re: Official French Open Discussion Thread

Fed just LOVES dropping sets

Looking forward:

Two matches will be finished after being suspended because of the light:
- Delpo will likely finish off Berdych, being up two sets to one. But Berdych came back from a set down against Kevin Anderson, so this isn't a done deal.

- Unfortunately, the dirty frenchmen Tsonga will likely finish off Wawrinka. I would love to be wrong.

So Djokovic will likely play Tsonga. He'll beat the frick out of him.

Federer will likely play Delpo. Delpo has been been in better form this tournament than Fed, but Fed has had Delpo's number all year. I'll go with Fed in five, but I probably won't put any money on it.

Nadal will beat Monaco and then will beat the living frick out of either Almagro or Tipsarevic (likely tipsarevic).

Ferrer will beat the frick out of Granollers. I think Gasquet/Murray is a coin flip. I like Ferrer against either guy, but I wouldn't be surprised if it goes to five. Of course, everything I've written in this paragraph is pretty much academic, as I don't think any of these four guys have a reasonable chance of taking out Nadal in semi. So, yeah, I'm putting Nadal in the final.

Djokovic will have a much more difficult time of it in the semifinal, no matter whether he plays Delpo, Fed, Berdych. Federer, in theory, presents him with the greatest challenge, but Fed just hasn't looked alive this tournament. Delpo has a puncher's chance against anyone, because he can just hit people off the court with his forehand, which is something akin to a goddamn cannon. But, again, Fed has had his number this year. So I'm not sure that he makes it that far.

I realize that I lack imagination, but would anyone actually bet against it being a Djoker/Nadal final? If it is, I think Nadal will be favored and I think Nadal will win. The guy just brought his 'A' game to this tournament. I haven't seen him play -- and, more specifically, move -- like this since 2010.

Many of you might find the idea of Rafa winning at RG again rather boring. But I say enjoy it while you can. This is the greatest clay court player of all time -- with lots of mileage, yes, but methinks still in his prime -- who by all appearances is in peak form. Watching him dismantle guys is a thing of beauty, imho.

Delpo is through to the quarters. I love Fed, but I am rooting for Delpo tomorrow. I honestly think Delpo has the best shot of beating Rafa. Watching Rafa spin balls into his wheelhouse would be interesting. Djoker has the better movement and return, but he has to be at such of high level to beat Rafa that I don't think he can do it in a best of five on clay.

Murray is in a battle with Gasquet after dropping the first set 1-6, battled back to win the 2nd set 6-4 going into the 3rd set.

Nadal sure did struggle today with Monaco

If Rafa can get past the mental part he should beat Djok in 4. I don't know if he can, however, and I still have an awful feeling Djok wins it all. He's in Rafa's head the way Rafa used to be in Fed's. That Aussie Open loss for Rafa reminded me of the 5 set epic Fed lost to Rafa in Australia, just brutal.

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I don't think there's much chance that he gets through Federer/Djokovic back to back though.

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Nole is a nightmare matchup for Del Potro. Djokovic has won 10 out of the 12 sets they've played against each other and the only time Del Potro's beaten him in five head-to-head matchups was when Nole was having problems with injuries late last year. Also, Del Potro has been Federer's pigeon after 2009. I think he's lost to him like four times already this year. He has no shot at getting to the finals.

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He's in Rafa's head the way Rafa used to be in Fed's

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Not anymore he's not.

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If you were playing a video game or in a lab constructing a player to exploit Nadal he would come out looking very similar to Delpo

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Why do think this? Can you elaborate at all?

I'm a big fan of delpo. I think he's the 4th best player in tennis. He isn't as consistent as Murray, but I think that's largely attributable to the fact that he's injury prone. But if you remember Delpo in the summer of 2009 till the end of the year, he was arguably the best player in tennis. He won 4 US Open series tournaments, I believe. Then the US Open. And then (I think) he won the ATP world tour finals.

I've seen him play and his forehand is otherworldly. It doesn't even make any sense how hard he hits it.

But I can't think of why his game would be kryptonite to Nadal.

Watching Nadal when he is at his very best, I always wondered how anybody could beat him. The reasons that Djokovic had his number is because (a) Djokovic moves just as well as Nadal, and (b) Djokovic has the best return of serve in the game, which takes advantage of Nadal's relatively weak second serve.

I think any player that you create in a lab to exploit Nadal, first and foremost, is going to have to be able to move with him. Otherwise, he'll just get to one more ball.