2018 Madrid SF - [5] Dominic Thiem vs [6] Kevin Anderson

[mike danny]

I really hope he finds the correct approach and the right game on HCs. I've been hyping him for so long and I do believe the hype is warranted cause the guy possesses a game that is out of this world. He needs to start being a dominant champion soon.

Let's not go overboard.

 

[tennis_pro]

Anderson's a bit of a stiff but this Thiem kid is starting to impress me.
I don't often warm to people who have the kind of face I just want to
punch. Repeatedly.

Zverev? Still want to get him passed out drunk and shave his head. I'll
leaving the punching of his face to others. He sucks.

This is a reasonable post.

 

[Steve0904]

Huh, I thought Madrid stopped having models as ball girls last couple years !

Are you complaining about it?

 

[Im(moral) Winner]

Cuter player lost

 

[mellowyellow]

Changed his strategy to pull the wings off Anderson perhaps. Level looks fine. Bottom line two relatively easy sets will do nicely today.

No wasted energy... Bout time!

 

[mightyrick]

and he's still straight setting in his semi super comfortably

now imagine if he finds half of his nadal form for the final...

If Thiem is half of form against Nadal in the final, he is going to get straight-setted.

 

[Meles]

Such an uninspiring match by Anderson.

He's a joke. At least we won't have Anderson fans pumping him up on clay after this like Dimitrough post Monte Carlo SF.

Tell me you don't have Delpo highly ranked on clay.

 

[Deleted member 756486]

Cuter player lost

R.I.P. female tennis fanbase.

 

[mike danny]

He isn't choking, he's tired. This the bad thing about the older guys. They get tired deeper in the tournaments. So those matches at the end of the tourneys late in the season can get pretty dismal.
Thiem has played two tired guys in a row. He's about to play someone with just as much (if not more) energy.

I'm just hoping for a good match.

How can Nadal be tired? He had barely dropped games on clay before meeting Thiem in Madrid.

 

[Pagoo]

Good win for Thiem. Bye Anderson.

 

[Legend of Borg]

I really hope he finds the correct approach and the right game on HCs. I've been hyping him for so long and I do believe the hype is warranted cause the guy possesses a game that is out of this world. He needs to start being a dominant champion soon.

whoa

are u ok?

i mean he's really really good, but...

 

[Poisoned Slice]

Lol where’s the other gif? The one where he says “he was flying”

@Meles is the man to ask. He's made many of the gifs I see here.

 

[Meles]

If Thiem is half of form against Nadal in the final, he is going to get straight-setted.

Nadal may not even get to Thiem again. His blood is in the NextGen waters on clay.

 

[mike danny]

Anderson, awful returner. Threw away his chance at 0-30.

Anderson made Nadal look like Federer/Sampras on serve at the USO.

 

[AceSalvo]

I am sure there are better things to do in Madrid at 9pm than watch Zed vs Shaps.

Crappy schedule.

 

[Pagoo]

How can Nadal be tired? He had barely dropped games on clay before meeting Thiem in Madrid.

He was tired from winning.

 

[mellowyellow]

Such an uninspiring match by Anderson.

I think that like Isner, the longer match the previous day took its toll on their bigger physiques in the altitude...

 

[mightyrick]

How can Nadal be tired? He had barely dropped games on clay before meeting Thiem in Madrid.

When old guys get tired, they don't gently lose form. They crash. If you don't know this, then you aren't older and physically active.

 

[Gary Duane]

One giant down, one to go!

 

[Meles]

@Meles is the man to ask. He's made many of the gifs I see here.

 

[RF-18]

Let's not go overboard.

It's not overboard. Guy is machine.

I think Thiem potentially could eclipse the games of peak Nadal and peak Djokovic in few years time. He is that good.

 

[Meles]

When old guys get tired, they don't gently lose form. They crash. If you don't know this, then you aren't older and physically active.

So Nadal was tired after a week off and in a QF? Try again.

 

[mellowyellow]

R.I.P. female tennis fanbase.

Seriously? Anderson has a striking resemblance to Jim Ignatowski...

 

[Fedforever]

I am sure there are better things to do in Madrid at 9pm than watch Zed vs Shaps.

Crappy schedule.

Madrid is a brilliant city. Loads to do, lots of cheap food and hotels. Noisy though.

 

[Deleted member 756486]

It's not overboard. Guy is machine.

I think Thiem potentially could eclipse the games of peak Nadal and peak Djokovic in few years time. He is that good.

I hope you’re right but he’s 24, Nadal and Djokovic both had 5+ slams by that age.

If he’s going to dominate it has to be this year, clock is ticking.

 

[Your Hero]

This is a reasonable post.

