posted Aug 15, 2008

I believe Nadal will win, and deservedly so. He hasn't put a foot wrong all season and gets on with the job at hand. Nadal enjoys the sport for what it is and doesn't expect too much from the sport. I hope he continues in tennis for a good few years.

I also think tennis should continue to be in the Olympics and ALL tennis players come to recognise that by being an Olympic champion it is the highest sporting accolade they will ever achieve.

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posted Aug 15, 2008

Looking critically at the the Blake and Fernando play, the ball touch touch his racket. i understand in sports fans take sides, especially those who come from the same country with the athlete. Am not an American and i don't even know where Fernando comes from, and am not taking sides the ball glazed Fernando racket..he should not cheat to get to get to the final. If he refuses to admit, well too bad, but is is as good as using drugs to enhance his game.

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posted Aug 15, 2008

I've gotta hand it to Rafa, i claimed he would be beaten for sure today and though i persist to say that Djoko has a better game than him on the hards you can't take anything away from Nadal, he is an amazing competitor and until Djoko is able to match Nadal mentally the spaniard will remain number one

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posted Aug 15, 2008

Djoko will almost certainly defeat Nadal (their games on the hards match up badly for Nadal) but i can't predict anything else

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guess you couldn't predict this one either, ALWAYS! :D

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posted Aug 15, 2008

Looking critically at the the Blake and Fernando play, the ball touch touch his racket
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yeah, i've seen the replay and the ball did touch the racket..but tough, blake had plenty of chances to end this match! it's not about being a gentleman, it's about beating the other guy like a MAN. yeah, i know fernando could've been more honest, but he's well within the rules..he doesn't have to say anything!

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posted Aug 15, 2008

comment by seseluagh (U13047360)
posted 2 Hours Ago

Looking critically at the the Blake and Fernando play, the ball touch touch his racket.

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watching the very slow reply you can see that it did hit the racket
That is very slow

real speed is different and fernando was moving to get out of the way and i do agree with him in saying that s nt 100% so his opinion wouldn't have done anything

he was not asked by the umpire and his ruling is what counts, for example if a shot was out, (without) hawkeye, the umpire rules, and his verdict is what counts, even if it is wrong

blake knew that the umpire would not change his mind and perhaps he should not have exploded like he did

more importantly it was the point that made gonzalez 15-0 up s not what you call a vital point

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posted Aug 16, 2008

As Djoko's fan I feel sad that he lost to Nadal in Beijing. Djoko really must work on his mental strength. I think Nada will win the Gold medal and also USO. Nadal has got it to remain No. 1 for a few years. I agree the real challenge to Nadal would be Murray and they might meet in the final of USO if not drawn in the same group. Meanwhile, Federer is slipping down fast seemingly not able to check the rot.

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posted Aug 16, 2008

peterscott14f (U955494)
posted 16 Hours Ago

comment by seseluagh (U13047360)
posted 2 Hours Ago

Looking critically at the the Blake and Fernando play, the ball touch touch his racket.

________________________________

watching the very slow reply you can see that it did hit the racket
That is very slow

real speed is different and fernando was moving to get out of the way and i do agree with him in saying that s nt 100% so his opinion wouldn't have done anything

he was not asked by the umpire and his ruling is what counts, for example if a shot was out, (without) hawkeye, the umpire rules, and his verdict is what counts, even if it is wrong

blake knew that the umpire would not change his mind and perhaps he should not have exploded like he did

more importantly it was the point that made gonzalez 15-0 up s not what you call a vital point

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Fernando has always been a $h1t!!

