2015 250-500 Tournaments Thread

[temporary21]

First topic message reminder :

A thread intended for discussion of the smaller tournaments of the year. First up, its Doha.

[laverfan]

Erm, wasn't Murray very inconsistent under Lendl (outside slams)?

Perhaps he was a fraction more consistent as was able to comfortably hold down a place in the top four which is not the case now. I wouldn't blame the consistency on the coach though - I'd lay that blame more firmly at Andy's feet.

Yes, Murray has to execute, no coach can really do that. Murray had a much better attitude, for example Miami.

[CaledonianCraig]

Totally agree laverfan.

He needs to increase his intensity levels for every tournament - not just the slams. It seems when he loses intensity he loses much consistency.

[It Must Be Love]

Now just that point

[laverfan]

Erm, wasn't Murray very inconsistent under Lendl (outside slams)?

If we look at the overall season W/L during Lendl's tenure (Dec 2011 - March 2014. I can do a month-by-month breakdown, if desired. )...

2012 - 56/16 (lost to Djokovic, Federer, GGL, Berdych, Raonic, Gasquet, Ferrer, Mahut, Chardy, Janowicz)
2013 - 43/8  (lost to Wawrinka, Berdych, Gulbis, Granollers, Del Potro, Djokovic)
2014 - 59-20 (lost to Nishikori, Federer, Djokovic, Ferrer, Tsonga, Dimitrov, Stepanek, Nadal, Giraldo, Fognini, Raonic, Cilic, Mayer)

The highlighted names and corresponding loses are a bit unexpected, IMHO. (E&OE).

[Jahu]

Come on Fed, knock him out, all the way to an (fake) MTO

LF kiss btw (been some time)

[summerblues]

Good Luck, Roger!

[Jahu]

Come on Djoko, the whole Monaco is with you (stole this joke from a serbian guy)

[Guest]

What a tasty start.

Fed needs to improve his first serve percentage.

[Guest]

Watching these two play on a medium fast HC makes me wonder why anyone would prefer the turgidly slow HC's that are the staple of the tour.

[summerblues]

Agree. Their Shanghai match was similarly very entertaining.

Djoko holding more easily than Roger so far.

[Guest]

Huh, are we watching the same match?

Djokovic has been to deuce on every one of his service games so far.

[Jahu]

Thats it Fed, deck him, DJoko already starting to raise his hands.

[Guest]

BP fed

[Jahu]

Fed serving for the set don't screw it up.

[Guest]

And breaks,

Lovely use of the slice.

[summerblues]

Djoko holding more easily than Roger so far.

...or maybe not

[Jahu]

MTO approaching from Djoko...

[Jahu]

Set 1 for Fed, good play from both.

[It Must Be Love]

Come on.

Federer served so well in that set

[summerblues]

Sweet.

[Jahu]

Winners 8:18 for Fed
UE: 9:15 for Fed.

[Guest]

18 winners in nine games,

that's what I'm talking about.

[It Must Be Love]

Watching these two play on a medium fast HC makes me wonder why anyone would prefer the turgidly slow HC's that are the staple of the tour.

It's been pretty high quality set (especially from Roger); but not exactly that entertaining in my opinion- not many amazing rallies, most points are over very quickly.

[Guest]

I wouldn't call 56% 1st serves in, serving so well.

More like mediocre.

[Jahu]

...as it should be, this ain't WTA.

[Jahu]

Break him NOW, melt him.

[It Must Be Love]

I wouldn't call 56% 1st serves in, serving so well.

More like mediocre.

It hasn't been mediocre; true his first serve percentage isn't great- but he's used both his first serve and second serve very effectively- and disguised it very well too with different patterns which means Djokovic hasn't got a great read on it. More to serving well than just first serve percentage, especially for someone like Federer.

[summerblues]

but not exactly that entertaining in my opinion- not many amazing rallies

It depends on what you view as entertaining. Tennis was originally not about long rallies and if you had been initially attracted to tennis for what it originally was you might find long rallies to be about something else, and thus less entertaining.

