Topic: ATP - 2008 AO Thread

[kittens25]

Santoro is not that tough an opponent for Federer.   If he were he would be winning sets, once in awhile some close sets does not constitute a tough opponent.   I have seen their matches and Federer is firmly in control the whole way.   

Berdych is not ranked much higher then Moya at all, Berdych is #14 and Moya #18, there is a mere 100 points, the equivalent of the difference between a 4th round and quarterfinal at one grand slam, or between a semifinal and quarterfinal at one Masters event, difference between them only.   Moya is a big event player, he is most dangerous in a big match even at this stage in his career, Berdych shines in smaller tournaments to get his ranking, he is a big time woose in a big event especialy vs a top player.   Mathieu also seems to up his game and shine vs a top player quite often.    Yes I do think Moya or even Mathieu are tougher to play for a top player in a grand slam then the big event wimp Berdych.    Federer wont be sweating over the prospect of the overrated Berdych, I can gaurantee you that much.

Isner is overrated.  His results since the summer have tailed off.  I dont think he would even do nearly as well vs Federer if they play as he did at the U.S Open.    He wouldnt sneak out a set or hold serve for a full set, that is for sure.   Young is a more solid player overall with more potential.  If you get Isner's serve back he looks like a college player.   

isner has been doing poorly at some challenger events. he was not able to win a ncaa singles title as most know. great kid and a great attitude but he really has trouble with such a high center of gravity. karlovic seems to handle his height a little better and he also has a much more menacing serve. based on last year`s stats, he hold his serve 94% of the time which is the best in history.

I agree.   That is what I meant when I said Isner hasnt done very well since the U.S Open.  People were naturally impressed with summer results, his amazing tournament in Washington, then his strong showing at the U.S Open, including the set off Fed.   Since then he has come down to earth.    His serve is outstanding of course, but it was even more effective back then since people were seeing it for the first time, now that it has been seen more people will have adjusted somewhat and will likely return it better.   As great as his serve is, I dont think it compares to Karlovic's now that the "newness" factor has worn off.    I agree with you Karlovic seems able to handle his height more, he seems more balanced and less clumsy out there when you compare the two.    So realistically I cant see him even doing as well as Karlovic on tour without alot of improvement.
Of course lots of time for that, but for now if he plays Federer it will be an easier match then the U.S Open I expect, which wasnt even that tough a match.

[Clay Death]

Santoro is not that tough an opponent for Federer.   If he were he would be winning sets, once in awhile some close sets does not constitute a tough opponent.   I have seen their matches and Federer is firmly in control the whole way.   

Berdych is not ranked much higher then Moya at all, Berdych is #14 and Moya #18, there is a mere 100 points, the equivalent of the difference between a 4th round and quarterfinal at one grand slam, or between a semifinal and quarterfinal at one Masters event, difference between them only.   Moya is a big event player, he is most dangerous in a big match even at this stage in his career, Berdych shines in smaller tournaments to get his ranking, he is a big time woose in a big event especialy vs a top player.   Mathieu also seems to up his game and shine vs a top player quite often.    Yes I do think Moya or even Mathieu are tougher to play for a top player in a grand slam then the big event wimp Berdych.    Federer wont be sweating over the prospect of the overrated Berdych, I can gaurantee you that much.

Isner is overrated.  His results since the summer have tailed off.  I dont think he would even do nearly as well vs Federer if they play as he did at the U.S Open.    He wouldnt sneak out a set or hold serve for a full set, that is for sure.   Young is a more solid player overall with more potential.  If you get Isner's serve back he looks like a college player.   

isner has been doing poorly at some challenger events. he was not able to win a ncaa singles title as most know. great kid and a great attitude but he really has trouble with such a high center of gravity. karlovic seems to handle his height a little better and he also has a much more menacing serve. based on last year`s stats, he hold his serve 94% of the time which is the best in history.

I agree.   That is what I meant when I said Isner hasnt done very well since the U.S Open.  People were naturally impressed with summer results, his amazing tournament in Washington, then his strong showing at the U.S Open, including the set off Fed.   Since then he has come down to earth.    His serve is outstanding of course, but it was even more effective back then since people were seeing it for the first time, now that it has been seen more people will have adjusted somewhat and will likely return it better.   As great as his serve is, I dont think it compares to Karlovic's now that the "newness" factor has worn off.    I agree with you Karlovic seems able to handle his height more, he seems more balanced and less clumsy out there when you compare the two.    So realistically I cant see him even doing as well as Karlovic on tour without alot of improvement.
Of course lots of time for that, but for now if he plays Federer it will be an easier match then the U.S Open I expect, which wasnt even that tough a match.

and that u.s. open surface is lightening fast. the fastest of any of the slams. isner served well for about a set or 2 before fed figured out how to get it back and get into a point.

same with lopez in a later round. after a while, lopez was rendered completely useless.

