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

scotch said:
I'm hoping the pressure of playing 1 of the big 3 for a first time in a slam doesnt effect him and he plays at a high level, if Djokovic matches it then we could be talking french open classic match like
2021 Nadal Semi
2020 Thiem Semi
2013 Nadal Semi
Weirdly I think the only classic final matches for Djokovic are the Wawrinka and Tsitispas ones as Murray and Nadal matches tended to be quite comfortable 3-4 set wins.
Click to expand...

Speaking about classic matches it's quite sad how few matches we got between Fed and Djokovic at the French. Djokovic v Alcaraz is about as close as we'll get to that now. Pressure like you say might be a leveller but I just don't see how Djokovic keeps up with this level of aggression and physicality over the course of five sets. Bet Federer is loving watching someone be this successful by playing as attacking tennis as he did with how slow most courts are these days.

Tsitsipas had no chance here like, it's such a bad matchup for him. Same for Medvedev. Both have a pretty big weakness that Alcaraz can exploit with his variety. Gonna have to hit big off sides to beat him if he plays well, think Zverev's got the best chance of anyone left in the tournament. He'll probably stand too deep behind the baseline and get dropshotted to death.

Alcaraz beating Djokovic in straight sets is almost as likely as Djokovic winning the match IMO.
 


MarcoG said:
Speaking about classic matches it's quite sad how few matches we got between Fed and Djokovic at the French. Djokovic v Alcaraz is about as close as we'll get to that now. Pressure like you say might be a leveller but I just don't see how Djokovic keeps up with this level of aggression and physicality over the course of five sets. Bet Federer is loving watching someone be this successful by playing as attacking tennis as he did with how slow most courts are these days.

Tsitsipas had no chance here like, it's such a bad matchup for him. Same for Medvedev. Both have a pretty big weakness that Alcaraz can exploit with his variety. Gonna have to hit big off sides to beat him if he plays well, think Zverev's got the best chance of anyone left in the tournament. He'll probably stand too deep behind the baseline and get dropshotted to death.

Alcaraz beating Djokovic in straight sets is almost as likely as Djokovic winning the match IMO.
Click to expand...
True, however, Federer Djokovic 2011 Semi (cant believe i missed that out from my list as a Federer fan) was arguably match of the year and Federer never played better on clay (even pushed Nadal for 3 sets in the final - which no-one has managed to do).

Their 2012 match was decent too, but Djokovic won it, so... ;)

Yep, watching this i can see Alcaraz winning in straights, cant imagine what that would do to Djokovic mentally with the Olympics and French next year (with Rafa hopefully back for one last dance).
Counterpoint, if Djokovic wins, i can see him winning the calendar slam....i do think if Alcaraz wins this French he could do the Wimbledon double with his confidence being so high.
Decent level from Alcaraz that :lol: :lol:
Think Tsitsipas finally hit his best level that 3rd set and he was still hanging on every service game and lost the tiebreak.
Great watch that last set and has me excited for the Semi against Djokovic, we could be in for a treat ladies and gentoemen as tennis fans.
Gentlemen*
Swiatek storming the womens again, shame about Rybakina getting *covid*, Sabalenka final might be the only challenge she gets.
Zverev v Ruud, decent French semi but both get beat in straight sets in the final against either Alcaraz/Djokovic
 
Last edited:
Really hope Alcaraz can win today, I like Djokovic but we cant be having the world number one and best young tennis player we have seen since Nadal 15 years ago losing to a 36 year old in a slam semi final, it would just make the tour look a complete joke.
 
Going with young Carlitos in four sets. Djokovic is gonna have to suffocate him of any free points on serve and return perfectly to win, just can't see him doing it against Alcaraz. He's the GOAT for a reason though so be no great surprise if he wins.

Shame we didn't get Sabalenka v Swiatek in the final but from what I saw of them yesterday they were two pretty great semi finals.
 
