2012 French Open Championships...Paris, France

[don_budge]

Predictably Disappointing...

I had a full day and missed Murray/Ferrer. What happened don_budge/tennis_chiro??? I saw only two games. Murray was 3-1 down in the 3rd and played scintillating tennis to level things at 3-3. It looked like Murray was really motoring....

Nadal/Ferrer is going to be a grind out...not my type of game...Murray/Nadal would have been more interesting.

Sorry to say Stotty...in a word you would have to say the performance of Andy Murray was extremely disappointing. Extremely. He simply did not rise to the occasion at all. He lacks passion...for the game. He has demonstrated this lack of a key ingredient in the makeup of a champion many times in the past and I certainly wonder how those that are "fans" of his are able to get hopeful for him. He is predictably disappointing and keeping in mind that predictability is the killer of passion it is a wonder that he has any fans. He is kind of a sad character. I wonder what Ivan Lendl is thinking about his charge now. He has probably seen enough to realize this, seeing as he was such a great champion himself.

Very disappointing. He never really looked like he was in the match. Not really. Of course he won his share of points but they were never the important ones. Too often he got behind on his service game and allowed Ferrer to whittle away at him...in fact that is what David Ferrer did to him. He whittled away at him until he reduced him to a mere stick which broke under the pressure of a big event...again. Murray was missing shots that I thought that perhaps even I could make. He was not missing because of the pressure from his opponent but he just was not mentally prepared for the occasion. This is not to take anything away from Ferrer because as usual he was prepared and it showed.

So there we have it. Federer vs. Djokovic in the top half and Nadal vs. Ferrer in the bottom. Any questions? Of course there are...but they are being narrowed down to one. Who will play Nadal in the final?

[stotty]

Nadal v Djokovic

Nadal played the best ever in his Ferrer semi...amazing tennis...missed so little. His forehand was out of this world.

Federer still seems to play well against anyone other than Nadal/Djokovic. He is starting to look a weaker player against those two, and looking like a spent force as regards winning another slam. He will need good fortune and a following wind to win another slam.

Is it me or is his forehand not the shot it was?

I wouldn't bet against Nadal winning but if anyone has a chance it's Djokovic. If Djokovic can get off to a good start it may jog Nadal's memory over events that happened in 2011...maybe unnerve him. It's psychologically critical Djokovic gets of to a flyer...to bring back those memories.

Your thoughts, don_budge and tennis_chiro...anyone else?

[tennis_chiro]

Obviously, Nadal hasn't been tested.

Nadal played the best ever in his Ferrer semi...amazing tennis...missed so little. His forehand was out of this world.

Federer still seems to play well against anyone other than Nadal/Djokovic. He is starting to look a weaker player against those two, and looking like a spent force as regards winning another slam. He will need good fortune and a following wind to win another slam.

Is it me or is his forehand not the shot it was?

I wouldn't bet against Nadal winning but if anyone has a chance it's Djokovic. If Djokovic can get off to a good start it may jog Nadal's memory over events that happened in 2011...maybe unnerve him. It's psychologically critical Djokovic gets of to a flyer...to bring back those memories.

Your thoughts, don_budge and tennis_chiro...anyone else?

I only saw a little, but Rafa did look awful good. I still think Djoker has a good chance because nobody has really tested him. By that I mean there are only a few players that hit the ball deep enough and consistently enough to push Nadal back. That's what Soderling did. The only guys that hit that well are Djoker, Roger, Murray, Tsonga, Del Potro and Berdych and Djokovic is really the only one that is steady enough and complete enough to deal with the barrage Rafa is putting out right now. Maybe Murray if he has a good day, but I don't think he's demonstrated that he could do that on the big stage for 5 sets yet. Academic right now anyway.

But I do think when Rafa plays Nole, it will look different than all the matches he's been playing this year at RG. But if Nole can't get the backhand down the line to work like it used to (it hasn't been that good lately), it won't be enough for him either.

don

[don_budge]

The Finals of the 2012 French Open

Once again...predictability breeds boredom. Most of the time. In this case it may be the most exciting thing to happen in what otherwise has been a rather ho hum event. Except for a brief flare up in the quarters the drama at the French Open has been lacking. The little bit of charisma that was present left the stadium yesterday.

It's too bad that the Djokovic vs. Federer semi final clash could not live up to its build up. Both players had survived scares in their previous rounds but survived. I hoped that both would sort of peak for some sort of titanic struggle but it was not to be. Djokovic is a little too strong and a little too quick for a Federer who is in the twilight of his career...and refuses to change equipment and perhaps lost half a step in the process. Federer came out flat for this match...he couldn't muster the energy that the occasion demanded.

