Tennis Soompi Official Tennis Thread
#3152
Posted 31 May 2009 - 08:54 AM
this is a very very tough loss for rafa and his fans ;(
wasn't too happy when the crowd cheered for sod even when rafa was losing.
i guess he had to lose some time...
i hope he'll come back strong !!
and try and retain his RG title next yr!
#3154
Posted 31 May 2009 - 09:58 AM
Both defending champions are knocked out, the Williams sisters lose a tight doubles match, and Sharapova eats a bagel in the second set and might bow out too.
If Serena and Roger don't win, I might cry.
#3155
Posted 31 May 2009 - 10:49 AM
#3156
Posted 31 May 2009 - 02:23 PM
Yep. It seems he was beaten the same way big flat hitters trouble him on hardcourts. I guess it can work on clay too. He's my favorite player, so you could say this wasn't my favorite match. And out of all the guys to lose to, it was his enemy.
Contrary to what some others are saying, I think it is in the bag for Federer as long as he doesn't screw up. I'd say his biggest obstacles are Monfils and Tsonga. I think Haas is past his prime and Roddick is...Roddick...on clay lol. You know this FO's weird when Roddick is considered a contender lol. Del Potro always gets beaten badly by Federer and I honestly can't see anyone troubling him too much. Then again, I definitely didn't see Nadal losing, so you never know...
I'm actually rooting for Davydenko now though. Actually, what the heck, I'll root for Roddick too.
#3157
Posted 31 May 2009 - 03:13 PM
WHAT. HAPPENED. WHY WHY WHY
I'm about to cry now ;__; my favorite tennis player lost. RAFAAA T__T I was even expecting a Nadal-Federer finals. T_T That would've been exciting. Ugggh T__T
The only reason why I'm watching RG right now just got eliminated: Rafa. WHYYY WHYYY WHYY
If Federer doesn't win, I'll end up crying again(lol).

#3158
Posted 31 May 2009 - 03:38 PM
#3159
Posted 31 May 2009 - 03:45 PM
i usually go to the link for the P2P streams and they're pretty good - sopcast or tvants
last night i got home and my friend msged me telling me i gotta watch rafa and soderling
and i was like, what's the hype... then i was shocked to see taht rafa had lost the first set already.. i watched the 2nd and bit of the 3rd... thinking that rafa should be able to take it in 4... so i went to sleep and bam i wake up and see the shocking news
i have mixed feelings now... yes it's the perfect time for roger to take his first ever RG
but there are a few things to think about... i think roger should be able to stay calm and focused on his goal but we've seen how he's been playing... he seems to zoom in and out of matches... it frustrates me everytime he starts to lose concentration out of nowhere...i just hope he stays focused at the right moments to take it....
the other thing i'm not looking forward to either is if he does take the title, as someone said, his win will be diminished the fact that he's not playing rafa... it might be better if he played soderling in the final but still it's not the same.
Nevertheless, if he can equal sampras here then break the record at wimby, his fave GS, it would be SO COOL
#3160
Posted 31 May 2009 - 04:13 PM
May 31, 2009
“It wasn’t a great day” for Rafa and his fans around the world…Sadly, things didn’t quite work out for our champ today, and as he said it himself a few days ago, “you can’t always win [everything].”
Robin Soderling was a man on a mission today, as he defeated Rafa in 4 sets, 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 y 7-6, after more than 3 hours of play.
"I have to accept with the same calm when I win than when I lose. After four years, I lose here, and the season continues," a gracious Rafa told a news conference.
"Sure, he did well. He did very well but I didn't play my best tennis. I didn't play my tennis, and for that reason I lost. That's it," he said.
"I was not calm enough to face the important points, so I had to fight. But sometimes fighting is not enough. You have to play a good level of tennis.”
"Sometimes people think I win because I'm physically fit, but, no. When I win, it's because I play well, and that wasn't the case today."
Aside from the match itself, one of his biggest disappointments for Rafa was to see the lack of support from the Roland Garros crowd, who sadly, have never been too kind to the champion, “It’s a pity to see that in a tournament as especial as [Roland Garros] is to me, the crowd has never had a nice gesture towards me."
