Which titles should/could Nadal have lost?

[ADuck]

I personally believe Nadal *could* have lost 2011 if he had played Djokovic instead of Federer in the final. But still unlikely.

In 2014 I felt Nadal *should* have lost the title. He was playing quite miserably right through the clay season perhaps affected by his loss to Stan Wawrinka in the AO. But he somehow got some good form together right on time for the SF/F whilst Djokovic was somewhat affected by something (I forget). He was quite lucky that it worked out for him in the end and I was more happy for this than perhaps all his other RG victories.

Obviously people will have different definitions to what *should* means @vive le beau jeu ! But I don't mind that, just vote what it means for you

 

[NBP]

A Djokovic-Nadal final in 2011 is the one match in history I would kill to know what outcome would happen. But I don't regret it not happening, cos...

Spoiler

 

[titoelcolombiano]

2011 is the only one that you could say he might have struggled with if Djoker made it through, but then again, maybe not. Djoker beat Nadal in the finals of Wimby, USO & AO consecutively in 2011 / 2012 but couldn't get the job done at RG.

 

[BrokenGears]

Lol. 2013 obvs. Fricking blind ref cheated Djoker by messing up a call on an important break point in the third set giving Nadal a huge advantage. Then flipping Nole choked by falling all over the net.

Djokovic is 2013 FO Morale Champion

 

[BrokenGears]

2011 is the only one that you could say he might have struggled with if Djoker made it through, but then again, maybe not. Djoker beat Nadal in the finals of Wimby, USO & AO consecutively in 2011 / 2012 but couldn't get the job done at RG.

Djokovic's been choking at RG forever.

Choked in 2011, choked in 2013, and choked in 2014

 

[CHillTennis]

I personally believe Nadal *could* have lost 2011 if he had played Djokovic instead of Federer in the final. But still unlikely.

In 2014 I felt Nadal *should* have lost the title. He was playing quite miserably right through the clay season perhaps affected by his loss to Stan Wawrinka in the AO. But he somehow got some good form together right on time for the SF/F whilst Djokovic was somewhat affected by something (I forget). He was quite lucky that it worked out for him in the end and I was more happy for this than perhaps all his other RG victories.

Obviously people will have different definitions to what *should* means @vive le beau jeu ! But I don't mind that, just vote what it means for you

2011 was definitely one of his weaker years defending the title.

He was taken to five sets by John Isner, very early on in the tournament, and Federer really outplayed him in the finals. Also, like you say, Djokovic would have had a very good chance against him, if they'd played each other that year.

I remember watching Nadal win the French Open in 2006. His match with Mathieu was the first time that I ever saw him on clay.

He took the Frenchman down in 4 but looked pretty shaky doing so.

Federer absolutely had him in the finals. I will never understand how he let that one slip away.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Djokovic's been choking at RG forever.

Choked in 2011, choked in 2013, and choked in 2014

Don't forget 2016

 

[MichaelNadal]

Nadal was hitting the ball as crispy as Fresh KFC chicken in the 2011 final, yall can keep dreaming. 2013. Yes Ultron was LUCKY it even went to 5, but he had his chances when it did.

 

[Incognito]

Lol. 2013 obvs. Fricking blind ref cheated Djoker by messing up a call on an important break point in the third set giving Nadal a huge advantage. Then flipping Nole choked by falling all over the net.

Djokovic is 2013 FO Morale Champion

Didn’t Rafa have match point in the 4th set? You could argue, that should have never gone to a 5th set.

 

[Technology Ruined Tennis]

Instead of getting rid of ad-scoring, the committee should amend the net rule. If the net is touched on a clean winner, who cares.

 

[MichaelNadal]

Instead of getting rid of ad-scoring, the committee should amend the net rule. If the net is touched on a clean winner, who cares.

I hope they amend it too, just so Ultronians can be sour

 

[ADuck]

Instead of getting rid of ad-scoring, the committee should amend the net rule. If the net is touched on a clean winner, who cares.

The argument could be made that if you are unable to halt your momentum before reaching the net, the shot is illegitimate, as it might not be possible otherwise.

 

[Technology Ruined Tennis]

The argument could be made that if you are unable to halt your momentum before reaching the net, the shot is illegitimate, as it might not be possible otherwise.

Aren't you allowed to run around the net as your momentum carries you to your opponent's half? Same basic concept.

 

[ADuck]

Aren't you allowed to run around the net as your momentum carries you to your opponent's half? Same basic concept.

Yes true. But then you have to run back for the next shot because you didn't get help from the net stopping you.

