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(Tennis Masters Cup 2008) Djokovic def. Del Potro 7-5, 6-3
written: 4:27 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 09, 2008

I expected this match to take at most an hour and a half to complete. But it ended up taking two hours and a half. What a waste of my time! I blame it on Djokovic. It was quite obvious he was going to win, but he had to get himself broken in the first set while serving for the set and playing two extra games and taking up sooo much time. I was surprised Del Potro couldn't hold serve while trying to stay in the set though. That last point of the first set which Djoker won to break and take the set really looked like it was going Del Potro's way. He had Djoker pushed damn far back the baseline, while he kept moving towards the net to attack, but somehow, Djoker hung in there, and coaxed a forehand error from Del Potro.

The camera cut too quickly to Djoker before I had the chance to see how forcefully Del Potro flung his racquet to the ground. One interesting thing about watching non-Federer matches is that it's fun to watch which player has a more intense meltdown, especially in a closely-contested match like this one, in particular the first set. Djoker missed some big points and started yelling to himself. Del Potro missed some big points and started yelling to himself and flinging his racquet. It was DAMN FUN to watch.

Also, another thing I found almost unbearably hilarious: Djoker may have many tricks in his bag, but the one shot he can't execute? The drop shot. 4 out of 5 of his drop shots were out, and the only one that wasn't was the first one he played. After the third straight missed drop shot, I thought he'd play it safe and stick to the powerful groundstrokes. So when he executed his fifth drop shot, and missed, I couldn't help but laugh. Four missed drop shots in a row! Seriously.

Djoker's backhand slice, while reasonably effective, is nowhere as deadly as Roger's. And both players botched some would-have-been clear winners that Roger would never miss in a thousand years. Some of Del Potro's shot selections made me wonder WTF he was thinking, like when Djoker scrambled to hit his return and Del Potro could've put it away easily, he chose to hit to where Djoker was running towards. What the hell? Del Potro also kept missing his first serves and he had way more errors here than when he played against Roger in Madrid.

Anyway, I shouldn't be glad that Djokovic won since he might catch up with Roger in the ranking, but then, I don't think he'd ever get close enough to Roger to pose as a real threat so I don't really care. And so I'm glad Djokovic won. I still enjoy watching him play. His temperamental nature, as well as his varied tennis, as well as his tendency to make errors when he's playing a big point, all make him very, very interesting to watch. And it also helps that he's damn cute (though I noticed today his neck is damn long). And his pre-serve ball-bouncing is HILARIOUS. He doesn't bounce it less than five times and doesn't go beyond ten times and it gives me a weird kick to count the number of times he bounces the ball before he serves. Way to go to take up time, Nole! How clever.

Okay, I have to study. Roger plays tomorrow at 6 p.m. against His Prettiness Gilles Simon. Apparently Roger is STILL taking painkillers for his back and isn't fully recovered. I hope all goes well for him! He has to win this last tournament of the year and his fifth Masters Cup!

before sunrise // before sunset

Previously:
- - Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017
I'm moving. - Sunday, Jul. 11, 2010
In all honesty - Tuesday, Jul. 06, 2010
What I want for my birthday... - Sunday, Jul. 04, 2010
On Roger's behalf. - Friday, Jul. 02, 2010