2020 Australian Open QF: Rafael Nadal vs. Dominic Thiem

[atttomole]

I think this match really sets the stakes for both Federer and Djokovic in their match. I think Novak will get a big fight from Federer with the prospect of Nadal no longer being in the draw.

How will Roger be able to put up a fight when he is most likely injured or not fit?

 

[Nadalfan2013]

I didn’t watch the match as I was sleeping but I had a feeling that Thiem might win and posted this early in the thread. Hopefully he can now win the title because he’s the only one left in the draw who is a class act. It would also be great if Zverev wins simply because of him donating the prize money.

I have a bad feeling about this match. If Thiem manages to win then I hope he goes all the way and ends up with the trophy. But hopefully RAFA will win and my doubts will be silenced.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Rafa will have a few things to think about after this match
5-3 up in the first set?
4-2 up in the 2nd set,his FH let him down,that second set TB his FH again at 3-2 in the last TB
Crucial moments where he usually comes through.

I am not a fan of Theim he stayed in the moment and deserved his win.

 

[Jelenafan]

I said it before the season started; just because Rafa has * only* one Major to tie and two to surpass, the pressure on him is greater than ever. Every Major he has to be thinking about it, and that load of expectations isn't going away.

 

[Bonaca]

Rafa will have a few things to think about after this match
5-3 up in the first set?
4-2 up in the 2nd set,his FH let him down,that second set TB his FH again at 3-2 in the last TB
Crucial moments where he usually comes through.

I am not a fan of Theim he stayed in the moment and deserved his win.

That’s my opinion too.
I dislike this ****, but he played well very well. The other truth is Nadal played a good part under his limit, whole tournament. Austria took his chance. He played also well in Paris and NY, but we saw what happens when Bull is playing near his best.

 

[rafanoy1992]

I said it before the season started; just because Rafa has * only* one Major to tie and two to surpass, the pressure on him is greater than ever. Every Major he has to be thinking about it, and that load of expectations isn't going away.

I doubt that’s the main reason he lost the match. Also, regarding about the pressure of tying or surpassing Federer, I don’t think he truly thinks about it. He will try his best to win a match at a time and not to surpass Federer. If anything he tries too much on winning a match that he lets himself vulnerable.

 

[Front242]

wow. That's some nerve to challenge on MP

He did it against Federer in the AO 2017 final and IW or Miami 2017. I can't lose to Roger, no? Federer stupidly didn't challenge a ball on MP that was out in Cinci 2013 also. Some clown.

 

[Front242]

He's called the K.O.C. for a reason. As he fails to win the other slams and the field catches up to him, he'll see RG as his last chance at winning majors. I think he will try his best to guard that court w/ his life.

Unfortunate but the K.O.C. sounds more appropriate for Ron Jeremy.

 

[Federberg]

But to be honest: Thiem is peaking right now, as he was at FO last year. Nadal wasn’t at his best today so wasn’t Novak in Paris under the special conditions. Thiem won but that were hard fights, and le loses both times against Nadal in Paris.
So what would be the result if Nadal played near his best? Would US Open Nadal let this result from today happen?
My answer is no!

I'm not sure what this means. Rafa wasn't allowed to play his best. That was all Thiem. This isn't some schmo we're talking about

 

[Jelenafan]

I'm not sure what this means. Rafa wasn't allowed to play his best. That was all Thiem. This isn't some schmo we're talking about

TBH, both players stumbled here and there, the ebb and flow of a tight match with high stakes.

I like Theim a lot, so if Rafa had to lose to someone....

Theim gets to his first HC Major SF, exciting for him.

 

[Bonaca]

I'm not sure what this means. Rafa wasn't allowed to play his best. That was all Thiem. This isn't some schmo we're talking about

Was this Nadal near his best? You think it’s all about the Austrian?
Whole tournament he isn’t playing that good, he couldn’t raise his level, don’t know why.
But even without his best he showed once more why it is so fucking difficult to beat him, for 99% of all players.
Nobody said he is nobody, he earned this win.

 

[Nadalfan2013]

These things are just a matter of balance. Despite some success against Nadal in regular tournaments, Thiem was 0-5 in slams vs Nadal, it was only logical that he finally gets a win. It’s the law of averages.

Now hopefully we will get a new slam champion with either Thiem or Zverev lifting the trophy.

