Blake/Agassi: Best Argument vs a 5th Set Tie Breaker ...

[cervelo]

Here's a prime example of a match where the 5th set breaker takes a way from the drama of the match ...

I think that, after 2 or 3+ hours of tennis, to bring it to a quick close in a breaker does the efforts of the players little justice ...

 

[Dimethyl Sulfoxide]

That was the best match I've seen. I thought it was over after the 2nd set and I can't believe andre brought it back. Many players would have tanked or given up but not Andre.

 

[Haka Boy]

Should have been 5th set advantage not the tiebreak, yeah it took away from the excitement. In a grand slam that rule should never have been brought in

 

[Matt H.]

I dunno. I think the tiebreak might have helped.

Blake served for the match and couldn't do it. It felt like he barely held on to get to the tiebreak. The tiebreak gave him the adrenelane rush needed to continue because he knew this was it.

 

[racingdad23]

I think the tiebreak was a perfect example of the entire match and had every bit the drama if not more.

 

[Haka Boy]

yeah but in a grand slam event it really should be advantage. who thought up this new rule anyway?

 

[Redflea]

Tiebreak was perfect...knife-edge drama that, as racingdad23 said, mirrored the drama of the match. Used to be ambivalent about the tie-breaker at the Open, but tonight it was just perfect.

 

[cervelo]

Blake is a true champion ...

I can't think of another pro who I'd love to see win a Slam event more than James Blake. Quality person- and a quality player ...

I hope he takes this experience and makes huge gains from it ...

 

[VamosRafa]

Should have been 5th set advantage not the tiebreak, yeah it took away from the excitement. In a grand slam that rule should never have been brought in

I thought the breaker was exciting. But one point is that the US Open is the only slam that plays the men's semi on Saturday and the final on Sunday. So players don't have much time to recover from the semi and the final. Could you imagine if they didn't have a fifth set TB, and some guy has to play 5 hours the day before the final, going 20-18 in the fifth or something like that.

So for this event, it makes sense.

Also RG and Wimbledon don't play night matches. So they would suspend a match for darkness and come back the next day if a match went too long. As it is, this match finished at 1:15 a.m. It could have gone on until 3 or 4 a.m. if they didn't have a TB. So again, the TB makes sense when you have a match that doesn't start until 8:30 p.m. anyway.

 

[tpduke112]

I wonder what Blake's ranking will look like after this?

 

[cervelo]

I thought the breaker was exciting. But one point is that the US Open is the only slam that plays the men's semi on Saturday and the final and Sunday. So players don't have much time to recover from the semi and the final. Could you imagine if they didn't have a fifth set TB, and some guy has to play 5 hours the day before the final, going 20-18 in the fifth or something like that.

So for this event, it makes sense.

I think that's the only good argument for it .. to preserve the legs deeper into the tourney ...

still don't think it worked for this match though ... two big hitters going for their shots ... one swing and it's over ... leaves you wanting more, I think ...

 

[VamosRafa]

I think that's the only good argument for it .. to preserve the legs deeper into the tourney ...

still don't think it worked for this match though ... two big hitters going for their shots ... one swing and it's over ... leaves you wanting more, I think ...

I also amended my post to mention that this match didn't start until 8:30 p.m. -- something that wouldn't happen in Paris or London. So that's another reason why this makes more sense. But I see your point, too.

 

[ATXtennisaddict]

Oh yea, what happened to the 5th set rule that happened in the aussie open between safin and fed?? Play until someone wins by 2 sets....what happened to that here?

 

[cervelo]

I also amended my post to mention that this match didn't start until 8:30 p.m. -- something that wouldn't happen in Paris or London. So that's another reason why this makes more sense. But I see your point, too.

I wouldn't think Nadal would prefer a breaker ... he'll just hammer down, pack a lunch and get the last ball back ...

 

[VamosRafa]

I wonder what Blake's ranking will look like after this?

I can get that info for you. Just had to run through my e-mails.

Just did it. This is from Bob Larson Tennis, after Blake beat Robredo:

"Naturally Blake's shooting up the rankings. He's increased his point total by more than a third just at the U. S. Open. As recently as five weeks ago, he was still outside the Top 100. He just returned to the Top 50 last week (at #49). This puts him back above #35, with a near-certainty of an Australian Open seed. It's not even close to a career high (Blake was Top 25 two years ago), but it's certainly the best summer of his career; at the rate he's going, he is on track to pass his career-best #22 by the end of the year."

Hope this helps.

 

[VamosRafa]

I wouldn't think Nadal would prefer a breaker ... he'll just hammer down, pack a lunch and get the last ball back ...

I agree. In Roma, neither he nor Coria were happy that the fifth set was going to be decided by a TB. Although that match already had gone on more than 5 hours.

But it was the final -- it wasn't one step to reaching the final. If it was, their attitude might have been different.

 

[LendlFan]

They're trying to build this as the match of the Open but I would say the Genipre/Coria match was teh best I've seen thus far. I know this is gonna sound weird like I've been smoking something but I didn't watch the 3rd 4th & 5th Set .. only the TBr in the 5th because every freakin time I went in the room to watch the match, Andre would get his *ss kicked and when I left the room, he was winning so I'm thinking .. ok I'll not watch it .. heck I'm taping it so I can watch it later but if there's anything possible about bringing bad karma through a TV set, I don't want to find out tonight.