[CaledonianCraig]

but not exactly that entertaining in my opinion- not many amazing rallies

It depends on what you view as entertaining.  Tennis was originally not about long rallies and if you had been initially attracted to tennis for what it originally was you might find long rallies to be about something else, and thus less entertaining.

Yes it does. But judging by paying public I can honestly say I have seen long rallies given standing ovations but yet to see one for an ace.

[Jahu]

Yes, let's all spam the thread about how rallies are missing.

Keep it real people, its a Live match threads, not fantasy complaints.

[summerblues]

Yes it does. But judging by paying public I can honestly say I have seen long rallies given standing ovations but yet to see one for an ace.

Well, I did not exactly say an ace.  I find ace-fests as boring as anyone.  Cannot think of anything more boring than Sampras vs Ivanisevic at Wimbledon.

But not a big fan of long rallies and defensive tennis either.

[Guest]

I wouldn't call 56% 1st serves in, serving so well.

More like mediocre.

It hasn't been mediocre; true his first serve percentage isn't great- but he's used both his first serve and second serve very effectively- and disguised it very well too with different patterns which means Djokovic hasn't got a great read on it. More to serving well than just first serve percentage, especially for someone like Federer.

Err, Federer always does that. That's pretty standard for him.

[CaledonianCraig]

Yes it does. But judging by paying public I can honestly say I have seen long rallies given standing ovations but yet to see one for an ace.

Well, I did not exactly say an ace.  I find ace-fests as boring as anyone.  Cannot think of anything more boring than Sampras vs Ivanisevic at Wimbledon.

But not a big fan of long rallies and defensive tennis either.

Fair enough.

[Guest]

I'm expecting three sets.

[Jahu]

Hope your expectation fails

[summerblues]

I'm expecting three sets.

Jinx.

[Jahu]

OMG BH like in 2006, ballisticcccc

[Guest]

I'm expecting three sets.

Jinx.

No i'm not into that childish nonsense.

I'm expecting 3 sets, but would be delighted with two

[summerblues]

Lovely backhands, too bad he could not take the game from there.

[Jahu]

Fed had the chance in that game.

[Jahu]

Now 2 BP for Djoko.

[Jahu]

4 crazy serves saves the break.

[Jahu]

Djoko doing some crazy shots, from time to time.

[Jahu]

2 games saved by serving from Fed, break him NOWWWW

[summerblues]

Another great save, but it feels like the tide is turning and Nole is looking the stronger player by some margin now.

[Jahu]

Fed needs the TB to win this.

[It Must Be Love]

but not exactly that entertaining in my opinion- not many amazing rallies

It depends on what you view as entertaining.  Tennis was originally not about long rallies and if you had been initially attracted to tennis for what it originally was you might find long rallies to be about something else, and thus less entertaining.

I don't see any reason as to why what tennis was played like in the past would influence what I find entertaining now.

Also if you do a bit of research into the history of evolution of tennis, I think I'd be a bit careful with some of the assumptions you're making.
We first had 'real tennis' which I believe came from France and then played in the UK around the 1500s. In that game the ball is allowed to bounce twice at the service end, and there is a lot of space out on court, so inherently the rallies wouldn't be too short.
And then when 'real tennis' started to evolve into lawn tennis; this was a few centuries ago- people were shorter than now on average- so it is still pretty unlikely we'd see as many aces and one-two punches on the serve.
You may actually find out that if you watch lawn or real tennis how it was made at the conception, or as you put it 'what it was originally about'- you may not find it quite so entertaining, the pace of the game was also a lot slower.

In terms of Djokovic Federer in particular, the first set has been relatively similar to the first set, Djokovic has just been slightly more solid so far. Good quality stuff no doubt, and both players are playing to a high level, but for me personally it's not been too entertaining once again. Points over very quickly in general, no dazzling rallies, relatively serve dominated. Of course I recognise we all have our different tastes, for me the best Djokovic-Fed matches come on slower surfaces (i.e. I much prefer that play of FO 2011, USO 2010/2011 vs Wimbledon 2014 final).

[Jahu]

BP Fed!!! Take it

[Jahu]

Oh yesssssssss serve for the MATCH!!!!

[Jahu]

Fed needs the TB to win this.

Shut up

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