2022 Nitto ATP Finals' 1st Round Robin - (1) Rafael Nadal [SPN] vs (8) Taylor Fritz [USA]

[Tenacity]

Indoor low bouncing shtshow. "I hit hard I win point"

Why didn't Dal just hit harder then?

 

[TheAssassin]

As long as the knee, the foot, the abdominal, the stomach etc are okay, as long as Rafa is COMPETING, as long as he is FIGHTING for what he came for, that's all that matters.

 

[RS]

Federer fans and Djokovic fans friends until other thread comes reigning in.

 

[Sorry_to_tell_you_mate]

I'm hearing his foot is no longer numb and he feels pain. Rune to play next match.

Who did you hear it from?

 

[Tenacity]

Federer fans and Djokovic fans friends until other thread comes reigning in.

Fed fans vs Nole fans 10 match series, who wins?

 

[The Blond Blur]

I mean...stop blabbing...

Lol, take your own advice bot

 

[MeatTornado]

I'm talking about the level of play. Only in the asterisk era you can win 2 slams with such level. But truth is, Nadal's level has been horrible. He almost went 3-0 down against Fritz, dude.

Big difference between a weak win and being "horrible"

Also don't really care about his level against Fritz when he was clearly compromised in 2 of them

 

[BeatlesFan]

Jim Courier came up with an interesting fact. Fritz becomes the first guy to defeat Rafa twice in a year since Thiem did it in 2020. Since 2016, it's the only the fourth time it has happened: Fed beat him four times it in 2017 and Djoker beat him twice in 2016.

 

[RS]

Fed fans vs Nole fans 10 match series, who wins?

Maybe 5-5

 

[Third Serve]

I don’t remember betting on Nadal

where is this all coming from?

hmm, must have been some other guy

 

[Backspin1183]

Federer fans and Djokovic fans friends until other thread comes reigning in.

The prospect of kicking a man when he's down can unite rival fan bases, apparantly.

 

[Tiki-Taka]

These finals have quite clearly become a young men's tournament now. Though obviously Novak might have to say a few things about that in the upcoming week.

Good stuff from Fritz. No signs of stage fright from facing Nadal at all this year, and kudos to him for a quality season altogether.

 

[Kralingen]

I wanted to stop trolling but TennisFan3 and StrongRule’s posts have me on the edge

 

[NatF]

What do you make of the conditions? Seems it's difficult to play. Very fast and low bouncing.

I like them, variety is the spice of life. There's a place for courts like these, likewise slower HC's, clay etc...

 

[jindra]

I wanted to stop trolling but TennisFan3 and StrongRule’s posts have me on the edge

Hey, can't find the thread you were adamant that Nadal would beat Fritz... can you help?!

 

[Backspin1183]

These finals have quite clearly become a young men's tournament now. Though obviously Novak might have to say a few things about that in the upcoming week.

Good stuff from Fritz. No signs of stage fright from facing Nadal at all this year, and kudos to him for a quality season altogether.

Novak is playing much better than Nadal right now. He won't suffer the same fate.

Nadal didn't look himself all week. I knew he wouldn't fare too well in the first match when I saw his earlier practice matches with Tsitsipas and Rublev.

 

[RS]

The prospect of kicking a man when he's down can unite rival fan bases, apparantly.

Better to see Fed and Djokovic fans throw carrots at each other.

 

[Kralingen]

Hey, can't find the thread you were adamant that Nadal would beat Fritz... can you help?!

Error 404 I was all in on Fritz from the beginning of course

 

[I Am Finnish]

Nadal is such a mug

 

[Cheese&IPA]

He’s won two slams this year, that’s all that matters.

 

[TheFifthSet]

2 questions to answer:

- When was the last time Rafa failed to break serve in an entire match?
- When was the last time Rafa failed to generate a break point in an entire match?

Djoko, ATP Cup 2020

Zverev, 2019 WTF RR

 

[Tiki-Taka]

Novak is playing much better than Nadal right now. He won't suffer the same fate.

Nadal didn't look himself all week. I knew he wouldn't fare too well in the first match when I saw his earlier practice matches with Tsitsipas and Rublev.

Of course, he looks as solid as ever. I was just reminded how younger players have been winning this event for 5-6 years now.

 

[RS]

I like them, variety is the spice of life. There's a place for courts like these, likewise slower HC's, clay etc...

Hewitt's peak on indoor HC or grass?

 

[TheFifthSet]

I think in terms of DR, this is roughly Nadal’s 25th most lopsided defeat ever.

Goes to show how rare it is to see him this outclassed in the serve-return complex.

 

[Kralingen]

@RS I made this for how salty you’re acting

 

[TheFifthSet]

Got to laugh at the Nadal fans bemoaning indoor tennis.

It’s hard for me to imagine how any neutral could dislike indoor tennis. It’s ball-striking porn, no elements to muck things up, tennis at its purest.

@RS sorry

 

[jindra]

Error 404 I was all in on Fritz from the beginning of course

Gilles Simon the real #1.

 

[RS]

Indoor clay is a great surface. RG 20 final and Davis Cup.

 

[vive le beau jeu !]

 

[TheFifthSet]

First time in 13 years that Ralph has lost 3 successive matches apparently.

‘09 fall season was a good time for Nadal haters lol.

