Nadal Marches into the French Open Quarters, Federer v. Soderling Rematch Tuesday

by Sean Randall | May 31st, 2010, 5:49 pm
  • 479 Comments

There wasn’t much drama for the men today at the French Open. The last four round of 16 matches went fairly according to plan. ADHEREL

Tournament favorite Rafael Nadal got tested a little bit by up-and-coming Thomaz Bellucci winning in the end 6-2, 7-5, 6-4.

Nadal was broken four times during the match by the young Brazilian who was able to do some damage to Rafa with his powerful serve and big forehand. But Nadal probably played some his best tennis answering many of Bellucci’s offerings behind a flurry of ridiculous winners and passing shots.


“It’s an important victory if you look at the points, that’s true,” Nadal said after his 200th career match win on clay. “But I knew he was a very tough opponent. It was a very important match for me. I succeeded well because I managed to play even better. I could shoot into the balls the way I wanted to, mainly the backhand shots, but also my forehand.

“Unfortunately, my shots were a bit too short. I wanted to have longer and deeper shots,” he added. “I wanted to improve this. Sometimes, you know, these details are such that the opponent could take this opportunity so as to dominate the game. It’s better to have deeper balls so as to dominate the game. I think I served better today than any other day, and I’m very satisfied because I think I’ve improved. I’ve not yet dropped a set. Well, a set, yes. But no, no, I have not yet dropped a set. The most important thing is that I won my match.”

Next for Nadal is his countryman Nicolas Almagro who took out the weary Fernando Verdasco 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Verdasco had never lost a set in three prior meetings with the baby-faced Nico. But then again he’d probably never had played as much tennis in his life as he did the last 45 days. I thought Verdasco had one more win left in his tank but apparently not. There’s something to be said for proper schedule management and peaking at the right time. Now that Verdasco’s consistently journeying deep into events he’ll need to be more prudent about his schedule in the future.

For Almagro, remember he did take a set off of Nadal this spring and he reached the quarterfinals at the French Open back in 2008.

“Well, I think there is a lot of difference,” Almagro said. “As compared to 2008, my physical shape has improved a lot. From a mental standpoint, I also am much stronger now. But the next match is going to be very difficult because I’m playing Rafa. He is above all the other players on this surface. But I think I’ll be able to play very good level of tennis, and I hope this will be the case for many, many years. If I can win, that’s gonna be even better.”

In Wednesday’s other quarterfinal, Novak Djokovic will meet the surprise of the tournament, Jurgen Melzer. Give yourself a pat on the back if you had Melzer out this far. The Austrian is as deep as he’s ever been at a Slam after knocking out Teimeraz Gabashvili 7-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Djokovic also won in four sets beating Robby Ginepri 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2. After a sluggish start Djokovic really turned it on in the last two sets pounding the American despite the early morning start.

“Well, I’m really not a morning person, so it took a lot of time for me to get into the rhythm and warm up basically for the match,” admitted Djokovic. “He was very aggressive from the start. He played well. I was lucky to pull out that first set in my favor. Second set, as usual in these tournaments, went the other way for my opponent. Unfortunately I lost focus. But I overcomed it, you know, again. Third and fourth were really, really good. I was aggressive, I was serving well, and playing from all over the court. With that kind of game I performed in the third and fourth set, I think I have a good chance against anybody on the court now.”

Looking to tomorrow we have a couple of great matches with Roger Federer and Robin Soderling in a reprise of their 2009 title bout, and Tomas Berdych v. Mikhail Youhzny.

First to the Berdych match. I picked Tomas to reach the semifinals from the start and I think he’s playing well enough to get the job done. Berdych is back on Suzanne Lenglen where he also beat Murray so that should help him mentally, and I think he can outclass Youzhny on the slow clay. The Russian is still a decent clay baller and he’s beaten Berdych in six of ten tries. But I think it’s Berdych in four.

In the big showdown, I like Federer simply because of the 12-0 record he holds over Soderling. Had this been a first round or early round match at a Tennis Masters I’d give Soderling a better chance. But to have never beaten a guy in 12 tries (I think Robin’s only won one set!) and then ask him to do it on his least favorite surface (arguably clay) and in a best-of-five format with a ton on the line is just far too much. The element of surprise is also gone.

Soderling’s still playing like a man possessed, unfortunately for him Federer will likely get into Robin’s head (if he hasn’t already done so) and bring the Swede back down to reality. It’s Federer in four.

As for the women tomorrow, I like Elena Dementieva over Nadia Petrova and I’ll go for Caroline Wozniacki over Francesca Schiavone.


You Might Like:
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No Joke, Robin Soderling Overpowers Roger Federer at French Open, Snapping Semifinal Streak

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479 Comments for Nadal Marches into the French Open Quarters, Federer v. Soderling Rematch Tuesday

Kimmi Says:

novak said “With that kind of game I performed in the third and fourth set, I think I have a good chance against anybody on the court now.”

yap, that the confidence talk i want to hear..semi final here we come. please get there, I want to watch this match…


Kimmi Says:

sean, sometimes you get your predictions right but sometimes you are jinxing..sheesh, which one is this time?


Huh Says:

The losses of Murray, Roddick and of course Henin are absolutely unfortunate.

Sorry Mrs.Von. :(

Sorry Mrs.Margot. :(

———————————————–

On a completely different note, if anyone deserves to stop Fed’s semifinal streak, it is Soderling, just like he stopped Nadal.


Thaidiamond Says:

I’m pretty good at making predictions—it’s that future part that’s my problem. Nonetheless, let me make one here.

Robin Soderling will take down the Fed Express in the QFs.

I don’t know what Robin thinks about at the change-overs, but as he keeps head wrapped under his towel, he gives the impression he’s blocking out all the world to focus on the single task at hand.

Magnus Norman has done wonders for Robin: his unfocused game and temper tantrums are a thing of the past.

Before last year’s match against Nadal, he was told to visualize the next day’s newspaper headlines proclaiming the great Swedish upset.

And against Roger, “choke” is the operative word. (Yeah, I’m talking to you Wawrinka, regular reader of the German edition of Tennis X.)

At this stage of his career, Robin won’t be intimidated by Roger.

Don’t get me wrong: Söderling will have to play his very best tennis to win. But I’d be surprised if we see him start beating himself.

Taking down the hitherto invincible Perera in 2009’s RG was the bigger Goliath. And aging Swiss star will not shine brightly in the QF.


contador Says:

@ Huh,

“On a completely different note, if anyone deserves to stop Fed’s semifinal streak, it is Soderling, just like he stopped Nadal.”

yes, Huh, i was also thinking that. i love soda but like a true fed fan addict, i will be gutted when federer loses his GS semi-streak.

has to happen sometime. the record he holds is ridiculous.

youz and berdych are both improved mentally. but i pick berdych tomorrow too.

i don’t get how some people think federer’s draw is easy. maybe it was to start but the clash with soderling was bound to happen. berdych beat federer recently. i imagine he frimly believes he can beat federer in this GS, if they meet in the semi. federer getting to the semi or final is not at all certain with soderling and berdych to go through.

******

Kimmi,

i read your post to me the other thread. yeah, i see fed’s first serve improving and he’s moving well enough to get those running forehands. there is a lot on the line for fed in this match.

i don’t have the best feeling. thaidiamond makes me feel worse. visualizing worked last year for soderling but the visualizing was assisted by a physically and emotionally weakened rafa.

isn’t federer doing some visualizing of his own? i don’t know. it comes down to who is better. i think both will fight “to the death,” it’s a 5 setter!


sonic Says:

No one seems to have noticed that Federer will lose no1 ranking if he loses to Soderling and Nadal wins the RG (pretty much a certain thing). This also means he would not break Sampras record of total weeks of being no1 in the world anytime soon, what with Nadal not playing on the grass last year and Fed defending Wimbly. Hence, there is a decent chance Fed will never break the Sampras record should he lose tomorrow. Big stakes there for Fed. I’m certain he’s aware he can’t beat Rafa on slow Paris clay but now more than ever he has reason to make it to the final and face the butchering (he’ll get the record with SF, but a F would ensure he extends it by more than a bare minimum). Maybe retire without hitting the ball in the final. If the weather in Europe holds as it is, we could see a worse beating than the 4 games Rafa allowed him in the last RG final they played.

Djokovic should learn to shut up, he’s starting to sound like a moron. He couldn’t beat Nadal when Rafa was at his worst and most exausted in tournaments where even conditions are so bad for Nadal even Fed could beat him, yet he dreams he can win in best of 5 on the slow Paris clay? I mean relly, learn some humilty you twat. Fed at least has some records to back his blindnes when he sputters he can beat Nadal in Paris.

And finaly spare a laugh for all the posers who were crying “Rafa is dead” for so long, yet there he is, very likely no1 after Wimnledon if not sooner.


blank Says:

Two things ensured Verdasco was going to be a bust at the FO.
1. Playing Nice the week before FO considering how deep he’s gone into the tournaments over the last month and a half
2. Claiming that he feels like he can beat everyone except Rafa. Compare that to what mental weakling Almagro just said now.

Having said that, I am beginning to get apprehensive regarding the Fed. Soda, Berdie and Rafa are potentially the ones standing in his way now. Now, that’s daunting.


Ben Pronin Says:

Finally some positive words coming out of Djoker’s mouth. He did play quite well in those last two sets and he only served 2 double faults (to 2 aces) and had a ridiculously high first serve percentage (70+ I heard Gilbert say). I hope he makes it to the semis, as he should, and give Nadal a real test, if nothing else.

As for Federer, at this point I wouldn’t be overly upset if Soderling got the win. I like Soderling and his game and surely if anyone deserves to finally beat Fed, it’s him. However, I want Federer to break the weeks at number 1 record perhaps more than anything atm so I’m fully pulling for him.


jane Says:

Fed didn’t play Halle last year, though, so even on the outside chance that Rafa does pass him in the rankings, he can only gain points at Halle. Mind you, the same goes for Rafa and Queens. So it could end up being a dogfight for number 1.

Djoko said he’d have a “good chance”; he didn’t say that he’d win or even that he could win. In his presser, he said that obviously Rafa and Fed are the favorites. Besides, what’s he supposed to say? “It’s hopeless, I might as well not step on the court”? Players have to keep their hopes alive and their spirits up, even when they’re up against it.


Ben Pronin Says:

Speaking of Queens, I wonder if Nadal will actually play it. It starts the day after RG ends and, even though I’m sure he’d get a late start, he’d still be playing a third straight week.


blank Says:

jane, As Ben points out, things are looking up for Djoko. Serve – the main thing that has been ailing him is now on the mend. 70% 1st serves in for the match and just 3 double faults! That’s incredible for him.

With Djokovic it’s always been a mental thing (at times physical but I believe it stems from the mental attitude). Now that his serve is back, hopefully his confidence will too!


Kimmi Says:

jane, federer already played two 250 tournaments. only two 250 counts in the ranking for top players. So, even if he plays halle he wont get full 250 because he reached the semi on both doha and estoril.

While nadal played only one 250..so he has full 250 points if he wins queens..complicated ranking it is.


blank Says:

Correction…2 double faults.


blank Says:

At least Federer’s destiny is now in his own hands as far as the weeks @ No. 1 is concerned. Win tomorrow, it’s safe. Lose, it’s as good as gone. With 2000 points in the offing for Nadal at the Wimbledon, it’s hard for Fed to get it back before the year end.


Ben Pronin Says:

Blank, I wouldn’t be so quick as to say Djoker’s serve is back. It’s better, but there are still some technical things he needs to work out.

This whole idea of him not being a morning person is a little ridiculous. He’s a top pro, how many more complaints can he possibly have?


jane Says:

Oh Kimmi – I hadn’t realized that. Thanks for correcting me. I never get that “250” rule.

Blank – I was about to correct you that it was only 2 not 3 doubles! LOL. : ) Every point counts. Anyhow, I don’t want to get my hopes up too far, but I’d be happy if Nole can serve with relative consistency again; then I can watch the matches with (somewhat) less angst about whether he can hold when he steps up to serve.


jane Says:

I thought he was kind of joking about that Ben, because he followed it up by saying that Ginepri came out really aggressive at the start. I’d have to watch his presser for the expression/tone.


Kimmi Says:

Djoko played well today but those mid match lapse need to go. he need to concentrated full coz if he gets to nadal the match will be gone quickly.

I know I am jumping the gun here but if djoko wants to win another grandslam..there is a chance. maybe if the conditions are slow it might be to his advantage.


blank Says:

Well, Ben…at least he’s on the right track with the serve. Just looked up all his serve statistics. Here’s how they stack up:
1st Match: 63% & 7 DF’s
2nd Match: 63% & 3 DF’s
3rd Match: 67% & 2 DF’s
4th Match: 70% & 2 DF’s

He’s showing nice improvement. Luck he’s up against Melzer next. Honestly, I haven’t seen Melzer play…but no matter what Djoko’s experience and the fact that he isn’t playing more dangerous players such as Fed, Nadal, Soda or Berdy gives him a little more room for improvement and building confidence before he possibly meets Rafa.

The ‘not a morning person’ comment is ridiculous. His downfall has just been due to attitudes like this.


blah Says:

“and then ask him to do it on his least favorite surface (arguably clay) ”

I doubt that. Reaching the fo final, taking down the clay king, picking up clay titles. It’s probably his best surface now. Soderling knows how to play on clay.


andrea Says:

fed likes the heavy hitters, but if he can get thru soderling, then meeting berdych, i imagine he could get thru him as well.

soderling’s game seems to match up pretty well to fed’s which is why he has such a good streak. if fed’s serving game holds up, i can’t imagine him losing.

and i’m like ben…i want fed to beat soderling so that he can beat the sampras record….that’s just such a huge milestone and it’s fitting that fed should now hold that record.

don’t care so much if he wins the event – would be nice – but really, just don’t want it to be another FO loss to nadal…


blank Says:

Another correction “Lucky he’s up…”


Von Says:

“Well, I’m really not a morning person, so it took a lot of time for me to get into the rhythm and warm up basically for the match,” admitted Djokovic. “He was very aggressive from the start. He played well. I was lucky to pull out that first set in my favor. Second set, as usual in these tournaments, went the other way for my opponent.”

It’s appears to be the usual threnody with Djokovic,(I think he wrote the Book of Lamentations) whenever, the opponent wins or plays better than he does, be it in the entire match or for even a set. Now, it’s the matter of he’s not a *morning person*. So what else is new? He got the easiest draw and he’s still lamenting.

Next will come the lamentations from his fans on his serve(he said his serve is working well) and the allergies. And, if he plays a late night match, we’ll hear he didn’t have enough recovery time for his next match, which will be repeated ad nauseam for months. Glad that the allergies and serving woes were put to rest, at least for the time being, but who knows, maybe the next match, depending on how he performs, the darn allergies and serve will rear their ugly heads again.

It’s not surprising that Verdasco has run out of steam. He’s another one that uses some niggling (I used to believe and feel sorry for him in the past) problem into focus whenever he’s losing and/or playing badly. Of late, well since last year at the USO, it’s been the foot. Immediately he starts to lose his grip in the match he begins to throw a limping fit. It seems to me that both Verdasco and Djokovic are part-time residents of the geriatric ward. LOL. Those who condemn Nadal shoud take a look at the Joker and Verdasco also. OY VEY.


marija Says:

Jealous Croat Sonic:

aka ajdevise on other boards. You don’t have a shining star so you are obsessed with our Nole. Get yourself a Croat tennis player to worry about and go back to your tribal land.
PS Jealousy is not good for Croat health


Ben Pronin Says:

This is going to contradict what I said about 30 minutes ago but I just remembered I saw Signature Series featuring Sampras today. I think it’s pretty fair to say if Federer fails to break the weeks at number 1 record because he loses the ranking, it’ll be nearly impossible for him to ever break it. And as much as I love to see Federer holding every record, Sampras is one of the all time greats and I wouldn’t mind it if he could at least keep one huge record.

Blah, I think it’s fair to say Soderling is a threat on any surface. He’s always been good on fast hard courts. He proved he’s good on clay. And he’s not too shabby on grass either. He’s an all-surface player. But so is Federer. I personally don’t think the surface is an issue between these two.


NELTA Says:

blank Says:
Well, Ben…at least he’s on the right track with the serve. Just looked up all his serve statistics. Here’s how they stack up:
1st Match: 63% & 7 DF’s
2nd Match: 63% & 3 DF’s
3rd Match: 67% & 2 DF’s
4th Match: 70% & 2 DF’s
———————————————–

I think you used the wrong column. Here are the correct double fault stats:

vs Korolev – 4 DF’s
vs Kishikori – 9 DF’s
vs Hanescu – 8 DF’s
vs Ginepri – 2 DF’s


blank Says:

Ben, Finishing No. 1 for 6 straight years isn’t something that could be easily broken. To me that’s harder than 286+ weeks at the help and maybe as hard as eclipsing Fed’s grand slam tally.


Daniel Says:

andrea and Ben, I am totally with you.

I just want Fed to reach the final and lose to Djoko. This way he garantees breaking the record on June 14th. I don’t even want him to win this tourney that much, rather see a new French Open champion, and prefer Fed to win a 7th Wimbledon.

He worked so hard over all this years that he should also have this record once and for all in his resumee.


blank Says:

NELTA, you are right. Stupidly enough, I think I picked it up from the right hand side all the time. LOL :-)


jane Says:

I just watched it; maybe he wasn’t joking, but he kind of shrugged before answering the interviewer’s question “why did you struggle at the beginning?” Then he made the morning comment and went on to say Ginepri was aggressive at the start of the match.


Von Says:

To Blank and Ben: You both commented on the “morning person” statement, my apologies for referencing same, but I didn’t see your comments prior to writing mine, as I was going by the contents of the article which mentioned it and thought how very ludicrous, so what’s next, as the list grows?


contador Says:

for nole and murray, it’s easy to understand the burn-out. think about who they have been playing and losing to in the slams.

nadal is at his best again and nole will have to play him. i wouldn’t blame him if he just waves off, “be my guest, jurgen!”

and about federer- i am confused. it’s incomprehensible, the rigor and pressure he put himself in and how he handles it.

really. whatever he does is a shocking result. if federer makes it to the RG final, wins halle, makes it to the wimble final, holds on to #1….all of it, daunting.

daunting to me. i wonder how federer really thinks about the whole thing?

one would think winning the FO last year, winning wimbledon making the us open final, winning AO this year would be enough!

and yet he’s out there still wanting more, attempting to extend streaks and break records. i thought he said something about winning FO last year being a turning point; that he could now relax. stange way of relaxing, LOL…

losing to all he did this spring, choking in matches, and playing some god awful tennis after ao this spring on hc and clay, it is unbelievable that federer resurrects himself again to go on a GS winning streak. unfathomable that federer can remain #1, somehow defending all the points again.


blah Says:

Ben- i agree, well maybe not on grass, but I was pointing out that for sean to state clay is a least favorite surface for soderling is kind of ridiculous, considering that he got to the top ten by winning all those clay matches.


dangerouspaul Says:

it’s incredible how people never get tired of predicting federers decline. it’s def. not written in stone that nadal’s goin to win the french and wimbledon. don’t underestimate federer. the night is darkest just before dawn and i tell you: dawn is coming faster than you expect
so enjoy tomorrows match.its gonna be great to watch


Ben Pronin Says:

Nadal winning the FO doesn’t not indicate Federer’s decline in any way, shape, or form. But I don’t think he’s going to win Wimbledon…


contador Says:

i’m not underestimating him or predicting his decline, dangerouspaul.

just wondering. how does he keep this up?


jane Says:

Ben “But I don’t think he’s going to win Wimbledon…” Who? Fed or Rafa?


contador Says:

we’ll see. i doubt federer is too much in soderling’s head. davy got over federer, others have.

it’s a lip-biter match ….let’s see, 12 hours from now?


