2017 French Open FINAL: [3] Stan Wawrinka vs. [4] Rafael Nadal

Who will win?


  • Total voters
    207

mike danny

Bionic Poster
the downplaying begins :)...of course Stan said he didn't even watch the other semi...keep that pressure off, boys

Christopher Clarey‏ @christophclarey 4m4 minutes ago
"I think I don’t need more history. Nine is more than good" Nadal on how he views the historic opportunity to win his 10th French Open

  1. Bill Simons‏ @BillSimons1 2m2 minutes ago
    #Nadal says he doesn't care that he's only lost a handful of games going into the final.

    #Nadal says Thiem started nervous. Had opportunities in 2nd and 3rd set.

  2. #Nadal says today's not moment to think bout a 10th RG. To get to the final of the most import event of my career means a lot.


Nadal is doing the right thing. He isn't thinking too far ahead like the rest of us always do.

But even he knows there's no chance in hell of losing this, despite his humility.
 

StanTheMan

Hall of Fame
It's funny, but against Djokovic in 2015 this forum thought Wawrinka was much more of an underdog than now.
 

mike danny

Bionic Poster
Stan will blast thru Nadal in 4. Murray has better defense than Nadal at this point and Stan was able to hit thru Murray.
1320529223886.jpg
 

Krish872007

Talk Tennis Guru
It's funny, but against Djokovic in 2015 this forum thought Wawrinka was much more of an underdog than now.

Very surprising tbh. I guess that's because Djokovic had beaten Nadal along the way and people felt he was truly unbeatable in that tournament.
 
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Deleted member 120290

Guest
On clay Murray doesn't defend better than Nadal. I don't need to know much tennis to figure this one out.
Again you do not know tennis. Nadal is not 1/2 the defender on clay that he was 10 years ago. Murray defends better than he does on all surfaces.
 

Krish872007

Talk Tennis Guru
Again you do not know tennis. Nadal is not 1/2 the defender on clay that he was 10 years ago. Murray defends better than he does on all surfaces.

Murray defended outstandingly well today, but there is a glaring weakness in his defence on clay compared to Nadal's and it is exposed when he is forced to run wide on his forehand side. Unlike Nadal, he doesn't slide into the ball so he often overshoots and slides after his feet land (after contact with the ball), which tends to stretch him out of position and make him work harder and run more to retrieve the next shot. As a result he ends up getting wrong-footed or is simply not able to cover the cross-court angle. From watching all of Nadal's matches this year, it is evident that his defence has declined since his very best years but he still moves like a panther around the baseline. He has been reinvigorated, we can see the extra spring in his step and he is so much more comfortable with his sliding and positioning than Murray - it's why so few people have been able to take even 3 or 4 games from him per set. And Nadal can keep going for 5 sets, Murray was already gassed after the 4th set today.

Wawrinka hit 87 winners in 5 sets today. Scale that down and we get 52 winners on average for 3 sets. If the final is a tight 3-setter, I would therefore expect Wawrinka to blast around 50+ winners past Nadal if what you say is true.
 

Krish872007

Talk Tennis Guru
We gonna overlook Stan before a slam final again? When you're on the brink of history, he's always trying to crush you. I was so scared for Rogi this AO.

Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice.....

He's not being completely overlooked. But Nadal at Roland Garros? A Nadal who still hasn't dropped a set and has lost just 29 games?
 
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Deleted member 120290

Guest
We'll find out on Sunday.

Murray defended outstandingly well today, but there is a glaring weakness in his defence on clay compared to Nadal's and it is exposed when he is forced to run wide on his forehand side. Unlike Nadal, he doesn't slide into the ball so he often overshoots and slides after his feet land (after contact with the ball), which tends to stretch him out of position and make him work harder and run more to retrieve the next shot. As a result he ends up getting wrong-footed or is simply not able to cover the cross-court angle. From watching all of Nadal's matches this year, it is evident that his defence has declined since his very best years but he still moves like a panther around the baseline. He has been reinvigorated, we can see the extra spring in his step and he is so much more comfortable with his sliding and positioning than Murray - it's why so few people have been able to take even 3 or 4 games from him per set. And Nadal can keep going for 5 sets, Murray was already gassed after the 4th set today.

Wawrinka hit 87 winners in 5 sets today. Scale that down and we get 52 winners on average for 3 sets. If the final is a tight 3-setter, I would therefore expect Wawrinka to blast around 50+ winners past Nadal if what you say is true.
Yes, Sunday will tell all. Many thought Thiem would be the real deal but as today proved, he is far, far from the throne.
 

tennis24x7

Hall of Fame
I see this going the distance. Wavrinka will sleep through the first set, maybe look at donna a little and start waking up in the second and third. Nadal will take the last two, unless Stan already hit the Stanimal mode today and will show up in zombie mode come sunday.
 