 

[BrokenGears]

Nadal was hitting the ball as crispy as Fresh KFC chicken in the 2011 final, yall can keep dreaming. 2013. Yes Ultron was LUCKY it even went to 5, but he had his chances when it did.

Ultron was hitting with Rafa paw for paw. Zero luck involved. Nole had bad luck in that match

Didn’t Rafa have match point in the 4th set? You could argue, that should have never gone to a 5th set.

Did Nadal choke on that point? I'll have to look for it

 

[Im(moral) Winner]

2014 at least. He wasn't in his best form while Novak sick and vomiting.

 

[Mainad]

I voted for 2011-14. IMO he was vulnerable or potentially so in all 4 of those years vs his biggest clay opponent:

2011: avoided facing Djokovic who had been beating him whenever they met on clay that year.
2012: rain delay in the final halted Djokovic's momentum.
2013: could have lost that semi-final vs Djokovic.
2014: subpar for most of that season but maybe lucky to face an even more subpar Djokovic in the final.

 

[Checkmate]

I voted for 2011-14. IMO he was vulnerable or potentially so in all 4 of those years vs his biggest clay opponent:

2011: avoided facing Djokovic who had been beating him whenever they met on clay that year.
2012: rain delay in the final halted Djokovic's momentum.
2013: could have lost that semi-final vs Djokovic.
2014: subpar for most of that season but maybe lucky to face an even more subpar Djokovic in the final.

People easily forget 2012.

Djokovic breaking Nads numerous times in the first two sets but throwing double fault after double fault in his own service game and gifting Nadal games on the silver platter. Such a strong returning performance that day deserved better than that sh_itty service game.

 

[Backspin1183]

Should? 77 of them.



Sent from my @vive le beau jeu ! account not using Tapatalk.

 

[Im(moral) Winner]

People easily forget 2012.

Djokovic breaking Nads numerous times in the first two sets but throwing double fault after double fault in his own service game and gifting Nadal games on the silver platter. Such a strong returning performance that day deserved better than that sh_itty service game.

Double fault even on MP.

 

[Deleted member 756514]

I like how conveniently people are assuming that since Djokovic had the better of Nadal in 7 finals in 2011, he would have won RG too. But that is not a certainty as Rafa is a different beast al together at RG.

Well, how about this? We all know Rafa is a confidence player. Losing 2 clay finals to Djokovic set the tone for the rest of the year. Let's say they met at RG, I would still put Rafa as the favourite there. Had he won, he would have carried forward that confidence in Wimbledon and USO finals as well and may be won at least one of those 2.

But hey, all this is moot point really.

 

[MichaelNadal]

I like how conveniently people are assuming that since Djokovic had the better of Nadal in 7 finals in 2011, he would have won RG too. But that is not a certainty as Rafa is a different beast al together at RG.

Well, how about this? We all know Rafa is a confidence player. Losing 2 clay finals to Djokovic set the tone for the rest of the year. Let's say they met at RG, I would still put Rafa as the favourite there. Had he won, he would have carried forward that confidence in Wimbledon and USO finals as well and may be won at least one of those 2.

But hey, all this is moot point really.

They also forget that he'd beaten Federer 3 straight times in 2011 also before RG. Sure, Roger could end his streak at RG, but not the KOC right?

 

[Incognito]

I voted for 2011-14. IMO he was vulnerable or potentially so in all 4 of those years vs his biggest clay opponent:

2011: avoided facing Djokovic who had been beating him whenever they met on clay that year.
2012: rain delay in the final halted Djokovic's momentum.
2013: could have lost that semi-final vs Djokovic.
2014: subpar for most of that season but maybe lucky to face an even more subpar Djokovic in the final.

Or we can say, the rain made sure it wasn’t a 3 set thrashing in 2012.

 

[Plamen1234]

2013 and 2014.Djokovic should have won both of these matches.2011 - I think Federer played well in the first 3 sets.He shouldnt have lost the first one - if he havent the things could have gone different way.

 

[KINGROGER]

2011, 2013. The better tennis players lost in the final.

 

[ADuck]

2011, 2013. The better tennis players lost in the final.

Ferrer?

 

[Plamen1234]

2011, 2013. The better tennis players lost in the final.

Djokovic-Nadal 2013 was semi final,not final.

 

[KINGROGER]

Djokovic-Nadal 2013 was semi final,not final.

My bad that’s what I meant.

 

[Deleted member 756514]

Where's the 'none of the above' option in the poll?

 

[aman92]

2014....his worst clay court season since he emerged and Djokovic had beaten him pretty easily in Rome and taken the first set in the final as well. But somehow Rafa willed himself to the title though physically he was broken down for the rest of the season.

