French Open 2015 Draw – Djokovic and Nadal in Same Quarter

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[1]Djokovic-Nieminen Muller-Lorenzi Kokkinakis-Q [27]Tomic-Q [20]Gasquet-Q Berlocq-Q Kavcic-Lu Smyczek-[15]Anderson [10]Dimitrov-Sock Carreno Busta-Estrella Burgos Coric-Querrey [18]Robredo-Q [30]Mannarino-Melzer Kuznetsov-Jaziri Almagro-Dolgopolov Halys-[6]Nadal [3]Murray-Q Pospisil-Sousa Q-Q Istomin-[29]Kyrgios [17]Goffin-Krajinovic Giraldo-Young Chardy-Q Seppi-[16]Isner [9]Cilic-Haase Duckworth-Q Janowicz-Hamou Vesely-[23]L.Mayer [31]Troicki-Struff Bolelli-Darcis Gimeno-Traver-J.Sousa Lacko-[7]Ferrer [5]Nishikori-Mathieu Matosevic-Bellucci Bemelmans-Becker Q-[32]Verdasco [19]Bautista Agut-F.Mayer Q-Rosol Monaco-Delbonis Gabashvili-[11]Lopez [14]Tsonga-Q Kukushkin-Sela Ramos-Vinolas-Andujar Soeda-[22]Kohlschreiber [28]Fognini-Ito Q-Paire Dodig-Stepanek Q-[4]Berdych [8]Wawrinka-Ilhan Lajovic-Gonzalez Berankis-Stakhovsky Jonson-[26]GGL [24]Gulbis-Q Mahut-Q Tiafoe-Klizan Pouille-[12]Simon [13]Monfils-Roger-Vasselin Schwartzman-Haider-Maurer Thiem-Bedene Groth-[21]Cuevas [25]Karlovic-Baghdatis Dzumhur-Youzhny Granollers-Q [2]Federer-Q http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/draws/index.html Well, there it is folks. The long awaited French Open draw in all its glory. And it is not lacking any surprises, the biggest of which is Djokovic and Nadal being in the same quarter. The second biggest surprise is that Murray is in the same half as these two, leaving Federer with the best French Open draw he’s had in years.
Djokovic and Nadal in the Same Quarter
I guess the people who are so sure that draws are rigged didn’t expect this one. Not saying draws don’t get rigged, but if it did then I’m not so sure a Djokodal quarter-final would have made a whole lot of sense. Anyway, this is what I hoped for. The later the Djoker faced Nadal the worse for him. There was always a chance that Nadal could have lost before he faced the Djoker, but if they had to meet I’d preferred it happened in the quarters. If Nadal makes the quarters he would already have four wins behind him and feeling more confident.

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But knowing that the Djoker is lurking in the quarters should he come through won’t exactly fill him with confidence I think, making him more prone to an upset. But given current form the Djoker surely has to be the favorite if they meet in the quarters. I don’t think four match wins will be enough to get Nadal back to his old level while the Djoker has been impeccable of late. No doubt all the losses against Nadal at the French as well as the pressure of completing the career slam won’t exactly fill the Djoker with confidence either.

But that’s what makes it so interesting. As for their draw until the quarters the Djoker has it pretty easy while Nadal has Dolgopolov in the second round and Dimitrov/Sock/Robredo/Coric in the fourth round, so an upset before the quarters is not unthinkable. But should these two meet in the quarters, which is the most likely outcome, we have the most interesting quarter-final matchup in Paris in years, if not ever. The closest the Djoker has ever come at beating Nadal was in the semis, and the earlier you get Nadal at the French the better…
Murray Also in the Top Half
This is another big surprise for people who think draw rigging is a reality. This means that three of the big four, who also happens to be the four big favorites for the title, are all stacked in the top half. If there was any draw rigging going on it was certainly in Roger’s favor this time. Murray’s draw is tough too because he gets Kyrgios in the third round, Isner in the fourth, and Ferrer in the quarters. And if he manages to get through he will play the favorite for the title.

