A great article from Steve Tignor

[MichaelNadal]

From tennis.com:

(answering a fan question)

Steve,

You were one of the people who called the Nole-Andy final [in Australia] boring. I thought you were better than that. Isn’t it just bitter Federer or Nadal fans who don’t like this rivalry, because they can’t face the future without their favorites?—Rob

I didn’t call the match “boring,” exactly. How about “underwhelming," or, "It was just OK"? You’re right, fans of other players can be buzzkills when their guy isn’t involved. So many people in general consider Federer’s game the last word in tennis style that no Grand Slam final without him will measure up in their minds. I also think that you still need either Fed or Rafa there, either across from each other or across from Novak, to give the match an edge, a sense of something at stake beyond whether the rallies are interesting or uninteresting.

That said, I want to like Djokovic vs. Murray. I enjoy their games, their personalities, and their individual rivalries with Federer and Nadal. But of all of their matches this year and last, the only one that struck me as memorable for something other than length was the final in Shanghai. It seems like their playing styles, which are similar in their reliance on consistency and defense, tend to irritate, rather than inspire, each other.

This could change if one of them tries to make a serious adjustment to get the upper hand. After this match, it looks like Murray needs to find a way to attack Djokovic—for most of the last three sets, he seemed lost as to how to do it, which wasn’t the case when he played Federer in the semifinals. Maybe Djokovic can force Murray to show off more of his game. Short of that, maybe they'll get on each other’s nerves; that usually helps a rivalry grow.

Of course, there’s at least one person who doesn’t seem to buy into the Muzzovic vision of the future. Nadal, after his comeback win yesterday in Chile, was asked by L’Equipe whether his ego was hurt by talk of a “Djokovic-Murray era.”

“My ego is calm,” Rafa said with a laugh. “...I’m only one year older than Djokovic and Murray, so perhaps now is not the time to bury me.”

[vernonbc]

Steve Tignor...great tennis writer or the greatest tennis writer?

[Rocky89]

“My ego is calm,” Rafa said with a laugh. “...I’m only one year older than Djokovic and Murray, so perhaps now is not the time to bury me.”

That's what I want to hear.

[Vrad]

I was unable to catch the match but the Djokovic and Murray matches do usually tend to denigrate into a game of who makes the mistake.

It's all the more frustrating because both players are capable of a lot more as we saw in both players' semis.

That being said, I don't blame Novak. It's winning him games. As Tignor says, it's probably time for Murray to try and change things up. If Murray does start playing more aggressive their matches should become far more watchable.

[Paul Murphy]

Agreed. Dull match. We do need Federer (especially) or Rafa to make things interesting.

[Polaris]

Originally Posted by vernonbc

Steve Tignor...great tennis writer or the greatest tennis writer?

None of the above. He is very good, though he appears great because he plays in a weak era containing such joke specimens as Peter Bodo and the useless, execrable noise exemplified by Chris Chase and the whole contingent of the Bleacher Report.

[stringertom]

What we really need is a Stanley Wawa sort to step up consistently with some aggressive play and short circuit this neverending humdrum of all top seeds advancing to the SFs of the majors. Djok/Wawa was the best match of '13 so far. I want more!

[Paul Murphy]

He's a fine writer - in any era.

[Bartelby]

His best recent article was the one about pottering around Melbourne to and from the tennis.

[batz]

I like Tignor - he's one of the best tennis journos out there IMO, but he does seem a bit jaundiced on this subject - their AO semi was a much better match than Shanghai. The crowd at the USO and many commentators also seemed to think the USO was a bit of a classic and it also seemed that Murray 'found a way to attck Nole' in that match.

Im loving Rafa's coments though

[DragonBlaze]

Originally Posted by batz

I like Tignor - he's one of the best tennis journos out there IMO, but he does seem a bit jaundiced on this subject - their AO semi was a much better match than Shanghai. The crowd at the USO and many commentators also seemed to think the USO was a bit of a classic and it also seemed that Murray 'found a way to attck Nole' in that match.

Im loving Rafa's coments though

Yea I'm really surprised he said Shanghai instead of the AO semi which was brilliant. I think we'll agree to disagree on that US Open match though batz

[batz]

Originally Posted by DragonBlaze

Yea I'm really surprised he said Shanghai instead of the AO semi which was brilliant. I think we'll agree to disagree on that US Open match though batz

No worries mate, your opinion is as valid as mine. I'm not saying the standard of tennis was great (like at AO semi) but it was really dramatic.

[stringertom]

IIRC, Rome '11 was pretty good stuff until epic gagging occurred.

[Hawkeye7]

I agree with him and I sincerely hope they won't meet in every final from now on. I'm a fan of Murray, but definitely not of his matches with Djokovic and I still think the Aussie Open semi from last year (same as the final) is ridiculously overrated. The UE count was insane. Sure, both matches were very dramatic which was obviously helped by the sheer lengths of them, but the standard of Tennis really wasn't that great. Both players were never playing their best at the same time...

The only Djokovic match-up (with the other Big 4) I find interesting to watch is against Federer.

[Phoenix1983]

This year's AO final might have been poor but last year's SF and the US Open final were great.

Still, I agree that Murray-Djoker is the 'worst' of the top 4 rivalries in terms of quality and drama overall.

[Carsomyr]

Tignor's a great writer. However, I have to roll my eyes whenever he dedicates entire reductive posts to some event in his life and the greater meaning of things. Save that for a blog. I'm here for the pros, not your pop psychoanalysis of that missed line call at your club last weekend.

[DropShotArtist]

Right now the best of the top 4 rivalries:

1) Federer-Djokovic
2) Federer-Nadal
3) Nadal-Djokovic
4) Federer-Murray
5) Nadal-Murray
6) Djokovic-Murray

[cknobman]

Originally Posted by DropShotArtist

Right now the best of the top 4 rivalries:

1) Federer-Djokovic
3) Federer-Nadal
2) Nadal-Djokovic
4) Federer-Murray
5) Nadal-Murray
6) Djokovic-Murray

That is the only adjustment I would make. But I do agree that any match containing Murray would be at the bottom of the list. There is just something about Murray (and his game) that is not very exciting.

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by Carsomyr

Tignor's a great writer. However, I have to roll my eyes whenever he dedicates entire reductive posts to some event in his life and the greater meaning of things. Save that for a blog. I'm here for the pros, not your pop psychoanalysis of that missed line call at your club last weekend.

Yeah his last page insights into life are pretty boring and important only to him.

I have seen such stuff in industry trade magazines too. People who have been writing for too long think too much of themselves. Recently, the editorial in a trade magazine consisted of the editor mourning the loss of his father and eulogizing him. That is great, but why should I read it?

[Phoenix1983]

Originally Posted by DropShotArtist

Right now the best of the top 4 rivalries:

1) Federer-Djokovic
2) Federer-Nadal
3) Nadal-Djokovic
4) Federer-Murray
5) Nadal-Murray
6) Djokovic-Murray

Swap the first two and you're about right. (I still think Federer-Nadal is the gold standard, albeit that neither of them are at peak now...)