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French Open 2021

Sport
ThunderstruckThunderstruck    7,676 posts
edited May 2021 Sport
Was going to title it the Rafa open but have to respect the ladies side of the tournament.

Who can make the final assuming Rafa is a lock as one finalist? Djokovic is on the same side of the draw so if they progress as expected will meet in a semi final.

Medvedev and Tsitsipas are in the bottom half of the draw and have got through rd 1 as was Thiem who was seeded 4, however he has already been rolled after being up 2 sets to love against a Neville.Actually the guy's name is Pablo Andular and he had form having beaten Federer on clay recently, anyway i digress we don't care about Pablo so much let's see who Rafa might play.

With Thiem gone(and he was short on match play anyway)and Medvedev having a woeful French record i'll predictably go for Tsitsipas to get to the final.Will have to research a bit more to maybe find another potential smokey from that half of the draw.

Feds Slam return resulted in a workmanlike straight sets win off a very limited prep was hitting them well, knee operations last year and some reported complications along the way resulted in him not playing for 14 months and since resuming in March has played just 3 matches losing 2.
He might win a couple of matches even a few depending on who he opposes, think he will be playing Cilic in round 2.

Naturally our Aussies will go very average especially the men a kid i like Popyrin who is making some inroads drew the short straw and has Rafa in Rd 1, it will be a good learning experience though he should go hard and has nothing to lose, posesses a big game just lacks the experience to maintain a very high level for multiple sets.

Ash should go pretty deep she is in good knick this year and has bounced off the Aus Open capitulation very well.
As we know the women all have a choke in them Ash included and with no idea if their draw works out Osaka would be the danger, she will be very determined after copping the wraith of the WTA or whoever regarding not attending post match press conferences, this defiance is petty by her but she is that type of cat(strange asf).

Comments

  • detonatordetonator    4,360 posts
    Thought I would post my Naomi Osaka “I told you so” post.
    I got taken to task re Naomi when she won the Aus Open saying she was a moody “so and so” and it was an effort to do press conferences etc.
    And here we are...... The PC brigade have come out and said she has depression blah blah.
    Try working in hospitality and having your livelihood taken away from you and not able to pay the rent.
    Sorry but no sympathy from me. Good riddance I say. 
    :-h
  • ThunderstruckThunderstruck    7,676 posts
    Wow she withdrew huh suppose not altogether surprising with her strange antics of late.. and as you said being priveleged she doesn't have to earn a living for years.

    If the mental health issues are legit though i will say hopefully she gets the help needed.
  • H-BOMBERH-BOMBER    10,235 posts
    Interestingly I hear she is the highest earning sportswoman at 70 million per year. That is staggering.

    Hard to understand the mental health issues associated with being at the top of your sporting profession. I mean, simply put, you are playing tennis as your job and you are earning 70 million per year. It is easy to see why she is copping criticism.

    It is reported as a protest against the media and that's why she won't front up after a game....its too mentally challenging? I think if things are that bad and mentally challenging then give the game away, get the help you need and stay out of the public eye. Otherwise surely you are open to both praise and scrutiny in this position?

    I mean, what would you do to earn 1.3 million per week?
  • ThunderstruckThunderstruck    7,676 posts
    edited June 2021
    Did not know that, bloody huge money!!

    Not on her side at all just saying money doesn't bring everyone happiness she may have a legit issue(has always seemed a very odd personality).
    If so as you said take a LOT of time off, get the help needed hell even retire(i would fn party to be honest), has enough money for her whole life already must have what a 100 mil in the kick? More?

    If she loves tennis give something back and coach kids 6 months of the year earn a buck doing so and surely travel will be a goer in 12 to 18 months so spend the other 6 months of each year travellijng the world.


  • detonatordetonator    4,360 posts
    edited June 2021
    Disgusting by Federer to withdraw to save himself for Wimbledon.
    Denied another player to advance and effectively cause a bye in the next round.
    Very selfish. Rafa would never do that. Using a Grand Slam as a warmup tourney is disrespectful.
    He could never win it against Rafa and Novak so he chickens out.
    Fed claims being the highest number of Grand Slams winner is not a goal of his.....isn’t this exactly what he is trying to achieve by this BS.
    Rafa is the class both on and off the the court. Rafa respects the game too much to do this crap.

    :-q
  • PAULPAUL    2,665 posts
    QUARTER FINALS

    (6) Zverev beat Davidovich Fokina 6-4 6-1 6-1
    (5) Tsitsipas beat (2) Medvedev 6-3 7-6 7-5
    (1) Djokovic v (9) Berrettini
    (3) Nadal v (10) Schwartzman

    Apart from defending champion Iga Swiatek still being in contention, the women's draw is a lottery.

    (31) Pavlyuchenkova beat (21) Rybakini 6-7 6-2 9-7
    Zidansek beat (33) Badosa 7-5 4-6 8-6
    (24) Gauff v Krejcikova
    (17) Sakkari v (8) Swiatek

    Who wins it from here???
  • detonatordetonator    4,360 posts
    Nadal and Swiatek.....Welcome back Paul.

    PAUL likes this post.

