Cincinnati Masters Thread

[laverfan]

First topic message reminder :

Mens Singles Draw - http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2012/422/mds.pdf

Mens Qualifying Draw - http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2012/422/qs.pdf

OoP (Updated Daily) - http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2012/422/op.pdf

Live Scores - Guess this is passe now. So here is the Twitter link - http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23cincytennis (Live Scores is available on the ATP Web Site).

Live Streams - Live Score Hunter, Sport Lemon

TV Coverage - Starts Monday.

Cupcake/Pastry/Cakewalk/Strawberries and Cream Draw Discussion - ??? (Let me know and I can update this thread with the 606v2 link).

Daily Schedule.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Scores/schedule.aspx?EventId=422

Center Court

Afternoon @ 12:30pm local - Federer v Djokovic
Afternoon @ NB 4pm local - Li v Kerber

Grandtsand

Afternoon @ 1pm local - Srebotnik/Zheng v Hlavackova/Hradecka
Afternoon @ NB 3pm local - Lindstedt/Tecau v Bhupathi/Bopanna

Match Pick of the Day - Federer v Djokovic

Surprise of the Day (Previous) - Kerber d S Williams

Enjoy!

[slashermcguirk]

Eh, was djokovic on the booze last night. He seems to have zero interest in being there. Never seen him look so disinterested

[HM Murdock]

FOUR double faults and THREE losses of serve now! What is going on?!!

[LuvSports!]

wow 6-0 did not expect that.

[slashermcguirk]

Something is definitely up with Novak. Really bizarre

[Josiah Maiestas]

Something is definitely up with Novak. Really bizarre

[The Special Juan]

Injured? Tired?

[HM Murdock]

FIVE double faults!

[HM Murdock]

Injured? Tired?

A mental block against the big guys. Is it 2009 again?!

[User 774433]

I'm a better server than Djokovic these days

Has he lost his contacts again, can he not see the service box on the other side.
Once I lost my glasses before a practice session and I couldn't get any serves in.

[The Special Juan]

Djokovic's serve has always been his real weakness (I say "weakness" when it's quite good; you know what I mean). I remember 2009 when Djokovic couldn't serve. It was painful to watch and reminds me of Sharapova on a bad day.

[User 774433]

I knew this final would be a anti-climax.

[Danny_1982]

Just got home and switched it on... 6/0???

WTF? Novak has played well all week, how has this happened? Fed brilliance or Novak playing poorly? I know the conditions suit fed abut more than Novak, but 6/0???

[User 774433]

Just got home and switched it on... 6/0???

WTF? Novak has played well all week, how has this happened? Fed brilliance or Novak playing poorly? I know the conditions suit fed abut more than Novak, but 6/0???

Djokovic will win this set.

[slashermcguirk]

This is the worst performance I have ever seen from Novak.

[User 774433]

Danny, Novak served really badly in the 1st set, lots and lots of double faults.
I think he can turn it around now.

[User 774433]

This is the worst performance I have ever seen from Novak.

so far, so far.

He can turn it around.

[User 774433]

Who am I trying to kid?

This is like Barcelona vs Accrington Stanley.

[HM Murdock]

Credit where it is due, Fed's tennis has been fantastic today. So aggressive.

[Jahu]

Go FED go, crush him for good.

[Danny_1982]

Federer looks supremely confident.

Wow Novak is furious with himself. Amazing to see.

[User 774433]

Socal was right, this isn't Djoko of 2011.

Federer is playing v. good right now- his forehand is much better than FO of this year. This surface is good for him I think.

[The Special Juan]

Have Federer and Djokovic ever met in the final of a major?

[Danny_1982]

Yeah they met in a US open final a few years ago, Fed won in straight sets. 2 tie breaks if I remember rightly.

[Josiah Maiestas]

This is the worst performance I have ever seen from Novak.

Of course, look at the score now you idiot. Apologise for suggesting he is injured, too.

[HM Murdock]

Have Federer and Djokovic ever met in the final of a major?

Yep. US Open 2007. I think that's the only one.

[The Special Juan]

Thanks. It must have been about 2006/2007/2008 so Djokovic must have been pretty young then. A USO final nowadays between the 2 would be very interesting.

[Danny_1982]

Well, realistically only Murray or maybe Delpo on a hot streak can stop it being Fed v Djokovic us open final this year.

