I'll be betting on Djokovic. The idea of him as an underdog to anyone other than Nadal on clay is crazy to me even if he is 36.
Alcaraz might be the best player in the world right now based on rankings but Djokovic has 16 years of experience on him. In a 500 or maybe even a masters, I can see Alcaraz prevailing. But Bo5 is a chess match and Djokovic is the greatest tactician this sport has seen. He'll play the big moments better and he'll adjust better than Alcaraz. Has Alcaraz proven he's a truly big game player yet? Imo no, that USO win was a dream run and impressive but he took on a number of equally inexperienced guys on the big stage.
Alcaraz may very well win but give me Djokovic as an underdog for a bet every day of the week.
Not a bad bet at all imo, personally I'd split it between Djokovic 3-1 and Djokovic 3-2 and leave Djokovic 3-0 as additional risk, that way you're getting over 2/1 overall. (100 on Djok returns 260, 50 on 3-1 or 3-2 each return 325). Really don't see Djok winning it 3-0.
While there are merits to your points , the nature of this Djokovic run has been more FO 2022, USO 2021 and USO 2016-like
He’s won matches while looking functional. Nadal, Medvedev and Wawrinka all comfortably beat him in those tournaments
In the case of Wawrinka and Medvedev , they weren’t particularly known for big occasions either
Djokovic has problems when people hit through him (usually Wawrinka has troubled him because of this). Alcaraz definitely can hit through him.
Alcaraz in 4 (though I’ll be the happiest person if Djokovic pulls out one last miracle )
Fair point but Wawrinka had already beaten Djokovic twice in slam finals prior and it was Nadal on clay at FO in 2022.
Med 2021 is the most similar to Alcaraz now but I just feel like that was the perfect storm. Djokovic had a grueling tournament and year and he was on the cusp of arguably the most impressive achievement in individual sporting history with the cygs. The pressure combined with the fatigue of the season overcame him.
The only 3 players who can potentially even dream of beating Alcaraz in world tennis right now are Rune , Djokovic and Zverev (okay Jannik sinner too)
And if the semis are Djokovic v Alcaraz and Zverev v Rune, it’s a huge test for Alcaraz
But what’s scary is that the way he’s playing rn, he could easily straightset both matches on his way to the title
Haven’t seen this intensity and inevitability since Djokovic 2011
I agree, maybe Alcaraz plays bad in the final or something (he usually plays his best tennis in finals though) but I can't see Zverev winning. Only chance is if Djokovic wins against Alcaraz in 5 and is tired and Zverev takes advantage
Almost forgot to drop in my predictions:
Zverev d. Etchverry in 3
Ruud d. Rune in 4? Could also see Rune in 3
Haddad Maia d. Jabeur in 3
Swiatek d. Gauff in 2
I love Rune and hope he becomes as good on hard courts and grass courts as he is on clay courts. Not his fault for the double bounce error by the umpire. I thought a few years ago they introduced instant replay for issues like a double bounce that Hawkeye can't cover. I remember they used it numerous times at the ATP Cup and then they just conveniently never mentioned it again.
Rune has 2023 Paris Bercy and what else? He needs to do what he did at Bercy more often. Otherwise we should be crowning Medvedev as a clay god because of 2023 Rome.
Grass success doesn't mean indoor hard success. Look at Medvedev who is great in indoor hard but very mediocre on grass because grass is nothing like hard.
True he is great in indoor hard but no Slam is played on indoor hard. Like I said he needs to do better at hard (I should specify outdoor hard) and grass courts like he is in almost every clay court tournament. He has done nothing at all in the other 3 Slams.
Id admit I’ve not watched any matches so far this RG since Rafa announced his withdrawal.
This upcoming semi shall be the first, how have Carlitos and Novak been so far ?
Carlos is playing very well. Djokovic OTOH plays efficiently and he keeps winning but he is winning really really ugly like Nadal in 2021-22 (remember how Nadal kept winning the first two sets but the final set or sets were so stressful? Djokovic does the opposite and plays poorly for the first set or 2 at the FO this year.) and he is playing with Brad Gilbert-style "winning ugly" tactics. I don't know if he can keep playing ugly and win against Alcaraz.
Yup. My brain says Alcaraz in 3 or 4 sets but my heart/gut says Djokovic in 4 or 5 sets.
This is kind of like Nadal versus hard court master Medvedev in the 2019USO F and 2022 AO F. That 2019USO F was not a guarantee for Rafa even though Nadal was higher ranked and the betting odds were in Nadal's favor especially since Medvedev was incredible in the summer hard court season.
Is it me or is there not a single video of nishioka vs etcheverry highlights? I’m from California and cannot find a single highlight video of this match.
Sorry but are both QFs on Tennis Channel Plus tomorrow? Peacock doesn’t show anything until the Semis for RG and The Tennis Channel doesn’t say shit either.
The French Tennis Federation is utter shit with broadcasting rights and that is why Tennis Channel has FO matches during weekdays but NBC has FO matches on weekends. They still do that 1980s-style shitty tape delay for both FO men's SF matches on Tennis Channel and NBC. That was fine in the 1980s but it is crazy how they still continue with that method to the present day.
It should be on ESPN/Tennis Channel/NBC like simultaneously broadcasted like before. It is a shame that ESPN abandoned the French Open after hosting it for a few years about a decade ago. NBC is so lame with Peacock and NBC Sports Network that nobody ever has.
I know we can't say "Djokovic has nothing to lose" because he does but knowing that he still has Wimbledon later should give Novak a certain amount of freedom to play this SF with less pressure. And it's even better for him to play Carlos in the SF than the F. If he reaches the final he will feel a similar amount of pressure that he felt in the "grand slam" match against Medvedev, as he will be 1 win away from slam #23 and the all-time record alone for the first time in his career.
