|
Post by The Chloe on Aug 14, 2008 11:09:20 GMT -5
Monfils plays beautiful defense. The lengthy point are favouring him at the moment, as Djokovic appears to be gasping for air.
|
|
|
Post by The Chloe on Aug 14, 2008 11:12:30 GMT -5
Of course, just as I say that, Monfils gives back the break. I probably shouldn't say things
|
|
|
Post by GoDom on Aug 14, 2008 11:27:56 GMT -5
I am surprised that everyone is so unfazed about Federer's loss. I mean, this is 100 times worse than losing against Simon and Karlovic. Because Blake doesn't win these matches, against anyone. Blake blows and chokes.
Joana is right, this is the end for sure.
|
|
|
Post by The Chloe on Aug 14, 2008 11:31:52 GMT -5
I was sort of hoping that we could just pretend that one didn't happen. I'm saving my commentary for when he loses to Ginepri at the USO.
|
|
|
Post by The Chloe on Aug 14, 2008 11:35:26 GMT -5
I'm confused as to whether Monfils hurt his knee a bit there, or if he just thought that was a good time for a little nap.
|
|
|
Post by The Chloe on Aug 14, 2008 11:41:02 GMT -5
In related news, Rafael Nadal is good at tennis, and Novak Djokovic looks kind of evil.
|
|
|
Post by The Chloe on Aug 14, 2008 11:54:01 GMT -5
That was a pretty good match, I thought. I wanted Monfils to win, though. Sad face. Djokovic actually is incredibly annoying when you're not rooting for him. Thank goodness I usually am. Was it my imagination, or did some of the crowd jeer him at the end?
|
|
|
Post by R. Black on Aug 14, 2008 11:59:25 GMT -5
Why are people expecting Federer to always win, all the time, every year? Federer's game is off at the moment, that's all. There is no reason to think he can't find his game again.
If being in a slump means you're finished, then Graf would have retired in 94.
No matter what happens, there is still Wimbledon. Federer could suck for the next years and still win 1 or 2 Wimbledon. He's not finished, and he's not retiring any time soon.
|
|
|
Post by Traveling Man on Aug 14, 2008 12:01:28 GMT -5
Roger losing is just not surprising anymore. The shock value is gone. Still, the loss to Blake comes out of nowhere. I don't see him winning the Open - but then again, if he won't, who will? I don't think Rafa will, based on his record there in previous years. Besides, in this year's Aussie semifinal Tsonga showed that Rafa can still be blown off on hardcourts. Not saying it'll happen again, but I do consider NYC a huge challenge for him. Djokovic stands a good chance, but saying he's a lock would be a stretch. Besides the trio, no one else in the men's game stands a chance at winning a Slam, so the end. Thoughts?
|
|
|
Post by Traveling Man on Aug 14, 2008 12:07:07 GMT -5
Why are people expecting Federer to always win, all the time, every year? Agreed. Winning more than 90% of his matches for 4 consecutive years has to catch up at some point. He's not finished. The James Blake loss is odd, though. It's like the one time Conchita managed to score a win over Steffi ('93 Philly final) or Monica ('97 US Summer HC Tournament).
|
|
|
Post by lexpretend on Aug 14, 2008 12:10:42 GMT -5
I am surprised that everyone is so unfazed about Federer's loss. I mean, this is 100 times worse than losing against Simon and Karlovic. Because Blake doesn't win these matches, against anyone. Blake blows and chokes. As scathing as I am about James Flake, though, he is a better and more accomplished player than Simon or Karlovic. And if Fed lost to them...and lost 6 games to the ESA player here...it wasn't implausible to think he might be playing so badly that Blake wouldn't be given the chance to blow or choke. Only positive for Fed = more USO prep time.
|
|
|
Post by lexpretend on Aug 14, 2008 12:11:59 GMT -5
You know, when Serena was fat and slutting around Hollywood, people thought she was washed up...but she could have done that for another year, and still have enough time to get herself into shape and back in the top 10. And she did.
|
|
|
Post by The Chloe on Aug 14, 2008 12:17:50 GMT -5
Roger losing is just not surprising anymore. The shock value is gone. Still, the loss to Blake comes out of nowhere. I don't see him winning the Open - but then again, if he won't, who will? I don't think Rafa will, based on his record there in previous years. Besides, in this year's Aussie semifinal Tsonga showed that Rafa can still be blown off on hardcourts. Not saying it'll happen again, but I do consider NYC a huge challenge for him. Djokovic stands a good chance, but saying he's a lock would be a stretch. Besides the trio, no one else in the men's game stands a chance at winning a Slam, so the end. Thoughts? Djokovic ought to be the favourite going in, with Nadal right behind him and Federer as a question mark. If you have to pick somebody outside of the trio, you pick Murray. But really, must we go there?
|
|
|
Post by GoDom on Aug 14, 2008 13:16:49 GMT -5
You are probably right.
But still ... Simon and Karlovic just play their game consistently, if Federer sucks badly, they might just win. Blake is different because even if Federer sucks badly, Blake can still blow up by playing much worse than usual. And he usually does. I mean, he lost against Schüttler on grass!
For him not to blow up in a big match against Federer, he either must have had a good day or lost respect for Federer or Federer must have been horrible.
The comparison to Graf is problematic because they are different people. Graf played second fiddle to Seles but this happened at a young age. She slumped in 94 but then there was not another dominant force on the tour. And, Graf is a fighter.
