[Nepoznati Knez]

Everybody expect Rafael Nadal to reach 20th in French Open in early June but as RolandGarros twitted recently, 20th can happen sooner here in Melbourne.

Of course, Rafa was apparently out of fuel on the last days of ATP Cup, but as he said travelling from Perth and playing at the very end of every Night Sessions, drained a lot of energy from him.

But watching into his dark eyes when Serbia was given the Trophy, I am pretty sure he can not be crossed out as The Favourite here.

 

[Kowchi]

Everybody expect Rafael Nadal to reach 20th in French Open in early June but as RolandGarros twitted recently, 20th can happen sooner here in Melbourne.

Of course, Rafa was apparently out of fuel on the last days of ATP Cup, but as he said travelling from Perth and playing at the very end of every Night Sessions, drained a lot of energy from him.

But watching into his dark eyes when Serbia was given the Trophy, I am pretty sure he can not be crossed out as The Favourite here.

What?

 

[bighax]

If Breathovic goes down early Nadal is the huge favorite since NG is unproven at slams.

 

[NADALalot]

Despite being exhausted, Rafa figured Djokovic out in the 2nd Set.
Rafa had 5 break points in one game, and was up a minibreak in the tiebreaker before Djokovic's fluky shot hit the top of the net and jumped over Rafa's dominant head.
Pure bad luck cost Rafa that 2nd Set.
Will Djokovic be that lucky in the AO Final?
Hopefully Djokovic will beat Federer in the SF so we can find out!

 

[64794]

Ne parle pas francais

 

[Bakano]

Ne parle pas francais

Español.

 

[guitarra]

English, please.

 

[Bakano]

Google translator al alcance de cualquiera.

 

[hammett]

Despite being exhausted, Rafa figured Djokovic out in the 2nd Set.
Rafa had 5 break points in one game, and was up a minibreak in the tiebreaker before Djokovic's fluky shot hit the top of the net and jumped over Rafa's dominant head.
Pure bad luck cost Rafa that 2nd Set.
Will Djokovic be that lucky in the AO Final?
Hopefully Djokovic will beat Federer in the SF so we can find out!

Yeah , right . There was no figure him out . It was Rafa coming to his current best level , that 2nd set. But never seemed to be the best player on court . And more like Novak not 100% focus still finding form. Get real , if they meet novak will have that extra gear ready like last year by this time . Don't get me wrong last year I thought Nadal was ready to take him over too, like budadii, and look what happened . Novak is the best hardcourter of all time , like what nadal is to clay .

 

[Roxitova]

Everybody expect Rafael Nadal to reach 20th in French Open in early June but as RolandGarros twitted recently, 20th can happen sooner here in Melbourne.

Of course, Rafa was apparently out of fuel on the last days of ATP Cup, but as he said travelling from Perth and playing at the very end of every Night Sessions, drained a lot of energy from him.

But watching into his dark eyes when Serbia was given the Trophy, I am pretty sure he can not be crossed out as The Favourite here.

Seriously?
This is Djok's house, 7 slams, Rafa has 1. Djok looks much better coming in, but I know that is not an indicator.
If Djok doesn't make the final and Rafa does, then Rafa is certainly the favourite, but if they play each other, Djok has to be the favourite.

The oddsmakers currently have Rafa at 5/1 and Djok at 6/5--that is a huge margin favouring Djok to win. I think too huge, but i still consider Djok the fav here.

 

[Nepoznati Knez]

Seriously?
This is Djok's house, 7 slams, Rafa has 1. Djok looks much better coming in, but I know that is not an indicator.
If Djok doesn't make the final and Rafa does, then Rafa is certainly the favourite, but if they play each other, Djok has to be the favourite.

The oddsmakers currently have Rafa at 5/1 and Djok at 6/5--that is a huge margin favouring Djok to win. I think too huge, but i still consider Djok the fav here.

Well I would not lie and say I do not hope Djokovic as a winner, but I am not that sure there is such a gap between them and I am eager to live that historical moment when Rafa overpasses Federer.

 

[Bakano]

Of course Djoko is favourite, anyone saying otherwise is either clueless, trolling or trying to 'jinx'.

 

[Roxitova]

Well I would not lie and say I do not hope Djokovic as a winner, but I am not that sure there is such a gap between them and I am eager to live that historical moment when Rafa overpasses Federer.

Hehe I have always liked you for that eagerness, it will come for Rafa, and for Djok too, I beleive.
I don't think the gap is as large as last year's final would suggest for sure. ATP cup may not have been a good indicator as Rafa had a really bad sched there ... If they meet it will be close I am sure.
I will never forget 2012 ...

 

[Nepoznati Knez]

Ne parle pas francais

Yeah definitely means you have no clue in French but do not worry nobody's perfect.

 

[Nepoznati Knez]

Hehe I have always liked you for that eagerness, it will come for Rafa, and for Djok too, I beleive.
I don't think the gap is as large as last year's final would suggest for sure. ATP cup may not have been a good indicator as Rafa had a really bad sched there ... If they meet it will be close I am sure.
I will never forget 2012 ...

Final last year when just out from surgery was definitely a blessing , this year is totally different. And TBH Rafa impressed/worried me in 2019 with all changes and improvements in his game.

 

[Bella&Mirka]

Well I would not lie and say I do not hope Djokovic as a winner, but I am not that sure there is such a gap between them and I am eager to live that historical moment when Rafa overpasses Federer.

Surpassing Federer on clay is going to make the clay skew even worse. It's like Emerson winning more Slams when the best players had turned pro. The GOAT ship has sailed from the clay vulture I'm afraid.

 

[NADALalot]

Yeah , right . There was no figure him out . It was Rafa coming to his current best level , that 2nd set. But never seemed to be the best player on court . And more like Novak not 100% focus still finding form. Get real , if they meet novak will have that extra gear ready like last year by this time . Don't get me wrong last year I thought Nadal was ready to take him over too, like budadii, and look what happened . Novak is the best hardcourter of all time , like what nadal is to clay .

Djokovic is the best hardcourter of all-time even though Rafa has 4 US Opens, Djokovic only 3?
And Rafa leads their US Open h2h 2-1.
And Djokovic needed 6 hours to beat Rafa at the 2012ao, and Rafa couldn't train properly for the 2019ao because of ankle surgery.
Djokovic is extremely overrated.

 

[Bakano]

Surpassing Federer on clay is going to make the clay skew even worse. It's like Emerson winning more Slams when the best players had turned pro. The GOAT ship has sailed from the clay vulture I'm afraid.

 

[NADALalot]

Surpassing Federer on clay is going to make the clay skew even worse. It's like Emerson winning more Slams when the best players had turned pro. The GOAT ship has sailed from the clay vulture I'm afraid.

Rafa will end up either tying Federer's 5 US Opens or getting 6, plus he's already got more US Opens than Djokovic.
Rafa has more US Opens than the greatest hardcourter ever.
Think about that.

 

[Nadalism]

Everybody expect Rafael Nadal to reach 20th in French Open in early June but as RolandGarros twitted recently, 20th can happen sooner here in Melbourne.

Of course, Rafa was apparently out of fuel on the last days of ATP Cup, but as he said travelling from Perth and playing at the very end of every Night Sessions, drained a lot of energy from him.

But watching into his dark eyes when Serbia was given the Trophy, I am pretty sure he can not be crossed out as The Favourite here.

I understand the poetic sense and other such niceties that add color to journalism. But at the end of the day let's be realistic, Novak is the favorite.