Federer Gets Decker From Roddick in Exchange for Mirka, Higueras

I think there are many players who would be delighted to look down their toilet to find a game that has brought a semifinal or better in all three grand slams this year. I guess if you were Roger Federer, you get judged on a different level.

In 1996, Sampras’ grand slam results leading into the US Open was 3rd round in the AO, semifinal in RG, quarters at Wimbledon.

Although there is no doubt Federer’s play is down from previous years, it has still been exceptional. What about his serving when down 3 break points in the 3rd set at Wimbledon? What about the legendary backhand pass when down match point in the 4th set tiebreak? How long ago was that?

Federer needs to improve to be a much better player than Nadal and Djokovic again. Right now, I’d say he is a little bit behind Nadal and a little bit ahead of Djokovic. But he needs to improve, practice and cut out the denials.

For the record, Sampras won the US Open that year.

July 25th, 2008 at 11:59 am

Funny pipe dream Sean – and it actually makes sense in a weird kind of way.

Cilic is already up a set on “the Fed killer” – as you put it. He’s got a wicked serve and I think harder shots than Simon. But I still think Simon could come storming back, like he did against Roger.

People are kind of writing off Murray a bit to quick, I think. Yes, Novak has a great record against him, but records don’t last. And I think Murray’s really trying to turn a corner. Whether he can or not, I am not sure, but I think he’s totally in with a shot. But he can’t go off to never-neverland mid match like he did with Stan; he’d have to be focused the entire way against Novak. Novak will be sending back most of his first serves, I’d think.

I’d pick Nadal and Blake too but agree they could go either way.

July 25th, 2008 at 12:00 pm

No way in hell Roddick needs anything more than a sharp slap across the face from Carlos Bernardes. I doubt Higueras would agree to work with a spoiled brat.

July 25th, 2008 at 12:01 pm

It’s interesting to note that all of the quarter final match ups involve lopsided H2Hs –

Simon 2 – Cilic 0
Blake 3 – Kiefer 0
Djoko 4 – Murray 0
Rafa 4 – Gasquet 0

So either we have a continuation of the pattern or we have the elimination of a bagel or 2 in these match ups.

July 25th, 2008 at 12:19 pm

This is very creative and entertaining.

With Mirka, A-Rod would have less sex and more tennis (fore)play for sure to be reminded that sex life can wait for a 2 more years while tennis life cannot. With Brook, Fed would have his 1st orgasm, much needed to recharge his racket skills to the level of 2005-2006.
Pardon me for going a little off my public character.

Ref: “Andy who grew up in Nebraska and now resides in Texas deep down is probably a country kinda guy.”

Btw, Sean, Andy did not grow up in Nebraska. He was only born there (1982). His family moved to Austin, Texas when Andy was 4 years old (1986). From 1993-2000, he was in Boca Raton, Florida. After finishing high school, he came back to Austin in 2000 and bought a second home in Austin in 2003. That does not make him a country boy, does it? Well, yours is a fiction in spirit with some moral, so a slight alteration is acceptable.

July 25th, 2008 at 12:30 pm

The professorly plod of your overbaked writing has me wondering when you’ll have your first orgasm.

July 25th, 2008 at 12:38 pm

You “would pick Nadal and Blake” for the final?

As all the remaining 8 are capable of winning the whole thing, any thing can happen.

It could be:
Simon vs. one of Gasquet/Murray/Nadal/Djoko
Cilic vs. one of the four
Kiefer vs. ditto
Blake vs. ditto

I’d pick Simon vs. Djoko. That is just my hope. I am prepared to be disappointed, so I’d appreciate if you don’t remind my pick.

July 25th, 2008 at 12:58 pm

What a nasty piece of trash writing. You make it sound like the only important thing is to have a “swimsuit model” as a gf. Mirka and Roger’s relationship should be a model for people. They have been together for a long time, and that in itself is a feat that should be admired and not trashed. I wonder how your partner feels about you dreaming of a swimsuit model taking her place, or is it you cannot even hold on to a relationship and the green monster is hitting you pretty hard. As for Roger’s coach, give him sometime to work with Roger. You may have a surprise in store. One last thing, it is the nature of the beast that is athletic competition that has winning and losing attached to the games. I admire all the athletes that pick themselves up after falling, and falling again. And yet they keep trying, keep practicing , keep playing matches despite morons like you who are willing to tear down the human spirit by writing nasty stuff to get a rise out of the fans like me. Fed has more class than you in winning and losing.

July 25th, 2008 at 1:00 pm

Shital,

I assume this question is addressed to me: “You “would pick Nadal and Blake” for the final?”

And the answer is no. I would pick them to come through their matches today though; that’s what I was talking about.

I’d love to see a Simon Djoko final of course, but Djoko’s side of the draw is so packed; first he has to get by Murray, and he has the edge there. But then he has to get by the winner of Nadal or Gasquet. That’s tough.

Simon, however, is now cruising in the third set, so he should get to the semis and probably the finals. Quite the run for him!

July 25th, 2008 at 1:08 pm

Ravi, Well said.

There is a saying that goes such … “Pay no attention to what the critics say. A statue has never been erected in honor of a critic.”

While Federer and Roddick have the what it takes to turn things around in a hurry, Sean will be writing silly columns for an internet site pontificating about trading partners and coaches for the rest of his life.

July 25th, 2008 at 1:19 pm

I think you’re right. The man is burnt out, and one of the prime symptoms is that you don’t take pleasure in your job like you used to. You become cynical and defensive and you make mountains out of molehills (losing the no. 1 spot isn’t quite a molehill, but it’s not the end of the world, either.)

When you think of how well he played in Wimbledon, this loss seems pretty insubstantial. But for Fed fanatics and Federer himself, it’s snowballed into a disaster beyond belief.

He needs to relax – maybe not with Decker – but somehow, someway.

July 25th, 2008 at 1:24 pm

Sean,

This is just overly dramatic. Federer is no doubt struggling and I think he would even admit that. Still, his results in 2008 look a lot like Djokovic’s in 2007 when everyone was fawning over the fact that a 3rd consistently elite player is emerging. So as bad as it is by Roger’s 2004-07 standards he has still posted a good year by most other players’ standards. Also, a lot of tennis remains to be played in 2008.

This sort of column just really harps on a short term reality that may or may not foretell the future for Federer.

Gilles Simon is now riding an 8 match winning streak on North American hard courts w/ wins over Federer, Haas, Tursunov, Cilic, Querrey, Benjamin Becker, Mahut and Donald Young. Not a bad set of wins. Any credit for the hot unheralded player of the Summer? No just Roger needs a new girlfriend and is unhappy … piercing analysis.

July 25th, 2008 at 1:39 pm

Do people have a little bit of sense of satire around here? Are we not reminded of Jonathan Swift’s Modest Proposal in which he proposes selling children for food, cannibalism and infanticide? Does not Sean’s writing derive its irony from shock value like that of Swift’s? For the ironic/ satiric reading, Sean also cautions us at the outset not to take the content literally. He opens with, “Obviously I am [only] joking,” and ends that section with “all this is a pipe dream of course,” reminding the reader what he is doing.

July 25th, 2008 at 1:47 pm

Simon is definitely rolling; maybe he’s the French player who will step up and win? We all thought Tsonga at the beginning of the year, then we thought maybe Gasquet at Wimbledon, but along comes Simon to surpise us on hard courts. He had good early hardcourt results at Marseille (Q) and Rotterdam (S) and was ousted only by Rafa at the AO, and he won a clay title this year, but I don’t think any of us would’ve predicted this run. It’s nice to see a break through like this.

He looked exhausted in his post-match interview today though.

July 25th, 2008 at 1:54 pm

Bad match by Blake, but Kiefer is having a stellar day; everything is going in and he’s all business. Blake meanwhile is overhitting and looks like he’s still not awake. Quite a lop-sided and boring quarter that one. I hope the next two live up to their potential.

July 25th, 2008 at 2:50 pm

Another idiotic article

July 25th, 2008 at 4:16 pm

“Ref: “Andy who grew up in Nebraska and now resides in Texas deep down is probably a country kinda guy.” ”

Andy now has a place in NYC.

” Mirka and Roger’s relationship should be a model for people. ”

Following around your boyfriend for years on end and earning a small salary. That’s BS and no model any woman should follow- ’cause a girlfriend will get dumped after the career ends. At least a wife can get some protection.

Back to tennis:
I am watching the East West Bank Classic on tennis channel(actually, I am typing on here while it plays in the background– actually, I have my fan on high, so I cannot actually hear the match).
The stadium is empty, the stadiums always seem empty- how long before sponsors run away from the WTA? Who is making money from this?

