Tennis Weekly Series- Edition 5 (Special Edition)

As I am going to do on holiday for a couple of weeks this weekend (and am unsure about internet connection there) I have decided to make this week a special edition. This means that not only will I round up the action from the last week (and a half ) I am also going to pick out a '606v2 quote of the week' and 'Thread of the Week.'
Enjoy

Epic Match of The Week:
Tsonga vs Raonic 6-3 3-6 25-23
It was epic. OK, not Isner-Mahut epic, but still. 2 years after the longest Grand Slam Match in history we were handed the longest Olympics match in history. At the same venue. Well, apart from all the purple splashed across the backboards anyway.
The first two sets were entertaining as both Tsonga and young Canadian youngster looked in good form. In the 1st set it was the 5th seed who struck first, breaking the massive serve of the Canadian to seal it 6-3. However Raonic hit back well in the second, capitalising on some unforced errors from the Frenchman to take it 6-3. But before the two competitors could admire the perfect symmetry of the two sets the heavens opened. For two and a half hours it poured cats and dogs, and a roofless Court 1 was drenched (apart from the grass). When they did come back out both players were more determined than ever. Raonic was smashing ace after ace while Tsonga was tearing through his service games relentlessly. Something had to give.
But no, the match went on and on until it was 24-23. Raonic missed an easy volley to go 0-15 down and then Tsonga sensed his chance. A super lob which Raonic could not contain and a stunning backhand pass gave him 3 match points. The first was saved with a massive serve, but on the second Tsonga struck. He slipped, dived around the court and eventually played a deft volley which Raonic could not reach to seal the match 25-23.
Tsonga leapt into the air in joy, he had done it: he had won the longest match in Olympic history!

Upset of the Week:
Darcis bt Berdych 6-4 6-4
If Tsonga's win over Raonic this week was epic I can certainly tell you something that isn't: Berdych's recent form.
After losing in R1 to Gulbis in Wimbledon, he followed it up with another R1 defeat. This time it was Steve Darcis of Belgium who slaughtered the 6th seed. Berdych started poorly, giving up serve early on, and Darcis took advantage, holding his serve to take the 1st set 6-4. Then Berdych got even worse. His serve collapsed once again in the 2nd set and soon he was two breaks down at 2-5 with Darcis serving. Then the Belgian felt the pressure. He lost his serve, couldn't break Berdych, then went 15-40 down at 5-4. Berdych, who had played so poorly throughout the match, suddenly had two chances to be right back in it. Unfortunately for him it didn't happen. Darcis stepped up his game, and won the next four points to seal the match 6-4 6-4. This was the biggest win in the Belgian's career as he hopes to enter the top 50. As for Berdych, well, he'll be happy to leave the grass of Wimbledon, for 2012 anyway

606v2 Thread of The Week:
Socal special: How does that SARS and Bird flu feel now Roddick? And of course more draw discrimination for Novak by the Brits.
Socal announces his return to 606v2 with well, a rant against pretty much everything wrong in the world: https://www.606v2.com/t33197-how-does-that-sars-and-bird-flu-feel-now-roddick-and-of-course-more-draw-discrimination-for-novak-by-the-olympic-draw-committee

606v2 post of the week:
HM Murdoch: OH FOR GOODNESS SAKE NOVAK, HE IS 31 AND NOW LARGELY CONSTRUCTED OUT OF SPARE PARTS. SORT IT OUT!
The normally ice cool HM expresses his displeasure after Djokovic's slightly tepid 1st set display against Lleyton Hewitt.

Quote of the Week:
On the suggestion from a Finnish journalist that he would play Jarkko Nieminen in the second round, even though Nieminen had only just won the first set against Somdev Devvarman at the time...
MURRAY: He won?
JOURNALIST: Yeah, he's going to win.
MURRAY: He's going to win... okay (smiling).
JOURNALIST: I wonder if you are a little bit afraid to face our star.
MURRAY: Well, no, not afraid. I mean, he's a very tough player.
JOURNALIST: He's one set up.
MURRAY: Okay. So nowhere near winning then. (smiling)

Just another example how foolish journalish behave at times, how many countless situations we have seen when a player go 2 sets up and close to winning it in 3 only to lose it in 5?

Regarding 606 Thread of the week, great news Socal came back, bad news the thread was opened without any logic and was made to correct by many posters specifically the title.

Tsonga- Raonic was a good match, I wanted Tsonga to win coz he can give Djoko some troubles, but poor Raonic comes closer to win several times against the top5 only to lose.

Last but not least Good thread again IMBL, proud being a part of it.

The only bagel set of the Olympics 2012 so far, Nishikori d. Ferrer 6-0, 3-6, 6-4. Very strange.

Comparatively, there are 9 6-1 sets.

Good article, IMBL.

