play w/ lilly-white players b/c they didn't want to! It was no secret either which was spoken of openly! FU & the horse you rode in on!
***Cincy & LA Rams are playing it safe. The same issues that sunk the Patriots during their "perfect" SB. Line 'em up '5 wide' & cut them apart. Neither team was willing to commit to this. I'm sorry. Those penalties were bullshit. What an abject disappointment.***
ReplyDeleteThey refs were bored & hadn't gotten much air X on TV! It had to come sooner or later!
***Very enjoyable game. Surprised @ the lack of penalties called in the 1st Half, esp. where the Bengal receiver face-masked a Ram defender & threw him to the ground B4 catching the ball. Thought the Half-X show sucked though.***
That's why in the end I tip my cap to the Rams! Cincy was "acting up" long B4 the game was over & it made me side w/ LA! That idiotic celebration was over the top! I've never seen a player out of uniform +ing to the mayhem in the Endzone after the interception of Stafford just B4 Half-X! It contrib. to their own self-destruction! Flexing & hotdogging it after a play s/b kept to a minimum!
***Yeah, all the celebration & showboating after = routine plays is getting pretty old. Was happy to see Stafford win one. Can't be easy wasting your prime yrs on a crappy team.***
Happens > often than NOT! How many 1st Rd. picks are destined to fail by being selected by the season's previous loser team? Many 1st Rd. picks have to deal w/ yearly changes to asst. coaches & off. schemes! Look @ what Trevor Lawrence has had to deal w/ after so much success in college! Detroit had chances, but some teams find ways to lose games in the final secs. of games! I'm ok w/ RAMS winning though!
***...Something is going on. Teams have to be getting some vibe from him that he’s not “the guy.“***
I'm not demanding anyone hire a black coach in the NFL, but it looks bad to see just 1 HC in a league of 32 teams! Basketball & baseball straightened themselves out yrs ago, while football is fk'n it up BIG X & look horrible doing it! IDK what c/b done; m/b make sure the league gets > progressive & enlightened owners as the teams shift hands!
===
***I'm over Jason Brown. I think he's a lovely skater & seems like a very nice person, but his skating doesn't excite me anymore.***
Excitement wasn't going to get the job done anyway! Jason doesn't have the tech. ability to compete these days! Our own FS Assoc. is doing a deservice to him & the team when they pump him up w/ scores that aren't nearly in line w/ what he laid out on the ice! Other countries do the same, but it was almost embarrassing seeing his scores making him 4th w/ 1 missed quad while others are spinning out of their minds! Reminds me of Kwan getting extra credit for just showing up @ Nat'ls!
---
Nathan Chen crushed the field for the OG Medal in FS! "Congrats Nathen!" Jason Brown brought back "Schindler's List" for LP!
***We can't really know what Hanyu's thinking was. I think it's very hard to put ourselves in the minds of high-profile champions who are under tremendous pressure & high expectations from themselves & from others.***
I think if he had gotten over the obsession of that silly 4A, he would've @ least made the podium! He blew it!
***I’m pretty sure > people still see Fed as the GOAT ;)***
ReplyDeleteThey can delude themselves all they like! The #'s belie any reality that Fed's the GOAT! I already wrote that people could muse about him being the GOAT > +ly if he had retired after his Wimbl. win in '12! An OG Medal would've capped off his career, but it didn't happen! He decided to futilely hang around for over 5 yrs B4 +ing 3 > majors to his rec. while Novak was injured & emotionally distracted! Roger did well to take 5 str. matches from Rafa, but he's still way behind them both H2H! I say he hurt his legacy! The Tennis Intelligentsia can continue to promote the game believing TENNIS begins & ends w/ Fedal, but it's not based in fact! It truly is delusional thinking!
***Federer's the only member of the Big 3 whose fans call him non-peak/old merely aged 26. ...Nadovic possess a far > physically demanding > Roger, so it's unbelievable that Roger ended his peak sooner > them. Fed was aged merely 26 @ WB'08 & 27 @ the AO'09. He was @ his peak, but b/c he lost to Nadal, his fans make up the excuse that he was "non-peak/old."***
Roger really wasn't being tested early on w/ his pigeon, A-Rod, an aging Agassi, the headcases of Safin & Nalbandian, & a waning Hewitt!
***The many Slams Nadalovic won since '10 w/o each other:
AO: '11, '13, '15, '16, '20, '21, '22
RG: '10, '11, '16, '17, '18, '19
Wimbl.: '10, '14, '15, '19, '21
USO: '15, '17, '18, '19
Since they're not 1 person, let's split it up & + Roger:
Roger - AO ('04, '06), FO ('09), W ('03-05,'09), USO ('06)
Rafa - AO ('22), FO ('10, '17, '18), USO ('17,'19)
Nole - AO ('13, '15, '21), FO ('16), W ('21), USO ('18)
... Djokovic has won 11 of his last 14 majors w/o having to face Nadal.***
So what? The rec. shows Rafa's been hard-pressed to take sets off Djokovic off the clay surface in yrs! WTF does it matter Nole won 11 majors w/o meeting him?
***I'm not disagreeing w/ what you said. I was just arguing they had each other part. - 21 > 20...***
For now! We'll see how long it lasts! I seem to remember 12-17-20 not that long ago! It became 20-20-20 real quick! We'll see how it ends!
***You realize the current Ukraine regime is a US puppet, yes? They have been attacking the Donbass for the last 8 yrs, & not a peep from mainstream western journalists who now weep crocodile tears for Ukraine. The whinging from the Russophobes in recent days has been ridiculous, throwing toys out of the pram b/c the US isn't getting what it wants.***
What country isn't abusing or oppressing a group? No matter WTF Ukraine is doing, they shouldn't be encroached on by another authoritarian country like Russia! We've done it enough ourselves over the yrs for so called humanitarian reasons = though we're FOS!
***The hair dude has a heart. "The Hill:" Russian tennis player signs camera 'No war please' after victory in Dubai.***
He also doesn't want to become a pariah on the men's tour! Heaven knows I cut off many people who supported the tyranny of a Trump Admin.!
***What's wrong w/ the Young Greek going down to Norrie in SF. HIS pappy's there in Acapulco. '22 hasn't been a > start for the Greeks.***
That's the problem w/ today's gen.! They'll never measure up to the Big 3! The consistency isn't going t/b there! ...The Big 3 could get on a roll & win 3-4 chps in a row! We can forget about that in the foreseeable future! The NG'rs won't test the #'s of Fedalovic! We all might as well get used to diff. levels of mediocrity; esp. w/ this crop! The game's just too tough physically & mentally!
