After an exciting weekend the matches so far today have seemed like a bit of an anti-climax. Fed getting through against Berdych easily and Blake dispatching Cilic in 3.

At the moment Ferrero and Ferrer are a set a piece in their match and Djoko vs. Hewitt has just started. :ok:

Hewitt's broken Djoko in the first set!!! :blink:

Djoko only just held serve there..... :unsure:

I don't understand why the majority opinion seems to be that Hewitt will get battered in 3 quick sets :shrug: Sure Djoko is fave in terms of seedings, age but he's up against the toughest fighter on tour on his home turf. Djoko hasn't beentested yet. Had Hewitt not played in that ridiculous situation that the idiots allowed to happen the other night and not got to bed until 9am yesterday morning then I'd have put him as the marginal fave, had he not effectively had jet lag! :rolleyes: Still I think this is an excellent match and you can't count Hewitt out - he is in this match :ok:

I'm not at all sure that that is the majority opinion tbh SB. I think most people reckon that Djoko will win - which is fair enough, he is the higher ranked of the two. But i don't think anyone thinks this will be an easy ride for Djoko, although I suspect he is at an advantage after Hewitt's late-night/early morning match. But like you said, Hewitt's a fighter, in front of his home crowd - he will make this as difficult as possible for Djoko. :shrug:

Djoko took the first set :D but eversince Saraless mentioned 'COME ON' that's all I can damn well hear

:wacko:

:lol:

Ferrer won in 4 sets :ok: nice to see him continuing his good run from the end of last year :)

Well the bookies seem to have written him off, and general opinion :shrug:

Anyway it's a good match, shame for Hewitt to have broken first in each set and not won them. Although this isn't over quite yet. I personally don't think Djokovic is at all convincing out there. And it's funny that the knackered old man Hewitt who got no kip is faster and looking fitter :lol: I like Djokovic but I don't feel 100% confidence in him yet. I think the onyl thing that has saved his bacon so far is that he has more power than Hewitt, but he's been outplayed at the net and outplayed for speed. There are some godo points though. :ok:

never trust a bookie :P

It is looking rather like Hewitt may lose this in 3 though - but I certainly don't think it's gonna be a whitewash. I feel sorry for Hewitt in some ways 'cos it was a truly ridiculous decision to make him play Baggy the other night - I was reading Hewitt's interview and he was saying that they were told that the women's match would be moved, so they went and warmed up, only to be told it wouldn't be moved. And also, neither Baggy nor Hewitt got any say in the matter - they were just told they were playing. Neither player seemed too pissy about it, but if I were Hewitt I'd be annoyed :shrug:

No idea about him at all. Never seen him play a match, never seen him on TV, to me he means nothing :lol: I just read abotu him and look at hsi stats! Sounds like he is on form and sneaking through quietly. A threat for the semis?

Anyway Djokovic is being naughty - he keeps taking ages bewteen points cos he is so knackered! :lol: And I've worked out what it is about Djokovic that is wierd and a bit annoying to me - he reminds me of my gandad! :lol: Same hairstyle for sure, a cheap home barber haircut !

Sorry!! It's incredibly frustrating, isn't it? Like a rubbish song that won't get out of your head!!

It's the COME ON accompanied by the fist pump that really annoys me. Hopefully there won't be cause for much more :whistle:

I don't trust bookies Jo! I have no bets riding on anything at the mo. I save money by doing precitions comps. :D

I feel sorry for Hewitt too. I knwo lots of folks dislike him but I don't. I like players who give their all and make a match of everything. And I think Djokovic may turn into that player one day, Sure he was the underdog but he must be shattered cos he is lookign tired and serving worse than normal, plus makign a few errors, not quite gettign th epower in soem groundies as norma, I heard abotu what you said, it is a disgrace and I'm shocked the Aussies let it happen because they were effectively screwing their best hope. I wonder what the press said over there? Imagine what folk woudl be saying If it happened to Henman at Wimbers! Folks were going mad and I think I was too when he played I think Tursy in crap light ad slightly wet conditions that time. And if Baghi had won that match he'd have been f*cked too. It was great for me cos I got to watch it live and all but bad for the players and the tournie. I thik Hewitt shoudl eb monaing, and so shoudl Baghi! :ok:

tbh, there's other players who are as bad. Djoko's bouncing the ball a million times drives me up the wall. Nadal's "vamos" can be just as bad, as can his random porn-star sounding grunts which appear when he's exhausted (makes watching the tennis slightly embarrassing - i do wonder what my neighbours think of me! :blush: )

I don't have a problem with the c'mons. I think more players ought to get pumped up, they might give us the best matches they coudl possibly give us then rather than borign us to death and wimping out !:lol: Sorry but I think there are too many wimps n the tour, brign back the pumped up personalities I say!

