Federer, Nadal Cruise Into Wimbledon Semifinals

I expected more out of both Murray and Youzhny. I’m not expecting much from Clement or Scheuttler which might be a sign of a massive upset approaching…

July 3rd, 2008 at 1:12 am

I am so happy Safin made it to the semi… Almost felt like heaven rain for him to let him calm down and beat Lopez.

July 3rd, 2008 at 2:11 am

It is more likely for Safin to upset Federer!

July 3rd, 2008 at 2:35 am

Especially if Safin’s serve is on!

July 3rd, 2008 at 2:35 am

Clement and Scheuttler are going tired themselves out for playing for 2 days. Just like what Rain did to Nadal last year. That is why Roger won in 5 sets. Otherwise, Roger wouldn’t had a chance. I was also dissapointed that, Murray didn’t play Roger in the semi. He would had knock Federer out of the tournament. Roger is always a sore loser, when he is being beaten by new guys.

July 3rd, 2008 at 2:42 am

I am really not that impress with Roger’s record on grass. Even though, he has been winning last few years. But there are really no other good grass court players out there to challange. Unlike, Becker, Edberg, Goran, Krajicek and Sampras. Well, for the previous two years, he was already having so much playing Nadal on grass. But Nadal was only a grass amateur. And I am also not impress with the grass tournaments that he had won. Especially like Halle this year. The players in the tournament are pretty hopeless.

July 3rd, 2008 at 2:52 am

Look dude, whoever you are, I wasn’t being serious. I was mocking my own lack of prescience. I expected Murray and Youzhny to challenge Nadal, they didn’t. I expected Safin to lose to Djokovic, he didn’t. I expected him not to make it all the way to an SF, he did. I was being rational in all of these expectations.

I expect Nadal to beat Clement or Scheutler, but if I am jinxed, maybe an upset is in the making after all…

I hope Nadal does make the final, so no need to get your panties in a knot.

July 3rd, 2008 at 3:18 am

“Roger Federer is now up to 69 straight grasscourt wins…”

64, not 69!

July 3rd, 2008 at 4:50 am

JCF is dreaming (I’m sorry to have to put your name in there JCF),

You are not impressed by a 6 year undefeated streak on a given surface over all the best the world has had to offer in that time? Your expectations must be off the chart, because Federer’s accomplishment in that surely is. You realize that nearly two thirds of his wins were at Wimbledon, right? Maybe you think all the players there are pretty hopeless, too. In that case, you should certainly be able to find a better way to pass your time than to focus on so much hopelessness. And anyone can go join him in Halle if they’d like to. I wonder why they don’t… Hmmm… What could be the reason?

July 3rd, 2008 at 5:11 am

3 men remain who could win Wimbledon – 2 heavy favorites and 1 intriguing dark horse. Unless Nadal has something seriously wrong with him he will reach the final. Even if he is at 65% of his powers he should win the semi in 4 sets versus either guy. If he is at 80% of capacity or better it will be ugly. The draw is fickle Gulbis in rd 2 is terrible, Youzhny and Murray were not easy on paper, but on grass they were easy. Then Clement or Schuettler come along. Federer beating Ancic, Hewitt and Soderling to this point is a really solid run too, but an energized Safin is a potentially tough match because he can hold and break with great proficiency when his game is on target. Safin’s backhand mean Nadal would need a different strategy versus Safin if that is the final match. 3 Men can win this event even if 5 are left.

July 3rd, 2008 at 7:01 am

I think neither Clement nor Schuettler can win more than 6 games in the semifinal matchup with Nadal. I also think Nadal would emerge as the clear winner in the following situations:

1) If he played both of them at the same time (single vs double).
2) If he played one of them at a time, odd games Clement, even games Schuettler.
3) If he played right-handed.
4) If he tied his right arm to his back and played only single-handed strokes.
5) If he started each game trailing 0-15
6) If he started each set trailing 0-3
7) …

July 3rd, 2008 at 7:44 am

About “JCF is dreaming” :

“Oh, Lord… You gave them eyes, yet they cannot see.” (Lex Luthor)

July 3rd, 2008 at 9:34 am

There’s been an influx of aka and/or alias posters that has sprung up recently which is quite funny really. There isn’t any need for this at all. What’s there to be afraid of? Each person has the right to speak freely(?) (we hope) and/or air their opinions, except for a few verboten subjects. Consequently, let’s abandon the pseudosmia and post as if you’ve got the chutzpah to call it as you see it. will the real ….. stand up and be counted!

July 3rd, 2008 at 11:43 am

“Think Marat Safin got upset/jealous by all the press Dinara got for reaching the French final? Sure seems like it…”

I think you are right. He was not even there for his sister’s final, might even got challenged of Dinara’s comment about him always talking about retirement and not doing it, lol.

July 3rd, 2008 at 11:45 am

JCF:

“… so no need to get your panties in a knot.”

How does one do this? You seem to be a pretty serious guy, and I would not associate you with humor — but I like the humorous side that’s peaking. :)

July 3rd, 2008 at 11:54 am

It’s inevitable. The headlines in Monday’s paper will be, ‘Butt Picker Kicks Butt.’

July 3rd, 2008 at 12:13 pm

on hard courts i would give safin a greater chance against roger but on grass, roger’s game is much more solid. i anticipate another straight setter.

but i do like marat. he’s kind of grouchy and doesn’t seem to like indulging in the niceties of the sport – such as waving to the crowd after winning a match. funny to see.

July 3rd, 2008 at 12:16 pm

Paul,

He picks his undies, not his butt. I think he does it more out of habit than necessity. He’s one of those OCD fiddly type players. Mary Pierce adjusted her socks, sweatbands, braid, and her dress all the time. Lleyton Hewitt between EVERY point will adjust his cap, racquet strings, collar, and loosen his shirt where it might have stuck to his shoulders from perspiration.