Don't know why so many people are acting as if Wimbledon 2023 is a given thing for Djoko. Sure, he will still be the big favorite, but Sinner came absurdly close to beat him last year, would have pulled it off with stronger mentality.
Also I fully expect Alcaraz to show up in Wimby as well, he played really well last year until he was taken out by an amazing redlining Sinner. To top it, this year he is evolving fast. Also, if he beats Djokovic on friday, he'll know full well he can beat Novak in Slams and could have the mental edge.
Novak is Novak but he is 36. He'll always be superb but certainly is showing signs of aging. And with Carlos, Rune and to a lesser degree Sinner improving the way they are, he needs to take any chance he can get. I think he'll eventually get the slam record but won't get past 23-24 slams.
I'm not saying he is gonna win Wimbledon, I'm just trying to imagine what is on his mind. He certainly knows he has another great opportunity to win #23 next month. He would treat this RG differently (and felt more pressure) if he was banned from UK, for example.
Unfortunately, women still earn less than men. I know that the sport of tennis is considered the most equal among all sports, but there are still discrepancies
Depends on how you're defining improving the game. If you mean profit-wise, yeah probably. If you mean match quality-wise - I think everyone playing BO5 would be amazing.
Would love to see someone like Haddad Maia playing a BO5.
> If you bet 100 bucks on Carlos - you gain around 150 profit (250 overall) if he wins.
> If you get 100 on Novak - you gain around 260 profit (360 overall) if he wins
🤦♂️
What does it mean when someone refers to a floater in a grand slam draw? I'm new to the term and from the context I've seen people use it in I can't tell if it means an unseeded player or someone like the three seed who could end up on either side of the draw.
Isn't it someone who isn't highly ranked for some reason, mostly due to injury or being Nick Kyrgios but ***is*** being talked about because they are a very dangerous player that can easily beat one of the top seeds.
I think you described what a "dark-horse" is.
That's exactly what floater means. Nadal is objectively a floater when he comes back especially at rg.. he's liky going to be seeded as a 1st rounder would for a seed and wreck havoc even if he's on one foot if it's against a lower player just because he's Rafa at rg..
I personally see more pearl clutching online from tennis fans about players getting booed than any other sport. They are professional athletes getting paid very well to perform for the fans. Booing comes with the territory.
Do you watch any other sports? I think I know the answer already but see any football game or soccer game or basketball game or hockey game..
The decorum for tennis that impacts the match is if it's jeers during the point which can affect the calls/ dynamics of the points.
Getting booed away from the point is just part of sports. Unless you are someone like hingis vs graf where you are exceedingly young, there should be some level of maturity to deal with the boos and play on
Djokovic did it from an extremely young age ( see vs roddick at USO) and alcaraz has already done it this match by not letting the boos get to him..
The original posters is right. You're an athlete that's paid millions...you deal with it.
The only sport i watch a considerable amount outside of tennis is cricket, so I'm not used to the crowd heckling/booing being all that much relevant. You seem to know a lot more about this so I'll take your word for it.
.. wait what ?
I've only watched cricket at world cup/ big matches. I thought booing and yelling was frequent .. I always interpreted the vibe as being akin to soccer.
Maybe I'm wrong. I never watched cricket live, only on tv
Honestly, it depends. There are some intense rivalries in cricket where you might get some booing. Ashes for example or India/Pakistan matches where the crowds are quite intense. But overall a lot of the yelling is just cheering for your team/your favourite player and not booing. Sledging is very common though among the teams.
The matches I have watched typically are the India /Pakistan matches which obviously have... A lot of tension behind them to say the least.
Makes sense though. That's interesting!
I want Rune vs Alcaraz injected into my veins, two precocious youngsters with insane confidence in their abilities just battling it out there. If it's anything else, I don't want it
It's rune in his first slam final who has honestly played pretty damn poor compared to djokovic alcaraz and I'd even say tsitsipas despite this sub bitching about him ( tsitsipas was never on the ropes to a lower quality player outside the top 20 this entire year at a slam let alone this tourney)..
I think you guys are going to be sorely disappointed by the likely outcome ( alcaraz or Djokovic in straights imo )
I hope I'm wrong for the sake of a competitive match but I don't see how Djokovic or alcaraz enter the final as not the heavy favorite unless it's a 5+ hour match that tires them out ( more applicable to Djokovic as he's older)
Based on what?
Paris masters? An event that rarely correlates with any slam let alone Roland garros?
Rome? Djokovic has directly stated at this point of his career he prioritizes the slams.
Again it's not enough to stare at the results of tourneys.. you have to consider context of both the quality of a tourney ( Paris masters/shanghai<<<<<<<
For my sanity can we not over react to Fridays match? Let’s remember that thiem has beaten Novak here too. It’s nice we’re getting hopefully a good match, but Novak is 36, and win or lose he’s one of the goats and Carlos is still very far from being a goat.
Idk what you consider an overreaction but I can see people saying it's passing of the torch, and ..in a way, it would be, even though novak would have few more years of good tennis left.
but it would really mean that Carlos may actually be the best tennis player after the GOAT 3 era, and he may be on his way to becoming a top 4 of all time...........bar any injuries.
But as a "ok, Alcaraz is now one of the greats" i'd say saying that IF he wins RG..it would be fair to say, in a list where the greats are people that won multiple GSs before they reached a certain age
Who has claimed Alcaraz is the goat if he wins on Friday? Novak fans defend against these points that aren’t even made. Carlos can make a statement he is currently the best mens player in the world with a win though. A Carlos win wouldn’t take away from everything Novak has accomplished in his career.
Will we get a separate thread for the unofficial RG final, Alcaraz v Djokovic?
It is one of the most anticipated and historically important matches in a long time.
