Federer Steps On The Worm, Djokovic Cruises In Dubai; Gulbis-Dimitrov Thursday In Acapulco

by Staff | February 27th, 2014, 12:45 am
  • 52 Comments

Radek Stepanek took Roger Federer the distance but in the end it was the Swiss prevailing 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-3 in the second round at Dubai Wednesday. Federer, a 5-time tournament champion, was down 2-0 in the final set before rallying to win six of the last seven games.

“I started to understand what I was doing wrong,” said Federer. “Which made me maybe play a little bit tentatively from the baseline, what made me not make enough shots [and] why I wasn’t playing as aggressively as I wanted to. I couldn’t find the right balance between offence and defense.

“It was almost a bit too late for everything, but I kind of hung around and I took the positives out of the match. Radek did a good job of putting the pressure on me and mixing it up. From that standpoint, it was a really difficult match. I’m very pleased to come through.”

The fourth-seeded Federer now faces Lukas Rosol. The man who stunned Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon a few years ago ousted Russian Dmitry Tursunov.

If Federer wins Thursday he could be slated to then meet top seed Novak Djokovic in the semis. The defending champion cruised past Roberto Bautista Agut 6-1, 6-3 for his 549th career win.

Up next for the Serb is Mikahil Youzhny. “Mikhail has been around for a long time, and he has one of the nicest and most efficient one handed backhands on the tour,” Djokovic said. “It seems a little bit unorthodox the way he holds his racquet, then [he] releases with two hands and in the end with one hand. But he’s a very talented player.”

Also on tap for Thursday is a big quarterfinal showdown between Tomas Berdych and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

“Tsonga’s a very tough opponent,” said Berdych who leads the Frenchman 4-2. “He’s a really solid, [an] established player from the Top 10. He really likes these very fast conditions. It’s something that really suits his game. All the matches that we have played were very close, always a big battle. I’m really looking forward to that.”

German Philipp Kohlschreiber will also be in action against Malek Jazeri.

In Acapulco, seeds David Ferrer (d. F. Lopez), Kevin Anderson (d. Querrey), Grigor Dimitrov (d. Baghdatis) and Gilles Simon (d. Young) all won in straight sets while Ernests Gulbis needed a third set tiebreak (7-5) to advance over David Goffin.

Gulbis now plays Dimitrov in a rematch of the Latvian’s win earlier this month in Rotterdam. Also, Ferrer faces Anderson while Simon awaits the Andy Murray-Joao Sousa match still to finish.

And in Sao Paulo, top seed Tommy Haas advanced to the quarters while second-seeded Nicolas Almagro fell to Federico Delbonis.


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52 Comments for Federer Steps On The Worm, Djokovic Cruises In Dubai; Gulbis-Dimitrov Thursday In Acapulco

Margot Says:

Usual sleepy start from Andy, then looked OKish. First serve pants though, gotta improve. Late start but on early next match, ain’t gr8 at the mo. either.
Que sera.


Hippy Chic Says:

Good luck to Roger against Rosol,who has we know has the game to trouble the very best players,and my god i have to say, it would be alot less irritating if the commies didnt keep reminding us of that defeat Rafa had against him each and everytime he plays(sigh).


Giles Says:

Funny, the commies don’t talk as much about Faderer losing to #116 Stakhovsky on his favourite surface.


Hippy Chic Says:

Novak gets a W/O into the next round,Youzney pulls out with a fever,i think hes saved himself the bother of a beatdown.


Hippy Chic Says:

Well Phil.K will probably never win a GS,but he reached a milestone by winning his 300 career match,sometimes its the smaller things that count in sport,especially to the lower ranked players who never will be all time greats,congratulations Phil.


Translated Age Says:

Djoker maybe rusty for The Fed.


steve-o Says:

Djokovic and Tsonga sure had tough matches today, LOLs.


van orten Says:

to be honest. giles..^^ the loss last year to stakwhatever at wimby was very bad. and u as fed haters can do the jokes u want about that. i could have won that day vs stakwhatever…fed could not…


madmax Says:

Giles Says:
Funny, the commies don’t talk as much about Faderer losing to #116 Stakhovsky on his favourite surface.

February 27th, 2014 at 7:15 am

Giles,

you should read what van orten says. He has a point. Yours however, is probably because, at the time, Rafa was ranked higher than Roger, and was it not a first round defeat? Oh sorry. I forgot. That was against Darcy? I get confused.

The fact of the matter was, it was not predictable that something like this should happen, but any player knows (including both rafa and roger), that the early rounds are the most dangerous and against these journey men, they have zero to lose and play like warriors, every point. We all then know what happens. Next round these journey men are so full of the adrenalin that they beat a top player previous round, that they a) run out of self-belief b) have given all they got first round and run out of steam.

