Did you watch the same match? Fakeovic destroyed your little baby boy from the first until the last point.
Yep; wrong footed so often in rallies that weren't much beyond neutral. This meant his positioning and speed often looked terrible. Nadal ended up being late to the ball so often that he threw up weak replies for Djoker to tee off on dragging Nadal from side to side, which is his bread and butter. He was in command more often than not, without having to do as much as he should have been made to.Bad start never helps for sure. I got the feeling at points during this match that Nadal didn't really know where Djokovic was going with the ball in standard rallies. I don't know if anybody remembers the match, but it reminded me of the 2014 Miami final. Nadal just never anticipated Djokovic's shots very well in that match, and he's even slower now so it's worse.
The something "different" was Djoko across the net on his best surface. Matchups matter.If you don't see anything different with Rafa's play in that final, I don't know what to say Vero.
It's the lack of belief in himself against Novak that's disappointing. This is not how he played against everyone else. The days of him playing Ultron like 2013 US Open might be gone for good. He just isn't the same player anymore.
According to Rafa, Djokovic also worked during the off season on movement and footwork! That made the difference because Djokovic could better be in proper position to hit the ball at the angle he want to hit and make Rafa get on the defensive side of the point. That what happen in the AO finals. Rafa just got outplayed!Duckworth, Ebden DeMinuar, Berdych, Tiafoe, Tsitsipas. 3 Aussies in a row to get into the round of 16. Berdych is Berdych, Tiafoe was toast by the time he played Nadal and same with Tsitsipas. Can't blame Nadal for the draw but those are the guys he played before playing Djoker in the final. Maybe if Nadal had a tough couple of matches before the fianl, he could have been more ready? It looks like the final hit him like a storm with no chance to recover.
try watching the match!Ahhh, the old, "If Nadal loses, he MUST be injured" routine, haven't seen that one in awhile.
and here ladies and gents is projection crystalized...Nothing was wrong with Nadal's performance on the court. All players have good and bad days. What is disappointing is Nadal's comments during the award ceremony. I could understand in Naomi Osaka's case where she was new and nervous therefore could not make eloquent remarks. Nadal has been on that podium 16 times and could only offer Novak compliments with, "Someone that played better tonight.". Then more comments followed explaining his injuries as if only he is prone to getting hurt. I know he needs to maintain his image for the sake of his academy but he seemed so insecure about this status. Does Nadal really think this one loss or even future losses will put his precious academy in jeopardy? Many people say Nadal and Novak are real good friends and do not read too much into it. Really? Good friends can not congratulate each other respectfully despite a well deserved win? Classless is the only description for Nadal.
Why doesn't he stand forward a bit? This isn't frickin' Phillipe Chatrier
He had a really weak draw. When he played the better players they were tired. Not his fault, but that's what happened. I believe he didn't know where his level was going into the final and it turned out it wasn't that high. If he had played Medvedev or a big hitter in the third round I don't believe on these courts he wins or if he does it's a long battle. Sometimes draws unfold and make it easy to get to the end for him but the lack of tough match play ends up biting you when you run into someone that is battle tested.
yea, but he got past Berdych, who I think is going to make some noise this year with his improved FH - he just needs to get his 2nd serve together, so I doubt Medvedev would have pushed him.Yes, I think he would've been pushed hard by a big hitter with a strong two-handed backhand, like Medvedev, Khachanov or Basilashvili.
By the way, when I saw the draw I thought Medvedev would probably be Djokovic's biggest obstacle on the way to the final, and that's how it turned out, too. Actually that was Nole's toughest match in the whole tournament.
I think Nadal's abd strain got worse as the tournament progressed...
In all fairness to Rafa, he did start the match playing forward, in an unusually aggressive (for him) court position. The result was a very quick 1-12 edge in points won and an even quicker 0-3 hole in games. From then on he went back to his usual, more conservative court position, but Novak was ready for that too.
There simply wasn't a court position yesterday that Rafa felt comfortable playing from against this version of Novak. To make matters worse he also missed several very makeable net points and a few baseline sitters. When it rains...
Berd played like a complete idiot in the first 2 setsyea, but he got past Berdych, who I think is going to make some noise this year with his improved FH - he just needs to get his 2nd serve together, so I doubt Medvedev would have pushed him.
I think Nadal's abd strain got worse as the tournament progressed...
The 'could you do any better?' rhetoric is old and lame. Nadal can be evaluated against himself, and by that yardstick he was bollocks.Perhaps the armchair critics could pull a Clubber Lang, take up the racket and go after Djokovic themselves? If there's any truth to Rocky 3 at all, you might have a chance to win the title!
You think that Nadal didn't try hard enough?The 'could you do any better?' rhetoric is old and lame. Nadal can be evaluated against himself, and by that yardstick he was bollocks.
and here ladies and gents is projection crystalized...
How can I remove it from my soul? Does it buff out? Can I buy a crystal or something from one of those alternative shops which smells like weed and lavender to remove it? Or is this a permanent state of affairs, where I am doomed to be a Fed fan forever?try watching the match!
this time without hate in your soul.
strange how he never bores of golf or fishing in MallorcaNadal looked bored with the tour. Becoming more apparent as he loses more often. Time for him to consider retiring while he can remain healthy. Lots of injuries is always a sign, wear and tear is to much for his body.
