RG'14 R64: Rafael Nadal (1) vs Dominic Thiem

[aldeayeah]

The True Final, and quite possibly the only semi interesting match left in Nadal's eighth of the draw (after all seeds vanished, Thiem is the highest ranked player left).

Who knows, this could be the nowadays equivalent of those Hewitt - baby Nadal matches of the early to mid 2000s.

I expect the Thieminator to have at least two good sets. Whether that will be enough to make a dent depends on which Nadal shows up.

Going out on a limb and saying Nadal in 4. Two close ones, two not so close ones.

 

[jm1980]

Nadal in three easy sets. Maybe a bakery product or two in the mix.

Let's get this hype train derailed.

 

[aldeayeah]

You party-pooper

 

[stringertom]

The Thieminator in 5, a classic everyone will bookmark as the changing of the guard. Gilbert now on the "hype train", calling a buy on Austrian stock and predicting top 5 for the 20-year-old.

 

[Dan Z]

The Thieminator in 5, a classic everyone will bookmark as the changing of the guard. Gilbert now on the "hype train", calling a buy on Austrian stock and predicting top 5 for the 20-year-old.

I do hope you're right but I'm going with Nadal in 5... don't think he's quite ready to give up the mantle just yet.
Regardless of the outcome I hope its a good match - so far the FO has been boring from the matches I've seen... though its early days yet I guess.

 

[LazyNinja19]

VAMOS v/s BAMOS.

It'll be a tough match for both. I'm sure Thiem will be super pumped to make his presence felt.

Hopefully Rafa brings his A game, and marches on!

 

[tipsa...don'tlikehim!]

lol Nadal in 5, relax people, he's gonna win in 3.
Thiem will not handle the pressure and Nadal's pace.

 

[dudeski]

Nadal in 6-2 6-4 6-2.

 

[Dan Z]

lol Nadal in 5, relax people, he's gonna win in 3.
Thiem will not handle the pressure and Nadal's pace.

If Thiem brings the same game to Nadal which he did against Stan a few weeks back then Nadal will have big problems.
Unfortunately the chances of that happening are quite slim but who knows... already been a few shockers this week - no harm in one more.

 

[urundai]

I think Nadal wins this in four but I can't stop thinking of the following :

R1 - Day 1 - AO Mens Champion Out
R1 - Day 2 - AO Womens Champion Out
R2 - Day 3 - FO Womens Champion Out
R2 - Day 4 - FO Mens Champion Out ?

Would be a strange coincidence if it happens

 

[Backspin1183]

Thiem is a great talent and has the game and confidence to beat anyone. Rafa will need to be at his best to have any chance. Rafa to win in straights.

 

[Legend of Borg]

hafa in straights

hype train doesn't have any more fuel

 

[underground]

Let's face it Thiem is the heavy favourite and the real question is how many games will Rafa win?

 

[Boom-Boom]

Let's face it Thiem is the heavy favourite and the real question is how many games will Rafa win?

Exactly Thiem in 3 as Nadal will feel the difference after Ginepri :twisted:

 

[Murrayfan31]

Nadal could be in trouble. The power of Thiem will be felt in this match.

 

[stringertom]

I think Nadal wins this in four but I can't stop thinking of the following :

R1 - Day 1 - AO Mens Champion Out
R1 - Day 2 - AO Womens Champion Out
R2 - Day 3 - FO Womens Champion Out
R2 - Day 4 - FO Mens Champion Out ?

Would be a strange coincidence if it happens

Even more eerie, the Thieminator will win 9-7 in the fifth after Nadal crashes into the net chasing an Austrian dropper on a key point. Disgruntled Nadal fans will file out of Chartrier as the Djokposse parades through the grounds singing "The Sound Of Music" and "How Do You Handle an Umpire Named Maria" while waving Austrian flags in support of the surrogate victor.

Then, next Saturday night, room service will deliver a suspiciously Serbian pizza to Thieminator's suite and he will again have to default before his match vs The Eggman. This will all happen and make Chico & The Man verrrrrry happppy!

 

[jm1980]

This thread is just comedy gold. Can't wait for tomorrow.

 

[winstonplum]

Hype train has me scared, but for Thiem to win he's going to have to up his game to levels he's never even come close to playing before. Were he to win the first set, Rafa will dig in and throw every single thing that he's got at the kid. I've always sensed that on some level Rafa hates to lose to up and comers almost more than he hates to lose to Nole.

