“Onto Roger Federer and the pro tennis season ahead.”

LOL. Federer fanboy Sean at it again.

Sean is shrewd. He’s a tactician. He knows that he can get a lot of hits on his pro-Federer articles. He also knows that the ratio of pro-Fed fans and anti-Fed fans who blog on this site,is about 10 to 1. Thus, he will acquire many pro-Fed hits and possaibly if he raises the ire of the anti-Fed fans enough, he can also get some hits from them. Way to go, Sean!

It’s not about being nice to Federer I really think the same way Sean does, Federer is the clear favorite to take everything in his way except on a clay surface where he has good chances there too. I think Nadal could lose at Roland Garros before getting to the final; Ferrer,Nalbandian and even Davydenko could make Federer a big favor and believe me if Nadal isn’t at the final Federer is not losing besides everyday it looks clearer to everybody that the injuries are taking away the best of Nadal.

This is the year that federer surrenders one of his slams..he’ll walk away with 2 in my opinion nd i dont think he’ll win in paris..i lyk da guy but i’m not sure if he’ll win da us open or aussie..only time will tell..And we can expect some fierce and vicious tennis from serena venus and justine..wow the sisters are primed for number 1 again but the belgian will fight..AMAZING TENNIS AHEAD OF US!

Federer is out with a stomach virus poor little Sean will be crying his eyes out for days at the news of his wetdream hero’s illness lol

Federer is only out of the exihibition event at Kooyong. He has a virus that will set him back a little but if he has been working on his game prior to his arrival in Australia it should not make much difference to his Australian Open title defence.

Tommy Haas also withdrew from the tournament to allow more time for his shoulder to recover.

Nicole Vaidisova!!!! May you have no shame… He’s 11 years older than her, and she’s only 18. :-\

Roger Federer will be well in time for the Australian Open….and this stomache virus is only going to make him even more mentally strong and maybe even slightly pissed off over this fortnight…….I also believe that Roger is going to win the Golden Slam this year which would include…… 1. Australian Open….. 2. French Open….. 3. Wimbeldon…… 4. Olympic Gold Medal….. 5. US Open……

I believe this is really what he wants and I believe he believes he is going to do it….

For those of you who are Federer fans, the following might be of interest to you. I read this article on another site.

“Federer’s No. 1 beef with the current men’s tennis calendar is that it the Australian Open comes too early after the end-of-year-break. One suspects that, in his current condition, that could be playing on his mind a little bit.

I would like to comment but I might incur someone’s wrath. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Dear Von, feel free to comment! I’m a Fed fan:-)

As many of you who frequently post on this site most probably know by now that I am not a Federer fan and I hesitate to comment because I don’t want to provoke anybody’s anger. The following was a little tid-bit I read on another site:

Federer reached Melbourne on Friday, telling Fox Sports television, “I feel fresh, I feel fit, motivated, and that’s the key.”

After Federer got sick he stated the following:

“Federer’s No. 1 beef with the current men’s tennis calendar is that it the Australian Open comes too early after the end-of-year-break. One suspects that, in his current condition, that could be playing on his mind a little bit.”

One of my reasons for not liking Federer is based on the fact that he is incongruent. He changes like the wind. I have a problem on the whole with people who are incongruent. He complains incessantly about the calendar. When he lost in Cincy in ‘06,he said the same thing. When he lost in Paris one year, the same thing. Now he got sick before the AO, the same thing. He has a choice, he can skip any tournament he chooses, but why go and complain. It would be better if he didn’t go.

He claims he likes being No.1 because people listen to you. So he complains. That is why the Masters Series is now 3 sets, because he complained about that also. Below is a comment from Roddick.

His fellow players aren’t fretting. “I can safely say that none of us up here are worried about Roger’s preparation for the Australian Open. I don’t think we’re worried for him. I think I’ll sleep okay tonight,” joked Roddick.

If anyone has anything to say, please tell Skorcel, because he made me do this. Thanks.

Federer loves playing and loves winning, I don’t see his “beef” with the calendar affecting his mind enough to make him lose track of his goal, winning the Australian Open. I am dissappointed he’s not playing in Kooyong. I always like to see how some of the best players play each other in this exo. But it’s ok, my main focus is Nalbandian. Let’s see how fit he really is. I would love to see Nalbandian vs Safin and Nalbandian vs Murray. I’m always rooting for Safin but my second focus is Murray. To me, they’re the best players in the group if they play as well as they should. Can’t wait for the AO!!!

Federer is not the one who said he has a problem with the calendar. He said it in the past but not recently. That’s what Steve said. You’re just putting words in his mouth. I know what you’re talking about, he does seem to change his mind when it fits, but this is not one of those times.

I am also looking forward to Murray this year; I don’t know what effect sacking Gilbert is going to have in the longrun, but the Scot certainly is psyched presently. He’s a mix-master and a brainiac on the court; I like his temperament too, unlike many who find him sucky or whatever. He reminds me of a certain McEnroe. Murray just has to be sure to use his emotions in the right way, and not the wrong way, like Safin often does (sorry sensational safin, but it’s true). He has to channel outward or into his game, and not inward so he self-implodes. Don’t get me wrong, I love Safin’s game when it’s on (who wouldn’t?!); I will never forget that fated match against Roger at the 05 AO semifinal - wow! But Safin too often isn’t focused - or something.

