Topic: ATP - 2009 Australian Open: Jan. 19 - Feb. 1

[Pamqnx]

Here's a sobering reminder: Djokovic has never defended a title.

there is a first time for everything. i see that the Federereeeesians like Dallas are just licking their chops at that possibility.

forget about it dallas. it aint gonna happen. he is 21 and healthier than a horse. its the 2 top guns that are ailing.

Clay Monster just too stupid to stay healthy. i heard that the doctors have been saying for quite sometime now to NOT ignore the signs his body was giving him.

Fed, on the other hand, is just a vicitim of aging. nobody can dominate forever. in case you never heard, 28 is considered very old for a tennis player. you can linger around but winning does get a bit harder.

Bare facts as usual...pity not everyone is listening...Nole and Murray are as a matter of fact the favorites for the AO...

Funny, just 3 weeks ago, Federer was still a strong favourite for the AO. Things quickly change, it seems..

[monstertruck]

Either falcon or hercules prepared to put their money where their mouth is on Murray/djokovic?

Betfair has Federer as favourite, then Nadal, Djokovic, Murray close together.

Why ask a question you already know the answer to?

kicker is the worst blind Fed worshipper here. i guess he is not watching the same sport. he could not be objective if his life depended on it. last year i called about 50 matches right on the money. i guess he conveniently chooses to forget that. i call it a cheap and fickle delight of a small mind.

only a blind worshipper would have Fed as the favorite for the Australian Open. It is Murray and Djokovic who are the clear favorites.

Fed may make the semis but upset in the quarters is more than just possible. he wont get past Djokovic or Murray in the semis.

same with the clay monster. semis is possible but so is an upset in the quarters.

  I hadn't really noticed that.  I guess I'll have to pay closer attention.
Nice job on picking the 50 last year.
I don't think I got 5 right!
You won't catch me on Betfair!

[Clay Death]

Either falcon or hercules prepared to put their money where their mouth is on Murray/djokovic?

Betfair has Federer as favourite, then Nadal, Djokovic, Murray close together.

Why ask a question you already know the answer to?

kicker is the worst blind Fed worshipper here. i guess he is not watching the same sport. he could not be objective if his life depended on it. last year i called about 50 matches right on the money. i guess he conveniently chooses to forget that. i call it a cheap and fickle delight of a small mind.

only a blind worshipper would have Fed as the favorite for the Australian Open. It is Murray and Djokovic who are the clear favorites.

Fed may make the semis but upset in the quarters is more than just possible. he wont get past Djokovic or Murray in the semis.

same with the clay monster. semis is possible but so is an upset in the quarters.

  I hadn't really noticed that.  I guess I'll have to pay closer attention.
Nice job on picking the 50 last year.
I don't think I got 5 right!
You won't catch me on Betfair!

if that back was so much of an issue, i wonder why he is playing that exo today.

the fact of the matter is this: he probably does have some soreness in his back from time to time but the bigger issues for him are 1. race against time (aging), and 2. vastly improving competition.

[Clay Death]

Either falcon or hercules prepared to put their money where their mouth is on Murray/djokovic?

Betfair has Federer as favourite, then Nadal, Djokovic, Murray close together.

Why ask a question you already know the answer to?

kicker is the worst blind Fed worshipper here. i guess he is not watching the same sport. he could not be objective if his life depended on it. last year i called about 50 matches right on the money. i guess he conveniently chooses to forget that. i call it a cheap and fickle delight of a small mind.

only a blind worshipper would have Fed as the favorite for the Australian Open. It is Murray and Djokovic who are the clear favorites.

Fed may make the semis but upset in the quarters is more than just possible. he wont get past Djokovic or Murray in the semis.

same with the clay monster. semis is possible but so is an upset in the quarters.

  I hadn't really noticed that.  I guess I'll have to pay closer attention.
Nice job on picking the 50 last year.
I don't think I got 5 right!
You won't catch me on Betfair!

betfair this early means nothing monster man. we have to go with the players who are just now hitting their stride.

Murray is really driven. there is no telling how far he can go. he will get his chance at a hard court slam sooner or later. Djokovic has the game. he just has to bring his confidence, fitness, and his focus.

Tsonga, D-Pot, Simon, and Nalby can cause some upsets. they are just that good.

[Emma]

I think the front-runners will be Nole, Murray and Federer and in that order as well. If the real Nole shows up at the AO, then there's no stopping. His game is more complete than Murray. I know Nole never defended anything before but as you said herc, there's always a first time for everything. And after the long break, he really should be up for it. It was a treat to watch him this Sunday. He was so incredibly on and his game was so smooth. I still can't get over. Davydenko looked plain and simple against Nole. I think Nole's biggest problem is, he can't stay focused for long. His mind tends to wander. Also, he lacks desire to win a lot too. That's why I worry about him a lot. Well, it all remains to be seen.

