Federer, Nadal Head Top 8 in Historic Montreal QFs, Safina on Choke Alert v. Clijsters

by Sean Randall | August 14th, 2009, 12:21 am
  • 249 Comments

History will be made Friday at the Montreal Masters Rogers as for the first time ever the Top 8 ranked players will all be competing in the quarterfinals at an event – ATP or Slam! That’s pretty good! ADHEREL

And naturally if you have the all Top 8 players you are going to get some popcorn matches, and that we have with Roger Federer v. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Andy Roddick v. Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin Del Potro v. Rafael Nadal.

First though at 1pm it’s Andy Murray and Nikolay Dayvdenko. Remember Murray can get the No. 2 ranking if he reaches the final and Nadal loses, so there’s a little more riding on the line for the Briton in this match. But Murray’s probably playing the best of any of the remaining eight and I like him to beat Davydenko. Although, Dayvdenko I think comes in on a 12-match win streak or so I think and he’s even, 4-4, head-to-head with Murray. Still, in a tough match I’ll take Murray in three.


I didn’t see Federer’s win today over his countryman Stanislas Wawrinka, but his result today is must more impressive then his victory Tuesday night over a 33-year-old Canadian named Freddy. Tsonga also played better today ousting a countryman of his own, Gilles Simon. But in this case I think Tsonga’s power feeds into Federer, and even though Fed’s probably not in full flight yet, he’ll win in straight sets.

For lucky ticket holders, the night session is where the real action is. The main course is Roddick v. Djokovic. These two have played twice on hardcourts already this year at the Australian Open when Novak retired and against at Indian Wells when Novak got steamrolled.

Djokovic did beat Roddick in Montreal a few years ago in this same round when he picked up the title and again at the US Open quarterfinals last year under the lights. This is an absolutely huge match for both players. For Roddick, a win really puts him ahead of Novak on the pecking order in tennis. For Djokovic, he hasn’t had any kind of a big win in months, and a victory would do him a world of good with the US Open just around the corner.

Head-to-head, Roddick leads 3-2 but really there’s not much to choose. Roddick’s playing well, Novak’s had a great history in Montreal. I picked Novak at the start of the week so I’m sticking to it. Novak in three.

And after all that tennis if you are still hungry for dessert there’s DelPo and Rafa in the nightcap. Having only played a 2.5 sets Nadal’s really an unknown quantity. However, DelPo is not! The Argentine is again tearing up the hardcourts and he has to be liking his chances especially since he beat Rafa in their last meeting in Miami in a third set tiebreak.

All things being equal, Rafa wins this match. But it’s not. Nadal just hasn’t played enough while DelPo’s in form. This match is DelPo’s to win or lose and I think he scratches it out.

Now if that men’s schedule is still leaving you unsatisfied, there’s a great match tomorrow afternoon in Cincinnati where Kim Clijsters continues her remarkable comeback road against World No. 1 Dinara Safina! Yes!!

As I speculated a few days ago, Dinara may be better served by just not showing up for this one rather than playing because I just don’t know how she’ll handle the pressure, the nerves and the very real embarrassment of becoming the first world No. 1 to lose to an unranked player! (Has that ever happened, men or women?)

And did I mention keeping your nerves? Well, Marion Bartoli certainly couldn’t keep ‘em, Patty Schnyder never had a chance and of course Sveta crumbled on cue today. Now it’s Safina’s turn. And as a standing World No. 1 ranked player, for the good of the WTA and the integrity of her sport, she cannot lose to Clijsters. She just can’t lose that match. I’m sure Kim is playing great and credit to her for getting this far, but Safina’s an excellent hardcourt player and as a No. 1 you cannot lose to someone who is unranked and who is playing her first tournament in over two years. Talk about pressure, it’s all on the Russian. Coach Zjelko, get ready.

However, if Dinara does play and she wins, it may just give her that extra boost for the US Open. We’ll see. Regardless, quite a historic day of tennis. Enjoy.


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249 Comments for Federer, Nadal Head Top 8 in Historic Montreal QFs, Safina on Choke Alert v. Clijsters

Rick Says:

What a spoiler! Roger is in luck again! Tsonga took out Simon Gillies. Finally Roger gets to play younger players unlike his recent victories at the Grand Slams. Murray to upset Federer in the semi. And in the final, he would either gets destory by Djokovic or Nadal.


Daniel Says:

The good part is that anyone who wants to win this tourney will have to beat 3 top 8, for Roddick or Tsonga (who beat n. 10 and 9) will be 4 top 10. Awesome!!

I can even see Safinas face if she gets down in this match, with all the thoughts spinning in her head. Well, I wouldn’t like to be in her skin tomorrow!


steve Says:

Two of my favorite players (Federer and Tsonga) made it. Unfortunately, one of them is going to go out tomorrow.

The Del Potro/Nadal match will be interesting. Nadal’s topspin bothers most players, but it lands right in Del Potro’s strike zone. He hits very hard, very flat and at sharp angles–the kind of player Nadal matches poorly against. He’s a smart player who’s very tough mentally. And if he serves well, he has an excellent chance to beat Nadal.


madmax Says:

montreal is proving to be a cool tournament! Am really pleased that roger is through (of course), stan can really be ‘the man’ on tour! but am just watching fed get his form together – and that’s great! the rust is falling away…

they all have excellent chances to win, and of course i would like fed to go all the way! but he definitely using this tournament to practice and check out his game, ready for his defence of the USO!


funches Says:

Again with the idiotic bashing of the women’s game for Clijsters doing well.

For God’s sake, Sean, watch her play a match and then shut the hell up. You’re a decent writer with good takes and solid knowledge, but you’re so far off on this one, it’s unbelievable.

The women’s games and the men’s games are different. Most of us prefer the men’s game by a large margin, including me, but the fact that women come back playing just as well as they did before their long layoffs is a positive, not a negative. Seles was awesome in her first tournament back after being stabbed. It may be no different with Clijsters.

Win or lose tomorrow, Safina won’t embarrass herself nearly as much as Serena did by losing to Bammer today.


Shuja Says:

Federer will lose to Murray and Nadal will win this tournament….. I can bet…


Neil Thakore Says:

I have to disagree with you on the Rafa prediction, i think he will win straight sets against DelP. I think Tsonga has a better chance of beating Fed than Rafa losing to Del. But I am so excited to be able to write a review of both the Safina match and the Roddick match. I am saving todays post in my blog for it!


Elwin Says:

Funches, I agree that you have to give Clijsters credit for her tennis but, honestly, the WTA is so disappointing right now (nicely said), already for years now. It’s hard not to be negative/cynical.

GS finals often have been a joke, the tennis has been so one-dimensional but most top players, they can’t hit a volley or a decent slice and the level of nervosity is just stunning.

We all know why so many female players are dealing with this right now. And then the Williams sisters, they are making the WTA Tour all the more confusing. Gosh I can write a book about it but probably tired to go into details, just like the Tennis-x writers.

Luckily the men are keeping the sport more than alive right now!


scineram Says:

I doubt it ever happened. Only on the comeback of a star could someone unranked play the top player with a wildcard.

VAMOS KOLYA!!!


Marcus Says:

Sean, I agree with everything you said about the women’s game. It is a very accurate description and an astute observation about the state of women’s tennis. Dinara definitely has to beat Clijters for her own sake as well as for the WTA. Clijters has been out for two years, just had a baby and though she was a very good tennis player when she took time off, I don’t think I would be so far off to say that she was not even in the caliber of a Monica Seles or a Steffi Graf who also had had long breaks due to injuries and after a knee surgery.


scineram Says:

Clijsters, that joke world number one without a slam?


