Raonic has top 5 potential

[Brian11785]

Originally Posted by RAFA2005RG

They will be playing several more years at the top 5-8 level, and Ferrer is only getting better. Tsonga is also improving. Berdych is improving. And Federer will be top 5 for the next 5 years if he wants to continue. Murray will be there for many more years. Rafa will be there for as long as he wants because clay will always get him enough points no matter how old. The only top 8 player that might slip far is Del Potro. You said it in your post, Raonic is mental midget. Isner is not. That's the key to success.

So you think Ferrer and Federer will still be playing four years from now, when Raonic is 25? And Rafa will only be there for as long as his body allows him to be; he probably wouldn't ever retire if it were all about his mind's wants.

Raonic is not so strong mentally now, but he (to quote you) "is improving." His groundstrokes and fitness/movement have gotten stronger over the past 18 months. Who knows where he will max out....because he hasn't yet.

Isner, on the other hand, seems to be pretty content with his own game. Don't see much improvement there.

[CDNguy87]

Originally Posted by RAFA2005RG

They will be playing several more years at the top 5-8 level, and Ferrer is only getting better. Tsonga is also improving. Berdych is improving. And Federer will be top 5 for the next 5 years if he wants to continue. Murray will be there for many more years. Rafa will be there for as long as he wants because clay will always get him enough points no matter how old. The only top 8 player that might slip far is Del Potro. You said it in your post, Raonic is mental midget. Isner is not. That's the key to success.

This post is ridiculous on so many levels. I don't want to waste my time on this, but among things you've vastly under-estimated the impact aging, getting worn down, and gaining experience will have in the long-run on various players. Federer and Ferrer are in their early 30s....they will experience noticable declines over the next 2-3 years (how much is debatable, but I guarantee their forms in 2015 will be worse than what they currently are). Of course, Federer's been gradually declining over the past 5 years so this really should be common sense. Tsonga and Berdych are both 27...they may be able to keep up their current levels for a few more years, but both have very little upside at this point in their careers. As they near 30, they're far more likely to decline somewhat by 2014-2015 than to improve from their current level. Nadal is 26, but he's had a long career and his long-term health is obviously a huge concern.

Djokovic, Murray, and Delpo are the safest bets to keep winning or contending for Slams over the next 3-4 years. However, with Milos being only 21 and improving quite rapidly, he could quite conceivably find his way to the Top 5 over the next 2-3 years as he builds experience and those aforementioned players start declining or remain stagnant. Nobody's saying it's a guarantee, but to deny he has the potential to do it is ludicrous at this point.

[lambros]

Originally Posted by CDNguy87

This post is ridiculous on so many levels. I don't want to waste my time on this, but among things you've vastly under-estimated the impact aging, getting worn down, and gaining experience will have in the long-run on various players. Federer and Ferrer are in their early 30s....they will experience noticable declines over the next 2-3 years (how much is debatable, but I guarantee their forms in 2015 will be worse than what they currently are). Of course, Federer's been gradually declining over the past 5 years so this really should be common sense. Tsonga and Berdych are both 27...they may be able to keep up their current levels for a few more years, but both have very little upside at this point in their careers. As they near 30, they're far more likely to decline somewhat by 2014-2015 than to improve from their current level. Nadal is 26, but he's had a long career and his long-term health is obviously a huge concern.

Djokovic, Murray, and Delpo are the safest bets to keep winning or contending for Slams over the next 3-4 years. However, with Milos being only 21 and improving quite rapidly, he could quite conceivably find his way to the Top 5 over the next 2-3 years as he builds experience and those aforementioned players start declining or remain stagnant. Nobody's saying it's a guarantee, but to deny he has the potential to do it is ludicrous at this point.

I agree with you 100%.

[RAFA2005RG]

Originally Posted by Brian11785

So you think Ferrer and Federer will still be playing four years from now, when Raonic is 25? And Rafa will only be there for as long as his body allows him to be; he probably wouldn't ever retire if it were all about his mind's wants.

Raonic is not so strong mentally now, but he (to quote you) "is improving." His groundstrokes and fitness/movement have gotten stronger over the past 18 months. Who knows where he will max out....because he hasn't yet.

Isner, on the other hand, seems to be pretty content with his own game. Don't see much improvement there.

Federer will DEFINITELY be still top 5 in 5 years (assuming he doesn't retire from boredom). And Ferrer? Let's talk when he declines. He's on the uprise right now. A long way from falling. And when Raonic is 25, he better be in better shape than Del Potro. Del Potro has way more talent than Raonic, and look where he is.....struggling to hang in the top 8. And will Raonic ever possess the MIND to win a slam? Del Potro has the mind. Berdych doesn't. Tsonga doesn't. Most don't. Don't bet on the fragile Raonic.

Raonic isn't improving this year. Look at his slam results HORRIBLE. Isner is content? Gee, your statement is FULL of credibility....lol. Raonic is content too then, according to the crap he produces at each slam. He's content with winning best-of-3-setters (which he isn't even doing a great job of as we saw yesterday).

[Marius_Hancu]

Tomorrow:

Union Pay Court 3 Start 2:00 pm

Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)
v
[12] Milos Raonic (CAN)

I don't think this is going to be on streams, not being center court.