I don't necessarily see all top four players making the semis at the AO. As usual, there will be a dark horse. Hard to say who though.

[Clay Death]

I think the front-runners will be Nole, Murray and Federer and in that order as well. If the real Nole shows up at the AO, then there's no stopping. His game is more complete than Murray. I know Nole never defended anything before but as you said herc, there's always a first time for everything. And after the long break, he really should be up for it. It was a treat to watch him this Sunday. He was so incredibly on and his game was so smooth. I still can't get over. Davydenko looked plain and simple against Nole. I think Nole's biggest problem is, he can't stay focused for long. His mind tends to wander. Also, he lacks desire to win a lot too. That's why I worry about him a lot. Well, it all remains to be seen.

I don't necessarily see all top four players making the semis at the AO. As usual, there will be a dark horse. Hard to say who though.

Nole`s game is not "more complete" than Murray`s game. Nole is just more deadly off the ground. they are both tremendous movers.

Murray has even more variety than Fed.

[huntingyou]

Murray is overrated at this moment as far as I'm concern............Novak is clearly the superior player and more complete; and that's since last year Novak has been a force in ALL surfaces; not just hardcourts. He pretty much can play anywhere and we can't say the same about Murray.

There is a big factor here and herc would agree with me.......you have those who have it and doesn't who don't and Novak is a GS champion while Murray is a wannabe....until he can prove that he can win a GS he will not be in the same level as Novak, let alone Nadal and Roger.

Variety is a term use loosly when describing Murray.....he is a baseliner just like the rest, YES he can create variation from his backhand side specially; it doesn't mean for example that Novak doesn't has a more lethal backhand or Nadal doesn't has a more complete forehand.

Tsonga has a lot of variaty; Roger has it too......Murray don't.....because he change pace and use loopy forehand followed by a flat forehand? Is his excellent court coverage and world class backhand that gave him the boost in the rankings; not his "variety"

[Clay Death]

Murray is overrated at this moment as far as I'm concern............Novak is clearly the superior player and more complete; and that's since last year Novak has been a force in ALL surfaces; not just hardcourts. He pretty much can play anywhere and we can't say the same about Murray.

There is a big factor here and herc would agree with me.......you have those who have it and doesn't who don't and Novak is a GS champion while Murray is a wannabe....until he can prove that he can win a GS he will not be in the same level as Novak, let alone Nadal and Roger.

Variety is a term use loosly when describing Murray.....he is a baseliner just like the rest, YES he can create variation from his backhand side specially; it doesn't mean for example that Novak doesn't has a more lethal backhand or Nadal doesn't has a more complete forehand.

Tsonga has a lot of variaty; Roger has it too......Murray don't.....because he change pace and use loopy forehand followed by a flat forehand? Is his excellent court coverage and world class backhand that gave him the boost in the rankings; not his "variety"

good post but i remain insistent that Murray has a more complete game in terms of overall variety.

clay monster has shown that you do not have to have variety to truly dominate the the best in the sport. you can do it with "doomsday stroking" off the ground and superior movement. if you are deadly off the ground and you can move better than anyone, you have domination at your finger tips.

Nole is a proven commodity. he has a slam and he has been at the top longer. in that regard, Murray has some work to do.

its close on hard courts. they are both superb on hard courts with Murray taking the last 2 matches. we will see how it goes on grass.

on clay, i would have to go with Djokovic. he has better results.

[sid]

Djokovic i would say is better on Clay over Murray ATM,Grass Murray better than Djokovic.Now where we are talking Hardcourt its very close & i would not say 100%.For me there the to best on this surface ATM.I just wonder what we would be saying now if Murray never had that bad wrist.I sure think he would have a lot more ranking points than now.Nadal has a lot to prove in 2009 & we will see on his no1 spot.I think Nadal will lose his no1 spot in 2010 but hold it in 2009,with both Murray & Djokovic closing points in rankings.Roger could have a good run but i feel more it will be Murray & Djokovic.

[Clay Death]

Djokovic i would say is better on Clay over Murray ATM,Grass Murray better than Djokovic.Now where we are talking Hardcourt its very close & i would not say 100%.For me there the to best on this surface ATM.I just wonder what we would be saying now if Murray never had that bad wrist.I sure think he would have a lot more ranking points than now.Nadal has a lot to prove in 2009 & we will see on his no1 spot.I think Nadal will lose his no1 spot in 2010 but hold it in 2009,with both Murray & Djokovic closing points in rankings.Roger could have a good run but i feel more it will be Murray & Djokovic.

clay monster has nothing to prove. he is an all time great already. he has proven the following in case you missed it:

1. he is #1
2. he has 5 slams by age 22 and he has 12 masters shields
3. he is an all time leader in the in the open era in terms of of having the highest winning percentage in the finals where it really counts.
4. he owns the greatest player in history.
5. he chased and hunted down the greatest in history and took his thron away from him.

all the while having a limited game and a ton of recurrent and concurrent injuries.

now top that.

