Match of The Day Thread : Mutua Madrid Masters - Day 8 - THE FINAL !!!

[Wooffie]

First topic message reminder :

Mutua Madrid Open

ATP World Tour 1000
Madrid, Spain
date: 1st – 8th May, 2011
surface: Red Clay
prize money: € 2,835,000
________________________________________

Order of Play

Sunday, 8th May, 2011

Centre Court – Manolo Santana

Not before 6:30 pm (5:30 pm GMT)
Rafael NADAL (ESP) vs. Novak DJOKOVIC (SRB)

________________________________________

The Road to the Final ...

RAFA NADAL

def. Marco BAGHDATIS 6-1, 6-3
Juan Martin DEL PORTRO (walkover)
def. Michael LLODRA 6-2, 6-2
def. Roger FEDERER 5-7, 6-1, 6-3

NOVAK DJOKOVIC

def. Kevin ANDERSON 6-3, 6-4
def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-1, 6-2
def. David FERRER 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
def. Thomaz BELLUCCI 4-6, 6-4, 6-1

So this is it ... after their hard fought battles on the US hardcourts, the world's two best players transfer their craft to the red clay of Europe ... where something will have to give.

Rafa is defending Champion and holds an un-beaten 37 match winning streak on the dirt ... Novak has won everything he's played for this year, and is defending a 31 consecutive match winning streak.

One of those records will be broken today. Will it be the King of Clay's or that of the new Heir Apparent?

________________________________________

Links:
Draw
Order of Play
Live Scores
Official Tournament Website

[Stealth Maestro Agro Love]

Melzer grabs an early break against Gimeno-Traver. He looks in the mood today!

[Wooffie]

Uh ... oh ...

[Wooffie]

Poor old Feli. Bravo though ... that was a fantastic effort. <applause>

[Mad for Chelsea]

well Federer eventually wins the tie-break, but it was a real hard slog

[Haddie-nuff]

Feli deserved that set bless him

[Wooffie]

Are heading for another breaker ... or can Feli do it?? VAMOS Feli!!

[I AM AWESOME]

Federer's struggling....

[Wooffie]

No more than you deserve, Feli.

A great performance from him.

[Haddie-nuff]

Go get him Feli V A M O S

[Wooffie]

Oh ... try your best, Feli!

[I AM AWESOME]

COME ON! NEarly a break up.

[I AM AWESOME]

So many break points down the drain.

[Stealth Maestro Agro Love]

Hee hee.... Federer foot faults on game point but gets an easy hold to go 5-4 up in the decider. I get the feeling that this is the end of the line for Lopez...

[Wooffie]

Come on FELI !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Wooffie]

Gutted for Feli, but what a fabulous performance from him. <applause>

[I AM AWESOME]

COME ON! YESSS! Was so tense but the master made it through. Great match by Lopez though, would have caused a lot of people problems playing like he did.

[Haddie-nuff]

Well let me say that the best man did not win that match.. Fed should go down on his knees and give thanks.He may have been the master once but no more.

[Wooffie]

I thought that was a really entertaining and good match. Yikesy moments on both sides ... but really good to watch. <applause> Shame for Feli on the overhead, but I really enjoyed the play. <applause>

[I AM AWESOME]

Well let me say that the best man did not win that match.. Fed should go down on his knees and give thanks.He may have been the master once but no more.

Erm, Federe had more winners and won more points, had more aces, had more points won on his second service. Lopez missed that lob whereas Federer did a superb second serve to save the first set and I think that shows the gulf in quality and who should have won.

[Haddie-nuff]

I know better than to get into debate with a Fed Fan. Because I simply dont agree and stick to what I originally said. Nothing you have said will change my opinion.. Lopez deserved that match he made one mistake .. missing a lob.??? overhead smash I think you meant didnt you..... however dont remember that he had a foot fault though. Gulf in quality..... Where backhands are concerned you might be right... Lopez´s is far superior.

[Stealth Maestro Agro Love]

Well let me say that the best man did not win that match.. Fed should go down on his knees and give thanks.He may have been the master once but no more.

