Federer Shreds Soderling, Djokovic Next; Murray Visits Monaco in Shanghai

I do like nole quite a bit and am proud of his recent form- fun to watch. However, I love Roger and would look forward to a win over in-form djokovic. It’s those types of victories- not the bad-soda-day breadsticks like today- that I love the most! Plus no matter what, we should see some fantastic tennis!
I really love the way nole is just smacking the ball right now and wanna see what fed can do against it!
GOOOOOO ROGER!

October 15th, 2010 at 5:41 pm

So Sean, are you implying that you want to see a Monaco Vs Federer finals?…lol

October 15th, 2010 at 7:25 pm

For the record, Nole won Beijing not Tokyo. :)
I think Nole has the edge here, just a little bit. It’s interesting that they meet again just within such a short time. I’m sure they feel that a lot is in play, apart from the n#2 position… their prestige, domination over each other, pride, credibility… I expect a great match and very close as they always are. But I will suffer!

October 15th, 2010 at 7:32 pm

Fed’s domination over Soderling is not a great indicator- first of all, Soderling had a bad day. Second of all, Soderling has weaknesses that Federer, when on, can exploit. With Nole there is no way Federer can run away with it. Should be a BEAUTIFUL match. I have to like Fed though, I think he is motivated and from the looks of things, I think he HAS been working as hard as he claims since the USO.

October 15th, 2010 at 7:59 pm

Its funny to read at the posts here. Nole has the adge. federer has the edge. To me, i dont know how you people can figure that out..this match could go either way..its 50/50.

all that said, go roger!

October 15th, 2010 at 8:11 pm

I hope we see the same Fed who beat Soderling today. He was in fine form. His, was the most impressive win of those who played today. I think Federer wins this one, as it seems that Fed wins every other match when he plays vs. Djokovic of late, that is. I suppose he says, no one will beat me on hardcourt two times running, since Canas.

I also expect Murray to win vs. Monaco, thereby setting the stage for a Murray vs. Fed final. After tomorrow’s match, it will be easier to pick a winner of this tourney based on the present players’ form going into the final.

I’m looking forward to a fire-cracker of the Fed/Djoker SF match. Hope it’s not a beatdown for either guy, but a closely contested one, making for much entertainment for us, the most important people, the fans.

October 15th, 2010 at 8:13 pm

i’m voting for purple fed to triumph.

October 15th, 2010 at 8:18 pm

I actually think Djokovic turned it around at Wimbledon after falling down two sets to one to Rochus in the first round. He was terrific for the rest of the tournament before his no-show against Berdych.

Yes, yes, I know it makes little sense to say a guy had a turnaround tournament when he got blown off the court by a lower-rpreanked player, then was unimpressive for the most part on the summer circuit.

But I’m sticking to my belief. I predicted Djokovic could win the U.S. Open immediately after Wimbledon while everyone else was still viewing him as a lost cause.

October 15th, 2010 at 8:25 pm

rpreanked player? That’s one heck of a typo.

October 15th, 2010 at 8:26 pm

Yay, andrea! Purple fed! Which one of the ninja turtles used to wear the purple bandana thing? That’s what rog’s headband reminds me of!
Go Roger, beat nole!

October 15th, 2010 at 8:40 pm

I am with Kimmi – forget predictions. I can’t call it.

Conty and Skeezer, – let your horoscope on the other thread; watch for strange people with suitcases in your bedroom. ; )

October 15th, 2010 at 8:43 pm

No question Djokovic is in form. That said Federer sounds like he has some trix up the sleeve. Sorry Djoko :)

October 15th, 2010 at 8:53 pm

Sean refers to “The revenge-minded Federer..”. That’s kind of funny, the Sky Sports interviewer said to Federer straight after the Sod match that presumably he was looking forward to taking his revenge on Djokovic.

Federer replied with dignity that he wasn’t interested in revenge. Now I don’t believe him, and tend to go with Sean, but at the same time I don’t think Fed was just going for a whopper.

