winstonplum
Hall of Fame
This could be an interesting match as we'll see what Stan's made of. I still think of Stan as a career fourth-rounder/quarter-finalist, so there should be no reason why Roger doesn't ease his way to this title. But here's what will happen:
Scenario #1: Stan gets off to a good start and takes the first set, say 6-3 or 6-2. Towards the middle of the second set he'll get a break and will serve for the match at 5-3 or 5-4. This will be the moment of truth. It will get to 30-15 or maybe 30-30, and we'll have the point of the match. The tension will be palpable. You could cut it with a knife, as it were. Stan will have a sitter volley or a sitter groundie for one or two MPs. He'll skull it and Roger will escape. Most likely the sitter will come after Roger has been on the defensive for the entire point and has saved the point about three or four times when it looked like Stan had won the point. Rog will break and on we'll go.
Because this isn't the old Stan, the second set will go to a TB and Stan will get another look at 4-2, 5-2 in the breaker, up a mini-break or two. Part of mental giganticness is being able to slay demons over and over, even though you've failed over and over. If it was easy to beat people who've owned you by winning one crucial point, everyone would do it. Part of being a career-long pigeon is failing three, four, five, six times in a match to put it away. Stan might double fault, get tentative, whatever. Rog takes TB 8-6.
New Stan battles gamely in the third but goes down an early break and loses 6-4 or 6-3 in the decider. The weight off opportunity loss dragging him down the entire third set. I'd give this scenario about 75%.
Scenario 2: Stan comes about tight and nervous and drops the first rather timidly, 6-3. New Stan fights gamely in the second set and wins it 6-3. The match feels even, the crowd is energized; what will happen? Stan will get up a break in the third and will serve at 4-3 to get himself one game away. He will get up 30-0. He will then make two unforced errors to get it to 30-30. He will find his inner warrior and hit a winner for game point. Roger will answer in kind with beauty of his own. Deuce. And then deuce. And then deuce. I'm calling five deuces in this game before Roger converts his second break point. Roger holds for 5-4. Stan holds. Roger holds. Stan falls down 0-30, two point from losing. 15-30. 30-30. 30-40. Roger converts first match point. Seemed like a close match. Really wasn't. I give this scenario 55%.
Scenario 3. Stan goes toe to toe with Roger and wins a tight first set 6-4 or 7-5. Second set goes to a breaker and goes down to the wire, maybe 6 all, 7 all in the breaker before Stan gets a match point. I say he blows two MPs before converting on the third to take the breaker 9-7 and the match. I give this scenario 5%.
Scenario #1: Stan gets off to a good start and takes the first set, say 6-3 or 6-2. Towards the middle of the second set he'll get a break and will serve for the match at 5-3 or 5-4. This will be the moment of truth. It will get to 30-15 or maybe 30-30, and we'll have the point of the match. The tension will be palpable. You could cut it with a knife, as it were. Stan will have a sitter volley or a sitter groundie for one or two MPs. He'll skull it and Roger will escape. Most likely the sitter will come after Roger has been on the defensive for the entire point and has saved the point about three or four times when it looked like Stan had won the point. Rog will break and on we'll go.
Because this isn't the old Stan, the second set will go to a TB and Stan will get another look at 4-2, 5-2 in the breaker, up a mini-break or two. Part of mental giganticness is being able to slay demons over and over, even though you've failed over and over. If it was easy to beat people who've owned you by winning one crucial point, everyone would do it. Part of being a career-long pigeon is failing three, four, five, six times in a match to put it away. Stan might double fault, get tentative, whatever. Rog takes TB 8-6.
New Stan battles gamely in the third but goes down an early break and loses 6-4 or 6-3 in the decider. The weight off opportunity loss dragging him down the entire third set. I'd give this scenario about 75%.
Scenario 2: Stan comes about tight and nervous and drops the first rather timidly, 6-3. New Stan fights gamely in the second set and wins it 6-3. The match feels even, the crowd is energized; what will happen? Stan will get up a break in the third and will serve at 4-3 to get himself one game away. He will get up 30-0. He will then make two unforced errors to get it to 30-30. He will find his inner warrior and hit a winner for game point. Roger will answer in kind with beauty of his own. Deuce. And then deuce. And then deuce. I'm calling five deuces in this game before Roger converts his second break point. Roger holds for 5-4. Stan holds. Roger holds. Stan falls down 0-30, two point from losing. 15-30. 30-30. 30-40. Roger converts first match point. Seemed like a close match. Really wasn't. I give this scenario 55%.
Scenario 3. Stan goes toe to toe with Roger and wins a tight first set 6-4 or 7-5. Second set goes to a breaker and goes down to the wire, maybe 6 all, 7 all in the breaker before Stan gets a match point. I say he blows two MPs before converting on the third to take the breaker 9-7 and the match. I give this scenario 5%.
