Indian Wells - Match of the Day Thread : 20th March, 2011 - THE FINAL

[Wooffie]

First topic message reminder :

Welcome to the Match of the Day Thread ... a place to discuss all the latest matches and the tennis as it happens.

After a bit of a topsy turvy tournament, the cream of the crop rose to the top yesterday with our final four protagonists, resulting in World No. 1 - Rafael Nadal - and the new World No. 2 - Novak Djokovic - as the eventual winners. So tonight, at 8 pm UK time, we can settle down as we let battle commence.

Rafa holds a compounding 16-7 H2H against Novak, but perhaps a more telling stat is that Novak leads Rafa 7-5 on hard courts, BUT he's 0-5 when it comes to finals won. Will the current in-form player find a way through the World's best defender? Who will dare take the initiative and attack?

Lets hope we're in for a great match ... and may the best man win!

The ORDER OF PLAY is here and LIVE SCORES can be followed on this link.

If you want to follow all the news and happenings, then you can go to the tournament website.

[Haddie-nuff]

I like you cats am 8 hours ahead.. fast a bubbies :sleep: but as I understand it both Roger and Rafa had a good work out

[graf_the_greatest]

Nadal edges Dr. Ivo (5-7), (6-1), (7-6) [9-7] - a thriller!!!

[Wooffie]

Just watched the final set tie-breaker. As a Rafa fan ... I'm not so sure about the thriller aspect. Some matches its best to be tucked up in bed for!!!

I think its OK to post the link here

[Green]

Wooffie,

I think you need to watch a film from the beginning in order to feel the tension of the final twist...

It was a good match - it kept me awake! (I too am 8 hours ahead...)

[Wooffie]

Cracker of a match so far between Nole and Reeshard

[Haddie-nuff]

That backhand of Gasket´s is a shot to behold isnt it 8) Magic

[Wooffie]

It certainly is. Good come back of his so far in this set. Thought he might fall apart a bit as he was playing well at the start of the match, but then Nole ran off with that first set.

[Wooffie]

Spoke too soon. Break back by Nole ...

[Haddie-nuff]

I think Richard is the most frustrating player to watch.... superb tennis.. but he is a mental midget

[Wooffie]

Well ... Novak prevails in another match. But it proved he could be broken, and he won't find it as easy to claw it back against say Feds or Rafa if they get their noses in front. I very much enjoyed the match though.

[Haddie-nuff]

I agree with your point that Rafa and/or Roger wont let Nole off that easy.
Richard really has not got the mind-set of the top players .

[Green]

"it proved he could be broken, and he won't find it as easy to claw it back against say Feds or Rafa"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That is true... however, he won't allow himself to get broken that easy when he plays those two - different opponent, different approach to the match.

Speaking of Roger... he's doing good so far .

[Wooffie]

He is, Green.

Come on Stan!

[Green]

Ol' man moving pretty well! 8)

[graf_the_greatest]

[b]Federer a set and a break up at 4-3 2nd set. I think this one is predictably going Federer's way. Hopefully, his SF with Djokovic will be more competitive and interesting. Still, occasional good raliies from Wawrinka.

[graf_the_greatest]

And it's all over, Federer in straight sets (6-3) (6-4).

[Wooffie]

Weak from Wawrinka and uninspiring.

[Green]

I expected more from Stanislas...

So it's Djokovic-Federer semifinal - again, and they'll be playing for No.2 spot once more!

Of all the tournaments they both played since Toronto Masters, they only haven't met at Cincinnati and Paris Masters, if I got that right...

[Wooffie]

They have been drawn against each other many times now, and even if they swop the No. 2 position, who's to say it won't be the same.

Nole's form deserves the No. 2 spot now. Because of the consistency he's shown over the past 3 years and the great form he has right now. He's played for it.

<gulp>

[Green]

It's not just about the draw, they met in two finals during that time (Basel & Dubai). The thing is they both are playing better and getting to the semifinals/finals of most tournaments...

This will be their 8th encounter over the last eight months, and before that there was a period of 10 months during which they hadn't met...

[Wooffie]

OOP out and its Rafa vs. Delpo at 11am local time followed by Nole vs. Feds.

A great Saturday night's tennis for us in the UK.

Vamos Rafa!!!

[yummymummy]

Blimey Wooffie - that was quick !!!

Thanks for the info.