Because I think he has got more serious concerns in mind. He’s a lot fresher than Djokovic, he’s made some pretty big claims, and so there is a lot of pressure on him to deliver. If he loses, he can’t just dismiss it as bad day at the office.

He really will look like #3, and whilst for most people that would be fine, it is not fine for Federer – yet. He is still highly ambitious. Defeat tomorrow might, in a strange way, be more significant than defeat at the US Open.

October 15th, 2010 at 9:03 pm

the big question for federer is: is he going to concentrate all the way thru?

I am hoping he does not go awol like at the uso. 6-1 sets are not good. it was a little bit like those days when federer was losing three set matches with a very lopsided score in the final set. i thought he improved a little this year, his matches with bagdatis and berdych early in the year where promising.

Djoko has his issues too but at the uso he was full of concentration the whole match…

lets see what happens, i hope it is a good match

October 15th, 2010 at 9:09 pm

What has not been mentioned is that whoever wins this semifinal match emerges as #2 on Monday, regardless of what happens on Sunday.

Nole made the semis last year, so now he can gain more points and should he win the tourney then his lead over Federer with just 1 Masters 1000 left (Paris) would probably mean he would be #2 going into the Barclays Tournament. Neither Fed nor Nole are defending any real points in Paris, so both can gain with a good run into the tourney, but Nole’s lead over Fed should he win Shanghai would be considerable.

However, should Fed beat Novak tomorrow then the Swiss has a chance to do some distancing if he were to beat Murray in the final. Then Paris would become VERY interesting.

This is important, because #1 and #3 wind up in the same 4-men round robin in London at the Barclays. Do we really want Fed and Rafa in the same side? I think everyone would rather see them duke it out in the finals.

Mind you, at least we would get to see them play against each other on a hard court this year. The 2 have had a problem playing each other lately on a hard surface.

Tomorrow’s semi will be fun – both Fed and Nole are in-form. May the best player on the day win!

October 15th, 2010 at 9:35 pm

@gordo

another way of lookin at it though, if nadal and fed in same group they’ll likely finish 1,2. and no matter who tops group, there’s still a good chance they’ll both win their semis and make final, eg year fed played nalb. this way you also get the possibility of two matches between them.

if they’re in different groups and let’s say one tops group A but one finishes second in B, they’ll face off in semis and won’t get a chance to play final.

October 15th, 2010 at 9:59 pm

C’mon, Roger.

October 15th, 2010 at 10:23 pm

just finished watching the whole federer match on youtube. well, lets see if the commentators predictions are correct.

Murray over monaco and djoko over fed..ouch!

October 15th, 2010 at 10:38 pm

Sorry guys, it’s going to be Nole. Go Nole Go.

October 15th, 2010 at 11:13 pm

Sean Randall: “That said, Djokovic hasn’t set the world on fire with his wins this week either. So it’s almost a wash as they say.”

Thank you. It’s what I’ve been saying this week, but not many want to hear of it.

I don’t think it’s a wash, as Fed beat a top 5 player today en route to the SFS, meanwhile, Djokovic only beat Ljubic, Gasquet and Garcia-Lopez. All ranked out of the top 10.

“But I give Novak credit for a few quality wins in Beijing (Isner, Ferrer, Simon) and then following-up this week by maintaining his form.”

Again, en route to the finals, he only beat one top 10 player in Ferrer who’s barely hanging on to his top 10 spot. Where’s the competition?

I don’t know, but from these wins, I disagree that the Djoker is on fire and playing super tennis. Anyway, tomorrow will be the decider, as he’ll finally meet a top 5 player in Fed.

October 15th, 2010 at 11:44 pm

Federer always looks sublime till he meets a strong challenge. All that ballet dancing, smooth movements, artistic backhand flick, etc come to a halt when he meets a tough opponent.

Federer will coast along till he meets someone who takes it to him. He is not playing tennis in his own terms these days. His performance on a given day depends very much the opponent’s balls.

