Del Potro considering skipping the clay season

[Thomas195]

If someone like Delpo starts taking breaks off without being injured than I think it will open the floodgates for other players in their 20s to start doing the same IMO. By your criteria even Cilic has paid his dues because he won 1 slam beating Fed along the way. I think moves like this could precipitate an acceleration of the BO3 standard set lengths devolving to shorter sets and that wouldn't be well received by anyone here.

Delpo also rolled over Nadal that year, ok?
And 2009 Fed > 2014 Fed (who played Edberg tennis because he was weak off both wings).

Players are now starting to collectively skip the entire clay season. If that’s not a sign that the season is too demanding, I don’t know what is. Clay is an essential part of tennis, historically speaking as well. I know North Americans aren’t too familiar with it but I believe it’s the most popular surface in Europe and South America. It would be terrible if people would start seeing it as some kind of bonus surface instead of an important core surface of the ATP tour.

In the past it was common...for Spaniard and Latin claycourters to skip grass.

 

[Jontyg]

Delegitimizing Rafa's entire career basically. This might become a trend!

Cue..clayqueen and octobot to respond in..3...2...1...

 

[noobforehand20]

imagine in 15 years we will have a different approach to pro tennis in wich players will be seen more on certain parts of the year than other, kind of like on the 90s you had clay court players not playing on grass and vice versa, but this time it can become something more profound, very interesting would it be

 

[EloQuent]

Just skip clay entirely, cut it from the tour. Unnatural surface.

 

[Jontyg]

Just skip clay entirely, cut it from the tour. Unnatural surface.

Don’t say that..then we will have to put all Nadal fans on suicide watch

 

[Deleted member 688153]

Pretty sure he can't skip all of the clay masters since he hasn't fulfilled all the ATP requirements to be able to skip them.

All he has to do is say "ow my wrist". At worst take a fine that no wealthy top tennis player like him would even notice.

The "mandatory" thing is a total joke.

 

[Deleted member 688153]

Just skip clay entirely, cut it from the tour. Unnatural surface.

Yeah we should all skip clay too. I'm personally planning to go dark on here between Miami and Wimbledon anyway due to Fed not playing.
Gotta be like Fed and set the trend.

 

[Deleted member 688153]

I must say that I would hardly call 2 playerse "collectively".

And I have to say that I don't get it for Del Potro, he isn't worse on clay than on grass, and the USO is basically his only good Slam.

Gotta preserve himself for post-Wimbledon. He's defending plenty from the USO onwards and I'm sure he wants to be able to have a run at the WTF this year.

Like it does with Fed, it makes sense. Why waste so much energy on a few events that are losing their prestige anyway? Few players focus on the natural surfaces any more, it's all about HC now.
It's not just clay, even Wimbledon would be declining if it wasn't Wimbledon. Who plays Queens any more? Nobody has any idea how to play on clay or grass properly any more except the old guard.
It will be sad when HC takes over completely, but it's happening.

 

[Jontyg]

Yeah we should all skip clay too. I'm personally planning to go dark on here between Miami and Wimbledon anyway due to Fed not playing.
Gotta be like Fed and set the trend.

I agree..I might do the same..I guess its preference...some people like watching baseline ball retrieval and other like to watch geniuses at work..

 

[zagor]

Fed skips clay because it's not good on his body, Del Potro feels the same way and wants to skip. In the meanwhile, Rafa keeps complaining about hard courts and thinks clay is best for his body. Logic here's the window....

That's because Rafa tries to play CC tennis on HC and Fed/Delpo try to play HC tennis on clay.

Regardless, when it comes to the pros (not beer-gut amateurs in local club) common sense would dictate that the surface that puts premium on fitness and long heavy topspin rallies is the most grueling one, especially for a player like Delpo with multiple wrist surgeries.

 

[Im(moral) Winner]

If you look back and apply this tactic, it isn't pretty. Murray never plays Roland Garros for example. Federer probably skips from like 2009 onwards.

Fed would possibly have more slams in that scenario

 

[junior74]

Clay season has clustered tournaments. No one here gets out alive.

 

[zagor]

Players are now starting to collectively skip the entire clay season. If that’s not a sign that the season is too demanding, I don’t know what is. Clay is an essential part of tennis, historically speaking as well. I know North Americans aren’t too familiar with it but I believe it’s the most popular surface in Europe and South America. It would be terrible if people would start seeing it as some kind of bonus surface instead of an important core surface of the ATP tour.

It's a sign that the tour is old, not that the season is too demanding. Delpo will turn 30 this year, Fed didn't start to skip clay until he messed up his knee at 35.

Older tour (on average) -> more withdrawals, injuries, burnout etc.

