Federer v. Murray; Nadal v. Djokovic Seeded for Indian Wells SF

Aaaarg! Federer should have got Nadal and Murray, Djoko. I never get what I ask for :) Lets hope they get there first.

March 9th, 2010 at 7:00 pm

Once again Federer gets a cupcake draw. Roddick will not even make the quarters to play Roger, and Murray is terrified of Federer right now. Even though Federer has been out for a little while he has been seen training everyday at the site, and will be in great form I think. Murray and Nadal seem to have the toughest draws. My man Nadal is not going to go as far as I would like in this tournament. Querry will be a nightmare for Nadal in the third round. Djokovic will make the finals I think, and will play either Federer or Murray. I am predicting a Federer vs Djokovic final at this point.

March 9th, 2010 at 7:33 pm

Kimmi, always wish the opposite of what you really want! It works for me! :) Well, as far as I’m concerned, the draw is very good! Ajde, Nolee! :)

March 9th, 2010 at 7:38 pm

The draw is pretty good for Djoko though not easy with Fish and Cilic, not to mention Rafa, who tends to well at IW. And after the Dubai/DC marathons, (and especially the cathartic win in DC for his country) I am not sure what to expect from Djoko, maybe not too much, though if he surprises me that’ll be great.

I like Murray’s draw, and personally I think it’s good that he faces Fed again right away (assuming they both make it there); it’ll be good for him to have another go, as they say, and see if he can turn around the trajectory of their H2H lately.

Some of these guys haven’t played (or not much) since AO, so they could come out energized and raring to go, or rusty. Be fun to watch and see!

March 9th, 2010 at 7:43 pm

Jane,

It is always good for Murray to have a go at Federer in the non-slam events. He can beat Federer 150 times in a non-slam event, but if Federer wins 5 matches at the slam events he will say the h2h is 5-0 in his favor. That is how he looks at it. Roger is irrelevant in these tournaments. He wants to defend his points and conserve his energy. He knows these guys cannot beat him in a slam. Nadal was the only one who could do it, and it cost him his career in my opinion. If Nadal’s camp wasn’t so stupid than they would have known better than to play these two tournaments. The dude will be toast by the time Rome comes around. Uncle Tony is a numbskull to say the least. I am almost ready for Rafa to retire so I can stop watching him lose or quit matches. I hate to say this as a Nadal fan, but it is the truth.

March 9th, 2010 at 7:56 pm

OllyK..I don’t believe you wished for the opposite. Lets see, did u wish for Murray or Roddick or Davydenko etc. hmmmm! I don’t think your fav Djoko would like those people :) But if you did Kudos to you, I find it very very hard.

Duro, Looks like we have to wait again for Djoko v Murray but I see you have them meeting in the final on the other thread..very bold Duro!

Lete me study the complete draw, have not seen it yet.

March 9th, 2010 at 8:07 pm

The 1st possible upset is a 2nd round matchup between Davydenko and Gulbis if he wins his 1st round match. Gulbis is playing much better than his ranking and Davydenko is coming off an injury.

March 9th, 2010 at 8:14 pm

Agree NELTA. Gulbis is a very tough second round for anybody. A lot of guys are coming from injuries..davydenko, Tsonga, Simon, Nadal. Federer illness..is Roddick coming from injury too? this tournament is very unpredictable for the Top guys imo.

March 9th, 2010 at 8:25 pm

Yes Kimmi. Roddick had a shoulder injury that occurred during his match against Cilic at the AO.

March 9th, 2010 at 8:39 pm

WOW, this draw is wide open, with tons of possibilities for some players to go through to the SF and possibly the finals.

I see the twin towers (Querrey and Isner) are slotted to clash again in a possible third round showdown.

What possible damage could Fish do to Djokovic, jane?

With respect to the DC matches, many have played that same schedule before, Roddick and Blake and still did well at IW. Roddick did it last year and got the the SF at IW, and won the doubles also. Your boy’s got an easy ride so let’s not try to make it more difficult for him than it really is by adding in DC. If anything, Querrey Isner and the Bryan brothers should suffer more from that tie, as they had to travel to and from Serbia. Additionally, Isner had to play 3 matches. And, Cilic had to play DC also.

That said, Djokovic is sitting pretty good in his side of the draw with the perks that come with the No. 2 ranking..

March 9th, 2010 at 8:52 pm

Predictions:

SF1
Federer def. Murray
SF2
Djokovic def. Querry
Finals
Federer def. Djokovic

March 9th, 2010 at 8:52 pm

Ajde Nole! Good draw on paper, let’s wait and see. After his last marathon on DC I fear for him to be exhausted, at least emotionally. But he has got an impressive winning streak so far, just fix the damn serve Nole!

March 9th, 2010 at 8:57 pm

Now that Nadal is ranked # 3, it will be good if he meets federer in the semi or final as much as possible…if they meet in the final here that will be great. I think federer needs to play his nemesis Nadal now that he is beaten everybody else. Nadal is defending a win here so he will be guning to reach the final and he wants to beat another top 10 player (Only beat Tsonga) since coming back from injury.

March 9th, 2010 at 9:07 pm

Kimmi,

Federer does not need to do anything. When you are already the GOAT what else is there? The only thing the guy can do is break his own records. People are having to compare him to golfers and women’s tennis players now. That should tell you something. Cheers

March 9th, 2010 at 9:14 pm

tennisfan, I agree that fed has broken a lot of records. It might look like he does not need to prove much anymore but federer himself has said that he is looking at Sampras non-consecutive days at #1 record as something that he would like to break. Even though he has not come up and said this, it will be a plus for him if he can improve his H2H against Nadal.

March 9th, 2010 at 9:31 pm

Kimmi,

It is a given that he will break the 286 weeks ranked #1 record. He does not care about the H2H with Nadal, and I will give you a qoute from Roger after he won the French Open last year.

Interviewer:
What would it mean to you Roger at this point if you could turn your rivalry around with Nadal.

Roger:
At this point it means absolutely nothing to me, and even before I won Roland Garros it meant very little to me. Rafa has always been chasing me, and not the other way around. Rivalries and H2H stats are things you guys in the press dream up, but it is not something I think about at all. No disrespect to Rafa, but he has 6 slam titles, and I have 14 now with the win today. Also, Rafa has not won the US Open while I was able to complete the Career Grandslam today under enormous pressure.

Interviewer:
So the rivalry with Nadal means nothing to you.

Roger Federer:
I did not say that. I said the H2h does not mean anything to me. I have 14 slams, and he has 6 so why would it mean anything to me.

This interview was taken from blick after Roger won the French Open. So as you can see Kimmi it means nothing to Roger. Cheers.

March 9th, 2010 at 9:44 pm

Roger now has 16 slams to Nadal’s 6 slams. The H2H means nothing guys and girls, but if you enjoy the discussion that go right ahead. Cheers.

March 9th, 2010 at 9:46 pm

nadalrules @ 7:56 pm..You don’t sound like you are a nadal fan.

March 9th, 2010 at 9:46 pm

tennisfan, did federer realy said that, I must have missed it as i have read almost every federer post match interview in Grand Slams. If you don’t mind can you please post the link? thanks.

March 9th, 2010 at 9:53 pm

nadalrules, I don’t see Rafa as in quite as bleak a position as you, but it’s always tough to see our favorites when they’re not at their best. I mean, Nadal did pretty well at the AO, and while it’s a shame he tweeked that knee, he was playing nicely into form. And he has taken a considerable hiatus until now, which is good! But maybe if he doesn’t go deep in these hardcourts, he’ll save himself for his surface of choice – clay! Take heart, and don’t lose faith in your fave.

Von, I am not sure why, but Fish can trouble Djoko with his serve and volleying. At Wimbledon last year it was a tight match, and of course when they played at the finals of IW in 2008, when Djoko was in arguably his best form, Fish took a set off him and pushed him hard. So it may be a match up. Haas too serves and volleys and can occasionally trouble Djoko. But it’s tough to tell. I don’t think Mardy has been at his best lately; however he can get streaky.

As for coming off DC, I just think it was emotional for Djoko, judging by his tears with the win. So that could be good (i.e., relief and so he plays freely) or he could have a hangover from the struggles to defend Dubai and then play to get his team through to the QF of DC. I agree that Isner and Sam could feel the effects of their efforts, especially John’s, which were great.

March 9th, 2010 at 10:12 pm

Kimmi,

It was the Blick newspaper out of Switzerland. You can find it if you really want to. I have no reason to lie, and you have heard Federer say these very things as well. You just do not like it that he is so nonchulant about the h2h with Nadal. He sees the h2h as 16-6, and that is honestly how he sees it. Cheers.

March 9th, 2010 at 10:13 pm

Lets say a Lion chases a deer in the jungle for a week before finally succeeding in having him for lunch.Though the deer won 6 out of 7 chases and has a better H2H against the lion, the deer is toast and the lion is still the king.

March 9th, 2010 at 10:13 pm

tennisfan: If federer put it like that who am I to argue but what I have seen is, when he won his match against nadal in the final of madrid 09, he looked very happy, like somebody who was relieved.

If he does not care then good for him, I hope he means it. In the past he has talked about his lopsided H2H against hewitt, Nalbandian, henman etc and how glad he was able to turn them around. So I am suprised he said it did not mean anything to him.

March 9th, 2010 at 10:33 pm

DC,

I love it.

March 9th, 2010 at 10:40 pm

Kimmi,

Yes, that is exactly how Federer put it. He does not ever think about Nadal, but he does think he is the GOAT. I know you may think he is arrogant for thinking that, but it’s the truth. Cheers.

March 9th, 2010 at 10:42 pm

Yes, sometimes he come out arrogant but that is federer for you..he likes to say it like it is. BTW I like federer, he is my fav. But I have always hoped he beats nadal.