October 16th, 2010 at 12:18 am

Federer wasted Soderling on an indoor court. I’m pretty sure he’s thinking: “beat this guy twice in a row since Roland Garros. Wish I had that match back…”

October 16th, 2010 at 12:32 am

let’s hope it’s finally a worthy match. this tourn has been disappointing.
when you look at london, better hope those outside the top 4 start playing some decent tennis or it’s going to be a letdown until the semis. extremely lopsided RR matches.

October 16th, 2010 at 12:40 am

I think it would be pretty good if Federer and Nadal were in the same group. Like someone already mentioned, that would mean they could play up to 2 times in one week. But more importantly, they’re guaranteed to play. How much better of a start to a tournament can you get than Nadal vs Federer?

Guy, I agree. It seems like the top 4 are playing really well though, for the most part, and that’s good. But the rest are really sucking it up. Soderling, Roddick, Verdasco, these guys need to find their mojos.

October 16th, 2010 at 12:56 am

One thing is for sure..If Fed’s serve is on, no one in this world can defeat him and Djokovic would be thrashed in staright sets… the issue is that Fed off late has not been serving that well…Djokovic has had problems in the past whenever fed has served very well..

After ages i feel i will be at home wathcing Fed’s match..

Come on fed.. Win Shnaghai and take ur 17th (or 18th?) masters title

October 16th, 2010 at 1:46 am

Ben says:
“How much better of a start to a tournament can you get than Nadal vs Federer?”
Even if I am in the minority, certainly not the ONLY exception on this, is it OK to say I do not want to see Fed vs. Rafa match in RR or final? I have seen them play twice, did not find that exciting. Actually their matches stopped exciting me since ’08 SW19, but maybe you have a point Fed may have a better shot at Rafa when he plays Indoor Hard, is not that the only remaining place for Rafa to conquer? As determined as he is, who knows what wonders can he do?

My taste: These days the two names in the same sentence are uninteresting to me when that tries to ruin the pleasure of an on-going tournament. Fact: This is Shanghai Masters semi/final weekend, and Rafa is irrelevant for the next couple of days(he lost and is out, so can we save this topic for resumption at a later opportune time?).

Guy says: “better hope those outside the top 4 start playing some decent tennis or it’s going to be a letdown until the semis. extremely lopsided RR matches.”

If guy finds this tourney disappointing for whatever reasons, let me say this I have not found Rafa that exciting at any YEC. And my lack of excitement is based on his abysmal performance and withdrawals from YEC in previous years. Yes, I agree with you that all the matches Rafa played last year were pretty lopsided RR matches (He did not even win a set in 3 RR matches, did he?). His ’06 and ’07 semi were not memorable except that Fed beat him straight set on both occasions. He did not play in ’08 and ’05. In 5 YECs, he has won only 4 RRs.
Not sure who has to start playing decent tennis, whether the top 4 or bottom 4.

That’s it from me for now. I will get back to this topic after Paris, a relevant time.

October 16th, 2010 at 2:13 am

I am it, when you say you’ve seen them play twice, do you mean live or that you’ve only seen 2 of their matches? I’m going to assume live, which means you’re really underplaying how awesome it must’ve been, whether the matches were great or not.

Maybe it wouldn’t be the best match, but it would surely be the most exciting match up in terms of, you know, Fedal and what it means to tennis. I can’t say I think Federer actually has a chance to win, I mean there is a chance, I just think Nadal would be heavily favored. But I still wouldn’t mind it happening.

October 16th, 2010 at 2:22 am

Gordo says: “Neither Fed nor Nole are defending any real points in Paris, so both can gain with a good run into the tourney.”

You may want to double-check Djoko has 1000 points to defend at Paris.

And about YEC, No. 1 and 3 are not always on the same side. Following 4 out of the last 7 YECs had No. 2 and No. 3 in the same group, and that is more than 50%:

(1) in 2006 No. 2 Rafa and No. 3 Davy were in the same group;
(2) in 2007 and No. 2 Rafa and No. 3 Djoko were in the same group (’06 and ’07 were the 2 years Rafa reached semi to be beaten by Fed);
(3) in 2009, No. 2 Rafa and No. 3 Djoko were again in the same group;
(4) No. 2 Ferrero and No. 3 Federer were in the same group back in 2003, Fed’s 1st YEC title.

