2017 Tennis Thread

[dash_pinched]

Well, Delpo won the first set 6-4, but Rafa has an early break in set 2 and leads 3-0.

Edit: Nadal bagels Delpo in set 2.

[dash_pinched]

Eight straight games (and counting) for Rafa.

Edit: Delpo finally wins a game after nine straight for Rafa.

[Nadal Fan]

So nervous after that first set Nadal has to keep Delpo and the crowd out of this match.

[Nadal Fan]

Rafa learning from Fed I've never seen him get ready to serve so quick what's going on?

[dash_pinched]

Delpo is out of gas, but give credit to Rafa, he has played some incredible tennis.

[Nadal Fan]

Originally Posted by dash_pinched

Delpo is out of gas, but give credit to Rafa, he has played some incredible tennis.

If Rafa wins the US Open we can finally end the misnomer that he was only a clay court player. Would be his 6th grand slam off clay and would be one more US Open than Djokovic.

[Senator Clay Davis]

You know since Roger won Roland Garros in 2009, the general Rafa fan line has been that without Robin Soderling, Roger would not have the career slam. And for the most part that is probably true. So I wonder now will Rafa fans acknowledge that this major win is, pretty much without question, the least impressive major win ever? The highest ranked player Rafa will have beaten to win this is DelPo at 28, and he's the highest seed Rafa beat as well at 24. Stan winning two majors beating #1 and #2 in the world this is not. I'm guessing here, but this is the first time in ages, maybe ever, that a player has won a major without beating a single top 20 seed, or a single player ranked in the top 25. You don't have to give it back, it still counts, but it's probably not even as impressive as most of Rafa's 1000 event wins. It's been an awful tournament by virtually every measure.

But the first and last major of the year offered a glimpse at the choice tennis has for the future of the sport. On the one hand you have the US Open, with the slowest courts in years, promoting negative tennis and anti-tennis, and easily one of the most boring majors ever. On the other hand you have Australia, with the fastest courts in years that was an exceptionally exciting event, thrilling matches left, right and center, lots of offense and negative players being pushed aside early. But it's pretty clear once Roger leaves, a lot of fans are leaving with him if the future is what we're seeing in New York. Just ugly tennis, it's why people flocked to Denis because he was playing the kind of offensive tennis most of us love. But as we saw, even as beautifully as Denis played, negative players on slow courts will always be there to stop offensive players.

[Nadal Fan]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

You know since Roger won Roland Garros in 2009, the general Rafa fan line has been that without Robin Soderling, Roger would not have the career slam. And for the most part that is probably true. So I wonder now will Rafa fans acknowledge that this major win is, pretty much without question, the least impressive major win ever? The highest ranked player Rafa will have beaten to win this is DelPo at 28, and he's the highest seed Rafa beat as well at 24. Stan winning two majors beating #1 and #2 in the world this is not. I'm guessing here, but this is the first time in ages, maybe ever, that a player has won a major without beating a single top 20 seed, or a single player ranked in the top 25. You don't have to give it back, it still counts, but it's probably not even as impressive as most of Rafa's 1000 event wins. It's been an awful tournament by virtually every measure.

But the first and last major of the year offered a glimpse at the choice tennis has for the future of the sport. On the one hand you have the US Open, with the slowest courts in years, promoting negative tennis and anti-tennis, and easily one of the most boring majors ever. On the other hand you have Australia, with the fastest courts in years that was an exceptionally exciting event, thrilling matches left, right and center, lots of offense and negative players being pushed aside early. But it's pretty clear once Roger leaves, a lot of fans are leaving with him if the future is what we're seeing in New York. Just ugly tennis, it's why people flocked to Denis because he was playing the kind of offensive tennis most of us love. But as we saw, even as beautifully as Denis played, negative players on slow courts will always be there to stop offensive players.

Nadal still has a huge challenge ahead against Anderson let's not count grand slams until they are won. Has Nadals draw so far been awful hell ya but at the same time you play who you play. Look at Rogers Wimbledon he took out an injured Raonic, injured Cilic and didn't have to play Djoker or Murray. I think Nadal has played aggressive tennis his serve speed is up and last night he was going for winners and physically beat down Delpo. Roger transcends sport once he leaves Tennis will never be the same, same with Nadal same with Djokovic. We were lucky we basically got to see the 3 best players ever go head to head in there primes that may never happen again. It would be like if Gretzky, Orr and Lemieux were all in the NHL in there primes . I hope this era lasts a few more years cause I'm not ready for it to end.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Things never said by players considered to be one of the greatest ever: "Kevin Anderson is a huge challenge".

