Roland Garros 2011

[gzhpcu]

Thought I'd start a thread with comments on the matches...

To start of, just happen to be watching Schiavone playing Pen this morning. Schiavone plays a varied tennis, but it is very annoying how loudly she grunts and groans... She hits a lot of reverse forehands, like Rafa...

Rafa has had two closes calls, but he probably needs it to get pumped up...

Looking forward to Djokovic - DelPotro later today...

[tennisplayer]

To start of, just happen to be watching Schiavone playing Pen this morning. Schiavone plays a varied tennis, but it is very annoying how loudly she grunts and groans... She hits a lot of reverse forehands, like Rafa...

I think there is a distinct difference between Schiavone and Sharapova when it comes to grunting. At least, Schiavone sounds like she is grunting due to the effort she is making. Sharapova is ridiculous with her high pitched scream. I've heard her scream like that while making a drop shot, which just blows my mind away. I just can't bear to watch Sharapova play because of her screaming.

[gzhpcu]

I think there is a distinct difference between Schiavone and Sharapova when it comes to grunting. At least, Schiavone sounds like she is grunting due to the effort she is making. Sharapova is ridiculous with her high pitched scream. I've heard her scream like that while making a drop shot, which just blows my mind away. I just can't bear to watch Sharapova play because of her screaming.

Both are annoying I find. Schiavone is not as high-piched, but annoying nevertheless...

[gzhpcu]

Federer has been playing extremely well... looking forward to his match with Djokovic...

[llll]

conventional wisdom says novak in 4 (maybe 3)
for don and the nostalgia people
federer in 5

[gzhpcu]

Wow, Nadal is back in form! Very dominating against Soderling.. Soderling had a low first serve percentage.... guess he needs to listen to don_budge after all...

[don_budge]

Then There Were Four...

Hmmm....Nadal, Murray, Federer and Djokovic. Imagine my lack of surprise. If Nadal would of been healthy at the Australian, this would be a repeat of the first Slam of the year.

But...ahem...that aside. Interesting match ups. Murray plays well against Nadal...but not well enough. Federer is half a step slower now from sideline to sideline...is it too much of a deficit? He must somehow outplay Djokovic tactically which is very difficult to do these days because of the emphasis of speed, power and string induced spin in the modern game.

But still...if anyone can do it...that would be Roger. Think Roger, Think! It's going to be tough to out duel him from the backcourt. He's tough going side to side. Where is his weakness, coming forward...at the net??? Rope a dope...bring him in??? It's all very risky. Or tank, go home to Switzerland for some R & R then head to England for some grass court practice? Set your sights on Wimbledon? Where the grass should be greener because it should be browner, but it's not necessarily so...because of the seeds.

Millionaire tennis players have such tough decisions to make these days. Pray for a windy day...the great equalizer to power and the enabler of tactical games.

In the end...Nadal vs. Djokovic in the final? Yawn.

[llll]

Hmmm..

In the end...Nadal vs. Djokovic in the final? Yawn.

if this does indeed become the final
cant you get excited by the history in the making??
the pressure on novak is enormous
become #1
dethrone the "king of clay" rafa
extend the streak
how does novak handle the pressure???
that doesnt do anything for you??
are you so set in your ways that if its not "old school"
forgettabout it???
im sorry don
there is an amazement in the athleticism of the players today that one should appreciate even if its not like how you used to do it
i too enjoy the all court game but can repect what rafa and novak do

[don_budge]

Is it llll or 1111...I guess it must be llll.

Hello there. Yes. I know. I am glad that you find it amazing. I do find some appreciation for the athleticism...sure, to be honest with you. I really appreciate your response too. Would you allow me the pleasure of explaining in detail why it is I feel this way?

By the way, I don't consider myself "old school" in any way, shape or form, if only you knew (hee hee)...please don't misinterpret what I say. Let me explain. I believe that modern tennis is a form of pseudo tennis...so in a sense the historical significance of it all escapes me. It has something...or rather everything to do with "tradition" and philosophy...and nothing to do with nostalgia. I declare that I am not nostalgic. I am getting around to my explanation in the "Thoughts about Tennis Tradition Thread"...which btw feel free to comment on. I really appreciate all comments.

