"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
07/15/2019 at 17:57 • Filed to: None
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"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
07/15/2019 at 17:57 • Filed to: None | 0
| 12 |
For 4 hours and 57 minutes on Sunday—the longest-ever men’s final at Wimbledon, nine minutes longer than Federer vs. Nadal in 2008—Federer was the better player by pretty much every metric. The 20-time Grand Slam champion had more aces, fewer double faults, and a better first-serve percentage; won more points on his first and second serves; won a higher percentage of net points; converted more break points; had more winners and a better ratio of winners to errors; and won both more games (36 vs. 32) and more points (218 vs. 204) than his opponent.
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Read elsewhere:
This match was far too close to draw any conclusions about the relative strength between these two rivals. No one has ever profited from writing off Roger Federer prematurely, and there is nothing about his current play or the field of competition that suggests he will fall from his perch. All you can do is point at the fact that he turns 38 next month. And now, all that separates Federer’s 20 majors from Djokovic’s 16 is a solid season-and-a-half of present Djokovic.
At 32, Djokovic might already be the greatest men’s tennis player of all time, but the case should be bulletproof by the time he reaches the age Federer is now.
I honestly had no idea Djokovic had gotten to 16. Incredible how these three have sucked all the oxygen out of the room from everyone else for such a long stretch (15 years).
ttyymmnn
> davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
07/15/2019 at 18:10 |
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We followed tennis in the 80s and 90s, but not much since. We did watch the second half of the final this year. My question, and perhaps the article addresses it, is why is Djokovic so reviled? The commentators spent some time talking about what seems to me to be some truly unhinged comments by Nick Kyrgios. That guy just came off sounding like a sore loser. Hell, I started cheering for Djokovic simply because everybody else was cheering for Federer. Hell, Federer could have walked out and taken a dump on Centre Court and people would have stood and cheered. I get that he’s well like, by why the animosity towards Djokovic?
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davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
> ttyymmnn
07/15/2019 at 18:29 |
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I’m honestly not sure. I like Djokovic. Seems like a good, fun guy. I’ve never really been a big Federer fan, but you can’t fault his game.
I don’t think it’s animosity, but Djokovic came in and played spoiler to the Federer-Nadal rivalry. By the time he started winning in earnest, everyone was convinced they were watching the best two tennis players of all time duke it out. Every win he takes away is one less for Federer’s legacy (or Nadal’s) , and he wasn’t the horse they picked.
Throw in some subtle racism against the Eastern Bloc, maybe?
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ttyymmnn
> davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
07/15/2019 at 18:35 |
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Throw in some subtle racism against the Eastern Bloc, maybe?
I’m interested that you said this, because that’s my wife’s theory– that people don’t like him because he isn’t a “real” European. Sure, he’s Serbian, but he’s not exactly Ratko Mladi.
ZHP Sparky, the 5th
> davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
07/15/2019 at 18:36 |
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Haven’t followed tennis much lately, very bummed I missed this. Was a pretty huge sporting weekend in/for England - Hamilton winning the British GP, crazy Wimbledon final apparently, and England winning the cricket world cup (was also a crazy nail biter of a finish, and a very long overdue win in a WC final for England).
Many tennis players/fans on oppo ? I used to play as a kid, and progressively less through college, work, and now being a parent. Was probably playing my best tennis in work leagues in my 20s, but now I haven’t hit a ball in probably 3 years.
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ZHP Sparky, the 5th
> ZHP Sparky, the 5th
07/15/2019 at 18:51 |
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Highlights of the cricket world cup final for anyone interested in trying to make sense of it -
Insanity, basically went to “overtime” after a tie, and went down to the last ball even there with a run-out making the final decision. Huge deal, being that this is the first time England has won a cricket world cup since the series began in 1975, being the birthplace of cricket and all that...(and all the more sweet, with the win happening at Lord’s at home).
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ttyymmnn
> ZHP Sparky, the 5th
07/15/2019 at 19:09 |
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I wish I could watch more cricket without having to pay for a subscription. I’m not sure I’d be up for watching any of the big international multi-day test matches, but I’ve watched a bit of limited overs (Aussie Big Bash League) and really enjoyed it. I have to keep my laptop handy to look things up, though.
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ZHP Sparky, the 5th
> ttyymmnn
07/15/2019 at 19:15 |
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Yeah I haven’t really watched much cricket in the last decade or so but I grew up with it being around me all the time (in Sri Lanka, was a kid when they won the world cup in 1996...that was a pretty crazy underdog story that came totally out of the blue).
I don’t know who watches test matches to be honest, definitely don’t have the time for that. T-20 has become a thing over the past decade or so with a significantly more abbreviated and action-packed version of the game to appeal to people with shorter attention spans (still a half-day affair all told) but that became a thing after I moved to the US so I honestly have no idea how that version of the sport even works outside of the basic rules.
MUSASHI66
> ttyymmnn
07/15/2019 at 19:17 |
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I’m from Bosnia, but I’m what we call “Serbian” back home. You are what religion you’re born into, so although I am Bosnian by birth, I am Serbian because I was born in Serbian orthodox family.
Anyway, mentioning that I’m from Bosnia - even this long after the war - usually bring back the “Serbians as bad” concept. Djokovic will never get through that - next to Russians and Arabs, Serbians are favorite bad guys of Hollywood.
Of course, quitting many matches for injury before he became world number one earned him a certain reputation he’ll never overcome either. He was a sourpuss back in those days before he changed his image and became the Joker.
Lastly, he keeps proving over and over again that he’s better than Fed or Nada - at least in head to head - but in so many other statistics as well. Fed and Nadal fans are a) very plentiful and b) rabid, so anyone challenging their idols gets the hate. But, hating Djokovic brings our Serbian “inat” - it happened so many times, but crowd mentality of a bunch of opposing players fans just doesn’t get that. Inat is akin to stubbornness against all odds and we as a country have a lot of it.
I play tennis locally when I get a chance as a very solid 3.5 that can challenge and take sets from 4.0’s on a goo d day for me and a bad day for them. I could probably play lower level of 4.0 but I imagine I’d loose all the time.
It was a great match and if Fed did win, it would have been well deserved. I’m just so pissed that everyone is oh Fed was up 8:7, he should have won, completely forgetting that Djokovic was up 4:2 and his serve when he was up 2:1 in sets. That should have been the end of the game, but that is what makes these two probably the greatest that ever played.
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ttyymmnn
> MUSASHI66
07/15/2019 at 20:13 |
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Thanks for the long reply, and the insights.
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davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
> ZHP Sparky, the 5th
07/15/2019 at 22:58 |
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Cricket might as well be Calvinball.
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davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
> ZHP Sparky, the 5th
07/15/2019 at 23:01 |
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I like watching tennis, especially when it really counts, but haven’t followed it much recently. I played in HS, after not making the basketball team, but hurt my shoulder junior year. I’ve played off and on since then, but like you, not regularly for years. My kids are showing some interest - I’ll have to get out with them soon!
pip bip - choose Corrour
> ZHP Sparky, the 5th
07/16/2019 at 03:46 |
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cricket WC was a great match!