Ben Pronin Says:

I don’t think Nadal will win. I just can’t predict a guy to win a slam having barely played 2 exhos on the surface over 2 years. Maybe once I see him hit the courts at Wimbledon I’ll change my mind.


Kimmi Says:

If nadal wins RG his confidence will be sky rocketed. he is on an impressive winning streak at the moment. montecarlo, rome, madrid….still going strong.


funches Says:

Federer will break the record regardless of whether he loses tomorrow. People keep trying to use history as an example of his inevitable decline, but he’s by far the most talented player in the history of the game. He’ll still be No. 1 or 2 three years from now. Take that to the bank. He’s not going anywhere.

And congrats, Sean, for picking Berdych to the semis before the tourney started. Yesterday I posted that Youzhny had a great chance to beat them, but that was the TalkaboutTennis Suicide forced to pick Youzhny in me talking. Now that Verdasco eliminated me, I don’t have a rooting interest in the match. Berdy is playing far too well and probably will win in straights.


jane Says:

That’s what I think too; given how close Fed is to that record, and given that he doesn’t need to be at number “consecutively” to beat it, I don’t think there’s much to worry about. If he were to lose number 1, winning another slam in the future, which he will, could catapult him back up to number 1. I don’t think there’s much question that he’ll break that record too, whether it’s immediately or in 2 months or even at the beginning of next year or whatever.


skeezerweezer Says:

Rafa,

“The most important thing is that I won my match”.

Best quote from Rafa the whole tournament. No excuses, good win :)


skeezerweezer Says:

A lot of predictions on this discussion. It’s hot baby! Bring it on! :) Guess we will see who’s right who’s wrong. Soda will beat Fed, Rafa won’t win….whoa! I’ll go with the traditional…Fed vs Rafa in the final.

At least we have variety up here not like TT, Rafa or nothing…..


skeezerweezer Says:

Jane,

Agreed :) I think Fed would relish the #1 record, but I think he will take a slam over that anytime from here on out, no?


skeezerweezer Says:

Sean,

Thanks for the keeping the blog fresh with the spot on articles, I thought you were on Vacation? lol

Ben,

I think if Rafa wins FO, like the past, he has proven he is a contender for Wimby, so we’ll see. I will make a prediction though; If he doesn’t lay off the HC season ( meaning just play a warm up tourney before USO ) his knees will come into question again. I think I read his team his planning this, however it will mess up his ATP points, but who cares? If he is after slams like Fed, better he manages his schedule and stays away from the pounding of HC season, no?.


Dari Says:

Thaidiamond, your post left a bad taste in my mouth, especially the wawrinka part! And such dismal views of federer’s future! NEVER make #1 again if he doesn’t do it tomorrow?! it’s not like he’s retiring next year, guys.
I just think that even though soderling is hott right now, federer is the perfect opposition for him because he is showing exceptional movement right now. Don’t get me wrong, the conditions make me nervous for fed, but HE CAN AND WILL DO THIS!
Man, it’s gonna be a good one!
GOooooo Roger!


Von Says:

HUH: Thanks for you kind comments on Roddick’s loss. I actually had him losing in the first round, because Nieminen is not an easy first round opponent for most players, and, on clay, it’s makes it super tough for Roddick, considering he came into the FO without any match play.

I’ve just rung Pavlov’s bell and the salivating will begin from the goat herder, et al. ring a ding ding!!


Dari Says:

Everyone on here is turning into rafa, no?
Btw I’ve never read more press conference transcripts than I have this year, and the rambling, you know, ummms, and disjointed english (even for the few native speakers!) is horrendous.
Then again, I haven’t done a ton of post-match conferences ;)
maybe it’s harder than it looks, no?


contador Says:

A-men to the TT comment, skeezerweezer.

edgar cayce and nostradamus are not in agreement about the fed v soda match. other matches are less fuzzy.


Von Says:

skeezer: “At least we have variety up here not like TT, Rafa or nothing…..”

Sorry, but I have to disagree with you. TT has a variety, and it’s not Rafa or nothing. It’s a lot of Fed over there and one of the chief Fed posters does a lot to antagonize the Nadal posters, which IMO, is very unfair. However, she’s a Fed fan and Fed fans are er protected, no mater what.

This much I can say for TT, they have a fair moderation system, and it’s why some of its detractors don’t like the site because they are not allowed to abuse other posters at will. I guess my post will be deleted for sticking up for TT, but c’est la vie.


skeezerweezer Says:

Contador,

:)

Don’t know the two you mentioned, so I guess they are TT posters. Went over to TT only once, and found it extremely sub par to here. AND biased.

Here, The articles are fresh up to date, and there is a variety of contributors, not just the holy “Cheryl” of Rafa land and some….who?. This is where it is happening! Been all over. If you want to get into the debates, your favs, tennis, what you like to drink, eat, sleep, this is the place. Posters from all over the world. Heck, we even have blog commentators during a match we can’t see, free of charge! ( tx Kimmi, etc ). I even discovered Marmite here! :)

And here we have Rafa, Nole, Murray, Hot sauce, Roddick, and yes, Fedfans, etc. All posters favs and most everyone respects them.

At least we have some contributors up here that are varied and stick there neck out with predictions, good or bad. Makes for great talk ;)

And, we have WTF! Network, exclusive to Tennis X!

A-men back at you Contador!

Out


skeezerweezer Says:

Dari,

It’s true I have learned there is much misunderstanding, of which is my bad also as I have remarked on such. Wish there was a common language sometimes :)


contador Says:

so true. tx is the best in tennis talking. this is the hottest tennis talking on the net!

i’ve had to be working and traveling and when i do, i miss the live match group! the variety here is great too. believe it or not i even miss skorocel and the funny nadal fans here. nope i have not been drinking. much….

predicting is fun. i am due for a nickname change and thinking i am now “edgar” hahahahhaa

soda in 5….lol! ooops , biting my tongue on that

what’s up with WTF?


Dari Says:

Hi skeezer, not really sure what you’re refering to?!


contador Says:

i have been thinking. : O oh no.

if federer loses in the quarters, he will be furious, losing his semi streak and #1. such will be the effect that he goes on to win GS #17, 18, 19, regains #1 and blows by sampras #1 record by at least a year.

couldn’t at all fathom how he’d get to 20 slams but i can “see” now. it takes losses with some bad press and holy shmoly…..shamoooooon!


skeezerweezer Says:

Dari,

I was just trying to validate your post on misinterpreting the interviews because of the language barriers and interpretation, no? If I am wrong please explain :)


skeezerweezer Says:

contador,

Yes, Skorocel, Polo, Voicemale1 and some other choice posters seem to come in at a moments notice and throw the whole discussion moment into sanity or insanity :)

Re: Name change. I tried due to popular demand ( J/K ) to change my poster name to Skeeze but it was “waiting moderation” so I gave it up, for now. Ha!

Ps: Love your Shaaaamooon!

WTF! Network will return, soon :)


Dari Says:

Got it skeezer! In addition, I was pointing out the fact that even good English speakers/understanders have comically horrible speech patterns! I bet the verbal mind just kinda leaves you after a physically and mentally exhausting match!


contador Says:

i’m stealing your “Shaaamooon”

where in the world is WTF network? you don’t always cover tennis, as i recall.

Polo is a rafa fan? it’s hard to tell who is what sometimes on TX and that’s what i like about it. tennis fans mixed the passionate loyalists like Duro and Madmax.

what is marmite? nevermind, i can google. time for bed, if i actually plan to wake up to get ready for work AND stream fed v sod.

wow, i like bellucci ( watching dvr recording of nadal match ) cool customer, lefty bellucci. hope he’s good on grass cos he just ran out of clay.

i’m out.


Andrew Miller Says:

Still sticking with my RG tourney picks: Serena and Federer.


Andrew Miller Says:

I agree with Sean re: Verdasco. Ever since Davis Cup in Argentina, the man has been on a mission. From underachiever to “not to be mistaken for Richard Gasquet”, huge accomplishments in light of where he was and where he is now. From chump to contender.


skeezerweezer Says:

Dari,

Lol! Yes!

I played bad. He played bad. We played well. I improved. He is good. I am not. Wait.. I am good. No, I don’t know what “Grey Goose” is. Is that a point? No, a drink? Ok…..????
Yes, I like sunshine, good for game. Tan? What? What is tan? I am talking sunshine….

Lol…on top of that, they have French, English, Spanish, Swedes? etc? pressers asking questions? WTF? That is why Roddick is the GOAT of interviews….youtube them…they are spot on and hilarious :)


skeezerweezer Says:

Re: Polo…He is not a Rafa fan…..his fav is…….(Leaving blank for Polo)

:)


skeezerweezer Says:

Goodnight Contador,

Me too :)


jane Says:

Most every blog, pundit etc is picking Federer and Berdych to come through to the semis. Here’s an article on Mr. Dimples a.k.a Soda pop, a.k.a Robin Sodering:

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/french10/columns/story?columnist=ford_bonnie_d&id=5235890

Hope the matches are good tomorrow! Will be expecting full coverage from WTF network.


dangerouspaul Says:

@contador
i was mostly refering to lots of people ( experts, journalists, fellow tennis followers and even friends and family who just can’t wait to see him fall;-)
i am totally with you on this contador..
i don’t get it either how he manages to be so consistent. and he is not like nadal in early rounds no matter what surface- he gives his opponents plenty of chances to beat him .he still gets his act together in the end . ever and ever again. simply amazing


Michael Says:

Federer Vs Soderling will be a very interesting match and I favour Soderling to win despite my being a Federeer fan. Reason is I want a man who can put a good fight against Nadal on Clay and I think Soderling is the man. He did that last year against Nadal and this year too I believe will not be any different if he makes it to the finals. He will definitely give Nadal a run for his money and that will be a dream final. Even though Nadal will be the favourite at 60:40, Soderling can still give him goose bumps. That is not the same with say Federer or Berdych who are more prone to lose against Nadal.


skeezerweezer Says:

Jane,

:) you are sweet. and what are YOU doing up this late. I saw you up early this AM. And I get Cr@p for being here early and late! LOL


Michael Says:

Federer semi-final streak will surely be disturbed if he doesn’t make it against Soderling. But all good things need to come to an end and Federer definitely has good chances at Wimbledon and US Open where he will be the favourite for sure. I just do not want him to go all the way to the finals and lost against Nadal. I cannot bear that humiliation any longer. As a GOAT, he deserves more respect.


sheila Says:

if fed loses to soderling or somehow gets thru soderling and loses to berdych in sf, then i think that will open the door to other players that federer is now beatable @ a gs event. 12-0 record against soderling means nothing because soderling is a different player from even a yr ago. i hope w/all my heart, roger somehow gets thru the qtrs and semis. hes going to have 2b serving extremely well & i think he needs to use all of his variety shot making to upset soderlings rhythm. tall order. and as far as im concerned murray & federer had a much more difficult draw than djokovic & nadal. verdasco & almagro were considered nadals obstacles and those 2 have the game 2beat nadal, but not the belief. excuse the expression, but they are pussies when it comes to playing nadal. they both go in w/the attitude that nadal isnt beatable. with almagros ground strokes he should be a threat to nadal, but his lack of belief and lack of consistency will be his downfall. bellucci is so inconsistent & maybe djokovic can give nadal a run for his money, but that doubtful. even if federer made it to the final, and i am a fanatical federer fan, he doesnt have the belief he win nadal although i think hes got the game to beat nadal. nadals aura remains & federers has diminished & thats because hes lost to so many different players this year. i hope w/all my heart roger comes out the last man standing. what a beautiful thing that would be. btw how is it possible that if djokovic were to win fo he would take #1 ranking. i don’t understand that but i read that was a possibility?


Michael Says:

I was very fortunate to watch last year’s match of Nadal against Soderling and what a match that turned out to be. I never seen any guy make Nadal clueless on his favourite surface so far and Soderling did that exactly. That is the reason I favour Soderling in clay against Nadal. Remember he did what even the GOAT cannot do in four meetings against Nadal in the Paris Premier. So, I want Soderling badly in the finals. But for that to happen he should win against Federer and unfortunately Federer proved to be his nemesis so far on any surface. Federer winning against Soderling will make it very easy for Nadal who will heave a sigh of relief. Nadal will prefer Federer over Soderling and that is for sure. He will be cheering for Federer against Soderling.


skeezerweezer Says:

@Michael

Soda. I agree that Soda might have a better chance. HOWEVER, Fed has surprised a lot of people in FO, his play is rising, and is typical of his GS runs, so I for one really can’t count him out. His motivation? Think about it. He can make a run at Rafa and lose but if he wins another 2-3 slams so what? BUT, IF, he wins, the doubters will shut up even more. Timing is ripe. I think he is playing well, has the variety to beat Soda again, which Soda has not seen this tourney. Sure if you bang with Soda, it’s gonna be tough. But Fed didn’t do that last FO against Soda and I expect him to at least try the same this time. Variety with timed power. We will see :)

@ Michael

Rafa vs Soda. We all have seen that match. If Fed hasn’t seen it he is a fool. Don’t lose hope IF Fed gets to the final. He is a smart dude. He wouldn’t have 16 Gs if he wasn’t. On the other hand, personal message to Fed, don’t be so stubborn headed with your game against Rafa!


sar Says:

Now that Bryans are out, I am hoping for a N&Z win.

Jane, whatever happened to Frank Dancevic?


sar Says:

revenge

kanepi, bondarenko, hantuchova,shvedova, stosur all beat jj the last time they met. if she can beat shvedova and stosur beats serena…..nah. too much of a coincidence.


Michael Says:

Skeezerweezer, You can never discount a great Champion like Federer. But unfortunately at the Premier Clay Court event, Federer it seems has no clue against Nadal’s style of play. Sure, he lost in other surfaces too. But those were close matches and a ding dong battle. Remember they have met four times (3 finals and one semis) and Federer could not even stretch the match to five sets once. That is the way Rafa has dominated Federer on Clay. Every time they meet at France, Rafa wins even before the match has begun simply because Federer starts with a defeatist mood. I do not know whether things will be any different this time around if at all the Federer Vs Nadal rematch happens. Moreover, if Federer reaches the final and loses against Nadal, critics will be questioning his 2009 French Open and calling it as a fluke with a victory achieved due to the absence of Nadal. So, Federer has more at stake if he goes all the way to the finals than Nadal. I do not know whether he can withstand that pressure and to beat Nadal on Clay, you must counter his heavy top spin. I just do not know whether Federer has that weapon of key importance. His backhand becomes the villian whenever he faces Nadal.


skeezerweezer Says:

@Michael

So true. So true. But Fed is a mystery. Did you expect him to win AO? He is playing well this FO and if he doesn’t win, but takes a couple of more slams on his way to retirement, who cares? Rafa, as great as he is, unless he wins A LOT more slams, can only hang his hat on “Clay” and “I beat Fed”. Matchups are not the governing determination on greatness in tennis. If they were, then Soda right now belongs in history greatness….no?


Michael Says:

@ Skeezerweezer, To be fair to Nadal, his pretty good success against Federer especially has never gone to his head and he has always held Federer and his game in great esteem despite his favourable record against him. Even two days back in one fo the interviews, when a man was asking about his favourable H2H against Federer, he just answered that he doesn’t know about Tennis. As I said, sky is the limit for Federer, he can go on and on and win more Grand Slams. He already has become the benchmark to scale for future players. But unfortunately the one glitch (if I might call it) in his career is his meek submission to Nadal at Roland Garros which Nadal clinically took it forward to other surfaces as well. It is more a psychological work he played against Federer and that worked.


Jack Says:

I donot get this negativity from the so-called Federer fans. Almagro has a better chance of making the semi-finals than Soderling. Federer has made 18 GS finals in last 19. to put that in perspective, Sampras made 18GS finals in his life. Look at the guys who have beaten in slams since he won his 1st grandslam.

Nalbandian, Safin, Rafa, Djokovic and delpotro. Soderling is a few notches below these guys in the talent quotient. Ofcourse stranger things have happened, but people who predict soderling will tomorrow are just hopeless paranoid fed-fans (i wonder how such fans can exist. if you really have been inspired by the way the great man plays, how can you shake in your boots, whenever the stakes, rise? come on people, learn something from the Master!) and the other set are people who “hope” to see federer decline for whatever reason. It is easy to say ” I am a federer fan and blabber all nonsense you want to say” I will show you how it is done –

I am a nadal fan and I think Federer was justified in calling him a one-dimensional limited player. I can type up more cr@p but the nadal fans will start swooning if i type anymore.

and also, even if fed loses tomorrow, there is another streak that is alive – 24 GS qfs :)


Skeezerweezer Says:

Ok. Being Fair to Rafa. He beats Fed. He owns him. So what would Rafa fans say in reverse? What if Rafa had 16 GS going on possibly 18-20 slams? But H2H he loses to Fed? You see, it all depends on the glass your looking through.,,,,,then the Fed fans would be saying ….you know what!

Rafa fans are blind except that he beats Fed.

Do they know that since 2008 Fed has been in 8 of 9 GS FINALS? That is crazy! And before that, he was in 10 straight GS Finals! Crazier! Who is in second to that? I don’t know but was told 4. 4!, The closest player to that record was 4 GS finals. Friggin amazin! So, outside of rafa’s ownership of Fed, what has he done on his own besides beating Fed? Bring it.

Believe me I agree and wish fed had a better H2H record against Rafa. But tennis ISN’T about matchups in the record books. Show me in tennis HISTORY that it matters? Laver was considered the GOAT for decades? Did it matter what his win/loss record was against certain players? Did anybody care to research it? No historian went there. How about Sampras? No. In the end,,,after 10 years from now if Feds records are not broken, the GS titles will be the most important. Oh, I am sure they will bring up Rafa, but unless Rafa EARNS his titles against ALL players, not one, and ALL surfaces, in GS tourneys, he will go down like “Clay Court specialists” before him but had more success in this time due to the slowing down of all surfaces. This is proof as all Clay courters now are doing well on Grass & H/C as they have slowed down grass and H/C. Fact. Out


Duro Says:

Marija, God bless you, ha ha ha! Way to go, girl!


