Federer v. Isner, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray Wednesday in Shanghai

BIIIIIIGGGGGG day in shanghai! makes me wanna stay up all night and watch tennis channel! not gonna happen, but still…

October 12th, 2010 at 9:34 pm

yesssss! some great tennis.

and starting in minutes. vamos bellucci? don’t lose, okay.

i will try to stay up to stream gulbis – gask

the problem is the rain delays.

October 12th, 2010 at 10:54 pm

contador-center court has a roof! i don’t get the status of the belucci match, can you help me out?
already two sets played?
no draw challenge for me, didn’t wanna jinx anything. what a wimp ;)

October 12th, 2010 at 11:06 pm

oh, that’s good. thanks dari.

i don’t see any livescore yet. makes me wonder about the other matches like belluci’s.

from the ilhan v bellucci score, looks like yes, were in the decider and it was 2-0 ilhan when match was suspended.

nah you aren’t a wimp. it’s tough to pick this time of year – you never know who is going to come through.

well, it appears the 11 am shanghai start is not going to happen.

i’ll wait 30-40 minutes more and see if gulbis/ gas-k comes on on center court.

October 12th, 2010 at 11:24 pm

Anyone on the west coast, USA or Canada? And if so, anyone know when the heck this biiiiiiig day of tennis begins west coast time-wise? Presuming, of course, that they are not rained out. Oh, they have a roof; forget that then. When is “game on”?

October 12th, 2010 at 11:37 pm

Thanks Sean – I guess that means 15 hours on the west coast. There are no scores yet at the ATP site…

October 13th, 2010 at 12:00 am

Yan Bai is 21 years old, not 31.

October 13th, 2010 at 12:01 am

Thanks – I see Gasquet is already up a break over Ernie. These two will always keep me guessing.

October 13th, 2010 at 12:25 am

Well, at least Ernie’s avoided a dreaded bagel…

October 13th, 2010 at 12:43 am

Gulbis vs. Gasquet, the two most talented headcases on the men’s tour. Why didn’t this match get more press?

Shame it looks to be straight sets, though.

October 13th, 2010 at 1:22 am

And straight sets it is. That was a bit of a bust. No racket smashing, no temper tantrums, nothing.

October 13th, 2010 at 1:36 am

Eyah, sorry Contador! What’s up with your man? A little insight? He has been a limpin warrior as of late? Gasquet, very talented but?

On another note, what ever happen to Benjamin Becker. Promising dude, but then a flame out? Getting thumped on by the “Should be an NBA All star” Monfils……

October 13th, 2010 at 1:43 am

And speaking of “what’s ups”, what’s up with Cilic? Seppi wins the first set with ease. Don’t know how much longer I can stay up but would love to flip back and forth between Soda/Tipsy and Nole/Ljub.

October 13th, 2010 at 2:01 am

saw the first set, havent seen gasquet play a whole set in a while but that backhand is still popping! (and that play style with a lack of physical fitness still wont work in slams)

gulbis didn’t play his best but he’ll be back with that kind of raw power.

October 13th, 2010 at 2:03 am

Jane,

Arrggg! Can’t stay up either…zzzzzz….looks like some cool matchups with Lube vs Nole and Sod vs tipsy…..hope they are good matches….g’night all and happy watchin’

out zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

October 13th, 2010 at 2:18 am

Me too Skeeze … too tired. Have to sleep just as the bald bomber is waking up versus Nole.

Come on Nole; don’t forget Ljub beat Murray last week!

I wish I knew what is up with Cilic; he lost 6-2, 6-2 to Seppi. I can understand an upset but that scoreline suggests is wasn’t too much of a battle (admittedly didn’t see the match itself, which often tells a different story. Anyhow, hope Cilic comes back stronger next year and can have a more consistent season.

October 13th, 2010 at 2:40 am

Nole’s match is a classic example of how the scoreline doesn’t always reflect how tough/easy a match is. Nole has a 5-2 lead first set, but just had a marathon game to hold. He’s at only 53% firsts in so Ljub’s been able to go after the second serve. Nole will have to serve better to go deep here. Anyhow, have to sleep. Night, if anyone is still watching.

Looks like Mr. H (as in handsome) Chardy has the fight tonight and will take out the strangely coifed Dolgopolov.

October 13th, 2010 at 2:48 am

Soderling cruising, serving extremely well. Unless Tipsarevic mixes things up (as he is well capable of doing), he’s not going to be able to outhit Soderling.

Aargh, Cilic. His game is so cerebral, he often loses the thread of what he’s doing on court. Well, hope he can get it together next year.

October 13th, 2010 at 2:51 am

Soderling shows his lack of net skillz by overhitting a drive volley to give back the break.

Given how intelligent Tipsarevic is on-court, I am shocked he has not done more to throw Soderling off-balance, but instead is happy to trade blows with the Swede, which is not getting him anywhere.

October 13th, 2010 at 3:03 am

Spectacular game at 5-5, Tipsarevic serving. He manages to hold for 6-5 after staring down four break points. Great rallies from both players.

October 13th, 2010 at 3:38 am

roddick retired. whats up??????

October 13th, 2010 at 7:11 am

really – I sneaked a look for a few games, and Roddick was looking good.
Nadal broken Wawa already, though Wawa’s not playing bad.

October 13th, 2010 at 7:19 am

Nadal just keeping ahead, some nice serve and volleying from Wawa.
Sign’s just gone up that Nadal’s average 1st serve speed this year at Shanghai is 16% more than at Shanghai2009. ‘Course, figures of dubious merit since Nadal hasn’t even played 2 sets yet.
Leif Shiras, asked why he thought Nadal’s speed’s gone up so dramatically replied he thought Nadal was holding the racket much more loosely – you could see his wrist moving as he served. Fast serving, said Leify, is not about muscle but about racket speed. He also said that Nadal did not previously have the relaxation overhead that he did with his forehand – loose wrist. I report these comments for what they are worth, since I have no idea myself – for instance, how do you actually see his wrist moving, you’d need a damn telescope, I’d have thought. But perhaps they have them in the commentary box. Also, of course, Leify is a former top player, so he is used to being able to deduce a lot from sparse info, I guess.

October 13th, 2010 at 8:05 am

@grendel

i think that guy might have a point. wrist snap is important. federer has a very whippy action, easy speed. nadal’s did look pretty stiff for many years.

October 13th, 2010 at 8:17 am

wawrinka has such a good game technically, it’s amazing he has stayed in the top 15.

October 13th, 2010 at 8:19 am

Congrats to: Nole, Murray, Nadal, Ferrer, Tsonga!!! Seriously, what happened to Rodick? He was a set up? Is he injured? I was hoping this will be his tournament to comeback? Kind of miss him getting to the quarters!!!!

October 13th, 2010 at 8:47 am

Am I hallucinating or did Gasquet just beat too of the most athletic, hard hitting men on tour in the same day?

