[zcess81]

Originally Posted by Clay Death

2009. one of the best hard court matches i have ever seen.

Not even close to USO 2011 final in terms of pure tennis quality. That was probably one of the best hard court tennis match ever.

[zcess81]

Originally Posted by Rafa is the GOAT

2009 had everything, quality, epicness a rivalry and a lot on stake. 2012 had most of those expect the most inportant, quality. But the 2009 final did not have a close 5th set but the 2012 final did. If the 2009 final had a close 5th set with quality of the other 4 sets it would have been in the top 5/6 matches of all time. But all in all the 2009 final was much better in therms of Quality and it was a Fedal final, the best rivalry of all time(or at least of this century)

I hope you're joking! 18-9 H2H isn't rivalry, it's domination. The whole Fedal "rivalry" has been sold to casual tennis fans (those who only watch grand slams, or even just semis or finals of a slam) by the media just to get them watching tennis and sell more tickets. The truth is, it never really was a rivalry.

[Alex999]

honestly guys I can only laugh when I hear about this Fedal rivalry. like it or not Nadal simply owns Federer. their matches are so frigging predictable... I just don't understand it. I realize that there are so many Rog and Rafa fans here and they simply tend to be emotionally attached to their favorite players but ....please don't be stupid. it's probably the worst match up in tennis history. I get bored to death watching their matches. same old shit again... Nadal keeps going to Rog's BH, blah, blah...

[Sunset of Age]

Originally Posted by Alex999

honestly guys I can only laugh when I hear about this Fedal rivalry. like it or not Nadal simply owns Federer. their matches are so frigging predictable... I just don't understand it. I realize that there are so many Rog and Rafa fans here and they simply tend to be emotionally attached to their favorite players but ....

It's not so very hard to realize the lopsidedness of their rivalry if you take into account that 1) one player's strongest surface was the other one's weakest, as well as the fact that 2) one player being five years older than the other. Let alone that in general, one player's weakness is the other guy's main stronghold - mental fortitude and a one-handed BH.
If only Fed were a genuine mug on clay, and didn't manage to continue to play on so well on his weakest surface for such a long time... it would have perhaps have looked a lot more balanced.

H2H's are very delusional stats and surely do not stop me from appreciating this rivalry (no parentheses here) at all. Rather the contrary.
And no, I am most certainly *not* a 'casual tennis fan'.

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by Alex999

honestly guys I can only laugh when I hear about this Fedal rivalry. like it or not Nadal simply owns Federer. their matches are so frigging predictable... I just don't understand it. I realize that there are so many Rog and Rafa fans here and they simply tend to be emotionally attached to their favorite players but ....please don't be stupid. it's probably the worst match up in tennis history. I get bored to death watching their matches. same old shit again... Nadal keeps going to Rog's BH, blah, blah...

Agree. Their matches are horrid. Federer knows what tactic's coming every time yet can't do a damn thing about it. Makes for horrible tennis.

[Alex999]

Originally Posted by Sunset of Age

It's not so very hard to realize the lopsidedness of their rivalry if you take into account that 1) one player's strongest surface was the other one's weakest, as well as the fact that 2) one player being five years older than the other. Let alone that in general, one player's weakness is the other guy's main stronghold - mental fortitude and a one-handed BH.
If only Fed were a genuine mug on clay, and didn't manage to continue to play on so well on his weakest surface for such a long time... it would have perhaps have looked a lot more balanced.

H2H's are very delusional stats and surely do not stop me from appreciating this rivalry (no parentheses here) at all. Rather the contrary.
And no, I am most certainly *not* a 'casual tennis fan'.

I know you love both of them. It's cool, you and have been posting here like forever. You are a great girl and I love your attitude. listen, I love tennis. I can even watch my grand mom and my grandfather playing tennis and still enjoy it. it's just that I have a problem with some younger people on mtf who simply don't understand the basics of tennis, rivalry, match up stuff etc.

[Sunset of Age]

Originally Posted by Alex999

I know you love both of them. It's cool, you and have been posting here like forever. You are a great girl and I love your attitude. listen, I love tennis. I can even watch my grand mom and my grandfather playing tennis and still enjoy it. it's just that I have a problem with some younger people on mtf who simply don't understand the basics of tennis, rivalry, match up stuff etc.

thanks for the compliments, much appreciated!
I rather like you as a poster as well as you know.

Fully agree with you on the bolded part - in the end, it's all a matter of just loving TENNIS, but just a bit of knowledge about the game, having it watched for a longer period of time, realizing that no 'dominance' will ever last forever, etc.,... just sort-of helps.
Perhaps that's also the reason why I do not seem to mind seeing my current both fav players having to allow the top spot to another player right now.
Champs come and go, do enjoy them while they last, but most of all - don't forget about all of the other players on the tour either. They are pretty fine players as well.

[Alex999]

Originally Posted by Sunset of Age

thanks for the compliments, much appreciated!
I rather like you as a poster as well as you know.