July 25th, 2008 at 4:23 pm

It’s obvious that Federer has lost interest in his game, and that is due to the situation as it now stands, e.g., he’s not winning as he previously had been doing from ’04 through ’07, due to the new threats he’s now facing in the younger players. Everyone loses interest in their profession, and/or life’s career when success begins to wane, or it becomes more difficult to duplicate whatever it was that catapulted us into the limelight, and earned us the reputation to put us at the top. Fed and his fans should be thankful for the wonderful, stellar years he’s enjoyed. For him, it happened over a span of 4 years in a lump sum, while for other champions it was spread out over an 8-10 year period. Perhaps the joy would have lasted for a much longer period had Fed not placed such insurmountable pressure on himself of wanting everything in the shortest possible amount of time. It was sweet while it lasted, and even though his career is not over yet, he’ll just have to adjust to the fact that one cannot turn back the clock, but one has to accept the truth of the situation and go forward with fewer expectations, while cherishing each trophy/win, and savoring the moment, whether GS or MS, with thankfulness. Fed can obtain renewed zeal and joy by living in the moment instead of looking forward, while holding a trophy in his hand of a present win, and dreaming/thinking about how many more trophies he’d like to win. Greed can diminish our happiness and we begin to lose our perspective as to what it was that placed the fire in our hearts initially, to pursue our chosen profession. On the other hand, a spirit of thankfulness and appreciation for our in-the-moment achievements can place a new spark and zeal in our hearts which enables us to move on with renewed vigor while simultaneously relinquishing our self-imposed pressures.

Federer is struggling with his his own self-imposed pressures. No one, I’m sure, has ever said to him that he has “X” amount of years in which to break records and rewrite history. He has done that all by himself, and by so doing did not take the time to enjoy his accomplishments, but kept looking forward to the next big win. He’s the only one who can remove those lofty goals. He mentioned he created a monster, yes he did, but the reason he created the monster was due to his vanity, vis-a-vis, he wanted to be the star that lit up the boards. Unfortunately, through experiential learning, and the wisdom of years, we come to understand that those accomplishments which give us happiness and places us riding high on a cloud nine, are only fleeting moments, and as soon as the feeling passes, a week, or two later, we want more. It’s an insatiable feeling and we endeavour to fill a bottomless pit which is gargantuan in all proportions.

I’d say Federer will continue to win tournaments and possibly break Sampras’ slam record, but he has to relinquish his present mind-set of wanting it all, and just let things happen, when they happen. By so doing, he’ll enjoy his tennis more and eventually when he breaks the records his joy will be greater because it was done without the self-imposed stress. However, this all depends on whether he wants to do it a little at a time or he wants to continue for it to happen like yesterday.

July 25th, 2008 at 5:27 pm

“Andy now has a place in NYC.

Andy bought a condo for his Brooklyn in Gramercy Park, New York City. My nephew lives two buildings down the road from Andy, and when I worked in New York, my ofice was within 6 block radius from that bulding. Why did I leave New York City?

” Mirka and Roger’s relationship should be a model for people. ”

I won’t call that relationship one that any self-respecting woman should indulge. It’s bad as a role model for young men and/or young women. Eight (8) years is a ridiculously long time for a woman to wait and shack up, but if she’s stupid enough to sell herself short on respect then it’s her fault. I’m sure she’s stashed away a few millions, but it’s not the money, it’s a matter of is she just a convenience or does he love her? He’s friends with Pete and Tiger, who’ve married their girl-friends in a short space of time — I wonder how their wives view the Fed/Mirka lifestyle. I don’t blame him, I pity her for having such little self-respect and being content to settle for morsels.

July 25th, 2008 at 5:39 pm

Von,

I think, also, that Roger may’ve started to believe all the fans and pundits who were calling him the “greatest ever” to wield a racket, and that’d put a lot of pressure on him from outside too, to live up to the expectations and do what everyone wants him to do or even expects him to do – win everything, the French, the Olympics, every GS and MS event, break Pete’s GS record, and Borg’s 5 Wimbledons in a row, etc – and do it soon. Some of that is internally imposed, but some of it is externally imposed.

Perhaps, he should’ve left off those 3 orient exhibition matches last year, too, which were about hype and money, as well as the NYC one, and he should’ve taken the down time for himself.

Also, I just wanted to say that this next bit you wrote is really meaningful for anyone who loses perspective for whatever reason – and I think, though you wrote about “greed” specifically, one could insert any number of feelings and thoughts into your prose, and it would still be meaningful:

“[insecurity, failure or whatever] can diminish our happiness and we begin to lose our perspective as to what it was that placed the fire in our hearts initially, to pursue our chosen profession. On the other hand, a spirit of thankfulness and appreciation for our in-the-moment achievements can place a new spark and zeal in our hearts which enables us to move on with renewed vigor while simultaneously relinquishing our self-imposed pressures.”

I thought it was telling that in the on-court interview after Djokovic’s first (second) round win over Dancevic, he specifically mentioned that he didn’t want to think about points; he wanted to “have fun” on his “favorite surface”.

That’s not to say that he doesn’t want to win or defend his points but it does show that he’s trying to open the pressure valve a bit and enjoy tennis. That’s important. Easy said than done, but it’s a good attitude.

Roger’s got to feel just a little burnt out from how much he’s achieved and how hard he’s worked. If he slips a little in the rankings who cares; maybe some time to regroup would allow him to come back stronger and fresher.

July 25th, 2008 at 5:54 pm

What I find strange about all this Fed losses is this,this man holds 12 GS,unbelievabe Consecutive no 1 weeks record, record streaks of GS won consecoutively and other hosts of records but peolpe are making so much fuss.

To fed himself and Fed fans: why is he crying he has 5 consecutive SW19, he can extend his US open streak and a host of others why cry over loosing no 1 when it is certain he will get it back,why cry over loosing GS when he most likely will eclipse sampras

To antifed fans: He is human and he will definitely loose it doesnt mean his career is over.

I would have lost interest in tennis if people like nadal and djoko where not there to challenge fed unlike imposters of tennis players with no mental toughness but have ability to beat fed like blake,nalbadian,davydenko,gonzo and others.

Fed fans should stop manufacturing excuses(60% fed,mono,slow grass,slow hardcourt) etc Credit should be given to Nadal and Djoko for stepping up and beating fed and their efforts should not be belittled and the antifed people should stop wallowing in constantly shooting at fed fans because their guy is down he will come back for sure.

Lets watch tennis and appreciate the great era of tennis unfoldin b4 us .

July 25th, 2008 at 6:16 pm

Its really hard to see roger playing at the moment. He lost self patience and do not win the big points. last 4 years, he playes this points like a machine. We all forgot about the illness he had and still has. It is a virus who is never disappears the whole life. Lots of sportler had to stop their career after all. Federer is missing the 100% energy and mental strenght because of this f… virus. I am sure that he will come back, even as strong as he was once. Nadal is playing a aggressive power tennis who reminds me of bulldog and he even looks like this. wasn t he on the list of Dr. Fuentes years ago? didn t he look like a muscle man with just 18 years?! he will be number one soon, but he will never keep it as long as federer did. He will have to take care of his knees. He will be an old man by the age of 26, playing power tennis like this… Federer will always be the King! Never forget about he did for the tennis and his sport…

July 25th, 2008 at 6:25 pm

jane:

The situation with Federer, and I’ve mentioned this before on another thread, is similar to many professionals, and I cited doctors as an example. They initially want to help the sick, but eventually they become greedy for wealth, which causes them to become involved in over billing and Medicare fraud, etc. Human beings have an innate desire for greed. It’s something that creeps into our minds without the person realizing it’s happening. If you noticed I stated happiness is only fleeting. As a Christian, I believe joy is supposed to be the feeling we’re supposed to enjoy, which is lasting, not happiness. Joy is associated to an inward peace and contentment, while happiness hinges upon enjoyment of things and the pleasure derived therefrom. We can have momentary happiness, but joy is lasting. It’s a different way of viewing things but if one can embrace this type of mindset wealth, status and possessions take a backseat. Anyway, I shouldn’t be talking about such on this site.

July 25th, 2008 at 6:30 pm

hey jane. guess you are right…

July 25th, 2008 at 6:33 pm

I love the game,

I, too, totally appreciate the arrivals of both Rafa and Novak and am a strong supporter of both of these young champions – I hope they will continue to delight us with their games and intensity.

July 25th, 2008 at 6:46 pm

Rico,

Thanks, but I am just guessing; only Roger knows the truth as to his struggles and what to do about them.

July 25th, 2008 at 6:47 pm

“By the looks of it, Federer simply is not having much fun out there on the tennis court. The guy’s hardly smiling anymore as his game’s been really in the toilet all year.”

