2019 Australian Open Men’s Singles Final (1) Novak Djokovic V (2) Rafael Nadal

[Nadal_Django]

Also the 2017 AO Final. Federer totally erased the mental block against Rafa after that match and the rest of 2017 was just history.

However, even though Federer lost to Nadal in 2008 Wimb/2009 AO he still won 2008 Us Open and 2 slam in 2009 after that which is not bad at all. After the 2010 AO Federer existed his prime and Nadal didn't really cost him any slam after that (they didn't even face each other at GS in 2010) so IMO it's not a big deal.

Poor Fed, the moment Rafa started goating in 2010, he had to exit from his prime.
The same in 2008 really. The moment Rafa growed some fangs outside clay, Fed had to survive the Mono. Our boy Fed with some really bad luck, isn't it Federina!?

 

[AndyM]

Was it Chris Fowler believe it or not not the tennis guru's mcenroe Brothers actually Chris Fowler said it best he said when it comes down to is not form coming into the final but matchups and Djokovic owns this matchup

 

[AndyM]

Basically Fowler said the matchup is greater than the form coming into the final

 

[Deleted member 743545]

Poor Fed, the moment Rafa started goating in 2010, he had to exit from his prime.
The same in 2008 really. The moment Rafa growed some fangs outside clay, Fed had to survive the Mono. Our boy Fed with some really bad luck, isn't it Federina!?

Oh look, here comes the fake Nadal fan

 

[Nadal_Django]

Oh look, here comes the fake Nadal fan

Uh oh, that really hurts Federina.

 

[abmk]

Well, compared to 2 of them, basically every draw is weak. Seriously. Nadal was simply a cut above every opponent. He dismantled Tsitsipas...

yeah, coz they played sh*tty vs him.
Nadal was in better form in AO 12 for instance. berdych, federer both had tight 4-set matches vs him. And then he went 5 sets vs Djoko in the final

 

[abmk]

Oh look, here comes the fake Nadal fan

He's just a fed hater disguising himself as a Nadal fan. I highly doubt he's that he's in fact a Nadal fan.

 

[Omega_7000]

in nadal' prime there were djoko and fed, in djoko' prime there were nadal and fed, in fed' prime there weren't nadal and djoko)

Another dumb argument. In Feds prime there were great upcoming younger players like Nadal Djokovic and Murray

In Nadal and Djokovics prime there were zero upcoming players. Fed aged 31 through 36 was still their main rival.

They have greatly benefitted from a crop of completely and utterly useless couple of generations behind them and are still benefitting from it.

 

[Djokovic_is_the_best#1]

I love this haha!

 

[TruthIncarnate]

Djoker taming dat bull! Gonna have himself a feast in Paris. Gonna be like the Grinch carving dat roast beast!

 

[AndyM]

Hitman you must be sleeping or you're out celebrating Earth's mightiest latest conquest

 

[Marius_Hancu]

 

[abmk]

@abmk clearly said "draw to the final." And he's right, ofcourse.

LOL, I've had The_Order under ignore for some time. Still is.
I was addressing the context of the post, which was the draw before the final. Raul_Ramirez, posted a clueless post , saying nadal didn't have an easy draw before the final. That's precisely what I was addressing. Why I should be talking about the final when the talk is about draw before the final.
But of course The_Order was just triggered and went on a BS spree.

 

[uscwang]

Expected an instant classic. Got a class.
Many people focus on Novak's losses in minor events to "analyze" his level. Those are only leaves. The tree is the new Novak carefully times himself for the majors. He had 6 straight set wins at quarter final and above in USO and AO. None of those matches were even close. This is what matters.

 

[alexio]

In Nadal and Djokovics prime there were zero upcoming players. Fed aged 31 through 36 was still their main rival.

