Novak is Great

5 Slams now. He is a great and nothing after tonight will change that. 2 5 set slugfests and he has come out on top when he seemed a man on the Green Mile. To come through 2 men who are by the design your kryptonite, your joker, your equal. Nadal like Murray justn doesn't know how to kill off the Serb. Federer fans will enjoy watching Nadal served defeat in 3 Grand Slam finals now. A bittersweet taste that makes them secretly support Djokovic when facing the Majorcan Monster.

This for me has hints of Rome, what could've been Andy. Djokovic comes through his hardest tests and is victorious. For me this campaign has demonstrated the champion he is and will grow into. To defeat Hewitt, Ferrer, Murray and Nadal on route is a stern mental and physical test of any player. I do rank this as the greatest Slam campaign for any player past or present to come through and win. For me Djokovic's only threats is Federer and Murray.

I can't think of anything else as I am utterly speechless by Djokovic.

Well played that man.

Nadal nearly beat him.

Nearly, but he never looked in control of the match at any time.

Maybe but I thought it could have gone either way. Maybe this was like Wimbledon 2008 where Nadal looked stronger all the way through.

I think the moment Djokovic upped the anti, Nadal found himself drowned out of the match. I don't think he is comfortable having to shorten points or attack for more than 3 strokes in a rally. A tremendous effort, I won't fault the guy, but he needs to look at compacting his game without the forefit of his main strengths.

first of all credit to Rafa, the sport of tennis and us true fans are always indebted to him. What a champion

Now Nole, I am a little intoxicated and emotional, but wow what a match. I thought he was dead losing the 4th set tiebreak after having a lead, going a break down in the 5th. Novak is a legend now. In the pantheon of great tennis champions. he defended his grandslam, now one AO away from equaling Fed and Rosewal for the Ao record.

i can't say enough about both men. If Novak lost tonight I would be sad but I would acknowledge the effort of the great Nadal. A truely remarkable athlete and human being.

Very happy for Novak and sad that there had to be a loser.

A great advert for tennis.

legendkillar wrote:I think the moment Djokovic upped the anti, Nadal found himself drowned out of the match. I don't think he is comfortable having to shorten points or attack for more than 3 strokes in a rally. A tremendous effort, I won't fault the guy, but he needs to look at compacting his game without the forefit of his main strengths.

Impossible, he lacks the ability o play a fast attacking game without spraying errors around.

To be fair, Tenez has called this for years.

https://2img.net/h/oi39.tinypic.com/aavomc.jpg

Here lies the conquerer.

So what who has called what for years....Nadal lost by the narrowest of margins today and will be kicking himself for losing. His game is hardly in the dark ages...he has things he can work on...particularly the serve in my opinion. However, in my opinion he lost that match by retreating back to set 2-3 approach after breaking for 4-2 having played aggressivley for the past 45 mins...Nadal needs to commit to that approach, he has to commit to it. The error rate may creep up but so will the winner rate...its what wins him sets against Nole and I think his team will surely have noted that now. As I say, I think Nadal can take positives out of today because in the cold light of day he'll have seen things that work so has things to build on.

But yes Novak deserves all the plaudits - a great effort and sheer will to win also. At the end of the day I just think he's a bad match up for Nadal like Nadal is for Federer. It'll either keeo Nadal motivated to improve or feel like despairing, which he must be doing right now.

I don't think the match up is as bad as Nadal Federer. Nadal looks like winning some of these. Or am I just looking at this from the same hope point of view as when Fed plays a few good games against Nadal?

I have only watched the last 4 games but I am certainly not going to join the bandwagon and support this kind of risiculous tennis. So glad Djoko won though.

Nadal should feel really bad not to have been able to win a match with perfect set up for him.

The fact he can't win a inured and exhausted Djokovic despite being fully rested himself just shows how limited Nadal's game is.

Imagine if he had to play tennis within the rules as well! Sure he can send powerful ball which is difficult to control for a SHBH, but besides that and stamin,what has he got to offer?

I think you are bit5, other than the carry over from the semis this was their normal match.

Nadals best hope, ironically, in in 3 set matches on fast courts. If they play at this years French then it's 4 in a row for certin.

Lol tenez how did your match go? Nothing like this I'd imagine?

I think we have to face the facts that Novak is just a superlative player, its no disgrace for anyone to be losing to him right now. Nadal is doing well to live with him as Novak has taken the game up a notch with his ability to drill the ball up and down the lines and cross-court.

I do agree that Nadal is probably better on faster courts, I didnt actually expect him to get to AO final this year so he's done better than I expected anyway. We'll see what comes out of his February tennis sabbatical...I suspect he's going to be serving an awful lot because at key times today he just couldnt find a 1st serve.

Novak's serve could do with some work as well but his returning was unbelievable.

"I suspect he's going to be serving an awful lot because at key times today he just couldnt find a 1st serve."

i watched quite a lot of the match and i thought it was Novak who was struggling for a 1st serve, especially in the last two sets!.

True, as I was supporting Novak I was thinking to myself just get a first serve or ace to make it easier for yourself many a time.

Agree there too...both guys could serve better today, and you get the feeling with Nadal that his serve is a work in progress.

Tenez wrote:I have only watched the last 4 games but I am certainly not going to join the bandwagon and support this kind of risiculous tennis. So glad Djoko won though.

