A tale of 2 halves

Defcon · 06-05-2012, 02:18 PM

Today we had 2 exciting 5 set thrillers with 4 men playing attacking tennis.

And now we get ready for 4 grinders.

We'll see Rafa sleepwalk through yet another boring match against his pet Almagro in his joke of a draw.

And what mysterious injury will drama queen Murray have?

jm1980 · 06-05-2012, 02:21 PM

With Murray injured, Ralph is guaranteed a place in the final without dropping a set.

Boring.

HiRO · 06-05-2012, 02:24 PM

I agree the Rafa match will probably be another easy win.

But the game needs diversity and grinders make up part of that heh.

I personally am looking forward to the Murray v.s. Ferrer Match though. I like the way Ferrer is playing right now and am hoping he can pull off the somewhat of an upset.

Mustard · 06-05-2012, 03:01 PM

I'm sorry, but when has Almagro ever been "Rafa's pet"? He seems to bring out the worst in Nadal's game, even if Nadal has won every match. Just watch their 2009 US Open match, which is a candidate for the worst match I've ever seen.

jm1980 · 06-05-2012, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mustard

I'm sorry, but when has Almagro ever been "Rafa's pet"? He seems to bring out the worst in Nadal's game, even if Nadal has won every match. Just watch their 2009 US Open match, which is a candidate for the worst match I've ever seen.

0-7 against Ralph.

Like all other Spaniards, Ralph's pets. Unlike the others, he hasn't been able to muster a single win so far.

Ferrer: 4-15
Lopez: 2-9
Verdasco: 1-13

batz · 06-05-2012, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HiRO

I agree the Rafa match will probably be another easy win.

But the game needs diversity and grinders make up part of that heh.

I personally am looking forward to the Murray v.s. Ferrer Match though. I like the way Ferrer is playing right now and am hoping he can pull off the somewhat of an upset.

Ferrer is odds-on favourite.

HiRO · 06-05-2012, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by batz

Ferrer is odds-on favourite.

Being a more casual viewer I don't know all the odds and stats.
So you are probably correct.

jaggy · 06-05-2012, 04:23 PM

I hope I am wrong but expect Ferrer to win pretty easily

Bud · 06-05-2012, 05:02 PM

Be fun watching Murray trying to rope-a-dope Ferrer

Mustard · 06-05-2012, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bud

Be fun watching Murray trying to rope-a-dope Ferrer

I don't think Ferrer will be fazed by that.

TTMR · 06-05-2012, 05:42 PM

How, exactly, is Almagro a grinder? He rips it hard on the serve and on both groundstrokes and does not rely on footspeed.

Please watch tennis before opening threads.

slice bh compliment · 06-05-2012, 05:52 PM

A Tale of Two Halves...is this about the avocado I just devoured?

I see Almagro as a diverse baselined with finishing skills on the order of a Guga or a Gasquet. Not bad.

But, I see the point that the top half quarterfinals featured more attractive tennis...on paper.

I'm for Muzzer, but I really admire Ferru.
I'm for Almagro, and I think he could push Nadal around. But nobody in the bottom half is going to do that consistently enough to really dethrone Raf.

Well, maybe Murray. Or am I deluded?

Anyway, I'm for RF over Djoko and Rafa in the final. Allez! Sad for Tsonga, but....I still love this tournament.

sbengte · 06-05-2012, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slice bh compliment

But nobody in the bottom half is going to do that consistently enough to really dethrone Raf.

The idea was to have nobody in the bottom half to do any harm to Ralph. Can't you see ? That way Ralph is fresh for the finals compared to the other finalist from the top half who will be on crutches after battling big hitters and playing 5 setters in their last few matches. That way Ralph can easily demolish whoever he faces in the final and make history. Such a cool story for tennis

egn · 06-05-2012, 07:57 PM

OP...do you know anything about Almagro's game? He is definitely not a grinder at all. He actually probably gave Nadal his toughest match in 2010.

OddJack · 06-05-2012, 08:05 PM

Two 5 set matches that we couldnt watch either completely.

