Week 38 - Laver Cup - London, United Kingdom (Indoor hard)

telstar · Strong Club Player

Week 38 - Laver Cup - London, United Kingdom (Indoor hard)

Crispy · Intermediate Club Player

Roger; you set the bar for the greatest era of tennis ever. Youve entertained and amazed us for 20 years, you are brilliant and unforgettable, thank you for elevating this sport.

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

That was emotional, the end of an era approaching for sure. You can see it in Andy and Rafa especially. Theyve all given so much to so many. Without Roger, Rafa or Andy I doubt a lot of us would be posting here or reading.

Blue_Belle · Strong Club Player

Cam is playing tomorrow Vs Fritz, probably in for Nadal.

Blue_Belle · Strong Club Player

telstar wrote:
Alas Roger! For his last match it's a real shame the organisers couldn't have provided him with a partner who has some idea of how to play doubles!

Hahaha that's funny.

Rafa is an excellent double player, has 11 doubles titles and a gold medal in doubles. However, he is still most likely still hampered somewhat with the injury that has been annoying him for months. As Rafa is not playing tomorrow (Cam is) I wonder if Rafa ONLY turned up to play with Roger one final time in which case, a hat-tip to him.

miriam abc · Intermediate Club Player

Europe have a completely fresh team today, so a total of 8 play while the world are effectively playing with 6, so Sock is playing 3 matches and Tiafoe 2.

miriam abc · Intermediate Club Player

Blue_Belle wrote:
telstar wrote:
Alas Roger! For his last match it's a real shame the organisers couldn't have provided him with a partner who has some idea of how to play doubles!
Hahaha that's funny.

Rafa is an excellent double player, has 11 doubles titles and a gold medal in doubles. However, he is still most likely still hampered somewhat with the injury that has been annoying him for months. As Rafa is not playing tomorrow (Cam is) I wonder if Rafa ONLY turned up to play with Roger one final time in which case, a hat-tip to him.

Some unexpected unforced errors but the main problem to me was lack of communication, you didn't hear them shouting me or you.if Rafa and Roger were single match guests then why not bring in Joe and Neal and let the other 4 get on with what they do best, singles.

telstar · Strong Club Player

However, he is still most likely still hampered somewhat with the injury that he pretends has been annoying him for months. As Rafa is not playing tomorrow (Cam is) I wonder if Rafa ONLY turned up to play with Roger one final time in which case, an excessively large amount of appearance money to him.

Blue_Belle · Strong Club Player

miriam abc wrote:
Blue_Belle wrote:
telstar wrote:
Alas Roger! For his last match it's a real shame the organisers couldn't have provided him with a partner who has some idea of how to play doubles!
Hahaha that's funny.

Rafa is an excellent double player, has 11 doubles titles and a gold medal in doubles. However, he is still most likely still hampered somewhat with the injury that has been annoying him for months. As Rafa is not playing tomorrow (Cam is) I wonder if Rafa ONLY turned up to play with Roger one final time in which case, a hat-tip to him.
Some unexpected unforced errors but the main problem to me was lack of communication, you didn't hear them shouting me or you.if Rafa and Roger were single match guests then why not bring in Joe and Neal and let the other 4 get on with what they do best, singles.

Why would Neal and Joe be playing? It's not Davis Cup it's a glorified exho ran by Roger's management company. It's a bit of fun. I don't think Joe and Neal run in quite the same circles.

Also, there is no true doubles only player on either team, all players can do both, yes, even Jack Sock(!)

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Blue_Belle wrote:
miriam abc wrote:
Blue_Belle wrote:
telstar wrote:
Alas Roger! For his last match it's a real shame the organisers couldn't have provided him with a partner who has some idea of how to play doubles!
Hahaha that's funny.

Rafa is an excellent double player, has 11 doubles titles and a gold medal in doubles. However, he is still most likely still hampered somewhat with the injury that has been annoying him for months. As Rafa is not playing tomorrow (Cam is) I wonder if Rafa ONLY turned up to play with Roger one final time in which case, a hat-tip to him.
Some unexpected unforced errors but the main problem to me was lack of communication, you didn't hear them shouting me or you.if Rafa and Roger were single match guests then why not bring in Joe and Neal and let the other 4 get on with what they do best, singles.
Why would Neal and Joe be playing? It's not Davis Cup it's a glorified exho ran by Roger's management company. It's a bit of fun. I don't think Joe and Neal run in quite the same circles.
Also, there is no true doubles only player on either team, all players can do both, yes, even Jack Sock(!)

Definitely - this is just a glorified exhibition but the players do take it semi seriously. I think its always been 6 singles players in effect, its not about winning its about attracting the fans.

I see Djoko and Berretini are pairing today, had thought Andy might play with Djoko. maybe Andy will get doubles tomorrow with Rafa if Djoko plays singles and Rafa decided not to?

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Ps welcome to the board, Blue Belle!

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

I only watched last night because it was Roger and Rafa, cant believe people are moaning about there not being doubles players playing. Jack Sock is surely? And again it returns us to the facts. There wouldnt have been a crowd like that under any circumstances, near empty stadium if it had been doubles players. And if Roger, Rafa, Andy and Novak played doubles regularly its a certainty they would have multiple more slams, in which case the whole argument is null and void.

telstar · Strong Club Player

Jaggy1876 wrote:
I only watched last night because it was Roger and Rafa, cant believe people are moaning about there not being doubles players playing. Jack Sock is surely? And again it returns us to the facts. There wouldnt have been a crowd like that under any circumstances, near empty stadium if it had been doubles players. And if Roger, Rafa, Andy and Novak played doubles regularly its a certainty they would have multiple more slams, in which case the whole argument is null and void.

Nadal is not a doubles player. His limited skills are those of a singles player.

Blue_Belle · Strong Club Player

telstar wrote:
Jaggy1876 wrote:
I only watched last night because it was Roger and Rafa, cant believe people are moaning about there not being doubles players playing. Jack Sock is surely? And again it returns us to the facts. There wouldnt have been a crowd like that under any circumstances, near empty stadium if it had been doubles players. And if Roger, Rafa, Andy and Novak played doubles regularly its a certainty they would have multiple more slams, in which case the whole argument is null and void.
Nadal is not a doubles player. His limited skills are those of a singles player.

Except he can play doubles.....maybe not recently but again, he does have 11 doubles titles and a gold medal.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Nadal has a game that is more suited to singles.

But Nadal has won 22 Grand Slam singles titles

He could be half as good as a doubles player and still have won 11 titles.

As Jaggy says, if Nadal had concentrated only on doubles, he would have wrapped up the whole doubles landscape and Jean-Julien Rojer, Horia Tecu, Marcelo Melo, Mahut, Kubot, Pavic etc. etc. would all have been out in the cold. If Andy and Roger and Novak had concentrated only on doubles too, he'd have had a bit more of a problem, but he'd have been right up there