His comments about the new AO surface are hilarious; he’s mainly concerned about the color-switch, or so he told the press. That guy is a real character.

Safin’s great. But who can argue he’s stupid for the way he gets to himself? As a hardcore fan I have to be able to admit something like that. Whatever, I’ll never lose hope. Murray is brilliant. I love watching him play. And he does have a McEnroe-esque aura about him, which makes me love him even more. I hope he has a good draw at the AO so that he can go really deep.

Here’s hoping - either way you look at, I guess. Safin just smoked Murray at Kooyong: 6-1, 6-4. Of course scores don’t tell the whole story, and I’ve not seen the match, but that’s something!

Unbelievable! This just in on Nalbandian:

“MELBOURNE, Australia - David Nalbandian injured his back practising with Marat Safin at Melbourne Park on Wednesday and withdrew from the upcoming Kooyong tournament.

Nalbandian, a 26-year-old Argentine whose past two title wins came over No. 1 Roger Federer and No. 2 Rafael Nadal at the Masters Series events in Madrid and Paris in October, said he is doubtful to compete in next week’s Australian Open.

Nalbandian said he would have medical scans later in the day to assess the injury.

“For sure I can’t play. I can’t even hit slowly with the ball,” he said. “This best thing is to rest and get treatment. In two or three days, start hitting slowly again and see how it goes.”

He said the pain came gradually in the middle of his back over an hour, but became so intense he could not do anything.
“I felt fit, great and ready to go. It was just bad luck today, warming up,” he said. “It’s bad luck.”

Nalbandian said he would try hitting again on Saturday or Sunday before making a decision on whether to play in the Australian Open, the season’s first Grand Slam which starts on Monday.”

Good Lord. IF - and that’s a BIG, humongous, ginormous if, I realize - there is no Federer and no Nalbandian, who, I mean who, will win the AO? Rafa? Murray? Safin? Roddick? Djokovic?

Murphy’s Law has reared its ugly head once again.

Nalbandian, according to an AP article, injured himself (his back) during a practice session (with Marat Safin) in Melbourne Park and will miss the Kooyong exo and possibly the Australian Open, depending on the severity. Nalby himself said he is doubtful about being ready for the tournament (which is in just under a freakin’ week!!!)
Aside from that, I wonder who else will be pulling out, besides the usual cluster from the women’s field.

Ya beat me to it, jane.

Jane: I was going to post regarding Murray, Safin and Nalbandian in response to your post earlier on this evening. I held back. I was kicking myself for saying anything about Federer, and decided against it.

I am not surprised though. Nalby is injury prone, and bad luck follows him. At the ‘06 TMC his nephew died during the tournament. What a situation. But, you have a partial answer about Murray. I have a hunch that Safin will do well at the AO. He has a good record there.

I don’t think Nadal and Djokovic will go very far, both are casualty cases and exhausted. But, look out for David Ferrer. He is a pitbull. He is another one that’s going to burn out soon. His game is too physical. Davydenko is not a real threat. He has problems with his serve. Maybe, Gonzalez might bring something new. And, Gasquet did not play very well at the TMC and lost to Tursunov today at the Medibank tournament. I think he now has a new coach. We shouldn’t overlook Berdych, even though he crumbles to a small extent at the big ones.

Well, the title is now up for grabs and as the exho moves on we’ll probably get a clearer picture of what’s going to happen at the AO. Somehow, it seems that the AO this year is jinxed.

Murray does not remind me of John MeEnroe. McEnroe used to behave like a terrible twos kid. He had very bad arguments with the Umpires. Murray, on the other hand, carries on a monologue and then shouts out to the coach, but he does not have the tantrums and heated arguments with the Umpire.

I remember Murray when he initially hooked up with Gilbert. He kept muttering to himself at a match and then he shouted out aloud to Gilbert. He said,”I keep hitting the balls, but they keep coming back to me.” Gilbert sat there and shook his head, which made Murray angrier by the minute.

Federer had this to say “I hung around and I definitely think it’s going to turn for the good and I’ll be 100 per cent, really, before the open starts” late Tuesday, so it looks like he’ll be well enough to defend his title. I guess the question is simply if he’ll be well enough prepared, with no warm up, and the answer is likely yes.

Murray may have lost to Safin but he also just won an event, so who knows? Maybe he was a bit tired or maybe he didn’t give it his all, given that this is only an exo tourney? We’ll see next week, I guess.

I wouldn’t write off either Rafa or Djokovic just yet; both played in finals last week (Chennai and Hopman respectively). Although I do think the heat will get to Djok more than Rafa. Djok is still hampered by breathing problems, even since he had his septum operated on. I know he can be a whiner, with his trainer calls and all, but I really believe his respiratory issues are legit. On the other hand, both the heat and the new surface (if it is indeed slower like Gonzalez says) will work to Rafa’s adavantage.

I am really looking forward to next week, even if it does seem a little jinxed!

Federer has always been a whigny, two faced phony, saying one thing while doing another; always makes excuses when he loses.never gives credit to opponents because he’s too busy patting himself on the back. and the media thinks him humble! LOL

on top of that Federer is one of the luckiest players in the world. Nalbandian is now injured he was our best hope of taking down the Ego king but that is now all in doubt.

I agree oingo-boingo (miss that band…).