[yummymummy]

Go Nole btw

[yummymummy]

And Rafa (I forgot sorry)

[Wooffie]

I should think so, Yummy!!

[Green]

The Clash of 4 Titans (or Slam winners) is about to begin!

[yummymummy]

Well played Rafa

Now come on Nole

[Green]

Now let's see who's gonna be No. 2 on Monday...

(... and will I get the final I wanted.)

[Wooffie]

He's a break up ... so Nole's going the right way about it.

Nervoos???

[Green]

PURE QUALITY!

[yummymummy]

[Wooffie]

Have to say, he is playing quite outstanding tennis. Fabulous first set.

[Wooffie]

Never saw that coming after that first set.

[Green]

Now let's have a first set again...

[Green]

[Wooffie]

Let them rough each other up before they meet Rafa.

[Green]

What kind of a game was that?!

I mean the one before the last...

[Wooffie]

Well ... stunning that by Nole. I didn't see that coming at the start of the third, as I thought he was struggling. A big UE stat though. But he did it, even with a <roar> at the end.

Congratulations on the No. 2 spot too.

Rafa vs. Nole ... bring it on!!!

[Green]

O M G ! Djokovic is so good right now, that I can't even jinx him anymore?! No matter what I say!
And I have always been able to do that!

[Green]

OK then... I got what I wanted, just like I said I would.

[Haddie-nuff]

First Congratulations Rafa.. atta boy never doubted you for a minute

Well its getting a too familiar sight isnt it seeing Roger take the long walk home

Nole gave him tennis lesson in the first set... what happened in the second??
Third dear oh dear Roger ... Nole played well but you were dreadful

[Wooffie]

Federer seemed to have all the momentum too, Haddie. And Nole's body language was bad ... but in the blink of an eye, he was on top.

The old lion still has it, but not with the consistency he had before.

I hope Nole is suitably tired. :run2:

[Green]

"And Nole's body language was bad ..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nah! He just felt sorry for good old Rog and couldn't bring himself to beat him in straights again.

[Haddie-nuff]

Wooffie Rafa scared the life out of me at the beginning of that first set.. he was sooooooooo nervous. But once he strung a few good (if not brilliant) shots together you could see the confidence growing by the minute.. he took Delpo apart.. if he plays like that tomorrow... I dont care how good Nole is.. it will be a
a whole "new ball game".. He IS Rafa Nadal !!!!!!

[Green]

"if he plays like that tomorrow..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nervous at the beginning?!
()

Cause they all seem more or less nervous when they play Novak these days... I wonder why that is?

[Wooffie]

Yes Haddie ... he IS Rafa Nadal. But blimey, he was nervous at the start of that match. Thing is, they've not played for over a year, so his experience of Delpo is still a bit limited and Rafa sometimes just needs that bit of time to work something out, even at the cost of a set on some occasions. But when he steadied himself, he was good.

I have to say that Delpo's not back to his level either, but its definitely good for his confidence to get a win notched up again.

Rafa still has levels to go, and over the past 2 matches Nole has wobbled a bit with his serve.

All to play for!! Vamos!!!

[Wooffie]

Green ... I think Rafa will have less nerves playing Novak than Delpo. Rafa has squared up to him so many times now, and I think he will be well looking forward to this 'new' version. He loves a scrap, loves a battle, loves to go out there when they both leave everything on the court.

I bet neither of them can wait! And its as nervous as anything for us fans ... but isn't this great?

[Green]

Oh, I'm just teasing you. I have said before that matches between Djokovic and Nadal are a tennis delicacy for me - to the point that I almost don't care who wins in the end (they are, after all, my two favourite players )!

So at the start of every tournament I'm hoping for a Djokovic-Nadal encounter, but lately it's all been Djokovic-Federer!

Anyway, it's been a while since Novak's beaten both GOATs at the same tournament . (Sorry, I can't help it!)

[Wooffie]

As Rafa fans, we for a long time were saying that we wanted more matches against Nole because they were always such crackers. And the funny thing is, if Rafa does lose, I can take it as a fan so much better because Nole is one of my favourites. If Nole sustains the No. 2 spot, then we could see plenty more of this over the next few months.

I can't even remember the last time Nole beat both them. Has he ever?

[Green]

"Has he ever?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Canada Masters 2007

Like I said, it's been a while...

[Sponsored content]