Michael Says:

Skeezerweezer, Rafa is an all court player and he is not the kind of Kuerten or Sergei Brugera who were one court and one dimensional players. Three consecutive finals at Wimbledon demonstrates the ability of Nadal and proves that he is not just restricted to Clay Courts. Moreover, his win at the Australian Open against Federer also lends more credence to Nadal’s ability as an all court player. Ofcourse, we can say that he is not as dominating in other Courts as he is on Clay. Out of his 17 Masters Titles win, 15 have been on Clay. All said and done, as you rightly said H2H doesn’t count at all and it is the number of Grand slams and tournaments that you win which ultimately prevails and Federer is miles ahead of Nadal. However, Nadal is just 23 and still counting. We need to evaluate him only when he finishes his career. Federer too has three more years to go.


Huh Says:

I’m not at all concerned about Fed beating Sampras’s 286-weeks No.1 record. As much as I like Fed, I won’t at all mind seeing Sod beating him. Sod was the one who beat Rafa and stopped him at RG, he could play that great tennis in FO 09, it was UNBELIEVABLE from every point of view. Beating a great champion is no ordinary thing, that too a champ of Rafa’s stature at the RG! Soderling deserves much more than just a 2009 RG runners-up plate. Fed being my no.1 guy, I would at this point like either Fed to go all the way (especially as Muzza and Rod are out of this FO already) and if not Fed, it should be Soderling. It would make me really happy to see Sod winning RG, he probably deserves at least one FO title for doing an almost impossible task of beating Rafa here. It would not be fair to a very good player like Sod to again suffer a loss at Fed’s hand.

By the way, make no mistake, I again repeat that I’m a HUGE Fed fan. However, even if Fed loses to Sod today, I would have nothing to lament about it, coz Fed’s done it all and then some for me. As a fan, I continue to marvel at Federer, he’s that GODDAMN BRILLIANT! And those who think that if Fed loses his No.1 position this year, he may never again get a chance to pass Pete’s 286 week record stay at top, are probably forgetting that it is highly unlikely that Fed would be stopped by the other guys from reclaiming his No.1 back for long. I believe Fed’s so good that if he stays fit, he can be No.1 even at the age of 30-31, so no need to be overly worried about Fed losing his stay at No.1. Not that he needs it, but eventually Fed may break Pete’s record. Moreover, to be honest, falling a few weeks short of Pete’s record is suddenly not going to damage Fed’s legacy IMHO.

Last but not the least re.Fed-Sod match,

MAY THE BEST MEN WIN!

ALLEZ ROGER!!!

COME ON SOD!!!


Michael Says:

Spot on Huh. I too want Soderling to win this year’s French open. Last year, he beat some of the best players on Clay like Nadal, Gonzalez, Ferrer, Davydenko etc. but in the finals lost to Federer. He deserved to win last time around just for beating the unbelievable Nadal along the way. But that was not bound to happen and Federer consumed him. This time around I want him badly at the finals just to give Rafa the shivers.


Huh Says:

Hi Conty! :P :)

I would hate to see Fed losing to Berdych here, of course if they both can get that far that is.


Huh Says:

Michael:

Thanks for your reponse, but I don’t think Rafa’d at all shiver at the sight of anyone including Sod at RG/any other slam.


Huh Says:

Michael:

BTW, I’m glad to see that you also want Sod to win a FO. :D


Michael Says:

Huh, I know well that Nadal is not the kind to be afraid of anyone. But this year, I believe that if any player has got some chance against Rafa it is only Soderling. The last year’s win would surely have an psychological effect on Rafa which would not be the case if it is any other player. Even against Soderling, Rafa will be highly favoured to win. I would rate 60-40 his chances against Soderling. However, against any other player including Federer it would be 75:25.


blah Says:

I actually would say Del Potro could have that effect on Nadal if he’s healthy. And to call Nadal a clay court specialist is idiotic. Even with the slowed down surfaces. That’s like not counting Fed’s wins as legitimate wimbledon wins because they are way slowed down from the 80s and 90s.


blah Says:

And obviously the six matches leading up to each of his six slam wins on three different surfaces do not count as earning his titles against all players. Running into Fed and beating him in grandslam finals, would only further prove he’s only a clay court and federer specialist.

Oh yeah. Fact. Out. That makes my post sound better, right?


Huh Says:

Michael:

Against Sod, I’d give Rafa 90%chance and against this Fed, I’d give Rafa 99% chance.
Against Nole, I give Rafa a >100% chance!


blah Says:

This back and forth fed nadal is so old. I am almost hoping it’s a Djokovic Soderling final, but then I am sure others will find some way to turn it into a fed has more slams but Nadal have the H2H argument. oh well.


Huh Says:

It’s ridiculous to say that Rafa’s just a clay court specialist. I don’t know how many defeats of Fed in the WIM & AO/USO at his hand would make people finally begrudingly accept that Rafa’s more than just a clay-courter!


Jack Says:

why would any tennis player be afraid of another tennis player? the worst that could happen is losing a tennis match.

fear is what the christians felt when they were thrown to the lions.

all this sportsmen being afraid of other sportsmen is hogwash. i know rafa fans would like to think federer shivers when he hears rafa’s name, but sorry not happening. there maybe hatred but definitely no fear especially from a guy who chokes on a banana…..


Michael Says:

Huh, Wimbledon and Australian Open are right, but where did Roger met Rafa at the US Open ?


Jack Says:

djokovic and soderling final? really? maybe you should hope pigs fly out of your @$$, more likely that would happen than a djokovic soderling final.


Michael Says:

Huh, 90%, 99%, over 100% – All these percentages count for nothing. It is the percentage play that matters and what will decide the fate is how well you play on a given day. Afterall, Tennis is often decided by a few big points this way or other. Obviously Rafa is the favourite given the spell of dominance he has weaved over the years except for last year. But Soderling, Djokovic and Federer are not easy meat. If Rafa’s level drops a little bit, then they are sure to pounce upon him. Moreover, with the win last year, Soderling proved to the Tennis World that Rafa is beatable on Clay.


gabsvamos Says:

It’s incredible to me that all of you still talk about Sodabeating Rafa last year like he did something really special. Let us not forget that Rafa had tendonitis in both knees and had played 5 straight weeks of fantastic tennis. As for Rafa just being a clay court player, three Wmbledon finals and an AO win contradict your theories. Rafa could still be the greatest of al time, he is just about to turn 24 and already has 18 Masters and 6 GS. By the time he’s Federer’s age I don’t doubt his record will be just as impressive of not more so.

Vamos Rafa!


Huh Says:

I know that I shouldn’t have commented on this, but faster surfaces would only favour Fed more, if that were the case. Look no more beyond the USO and Tennis year end championships. Fed has 4 year end-titles, Nadal not even one final. That said , I m by no means intendin to put down Rafa here, he’s done amazing things right now, but facts are facts, faster surfaces of old times would have favoured Fed a hell lot more against Rafa. Rafa has hardly won a title on a super-fast surface. And Fed had hardly not won a GS in the RG. ;)

Of course there’s one thing which IMO woulda happened if the status quo of the surfaces of 90s continued upto now, and that’s neither Rafa’d have made multiple WIM finals nor would Fed have made multiple RG finals. The uniformity of surfaces have certainly made adjusting from cly to grass that much more easier. There’s a reason why Wilander/Lendl never won WIM(reaching a WIM final in itself took a Herculean effort form them, let alone win it!) nor Pete/McEnroe/Becker/Edberg win the FO/even reached final(Mc reached there thou, proves his greatness), AND these guys were no journeymen either. Anyway, don’t wanna stir the pot here. East everyone, enjoy if you can! ;)


Huh Says:

“gabsvamos Says:
It’s incredible to me that all of you still talk about Sodabeating Rafa last year like he did something really special. Let us not forget that Rafa had tendonitis in both knees”

Again hear the excuse for Rafa’s butt getting kicked by Sod, haha. But oh, Fed fans bring up more excuses right? ;)
Shame on Fed fans and kudos to the ever graceful Nadal fans. ;)
And the funniest thing ever to be heard is some Rafa fan saying that beating Rafa at RG itself was nothing special and nobody got surprised, but to tell yoy the truth it’s one of the upsets of Tennis history and probably the upset of the last 50 nyears or so. But then, may be his crystal balls are too powerful and shows him things which we can only disbelief(in this case Rafa’s inevitable loss at RG as it happened last year)! Oh well, oh well indeed! :D


Mr T Says:

I agree with earlier comments. If we had the courts of the 80’s and 90’s we wouldn’t even see Nadal in the final of USO, Wimb & AO. Also Lendl would probably have notched up a wimbledon title


Michael Says:

All these speculations about whether Nadal would have won Wimbledon and Australian Open in the 80s and 90s serve no valid purpose. In the same way, we can also argue that Lendl would not have won US Open, French and Australian if he had played now when the Courts are perceived to be slower blah blah. All said and done, the game is very fast today and the players more agile, swift, fit and fast than yesteryears. The competition is very intense today than it was a decade ago. Today, the competition hots up till the top 100 when earlier we had only the 15 best players competing fiercely. In such intense competition, we must appreciate the supremacy being established by Federer (in Courts except Clay where he stands next to Nadal) and Nadal (especially on Clay and other Courts too to an extent). A player can be called Great only if he is an all court player. On the basis of that thinking, Sampras is ruled out in the All time Greats in my dictionary simply because he was a novice in Clay Courts which is the important surface according to me.


Michael Says:

I just pity those who compare Sampras with Federer. They cannot simply be compared because Sampras record in Clay Courts is awful to say the least. He made the semi finals of French just once to be eliminated in earlier rounds in most of his vain attempts. Bottom line is Sampras just couldn’t play on Clay Courts which is a big handicap. Clay Court is one of the best surface in Tennis and if you are unable to master it, you forfeit your right to be called as a Great player despite your Supremacy in other Courts. This way I consider even Nadal to be above Sampras simply because he is an All court player. Comparing Federer and Sampras is like comparing Gold with Silver. Just cannot be compared. Federer is just too good compared to Sampras.


Huh Says:

Michael:

I don’t agree that the competeition these days are much stronger than they were ten years ago. Are you really kidding??!! Those were the days of ‘The Pete Sampras’, Agassi, Guga Kuerten, prime Hewitt, young volatile Safin, Rafter, Ivanisevic etc!! So many hall of famers still not enough for you guys and you are claiming that today with Nole, DP, Rod, Muzza, Tsonga, Cilic etc. the competition is stronger than those days? YOU SURELY CANNOT BE SERIOUS! Anyway, these things draw a lot of controversy, so I’m not gonna speak further on this topic. Let’s move on and happily leave this discussion behind. And by the way, why wouldn’t Lendl win multiple slams on today’s slower courts at AO, USO, WIM especially when everybody and his brother might be knowing he won slams not just on VERY fast courts but was also crazy good on red clay(his FAVE surface)? But as I said, let’s move on. Regards.

And by the way, no matter what you say, what you think, what you feel, what you do and what you argue:
PETE SAMPRAS IS ‘THE MAN’ even NOW, just like ROGER FEDERER.
If Sampras is not Great, who else is?

NO KIDDING HERE!


Huh Says:

Michael:

By the way, I liked it when you were defending Fed, so you are welcome for your opinions. Feel free to speak on matches and stuff regarding players’ form, their progress etc, but we have to leave the controversial things behind us. Coz none else knows better than me as to how ugly things get here! :/

Enjoy the FO.


Michael Says:

Huh, How do you say the competition is weak today when compared to the early and late 90s ? You have listed out some players. But players like Hewitt, Safin acquired prominence only after 2000 and not before that. They were just in their teens when Sampras and Agassi were at their peak. But apart from that you have listed out Kuerten who is basically a Clay Court player. So even from your own list, the competition it appears was very weak then. Ivanisevic was just fit for Wimbledon and nothing else. Now look at today’s era and look at the top 15 players. Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray, Del Potro, Roddick, Soderling, Verdasco, Tsonga, Gonzalez, Monfils etc. It is looking pretty hot at the top with no space to breathe. More importantly, most of them are all court players. Now if we even go way down, you will find some of the best players competing fiercely. Despite this, if you claim that Tennis today boasts of a weak era, then what can I say ? Last but not the least, any day I would put Borg above Sampras simply because he was an all court player unlike Sampras.


Michael Says:

Huh, Nothing serious. It is just a discussion and it will proceed smoothly if we take it sportingly. Afterall such discussions enlighten us more about the game in general.


Huh Says:

Michael:

The fact is that everybody including legends and experts compare Sampras with Federer, no absurdity here. By the way, it’s not that Sampras alone didn’t win the FO, neither did JMc, Connors, Becker, Edberg et al. But they’re also legends regardless of what you or I or anyone else might think, it’s just that Sampras was a better player than all the above stated ones. Pete has won WIM 7 times and 7 HC slams, not exactly a terrible record or something. And of course he was GREAT coz he finished year end No.1 six times, 286 weeks as No.1, is still the “KING OF WIMBLEDON”, by far the most prestigious slam in tennis history. Who cares if he couldn’t win a FO, FO after all is only the 3rd most important slam. Period.


Michael Says:

About this Lendl talk, nodoubt he was a great player and a performer on all Courts including Clay. It is just that I was just countering an argument that Nadal would not have won today had he played in the 80s and 90s. My point is we cannot indulge in pure speculation. We must see things as they are.


Michael Says:

Huh, I just stated that it was only my opinion that Sampras is not Great simply because he is not an all court player like say Federer or Borg or even Laver. You mentioned about some of the players like Connors, Becker and Edberg. I do not think Becker or Edberg will find a place in the All time Great list as their achievements are little. Regarding Connors, atleast he has won the US Open when it was played on Clay and he did give Borg many tough fights even on Clay. Can you say the same thing about Sampras ? His record at the French Open is dismal to say the least and as per your own words it is the third most important tournament in Tennis and part of a Grand Slam. Ofcourse his greatness at Wimbledon cannot be questioned and he was rightly titled “King of Grass”. But it stops with that. He just couldn’t master the Clay Courts as Federer has done or even some of the yester players like Borg, Mcenroe etc. Ofcourse he was No.1 for 286 weeks and that is a tremendous achievement. However, do you know his performance at the French, just one semi-final. To be classified in the all time Great list, you certainly need something extra. Federer, Borg, Laver has that, Sampras hasn’t.


Polo Says:

Oh, we are back to the Federer is the greatest-Federer is not the greatest debate. If Federer would not be accepted to be the greatest by everyone, at least he is the one most talked about whenever the “greatest” topic comes up. Even if you pick another player, Federer’s name automatically gets mentioned. He has become the yardstick* with which everybody else’s achievement is measured. As a Federer fan, that is good enough for me.

* = I wanted to use gold standard but some people may complain.


Michael Says:

Polo, that debate about Federer being the Greatest will rage on and on simply because there is no barometer for judging the greatest. It is best left to individual opinion which might differ. But looking at the overall record, it seems Federer has no competition and if he still adds to his list of 16, the claim of his being “The Greatest” will further cement itself.


Michael Says:

Now who is the King of Clay – Nadal or Borg ? My choice would fall on Nadal simply because the records speak for themselves.


Polo Says:

The best way to pick the greatest is to use the most objective barometer. That would be by the counting the one that all professional players covet the most, Grand Slam wins. You cannot argue numbers. Whoever has the most is the best. You can argue until you turn blue but until there is another player with 16 majors, Federer is it for me. When Nadal or anybody else also accumulates 16, then we can choose the nest best objective parameter. Speculations and all kinds of subjective parameters are for dreamers.


Polo Says:

Michael, Borg has 6 French titles while Nadal has only 4 so far. When he wins his sixth, he can have that mythical title. Nobody will argue that. But only until then.


Michael Says:

Polo, About that Borg 6 and Nadal 4 at the French. I just do not look at the narrow prism of French Open alone when I talk about total domination. Look at the Masters titles in Clay, Nadal has almost everything year after year and that he takes for granted. Montecarlo -6, Rome -5, Madrid -3, barcelona – 4 etc. etc. Simply Borg didn’t have such domination in Clay Court. He was impeccable in Roland Garros. Nodoubt about that. But the Masters Titles just do not add up when compared to Nadal and to top it all, Nadal is just 23.


Gordo Says:

Ah, I love this site.

Why is it when Soderling speaks with confidence of his chances of beating Federer there are cries of “That’s the attitude we want to see from the Swede – now he is learning how to win!” but when Djokovic speaks with confidence of his chances of beating Rafa we hear what a moron he is?

And yeah – if Fed loses the #1 ranking to Rafa he will never pass the Sampras record for most weeks at #1 – from all of you who said Federer should retire after the AO 2009 – in case you haven’t noticed the grand slam total score since then is Federer 3, Rafa 0.

It looks like Fed may lose the #1 ranking before the summer, but don’t discount him coming back and reclaiming it again.

This Rafa-Roger thing is going to last a long time – and we should all be thankful.


Huh Says:

Michael:

You said in your post that competition today is much stronger than a decade ago. That’s why I gave the list. Of course we’re going to consider 2000-2009 as the last decade, no?
The competition during the 90s was also rock solid IMO. The mere fact that Sampras was the King then and many other great players, Becker and guys like that 4 times slam winner American guy whose name I can’t recall, Edberg (in great shape at least upto 1992), Moya, Guga and other guys.


Gordo Says:

Michael and Polo – interesting discussion about Rafa vs Borg.

You should remember that Rome, Madrid, Monte Carlo and even Barcelona were not the prestige tournaments when Borg played that they are today.

So I think – and Uncle Tony has said this as well – when Rafa wins his 6th RG he can lay claim to being the best dirt baller of all time. Before then it is a smidge premature.


ánima Says:

Hi,

I’ve been following this website for a while and I must say it’s a great tennis blog. Many contributors with different favourite players.
As for the coming matches, Almagro will provide a good test for Nadal. He won’t be easy. I don’t know about Djokovic, I feel he is unpredictable at this moment.
On the other side, Soderling can beat Federer, but I don’t know if he is mentally fit for that.
I feel that Federer will harder to beat for Nadal than Soderling. The latter won the match of his life last year, but he is not a great contender, just a good player.
I hope to see another Roger/Rafa final.


Huh Says:

Exactly, until Rafa surpasses or at least matches the Borg FO tally, he can’t be called the Greatest clay-courter.


Polo Says:

This is how I gauge the players as to how “great” they are. This is my personal list of parameters. It is objective and very uncomplicated. I am happy with it.

Level A: Number of Grand Slam titles. This is the supreme parameter that supercedes everything else. Winner here is the best and there is no need to turn to the next level…unless there is a tie.

