French Open Tennis

JGK wrote:

Big Dog wrote:Barty doing a monumental choke

Well played.

At the time i posted that she had lost seven straight games after leading 5-0 in the first set. Good to see she got herself 'out of jail'

Is Thiem the new Novotna?

JGK wrote:Is Thiem the new Novotna?

Not yet as it turns out.

Baaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrttttttttttttyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Margaret Court will be pissed but say she is praying for Barty

Viva le Ash.

horace wrote:Margaret Court will be pissed but say she is praying for Barty

I take it she’s gay, then? I’m sure old Maggie will consider her a worthy successor

Court has also lost her record of most Grand Slam singles titles at a single event to Nadal... only surprise there is that he lost a set. I think he will extend the record to 15, at least.

Mert mert.

So, the final of Queen’s is between 37-year-old Feliciano Lopez and 34-year-old Gilles Simon. Good to see the next generation are here to challenge the big three

beamer wrote:

horace wrote:Margaret Court will be pissed but say she is praying for Barty

I take it she’s gay, then? I’m sure old Maggie will consider her a worthy successor

Court has also lost her record of most Grand Slam singles titles at a single event to Nadal... only surprise there is that he lost a set. I think he will extend the record to 15, at least.

Well her boyfriend will either be pissed off or living out a fantasy.

PlanetPakistan wrote:22-0 this season on clay....

Nadal should be fairly close to being the greatest clay court player of all time.

12 years later, PP is probably right!

Probably?? Shirley no doubt?

Ancient Frog Max Decugis is the next best French Open champ with 8 wins.

JGK wrote:

PlanetPakistan wrote:22-0 this season on clay....

Nadal should be fairly close to being the greatest clay court player of all time.

12 years later, PP is probably right!

He’s as far ahead of anyone else on clay as Bradman is among batsmen. Only question is whether his “only” 8 Grand Slams on other surfaces count against any claim to be the greatest player of all time overall. But he’s now won as many French Opens as Pete Sampras won Grand Slams in total! And a few of them effectively on one foot.

Djokovic is likely to close the gap to one at Wimbledon, then it’s just a question of staying power. The rest still flatter to deceive really, when the heat is on. There’s going to be an almighty gap to fill in the sport in a few years’ time.

I note McEnroe only made one French Final and lost. Obviously didn't like clay much.

skully wrote:I note McEnroe only made one French Final and lost. Obviously didn't like clay much.

Threw away a 2 set lead against Lendl after getting pissed off with either a call or maybe a TV camera.

Sampras never even made the final.

The differences between surfaces were much greater back then, especially in the Sampras era when Wimbledon was basically a serving range. It’s kind of like expecting Jimmy Anderson to run through batting sides on Indian dustbowls.

I guess that’s the one caveat to the Federer/Nadal/Djokovic status as the greatest three male singles players of all time, along with the fact that those who came along in the following decade or so were shite. There are still notable differences between the surfaces, as Nadal’s domination on clay proves, but it’s not like when Roland Garros used to be won by “grass is for cows” South Americans who would get a top seeding at Wimbledon and be sent packing by some unheralded 6’ 11” Croatian in round 1. It’s at least recognisably the same sport now!

It’s moments of Nadal triumphalism like this that bring home the absence of vilks, who’d have railed about his years of time wasting and strategically timed pseudo-injuries for days.

Rafa to miss this year’s French Open and retire next year. Vilks will be throwing a party

Dammit - another title to Novak.

JGK wrote:Dammit - another title to Novak.

Probably, but I think even he might be starting to creak a bit… we could see a major with none of the big three/four before long. The new generation might just take over by default!

Virtual final coming up between Carlos and Novak.

JGK wrote:Virtual final coming up between Carlos and Novak.

The much younger man succumbed to cramps.

Djokovic has 23, and surely an unassailable lead now in the all-time stakes as far as this generation goes. The remaining questions are whether he can close out a calendar year Grand Slam in New York this year, assuming nobody can get near him at Wimbledon, and whether he can stay fit for long enough to make it to 30 majors? Wouldn’t bet against him.

Well, didn’t see that coming, this year at least… obviously not writing Novak off yet but this feels like the biggest generational shift moment since Federer dethroned Sampras. Alcaraz looks set for many more, it’s up to the other younger players now to step up and give him some serious rivals.