[Nadal Fan]

Istomin beating Djoker at the Aussie Open was more of a long shot and it happened. I don't want to get ahead of my self. Also Rafa had to beat his opponents this tournament it's not like they all retired, he had to deal with pressure of being #1 and being the favorite. He's played well in each match and if he wins he would have earned the title. Who's to say that if Djoker, Murray, Wawrinka all played he still wouldn't have made the final?

[dash_pinched]

Felix wins the ATP Challenger event in Seville, Spain beating Spaniard Inigo Cervantes in the final 6-7 6-3 6-3. Congrats Felix!

[Nadal Fan]

Originally Posted by dash_pinched

Felix wins the ATP Challenger event in Seville, Spain beating Spaniard Inigo Cervantes in the final 6-7 6-3 6-3. Congrats Felix!

That's great congratulations Felix! Now up to 155th in the year to date rankings!

[dash_pinched]

ATP Challenger@ATPChallenger
Youngest players to win multiple #ATPChallenger �� (by 17 years, 2 months). Exclusive group!

@richardgasquet1
@felixtennis
@RafaelNadal

[Reneeee]

It's a shame Canada didn't want to take a gamble on the kid. Could have been a very interested youth filled Davis Cup.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[Senator Clay Davis]

Not only did Felix win, but he came from a set and a break down to win. From 6-7, 0-3, he won nine straight games and that was pretty much that. As crazy as it sounds, he's got a decent shot to get himself into position for automatic entry in Australia next year, so hopefully he can keep this form up and work his way into that position.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by Nadal Fan

Istomin beating Djoker at the Aussie Open was more of a long shot and it happened. I don't want to get ahead of my self. Also Rafa had to beat his opponents this tournament it's not like they all retired, he had to deal with pressure of being #1 and being the favorite. He's played well in each match and if he wins he would have earned the title. Who's to say that if Djoker, Murray, Wawrinka all played he still wouldn't have made the final?

Poor comparison, round two is not the same as the final of a major, nevermind that again the conditions are pretty much as perfect as Rafa will ever get on a hardcourt. Istomin could never beat Novak, even injured or mentally messed up, on slow hard courts. These courts are closer to clay than what we saw in Australia. I get why you "fear" Anderson, a loss today would be the worst of Rafa's career and one of the biggest chokes in a major final ever. It is simply unacceptable to lose this match, Anderson has to play the match of his life not to win, but to have a maybe 10% chance of winning. If you don't feel overwhelmingly confident then you're saying Rafa isn't one of the greatest ever, because one of the greatest ever has no fear for a 31 year old who has made a grand total of two career major QFs. I just hope Anderson recgonizes he's never getting back to a major final (and probably never making another QF) and just goes balls to the wall and plays one of the most insanely aggressive matches ever.

As I said Rafa doesn't have to give it back, it still counts, but it's still extremely unimpressive and now that I have checked it will be historically easy, first player ever to win a major without beating a single top 25 ranked opponent. Mock the weakness of Roger's Wimbledon run this year, but Roger beat three top 20 players, and their combined seeding adds up to 24, the highest seeded player Rafa will beat period. So if you think Roger's Wimbledon run was weak, then by default you have to think this run by Rafa is significantly weaker. Also it isn't just this event, Rafa has beaten a grand total of zero players ranked in the top 20 since winning the French. Been a very easy summer for him, and if he somehow botches this today it will be one where he ends up with zero titles to show for it. So I can see why you're feeling nervous, a loss would be pretty humiliating.

[Nadal Fan]

I always get nervous before a Nadal match doesnt matter against who. Even if Rafa loses 6-0,6-0,6-0 he is without quesstion one of the greatest ever. Federer, Sampras, Laver: Nadal belongs with all those greats. This win would improve his hard court resume and make his grand slam wins more balanced. Even tho it would have been a crap draw, Fed , Dimitrov, Cilic all lost and all had easy draws as well. He still had to win each his matches doesn't matter who your playing.

[bigtmac19]

Let's go Rafa!!!

[GirlySports]

Nadal is returning from the back wall. Anderson should put in some underhand serves

[dash_pinched]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Nadal is returning from the back wall. Anderson should put in some underhand serves

That was a pretty good line from Chris Fowler - If Nadal goes any further back, they're going to ask him for his ticket.