March 9th, 2010 at 10:47 pm

“but he does think he is the GOAT”

tennisfan, federer NEVER said he thinks he is a GOAT. Everytime media ask him that question he always says “that’s up to you to decide but I am happy to be considered one of the greatest”

March 9th, 2010 at 10:52 pm

nadalrules,

Apparently you do not know the ranking and seeding system. If Rafa is ranked/seeded #1 , he will get the “cupcake” draw. Or is it because Fed beats down everyone pretty much and Rafa doesn’t anymore? C’mon. Remember Agassi when he had to work his way through the draw due to absence? I am sure if Rafa is the great player that he is he will have no problem…..

March 9th, 2010 at 11:00 pm

Kimmi, are you kidding? did you expect nadal to be in roger’s half! if you’ve learned anything following tennis you should know that the chances of that happening are slim to none! i would love to see nadal in roger’s half every single time, but that’s just wishful thinking! it’s simply a remote possibility!

i love seeing nadal measure his game by the very best, particularly on hardcourts, it helps him know what improvements to make for the future especially if he is to ever win the usopen! he kept improving on grass until he won the big one! so, that’s the price you pay to succeed! i always say, you can’t get better in this league just beating the players you are suppose to beat; you gotta take some risks, lose some battles and fight some wars to achieve greatness! got to survive the test!

tennisfan#1, are you a member of roger’s camp now; you seem to know everything about him, even what he is thinking! i bet you know when he goes to the bathroom and for how long he stays! you just can’t be that naive and ignorant! do you actually think roger doesn’t care that he is said to be the “greatest ever” and yet his h2h against nadal is unfavorable and something that will be attached to his legacy whether you like it or not! do you actually think roger doesn’t want to improve that, but here’s the deal, the only way to improve it is to play nadal and keep winning! roger’s fans can’t play the matches for him nor can his family or friends or writers or commentators; no one but him! no way around it! so, how do you think it makes roger feel to have 16 slams and can’t consistently beat his greatest rival and everybody knows it! that’s a dark cloud! you can say what you want, but he cares and cares a great deal! of course, he’s not going to admit; what great player would! however, i can only hope we get see a lot more of those two going at it this year!

tennisfan#! you might be able to convince yourself that the h2h doesn’t matter to roger and roger might try to pretend it doesn’t matter, but it matters deep down inside! no great player wants something like that hanging over his career, especially when everyone has already anointed him the “greatest of all time.”

you might as well face it my friend, it’s not going away just because you are in denial!

March 9th, 2010 at 11:01 pm

I arrived in Phoenix today and making the drive to Indian Wells on Thursday. Will be on site Friday a.m. Will try to post but did not bring laptop and am relying on hotel business centers.
I. cannot. wait.

March 9th, 2010 at 11:11 pm

I don’t think it’s just lopsided h2h. 13-7 is whatever. The problem is that Fed’s suffered numerous heartbreaks at the hands of Nadal. Two instances where Federer played nearly flawless tennis and yet lost the match (despite winning more points): Dubai 06 and Rome 06. He blew a significant lead in the second set of their 08 Monte Carlo encounter, and an even bigger lead in the first set of their Hamburg match (5-1 40-15 on his serve). Two tough losses where he blew numerous break points in both 06 and 07 FO finals. A humiliating defeat in the 08 FO final. The second-most heartbreaking loss in tennis history (after Roddick’s 09 loss) in the Wimbledon final. And then a heartbreaking-cherry on top of the cake in the AO final.

In a lot of these matches, Federer played well enough to win, but didn’t. I’m not a big Nadal fan so I don’t know if they would feel worse about all of Nadal’s recent struggles, but those losses for Fed were the hardest things Fed fans have had to overcome (aren’t we just a tad bit spoiled). I want to see Federer play well and beat Nadal while he’s playing well. Break his heart for what can only be considered the second time (07 Wimbledon being the first). Even if the h2h ends up 9-13 or something, I wanna see a few more matches where Federer can for once show Nadal who’s boss. No matter what anyone else thinks or sees or believes, Nadal doesn’t see Fed as the GOAT when they step on the court, he’s a formidable opponent who he’ll beat more often than not. Let’s change that.

March 9th, 2010 at 11:17 pm

mem, what are you on about? I am confused. Are you talking about rafa draw being rigged?

It is the first time since a long time Nadal is seeded # 3 in a tournament when both federer and Nadal are in the draw. OK, second time..first was USO 09, where Murray was ranked #2.

“if you’ve learned anything following tennis you should know that the chances of that happening are slim to none!”

er..do you mean the two times it happened. yap , that gives you a very good trend!

mem, looks like both you and I are unhappy with this draw for different reasons. Well, lets hope we get it right in Miami.

March 9th, 2010 at 11:30 pm

Mem,

Nadal is not winning the US Open ever my friend. Roger does not care about the H2H, and you must except this or forever live in denial. In Roger’s eyes the H2H is 16-6. I know that bugs you, but it’s the truth. Sorry mem, but it is the way it is.

Ben,

Roger is as close to 20 slams as Nadal is 10 slams. I doubt very much Roger thinks about anyhting except those 16 slams he has won. It is like Roger has said on many ocassions. When Nadal, Murray, and Djokovic beat me I was not at my best. You see to Federer when he says that it convinces him that he was not 100% which is the truth. So in essence Federer cannot lose. Cheers.

March 9th, 2010 at 11:52 pm

Have FUN sar – hope to hear from you!

March 10th, 2010 at 12:04 am

Thanks for the insight into Fed’s brain again. But I didn’t say anything about the slams. All I said was that Fed has suffered a lot of heartbreakers against Nadal and as a fan it’s been tough to endure. And for once I’d like to see Fed break Nadal’s heart. Beat Nadal while Nadal is playing well.

Really, tennisfan#1? So 13 out of 20 times Federer wasn’t at his best against Nadal? Damn well isn’t that just unlucky. Way back when I also believed Fed simply played bad but then I grew up. Rewatch their all of their matches. Rome 06, Dubai 06, Hamburg 08, AO 09. Absolutely terrific matches that Federer could have just as easily won. But he didn’t. In retrospect it’s a shame. I’m not assuming what Federer thinks, i’m simply stating, as a fan, I’d like to see Fed beat Nadal when they’re both playing well. Not sick, tired, or injured.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:09 am

Tennisfan1,

It’s very clear you are Roger fan, and it bugs you that Rafa beat him and brought the great one to tears. I wish I could be Rafa, he can sit back and say, “I made the great one cry while he was at the top of his career!”. Now, that’s priceless. Vamos Rafa! Cheers.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:15 am

Ben, nadal was taught from the very beginning to see every player as just an opponent! credit the wisdom of uncle toni for making sure rafa always keeps that mindset!

i agree with you on wanting to see if roger could turn the h2h around! i would love to see how it would work out! i’m sure other fans would as well!

i’m a nadal fan but i understand success comes with a price,sometimes in the form of injuries, dealing with personal issues in front of world, etc. that’s the way it is! but the challenges nadal has faced recently will help him become more motivated, stronger as a player! i think he basically competes with himself more than anyone else; he focuses on how much better he can get! nothing has come easy for him; he has always worked hard to improve, and it has always paid off! he’s getting better on hardcourts! so, there is no reason for me to doubt him! i know what he is capable of doing and i believe in him. i chose him a long time ago when he was a teenager and he’s hasn’t disppointed me yet! in 2007, he didn’t win a title after he won the mercedes cup until he won monte carlo in 2008 and we all know what he achieved in 2008! so, he’s been there before! he’s a fighter; it’s normal for a player to suffer some defeats when he’s making adjustments and battling injuries too. he’ll be ok! i’m more than a fair weather fan anyway!

March 10th, 2010 at 12:25 am

“I’d like to see Fed beat Nadal when they’re both playing well. Not sick, tired, or injured”

It is rare that both players will play well at the same time. Don’t get me wrong here, I am not saying Roger was not at his best but in these 20 matches there was few matches where one of them was playing better than the other. So to me if they meet again it does not matter how each play..a win is a win. If Fed wins he will deserve it as much as if Nadal wins.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:26 am

Vamos:

If Rafa fans consider that Rafa beating Fed is an achievement, then Fed has to be better than Rafa for considering the above feat to be an achievement.This obviously means that Fed is greater

If Rafa fans consider that Rafa beating Fed is not an achievement,that does not make Rafa great

From the above, one can logically conclude, no matter what the scenario, Rafa isn’t the greatest. Therefore one could conclude that Fed is the greater one of the two as 16 > 6 (GS won).

March 10th, 2010 at 12:28 am

“I want to see Federer play well and beat Nadal while he’s playing well. ”

There’s no way Federer can win the media spin battle when it comes to his record against Nadal.

If Nadal loses, the cause will always be ascribed to injury or exhaustion rather than his opponent’s superiority, no matter how well Nadal played or how fit he appeared to be before and during the match. If Federer loses the tennis press will waste no time in declaring him dead and buried. Catch-22.

I remain convinced that if Nadal were to lose in the first round of four straight majors the media would still deny there was a problem and claim he just needed a little more time to rehab his knees and a bit more confidence.

Or maybe they’ll just move on to covering other players and quietly ignore him. That actually seems more likely.

As for breaking Nadal’s heart, I don’t think that is possible, at least not by beating him in a tennis match. As a tennis player he seems to be a winning machine driven solely by an impersonal need to grind down the man on the other side of the net. He once said that he liked the struggle to win almost more than winning itself.

I could be wrong, maybe he does find more meaning and value in tennis than just grinding down an endless sequence of opponents, but I’ve never seen it, which is one of the reasons I have never warmed to him as a player.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:30 am

Ben,

Damn, it’s a shame Rafa is still 10 slams behind Roger in the H2H. Soon to be 11 slams behind. Cheers.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:32 am

I will rephrase what I said above @ 12:26am

It is rare that both players will play well at the same time. Don’t get me wrong here, I am not saying Roger was not at his best but in these 20 matches there were few matches where one of them was playing better than the other due to various reasons (fatigue, illness, injury, lack of confidence etc). So to me if they meet again it does not matter how each play..a win is a win. If Fed wins he will deserve it as much as if Nadal wins.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:34 am

There is no such thing as a media spin in tennis. There is only slams, and the #1 ranking. Everything else is peanuts. Cheers.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:34 am

Kimmi that’s true but I wanna see great tennis with Fed coming out in top. In terms of quality, I love rewatching last years AO final, but u hate watching the end. I wanna be able to watch the end of one of their great matches without cringing.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:34 am

Sorry it should say “I hate seeing the end” instead of “u hate”.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:37 am

Federer- 16 slams
Nadal- 6 slams

Federer- 273 weeks ranked #1
Nadal- 46 weeks ranked #1

Federer- 6 Wimbeldons
Nadal- 1 Wimbeldon

Federer- 5 US Opens
Nadal- 0 US Opens

Federer- 4 ATP World Championships
Nadal- 0 ATP World Champonships

Federer- Career Slam
Nadal- No Career Slam

Federer- GOAT
Nadal- Pretender

Ouch!

March 10th, 2010 at 12:37 am

kimmi, i’m not here to get into a discussion about the rigging of the draw and the like. enough has been said about that already! it’s pointless! what i am saying is, i would be extremely surprised if rafa was to ever be in roger’s half, even if its one time or ten times! maybe rafa will be seeded #3 or #4 for the french and we will see how the draw works out! you may interpret that any which way you like! just my opinion! that’s all i have to say on that!

March 10th, 2010 at 12:38 am

Ben,

What do you think of your boy Nadal now? Cheers Chump.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:38 am

“tennisfan#1” you should change your name. A real tennis fan values all the players and events. Not just 1 player and 4 events. It’s your kind of thinking that’s been killing the sport over the last 20 years.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:39 am

don’t know what the deal is Novak vs Mandy, like Novak fears Murray? Murray got dumped by Tipsy and will probably get routed by Tsonga should they meet, not to mention Fed. Murray is notoriously overrated and as a pusher doesn’t live up to the hype created. stop hyping the pusher!

March 10th, 2010 at 12:40 am

Mem,

Nadal and Federer will not be on the same side of the draw at Roland Garros. Cheers.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:40 am

Very interesting discussion up here, good knowledge and good IMO’s everyone. Helps us all I believe look forward to the tennis season and IW.

IMO on FED and RAFA “IN THE PRESENT”:

I for one would love to see a rematch or two before FED gets to old and Rafa’s health gets worse ( I hope not in either case ). The question I have for everyone is this:

In the last year or so, who’s game has improved the most, and who has played better against there nemesis’s ( yes folks, Rafa and Fed have more than just each other to worry about ).

IMO FED has improved, and although I think he doesn’t need it to justify his GOAT status, he is itchin’ to play Rafa again.

Let the games begin…..

March 10th, 2010 at 12:40 am

Ben,

There are only 4 events, and there is only one player. Cheers Chump.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:41 am

Ben Pronin Says:

“tennisfan#1″ you should change your name…..

Easy Ben,

No one asked you to change your name to “Sampr ASS”

Let’s keep things nice…..he is just a fan…and has an IMO like you and I…

March 10th, 2010 at 12:44 am

Skeez,

If Nadal can make it far enough to play Federer at the French Open this year Roger will win the match. Nadal will never beat Roger again. That tide changed big time when Roger made Rafa cry in his own country. Oh I remember it was also on clay. Cheers.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:44 am

Rafa may have a better H2H against Fed, but Fed has a better S2S (Slam to Slam)

March 10th, 2010 at 12:45 am

1) I can’t change my name.

2) my name would still be devastatingdjokovic if I wasn’t contributing to the site.

3) it’d still be sensationalsafin if Safin hadn’t retired. I don’t know why you’re still stuck on Sampras.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:47 am

Skeeez,

Oh is Ben a Sampras fan? I understand now. It’s ok Ben at least Sampras is #3 on the all time greats list. Cheers.

1. Federer
2. Laver
3. Sampras (being generous because he was a scrub on clay)
4. Borg (should be 3)
5. Agassi

Cheers Chump.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:47 am

Wow Ben,

You sure know how to pick’em. Cheers Chump.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:49 am

tennisfan#1, i bet you believe cows can fly!

explain to me how posting stats that we already know changes the fact that roger has an unfavorable h2h against nadal! what’s your point!

March 10th, 2010 at 12:50 am

What H2H Mem. I only see the important stats. Slams, #1 ranking, Wimbeldon titles, Career Slam, ATP World Championships, and consistency is where its at baby. Cheers.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:58 am

Its kind of funny to see how boastful some of federer’s fans nowadays. I didn’t see this happen same time last year…

March 10th, 2010 at 1:00 am

Ben,

Nice post, nice wit, lol! :)

TF#1,

Your enthusiasm for Fed is great, I hope the same, BUT I am a realist and will believe it when I see it if he plays Rafa again. I hope both will be in good health, I think Rog has a better game now. So?

In the end for me it doesn’t matter how many times he(FED) wins or loses H2H against anyone. As I have stated many times before IMO and his peers ITO, greatness in tennis is measured by GS titles, and he has them, and counting. FED GOAT….

I’m out

March 10th, 2010 at 1:01 am

jonnhy. Djoko v Murray is a good rivalry; both are young up and coming players. I agree that Murray was beaten by Tipsy but can you explain to me how federer was beaten by benneteu/wawrinka or how Djokovic was beaten by Kolhshreiber /Youznhy?

About Tsonga routing Murray, yes he could. I wonder who else Tsonga has beaten… was it not federer in montreal 09, Djokovic in AO 10. I guess all these players are overhyped too?

March 10th, 2010 at 1:05 am

Ben, Oh Ben, where are you? Cheers Chump.

March 10th, 2010 at 1:06 am

tennisfan#1, you just confirmed what i already knew, you have no real knowledge of tennis nor are capable of understanding! so, i’ll leave you to your fastasyland!

skeezer, i for one know, if the h2h was reversed to favor federer, fedfans would have a never-ending discussion about how important h2h stats are; they would be gloating endlessly about roger’s h2h against nadal and how great it is! i”ve learned a long time ago that when a stat doesn’t favor roger, his fans always use that same stale lines, “it doesn’t count, it’s not important, no one cares.” however, i do understand that those are the words of deseparate people trying to fine a reason why anyone would hold that kind of edge over roger! you guys have become much too predictable!

March 10th, 2010 at 1:36 am

mem Says:

” I for one know, if…….”

That is all you need to say. “IF’s” don’t count. Facts do.

Besides mem, I still stand by my many posts regarding H2H, and the opinions of Feds peers, FED IS, GOAT.

I am not IN Love with the guy, just can’t deny the accomplishments.

What matters in the end is GS titles. That is all tennis history is gonna go by. Not dissecting h2h to determine a players place in GOAT. Look, Rafa has a winning record against Fed, and how many slams? So, what? IF?…..

“End of the lesson”…..

March 10th, 2010 at 1:57 am

Mem!

It seems you end almost all your sentences with an exclamation point! Like this! Even questions! Why do you feel the need to do that!!!!!!!!!

March 10th, 2010 at 2:02 am

I like to see Djokovic vs. Tsonga a lot. Those guys are so closely matched that it’s a battle every time. Both players have to use every shot they have to gain an advantage over the other. And both guys have very well-rounded all-court games, so it’s always a treat.

March 10th, 2010 at 2:11 am

steve, i wasn’t aware that there is a law citing how many times one can use exclamation points! however,maybe i use them to emphasize or maybe i just love using exclamation points or maybe i feel confident that you guys can distinguish between declarative, imperative, exclamatory, and interrogative sentences without my help! does that answer your question?

skeezer, h2h matters, they tell a story! you can diminish them all you like. roger can end with 30 slams but if the h2h doesn’t improve or becomes even greater favoring nadal, mark my words, there will be questions, and rightly so! we are talking about roger federer, arguably the greatest player ever. i guess i just expect a lot when someone is given a title of that magnitude! i’m probably in the minority and i can understand why!

March 10th, 2010 at 3:13 am

Kimmi, I wished for Murray in Noles half..I really miss their matches. It’s been ages since the last one! And I’m not sure that both of them will make it to the finals…but, it is better this way, I prefer “easier” draw to Murray vs Djoko in sf! :)
sar, have a great time!!! Do you have your custom I <3 Nole shirt with you? :)If so, maybe we’ll manage to recognize you in the crowd! :)

March 10th, 2010 at 3:53 am

to paraphrase DC in the beginning of the blog :

A deer may win any number of chases against a lion, but the last one that the lion wins kills the deer. Nadal fans like mem can say all sorts of things, but till Nadal wins as many slams as Federer, no one cares about the H2H other than Federer haters.

If H2H matters, Krajicek would be a bigger wimbledon great than Sampras because he has H2H of 1-0 against Sampras at wimbledon. Right mem? I just love the story this H2H tells me!

Ben Pronin,

So Federer was at his best at 2008 Wimbledon and 2009 AO? Federer was definitely not playing his best at those 2. 2006 rome and dubai, i agree but what about 2007 wimbledon and 2005 miami? in those 2, Federer and Nadal were at their best too. so it is not as bad as you say that Federer beat Nadal only when Nadal was sick, tired and injured.

About heartbreaks, ok, so most of Roger’s heartbreaks were caused by only Nadal, so what, the heartbreaks are still nothing compared to the achievements Roger has made. He kept Nadal at no.2 for God knows how long, so much so, you had people suggesting Nadal would never be able to be no.1. Every player has his share of heartbreaks in a career, I don’t think they become more painful because they are inflicted by only 1 guy. Nadal and his fans heartbreak (and their constant dissing of Soderling) at 2009 FO is no lesser than Roger’s at Wimbledon 2008. Or Nadal’s getting his ass whupped by Tsonga, del potro or gonzalez no more fun for his fans than Roger’s beat down in 2008. A lot of nadal fans were laughing last year, this time. Look at them now. Quite a sad turn of events. Every player will have their heartbreaks. Federer is human too, he will have his share. Actually, it adds to the Federer Legend that it takes a very special player like Nadal to stop the force of nature that is Roger Federer. I would rather he lose to Nadal at wimbledon final in the greatest match of all time than lose to Soderling/krajicek in 4th round or quarters.

