Raonic and Bouchard 2016 edition

[joestevens29]

Should this just be the Raonic thread? Is Bouchard even a calibre player worth talking about anymore?

Meh at least when she's playing bad her outfits are still relevant. Raonic not playing well, he's outfits just don't do it for me.

 

[IamSamIam]

Wish I wouldn't have read this thread. I PVR'd the match last night as I slept and was going to watch it tonight. Won't be as fun now that I know who won.

 

[oil slick]

Wish I wouldn't have read this thread. I PVR'd the match last night as I slept and was going to watch it tonight. Won't be as fun now that I know who won.

So you opened a thread about Raonic and are disappointing to have read the results? Opening the thread seems unwise.

 

[Replacement*]

Meh at least when she's playing bad her outfits are still relevant. Raonic not playing well, he's outfits just don't do it for me.

pictures or it never happened

please, no pictures of Raonic please.

 

[Replacement*]

Yes and Nope.

It's amazing how much better Raonic looks this season, it's as if the light switch just went on all of a sudden. He's moving well, going to the net a lot with confidence and his backhander looks a lot better. Totally different player.

He's still a pretty boring player IMO, a bit too robotic for my liking but he has the type of game that can really bother the top players. Murray will be a huge test for him obviously to see how far he really has come.

I'm going to try to watch but I'm not a fan of Raonics game and I detest Murray. Probably my least favorite player.

I'll watch just out of a Canadian allegiance.

its good if Raonic is moving better now. Always found him to be pretty service reliant.

 

[CupofOil]

I'm going to try to watch but I'm not a fan of Raonics game and I detest Murray. Probably my least favorite player.

I'll watch just out of a Canadian allegiance.

its good if Raonic is moving better now. Always found him to be pretty service reliant.

Not a big fan of his game either but his all around game looks night and day better, it's quite remarkable to see the difference. He's moving much better and his groundstrokes are more consistent.
Murray is probably the biggest test for him because he's arguably the best serve returner in the game which somewhat negates Raonic's biggest strength so he'll probably need to break Murray's serve several times to win this one.

And agreed on Murray, I don't know how anybody can be a fan of his. All the grumpiness on court gets tiresome to watch.
Really looking forward to Federer-Djokovic. I'm getting up extra early for that one. I hope that Fed can finally break through against Novak.

 

[joestevens29]

pictures or it never happened

please, no pictures of Raonic please.

I don't want the people at Wimbledon coming after me for posting what they deemed inappropriate.

 

[rboomercat90]

I'm going to try to watch but I'm not a fan of Raonics game and I detest Murray. Probably my least favorite player.

I'll watch just out of a Canadian allegiance.

its good if Raonic is moving better now. Always found him to be pretty service reliant.

He's actually putting in the effort when he isn't serving now. He broke Wawrinka 3 times in the second set the other night. That wouldn't have happened before.

 

[GMofOilers]

That serve and volley though!!!

Its how Pistol Pete stayed the best for so dam long.

 

[Replacement*]

I don't want the people at Wimbledon coming after me for posting what they deemed inappropriate.

Now you're just teasing..

 

[Replacement*]

That serve and volley though!!!

Its how Pistol Pete stayed the best for so dam long.

One of my least favorite players ever as I'm a lover of long rallies.

To me players like Sampras were the Tennis equivalent of hockeys dead puck era.

times where I thought they should just get two ball shooting machines out on the court and be done with it..



zzzzzzzzz

 

[joestevens29]

Now you're just teasing..

Welcome to women's tennis

 

[Cloned]

Welcome to women's tennis

My dream foursome...er...I mean doubles match:

Ava Ivanovic and Maria Kirilenko

vs.

Elena Dementieva and Eugenie Bouchard

 

[doulos]

Raonic and Monfils starts at 130, winner faces Andy Murray in semis. Federer gets Djokovic in the other. Would be awesome to see Milos win a grand slam

He's only halfway there, if that, The last two rounds he's facing competitions miles ahead of who he has faced.

Last 12 years (48 Grand Slam events) only 6 were not won by one of Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, or Murray. Absolutely crazy.

But who knows, maybe he can be the next Wawrinka type and steal a couple in the next few years. I'll be rooting for him for sure!