If Thiem did win in 5, he would lose in straights in his next match, which would be a bummer.

 

[W.P. Mayhew]

It's funny how riled up people get when posters get excited about a new player. No ***** that the 8 times champion, who only lost a match on this tournament, is the favourite against a 20 year old playing for the second time a 2nd round of a slam.

 

[smoledman]

Thiem lucky to win 5 games.

 

[sbengte]

Even more eerie, the Thieminator will win 9-7 in the fifth after Nadal crashes into the net chasing an Austrian dropper on a key point. Disgruntled Nadal fans will file out of Chartrier as the Djokposse parades through the grounds singing "The Sound Of Music" and "How Do You Handle an Umpire Named Maria" while waving Austrian flags in support of the surrogate victor.

Ha ha ha, will Nadal, Toni and the rest of the team also do a rendition of "so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye"

 

[jm1980]

Schedule is out by the way. This will be the second match on Chatrier after Jankovic v Nara. Should start at around 12:30p local time.

 

[sbengte]

Hype train has me scared, but for Thiem to win he's going to have to up his game to levels he's never even come close to playing before. Were he to win the first set, Rafa will dig in and throw every single thing that he's got at the kid. I've always sensed that on some level Rafa hates to lose to up and comers almost more than he hates to lose to Nole.

If Thiem did win in 5, he would lose in straights in his next match, which would be a bummer.

Where is your mandatory, "My thoughts on the upcoming certainty of Rafa's exit from RG" thread ?

 

[stringertom]

Ha ha ha, will Nadal, Toni and the rest of the team also do a rendition of "so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye"

It would only be appropriate if we fit an "hasta la vista" in there, no?

 

[NADALRECORD]

Nadal loves dismissing the newbies. He knows to keep the aura for the next 5 years you need to stomp these kids from the beginning. So even when they reach their prime they'll be scared of Nadal.

 

[smoledman]

Nadal loves dismissing the newbies. He knows to keep the aura for the next 5 years you need to stomp these kids from the beginning. So even when they reach their prime they'll be scared of Nadal.

Why are you obsessed with Nadal's H2H with newbies?

 

[FreeBird]

LOL....I am a fan of Thiem but the hype in this thread is cringeworthy.
Nadal in 3. One close and 2 easy peasy 6-2 6-1 sets.

 

[Deleted member 542803]

Nadal in 3

6:1 6:3 6:1

 

[Fiji]

Could an upset happen? Bertie B thinks Thiems time is coming soon...

 

[NADALRECORD]

Why are you obsessed with Nadal's H2H with newbies?

Not really the H2H, but the byproduct of the H2H. Each time these guys play Nadal I want them to be scared. I don't want them having any positive memories.

 

[romeo8880]

If it were normal Nadal he would win in 3. However, Nadal is different these days. Who knows how he is gonna play? He might leave all his balls real short like he's been doing a lot lately. That's a recipe for disaster against a young, hungry player like Thiem.

 

[Fiji]

Bertie B wrote


No one has mentioned anything about the Astrology of Thiem. How come??

The astrology says DT is a Virgo with Moon in Aries. Notables with this Sun/Moon combination include; Guga Kuerten, & Ernests Gulbis.

The astrology shows that Theim's big breakthrough should come any day now, but the window is closing fast. In truth, looking as his chart, he should've made a lot of noise a few years back, say ages 17 - 19 (especially 19), because it was around that time when the planets were in favorable alignment for him to go on a Goat-run...if he had the talent.

His Sun just left Virgo for Libra, that in combination with his moon in Capricorn should give him a massive cosmic boost. Thiem is lucky to have had such a generous confluence of aspects for what is going on four years now. Most people only have a window of 2.5 years to strike. As stated earlier the window is closing fast. It all depends on how much longer his moon remains in Capricorn.

The Good: Planets are aligned so he will impress.

The Bad: He must produce NOW - slam win or runner-up, if he's to be a contender or heir to the Big Four.

 

[falstaff78]

FWIW bookies have D Thiem at anywhere between 9 and 20 to 1. As a benchmark, Tursonov is between 8 and 13 to 1 vs Federer.

