Wimbledon 2014 R32: Mikhail Kukushkin vs Rafael Nadal [2]

[aldeayeah]

So. On paper this is a no-brainer; Kukushkin had won a single match on grass in his whole career before this tournament, and he's spent long stretches of the last few years playing challengers (although, to his credit, he's won quite a few of them); his career high ranking being around #50 (which he's reached several times, curiously).

His best results have come indoors, where he scored his single tournament win and top 10 win against Youzhny back in Moscow 2009. He made the final again last year, falling to Gasquet in 3 sets.

He also made a rather impressive run in AO 2012, upsetting GGL, Troicki and Monfils before retiring against Murray.

But here he is, in third round, after two victories in straight sets against Sela (who's not having his best year) and lucky loser Dancevic (who ousted Karlovic), in two matches I'm not sure anyone in this boards has seen (were they even televised?). According to the statistics, he returned well, saved lots of BPs, made few errors and didn't play many net points.

On the other side, we have Nadal who has shown a few glimpses of his best grass game in the Rosol match and who's probably starting to feel confident.

Anything but Nadal in 3 would be a surprise; but it's still the first week of Wimbledon, so who knows. If they schedule this in Centre Court and the conditions are right (closed roof, etc), things could get interesting.

Certainly, Kukushkin has nothing to lose; I expect him to play freely, with abandon, trying to reenact the aggressive game play that has proven effective against Nadal.

H2H Nadal 2-0 Kukushkin
2012 Monte Carlo R16 Nadal d. Kukushkin 6-1 6-1
2010 Bangkok QF Nadal d. Kukushkin 6-2 6-3

 

[SoBad]

Kukushkin is a fast-court player, nearly took out the venerable Richard Gasquet in the Moscow final last fall! Hard to believe the No. 1 player has to deal with this in the 3rd round!!

 

[aldeayeah]

Kukushkin is a fast-court player, nearly took out the venerable Richard Gasquet in the Moscow final last fall! Hard to believe the No. 1 player has to deal with this in the 3rd round!!

Well this has gone downhill fast.

 

[FreeBird]

Kukushkin is a fast-court player, nearly took out the venerable Richard Gasquet in the Moscow final last fall! Hard to believe the No. 1 player has to deal with this in the 3rd round!!

Pass me the joint bro. :twisted:

 

[Mayonnaise]

Kukushkin is a fast-court player, nearly took out the venerable Richard Gasquet in the Moscow final last fall! Hard to believe the No. 1 player has to deal with this in the 3rd round!!

Yes indeed! Nadal should get his excuse ready, just in case! :shock:

 

[SoBad]

The same Gasquet who saved your Federer from facing Nadal in Monaco early on, no less.

 

[Mayonnaise]

The same Gasquet who saved your Federer from facing Nadal in Monaco early on, no less.

Oh! Nadal should pick his butt a little more furiously so he can focus on keeping this massive threat at bay

 

[Russeljones]

Going to pick Nadal in 3 here. He has the bit between the teeth now.

 

[irishnadalfan1983]

I'd like to see Nadal have a straight sets win - I think it is good he has had two tought matches so far and getting in more game time on grass but I think it is time for an easy, straight sets win hopefully

 

[Mayonnaise]

Nadal has not violated a time rule

Time violations:

1. Rafael Nadal: 30
2. Novak Djokovic: 10
3. David Ferrer: 2
4. Andy Murray: 6
5. Juan Martin del Potro: 11
6. Roger Federer: 0
7. Tomas Berdych: 9
8. Stanislas Wawrinka: 0
9. Richard Gasquet: 8
10. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: 1
11. Milos Raonic: 2
12. Tommy Haas: 2
13. Nicolas Almagro: 1
14. John Isner: 14
15. Mikhail Youzhny: 0
16. Fabio Fognini: 11
17. Kei Nishikori: 5
18. Tommy Robredo: 5
19. Gilles Simon: 2
20. Kevin Anderson: 6
21. Jerzy Janowicz: 1
22. Philipp Kohlschreiber: 0
23. Grigor Dimitrov: 3
24. Ernests Gulbis: 9
25. Andreas Seppi: 3
26. Benoit Paire: 0
27. Jurgen Melzer: 2
28. Feliciano Lopez: 6
29. Dmitry Tursunov: 2
30. Fernando Verdasco: 2

 

[Ralph]

*Kukushkin is a fast-court player, nearly took out the venerable Richard Gasquet in the Moscow final last fall! Hard to believe the No. 1 player has to deal with this in the 3rd round!!