[pound cat]

Playing doubles with Melzer later.

[Marius_Hancu]

it's taxing to be in a 500 final: both Raonic and Nishikori lost today in 3 sets

I'd play next week in Europe.

[pound cat]

Originally Posted by Marius_Hancu

it's taxing to be in a 500 final: both Raonic and Nishikori lost today in 3 sets

I'd play next week in Europe.

Time to forget doubles and have a bit of a rest from tennis. And get a haircut.

The Bag/raonic match couldn't have been closer though.


Well, they won the match...will they stay around for match #2?

[Marius_Hancu]

Originally Posted by pound cat

The Bag/raonic match couldn't have been closer though.

Not in terms of BPs ... He needs to improve his returning and vary his serve.

[pound cat]

Originally Posted by Marius_Hancu

Not in terms of BPs ... He needs to improve his returning and vary his serve.

The scores were close...his first serve return was terible.

[RAFA2005RG]

Very hard to improve returning if you aren't good at it. Look at Tsonga, awful returner, always has been. Raonic is even worse than Tsonga at returning, and nowhere near as good as Tsonga in the baseline rallies and net-game.

[Brian11785]

Originally Posted by RAFA2005RG

Very hard to improve returning if you aren't good at it. Look at Tsonga, awful returner, always has been. Raonic is even worse than Tsonga at returning, and nowhere near as good as Tsonga in the baseline rallies and net-game.

This is the most illogical thing I've ever read. Bravo!

[RAFA2005RG]

Originally Posted by Brian11785

This is the most illogical thing I've ever read. Bravo!

It's a fact that very few players improve their return games significantly. It's a gift, a natural ability. The good returners are good from the beginning. And if you are BAD, you don't become good. You are always going to be below average at it. And Raonic is as bad as it gets. Think of all the good returners on tour. Which of them were bad to begin with? None.

[Brian11785]

Originally Posted by RAFA2005RG

It's a fact that very few players improve their return games significantly. It's a gift, a natural ability. The good returners are good from the beginning. And if you are BAD, you don't become good. You are always going to be below average at it. And Raonic is as bad as it gets. Think of all the good returners on tour. Which of them were bad to begin with? None.

No one thinks Raonic is ever going to be a premier returner. But that doesn't mean that he can't improve. Especially if he is "as bad as it gets", there is room for improvement.

[Marius_Hancu]

Originally Posted by RAFA2005RG

Very hard to improve returning if you aren't good at it. Look at Tsonga, awful returner, always has been. Raonic is even worse than Tsonga at returning, and nowhere near as good as Tsonga in the baseline rallies and net-game.

He made improvements just in two weeks, by closing in and breaking Murray several times. This is just the beginning, now that he has the proper court position.

[CDNguy87]

Originally Posted by RAFA2005RG

Federer will DEFINITELY be still top 5 in 5 years (assuming he doesn't retire from boredom).

Ummm, no. I'm sorry, but there's absolutely no guarantee a 36-year old Federer will be in the Top 5 in 2017 even if he stays highly motivated. I'm not denying it's possible, but to say it's definite is idiotic. Even Agassi, who's pretty much the standard-bearer for longevity in the modern era, was out of the Top 5 by the year he turned 35. Agassi also had the advantage of having not played to his full potential in his prime, which almost certainly had a big role in him retaining an unusually high level into his 30s. Federer clearly won't have this on his side, as he'll have played high-level ATP tennis for about 17 consecutive years by that time. That takes its toll on the body. Though I still think he'll last longer in the Top 5 than Rafa.

Originally Posted by RAFA2005RG

And Ferrer? Let's talk when he declines. He's on the uprise right now. A long way from falling.

Hahaha...Ferrer on the uprise?! Ferrer has maintained a constant level over the past year, and while he deserves credit for that at his age, he will not be getting any better than his current form. Your logic seems to be: Ferrer hasn't declined yet. Therefore, he won't decline. Brilliant.

Originally Posted by RAFA2005RG

And will Raonic ever possess the MIND to win a slam? Del Potro has the mind. Berdych doesn't. Tsonga doesn't. Most don't. Don't bet on the fragile Raonic.

Again, this is the same type of poor logic you displayed above. Basically, Raonic hasn't yet shown he can win a Slam. Therefore, he probably won't win a Slam. You could have said the exact same thing about Murray 4 months ago.

Just because something hasn't yet happened doesn't mean it won't or can't.

[veroniquem]

I'm not sure if Raonic will ever be top 5. It also depends on the level of the other top players but I'm pretty sure Fed won't be top 5 in 5 years. He'll be 36 in 5 years, let's be serious, please. The oldest player in the top 5 was Connors at 35 (and tennis- + ranking system- has changed a lot since the 80s...) Lendl dropped out of top 5 at about 31 and Agassi at 33.

[pound cat]

Federer and Nadal will both be long gone in 3 years.

[1477aces]

top 5 that's it. Is not clutch and can't make a first serve on break points, set points (especially) match points and big situations.

[Gonzo_style]

Originally Posted by 1477aces

top 5 that's it. Is not clutch and can't make a first serve on break points, set points (especially) match points and big situations.

He's still very young, next year is very important for him!