SMB Tennis thread (note there is a specific Wimbledon 22 thread)

Yeah I really want to see Zverev v Nadal. You'd fancy Nadal to win comfortably but outside of Djokovic and Thiem, Zverev's one of two or three that could actually test him on this surface.

There's a potentially a lot of very fun matches coming up on the men's side very soon looking at the draw actually! A shame Stan lost yesterday, a day with Zverev v Sinner and Stan v Thiem would have been a canny line up.
I dont think Nadal has the conditions he wants, but he is still awesome on Clay.

Djokovic just has an aura about him and the way hes going about business + thiem being in Nadals half I think gives him the advantage as youd imagine they would have a slugfest in the semis should it happen and thiem has already spoken about being tired after the US open win.

Djokovic Khachanov will be good IF Karen brings his best (been missing since 2018 tbf)

If Zverev or Sinner brings their A game to Nadal then it could get very interesting...but all it does is favour Djokovic more and more.

Think everyone knows my feelings on #AnyoneButDjokovic but I've been quite impressed with his demeanor, sportsmanship and candour in press conferences this tournament.
 
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Sinner is all over Zverev here, up two sets to nil. Zverev has been so bad, just resorting to standing five feet behind the baseline pushing it back in and hoping Sinner misses. I'll never understand why he plays like this so regularly. It's even more frustrating than when Andy Murray used to do it. Early break in the third though so let's see...

Halep and Bertens out this morning. The top half of the women's draw is erm, quite something. One of Swiatek, Trevisan, Podoroska/Krejcikova or Svitolina/Garcia will be in a Grand Slam final in six days time. Bottom half isn't much stronger either.
 
Did well to win that Thiem, think hes still knakkered after the US open and such a short turnaround to the French, Nadal Djokovic final looking nailed on at the moment.
 
Did well to win that Thiem, think hes still knakkered after the US open and such a short turnaround to the French, Nadal Djokovic final looking nailed on at the moment.
Agreed, Thiem always looked the better player but for a 2 hour period he mishit every single dropshot return that left me speechless given he is one of the best players in the world, it was insane how he kept repeating the same error over and over again....very entertaining but Thiem made that much so much harder than it needed to be by going for the lines on but shots when he had half the court to aim for to get the point but kept missing.
Thiem is goosed, got Schwartzman next whos playing great on clay and career high ranking, then looking at rafa and I can't see how he would have the energy for that and then even if he does he probably gets Djokovic straight after.....insane draw he's had.

Rafa isn't looking great for him but still better than 95% of anyone in history to have stepped onto clay ever this tournament, Djokovic will get him I think if Rafas Semi goes long.
Also Zverev may have covid, played sinner with a fever, shook hands at the end, past tested 6 days ago, also practiced with rafa 7 days ago.....if they all test positive does thiem/Schwartzman become a semi final...
 
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Agreed, Thiem always looked the better player but for a 2 hour period he mishit every single dropshot return that left me speechless given he is one of the best players in the world, it was insane how he kept repeating the same error over and over again....very entertaining but Thiem made that much so much harder than it needed to be by going for the lines on but shots when he had half the court to aim for to get the point but kept missing.
Thiem is goosed, got Schwartzman next whos playing great on clay and career high ranking, then looking at rafa and I can't see how he would have the energy for that and then even if he does he probably gets Djokovic straight after.....insane draw he's had.

Rafa isn't looking great for him but still better than 95% of anyone in history to have stepped onto clay ever this tournament, Djokovic will get him I think if Rafas Semi goes long.
Also Zverev may have covid, played sinner with a fever, shook hands at the end, past tested 6 days ago, also practiced with rafa 7 days ago.....if they all test positive does thiem/Schwartzman become a semi final...

Surely Zverev shouldn't have even played the game if he had a fever and couldn't breathe, seems an incredibly stupid and selfish thing to do.
Djokovic has never been a great clay player though, only winning the French once and that was when he was at his peak, its by far his weakest surface, I know he may not be as fit and sharp this year but I still think Nadal will beat him.
 