Level B: Number of Masters titles.

So far, I have no need to create another level since I hardly even use Level B. I used this only once when Federer equaled Sampras record.


Huh Says:

Michael:

It’s ok, no problem with u. The discussion with you is interesting and indeed we each have our own way of looking at things, that’s good. Post to u later.


Michael Says:

Huh, Each era is different. You just cannot compare them. But what is evident is that the game is getting more intense and competitive than ever before with the prize money and prestige involved. This motivates the younger generation to take up Tennis which has resulted in such stiff competition nowadays. What is intolerable is calling this era as weak and the earlier ones strong. Nonenetheless such arguments keep coming on. When Sampras was playing his detractors were claiming that he was luck to be in a weak era compared to the Borg/Mcenroe/Connors/Lendl/Wilander period. Therefore such arguments continue for ever – like it or not.


Huh Says:

Polo:

Yeah, GS is the most practical method and as you say, objective method of measuring greatness, I don’t dsagree with it, we have actually very few options other than the GS tally to overall judge the place of a player in history. I can live with it.


Michael Says:

Polo, To compete for the title of GOAT, number of grand slam tournaments are important plus the Masters and other smaller tournaments. Federer has just the perfect combination in every department. His Masters series wins are evenly distributed unlike Nadal which is predominantly Clay and to top it all he has won the World Series which is ranked next to Slams a record four times. That cements his claim of being THE GREATEST even more stronger. Remember Nadal has not even won once the World series Masters.


Michael Says:

Huh, Thanks. I too felt this debate with you very engrossing and interesting.


Polo Says:

Thanks everyone for our interesting discussion. Now let us turn to more interesting stuff, the matches at the French which will start soon. This should be interesting and fun. Enjoy, everyone!


Kimo Says:

Huh said:

“Who cares if he couldn’t win a FO, FO after all is only the 3rd most important slam”

Actually that depends on who you ask. If it’s a European or an Asian, he’ll say RG is the 2nd most important slam. If you ask someone from the Americas, US Open is the 2nd most important slam.

But who cares? A slam is a slam no matter where you win it. Sampras has 7 HC slams, which is 2nd all time. That’s definitely a great accomplishment. The field is much bigger on hard courts because everybody can play on hard courts, so winning 7 is pretty special. No everyone can play on grass or on clay, but does that making winning Wimbledon or Roland Garros any less impressive?

In the Rafa-Sampras debate, if you ask me who’s the GREATER player, right now it’s Pete. If you ask me who’s the better rounded tennis player, I’d say Rafa. So who wins? Pete, coz he got the numbers that Rafa doesn’t have right now. Dominating one surface is a helluva thing, but it can’t be allowed to define you. Right now Rafa is defined by his clay dominance more than his Wimbledon or his Australian. Until he shakes off that reputation, he’s not even in contention with names like Wilander, Lendl, Borg, Agassi, et al.


Kimo Says:

Wozniacki needs to develop some firepower or she will never even sniff a slam. All she does is put the ball back in play. That is ALL she does. That’s not good enough.


Daniel Says:

and crosscourt Kimo, all the time.


Daniel Says:

Fed came to play today, drop shots, backhand winners, serve…


blank Says:

Federer and his breakpointophobia. When will this end.


Kimo Says:

Roger is holding very easily.


Daniel Says:

blank, one was an ace and the other a drop which Soda returned really deep preventing Fed passing shot. It’s not the-can’t-return-second-serve Nadal like.


Skeezerweezer Says:

HQ tennis so far…


i am it Says:

Hello X friends,
In brief, Federer plays tennis, not a junk baller.
Go Federer !


blank Says:

Thanks Daniel. I just see the scores and I am a bit mad that I am not able to watch.


jane Says:

Fed started strong. He moves better than Soda. Soda was at 44% first serves but is up to 52%, probably needs to do better than that to hang with Roger.

Hi sar, Dancevic is ranked in the 160s. He’s been injured since last summer, but he’s returning to play during the grass season, so if he qualifies, we may see him at Wimbledon. He likes faster surfaces so he decided to delay his comeback from injury until after Paris.


jane Says:

Wow Dementieva just served Petrova a bagel in the third set. Wouldn’t it be something if Elena finally won a slam!?


Kimo Says:

jane, she surely deserves one.


Daniel Says:

Another ace on break point. Soda is steady today!


Kimo Says:

Roger breaks. You could see it coming.


Daniel Says:

Break! Soda pounds Fed backhand and come to the net in a slice only to voley out when changing directions. Soda felt in Fed’s trap.


Polo Says:

Not with Blank. Hahaha!


jane Says:

Fed gets the break; he knows precisely how to play Soda, matches up well with him. The drop shot is working very well. Soda barely can reach it. Plus lots of ‘forced” errors so far.


Daniel Says:

I think Fed only conceive 3 points on serve.


Kimo Says:

Total domination from Fed in that first set.


Skeezerweezer Says:

Wow. Presently, we are in the FED ZONE…..:)


Jack Says:

haha! djokovic-soderling final! i cant stop laughing!


i am it Says:

Soderling looks tense and nervous, resulting in over/underhits. Add to that his poor serve today. It already looks like he is looking for more a respectable exit than a win.


Polo Says:

I think Dementieva is beautiful.


ánima Says:

I think Federer is in Soderling’s mind… Nothing can fix that.

Youznhy vs Berdych will be hard to predict. Berdych in four?…


Kimo Says:

16 winners to 3 unforced errors!!! WOW.


Jack Says:

fed doesn’t look like he wants to give even a set, today! he is totally prepared for the match. :)


Kimo Says:

All of a sudden Roger can’t buy a first serve!


Polo Says:

Hold the laughter for now. It will mean more later.


Daniel Says:

Fed’s firts set numbers:
77% first serves in
16 winner
3 unforced errors.
This is the best set he plays all year in a deep stage.


Skeezerweezer Says:

shaky service game om Fed…


Jack Says:

looks like Sean just took over my id ;) fed gets broken as soon as he said fed wouldn’t lose the set.

Sean – stop doing that. it is not funny! lol

for people who are dumb, i am just kidding, dont accuse sean of any privacy violations, please!


jane Says:

Soda is warming up a little now, but it’s only one break and still too many errors from his end. Also he’s still at only 52% first serves and 3 double faults already. The same thing happened in the Wawa match and Fed got the break back.


Gannu Says:

Oh God fedex is playing a bad second set… Come on Federer.. please win this in straight sets..!!! Too many things at stake.. No 1 record of pete sampras..


Polo Says:

This year, I have seen Federer win the first set convincingly then fade away unexplicably to lose the match. So I never celebrate until it is over.


blank Says:

Polo, I am with you on that one! I think she is very beautiful and I want her to win this. This may be her best chance. Hope Serena is worn out if she gets to the end.


jane Says:

I’m with everyone hoping for a Dementieva win. I like JJ too, but Dementieva has been around longer and has worked very hard to improve her game, so I’m hoping she’ll win this slam. Blank why can’t you watch today? Work? It’s on TSN2.


Jack Says:

polo:

grandslams and masters series are like chalk and cheese. fed has been fading away in 3setters since 2007. yet he is beyond reach in GS. you have to crazy talent to get him. and no one with less than 3FO have beaten him since 2003 at french open. (i know nadal had 0 GS in 2005 etc, but you get my point i hope.


dangerouspaul Says:

the absolute typical federer is having breakpoint 30:40, not converting it and getting broken the next game..it’s the same against everyone but worse against rafa


jane Says:

Berdy is up a break now on Youz, 2-1 first set.


jane Says:

Rain rain go away! : (


blank Says:

jane – it’s the work :-(

For this reason and many more I’d love to be out in the west.


Polo Says:

I get your point Jack. But I am superstitious. I don’t like counting chicks until they are hatched. If Nadal can lose to Soderling last year at the French, why couldn’t Federer lose, too? Just because you have history on your side does not mean it will never change.

I still hope for a Federer win, of course.


Gannu Says:

Really getting worried abt Federer.. Hope he somehow manages to pull this set…


pro rafa Says:

soderling 1 game away from making federer drop a set 4 the first time in THIS french open…..
game on
go soderling!!!


Polo Says:

Looks like Federer is going to drop the second set. Sad already.


Daniel Says:

I am starting to get worried about Soda’s serve.


Daniel Says:

Even.


Kimo Says:

Well that set was no cause for alarm. Fed just had one sloppy service game.


Polo Says:

Now that Soderling has leveled the match at one set a piece. This has become a three set match. Arggh!!!


Jack Says:

polo:

it is about the match-up. soda almost beat nadal a couple of years back at wimby. he has never won 2 sets against roger.

take heart. fedal final. pencil it down and keep repeating when you lose heart. lol…


Polo Says:

I will take your word Jack. Is it to early to take a swig?


blank Says:

Jack, I want to believe what you are saying.

But this year has been the year when Fed is gifting one to all those who’ve never won a match against him. As much as I hate to admit it, it’s only a matter of time before it catches up with him in a slam. Here’s hoping not.


jane Says:

blank, come on out! I live in TO for 5 years and then moved out to this coast; definitely a very different vibe. Anyhow, the match should be on replay later.

Is that the first set Soda has ever won over Fed? If so, well kudos to him. That’s something for him to feel good about even if he loses; he is getting closer.

Berdych is maintaining his lead so far: 4-2.


Daniel Says:

Well, Fed will have to hang in and wait Soda have a bad service game. Serving firts when the set closes to the end can be an advantage for Fed.


Polo Says:

Oh, Blank, did have to say that? I have been trying to repress that feeling about Federer and his game this year. And Soderling is playing inceasingly better in inverse proportion to Federer. Now I really have to take a swig.


Jack Says:

polo:

never too early for a swig or a SWING ;)

blank:

roger wins in 4 :)

jane:

this is the 2nd set soda has won over fed. he won his 1st at usopen 2010


Huh Says:

“Kimo Says:
Huh said:

“Who cares if he couldn’t win a FO, FO after all is only the 3rd most important slam”

Actually that depends on who you ask. If it’s a European or an Asian, he’ll say RG is the 2nd most important slam. If you ask someone from the Americas, US Open is the 2nd most important slam.”

No, it’s actually not dependent on the whims and fancies of Europeans or Americans, the hierarchy/gradation of slams, that is. Wimbledon’s the oldest slam, thus also the most prestigious. Then follows USO, the 2nd oldest slam, that’s why also the 2nd most prestigious. FO being only the 3rd oldest is only the 3rd most prestigious. And AO is the most recent and has to be considered the least important.


jane Says:

Polo it’s a little early for ‘swigging’ – unless you mean coffee?

I forgot Soda took a set off Fed at the USO last year. Today both are serving very well but waaaay more errors for Soda.


Gannu Says:

I hope fed keeps holding and some how breaks sod’s serve….


blank Says:

jane, I’d love to be there. I lived near Los Angeles for about 3 years several years ago. I’d go to BC in a flash if there was an opportunity!

Polo, Looking at the scores Fed isn’t in a bad shape here. He has his nose up and if he breaks, the set is over in a flash. Let me suppress my other thoughts for now :-)

Thanks for the reassurance Jank. Hope Fed really tries to make it that way – win in 4.


blank Says:

Sorry Jack. Misspelled your name.


Ben Pronin Says:

This doesn’t look like one of Federer’s give-away matches by any means. They’re both playing very well and it’s nice to see such a high quality match. This third set is really important but I feel like Federer is on his way to victory but Soderling can still steal it.


Kimo Says:

Huh, older does not mean more important. Most people don’t even know when exactly when the four slams started.

Roger found his groove on serve again.


Polo Says:

I have calmed down (without that swig). I am watching this game more objectively now. I just have to enjoy the way both players are playing. They are both playing very well. Whoever wins deserves it…I just hope it would be Federer. Hahaha!


blank Says:

Polo, While you have calmed, I am beginning to get more and more agitated because I am unable to watch. Especially when it’s of such high quality as you guys say.


Huh Says:

Can Demetieva really win the FO? I don’t think so, but it’d the best thing to happen if she does actually win the FO! :)

Now that my two fave ladies Venus and Sharapova’re out, I’d root for Dementieva coz I’m neither a hardcore Serena/Henin fan(needless to say thou that Henin’s already done bye bye to FO).

GO DEMENTIEVA!!!


Polo Says:

blank, keep your spirit with us. It may help our man.


Polo Says:

Oh, boy! Soderling is swinging at that ball with passion and confidence. But Roger still holds. Whew. That’s for you blank.


Ben Pronin Says:

Clutch hold for Federer. Soderling is swinging for the fences. Whoever said Federer would need to serve well in this match hit the nail on the head. Soderling is doing exactly what DelPo did last year, absolutely crushing Fed’s second serve.


Ben Pronin Says:

Roddick just tweeted he’s watching the match and enjoying the quality.


Gannu Says:

Yes Ben.. Now we need federer to somehow break this serve.. come on federer.. madamx u there to cheer our man??? All other fed fans huh, skeex, kimmi, kimo .. hope our man wins..


blank Says:

Polo, Thanks you. If Fed isn’t in a mood to let it slip, then the other person has to play insane tennis in a GS to beat him. Let’s see if Soda can keep the level up, I am sure Fed can.


Huh Says:

KIMO, but in terms of Tennis History, the older the slam the more important, it really’s true. I can’t speak on behalf of others, but what I know from various discussions taking place between tennis experts and tennis greats, it’s what it is.

WIM-Oldest & Greatest
USO-2nd oldest, 2nd greatest
FO-3rd greatest.

Period.

—————

By the way, come on Sod, fight, fight, I don’t want anything less than a great match between him and Fed!
COME ON SOD!


Huh Says:

Hi Gannu! Very nice to see your ethusiasm for Fed. :P :)


Huh Says:

Let the Fed vs Sod be an epic match!


Daniel Says:

Smash lobby, I saw he hit one of those against Roddick in the pass.


Chris Tennis Says:

rain delay coming..


Gannu Says:

Huh are u a fed fan or Sod fan?/ why do u want an epic match?? ;-)My heart cant take that ;-)…


Kimo Says:

Huh said:

“but what I know from various discussions taking place between tennis experts and tennis greats, it’s what it is.”

Guess where most of those experts come from :)

Maybe you’re right, but personally I don’t think the US Open is the 2nd most important slam. Wimbledon is unique. The French Open is unique. To me the US Open is just a glorified Australian Open, which is by no means a bad thing to be, but I’m just saying it’s not as “special” to me as RG or Wimbledon.


dangerouspaul Says:

i hope they continue tomorrow with sunny conditions..it’s too slow for fed..he needs a faster court..sod already has enough firepower to finish the points..it feels like fed is struggeling with the conditions today. so for feds sake i hope they play tomorrow…a pity he could not take advantage of being twice 0-30 in the last 2 service games of the sod. like i said before feds not taking advantage of those moments


Polo Says:

Most players dream of winning Wimbledon. If they cannot, any of the other majors will do. But I think the French and US Open are equally coveted but Americans probably prefer the US Open while the rest of the world will pick the French. Australia probably could be considered good enough if you cannot have any of the others.


Huh Says:

Tennis experts means Bodo, Tignor, Cahlill etc., I have read these guys , also some experts like Amritraj, Alan Wilkins(that’s his name probably). Kimo, no problem if you like FO > USO, but I have seen and heard these guys actually stating the importance of USO being more than the FO, and I feel the same way. Anyway, my opinion has been influenced to a certain extent by them, and also coz of the fact that since USO started 10-20 years earlier than the FO and it automatically implies the American Open has to be more prestigious and the Americans value tennis more than the French, why otherwise they’d be more conscious and eager to start a great tennis tournament earlier than the FO? And the mere fact that Americans have taken far more interest in tennis and produced so many tennis greats automatically must have contributed at least in some way or the other to enhance the position of USO if it already hadn’t gained more weightage being an older premiere tournament in comparison to the FO.


jane Says:

I hate rain delays. What a big hold by Soda to take it to five all. 13 UEs for Fed to 33 by Soda; that could end up being the pivotal stat in this match. Both have hit basically the same amount of aces and Soda 5 more winners, with 42 to Fed’s 37.


skeezerweezer Says:

@Kimo

Wait a sec on the USO. Wasn’t AO more like Wimby until ’87, like Grass? Me thinks it might be the other way around :)


Eric Says:

Guys, this debate over ranking the GSs is ridiculous. Yes, most people would consider Wimbledon the most prestigious because it is by far the oldest and so on, and the AO used to not really count so it’s definitely the least prestigious, but beyond that it’s all opinion. You can consider whatever GS you please the most or least important or interesting; there’s no objective standard. They all attract the same high level of players and play.


Kimo Says:

skeezer, if you’re gonna put it that way, the US Open was like Wimbledon AND the AO until they switched to Har-Tru then hard courts :)

Bodo – American
Tignor – American (and btw I never miss a blog of theirs)
Cahill – Australian who coached Agassi.

You see where I’m going here? Americans like the US Open more. That’s understandable. The atmosphere, the crowd, New York, they’re all quintessentially American. Also, It’s not like Americans are burning up the clay at RG. They tend to, ummm, stink, over there.

More over, when all slams were being played on grass, the French had the courage, the audacity, to play a slam on a very, very different surface from what the overwhelming majority of tennis players were used to in 1928, five decades (there’s history for ya, Huh) before any other slam tried to even consider changing a surface.

But I’m sure 99% of non-Americans would put RG first.


Kimo Says:

Not first, but before the US Open. Wimbledon is clearly the big one.


Huh Says:

Gannu:

I’m a Fed fan, but also a tennis fan. I can’t see some guys alays suffering heartbreaks at the hands of some others, e.g. all the miseries that Fed had already inflicted on Sod/Rod/Muzza etc. or like the humilation that has been meted out by Rafa to Fed. I would like to see Fed turning the tables on Nadal and also Rod/Sod/Muzza turning the tables on Fed at least once. That’s why I can’t root for a straight set victory of Fed over Sod, coz that way I’d also lose the right to lament Fed’s losses to Rafa. One tennis fan IMHO shouldn’t want just a Fed or Rafa to win at FO, I would certainly like to see some new players breaking into limelight by winning slams and thereby ignite the passion for and the flames of excitement in tennis. It was fantastic for me as a Fed fan to see four years of UTTER DOMINATION from Fed during 2004-07 and I’m not complaining about that at all, hell I loved it! :D.

But if Fed wins Wimby for 10 times or Rafa wins FO for 20 times, tennis’d suffer and it’s in no way criminal to want other guys to step up and beat Rafa and Fed at slams, coz then Fed/Rafa’s future victory in GSs would be that much more sweeter for their fans.I hope you understand my point. :)


Huh Says:

Sorry guys: in my previous post alays should be read as always, typing mistake, so again sorry.