 

[ADuck]

Where's the 'none of the above' option in the poll?

I wanted to add that in but I can't edit the answers

 

[MichaelNadal]

2011, 2013. The better tennis players lost in the final.

Fed was slaying, but again....Nadal's level in the 2011 final is extremely underrated.

2014....his worst clay court season since he emerged and Djokovic had beaten him pretty easily in Rome and taken the first set in the final as well. But somehow Rafa willed himself to the title though physically he was broken down for the rest of the season.

Nadal was hitting his FH-DTL BEAUTIFULLY in that final.

 

[Krish872007]

There's no one run where we can say he "should" have lost, he was generally in competitive positions.

The ones where he needed to dig deepest were probably 2006 F, 2011 F and 2013 Semi.
2006 - level was good overall but he got blown out in set 1 and Federer was blowing chances to stretch it to 5. The closest final in terms of the pre-match odds
2011 - Rafa had to be clutch here. Great level and win considering Federer was right on top in the first set and had chances to lead at every stage of the match. The hypothetical Djokovic final is almost impossible to analyse
2013 - in control, but Djokovic did have great chances after Nadal failed to serve out in the 4th set.
So he "could" have lost these three given the pressure he was put under - but these were still pretty solid 4 or 5-set wins.

 

[ForumMember]

2011.. I don't know what would have happened if Federer had not eliminated Djokovic.

 

[vive le beau jeu !]

Should? 77 of them.



Sent from my @vive le beau jeu ! account not using Tapatalk.

never say never...

 

[tennis_pro]

All of them.

 

[Standaa]

What if my answer is none but I also want to see the results of the poll?

#discrimination

 

[Standaa]

I agree Federer should have won the final in 2011 but then again it’s only his problem that he crushed mentally after failing to convert a BP.

 

[van_Loederen]

Instead of getting rid of ad-scoring, the committee should amend the net rule. If the net is touched on a clean winner, who cares.

can't you imagine what tennis would become then?

 

[BrokenGears]

I voted for 2011-14. IMO he was vulnerable or potentially so in all 4 of those years vs his biggest clay opponent:

2011: avoided facing Djokovic who had been beating him whenever they met on clay that year.
2012: rain delay in the final halted Djokovic's momentum.
2013: could have lost that semi-final vs Djokovic.
2014: subpar for most of that season but maybe lucky to face an even more subpar Djokovic in the final.

This. Nadal is lucky that Djokovic is one of the biggest chokers on the tour. Nole would have at least one more FO if things went his way and he didn't choke

 

[vanioMan]

Should? 77 of them.



Sent from my @vive le beau jeu ! account not using Tapatalk.

 

[BeatlesFan]

What about 2006? He lost the first set 1-6.

 

[BeatlesFan]

This. Nadal is lucky that Djokovic is one of the biggest chokers on the tour.

Is this a joke? Djokovic a "choker?"

 

[BrokenGears]

Is this a joke? Djokovic a "choker?"

At RG and USO at least.

 

[Im(moral) Winner]

Is this a joke? Djokovic a "choker?"

He just happens to have 1 RG and 2 USO titles and billion runner-up plates.

 

[I Am Finnish]

2013 no doubt & probably 11 if Djokovic had beat fedr

 

[I Am Finnish]

All of them.

 

[ibbi]

11 and 13 are the only ones where he even had to play a 5 set match, so those.

11 he was just ripe for the picking. The combination of the lighter balls, and the battering Novak had spent the year putting on him totally had him out of sync for the entire first week. He finally started looking good in the latter stages, but it's hard to see him winning that final if Djokovic gets there, especially given the fact that the weather came into play, and that'd have played into Novak's hands.

13 goes without saying, he blew that 4th set, and if Djokovic was more nimble of foot... Who knows what might have happened.

2006 he spent 5 hours more on court than Federer did prior to the final, couple that with the battle he had with Mathieu and you could maybe throw that one in there as the only other one that offered a glimmer of hope to anybody else.

 

[Deleted member 756486]

This. Nadal is lucky that Djokovic is one of the biggest chokers on the tour. Nole would have at least one more FO if things went his way and he didn't choke

12 grand slams and $110 million in prize money.

I wish I was a choker.

 

[Plamen1234]

Is this a joke? Djokovic a "choker?"

He is sometimes.For example look at US Open.2016,2012,2014 US Open - he could have won all of them.

 

[fedmagic]

2011, 2013 are the obvious ones. Also should've lost one of 05/06/07.