***Nadal 24-16 Fed:
ReplyDelete'04 Miami R32: Nadal d Fed (6-3, 6-3)
'05 Miami F: Fed d Nadal (2-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-1)
'05 FO SF: Nadal d Fed (6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3)
'06 Dubai F: Nadal d Fed (2-6, 6-4, 6-4)
'06 MC F: Nadal d Fed (6-2, 6-7, 6-3, 7-6)
'06 Rome F: Nadal d Fed (6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6)
'06 FO F: Nadal d Fed (1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6)
'06 Wimbl. F: Fed d Nadal (6-0, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3)
'06 M's Cup SF: Fed d Nadal (6-4, 7-5)
'07 MC F: Nadal d Fed (6-4, 6-4)
'07 Hamb. F: Fed d Nadal (2-6, 6-2, 6-0)
'07 FO F: Nadal d Fed (6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4)
'07 Wimbl. F: Fed d Nadal (7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-2)
'07 M's Cup SF: Fed d Nadal (6-4, 6-1)
'08 MC F: Nadal d Fed (7-5, 7-5)
'08 Hamb. F: Nadal d Fed (7-5, 6-7, 6-3)
'08 FO F: Nadal d Fed (6-1, 6-3, 6-0)
'08 Wimbl. F: Nadal d Fed (6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7)
'09 AO F: Nadal d Fed (7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2)
'09 Madrid F: Fed d Nadal (6-4, 6-4)
'10 Madrid F: Nadal d Fed (6-4, 7-6)
'10 WTF F: Fed d Nadal (6-3, 3-6, 6-1)
'11 Miami SF: Nadal d Fed (6-3, 6-2)
'11 Madrid SF: Nadal d Fed (5-7, 6-1, 6-3)
'11 FO F: Nadal d Fed (7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1)
'11 WTF RR: Fed def. Nadal (6-3, 6-0)
'12 AO SF: Nadal d Fed (6-7, 6-2, 7-6, 6-4)
'12 IW's SF: Fed d Nadal (6-3, 6-4)
'13 IW's QF: Nadal d Fed (6-4, 6-2)
'13 Rome F: Nadal d Fed (6-1, 6-3)
'13 Cinci QF: Nadal d Fed (5-7, 6-4, 6-3)
'13 WTF SF: Nadal d Fed (7-5, 6-3)
'14 AO SF: Nadal d Fed (7-6, 6-3, 6-3)
'15 Basel F: Fed d Nadal (6-3, 5-7, 6-3)
'17 AO F: Fed d Nadal (6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3)
'17 IW's R16: Fed d Nadal (6-2, 6-3)
'17 Miami F: Fed d Nadal (6-3, 6-4)
'17 Shanghai F: Fed d Nadal (6-4, 6-3)
'19 FO SF: Nadal d Fed (6-3, 6-4, 6-2)
'19 Wimbl. SF: Fed d Nadal (7-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4)
HC: 11-9 to Fed
Clay 14-2 to Nadal
Grass: 3-1 to Fed
Carpet: 0-0
In Majors: 10-4 to Nadal***
Thx!
***...Borg did win 3 GS titles w/o dropping a set...'76 Wimbl.,'78 FO,'80 FO.***
ReplyDeleteWhen will you ever learn I'm the only tennis historian you can really trust?
***You do know your history. If only you were as conversant w/ your present. For example, you still seem to think that Rafa is a defensive tennis player. Medvedev too. Do you really think that gets anyone to #1? Your Novak plays a lot of defense, & then, like the other 2, turns it to offense. I guess this conclusion comes from your not watching sports anymore.***
...Watching tennis doesn't do what it once did! I can still deal w/ Nadovic, but how long will that last? Either Nadal will break all the way down or Djokovic c/b legis. right out of the game! That w/b one way to keep Nadal ahead for good in the GOAT race!
***I don't think these are the only options. Nadal seems t/b healthy, for now. And no one's trying to "legislate" Novak out of the game. It is clear to him what he can do, or not to play, & he's committed to not getting vax'd. No one created those border rules to keep Novak from being the GOAT in tennis. ...That's not a conspiracy against him...that is his choice.***
Over the yrs there are players I just never cared for from the beginning! SomeX's it had to do with their ego/arrogance, a bad attitude/sportsmanship, or > fame than actually warranted! It was hard to like/love players like Connors, McEnroe, Agassi (image is everything), Becker, Nadal, & now Medvedev (ugly game)!
***Everyone's allowed to like who they like for their own reasons & dislike who they dislike for same. But pretending they're terrible @ the game just b/c you don't like them shows ignorance of the game, & I know you're not ignorant of the game. I don't like Novak @ all, & I like him increasingly < all the X. But I don't pretend he's not a great tennis player.***
Who said Nadal isn't a great player? His results are limited in comparison to Fedovic! Their resumes are a lot > impressive & spread out while Nadal's real claim to fame is on his clay performances! He still is short several titles that Fedovic have X chps like the YEC! Nadal's nowhere near a Golden Masters when Novak's a double winner!
***Djokovic would trade all his YEC's for 1 OG. Nadal has the 2 things that Djokovic wants the > which is the Slam rec. & the OG. Also there's no such thing as Fedovic.***
M/b! Over the yrs the bar has moved sev. X's! I'm sure some of us agreed Nole would give up a few AO's to get 1 FO yrs ago! How X's have changed after winning his 2nd last yr.! As for Fedovic, they set themselves up & apart from Rafa in the rec.-bks w/ a > diverse resume! Roger & Nole won 3 Slams in a season 3 X's; Rafa once! The YEC's hard to overlook where the likes of Davydenko & Dimitrov are on the Cup w/ a conspicuous omission of an ATG! Those are glaring gaps in his resume! All 3 have them!
Borg's was the USO! For Laver it was the WCT Chp.! Now it's all about the MAJORS! Since it's so close, what else c/b done but to shred their recs down to minutia? I'm looking @ Masters, YEC's, & wks @ #1! Rafa winning 13 @ 1 event eclipsed about all the greats in Paris alone! My animus mhb residual feelings after failed attempts by Roger & Novak losing those FO finals! They just wanted 1 out of all those moments 10-15 yrs ago! WOW! There w/b obvious opposing views, but I'm well doc. on here & elsewhere!
***Nadal'd rather have another RG title (= if he already has 100) > a 1st WTF. Nobody cares about WTF; nice to have, but not a big deal. It's just like a Masters 1000 type of title @ this pt. far behind a Slam or OG. And yes, NOW it's about the Majors & OG's. In the Big 3 era they (Fedalovic + Murray) have all said that the Slams & OG are the ult. goal. Compare the Big 3 then Nadal comes out on top!***
***This is what happens when sporting bodies start caring about $$ & eyeballs: they start catering to the casual & non-fan b/c they want growth. Honestly, I've all but given up on > sports b/c of this phenomenon.***
ReplyDeleteI've been watching < & < sports due to this phenomenon! It's > about $$ & catering to the masses than the real fans of the game! Players in team sports are the biggest jerks out there! They supposedly collectively look after one another, but the top echelon makes 100 X's > $$! SUCKERS! If you look deep, winning isn't = as important as stroking egos! Durant left Golden State after winning 2 NBA Chp. b/c it "wasn't his team; more Curry's!" They couldn't do enough to satisfy him w/ $$ & constantly "stroking him!" Now he's floundering in NJ w/ other stars w/ all kinds of expectations & a true lack of good results! Idiotic! Don't get me started on football!
***Actually w/o Federer, Nadal & Novak, there's nothing interesting about ATP. I don’t think they'll draw bigger attn. than WTA.***
I started to watch < & < last spring w/ Novak out of IW & Miami! It just wasn't worth watching w/o The Big 3! We've been trained & spoiled by their excellence going on 20 yrs! We'll never see anything like it again!
***It looks like Novak will not play tennis in March, as he concedes he'll not be able to enter the US. ...Lacoste, which m/b Djokovic's biggest sponsor is said t/b unhappy about the vaccine position. Novak's Swiss watch company sponsor Hublot said getting vax'd is a personal choice & didn't plan to drop Novak.***
The world's making it seem like Novak's the only prof. athlete who's refusing t/b vax'd! Come on; that's just plain stupid!