OK, I feel guilty of doing the above. Apology. I will not reopen this topic until after Paris.

October 16th, 2010 at 2:38 am

Tough with the time – zone difference; can’t stay up unfortunately. Anyhow, enjoy the match people. Hope Nole keeps it close, come what may. And good luck to Murray also!

October 16th, 2010 at 2:45 am

goodnight jane, perfect timing 4 a sunny Saturday morning in the UK! :) Will cheer loudly enough for both of us!

October 16th, 2010 at 4:07 am

Fed vs. Nole, from Fed’s side of things, will depend very much on his first serve percentage. It was in the toilet for 4 out of the 5 sets against Nole at the U.S. Open. I was tearing my hair out, he was making so few first serves. If Fed can get his first serve percentage in the mid-60’s, versus the low 40’s that it was in at the USO, he has an excellent shot. If not, Djoko will eat him for lunch.

And I’m loving Nole’s recent run lately. I’m a Federer fan til the end, but I root for Novak every match except for when he’s playing Roger. When Roger calls it a day, I can see him being the go-to player I cheer for. Such a clean game.

October 16th, 2010 at 4:08 am

yikes, one of the commentators just said, referring to Andy’s physicality “Murray is monstrous.” To this poor fan he looks pale, skinny and frail! :)

October 16th, 2010 at 4:55 am

Andy playing like stardust :) :)
Suddenly, typical Andy decides all 2 easy and starts playing like a marsh monster. Serving for the set, he serves a double fault and loses game.
jane: u’ve got 2 laugh,I could NOT watch and went off 2 do vigorous housework!! Come back in 2 ticks, cannot stand housework, to find Andy has won first set ….AAAHHH

October 16th, 2010 at 5:44 am

YAY! murray. good luck in the final

October 16th, 2010 at 6:09 am

Good ah now :) Andy back to starlight in second set and wins easily.
kimmi: tomorrow, if Fed wins, who’ll you cheer for???

October 16th, 2010 at 6:13 am

In these immediate post-match interviews sky does, Murray is by far the best value. Most players are kind of perfunctory (“thankyou very much, Harry” as the enormous Frank Bruno immortally replied in that great bass voice of his to diminuitive boxing commentator Harry Carpenter). Federer is an exception, he is invariably quite thoughtful, but you still get the feeling there is just a bit of pr at work.

Murray, however, listens attentively, pauses to think out his reply, and gives a response both factual and analytical. Considering he has just been haring around a tennis court for a couple of hours, pretty impressive.

I wonder, too, whether his analytical caste of mind is not to a degree responsible for the self-abuse – largely ranting – he periodically subjects himself to during a match. More than most players, perhaps any, he understands exactly what he’s doing wrong when he’s doing wrong, and this must be a very special source of frustration. So much in a great artist’s performance is automatic, honed over the years, that to deliberately tamper with it is to subject the very idea of free will to severe stress – one might say.

Murray was asked who he wanted to meet in the final. The standard reply by ALL players to this is:”I don’t mind, both will be very difficult, blah-di-bla-bla-bla”. Not Murray. As always, he carefully thinks, weighs up the pros and cons, and gives an honest reply. For the record, he wants Federer. A cynic might say, that’s because Federer is not so dangerous as Djokovic these days. First of all, it is questionable that Murray thinks that, but in any case, it would be to do him an injustice. I think he finds Federer’s sheer variety – possibly matched in the tennis world only by himself – an utterly exhilerating challenge. Winning a final is of course special. Beating Federer to do it takes the phrase “icing on the cake” into the stratosphere.

October 16th, 2010 at 7:25 am

Actually, come to think of it, Roddick and Djokovic not too bad either. But Murray the tops.