**incidentally, there is more to come as in 5-6 more slams. 3 more French Opens and 2 more Wimbledon titles.

[Alex]

Djokovic i would say is better on Clay over Murray ATM,Grass Murray better than Djokovic.Now where we are talking Hardcourt its very close & i would not say 100%.For me there the to best on this surface ATM.I just wonder what we would be saying now if Murray never had that bad wrist.I sure think he would have a lot more ranking points than now.Nadal has a lot to prove in 2009 & we will see on his no1 spot.I think Nadal will lose his no1 spot in 2010 but hold it in 2009,with both Murray & Djokovic closing points in rankings.Roger could have a good run but i feel more it will be Murray & Djokovic.

Why is Murray better than Djokovic on grass, excuse me?  . Djokovic reached the SF of Wimbledon in 2007 and lost to Nadal by retirement (Novak won the first set in that match, a nice accomplishment against Rafa). Murray reached the QF this year when Novak completely lost his form. Murray lost to Nadal in 3 sets, he was clueless in that match. Murray wasn't injured this year, so please don't use that excuse. Gasquet is better on grass than Murray, it's just too bad that poor Richie chocked and lost that match. Djokovic reached the final in Queens this year and lost a very tight match to Nadal.

We'll see who's better on grass next year. As much as I actually like Murray I'm tired of this "big 4" BS. We'll talk about big 4 when Murray wins a GS. MURRAY IS NOT BETTER THAN NOVAK ON GRASS. DJOKOVIC IS BETTER THAN MURRAY ON HC AND CLAY (if you don't believe me look at their points and past performances)  . OK, now I feel better, sorry Sid. 

so here we go, Nadal
and Federer
and Djokovic
............
..............
...............
............

Murray 

[kittens25]

I can already tell by this thread that this is going to be an interesting season, perhaps just as interesting on T4 forum then on the courts.   

[Alex]

I can already tell by this thread that this is going to be an interesting season, perhaps just as interesting on T4 forum then on the courts.   

Let's hope so. Uhm, I think Sid doesn't like me any more ?
 

[kittens25]

I can already tell by this thread that this is going to be an interesting season, perhaps just as interesting on T4 forum then on the courts.   

Let's hope so. Uhm, I think Sid doesn't like me any more ?
 

Awww, you two need to make up.       I dont like Emma anymore so I cant wait to terrorize her once the new tennis season starts.   

[huntingyou]

Djokovic i would say is better on Clay over Murray ATM,Grass Murray better than Djokovic.Now where we are talking Hardcourt its very close & i would not say 100%.For me there the to best on this surface ATM.I just wonder what we would be saying now if Murray never had that bad wrist.I sure think he would have a lot more ranking points than now.Nadal has a lot to prove in 2009 & we will see on his no1 spot.I think Nadal will lose his no1 spot in 2010 but hold it in 2009,with both Murray & Djokovic closing points in rankings.Roger could have a good run but i feel more it will be Murray & Djokovic.

Why is Murray better than Djokovic on grass, excuse me?  . Djokovic reached the SF of Wimbledon in 2007 and lost to Nadal by retirement (Novak won the first set in that match, a nice accomplishment against Rafa). Murray reached the QF this year when Novak completely lost his form. Murray lost to Nadal in 3 sets, he was clueless in that match. Murray wasn't injured this year, so please don't use that excuse. Gasquet is better on grass than Murray, it's just too bad that poor Richie chocked and lost that match. Djokovic reached the final in Queens this year and lost a very tight match to Nadal.

We'll see who's better on grass next year. As much as I actually like Murray I'm tired of this "big 4" BS. We'll talk about big 4 when Murray wins a GS. MURRAY IS NOT BETTER THAN NOVAK ON GRASS. DJOKOVIC IS BETTER THAN MURRAY ON HC AND CLAY (if you don't believe me look at their points and past performances)  . OK, now I feel better, sorry Sid. 

so here we go, Nadal
and Federer
and Djokovic
............
..............
...............
............

Murray 

Is quite clear really.........is a disrespect to Novak to say Murray is superior to him when one is a GS champion, TMC champion and holder of 4 MS shields vs What?