Federer does seem to have luck on his side; he often has easier draws than, say, Rafa or Djok, who met in a few of the semis last year. Of course. I don’t know if this is luck or what…. It seems to me it should be 1 and 3 on one side of the draw and 2 and 4 on the other. However it’s usually been 1 and 4 (so Fed and Davy) and 2 and 3 (so Rafa and Djok), which seems unfair or…lucky. And look at what happened at Wimbledon! Roger had a week (well, 5 days) off mid tournament due to the way his schedule fell and Haas pulling out. Meanwhile all the other players were ground to a pulp, playing every day. Gasquet, Djok, and Rafa were spent by the time they reached the semis while Roger was quite fresh. Rafa dug deep to compete in that final, but also hurt his knee in the process.

I know people will disagree with this view, and I don’t mean to offend any Fed fans, but I truly agree that Federer seems lucky, in addition to his obvious talent.

yes now it seems that Federer is lucky yes of course I didn’t know that someone could achive what Federer has done being lucky yeah right how couldn’t I see that?

Winning 12 slams is not luck. Fed is just that good. If he doesn’t play AO, my bet is on Marat winning the tournie, assuming he doesn’t head off with the party boys at night (Nalby and Hewitt).

oingo-boingo & jane:

I am so glad that finally, I am seeing that other people are saying what I have been saying all along. I don’t know how or why it’s happening, but this guy is just l-u-c-k-y with an emphasis. No one can be that lucky. Something’s not kosher here.I probably will raise the ire of his fans, but, what the hell. I see so much garbage written concerning the players I support, so if I step on a few toes, too bad. He has the easiest draws. Walks in the park.

I think Wimbledon was just hell for Rafa, Andy, Gasquet and Soderling. Those guys were at the site every day waiting for the rain to abate and hardly had any rest. To quote Roddick, when asked how he felt about Federer having so much time-off, Andy said, that he could just picture Fed sitting in one of those double-decker buses taking a tour of London, going around and around. Fed, when asked about the time-off he had stated to the reporters that he got a haircut.

Andy and Rafa had a terrible time with the rainouts, that is why Rafa did not win Wimby. And this holds true for so many other tournaments. Fed gets an easy draw and the other guys have to grind and grind,from the beginning,so when they meet him in the quarters, semis or final, the wind has come out of their sails.

He has an excuse for every one of his losses.

I read in a little article which mentioned James Blake’s book and the article claimed that Blake mentioned Fed’s draw at the US Open, he complained and things got moved around, or something to that effect. I don’t know how credible this article is, and I have not read James’ book, so I can’t say it’s true.

I was watching the ‘05 AO with Fed and Safin, and the commentators said that the Safin match was the only match Fed had to do some work. Also, Safin had spent close to 12 hours on court, compared to Fed’s 7+ hours. According to the Aussie Commentators, he had the easiest draw. They were very fair, not like those ESPN drool idiots.

Maybe Gonzalez will do some damage. He beat him at the TMC. The last article I read on this site about the TMC stated Fed finished the year in a “destructive” manner. Lord have mercy, these people have short memories. What destructive manner? Gonzalez beat him; Davydenko was badly injured, and Fed played a very sloppy match, but got the win. Everything I read about the Fed/Davydenko match stated that Fed played a very sloppy game, even his fans. The match with Andy, even though no one mentioned it, Andy had a frozen back, so he could not play well. But the writers and commentators had a field day writing their garbage about Andy. There was a tid-bit about Ferrer asking Andy about his back. When Ferrer got to the final, after grinding so much, he couldn’t play well, he was exhausted. And, that’s the destructive manner in which Fed finished the year.

I am waiting to see the AO draw.

oingo-boingo, you are sure going to get slaughtered by his fans. I stated the same things when I started blogging on this site and I was getting hell from left and right. I am a sensitive person, and I get upset, but I think this site has toughened me up a bit.

rogers twin sister,

…or the ball girls: marat does live up to his rep, apparently.

There’s no doubt Roger’s a great player; it’d be pretty hard to argue otherwise given his results. But he does seem to have easier draws, on occasion, at least.

For instance, IMO, Fed’s draw in Montreal was *extremely* lop-sided (I mean easy) compared to the other half of the draw, which featured Nadal, Safin, Roddick, Djokovic, Nalbandian, Gasquet, Moya, Berdych AND Baghdatis among others, for crying out loud!!! This, to me, made Djokovic’s feat in Canada all the more impressive, really! Meanwhile, Roger had to face, um, Fongini, Karlovic, and a Hewitt struggling to get back his old form, which he found in Cincy, nearly toppling Roger there.

Anyhow…just an opinion.

