Queens/Halle Thread

[Guest]

First topic message reminder :

Thought I would get the ball rolling this week.

Queens is having an inspection at 12. If the forecast is correct, we might not get started until next week!

Not sure they are having the same problems in Halle though.

[laverfan]

lags

This is one of my favourite recollections... I had just come in from work and it was the first day of Wimbledon.. Bjorn was on court first as the defending champion. (please dont ask me what year) he was playing Veejay Armitrage
I couldnt catch site of the score (not like they do it on screen nowadays).
His face was as you say.. deadpan no suggestion of how he was doing then
I could not believe my eyes he was 2sets to love down and Vejay was 5.4 up and serving .... OMG ..no !!!!!!!!

Yep you have guessed... Bjorn went on to win that match.

Well to me that is how Rafa is.. back against the wall and never gives up.
No tantrums on court, no racquet smashing. He shows more emotion now than he did but when he was younger he wasn´t allowed (Toni´s rules)
But you no doubt are aware that actually Borg had a vile temper he wasnt really the iceman he had to learn to be because he was nearly slung out of the Tennis Academy when he was around 14yrs old. His parents were warned . The tantrums go or he does.

1974 USO. Vijay beat Borg in 5 sets on Grass.
1979 W. Vijay was up 2 sets to 1 but lost the fourth in TB 7-6 and the match in the fifth at 6-2.

Old men are having a good day at Halle. Haas beats Berdych.

[Haddie-nuff]

As I said socal.. he will be up there with the Berdych´s and the Delpo´s he may get lucky and win a slam but as has already been said more likely on Hard Court.
Delpo has done it ... seriously cannot see any chance of Berdych he had his chance at Wimbers but he suffers badly with cold feet.
Delpotro for me is still the one that could do it again if he is not plagued with more injury.

Yes I agree I think size does matter

[Haddie-nuff]

Im talking first match at Wimbledon LV .. reigning champion on centre court.

[socal1976]

Tall guys just have problem with all the quick changing of direction and the stopping and starting. It also hampers there ability to return serve because it is that explosive first step you need to be able to return and none of them have it. I think I could hold 90 percent of the time against John Isner for a little guy I pack a punch with my serve.

[lags72]

H-n : my last one for the night on Borg, prompted by your mention of his transformation from stroppy amateur to the model professional.

Obviously there was no Hawkeye facility in Bjorn's day. He was asked (more than once no doubt) just why it was that he never challenged or disputed an apparently dodgy call, in the way that Mac habitually did of course.

He replied that in his view there was no sense using up mental energy. The point was gone, it was done with, and he knew that the Umpire wasn't about to change the decision, however long you might be tempted to protest. He said that he preferred instead to focus all his efforts and concentration on winning the very next point.

Oh yes. I really, really liked Bjorn Borg........ They broke the mould when they made him.

[Haddie-nuff]

Absolutely... he was able to "stay in the moment" lags his focus was amazing.. he went within himself and blocked out everything around him.

But you read Agassi´s autobiography and you will know that he and GuerillitisGerulaitis.
(pardon the spelling it always sounds like an illness lol) were firm buddies..
They used to go clubbing together.. both were like pop stars blond hair and good looking... the beggars used to have a whale of a time I believe.. so he was a different person on court.

But in a way that is where Rafa is like him... he is a totally different person on court to the point his mother once said she didnt recognise her son when he was playing tennis.

[michael_o]

Agree socal that you can't compare Raonic with either Isner or Karlovic. Much more athletic, better mover and more natural talent. And still only 21.

Think he has the potential to do well at Wimbledon. Will be disappointed if he's not in the last eight.

[socal1976]

Michael yeah it is easy to look at these bigger guys and lump them all together but Milos has some really nice feel a pretty good backhand and a monster forehand as well. Moves into net very nicely as well. The two areas that hurt him and that are going to be very tough for him to improve are his serve return and movement. At his size those are always going to be question areas. He can solidify those two areas and has to but he is never going to be a world beater in those regards.

[Haddie-nuff]

Still think he will have problems over five sets. but happy to be proved wrong

[Seifer Almasy]

Welcome to grass, you 1 dimensional bore.

[Haddie-nuff]

Wow now that was an interesting and knowledgeable post...I await with baited breath for your next one

[lydian]

Well someone had to pick up where Jersey left Haddie...

[Haddie-nuff]

Did we advertise the vacancy ?? this one has just failed the interview

[Jahu]

The GOAT is kicking Youzhny all the way to Siberia, 6:1

[bogbrush]

He really owns the Colonel, just dropped serve but the points tally is overwhelming.