 

[guymez]

I think there needs to be a distinction between Raonics game and his on court demeanor.

Raonic has really imporved his game. Much better returning serves....better net play and volley game....better court coverage...and a better serve. His serve isnt just all power now. He is placing his serve better and hitting into the body more.
His game overall is much smarter.

The thing that will likely preclude Raonic from being a crowd favorite anywhere but Canada has to do with his on court demeanor.
He is controlled and virtually emotionless. Raonic never engages with the crowd and never reveals his frustration. He rarely if ever tries to amp himself up.
He tries very hard to remain calm and controlled and it tends to suck the energy out of the match. Thats his MO and its working really well.

Personally i couldn't care less about Raonic's on court demeanor...I care about his performance and he has really impressed me.
He is a pleasure to watch.

He has more than a punchers chance to defeat Murray and advance to the final.

 

[guymez]

I should add that the ESPN coverage and game calling is very impressive. Excellent game calling, great insights into the players game and attention to detail.
Makes a huge difference when watching a tennis game.

Kudos to ESPN.

 

[missinthejets]

One of my least favorite players ever as I'm a lover of long rallies.

To me players like Sampras were the Tennis equivalent of hockeys dead puck era.

times where I thought they should just get two ball shooting machines out on the court and be done with it..



zzzzzzzzz

No it's the long rallies that are the equivalent of the neutral zone trap. Hit the ball back and forth endlessly waiting for someone to make a mistake, that's boring tennis. Serve and volley is playing offense attempting to win points as opposed to not losing them which is what Nadal for example spent his entire career doing.

 

[missinthejets]

He's only halfway there, if that, The last two rounds he's facing competitions miles ahead of who he has faced.

Last 12 years (48 Grand Slam events) only 6 were not won by one of Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, or Murray. Absolutely crazy.

But who knows, maybe he can be the next Wawrinka type and steal a couple in the next few years. I'll be rooting for him for sure!

but two of them were by Wawrinka who he beat, which is also the same number Murray has won. Let's be honest here though, Nadal is nowhere near who he is and neither is Federer. He hasn't won a grand slam in years. Murray who knows what he's going to do, the only guy who is still currently in his best form is Djokovic. There isn't that top heavy domination anymore. I'm curious to see how long Djokovic keeps his unbeatableness going as well considering he's getting closer and closer to 30 all the time.

 

[doulos]

but two of them were by Wawrinka who he beat, which is also the same number Murray has won. Let's be honest here though, Nadal is nowhere near who he is and neither is Federer. He hasn't won a grand slam in years. Murray who knows what he's going to do, the only guy who is still currently in his best form is Djokovic. There isn't that top heavy domination anymore. I'm curious to see how long Djokovic keeps his unbeatableness going as well considering he's getting closer and closer to 30 all the time.

Good points for sure. Maybe I'm being too down on his real chances.

 

[Replacement*]

No it's the long rallies that are the equivalent of the neutral zone trap. Hit the ball back and forth endlessly waiting for someone to make a mistake, that's boring tennis. Serve and volley is playing offense attempting to win points as opposed to not losing them which is what Nadal for example spent his entire career doing.

Opinions I guess.

I love long rallies whether I'm playing or watching them and you often hear the crowd buzzing during long rallies with the longest applause usually reserved for the long and mistake free rallies.

Not sure if you play tennis but hitting a ball consistently well that is coming at you from angles at high speed is no simple thing. its not just a matter of plodding defense and hold. At all.

Serve and volley is bereft of sustained action and the crowd getting into it. its like a hockey game with endless whistles and a few secs of action at a time.

 

[shoop]

Opinions I guess.

I love long rallies whether I'm playing or watching them and you often hear the crowd buzzing during long rallies with the longest applause usually reserved for the long and mistake free rallies.

Not sure if you play tennis but hitting a ball consistently well that is coming at you from angles at high speed is no simple thing. its not just a matter of plodding defense and hold. At all.

Serve and volley is bereft of sustained action and the crowd getting into it. its like a hockey game with endless whistles and a few secs of action at a time.

Tennis is a really challenging game. As for watching matches, it really depends on the players and style of play for me.

