Davydenko Stuns Federer; Del Potro Outlasts Soderling at ATP Finals

Sean you just can jinx any person this world..

Fedex lost.. please dont ever pick him to win anything in life.. will be more than happy if u do…

November 28th, 2009 at 11:15 pm

I second that, Gannu.

November 29th, 2009 at 12:05 am

David:
About that ‘fired up, ready to go/compete’ statement: I’ve gotten a few quotes from unbiased Tim Henman & Piers Newbery for BBC sports regarding that as the match went on….& they watched it live from the O2 arena.

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>> Feds continues to wobble. Has his mind started to waver? Perhaps his twins kept him up all night? He will have to **”start upping his game”,** says Tim Henman on BBC Two. Another serve break and Davy steps on the gas.

>>Another Feds forehand goes sailing wide. **”He looks flat and body is lacking energy”** adds Tim Henman.

>>A steady opening rally but Feds hits the tape and before he knows it, Davy’s 30-0 up and closing in on the first set. **Feds has given up on this set** I reckon. Henman and Andrew Castle reckon he was up all night with his kids. Half an hour gone and Davydenko takes it 6-2. Easy really.

>>Federer eases to 40-15 but then inexcusably punts one down long and wide. And the next point the ball plops into the net – it’s deuce. Federer is in one of **those pouty moods**. He wins the game and strolls off. He knows things aren’t going his way but he’s still in this match.

>>**Tim Henman can’t remember when Federer last played this badly.** If he wins this set though, all will be different.

>>Tim Henman on BBC Two: “Federer will appreciate he didn’t play his best. He still got close to winning though. Davydenko has worked incredibly hard and there was even more running today. Fingers crossed he can recharge the batteries. He deserves to be in the final.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/8384256.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/8384256.stm

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Firstly, my full statement which I made when they were leveled 1set all re: sets1 & 2 was:
“and by ‘low energy’ I don’t necessarily mean tired from too much play. Just that ‘fired up & ready to go/compete’ attitude. You know, adrenaline sort of.”
(I put it there so that it is seen in the full context without slicing & dicing which may portray the wrong message when a single part ‘fired up & ready to go/compete’ is quoted by itself.)

So you see, I wasn’t the only one who noticed that. …& this has nothing with him losing – he lost to Benneteau & Del.P when very much in fired up high spirits.

Saying so is by no means disrespectful to Fed, nor questioning his competitiveness, nor a criticism – unfair or otherwise – of Fed, nor questioning anyone’s ‘mental presence’, nor disrespectful to Davy’s amazing play yesterday, nor denying Davy a victory.

Some days, even the most ‘out-there’ vibrant person wakes up & is flat, but still has to push himself/herself to do stuff. Sure, they’ll do them well & in sports even win, but it doesn’t change the fact that they were ‘flat’ or not fired up on the day. It’s just the way of life.

November 29th, 2009 at 3:57 am

been there,

I happen to agree with you and I am an out and out fed fan. He was definitely flat out there yesterday. (third set), He should have well wrapped it up.

I dont particularly like Andrew Castle’s commentary on federer. End of. He is a huge, huge murray fan and whenever federer is on the scene, beats murray, castle always comes up with the most ridiculous statements and excuses.

Tim Henman, on the other hand, is a federer fan. And federer was definitely not “in the zone” at 5:4, 0:30 down on davy’s serve. Fed should have won that. But how many times have I heard myself say this? Too many.

Overall,

I am pleased with his progress in this tournament. He displayed some majestic tennis, and shows why he is the greatest player, and tho’ not always consistent this year, on the big stage, there is no one to match federer. I think he can do this for another 2 years at least. Dont know why I am saying this, may be he could do it for a bit longer. I expect that he will have a lovely break, and not even be thinking about tennis – until at least 4 weeks time, then he will do what he always does and get down to a rigorous training schedule, with babies in doors sleeping! and mirka cracking the whip!

Federer is still the only player out there that plays tennis in the most unique way possible. Simply beautiful to watch. And I would not be in the least surprised, if he spends a few days, working out some new ways of beating delpo with his killer serve.

This is the thing. Fed has always been used to the big servers. Roddick still maintains the quickest, most ferrocious serve out there, as does Dr. Ivo. So it’s not the serve that bothers me so much with delpo. I dont think delpo moves that well on court either. Dont get me wrong. He has improved big time, but fed moves well. He just did not employ the right tactics to attack the delpo serve. He will get that right for next time. This is the thing about fed. He goes back to the drawing board.

It’s the mental lapses that bother me. And I really think that can be sorted with a bit of sports psychology, but no doubt his team will advise him on that one. the power of the mind is an incredible force.

November 29th, 2009 at 8:06 am

I had told you that, Federer is falling back to his number 1 ranking this year. But I didn’t expect him to get beaten by Davydenko. I thought that the idiot Soderling would do all the dirty works for him. And then to get thump by Fed Allstop in the final. Oh well, but I am quite happy with the result this year!

November 29th, 2009 at 9:05 am

hello madmax, my basic cable eson2 is showing the fed v davy semifinal now. it’s early here and i missed the first set only cos i didn’t turn the tv on! the programming in my region is not known for showing tennis this time of year.

listening to cahill’s comments on federer makes me wish rog could somehow get him on the RF team as a consult. but who am i to say? lol…

fed is being outplayed in the 3rd. he has hit some amazing great shots but also missing some one would not expect our RF missing. all credit to davy for doing what i imagined he might do: seizing the opportunity when a door opened slightly and running thru! the difference to me has been: davy has had a pretty stellar end of 2009 and roger has not played all so consistently, for roger. all in all, as fedfans i don’t think we have much to complain about :-) my friend! roger isn’t done and neither is rafa, for that matter. i agree with you about the 5 setters and GS. 5 sets is possibly a better format if fed’s gonna need the first set to get himself started. this match i am watching, i can see how federer wanted this one and his service motion was good, at least in the 3rd. davy, the iceman, doesn’t show emotion on court but inside his adrenaline had to be surging like crazy and he wasn’t going to let that first set lead and his opportunity to finally get a federer scalp slip by! davy was sneaky and brilliant, right at the end, is what i am seeing.

fed will take inventory, madmax. he will surprise us in a good way again, i believe.

big congrats to mrs. davy. she’s always right there cheering or as in valencia, making faces at a partisan crowd if necessary!

November 29th, 2009 at 9:07 am

madmax,
True. In fact, at this very moment, Sue Barker, Henman, & Castle are on my TV screen…STILL (sheesh!) talking about that match. They’re also talking about Roger’s great year blablabla. You just know Sue Barker, she’s definitely the BIGGEST Roger fan-girl around. Even bigger than you madmax. lol But even Sue Barker, as big a fan-girl as she is, admits that Roger was flat/sluggish, etc.

