[Mark Lenders]

Originally Posted by BauerAlmeida

Yes. Berdych did beat Nole at Wimbledon, but apart from that he was a disaster most of the matches they played and was routined too. That's the only time he beat him.

Ferrer doesn't do much better, but he caused him some trouble in the past on clay. Wawrinka played a fantastic match, but he was routined too most of his matches against Nole. Actually few people outisde the top 4 won't be routined by Djokovic (Delpo, Tsonga and not much else really).

It's the current courts's fault we don't have upsets and we have the same guys in the SF each time. Even if the #4 was someone else, he'd be routined too probably. Berdych can upset Fed/Murray but gets ruotined by Djokovic/Nadal. Tsonga or Del Potro can cause an upset, but any guy outside the TOP 10 would be rotuined too (the other guys in the top 10 too)

I'm not saying other players can't be routined, they definitely can especially against Djokovic on a slow hardcourt. But there's not the same inevitability there is in Ferrer's case; even if Ferrer plays to the very best of his abilities he's not going to trouble Nole at all ever deep in a Slam when Nole is obviously focused and playing well. The same cannot be said about Berdych: he can reach heights with his game where he can take down Nole (see W 2010) and the other top players even though he will lose most of the time. Even if playing badly/off form, he always has a shot at taking a set by stringing a few games of huge serving and hitting as he did in AO this year despite being clearly outplayed.

That's the whole point: yes, we know Wawrinka folds meekly most of the times he faces a top player, but he also has a very high peak which adds at least some degree of uncertainty to the match. Is there any doubt that if Ferrer faces Djokovic/Federer at Roland Garros SF he will be easily blown off the court, is there any gear in his game he can reach to avoid this inevitable outcome? No. Speaking of Tipsarevic, remember his match with Nole at USO 2012, it was incredible before Tipsy got injured, a sort of resistance Ferrer will never be able to offer to the top 2 this year if he lives up to his seeding because he doesn't have the tools to do so even if he redlines his game.

[Mountaindewslave]

Originally Posted by Geo

He's a hard worker but let's get real: he's #4 because Nadal hasn't played in over half a year We also don't need to see him reaching the semis of a slam again because it's boring to watch him get stomped time and time again by Federer and Djokovic. I expect Murray to start extending his h2h lead too.

this. love Ferrer but Australian Open Semifinals show that he is not really worthhy of top 5. great guy, hard worker, but the magic just isn't there. and I'm a big fan

[Corey Feldman]

now Masters 1000's and RG/Wimby become exciting with Nadal as 5th seed

[rocketassist]

Originally Posted by Corey Feldman

now Masters 1000's and RG/Wimby become exciting with Nadal as 5th seed

As long as they're Djoko-Nadal quarters

[Chase Visa]

Originally Posted by rocketassist

As long as they're Djoko-Nadal quarters

I'd love to see that happen if only for MTF's reaction.

[Corey Feldman]

i'm expecting an even spread - some weeks Fed, some weeks Nole, some weeks Muzza

but if Fed and Muzza keep drawing him and never Nole i will seriously go nuts and be finished with tennis, i mean it this time

i'm already close to the end with the game right now.

[Naudio Spanlatine]

I dont mind Nadal being #5, its not as bad as you guys think.

[Kat_YYZ]

Originally Posted by Mark Lenders

...

What frustrates people like the blogger I quoted is not that Ferrer will be routined by Novak/Federer in semis systematically, it's that there's no chance of anything else happening, he genuinely can't do any better so it's a foregone conclusion. Djokovic would have had a sterner challenge in the AO semis if you had picked a random top 50 player to play that match instead of Ferrer, odds are he'd have a big enough serve/strokes to get more games and that he could make it great and have a shot of winning if he played his best tennis ala Wawrinka...

Good thing rankings are based on points earned consistently rather than the probability of the player beating one of the top 4.

[Lestat]

the new raquet the vulturer will use to gain easy points in the SA season, go for it David!

[Serverer]

Originally Posted by Corey Feldman

i'm expecting an even spread - some weeks Fed, some weeks Nole, some weeks Muzza

but if Fed and Muzza keep drawing him and never Nole i will seriously go nuts and be finished with tennis, i mean it this time

i'm already close to the end with the game right now.

If Rafito is #5 at RG we can be sure they will rig it so he lands in Feds quarter.

[mark73]

If not for the top 4 Ferrer would be number one and win 1 or two slams a year. He's better than everyone else on slow hard courts and clay.

It just goes to show that there is a HUUUUUUUUUUGE gap between the top 4 and everyone else.

[rocketassist]

Originally Posted by mark73

If not for the top 4 Ferrer would be number one and win 1 or two slams a year. He's better than everyone else on slow hard courts and clay.

It just goes to show that there is a HUUUUUUUUUUGE gap between the top 4 and everyone else.

I know he's ranked 4 and that but I think Del Potro, Berdych and Tsonga would be the dominant guys if the top 4 weren't around, not him.

[delboy]

yeah I know..my paint skills are pretty impressive

[Mark Lenders]

Originally Posted by rocketassist

I know he's ranked 4 and that but I think Del Potro, Berdych and Tsonga would be the dominant guys if the top 4 weren't around, not him.

Evidently. First and foremost, if the current top 4 weren't around, the courts/conditions would be sped up no doubt leading to Ferrer becoming a non factor. Ferrer's star power is 0, guys like Tsonga and Del Potro are infinitely more popular among tennis fans and neurals alile despite being ranked lower at the moment - in fact Del Potro's popularity is probably on the same league as the current top 4 (bar Federer of course) despite not winning a big title for more than 3 years, which is why there's this perceived 'hype' around him.

Besides the fact that the ATP would never allow even the slighest risk of someone like Ferrer being the face of the sport in any way, he doesn't have the mentality required to dominate anyway (or the game), so it's a moot point.

[delboy]

Originally Posted by rocketassist

I know he's ranked 4 and that but I think Del Potro, Berdych and Tsonga would be the dominant guys if the top 4 weren't around, not him.

Ferru would kick their asses like he does now. I know it is a crime on MTF that he has got where he is through hard work while lacking natural talent but he is still unquestionably a better player than those guys.