Australian Open 2014 Men's Final

First topic message reminder :

We seem to have overlooked this. It's tomorrow apparently. Or today in Australia. The bad news is it that rain is forecast - no, not for Oz, for my doubles match at midday 

breaks!

Got to feel for him here. I guess he will just carry on and hope whatever the problem is will resolve itself.

Born Slippy wrote:Yeah, Rafa's back has clearly gone. He may well have taken tactically in the past but either he's taking acting to the next level or he is genuinely in severe pain here.

The boy who cried wolf?

Nadal in trouble here

Nadal hoping medicine will kick in? Save your back man.

First title to Wawrinka it is

This is over barring some sort of implosion......

Lydian, I am not sure he is injured. But even if he is, it is a bit like the boy who cried wolf, hard to feel sorry for him.

Well it's possible that I called the MTO wrong and it was part medical as well as cheating because what we are seeing here is not typical Nadal. Cheat though he is it is beyond doubt that he is also a great player and a huge clutch player. Let's see what happens....

Stan got to keep focused here. The back looked a little freer on the last couple of points.

No surprise that comment from you SB, you make out he does this all the time. Complete b0ollocks. The level of goading on here is pathetic.

I think it's tough on Rafa BUT, two things...

1. He was losing before the back problem so Stan needs full credit for the performance.
2. I was told yesterday by one poster implicitly that back problems don't count.

summerblues wrote:Lydian, I am not sure he is injured.  But even if he is, it is a bit like the boy who cried wolf, hard to feel sorry for him.

He's serving at 80 mph and giving away a set just to psych Stan out in the 3rd?

Lydian. He does it all the time. But I suspect it is one of those agree to disagree things.

The back problem will have contributed to the degree of defeat but defeat looked thoroughly on the cards snyway

I know this is the wrong time to mention this but...... Is Nadal wearing a watch?

Just keep it going Stan. Make it 2 sets please.

I do think he might be able to make it competitive in the third (at least more so than this). Shame for Stan as this will be asterisked in the future even though he was well on his way anyway.

Agreed SB, you have your bias, I have mine.
The guy is crying into his hands at changeovers and people are loving it on here. I'm out.

Stan wins this set and Nadal should give up.

Always nice to see the cynics/haters out in abundance. Tis a pity the match will peter out - there was a real enticing battle to be had today

I think Nadal may do what he did to Ferrer in aus '11 perhaps.

He did it in that one rally where he grimaced afterwards. The last shot was a big rotation. He pulled something making that shot.

Shame for him, shame for the final and shame for Stan. He was playing lights out against a fully mobile Nadal, so I hope he gets credit for that rather than his inevitable victory asterixed.

No haters here. Nadal should save his back. Stan was flying anyway. No one is happy for Nadals pain here. I wanted a 5 setter, 3 will do too.

Nadal has to consider the season if he is to continue

I really hope this isn't all just gamesmanship from Nadal. He does admittedly look injured (and is playing like it), but I've heard too many times after every Nadal defeat that he's injured in some way that, as mentioned by other people on the thread, it becomes like the boy who cried wolf.

The issue is that this will become an asterisked slam for Wawrinka. "I just won my first slam." "Yes, but Nadal was injured in the final, so it doesn't really count."

The Special Juan wrote:I know this is the wrong time to mention this but......  Is Nadal wearing a watch?

They both are

Maybe Nadal wants to be fair? And let it go 3 full sets.

Stan needs to keep the intensity & aggression up - that must be hard to do in this situation.
He just needs keep the ball in court and make Rafa run around as much as possible from side to side and force him on the backhand for the cross court winner. He has to nail that 1st serve too.

lydian wrote:Agreed SB, you have your bias, I have mine.
The guy is crying into his hands at changeovers and people are loving it on here. I'm out.

Awwww poor Lydian getting a taste of what Fed got on Friday!

You could not bloody make it up    

Lower left back it appears. It's probably muscular then. Would a slipped disc be too painful to carry on with?

Fair enough, I think he's going to stay out there.

It is pathetic to see vultures hovering. If Nadal isn't injured then for the love of God tell me why he is in such a state bearing in mind he has never lost to Stan. Full credit to Stan though - great player to watch when on song.

lydian wrote:Agreed SB, you have your bias, I have mine.
The guy is crying into his hands at changeovers and people are loving it on here. I'm out.

There is obviously nothing wrong with being biased but not accepting Nadal is genuinely injured here is just ridiculous. I'm delighted that Stan is going to win this match but at the same time can appreciate that Nadal isn't play-acting here.

Carrion Craig   

This isn't easy for Stan, Nadal is clearly able to hit a good ball. I think maybe pain killers kicking in?

Good hold for Nadal

Josiah Maiestas wrote:

lydian wrote:Agreed SB, you have your bias, I have mine.
The guy is crying into his hands at changeovers and people are loving it on here. I'm out.

Awwww poor Lydian getting a taste of what Fed got on Friday!

You could not bloody make it up    

Federer got none of this rabid vitriol.

This is not done by any means.

Suddenly Nadal is not injured?

Tctics people these are tactics......

CaledonianCraig wrote:It is pathetic to see vultures hovering. If Nadal isn't injured then for the love of God tell me why he is in such a state bearing in mind he has never lost to Stan. Full credit to Stan though - great player to watch when on song.

To be fair, Stan was stuffing him before he got injured. The argument above really is taking credit away from how good Stan was early in the match. He looked well on course for the win.

Rafa may be loosening up a bit now - medicine dulling the pain? Focus Stan!

No Lydian, he got his whole career / legacy trashed.

Broken

Was Federer injured on Friday? Sorry, didn't see the match and hadn't heard that.

Here we go.

Keep it up Stan, dont give up

Hahahahahaha!

Nadal acting injured to get the crowd on his side and now he Breaks.

He has done this before at Wimbledon   

Just noticed Nadal resuming the silly serve routine. He's back.

Paging Lazarus to the Rod Laver Arena.

Fractionally quicker serving here. Stan making a real mess of the start of this set though.