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Based on what you saw @ 2019 AO - and other latest info you are privy to, how many Slams will Federer, Nadal and Djokovic end their careers with?

Who will win 2019 Australian Open final?

You know this 'Aliens here, save planet, athlete' BS? Who will you pick?

For rock people, what this means is freaking this:

Aliens arrive on earth. Give humans an option.

Take your best shot: Pick your best sport / athlete for a match against us. If we lose, we will leave. If not, you are ALL freaking toast - after the anal probe, that is.

So who will you choose?

With Nadal's ankle injury as backdrop, is it possible that Djokovic could win 2019 Roland Garros AND second career Slam to further complicate the GOAT debate?

What should hurt the most? Not anointed undisputed GOAT status despite...........

........universal consensus of you being the MOST talented player - EVER. Add the clown who owns you - everywhere - is the one next in line - if not already 'there'. Not enough? How about that clown is universally considered as 'one dimensional' AND clay monster - near exclusively? Heck, you have a losing record against the 'next in line' clown - TOO. And he is not even a clay beast. Heck, you probably have a winning H2H against him on clay - and the finger wagging BS @ Roland Garros.

OR

Near universal consensus of you being the best player - EVER. Add winning H2H against current GOAT candidates. Not enough? How about better or equal stats @ nearly all 'that matter' stats - vis a vis both? Masters, WTF, weeks @ No. 1.............. Still more? Some (most?) think you own Nadal - every which way. And that's the clown threatening the MOST talented clown ever.

What is MOST likely to happen with respect to Federer, Nadal and Djokovic winning Slams from now on?

Who do you believe? Ford or Kavanaugh?

Who was MOST embarrassed (robbed?)? Nadal or Osaka?

Shouldn't Federer freaking retire already? Loss @ 2018 Wimbledon to Anderson was a polite reminder - last one. It's going to get outright freaking rude from now on - with a sharply sliding scale. Yeah, it can get worse. Heard of Mr. Bye?

Hasn't the entire 2018 season since AO has been leading up to this?

Tournament	Lost to	Rank	Round	Score
Indian Wells	Del Potro	8	Final	46 768 672
Miami	Kokkinakis	175	Opening rd	63 36 674
Halle	Boric Acid	34	Final	676 63 26
Wimbledon	Anderson	8	Quarterfinal	62 765 57 46 11-13
Cincinnati	Djokovic	10	Final	46 46
US Open	Millwoman	55	Quarterfinal	63 57 67 67

Most expected final @ 2018 US Open.

Who's the freaking LIAR? From Gary Moser. Thanks.

Andy Murray admitted that he still had doubts as to whether he would ever recapture his best form but was encouraged by his performance against Fernando Verdasco here on Wednesday at the US Open, despite a row developing after the Briton accused his opponent of illegally speaking to his coach during heat break.

Murray was beaten 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 after more than three and a quarter hours, but the 31-year-old Scot fought to the end of a tight contest played in sweltering conditions. The temperature reached 36 degrees Celsius and the humidity rose above 40 per cent.

Under the tournament’s new heat rule the two players were allowed to take a 10-minute break before the fourth set. However, Murray was concerned about the lack of guidance about the protocol for the breaks.

Players must not talk to their entourage during them, but Murray said he saw Verdasco chatting with his coach in the locker room. Murray said he informed the supervisor, who, according to the Scot, told Verdasco that was not allowed.

“You’ve got to do better than that,” Murray said. “This is one of the biggest events in the world. If you have rules like that, you need to stick with them, because one player getting to speak to the coach and the other not is not fair.”

 

He added: “I’m not blaming Fernando and his team. They probably weren’t aware that those were the rules. They certainly weren’t trying to break any rules. It shouldn’t be for the player that’s competing against him to have to go to the supervisor.

“If I hadn’t said anything, they would have been chatting, chatting about the match, giving tactics and stuff. I shouldn’t be in that position in the middle of a match at a Slam, having to make sure they're doing their job.”

Verdasco, nevertheless, denied that he had talked to his coach and insisted that he had not been admonished by any tournament official.

