For me, Djokovic is more dangerous than ever

[RF-18]

I will probably get so much Crap thrown at me not just from Djoko fans, but others aswell.

But IMO Djokovic Is becoming more dangerous than he's ever been.

His serving + returning combination, baselining, even at the net has absolutely been breathtaking the last months. His FH is dangerous, BH is slowly becoming 2011 level. And mainly the serve is the best I've ever seen him. Mentally and concentration wise he is right up there Aswell.

You'll probably tell me oh how he didn't manage to break Fed today, but there was nothing wrong with his return overall. He just screwed up on some easy misses. But even not managing to break Fed, his serve showed up and clutched the hell out of the match and managed to win without breaking a well playing Fed.

For me, Djokovic has become a better tennis player, and definitely more dangerous. And I enjoy saying that cause this is absolutely amazing what we are seeing from Djokovic at all parts of the game. 22 consecutive match wins, and still counting..

 

[Im(moral) Winner]

For me it's Mesut Özil

 

[Krish872007]

This could be the foundation for an interesting discussion for sure. I can see the serve actually improving from what it was even 2 months ago and that actually amazes me considering the elbow problems he's had and the slightly altered service motion. I can see the rest of his game coming together as well and agree that he does look very solid once again. Whether it's better than what I saw in 2011 or 2015 is up for debate (I don't mind as there are valid arguments in any direction), but really, really impressive.

The main caveat at this stage? The focus. Mind wanders a bit here and there, and he's not quite making as many balls as he could be - losing a fraction of a step? Even so, still good enough to beat whoever he needs to.

 

[abmk]

I will probably get so much Crap thrown at me not just from Djoko fans, but others aswell.

But IMO Djokovic Is becoming more dangerous than he's ever been.

His serving + returning combination, baselining, even at the net has absolutely been breathtaking the last months. His FH is dangerous, BH is slowly becoming 2011 level. And mainly the serve is the best I've ever seen him.

You'll probably tell me oh how he didn't manage to break Fed today, but there was nothing wrong with his return overall. He just screwed up on some easy misses. But even not managing to break Fed, his serve showed up and clutched the hell out of the match and managed to win without breaking a well playing Fed.

For me, Djokovic has become a better tennis player, and definitely more dangerous. And I enjoy saying that cause this is absolutely amazing what we are seeing from Djokovic at all parts of the game. 21 consecutive match wins, and still counting..

you need to revisit 2015 djoko.
His serve was better than it is currently (2nd serve even more so).

And djokovic is facing wayyy lesser competition than 2011 and clearly lesser competition than in 2015.

 

[CYGS]

Make my TTW username come true, Djokovic.

 

[tennisaddict]

This Djoker would have lost 6 out of 10 matches to peak Fed. I am not exaggerating

 

[Eye Test]

Agreed.
He is at his absolute best right now.

 

[Poisoned Slice]

He's Ken Shamrock in 1997. The world's most dangerous man.

And we should all be afraid.

 

[NoleFam]

I don't like his level this week but I know he is under the weather but yes in Shanghai he was excellent. His transitional game has improved but in Paris it is pretty basic. Hopefully after this week he gets some rest and comes back out with that fire he had in China.

 

[ghostofMecir]

I will probably get so much Crap thrown at me not just from Djoko fans, but others aswell.

But IMO Djokovic Is becoming more dangerous than he's ever been.

His serving + returning combination, baselining, even at the net has absolutely been breathtaking the last months. His FH is dangerous, BH is slowly becoming 2011 level. And mainly the serve is the best I've ever seen him.

You'll probably tell me oh how he didn't manage to break Fed today, but there was nothing wrong with his return overall. He just screwed up on some easy misses. But even not managing to break Fed, his serve showed up and clutched the hell out of the match and managed to win without breaking a well playing Fed.

For me, Djokovic has become a better tennis player, and definitely more dangerous. And I enjoy saying that cause this is absolutely amazing what we are seeing from Djokovic at all parts of the game. 21 consecutive match wins, and still counting..

RF-18 looking to make his argument about Federer being his best at 34 in 2015 have some credibility by doing the same for his idol.

