Australian Open 2014

yerwanthere123 · 26-01-2014 1:33pm

Pighead wrote: »

Neither of us could possibly know for certain if his back was at him during the first set. I think it was (which according to Water Lily Nadal has confirmed in the post match press conference) you don't think it was (which would mean Nadal was not telling the truth which of course is possible).

But I would say watch the first set again and note the shots were Nadal doesn't even attempt to try and get. Pat Cash commentating for the BBC noticed something wrong as well as early as the fourth game.

"Wawrinka has settled very well but Nadal actually looks slightly nervous and as if he is playing with all the pressure on him. Nadal is playing about half pace and is very tentative. I don't think he's hit one ball flat out yet."

And nothing to do with just how well Wawrinka played in that set I suppose
*sigh*

Pighead · 26-01-2014 1:34pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

When the people who watch and play tennis for a living all say they're playing faster I tend to take their word for it.

But the people who are playing don't seem to have a consensus. Although if anything most of them disagree the courts are faster. I've heard Fed, Djokovic and Murray say that the courts aren't faster. Also the tournament director said there has been no change. Nadal is pretty much the only one I've heard say they are. So whose word do you take there?

Pighead · 26-01-2014 1:42pm

yerwanthere123 wrote: »

And nothing to do with just how well Wawrinka played in that set I suppose
*sigh*

A big fan of both the roll eyes AND the *sigh*. Horrible yokes. Ha, we'll leave it there. One of us is right. We'll never know for certain which of us it was!

WaterLily. · 26-01-2014 1:44pm

yerwanthere123 wrote: »

And nothing to do with just how well Wawrinka played in that set I suppose
*sigh*

I don't think he is saying that Nadal lost the first set rather than Wawrinka won it but it was a small combination of both. Wawrinka played out of his skin, no question about that, but I thought when watching it that Nadal didn't look quite right.

MisterAnarchy · 26-01-2014 4:06pm

Taped the match and was just sitting down to watch it earlier when the phone rang and after answering it ,up pops Sports Republic and their annoying breaking news app ruining the result for me .:(

Pighead wrote: »

But the people who are playing don't seem to have a consensus. Although if anything most of them disagree the courts are faster. I've heard Fed, Djokovic and Murray say that the courts aren't faster. Also the tournament director said there has been no change. Nadal is pretty much the only one I've heard say they are. So whose word do you take there?

I think a big factor in the courts being faster this year was the extreme heat .
Matches in general were shorter ,there were also more winners than last year,that's a good indication of faster courts.
I dont really recall any marathon matches or matches over 4 hours .

When all is said and done though the court is still a medium paced hard court though.

I just read this quote by Uncle Toni before the tournament started ,its pretty funny

The spectators want a bit of rallying, a bit of tactics. People don't go to Barcelona's stadium to watch Lionel Messi taking penalties," Toni Nadal was quoted as saying in Spanish sports daily As.

"This year everything is a bit quicker, that's my feeling and also Rafa's.

"I don't know if it's because of the courts or the balls, which I think have been changed, but I don't think it's good for the spectacle," he added.

Well done Wawrinka ,his swashbuckling old fashioned style of tennis is great to watch and his backhand is a thing of beauty.
A pity we didnt have a final between two fully fit players it would have been very interesting.

SlickRic · 26-01-2014 4:28pm

the lad beat Djokovic and Nadal to win his 1st Slam.

Nadal was barely 60/70% but that's still some going.

well done to him.

MisterAnarchy · 26-01-2014 4:30pm

SlickRic wrote: »

the lad beat Djokovic and Nadal to win his 1st Slam.

First time in 21 years at a grand slam that the winner beat the first and second seeds .

Pighead · 26-01-2014 4:46pm

MisterAnarchy wrote: »

Well done Wawrinka ,his swashbuckling old fashioned style of tennis is great to watch and his backhand is a thing of beauty.

Agreed. Is there a better backhand in the game? Don't think so. Have to say I never thought he'd win a slam given Fed/Novak/Nadal/Murray's dominance but I'm delighted he did. He's nearly 29 as well so was running out of time.

RosyLily · 26-01-2014 4:47pm

First #8 seed to win Aussie since Brian Teacher

yerwanthere123 · 26-01-2014 4:54pm

RosyLily wrote: »

First #8 seed to win Aussie since Brian Teacher

Had to look him up on Wikipedia

The Australian Open really was a free-for-all back then!

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 26-01-2014 4:55pm

Everyone keeps saying it but I hope some of the other players actually take inspiration from Stan's win and start to believe they can win when they step out on the court against these players.
Not that Dimitrov was ever going to beat Rafa but his crying afterwards is the kind of attitude you want players to have. You get sick of seeing players smiling and laughing when they take one game against a top player. Dimitrov obviously believed he could win that match, realistic or not, that's the kind of attitude you need to have.
So yeah, hopefully the guys that actually have the talent and ability to win Slams might start doing it now.