This is absolutely incredible this mind, proper top level sport. That hold from Djokovic at 0-40 down facing three set points was ridiculous. The way he did it as well, Alcaraz didn't really have a chance on any of the three points.

I've never seen Alcaraz scream at his box before until he did it midway through that first set, shows how tight he was early on. Hope he nabs this second set. Just want this to go on as long as possible :lol:

edit - let's gooo :cool: five sets please and thank you, get rid of the stupid match tie break as well. Make them play forever.
 
Last edited:
Talk about an anti climax. Not the end of the world, Djokovic around that age couldn't get through a five set match for years for cramping up and ended up becoming an absolute freak of nature physically. Hard court's probably the best surface for the pair of them so let's have the rematch in New York in the final in a few months time.

On a side note I wish one of the players would tell the crowd to fuck off in the interview after the match. Fritz had a great chance last week but just cupped his ear and a made a few sarcy remarks. They're always awful in Paris but they've been even worse than normal.

and in more important news, Andy Murray won! :lol:
 
Last edited:
Incredible tennis for the first two sets , shame it ended like it did though . Seems to pick up a few injuries does Carlos though, hope it’s only because he is young and not because he is going to end up one of the best players ever but robbed of a few more slams due to injury like Rafa.
 
Casper truly is a David Ferrer clone , fair play to the bloke he has now somehow got to three slam finals but he will never win one .
 
Seen people make them both and I just don't see the Ferrer / Ruud comparisons or the Alcaraz / Nadal comparisons at all. Ferrer was one of the best returners to ever play, had a backhand made of granite and spent his entire career behind the baseline counter punching. Ruud's a big server that's heavily reliant on his top spin forehand. If he played peak Ferrer on clay he'd lose in straights, on hard he'd lose in straights and on grass he'd lose in straights.

Look at Ferru's overall record in 2011 & 2012 in the toughest era of all time, he'd end up a multiple time Slam champ if he was born ten year earlier or ten year later. Reached the Quarter Final minimum of 10 Slams in a row at one point, Ruud can barely win ten games in a match on a grass court.
 
MarcoG said:
Seen people make them both and I just don't see the Ferrer / Ruud comparisons or the Alcaraz / Nadal comparisons at all. Ferrer was one of the best returners to ever play, had a backhand made of granite and spent his entire career behind the baseline counter punching. Ruud's a big server that's heavily reliant on his top spin forehand. If he played peak Ferrer on clay he'd lose in straights, on hard he'd lose in straights and on grass he'd lose in straights.

Look at Ferru's overall record in 2011 & 2012 in the toughest era of all time, he'd end up a multiple time Slam champ if he was born ten year earlier or ten year later. Reached the Quarter Final minimum of 10 Slams in a row at one point, Ruud can barely win ten games in a match on a grass court.
Click to expand...

Ferrer is one of my all time favourites. That backhand!
 
Anyone seen the Netflix series 'Break Point'. Absolutely brilliant. Wasn't expecting so much genuine sensitive footage. The stuff between Tsitsipas and Kyrgios was hilarious and the Toni Nadal stuff with Auger Aliassime was unreal. Uncle Toni comes across as a right piece of work.
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/1674726541815697409
https://twitter.com/x/status/1674726642017615872

Happy with that draw for Murray. Peniston > Tsitsipas > Cressy/Shelton for a run to the second week's something you can't grumble about really. Don't think losing against any of them would be a major shock but he'd be favourite against all four. Djokovic's path seems tough relatively speaking for what he could have actually drawn. Thompson and Hurkacz inside the first week's not what anyone would pick, doubt it matters really. He's as short as 8/15 in some places to win the tournament :lol: dunno if Rafa was ever that short to win Roland Garros.

Backed Donna Vekic at 60's a week or two back on the women's side as my only outright bet, waste of time with that draw :lol: seems a nice spread of good players on the women's side across the draw. No easy path for anyone.
 

Back
Top