 

[atttomole]

That’s my opinion too.
I dislike this ****, but he played well very well. The other truth is Nadal played a good part under his limit, whole tournament. Austria took his chance. He played also well in Paris and NY, but we saw what happens when Bull is playing near his best.

Are you suggesting that Nadal lost because he didn’t play his best? On clay I would agree, but the match they played at the US Open in 2018 was very close. I don’t like the Austrian that much either, but I think on hard courts he can hold his own against Nadal.

 

[Jelenafan]

Are suggesting Nadal lost because he didn’t play his best? On clay I would agree, but the match they played at the US Open in 2018 was very close.

I don’t think Rafa played exceptionally well in the USO, but a close match went his way. This time it didn’t. Theim deserves all the credit, but Rafa had a set point at 5-3 on serve in the 1st set, had a 4-2 lead in the 2nd set, and had a lead I believe in the 4th set. So this wasn’t a blowout or a match where Rafa didn’t have his chances. On the flip side, Theim had his chances in that 2018 match.

It doesn’t matter to me that a player is at his “best”, you play the match you have and the point is to win, ugly or not. From Rafa’s standpoint he stayed toe to toe with a young gun and has no regrets.

 

[Bonaca]

What would you think if someone isn’t playing near his best and lose this close?
A bit higher level/consistency/ better FH use and mentally stronger. He also looked not that fresh to me.
so yes I think Nadal would won this one when playing near his best.

he is definitely the better and hugely smarter player!

 

[Bonaca]

I don’t think Rafa played exceptionally well in the USO, but a close match went his way. This time it didn’t. Theim deserves all the credit, but Rafa had a set point at 5-3 on serve in the 1st set, had a 4-2 lead in the 2nd set, and had a lead I believe in the 4th set. So this wasn’t a blowout or a match where Rafa didn’t have his chances. On the flip side, Theim had his chances in that 2018 match.

It doesn’t matter to me that a player is at his “best”, you play the match you have and the point is to win, ugly or not. From Rafa’s standpoint he stayed toe to toe with a young gun and has no regrets.

there is always more than one point of view. Ours are different. Didn’t not mean I’m right and you not, vice versa.

 

[Jelenafan]

there is always more than one point of view. Ours are different. Didn’t not mean I’m right and you not, vice versa.

Agreed.

We’re both stating our POV’s , all good.

 

[atttomole]

I don’t think Rafa played exceptionally well in the USO, but a close match went his way. This time it didn’t. Theim deserves all the credit, but Rafa had a set point at 5-3 on serve in the 1st set, had a 4-2 lead in the 2nd set, and had a lead I believe in the 4th set. So this wasn’t a blowout or a match where Rafa didn’t have his chances. On the flip side, Theim had his chances in that 2018 match.

It doesn’t matter to me that a player is at his “best”, you play the match you have and the point is to win, ugly or not. From Rafa’s standpoint he stayed toe to toe with a young gun and has no regrets.

I never said it was a blowout. It was clearly a very close match.

 

[Fiero425]

I never said it was a blowout. It was clearly a very close match.

It probably shouldn't have been a close match but for Medvedev's starting slow, then allowing Rafa to run him to death due to playing so deep! Those drop-shots had to be exhausting to Daniil, but it's on him if he's hanging out by the "back stop!" Rafa does it too; hence the drop-shot success of Nick Kyrgios just days before!

 

[Federberg]

What would you think if someone isn’t playing near his best and lose this close?
A bit higher level/consistency/ better FH use and mentally stronger. He also looked not that fresh to me.
so yes I think Nadal would won this one when playing near his best.

he is definitely the better and hugely smarter player!

I think there's this fundamental misunderstanding about sports. Sportsmen aren't playstation characters that can optimise their levels at will. Particularly in a sport like tennis which is Mano a Mano. One player normally tends to win by finding a way to make the other uncomfortable. At the highest level if both players were able to play at their very best they would be flinging winners all over the place. But that rarely happens in the real world. One player is better able to elicit errors from the other. As for the rest of it, Rafa is older and smarter. Within the confines of his style and personality I'm sure Rafa didn't feel the need to red line it against weaker opposition. He would have been saving himself for precisely this sort of of match, and he wasn't able to do that.... because of Thiem