Nadal should feel really bad not to have been able to win a match with perfect set up for him.

The fact he can't win a inured and exhausted Djokovic despite being fully rested himself just shows how limited Nadal's game is.

Imagine if he had to play tennis within the rules as well! Sure he can send powerful ball which is difficult to control for a SHBH, but besides that and stamin,what has he got to offer?

Exactly what injury did you diagnose Nole with? If this shows Rafa's limitations, heaven knows what it shows for the Swiss miss who can't resolve a way to deal with a top spin forehand to his BH after several years of trying. How apt that this limited Spaniard keeps whipping the "GOAT" again and again.

And something tells me you played no match today.

while i agree nole could become great, nadal is already one of the top 5 players imo,

only lendl and sampras have more consecutive years reaching grand slam finals and only federer and sampras have more consecutive years winning a slam.

Haha did you know this! According to wiki-

"Djokovic briefly considered plans to move from Serbia to play for Britain."

Agreed there zx1234....and Nadal isnt done quite yet. If he hangs up his racquet tomorrow his place in the panthenon of champions is assured.

As for Nole, his consistency is just freakish and for all the allusions to his athleticism, his BH and FH are both fearsome offensive weapons. If Nole serves even better than he's doing now, he'll be simply invincible considering he's the best returner i've seen since Agassi.

That was an incredible match from Novak. He is only one on ATP circle, who is able to overcome Nadal in that final... and after very exhausting semi with Murray. Besides he was leading Nadal around court most of the match. Novak is mentally the strongest player I have ever seen. Nadal lead 4:2 in the 5th set, had more fans behind him in Arena and did not manage to close the match with a man, who lost so many chances to win it in 4 sets and really did not play even his standards. Novak, you have an absolutorium to be made of iron. Unbelievable!Come on Nole!!

mthierry wrote:As for Nole, his consistency is just freakish and for all the allusions to his athleticism, his BH and FH are both fearsome offensive weapons. If Nole serves even better than he's doing now, he'll be simply invincible considering he's the best returner i've seen since Agassi.

Thierry, Novak is an incredible returner. His return won him this final. Nadal just couldn't shake him in the service games. His groundies are lethal but his watching him return serve is like watching Van Gogh paint, Jimi Hendrix play the guitar

The drop shots Novak played, breathtaking. How many players can play them against a speed freak like Nadal and make him look so slow? 1. Djokovic.

legendkillar wrote:Nearly, but he never looked in control of the match at any time.

He did for a bit in the fifth. Looked like he started to believe again after he saved those 3 break points in a row

That was a defining match for Djoko, a bit like his semi with Roger at the US. He has gone head to head with two greats of the game at the very top level and beaten them in 5 set thrillers. He has had better matches in terms of quality, but his level of returning was very impressive. I have to say even more so than the much celebrated returning of Agassi.

Great stuff. Nole is a indeed a great.

Some words for Rafa though, who is a great himself. How he dug himself out and took it to 5 sets was very dramatic and I must applaud it. He will take some positives from making it more difficult than usual, even though it is yet another defeat to Novak.

I am so haaaaaaaaaaaapyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Garth have to agree, in tennis sometimes it is a shame to label someone the loser and this was the case tonight. Rafa played his heart out and was within a couple of points of winning this slam. Novak for his part showed that he when he is healthy he has the will of the great champions. Not to mention that he is the best returner in the world bar none. His return won this grandslam for him tonight.

Nitb, congratulations. Novak exceeded my expectations again. What a player, what a warrior.

break_in_the_fifth wrote:Lol tenez how did your match go? Nothing like this I'd imagine?

We started at 10am, played 5 sets too (like N&D) but had no ball boy to speed up the game, had an interruption too between our 2 matches but still had enough time to watch teh 5th set....though I was drivig back to our club.


We won...I feel a bit like Djokovic today!

mthierry wrote:

Tenez wrote:I have only watched the last 4 games but I am certainly not going to join the bandwagon and support this kind of risiculous tennis. So glad Djoko won though.

Nadal should feel really bad not to have been able to win a match with perfect set up for him.

The fact he can't win a inured and exhausted Djokovic despite being fully rested himself just shows how limited Nadal's game is.

Imagine if he had to play tennis within the rules as well! Sure he can send powerful ball which is difficult to control for a SHBH, but besides that and stamin,what has he got to offer?

Exactly what injury did you diagnose Nole with? If this shows Rafa's limitations, heaven knows what it shows for the Swiss miss who can't resolve a way to deal with a top spin forehand to his BH after several years of trying. How apt that this limited Spaniard keeps whipping the "GOAT" again and again.

And something tells me you played no match today.

Told you I would be happy on Sunday afternoon.

Tenez wrote:

break_in_the_fifth wrote:Lol tenez how did your match go? Nothing like this I'd imagine?

We started at 10am, played 5 sets too (like N&D) but had no ball boy to speed up the game, had an interruption too between our 2 matches but still had enough time to watch teh 5th set....though I was drivig back to our club.


We won...I feel a bit like Djokovic today!

Tenez wrote:

break_in_the_fifth wrote:Lol tenez how did your match go? Nothing like this I'd imagine?

We started at 10am, played 5 sets too (like N&D) but had no ball boy to speed up the game, had an interruption too between our 2 matches but still had enough time to watch teh 5th set....though I was drivig back to our club.


We won...I feel a bit like Djokovic today!