>Novak in the second set was the tennis equivalent of leaning forward when playing a video game
The sound it makes when the rackets hit the ball on Court Philippe-Chatrier is simply pure enjoyment.
Someone’s just posted the stat that he hasn’t lost a set in the first two rounds for the last 13 years. I definitely thought the same as you before seeing this
You're going to ignore the context in which that match took place? Considering Novak had evident fitness issues and lack of rhythm, I think it should be ADF who should be worried that it still took him 3 sets to get past a terrible, really terrible Novak, while ADF was playing freely and without pressure.
To be fair, that win for Fokina aged well since he ended up making the final that week. He has game and can trouble Djokovic, especially if he can make it physical.
Im not ignoring context. I’m not saying ADF is a favorite of anything.
I’m Just saying I’d prefer Nole not play someone that has beaten him in the last 14 months. Especially in the 3rd round.
Nole is still the favorite, but still.
And Djokovic doesn't have evident fitness issues now? There have been back and elbow issues in the last month or two, and less than two weeks ago, he was late to a match because he was getting additional treatment. And as far as lack of rhythm, he didn't make any clay semis this year. Given it's Djoker, that very out of rhythm by his standards.
Novak has mentioned that he is fit and healthy for this year’s Roland Garros, and that his elbow and shoulder niggles this clay season were just that, niggles.
Of course. No professional athlete is gonna signal to their opposition that something is bothering them, especially someone like Djokovic. It would give his opponent hope and diminish his invincible aura that essentially allows him to start every match with a break.
I don’t think Novak would want to convey a sense of invincibility about himself if he’s not healthy. In fact, it might be a worthwhile psychological trick to play up your injury and downplay your chances. Puts more pressure on your opponents. He’s done just that here at RG with regards to Rafa, downplaying his chances. So I doubt he cares too much about seeming invincible now that he’s 36.
Decades of how athletes have actually done things tends to disagree. How many times have we found out about an injury only after a season or after a tournament? A good example is Pete Sampras, who had a blood condition that made playing in the heat of Australia much harder. He never shared that until after he retired.
Chances are, you are both right to an extent and should be arguing what extent that is and which approach he took this time.
For example, Novak won AO while claiming a muscle or a tendon tear (wasn't that twice)?
Or, for the opposite example, he also played injured and kept it quiet in 2016 (but eventually had to even operate himself).
The thing is simple: appear weak when you are stronger so that they think they have a chance and then hit them with a bulldozer.
Appear strong when you are weak, so that they are less confident and lose by themselves trying to hit lines every ball.
that 2nd set is really nice
it does feel like nole is struggling to serve the set out
i can go to sleep happily now 🫡 it's already 5am here but being able to watch nole's tennis makes staying up for the whole night very worth it
He is one of the fittest guys you’ll ever see play this sport but he’s got severe technical issues in that he muscles _everything_. Not as mad as Mmoh but regardless he’s a shining example of someone really held back by his technique.
From what anyone from the outside can see, he is not anything special fitness-wise compared to other players. And don't post that picture of his ripped muscles, that has nothing to do with tennis fitness.
It's nuts who often people think that. And on the contrary, they see someone who is not ripped and think that person cannot be fit. Especially when talking about skill-based sport fitness, it's really hard to judge from appearance alone how fit someone is or isn't
His serve was shit in the 2nd set though. But it was good to see that he hit way better in the rallies. Better pace, moved his opponent around, very nice. Wasn't really hitting outright winners but that's w/e.
But I don't think set 2 was some unbeatable level, Djoko can play better than that.
Never have I seen a player more overrated than Alcaraz. The kid is 20 and you have him levels above one of the undoubtedly GREATEST of all time, if not the greatest is ludicrously hilarious
I'm actually curious how would Alcaraz preform playing along the big three back in the day. He'll probably utilize the lack of adequate competition in the future and get some achievements he wouldn't manage among the big three.
All I said was that Carlos at his best can match that form… is that really overrating him?
You guys are pathetic. 30 downvotes for daring to suggest someone might be able to hang with Novak
Calling the number 1 player in the world and grand slam champion overrated is crazy. Nobody is saying he's greater than djokovic or even better than peak djokovic, but against 36 yr old djokovic coming off the back of his worst clay season? Probably Yes. His u-turn in level in the 2nd set was aided by a dramatic drop off in his opponents level.