***Personally speaking I feel everyone has the right to their own opinion regarding vaccs. Novak isn't the only player not t/b vax. Though seeing Novak's the world #1 player they prob. expect him t/b 'a role model' to the rest of the ATP players & get vac'd.***
But there are plenty of players who're in the same boat! Other players were deported from Australia, but his name was the one bandied about!
***Private companies like Lacoste have the right to choose who they want to assoc. themselves w/. So they can decide that they don't want someone who's unvaccinated to represent them if they believe it hurts their image.***
Who said diff.? I'm totally in the corner w/ people who live by credo of "Laissez Faire!" People have rights to make their own choices! If NFL owners don't want to hire a Black coach, IDK how you can force that issue! We have strict rules concerning Covid here in the States! Djokovic can't play IW & Miami! Australia refused to allow Djokovic to play! They just looked bad making it an Int'l incident! Someone told Novak he had a loophole! He didn't fly down there w/o assurances from 1 or 2 of the 3 governing bodies! Someone gave him the ok! I just hope it doesn't hurt the event after such confusion! I didn't watch much of it @ all; esp. the final! It was BOGUS exclud. the def. champ. who was ready, willing, & able to play! No one can tell me any diff. w/ Nadal shamelessly gaining an adv. to get his double CGS!
***Djokovic:
ReplyDelete12 HC
6 grass
2 clay
Nadal:
13 clay
6 HC
2 grass
Fed: 11 HC (3 Rebound Ace, 5 Deco Turf, 3 Plexicushion). 1 Red Clay, 8 Perennial Rye Grass
Nadal: 6 HC (4 Deco Turf, 1 Plexicushion, 1 Green Set -really a Plexicushion hybrid since only top layer's Green Set), 13 Red Clay, 2 Perennial Rye Grass
Djokovic: 12 HC (3 Deco Turf, 7 Plexicusion, 2 Green Set), 6 Perennial Rye Grass, 2 Red Clay
...In fact, only 5 major events (slams, M1000, & 500) are Category 4 or >er (Halle, Queens, Wimbl., Wash'ton, & Austr.). This combined w/ modern equip. has made S&V a dinosaur. - There are 2 HC Slams & thus twice as many opps. to win them. I'm not sure why I rarely see people make this observ. in these Slam distr. threads...).***
Must be other people! I've been making a huge deal out of this saying it's hard to make Rafa the GOAT due to his unbalanced resume! If not for clay he wouldn't be in the top 6 IMO! His lack of a YEC & his < 1/2 "wks @ #1" can't be overlooked when it comes to Novak & Roger!
***Hindsight's a wonderful tool to have after Nole's decision to do Olympics.***
What reason would he have he couldn't do it? At 35 he was still the toughest out, = on the clay of RG! I had no doubt he'd come back in his match vs Stefanos, but it was almost predictable he wasn't up to the challenge of beating Daniil in NY! He was the only one I worried about & hoped someone'd upset him B4 the final! I know players limitations = if a fanatic! I was one who thought Nole should skip Olympics, but he thought he could get thru it unscathed! He was wrong! It almost ruined his entire 2nd 1/2 of the season close to losing out on YE #1!
***I think everyone knew he was not going to defeat Medvedev @ the USO. The mental pressure he was under again, understandably was far too emotional. Anyway, he has a chance now to defend RF & Wimbl. this yr.
---
...Sampras won 14 slams but never = made 1 RG final***
We were all desperate to see history made by anointing Sampras the GOAT w/o making a FO Final! After the likes of Fedalovic, we have t/b ashamed of ourselves! At least Sampras enjoyed 8+ yrs of that moniker! Fed didn't leave the tour fast enough & was overtaken by 2 other ATG's! He'll eventually be only thought of as a 3rd wheel after Nadovic have finished up, absolutely destroying the rec.-books w/ their consistency!
***Glad Nadal has won > double Borg's titles @ RG?***
Borg took on all comers w/ lit. a stick & strings strung to the feel of a glass pane! Rafa has had the benefits of "the X's" w/ superior training, tech improvements of rackets & strings, w/ homogenous courts! It'll continue t/b w/ > people & a brain to know Borg's huge & will cont. t/b so b/c of his diverse winning from the slowest of clay in Paris to the slickness of choppy grass w/i a wk. @ Wimbl.! That'll set him apart from all players now & into the foreseeable future due to the greedy Big 3 who sucked up > of the major events for the >er part of 20 yrs! It w/b impossible for their feats t/b surpassed in anyone's lifeX today! Nadal can vulture all the FO's he wants, having just 2 split Wimbl. Chps. on grass, = his Chan'l Slam of '10 can't compare to Borg's who took FO & Wimbl. 3 str. yrs alone surpassing Rafa for the X! ...Bjorn did so much in those 8 yrs while Nadal's still toiling the fields trying to catch up after 15+! Borg still has > YEC's & Wimbl. which w/b a great career alone!
Never cared for LeBron even as a kid! Now as an adult, he's acting like a petulant child! Wanting to play w/ his son Bronny in the future is a "pipe dream" &'s just another way of trying to set himself up on a pedestal he doesn't deserve! He's not "Mr. Klutch" & runs from the free-throw line! He's no Jordan so he needs to get off that!
ReplyDelete***I don't get how the Lakers can make the playoffs. They keep losing. Seems to me the Clippers are 7 games ahead of them. Clippers are 8. Isn't it the top 8? How are the Lakers going to overcome being 7 games behind w/ 20 games left? ESPN said Lakers have 65% chance of making the playoffs? HOW?
...LeBron's fans cheered when he beat whoever he beat in the finals right? I don't = remember who he beat all his wins were so unmemorable. Can you imagine if you put MJ's brain in LeBron's body?***
I'm the same way; Iconic players are universally cheered, but I have a prob. when they hang on too long! Right now in tennis it's Federer! He was the GOAT, but over the last decade his shine has dimmed & he's looked bad while it happened! Brady was winning to the last, but I'm so over him & his legend! I never cared for LeBron thinking him > a mercenary moving around the way he does! He made > finals than MJ, but he lost a bunch of them; w/ a charitable donation from Golden St. a few yrs ago up 3-1 ("Thanks Draymond")! Don't forget teams #9 & #10 have a "play in!" Lakers can always drag up the rear, but still go home early!
***Made more finals than MJ, but hasn't won as many right? Is Fed still playing?***
Fed's trying to come back from another knee surgery! He hasn't played since last season @ Wimbl.! I think he wants to give it 1 > "go" on grass @ 40! He'll only get himself humiliated trying to play kids who are pounding the ball &'ll run his old ass into the court!
***He could have 1 > in him. What about Tiger? I think he's done. But I was glad he got that 1 > major. Shut his critics up who said he never would.***
People were so sure Tiger would brk all the recs., but he blew it! Jack Nicklaus' 18 majors' still safe! Tiger too much like dad & fk'd up his legacy! He just def. Mickelson recently in some inaugural event called the PIP, but another MAJOR's prob. out of the ?? for both of them!
