Tennis: Australian Open 2019

[kihei]

Nadal over Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-4, 6-love--total complete control and domination. Nadal didn't wear down Stefanos so much as just blew him off the court. Really, I'm close to speechless by Rafa's performance tonight. Tsitsipas is a great fighter, but by the time the third set started, his will had been broken.

 

[kihei]

The court suits Nole better than Rafa (in theory), but if Djokovic doesn't bring his ultra-best game, Rafa looks fully capable of eating him alive, too.

 

[sfvega]

Nadal over Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-4, 6-love--total complete control and domination. Nadal didn't wear down Stefanos so much as just blew him off the court. Really, I'm close to speechless by Rafa's performance tonight. Tsitsipas is a great fighter, but by the time the third set started, his will had been broken.

It is a very different Nadal than in the past. He used to be great at running guys around then leaning on them when their gas tank started to wear away. This was somehow even more frustrating, because Tsitsipas had some good first serves and some great returns that were just completely nullified by other-worldly shot making. Stefanos wasn't feeling it in his legs like so many before him, he just simply didn't have anything in his bag of tricks that could get past Nadal. Good to see him show fight that last game though. I thought after the love break that he would have just rolled over. Good showing from him this tournament, with his biggest win ever. But Nadal just imposed his will.

 

[sfvega]

The court suits Nole better than Rafa (in theory), but if Djokovic doesn't bring his ultra-best game, Rafa looks fully capable of eating him alive, too.

It should be a phenomenal Final. The last time they met in the Final here, it could have gone either way. Nadal is better at the net and way better serving now, but Nole was on another level than everyone else last season. I wouldn't rule out an epic 5-setter, or a one-sided affair on either side. It's just very tough judging two all time greats who have had less-than-stellar roads to the Final. Nole may still be above the competition, Nadal may be every bit as dominant as he has seemed, or they could be on more equal footing than they've ever been before. Almost impossible to tell right now.

 

[Novak Djokovic]

Rafa is in much better form than Novak. Clear favorite and IF Novak makes it to the final (Pouille is no guarantee), I'd expect a fairly straight forward 4 set win for Rafa.

 

[kihei]

Rafa is in much better form than Novak. Clear favorite and IF Novak makes it to the final (Pouille is no guarantee), I'd expect a fairly straight forward 4 set win for Rafa.

So are you saying that Nole's making it to the final depends upon a Pouille-condition?

 

[kihei]

If Rafa wins here and the French is the usual walk over for him, that brings his total to 19 Grand Slams, one away from Roger. With Nole still looking like his only real competition. I hope Nadal stops at 20 but I'm not so sure he will. Of course, he has to stay healthy--a big "if." I don't mean for all this to sound hyperbolic but that performance last night was just staggering.

 

[tony d]

Rafa's still good. Federer's the best male tennis player ever but I wonder where Rafa ranks on said list.

 

[Novak Djokovic]

So are you saying that Nole's making it to the final depends upon a Pouille-condition?

Potentially. You just never know, I'm never as confident as I was in 2015/2016. He should win. But we shall find out.

 

[Asheville]

Rafa's still good. Federer's the best male tennis player ever but I wonder where Rafa ranks on said list.

2nd greatest currently, though Sunday's result will tell us if he's moving towards GOAT or 3rd greatest.

 

[MsMeow]

If Rafa ties Roger and does nothing more, he's the GOAT as far as I'm concerned.

 

[kihei]

At the moment, and maybe not for too long, Naomi Osaka is #1 in the world. Pretty impressive achievement.

 

[MsMeow]

At the moment, and maybe not for too long, Naomi Osaka is #1 in the world. Pretty impressive achievement.

I like Kvitova but I would love to see Osaka win this and enjoy it.

 

[Morozov]

Joker smacking the absolute crap out of Pouille and he looks like he's in warm up mode.

 

[kihei]

Love-2-2. Looks like Nole is in pretty good form going into Sunday. Pouille never looked like he even thought of winning, and played uninspired sloppy tennis as a result. But Nole looked very sharp and unrelenting. A good sign for the final.

 

[Hadoop]

What a beatdown by Novak.

 

[MsMeow]

Glad I didn't wake up early for that!