Please don't apologize...I do appreciate your skepticism about me as well. I know that many others feel the same way as you. But, I also know that I am not alone. Of course, I can respect what it is that they do...which does not mean that I am forced to be so entertained by it. I still have that freedom...do I not? The freedom to express myself?

Plus...it is not the final yet, although from the looks of things it is half way there. I am holding my thumbs for Roger still (in Sweden you don't cross your fingers, you hold your thumbs). Plus, I am very happy...that you are happy with the state of things in the world of tennis. I am happy that the French Open exists. Where would we be without it?

Plus...don't forget about it. Let's talk about it. Till the cows come home. This is what I find entertaining...exchanging our differences in opinion. You may not of noticed but recently I have mellowed just a bit in my attitude about modern tennis. Mellowed in the sense that now I can appreciate a little better that people like yourself find it fulfilling and rewarding. Mellowed in the sense...that I don't feel at odds with all those that love modern tennis. I no longer feel that way at all. This forum has cured me of that. Trust me. I am only a voice in the wilderness. I am only amused...by it all.

[gzhpcu]

Hey Steve,
If you are feeling nostalgic, I put up the full length Borg Vilas final in the Vilas thread...

[don_budge]

Thanks Phil...

Btw...I watched it in its entirety. Well, to be honest I didn't watch it all...but it played in its entirety and I watched a good bit of it. That was some traditional tennis, wasn't it? Bless you, Phil.

Federer vs. Nadal in the final. Should be an exciting match.

[gzhpcu]

Great win for Federer!

Yes, Tiriac always has the same seat, every Roland Garros. You can also see him in the Borg-Vilas final video I posted, though much younger and menacing-looking...

[stotty]

Biggest cheat the game's ever had that Tiriac...he taught Nastase everything he knew. No wonder Nasty turned out to be such a bad egg.

[llll]

Hello there. Yes. I know. I am glad that you find it amazing. I do find some appreciation for the athleticism...sure, to be honest with you. I really appreciate your response too. Would you allow me the pleasure of explaining in detail why it is I feel this way?

By the way, I don't consider myself "old school" in any way, shape or form, if only you knew (hee hee)...please don't misinterpret what I say. Let me explain. I believe that modern tennis is a form of pseudo tennis...so in a sense the historical significance of it all escapes me. It has something...or rather everything to do with "tradition" and philosophy...and nothing to do with nostalgia. I declare that I am not nostalgic. I am getting around to my explanation in the "Thoughts about Tennis Tradition Thread"...which btw feel free to comment on. I really appreciate all comments.

Please don't apologize...I do appreciate your skepticism about me as well. I know that many others feel the same way as you. But, I also know that I am not alone. Of course, I can respect what it is that they do...which does not mean that I am forced to be so entertained by it. I still have that freedom...do I not? The freedom to express myself?

Plus...it is not the final yet, although from the looks of things it is half way there. I am holding my thumbs for Roger still (in Sweden you don't cross your fingers, you hold your thumbs). Plus, I am very happy...that you are happy with the state of things in the world of tennis. I am happy that the French Open exists. Where would we be without it?

Plus...don't forget about it. Let's talk about it. Till the cows come home. This is what I find entertaining...exchanging our differences in opinion. You may not of noticed but recently I have mellowed just a bit in my attitude about modern tennis. Mellowed in the sense that now I can appreciate a little better that people like yourself find it fulfilling and rewarding. Mellowed in the sense...that I don't feel at odds with all those that love modern tennis. I no longer feel that way at all. This forum has cured me of that. Trust me. I am only a voice in the wilderness. I am only amused...by it all.

first to clear things up my sceen name is lower case LLLL
my name is Larry. call me llll or Larry please

beleive it or not i held my thumbs for roger .
he is my hero and role model
im glad he has the chance to dethrone the king of clay
as for tennis tradition i dont hear you saying the should abandon they should abandon the tiebreak
i dont hear you say they should all have their front foot ON THE GROUND AT CONTACT on the serve
these are all tradtion breakers like they dont have to wear long pants anymore
all sports evolve
even you are not the same as when you were 25

[don_budge]

The French Open...Nadal vs. Federer

Maybe the wind did throw off Djokovic just a bit. He seemed to be a bit off balance at times. Today the wind has stopped blowing for the first time in three weeks...at least it has here in Sweden.