JCZ Says:

@scineram: Hey, not that I’m a fan of hers but she did win the Open in ’05. And has a 2 doubles slams as well (FO & W).


Dan Martin Says:

I have given some thought to what is going on in women’s tennis and I think some of the issues come down to the differences between the ATP and WTA on serves and returns. The gap between men and women on returning is far less than on serving. Therefore a forehand a male player should make 60% of the time is not a terrible miss if he can generate 1-2 free points per service game. If a female pro is getting 0-1 free points per service game missing a shot you miss 40% of the time makes a much bigger difference in terms of holding or being broken. Therefore, that miss is going to weigh more heavily the next time that makable but difficult forehand presents itself. I think the male players do shank and miss shots often, but the eraser on the first serve is a big help. It helps keep misses from snowballing as much as a missed forehand followed by two service winners leaves a guy at 30-15 when that next makable shot presents itself. I think most men know they should and will hold serve most of the time and that takes some pressure off when it comes to executing or rebounding mentally from a bad miss, but that is the best I have for explaining what seems to be a growing disparity in mentally tough players on each tour.


Von Says:

Serena says she would have lost to anyone yesterday — she had a sore throat:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/14082009/2/beaten-serena-says-lost.html

Murray’s possible ranking breakthrough:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/13082009/3/murray-moves-toward-possible-ranking-breakthrough.html


sensationalsafin Says:

I think it’s more than just getting free points off the serve, there’s just a huge gap between the styles of play. There’s so much thought and variety in the men’s game. I’d say a lot of it is due to Federer, but it’s not like he was the first player to ever have an all around game. As for the women, they should’ve followed after Henin, unfortunately the Williams’ always discredited her so the other women just assumed the Williams’ style of play is the best way. Now look, the women just bash the ball with no real consistency. Just look at the Verdasco-Roddick match yesterday, two power players who have recently become much much better players by adding lots more variety to their respective games. The holding struggles women experience come from their inability to back up their serves, good or bad. Before Stefanki, that’s what Roddick’s problem was, as good as his serve was, he was getting broken a lot by the top guys and beyond because he wasn’t backing it up well. Karlovic and Isner are good examples of how having a big serve only helps so much. Women players simply suck and it’s an embarrassment to the sport.


Sean Randall Says:

Funches, do you actually think Serena cared she lost last night to Bammer?

And let’s not confuse Kim with Monica Seles. Kim’s a nice player, she gets a lot of love because of her outgoing personality, etc., but she’s a one-time Slam winner who hardly ever dominated.

Yes, she’ll was No. 1 and she’ll get into the HOF, but as of now she’s not among the greats or nowhere near it.

What’s funny is that Dinara and Kim have a lot in common (both lost their first 3-4 Slam finals), so maybe she can take that as a positive.


sar Says:

Rafa and Nole to play doubles in Cincy.

For next week in Cincinnati, where Nadal is expected to play doubles with Novak Djokovic, some of the white sleeved shirts, which he was supposed to wear at Wimbledon, will be shipped in.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/nadal-set-for-biggest-test-in-comeback/article1251613/?FORM=ZZNR4


Fed is GOAT Says:

Serena is always defensive about her losses – every time she loses, she says its because she was injured, she was sick, she wasn’t feeling well, or she “just didn’t play well”, or “played badly”, or “played the worst match of her life”. NEVER EVER gives any credit to her opponents. That’s as arrogant as it gets…. Its as if the player on the other side of the court has nothing to do with her losses! Ridiculous.

Women’s tennis has never been more boring. Just teenage tennis machines coming out of these academies – ordinary serve, two handed backhand, flat shots, go for broke most of the time. Most of them are just clones of each other, in terms of game. Oh yes, and the grunts. Very little artistry, touch. Even with William sisters – just hit each ball as hard as you can. And many of them don’t move well at all, including Serena. Especially side to side.

I bet you Frederick Niemeyer could beat any player on the WTA circuit.

Evan Goologong won wimbledon after a layoff and a baby. Will Kim do something similar? I doubt it, but its not out of the question anymore. And if she beats Dinara, boy, that’s going to be embarrassing for the WTA.


Fed is GOAT Says:

And I don’t really have any problem with Safina being No 1 without winning a slam. Its just a ranking – its based on points, slams have more points, but if someone wins everything else, and goes deep in slams to get enough points, what’s wrong with that? Why don’t the slam winners win something else to get more points and earn the No 1 ranking? You have to be consistent and show up all the time to deserve the ranking. Safina has done that.


Sensationalsafin Says:

FIG is exactly right. The female players have no strategy, no variety, just crap shots after crap shots. It’s just embarrassing for anyone who has any kind of affiliation with the sport.


Marcus Says:

Serena couldn’t care less about losing in any event other than a major. She just does not try as hard in smaller events. She knows she can beat practically everyone if she puts her mind to it. And though it may look unsportsmanlike that she talks about injuries when she loses, the fact is she indeed has had so many injuries. She probably tries not to worsen her injuries by playing all out only in the majors. That is just how she is. She does have a big mouth that goes with her ego but she has the big game and the results in majors to back her up. She cares not either what her detractors say until they get blue in the mouth. Wait until the US Open comes. That is when she will decide to really play again.


SG Says:

Fed is GOAT Says:

Women’s tennis has never been more boring.

********************

Women’s tennis lacks strong rivalries. I don’t really think the play is boring. When the Williams sisters play each other, no one in their right mind can say that the tennis is boring.


Steve@TennisNewz Says:

Murray/Davydenko is my pick for best match of today. I like Murray’s odds too and picked him to take the tournament but Davydenko has the ability to win today. Should be a good one. Nadal vs Del Potro will be interesting as well. When Nadal isn’t hitting with confidence the ball lands too short and will situp for a tall guy with good groundstokes like Del Potro to crush. But I haven’t been impressed with Del Potro’s play so far and that match could go either way. At least Nadal is looking much better than he did in his first match. Hope he keeps it up.


Sensationalsafin Says:

The williams’ are not interesting to watch IMO


Marcus Says:

Sensationalsafin Says:
The williams’ are not interesting to watch IMO

Women’s tennis is not interesting to watch. Period.


Marcus Says:

The most interesting match on paper would be Roddick-Djokovic and Nadal-del Potro. The former because Roddick seems to have improved significantly in the past year while Djokovic seems to have stagnated, if not actually having taken a step backward. I used to see joy in his face when he played before. Lately, stress and anxiety seem to have crept in. Too many things bother him when he plays, his endurance, the crowd…

Nadal-del Potro is interesting to see by how much or if Nadal’s knees still bother him. And to see how much del Potro has improved and how he could handle himself against the big ones.

Federer has had everything already. He can lose each match from now on but that would never diminish the luster of his brilliant career. Therefore, for me, it has lessened the excitement out of watching him. Of course, an occasional magnificent shot can still make me rise from my seat.

Murray will have his day. Winning here will help his confidence but losing should not send him into a panic.


Fed is GOAT Says:

I agree with SensationalSafin and Marcus. Women’s tennis has largely become boring. Just mindnumbing shot after mindnumbing shot, grunt after grunt, same strokes over and over again until someone makes a mistake.

Even matches between the williams sisters are similar – just hit each ball as hard as you can. Yeah, its power, but that’s all it is.

compare it to a Navratilova – Graf match. There was such variety in shot making.

On the men’s side, there is so much more variety. Start with Fed. Then Nadal. Then Murray. All totally different players. Then Djoke, Roddick, DelPo, Tsonga, all are different, with so much individuality and flair. And this goes right down to niemeyer at No 487.