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I hope that’s not the stress of marriage causing Murray’s baldness…

Federer’s ‘Cakewalk’ Draw
Roger’s draw is in a sense a cakewalk draw if you take into account the fact that he avoids the rest of the big four before the final, but it is not a cakewalk draw in the true sense of the word. Here it is: R1: Qualifier R2: Granollers R3: Karlovic R4: Monfils/Thiem/Cuevas QF: Wawrinka/Garcia-Lopez/Simon SF: Berdych/Nishikori Djokovic/Nadal/Murray In all honesty that is a cakewalk draw compared to the rest of the big four. But draws are never to be taken too seriously and we all saw what happened at the US Open last year. Roger also had a ‘cakewalk’ draw and all of a sudden Cilic was in the zone schooling everyone. The same thing could happen with Stan, Berdych, or Nishikori. These are all talented shot makers who hit anyone off the court on a given day. Well, maybe with the exception of Nishikori whose serve is a massive liability.

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…and the stress of Roger causing Edberg’s baldness.

Still, you would hope that Roger could take advantage of this opportunity if you are a Fedfan. Especially after what happened at the US Open and Australian Open. I’m sure many Fedans feel Roger owes them when it comes to the slams. I’m sure he’d want to prove to himself too that he’s still got it where it matters most. There is doubt about his stamina as well as mental fortitude after what happened in Melbourne. And nothing less that a final in Paris would put those doubts to rest for the time being. Why? Because his current clay court form says he is good enough to do it. He lost to Monfils in Monte Carlo, but that was before he found his clay game in the Istanbul final. Or maybe I expect too much? All I know is if he wants to win another slam title he can’t lose in the third round to the likes of Seppi. That is not gonna get it done. With his current clay court form, he simply has to find a way to make the final. If he does that there is always a chance he can win the title too. Sure the ideal scenario was semi-finals, but that was before the draw came out. Now that he dodges the rest of the big four before the semis he has to try and capitalize. And making the final would also be a boost before Wimbledon.
Thiem Makes the Final in Nice
Finally, Thiem made his second tour final today with an impressive 7-6(5), 6-3 win over Isner. He almost choked it away because he got broken straight back after breaking Isner in the first set, and in the tie-break he made a double fault at 6-4 but, fortunately, broke Isner on the next point to win the first set. The other youngster Coric was not so lucky as he lost to Mayer. I hope Thiem can win his first ATP title tomorrow. By making the final, he has already equaled his previous best ranking of 36.

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If he wins tomorrow he climbs to a personal best of 31, but it’s great to see that he has already overcome his recent struggles and is climbing back up the rankings. He had a poor start to the clay court season, but it looks like that training camp with Roger paid off after all, as it did for Roger. As far as the French Open goes he has a tough draw, but I won’t be surprised if he causes an upset or two. Who knows, we may even have him playing against Roger in the fourth round! The is in your court. //

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52 Comments

Evian
RU-an, it’s not Federer’s fault that Nadal slipped to number 7 and that Raonic withdrew to align everything this way. Also it was always a toss up which side Murray would fall perched on the fence. Fed got #4 and #5 seeds in his half namely Berdych and Nishikori (both guys are formidable on clay). He’s got Monfils and Wawrinka in his quarter both of whom can beat him on clay and has in the past I believe. In the end it comes down to who you play next and seeds will fall off the equation. Roger shouldn’t feel too at ease just because there are no “threat” names in his half. Everyone is a threat. Fed needs to get through his matches with relative ease and spend as less time as he can on the courts and expend less energy for the big matches.
Ru-an Reply: May 22nd, 2015 at 11:15 pm Huh? I wasn’t blaming Roger?
Evian Reply: May 22nd, 2015 at 11:16 pm No offense, just generalizing. Hope some Nadal fans got to read it though. Hehe
Ru-an Reply: May 22nd, 2015 at 11:21 pm Lol. Like I said, don’t make the same mistake as at the USO of assuming Roger has an easy draw. It was also Monfils who almost defeated him at the USO, and even though Roger won that match left him flat for the Cilic match. Monfils could beat him or tire him out for his next match here.