October 16th, 2010 at 7:29 am

Of Djokovic (Seth) – “such a clean game”. Yes, hole in one – more or less. Actually, it occurs to me that just because the game is so “clean”, one can miss, in the sense of taking for granted, the variety at Djokovic’s disposal. It’s all so creamy smooth, it seems inevitable and even easy. When Djokovic is on song, you are astonished when he misses.

October 16th, 2010 at 7:38 am

Once again, I gotta tell ya! Soderling sucks, and he is overated! Impressive wins, my arse! Soderling was losing to players like Roddick, Almagro and Nalbandian these days. And Nalby was returned from injury to the tour only awhile ago. Djokovic would beats Fed Allstop in the next match! The top ten players are much better these days. I liked Fed when he first got to number 1. Because he is the one who brought that racist Hewitt to justice. But then, I came to realise that he is overated. He just can’t be the GOAT if he just couldn’t win those epic matches. Nalbandian also beat the craps out of him at the YEC in 2005. Fed sucks in 5 sets, his mental game is hopless. And he gets tired in 5 sets matches.

October 16th, 2010 at 7:54 am

In another word, Fed could only plays well when the other player doesn’t play. If they step up their games. And he can’t handle the challenges. Maybe except Roddick and Soderling. Because their menal games are also hopeless!

October 16th, 2010 at 7:57 am

All set for Feddy bear’s match!!! Fed fans u all there?

October 16th, 2010 at 8:00 am

There was another thing I wanted to say about Djokovic, but couldn’t remember what it was. Now it’s come back. It’s this business of balance. Obviously, all the great players have superb balance, but there is something special in Djokovic about the manner in which he is balanced. The slight bend at the knees, the straight but flexible back – it’s very reminiscent of the tai-chi posture (in which balance,of course,is critical). I’ve always thought that, and wonder whether anyone else has had that picture in mind, or am I just being eccentric?

October 16th, 2010 at 8:01 am

Federina is also being known as a choker in 5 sets matches. Like that 2005 YEC in Shanghai. He was leading Nalby 2 sets to love, and got beaten in that match. Also his 2003 Davis Cup match against Hewitt in Australia. And the recent gag from him is his US Open match against Djokovic. Man! But what do you expect from a player being ranked 3 or 4 in the world? It is funny how crying being mentioned alot after player’s post match interviews. You know like what Djokovic said about not crying for being beaten at the US final. And Wilander beat Lendl at the Champion Tour. He also mentioned about, he wanted to make Lendl cries. But Nadal really did made Federina cried at the Aussie Open. Federer could be the GOAT is we are talking about female players. But too bad, he is playing on the men’s tour! hehehe

October 16th, 2010 at 8:05 am

grendel: ooh, r u having a re-conversion?? ;)

October 16th, 2010 at 8:08 am

Fed won’t wins the Shanghai. Especially if he gotta plays two of his nemesis. Murray and Djokovic.

October 16th, 2010 at 8:09 am

Rick can u keep mouth foul mouth shut??? federer a choker? nonsense..chokers dont win 16 gslams…

October 16th, 2010 at 8:10 am

Only true warrior wins in the epic battles. You know movies like Braveheart and The Gladiator told us all!

October 16th, 2010 at 8:13 am

Gannu, can you open your mind. And stop being superstitous with Fed’s Grand Slams numbers?

October 16th, 2010 at 8:15 am

Fed could only prevails in 5 sets matches. Only if the other player has poor mental game or he is an inexperience new comer.

October 16th, 2010 at 8:18 am

Rick.. have u seen fed baeting Nadal in 5 sets in 2007 wimbledon final?? .. oh ya i understand.. rafa was unwell or inexperienced or was a new comer.. loser rick.. shut ur mouth now

October 16th, 2010 at 8:20 am

Even if Fed is lucky to get through his match with Djoker. Although, it is very unlike. If he has to deal with Murray in the final. These young tigers are wearing down!