It’s not disrepect to Roger, nor denying Davy victory. It’s just how it was.

I like Sue Barker…so enthusiastic & definitely hiwth a lot of passion…..she’s a Federer fan-girl but she still manages to remain more or less unbiased. imo. She’s great.

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Anyhow, Davy vs ‘Del.P ahead. Hmmm, let’s see!

November 29th, 2009 at 9:11 am

The all-money no-glory no-trophy Russian mafia member mentality deserved a snub at the net yesterday, a right decision by the World No. 1, who knows best how to behave and how to articulate in public.
Davydenko has been disgrace to the sport for a long time. He has unashamedly and repeatedly said he does not care about ranking and trophies. He has said if he were to gain more money by losing, he would not even try to win. Statements like these led to the investigation of his involvement
in betting scams. Soon his trophies and titles will be on ebay, possibly before his retirement. All week long, both fairly good commentators Robin Koenig and Jason G. all week have been mentioning this fact that Davydenko plays ONLY for money, nothing more. That was the reason, a couple of days ago, I said humorously, that Davydenko could have been bought out of the tournament. This is the guy who has time and again that if somebody offered him more money elsewhere, he would quit playing.
As a tennis fan first, I find Davydenko not worthy of any titles, because titles are not worth anything for him.

November 29th, 2009 at 9:21 am

BB,
I hear you. I was wondering where all that commentary was about – about him loving money. Then the commentators cheekily add, “Nothing wrong with that”. lol.
[Q. Vitas was a friend of mine. I asked him, Can you play another match? Do you think you have a chance? Gerulaitis say no. Beaten before you come to the court. You were beaten 12 times. What was your mind coming on to the court?

NIKOLAY Davydenko: Really don’t think about anything. Just think about, Okay, I losing, tomorrow go home, next day already Maldives. That’s really my mind. Really don’t care. I have no pressure.]

I tend to think he’s just a funny man. He’s whole interview is quite funny. And probably just talking loosely, he gave people reasons to question him.

Anyhow, if it’s about the money, then he’s gonna give his all today. Big Money!! lol.

November 29th, 2009 at 9:31 am

contador:
“davy was sneaky and brilliant, right at the end, is what i am seeing.” re: 3rd set Fed vs. Davy

True. That set was brilliant. Davy had been playing like that all through, he didn’t let go…it’s Roger who finally raised his game to give us a MATCH.

What surprised me is that Davy outplayed Roger at the net all through, including in set3. Roger kept drawing him in, but Davy got all those balls back, & with many impossible passing shots. I think this is the way Davy can beat Del.P Net play. And he’s ’emotionless’, won’t get irritated by much. This combined with that he won’t get tired, he’ll try to put all balls back in play. I think he has a chance.

Match about to begin.

November 29th, 2009 at 9:37 am

whoa…..here we go! delpo has his game face on! all business, looks like the mood for davy as well

hey, take it easy on davy, BB! *sending you a mrs. davy mad face* i respect your opinion; and you could be right about the ebay thing…lol… still, i like davy, it takes all kinds to me, glad they aren’t all alike, you know?

November 29th, 2009 at 9:37 am

Been there, if you check Davydenko’s interviews on ASAP before 2008, before the scam investigation, it is there in more than a couple of them. There is nothing wrong with money, but there is something wrong with trashing trophies, glory, and respect, and character integrity.
On a diff. note, I am glad that for the final, more knowledgeable commentators are on ESPN: Chris Drysdale and Cahil.

November 29th, 2009 at 9:41 am

How come whenever Sean made his silly predictions, the staff posted the news the next day? lol

November 29th, 2009 at 9:55 am

been there: so right you are about davy’s game plan and yes, it looks like our iceman is executing it!

but delpo it pondering…..and questioning himself …thinking about how he’s going to crush davy’s hopes!

wait fo it….. the delpo roll is coming! davy is playing fast like he too knows what’s coming

November 29th, 2009 at 9:56 am

Contador and been there, are you two cheering for the Iceman?

November 29th, 2009 at 10:00 am

ahh, i don’t like to see delpo hang his head. having internal conflict about whom to cheer

delpo down a break….this is good for him BB. he hasn’t reached invincible status, davy’s just letting him know he’ll have to earn that!

November 29th, 2009 at 10:00 am

cahill, “a little bit of anger in that smash” LOL!! what an understatement! delpo launched that ball into orbit

davy knows his only hope is to get this thing over quick!

BB, i will be happy no matter who wins. just glad to be getting a tennis match fix before the long month starts.

November 29th, 2009 at 10:06 am

yep, unforced errors. davy is getting a bit too nervous.

hold on here davy….steady stay cool, no time to meltdown

November 29th, 2009 at 10:10 am

BB,
Yes, I’d like ice-man to win this one. Let him treat the mrs. to diamonds & Maldives. lol

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Del.P is generally a slow starter (unless he’s playing Roger or Rafa). He looks ‘not yet here’ in this set1. Should Davy take this first set, then Del.P we’re gonna see a very different Del.P in set2..unleashing those big forehands & speed. So far, not yet.

This time round, Davy’s not gonna choke when serving out…beating Roger has given him immense confidence. *Hope I haven’t spoken too soon!*

November 29th, 2009 at 10:11 am

that’s right, been there – he out federered federer and this is a new davy! and i have noticed the same about him playing slow to start except if it’s roger or rafa…..makes sense, no?

delpo is still thinking….he thought this would be easier, no doubt.

maldives and diamonds…..isn’t that sweet?!they seem sincerly happy

November 29th, 2009 at 10:20 am

i meant that slow to start about delpo not davy!

November 29th, 2009 at 10:21 am

ok, 6-3 to Davy. Time for Del Potro to wake up. Set2 should be a cracker – hopefully.

Del.P’s arms are so long….some of those balls, he simply stretches his arm & pushes it back, with Davy running all over the court. Funny to see the contrast.

November 29th, 2009 at 10:22 am

i don’t think davy is thinking it too funny ….that blistering cc forehand from delpo is part of his charm , though

November 29th, 2009 at 10:27 am

delpo is starting to saunter….this service game, slowing it down, being a boss.

my heart wants the davy win but head says this will be delpo’s, been there.

November 29th, 2009 at 10:31 am

yeah, I think it’ll become Del.P’s trade mark. Once he unleashes, not even Roger’s forehand can go toe-to-toe, neither can Rafa’s super defence defend against it. It’s SCARY. lol. Ok, maybe I exaggerate about Roger’s forehand not withstanding it…we may need a few more matches to judge, but sure looks like it’s headed that way.