With all the expectation, one must assume Nalbandian will play the Australian Open. He’s playing dead right now. I just want him and Safin to exhibit more consistency. Can’t say much about Murray yet when it comes to Slams.
The reality of the “luck” issue is that you can make the same argument for many players at certain tournaments. Plus, the 1-4 or 2-3 ranking matchups at Slams don’t really matter, since it’s always hit-or-miss with Djokovic in particular: he’s great and then he’s not. As far as the Federer juggernaut is concerned, I think it’s less divine intervention and more about his opponent doing something wrong (pushing too hard, or even choking) and sabotaging himself. That usual, consistent resistance is part of Federer’s strategy, to try to get his opponent to do too much to find a way to win. One can see this being applied during some matches. As with the Wimbledon final, for example, Federer played enough to get by, then broke Rafa twice in the fifth (extra gear or not). That’s why Nadal lost the Wimbledon final. I don’t think Nadal was injured, I think he wore himself out. I attribute the five-set duration to Rafa’s improvement as a grass-court player who threw everything he had into that match. I won’t tout Federer’s demise/decline because he struggled some at Wimbledon. So did Borg (w/ McEnroe) and Sampras (w/ Ivanisevic).
As a person, whether Fed’s a “two-faced phony” is up to you, I guess. I’ve never met the guy. However, I do notice, especially in post-match interviews, that he does give credit to his opponents, win or lose. Some are just tired of Federer, and that’s fine. I’m not tired. I always appreciate great tennis from every player who effectively applies their game.

johnnhoj,

“I think it’s less divine intervention and more about his opponent doing something wrong (pushing too hard, or even choking) and sabotaging himself.”

You got a point here, whether it’s Federer waiting for his opponents to make a mistake, or whether it’s them choking due to possible Fed phobia, or nerves, or whatever. This is an issue an terms of Federer’s consistent success, no doubt. Djokovic had no phobia or nerves in Montreal, and he won. He played smart and great tennis in those breakers. But I still think the draw issue is a factor at times. Personally, I sometimes wonder if tournament organizers arrange it in such a way because they want to see Federer in the final as he’s a bankable draw - and even better if he faces number 2 or 3 in the world in the final. Problem is, they’re worn out by then, so maybe Fed does get a break. I don’t think you can make the same case for any player. I also think Rafa was truly injured in the Wimbie final, as he had to have his knee wrapped and then was clearly hobbled at the US Open (in part because he played Stuggart rather than resting his knee - bad call, whether by him or Uncle Tony). Rafa doesn’t exploit trainer calls at all, so for him to do that suggests to me that something was up with that knee.

jane and von
you just don’t like Federer and you are tired of him winning almost everything so stop saying that he is lucky because that’s the bigest bull**** I’ve ever heard in my entire life.

“Personally, I sometimes wonder if tournament organizers arrange it in such a way because they want to see Federer in the final as he’s a bankable draw - and even better if he faces number 2 or 3 in the world in the final. Problem is, they’re worn out by then, so maybe Fed does get a break.”

That’s a fact,and they insult the players’ and fans’intelligence by the ridiculous draws. They manipulate the top seeds in ridiculous parts of the draw to sell more tickets to gain equal fan participation, or else fans would wait until the semis and finals to show up. Consequently, there are now players whose spirits are broken because they have to play him so soon in the draw. What chance does a qualifier have of ever getting into the top 50, 30, 20, or 10, after being dispatched by him. Zilch. And then the commentators expound on how quickly he put the poor qualifier (who has played several challengers to get into the tournament)away. What a farce!

This is destructive for Tennis. They are gung-ho to crack down on betting, I think they should start with themselves. Maybe they should just have a tournament and put him alone as an exhibition to demonstarate his “mastery” of the game. They don’t need the other players since he is the best.

When I want to see beautiful movement, I watch figure skating and the ballet. I know many will say I am “foolish” and stupid and blinded, I don’t care, that’s my preference. I don’t need to see a Tennis jaguar with his deliberate movement making his way through the tulips.

It has been the consensus of opinion by many neutral commentators, writers and both players and fans of players that Federer complains a lot, to have his way, that’s why he said he likes being No.1, because people listen.

His complaints have been so effective that the Masters Series is now a joke, no more 5 setters. He complained in 2006, when the Rome Master Series tournament between himself and Rafa lasted for close to 5 hours and both had to withdraw from Hamburg. He was making a statement. But he wanted to only play 2-3 sets and he had to make a point. However, had he won that tournament,he would have showed up at Hamburg. For Hamburg he did not have to play until Tuesday, he would have had a full day’s rest on Monday. He made a comment that he is not going to waste his time playing stupid 5 setters. Thus, in 2007, the Masters Series was changed. Ardent tennis fans blamed the ATP, but who was the person instrumental in achieving the change, Federer.

When the Tennis experts want to define who was the greatest, they need to look at the number of sets the other champions had to play and how much more difficult the game was in terms of calls, etc. Hawkeye makes it a lot bearable for the players to shake off bad calls nowadays. They also say he made $10 miilion in one year, something no other player had ever done. Sure, no other chamion was paid the big bucks he gets. What a stupid comparison to make. The players are paid a lot more money than in Laver’s, Lendl, Becker’s,Sampras’, Agassi’s, McEnroe’s and Connors’,era. In order for that comparison to be fair, they need to take the wins of the past players and calculate them at present day earnings and only then would they be able to have a fair comparison. I earn a lot more money than my father did in his career, and my father earned a lot more than his father. And, my children will earn a lot more than I earn.

I think all of these so-called experts are just ostriches with their heads in the sand. They just promote sensationalism, because that’s what garners a huge fan participation = sales = big bucks for and all the powers to be in Tennis. Why is it that Qatar wants Federer to play in their tournament, because ticket sales will go up. He gets a nice fat check besides his winnings and everyone is happy. However, they could not afford his asking price this year = he didn’t play. End result, he would not be playing any indoor tournaments. The end-user, (fans) is at the receiving end of all this manipulation. If, as some say, he just likes to play and win, then it’s a no-brainer, bonus check size, or for that matter no bonus chack, would not be mandatory.

