Madrid Masters - Day 3 thread

[lydian]

Just a thread for todays matches...I havent got time to post the matches on today but a good link I find is using Google search on the current tournament, e.g. http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&gs_nf=1&cp=9&gs_id=10&xhr=t&q=madrid+open&pf=p&safe=off&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&oq=madrid+op&aq=0z&aqi=g-z2g2&aql=&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=1dce7cc5f68d83de&biw=1280&bih=746
Then expand the view.

All eyes on Federer vs Raonic at 8pm.
Youzhny vs Delpo at 6pm should be interesting too.

Current: I see Nadal is outplaying Davy...and served 5 aces in almost as many service games, clearly that shot is clicking. Seems on good form and Davy having trouble containing him. Looks more like the Nadal of old, using the angles well, and THAT forehand is moving Davy all over the shop.

[lydian]

6-2, 5-2...some wow shots from Nadal today from the little I've seen. The blue clay seems to play more and more like a hardcourt with sand on top to make it slippy...looks to be getting harder and harder as the days go on and the forecast is for hot weather all week (>30c).

[lags72]

However well Rafa is playing you would have hoped for something a little better from Davy.

But then he's been fading for a good while, with only one win over a top tenner in the last 18 months or so. Oddly enough that was against Rafa.

[Haddie-nuff]

Looking forward to seeing what Fed makes of Sampras Mark II
Personally I think Fed will hold him off... he is still nippy around the court and Raonic is a bit heavy footed to me.

As for Rafa.. well if this is how he is on the "not too happy" blue clay.. will look forward to watching him back on rhe red stuff.

[lydian]

Agreed lags, as good as Rafa was (and he was good today) Davy wasnt really at the races.

Yep Haddie, Rafa looks quite happy on the stuff, not sliding too much...but then we know how good his movement is on this surface in general.
lol Sampras Mark II...not sure he's that good...however, his serve on this surface will be a nightmare for any player, Fed included. We'll see how rusty Fed is later...speaking of which from the little I saw of him recently he looks to have gained a little weight during his break??? Might have been the angles...

[lags72]

Maybe he's been making use of the Swiss fondue set (you know ..... one of the dozen he was given as a wedding present ........ )

Methinks the combination of rustiness + court conditions will count against him tonight. I'm going with Raonic for the upset.

[HarpoMars]

Good day of tennis so far.
Anyone watching the Swiss and the Canadian in the Mystery of the Blue Train
I meant clay, (Agatha Christie got in my head again)

Fed looking good so far

[lags72]

I'm a scoreboard-only follower for this, sad to say.

But Raonic putting on a very good show it seems .....? I tipped him earlier to upset the old man.

[lags72]

5 aces from Milos ; 0 from Fed

[HarpoMars]

Both are serving well, and the points are short.

[HarpoMars]

5 aces from Milos ; 0 from Fed

He's got 2 now

[lydian]

Federer winning the easiest of the pair so far but you feel Raonic isn't fully warmed up yet.

Heard the commentators say that Raonic now has the fastest ever serve...163mph!!!

[lags72]

Ha !

A serve like that wouldn't trouble me.

(mainly because I wouldn't actually see the ball ...... )

[lydian]

...wow...what happened there, Fed suddenly fell apart.

[HarpoMars]

Uh-oh!

Hmm that Mercedes looks like its a spectator sitting in Federer's player box.

[lydian]

Haha lags...I know 163mph is massive.
Will Raonic get tight now serving for set?

[lydian]

Tight? Not a sign of it!
You have to say this guy is a clear star of the future, if not already....who is ever going to ever want to face this guy?

[lags72]

Clearly not.

I rather think with the Raonic serve reaching galactic temperatures we're heading for Fed's first R1 exit in any tourney for about two years. And only his second loss to a non top 20 in many many matches ......

[lags72]

Next 30 mins or so could well be a defining period in the upward trajectory of Milos Raonic ........

Ok, it's not a Slam but these are the matches that can ultimately shape careers

[Josiah Maiestas]

Second serve is floppy. Cmon Fed, no one wants to see the Canadian Sampras in the next round.

[Guest]

With the way Federer has handled Del Potro this year and last, one would imagine of all players he would be able to cope with Raonic. However, since this is an untried new surface (blue slippy clay), perhaps players will be mindful not to injure themselves.

