Early Roland Garros Chat

[GameSetAndMath]

Rod Laver says Fed can win RG'17 .

 

[Kieran]

Rod Laver says Fed can win RG'17 .

Trust me, if you think Tignor's jinx is bad, the twin curses of Borg and Laver are a whole nother level of the black arts... :devil

 

[mightyjeditribble]

Rod Laver says Fed can win RG'17 .

Well, of course he can. Just as Nadal CAN win Wimbledon.

Whether he WILL is another question entirely, and certainly other people are more likely to do it.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[El Dude]

I think Roger's chances at RG are a bit higher than Rafa's at Wimbledon, although both are far from favorites.

As Laver, he didn't predict Federer would win, just that he could - that it wouldn't be "far reaching." Not sure how that is a prediction?

 

[Fiero425]

I think Roger's chances at RG are a bit higher than Rafa's at Wimbledon, although both are far from favorites.

As Laver, he didn't predict Federer would win, just that he could - that it wouldn't be "far reaching." Not sure how that is a prediction?

It'll wind up just being another entry in my blog about the gutlessness of this era of so called top players! There were bursts of brilliance from a select few, but someone like Dimitrov hasn't even made a big final! The other players who have the tools are stunted mentally and no matter how much they work out and assemble teams to get where they want; it's all for naught! Those "also-rans" who underachieved allowing just 4 players to rule weight the list like no era I can think of! There is the greatness of the "Big 4," but there's got to be more than the homogenization of the courts! If Fedal continues their resurgence, it might be the end of tennis IMO! New kids can't look up to Granpa Fed; didn't work 10 years ago even with me getting bored! It was pushing me to watch more women's tennis! I still have hopes for Theim, Sasha Zverev, & Pouille, but only time will tell I guess! In 2 months, all should be clear after the FO & Wimbledon! :nono :angel: :dodgy: - - - - http://fiero4251.blogspot.com/2016/08/fan-page-novak-nole-djokovic.html - - - -

 

[Front242]

Haven't been impressed at all by anyone this clay season so Roger winning RG wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

 

[El Dude]

I think Roger's chances at RG are a bit higher than Rafa's at Wimbledon, although both are far from favorites.

As Laver, he didn't predict Federer would win, just that he could - that it wouldn't be "far reaching." Not sure how that is a prediction?

It'll wind up just being another entry in my blog about the gutlessness of this era of so called top players! There were bursts of brilliance from a select few, but someone like Dimitrov hasn't even made a big final! The other players who have the tools are stunted mentally and no matter how much they work out and assemble teams to get where they want; it's all for naught! Those "also-rans" who underachieved allowing just 4 players to rule weight the list like no era I can think of! There is the greatness of the "Big 4," but there's got to be more than the homogenization of the courts! If Fedal continues their resurgence, it might be the end of tennis IMO! New kids can't look up to Granpa Fed; didn't work 10 years ago even with me getting bored! It was pushing me to watch more women's tennis! I still have hopes for Theim, Sasha Zverev, & Pouille, but only time will tell I guess! In 2 months, all should be clear after the FO & Wimbledon! :nono :angel: :dodgy: - - - - http://fiero4251.blogspot.com/2016/08/fan-page-novak-nole-djokovic.html - - - -

Holy Hyperbole, Batman! Seriously though, however long the Fedal resurgence lasts, it won't be forever - and probably not more than this year. From the perspective of wanting to see fresh blood take the lead, I suppose the worst case scenario is that where 2017 might be the year of a Fedal Revival, 2018 could be Novandy, which would be terribly boring (imo). But even then, the Big Four can't hang on forever. They're going to be losing more and more, getting upset by younger and hungrier players.

It is time to give up on Milos-Kei-Grigor, at least as far as reaching the top. Actually, it was probably time a year or two ago. I wouldn't be surprised if they become only generation of the Open Era that doesn't have a #1 player. The baton will probably be passed over them, from the Big Four to someone like Kyrgios or Zverev (I don't see Thiem or Pouille being more than second tier players).

But i just disagree with your apocalyptic view on tennis. If anything, 2017 has been far more interesting than I thought it would be. Fedal is a far more interesting duo (imo) than Novandy, and their shared resurgence is the stuff of legends. It won't last, but I'm glad it is happening. But what is most exciting about the year going forward is that we have no clue what will happen. How high will Rafa go? Will Roger continue his high level of play when he comes back? Will Novandy resurge? Which of the younger generation(s) will break through first with a big title? I'm certainly excited to find out.

Now maybe we fast forward to December and look back at another year in which the Big Four (or Five) split all of the big titles. I will be disappointed that we didn't see a breakthrough from a young guy, whether the "Young Gun" generation (1989-93) or the "NextGen" (1994-98ish). But at least we'll have had the drama of the Fedal revival.

 

[El Dude]

Somehow Madrid got caught up in Roland Garros, so I thought I'd bring it over here. Here are some categories for RG. In rough order of probability...

His to lose: Rafa
If they're hot and luck is on their side: Stan, Roger
If I have to pick a new/young player: Thiem
Hard to see here to there, but can't count them out: Novak, Andy
Not much more than a snowball's chance, but worth mentioning: Nishi, Cilic, Dimitrov, Goffin, Pouille, Carreno Busta, Tsonga, del Potro
"So you're saying there's a chance!": Milos, Kyrgios, Cuevas, Ramos, Schwartzman, Bautista Agut, Ferrer, Berdy

 

[Shivashish Sarkar]

I think Roger's chances at RG are a bit higher than Rafa's at Wimbledon, although both are far from favorites.

