2019 Wimbledon 3R: [3.] Rafael Nadal vs. Jo-Willfried Tsonga

Who will win this match?

  • Total voters
    45
Enceladus

Enceladus

Legend
wimb_qf_1920x1080_nad_tso_r3.jpg


ATP H2H: 8-4 for Nadal
GS H2H: 1-1 tied

They had one meeting on the grass, which Tsonga won 6:7(3), 6:4, 6:1 at the Queens Club 2011. Can Tsonga will surprise and advance through Nadal?
 
I am on the fence for this one. I'd say Rafa should win but it cant turn ugly really fast. Jo has a similar hold game to Kyrgios (worse serve but much better movement, FH and net play) and a better return game; to be fair though, everyone has a better return game than Nick.

However, a lack of BH hurts you big time against Rafa. Let's see if Jo can apply the slice well enough, and actually believes he can win. He'll need to redline it on big points, though. Needs a fast start.
 
I'm pretty sure Tsonga is also going to try servebotting against Nadal like most players do in Wimbledon. Hope Nadal can return well.
 
Enceladus said:
wimb_qf_1920x1080_nad_tso_r3.jpg


ATP H2H: 8-4 for Nadal
GS H2H: 1-1 tied

They had one meeting on the grass, which Tsonga won 6:7(3), 6:4, 6:1 at the Queens Club 2011. Can Tsonga will surprise and advance through Nadal?
Click to expand...
Geez, Nadal looks about 50 years old in that pic. :-D

Gonna say Nadal in 4.
 
EasyGoing said:
I am on the fence for this one. I'd say Rafa should win but it cant turn ugly really fast. Jo has a similar hold game to Kyrgios (worse serve but much better movement, FH and net play) and a better return game; to be fair though, everyone has a better return game than Nick.

However, a lack of BH hurts you big time against Rafa. Let's see if Jo can apply the slice well enough, and actually believes he can win. He'll need to redline it on big points, though. Needs a fast start.
Click to expand...
If he starts to slice the ball on the backhand, he's already lost.
If Federers slice doesn't work against Nadal, I don't think anyones will.
 
EasyGoing said:
I am on the fence for this one. I'd say Rafa should win but it cant turn ugly really fast. Jo has a similar hold game to Kyrgios (worse serve but much better movement, FH and net play) and a better return game; to be fair though, everyone has a better return game than Nick.

However, a lack of BH hurts you big time against Rafa. Let's see if Jo can apply the slice well enough, and actually believes he can win. He'll need to redline it on big points, though. Needs a fast start.
Click to expand...
I disagree, Tsonga's movement has declined so much, his baseline game is not superior to Kyrgios.

However, I agree with your idea that it will be a tough rival for a third round.
 
K-H said:
If he starts to slice the ball on the backhand, he's already lost.
If Federers slice doesn't work against Nadal, I don't think anyones will.
Click to expand...
The slice is a defensive shot, rather than a weapon, in the sense that you are not going to make a backhand winner with a slice. I understand that Tsonga should employ the slice because his backhand is not that solid. However, generally speaking, to abuse of the slice is not a good idea. To use it sometimes is a wise strategy, but to use it all the time makes your backhand a weakness which can be easily attacked by the rival

Federer does not employ the slice backhand all the time. He has great variety and combines the slice with dangerous flat backhands.
 
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K-H said:
If he starts to slice the ball on the backhand, he's already lost.
If Federers slice doesn't work against Nadal, I don't think anyones will.
Click to expand...

Tsonga can't play BH rally points for a prolonged period of time, he lacks the consistency. Slice can be used to move the opponent forward, to attack the net, dropshot, or to break the rhythym of the rally. Jo needs to use it with variety, occasionally go for a winner, and also run around the BH.

@Sport Nick is one of the worst movers out there, and physically unfit. I'd take even a declined Tsonga over him in a heartbeat. Also, Tsonga is a much bigger danger off the FH side, and I fancy a great FH/poor BH over a spinny FH/pushy BH any day of the week.
 
Sarzy said:
Jo for the upset in 4!
Click to expand...

Heh, we made sure a zoning Tsonga never got into Nedl's draws at slams after the 2008 AO shellacking. We worked quite a bit to get red hot Tsonga consistently in Fedr's quarter around 2011-2012.

Since there were too many suspicious whispers about it, our strategy team decided that now is the time to arrange a Nedl slam meeting with a fully declined and irrelevant Tsonga.

We silence the haters without any real danger to us. Masterstroke :cool:
 
What time does it start?

Seems like 10 AM ET

Go Rafa!

Tsonga's "healthy 100kgs" are bogus (as I weigh the same and I know how difficult is to carry weight around the court), although he is on a resurgence path....
 
Vamos Rafa!

Btw, interesting that they’ve met only twice at GS considering that both were top 10 players for so many years.
 
K-H said:
If he starts to slice the ball on the backhand, he's already lost.
If Federers slice doesn't work against Nadal, I don't think anyones will.
Click to expand...

yes, slice cannot be a primary strategy vs Nadal at all.
 
Sport said:
I disagree, Tsonga's movement has declined so much, his baseline game is not superior to Kyrgios.

However, I agree with your idea that it will be a tough rival for a third round.
Click to expand...

yes, even current tsonga's return+baseline+net game is better than Kyrgios'
kyrgios's serve is better tho.
 
This can be interesting since it's 11 years ago they played in a slam. And they are 1-1.
 
Nadal to serve first... Still remember in the 2011 final against Djokovic he won the toss and foolishly decided to return first.
 
There's a chance of showers I repeat there's a chance of showers very bad for Rafael Nadal they may have to shut the roof
 
Hopping onto the Tsonga bandwagon! I feel like he's got some spunk back, and he's played well this grass season so far! I'm rooting for Tsonga in 4!
 
aman92 said:
Nadal to serve first... Still remember in the 2011 final against Djokovic he won the toss and foolishly decided to return first.
Click to expand...
It’s become a tradition for Rafa to serve first since 2017/18. Last match I remember him recieving first was maybe against Shapovalov in Rome a year ago.
 
Tsonga for me falls in the group

What could have been

Where is joined by Del Potro
 
Tsonga won the last meeting in a slam, the last meeting on grass, the last meeting overall and the last meeting indoors. Oh, well.
 
StrongRule said:
Tsonga won the last meeting in a slam, the last meeting on grass, the last meeting overall and the last meeting indoors. Oh, well.
Click to expand...

Nadal was in semi tank mode at Queen 2011 when he played Tsonga. I wouldn't put too much weight into that.
 
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