Opelka vs Nadal 2021 Rome masters QF

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Beckerserve said:
No not really. Djokovic had about an hour and a half v Tsitispas and should school sonego in an hour and a half so he will be fine.
Question is do rafa and nole give it their all or shadow box? If i am their coach i would be saying to not show the A game. Both have done their job getting match practice in. We all know they will be in FO final. Rafa usually when he plays Novak in a smaller event close to a Major tends to hi exclusively to BH of Djokovic. At a Major he switches it. Will Djokovic show his full serve repertoire? I doubt it. Its all a bit of chess now. Both clearly ultra confident now.
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They could meet in the SF as well. Don't forget. And that would be like the championship match.
 
TennisFan3 said:
They could meet in the SF as well. Don't forget. And that would be like the championship match.
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There is no way they will be put in same half. That happened in 2013 and the final was such a damp squib.
I can guarantee the FO final will be Nadal v djokovic. Book it.
 
TennisFan3 said:
Nadal's draw looks tougher for sure.
I suppose that can be negated a bit with Novak doing double duty today.
Regardless I forsee a great match tomorrow. Nadal looks motivated to win Rome and obviously Novak won't hand it to him.
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It is not a bit, it is a very big thing to do double duty, especially after all the mental energy Djokovic put into beating Tsitsipas, coming back from breaks down multiple times, regardless of Tsitsipas not doing what he should have done. Novak could go two or even three hours again tonight, after having already poured out a lot of adrenaline, and that too against the hometown boy.

It's not fair on whoever was doing the double duty today. But that is Rome organizer's fault.

TennisFan3 said:
I'm more interested in what all this means for the French Open.

A lot of Nadal fans insist that Novak is no threat to Nadal on clay. I said before pride goeth before fall. If Novak actually beats Nadal tomorrow it would be a wake up call.

These Nadal fans are hyping up next gen as threat to Nadal in Paris. Lol. I'm sure even the entire Nadal team only fears Novak in Paris and no one else. I can't imagine any of the next gens getting sets vs Nadal in Paris much less the match.
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Well, I still got Nadal winning RG no matter what happens in Rome, even if he loses to Djokovic somehow here, he is still winning RG. But Novak may be the best still of the chasing pack, Thiem is AWOL, not sure what Tsitsipas believes after losing to both Nadal and Djokovic on clay, and don't think Zverev is ready for a clay slam.
 
StrongRule said:
Shapovalov also choked, this is true. But against Djokovic players choke like 10 times more than against any other top player in history.
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Not sure if that is true but what is true is players do not seem as pumped up v Djokovic as they do Nadal. Tsitispas was not getting himself as vocal as he always is v Nadal. Zverev as well much more intense v Rafa.
 
Beckerserve said:
There is no way they will be put in same half. That happened in 2013 and the final was such a damp squib.
I can guarantee the FO final will be Nadal v djokovic. Book it.
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Oh no, enough of that. I don't want this to happen. Though who will realistically take Djokovic out...If players like Tsitsipas can't even do that in BO3, then forget about BO5.
 
Hitman said:
It is not a bit, it is a very big thing to do double duty, especially after all the mental energy Djokovic put into beating Tsitsipas, coming back from breaks down multiple times, regardless of Tsitsipas not doing what he should have done. Novak could go two or even three hours again tonight, after having already poured out a lot of adrenaline, and that too against the hometown boy.

It's not fair on whoever was doing the double duty today. But that is Rome organizer's fault.



Well, I still got Nadal winning RG no matter what happens in Rome, even if he loses to Djokovic somehow here, he is still winning RG. But Novak may be the best still of the chasing pack, Thiem is AWOL, not sure what Tsitsipas believes after losing to both Nadal and Djokovic on clay, and don't think Zverev is ready for a clay slam.
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Monday final was just too sensible. Rafa surely would like a day off after his gruellikg schedule. Novak would should he beat Sonego. With the extra week why not play Monday. They are so powerful perhaps they will both demand a Monday final.
 
Hitman said:
It is not a bit, it is a very big thing to do double duty, especially after all the mental energy Djokovic put into beating Tsitsipas, coming back from breaks down multiple times, regardless of Tsitsipas not doing what he should have done. Novak could go two or even three hours again tonight, after having already poured out a lot of adrenaline, and that too against the hometown boy.

It's not fair on whoever was doing the double duty today. But that is Rome organizer's fault.



Well, I still got Nadal winning RG no matter what happens in Rome, even if he loses to Djokovic somehow here, he is still winning RG. But Novak may be the best still of the chasing pack, Thiem is AWOL, not sure what Tsitsipas believes after losing to both Nadal and Djokovic on clay, and don't think Zverev is ready for a clay slam.
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Excellent post. Agree with everything.
Even if Novak plays Nadal close tomorrow it would be a great sign for RG.
 
StrongRule said:
Oh no, enough of that. I don't want this to happen. Though who will realistically take Djokovic out...If players like Tsitsipas can't even do that in BO3, then forget about BO5.
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Nobody will. thiem on form could but he has gone backwards. Rest of the field wont do it. Federer probably the one we would have to rely on to have a chance. That says it all!!
 