Djokovic has the chance to become the leader in the grand slam race, the most important indicator of GOATness, and the first person to have won every grand slam at least 3 times.
Alcaraz has the chance to prove he is a legit #1, capable of beating Big 3 at a grand slam, genuinely the best player in the world.
> Will we get a separate thread for the unofficial RG final, Alcaraz v Djokovic?
>
>
While this is true, the hater in me would love to see someone from the other side win it all. Imagine if Zverev or Ruud wins it all? The reaction would be glorious!
Sadly, not for me.
As far as anticipation goes, I expect Alcaraz to win, he is in a way better form.
IF Novak plays at his best (which contrary to popular belief he hasn't all tournament, and dare I say all clay season) then sure, this might be one of the best matches ever.
But as far as anticipation goes... I anticipate Carlos to win against an off-form opponent, and I don't expect much other than that as it stands right now
I went into that match thinking Nadal would smoke Djokovic.
tbf Djokovic isn't on form at the moment, but this is also Alcaraz's first match in a major against a consequential player and Djokovic is going for #23.
lmao what? That's interesting tbh. I could've sworn the betting odds and popular sentiment was that Djokovic was the better player coming into that match due to clay season form + Rafa playing 5 sets match prior + Rafa's foot injury + the confidence Djokovic had from previous year's SF win. All in all, I remember going into that match thinking that it would be a decent match but that Djokovic would again outlast Rafa
neither of them performed all that well in the tuneups heading into Roland Garros.
Regardless, you might be right re. Nadal being the underdog but it wasn't as anticipated as this match is to me. I've also seen that match a billion times (Nadal vs. Djokovic) and I gotta be honest, I don't find it as entertaining as lot of people do.
Nerdy stats
Alcaraz and Djokovic have both dropped one set through the first five rounds
Djokovic has won 328/495 points on serve (66.26%), Alcaraz has won 275/392 points on serve (70.15%)
Djokovic has won 249/518 points on return (47.15%), Alcaraz has won 281/561 points on return (53.42%)
These stats seem on par with the "eye test".
Novak would really need to improve to win, these stats (against weaker opponents than Carlos) don't make him the favorite by any stretch
Alcaraz is cracked holy shit mans on a mission, as a lifelong Nole fan i am concerned tbh but its fine hes won everything ( minus the olympics gold ) so its whatever
So small kid who cannot fight says he'll be rooting for Alcaraz against Novak. Is he still salty he lost two slam finals to the goat? Alcaraz will drag his corpse over the clay courts of Spain and France for the next decade, no need for Tsitsi to lick his ass cause Alcaraz won't go easy
So tsitsipas says he took melatonin pills to nap before the match and came out sluggish in the first two sets. would definitely explain the really slow start and the recovery toward the end.
2007, in all likelihood. Even in his slump 2017/2018, he was generally losing to guys he was favored against:
- Istomin: outside top 100
- Thiem: just trashed him at Rome
- Berdych: absurdly lopsided H2H
- Chung: relatively new face
- Cecchinato: first time making it past first round of any Slam
And wasn’t facing guys he wouldn’t be favored against.
Got all the way back to 2008, at that point Flashscore don't have the odds anymore, and couldn't find any. Closest was Med at AO 2021 where djok was 9/10 and Med 1/1, and Berdych at Wimby 2010, Djok 4/5 Berd 11/10. Apart from those two nothing was even close.
Annoying that I can't finish the job but can seemingly confirm it hasn't happened in at least 15 years
Hewitt at the 2006 US Open and Ancic at 06 Wimbledon are the two most recent ones I see where he could’ve conceivably been an underdog (with the non Big3 maybe 4 caveat)
I could see Alcaraz leading the h2h 15-0 against Tsitspas at the end of their careers at this point. Absolutely no way in sight for Tsitsipas to challenge him
Don't see much if any advantage for Djokovic playing a later session on clay really.
Alcaraz a clear favourite here but I hope to see some interesting gameplan from Djokovic that might have a little success.
Those heavy fuzzy balls not going to give Djokovic a huge amount of pace to work with.
Surely he will have to try to move Alcaraz around and wrongfoot him but Alcaraz is so quick.
Pity the draw was Medevedeved again - probably deserves to be the final.
I'm a Djokovic fan - just giving my thoughts in advance.
Alcaraz is the favourite on clay here in this conditions and with these balls and he's obviously in very good form
Would be supporting Djokovic but you tell me a plan how he wins with slow balls which means defence is easier for Alcaraz (who is the fastest player on tour as well) and yet Alcaraz has the FH power to get through Djokovic, instead of just putting out a trite nothing comment!
I agree. I would never bet against Djokovic in a Nadal-less French Open.
Obviously Alcaraz is amazing, but come on. It's Djokovic. He will have an extremely sharp plan of attack. I think this one will be very competitive.
Alcaraz' level has been high wherever he played and if not he almost everytime found a solution to win. The guy is 35-3 & won 3 clay court events this year. Now that he has annihilated Shapovalov, Musetti (who has also beaten Djokovic on clay) & Tsitsipas, to me he's the favourite to win the title and beat Djokovic in 3, maybe 4 sets. I saw it in his post-match interview: he's ready for this challenge and excited for it. That's not good news for Djokovic.
Looking forward to it & may the best man win!
I don't think so. Alcaraz is young & fit, Djokovic is 36 and has been struggling with physical issues. He's now going to have to play at the very highest level for 5+ hours if it goes to 5. I would favour Alcaraz.
Djokovic has a LOT more experience (also because apart from having 16 years more on tour, in the earlier stages of his carreer Davis Cup and MS1000 finals were 5 sets as well), but Alcaraz has shown he can do 5 setters, I think he's 8-1 in fifth set battles.