Look at the last 4 guys to beat Federer at a slam

Kuerten on clay – one of all time greats

Nadal – 2nd greatest of the last decade

Safin – one of the most talented players ever

Djokovic – who knows what this kid is gonna achieve. He is the most talented of the post-Federer generation.

Roger, the King of Tennis.

March 10th, 2010 at 4:34 am

Does anyone remember Sampras and Agassi’s H2H record? Or Borg and McEnroe’s? Can anyone remember their H2H records ever being spoken about? By anyone in the tennis world? Even by the players themselves?
Grand Slams are the only important events of each year. That’s where the big players come out to play in gruelling best of five sets matches.
Federer’s H2H with Nadal or with any other player on tour is irrelevant. Come on, even the over-hyped Murray has a favourable H2H against Federer! I’m sure the GOAT is not having sleepless nights about that! The only thing that will be remembered when all is said and done is Fed thrashed the uselss Scot at the US and AUS Open finals!

March 10th, 2010 at 5:29 am

And also how Nadal beat Fed on clay finals while the Swiss was still learning the ropes on the dirt. Fed knows how to win just as gracefully as he loses. The best!

March 10th, 2010 at 5:31 am

I don’t think Rafa has a daunting draw, he’s beaten Querrey 3:0, so don’t understand why he is at a disadvantage in a match-up with him. Djokovic on the other hand has Kohlsshr. Ljubicic and Simon in his qtr. Djokovic always seems more fired up when he palys Rafa than when he plays anyone else, and that goes for a lot of players.

The picture will become clearer as to who will get to the SF as time goes on, I just hope Rafa defends his title, if he could get to Madrid without losing many points, then the rest of the season will not be too much pressure.

March 10th, 2010 at 6:59 am

mem
………I guess i just expect a lot when someone is given a title of that magnitude! i’m probably in the minority and i can understand why!

March 10th, 2010 at 3:13 am

Mem, you are not in the minority, I totally agree.

March 10th, 2010 at 7:04 am

tennisfan#1 to Kimmi about that one interview in which Fed said he doesn’t care about his H2H with Nadal: “This interview was taken from blick after Roger won the French Open. So as you can see Kimmi it means nothing to Roger. Cheers.“

Wonder if he had said the same to the journalists assembled at the FO ;-)

March 10th, 2010 at 7:31 am

mem to tennisfan#1: „so, how do you think it makes roger feel to have 16 slams and can’t consistently beat his greatest rival and everybody knows it! that’s a dark cloud!“

Nah! It’s not a dark cloud or anything, because, after all, it’s not 7-13. It’s 16-6! LOL :-)

March 10th, 2010 at 7:31 am

tennisfan#1: „Federer- GOAT Nadal- Pretender“

GOAT vs Pretender 7:13

March 10th, 2010 at 7:32 am

„Easy Ben, No one asked you to change your name to “Sampr ASS”

No surprise to hear this from such a Fed buttkisser like this idiot skeezerweezer is…

March 10th, 2010 at 7:32 am

mem to tennisfan#1: „explain to me how posting stats that we already know changes the fact that roger has an unfavorable h2h against nadal!“

Good question mem, but the problem here is that you’re asking this to a FEDTARD. And if it’s a FEDTARD, you can’t expect a reasonable answer.

March 10th, 2010 at 7:33 am

Jojo: „Its kind of funny to see how boastful some of federer’s fans nowadays. I didn’t see this happen same time last year…“

I too, but don’t worry – they’ll be back in the basement the moment Nadal whips Fed’s ass once again ;-)

March 10th, 2010 at 7:34 am

Right now, Rafa owns Fed.

March 10th, 2010 at 7:35 am

mem: “kimmi, i’m not here to get into a discussion about the rigging of the draw and the like. enough has been said about that already! it’s pointless!”

What has been said? I am not aware of that sorry. Good luck to your fav.

March 10th, 2010 at 8:28 am

I’m a “Fedtard” as you so gracefully put it. That being said, the Fedal H2H is only part of the story. Everyone (Fed fans and Nadal fans) can manipulate whatever stats they want to back up their argument. Fed fans will ignore the H2H and point only to the slams as if H2H means nothing at all. Nadal fans will point only to the H2H but ignore the fact that the majority of their matches were on clay and that so often Nadal does not make it to the finals of tourneys on grass and hard courts as often as Fed does on clay and thus Fed doesn’t get the opportunity to play Nadal as much on other surfaces.

Fed fans call Nadal a pretender when in actuality he’s almost as good as Fed.

Nadal fans want to say Nadal is better than Fed when in reality he has a game perfectly suited to beating Fed and that in most cases Fed can overcome players with games similar to Nadal (read: Andreev, Cañas, etc.) but Nadal is much closer to Fed’s level and so this advantage gives him the edge in their H2H.

Neither fans can ever concede that their favorite player lost to the other straight up because of “injuries” that mysteriously come to light after a loss.

Bottom line is both of these players are ridiculous. Fed may or may not be the GOAT but he is unquestionably on that short list of people in the discussion. Saying that does not take away from anything Nadal has accomplished. Nadal is not there yet but has shown he has the potential to get there. He has also shown that pushing himself to that level has caused his body to break down so it has yet to be seen if he can comfortably remain on that level that Federer plays. He’s so young though so it’s still in play.

It’s really easy to give both players their just due without trying to diminish or take away from what the other has done.

March 10th, 2010 at 9:03 am

Here we go again. Nadal has a convincing record against Fed on clay. If you tally the matches on all the other surfaces Fed has a slight edge. Nadal isn’t good enough on the fast hardcourts of the U.S. Open to even get to a final.

I don’t expect Fed’s record to improve against Nadal based on the history. Most of their future matchups will be on the dirt and I expect Nadal to win more than he loses. He can beat Fed 7 more times on clay and it won’t change anything.

Fed is the GOAT

March 10th, 2010 at 9:04 am

I love the desperation from Nadal and Sampras fans. Cheers Chumps.

Federer- 16 slams
Nadal- 6 slams

March 10th, 2010 at 9:29 am

Federer- 6 wimbeldons
Nadal- 1 wimbeldon

Cheers Chumps.

March 10th, 2010 at 9:30 am

Federer- 5 us opens
Nadal- 0 us opens

Cheers Chumps.

March 10th, 2010 at 9:31 am

Federer- 4 australian opens
Nadal- 1 australian open

Cheers Chumps.

March 10th, 2010 at 9:32 am

Federer- career slam
Nadal- no career slam

cheers chumps.

March 10th, 2010 at 9:32 am

federer- 273 weeks #1
nadal- 46 weeks #1

cheers chumps.

March 10th, 2010 at 9:33 am

I want to be shocked by where this conversation has ended up but I can’t be. Federer fanatics have nothing better to do than to defend a guy who needs absolutely no defending.

I don’t care if the h2h is 5-20, 25-3, 16-6, 7-13, 45-45, 1000-10, 1-17, etc. Federer has proved himself countless times to show that, in the end, who cares if Nadal owns him? It sucks, but Federer has proven himself to be the most consistent player of all time. If this is a blemish on his career, then so be it, it’s doesn’t actually take away anything from the rest of his records and accomplishments.

As for the future, all I know is that I’ve been devastated so many times because Federer lost to Nadal in several important moments. Rome, Wimbledon, Hamburg, Australia, Dubai, etc. I had to watch Federer play fantastic tennis only to be outdone by the Spaniard who can’t be passed. But I don’t want Nadal to play lousy and win. It’ll count, no doubt, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying I want a classic match. Even a semi-classic. These two have produced some of the most amazing tennis over the last few years but Fed’s been on the losing side of too many tough losses. Credit to him for always bouncing back, but I wanna see him beat Nadal in a real tussle. Wimbledon 07 and TMC 06 are good examples of when they both produced high quality tennis and Federer won. It’s a satisfying feeling as a Fed fan to see him come through for a change. I don’t care if the h2h ends at 10-20 (I mean I do but not that much at this point), as long as Federer wins his last 3 in a great way.

I know it’s tough for the two to meet where they’re both playing well, but they’ve done it plenty of times. And it hasn’t always been the case. But they’ve also often times not let the other one play well. Miami 04, Federer didn’t play that bad but Nadal didn’t let him get comfortable. Madrid 09, no matter how tired Nadal was, if Federer had let him in, he would’ve won the match, but he didn’t. He kept Nadal on his toes and off his rhythm. 07 TMC when Federer simply crushed Nadal wasn’t because Nadal was having a bad day, it wasn’t his best but boy did Federer play great.

Tennisfan#1, tennis isn’t about 4 events and 1 player. What you’re basically saying is that the competition doesn’t matter. If not for Nadal, Federer would not be as good as he is today. Nadal pushed him and took him out of his comfort zone and Federer kept coming back and improving and now he’s fit like a tank. If there was no Nadal, Federer would never have needed to improve. And as for the other events, Federer has only 16 slams out of his 62 career titles. That’s 46 titles he has that are non-slams. A lot of those titles helped him create many of his most amazing records: 17 straight finals, 24? match winning streak over top 10 players, the accumulation of 79% of all the points he could have gotten in his near-perfect season. Federer’s dominance stretched from tournament to tournament. Masters, 500s, slams, everything.

March 10th, 2010 at 9:41 am

Bill, with a post like that, I wouldn’t call you a “Fedtard” but a simple Fed fan. People want to discredit the other to boost the other but it’s unfair to both. Nadal and Federer have pushed each other to become better players and have helped mold each other’s careers, mostly for the better. Nadal is a lot more talented than Fedtards want to admit, but Federer is still the overall superior player, imo. But yeah, Nadal is a bad match-up for Federer plus he’s extremely resilient and talented.