Nadal is definately OCD. He needs everything to be precisely the way he likes it. He has two drink bottles at change overs, and no one is allowed to touch them. They have to be positioned precisely where he puts them, and they don’t move an inch.

It isn’t rational, but these people do this because if it isn’t precisely the way they want it, they can’t focus and it will be on their mind. I have it to a degree, and I have to keep repeating something until it’s right.

Von,

LOL, thanks Von.

Are you a girl or a guy?

July 3rd, 2008 at 12:24 pm

JCF:

“I have it to a degree, and I have to keep repeating something until it’s right.”

I see another Howard Hughes budding here. Please don’t start with the hand washing or the bubble. I hope you have the money to pull off the idiosyncrasies that will keep multiplying as the years roll by. They spring up like grass, you know. :) However, there’s a positive here, but that’s dependent on the amount of money you have, and that is, you could be date those zoftig movie stars, e.g. Marilyn Monroe, et al., or similar beauties with the monomaniacal one kept company. Again, it all depends on the money. Enjoy the madness. :)

__________________
LOL, thanks Von.

Are you a girl or a guy?

I’m a girl, but I would still like to know how do I get myself or my knickers untwisted, when become flustered.

July 3rd, 2008 at 12:43 pm

JCF:

Errata: 2nd to last line first para, “or similar beauties with the monomaniacal one kept company.”

should read: “or similar beauties with “whom” the monomaniacal one kept company.”

I’m getting everything twisted now, knickers et al. :)

July 3rd, 2008 at 12:47 pm

Lindsay Davenport is another one with OCD. She has to tie her shoelaces at every change of ends.

July 3rd, 2008 at 7:09 pm

Hewitt always adjusts his necklace too. And Agassi? Megalomaniac control freak in his later years; needed to know where every ball was, everything had to be just so between points before he’d go on to serve or receive. Very OCD-ish. But loved him nonetheless

July 3rd, 2008 at 10:22 pm

The ones who annoy me most are the superstitious type. Goran Ivanisevic would request the same ball every time he served an ace. Conchita Martinez would request the same ball every time she won a point, ace or not. This really slowed things down and had a way of irritating their opponents.. and me. Patty Schnyder got so pissed off at Martinez she refused to shake her hand one time. She got criticized for that, but I thought it was justified.

I also dislike people that have really slow service motions, like Becker. He raises his hands 3 times before finally tossing it up.

July 3rd, 2008 at 10:44 pm

Like Wilander said, Federer really has no balls when he plays against. Even last year’s final at Wimbledon. Federer had won to dispatched a tired Nadal in 5 sets on his favourite courts. That win really had nothing to be proud of!

July 4th, 2008 at 1:54 am

It doesn’t matter how many wins Roger has on grass. If he keeps enter those grass with all these hopeless players in the tournament like Halle for another year, he would even made people believe that, he is really that invincible on grass!

July 4th, 2008 at 1:56 am

Especially, if he ever gets into the final. He might chokes, and get pass alot when coming to the net. Then his nerves are going to get to him, then him collapsed and making all these errors and serving alot of double faults to give other players the match. It happened alot when he played against guys like Murray, Djokovic and Nadal.

July 4th, 2008 at 1:59 am

Imagine, if the courts are not slowier than they used to be. And he has to deal with Sampras, Becker, Edgerg, Krajicek, Goran, and other power players like Guy Forget, David Wheaton, Michael Stich and all that. Especially, for Roger having so much troubles dealing with Nadal on grass for the previous two years. You definitely could take away the credits from what he earned over the last 6 years!

July 4th, 2008 at 2:04 am

If you’re going to trash talk, the least you could do is be brave enough to post a username we can identify you with. You’re already anonymous on the net, what are you afraid of?

Use a proper name so that you can be accountable if you’re wrong. The rest of us have to face responsibility and embarassment when our picks turn out to be woefully wrong. Or vanish. So should you.

Be a man. Don’t talk about Fed having no balls when you yourself don’t even have any to attach a name to your post… darn hypocrite.

July 4th, 2008 at 2:22 am

well said .. JCF

July 4th, 2008 at 2:58 am

How does it feel being a talking parrot of Federer’s?

July 4th, 2008 at 3:43 am

I think this is just an attention seeker. :)

July 4th, 2008 at 5:29 am

Let’s ignore his posts from here on, shall we? :)

July 4th, 2008 at 5:30 am

You said several times that Safin is the first Russian to reach Wimbledon SF in the Era Open.

Alex Metreveli was runner-up in Wimbledon’73

July 4th, 2008 at 5:37 am

Let’s ignore JCF posts from here on, shall we? And let him kiss Federer’s butt for life! lol

July 4th, 2008 at 7:14 am

JCF said:

“I also dislike people that have really slow service motions, like Becker. He raises his hands 3 times before finally tossing it up.”

I actually liked when he was raising those hands, since it always seemed a bit hilarious, sort of a “Becker trademark” to me :) But anyway, didn’t you notice that Becker was perhaps the lone all time greats who didn’t use to bounce the ball prior to his/her serve even once? Don’t know about you, but I still consider his service motion as one of the most classic in the history of the game…

July 4th, 2008 at 10:02 am

I just learnt that during a tournament Goran Ivanisevic always ate at the same restaurant each day, with the same dish, stays at the same place and follows the same rituals day after day just in case doing anything different would end his successes. You’d think he’d realize it after losing early once or twice that it wasn’t working…

July 4th, 2008 at 1:17 pm