Monte Carlo

First topic message reminder :

Murray came thru an exhibition match with Fed on Monday but was still unsure if he would compete at Monte Carlo. He said afterwards that if he was not ready next week he would aim to play the week after that.
I'm tipping Rafa to have a good clay-court season and, of course, his big chance to gain points will come at RG. Twould be foolish to write off Djoko's chances. It would be nice to see del Po getting some more-favourable draws and getting his ranking up. Wonder if Fed will decide, after all, to fit at least one tournament in before RG. Can anyone see a player outside the big 4/5 making a move?

I didn't think Rafa looked at his absolute best on clay yesterday by any means - he didn't seem to hit with quite the same devastating ferocity of play as many a Monte Carlo. What he was absolutely superior at was how tactically well he played - like a cat with a mouse at times. Think you're right - he doesn't need to be as good as he has been in the past to be far better than the rest on clay at the moment. Zverev was just out 'thunk'!!!! Very disappointing to see such a one-sided scoreline.

Jesus Christ.
Calm down. Nobody's having a go at he here
My post was a question not a statement people were wondering if the new poster was he
I then asked if she has been banned, since that would be the only valid reason she would use a new account

Jhm said no and asked why I asked. I replied that I know he has been in difficulty before YEARS ago by the by

Having not been here much the last year I wondered if something had happened

That's it... no ulterior motives or anything no reason to crap on jhm

This is the reason I had a breakdown and left. It's lucky I left this tab open


So no timex... this is no attempt to bully. I was simply talking to jhm wondering if what caused the trouble before had come back

Please don't give him crap

Wow!  

I am sorry to hear you have had health issues and I do hope my posts don't cause you any further grief.  

I wouldn't normally mention this because I regard it as private and not to be used as emotional blackmail, but I just wanted you to know that as someone who has undergone invasive and unpleasant medical treatment over the last three years you have my complete sympathy for your ill-health.

I don't think JHM thought I was giving him crap at all - he is far too astute. If you did JHM, that wasn't my intention, and I apologise.

It's fine timex. I lived with it since I was young

He's relationship with the mods in the past has never been private, hence why I thought it was fine to ask openly

As it stands clearly there's been no issue, so there's no need for this to cause the remaining mods any stress

Let's move on

I am sorry.....I have already moved on from a conversation I was having with JHM and so has he. I very much doubt I caused him any stress.

You have to right to ask anything - I was stating I don't like to see this kind of 'naming and shaming'

I am not going to respond to any reply you might make to this because I refuse to be accused of contributing to your ills.

I wish you luck

mediocre Murray showing how much of a fraud he really is. Fluked the #1 ranking and fluked Wimbledon against a career loser like Raonic

No problem, timex, no stress

Pleased to hear

On more topical matters

Novak is taking a pounding here

Djokovic's level of tennis is reaching new lows. Just cant get over how bad it has become. So passive and just hitting basic shots out all the time. it is like watching a totally different player. It is a mystery that he has even made the quarter finals looking at him in this match.

Almost lost for words

Ramos-Vinolas continues his run by beating Cilic in the quarter-final. Djokovic wins the second set and is leading in the third set.

Jermaine2015 wrote:mediocre Murray showing how much of a fraud he really is. Fluked the #1 ranking and fluked Wimbledon against a career loser like Raonic

The only thing fraudulent is your interest in tennis - otherwise you would know how the ATP ranking system works, and you would have something positive to say about the tennis being played in this tournament.

Inch by painful inch. Novak is clawing his way back to form

Djokovic was a break up in the third - but Goffin has broken back. So back on serve. Anyone's match.

Two match points Goffin.
Two match points saved.
Third match point Goffin.
Third match point saved.

Another MP saved by Djoko...

Long game this. Match points and game points.

6-2 3-6 7-5 to Goffin. Well played Goffin. More work needed for Djokovic.

That's the best I've ever seen goffin play.

Titanic effort. Novak didn't give that away in thebend

temporary21 wrote:That's the best I've ever seen goffin play.

Titanic effort. Novak didn't give that away in thebend

I think players now have the belief they can beat Djokovic, whereas in the past they would have given up.

A fantastic match by Goffin .. never gave up and gave Novak the run around.  A well deserved win

Bravo Goffin! It was a really entertaining match - knife edge to the end!

Good result by Goffin, although no highlights on my TV channels to catch up with now. Good result for Rafa too. You would have made him favourite on clay against Djokovic given the form of Novak, but I think after so long with little or not big titles, Rafa would be pleased to play Goffin.

Looks like I'm not going to catch the rest of the tournament either, too busy this weekend. How is Rafa looking form wise?

I don't think anyone can confidently criticise a banning of a poster without knowing the full details. A poster may be banned because of an offensive comment that was quickly deleted which you didn't see, or because of something they did by private message.

Just hypothetically I mean. I'm not saying this happened in the specific case referred to above.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that jermaine2015 is trolling. Given that several posters who are genuinely interested in tennis have opened up about mental issues, I think it is fair to ban the trolls who attempt to cause real harm. I knew someone with depression and there was absolutely nothing I could do to get them out of it. It required clinical treatment. The drugs given made their brains crackle with electricity at times. Absolutely awful.