March 10th, 2010 at 9:57 am

Have a great time, sar! I think you should try to come back with better stories than Olly :P

March 10th, 2010 at 10:15 am

Tragedy= Sampras never won the French Open which puts him in the same boat as Rafa, Borg, Connors, Edberg, Becker, and the other choke artists who could never complete the career slam. Roger Federer is th daddy of them all, and he knows this everytime he looks in the mirror at himself. Cheers.

March 10th, 2010 at 11:16 am

tennisfan#1 Says:

I love the desperation from Nadal and Sampras fans. Cheers Chumps.

Federer- 16 slams
Nadal- 6 slams

March 10th, 2010 at 9:29 am

Federer 28

Nadal 23

Nuff said.

March 10th, 2010 at 11:23 am

stu… :P I’m with you: sar should be Nole – stalker for Indian Wells, Duro for Serbian Open this year, cause I won’t be in Serbia at that time, Nina for Madrid, (for Wimbledon, anyone?!)…aaaand I count on you for USO!! Your story will be “a cherry on top” for this year! :P

March 10th, 2010 at 11:36 am

Chloe:

Great point I was about to make. Nadal had 6 Majors in the bank BEFORE he turned 23, so really by age 22. By age 22, Federer had half that total – 3 Majors (Wimbledon of 03 & 04, and the Australian of 04).

March 10th, 2010 at 11:55 am

You can’t compare them by ages. They’re great rivals and they arguably peaked around similar times. Nadal has been a pro for only 3 years less than Federer. So let’s convert them to tennis years.

Federer has been on tour for 12 years and won his first major during his 6th season (5th full one). Nadal won his first during his 5th season (4th full one). So they’re not THAT different in terms of when they won their slams. Nadal’s age could be a factor as time goes on but it looks like his body might force him into an “early” retirement. If he retires at 27, he’ll have been a pro for 13 years. That’s a pretty standard career.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:08 pm

Lion: „I would rather he lose to Nadal at wimbledon final in the greatest match of all time than lose to Soderling/krajicek in 4th round or quarters.“

I wouldn’t call that Wimby 2008 final as the greatest match of all time. Not at all. Apart from those two ridiculous passing shots which Nadal and Fed made towards the end of that 3rd set (or was it the 4th?) tiebreak, there were maybe 5 outstanding rallies which I can remember, at most. The rest of it was pretty much the same – i.e. a war of attrition between Nadal’s FH and Fed’s BH. Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve never really warmed to the matches between Fed and Nadal – last but not least because Fed matches up REALLY BAD vs the Spaniard, and also because watching Nadal play is never pretty (at least for me certainly). In other words, no matter who wins these matches, it will never be pretty… There’s no doubt that, from the „dramatic“ point of view, so to speak, that Wimby 2008 final couldn’t have been any better (2 MPs and a 0-2 set deficit saved by Fed, almost 5 hours of play, 2 rainbreaks, 9-7 in the 5th), but as far as the quality of the rallies, I would hardly call it the greatest match. I would even go as far as to say that the last year’s final between Fed and Roddick was on par with this one…

March 10th, 2010 at 12:12 pm

Duncan Horne: „Grand Slams are the only important events of each year. That’s where the big players come out to play in gruelling best of five sets matches.“

„Come on, even the over-hyped Murray has a favourable H2H against Federer! I’m sure the GOAT is not having sleepless nights about that! The only thing that will be remembered when all is said and done is Fed thrashed the uselss Scot at the US and AUS Open finals!“

Yeah… Too bad the same can’t be said about Federer vs Nadal ;-) In other words, Nadal vs Fed in slams: 6-2, Murray vs Fed in slams: 0-2 See the difference? If grandslams are the only important events of each year (as you say), doesn’t it bother you that Federer has such a poor record against Nadal in them?

March 10th, 2010 at 12:15 pm

Duncan Horne: „And also how Nadal beat Fed on clay finals while the Swiss was still learning the ropes on the dirt.“

Love how some of these Fed fans can twist every single Fed’s loss to Nadal on clay in Roger’s favor. So Federer was still „learning the ropes on the red dirt“ when he lost to Nadal in MC 2006, 2007, 2008, Rome 2006, Hamburg 2008, and FO 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 (with EIGHT of those matches being in the FINALS, no less)?! The same Federer who GREW UP on clay, right? LOL :-) The truth, Duncan Horne, is, that already in 2005 (at the very latest), Federer was beating virtually everyone on clay left, right, and center, so pleeease!

March 10th, 2010 at 12:16 pm

Ben: Absolutely GREAT post which you wrote on March 9th at 11:17 pm!

March 10th, 2010 at 12:17 pm

sheeesh. the bad news. this thread is sounding quite like a typical nadal fan v fed fan alley fight.

neither player needs defending. hopefully they are BOTH healthy enough to play somewhere near their best. fact remains, whenever federer has an injury or illness, it’s met with skepticism and mockery. rafa’s injuries are never questioned. and neither player would fake an injury or illness!

of course playing through the entire season requires some brilliant strategic planning and scheduling. rafa is 23, going on 24. so what. he has time to get it right (hopefully), stay fit and healthy, peaking more so he can win us open, if that’s his goal, and even a masters cup.

AND, if we are really lucky tennis fans, maybe we see them play in another GS final, with both being near 100%. of course, being at or close to 100% is the only way either of them will get to a GS final.

clearly the variables, timing and chances are not what they were from 2005-2009. right?

i wouldn’t pick either of them to win indian wells this year. but, i never imagined roger federer winning #16 at AO, especially how he nearly lost to andreev.

sean randall “likes” murray and cilic. OH NO. bad news for murray and cilic fans, lol….*smiley face*

murray IS due for a comeback. he had a tough loss at AO though.

federer was honestly sick. lung infections, difficulty and painful breathing, who knows possible pleurisy with or without some type of pneumonia-viral, bacterial, mycoplasmic…i simply trust he’s taken care of himself.

nadal should be more recovered enough by now to perhaps surprise everyone.

roddick has been practicing like crazy in texas. we’ll see.

i love the draw! but imo, soderling and cilic, not even delpo, if he was in the draw, can be counted on to perform.

surprise me, marin and robin!

have to like djoko to win indian wells. maybe murray to defend miami.

rafa and roger maybe will go at it somewhere during clay season.those are my premature picks.

i can’t even think about ernie, jane.

*okay, i am lying* GO GULBIS!

March 10th, 2010 at 12:19 pm

Ben, forget about speculating on when Rafa will retire, if Federer was good enough at 19 he would have been on the seniors tour, so the age does matter, Rafa came on the seniors tour sooner because he was too damned good for the juniors.

It’s Federer who is trailing Nadal not the other way round. Infact, I think they’ve won the same number of Masters, or maybe Federer has one more, that some achievement by Nadal.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:25 pm

At the beginning this was a really interesting discussion…

I agree with Murray and Cilic for good picks, as well as Gulbis upsetting a very questionable Davydenko. Djokovic didn’t play great but still won in Dubai, he went to three sets every time though and with his big Davis Cup match I expect him to lose once he faces stiff opposition (Cilic i’d say). I don’t think Federer will go all the way after the illness, and I’m really thrilled to see if Nadal is healthy again or not.

Then, ONCE AGAIN, this turned into the usual GOAT debate, which I can’t stand anymore. Some people have got just one topic they can think, write and argue about, it’s getting old and sad.

Anyone following the NBA as well? Same thing there, 80% of threads ending as Kobe-Lebron threads. boooooooring!

March 10th, 2010 at 12:45 pm

Ben,

Good posts, intelligent stuff…fairly written for the most part :)

Skorocel,

Since when did you start name calling me? You’re one frustrated dude when you can’t win an argument. I hope Rafa wins, just for you, so you become a happy poster and quit name calling. How old are you?

mem,

Yes you are in a minority but I respect your opinion :)

March 10th, 2010 at 12:47 pm

Nadal’s numbers in the Masters are incredible, no question, but I don’t agree with the rest of your argument.

Nadal wasn’t “too damned good for the juniors”. You should read up on that. Nadal skipped the juniors because he thought it would serve him better. Few players do that but it happens, Nadal being an example. It’s a career choice and a risky one, at that, but it worked for Nadal.

However, now he’s on the verge of becoming crippled. His body isn’t perfectly intact. Nadal, nor anyone else, has ever been as consistent as Federer. Lendl, somewhat, but he didn’t win the big ones as much as Federer has. 15-16 in MS titles is clearly very close. But 6-16 in slams is completely different. 10 slams requires winning 210 sets. Plus playing the sets that you lose. Plus requiring at least 3 years (4, 4, and 2 is one combination). Since 05, Fed’s won 12 slams. That’s twice as many as Nadal in the same span. And Nadal’s always been younger.

Damnit, now I’m getting into this stupid h2h debate.

Skorocel, I didn’t think the 08 Wimbledon was the best match EVER, but I can enjoy it again (except for the end). The drama is definitely a big part of it, though.

And good point on Fed “learning the ropes on the dirt”. Dumbest statement ever.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:49 pm

For those who think Federer couldn’t play on clay until 2006 or something else ridiculous, Federer reached his first slam quarterfinal at the 2001 FO. And his first MS was on the clay courts of Hamburg.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:54 pm

skorocel, chloe, my mistake! i know all too well that fedfans lack the ability to distinguish between reality and fastasy, rational and irrational, fiction and nonfiction! why would i even go there: i actually think they should all be left alone on every blog to comfort each other and to discuss how great roger is until they are sick and tired of each other!

i should know better; they only have excellent skills when it comes to blocking out what they don’t want to accept about roger; notice how h2h becomes irrelevant because it doesnt favor roger; next masters shields will be irrelevant; why? because nadal now has 15 and federer 16; mark my words, if nadal should outnumber roger in masters series at any time; all of a sudden, that stat will become unimportant! mark it! they are neurotic and insecure: i’ve never seen fans of any great players so nervous & deseparate to convince everybody of how great their player is!

i feel sorry for them, they are just insecure about the “great roger”. goes to show you, they don’t have the faith in him they think they have. apparently, his “greatness” is too weak to withstand some questions!

again, i’m sure it hurts roger to be called the “greatest ever” and be so obviously intimidated by a player who his fans claim is not good enough to be mention in the same sentence with roger! but, life goes on and the blind remains blind!