Wow. Wow. You said so much I don’t even feel like refuting it all. I’m just going to talk about Safin. I can’t believe he beat Murray like that. Last year Murray beat Safin in pretty dominant fashion and Safin was praising Murray for playing fearless and whatnot. But wow. Murray said he wasn’t feeling too good, something about jetlag and having to play so soon after working out and not eating. But still, I hope this helps Safin. As much as I hate and fear Nalbandian, I’m very dissappointed. This is one of the reasons I hate him, it’d be one thing if he was consistently challenging the top players but to come in during the last few weeks of the season to destroy everyone is so out of place. It is unlucky though, but I bet you it’s because Safin hits the ball so damn hard.

I agree 100% Federer is one of the luckiest people in the whole world. Besides all the obvious reasons the fact that his last “major” injury was at the end of 2005 is just incredible. He’s credited for knowing how to plan out his schedule so well but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s extremely lucky. As for easy draws, I don’t agree. The main arguement seems to be Wimbledon. Ok so he got pretty damn lucky with Wimbledon last year, it happens. But I feel like he’s gotten plenty of tough draws where Nadal got easy ones. That doesn’t mean that’s how it always is, I agree that he has gotten some ridiculously easy draws, but that’s not how it always is. We will see what happens in the next few weeks.

Yeah - I am interested to see how the AO draw shakes out; I am assuming Roger will play. Nalbandian is another story; the shame of it is this - how will we ever know about his end-of-last-year play and its legitimacy (which you seem to call into question sensationalsafin - i.e., given that the other players were more road weary)? Even if he plays the AO, and, say, he doesn’t do so well, back problems will be the obvious reason. It would have been really intriguing to see how a healthy, fit Nalbandian, with a new coach no less, would have made out at the AO. Guess we’ll have to wait for the French to find that out, another place he could be a threat. I also think Djokovic could be a contender at the French this year; he got to the semis last year, losing only to the man who has owned RG for the last 3 years. So.

SS: I thought you would be wringing me out by now and hanging me out to dry. I guess lady luck is in my favor. What can I say. My background is legal. We write a lot, that’s how we are taught, how else would we confuse everyone and make the truth sound like a lie?

It looks like our guy, Marat, is getting himself into form. What I read today, from a statement made by Murray. Because his match with Marat was pushed forward, Murray had to eat something quickly, so he had two chicken sandwiches (he paid for being too greedy) in a hurry and while he was playing he felt as though the stuff would come up. That sounds plausible.

I hope that Safin did not hear that comment and uses his win in a positive way. I know Safin can win matches, even though of late, he has not been able to string two matches together. However, look at last year’s Davis Cup, he was really clicking.

This guy I can take. He tells it like it is. There’s nothing phoney about him. I nearly wet myself from laughing when he decided to unfrock himself at Roland Garros. How could anyone not like this guy. He is cute, he has pizzaz and most of all, he has that litle boy, mischievous side. Now that’s what I call an athlete. I just like it when he mocks the umpire, when he is warned: He says, “I knnow, Mr. Safin this is a warning…..” I’ll take him in place of four (4) Federers.

That draw at the AO inm ‘05, Safin Match, the commentators said that Fed had the easiest draw and the least on-court hours 7+. Marat stacked up 12+ hours, and beat the living daylights out of Federer. Did you see the perspiration down his cheeks. He looked so bloody confused as if he had lost his way. I enjoyed it!

I did not address Nalbandian Someone wanted to know if I lived on this site. I guess today, I did.

Nalbandian always does this whenever he can. In the past he would stay at 5 to 8 ranking, and then shine at the TMC. It really messes up things for the players and also surprises them. They probably look at the draw and think, oh, easy, and then he just starts hitting from all areas.

In ‘06, Roddick beat him twice, and then at the TMC, Nalbandian, just started this incredible shot-making. Andy, pointed to Connors and then Nalbandian, in disbelief. I am sorry he is hurt, but it woild make the difference in someone’s ranking if he were to start shining. I think a few can breathe a little easier.

Another one who seems to be doing the same thing is Ferrer. However, he is going to burn himself out quickly. He certainly messed up Roddick at Cincy and the TMC.

Speaking of Roddick and Safin…Roddick just beat him at Kooyong 6-3, 6-3. I thought it’d go 3 for sure.

Jane:
A-w-w-r-i-g-h-t! That’s my little (big) guy. I did not want them to play against each other, but it was inevitable. Roddick won in ‘06 and ‘07. That’s why he said he would sleep fine last night, because Fed was not playing.

Thanks. Please keep me informed. I don’t get any news of the Kooyong exhos on the Tennis Channel. By the way, did you inquire about the TC on cable in Canada? Next week there will be 24 hour coverage of the AO. Maybe they’ll be on ESPN. Their coverage is sucky. I played hookey today, I did not do any work.

SS: FYI: Day 2: Thursday 10th January

Andy Murray def. Ivan Ljubicic (6-7(9) 6-4 6-2)

Murray is feeling better. I think his loss was a combination of fatigue, greed (2 chicken sandwiches) and an in-form Marat.

Jane, what did mean by saying “Rafa doesn’t exploit trainer calls at all”?