We are now almost through AO, IW, Miami and MC, and Novak+Andy have one QF appearance between them to show for it.  Maybe finally a decline?  And we have some new blood coming through to replace them - Federer and Nadal.

summerblues wrote: And we have some new blood coming through to replace them - Federer and Nadal.

No name Bertie wrote:The drugs given made their brains crackle with electricity at times.  Absolutely awful.

My aunt was bipolar and schizophrenic. There are no drugs in the world that cure, but most maintain status quo and the side-effects of such are worse than the underlying ailment(s).

slashermcguirk wrote:It is a mystery that he has even made the quarter finals looking at him in this match. Almost lost for words

What ails Djokovic seems mental, not physical. There seems to be a complete lack of interest and desire. He needs a six-month or longer sabbatical.

So only Rafa of the big beasts is left standing at MC. Early days on clay as yet, so remains to be seen if Djoko is in permanent decline or just having a bit of a bad run that can affect players when injuries and advanced years kick in. All of the above applies to Murray, too.

Later: Have just watched a few clips of the Goff-Djoko match. If Nole was complaining about the sun why was he not wearing a cap?

Ramos-Vinolas won the first set.

Can't wait to watch him fold 1&1 against Rafa in the final tomorrow.

Think Djokovic is finished to be honest. Such a sudden and dramatic drop off. Not even like he's had a serious injury.

Doubt he will qualify for WTF this year.

I don't think Djoko is finished. He may be poor this season and may not qualify for WTF, but come next season he can start afresh. He still has the desire and determination to fight for the win, if not he would have lost to Simon or PCB already. He's just in poor form, due to injuries and motivation issues but it seems he's now motivated again.

He's still hard to beat, so he won't drop down the rankings too significantly, perhaps not in top five but still in top ten?

Guest82 wrote:Ramos-Vinolas won the first set.  

Can't wait to watch him fold 1&1 against Rafa in the final tomorrow.

Don't count Rafa's chickens .. he has Goffin to worry about first they have never played each other and so therefore anything can happen
and don't underestimate Vinolas either he is no slouch.. Nothing in life is certain but death

Generally if Nadal loses it is to players that have weapons, sadly for Goffin I don't think he has the power to beat Rafa on slow clay.

Ramos-Vinolas is a solid player, but basically a worse version of Nadal.

It's not Rafa's fault, but he's got a very nice draw for a Masters title.

Ramos-Vinolas is a solid player, but basically a worse version of Nadal

Nasty!!!

Rafa through to the final

Tough on goffin he had 4-2 first set but a monumental foul up by mourier meant the game went on. Nadal then broke for 3-3 instead and goffin only won 1 more game. Never got his head back

Ramos Vinolas pretty boring player to watch. Not particularly ugly game, but not really much to it. Still, he was more solid than Pouille and deserved the win.

Rafa through to the final. I thought he played ok but it is hard to be sure because Goffin totally collapsed after a good start.

Goffin should not have allowed that call to impact him so much. Bad calls happen, they are part of the game.

That said, it was a horrible call. I have seen worse calls before, and I have seen bad calls at more critical moments, but I am not sure I have ever seen a call this bad at a moment this critical.

summerblues wrote:Ramos Vinolas pretty boring player to watch.  Not particularly ugly game, but not really much to it.  Still, he was more solid than Pouille and deserved the win.

I was unable to get the broadcast here so I'm reluctant to comment other than to say however BORING he may have been at least he made the semis which is more than can be said by most me thinks !!!

HN: not only semis, he is in the final!

But I did not say he played poorly, I just said I found him boring. It is entirely possible to play superb, yet boring, tennis. There is no contradiction there.

He has a very pleasing to watch service action

He's more of a workman on the court I guess

Good to see Nadal in another 2017 final. One step closer to #10 @MC.

summerblues wrote:HN: not only semis, he is in the final!

But I did not say he played poorly, I just said I found him boring.  It is entirely possible to play superb, yet boring, tennis.  There is no contradiction there.

Maybe your right but there are one or two TOP players I find boring.. however they get the results.. and however boring he may be (in your book) Rafa has yet to beat him in this tournament .. I feel he can/should/and hopefully would but I have long learned not to count my chickens.. all is yet to be played for and Rafa hopefully will get his 10th MC crown..

I did say at the time that there was no shame in Murray in losing to Ramos Viñolas, well done to him for making the final.

I saw where the ball landed in the very-bad-call incident with Goffin. Miles behind the baseline, with the umpire looking at the wrong mark.
A win today will put Rafa in a very good position in the year-so-far points table. With Rog not playing a particularly full schedule there's a real possibility that Rafa could get back to number one.

La decima minor is complete.
Maybe the best masters achievement ever

Well done to Rafa. Back to winning ways and now ready to challenge anyone on clay. Will be interesting to see him play one of the other big players on clay.

So that's 10 Monte Carlos. I'd struggle to think of an example of a player winning 10 (or more) of any one tournament, even if we look at below masters level. Can anyone think of one? I think I research it once, and couldn't find anything comparable.

So proud of you Rafa the end of the drought we hope and a successful clay court season.
Commiserations to R-V a brave attempt against an opponent that had one thing on his mind..to win.