March 10th, 2010 at 12:55 pm

hi skeezerweezer!

yay, indian wells is on! qualifying round excitement, you feel it? lol…tenision is high like watching an egg boil.

enlighten us, i say. more reporting from WTF Network, m-kay?

something weird is gonna happen.

March 10th, 2010 at 12:59 pm

Ben Pronin,

“Damnit, now I’m getting into this stupid h2h debate”

Yeah me too? Didn’t we run this into the ground E-ons ago?

Plus you know IMO FED GOAT but some Fed fav’s up here are going overboard…..”learning ropes on the dirt?” He was brought up on clay! Rafa owns him (and everyone else) on clay right now until proven otherwise…

March 10th, 2010 at 1:00 pm

Exactly.

Anyways, this whole thing seems premature. Federer and Nadal have to reach the final for us to see them play. Federer is still vulnerable in best of 3 set matches. If Baghdatis wants to get his career really rolling again, a win over Federer would be the best possible way. Then there’s Roddick who’s probably itching for revenge. If not him, then Murray. And should he get to the finals, there are a lot of players who can topple him. Davydenko, Djokovic, Nadal, my dark-horse Querrey, etc. As for Nadal, well, at this point anyone who’s not going to choke can outhit him. Or he could rekindle his spark here like in 07.

March 10th, 2010 at 1:06 pm

It should be an interesting 2010 campaign for Rafa. Will he be able to return to the ‘incredible ball returning machine’ form that he was before the injuries piled up or will he need to rein himself in to preserve his health? I truly hope for the former…

March 10th, 2010 at 1:07 pm

take the high road, Ben Pronin.

most of the time i learn from your posts, much appreciated.

March 10th, 2010 at 1:10 pm

contador!

Howzit? Yes exciting about IW, nice to see everyones fav’s playing :). I am sure it will bring a lot of “action” up here :).

I just got hired again by WTF Network to do a gig on the island of Niihau for the “Mens’ World Synchronized Swimming Championships”. I ‘m soooo excited.

I’ll post the report when I get there….

:)

March 10th, 2010 at 1:10 pm

Mem March 10th, 2010 at 12:55 pm – That has to be the most useless, blabbering post I have seen on this blog. You must have been looking in the mirror when you wrote that.

March 10th, 2010 at 1:23 pm

hahahahhaaaaaaaa!!! @ skeezer – that’s money!

“Men’s World Synchronized Swimming Championships”

in niihau, no less, you say…… wherever the flock that is, my man.

sure would like to see that one, starring adam sandler, ben stiller, will farrell, uh…Jack Black , michael phelps and crew, that tv sports guy who never ages…..costas, bob costas and SASHA COHEN!

men’s water polo. i NEVER miss it! nor beach volleyball….must see…bigger the screen the better!

March 10th, 2010 at 1:23 pm

mem,
you are so right that Fedfans try to belittle the things he doesn’t excel in. Now they say Fed doesn’t really care about winning anything other than GS, that Miami and IW are just like exhibitions for him forgetting that he was so frustrated against Djoko in Miami that he smashed his racquet.

March 10th, 2010 at 1:25 pm

contador,

I’ll produce, u direct , lol :)

March 10th, 2010 at 1:33 pm

i think the same as “nadalrules”..Nadal beating federer and to be the number 1 ..cost him his career..and i think his prime as a tennis player has past away..he will remain as a top 5 for maybe two more years..but i dont see him beating murray or cilic..no more..

Rafa sacrificed his career triying to change the stars..(the stars i mean federer as number1 and the greatest of all time)

pd. sorry for my enligh..

March 10th, 2010 at 1:37 pm

NELTA, thanks for reading my post! i’m glad you find it quite useless! i understand your feelings, the truth is hard to accept sometimes, i know! if it makes you feel better, i’m known for posting useless blogs! i wonder why!

March 10th, 2010 at 1:55 pm

tennisfan#1 “the same boat as Rafa, Borg, Connors, Edberg, Becker, and the other choke artists”

Er, are you really a “tennis” fan? If so, HOW ON EARTH can you call Rafa, Borg, Connors, Edberg and Becker choke artists? These are some of the most wonderful tennis players that I have had the pleasure to watch. All wonderful for their own unique reasons; all exceptional tennis players. Wow. No idea why you’d denigrate these players…

March 10th, 2010 at 2:01 pm

okay, skeezer….you have to get brad pitt and george clooney, maybe jack nicholson….he has no shame about wearing a speedo…or possibly go low budget and get a bunch of regular ‘bloaks’ from Biggest Loser! ha-ha-ha…..like it? unsightly flab seems to draw and audience. think about it.

i’m out! back to the day job.

March 10th, 2010 at 2:01 pm

i had to go google Niihau, skeezer.

ha-ha…brilliant! the “forbidden island”

later!

yes, the GOAT talk rules the day.

March 10th, 2010 at 2:09 pm

I am impressed :) Yes , Niihau is a real island :). I’ll make a few calls….:)

March 10th, 2010 at 2:21 pm

Mats Wilander had seven majors at the age of 24.

How many majors did he have when he retired? Exactly the same number that he had when he was 24.

If you’re going by early success rate, Wilander was more prodigious than Nadal, because he had four majors at age 20 while Nadal only had two at that age.

The point is, early success rate is not a good metric for judging a player. One has to look at the whole picture.

March 10th, 2010 at 2:28 pm

getting sick of this tennisfan#1 virus infecting the place

March 10th, 2010 at 3:08 pm

steve, nadal hasn’t retired yet! give him a minute, time will be the judge!

March 10th, 2010 at 3:11 pm

Steve, we can’t all be slow starters like Roger. Sampras won his first GS at 18 and he had won 14 by the time he retired. What Mats W did was what Mats W did, nothing to do with what Nadal will do. Where does is it written that if you win 7 GS by the age of 24, you won’t win anymore until you retire.

March 10th, 2010 at 3:31 pm

steve,

Let’s leave Wilander out of this debate! If we get into it more, we might have people start putting asterisk on his GS when he didn’t need to go through Lendl in 1988 FO… :P

March 10th, 2010 at 3:37 pm

chloe,

I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what steve is trying to say. Early success doesn’t automatically translate into more success in later career. By comparing Early boomer (Rafa) to late boomer (Roger) and say that Rafa has more potential for success is just silly and illogical.

Also, please don’t equate one Federer fan to every single Federer fans out there. No one else is repeating the “Roger doesn’t care for H2H” talk point other than tennisfan and yourself.

March 10th, 2010 at 3:45 pm

I don’t think Federer sees the negative h2h as something that diminishes his legacy, but he still cares about beating Nadal. I read an interview from early in the year where they asked him how he stays motivated after accomplishing so much. He said it’s different some days. Sometimes he keeps himself going just by thinking about his records against specific players. He didn’t specify which players, but Nadal has to be on top of that list… if it’s even a list.

March 10th, 2010 at 3:48 pm

Federer – 28
Nadal – 23

Ha!

March 10th, 2010 at 3:54 pm

roger has the utmost respect for rafa, almost like a younger brother – that’s how i see it anyway – he refers to rafa as “a great champion” a lot in his interviews.

I, too, read the interview that tennisfan posted earlier about roger seemingly not caring about the h2h, and i think i believe him (mostly), but there will be some part of him that will absolutely love to blast him off the court – that is no different to any competitive player out there on the tour – roddick would love to do that to federer, murray would like to do that to federer (in a slam), everyone needs a player that they feel challenged by, so that they can evolve as a player.

I also think that roger has pushed rafa too but one thing that no one can change. Every slam that roger has won, whether rafa was in the final or not, means that roger earnt his place in that final – and went on to win it – like you said Ben, to win a slam is an incredible feat in itself and should not be downgraded or taken for granted just because it wasnt a roger/rafa final.

h2h, i dont think will bother roger so much at the end of his career – a long way off – it’s the slams that count.

March 10th, 2010 at 4:00 pm

Hi Duro!

Duro – 53

Maxi – 33

ha!

(just guessing duro!). how are you?

March 10th, 2010 at 4:03 pm

Kimmi, where are you, man? I’m wishing and wishing and wishing… But no Novak-Murray matches anywhere! Maybe, this time?

I want a generation shift finally!!! No offense to old guy(s) fans!

March 10th, 2010 at 4:04 pm

mem,

I’m sorry, but it seems that you’re the one allowing one rabid Federer fan to get on your nerve. Not every single Federer fan are like that, and not every single Federer fan refuse to take H2H into consideration. By letting tennisfan gets to you, and resort to lumping every single Federer fans together, you’re sinking almost as deeply as he is. Chill out! And calm down!

There are plenty to say about Rafa’s achievement, but it seems that your obsession with trying to paint Roger as a lesser player has resulted in a single focus: That he has a greater H2H to Roger! What you’re doing is the very same thing that you are blaming the Federer fans, that they have no faith in their favorite player’s ability, and the only thing you can do is to promote/demolish the importance of H2H against a single player.

It’s one stat, that’s it. It’s as important as any other stats. Pete might not be “THE” GOAT in discussions, he still has his own records that will not be going away any time soon. His record in consecutive year-end #1 isn’t going to be broken any time soon, and certainly won’t be broken by Roger or Rafa. Same goes for Laver. His two calendar slams isn’t going to be by-passed any time soon either.

March 10th, 2010 at 4:04 pm

Maxi, Duro way way younger!

March 10th, 2010 at 4:05 pm

Ben,

Of course he cares about beating Rafa… Rafa is still the man to beat on Clay! :)

I don’t care what the specialist-lovers or naysayers think… Rafa is the King of the Clay, and possibly the greatest player on clay ever…

Until the day Rafa retires, he’ll continue to be the man to beat on clay, and a force to be reckoned with else where.

