I think it used to be Versus. I’ll have to find it now so I can wake up early.
Good for Nadal, and an excellent effort from Djokovic. 7 French Open wins.
Amazing.
So, Nadal’s 11th major win. I’m starting to believe he can catch Federer. Heck, he looks like he can win the French open…3 more times, let alone shots at other majors.
Having said this, I do wonder if a career limiting/ending injury is just one moment away with his playstyle.
By the way, is MacEnroe dyeing his hair blondish? Or is this just his gradual greying? He looks weird.
**7th Heaven
Rafael Nadal 7 Time Winner Roland Garros – 11th Career Slam**
Vamos Rafa!
Tennis “experts” have expressed the same concerns for oh…the past four or five years now – yet Rafa plows ahead. Thing is, he’s finally learned to adjust his schedule to his body’s demands. So when rest is needed, he takes it. Witness his two month break after the AO & the way he took three weeks off prior to the start of the clay season. In fact, physically, this is probably the best Rafa has looked since 2010. So despite all of the “concerns” I honestly think Rafa has at least two to three more years at the top of his game. Also worth noting is how he is always tinkering with his game – he is no longer just a force of nature who can get to any ball but rather a complete tennis player, who knows how and when he can finish a point. As proof I submit that at this year’s FO he spent the least amount of time on court ever.
Wimbledon, here he comes…
Somebody made a comment on a radio station that led me to ask this:
Had Djokovic won, what would his achievement (winning four straight majors but not a true Grand Slam) be called?
I have heard the phrases “Grand Sham” (from when WTA defined “any four majors in a row” as a Grand Slam), “Martina Slam” (as Martina Navratilova seems to be the first to have done it among those who have not subsequently won a “true” Grand Slam - she also won Australian, French, Wimbledon, US in that order, but she did it in the brief period when Australian was in December), “Serena Slam” (Serena also won four in a row, more recently), and things like “Djoko-Slam” and even “Tiger Slam” (since Tiger did the same thing in golf).
“Novak Slam” is the only one I remember hearing. “Sham” would’ve been stupid. Winning four majors in a row is an incredible achievement whether you do all in one calendar year or not. In any case congratulations to Nadal on another dominant performance. Wimbledon starts in two weeks and in late July/early August we’ll have the Olympics in London, so here’s hoping the next two months with be as great as they could be.
I feel badly that the match was called due to rain after Nole started pouring it on. Like Nadal said last night, it’s stupid to call it for rain after making them play in the rain for over an hour. I thought that today’s final set was anticlimactic given the great buildup from yesterday. Shame. I honestly don’t know if Nadal could have pulled it out had they played on last night. And to have Novak double fault for the championship? Yuck.
Nonetheless, both men played very good tennis this tournament and, more importantly, were extremely gracious and a tribute to their sport.
Nadal bonking his cheek with that trophy was kind of funny.
One of these days, I’ll watch the women’s finals. I’m glad for Sharapova but wish that she would learn to be as gracious as the men.
Be nicer as a person or play more graciously?
Both. It’s hard for me to differentiate between the person and the player when she circles the wrong mark (which is subsequently ruled out, which gives her the game). Or raises her hand to protest a line call, realizes that she was wrong, goes on to hit a “winner,” then argues with the ref when she’s told that it’s her opponent’s point.
By comparison, Djokovic actually conceded a point to Nadal in the finale of the French Open because he thought that the official was wrong.
David Nalbandian gets disqualified for injuring a linesman. He kicked a Nike logo and made his shin bleed.
Honestly, it’s the right call, but I don’t think Nalbandidan meant it or is known as a jerk(is he?).
Thoughts?
He’s always been known on Tour es very sanguine/ explosive, hot-head. He is an all or nothing player, who had the talent to beat anyone. That said, I am sure he didn’t mean to take out his frustrations by hurting a linesman.
Both bizarre & unfortunate. But the DQ was well deserved.
Doubt he meant to do it and Nalbandian seemed genuinely contrite. Still, I guess he had to be disqualified so that refs don’t have to make judgment calls on intent.
Grounds for a criminal charge of common assault?
Probably nothing will happen, mind you. His on-court apology after the trophy presentation was pretty half-hearted too. The guy is a dick.
I think he probably thought the box thing was stronger than it was, but he deserved to be DQed. He injured the linesman, end of story. The guy had to go to the hospital afterward- I assume to get stitches in his leg. Nalbandian was also fined and forfeited his prize money. He also had a meltdown during the Australian Open, and supposedly afterward he threw some water at a tournament staffer. I don’t remember him having a reputation for being a dick, but he’s been earning one lately.
The Wimbledon draws are out. As usual, Federer-Djokovic and Nadal-Murray could meet in the semifinals. Guess which very tall American player might have to play a big-serving French guy in the second round.
Wimbledon started this morning. Venus lost in straight sets. ESPN announcers basically eulogized her career after the match.
D-Joker won easily. and Sharapova has started well in her match 4-0.
What did they say? I had it on, but muted.
The usual.
The fact that she is 32 years old. A first round lethargic lost at Wimbledon where she has had her most success. Her early exit from the French Open. Her diagnosis of Sjögren’s syndrome.
IMO, Venus had no interest in being on the court today. Vesnina easily beat her. It wasn’t even close. Vesnina is ranked about 80th in the rankings.