A few random thoughts after Wimbledon 2008.

zpeed7

zpeed7

Rookie
Jusr a few random thoughts from this tourney, in no particular order:
  • Both Federer and Nadal have more "b@lls" than everyone at the TW Forums, combined.
  • Wimbledon REALLY needs some lights. Suspending that match at 7-7 8-8 or whatever for "darkness" would've been totally unfair and disrespectful to the fans and especially the players that had literally battled for 4 hrs to get to that point. Someone should slap Wimby officials into the 21st century.
  • Although last year's final was a bit more "agressive". This one just made up for it big time in sheer drama and significance.
  • The Williams Sister's can win everything they want to, when they want to.
  • Rafa should thank GOD there's no Tiebreak in the 5th at Wimby, Fed's play in Tiebreaks is plain ridiculous. Isn't something like 25 and 3?
  • I'm a big Rafa fan, but anyone that thinks Fed is done is plain crazy. He might not be as dominant, but just like Sampras, he'll concentrate more on the Slams and you can bet he'll win a few more. I wouldn't bet against him, especially at the USO or the AO.
  • IMHO Rafa is #1, unless Novak wins the USO, then we can start all this talk again.
  • Pam Shriver sucks as a commentator. I've never seen anyone with more negative things to say about ALL players.
  • Sad for me to say, but I think we won't see Roddick win any more majors. I know many people don't like him, but he really tries hard. He's just plain outclassed by the top 5.
  • Be afraid of Gulbis, be very afraid.

Please add yours!
 
tacou

tacou

G.O.A.T.
I agree about the lights, it's really stupid. took them long enough to get a roof.
agree with most of your comments as well, especially gulbis.
really glad to see safin and ancic playing well,
great tournament over all.
 
Z

Zaragoza

Banned
zpeed7 said:
[*]I'm a big Rafa fan, but anyone that thinks Fed is done is plain crazy. He might not be as dominant, but just like Sampras, he'll concentrate more on the Slams and you can bet he'll win a few more. I wouldn't bet against him, especially at the USO or the AO.
Click to expand...

Federer isn´t done but the question is not if he´s more or less dominant. That question belongs to the past. The question is if he´s the best player right now. He has a chance to mantain his no.1 ranking this year but that wouldn´t make him the greatest player this year because he can´t win 2 majors. I think it´s reasonable to say that he is currently the 2nd best on every surface so he´s still a contender but I wouldn´t consider him the favorite at the AO or the USO if Djokovic is fit.
By the way I don´t agree with the "focusing in Slams" theory. One thing that made Federer so great is his killer instinct, he always wants to win and Wimbledon was the only Slam this year where he played close to his best. He played much better in Hamburg than he did in R.Garros, he´s not peaking in the Slams. His game dropped, it´s not a focus issue.
 
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FEDEXP

FEDEXP

Professional
"Both Federer and Nadal have more "b@lls" than everyone at the TW Forums, combined".
zspeed7

You don't need a moniker like "the truth" to speak out; this is just so true.
 
Blue Drop

Blue Drop

Rookie
Agree with all your points (except the last one, but only b/c I'm not sure who that is -- but I intend to find out). Excellent post.
 
TheTruth

TheTruth

G.O.A.T.
Great post, except that I would add "except The Truth to the first one!

Here's my observations.

Winning a grand slam doesn't make you a bona fide #1 without the experience. Hope you don't pressure yourself too much trying to fill others expectations
(Ivanovic)

What the heck happened Maria. Too much focus on clothes, and not game? That was bizarre.

Fabulous match by Rafa and Rog. Fed surprised me by coming back out and fighting for his crown. There were no losers that night.

Good on Safin for going where no Russian man has gone before (the semis of Wimbledon).

Mad props to Djokovic for admitting he still has much to learn after witnessing that epic final.

Gained new respect for Murray who admitted he was outclassed, made no excuses, and gave props where props were due.

A major thumbs up to Rainer Schuettler and Arnaud Clement for making the boldest statement in recent years in showing the ATP they're not ready to go out to pasture.