I think Federer is different. But let's just say I would have the utmost respect for him if he comes back and wins some more Slams.
|
|
|
Post by GoDom on Aug 14, 2008 13:24:58 GMT -5
But who knows, maybe it will all turn around if he wins Gold in doubles. Why did Llodra and Santoro split up again? Too bad, they would still make a great team I think. But, Llodra/Clement winning would be ok too.
|
|
|
Post by Edna Krabappel on Aug 14, 2008 13:52:52 GMT -5
Graf's slump in 1994 had much to do with her body starting to fall apart. But, she was close to retirement even before that, I think she once said that Wimbledon '91 possibly saved her career.
Federer publicly stated that the Olympics were his goal for this season. Regardless of whether he really meant it or just said it because he sucked everywhere else, it's bad because he failed miserably. I saw a bit of the match and he was a true UE machine like in all those previous losses. No improvement there.
Of course, he could turn it around as soon as at the US Open, but I just don't think he's the type that would stick around for too long if things are not going well for him. By "well" I mean winning Slams and being the dominant #1.
|
|
|
Post by sasha on Aug 14, 2008 14:03:54 GMT -5
It's surprising because even when Blake was in form with his lucky forehands landing in, Roger would still beat him easily. The Simon loss was understandable due to the timing, and Ivo was just being Ivo.
It's hard to accept that Roger isn't the same player anymore. There's no appreciable signs of his decline in play. Players seem to be able to hit through him more, and Nadal has improved immensely this year.
|
|
|
Post by janie on Aug 14, 2008 14:47:13 GMT -5
I was sort of hoping that we could just pretend that one didn't happen. I'm saving my commentary for when he loses to Ginepri at the USO.
|
|
|
Post by DBBN on Aug 14, 2008 19:06:56 GMT -5
Well, I am happy about Federer losing! Usually I would root for Fed over Blake, but I want Rafa and Nole to do better than him here, and, strangely, I'm rooting for the USA more than usual during this Olympiad
|
|
|
Post by The Chloe on Aug 15, 2008 5:39:58 GMT -5
Your patriotism concerns me.
Blake had 6-5 0-40 on Gonzo's serve, so it will certainly be interesting if he manages to lose now. 7-6, Gonzo about to serve. I don't think that Blake even played badly on two of those points.
|
|
|
Post by The Chloe on Aug 15, 2008 6:16:00 GMT -5
Gonzo takes it 11-9 in the third. That's gotta hurt for Blake. After two days of absolutely awesome, my fucking live feed crapped out at 10-9. PISSED doesn't begin to describe it. If I could find one person to blame for this, I might dismember them. Fuck.
This also shits on my plan to avoid social interaction by watching tennis all night.
|
|
|
Post by The Chloe on Aug 15, 2008 6:18:29 GMT -5
Oh, and btw, remember The Hand Incident? Well from this match it appears we may have a memorable Racquet Incident. Did it touch? Didn't it touch? Replay made it look like the ball skimmed Gonzo's racquet on one point, where Gonzo let it sail out. Blake, having just lost the point, was in complete disbelief that the umpire didn't call it for hitting Gonzo's racquet. Gonzo put on his best Justine and said fuck all.
|
|
|
Post by janie on Aug 15, 2008 7:21:44 GMT -5
No one will care after a day or so. For some reason people only get obsessive about the women's ethical lapses; the men's get laughed off. Remember Djoko's "injury" time out at the US Open, which he admitted he took just because he was tired? If one of the top women had done that we'd never hear the end of it.
|
|
|
Post by The Chloe on Aug 15, 2008 7:34:44 GMT -5
You don't really hear the end of that one over on MTF, either. Especially when he plays Monfils, we get to hear how people remember that and Monfils has never forgiven him for it. How true that is, I have no idea. I don't disagree that it's magnified when the women do it, especially in the media, but Djokovic doesn't exactly have a clean slate. And I presume that Gonzo's decision not to concede the point will get more attention because he did it in a vital match against a popular American player.
|
|
|
Post by R. Black on Aug 15, 2008 8:11:13 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by GoDom on Aug 15, 2008 8:24:12 GMT -5
No one will care after a day or so. For some reason people only get obsessive about the women's ethical lapses; the men's get laughed off. Remember Djoko's "injury" time out at the US Open, which he admitted he took just because he was tired? If one of the top women had done that we'd never hear the end of it. Wrong on many levels.
|
|
|
Post by R. Black on Aug 15, 2008 8:26:24 GMT -5
That's a non-controversy. It's not up to players to say if they touched the ball or not.
What's next, some people will ask players to call their own foot faults?
|
|
|
Post by The Chloe on Aug 15, 2008 8:45:10 GMT -5
I agree, but that won't stop people from whining about it.
|
|
|
Post by Traveling Man on Aug 15, 2008 8:52:52 GMT -5
Wow, Blake wasn't too pleased about that point, calling out Gonzalez on a lack of "fairness". Sucks. I was hoping he'd reach the final.
Ajde Nole!
|
|
|
Post by The Chloe on Aug 15, 2008 11:24:41 GMT -5
Excellent.
Rafa will play Gonzo for Gold, Djokovic will play Blake for bronze.
While I feel terrible for Blake (I don't quite feel the Blake hate that seems to be felt around here), I wanted Gonzo to win anyways.
So, wooo.
|
|