They have greatly benefitted from a crop of completely and utterly useless couple of generations behind them and are still benefitting from it.

yes nadal and djoko were but have been too young and not so strong(how many slams fed won in 2000-2002?) unlike they became after that, when they became monsters as we know them now...i'm not talking about upcoming players, but about only matchups between this big 3 potentially, and how many titles they could deny from each other,

 

[Deleted member 77403]

Hitman I kept to the routine did not get up early got up around 7:15 eastern time in the states and just watch the total destruction on tape you are right this wasn't going to be another long classic you were totally right in fact Joco did even better than what you predicted

Yes, that is Earth's Mightiest for you.

 

[KK Partizan]

With his 15th major title, Djokovic grabbed sole possession of third place on the all-time list, passing Pete Sampras. He now trails only Federer (20) and Nadal (17). Passing Federer once seemed achievable, before the slump made it unrealistic; now it again feels possible, if not probable. Even considering that deficit, Djokovic already has a case as the greatest ever: He’s the only male player to win all nine Masters titles, and he’s won 15 majors and 73 career titles despite competing his entire career against two other GOAT candidates. If he wins the French Open—Nadal remains the favorite, but Djokovic’s prospects suddenly look a lot rosier—he’ll hold all four major titles simultaneously for the second time, something Nadal and Federer never accomplished even once.

 

[alexio]

Interesting despite being 5-6 years old and not actually part of their generation he managed to stay competitive enough to be considered rivals. Also again I realize people will never acknowledge this but its not like fed beat all slamless champs prior to 2007. I

yes he beat not slamless champs prior to 2007 but it doesn't mean these champs near the level of djoko or nadal, again age excuses about not his generation and not competitive, oh please

 

[alexio]

Yes, that is Earth's Mightiest for you.

you think can he tame the bull on french clay in may?

 

[abmk]

I woke up a bit earlier than usual on a Sunday in hope of catching the last set as I was sure this was going to be a 5 sets marathon. Then I saw the score... This kind of reminds me of Federer at Wimbledon in 2015. Playing some of his greatest tennis in the SF only to get slaughtered by super Novak in the final. I really thought Nadal was going to put up a better fight than this, so I'm stunned. Anyways, congratulation to Djokovic! I just don't see who can stop him on any surfaces right now.

what are you on about ?
the first 2 sets were very tight in Wim 15 final.
AO 19 final was a no-contest.

Also fed beat a good Murray in a masterclass in the Wim 15 semi.
Rafa at this AO before the final faced no one who played 1/10th as good as Murray did in Wim 15.

 

[Deleted member 77403]

Where are you now...

Atlantis...

Under the sea...

Under the sea...

Where are you now...

Another dream...

The monsters running wild inside of me...

Slaughtered

 

[Deleted member 77403]

Hitman you were so right with your pre-match analysis

 

[TheAssassin]

Where are you now...

Atlantis...

Under the sea...

Under the sea...

Where are you now...

Another dream...

The monsters running wild inside of me...

Headshot! Stunning!

 

[Deleted member 77403]

Hitman how are you feeling today isn't this a glorious day!

Feeling pretty good

 

[AndyM]

I wasn't even nervous watching this match as soon as Joco got the break in the first set I felt very peaceful and calm

 

[joekapa]

Well, not on clay obviously but tonight he really played the perfect match, an absolute clinic and there seemed to be a grand canyon of a gap between #1 and #2.
Djoko at his best is a thing of beauty, my all time favorite to watch, showing the world what perfect tennis should look like, the ideal balance between offense and defense, instinct and strategy, movement and timing, precision and flair. A treat for the ages. I find him so inspiring! Looking forward to more of those moments now that he's back on track.

Exactly. He said today in the interview that he feels "naked" on the court. Interpret it as you wish. But for me he is the most human of the 3.
His tennis is near perfection.

 

[Deleted member 77403]

Hitman you must be sleeping or you're out celebrating Earth's mightiest latest conquest

Just taking every moment as it comes.

 

[Fintft]

Probably Nadal had an injury that impeded his movement, b/c one can't phantom the serve being his best shot.

 

[Deleted member 77403]

you think can he tame the bull on french clay in may?

Ask me again this spring and I will tell you.