October 13th, 2010 at 8:54 am

Just one lapse of concentration by Wawa – a double fault, and a failure to dispatch a lucky shot by Nadal (who basically just stuck out a racket to a screamer) – and that was the 2nd set. Why did Wawrinka not do more serve and volleying – every time he did it, he was successful? Why do other players not do it more against Nadal? And here’s a real question: Nadal hits one of his curvy forehands into the corner to have Wawa scrambling; he knows that Wawa’s response is bound to be weakish and, furthermore, will take just that little bit extra time. So, he runs up to the net, and collects the predictably easy put away. If he hadn’t gone to the net, the point might have gone on and on. My question is this: what Nadal did seems completely obvious; but how many players in the top 100 would have done the same? Even in the top 10 – Verdasco wouldn’t have done that. Why not? Surely this is basic stuff. Mystified.

Nadal looked tired to me. Would be surprised if he wins this tourney.

October 13th, 2010 at 9:06 am

Grendel–didn’t see the match but happy Rafa won. Nadal admited he was tired in his pre-tournament presser. I think his exhaustion is more mental than physical though. I can tell you I as his fan am mentally exhausted. Sometimes its easier when your fav loses or doesn’t play as you can relax and watch tennis without a racing heart. My heart has been racing pretty much since Indian Wells where he made pretty deep runs in just about everything. I feel mentally exhausted. Of course I want him to keep winning. Good win for him. I think Wawrinka is a quality player. Maybe Nadal will get some momentum if he keeps winning matches. He said he was exhausted when he arrived in Bejiing for the 2008 Olympics and actually played really poorly the first few rounds and then as the gold medal got closer stepped it up.

17 mph difference is huge. Don’t let Ben Pronin hear that.

October 13th, 2010 at 9:24 am

Marin Cilic!!!!!

The worst bracket breaker ever!!!!

I’m done with him!!!!

Grendel, out of curiousity did nadal play with roof open or closed?

October 13th, 2010 at 9:26 am

Four things,
1. Nadal played with Roof closed.
2. Nadal looked tired.
3. Nadal wasn’t enjoying himself out there.
4. Nadal still won.

October 13th, 2010 at 9:38 am

lol montecarlo, very cute!

October 13th, 2010 at 9:47 am

Fed looked good against the Isner doin what he does best. Serve was happening, along with dominating with the FH and threw in an amazing variety of winners. Lookin good Fed!

October 13th, 2010 at 10:05 am

Playing Isner= bad habits! Hope Fed doesn’t get caught up in just getting the return back in play if he hopes to challenge Nadal!

Nadal has a very challenging bracket- sure, no one he shouldn’t beat, but that’s the problem with being the best in the world, no? But Wawrinka and the nexties are all dangerous if he has a bad day. Muzza’s draw is a joke, Fed and Nole have some challenges (though now Fed gets Seppi).

Great day of tennis today, and some terrific matches tomorrow.

Love the Masters tournaments- couple days to warm up, and by Wednesday its top flight tennis through Sunday!

October 13th, 2010 at 10:06 am

Grendel, good question. Despite popular belief, the ideal point in tennis is finished at net, even today. Big serve + big forehand/backhand + deep approach = weak reply therefore come in and finish with a volley. Sometimes you don’t have to approach, sometimes you have to hit a couple of big forehands, but that’s generally how you want to construct your points. It’s a little trickier against Nadal, though. It has to be best-serve-you’ve-ever-hit + biggest forehand/backhand you’ve-ever-hit + deepest and most well placed approach shot you’ve ever hit = a 50/50 chance you get a weak reply. Then you have to hit the smartest possible volley, no cute stuff. And then that slightly raises your odds of winning the point to about 70/30. And then you have to do this for a minimum of 24 points a set. So why don’t players come in against Nadal? Pressure.

I think players like Verdasco and even Federer generally come in more against other opponents besides Nadal. Maybe not as much as they should (Verdasco), but it’s more prevalent than against Rafa.

October 13th, 2010 at 10:19 am

One thing Federer fans (unlike Nadal fans) never have to worry about is matchups with power hitters.
Federer excels at deflecting and reflecting power.
DP at USO is one of the few occasions where I’ve actually seen him not able to thrive off of pace and use it to his advantage.

October 13th, 2010 at 10:20 am

Uh…excuse me?

His big losses this year against Birdy and Sod wasn’t a worry for him re; power hitting?

October 13th, 2010 at 10:29 am

i take uyour point, Ben, but I didn’t necessarily mean against Nadal. Verdasco, for instance, whoever he’s playing, is very reluctant to come up to the net even in very propitious circumstances. Surely he is depriving himself of a real weapon.

Vulcan, that used to be true of Fed, but he’s been suffering of late against the big hitters (not just delPo, but Berdych, Soderling; you could argue the win against Sod in New York was an anomaly because of the howling gale, which wreaked havoc with Sod’s serve).

Another hot dog from Federer. After the match, when questioned about it, he remarked that it was now his most consistent shot. Apparently, he’s had 4 successful ones in a row.

October 13th, 2010 at 10:36 am

Gasquet! What can you say blah? Quite a nice day for him, beating Ernie and Monfils both in one day. Scary news for Nole. These two haven’t played since 2007, during the Masters Cup here. Richard beat Nole easily. Hmmm.

I was thinking about Ljub last night – what a year wins-wise he’s had. He’s beaten Murray (last week), Nole (IW), Roddick (IW) and Rafa (IW). Too bad he had some injuries to throw him off. But them’s the drawbacks of age: better mind, weaker body.

grendel, re: more players serving and volley versus Nadal – I think Ben’s right that the pressure is on, but really everyone should’ve been all over that tactic after Tsonga steamrolled at AO 2008. No one dares. And now, with flatter and deeper hitting, Rafa can keep a lot of players back. And let’s not forget he’s one of the best passers in the game. So easier said than done I should think.

Congrats to all the winners; didn’t see Fed’s match but it looks like a nice result, as he was able to dismantle the Isner serve enough to avoid tiebreakers.

What is wrong with Roddick? Anyone know??

October 13th, 2010 at 10:44 am

What is wrong with Roddick? Anyone know??

groin strain/ sprain.

October 13th, 2010 at 10:46 am

grendel, guess you didn’t mean only against Nadal but just generally, which is a different matter and certainly one worth puzzling over. Ljub did try some volleying versus Nole, a couple of which were great, but often Nole got him with a pass. So it’s risky, I guess. Has to be just right, even seeming put-aways, with the defense that some of these guys possess.

October 13th, 2010 at 10:47 am

Thanks for the update stu.

October 13th, 2010 at 10:49 am

Verdasco has a lot of problems besides being reluctant to come into net. But I think he is more likely to do so against someone other than Nadal, particularly if he’s playing well. Don’t forget he saved 2 match points against Nadal in AO with swinging volleys. That wasn’t reluctance.

