Tennis

[CatalinR10]

congrats to him

 

[DonAK]

Writing off Rafa has often turned out to be the wrong move

 

[BarcaGirl]

Rafa lives to die on another day. (not the best tournament he's played and had some luck along the way, but as rafa fan i'll take it)

Congratulation to the only other true rafa fan on this board. Barcagirl :beer2:

Now i'm gonna watch the presentation ceremony, and the replay of the match knowing the outcome.

Thanks Zanela! Enjoy watching the replay. I bet it's not gonna be as stressful as it was watching it live

 

[AnfieldEd]

Nadal proved me and doubtless many others wrong today with a great win over Djokovic.

 

[Samuel Eto'o]

A win for Djokovic was not to be.

 

[forcabarca]

Lol at people who had written him off..

Vamos Rafa!

Sent from my Nexus 4

 

[messid10s]

So many people were writing Nadal off seemingly forgetting he's lost once at Roland Garros in his entire career....

 

[PaulFCB]

Djoker should stop being so balkanic in his Grand Slam finals. He's OK all the way up to the GS finals ( 6 games per tourny ), then he's OK in very important finals such as Masters 1000 and Tour Finals all the time he gets to them, he's only shrinking point comes in the recent Grand Slam finals ( past 2-2 1/2 years ).
It's a shame for him, even though he always faced big ambitions such as Nadal in 2012 or Murray in 2013 Wimbledon, but now, all the pressure should have pushed him from the back for a win.
Nadal wasn't just beatable, but Djokovic simply lost with too many mistakes when he didn't even need to be at his best to give Rafa any probs. He needed to be at his best when playing him at the 2011 finals or Australia 2012 cause else Nadal was at his prime then but now he just loses these games by himself and loses time by whining about mistakes and gets himself down.
If he doesn't makes a step forward in the next 2 Grand Slams and wins at least one of them, I think the serb will just remain in this twilight zone.

 

[Ode to Django]

I thought Rafa had no chance

I was lead to believe this wasn't possible

 

[zanela]

I thought Rafa had no chance

I was lead to believe he couldn't win

Did you put money on Murray and then Novak, over my predictions? you seem upset.

I've followed Rafa's game for almost 10 years, and do so outside GS. My apprehensions and pessimism is very much warranted given his predicament post-2010.
Those 7 consecutive final defeats in 2011 broke him. He hasn't looked the same since. Addition to the fact that his aging legs can't keep with his highly demanding physical game. The invincibility aura about him, and his belief has taken a beating. Early exits in imp tournaments to players he used to dominate, is an indicator. Of his own admission, he was scared when facing nole at the 2012 RG final. And if it wasn't for Fed's heroics in the RG semis '11, Rafa would've been toast. Fortunately for Rafa, Nole has been recently underperforming in the big tourneys. But any potential face-off between the two, I'll always hold nole a big fav.
This Rafa is in his decline, and very vulnerable. Yes, there is brilliance left in there, but that is rarely seen, more seldom against his nemesis (the one he fears the most)....Any GS he wins from here is only a bonus, as i don't see him staying long enough to concede his H-H supremacy he has over much of the ATP.

He's alluded to retirement after Rio 2016. I just hope he can get one AO/Wimby before that. Not holding my breath though.

 

[Ode to Django]

Did you put money on Murray and then Novak, over my predictions? you seem upset.

.

No i am only messing with you

Congrats!

 

[MagIX]

I can only say: well done, CHAPEAU !

I am one of those who claim that there is no GOAT of tennis, it is not possible to say who is the GOAT of tennis (not possible to compare different eras, wooden racquets, slower surfaces,....).

But NOT in the case of tennis on clay : Nadal is without any doubt the GOAT on this surface.

 

[DonAK]

Even after watching him for years Zanela, I had no doubts that he would win it again at Roland Garros. He has looked in fine form this tournament and showed it again in the final today after being one set down, he didn't lose the mental battle and showed his good side and never looked back.

Rafa has had several injury problems throughout his career, he is 27, it's natural for him to not be as good as he used to be, but you just can't write him off, you never can, he still is a great player, he still is a top player no matter which way you see it. He can still win more titles, he is in no way inferior to others. Holding Nole a huge favourite for today was way too pessemistic, especially at RG, knowing how GOOD, how amazing Rafa is on clay. You can bring on those ATP Master wins Djokovic had over him, but RG is a completely different game.

On to the grass court season now.

 

[zanela]

Rafa is finished on grass. Totally annihilated by D.brown in the first rd Halle. Should go back to playing queens. Either way, its embarrassing for the ATP to 've a #1 who's become a non-factor on grass. Another early wimb exit incoming.

 

[PaulFCB]

Yeah, if he catches grass-loving players like Dustin Brown in the first week at Wimbledon he will probably fail miserably there too.

Why should he go back to Queens? Halle is very nice. Each way, both will be ATP 500 from next year.

Andy Murray out to grandpa Stepfanek.