[Jahu]

All done, Fed takes the match 6:1, 6:4 in 60 min.

[laverfan]

Well done Federer. Aces to close the match. . Will Hass make it from the other side?

[lags72]

Well I bet Haas has amazed even himself by getting this far. He's certainly justified his wildcard. Makes you wonder just how long he plans to stay on the tour .....

Something tells me the momentum will get him through today and then we'll have an OAP's Final

[laverfan]

Cilic should take the first set.

[laverfan]

Weird to see simultaneous hawkeye challenges. Cilic's serve and Haas volley, both out.

[laverfan]

Querrey up a break on errors from Cilic.

[laverfan]

... and Cilic takes the break back. Querrey's turn to play a bad game.

PS: Nice weather at Queens today. Sunny and clear.

[bogbrush]

Tommy will struggle to break at this rate. 0 points on from 22

[laverfan]

Beautiful BH return from Haas. 4-2 in first set TB.

[laverfan]

3 lets in a row from Haas, but he wins it on his second serve. 4-5 Kohil. Come on Haas.

[laverfan]

SP for Hass on his own serve. First set Haas. Good fight back from 1-4 down in TB.

[bogbrush]

I forgot; he makes a habit of winning sets with even fewer points against the serve than that.

[laverfan]

Cillic-Querrey into third set.

[laverfan]

I forgot; he makes a habit of winning sets with even fewer points against the serve than that.

Kohli let Haas back in from 4-1 up.

[bogbrush]

Remember the qf RG 2009, 1st set? Wasn't it 2 points against serve including the tie break?

[michael_o]

Woeful stuff at Queens. And spectators have paid £103 each to watch THAT?

The 2nd semi can only be an improvement......surely??

[bogbrush]

Haas makes the final against Federer

[laverfan]

Woeful stuff at Queens. And spectators have paid £103 each to watch THAT?

The 2nd semi can only be an improvement......surely??

The first one was not too bad either. Cilic should have won in straights though. The value of a tennis match lies in the eye of the beholder.

Some posters disliked the AO 2012 final, some did not, each to their own.

[laverfan]

Dimitrov missed his chance. there.

[laverfan]

Nalby(30), Cilic(23), Haas(34), Federer(30). Where are the 'youngsters' at 17-20?

[bogbrush]

Good start by Federer, breaks first game.

[bogbrush]

Nalby(30), Cilic(23), Haas(34), Federer(30). Where are the 'youngsters' at 17-20?

As some keep saying this is a sterile period for young players. It's not just because of this idea that the top 3 are so great, nobody can argue that #3-10 are so wonderful that youth could never break through.

[lags72]

Tight first set so far .....

As popular as Federer is around the world, this is one tourney where Haas will have the crowd right behind him. Maybe that will prove enough to see him through today......

[lydian]

It's not very often that Federer meets someone older than him in a final these days...let alone a fair bit older!
Haas doing well at 34 yo.

[Jahu]

Yep. Haas takes first set in TB. Maybe Fed got orders to give Haas and German public some hope, thought Haas is playing good.

[laverfan]

How many UEs from Federer so far?

[lags72]

That's true lydian, a rare event indeed. I was thinking the very same thing myself just as this Final got started.

Over the past 18 months Federer has appeared in ten finals, winning eight of them. But in all those Finals his opponents were younger (and many considerably so of course) - with the one exception of Davydenko ; although even he is only older by just a few weeks or so, I believe.

I can only imagine that Haas is putting in an inspired performance and that Federer hasn't brought his grass A game.

So, Haas looking good to take the biggest cheque today - and if he does so, then Federer might be best sticking with younger opponents rather than fellow OAP's

[lags72]

laverfan - can't see any UE stats right now but three DF's alone is rare for Fed in just over a set of play. The first set was his for the taking if he had just held. He even had a BP to go to 4-1 up .....

[lags72]

ok, Haas holding comfortably so I'm going for the 'home win' in straights.

[bogbrush]

Haas proving again what a good player he is. Far better than his achievements suggest; injuries, family tragedies; without those he'd be much better rated. Another way to look at it is to ask how Djokovic, Nadal & Federer would have done with his luck.

[bogbrush]

And now serves for the match.....

[Jahu]

Haas brakes for 5:4. Serving for the match.

[laverfan]

Haas to serve for the match. Federer disinterested, missing Nadal on the other side.

[lags72]

Yep, can't see Haas letting this chance go.

[luciusmann]

A bit disappointing from Fed, he's had more break points than Haas during this match and hasn't taken them. Haas took his first one.

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