Nole Slam in 2016?

Front242

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Would be nice if someone broke into the AO stadium and changed the surface back to the much more exciting Rebound Ace :snicker Then Novak's chances of winning would change massively.
 

Carol

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El Dude said:
At this point it is hard imagining Rafa ever beating Novak again. Watching their last few matches reminded me of Roger playing someone like Richard Gasquet or David Ferrer - it is like Roger envelops and surpasses them in every way, so there is just no way either could ever beat him. And so it is with Novak 15 and Rafa 15, even at the end.

But I'm not ready to write Rafa off yet at Roland Garros. I can see a scenario where he is possessed by some ancient Spanish spirit and destroys the clay season, culminating at Roland Garros and then excelling for a couple more matches through sheer momentum before collapsing at Wimbledon. But even so, while Novak might drop a half step, he's like two steps ahead of everyone else and three steps ahead of Rafa - so Rafa would have to reclaim his best to beat him. Can anyone, even Rafa's superfan Carol, envision that?

And AO? For some reason I'm thinking Andy.

Oops, I've just read your comment.......and are you talking about "superfan" who ? really funny :snicker



There is not necessary to be a superfan to see the reality. Maybe Rafa will have to play his best to beat Novak but this last one will have to do the same if Rafa plays better than this past year and maybe it could happen before you think. Everybody knows how bad Rafa has played for months, he was far to be himself so it means that he did drop not just half step but probably three steps (very convenient for Novak, Federer, Murray and Stan too) so we should wait and to see how this year goes, AO, RG, Wimbledon and USO. but be careful to bet too hard just for one or two players, you could lose.....:D
 

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Nole win the Grand Slam in 2016? In a word - No. How many guys have completed the Slam AFTER turning 29? One - Rod Laver. and Nole ain't no Rod Laver. Furthermore, I don't see him repeating 11 titles like he did in 2015. He has yet to prove he can put togetheer back-to-back GREAT YEARS. In fact - neither has Nadal. The only player to put together back-to-back seasons with 10 ore more titles is Federer and he did it 3 times in a row.
 

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Busted said:
Nole win the Grand Slam in 2016? In a word - No. How many guys have completed the Slam AFTER turning 29? One - Rod Laver. and Nole ain't no Rod Laver. Furthermore, I don't see him repeating 11 titles like he did in 2015. He has yet to prove he can put together back-to-back GREAT YEARS. In fact - neither has Nadal. The only player to put together back-to-back seasons with 10 ore more titles is Federer and he did it 3 times in a row.

I'm not greedy; perfectly happy with 2 majors and 4 Masters! The FO and Cincy to complete his resume would be nice and knock Rafa out of the running of GOAT for all time! He'll never catch up to the records Nole will set in the next 3 years IMO! :shy: :angel: :dodgy: :p
 

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I think people are misinterpreting what Nole slam means. It doesn't mean grand slam, ie all 4 in one year. It means he has to win the French Open, thus he'd have won at all slams.
 

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To be really technical it means winning the AO and French I guess so he holds them all at once from Wimbledon through to RG.
 

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It's very possible again. But I'd say his chances at this point of 2012 looked very good as well.
 

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DarthFed said:
It's very possible again. But I'd say his chances at this point of 2012 looked very good as well.

The difference is what '12 AO final may have done to him; 5:53 almost did him in I'm sure! It probably affected the rest of his season allowing Rafa to have a decent '12 & '13 even though Nole was still #1 throughout in the ITF! :dodgy:
 

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Front242 said:
To be really technical it means winning the AO and French I guess so he holds them all at once from Wimbledon through to RG.

I think it's doable.

If he wins Wimbledon and stands on the brink of the real Grand Slam (at the US Open), I'm not sure but that the nerves might do him in there. We'll see. I'd be wearing adult diapers to every match.
 

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Laver is encouraging Novak to go for the real Grand Slam.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-29/rod-laver-urges-novak-djokovic-grand-slam-australian-open/7126498
 

Front242

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Thing is, Novak was not one win short of winning the grand slam last year since that would mean he would've had to have lost in the USO final. In reality he wasn't even close to winning the grand slam last year since he lost his chance right after Roland Garros.
 

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Front242 said:
Thing is, Novak was not one win short of winning the Grand Slam last year since that would mean he would've had to have lost in the USO final. In reality he wasn't even close to winning the Grand Slam last year since he lost his chance right after Roland Garros.

Technically, but we all know that is how 2015 will be described until the end of time; Nole and Serena were a heartbeat away from GS immortality! :nono :cover
 

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Front242 said:
Thing is, Novak was not one win short of winning the grand slam last year since that would mean he would've had to have lost in the USO final. In reality he wasn't even close to winning the grand slam last year since he lost his chance right after Roland Garros.

Correct.

He's only 8 wins away from a Nole slam. :snicker

I just thought it was cool that Laver (a huge Fedfan) would publicly encourage Novak to make the Grand Slam his goal.
 

Front242

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Fiero425 said:
Front242 said:
Thing is, Novak was not one win short of winning the Grand Slam last year since that would mean he would've had to have lost in the USO final. In reality he wasn't even close to winning the Grand Slam last year since he lost his chance right after Roland Garros.

Technically, but we all know that is how 2015 will be described until the end of time; Nole and Serena were a heartbeat away from GS immortality! :nono :cover

Serena was two matches away from winning the grand slam as she won 26 of the required 28 whereas Novak's hope to win the grand slam ended with his 13th match. Sorry to let facts get in the way but only one of the two of them had any real shot at it :p
 

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Front242 said:
Fiero425 said:
Front242 said:
Thing is, Novak was not one win short of winning the Grand Slam last year since that would mean he would've had to have lost in the USO final. In reality he wasn't even close to winning the Grand Slam last year since he lost his chance right after Roland Garros.

Technically, but we all know that is how 2015 will be described until the end of time; Nole and Serena were a heartbeat away from GS immortality! :nono :cover

Serena was two matches away from winning the grand slam as she won 26 of the required 28 whereas Novak's hope to win the grand slam ended with his 13th match. Sorry to let facts get in the way but only one of the two of them had any real shot at it :p

I doubt you're sorry at all. :snicker It is accurate to say that Novak got further in all four slams than Serena did last year. It is accurate to say neither one of them made it.

As Laver said in the article, whoever wins the Australian open is one leg up on the Grand Slam. After Sunday that will be either Andy or Novak. :)
 

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For Novak to win the calendar year slam, he'd have to win six majors in a row. He's won 3 in a row, once. It seems to me that some player in the next ten years will achieve the equivalent of the Serena Slam in men's tennis, because that's the way things are laid out now, but all in one year? I don't think so... :popcorn
 

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Kieran said:
For Novak to win the calendar year slam, he'd have to win six majors in a row. He's won 3 in a row, once. It seems to me that some player in the next ten years will achieve the equivalent of the Serena Slam in men's tennis, because that's the way things are laid out now, but all in one year? I don't think so... :popcorn

When you put it that way -- "six majors in a row" -- it does seem unlikely.
 

nehmeth

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That would be mind boggling. If he does win on Sunday, then the pressure is back on at the French, not just to win it for the first time, but to also complete his version of the Serena Slam. Egg or no, that's a huge amount of mental pressure.
 

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nehmeth said:
That would be mind boggling. If he does win on Sunday, then the pressure is back on at the French, not just to win it for the first time, but to also complete his version of the Serena Slam. Egg or no, that's a huge amount of mental pressure.

Don't worry man, he is winning the RG this year...that's the good news. But he is losing to Milos at Wimby, which might upset you a bit :snicker