I don't think Alcaraz will let it get that far, but looking forward to the battle! May the best man win!
not really imo - Alcaraz started messing around with unnecessary drop shots when 5-2 up and lost focus - could and should have finished it earlier - it was far more down to that imo than Tsitsipas upping his game hugely
Tennis is all about confidence though. Regardless of the reason he got those games, he did win some. And actually did play some good tennis following points Alcaraz gifted him with UEs. He finished today's mattch with better feeling than he did the Barcelona final for sure
Tsitsipas has gotten further away from beating Alcaraz each time they've played now.
Stef's total points won % by match-
'21 US Open: 51.2%
'22 Miami: 45.3%
'22 Barcelona: 44.7%
'23 Barcelona: 41.6%
'23 Roland Garros: 40.0%
https://twitter.com/Gill\_Gross/status/1666184747331231744
well he got beaten in straight sets again.
I don't see how that gives him a good feeling, even if the last set was closer.
Alcaraz just has to serve and hit to Tsitsipas's BH and he wins every time as he has every time so far and it's now gone to 5-0 in the h2h which is pretty emphatic
don't know how Tsitsipas can rectify that BH tbh - the rest of his game is good enough to win against most players but there will be always 3 or 4 players who can beat him most times reliably so it's going to stop him winning big titles
he's going to end up facing Alcaraz a lot and at the moment it's only getting easier every time for Alcaraz
the games won per set average has only gone down again for Tsitsipas from his last match even with the tiebreak set
which one of ruud or rune will have an easier time with Zverev?
Carlitos playing on Thursday or Friday?
how many games coco is getting today, i feel like she will atleast break iga serve couple of time
Why do the daily threads start so late? It is morning in Europe and matches start in 3 hours.
I'll be betting on Djokovic. The idea of him as an underdog to anyone other than Nadal on clay is crazy to me even if he is 36. Alcaraz might be the best player in the world right now based on rankings but Djokovic has 16 years of experience on him. In a 500 or maybe even a masters, I can see Alcaraz prevailing. But Bo5 is a chess match and Djokovic is the greatest tactician this sport has seen. He'll play the big moments better and he'll adjust better than Alcaraz. Has Alcaraz proven he's a truly big game player yet? Imo no, that USO win was a dream run and impressive but he took on a number of equally inexperienced guys on the big stage. Alcaraz may very well win but give me Djokovic as an underdog for a bet every day of the week.
Djokovic can win if it goes 5 sets. So Carlitos needs to wrap it up quickly.
Not a bad bet at all imo, personally I'd split it between Djokovic 3-1 and Djokovic 3-2 and leave Djokovic 3-0 as additional risk, that way you're getting over 2/1 overall. (100 on Djok returns 260, 50 on 3-1 or 3-2 each return 325). Really don't see Djok winning it 3-0.
While there are merits to your points , the nature of this Djokovic run has been more FO 2022, USO 2021 and USO 2016-like He’s won matches while looking functional. Nadal, Medvedev and Wawrinka all comfortably beat him in those tournaments In the case of Wawrinka and Medvedev , they weren’t particularly known for big occasions either Djokovic has problems when people hit through him (usually Wawrinka has troubled him because of this). Alcaraz definitely can hit through him. Alcaraz in 4 (though I’ll be the happiest person if Djokovic pulls out one last miracle )
Fair point but Wawrinka had already beaten Djokovic twice in slam finals prior and it was Nadal on clay at FO in 2022. Med 2021 is the most similar to Alcaraz now but I just feel like that was the perfect storm. Djokovic had a grueling tournament and year and he was on the cusp of arguably the most impressive achievement in individual sporting history with the cygs. The pressure combined with the fatigue of the season overcame him.
The only 3 players who can potentially even dream of beating Alcaraz in world tennis right now are Rune , Djokovic and Zverev (okay Jannik sinner too) And if the semis are Djokovic v Alcaraz and Zverev v Rune, it’s a huge test for Alcaraz But what’s scary is that the way he’s playing rn, he could easily straightset both matches on his way to the title Haven’t seen this intensity and inevitability since Djokovic 2011
Meantime his H2H against Ruud is 3:0.
I could see Etcheverry making the upset today but it's not that likely I think Zverev in 3 and Ruud in 4 Jabeur in 3 probably
Zverev is playing like a beast rn. He’s making the final
Yes, I wouldn't underestimate him But I don't know if he's winning the final
With the way Alcaraz is playing , Zverev would need his absolute peak form to beat him And peak Zverev is a very rare beast
I agree, maybe Alcaraz plays bad in the final or something (he usually plays his best tennis in finals though) but I can't see Zverev winning. Only chance is if Djokovic wins against Alcaraz in 5 and is tired and Zverev takes advantage
Zverev v Rune : the final : bring it on ! (Anyway the winner of that match doesn’t matter )
call me crazy but i think muchova can do something crazy if she reaches the final
Almost forgot to drop in my predictions: Zverev d. Etchverry in 3 Ruud d. Rune in 4? Could also see Rune in 3 Haddad Maia d. Jabeur in 3 Swiatek d. Gauff in 2
All cap except last one
God I hope we get a Carlitos v. Rune final
Rune is definitely winning at least 20 GS
I love Rune and hope he becomes as good on hard courts and grass courts as he is on clay courts. Not his fault for the double bounce error by the umpire. I thought a few years ago they introduced instant replay for issues like a double bounce that Hawkeye can't cover. I remember they used it numerous times at the ATP Cup and then they just conveniently never mentioned it again.
Shouldn't he be good on grass as he has some of his best results on indoor hard?
Rune has 2023 Paris Bercy and what else? He needs to do what he did at Bercy more often. Otherwise we should be crowning Medvedev as a clay god because of 2023 Rome. Grass success doesn't mean indoor hard success. Look at Medvedev who is great in indoor hard but very mediocre on grass because grass is nothing like hard.