“And it’s not a stretch to think that this is what we’ll be seeing more of in the future as Federer, Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt and many others are slowly being phased out.”

His season may not be anything near his usual standards, but he is still the #2 player of 2008 in the race. That means he’s been more consistent than Djokovic. Your comments are a bit harsh to him I would say.

He isn’t on his way out just because of one season. It’s only two slams that he’s lost unexpectedly in (the French doesn’t count, because he never had any business winning that from Rafa anyway). He’ll be able to bounce back next year, or even at the US Open this year. He’ll probably never say that grass is his favorite or best surface again (that was what he said not long ago).

What’s going to happen between now and the end of the year for Fed is going to be unpredictable. You just never know. If he slumps to an early defeat in Cincy, we can safely write off 2008. But if he comes back strong and wins Cincy or a gold medal, he’s in the game and could very well salvage his season at the USO.

Tall order but. The biggest test I want to see is him playing Djokovic or Nadal on hard court.

July 25th, 2008 at 6:48 pm

Please spare us your personal judgments on Federer’s relationships. Everyone is free to live their personal lives as they please. There is no higher moral ground when it comes to relationships.

As Von said, ” Anyway, I shouldn’t be talking about such on this site.”. Let’s start talking more about the actual tennis and less about Christian mumbo jumbo.

July 25th, 2008 at 6:51 pm

Oleg:

In case you didn’t notice this thread was about Fed’s lifestyle. And my comment about talking such on this site concerned deriving happiness/joy from our profession. — comprehension 101.

July 25th, 2008 at 6:58 pm

“With Mirka, A-Rod would have less sex and more tennis (fore)play for sure to be reminded that sex life can wait for a 2 more years while tennis life cannot. With Brook, Fed would have his 1st orgasm, much needed to recharge his racket skills to the level of 2005-2006.
Pardon me for going a little off my public character.”

Is Roddick a catholic?

July 25th, 2008 at 7:18 pm

jane

i know that i read this blog alot

July 25th, 2008 at 7:30 pm

“With Mirka, A-Rod would have less sex and more tennis (fore)play for sure to be reminded that sex life can wait for a 2 more years while tennis life cannot. ”

As a New Yorker, I was like “OMG A-Rod dumped Madonna for Mirka!!”

Damn Andy Murray, Go on with your bad Scott Self!

July 25th, 2008 at 7:37 pm

Mary,

I thought Murray might be different today; I think that win over Gasquet at WImbledon gave him confidence. I assume you’re saying that because you want Djoko to win? I do too, especially because he’s defending points, but I have always liked Murray and his variety.

July 25th, 2008 at 7:44 pm

Quick 1st set to Murray – wow. I thought Djoko would put up a tighter fight but he wasn’t able to capitalize on his chances in the last game there.

July 25th, 2008 at 7:49 pm

Jane,
Djoko has to cut on his UEs, play more aggressive, and take early shots if he wants to win. If he continues the way he is playing, he will lose to Murray for the 1st time ever.

July 25th, 2008 at 7:53 pm

The reason why Roger is playing poorly because Federer has gone somewhere and he hasn’t come back. Roger needs to find Federer and when the two become one again, then Roger Federer will play like they used to. I am not sure whether Mirka has actually broken them apart though, and I don’t know which one of the two, who is with Mirka right now.

July 25th, 2008 at 7:55 pm

Novak is not on form tonight Shital, and Murray is way on top of him so far. To tell you the truth, I’d love to see Murray win this thing if Djoko is knocked out by him.

To me Murray has the variety in his game to be number 1 if he can put together fitness and mental stamina with his shot selection and tactics (except for drop-shot-itis).

July 25th, 2008 at 7:58 pm

Djoko’s body language is very negative. He’s missing a lot with his forehand and overhitting. Murray has positive body language and is being very aggressive. If Djoko doesn’t tighten up with the UEs, this match will be over in 2 sets because Murray seems very determined.

July 25th, 2008 at 7:58 pm

I unofficially declare Djoko lost in straight sets.

July 25th, 2008 at 8:00 pm

very funny st4r5

July 25th, 2008 at 8:01 pm

I withhold my unofficial declaration for a moment (after the break back).

July 25th, 2008 at 8:02 pm

See my post from 12:00 pm today; I knew Murray would be determined here; he’s been talking about it all year and things came together for him at Wimbledon to a degree. Plus he may be better on hard courts than grass.

He’s a top ten player – and soon to be top five.

But Novak has the game to beat him; he just may not have it tonight!

July 25th, 2008 at 8:04 pm

Von, Djoko is making a lot of errors and I agree his body language is not as upright as it can be, but Murray is playing sparkling tennis tonight, and he’s dictating.

July 25th, 2008 at 8:08 pm

where can you see the game? on which tv channel?

July 25th, 2008 at 8:10 pm

It’s available at TSN.ca I

July 25th, 2008 at 8:12 pm

jane;

Djoko looks winded now because Murray is moving him from side to side. Another strategy Murray is using, and one which is confusing Djoko, is that of directing his second serve to Djoko’s backhand consistently. This is confusing Djoko and causing him to hit more UEs. Some of Murray’s net volleys are dropping at Djoko’s feet which is causing him to hit into the net. It seems to me that Murray has done a lot of homework for this match, and has some very thought out strategies, which he is employing, to Djoko”s detriment.

July 25th, 2008 at 8:15 pm

Rico:

ESPN2.

July 25th, 2008 at 8:16 pm

Congratulation Jane. You got your prediction right.
Congratulation to Murray !

July 25th, 2008 at 8:20 pm

Yes, Von; I agree. And I think it’s Murray’s night. He’ll do his homework for either Rafa or Gasquet too, if he hasn’t already. Murray is fired up. And he has a girlfriend he’s happy with (returning to the topic of this thread) and a troop of coaches etc behind him.

July 25th, 2008 at 8:22 pm

Shital – don’t think I am super happy about it; but you know when you have a feeling about something? Well I had that about today’s match. I still think Novak has the game to beat Murray but he’s making too many errors and Murray is doing everything right tonight. Plus I like Murray so am happy for him while sad for Novak.

If he loses (it’s not over yet), this means a couple of unexpected losses for Novak so he’ll have to work on things afterwards – review what’s up.

July 25th, 2008 at 8:27 pm

jane:

Poor Djoko — he was befudled. Two strategies that paid off for murray was his aggressiveness tking the ball early even inside the baseline, and the other was peppering Djoko’s backhand on his second serve. I don’t think Djoko expected Murray to be so effective with his second serve. Djoko’s forehand was his undoing.

Something strange is happening with the court; the ball is bouncing up high which will be to Nadal’s benefit. The court is more suited to those players who take the ball early, like Cilic did yesterday, and moving forward inside of the court.

If Nadal wins tonight, I suppose he’ll win the tournament.

July 25th, 2008 at 8:31 pm

Oh WOW, Djoko broke back and is now ahead at 5-4. It seems we now have a match, and Djoko is playing more aggressively.

July 25th, 2008 at 8:42 pm

Yes Von, tonight Murray has stolen the baseline from Djoko, where he likes to plant himself. But Novak is playing better now; it’s just that it may be too late. We’ll see.

If Nadal wins tonight he’ll probably win the tournament; however, and maybe this is audacious of me, I could see Murray winning the whole thing.He wants a big event under his cap; a Masters or a slam, and he wants it bad. He’s not sullen anymore; he’s committed. I expect him to move up to top five soon.

July 25th, 2008 at 8:42 pm

Good for Murray. Nadal’s match can be seen at the link here:

Justin.tv’s sport section usually has all of the matches throughout the year.

July 25th, 2008 at 9:03 pm

Sorry, never posted a link here just click on Mary to get to the site.

July 25th, 2008 at 9:03 pm

Jane, Sorry Djoko lost. His forehand was his undoing. He made 2 silly drop shots in the tiebreak, which were unnecessary.

I also would love to see Murray win a MS title — he’s overdue and he’s put a lot of time and effort in his quest to be in the top 5. His hard work and commitment will be rewarded soon.

July 25th, 2008 at 9:04 pm

“Following around your boyfriend for years on end and earning a small salary. That’s BS and no model any woman should follow- ’cause a girlfriend will get dumped after the career ends. At least a wife can get some protection.”

That’s rather cynical, Mary. A similarly cynically inclined man would think, if you’re a rich guy, and the money deserts you, so does the girlfriend/wife. Or if you’re a talented athlete, and your results go down the gutter.

It looks likely their relationship is based on more than that. Roger seems to be a gentleman. I know he can do much better than Mirka. She is an overweight has-been. But he hasn’t replaced her, after all these years.