I was always told that the two most important pieces of equipment of a tennis player was his racquet and his shoes. I remember watching some old clips of Richard Gonzales putting on some pair of flimsy canvas sneakers (remember Olof's, bottle?) after taping up his battered toes. I will forever remember Roger Federer playing out the last years of his career with yesterdays technology in his racquet. For the life of me I cannot figure out why he doesn't change to another racquet. To begin with his racquet is more than ten percent smaller than either Djokovic's, Nadal's or Murray's. Do you have any idea what ten percent more hitting surface means to a professional tennis player? It changes everything and it showed yesterday afternoon in gay Paris as Federer repeatedly mishit balls that didn't seem to be so difficult to hit. In a game like modern tennis where it is being played at a zillion miles per hour...practically at the speed of light compared to classic tennis, every little bit counts and ten percent hitting surface is too much for an "aging" champion tennis player to give away to his younger rivals.

It's strange why he would hang on to his obsolete equipment. Old champions are like that somehow. Ivan Lendl was playing with smaller racquets than what his rivals used for most of his career. Jimmy Connors was one of the last to switch to oversize or midsize as was John McEnroe. Björn Borg never did make the switch and instead chose to disappear into the woodwork. He probably would of had at least a couple of more French titles in his collection of trophies had he made the "prudent" decision to switch. I myself...good old don_budge was the very last to switch from the old wood and gut apparatus...my excuse was my love for the game. I did it for passion's sake. Silly me. Even now I play golf with Mizuno mp33 blades and all of my golf buddies constantly are on me about my dinosaurs...my golf clubs.

Federer is the last thing that we have that resembles a classic tennis player and he still clings to his dinosaur...his Wilson Excalibur. It's a shame really that someone close to him cannot get him to change. It may of cost him a couple of majors. Maybe zillions of dollars to boot. Certainly some of his close calls may of been turned around if the equipment factor was equal. Here I go again...I think that the area of a tennis racquet in the hands of a professional tennis player should be limited to 80 square inches. Let's take the equipment argument out of play...even though nobody seems to notice it but me. There was nothing more fair than two guys going at each other with a couple of wood sticks in their hands. So much for equipment.

You know...it is an interesting phenomena the tennis equipment. Nowadays...if you talk about this kind of stuff people think you are obsolete and some kind of old crackpot. It is sort of like talking to young people about an age of man where electronic gizmos didn't rule their lives. They look at you and wonder how could anyone exist in such a boring world. Everyone is so convinced that somehow these things make life better but I am not so sure. These things certainly make things faster...just like modern tennis equipment. Is faster necessarily better? Does everyone seem to be so much happier? Are we content with our game...with our life? True some things become a bit more convenient but on the other hand mankind survived without it for how many years? Do we truly understand what effect this technology will have on the race in the future? Tennis is a nice little microcosm here. A metaphor for life...while some laud the changes in the game, those who know better realize that something of significance was lost. Traditionally speaking that is. Things are happening very quickly as I see it...from my vantage point out here in the woods. Yesterday I witnessed a proud doe taking her new little fawn on a walk through our fields into the woods. As wonder will have it my wife just called me to the window to see the two of them again...out in our fields. Nobody was there to catch it on their Ipod...therefore did it really happen? Not much changes in the woods. Don't the critters get bored? Oh well...I will give it a rest for now. Suffice it to say that I still "love" tennis even though I feel she has betrayed me. Just a little, little bit.

But I really wonder about Roger and Björn and Ivan and Jimmy and Johnny and Richard Gonzales. It was not that long ago...historically speaking.

Djokovic vs. Nadal? I like Djokovic...just a little bit better than I don't like Nadal. That is not to say that Nadal does not look to be invincible. He has chewed up the field and spit them out with disdain...even though he keeps apologizing out of one side of his mouth to his Spanish and Latin buddies. He relishes a good old fashioned knockout just like any other good heavyweight would. This should be a donnybrook...with no love lost.

Here's one for the "old geezers" out there. The over 45 legends doubles semi final to be played today is Mats Wilander and Mikael Pernfors against the McEnroe brothers. Very cool. I will take the McEnroe's in this one but if the Swedes win that will be alright too.

[stotty]

But I really wonder about Roger and Björn and Ivan and Jimmy and Johnny and Richard Gonzales. It was not that long ago...historically speaking.

In what sense?

[don_budge]

Nonsense...

In what sense?

In no sense really...I just wonder.

[don_budge]

Wilander with Djokovic...