March 10th, 2010 at 4:19 pm

Duncan Horne says “The only thing that will be remembered when all is said and done is Fed thrashed the uselss Scot at the US and AUS Open finals!”

So true ! By the same logic, Rafa fans will remember how many times Rafa thrashed Fed in the French, Aussie, Wimbledon, and else where. Because after all said and done that’s the only thing that counts for them, on top of his Slam titles. Right?

Tennis Fan #1 says: “It’s ok Ben at least Sampras is #3 on the all time greats list. Cheers.

1. Federer
2. Laver
3. Sampras (being generous because he was a scrub on clay)
4. Borg (should be 3)
5. Agassi”

Do you really think tennis started in Open Era and it will end with the day Federer retires? An example of ignorance, just by your rule of counting Slams, Emerson, with more Slams, ranks above Laver and Borg. Naivety and ignorance can be entertained only to some extent but not to your extent.

“Of All Times” does not mean 30-40 years. Take for instance Tilden, Poncho, and Emerson. Where do you place them in the tennis history, which is all fuzzy to sort out? Tilden won 11 Grand Slams and 3 Pro-Championships. With the beginning of Professional era in 1926, Grand Slam was only a stepping stone to enter Professional tennis, until 1968. Gradually, Pro Tours became more prestigious than Pro-Championship tournaments, especially between late 1930-60s. If we look at only the Pro Tours (remember Pro Tours mattered most during this time) esp. 50s and 60s, Poncho towers taller than most, including Laver. Poncho would repeatedly beat most of the best of his time, including 12-times Grand Slam winner Emerson. Kramer once speculated that Poncho would have added 11 majors from Wimbledon and US Open alone had professional players been allowed to play in Grand Slams. Add to this complexity, Davis Cup was considered a bigger event than French and Australian Open, for over 70 years. The point is it is not all that simple to calculate “Greatest of All Time,” considering the uneven and turbulent history of tennis. One-liner statements oversimplify and do injustice to tennis history and its greats.

March 10th, 2010 at 4:41 pm

Reaniel, if the shoes don’t fit you, then don’t worry about trying to wear them! i can tell you are fedfan pleaser! if you are in the business of handing out advice, fedfans can use some!

if you want to discuss “obsession.” then you need to discuss it with the kings and queens of obsession, the fans who put the “O” in obsession; none other than fedfans! otherwise, know what you are talking about before you type!

March 10th, 2010 at 4:52 pm

The beginning of this discussion was great…then it progressed (or degressed) to the same old arguments.

First – I don’t like when people say “the Fedfans are…xxx”. Stop putting all Federer fans in the same boat. I am a die-hard Federer fan but I also try to respect the other players as well.

Also, I think Ben said something earlier where he was saying that “If Baghdatis wants to get his career really rolling again, a win over Federer would be the best possible way. Then there’s Roddick who’s probably itching for revenge. If not him, then Murray. And should he get to the finals, there are a lot of players who can topple him.” That is one reason I do respect what Roger has done over the years so much more. Other players can make their name – their season – by beating Roger, yet Roger has been more consistent than any other player. Look at how some of these players react when they beat Roger! You’d think they won the championship! Roger has to face this in just about every single match he plays! Can you imagine going out in 99% of your matches where the other players can say “Well, I’m going for it since I have nothing to lose”. Those are dangerous players and still Roger has gotten all these records that he has! It’s amazing when you look at it!

Getting back to Indian Wells. Like someone else said earlier – most of the top players are coming off some time of injury/illness that it’s hard to predict how they will play.

I just hope we have some good tennis and I hope to see Roger at his best.

Bill – your 9:03 post is spot on! Great post!

March 10th, 2010 at 5:37 pm

Bjorn Borg,

I hate to go against ya because ya own my 2nd fav player’s name of ALL TIME but:

Your counting of Emerson’s 12 slams…..

FACT:

“All his ( Emerson ) Grand Slam singles titles, however, were won against an amateur field at a time when many of the world’s best players had turned professional and were unable to compete in the Grand Slam events”

Also, “Do you really think tennis started in Open Era…..”

I think most knowledgeable people up here and Fed’s peers are talking about after the open era started in ’68 till now regarding a GOAT claim.

The older era is confusing, surfaces, rules, organizations, etc, Heck several years around WW2 there were little or no slams. I am not going to argue the “what if’s” back then. Just dealing with what facts we have now in this era….

March 10th, 2010 at 5:49 pm

Ben!

Great post on March 10th, 2010 at 9:41 am. Exactly!

March 10th, 2010 at 5:54 pm

Madmax,

Hello :) and thoughtful post on March 10th, 2010 at 4:00 pm

I am traveling with the Kazakhstani Mens Synchronized Swimming Team to the Hawaii Islands. They are claiming GOAT in Synchronized swimming so I was called to investigate for WTF! Network…..Will keep in informed on the very latest!

…..reporting from “Up in the Air” …..Skeezer :)

March 10th, 2010 at 6:10 pm

Skeeeeeezeeer! LOL.
Bring it on..bring it on!!

Duro, Hi. You would think someone out there is making sure it does not happen, hey! Lets hope for the final here. I need to see my guy play his first round match first. he did not look good in Dubai, I am hoping for a much better perfomance here. :)

March 10th, 2010 at 6:36 pm

Fot, I try to categorize so-called “Fedfans”. I’m, personally, a Fed fan. I love the guy, but I try to be fair. Then there are the Fedtards, or as I like to call them, Fed fanatics, who think the universe revolves around Federer. Fot, you’ve always been fair to other players. Respecting Fed’s accomplishments isn’t a crime, he’s done a lot of impressive things (what an understatement). But some people here believe tennis starts and ends with Federer, they believe they can read his mind and know how he’s feeling and what he’s thinking. And they bash other players to defend Federer. I’ll say it for the billionth time, Fed’s too accomplished to a) need defending and b) to need to have other players put down to make him look better. Like you said, Federer’s consistency is unmatched and that alone is enough to prove Federer’s greatness. No one has to go out and say “Nadal sucks and has always been inconsistent” in order to make Federer look better. He looks as good as he can all on his own.

March 10th, 2010 at 6:43 pm

ALERT! NEWS FLASH!

As promised, update on Team “K”

“Team “K” Arrives”

Team “K”(Kazakhstani Mens Synchronized Swimming Team), swam out beyond Oahu’s coral reefs to the open ocean in dazzling multi-colored speedos.

Once there and in position, they performed a perfect well timed synchronized session, timed to the music, Michael Jackson’s “Don’t stop till you get enough”.

However, to there amazement, no judges were found watching the event.

The local Coast Guard finally caught up with the team as they were investing reports of “Injured Whale Splashing” incident.

Although impressed with there timing and technique, sadly the officials had to tell them the event was….well…. on shore……. in an Olympic size pool 2 hours ago…….

Additionally an anonymous source from the team was claiming that “there coach was missing”, a guy named “Borat”? Stay tuned….

Skeezer reporting here, giving you the live updates as it happens from Team “K” in “Hawaii” from WTF! Network…..

March 10th, 2010 at 7:09 pm

„The point is, early success rate is not a good metric for judging a player. One has to look at the whole picture.“

That’s true, steve. Nadal may have achieved more than Fed had at 23, but it’s the end result that matters the most. As the things look now, Fed’s clearly the more acccomplished player from these two, and, given Nadal’s ongoing health problems (and Federer’s current form, which is pretty good), it’s more than likely it’ll stay like that till both of them are retired from the sport. Anyway, let’s just wait for another 5-7 years, and then we can maybe judge…

March 10th, 2010 at 7:35 pm

Thank you people for doing exactly what I wanted.

Federer= 16 slams
Nadal= 6 slams

Federer= GOAT
Nadal= Chump

Cheers Chumps.

March 10th, 2010 at 8:19 pm

Skeezerweezer, you don’t sound less confusing than the Pre-Open Era, so you should be dismissed as well? I don’t think so.
Do you really think the Open Era is as open as they say? ATP begins computer ranking in mid-1973 and gets its first tour only in 1990. In fact, one could argue anything run by ITF, particularly Grand Slams, is questionable, so should we not dismiss Grand Slams as well? Does Players Council have any say in ITF operations? No. Let’s say 50-years from now, Players Council becomes active and influential both in ATP and ITF and tennis takes a more democratic course. Should we then dismiss anything that happened before that day?
Definitely not.
The point is not to run away from uneven history but to embrace it as it is. Convenience, (in this case,anointing a person with trans-curricular accolade) should not be the measuring rod and we should not make a mistake of erasing the 100-year (1877-1968) history in one stroke just because it favors one particular player momentarily. Even as a Fed-fan, one should be apprehensive about unintended ramifications of such move.

March 10th, 2010 at 10:28 pm

Borg,

I am in no way going to disrespect the great tennis players before ’68, there were some awesome players.

“In 1968, commercial pressures led to the abandonment of the distinction between professionals and amateurs, inaugurating the Open era, in which all players could compete in all tournaments, and top players were able to make their living from tennis.[35] Thus, the open era in tennis began in 1968, when the Grand Slam tournaments, such as Wimbledon, abandoned the longstanding rules of amateurism and allowed professionals to compete. The first Grand Slam tournament to go “open” was the French Open (Roland Garros).”

Your turn…

March 10th, 2010 at 11:34 pm

Skeezer, you make me laugh this morning with your olympics report – are you a “real” journalist?!!!!!

March 11th, 2010 at 4:45 am

For heaven’s sake, no more Federer-Nadal wars.

They are both magnificent champions. Nadal has six GS titles, the same amount as Edberg and Becker. If he retired now, he’d still be in the discussion of all-time greats from here on out. His winning record against Federer, unarguably at this point the GOAT, is also a plus.