This tells me two things. 1) Thiem is quite bloody unlikely to cause an upset. 2) the market is somewhat more uncertain about his chances than Tursonov's, as evidenced by the greater dispersion in odds.

 

[stringertom]

If it were normal Nadal he would win in 3. However, Nadal is different these days. Who knows how he is gonna play? He might leave all his balls real short like he's been doing a lot lately. That's a recipe for disaster against a young, hungry player like Thiem.

Romeo speaks very much truth here!

 

[NADALRECORD]

Hard to believe Thiem is more hungry than Nadal.

 

[Dan Z]

Even more eerie, the Thieminator will win 9-7 in the fifth after Nadal crashes into the net chasing an Austrian dropper on a key point. Disgruntled Nadal fans will file out of Chartrier as the Djokposse parades through the grounds singing "The Sound Of Music" and "How Do You Handle an Umpire Named Maria" while waving Austrian flags in support of the surrogate victor.

Genuinely chuckled at that... nice one sir.

 

[jm1980]

FWIW bookies have D Thiem at anywhere between 9 and 20 to 1. As a benchmark, Tursonov is between 8 and 13 to 1 vs Federer.

This tells me two things. 1) Thiem is quite bloody unlikely to cause an upset. 2) the market is somewhat more uncertain about his chances than Tursonov's, as evidenced by the greater dispersion in odds.

Unfortunately delusion has set in on TT. Like Tomic, Dimitrov, and countless other before him... He too shall fail.

 

[furryballs]

If it were normal Nadal he would win in 3. However, Nadal is different these days. Who knows how he is gonna play? He might leave all his balls real short like he's been doing a lot lately. That's a recipe for disaster against a young, hungry player like Thiem.

i dont think the cool weather will help the length of nadals balls either. hopefully Thiem will jump all over them and punish them severely.

 

[ultradr]

exciting, and potentially historical encounter.

 

[TheMusicLover]

:lol: at this thread!

Of course Nadal is the heavy favourite in this match and will most probably dispatch Thiem in straights while granting him 3-6 games at the most.
I only hope for Thiem to demonstrate his talent at times and make the best out of it. One close set, perhaps a TB, would be wonderful already.

And hopefully Thiem will have many more encounters with Rafa in the upcoming years.

 

[TheMusicLover]

Bertie B wrote


No one has mentioned anything about the Astrology of Thiem. How come??

Hopefully no sane person believes any of that garbage.

 

[Chanwan]

Hard to believe Thiem is more hungry than Nadal.

He lost five kg just two weeks ago due to the virus that took him out of Madrid. I bet he's still hungry after that...

 

[Chanwan]

LOL....I am a fan of Thiem but the hype in this thread is cringeworthy.
Nadal in 3. One close and 2 easy peasy 6-2 6-1 sets.

It is indeed. 1 in 3 are voting for Thiem!
I'll jump the bandwagon and say that Thiem will win not one, not two, but three sets tmr!




Or maybe not.
Could be fun though - conditions should favor him slightly. Playing on Chatrier for the first time, not so much...

 

[stringertom]

It is indeed. 1 in 3 are voting for Thiem!
I'll jump the bandwagon and say that Thiem will win not one, not two, but three sets tmr!




Or maybe not.
Could be fun though - conditions should favor him slightly. Playing on Chatrier for the first time, not so much...

Was the boys final he lost (6-8 in the third to Fratangelo) played there??? BTW, that kid has not made the quantum jump to the "bigs"!

 

[stringertom]

i dont think the cool weather will help the length of nadals balls either. hopefully Thiem will jump all over them and punish them severely.

Username implies expertise with orbs...are Rafa's also furry???:twisted:

 

[mellowyellow]

Username implies expertise with orbs...are Rafa's also furry???:twisted:

Would imagine since he got the Donald Trump special going he is "bald" sotb...

 

[Gonzo_style]

Nadal in 4

 

[Djokovic2011]

Easy peasy for Nadal. In fact easy peasy for the next three rounds.

 

[jaggy]

True final, lol. I think Rafa in 3 close ones

 

[Nostradamus]

We will at least find out tomorrow, how Theim's backhand matches up with Nadal forehand. if that backhand holds its own, Watch out, you know you have multiple French open champion on the rise. even though he may not win tomorrow.