Early Talk about Roland Garros

[mrzz]

Where the hell is Soderling when you need him?

...said every Federer fan ever

who has also "forgotten" the 2010 RG final, the 2011 RG quarterfinal, and every other clay-court match they ever played.

No, no. I like the Stalinist/Orwellian version of history, that one where you re-write the history books. Soderling and Nadal only played once.

And yes, Soderling is not needed. Nadal 2009 was playing at least 10 times better than now. Soderling was around 23 (let's say 25) in the world at the time. So only a 250th ranked Sweede is needed now.

I would love to tease up a bit more, but you guys sometimes take it to seriously...

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Rafa needs to be taken out by this unnamed player on or before 4th round. Otherwise,
the Bull will find its way into the Chinashop.

 

[Rose]

^^I worry you just might be right!

 

[Kieran]

Rafa needs to be taken out by this unnamed player on or before 4th round. Otherwise,
the Bull will find its way into the Chinashop.

You're really on your knees praying for this Unnamed Hero of yours, eh? Who is it? Clint Eastwood? Some Chop Socky martial artist? You want somebody else to do the dirty work that Federer hasn't been up to since Young Ralph was a wet-eared greenhorn.

Rafa takes care of his own dirty business, on any surface and against anyone. That's the difference...

 

[Denis]

Rafa needs to be taken out by this unnamed player on or before 4th round. Otherwise,
the Bull will find its way into the Chinashop.

You're really on your knees praying for this Unnamed Hero of yours, eh? Who is it? Clint Eastwood? Some Chop Socky martial artist? You want somebody else to do the dirty work that Federer hasn't been up to since Young Ralph was a wet-eared greenhorn.

Rafa takes care of his own dirty business, on any surface and against anyone. That's the difference...

Yes, every time before he serves a ball.... uzzled

 

[Kieran]

Well, that's a whole nother thing!

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Rafa needs to be taken out by this unnamed player on or before 4th round. Otherwise,
the Bull will find its way into the Chinashop.

You're really on your knees praying for this Unnamed Hero of yours, eh? Who is it? Clint Eastwood? Some Chop Socky martial artist? You want somebody else to do the dirty work that Federer hasn't been up to since Young Ralph was a wet-eared greenhorn.

Rafa takes care of his own dirty business, on any surface and against anyone. That's the difference...

I am not optimistic of Fed's chances even if Rafa is taken down by somebody else.
This is not about Fed or his chances of winning.

What I was trying to say was this: Rafa was playing ugly in Madrid and still managed
to win. Rafa is playing ugly in Rome and is still in it. The thing is each ugly win adds
to confidence, no matter how ugly it may be. If he is not taken down early at RG,
he may find the long wanted form with accumulated confidence. So I am hoping
Mr. unnamed player will come forward sooner at RG than later.

 

[TsarMatt]

Stan should make the second week without much problems, but man, I just don't know with him. He is one of the those type of players whose form is too often sporadic. One moment he GOATS, the next he is pretty mediocre. He had the same issues last year, too - did well at RG and then gets knocked at in R1 at Wimbledon.

I mean, I'd put my money on him making the QF, SF or even the final, but it just depends which Stan shows up.

Clay is usually his best surface, so it wouldn't be implausible to expect him to excel at RG, but as Madrid and Rome as shown us, you just don't know...

Hopefully he'll find that consistency which is what separated the big 4 from the others for so long. Then again, I think I am being a bit too critical. I mean, the man has won a Masters 1000 and a GS so far this year. That's pretty friggin' great.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Stan should make the second week without much problems, but man, I just don't know with him. He is one of the those type of players whose form is too often sporadic. One moment he GOATS, the next he is pretty mediocre. He had the same issues last year, too - did well at RG and then gets knocked at in R1 at Wimbledon.

I mean, I'd put my money on him making the QF, SF or even the final, but it just depends which Stan shows up.

Clay is usually his best surface, so it wouldn't be implausible to expect him to excel at RG, but as Madrid and Rome as shown us, you just don't know...

Hopefully he'll find that consistency which is what separated the big 4 from the others for so long. Then again, I think I am being a bit too critical. I mean, the man has won a Masters 1000 and a GS so far this year. That's pretty friggin' great.

Actually, I expected him to lose early (which he did) in IW and M. But, I thought he
would do better in the clay season (which he did only at MC). I definitely expected better
performance from him at both Madrid and Rome. No, I am not asking him to suddenly win
everything. But, I did expect him go deeper, but he got out before QF in both Madrid
and Rome. That is too bad. May be we can give a pass for one, but not for both.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Now all Nadalites will be rooting for Fed to take out Novak at RG just like in 2011 and let
Rafa retain RG cup.

But, I still feel that Rafa will not lose to Novak at RG this year (as he would have
been taken out by Mr. Unnamed Player before he gets to meet Novak).

 

[tented]

Now all Nadalites are rooting for Fed to take out Novak at RG just like in 2011 and let
Rafa retain RG cup.

I haven't seen anyone post that, nevertheless "all".

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Now all Nadalites are rooting for Fed to take out Novak at RG just like in 2011 and let
Rafa retain RG cup.

I haven't seen anyone post that, nevertheless "all".

Corrected tense.

 

[tented]

Now all Nadalites are rooting for Fed to take out Novak at RG just like in 2011 and let
Rafa retain RG cup.

I haven't seen anyone post that, nevertheless "all".

Corrected tense.

But still not accurate, because this Nadal fan would prefer to see him play Djokovic. He must. He has to solve the riddle again, or he should just go home.

 

[nehmeth]

Now all Nadalites are rooting for Fed to take out Novak at RG just like in 2011 and let
Rafa retain RG cup.

I haven't seen anyone post that, nevertheless "all".

Yeah... that "all" word is not the best choice of descriptor. :snigger

Rafa just seems to have lapses these days. This is still Murray on clay so I'd be shocked if Rafa doesn't win the next 2 sets and pretty easily.

That wouldn't shock me either, but the larger pattern is clear. Three sets, and 3+ hours to beat Simon, three sets to take down Youzhny, losing a set 1-6 to Murray.

I'm well aware this delights certain Federer fans (*cough cough*), all Djokovic fans, and a significant percentage of the "neutrals" so at least some people are enjoying this.

 

[tented]

^ You're right. I shouldn't have used it, either.

 

[nehmeth]

No worries tented... it's just that when you called GSM on the word... I was too tempted to let it sit there all alone.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

So Nole wins RG, Nole becomes numero uno.

 

[Kieran]

Now all Nadalites will be rooting for Fed to take out Novak at RG just like in 2011 and let
Rafa retain RG cup.

But, I still feel that Rafa will not lose to Novak at RG this year (as he would have
been taken out by Mr. Unnamed Player before he gets to meet Novak).

Who? I hope he plays Novak, but he'll have to improve on the way he's playing. If he improves, it doesn't matter who he faces.

It's only Fedfans like you who look for players to help Federer out. Rafa goes through his top rivals on all surfaces to take GS titles. He doesn't go around them, or hope they lose, or hope they get injured.

He goes straight through them...

 

[DarthFed]

^ Easy to type it but I don't buy for a second that you'd be rooting for Djokovic if he plays Roger in the semis. You had to be ecstatic at the walkover Rafa received in 2011.

 

[Kieran]

I expect Rafa to improve, and if he does, I don't mind if he faces Novak. It's a better match, and who wants to win majors beating no-hopers? We always want them to beat the best, and Rafa has a great record of doing just that...