October 13th, 2010 at 10:53 am

Murray’s draw is looking good here, although Tsonga can be dangerous, but usually Murray doesn’t have too much problem with him. Murray has a great shot at this title I suspect – especially if Rafa is tired – good pick contador. I think Fed being the other finalist will be a good pick too. Though Soda is on that side. But Fed should be fine next round.

margot – Murray faces handsome Jeremy next; what will you do? : )

Nole might have a tough time reaching the semis, with a revived Gasquet on deck and probably Berdych after that. Gasquet might be a little tired from today and Berdy’s been in a mini slump, so it’s still a doable situation, though challenging. Definite banana skin potential. If he does make it through, likely “Roger, that!” will be waiting. Anyhow, if he can get to the semis he’s equalled his points, and that’s good enough for me.

October 13th, 2010 at 11:00 am

Skeezerweezer, Grendel:

I think what I was trying to say by “not worry” is that they don’t have to worry about their guy getting pummeled into oblivion the way Nadal was against DP and guys like Cilic and Davydenko. Federer rarely gets beaten badly on hardcourts by power hitters…he’s always there stride for stride.
I was also just going to say that yes now that he’s older it may be more of a problem (this debate I would say comes down to footspeed vs. reflexes and it is likely the former to go first – Federer IMO has some of the best reflexes on the tour) Federer’s ability to return the Roddick serve with such great precision is a big part of my assessment of his ability to deflect power.

October 13th, 2010 at 11:07 am

In matches where “power hitters” get in the zone of “power hitting” and execute, ala JDP, SOD, Birds, etc, they can beat ANYONE. That match with Fed vs JDP you just had to sit back and say wow, what can a player do? His forehands were like rockets. It’s like when Roddick hits ( when he did hit? a “pun” there ) 145 up the “T”. You just say nice playing…………..

October 13th, 2010 at 11:13 am

federer rarely gets beaten badly by power hitters because his serve is so good which means he can usually hang in there longer than nadal[at least old nadal], even if they are belting balls around.

federer can bank on the fact he is still probably a better returner than the big hitter and so still win or keep it close.

nadal was always a better returner than the bigger hitter, but his serve gave them too many chances to attack him.

the serve has always been the reason nadal struggled more on hard.
the defensive play a little but not as much as people pretend.
roddick is one of hte biggest grinders in the top 20, rarely hits winners from the baseline, plops balls back and waits for errors. why is he still very hard to beat on hard court?
the serve is massive.

October 13th, 2010 at 11:26 am

jane,
“Anyhow, if he can get to the semis he’s equalled his points, and that’s good enough for me.”

Doesn’t he have to do better than that to be Y.E #2 though? Unless Roger loses early (he’s showing no early signs of it!), Nole needs to win the tournament to have any chance of maintaining his lead. Of courses if he loses to the Fed in the semis, he can kiss the ranking goodbye. Unless he wins O2 which is my new goal for him…

October 13th, 2010 at 11:33 am

as usual nadal is tired and if federer loses he is in decline…bullshit

October 13th, 2010 at 11:38 am

hi stu, “Doesn’t he have to do better than that to be Y.E #2 though?”

To be honest, I am less concerned about Y.E. number 2 than I am with Nole & co. winning Davis Cup. It’s not easy to win that Cup and it would be a huge boost and another feather in his cap. Number 2? He can get that back next year if he’s still playing well. He didn’t do great early on last year, other than defending Dubai, so if he can do better at the AO, IW, and Miami, he can maybe get #2 back, if Fed gets it at the end of this year. I would like to see him win Paris again, though.

October 13th, 2010 at 11:48 am

Guy, I agree it’s a contributing factor but not the only reason…you hear about players hitting “through” Nadal but rarely do you hear this in regards to Federer.

October 13th, 2010 at 11:50 am

van orten Says:
“as usual nadal is tired and if federer loses he is in decline…bullshit”

Yes u r right, by no means Federer is in any kind of decline and he is playing as good as he was between 2004-2007.
He is losing all these matches only because the competition has caught up and there is depth compared to 3/4 years ago.
Or is it because of mono/stereo which occured 150,000 years ago ?

October 13th, 2010 at 11:58 am

I agree that the DC should be his top priority, jane (and I’m sure it is). Glad we get to see how he measures up against Reeshard tomorrow!

October 13th, 2010 at 12:06 pm

jane, of course it’s risky doing s and v against Nadal. but in the match today, I think I’m right in saying that every time Wawrinka did it, he succeeded, giving Nadal no chance on the pass. The question then is: why did he not employ a successful tactic more frequently?

“why is he still very hard to beat on hard court?” guy asks of Roddick, and says: the serve. But Roddick is puzzling. he can be a grinder, yes. But when in the mood, he plays aggressively – he did today, for instance, the little I saw. Not an easy man to pigeonhole.

October 13th, 2010 at 12:08 pm

Nice 2 c Andy getting a bit of practise in today..
jane, kimm: he had Bejiing belly last week, hence lacklustre performance. Hope he’s feeling better cos the fanciable Frenchman is looking hot..jane! what a thing to ask? As if I could be seduced by a pretty face…as if..
shame about Andy R, looks as if his chances 4 world’s end are ended. Shanghai some jinx 4 him.
I c Beefy Boy got beat. Now guys here’s my advice 4 winning against Rafa, please take it, I’m not using it myself at the mo…1) serve out of your scull 2) never, ever attempt a rally 3) don’t go near that extraordinary forehand and 4) if all else fails, kick his water bottles over- advice from johnny Mac there…
BTW boys and girls, Spanish is either most widely spoken language, or second after Chinese, so shouldn’t all interviews be conducted in Spanish…or Chinese…;)

October 13th, 2010 at 12:26 pm

Margot,

“…never, ever attempt a rally”…hilarious :)

What is “Bejiing belly”? Sounds like something I don’t want to have.

Yes I am full aware of the language thing, in fact, as of now, I would rather see Rafa speak in Spanish in interviews so it can be translated correctly. But then we couldn’t poke fun at Rafa for his “Spanglish” vocabulary, lol. I’m still thinkin about grendel’s post on the matter……

October 13th, 2010 at 12:39 pm

stu,

Looks like Nole vs Gas should be a fun match. Nole has had the toughest draws this year.

October 13th, 2010 at 12:47 pm

skeeze: Hi! Anyone pay 4 this wonderful advice doyerthink??
Ah, Bejiing Belly is basically the runs….both ends..

October 13th, 2010 at 12:48 pm

Oh and skeeze, all the British swimmers in Delhi got similar …now there’s a thought to have with your tea…

October 13th, 2010 at 12:52 pm

Skeeze I think Nole can beat Reeshard. Probably in three.

Jane, all Nole really cares about right now is Davis Cup, I agree.