November 29th, 2009 at 10:34 am

mrs. davy makes a beautiful mona lisa. not exactly smiling yet.

maybe cilic could grow a forehand like delpo’s but it’s just a big. huge problem! delpo gets that forehand going and ..it’s a potentail fed, rafa, anybody slayer

November 29th, 2009 at 10:41 am

OH NO! davy got tight. break point

but great serving then another break point delpo! oh my stomach!

November 29th, 2009 at 10:46 am

davy held. but …feels like he knows his best chance is to straight set delpo…

delpo not going ket that happen. but he’s definitely finding this tougher that he thought. he shoulda brought the roger/rafa game

November 29th, 2009 at 10:52 am

Hello contador! :)

Put in my penny’s worth to Jean on tennistalk. Dont like disrespect over there. at all. Can you believe Emiliano is saying ‘You heard it here first. Fed is over’. Now. I am a non-violent person. But I wanted to give the guy a punch. Yeah. Me. ‘Miss calm’. Not right now. I can tell you.Emiliano sucks conty.
Glad I came “home”.

BB,

I think you are being a little harsh if you dont mind me saying. I know you were a great tennis player once, but really. When you talk about Davydenko. Firstly, he was cleared of any wrongdoing. And secondly, I really dont believe everything the press prints. It’s mindgames. Davy is a great athlete. An underrated tennis player. He flies under the radar most of the time. He doesnt court the bright city lights, the diamonds, the parties, the limelight. He’s a quite guy, could be a car dealer, like delpo, who I think could be a painter and decorator.

Davy loves the money. Good for him. If you read about where he came from, you would understand his struggle. He’s made the bigtime and wants to earn his way playing tennis but does it for the money. Why not? At least he is honest. AND he plays excellent tennis too. Put it this way, what is a trophy worth? A metal can hidden away in a cupboard, coming out on ‘special occasions’. What’s the point of the material, physical objects? So you can gaze on them every now and again? Whereas, the money. He can spend it, send money back to his family in Russia. I do enjoy reading your posts, so dont get me wrong, but really. Davy is an underrated star. I hope he goes on to win.

November 29th, 2009 at 10:56 am

Also,

Davy’s wife is a psychologist. she’s an intelligent lady. Bet she pinned him down yesterday and said, finally. ‘YOU WILL WIN THIS TOURNAMENT’. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF MY HUSBAND!

November 29th, 2009 at 10:59 am

contador,

“my heart wants the davy win but head says this will be delpo’s,”
Generally, the match should be in Del.P’s racquet. It’s up to him to raise his level.

Question is can he? He’s not yet a Roger or Rafa or even a Djoko….by that I mean, he still doesn’t have consistency to play back-to-back matches week in, week out. Nor even to play back-to-back tournaments & produce superb results like Djoko has done in the Asia-Europe swing. Remember that this is like Del.P’s real first tournament since USO. It’s like he skipped the whole Asia-Europe swing…withdrawals, retirements & rnd1 defeats due to injuries & fatigue (& obviously, sometimes simply playing badly)

He definitely has all the shots & we’ve seen him outplaying the top-dogs. But can he keep it up throughout a tournament?

‘Coz fitness is part of the game, & there, he still falls short. Way back during the USO series, despite gassing out in front of Murray & someone else (can’t quite remember), I still picked him up as an outside fave for US open after the usual: Fed, Murray, Djoko. People questioned – why, how, When he hasn’t even won a 1000 master series?

My reason was that a slam format works better for Del.P, because there’s a day of rest in between. So the fitness issues he was experiencing during the series wouldn’t be a problem in the slams. And so it was.

So here, as much as he *should* be in control – can he really? So at this stage in his career, despite scaring the top-dogs, the game is not yet on his racquet as such..coz we have to consider everything..yes, tennis skills, but also fitness & consistency to perform week in, week out. The likes of Rafa can run all day, everyday so in that way, the match is in their racquet. And Roger, I read somewhere – poetry in motion with amazing fitness. A few days they can play poorly, but they are still in control due to these.

So Del.P is not quite yet capable of controlling the match as such – yes, one match here & there, but overall, not yet.

November 29th, 2009 at 11:00 am

Oh My God. This is so exciting!

Davvvvvvvyyyyyyyyyyyy! Goooooooooo!

November 29th, 2009 at 11:01 am

It’s still a dangerous time for davy. So close. Hold it. Hold it. Hold it.!

November 29th, 2009 at 11:02 am

one more point!

November 29th, 2009 at 11:03 am

been there and nadnax! yesssssssss

OUTSTANDING!! davy wins it! so deserving too!

November 29th, 2009 at 11:04 am

CHAMPIONSHIP POINT!!!

DAVY WINS!!!

MRS DAVY IS OFF TO THE MALDIVES!! money!!

Big big congrats. :))

November 29th, 2009 at 11:04 am

Nickolia the great!

Delpo – so gracious.

You see, whatever anyone says – a 28 YEAR OLD BEAT A YOUNGER PLAYER! Yes. The old guys can still do it! woot! woot!

Jane are you there?

And do you know what guys. When davy was off during the first part of this year – was it 2 months? with a foot injury? wow, look at the guy. AM so pleased for davy and all his fans!

I’m so pleased!

November 29th, 2009 at 11:05 am

oops…sorry madmax lol….obviously i cant type and watch match point

that was really worth it!

November 29th, 2009 at 11:06 am

Do you know what guys. I know this isnt about federer, but forgive me one point. I am sooooo pleased PAT CASH IS WRONG. WRONG. WRONG. WRONG. PAT CASH! Ha! He’s wrong!

Now all fed has to do is watch the VT and see how to beat delpo next time!

Feel like crying for davy! What a girl!

November 29th, 2009 at 11:07 am

I’m happy for Davydenko. It’s nice to see him win a big event.

November 29th, 2009 at 11:08 am

Me too conty! I said Nickolia! We seem to both be having wobblies!

Go Nicolai!

Pat Cash all the way through, Delpo gonna win this! Ha! Wrong!

Davy, never looked more beautiful, longlivetheking!

Davy rocks!

November 29th, 2009 at 11:09 am

delpo is a babe! what a lovely, lovely guy!

November 29th, 2009 at 11:10 am

1300 ranking points for davydenko! wow! I hadnt realised it was so many. Good for him.

November 29th, 2009 at 11:13 am

aaaw, Del.P is such a sweet-heart.
Man, they should avoid these on-court interviews for he loser. It’s quite depressing. (unless it Soderling very happy for Roger at the FO. lol. Honestly, in that interview, Soderling, looked happier than Roger. lol)

Davy is overjoyed. Cheeky interviewer asks him how he’s gonna spend the $$1.4 million$$ on the mrs. for christmas. Very naughty. lol.

