2018 Rotterdam - ATP 500; Federer's quest for #1

Goosehead

Legend
@Federer and Del Potro
4d21a40902d0209d8cb8fe2beb53d163.png
....again. ;):eek::oops:
 

Sysyphus

Talk Tennis Guru
Wouldn't even be surprised if Rublev scores another W against Grigor today. He seems to sorta have the ability to exploit Dimitrov's backhand. Depends on how they serve, though. Their AO match was a serve atrocity from both.
 

Red Rick

Bionic Poster
Wouldn't even be surprised if Rublev scores another W against Grigor today. He seems to sorta have the ability to exploit Dimitrov's backhand. Depends on how they serve, though. Their AO match was a serve atrocity from both.
Dimi backhand dont punish no 2nd serve
 

Red Rick

Bionic Poster
Wouldn't even be surprised if Rublev scores another W against Grigor today. He seems to sorta have the ability to exploit Dimitrov's backhand. Depends on how they serve, though. Their AO match was a serve atrocity from both.
I would be right now honestly
 

Sysyphus

Talk Tennis Guru
I have mixed feelings

Rublev winning would be amazeballs, but Dimitrov winning would put him back in the top 4, and more importantly, Zverev out of it.

Yes, probably more upside with a Dimitrov win. There's more urgency for him, he's supposed to be contending at the very top this year. Rublev is steadily going the right direction anyway, win or lose today.
 

Steve0904

Talk Tennis Guru
I know we've seen many a fiery guy in tennis before and he's young, but in this era in particular I don't think Rublev will get away with whining about the unfairness of it all after his opponent hits a great shot or something similar.
 

Sysyphus

Talk Tennis Guru
I know we've seen many a fiery guy in tennis before and he's young, but in this era in particular I don't think Rublev will get away with whining about the unfairness of it all after his opponent hits a great shot or something similar.

What do you mean by 'get away with it'?
 

Steve0904

Talk Tennis Guru
Will be a WTF final rematch next. Gotta back him against Goffin, wander what will the odds be.

He almost blew that service game, but hopefully he sees this out. I expect Goffin will have his chances, but Dimi is the favourite. In other words, a Goffin win wouldn't exactly surprise me. But then nothing's a surprise when it comes to Dimitrov, except perhaps when he has clean service games or comes through under pressure.
 

Steve0904

Talk Tennis Guru
What do you mean by 'get away with it'?

I mean that his next improvement (or at least one of them) should be in his attitude if he wants to reach the next level. As a rule you don't beat guys like Federer or Nadal, (or Djokovic and Murray when/if they come back) by giving away coming points just because you were still angry from a point, or 5 points ago.
 

Sysyphus

Talk Tennis Guru
Zverev's is better.

He craps himself so badly when journeymen play him hard he covers the entire court in a layer excrement
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I mean that his next improvement (or at least one of them) should be in his attitude if he wants to reach the next level. As a rule you don't beat guys like Federer or Nadal, (or Djokovic and Murray when/if they come back) by giving away coming points just because you were still angry from a point, or 5 points ago.

Oh, right, yes I agree. Should work on not getting too worked up. It's a fine balance of course; the fire also seems to work in his favor up to a point.
 

fedtennisphan

Hall of Fame
So between the W/O, the singles match and the dubs match, the day session was a complete waste of time. So Rublev made to this round in good order only meekly straight setted by Dimitrov?
 

Chanwan

G.O.A.T.
Will be a WTF final rematch next. Gotta back him against Goffin, wander what will the odds be.
If the odds are good, I could def. back Goffin. Was the better player for the majority of the WTF-final. Then again, Dimi was preeeeetty nervous in that one.
 

tennis_pro

Bionic Poster
I have mixed feelings

Rublev winning would be amazeballs, but Dimitrov winning would put him back in the top 4, and more importantly, Zverev out of it.
It's only a matter of time before Zverev falls out of the top 4. That's what happens when half of your ranking points come from 2 tournaments.
 

Chanwan

G.O.A.T.
Veroniquem seems to have lost her passion for tennis these days. She jumped on the Djokovic bandwagon and fled as soon as it derailed. She stops by every now and again to support Sasha, that's it.

I guess 2017 was just too painful for her.:D
2017 too painful for @veroniquem ? Nonsense. Rafa won 2 slams, some Masters and got YE. no. 1. Sasha won 2 Masters + YE. no. 4. Great year for Vero except for F.
 

tennis_pro

Bionic Poster
2017 too painful for @veroniquem ? Nonsense. Rafa won 2 slams, some Masters and got YE. no. 1. Sasha won 2 Masters + YE. no. 4. Great year for Vero except for F.
I think Federer winning 2 Slams and let's face it, having a better season than Nadal (more titles, more big titles, 4-0 h2h including 3 blowouts) is far worse to her than Nadal winning 2 Slams and ending the year at no 1. She hates Federer that much. I truly believe that she'd prefer Nadal going Slamless and having a 4-0 h2h against Federer in 2017 instead of what actually happened. She basically has nothing on Federer since early 2017 (even Nadal being the YE#1 doesn't mean anything because there's a wave of Fed fans claiming he's a paper no 1) and it drives her up the wall.
 

zagor

Bionic Poster
If the odds are good, I could def. back Goffin. Was the better player for the majority of the WTF-final. Then again, Dimi was preeeeetty nervous in that one.

I do think Goffin would have won that match if he didn't run out of gas.

However, those were specific circumstances. Normally, Dimitrov has too much firepower for Goffin and this time around he won't be playing for the biggest title of his career.
 
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