2017 Rome Masters - General Discussion

[stringertom]

Thieminator winning another close one. Maybe the next step is to win a big close one. Like tomorrow.

 

[tennis08tarheels]

Awesome match. Says a lot about Sam that he served horribly in that tiebreak and took it all the way to 9-7. I don't recall seeing a single first serve in?

 

[Deleted member 3771]

Surely Nadal copied Sock's socks but if Nadal didn't copy Sock' socks, who's Sock's did Nadal copy?

Nike would have given Sock some of Rafa's leftover socks.

 

[Meles]

Disappointed. I wanted to see Nadal / Querrey. Not yet another forgone conclusion against Thiem.

 

[SeeingDusk]

Went 5/6 on my parlay today again. This time Goffin lost. Think he could've won if he wasn't injured though.

 

[mightyrick]

Awesome match. Says a lot about Sam that he served horribly in that tiebreak and took it all the way to 9-7. I don't recall seeing a single first serve in?

I didn't, either. He hit some great shots but absolutely terrible serving. Zero first serves in the tiebreak. And now we get to watch Thiem get straight-setted again versus Nadal.

Querrey / Nadal would have at least been something different than the last few times we've watched Nadal / Thiem.

 

[merwy]

I didn't, either. He hit some great shots but absolutely terrible serving. Zero first serves in the tiebreak. And now we get to watch Thiem get straight-setted again versus Nadal.

Querrey / Nadal would have at least been something different than the last few times we've watched Nadal / Thiem.

I'm not too excited about that match-up either.. On the other hand, almost no one can pose a realistic threat to Nadal on clay now and I guess Thiem has got a higher chance than Querrey to beat Nadal (although both have odds close to zero)

 

[JohnnyMac Fan!]

Nadal v Thiem 3.0. This is Thiem's best chance to defeat Nadal. The clay looks slower and has a lower bounce compared to Madrid and Barcelona. Having said that, Nadal will raise his game to play him.

Erm, the slower the surface the better is for Nadal, as he can return with more time.

 

[Meles]

Sam is defending well

He made Thiem play. Querrey looks ready for Davis Cup against Belgium on clay. Isner and Sock must be on notice too from Captain Courier for their singles spots.

 

[mightyrick]

Nadal v Thiem 3.0. This is Thiem's best chance to defeat Nadal. The clay looks slower and has a lower bounce compared to Madrid and Barcelona. Having said that, Nadal will raise his game to play him.

And why does Nadal have to raise his level at all? Thiem just barely escaped an old, American hardcourt specialist in a tiebreak. All Nadal needs to do is show up and play his game and he will straight-set Thiem again.

If Thiem wants to win, he needs to add a weapon. He does not have the tools to beat an in-form Nadal.

 

[Athique Rehman]

There is something different about Rafa when Carlos Moya is not in the box. He doesn't look as much tactically prepared. Do people notice this too?

 

[Meles]

Thieminator winning another close one. Maybe the next step is to win a big close one. Like tomorrow.

 

[Meles]

And why does Nadal have to raise his level at all? Thiem just barely escaped an old, American hardcourt specialist in a tiebreak. All Nadal needs to do is show up and play his game and he will straight-set Thiem again.

If Thiem wants to win, he needs to add a weapon. He does not have the tools to beat an in-form Nadal.

 

[Meles]

There is something different about Rafa when Carlos Moya is not in the box. He doesn't look as much tactically prepared. Do people notice this too?

Moya not in Rome. Just Uncle Toni?

 

[JohnnyMac Fan!]

There is something different about Rafa when Carlos Moya is not in the box. He doesn't look as much tactically prepared. Do people notice this too?

Wishful thinking?

 

[mightyrick]

I just want to see good and interesting tennis. If Sock would have beat Nadal... then Sock / Thiem would have been an interesting match. Nadal / Querrey would have been something different.

Nadal / Thiem is about as interesting as Nadal / Ferrer back in the old days. I've had enough of this matchup in the last couple months.