October 13th, 2010 at 1:01 pm

heya margot – nah, not you with the pretty face, erm, right? : ) As for this: “shame about Andy R, looks as if his chances 4 world’s end are ended.” Last I checked he is #8 in the race still, so if the groin strain isn’t too serious, he can make up points at Basel and Paris. It depends on his fitness, and how well those just in front/behind him in the race make out (Verdasco and Youz are both out too, I think, so that eases Roddick’s concerns.) I think the other Andy has a nice chance here! Providing the belly is better. ATP says “Djoko maintains run of form” – hope that’s the only run(s) he maintains. ;)

October 13th, 2010 at 1:02 pm

skeezer

maybe if i could read latvian or croatian and knew where to go hunt down information, i could find out what’s going on with gulbis and cilic.

also would help if i could SEE a match but there was no stream for gulbis / gas-K and i fell asleep.

last time i watched gulbis he was slow getting go the ball, when he did hit a forehand, it went wide, long or into net and his serve wasn’t working. based on what i’m looking at for match stats, i’d say the serve still is far from the weapon we know he has.

i’ve brought this up before but i have seen ernie return serve as well as anyone. his return of serve is what won him his only title. however, since his hamstring injury FO, he has not played well. and i can’t say he’s injured. i don’t know. last summer he had trouble with heat exhaustion and cramps. *sigh* always- something-ernie…

about cilic, it’s even more curious. i didn’t see his match last night but the last times i have watched him, i wondered how he was a top twenty player. maybe he is sick? injured? why is he sucking so long now? i’d like to know.

October 13th, 2010 at 1:04 pm

skeeze, there’s just too much prettiness in that match, tennis-wise and otherwise!

October 13th, 2010 at 1:09 pm

What’s wrong with old Roddick now? His eyesight, mono or leg? I think the old fart needs to retire.

ta ta dolls

October 13th, 2010 at 1:16 pm

Contador,

Wish you and him the best. He’s got game and I hope he gets it back

Margot,

Your on fire today thanks for the laugh. I am on my 3rd cup of tea thanks to you :)

Jane,

HA! Let’s hope Nole hasn’t been hangin out with Andy R, Maybe you and Stu should send him some of Margot’s tea, just in case? :)

October 13th, 2010 at 1:19 pm

Fed’s nowhere as good as he was during 2004-07, hell, he isn’t as good as he was even during AO 10! Only a Fed-hater will deny it.

October 13th, 2010 at 2:17 pm

The Fed-hatin Rafa fans here need to take out their rose coloured Fed-hate material glasses and see the truth staring the world at its face and not make laughable statements which imply that the Fed who lost to Berdych this year at WIM was as good as the 2006 Fed, it’s beyond stupid!

October 13th, 2010 at 2:28 pm

Liked this article evry much by the way, link below:

http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Tie-Breaker/entry/nadal-superman-for-all-seasons

October 13th, 2010 at 2:34 pm

evry should be read as very, in my 2.34 post.

October 13th, 2010 at 2:34 pm

Was burdened with a lot of work today, so much so that I was badly in need of some time out from work stress! Thankfully goatgalz provided me with some much needed comic relief for today! ;)

October 13th, 2010 at 2:38 pm

goatgalz should join some circus as a joker! ;)

October 13th, 2010 at 2:40 pm

Fed played fantastic today against Isner.. 30 winners to 9 unforced errors..I don’t think he’s had stats like that in 2010(maybe AO).

October 13th, 2010 at 2:44 pm

Interesting article…however after scanning through it I came across this at the end:

“Though Federer has got a bit irritated on occasions about the time Nadal takes to serve (bouncing the ball for ages at times),”

Seems to me he’s talking about Djokovic here…I don’t recall Nadal ever being that much of a ball bouncer…makes me wonder if I can trust anything else this guy has to say.

On a more substantive point I’m not sure that Nadal’s forehand can’t count for at least one great weapon.

October 13th, 2010 at 2:45 pm

sheesh! i totally agree Huh.

so many fed haters love to gloat about how old he is, and he is over and blah blah. then they turn around and deny it, saying he’s as good as in 2004-2007?

oh yeah. that’s right, the fed bashing loses it’s potency if fed is on the down-slope. hm, but he is. tough to have it both ways, isn’t it?

clearly federer is not what he was during his peak years. but he has moments and sometimes even can pull off an entire match looking like his old self.

federer looks great in lavender btw. and great win over isner! thank you, roger federer!

October 13th, 2010 at 2:52 pm

I saw the Gulbis/Gasquet match on the tennis channel last night. I have to say that it was a dismal performance from Gulbis. He couldn’t buy a first serve to save his life. I think his overall first serve percentage for the match was something like 45%. It was kind of bizarre to see him almost not even competing. He seemed frustrated and then kind of not even in it anymore.

Gasquet looked very good, however, anyone would have looked good against a Gulbis who just wasn’t there. He looked very unhappy as he walking off the court.

October 13th, 2010 at 3:07 pm

Looking for everyone to get through to the quarters comfortably with the possible exception of Soderling.

October 13th, 2010 at 3:14 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMCOUEL8Avc

Watch the end of this video.. So sweet

October 13th, 2010 at 3:36 pm

Naresh – Fed did look good against Isner today. But the wise will suspend judgement. Too often in the last couple of years, Federer has looked amazing against good but not top players. Then when a top player comes along, he disappoints. So I really hope Federer and Djokovic make it to the semis. Then we can really gauge where Federer is at. Especially since there’s no doubt about Djokovic’s excellent current form.

margot
Chinese is spoken only by the Chinese, and that will always be the case given the particularities of that language (1, it’s tonal – very very difficult to master if you’re not born to it;2, the written script (not alphabetic)). Therefore, although there are a lot of Chinese, the Mandarin language (the most widely spoken Chinese language) will never be international. As for Spanish, I can’t believe you’re right, margot – but by all means correct me if I’m wrong. It is true, I believe, that Spanish may become the most spoken language in the United States – in a sense, that will simply extend the territory of Latin America. But English will always be huge in the US, there’s Canada and Australia, and most importantly, India. Not to mention the West Indies and many African countries, including the biggest, Nigeria. And then of course, there’s good old Britain, where they still speak English of a sort. At some stage, English will be displaced. Who knows by what. But I doubt it will be in any of our lifetimes, however young.

October 13th, 2010 at 3:40 pm

Fed 30/9 on winners ue ratio, now that is news fo us Fed fans, Now were talkin, keep it up Fed!

October 13th, 2010 at 3:42 pm

@Skeezerweezer

if federer begins to show that ratio on a regular basis it is almost impossible to beat him except for nadal on clay ;-)

October 13th, 2010 at 4:07 pm

jane: Andy R is 11. Hope Djko has good “runs” tomorrow :) If Gas. was boxer would suggest he has “glass jaw” dunno what tennis equivalent would be, glass racquet doesn’t quite do it.
grendel: tongue in cheek ;)
skeeze: njoy your tea…Pity swimming team next in pool….

October 13th, 2010 at 4:12 pm

30 winners against bad mover Isner is not big deal. but his low UE looks good.

October 13th, 2010 at 4:15 pm

Right now, I would take that and I am sure Fed would too. For now it’s a match by match thing, see where it goes :).

Rafa is playing too dang good nowadays he is the one it seems who is impossible to beat.