 

[James P]

Nice job, Fritzy

 

[TheFifthSet]

Indoor low bouncing shtshow. "I hit hard I win point"

more like “I play aggressive, bold tennis, I get rewarded for it”

Neither of the two most successful indoor court players of this generation stood out for their hard hitting.

 

[Chanwan]

Rafa’s serve is 2010 USO level.

honestly I’m laughing at anyone who didn’t bet him

The odds should be even better now

 

[NatF]

Hewitt's peak on indoor HC or grass?

He was better on grass.

 

[TheFifthSet]

He was better on grass.

**nods in 100+ consecutive second serve returns made**

 

[NatF]

It’s hard for me to imagine how any neutral could dislike indoor tennis. It’s ball-striking porn, no elements to muck things up, tennis at its purest.

@RS sorry

It's a shame no one is neutral lol. I'm not a huge fan of indoor tennis myself but it goes back to the origins of tennis with "Real Tennis" - anyone who doesn’t think it has a place on tour is a heathen.

 

[Krish0608]

So after 2021 when he didn't play for 6 months after being dethroned with a whimper at RG you didn't give up on him.

But now after a 2 slam season it's all over?

I don’t know man. Call it instinct. I knew Rafa would launch a comeback considering what transpired in 2021, especially at RG. And winning the AO is a huge bonus, something that he probably didn’t expect. This year definitely feels Rafa’s swan song year as far as slams are concerned. It all came together this year culminating with him becoming a father. Unlike Fedovic, I don’t imagine Nadal to be a very successful tennis player, as a father. I pin it down to personality. And for the fist time in his career, he has nothing left to play for. No targets to chase.

 

[DSH]

Murray doesn't use injuries as an excuse and has even gone out of his way to play down injuries being a factor on losses. He doesn't cheat and use obvious gamesmanship tactics and he doesn't take advantage of the rules of the game and off-court he is only vocal about making tennis better for everyone not for only himself.

Your idol has behaved like a child throughout his career, yelling constantly, making inappropriate gestures; he is a pretty establishment guy.

 

[TheFifthSet]

It's a shame no one is neutral lol. I'm not a huge fan of indoor tennis myself but it goes back to the origins of tennis with "Real Tennis" - anyone who doesn’t think it has a place on tour is a heathen.

Well, neutral by TTW standards

 

[Kralingen]

I don’t know man. Call it instinct. I knew Rafa would launch a comeback considering what transpired in 2021, especially at RG. And winning the AO is a huge bonus, something that he probably didn’t expect. This year definitely feels Rafa’s swan song year as far as slams are concerned. It all came together this year culminating with him becoming a father. Unlike Fedovic, I don’t imagine Nadal to be a very successful tennis player, as a father. I pin it down to personality. And for the fist time in his career, he has nothing left to play for. No targets to chase.

Wait til Djoker wins #22, suddenly the fire will be back

 

[RS]

I always try to include Hewitt in a discussion.

 

[Krish0608]

Jim Courier came up with an interesting fact. Fritz becomes the first guy to defeat Rafa twice in a year since Thiem did it in 2020. Since 2016, it's the only the fourth time it has happened: Fed beat him four times it in 2017 and Djoker beat him twice in 2016.

That’s 4 out of 6 years, which is pretty high.

 

[chrischris]

Taylors performance was top notch today. Served very well and had good sense of what to do precisely when and how.
Nadal has shots that sit on Taylors strike zone so bad match up for him....
Go Fritz!!

 

[jl809]

I wanted to stop trolling but TennisFan3 and StrongRule’s posts have me on the edge

I don’t think you should roll back, you just need to up it even more. Like that dude in The Big Short boasting about buying more Bear Stearns stock while the company was collapsing

 

[DSH]

Taylors performance was top notch today. Served very well and had good sense of what to do precisely when and how.
Nadal has shots that sit on Taylors strike zone so bad match up for him....
Go Fritz!!

I don't think Fritz is a worthy opponent on outdoor hard courts to the best of five sets.

 

[Chanwan]

In some ways this is like the Wimbledon match except Nadal doesn't have an injury reason for his BH to be this bad. Which means that once again I am preparing myself to shout at Fritz for not targeting it

We will eventually know which body part was injured today, don't worry

 

[Zardoz7/12]

I didn't foresee this happening, Nadal was error strewn and limp, Fritz and his forehand were on fire. I thought the carrot of becoming world number 1 would motivate Nadal.

 

[RS]

He was better on grass.

AO 05 or indoor HC?

 

[Chanwan]

If this was Australia/Wimbledon and not this fast indoor stuff, Nadal would blow Fritz out. Keep serving like this Nadal could still get that Triple Career Slam next year if he stays healthy

You speak the truth, amen!

 

[StrongRule]

I don’t know man. Call it instinct. I knew Rafa would launch a comeback considering what transpired in 2021, especially at RG. And winning the AO is a huge bonus, something that he probably didn’t expect. This year definitely feels Rafa’s swan song year as far as slams are concerned. It all came together this year culminating with him becoming a father. Unlike Fedovic, I don’t imagine Nadal to be a very successful tennis player, as a father. I pin it down to personality. And for the fist time in his career, he has nothing left to play for. No targets to chase.

Lol. Maybe it's just about the fact that Nadal is 36?