October 16th, 2010 at 8:21 am

I even consider Agassi and Sampras better players than Federer. We’re all know that, how they performed in those 5 sets epic.

October 16th, 2010 at 8:24 am

After losing 1t points and double-faulting, Djoko barely holds, very imp. 1st game.
Fed begins by all-out attack and Djoko has no problem of defending. Fed holds, losing 2 pts.

Djoko needs a bit more patience. His aggression level is strong. 3rd game, a couple of errors, 15-30. Draws error from Fed. 40-30. 2nd time Deuce. Forces error from Fed. Misses BH into the net. Deuce2. Nice FH cross court. Throws long. Deuce3. Perfect BH down the line. Draws BH error from Fed. Game.
2-1.
After 3 games, Match stands at 50-50. A Dogfight.

October 16th, 2010 at 8:27 am

no offense rick,

but your father should have used a c0nd0m when he b@nged your mom. would have spared us your verbal diarrhea. it’s juvenile posts like yours that make people think r@fat@rds are more ret@rded than ret@rded people.

go sell your federer is mentally weak trash in tennis trash website.

October 16th, 2010 at 8:33 am

oh boy, so many breakpoints, tough one for federer

October 16th, 2010 at 8:38 am

Djoko (FH) has not found the court/ range yet, missed 2 easy ones, FH wide angle and BH cross court, could have earned 2 BPs. He earns 1 after the Deuce but could not hit winner on easy FH. He gets another by ouyplaying Fed defending at the net. Misses another easy FH. Deuce.Misses another. Then w/ a killer BH wide angle it is Deuce. Another good rally ends w/ DJ winning the point. Fed serves big and 1-2 punch. Dj earns another BP as Fed errs long. A great BH angle from Fed. Deuce.
Intense high quality rally but DJ misses in the net chord and next pt. for Fed and game.
Big hold at 2-2.
A 11-min. game.

October 16th, 2010 at 8:40 am

they say djoker broke 50% of the time this week. okay lesser players but that’s still impressive

October 16th, 2010 at 8:43 am

An easy hold for Djoko, losing only 1 point on FH UE.
3-2.

October 16th, 2010 at 8:43 am

come on nole. that was your game. gutsy game from fed, but nole is playing at a very high level. i will be surprised if he loses a set today.

October 16th, 2010 at 8:43 am

Novak fan.. bang on..i hope that shuts rick;-)

October 16th, 2010 at 8:43 am

Wow! Very close isn’t it? But Djko brimming with confidence at the mo.

October 16th, 2010 at 8:44 am

phew! he needed that easy game!

October 16th, 2010 at 8:45 am

Impressive hold for Fed, a love game.3-3.

This is a great match.

October 16th, 2010 at 8:45 am

good to see feddy bear showing some emotion.. he wants to win badly and thats a good sign ;-) quite often the desire leaves him at this stage of his career.. so lets see.. crucial hold needed for fed now.. oh a bad DF ;-(((

October 16th, 2010 at 8:51 am

Fed outplays Dj w/ FH into the corner and next one equally great. 0-30. Dj barely hits 1 here and rushes Fed to err in the next. 30-30. Still 50% chance for Fed. 2nd serve. Fed throws 1 in the net and gets frustrated. Fed’s BH slice goes wide out. Hold for Dj.
4-3. Still tight affair so far. No one is blinking yet.

October 16th, 2010 at 8:51 am

Fed in the same situation, 0-30. Great BH into the corner and another volley at the net. A difficult overhead but still gets the job done as Dj shanks into the net.
Hold. 4-4.

October 16th, 2010 at 8:56 am

see when fed’s backhand was hawkeyed just long, the chinese linesman was shaking his head disappointed with himself. perfectionist

October 16th, 2010 at 8:59 am

Comfortable hold for Dj, losing only 1 point.
5-4.
The match has tilted to either side, not even by an inch.

