Thank you Rafa and Nole

It was a great final. What a shame someone had to lose and there was no trophy for the winner. I know many are disappppointed, that their favourite didn't win (I hope you didn't really cry HE...) and one or two may be gloating that their favourite did win... but it was a great match to watch. There is an extra tension when these two players meet. Also both players know each others games so well and both players play at such a high standard its possable to see the sort of tactical play that isn't often present in other matches.

So Thank you Nole and Rafa! I can't wait until next time that Rafa will be humiliated by Nole. Hopefully at the FO or Wimbledon and in the final not the semi..

It's now complete ownership. If Nadal cant win after that semi-final set up, he'll never do it.

Agreed Rafa and Nole should always be a final no matter what. Even if they are drawn in the same half they should still only play each other in the final.

This was a historic match there are no losers. Rafa is not a loser tonight, despite what the record may show. I have nothing but love and respect for him. A credit to this game. he will lift a grandslam again shortly. The people who really have egg on their face are those who spent nearly six hours watching this match and complaining how it was boring. If this is boring give me boring all day and every day.

I watched much of a Slam final AND planted a tree. I'm a big winner.

bogbrush wrote:It's now complete ownership. If Nadal cant win after that semi-final set up, he'll never do it.

Sure, the last bastion will be Roland Garros, should Rafa, as it is now probable, be stripped off the title even there the hopes for a surprising come back would be very very slim.

socal1976 wrote:This was a historic match there are no losers. Rafa is not a loser tonight, despite what the record may show. I have nothing but love and respect for him. A credit to this game. he will lift a grandslam again shortly. The people who really have egg on their face are those who spent nearly six hours watching this match and complaining how it was boring. If this is boring give me boring all day and every day.

It was far too long, honestly. Occasionally entertaining but Nole should have close this far earlier. Today it was a matter of dalayed xmas time for Rafa......

bogbrush wrote:It's now complete ownership. If Nadal cant win after that semi-final set up, he'll never do it.

It could have gone either way I don't think you could use this as evidence of ownership. I'm still not confident about Novak against Rafa.

10/12 matches, and one of thetwo losses coming from a dodgy contact lens?

That's complete domination.

You're using stats in an unfair way similar to how other people have against Fed.

7-0 in finals to Djokovic, and you are not convinced.

You sound like a devout christian who is not convinced that there is no God...

This was a classic gentleman, a perfect advert for the modern game. yes it was physical, and what sport nowadays isn't physical. I have nothing but love for both competitors. Rafa as a novak fan I almost wish that they could share this trophy together. But I am of course happy Novak won. Is this boring tennis? I don't think so. The game won tonight the fans loved it! i know I loved it.

This was a classic gentleman, a perfect advert for the modern game. yes it was physical, and what sport nowadays isn't physical. I have nothing but love for both competitors. Rafa as a novak fan I almost wish that they could share this trophy together. But I am of course happy Novak won. Is this boring tennis? I don't think so. The game won tonight the fans loved it! i know I loved it.

The last set was top tennis, but other than that the level of tennis was not as good as it should've been. Sorry socal but you are not being objective.

well done Nole

Jeremy_Kyle wrote:

bogbrush wrote:It's now complete ownership. If Nadal cant win after that semi-final set up, he'll never do it.

Sure, the last bastion will be Roland Garros, should Rafa, as it is now probable, be stripped off the title even there the hopes for a surprising come back would be very very slim.

I think it is fair to say that RG is the one Rafa will really hate to lose, interested to see how the Olympics play out too. Nadal has made changes to his game to counter Federer at Wimbledon before so he can change things, but if he doesn't I think he will need someone else to beat Djokovic, or for him to have a poor match

Josiah Maiestas wrote:The last set was top tennis, but other than that the level of tennis was not as good as it should've been. Sorry socal but you are not being objective.

I agree, though I would say it started in that game where Djokovic played 3 fantastic points to go 0-40 up on Nadal's serve but Nadal suddenly realised how much he hates losing and showed proper sisu to get back in the game and the set and then the match

ChequeredJersey wrote:Nadal has made changes to his game to counter Federer at Wimbledon before so he can change things...

Can you please elaborate what changes Nadal made in his game to counter Federer at wimbledon?? I would love to hear this.

I switched off when Nadal went up a break in the 5th. It seemed as though he'd realized he could retrieve EVERYTHING, indeed, I was convinced he could. And his forehand was atomic, the racquet head speed was just ridiculous.
At the same time Novak was starting to look tight.

