He is gracefully accepting his male pattern baldness...good on him!
Not that I think Djokovic isn't gonna win but why does 5/6 matter? Federer won 5 in a row before 2008 Wimbledon, 6/7 before 2010 Wimbledon and lost in both tournaments.
I'm kinda cautious with statments like that, because of his relatively low ranking, so he may get Murray or so from round 4 onwards. That said, despite that he's only 24 in the world, he's amongst the 8 biggest favourites for me. I think he's got a chance vs anyone with the right tactic@Red Rick Yes!!! Atleast a QF.
@Red Rick Yes!!! Atleast a QF.
The current alternates depth chart from a forbidden competing tennis forum:
Delpo is out. Fed and Zed are in the same boat so they won't draw each other early (seeded in 17-24 range unless someone drops allowing Fed to move up from 17th seed.) Seeds 17-24 will draw a seed from 9-16 in R32. Dimitrov is the only scary player in that 9-16 group for Federer and Zverev. Nadal still can't serve and Kygrios just had injury issue at Hopman
so unlikely to light fire at Auz this year. They are both probably better off that a top seed does not drop out of the tournament as then another Fed vs Zed showdown could happen R32. Other dangerous floaters that come to mind are Coric (just lost to Chung at Chennai), Edmund, and Donaldson should he make it through qualifying.
Those odds show the betting sites are based on popularity to some extent. Raonic is an immient threat to win this event with Murray as the only secure roadblock. All sorts of players can beat Nadal since his serve game is still suspect.
Great! There are more than a half dozen teens that are DA to the qualies, from Tiafoe with a high seed to Ruud just above the alternate cut line.
I just talked about Fed a couple posts above.
Fingers crossed for Shaps. Would like to see him on surface. Saw some of your charges in Qualies for Auckland or lists including Fritz.
Mmoh better is the #3 seed in qualies there. Hopefully he gets several matches to tuneup for his AO WC entry. He plays Aussie Greg Jones today.Fingers crossed for Shaps. Would like to see him on surface. Saw some of your charges in Qualies for Auckland or lists including Fritz.
I just talked about Fed a couple posts above.
The Zed version is the same. Atm Zverev looks to be the biggest threat among the NextGen. If he doesn't hit Dimigod R32 and gets to R16 (R4) here is the matrix:
1. Murray - Murray owns Zverev so this would be doom
2. Djokovic - they've never played, but Djoko is weak. I don't think Zverev has enough power to hit by Nole, so this still may be a bridge too far on paper
3. Wawrinka - just beat him in Final where Wawa still had semblance of US Open form. Zed is playing better by the week so I like his chances
4. Raonic - Zed has the great first return game and reach to handle RaoSlug. Could easily see him systematically disect Raonic. Raonic will return Zverev well too, so Z has to break Raonic at least once a set which is not easy.
Zverev will handle Nadal. Thiem is a potential roadblock. Zverev handled him well in their last encounter, but Thiem played great for much of the Dimitrov match in their Brisbane QF.
Thiem is physically back pretty much with a new serve game. He doesn't look to be making the big speed and talent leaps that Zverev is managing at the start of 2017, but Thiem is plenty dangerous for the following reasons:
1. He's beasting. He hit a ton of hard, hard shots and serves at Dimitrov with no letup. Physically Thiem is still getting stronger and he may become something like a slower version of Nadal with more power and nearly the stamina. Long run that is a beast especially in the 5 set format. Thiem makes his opponents work like Nadal, but has yet to achieve the stamina to be left standing at end of slam. Auz is Thiem's most likely candidate for slam stamina breakthrough and it could easily be this tournament; he looks that good.
2. He's close to in form. Some of Thiem's best form ever against Dimitrov; just a bridge too far to come back from the horror of the 2nd half of 2016, but Thiem is close.
3. His serve has been changed. Thiem's Superkicker may have been the culprit that took him down in 2016 as his serve percentages dipped through the Spring and his forehand lost its sting (won Stuttgart with 25 DFs and a crap serve.) Thiem apprently has some changes to serve based on TTW members comments on form and he seems to be able to hit it utlra hard a lot more (220 to 230 kph range). The downside is the promise of the superkicker and near 70% first serve percentage does not seem to be happening, but the bigger serve and a nastier 2nd seem to be working well. Dimitrov got off the hook at Brisbane due to Thiem's new serve breaking down under pressures with a bunch of DFs.