 

[alexio]

Exactly. He said today in the interview that he feels "naked" on the court. Interpret it as you wish. But for me he is the most human of the 3.
His tennis is near perfection.

who was naked djoko or nadal?

 

[veroniquem]

who was naked djoko or nadal?

Nadal is (almost) naked in his commercials

 

[AndyM]

Hitman when you watch Djokovic or after he wins do you have some special beverages?

 

[BobFL]

yeah, coz they played sh*tty vs him.
Nadal was in better form in AO 12 for instance. berdych, federer both had tight 4-set matches vs him. And then he went 5 sets vs Djoko in the final

They played sh!tty because he was dominating and putting so much pressure. There is 1 particular thing about tennis I really like. It is causality between quality of the game between players. I cannot play great tennis if you shut me down or if I am not there mentally for whatever reason. Basically I would give a lots of credits to Rafa.

 

[swordtennis]

I love this haha!

LMAO one reason I love Djokovic! The Joker!
What a win @Djokovic_is_the_best#1!
I did not realize Nadal had that bandage on his Ab until yesterday so I tempered the prediction from 5 sets to 4 sets. Figured Nadal could have pulled off one tight set. 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0 kinda match,
However 100% Nadal might have taken it to 5 but let us be frank Nadal was never beating Djokovic last night.
He was a machine and I really do not see a serious decline yet. He has adapted his movement already to compensate for any loss of speed if any.
His forehand might be the best all round ever he has had. The reason is he is taking the ball so early in spots. Nadal blasted a high cross court backhand and he stepped up and just blasted it for a winner.
I think that one shot took a lot out of Nadal. You could see he was like wtf?!
His forehand was probably heavier when he was younger but not as dynamic.
He looked like a 2011 2015-2016 Hybrid out there.
Nadal will heal up and you know he will not want to give Djokovic a sniff of the title at the French Open.
Going to be a fun year!

 

[swordtennis]

Not sure why Nadal is getting beat up here. He had a great run and let us be frank The Greek Kid prob would have troubled Djokovic more than Nadal. Nadal is a tough matchup for younger players. You have to have experience beating Nadal more than a couple times to have consistent success against him.

 

[joekapa]

Something tells me that Rafa will not be the same after this loss. Something about his demeanour post match. Don't know what it is.

 

[AndyM]

It was nice seeing how relaxed Yoko has been the last couple days he even went for a bike ride around the city yesterday

 

[alexio]

Not sure why Nadal is getting beat up here.

nobody knows what was in his head(real reason why) except his close camp, but from the very start of the match looked like he was feeling ill at ease, as if he already knew he couldn't win this match

 

[swordtennis]

Something tells me that Rafa will not be the same after this loss. Something about his demeanour post match. Don't know what it is.

The look in his eyes was something I never saw either from him.
However he also has never been ambushed like this in a major.
If he gets wiped out at the French by a player outside of Fedovic then I will have to prob agree.
Let's not write The King of Clay off just yet. He still loves tennis.

 

[alexio]

If he gets wiped out at the French by a player outside of Fedovic then I will have to prob agree.

fedovic? only djoko no? i guess thiem (or even zverev) is more danger on clay than fed now

 

[swordtennis]

nobody knows what was in his head(real reason why) except his close camp, but from the very start of the match looked like he was feeling ill at ease, as if he already knew he couldn't win this match

I tend to believe what most of these greats say about their opponents.
He has stated over the years that when Djokovic is in Ultron mode he has to play nearly perfect tennis.
It looked like he knew he had to because Djokovic looked so calm and collective.
The Pouille match might have gotten him a little worried too!
Also he is adapting his game to a bigger serve and more one two punch and I think Djokovic can figure that out fairly easily.

 

[TruthIncarnate]

The look in his eyes was something I never saw either from him.
However he also has never been ambushed like this in a major.
If he gets wiped out at the French by a player outside of Fedovic then I will have to prob agree.
Let's not write The King of Clay off just yet. He still loves tennis.