Nothing more need be said about Fed’s sixteen (and counting) major titles. Sure, he’s had a rough time with Nadal, but much of that stems from Fed being much more competitive on clay (Nadal’s favorite surface) than Nadal has been on hard courts (Fed’s historical strength). On grass, Fed still has the 2-1 advantage, and it’s not like Wimby ’08 was a blowout in Nadal’s favor. Overall, their rivalry has been, I believe, the most compelling the sport has ever seen.

As for their respective demeanors on and off the court and toward each other, they have both proven to be absolute gentlemen, and sportsmen of the highest caliber. Why tennis fan’s insist on meaningless squabbling in the presence of two greats, I’m not quite sure. Myself, I’m a huge Federer fan, and I want him to win as many Slams as possible, but I’ve grown to respect and admire Nadal almost as much over the years, even if I prefer Federer’s style to Rafa’s.

March 11th, 2010 at 4:56 am

TF#1, I’m a massive Fed fan, but Nadal is in no way a “chump,” as you put it. Rafael Nadal will win several more Slams if his body doesn’t give out, and will finish his career as one of the greatest to play the sport. Beyond that, he’s an exemplary sportsman and a credit to the game. Please grow up.

March 11th, 2010 at 4:58 am

Hello People.

Indian Wells tennis action is ON. Men’s tennis has more for a brain to ponder, thank god ( if at all possible, for some of you) than federer and nadal. reading the bickering is stale and tiresome like someone above mentioned: sick of lebron v kobe, too…sheeeeesh. enough. scrolling on down.

order of play today looking great. i’ll be staring at livescore until the last match, which so happenz to be an ERNESTS GULBIS match! nail biting, frantic gum chewing time. hey, the new del ray champ might not stick around for round 2. who knows.
GO Ernie!

mario ancic plays today. yay! maybe.

then, headliners in action tomorrow, right?

will nadal defend his title? not this year.

is RF really over his illness? i’ll dare and do, doubt it. undeniably the best player of this era. he doesn’t have lift another finger. his feet need not touch the ground….ever again. imo.

can cilic get to an atp 1000 final and win it? nolee and murray stand in his way.

missing delPo. i’s bet he’s planning a kick arse clay season; very sly guy.

world # 2, novak djokovic will be going for, and capture, the title. he’s 22, wants the points, in great health and “destined” for #1. (your welcome, Duro.)

world #4, muzza has a shot. has to be so over AO.

who is world #3? i forget. *smiley face*

March 11th, 2010 at 8:23 am

Madmax,

Shhhh :)
No i was just always good at typing with one finger :)

Glad you got up this morning with a laugh :)

March 11th, 2010 at 9:29 am

hey, would not imagine you up so early mr. skeezerweezer…you must be excited about something? rainbow speedos?

March 11th, 2010 at 10:09 am

Hey Contador!

Ha! Speedos….,good one !

I woke up to sunshine for the first time in a while. Nice!

I found this article for ya, hope you haven’t read it yet, good props for Gulbis:

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=tennis-m/news/news.aspx?id=4293914

:)

March 11th, 2010 at 10:35 am

“Sure, he’s had a rough time with Nadal, but much of that stems from Fed being much more competitive on clay (Nadal’s favorite surface) than Nadal has been on hard courts (Fed’s historical strength). ”

Hopefully some can print this out in large bold laters and hand it out ass-pickers like mem, skorocel and chloe.

wash your hands you guys before you shake other people’s hands unlike nadal :)

March 11th, 2010 at 10:47 am

mem,

Whatever. You’re pretty much the same maturity as tf#1. If you can’t even discuss something without putting down Roger and/or insult someone who happens to like Roger, then have fun on your own.

March 11th, 2010 at 10:57 am

thanks for the link skeezer. had not read TSN. ernie actually got the most press right there in del ray and i know ricky dimon of TT is a frustrated closet fan. if you are a gulbis watcher, it’s frustrating.

Interesting the writer called him the “Gull,” hadn’t heard it for a long time. I read somewhere, or dreamt? Gulbis in latvian actually means Swan… maybe Duro or Madmax has an opinion on that, lol… and i was so sure he was related to natalie gulbis. :-)

sunny is nice and so is the fact FSN will televise Indian Wells tennis, right here in the rocky mountains. so they say.

i youtubed men’s synchronized swimming. it’s a real sport, skeezer. well, the singles competition appeared to be. *grins*

March 11th, 2010 at 11:04 am

Lion,

If your looking to “stir the pot”, you can do it without the name calling, can’t ya?

Shamoon! Hee hee!

March 11th, 2010 at 11:06 am

Skeezer,

How about people calling Federer fans, fedtards? that sound mighty sweet to you?

I would like to brand rafa fans as ass-pickers. if federer haters like mem skorocel and chloe want to insult fed fans, then they deserve all the ass-kicking they get or is it ass-picking?

March 11th, 2010 at 12:28 pm

I think we have an infiltrator from TT, chloe sounds remarkably like carrie from TT. Shucks! give us a break. always going on about h2h.

Ben that was a cracking argument about converting the ages into tennis years – quite brilliant. chloe/carrie ALWAYS brings this up and it gets very, very boring. seriously, pure brilliance.

“Since 05, Fed’s won 12 slams. That’s twice as many as Nadal in the same span. And Nadal’s always been younger”. Ben Pronin.

Contador! where have you been!!!! yes, have been speaking to duro and dont know whether gulbis means swan – interesting thought though.

C’moon Federer! So good to know that you will be playing soon – missed watching him so much!

I would like to say – once again – this annoying h2h which always comes up – who cares! As a federer fan, I dont. It’s the prestige event of the slams which count in the end, but even now, its the 23 consecutive grand slam semi finals which I think is THE most incredible. Far outweighs, h2h and is it 20 slam final appearances now? I mean, let’s face it, so many tournaments with federer, you kind of lose count! right?!

And chloe/carrie, you well know roger has 16 masters and rafa has 15 masters – rafa’s stat here is incredible, to think he has got this number in a short amount of time, but. Have to say that Federer is still the one to beat.

Go Federer!

March 11th, 2010 at 1:51 pm

It may not be the masters that mean that much to him anymore, but I would still like to see him play some great tennis –

March 11th, 2010 at 1:53 pm

[…] Federer v. Murray; Nadal v. Djokovic Seeded for Indian Wells SF […]

March 11th, 2010 at 5:07 pm

“this annoying h2h which always comes up – who cares! As a federer fan, I dont”

I am shocked.

March 11th, 2010 at 6:28 pm

Fedkad always ignore the h2h because it does not look good for the GOAT debate. Fedkad always rob it in about fed as the GOAT and H2H does not fit.

March 12th, 2010 at 12:39 am

I meant the H2H does fit the “bill”; how can it is a lopsided in Nadal’s favor when Federer is suppose to be the GOAT. And FEDKAD always get annoyed when it is brought up because it is a blemish on Fed’s record.

I call it denial.

March 12th, 2010 at 12:44 am

blah: @ 6:28 pm, I’m shocked also. LOL.

March 12th, 2010 at 12:56 am

sorry typo – does; it does not fit the bill

March 12th, 2010 at 6:19 am

yes well of course you would be shocked von, why doesnt that surprise me. Federer himself says he isnt bothered about it. And in fact when he wins the tournaments – that is what matters, the h2h then takes care of itself doesnt it?

look at this way, do you honestly think blah and von, that a player goes onto court thinking “Oh, I’ve got to increase my h2h?” because if you do, you are dreaming.

They go onto court to Win. to win the tournament. the h2h takes care of itself through the wins. So chill out. At least you get your kicks out of being shocked eh von? be nice. it might do you good.

March 12th, 2010 at 6:32 am

joji, how can a h2h be a blemish? are people going to remembe h2h’s or grand slam wins?

March 12th, 2010 at 6:33 am

maxi:

I will answer you this once, which is against my better judgment.

If you will pay attention to my post, which I suggest you re-read again, you’ll notice that my comments were directed to *blah*, which was in agreement with his comments, and, NOT TO YOU. I think that’s a fact with which you’d be extremely cognizant, and as such, it would have been wise if you would have refrained from your usual attempts to ankle-bite my comments just this once, in view of our history. That said, shame on me for thinking otherwise.

“At least you get your kicks out of being shocked eh von? be nice. it might do you good.”

Considering the ebbs and flows of your grey matter, which demonstrates to me that you are not at all tightly wrapped, I would think that somewhere in the far recesses of your mind, where hopefully, some semblance of sanity is the prevailing factor, you’d consider yourself the most ill-equipped person to determine what scenarios would provide ME with *kicks* and which would not. And, in light of those facts, please be apprised, that when I need advice as to what would be beneficial for my state of mind, I Can assure you, that without a doubt, you’d be the very LAST person from whom I’d seek advice. And maxi, I mean this in the nicest way.

“look at this way, do you honestly think blah and von, that a player goes onto court thinking “Oh, I’ve got to increase my h2h?” because if you do, you are dreaming.”

I’ve read many instances where you pretend to be engaging another poster in a discussion, but your real motivation is to insult the person, and here you’ve done it again to both blah and myself, by telling us that we’re *dreaming*. I know what you’re looking for, but get this: It ain’t gonna happen. I’m not going to let myself be suckered into your little ploys to gain attention, by becoming embroiled in a long drawn out, nasty argument with you,(which you thrive upon) and this is all you’re going to get from moi.

Tell me maxi, do you possess some kind of special powers and/or gifts that enables you to be a mind reader or one who can foretell the future, because you seem to have the inside scoop into Federer’s thoughts. Additionally, are you phantasmagorically inclined? WOW, a lot of imagery is taking place in your mind big time. If so, any chance of the images of the winning lottery numbers for tomorrow night’s drawing forming in your mind? If yes, could you give me the winning numbers. Merci.

March 12th, 2010 at 8:08 am

dc
this is nin reference to ur deer lion story…. the lion chases the deer for 1 week but the lion triumphs only when the deer ain’t around isn’t it?? now telll me who’s the king…. the lion or the deer….the lion’s record…an empty boast

March 14th, 2010 at 7:25 am