Lopez gave it a good go, but the better player on the day nearly always wins (the only exceptions being when Blake loses. Well I say lose, the umpire and the devil conspire against him, obviously).

In that third set, Federer didn't have to face a single break point, and he was just the stronger player in the last tie breaker. Lopez's level dropped in the third and didn't really look like he was going to make any major move untill the tiebreak, whereas Federer looked quite threatening throughout. It was a fine effort from Lopez though, he did himself proud.

[Wooffie]

Federer had his usual reliable serve in the third set and Feli couldn't make a move on it because his service games were that good. Sure, Feli had to face break points, but some great serves from him and good play saved them. Courageous even, which isn't a word I would ordinarily associate with Feli Lopez. Feli had all the momentum with him in that last tie breaker and yes, I do believe that missed smash was the pivotal point. A killer for Feli and something to pounce on from Feds. For me, it all hinged on that.

[Haddie-nuff]

Quote from Fed´s presser..........He added: "He's serving so well, he can hit an easy pace - 200km/h. It's just a safe serve and that's why I never thought I was going to turn it around after being down in the breaker.
"But I got a bit lucky tonight. I had my chances early on, so it would have really been a tough loss."
---------------------------
Feds words not mine ..so you see it isnt all about being the better player on the day but getting lucky too. At least HE can admit to it.

[Stealth Maestro Agro Love]

Federer had his usual reliable serve in the third set and Feli couldn't make a move on it because his service games were that good. Sure, Feli had to face break points, but some great serves from him and good play saved them. Courageous even, which isn't a word I would ordinarily associate with Feli Lopez. Feli had all the momentum with him in that last tie breaker and yes, I do believe that missed smash was the pivotal point. A killer for Feli and something to pounce on from Feds. For me, it all hinged on that.

I'd agree the missed smash decided it, but that's the problem with so many guys who push the best to the limit; they nearly get there, are within touching distance, and then find something to throw it away on. Falla gave Fed a similar reprieve in Wimbledon last year, but it's why he's still one of the best, isn't it? That ability to seize the moment.

He's got Malisse next. Malisse tradiitonally ain't great on clay, but he's unpredictable and can pose a threat to anyone to any surface on his day. I suppose he can thank his lucky stars he's not got the draw of Rafael Nadal though....

[Wooffie]

I will bet my house on Feds totally walking through his match today.

[Stealth Maestro Agro Love]

I will bet my house on Feds totally walking through his match today.

Probably. Lopez has likely given him the kick up the backside he dearly needed yesterday. I do like watching Malisse though, plays good stuff when he's on form.

[Wooffie]

Well ... we all know that the main event takes place at 6 pm this evening.

I'm slightly nervous cos what has JMDP achieved since he's come back? A couple of titles and a couple of semi-final appearances?? I think we can say he's recovering from his injury.

A lot of people are waiting for this encounter on clay, but Rafa is Rafa and still should have enough for him.

GOOD LUCK RAFA!!

[Stealth Maestro Agro Love]

Nadal should be fine if he plays well. del Potro's done very, very well so far this clay season but shouldn't be hitting through Nadal on clay like he can on the hard courts. Apparently he's rather worried about that wrist as well this tournament, and was contemplating giving Cilic the walkover prior to Round 2.

I'd like to see a performance from Stakhovsky today too. Ferrer was left stumbling in the 2nd round, and Stakhovsky's been in pretty decent form so far this year; this has been the first time i've ever seen him do reasonably well in a clay tournament. Clay's not really his surface though, so Ferrer will likely cane him. Would like to see the shock result, though.

[Wooffie]

Stealth - I thought JMDP had a leg injury and that's why he was considering pulling out of the Cilic match.

I know nothing about Stakhovsky, but Daveed's form this season should see him do OK.

[Wooffie]

Nole walzing through his match ...

Maybe I should bet my house on him!

[Haddie-nuff]

Have you seen JDP has withdrawn due to hip injury

[Haddie-nuff]

http://eurosport.yahoo.com/05052011/58/del-potro-withdraws-madrid.html

[Wooffie]

NOOOOO!!!

