Madrid Masters - Day 3 thread

[lydian]

First topic message reminder :

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.

[lags72]

If Raonic holds here he really is made of stern stuff .....

[LuvSports!]

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.

out of novak rafa and feds who do you think would handle raonic the best consistently?

[lydian]

The pressure now builds...

[lydian]

Pressure over to Mr Federer

[lags72]

Impressive !

[lydian]

...and back to Raonic...this is a massive game to hold as Federer will NOT want to go to Russian roulette tiebreak against this guy!

[lags72]

Ace count up to 20

[Tropicalfruiter]

Holy Cow. Fed is keeping it cool. If Milos has anything slightly mature or match hard in the mind department he should take this... he is as big as a barn door.

[lydian]

Wow what a hold...guess a TB is a fitting conclusion

[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.

out of novak rafa and feds who do you think would handle raonic the best consistently?

Averaged over all surfaces - Federer. I think it has always been one of Federer's specialities - to be able to handle the big hitters that would normally blow other opponents off the court (Roddick in his prime, Del Potro, Raonic etc). Of course Federer is aging and now tends to have "moments" in matches when he seems to lose focus (wobbles).

[lydian]

Raonic's shot selection isn't great at times...still raw yet

[Danny_1982]

out of novak rafa and feds who do you think would handle raonic the best consistently?

Novak. The best way to negate the best serve around is put it against the best return around. I think Murray would handle him pretty well too for similar reasons... Apart from on a clay court where Raonic looks comfortable and Murray is half the player.

[LuvSports!]

ALLEZ!!!!!

[Tropicalfruiter]

Squeaky bum breaker. Fed one point away Yes

[lags72]

[lydian]

Well done Rog...we've seen enough from Milos to know its only a matter of time with him.

Fed is surely going to be aching tomorrow...and it's 11.30pm over there. But he plays Gasquet tomorrow though so that shouldn't be a problem.

[bogbrush]

Very strong mentality from Fed. Got bashed on the head by the serve all night but held strong.

Also, more S&V than we get on grass

[Haddie-nuff]

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...

O ye of little faith.... I took two giant leaps of faith today...
1. I said Davy would not beat Nadal
2. I said Fed would hold off the Canadian

Proof of something Lydian.. I might not be the most knowledgeable of tennis players.. but I do follow my tennis
with or without a sense of humour ;)

[lags72]

This will be something of a setback for Milos but many many good years ahead of him one would think

He will have seen that even when he threw pretty much everything at Fed, the old guy still had enough to fend him off

[lydian]

??? Good predictions Haddie

BB - I suspect Fed quite likes this surface/event, could be one of the quickest all year!

[bogbrush]

Pretty weird saying that of clay! I see your point, still some way off Dubai but tough to tell the difference from Miami for sure.

[lags72]

live text commentary said that Federer sealed the match with "a stunning crosscourt winner "

anyone vouch for that ?

[Tropicalfruiter]

Well done Rog...we've seen enough from Milos to know its only a matter of time with him.

Fed is surely going to be aching tomorrow...and it's 11.30pm over there. But he plays Gasquet tomorrow though so that shouldn't be a problem.

No he shouldn´t. Unless you mean figuratively. If he is not taking top raw nutrition advice from Martina and co, he doesn´t deserve to be in any semi of any tourno.

[JuliusHMarx]

Yes, a return from an out- wide Raonic second serve. Great shot.

[lydian]

Indeed BB, but when you combine altitude as well...makes for v.quick conditions.
The fact Fed was able to S&V off 1st and 2nds tells us the conditions are pretty quick out there. To me it plays like a medium-fast HC, the dressing just merely making it a bit slippy. Not sure it's great prep for RG but it makes for an interesting spectacle...and there are some big hitters still around..Delpo, Cilic, Tsonga, Berdych and Wawrinka, who'll all benefit from this surface surely. That said, Rafa was hitting the ball well earlier...fast surface or not, but then I've always maintained he quite likes fastish surfaces (e.g. queens). This is one interesting event ahead this week.

[lags72]

Very impressive stats on serve from Raonic

100 % 1st serve points won in first set ; 86% for the match overall.

And one of those matches where the loser took more total points than the winner : 51% vs 49%

[bogbrush]

For a bit I thought Fed was volleying from a sense of feeling too much heat in the rallies but on reflection it was sound enough

High standard though, Raonic will rse and rise. Fed may enjoy having done this in 5 years, showed he could get over the top man in 2012.