Bharata
Good draw, very pleased to see Djokovic, Murray and Nadal in the same half. I guess I am worried about Monfils, who has taken out Fed in their last 2 clay matches (Fed had back troubles to be fair at the Davis Cup). But he has the sort of mix of a rope-a dope/big power game which annoys Fed, and keeps him off any rhythm. So easy draw or not, there are still many good players who can stop Federer from even reaching the SF… Now if you give him this draw in WImbledon…(!)
Ben Chia
Hi Ru-an, what a pleasant surprise. Looking at this draw for Nadull, it’s Damn near perFEct. You could not ask for a worse draw for Nadull. Haha! An indirect benefit is that it makes Federer alone at the cakewalk side. This is Fed’s best chance in years… Nole peaking, Murray undefeated in clay, hungry youngsters, all in Nadull’s half. LOL. Top it off, zero MS1000 leading to FO… Vamos! *fist pump* Rafa camp mUst be as anxious in years adding to the already mounting pressure. Knowing how unpredictable “the curious case of Rafa”, he might still win a record 10FO, Crushing everyone in his path and defy human physics once again. Now, someone gotta up his juicing to record levels to get out of this slump. Back to fed… He’s playing well. Losing to Nole is no shame. Fed shd make it to the finals easy. If ever fed4.0 needs to show up, this would be the time. However, I’m now in a dilemma. As a few fan I want him to win every match, but for once I want Nole to beat fed in a final, assuming both last to the end. Reason being the growing influence of doko actually adds to Fed’s legacy. Nadull as Nole’s bitch… Sounds nice, no? Nadull career would be well and truly game over if he fails to bounce back at FO. There’s a reason why He only has 450 points in later half of yr to defend… How many expect him to peak at the hard courts? Won’t happen. Of course, with Rafa, you’ll never know. If it’s a fedal final, I’ll be screaming for fed all the way, but won’t be betting on fed. The psychological barrier would be too strong. But I so wish to be proven wrong if it really ends up a fedal final. @Guys.. Rafa haters, lovers pls rant. I’ll be on radio silence once FO starts to continue jinxing him, so would love to discuss more before then. :-)
Gargantouas Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 5:21 am Good stuff Ben Chia. I’m frankly wondering what exactly is wrong with Nadal these days. In 2013 he came back from 7 month hiatus and blitzed the entire ATP tour so I don’t buy the “low confidence” excuse. In my opinion, he changed strategy and now focuses on slams. This started last year, when his clay season was worst ever, till now of course. He still won RG 2014 though so I think this year there will be an epic showdown with Nole at QFs. Roger has a stellar opportunity to win it all but needs to be focused and fresh. We shall find out soon.
Ben Chia Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 1:46 pm Hi Gargantouas, Thanks for replying! I don’t think anything is wrong with Nadull. Its just that his body is finally giving way after years of incredible stress. Oh yes, “blitz” is the right way to descibe his 2013 comeback of the century. The manner in which he bounce back from hiatus and crushes the whole field was as mysterious as it was impressive. Like you, I also think that the biggest battle at FO will be the QF with Nole. Whoever wins that match is probably gonna win the tournament. Can’t wait! I like Fed’s chances and always hoping that he adds to his GS tally. However, without God-mode I don’t think Fed stand a chance against Nole or Nadull. Sorry, Murray fans… I don’t think Andy is at this club yet. Andy’s best chances will be at Wimbly or USO.
mridul1 Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 7:37 am Of course Djokerer final is still far since the FO has not yet started. Should that be a reality, even if it is highly unlikely that Federer could win the favourite Djokovic , I shall never root for Djokovic. Being a Federer die hard fan, I shall never root for Djokovic to win against the GOAT.
