Tennis: Australian Open 2017

[rangerssharks414]

With Kyrgios and Cilic out, it's looking good for Wawrinka to make the semis.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

With Kyrgios and Cilic out, it's looking good for Wawrinka to make the semis.

If Sock gets past Tsonga, I think he could take him out.

The way Sock's playing lately, he's a top 10 player in this event. He completely dismantled Khachanov who's pretty good. Next match is against Tsonga.

 

[MsMeow]

This Cibulkova match is excellent!

 

[kihei]

Milos breaks early at love with real authority (4 winners) against Muller, 3-1...4-1 in eleven minutes....just about a flawless set from Raonic (13/3 winner/unforced error ratio).

2nd set: Milos less sharp initially and Muller hangs in there longer, but the end result is the same, a straightforward 6-4 set for Raonic. The descriptor that leaps to mind for Muller is "lumbering." Not a great adjective for a tennis player.

3rd set: Raonic saves a set point on route to a tiebreaker which he wins without much fuss. His camp will be very pleased with this match. He played very consistently, hit a lot of winners, including some key backhand down the line ones, and never looked seriously threatened, except for the set point in the third set. He still runs around his backhand too much and he only ventured to the net 18 times in total, but all in all he looked the part of a serious contender. Keeping in mind that he was playing someone with the lateral movement of a beached sea turtle, it nonetheless seems churlish to take anything away from Milos' fine performance.

 

[rangerssharks414]

Djokovic is down a break in the first set.

 

[Novak Djokovic]

30-0 to broken, Istomin up 4-3 in first against Novak. What a crappy game.

 

[Novak Djokovic]

Istomin is on a whole another level. He takes the first set in tiebreak, as he saved three break points with three aces in the set. His serve is on fire. Let's see if this lasts. Novak hasn't been great, but not bad either. Should have capitalized on the set point Novak had on his serve.

 

[Know Your Enemy]

Party in Uzbekistan

 

[Filppula]

Party in Uzbekistan

There will be in a few hours unless Djokovic wakes up.

As I said, I have no expectations for him anymore. He's not the same player. He's mentally cooked. And physically it looks too, because he's incapable of producing any power.

 

[Loosie]

SP for Muller, but into the net it goes. Deuce.

 

[Loosie]

3rd set goes to a tie-break.

 

[Loosie]

MB and a "yeah" from Raonic to start the TB. Great drop shot from Muller to setup the winner on the next shot to get the MB back, but then sends the next point long to give it right back to Raonic. Raonic showing some great footwork here.

 

[Novak Djokovic]

There will be in a few hours unless Djokovic wakes up.

As I said, I have no expectations for him anymore. He's not the same player. He's mentally cooked. And physically it looks too, because he's incapable of producing any power.

The serve just doesn't win him "free" points anymore.

 

[Loosie]

Good match from Raonic dispatch Muller relatively easy.

 

[Novak Djokovic]

Serving for second set now. Watch him **** it up. Well, well...He serves it out at love. Again, no reaction. We're tied at 1 set each.

Saves two set points, and breaks, through clutch serving and great hitting. Reaction? Nothing.

I am depressed watching the "new" Djokovic.

Yeah, something (or everything) is off.

 

[Filppula]

The serve just doesn't win him "free" points anymore.

Saves two set points, and breaks, through clutch serving and great hitting. Reaction? Nothing.

I am depressed watching the "new" Djokovic.

 

[Novak Djokovic]

LOL, they put Andy on Hisense arena tomorrow. Yikes. Not even Margaret... wtf.

 

[Belial]

Go Milos!

 

[Filppula]

LOL, they put Andy on Hisense arena tomorrow. Yikes. Not even Margaret... wtf.

It's weird though. MCA is the official #2 venue, but ever since they've made it a ticketed venue and allowed the ground pass holders access to Hisense, Hisense has unofficially taken over as #2. MCA is a superior venue now, yet you get 3 matches vs 4 on Hisense (for days 1-4), yet anyone can access Hisense and you're paying decent coin for MCA.

 

[Filppula]

It's so sad as a massive Djokovic fan, my favourite sportsman in the world, to see him like this. One of the main things I loved about him was his fire, his passion, his outbursts of emotion. Now he gives you nothing. Makes me so sad.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

Nole, get your **** together you clown.

Sick passing shot though just now.

 

[Filppula]

Novak is truly terrible. Like actually terrible. Hopefully this is his Simon match from last year, because right now he is awful and it's looking like a 5th set. A 5th set against Istomin in the second round. Starting to wish he never won the French Open if I knew this is what would happen. He doesn't even seem to want it anymore. I wonder if Becker was still hungry and wanted Novak to fire up a bit more, and Noavk being this new spiritual being said I don't need that influence anymore. Whatever happened, it's just real tough to take.

Maybe he needs an early exit at his best slam to really determine if he wants to even keep playing. Because I sure as heck don't want to watch this shell of a man producing such dire tennis.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

I think "terrible" is a little hyperbolic, but the focus and passion does seem to be wavering.

 

[Filppula]

I think "terrible" is a little hyperbolic, but the focus and passion does seem to be wavering.

Where's his power gone? Can he even hit winners anymore? Look at that awful BH error at 15-15, from just a rally ball. Followed up by a drop shot to which he doesn't bother moving forward to.

His heads not in the game anymore. I hate Murray but look how ridiculously hungry he is. Novak doesn't have half of that hunger.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

Where's his power gone? Can he even hit winners anymore? Look at that awful BH error at 15-15, from just a rally ball. Followed up by a drop shot to which he doesn't bother moving forward to.

His heads not in the game anymore. I hate Murray but look how ridiculously hungry he is. Novak doesn't have half of that hunger.

Novak looks like he's sleepwalking at the moment. His talent hasn't evaporated, it's definitely all mental and that's easy to see from his mannerisms at the moment.

Think that he'll get through this match and get it together, still.