October 13th, 2010 at 4:17 pm

As a Federer fan – I’m just happy he got through that match and won relatively easy. I had a feeling it would be something like 7-6 6-7 7-6 (like the Ivo matches) – so I was extremely happy Roger got through in 2 sets. Yes, Isner isn’t the best ‘mover’ on tour, but he hits hard and has one of the best service games AND Roger hadn’t played since the US Open – so anything could have happened.

I’m just happy he won. And yes Skeezerweezer, Rafa is the one who seems impossible to beat. But anything can happen. Djokovic has looked pretty good the last 2 events as well.

Montecarlo – that was nice at the end of that video. You can see Rafa and Roger are friends. Rafa by-passed Isner and went to Roger. lol!

October 13th, 2010 at 4:23 pm

One more thing. In the press conference interview with Roger – he did confirm that his sister (Diana) is pregnant with TWINS (what else!) lol! He said she’s going to have a boy and a girl. Wow, Roger’s parents went from zero grand children 2 years ago to having 4 in less than 3 years! lol! Congrats to his sister and her boyfriend. Roger said he talked with her today and she’s doing great and that he would see her in Basel when he goes home to the tournament.

October 13th, 2010 at 4:28 pm

rafa is a fedfan. : )

while watching montecarlo’s link, i found this one:

for fedfans and dedicated to the word “illusion.” ( it’s cheesy )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJm4MJt_yic&feature=related

October 13th, 2010 at 4:29 pm

Great video contador.

October 13th, 2010 at 4:35 pm

grendel “So I really hope Federer and Djokovic make it to the semis. Then we can really gauge where Federer is at. Especially since there’s no doubt about Djokovic’s excellent current form.”

Can you clarify please? What does that say about “where Federer is at”? I can guess the implication – if the two shall meet, and Fed wins, then he is playing great because Djoko’s been playing well. But is the same not true if Fed loses to a Djoko who is in great form? (if that’s indeed the case – Nole’s first serve percentage was low last night, way lower than during the USO, where much of the time he kept it in the 70% range; last night it was low 50s during the first set).

October 13th, 2010 at 5:02 pm

margot: ” Andy R is 11.” In the rankings, true, but he’s #8 in the London race, according to the ATP website.

October 13th, 2010 at 5:04 pm

Hey Jane! Haven’t talked to you in a while. So far – so good for your boy this week and last week.

I have no expectations of Roger in this tournament. I just want him to get as many wins as he can. So we’re off to a good start at least.

October 13th, 2010 at 5:12 pm

Since some of you asked in the other thread about the meaning of the word ‘illusion’ for Rafa and while that seems to be still unclear, here’s my two cents:

In reference to Nadal’s quote: “Probably the money doesn’t make the big players. But the illusion and motivation to work, maybe yes. Maybe that’s why for the last 20 years we were there, no?”
He has made a literal translation of the Spanish word ‘ilusión’ which means ‘excitement’ or ‘hope’, so he gets confused by the similarity of the two words and thinks they express the same meaning. Everytime you hear Nadal saying ‘illusion’ think about hope, thrill or excitement.

On a different note, my champ Nole has qualified for the WTF and here’s his signature painting:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Media/Videos/2010/10/Art-Of-Tennis-Novak-Djokovic.aspx

October 13th, 2010 at 6:12 pm

Nina,

I would rather him just say “excitement” or “hope” if he is speaking in English. Maybe it’s better I just learn Spanish. Who am I, Mr. Ignoramous.

Did you catch what kind of thing it is they were doing?

“Artballing”, :)

October 13th, 2010 at 6:36 pm

Hi Fot – well I didn’t see Fed’s match but the stats look good and Isner is no easy first round opponent. On another note, did you see Fed’s “Roger that” practice shirt; thought it clever myself.

Hi Nina – thanks for posting that video; it’s so uplifting. And the art? Well not quite Jackson Pollock but fun nonetheless. Nole, so ironic. (I’ve been trying to paint for many years but no one noticed, lol). : )

October 13th, 2010 at 6:41 pm

yay! missed federer. how nice to see him back.
great win today, one match at a time.
didn’t see the full match but the highlights looks great.

aah another tweener, go fed!! Hope he keeps it up…

fingers crossed for murray too. hoping he gets to the semi to get a chance to nadal. c’mon muzza, you can do it.

October 13th, 2010 at 6:45 pm

“get a chance to nadal” lol muzza can do a nadal, why not!

s/b get a chance to play nadal

October 13th, 2010 at 6:51 pm

Fed’s great form > Djoko’s great form

In fact US 10 finally proved to me that Nadal great HC form > Djoko great HC form, not to mention Federer HC

October 13th, 2010 at 6:54 pm

Fed’s great form > Djoko’s great form

In fact US 10 finally proved to me that even Nadal’s great HC form > Djoko’s great HC form, not to mention Federer’s great HC form! Novak Djokovic isn’t good enough to stretch an in-form Nadal even to 5 sets, that too on a USO court, what can he do against an in-form Fed? Simple answer: nothing!

I’m saying this coz I previously used to think that Nole is a better HC player than Rafa, but Rafa proved once and for all that he’s the master over Novak on hard too (coz we already knew Novak doesn’t have the ability to beat Rafa on clay or on grass). The stakes were high in the USO and there Rafa beat Nole. It’s not as much heroic on the part of Nole to beat a slightly tired and injured Rafa towards the end of 2009 in some relatively less significant tournaments as it is on the part of Rafa to beat a fresh and in-form Nole in the USO final. Nole was lucky to get a day’s rest otherwise it would have been a straight set defeat to Rafa perhaps. Why is there even the question of determining Fed’s form depending on a win/loss to Nole at Shanghai (should they meet)? Whether Fed beats Nole here or not, it won’t say much about his form coz Fed’s form is assessed not in the masters/250/500 events, but at then GS. Nobody’s gonna remember a masters result with as much emphasis as the result of a slam, it’s true for all, but even moreso for Fed and Rafa coz these two are the most unbeatable guys in the men’s tour and their slam performances confirm that!

And I now guess the match-up theorists will have to find a different explanation to convince others that a Rafa-Nole final would be more competitive than a Fed-Rafa final. Let the search begin!

October 13th, 2010 at 7:15 pm

“Why is there even the question of determining Fed’s form depending on a win/loss to Nole at Shanghai (should they meet)? ”

I don’t know. That’s why I asked grendel for clarification on his post, huh. Thanks for your input anyhow.

October 13th, 2010 at 7:38 pm

TWEEENER! The Master at work…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCrzxsB3JI8

October 13th, 2010 at 7:44 pm

jane
” But is the same not true if Fed loses to a Djoko who is in great form?” Well, that depends on HOW he loses. I don’t think Fed has to beat Djokovic to show he is coming back to form. But he’s got to play a lot better than he did at the US. Someone said that Djokovic should have won that match in straights, and there’s something to be said for that. I hope Djokovic gets his serve back – he does seem strangely unreliable on that. Annoying Roddick got beaten – Djokovic/Roddick encounter would have been something to look forward to.

margot
you naughty teasing thing you, shoulda guessed.