Ben Chia Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 1:54 pm Hi mridul1, Ya, I might be one of a few with twisted logic of supporting another strong competitor to protect Federer’s legacy. Not that it needs much protection, as IMO he qualified for GOAT long time ago. I come from perspective that as Nole and Murray reaches the peak of their careers and continues to add their slam totals (at expense of Nadull obviously), even if Fed stops winning GS, they will never be able to reach his total tally. Hell, I doubt they will even reach Nadull’s 14. Was it Ru-an who mentioned that 14 might be Rafa’s magic number? I think that sounds about right. Regardless, 14 is a very impressive feat no matter how you see it. I just don’t want that number to increase anymore… #anythingbutRafa :-) Side issue, when Federer eventually retires, will you still watch tennis? If yes, who would you root for? Will it be Nole or some of the promising young guns? I like how Ru-an has changed the title of this blog to reflect the wider range of topics he covers. Who knows, maybe one bright new star might just burst through the tour and be the next “Federer”. Thiem looks pretty promising…
mridul1 Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 3:38 pm I shall continue watching but it may be painful for me to see any other player smash records set by Federer unless the guy is as good or better than Federer as a person. I think such personality in a good player like Federer is very unlikely.
Ru-an Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 9:23 pm Hey, Ben Chia. I agree that Fed’s record is basically untouchable which is why it is totally fine to be a Djoker fan. But who cares? If you want to support him you don’t have to do it because he protects Fed’s legacy. He has already done enough of that when he defeated Nadal in three straight slam finals. Now I just support him because I feel like it. IMO Fedfans are too fanatical, which is one of the reasons I support Djokovic now. It may even be the main reason. It’s like Roger is bigger than tennis to them and that to me is simply unacceptable. I love the sport too much and have followed it for too long to succumb to that mentality. There are many reasons I like the Djoker, but probably mostly for doing what Roger never could which is to defeat Nadal on a consistent basis and abusing him. That is the most beautiful sight in tennis as you know. Nothing comes close probably. So Fedfans can go ahead and worship their god while I will enjoy watching what I always wanted to see but Roger could not give me: the destruction and abuse of Nadull. :-x About my new blog, I appreciate your appreciation. I feel I am way more balanced as a fan and a writer these days. And yes there is always someone new coming through. Thiem just won Nice…
FeDaL Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 8:50 am Boy am I glad Ben Chia doesn’t have his own tennis blog, the quality of it would be disastrous. Keep the doping and Nadull jokes to yourself, its quite pathetic really. If you haven’t gotten the memo Ru-an is done with those antics on his blog and so should you be.
Ben Chia Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 2:03 pm Hi Fedal, No worries. That will never happen as the quality of my writing will be beyond disastrous. I am just a tennis fan who found a nice community to share my comments and occasional rants. If I get out of control, Ru-an is there to rein me in. Anyway, why bother with other tennis blogs when you have Ru-an’s? Quality of his writing is fantastic. And he puts in effort to also moderate the comments sections even. Its the one only and only ultimate tennis blog to rule them all! …Hmmnn, did I let slip how much I dislike Nadull? Perhaps thats how you inferred Juicing to mean doping instead of loading up on orange juice. Rafa-doping? Preposterous!
Ajay Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 8:28 pm Good reply Ben Chia !!
Ben Chia Reply: May 24th, 2015 at 2:55 am Thanks Ajay! #vamos!
Ru-an Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 9:37 pm :)) Thanks for the blog love Ben Chia. Sometimes I wish people can appreciate my blog a bit more now because I think it is much better than before and more balanced. But that’s ok. I’m sure they will come to realize it when they get over their Federer fanaticism or other people will find my blog. But having someone like you who appreciates and understands my new blog is actually enough. For evolution and improvement change is necessary. Some people embrace change and evolve fast. Others take longer to embrace it. And yet others resist change and get left behind. Congrats on being one of those who embrace it. It’s the best position to be in!