Murray was unhappy with Verdasco speaking to his coach during a heat break (AP)

Asked whether he had any doubts about his ability to return to the top, Murray said: “You just don’t know. When I got the injury, I was ranked No 1 in the world. Twelve months later things had completely changed.

“You just don’t know exactly what’s round the corner. If things keep going smoothly and physically I continue to improve, I believe that I will get back to competing for the biggest competitions, because there’s no reason why I couldn’t, but you don’t know.

“When you continue to build up and start playing more tournaments, you don’t know how you’re going to respond. If that’s the case, that makes things a little bit more tricky.

“Because of the path that I’ve been on the last year with many, many ups and downs, trying to come back, it not quite working, then ending up having the surgery, I think it’s completely normal to have those doubts.”

https://sports.yahoo.com/andy-murray-involved-us-open-061300557.html

Who is most likely to win 2018 US Open? Nadal, Federer or Djokovic?

Realistically how many more Slams and Masters 1000 titles do you now expect from Nadal, Federer and Djokovic?

Which Slam final comes closest to being deemed a draw (nobody won or both won)?

Whose failure to win 2018 Wimbledon surprised you MOST? Federer or Nadal?

Who among the 6 and more Slam winners (ones who are NOT active today) is aging most gracefully?

Age:

Connors: 65.

Borg: 62.

McEnroe: 59.

Lendl: 58.

Wilander: 53.

Edberg: 52.

Becker: 50.

Agassi: 48.

Sampras: 46.

Age: 65.

2018 Wimbledon. Age: 62.

2018 Wimbledon. Age: 59.

Age: 58.

Age: 53.

2017 Wimbledon. Age: 52.

2018 London. Age: 50.

2017 French Open. Age: 48.

Age: 46.

GOAT hierarchy. Would you rate GOAT of a certain sport 'greater' - from among the 'mainstream' sports? Or will you base that more on how treacherous the journey was - regardless of sport?

Who was the biggest loser @ 2018 Wimbledon? Nadal or Federer?

Nadal:

IF Nadal ends his career @ 19 Slams - and Federer stays put @ 20 - this loss may bear brunt of the blame AND the hurt that 'station' will inevitably exact.

Why?

Because:

1. Djokovic was NOT expected to produce the form he unleashed - as opposed to how routine it was for him @ other Slam losses Nadal suffered at the hands of Djokovic @ AO, W and USO.

2. Nadal was in full flight - @ Wimbledon - for the first time - in 7 years.

3. With Federer gone, winning the final was a foregone conclusion - WITHOUT factoring two back to back five setters @ quarters and semis for Anderson.

4. Five set loss with 8-10 in the fifth set further heightens the 'condition' - as it 'humiliates' Nadal's superior conditioning and style of play - clay 'fatigue' notwithstanding.

5. Three Wimbledon titles would have tied Nadal with Becker, McEnroe and Djokovic leaving JUST Borg (5), Sampras (7) and Federer (8) ahead - allowing him to at least realistically 'contest' the clay only tag - forget the distant third Career Slam probability (he has won three US Open and 11 FO titles already).

6. No. 18 would have 'equipped' Nadal to realistically dream of getting to No. 20 by end of next season.

7. Add all of above and it may end up as a source of agony - for perpetuity.

Federer:

1. By near-unanimous consensus this was Federer's LAST realistic shot @ No. 20 - for obvious reasons.

2. He lost a match he had 'won' (had match point @ third set after winning the first two sets) - forget Anderson's stature or lack thereof.

3. He had Isner in the semis AND a weakened, if not crippled, opponent for the final.

4. No. 9 would have allowed Federer some credibility vis a vis Nadal's No. 11 (or whatever he ends up with @ FO).

5. 21 has a FAR greater likelihood of 'standing' alone than No. 20 as things lie today - Djokovic's resurgence notwithstanding. At this point, Federer will be THRILLED to be ahead of Nadal on the Slam pole EVEN if it is by JUST one Slam.

6. Win here would have reversed the 'slide' he has been on since winning 2018 AO allowing him to mentally NOT 'think' of retirement - at least with 'fodder' this compelling.

7. Regaining No. 1 rank - one last time - may have been on the chair? It's not even on the floor now.

As things lie today, who do you think will win 2018 US Open title?

Your choice for 2018 Wimbledon winner: Anderson (8) or Djokovic (12)?

Who is your first choice for WTA 2018 Wimbledon title?

Who will win 2018 Wimbledon title?

Who should Federer face in the final @ 2018 Wimbledon to have the best shot at winning the title? Nadal or Djokovic?

Nadal's record @ Wimbledon:

Year	Result	Opponent	Rank
2012	2nd rd	Rosol	100
2013	Opening rd	Darcis	135
2014	4th rd	Kyrgios	144
2015	2nd rd	Dustin Brown	102
2017	4th rd	Muller	26

 

Djokovic's last title and Slam:

Year	Tournament
2017	Eastbourne (Grass)
2016	AO

Who do you think is the MOST accomplished player @ following brackets? Since 16 and beyond bracket is still 'on going' we will revert back to it later.

Who do you think is dodging whom? Nadal or Federer?

Who do you think is MOST eager to cling on to No. 1 rank: Nadal or Federer?

What is most likely to happen in 2018 with respect to Nadal and Federer winning Slams?

Chances of Federer winning 2018 Wimbledon about 30 days shy of his 37th birthday.

Which WTA player, you are MOST surprised, is not getting 'proportionate to her looks' attention from the opposite sex like say Sharapova is?

Who is most likely to stop Nadal @ 2018 clay season?

Should the shot clock be governed by a certain number of shots or certain duration? From Veglia. Thanks.

VEGLIA

As you all probably know, I'm not Little Rafa's greatest fan, to put it mildly. But, on this one, he may have a point.

Not sure we want to penalize the quality of play to save a few seconds.

On the other hand, we clearly want to prevent misusing the time between points.

So, maybe the rule applies to points up to a certain number of shots, or certain duration, which may be easier to implement. For example, 25 seconds rule applies to points lasting up to 15 seconds after which you add an additional second for every additional 5 seconds played. Something like that.

It can be progressive as well, not linear. It won't be hard to implement.

Would Federer have competed @ 2018 clay season if Nadal didn't exist? If yes, does it say something - about both?

Which GOAT is MOST undisputed?

No one will ever pass which GOAT?

Based on what you know today, your best guess on how many Slams will Federer and Nadal end their careers with?

Is the following more of an indictment for Federer or compliment for Nadal?

That Nadal has been able to reach near-GOAT status by 'exploiting' just ONE freaking shot / stroke.

Shouldn't the MOST complete player history has ever produced have demolished that weak an 'arsenal' - to smithereens?

Not only did he NOT do that he himself was freaking demolished - thoroughly.

All rock people, click freaking here for the entire previous post on it.

Should Federer go for the second Career Slam @ 2018 FO given Nadal appears 'vulnerable'?

Who will win 2018 AO title? Federer or Cilic?

Who is your first choice for 2018 AO title if Federer is removed from contention?

Who is most likely to stop Federer from getting to No. 20?

If Nadal and Federer are not 'expected' to be the 2018 year-end No. 1 (as per previous poll here), who do you think will be?

Which Slam will Nadal and Federer think about MOST if both are tied on the Slam pole - meaning which 'on the platter' Slam could have given them the lead if they had won it?

Predictions for 2018.

Barring injury:

Federer will win at least one Slam - most probably AO. As things stand today, who will defeat him there? Nadal? Sure!!!!!

Since Wimbledon falls almost on his 37th birthday, it may not be as much of a Slam dunk as AO. Still winning two Slams is quite probable. Maybe even possible.

Nadal will win two Slams. FO? USO? If Federer falters @ AO, Nadal may step in to complete the second Career Slam piece. If he does, he may STILL end the season with just two Slams (Nothing @ USO then). Worse case scenario? Just FO.

This back and forth between Federer and Nadal (Federer winning just enough to deny Nadal gaining ground on the Slam pole) will end in 2018 leaving Nadal to then 'employ paper cuts' (winning one Slam per season @ 2019 and beyond) to close the gap.

Federer will win two Masters 1000 titles.

Nadal will win three Masters 1000 titles.

Djokovic will win one Masters 1000 title.

Nadal will be the year-end No. 1.

Nadal has a deficit of SIX with respect to 'GOAT implication' titles - with more than one way to cat the skin.

Tournament	Nadal	Federer	Deficit / Advantage
Slams	16	19	-3
Masters	30	27	+3
WTF	0	6	-6
TOTAL	46	52	-6

 

Point: If Nadal somehow is the all-time leader on the Slam AND the Masters pole - with Federer still holding the 6-0 lead @ WTF - will the WTF advantage matter for Federer @ GOAT table? And that's if Nadal doesn't extend his Masters lead to six from three today thereby neutralizing the advantage - at least statistically.

 

 

How long will Nadal last?

Shouldn't the following provide some insight as to how long:

Everyone had unanimously predicted Nadal will not last past his 28th birthday. There was more than enough evidence to not even attempt to refute the 'claim'.

If he has not only lasted beyond that date, but is also winning multiple Slams - in one season - there must be something he is engaged in - legal or illegal - that is working.

AND if it has worked thus far, it is reasonable to assume it will continue to - even after factoring in 'advanced' age.

I mean, the likelihood of him shutting down abruptly - for good - continues to wane with above as backdrop. Sure there's always that possibility given the severity of injury but if he has survived this long with this severe an abuse going out in 'phases' appears more plausible - since he is still 31. Add Federer, Connors and Agassi and it may switch to more of a certainty.

If above BS is true, then are we looking @ what three more years - till age 34? Four - till 35 MAX?

That's about 12 Slams (3 years) with no Federer (soon) and no competition.

Federer 'faulting' on going after 2017 WTF instead of year-end No. 1?

Shouldn't everything Pederer and Mowgli do from now on - on and off the court - be tempered with GOAT 'impressions'? Duh!!!!!

With that as backdrop, how can winning another WTF (Federer already holds all-time record) trump year-end No. 1 rank when it will tie Sampras' all-time record. Heck, more importantly it will deny Nadal from bagging No. 4 - JUST one short of Federer's (5)?

Conversely, EVEN if Nadal wins WTF the GOAT needle will not move as much as it will with fourth year-end title - specially when things tighten up.

Who is your favorite WTA player - from among the four plus Slam winners?

Who is your favorite player from among the 6+ Slam winners when Nadal and Federer are blocked out?

Which of the three most known H2Hs in tennis will produce the MOST bitter 'victim' - say about ten years from now?

Nadal - Federer?

23-14 Nadal.

There's definitely MOST material here - compared to the other two - to justify ANY scale of bitterness.

However, you do have the 'human' factor that defies logic with respect to the reaction - as each clown deals with a given situation based on how he or she is wired - instead of what's reasonable, expected and understandable - specially when you insert time (10 years).

But Federer's history of behavior warrants a strong response - far beyond what some Sumo wrestler called Agassi is currently exhibiting.

Serena - Sharapova? 

19-2 Serena.

Serena has won the last 18 matches - 15 in straight sets - with two bagels and nine breadsticks.

Just the on-court history between the two is sufficient to evoke chronic bitterness. Add US, Russia, Serena's eagerness to be THE most stylish woman - forget tennis player - and Agassi may have some competition - soon.

Sampras - Agassi?

20-14 Sampras.

Agassi clearly leads the pack TODAY but will he reign supreme a decade from now - too?

Do you want the 'Photos' post that is published daily to continue?

VEGLIA

TP, respectfully, I agree with one of the comments made recently by another member, what's the point of these photos here on The Planet? We don't come here to look at photos, we come here to argue about GOATs, take English lessons from Gary, read poetry at Christmas ...

All rock people, not familiar with 'Photos' post, click freaking here.