 

[HashDump]

This Djoker would have lost 4 out of 10 matches to peak Fed. I am not exaggerating

This Fed would have lost 10 out of 10 matches to half injured 18 years old Rafa.

 

[Towny]

I really don't understand how people can say that these 30 something year olds are at their peak

 

[RF-18]

you need to revisit 2015 djoko.
His serve was better than it is currently (2nd serve even more so).

And djokovic is facing wayyy lesser competition than 2011 and clearly lesser competition than in 2015.

You could argue his 2015 serve was better but I don't see any issues saying it is better now.

 

[ABCD]

I will probably get so much Crap thrown at me not just from Djoko fans, but others aswell.

But IMO Djokovic Is becoming more dangerous than he's ever been.

His serving + returning combination, baselining, even at the net has absolutely been breathtaking the last months. His FH is dangerous, BH is slowly becoming 2011 level. And mainly the serve is the best I've ever seen him.

You'll probably tell me oh how he didn't manage to break Fed today, but there was nothing wrong with his return overall. He just screwed up on some easy misses. But even not managing to break Fed, his serve showed up and clutched the hell out of the match and managed to win without breaking a well playing Fed.

For me, Djokovic has become a better tennis player, and definitely more dangerous. And I enjoy saying that cause this is absolutely amazing what we are seeing from Djokovic at all parts of the game. 21 consecutive match wins, and still counting..

Totally agree with you.

 

[Genie Of the Bank]

Soon Djokovic will change his name to John Rambo.

 

[TheAssassin]

Some of his play in the last four months has been quality but I think he was better and more consistent at it before.

Pretty enjoyable 2019 should be ahead of him if he can play like this more often than not though.

 

[RF-18]

This Djoker would have lost 4 out of 10 matches to peak Fed. I am not exaggerating

No, over so many matches I don't see anyone contesting Novaks game and winning majority of matches.

 

[metsman]

I will probably get so much Crap thrown at me not just from Djoko fans, but others aswell.

But IMO Djokovic Is becoming more dangerous than he's ever been.

His serving + returning combination, baselining, even at the net has absolutely been breathtaking the last months. His FH is dangerous, BH is slowly becoming 2011 level. And mainly the serve is the best I've ever seen him.

You'll probably tell me oh how he didn't manage to break Fed today, but there was nothing wrong with his return overall. He just screwed up on some easy misses. But even not managing to break Fed, his serve showed up and clutched the hell out of the match and managed to win without breaking a well playing Fed.

For me, Djokovic has become a better tennis player, and definitely more dangerous. And I enjoy saying that cause this is absolutely amazing what we are seeing from Djokovic at all parts of the game. 21 consecutive match wins, and still counting..

at least you're consistent!

 

[2011]

It's look like due to lack of worthy opponents, it's same for Fed for some nole fan too who thinks that his peak was in 2015.

In the fall indoor season once we have names like ferrer-delpo-davydenko etc , now ****ing sock-isner lurk into top8

 

[NatF]

RF-18 is a paragon of tennis wisdom and knowledge as always.

 

[Milehigh5280]

I strongly disagree, but mentally he's as strong as ever.

 

[RF-18]

Some of his play in the last four months has been quality but I think he was better and more consistent at it before.

Pretty enjoyable 2019 should be ahead of him if he can play like this more often than not though.

As @Krish872007 said, his game has come together and I remember months ago how frustrating he could be consistency wise but really right now there isn't much to complain about. I think he is really solid and mentally tough aswell. Today, he knew who his opponent was, and immediately upped his concentration to win a tight match.

 

[abmk]

You could argue his 2015 serve was better but I don't see any issues saying it is better now.

I do. His 2nd serve isn't as good as it used to be.
Yesterday itself, he had like 5 DFs vs Cilic.

He had like only ~14% of his serves unreturned in the USO final. He was lucky that delpo didn't play better from the ground in that regard
did really bot vs nishi in the 1st set in the semi, but his serving wasn't great at the USO as a whole. not so in cincy either, which is why he kept going 3 sets.

Yeah , Wimb, Shanghai, Paris has had some excellent serving from him, no doubt.

