Novak needs to beat Rafa at the slams that's what counts.

[Amelie Mauresmo]

I am not a fan of Rafa, but this win of Novak over Nadal at the ATP finals doesn't mean much.

Djokovic fans can rejoice saying Novak beat Rafa indoors BUT what I remember this year is just how badly Novak capitulated in the

big slam matches. Novak did poorly I feel to win his semifinal matches at Wimbledon and the US OPEN he was tired in the finals and

lost both easily.

As for Andy Murray he can beat Djokovic in the slams BUT can Andy Murray beat Nadal in a slam final?

Something always seems to work out for Murray to not face Rafa in the slam semifinals or finals.

I think Murray needs to prove he can beat Rafa in a slam final next year or semifinal to prove he's for real.


Yes, Novak is Nadal's real rival not Roger Federer he's beaten Rafa 17 times he's clearly the only one on the ATP Tour to really

challenge Nadal. However, the French Open loss despite having a 4-2 lead in the final set was disappointing.The choke at the US OPEn

being in the third set yet letting the lead slip away.

Novak is a great player BUT he NEEDS to PROVE he can beat Nadal consistently at the slams.

Beating Nadal at indoor events, or the ATP finals don't matter what matters are the slams.

The reason is, Rafa beat Novak when it mattered most at the slams. Novak's 0-3 against Nadal in slams since the 2012 French Open.

Novak hasn't won a slam outside of Australia in almost three years he's 1-4 in US OPEN finals, and 6-6 overall in slam finals.

Novak needs to prove next year he CAN win a slam or two outside of the Australian Open.

The Australian Open is the LEAST important out of the four slams but that's the one Novak thrives at.

Until Novak starts to win more slams outside of the AO he will never reach Nadal's class or be in his legacy.

 

[tennisaddict]

2014 will be Novak's year. You could clearly see the fear is back with Nadal. Absolutely he had no confidence.

The last 2 straight sets drubbing is already haunting him.

 

[90's Clay]

Nadal has never been really comfortable playing indoors at the end of the year. Slams are a completely different animal for Nadal. He isn't going to go down lightly in Australia.

 

[Death Master]

nadal is also very bloody spent by this time of the year.

slam is the ultimate dance of death anyway.

and right now he sits on 13 and counting.


and all this after having thrown away 2 years of his prime years to injuries.

 

[Death Master]

2014 will be Novak's year. You could clearly see the fear is back with Nadal. Absolutely he had no confidence.

The last 2 straight sets drubbing is already haunting him.

I don't think you know what you are talking about mate.


how about a career in false and deceptive advertising?

 

[tennisaddict]

I don't think you know what you are talking about mate.


how about a career in false and deceptive advertising?

Forget about everything and Just analyse Novak's losses to Nadal since 2011 anx Nadal's losses to Novak.

All of Novak's losses are pretty close, where the matches could have gone either way, whereas Nadal has had several bad losses. Dont you agree ?

 

[Amelie Mauresmo]

Forget about everything and Just analyse Novak's losses to Nadal since 2011 anx Nadal's losses to Novak.

All of Novak's losses are pretty close, where the matches could have gone either way, whereas Nadal has had several bad losses. Dont you agree ?

But what matters most for tennis champions like Novak and Rafa are THE SLAMS. Novak inability to get more slam titles out of Australia

is his real problem. The AO is the LEAST important out of the 4 slams. Do you think Novak can be happy about just being the king

of OZ? Novak has a poor record against Nadal at the French Open he just can't seem to breakthrough there. Novak had his chance

and messed up in Paris he choked.

I doubt Rafa is crying he lost the ATP finals to Novak he has dominated Djokovic in the slams since june 2012 he is 3-0.

 

[chjtennis]

Novak became true top player at the end of 2010. Since then, he's beaten Nadal in every GS except French Open. In fact, he beat Nadal in 3 consecutive GS starting from Wimbledon 2011 till AO 2012. FO will always favor Nadal, so Nadal beating Novak twice there is nothing out of ordinary, just like Nadal's H2H v Fed. Nadal's demolition of Novak in this past US Open series, however, was a huge achievement. That pretty much compensates the humiliation Hadal received from Novak during 2011 clay season and Monte Carlo this year.