Mary, I would never do that to anyone
(yes I know I’m not in his position, though admittedly I’d have gone for someone different if I was), even if I was a tycoon who could get a different girl each night. Please don’t judge all men to be like that.

Pete Sampras didn’t dump his girl when he retired.

“I won’t call that relationship one that any self-respecting woman should indulge. It’s bad as a role model for young men and/or young women. Eight (8) years is a ridiculously long time for a woman to wait and shack up, but if she’s stupid enough to sell herself short on respect then it’s her fault. I’m sure she’s stashed away a few millions, but it’s not the money, it’s a matter of is she just a convenience or does he love her? He’s friends with Pete and Tiger, who’ve married their girl-friends in a short space of time — I wonder how their wives view the Fed/Mirka lifestyle. I don’t blame him, I pity her for having such little self-respect and being content to settle for morsels.”

Maybe he’s not the marrying type? But I’m sure I saw a big diamond studded engagement ring on her finger earlier in the year right? Or maybe he’s just waiting for her to get in shape so that when they walk down the aisle, it doesn’t look so embarassing in the photos years later.

July 25th, 2008 at 9:07 pm

Murray deserves a big congrats; that was a great match, and the second set was full of some very entertaining tennis. Novak can make up for lost points next week in Cincy, but he’ll need to review that match as he could learn from it.

I want Nadal or Murray to win the tournament.

July 25th, 2008 at 9:07 pm

Von,

Thanks. I think Shital is sadder than me. Probably if he didn’t lose to Murray, I feel worse about it. Novak missed all of his break chances and he’s had a few. Plus Novak started slow and made a lot of errors.

Just not his night; by contrast, it was Murray’s night from the get-go. He played well.

July 25th, 2008 at 9:10 pm

I am the BIGGEST Djoko supporter. You can pour your venom on me. Djoko laid a dozen BIG rotten eggs. He stunk. He played worst tennis ever. His obnoxious, big mouth, family got what they wanted. His career is over. The list will go on from haters. Anything else?

July 25th, 2008 at 9:16 pm

Hey everyone, it’s been a little while and I hope you all have been well in the meantime.

I actually called this one (Murray over Djokovic) for a combination of reasons, but I’d have never imagined Murray would’ve taken a tiebreak off of Novak.

Congratulations and condolences to the respective fans.

Completely off topic random thought: Does Davydenko have any fans (aside from the Russian mafia or whatever – only kidding…)? It just occurred to me that I can’t recall having ever come across anyone vying for him.

July 25th, 2008 at 9:19 pm

Shital Green,

I know you’re being facetious, but just ignore those naysayers. Even cutting them off at the front won’t change their minds! LOL.

Djoko played a great second set but a weak tiebreak. He’ll do well in Cincy next week! Keep the faith. :-)

Meantime, Rafa and Gasquet are about to begin; I hope you’re watching!

July 25th, 2008 at 9:21 pm

I’m listening to Koenig’s commentary on Mary’s link… boy this guy is hard to listen to. I feel like shutting it off already, even though I’ve only been listening to him for 5 mins. Now I see what you’re talking about.

I like Doug and Jason though, who I’ve heard on other networks before.

July 25th, 2008 at 9:22 pm

Jane: I’m proud of Murray for winning. I would not have minded Novak; It’s nice to see Murray shake off the choke reputation.

JFC: I’m not being cynical, I’m being realistic. If it involves large amounts of money, sign a pre-nup, if they are legal, then get married. I have heard she runs the show, but without the ring, she’s screwed. There has to be more to it then “we’re waiting,” especially when you are together 24/7. At this point, forget the big wedding.
This has nothing to do with her looks. I hope they stay together. If it doesn’t happen, I’ll buy the book and watch the tv-movie on Lifetime.

“Pete Sampras didn’t dump his girl when he retired.”

I remember hearing his game went down when he met her. Face it, Pete Sampras, regular dude, would have been way out of her league.

July 25th, 2008 at 9:23 pm

Hey Ra,

Long time no write! Nice to see you back. Gordo made a joking comment about how Davydenko is virtually invisible around here but Gordo’s a Roger fan – a very nice one. So no, I can’t say that I encounter many of them!

Are you calling this next match too?

July 25th, 2008 at 9:23 pm

JCF:

“Maybe he’s not the marrying type? But I’m sure I saw a big diamond studded engagement ring on her finger earlier in the year right?”

I read an article where he stated he’s afraid of marrying and cited the many divorces in tennis as an excuse, as well as his parents marital problems. He says he’s “scarred for life.”. If that’s how he feels, why would any woman want to hang around? Hoping he’ll change his mind or when she’s too old to care?. The ring is an “I love you so much” sweetheart ring.

July 25th, 2008 at 9:41 pm

Ra:

Hello yourself. I wondered what had happened to you. Anyway, glad to see you back! :)

July 25th, 2008 at 9:42 pm

Von: ” as well as his parents marital problems. He says he’s “scarred for life.”.”

Huh? spill!

Gasquet broke back!

July 25th, 2008 at 9:44 pm

JCF:

“Mary, I would never do that to anyone
(yes I know I’m not in his position, though admittedly I’d have gone for someone different if I was),”

Never say never. And, pray tell me, what kind of girl you would have gone for — that different someone? Let’s find out what the real JCF’s like. :)

July 25th, 2008 at 9:47 pm

Thanks, jane. It’s nice to see you, too. Yeah, it’s really bizarre when I think about it.

Not calling this next one; There’s just too much potential for tight competition. I’d love to see a Murray v Gasquet rematch while there last encounter is still fresh, though.

July 25th, 2008 at 9:48 pm

Does JFC stand for “Just Cry Foul”? (I won’t substitute the other f word.)

July 25th, 2008 at 9:48 pm

Mary:

“Von: ” as well as his parents marital problems. He says he’s “scarred for life.”.”

Huh? spill!”

I read that on Tennis Planet — Fed stated that because of his parents pending divorce or their marital problems, (If you notice his parents do not sit together in his box), he was afraid of marrying and it has scarred him for life. If I can find the article I’ll post the link.

July 25th, 2008 at 9:50 pm

I am a supporter of all losers of the world. So I am a supporter of whoever you guys have predicted to lose, in your mind or in writing. And I am being serious.
Thanks for the condolence, Ra, now, and can I extend that for the future, too?

July 25th, 2008 at 9:52 pm

“Never say never. And, pray tell me, what kind of girl you would have gone for — that different someone? Let’s find out what the real JCF’s like. :)”

LOL ok. If I was Federer, I probably would have tried for Hingis if he wanted to keep it Swiss (though she’s actually czech). Personally, I’d have an eye on Vaidisova or Ivanovic myself out of the active players. I’m sure he could get anyone he wanted.

Nah, look. I’m not a picky person. But when you say Mirka is getting ripped off, she isn’t even putting in the effort to stay in shape and look good on him. You could make the case that Fed is the one getting ripped off. Someone of his stature could very well have dumped her for someone better by now, but he stuck by her, which suggests to me that there is more to their relationship than “she manages my stuff for me, I’ll keep her around for now while I still need her.” And she seems sincere herself. Doesn’t strike me as a gold digger.

Besides, marriage is just a piece of paper. You can still have everything without it. They live together and share a bed, so it may as well be a marriage.

July 25th, 2008 at 10:08 pm

“their” last encounter, that is… was distracted by match…

Shital, you’re welcome. Wait, you’re only supporting losers? That’s a lot of consolation… I think I’d better dole mine out one match at a time. Good luck with that, though.

July 25th, 2008 at 10:09 pm

Kata Srebotnik isn’t bad look either when she has her makeup on.

http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/global/library/80×80/srebotnik_08prozblog_mon_80.jpg
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/global/library/200×250/srebotnik_08prozblog_mon_200.jpg

But then I checked her more natural looking profile pic…

http://cms.zurnal24.si/export/sites/z24/_data/images/tenis/PolonaHercoginKatarinaSrebotnikMain.jpg_138096144.jpg

They changed her profile pic on the WTA site now, but in the old pic, she had crows feet around her eyes. Makeup is pretty amazing.

July 25th, 2008 at 10:17 pm

Shital, I am very sorry for misinterpreting your earlier post; I thought you were being facetious. I stand corrected. Like you I am an underdog rooter and rally behind “losers” (although I don’t think of Novak that way – he’s way TOO GOOD – he just had an off night but he’ll bounce back!) but that doesn’t mean I can’t be happy for a winner now and then. ;-)

Ra,

I wouldn’t know who to predict in this match. Beautiful competition so far. If it was 5 sets, I’d say no way Gasquet could keep it up, but in 3 it’s not impossible.