[kittens25]

Santoro is not that tough an opponent for Federer.   If he were he would be winning sets, once in awhile some close sets does not constitute a tough opponent.   I have seen their matches and Federer is firmly in control the whole way.   

Berdych is not ranked much higher then Moya at all, Berdych is #14 and Moya #18, there is a mere 100 points, the equivalent of the difference between a 4th round and quarterfinal at one grand slam, or between a semifinal and quarterfinal at one Masters event, difference between them only.   Moya is a big event player, he is most dangerous in a big match even at this stage in his career, Berdych shines in smaller tournaments to get his ranking, he is a big time woose in a big event especialy vs a top player.   Mathieu also seems to up his game and shine vs a top player quite often.    Yes I do think Moya or even Mathieu are tougher to play for a top player in a grand slam then the big event wimp Berdych.    Federer wont be sweating over the prospect of the overrated Berdych, I can gaurantee you that much.

Isner is overrated.  His results since the summer have tailed off.  I dont think he would even do nearly as well vs Federer if they play as he did at the U.S Open.    He wouldnt sneak out a set or hold serve for a full set, that is for sure.   Young is a more solid player overall with more potential.  If you get Isner's serve back he looks like a college player.   

isner has been doing poorly at some challenger events. he was not able to win a ncaa singles title as most know. great kid and a great attitude but he really has trouble with such a high center of gravity. karlovic seems to handle his height a little better and he also has a much more menacing serve. based on last year`s stats, he hold his serve 94% of the time which is the best in history.

I agree.   That is what I meant when I said Isner hasnt done very well since the U.S Open.  People were naturally impressed with summer results, his amazing tournament in Washington, then his strong showing at the U.S Open, including the set off Fed.   Since then he has come down to earth.    His serve is outstanding of course, but it was even more effective back then since people were seeing it for the first time, now that it has been seen more people will have adjusted somewhat and will likely return it better.   As great as his serve is, I dont think it compares to Karlovic's now that the "newness" factor has worn off.    I agree with you Karlovic seems able to handle his height more, he seems more balanced and less clumsy out there when you compare the two.    So realistically I cant see him even doing as well as Karlovic on tour without alot of improvement.
Of course lots of time for that, but for now if he plays Federer it will be an easier match then the U.S Open I expect, which wasnt even that tough a match.

and that u.s. open surface is lightening fast. the fastest of any of the slams. isner served well for about a set or 2 before fed figured out how to get back and get into a point.

same with lopez in a later round. after a while, lopez was rendered completely useless.

Definitely.    Fed figured it out before too long in both matches, and this surface, although there are debates on its speed, is almost certainly not U.S Open fast, so Isner wont be able to live off his serve quite as well.

[wilsonboy]

Santoro is not that tough an opponent for Federer.   If he were he would be winning sets, once in awhile some close sets does not constitute a tough opponent.   I have seen their matches and Federer is firmly in control the whole way.  

Berdych is not ranked much higher then Moya at all, Berdych is #14 and Moya #18, there is a mere 100 points, the equivalent of the difference between a 4th round and quarterfinal at one grand slam, or between a semifinal and quarterfinal at one Masters event, difference between them only.   Moya is a big event player, he is most dangerous in a big match even at this stage in his career, Berdych shines in smaller tournaments to get his ranking, he is a big time woose in a big event especialy vs a top player.   Mathieu also seems to up his game and shine vs a top player quite often.    Yes I do think Moya or even Mathieu are tougher to play for a top player in a grand slam then the big event wimp Berdych.    Federer wont be sweating over the prospect of the overrated Berdych, I can gaurantee you that much.

Isner is overrated.  His results since the summer have tailed off.  I dont think he would even do nearly as well vs Federer if they play as he did at the U.S Open.    He wouldnt sneak out a set or hold serve for a full set, that is for sure.   Young is a more solid player overall with more potential.  If you get Isner's serve back he looks like a college player.  

isner has been doing poorly at some challenger events. he was not able to win a ncaa singles title as most know. great kid and a great attitude but he really has trouble with such a high center of gravity. karlovic seems to handle his height a little better and he also has a much more menacing serve. based on last year`s stats, he hold his serve 94% of the time which is the best in history.

I agree.   That is what I meant when I said Isner hasnt done very well since the U.S Open.  People were naturally impressed with summer results, his amazing tournament in Washington, then his strong showing at the U.S Open, including the set off Fed.   Since then he has come down to earth.    His serve is outstanding of course, but it was even more effective back then since people were seeing it for the first time, now that it has been seen more people will have adjusted somewhat and will likely return it better.   As great as his serve is, I dont think it compares to Karlovic's now that the "newness" factor has worn off.    I agree with you Karlovic seems able to handle his height more, he seems more balanced and less clumsy out there when you compare the two.    So realistically I cant see him even doing as well as Karlovic on tour without alot of improvement.
Of course lots of time for that, but for now if he plays Federer it will be an easier match then the U.S Open I expect, which wasnt even that tough a match.