Mats asked Djokovic how he worked out his tactics...was it with his coach, his advisors, himself...what? I liked Djokovic's answer...he said that "in the end it is me on the court by myself". This is what I like about tennis and the training of a tennis player. It is up to the player to accept responsibility for the whole shebang.

When asked about the magnitude of the match...Nadal going for his 7th French and Djokovic going for his 4th Slam in a row. Djokovic just said..."I have nothing to lose, I am just going to go for it". An appropriate fatalistic approach. Nothing to lose. Exactly. That is the best way to play tennis. As if you have nothing to lose. Great interview.

[stotty]

Technology

Interesting don_budge's comments about great players not changing their equipment as technology develops. Not only does it backfire on them in the long run, it backfires on the makers of the equipment too. It cannot do Wilson any favours having to reproduce Fed's chosen racket in different guises year after year. Look what happened to Donnay. They stuck by Borg when most players were converting to better, more advanced rackets. Borg left the game. Donnay, who had stuck all their eggs in one basket, were left technologically behind other brands and went bust.

I guess if you have had so much success it makes sense to stick with the equipment that put you there. Look at Borg. He made a comeback 8 years after retiring and commissioned 500 hundred wooden rackets be made by Cambridge, a manufacturer over here in the UK. What was he thinking! He embarked on his comeback and never won a match. I found this the saddest moment in tennis. A man, a legend, trapped in the past, believing he could be successful again at the age of 34 with a wooden racket. It destroyed me just watching it...

I wonder too, don budge... I wonder if all the players on the tour today were given a wooden Dunlop Maxply what the game would look like. Would the players today be as good as yesterday's players. I wonder often about that...

[don_budge]

Just one question while they are warming up...

What is the line of clothing that Djokovic is wearing now? He must of changed from the Sergio Tacchini line.

[lobndropshot]

Fitness

These guys are extremely fit!

I used to watch the pros and want to play tennis, now I watch them and want to go to the gym.

I hate roofs. I love rain delays!

[lobndropshot]

What is the line of clothing that Djokovic is wearing now? He must of changed from the Sergio Tacchini line.

Sergio could not afford him and the company was purchased by a wealthy Chinese man.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/47519672/Sergio_Tacchini_Djokovic_Shockingly_Part_Ways

[don_budge]

great scoop...

Great scoop lobndropshot...is he now wearing the Japanese label as in the article?

[stotty]

Missed most of the final so far. Apparently Djokovic was really motoring in the 3rd set...slugging it. Shame for him he got rained off

I saw 6 games of the second set. Nadal was playing ok, nothing more....Djokovic hardly got any first serves in during the short time I was watching.

I'm off tomorrow, so I'll see the rest.

[tennis_chiro]

Missed most of the final so far. Apparently Djokovic was really motoring in the 3rd set...slugging it. Shame for him he got rained off

I saw 6 games of the second set. Nadal was playing ok, nothing more....Djokovic hardly got any first serves in during the short time I was watching.

I'm off tomorrow, so I'll see the rest.

At two sets to love down, and 2-0 Nadal serving in the third, Djokovic lost just 12 points the next 8 games to go up a break in the fourth. Nadal finally held and then they suspended play. Djokovic made something like 80% first serves in that time. More importantly, he found his timing, admittedly for very heavy balls, and started to push Nadal back like the Djokovic of the first 6 months of last year. He was completely dominating at the end and Nole had his wind and his confidence back. It will be interesting to see how they play when they come out tomorrow ... or on Tuesday. Fatigue shouldn't be a factor now. If Uncle Tony can help Rafa find his mojo again, it will be interesting, but I think he has let Nole out of the bag, so to speak. If Nadal doesn't find that mojo, Djokovic will win 10 of the next 15 games and it will be over in a hurry. Even if he does, I think Djokovic now has the edge although he is still down 2 sets to 1.

I'll get my charts posted in a couple of hours.

don

[tennis_chiro]

Charts for Nadal/Djokovic match

10sBalls doesn't have my post up yet, but below are the links for the charts of the first 3 1/3 sets of the final.

Does anyone know what happens if it rains Monday and Tuesday. I heard someone say they call it if they don't get it done by Tuesday night. Is that possible? I understand there could be contractual conflicts and arrangements with Halle and Queens.

don

1st Set:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/256/djokovicnadalrg2012set1.jpg/

2nd Set:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/834/djokovicnadalrg2012set2.jpg/

3rd Set:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/526/djokovicnadalrg2012set3.jpg/

4th Set, just first 3 games:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/338/nolenadalrg2012set4begi.jpg/