July 25th, 2008 at 10:20 pm

Gasquet is playing some sublime tennis thus far.He’s giving Nadal a good workout.

Ra:

I suppose you didn’t see my post saying hello to you? That’s OK, I like being ignored. :)

July 25th, 2008 at 10:26 pm

Rafa and Gasquet are so tight but great in this tiebreak, both making nervous misses and great shots. An excellent match so far!! Wowsa!

July 25th, 2008 at 10:34 pm

This is tennis. It does not matter who wins. Gasquet and Rafa have already given me the best of tennis.

July 25th, 2008 at 10:43 pm

wow. Didn’t Nadal say he loses when his GF is in the stands? She is in the stands tonight.

Great Drama!!!

July 25th, 2008 at 10:44 pm

That’s my boy, predicted loser takes the 1st set.

July 25th, 2008 at 10:45 pm

Sorry Von, I hadn’t seen it (again distracted by the match). Hello to you, too.

So, this is thus far living up to its potential. It’s such a fine sight to behold…

July 25th, 2008 at 10:46 pm

What a fantastic tiebreak!! Drama supreme — this was tennis of the highest quality. It appears that Gasquet has finally found his form over the past month. His backhand is a thing of beauty and a joy to behold.

July 25th, 2008 at 10:46 pm

what a hell of a tiebreak!

July 25th, 2008 at 10:50 pm

Ra:

Looking at my post and yours, we both posted at 10:46 pm and used the same word “behold”. What are the chances of this happening, 1 in a 1,000?

________
JCF:

you say you’re not picky, then why does it have to be a tennis girl? And, if you’re not picky, how come Vaidisova? She’s pretty.

July 25th, 2008 at 10:50 pm

Shital Green – could you please clarify if you’re angry with me or something; I get the sense you are. I am sorry that Novak lost, or that I had a hunch Murray would come out firing and said as much earlier today, or even that I am happy for him (at least he and Djoko are old friends). But I meant no slight to you. I am sad for Djoko too. You and I go back a long way here, so I hope I’ve not said anything to offend you? Please let me know and accept my apologies if so.

July 25th, 2008 at 10:51 pm

Vaidisova is taken. You do NOT leave a man nicknamed “The Worm”! (secret lady rule number 2112)

July 25th, 2008 at 10:56 pm

Mary:

“You do NOT leave a man nicknamed “The Worm”! (secret lady rule number 2112)”

You are so funny!! Where did you find that rule book? It must be a large one to have over 2112 rules.

July 25th, 2008 at 11:01 pm

“you say you’re not picky, then why does it have to be a tennis girl? And, if you’re not picky, how come Vaidisova? She’s pretty.”

I wanted to keep it within the framework of tennis, since we’re all familiar with the players. And yes, she is pretty. But I don’t know anything about the personalities of the players, so the only thing I can judge by is looks. In reality, I’d be perfectly content with an ordinary person, but then it would be hard to name one. If I was a famous person, I’d probably feel more comfortable with a no-name, someone below me in status. They’d be less likely to just walk out when they’re bored. As long as it’s not a gold digger, it wouldn’t bother me too much who it was.

Hey you know what, I find some appeal in feisty law types with good vocabularies too… ;)

Roger has enough going for him that he can aim higher than Mirka. They were together before he accomplished anything in his career, and he didn’t dump her when he soared to greater heights, so credit to him. I think they will stay together for many years yet, even if there is no ring.

July 25th, 2008 at 11:01 pm

Jane,
You and I have been a team for a long time and will be so in the future, too. I am sorry I must have been carried away to have given you a faint sense that it would snap on mere one occasion. You are absolutely cool with me. I don’t know what I am blabbering about in frustration, but I am gathering myself together as the pain mitigates with time. You know I am emotional and the effect is too heavy to bear in the immediate aftermath of the loss. I am sorry once again.

July 25th, 2008 at 11:03 pm

‘Vaidisova is taken. You do NOT leave a man nicknamed “The Worm”! (secret lady rule number 2112)’

Indeed she is Mary. By Stepanek, who dumped Hingis for her. What’s on my mind is… what has he got? She’s about 10 years his junior, and he’s just some veteran who didn’t win too many titles. I don’t find him all that irresistable in looks either. What do you girls think?

I think Fed could give him a run for his money if he called her.

July 25th, 2008 at 11:06 pm

Shital Green,

Phew – I would’ve left the website if I lost you! You were one of my first, and at the time only! – allies, and it has always meant a lot.

And no worries; you probably didn’t snap; I am notoriously over-sensitive.

I wonder if Gasquet can rally in the 3rd; his tennis was like a flash of lightning from the gods in that first set!

July 25th, 2008 at 11:07 pm

Mary! LOL! “You do NOT leave a man nicknamed “The Worm”! (secret lady rule number 2112)”

I always wondered what Step’s power was over hotties!? Now you’ve clarified. Good on ya.

July 25th, 2008 at 11:09 pm

JCF(Jesus Christ it’s Federer):
What’s on my mind is… what has he got?

I answered that.

Tonight’s match:
FRANCE SURRENDERS.

July 25th, 2008 at 11:11 pm

Shital, I am with you. My heart is heavy with this loss. I hope Novak gets his fight back quickly for Cincy, then all will be right with the world.

July 25th, 2008 at 11:13 pm

JCF:

“I don’t find him all that irresistable in looks either. What do you girls think?

I think Fed could give him a run for his money if he called her.”

Step would give me a nightmare if I were to awaken from a deep sleep and find him standing over me. He’s creepy to look at. Fed is not my idea of handsome, but he’s a step up from Stepanek. How’s that for an honest answer.

________

Mary:

I think Gasguet is about to blow a gasket. He’s run out of steam.

July 25th, 2008 at 11:16 pm

The insanity continues. Run, Novak, run.

July 25th, 2008 at 11:16 pm

Shital & Sardino:

I’m sad too, my guy lost yesterday, but I had to suffer in silence, because I know how much he’s not liked. So mum was the word. Sorry..

July 25th, 2008 at 11:18 pm

Jane,
That means a lot to me. And it indeed helped me so much to come back to normal. Thank you so much.

Back to the present. Rafa will take the 2nd set.
And I am just expecting a 3rd set tie break, if not quite like like the 1st set. If we could get another set any where close to the 1st, what else could we expect in tennis?

July 25th, 2008 at 11:19 pm

Spin – spin off somewhere else dude. The over-hyped “youngsters” are a coming. Maybe you’d better run! LOL.

July 25th, 2008 at 11:23 pm

Has the feed stopped for anyone? Mine is stuck.

July 25th, 2008 at 11:28 pm

Spin the “youngsters” comment was another poster’s, so apologies – you can ignore that. And while you’re at it, why don’t you just ignore the posts that don’t concern you? Unless you have something to add of course, maybe about tennis? Rather than the other bloggers? Huh?

July 25th, 2008 at 11:32 pm

I wasn’t talking about other players, “LOL.” Seems like a stalker convention in here.

July 25th, 2008 at 11:34 pm

Mary:

You’re right. The French has about surrendered. Thanks for that link BTW. Is it always free?

July 25th, 2008 at 11:41 pm

Spin – POT – KETTLE – BLACK?

You keep “stalking” Shital and making quips about everything he writes.

There’s no stalker convention here, just tennis fans. So suck it up and go watch some tennis.

Or why don’t you write something about tennis or the players?

July 25th, 2008 at 11:43 pm

Von:
Yes. I watched the French Open and SW19 on there. You may not always get an english station, but whatever.

Here is the general link for sports:
http://www.justin.tv/directory?category=sports

July 25th, 2008 at 11:43 pm

Sardino,
I know you are my another staunch ally. Thank you so much for sharing that I am not the only one to go through the same jerky ride right now. I feel fortunate that we help each other out from our whatever capacities. I am almost normal now. Thank you once again.

Von,
Thanks for your kind words. As usual, I am glad I can count on you, too.

The match is getting one sided now, almost over (match point). Gasquet collapsed in the 3rd, but I have no complaint anymore because the 1st set already gave us the best tennis so far in this tournament.
On to the semi tomorrow. Do you have a pick in the final?

July 25th, 2008 at 11:48 pm

Sad to see Gasquet just go off like that; I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a player lose focus to the degree where he doesn’t know the score! That was strange in the 3rd set, how he didn’t know he was still serving. Rafa is indefatigable. I wonder if Murray can stay with him for even one set? Looks like he’s winning the title.

Speaking of consistency, Rafa is really showing his hardcourt credtials.

July 25th, 2008 at 11:50 pm

After such a captivating first set, what a way to capitulate Richard. Now tennis-x is going to put him in the trunk again. Rafa did great in recovering from a disappointing first set. Gasquet should have rode on the momentum, but got broken early and again later. He’s got a long way to go before he can win bigger tournaments like this.