I used to want to punch Milos in the kisser but then he began working
that spit curl and I saw a young Clark Kent in him. In the end I compromised
and began calling him Canadian Frankenstein.

 

[MichaelNadal]

My boo is slaying this week
I would actually be ok with him winning the FO. 11 is.......

 

[Meles]

It's not overboard. Guy is machine.

I think Thiem potentially could eclipse the games of peak Nadal and peak Djokovic in few years time. He is that good.

That is way too ambitious. The only way Thiem does this is to continue to keep making games on serve like the last two years. But anyhow go Thiem.

 

[mightyrick]

So Nadal was tired after a week off and in a QF? Try again.

Lol. You young guns are so funny. Enjoy. Just make sure to put the moist towel in the hamper when you're done.

 

[Meles]

My boo is slaying this week
I would actually be ok with him winning the FO. 11 is.......

Glad to still see you're on the Thiem.

 

[mike danny]

It's not overboard. Guy is machine.

I think Thiem potentially could eclipse the games of peak Nadal and peak Djokovic in few years time. He is that good.

No, he isn't.

 

[MichaelNadal]

Glad to still see you're on the Thiem.

Why surprised? He's the POC! And he has the cutest grunt on tour

 

[Meles]

I hope you’re right but he’s 24, Nadal and Djokovic both had 5+ slams by that age.

If he’s going to dominate it has to be this year, clock is ticking.

Djokovic turned 24 in 2011 if you want to give Thiem the benefit of the doubt on 6 or so months, then 2018 is Thiem's 2011. If Thiem were to beat Nadal in Rome and win RG then he might carry some Nadalian momentum into the rest of the year and it doesn't hurt that he matches up well enough with Grand Feddy.

 

[RF-18]

I hope you’re right but he’s 24, Nadal and Djokovic both had 5+ slams by that age.

If he’s going to dominate it has to be this year, clock is ticking.

He won't ever be as successfull as them, that time has gone but game wise and level of play he could reach heights that will become better than what we ever saw from playstyles such as Djokovic and Nadal.

 

[mellowyellow]

No, he isn't.

Sometimes for a game or a set, the very occasional match he can seemingly be the only presence on the court. Certainly not a sustainable level for him as of yet for weeks or in the biggest of tournaments

 

[Meles]

Why surprised? He's the POC! And he has the cutest grunt on tour

Well lets just say a good friend who is diehard Rafa has been a rabid antithiemite this year. Loves Coric and Rafa lol.

 

[mike danny]

Djokovic turned 24 in 2011 if you want to give Thiem the benefit of the doubt on 6 or so months, then 2018 is Thiem's 2011. If Thiem were to beat Nadal in Rome and win RG then he might carry some Nadalian momentum into the rest of the year and it doesn't hurt that he matches up well enough with Grand Feddy.

You're funny

 

[Deleted member 756486]

Why surprised? He's the POC! And he has the cutest grunt on tour

WAPOO!

 

[flyingboris]

But first R16 for Nagal

I always like how it looks like Shapo is blasting off into space in the first frame of that gif

 

[Meles]

I am sure there are better things to do in Madrid at 9pm than watch Zed vs Shaps.

Crappy schedule.

Mouthwatering match.

 

[Meles]

You're funny

That's a Halle of a thing to say.

 

[mike danny]

That's a Halle of a thing to say.

Stuttgart against an injured Fed.

What's next? It helps that Raonic matches up so well with Fed?

 

[Meles]

For @Poisoned Slice

 

[Fedforever]

And he has the cutest grunt on tour

He is cute definitely. but he looks about ten. Legal but I feel sleazy.

 

[Meles]

Stuttgart against an injured Fed.

What's next? It helps that Raonic matches so well with Fed?

 

[Gazelle]

Nadal may not even get to Thiem again. His blood is in the NextGen waters on clay.

Sharks are beautiful creatures...from a certain distance.

 

[Poisoned Slice]

For @Poisoned Slice

This would have been my preferred (the only) choice. A man that knows his audience.

 

[Mainad]

Thiem's maiden win over Anderson today (first in 7 attempts) confirms that Madrid will get its first NextGen champion come Sunday. Is the long march of the Old Guard finally slowing down?

 

[mike danny]

Sharks are beautiful creatures...from a certain distance.

Yeah, from TV

 

[mike danny]

Thiem's maiden win over Anderson today (first in 7 attempts) confirms that Madrid will get its first NextGen champion come Sunday. Is the long march of the Old Guard finally slowing down?

That is if you consider Thiem part of the NextGen. He is 4 years older than Zverev and 6 years olders than Shapo.

He is close in age to Raonic and Dimitrov than he is to Zverev and Shapo.