 

[RF-18]

I strongly disagree, but mentally he's as strong as ever.

Yeah mentally he is like a rock aswell. Concentration is right up there. Was down 0-15 several games in a row today towards the end and Fed looked to sneak his way in but Djoko shut him down with amazing serves and clutch play from the baseline.

Wimby match this year aswell.

 

[TheGreatOne1997]

His service games are better. Overall? Nahhh. The only hurdle he has to climb is Nadal who continues to have knee issues and 37 year old Fed with confidence issues every time he sees Nole on the other end of the game.

That said, I think Djokovic has another 6-7 years of title winning left in him and will be the slam record holder when the dust settles. We all talk about Nadal/Fed being the slam record holder but I think its Djokovic who ultimately ends up with it

 

[The Fedfather]

Djokovic was hella clutch on important points today and at the start was having fun hitting corners at will but his overall play ended up being slightly above average. Missing lots of easy returns, skyrocketing quite a few balls into the roof when he was out of position on Federer's not exactly lethal shots. Not much net play to speak about. He didn't DF in the pressure moments, that's a good thing.

In the end though, I don't see how his play against this Federer can be a sign of becoming more dangerous than ever.

 

[RF-18]

I do. His 2nd serve isn't as good as it used to be.
Yesterday itself, he had like 5 DFs vs Cilic.

He had like only ~14% of his serves unreturned in the USO final. He was lucky that delpo didn't play better from the ground in that regard
did really bot vs nishi in the 1st set in the semi, but his serving wasn't great at the USO as a whole. not so in cincy either, which is why he kept going 3 sets.

Yeah , Wimb, Shanghai, Paris has had some excellent serving from him, no doubt.

Yes, but today he had no DFs at all. As I said, erased those leaps when he had to.

Delpo at USO? Djokovic was like rock. In no way did Delpo have a chance against that Novak. The more the match progressed, I had no doubt that Novak would win.

 

[TheAssassin]

As @Krish872007 said, his game has come together and I remember months ago how frustrating he could be consistency wise but really right now there isn't much to complain about. I think he is really solid and mentally tough aswell. Today, he knew who his opponent was, and immediately upped his concentration to win a tight match.

I am not complaining myself either. He's only had two tight matches since Cincinnati ended, three if we decide to count the 1st round of the US Open, and he ended up being rock solid when it mattered the most. But a few years ago, I would have backed him to eliminate Federer sooner than in the deciding tiebreak.

 

[TennisFan97068]

Very impressed with his new serve for sure.

 

[Deleted member 716271]

He was ill today as well

 

[Deine VS]

Better, no.
Mentally almost as strong as before.
But level of this guys ( Federer, Nadal, Djokovic ) was so high, when it drops a little it's still a lot higher then the rest.

 

[abmk]

Yes, but today he had no DFs at all. As I said, erased those leaps when he had to.

really ? if not for that great BH pass down BP in the 3rd set, Cilic might have sent him packing yesterday .

YDelpo at USO? Djokovic was like rock. In no way did Delpo have a chance against that Novak. The more the match progressed, I had no doubt that Novak would win.

yes, he was rock solid from the ground and great on the return. But like I said, serving was below par. only ~14% serves unreturned.

If delpo played better when on equal terms rather than when behind like in the 2nd and 3rd set, he'd clearly have a shot.
And the match turned on that gigantic game at 4 all in the 2nd set.

 

[FiReFTW]

On pace to reach his peak at 50 years old.

 

[BeatlesFan]

I will probably get so much Crap thrown at me not just from Djoko fans, but others aswell.

But IMO Djokovic Is becoming more dangerous than he's ever been.

I don't know why you think you'd get any crap for this belief. For me, Novak's peak remains 2011, with 2015 a very, very close second. He was more explosive then, quicker and younger. But I agree he's more "dangerous" now because he's more experience and a savvier player. And there's no question he's turned his serve into a weapon, which it wasn't in 2011 (second serve was probably superior in 2015 though). He's improved some areas of his game without doubt.

 

[OhYes]

Agreed.
He is at his absolute best right now.

I am still in disbelief why your account isn't banned.