Thanks for the update, Haddie.

[Mad for Chelsea]

Oh dear that is a shame for Del Potro, hope it's not too serious and he's fully fit in time for the French Open at least...

[Stealth Maestro Agro Love]

That's pretty much ended Madrid as a contest then. Nadal in form + rested + on clay = Victory.

I think del Potro's just looking after himself as the French Open approaches, sensible move. Rather pull out now and stop it from becoming a major issue than playing and possibly making it a prolonged injury.

[Stealth Maestro Agro Love]

Bellucci saves two break points to hold serve, 2-1 in the first there, still on serve.

Tsonga and Soderling are also on serve, 4-4. Tsonga hanging on for dear life at the moment, having saved another 2 break points there.

[noleisthebest]

HI Woffie and all!


I was just sharing my most awful and embarrassing moment EVER (thinking there were only those top 4 fan threads in the entire forum (yes I DID think that !!!!) and then I discovered all this, after not being able to find my new topic which I wrote this morning( i.e. I scrolled down.....)

anyway, great job you're doing here, I bet you are all gutted and annoyed with Madrid's pathetic website, it's 10 PM and still no order of play for tomorow!!!

[Wooffie]

NITB! Exactly ... Are are you trying to tell me that you didn't realise that there was a fully fledged tennis forum going on here too??

In essence, its how 606 should have been. Its just regular tennis fans coming along and posting topics which in turn, promotes some very good general discussion. There's been some excellent opinion posted on here and what I really like is that yes ... the Rafa fan thread is a big thing of what I do, but above all else ... I like to chat tennis. And so far, its all been done on here in a very respectful manner and enjoyable to all. Long may it continue!

Anyhow ... yes!! I am still waiting patiently for that awful Madrid website to post tomorrow's OOP. <drums fingers>

[noleisthebest]

Woffie,
I know it's hard to believe, but I DID think the top 4 threads were ALL there was....I'm just a shell of what I used to be, I'm just a shell..... :flag:

[noleisthebest]

The Order of play is OUT at laaast....(my fingertips are numb )

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Scores/Order-Of-Play.aspx

[noleisthebest]

Very poor scheduling. Theyshould've had two men's matches split on two courts, to give reasonable recovery time for the semis to all players....still, nothing will stop Nole winning this one

[Wooffie]

Well frankly, if I'd paid for tickets for Centre, I would expect to see the No. 2 player actually play there. But is today Nole's first appearance on Centre? (being lazy and not checking back). I suppose this is what happens when a Masters series is split with the ladies and they have to have their turn on there too. It will be interesting to see how the scheduling pans out for Rome too as that tournie is now split also.

[noleisthebest]

Nole was on Centre in his first match. I think Federer could've done with the other one for a change today.

[Wooffie]

Well ... Bellucci is first through to the semi's after disposing of [Rolf] Berdych in straight sets.

Is that a Can't say I've seen him play since the FO last year. Will he be a tricky customer for either Nole/Daveed??

[Wooffie]

And Rafa takes the first set 6-2.

:chewie: :chewie: :chewie:

[Haddie-nuff]

And what impressive stuff from the boy... Brilliant

[Wooffie]

He played well then, Haddie?? I saw he had a few break points, but was Llodra not up to much?

[socal1976]

Wow, what else can you say about Rafa. Just looking so tough right now. I think he is a little tired of hearing about Novak's streak, looks like he intends to do something about it. God I hope they both get to the final. Look out kids, it would be won doozy of a match.

[cats_r_cool]

I'm loving this new smiley :chewie: Specially as it's named after one of my dogs

Anyway, I watched the Rafa Llodra match. Rafa looking really good and I have to say that I really enjoy Llodra's game - I don't hanker after the serve and volley game but it's nice to see occassionally. Rafa was holding his own at the net and some lovely exchanges between the two of them.

And :applause: for Bellucci

[I AM AWESOME]

Soderling untouched on his serve.

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