July 25th, 2008 at 11:51 pm

Shital:

No, I don’t have a pick for the final. Maybe after the sFs tomorrow then I’ll have a better idea. Cheer up. Here’s a smile to brighten the gloom. :D

sARDINO: hERE’S ONE FOR YOU TOO. :p

July 25th, 2008 at 11:54 pm

sARDINO:

Sorry, I messed up your name and the smiley. Here goes. :D

July 25th, 2008 at 11:56 pm

“Speaking of consistency, Rafa is really showing his hardcourt credtials.”

Rafa has won the Canada AMS before, so it shouldn’t be surprising. And the knee hasn’t bothered him. People are blowing the knee problem out of proportion. You could make a case that it will affect the longevity of his career, but to say that it will prevent him from winning any hard court titles at all is nonsense.

“‘What’s on my mind is… what has he got?’ I answered that.”

What.. that he’s a worm? You couldn’t be referring to his… never mind.

July 25th, 2008 at 11:56 pm

Congratulations to Rafa for his win ! How can we not bow to his pertinaciousness!

July 26th, 2008 at 12:00 am

I watched both matches tonight. Excellent tennis, especially the way Murray slaughtered a hapless world #3. Tennis fans? Maybe. I’d say there are mindless Djokovic fans here crying the night away, occasionally congratulating themselves on being smart, and generally just making asses of themselves in a public space. Those of us who read this site and dislike such vomit may continue to feel free to comment.

July 26th, 2008 at 12:02 am

jane:

Thnik back. who disliked Roddick and Djoko, consistently beating the donkey. Is this a Glenn incarnate?

July 26th, 2008 at 12:06 am

ZOLA…. my friend…. Nadal Win!!!! Wohooo!!! But sorry for Djokovic’s fans. hope he’ll do better in the next tournament..

VAMOS RAFA’

July 26th, 2008 at 12:08 am

Mary,
Ref: “As a New Yorker, I was like “OMG A-Rod dumped Madonna for Mirka!”

You New Yorkers are slightly agoraphobic. All A-Rods are Alex Rodriguez, and every sports team is Yankees. I am just messing with you. I laughed a lot when I read your comment. Thanks for the comic relief, much needed now.

July 26th, 2008 at 12:17 am

Sean,
I think you’ve officially enrolled yourself in the Gimel-slob school of sexist commentary. Seriously, this is quite possibly the worst piece of trash I’ve read in awhile. What have you been ingesting? Trading girlfriends, fetishising models—and no, saying this is a joke does not get you off the hook.

too bad. I usually do enjoy your columns.

July 26th, 2008 at 12:27 am

Spin,
What a douche bag are you !
Tell me who is with you here. Who is “us” in your comment? How can anybody be friend with a despicable like you? Comment what you want, but you will remain the most hated person no matter under what disguise you appear. Why are you here? Just to be hated more?
I asked a question in another thread. Do you have a response to that?
What’s your purpose in life? You keep going around different blogs just to be hated more because you shaw your hatred for everybody else? Give me reasons to like you. Do you have any input to share about tennis? Do you have anything good about you? Show me. Why are you stalking me? What did I do to you?

July 26th, 2008 at 12:28 am

Spin, Funny you think you can call a world number 3 “hapless” – he’s hardly unfortunate.

Murray didn’t slaughter Djoko either; it was a well contested match with one decisive break in the first and a tiebreak in the second. Djoko just didn’t hit his best tonight. I am happy for Murray but there’s no need to crap all over the player who loses – or his fans.

No one said you couldn’t comment, but it is a tennis blog so why don’t you use the scroll button, skip what you don’t like, and write about tennis or tennis players.

July 26th, 2008 at 12:54 am

Von,

“Thnik back. who disliked Roddick and Djoko, consistently beating the donkey. Is this a Glenn incarnate?”

Maybe, but it sounds a lot like Chris (M was it?) to me. He likes to discuss vomit, if I recall correctly.

July 26th, 2008 at 12:56 am

JCF,

“Rafa has won the Canada AMS before, so it shouldn’t be surprising. And the knee hasn’t bothered him. ”

I know, but not for a while – three years I think. And I was never one to blow the knee thing out of proportion. I have only said I think of the two hardcourt slams I see Rafa winning the AO first. But I could be wrong. Maybe I just should’ve said he’s proving he’s consistency, but that seemed pointless, since he’s already done that.

He’s the only “big three” player who’ll’ve maintained his points at this event, even if by some miracle Murray were to play the match of his life and beat him. And next week both Rafa and Djoko stand to gain points; all they have to do is get beyond the first round I think. Whereas Roger has to defend his title. Be interesting to see what transpires there.

July 26th, 2008 at 1:00 am

Von, no big deal on the name and I will shorten it to “Sar”, it’s easier.I’m sorry you were suffering in silence. Your guy was Roddick, right?
I like Roddick too! Well my doubles team is still alive for now. I like the Bryans and Zimonjic/Nestor. Either of those to win are fine with me.

Spin, you may feel free to comment but some would wonder why you choose to read a “vomit-spewing” site.

July 26th, 2008 at 1:02 am

Guys,
Cincy draw just came out !

1st quarter: Fed, Ancic, Karlovic, Fish, Roddick

2nd quarter: Davydenko, Murray, Gasquet, Mathieu, Stepanek

3rd quarter: Djoko, Blake, Simon, Gulbis, Gonzu, Berdych, Wawrinka.

4th quarter: Rafa, Cilic, Youzhny, Monfils,Ferrer,
Verdaso

July 26th, 2008 at 1:12 am

Fed has a pretty easy draw except Roddick. And he avoids Djokovic in his half again.

The Davydenko and Djokovic quarters are the difficult ones. Joker is going to have a tough time here. So might Nadal.

If Fed loses first up again, he’s finished.

July 26th, 2008 at 2:04 am

Every single player in Djoko’s quarter is dangerous…

Blake, Kiefer, Simon, Niemenen, Gulbis, T.Johansson, Wawrinka, Gonzalez, Berdych, Lopez, Seppi, Bolleli.

He will be lucky to make the semis. His record at Cincy is 1-3. Nadal’s not too hot either, 3-4.

July 26th, 2008 at 2:07 am

Sean
I have to agree that this was not a funny post. Girfriends are part of the private lives of the players. The fact that they have lost their tennis matches doesn’t give me and you the right to act paparazzi on them. It is good to respect them when they lose as much as we admire them when they win.

Anyway, Today’s matches at Toronto were just magnificent. I did watch a few points of Blake-Kiefer match. Blake killed himself with that body language. Looked like a child who was unprepared for a big test . Murray -Djoko match was great. Apparently Djoko was not on top of his game, but Murray was. I had never seen him play so aggressive and remain so positive. He covered the court very well too. For me it was a toss, because assuming Rafa would win his match, none of these two are an easy opponent for him. Murray came out victor at the end and snapped the losig streak. Good for him.

Then Rafa-GAsquet match! I thought it would have been easier, considering Gazquet’s recent frame of mind. But he played just fantastic. They both did and I am so glad Rafa won the match!

I hope he can win tomorrow as well. Between Kiefer and Simon, I am a bit undecided, but might go for Simon.

July 26th, 2008 at 2:08 am

Jane and all Djoko fans,
Sorry for Djoko’s loss. But Murray was the better player today. Jane, I know you like Andy too. If RAfa was not in the tournament , I would have liked him or Simon to win.

July 26th, 2008 at 2:09 am

Zola, that’s kind of you. Yeah I root for Djoko a little more but I don’t know why I had a hunch Murray would win. He’s been so much more level headed. Just compare their two Wimbledon performances. But then Novak looked strong in his first two matches so I couldn’t say for sure what I thought would happen.

Anyhow, we’ll see what happens tomorrow.

July 26th, 2008 at 2:16 am

Shital thanks for the news about the draw – I’ll have to go have a look at it so I can get a better sense of things.

July 26th, 2008 at 2:17 am

Ezorra,
thanks dear. I was so happy for his win and the way he played. Because GAsquet was just on fire. I think a few months ago, with a game like that Gasquet would have been the winner. But Today , Rafa was really confident. I liked his forehand a lot today and Gasquet had some very magnificent shots and returns. just fantastic.

Yep, today was not Djoko’s day. Murray was really prepared and he has improved a lot. Just great. Now of course I am worried about Rafa tomorrow. His matches with Murray, especially those on hard courts are always very tough.

The Cincy draw is very tough. But Rafa has never done well there anyway. I will be happy if he reaches the QF. He needs to rest his body.