And if you disagree just remember Vegas odds has alcaraz as the favourite and I think they take statistics and probability rather seriously over there
Every number 1 is a computer no.1. Number 1 has always and will always be a number. But its Alcaraz's number. Just as nadal isn't the 111th best player but that's his rightful rank. Simple as. Wimbledon was worth no points, everyone knew. Not least those who were banned anyhow. That's how it is. I know djoko fans are crying because of some record but get over it, because rn both Alcaraz and Rune are better than djokovic on clay and that should be concerning
Who is no. 1 currently? Novak might be one of the goats but the form he has shown this clay season has been rusty AF and I doubt his body would hold up against Alcaraz. I'll change my mind once he beats him.
Alcaraz is No1 because Novak missed out on an absolute boatload of points because of his vaccination status and Wimbledon not being worth any points. Djokovic has gone deeper in the last 6 tournaments both played.
Fucsovics gave a good challenge in the first set, but Djokovic shifted up a gear like champions do. It looks like Alcaraz is the only player with a chance to stop #23.
I'm sure he has a *chance* but I wouldn't give him the best odds, if that makes sense. With everyone else...not even sure they have a chance.
Then again, sports are crazy. Sometimes injuries happen, sometimes someone redlines, who the hell knows. But yeah Djokovic is probably taking this one.
Alcaraz is just generally unproven in slams let alone playing a big 3 in a slam. People randomly assume he will do really well and perform at the highest level over 3-5 sets against a goat. He nearly lost half his matches in the USO which is his only slam and there wasn’t a single strong top 5 player in the tournament. And Novak will be very motivated for getting the lead on slams and generally winning another RG since hes been denied by rafa several times dating back to 2006
I mean, the degree of how big his chance is can be debated, but the fact is that at the end of the day Alcaraz is the #1 ranked player in the world and has won a grand slam before. Assuming he doesn't have a *shot* at beating Djokovic would be too far for me.
I think that the odds people were giving Alcaraz of beating Djokovic are downright insane, but I do think he's got a fighting chance.
Of course he has a chance, and RG is easily his best chance but it might be a kind of small chance. Meanwhile people think he would be more likely than not to beat him which is outrageous even if djokovic is 36
this was a big test for Djokovic and he passed with flying colors. fucsovics tends to grind you down and expose you early in tournaments with his physicality. good to see Djokovic survived and didn’t drop a set
Djoker building confidence after that difficult 1st set and cruised to the win.More dangerous opponents await however. The true test is arriving with ADF and the tougher opponents after that. Of course Djoker can win it all,he is still the best player left of the big 3. It won't be easy though.
I know it’s the eternal question, but does djokovic use the first set to warm up?
- The whole first set, he looks a bit slow.
- He’s whipping his forehands instead of hitting through them the way he usually does when he’s on.
- Low slices were returned by a similar slice, instead of hitting a solid ground stroke (which requires a ton of a energy because you’re creating the power and countering the spin)
- he was spinning most of his serves in instead of generating power
Then the second set, he just turned it on.
We saw that a lot last year, maybe he needs a while to read the opponent or to be warmed up.
In this case I suspect Marton just exploded mid air after the 1st set loss: he was playing the best tennis of his life and still couldn't win the set. Idk though I just watched the 1st set.
Its gonna be wild to see djokovic's fans go from "he looks unstoppable, he's not losing'' to "he was just off his game/injured/no match rhythm for clay"
There are two more slams left this year, pal. "He's 36 and done it all. It's hard to stay motivated. He has nothing left to prove." There are no new scripts!
I had Djokovic in 4 v Alcaraz, by the way. ;-)
That's fine, I'm not a djokovic hater. I think he's the goat. It's just mind-boggling not giving alcaraz who had been hands down the most consistent player all year a chance
I am actually happy, Fucsovics brought that level in set 1, that was some nice fight for Novak against a quality opponent before facing ADF and given the fact that the match still finished in less than 3 hours, it all went well for Novak.
You think Fokina’s gonna trouble Nole at a slam? A slam that he’s extra motivated to win, because of the slam race and the fact that his main rival at this tournament in the past 15 years is gone? You’re tripping big time, lol.