 

[Athique Rehman]

Wishful thinking?

Im a Rafa fan saying this. Regardless of Moya being in Rome he is capable of winning it BUT he looks MUCH better with Moya. My opinion is that he looks kinda under prepared tactically with Uncle Toni. It is no coincidence that Rafa has played well this year with the addition of Moya. He started to stink under Toni in the last 2 years. Facts mate.

 

[Meles]

Again I got too nervy to watch from 4 all in TB. What happened?

Both played well enough on return. Thiem got off the hook as Querrey could not hit a first serve. Thiem ground it out.

 

[Meles]

Thirsty 7UP

Cheers
3Fees

Some biased commentating for Thiem.

Cheers
Meles

 

[Krish872007]

Cilic to beat Isner tomorrow?

 

[cc0509]

He made Thiem play. Querrey looks ready for Davis Cup against Belgium on clay. Isner and Sock must be on notice too from Captain Courier for their singles spots.

I didn't see the Thiem-Querrey match but just saw the score and I'm surprised. How did a non-clay entity like Querrey, a guy who does better on a grass court, take the clay demon Thiem to three close sets? This explanation should be good.

 

[I Am Finnish]

Del porto - djokovic never met on clay?

Cant remember

 

[TheGhostOfAgassi]

Both played well enough on return. Thiem got off the hook as Querrey could not hit a first serve. Thiem ground it out.

Good Thiem has ice running through his veins How he pulled this off another time is super impressive. I didnt watch much of the Rafa match, but from what I saw I dont think Rafa looked as dangerous as he was last matches in Madrid, he got broken once by Sock.

 

[Athique Rehman]

Del porto - djokovic never met on clay?

Cant remember

RG2011 they played. Went to 4 sets.

 

[wy2sl0]

Tell me what he is doing to the ball boys that is shameful? did he do something today?

Djokovic is not phony. Thing is with him, is that he is a fierce competitor. He gets angry with himself and sometimes has a tough time to control it. But my interest is what did he do to the ball boys? What are you talking about?

A couple of occasions he has raised his voice for a towel through the course of his career, but is it directed towards the ball boy? No. He doesn't mean any harm.

Are you kidding? Grabbing the towel from them and yelling come on, come on towel towel. Just everything. His demeanour.

Says a lot about those of you that support him blindly. That is all I will say. To each their own, I was raised differently I guess.

 

[I Am Finnish]

Cilic to beat Isner tomorrow?

Cilic can read inser Serve well & he owns him

 

[clayqueen]

Im a Rafa fan saying this. Regardless of Moya being in Rome he is capable of winning it BUT he looks MUCH better with Moya. My opinion is that he looks kinda under prepared tactically with Uncle Toni. It is no coincidence that Rafa has played well this year with the addition of Moya. He started to stink under Toni in the last 2 years. Facts mate.

Most definitely hiring Moya is the best thing Rafa has done. I don't know why it took him so long since Moya retired. Moya is a perfect fit. He is from Rafa's neighbourhood and is practically family. I won't criticise Toni, because he made Rafa the tennis player that he is, but when you've been with someone for so long you are set in your ways and one thing I would criticise Toni for, is letting Rafa think he is not as good as he is and making him feel inferior to the other players. Fed, Djoko and Murray feel they can't lose or shouldn't lose and that's helped them; whilst Rafa thinks he can lose to anyone.

 

[rainingaces]

Del porto - djokovic never met on clay?

Cant remember

6 years ago was the last time, Djokovic leads the clay h2h 2-0.

 

[I Am Finnish]

RG2011 they played. Went to 4 sets.

Del porto lost to peakovic no shame

But djokovic is nowhere near his his peak but it should be interesting

 

[I Am Finnish]

6 years ago was the last time, Djokovic leads the clay h2h 2-0.

Where was their frist meeting?

 

[cc0509]

Del porto - djokovic never met on clay?

