The Tennis Thread - Part 2

[Nightwing 52]

Second set to Fed after the tie-break but this was a REALLY good set for Tomic.

 

[Nightwing 52]

I can't believe my eyes are failing me right now but I think I'm gonna turn in...Very pleased about what I saw from Tomic and that second set was grand on his part. Toe to toe with the best ever. He may not be on the winning end but the match has lived up to it's hype. The errors are pouring in for Bernie in the third but this is definitely a different Tomic we're seeing.

It's starting to look like he'll lose in straight sets unless an incredibly LARGE miracle happens, haha. But regardless he should be very proud. (THIS is how you take it to a Grand Slam champ Mr. Harrison ) All Tomic can do is continue to build and I think he's going to have a great year. He's shown he has "it" now it's all about taking another step.

I think Tomic will walk away from this match remembering the numbers 4-1.

Raonic next for Fed!

 

[Nightwing 52]

Welp, looks like Nishikori won't be pulling off the upset. First set to Ferrer and Kei looks to have a wrist issue.

Edit: And his knee.

 

[Nightwing 52]

Too bad for Tipsy but he's had tough matches - it's no surprise his tank looked to be running on empty. But for Almagro I really REALLY hope he makes the most of this opportunity. His head to head against Ferrer isn't great but I'd like to see him in the semis. He looked awesome against Novak at Abu Dhabi AND took a set off him. So please Nico, make it different this time.

 

[Nightwing 52]

Tremendous effort from Anderson to try and force a fourth set but Berdych too strong in the end. Anderson hit a lot of great shots though...Hoping for a Djokovic/Almagro semi final if they can win their quarters. Think Novak will win against Stan in their match.

 

[Nightwing 52]

Holy ****.

 

[Sakuraba]

I woke up and couldn't sleep so I turned on the TV and I see 6-1 first set Wawrinka?

He appears to be serving very well and I guess Djokovic has got footing issues again.

There's about no chance Wawrinka holds up, but lets see

 

[Sakuraba]

Stan is hitting huge off his forehand side. He's not really letting loose with his backhand which might be the thuddingest on tour. He's got to keep going for it and stay out of rallies

 

[Sakuraba]

Absolutely MONSTROUS backhand down the line to break Djokovic. That was an amazing shot. Returning well off the backhand side too.

Wawrinka is playing out of his mind right now.

 

[Sakuraba]

Wawrinka's footwork getting choppier, balls finding the net now

 

[Sakuraba]

Wawrinka holds for 5-2

 

[Sakuraba]

A little over an hour into this match and Wawrinka is serving for a two set lead.

And the first point he has to hit like three winners to get one because of Djokovic's dogged defense

From 30-0 to being broken. Terrible, tight game from Stan!

 

[Sakuraba]

With Stan's first serve gone, it's turned into a typical Djokovic grindfest. Every rally is 15+ strokes now

 

[Sakuraba]

Well this match is over. Djokovic is defending his arse off and Wawrinka is raining errors.

 

[Sakuraba]

Djokovic's defense is unreal. But he's rarely in control of a point and we wait for Wawrinka to dump a ball in net or overcook his shots. He screams out as Wawrinka sends a forehand long for the break. I've never liked guys celebrating when an opponent makes an unforced error. I get it that he defended the court well, but don't scream out off an unforced error. That's tacky.

Wawrinka breaks back. And he pumps his fist at his box on Djokov's error on break point.

 

[Sakuraba]

I wonder if, as the night lingers and the court cools down, how much that is effecting Wawrinka. Djokovic is getting to some balls that he wasnt before as Wawrinka balls aren't moving through the court as earlier.

Federer mentioned that the courts were playing faster than last year so that may account for much of Wawrinka's success in this match.

 

[AnneFan]

Watching Novak vs Wawrinka at the moment. What an incredible match. Wawrinka just tied it up at two sets all, moving into a fifth.

 

[Hamill-Joker]

Incredible match. Rooting for Wawrinka.

 

[Sakuraba]

Well I'm back awake so that's probably bad news for Wawrinka.

Can't believe he's had the conditioning and resolve to be hanging in rallies with Djokovic for four and a half hours.

 

[Sakuraba]

Djokovic's shirt is hideous. As are his mismatched wristbands. Uniqlo hasn't put him in one decent outfit.

But serving and a few loose points from the Djoker and it's 7-7 in the fifth

 

[Sakuraba]

Djokovic holds with some clutch serves. And we get a recap of last year's six hour final which is so overblown because it really wasnt a great looking match. It had great drama in the fifth set, but the six hour figure is super inflated by the stalling and resting of those two players between points.

 

[Sakuraba]

8-8. These guys haven't really fallen into a pattern because they're both making hella effort to break each other, they're both just serving peas at the moment.

 

[Sakuraba]

9-9 Wawrinka appears to be the fresher man. Djokovic going for more second serves and he's taken to guessing on some of Wawrinka's serves. Of course, appearances can be deceiving. How many times has Djokovic looked dead only to come back and win?

 

[Sakuraba]

0-30 look for Wawrinka...

 

[Sakuraba]

11-10, deuce on Wawrinka's serve...