October 16th, 2010 at 8:59 am

s/b has tilted = has not tilted

October 16th, 2010 at 9:00 am

With big wide serve and another smash, Fed holds after overcoming a Deuce. 5-5.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:04 am

Fed teaches Dj how to hit a drop volley.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:05 am

first break chance for fed

October 16th, 2010 at 9:06 am

seriously that drop shot needs to go

October 16th, 2010 at 9:08 am

break!

Hold federer, hold phuleeeees

October 16th, 2010 at 9:11 am

Fed gets his 1st BP as he forces Dj to throw BH into the net but erased after a long defensive rally. Dj should not play drop shots against Fed. 2nd BP for Fed.

Break for Fed. His BH is more reliable today.
6-5.
Will serve for the set.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:12 am

yes kimmi.. good to c u ;-) Yeps our man needs to hold his serrve now.. come on rog

October 16th, 2010 at 9:12 am

great hold. takes first set.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:14 am

yes federer.. now phuleeeeeeeese dont show ur horrible mental lapse in 2nd set.. please maintain ur focus and take this in straight sets…

October 16th, 2010 at 9:15 am

I hope Federer beats Joker and Murray here so that Fedtards like Gannu will be happy and spare Rafa.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:16 am

First blood to the old king, now let’s c what the young prince is made of.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:16 am

1st set for Fed. 7-5.
Difference: He is serving better than Dj and committing less errors.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:16 am

Fedend… an old limping federer beats all these young guns .. imagine what he would have done when he was young.. So fedend i know its hardto swallow for you when everyone calls Fed the GOAT.. face it…the raftards showuld be kept in a museum… they are evn bigger retards than the actually retarded people..

October 16th, 2010 at 9:19 am

Yet another example of a bad call involving an overturned call by Shotspot where the player DID NOT have a play on the ball.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:20 am

Federer is looking like the surgeon of old…and this match is virtually over.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:21 am

Fed excellent at the net and Dj faces BP in the opening, 2nd set. And gets broken too easily.
Wow !
Early prediction: Fed wins in straight set.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:21 am

Come on Djko! Most of us ;) want 3 sets!

October 16th, 2010 at 9:23 am

I think Dj has given up (symptom: he lets a pass fly by and smiles in the 2nd game, 2nd set).
Thanks for helping Fed to regain HIS no. 2 rank.

Fed the people’s champion and still No. 1 at heart for many is back with strong message: I am going to win everything from here on.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:28 am

i am it – too early to give fed the win. its not over till the fat lady sings.

lets hope she will sing for fed

October 16th, 2010 at 9:31 am

Kimmi,
I can miss only 10% of the time and less than 2-5% after watching the 1st set.
Believe me Fed not only wins this match, he also win the title tomorrow.
Enjoy the much needed trophy, or its visual image on your screen.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:34 am

yay! second break. go go go federer

October 16th, 2010 at 9:35 am

I am it – Amen.. hope all ur words come true ;-) and let me add.. Feddy bear go for UR No 1.. that ranking only belongs to you ;-) I know i am angering some rafatards here ;-)

October 16th, 2010 at 9:35 am

djoko is swinging hard here

October 16th, 2010 at 9:37 am

slopy game for fed..he gave one back. c’mon fed. concentrate

October 16th, 2010 at 9:39 am

really poor game and the lapse continues.. disaster.. hope fed atleast holds all his serves now

October 16th, 2010 at 9:39 am

IAI, without knowing the H2Hs, I get the impression that Murray is less of a problem than Djokovic…Murray is all about outwitting his opponents, and that won’t happen with Federer.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:41 am

gannu – i know. djoko is gaining the confidence back…c’mon fed

October 16th, 2010 at 9:41 am

If you believe in good/ bad omens, Paul Annacone without his hat is a good sign for Fed. The bald head directs the ball and drops it where it is most effective:-)

October 16th, 2010 at 9:42 am

Oops a touch of the Andy Murrays from Fed.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:44 am

Vulcan,
I cannot say that in general terms. I said it after comparing Fed and Murray this morning.
You do have a point.