Hitman said:
Yep. Opelka a tough draw from Hell? :) Nadal should have taken Shapo out in straight if didn't suck for such a long time.

Zverev was the big one.

And his final opponent isn't going to be fresh, we all know that.
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Rome is a good court for big hitters. Sinner, Shapovalov and Zverev can all hit very big. Djokovic too. (which is why it is his best clay court)
 
Beckerserve said:
Monday final was just too sensible. Rafa surely would like a day off after his gruellikg schedule. Novak would should he beat Sonego. With the extra week why not play Monday. They are so powerful perhaps they will both demand a Monday final.
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To make things fair, Monday final should be the right way to go, but I don't think they will do that, unless they are rained off tomorrow, like they were in 2012.
 
Hitman said:
To make things fair, Monday final should be the right way to go, but I don't think they will do that, unless they are rained off tomorrow, like they were in 2012.
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You rate Zverev dont you? You said to SR that Zverev was the big one for Rafa and you said same in Australia for Novak.
It is interesting as i have no time for zverev especially bo5. Just know he will choke on FHs and DFs.
 
TennisFan3 said:
What is so tough about the draw? Zverev was the only tough one. Nadal mugged it up against Shapo.
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Sinner and Shapo are probably tougher than the average first two rounds of a Masters. But Opelka is crazy weak for a clay semi and Zverev is the level of player you should be facing to make a Masters final. If he plays Novak in the final, I’d say it’s a tougher-than-average Masters draw but hardly Nadal’s most impressive.

I was just looking back at a few, and in Hamburg 08 Nadal beat Murray, Moya, Djokovic, and Federer on the trot. o_O I know that was before Clayray and years after Moya’s best, but still.
 
Beckerserve said:
You rate Zverev dont you? You said to SR that Zverev was the big one for Rafa and you said same in Australia for Novak.
It is interesting as i have no time for zverev especially bo5. Just know he will choke on FHs and DFs.
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I rate Zverev in the sense that Zverev beat Nadal in Madrid, so getting that win was big, what he didn't want was to lose to the same guy twice and then have him in his draw at RG.

Also Zverev can hurt you when he plays, his mental application though is where he falls short. Hurt him in NYC in a match he should have won in straights.
 
tudwell said:
Sinner and Shapo are probably tougher than the average first two rounds of a Masters. But Opelka is crazy weak for a clay semi and Zverev is the level of player you should be facing to make a Masters final. If he plays Novak in the final, I’d say it’s a tougher-than-average Masters draw but hardly Nadal’s most impressive.

I was just looking back at a few, and in Hamburg 08 Nadal beat Murray, Moya, Djokovic, and Federer on the trot. o_O I know that was before Clayray and years after Moya’s best, but still.
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Sinner was the best player Rafa faced. That was a brutal draw as Sinner is the real deal i think. Shapo Was close as Rafa was awful. Zverev is a player Rafa should beat on any outdoor surface really with the only competitive one being Madrid. Opelka i woukd fancy holding my serve against a few times tbh.
 
Hitman said:
I rate Zverev in the sense that Zverev beat Nadal in Madrid, so getting that win was big, what he didn't want was to lose to the same guy twice and then have him in his draw at RG.

Also Zverev can hurt you when he plays, his mental application though is where he falls short. Hurt him in NYC in a match he should have won in straights.
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USO final for me just is why i cannot respect Zverev. He and Tsitisipas talk too much.
Sinner and Alcaraz i think have more about them but we have to wait a couple of years before we see them as more than outstanding raw prodigies.
 
BTW I think Nadal serves with low pace on purpose to Djoko on clay. Djoko is the master of using the servers pace to redirect the ball at the servers foot. Nadal neither gives Djoko the pace he likes and neither he gives a huge angle to redirect the ball with his backhand. Nadals innocuous serve could actually work on clay against Djoko. Its my thinking and I maybe wrong
 
Sabrina said:
Federer best chance at Rome was back in 2003 I think, I know he had 2 MPs in 2006 but it was still against Nadal. He also missed a chance to win a MC title in 2014 too.
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Yes, Rome 2003 and MC 2014 were his golden chances to win those titles, he didn't....he isn't winning them now. Just not meant to be for the Maestro.
 
TennisFan3 said:
I'm more interested in what all this means for the French Open.

A lot of Nadal fans insist that Novak is no threat to Nadal on clay. I said before pride goeth before fall. If Novak actually beats Nadal tomorrow it would be a wake up call.

These Nadal fans are hyping up next gen as threat to Nadal in Paris. Lol. I'm sure even the entire Nadal team only fears Novak in Paris and no one else. I can't imagine any of the next gens getting sets vs Nadal in Paris much less the match.
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This Nadal fan takes nothing for granted. I've watched enough tennis matches to know that you have to win the match on the day. I don't assume anything.
 
Wow, Nadal was serving 75% for first serves!!!! I am really happy with his improvement there! He defended four break points and converted 2 out of 7 for the straight set victory!!! I know tomorrow will be harder if Djokovic is his opponent, which is looking likely at the moment, but I have been impressed with Nadal's stats over the past two matches!!!

He has now 101 clay court matches in a row in which he has won the first set!!!!
 
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