:D

Yeah it makes me laugh how quite a few folk who think what Nadal does is fine slag Hewit off. Methinks they are biased! :lol: I notice that Nadal actually copies lots of Hewitt actions. That bending down and moving your hand like you are playikg guitar movement, the fist pumps, the c'mon only in Spanish ... the list is endless! One thignt o Hewitt's credit is he doesn;t waste time between points. I fidn that so annoying. And ball bouncing too! Get on with it.

Now I guess you understand SB. ;)

no need to be sorry hun :hug: It's funny that he's gone strangely silent in the CO stakes as you said ;)

Certainly looks as though the Baggy epic is getting to him, but Djoko's making some great shots, his winner to take the 2nd set was sublime :bow:

Well it might be 3 sets but it is hardly a battering! Better display than a lot fo the youngsters have put up. I doubt some of them woudl have made it on court today after the other night's 5 setter :unsure:

it winds me up a bit when Rafa does it too - the odd vamos/come on/allez is great - good bit of fire and passion for the play. It's just when it happens all the time. Loses the effect. You can't continually vamos and expect it to encite people!!

As for the time wasting/ball bouncing. Very disappointing. I wish the ATP would crack down on that more. Ok, so the water bottles etc is quite funny at times...but taking mini breaks between points is not on.

If I were playing Rafa I'd kick those bottles over - that would be a sure fire tactic to destroy his equilibrium. And for Djoko? I'd thrown a ball at him for every bounce he makes once a pre-ordered 5 bounces was made.

I counted 15 the other day!

:lol:

Yeah those bottles really piss me off too! :D

And LLeyton breaks back form match point down! :o :D :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: How folks cannto like a person who doesn't know when they are beat beggars beleif with me! That's what I like anyhow :ok: If onyl the Brits had that attitude. :rolleyes:

Now Lleyton si gonna toss ther match the fool! :lol:

No doubt Hewitt is a great fighter and is showing just that right now. Yet, because of his last match schedule, he had little chance today to upset Djoko.

GSM Djoko.

I feel really sorry for Hewitt to be honest, he is such a fighter and character, but there is no doubt here that Djoko would give Fed a harder time and perhaps beat him, which is what I think the ATP needs.

So well done Djoko :clap: :clap:

But hard luck Lleyton, I am still keeping some blind faith that eventually you can go further in these slams, but it looks like my hopes are dwindling... but never say never. :ok:

On other matters, now Djoko is through to the quarters does Wise have to change his Avatar to George Bastl, or does he have to make the semi finals for that?

Yeah shame cos I reckon this could have been a classic 5 setter and match of the tournie :( I enjoyed ti though, some good points. :ok:

I thought Hewitt took the right strategy but being more aggressive made him make more errors - I put a lot of that down to being tired though. Djoko made to many UEs too, he would not have got away with that in different circumstances.

I think he said he wouldn't get past the quarters :unsure: Which,. looking at the draw, means that Wise needs to put some faith in Ferrer :huh:

HaHa :darkangel:

REVENGE Djoko came through for me.

I feel sorry for Hewitt, but i am very pleased with his achievements this AO. He's shown he still has it, Ok the game has moved on a bit but he can still trouble people. He was written off as an early exit by many and he had a very tough draw with Baghi and Djoko. He was in what will be the most talked aboot match fo the tournie and he won it so it's all very good as far as I am concerned. Just a shame he never made the semis as it would have helped my predictions out but a good performance overall. :ok:

You'll be laughing on the other side of your face with Djoko triple bagels Federer out of the tourney! :P :P

Not that I think that will happen,but I think today shows how cruel old father time is on even the greats of tennis.
It doesn't seem that long ago that Hewitt was punching holes in Sampras.
Now here is being beaten up by a younger harder hitting bunch of guys.

Ironically in time I reckon Djoko may be the one to start on Federer,making him look toothless.

Not yet though :tsk:

I've just had a look at the schedule for tomorrow - pretty impressive matches all round!

Jankovic vs. Serena
Sharapova vs. Henin

Nieminen vs Nadal
Tsonga vs Youzhny

:chesire:

Not based on their last meeting in a final anyway :rolleyes:

I thought Djoko had real ability a couple fo years back, and I was right. But I think there is still a lot fo work to do, he is a very good player but i do see quite a few vulnerabilities. He might have the power but I feel he needs to work on the touch and the volleying. And of course the consistency adn mayeb the fitness. Sure he'si fit enough but there are times he looks tired to me. He got through some 5 sets at Wimby though. Time is on his side though.

Yeah on the BBC freeview we get the Henin and Tsonga matches. Should be good hopefully. Although I'd have quite liked to see Serena and Jankovic also - haven't seen Serena yet. I knwo George was hoping for that, he doesn't watch as much tennsi as I do but he likes Jankovic, thinks she a laugh :lol: Hope she doesn't wear the shrimp outfit though, or Serena will eb slappign her on the Barbie. :D

Sharapova v Henin. I feel the way Shara has been playing she might win it this time. As much as I woudl like Tsonga to win I feel Youshny will be a better opponent for Nadal as I can't see Nieminen winning v Rafa.

Youzhny all the way!!!! :chesire: :chesire: :chesire: