Abu Dhabi final

Goffin beats Murray in straight sets and will face Rafa in the final (who has beaten Berdych and Raonic).

Interesting results. Is Rafa in slam winning form?

Never write Rafa off.

As for Raonic - truly 1 dimensional and rubbish. That generation/s of players are pathetic. Woeful. There is just a massive talent void from the players aged 21-28 (delpo apart)

Raonic is so rubbish that he was losing to a 35 yr old post surgery, unfit Federer, on a surface that his serve alone should give him 6 games a set on.

And now he loses to Rafa who is also just coming back from injury. Truly pathetic.

But... he gave both Murray and Djoko fits at the WTF. I'm not saying he's as talented as the big four but he can give them a tough match or two when he meets them.

He's 25 years old - in his absolute prime - playing against guys that are nearly 30. He should be beating them, not giving them fits. He's supposed to be the best of a generation. The best of a generation should be a multislam winner, not someone who 'gives fits' but ultimately loses to players years past their best.

Well, you're comparing him vs the big four? Who beats the big four consistently? Not Fed's or Rafa's gen, certainly not Raonic's or Zverev's gen.

The big four are just that good, minus them, Raonic is not that bad vs Stan, Berdych etc, or Delpo and Cilic.

No, I'm comparing him to the big four at the end of their careers. Several of them playing the worst tennis they've played in a decade/injured. Nadal hasn't even reached a slam semi in 2.5 years. Historically, at this stage all great players were overtaken by younger generations. And forget the 'beating consistently part' - has he (Raonic) even won a masters tournament? One big final win would be something.

Furthermore, and this is not a slight against Murray, he is a very good player but let's not make him out to be some incredible force of nature. He's always been prone to losing to the middle leaguers and yet Raonic can't get the job done.

The point is that the current challengers, led (term very loosely used) by Raonic are abysmal. They don't have the game or the balls to win when it matters. Raonic could have multiple match points in a slam final and he'd still find a way to lose.

I am confident Raonic will end up a slam winner especially if Djokovic and Murray fade quickly in the next two or three years.

He is not in the same class as those that preceded him but there again who is? Maybe nobody in the history of tennis so that says how good that generation has been. Such are the peaks and troughs in tennis standards you are going to have fall-offs and with Federer in the twilight of his career, Nadal still striving to regain his mojo, Djokovic striving to rediscover his hunger for the sport and Murray now about to enter the final straight in his career then you ask who is the next first time slam winner and multiple slam winner. Of the current younger generation my money would be on Raonic. To expect him to replicate what those that have proceded him in the sport is unfair and unrealistic as he just isn't in the same class - no disgrace there. It is akin to berating Larry Holmes because he couldn't replicate Ali or Matthew Pinsent because he couldn't replicate Sir Steve Redgrave's achievements. In short it is asking the impossible.

Way to miss the point.

No one's expecting him to replicate anything. Step up and win something. He's already overdue. He doesn't have to be an all time great but as the leading light of the next lot he should already be in amongst the slams. The fact that he isn't only serves to prove how rubbish he is (relative to contenders from previous generations).

emancipator wrote:Way to miss the point.

No one's expecting him to replicate anything. Step up and win something. He's already overdue. He doesn't have to be an all time great but as the leading light of the next lot he should already be in amongst the slams. The fact that he isn't only serves to prove how rubbish he is (relative to contenders from previous generations).

Saying he should already be in amongst the slams is doing a dis-service to Djokovic, Murray and Wawrinka. He simply is not as good as them so why should he be in amongst the slams?