French Open Day 15. Let's get ready to crumble?...

You know what's on.  Roll up. Roll up

We do not know (yet!) how it ends though. to Wawrinka and Djokovic. History will be made, whoever wins tomorrow!

Marvellous thread title.

To my surprise and relief, I feel rather calm this morning and not the gibbering, hysterical wreck that the Murray match turned me into.

I think this early calm (because, let's be honest, there's little chance of it lasting) comes from thinking that Novak can do it but not minding too much if Stan wins.

The only way Stan wins is by redlining his game and bludgeoning winners for three sets. If he does that, I'll have no problems with the result.

The only thing I don't want is a Novak choke.

Hoping for good match.

Djokovic's been serving next level this fortnight, and if he serves like that for one more day, he's got the career grand slam. Now off to find a corner to go console myself in. Imagine if Wawrinka has two grand slams, with wins over Nadal and Djokovic in finals on his ledger, though... He can do it, but I think Djokovic has earned this. Today Ahab catches the whale. Gollum gets the ring. Plankton finds the Krabby Patty formula, and Fringe Christian masons find the Holy Grail. Proof that if you believe, and are persistent, and have rivals who basically fall off the precipice... Anything is possible

I am genuinely hoping Novak wins as his dominance now merits the career slam. It will move him onto nine slam wins and he has been so close many times before at RG it would be cruel to see him deprived again. Barring wearing those shorts I have no ill-feeling to Stan and he has a chance but everything he tries must come off and he must hope nerves throttle parts of Djokovic's game such as serve at key moments. Djokovic to win in four for me.

CC - Agree with the Djoko-in-four assessment. Unless Stan plays well it could be straight sets. Djoko's game is now at a level where opponents - and top three guys, at that - can play really good matches against him and still lose.
I was rather hoping that Rafa would win the French to stop Djoko getting the calendar slam. It's not that I'm anti Djoko but I'm not sure he should be regarded in the same light as Budge, Laver.
Still, if he does it, it will be well earned, an amazing feat and a little bit of history .

sirfredperry wrote:   I was rather hoping that Rafa would win the French to stop Djoko getting the calendar slam. It's not that I'm anti Djoko but I'm not sure he should be regarded in the same light as Budge, Laver.

Why do you say that?

I think his CYGS would be ahead of those two. Three of their four tournaments were on grass. As much as the "homogeneity" of the modern era gets lamented, the modern set of 4 slams is more diverse than Laver and Budge's eras.

Not that I think Djokovic will do the CYGS though.

kingraf wrote:Djokovic's been serving next level this fortnight, and if he serves like that for one more day, he's got the career grand slam. Now off to find a corner to go console myself in. Imagine if Wawrinka has two grand slams, with wins over Nadal and Djokovic in finals on his ledger, though... He can do it, but I think Djokovic has earned this. Today Ahab catches the whale. Gollum gets the ring. Plankton finds the Krabby Patty formula, and Fringe Christian masons find the Holy Grail. Proof that if you believe, and are persistent, and have rivals who basically fall off the precipice... Anything is possible

It's fascinating to see the conflict between the part of you that likes sporting achievement and the (perhaps larger?) part of you that doesn't like Djoko.

HM Murdoch wrote:

kingraf wrote:Djokovic's been serving next level this fortnight, and if he serves like that for one more day, he's got the career grand slam. Now off to find a corner to go console myself in. Imagine if Wawrinka has two grand slams, with wins over Nadal and Djokovic in finals on his ledger, though... He can do it, but I think Djokovic has earned this. Today Ahab catches the whale. Gollum gets the ring. Plankton finds the Krabby Patty formula, and Fringe Christian masons find the Holy Grail. Proof that if you believe, and are persistent, and have rivals who basically fall off the precipice... Anything is possible

It's fascinating to see the conflict between the part of you that likes sporting achievement and the (perhaps larger?) part of you that doesn't like Djoko.

I do like Djokovic. I just don't like watching him win . His MTO at the beginning of the fourth set/end of third set in the 2011 USO final put me off him winning forever. Quite liked him until then. I do however like the narrative of his resilience in the face of some soul crushing defeats at a place which has historically shown no liking for him.

As an aside, I see Wawrinka split from his wife six weeks ago. Makes rather large career leaps when he leaves her for whatever reason

Come on Stan, make us proud, save us all

kingraf wrote:As an aside, I see Wawrinka split from his wife six weeks ago. Makes rather large career leaps when he leaves her for whatever reason

Wouldn't a Murray-Wawrinka final with "marriage works" on the line have been a far more interesting narrative than someone trying to complete a career slam. Ah well.

My support's with Djokovic today, it would be pretty rough to have beaten Nadal and then not get the title. Wouldn't mind if he lost his way for a while after acheiving that goal though!