October 13th, 2010 at 7:45 pm

I know you’re simplifying here, huh, “what can he do against an in-form Fed? Simple answer: nothing!” Are you saying that for none of the six wins that Nole has gotten over Fed, was Fed in form? Not for even one of those six wins?

October 13th, 2010 at 7:46 pm

Thanks for your reply grendel: “But he’s got to play a lot better than he did at the US. ” What, in your opinion, was Fed’s unraveling there? He had played so well up to the semis: dismantleing windy Soda, handling wily Melzer, and so forth. So what happened in the semi? Was it errors? I mean he hadn’t lost a set to that point in the event. What I saw was some uneven play from Fed’s side; there were times he played very well – all the fifth set for example (though some timely errors cost him, same could be said of Nole though) and some of the third too. But at other times, he seemed passive? Or maybe slow? He had 12 aces to Nole’s 4; got less first serves in (though that could partly be neutralized due to Nole’s return game) but won more points off his first serves. Nole took advantage of second serves though, whereas Roger didn’t really. NELTA made that comment once about Fed needing to beef up his secnod serve return. There break points saved and converted are in the same ballpark. In some ways it seems like the second serve return might’ve been the big difference, but I don’t have stats on errors. And stats don’t say it all either, I realize, but they can help. I’d like to hear your thoughts since you know Fed’s game so well.

October 13th, 2010 at 7:54 pm

Huh, I don’t see how you can say:”Rafa proved once and for all that he’s the master over Novak on hard” simply on the basis of one match. Certainly Nadal deserved his victory and at the moment is probably the best player in the world on fast hard. But I don’t suppose there is a lot in it, and one would expect Djkovic to figure hugely in any future major hard court match.

As for saying:”Fed’s great form > Djoko’s great form”, I would agree with that taken in an historical perspective – because like you, I don’t think Fed is as good as he used to be. (On the other hand, it is likely Djokovic will get considerably better, so who knows what the best Djokovic will be?).

But right now, I am not so confident as you. If Djokovic is firing on all cylinders, I suspect he is a little bit too good for Federer these days, however Fed is playing. Of course, I’d like to be wrong.

October 13th, 2010 at 7:56 pm

there s/b their @ 7:54

October 13th, 2010 at 7:57 pm

jane, I really don’t know about knowing Fed’s game so well, though it is true I watch almost every match he plays.
What happened at the US?
Simple. Fed had a resurgence of mono, his back was hurting, he’d had a quarrel with Mirka that morning, he was just pretending because he was feeling bored, and he intended to wrap it up in the 5th where as you say, he played quite well; and then after all,right at the end, he decided to give the match to Djokovic as his feelings of extreme anger suddenly overtook him again. He actually donated those match points whilst pretending to try.

Actually, the above scenario is almost as plausible as the reality. It’s not that Djokovic isn’t capable of beating Federer, of course he is, but the way Federer just went away for two sets is beyond my comprehension. Sorry, have no answer. Complacency, perhaps, after his spectacular revenge against Soderling? The wrong mindset can be difficult to change, and it was only when he was staring death in the face that Federer started to play properly. I just think when you’re older, these strange lapses happen more and more often.

October 13th, 2010 at 8:09 pm

To me, right now federer and djoko are equal. Obviously fed used to be better but not anymore.

USO 2010, federer did not play well imo. losing set 2 and 4 6-1 6-2 explains a lot. i dont think theses results was due to djoko great play. federer was just poor in those sets…ther was no fight. the concentration level is not the way it used to be and djoko took advantage. The serve was very poor, there was some sets his first serve was below 45%.

If they play in shanghai its 50/50 imo. I hope they do meet, still a long way to go.

October 13th, 2010 at 8:18 pm

aah grendel, the mono and back problem..lol. why not?

October 13th, 2010 at 8:21 pm

Lol grendel. But this ” I just think when you’re older, these strange lapses happen more and more often” – the lapses may happen more when older, but they aren’t wasted on the tennis elderly. Just ask Murray and Djoko; they’ve had their fair share of walk-abouts!

October 13th, 2010 at 8:32 pm

I said above “it’s annoying Roddick got beaten”. That was an unfortunate mistake. I meant, of course, it’s annoying Roddick had to retire. He was actually well ahead when this happened.

October 13th, 2010 at 8:42 pm

I agree with Grendel that it’s not about whether or not Federer beats Djokovic, its’ about how he plays against him. Considering this is tennis, for all we know both of them will come out completely flat and play an awful match that ends 7-5 in the third. Kinda like in Montreal. What will that mean for either guy?

I also can’t agree that Nadal’s HC > Djokovic’s HC. But there is no argument to be made that Nadal’s mental strength > Djokovic’s mental strength. Yeah it was a fast hard court that should’ve favored Djokovic, but I think it was more important that it was a grand slam final that will always favor Nadal.

As for Djokovic and Federer, I think, at this point in time, Djokovic is the safer bet on hard courts. Federer full flight is nearly unbeatable on any surface, but it’s also extremely rare. Since Djokovic’s breakthrough, they’re 6-6. So, yeah.

I’m also very upset Roddick lost. I was looking forward to Djokovic-Roddick 8. Also, I’ll be incredibly upset if Roddick doesn’t make it to London. That would straight up suck.

October 13th, 2010 at 9:00 pm

roddick is very unlucky with injuries. during this time last year he was injured. he has zero points to defend at the moment.

I too hope he gets to london. how serious is this injury, does anybody know?

October 13th, 2010 at 9:08 pm

Kimmi, don’t know how serious it is, but these are his words:

Roddick said: “It was to the point where moving at all felt like I was getting stabbed in the leg.

“It’s just frustrating. You’ve got to be able to get a little bit of momentum going, and I just feel like I haven’t been able to do that since April or May and a lot of that has been out of my hands.”

Source: http://www.sport360.com/component/content/article/90-news/1359-advantage-murray-in-the-tale-of-two-andys

October 13th, 2010 at 9:18 pm

for muzza fans
i dont know if you have already see this. hope not. i like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT3rWRqj6_0

October 13th, 2010 at 9:22 pm

Ben, ” I think, at this point in time, Djokovic is the safer bet on hard courts. ” – Really? I’d say Fed is the safer bet, or at most it’s closer to what Kimmi said, at 50/50. Fed was in finals in TO, and won Cincy, don’t forget. I think Fed does better at finding ways to win even when not at his best, so unless Nole is near or close to his best I’d see Fed as the safer bet, were I to bet. Which I don’t. So maybe it’s moot anyhow. : )

October 13th, 2010 at 9:24 pm

jane – sharp pain in the leg..does not sound good. hope he recovers quick. i hear he is playing basel.. has he ever played basel? it will be great if he plays.

basel should help him to get more points for O2 london. it starts in 2 weeks and a half…there is time if is not too serious.

djoko is there again and the fed ofcourse.