***Tiger's still on the Mt. Rushmore of golf. ...Golf needs a guy. Basketball always has a guy. Baseball & Football not so much. There's no hands down greatest guy in the NFL or NBA. Jim Brown or Nolan Ryan? Ok Brady but besides him. No LeBron =lent in the MLB right?***
It's happening in all sports really as we age out along w/ the athletes! I barely watch tennis since The Big 3 are fading! Djokovic & Nadal have 2 > good yrs in them, but the next gen. hasn't caught my attn.! I haven't watched a complete baseball game since my White Sox won back in '05! I didn't = watch a moment of the Cubs run! Basketball'n almost unwatchable IMO! The players' fundamentals are pathetic compared to the much larger egos! The $$'s gotten out of control & never seems t/b enough! My Mt. Rushmore w/b > antiquated:
1) B. Borg
2) M. Ali
3) Pele
4) Magic Johnson/M. Jordon
5) A. Palmer/J. Nicklaus
6) Jim Brown/J. Montana
6) H. Aaron/Reggie Jackson
***I love those guys who make you watch a sport j/b of them. Reggie Jackson was one of those players. I feel like the NBA greats are being replaced by the new guys. It’s a good X to watch. Chris Paul I feel just will never get it done, but Phoenix looks good. I'll give you > names. McEnroe, Sugar Ray Leonard, & I agree no soccer player has captured my attn. since Pele.***
***W/b crazy if they meet again @ RG this yr. & Djokovic beats him again. Would Nadal still claim it's a foot problem? Or would it be an age excuse this X?***
ReplyDeleteThe fans will def. come up w/ a reason! They just can't give Novak credit for his accom. saying things like he waited until Fedal aged out! That was a decade ago! Why're they still around beating the rest of the tour, but not Djokovic? Idiotic, but what else c/b said? Excuses, excuses, excuses!
***I just chk'd the #'s, & yes, Rafa has >er results in Slams. I don't care for how long Rafa hasn't won a set. Djokovic started his career in '11? What magical med. solved his health problems?
---
I don't think the "Fedal aged out" excuse has any merit nor did it ever. Djokovic was beating both of them all the way back in '07. That's 15 yrs ago. He showed he was the real deal. I recall B4 every draw, people w/b looking closely to see which side of the draw Djokovic's on; Fed's or Nadal's.***
Nadal's been struggling to = get sets off Novak on HC & grass! Nadal's dom. in Paris & = that fell by the wayside last yr.! The delusion's real w/ some fans that can't seem to accept that!
***Rafa gets a good lead on his adversaries b/c of his clay dom. He racked them up @ MC, Rome, & Hamburg/Madrid & RG. That's how he built such exten. leads in the H2H early on. Djokovic has taken 20 Slams away from Nadal.
---
Nadal was moving '>er' in AO22 b/c none of the balls coming across the net were from Djokovic. W/o Djokovic playing tennis, Nadal would have won AO'19 or RG'21. Fed would have won WC'15 or WC'19. ...'Real' Rafa beats all & gets injured mentally when Djokovic defeats him.
---
I think Djokovic has done much > damage to Nadal in this past decade which includes stopping him in X Masters & Majors or ability to accum. a rec. # of wks @ #1. Nadal was far > dom. pre-'11. If Djokovic wasn't born, Nadal wouldn't have had a rival & w/b prob. on his 35th Major right now & prob. over 400 wks as #1.***
That alone is worth lauding Djokovic! The delusion's real when Nadal fans can say he hurt Nole >! Rafa was already well ahead but caught! Nole picked up titles in bunches, eventually overtaking both Fedal except in Majors! For him to have tied them so soon was unfathomable except the true experts! We/they saw the potential @ 12 Majors completing his Nole-Slam & CGS all in one swoop in '16!
***...Nadal has got all the big ones. RG'12, RG'13, USO'13, & RG'20 were all historically hugely significant & all went Nadal's way. Masters 1000-wise I agree, Djokovic had held the upper-hand clearly. Pretty sure though Nadal would prefer it that way Rd. The bttmline is Nadal has crossed the finish line. He has the Slam rec. Djokovic has never held it. So really Slam-wise as Nadal is 10-7 ahead in their h2h.***
Picking out 3 random FO's & a USO victory makes lit'l to no sense historically! I can do that for Novak w/ '11 & '18 Wimbl., '12 &'19 AO's,'21 FO, &'11 USO to get his 1st 3 Slam season! Wks @ #1'll come into serious play! We'll have to wait until they both retire w/ things so close!
***...Nadal has 21 Slams + OGM. That's 22 really big titles, & that isn't something you can dismiss. He has >est BO5 winning %, >est overall winning %, 5 Davis Cups (29-1 Singles rec.), 2 OGM's (1 Dubs., 1 Sin.), & 11 doubles titles. He's 30-9 Bo5 Final matches. I think he's the GOAT outdoors player (OE), best clay player of all X, & >est DC player along w/ Borg in OE. ND's the >est HC player, >test Bo3 player (OE), & >est returner. The >est OVERALL player & my pick for GOAT is Rod Laver. If ND wins another RG or Nadal a 3rd Wimbl., I may change my mind. At minimum, they should pass 109 ATP titles which is only a lit'l > 1/2 of Laver's 200 titles.***
***Pete Rose s/b in the Hall. He never cheated on the game itself or juiced up to play. His sin was gambling on the game; a bad idea but not valid excuse to ban him from the Hall since the game itself wasn't damaged by his play on the field.***
ReplyDeleteI understand where you're coming from, but the rule about gambling on the game is written all over! As a manager, that lowlife POS shouldn't go into the HOF until after he passes on! He should get no accolades about his accomplishments until he's taking that final "dirt nap!" Same goes for Roger Clemens & Barry Bonds!
***MLB proposed Spring games to begin on or about March 17th & reg. season Opening Day t/b on or about April 5th.***
One Conf. w/o a DH used t/b what set them apart when referencing them on ESPN as the "Major" &/or "Jr." League IIRC! I don't watch Baseball any> so makes lit'l sense watching their results! ...$$ has gotten out of hand in a sport few really watch! ESPN's made sport of baseball by describ. patrons disguised as "empty seats!" I used t/b a huge ATL Braves fan back in the 90's but they couldn't fill the seats in the playoffs or World Series @ X's! ATL didn't deserve their sports' teams! Living in Sacr. yrs ago, the franchises there had never failed "selling out" for the "Kings" or a World football league team I didn't pay attn. to! Being sustained w/ Cable $$ just to say it's an option is a huge amenity!
***Beats me how. It was just agreed to raise the min. salary to $765,000/ yr:). So $$'s coming from somewhere. - Best job in pro sports.***
If you like sitting on your ass > of the X! Back in the day baseball players had to take "greenies" just to stay awake & motivated to make an appearance @ the plate every 3rd inning!
===
***It's funny we never talk about Isiah Thomas in Detroit. He isn't celebrated. He s/b. He's our Jordan, Magic Johnson, Bird, Hakeem. He s/b worshiped around here, but for some reason he just isn't. Is he that much of an asshole? At least he won us 2 Chps. Remember you can't talk about the Magic Bird Jordan era & skip over the Piston's.***
How can you forget Thomas is one of the colossal A-Holes of all X? Beside puffing up his own >ness, he failed @ just about everything he tried doing after playing thru his own ineptitude & scumball-ness! For some reason, he kept getting chance after chance to stay on top, including coaching of men, women, & kids in college! He was also President of B-Ball Ops. running the Knicks! No one forced him to sexually harass the staff! He cost MSG over $11 M to settle a claim! Heaven knows what was settled w/o our knowledge! It's always been something w/ this guy, but for some reason he'd throw that smile out there, speak softly, & people would get over it!
