Charleneriva
Hall of Fame
Newly uploaded. Agassi's last match at Wimby. Rafa's first high profile match on grass. It's a shame they only met twice.
Enjoy.
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Wimbledon 2006 - Nadal vs Agassi full mach
- Thread starter Charleneriva
- Start date
Newly uploaded. Agassi's last match at Wimby. Rafa's first high profile match on grass. It's a shame they only met twice.
Enjoy.
Charleneriva
Hall of Fame
Only very few over-optimistic fans back then since even Rafa and his team didn't expect it. He said he was hoping to have good results on grass in the following 2 years. He has always loved grass since he was a kid and wanted to win it. Boy he was right. His 2008 results on grass were more than "good". They're optimal.
The biggest reason he had the "reputation" of being "bad" on grass was because they stereotyped him as a clay court specialist, who even though exceptionally good on CC and already very good on HC was still only a "typical" Spanish player in their eye, whose game in no way could adapt to grass even though there was some man, the most famous man indeed, who had already proved it could be done.
The other reason of course was his result at Wimby05, which was unfortunate because in his debut in 2003, he was the youngest player to make the 3rd round at Wimby since Boris in 1984, beating Ancic in the 1st round (who had sent out Fed in the previous year) and was interviewed not once but twice on BBC LOL. He was even awarded ATP's Newcomer of the Year that year even though he didn't win any significant titles and was ranked in the 50s by the end of the year IIRC.
In 2004 he had to skip both RG and Wimby due to injury. In 2002 he made the SF at Wimby Juniors the first and only time he played it.
That means he simply had played too little on grass and people were just too hurried to come to their conclusion. Even in 2007 they were still dismissing that he's not a good grass court player and that he would never make the final again
, let alone win it, let alone win it while the grass king and GOAT was still playing, LOL.In his book Open, Agassi said he liked his chance coming into this match, and left feeling unfanthomable abt this kid. It's a shame Rafa didn't mention this match in his book.
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MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
Nadal better slayOnly very few over-optimistic fans back then since even Rafa and his team didn't expect it. He said he was hoping to have good results on grass in the following 2 years. He has always loved grass since he was a kid and wanted to win it. Boy he was right. His 2008 results on grass were more than "good". They're optimal.
The biggest reason he had the "reputation" of being "bad" on grass was because they stereotyped him as a clay court specialist, who even though exceptionally good on CC and already very good on HC was still a only a "typical" Spanish player in their eye, whose game in no way could adapt to grass even though there was some man, the most famous man indeed, who had already proved it could be done.
The other reason of course was his result at Wimby05, which was unfortunate because in his debut in 2003, he was the youngest player to made the 3rd round at Wimby since Boris in 1984, beating Ancic in the 1st round (who had sent out Fed in the previous year) and was interviewed not once but twice on BBC LOL. He was even awarded ATP's Newcomer of the Year that year even though he didn't win any significant titles and was ranked in the 50s by the end of the year IIRC.
In 2004 he had to skip both RG and Wimby due to injury. In 2002 he made the SF at Wimby Juniors the first and only time he played it.
That means he simply had played too little on grass and people were just too hurried to come to their conclusion. Even in 2007 they were still dismissing that he's not a good grass court player and that he would never make the final again
In his book Open, Agassi said he liked his chance coming into this match, and left feeling unfanthomable abt this kid. It's a shame Rafa didn't mention this match in his book.
BeatlesFan
Bionic Poster
In 2006, I never thought Rafa would win Wimbledon and thought he would eternally remain a clay court specialist. I didn't expect Andre to win this Wimbledon match because he was old, had severe back issues (took a shot of cortisone before every grass match that year), and was retiring in 6 weeks anyway.
Peak 1992 Agassi against 2006 Nadal would have bounced him effortlessly in straight sets.
Charleneriva
Hall of Fame
Hey why don't pick peak 1992 Agassi against peak 2008 Rafa?
That would put them at the same age of 22. They were both prodigies, peaked early, so that would be pretty fair.But really, besides your obvious bias of a +++Fed fan, what makes you think Agassi could have destroyed Rafa on grass considering he made only 2 Wimby finals and won one? Plus movement was never his strength on grass?
D
Deleted member 77403
Guest
I did. As soon as I saw this match, I knew he was on course for the final. This was a great match. Great send off for Agassi, losing to someone who would end up being even greater than him. Shame Agassi didn't get the final match against Roddick at USO 06, that is how his career should have ended, but a guy by the name of B Becker stopped that, and Roddick promptly went onto crush him in the next round, for preventing the dream send off match for Agassi, against an american at the USO.
MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
I know I watched tennis regularly starting sometime in 05/06 (and watched casually since Wimbledon 03), but The USO 2006, and particularly the big deal around Agassi retiring, I remember is the point where I started watching and never missing a tournament. Good times, remember the Becker/Baghdatis matches like yesterday.
D
Deleted member 77403
Guest
Yes, Becker deserved the match. But I do feel we got short changed and robbed of the true ending to Agassi's career. It should have happened in the Roddick match. But that is sports. I had to admit I shed tears when Agassi was down MP, because I knew it was over. I saw the tears in his eyes...
