It’s a four-part question. It requires immense concentration from lazy freaks like you. So put that hand down - or up to fully understand.
1. Who will win the title at London?
2. How many sets will he need to win the finals?
3. What will be the score in the finals? Closest to the actual numbers will win.
4. Write a one liner or more as to why you think he will win? Like Soderling will win because he deserves it – or some such BS. If the first three answers are identical, your creativity, humor etc. on this will break the tie. Maybe I will poll the response.
And you can’t double, triple freaking dip. Just one answer. If you do make changes only your first response will be considered. So look at the numbers etc. before you vote. Cut off: Nov 21.
For mentally challenged toddlers here’s what your answer will look like (Just copy, paste and answer):
1. Verdasco.
2. Three sets.
3. 6-4, 2-6, 7-5.
4. Verdasco will win because he is still not yet done tormenting Ivanovic for the dumping.
Since this is a tough question, should I include a small prize for the winner? Like a DVD player.
Djokovic, Davydenko, Soderling etc. are just spinning their wheels for the enormous monetary gain that’s to be had.
But this final may be a lot more than just winning a title. With the massive change of guard already predicted for next season, trophy here will cast a long shadow well into the next 12 months.
No matter what Federer says publicly, he must be at least conflicted, as he has never been before, of his chances on winning a major title from now on. After all, the last four Slam appearances have been far from ‘a foregone conclusion’ with many even questioning the booty without someone on the roster.
Back to back win over both Murray and Delpo would have gone a long way in assuaging those fears and uncertainties. Even though that Murray win still sticks out as a move forward the momentum may receive a strong jolt if Delpo is able to repeat his showing in the finals against Federer.
After all, Federer had to summon some of his ‘clinical’ tennis to overcome Murray in the third set - an event that’s getting extinct by the minute, despite the obvious fitness and injury advantage Federer enjoys over practically everyone else on the tour today.
Only way for anyone to neutralize Delpo is to keep the ball low – consistently – which means tons of low slices from both wings and flatter shots hugging the court. So far just Federer has that ability over long haul, but those service return slices from Federer looping over four net sizes will only come back as monsters.
Considering where Delpo’s serve is today, it’s hard to imagine Federer being able to make any adjustments strong enough to disallow that bullet from Delpo. Least Federer can do then is to ensure he gets his first serve in and delay being broken as far as he can while looking for opportunity on Delpo’s service games.
Anything short of 65% and the encore ghost will resurrect – with increasing pain each time.
But through all this, there’s that strong indication that this Delpo showing may have been more due to mitigating circumstances similar to ones spurring Federer against Murray two days ago. After all, since the USO title Delpo has done Jack to convince anyone of his credentials for the next season.
So there’s a lot of play still to unequivocally crown anyone of the top five, excepting Nadal, to gain an insurmountable lead next year.
Last two sets may have appeared close statistically but Delpo had his foot on Federer’s neck all through those two hours. Federer was sheer lucky to have survived the second set and thereby guarantee elimination.
It all came down to pace. Sure there were some wicked angles thrown in here and there but they wouldn’t have mattered without the heat they were packed with. Federer just couldn’t move fast enough to connect the ball and the sweet spot – the staple of his existence on the tour.
Delpo’s backhand made a massive difference too leaving Federer with nowhere to go. There was no let up from either wing forcing Federer to lung and stretch constantly. If this event is any indication, Federer now clearly has too many real enemies with his own game as uncertain as it has been in years.
The need to string together the form explosion of Murray’s match is far greater considering the marginal disparity amongst the top four today with Nadal not even in the conversation.
For Delpo it was a huge win, catapulting him even further as a legit contender for the top spot and at least one Slam next year. No one on the tour has as many weapons as Federer - even on his off day – to derail Delpo game with slices, drop shots, powerful forehand etc. And if this is what Delpo is going to do to that lone tank in the jungle, rest will soon be begging for mercy.
Additionally, Delpo has been able to achieve another feat against Federer which no one has even come close to – tiring Federer long enough to take the deciding set - comfortably. Usually it’s been the other way around. Considering that fitness BS was supposed to be the biggest knock on these tree tops, it’s saying something about Delpo’s game and strategy – and the ability to execute the plan flawlessly.
All this after Federer’s own acknowledgement that he is fresh physically and mentally.
And if you are a tennis fan and are missing ANY of these matches, please softly enter your kitchen – AND DROWN YOURSELF IN THE KITCHEN SINK – NOW.
The sports world in general, and the tennis world in particular, loves kneejerk reactions. Federer was utterly written off after the the hardcourt season at the start of ‘09, only to roar back and win Madrid, RG, Wimbledon and Cincy.
It seems that Nadal is now facing a similar crucification, with all quarters declaring that he is done as a force in men’s tennis. That’s a very bold statement to make. Nadal has never – NEVER – played well post-Wimbledon. Of his 36 titles he has won only 4 (freaking 4) in the post-Wimbledon season, and one of them was on clay in Stuttgart in ‘07. Here are his results for the past 4 years:
Rogers Cincinatti Stockholm US Open China Madrid/Shanghai Paris WTF
2006 R 3 QF R 2 QF DNP QF DNP SF
2007 SF R 2 DNP R 4 DNP QF DNP SF
2008 W SF DNP SF DNP SF QF DNP
2009 QF SF DNP SF SF F SF RR
Now correct me if I’m wrong, but Nadal seems to be having a pretty damn good second half of 2009. He’s equaled his ‘08 performance in Cincy and the US Open, and IMPROVED from his ‘08 showing in China, Madrid/Shanghai and Paris (plus the WTF if you want to count that, though he didn’t play last year). The only tournament in which he did less well was the Rogers Cup, which was his first after 2 months off.