***I haven't forgot. Or, I think we kind of have forgotten but that's b/c he has sort of disappeared. We don't talk about him much. When people talk about him, it's how he wasn't picked for the Olympics b/c he was such a dick. Or how he didn't shake hands when he lost to Jordan. Amazing how that'll ruin an otherwise great legacy. You pretty much nailed it summing up Thomas. LOL. Good job.***
As long as he gets on TV to highlight a game or sit there announcing a live one, he'll always have a forum to spout how great he was & salvage the reps of his team after that abysmal act losing to Chgo in '91!
***I still love our Bad Boys. Even though I know if they weren't MY Bad Boys I'd hate them so much. LOL. The only likable guy was John Salley.***
***Is it true that Djokovic will get back his #1 ranking on the 14th of March due to Medvedev dropping pts from Marseille? Then it'll depend on what happens in IW's.***
ReplyDeleteWell that didn't last long! Med got 3 wks out of it anyway! Only Moya & Rafter held it for < X @ 2 & 1 wk. respectively! A-Rod (13 wks) was the last 1 to hold the #1 ranking outside of the Big 4 who ruled for almost 20 solid yrs! This kind of dom. might never again happen as in past gens well B4 the Open Era! It prob. won't happen again; @ least in my lifeX!
***Fritz called Nadal the GOAT. "One of the >est, if not the greatest, of all X."***
What else is Fritz going to say while Rafa's standing right there? "I just beat your ass, so Novak m/b the GOAT?" It was the same w/ Med & Zverev! They each said "you are the GOAT" after they def. him @ USO & Olympics respectively last season! That's what they do!
***...Yeah, Fritz out fake-injured Nadal. Taylor won IW's in str. sets over Rafa.***
That's hilarious! Nadal's always playing hurt & commentators will shill for him & his camp! Courier might as well have been on the payroll the way he lauded Rafa's courage to go out there to play some kid! (YAWN) Been listening to this BS for over a decade! "Don't compete if you're hurt; otherwise shut up & play cretin!"
***M/b we should've told Rublev this was a ATP 500 tour.***
The draw's about as weak w/ all the WD's, retirements, & injuries! It's only going to get worse IMO w/ how these people overplay!
***This Sunshine Swing's difficult coming from a slow high bouncing court to a > faster court in Miami. I know Novak's rec. here okay so you don't have to remind me he owns 6 titles.
---
Big 3 @ Masters surface that least suits their game:
Nadal |Masters 1000 HC|
10/75 |titles/particip.| (13,3%)
20/75 |finals/part.| (26,7%)
210:61 |Win/Loss| (77,5%)
30:30 |top 10 Win/Loss| (50%)
--------------------------------
Djokovic |Masters 1000 clay|
10/40 |titles/part.| (25%)
18/40 |finals/part.| (45%)
122:30 |Win/Loss| (80,3%)
31:18 |top 10 Win/Loss| (63,3%)
--------------------------------
Fed |Masters 1000 clay|
6/45 |titles/part.| (13,3%)
16/45 |finals/part.| (35,6%)
113:38 |Win/Loss| (74,8%)
21:15 |top 10 Win/Loss| (58,3%)
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Djokovic's top 3 OE on all surfaces.
#1 on HC
#3 on grass after Fed & Pete
#3 on clay after Nadal & Borg
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It's true that Djokovic's ever so slightly >er on clay > Nadal is on HC. It's actually the only thing that separates them in the H2H, but it's very close...
H2H: Djokovic 30 - 28 Nadal
HC H2H: Djokovic 20 - 7 Nadal
Clay H2H: Nadal 19 - 8 Djokovic
Grass H2H: Djokovic 2 - 2 Nadal
It's that 1 win for Djokovic @ RG'21 that separates them. What a rivalry!
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Djoko missed out in USO '12-14 &'16. Plain & simple.
Djoko had an easy stroll in the USO'15 SF).
Djoko's USO'11 was legit tough. USO'15 was meh (one good, but not > opp. in Fed USO'15 final), USO'18 was weak.
Djoko's already had 4 easy HC wins past his prime (USO'18, AO'19, AO'20, AO'21 - though AO'19 was prime level from him).
Fed USO'09,'11 > Djoko USO'18, AO'20,'21 CLEARLY & those are 2 that Fed didn't win.
USO'15 is around there or >er > 3 of those 4 (USO'18, AO'20, AO'21).***
The Men's game has a real chance to finally "pass the torch" from Fedalovic w/ all these new Masters' Champs! Carlos can poss. skate by Stefanos, Dom, & Sascha! They've allowed Sr. citizens to hold them off in the rankings! Daniil had a real chance to settle comfortably into being #1. Again, it escapes the NG'rs allowing Nole to take back the top spot!
ReplyDelete***There’s a large & welcomed dollop of truth in there, Bro. The players like Tsitsipas & Zverev, who allowed the geriatrics to have their way w/ them, won’t have the backbone to hold off an Alcaraz or Felix if they develop as we think they might.
Look at all the gens of tennis players who’ve been hopeless, in the face of the Big 3?: Rogers contemps like Roddick, Safin, Nalbandian, then the next bunch like Tsonga, Berdych, Gasquet, & the Missing Link gen. of Grigor, Samurai & Cough Drop. Now the gen. that followed them, Tsitsipas & Zverev, Med, etc, they’re already in danger of looking old. IDK if I missed any gens in btwn. What might help Carlos, Sinner & Felix is that they barely knew the Big 3.***
It wasn't bad enough The Big 3 won most of the Majors in the last 20 yrs, they didn't leave much in the way of crumbs, stealing > of the Masters & YEC's as well! Their stranglehold over the tour m/b loosening up w/ Fed already gone, Nole banished until next week, & now Rafa injured! The new crop think of them as legends who should "push off!" The respect ain't there! Carlos should've won that match over Rafa @ IW's! I think CA will take their next meeting; = if on clay! I'm calling it!" These newbies have no real fear! It's about X!
***I recall McEnroe losing to Sampras in '90 @ the USO & what struck him was the feeling that these youngsters loved beating him; just to say they beat Mac. Unfort. during the reign of the Big 3, & particularly in the early yrs of Rogers easy dom., players were just as happy to say they played "Roger Federer." I never got the feeling that losing hurt them as much as it should have. Some spirit was lacking in the old trousers dept., in prev. iterations of the Next Gen. I like style of young players like Carlos & Felix in particular. I like the attitude. I hope they never get happy w/ where they are, but keep pushing themselves harder.***
Oh, DYK? Behind the scenes you were not only expected to lose to Roger, but you were supposed to also enjoy it; singing his praises during the award's ceremony! I was run off from watching the Men's tour for a few years with "The Fedal Show!" The delusion was REAL behind Roger's so called dominance was so imagined when you seriously look at it! It 'd sound like "hating" so I'm going to just say nothing!
***It was always known that clay was Rafa's best surface & the favored surface for > Spanish players. That was instrumental in Tiriac negotiating w/ the ATP for Madrid to take Hamburg's place as one of the Spring clay Masters. Madrid's a Masters 1000 which makes it Spain's premier tennis tourn. & Tiriac & the Spanish tennis estab. wanted to make it as accessible as poss. for Rafa & the other Spanish players.***
Tennis c/b like other sports w/ their premiere events/venues depending on if a country has a top-flight player or not! It was obv. why Germany had 6 major events on both the ladies & men's tour due to Graf & Becker! Anyone remember the "GS Cup?" It was just another YE Tourney handed over to Deutschland back in the 90's! I'm surprised there aren't > events in Spain w/ so many players from there including Nadal!
