Tennis Rules
Semi-Pro
for me....rafa nadal = greatest of all time!!!
2019 Roland Garros FINAL: Rafael Nadal vs Dominic Thiem
- Thread starter Sephiroth
- Start date
DRII
G.O.A.T.
sbengte
G.O.A.T.
Yes let's all pretend that he received no favors from his draw and the schedule here. Swap his draw and schedule with Djoko and let's see how he would have fared. But yeah that is never going to happen because it hasn't happened in a decade. If there is someone that has to be doubly screwed over it will be either Djoko or Fed, never Nadal.
Im(moral) Winner
G.O.A.T.
He's said the same thing about Gasquet
icedevil0289
G.O.A.T.
He just won 12 here be happy, fed took Ao 2017 and deservedly soAustralian, for 2 reasons: he ought to have won his 2nd in AO'17, and then he would be the first of the big 3 to get the double Grand Slam!
ACE of Hearts
Bionic Poster
Not really. We say the same thing everytime and the guy wins in 4 sets. He has never been taken to 5 sets in 12 finals. Think about that? The weather helped him tremendously as well.
ChaelAZ
G.O.A.T.
DRII
G.O.A.T.
Towser83
G.O.A.T.
Congrats to Nadal, 12 slams at RG is insane! Twice as many as Borg. I know Borg retired when he had 6 and was the same age as Nadal when he claimed his sixth but I dont believe Borg would have ever won 12 RG titles.
Hard luck to Thiem, maybe he will be able to get a RG title in future depending on the state of Nadal's game in future years. Shame the last 2 sets weren't as competitive as the first or it could have been a real classic final
Hard luck to Thiem, maybe he will be able to get a RG title in future depending on the state of Nadal's game in future years. Shame the last 2 sets weren't as competitive as the first or it could have been a real classic final
MugOpponent
Hall of Fame
so much salt!
salty salt salt...
It's a shame they can't appreciate greatness.
sbengte
G.O.A.T.
so much salt!
salty salt salt...
Truth hurts, eh ?
You have no integrity to admit that if it was Nadal who was given a raw deal instead of Thiem, you would be the first to complain.
Andy Miller
Rookie
Please the guy won 12 times. Unless Soderling comes out of retirement nobody is going to beat him until he retires.
ACE of Hearts
Bionic Poster
Dude you need to stop whining! Schedule this schedule that. It’s part of the game.
Steffi-forever
Hall of Fame
12 FO, that is crazy!!!
When Nadal will be done with the FO, they should give him the original Musketeers trophy and create a new one called the Rafa Cup...
When Nadal will be done with the FO, they should give him the original Musketeers trophy and create a new one called the Rafa Cup...
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
RAFA said in the interview, he's been injured for last 12 months..........and even during this clay season, so this is even more special... Does this mean that RAFA will just Wing the Grass season and not even try to win Wimbledon ??????????????
Andy Miller
Rookie
People can't enjoy greatness they cry about everything. You will never see this again in your lifetime appreciate it
sbengte
G.O.A.T.
I am not a dude.
Schedule is part of the game as long as it is random. It stops being so when the same set of players get screwed over and the same player benefits.
ChaelAZ
G.O.A.T.
Ughhhhh, the most boring surface starts now. Thank god tournaments realized how crappy it is and there aren’t many, ending with the social exhibition matches of Wimbledon. Maybe we can have more of those multi-day serving contests....errrrm, I mean matches. [emoji849][emoji42]
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Tennisgods
Hall of Fame
I think that’s harsh.
Scheduling is one thing - how could anyone know what the weather was going to do! There were days when the radar showed rain all over RG, but no rain came! It was a bit freakish to be honest and could have impacted any section of the draw really.
The other thing - the draw. Now look, everyone (apart from some silly people) knew that there were 3 players with a realistic hope on clay. Nadal, miles in front. Next, Djokovic and Thiem (in whatever order).
The rest of the draw was completely irrelevant. Someone had to play Thiem in the semis.