[socal1976]

Djokovic played terribly he doesn't seem to be over all of the family issues that have affected him in recent weeks. I really should be managing Djoko's schedule. Last year a lot of people laughed at me when I said Djoko should basically shut it down after the US Open and that he didn't look right physically. Now he was looking strong going into miami and his decision to go to MC which i thought was silly has come back to bite him. Not to mention he withdrew from his own home tournament taking a big financial loss since he owns that tourney. And he gave Nadal a boost of confidence.

The conditions are playing really quick I think that one of the big servers is going to make a big push this week and surprise some people.

[lydian]

For a player so raw, you can see the massive potential of Raonic.

Its kind of like the 21yr Fed playing the 31yr Sampras....21yr Raonic vs near 31 yr Fed...nearly similar result. Yet they may still meet in a slam this year and history is actually repeated....Fed beats Sampras, SamprasV2 beats Federer...you feel it's coming.

Fed played well tonight though...still life left in the old dog yet!

[lydian]

Well yes socal, the event is still full of huge servers...tells you this is a quick court for sure!

[HarpoMars]

Yes! Had to go somewhere, but just seen the end of the paused match, hooray!

Socal, are you predicting an upset with Novak tomorrow? Wawrinka apparently has been playing very well.

[bogbrush]

For a player so raw, you can see the massive potential of Raonic.

Its kind of like the 21yr Fed playing the 31yr Sampras....21yr Raonic vs near 31 yr Fed...nearly similar result. Yet they may still meet in a slam this year and history is actually repeated....Fed beats Sampras, SamprasV2 beats Federer...you feel it's coming.

Fed played well tonight though...still life left in the old dog yet!

Absolutely, if this lad can get a few things improved he'll threaten anyone this year. Certainly looks more of a threat to the top 4 than any of #6-10.

About time, the sport looks like the record has been stuck for too long.

[lags72]

I think what should give Fed the most satisfaction tonight is that he could battle his way past a near-indestructible Raonic even with all the rustiness of such a long lay-off..

[Guest]

Djokovic played terribly he doesn't seem to be over all of the family issues that have affected him in recent weeks. ...

... Last year a lot of people laughed at me ...

So how long will one use that externality to explain away a Djokovic "poor" performance

[hawkeye]

Djokovic played terribly he doesn't seem to be over all of the family issues that have affected him in recent weeks. I really should be managing Djoko's schedule. Last year a lot of people laughed at me when I said Djoko should basically shut it down after the US Open and that he didn't look right physically. Now he was looking strong going into miami and his decision to go to MC which i thought was silly has come back to bite him. Not to mention he withdrew from his own home tournament taking a big financial loss since he owns that tourney. And he gave Nadal a boost of confidence.

The conditions are playing really quick I think that one of the big servers is going to make a big push this week and surprise some people.

social. Totally agree with you re Novak. I feel I could have managed his schedule better.

What was he thinking playing Monte Carlo? When he did play as soon as his Grandfather died he should have withdrew and given himself some time. Then maybe he would have felt strong enough to play his home tournament... something he could have won with his eyes shut. Having the full support and even adoration of his home fans would have given him just the sort of boost that he thrives on. Now things look very different...

[socal1976]

Exactly Hawkeye, in retrospect the decision to go to MC was disastrous. I questioned the logic from the outset. Nadal's favorite tourney, busy olympic summer, your own tournament coming up and missing a chance to relax among people who love you in belgrade. Even without the grandfather issues he just shouldn't have come here this year with everything coming fast and thick in the schedule in the summer. And now he has found himself in some sort of funk and has to fight off the rust of a couple of weeks of not playing. He also has given nadal a shot of of confidence. So a bad couple of weeks all around exacberrated by a poor scheduling decision.

[bogbrush]

Why does such a big fan constantly portray Djokovic as a mental midget? One minute he can't cope with a bye, the next weeks after his grandad dies he can't play.

I rate him much more highly.

[laverfan]

My concern for Raonic is injuries. He has been injured and withdrawn from tourneys. It would be wonderful to see him injury-free and progress further up in the echelons of the sport.

[laverfan]

SoCal... give Djokovic some credit. It is the same Djokovic who came back from 4-2 down to beat Nadal at AO 2012. Tennis is the best medicine for grief, as far as I can tell.

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