***Of the top 5 youngest slam winners, 4 won their 1st @ RG (Chang, Wilander, Borg, Nadal). All of them were 18 or of the top players avoided the FO back then! The ones who ventured onto the Terre Battu that was pretty slow found they could've saved on hotel accommodations un< they wanted to hang around for the shopping! Even though Agassi was Sampras' pigeon, their lone QF match in Paris was a wipeout for Andre! Sampras had 2 chances @ the ht. of his powers, but there were too many clay specialists he had to overcome losing to eventual champ. in '96 SF (Kafelnikov); never reaching a final! Borg elevated FO!
ReplyDelete***Players Who Won 1st Big Title @ 18 or <:
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17y,3m - Chang -'89 Roland Garros
17y,7m - Becker -'85 Wimbl.
17y,8m - Becker -'85 Cinci Masters
17y,9m - Wilander -'82 RG
17y,11m -Borg -'74 Rome Masters
17y,11m -Borg -'74 RG
18y,2m - Borg -'74 Boston Masters
18y,5m - Chang -'90 Can. Masters
18y,7m - Wilander -'83 MC Masters
18y,7m - Becker -'86 Wimbl.
18y,8m - Becker -'86 Can. Masters
18y,10m -Nadal -'05 MC Masters
18y,10m -Carlos Alcaraz -'22 Miami
18y,10m -Nadal -'05 Rome
18y,11m -Nadal -'05 RG
18y,11m -Borg -'75 RG
18y,11m -Wilander -'83 Cinci
So it has been done 17 X's by 6 players: Chang x2, Becker x4, Borg x4, Nadal x3, Wilander x3, Alcaraz x1.
Alcaraz turns 19 on May 5, so will have one > chance @ a Masters to + to his tally (MC), but turns 19 @ Madrid Open & w/b 19 when RG rolls around.
Still, that's very impressive company: One GOAT contender, 3 ATG's, & Chang, who was very good.
The pt. being, 18-yo's who win big titles tend to become ATG's. All of a sudden Alcaraz has jumped to the top of the queue of the "next dom. player," ahead of Sinner, FAA, & the rest.***
***Players Who Won 1st Big Title @ 18 or <:
ReplyDelete-
17y,3m - Chang -'89 Roland Garros
17y,7m - Becker -'85 Wimbl.
17y,8m - Becker -'85 Cinci Masters
17y,9m - Wilander -'82 RG
17y,11m -Borg -'74 Rome Masters
17y,11m -Borg -'74 RG
18y,2m - Borg -'74 Boston Masters
18y,5m - Chang -'90 Can. Masters
18y,7m - Wilander -'83 MC Masters
18y,7m - Becker -'86 Wimbl.
18y,8m - Becker -'86 Can. Masters
18y,10m -Nadal -'05 MC Masters
18y,10m -Carlos Alcaraz -'22 Miami
18y,10m -Nadal -'05 Rome
18y,11m -Nadal -'05 RG
18y,11m -Borg -'75 RG
18y,11m -Wilander -'83 Cinci
So it has been done 17 X's by 6 players: Chang x2, Becker x4, Borg x4, Nadal x3, Wilander x3, Alcaraz x1.
Alcaraz turns 19 on May 5, so will have one > chance @ a Masters to + to his tally (MC), but turns 19 @ Madrid Open & w/b 19 when RG rolls around.
Still, that's very impressive company: One GOAT contender, 3 ATG's, & Chang, who was very good.
The pt. being, 18-yo's who win big titles tend to become ATG's. All of a sudden Alcaraz has jumped to the top of the queue of the "next dom. player," ahead of Sinner, Auger-Aliassime, & the rest.
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Nadal seems like he won’t be back til Rome & we don’t know how close to 100% he w/b after the injury. Novak hasn’t played meaningful tennis since Nov., & we don’t know how many clay tournaments he w/b able to play. As the yr. progresses, Nadal will heal > & both him & Novak will get > match practice. If Alcaraz is going to win a slam this yr. (I don’t think he will), he’ll prob. have to do it @ RG.***
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I see Brooksby as a "Courier-clone" playing w/ a lot of intensity & passion! It's the reason Jim didn't last long @ the top due to a lack of real skill! He was one of the 1st, along w/ Agassi who just tried to take the cover off the ball!
***I think it's a fair comparison. He = looks a bit like Courier & TBH Courier was no choirboy on the court either. However, I think Brooksby has a >er BH. It's not as > a relative liability as Courier's was. Like I said, @ 6'4" he could develop > to his game, > punch so to speak. Courier's always trotted out as the poster child of burnout b/c of being over conditioned/ practice fiend, but who knows? That to me seems > a mental attribute/factor as opposed to just overtraining. I think of Courier > like he had a very eff., but somewhat limited game. Once others figured it out he struggled a bit b/c he really had no Plan B. Sampras dom. him decisively once he got going.***
***Many Agassi fans use the excuse that he was 3-0 vs Sampras in AO & FO. They complain that Sampras got 6 GS matches in USO (4) & Wimbl. (2) which skewered the GS H2H. Unfortunately, that doesn't change the fact that he's still 0-6 in those matches.
Collectively Nadal is 16-2 vs Fedovic in BO5 clay. Outside of clay he's still 7-10 vs Fedovic in BO5 matches. In +tion, he did win other "bigs" vs them in the Olympics & ATP Finals.
When Fed's lumped together w/ Djoker, it's always smoke & mirrors.
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Actually, it's smoke & mirrors when Fed's lumped together w/ Djokadal b/c he's a player of a diff. gen.
What's not smoke & mirrors are the #'s btwn the 2 contemps. From '08-22:
Nadalovic won 11 AO titles, but met twice.
Nadalovic won 8 WB titles, but met twice.
Nadalovic won 7 USO titles, but met 3 X's.
26 AO/WB/USO titles won over 15 yrs. w/ them meeting 7 X's.***
***Nadal & Federer have done the most for tennis. Djokovic was trying to in a diff. way as he wanted to brk into other markets like Asia & So. America. Zverev & Tsitispas seem t/b trying to destroy the game along w/ Kyrgios. Their behavior's appalling & damages the sport.***
ReplyDeleteWe've truly been spoiled w/ the consistency & longevity of The Big 3! We're going to compare every player by their standard of greatness unfortunately! No one will come close in this era of "also rans!"
***BJK & Althea Gibson for equality. Bjorn for the modern style.***
For some strange reason The Tennis Intelligentsia believes tennis begins & ends w/ Fedal! I think that's ridiculous since their rivalry was a sham! Nadal owned him from very early on & barely got close in the end w/ a nice run by the old man a few yrs ago! Fed's real rival is Novak who seem to have had > memorable moments!
***I'm pinning all my hopes on Alcaraz. I also want FAA to step up. Had hopes for Sinner, but I think I was wrong. Zverev, Tsitispas, & Medvedev are just awfully limited players. As X goes on, Big 3 fans will become One family & pretty quickly once they have finally gone. Almost 20 yrs they werked it & entertained us leaving it all out on the court. And all 3 were great role models. Yes, Djokovic @ X's is petulant, but gen. he's a good guy. Tennis needs Alcaraz to fulfill the hype in him.***
People are already writing Novak off since he's only played a handful of matches! People are like that; IDIOTS @ X's!
***Absolutely. We’ve seen that it’s foolish to write off any of the Big 3 @ any X. That they can suddenly spark to life w/ a venom & sweep all B4 them. I think Novak w/b ready for Paris, & that’s all that matters. He’ll settle. MS tourneys are only warm-ups for the likes of him & Rafa.