Veronica Reply: May 24th, 2015 at 12:35 pm People are appreciating your blog, Ru-an!!!! I’ve seen so many positive comments already!! You shouldn’t worry too much about fanaticism because by being overly concerned about that, you are being a bit of a fanatic yourself – fanatic about being balanced and fanatic about growing as a fan! :-) Don’t overthink it. Enjoy your tennis and continue your fantastic writing which is of the highest quality professionally and interest-wise. You put a lot of heart to it and maybe things are not happening as fast as you want it to be. If anything, relax more, Ru-an! Not saying you shouldn’t work hard and take things for granted. That’s not you, I’m sure, but I do think you are too serious and is too hard on yourself sometimes. If I’m wrong, IGNORE this but if I’m even a wee bit right, then take a wee bit of Angel’s advice! :-) o:-) The more you let go, the more it will come to you!! :-)
Ru-an Reply: May 24th, 2015 at 12:48 pm So true and thank you! :D
Ru-an Reply: May 24th, 2015 at 11:05 pm Did you get my emails btw? Just checking.
Veronica Reply: May 25th, 2015 at 5:22 am Thanks for letting me know. They went into my spam, ha! Happens sometimes but I got them now
Veronica Reply: May 24th, 2015 at 12:13 pm “but for once I want Nole to beat Fed in a final….” I lost you there, Ben! :-?? What do you mean?!!
Ru-an Reply: May 24th, 2015 at 12:30 pm Lol, appropriate emoticon. I can’t speak for him, but I will just add that I am in agreement. I want Djoker to win if he plays Fed in the final too. The reason being he would deserve it if he takes Nadal out. Roger already benefited once from someone taking out Nadal. And he once saved Nadal from almost certain defeat in the 2011 FO. Also, the Djoker got much closer than Roger ever did of defeating Nadal at the FO. Then he beat Nadal in 3 slam finals to save Fed’s GOAThood. The list is endless why I’d want the Djoker to win should he meet Fed in the final. Hopefully, playing Nadal and Murray won’t tire him out and Fed takes advantage in the final. That would be unfair and cruel after all the bad luck the Djoker already had at the FO.
Veronica Reply: May 25th, 2015 at 5:25 am Oh I see. Makes sense. I totally get your deserving and payback logic, Ru-an. Thanks for explaining. Interesting how each of us view things.
Ben Chia Reply: May 24th, 2015 at 4:12 pm Hi Veronica, allow me to explain. From a “deserving” perspective, doko won my respect some time ago. So I agree with Ru-an to a certain extent, this FO shd be Novak’s. But I actually have a much simpler and selfish reason why I want Novak to win… You see, not always the deserving player gets the prize. Example, when God mode fed defeated a 40+ winning streak Nole in 2011, he deserved to win the FO imho… Only to melt infront of Rafa yet again. Sooo… It finally got through my thick head that Nadull has so embedded himself into Fed’s unconscious, meeting in finals is as good as gone for fed. Nole on the other hand is a different animal. He is about the only player playing Nadull without fear. Sure he lost many times at first, but he never cowered down and finally is reaping the benefits. Closest thing to giving Nadull a beat down on regular basis. Really, aside from this “abnormal” year, who else is not intimidated by Nadull’s fist pump, chest bump, and empire scowl? So, long story short, I might even sacrifice a GS victory from fed to feed this anti-Nadull monster that is growing in Nole. Dunno about you, but it’s so sweet to see Novak take it to Nadull and giving him a taste of own medicine. Want to wear out Nole in an attrition battle? Better think again uncle Toni! So some people here may bitch about Nadull level going down, no pride in beating an injured Nadull (come on, when has he ever lost without an “injury”?), yadah-yadah… But that same guy won 9 FOs and perpetually portrays himself as the underdog?! Finally, the bad karma is coming back to him. When this season started, I said Nadull’s fall from grace will be dramatic. So far so good. Don’t know how long my winless GS & MS1000 streak prediction can go… But you guys shouldn’t bet on it. Nadull is too much of an enigma and don’t follow conventional rules when it comes to form, confidence or injury. Only thing that appears to work is in the form of a Novak Djokovic. So, that the twisted logic of why I want Nole to keep winning and building up confidence, even beating fed in finals. But who knows, if it gets to a 5 setter and tiebreak, my inner fedfan might get better of me and I do a last min switch to cheering for fed ftw! :-)
Veronica Reply: May 25th, 2015 at 5:40 am I thought Ru- an explained his position really well. Now I see yours, Ben, and you also explained your position well. Before both of you explained, I thought you two had gone bonkers, haha! Both of you are more Nadal haters than Federer lovers. Therefore you prefer to burry the monster for good and at all costs; rather than Roger lifting his 18th and even sacrificing that! Very unusual and interesting views; both you and Ru-an’s; but totally make sense! But I bet you (maybe not Ru-an) will do a last min switch back to Roger if Djokerer happens! :-)
Inbakumar
Hi Ruan! Hope ur fine! The Ultimate Tennis Blog is good. Roger’s draw seems to be easy one on paper but its still tricky one. Roger got easy first three rounds after that i think roger will get get first real test in 4th round from monfils if they meet and Roger has lost their last two meeting notably on clay but i think Roger can over come monfils and french crowd, Then stan kei berdych and if Roger make deep run who knows he could meet Rafa/Novak/Andy. One match at a time will be gud. Expecting Roger to go deep in RG.
