Was just thinking how many times in a row he just lucked it out in mega huge ocasions -
USO semi final 2011
USO semi final 2010
AO semi final 2012 (he was *5-5 15-40 in 5th set)
AO final 2012 (*2-4 15-30, easy passing missed Rafa, 5th set)
In 4 occasions he's just a point away of losing. He plays most these crucial points in a great way, but to be honest this kind of successive crucial points saving doesn't happen to everyone.
No deterioration of Nole's success, just thinking about how one point in all those 4 matches (maybe more than 4, can't remember) could have made his impressive run look totally different.
There is no luck in this sports. You earn everything good or bad. Novak paid his dues. He lost his share of close matches. He just have the steeper learning curve.
Talking about luck, if Nadal was born the same year as Federer, Roger could have been one slam wonder and Nadal could have had 30 GS titles.
There is no luck in this sports. You earn everything good or bad. Novak paid his dues. He lost his share of close matches. He just have the steeper learning curve.
There's plenty of luck in tennis. When it gets down to a single point here or there then the match can go either way. If Nadal puts that easy shot away at 30-15, for instance, there's nothing Djokovic could have done about it.
So yes, I think Djokovic has had a little bit of luck. He could have easily lost these matches and he didn't just win them because of mental strength.
When times got tough in 2010 season, Novak's coach said to him:
Adversity provides you 2 choices:
1) To crack like an egg
or
2) To bounce back like a tennis ball better than ever.
which one will you be: The egg or the tennis ball?
Nole chose the egg, bought one and slept inside. He started to think and behave like an egg. He shaved his hair in December 2010 to look like an egg. The egg is the root of his success.
This is just pathetic.Djokovic wasnt a "lucky" against Rafa, as he did, he would win in 4 sets.He missed three break points with leading 4:3 in fourth set and he was "unlucky" not to win tiebreak, he had a serve and 5:3.Bue,bue
Was just thinking how many times in a row he just lucked it out in mega huge ocasions -
USO semi final 2011
USO semi final 2010
AO semi final 2012 (he was *5-5 15-40 in 5th set)
AO final 2012 (*2-4 15-30, easy passing missed Rafa, 5th set)
In 4 occasions he's just a point away of losing. He plays most these crucial points in a great way, but to be honest this kind of successive crucial points saving doesn't happen to everyone.
No deterioration of Nole's success, just thinking about how one point in all those 4 matches (maybe more than 4, can't remember) could have made his impressive run look totally different.
I'm actually happy that Nole is keeping Rafa's slam count down to a number which keeps a certain degree of suspense, coz if Rafa had snatched this one, considering that he has in the range of 3-4 more RGs booked, would have been a sure new Goat, now with Nole beating him around the clock there's still some suspense.
So no, not bitter at all, just noting this rare serie of interesting circumstances.
If he's not winning "he's a loser"
If he's tired and retiring "he's a pussy"
If he wins easily "the field is weak"
If he wins in difficult conditions coming back in the match "he is lucky"
But Nole is already unbeatable so we don't have to imagine anything when the reality is here. On the other hand , Federer was owned by a 17 year old Rafa Nadal
The AO Final Nole had bad luck if anything. Had so many points lost due to bad line calls. Then when he challenged they were usually in his favor. Instead he got to replay the point and naturally lost about 50% of those bad calls. Can't remember last time I've seen a player robbed that badly by linesmen.
I do agree that he fluked out vs Fed in USO. But that's how it is. Sometimes you go for broke and make it. A funny example in 2011 was Verdasco vs Soderling when Nando had 40-0 and his own serve. Soderling goes for one big all or nothing return, then next rally hits a winner. After that Verdasco tries to go for his serve and hits like 3-4 DFs in very short time. It's the ballsy play that puts the pressure on the opponent, especially his serve
Nole definitely took the risk to at least have some of it in his own hands. Luck to make that big return but let's not kid ourselves. He knew EXACTLY what he was doing. If he tried pushing he knew Fed would have it entirely in his hands instead and probably paint the line with a winner. Many other players wouldn't have taken that insane risk on MP and Federer wouldn't have gotten under the same pressure with his serve and probably closed it out.
As for the Murray SF it's the same as their Rome match. Nothing was over. 5-5 15-40 in 5th set? Give me a break. In Rome he even served for it but never got MPs. It was far from over
That's fait enough and i agree with all the above.
It is exactly like this. Nole goes for the shots, he's good enough to make them and then the momentum changes.
The luck factor is there, but the better you are, the lesser luck affects your plays.
As mentionned above, except his FH return against Roger, all those points were actually flawlessly played and fought.
In an very similar way Roger put himself in position to play for and eventually win his only RG tittle, we all remember this inside out FH against Haas in a desperate situation.
These things are part of the game, but just blindly denying some facts like the other kids around is plain stupid.
Watching the AO it seems more to do with the opponent serving like shit and getting tight in tight points. (Murray, Nadal etc) Djoker didn't look all that impressive. Certainly not as he did last year. Murray and Nadal had Nole on the ropes reeling. But then again MUrray and Nadal have never been known to be Ivanisevic or Sampras when it comes to Serving so I guess its to be expected. Djoker can get broken easy, but if you are serving like shit and hand the break back easy, it doesn't mattter
No luck involved in getting up 7-0. You have to be blind not to see that Djoker >> Nadal right now. Djoker had a very bad day sunday, next matches between them won't be so close.
Djokovic is all luck, primarly because he was born in Serbia, the land of plenty. Mighty Serbian Lawn and Tennis Association helped him make the breaktrough, frequently outbidding Tio Tony and the Swiss Mafia when fixing the draws and bribing the linespeople.
You could make the same list about some of hes loses. hes first US open final against Roger, Semi final at olympics where he lost to Nadal. Those where mathces he should have won. Half of those 18 defeats he has ti Nadal are down to luck. So shut the fuck up you troll
More than anything, the fact that he's pulled off so many close escapes testifies to his mental strength. That is not luck at all. So I don't see how it could be all down to luck. I am not even his fan.
Only a blind Rafa tard could say that "it's all down to luck". Of course it isn't.
The discussion is rather "how much" luck counts in this case.
My personal opinion is that luck doesn't have much to do with it and it would have happened the way it all happened maybe a bit later (if he misses this return against Federer f.e.) in different circumstances, but it would have happened anyway. It was pretty much obvious that the guy is closing the gap with a solid pace, so there is no supririse.
I was just noting that there haven't been much GS winners going through what he went through.
Rafa's 2009 AO was almost as hard, Verdasco in 5 epic sets, then Federer, but he pretty much never was hanging on a do or die kind of point anywhere.
Federer's RG was hanging on this inside out FH against Haas, which was the point which (metaphorically) brought him the tittle, but these are the couple examples i remember at first sight and both are not even close to what Nole had to overcome in these 4 matches i mention.
In the last probably 30 slams, these are the moments i can remember, maybe i'm missing smth dramatic in some of Fedals at Wimby, or the 16-14 Wimby of Roger against Roddick, but it's still a very interesting fact i'm just noting.
It's just like stating - "Rafa is the first 3 times in a row runner up at GSs in history".
This doesn't mean someone is trolling Rafa, or anything, it's just stating an interesting fact.
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