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I don't think anybody w/ good common sense is completely writing off the #1 player. I'm sure he'll get back to some kind of normal B4 EOY.
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Fed's the > popular player, but he came on the back of an era filled w/ superstars like Pete, Agassi, Steffi, & = the Wm. sisters were already quite popular when he came on the scene.***
Fed made a name for himself early w/ the exit of Sampras & the waning career of Agassi! The rest just wasn't too impressive w/ nice runs like Hewitt, Kuerten, & Safin, but no one w/ lasting consistency @ the top of the ranks! It was an easy 3 seasons taking 3 majors & only being held back from a CYGS by dropping final after final to his nemesis, some kid by the name of Rafa Nadal in Paris! I didn't think his records c/b matched, but Novak has already surpassed him w/ Double GM's, a Nole-Slam, 3 seasons of his own w/ 3 Major wins, & being 1 match away from his own CYGS! He holds so many other recs that w/b inevitably unmatched & put out of reach like 366 wks @ #1 & counting!
***...Malone & Dr J in Phili? Fuck. I want to see that 4 game series def. of LA Lakers.***
ReplyDeleteThis collab. was the polar opp. a > current situation like Durant @ Golden St.! It was Curry's team = though KD won MVP Finals Honors! His ego couldn't deal w/ it which couldn't be filled by $$ & ass-kissing! Today's athletes have really put me off pro sports of late! The NFL though was spectacular w/ all those playoff thrillers, but I can honestly do w/o Baseball, Hockey, The Olympics, & Soccer! At least in Soccer the obscene salaries are taken care of by the owners & their wealth I'd hope! Salaries for USA sports are so out of control, = the concessions have taken the avg. family out of the price range to enjoy an event!
***...Durants career knowing or thinking he & LeBron w/b the Bird-Magic of today. I really thought Durant was great. And today they talk very highly of him like he’s unstoppable. Is he bet> Kobe? Yianni? He gets hurt a lot. Is he past his prime? Will the Nets win it all? They need to let Kyrie play.
Warriors finally got Green back & Curry got hurt. Can they win it all? The Suns will fail = though they look > right now = w/o Chris Paul.
I can’t wait to see Russell Wilson play Mahomes twice. I heard Brady was going to retire & run the Miami team but that black coach suing screwed it up. So Brady has nothing to do for a yr. When the lawsuit is over, Brady will run the Dolphins next yr. Who w/b the coach? Sean Payton from the Saints. Not this yr., the nex season. You heard it here 1st.
===
Many never thought Bradshaw & Montana w/b surpassed.***
Well Brady was helped by rules changes that put skirts on QB's & you're not allowed to breath on them too hard! He's truly taken advantage of that & whines the loudest when touched; hands up, mouth open!
***While I was watching the Bradshaw TV show about him & his family. He was asked about it..."you know what? He didn't make the rule, but if I was playing in this X I'd prob. take as much of advantage as you can. The name of the game is winning."
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Father X's undefeated. But there don’t seem t/b major signs of decline in Brady. If you’re leading the league in passing as part of your “decline”.…***
It depends on who you play! He still got "worked" by a few teams! I always give the "side-eye" to some stats & usually ask "who did they play that season?"
***Gisele didn't apprec. the blood she got in her mouth after the bloody lip the Rams gave him in the NFC playoff game. She found it "gross."***
She might nix this whole "comeback" nonsense!
***Russian tennis players w/b barred from competing @ Wimbl. in June, a decision that'll prevent current #2 @DaniilMedwed from playing in the season’s 3rd GS.***
ReplyDeleteThis isn't like the old days! Too much $$ & ATP pts are t/b gotten! No way will the players unite & skip the biggest event of the season in support!
***Novak's gonna regret his AO hoax for many reasons but the main one? I believe that’s why Marjan bailed on him. He's a serious tennis man. He w/b missed.***
It doesn't appear that Novak regrets much! It may have something to do w/ growing up in a war torn country! He takes a stand, someX's not so popular! He's prob. the > misunderstood so it has & will cost him! He's willing to stand his ground! So far he's still #1 in the world w/ a poss. to hold onto it = longer > expected if events start barring the Russians & Belarusians! Needless to see the players are staying away from the topic! They don't want to seem hypocritical when they proudly compete in those "said" events like Wimbl.!
***ITA w/ you about the players being quiet, though it’s early yet. The ATP's still the players' union, right? They represent the players? So let’s see if they grow a pair & defend their members. I also agree that Novak has grown up in a tough place, but I disagree that this makes him tough enough that he doesn’t care.***
I didn't say he "doesn't care!" I just say he makes a decision & sticks to it! I think he's prob. the > thoughtful & honest of the Big 3 BTW! His philanthropy's legendary, he takes X to learn other languages (up to 11 w/ Chinese?), & stands up for other players! How many X's have players "gushed" after losing to Novak about how he spoke to them when they 1st got on the tour, practiced w/ them, & answered their ??'s?
***...Novak didn't stick to his guns vs Oz & their vax mandate. He looked for the work-around, & thought he had it. Sure, he's good @ languages, which is a gift, but he's not necess. good @ the empathy of reading cultures, which is the > important part about learning languages. Not just having a good ear & memorizing a few phrases. He certainly got the Aussies all wrong when he crowed about his (supposed) exemption into Australia. His English is excellent, his Italian is pretty good, & his French is > passing, but not by much. How much Chinese does he speak, really?
As to being the most "honest & thoughtful," well, surely that's a fan's perspective. SomeX's he's honest to a fault, such as exposing his vacc. opinions B4 he needed to, then wondering why he kept getting asked about it. He thinks a lot about his 'New Age' concepts, but some of them are pretty weird & misguided.***
The delusion "is real" every X we try to include Murray as a significant player in the GOAT race! WHY? Fedalovic have 20+ Majors & well over 20 or 30 Masters 1000 wins respectively! They've owned the tour for almost 20 str. yrs! Murray mhb a signif. #1 & champ. if not for being born the same yr. as Djokovic! No matter how hard he practiced his game, he barely made a crack in the pedestal that they stand on! We really need to quit b/c it's looking > embarrassing the longer this charade goes on as he wastes another WC next wk. in Madrid! Only one of the WC's went to a Spanish player & the country's up in arms! Corps run the show, so tourn. officials barely have a say after all's said & done! They prob. want to see Murray & Osaka along w/ other big name draws!
***If the French gov't would also think of banning Russian & Belarus players @ RG this yr.? There's an upcoming election in France & Macron isn't very popular.***
ReplyDeleteIf Putin bombs another hospital or school it might happen! Outrageous behavior begets > outrageous behavior! That's the way of the world!
***Tsitsipas vs Alcaraz gonna be the match of the tournament. Stefanos might prevail this X, but it’ll tell us = > about Carlos...***
I wonder will it get t/b as cantankerous as the earlier match w/ Norrie? I wasn't watching, but heard it was getting rancorous w/ the players! Norrie was pulling a "Hewitt" w/ "come on's" when his op. made an UFE! That's so tacky, but Nadal does it too! Few are immune to the behavior for the > part!
***The Young Greek's not a 'happy camper' nor his dad. He was upset w/ Carlos taking a toilet brk ....talk about "Pot Calling Kettle Black." lol!***
I'd have > sympathy for him if Tsitsipas wasn't the reason the rules had t/b enforced > rigidly! I can still hear Murray whining about their USO match from last yr! Whaaaaa, over an extended "toilet brk!" Poor thing cooled off & couldn't get heated back up b/c he was so old!