I didn’t add the Olympic win in ‘08 because that was a one-off tournament (plus it didn’t fit). Still, Nadal is having an ‘09 AT LEAST equal to ‘08, if not better. Yes, he’s had some tough defeats. However, considering his injury trouble and other personal BS, plus the fact that he’s had some harsh defeats in the past during this time, you can surely give him the benefit of the doubt.
Quite honestly this doom and gloom is baffling to me. I’m not a Nadal fan but even I have to admit that he will probably cause some major trouble for the other guys next year, especially on clay.
Finally, consider this: Nadal missed 2 months during this year, including a slam WHERE HE WAS DEFENDING, thus losing 2000 points. Despite all of this, he still had a chance to clinch the Nr. 1 spot at the WTF. Are you freaking kidding me? Djokovic has played about seven hundred million matches this year and STILL can’t break free from number 3.
Average height at most Asian countries is what 5′7″? That leaves cricket, chess, golf and those board games. The pool to match the above number is just too miniscule to produce anything sustainable consistently.
Or is it going to be done in one? Federer has tasted blood after the mauling of his tormentor yesterday. Del Potro’s win in the finals at a Slam brings him pretty close to that status to warrant an encore.
Delpo has done little since that Slam win to stake any real claim to anything. He is now pushed into validating that USO win at a time when someone is coming into his own – mercilessly. Just knowing that he lacks the retrieving ability of Murray who was eaten alive in the third set should shake Delpo somewhat.
And if Federer’ serve starts clicking even at or above 60%, this could turn into another demolition project.
Delpo needs to have a very decent first serve percentage of his own to just stay afloat. Besides, he and his camp must be hoping for the sudden spike in Fed’s game to be just an aberration and storm most likely to subside before the match starts tomorrow. After all, Verdasco did win the first set against him.
With the history Federer has had of taking steps backwards lately, it may be a legitimate crutch to hang on to. Beating Federer now, after the Murray match, will only add that much more to that W, while taking away some of the thunder Federer earned yesterday.
With Djokovic suddenly feeling the effects of the long season, Davydenko nearly about to collapse after that thriller, Verdasco just happy to win a set, Nadal nearly done with his career – this may boil to the other four clowns:
Nadal is looking worse with every freaking outing. Partly it has to do with the line up here, the other and the majority of it is due to Nadal’s own game – the kind that constantly feeds looping sit ups to be punished over and over freaking again.
Nadal should have been bageled in each set today. Even with the faltering Davydenko later in the second set, he failed to win a set. At least he broke someone here – suck on that Aunt Tony.
Nadal is getting precisely what he was asking for in being stubborn to not only see the writing on the wall regarding his fitness but to also delay adding obvious and key components to his game when he was at his peak.
Playing catch up under current conditions is not going to get it done. Maybe his parents need to take part of the blame for adding another log to the fireplace. Or was the fire already an inferno by then and nothing would have mattered anyway and this way at least there’s some near legit excuse?
Nonetheless, Nadal today appears spent and thoroughly incapable of competing at this level. Who will take him out of this misery now? He is like a boxer getting pummelled in the ring with no referee to stop the fight. He has no choice but to be degraded over and over again just because he is 23.
Add the ‘never die’ rep he has built up and you know this is going to end miserably. That’s why in most cases the old lion is killed by the one taking over the territory to avoid the humiliation from lesser lights in the jungle.
You should fold your freaking hands and utter these words:
“My Creator, I am thankful for whatever You have sent my way. If my life was to end today, I would have no regrets for the ride was fascinating. Please make this day the one where I do not breach any of your commandments. Thanks for everything.”
Guy has had a miserable time against the top ten players ever since he came out of that cave resounding with divorce, FO, Wimbledon, No. 1 rank and who knows what else.
With this line up he is like being stripped of all his clothes with no tomato cans to hide behind. Even Verdasco, with his losses, is making it look close and competitive. Nadal may not be able to come even close to it by the time he is done here.
With the only carrot worthy of producing any magic already gone, Nadal is now looking for straws to not get ridiculed and embarrassed. His next match against Davydenko who just got done playing a thriller will further cement this claim.
Nadal is like a former king now looking for mercy to be allowed to live – forget about the throne and everything else. Soderling, the weakest link on the draw, provided him a not so nice preview of what Nadal is headed for.
As things stand today, Nadal may have won his last Slam already (yes, the FO included) if not the last title in the presence of the big boys.
It will be a miracle if Nadal is able to escape with some semblance of dignity and respect by the time WTF is done. Right now just winning a set is what will get him there – forget about a win.
With everyone else pulling their weight and more, it will only add to the torture and torment – specially Verdasco. Yeah, it’s come down to that.
Sometimes it seems that weight loss is more out of the shock of divorce and personal issues than any striking career strategy.
From the findings of why women have sex, here’s one reason you might consider when you suddenly feel they are falling like flies in your lap.
“I was surprised by the importance of revenge. A few had sex in order to give someone else a sexually transmitted disease. More commonly, women’s revenge sex involved getting back at a cheating partner, or having sex with the partner of a friend who had poached her partner.”