[lags72]

Well, yes we sure want more than a server. But I think he might be very happy with JM's comparison !

When Raonic gets his first serve in, he takes 100% of the points

Federer must be rusty rather than rested after his break

[lydian]

Raonic is a lot more than 'just' a serve...this guy is a rare talent and will be winning big events real soon...

[Josiah Maiestas]

lags

Milos is streets ahead of Tomic as the best of the emerging players, I don't see what anyone sees in Bernie, apart from his unorthodox strokes he's got nothing on this dude.

Tomic will have a similar career to Gilles Simon, Milos can actually attack the slams.

[lags72]

If Fed can't handle the Raonic serve I don't see any hope for Gasquet in the next round. Although it's consistency as ever that counts. Raonic has to keep this up for match after match to make the big time....

[lags72]

Finally a break for Fed ....???? What chance ...??

[lydian]

I think he will lags...it's the easy power and variation that is so impressive with this guy...he's only lost 1 serve point when getting his 1st serve in this tournament...that is just plain ridiculous.

[lags72]

Hmmm....

So that's none ......!

[lags72]

So even if it goes to a breaker Fed only has to make one slip and the match is gone ......

[LuvSports!]

seems feds only salvation would be in the tiebreak but i still see raonic winning that

[LuvSports!]

ALLEEEEZZZ!!!!

[Josiah Maiestas]

Wily old fox Fedster strikes again!!

Mental giant.

[HarpoMars]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS!

Sorry can't contain myself

He played really well in that game, he risked more and was rewarded.

[lags72]

OMG !

Did Fed lend his racquet to Houdini for a few minutes there ....??

[lydian]

Wow...what a game from Fed...Raonic serving far too much into BH, bit of inexperience there. But well done Roger

[Guest]

This is one point of difference (amongst others) that I see between Federer and Murray - Federer's ability to remain focussed and steady when pressurising an opponent such as Raonic and Del Potro etc (plus of course Federer's more solid and better technique).

[lags72]

Raonic must have been in a (prolonged !) purple patch mode throughout most of the first two sets.

Even towards the very end of the second, Fed's stats for 1st serve return points won was just 3%. Bet it might never have been so low in his entire senior career

[LuvSports!]

petchey brought up a good question actually.

Has federer ever faced someone with a bigger, better serve to compliment his all-round game?

[lydian]

Raonic is the future of tennis...now.
He's still raw but you can see he has so many weapons and a cool head too...can you imagine this guy at USO?
This set could have great bearing on their careers...Fed getting towards #1, or Raonic making a truly massive breakthrough to announce his arrival and then the expectations start.

[lags72]

Well tonight at least - and in this mood - Raonic would have sent most other guys back to the dressing room about 40 mins ago..... surely ........

[LuvSports!]

i agree lydian, its just for me as a feds fan i want them both to go far in the tourney without playing each other!

I wonder who would handle raonic the best of the big 4 lydian maybe rafa?

big hold feds

[lydian]

Yep it's taking all Fed's experience and skill to stay in this,...just imagine when Raonic matures and starts to make better shot selection...

[lags72]

15 Raonic aces vs 5 Fed..... how often does that happen .... even with the likes of Karlo ....

[lydian]

Maybe luvsports, Rafa has that siege mentality that breaks so many opponents down, just makes them play one more shot and eats at their confidence. I actually think raonic is very patchy tonight....the mind boggles how good this guy could be if he plays the perfect match, he's going to be almost unplayable at times in the future for sure.

[Guest]

How does Raonic compare to the 2009 US Open winning Del Potro ?

[lydian]

Good Q nore....not far off and yet still raw...but much more variety I think.

[lags72]

It's going to be a Herculean result for whoever takes it. Very very rarely is that the nature of a Fed match involving a non top ten guy .....

[Tropicalfruiter]

Go on Feds, eat him up! Show him whose boss, now.

[lydian]

Good hold...Fed clinging on! Raonic missing too many BPs you feel to take the match now....going to start making him tight.

[Guest]

Federer's performances against Del Potro, Raonic and even Djokovic (US Open 2011, FO 2011), just puts everything into context - with regard to Rafael Nadal. It's like Nadal was reared / engineered with the sole intention of overcoming Federer ... Nadal as an antibody to Federer's antigen.

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