***Well Zverev's another player not fond of The Young Greek, his toilet brks., & his father coaching from the sidelines. - So Tsitsipas can't solve the Alcaraz puzzle, 3:0 must be hurting. Alcaraz rose up to expectation once again.***
There's no puzzle! Tsitsipas' a decent enough player but limited as > of today's automatons who just whack the ball as hard as they can! How many X's was he drop-shotted? He barely got 2 steps B4 giving up! He doesn't learn that being so far behind the baseline makes him vuln. to it again & again! His volleying sucks as well w/ him usually helpless @ the net un< the pt. already won w/ the approach! This crap w/ his DAD is just psychopathic w/ the old man enabling him to think he's doing nothing wrong!
***ITA. His volley game s/b improved & I did see him getting dropshoted B4 > usual, but again Alcaraz has a very good hand & his dropshots seem deadly too. I think the Greek has a very strong connection w/ his dad & I don't see them brk'n up any X soon. But you never know; one thing's their relation which I respect & another all this coaching crap during matches.
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It's called a ‘wildcard’ & tourn. organizers can do whatever they want. Murray's getting another one. Rankings used to qualify for main draw & qualies only.***
Like France, Spain has a # of top flight players already qualifying to play into the draw directly! If another Spaniard wanted entry, it m/b almost as much a waste to give to them as it w/b to Murray except he fills seats! I'm no fan of Murray & I think it's a travesty he's allowed to milk the system just to go out early in tournaments @ this stage in his career! He's had his X, got to #1; let others have a chance to shine!
Going back 20 yrs., never had a Twitter acct.! It was just another way of monitoring my every move! I foresaw cameras everywhere, so I didn't feel compelled to sign up for any of the so-called necessities of life in "Social Mediums" like Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat, having no idea what "dropping in on someone's DM's means!"
ReplyDelete***You are a wise man sir. All these social media outlets are simply tools for Gov'ts to monitor people. Yes, nowadays many set up fake accts., but originally people didn't & therefore their pol. views, etc. from 10 yrs. ago & photos of drunken nights out, banter remarks w/b somewhere access. should the authorities or press want to brk someone. When out in the street it's best to lit. act like a zombie. Wear plain clothes & give nothing away. Cameras are everywhere.
===
...This situation w/ Russia & Ukraine > likely won’t end w/ diplomacy…***
Not a chance! Russia's already out there on an island by themselves w/ > if not all countries sticking w/ embargos to them! It's unfortunate that some leaders abuse their power! No country is immune to it; just look @ the States! Trump was about as insane, but still has rabid support by many who don't know any >er! It has nothing to do w/ intelligence or = common sense! My ex-roommate from college is a Mensa member, but he proudly wears a Trump T-shirt! They follow these crazies b/c they speak their language! They like being separate from others; a >er level of racism that's pretty disgusting in this era we're living in! You'd think it w/b part of the past, but the world is going backwards when it comes to = rights & access! You can pass all the laws you want, but if states or countries don't GAF, you'll need to go thru a protracted legal battle to deal w/ the situation!
***Italy's gov't wants to exclude Russians from the tourn. in Rome which begins on May 2nd. They're putting pressure on the organizers. Italian PM Mario Draghi, who has repeatedly condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, is determined to use his influence to ban Russian & Belarusian pros. The President of Italy's Olympics Comm., Giovanni Malago, advocates a ban which he says in line w/ the IOC's decision on individual sports. Sec. of State for Sport, Valentina Vezzali stressed that Italy stands by Ukrainian athletes & adheres to the decisions of the IOC & Int'l Feds.
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...There's no evidence to prove "everyone" referred to a "Big 4" when 3 were in the running for the best of their gen. Murray > certainly was not, nor would he ever be the best of his gen., thus he wasn't the focus of the rivalry in the way of Djokovic, Nadal & Federer. Any references to a "Big 4" wasn't long-lasting across their careers.***
I never =ted them, but over the yrs I referred to them in my BLOGS as "The Big 4" to designate their consistency to make the SF of > major events! It was descriptive in that way alone! Murray had an early advantage over Fed that didn't last, & he only upset Novak a few X's that mattered! He had nothing on Rafa but a couple Masters 1000 victories IIRC! He doesn't want to talk about that AO rec., dropping all those finals to Novak & 1 to Roger!
***Then your recall is imperfect. He also had a couple of Slam victories vs RAFA as well as 2 other title matches (in which he bageled Rafa on both occasions). Murray sums up the attitude on here to his achievements in this sport very well when he tweeted, "how soon they forget?" Persistently in his case.***
- Filler POST! Lost 1 so needed to add 1 post to make 100:
ReplyDeleteTo keep my wt. under control when it's already gotten out of control, I desperately have to go extreme Fasting to bring down blood pressure issues! Been getting all the symptoms that go w/ it all @ once; headaches that come & go, #'ing in the ears, elevated heart rate, periodic bouts of GOUT! - I think spreading out the meals is > for maintenance > actually getting the full benefit of FASTING! X spikes of Insulin due to intake of anything outside an eating window defeats efforts to losing wt. IMO! ;-)
Adopting Intermittant Fasting supposedly takes care of a lot of ailments including psoriasis, diabetes, HB pressure, etc.! It also has restorative properties making you look younger! ...As for the program, it's very important not to brk. the fast by eating = a grape! I found taking something supposedly nutritious wasn't helping me; > like spiking my insulin levels which was putting me on track for diabetes! You can't = eat a grape @ 3 AM! It wastes all those other hrs of fasting when it needs @ least 6-12 hrs to get the benefits of a fast! The stomach has t/b completely empty! I usually stop eating around 4 or 5 PM & only drink water, blk. coffee (no cream/sugar, Stevia ok), & green tea! Staying away from prepared meals is also key b/c so much fat, salt, & sugar added! ...My chart says I lost 10#'s after just 3 days! I was eating what I wanted for the most part, but cut myself off after 6-8 hrs! The results slowed until I started cutting some calories & shortened the eating window which got me to 25-30# down! Everyone's system is diff., but I think it worked best for me since I was an athletic male who played tennis almost every day when I was younger! My last suggestion is to brk. the fast w/ a small cup of bone broth! There isn't as much a shock to the system & the insulin levels aren't spiked so many hrs of nothing in your stomach! A good chicken bone broth is just 30-50 calories & that's the 1st thing I have around 11 AM or so before bacon & eggs! ...Start & pace yourself as you see fit, but the >er results occur w/ > of these suggestions! - Autophagy
====================
A real child of the late 70's and early 80's I see! Disco was officially done (over done) by early 80's, but was still popular in the dance clubs! I continued finding the best disco imports downtown! During that per. I was in college & a member of Columbia Record Club & filled in the spaces in my collection during sale periods! I had all the formats; album, cassette, & 8-Track & still have them in boxes upstairs w/ working players! I miss those days of "The DIVA;" Donna Summer, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Patty LaBelle, Barbra Streisand, & Whitney Houston! Then there were the boy Divas in Boy George, George Michael, Teddy Pendergrass, Rick James, & Sylvester!
***I was just a lit'l kid in the 70s (born in'73), so wasn't aware of funk & disco @ the X. I got into funk in my late teens, so early 90s. DJ'd for a bit in the late 90s.***