You kind of don’t mind if they go on to beat all others and win the tournament, but it is a let down all round when you see a one-off win like this happen against an all time great.

Giles, might be good for you to change from a hater once and a while. I thought you had turned a new leaf?


Giles Says:

@madmax. When Rafa lost to Rosol this forum was amass with haters especially the ole one’s fans which the Rafa fans had to stomach day in and day out for a very long time. So what’s wrong if the compliment is returned, eh? This is a tit for tat world as you well know. At the end of the day it’s all in good fun, no? You should take the time to read skeezer, your compatriot’s posts. Filth, crudeness and vulgarity abound!!
Hater much!!
Oh, and he’s not the only one!
So, quit pointing the finger!


skeezer Says:

^acting all hurt now are we? go read your junk on the other threads! Your finger points at yourself.


skeezer Says:

Weird how Fed was explaining “I couldn’t find the right balance between offence and defense.” Haven’t heard that from him before. I get a feeling of indecisiveness, which in turn could still be his confidence in what he is trying to do is not there yet. You cannot have that kind of display in big matches. Glad he got through, Step can be tricky.


Giles Says:

^^^ Oh, dudette in the house!! Won’t be long before he starts spewing his usual vulgarity. Doesn’t know any better!


Giles Says:

“Step can be tricky”. Lol.


Translated Age Says:

Maybe he should look into one of these then?

http://tinyurl.com/kuxlmzt


Translated Age Says:

Tsonga lost to Berdych. No surprise there.

C’mon Roger. Get it done. Rosol Rosol!!!


madmax Says:

Giles Says:
@madmax. When Rafa lost to Rosol this forum was amass with haters especially the ole one’s fans which the Rafa fans had to stomach day in and day out for a very long time. So what’s wrong if the compliment is returned, eh? This is a tit for tat world as you well know. At the end of the day it’s all in good fun, no? You should take the time to read skeezer, your compatriot’s posts. Filth, crudeness and vulgarity abound!!
Hater much!!
Oh, and he’s not the only one!
So, quit pointing the finger!

February 27th, 2014 at 10:45 am

Giles, I think you are being exceptionally childish. You blame each individual for commenting on the loss Rafa sustained at Wimbledon, yet fail to recognise, the fed fans had the very same dished out the following day to Fed. It’s just plain weird. Rafa was No. 1 (or No.2?), I can’t remember and it was an earth shattering result. Not just left in shock by rafa’s result, Giles, EVERYONE was feeling it. All fans of all tennis players, couldn’t believe it. But your woe was repaid I believe the very next day.

I wouldn’t have minded as much if Fed had fought. I don’t think he did as well as he could have then, at least Rafa fought hard, a 5 setter? It was close, but Rosol had one of those days in his favour.

Giles, do you honestly want me to take responsibility for every fed fan who disagrees with your war of words? If so, then you have to look at your own comments and others of your ilk who do exactly the same.

There is a lot of irony in Skeezer’s posts. Not all the time, but he responds in the same way to you, when you say silly stuff.

I have never found him to be vulgar.


madmax Says:

Translated Age Says:
Maybe he should look into one of these then?

http://tinyurl.com/kuxlmzt

February 27th, 2014 at 11:43 am

What a strange photo TA! Perhaps more in line with Rafa’s requirements, which is why I thought you shared this with us?

Wasn’t really that funny. May be it was a first time attempt at a joke gone wrong for you?


Giles Says:

@ Madmax. “I have never found him to be vulgar”. Really? You ought to read some of his posts more closely.


rafaeli Says:

Giles Says:
Funny, the commies don’t talk as much about Faderer losing to #116 Stakhovsky on his favourite surface.

February 27th, 2014 at 7:15 am

Or Federer losing to Delbonis or Brand. Every time a player is mentioned they have to tell the world and his wife whether he’s broken Rafa’s serve, taken a set from him, taken him to a TB or beat him. They did it with Tsonga yesterday, reminding us of the AO 2009 SF.

There is more kudos in beating Rafa than beating anyone else on tour.


Translated Age Says:

It’s not kudos rafaeli. It’s nostalgia.


rafaeli Says:

Beating Rafa is the Holy Grail in tennis.


Hippy Chic Says:

At 6.58am i think i opened up a can of worms,all i was saying was how irritating it is when commies keep reminding us all of Rafas defeat against Rosol in 2012 at Wimbledon,anyway i dont know if beating Roger or Rafa has more significance for the lesser players?i would say does it matter? one is the greatest ever,and the other is one of the greatest ever,surely its amazing for any lesser player to beat either one of these two greats?


Giles Says:

@rafaeli. “Beating Rafa is the Holy Grail in tennis”.
Spot on!


jatin Says:

Sock puppet Alert !