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Deleted member 77403

Guest
OK, just some fun facts

The Hitman's Hitlist :cool:

Wawrinka
Has beaten the world number one, on his way to every single slam win
Has played and beaten either Djokovic or Nadal in his slam final wins
Has beaten a slam champion in the quarters of each time he won a slam - Djokovic in AO 2014, Federer in RG 2015, Del Potro 2016 - Has beaten Cilic here
If Wawrinka wins, it will be the first time since AO 2005 that Djokodal didn't hold at least one slam
Wawrinka has been a major block for history making events and an ally for Federer - AO 2014 prevented historic first double career slam of open era, RG 2015 prevented CYGS assuming Djokovic wins the other events like he did, USO 2016 - Prevents Djokovic for equalling Federer's historic 3 slam season x 3...Now planning on blocking La Decima
Has won a slam every year since 2014


Nadal
Has beaten a former RG champion from Switzerland before - RG 2011
Undefeated against single handed backhand players at RG
Has always won the RG title after losing AO final. AO 2012 - RG 2012. AO 2014 - RG 2014
Every year he won Madrid, he won RG. 2005, 2010, 2013, 2014. He has won Madrid this year also. @Hitman's Gurl - Thanks for this one!
Nadal has gone to win the channel slam every year that he won RG without dropping a set and ended the year world number one. 2008, 2010, and he has not dropped a set so far.
Nadal is unbeaten in RG slam finals 9-0.


There you have it...The Hitlist. :cool:
 

BeatlesFan

Bionic Poster
poll should be changed to how many games will stan win.

I say 9 games total for Stan. And please no one remind us of these irrelevant facts:

1. Stan's 3-0 in slam finals
2. Stan has beaten Nadal before in a major final
--------------------
Stan might have the game to beat Nadal in an RG final, but he won't have the nerve. If he can't close out sets today against Murray while up a break, does anyone really think he can do so against Rafa on Chatrier? No freakin' way.
 

Krish872007

Talk Tennis Guru
Unfair. Stan was just learning his new powers

Well of course I expect it to be closer than that - more a gauge of Rafa's form and the type of high balls Stan will have to tolerate.
He was a bit frustrated trying to hit through Murray today
 

Fed881981

Hall of Fame
I say 9 games total for Stan. And please no one remind us of these irrelevant facts:

1. Stan's 3-0 in slam finals
2. Stan has beaten Nadal before in a major final
--------------------
Stan might have the game to beat Nadal in an RG final, but he won't have the nerve. If he can't close out sets today against Murray while up a break, does anyone really think he can do so against Rafa on Chatrier? No freakin' way.
9 games total for Stan?! Oh, c'mon!

Thiem didn't play well (and gave up in the third), and yet he got 7.
 

marc45

G.O.A.T.
keep your eye on Nadal's warm-up, all hell broke loose last time...and it's lasted forever here :)
 

BeatlesFan

Bionic Poster
9 games total for Stan?! Oh, c'mon!

Thiem didn't play well (and gave up in the third), and yet he got 7.
People slammed me when I predicted Thiem would get 5 games from Nadal today.... I wasn't far off.

I think the moment will simply overwhelm Stan and we won't execute whatever game plan Norman's devised. I also don't even think Nadal is playing anywhere near his best, but to beat him on this court is practically impossible.
 

Krish872007

Talk Tennis Guru
People slammed me when I predicted Thiem would get 5 games from Nadal today.... I wasn't far off.

I think the moment will simply overwhelm Stan and we won't execute whatever game plan Norman's devised. I also don't even think Nadal is playing anywhere near his best, but to beat him on this court is practically impossible.

Agree with the potential outcome, don't agree with the reason.
Stan won't be overwhelmed - he's been in Slam finals before, he'll handle it fine mentally. He could just get outplayed.
 

eliars

Hall of Fame
Regardless of who wins, few things would happen with Celestial punctuality:
Naddullo will pick his butt like mad
Naddullo will arrange and rearrange the front locks to hide his balding head
Naddullo will delay between points to an extent that the umpire will start fidgeting in chair but...but...still won't be able to warn
Few new mushrooms from Mallorca massage parlour will raise heads there to attain troll-puberty.
If Nadal loses (and the probability is not very bad of that), those mushrooms will go back to parlour, few other older mushrooms will go into hibernation or commit suicide to re-appear under new user names.
Last but not the least ... Stan will beat the crap out of the fur of that tennis ball on Sunday. God save the tennis baalls that day !

Nadal's hair is looking pretty thick now after the transplant actually.
 
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