I don't look at the results, I look at how Nadal's playing and the progress he's making. A much better indicator and that's what I base my predictions on.
Nole is playing better at the moment than he was during the first half of last season. But no one knows how he's going to be during the European clay season, nor how Nadal is going to be come Monte-Carlo/RG/etc.
That said, Nadal being great on clay is far more of a safe bet than Nole 2011 (still the only year he's beaten Rafa on the dirt) showing up. At the moment Nadal has to be the favourite, barring injury.
Wait until you see how fit/healthy he is by the time RG rolls around. He's definitely worth a bet at 11.00 odds if he's fully fit by the time RG comes around
It's between Djokovic, Nadal, and maybe Federer. Right now Nole is the best claycourter. Rafa needs to improve a lot to get to Nole's level, and Nole will probably improve too. And not having to face Nadal might enable Roger to win RG if he could play his best tennis. To be honest, I think Roger could beat current Nadal but he'd still somehow end up losing that match. But he has no problems when playing against Nole; Nole played his best tennis in 2011 and still Roger beat him at RG. And Rafa, if he doesn't improve from his current form, RG title would be a wonder. He doesn't even have mental strength, his only hope against better opponents is them choking or tiring themselves.
Of other players, DelPo and Tsonga can be dangerous on clay, they can hit trough opponents even on a slow surface. But I'm afraid that e.g. Nole, peak Nadal, and peak Ferrer defend too well so their maximum would be final with a weak draw. And if Nadal doesn't improve and Federer is playing badly, I think peak Ferrer could be the 2nd best player, after Nole. Still, getting final would require avoiding Rafa and Roger in the draw. But if Murray is the only big name in Ferrer's half, then he definitely could make the final, we saw at MC that Murray is a clay mug as he's always been.
What's up with this Tsonga hype? Tsonga winning RG? What are you people smoking? He can't play 2 sets in his peak clay level, let alone 3 or 4 matches (given that he has easy 1st few rounds)
Berdych and Tsonga as super outside bets with a good draw - a good draw necessarily means getting Ferrer, maybe even a Ferrer + Murray combo to the finals (or Federer even, depending on his form).
Berdych and Tsonga as super outside bets with a good draw - a good draw necessarily means getting Ferrer, maybe even a Ferrer + Murray combo to the finals (or Federer even, depending on his form).
We all love Fed but please stop dragging his name into these discussions in 2013 and beyond. That ship has sailed. It would be good to see what a 28 year old Federer could do against this Nole, but at almost 32? Forget it. Last year, Roger was a year younger and Nole was in a mini slump and he still wiped the floor with Roger in straight sets at Roland Garros. A year older, and with worsening back problem and you think Federer is a serious threat to Nole on any surface other than grass? Please.
Nothing has changed. If Rafa loses Madrid and Rome to Nole then it will be 50-50 going into RG. Nole has never beaten Rafa in a 5 set match on clay before.
Nothing has changed. If Rafa loses Madrid and Rome to Nole then it will be 50-50 going into RG. Nole has never beaten Rafa in a 5 set match on clay before.
Not trying to call you out here - I genuinely don't know and am interested: how many times in the past three years, say, has Djokovic played Nadal in a five-set match on clay?
Only Djokovic can take out Nadal (Del Po has a very small shot). If Djoko is at his best, Federer will have a better shot than Nadal against him imo.
The draw will be crucial. But i will be very surprised if it is not rigged. You have to consider one thing: Djokovic will be very nervous if he manages to be in the final. VERY nervous.
He has about 5% chances of going further in the draw than Del Potro (if we're being generous) - Delpo is the 5th favorite to the title at worst.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Mens Tennis Forums
18.5M posts
87.7K members
Since 2002
A forum community dedicated to male tennis players and enthusiasts. Talk about everything from the ATP, NSMTA, to college Tennis and even everything about equipment. It's all here!