Ehm, that should read “what did YOU mean”:-)

To Von:
Excuse me, but how can you say it was only Fed who was responsible for cutting the MS finals from best of 5 to best of 3? Do you think Nadal was happy when he needed to play 5 hours to win that Rome final? Look, I too want to see a best of 5 set final in EVERY MS tournament (since if it has a best of 3 final + the seeds receive a 1st round bye, you CAN’T name it a MS tournament), but hey, what did Federer have to say? “I want to play another 1000 matches like that”? It was only logical he would complain (the same about Nadal)… And btw, how can you be so sure that Fed would’ve played Hamburg in case of win in Rome? He would’ve skipped it regardless of the outcome!

Anyway, in my opinion, the only reasonable solution is to have at least 1 week between each MS tournament (or a grandslam, of course), or stage these tourneys in 2 weeks (as is the case with IW and Miami). I think that if they can reduce the Series to, say, 8 tourneys instead of 9, it’s possible to achieve such scheduling.

Fed has easy draws? Come on! Look at SW19 2006 - he had an absolutely BRUTAL draw compared to that of Nadal, whose only threats en route to the final were Baggy (a guy who prior to the tournament hasn’t won a match on grass + who to this day has NEVER beaten Nadal) and a semi-retired Agassi. Not to say Nadal didn’t deserve to be in the final - indeed, he absolutely deserved to be there (as last year’s results proved)! But even if you really think Fed’s handed rather easy draws, then what? He’s the No. 1 player - and he deserves it! He plays only qualifiers in the first rounds? Then what? Who do you think a No. 1 player in the world should play in those first few rounds? The guy’s worked VERY HARD to achieve this status, and it’s ONLY UP TO HIS OPPONENTS to climb up the ladder… When Sampras was the No.1 player, who do you think he played in these first rounds?

Fed had an easy draw at the AO 2005? Come on! Already in the 1st round he had to play Santoro (who’s ALWAYS a threat - just ask Marat!), but didn’t give him a chance… Then in the 2nd round, he met that Japanese guy named Takao Suzuki, who played a match of his life against the Swiss - yet Fed gave him a nice tennis lesson (btw, I’m sure that had Suzuki played, say, Roddick, an upset wouldn’t be impossible!). Then Fed played Baggy (next year’s finalist, who btw stole a set from the Swiss 4 months before at the USO), but didn’t give him a chance… And finally, in the quarterfinals, he literally slayed Agassi (perhaps the biggest favourite to win the title after Fed, a guy who ALWAYS did well there)… So does it look like an easy draw? I don’t think so…

Safin beating the living daylights out of Fed? Ha ha, that’s funny! I love the Russian, but the guy should’ve been happy he even won that match, since that lob at Roger’s MP could’ve landed everywhere!

Skorocel, I meant, unlike some players, like Djokovic, who has been accused of calling out trainers too much, or complaining too much, or even calling out trainers at opportune times (like when he’s down), Rafa doesn’t typically seem do this IMO. Sure, he may call trainers at times (like most players) but it seems to me anyhow that when he calls a trainer he really needs one, whether it be to tape something up or whatever.

At the USO this year it seemed that every tennis player and his/her dog was calling a trainer every two minutes. But that tournament was plagued with all sort of mysterious ailments. Hopefully the AO isn’t similar, but the lead up isn’t too promising…

BTW, I love the Djoker, but even a fan has to admit the guy has to cut down on trainer calls, and ball-bouncing? Well that’s another story. Main thing is he plays some wicked ball.

To Von: Please, write my name correctly… Of course, I’m not gonna slay you for this:-), but you know, it just shows how the given reader respect the other person…

To jane:
Agree with everything what you’ve said about Djoker, but as for Nadal, well… Did you see that memorable Monte Carlo 2006 final? That was an absolutely TEXTBOOK EXAMPLE of how medical timeouts can be used to disrupt the opponent’s rhythm - and it wasn’t Fed who called for them!

Must have missed that one - but typically Rafa is a very focused player and doesn’t like to disrupt the rhythm of a match, so I am talking generally. Perhaps there are exceptions here and there, but Rafa seems sincere in his calls to me. Djoker seems more focused on himself than the match generally; if he needs to take a minute to have his back rubbed or to splash water on his face, he does it. I don’t think he’s as concerned about stymieing his opponent as he is with getting his own act together. But either way, he does need to be more careful about stops and starts in a match.

To Von:
Btw, that statement which Fed made after beating Andy at the last year’s USO - did he mean it seriously or not? I mean, I can’t see anything bad on it - provided he said it with a smirk on his face, of course… But hey, even if he was serious, who can blame him? At least he was sincere at what he was saying (which you think he isn’t)… He maybe doesn’t have a crystal ball, but that loos in Montreal 2003 semis cost him the year end No. 1 spot - which I personally rank among the biggest setbacks in the whole Fed’s career…

There you go, jane! I’ve mentioned it literally thousand times on this site, but anyway, here’s a quick recap:
The sun was shining, centre court packed, and both players were warming up without any problems… But as the warm-up ended and it was time to play, the Spaniard “suddenly” called for a trainer to treat (allegedly) blisters on his hands. Of course, Fed wasn’t happy at all about that - and indeed, as the play began, it was quickly 4-0 for Nadal - and the 1st set was over for the Swiss… To be honest, I’ve never seen any tennis player receiving medical timeout prior or after the warm-up, NEVER! The question is: Why the hell didn’t he have those blisters treated BEFORE the both players even came onto the court?!
Anyway, the 1st set was quickly over for Fed, but he regrouped winning the 2nd, and in the very first game of the 3rd set quickly broke Nadal to lead 1:0. That was obviously enough for the Spaniard, as he once again called for the trainer to treat those “blisters”… And once again, the damage was done, as he got an immediate re-break and then later won the set 6/3… Trust me, I will NEVER forget that wicked Nadal’s look at his uncle Toni just after that very first game of the 3rd set ended - they both knew it’s time for some nasty tactics…

Btw, jane, does Nalby have a new coach in Australia?