Vamos RAfa!

July 26th, 2008 at 2:41 am

Jane,
Canada being the first hard court tournament right after Wimbledon, is a tough one. I am sure Djoko will do better in Cincy and US Open with more practice.

Did you know that NAdal/Gasquet match was not televised in US? I watched it over my AMS TV. But the tennis channel would show a repeat at 1 am eastern time!

July 26th, 2008 at 2:44 am

Sar:

“Your guy was Roddick, right?
I like Roddick too! Well my doubles team is still alive for now. I like the Bryans and Zimonjic/Nestor. Either of those to win are fine with me.”

Yes, Roddick is my guy, and yesterday I was so mad at him for playing like junk, I said I was not going to root for him anymore. But then I remembered that he’s not played much since May and thought I’d hang with him a little longer. He’s not liked on this site, in fact none of the Americans are, but I’m patriotic and I also think they’re nice guys. Some get into a tizzy about Roddick’s umpire tussles, however, they don’t see how many bad calls he gets and it upsets him. It’s his personality but not worse from many others who do the same and it’s overlooked. It’s a matter of to each his own.

I hope the Bryans win because they have not been doing well this year. Zimonjic and Nestor have made a great team together. They’re stacking up some good wins, so for your sake I hope they win too. May the best team win. :)

July 26th, 2008 at 3:38 am

I’m going to start fretting again. Why is Roddick in Federer’s quarter again. Someone is not shaking up those names. The draws are either feast or famine; what’s wrong with this picture.

TO ALL:

ESPN2 WILL CARRY THE SfS AT 8:00 P,M. EASTERN TIME ON SATURDAY EVENING AND THE FINALS AT 3:00 PM ON SUNDAY. Set your DVRs to record.

___________
jane:

Chris M., Spin and Roddick/Donkey are all interchangeable, but I think there’s 2 of them, because in one post to me where R/Donkey was ridiculing Roddick, Chris piped in and stated to me in a post “he just doen’t like Roddick, so accept it.” That’s how they betray themselves. Chris disappeared and Spin has emerged, but Glenn also disappeared. These guys are so weird they hate the smileys too.

July 26th, 2008 at 3:46 am

Looking at the Cincinnati draw – I think Djoko should be through to the quarters, unless Gonza is really at his best or Berdych somehow climbs out of his slump. But Djoko could meet any number of tough customers in the quarter finals, as JCF pointed out. His is the toughest quarter.

Rafa should also get to the quarters, and if he can get there, I think his chances of getting into the semis are easier than Djoko’s chances.

Fed may struggle with Karlovic but no one else should stop him from reaching the quarters. I think in this section Roddick has the much tougher players to face, with Kohls, Soderling and Fish, but I sure hope he comes through to the quarters. It would be good to see a Roddick vs. Fed rematch.

Murray has a tough little section, with Marat, Querrey, Gasquet, Llodra and Mathieu, so if he makes it to the quarters, like Rafa, I like Murray’s chances of going deeper.

Draws are so hard to predict because there are always upsets and so things open up unexpectedly like this week.

———————————————–

Von,

I forgot about Glenn and the donkey comments but he didn’t seem like the type to be so obsessed with intervening and making barb after barb. Who cares in a way. And especially who care if they don’t like smileys. Maybe we just need to use more of em then. :-)

July 26th, 2008 at 5:34 am

jane:

“I think in this section Roddick has the much tougher players to face, with Kohls, Soderling and Fish, but I sure hope he comes through to the quarters. It would be good to see a Roddick vs. Fed rematch.”

I just don’t get it, why is it that Andy is in Fed’s quarter again? Something is fishy abd I absolutely think the draws are manipulated. However, there’s nothing anyone can do about the draw problem but suck it up. I protest vehemently, as if they care. Karlovic won’t be a problem for federer.

Djoko has a tricky draw but in those tricky draws there are always upsets nd they seem to open up. The others will fight it out amongst themselves, and Djoko will just have to deal with his first opponent while the others try to advance. Hopefully, he’ll be rested. I think the points he has to defend is making him nervous. I’m sure it’s uppermost in his mind. H could win Cincy and eliminate some of the points pressure. Things chang so fast. A year ago, Roddick was the No 3 player, now he’s No. 6 and moving down.

BTW whatever happened to Nalby. I havent heard anything.

July 26th, 2008 at 6:24 am

These draws are starting to look strange why is that Djoko and nadal are in the same half 90% of ths time?

July 26th, 2008 at 6:52 am

These draws are starting to look strange why is that Djoko and nadal are in the same half 90% of the time?

July 26th, 2008 at 6:52 am

Have fun making drama of it all, but it just seems that Federer or Djokovich has a forehand or backhand that isn’t in the groove.

As far as Toronto and the ladies in LA and elswhere, it just seems that those who exited Wimbledon early and kept playing are doing a lot better than those who laid out after Wimbeldon. Tops seeds are dropping like flies.

Finally, I think Simon looked exhausted. He’s done. Another one for Nadal, and hardcourt at that.

July 26th, 2008 at 9:49 am

Gasquet says he played “the best set of his life” in that first set.

He says Nadal is very hard to beat right now.

The ATP web say they will count Canadian Open and Cincinatti twice during two weeks, so the change of nº1 is unlikely before the USOPEN.

Federer’s streak at nº1 is by now 234 weeks (the record of consecutive weeks) and he is not far away from the total weeks record: 286 (Sampras).

Right now he is fourth in that category:

Sampras: 286
Lendl: 270
Connors: 268
Federer: 234

If Federer recovers next year, he will surpass all of them.

Years-End-Nº1:

Sampras: 6
Connors: 5
Lendl: 4
McEnroe: 4
Federer: 4

If Federer does not end nº1 this year, it is unlikely he will surpass Sampras record in this category.

At the end of last year I was so sure he would surpass all these records ( GS records too ) but now the situation is quite interesting because it is not so clear how it will unfold.

July 26th, 2008 at 9:50 am

I do not feel sorry for Mirka at all. She has had eight years of living the high life – living in the best hotels, eating at the best restaurants, meeting all sorts of important people – things she never could do on her own. PLUS she’s got a boyfriend who is TERRIBLY SEXY (even those who don;t care for Fed’s looks, must agree, THE MAN IS SEXY.)
She has also been making a salary all these years AND he has bought her a king’s ransom in diamonds…every time they go to Dubai, she gets more bling.
Who else would have her???

July 26th, 2008 at 10:05 am

Sean,
the above post is an example of what can happen when the lead post stretches the limits!

Djoko has not played since Wimbledon, so I think he will be better as the tournaments progress. It is hard to adjust from clay to grass to had in such a short time.Same goes for Roddick. If he has rcovered from injury, he has great chances in Cincy and US Open.

Simon is an interesting player. Usually the players who come after a big win, let themselves down mantally and lose the next matche. Simon did not let that happen. So, if he gets to the final, he won’t be an easy opponent for Rafa or Murray.

the draw in Cincy is fishy allright. I wonder if they even bother to have a new one or do they just take the first one ( Toronto), change a few qualifies and some names and put it back. That’s insane!

July 26th, 2008 at 10:30 am

Wonderful exhibition of choking from Chokovic/choker/joker/jerkovic. Chokovic fans – be glad that murray beat him, else nadal would have given him a public colonoscopy today.

Serves the Jerk right! Flashing the no.1 sign in the 2nd set at hamburg against Rafa. He has not won a set against rafa since then. Who will be the next no.1 now?

July 26th, 2008 at 11:35 am

How ridiculous and cheap Federer haters can get.Gosh,people invent newer and newer sicks to beat Federer with.This is juvenile and absolutely staggering to suggest that Federer’s ‘vanity’ and ‘greed’ have led to his problems.Please add that all other players on the tour are playing for charity or philanthropy and Andy Roddick is their patron saint.These guys are professional tennis players for christ’s sake and many of them want the same thing(money,fame and possibly a place in tennis history) that Federer has been accused of being greedy about.They will give an arm and a leg for a life and career like that.Roddick is not working his ass out to get beaten easily and being charitable to his opponent.He wants to win titles and the money that comes with it.Professional athletes do not have a long career and it is understandable that they will like to make hay when the sun shines.At least he does something with his charitable foundation which is more than can be said about for other players.He can make even more money by playing a lot more events and ask for big appearance fees but his schedule over the last four years has been very conservative and he does not play even the 18/19 events per year that most players play at the very least.And to compare him to a greedy doctor!!His problems have nothing to do with playing some fun matches with sampras.He did not feel well throughout the off-season and missed important practice sessions before and after Australian open due to illness.Once his season begins in full earnest from Dubai onwards,he does not get any time to work on his game.His next ‘break’ between London and Toronto was very short.With davis cup after the us open,he won’t get the time he feels comfortable with to work on his game.
It is the same ‘greed’ or ambition and motivation that eggs on great players and forces them to tread a very thin line between enjoying the game and stressing and pressurizing themselves for that extra effort that makes all the difference.It involves a lot of tradeoffs and compromises and sacrifices but that is the price of success.No one can have everything.Borg/Henin could not handle the stress and walked away.Sampras won’t be wondering today about what went ‘wrong’ with his career and he will be much happier for it.An Andy Roddick will never feel the same if he was ambitious enough to begin with.

