Deja Vu

Following Novak's famous press conference from Roland Garros in 2006:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plbomcLe1rI


Nadal seems to have come full circle:

http://www.espn.co.uk/tennis/sport/story/138425.html (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25LQsdf3glw - Spanish)


Fortunately, both interviews are IN ENGLISH

I am very curious to know why Nadal thinks Novak is beatable. Is it because Nadal thinks he can beat him , or does he think other players can beat him, and if so, who and how?

Got to love that confidence from a teenage Djoko after a tough defeat. That is what has helped him get to where he is now. He always had that confidence.

socal1976 wrote:Got to love that confidence from a teenage Djoko after a tough defeat. That is what has helped him get to where he is now. He always had that confidence.

Belief, Socal, BELIEF!!!!!

Wasn't Novak saying something along the lines of not having to anything special to beat Nadal in 2006 whereas this time all Nadal is saying is that Djokovic is beatable which he is entitled to say as he nearly won.

I played our club champion. I felt I had the match under complete control. I lost 6-0 6-0 5-0 RET.

Djokovic gave the interview in 2006 after he had lost the first two sets to Nadal 6-4 6-4 RET at Roland Garros. Rafael beat him in their next eight clay court meetings, not winning a clay court match until 2011.

break_in_the_fifth wrote:Wasn't Novak saying something along the lines of not having to anything special to beat Nadal in 2006 whereas this time all Nadal is saying is that Djokovic is beatable which he is entitled to say as he nearly won.

The idea was partly to give a reminder of the Old order as well as to provoke debate about how people think Novak can be beaten.

It seems it's easier to bleet about the GOATs

Nore Staat wrote:I played our club champion. I felt I had the match under complete control. I lost 6-0 6-0 5-0 RET.

Djokovic gave the interview in 2006 after he had lost the first two sets to Nadal 6-4 6-4 RET at Roland Garros. Rafael beat him in their next eight clay court meetings, not winning a clay court match until 2011.

I can't believe people don't get what belief is.... if I think about it a bit more.....I can

Djokovic can now out-Nadal Nadal. To beat Djokovic requires a different 'style'.

noleisthebest wrote:

Nore Staat wrote:I played our club champion. I felt I had the match under complete control. I lost 6-0 6-0 5-0 RET.

Djokovic gave the interview in 2006 after he had lost the first two sets to Nadal 6-4 6-4 RET at Roland Garros. Rafael beat him in their next eight clay court meetings, not winning a clay court match until 2011.

I can't believe people don't get what belief is.... if I think about it a bit more.....I can

Most people call it arrogance these days...

laverfan wrote:Djokovic can now out-Nadal Nadal. To beat Djokovic requires a different 'style'.

I watched him yesterday (surprise, surprise ) and noticed a "new" cross-court backhand with a vicious bite on it, as if he hits it with more wrist action in the last moment, completely wrong-footing the opponent.

Nole's movement's the key for him at the moment, he is always on the ball and even when he is not, due to his unreal athleticism (and unreal here is an understatement) he somehow manages to hit the ball as if he is in perfect position, just able to achieve that incredible balance, all I can say his ore training must be second to none!

I saw him in O2 against Berdych and could not believe my eyes.

laverfan wrote:Djokovic can now out-Nadal Nadal. To beat Djokovic requires a different 'style'.

Nadal nearly won doing what he does, odds are at some stage he'll get a win like that without a different style. Maybe at the French open or one of the upcoming masters he'll have his chance.

noleisthebest wrote:

laverfan wrote:Djokovic can now out-Nadal Nadal. To beat Djokovic requires a different 'style'.

I watched him yesterday (surprise, surprise ) and noticed a "new" cross-court backhand with a vicious bite on it, as if he hits it with more wrist action in the last moment, completely wrong-footing the opponent.

Nole's movement's the key for him at the moment, he is always on the ball and even when he is not, due to his unreal athleticism (and unreal here is an understatement) he somehow manages to hit the ball as if he is in perfect position, just able to achieve that incredible balance, all I can say his ore training must be second to none!

I saw him in O2 against Berdych and could not believe my eyes.

He's adding to his game I might start checking out more of his matches.

break_in_the_fifth wrote:

laverfan wrote:Djokovic can now out-Nadal Nadal. To beat Djokovic requires a different 'style'.

Nadal nearly won doing what he does, odds are at some stage he'll get a win like that without a different style. Maybe at the French open or one of the upcoming masters he'll have his chance.

I think Nadal's big advantage in AO final was that he had an extra day of rest. And no gruelling 5 setter against Murray in the semi-final.

Nadal needs to change his game completely, he's too slow for Novak. Fed is the only one who's able to take time away form him, but even that is not enough.

I'd disagree with that too as what Fed did when they last played was enough it's just that Novak won.

break_in_the_fifth wrote:I'd disagree with that too as what Fed did when they last played was enough it's just that Novak won.

Fed hat a TWO set lead....c'mooon!

Yeah somebody had to win that match and that time it was Novak but at the same time I don't think you can conclude anything about Fed not being able to take the time away enough anymore. Though I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case next time they play.

break_in_the_fifth wrote:Yeah somebody had to win that match and that time it was Novak but at the same time I don't think you can conclude anything about Fed not being able to take the time away enough anymore. Though I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case next time they play.

I didn't say Fed can't take time away from Novak. On the contrary. He's the only one who CAN do it. In tennis you generally have three opitions: tke time away from the opponent (the most difficult), blow him off the court (easy if you are big), or outfox him with crazy variety (that's very difficult as it's hard to sustain it during a long period of time plus you have to be ultra talented to HAVE the variety, Dolgopolov tried that approach at USO

Alright then That US open match was good to watch. The first set could have gone either way and then Dolgo started each of the following sets by being broken which was frustrating but you still felt he had a chance.

break_in_the_fifth wrote:Alright then That US open match was good to watch. The first set could have gone either way and then Dolgo started each of the following sets by being broken which was frustrating but you still felt he had a chance.

The only other alternative is to outNole Nole. That's what Murray is trying to do.

break_in_the_fifth wrote:

laverfan wrote:Djokovic can now out-Nadal Nadal. To beat Djokovic requires a different 'style'.

Nadal nearly won doing what he does, odds are at some stage he'll get a win like that without a different style. Maybe at the French open or one of the upcoming masters he'll have his chance.

For Rafa it's a high-risk strategy either way - for the first time in his career an opponent has emerged to budge him out of his comfort zone.

If he changes the way he plays he risks making himself more vulnerable to Djoko, and even to others.

If he keeps at 'one more heave' the odds are that he won't beat Djoko except perhaps the odd lucky win and that will eventually wear away at his motivation and success.