Kimo Says:

You make a good point there Huh. Can you imagine how different the tennis world would be if we didn’t have Fed? For starters, Roddick would be a multiple slam winner (with five slams at least), Safin would have won one more Australian Open, Hewitt would have won one more US Open, Djoko would have a US Open, and Phippoussis, Gonzalez, Baghdatis would have been slam winners.

But I’m grateful to live in the time of Roger Federer. It would be a few decades before we see someone like him.


Gannu Says:

I do appreciate your views Huh.. The issue is i am pissed off with the way Nadal keeps jumping up and down and if there is one man who can defeat Nadal in FO final that is fed.. All others have no chance..moreover i want fe dto win this match to break sampras’ record.. i mean it would be extremely tough for fed to regain his No1 if he deosnt win this match and nadak goes onto win the FO…. its really unfair for Fedex to lose the record by just one week… So I hope Fed somehow wins this…


Huh Says:

Kimo:

Are you from America/Europe? I can understand however when you say that Europeans covet the FO > USO. That’s probably one very important thing that I heard people saying today.
————————–
Well, I don’t know about 99% of the non-Americans putting FO over USO especially considering the fact that an overwhelming majority in China and India prefer USO to FO, may be it’s a recent phenomenon here, or may be not!


skeezerweezer Says:

@Eric

Sorry the discussion isn’t you cup of java, but we have a rain delay and rating the slams is a good discussion for some of us. It’s cool to get everybody’s thoughts…


Eric Says:

Not trying to tell anyone what to talk about, but some people are acting like their opinion about the slams is right and everyone else is wrong… just pointing out that there’s no outside standard for deciding which one is the most prestigious or important.


Huh Says:

KIMO:

No amount of giving credit to Fed would suffice for what he had actually done for tennis.

Only ROGER FEDERER can be ‘THE ROGER FEDERER’.
Like you said, I’m also fortunate enough to witness the Federer Effect on tennis.


skeezerweezer Says:

Eric,

Good insight :-)


madmax Says:

rain, rain go away!


skeezerweezer Says:

I wonder if Fed and Soda are havin a beer in the locker room?


jane Says:

I still can’t understand WHY they waited until 2:00 pm to start play today, knowing that rain was very probable in the forecast. Had they begun at noon, there’s a good chance both Fed/Soda and Berdych/Youz would’ve been finished today. Now it’s very questionable. Drag.


Huh Says:

Gannu:

I also believe deep down that Fed is the only guy who can beat Nadal when push comes to shove. None does the task of playing tennis better than Fed right now. Be sure, if Fed vs Rafa happens here again, my mind and my heart both would go out to Fed and root for him! :D


Kimo Says:

The conditions throughout this year’s RG are dreary. Last year there was a lot of sunshine.


skeezerweezer Says:

Jane,

True you mentioned that yesterday, no? Ahhhh, the French ! :(

Like the Bakeries there though. I notice they are always open EARLY.


contador Says:

oh no. heart attack tennis match for a fed fan.

skeez! robin and rog having a beer in the locker room? WTF? Network report time. lol : )

i’m at work. didn’t get up in time to stream. the scoreline appears sort of what i imagined- headed for a 5 setter.

i said federer would have to get his first serve % up and keep it that way, not start serving like he did against delpo last us open.

also move well. fed hasn’t moved so well ( compared to they way he used to ). i was surprised he won the AO. he wasn’t moving well by the us open final.

federer can’t be underestimated but he’s more vulnerable. has a time getting the breakpoints at will.

fed’s UE and DF count by the end of that 5 setter against delpo was awful.

a head full of confidence and on a roll is how i imagined mr. dimples winning in 5.

unless fed plays like it’s wimbles final 09 all over agian and refuses to lose, digs in the dirt…Shaaaaamoon!

@ Huh! cheering for soda, eh? that’s a dangerous thing. it’s what i did last US open, cheered for delpo to take a set and make it close…make it close, not exactly win. but i am happy JMDP got the win. and hope he comes back stronger and sooner than expected. visualizing that!

as far as this match? i like robin soderling enough to be very happy for him if he wins (which i ‘feel’ he will )

and i’m on with some others winning GS’s. love to see someone new win RG. Would be phenomenal for mr. dimples ( thanks to jane for that link) i’ll be cheering soda all the way if he win this match and goes on to beat RAFA. that’s how delpo did it!

soderling winning this match should be inspiring djoko to elevate his game and take it to rafa in the semi’s, provided he gets by melzer, which he will. AJDE NOLE!

knocking out the #1 has a positive effect on the other players, imo, gives back to some the fighting spirit they may have lost.

roger and rafa going out at RG? i think would have roddick jumping up and down, along with some others. LOL!


Kimo Says:

They uncovered the courts :)


Huh Says:

“jane Says:
I still can’t understand WHY they waited until 2:00 pm to start play today”

Same here.


ertorque Says:

Sod is hurting Federer more with his backhand than Fed with his. Fed’s backhand is in the parry mode while Sod’s is heavy offence. But this is to be expected with single backhanders…..
How should Fed respond?
This is too overpowering even for FED himself..


Eric Says:

This FO has been so abysmally scheduled that I am almost ready to believe the organizers did so on purpose to get everyone on board with moving to a different location.


blank Says:

Skeeze, you shouldn’t be wondering. You should be the one reporting all that stuff! What are you doing not being out in the field? :-)


Polo Says:

When a topic of a subjective nature is discussed, everybody is free to express his opinion. Everybody is right and nobody is wrong. And for me, the best opinion is always my own. I appreciate it when others agree with me. I respect everybody else’s opinion even if it contrary to mine. Often, I do learn a few things from those who take a stance opposite to mine.

So about the majors, I maintain that Wibledon ranks first in terms of “disarability”. YOu can argue the rest.


Ben Pronin Says:

Kimo, even without Federer I doubt Philippoussis would be a slam champion.

This GS importance debate is pretty interesting. I think the prestige/significance of a slam is greatly influenced by its former champions. Wimbledon has a relatively small number of different champions since it there is almost always one dominant champion for roughly half a decade, if not more. Borg, Sampras, McEnroe, and Federer come to mind as some of the greatest and most talented players who played some of their best tennis at the big W so young guys coming up see it as their ticket to ultimate immortality.

The US Open isn’t far from Wimbledon in terms of champions. Sampras, Connors, Federer, Lendl, and McEnroe are just a few players who also dominated at the USO and once again they’re players that are considered the all time greats. They were all number 1 for a ridiculously long amount of time so the young guys feel like if they win the US Open, especially along with Wimbledon, they’re probably on their way to becoming great number 1’s.

The French Open has often been exclusive to clay courters. Especially in the 90s. I’d say that in the 80s, with a lot of number 1’s dominating the FO, the young guys coming up in that generation saw it in the same light as Wimbledon, especially with Borg’s accomplishments. But in the 90s, the only player who wasn’t simply a clay courter to win the event was Agassi, so young guys saw it as a slam, but not a slam of the number 1’s. Nadal’s incredible dominance at the FO and Federer’s seemingly never-ending quest to win there helped reignite the overall importance of winning a FO. I feel like Andy Murray is a good example of a guy who, in the 90s, probably wouldn’t care much at all of making any inroads on clay and at the RG. But today, surely he’d love to win a FO and see it just as important as winning a USO (obviously for him Wimbledon is above and beyond).

As for the Australian Open, it really struggled throughout the 70s and 80s with most of the top players skipping the event. Once it was moved to the beginning of the year, it grew in value. Once players like Becker and Lendl started winning there, other players began to take it more seriously. But I’d say Agassi deserves a lot of credit for making the AO a significant slam. Other players can look at him and say “here’s a guy who won all 4 slams at least once, so obviously they all matter, but he won the AO more than any other slam, so it must be really important.” And now you have Federer and Nadal winning there, so other players care that much more about the AO.

Overall, a big thanks to Federer and even Nadal for making all the slams almost equally important. You got to feel that a player can win any one of the 4 slams and think to themselves that it could be the start of a great rise and career, whereas some slams (AO and FO particularly) used to warrant one-slam wonders quite often.


Polo Says:

It is so desirable that I couldn’t even spell it correctly!


contador Says:

how i view the GS in importance

1) wimbledon
2) french
3) US open
4) AO

my favorites to watch

AO
wimbledon
FO
us open


skeezerweezer Says:

Blank,

WTF! Network gave me tickets 2 weeks ago bet I lost them on a Texas Holdem Poker game in a bar in Gaborone, Botswana. Dang! Must have been too much of that Botswanaian Beer. Sorrrryyyy :(


Huh Says:

Hi Conty:

Strictly I won’t cry buckets if Fed fails to win today, as much weird as it may sound, but I’m being honest to you here. :)
I’d be very happy even if Sod wins the FO!
For me, right now, it’s either Fed or Sod for FO title, too bad they’re killing out each other and Nadal’d make merry and almost certainly reach the FO final without as much as a little resistance. :(


skeezerweezer Says:

Polo,

Your post was “Classic”, must be entered in Tennis x archives, bad spelling included, lol!


jane Says:

They’re warming up – woot! Don’t know how long the dry weather will last but some tennis is better than none.

Based on the way this match began, with Soda coming out slow and cold and Fed with guns a-blazing, this rain delay may help Fed?

In any case, I ‘feel’ like he’ll win in 4. Contador I guess we have different feelings about the match ; ) but I am gaging by the accuracy each have shown, and Fed’s has been stronger, not to mention the better movement and variety. Soda is great and powerful, but.

I’ve hated the weather at this FO; it’s changed the dynamics which is interesting, but it makes for a kind of “dreariness”. The Murray vs. Baggy match in the sun was a great one.


Kimo Says:

Ben Pronins Said:

“But I’d say Agassi deserves a lot of credit for making the AO a significant slam. Other players can look at him and say “here’s a guy who won all 4 slams at least once, so obviously they all matter, but he won the AO more than any other slam, so it must be really important.””

I agree, but isn’t it ironic that Agassi, the guy who thought even making the trip to play the Australian not worth it, end up making it his most successful slam.


Huh Says:

Beautifully put by Ben in his 12.43 pm post. EXCELLENT!


Daniel Says:

2 forehand errors for Fed.


Kimo Says:

OH NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!


Huh Says:

Hey Conty:

I loved to read that you’d also be very happy to see Sod win here. Very nice post at 12.37 pm from you, yours and my thoughts sound so similar, almost echoed! :D :D


contador Says:

@ Huh
if we are being honest, i am glad i am not watching.

if my mr. dimples wins today, i think he has a great shot at rafa.

he’s a bad match for rafa. and robn winning might inspire nole to play the way he can.

i am going to shut up and go away! now!

soda is going to win another set…..

out.


Daniel Says:

Rain delays are always worst for the one serving, and Fed is broken. Damm it!
Soda was feeling the pressure before the reain delay saving one 0-30 game and then a break point, now he is serving for the set.


Polo Says:

It’s over. Soderling is gaining confidence.


Huh Says:

COME ON SOD!!!


skeezerweezer Says:

Fed comes out nervy…shoulda stayed away from the coffee and had a pint instead :(


jane Says:

Oh – I was totally wrong about slow/cold comment.

Rain delays can affect momentum drastically. I’ll bet if the Henin vs. Sharapova match wasn’t called due to rain and darkness, that Sharpie might’ve won it, because she had the momentum.


Huh Says:

It’s ok guys, the match is still wide open! It ain’t over till the last point vs Fed. So ytake heart!
That said, come on Sod and Come on Fed too!


Polo Says:

Whoever predicted that Djokovic-Soderling final is starting to look like a genius. At least half a genius.


Kimo Says:

Stupid rain. Stupid linesman.


Daniel Says:

Bad call hirt Fed since returned the point and Soda aced the set.

Well could it be this guy is the Defending champion killer and the man who stopped the champions in one of them most impressive streaks.

Fed better keep his cool, he looked angry ever since he retunerd.


Huh Says:

Believe me, a Sod vs. Nole final would also be brilliant!


Polo Says:

blank posted this earlier: “…this year has been the year when Fed is gifting one to all those who’ve never won a match against him. As much as I hate to admit it, it’s only a matter of time before it catches up with him in a slam…”

You are starting to sound prophetic, I must say.


Daniel Says:

madmax, where are you?? Fed needs all your positive vibes.

He trully needs an early break to cool of Soda.


Daniel Says:

3 return errors, Fed is feeling it.


Ben Pronin Says:

Like I said, Soderling has to steal the victory. He stole that third set, hopefully Fed can get back on track, though.


Huh Says:

But I’d certainly not like Sod to win by the aid of bad calls against my Fed, that’s for sure!


jane Says:

This is going five sets by the looks of it. Meanwhile, Berdych is cruising! 6-3, 6-1, just beginning the third set.


contador Says:

listening to RG radio.

cronin is tolerable today. usually he drives me nuts with the blathering.

sounds like federer is going down. federer is starting to be absorbed by the great play of his opponent again, cronin comments.

seen that one before

c’mon, at least make it 5 sets roger!

what a great match i am missing!


Kimo Says:

COME ONNNNNNNNNNNNNN


Daniel Says:

Yeahh!!


blank Says:

Polo, I’ll admit this has not been like a gift so far. Based on what you guys are saying, looks like both are playing well…but Soda has held the nerve better when it mattered most – defending breakpoints and on break chances. Still, I don’t give up on Fed yet!


contador Says:

c’mon rog get a break point?

nope


Ben Pronin Says:

Cmon!!!! Fed was also up 40-15 when he got broken. This is a real match. Could go on to be the best of the tournament.


Polo Says:

I am signing off to look for a sturdy piece of rope.


Kimo Says:

Disastrous game from Fed :(


contador Says:

no Polo, no!

soda pops right back. that’s frightening


Daniel Says:

Fed is nervous. He breaks and should clean his game to hold the break, but no, he made 3 forehand errors going for too much, as if he has no patiance.


contador Says:

breathing into a plastic bag at work


Kimo Says:

Fed is angry. It shows in his play.


Daniel Says:

This last forehand to level 30-30 showed how nervous Fed is. Soda is with sky high confidance and serving great. Fe dneed sto hang and wait for a chance.


skeezerweezer Says:

Fed better dig in and find something or he is gonna get dug out….


contador Says:

has he started tossing bottles on changeovers?

always a bad sign


Kimo Says:

Given how Fed is struggling right now, it’s almost unbelievable how easy the first set was.


jane Says:

I have never seen Soderling so patient, except maybe versus Rafa here last year. He’s really undergone a mental transformation into the cool Swede, from a hothead earlier. This will be a tight set. I feel like if Fed wins it, he’ll run away with the 5th. But I could be wrong.


skeezerweezer Says:

gotta give Soda Pop props so far. More winners than Ue’s…proving last years beatdown of Rafa was not a fluke.


Daniel Says:

Soda is painting the lines all match, hge is really up to the task.


blank Says:

Win 1st set, lose next. Go up a break next set and lose it right back. The rest of the storyline this year hasn’t been good for Fed. It goes like this…keep it tight till the end and snap, lose.

Same script played over again and again. I hate this.


contador Says:

it’s typical. that easy first set like against delpo.

commentators on RG saying the french crowd is solid behind federer.

doesn’t appear to matter to the iceman. soda is having the best day


tfouto Says:

This game reminds me of Del Potro last year at FO.


Kimo Says:

I don’t wanna jinx Fed, but if Soderling beats Fed, he’ll go on to win the tournament, Rafa or no Rafa.


skeezerweezer Says:

Great. Another rain delay. If Fed comes out like last time after the delay why come back out at all? Just sayin….


Kimo Says:

How does a slam semi look without Federer? I can’t even remember that far back!!!


tfouto Says:

i dont think so… Nadal will beat Soderling. In the final Soderling will choke as last year. But this game is not over yet.


jane Says:

If Soda pop beats Fed here this year and beat Rafa here last year, he surely deserves to win it. I thought they were going to stop due to the rain, but no?


stu Says:

the Gods love you, Roger!


stu Says:

oops..I guess not so much…


Kimo Says:

Oh no break point for Sod!!!


Kimo Says:

Soderling just irritating Fed now :@


contador Says:

oh man. sounds like soda in 4


Huh Says:

F### the rain delays!


blank Says:

Honestly, even if Fed wins toady, Berdy and Nadal in current form are too much for him. He may get past Berdy, but Nadal is playing monster like this season.

Best for Fed is to bite the dust, give himself a wake up call or kick in the butt (he deserves that for all his crap play since AO) and come back strong to win Wimbledon. If he reaches the finals here and loses to Rafa, I fear a repeat of 2008. That can’t be good for his confidence.

Having said that, if Soda wins, I doubt if he can keep up the same intensity for the next 2 matches. He’s going to need to play mighty well, as well as now if not better, to have a chance to win this. And, that’s not an easy task.


ertorque Says:

someone please drape yourself in a flag or something and run to Fed’s court like the fun guy did last year. Fed needs some kind of distraction now. He can hardly hold against Sod’s power. Anything to change the situation…..

My prediction Sod in 4……(It’s hard for me to say this being a Fed fan)


Huh Says:

Oh well, it again starts, grrreat!!!


Daniel Says:

So far, hold of the match!


Kimo Says:

Roger holds *sigh of relief*

Maybe that hold will give him the boost he needs.

This match is like the semi last year against Delpo where Fed failed to break Delpo for three and a half sets. He won ugly last year. He needs to do it again today.


skeezerweezer Says:

Fed holds but needs to come up with better stuff. soda is killing him off the ground now…..


Dari Says:

MUST BREAK SOD!


contador Says:

woooooooooooot! and shaaamooon!!

roland garos radio says roger held.

and crowd is getting worked up but i doubt the swede give a cr**

soda does not care. burning down the house hahahahaa rafa alert!


jane Says:

Big hold for Fed there. I wonder if he’ll break now. That’s often how momentum goes. I still feel that if Fed gets it to a fifth set, he’ll win. Meanwhile, I can’t get over how Berdy is rolling over Youz, given that they usually have close encounters and Youz has the winning H2H. I thought he’d win but not in straights or seemingly so easily. It may end up 3, 1 and 1!


skeezerweezer Says:

Is it me or is Soda footfaulting?


Dari Says:

I’m tired of Sod’s chicken wing swing!


Daniel Says:

Soda is killing Feds second serve.


blank Says:

jane – you sound the most hopeful regarding Fed’s chances today. Thank you!


Daniel Says:

Soda looks unbeatable.


Eric Says:

Well crap.


Kimo Says:

Soderling – The streak-breaker


blank Says:

Gone baby gone :-(


jane Says:

Wow Soda breaks. Can he kept it cool and serve it out?


Kimo Says:

Fed has zero confidence in his game right now.

I still can’t believe how deceptively easy the first set was.


Daniel Says:

Why didn’t he changed directions?!

This match looks like fate, like it was meant to be. Now if Soda close up he better wins this title and play like this agaisnt Nadal. This way he will save Rogers ranking.