I can understand someone’s hatred for a guy who has thrashed his/her favorite player a lot of times but crass and below the belt comments about his girlfriend betray absolutely zero knowledge about human relationships.It sounds as if Mirka is a foolish,pitiable, bonded slave and Federer is the ruthless,cynical and cruel master exploiting her.They know much better than we do.They could break up tomorrow or can live together for the rest of their lives and whether they should marry or not won’t be decided by the patron saint’s unofficial pr guy.Sampras married bridgette wilson jones in a hurry but dumped at least two previous girlfriends equally quickly.
It is natural for people to get fed up of the season’s grind and some can get bored doing it year after year.Motivation levels particularly at smaller events goes down and it becomes difficult to look forward to doing things you loved doing earlier.Novak djokovic is apparently getting tired mentally already and he has just begun his career!!

July 26th, 2008 at 2:10 pm

I see the Roddick haters are back out in full force again. I’m not going to bother to respond to them, I think the others here have taken care of them nicely (Von, jane, et al)

Suffice it to say that I am very sad and worried that Andy appears to have once again lost his mojo and it could not have come at a worse time for him. Federer is falling and the door has been wide open for him all year to walk on through but he cannot take advantage of it, either due to injury or choking. I wish he could find a way to get past his issues and just start winning again. As we saw in Dubai and in Rome when he is confident and healthy he plays good enough to beat anybody on any given day. But now he can lose to anybody on any given day. It it heartbreaking to watch. Here’s hoping he gets some good luck at Cincinatti.

July 26th, 2008 at 3:12 pm

I have to agree with Zola and some of the others here Sean. I know you probably wrote this in order to be ‘funny’, but to me, it missed the mark. Sorry… I just did not appreciate this article at all. Others may have really enjoyed it, but to each his own.

For me… it was done in poor taste.

July 26th, 2008 at 4:03 pm

Joker, Joker, Joker, how transparent are ye. How many names do you have? You can change the name but the writing style remains the same along with the lack of comprehension. Anyone with some reasonable comprehension can understand my analogy using a doctor as an example, but not you, because you missed comprehension 101 didn’t you. What happened, you cut class? BTW, I’m not a “girl”, love being one, and I’m not Roddick’s PR “guy”.

I thought I was doing something worthwhile in stating a logical reason for Federer’s decline and nothing was said in a vituperative tone. Hence I’m not a hater; but you won’t understand that, because that’s what you’re full of, hate, so you illogically assume that anyone who is not a blind “yes” molasses type, is a hater. I was merely saying the man is human and what has happened to him is normal, people’s focus change bdue to external and internal pressures. However, that was too much for you to comprehend wasn’t it. You’ve got to curb that wild imagination you know, it will only lead to a brain cramp and that would be fatal for you; you won’t be able to think up so many creative post names. :) Smile, smile, smile, and let the sunshine in, beau geste, n’est ce-pas?. It means, beautiful gesture, isn’t it? To be able to smile. ;)

July 26th, 2008 at 4:35 pm

Correction: My post at 4:35pm, first para., last line: “BTW, I’m not a “girl”, should be: I’m not a “guy”.

July 26th, 2008 at 4:43 pm

TD (tam):

Feel free to defend Andy any time — I could use a rest from the rebuttals — WOW, I can’t believe how much abuse is shovelled Rolddick’s way. Every other player can have a problem with the Umpire and it’s overlooked, but not so with Roddick, and those who talk about it aren’t satisfied to have their say a few times and stop, they repeat themselves over and over again. If the garbage that’s thrown at Roddick was transposed unto Federer, I can guarantee the offenders would wish they hadn’t said anything. However, the same is not true for Roddick because his fans don’t speak up or they’ve left the site, due to it being an exercise in futility in defending Andy. I think his cardinal sin is being born American and in the Top 10. If he was ranked 101, there wouldn’t be a problem. The way I see it, many would love for tennis to be devoid of the American players. Years ago the Aussies wre hated for monopolizing tennis, then the shift went to the Americans.

On another topic, Andy has not only lost his mojo, I think he’s too absorbed with the fiance and can’t concentrate on anything else. He’s very hyper and he no longer has a smile on his face. I think he’s reached a saturation point of unfulfilled dreams and his anxiety is geting the better of him. He also needs a new trainer, and a good coach. I read an article, and also saw him in an interview, wherein he stated that he has realized 3 of his 4 goals. The one that has eluded him is winning Wimby. If, and when, he does win Wimby, I think he will retire — his dreams will have come to fruition. Let’s hope he can salvage the rest of the season with some good results. Don’t worry, be happy, and I repeat, feel free to jump in some more. :P

July 26th, 2008 at 5:05 pm

Yes, Andy Roddick didn’t look like he was having fun against Cilic, even saying out loud “I suck”. So he’s definitely struggling. A new and effective coach might help get him back on track. But again, it’s not like he was blown away by Cilic. Cilic played well and served very well against Andy. But Roddick wasn’t as focused as he needs to be. When he did shift his body language and buckle down in the second, he won 3 straight games and took the set. It was a focus thing, imo, not a game thing. So Von, maybe his focus is elsewhere – on that lady back home?

July 26th, 2008 at 5:18 pm

jane:
“So Von, maybe his focus is elsewhere – on that lady back home?”

For some reason, I get the feeling that Andy may be second guessing himself on the engagment, etc., and that could account for his lost mojo. I feel he jumped into that situation too fast, not knowing her very well, and now that he is spending more time with her, he most probably is seeing and learning more than he had envisoned her to be, vis-a-vis, personality and intelligence. Additionally, he could be facing some pressure from his family — his father rules with an iron fist, and maybe papa is not too thrilled with the whole scenario. I’m just speculating about this as a parent, and I know if it were my son, I’d probably want for him to have taken things a lot slower, concentrate on his career, and put a lid on the weding bells. I’m concerned for him and would not like to see him make a mistake of gedtting married prematurely.

July 26th, 2008 at 5:47 pm

Von, who was your favorite player before you moved to the US?

Roddick peaked early, and they people were expecting him to keep it up in a long fruitful career. He gets derrided because his rivalry with Fed when he was #2 didn’t live up to the expectations set by the 2003 year. Rafa & Nole’s rivalries with Fed weren’t as one sided, and Rod keeps getting compared to them (and Federer). It’s a subconscious grudge that critics have, and maybe even former fans. He didn’t produce the spectacle they were hoping for, thanks to Federer of course. But this does leave the US with a generation of nary a slam. Djoko and Rafa have managed to beat Fed in a slam now, and maybe some former Rod fans have lost hope in him and have moved onto newer kids.

I was a fan starting when he was 18, and I’d just heard good things about him. He was robbed in a 5th set match against Hewitt at the USO QFs. In my case, I simply found a new favorite player in Federer when he started producing some new stuff I’d never seen in each match he played.

Perhaps some of his critics did the same. I’m a fan of people’s game and ability, not personality or character, so my support isn’t always going to be loyal. It’s nothing personal. He looked like he was going to come back strong this year, then had an injury. Pity.

July 26th, 2008 at 9:56 pm

I don’t think Andy likes people using that ‘m’ word either. He got really testy when a Belgian reporter mentioned it in DC after that USO.

July 26th, 2008 at 9:58 pm

JCF:

“Von, who was your favorite player before you moved to the US?”

Pete Sampras. After Pete retired it took me quite a while to warm up to Andy and accept him as my new fave, and I didn’t follow tennis as avidly as I do now. That special something was missing. Eventually though, I began warming up to Andy and by the time he won the USO GS, I was firmly entrenched as his doting fan. I liked Agassi but never really took him seriously due to his many sabbaticals.

This is just an aside, I lived in New York just about 8 miles from Flushing Meadows – home of the US Open. My apartment faced the USO tennis court; I lived on the 8th Floor, so on a clear day, from my terrace, I could see Arthur Ashe Stadium and Shea Stadium (Baseball) which was on the opposite side of the USO. It was a great view.

I don’t like the mojo thing also. It’s a Spanish marinade.

July 26th, 2008 at 10:46 pm