Moving on to the start of the grass season and his preparation for it, Rafa joked that the only preparation he will be worrying about any time soon, will be, “[the time he will spend] at the pool of his house.”
Before leaving to Mallorca, where he will be spending his birthday in the company of friends and family for the first time in many years, Rafa told the press that he would like to see Roger Federer win the title because, “It would be great [to see him win it], so that he can complete the Grand Slam. If anybody deserves it, it’s him,” concluded Rafa.
Vamos Rafa!
#3161
Posted 31 May 2009 - 04:27 PM
And I'm supposed to be a Fed fan. But it just feels so wrong - Rafa HATES Soderling. I'm not even exagerating, in case you missed their "history" at Wimbledon 2007.
He deserved a better loss than this. A more historic, epic loss.
Soderling played Rafa as if they were on a hard court. never seen anyone hit so consistently and so flat off both wings.
So many people out there say that the way to beat Rafa on clay was to come forward and volley. They can go eat dung. Soderling didn't come forward at all. He just blew Rafa off the court with his firepower. Rafa for once couldn't handle it, and ended up dropping a lot of balls short. Simply out-hit. overpowered.
This is upsetting.
#3162
Posted 31 May 2009 - 04:30 PM
Yess. He couldn't have lost to a worst player, ey?
Soderling was all... 'I would never say that', pertaining to Rafa said the reason he lost was because he didn't play well.
Anyway, I agree, Cecilia. And thanks for the link. But I also think winning the FO will give Roger a huuuuge confidence boost. Whether that's a good or bad thing.. who knows. He may actually stumble in Wimbledon due to it or, as the guys on RG radio says, blow past everyone and win it again in his own garden. But whatever, he's got a very, very good chance of winning the FO, and I would love to see it.
#3163
Posted 31 May 2009 - 04:32 PM

#3164
Posted 31 May 2009 - 04:38 PM
And I'm supposed to be a Fed fan. But it just feels so wrong - Rafa HATES Soderling. I'm not even exagerating, in case you missed their "history" at Wimbledon 2007.
He deserved a better loss than this. A more historic, epic loss.
Soderling played Rafa as if they were on a hard court. never seen anyone hit so consistently and so flat off both wings.
So many people out there say that the way to beat Rafa on clay was to come forward and volley. They can go eat dung. Soderling didn't come forward at all. He just blew Rafa off the court with his firepower. Rafa for once couldn't handle it, and ended up dropping a lot of balls short. Simply out-hit. overpowered.
This is upsetting.
It was very painful
If anyone doesn't remember the 2007 incident, here are a few reports:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...7070401540.html
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...05/WIMNOTES.TMP
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/wi...&id=2924350

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#3165
Posted 31 May 2009 - 04:52 PM
I'm even more shocked at how far Andy Murray and Roddick got here. Isn't this Roddick's best result? Same with Murray.
I hope Roger focuses on his goal now. He HAS to win RG. If he doesn't, I don't even know how I'm going to feel. Verdasco is out as well! To Davydenko, of all too! Roger's side of the draw looks much more interesting.
Sigh. What a terrible day of tennis. Well, except for Maria's win! YES! A silver lining! =T
Oh, and what's the deal with the RG crowd not showing any love for Rafa????
#3166
Posted 31 May 2009 - 08:43 PM
WTF NADAL LOST?!! Oh man......................................
♥ CODE GEASS omg
#3167
Posted 31 May 2009 - 09:25 PM
what were the chances of Rafa losing to Soderling? I am so not jinxing Federer. The only thing worse than Nadal losing early is Federer losing early too. chances can go to hell.
shouldn't have worn pink rafa. now you're not scaring people.
the betting odds were apparently 1.01 for Rafa and 15.00 for Soderling. wow. hope someone out there made a fortune.
I've heard that too.
Oh, and what's the deal with the RG crowd not showing any love for Rafa????
YES. Shouldn't let Rafa's loss completely overshadow Maria's win! sure she's playing like crap, but girl has so much fight in her she could probably win matches with her "C Game". I'm finding tons of admiration for the Shrieker right now.
