What is the trap Nadal is most likely to fall into in his feverish attempt to solve the Djokovic puzzle.
First correct answer = Wall Of Fame listing.
Correct answer / winner declaration = Wednesday, July 13th.
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Start losing to Federer (and possibly others) while trying to adjust his game for Djokovic?!
Posted by: Dinesh | 07/07/2011 at 06:32 PM
playing more aggressively which will increase UEs to net..opposite to his bread and butter game of playing forcing his opponents to do that
Posted by: kitty | 07/07/2011 at 08:05 PM
Well, I agree with kitty but think that is just a fleshing out of what Dinesh said which seems to me the right answer.
Posted by: Nelson Goodman | 07/08/2011 at 12:57 AM
Get married. ( BTW,I don't call it a trap)
Posted by: Dee | 07/08/2011 at 01:12 AM
Get injured by overplaying the hard-court season
Posted by: Veglia | 07/08/2011 at 04:14 AM
The Temper Trap
Posted by: David Locke | 07/08/2011 at 05:05 AM
Letting Nole win the game between the ears before they even step on the court. Not believing he can beat him.
Posted by: Ricke | 07/08/2011 at 07:01 AM
Going gluten-free!
Posted by: Lobbo | 07/08/2011 at 08:57 AM
Believing that he can outplay Djoko playing the same style of game with more work and practice
Posted by: Barbara | 07/08/2011 at 10:31 AM
as others say --- changing the game that got him to the top in the first place
Posted by: Stella | 07/08/2011 at 04:18 PM
The trap is that his body won't allow him to do what he needs to do.
Posted by: O | 07/08/2011 at 09:24 PM
Train more and harder, and succumb to even more injuries.
Posted by: nipurn | 07/08/2011 at 11:06 PM
I like Dinesh's answer, personally...
Posted by: TheHumbleOne | 07/08/2011 at 11:54 PM
Start denying Djokovic's affirmations that he is the GOAT.
Posted by: Lobbo | 07/09/2011 at 09:46 AM
becoming vegetarian? ok i am kidding heh...
Posted by: Manal Ismail | 07/09/2011 at 11:35 AM
Similar to Lobbo and Manal Ismail:
One-upping Djokovic by going Organic and Vegan, thereby losing protein & muscle mass and becoming a weakling.
Posted by: TheHumbleOne | 07/09/2011 at 03:07 PM
Become so humble that he will be humbled again and eventually believe that he is not that good anymore.
Posted by: Novakfan | 07/09/2011 at 07:42 PM
He might forget how to beat Federer!
Posted by: Lobbo | 07/09/2011 at 09:31 PM
I guess Dinesh said that already?
Posted by: Lobbo | 07/09/2011 at 09:32 PM
He might focus on strength and stamina and abandon skill and strategy.
Posted by: Lobbo | 07/09/2011 at 09:35 PM
He might start doing player impersonations just to win over the crowd.
Posted by: Lobbo | 07/09/2011 at 09:37 PM
And realise that no-one gets the joke.
Posted by: Lobbo | 07/09/2011 at 09:39 PM
Begin anew with a secret weapon: playing right handed!
Posted by: MyLove | 07/10/2011 at 12:32 AM
Lol, I have no idea but the comments are so much more fun to read.
If I had to answer seriously, I'll go with what Dinesh said.
Posted by: Sol | 07/10/2011 at 03:33 AM
I agree on this one, Lobbo!
Posted by: ricky | 07/10/2011 at 04:53 AM
wanting to force his smile even more
Posted by: ricky | 07/10/2011 at 04:55 AM
Find religion and start crossing himself on court.
Posted by: Lobbo | 07/10/2011 at 08:57 AM
start eating not only grass but clay and hard too
Posted by: Stella | 07/10/2011 at 09:40 AM
Good one Stella!
Posted by: Ricke | 07/10/2011 at 04:03 PM
Where is Jenny with her wisdom/ I agree that he is going to make it worse between his ears, overplay and hurt his knees even more. (Lots said this in bits)
Posted by: vr | 07/10/2011 at 04:50 PM
Sack Uncle Toni?
Posted by: Lobbo | 07/10/2011 at 08:58 PM
Before Nole's carnage, many many people are talking about Rafa and Roger as TWO of the GOATS all the time due to number 10 and a great H2H against Roger the GOAT.