October 13th, 2010 at 9:29 pm

Roddick should make it. He’s actually in sixth lace and it’s not like the ones behind him are exactlylighting it up….ie verdasco, berdych, youzney. Ferrer seems to be gaining some momentum to make a run for a spot.

October 13th, 2010 at 9:32 pm

Cool video Kimmi – wouldn’t that be fun? The “exclusive chance” I mean, not the other part. ha ha.

Yeah I read somewhere, maybe the ATP site that Andy R is playing Basel; I don’t know if it’s the first time, but I don’t recall him playing there recently anyhow.

October 13th, 2010 at 9:32 pm

Kimberly Roddick is in 8th place – have a look on the front page of the ATP site (Rod fell after his early exit/retirement).

October 13th, 2010 at 9:34 pm

Nadal, Murray Locked In Playstation Dispute

murray’s version: “Basically we agreed to play best of three. They won the first match. The second match went into extra time, and they decided if it went to penalties, it didn’t count because they didn’t know how to take penalties. So the match finished as a draw,” explained the Scot. “They said, ‘Okay, we’re not playing. Didn’t want to play penalties. We drew the game.’ I think we won that one because they didn’t want to take the penalties. Then we won the third game. Then they wanted to play a fourth one, which they won. So I think it was 2-2. They think it was 2-1 for them. But we were the better team, so that was the most important thing (smiling).”

Nadal’s version? “I am not going to answer because everybody who was there knows who won yesterday night. So if he’s happy coming here and lying to everybody, it’s okay (smiling). But we won, that’s true. Monaco and me, we won 2-1. That’s true.”

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2010/10/41/Shanghai-Wednesday-Nadal-Murray-Soccer-Dispute.aspx

hahaha love it!!

October 13th, 2010 at 9:40 pm

Oh, I thought he was six. He won a masters and made another final and semi. Hopefully he plays two more tourneys and can make it, I really see him as number five on hard, number three on grass. Would love him to be there to have a great Yec. Hopefully no injuries keeping any of the top four out.

However, with that said I think Novak will take it very easy there….he is for pumped for Davis cup.

October 13th, 2010 at 9:42 pm

i agree about verdasco not catching roddick though…

October 13th, 2010 at 9:44 pm

Era of Good Feelings is really expanding. Nice to see a couple of young guys bond over video games. Better than the extra-curricular activities of Borg, Gerulaitis, and McEnroe from back in the day…

October 13th, 2010 at 9:45 pm

Kimberly I agree with your thinking that Roddick is a top favorite to qualify, providing the injury is not too serious and he can play Basel and Paris. I say that because Verdasco, who’s closest behind Roddick, has been slumping somewhat, plus he has finals points in Valencia, not sure in Paris, that he has to defend, whereas for Andy R all points are gravy as he didn’t play the end of last year. Behind Verdasco is Youz, who’s had a nice year at the slams, but again, he’s kind of dropped form now, lost in round 1, so he’d have to have stellar results in Europe to climb over Rod and/or Hotsauce. Then a little further behind those 3 are Tsonga and Melzer who are outside shots; I suppose if they’re still in it at Shanghai, you never know – depending how they close out the season. Still, I like Roddick’s chances, providing he’s well. Like he says, he needs to get a few matches in.

October 13th, 2010 at 9:47 pm

Oh I guess the defending part doesn’t matter in the race, but I still like Rod’s chances if he is well.

October 13th, 2010 at 9:50 pm

Kimmi——-OMB just read the Rafa Murray playstation debate. Hilarious.

October 13th, 2010 at 9:55 pm

Jane, I just looked on the ATP site. Wow. I thought Andy was six. Ferrer definitely great shot to play. Verdasco I thought for sure would qualify but three consecutive first round losses, like gulbis. Miserable Asian swing for both. I still need a lot og help typing on this iPad so my apologies to all on horrendous typos

October 13th, 2010 at 10:08 pm

kimberly – OMB? what does that mean? or did u mean OMG? just curious!

October 13th, 2010 at 10:08 pm

“apologies to all on horrendous typos” oh, so it was a typo..no worries!

October 13th, 2010 at 10:10 pm

Kimmi meant omg but for some reason this iPad autocorrects to omb. And keeps saying rod dick for roddick but i keep correcting that one to avoid inciting his fans!

October 13th, 2010 at 10:16 pm

I watched Roddick’s match with G-Lo and it was tough to see him get injured when he was ahead and playing great tennis. It seemed to happen quite suddenly, at the end of a point when Roddick pulled up awkwardly. The commentators on the tennis channel noticed it immediately. He could barely move as he tried to get through the next game and get treatment from the trainer.

The audio made it possible to hear Roddick’s conversation with the trainer. He was upset and in a great deal of pain. He asked the trainer to try to do anything. Then he asked out loud why this had to happen to him now.

I can only hope that he is able to play in Basel. He has had more than his share of setbacks recently. I feel for him.

October 13th, 2010 at 10:18 pm

grendel,

“I just think when you’re older, these strange lapses happen more and more often.”

Having some experience in competitive tennis AND growing older, I can attest to this. Whether fans want to blame the competition has gotten better or whatever, the lapses in concentration and keeping your playing level high has more to do with the aging process than anything else.

October 13th, 2010 at 10:55 pm

correction…..take out “….than anything else.” The opponent obviously can just be better that day, just talking about how concentration and playing at a high level naturally deteriorates with age, as in when I write posts.

October 13th, 2010 at 11:03 pm

For fed fans interview after Isner

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Media/Videos/2010/10/Shanghai-2010-Wednesday-Federer-Interview.aspx

October 13th, 2010 at 11:12 pm

Mrs.Jane:

I have always given credit to Djoko for winning the AO 08 semi against Fed, that’s one match Djoko played like a world beater. That’s one match that Djoko, I think, would have won regardless of how Fed played. Fed was capable of playing better than he did there, but we all know he wasn’t playing his absolute best tennis in that mach, nonetheless what is impressive is that Fed had that regal aura around him and despite that Nole thrashed him, the match wasn’t even close and it was a HC! As the match was purely lopsided, it helps me to conclude that Fed woulda lost that match regardless of how he played! As I have repeatedly said, it’s actually Djoko who has brought down the Fed aura though many might think otherwise. Before that fateful semi, Nadal beating Fed many times did not affect Fed’s aura one bit until then! Nole changed Fed’s life forever! ;)

October 13th, 2010 at 11:23 pm

Nole at his screaming best can beat Fed at his best, but Nole at even his screaming best is not going to beat Fed if Fed too is at his screaming best, that I’m absolutely sure too!

Fed’s genuinely blessed with greater tennis level than Nole, it’s obvious on its face. Hard as it may be for the Nole’s fan to admit, but that’s a fact!

October 13th, 2010 at 11:31 pm

Huh, well, I think Fed’s screaming best is better than anyone’s screaming best. I just think Djokovic is the more solid player right now.

