2012 Australian Open

• Laley23

  

  I'll take Maria in straights tonight. I'll take the joker in 4 tomorrow, maybe straights if his legs aren't worn out. That extra day for rafa is a pretty big edge
• DeyDurkie5

  

  I'll be watching
• Hulk Smash

  Azarenka crushes Sharapova 3 and love to win the Aussie and claim the #1 ranking.
  
  In the men's final this if the third consecutive major final featuring The Djoker vs Rafa. Would that be a record for two players meeting in finals? Rafa and Fed never played in three straight. Lendl and Wilander didn't either.
• Azubuike24

  

  They will set the record tonight, but it Djokovic can someone make it in the French, they might break it over the next year...don't see how anyone is going to stop either player (maybe Roger at Wimbledon) from sweeping the season of finals...
• Laley23

  

  Azubuike24;1068565 wrote:They will set the record tonight, but it Djokovic can someone make it in the French, they might break it over the next year...don't see how anyone is going to stop either player (maybe Roger at Wimbledon) from sweeping the season of finals...

  Murray and Roger will have a chance at Wimbledon. Also, Rafas knees after the US Open Series heading into the US Open is up for debate.
• Laley23

  

  The Joker takes down Rafa in a thrilling 5 setter. Probably one of the top 5, maybe 3 matches Ive ever seen. Agassi - Sampras at the US Open and Roger - Rafa at Wimbledon are the only 2 I for sure have above it.
• DeyDurkie5

  

  Laley23;1069070 wrote:The Joker takes down Rafa in a thrilling 5 setter. Probably one of the top 5, maybe 3 matches Ive ever seen. Agassi - Sampras at the US Open and Roger - Rafa at Wimbledon are the only 2 I for sure have above it.

  I wanted to watch it, but got too drunk at the casino. Woke up to "one of the greatest matches ever" and just put my head down in shame.
• SportsAndLady

  

  DeyDurkie5;1069081 wrote:I wanted to watch it, but got too drunk at the casino. Woke up to "one of the greatest matches ever" and just put my head down in shame.

  You call yourself a tennis fan..
• gport_tennis

  Laley23;1069070 wrote:The Joker takes down Rafa in a thrilling 5 setter. Probably one of the top 5, maybe 3 matches Ive ever seen. Agassi - Sampras at the US Open and Roger - Rafa at Wimbledon are the only 2 I for sure have above it.

  
  The federer-safin match at the aussie a few years back was incredible as well. I got the match recorded.I was wrong in the set amount, but the joker is just out of this world right now. What seperates novak from federer right now is the ability to make nadal hit backhands. This keeps him in control of the point and ultimately in control of the match. Federers style uses the whole court, especially the forehand down the line. Nadal is just able to tee off on that shot and that's where he beats federer
• Hulk Smash

  When Rafa was a 17-year-old upstart and Roger was at the peak of his dominance Rafa was already beating Roger and not just on clay. Rafa won 7 of the first 10 with two of the wins on hard courts.
  Rafa has always faired well against Roger not just recently.
  
  What separates Novak from Roger is.......................Novak is not Roger.
  Rafa used to be presented with a trophy for beating Roger..............................now Novak gets a trophy when he beats Rafa.
  
  I could slow down the server listing great five-setters I've been fortunate enough to watch over the years.
  Sampras/Becker at the German Indoor and Tour championship a month or so later in 96
  Edberg/Chang 92 US Open semis
  Conners/Mac 84 US Open semis
  Rafter/Sampras 98 US Open semis
  Rafa/Fed Wimbledon finals 07 and 08, Aussie final 09
  Rafter/Ivanisevic 01 Wimbledon
  The Rafter/Agassi series of semis at Wimbledon and the Aussie were all great
  
  Those are just off the top of my head.
  The thing that strikes me as odd is no Lendl/Wilander match comes to mind and I know they played a few epic matches with one another.
  
  Today's final belongs on that list. This match will turn out to be a pivotal point in Rafa's career.
  He spent years chasing the top spot once before, does he have the desire to do it again?
  We'll find out in the spring.
  
  Add Edberg/Becker French semis 89 and Wimbledon final 90 to the list up above.