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The Australian Open.

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Flux

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To save the Sports Person of the Year thread from going completely off topic I thought I'd make this thread for tennis discussions and more specifically, the Australian Open.

So, who are you backing? Do you believe Murray is a serious ***le contender or do you agree with Federer's comments that he doesn't warrant being the favourite?

Personally I'm a big Nadal fan, but I don't know how he'll go. He's not known for doing well on the hard courts, but at the same time he's been working hard on that aspect of his game and could surprise a few people. I suppose we'll know after the first couple of matches.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Flux @ Jan 17 2009, 06:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
To save the Sports Person of the Year thread from going completely off topic I thought I'd make this thread for tennis discussions and more specifically, the Australian Open.

So, who are you backing? Do you believe Murray is a serious ***le contender or do you agree with Federer's comments that he doesn't warrant being the favourite?

Personally I'm a big Nadal fan, but I don't know how he'll go. He's not known for doing well on the hard courts, but at the same time he's been working hard on that aspect of his game and could surprise a few people. I suppose we'll know after the first couple of matches.[/b]

For goodness sake he's won plenty of tournaments on hard courts. Given the amount of tournaments he played in 2008 the fact that he won the Olympics on hard courts and backed that up with a semi final at the US Open more than proved that he can play on hard courts.

Murray is the form guy at the start of the year and is no doubt a contender but I'd still be backing Nadal or Federer over Murray in any major.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Jan 17 2009, 04:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (LeksoRugby @ Jan 17 2009, 12:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Could be nice to see Australian open with Jushtine Henin[/b]

unfortunately though she's been retired since May last year.
[/b][/quote]


Yeeah, I remember that moment

Now I stand for Jelena Jancovic and for Anna Ivanovic
 
at least no Sharapova this year, swear to God she should be fined for noise pollution.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Jan 18 2009, 01:29 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
For goodness sake he's won plenty of tournaments on hard courts. Given the amount of tournaments he played in 2008 the fact that he won the Olympics on hard courts and backed that up with a semi final at the US Open more than proved that he can play on hard courts.

Murray is the form guy at the start of the year and is no doubt a contender but I'd still be backing Nadal or Federer over Murray in any major.[/b]

I never said he can't win on the hard courts, just that it's a weakness in his game (or more, he's obviously better on the clay and grass courts). I also said he's been working on that aspect of his game, and like you say winning the Olympics on the hard courts and reaching his first US Open semi-final are proof of this. Perhaps with his injury lay off and a proper rest he might go on to win this. I'd like to think so.
 
Im confident Murray can take the ***le, he knows he can get to a slam final and with a half decent schedule and a bit of luck hes a serious contender. Im a Nadal fan as well but i cant see him making the final, if he meets and on form flat hitting opponent he is in major trouble. Like Monfils last week.
 
I'm hoping for another Nadal/Federer final although Murray or Djokovic are more than capable as are the likes of Simon or Roddick of going on a decent run all the way through.
 
Every year at the Australian open there's always a no name who plays well and reaches the final.. ie Baghdatis and Tsonga.

I reckon Federer will win.

Murray will under achieve.
 
I don't know much about Rochus, but he got slaughtered last night by Nadal. It's hard to judge how good Nadal really was, but a lot of his shots were absolute class and 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 is pretty damning.

No major upsets yet, but there's always one in there somewhere.
 
well the only upset in the mens has been Nalbandian getting knocked out but Venus is gone in the women's draw.
 
Well if Venus was playing anything like her sister I'm not surprised she got knocked out. Serena hasn't looked that great either.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Flux @ Jan 21 2009, 10:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
I don't know much about Rochus, but he got slaughtered last night by Nadal. It's hard to judge how good Nadal really was, but a lot of his shots were absolute class and 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 is pretty damning.

No major upsets yet, but there's always one in there somewhere.[/b]
That bloody Spaniard is just too good...amazing player last couple of years. As much a fan of Federer I am I have to take a bow to Nadal.

Nadal was not a left hander originally BTW...he was told at a young by his coach to become one so that his natural right arm would support his backhand as a leftie. Now how good is that for a player to learn to play tennis with his un-natural hand? Anyway have you seen some of the winners he hits with his backhand? Simply amazing! Players like Federer are at a loss hitting cross court to Nadals backhand because he returns them two handedly with the ferocity of a forehand. So which side do you pick on then? His coach was good enough to see that Nadal would not make it as a serve or volleyer (Sampras)...nor even as a chaser (Hewitt). He could see that Nadal would never make it simply on serve returns (Aggassi). So instead he developed Nadal to have no weak side by playing as a leftie...his left forehand is a powerful stroke and his left backhand is supported by his natural right hand. Therefore Nadal is the perfect baseline player....once he gets involved in a basline battle he has an advantage over his opponent. Federer has started losing to him (and everyone else) when the Feds service game went downhill as Federer with all his skills cannot match Nadal. Federer often plays a backhand slice when hitting it cross sourt which even though Federer plays it better than anyone else it is a weaker shot compared to the harder to hit backhand topspin. The problem is Federer can get caned by a leftie when he plays that shot as it is hitting it to the lefties forehand...and in Nadals case it is WHAM BAM! I have seen a few times Federer pummel a shot down to Nadals backhand only to see Nadal hit a semi topspin snap shot right back past him...and the look on Federers face is the look of someone who had seen something unreturnable just get returned. Then you get Fed playing Nadal on clay and with Nadal being lighter...well what you get is a thrashing.

