04/18/24
January 25, 2008
The mighty hath fallen: : Novak Djokovic knocks out Roger Federer in a straight-sets victory in the Australian Open semis.
posted by lil_brown_bat to tennis at 04:55 PM - 13 comments
While Nadal was the 2 seed few people expected him to get to the final. He did well to get to the semis. Tsonga played a spectacular match against Nadal, by far the best of his career. The match he played is the definition of In The Zone. It's still available on espn360, I highly recommend watching it there or getting a torrent of it. Federer played a slightly below average match, for him, and Djokovic made him pay for it. It was their USO match reversed--this time Djokovic won the big points, and his nerves held up.
posted by aerotive at 05:55 PM on January 25, 2008
Right now, there are lots of people who purchased tickets for the men's final that are cursing the world. Expected: Nadal vs Federer Actual: Djokovic vs Tsonga That would be like wanting a Patriots vs Cowboys final and getting Jacksonville vs Seattle. I am calling Djokovic to win just because of common sense, like Sharapova tonight, even though Ivanovic is better on paper (and that is truth, Sharapova being more deserving is the other side of the coin). However, truth is that Nadal was imploded in a spectacular manner, Federer actually did get to kick and fight. However, Nadal was swept away like cremains. The margin of victory tells you Tsonga will win, but Djokovic is a very high seed, and he a lot of more experience, Tsonga's bio is just dismantling Nadal. However, if you are to look at margin of victory (and ignore whose better on paper or more deserving because of experience and seed), Tsonga would be the favorite in that category (somewhat like Ivanovic tonight, though she and Maria are similar players, and people have much higher expectations of Ivanovic and not Tsonga).
posted by SFValley_Dude at 07:00 PM on January 25, 2008
Wow, how many people expected Federer to lose period, let alone to Djokovic. Ten straight Grand Slam finals is incredible, if only he could defeat Nadal at the French Open.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 08:48 PM on January 25, 2008
This is the first time I have really watched any tennis and I am really enjoying it. I watched the Tsonga match yesterday and was impressed. Now mind you impressing me probably isn't very hard because I have never really watched. I watched Federer a little the other day and thought so this is what a great tennis player looks like. So many of you have been singing his praises on spofi over the last year. I am bummed that I will not be able to see him in the finals but will enjoy watching Tsonga again. I have not see Djokovic but I am hoping it is a good match. Wow I just watched Sharapova win it all. I think I may have a new sport I am fast becoming hooked on.
posted by skydivemom at 10:17 PM on January 25, 2008
Hey, guys, I was lucky enough to be there for the women's semis on Thursday (our time). Sharapova was clearly the best on court all day, aand no surprise that she went on to beat Ivanovic. Even live, however, she still sounds like someone having sex with a squeaky toy. I don't think there'll be a problem selling the men's final tomorrow. Melbourne has a huge Serbian community out to support Djojkovic, and Tsonga has really captured the imagination of most neutrals. It doesn't hurt that he's as good looking as the young Muhammad Ali, either. Some of the tennis he played in the semi against Federer was sensational, especially at the net. Come down under next year, skydivemom, and I'll sort out some tickets. That goes for you other SpoFites, too.
posted by owlhouse at 03:12 AM on January 26, 2008
It doesn't even matter man. How many championships(grand slams) has Feder won? Too many to count. Nobody can beat him in the Wimbledon, anyway so what does the Australian open mean to him. He has become the Tiger Woods of Tenis(Greatest of All Time). Even the greatest lose sometimes tho. This was one of those times. Djokovic will win in the final.
posted by Scars at 12:28 PM on January 26, 2008
SFValley: Nadal did not implode, Tsonga played out of his mind, amazing tennis. His serve was devastating, his volleying was flawless, he could not be passed at the net, he ran down everything, he was returning like Agassi. I was blown away by his game. In short, there was really nothing Rafa could do; nobody could have beat Tsongas the way he was playing. I just hope that he can maintain that level of tennis for the final. If he and Djokovic bring it like they did in the semis we could see the match of the year in January.
posted by sic at 02:10 PM on January 26, 2008
Some of the tennis he played in the semi against Federer was sensational, especially at the net. Er, I meant when Tsonga beat Nadal. I can't tell the difference between right handers and left handers, obviously.
posted by owlhouse at 04:36 PM on January 26, 2008
Nobody can beat him in the Wimbledon, anyway so what does the Australian open mean to him. I dunno, the rest of tennis is starting to catch up to him. Nadal came very very close to beating him last year. I'm not saying Federer won't win, but I wouldn't call him a shoe-in.
posted by jmd82 at 04:58 PM on January 26, 2008
I can't tell the difference between right handers and left handers, obviously. They hold the racket on different sides.
posted by yerfatma at 06:25 PM on January 26, 2008
I agree that that Tsonga is like Agassi is he playing tennis of historical proportions, Djokovic himself is of the next genration of legends (like Federer and Nadal, so who succeeded Agassi and his group), you are that Tsonga will win? Or that he will not, but he certainly deserves to win. Melbourne has given tennis its best. It gave us the 2006, 2007, and 2008 epics involving Baghdatis, incuding his 06 run to the final. It also gave us the best match ever: El Aynaoui vs Roddick. Could Djokovic vs Tsonga be the best ever?
posted by Joe188 at 06:46 PM on January 26, 2008
grum: That would be like wanting a Patriots vs Cowboys final and getting Jacksonville vs Seattle. Hardly that. Did you see the match? Scars: It doesn't even matter man. How many championships(grand slams) has Feder won? Too many to count. Nobody can beat him in the Wimbledon, anyway so what does the Australian open mean to him. What does it mean to him? It's a Grand Slam championship, that's what it means. It's every bit as important as Wimbledon. It's also one of the two slams that's played on what is arguably Federer's best surface. He certainly didn't go to Australia thinking, "Hmm, maybe I'll let this one slide and concentrate on Wimbledon" (which isn't for several months). If he's at the point in his career (and he may be) where the calculus of not putting much effort into one major in order to concentrate on another is starting to make sense, it would make no sense for the Australian to be the one he let slide (barring injury, that is, and he's not injured).
posted by lil_brown_bat at 07:34 AM on January 28, 2008
Right now, there are lots of people who purchased tickets for the men's final that are cursing the world. Expected: Nadal vs Federer Actual: Djokovic vs Tsonga That would be like wanting a Patriots vs Cowboys final and getting Jacksonville vs Seattle.