2022 Astana Open final :- Djokovic vs Tsitsipas
- Thread starter Rafa4LifeEver
- Start date
Hitman
Bionic Poster
Does this guy look like he is going anywhere anytime soon?
Rafa4LifeEver
G.O.A.T.
Same with me. I also missed the SmackDown of Stefanos.I didn’t realise the match was already on. I thought it was a bit later. I just tuned in and just caught his winning point. Number 90 title in bag! What an achievement! Back to back titles!
Silentchimera
Semi-Pro
Djokovic wasn't making any errors and Tsitsipas felt like he had to go for broke.
NoleFam
Bionic Poster
Doesn't look like it. Too competitive. Yesterday he was almost pissed because Medvedev couldn't play a 3rd set. He just loves playing and loves winning.
Djokovic2011
Bionic Poster
Us Djokovic fans couldn't have asked for a better comeback these past two weeks.
Congrats to Novak and his team on becoming only the fifth male player to win 90 singles titles and he's also equalled Federer's record of winning a title in 19 different countries.
Just wonderful.
Hitman
Bionic Poster
Yes, and he was figuring Medvedev out yesterday, he wanted to beat him properly in that third set.
This is why the records remaining are not truly safe, Novak isn't going anywhere for a very long time barring serious injury.
NoleFam
Bionic Poster
Yea he wanted to win properly. Wanted that glory.
It's ridiculous for a guy his age to not have much physical difference compared to guys 10 years younger. This is not common and that's why he keeps beating them more times than not, and yes therefore he can end up with all the important records by the time he retires.
Hitman
Bionic Poster
Exactly. Now, thinking about Paris, how hard does he go in for that tournament. He is the GOAT there with six wins, if he wins it, I am 100% that ends the race for who ends up with the most masters between him and Nadal, understandably it is no where as significant as the slam race, but since they are the two top in that field also, it is still a race to see who ends up at the top.
NoleFam
Bionic Poster
He's most likely going for it I think. If he plays like he did the last 2 weeks, good chance he gets it too. I think the conditions will be faster in Paris than at Astana which is better for him. Yea a win there pretty much ends the Masters race. Nadal didn't even win one this year. Don't see him winning more than 1 next year tbh.
Nadal_Django
Legend
There is a rumour coming from Switzerland that he might play Basel beforehand, Hitman.
Hitman
Bionic Poster
Would be the ideal ending to the masters race. Make sense the only guy who has won them all twice holds the record at the end. Should he win, Nadal would need to win four more without a response from Djokovic, don't think that is happening. As you said, he couldn't even win one this year.
There is a rumour coming from Switzerland that he might play Basel beforehand, Hitman.
Exciting times.
NoleFam
Bionic Poster
Yea and Nadal has only won 1 Masters in the last 2 years and only has won 2 hardcourt Masters in the last 9 years. His best chances of winning them are on clay and even there he's not really winning them. So if Djokovic goes 3 ahead, it's pretty much a done deal.Would be the ideal ending to the masters race. Make sense the only guy who has won them all twice holds the record at the end. Should he win, Nadal would need to win four more without a response from Djokovic, don't think that is happening. As you said, he couldn't even win one this year.
Exciting times.
Hitman
Bionic Poster
My thoughts exactly. Novak knows he can put this particular race to bed pretty soon if he goes all in.
Djokovic_is_the_best#1
Bionic Poster
I sort of cool either way whether he goes for Paris masters or not. As he’s in form and has a chance at a 7th title there and extend the masters title gap on Rafa. On the other hand it’s probably bigger in terms of legacy if he wins the world tour finals in Turin. As he’d equal feds record 6 titles there and also equal Fed in winning the event in 3 different locations. Lots on the line but he’s feeling good he may go for both. I’d prefer he keeps himself for world tours but he knows best. An amazing 2 weeks for Djokovic and djokovic fans.
Djokovic_is_the_best#1
Bionic Poster
He’s got passing Nadal’s 92 titles in mind. Then targets passing Lendl after that. Before aiming to get closer to feds 103 hahaThere is a rumour coming from Switzerland that he might play Basel beforehand, Hitman.
NoleFam
Bionic Poster
I agree that the one in Turin is the bigger title and would be the better win for his legacy at this point in time. Hasn't been able to touch that one in 7 years but this is a good year to do it since he didn't play much this year and should have plenty in the tank.
Winners or Errors
Legend
Djokovic is the new much-improved Lendl. Lendl turned training into a thing in pro tennis. Djokovic has elevated it to a peak people will be chasing for years. Just amazing form at the moment. Maybe he needed this year of forced break time to recharge the batteries. More records falling soon... Truly impressive how he continues to make all the 20-somethings look so pedestrian.