Fully agree with you on the bolded part - in the end, it's all a matter of just loving TENNIS, but just a bit of knowledge about the game, having it watched for a longer period of time, realizing that no 'dominance' will ever last forever, etc.,... just sort-of helps.
Perhaps that's also the reason why I do not seem to mind seeing my current both fav players having to allow the top spot to another player right now.
Champs come and go, do enjoy them while they last, but most of all - don't forget about all of the other players on the tour either. They are pretty fine players as well.

I just wish that people here would me more sensitive. yes we all have our favorite players... it's sport, it's normal. we all want our favorite players to win. I just somehow feel that many guys come here to simply vent their own frustration and insult one another. I've always thought that sport should bring the best in us ...good spirit.

[BroTree123]

Originally Posted by Certinfy

I prefer Djokovic to Nadal by a long long way but really the 2009 final was by far better quality wise. Drama wise of course it's this year's final but either way overall 2009 wins by a long way I say.

Truth be told man

[Sunset of Age]

Originally Posted by Alex999

I just wish that people here would me more sensitive. yes we all have our favorite players... it's sport, it's normal. we all want our favorite players to win. I just somehow feel that many guys come here to simply vent their own frustration and insult one another. I've always thought that sport should bring the best in us ...good spirit.

Yeah, my 'idealistic' () thoughts as well.
Perhaps that's one of the main reasons why it pisses me off so much to see certain posters compare this fine sport with 'war', 'warriors', 'death', 'spartan' and other rubbish so much.
Sport is in fact a rather gentlemanly manner to deal with the unfortunate, rather nasty, and perhaps even inbread tendency of mankind - apes as we still are - to want to knock each other's head off at times.

Too phylosophical. We're going much too off-topic. Perhaps that's a good thing.

[Alex999]

Originally Posted by Sunset of Age

Yeah, my 'idealistic' () thoughts as well.
Perhaps that's one of the main reasons why it pisses me off so much to see certain posters compare this fine sport with 'war', 'warriors', 'death', 'spartan' and other rubbish so much.
Sport is in fact a rather gentlemanly manner to deal with the unfortunate, rather nasty, and perhaps even inbread tendency of mankind - apes as we still are - to want to knock each other's head off at times.

Too phylosophical. We're going much too off-topic. Perhaps that's a good thing.

lol, the Sparta thing. it's killing me, too funny. I've always seen tennis as a noble sport. I'm not trying to be pretentious by all means, but it's simply 2 guys against each other trying to win. I do understand that many guys here try to create as much drama as possible but it gets really silly.

[HDW]

2012 for me, 2009 close 2nd

[LisaKoh]

AO 2009 doesn't even rank on the 10 best matches played in Rod Laver Arena, let alone "best final" in recent memory. Nadal had everything going for him there with the Federer match up and the slow surface. Federer just rolled over and let Nadal dominate him. Boring. AO 2012 was something special because for once, Nadal was the favorite coming into the match. He had everything going for him; an exhausted Djokovic, a biased crowd and linesmen who were calling Nole's good shots out. Nadal had two days of rest and the knowledge that his opponent was going to be dead tired. All he had to do was dot the i's and cross the t's.

I think what really motivated Novak to play well was he knew that if he gave even an inch to Rafa, it would change the entire complexion of their rivalry. Unlike Federer (who is great but is terrible in the mental department), the Djoker hung in there and never lost his composure. People keep talking about that 2-4 15-30 shot but it's not as if the entire match hinged on that, Novak created and capitalized on more opportunities when he was down and out. In the end it was sheer guts that got him through this match and I think it was terrific because he showed 15,000 people and that guy across the net that he IS the number one player in the world for a reason.

Personally I find it pretty hilarious that Rafa released his autobiography at a time when he's getting spanked left right and center by Djokovic. It was such a presumptuous move to close the book with his USO 2010 victory as if it was the beginning of a legend, only for its author to become the first man in the Open Era to lose 3 consecutive slam finals. Win.

[stewietennis]

Originally Posted by LisaKoh

AO 2009 doesn't even rank on the 10 best matches played in Rod Laver Arena, let alone "best final" in recent memory. Nadal had everything going for him there with the Federer match up and the slow surface. Federer just rolled over and let Nadal dominate him. Boring. AO 2012 was something special because for once, Nadal was the favorite coming into the match. He had everything going for him; an exhausted Djokovic, a biased crowd and linesmen who were calling Nole's good shots out. Nadal had two days of rest and the knowledge that his opponent was going to be dead tired. All he had to do was dot the i's and cross the t's.

Err… against the winner of the last two majors, world No 1 and defending AO Champion Novak Djokovic… Nadal was the favourite? Against the person who has beaten him six times in a row? On Novak's favourite surface? Just No. No one was calling Nadal the favourite – at best, it was 50/50.

[LisaKoh]

Lleyton Hewitt was calling Nadal the favorite, I wouldn't call him noone. I think the prevailing knowledge at the time was once it went into the 5th set, the match was Rafa's for the taking. Djokovic had that slugfest with Murray and they assumed that he would not have the energy for the decider. The guy collapsed after a rally while Nadal was teeing up for another shot, so I wouldn't say that the pundits were wrong.