You don’t see as much spin, slice, drop shots, volleys, deep angles on the women’s side any more. What a pity. There isn’t as much tactical refining going on during the match, not enough adjustments, no plan B or plan C. There just isn’t that much outthinking going on, it seems at least from watching them. Just plain flat hard hitting, till someone makes a mistake.

And then on top of it you have equal prize money in slams for playing just best of 3. Maybe its better we don’t have to see 5 sets of this crap.


Fed is GOAT Says:

I think Roddick-Djokovic is the most interesting match. Del Po – Nadal would have been interesting – but this is Delpo’s 9th match in about 10 days, plus he has a shoulder injury for which he needed treatment last night. He had a tough match yesterday. Nadal is totally rested, and was lucky (yet again) to have Ferrer retire. I am not sure if DelPo has enough in the tank for Nadal.

If Nadal wins, I don’t think that is much new information. However, if Nadal loses against a tired and injured DelPo, then he is in big trouble.

I think Nadal will win. DelPo’s tank is running low.


Scottish Says:

JMDP will find a way! :-) Very nice of Nadal to say he’s not the favourite but like FIG pointed out he’s running into a tired JMDP.

All 4 matches look exciting to me. A fantastic tournament all around except for the unfortunate retires.

I don’t agree with Marcus about Fed. In fact the opposite has happened for me. I definitely want to see how far he can push the records and see how far he can separate himself from the rest. He still has tons of gas in the tank. He still seems motivated and also he’s going to have to change his game as he gets older and that will be exciting to see what new shots he can come up with.

I’m going with Roddick, Davydenko, Nadal and of course Fed.


Fed is GOAT Says:

this was posted about DelPo’s match yesterday:

“In his third-round match Thursday, Del Potro was forced to call upon all his resources as he battled past Romanian Victor Hanescu 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. The Argentine, who won his ninth successive match after having defended the Legg Mason Tennis Classic title (d. Roddick) last week, struggled physically and required attention from the trainer on his right shoulder and upper back in the two-hour and one-minute match.”


Fed is GOAT Says:

I am going with Fed, Nadal, Roddick, Murray. Then its going to get even more interesting, but I’ll take Fed and Roddick, for a final with the usual outcome (20-2 for Fed).

Of course, this is all speculation!


Scottish Says:

My Davydenko pick was more a hope than anything else. :-)


Veno Says:

Thanks Von for the break down and the link…

I won’t say anything about Safina anymore….My view has been expressed very clearly. I respect Marat defending her. That’s good for her!!!

Man o man what a weekend ahead!!!! Men’s tennis is insane right now….
Still remarkable that most people think Rafa will beat DelPo….The wish is the father of thoughts here…
Just can’t see it happen, only if DelPo totally crumbles…


Fed is GOAT Says:

I do hope Davy wins, but its not happening. He is already down a break in the first set. Murray’s serve is too strong for him for break.


Scottish Says:

Yeah my heart is for JMDP right now. He’s a rising superstar. It’s hard for me to pick against Nadal too since I’ve loved watching him play for a long time. I don’t think it will be a surprise if JMDP does beat Nadal.


Fed is GOAT Says:

Davydenko can’t seem to hold serve! has already been broken 3 times…..


Veno Says:

Murray will win in straights and looks the best from the top 8, but his tentative play and waiting til the opp makes an error(21 UE for Davy) I find excruciating to watch. It may be tactically smart and make him win a lot of matches and tourneys, but oh my god how annoying is it to watch him sometimes…..


steve Says:

The complaints that women’s tennis is being destroyed by cookie-cutter baseliners who hit hard were being made of the men’s game just before Federer came on the scene. And we all know what happened after that.

There’s a big opening to be filled on the women’s side for a finesse shotmaker who relies on variety and tactical ability rather than pure power. Nature abhors a vacuum, so someone will come along to fill it.

The only candidate I currently see is Suarez-Navarro, but she hasn’t quite broken through yet. If not her, though, it will be someone else.


Scottish Says:

I don’t see Murray playing all that great right now. He’s struggling to hold serve. Dav is basically handing him points all over the place. A lot of these guys look good right now so it’s hard to say Murray is the best of the top 8.


Veno Says:

Playing bad and winning a set 6-2, he’s frustrating Davy and it’s not causing him to sweat…
And he has been the most impressive in the previous 2 rounds….I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t win Montreal


Marcus Says:

Scottish Said:

I don’t agree with Marcus about Fed. In fact the opposite has happened for me. I definitely want to see how far he can push the records and see how far he can separate himself from the rest. He still has tons of gas in the tank. He still seems motivated and also he’s going to have to change his game as he gets older and that will be exciting to see what new shots he can come up with.

I am sure many share your opinion about Federer and I have no problems with that at all. I do like Federer and has enjoyed watching him play over the years and will definitely enjoy to watch him until the day he hangs it up. But neither the joy in watching him win while trying to pass Sampras’ 14 slam record or finally winning the French, nor the disappointment seeing him cry when he lost to Nadal at the Australian Open, could ever be matched again.


Fed is GOAT Says:

Well even before Federer came along, and after Sampras was past his peak, we had players like Safin and Guga who were dominating men’s tennis (2000-02) – they are both very different players but very enjoyable to watch. Then there was Agassi of course, hitting his second peak during the same time.

So men’s tennis has always has lots of variety and finesse. Women’s tennis has lacked all of this for over a decade now. Some of them are pretty, but that’s gets boring fast.


Veno Says:

Marcus and Scottish:

I agree with you both :) It’s a little of both…I’ve been a Fed fan since 2001 when I saw him play in Rotterdam…and I still love seeing him on the court and hopefully he’ll play for a lot more years, but I have to admit, some tension and drama have been lifted from his matches because all that’s left to come is gravy…But gravy can taste mighty good :)


Fed is GOAT Says:

With Federer, I am now curious how far he goes. Can he get another 2, 3, or 4 slams? If he does that, get to 18 or 19, I think even the most spirited Fed haters would have nothing left to argue about his being GOAT.

Currently, Ken Rosewall stands at the top of the mountain, if you could the “Pro Slams” that were the major tournaments before tennis became open in 1968 (and, of course, if you junk the normal slams that people won before tennis became open, since the “normal” slams didn’t have the top players competing in them). By this count, Rosewall has 19 slams (15 Pro slams and 4 legitimate slams in the open era), while Laver has 13 (8 pro slams plus 5 legitimate slams in the open era). Federer at 15 is above Laver, but still below Rosewall. A few more and even that debate ends.


steve Says:

“Women’s tennis has lacked all of this for over a decade now.”

Um, what about Henin?


Veno Says:

Davy: 32 % first serves, 5 winners, 30UE!!!!!
Ouch!!!!!


Marcus Says:

Von,

It is not that you have less confidence in Roddick than I have in him. You just get an anxiety attack whenever he plays, whoever he plays. My advise: never drink coffee on days that Roddick plays. Watch his game while soaking in a soothing warm bubble bath. Forget that last advice. From what I know of you so far, you’ll drop the TV on the tub and end up getting electrocuted.


Veno Says:

Fed is Goat:

In the Pro-seasons pre-open era there were only 3 “pro-slams”

Just wanted to mention that :)


steve Says:

Davydenko is getting more aggressive, which is a good sign for him.


Veno Says:

Marcus Says:

Von,

It is not that you have less confidence in Roddick than I have in him. You just get an anxiety attack whenever he plays, whoever he plays. My advise: never drink coffee on days that Roddick plays. Watch his game while soaking in a soothing warm bubble bath. Forget that last advice. From what I know of you so far, you’ll drop the TV on the tub and end up getting electrocuted.