Go Serena and Venus for deciding to trump the FO's relevance by coming and taking Wimbledon by the horns. Gained new respect for Venus's grass court game, because I thought Serena was all in her head.

Can't miss Zheng who brought something new to the table and showed no fear throughout the Championships. Awesome!

Wimbledon 2008 was the best Wimby in recent years because it had surprising plot twists, reawakenings, and hope for the future.

Oh, and Gulbis. Welcome to the big time!
 
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1

1970CRBase

Guest
Random thoughts :

I remember posting during the French Open that 2008 Nadal on his current form would have won 2007 Wimbledon against Federer in straight sets. I also picked Nadal to win in 4 in the poll. Nadal had match points in 4th set tie break.

Nadal should have won 2008 in straight sets. He hurt his knee twice, once against Murray, once early in the third set of the final against Federer. Otherwise the final should have been just 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 , to be rather charitable - to Federer.

As for the 2007 Final, imho, the better player lost.

I just want Nadal to stay healthy and uninjured. Muster said in some interview that he worries for Nadal because his style is extremely physical and injuries might end his career just like with himself, Chang and Courier. Words to that effect.

I'm a Mecir/McEnroe fan so I will state again: I'm not in the camp of either Nadal or Fed, nor am I a fan of today's tennis dominated by racquet tech.

Pete had opponents in his time who were more talented (Stich Korda) superior in various department, (Edberg volleys, Goran serve), yet nobody ever dominated Pete, nobody ever made Pete his beeeetch.

Fed fans wouldn't like what I say. Feel free to tell me how deluded I am. Not that I care.

It's just too obvious that Nadal is one level above Federer. 12 - 6 in h2h ? The rankings flatter Federer.
 
Shaolin

Shaolin

G.O.A.T.
Agree with the OP, especially on the last point...Anyone know when Gulbis is playing again? He doesnt seem to be in any draws right now.
 
B

bigmatt

Semi-Pro
It was said during the telecast, and again on this board by "The Truth" that Safin was the first Russian man to make the Wimbledon semis. Doesn't anyone remember Alex Metreveli, who lost in the finals to Jan Kodes in the boycott year of 1973?
Or, aren't we counting that one anymore?
 
F

FEDXFAN

Rookie
Zaragoza said:
Federer isn´t done but the question is not if he´s more or less dominant. That question belongs to the past. The question is if he´s the best player right now. He has a chance to mantain his no.1 ranking this year but that wouldn´t make him the greatest player this year because he can´t win 2 majors. I think it´s reasonable to say that he is currently the 2nd best on every surface so he´s still a contender but I wouldn´t consider him the favorite at the AO or the USO if Djokovic is fit.
By the way I don´t agree with the "focusing in Slams" theory. One thing that made Federer so great is his killer instinct, he always wants to win and Wimbledon was the only Slam this year where he played close to his best. He played much better in Hamburg than he did in R.Garros, he´s not peaking in the Slams. His game dropped, it´s not a focus issue.
Click to expand...

I sort of agree with your comments except one thing. I do think that at this point in the year, Nadal has been the best overall player this year. But to say that Fed is the 2nd best player on all surfaces makes no sense.
If Fed got lucky and won the FO and Wimbledon next year, would that mean that Nadal is the #2 player on all surfaces. I think not.
The guy just won 65 straight matches on grass and he loses one, and now he's second best on that surface. Might want to think that through..
 
plain jane

plain jane

Semi-Pro
FEDXFAN said:
I sort of agree with your comments except one thing. I do think that at this point in the year, Nadal has been the best overall player this year. But to say that Fed is the 2nd best player on all surfaces makes no sense.
If Fed got lucky and won the FO and Wimbledon next year, would that mean that Nadal is the #2 player on all surfaces. I think not.
The guy just won 65 straight matches on grass and he loses one, and now he's second best on that surface. Might want to think that through..
Click to expand...

As a huge Nadal fan i have to back this statement. Nadal is the best on clay by far but he has not surpassed federer on grass after just one match.
 