November 29th, 2009 at 11:14 am

First and foremost, congrats to Davydenko for finally winning a big title. His combination of serves, speed and accuracy was too much for Del Potro.

As for Federer, two things are seemingly happening. One, for far too long, other players avoided going to his forehand. Now, they know his biggest weakness is his movement wide to his forehand. For years Federer was comfortable parking himself on his backhand corner knowing that opponents would try to get to his “weaker” side. Now he finds himself completely challenged as he scrambles for shots to his forehand corner, always a half step slower, frequently resorting to his squash shot. Coupled with this weakness is his well-known unreliable backhand, particularly against the high bouncing shots that go wide (Nadal?).

And then, his other problem is the lack of general reliability in his shots. With Federer, you are always expecting an unforced error – long and/or wide, a shank (should we call him “shankopotamus”??), or dumped into the net. You don’t get the feeling he is secure with any of his shots. And he is clearly nursing his back by the distinct lack of bend-and-snap from his serves. That leaves him fairly defanged against the top players.

November 29th, 2009 at 11:17 am

madmax

davy is inspirational, the way he took that match. a giant-slayer today, he was. don’t know if “marteen” will let davy do that again!!

delpo is great, isn’t he? i just love him. he’s a gracious sportsman. very classy delpo.

but this is the BEST win for the davy’s! he almost dropped that monsterous trophy too

November 29th, 2009 at 11:19 am

wow, Jurasick. you are very good. i didn’t notice the lack of bend and snap as much in the little i watched of the fed v davy match but that was definitely the case during the us open final.

and as for your point about the movement ….i would need to watch again. but i’ll believe what you;ve explained. and watch again. thanks

November 29th, 2009 at 11:33 am

madmax, i’ll make just one comment here about TT. and i already complained to ricky there but the reply i got was basically and insult. that site has a double standard favoring those who disrespect RF and jumps all over the slightest mention of perceived nadal critique.

quality of a talk site is only as good as it’s talkers, right? espn2 is replaying the final! hehehe gotta get the last dregs of tennis in.

November 29th, 2009 at 11:48 am

I do hope the comments about “jinxing” players are not in any way serious. You guys aren’t that superstitious, surely?

November 29th, 2009 at 12:01 pm

I cannot help but admire Davydenko. He is pound for pound the best player around. It’s good to see the Russian Runt (via Ukraine) beating higher ranked players. I was rooting for Fed against Davy but Fed wasn’t being very Feddy, nor was Nadal beeing sufficiently Nadally. Rooting Davy over Del Portro the Argentine Lurch.

November 29th, 2009 at 12:05 pm

Congrats to Davy – quite the win for him. Better luck next time to Delpo – no doubt there WILL be a next time!

Now what? NO TENNIS! : {

November 29th, 2009 at 12:19 pm

been there

such a well thought, intelligent post you write at 11:00! i’m impressed with your ability to do that at the time! i was still marvelling at davy!

i am now running late but want to say, i agree and in short, have the very same questions you raise about delpo.

what i thik is really cool about him so far is his assault on a learning curve! you know? like i think today, he got another lesson and he has shown he’s paying attention. he may have underestimated davy a little, though he’s too astute to openly admit it.

anyway. cheers people! later…..

November 29th, 2009 at 12:29 pm

Yes, your post @ 11:00 been there made some good points, but Delpo seems to be a very determined player, so perhaps he’ll get fit in the off season. He’s pretty fabulous already. And contador, I liked your excitement, reading the play-by-play, very fun.

November 29th, 2009 at 12:41 pm

Does anyone know the author of a book from years back called Hardcourt. I guess it talks about life on the tennis circuit.

Good win for Davy. He got a big win, now can root for someone else! Haven’t seen it yet but will watch on TC soon.

November 29th, 2009 at 1:10 pm

Dave B is right. Davydenko was the shortest guy at the tournament by far at 5 foot 10 inches, one hundred fifty four pounds. Everyone else was at least 3 inches taller and of the “athletic tall super player” category that has been dominating the game since Andre Agassi’s departure: Davydenko was “the outlier” at the tournament.

Long live the runt. Seriously – this is an enormous accomplishment.

November 29th, 2009 at 1:19 pm

Now what? NO TENNIS! Great!

November 29th, 2009 at 1:40 pm

Duro – you’re off the hook! No tennis – LOL. No more distractions to make anyone angry.., for a month or so anyhow. : D

Like sar, I hope Novak is already on a cruise somewhere and rebooting for next year. In fact, I hope all the players have a great break.

Cheers.

November 29th, 2009 at 1:46 pm

Hey duro! I’ve missed you!

There will be tennis on Friday – the Davis cup, spain playing. We can start up again then – what do you think about davy winning?

Were you happy for him duro? and do you know where novak is right now?

I went over to tennistalk today to see what the posts were like – squabbling as ever. Not good.

Great you are back here duro. take care and will try and catch you later.

What a week! Have really enjoyed the whole week – what a stadium! great commentary, great tennis junkies and conversation over here – i am well and truly addicted.

I dont think it was a good idea that davy told everyone he would be going to the maldives! It’s going to be paps paradise!

November 29th, 2009 at 1:50 pm

I have to say congrats to davy, he just dissected delpo with angles and fast pace..his serve..I cannot believe i am saying this..davy’s serve is quite a weapon..he was a better player today by a huge margin.

I have to say since that Novak match in the group RR, he is a different player, very consistent..does not miss..and I wonder what happened to his breathing problems ? they seem to have disappeared. Well-done davy and mrs davy is very happy indeed. Great holiday everyone.

November 29th, 2009 at 2:34 pm

Jane, I really mean it! Everything in life should have its right dose. If we want to be healthy (tennis wise), if we want our players to be healthy, if we want to like tennis again, with some new refreshed energy, with our minds bathed and cleared to be ready for new excitements, then it has to stop eventually! This is good for all!

There’s a big tennis year in front of us. Lets get ready!

Cheers all.

November 29th, 2009 at 2:36 pm

Maxi, I don’t know if I was happy about Davy’s win. I’m not much of a admirer of his tennis, but well deserved, no doubt about. It’s now and never most likely, so be it!
I am very impressed with JMDP! This kid is really something! Or he’s really Loco, as his friends call him, or he has something special between his ears! I think it’s a second thing.

About Novak… Yes, I know where he is. He actually plays tomorrow in Banja Luka with Viktor Troicki. Humanitarian exhibition match between them. More than 4500 attendance expected.

After two weeks of his time with Jelena somewhere on the yacht, I just want to see him somewhere deep in Serbian woods and mountains, preparing good this time for Australian torture next year. With lessons from last year and with this new fitness Gerhard Firch Grich guy, I expect something different this time.