Dari Says:

Roger dig deep, you can do this, champion!


contador Says:

uh boy. i knew robin would win but i thought roger would make a 5 setter


jane Says:

blank, over the years I’ve learned: it’s pretty tough to bet again Fed. But Soda is really trying.


DMB Says:

Bye bye Fed. Does this mean Fed’s chances of number one positon record are gone? (i’m still hoping but by the time i’ve finished writing this i fear the worst)


Kimo Says:

Roger still believes. So do I.


rose Says:

soda is on his way to make history now..took down the champ last year and now working on beating the new champ..crazyyyy..if tht happens he deserves to win it all…but count Mr fed out yet .he proved us so many times how can regroup in a matter of seconds…


Dari Says:

Yeah, Roger! BH, DTL!


Huh Says:

I’m tense.


i am it Says:

Sorry to see Federer losing in the quarter in a long while. Did not expect Soderling to do it at a slam. Well, everything has a 1st time.
Congrats to the Iron man and more time for Federer to prep for Wimbledon.


Eric Says:

oh boy…


Dari Says:

FUDGE


Daniel Says:

Congrats Soderling!! Second match of his life.

Now go on to win the them thing, for the sake of Fed’s ranking.:)


Chris Tennis Says:

Over


jane Says:

Wow. Soda. What can you say?

Sorry to Fed’s fans.


Kimo Says:

It IS fate. Soderling beats the defending champion for the 2nd time in a row.

It’s ok Rog. You’re still the best there ever was.


rose Says:

spechlesssssssssss…what a game for the Sweden..i feel bad for fed :(..he is a great champion ..


blah Says:

Soderling is ridiculous.


fed is afraid Says:

the good thing for roger is he won’t suffer another beatdown from rafa.


King Robin Says:

Ha Ha Ha, Federina has lost. I’m sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo…. happy.


Ben Pronin Says:

Woah. Hopefully there will be no excuses from fed-fanatics about this one. Like last year against Nadal, Soderling just played amazing. Wow. Good win. Good freaking win.

Thanks for the bday present Rog. Haha.


contador Says:

it’s poetic.

robin soderling beats federer for the first time in the RG quartes, breaking roger’s semi streak. congratulations SODA!

he broke rafa’s winning streak last year. PERFECT

perfect job soda pop!

now go beat berdych! puhleeeeeeze


stu Says:

Wow. Respect, Soda pop! Wow.

Now definitely NOT betting against Roger for Wimby!


Kimo Says:

Berdych and Soderling in a RG semi. If you had said that a couple of years ago people would have called you a lunatic.

Did they speed up the clay or something?!


JCZ Says:

Incredible match by Soderling, full credit to him for this win. He just blew Fed off the court. Very impressive stuff.

Maybe Nadal gets his rematch in the final. What a game that would be…


jane Says:

Happy birthday Ben!


Dari Says:

Ben Pronin, what’s the present? Correct prediction?
Fine, rooting for Soderling here on out, what a damn hitter!
Can’t wait to see the stats and interviews from this one!
Roger, head up and on the Wimbledon! Still proud all the time!


Twocents Says:

There goes the long-over-dued SF streak, finally. Relax, Fed fans. No more worries from now on :-)).

And no more Fedal final. LOL!

Good try, Fed. 23 SF is mroe than good enough.


Ben Pronin Says:

If anything, the courts playing so slow is helping Berds and Sod even more.


andrea Says:

sorry roger….haven’t seen the match but just saw the scores.

what a win for soderling….can you imagine if it’s him and nadal in the final???

well, at least we don’t have to watch another rafa clay court win over fed….


contador Says:

LOL! fed is afreaid

soda in not afraid

berdych + soda on a roll = big trouble for rafa


Kimo Says:

No Ben. No excuses today. Clearly Soda was the better player today. Roger just couldn’t hit through him. Surely Roger got irritated by the conditions and by Robin himself, but that’s not an excuse. That’s just tennis :)

Roger fans should hold their heads up high. Our man is still the GOAT.


Ben Pronin Says:

Thanks, jane.

Dari, the present is Federer losing -_-
I was being a little sarcastic.


montecarlo Says:

Never in doubt.


Eric Says:

An amazing display from Soderling who must really want to get that RG trophy… sucks for Roger and his ranking (potentially) and semifinal streak. that long rain delay was definitely a factor, but it’s Roger’s own fault he didn’t use it to his own mental advantage as Soderling clearly did.

I knew this would be a tough match for Federer but I still thought he would win…

The way Soderling was able to punch huge pace into those crosscourt shots was amazing. He had Federer scrambling after balls far too much. If he can play at this level again, I think we might see Soderling accomplishing the GS upset of the decade – snatching the trophy from both Federer and Nadal.


blah Says:

If only his game wasn’t so risky, he is mentally stronger than murray and djokovic, but I guess that’s what makes him so good.


blank Says:

This was just a matter of time. And I am glad it came at the hands of someone other than Nadal. If he had lost to Nadal, he may have thought it’s business as usual. But it is not. He has been playing crappy tennis since last year, except the the GS. Though he won last year’s FO, there were several matches he could have easily lost. He thinks that just because it’s 5 sets, no one can beat him. Hope he changes that now…get’s his cool back and wins Wimbledon.

This is a wake up call for Fed and hope he realizes that if he needs to win, he needs to stay focussed all thru the match – doesn’t matter whether it’s 5 sets or 3 sets.


Twocents Says:

Roger is 2009 FO champion :-)).


skeezerweezer Says:

@fed is afraid,

I knew you Rafa guys would show up only AFTER the match, lol.

Congrats to Sod. Great deserving win! Solid performance, keep it up Sod!

He loves whacking those high balls!

Message to Rafa; don’t give Soda any short balls when you return Soda’s serve :)


jane Says:

Soderling has no fear anymore, is soooo focused. The towel over the head thing? Maybe more players should try that? : )

He deserves a huge congrats for taking down the defending champion twice in a row! He also deserves a FO title at that rate. Wow.

Awwww his on-court interview was sweet, those dimples. He looks so happy.


Kimo Says:

contador, good point. Now Rafa will definitely play a big hitter in the final. However, Soda has a much steadier head on his shoulders so I favor his chances. Besides, he already beat Rafa at RG before, and based on his play today he can certainly do it again. Maybe he’ll be like that guy who beat Borg twice at Roland Garros. Can’t remember his name, he wasn’t exactly a somebody.

Can Rafa be stopped before the final? Don’t be so eager to answer that one; not many people bet against Fed today yet look how it went.


blank Says:

I can’t wait to hear what Fed has to say at the press conference. That will speak volumes as to where his attitude stands.

He got beat by a better player, but there are so many things that he could do better. He’s been on a decline since AO…and hope he says he’ll stop it at Wimbledon.


rose Says:

JCZ says
“Maybe Nadal gets his rematch in the final. What a game that would be”

i think if this happens ..my bet is on soderling..his confidence is just on top of the roof right now and technically he is just playing fantastic tennis…besides he beat nadal already on this venue..well done soderling ..no one beats soderling 13 times straight :)


skeezerweezer Says:

“Ben Pronin Says:

Woah. Hopefully there will be no excuses from fed-fanatics about this one. ”

Or from Rafa-fanatics. Oh wait, the knee thing…..

Happy Bday Ben!


Lenny Says:

Well, off I go to have sweet dreams of murdering Soderling in a thousand painful ways. :P :'(


Kimo Says:

You want to know how big Soda’s chances are? No man has won a slam without beating Roger since Roland Garros 2004. Yup, that’s right. 2004!!!


guy Says:

fed hits 52 winners to 27 unforced errors. he played a great match, before anyone says he had an off day or if the mono magically returns.

nope, he played his best tennis, his defense particularly was excellent. but was simply put away by some massive hitting by soderling.


Ben Pronin Says:

Blank, I just can’t agree. Federer didn’t play bad by any means. If anything, he got a little unlucky in not converting on set point in the third set. It could’ve easily gone the other way. But Soderling outplayed him. All you can say is ‘too good’.

The way Federer played throughout this event, including today, you would never have known he’d been playing crappy for the last few months. He played like Roger Federer. I don’t know how much of a wake up call this will be because he’ll probably admit as much: should have won set 3, didn’t play too bad, got outplayed at the end.


Kimo Says:

Roger’s beater is usually the slam champ. That’s just how it goes.


nadline Says:

This was Federer’s first real contest in this tournament. So last year’s title was a fluke.


blah Says:

It’ll probably be a repeat of last year, except this time it’s berdych instead of gonzo. I don’t see him beating Nadal again, but If Soderling can somehow beat Nadal in the final, then I am not sure if there’s anything he can’t do…

Goes to show how much of an effect mental game can have at the top of the tour.


skeezerweezer Says:

@blank

Re: June 1st, 2010 at 1:50 pm post,

So totally agree :(


guy Says:

look out for berdych and soderling at wimbledon too i suppose


Dari Says:

Ben P,
woulda been happier if you said prediction!
Anyway, happy bday, good stuff on the site, even if it hurts a bit at times for a fed fan!
Geeze, a semi with out Roger, what to doooo?
I guess just wait for the press conference, haha!

Goooooo Soda!


Twocents Says:

Fed had an average day at the office, but he could not have lost to a more deserving opponent: who made his FO dream come true; who lost 12 to him in a row; who lost 3 time in a row in slams in 2009.

Le Sod, the SF streak terminator. Who said life is not about fairness?


Ben Pronin Says:

Skeezer, thanks.

Honestly, I my money is on Soderling to take the whole thing. He has the confidence and he’s been playing amazing in every match, not just today. He knows how to beat Nadal and he knows he can beat him here. Had it been Federer in the final, he’d have to ask himself “ok how do I finally beat Rafa here,” but Soderling already knows he can. That little x-factor makes a huge difference, imo.

Skeezer, I didn’t believe in the excuses from Nadal fanatics last year and there’s no way I’ll believe them this year. If Nadal wins, which is still the most likely outcome, then kudos. If Soderling wins, then kudos to him.


Kimo Says:

Rafa fans, relax. We’re not making excuses. Fed lost because Soda was the better player today. Fed didn’t play like crap, and if he did it was Soda was making him play that way.

We don’t need excuses. Our man is the GOAT. Excuses are for insecure people.


skeezerweezer Says:

Ben,

Fed did play well. I think what Blank is saying is his performance and match toughness since AO has been sub par for Feds standard. And it caught up with him. Sod might have beaten him anyway today no matter what, he played awesome. But it’s no secret Fed only went deep into a tourney since AO, once?


blah Says:

It’s amazing how soderling beating federer can lead to bashing about nadal, isn’t it. Do you guys really feel the need to push down either fed or nadal to make your faves look better? give it a rest already.


Nadia Says:

Gooooooooooooooo Tomas!!!!!!!!!!!! So happy for him :) He absolutely crushed Youzhny! Finally fullfilling some of that potential :)Next up Soderling


i am it Says:

Hoping Djoko to do some Soderling-like miracle one time and give us a fresh, unpredictable final, of course if he gets to the semi first.


Kimo Says:

My fellow Fed fans, I’m signing off and I hope you do to. All the hatred and inferiority complexes of Rafa fans are gonna come out in full force.

Let’s just let them spew their venom. Honestly, I never thought I’d be so OK with Roger finally not reaching a slam semi, and as someone who was depressed for a while after the Wimbledon 2008 final, that says something.

Roger has conquered all others before him. He can only conquer his own records from now on. So I really don’t care if he loses a few more matches than he used to. Oh and btw, even if he loses the no.1 ranking after RG he’ll definitely get it back after the US Open, so don’t be sad.

I’m off. Cya.


Polo Says:

What a deserving loss by Federer. Great play and focus by Soderling. Good luck to him the rest of the way.

This Federer loss has prepared me to watch him play for an occasional flash of brilliance without any expectations of him winning. I am ready to see him lose repeatedly.


jane Says:

blah says “Goes to show how much of an effect mental game can have at the top of the tour.”

EXACTLY! I am telling you, Djok and Murray should try the towel over the head thing. : )

Hi Twocents, nice of you to breeze in on your horse before you ride off into the sunset again.


tfouto Says:

Soderling will loose in the final against Nadal. Soderling will repeat last year story. Won against no 1 and former FO champion and loose in the final against no2. No doubts at all. Altough i prefered Soderling to win, but i dont think so.

I am a big Federer fan and of course, it always sad to see Roger loosing, but the record of 23 consecutive semi finals is amazing and its one that i think will remain forever.

About the number 1… i dont know when Federer will regain the number 1 again… Perhaps if Nadal become injured again, which is always sad to happen.


blank Says:

Ben,

I didn’t see the match so I trust you all when you say Soda was better. But I can’t give Fed credit for few things he’s been doing consistently for quite sometime now. He’s been doing it at the Masters and been losing. He did it at the FO last year (and USO finals), getting ahead and then losing fizz and the match.

Like I keep saying this was just a matter of time. If he plays a wonderful match but can’t defend when he’s down breakpoints or grab the opportunity when he has break chances, he’s going to lose everytime to good players. That’s been Fed’s weakness recently. Look at the serve and return of serve stats at ATP website and that’ll paint a bad story. It’s incredible considering the fact that those stats include the AO where he was brilliant.

He takes the lead. Loses the next set. Goes into the lead soon after and gives it right back and loses the match. Fed should admit that it’s unacceptable to do this so many time over in a short span of time. FOCUS! – he’s been lacking that. The main reason he could win all these 5 setters is because no one (other than Nadal (all the time) and DelPo (at the USO)) could stay focussed at the other end. Not anymore.

I just want him to come roaring back at Wimbledon. He’s capable of doing it if he wants to. But does he want to as much as he used to??


Ben Pronin Says:

Match toughness problem? That sounds reasonable. Cahill and P Mac were saying how, during Fed’s streak, he played tons of matches like today, including a couple last year, but managed to find a way to win. That’s why it’s real credit to Soderling for simply breaking through that nearly-unbreakable barrier.

I feel like I’m jumping the gun a bit by predicting Soderling to beat Nadal in the final. Berdych has been incredibly impressive in his run and won their last match just a few months ago (although it was on hard). I will root for Soderling simply because he’s better suited to put up a good fight in the final having been in one already. Berdych, still not the mentally strongest guy out there, will surely be awed by the occasion should he make it that far.


Dari Says:

check out the stats.
Roger federer must convert more break chances in the future!

http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/scores/stats/day15/1121ms.html

I’ve not seen roger scramble and flail like he did against Robin. that was monster hitting!


Kimo Says:

Ben, you’re not jumping the gun. A prediction of a Fed-beater winning a slam is not much of a prediction since it’s been the norm for 6 years now.


blah Says:

Jane- it’s moving closer to a djokovic soderling final! though djokovic or anyone taking down nadal here this year is probably harder than sod taking down fed, but what a refreshing championship match that would be!


Polo Says:

Kimo, do not let the vile Nadal fans run you out of the room. Time will come when Nadal will also start losing and they will be in the same shoes. As the poem says, “…every dog must have his day…”

Besides, there are still plenty of reasonable and nice Nadal fans here.


dangerouspaul Says:

fed saw it coming..i wouldn’t say soederling nor federer played exceptionally good or bad. fed made in every break he suffered too many easy unforced errors ( remember 5:5 3rd set being up 40:15 ) that was the key today. i always liked soederling cuz he is a good loser. he always played really good against fed and recognized in every after match interview that fed played outstanding tennis which was absolutly true. but not today. today fed was not on the court and soederling got finally that well deserved victory. i really respect that and it really really hurts less than federer losing against nadal which (now i can say it) defenitly would have happened in a possible final match up.now fed can concentrate on wimbledon where it is easier for him to find form. and sod has all the chances to do the monster upset of the last 30 years. wow tough to digest but he if someone deserved it , its him


Ben Pronin Says:

Maybe Federer doesn’t want it as much as he used to. Can you blame him? It is unacceptable and he’s been doing it more and more and more often. He’s in tennis afterlife, what can we really expect?

I think it might be good for Federer to finally get rid of the semi streak. He plays with so much pressure all the time simply by being Roger Federer, maybe this will make it a little easier. Also if he loses his number 1 ranking, maybe he’ll start hitting the gas a little harder at smaller events to try and catch up.


Twocents Says:

Hi, Jane. I won’t ride off. I’m waiting for your Djok to back up my crystal ball :-)).

Polo, Fed’s losses in 2008 “has prepared me to watch him play for an occasional flash of brilliance without any expectations of him winning. I am ready to see him lose repeatedly.”

Welcome to Fed V3.


jane Says:

This is Soda doing ABBA, to lighten things up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gWXXSEvg30


blank Says:

Kimo – No one beating Fed prior to the SF in slams has also been the norm ;-)

I’d love for the Soda and Dementieva to win this. But I always root for the underdogs (except for Fed so far) and underdogs are underdogs for a reason. There are monster players like Rafa and Serena.


Fot Says:

Last year, up until the French Open – Soderling hadn’t done much of anything. That win last year at the French basically turned Soderling’s career around. And every since that match, Soderling had been playing like a top 5 player. So it was a big surprise that he beat last year, but it’s not a hugh surprise this year. I said earlier Roger has this habit the last year and a half of losing to players that he had never lost too. But Soderling played great. Roger didn’t play that bad but Soderling took it to him. At any rate, I’m sad that Roger is out and the streak is over, but all streaks have to end sometimes. The longer Roger plays, the more losses we fans will have to get use to – just the way it is when you get older. And I repeat – anything Roger does from here on out (or after he won Wimbledon last year) is just a bonus for me. He’s already done enough. I’ll be a fan forever!


Kimo Says:

Do you guys realize that we are talking about an indoor specialist’s chances of winning RG? Of his five titles, four are indoors.

Let’s just pause for a moment and reflect on the magnitude of Soda’s accomplishments and what he’s done in the span of 12 months.


dangerouspaul Says:

ben you are right. it may be good for fed to play with less pressure . what he did the last 6 years was just unhuman. and he still can beat sampras’ record of weeks as number one. nadal is not thru yet


Twocents Says:

Ben,

Fed’s look before stepping into PC court today was miles away from the determined look of Sod. It reminded me of 2008 WO final before he stepping into Centre Court. He could pump up himself like before no more. Can you blame him?

He still loves the game.


jane Says:

Twocents, good to hear; love your humour and light-heartedness! I wouldn’t hold your, er, breath for Djoko. But whatever happens, happens. He’s bettered last year, which is something!

“Fed V3” is still great, as you know. Grass is next too, his turf.


Kimo Says:

I’m proud of how gracious in defeat my fellow Fed-fans are. I salute you.


guy Says:

skeezer >

whether you’re a fed fan or not, implying nadal’s knee injury wasn’t legit last year is beyond idiotic.
the guy pulled out of wimbledon and practically defaulted the no.1 ranking because of it. a massive decision to make.
and if that’s not validation for an injury, nothing is.


blank Says:

Exactly Ben. It’s good for him to lose and get rid of the streak rather than losing to Rafa at the Finals, which would have been the other most likely outcome.

