2007 Wimbledon Men's Final

[wade moore]

I absolutely love watching these two play.

[Buccaneer]

I have been a fan of Nadal (along with Blake and a couple of others) for several years now but never could stand Federer. Having him win along with one of the steroids sisters would make this Wimbledon a complete bust.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

I have been a fan of Nadal (along with Blake and a couple of others) for several years now but never could stand Federer. Having him win along with one of the steroids sisters would make this Wimbledon a complete bust.

I'm not a huge fan of Federer and much prefer Nadal, but I'm not sure the last time I've seen two guys consistently play entertaining matches against each other - and on the stage of the finals nonetheless. I much prefer Nadal winning, but just watching these two guys play is fantastic imo.

[Buccaneer]

Definitely close. Nadal might actually break through to win.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Definitely close. Nadal might actually break through to win.

This would be huge for Nadal I think. How many non-French majors has he lost to Federer? Big step for him to beat Federer, off of clay, in a Grand Slam final.

I think I like Nadal so much because he plays like I tried to play (when I played competitive tennis - nothing crazy, just high school varsity)... finesse and defense, rather than pure power. What I dislike about men's tennis is the reliance on Aces vs. technique and finesse.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by wade moore

This would be huge for Nadal I think. How many non-French majors has he lost to Federer? Big step for him to beat Federer, off of clay, in a Grand Slam final.

I think I like Nadal so much because he plays like I tried to play (when I played competitive tennis - nothing crazy, just high school varsity)... finesse and defense, rather than pure power. What I dislike about men's tennis is the reliance on Aces vs. technique and finesse.

I cannot agree with you more. Power sports have increasingly turned me off, as in the huge rackets or the huge drivers. The reliance on 150 mph aces is not tennis (as Bjorn would say) and very boring to watch, might as well set up an automatic serving machines. I wouldn't go so far as banning these oversized monster rackets because too many (all?) players are weened on them. But something needs to be done to bring back technique, finesse and defense. Baseball can do it so maybe tennis can too.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

I cannot agree with you more. Power sports have increasingly turned me off, as in the huge rackets or the huge drivers. The reliance on 150 mph aces is not tennis (as Bjorn would say) and very boring to watch, might as well set up an automatic serving machines. I wouldn't go so far as banning these oversized monster rackets because too many (all?) players are weened on them. But something needs to be done to bring back technique, finesse and defense. Baseball can do it so maybe tennis can too.

Well, in the true tradition of sports as Nadal gets more successful I'm sure more and more young players will attempt to imitate him. So, there is hope I suppose..

This is why I generally prefer Women's tennis (when a Williams sister isn't playing) over men's tennis.. Nadal has really served to revive my enjoyment in men's tennis.

[Buccaneer]

Same here.

[wade moore]

*sigh*

[Young Drachma]

Wished I didn't miss this.

I think the bottom line on the whole power v. finesse argument is that it has to do with the coaching and the lower levels of tennis. Even players with a big serve in high school/juniors, through college, aren't going to get very far without a full range of shots in their game. They might win a tourney or two, but the people who rise to the top 25 or so, are those who really bring it week in and week out.

I don't think it's any worse than huge drivers and technology that's really impacted the way golf is played, than it is in tennis.

The big serve is an underrated tool. Not even just the big serve as a weapon, but as a way to intimidate your otherwise mentally weak opponents on the other side of the net. It might not be fun to watch on one hand, because the game seems to be all about power and very little else. But I think that's about tactics in the matches, rather than some flaw with tennis itself.