Tennis 2018.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

I should have commented on that. RIP.

Federer and Bencic are about to win the Hopman Cup for Switzerland, beating Zverev and Kerber of Germany.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

And they win it.

[HCZ]

Kyle Edmund and Cameron Norrie

Is British Tennis doing an English Cricket by bolstering it’s ranks with Saffas

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Fed beats Bemelmans 6-1 6-2 at Rotterdam 500.

If he reaches the semi-final here he is World Number 1 again.

[HCZ]

Fed beats Bemelmans 6-1 6-2 at Rotterdam 500.

If he reaches the semi-final here he is World Number 1 again.

Although Federer has shown remarkable longevity that does demonstrate what a shit show Tennis is at the moment.
All the top players are over 30, because there just hasn’t been an emerging generation for years

Tiafoe, Zverev, Chung, Shapavalov they look the most likely but none have got to the business end of grand slams. Sampras, Becker, Nadal had already won grand slams by their age

[McNamara That Ghost...]

I disagree to a certain degree, I think it has been such a physically demanding era I don't expect any of the 'emerging' players to be doing much until they get towards their late 20's, that seems to be these days when everything comes together for a player, all coalesces and still have theyphysical attributes to compete.

Sampras, Becker and Nadal were special players but you don't always get them. Federer is the GOAT.

Plus have Nadal and Federer been playing at a level recently that belies the players they were? I don't think they are.

[HCZ]

I disagree to a certain degree, I think it has been such a physically demanding era I don't expect any of the 'emerging' players to be doing much until they get towards their late 20's, that seems to be these days when everything comes together for a player, all coalesces and still have theyphysical attributes to compete.

Sampras, Becker and Nadal were special players but you don't always get them. Federer is the GOAT.

Plus have Nadal and Federer been playing at a level recently that belies the players they were? I don't think they are.

Well Nadal will probably never win Wimbledon again because his knees are fucked

And the plexicushion surface in Melbourne doesn’t agree with him

Federer is ever green and has added the backhand to his box of tricks probably tiring maunevering himself onto his forehand all the time, but like last year almost certain he will miss the clay court season

And frankly they are both benefiting from Djokovic and Murray being Crocked. Federer hasn’t been able to lay a glove on Djokovic for years.

The game is Athletic the racket heads and the way the game is being coached is all geared to Baseline play (and no bad thing, the era of serve volleying was atrocious) therefore logically the younger a player is the greater his staying power should be.

Plus when you look at the previous lot of new comers who were meant to make it in Tennis, like Raonic, Dimitrov and Nishikori....none of these look like breaking in.

Cilic has got to two grand slam finals in the past year off the back of injuries dogging the top rankings, he really isn’t anything special.

And Stan Wawrinka, not sure what happened there. The guy always had the game but not the consistency, but i wouldn’t expect him to add to his majors haul.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

No the younger they are the less aware they are of physically what it takes and the work you need to do to compete. Pat Cash described the younger guys having no idea what they're experiencing when, in particular playing Federer and Nadal.

It's largely irrelevant whether they're benefiting from Djokovic or Murray being injured as a) that alludes to how physical the era has been and b) it's not their concern.

I think Federer will play the Clay in his last year but yes I guess you are right however given Nadal will be on clay and Federer will still be on grass, it still makes it very much a closed shop on those particular surfaces.

You can't lament other players not coming in and then when someone else does (he is a Slam winner of course) say he only did it because others are injured, should he lose to prove a point?

[HCZ]

No the younger they are the less aware they are of physically what it takes and the work you need to do to compete. Pat Cash described the younger guys having no idea what they're experiencing when, in particular playing Federer and Nadal.

It's largely irrelevant whether they're benefiting from Djokovic or Murray being injured as a) that alludes to how physical the era has been and b) it's not their concern.

I think Federer will play the Clay in his last year but yes I guess you are right however given Nadal will be on clay and Federer will still be on grass, it still makes it very much a closed shop on those particular surfaces.

You can't lament other players not coming in and then when someone else does (he is a Slam winner of course) say he only did it because others are injured, should he lose to prove a point?

I’m saying Federer and Nadal are part of an old guard and it’s lamentable that they aren’t being challenged by a new broom.

Did Djokovic or Nadal not appreciate the effort it takes to win, one won their first grand slam at 20 and the other at 18.

Could it not just be that when it comes to it the trifecta of Federer-Djokovic-Nadal has largely gone on for so long because the talent is not being produced.

For me the only young player I’ve seen who looks potentially like they have the power in his ground strokes is Borna Coric.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

3-3 in the first set between Fed and Kohlschreiber.