See you, Maxi. Polish your throne real good for the next year! My boy is coming to get it! Allez alleeeez…

November 29th, 2009 at 2:52 pm

I go on vacation and the tennis world turns upside down. Wow. What an unexpected turn of events. And for everyone who said this tourny would be really close (which was just about everyone), it really was. 3-way ties in both groups? Too awesome. And too bad for Murray and Djoker. Both won their last matches of the year but have nothing to really show for it. Davydenko beat Federer? What? Not too long ago I was saying how Murray focuses too much on beating Federer, looks like Federer did the same this week. He destroyed Murray and subsequently lost both of his next matches. Maybe Del Po and Davydenko should trash talk Federer in order to get him motivated? Well, now I REALLY want Davydenko to win a slam. He’s always had the game, but if he doesn’t have the belief NOW, well, what is he playing for? What happened in the final, though? After like 90% of matches going to 3 sets, it seems anticlimactic that the final was only 2. I’m glad Del Potro made the final, shows he’s got some Federer in him after all. Overall, great show, great event, everything in tennis is just great. I made a bunch of predictions about next year’s possible slam champions but I wanna take them back. I’ll just say they were wishful thoughts, not predictions. As far as predictions go, too hard, too unnecessary. Djokovic stirred things up heading into 08 and both him and Nadal made things particularly interesting. Murray and Del Potro’s flame ignited in 08 and that made things look great of 09. And in 09, Federer rebounded, Nadal peaked then fell, Djokovic treaded water, Murray did great when it didn’t matter, Del Potro… Davydenko… Soderling… Verds… Roddick… 08 and 09 have been great years but 2010 looks to be simply astounding. Has there ever been a more promising time to be a tennis fan?

November 29th, 2009 at 3:08 pm

Del Potro didn’t overtake Murray yet, but it turns out he will in time to get the number 4 seed for the Australia, which is all the c ounts really. He’s not defending Doha, so Del Potro’s one week dropping of Auckland points is enough for him to be the fourth seed. Excelent.

Lets hope no5 seed Murray ends up in Djokovic’ quarter so we lose at least one of those two bumbs by the semifinal time.

Well done Davydenko. Seems the Nalbandian tpye of players ussualy get rewarded with a TMS (Corretya, Davydenko…not enough to win a slam, but at least they got YEC).

November 29th, 2009 at 3:35 pm

From the ATP website:

“En route to winning the biggest tournament of his career, Davydenko defeated the winners of all four Grand Slam titles in 2009 – beating Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal in the round-robin stage, overturning a 0-12 record against Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion Roger Federer in the semi-finals and defeating US Open champion del Potro for the title.”

November 29th, 2009 at 3:40 pm

And very kind & complimentary comments from Delpo, who seems to be a gracious champion:

““He’s very strong,” complimented del Potro. “I never beat him on hard court or indoors. He’s very fast. He plays like PlayStation. He runs down everything. It is very difficult to hit winners [against him]. But I think he is a great champion. Nobody knows how we can beat him.””

November 29th, 2009 at 3:42 pm

Have a good holiday duro and the rest of the tennis junkies. remember davis cup on friday!

love you duro – a lot. xx

November 29th, 2009 at 3:42 pm

I’m very happy for Davy. He really played his heart out and overcame a quick turnaround in his semi to defeat world number one before taking on giant killer Delpo.

Once more the great Fed justifies my “falling out of love” with him by dissing Davy at the net after the loss.

Looking forward to a great 2010. I hope Murray and Djoko each get a slam next year and Rafa returns to form. Fed will probably win another two slams.

November 29th, 2009 at 4:26 pm

BB said: “The all-money no-glory no-trophy Russian mafia member mentality deserved a snub at the net yesterday, a right decision by the World No. 1, who knows best how to behave and how to articulate in public.”

Yes, crying at the AO was a perfect public articulation. LOL

November 29th, 2009 at 4:28 pm

Lets hope no5 seed Murray ends up in Djokovic’ quarter so we lose at least one of those two bumbs by the semifinal time.—–

Jealous Croat Sonic:
So much hate for Djokovic post after post. Are you obsessed? You need to pray your Croats to win something. Or are they unable to win?

November 29th, 2009 at 4:52 pm

:-)

November 29th, 2009 at 4:57 pm

I saw the match and watched it over and over and I didn’t see Fed “dising” Davydenko at all. Someone actually captures a great picture of both of them shaking hands and smiling. And, if you read roger’s interview, he is saying all kinds of nice things about Davydenko. Just saying…

November 29th, 2009 at 5:49 pm

I have to agree with Bjorn Borg about the Kolya snub. As a Murray’s sidekick, Pukbandit is sour grape. RF beat Murray in London and knocked him out of the tournament. Accept the defeat. It is over. Fed knows how to treat undeserving underlings like Kolya and Muzza. Sonic makes good points. The handpicked excerpt by marija does not entail nationalist bitterness against Serbs. Rather, marija has been behaving like another Slobodan Milošević, and the world knows what he did to the ethnic people of Republic of Kosovo. It is a common knowledge that many people in the Balkans have good reasons not to like Serbs. That you have right to like something also grants the right to not like something, and sonic cannot be discriminated and chastised for not liking something, can he?

November 29th, 2009 at 5:55 pm

Fed is often brusque at the net. He takes some losses well and sulks other times. No biggee- he has said LOTS of complimentary things about Davy.

sar- I just mentioned the book in this blog the other day. Don’t remember the writer, but you will find it on Amazon. Its really full of great stories. Its basically a bio of 1990 on the tour. Lendl on his way down, Becker and Edberg, Sampras and Agassi coming up, and Mac’s infamous meltdown in Australia…

November 29th, 2009 at 6:03 pm

Marija time for you to get a life. Apart from being a petty person that can actually envision someone hating someone they never even met, you are incredibly, incredibly boring. I’ve stated my reason for the dislike and they are all valid.

Fed Potro, just ignore her mate.

Fot,

A link to that picture would be nice. TV camera showed that Federer didn’t even look at Davydenko. He thrusted the hand for a handshake, didn’t seem to even say the customary “congratulaitons” or whatever, and was walking away. You could see the suprised/shocked face of Davydenko at the net. It was horrible from Fed, what the camer showed.

I’m not asking for false joy, smiles and such, but Fed definately needs to learn some grace. For someone who keeps being reffered to as a great guy, fair play winner etc and icon in tennis he’s definately letting it slip. Anyway remebers how he was when he came onto scene and in early succes? He was like Nadal ffs.

November 29th, 2009 at 6:28 pm

FedPotro:

You’re wrong. No sour grapes. While I may admit to being a Murray fan and I do cheer him on during matches, I have no problem accepting his defeats. I like Murray, yes, but I also like many players, just some more than others.

