Tennis: Australian Open 2016 II

[Tuggy]

Raonic hanging tough despite the injury but he'll need some magic to win this 5th set.

Click to read more...

 

[Tuggy]

And that should be it...

 

[theaub]

Great fight from Milos

Hopefully he is OK for Indian Wells

 

[Tuggy]

Great run for Milos, very unfortunate time for an injury when you are leading in a GS SF. Hopefully the injury is nothing serious, because his game has been looking really good in 2016.

Both finals should be straight forward I would think.

 

[kihei]

Plateau-changing tournament for Milos maybe. Hope the injury heals quickly.

Thoroughly professional work by Murray who displayed the art of hanging in there.

 

[rangerssharks414]

I didn't watch, but I was following on my phone.

I wanted Raonic to win...

 

[MsMeow]

I PVR'd it. Great tourney for Milos, hopefully the injury isn't too bad.

 

[theaub]

What really disappoints me is I don't even think Milos played that well. His ground strokes (well, the backhand at least) were absolutely atrocious for the first 2.5 sets. Then he started smashing backhand winners and played a perfect tiebreak, and then unfortunately the injury was too much.

Based on his interview it didn't sound too promising either.

I guess it is a positive that he is now hanging with top five guys without playing at an absolutely perfect level, but....what a missed opportunity

 

[Panteras]

Milos is still relatively young so is Nishikori so hopefully one of them will be the next to win a slam. I can't say I'm am expert on the young talent coming into tennis but doesn't seem like we are going to see the likes of Federer, Djoko, Nadals winning slams at early ages and dominating and so forth at least for a while. Anyways not sure Murray can pull it off would be great if he does even though I don't care for him.

 

[kihei]

Is this the first time that we have gotten to a "Part II" of a Grand Slam tournament?

 

[Novak Djokovic]

Djokovic is such an overwhelming favorite that Murray will end up winning.

If history is any indication, it will be an ugly match with plenty of service breaks, patented Djokovic losing of concentration in the 2nd or 3rd set, Andy dominating followed by disappearing, etc.

Key: who can keep up a higher first serve % and who can somewhat protect their 2nd serve

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

Djokovic is such an overwhelming favorite that Murray will end up winning.

If history is any indication, it will be an ugly match with plenty of service breaks, patented Djokovic losing of concentration in the 2nd or 3rd set, Andy dominating followed by disappearing, etc.

Key: who can keep up a higher first serve % and who can somewhat protect their 2nd serve

I can't tell if your pessimism is real or if it's a joke.

Novak is in Serena territory where the only way he loses is if he beats himself. It's funny to think back to when he was trying to crack into Federer and Nadal and the question always surrounded his mental toughness.

I'm not sure that there's ever been a player (certainly not that I can't recall watching) that has the mental toughness that Djokovic has today.

He's going to wipe the floor with Murray.

 

[Hadoop]

Is this the first time that we have gotten to a "Part II" of a Grand Slam tournament?

If so it's a seminal moment.

 

[Shrimper]

Prediction:

Serena 6-4, 6-2

Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, 6-4

 

[kanuck87]

What really disappoints me is I don't even think Milos played that well. His ground strokes (well, the backhand at least) were absolutely atrocious for the first 2.5 sets. Then he started smashing backhand winners and played a perfect tiebreak, and then unfortunately the injury was too much.

Based on his interview it didn't sound too promising either.

I guess it is a positive that he is now hanging with top five guys without playing at an absolutely perfect level, but....what a missed opportunity

This is what I'm most optimistic about. He's already beaten Federer and Wawrinka in 2016, and he gave Murray, a guy who's type of game Raonic has often folded against, all he could handle.

It's easily the best Milos Raonic I've ever seen and I think it's sustainable.

 

[Tuggy]

Is this the first time that we have gotten to a "Part II" of a Grand Slam tournament?

Looks like it. The 2012 Aussie Open hit 1000 but the tournament was finished, so this will be the longest by a good margin!

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

The deeper the Canadians go in a major tournament, the better chance the thread will reach a second part, especially if the matches are played in a non-Australian time zone and at a reasonable hour for Canadians to watch live and participate in the thread during the QF/SF/F matches.

 

[kihei]

Looks like it. The 2012 Aussie Open hit 1000 but the tournament was finished, so this will be the longest by a good margin!

Somehow I would have thought the Australian Open would be the least likely of the Slams, based on time zone and relative stature vis a vis the other Slams, to accomplish this feat. I guess the new Milos sparked a lot of curiosity.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

Djokovic is such an overwhelming favorite that Murray will end up winning.

If history is any indication, it will be an ugly match with plenty of service breaks, patented Djokovic losing of concentration in the 2nd or 3rd set, Andy dominating followed by disappearing, etc.

Key: who can keep up a higher first serve % and who can somewhat protect their 2nd serve

You're more pessimistic than I am with my Denver Broncos and Serena Williams lol.

 

[MsMeow]

Is this the first time that we have gotten to a "Part II" of a Grand Slam tournament?

That was my first thought when I saw the old thread this morning. Wow.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

That was my first thought when I saw the old thread this morning. Wow.

Well hello

No chance of people mistaking our posts anymore.

 

[MsMeow]

Well hello

No chance of people mistaking our posts anymore.

LOL, you just noticed? I like it!

 

[Loosie]

Somehow I would have thought the Australian Open would be the least likely of the Slams, based on time zone and relative stature vis a vis the other Slams, to accomplish this feat. I guess the new Milos sparked a lot of curiosity.

His early round matches we at least at a watchable time.

 

[kihei]

I'm going to watch the match tonight. Sure Williams is an overwhelming favourite, but Serena being Serena, a win never comes with an absolute guarantee. Hard to see what Kerber has that can hurt her, but if memory serves, Angelique will be the first lefty Serena faces in the tournament. So that provides a little wrinkle for Williams to contend with. Regardless of a couple bumps along the way, Serena in straight sets is my guess.

 

[Serac]

Aussie open will always be favourite tournament
Impressive showing by Raonic

Wasn't sold on him coming into the tournament (didn't see his play in the tournament right be the Aussie where he beat Fed) but I am definitely a but higher in him now
His net game is still a but awkward at times, but considering his age, he has quite a bit of time to round that out

I await a grand slam final of Raonic - Nishikori some day