Ru-an Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 1:15 pm Hello Inbakumar, hope you are well too ;-) TUTB is just good? [-(
Inbakumar Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 6:23 pm Blog is very good and now a days you are writing abt tennis around the world in TUTB thats very nice and everyone are supporting too :-) . Whats your view abt Roger’s RG predictions??
Ru-an Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 9:59 pm Thank you Inbakumar. Yes people have been very supportive which is nice. As for Roger’s predictions, I made a post about it recently called Fedal’s Last Stand, but yeah it’s hard to know. He has always had too much respect for Nadal for my liking. I think he is trying to put pressure on Djokovic too.
Ajay
http://live-tennis.eu/rankings_under_21 This shows that the under 21 guys are improving pretty rapidly. Federer’s got the kind of draw which he needs to do well at the French Open. But Karlovic/Monfils/Wawrinka/Nishikori/Djokovic won’t be easy even though comparing it with Dimitrov/Djokovic/Murray/Federer it does look much better. I sort of feel like I how I felt at the beginning of Rome. If Federer makes sure he concentrates during every match he should be in the semis where if he faces Nishikori then he will need to raise his game. Also he needs to make sure he is fresh come the second week. As for Djokovic it definitely looks like it is finally his year of defeating Nadal. Whether he can win it all remains to be seen because defeating any of the big 3 hasn’t been done before by any of the big 4 (Tsonga has done it though). Federer’s first two rounds look like Falla(LL) and Granollers which should set him up nicely. Still not sure when Federer starts the tournament but hoping it is either Sunday or Monday. Also hoping Ivo is not there in the third round because Bagdhatis or Youzhny would give him more rhythm that he will need for later in the tournament. Overall I think Murray has got a very tough path to the semis. Djokovic has got Nadal but otherwise it looks fairly straight forward for him to reach the semis. Nadal has got a crazy draw which I believe is insurmountable. Best case scenario for Roger would be if Djokovic takes down Nadal in a hard fought match and then Murray takes Novak down in another thriller only to lose to Roger in the final. But I really doubt if Djokovic won’t win this because he seems like he super determined this year. This year’s French Open may be the single most important Grand Slam for the Fedal rivalry. If Nadal loses and Federer somehow wins the rivalry is over. If Nadal wins then I think it will push him towards breaking Federer’s record by next year. If Nadal loses and Djokovic wins then I think Djokovic replaces Nadal as Federer’s biggest threat to the All Time Grand Slam record. So all to play for here !! Finally have some of my comments been deleted. Because I can’t seem to find my recent comments. And that mention of doping like I explained was clearly an analogy to being superhuman if Nadal were to win it going through this draw rather than actually taking drugs.
Ajay Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 8:29 am I see my comments were not deleted. Sorry then.