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posted Aug 16, 2008

Before I sTART I would like all the people who will comment on this post of mine to read my earlier post regarding fed which is on page 2 of this thread.
Here goes to all the people who are jumping on Fed regarding his style of play you are of course entitled to your own opinion but I too am allowed to not agree. I mean if you talk about style we are talking about arguably the greatest artist to have ever played the game. He was like an artist the court his canvas. TO actually compare his style to nadals and to say nadal is more stylish is an absolute fallacy if there ever was one. Nadal no matter how good he is no matter if he even wins all four grand slams he will be nothing more than a great fighter, a great player but a pure brute. He is a brute. People I know you take offence with it but he is a matador of a player a pure hitter not a fed who seems to carress the ball over the net.
Now if you people jumped on fed's disappointing season this year his lack of results, his losing wimbledon, his seemingly fragile state of mind, his deterioting confidence his maybe taking time off from the game I would have agreed with all of that. But to simply say he is bad for the game, and has a poor style makes me feel like people are really biased and love to kick a man when he is down. I guess this is the way of the world or more precisely the modern world, quite depressing I must say to read ignorant comments such as that.
I hope you have read my earlier post. In which I have said fed will lose in the third round of the us open this year should take time off in a beautiful island with mirka and decide if he wants to come back or not if the sport truly means alot to him still or not. Knowing the champion he is I believe if he still has the desire to win he will come back with a bang. For sure many people will have to eat their words and I look forward to commenting on that.
If I was him I would take abuot a good six months off to revaluate my priorities in life and see if tennis holds the same value for me. Pat Rafter arguably one of the greatest serve volleyers off all time retired very early bad back or not he said he had had enough. The fed has already achieved so much one has to question whether the drive is there or not coupled with the mono effect.

One reader on this thread said he should have taken six months off. I researched mono and the effects of it sure enough most websites say six months to a year is the time to recover from it. So there could be truth in that. Personally I feel it did make a difference even if it was a small one in this game of inches deciding whether a ball is in or not and movement paramount it is a big deal. His footwork has been about half a step slower than normal this year and that could have been a result of this. I am not making excuses nor giving a reason for his lacklustre performances.
I will just form my opinion of him in a complete way after next year. Next year if he plays will truly decide whether or not he is what we all thought he was or whether he is just simply one of the all time greats.
Lastly I must say my heart felt truly warmed with two great Olympic results today. Usiah "Lightning' bolt destroying the field in 100 m with a world record. And secondly and more Importantly The great man Fed winning an Olympic Gold medal with his great friend Stanislas Wawrinka. i MEAN it just warmed my soul. I love fate and the scripts that are written for us sometimes. In singles Fed lost to a guy whom he has thrashed 8 times in the past. I really thought he would be shattered after that because apart from the us open he really really wanted an Olmpic Gold medal. He really cherished it. I cannot believe what happend
No one can even say they beat weak teams. They beat former world number 1 double team Leander Paes and Bhupathi and then arguably the greatest modern day doubles tennis team Bob and Mike Bryan In the semis. Great performance by Stanislas and Fed . He got something out of this year and believe you me he will cherish this olympic medal. After they won the last point you could see what it meant to him.
The tennis season has not been lost for the great man this year and in fact this could prove to be a turning points.
Cheers y'all

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posted Aug 17, 2008

hoodboy
Lastly I must say my heart felt truly warmed with two great Olympic results today. Usiah "Lightning' bolt destroying the field in 100 m with a world record. And secondly and more Importantly The great man Fed winning an Olympic Gold medal with his great friend Stanislas Wawrinka. i MEAN it just warmed my soul.
>>

Ah yes I was also particularly happy for Federer. By his celebration you could see how much it means to him. He went out to win Gold for Switzerland and he did that. Rather un-Roger like bahaviour with that 'voodoo' kinda thing he did with Wrawrinkla, but funny.

As for the rest of the olympics, obviously would have loved to see Rafa/Roger in the final, but Nadal more than made up for it with a splendid performance. Rafa played some of the best tennis I've seen from him on HC, certainly since the Wimbledon finals. Rafa and Roger winning gold, class.

Finally I've little doubt Bolt can run the 100 in 9.40 or something even more rediculous. The guy is obviously playing the marketing game where he doesn't want to kill the sport by beating everyone else by half a second. Incredible achievement to say the least. In a sport almost destroyed by doping scandals, one could almost believe a 6f5" guy 'could' run that fast. Having said that it's somewhat odd that Jamaica produces such top athletes (woman 1,2,3) so suddenly.

Oh well, on to the US... hopefully not a 4am final

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