'22 RG Day 10 OoP & Discussion

[ponchi101]

Novak is a bit off, Rafa is playing just solid tennis. Not a great match as far as strokes or points, but Rafa is doing what is needed.
It can change quickly if Novak raises the level. He is really not bothering Rafa at all.

[meganfernandez]

I am not able to see the Nadal/Djok. match...what is going on? I didn't expect Rafa to be out to a 6-2, 3-0 lead?!

Try the radio... http://chai5she.cdn.dvmr.fr/roland-garros.mp3

[ponchi101]

20 minutes of serving by Rafa, to lose that game.
I think this has changed completely, and our poll will come true.

[ponchi101]

Totally weird match. Now Rafa again ahead.

[jazzyg]

I knew it was over the second Djokovic didn't run for the Rafa drop "lob" that hit the service line when Djokovic was serving for the fourth set. He tapped out physically twice in the lead-up tournaments and was gassed again today.

This year has been an unrelenting nightmare for me when it comes to tennis. The worst ever.

[ponchi101]

I guess one is so involved in this matches that the feelings are the same. I felt that there was no way Rafa was coming back from that dropped second set.

[meganfernandez]

I knew it was over the second Djokovic didn't run for the Rafa drop "lob" that hit the service line when Djokovic was serving for the fourth set. He tapped out physically twice in the lead-up tournaments and was gassed again today.

This year has been an unrelenting nightmare for me when it comes to tennis. The worst ever.

I’m so sorry. Are you a Novak fan? He’ll still be the favorite - and super motivated - at the next two Slams.

[ashkor87]

Don't ask me to explain or justify, but I absolutely hate Alcaraz's stupid drop shot. It's probably why I haven't caught Alcaraz fever yet.

Well, you are asking for us not to ask why you hate it but, it is very effective. He wins more than he loses.
So don't explain

Oh, it's a good one. It works. It's hard to articulate. Something along the lines of something fairly basic - it's not hard to learn a good-enough drop shot and when to use it - working disproportionally well for this one player and becoming an awe-inspiring part of his game. This outcome offends my twitchy pragmatism.

I love a good drop shot - who doesn't? All respect for the dropper. I wish I had one.

Me too actually...sometimes it feels disrespectful, like an underhand serve..
I use it a lot myself but that is club tennis where the ethos is different...

[ashkor87]

I still feel winning the Italian was not good for Djokovic..the record shows it too .whenever he has won the Italian, he has lost at the French..takes too much out of him, perhaps.

[ponchi101]

Well, but since 2005, whoever won anything before RG that was NOT Nadal, could say it was not good.
The Nadal streak simply has made those stats very difficult to analyze because Nadal is such an anomaly.

[ti-amie]

[ashkor87]

Well, but since 2005, whoever won anything before RG that was NOT Nadal, could say it was not good.
The Nadal streak simply has made those stats very difficult to analyze because Nadal is such an anomaly.

'others abide our question, thou art free'

[ashkor87]

Mathew Arnold on Shakespeare...

[Deuce]

Don't ask me to explain or justify, but I absolutely hate Alcaraz's stupid drop shot. It's probably why I haven't caught Alcaraz fever yet.

Well, you are asking for us not to ask why you hate it but, it is very effective. He wins more than he loses.
So don't explain

Oh, it's a good one. It works. It's hard to articulate. Something along the lines of something fairly basic - it's not hard to learn a good-enough drop shot and when to use it - working disproportionally well for this one player and becoming an awe-inspiring part of his game. This outcome offends my twitchy pragmatism.

^ I very much disagree. It's not at all an easy shot to master. It's very difficult to hit well, and it's also difficult to learn WHEN to use it.

I love a good drop shot - who doesn't? All respect for the dropper. I wish I had one.

^ Well... THAT explains your disgust with the Alcaraz drop shot... It's pure jealousy.

By the way... I came close to having to pay you $100 - and I would have paid it... but I escaped at the last moment. So Sloane didn't quite make the Semis... and you didn't quite make $100 .
Very surprised to see her make the quarterfinal after the past couple of years, during which she has certainly looked more disinterested and uninspired than anything else. I figured she'd be gone by the 2nd round here.
She gave me a legitimate scare after I wrote that I'd give you $100 if she made the Semis...

[ashkor87]

It is funny how Djoko-Nadal matches often pivot on the third set...