2008 French Open

H

hornpharmd

5,000+ Posts
Haven't seen a thread about the French this year. Very suprised.

Federer is playing to advance to the semi's today. In the bottom half of the draw Djokovic and Nadal play in the semis on Thursday. That is going to be one great match. I think Djokovic has been the #1 player in tennis the last 9 months. Roger has struggled all year long. Nadal is just now getting back to his form. Great semi's and final shaping up.

Was a little suprised to see Roger get the #1 seed this year.
 
Nadal kicking the **** out of Djokovic right now. Fed plays unseeded Monfils next. Could be another Nadal vs. Fed final.
 
Girls Final:

Ana Ivanovic (6'1") la morocha

vs.

Dinara Safin (6'0") la rubia

ana-ivanovic3_s_000.jpg
vs.
safinaun0.jpg


Que bueno. Amazons!!
yippee.gif
 
safina beat sharapova earlier but ivanovic isalso very agressive so it should be a good women's final.

lets hope for another nadal federer final on the mens side!
 
Hopefully hornpharmd will now start to see the light on how good Nadal is and quit hating on him when foaming about Djokovic for the last year. Besides the little hickup at the end of the 3rd set Nadal kicked Novaks *** all around the court today. Yes Djokovic is NOT the number one player in the world right now, it's still Roger but Nadal is still the king on clay and it's not even close!!!
 
I've played on clay courts twice this year in Buenos Aires. The difference in the game is unbelievable. (Well, it's "believable", but it's also pretty drastic.) It doesn't help when the guys play with balls as dead as flat soccer balls. A drop shot may bounce up about 5 inches.
 
The match is getting ready to start under cloudy skies in Paris.

I don't mind if either girl wins. Ana is pretty darned hot and Dinara, although 2 years older, seems to play like a 17 year old kid. I like her enthusiasm and spirit. So I'm good either way.
 
Ana is controlling this match. He shots aren't allowing Dinara to get into a groove. (Although Dinara now has a break point down 4-1 with two breaks in the 1st set)... she just broke.

But Ana hit a drop shot from about 3 feet behind the baseline that landed about two feet on the other side of the net and just died. It was crazy perfect.
 
As soon as I posted the last post, everything changed. Safina broke and then held, then broke again. It's now tied up at 4-4 and 30-30 in the 9th game.

Dinara is hitting winners, not just getting lucky. (Breakpoint Ana.)
 
Federer v Nadal final is set. Nadal goes for 4 in a row and 3 in a row over Federer. Another epic matchup for us to enjoy. Match is at 8am Sunday morning. I will admit that last year I thought Federer had gained momentum at Hamburg and had his best chance at upsetting Nadal at the French. He had something like 10 break points in the 1st set and didn't convert a 1 of them. That ultimately cost him the set and his fight wasn't the same after that. Nadal showed why he is numero uno on clay. This year I really don't know who is going to win but Nadal is playing better right now and is still the king on clay so you have to bet on him. These 2 guys are going to have quite the trophy cases when it is all said and done.

Ivanovic is now the #1 women's player in the world.
 
hornpharmd-

You're still a biased idiot and your hard on for Djokovic is pretty sickening. More importantly than that, it's fine to have a favorite player and root for him, but it's another thing to be a hater and not give a player his proper due like you have done with Nadal in all of your loosing arguments back in the day with mike. Wonder why he doesn't post any tennis threads over here much anymore......hmm?
 
Nadal absolutely dominated that 1st set. Making passing shots time after time and causing Federer to go for shots and forcing errors. Roger hasn't won a 2nd serve point I don't think. Nadal won something like 18 or the last 20 points in that 1st set.

6-1 Nadal.
 
Nadal broke early in 2nd set, but Federer just broke back. Small momentum swing back to Roger but he had to absolutely hit 2 shots on the line to do so in that game. If he has to play at that high of level to get an advantage then I think this match is short lived. Great game there

2-1 Nadal in 2nd.
 
Federer has found his game again and his hitting some amazing shots. Had a shot in that last Nadal service game but Nadal has responded. This match has turned into a very high level match now and this is what I tuned in for.

Nadal 3-2 in 2nd.

Commentators are great by the way. They are dead on in terms of the shots selection, the players psyche, and the crowd.
 
This is a classic Federe v Nadal set right here.

Federer holds serve. Then really goes after Nadal to try and break similar to last Nadal service game. Again similarly Federer had his moment but Nadal again similarly stepped up. Both players even bigger and the game even bigger than the last Nadal service game. Nadal holds and up 4-3 in 2nd.

For all those who don't like clay this is set is showing you what clay is all about. The service game is neutralized by the clay. The points and games are longer and more exciting. The points are won due to the players strategy and shot making and these players have really made some shots in this set.

Let's hope it continues.
 
In the 1st set and early in 2nd set Nadal was making Roger go for shots and miss. Then in middle of 2nd set Roger started player higher level and making shots and forced Nadal for a time to go for shots. Nadal didn't really miss as much but it gave Roger openings and he converted. Then Nadal adjusted and started making shot after shot. Then late in 2nd set Roger started to have to go for shots earlier in games and press and started missing. Nadal then closed out the 2nd set 6-3.

Nadal hasn't lost a set this tournament and after watching that 2nd set and how he responded to Roger's rally you have to think he doesn't lose one today either.
 
Nadal is dominating this 3rd set up 3-0. I think the fight is over and just nothing Roger can do. Nadal is the best on this surface.

He will win his 4th straight at the French. He is 1st in 28 years to win at French without losing a set...Borg last to do it in 1980.

Hard to compare eras but you have to say that Borg and Nadal are easily the best clay court players of their eras and of all-time.
 
Nadal's dominance continued and wins 3rd set 6-0.

4th straight French Open, ties Borg.

Doesn't lose a set in entire tournament...equals feat accomplished only 3 other times. Twice by Borg and last in 1980.

28-0 in last 4 French Open championships...believe it is his only 4 French Opens as well.

84-7 set record in those 4 french open titles. Only lost 1 set each of last 2 years.

Nadal is the best on clay in his era and in the last 30 years....hands down. HIs run this year and the way he finished off Federer losing only 4 games in the final and committing only 11 unforced errors reminds me of only 1 other feat...Secretariat in the 1973 Belmont Stakes. Knowing Nadal is the best on clay and going for the 4th French Open in a row, which I guess can be considered an achievement like winning the Triple Crown, Nadal not only won but dominated so convincingly that there can be no doubt.

Nadal has some more French Opens in his future as well.
 
Wow, just read your post VY. Lighten up. Anybody on this board regularly knows I am a Roger fan but I have no problem giving Nadal props. I am no Djokovic fan but just felt he was playing some of best tennis since end of last year. Nadal is easily the best clay court player of his era, no one doubts that.

On an expanded note, I do not know why Mike doesn't post on these tennis threads. You may need to ask him. I will say he did have a bit of an unending love fest for Ndal that at times went over the top and was more covering Nadal then the actual tournaments that the threads were about.

Also, it is going to go down in history that Federer's legacy is very much affected by Nadal now. Federer likely would go unchallenged at the French had Nadal not been around. Federer was been in the last 3 finals and easily could have won those matches had anybody else but Nadal but across the net. Roger is still the best player of his era but his legacy will be largely affected by Nadal. Instead of being the most dominant player of his era and perhaps best of all-time, Federer may end up going down as the best of his era. There is a huge difference and it is due to Nadal's dominance on clay.
 
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