[The Special Juan]

Yeah definitely unless an inspired Tsonga takes out Federer again. Aside from Federer only Murray or a peak Del Potro could take out Djokovic on a hard court. Still, anything could happen.

[Danny_1982]

So much depends on the surface speed at New York too. If its fast Federer will be happy, of it's a bit slower Novak will be happy. Murray probably won't mind either way.

[HM Murdock]

Fed's serving too well to lose this tie breaker.

[LuvSports!]

hold that thought, hes 5-4 up now

[Danny_1982]

Such intensity.

Like I always say, when the top 4 play each other it ALWAYS matters.

[The Special Juan]

One of the better tie breakers I've seen. Most of mine never go beyond 7-5.

[Josiah Maiestas]

The fans didnt even want a third set. Djokovic is not likeable enough for the fans to help him sneak a set.

[socal1976]

Well that was an odd match and performance by Novak. The worst set of tennis I have seen from him in years in the first set and then plays a pretty good second set and loses. Congrats to Roger but I think this confirmation something is not all there with Djokovic mentally.

[Danny_1982]

Not a single break point in the whole match for Novak.

When did that last happen?

[bogbrush]

Nah, just a fast Cincinnatti court and Federer not missing. You don't have to have anything wrong to lose that. He's had as good a start to the US swing as last year, it's just that Federer is more of a threat again.

[Josiah Maiestas]

Djokovic only beats Fed on clay now. He is another one surface wonder.

[HM Murdock]

Surely the disparity between the first set and second set proves there is some kind of mental block with Novak and the top guys? What else could cause him to turn in such a woeful first set?

Fed was great again today though. Didn't lose serve all tournament! Amazing.

[HM Murdock]

Nah, just a fast Cincinnatti court and Federer not missing. You don't have to have anything wrong to lose that. He's had as good a start to the US swing as last year, it's just that Federer is more of a threat again.

BB, you can often be the objective voice against the onslaught of my Djoko concerns but do you really think that first set was just Fed playing well? What about the way the double faults reared their head again?

[Danny_1982]

Federer is undoubtably the king of the faster courts. That can't really be argued. And conditions were fast today as well from the looks of it.

Interesting point about Novak having a mental block against the other 3. He's lost his last match to Murray, his last 2 to Roger and his last 3 to Rafa. He'll turn it around though. He's too good a champion not to.

Makes things really tight ahead of New York. Who has the mental edge of the top 3 if and when they meet? All 3 will have reasons to be confident.

[kemet]

Roger did just enough to win the final so congrats to him. Novak did seem disinterested in the first set and the double faults did not help his cause. One of the positives for Novak is that his forehand began to be more effective as the match progressed. What gave Roger the edge was his clever use of the wide serve and his net play, which was much better compared to the Olympic final.

Going into New York, I think Roger has to focus on playing three quality sets against the top four should he progress that four. He has to find a way to win sets even when having to deal with improved play from his opponents.

[Guest]

How fast is Cincinnati court compared to the US Open court(s)?

[Guest]

I don't think mental block can explain the first set performance. Does anyone have any theories? Obviously Djoko started real slow and got better. Maybe the egg-timer wasn't set properly?

[slashermcguirk]

Novak a one court wonder?? That's why he has won 3 oz opens, us open and wimbledon and reached final of french pummelling federer in straights this year! Let's not forget Novak has beaten fed in the last 2 us opens. Would rather Novak performs at us open than in Cincinnati final

[break_in_the_fifth]

Missed the first set but I assume the second set is where the action was. Good play from both players though you felt Fed was better on serve and less likely to be broken. As for Djokovic's interest in the match, sometimes you can only be as interested as your level of play at that moment in time allows. For example for much of that olympic final Fed probably seemed disinterested. Trying to overcome the indifference and not resign yourself to losing easily is a massive part of competing and credit to Novak for raising his level. I was never sure of the outcome until Fed had actually won.

[HM Murdock]

I don't think mental block can explain the first set performance. Does anyone have any theories? Obviously Djoko started real slow and got better. Maybe the egg-timer wasn't set properly?

Fed's performance was obviously a big factor in the scoreline. Bur for Novak, I can really only see two explanations for the performance:
1) He was injured
2) Something went wrong mentally.

And he didn't look injured!

[laverfan]

Feel bad for Djokovic, but very glad for Federer.

[Josiah Maiestas]

Djokovic's Wimbledon win should have a big one of these

[The Special Juan]

So...... USO qualifiers this week and the draw about Thursday/Friday?

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