Hahaha, way off the boil there Marcus…..lol


Sensationalsafin Says:

What about henin? She’s selfish and lazy. I’ll never forgive her retiring and leaving the women without a single player who can truly play tennis. Henin was legitimately enjoyable to watch because she had a lot of variety. She really was the female Federer except that he loves tennis and she doesn’t care about it.


Veno Says:

Davy getting better, good to see, but unfortunately too little too late…Still Murray in starights…


Colin Says:

I’m susprised at the people here, starting with Rick, who are confident that Nadal will win the tournament. Over three sets, on a hard court, Murray can beat anyone. I don’t say he will, but he can. Furthermore, in the USO last year he beat Nadal over five sets. Oh, but Nadal was tired and somewhat below par. Yes, that’s right, but he’s hardly at his physical best right now, is he?


Fed is GOAT Says:

Steve, I agree, henin was different. Much as I disliked some of her actions (like retiring at the AUS final with no apparent injury), I give credit to her for her original style of play, outstanding backhand, inspite of her small frame and height.

And Veno, yes, there were only 3 Pro Slams. Can’t do anything about it – the AO was not a popular slam until the early 80s anyway – so the usual argument that Borg never played there…..

I would only counter that with less competition in those days – far fewer players playing serious tennis, far less depth – these days, even a first round match in a slam can be a tough one for anyone. Not in those days.

of course, overall its impossible to completely adjust for all differences.

Winning double digit slams is just absolutely a rarity, regardless of the eras. Rosewall and Laver did it (counting the Pro Slams and junking the normal slams before 1968), then Borg, then Sampras, then Federer. That’s it. (I don’t count Emerson at all – he just profited from all the top players being away, and made hay before 1968 – he doesn’t have a SINGLE slam win once tennis became open). And of course, Pancho Gonzalez also won double digit Pro Slams.

After 1968, its only Borg, Sampras and Federer. So its got to be tremendously difficult.

So in my mind, a number in the high teens, in today’s era, is just something you cannot argue against. Federer is getting there.


Colin Says:

“susprised” – that’s a nice word! In “Alice in Wonderland” we have “portmanteau words” like “mimsy” which is a combination of miserable and flimsy. So maybe “susprised” means both suspicious and surprised. My, I’m creative. But I can’t type…


Scottish Says:

There’s still some excitement left for Fed when he beats Nadal and Murray some more. (Starting this week?) Plus at least 1 more Roland Garros will be exciting too. I know that he has already accomplished so much but he’s ripe to become untouchable if he can kick it up even 1 more notch. Can you imagine the moment if he breaks 300 weeks at #1?!


Veno Says:

There will never be consensus over who is GOAT, even not when Fed reaches 20…

To me it’s not important anyway….I would have likes Fed as much if he had only won a Wimbledon or a US Open as he said during his interview in 2001 in Rotterdam!!!!


Fed is GOAT Says:

Well, I am sure there will not be a consensus on even whether earth is round!

By many many yardsticks, Fed is already the GOAT. As and when he wins more, the arguments against his being GOAT become weaker and weaker. Another 3-4 slams, and it just wouldn’t be sane to argue against his being GOAT, especially when you look at his entire record.


Scottish Says:

Yeah some people refuse to look at the facts. No matter, Fed isn’t done and he’ll win a bunch more before he is


Fed is GOAT Says:

If Fed wins the USO this year, that would seal many things – he would have a very good shot at ending no 1 this year, and of extending his no 1 ranking till almost the French open next year. That would help him erase the “weeks at No 1” record of Sampras. And of course 16 slams is not a bad thing to have.

And if somehow he can win the AO also, then he’s truly done – he would have the “Roger Slam”, and No 1 ranking record, along with 17 slams.

So if he gets the next 2 slams, I think its game, set, and match on the GOAT debate.


Fed is GOAT Says:

Murray through. What a bad serving performance from Davydenko….


Veno Says:

Kimmie breaks Safina in the second, Safina re-breaks to love, Kimmie re-re-breaks to 15 whahahaha


Fed is GOAT Says:

Safina has been known to self-destruct – if it goes to the third set, I think Kim will win….


Veno Says:

Safina got the break back…she’ll win in straights…


blah Says:

Both Tssonga and Federer playing great- a match with a bunch of winners or forced errors/


Shaky Says:

I don’t like Tsonga from the baseline, he’s overhit/sprayed a few forehands on big points. He needs to be at net as much as possible, he’s got good hands and speed.

I do like his attacking tennis. Just needs to set things up faster.


Veno Says:

Safina-Clijsters is just sad………..


Fed is GOAT Says:

well, safina seems to be taking this one away in straight sets. Still, Kim’s performance is pretty damning for the women’s tour.


Sean Randall Says:

Safina nervously gets the job done. Wow.

Famous last words: Murray may not lose a set this week!


Fed is GOAT Says:

Federer is serving at 44% – he really needs put in more first serves, otherwise its gonna be tough….


Scottish Says:

Fed isn’t looking good here. Needs to step it up.


Fed is GOAT Says:

Tsonga with 3 set points!


Fed is GOAT Says:

there goes the first set. Only 42% first serves, still lost only 6 points on serve the whole set, and yet he lost the set! A really strange set for Federer.

Now he is in a dogfight……


Veno Says:

Some good quality play in the first set…Fed doesn’t serve well….Time to find some first serves…


Veno Says:

Ustream not working, blackening out all the time…Anyone have another?


Fed is GOAT Says:

Its not just serves – he lost only 6 points on serve in the whole set! Just a strange set…. He is not getting many looks on Tsonga’s serves – got only 9 points on Tsonga’s serve. Should have converted one of the two break points…. No breaks of serve so far.


Kimo Says:

That set was like a heavy meal. I’m still trying to digest all the wizardry. Phenomenal tennis.

You can’t help but think that you would never see a set like that on the WTA.


Fed is GOAT Says:

Fed breaks, finally…. the match is on…


Shaky Says:

Yeah that was a puzzling set. I saw the 100% stat for first serve point win% for federer and assumed he was dominating til I saw the score.

I like Tsonga’s style a lot, just too many mistakes against roger it looks like. Yet he’s up a set so what do I know?


Fed is GOAT Says:

Ya, Federer Tsonga – it doesn’t get much better than that, in terms of free flowing, classy tennis, with a ton of vareity.


Kimo Says:

The fact that Fed won 100% of points on his 1st serve shows that no matter how good a tennis player you are, 1st serves are important, and if you 1st serve percentage is 44%, life will be a little harder.


Scottish Says:

Fed is back. Come on take the next 2 sets. Drooling over the potential of a Murray / Fed semi. Still needs to turn it up for a set and a half.


Kimo Says:

Fed-Tsonga match-ups are great. Both are hugely talented, very atheletic, have great feel, and most importantly, both are great PERFORMERS.


Veno Says:

Oh no! Tsonga has the trainer out….Hope he’s fine


blah Says:

looks like tsonga hurt his wrist diving for that set winner…. hopefully we’ll see a good third set.


Sean Randall Says:

Tsonga banged up his wrist/elbow. Almost par for the course for the Frenchman!


Von Says:

Finally, I’m home and able to watch some tennis. Tsonga’s playing similarly to his bercy performance in ’08. Straddling the net, and he should continue to play that way.

I see from the posts/scores that Murray won and quite handily too. Good job, Andy Murray!
__________________

Marcus Says:
Von,

“It is not that you have less confidence in Roddick than I have in him. You just get an anxiety attack whenever he plays, whoever he plays. My advise: never drink coffee on days that Roddick plays. Watch his game while soaking in a soothing warm bubble bath. Forget that last advice. From what I know of you so far, you’ll drop the TV on the tub and end up getting electrocuted.”