If he doesn’t want to, then one can’t blame him. But as a fan I keep wanting more.

But one thing I’d disagree. He’s not in tennis afterlife. He’s losing more because of ‘not wanting as much’ and ‘not concentrating as much’. It would have been easier for me to accept if this were due to ageing. But I don’t think it is…at least not yet. He’s still fitter than most young guns out there.


Nadal is the GOAT Says:

This is one of the best matches I’ve seen… Well done Sod.


jane Says:

blah, yes, that’d be refreshing; you and I are all for a new slam champ now and then. But I agree; taking down Rafa here would be even more difficult than what Soda did today, although I have to say – Fed was playing well. He was over-powered today.


Twocents Says:

Sod: Told you so, Roger, 13 is an unlucky number.
Fed: But Robin, I thought you were yoking…


Ben Pronin Says:

I think it’s a little unfair to say “Federer has a habit of losing to guys he never lost to before.” Maybe it appears that way, but imagine being a pro and losing to the same player EVERY SINGLE TIME. These guys, more than even perhaps any others, come out super determined against Federer. Everyone wants to beat Federer, but especially the guys who never could before. Plus there’s the laws of statistics. It may not always be pretty, but it’s gotta happen somehow.

Soderling is amazing. Even during this match, I was asking myself where he’s been all these years. He’s easily one of the best players not to win a slam, maybe even the best.


dangerouspaul Says:

i wouldn’t say sod outplayed federer today . fed simply didn’t get his act together in the service games he lost. didn’t have that much to do with soederling he would have got broken by every other top ten player making those UE. but it doesn’t matter. soederling played like federer usually plays in tight moments so he simply deserves it. hats off for the sod


Fot Says:

Yes, I think we are in the “Fed V3” stage! lol!

So now we have Soderling vs Berdych. Hard to pick but Soderling has ‘been there before’ so his experience should bring him through. Plus he is really playing well.

On the other side…I think Djokovic will come through in his match and I know Nadal will come through so the SF looks interesting. Let’s see how right I am in the predictions.

Isn’t it interesting that many of the hard courts seem to play ‘slower’; and the clay seem to play ‘faster’ and the grass is playing ‘slower’. No wonder everyone is confused! lol!


Kimo Says:

guy Says:

“whether you’re a fed fan or not, implying nadal’s knee injury wasn’t legit last year is beyond idiotic.
the guy pulled out of wimbledon and practically defaulted the no.1 ranking because of it. a massive decision to make.
and if that’s not validation for an injury, nothing is.”

Ok. That accounts for one month of crappy play. Why didn’t he win a title for another 10 months after that? Oh wait…still the knees, or the abdomen, or his parents’ divorce, or Nike’s tight underwear and how they keep creeping up his crack.

Or maybe Rafa was mentally weak after losing for the very first time in Wimbledon. There’s no shame in that, but his fans are too blind by their support for him to see that.


blah Says:

Federer is losing to big hitters because he is simply not as fast as he used to be anymore. He adjust to not being able to move as well but that decline will still affect him. Soderling just absolutely made him powerless today. Great returns and forced Federer into a defensive position on the points decided on groundstroke.


Ben Pronin Says:

Blank, I don’t know how else to describe it. He’s done more than any other player before him, so he’s like in a limbo. I was thinking how Sampras extended the slam record by 2 and he retired soon after that 2 extra slam. Fed’s already done the same but there’s little reason to believe he won’t win a few more. How much will he extend it by? Imagine if he wins Wimbledon and the US and ends this year at 18 slams. He’ll have the same number of slams as Nadal has Masters titles. I mean, that’s just, like, wtf. What do you do when you have more than everything?


Kimo Says:

I meant for the very first time in RG. Sorry.


Fot Says:

Ben, I’m not taking anything away from Robin when I said Roger has been losing to players he hadn’t before. What I’m going by is that the law of averages got to come into play sometimes. Gonzo finally won against Roger after a long losing streak; Davydenko finally won; Roddick won (I believe last year in Miami?) after a long streak; now Soderling. So it’s not a surprise to me that Roger finally lost to Soderling.

Just like Del Potro last year, Robin really did outhit Roger today. In the stats, Roger was something like +13 in winners/errors… ON clay – that’s fantastic. Yet, he still lost. Robin was hitting 2nd serves harder than Roger’s first serve on a lot of occassions. Robin realized that, having lost 12 in a row, he HAD to do something different. He had to go for his shots and they went in. Sometimes it’s hard to continually do that set after set – but he did and it worked.

So now, as a Fed fan – I’ll start concentrating on the grass. Good luck to the rest of the players left in the draw!


blah Says:

No top five player would pull out of a slam because they are “mentally weak,” especially not players as mentally strong as Federer and Nadal. This is sports though, so Soderling played better than Nadal last year and won, period. This year he played better than Federer and won. Simple as that.


Cindy_Brady Says:

How marvelous it was to watch. The great Federer being powered off the court by Soderling, very similar to what Del Potro did to him at the U.S Open. I was grinning ear to ear!

The changing of the guard is finally happening and Federer will lose the #1 ranking (deservedly so).

It will be a joy to watch a re-match of Soderling Vs Nadal in the finals. We all know it was a fore gone conclusion Federer wasn’t going to beat him.

Soderling is the only player left with a realistic chance of beating Nadal OR at least making the final compelling. He has the serve and the powerful ground strokes to do it. Losing to Federer in last years final coupled with his stunning upset over Nadal in straights should give him loads of confidence.

And Lulz to you fans who believe Djokovic will beat Nadal in a best of 5 match in the French Open semis.

I’ll predict it now, Federer will get upset early at Wimbledon too.


Ben Pronin Says:

Guy, have you tried looking into other reasons for Nadal’s withdrawal from Wimbledon?

Besides the point. Even though I’d like Soderling to win, my top favorite remains Djokovic. I’ve been rooting for him to take this title since the beginning of the event and that hasn’t changed. I can only hope he doesn’t lose to Melzer.


jane Says:

blah, to me Fed’s movement is still pretty great, even if a step slower, but I totally agree that Soda pop had Fed on defense, just pushed him back, back.


blank Says:

Ben,

I am with you on this. It’s totally understandable from Fed’s perspective.

But the fan in me just keeps wanting more. Can it happen? Yes, but decreasingly so.


Twocents Says:

Jane,

I agree with you that Fed was over-powered by Sod today, as he was by JMDP at Flushing, Gulbis in Roma, Baggy in Indy, and Berdy in Miami, and Djok in Meobourne. It’s the main reason I think he’s well into the 3rd phase of his career. Fed has been able to keep collecting slams since 2008 not by power play, but mostly by smart plays. The varieties he showed in today’s match was a bit disappointing. Le Sod was the major cause of that, but not the only cause — from the eyes of this Fedtard. Aging is no fun: the fires and concentrations etc take uncalled for absence mroe often than not.


Polo Says:

Yes, welcome to the age of “Fed V3”. This is the phase when we Fed fans watch him with no more worries about the result. An occasional flash of brilliance will remind us that we are watching the guy who is the best that the game has ever seen. We will stand proud because he gave us, his fans, a reason to be. And when perchance he wins another major, we will cheer again, even louder than any of the sixteen times before.


topspin Says:

2 Things.

1) I’m so glad I got to see the nadal – fed final in madrid always a treat to see them play against each other, since that won’t happen now in RG

2) Man a soderling – nadal final, that’s scary, if sod plays like he played today, damn I want to see what nadal will do to against that. fun times ahead.


blank Says:

Polo – Well said. I know how much it used to hurt when Fed kept losing to Rafa…nothing more than the humiliation at FO’08 and the hear-breaker at Wim’08. It’s not the case anymore. When Fed wins, enjoy it…if he loses…well…hope for a better display next time. He’s given us more than one could ask for over the last 8 years.


Mindy Says:

I came on here to express my condolences to Fed fans after his loss to Soderling, but after reading some of the petty trash talk about Rafa, I am not of a mind to do it.

What on earth is wrong with some of you people? That includes you Ben Pronin! Does Rafa always have to be the brunt of your anger? So now you are predicting Rafa to lose to Sod in the final! Fortunately, I am not so stupid as to assume that anything here is taken for granted. Rafa will have to earn his way. After last year, I have learned not to assume anything.

I have been lurking and reading since RG started and some of the crap directed at Rafa has made me furious. I don’t know when or if some of you Fed fans will ever stop hating on him, but it is sickening to have to read these endless diatribes about him. Whether it’s criticizing his comments in a press conference, how he plays, who he is, what he does, it’s just beyond obsessive.

I am not here to gloat about Fed’s loss. I woke up late and saw the last few games and couldn’t believe my eyes. I thought the match would be tough, but that Fed would prevail. I told myself that I wouldn’t pick against Fed for the semifinals of a slam until he gave me reason. He is a great champion and fought hard today, but it seems that Sod was tired of losing to him. I will always respect Fed and his considerable achievements and that’s more than I will ever hear from any of you Fed fans.


Fot Says:

Question: I know Roger will lose #1 IF Nadal wins the tournament. Say that’s true. I remember when Nadal took over the #1 spot in 2008, many folks also claimed that was the end of Roger. He proved many wrong. So seeing that all Roger needs to break Pete’s record is one more week at #1 (correct?). Do you guys think he still could do that at some point in his career before he retires? Even as great a player as Nadal, with the hard court season coming up, the indoor season, his knees, etc., there is no lock that he will KEEP the #1 ranking forever. If calculations are correct, Roger would fall 1 week short of Pete’s record, but he still could break it later. It’s not a ‘consecutive week’ record he’s chasing, but an overall record.

So, do you guys still think Roger can (at some point in his career) get that additional week to break Pete’s record? Just wondering.


Twocents Says:

For me, change of guard almost happened at USO’07 final: Fed ducked that 7 setpoints :-)). And it did happen at AO’08. Fed’s secret pact with Satan lucked him a very long transition period — the young and old wolf packs need time to guts up and make the kill.

Can’t wait to see how Fed responds this time at WO and USO. He’s used up his 9+XX lives.


JCZ Says:

Some say this was like the US Open final with del Potro just blowing him off the court. But I disagree, I think in that match del Potro played great, but Federer served very poorly, especially on first serves (he only pt 51% of first serves in). Some of that might be attributable to JMDP, but definitely not all. Had he served better, he could have won that match. Here, he played very well but had no chance. Soderling was able to keep up a ridiculous level of intensity throughout, and in the end played one helluva match.

It was fun to watch, and I’m a big Fed fan.


Twocents Says:

FoT,

Not sure if Fed CAN add those two more weeks to surpass Pete. But pretty sure that he will TRY, and that’s music to Fed fans :-)).


Cindy_Brady Says:

Mindy,

You are right, The anti-Nadals are strong in this blog. I’m not a fan of either (Nadal or Federer), only a tennis fan. I try to be a neutral observer and fair.

It is sickening the way these fans spin half truths about either Nadal or Federer. The reality is, Federer is declining slowly while Nadal is in his prime. Had Nadal not been injured last year, Federer wouldn’t have regained #1. That’s the real truth.

Youth eventually triumphs over decrepitude.


Ben Pronin Says:

Idk Mindy. I said I was jumping the gun. Seeing the way Soderling played, I wouldn’t be surprised if he beat Nadal.

Seeing as how I’ve said plenty of terrible things regarding Nadal, I don’t see why predicting a loss is the worst one you picked.

Honestly, it’s just a little too weird and too new with Fed losing so early. It’s making me forget the undeniable equation of tennis, Nadal = Clay.


skeezerweezer Says:

Mindy,

So personal! First of all. Most if not all posters here are predicting YOUR guy in the final. From the get go! That is respect AND kudos to him. It is not Rafa bashing. If you saw the match today, and if Sod continues to play like that, Sod will be hard to beat. Fact. Not bashing. Can Rafa take him down? For sure. It’s all just an opinion, don’t take things so personal unless someone starts calling your fav “Federina”. Touche!

If you want to see some bashing, take a look at some of the anti fed posts :)


Fot Says:

Seriously though, I have read several tennis forums and this one isn’t half bad. Sure we have some ‘fanatics’ or ‘trolls’ but overall the people here are great posters (my opinion). Everyone has their favorites and will let you know but I haven’t seen a lot of unnecessarily ‘bashing’ of other players here, especially compared to some sites where some posters are just rediculous!


goat galz Says:

Oh Von, my,my,being moderated here now are you? What a liar you are about Niemenen. You said Roddick would beat joker in the quarters and instead qualy Gabi pulled out a can of Whoop Azz. Now your Ginepri is gone too and your Bryans. As for bellyaching by joker, I seem to remember your guy, Fed’s ostrich, complaining about being on Lenglen the slower court, poor poor Roddick. LMAO Get a mental grip,Deary.


skeezerweezer Says:

@guy

My point he never used it as an excuse when he lost at the time, only his fans…..

Where is the Drs note prior to the tourney? TT says he was injured going into the tourney?

Don’t believe in excuses. If your well enough to play then play and don’t whine. Same with “mono” stuff with Fed. Play or don’t enter. Yes he developed tendinitis of the knees and did not play Wimby.

So your saying he should have quit in the middle of the match against Soda? He was injured right? Why finish?

Don’t take away Rafa’s awesome credibility by saying he lost a match because his knees were bad. He was moving well. He just got beat that one day…..give it up.

We have went over this a thousand times…..so done already….

out


Fot Says:

skeezerweezer, I guess we were thinking the same thing! lol!


skeezerweezer Says:

Fot,

Well said. There are some “trolls” up here today though, lol


Twocents Says:

Fed was tired at USO’09 final: from FO/WO/Cincy run, QF with Sod, SF with Djok, and Super Saturday. He could not keep up with JMDP in the end.

Today, it’s more of the law of average at working than of anything else. Fed is great, but not that great to beat any ATP’er 13 times in a row: bad ones don’t have chances to play Fed that many; good ones like Davy, Gonzo, and Sod are too good to lose 13 times in a row.


Duro Says:

Here what I said yesterday:

Duro Says:

Sar, nice to see you again! Not as pleasant as live, but nice anyhow! Novak was excellent today. Don’t listen to these subjective guys. He’s gonna do a big thing this time! Nico Almagro + Nole and we’ll have Novak – Soda finals. It’s time for both Soda and Nico to win their maiden biggest nemesis encounter.
31.05.2010.

He, he, he… Just wait and see, people. Soda isn’t even a surprise comparing to what’s gonna happen tomorrow. Nicolas Almagro will be the real one!


Ben Pronin Says:

It’s hard to defend this site when a poster personally attacks another poster who has absolutely nothing to do with this discussion on a topic that is completely unrelated.


Fot Says:

Ben, it’s going to be like that on every site! lol! Just let things roll off your back and keep going!


Raven Says:

I am so sad fed lost. Have not seen the match yet. But, like John McEnroe said, even if he felt that Roger was the best ever he has to come down.Good for Soderling for his win. He deserves it. Hope he can go all the way. This loss does not take away from Fed’s achievements. He is and always will be the best tennis player of all times. He has bounced back before and he will bounce back again, albeit not as forcefully as before. The best man won today.


Cindy_Brady Says:

skeezerweezer,

Name calling again, how typical and un-tennis related.

Petty people are petty.


Twocents Says:

History has it that “youth and warrior cracked first at RG while the long buried old guard crawled out of his grave and took away a trophy, before being buried back…”


Twocents Says:

And eventually everyone got buried in the graves, youth or not, some with 23 SF streak, some don’t…


sar Says:

Hi Duro
I hope we can beat Melzer tomorrow. I would be happy with that win at least. Better to see you in person but this is good too.


Polo Says:

I like Soderling’s coach, Magnus Norman. I remember him during his prime. He was very good but he had medical issues. I believe he had some heart condition that he underwent surgery for. I am happy for him and Soderling. Good to see Magnus’ face light up with joy when Soderling wins.


Mindy Says:

skeezer,

Please spare me! I am getting personal? Are you reading what is being said here? Don’t try to tell me that people are predicting my guy to win. Not Fed fans, that’s for sure.

There is just no reasoning with some people. If it was Rafa who lost, I know exactly what I would be reading here and it wouldn’t be pretty. At least I am not here to trash your guy. I can give him the respect that he deserves. He earned it.

You are attacking the wrong person.


margot Says:

Even if you’re not a paricular fan, who could not fail to be thrilled for Soda pop’s victory? An inspiration to all, yes Andy I’m talking to you, who look over the net and groan at the sight of Rafa or Roger. A fairy tale already.
jane: loved your comment about the towels! Shall we send them one apiece?
Nice to c u Mr Texan Two Cents and also long lost i am it. Missed yer guys.


jane Says:

margot – yes, as I just read, Soderling has “rocked the tennis world again!” – What a pop, or was it a blast, today? I think we need to send Djoko and Murray towels, yes, and they should each be counseled by Magnus Norman, who has somehow transformed Soda’s demeanor. All quite fascinating.

i am it – didn’t see your comments; welcome back!


jane Says:

Hi sar, not sure if you saw, but I answered you about Dancevic way up there somewhere; basically he’s been off on injury layoff, but will be playing on the grass and trying to qualify for Wimbledon.


skeezerweezer Says:

Cindy_Brady,

WTF? What are you talking about?

I love you too….


Duro Says:

Hey, Sar! You’re a day late, but welcome always!
I predicted Sod beating Fed, it’s Nico beating Rafa next. If I happen to be right, I want a public acknowledgment of my skills.

About Melzer, don’t worry. One set lost, as usual, but a win in the end.

Djokovic – Soderling finals! Amen!


margot Says:

And topspin too! Whee! Another “old” faithful.
jane ooer a sodapop-djko final, now there’s a thought…..quick, get Magnus Norman on the line, perhaps he can co-coach..


skeezerweezer Says:

Mindy,

Sorry :( I said you were taking it personally not you are getting personal. It’s all how you take the stuff read I guess. Thanks for respecting Fed. Like I said from the get go of the Tourney, it’s Rafa’s tourney :)Hope for you he wins!


sar Says:

Jane,yes I saw that about Dancevic. He just disappeared. Regarding the WTA, I would like a brand new person to win. I realize Serena only has one RG title. The others don’t have even one. Stosur is a doubles specialist but she might pull it out if the stars align.I don’t think Schiavone can beat Serena. Elena is about even with Serena. JJ is about even with Serena. Shvedova, I am sure never beat her. IF JJ can beat Shvedova tomorrow and go on to beat Serena, I will want her to go all the way. I do like Elena too so I would not be too upset.

Polo, Magnus had irregular heartbeat and had a procedure done, not open heart, thank God.


