Mike Sams
G.O.A.T.
Why is Sampras demoted lower than Laver and Rosewall?
If Nadal wins a 13th RG title this year....
- Thread starter Hitman
- Start date
nolefam_2024
Talk Tennis Guru
It might be depressing to see that he can't be beaten now, but I have stopped feeling sad for it.
Like Harry Potter, Rafa has killed my heart piece by piece every RG. 2019 was the last time.
Like Harry Potter, Rafa has killed my heart piece by piece every RG. 2019 was the last time.
MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
terribleIVAN
Hall of Fame
Look at it this way: he's almost certain to get to the semis: once there, all he has to do is win 2 more matches in best of 5.
Against other players who spent probably much more time on the court than him.
Druss
Hall of Fame
It's only fair to count their pro slams as well, in which case it takes them to around 20 (not sure the exact number).
Benben245
Banned
The best story in tennis in the last 10 years, more than Federer's 2017 will be if Rafa actually makes measurable changes to his game, measurable in the sense that the layman can see it and its successful. Imagine a Rafa that comes over the top on the forehand more often, particularly against djoker. Or he utilizes his flat cross backhand for a plethora of other shot choices. He starts hitting bombs on his first serve and follows that up with a move to the net more often.
Mike Sams
G.O.A.T.
You don't think Nadal and his coaches have thought about any of this? Everyone has the answers on paper. Execution is something else.
It's like a boxer coming in with a unique game-plan against a tough opponent. Once he gets hit, he resorts back to his old methods.
MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
The solution is to speed up the sandpaper/drab blue open and paint it green again
These tragically slow HC's are getting ridiculous. He can stretch his way to anything in Melbourne. Even the FO has more pop on the ball, there's a reason Thiem was in the final.
Dude is literally a fish in water out there
Benben245
Banned
Sampras thought about changing his racquet later in his career and he regrets it to this day. You could argue this entire forum is moot, if we are to silence ourselves based on the probability that our suggestive fodder is unoriginal.
I think for the same reason I critique Roddick's backhand slice approach shot, nadal too is in a bit of a predicament. To make systemic changes in game play just for one player is not easy, as you said, "execution is something else" ; but Federer did it for two, bullying just about everyone else. And it isn't just execution, I could be completely wrong, the team may have tried it in practice and feel it would not be effective.
Mike Sams
G.O.A.T.
True. It's also really about matchups. Djokovic seems to have all the answers against everyone else including Nadal and Federer in the Slams. But against Stanimal Wawrinka, Djokovic seems like he doesn't know what he's doing. Like he's trying to bring a slegehammer into a fight against a man with a rocketlauncher. LOL
Benben245
Banned
Well, I fear the Stanimal has been hit by a silver bullet, and there aren't many full moon's left in his calendar.
Mike Sams
G.O.A.T.
Hard to say that considering he's beaten the the world #1, #5 and #6 ranked players in the past 4 Slams. He's still making the second week in a lot of Slams. Had a QF exit against an in-form Zverev in Melbourne. Hopefully we get a few more Stan/Djoker Slam meetings. Maybe at the French Open.
BeatlesFan
Bionic Poster
It seems as if Roger is prepared and expecting Rafa to tie him and possibly pass his slam count. He's had several years for that to sink it, so it won't be a sudden shock. And as was shown again in Cape Town, he has genuine affection for Rafa. The pain for Fed would be if Djokovic ever catches him, since he does not have affectionate or positive feelings about him at all. It's mutual, that's plain to see. When Roger passed Pete, Sampras repeatedly said, "I have such respect for Roger, if anyone had to pass me, I would pick Roger to do it." It's the same with Fed - he certainly would choose Rafa to surpass him and not Novak.
kevaninho
Hall of Fame
I like doing these threads for all the guys, done many for Federer, Murray, Del Potro etc We should give credit and respect where it is due and celebrate their accomplishments. We're all tennis fans, right?
Imagine what it would have been like if Rafa was my number one player.
Now that end part almost turns me on, my friend
kevaninho
Hall of Fame
20I mean 13 FO
Quite the achievement. It would definitely give him a sizable advantage over Nole again. Barring sudden decline, nerves, injury, fatigue or the return of Peakovic, Nadal will win it. Pulling for the field of course, but this is the one place that I enjoy Djokodal matches the most of all. We shall see who is ready for this or not. The pressure is on.
I agree. I think its the biggest match in tennis if its a 5 setter in Paris, on clay.
Nadal cant hang with Djokovic anywhere else anymore unfortunately.
So it has to be at RG.
What a final it would be, and a Djokovic win would surely cement his best ever credentials.
It would be insane if we got it this year.
BH40love
Semi-Pro
That is insane. Sampras retired thinking his Slam record would be fully safe for a long time. Nobody could've imagined a player would come around so soon after and just wreck havoc at 1 Slam for nearly 2 decades and nearly match Sampras' entire Slam haul just from that 1 event!
Sampras probably didn’t think his Wimbledon titles record would be beat so fast but we have been able to watch 2 of the best ever compete in our era
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