I don't see a giant leap for Thiem in the future, but as these three come together it should be enough to make him very dangerous and stay near the top of the game. Likely to do new Thiem thread if the form from Dimigod match continues at Sydney this week where Thiem is the top seed.
Those odds show the betting sites are based on popularity to some extent. Raonic is an immient threat to win this event with Murray as the only secure roadblock. All sorts of players can beat Nadal since his serve game is still suspect.
The OP @tipsa...don'tlikehim! should sign us all up for a betting hedge fun where we bet against Nadal and other over rated players.
If Fed gets bumped to 16 you missed Zverev as potential R3 clash (he's way better than the three you named and still improving by the week.) For R3 with Fed as 17 seed, Dimitrov is the only real threat. R4, Djokovic might be the foe of choice or pehaps Stanimal. Dimi and Thiem are potential QF threats, but red hot Dimitrov (who at rock bottom took sets off Fed last year at Auz and Brisbane) has to get by one of the big boys R16 (top 4) to make QF.
Federer has a chance to make a big run. He'll be more rested for a clash at R4 (round of 16) then later, so he'll have a great chance to blow open the draw. Conservatively he should make R4, its easy to see him making another SF or better as Murray and Raonic are the only in form players in the top 4. Whose to say they don't end up in the other half of the draw?
Those odds show the betting sites are based on popularity to some extent. Raonic is an immient threat to win this event with Murray as the only secure roadblock. All sorts of players can beat Nadal since his serve game is still suspect.
The OP @tipsa...don'tlikehim! should sign us all up for a betting hedge fun where we bet against Nadal and other over rated players.
If Fed gets bumped to 16 you missed Zverev as potential R3 clash (he's way better than the three you named and still improving by the week.) For R3 with Fed as 17 seed, Dimitrov is the only real threat. R4, Djokovic might be the foe of choice or pehaps Stanimal. Dimi and Thiem are potential QF threats, but red hot Dimitrov (who at rock bottom took sets off Fed last year at Auz and Brisbane) has to get by one of the big boys R16 (top 4) to make QF.
Federer has a chance to make a big run. He'll be more rested for a clash at R4 (round of 16) then later, so he'll have a great chance to blow open the draw. Conservatively he should make R4, its easy to see him making another SF or better as Murray and Raonic are the only in form players in the top 4. Whose to say they don't end up in the other half of the draw?
Are you sure? This would be the first year that has happened (just glanced at 2013-2016 and it is not 13-16 vs 17-20 at Auz open).
I just talked about Fed a couple posts above.
The Zed version is the same. Atm Zverev looks to be the biggest threat among the NextGen. If he doesn't hit Dimigod R32 and gets to R16 (R4) here is the matrix:
1. Murray - Murray owns Zverev so this would be doom
2. Djokovic - they've never played, but Djoko is weak. I don't think Zverev has enough power to hit by Nole, so this still may be a bridge too far on paper
3. Wawrinka - just beat him in Final where Wawa still had semblance of US Open form. Zed is playing better by the week so I like his chances
4. Raonic - Zed has the great first return game and reach to handle RaoSlug. Could easily see him systematically disect Raonic. Raonic will return Zverev well too, so Z has to break Raonic at least once a set which is not easy.
Zverev will handle Nadal. Thiem is a potential roadblock. Zverev handled him well in their last encounter, but Thiem played great for much of the Dimitrov match in their Brisbane QF.
Thiem is physically back pretty much with a new serve game. He doesn't look to be making the big speed and talent leaps that Zverev is managing at the start of 2017, but Thiem is plenty dangerous for the following reasons:
1. He's beasting. He hit a ton of hard, hard shots and serves at Dimitrov with no letup. Physically Thiem is still getting stronger and he may become something like a slower version of Nadal with more power and nearly the stamina. Long run that is a beast especially in the 5 set format. Thiem makes his opponents work like Nadal, but has yet to achieve the stamina to be left standing at end of slam. Auz is Thiem's most likely candidate for slam stamina breakthrough and it could easily be this tournament; he looks that good.
2. He's close to in form. Some of Thiem's best form ever against Dimitrov; just a bridge too far to come back from the horror of the 2nd half of 2016, but Thiem is close.