He won Stockholm and was in the final of Sofia open
True he is great in indoor hard but no Slam is played on indoor hard. Like I said he needs to do better at hard (I should specify outdoor hard) and grass courts like he is in almost every clay court tournament. He has done nothing at all in the other 3 Slams.
Id admit I’ve not watched any matches so far this RG since Rafa announced his withdrawal. This upcoming semi shall be the first, how have Carlitos and Novak been so far ?
Carlos is playing very well. Djokovic OTOH plays efficiently and he keeps winning but he is winning really really ugly like Nadal in 2021-22 (remember how Nadal kept winning the first two sets but the final set or sets were so stressful? Djokovic does the opposite and plays poorly for the first set or 2 at the FO this year.) and he is playing with Brad Gilbert-style "winning ugly" tactics. I don't know if he can keep playing ugly and win against Alcaraz.
Never underestimate this guy to show up in the big match
Yup. My brain says Alcaraz in 3 or 4 sets but my heart/gut says Djokovic in 4 or 5 sets. This is kind of like Nadal versus hard court master Medvedev in the 2019USO F and 2022 AO F. That 2019USO F was not a guarantee for Rafa even though Nadal was higher ranked and the betting odds were in Nadal's favor especially since Medvedev was incredible in the summer hard court season.
Is it me or is there not a single video of nishioka vs etcheverry highlights? I’m from California and cannot find a single highlight video of this match.
Eurosport has highlights https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/roland-garros/2023/etcheverry-v-nishioka-roland-garros-highlights_vid1927284/video.shtml
I’m from California as I stated. You know what that means.
oh weird. can watch in canada
Sorry but are both QFs on Tennis Channel Plus tomorrow? Peacock doesn’t show anything until the Semis for RG and The Tennis Channel doesn’t say shit either.
The French Tennis Federation is utter shit with broadcasting rights and that is why Tennis Channel has FO matches during weekdays but NBC has FO matches on weekends. They still do that 1980s-style shitty tape delay for both FO men's SF matches on Tennis Channel and NBC. That was fine in the 1980s but it is crazy how they still continue with that method to the present day. It should be on ESPN/Tennis Channel/NBC like simultaneously broadcasted like before. It is a shame that ESPN abandoned the French Open after hosting it for a few years about a decade ago. NBC is so lame with Peacock and NBC Sports Network that nobody ever has.
Ended up buying a sub to Tennis Channel. I like the streams I find but they don’t host to re-watch matches and 4am is too early for me
Can’t wait for warm vibes Wednesday everyone send cat photos
Does anyone know what the likely (Paris) time that Djokovic and Alcaraz will play?
I assume 2:15pm EST which is what the “main” matches have been played at all tournament
Which would be 20.15 Paris time (which was the question)
I know we can't say "Djokovic has nothing to lose" because he does but knowing that he still has Wimbledon later should give Novak a certain amount of freedom to play this SF with less pressure. And it's even better for him to play Carlos in the SF than the F. If he reaches the final he will feel a similar amount of pressure that he felt in the "grand slam" match against Medvedev, as he will be 1 win away from slam #23 and the all-time record alone for the first time in his career.
Don't know why so many people are acting as if Wimbledon 2023 is a given thing for Djoko. Sure, he will still be the big favorite, but Sinner came absurdly close to beat him last year, would have pulled it off with stronger mentality. Also I fully expect Alcaraz to show up in Wimby as well, he played really well last year until he was taken out by an amazing redlining Sinner. To top it, this year he is evolving fast. Also, if he beats Djokovic on friday, he'll know full well he can beat Novak in Slams and could have the mental edge. Novak is Novak but he is 36. He'll always be superb but certainly is showing signs of aging. And with Carlos, Rune and to a lesser degree Sinner improving the way they are, he needs to take any chance he can get. I think he'll eventually get the slam record but won't get past 23-24 slams.
I'm not saying he is gonna win Wimbledon, I'm just trying to imagine what is on his mind. He certainly knows he has another great opportunity to win #23 next month. He would treat this RG differently (and felt more pressure) if he was banned from UK, for example.
Is there a clip of Djokovic's 7:0 tiebreak? Can't find it on Youtube
YouTube is PG13, you won't find that massacre there
I'm holding out for the Yu Yu Hakusho ending to RG. In this scenario, Ruud is the guy who wins because everyone else is exhausted.
To make the money truly equal between the sexed should the men play only 3 sets at the grand slams or should the women also play 5 set matches?
I think every match should be mixed doubles and they play 8 sets
I think the first step would be for them to make doubles and juniors earn more! There's no equal pay for the doubles
Unfortunately, women still earn less than men. I know that the sport of tennis is considered the most equal among all sports, but there are still discrepancies
Tbh the men should probs just get paid more, neither of the changes you suggested would improve the game
Best of 3 might improve male matches tbh, it might cause more surprises and more active matches
BO5 would be a major improvement in Women’s slams and make the prospect of taking of work or buying tickets more appealing to me.
Depends on how you're defining improving the game. If you mean profit-wise, yeah probably. If you mean match quality-wise - I think everyone playing BO5 would be amazing. Would love to see someone like Haddad Maia playing a BO5.
BHM SST would still be going
Which would be rad because that was one of my favorite matches this tournament!
Generally speaking women in tennis have talked back against 5 sets because they have almost all universally agreed it wouldn’t be good for their game
this is just false
So is it for sure that Đoković-Alcaraz will be day session? Since they played their quarterfinals first
At some point theyr'e stopping night sessions; maybe tomorrow is the last one someone said? If so then yes.
Does Alcaraz has the best forehand of all time? The creativity of Federer and the power of Rafa.
