Djokovic vs. Spanish Armada + Federer on Clay

[jack_kramer]

Nole is a combined 4-17 vs. Spanish Armada + Federer on clay - not too encouraging. Can the new and improved Djoker breakthrough this year and win a clay Masters or RG? Or are his excellent HC results an overreaction that won’t translate to the dirt? Discuss.

Here are the head-to-head breakdowns:

El Jefe leads 9-0:
2009 Madrid: 3-6, 7-6, 7-6 Nadal
2009 Rome: 7-6, 6-2 Nadal
2009 Monte Carlo: 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 Nadal
2009 Davis Cup: 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 Nadal
2008 RG: 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 Nadal
2008 Hamburg: 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 Nadal
2007 RG: 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 Nadal
2007 Rome: 6-2, 6-3 Nadal
2006 RG: 6-4, 6-4 RET Nadal

Ferrer leads 3-0:
2009 Davis Cup: 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 Ferrer
2007 Monte Carlo: 7-5, 6-4 Ferrer
2004 Bucharest: 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 Ferrer

Verdasco leads 3-2:
2010 Rome: 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4 Verdasco
2010 Monte Carlo: 6-2, 6-2 Verdasco
2009 Monte Carlo: 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 Djokovic
2007 RG: 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 Djokovic
2006 Hamburg: 6-4, 6-3 Verdasco

Almugro trails 0-1:
2008 Monte Carlo: 6-1, 1-0 RET Djokovic

******** leads 2-1:
2009 Rome: 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 Djokovic
2008 Monte Carlo: 6-3, 3-2 RET Federer
2006 Monte Carlo: 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 Federer

 

[namelessone]

Only Ferrer can defeat this Djokovic IMO.

Verdasco is way inconsistent, even playing "real tennis".

Nico is very consistent on clay but when his game breaks down a bit, it really breaks down. He is a very competent claycourter though.

Fed will be mincemeat this clay season unless he can come up with something special and ignite the fire in his belly.

He can't rally on slowcourts anymore as proven by his defeat at the hands of Nole and Rafa and clay will only exacerbate this problem. Not to mention that the bounce will be even higher on this court. However the "old man" has a couple of advantages: superb movement on clay, more time to setup his shots(maybe it's me but Fed has lost a bit of hand-eye coordination, if you can "lose" that) and his dropshots.

Anyway, I wanna see a couple of matches from Rafa,Djoker and Fed on clay before assessing things.

 

[CocaCola]

"El Jefe" - nice.

 

[The-Champ]

Only Ferrer can defeat this Djokovic IMO.

Verdasco is way inconsistent, even playing "real tennis".

Nico is very consistent on clay but when his game breaks down a bit, it really breaks down. He is a very competent claycourter though.

Fed will be mincemeat this clay season unless he can come up with something special and ignite the fire in his belly.

He can't rally on slowcourts anymore as proven by his defeat at the hands of Nole and Rafa and clay will only exacerbate this problem. Not to mention that the bounce will be even higher on this court. However the "old man" has a couple of advantages: superb movement on clay, more time to setup his shots(maybe it's me but Fed has lost a bit of hand-eye coordination, if you can "lose" that) and his dropshots.

Anyway, I wanna see a couple of matches from Rafa,Djoker and Fed on clay before assessing things.

you don't think Nadal can beat the djoker on clay?

 

[namelessone]

you don't think Nadal can beat the djoker on clay?

I meant outside of Rafa. I know he is part of the Armada but he is so great on this surface that he is like a separate entity

 

[The-Champ]

I meant outside of Rafa. I know he is part of the Armada but he is so great on this surface that he is like a separate entity

that's true.



I didn't know djoker is winless against Ferrer on clay:shock: , and the only time the djoker came close to beating nadal on clay was during the spaniards slump year.