Ru-an Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 1:21 pm :-?
veronica
Fist round, Fire! Aka Falla!!! From the word go, he’s got to come out firing already! It is not a cakewalk draw based on Roger’s form. It would have been a cakewalk draw if Roger is in better form. Agree with Ben. It’s gotta be God mode for Roger. Any other level may not even get him to the quarters. Roger sounded cautious in his interview. I don’t feel like he is all out for it; as he often does not for FO. It’s like he is contented to have won it already and doesn’t desire to win it again as much as he desires Wimby and even USO. I hope in the next few days the kind draw will sink in and that he will find that extra motivation to give it his very best, maybe last shot at winning FO. If he can hit the form he was in most of last year, he has a real chance of winning the whole thing. His path has been cleared of his eternal nemesis and he meets a big four only in the final! I hope he sees something there and changes his whole perspective and goes into FO with the mindset of 2009 – where he knew that the stars were aligned for him, that it was his year, his time; and be desperate to win it. C’mon Roger!!
Ben chia Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 4:53 pm Hi veronica, always read yr comments but seldom have a chance to engage you. Thks for making me recap 2009 . That was the yr that truly made me a fed fan. I didn’t want to join the bandwagon when fed was so dominant. But when he started suffering set backs and continued to fight through adversity, I was sold. 2009 FO is one of my fav. Seeing him come back from the brink against Haas, then dominating soldering in the final. Ah, so so satisfying. Wish fed all the best for this year’s FO too. Though another priority is that you-know-who continues to stay at #14… God mode fed is a thing of beauty. Hope it pops up in the final!
Ru-an Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 9:51 pm Well seems we have a lot in common Ben chia. I started this blog at the end of 2008/beginning of 2009 as well. That was the time that my fanship intensified. I was always a fan but when he was destroying everyone he didn’t need my support. And besides I was still playing tennis myself. As far as dull staying on #14 goes I feel it is unfair to expect of Djokovic to take out Roger nemesis so he can win the title. If the Djoker defeats Nadal and makes the final then he deserves the title and I hope he wins it. Roger had many chances vs Nadal in the final and screwed it up with stubborn tennis. He even got lucky in 2009 when someone else took Nadal out for him. Whoever defeats Nadal deserves the title.
FeDaL Reply: May 24th, 2015 at 10:48 am Defeating Nadal when he is in a all time low form, doesn’t equate to deserving to win the French Open.
Ru-an Reply: May 24th, 2015 at 11:17 am You are right. Nadal deserves to win the FO forever. Come to think of it, they should just declare Nadal the winner for eternity and cancel the tournament. ^:)^
Veronica Reply: May 24th, 2015 at 12:07 pm :-bd
Ru-an Reply: May 24th, 2015 at 12:17 pm ;-)
veronica Reply: May 24th, 2015 at 8:01 am Hi Ben! You are most welcome! We have much in common, Ben! We both love humor; although some humor (eg tongue in cheek, sarcasm, etc) are so lost to some people! Oh well, you can’t win them all. OK, I wanna throw this out to all Fedfans out there. Ru-an and you mentioned that you only became a real Fedfan after Roger’s peak and that his domination is boring. For me, it is completely different. I LOVE Roger’s domination! Why? Because Roger is one player who is absolutely beautiful to watch when he is dominating in a match and match after match!! You can’t “get enough” of his domination!! You get a high just to see him school opponents! You get drawn into his art (play); not only about the competition or the excitement of a match. He’s the only player who can “get away” with just playing his brand of esthetically pleasing tennis. I can watch him serve and just put away the return with that perfect forehand everyday; head and shoulder perfectly aligned, the arm swinging so elegantly and the expression on the face; calm, super focused and effortless! So, no, Roger winning day in, day out, was absolutely not boring. When he started losing, of course, he became more identifiable and inspirational and won even more fans. But his domination was never boring because you get treated in every match he plays. What is boring is Nadal’s clay domination. Oh gosh, those years of Nadal winning every clay court title under the sun was beyond boring! I believe a big part of why some Fedfans like Djoker so much is because he could do to Nadal where Roger couldn’t. If Djoker continues the domination for the next few years, I’m sure many will come forth and say, “boring”. Any domination is boring. We want changes, new things, every now and then. Who wants to eat the same old food everyday, huh? But if there is gonna be a domination, a Roger domination is the least boring!! I wonder how many of you feel the way I do?!!
Ru-an Reply: May 24th, 2015 at 8:16 am Hey, V. No I didn’t think Roger’s peak was boring, or I would have become a fan of someone else like I did with Sampras. I thought it was amazing how he could hardly lose any matches at all. I just didn’t have the time to follow tennis as closely back then. And I was more concerned with my own career than with those of other players.
Veronica Reply: May 24th, 2015 at 12:04 pm Also, yes, Ben, 2009 FO was one of the best moments of Roger’s career. Roger was tested EVERY step of the way. He had to fight himself (pressure, expectations) as much as the competition. Everyone was watching him with bated breath as he scraped and fought. Will he? Can he? All the anxiety, the questions, the sufferings, as Nadal would call it, everything culminated with that glorious win over Soderling in the final! It is the epitome of a fairy tale come true! Oh how I wouldn’t mind Roger winning his last slam ala FO2009 style – fighting and hanging at the edge of the cliff followed by the triumph!
Ru-an Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 9:42 pm Good comment Veronica. It is indeed a big chance for Roger to seal the GOAT debate but on the other hand Djokovic just destroyed him in Rome and I’m not sure he can come up with another God mode performance like in 2011. But you never know and I agree that he should at least try whatever it takes to make the final. Losing in the final would be a great result given what happened the last two years at the FO.
Veronica
Sorry, I meant if Roger 4.0 reappeared he has a real chance; not “the form he was in most of last year”. Like the majority of tennis watchers, I think Djoker’s got this in the bag. He will break an arm and a leg and forsake all other titles for the rest of the season just for this FO title, you can bet your life on it. I think he can handle the pressure. He feels very comfortable being no. 1 now, loves the domination and he knows this is the perfect time to take out Nadal. He aint letting this one go. But it wouldn’t be impossible for someone to pull a Cilic or a Wawrinka; if last year’s slam winners have taught us anything at all! So…… I’m not predicting, ha!
Dolores
Hi Ru-an, another great blog from you….know you will keep them coming. I see Thiem won the title in Nice, defeating Mayer in 3 sets. Nice going for Thiem, am happy for him. Can see why Roger invited him for a practice session, he sees a future in this young man. I like him, will be interesting how far he will go in the FO. As you said, Ru-an, he may even play against Roger in the 4th round. Happy days ahead in tennis, right? Veronica, know it is too early to predict, which I am not doing, but we share…C’mon Roger!
Ru-an Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 9:52 pm Thanks, Dolores. Yes, I am very excited about Thiem winning Nice. About to start a post on that.
Veronica Reply: May 24th, 2015 at 11:40 am One set and a break Dolores! Great start. Now keep it up Rog and no lapses please!!
Bjorn Eirik
As a Roger fan I couldn’t have hoped for a better draw. Though honestly I don’t think it really matters that much because, let’s face it, he hasn’t been a big factor on clay in the last few years. Would love for that to change this year, but I think it’s unrealistic to think he will lift the trophy in Paris. Crashing out early might actually be an advantage in preparation to Wimbledon where he still has a good chance. These tournament are scheduled so close together that there’s hardly any time to recuperate, and with RG being so physically demanding and Roger not getting any younger, getting dragged into long, tough matches is not ideal. As for Djokovic, I completely agree that it’s an advantage for him to face Nadal in a quarter rather than a final (if it plays out that way). He seemed fatigued in the final last year, and Nadal just doesn’t get tired for some reason. I’m not a big fan of either player, so I don’t care much who wins it. I would frankly prefer someone else to win, but there’s no arguing that Djokovic deserves it more than anyone else.
Ru-an Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 9:56 pm Welcome to my blog Bjorn Eirik. ‘Nadal just doesn’t get tired for some reason’ Yep, something that has always puzzled me. ‘but there’s no arguing that Djokovic deserves it more than anyone else.’ :-bd
Bjorn Eirik Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 11:14 pm Thanks for the welcome! I’ve been reading your blog for some time, and I really like the changes you’ve made. Looking forward to your coverage of French Open, and here’s hoping for a high quality tournament.
Ru-an Reply: May 23rd, 2015 at 11:48 pm That’s good to hear Bjorn Eirik, and thanks for the blog follow ;-)