No paire has the goat forehand
calm down lol
I'm just saying. The debate has always been between those two, and Alcaraz combines the two.
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You have your payout wrong. Alcaraz profit is $51 on $100 at risk, and Novak profit is $163 for $100 at risk
> If you bet 100 bucks on Carlos - you gain around 150 profit (250 overall) if he wins. > If you get 100 on Novak - you gain around 260 profit (360 overall) if he wins 🤦♂️
He wanted to explain it to the newbies. Guy needs to go back to 101.
What does it mean when someone refers to a floater in a grand slam draw? I'm new to the term and from the context I've seen people use it in I can't tell if it means an unseeded player or someone like the three seed who could end up on either side of the draw.
Someone who is not particularly high ranked or being talked about a lot that could go far
Isn't it someone who isn't highly ranked for some reason, mostly due to injury or being Nick Kyrgios but ***is*** being talked about because they are a very dangerous player that can easily beat one of the top seeds. I think you described what a "dark-horse" is.
Hmm honestly not sure. For example, I don’t think I’d describe Nadal as a “floater” when he comes back
That's exactly what floater means. Nadal is objectively a floater when he comes back especially at rg.. he's liky going to be seeded as a 1st rounder would for a seed and wreck havoc even if he's on one foot if it's against a lower player just because he's Rafa at rg..
I think that's a perfect example of a floater. A player who can clash with the top seeds early and beat them.
I'm irritated that tennis fans always complain about PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES getting booed. GMAFB. They can deal with it.
Why should it be okay for professional athletes to be booed though if they haven't done anything wrong?
I personally see more pearl clutching online from tennis fans about players getting booed than any other sport. They are professional athletes getting paid very well to perform for the fans. Booing comes with the territory.
Do you watch any other sports? I think I know the answer already but see any football game or soccer game or basketball game or hockey game.. The decorum for tennis that impacts the match is if it's jeers during the point which can affect the calls/ dynamics of the points. Getting booed away from the point is just part of sports. Unless you are someone like hingis vs graf where you are exceedingly young, there should be some level of maturity to deal with the boos and play on Djokovic did it from an extremely young age ( see vs roddick at USO) and alcaraz has already done it this match by not letting the boos get to him.. The original posters is right. You're an athlete that's paid millions...you deal with it.
The only sport i watch a considerable amount outside of tennis is cricket, so I'm not used to the crowd heckling/booing being all that much relevant. You seem to know a lot more about this so I'll take your word for it.
.. wait what ? I've only watched cricket at world cup/ big matches. I thought booing and yelling was frequent .. I always interpreted the vibe as being akin to soccer. Maybe I'm wrong. I never watched cricket live, only on tv
Honestly, it depends. There are some intense rivalries in cricket where you might get some booing. Ashes for example or India/Pakistan matches where the crowds are quite intense. But overall a lot of the yelling is just cheering for your team/your favourite player and not booing. Sledging is very common though among the teams.
The matches I have watched typically are the India /Pakistan matches which obviously have... A lot of tension behind them to say the least. Makes sense though. That's interesting!
so we could have had a much better quarter final if not for the damn melatonin :\\
Context?
Tsitsipas indirectly attributed the loss to taking melatonin and taking a nap before the match.
Alcaraz-Djokovic SF Match Prediction ??
It will be one of the matches of all time
But who wins that's the big question
Never doubt Novak. He started out rough but made the adjustments
Djokovic in 5 most likely, I think it will be interesting to watch
I want Rune vs Alcaraz injected into my veins, two precocious youngsters with insane confidence in their abilities just battling it out there. If it's anything else, I don't want it
It's rune in his first slam final who has honestly played pretty damn poor compared to djokovic alcaraz and I'd even say tsitsipas despite this sub bitching about him ( tsitsipas was never on the ropes to a lower quality player outside the top 20 this entire year at a slam let alone this tourney).. I think you guys are going to be sorely disappointed by the likely outcome ( alcaraz or Djokovic in straights imo ) I hope I'm wrong for the sake of a competitive match but I don't see how Djokovic or alcaraz enter the final as not the heavy favorite unless it's a 5+ hour match that tires them out ( more applicable to Djokovic as he's older)
Rune plays better vs those two compared to other people. He will be the only one form that side of the draw who faces them with no fear
Based on what? Paris masters? An event that rarely correlates with any slam let alone Roland garros? Rome? Djokovic has directly stated at this point of his career he prioritizes the slams. Again it's not enough to stare at the results of tourneys.. you have to consider context of both the quality of a tourney ( Paris masters/shanghai<<<<<<<
Who would benefit more if the SF was played during the day, Alcaraz or Djokovic?
Stef reminding me to get my melatonin prescription, he’s such a sleep/mental health king.
For my sanity can we not over react to Fridays match? Let’s remember that thiem has beaten Novak here too. It’s nice we’re getting hopefully a good match, but Novak is 36, and win or lose he’s one of the goats and Carlos is still very far from being a goat.
Idk what you consider an overreaction but I can see people saying it's passing of the torch, and ..in a way, it would be, even though novak would have few more years of good tennis left. but it would really mean that Carlos may actually be the best tennis player after the GOAT 3 era, and he may be on his way to becoming a top 4 of all time...........bar any injuries. But as a "ok, Alcaraz is now one of the greats" i'd say saying that IF he wins RG..it would be fair to say, in a list where the greats are people that won multiple GSs before they reached a certain age
I can easily see the first set going Alcaraz's way like 6-2, que some dreadful reactionary comments on here as people forgot who Djokovic is
lol 😂 like that’s possible here 😂
Who has claimed Alcaraz is the goat if he wins on Friday? Novak fans defend against these points that aren’t even made. Carlos can make a statement he is currently the best mens player in the world with a win though. A Carlos win wouldn’t take away from everything Novak has accomplished in his career.