That said, Medvedev coming up lame in the semi is sad. I think he'd have had the match. He was just outlasted by someone who takes better care of his body. How long can Djokovic continue? Very exciting to watch.
That said, Medvedev coming up lame in the semi is sad. I think he'd have had the match. He was just outlasted by someone who takes better care of his body. How long can Djokovic continue? Very exciting to watch.
Djokovic_is_the_best#1
Bionic Poster
I guess even though he’s masters GOAT with record titles currently and won them all twice he can pick and choose what he plays. Still he does have the motivation to try and go to a milestone of 40 masters and try to stretch the gap over Rafa. I don’t think he has won any masters 7 times so he’d set a new record if he wins Paris. As Paris alongside side Shanghai and miami he has 6 titles. This would give him a new record at one masters tournament.
I’d prefer he keeps himself for world tour finals as a win there would be even more significant but if he’s feeling good physically and very motivated for more than he can push for both.
Djokovic_is_the_best#1
Bionic Poster
Totally agree. It’s just great to see him comeback playing so well, looking great physically and mentally refreshed. It’s going to be exciting to see what comes next and how long his win streak can last. What a player and champion he is!
JadeC
Hall of Fame
He’s got passing Nadal’s 92 titles in mind. Then targets passing Lendl after that. Before aiming to get closer to feds 103 haha
Lol, one step at a time, buddy.
I think he's going all in on the last two tournaments. The long break has shown to be a good thing for him. He looks so motivated, I love seeing this.
ScentOfDefeat
G.O.A.T.
I think the main concern for Djokovic fans would be repeating the disastrous Olympics-US Open combo, where winning either of them would have been historical, but because he opted to play both he was too tired/nervous to win either. But of course there's considerably less pressure for this.
Incidentally, not achieving the Grand Slam is what still puts him (and Serena) behind the likes of Laver and Graf for me, the absolute top of the pantheon, the arms that didn't tremble when it came to surpassing that final hurdle. He still has a shot at it though.
Djokovic_is_the_best#1
Bionic Poster
Yeah to be honest they are just extra bonuses. To be honest I’d rather he’d space out his tournaments so he can stay fresh more. I’d rather he tried to win a 6th world tour finals as for me that would be greater for his already incredible legacy than another Paris masters. It’s up to him though and he knows best.
Djokovic_is_the_best#1
Bionic Poster
Yeah I don’t want him to overplay. As I’d hate for him to get a bad injury or burn himself a bit. He just needs to play enough to keep match hard but doesn’t need to go all out for them all. As we need him fit, fresh and raring to go for 2023 and Australian open where the stakes are at their highest.
NoleFam
Bionic Poster
Yea, he kind of skips them these days and picks and chooses. He skipped IW, Miami, Canada and Cincy last year. I do see him reaching 40 at some point. He has 4 in Shanghai but 6 in Rome. Yea if he wins Paris, that would be 7 and the most he's won at any of them.
Agreed.
Djokovic_is_the_best#1
Bionic Poster
That’s right it’s 6 in Rome and 4 in Shanghai. Thanks for the correction. It’s hard to remember all his records he has that many haha! I think he has 6 in Miami, Paris and 5 in Indian wells. Yeah a good tactic to pick and choose and sometimes prioritise some more especially closer to a slam to try play himself into form.
Some of you seriously seem to think that there's no tennis involved and it's just a mental competition and nothing else. There's no seesawing mentality points that go up and done with each win or loss, and a match is not simply one person being mentally strong and the other "choking". Novak's tennis level is simply a fair bit higher.
NAS
Hall of Fame
Another thing is number of titles, he is easily the second best after Fed in indoor condition in last 25 odd years but hardly has a title to show for it ( 6 Paris+ 5 yec), eight master( Shanghai) in his prime became outdoor and he hardly plays small indoor tournament.
JadeC
Hall of Fame
Maybe he is thinking about the rankings for AO (should he play), as winning these tournaments would put him in the top 4 possibly? I don't follow the live rankings, maybe someone could confirm, lol. I'm not worried about possibly overplaying right now, since he just came off a 3 month break. But certainly, next year he will have to make smart decisions on where he plays if he were allowed to play a full schedule.
Djokovic2011
Bionic Poster
I just realised this is Djokovic's first 500 title since Dubai 2020 where he also beat Tsitsipas and by the exact same scoreline. Funny how these things work out sometimes.