I've always said Nadal would play much better if he would calm the eff down and focus more. Watch Joko and Fed; sure, they're intense players physically, but psychologically they're islands of calm. But watch Nadal, even in the post-match on-court interview. I swear..... I know he's not, but he's so wired, it's like he's on meth or something.
"Lacking that something special is what you say when you lose a 4 setter, not when you can't even get half as many games as your opponentNadal's presser after losing was rather upbeat for someone who was given a beat down, he said he lacked that "special something" to compete at the highest level yet makes a slam final and doesn't drop a set in the process lol.
I guess Nadal will go and play in South America on that Clay swing before Indian Wells or not.
He looked like that in the first set against Thiem last year at the U.S. Open, then he went on to win in a fifth set tiebreak. No need to claim he was hurting just because he was overwhelmed and not moving well.Nadal must have been hurting.
he wasn't any moving for shots!
he can get outplayed every once in a while, but the only time he is out efforted so immensely is when something is not right with him.
it looks like Nadal is injured... he isn't moving like his normal self... so Novak is getting some huge opening to hit winners to
Nadal was way too tired and he had no match play and wasn't match tough. That entire final don't count, it was fakeApparently Ralph got the injury while patting himself on the back after the SF.
Look, Djoker played brilliantly, and was strategically and tactically perfect. He stole a page from 2017erer and mixed it up with his own 2011-2016 peak form. It was almost like Ralph was playing two different opponents, and didn't know what Djoker was going to do from one shot to the next.
Nadal was way too tired and he had no match play and wasn't match tough. That entire final don't count, it was fake
Nadal was way too tired
he had no match play and wasn't match tough.
That entire final don't count, it was fake
Lol. So Shapovalov is better than Nadal on hard courts at the moment. Shapovalov would have defeated Nadal at the Australian Open right?I'll SAY it again - even Denis did better and took a set off him. He won more games than Rafa!
Just like 2018 puts Roland Garros 2016 in context. Djokovic's level was not that great on clay in 2016, he was lucky not to face Nadal. In 2018 RG we have seen Djokovic's real level on clay. I doubt Nadal cares about Djokovic, when he leads the H2H over him 6-1 at Roland Garros.Puts a lot of 2017 in more context.
It was hard to see because his level is still so good on clay, but Nadal for his standards wasn't actually that good off clay.
The level of the field just made him seem better.
Federer played like a top 5 player most of that year, and he consecutively beat Nadal without much difficulty.
He's been unchallenged on clay, but with Djokovic back to a decent level we'll see if Rafa's clay level is really still so "unbeatable".
Lol, you really are obsessed with the 2016 French Open. You seem to think about it more than us Djokovic fans do!Just like 2018 puts Roland Garros 2016 in context. Djokovic's level was not that great on clay in 2016, he was lucky not to face Nadal. In 2018 RG we have seen Djokovic's real level on clay. I doubt Nadal cares about Djokovic, when he leads the H2H over him 6-1 at Roland Garros.
Just like 2018 puts Roland Garros 2016 in context. Djokovic's level was not that great on clay in 2016, he was lucky not to face Nadal. In 2018 RG we have seen Djokovic's real level on clay. I doubt Nadal cares about Djokovic, when he leads the H2H over him 6-1 at Roland Garros.
we still bull-ieve
So technically its 9-4 nadal....
3 of those djoker victories came in nadal's worst slumpWhat exactly is the "technicality" that makes losses evaporate? You should bottle it abd sell it.
In him being the best clay court specialist ever...
Djoker would probably beat Nadal on the RG 2016. Although Nadal's level in the clay season 2016 was better than in 2015, it would still little on Djoker. Djoker had a strong impulse in the form of three GS titles won in a row and a series of 7 win mutual matches with Bull.Just like 2018 puts Roland Garros 2016 in context. Djokovic's level was not that great on clay in 2016, he was lucky not to face Nadal. In 2018 RG we have seen Djokovic's real level on clay. I doubt Nadal cares about Djokovic, when he leads the H2H over him 6-1 at Roland Garros.
Badly, since 2011, Rafa's balance against Djoker on clay is 7-7.Nadal at clay is a completely different beast
And nadovic H2H at clay post 2011, being 9-7 is a bit misleading...
As 3 of djoker wins came into nadal's weakest years on tour (2015 MC, 2015 RG, 2016 ROM)..
Only MAD11, ROM11, MC13, ROM14 were achieved when both were prime...
Otherwise nadal pretty much thrashed nole on clay, especially at RG, even when he was half decent...
So technically its 9-4 nadal....
Djoker would probably beat Nadal on the RG 2016. Although Nadal's level in the clay season 2016 was better than in 2015, it would still little on Djoker. Djoker had a strong impulse in the form of three GS titles won in a row and a series of 7 win mutual matches with Bull.
Badly, since 2011, Rafa's balance against Djoker on clay is 7-7.