RG crowd loves their underdog. of course they cheered for Soderling. But that's not to say they don't respect Rafa. I think it was just a matter of the crowd wanting to witness history - Rafael Nadal losing - I would too if I paid money for a 4th round ticket. Now that's value for money.
#3168
Posted 31 May 2009 - 09:39 PM
Yess. He couldn't have lost to a worst player, ey?
Soderling was all... 'I would never say that', pertaining to Rafa said the reason he lost was because he didn't play well.
Anyway, I agree, Cecilia. And thanks for the link. But I also think winning the FO will give Roger a huuuuge confidence boost. Whether that's a good or bad thing.. who knows. He may actually stumble in Wimbledon due to it or, as the guys on RG radio says, blow past everyone and win it again in his own garden. But whatever, he's got a very, very good chance of winning the FO, and I would love to see it.
yeah he cldn't have lost to a worst player!
and Sod being all 'i wld nvr say that' thing... wht was rafa suppose to say? at least he didn't give any excuse abt it being the courts or the winds etc. Rafa definitely didn't play well.
I'm even more shocked at how far Andy Murray and Roddick got here. Isn't this Roddick's best result? Same with Murray.
I hope Roger focuses on his goal now. He HAS to win RG. If he doesn't, I don't even know how I'm going to feel. Verdasco is out as well! To Davydenko, of all too! Roger's side of the draw looks much more interesting.
Sigh. What a terrible day of tennis. Well, except for Maria's win! YES! A silver lining! =T
Oh, and what's the deal with the RG crowd not showing any love for Rafa????
haha i think davydenko can be a threat when he wants to. haha! and yeah the crowd was sooo..i dk.they wanted someone to dethrone rafa..but even then when rafa was down in the tiebreaker..they shld have cheered for him too and not just Sod. I for one wld have loved a 5th set x/
May 31, 2009
“It wasn’t a great day” for Rafa and his fans around the world…Sadly, things didn’t quite work out for our champ today, and as he said it himself a few days ago, “you can’t always win [everything].”
Robin Soderling was a man on a mission today, as he defeated Rafa in 4 sets, 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 y 7-6, after more than 3 hours of play.
"I have to accept with the same calm when I win than when I lose. After four years, I lose here, and the season continues," a gracious Rafa told a news conference.
"Sure, he did well. He did very well but I didn't play my best tennis. I didn't play my tennis, and for that reason I lost. That's it," he said.
"I was not calm enough to face the important points, so I had to fight. But sometimes fighting is not enough. You have to play a good level of tennis.”
"Sometimes people think I win because I'm physically fit, but, no. When I win, it's because I play well, and that wasn't the case today."
Aside from the match itself, one of his biggest disappointments for Rafa was to see the lack of support from the Roland Garros crowd, who sadly, have never been too kind to the champion, “It’s a pity to see that in a tournament as especial as [Roland Garros] is to me, the crowd has never had a nice gesture towards me."
Moving on to the start of the grass season and his preparation for it, Rafa joked that the only preparation he will be worrying about any time soon, will be, “[the time he will spend] at the pool of his house.”
Before leaving to Mallorca, where he will be spending his birthday in the company of friends and family for the first time in many years, Rafa told the press that he would like to see Roger Federer win the title because, “It would be great [to see him win it], so that he can complete the Grand Slam. If anybody deserves it, it’s him,” concluded Rafa.
Vamos Rafa!
<3 you RAFA!
ooh i didn't rafa was affected by the crowd!
i was kinda affected too...cos i thought that there were some staunch rafa fans in the crowd..its always the case of there being staunch fans of players..but in the end, all i heard was 'robin robin....' and none for rafa at all..
#3169
Posted 31 May 2009 - 09:45 PM
Nadal's famous ass:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acNUrlKp8t0...feature=related
Roddick bashing on Djokavic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JowXFvg1BI0...feature=related
Tsonga tries to distract Federer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSZvItWSRt4...feature=related
#3170
Posted 31 May 2009 - 10:33 PM






