I don't think that the wind would favor Federer as much against Nadal as it did against Djokovic. The reason is because there is another factor that Roger faces when he is pitted against Nadal...and that is, Nadal is left-handed. Plus this match to be played on Sunday is on clay...Nadal's favorite surface. The three factors combined may give an advantage to Nadal. Against Nadal...a calm day could help Federer. One less factor for Roger to be concerned about. Plus...Nadal is younger.

Being left-handed is an enormous advantage for Nadal. It makes his serve significantly better and more effective. He is facing right-handed players a majority of the time but when a right-handed player is facing a lefty, especially one who hits such exaggerated spin with such unorthodox technique, it is more difficult to get comfortable with the entire scenario. The opposite spins, the reversal of the location of the forehand and backhand really effect the way one plays tactically. When a golfer is playing good golf...many times they will say that they felt comfortable over the ball. When playing a lefty it is difficult to feel the comfort...in many cases.

The difficulty that Roger faces when playing Nadal will be the issue of going cross court with his backhand...right into the teeth of Nadal's top spin. Of course it's no picnic going into Nadal's backhand either which makes him such a tough opponent for anyone. Roger had some success bringing Djokovic forward in some situations yesterday...maybe some of this tactic may work against Nadal, but I believe that Nadal is better at handling short balls than Djokovic did yesterday. Some of Djokovic's difficulty may of been on account of the wind. Those were extremely tricky conditions but you couldn't tell by the way they were playing.

One of the greatest strengths of Federer is that he is a master at adapting to any and all situations. He is prepared to face them all. He has more options to rely upon than all of the players currently playing professional tennis. His variety of game gives him that flexibility tactically wise, to counter adverse factors and the assortment of things that give or take the advantage to or from opposing forces. Like playing against unorthodox lefties...with exaggerated spin...in the wind...on clay...in the finals of the French Open, for instance. His serve is another huge advantage...when the chips are down he can take it to another level and serve out of his mind. Like he did yesterday.

Yesterday, Federer was extremely fortunate to win the first set. The last thing he wanted to do was to chase Djokovic in the wind. He had to get out of the gate on top, in the lead, and try to stay there. The second set, of course was doubly important. He could afford to take a bit of a breather when he got down in the third set to steel himself for the fourth. He did so successfully and what a fourth set it was! Djokovic was grinning like a mad man. He looked like Robert DeNiro's Travis Bickle in "The Taxi Driver" (you talking to me?) at times...unbelieving in what he was up against. Roger at his absolute best. The wizard tamed the wind. He tamed Djokovic. He tamed the moment. Most importantly...most incredibly, he tamed himself. He was totally in control of everything.

This may of been the best or the biggest match Roger has ever played on clay. To Djokovic's credit, I never felt at any point that he was out of the match. Not once. I think that Federer felt the same way. Not until Roger had securely placed the horse in the barn, by nailing down the match point with an ace, was the match over by any means. Djokovic didn't lose so much...as Federer beat him. Yesterday, there were no losers at Roland Garros.

In some respects Federer was lucky all the way around. Perhaps even the fact that Djokovic did not have to play a quarterfinal worked in Federer's favor. Perhaps he owes Mr. Fognini a bit of gratitude. And, if they would of split the first four sets, the decider fifth was going to be played today, the next day. Making it a game of pitch and toss, a toss of the dice...everything riding on one set. This, I think he was potentially capable of dealing with also, with a good nights sleep...if that's possible under those circumstances. I would say that all this goes doubly sure in his match against Nadal. Federer's chances go up astronomically if he wins the first set and I believe that the converse is true. If he loses the first set, it is going to be a "tough road to hoe". The old horse doesn't want to chase this thoroughbred.

This is the match that everyone wants to see. Ladies and Gentlemen, for the heavyweight championship of the tennis world...Nadal vs. Federer. Advantage Nadal...but don't count the other guy out. Everyone loves an underdog. Especially an "older" underdog by the name of Roger Federer. Perhaps some will feel a pang or two of nostalgia...thinking to themselves, just one more time, Roger...you can do it. Hold on! I will be holding my thumbs for him...he is tired and coming down the homestretch.