I am not a Novak fan.
The point still stands though. “For your sanity” you don’t want to see ppl say things that literally nobody is saying.
Too many Fedal fans are still mad at Novak for spoiling the bro love fest. They are like Lebron haters.
I mean I don’t want Novak to win RG- but I can’t stand it it Carlos does. I am a nadal fan
Ok then who are you ok with winning?
I mean I'd like Rune, Ruud, or Etchie to win - so realistically Rune.
Will we get a separate thread for the unofficial RG final, Alcaraz v Djokovic? It is one of the most anticipated and historically important matches in a long time. Djokovic has the chance to become the leader in the grand slam race, the most important indicator of GOATness, and the first person to have won every grand slam at least 3 times. Alcaraz has the chance to prove he is a legit #1, capable of beating Big 3 at a grand slam, genuinely the best player in the world.
> Will we get a separate thread for the unofficial RG final, Alcaraz v Djokovic? > > While this is true, the hater in me would love to see someone from the other side win it all. Imagine if Zverev or Ruud wins it all? The reaction would be glorious!
It would be more historically significant if Novak was 30 not 36
Stop in a long time? Nadal Novak last year?
Other than those ofc.
This Alcaraz/Djokovic match is the most anticipated one in a while, maybe in a couple years.
Sadly, not for me. As far as anticipation goes, I expect Alcaraz to win, he is in a way better form. IF Novak plays at his best (which contrary to popular belief he hasn't all tournament, and dare I say all clay season) then sure, this might be one of the best matches ever. But as far as anticipation goes... I anticipate Carlos to win against an off-form opponent, and I don't expect much other than that as it stands right now
What about last years Novak nadal?
I went into that match thinking Nadal would smoke Djokovic. tbf Djokovic isn't on form at the moment, but this is also Alcaraz's first match in a major against a consequential player and Djokovic is going for #23.
lmao what? That's interesting tbh. I could've sworn the betting odds and popular sentiment was that Djokovic was the better player coming into that match due to clay season form + Rafa playing 5 sets match prior + Rafa's foot injury + the confidence Djokovic had from previous year's SF win. All in all, I remember going into that match thinking that it would be a decent match but that Djokovic would again outlast Rafa
neither of them performed all that well in the tuneups heading into Roland Garros. Regardless, you might be right re. Nadal being the underdog but it wasn't as anticipated as this match is to me. I've also seen that match a billion times (Nadal vs. Djokovic) and I gotta be honest, I don't find it as entertaining as lot of people do.
Winning Rome isn’t performing well?
Winning a single clay tournament isn't in form to me
Nerdy stats Alcaraz and Djokovic have both dropped one set through the first five rounds Djokovic has won 328/495 points on serve (66.26%), Alcaraz has won 275/392 points on serve (70.15%) Djokovic has won 249/518 points on return (47.15%), Alcaraz has won 281/561 points on return (53.42%)
These stats seem on par with the "eye test". Novak would really need to improve to win, these stats (against weaker opponents than Carlos) don't make him the favorite by any stretch
Alcaraz is cracked holy shit mans on a mission, as a lifelong Nole fan i am concerned tbh but its fine hes won everything ( minus the olympics gold ) so its whatever
So small kid who cannot fight says he'll be rooting for Alcaraz against Novak. Is he still salty he lost two slam finals to the goat? Alcaraz will drag his corpse over the clay courts of Spain and France for the next decade, no need for Tsitsi to lick his ass cause Alcaraz won't go easy
He always roots for the younger guys!
He's in love with Carlos
So tsitsipas says he took melatonin pills to nap before the match and came out sluggish in the first two sets. would definitely explain the really slow start and the recovery toward the end.
He actually started quite well so that's obviously bullshit.
lmao if that’s true he’s a fucking dumbass. did he not know melatonin lasts a while?
😂😂I had the same reaction, that’s ridiculously stupid
Fedal fans unite to support Novak? Get these young kids off our lawn!
Yes supporting Novak but not to win RG just this
No Novak is the statistical Goat but lets give him some competition. Alcaraz is also really entertaining
Nope. I’m RF Fan backing Alcaraz, although i appreciate and respect novak a lot for his greatness, still find his game boring.
No
I certainly don’t think it will be easy 3 sets to Carlos. Novak will empty the tank and try to redline in this match. This is the real final.
Novak has nothing to lose in the semis as he's the underdog. No pressure. He'll play it like it's the final.
I dont really understand why everyone thinks Novak is such a big underdog. He won Australian Open, he is in form again.
Battle of the LEGO hair
Alcaraz is an Animal
I wonder the last time Djokovic was an underdog at the sports book against not Federer/Nadal/maybe Murray like once(?) at a major.
Wait is he actually still the underdog?
Betting odds are like 67% for Alcaraz.
That's crazy. That's probably giving im a better chance than they gave Nadal in some years against Djokovic.
Last year Novak was favourite against Nadal, was something like 67% to Djokovic too
That’s very bold against djokovic bo5. Hell there’s a chance djokovic wins in 3 or 4 but fairly easily and it’s not even that small of a chance
2007, in all likelihood. Even in his slump 2017/2018, he was generally losing to guys he was favored against: - Istomin: outside top 100 - Thiem: just trashed him at Rome - Berdych: absurdly lopsided H2H - Chung: relatively new face - Cecchinato: first time making it past first round of any Slam And wasn’t facing guys he wouldn’t be favored against.
I think it’d be 05 or maybe Hewitt in 06 at the USO Djokovic and Murray were rated insanely highly by the market by 2007.
Maybe Thiem at RG ?