My all-time most boring player to watch was Sampras. His style was painful to watch.

One of the best matches I've ever seen was Federer-Nadal in 2008 at Wimbledon. There were some incredibly long rallies in that match, but it was incredibly exciting.

I like Raonic's game. It would be great if he won.

Poor Genie. Maybe that fall at the U.S. Open will impact her career significantly. Whatever happened, she's not quite back.

 

[CupofOil]

but two of them were by Wawrinka who he beat, which is also the same number Murray has won. Let's be honest here though, Nadal is nowhere near who he is and neither is Federer. He hasn't won a grand slam in years. Murray who knows what he's going to do, the only guy who is still currently in his best form is Djokovic. There isn't that top heavy domination anymore. I'm curious to see how long Djokovic keeps his unbeatableness going as well considering he's getting closer and closer to 30 all the time.

That's just not true, at all.

Djokovic won 3 out of 4 majors last season, went to the finals of all 4. Federer is in his best form in years and if it wasn't for Djokovic, he would have won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

There is no "Big 4" like there was for several years prior but it's certainly a top heavy sport still. The gap between the top guys and the rest is still large or should I say more like Top 2 guys then the rest although Murray and Wawrinka can pop up every now and then and beat one of those two.

Raonic is very much improved but I still can't see him beating Djokovic or Federer in a best of 5. He'll be in tough against Murray as well.

 

[Replacement*]

Tennis is a really challenging game. As for watching matches, it really depends on the players and style of play for me.

My all-time most boring player to watch was Sampras. His style was painful to watch.

One of the best matches I've ever seen was Federer-Nadal in 2008 at Wimbledon. There were some incredibly long rallies in that match, but it was incredibly exciting.

I like Raonic's game. It would be great if he won.

Poor Genie. Maybe that fall at the U.S. Open will impact her career significantly. Whatever happened, she's not quite back.

Yep. What was worse than a Sampras-Courier game. I could literally not endure watching those two play tennis.

I certainly prefer todays game to that.

Its inaccurate as well for others to say that a baseline game doesn't involve other elements. It involves eventual winners, strong shots to come to the net with, drop shots etc.

Virtually anytime in a baseline rally a very good shot can occur. A 20 rally points beats the heck out of endless service winners or serve volleys that are foregone conclusions. Followed by servers that take forever to get that next first serve away.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

Poor Genie. Maybe that fall at the U.S. Open will impact her career significantly. Whatever happened, she's not quite back.

She was still a horrible player before she found herself incapable of being careful in a darkened room. Only reason she advanced to the R16 was because of a powder puff draw. Unreliable serve with weak placement, power and variation; below average court coverage; below average net game; wonky forehand mechanics, flat with little margin of error and average defensive ability from the baseline.

She's basically a ball bashing baseline player; good enough for 10th to 20th in the world, but she'll never consistently beat the best in the game or win a slam. Part of me would love to see her eventually match up against Serena just to see the evisceration that would transpire.



As for Milos; this kid has made unbelievable strides and is a completely different player this year. His court coverage, his movement, his net play, his volleying, his forehand, his backhand, his tennis IQ and mental fortitude; all have improved massively from at any point last season. Still not the most entertaining player to watch but he's vastly improved in that regard too. Still relies on service holds a little too much but he's no longer one dimensional and can beat almost any player on tour if he maintains this type of form going forward.

Andy will be a tough match, best defensive retriever in the game and neck and neck with Nole for the best return of serve in the game. He'll have to have a flawless serving performance if he wants to advance to his first slam final.

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

That's just not true, at all.

Djokovic won 3 out of 4 majors last season, went to the finals of all 4. Federer is in his best form in years and if it wasn't for Djokovic, he would have won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

There is no "Big 4" like there was for several years prior but it's certainly a top heavy sport still. The gap between the top guys and the rest is still large or should I say more like Top 2 guys then the rest although Murray and Wawrinka can pop up every now and then and beat one of those two.

Raonic is very much improved but I still can't see him beating Djokovic or Federer in a best of 5. He'll be in tough against Murray as well.

I believe during one of the broadcasts they said that Djokovic played 188 games last year and won 182 of them.

I haven't looked up if it's true, but I trust the broadcasters