I believe that there is a major difference in their games (isner and karlovic) because of their approach to the pro circuit. I think it might have been a mistake for isner to have gone on the college route. Had he jumped into the pro's right away, or done juniors first, he woudn't have such a hard/slow time adjusting. He is just so used to blowing aces by all his opponents that he didn't have the time to properly develop a well-rounded game like karlovic did by starting higher level tennis younger. However, I think that with the right coaching and guidance, he can get there. It won't be easy though.

[swish]

Santoro is not that tough an opponent for Federer.   If he were he would be winning sets, once in awhile some close sets does not constitute a tough opponent.   I have seen their matches and Federer is firmly in control the whole way.  

Berdych is not ranked much higher then Moya at all, Berdych is #14 and Moya #18, there is a mere 100 points, the equivalent of the difference between a 4th round and quarterfinal at one grand slam, or between a semifinal and quarterfinal at one Masters event, difference between them only.   Moya is a big event player, he is most dangerous in a big match even at this stage in his career, Berdych shines in smaller tournaments to get his ranking, he is a big time woose in a big event especialy vs a top player.   Mathieu also seems to up his game and shine vs a top player quite often.    Yes I do think Moya or even Mathieu are tougher to play for a top player in a grand slam then the big event wimp Berdych.    Federer wont be sweating over the prospect of the overrated Berdych, I can gaurantee you that much.

Isner is overrated.  His results since the summer have tailed off.  I dont think he would even do nearly as well vs Federer if they play as he did at the U.S Open.    He wouldnt sneak out a set or hold serve for a full set, that is for sure.   Young is a more solid player overall with more potential.  If you get Isner's serve back he looks like a college player.  

isner has been doing poorly at some challenger events. he was not able to win a ncaa singles title as most know. great kid and a great attitude but he really has trouble with such a high center of gravity. karlovic seems to handle his height a little better and he also has a much more menacing serve. based on last year`s stats, he hold his serve 94% of the time which is the best in history.

I agree.   That is what I meant when I said Isner hasnt done very well since the U.S Open.  People were naturally impressed with summer results, his amazing tournament in Washington, then his strong showing at the U.S Open, including the set off Fed.   Since then he has come down to earth.    His serve is outstanding of course, but it was even more effective back then since people were seeing it for the first time, now that it has been seen more people will have adjusted somewhat and will likely return it better.   As great as his serve is, I dont think it compares to Karlovic's now that the "newness" factor has worn off.    I agree with you Karlovic seems able to handle his height more, he seems more balanced and less clumsy out there when you compare the two.    So realistically I cant see him even doing as well as Karlovic on tour without alot of improvement.
Of course lots of time for that, but for now if he plays Federer it will be an easier match then the U.S Open I expect, which wasnt even that tough a match.

I believe that there is a major difference in their games (isner and karlovic) because of their approach to the pro circuit. I think it might have been a mistake for isner to have gone on the college route. Had he jumped into the pro's right away, or done juniors first, he woudn't have such a hard/slow time adjusting. He is just so used to blowing aces by all his opponents that he didn't have the time to properly develop a well-rounded game like karlovic did by starting higher level tennis younger. However, I think that with the right coaching and guidance, he can get there. It won't be easy though.

Very good point and you're probably right.
How old is Isner, about 24 or so.
It'll take a lot of work at that age to improve his court game and with his size I don't know how easy it would have been a few years earlier even.
He can always improve his serve also by better placement and changing it up some so it's not too predictable.

[conchita]

Final Round, 16 Qualifiers:
1-Robin Haase NED (1)
2-Denis Gremelmayr GER (7)
3-Wayne Odesnik USA (11)
4-Viktor Troicki SRB (13)
5-Marcel Granollers-Pujol ESP (17)
6-Roko Karamusic CRO (19)
7-Amer Delic USA (20)
8-Konstantinos Economidis GRE (22)
9-Lukas Lacko SVK (27)
10-Lukas Dlouhy CZE (29)
11-Harel Levy ISR (30)
12-Sam Warburg USA
13-Rajeev Ram USA
14-Kevin Anderson RSA
15-Martin Slanar AUT
16-Jamie Baker GBR

[BGT]

Amer made it. He's my friend on myspace.

[barbadosan]

Hmm... does time suddenly seem to be dragging more slowly for anyone else since the draw was announced? Seems like days since it was announced and Monday's not here yet

[Clay Death]

Hmm... does time suddenly seem to be dragging more slowly for anyone else since the draw was announced? Seems like days since it was announced and Monday's not here yet

seems that way.