LOl, Marcus. Well, I don’t drink coffee at all; I’m a tea drinker. And, I’d never take a bubble bath while watching Roddick play, which means I won’t get electrocuted. The truth is I get nervous when Andy plays against some players (those with positive H2Hs over him), but not all. Thanks for caring about my ‘anxiety’ problem though, I truly appreciate it. Hey, you’ve got a sense of humor — I like that. And, it’s the reason I like Venissimo too!
________________

Veno: Try this live stream — it’s supposed to work only in Europe.

http://www.bet365.com/?affiliate=GM_00001491


Shaky Says:

I thought when he got broken it was just mental errors (that blown forehand volley when down break point), didn’t realize he might have also hurt himself?

This is exactly why you have to be able to play left-handed when necessary. Yeah.


Von Says:

Veno: I’ve tried out the the fromsport.com stream and it is very good. You can enlarge it by clicking on the square next to the speaker symbol.


Kimo Says:

I’m disappointed at how Fed played the break points today….


Shaky Says:

Federer’s playing better, Tsonga’s missing shots, kind of a let down.

Hopefully the third set is competitive, it really was a fun match there for awhile.


Shaky Says:

Wow Tsonga has to be serving in the teens on his first serve % this set. Guy has completely lost his way, is this all because of the hand/wrist injury?

I feel like a member of the mob watching William Wallace get gutted. Mercy rule! Someone do something! :(


Veno Says:

tx for the fromsport link…it’s an adaption of USTREAM :) just with Spanish Commentary. Like ESPN +
It froze my comp cause I had 4 streams open simultaneously lol…Had to reboot


Shaky Says:

Btw this would never happen to nadal or novak. They’d probably play smarter, but more importantly you can bet your house that they’d have called about 15 “injury” timeouts by now to pull it together and get their heads on straight.

It’s a total BS move, but now that I see the alternative… Tsonga for god’s sakes, take a bathroom break or something.


Von Says:

Veno: LOL, you should know that 4 streams would be too much for the computer to handle. Hope all’s well now.

What a tragedy for Tsonga to have hurt his wrist after playing such a good first set. too bad.


Von Says:

This match is too painful to watch now. Tsonga’s but a shadow of himself in the first set.


vared Says:

Brad Gilbert was talking about how Fed hates people to have medical time outs like tsonga was doing. He said Fed was especially furious at Doha when Murray took a MTO.

Cahill picks Roddick to win over Djokovic tonight.


Veno Says:

This match bled dry fast….What a shame…


Veno Says:

hmmmm interesting….


Veno Says:

wow!!!!!!! 5-5


Kimo Says:

Wake up Roger!!!!!


JCZ Says:

What in the world just happened?


JCZ Says:

Give the man some Red Bull


Kimo Says:

If Fed is to lose this match, it would be really hard for him to swallow.


SRM Says:

Is Federer tanking it deliberately to avoid Murray?!!


Kimmi Says:

Blow a 5-1 lead..incredible.


Dan Martin Says:

Federer with the tennis equivalent of the yips? 5-6 down has to hold and win a breaker to salvage the win.


Shaky Says:

He was kind of smiling there when he went down 0-30. Really loose service games there. Speaking for myself Tsonga’s bad play nearly put me to sleep — just painful earlier, I imagine Fed got put to sleep too.

I’m not sure Roger’s going to be smiling if he loses this match though. Giving back 2 breaks isn’t cute ever.


Sean Randall Says:

Well, Fed hasn’t changed from when we last saw him on the hardcourts in March. Build a lead, blow it. Let’s see if he can win in a breaker.


Sean Randall Says:

Remeber how bad Fed was in deciding sets before his French run?


Kimo Says:

This is the Fed who smashed his raquet back in Miami!!!!


Sean Randall Says:

Kimo, correct. Heeeeeee’s baaaaaaack….


JCZ Says:

Back to deuce…


Kimo Says:

YES FED. COME ONNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!


Dan Martin Says:

Strange match …


Sean Randall Says:

Even if Fed survives this – and now the JW has blown 3 MPs it looks like he will – it’s not a good sign. Not at all.


Shaky Says:

Tsonga… wtf???

How… the heck did he miss that shot? Man I want to reach into my screen and slap him or something.


Veno Says:

I understand now how Fed is coming up with new challenges to pose himself hahahaha


Sean Randall Says:

Let’s see if JW can get over the disappointment of blowing 3MPs and nut-up for this break. I will say no.


Kimo Says:

Fed went AWOL after 5-1 in the 3rd.


Shaky Says:

It is absolutely pitiful that he missed two easy passes when up 0-40 triple match point.

Federer can’t put in a first serve to save his life right now. Tsonga should still win this in the break.


Kimo Says:

Veno Said:

“I understand now how Fed is coming up with new challenges to pose himself hahahaha”

As far fatched at it may seem, Veno might have provided the only logical explanation for what happened in this match!


SRM Says:

It seems both are scared of Murray!! LOL


Dan Martin Says:

Fed blew the forehand at 4-4 in the first set and now is in process of losing a match he seemingly had won.


Kimo Says:

WOW….that was the strangest match I have ever seen.


Veno Says:

Wow, Tsonga got the win!!!!


NachoF Says:

Crap!


JCZ Says:

Oh my, what a display of weirdness…


Dan Martin Says:

Happy for Tsonga but Federer needs to find his killer instinct before landing in New York. Granted if this was a 3 out of 5 set match I would likely pick Federer even down 2 sets to 1. Against Simon last year in Toronto he lost a few breaks in the 3rd set.


Kimmi Says:

When was the last time Fed blew a 5-1 lead…can’t remember!


Veno Says:

Very strange match!!!!
Looked like Fed fell asleep after 5-1 in the third…


Veno Says:

Kimmi: To Nadal at Hamburg ’08


Kimmi Says:

Veno, yeah 1st set..yes I remember. But very strange today, is not that Tsonga was hitting winner everywhere….well..I will blame the babies


Veno Says:

I wouldn’t worry too much about Fed…I’m sure he’ll be very disappointed for giving away the match…..but it’s all in prep for the USO…He’ll be sharper in Cincy..

Good win for JW Tsonga….
If your opponent doesn’t want to win it….better take it away from him. I thought Fed showed poor mental strength there….And his serve was, besides the second set, horrible…


Kimo Says:

Kimmi Said:

“When was the last time Fed blew a 5-1 lead…can’t remember!”

That’s coz it never happened. Fed has always been the best of closers.

I guess the Federer that said: “Thank God the hard court season is over” is back.

WOW, even though I’m a huge Fed fan I’m not sad by the loss. IT WAS JUST THAT FREAKIN’ WIERD!!!

He went AWOL. No other way to explain it. There’s no doubt that Jo played better after being down 1-5 in the third, but being good doesn’t win you two breaks in a row when Fed is serving for the match.


Shaky Says:

I expect this to happen to like juniors players, like when your opponent is visibly laboring or hurt, and you lose your edge and then they’re back in it. But this is really weird to see from any of the top guys. Just stunning.

Can’t wait for Roddick!


Marcus Says:

I think Federer took it for granted that Tsonga would continue to play lackadaisically and played loosely while serving for the match. At least, Federer will be spared from a five match losing streak against Murray going into the US Open. It may turn out to be a blessing.


Veno Says:

And he lost 2 breakers!!!!! goes from 21-5 to 21-7……Andy Roddick the undisputed king of tiebreaks again for this year…


Marcus Says:

Is it 7 PM yet?