Nadal_Freak

Nadal_Freak

Banned
plain jane said:
As a huge Nadal fan i have to back this statement. Nadal is the best on clay by far but he has not surpassed federer on grass after just one match.
Click to expand...
In that particular matchup, Nadal is the better player now on grass imo. I think Nadal is more vulnerable to other players like Djokovic on grass but I think he could get through. The topspin forehand to Federer's backhand still works on grass and I'm happy to see that. :)
 
gj011

gj011

Banned
zpeed7 said:
[*]The Williams Sister's can win Wimbledon , when they want to.
Click to expand...

I fixed one for you. People have a really short memory and already forgot AO and FO, where Williams sisters really wanted to win, but couldn't, since there were some better players there.

Rafa should thank GOD there's no Tiebreak in the 5th at Wimby, Fed's play in Tiebreaks is plain ridiculous. Isn't something like 25 and 3?
Click to expand...

No, god should forbid the Tiebreak in the last deciding set. US Open should change that stupid rule and be consistent with the other slams, who got is right.
 
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Z

Zaragoza

Banned
FEDXFAN said:
I sort of agree with your comments except one thing. I do think that at this point in the year, Nadal has been the best overall player this year. But to say that Fed is the 2nd best player on all surfaces makes no sense.
If Fed got lucky and won the FO and Wimbledon next year, would that mean that Nadal is the #2 player on all surfaces. I think not.
The guy just won 65 straight matches on grass and he loses one, and now he's second best on that surface. Might want to think that through..
Click to expand...

Well, if Federer wins RG and Wimbledon next year it won´t be because of luck (same than Nadal this year) so he would be the best player on clay and grass next year (assuming he doesn´t win because his opponent retires injured or something like that).
I said "currently". Of course Federer´s Wimbledon titles make him the greater player on grass but I think the current Wimbledon champion should always be considered the best player on grass. Nadal´s Wimbledon title didn´t come from nowhere though. He reached two finals in the previous years and he has been closing the gap with Federer on grass until the point that he´s slightly ahead of him. He was unbeaten on grass this year, he even won in Queens beating his tiredness right after R. Garros. It´s been a solid performance on grass in the last 3 years and he has progressed until the point that he beat Federer this year. I think he deserves to be considered the best player on grass right now being Federer a close 2nd.
 
B

bolo

G.O.A.T.
Zaragoza said:
Well, if Federer wins RG and Wimbledon next year it won´t be because of luck (same than Nadal this year) so he would be the best player on clay and grass next year (assuming he doesn´t win because his opponent retires injured or something like that).
I said "currently". Of course Federer´s Wimbledon titles make him the greater player on grass but I think the current Wimbledon champion should always be considered the best player on grass. Nadal´s Wimbledon title didn´t come from nowhere though. He reached two finals in the previous years and he has been closing the gap with Federer on grass until the point that he´s slightly ahead of him. He was unbeaten on grass this year, he even won in Queens beating his tiredness right after R. Garros. It´s been a solid performance on grass in the last 3 years and he has progressed until the point that he beat Federer this year. I think he deserves to be considered the best player on grass right now being Federer a close 2nd.
Click to expand...


Yes, he's moved past fed. at wimbledon, but it's more because how easily he handled the rest of the field at wimbledon and how he churned through the draw at queen's. Head to head I already thought it was a 50/50 proposition vs. fed. last year and this year imo he was the slight favorite in that matchup.

Hard courts: I wouldn't say Fed's worse than djokovic unless he really falters in the tournaments leading up to the U.S. open. Fed's still more of a fast hard court player than a aust. open type player. I think he has always had a few more tough matches throughout his career at the Ao open (haas, davydenko, safin, bagman) that at the U.S. open (agassi, maybe a blake match). But djokovic is constantly improving so it will be in interesting to see what happens in the tournaments leading up to the U.S. open.

Fed's in the same position now as sampras in 1996, he's got to win the u.s. open to save his year.
 
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