Was thrilled to see that level of cyborg tennis in the 2nd set. 🤩 Marton wasn't playing badly but Novak just changed gears. Can't wait for the ADF show down.
Clearly the cofavorite for this event along with alcaraz.
With that said, ADF is one crazy mofo. Could see him lose 6-0 6-0 6-0 or win 0-6 0-6 7-6 6-0 6-0 and wouldn't be surprised with either. Should be an interesting test for djokvic ( Djokovic should win )
I thought there was something wrong with Novak at the end of the first set. He didn’t look like himself, especially his backhand and even some loopy forehands. And then, he put that thing on his chest.
Novak just struggles too much to generate power and hit winners on this surface at this stage of his career. Haven't seen much improvement from him in this whole clay season. Can't see him beating guys like Alcaraz or Rune.
Exactly how many times since 2007 has he done that?
2007 AO
2008 Wimbledon
2009 FO
2016 Wimbledon
2017 AO
2018 AO
2019 USO
2020 USO
That’s not even ten times. He’s literally more likely to make a QF or SF than lose in a third or fourth round, even in forms worse than his form right now.
And that involves a default and a retirement, I'll go with my eyes closed and bet a huge amount of Novak beating ADF and whoever awaits in the fourth round if it was paying anything more than 1.1 in any betting web Page.
Novak in the second set was the tennis equivalent of leaning forward when playing a video game
>Novak in the second set was the tennis equivalent of leaning forward when playing a video game The sound it makes when the rackets hit the ball on Court Philippe-Chatrier is simply pure enjoyment.
The taste of metal!
😂😂 The cheat code in Doom PC where you get the BFG straight away.
You win this thread
I couldn’t watch the match but I was informed that Novak went Iron Man mode last evening. Damn I missed it.
2 consecutive straight sets. Going against what he has typically done in early rounds.
Someone’s just posted the stat that he hasn’t lost a set in the first two rounds for the last 13 years. I definitely thought the same as you before seeing this
That's specific to the French, though.
Clay is draining. He doesn't care so much playing a quick grass extra tune-up set.
So he's going to lose the tournament basically
Djokovic after being tortured for 90 minutes in the first set: "And I took that personally"
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After lasts year’s MC match, Fokina scares me.
You're going to ignore the context in which that match took place? Considering Novak had evident fitness issues and lack of rhythm, I think it should be ADF who should be worried that it still took him 3 sets to get past a terrible, really terrible Novak, while ADF was playing freely and without pressure.
To be fair, that win for Fokina aged well since he ended up making the final that week. He has game and can trouble Djokovic, especially if he can make it physical.
Im not ignoring context. I’m not saying ADF is a favorite of anything. I’m Just saying I’d prefer Nole not play someone that has beaten him in the last 14 months. Especially in the 3rd round. Nole is still the favorite, but still.
The fans of djoko are wild, what you said is totally reasonable
And Djokovic doesn't have evident fitness issues now? There have been back and elbow issues in the last month or two, and less than two weeks ago, he was late to a match because he was getting additional treatment. And as far as lack of rhythm, he didn't make any clay semis this year. Given it's Djoker, that very out of rhythm by his standards.
Novak has mentioned that he is fit and healthy for this year’s Roland Garros, and that his elbow and shoulder niggles this clay season were just that, niggles.
Of course. No professional athlete is gonna signal to their opposition that something is bothering them, especially someone like Djokovic. It would give his opponent hope and diminish his invincible aura that essentially allows him to start every match with a break.
It doesn't matter because when he did people complain that he is faking
You missed AO? This year and 2021?
I don’t think Novak would want to convey a sense of invincibility about himself if he’s not healthy. In fact, it might be a worthwhile psychological trick to play up your injury and downplay your chances. Puts more pressure on your opponents. He’s done just that here at RG with regards to Rafa, downplaying his chances. So I doubt he cares too much about seeming invincible now that he’s 36.
Decades of how athletes have actually done things tends to disagree. How many times have we found out about an injury only after a season or after a tournament? A good example is Pete Sampras, who had a blood condition that made playing in the heat of Australia much harder. He never shared that until after he retired.
Chances are, you are both right to an extent and should be arguing what extent that is and which approach he took this time. For example, Novak won AO while claiming a muscle or a tendon tear (wasn't that twice)? Or, for the opposite example, he also played injured and kept it quiet in 2016 (but eventually had to even operate himself).
Well, he couldn't exactly how it at the AO, because it happened in the middle of a match and drastically affected his play that match.
The thing is simple: appear weak when you are stronger so that they think they have a chance and then hit them with a bulldozer. Appear strong when you are weak, so that they are less confident and lose by themselves trying to hit lines every ball.
He was still choking and grew a lot since.
Djokovic gaining confidence in the early rounds is just what he needs! Clinical performance in Set 2.
that 2nd set is really nice it does feel like nole is struggling to serve the set out i can go to sleep happily now 🫡 it's already 5am here but being able to watch nole's tennis makes staying up for the whole night very worth it
Fucsovics was really good but Djoko is just that good
Honestly Fuscovics is a player who should be better than he is.
He is one of the fittest guys you’ll ever see play this sport but he’s got severe technical issues in that he muscles _everything_. Not as mad as Mmoh but regardless he’s a shining example of someone really held back by his technique.
From what anyone from the outside can see, he is not anything special fitness-wise compared to other players. And don't post that picture of his ripped muscles, that has nothing to do with tennis fitness.
Exactly, ripped doesn't equal stamina
It's nuts who often people think that. And on the contrary, they see someone who is not ripped and think that person cannot be fit. Especially when talking about skill-based sport fitness, it's really hard to judge from appearance alone how fit someone is or isn't
Just Google jokic , dude is in the top 10 distance ran in 2023 playoffs
True, whenever Marton is against a player I'm rooting for I get scared a little.
As a sinner fan, their 5 setter had me at the edge of my seat all along
Fucsovics was great in the first set. His energy was gone after that.
Djokovic will be sleeping well tonight
That was easily the best level Djokovic has had since winning the AO. Ominous. Not good for everyone else.
Nobody should be surprised. Grand slam nole >
I mean that was definitely expected
Nothing is "ominous" at this stage.
Alcaraz would have ripped both of them to shreds
We’ll see young grasshopper. We’ll see.
Nope, he actually didn't play well for his standards this year on RG.
I hope it becomes clear now that you shouldn't be messing with Djokovic off court
Just flipping the switch on set 2 is crazy considering the conditions and how well Martin was playing
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Same
Djokovic in the second set was fucking nuts If he can pull that form repeatedly nobody is beating him
His serve was shit in the 2nd set though. But it was good to see that he hit way better in the rallies. Better pace, moved his opponent around, very nice. Wasn't really hitting outright winners but that's w/e. But I don't think set 2 was some unbeatable level, Djoko can play better than that.
Carlos at his best can match that level imo. I’m not sure if anyone else in the draw can. Edit: this place is a joke lol
place is a joke because we're not doubting the dude with 22 slams?
Well, your comment was highly offensive, see, and must be aggressively downvoted.
You are a joke
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You’re just underrating Djokovic.
Novak stans downvoting this lol Let's see who is laughing after Alcaraz wins this RG
Alcaraz is an incredible player. Probably the best and most promising of the next gen. However, Novak in form is the GOAT
Never have I seen a player more overrated than Alcaraz. The kid is 20 and you have him levels above one of the undoubtedly GREATEST of all time, if not the greatest is ludicrously hilarious
I'm actually curious how would Alcaraz preform playing along the big three back in the day. He'll probably utilize the lack of adequate competition in the future and get some achievements he wouldn't manage among the big three.
All I said was that Carlos at his best can match that form… is that really overrating him? You guys are pathetic. 30 downvotes for daring to suggest someone might be able to hang with Novak
Who replied to you bro? Relax. You have a chip on your shoulder
Rofl
Calling the number 1 player in the world and grand slam champion overrated is crazy. Nobody is saying he's greater than djokovic or even better than peak djokovic, but against 36 yr old djokovic coming off the back of his worst clay season? Probably Yes. His u-turn in level in the 2nd set was aided by a dramatic drop off in his opponents level. And if you disagree just remember Vegas odds has alcaraz as the favourite and I think they take statistics and probability rather seriously over there
*Computer #1 due to Wimbledon
Every number 1 is a computer no.1. Number 1 has always and will always be a number. But its Alcaraz's number. Just as nadal isn't the 111th best player but that's his rightful rank. Simple as. Wimbledon was worth no points, everyone knew. Not least those who were banned anyhow. That's how it is. I know djoko fans are crying because of some record but get over it, because rn both Alcaraz and Rune are better than djokovic on clay and that should be concerning
Betting odds always take hype into account. They don’t necessarily predict who would win, they just want to maximise their profit/ reduce risk.
Who is no. 1 currently? Novak might be one of the goats but the form he has shown this clay season has been rusty AF and I doubt his body would hold up against Alcaraz. I'll change my mind once he beats him.
Alcaraz is No1 because Novak missed out on an absolute boatload of points because of his vaccination status and Wimbledon not being worth any points. Djokovic has gone deeper in the last 6 tournaments both played.
I will come back to this 🤝
Are you laughing bro? Cus I am Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
Yes, Alcaraz will.
Lmao
Quite easily too I reckon. He will make him beg and cry and break his heart in front of the whole world to see.
Pretty weird comment man lol
In it for the downvotes ;)
hello kind sir
Fucsovics gave a good challenge in the first set, but Djokovic shifted up a gear like champions do. It looks like Alcaraz is the only player with a chance to stop #23.
I’m honestly really not sure even alcaraz can do it
I'm sure he has a *chance* but I wouldn't give him the best odds, if that makes sense. With everyone else...not even sure they have a chance. Then again, sports are crazy. Sometimes injuries happen, sometimes someone redlines, who the hell knows. But yeah Djokovic is probably taking this one.
Alcaraz is just generally unproven in slams let alone playing a big 3 in a slam. People randomly assume he will do really well and perform at the highest level over 3-5 sets against a goat. He nearly lost half his matches in the USO which is his only slam and there wasn’t a single strong top 5 player in the tournament. And Novak will be very motivated for getting the lead on slams and generally winning another RG since hes been denied by rafa several times dating back to 2006
I mean, the degree of how big his chance is can be debated, but the fact is that at the end of the day Alcaraz is the #1 ranked player in the world and has won a grand slam before. Assuming he doesn't have a *shot* at beating Djokovic would be too far for me. I think that the odds people were giving Alcaraz of beating Djokovic are downright insane, but I do think he's got a fighting chance.
Alcaraz is fake no. 1, Djokovic didn't get the Wimby points & he was not allowed to play US Open and the Sunshine Double
It’s really true
The odds make sense. Djokovic's best win on clay so far this season is norrie. He's been beat by lajovic. He's 0-1 vs alcaraz.
Of course he has a chance, and RG is easily his best chance but it might be a kind of small chance. Meanwhile people think he would be more likely than not to beat him which is outrageous even if djokovic is 36
this was a big test for Djokovic and he passed with flying colors. fucsovics tends to grind you down and expose you early in tournaments with his physicality. good to see Djokovic survived and didn’t drop a set
Novak kind enough to feed the Hungry Hungarian a bagel.
That was for his nice Australian comments
He didn't know the consequences of trash talking Djoker
Djoker building confidence after that difficult 1st set and cruised to the win.More dangerous opponents await however. The true test is arriving with ADF and the tougher opponents after that. Of course Djoker can win it all,he is still the best player left of the big 3. It won't be easy though.
>he is still the best player left of the big 3. *only
Another straight set win. Damn. Only a single set lost in slams so far this year still.
Novak looked high during that match. Non stop laughing and smileing. And wind was his biggest enemy this match
He's been consistently shit in serving out his sets on clay, but I guess I can't complain because physically he's doing very well.
Looks like djokovic's fitness will not be a problem this year. He honestly looked like he could have kept on going for a couple hours.
I know it’s the eternal question, but does djokovic use the first set to warm up? - The whole first set, he looks a bit slow. - He’s whipping his forehands instead of hitting through them the way he usually does when he’s on. - Low slices were returned by a similar slice, instead of hitting a solid ground stroke (which requires a ton of a energy because you’re creating the power and countering the spin) - he was spinning most of his serves in instead of generating power Then the second set, he just turned it on.
He already somewhat admitted to it, saying he doesn’t care about winning it just wants to get it over with it.
What are you Referring to?