Veno Says:

Strange feeling, although disappointed, not nearly as much as I have been with Fed’s losses the past years….strange feeling….


Kimo Says:

It was so wierd that Jo-Wil who is usually pretty flamboyant after his wins was like: “huh?!”


Kimo Says:

Veno Said:

“Strange feeling, although disappointed, not nearly as much as I have been with Fed’s losses the past years….strange feeling….”

Same here….that’s probably coz he broke the most significant record in tennis ;)


Veno Says:

Jo-Wil couldn’t believe it…Fed shook his hand, gave a little smile and Jo-Wil almost apologized lol


Marcus Says:

It was such a weird match that the winner did not look ecstatic and the loser did not look too sad. They both looked bewildered. Me, I think I went nuts. Like I kept laughing after the match and I really don’t know why.


Veno Says:

Looking from the positive side…at least Fed knows he needs to work mucho on his game to win a sixth USO…


SRM Says:

————
Marcus Says:

It was such a weird match that the winner did not look ecstatic and the loser did not look too sad
——————

Winner is not happy because he is facing Murray next. Looser is not sad because he avoids Murray !! LOL


Von Says:

Veno: Comisserations!
__________________________

Marcus: “Me, I think I went nuts. Like I kept laughing after the match and I really don’t know why.”

Now what have you been imbibing? LOL.


Marcus Says:

I hope none of the guys playing later saw the Federer-Tsonga match. It was so strange it is bound to bring weird karma to the games tonight.


Kimo Says:

Veno Said:

“Fed knows he needs to work mucho on his game to win a sixth USO…”

Does he? His game looked fine until, well, it was turned off.

Had this been someone who had stuggled in the past to win clutch matches I would have told him “the match isn’t over until somebody wins a match point”, but this is TMF we’re talking about.

But I’m glad it happened again Jo-Wil. I like the guy. I wouldn’t have been upset even if it ended in straight sets. I don’t mind Fed losing to him.

I have a feeling that what happened today couldn’t have happened at a slam. Roger is just way too sharp in slams.

Roger’s mind probably drifted to his wife and daughters back home. That kinda creeps on you when you’re a new dad.


Federer’s Hardcourt Woes Continue, Chokes 5-1 Lead to Tsonga Says:

[…] Recent News… Federer, Nadal Head Top 8 in Historic Montreal QFs, Safina on Choke Alert v. Clijsters […]


Marcus Says:

Von Says: “Now what have you been imbibing? LOL.”

You just gave me a good idea. A glass of pinot noir, is what I need to celebrate that match. I am still confused though that I don’t know what I should be celebrating for. But any excuse for a glass of wine is good.

Ready for tonight’s match?


Veno Says:

Kimo, I disagree, his game wasn’t on par…
His first serve % was bad. His second serve was good. His BH missed depth and pop, his UE count on FH was too high(he was also late most times he ran around his BH) his volleys were off(made a couple of nice ones)

His passing shots….there were hardly any…
(and think first set on break point at 4-4 he had an open court and hit it a yard long?!)

And we saw what happened mentally from 5-1 on…No, no, he has a lot of work to do before the USO…


Kimo Says:

Btw, Jo-Wil is 1-1 vs. Murray and they haven’t played since the AO 2008. Tsonga has just the kind of game that bothers Murray: Raw Power. Not to mention that Jo-Wil has more than just power, he has the best touch at the net.

Their last match ended 76 64 06 76, so it looks like Tsonga has a habit of going AWOL mid-match like we saw today in the middle set and a half.


Von Says:

Marcus: “Ready for tonight’s match?”

You betcha! Who’s going to hold my cold hands tonight, you or Veno?

I think you should eat dinner now, have that Pinot Noir later, and not do the dishes. I hope you remember what happened to you the last time you did the dishes. LOL.


Giner Says:

sar Says:

“Rafa and Nole to play doubles in Cincy.

For next week in Cincinnati, where Nadal is expected to play doubles with Novak Djokovic, some of the white sleeved shirts, which he was supposed to wear at Wimbledon, will be shipped in.”

That’s awesome news! I hope these two are good friends on the tour. They make for good matches when they’re on opposite sides of the net.


Kimmi Says:

The streak of 21 straight semi in GS will be over soon….and its looking so likely in this year USO


Kimo Says:

Kimmi, it’s way too soon to say that.


Veno Says:

Von Says:

Veno: Comisserations!

Thanks Von….you know who I’m rooting for now!!!!!!!!

Am a little ****** off at my guy!!! He just handed the match to J-Willy. I like Tsonga though….Hope he kicks the most annoying player on the tour’s booteyyyyy(A.M.)

Fed has something to prove next week!!! Hope he’ll make up for this crumble….Wondering what explanation he will give :)

Oh well, on to Andy now!!!! Go A-Rod!!!!!!!!


Kimo Says:

Veno Said:

“Hope he kicks the most annoying player on the tour’s booteyyyyy(A.M.)”

That would be so sweeeeeeeet.


Giner Says:

Sean: “As I speculated a few days ago, Dinara may be better served by just not showing up for this one rather than playing because I just don’t know how she’ll handle the pressure, the nerves and the very real embarrassment of becoming the first world No. 1 to lose to an unranked player! (Has that ever happened, men or women?)”

It’s not often that an unranked player makes it into tournaments at all, without a wildcard. How often has a match even happened? In order to get a wildcard they will probably have to have celebrity status. Some no name is not going to make the main draw or be given a WC. Kim got her WCs far in advance.

Also, we don’t know how much Kim has been preparing for the tournament in the weeks prior. She hasn’t played in 2 years but it’s possible she practiced a lot every day. It wouldn’t be that shocking if she beat Dinara, since she is a better player than Dinara.


Veno Says:

Giner….Safina already beat Kimmie…..in straights….hours ago….Saw the whole match….It was an unbelievably bad match…Not wirthy of a QF of a big Tier 1 WTA tourney


Kimmi Says:

Murray to take the whole thing…this is his best surface and he is looking G-O-O-D.


Marcus Says:

Didn’t Clijters used to choke away matches before, too? If my memory serves me right (which admittedly is not very often), she often took leads mostly against Henin then ended up losing. That was why I thought the match against Dinara would be interesting. But Dinara for some reason seems mentally tough in all events outside the majors.


Von Says:

Veno hon, remember this: “And, this too, shall pass”. Take it from someone who’s been there many times, and is marinated in the sauce of disappointments, — it will surely pass.

BTW, are you going to keep my hands warm tonight? I don’t like how overcast it is looking here in Florida, which means it’s going to be darker in an hour, and the court will become slower, which is not good for Roddick. Anyway, I’ll just try to keep the faith and think positive.

BTW, Cahill was a lot less talkative today. His motor mouth was not revving @ 180 rpms. LOL.


Skorocel Says:

Marcus: „At least, Federer will be spared from a five match losing streak against Murray going into the US Open.“

Hehe, you may be true here :-)


Von Says:

Marcus: Clijsters choked a lot against the Williams sisters and Henin. She reminds me of my other old fave Mauresmo, both chokers, but very sweet women.
____________________
Giner: Happy to see you around, and to what should be attribute this honor of your presence?

BTW, you’re right about Clijsters practising continuously. She stated she’s been practising non-stop and working out very hard over the past 7 months, and it shows in her matches. I think she’s probably very tired now considering she’s not been playing every day (practising is not match play) and is not as match-grooved as she’d like to be.


Veno Says:

I know Von, for me it’s relatively easy to move it along….Takes 10 mins of disappointment….Looking forward to the rest of the tourney already…


Veno Says:

And it’s not that Fed choked(the definition is quite different from what happened to Fed Sean)
It just seemed his mind wondered off and he never really got his mental sharpness back. A semi-inspired c’mon after getting back from 0-40 in the penultimate game was all….Didn’t sound very convincing…
But choking? No sir….