Polo Says:

There has been so much commotion here that I forgot to check on the Berdych-Youzhny match. I just googled it and Berdych won in 3 straight easy sets. I am looking forward to that match. Both will be worthy finalists. Soderling probably a bit more because his win over Federer carries greater magnitude.

I don’t foresee that much blog-war over than Berdych-Soderling match compared with what is happening here now. Fun!


blank Says:

Soda’s interview transcript is up. He sounds pretty focused and very confident. Good for him.


sar Says:

I hope you are right Duro. We’ll see.


Huh Says:

Sorry guys, net had gone wrong, but now ok, IU’m back.

SODA DID IT, WOW!
Feeling very happy for him, but hopefully Fed’ll not be too hurt by this and bounce back with vengeance at WIM/USO.

But as I said before, if anyone deserved to stop Fed’s semi streak, it is Sod.

BIG CONGRATS TO SODERLING!
And again, time to finally support my Fed as I did in 2008.

But as you know, Jus Naturale prevails.
All good things come to an end, no matter what, Fed’s streak was also a crazy good thing, and IT ALSO ENDED finally.
At least next year Fed won’t have too many points to defend in the clay season and the pressure would be less on him.
The Humble Champion Federer has already had to deal with a lot of pressure, how long he coulda handled it? :/
It’s a testament to Fed’s genius that he could carry such a burden of seemngly endless consecutive semi streak for 6 years, this is more than any fan should expect/want from him. Fed’s not a machine, he’s still a human being and there’s a limit to what he can do. I am extremely proud as a Fed fan that he could establish such a ridiculous record of reaching consecuive GS semifinals, he actually made it look so easy, but the fact is it was unimaginably difficult, yet Fed did so well for so long! What else he could have done for his fans?

So Gannu, Kimo, Conty, Maxi, Daniel, Polo, Gordo, blank etc.:

Please continue to be proud of Fed and don’t be too disheartened by the loss. I’m also feeling a bit worried for Fed, but I’ve also to mov won.

—————————-
And FULL CREDIT TO SODERLING FOR BEATING FED IN SUCH CONVINCING FASHION!
HOPEFULLY SOD WOULD WON THE FO, MY FULL WEIGHT BEHIND HIM.

GO SOD!!!

—————————–

Last but not the least,

Is Cindy Brady ready to eat her words that she had been saying since last year, that’s Sod just got lucky and beat Rafa in the RG 09? Cindy also prophesised another Fed-Rafa final, thereby paving the way for being proved wrong yet again, she’s hardly ever right, haha! Today, by beating Federer, Sod proved that the last year’s win vs Nadal was no fluke! He actually can do it! Kudos to his coach Norman for that!
And BTW, is Cindy Brady ready to admit that she’s a delusional pretyender indeed? And she was calling Skeezer as delusional pretender, lol! ;)

If there ever was any doubt over the legitimacy of Sod’s 2009 RG victory over Rafa, this win against Fed must put an end to it.

GO SOD!!!


gabsvamos Says:

Soderling played really well todayand propsto him. Personally to skeezerweezer, which Botswana beer was it that did it? I live in Gaborone and just wish I’d been there ahen you loct the tickets!

Other than this i think Nadal will fight his way through to the the Final against Soda and the wreak revenge for last year.

Vamos Rafa!


sar Says:

I have to go for awhile, see you in a few.


Twocents Says:

margot,

Remember Murray only wants white towels — snow white! He often specifically asked for it if he was given some stinging flashy cheap towels.

Don’t worry, youth prevails :-)).


Cindy_Brady Says:

Huh,

Funny how you only seem to focus on a couple faulty predictions I’ve made but never give me credit for the vast majority I get correct.

At least, I have the courage to make them in the first place unlike the “ball-less” person you are.

Try growing a pair in the future.


Polo Says:

Predictions are calculated guesses. Sometimes you get it right, sometimes you get it wrong. It doesn’t make one a genius when he/she gets it right. And neither is making wrong predictions a character flaw. Peace to all.


stu Says:

Hey Duro, good to see you again!

Just a comment on your statement about a Nole-Soda final if Nico beats Rafa…If Nole does make it to the final of RG, I think I’d like him to do it right and beat Rafa to get there. In keeping with your theme, he’d be breaking a 9-0 losing streak on clay against Rafa as well ya know :)

…one match at a time, I know……


Fot Says:

I saw Roger’s interview on ESPN2. He’s very straightforward about the loss. Gave Robin a lot of credit for playing great and for winning. On the streak ending – he said “well, at least I still have the 24 straight QF appearances” – then laughter in the room.

He said the conditions were very hard with the heavy rain, but it was the same for both players. He thought Robin was stronger in that he could hit through the heavy conditions better than he could but said he gives credit to Robin for keeping it up.

He didn’t seem ‘sad’ but just ‘reflective’. They asked if he thought Soderling could win the tournament – he said “sure, why not?”!

Then the French questions came and he said something and they all laughed (I don’t understand French). Then ESPN cut away from it. Guess I’ll have to wait until the interview is out to see what he said.


Huh Says:

Cindy:

Oh ye, the mistress of delusion, just the opposite of what you think, my balls are fine!


Huh Says:

Cindy:

You’re like the broken clock which gets correct, thou not on its own, things just fall in place for u! Be sure, even the biggest fools get it right once in a while and you’re one of them.
Whose bandwagon are you in now by the way?


Huh Says:

“contador Says:
it’s poetic.

robin soderling beats federer for the first time in the RG quartes, breaking roger’s semi streak. congratulations SODA!

he broke rafa’s winning streak last year. PERFECT

perfect job soda pop!

now go beat berdych! puhleeeeeeze

June 1st, 2010 at 1:46 pm”

Fantastic post by Conty. :)


Huh Says:

contador Says:
LOL! fed is afreaid

soda in not afraid


Duro Says:

stu (shut the up), you always make me smile when I see your name and remember what you told me it actually meant :-).

Oh, it’s gonna be right, all right, no matter how he does it!!! No complains about GS final, over Rafa or not. I wouldn’t mind it all even if it happens without that encounter. That would be sweeter, of course, but it doesn’t really matter. I predicted that Nico is gonna make a sensation tomorrow. I am hoping that even if he doesn’t, he’ll wear Rafa enough to leave the job for Novak to finish.

9-0 streak, 12-0 streak, 10-0 streak… Every streak comes to an end eventually.


InMyOpinion Says:

I’m waiting for Fedfans to declare that Fed is not interested in claycourt GS.


Fot Says:

1 June 2010

THE FRENCH OPEN Paris, France

R. SODERLING/R. Federer

3‑6, 6‑3, 7‑5, 6‑4

An interview with:

ROGER FEDERER

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please.

Q. Two hours after the match, tell me something about the emotions. You must be very disappointed.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, disappointed to a certain degree. You know, I don’t think I played a bad match, so it’s easier to go out this way, I think.

Conditions obviously were on the rougher side for both of us, and I thought he came up with some great tennis.

You know, it’s a touch easier to digest this way.

Q. In any case, before the stop you had a set point, so it could have been another story, or he started playing flat?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, best‑of‑five‑set matches you always get chances, and I definitely had those at, what was it, 5‑4, Love‑30? I mean, he missed a forehand that was close to go up at Love‑30, and then he had a forehand that just touches the line a little bit to go maybe Love‑40 instead of, you know, 15‑30. So that’s obviously a big change.

The backhand smash he hit he catches with the frame a little bit, you know. I mean, that was kind of a hard shot to hit, I thought. That kind of shot from my side with the smash and stuff is very unusual.

So hit it well, you know. But he played aggressive and kept on coming. When the conditions got more heavy when we came back from the rain delay, he played well, you know.

That was a tough set for me to lose after having those chances and being up 40‑15 on my serve when I came back.

Q. You have, of course, the great semifinal streak that is now broken. What does that mean to you? Obviously all good things come to an end at some point.

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, like you say, they all come to an end at some stage. You hope they don’t happen, but they do.

No, I mean, it was a great run. Now I’ve got the quarterfinal streak going, I guess. (laughter.)

No, I mean, it’s been an amazing run. I think it sort of started here when I lost to Kuerten back in ’04, I guess it is. If then I could have signed for all those semis in a row, I would have done it right away.

I’ve made, how you say, incredible progress in terms of my play at the highest of level to be able to always come back and play semis after semis after semis in Slams and give myself chances to win in Slams. I was able to win many of them.

I was proud to have that streak, and it’s probably one of the greatest ones I have in my, you know, history books, really, for me.

Q. Secondly, the difference between the Robin you saw last year here and today, was it significant?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I think conditions were even harder today. I mean, I think last year’s match was difficult for both of us. You know, I had a good start again today, which was the case as well last year.

You know, I mean, at times I guess I could have played a bit better. He served well. I didn’t take my chances early on in the second set. And then in the third set as well.

So I just missed too many chances today, which I didn’t do last year, and I was able to run away with it. Today I couldn’t do that.

Q. You were 12‑0 against him. What did he do today that really bothered you on the court?

ROGER FEDERER: He played really well, you know, for almost an entire match, really.

I’m not blaming the conditions or anything, but I think they were in his favor towards the end. Because, I mean, these were some serious, tough conditions, you know. If you serve 225, 230, you can still hit through the court on the serve.

I may be lacking those 5 to 10ks extra on the serve to hit through a guy on the serve, but that’s the way conditions are. I can’t complain, because it was the same for both of us.

But of course I’m disappointed to having sort of lost three matches in the rain on clay this season: in Estoril, in Rome, and now here again.

So I just couldn’t come up with the plays when I had to today.

Q. Did you have any feeling going into today’s match that you might not win?

ROGER FEDERER: I mean, I respect everyone, but I’m always, how do you say? I’m honest enough to myself that I know I can win them all. I felt confident going into the match knowing that if I play well, if I play solid, I’d probably win this match.

Q. Once you got in the rallies, do you think the lower bounce because of the heavier conditions favored him over you?

ROGER FEDERER: Look, I don’t mind slow clay. When it gets rainy, it’s tough, you know. Not only for me, but for the opponent too, usually. It’s not a lot of fun for the fans either, and for us, the players, it’s hard, you know, because you never know when it’s gonna be interrupted.

You know, your mind starts wandering. It was tough conditions. I guess today they favored him, but I really felt like he played great. He was able to hit consistently through the ball, and on the offensive I put them close to the lines. That’s something, you know, that was impressive.

Q. As you look inside yourself, what is worse for you: having been beaten in quarterfinals and have no chance to win another Grand Slam title, or let the chance open to lose the No. 1?

ROGER FEDERER: I mean, you just take the defeat as it is. You don’t think of the consequences. I guess most disappointed I am that I can’t defend my title here. I really felt like my tennis was good enough to come here and do it again, but that was not the case today.

So it’s more the disappointment in having maybe not delivered my very best performance today, conditions and opponents didn’t allow me to.

And, yeah, then you move on. You know, you move on to the grass and forget a little bit.

Q. Do you think that Robin can go all the way this year?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, once you’re in the semifinals, there’s four players that can go all the way. Counts for him too; he was in the finals here last year.

If he makes the finals again, he’ll feel more comfortable, you know, in that kind of a situation, a position. Maybe he’ll play a better final. Who knows?

But he definitely has a chance, yeah.

Q. You had obviously, you know, a great turnaround in Australia and then the break. I’m just wondering if you ever felt you had your A clay game on this spring? Were there times when you felt you had it, or did you always feel like you were sort of searching for it throughout the spring?

ROGER FEDERER: I felt like I found my game when I arrived in Madrid, really. Felt like my game was good enough again. That’s why I was very happy with my play over there. I was very happy with my play here this week.

You can’t really practice with these kind of conditions. You just take them the way they come, you know. That’s why it’s disappointing.

And honestly, I don’t look too deep into why I lost today. For me, it’s very clear very quickly. That’s why I think I can move away from this rather fast and concentrate on the grass season coming up.

THE MODERATOR: French questions, please.

Q. Have you ever played such a big hitter as Soderling today?

ROGER FEDERER: Yes.

Q. Who?

ROGER FEDERER: Del Potro. You’ve forgotten him because he’s injured.

Q. What’s the feeling when you have such a powerful ball in your racquet?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, it can be pleasant and unpleasant because you have less to do and you can’t play your game, you can’t impose your game.

As for me, I’m strong on both sides if I have to attack and if I have to defend and take the speed of the other player. That’s why I had such a good record against him.

So not too much of a problem for me, but today he played very well. He was impressive.

Q. Would the conditions prevent you from varying your shots as much as you would have liked to?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, slightly. But then I did what I wanted to do. I just missed some opportunities at the end of the second set, beginning of the third. The rain was not very helpful.

I was one break up in the fourth, and, well, I lost three sets; this is what I did. That’s why it’s frustrating leaving the tournament like that.

But at the end of the day, he needs to take credit. He played incredibly well from the beginning to the end and in very difficult conditions.

So it’s a bit of a shame. The conditions were what they were, but he deserves it. He played very well.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

R. Federer – 01.06.10

3

visit our archives at asapsports.com


Cindy_Brady Says:

Huh,

Thank you so much for making me cry. I’m not posting here anymore.

Very serious.


contador Says:

@Huh

i meant soda “is” not afraid. he certainly isn’t! and….

great post from you at 3:25pm. the first part is what i am talking about ( i don’t know the poster to whom you are referring at the end and so not commenting there)

but about how much RF has done, very well said! i am not at all worried about roger federer, how could anyone be? he’s done enough, he could actually retire right now, but the guy says he wants to play tennis. so, i believe him. it’s my problem if i cringe when he loses now. time to remember all the years and the joy it was. joy, maybe again, maybe not. i have braced myself for a swift decline before (after wimbles 08 ). he came back with some federer best at US open 08. then i braced myself again after ao 09, which started me off reading tennis talk online.it was appalling, the extent of disrespect the and the way anti-feds were having a field day with the greatest ever in the sport. i rolled around, mud wrestling with some on TT and said to others, “grow-up.” they wouldn’t listen so after a while i told myself the same, “grow up.”

i might not enjoy nadal’s style of play or on court mannerisms but i don’t hate the tennis player at all, i respect him and most of his fans, not all of them. the super-sensitive ones i have to watch myself, i loved to tease, goad, in general get them steaming from their ears…..lol… i reformed. i hope.

not that i disrespect nadal. he’s great for tennis. i have simply never been a fangirl for his muscles or overcome with joy watching his on court personna.

and i can’t forget what rafa’s biggest fan RF himself said when rafa was down last fall, “…we haven’t seen the best of rafa yet.” okay then, federer knows his sport better than i do.

*************
i’m very happy for soda pop and his coach who it appears changed robin for good. they both deserve a GS win, one GS win, right here at RG! yay for the swedes!!

i’d also like to see djoko get his mojo all the way back. i thought he would be the next #1. if he were to win RG, i’d be thrilled too.

the one standing between either of them getting what i wish for, is basically the best clay courter ever and i thought the notion of anyone but rafa winning was laughable, until today . now there is hope for all underdogs left : ) : )

berdych and soda semi is gonna be a cracker! neither of them have any problem visualizing themselves beating rafa. the steaks are higher for robin because it would truly su**, (pardon me) to lose in the RG final a second time. berdych has nothing, nada, zilch, to lose and his brain has clearly had a makeover recently. maybe his coach and magnus norman are using the same book, i dunno.

i almost am favoring berdych. it’s the feeling. my heart wants soda.

almagro will fold to nadal. he might cause rafa a little more effort but i can’t see anything but a straight set win the king of clay.

the melzer v djoko match just got more interesting though. i imagine melzer is inspired right now. will djoko be more so?

i can’t tell with nole right now. last fall i thought he could be #1 this year. Ajde! c’mon nole!

rafa in all likely reality will make the final, but with roger out, he will face at least 2 if not 3 newly inspired opponents on his way to biting another RG trophy. i picked mr. dimples to beat my favorite player ever and it happened. the big swede warrior may or may not make it to the final, he has to face a big czech guy, first. in any case, soda pop made this RG lots more interesting today.

just my opinion. : )


skeezerweezer Says:

@Huh,

:)


Von Says:

Commiserations to Fed fans on hiks early loss.

Here’s a link on wertheim’s take on the match and what thiks lolss will mean to Federer.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/jon_wertheim/06/01/soderling.federer/index.html


Andrew Miller Says:

I am a bit scared that Federer may be becoming “Just another opponent” for players with confidence. Federer pretty much got bullied by Soderling, much like Del Potro.

Still the greatest of all time by far and best on grass and best on hard courts at slams.


Mindy Says:

Ben,

Believe me, now saying that Sod will win instead of Rafa is hardly the worst thing that you have said here. I can understand it in a way. Sod has accomplished two great feats back-to-back in successive French Opens. Congratulations to him! However, it is interesting that there is a kind of “bandwagon” effect that goes on in these forums. Someone is an overwhelming favorite and then, in the blink of an eye, he’s just another somebody and there’s a new king.

By the way, you have nothing on Sean Randall, who is famous for his anti-Rafa venom. You did bring up that touchy issue of Rafa’s knees and withdrawing from Wimbledon. I am not going to even go there again. I have said exactly what I thought about Sean’s blog that suggested Rafa was more afraid of losing than he was hurt. There is nothing more to say about it.

Just know one thing – this Rafa fan will not make any excuses if he does not win here. Rafa is healthy, playing quite well. Honestly, I am just thankful that he is playing at all. Things didn’t look so good a few months ago. I don’t ever think there is a sure thing at a slam. If I ever did think it, last year certainly taught me a good lession. I don’t take anything for granted now.

I am just taking it one match at a time, like Rafa. He is smarter than me, and I am a good deal older. He once said that anyone can predict whoever they want to win or say what they want, but what counts is what happens on court, it has to happen on the court. Wisdom beyond his years.

skeezer,

You can be such a great guy, but you have really gone off on Rafa since RG started. I do lurk and read here a lot, even if I don’t post too often. If memory serves, the last time I did, someone said – here come the Rafa fans, like the earthworm. Now that was the first time I have ever been called an earthworm. It’s not the worst thing that’s been said here, but still and all, it doesn’t take intelligence to go throwing around silly insults. That’s why Rafa fans stay away. It’s better for our health!

I honestly did want to give my sincere condolences to Fed fans. It’s never easy to see the end of something as extraordinary as his consecutive semifinal slam appearances streak. I don’t believe that his record will ever be broken. I also believe that most likely whatever number of grand slam wins he has at the end of his career, will also never be equaled.

I watched that match. Fed fought hard all throughout those four sets. He did the best he could on this day. That is all you can ask of your guy. I was hoping for a rematch of Rafa and Fed, but I guess Sod had other ideas. I have this feeling that we just may still see them face off again in a slam. Meanwhile, Fed will prepare for another title defense at Wimbledon.

I will most likely never see eye-to-eye with most of the Fed fans here. The one thing I will not do is demean Fed or his incomparable achievements.

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