ATP Rome Masters: The Final

Cheers Green ... welcome back

It seems strange that Rome is starting when Madrid has not yet finished ... but wow, wow, wow ... Fer is up against young Milos on clay again.

Very difficult draw for Nadal - potentially: Bellucci, Lopez, Ferrer, Federer...

I'm just catching up with all today's events, Green. Wow ... is that draw for real?

What happened to Rafa's <cakewalk> draws??

Wooffie wrote:I'm just catching up with all today's events, Green. Wow ... is that draw for real?

What happened to Rafa's <cakewalk> draws??

There's a good reason I've put Federer down to win Rome in my picks, you know.

I see history repeating itself, and Nadal not quite winning the five tournaments on the trot. It's just too much to ask, really. Someone's going to have their big game against him sooner or later, and the more he keeps winning, the more tired and vulnerable he'll be.

Of course, an early exit will also give him some rest. A rested Nadal at Roland Garros: a frightening prospect if Horace isn't there to control him.

Hi Green !!!!

Is the draw out (too exhausted to check...)...

Just saw it's in your article...SORRY! I'm finishing my celebratory large glass of red wine (run out of champagne, Nole's been winning a lot these days )

Anyway, Green,now that I've "discovered" the rest of 606v2 (I said it twice onother threads, but you may not know) imanaged to be completely ignorant of the entire forum until two days ago thinking it's only the fan threads at the top plus Yummy's sawdust in the ENITRE 606v2.....dear me....I definitely need a holiday....

noleisthebest wrote:Anyway, Green,now that I've "discovered" the rest of 606v2 (I said it twice onother threads, but you may not know) imanaged to be completely ignorant of the entire forum until two days ago thinking it's only the fan threads at the top plus Yummy's sawdust in the ENITRE 606v2.....dear me....I definitely need a holiday....

And I told you about a month ago that there's life on this forum outside of "Nole's Place" (I believe those were the exact words)... You're funny.

Murray has an utter cakewalk...

WTF a tournament has already started while another one is going on...

I AM AWESOME wrote:WTF a tournament has already started while another one is going on...

It's a cruel world out there...

noleisthebest wrote:Murray has an utter cakewalk...

There is no such thing in a Masters 1000.

Especially the way Andy his been playing recently

I'll be interested to see how Nadal and Nole fare making a quick comeback from the madrid final and going right into another dog fight at Rome. I wouldn't be surprised if one of these guys bit the dust before the final with the level of exertion needed in madrid to come right back is real tough.

socal,,

I think they'll both be fine...Rafa has a hairy draw, though...

Hey Green r u there? How's MTL handling Nole's win?

socal1976 wrote:I'll be interested to see how Nadal and Nole fare making a quick comeback from the madrid final and going right into another dog fight at Rome. I wouldn't be surprised if one of these guys bit the dust before the final with the level of exertion needed in madrid to come right back is real tough.

I get the feeling both will succumb in the long run. It's one hell of a workload to play a fortnight on the trot anyway, but to play in two different countries, go through a final in one tournament and go the distance in another the following week is a biggie, especially when they are Masters tournaments. I think fresher players will take them down in the latter rounds. I'm looking at Federer in particular here...

Federer I think will win this. He'll also make the final of the French before succumbing to Djokovic.

Tsonga could quite easily blast Federer out the court in round 2.

Nadal and Djokovic will be in the final.

noleisthebest wrote:Hey Green r u there? How's MTL handling Nole's win?

Lotta people there don't really like Nadal's tennis or even Nadal himself that much, so they were pretty thrilled about it.

Thanks Green, will visit soon

Green wrote:Lotta people there don't really like Nadal's tennis or even Nadal himself that much

I think that's pretty much the understatement of the year...the vast majority are in the "anyone but Nadal" brigade!

It was inspirational to pick Kohlschreiber to knock out Youzhny in the picks game

Well I'll go one further than you Rafan.

If you want to visit other tennis forums and be part of them, you can freely do so and look for yourself. The sort of thing going on there doesn't need to be linked here. Enjoy your player's current success but there's a reason why a good bunch of us are on 606v2 and nowhere else.

rafandready wrote:I think that's pretty much the understatement of the year...the vast majority are in the "anyone but Nadal" brigade!

Not sure if it's the vast majority, it's just that those particular MTLers post much more than others . Also, I don't think they are really the "Nadal haters", they just don't like his style of tennis and that's fine by me. The same people, more or less, don't like Djokovic either and I don't mind that at all.

Wooffie wrote:Well I'll go one further than you Rafan.