Sentinel · 06-05-2012, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbengte

The idea was to have nobody in the bottom half to do any harm to Ralph. Can't you see ? That way Ralph is fresh for the finals compared to the other finalist from the top half who will be on crutches after battling big hitters and playing 5 setters in their last few matches. That way Ralph can easily demolish whoever he faces in the final and make history. Such a cool story for tennis

That is as honest, objective and accurate an assessment as you'll get.

btw, did you notice that Federer started his match after Nole, and yet finished five sets before Nole finished four. Had Tsonga won in 4, they still took more time.

@slice, did you remember to put a squeeze of lime, and some salt and pepper and olive oil in the avocado ?

sbengte · 06-05-2012, 10:22 PM

Anyone noticed this 5 setter chain in the top half of the draw ? As you can see, each match is an improvement over the previous one in terms of drama and nail biter quality.

G Simon def B.Baker in 5 sets
S.Wawrinka def G Simon in 5 sets
JW Tsonga def S.Wawrinka in 5 sets (by breaking in the last game of the fifth)
N Djokovic def JW Tsonga in 5 sets (after saving 4 MPs)

I can see another five setter coming in the SF for this half. Not to forget the other blockbuster clashes like Berd-Delpo and Fed-Delpo in this half.

Sentinel · 06-05-2012, 10:48 PM

Also there's the bottom(Nadal) half where Bottom drops fewer and fewer games with each round, increases the bagel count.

I am terrified that today's match could have 3 bagels, or just one game won by Nicolas.

jones101 · 06-05-2012, 10:53 PM

In between all of Murray's injury drama's its easy to forget he played some awesome tennis in the last 2 sets of his Gasquet match.

That has not been mentioned much. Im really liking the way he is hitting on both wings, and by evidence of the Gasquet match, he is moving extremely well on the dirt.

Ferrer has been immaculate too, but this could be closer than some think.

Ferrer in 5!

cucio · 06-06-2012, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbengte

The idea was to have nobody in the bottom half to do any harm to Ralph. Can't you see ? That way Ralph is fresh for the finals compared to the other finalist from the top half who will be on crutches after battling big hitters and playing 5 setters in their last few matches. That way Ralph can easily demolish whoever he faces in the final and make history. Such a cool story for tennis

Definitely cool story, bro.

On the other hand, don't grinders well... grind more than big hitters? What's more taxing for the body, 5 sets against Del Potro or 3 sets against Ferrer?

That's the problem you face when you plan your run of the mill rigging of the draw: decisions, decisions...

06-05-2012, 02:18 PM	#1
Defcon Hall Of Fame Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 3,285	A tale of 2 halves Today we had 2 exciting 5 set thrillers with 4 men playing attacking tennis. And now we get ready for 4 grinders. We'll see Rafa sleepwalk through yet another boring match against his pet Almagro in his joke of a draw. And what mysterious injury will drama queen Murray have?

06-05-2012, 02:21 PM	#2
jm1980 Professional Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Jesusland Posts: 930	With Murray injured, Ralph is guaranteed a place in the final without dropping a set. Boring. __________________ [ Djokovic \| Murray \| Wozniacki ]

06-05-2012, 02:24 PM	#3
HiRO Rookie Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 209	I agree the Rafa match will probably be another easy win. But the game needs diversity and grinders make up part of that heh. I personally am looking forward to the Murray v.s. Ferrer Match though. I like the way Ferrer is playing right now and am hoping he can pull off the somewhat of an upset. __________________ "If it's not fun, you're not doing it right"

06-05-2012, 05:42 PM	#11
TTMR Hall Of Fame Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 1,604	How, exactly, is Almagro a grinder? He rips it hard on the serve and on both groundstrokes and does not rely on footspeed. Please watch tennis before opening threads. __________________ Bills looking good, will win Super Bowl.

06-05-2012, 07:57 PM	#14
egn Hall Of Fame Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 4,539	OP...do you know anything about Almagro's game? He is definitely not a grinder at all. He actually probably gave Nadal his toughest match in 2010. __________________ =]