 

[CupofOil]

As great as the Nadal-Djokovic rivalry is which is the best of the Big 3 rivalries, I don't think it's a good thing for tennis necessarily. At some point, one of the Next Gen guys needs to break through and to be honest, they aren't even close.

So now you have one of the old guard winning another Australian Open, Nadal a guarantee to win The Rafa Open then Djokovic a heavy favourite to win the last 2 slams. The Golden Era was great but there's really no competition at the top unless injury hits. That needs to change if the sport is to move forward.

 

[CupofOil]

Rafa is in much better form than Novak. Clear favorite and IF Novak makes it to the final (Pouille is no guarantee), I'd expect a fairly straight forward 4 set win for Rafa.

No way. Djokovic at top form on a hard court is always the favourite even if only slightly over Nadal. This will be an epic battle like all their matches are historically.

 

[MeowLeafs]

It's crazy to think that even in this young man's game, the last 9 grand slam winners (including this year's AO) are still made up of the big 3. And that they're still clearly the favourites (especial Novak/Nadal) to win the slams in the foreseeable future.
And I don't believe there are any current players under 30 who have won a grand slam (mens).

 

[Asheville]

As great as the Nadal-Djokovic rivalry is which is the best of the Big 3 rivalries, I don't think it's a good thing for tennis necessarily. At some point, one of the Next Gen guys needs to break through and to be honest, they aren't even close.

So now you have one of the old guard winning another Australian Open, Nadal a guarantee to win The Rafa Open then Djokovic a heavy favourite to win the last 2 slams. The Golden Era was great but there's really no competition at the top unless injury hits. That needs to change if the sport is to move forward.

You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.

Cherish whatever time we have left and enjoy watching the three greatest tennis players ever (male or female), because it will be a very dark day when this trio steps away.

In fact, I can see attendance figures at all events plummeting and general interest in the sport doing the same when they're gone.

I'm a huge Nadal fan, and while it used to eat me up when he lost in the past, I am not all that concerned about Sunday as I am just grateful that I still get to watch him play.

 

[tony d]

That's what I dislike with tennis, to top heavy. I like to see different players winning instead of the same people winning each major.

 

[Hadoop]

That's what I dislike with tennis, to top heavy. I like to see different players winning instead of the same people winning each major.

What you said perfectly describes women's tennis the last couple of years.

 

[Hadoop]

No way. Djokovic at top form on a hard court is always the favourite even if only slightly over Nadal. This will be an epic battle like all their matches are historically.

Agreed. Nadal the by far the better player in clay, but Djokovic owns an 18-7 edge on hard courts (though they are tied 2-2 in 5-setters on hard courts). I also give Nole the edge but this is going at least 4 sets and at least 3 1/2 hours.

 

[CupofOil]

You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.

Cherish whatever time we have left and enjoy watching the three greatest tennis players ever (male or female), because it will be a very dark day when this trio steps away.

In fact, I can see attendance figures at all events plummeting and general interest in the sport doing the same when they're gone.

I'm a huge Nadal fan, and while it used to eat me up when he lost in the past, I am not all that concerned about Sunday as I am just grateful that I still get to watch him play.

Don't get me wrong, I love seeing these guys playing at the top of their game well into their 30s but I feel like it would be healthier for the sport if one of the teens/early 20s guys (especially those with tons of marketability like Shapovalov or Tsitsipas) break through and win a major or two. It's still too one sided, these semifinal blowouts aren't good for the game IMO.

Think about it, what was the biggest story of this Australian Open besides arguably the Serena upset? It was Tsitsipas beating Federer. Upsets grab attention, young rising stars grab attention and add some legit competition and storylines going forward. Right now, Nadal and Djokovic are still well ahead of the rest of the field at full health and while I get what you're saying in regards to cherishing these guys while we have them, I'd also like to see some breakthroughs to spice things up.

With that said, I'll be up first thing in the morning with my eyes glued to Djokovic/Nadal. There's always so much hype about the Federer/Nadal rivalry because of that one Wimbledon classic and with them being the two most popular figures in Men's Tennis history but for my money, Djokovic/Nadal is the best rivalry on the court in the modern era.