Djokovic_is_the_best#1
Bionic Poster
I agree and good post. Yeah he’s very fresh right now so he can probably be okay playing a block of events more. For next year no doubt him and his team will analyse the schedule to see what will work out the best. I just hope we get confirmation on the Australia situation soon.
JadeC
Hall of Fame
You, me, and every Djokovic fan out there. And, you know, the Nadal fans, lol.
Tsitsipas has a brilliant forehand, imo the best forehand on hardcourt in the world, but when your other shots are so flawed you start over-pressing on your strongest shots and going for too much.
It reminds me of matches Federer would sometimes have where people would wonder why his forehand would go haywire, and usually it was because he didn't trust his other shots and felt he had to perform miracles with his forehand every point.
The good news for Tsitsipas is that there's so much he can improve. I think his serve, return, slice, defence and net game all have so much room for growth. It will be a shame for the sport if he doesn't evolve into the player he can be.
It reminds me of matches Federer would sometimes have where people would wonder why his forehand would go haywire, and usually it was because he didn't trust his other shots and felt he had to perform miracles with his forehand every point.
The good news for Tsitsipas is that there's so much he can improve. I think his serve, return, slice, defence and net game all have so much room for growth. It will be a shame for the sport if he doesn't evolve into the player he can be.
StrongRule
Talk Tennis Guru
Tsitsipas was a mug back then, and he is still a mug at the end of 2022. The weak era has no end.I just realised this is Djokovic's first 500 title since Dubai 2020 where he also beat Tsitsipas and by the exact same scoreline. Funny how these things work out sometimes.
It is impressive, but I wouldn't call it ridiculous. You take his own in-born talent and combine it with 15+ years experience, utmost training and intake protocols, and likely the best analytics money can buy, and it's almost a forgone conclusion. Granted, he still has to execute on the court, but he knows how to stack the deck in his favor, especially having tried and seen more or less everything by now. He's a wise, seasoned, optimized veteran at the top of his game. Embarrassing for the youngsters? Perhaps. But not super shocking. And let me be clear, this is with all compliments to Novak -- completely and 100% dedicated to his craft.
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Need to know more here.
Rafa4LifeEver
G.O.A.T.
Physical education drumsticks
He leans largely raw, high-carb, low-fat, plant-based, with bits of meat here and there, plus a few Medical Medium protocols thrown in like celery juice, heavy metal detox smoothie, etc. The idea is to have cleaner, higher-quality tissue, be more oxygenated, have fewer fatigued metabolites and a better hormonal balance than the next guy. You pair that with a physical regime that stresses mental stability, flexibility, endurance, tissue therapy and long-term wellness, as opposed to pure brute strength or bulging muscles at all cost, and you probably get somewhat close to what he's aiming for. And chances are he may walk away from the game healthier for it.
All of that said by me, on a forum, you can call it as much unicorn dust, quackery or placebo as you want, and/or argue that it has little relation to how well a person can hit a tennis ball for 3+ hours at a time, although Novak seems convinced. Although, I bet if you forced him onto the carnivore diet and gave him a Fisher Price racquet, his chances at Wimbledon would still be pretty good, so there's tons of variables at play here and we'll never really know for sure.
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NoleFam
Bionic Poster
Pretty much agree. I guess all those sacrifices with his diet and his training are paying off now in his mid 30s. Couple that with experience and and the evolution in his game and that makes him a very tough prospect for even players that are much younger.
Tsitsipas was a mug back then, and he is still a mug at the end of 2022. The weak era has no end.
Do you realise how idiotic it is to call the 6th best tennis player in the world on current rankings a mug?
StrongRule
Talk Tennis Guru
Another proof that this is the weakest era of all time. A player who can't beat an old Djokovic for 3 years now is the 6th best player in the world? What a joke.
guanzishou
G.O.A.T.
O M G. 7 Unforced Errors for Djokovic and 25 Unforced Errors for Tsitsipas !!!
I just got home from overseas trip. Will watch the replay of Astana and Tokyo finals later today!!!
I just got home from overseas trip. Will watch the replay of Astana and Tokyo finals later today!!!
Lauren_Girl'
Hall of Fame
O M G. 7 Unforced Errors for Djokovic and 25 Unforced Errors for Tsitsipas !!!
I just got home from overseas trip. Will watch the replay of Astana and Tokyo finals later today!!!
Impressive stats on serve. He only lost 7 points (3 in the final game)
79/87/80 %, incredible.
He has only dropped his serve 5 times in 9 matches between Tel Aviv and Astana.
1x against Pospisil
1x against Safiulin
1x against Khachanov
2x against Medvedev
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