Marcus Says:

I don’t think Federer choked. His game just suddenly went AWOL. I agree with Veno that his mind seemed to have wandered off somewhere. It happens even to the best of them. And if it had to happen, better here than at the US Open. Although I do not think this loss would cause him a lot of pain but he will not forget it either to not let it happen in a tournament that matters more.


Veno Says:

True Marcus,

Actually I think Fed will be positive about his Montreal tourney. He got enough play time in, physically he looked very strong, haven’t seen him pant 1 time…His movement was ok, just needs to fine tune some things….but hey, overall he’s on a good path towards USO numero 6.


Giner Says:

Von Says:

“Giner: Happy to see you around, and to what should be attribute this honor of your presence?”

Wow. I’m going to presume that wasn’t sarcasm. ;)

I was just bored and checked in to see results/scores. Haven’t really been following tennis lately due to not much action happening in this period of the year. I was expecting an upset or two, but not to Federer.

Sean’s (obviously well proof-read) articles are always good for a laugh, so why not just pop by? I think I’ll pop by again because this QF draw has been really good. Top 8 in the final 8? Nice.

I think Roddick will beat Nole but Murray will win the title. I’m kind of disappointed Federer lost, because I wanted to see him play Murray again. For some reason, whenever Federer draws a challenging player into his half, either that challenging player loses before they can meet him, or Federer does and thus avoiding the mouthwatering clash. I would love to have seen Fed play Djokovic at Wimbledon but twice in a row he disappointed. Have the two of them ever even met on grass?

Anyone know if Nadal-DelPotro will be on tonight in Canada or is it tomorrow? Are there any more matches to come today?

What happened to Del Potro’s handful of titles won last year during this period? Did he defend them all or lose some?


Veno Says:

Fed says: “I didn’t think it was bad but it wasn’t great either, so it’s one of those matches I can live with.”

“It’s obviously disappointing but that’s what Jo does – he doesn’t put in a return for three hours and then all of a sudden he gets back into the match,” said Federer.

“I never should have allowed it but it did happen, so it’s a pity.”


Giner Says:

Veno Says:

“And he lost 2 breakers!!!!! goes from 21-5 to 21-7……Andy Roddick the undisputed king of tiebreaks again for this year…”

Except in the Wimbledon final, where I’m sure Roddick would have been willing to trade any number of those 21 wins for just one win there. Fed got a very lucky escape in the 2nd set.


Veno Says:

Taking your hands Vonnie…time to warm those mits up…

Go Andy!!!!!!!!!!!


Von Says:

Giner: “Wow. I’m going to presume that wasn’t sarcasm. ;)”

Of course not, you know that I like you and your buddy (my lost friend) from way back when. I always enjoy reading your posts, and interacting with you, so why would you even say that I’m trying to be sarcastic? Shame on you for doubting my genuine welcome! That’s the last time I’m going to welcome you back. LOL. Tell your buddy I DO miss him a lot, and would like him to start posting again.

“Anyone know if Nadal-DelPotro will be on tonight in Canada or is it tomorrow? Are there any more matches to come today?”

They’ll be playing TONIGHT after Roddick’s match. I know you don’t have cable, so try ADTHE.net, and watch the matches.

“What happened to Del Potro’s handful of titles won last year during this period? Did he defend them all or lose some?”

He defended DC and not the others. I guess he’s looking at the MS tourneys to collect those lost points.

“Except in the Wimbledon final, where I’m sure Roddick would have been willing to trade any number of those 21 wins for just one win there. Fed got a very lucky escape in the 2nd set.”

You can say that again.
_______________

Veno: My hands are C-O-L-D; I’m going to stick them in the oven. LOL. How’s Andy playing? I’m not even looking.


Veno Says:

Andy’s doing fine…On serve, 2-1 Djokovic…


Veno Says:

2-2…Roddick hits a rippin’ BH passing shot down the line…


Kimo Says:

Roddick is on FIRE.


Veno Says:

Andy breaks!!!!! 4-3 and serving…Hit an amazing running pass winner on brek point…

Vonnie!!!!!!!!Andy looks great….Novak, after a good start, looks shaky again….


Kimmi Says:

djokovic breaking down here


Veno Says:

Phew, Andy saves a break point and is up 5-3…Vonnie, stop squeezing my hands so hard….


Veno Says:

Andy is the master the longer the rally becomes…..
6-4 Andy Roddick!!!!!!

If he keeps this up it will be a straight sets win…

Doesn’t look like he’s having problems hitting through the ball Vonnie!!! Got his rackets strung perfectly


Kimmi Says:

Easy 1st set from Roddick. He was the one who was solid in this set. Djokovic since that error at 3-3 has not been the same. Well done Roddick. Can the djoker get his mojo back on the 2nd ???


The Binocular Says:

Historic stuff.

Shame Roger is out.

Williams sisters failing again but Serena still number 2.

WTA under scrutiny


Veno Says:

Roddick is muy impressivo!!!!!!


Veno Says:

Novak looks tired already….if Andy can keep Novak running….


Veno Says:

Read WTA under scrutiny link:

Are you kidding me? Whoever wrote that article truly has no understanding of tennis and the history of the game….


Veno Says:

Roddick’s retrieving, his patience and mixing up his shots(great use of his slice bh) is frustrating Novak….Larry did his homework….


Veno Says:

Novak hammered some great fh’s there…
3-1 to Novak…Match on!!!


Von Says:

Veno: Oh no, Roddick got broken. A pity he didn’t convert in the first game olf the second set. C’mon andy, break back!! As usual, the ESPN crew is talk, talk, talk and talkingnnnnnggggg! time to mute the TV and walk away.


Veno Says:

Lol, I have muted them…..


Veno Says:

OMGGGGGGGGGG

He’s playing Fed like quality shots!!!!!!!!!


Veno Says:

He is totally frustrating Novak big time….


Kimmi Says:

Oh No. HAWK EYE…great thing for tennis….


Kimo Says:

“He’s playing Fed like quality shots!!!!!!!!!”

I thought the exact same thing :)))

Let me tell you, from 2006 to 2008, no one thought less of Roddick than I did, but this year, he made a believer outta me. WOW.


Von Says:

veno: Wow, did I see roddick use a Baltimore leaguer or Texas leaguer type pick-up shot there. LOL. The boy’s playing baseball.

Could you imagine the kind of fastball pitcher roddick would have been and probabaly made tons more money too.

He broke back!! C’mon Andy!!


Veno Says:

Andy has to keep the pressure on….can’t afford to make the mistake Fed made…


Veno Says:

Could you imagine the kind of fastball pitcher roddick would have been and probabaly made tons more money too.

Don’t know about that Vonnie :)


Kimmi Says:

Kimo, I agree,,he is found something in his game from wimbledon. Its nice to see…


Veno Says:

I am so impressed with Andy’s patience and execution of his game plan….


Kimmi Says:

While Novak his game has gone AWOL since god knows when ….


Veno Says:

Look at what kinda points Novak has to play to win a service game!!!!


Kimo Says:

Kimmi, he’s been good all year, beating Novak at the AO and Indian Wells, taking a set off of Fed in Madrid (on clay!) and then Wimbledon.

This is a totally different Andy, and I doubt even the diehard A-Rod fans would disagree.


Von Says:

Gosh, Roddick let another opportunity to break slip by. C’mon andy stop being so passive and break will ya!! Come on, and break, break already!


blah Says:

Anyone think Djokovic and Verdasco are similar? Djoker is more inconsistent on his serve and they might have a draw in the forehand department, with Djokovic being better in the other areas.


