Roland Garros 2012

[Doctor MJ]

I love Nadal fans so much.

Always amazes me how certain populations of fans end up being so crazy.

[raptor21_85]

Sloane STephens is rising as a future female tennis star.. fact or fiction?

[va-mos]

I love Nadal fans so much.

Always amazes me how certain populations of fans end up being so crazy.

You should try a tennis forum, you see more crazed headlines regarding "Rogi" Federer..... it makes Kobe fans look moderate and reserved. And this is during Federer's current 2-year slam drought.....

I guess its the bandwagoner effect. Kobe/Federer was dominant for so long that he accumulated an unprecedented number of all life-forms in his corner

[UGA Hayes]

Yikes. Looks like Sloane Stephens is pretty much the only American hope (I guess Varenko LApachenko too). USA tennis really in danger of falling completely off the map.

[va-mos]

There is a good US girl at the moment named Christina McHale. Lost to 7th seeded Na Li today in 3 sets but showed star potential. Her game literally looks like it belongs in the top 10, but is inexperienced.

[WEFFPIM]

I love Nadal fans so much.

Always amazes me how certain populations of fans end up being so crazy.

You should try a tennis forum, you see more crazed headlines regarding "Rogi" Federer..... it makes Kobe fans look moderate and reserved. And this is during Federer's current 2-year slam drought.....

I guess its the bandwagoner effect. Kobe/Federer was dominant for so long that he accumulated an unprecedented number of all life-forms in his corner

Yeah, none of Rafa's fans are bandwagoners.

[va-mos]

Here's an update regarding the top 3 after 3 rounds-

Djokovic:
Starace 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, 6-1
Kavcic 6-0, 6-4, 6-4
Devilder 6-1, 6-2, 6-2

Nadal:
Bolelli 6-2, 6-2, 6-1
Istomin 6-2, 6-2, 6-0
Schwank 6-1, 6-3, 6-4

Federer:
Kamke 6-2, 7-5, 6-3
Ungur 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3
Mahut 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5

[Dr Positivity]

As for the tournament, I will be rooting for Federer and Raonic (Canadian kid). If Djokovic and Nadal do face off in the finals again I'll be rooting for a Djokovic win but I wouldn't mind settling for a 5 setter and a Nadal W.

Tough loss... but playing 13 seed ultra claycourt style in Monaco vs Raonic's anti claycourt style and going 5 = a "should've lost"...

[raptor21_85]

Latinos and spaniards feel comfortable on clay.. so you shouldnt be shocked americans dont perform well at all..

Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova are solid candidates to win it all..

[va-mos]

Latinos and spaniards feel comfortable on clay.. so you shouldnt be shocked americans dont perform well at all..

Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova are solid candidates to win it all..

She is a mental midget, so I wouldn't bet on her lifting the trophy. Clay is the most tactically complex surface of all, you need to really construct every point. Can't boom boom.

[va-mos]

I think the USA would have more depth in tennis if they developed their players on clay. It makes you have to think your way through points without being rewarded by easy speed of a hardcourt. Makes you use the angles of the court more. Hardcourts promote a focus on the big serve and the big forehand, and these days you need more than that because the top 4 have a lot more than that to their games.

[UGA Hayes]

I sort of agree. A lot of our best players at least on the male side weakness is court movement and tactical play. Roddick should have been a much better player but he moves SO inefficientlly. Also I suspect we have less kids playing tennis nowadays really cutting the pool to draw from.

[cb4_89]

Djokovic down 2 sets. In pretty big trouble here.

[va-mos]

I sort of agree. A lot of our best players at least on the male side weakness is court movement and tactical play. Roddick should have been a much better player but he moves SO inefficientlly. Also I suspect we have less kids playing tennis nowadays really cutting the pool to draw from.

True, and not much of a marquee name to draw people in. Isner and Fish.

Sampras/Agassi and Connors/McEnroe....ideal.

[G R E Y]

Djokovic down 2 sets. In pretty big trouble here.

He pulled through, which can be taken a couple of ways. Either he's gained confidence for pulling through (a big improvement in his game from previous years) or he's showing vulnerabilities to opponents...

I think he meets Fed next??! Too bad it's so early in the tournament, but it'll be a great battle. Hoping Roger pulls through...

[cb4_89]

Djokovic down 2 sets. In pretty big trouble here.

He pulled through, which can be taken a couple of ways. Either he's gained confidence for pulling through (a big improvement in his game from previous years) or he's showing vulnerabilities to opponents...

I think he meets Fed next??! Too bad it's so early in the tournament, but it'll be a great battle. Hoping Roger pulls through...

He will face Tsonga assuming he wins tmr. Then Federer if he beats Tsonga.

I think he is clearly playing worse this year than last year. It is extremely unlikely he wins this grand slam anyway with Nadal in his way though.

[va-mos]

This is a truly great Roland Garros.
A series of marquee matchups going the distance.
Del Potro vs Berdych.
Djokovic vs Seppi.
Tsonga vs Wawrinka.
And we haven't even got to the semis yet (Federer vs Djokovic, Nadal vs Ferrer/Murray).
Add to that the history of Nadal's 7th Roland Garros crown....

[Doctor MJ]

I sort of agree. A lot of our best players at least on the male side weakness is court movement and tactical play. Roddick should have been a much better player but he moves SO inefficientlly. Also I suspect we have less kids playing tennis nowadays really cutting the pool to draw from.

Yeah, to me the 2 big factors are:

1) Less popularity means less kids devoting themselves
2) A more flat tennis world

Basically we Americans just have skewed expectations to dominate this sport. I think it's pretty telling that the 5 big talents of this generation (Fed, Rafa, Nola, Murray, Potro) all come from different places and that the country that seems to be churning out top tier prospects arguably most reliably produced none of those 5 (Talking about France with Tsonga, Monfils, Gasquet, Simon - I do recognize Spain has a case here too).

[va-mos]

France seem to have a mental problem of sorts. All their players crumble under the pressure at slams. Players like Tsonga, Gasgay, Monfils, Simon.....Sure, they can beat a top 10 player, and the occasional top 5. But they will fold after that. Tsonga even beat Federer at Wimbledon QF, but you know he's not going to beat another top dog in the SF. It may be a cultural thing. ESPN noted it regarding Tony Parker last week. The notion presented by ESPN was that Parker is great at delivering his a-game. But he when things aren't going his way he says "It is too difficult" and quits. The same can be said of French tennis players.

[Doctor MJ]

France seem to have a mental problem of sorts. All their players crumble under the pressure at slams. Players like Tsonga, Gasgay, Monfils, Simon.....Sure, they can beat a top 10 player, and the occasional top 5. But they will fold after that. Tsonga even beat Federer at Wimbledon QF, but you know he's not going to beat another top dog in the SF. It may be a cultural thing. ESPN noted it regarding Tony Parker last week. The notion presented by ESPN was that Parker is great at delivering his a-game. But he when things aren't going his way he says "It is too difficult" and quits. The same can be said of French tennis players.

Cut it out with the "Gasgay" kind of crap.

To the specific contention, I think it's more accurate to look at the very top guys breaking through rather than everyone else not. Tennis prodigies who never amount to anything are much more common than the guys who actually achieve superstar standing so I'd say the the "normal" level of mental fortitude is one with flaws, and that those who move past the flaws arguably as mentally talented as physically talented.