I have zero problem with Feds game. In fact I love his fluid strokes and believe he is the most pure ball striker of this or any generation. I think all his victories are well deserved, as are his accolades as GOAT or near GOAT (I still believe it is hard to compare across generations, but that’s another story.)

What I saw, and you may have access to photos or film that I do not, corresponds to what Sonic described above.

There is just something about Feds persona, just in the last few years, that irks me. I guess I like my sports heroes a bit more humble. Even though I admit he has earned the right to be arrogant, doesn’t mean I have to like it.

November 29th, 2009 at 6:40 pm

Top 10 Prize Winners for 2009
1. R.F.–$6.8 MM
2. R.N.–$5.4 MM
3. N.DJ–$4.8 MM
4. JMDP–$4.4 MM
5. A.M.–$4.0 MM
6. N.D.–$3.6 MM
7. A.R.–$2.1 MM
8. R.S.–$2.1 MM
9. F.V.–$1.6 MM
10. JWT–$1.4 MM

November 29th, 2009 at 7:32 pm

Congrats to Davydenko.

He put out all three of this year’s Grand Slam champions to win. He’s totally earned this and I’m happy for him to have such a big win so late in his career.

November 29th, 2009 at 8:09 pm

been there,
such an unthoughtful, ludicrous, and untenable post 11:00, “he still doesn’t have consistency to play back-to-back matches week in, week out. Nor even to play back-to-back tournaments & produce superb results like Djoko has done in the Asia-Europe swing.”

Did you forget he won 4 titles in a row last year between July 7 and August 10? In 2008 he was the youngest player in the year-end Top 10 to have won four titles in five finals. Won Stuttgart (d. Gasquet) and following week won in Kitzbnhel (d. Melzer), both on clay…Moved to hard courts and won back-to-back titles in Los Angeles (d. Roddick) and Washington (d. Troicki) before streak ended with QF loss at US Open (l. to Murray)…Climbed from No. 65 on July 7 to No. 13 on Sept. 8…Helped his country to its third Davis Cup final (1981, 2006) by defeating Russia’s No. 5 Davydenko and then Andreev in decisive fifth rubber. Right after that he reached Tokyo final.

“My reason was that a slam format works better for Del.P, because there’s a day of rest in between.”

There is no a day’s rest between semifinal and final at the US Open. Del Potro was as fit as calf in the final and was able to do something none had done in last six years, deny Federer the US Open title.

Del Potro reached YEC final, did better than the top 4 players. What else does he have to prove?

November 29th, 2009 at 8:11 pm

jane: Thats funny from delpo. “he plays like playstation”. LOL davydenko is on the zone right now, I don’t think he has played this consistent before. really… I have always seen him going off the boil once he meets top players..he could play excellent for few games and then suddenly hits a series of UE…If he carries on like this next season..”if”..only a sky is a limit.

November 29th, 2009 at 8:13 pm

Marija,

Please,stop this.Sonic could hate Novak and all Serbs,that will not hurt any body but him.They just want YOU to say something so they could start story
about bad serbs and nice other guys.Time will say evrything:about Novak and about nice and bad guys.PAMETNIJI POPUSTA.

November 29th, 2009 at 8:29 pm

I see Sonic aka ajdevise and all his supporting sock puppets have come to defend him here. “Fedpotro” here is what ajdevise/sonic says on the other forum:

I have to admit this lucky streak of his is annoying me no
end…hopefully Monfils has a good day tomorrow and exposes the
robotic moron for the one slam wonder he is and will be.

This shows his jealous heart and shows how Novak’s wins are vexing him. It doesn’t matter who wins so long as it is not Novak. If Sonic wants to talk about one slam wonders, he need look no further than Goran Ivanisevic. Opaaaa!

November 29th, 2009 at 8:48 pm

Punkbandit.

Fed was utterly gracious about davy in his presser.He is never one to hang around after the match with anyone – I really hate it when people say that federer is graceless. Such a load of crap. He shook his hand, congratulations, shook the umpire’s hand, walked off the court, he didnt sign autographs, but then neither did rafa when he lost, he was outta there. So why be sour about it? Some people say their congratulations when they have time to analyse the game and say what they really feel.

The only guy who truly, and I mean, truly, almosts loves his opponent when he wins, is novak. A truly gracious man, with a big smile, a glint in his eye, a massive hug and belly pat for his opponent. He is just lovely when he loses.

Roger is just roger. He just gets on with it. Even when he wins. He doesnt really stay on court that long, (no more than any usual winner), signs the camera, waves and smiles, signs autos, gone.

Have you actually thought that he might have wanted to get off the court to “allow” davy the pleasure of enjoying the moment. If fed was sour/bitter, as you make him out to be, he would not have been so complimentary in his presser. But I wish you would stop this – ‘and here’s another reason why i dissed the fed’. Do you honestly think he cares? Secondly, why do you have to get personal? why cant you just discuss his tennis and leave it at that.

My, if I was criticised every time i did something that didnt live up to others expectations, I would have keeled over a long time ago. Give the guy a break.

November 30th, 2009 at 7:45 am

I’m a big fan of DelPo. Call me biased but the crowd at O London Arena were pro Davidenko. And I noticed that DelPo is still considered a kinda underdog! (Hopefully not for long time. He’ll be the next #1, mark my words!)

November 30th, 2009 at 10:02 am

madmax, what i do appreciate about this talk site is that the posters here seem to, far more often than not, write about tennis in an interesting way. it’s a higher caliber here, even within the debates. and that’s great. it’s normal to have differing opinions. only when the posters have an obsession with something and feel compelled to bring it up every time they post, it’s dull. like if i brought up how when rafa plucks his pants outta his sweaty arse and takes the same hand right up to his face to arrange his hair and wipe the sweat off his brow every time rafa plays a match, i think it would be tiresome and uninteresting. not that his on-court habits don’t detract from my ability to enjoy his tennis, cos he does it ALL the time, every time he plays!
i can see how some fans think roger is arrogant, madmax. and also the on court crying when fed wins OR loses makes me uncomfortable. fortunately, he doesn’t do it every single time he wins or loses a match, that would make me wonder if his amygdala, or the region of the brain responsible for controlling our emotions, was perhaps damaged or innately deficient.

that said, puckbandit, i’m very sure federer likes and respects rafa and would not have cried at the AO if he was able to control those emotions. he would not intentionally plot to take the moment from rafa, obviously. appears there are those momentous times when he wins or loses that he is not in control of whether or not he cries, any more than rafa can stop doing his arse plucking / wiping face routine every time he steps on court.

federer made it very clear in his pressors: he respects davy and gave him credit for being the better player.

i think we all know you don’t like federer, puckbandit and nothing wrong with that, it’s the way you feel, i can respect that. you also seem to be a fan of tennis, that’s what matters. cheers

November 30th, 2009 at 11:23 am

Contador,

I respect your opinion, more than you think, I love it that you have also experienced the TT debacle with some of the posters over there – they are not all like that – you were never one I found to be anything less than objective PLUS you would always defend others if they were out of order. There is nothing wrong with that. My problem is that I would sit on the fence too often, not wishing to come between arguments. I find it unnecessary when all I want to do is to discuss tennis.