Veno Says:

Don’t be too hard on him Von lol…Not much he could do there, Novak came up with the goods…

I understand you want it to be over, but you can be proud of your guy!!!


Veno Says:

He is in all of Novak’s service games…

And even if it comes to a third set, I doubt Novak has the stamina to keep this up….


blah Says:

Oh- coming into the net and being more aggressive on the baseline- you are right, Brad, awful idea for someone who has one of the best serves on tour.


Kimmi Says:

Kimo, in the AO he played well but not as good as now. I know he won Novak but the match with federer in the AO was nowhere near now..he lost easily in straight there, this roddick would have given a better fight. Madrid was good but he fell apart in the third. Now Roddick excecute better and has great concentration throughout the whole match. The loss in washington was dissapointing because it was only couple points difference. I think wimbledon was the break-thru….


Kimo Says:

Kimmi: Maybe, but he’s been getting better and better all year.


Veno Says:

omg, 2 net cords!!!


Veno Says:

Cool customer!!!!!!!


Kimmi Says:

Tie break Veno what is roddick record again ?


Kimo Says:

Kimmi: 32-8


Kimmi Says:

Incredible


Veno Says:

will be 33-8….


Veno Says:

2 doubles in a breaker….unforgivable


Veno Says:

Von!!! Congrats!!! You can let go of my hands now :)
Remember after Wimby final I told ya I had a feeling Andy would put his teeth into Novak’s heels?
You said….Too much of a gap…How about now?


Kimmi Says:

Excellent serving from Roddick in that tie break. Novak on the down hill and Roddick in the UP hill. Congratulation.


blah Says:

Love Roddick’s new game- I would say the distance between the top 6 six guys are closer than ever. I would actually say Novak’s is the weakest of the bunch right now.


Kimo Says:

Larry Stefanki has done so much for Roddick:

1- He’s taught him that there is another wing on his left called a backhand and that it’s just as important as his other wing.

2- That he shouldn’t be clueless or panic whenever a point lasts more than three strokes.

3- This is the most important one: He taught him how to CONSTRUCT A POINT. How to think out there on the court mid-rally. How to play to his strengths and his opponent’s weakness. How to mix things up so that the opponent never sees what he’s got up his sleeve. He taught him how to think. For so long, whenever Andy’s name came up, you think power,power,power. He’s got more than just power now; he’s got a head.


Kimmi Says:

Del potro admitting that he is feeling a little tired..

Kimo..spot on about Andy R


Von Says:

Veno: Yahoo, he did it!

Thanks for lending me your hand. Did I squeeze all the juice/blood out of it? LOL.

Yes, you told me after Wimby but it takes a lot to convince me.

Are you going to stick around to watch Nadal? ESPN2 will be airing that match delayed at 12:30 am Saturday morning. sheesh.


Marcus Says:

Von,

My wife could not understand why all of a sudden I was cheering wildly for Roddick. I did not know what to say. I just kept drinking my Pinot. Boy, did that go that smoothly. By the way, paper plates are not such a bad idea.


Kimmi Says:

Nadal is hitting the ball very well…he is attacking the backhand of del potro..


Marcus Says:

I don’t want to comment so much about Roddick’s game. I am superstitious and I don’t want to jinx him.


Marcus Says:

I plan to watch the delayed Nadal-del Potro coverage. So I will sign off now to avoid reading about the result. Goodnight everyone. Sweet dreams, Von.


Veno Says:

I know Von, but I can be very convincing :)

Bed time for me…3.30 am here…

DelPo will win in straights…6 and 5 I think…

Will see the result tomorrow


Von Says:

Marcus:

“My wife could not understand why all of a sudden I was cheering wildly for Roddick. I did not know what to say. I just kept drinking my Pinot.”

Was it Pinot Noir that was cheering? LOL and LOL again.

I’m so glad you forgot the dishes and sat down to enjoy your vino. How about a dishwasher, NO? I love that invention — the dishwasher, even though I’m not the one who stacks it up. LOL.

BTW, don’t comment on the match if you feel it will jinx Andy? Let’s save it after the tourney is over. Yes?


Von Says:

Marcus: Sleep well, and enjoy the delayed broadcast. Thanks for your support and good wishes! Catch ya tomorrow.

___________________
Veno: Goodnight, sleep well and manana.


Veno Says:

I’ll leave all of ya with this:

Rankings as of now(taking DelPo to win over Rafa)

1) Fed 11040(11060-200+180)
2) Rafa 8665(9285-800+180)*
3) Murray 8610(8260-10+360)*
4) Novak 7150(7380-410+180)
5) A-Rod 5800(5530+360-90)*
6) JMDP 5295(5155+360-220)*

* Left in the tourney to improve….


Kimmi Says:

Nadal is playing well veno..he can win this…


Kimo Says:

Veno I think your calculations are off. How can Fed lose points when he’s done two rounds better this year than he did last year?


Kimmi Says:

Kimo, Fed loses 200 olympics points and add 180 this round ..toronto points already taken off last week.


Veno Says:

Kimo: come Monday the top 4 lose Beijing Olympic Games points….Should have written I would deduct them….

And JMDP and Andy R. lose points from their worst best of other tourney results :)


Veno Says:

Of course Rafa can win Kimmi, but if he does and JMDP isn’t hurt or totally off…..then the Nadal camp has really bull******* everybody in playing the false modesty card. As a sportsman myself I really think that’s a no-no…..


Kimmi Says:

Veno, you are right. Delpo is running away with this match..double break in the second set and Nadal is suffering from blisters now..not looking good.


Giner Says:

Veno Says:

“Of course Rafa can win Kimmi, but if he does and JMDP isn’t hurt or totally off…..then the Nadal camp has really bull******* everybody in playing the false modesty card. As a sportsman myself I really think that’s a no-no…..”

I don’t see how. He’s had a 10 week recovery period to nurse his injuries. That’s plenty of time to recover from an injury, and he should. It’s not him that’s playing up his injuries, it’s you guys. (False) modesty is something he has always been known for, more out of politeness than deception, so there is nothing new here.

Is he not allowed to win, without looking bad?

The real questions that remain are, what did he do during his off time? Did he relax the whole time, or did exercise other parts of the body (not the knees)? Secondly, are his knees 100%, or still a little bit off?


Giner Says:

Oh and congratulations to Roddick fans. It appears he has had Novak’s number since he hooked up with Stefanki. I totally expected this, and I expect this result again the next time they meet.

Sean Randall should have known better by now.


Veno Says:

Hey Giner, I guess you don’t, but that’s ok.
I just hope he’ll be a 100% as soon as possible.


Veno Says:

Rafa will be disappointed he lost, especially 5-2 lead in the 1st set tiebreak, but he’ll take the positives from Montreal and be better at Cincy…I think Rafa is close to be fully fit again from what I saw. He just lacks rhythm and a little confidence…Rafa will be fine for the USO and a contender…

Good win for DelPo…He’s really established himself as a top contender now…Impressive tiebreak and second set…


Veno Says:

Jo-Willy against Andy R. would be a cracking final!!!

Great prospects for tomorrow!!!


Kimmi Says:

Yes, Delpotro. Some great semi final matches tomorrow.


margot Says:

von: all the best for your Andy may he get his revenge and whop JMDP’s youknowwhat!


Von Says:

margot: Thanks and let’s have tons of hope for our guys. I don’t understand why the matches are being played so late tonight, then they play the final at 1:30 pm on Sunday — just about 16 hours recovery time. Anyway, may the strongest survive!

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