Rafa won here again because he deserved it. I don’t want to say it, but it’s the truth.
DRII
G.O.A.T.
Wut?
I complained on Thiem's behalf!
If it wasn't for djokovic and his team pressuring for a delay, they would have most likely finished the same day.
sbengte
G.O.A.T.
RAFA said in the interview, he's been injured for last 12 months..........and even during this clay season, so this is even more special... Does this mean that RAFA will just Wing the Grass season and not even try to win Wimbledon ??????????????
That means he is a lock for Wimby.
The only year he was completely uninjured he won nothing.
ChaelAZ
G.O.A.T.
sbengte
G.O.A.T.
That's the whole point. Someone had to play Thiem in the semis and those of us following the draws over the last few years knew 100% before the draw came out that it would certainly not be Nadal.
er4claw
Rookie
TheFifthSet
Legend
To think that when he won in 2008, he only had 1/3rd as many RGs as he does now. And even then, it was an almost unfathomable amount.
ACE of Hearts
Bionic Poster
Tough break. Let’s be honest you wouldn’t say this crap if it was your favorite player.
sbengte
G.O.A.T.
Yeah he never lost in 2015 and then withdrew when a non joke draw loomed ahead in 2016.
Swap his draw and schedule with Djoko and let's see him win here. He was floundering till he was gifted a tired Djoko who ( surprise surprise ) was screwed over by the schedule in the Rome final.
Tennisgods
Hall of Fame
Ah well, Djokovic has won 15 slams so what do I care if the draw would have favoured him? That seems no better a situation to me. Point is, Nadal would have made it past Thiem. Djokovic didn’t manage that...
davced1
Hall of Fame
Every year past 30 should make a difference so maybe not but then Nadal is not human it seems.
Andy Miller
Rookie
I guess if the Raptors win the trophy. You will claim it's tainted because KD was hurt.
Grampa
Semi-Pro
I didn’t even watch the match live for a second. Checked the score at 6-5 in the second and then when the match had just finished as I was sleeping. The result was never in doubt at all but Dominic taking a set is a consolation prize for the younger players, not to mention beating Djokovic. Congratulations all around to the Rafans, your guy upped his ante when down! Philippe-Chatrier has been the most instrumental court in Rafa’s legacy, he is pretty much perfect on the Parisian clay.
sbengte
G.O.A.T.
If it was Djoko instead of Nadal I'd still say facing an opponent who played 4 days is unfair, you are deluding yourself if you deny that. Then you could atleast say it evened out in terms of luck because Djoko so often bears the brunt of bad schedules and harder draws even though he is no.1 ffs.
However with Nadal there isn't even an occasion from the last decade that you can quote and say he was screwed over without a full days rest atleast before a slam final or 16-18 hours before a masters final.
MugOpponent
Hall of Fame
Details?
THUNDERVOLLEY
G.O.A.T.
Thiem could have enjoyed a week off before the final, and it would not have made a difference. As of this date, he's still a talentless fool--the fool many a TTW member invested their collective emotions into as some sort of "Nadal crusher."
Whoops.
Whoops.
King_ Zeglan12
Professional
As a Rafa fan, I would be very happy to see Thiem lift RG next year even if it means defeating Nadal.
(As long as Rafa wins any one of the next 3 slams )
(As long as Rafa wins any one of the next 3 slams )
Daniel Andrade
Hall of Fame
But Djokovic will also be old.
So more appropriate would be to say, if Nadal doesn't catch fire, Thiem will win the next year at RG. But, will that happen? ...
D
Deleted member 763691
Guest
Thiem did not hit a backhand winner in the 1st Set, despite it being the set with the best baseline rallies
That was the key factor of this match.....Thiem was completely reliant on his forehand and serve, because his backhand was hopeless - as always vs. Rafa on the bouncy Roland Garros clay.