  • PAULPAUL    2,665 posts
    edited June 2021
    QUARTER FINALS
    (6) Zverev beat Davidovich Fokina 6-4 6-1 6-1
    (5) Tsitsipas beat (2) Medvedev 6-3 7-6 7-5
    (1) Djokovic beat (9) Berrettini 6-3 6-2 6-7 7-5
    (3) Nadal beat (10) Schwartzman 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-0

    There will be a maiden Grand Slam winner in the women's after Iga Swiatek lost her quarter final in straight sets. If Maria Sakkari wins, she will move into the top 10 in the rankings for the first time ever.

    (31) Pavlyuchenkova beat (21) Rybakini 6-7 6-2 9-7
    Zidansek beat (33) Badosa 7-5 4-6 8-6
    Krejcikova beat (24) Gauff 7-6 6-3
    (17) Sakkari beat (8) Swiatek 6-4 6-4

    SEMI FINALS
    (6) Zverev v (5) Tsitsipas
    (1) Djokovic v (3) Nadal

    (31) Pavlyuchenkova v Zidansek
    Krejcikova v (17) Sakkari
  • detonatordetonator    4,360 posts
    Gone hard on Pav tonight.
    Purely based on looking at both highlights of each players qtr finals. Fingers crossed.
    :-SS
  • PAULPAUL    2,665 posts
    detonator said:

    Gone hard on Pav tonight.

    Purely based on looking at both highlights of each players qtr finals. Fingers crossed. :-SS
    Nice one! =D>

    SEMI FINALS
    (31) Pavlyuchenkova beat Zidansek 7-5 6-3
    Krejcikova beat (17) Sakkari 7-5 4-6 9-7

    Whoever wins the title on Saturday night will move into the top 15 in the rankings. Ash Barty retains the #1 spot, however her lead at the top of the rankings drops significantly from 2,714 points to 874 points.
  • detonatordetonator    4,360 posts
    Shame the "Final" of the mens is played tonight.....Rafa vs Joker that is.  :-q
  • PAULPAUL    2,665 posts
    Djokovic wins in four sets, aa Nadal records his third ever loss at Roland Garros (105-3 record plus one withdrawal).

    SEMI FINALS
    (5) Tsitsipas beat (6) Zverev 6-3 6-3 4-6 4-6 6-3
    (1) Djokovic beat (3) Nadal 3-6 6-3 7-6 6-2

    Will Djokovic win a 19th Grand Slam???
  • detonatordetonator    4,360 posts
    Djokovic will become the GOAT.  Got Rafa and Fed covered.
    Plays the mind games as good as anyone. Fakes the injury in the Oz open and uses the world condemnation as motivation. 
    He used the round 4   2sets to love down against the young Italian as court time practice. Gave the Italian 1 game in the next 3 sets. Never seen anyone so calm sitting down at the end of the 2nd set being 2 down.
    Being the GOAT motivates him and he will get his wish. $1.33 in the final is a gift.
    =D>
  • ThunderstruckThunderstruck    7,676 posts
    edited June 2021
    I thought Greeks were going to make both the finals alas the lady lost out in a typical women's chokeathon semi, were upwards of 15 breaks of serve(I seriously could return most of their 1st serves subject to them not hitting the lines down the t or wide lol)

    Did not watch much of the tournament at all, i see Pav got rolled in the final was a good effort to make it but play the women's tournament ten times over you get up to 10 different winners imo
    Good luck to them, for the winner Barbora Krejcikova it will be life changing for her at 25.

    May watch the mens final, agree Det I think if he hadn't already levelled up a French title seals goat honours for the Joker.
    I will be cheering for Tsitsipas but if you beat Rafa you deserve the title and he will be driven as hell to nail this win, so I also think Novak is a bet to nothing to win it.

    detonator likes this post.

  • detonatordetonator    4,360 posts
    Hope your right with the Novak prediction. Going for a bit of tomorrow’s lunch money.
    Hard to argue against the GOAT tag particularly if he wins the French for the second time.
    To win each slam multiple time puts him in rare air. 
    Novak will never be the fan favourite but titles aren’t won on popularity. 

  • ThunderstruckThunderstruck    7,676 posts
    Still remember the days when he was "Soft" and defaulting matches in the heat? reinvented himself now just a warrior for many years never beaten just like Rafa.
    Is indeed a polarising character but dgaf and i kinda like that attitude but does the odd thing that annoys, the post match salute is a massive wank and the bouncing of the damn ball up to 18 times i counted also LOL but his greatness is without question...what an era and a half nearly of great players hey mate(honourable mentions to Wawrinka and Murray too)the likes which will never be see again.
  • PAULPAUL    2,665 posts
    Novak Djokovic came back from two sets down to win his 19th Grand Slam, 6-7 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-4.
  • detonatordetonator    4,360 posts
    Novak will win Wimbledon and equal the number of slams won by Rafa and Fed.
    He is playing at another level at the moment. No one can go with him.
    He has made no secret that his goals are to be the greatest player ever and to win the most grand slams in the history of mens tennis.
    What greater stage would it be than to equal the record than at Wimbledon. Ideally for him it would be against Fed in the final.
    Another goal for Novak would be to win a calendar grand slam. He is half way there.  


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