Cant remember

The last time they played on clay was the FO 2011 when Djokovic was playing some of the best tennis of his career.

 

[rainingaces]

Cilic can read inser Serve well & he owns him

Isner did beat him last time and he is serving out of a tree at 84% today so I think it's a Tie-Break lottery.

 

[rainingaces]

I think Djokovic won in Rome straight sets but I'm not 100%.

 

[I Am Finnish]

Isner did beat him last time and he is serving out of a tree at 84% today so I think it's a Tie-Break lottery.

True it is a toss up

 

[Athique Rehman]

Del porto lost to peakovic no shame

But djokovic is nowhere near his his peak but it should be interesting

2011 Djokovic was incredible. That is truly his peak not 2015 as some people think. I thought 2015 was a poor field , in 2011 he beat a fresh and close to prime Nadal and Federer was playing great as was Murray. 2015 competition stunk the place out. Its bit similar to this year. Dont think the competition has been all that great. Nadal and Federer should not be winning tournaments with such regularity as they are.

 

[TheMaestro1990]

Nadal Dismisses Sock in Rome

http://www.tennis-pulse.com/nadal-dismisses-sock-in-rome/

 

[Meles]

I didn't see the Thiem-Querrey match but just saw the score and I'm surprised. How did a non-clay entity like Querrey, a guy who does better on a grass court, take the clay demon Thiem to three close sets? This explanation should be good.

The Destroyer on court until TB
Destroyer's recent dossier:
9 / 2017 Acapulco Hard
F W Rafael Nadal 6-3 7-6(3)
SF W Nick Kyrgios 3-6 6-1 7-5
QF W Dominic Thiem 6-1 7-5
R16 W David Goffin 6-2 6-3
R32 W Kyle Edmund 6-2 4-6 6-3

 

[mike danny]

Where was their frist meeting?

Rome 2009 QF.

 

[I Am Finnish]

Rome 2009 QF.

8 years later they will meet again in the same tournament & the same round

 

[Meles]

I didn't see the Thiem-Querrey match but just saw the score and I'm surprised. How did a non-clay entity like Querrey, a guy who does better on a grass court, take the clay demon Thiem to three close sets? This explanation should be good.

The serious explanation is Thiem came out flat and got broken immediately against an if form Querrey. That wasn't enough to motivate Thiem who was just along for the ride until the 2nd set. Thiem had to pull a lot of shots out of his nether regions to take this match. Thiem started the match up returning first serves near the line and Querrey was disposing of his deep bunts from both sides with alarming regularity. Thiem dropped back further and went heavier later in the match which did help him not get smoked by Querrey's groundies. In this match when Thiem looped defensive topspin with out a lot of depth Querrey simply was eating it for breakfast. Thiem finally got his feet moving later in the 2nd set and made a match of it. A lot of stupid shots in the shakier Querrey serve games did not help matters as generally Querrey saw the Thiem drop shots coming. Thiem sort of started out the 3rd set tie-breaker well, but was not hitting first serves so Querrey kept breaking back to get in it plus at least one Querrey first return did damage and Querrey had set point at 6-5 on his own serve, but Thiem prevailed.

Your clay fav Raomug takes on Zed tomorrow; any thoughts?

 

[cc0509]

Meles, post: 11218349, member: 706609"The serious explanation is Thiem came out flat and got broken immediately against an if form Querrey. That wasn't enough to motivate Thiem who was just along for the ride until the 2nd set. Thiem had to pull a lot of shots out of his nether regions to take this match. Thiem started the match up returning first serves near the line and Querrey was disposing of his deep bunts from both sides with alarming regularity. Thiem dropped back further and went heavier later in the match which did help him not get smoked by Querrey's groundies. In this match when Thiem looped defensive topspin with out a lot of depth Querrey simply was eating it for breakfast. Thiem finally got his feet moving later in the 2nd set and made a match of it. A lot of stupid shots in the shakier Querrey serve games did not help matters as generally Querrey saw the Thiem drop shots coming. Thiem sort of started out the 3rd set tie-breaker well, but was not hitting first serves so Querrey kept breaking back to get in it plus at least one Querrey first return did damage and Querrey had set point at 6-5 on his own serve, but Thiem prevailed.