If you want to visit other tennis forums and be part of them, you can freely do so and look for yourself. The sort of thing going on there doesn't need to be linked here. Enjoy your player's current success but there's a reason why a good bunch of us are on 606v2 and nowhere else.

I was just responding to NItB's question.

The link is removed. I apologize for thinking I could speak freely here.

The last thing I want is any bru-ha-ha being started on this site, which has proved to be such a good place to be as a tennis forum, and long may it continue. How about we continue in the cordial vein we do on 606v2 and leave those others to do what they do.

rafandready wrote:It was inspirational to pick Kohlschreiber to knock out Youzhny in the picks game

Yeah.... I did that for the ATP Picks too.

Just like I backed Volandri. Nadal and Djokovic had better lose in those semi finals though.

Well, it's a huge relief that Nole isn't playing tomorrow....

I need some recovery time

Nitb, I think Novak could use some recovery time himself as well! I want another Rafa and Nole final in Rome, I love it when those two play. The combination of their incredible movement and big shots off both wings is really mesmerizing.

well that was a surprise, Fognini takes the first set against Wawrinka. Upset on the cards?

Wawrinka won a match?! That's a surprise. He's been utter garbage recently. Perhaps now is his time to change the form around?

Berdych caned Monaco again. He's a brilliant mover on this stuff despite his size.

Hope Murray gets thrashed.

Oh now the flood lights have stopped working

Murray doing just fine so far, very good set from him

Murray plays a dreadful second set, the serve especially awful

That's how to serve for the match! Three aces and Murray is through to the next round. Plenty to work on though, serve especially was pretty average (though his returning and backhand were both good).

Verdasco -

Double match point then serves two double faults and goes on to lose the third set to Soderling.

Nando you could have been a hero!

Tell me about it SL. I am gutted for him.

He was playing soooooo well. I was blinking in amazement for most of the match and although the second was topsy turvy with breaks of serve, there he stood to serve for it ... was 40-0 up ... and he head totally went!!

And although Sky didn't put the match on the "red button", I just knew he'd lose. Soderling is one lucky man tonight ... he should have been out!!

Soderling doesn't look good since Indian wells this year, if Andy can get his act together he could leave him in the dust for the #4 ranking and open up a real big gap. Looks like Djoko may have to go through both Sodo and Andy on the way to the final. Although Murray in my mind will lose before the semis. He has just never done well in Rome and players have lost a bit of the fear they have of him. Tonight the big boys come out and play. Bellucci looks like he hasn't recovered from his injury, as I predicted he would not repeat the form of Madrid in Rome. Consistency has always been his problem, not talent.

I can't believe Bellucci is out...he should join WTA

I hope the qualifier facing Nadal today shows some stuff.

Nole Kubot shouldn't be too bad, I remember their first match at the first Serbia Open final, the first set was tight, Kubot is a big hitter, still, I don't think it should matter with THIS Nole
Federer Tsonga....some matches should just be played on court 189...Does anyone belielve Tsonga or Soderling can beat Federer?

That aside, I've had sufficient "rest" fom Madrid, and I can now fully concentrate on Rome, COME ON NOLEEEE!!!!!!

Nitb, I agree on clay or on any other surface can't see Tsonga winning. Many people were surprised by how well Bellucci played in Rome. But the guy has talent he just lacks any consistency, maybe it is his groin injury although he looked like he was moving well.

Erm guys you do know Tsonga has beaten Federer in a masters before (admittedly on hard court)? And Soderling beat him in Paris last year...

Looks like Nadal is about to tank this match but Lorenzi doesn't want it.

It's so obvious actually, it;s hilarious!

Shame on me. If I had the guts I would have put £100 when Lorenzi was 20 to 1.

Don't think he will lose it but Novak is now very much in his head it seems, and also retaining that No.1 spot.

On saying that Lorenzi (qualifier) takes the first set

unbelievable! Nadal makes 21 (!) unforced error in just one set. Some guy I'd never even heard of has just taken a set off Nadal on clay! Did the loss to Djokovic affect Nadal mentally? Has he lost that aura of invincibility? Can Lorenzi produce the upset of the year (as surely it would be)?

One telling sign is how quicker Nadal serves between serves.

nadal doesn;t know what to do to give it to teh Italian but the poor guy is so poor that it makes teh task difficult, if not obviuous, for Nadal.

Well I have now put £100 on....though I normally don;t bet.

It was clear that Nadal saw a Lorenzi serve out, HE saw it out but Nadal gave it to him.

It's turning into a joke.

I would imagine Lorenzi is playing the best tennis of his career as happens on the odd occasion when lower ranked players like him meet the top guys.

I still wouldn't put money on him to win this but it probably would be the biggest upset ever on clay for Nadal if he managed to pull it off!