As Laver, he didn't predict Federer would win, just that he could - that it wouldn't be "far reaching." Not sure how that is a prediction?

It'll wind up just being another entry in my blog about the gutlessness of this era of so called top players! There were bursts of brilliance from a select few, but someone like Dimitrov hasn't even made a big final! The other players who have the tools are stunted mentally and no matter how much they work out and assemble teams to get where they want; it's all for naught! Those "also-rans" who underachieved allowing just 4 players to rule weight the list like no era I can think of! There is the greatness of the "Big 4," but there's got to be more than the homogenization of the courts! If Fedal continues their resurgence, it might be the end of tennis IMO! New kids can't look up to Granpa Fed; didn't work 10 years ago even with me getting bored! It was pushing me to watch more women's tennis! I still have hopes for Theim, Sasha Zverev, & Pouille, but only time will tell I guess! In 2 months, all should be clear after the FO & Wimbledon! :nono :angel: :dodgy: - - - - http://fiero4251.blogspot.com/2016/08/fan-page-novak-nole-djokovic.html - - - -

It isn't about gutlessness. Old guys are very good. New guys just don't have a great ceiling.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

If Fed becomes #1 and Rafa becomes #2 by year end, order will be restored (just as in 2005). :laydownlaughing It will be even more fun, if they both stay there for a couple of years or so. :lolz:

 

[Kieran]

Somehow Madrid got caught up in Roland Garros, so I thought I'd bring it over here. Here are some categories for RG. In rough order of probability...

His to lose: Rafa
If they're hot and luck is on their side: Stan, Roger
If I have to pick a new/young player: Thiem
Hard to see here to there, but can't count them out: Novak, Andy
Not much more than a snowball's chance, but worth mentioning: Nishi, Cilic, Dimitrov, Goffin, Pouille, Carreno Busta, Tsonga, del Potro
"So you're saying there's a chance!": Milos, Kyrgios, Cuevas, Ramos, Schwartzman, Bautista Agut, Ferrer, Berdy

I wouldn't mind to see Thiem, or some other youngster winning Paris, if Rafa doesn't. I think the old guard are great, but their grip on things is getting ridiculous. It just makes all the rest of the field look like chump change, which they have been since about 15 years now. The trick to making a breakthrough isn't that you wait til the older players are six feet under: it's that you get them in a ballsy brawl - and slay 'em. And if you fail once, fail again, fail bigger, as Stan's tattoo says.

This kind of attitude has been more or less dead in the field for a long time now. They're smug, well-paid, happy to be here!

I certainly wouldn't count Novak or Andy out of it. When players like this - and especially Novak - get through a few rounds, they have the nous and will to make special things happen. And most especially if they get stool-pigeons in their way, and even more most especially when Rafa comes up short, for whatever reason. It's not an open field this year, but Thiem's presence in a couple of finals already on clay is a good sign for everybody...

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Current odds as per bookies for winning RG.

Rafa 6/5
Novak 9/2
Andy 8
Stan 12
Fed 15
Thiem 18

 

[GameSetAndMath]

In 2007, Fed stopped Rafa's 81 match winning streak on clay by winning Hamburg final and that too with a Bagel in the deciding set. Who is to say, he cannot stop Rafa again in 2017?

 

[Kieran]

You're kidding, right? :laydownlaughing

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Current odds as per bookies for winning RG.

Rafa 6/5
Novak 9/2
Andy 8
Stan 12
Fed 15
Thiem 18

My current ordering of them

1. Rafa
2. Fed
3. Stan
4. Thiem
5. Novak
6. Andy

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Thiem moves up to 7 in rankings. Rafa moves up to 4. Roger goes down to 5.

This would mean that Thiem cannot possibly be in Roger's quarter. I think that is a good thing.
With such heavy shots, it is not difficult to imagine Thiem taking out Roger on clay, a la Gulbis.
Now, that cannot happen.

Roger will get some lame duck quarterfinals opponent such as Nole or Andy. :snicker :lolz:

 

[the AntiPusher]

Federer withdraws from the French Open

I have stated for weeks that he never intended to participate and its a smart move to increase his chances on grass tournaments.

 

[Moxie]

Federer withdraws from the French Open

I have stated for weeks that he never intended to participate and its a smart move to increase his chances on grass tournaments.

Just heard that, too. Since he didn't take a WC to Rome, I'm not shocked.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Too bad. I was hoping Fed will play at least RG. With Andy and Novak being in terrible form, he still had an outside chance at going deep, even if he does not win.

The only good thing is that his announcement on his web page says that he looks forward to seeing the French fans in next years RG. So, it is not a rest of the career decision. He knows that he is in good form. So, perhaps he is trying to maximize his chances of winning one or two more slams this year before he becomes too old.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Too bad. I was hoping Fed will play at least RG. With Andy and Novak being in terrible form, he still had an outside chance at going deep, even if he does not win.

The only good thing is that his announcement on his web page says that he looks forward to seeing the French fans in next years RG. So, it is not a rest of the career decision. He knows that he is in good form. So, perhaps he is trying to maximize his chances of winning one or two more slams this year before he becomes too old.

Do you actually believe a 37 year old tennis player is gonna play RG next year because he announced it on his website? Come on, let's me tell you a tale about a bigot reality television show guy trying to be the President of the free world.