 

[Red Rick]

Gotta preserve himself for post-Wimbledon. He's defending plenty from the USO onwards and I'm sure he wants to be able to have a run at the WTF this year.

Like it does with Fed, it makes sense. Why waste so much energy on a few events that are losing their prestige anyway? Few players focus on the natural surfaces any more, it's all about HC now.
It's not just clay, even Wimbledon would be declining if it wasn't Wimbledon. Who plays Queens any more? Nobody has any idea how to play on clay or grass properly any more except the old guard.
It will be sad when HC takes over completely, but it's happening.

People know how to play it. Young people just generally suck at serving and slicing. Then there's Shapovalov who's return is atrocious. Clay is the opposite, and apart from Shapovalov and Kyrgios the younger players aren't worse than on HC.

HC isn't taking over completely. It's just that the old guys are desperate rather be good on a 1000 that suits them than in a Slam that doesn't and are looking for excuses to go for them. Federer skipping RG I don't like but I can understand. Del Potro I just can't.

Del Potro could just take a 4 week break after Miami, play Rome-RG, Boodles+Wimbledon and Cinci+USO. That's 5 real tournaments. If he doesn't go deep in everything he can play more HC stuff.

 

[FHtennisman]

If you look back and apply this tactic, it isn't pretty. Murray never plays Roland Garros for example. Federer probably skips from like 2009 onwards.

Murray skipped RG once due to injury 11 days out from the slam and Fed didn't miss a slam until 2016 when he messed his knee up. I seem to remember you saying that top players shouldn't be skipping slams whist healthy or something along the lines, I don't see what the difference is here?

 

[FHtennisman]

Delpo also rolled over Nadal that year, ok?
And 2009 Fed > 2014 Fed (who played Edberg tennis because he was weak off both wings).

What does this have to do with players being allowed or given free passes to skip tourneys as they will? Just because Delpo beat Nadal in his only Major triumph means he can skip any tourney he wants but Cilic can't?

 

[FHtennisman]

All he has to do is say "ow my wrist". At worst take a fine that no wealthy top tennis player like him would even notice.

The "mandatory" thing is a total joke.

I just think it's an utter shame, if Fed did this at 29 about to turn 30, we would've missed out on that Finger Wag.

 

[Red Rick]

Murray skipped RG once due to injury 11 days out from the slam and Fed didn't miss a slam until 2016 when he messed his knee up. I seem to remember you saying that top players shouldn't be skipping slams whist healthy or something along the lines, I don't see what the difference is here?

The fact that I'm a big Murray fan doesn't mean I have to agree with every decision he makes.

 

[hipolymer]

Clay is for cows a wise man once said..

No, clay is what you get after cows eat grass

 

[Sysyphus]

The fact that I'm a big Murray fan doesn't mean I have to agree with every decision he makes.

The 10 commandments sez otherwise

lifetime of haggis for you, sir

 

[Red Rick]

The 10 commandments sez otherwise

lifetime of haggis for you, sir

I thought that was limited to the Muzziah Manor thread.

In any case, I've violated the "Thou shalt compose thy disquisitions in a most assiduously periphrastic vernacular here" a little too much trying to play chess with pidgeons here

And I can never remember if I'm violating the "Te Occidere Possunt Sed Te Edere Non Possunt Nefas Est."


In any case

Yum yum.

 

[Sudacafan]

Clay is for cows a wise man once said..

Clay is not for lazy players.

 

[zagor]

I must say that I would hardly call 2 playerse "collectively".

And I have to say that I don't get it for Del Potro, he isn't worse on clay than on grass, and the USO is basically his only good Slam.

It's not just about results, everyone and their brother will work Delpo's BH overtime on clay, I'd wager that's what Delpo's truly afraid of (and for good reason). On grass slice will be effective and points are much shorter anyway, on HC he can blast through people with his FH and serve.

Remember, this is the guy who had 3 wrist surgeries and missed ~10 slams in the last 4-5 years.

 

[Sudacafan]

This week I visited my doctor. After the checkup, he looked at me seriously and said he needed to be strict with me, as I needed to develop more healthy habits. So he said: No alcohol, no cigarettes, no red meat and no clay.

 

[Deleted member 742196]

I thought that was limited to the Muzziah Manor thread.

In any case, I've violated the "Thou shalt compose thy disquisitions in a most assiduously periphrastic vernacular here" a little too much trying to play chess with pidgeons here

And I can never remember if I'm violating the "Te Occidere Possunt Sed Te Edere Non Possunt Nefas Est."


In any case

Yum yum.

Not sure what dictionary to use deciphering the above.

 

[Shells15]

If the ATP won't do anything to make the season more manageable, then the players have to take drastic steps.