 

[oneness]

A win is a win. It was a good one for Novak. He has already proved he can beat rafa in slams. The matches this year were very close. Gosh too many troll threads today.

 

[The Dark Knight]

Forget about everything and Just analyse Novak's losses to Nadal since 2011 anx Nadal's losses to Novak.

All of Novak's losses are pretty close, where the matches could have gone either way, whereas Nadal has had several bad losses. Dont you agree ?

I think Nadal started to figure out Joker after his loss at the USO.....

He would have beaten Joker at the AO but the freaking roof went up turning the match into an indoor tournament.

 

[tennisaddict]

But what matters most for tennis champions like Novak and Rafa are THE SLAMS.

I doubt Rafa is crying he lost the ATP finals to Novak he has dominated Djokovic in the slams since june 2012 he is 3-0.

Out of the 3, two are FO. That is bound to change next year.

IMO, I fully expect Novak to beat Rafa at the FO.

 

[Chico]

Novak already beat Nadal as slams and will do the same again next year.

Nadal was quite lucky to win both FO and USO this year and that will not be repeated any time soon.

 

[The Dark Knight]

A win is a win. It was a good one for Novak. He has already proved he can beat rafa in slams. The matches this year were very close. Gosh too many troll threads today.

That's where you are wrong.

Not all wins are created equal.

Wtf < FO

Wtf < USO

 

[Death Master]

Forget about everything and Just analyse Novak's losses to Nadal since 2011 anx Nadal's losses to Novak.

All of Novak's losses are pretty close, where the matches could have gone either way, whereas Nadal has had several bad losses. Dont you agree ?

close just does not count in tennis old sport.

nadal got him where it hurts the most:

RG and the U.S open.


and that leads me to believe that he is going to have the advantage at the next slams also.

 

[Amelie Mauresmo]

A win is a win. It was a good one for Novak. He has already proved he can beat rafa in slams. The matches this year were very close. Gosh too many troll threads today.

NO this is not TRUE the slams mean the most to the top players. Novak beating Nadal in ATP tour events is not the measure of

greatness. Novak had a brilliant 2011 no dispute, but he has NOT been able to get to that level anymore.

Next year is going to be very important for Novak Djokovic, I didn't realize until his year his slam record outside of AO is not very stellar.

Novak's 1-4 record at the US OPEN finals is pretty terrible.

Novak NEEDS to in more slams outside of the AO because if he doesn't then

he doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same class as Nadal.

Novak still hasn't gotten a French Open title either.

 

[The Dark Knight]

Novak already beat Nadal as slams and will do the same again next year.

Nadal was quite lucky to win both FO and USO this year and that will not be repeated any time soon.

There is no luck on clay courts At FO or a bo5.....the only one lucky was joker because the roof went up at the AO.

 

[90's Clay]

Why do people think Nadal at the WTF has anything to do with what Nadal will do at the slams?

Nadal is a completely different animal at the slams. The matches Nole did beat Nadal at the slams he had to struggle to win them aside from Wimbledon and he was 0-2 vs. Nadal this year.

 

[The Dark Knight]

Why do people think Nadal at the WTF has anything to do with what Nadal will do at the slams?

Nadal is a completely different animal at the slams.

Because its all they have. It's desperation.

Sad.

 

[tennisaddict]

There is no luck on clay courts At FO or a bo5.....the only one lucky was joker because the roof went up at the AO.

If they didnt stop the play on Sunday at FO 2012, Novak would have won one already, He was on a 8 game winning streak when they stopped play.

 

[Death Master]

Why do people think Nadal at the WTF has anything to do with what Nadal will do at the slams?

Nadal is a completely different animal at the slams. The matches Nole did beat Nadal at the slams he had to struggle to win them aside from Wimbledon.

nadal also took home the #1 rank and 10 titles.

the man spent considerable mental and physical capital in having to do that.