On grass, Novak had a slip...call it a bad day at the office, I'm pretty sure Nadal victories took a mental toll on him........ but he learned which he admitted and now he worries about improving his game instead of the ranking.

I like Murray's game but it piss me off a little that people talk like he is in the same league wit Novak, let alone Rafa!

[falcon]

Djokovic i would say is better on Clay over Murray ATM,Grass Murray better than Djokovic.Now where we are talking Hardcourt its very close & i would not say 100%.For me there the to best on this surface ATM.I just wonder what we would be saying now if Murray never had that bad wrist.I sure think he would have a lot more ranking points than now.Nadal has a lot to prove in 2009 & we will see on his no1 spot.I think Nadal will lose his no1 spot in 2010 but hold it in 2009,with both Murray & Djokovic closing points in rankings.Roger could have a good run but i feel more it will be Murray & Djokovic.

Why is Murray better than Djokovic on grass, excuse me?  . Djokovic reached the SF of Wimbledon in 2007 and lost to Nadal by retirement (Novak won the first set in that match, a nice accomplishment against Rafa). Murray reached the QF this year when Novak completely lost his form. Murray lost to Nadal in 3 sets, he was clueless in that match. Murray wasn't injured this year, so please don't use that excuse. Gasquet is better on grass than Murray, it's just too bad that poor Richie chocked and lost that match. Djokovic reached the final in Queens this year and lost a very tight match to Nadal.

We'll see who's better on grass next year. As much as I actually like Murray I'm tired of this "big 4" BS. We'll talk about big 4 when Murray wins a GS. MURRAY IS NOT BETTER THAN NOVAK ON GRASS. DJOKOVIC IS BETTER THAN MURRAY ON HC AND CLAY (if you don't believe me look at their points and past performances)  . OK, now I feel better, sorry Sid. 

so here we go, Nadal
and Federer
and Djokovic
............
..............
...............
............

Murray 

Is quite clear really.........is a disrespect to Novak to say Murray is superior to him when one is a GS champion, TMC champion and holder of 4 MS shields vs What?

On grass, Novak had a slip...call it a bad day at the office, I'm pretty sure Nadal victories took a mental toll on him........ but he learned which he admitted and now he worries about improving his game instead of the ranking.

I like Murray's game but it piss me off a little that people talk like he is in the same league wit Novak, let alone Rafa!

I think I have to agree....Murray still has to step it up...

[kittens25]

So this forum has long had a Federer-Nadal feud, it has recently added a Federer-Djokovic feud, now it looks like a Djokovic-Murray feud is on the horizon.   

[falcon]

So this forum has long had a Federer-Nadal feud, it has recently added a Federer-Djokovic feud, now it looks like a Djokovic-Murray feud is on the horizon.   

Fed seems to be the centre of all discussions  Anyway after a couple of years though everyone's gonna talk abt Rafa-Murray....Rafa Nole matches and stuff...

[Emma]

I can already tell by this thread that this is going to be an interesting season, perhaps just as interesting on T4 forum then on the courts.   

Let's hope so. Uhm, I think Sid doesn't like me any more ?
 

Awww, you two need to make up.       I dont like Emma anymore so I cant wait to terrorize her once the new tennis season starts.   

And how are we going to achieve this lovely miracle? In any case, the feeling is quite mutual, my love. I say bring it on. Just know though if you upset me too much, there will be hell to pay.

[Emma]

I think the front-runners will be Nole, Murray and Federer and in that order as well. If the real Nole shows up at the AO, then there's no stopping. His game is more complete than Murray. I know Nole never defended anything before but as you said herc, there's always a first time for everything. And after the long break, he really should be up for it. It was a treat to watch him this Sunday. He was so incredibly on and his game was so smooth. I still can't get over. Davydenko looked plain and simple against Nole. I think Nole's biggest problem is, he can't stay focused for long. His mind tends to wander. Also, he lacks desire to win a lot too. That's why I worry about him a lot. Well, it all remains to be seen.

I don't necessarily see all top four players making the semis at the AO. As usual, there will be a dark horse. Hard to say who though.

Nole`s game is not "more complete" than Murray`s game. Nole is just more deadly off the ground. they are both tremendous movers.

Murray has even more variety than Fed.

Nole is more mature at this point if you have problems with the word "complete". But eventually Murray will get there too and is more than likely to win at least one slam next year.

Also, Murray beating Nole in the last two meetings isn't a reflection as to who is better. Because as I see it, the only person who can beat Nole is Nole himself. I like both Rafa and Andy very much, but if they are to play Nole, I am quite sure I can't pull any other way but for Nole and Nole only. He's simply lovely to watch. Never a dull moment .... unlike Simon.