 

[Deleted member 742196]

This week I visited my doctor. After the checkup, he looked at me seriously and said he needed to be strict with me, as I needed to develop more healthy habits. So he said: No alcohol, no cigarettes, no red meat and no clay.

That’s interesting.

My therapist said the same just in the reverse order.

 

[metsman]

Fred will get everyone to withdraw from RG, even Nadal, and then swoop in for the vulture. Devious *******.

 

[RF-18]

Clay is about running, not tennis. Might as well give them some track shoes.

You have great knowledge of the game.

 

[Deleted member 742196]

Fred will get everyone to withdraw from RG, even Nadal, and then swoop in for the vulture. Devious *******.

Fed working the long con - get the dangerous guys that bother him to skip tournaments first.

Crafty Geezer.

 

[vive le beau jeu !]

it sucks 'cause i was counting on him to denadalize the draw in case it wasn't done in the early rounds (which is always a preferable option, of course)

 

[Roddick85]

Regardless, when it comes to the pros (not beer-gut amateurs in local club) common sense would dictate that the surface that puts premium on fitness and long heavy topspin rallies is the most grueling one, especially for a player like Delpo with multiple wrist surgeries.

Exactly, which is why I find Rafa to be a bit of an hypocrite. Everyone knows clay is more physical and just plain harder on the body because of the extended rallies. For all the years Rafa has been ******** about hard court being bad for his body, he doesn't about clay which is even harder? He should just say outright that he prefers clay because it suits his game more, no more BS about clay being better for his health.

 

[octobrina10]

That feel when Fed started the trend of delegitimizing the clay season

Fed started the trend of admitting the inability to play on clay.

(OP, Delpo: "My body does not like to play on clay...")

 

[octobrina10]

Delegitimizing Rafa's entire career basically. This might become a trend!

Basically, admitting inability to play like Rafa.

 

[toby55555]

Hard courts are worst for my body but at the pro level it may be that clay is worst as the rallies are far more intense so the shorter the better.

 

[octobrina10]

Pretty sure he can't skip all of the clay masters since he hasn't fulfilled all the ATP requirements to be able to skip them.

Delpo is allowed to skip one mandatory M1000 during the season. (Masters are mandatory tournaments, except Monte Carlo).

 

[octobrina10]

Clay is for cows a wise man once said..

A quote from a wiser man:
"Grass is for the cows,” said Ivan Lendl, while deciding to give the Wimbledon a miss in 1982 and go holidaying instead.

 

[Otacon]

The clay/grass swings are the best part of the season.

 

[Otacon]

Hard courts are worst for my body but at the pro level it may be that clay is worst as the rallies are far more intense so the shorter the better.

For recreational players like us, clay is certainly the most enjoyable surface.

 

[Tennis_Hands]

Fed started the trend of admitting the inability to play on clay.

(OP, Delpo: "My body does not like to play on clay...")

Bookmarking this for when Nadal retires before even reaching 35, thus starting the trend of admitting that he cannot play on any surface.

Hypocrite reaction in the making 3, 2, 1.... GO!

 

[Tennisanity]

You have great knowledge of the game.

I know you're in pain.

 

[octobrina10]

Delpo also rolled over Nadal that year, ok?
And 2009 Fed > 2014 Fed (who played Edberg tennis because he was weak off both wings).


In the past it was common...for Spaniard and Latin claycourters to skip grass.

Hmm. But, Delpo didn't win a slam by doing this.

 

[Im(moral) Winner]

Hmm. But, Delpo didn't win a slam by doing this.

 

[Im(moral) Winner]

A quote from a wiser man:
"Grass is for the cows,” said Ivan Lendl, while deciding to give the Wimbledon a miss in 1982 and go holidaying instead.

Santana coined the term before winning Wimbledon.
Lendl the 3 time RG champion also skipped the FO in 90-91 to concentrate on winning Wimbledon.

 

[I Am Finnish]

Interesting del Potro is the only South american player who does not like clay

 

[True Fanerer]

Only Nadal could take 2hr 20min to win 6 games.

 

[octobrina10]

Hmm. You obvisously don't know what 'won a slam' means.

 

[Tennis_Hands]

Santana coined the term before winning Wimbledon.
Lendl the 3 time RG champion also skipped the FO in 90-91 to concentrate on winning Wimbledon.

So much ownage, so little brain to realise it.

 

[Im(moral) Winner]

Hmm. You obvisously don't know what 'won a slam' means.

You have to win 7 matches (not counting w/os) to win a slam. Besides beating Fed in the final he also beat RAFA for his USO title.

 

[Steve0904]

And I thought the clay court field couldn't get any weaker. Guess I was wrong.