Sometimes in this world in sport you have to hold your hands up and say: 'Too good.' That is where Novak is at just now. He is on a different level to every player and anyone saying he doesn't merit a career Grand Slam are kidding themselves. He has won the Australian Open five times (a great feat in itself), has reached two finals at Roland Garros to be denied by Rafa who he has beaten here this year, Wimbledon he has won twice beating Rafa and Roger in those finals and won the US Open once beating Rafa in the final. Figures like those say he merits the career slam.

Well said CC. Bring on the final, really hope Novak wins today but on the up side I really like wawrinkas game too. It just feels like this is novaks time, he has given so much at Rolland garros over the years and he has had to come through a very tough draw, Murray was playing inspired tennis and rafa is still a huge mental challenge regardless of his form being a bit off.

Come on Novak!!

I didn't know Wawrinka had separated from his wife. Hats off to him for reaching. Slam final in the midst of all that wreckage happening in his life.

Btw I think only Nadal is unmarried in the current slam winners crop, isn't that so?

I'm not sure about giving him any credit... I think Rory McIlroy proved irrevocably last year that cannibalising your personal life is the easiest most secure way to reach your professional goals

I don't think Stan can stop Novak. Having come so far, waited for so long, it's his time now to complete his career slam. It's his destiny.

One thing about Murray, why was he always losing the last set of his match against Novak in such lopsided manner? It's like he's just contented winning the fourth set! Maybe Murray is truly no match for Novak, for once Novak raised his level, Murray couldn't cope. It wasn't like that back in 2012/2013 where Murray could go toe to toe with Novak for five sets, now it seems Murray could no longer do that. So, after Fedal is gone, I'm afraid there's no one to stop Novak or at least make it possible that Novak may lose. We may be heading for another 2004-2007 kind of dominance, but do we see a young star ( like Rafa back then) acting like a spoiler for Novak?

Nah, both Delpo and Cilic are also not married, unless they do so without announcing publicly.

Lets go Stannnnn, make History.

I expect easy straight sets for Novak.  They have played a number of 5-setters in slams recently but I think that also masks the fact that overall Nole tends to do quite well in their rivalry.

He is 16-1 in their last 17 matches, including many drubbings - such 6-3, 6-0 at WTF last year.

Nevertheless, good luck to Stan; hopefully he can prove me wrong.

Novak deserves this one for winning through the harder half of the draw (beating Rafa and Murray), the clay court form this year, the years of hard graft at Roland Garros, for being the player of the season so far, and for not persisting unnecessarily with ridiculous shorts.

Go Stan goook good luck baby.

I predict Novak in 3 as well (or 4 at most). I think he hasn't played his best in this tournament compared to the rest of the season, but perhaps will do so now. I think once he gets ahead in the match there may not be nerves this time. I think the ball will be kept too low and deep for Stan to do damage.

Great rally, keeo it up Stan, but get the winners in, dont grind.

Booooom.

Call be a stroll, Stan will get about 8/9 games at most.

Wow, some start to this match!! Serious ball striking early on

Long rallies. Big hitting. Lovely

Break him Stan, nowwww

Djoko already playing brathless and slipping.

crush himmmm

Nip and tuck. On serve 3-2.

coolpixel wrote:I didn't know Wawrinka had separated from his wife. Hats off to him for reaching. Slam final in the midst of all that wreckage happening in his life.

Btw I think only Nadal is unmarried in the current slam winners crop, isn't that so?

I hope that wasn't for career reasons. Those are the sort of things you regret in the grand scheme if things

He has a daughter too, so he can get her mommy back anytime he wants, after he gets another 3 GS.

Sloppy stuff

This break was coming - Stan has had to work harder on his serve - but the way he gave it up is disastrous.

first test of nerves coming up

Eurosport and Mats joking around as to why Djoko is not loved, despite his good PR, not making a problem on disputed balls etc. still no Love.

Match a match of this at least stan

Stan with superb 2 points.

Break himmmm

Well that's match over.  Stan needed that first set to make this in anyway interesting

Fairly uneventful first set.

Very good first set, just the one sloppy game from Stan cost him but Novak has put more pressure on his service games

Bad volley. You must expect that to come back

Novak a third of the way to achieving the career grand slam today. Stan has to hang in there and cannot afford to offer up an early break here.

Brilliant 2 points from Stan at 40-15. The backhand on the spin while moving backwards is class.

Not much sign of nerves from Djokovic from serving it out, a little edgy, played it too safe perhaps on the high volley at 40-15, but definately no choke.

Stan playing reasonably nicely.

Could be a rather Federer-Soderling 09 feel about this match, where Federer had his toughest tasks earlier on in the tournament and the final felt routine.

A ridiculous call by the chair umpire robbed Wawrinka the break back in the first set. Wawrinka won the subsequent two points so it should've been 5-5.

Crucial hold for Stan that. He must try to hang in there ad stretch the match out and test whether three days on the bounce of play for Novak will take its toll or not. Also another thing he has to do .......................change those ruddy shorts.

What ridiculous call? they went at looked at the mark, and it was out...?

Henman Bill wrote:What ridiculous call? they went at looked at the mark, and it was out...?

Hawkeye showed differently though.