Tennis Forever

[raagadevan]

I can knock off Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, says Roger Federer

http://sports.ndtv.com/australian-op...-roger-federer


Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer ring in big guns for help

http://sports.ndtv.com/australian-op...-guns-for-help


Rafael Nadal to test Novak Djokovic, star coaches at Australian Open

http://sports.ndtv.com/australian-op...ustralian-open

[venkkiram]

I can knock off Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, says Roger Federer

http://sports.ndtv.com/australian-op...-roger-federer

கேட்கவே பாவமா இருக்கு! அய்யா! நடத்தி காட்டிட்டு பேசுங்கய்யா!

[JamesDap]

கேட்கவே பாவமா இருக்கு! அய்யா! நடத்தி காட்டிட்டு பேசுங்கய்யா!

Ditto.

[omega]

Q. Most pundits have talked up Novak and Rafa's chances at the Australian Open. Is there still belief in you and other members of the top 10 that you can knock Novak and Rafa off their perches?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I think it's normal that they are considered, you know, the one and two favorites for the tournament. Of course, we do believe we can knock them off, yes.


=====================================

I don't see anything wrong in it.....

[ajithfederer]

Brand new year More whining as usual from you know who. I told you so guys last week that a roundd of complaining is due.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/a...3548--ten.html

Australian Open - Nadal fumes at changed Australian Open courts
Spain's Rafa Nadal is furious at the new courts installed at the Australian Open.

The world number one, who opens his tournament with a very tough match against local hope Bernard Tomic, is not happy that the resurfaced hardcourts are faster than previous years.

"The conditions of play are very different from the ones I remembered in this tournament. Many things have changed," he said.

"I think that the court is faster and so is the ball. So it makes a of it a different tournament for me. I didn't remember it like that. It's a little bit a pity for me.

"In the first round, I will play against a home favourite [Tomic], who is a great tennis player. And what's more, he is in great shape because he reached the final in Sydney.

"So it's tricky to think beyond this match. I will try to give my best in this first match and if I get through this opening match, I will try to improve my play day after day."

Nadal also disagreed that Novak Djokovic is his chief rival for the coming season.

"A very important player like Murray comes back to the circuit. Del Potro finished very well last year and he started very well this one by playing the final in Sydney. [And] Federer found good again tennis last year so he will try to start again with energy.

"Afterwards, we'll see how players like Tomic, Dimitrov, Raonic, Janowicz are developing themselves. They should go on better this year.

"There are also the players who are always there: Berdych, Tsonga, Wawrinka, Monfils, David Ferrer. In the end, you never know what could happen with all these players and you have to keep a look on them to get an idea of what rank you will finish the year at.

"At the beginning of the year, I respect everybody, I put all these players on the same level. Then, at mid-season, we will have abetter idea of who could be the most dangerous rivals."

[ajithfederer]

Brisbane was fast. This is medium quips Roger. He also says that you can still play from baseline and do long rallies as French Open(well, that last bit about FO i added)

Nadal's assessment was not shared by Federer, who played on Rod Laver Arena in an exhibition match last Wednesday night and considered the court slower than Brisbane last week, where he began his Open lead-in for the first time.

''I think … we'll see long rallies,'' Federer said. ''We're not talking about a lightning-speed court. In Brisbane, it was fast but it wasn't lightning either. This is like medium, if that.

''I don't know what the big problem is. You really can still play from the baseline, no problem. You can stay back, return from the back. You can do all that stuff if you want to. It's not like it's impossible.''

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/r...#ixzz2qGMBhLPP

That Brisbane court was pretty fast. Saw some balls shooting through at about ankle height. Haven't seen much of that on hard courts since the 90s. Expect Nadal to REALLY have a word with the Aus Open tournament director to make sure that surface is nothing like Brisbane.

[ajithfederer]

“You can speed up the balls as much as you want, they’re going to be so fuzzed up after two games that it’s just going to be hard to hit winners and service winners,” he said. “If that’s what people want to see, just rallies, rallies, rallies all the time, then it’s good to have a slow court. If you want a bit more even ground for everybody, even the lower-ranked guys and more danger for the top guys, you go with a faster court. Maybe we’ll get more serve-and-volley back into the game or more of the unknown, which I think is nice.”


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/13/sp...ed13.html?_r=0

[omega]

Nadal camp must be seriously trolling out there..........
Melbourne show courts if anything looks slow & bouncier as ever since the plexi has been laid.
Typical Nadal camp trying to give false hopes as if he is going to struggle out there....
Seems to be tailor made conditions for Nadal to get the double career GrandSlam...

[raagadevan]

Roger Federer beats 133rd ranked James Duckworth 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in the first round.

[raagadevan]

Bernard Tomic retires after the first set (4-6) due to an injury, allowing Rafa Nadal to enter round #2. Roger Federer was right; it looks like the the Rod Laver Arena court is "slower than Brisbane last week". Don't know why the Nadal camp is complaining!