Great article IMBL. Hadn't seen that Murray quote, made me laugh.

IMBL : Many thanks for another fine weekly series ('Special Edition' this time !)

As I've said previously these are excellently-written blogs and this week's 'post of the week' and 'quote of the week' round off the two match reports very nicely

Hope you don't mind me adding my own particular favourite quote of the week, which came from a presser held by Federer the other day. In fact it blends in rather neatly with your own theme of dippy journos, as per the Murray quote....

In response to one journalist, who began by saying "As a journalist and as a fan, I know that you will win this Olympic gold" before asking Federer if he would retire if he achieved that feat, he responded: "I don't know, are you my fan or not? If you don't want me to stop, I won't."

Well thanks for the nod at thread of the week IMBL, Raonic and Tsonga is a perfect example of why we do not need faster conditions in tennis today. There maybe a fatality at wimbeldon the first ever 102-100 set when Isner plays Raonic at wimbeldon. Watching those guys flail around on the return made me appreciate the genius of djoko, nadal, and murray and the other great returners in the game. John Isner is going to blind someone one of these days with one of his returns of serve goes steaming into the stands at 120 miles an hour.

socal1976 wrote: Watching those guys flail around on the return made me appreciate the genius of djoko, nadal, and murray and the other great returners in the game.

So Fed don't belong to the elite league of returners rite?

Karlovic @155 mph.

invisiblecoolers wrote:

socal1976 wrote: Watching those guys flail around on the return made me appreciate the genius of djoko, nadal, and murray and the other great returners in the game.

So Fed don't belong to the elite league of returners rite?

I believe Federer is the third best returner of the 1st serve currently behind Djokovic and Murray.

Nadal gets the most serves back though, as he just stands back and sends the ball with high net clearance so it lands in.
But Djokovic and Murray are more aggressive on their returns and hence above Nadal for me, while Federer's block return is a bit better than Nadal's, IMO.

As for the return of second serve, I actually believe Federer's is the worst of top 4 with his backhand slice. I don't know why he uses it so much, he should just turn around and hit the forehand inside-out rather than slicing it mid-court.
As a Nadal fan I don't mind it , but Federer fans must get frustrated.

lags72 wrote:
Hope you don't mind me adding my own particular favourite quote of the week, which came from a presser held by Federer the other day. In fact it blends in rather neatly with your own theme of dippy journos, as per the Murray quote....

In response to one journalist, who began by saying "As a journalist and as a fan, I know that you will win this Olympic gold" before asking Federer if he would retire if he achieved that feat, he responded: "I don't know, are you my fan or not? If you don't want me to stop, I won't."

Absolutely not Lags

Must say, good stuff from Federer; he has a sense of humour does the Swiss.

It Must Be Love wrote:

lags72 wrote:
Hope you don't mind me adding my own particular favourite quote of the week, which came from a presser held by Federer the other day. In fact it blends in rather neatly with your own theme of dippy journos, as per the Murray quote....

In response to one journalist, who began by saying "As a journalist and as a fan, I know that you will win this Olympic gold" before asking Federer if he would retire if he achieved that feat, he responded: "I don't know, are you my fan or not? If you don't want me to stop, I won't."

Absolutely not Lags

Must say, good stuff from Federer; he has a sense of humour does the Swiss.

I guess to be a journalist today one have to prove how stupid they are, thank goodness these players have sense of humor atleast.

I remember some time back Murray said something like basically he loves to laugh but you guys are bad at jokes to the media.

invisiblecoolers wrote:

It Must Be Love wrote:

lags72 wrote:
Hope you don't mind me adding my own particular favourite quote of the week, which came from a presser held by Federer the other day. In fact it blends in rather neatly with your own theme of dippy journos, as per the Murray quote....

In response to one journalist, who began by saying "As a journalist and as a fan, I know that you will win this Olympic gold" before asking Federer if he would retire if he achieved that feat, he responded: "I don't know, are you my fan or not? If you don't want me to stop, I won't."

Absolutely not Lags

Must say, good stuff from Federer; he has a sense of humour does the Swiss.

I guess to be a journalist today one have to prove how stupid they are, thank goodness these players have sense of humor atleast.

I remember some time back Murray said something like basically he loves to laugh but you guys are bad at jokes to the media.

That was my 'Quote of The Week' last week IC
https://www.606v2.com/t32899-tennis-weekly-series-edition-4

Exactly IMBL , tat was a great quote, I really enjoyed it.

invisiblecoolers wrote:Exactly IMBL , tat was a great quote, I really enjoyed it.

I agree
I like Murray sense of humour, some don't pick it up and are too obsessed with his on-court expression, but he seems like a funny guy in real life.

IMBL - another great read.