[pawan89]

Hmm... does time suddenly seem to be dragging more slowly for anyone else since the draw was announced? Seems like days since it was announced and Monday's not here yet

I agree. Somewhat a drag it seems like. But make the most of the tension build up cuz once the AO starts its all going to be a hurricane and you won't even now how it happened but you'll be looking at TMC again and surprised that a whole year went by like *snap*

[Clay Death]

Hmm... does time suddenly seem to be dragging more slowly for anyone else since the draw was announced? Seems like days since it was announced and Monday's not here yet

I agree. Somewhat a drag it seems like. But make the most of the tension build up cuz once the AO starts its all going to be a hurricane and you won't even now how it happened but you'll be looking at TMC again and surprised that a whole year went by like *snap*

pawan i just noticed that you are at 3085 posts. impressive. you could be on my heels if i slack up.

[pawan89]

Hmm... does time suddenly seem to be dragging more slowly for anyone else since the draw was announced? Seems like days since it was announced and Monday's not here yet

I agree. Somewhat a drag it seems like. But make the most of the tension build up cuz once the AO starts its all going to be a hurricane and you won't even now how it happened but you'll be looking at TMC again and surprised that a whole year went by like *snap*

pawan i just noticed that you are at 3085 posts. impressive. you could be on my heels if i slack up.

not even close herc, not even close. You were saying you'd be off for a while with your biking, but i am going to be pretty much off through april and some of may with college, this is a big semester for me, toughest to date, and i need to step it up, i have been slacking so far and this is the semester for me to prove something, a little personal challenge, and i am afraid this is going to have to take a back seat. How i am going to do that, I don't even know, I am pretty much addicted to tennis and this place so I might still be here way too much but I am pretty sure the post rate's going to take a step down. Now.. untill the 22nd  you never know  , so don't slack off!

[kickserve]

Final Round, 16 Qualifiers:
1-Robin Haase NED (1)
2-Denis Gremelmayr GER (7)
3-Wayne Odesnik USA (11)
4-Viktor Troicki SRB (13)
5-Marcel Granollers-Pujol ESP (17)
6-Roko Karamusic CRO (19)
7-Amer Delic USA (20)
8-Konstantinos Economidis GRE (22)
9-Lukas Lacko SVK (27)
10-Lukas Dlouhy CZE (29)
11-Harel Levy ISR (30)
12-Sam Warburg USA
13-Rajeev Ram USA
14-Kevin Anderson RSA
15-Martin Slanar AUT
16-Jamie Baker GBR

  A Brit achiebed something. For 1 of our 6 qualifiers (men & women) to make it is OK 

[Federer's_footwork]

Hmm... does time suddenly seem to be dragging more slowly for anyone else since the draw was announced? Seems like days since it was announced and Monday's not here yet

I agree. Let's get the party started!

It's minus 2 outside... Someone should make the clock go quicker.

[TheBull]

Was checking out the schedule for Monday's play in AO site... !! Here is something interesting.. The qualifier whom nadal is gonna face is serbian Vikor Troicki.. ! Troicki actually won a match against Djokovic in 2007 on clay.. Heard that he is a big server too (Not sure abt that)...

The schedule right here => http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/scores/schedule/index.html

[swish]

I see Murray vs tsonga starts off the tournament for men. Tsonga is ranked #38, kind of high for a first match for Murray I thought.

[Tennis4you]

I think Murray will come through well, but Tsonga is not a guy to take lightly.  Certainly not the first round that you hope for in a slam.  He couldhave certainly have drawn an easier first round...

[Babblelot]

I've got...

Roddick past Nadal in the quarters
Andy v Andy in the semis
Nalbandian past Federer in the semis
Nalbandian over Roddick in the final

lol  This is going to be one of the best slams in years (...at least we can only hope to be so lucky)

I've also got Santoro beating Isner in 1R (but that's with my heart, not my head). But it's waaaay premature to say the tour has already seen enough of Isner's game/serve--only these 9 active players have faced him in an ATP event.

1   Becker, Benjamin (2x)
2   De Voest, Rik
3   Federer, Roger
4   Ferrer, David (2x)
5   Haas, Tommy
6   Monfils, Gael
7   Nieminen, Jarkko
8   Odesnik, Wayne
9   Roddick, Andy

I wouldn't read too much into his late season results, either. 2007 was his first year on tour. Every youngster new to the tour gets fatigued by year's end. He had quite a run during the summer and got his first taste of playing best-of-5 sets. I suspect he'll progress slowly like Karlovic.

[Chris1987]

Great to see a Brit, young Jamie Baker to come through the qualifying event and make the main draw  That'll help his development and his career progression enormously. Now all he's gotto do is get the better of the Karlovic serve and take the big man out!

[Dallas]

Seems like a lot of great matches on tap for Monday... (now if I can just get the time straight because their Monday is my Sunday, right?)

Anyway, any more word on Nalbandian's back?