**Well this has gone downhill fast.

I laughed very loudly at this

And here folks, we have a fine example of a moronic Nadal fan* (unfortunately, there are many to choose from) being cut down by a level headed one**.

Thank heavens for the likes of you aldeayeah.

 

[Mayonnaise]

I am not sure what that wall of text is supposed to represent

I can see how big numbers like 30 would confuse you, but that is the number of time violations for the top 30 players of 2013. And as you can see, Nadal leads with 30 time violations

 

[aldeayeah]

Time violations:

1. Rafael Nadal: 30
2. Novak Djokovic: 10
3. David Ferrer: 2
4. Andy Murray: 6
5. Juan Martin del Potro: 11
6. Roger Federer: 0
7. Tomas Berdych: 9
8. Stanislas Wawrinka: 0
9. Richard Gasquet: 8
10. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: 1
11. Milos Raonic: 2
12. Tommy Haas: 2
13. Nicolas Almagro: 1
14. John Isner: 14
15. Mikhail Youzhny: 0
16. Fabio Fognini: 11
17. Kei Nishikori: 5
18. Tommy Robredo: 5
19. Gilles Simon: 2
20. Kevin Anderson: 6
21. Jerzy Janowicz: 1
22. Philipp Kohlschreiber: 0
23. Grigor Dimitrov: 3
24. Ernests Gulbis: 9
25. Andreas Seppi: 3
26. Benoit Paire: 0
27. Jurgen Melzer: 2
28. Feliciano Lopez: 6
29. Dmitry Tursunov: 2
30. Fernando Verdasco: 2

This Rafus Nadalus Cunctator, such a gladiator.

 

[Tomxc]

Time violations:

1. Rafael Nadal: 30
2. Novak Djokovic: 10
3. David Ferrer: 2
4. Andy Murray: 6
5. Juan Martin del Potro: 11
6. Roger Federer: 0
7. Tomas Berdych: 9
8. Stanislas Wawrinka: 0
9. Richard Gasquet: 8
10. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: 1
11. Milos Raonic: 2
12. Tommy Haas: 2
13. Nicolas Almagro: 1
14. John Isner: 14
15. Mikhail Youzhny: 0
16. Fabio Fognini: 11
17. Kei Nishikori: 5
18. Tommy Robredo: 5
19. Gilles Simon: 2
20. Kevin Anderson: 6
21. Jerzy Janowicz: 1
22. Philipp Kohlschreiber: 0
23. Grigor Dimitrov: 3
24. Ernests Gulbis: 9
25. Andreas Seppi: 3
26. Benoit Paire: 0
27. Jurgen Melzer: 2
28. Feliciano Lopez: 6
29. Dmitry Tursunov: 2
30. Fernando Verdasco: 2

Is there a page of complete data on every player?

 

[veroniquem]

It is a no brainer on paper and otherwise. Rafa is warmed up and well settled into the tournament now. He found his marks nicely during the Rosol match. He will stomp on Kukush as he should.

 

[Mayonnaise]

Is there a page of complete data on every player?

That's all I can find.

 

[Graf=GOAT]

Nadal in 3.

 

[Mustard]

I think Nadal will win, and his haters will moan and whinge to the extremes. No change there.

 

[LazyNinja19]

Hopefully Rafa in 3 sets
He should start winning the first set too now.

 

[Arsenal4o]

Easy for Nadal until QF vs Raonic.

 

[Steve0904]

Nadal will be out to send a message in this one, and the grass will be just chewed up enough for him to do so. My prediction is Nadal in 3 with a bakery product somewhere.

 

[Chanwan]

Nadal will be out to send a message in this one, and the grass will be just chewed up enough for him to do so. My prediction is Nadal in 3 with a bakery product somewhere.

I expect Nadal in 3 as well. However, chances are it will be played with the roof closed. That could help his opponent a bit:
http://www.weather.com/weather/hour...d+Kingdom+UKXX0085?pagenum=2&nextbeginIndex=6

 

[stringertom]

Time violations:

1. Rafael Nadal: 30
2. Novak Djokovic: 10
3. David Ferrer: 2
4. Andy Murray: 6
5. Juan Martin del Potro: 11
6. Roger Federer: 0
7. Tomas Berdych: 9
8. Stanislas Wawrinka: 0
9. Richard Gasquet: 8
10. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: 1
11. Milos Raonic: 2
12. Tommy Haas: 2
13. Nicolas Almagro: 1
14. John Isner: 14
15. Mikhail Youzhny: 0
16. Fabio Fognini: 11
17. Kei Nishikori: 5
18. Tommy Robredo: 5
19. Gilles Simon: 2
20. Kevin Anderson: 6
21. Jerzy Janowicz: 1
22. Philipp Kohlschreiber: 0
23. Grigor Dimitrov: 3
24. Ernests Gulbis: 9
25. Andreas Seppi: 3
26. Benoit Paire: 0
27. Jurgen Melzer: 2
28. Feliciano Lopez: 6
29. Dmitry Tursunov: 2
30. Fernando Verdasco: 2

I see the Swiss pride themselves on their punctuality! Having all those great timepiece manufacturers around must rub off, non/nein?