3. His serve has been changed. Thiem's Superkicker may have been the culprit that took him down in 2016 as his serve percentages dipped through the Spring and his forehand lost its sting (won Stuttgart with 25 DFs and a crap serve.) Thiem apprently has some changes to serve based on TTW members comments on form and he seems to be able to hit it utlra hard a lot more (220 to 230 kph range). The downside is the promise of the superkicker and near 70% first serve percentage does not seem to be happening, but the bigger serve and a nastier 2nd seem to be working well. Dimitrov got off the hook at Brisbane due to Thiem's new serve breaking down under pressures with a bunch of DFs.
I don't see a giant leap for Thiem in the future, but as these three come together it should be enough to make him very dangerous and stay near the top of the game. Likely to do new Thiem thread if the form from Dimigod match continues at Sydney this week where Thiem is the top seed.
I just talked about Fed a couple posts above.
The Zed version is the same. Atm Zverev looks to be the biggest threat among the NextGen. If he doesn't hit Dimigod R32 and gets to R16 (R4) here is the matrix:
1. Murray - Murray owns Zverev so this would be doom
2. Djokovic - they've never played, but Djoko is weak. I don't think Zverev has enough power to hit by Nole, so this still may be a bridge too far on paper
3. Wawrinka - just beat him in Final where Wawa still had semblance of US Open form. Zed is playing better by the week so I like his chances
4. Raonic - Zed has the great first return game and reach to handle RaoSlug. Could easily see him systematically disect Raonic. Raonic will return Zverev well too, so Z has to break Raonic at least once a set which is not easy.
Zverev will handle Nadal. Thiem is a potential roadblock. Zverev handled him well in their last encounter, but Thiem played great for much of the Dimitrov match in their Brisbane QF.
Thiem is physically back pretty much with a new serve game. He doesn't look to be making the big speed and talent leaps that Zverev is managing at the start of 2017, but Thiem is plenty dangerous for the following reasons:
1. He's beasting. He hit a ton of hard, hard shots and serves at Dimitrov with no letup. Physically Thiem is still getting stronger and he may become something like a slower version of Nadal with more power and nearly the stamina. Long run that is a beast especially in the 5 set format. Thiem makes his opponents work like Nadal, but has yet to achieve the stamina to be left standing at end of slam. Auz is Thiem's most likely candidate for slam stamina breakthrough and it could easily be this tournament; he looks that good.
2. He's close to in form. Some of Thiem's best form ever against Dimitrov; just a bridge too far to come back from the horror of the 2nd half of 2016, but Thiem is close.
3. His serve has been changed. Thiem's Superkicker may have been the culprit that took him down in 2016 as his serve percentages dipped through the Spring and his forehand lost its sting (won Stuttgart with 25 DFs and a crap serve.) Thiem apprently has some changes to serve based on TTW members comments on form and he seems to be able to hit it utlra hard a lot more (220 to 230 kph range). The downside is the promise of the superkicker and near 70% first serve percentage does not seem to be happening, but the bigger serve and a nastier 2nd seem to be working well. Dimitrov got off the hook at Brisbane due to Thiem's new serve breaking down under pressures with a bunch of DFs.
I don't see a giant leap for Thiem in the future, but as these three come together it should be enough to make him very dangerous and stay near the top of the game. Likely to do new Thiem thread if the form from Dimigod match continues at Sydney this week where Thiem is the top seed.
Delpo would not have been seeded.
Zverev is a bit of a moving target and an unknownd down under since getting dumped so early last year. We don't know for sure how he'll take to this surface, but he looked quite good last two matches at Hopman so he's one to watch. Hoping Wawa surprises tonight against Nishi in Brisbane. Chennai has never really been a test so tonight is an early peak at the Slamimal and whether he's seeing his shadow or not.
Zverev is a bit of a moving target and an unknownd down under since getting dumped so early last year. We don't know for sure how he'll take to this surface, but he looked quite good last two matches at Hopman so he's one to watch. Hoping Wawa surprises tonight against Nishi in Brisbane. Chennai has never really been a test so tonight is an early peak at the Slamimal and weather he's seeing his shadow or not.
Zverev transition game is work in progress, but saw some hope versus Federer. We are guessing on his matchups with Raonic and Djokovic since they've never played (haha Zverev beat Djoko out 2015 Boodles.)
A win against Raonic and the red hot label should be given to Dimitrov.
Exciting NextGen times. Pouille and Kyrgios seem to have minor injuries so its up to team Zebra.
Federer is 17 unless Kyrgios, Monfils, or perhaps Pouille drop out. He's better off at 17 as he avoids any chance of meeting Zverev early.