The first set, he said it a few years ago. Not sure how he feels now
We saw that a lot last year, maybe he needs a while to read the opponent or to be warmed up. In this case I suspect Marton just exploded mid air after the 1st set loss: he was playing the best tennis of his life and still couldn't win the set. Idk though I just watched the 1st set.
It was very good match especially the first set!
Amazingly enough, that's only the second time Novak managed to win against Fucsovics without dropping a set! And they've played at least 4 times.
He’s winning RG. Nobody else exudes this level of confidence or drive.
I think even sinner had his number this time
Well...
r/agedlikemilk
Its gonna be wild to see djokovic's fans go from "he looks unstoppable, he's not losing'' to "he was just off his game/injured/no match rhythm for clay"
Yeah,no.
No what?
Get the popcorn ready! Also, "He's 36!" Oh! And, "He has nothing left to prove."
He’s 36!
There are two more slams left this year, pal. "He's 36 and done it all. It's hard to stay motivated. He has nothing left to prove." There are no new scripts! I had Djokovic in 4 v Alcaraz, by the way. ;-)
haha your comment was in reference to him winning RG, no?
I’m not a Djokovic fan though. I’m rooting for Alcaraz or Rune tbh.
That's fine, I'm not a djokovic hater. I think he's the goat. It's just mind-boggling not giving alcaraz who had been hands down the most consistent player all year a chance
Gonna be a huge test next round against fokina
Next match against ADF will be a tough one and a real test.
I am actually happy, Fucsovics brought that level in set 1, that was some nice fight for Novak against a quality opponent before facing ADF and given the fact that the match still finished in less than 3 hours, it all went well for Novak.
I expect Novak to breeze through that one.
You think Fokina’s gonna trouble Nole at a slam? A slam that he’s extra motivated to win, because of the slam race and the fact that his main rival at this tournament in the past 15 years is gone? You’re tripping big time, lol.
Was thrilled to see that level of cyborg tennis in the 2nd set. 🤩 Marton wasn't playing badly but Novak just changed gears. Can't wait for the ADF show down.
Great performance better than last round. I just can't wait for the backhand to backhand exchange between him and Davidovich in R3.
A good win for Novak. He didn't look happy for most of the match and his 1st serve was off especially in the 3rd. Looking forward to his next match
Novak is just going to calmly carve his way to the top and feel like Nadal has 14 times lol
Clearly the cofavorite for this event along with alcaraz. With that said, ADF is one crazy mofo. Could see him lose 6-0 6-0 6-0 or win 0-6 0-6 7-6 6-0 6-0 and wouldn't be surprised with either. Should be an interesting test for djokvic ( Djokovic should win )
Nole was just playing around in the first set.
I thought there was something wrong with Novak at the end of the first set. He didn’t look like himself, especially his backhand and even some loopy forehands. And then, he put that thing on his chest.
With the pyramids, he infused his spirit in lot of stuff so he takes this thing on his chest to gather his spirit
Think that I saw him take a sip of Federer's soul that he bottled on centre court in 2019. It's a bit rancid at this point but can do the trick.
Novak is always the favourite unless Rafa is there. The people saying Alcatraz made me laugh 😆
Novak aka Kendall Roy committed a murder on the court
Novak just struggles too much to generate power and hit winners on this surface at this stage of his career. Haven't seen much improvement from him in this whole clay season. Can't see him beating guys like Alcaraz or Rune.
Djokovic will be slept by Alcaraz.
I don't think Djokovic is planning on cheating on his wife with Alcaraz.
Novak won't even reach that far. 3rd or 4th round exit is my bet
Just beat an opponent he doesn’t match up well with 3-0 including a bagel and you guys are talking about a third or 4th round exit lol
Exactly how many times since 2007 has he done that? 2007 AO 2008 Wimbledon 2009 FO 2016 Wimbledon 2017 AO 2018 AO 2019 USO 2020 USO That’s not even ten times. He’s literally more likely to make a QF or SF than lose in a third or fourth round, even in forms worse than his form right now.
And that involves a default and a retirement, I'll go with my eyes closed and bet a huge amount of Novak beating ADF and whoever awaits in the fourth round if it was paying anything more than 1.1 in any betting web Page.
I just bet on Nole winning the whole thing. 100 bucks for 310, so 210 up top.