Just checked and nope, Djokovic was around 1/2 in both '17 and' 19, and 1/5 in '16
I’m assuming we’ve got to go *hilariously* far back. Might’ve been Verdasco
Got all the way back to 2008, at that point Flashscore don't have the odds anymore, and couldn't find any. Closest was Med at AO 2021 where djok was 9/10 and Med 1/1, and Berdych at Wimby 2010, Djok 4/5 Berd 11/10. Apart from those two nothing was even close. Annoying that I can't finish the job but can seemingly confirm it hasn't happened in at least 15 years
Hewitt at the 2006 US Open and Ancic at 06 Wimbledon are the two most recent ones I see where he could’ve conceivably been an underdog (with the non Big3 maybe 4 caveat)
I'm checking back atm and it seems you're right. Am in 2016 atm and the closest by far is Med v Djok at AO 2021, where djok was 9/10 and Med was 1/1.
I could see Alcaraz leading the h2h 15-0 against Tsitspas at the end of their careers at this point. Absolutely no way in sight for Tsitsipas to challenge him
If would genuinely have to be a retirement for him to get a win and avoid Federer-Ferrer levels I am so serious.
Don't see much if any advantage for Djokovic playing a later session on clay really. Alcaraz a clear favourite here but I hope to see some interesting gameplan from Djokovic that might have a little success. Those heavy fuzzy balls not going to give Djokovic a huge amount of pace to work with. Surely he will have to try to move Alcaraz around and wrongfoot him but Alcaraz is so quick. Pity the draw was Medevedeved again - probably deserves to be the final.
CLEAR favourite ? come on
You never know how good Djokovic could show, he just needs to beat Alcaraz and he has nothing to worry in F(except Rune wins the QF)
Why does this sub continue to bet against Novak in slams?
Long term memory loss
I'm a Djokovic fan - just giving my thoughts in advance. Alcaraz is the favourite on clay here in this conditions and with these balls and he's obviously in very good form Would be supporting Djokovic but you tell me a plan how he wins with slow balls which means defence is easier for Alcaraz (who is the fastest player on tour as well) and yet Alcaraz has the FH power to get through Djokovic, instead of just putting out a trite nothing comment!
Alcaraz will stumble and Novak will take his soul. it is BO5. it is written
deep strategic insight there!
We all felt the heat in the 3rd Set... Novak would have punished and then destroyed Mentally Alcaraz
Alcaraz was 5-2 and started screwing around with unnecessary shots in a sort of victory lap. He wouldn't be dumb enough to try that against Djokovic
Don't underestimate youthful hubris
I hope that he does make that mistake but with the new coaching rules JCF seems to call every point play from the sidelines
Lmao okay I’ll be here on Friday to tell you that you were wrong
You know... I really hope I am wrong... I really dont like the Novaxx
Why do you assume Novak is the only one capable of playing well in Grand Slams? Alcaraz in 4.
lol
It would be madness to bet against him at AO and Wimbledon, but not RG
True. Even USO
I agree. I would never bet against Djokovic in a Nadal-less French Open. Obviously Alcaraz is amazing, but come on. It's Djokovic. He will have an extremely sharp plan of attack. I think this one will be very competitive.
Competitive, sure, but Alcaraz on this level is beating Djokovic in 4 sets imho.
This match was a joke compared to Nadal - Djokovic. Any prediction based on the past is irrelevant for this match imo.
Alcaraz' level has been high wherever he played and if not he almost everytime found a solution to win. The guy is 35-3 & won 3 clay court events this year. Now that he has annihilated Shapovalov, Musetti (who has also beaten Djokovic on clay) & Tsitsipas, to me he's the favourite to win the title and beat Djokovic in 3, maybe 4 sets. I saw it in his post-match interview: he's ready for this challenge and excited for it. That's not good news for Djokovic. Looking forward to it & may the best man win!
Maybe, but if it goes 5 Novak wins
I don't think so. Alcaraz is young & fit, Djokovic is 36 and has been struggling with physical issues. He's now going to have to play at the very highest level for 5+ hours if it goes to 5. I would favour Alcaraz. Djokovic has a LOT more experience (also because apart from having 16 years more on tour, in the earlier stages of his carreer Davis Cup and MS1000 finals were 5 sets as well), but Alcaraz has shown he can do 5 setters, I think he's 8-1 in fifth set battles. I don't think Alcaraz will let it get that far, but looking forward to the battle! May the best man win!
Keep doubting. Novak always finds a way.
There is no way. Alcaraz is inevitable.
Another straight set loss, but that fightback in the 3rd will give Steff bit of a boost at their next meeting
not really imo - Alcaraz started messing around with unnecessary drop shots when 5-2 up and lost focus - could and should have finished it earlier - it was far more down to that imo than Tsitsipas upping his game hugely
Tennis is all about confidence though. Regardless of the reason he got those games, he did win some. And actually did play some good tennis following points Alcaraz gifted him with UEs. He finished today's mattch with better feeling than he did the Barcelona final for sure
Tsitsipas has gotten further away from beating Alcaraz each time they've played now. Stef's total points won % by match- '21 US Open: 51.2% '22 Miami: 45.3% '22 Barcelona: 44.7% '23 Barcelona: 41.6% '23 Roland Garros: 40.0% https://twitter.com/Gill\_Gross/status/1666184747331231744
well he got beaten in straight sets again. I don't see how that gives him a good feeling, even if the last set was closer. Alcaraz just has to serve and hit to Tsitsipas's BH and he wins every time as he has every time so far and it's now gone to 5-0 in the h2h which is pretty emphatic don't know how Tsitsipas can rectify that BH tbh - the rest of his game is good enough to win against most players but there will be always 3 or 4 players who can beat him most times reliably so it's going to stop him winning big titles he's going to end up facing Alcaraz a lot and at the moment it's only getting easier every time for Alcaraz the games won per set average has only gone down again for Tsitsipas from his last match even with the tiebreak set