Eventually I went online to verify that Nadal had won and I found the match was still going on. I've no idea how Novak pulled it back.

Its just funny for me all the people caught in federer myopia who claim hey didn't enjoy this match but watched every second of this six hour final. OK you guys win it was boring. (extreme sarcasm). But really I don't care Novak one a brutal gutcheck.

socal1976 wrote:Its just funny for me all the people caught in federer myopia who claim hey didn't enjoy this match but watched every second of this six hour final. OK you guys win it was boring. (extreme sarcasm). But really I don't care Novak one a brutal gutcheck.

Maybe I'm missing some board history here but who are all these people? Can you name a Federer fan that is supporting Nadal over Djokovic?

socal1976 wrote:Its just funny for me all the people caught in federer myopia who claim hey didn't enjoy this match but watched every second of this six hour final. OK you guys win it was boring. (extreme sarcasm). But really I don't care Novak one a brutal gutcheck.

Soc: but didn't you just said that over in Iran you could watch only a couple of sets?? I confess the match weren't that bad had I seen only half of it

reckoner wrote:

socal1976 wrote:Its just funny for me all the people caught in federer myopia who claim hey didn't enjoy this match but watched every second of this six hour final. OK you guys win it was boring. (extreme sarcasm). But really I don't care Novak one a brutal gutcheck.

Maybe I'm missing some board history here but who are all these people? Can you name a Federer fan that is supporting Nadal over Djokovic?

Nobody has brought up Federer in this thread, does anyone know if Socal was a Djokovic fan before 2011? Cause he seems like he used to be Nadals biggest fan, then jumped bandwagons when Nole got his 2nd slam..

Josiah Maiestas wrote:

reckoner wrote:

socal1976 wrote:Its just funny for me all the people caught in federer myopia who claim hey didn't enjoy this match but watched every second of this six hour final. OK you guys win it was boring. (extreme sarcasm). But really I don't care Novak one a brutal gutcheck.

Maybe I'm missing some board history here but who are all these people? Can you name a Federer fan that is supporting Nadal over Djokovic?

Nobody has brought up Federer in this thread, does anyone know if Socal was a Djokovic fan before 2011? Cause he seems like he used to be Nadals biggest fan, then jumped bandwagons when Nole got his 2nd slam..

HA! Oh I see, well that puts rather a different context on things then lol.

Oh dear, what tangled webs we weave.

Oh dear, still chuckling. It would explain why socal is so complimentary to Nadull when Djoker just thrashed him and so desperate to stick the knife into Federer.

Well, I must confess I took great, SINCERE pleasure in Nadal looking lost in what I saw of the fifth. Still found the tennis boring though!

NOBODY must stick a knife into the legend called Roger Federer

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

ChequeredJersey wrote:Nadal has made changes to his game to counter Federer at Wimbledon before so he can change things...

Can you please elaborate what changes Nadal made in his game to counter Federer at wimbledon?? I would love to hear this.

He started working hard at his serve, and his net game (that year - 2008- was his peak in terms of volleying IMO) for Wimbledon, and then later on for the hard-courts and the USO that everyone thought he would never win (changes to court-speed accounted for) he changed his grip and service again and it payed off, though admittedly he did not play Federer in that match. Leading up to Wimbledon 2008 he also changed up his forehand on returning, started utilising his sliced backhand and became more attacking (though arguably this has slipped away recently)

noleisthebest wrote:NOBODY must stick a knife into the legend called Roger Federer

lol NITB, I appreciate the sentiment. Looks like you're set up for an awesome 2012 - all the best!

Yes I remember socal in his days on the old 606. I believe he was called FA at that time and he was a nadal fan. He was also not too keen on federer. I must admit that I became a little surprised at how easily he switched alleigance to novak.

Am I correct socal?

He was FA??

He was even more off his rocker than little old Simple_Analyst and Cat Pow

Yes he was.

In any case, thank goodness novak won.

It would have been a disaster if The Nadull had won.

Yes I was FA, I and for the record always a Novak fan. By the way JM who are you to throw stones about off your rocker, you are off your rocker if I am.

I actually really like Roger, he got me back into tennis after the boringly dull era of big servers following the Agassi-Sampras era. However there is a distinct minority of his fans that really, I mean really rub me the wrong way. Every time Roger loses its because of big balls, slow courts, doping opponents, time wasting opponents. All the great champs of today are boring, inferior, untalented etc. I actually have nothing against Roge the undisputed GOAT some of his fans though stick in my craw like day old vomit.