Good Job Andre ....

 

[Rob_C]

I think that's the only good argument for it .. to preserve the legs deeper into the tourney ...

still don't think it worked for this match though ... two big hitters going for their shots ... one swing and it's over ... leaves you wanting more, I think ...

I wouldnt say one swing and its over, Blake was up a mini break twice, he had the match on his racket at 5-4, he saved a match point at 5-6, both players had their chances.

I'm fine with the 5th set tie-break.

 

[Redflea]

I wonder what Blake's ranking will look like after this?

I thought I heard Mac say he's now ranked 34 at the end of the match.

 

[cervelo]

They're trying to build this as the match of the Open but I would say the Genipre/Coria match was teh best I've seen thus far. I know this is gonna sound weird like I've been smoking something but I didn't watch the 3rd 4th & 5th Set .. only the TBr in the 5th because every freakin time I went in the room to watch the match, Andre would get his *ss kicked and when I left the room, he was winning so I'm thinking .. ok I'll not watch it .. heck I'm taping it so I can watch it later but if there's anything possible about bringing bad karma through a TV set, I don't want to find out tonight.

Good Job Andre ....

I don't think the Ginepri/Coria match, as good as it was, had the dynamic that the Agassi/Blake match had ...

Agassi felt the pressure of his fitness and the constant reminder that he's 35. If he was outplayed, inevitably the questions would come ...

Blake had similar questions about the results of his hard work but also, whether he truly belongs with the top dogs of tennis ... which he clearly does! Blake's mental side has been suspect in year's past - if he tanked tonight, those questions would invariably arise again.

Both players had to play well and this match had to be high quality - in terms of each player's current status, there was a lot to lose for either player to go out in an easy 3 sets.

 

[LendlFan]

I don't think the Ginepri/Coria match, as good as it was, had the dynamic that the Agassi/Blake match had ...

Agassi felt the pressure of his fitness and the constant reminder that he's 35. If he was outplayed, inevitably the questions would come ...

Blake had similar questions about the results of his hard work but also, whether he truly belongs with the top dogs of tennis ... which he clearly does! Blake's mental side has been suspect in year's past - if he tanked tonight, those questions would invariably arise again.

Both players had to play well and this match had to be high quality - in terms of each player's current status, there was a lot to lose for either player to go out in an easy 3 sets.

I totally agree with your assessment of these guys. No doubt Andre would have sat down with Steffi, Paul and Gil to have the "If I can't win these anymore, I think I'm done" talk. The fact that he did win tells him he can possibly eek out one more Slam Title. Blkae will undoubtedly get his with the way he's playing. He will look at the tapes and work that much harder because now he can smell the finish line whereas before, he couldn't even make it into the 2nd week.

As much as I'm a hardcore Agassi Supporter, I don't see him winning this. Andre doesn't have the answer for Rodger yet and his game is pretty much one dimenional. Rodger has both a great baseline game as well as a very very good S&V game where if one method against Andre isn't working, he can change up and challenge Andre to pass him all day.

If Andre gets to the finals and losses, he will probably call it a day .. I'm guessing.

 

[cervelo]

I totally agree with your assessment of these guys. No doubt Andre would have sat down with Steffi, Paul and Gil to have the "If I can't win these anymore, I think I'm done" talk. The fact that he did win tells him he can possibly eek out one more Slam Title. Blkae will undoubtedly get his with the way he's playing. He will look at the tapes and work that much harder because now he can smell the finish line whereas before, he couldn't even make it into the 2nd week.

As much as I'm a hardcore Agassi Supporter, I don't see him winning this. Andre doesn't have the answer for Rodger yet and his game is pretty much one dimenional. Rodger has both a great baseline game as well as a very very good S&V game where if one method against Andre isn't working, he can change up and challenge Andre to pass him all day.

If Andre gets to the finals and losses, he will probably call it a day .. I'm guessing.

I don't think Agassi is looking to retire based in his results as of yet ... he had a decent summer, and now he's on a roll.

Can Agassi beat Federer? Look, Agassi is as talented as Federer- as of today, Federer moves better and has all the confidence in the world. I guess my opinion is yes and no:

1st- Andre can ill-afford to play at anything less than 100% against Roger. Agassi can't sit back and rally with him either - Agassi must go for his shots and believe he'll hit them, which we all know he can.

Last year, Federer felt the "Agassi push" and, I believe that the wind played a huge factor in the result, due in large part to Agassi's tolerance (or lack of tolerance) of the conditions. Agassi was P.O.'ed that he had to serve into such a heavy wind late in the fifth, and I think his outlook cost him that break.

2nd- Agassi has to be patient for his chances and take them at every turn. Agassi will see break points on Federer's serve- he must capitalize! And if he doesn't, he can't sulk for a second - deuce is still a point away from ad out.

3rd- Federer's not a huge fan of the Open crowd and the tourney itself. He gets affected by it more than any other site. The crowd at the Open can win a match for Andre- but it's a give and take proposition, Andre has to get them into it by imposing his game as well.