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Surely Zverev shouldn't have even played the game if he had a fever and couldn't breathe, seems an incredibly stupid and selfish thing to do.
Djokovic has never been a great clay player though, only winning the French once and that was when he was at his peak, its by far his weakest surface, I know he may not be as fit and sharp this year but I still think Nadal will beat him.
Djokovic is a very good clay court player in any era, 4 finals and multiple semi finals attest to that, If not for Rafa him and Federer would probably be x5 Champions at Roland Garros. Nadal is just a freak on clay that he makes you think others aren't any good, you are right about it being Djokovics weakest surface but he has aura and focus about him since the default, and these conditions are great for him and poor for nadal
 
Djokovic's weakest surface is clay? :lol:

Since his surgery maybe, for most of his career? Absolutely no chance.

Beat Rafa more than double the amount of times anyone else has, one of two players to beat him at Roland Garros, only player to beat him in straight sets at Roland Garros, beat him in a Rome final, beat him in a Monte Carlo final, beat him in a Madrid final. A 10 times Masters 1000 champ.

'Never been a great clay court player'.
 
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Djokovic's weakest surface is clay? :lol:

Since his surgery maybe, for most of his career? Absolutely no chance.

Beat Rafa more than double the amount of times anyone else has, one of two players to beat him at Roland Garros, only player to beat him in straight sets at Roland Garros, beat him in a Rome final, beat him in a Monte Carlo final, beat him in a Madrid final. A 10 times Masters 1000 champ.

'Never been a great clay court player'.
Probably is tbf doesn't means he's not still great on it.
 
Djokovic has won 11 hardcourt slams, five Wimbledons and one French, shows clay is his weakest slam by some distance. Dosnt remotely matter how many times he has been Nadal on clay if it isn't a slam, he has beaten Nadal once in the French and that's when Nadal was having the worst few years of his career and nowhere near fit.

He is a good clay court no doubt but not a great one as his one French open title shows.
 
Schwartzman beating Thiem is a surprise, couldn't even take a single set against Djokovic last week so to be able to take three off a better player than him?

Bet he's got all his fingers crossed that Rafa's gonna have to play tomorrow instead of tonight so Schwartzman at least will have a day's rest to give him some chance.
 
Not suprised Thiem lost that, said it on here the other day he looked goosed, hasn't looked fully fit since the semi final of the US open and with only a 3 week turnaround since the final he just hasn't recovered properly and is probably still on a high from that final.

Obviously cant take the Schwartzman Nadal result a few weeks ago seriously as it was only a warm up tournament but should still be a decent semi.
 
Schwartzman beating Thiem is a surprise, couldn't even take a single set against Djokovic last week so to be able to take three off a better player than him?

Bet he's got all his fingers crossed that Rafa's gonna have to play tomorrow instead of tonight so Schwartzman at least will have a day's rest to give him some chance.
Missed that, turned it over when Thiem took the third set tie break.
 
He will still win but Djokovic is all over the place in this first set.
If Tsitsipas keeps his head today and dosnt let being in a semi overwhelm him then I reckon he can push Djokovic all the way today, wouldn't be surprised at all if it went to 5 sets.

Think Nadal losing to Schwartzman a few weeks ago in the Rome Masters warm up tournament means it is even less likely a shock will happen in that match, should be a lot more comfortable for Nadal than Djokovic today.
He will still win but Djokovic is all over the place in this first set.
If Tsitsipas keeps his head today and dosnt let being in a semi overwhelm him then I reckon he can push Djokovic all the way today, wouldn't be surprised at all if it went to 5 sets.

Think Nadal losing to Schwartzman a few weeks ago in the Rome Masters warm up tournament means it is even less likely a shock will happen in that match, should be a lot more comfortable for Nadal than Djokovic today.

He will still win but Djokovic is all over the place in this first set.
If Tsitsipas keeps his head today and dosnt let being in a semi overwhelm him then I reckon he can push Djokovic all the way today, wouldn't be surprised at all if it went to 5 sets.

Think Nadal losing to Schwartzman a few weeks ago in the Rome Masters warm up tournament means it is even less likely a shock will happen in that match, should be a lot more comfortable for Nadal than Djokovic today.
No idea what has happened above.
This match is just further highlighting why slams are the be all and end all, look at the difference between Nadal today and Nadal two weeks ago against the same opponent. You can win as many atp masters as you want but slams are all that matter to the big three and will define who will go down as the goat.
 
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Trying through beat Nadal at Roland garros, is there any sporting equivalent to such an impossible task

Been reading all sorts of nonsense about Nadal this week, hes unfit, overweight,out of form, past his best. Here he is cruising to another slam final without even dropping a set. No way will Djokovic beat him if he makes the final.
 

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