2013 Running Tennis Thread

Looked for a thread of this type, and didn't see it. If there is, I apologize and feel free to delete.

Now that Djokovic has won his third straight Aussie Open and fourth in total, he's got six Grand Slam titles (1 US Open and 1 Wimbledon). He's 25 and really unmatched at this point (Andy Murray withstanding, but he hasn't proved he can consistently win). Roger Federer appears to be done at 31 and 17 GS titles, although I wouldn't be stunned if he wins maybe one more.

Could Djokovic win 11 Slams in the next six years, averaging two a year? He's really at his peak right now. I guess the wild card is how Nadal bounces back from injury, but we could be looking at the greatest champion of all time, just when everyone figured that title would go to Federer.

 

I know he was injured (gimpy at best).... but Murray is still one of the best returners in the game and for him to not record a break at all in the final is incredible.

On another point, I just don't get the broadcast decisions of our networks. They will show the Williams sisters in their doubles matches, but we can't ever seem to get the men's doubles on TV. Talk about the best ever... there's no doubt, and we've rarely if ever gotten to see them play.

 

It's true ... for two guys with 13 GS titles and who have dominated the game they way they have, the Bryans hardly get the attention they deserve. Sure fire Hall of Famers.

 

I guess I'm not sure why so many people suddenly think Federer is 'done.' He's the current Wimbledon champion, after all.

I think his next year or two depend entirely upon who among the 'other three' - Murray, Nadal, Djokovic - make it through any given draw. The men in the next tier, including Ferrer, aren't reliably there yet. (Ie, Berdych, del Potro, Tsonga, Tipsarevic, Gasquet.)

 

Federer only has two GS titles since the start of 2010. I can only see him winning maybe one more, and that being on his preferred surface of grass. I don't see him winning another title on a hard court, and he's never been particularly good on clay.

 

Doubles is tough for me to put in a context of legacy. Bob Bryan, for example, hasn't played a Tour singles match in almost a decade.

On the one hand is what they have done, which is HOF material. But on the other hand is why . . . in part because the world's best players don't play doubles. It's kind of like the Dunk championship at All-Star Weekend. Is the champ really the best ---- or only the best because the 40 better ones decided not to participate?

I watched the end of the mixed doubles final last night. Three of the players I had never heard of. The fourth I barely knew. And I'm the kind of tennis follower who can tell you the nationalities of 90 percent of the Top 50 men's and women's players.

 

Athletes and their fates all hang from very slender threads. The last guy who was a lock to pass Federer for best ever was Nadal. Any bets on whether he'll still do it?

Djokovic has to stay very healthy, and beat a very tough field for a very long time to surpass Federer. A lot of which is out of his control. It's luck.

How soon before Tiger passes Jack?

 

Agreed. After the 2008 U.S. Open, Tiger passing Jack was a foregone conclusion. Now, the window of opportunity is closing fast.

I'm not so sure about the very tough field, though. Murray and a healthy Nadal. Del Potro, Tsonga and Berdych may pull the occasional upset, but not likely in a GS event. The last time he lost a Slam to someone not named Murray, Federer or Nadal was Wimbledon 2010, when it was Berdych. Since then, he's won five of his seven.

 

This. And can we just enjoy the denouement of Federer's career before we kick him to the curb? "One more slam" -- any slam -- is a huge deal to be savored. Just ask Andy Roddick or even better James Blake.

 

Wow, six years is a long, long time to stay at the very top in any sport. I wouldn't rule it out, but Djokovic has more elite-level competition now than Federer or Sampras did in their best years. It's hard to consider any player an overwhelming favorite in any Slam today. Maybe Nadal on clay, but now there are legit questions about his status.

Federer set such a high standard for such a long time that even a slight dropoff is noticeable. I wouldn't rule out him winning another Slam or two, but it has gotten much more difficult.

 

This Djokovic-Nadal semifinal is looking like an all-time great match. Back and forth. Rafa was serving for the match, Djokovic broke, then won the tiebreak in the fourth set. Nadal leads 6-5 in the fifth set now. He needs a break for the match.

 

Great match.

Nadal is amazing on clay; wonderful defense; what sets him apart is he's not just a defender, he rips winners when given an opening and even when he's barely getting to the ball.

This does not change my mind though that Djokovic is the best in the world; on anything but clay, Djokovic wins this match.