ROLAND GARROS 2021

looking like a first set breadstick to go w the bagel rafa put on nole last fall

all these saved set pts ! wow

novak has smartly played more offensive this 2nd set

the tide has def turned for djokovic here

this may be covered above, but shouldn't the 1 and 3 seeds be meeting in the final, not the semi?

i actually forget the rationale why they seeded like this, but yes

novaks hitting his forehand short in the court to rafas backhand has been the reason to my eye he is level (to nosing ahead) here

I honestly don't know if it works like this any more (or ever did), but my memory of seeding was always that it was odds vs odds and evens vs evens (e.g. 1v15, 2v16, 3v13, etc in the 4th round). But there have been numerous examples of it being purely opposite-ranks (1v16, 2v15, etc), and of it being more randomised (1v12, 2v9, 3v15, etc). I think it's a draw, and it's either 1v3/2v4 or 1v4/2v3.

This is exhausting to watch. And they're sending the crowd home in 35min!

this set has been unbelievable

no words for that set, unreal

& fans get to stay now !!?

I wish I could enjoy this as a neutral, but I hate the guy who is now in front! Staggeringly high level.

Why didn't they start the semis at noon?

They've extended the curfew!

Yeah insane scheduling, even by slam standards

Novak's serving really great since he lost the break. Got it back, won his next in a min.

Nadal...on the brink?

amazing by novak, so impressive

Lol it’s Macron, watching the game at home, who gave the special authorization to go beyond the curfew...

Lol it’s Macron, watching the game at home, who gave the special authorization to go beyond the curfew...

Just incredible last rally there by novak

One more df Nadal..

Three MPs..

welp. gotta endure that damn heart-throw routine again.

hopefully for the last time

this tourney

Good luck Stef. Struggle to imagine him beating tonight's version of Novak, but we might get a different level on Sunday.

this may be covered above, but shouldn't the 1 and 3 seeds be meeting in the final, not the semi?

― mookieproof, Friday, June 11, 2021 3:45 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

i actually forget the rationale why they seeded like this, but yes

― johnny crunch, Friday, June 11, 2021 3:47 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

they randomize the draws to a degree so that 1 doesn’t always play 4, etc

will be a lotta pressure on novak on sunday, regardless tho this win is p huge value for novaks legacy

this win sets him up for a record number of Slam titles. current standing is Federer 20 / Nadal 20 / Djokovic 18. Nadal really needed this 21st to widen the gap, but now it seems only a matter of time until Djoko surpasses them both.

Yeah, the degree of randomisation in the seed bracketing is never really clear to me. Of course, 1-16 will always play 17-32 in the third round, and so on, but at some events it seems absolutely fixed as opposite ranks (1v32, 2v31, 3v30, 4v29, etc), others there's leeway of one or more place, others it's genuinely random within those ranking divisions.

From my youth I remember McEnroe (1) playing Kriek (5) in a Wimb qf, and the next year Connors (1) playing Curren (12) in the last sixteen. So I've been puzzling about this for 40 years! Maybe that was some weird AELTC experiment.

I hope we see the Djokovic who lost to Dan Evans in Monte Carlo, or struggled to put away 150-ranked opponents in the weak draw for Belgrade 2 the other week. He does have off days, far more than he did in his 2011 or 2015-16 peaks. But he barely missed for the last hour tonight.

A three-way tie for 20 slams is now the odds-on setup going into the US Open, right? Which means Novak would be trying sweep the 2021 Grand Slams AND become the first to get to 21 all at once. Unless something else happens.

Don’t forget the Olympics. We might see Novak getting the Golden Slam!

Meanwhile, this women’s final is pretty fun even if they can’t seem to play well at the same time. Love the contrast in styles.

Pavs crushing Haribo sweets during an MTO was hilarious.

She’s not moving well but still managed to play well enough to break Barbs serve and take the second set. And we’re going three!

best winners speech ever. sad for pav but happy for barbora. not a bad title to win for yr maiden singles title.

Krejcikova takes the doubles title too! With Siniakova, beating team Tek Tek Boom.

Joins this incredible list of women who’ve completed the singles-doubles sweep:

Players to Complete Singles & Doubles Sweep at Roland Garros:

1972: Billie Jean King
1973: Margaret Court
1974: Chris Evert
1975: Chris Evert
1978: Virginia Ruzici
1982: Martina Navratilova
1984: Martina Navratilova
2000: Mary Pierce

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) June 12, 2021

siniakova's serving was p hard to watch.

this first set of stef and djoko is so incredible

That 26-shot rally by Djokovic to save set point!

Oh no Tsitsipas. Somehow saw that coming after he lost that set point… :(

Ok lol at this Novak service game though.. utterly horrible effort at serving out the set. Tie-break!

Awesome from Stefanos

Really Djoko was going to get this after that bit of fortune at the net

My god that TB was so stressful. Come on Stef!

double break!

stef wow

Utterly dominant. One set away!

stef needs to keep serving like this to carry it home

fuck

That was a marathon!

Was expecting Novak to come out like this.

Naturally… I never believe it whenever Djoko looks tired or weary