 

[Mayonnaise]

I see the Swiss pride themselves on their punctuality! Having all those great timepiece manufacturers around must rub off, non/nein?

I think there's a simpler explanation. Good sportsmanship, and having respect for the game and its rules

 

[stringertom]

I think there's a simpler explanation. Good sportsmanship, and having respect for the game and its rules

Yes, that too!

 

[Backspin1183]

I see the Swiss pride themselves on their punctuality! Having all those great timepiece manufacturers around must rub off, non/nein?

That's Swiss for you. Lived there for 8 months and never saw a train arrive or depart late. Not even for 1 min.

 

[tipsa...don'tlikehim!]

Nadal will lose a set. Nadal wins 3-1.

 

[Atherton2003]

Nadal will fall asleep due to boredom and perhaps lose a set.

 

[Noleberic123]

I swear he was playing lopez?

 

[firepanda]

This is likely under the roof. Nadal in five.

 

[Chico]

NAdal's challenger level draw from RG continues on Wimbledon as well. How much luck can this guy have?

Anyway, lets hope Kukushin can make a miracle and finish what Rosol and Darcis started, but I really doubt it. We would likely have to wait for a young gun Kyrgios or Vesely to do that on Monday.

 

[Atherton2003]

Nadal plays again on Monday?

 

[Djokovic2011]

Nadal plays again on Monday?

Everyone plays on Monday!

 

[Chico]

Nadal plays again on Monday?

I hope not, but very likely he will. Everybody who makes it to the 4th round will play on Monday.

Not sure if question was serious, but don't really care.

 

[Atherton2003]

What is the purpose of having Sunday off? Say it rains on the other days - I've never heard of having the middle Sunday off.

 

[Djokovic2011]

What is the purpose of having Sunday off? Say it rains on the other days - I've never heard of having the middle Sunday off.

Seriously? There's never any play during the second Sunday of Wimbledon. It's been like that for many years, I guess it's some kind of tradition they've always stuck to.

 

[VamosRafaElCampeon]

Rafa to get his first straight set win of the tournament! Vamos Rafa!

 

[fecaleagle]

This Rafus Nadalus Cunctator, such a gladiator.

Aldea, discipulusne (discipulane?) linguae Latinae es?

Edit: I doubt that very many (even serious) Roman history buffs would have "cunctator" come to mind when discussing this topic.

 

[malbaker86]

Nadal in 5

 

[FanOfLu]

Nadal in three. 6-1 6-3 6-0.

 

[firepanda]

Seriously? There's never any play during the second Sunday of Wimbledon. It's been like that for many years, I guess it's some kind of tradition they've always stuck to.

Also so they can refresh the grass courts?

 

[winstonlim8]

Seriously? There's never any play during the second Sunday of Wimbledon. It's been like that for many years, I guess it's some kind of tradition they've always stuck to.

If I am not mistaken it became a tradition after Dorothy Round (Little) refused to play on Sundays because of her religious beliefs. She was the champion in 1934 and 1937, and her father was a minister. I think that's also why they shifted the Ladies Final to Saturday, but I could be wrong about that.

 

[powerangle]

Rafa may drop the first set as per usual (if that) and then will steamroll this Kuku.

 

[Nostradamus]

does Kukushikin have any weapons to hurt Nadal with ?

 

[RFGOAT1992]

does Kukushikin have any weapons to hurt Nadal with ?

his big ....

 

[firepanda]

Good article in the Telegraph previewing the match with comments from Laura Robson. What is she doing now anyway?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/te...7/preview-rafael-nadal-mikhail-kukushkin.html

 

[Tennis sensation]

Nadal in 3

 

[Vensai]

Nadal in 3

Pretty much this. Nadal probably should not lose a set.

 

[MichaelNadal]

Rafa in 3.... one step at a time

 

[aldeayeah]

Aldea, discipulusne (discipulane?) linguae Latinae es?

Edit: I doubt that very many (even serious) Roman history buffs would have "cunctator" come to mind when discussing this topic.

i would be a "discipulus", but nope

But I love history trivia, and Fabius the Delayer has always seemed an interesting character to me.