And I absolutely agree with you, this forum is by far the best – and though I will go over to TT from time to time, this has always been my home. I am sorry that I left it in the first place. I know that you didnt believe me once, that this is where I derived, but you can understand why now, cant you?

I have no problem with Punkbandit’s choice of player, but what I dont like is when people continue to have a go at Roger for being who he is. He is who he is. Not a perfect human being, who is? but a damn fine player. Mighty fine.

And I am pretty damn sure that without him, a lot of so called tennis fans would have no one else to gripe about. I mean, what a complete waste of time to keep having a go – and let’s face it – EVERY SINGLE TENNIS PLAYER has to have a certain arrogance, a certain winner’s mindset, a self-belief, whatever you want to call it. It’s ridiculous to think other wise.

What roger federer has done for tennis, makes me want to cry.

I am an emotional person. I cannot help it. I love the way that he plays, his game, I love that competitive spirit with rafa, novak, davy, delpo -I enjoy all players and I dont have to be disrespectful to them to enjoy my favourite player, which is why I dont understand why some people want to be so nasty.

and like you say, when people talk about the player’s games, that’s what it’s about. Not whether they looked angry,sad,spoilt,upset. I can list a whole of players who lost, congratulated their oponent, walked off the court, NOT giving autos. rafa did it, soderling did it this week too. But do you see me, or anyone else coming onto this forum, saying – ‘and that proves another thing why I decided to dis bla bla’. It’s so ridiculous. Roger federer can do what the hell he likes. His presser about davy said it all. In case Punkbandit didnt read it, here it is:

Q. Nikolay has finished top five in the world for the past four years. Do you think he gets the respect he deserves?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I don’t know if you guys have. I have. I think it’s most important that he has respect from his fellow players. I think he didn’t have the easiest of last few years, you know, where people suspected him of doing bad things in the sport, you know. He had a cloud over his name for quite some time, which was not very fair at the end now. I think he handled it very well towards the end.

To be able to continue playing this well by being asked always the same stupid questions must not have been very easy for him. So I respect him not only for that, but obviously for the player he is. Proved it was worth hanging in there. He finally beat me today. I wish him all the best for the final.

Go roger! you are pure class.

November 30th, 2009 at 2:00 pm

Madmax,

Either you misinterpret what I posted, or I have not been clear. In a past post, which many may not have seen since this is such a fluid medium, I wrote how I was confused as to why my feelings for Roger’s personality has changed. That’s is why I classify it as”falling out of love” because it is similar to how one feels about an ex. You know, things that never seemed to bother you when you were with a person, start to drive you crazy after the break-up? Logic often has nothing to do with it. LOL

You don’t need to try to justify Fed’s crying at the AO. I posted that in direct response to Fedport who claimed that Federer was always “perfect” with his public sentiments.

You tell me not to get personal. Actually, it’s not personal at all. I don’t have to like everything that Fed does to appreciate and admire his great talent and game. Which I have stated on many occasions. So you see, it’s not personal.

You are right in one aspect. I am a tennis fan. I love the game, always have, and have been following it for nearly 40 years. I am lucky to live near NY so I have been able to see most if not all of the great players at least once. This includes annual visits to the USOPEN as well as year end championships at MSG for both men and women when they were there. I can appreciate a great match not matter who is playing and in fact loved every minute of this year’s Wimbledon and USO.

I was cheering for Roddick at wimby and, believe it or not, was on the fence at the AO. Happy to see Delpo because it was such a great story, but would not have been disappointed for Fed. had he won.

Finally, isn’t it just as silly for people to feel the need to defend these superstars as it is for some on here to tear them apart?

by the way, although I might criticize Fed for certain behaviours, but you will NEVER, see me post on here that he or any other player is a “bum” or “jerk” or any other such derogatory remark. Big difference between calling out a player for specific incidents, and making wholesale judgements on their character.

November 30th, 2009 at 8:37 pm

OOPS

was on the fence at the AO

should have been: was on the fence at the USO

November 30th, 2009 at 9:33 pm

maxi/madmax –

respect and love you dearly for the passionate RF supporter you are! though i am not as singular as you in my hero worship, as you know, you’ll always find me cheering for the federer. his tennis is what got me hooked on the sport. i guess there are worse things to be hooked on, right? but where i live, i may as well be talking to myself …nobody cares too much about tennis, especially this time of year. thank god for tennis fanatics online!

lovely madmax says:

“…PLUS you would always defend others when they were out of order.”

LOL. awww, you noticed. i have a soft spot for those who are freakin’, so outrageous, in fact, that their posts go beyond offensive and truly must be read as comical in a most absurd way. (i think you can guess who ) as long as they don’t make a habit of posting the same nonsense over and over and show up once in a blue moon, it’s entertainment. neither of the two i’m remebering have posted in a month or two. i checked over there tonight, read your posts. good job, madmax. you have a knack for getting a point across diplomatically. i was tempted to post but thought better..lol..rather post to you here, anyhoo…

jane- your post@ 11/29 12:41 thanks…but i can’t call those posts play by play, technically, i don’t think w/o the ability to include scores and stats, can i? and i don’t know how people do it.” It” meaning, watch match, type coherent description, scores, stats all whilst super-excited. but very glad you liked it. i’ve been appreciating tennis-x’ers posting match commentary since august, when i began reading this site but not posting here yet.

puckbandit

following tennis x 40 years? sweet.

November 30th, 2009 at 11:13 pm

punkbandit,

thanks for your reply. Masses of respect to you for following tennis for 40 years, way before I was born – but I could learn a lot from you about players – I get a bit snappy when i feel posters get personal, and I apologise if you feel I had taken you to task – i didnt mean to, like i said I enjoy reading fellow tennis fans posts – i especially like ‘Huh’s’, who has disappeared from the face of the earth for now, I AM IT, who is studying for 2 months, and i think ‘been there’ is studying too – such beautifully written, analytical posts –

Jane is the matron of this forum along with margot, I suspect they have a wealth of experience and knowledge – and i enjoy reading what they have to say too.