Kinda want Djokovic to start entering the court in his matches against Nadal dressed up in a sultan cap and kimono. Make it like a ceremony. Like what Cartman wore when Kyle lost a bet against him and had to suck his balls.

 

[abmk]

They played sh!tty because he was dominating and putting so much pressure. There is 1 particular thing about tennis I really like. It is causality between quality of the game between players. I cannot play great tennis if you shut me down or if I am not there mentally for whatever reason. Basically I would give a lots of credits to Rafa.

they played sh*tty on their own.
Nadal was also playing great in AO 12 (even better actually), but Berdych and Federer were upto the task and hence the tight 4-set matches.

Some credit has to go to Nadal for playing well in AO 19 before the final obviously, but doesn't excuse the ****ty performances of Berdych/Tiafoe/Tsitsipas.

Berdych serving at ~35% in the 1st 2 sets vs Nadal in AO 2019 for instance has nothing to do with Nadal, just crappy play from Berdych.

 

[swordtennis]

fedovic? only djoko no? i guess thiem (or even zverev) is more danger on clay than fed now

Fed has slipped since he turned 36. I will not count Fed out until he is 40 years old. He was still awesome when he was 35 and thumping everyone.

 

[swordtennis]

Kinda want Djokovic to start entering the court in his matches against Nadal dressed up in a sultan cap and kimono. Make it like a ceremony. Like what Cartman wore when Kyle lost a bet against him and had to suck his balls.

LMAO that was freaking hilarious lol.

 

[Deleted member 77403]

Hitman when you watch Djokovic or after he wins do you have some special beverages?

Yes, I enjoy green tea with honey.

 

[TheGhostOfAgassi]

Well I just took a glimpse, don't know how distressful was it and I don't know how many people are "insulted" with it, but as from now on you aren't "potential pickup", 125downthemiddle isn't just some guy, and you can sense jealousy as well as hipocrisy with those characters. Like we are limited to just 1 "gurl", I say we can have plenty of them, and by all means more the merrier All nice stuff.

Rafa's loss was perculiar bcs I really don't know what has happened to him. If you look at chat from the start (here or on other places) ppl were talking he has mental block, he is too nervous and similar. Now all of the sudden he is injured or just isn't good enough for Novak. I say this was just one episode of being on a quest, just like when Novak chased RG and couldn't be himself a lot of times. It will sort out, clay is around the corner and Rafa will play free again. Funny thing, I am happy, but not SO happy as if I was with other wins. Proper word would be - pleased.

When I started to show interest openly to him many in this forum turned 180 degrees. We had already made a good connection at that point outside this forum. It’s not like we have been stalking eachother, but happened naturally after two years. I’ve been dating a lot and so has he. We are a bit similar.

When it comes to Rafa I am sure he will figure something out. He hasn’t played a real tournament since USO, been through surgery. In fact Rafa has had a better comeback post surgery than what Novak had after his.
It’s a lot of positives to take from this for the ones that support Rafa.

Take care

 

[abmk]

Was this the least amount of games Nadal lost leading to a slam final outside FO?

Lost 48 games before the final in AO 19
Lost 70 games before the final in USO 10
Lost 51 games before the final in USO 13
Lost 59 games before the final in USO 11
Lost 60 games before the final in USO 17
Lost 66 games before the final in AO 09

---

Lost 68 games before the final in Wim 08


So yeah, AO 19 is the least amount of games Nadal lost leading to a slam final outside FO.
USO 13 was the closest.

 

[mike danny]

Suddenly Fed's efforts in 2014-2016 don't look so bad anymore.

 

[OhYes]

When I started to show interest openly to him many in this forum turned 180 degrees. We had already made a good connection at that point outside this forum. It’s not like we have been stalking eachother, but happened naturally after two years. I’ve been dating a lot and so has he. We are a bit similar.

When it comes to Rafa I am sure he will figure something out. He hasn’t played a real tournament since USO, been through surgery. In fact Rafa has had a better comeback post surgery than what Novak had after his.
It’s a lot of positives to take from this for the ones that support Rafa.

Take care

Well you know what I think, no need to explain
See you later