Roger played some great tennis again. We now have Roger vs novak semi… A mouth watering clash of this great rivalry again.


skeezer Says:

“Beating Rafa is the Holy Grail in tennis”.

ROFL! Well get ready, in the next few years a lot of of players will have Holy Grails. Like that is the Tennis players ultimate goal? Don’t think so.
What a bunch of crock.

___

@jatin
Yes! Can hardly wait for some real Tennis.


Giles Says:

So, who’s gonna win in this “great rivalry” tomorrow? I say joker.


skeezer Says:

Fed just finished the beatdown ( 6-2, 6-2 ) on the Rosol. Rosol, who beat Rafa, has now beaten ” The Holy Grail of Tennis”. ROFL. Now wait a sec, does Rosol get one? A Grail I mean, a cup of some sort?


Hippy Chic Says:

Roger played a great match,and i would love to see him get the W over Novak,although Novak has played sublime this week so he will have his work cut out for him,im guessing its most likely that either one will play Berdych in the final.


Giles Says:

“Rosol who beat Rafa”. Rafa who beat Faderer, Rafa who beat Faderer X TWENTYTHREE!!


Translated Age Says:

Djokovic has only played one match since Melbourne and he will want this win to tie the head to head which will be his undoing.

Federer in two is the pick. 6-3, 7-5.


Translated Age Says:

Also, the pro-Fed crowd will definitely be a factor here. Djokovic still despises not being the crowd favourite.


Hippy Chic Says:

TA who is your favorite,just curious?


Giles Says:

The Dubai crowd will be split 50-50.


Translated Age Says:

Giles, no. As in every Fed match (save one), the crowd will be predominantly pro-Fed.

HC, my favourite is the GOAT of course. Same as @BKR.

Hope this helps.


Translated Age Says:

Federer leaving tennis will surely eclipse the retirement of any other player in any professional sport to date in my lifetime and for a long time to come.

It’s unfathomable.


Polo Says:

50-50? 20 is the most that Novak can have against Federer anywhere except in Serbia.


nadalista Says:

Thank you @Giles, fantastic read.

One day they will make a movie about these 2 phenominal human beings, Toni and Rafa. My pick to play Rafa: a young Johnny Depp. My pick to play Uncle Toni: Antonio Banderas, with a young Salma Hayek as Xisca………….


Hippy Chic Says:

Federer leaving tennis will leave a whole in the sport of tennis,i just think its a touch OTT to say it will be bigger than any other sportsperson male or female,hes the greatest ever tennis player,and one of the greatest sportsmen/women ever,but he isnt THEE overall best ever sporsperson,as they are different in their own fields of sport.


Translated Age Says:

I didn’t say that HC.


Polo Says:

If Federer retires right now, it will be the most heralded retirement in sports histury. Whose retirement in any sport has generated much news?


Hippy Chic Says:

Polo i dont know the answer to either question,and anyway hes still playing so its all moot,all im saying is Roger is the greatest ever tennis player,but sometimes with some people thats never enough, he also has to be the most popular sportsperson ever,and before you say anything no i dont hate Roger,and yes i do like,admire and respect all his achievements,and think hes the GOAT,and also one of the best sportsmen/women ever etc etc,i just think that the kitsch and hero worshipping goes way to far with some people putting them up on some god like pedestal,and yes i would say exactly the same about any other tennis player,sportsperson or otherwise before im heckled.


Okiegal Says:

@Giles

I read the link……it’s more plain to see why Rafa’s body has broken down a bit…..maybe Uncle T. pushed him into tournaments when he wasn’t really ready…….playing with a broken finger?? Rafa must be one tough little hombre!! I’m not saying for a fact that’s the case, but maybe!


Okiegal Says:

I’m afraid Roger will be the “worm” and Joker the “wormer”……I can’t see Fed winning this one, but it’s possible since the opponent isn’t a lefty. Hope Fed gets the best of Novak tomorrow……but picking Joker in three. Go Feddy Bear……prove me wrong!!


Kimberly Says:

Gulbis down triple break point straight out of the gate


Kimberly Says:

And then breaks dimitrov back


Giles Says:

@Okiegal. I don’t quite agree with you. Rafa’s body breaking down has nothing to do with Toni. Rafa’s woes started with the foot injury he suffered. Everything else on the injury front followed a d of course his style of play. Playing and winning a tourney with a broken finger was some feat and all because of what Toni said to him ” you still have one hand”. This might have been the start of the toughening up process for Rafa. Toni is a very smart man, a genius in fact. Just my take!


Okiegal Says:

@Giles

Fair enough……I didn’t say it was a fact….I just said a maybe. We fans don’t know what really goes on behind the scenes. I think Toni is a smart coach…..the only thing I can say against him as a coach, he needs to keep his mouth shut at matches and not do interviews. Seems like every time he opens his mouth it puts Rafa in a bad light…….just my take.

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