Rafa vs Milosh - Shanghai 3rd Round

Who wins?

  • Nadal in 2

    Votes: 17 50.0%
  • Nadal in 3

    Votes: 12 35.3%
  • Raonic in 3

    Votes: 7 20.6%
  • Raonic in 2

    Votes: 7 20.6%
  • Rafa should bring back the 2010 US Open heater serve (135 mph)

    Votes: 5 14.7%
  • Rafa should stick with high first server percentage strategy?

    Votes: 2 5.9%
  • Rafa should bring back the 2010 US Open flattened out forehand.

    Votes: 6 17.6%
  • Rafa should not complicate his game by changing forehand grips for the flat forehand.

    Votes: 3 8.8%
  • Rafa should upgrade to new racket technology.

    Votes: 2 5.9%
  • Rafa should stay with his current racket through the next year.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    34
  • Poll closed .
N

Nathaniel_Near

Guest
Top 10 only by name, he hasn't played like one for pretty much the whole year. Isn't Ando gonna replace him now?

Yes, Raonic is not at his best, but it's still a win against good opposition and his first top-ten win since the 2014 AO - that's a looooong time.

Almost 2 years!
 
N

Nathaniel_Near

Guest
Berdych at Madrid. I know that was clay, but still.

I'm not sure I follow. I specified HC - Rafa has had a number of victories against such opposition on clay since the 2014 AO.

I realise that I forgot to restate "on clay" in the last post but was following on from the post further previous.

"Definite improvements, and a top-ten win.

Nadal's first win against a top-ten player on HC since he beat Federer in the 2014 AO."
 

Meles

Bionic Poster
Raonic's level has been nothing special and he's a top-ten player. Rafa has only been slightly better than Raonic this year, and the match appears to be headed to a Nadal victory where he is slightly better than Raonic. It's a good match between two solid top-ten players with the slightly better player winning the match.
Just based on end of match, Rafa may have been moving a bit more crisply, but then Ivo and Milosh might just be slower in comparison is all.
 
D

Deleted member 77403

Guest
Congratulations Rafa fans, first top ten win on HC for the year! :)

rmlNTZT.gif
 

hobl4

Rookie
Congratulations Rafa fans, first top ten win on HC for the year! :)

rmlNTZT.gif
Why exactly are you congratulating Rafa's fans? Were they on the court playing against Raonic?

Why would you ever congratulate a player's fans after said players wins a match? What is wrong with you?
 
N

Nathaniel_Near

Guest
Nadal is showing improvement or so some of us think but let's bear in mind he hasn't played a real baseliner threat yet.
 

LazyNinja19

Banned
There's no way you're a Rafa fan. This has finally convinced me. Before, I thought you were just delusional Rafa fan, but now, I am now convinced you're part of the anti-Rafa brigade.

I always knew he was a troll, but I somehow believed that he's just far out delusional. o_O
But now he doesn't even try too hard to conceal his real agenda. Lol he's here just to rile non Nadal fans and Nadal fans alike. Strong life! :rolleyes:
 

D.Nalby12

G.O.A.T.
Nice win for Nadal over post surgery peak Raonic. Definite sign of improvement spotted. Can't wait to see improved Rafa destroying real top ten players in WTF.
 
N

Nathaniel_Near

Guest
Wawa in good match with Cilic early on, but just got treatment. Servebot #3 may be on deck for Rafa.

Lol, after which he might get Servebot #4 Kevin Anderson (I'm joking as these guys have game, but yeah they all have huge serves).
 
Cilic, Karlovic, Colic, Ivanisevic, what is it with Croats and delivering the most boring tennis you ever did see (minus Isner)?

Although, I will say, Karlovic put together an impressive game yesterday against Rafa, especially at the net.
 

MichaelNadal

Bionic Poster
Happy and TC look different to me. Don't know NadalRec. As a diehard Rafa fan, I can see MN's annoyance. Done well it is entertaining and actually ok. If you had multiple personalities you'd need two logins, no?

Nah happy and tc are the same person, he's even admitted it on the board just a few weeks ago.
Nadal record was banned in early 2014 I think, basically EXACT same posts you see today. It's beyond old and stopped being remotely funny 18 months ago. What a long section of your life to spend acting like an ass on a message board. #Goals
 

RF-18

Talk Tennis Guru
Raonic is not a servebot either, he's got a game too. But clearly he's not in his best form this year suffering all kinds of injuries. I hope he can get better and I know he can
 

RF-18

Talk Tennis Guru
Cilic, Karlovic, Colic, Ivanisevic, what is it with Croats and delivering the most boring tennis you ever did see (minus Isner)?

Although, I will say, Karlovic put together an impressive game yesterday against Rafa, especially at the net.

Well according to you, speak for yourself. Not boring to others.
 

Meles

Bionic Poster
Lol, after which he might get Servebot #4 Kevin Anderson (I'm joking as these guys have game, but yeah they all have huge serves).
Cilic, Karlovic, Colic, Ivanisevic, what is it with Croats and delivering the most boring tennis you ever did see (minus Isner)?

Although, I will say, Karlovic put together an impressive game yesterday against Rafa, especially at the net.
If the shoe fits wear it. I admire them all, but boring tennis to watch and glad that the powers that be have slowed down tennis balls and courts.

On Croats, don't forget Raonic who is first gen Canuck with Croat parents and Lujubcic as coach (another former player.) Coric is a shrimp in comparison, so maybe he'll provide some drama on clay next year. Coric doesn't have a weapon which is unique for a Croat, and yet his game is boring in the opposite way.
 

tennis_commentator

Hall of Fame
If you look carefully at the China Final you will see Rafa's game was at the right level to beat Djokovic.
Rafa had 0-30 on Djokovic's serve twice, and Djokovic broke Rafa after Rafa was up 40-0, so situations like that showed that Rafa's problem was a lack of confidence.
His confidence has since been restored and he will cash-in next time he's 0-30 on Djokovic's serve.
Ready to bury the pretendjokovic like a funeral parlor baby!
 
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