 

[OhYes]

This Djoker would have lost 6 out of 10 matches to peak Fed. I am not exaggerating

This Sickovic is still better than your overaged ballerina.

 

[MatsPhilander]

Fed played out of his mind but it still wasn't enough-Novak was no dount trying to conserve as much for the final as well. I don't fancy his opponents chances much. This might be the greatest comeback in tennis history.

 

[MatsPhilander]

Agreed.
He is at his absolute best right now.

Not even at his peak-that is the scary thing.

 

[MatsPhilander]

He's Ken Shamrock in 1997. The world's most dangerous man.

And we should all be afraid.

Not the sharpest knife in the draw, but the most dangerous.

 

[MatsPhilander]

I don't like his level this week but I know he is under the weather but yes in Shanghai he was excellent. His transitional game has improved but in Paris it is pretty basic. Hopefully after this week he gets some rest and comes back out with that fire he had in China.

Even with Flu he still beats everybody-including Maestro. His B/C game is still better than everybody else's.

 

[BrokenGears]

Stats disprove this notion. His BH has been crappy since F0 2016. Serve is reaching peak 2015 levels, but return is nowhere near

 

[TheGreatOne1997]

The only thing more dangerous with Djokovic is his ability to hold serve. The rest of the his game has declined SIGNIFICANTLY. He just has more confidence in his ability to hold serve at this point

 

[jm1980]

I strongly disagree, but mentally he's as strong as ever.

He just went 0/12 on break points...

At his peak mental strength, this match is over in 2, 6-4 6-4

 

[Sport]

Djokovic didn't look "unbeatable", he suffered to defeat Federer (which is normal, since Federer was playing some of his best tennis in 2018). Djokovic did look impressive in the mental aspect though, the final tie-break is a demonstration of mental strength.

 

[RF-18]

I do. His 2nd serve isn't as good as it used to be.
Yesterday itself, he had like 5 DFs vs Cilic.

He had like only ~14% of his serves unreturned in the USO final. He was lucky that delpo didn't play better from the ground in that regard
did really bot vs nishi in the 1st set in the semi, but his serving wasn't great at the USO as a whole. not so in cincy either, which is why he kept going 3 sets.

Yeah , Wimb, Shanghai, Paris has had some excellent serving from him, no doubt.

Checking his service stats, Djokovic trails a few percentages on the 2nd serve points won % in 2018 than 2015. But every other service stats, he is better. Better in the 1st serve department, wins more service points and his hold game is better by 2 percentages than in 2015 (he is holding 91.3% of his service games currently). He is also acing more.

*These are stats from beginning of june to now, for both years. Not the whole year.

 

[abmk]

Checking his service stats, Djokovic trails a few percentages on the 2nd serve points won % in 2018 than 2015. But every other service stats, he is better. Better in the 1st serve department, wins more service points and his hold game is better by 2 percentages than in 2015 (he is holding 91.3% of his service games currently). He is also acing more.

*These are stats from beginning of june to now, for both years. Not the whole year.

check from Wimbledon onwards for both years to make it fair. (june 2015 will also have stats from SF+F of RG and he didn't play Queens in 2015)
I have 90% for 2015
90.6% for this year

Also faced clearly tougher competition in 2015 than now, although competition in 2015 wasn't stellar either.

 

[RF-18]

check from Wimbledon onwards for both years to make it fair. (june 2015 will also have stats from SF+F of RG and he didn't play Queens in 2015)
I have 90% for 2015
90.6% for this year

Also faced clearly tougher competition in 2015 than now, although competition in 2015 wasn't stellar either.

I don't think we'll agree on these small margins but lets just say his 2018 serving is right up there with 2015.

 

[NEW_BORN]

I think his serve and volleying skills have improved by quite a margin this year.
His groundstrokes are still as solid as ever.
Movement is still exceptional, maybe a touch slower.
Overall, this is about as peak a Djokovic as i've ever seen.

 

[Deleted member 77403]

Mentally, I agree, he is at his peak, but not from a physical game perspective. His level in 2011 and 2015 was absurdly high.

 

[Poisoned Slice]