Rafa gave Thiem a chance in the 2nd Set, because Rafa made the tactical blunder of not giving the ball enough air - because all Rafa has to do is push Thiem back by keeping the ball high and deep and exposing Thiem's backhand vulnerability - Rafa totally forgot that in the 2nd Set and played too short.
Thiem's winner to unforced error ratio was about the same today (31 winners, 38 unforced errors) as it was in the Djokovic match (52 winners, 60 unforced errors).
That was the key factor of this match.....Thiem was completely reliant on his forehand and serve, because his backhand was hopeless - as always vs. Rafa on the bouncy Roland Garros clay.
Rafa gave Thiem a chance in the 2nd Set, because Rafa made the tactical blunder of not giving the ball enough air - because all Rafa has to do is push Thiem back by keeping the ball high and deep and exposing Thiem's backhand vulnerability - Rafa totally forgot that in the 2nd Set and played too short.
Thiem's winner to unforced error ratio was about the same today (31 winners, 38 unforced errors) as it was in the Djokovic match (52 winners, 60 unforced errors).
Daniel Andrade
Hall of Fame
My own thoughts, HOWEVER, I just want to see one more wimby out of him, but I think that ship sailed 8 years agoAustralian, for 2 reasons: he ought to have won his 2nd in AO'17, and then he would be the first of the big 3 to get the double Grand Slam!
ScottleeSV
Hall of Fame
You have to think it would have made some difference. Maybe not enough to win the match.
From what I saw, it's mental concentration more than the skill set. Rafa never drifts off for more than a couple of points at a time. Thiem's execution seems to go walkabout for great long periods. When both Thiem and Nadal are throwing their best, it's virtually even and very exciting.
Mentally though, Thiem either can't do it for long enough or hasn't learned how to.
Federer's problem is different. Concentration and application very very good throughout, but game not 100% suited to clay (and Nadal) so he can be the consummate pro all he wants, won't translate to great results against Nadal.
D
Deleted member 763691
Guest
Federer came closest to beating Rafa
Semi = Rafa 102, Federer 79
Final = Rafa 116, Thiem 82
Semi = Rafa 102, Federer 79
Final = Rafa 116, Thiem 82
ScottleeSV
Hall of Fame
Federer came closest to beating Rafa
Semi = Rafa 102, Federer 79
Final = Rafa 116, Thiem 82
Exactly. Fed does well against Nadal but can't quite get through him.
Thiem is more huge highs with horrible lows. Didn't he lose one final to Nadal 6-0 6-2? Yet other times he zones it and beats him. Not at RG though.
With Fed you know what you're going to get a bit more (for better or worse).
Mainad
Bionic Poster
Rafa continues to do what he does best ie. crushing all opposition at his biggest and favourite venue on his biggest and favourite court. An incredible 12 titles (1 more than Borg's entire Slam count) making for 18 Slams, just 2 behind You-Know-Who and now 3 ahead of Novak. It is also his 9th title defence at Roland Garros (defending from 2006-8, 2011-14, 2018-19).
As for poor Dominic, well, he's making progress. No sets last year, 1 set this year, so if he keeps up this rate of progression he should win 2 sets next year and the year after that.....who knows??
As for poor Dominic, well, he's making progress. No sets last year, 1 set this year, so if he keeps up this rate of progression he should win 2 sets next year and the year after that.....who knows??
DRII
G.O.A.T.
cucio
Legend
Well, not a masters, but that Chennai final against Youzhny comes to mind. And AO'09 was a full day, but after a grueling 5-setter against Verdasco. These things don't happen that often that there is time for them to statistically even out, but I am sure there must be cases where one player or another has been screwed/favored by scheduling, weather or a hard to put away opponent.
Also, because of the semifinal being split in two days, the end result was more like a masters usual fare: playing 2-3 sets of tennis in consecutive days. Even in slams, I don't think players rest the day they don't play a match; they probably put in a few hours of light training.
That said, conspiration or bad luck, I do agree that we were robbed of a better final. The first 7 games were a fantastic slugfest, only echoed by a few points here and there afterwards.
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