October 13th, 2010 at 11:35 pm

Hi huh, yes I know you’ve always maintained that view of the AO win, that is why I asked if there wasn’t one time in which Nole beat Fed in form. i think the 2007 Canada win was pretty impressive, since it was a Masters and Nole beat Roddick, then Rafa, and then Fed in succession on back-to-back-to-back days (those being numbers 3,2, and 1 in the rankings at the time too). I reminds me of Murray;s win in Canada this summer, beating Nalbandian, Nadal, Fed.

Fed’s tennis level is obvious, no matter of whom one is a fan! The guy has 16 grand slams, including a career slam; it’s pretty much impossible to argue with that.

October 13th, 2010 at 11:40 pm

Grendel:

Nole’s not going to reach a higher level of tennis than the highest level Fed reached, don’t worry. ;)

Fed’s not just a great player, he’s a earth shattering freaking record breaker and he’s done it for a reason! What has Nole done?

And I gotta say I dunno either on what basis you’re saying Nole might get considerably better, not that it would matter! Let him play better than he did at AO 08 to beat Fed, then may be we can talk!

And to those who like to say that they disagree about Nadal’s best HC form being not greater than Nole’s great HC form, let us agree to disagree until Nole proves me wrong. Nole is not going to be regarded as a better HC player than Nadal by me just on the basis of him posting some wins over Nadal at some minor tournaments, he has to prove himself at a slam vs Nadal to make me change my mind, to be honest.

October 13th, 2010 at 11:42 pm

Djoko is clearly clearly better than Fed for some time now, this year. I am not arguing nor had argued with that either! Djoko’s without doubt the more solid player right now. I agree here again and again. Nole deservedly won against Fed at USO semi and you may not believe but I was myself tired of Nole always being at the receivin end of Fed at flushin meadows, so I was rooting for Nole to win for that reason and he won.

October 13th, 2010 at 11:49 pm

Ben:

Happily agree with your Oct 13 11.35 pm post. :D

October 13th, 2010 at 11:53 pm

Jane,

“Fed’s tennis level is obvious, no matter of whom one is a fan.”

Thanks for the nice words for the Master Fed :)

Alas true for us fans of Fed, but for rabid Rafa fans there is no other than Biceps Maximus Nadal.

October 13th, 2010 at 11:55 pm

Skeezer,

This Rafa fan has made it clear that she has no problem giving Fed his due at this point in time. All I have said is that Rafa will have time to prove where he belongs in the greatness debate.

Biceps Maximus Nadal! Nice of you to think about Rafa’s very obvious physical attributes! Is there a teensy bit of jealousy creeping in again? :)

October 14th, 2010 at 2:24 am

Skeezer
Thanks for the link. That interview was just after the match, yes? And yet also just after match – presumably just after that interview, Fed spoke to Sky Sports. He was saying much the same stuff, but there was no indication whatever of weariness, boredom, do we really have to go through this nonsense again and so on in his tone. He actually managed to sound spontaneous. How does he do it? And then, of course, one has to assume there are OTHER interviews – for his Swiss public, for instance – not to mention the post match public interview, where he generally looks quite studious, as if he is seriously weighing the import of some unexpected delivery. One shouldn’t feel too sorry for him, he is paid his millions, nevertheless it takes a certain quality to maintain such constant good humour. b.t.w., before objectors come rushing on, I’m not referring to being a good sport here at all, that’s another issue altogether and obviously a contentious one.

Huh – I don’t know whether Djokovic will get better or not. But he might, and personally, I suspect he will – on this ground; he’s gone through a fairly torrid period, he’s had to fight his way back, and that’s bound to give him mental strength. He has definitely, and recently, improved his return of serve which is now awesome. Maybe the new confidence will enable him straighten out the kinks in that on/off serve. And so on.

No, I agree Nadal is right now Djokovic’s superior on hard – but only just. In my view, if they meet in the Shanghai final, it’s anybody’s match, though I lean slightly towards Djokovic as he has a bit more motivation on this occasion.

October 14th, 2010 at 6:37 am

roger federer is the best tennis player in the world he will be always my number onebecause he deserve

October 14th, 2010 at 7:41 am

@huh… While a die-hard fan of Nole I can admit that Federer’s best game is better than Novak’s best game, but and this is a big but, Novak could improve in the years to come. I don’t think he has reached his peak yet. Of course, Federer is the greatest ever and I suspect he will continue to hold that position in the near future (even if Nadal manages to challenge his 16 slams).

However Nole in his best form is capable of beating Federer in his best form, and that doesn’t mean that Nole is better than Federer because clearly Federer is a more consistent winner.

But Nole is 23 and Roger is 29. Who knows what is Djokovic capable of in the future? No one, not you and not me, can answer that.

And for the record I still think Nole is superior to Nadal on HC. But Rafa deservedly won the final and he was superior in that match. I don’t think Nole played that well to be honest, still he presented some battle. Nadal was just too good, probably his best match ever on HC.
But don’t forget Nadal also beat Federer on HC in Australia and I don’t remember anyone proclaiming at that time that he was better than Roger.

For me Nole is the second best HC player in the world and right now probably the man to beat. The next Fed-Djoko match should be interesting because Nole is really in his best form now.

October 14th, 2010 at 5:48 pm

Nina,

Nice post :). Reminding us all that Nole is only 23, and has plenty of time to challenge the top spot.

October 14th, 2010 at 6:27 pm

Mindy,

Although that attribute is nice on Rafa, I will gladly keep mine and he can keep his :), and I am sure you continue to admire his and I will continue to admire mine :)

grendel,

Yes it was cool to see him on the mike and again express his excitement to the game, despite him playing already over 1000 career matches. Hope he continues on. Against a top 10er will be a good barometer, as you have articulated.

October 14th, 2010 at 6:48 pm

Mindy,

Forgot to add…

I am well aware of your past kudos to Rog, and thanks!

Rafa should have listened to his fans about this HC swing. I would have liked to see him be strong to play Shanghai with this field, but no doubt he was a fumes …..

October 14th, 2010 at 6:55 pm

a fumes haha ….on fumes

October 14th, 2010 at 6:58 pm

Skeezer,

I am happy to see that there is no jealousy on your part! Yes, you should be happy with your physique, as I am sure Rafa is happy with his! I know I am! :)

Rafa had two mandatory tournaments and then he added Bangkok right before them. He just wasn’t ready to come back and play tennis, but he did well for himself to get the title at Tokyo! No complaints here from me!

Good luck to Fed, who is looking good right now. If he and Nole meet in the semis, that should be one heck of a match!

October 14th, 2010 at 10:43 pm

Mindy, you’re happy with your physique or with Rafa’s?
I’m extremely unhappy with my physique.

October 15th, 2010 at 5:41 am

I like mine and rafas.

October 15th, 2010 at 7:34 am

grendel,

You are too funny! Sorry, I see that I wasn’t entirely clear!

I won’t comment on my physique, however it was meant to be about Rafa’s!

Don’t be too unhappy with your physique! What can we do as we get older?

Kimberly,

Wow! Good for you! You go girl!

Thanks for the added bit of much needed humor!

October 15th, 2010 at 10:25 pm