Ok, if you say so.

Your clay fav Raomug takes on Zed tomorrow; any thoughts?

I have no idea but you better hope that NextGen big deal Zverev doesn't lose to this Raonic who hasn't been playing a lot recently due to injury or you'll never hear the end of it from me.

 

[TheMusicLover]

Yet again no chance at watching the matches today.
Two favs of mine losing but I can't be all too sad about that.

Wawa = Wawa, and he looked off right from the start of this tournament, so no surprise to hear he lost against a decent - who was it this time, LOL.

As for Goffin... true worries, here. Looked already tired at the beginning of this tournament, no wonder, as he's been playing some 9, 10 tournaments already this year?
Serious worries of him having overplayed. Read he had some tigh massage halfway his match today... oh damn.
Sounds like a possible injury. Take time to properly heal, David!

 

[KohlschreiberFan]

All the quarter finals look very exciting. I'm taking the day off tomorrow!!!

 

[Gary Duane]

What does amor y paz have to do with getting flustered by time violation calls?

Again, I heard him complaining about the time taken by RBA. Maybe I misheard it, but I listened to it twice...

 

[ultradr]

Rafa never tank

I mean Rafa should exert only certain level of efforts at Rome.
He's been on max effort level in 2017, I think he reached slam level form and should consider avoiding over-playing, IMHO.
Oh well, I'm pretty sure he also has that in his mind already.

 

[marc45]

There is something different about Rafa when Carlos Moya is not in the box. He doesn't look as much tactically prepared. Do people notice this too?

I think you have to give credit to Sock for impacting Nadal's game a bit...maybe a bit of a flat day, but mainly only serving I thought

 

[Deleted member 3771]

Rafa is even playing a bit of golf between matches

 

[Mainad]

Where was their frist meeting?

Djokovic and Del Potro have met just 2 times on clay prior to tomorrow's meeting: quarter-final of 2009 Rome (Djokovic in straight sets) and 3rd round of 2011 RG (Djokovic in 4 sets).

 

[cc0509]

Djokovic and Del Potro have met just 2 times on clay prior to tomorrow's meeting: quarter-final of 2009 Rome (Djokovic in straight sets) and 3rd round of 2011 RG (Djokovic in 4 sets).

I haven't seen any of the Rome matches so far and you are usually pretty rational with your tennis opinion outside of your Murray sycophancy. Based on what you've seen so far of Del Potro and Djokovic, which player do you think will win the upcoming match?

 

[Mainad]

I haven't seen any of the Rome matches so far and you are usually pretty rational with your tennis opinion outside of your Murray sycophancy.

As you very well know, I am ALWAYS rational in my tennis opinions and am sycophantic to nobody.

Based on what you've seen so far of Del Potro and Djokovic, which player do you think will win the upcoming match?

Should be an interesting encounter. Both are on the comeback trail and both are beginning to round into some form. Delpo has been more impressive as he is the only one so far to put away a top 10 player so if he can maintain his level I think he has a really good chance.

 

[3fees]

Men's Quarter Finals Singles Match Schedule:

Friday, May 19, 2017 Day 7
CENTRALE Starts at 12:00 noon
WTA
Not Before 2:00 pm
QF (16) Alexander Zverev VS (5) Milos Raonic
Not Before 4:00 pm
QF (8) Dominic Thiem VS (4) Rafael Nadal
Not Before 7:30 pm
QF WTA
Not Before 9:00 pm
QF Juan Martin del Potro VS (2)Novak Djokovic
NEXT GEN ARENA Starts at 12:00 noon
QF John Isner VS (6) Marin Cilic

Cheers
3Fees
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