Charleneriva
Hall of Fame
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MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
Same, I knew who/how much of a big deal Agassi was by that point, and cried myself after the match
First time I got #TheFeels in tennis.
D
Deleted member 77403
Guest
I watched a lot of Agassi growing up, so it was difficult to watch his final farewell.Same, I knew who/how much of a big deal Agassi was by that point, and cried myself after the match
First time I got #TheFeels in tennis.
ibbi
Legend
My highlight of that match (and one of my favourite moments ever) was the time Andre went and sat in the line judges chair one time while waiting for Rafa to serve (I'm sure this happened, I'm not imagining it, am I? ). It was such a disappointing match after how much hype it had gotten, but I'm glad I got to see it.
and @kevaninho I don't think any smart money was really on him going that far, but there were definitely people talking him up the way people inevitably do when they want to make something out of nothing.
). It was such a disappointing match after how much hype it had gotten, but I'm glad I got to see it.and @kevaninho I don't think any smart money was really on him going that far, but there were definitely people talking him up the way people inevitably do when they want to make something out of nothing.
MatsPhilander
Legend
Agassi is Moby.
Poisoned Slice
Bionic Poster
70後
Hall of Fame
Those guys are amazingly talented. They can hit any shot if they want to. Great gif.Great catch! It's a Federer's BH.
Deserves a gif:
no one expected Nadal would have won Roland Garros when he played 1st time.
not many people expected Nadal would do well on Wimbledon.
But some people (including me) already knew Wimbledon surface slowed and predicted Rafa would do well at Wimbledon eventually.
He wasn't exactly labled as clay specialists in 2006.
Rafa was already doing well on hard courts by 2006.
He won 3 titles (Montreol, Bejing and Madrid when it was hard court in october) and 1 final on hard courts including 1 indoor.
Nobody knew he would become GOAT on clay courts.
By 2006, he already had beaten Federer a few time including Dubai title in 2005.
Some people(including me) already knew what Wimbledon did to their court surfaces and
predicted Nadal would do well at Wimbledon as well.
There were lots discussion on Wimbledon surface on TT from 2004 already
and whether Nadal would do well at Wimbledon
70後
Hall of Fame
just noticed, Agassi applauds Nadal after Nadal hits the Fed bh.Great catch! It's a Federer's BH.
Deserves a gif:
Charleneriva
Hall of Fame
MajesticMoose
Hall of Fame
That was a tough match to watch indeed. I too shed a tear.
MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
Nadal better.........Great catch! It's a Federer's BH.
Deserves a gif:
TahoeTennis
Legend
Anyone old enough to remember 2006 and follow tennis back in the prehistoric age of 2006, just 11 years ago? That is why the internet is done and is in it's downward spiral.
Charleneriva
Hall of Fame
Slay! Especially the BH and the serve. The boy was really raising his game for this match. Didn't even face one BP and served exceptionally well to his then standard.Nadal better.........
Agassi was trying to avoid Rafa's FH and attacking his BH as conventional wisdom but to no avail. FH was good as usual but BH did pass the agressive groundstrokes of Agassi test with flying colours.
Featuring: BH return (2HBH only) and return winners, BHDTL, extreme angled CCBH passing shot (Agassi played an outrageous shot too), toe to toe CC exchanging with Agassi's aggressive and hard hitting FH. His slice wasn't really working though and but that's to be expected against Agassi. Good news is his slice is much better now. Maybe I'll do some more gifs of great shots from both players.
Charleneriva
Hall of Fame
Oh come on. Rafa was the frigging clear favourite to win it. Even the boy himself and Toni expected him to win it and that should tell you sth because they have always played down his chance since day one.Mary Carillo was commenting the Miami final and she was repeating herself again and again that he was already one of the favourites to win RG even though he had never played it! That was because he was just fresh out of winning 2 ATP500 clay titles in style and it's just clear to anyone that he had been already an extraordinary clay courter since 2003. He then proved they were right right after Miami by sweeping the whole clay season.
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Gazelle
Legend
People should re read those discussions. They are prett funny in hindsight. Lots of people predicting Nadal would never do well at Wimbledon, because S&V plaers with their awesome slices would stop him
Nadal was the clear betting market favourite to win the 2005 FO...
Mary Carillo was commenting the Miami final and she was repeating herself again and again that he was already one of the favourites to win RG even though he had never played it! That was because he was just fresh out of winning 2 ATP500 clay titles in style and it's just clear to anyone that he had been already an extraordinary clay courter since 2003. He then proved they were right right after Miami by sweeping the whole clay season.
PMChambers
Hall of Fame
Always a poor match up for Agassi he likes a target which he'll never get with Nadal. He also likes to work from the centre of the court which Nadal does not care about, it just opens up the court for his extreme topspin and he can run most centre court angles down. Agassi Federer is better match up for Agassi. Unfortunately both are signifigantly better players which makes life hard.
Charleneriva
Hall of Fame
Who you mean by "both" and who's better than who?
kevaninho
Hall of Fame
No, maybe some people on here were kids at that time and didn't have access to watch all tournaments like now