You of course are your own ‘man/woman’, and you say many things that i am interested in – so i do enjoy the read, but i get sensitive when people dis the fed, for everything that he has brought to tennis, and for the wonderful player that he is – i cant bear to think that one day, he wont be playing, but devastatingdjokovic has warned me that one day that will happen, and i will have to deal with it! (not for a long time I hope).

Now, punkb,

have you seen federer play? in the flesh? what is he like? how does his game seem ‘in real life’ as opposed to on TV?

Contador,

you are a sweetheart. Yes, i posted over at TT to tell them all to STOP IT. stop the fighting and start with the fighting tennis talk! it has just deteriorated over there. Not good.

But I enjoy your posts here contador, you are very wise and very kind. xx

December 1st, 2009 at 1:07 pm

Contador,

this is for you. Full article on bleacher about fed’s game. The writer, Tim Ruffin is pretty apt I think. And it’s quite nice to read something that talks about fed’s game NOT declining, but others catching up, and the fact that he has been dominant for so long – hopefully this will generate some proper discussion and not fed bashing. cheers to everyone.

The honest truth is that Roger Federer, the athlete, is either at or close to his physical peak. A tennis player is typically at their best at around 26, 27, and 28 because their bodies are still in very good shape and mentally they are at their toughest. Break down the man’s shots, his serve is better than it has been. His movement is as good as it has been, if not better. His backhand is better than it has ever been. His net game is as rock solid as usual. The only are which appears to be in decline is the forehand. There is an explanation for this, and it has less to do with Roger than you’d think.

Since 2003, when Federer first begain to showcase his huge forehand the other parts of his game have been constructed around it. His entire game has been based on the ability to absolutely end points with vicious racquet head speed, wicked topspin, and superior placement. In the last few years the only thing that has changed for Roger is the weight of shot of his opponents.

Four years ago there were only one or two guys could hit the ball heavy enough or hard enough to push Federer back and place him on the defensive. He could hit a forehand winner with three quarters pace against 99% of the field and as a result he was virtually unbeatable. With guys such as Del Potro, Djokovic, and some other youngsters having the ability to actually hit harder than Roger, the Swiss is ramping up his forehand swing speed even more. When you combine that with the fact that Roger uses one of the smallest racquet heads on tour (about 90 sq. inches), and takes the ball right off the bounce, mistimed ball are bound to happen. There is so little margin for error in Roger’s game that if he is even a plit second off in his timing, the result will usually be a missed shot. That’s what I’m seeing from Federer right now. His forehand is a lot streakier against the better players, because for the most part the better players are hitting the ball a lot harder and deeper than the top players were even 3 years ago. This is not so much evidence of Federer losing his touch, as it is evidence of the evolution of the game. Federer appears to be unwilling to hit safer, and believes that the benefits of dictating play at all costs, even if it means sacrificing some extra errors, are worth the risk.

Furthermore, perhaps it is Federer’s own pride and self belief that clouds his vision. It appears that he feels he can beat anyone at their own game, so he employs sometimes foolish tactics. For instance, trying to out duel Nadal from the baseline on clay, or going forehand to forehand with Juan Martin Del Potro. Whereas Federer used to be known for his chameleon like style and ability to adapt his game to any opponent, he now appears to be more interested in going through his opponents with pure baseline aggression.

It’s a tactic that won him two majors in the past year, but it’s also cost him some important matches.

Is Federer getting worse? No, I think it’s a stretch to make such a claim. But is the competition getting better? Yes, I think it is. As guys are faster and hitting the ball harder than ever. The golden rule of tennis: He who takes time away from his opponents, will beat them in the end, continues to be true. For years no one was better at this than Roger Federer. Now, Federer is coping with the fact that guys are starting to be able to do it to him.

The one thing that I know that federer will do, is to continue playing his very best, push himself out there, especially for the slams, and get back to his routine training with his team. I am really going to try very hard to get to see fed next year.

Perhaps at FO (I could make a trip over to paris), wimby (easier for me as living in the UK), and poss AO, depending on finances).

Have you seen/met any players yourself conty?

December 1st, 2009 at 2:17 pm

Sour Grapes for Fed-haters like puckbandit, hehehe! ;)

December 1st, 2009 at 2:40 pm

Madmax:

Thank you for your reply. I have taken a personal accounting of my posts here and I am making a personal pledge to ease off any negative postings and aim for objectivity. I never intended to get under anyone’s skin with my posts, I was simply sharing my opinion. But now that I see how personally people take such things I will try to be cognizant of the effect such posts can have on worshipful fans.

Yes, I have seen Federer in person a few times. Early rounds at the USO. Not sure what others who have seen him think, but here’s my opinion:

His game is even more glorious in person than on t.v. Although it is pretty much true of all players that in person their games more impressive and can only be fully appreciated when seen live.

What struck me about Fed was his incredible timing, his fluid – some would say “quiet” strokes that seemed absolutely effortless. He made it look soooo eaaaasy. I remember wondering if he had even broken sweat. LOL A pure joy to watch. I know one match was a real blowout, and had I been watching on t.v I probably would have turned the channel. But his strokes are so hypnotic that in person, I was quite content to stay all three sets, and probably would watched another three!

Usually at the early round I’m running around trying to see as many players as possible, taking in a set here or there, wandering over to the practice courts etc., only hanging around one match if its a nail-biter. But I could’ve forfeited all the other matches to continue to watch Fed. The only other players I ever felt that about were Goolagong, who was a female fed as far as fluid movement, and McEnroe, whose hands were pure magic.

December 1st, 2009 at 7:12 pm

Another thing about Fed’s game. I agree with much of what the writer you quote above stated. I don’t think his game has slipped, in fact I think it has probably improved. That’s what happens when your competition pushes you out of your comfort level. See Martina & Chris, Borg & Mac, Andy and Pete.

Fed’s biggest problem is well, big, as in bigger bodies hitting bigger shots. Although Fed is not giant, no one other than a “Nadal on clay” could simply muscle away points from him. That has changed. The reason IMHO that his forehand was a problem at the USO final and YEC vs. Delpo was Delpo’s ability to hit through the court and force Fed to hit running wide and deep to his right. A really tough shot to get back into court with any effectiveness. If you simply play back into court it becomes a sitter, so there is pressure to get it deep, hence forcing more errors.

His secondary problem is, I think mental. He’s not quite as invincible as he used to be. He knows this, his opponents know this, and sometimes he makes unforced errors at times that in the past, just didn’t happen.

December 1st, 2009 at 7:29 pm

Nice job Davydenko. You’ve had that victory over Roger, coming for a long time.

December 1st, 2009 at 10:38 pm

great response punkbandit. loved your opinion. more objective and providing a critique of fed’s game. I am going to try and get to the USO next year.

December 2nd, 2009 at 9:38 am