Maybe Rafa had the blisters from practice or from the prior week’s tournament? He does tend to play hard during clay season. I agree that it is a strange occurrence calling a trainer pre-match like that, but I still can’t see it as nasty. Neither Rafa nor Uncle Tony seem vindictive types imho. But thanks for the recap.

And sorry, no. I meant the coach Nalbandian hired last year (Jaite), who seemed to work him back into form for those amazing runs in Madrid & Paris.

Haha Von, seems like you weren’t as lucky as you thought. Skorocel said pretty much everything I was too lazy to say. I do not care too much for the 2005 AO draw, it’s pretty irrelevant. And Safin did NOT by any means thrash Federer. I don’t think Safin was that lucky in saving the match point but Federer saved like 7 in the fifth set, so he had his chances to still win. It’s easily my favorite match ever and definetly one of the greatest matches in recent memory.

I think I’m just going to ignore the Kooyong results. Yeah they’re interesting but I don’t think they’re telling anyone anything. Last year Roddick beat Federer, we all know what happened after that. Ljubicic gave Murray a lot more trouble than he did Roddick, but does that mean Roddick is better than Murray? Hell no! In-form Safin? Perhaps that was one of those flashes like he had last year against Mathieu in Davis Cup. I would hope not but that could very easily be the case. And in the real tournaments right now, there have been many upsets, hardcore upsets. I don’t know what it really means though, it’s still early in the season. The Australian Open might be able to tell us a few things about who’s hot and who’s not, but the way I see it, the season doesn’t really kick off until Indian Wells. Then there’s Miami. That’s where we see who’s capable of having a really good year.

To sensationalsafin:
You’re patrially right about the fact that Fed’s a bit “lucky” to not have any serious injuries, but to be honest, it also has to do something with the fact of how the guy takes care of himself… I mean, he skipped Doha, Halle, Tokyo last year + also didn’t play Rotterdam (which is btw one of the best non-GS/MS tourneys out there) or his home tournament in Gstaad, etc. etc. On the other hand, Nadal not only does have a “self-destructive” game which will most probably leave him semi-cripple within 5 years (sorry for such rude words!), but his schedulling also needs a bit of a change (see last year’s tourney in Stuttgart, which in my opinion Nadal played mainly in hope to gain some points on Fed)…

The other thing is (as Von and SG pointed out) that Nadal isn’t as natural of an athlete as is Fed or Sampras. In my opinion, that’s why those two were able to keep themselves injury-free. With Nadal, it’s all about determination…

sensationalsafin: I think you’re pretty much right about Kooyong and how much of a predictor it’ll be, but it’s none the less worth a looksee who’s doing what and so forth - especially since it’s a trial run of the new surface.

Skorocel: Nadal not a natural athlete? Hmmm….he did win some serious accolades in junior soccer and could’ve easily had a career there but he chose tennis. Some of Nadal’s issues in tennis, imo, come from the fact that he’s more of a right hander but switched to left for the advantage, only he’s had to work a lot harder as a result. But I think, even with his more physical game, he’s got a few good years ahead of him (injures may be a factor though, as is already evident.)

Federer is smart, that’s pretty clear. Nadal is a natural athlete, it’s just that his game is so much more based on athleticism than it is tennis. I just hope the AO produces some stellar results because so far, with all the pull outs and injuries, things aren’t looking good.

Skorocel:

So, you actually read these posts. I don’t see you posting a lot, so I assumed you only glanced through them.

A. With respect to your name, I am so very, very sorry. A thousand apologies. I do respect you. You’re such an open-minded guy, and you don’t blast me if I write something you don’t agree with, you question it in a respectful manner, thus, it would be difficult to not respect you. I get so absorbed in what I am about to write, that I sometimes leave a letter out, or I don’t proofread and an incorrect letter is left hanging. But, I should be more careful about people’s names. Lord have mercy! I hope I am forgiven.

Q. “Excuse me, but how can you say it was only Fed who was responsible for cutting the MS finals from best of 5 to best of 3? Do you think Nadal was happy when he needed to play 5 hours to win that Rome final?”

A. Now that you mention Rafa, it could possibly have been a joint effort However, Fed was more vociferous about it, and the comment he made about “playing stupid 5 setters,” made him stand out.

Q. And btw, how can you be so sure that Fed would’ve played Hamburg in case of win in Rome? He would’ve skipped it regardless of the outcome!

A. I think he would have played Hamburg had he won Rome, because, psychologically speaking, our brain responds to positive things. And, in that case his win would have buoyed him up so much (he had never beaten Rafa in Rome or on clay) that the tiredness would have dissipated and he would be walking with his head in the clouds, not down. He would have wanted to be at Hamburg then, the momentum would be sizzling. Our minds can lift us up or bring us down.

Q. “Btw, that statement which Fed made after beating Andy at the last year’s USO - did he mean it seriously or not? I mean, I can’t see anything bad on it - provided he said it with a smirk on his face, of course”

A. I don’t know if he meant it, but he seemed sincere about it, because he said it cost him the No.1 year-end ranking. And, to bring it up at a press conference after 4 years, well, you’ve got to admit that it was uppermost in his mind. Even Drysdale, who drools over Fed, brought it up the next day. I am a bit leery about people who remember stuff years after the incident has ocurred, and mention things with a wry smile. I don’t trust that smirk one bit.

Q. “Fed had an easy draw at the AO 2005? Come on! Already in the 1st round he had to play Santoro (who’s ALWAYS a threat - just ask Marat!),…”

A. If you noticed, I stated the commentators mentioned it. I was voicing their opinion.

“Safin beating the living daylights out of Fed? Ha ha, that’s funny! I love the Russian, but the guy should’ve been happy he even won that match, since that lob at Roger’s MP could’ve landed everywhere.”

From what I saw, Federer was feeling the pressure. He was flustered and sweating. Maybe “beating the living daylights out of him,” is too strong a statement, but Fed was definitely flustered.

Deviating a little, Santoro drives Marat crazy. Marat said if there’s one player he hates playing, it’s Santoro. Ljubicic, at either Miami or Indian Wells, can’t remember which, drew Santoro, needless to say, if Luby had any hair it would have been left on the court. When he thought he had put Santoro away, the balls just kept coming back. Luby won by a break. I saw him exhale when the match ended.

Regarding the draws, I can only say that’s my opinion. Maybe, he is entitled to easier draws, because he worked hard to achieve the No. 1 ranking. But, I am sorry, I honestly don’t agree. I’d say that on occasion, he gets a difficult draw, and believe me, he is vociferous about it when it happens, but for the most part, I feel that he gets lucky.

I hope we can agree to disagree on some points.

“There you go, jane! I’ve mentioned it literally thousand times on this site, but anyway, here’s a quick recap:
The sun was shining, centre court packed, and both players were warming up without any problems… But as the warm-up ended and it was time to play, the Spaniard “suddenly” called for a trainer to treat (allegedly) blisters on his hands.”

I saw that match and even though Fed is not among my favorites,I have to agree that what Rafa did was very unsportsman like, and, it did throw Fed off for the match. Fed was very tolerant. The umpire should have intervened. Rafa’s play ethics should be taken seriously by the Umpires. The long in-between serve delays can be very frustrating. Roddick would be jumping out of his skin on that one.

As a matter of fact, I feel the Umpires are too lenient with the dalays engineered by some of these players. The nonsense Djokovic engages in needs to be addressed by the Umpires and the on-site match supervisor.

Djokovic broke Mardy Fish’s rhythm and it cost him the match at the Hopman cup. They had just finished a tiebreak, which Mardy won, and out comes the trainer at the beginning of the third set. Djokovic had an injury timeout for his shoulder. Of course, Mardy’s momentum was broken. Needless to say, Djokovic’s shoulder was fine for his serves and managed to take the set to another tie-break, which he won, and the match also. I would have strangled him if I was nearby.

Do you know why Djok bounces his balls so much because he sings as he is bouncing. He bounces about 23 times, and here is his song:

“I feel pretty, oh so pretty, I’m pretty and witty and wise, and I pity any girl/boy who isn’t feeling pretty tonight. 22 bounces.

sensationalsafin Says:
“Haha Von, seems like you weren’t as lucky as you thought. Skorocel said pretty much everything I was too lazy to say.”

And, you’re just gloating. I’ll get you. Just remember, I am just a little person, and I bruise easily.

“Nadal is a natural athlete, it’s just that his game is so much more based on athleticism than it is tennis.”

Correct, is right on. As I said before, and I’ll say it again, he is gonna wear himself out. Some of these athletes think that running around like a bull in a China shop, is going to do it for them. However, they do not look at the long term effects. By 25, if Nadal keeps up with this sort of physicality, he’s going to be on crutches. I am so sorry for him, but he needs a psychologist.

Ferrer is another one like Rafa, except Ferrer is a pitbull, and Rafa is a raging bull. We now have a pitbull and a raging bull in the top 5. Who’s the matador? I guess Federer. He’s always fending off Nadal.

Gee whiz, has anyone noticed, Sean’s article produced 55 hits.

As ridiculous as some of the things Sean says are, his articles always produce great discussions. Despite our little quarrels, I enjoy debating tennis. And I didn’t mean anything by it, Von, I don’t think Skorocel should’ve attack YOU like that, but he did counter your Federer arguements, which I was too lazy to do.

Dear sensationalsafin, maybe I misunderstood you, but when did I ATTACK someone on this site? I understand “attack” as saying rude, abusive words towards the readers, but as far as I know, I’ve never did anything like that…

Ehm, that should read “never done”:-)

Dear Skorocel:

I don’t think that he meant “attack” in the rude sense. I am not a mind reader, but I think he meant it in a “counterpoint” sort of way, that you put me to the test and made me answer my allegations about Federer. By now he knows I am sensitive person, and I admit, I do get a little ruffled when someone reacts to my posts in a harsh way, s