Nadal does not have a killer serve and volley game...nor does he have the best return of serve. This is why Nadal sometimes loses to guys who have an on fire Pete/Goran type day OR who have killer serve returns. You can pretty much tell in a tight match ifNadal is gonna win or lose by how long the rallies are. If they are long baseline rallies then Nadal will have an advantage...but if the game is just serve and point....or serve return and point...then Nadal is in an area where he is weak. Pretty much Pete Sampras would have beaten him consistently with his rockets and point ending volleys though it would be something similar to his record with Aggasi. All the world needs to beat Nadal is someone who really serve well consistently. Federer lost his ability to serve 2 years ago and has struggled ever since.
 
Yet again another brilliant breakdown of sports Gay Guy, thank you for that. It's greatly appreciated. :bravo:
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Gay-Guy @ Jan 23 2009, 12:52 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Flux @ Jan 21 2009, 10:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I don't know much about Rochus, but he got slaughtered last night by Nadal. It's hard to judge how good Nadal really was, but a lot of his shots were absolute class and 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 is pretty damning.

No major upsets yet, but there's always one in there somewhere.[/b]
That bloody Spaniard is just too good...amazing player last couple of years. As much a fan of Federer I am I have to take a bow to Nadal.

Nadal was not a left hander originally BTW...he was told at a young by his coach to become one so that his natural right arm would support his backhand as a leftie. Now how good is that for a player to learn to play tennis with his un-natural hand? Anyway have you seen some of the winners he hits with his backhand? Simply amazing! Players like Federer are at a loss hitting cross court to Nadals backhand because he returns them two handedly with the ferocity of a forehand. So which side do you pick on then? His coach was good enough to see that Nadal would not make it as a serve or volleyer (Sampras)...nor even as a chaser (Hewitt). He could see that Nadal would never make it simply on serve returns (Aggassi). So instead he developed Nadal to have no weak side by playing as a leftie...his left forehand is a powerful stroke and his left backhand is supported by his natural right hand. Therefore Nadal is the perfect baseline player....once he gets involved in a basline battle he has an advantage over his opponent. Federer has started losing to him (and everyone else) when the Feds service game went downhill as Federer with all his skills cannot match Nadal. Federer often plays a backhand slice when hitting it cross sourt which even though Federer plays it better than anyone else it is a weaker shot compared to the harder to hit backhand topspin. The problem is Federer can get caned by a leftie when he plays that shot as it is hitting it to the lefties forehand...and in Nadals case it is WHAM BAM! I have seen a few times Federer pummel a shot down to Nadals backhand only to see Nadal hit a semi topspin snap shot right back past him...and the look on Federers face is the look of someone who had seen something unreturnable just get returned. Then you get Fed playing Nadal on clay and with Nadal being lighter...well what you get is a thrashing.

Nadal does not have a killer serve and volley game...nor does he have the best return of serve. This is why Nadal sometimes loses to guys who have an on fire Pete/Goran type day OR who have killer serve returns. You can pretty much tell in a tight match ifNadal is gonna win or lose by how long the rallies are. If they are long baseline rallies then Nadal will have an advantage...but if the game is just serve and point....or serve return and point...then Nadal is in an area where he is weak. Pretty much Pete Sampras would have beaten him consistently with his rockets and point ending volleys though it would be something similar to his record with Aggasi. All the world needs to beat Nadal is someone who really serve well consistently. Federer lost his ability to serve 2 years ago and has struggled ever since.
[/b][/quote]

I'd disagree with Nadal not having the best return of serve, for me he's right up there with Murray on that regard. As far as Federer's backhand is concerned he may well use the slice a fair bit but his one handed backhand is one of the best in the game. You only have to look at the Wimbledon final where Federer was serving unbelievably well yet Nadal was consistenty threatening to break serve throughout the match, it was only in the tiebreaks where Federer had no problems.
 
Nadal and Murray both looked very impressive making easy work of potentially tricky matches, thought Simon looked good as well and his next round clash with Monfils has the potential to be an absolute belter.
 
Jelena Jankovic has been knocked out by Marion Bartoli 6-1, 6-4. The biggest upset so far, perhaps?
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Flux @ Jan 25 2009, 03:29 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
Jelena Jankovic has been knocked out by Marion Bartoli 6-1, 6-4. The biggest upset so far, perhaps?[/b]

not really, Bartoli is a former Wimbledon finalist, she's seeded, so it's not like it's outside the realms of probability especially given that Jankovic is yet to win a major. It's an upset but not a major one, Venus and Ivanovic's losses were far bigger upsets imo.
 

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