I am just glad he escaped London with no injuries.

 

[jussumman]

No, all that matters if he beats Nadal at the French Open. He can win the other slams and Year End, but it's all meaningless unless you beat him at Roland Garros.

 

[Amelie Mauresmo]

Nadal is number one, and until Novak PROVES he has the ability to BEAT Nadal in a slam final again he does not deserve the number one ranking.

I am glad Novak isn't number one, he is a solid top player BUT

this year Novak proved he is mentally fragile in the big slam finals.

The 0-2 against Nadal this year in slams that is matters the most.

 

[90's Clay]

nadal also took home the #1 rank and 10 titles.

the man spent considerable mental and physical capital in having to do that.


I am just glad he escaped London with no injuries.

Im not even sure Nadal went all out in this match. Looked like he realized Nole was just playing great today but he wasn't going to break his back to win this thing.

In the slams Nadal goes completely all out and will put up 10 times the resistance he did today

In many ways, he may have been just content to have the season and comeback he did. Time to regroup for January

 

[Chico]

No, all that matters if he beats Nadal at the French Open. He can win the other slams and Year End, but it's all meaningless unless you beat him at Roland Garros.

Novak already did that (beat Nadal at FO), but Pascal Maria stopped him from actually winning the match.

 

[tennisaddict]

Why do people think Nadal at the WTF has anything to do with what Nadal will do at the slams?

Nadal is a completely different animal at the slams. The matches Nole did beat Nadal at the slams he had to struggle to win them aside from Wimbledon and he was 0-2 vs. Nadal this year.

Beating Nadal at majors is not new now for Novak. I would infact say he would prefer to play Nadal than someone like Murray .

He has mastered the art of punishing Nadal.

 

[Clarky21]

Beating Nadal at majors is not new now for Novak. I would infact say he would prefer to play Nadal than someone like Murray .

He has mastered the art of punishing Nadal.

 

[tennisaddict]

Congratulations for a great year, we got it. Wish he had one more win today though.

 

[sbengte]

Please don't tempt fate and please don't tempt the SOG, OP. You'll soon wish that you had not.
Are you asking for 2011 all over again ? 7-0 in finals ?

 

[veroniquem]

Novak has beaten Rafa twice in hard court slams and once at W. His main goal right now should be RG. The only guy who has beaten Rafa at RG didn't win the event. So, there is a "first" waiting to happen there.

 

[furryballs]

will nads' knee be ok for RG? will he be injured come clay season? has he ever been injured for clay season?has he ever missed a tier one clay tourny due to injury?

 

[Death Master]

Im not even sure Nadal went all out in this match. Looked like he realized Nole was just playing great today but he wasn't going to break his back to win this thing.

In the slams Nadal goes completely all out and will put up 10 times the resistance he did today

In many ways, he may have been just content to have the season and comeback he did. Time to regroup for January

great post.


I think it is even possible that nadal did not want to risk any injuries as he really was spent mentally and physically.

this also shows that he knows a lot more than we do. he knows that the next slam is what it is all about.

that will put him in a position to stare down history.


who really gives a damn about the season ending exo.

to beat nole in 4 in the final there at Oz is sublime.

to beat nole at wtf means absolutely nothing.

 

[veroniquem]

will nads' knee be ok for RG? will he be injured come clay season? has he ever been injured for clay season?has he ever missed a tier one clay tourny due to injury?

Yes, in 2004.

 

[furryballs]

who really gives a damn about the season ending exo. . nadsy baby thats who....he was distraught with his beating.

 

[furryballs]

Yes, in 2004.

injured or not ready to win?

 

[powerangle]

I wouldn't say Novak's win over Rafa today meant nothing. It means something.

But slams are what matter the most, and currently Novak is on a 3 match losing streak against Nadal at the slams. He will want to overturn that. Until then, Rafa still has the upper hand in slams if they face off against each other.

 

[Sentinel]

Novak needs to beat Rafa at the slams

Can't wait for that buddy !