Same in the women's. Cibulkova said she was inspired by Bartoli winning Wimbledon last year, it made her believe that any of them could do it.

mickmackey1 · 26-01-2014 5:21pm

It really could happen, the big 4 are all showing signs of cracking up.

walshb · 26-01-2014 5:25pm

yerwanthere123 wrote: »

And nothing to do with just how well Wawrinka played in that set I suppose
*sigh*

I don't think anyone is saying that Stan did not play superb in set 1. But Nadal may well have been off his form in the first 10-11 games. Just because he only had the MTO in set 2 doesn't mean he was fully fit pre MTO.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 26-01-2014 5:29pm

Some bar in Melbourne apparently refused to serve Stan and his team because they don't serve groups of 10 or more! They just missed out on a hefty bar tab, idiots.

walshb · 26-01-2014 5:41pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Some bar in Melbourne apparently refused to serve Stan and his team because they don't serve groups of 10 or more! They just missed out on a hefty bar tab, idiots.

Rules are rules!

Tennis Ball · 26-01-2014 7:01pm

walshb wrote: »

Rules are rules!

Someone should tell the umpire that in Nadal's matches. Maybe they"ll actually enforce the time violation rule between points.

walshb · 26-01-2014 8:46pm

Stan's BH is the best in tennis today.

Tennis Ball · 26-01-2014 8:55pm

walshb wrote: »

Stan's BH is the best in tennis today.

Best single hander for sure. Not sure if best overall.

Pighead · 26-01-2014 10:11pm

Tennis Ball wrote: »

Best single hander for sure. Not sure if best overall.

Only Gasquet can match him but personally I prefer Stan's.

the_monkey · 26-01-2014 10:33pm

If Nadal was 100% he would have won ....

blah blah blah

If my Auntie had bollocks she'd be my uncle ....

Congrats Stan !!!

walshb · 26-01-2014 10:38pm

the_monkey wrote: »

If Nadal was 100% he would have won ....

blah blah blah

If my Auntie had bollocks she'd be my uncle ....

Congrats Stan !!!

Funny seeing as when Novak was knocked out you had Nadal as a dead cert!

the_monkey · 26-01-2014 10:39pm

walshb wrote: »

Funny seeing as when Novak was knocked out you had Nadal as a dead cert!

I did indeed, I'm stunned ...

Tennis Ball · 26-01-2014 10:44pm

Pighead wrote: »

Only Gasquet can match him but personally I prefer Stan's.

Gasquet's is lovely to look at, but doesn't have the power and effectiveness of Wawrinka's.

walshb · 26-01-2014 10:48pm

Tennis Ball wrote: »

Gasquet's is lovely to look at, but doesn't have the power and effectiveness of Wawrinka's.

I'd agree. Gasquest's BH is his one true weapon, and for this it gets "extra" admiration. It lacks the smoothness and accuracy of Stan's and Federer's.

walshb · 27-01-2014 1:59pm

Having watched the first set and a half I think Nadal was just overpowered and even without injury I think he loses. Stan's ball connection was sublime. He ran Nadal ragged.

walshb · 27-01-2014 4:49pm

The other injury that must have been just as impacting was his blisters on his left hand. That had to hinder him. Not sure how the hand was on the day, but in the semi it looked nasty.

walshb · 27-01-2014 5:45pm

Great read on Stan's tactics:

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2014/01/5/Australian-Open-Brain-Game-Nadal-Wawrinka.aspx

Looks easy, but it had to be performed with brilliant and consistent ball striking. He did that so well in the first 10-11 games.

mickmackey1 · 27-01-2014 5:57pm

This is pretty interesting... 80 years ago today Fred Perry won the Australian, seems to me the pace is slower than the warm-up these days

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/video/1934-tennis-legend-fred-perry-113807941.html?format=embed&player_autoplay=false

Mousewar · 27-01-2014 5:59pm

mickmackey1 wrote: »

This is pretty interesting... 80 years ago today Fred Perry won the Australian, seems to me the pace is slower than the warm-up these days

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/video/1934-tennis-legend-fred-perry-113807941.html?format=embed&player_autoplay=false

Jolly good show!

walshb · 27-01-2014 6:04pm

mickmackey1 wrote: »

This is pretty interesting... 80 years ago today Fred Perry won the Australian, seems to me the pace is slower than the warm-up these days

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/video/1934-tennis-legend-fred-perry-113807941.html?format=embed&player_autoplay=false

Are they afraid to put any welly into it?

Australian Open 2014

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