It Must Be Love wrote:

invisiblecoolers wrote:

socal1976 wrote: Watching those guys flail around on the return made me appreciate the genius of djoko, nadal, and murray and the other great returners in the game.

So Fed don't belong to the elite league of returners rite?

I believe Federer is the third best returner of the 1st serve currently behind Djokovic and Murray.

Nadal gets the most serves back though, as he just stands back and sends the ball with high net clearance so it lands in.
But Djokovic and Murray are more aggressive on their returns and hence above Nadal for me, while Federer's block return is a bit better than Nadal's, IMO.

As for the return of second serve, I actually believe Federer's is the worst of top 4 with his backhand slice. I don't know why he uses it so much, he should just turn around and hit the forehand inside-out rather than slicing it mid-court.
As a Nadal fan I don't mind it , but Federer fans must get frustrated.

I agree with this.

Federer often gets into the lazy habit of blocking back first and second serves. It nearly cost him against Murray in this year's W final - luckily he decided to get more aggressive in the nick of time. I prefer it when he goes after the second serve.

Otherwise, another excellent addition to the series.

They should make these a part of the 606v2 journal, if they haven't already done so.



emancipator

Federer is not the third best returner in the world at getting the first serve back. Roger is a good returner not a great one. He is particularly skilled at getting a big first serve back but i would put him clearly behind nadal, Djoko, Murray, and maybe a couple of others in terms of getting back first serves and in terms of difficulty to ace. I don't think I would ever rate federer at any point in his career as in the top 5 in terms of returning. Fed a good returner not a great one, this is one of his overrated qualities like his volleying. Again he is a very good volleyer one of the best on tour but not the best like many claim.

socal1976 wrote:Fed a good returner not a great one, this is one of his overrated qualities like his volleying. Again he is a very good volleyer one of the best on tour but not the best like many claim.

After seeing the match yesterday I think is backhand volley is excellent, but is forehand volleys are not as good.
Do Federer fans agree with me on that? (I suppose naturally people with have better BH volleys but even more so with Federer).

emancipator wrote:

It Must Be Love wrote:

invisiblecoolers wrote:

socal1976 wrote: Watching those guys flail around on the return made me appreciate the genius of djoko, nadal, and murray and the other great returners in the game.

So Fed don't belong to the elite league of returners rite?

I believe Federer is the third best returner of the 1st serve currently behind Djokovic and Murray.

Nadal gets the most serves back though, as he just stands back and sends the ball with high net clearance so it lands in.
But Djokovic and Murray are more aggressive on their returns and hence above Nadal for me, while Federer's block return is a bit better than Nadal's, IMO.

As for the return of second serve, I actually believe Federer's is the worst of top 4 with his backhand slice. I don't know why he uses it so much, he should just turn around and hit the forehand inside-out rather than slicing it mid-court.
As a Nadal fan I don't mind it , but Federer fans must get frustrated.

I agree with this.

Federer often gets into the lazy habit of blocking back first and second serves. It nearly cost him against Murray in this year's W final - luckily he decided to get more aggressive in the nick of time. I prefer it when he goes after the second serve.

He did that a few times against Del P today and it worked well
I agree, he should do it more often.

emancipator wrote:
Otherwise, another excellent addition to the series.

They should make these a part of the 606v2 journal, if they haven't already done so.



emancipator

Thanks
Not sure how to get on v2 journal.
Julius, Laverfan; any ideas?

Federer will win atleast the Silver Medal. Djoker will be left in tears playing the better 1987 born player

Josiah Maiestas wrote:Federer will win atleast the Silver Medal. Djoker will be left in tears playing the better 1987 born player

Interesting prediction Josiah, interesting prediction. I also think Fed will win at-least silver medal; while Murray will beat Djokovic. Let's see though.

Come on Serena 6-0 second set.

lol sorry wrong thread.

It Must Be Love wrote:Not sure how to get on v2 journal.
Julius, Laverfan; any ideas?

Maybe PM Adam D, at a guess

break_in_the_fifth wrote:lol sorry wrong thread.

Or it could be a very clever way of getting Quote of the Week next time
(If I was a Serena fan).

JuliusHMarx wrote:

It Must Be Love wrote:Not sure how to get on v2 journal.
Julius, Laverfan; any ideas?

Maybe PM Adam D, at a guess

Kool

I'm not really a Serena fan, there's about 3-4 players I like more than her. Here I was more of an Azarenka antifan.

break_in_the_fifth wrote:I'm not really a Serena fan, there's about 3-4 players I like more than her. Here I was more of an Azarenka antifan.

Is it the shrieking you don't like?

Pretty much, I haven't really stopped to notice anything else about her.

break_in_the_fifth wrote:Pretty much, I haven't really stopped to notice anything else about her.

lol
She's not bad at tennis But not as good as Serena obviously.
Anyway in other news both Nadal and Federer not playing Toronto.