Nadal vs Djokovic Monte Carlo 21/04/2013 Highlights

For those ,like me, who missed it or didn't have live access to the match.

A truly awesome performance by Novak, I was amazed at the amount of times how he was able to force errors from Nadal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFO8GaodgMQ

Thanks eric - not sure I could watch that again TBH, although Rafa himself needs to - a lesson in abject tactical nous and execution. If there was a rating for hitting balls well before the service line or middle of the court Nadal would be the undoubted GOAT right now. I'm of an unforgiving mind that he thoroughly deserved to lose that match yesterday for making such poor basic decisions of where to target the ball.

lydian wrote:Thanks eric - not sure I could watch that again TBH, although Rafa himself needs to - a lesson in abject tactical nous and execution. If there was a rating for hitting balls well before the service line or middle of the court Nadal would be the undoubted GOAT right now. I'm of an unforgiving mind that he thoroughly deserved to lose that match yesterday for making such poor basic decisions of where to target the ball.

I think you're being to harsh on Nadal here and failing to give Novak the credit he deserves. Nadal's main weapon on the clay is his cross court forehand that kicks high into the right handers backhand or pulls them way out of court. Novak negates this by taking the ball early applying pressure to Nadal.

erictheblueuk wrote:

lydian wrote:Thanks eric - not sure I could watch that again TBH, although Rafa himself needs to - a lesson in abject tactical nous and execution. If there was a rating for hitting balls well before the service line or middle of the court Nadal would be the undoubted GOAT right now. I'm of an unforgiving mind that he thoroughly deserved to lose that match yesterday for making such poor basic decisions of where to target the ball.

I think you're being to harsh on Nadal here and failing to give Novak the credit he deserves. Nadal's main weapon on the clay is his cross court forehand that kicks high into the right handers backhand or pulls them way out of court. Novak negates this by taking the ball early applying pressure to Nadal.

Agree eric, Nadal played a pretty good second set till the last service game. In short, it is a case of a tough matchup and a player in djokovic who in many ways geared himself and his technique as well as his body for this particular match and credit to him he had the work ethic and talent to turn this matchup on its head. That being said Nadal has to play djokovic with a better plan B in their next matchup. More variety both from the baseline and the service line.

1. I've said numerous times on other threads Djokovic played a blinder and fully deserved to win, think I even said "all credit to Djokovic..."
2. I've said numerous times on other threads Nadal didn't execute the Plan B he had in 2012
3. The CC FH, BH, DTL stuff has been discussed numerous times also
4. It was still a much below par performance by Nadal whichever way you cut it

I do wish people would read my other comments before saying I'm being harsh. Nothing further to really add on the match, its been pretty much done to death now. There's a long way to go until RG and Nadal can only get better, roll on Barcelona.

lydian wrote:
I do wish people would read my other comments before saying I'm being harsh. Nothing further to really add on the match, its been pretty much done to death now. There's a long way to go until RG and Nadal can only get better, roll on Barcelona.

I'm not going to stalk you in other threads, I'm only going by the comments placed in this thread.

Lol...thank goodness re: the stalking

Fair enough.