The trap for Rafa is that he will keep losing to Nole and compile a horrible H2H to Nole, and hence lose his GOAT CLAIM badly, from number one or two all the way to outside top five.
Posted by: O | 07/10/2011 at 10:09 PM
I like your way of thinking, Novakfan...
Posted by: TheHumbleOne | 07/10/2011 at 10:15 PM
As Veglia said above, play too much of the Hardcourts and end up permanently crippled...
...but then again he'd probably dominate Men's Wheelchair tennis, I would imagine! Maybe not such a dumb idea after all...
Posted by: TheHumbleOne | 07/10/2011 at 10:19 PM
As Veglia said above, play too much of the Hardcourts and end up permanently crippled...
...but then again he'd probably dominate Men's Wheelchair tennis, I would imagine! Maybe not such a dumb idea after all...
Posted by: TheHumbleOne | 07/10/2011 at 10:19 PM
He will notice how thick Djokovic's hair is. He will begin to obsess about his own thinning locks, and recall what happened to Samson.
Posted by: Lobbo | 07/11/2011 at 08:48 AM
He will start to think about a possible encounter with Nole in the finals long before any of them has moved through their respective sections of the draw. This will take away his focus and make him look past the current round, opening the door for many possible "trap" matches against theoretically inferior players.
Posted by: Serran | 07/13/2011 at 01:31 AM
AHA! Lobbo figured it out. It's the Samson Syndrome! Now we all know how Novak beat Rafa five times on three surfaces in 2011. That Sneaky Serbian stole into Rafa's camp and thinned his hair! Each snipped strand cost Rafa a winner. I knew it. No way could Novak be winning because he's playing better tennis right now than the others. Had to be some surreptitious plot-- the impersonations, crossing himself (Del Po does it, too, by the way, but I digress), cutting off hair. Thanks Lobbo. We knew it had to be something other than tennis skill. Whew. Glad we figured that one out!
Posted by: Growltiger | 07/13/2011 at 06:06 AM
Forgot to make my guess. Rafa wall become so paranoid about Novak cutting his hair that he'll pull the tennis temple down on all their heads.
Posted by: Growltiger | 07/13/2011 at 07:25 AM
I thank you TheHumbleOne !!!
Posted by: navakfan | 07/13/2011 at 03:05 PM
I laughed so hard that I almost choked to death !! You.. are something else. Love this one.
Posted by: navakfan | 07/13/2011 at 03:07 PM
lol
Posted by: navakfan | 07/13/2011 at 03:08 PM
Good one.
Posted by: navakfan | 07/13/2011 at 03:09 PM
WINNER: DINESH. Nadal will do a 'Roddick' and forget about everybody else specially since he has reached 8 nearly-straight finals (quarters @ Queens snapped the straight streak) this season - on three different surfaces. Nadal won three of them - coincidentally the ones Djokvoic wasn't competing in. That kind of run cannot escape the above 'trap' syndrome for obvious freaking reasons.
Posted by: Tennis Planet | 07/13/2011 at 03:36 PM
I am a long-time lurker at this site. Absolutely love the passion for tennis here, the regulars (Jenny, Stella n others) and their comments. Honored to win something here :) Thanks TP for this site and keep up the great community you've built here.
Posted by: Dinesh | 07/13/2011 at 07:07 PM
Congratulations to Dinesh!!
You were the first to comment and got in spot on , well done.
Posted by: navakfan | 07/13/2011 at 08:24 PM
Congrats to Dinesh! It pays to be fast, smart and correct of course!
Posted by: Ricke | 07/13/2011 at 08:51 PM
All hail The Mighty Dinesh!
Posted by: Lord Oompa-Loompa | 07/14/2011 at 12:33 AM
Congrats, Dinesh! New Hall of Famer, yeah! ;)
Posted by: Serran | 07/14/2011 at 04:03 AM
Congrats, Dinesh!
Posted by: Jenny | 07/14/2011 at 04:30 AM
Congrats and welcome Dinesh! Now let's see if this actually comes to pass. (hilarious thread btw!!)
Posted by: Bettyjane | 07/14/2011 at 04:44 AM
Well done Dinesh.
Maybe this will get you to stop lurking and join us! ;)
Posted by: Sol | 07/14/2011 at 08:08 AM
great thinking DInesh
Posted by: imaginaryband | 07/14/2011 at 01:26 PM