Kimmi Says: “gannu – i know. djoko is gaining the confidence back…c’mon fed”
Djoko is not coming back. Why don’t you listen to me sometimes? Why so stubborn?
Listen to the Matrix Oracle:-)

October 16th, 2010 at 9:45 am

matrix oracle i am it….lets wait see oracle..i am just too nervous. c’mon fed

October 16th, 2010 at 9:49 am

IAI, who would you say is tougher mentally the Djoker or Murray?

October 16th, 2010 at 9:49 am

Fed will serve for the match… please please dont screw it here otherwise i will be damn furious…;-)

October 16th, 2010 at 9:50 am

djoko holds. he is going to swing for his life in this game. c’mon fed

October 16th, 2010 at 9:51 am

Kimmi..me too damn nervous.. hope our man somehow holds.. this is the key diff betn fed iof 2006 and fed of 2010… closing out matches!!!! God please please help fed… divine intervention reqd ;)

October 16th, 2010 at 9:52 am

i am it,

Maybe Annacone sits across from where Djokovic is playing and the bald head reflects light back on Djokovic and distracts him into making an error :-)

October 16th, 2010 at 9:52 am

Hope Federer atleast wins these masters tourneys so that the Fedtards get something to cheer about these days.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:52 am

That’s my Rog. Keep it up, champ.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:53 am

YAY! the matrix oracle has predicted correct. thanks i am it.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:53 am

Congrats to Fed for his significant victory. Excellent performance in all areas.

Djoko tried in the 1st set but folded in the 2nd as soon as he got broken in the opening. He lost the interest as he saw he was mis-hitting from both wings. Maybe, Fed was just too good today.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:55 am

Great wins for Murray and Federer.

When the going gets tough, the tough gets goin g!!

October 16th, 2010 at 9:56 am

Exciting first set, a drop in level second set, but happy for the Roger win today! Yay! Now take the title home, Rig, and make the shanghai trip worth while!

October 16th, 2010 at 9:56 am

margot: I said on the other site, it will be a Fed/Murray final, I hope you’re happy.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:57 am

Fedbegins, you are making a spectacle of yourself.

Wishing for your short life on X.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:57 am

Djoker didn’t go away totally but his level did seem to drop after losing the first set.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:58 am

blank: i don’t think the light thing is possible, as Annacone is not as bald as Ljubicic. LOL.

BTW, nice to see you around — I missed you.

October 16th, 2010 at 9:59 am

Vulcan,
Folding, surrendering, resigning, etc. are the terms I use when I go hyperbolic, which embeds my emotional state, not the reality out there.

October 16th, 2010 at 10:02 am

I noticed that the Djoker was breathing hard again, so is it heat, breathing problems, or what’s the cause, a tougher opponent?

October 16th, 2010 at 10:05 am

I thought Djko stood toe to toe with Fed for 10 games, then seemed to go away. Perhaps like Rafa, he has played too much tennis. Definately he can play better than that.
So grendel: Andy gets what he wishes for. Hmm, there’s a curse in there somewhere. BTW he also “loves” to play Rafa! The man’s a masochist! Don’t like his chances tomorrow. Au contraire, he hasn’t played enough tennis and that serve is still a wayward beast.

October 16th, 2010 at 10:09 am

Von: u r entitled to say “I told you so.” :) :) Am I happy, dunno, see above. Don’t think much of Andy’s chances, whatever. :(
Now, the oracle that is I Am it, confirms it :(

October 16th, 2010 at 10:12 am

=Unite Fed fans! Yeah baby, way to go Fed!

=Novak, all the respect, you are going to be THE force of the future on HC, such great technique on those groundies.

=Margot, Mindy thanks for the Bday wishes :)

=I am it….Fedbegins….lol

=Jane, sat, stu and the Novak clan commiserations but your guy as a look of no fear and I am on this court till you drag me off and is showing the heart of a lion.

=Now, back to sleep just got back a couple of hours ago from Bday Crabfest and can’t remember….was that wine I drank last night? Catch you guys later :),,,zzzzzzzzz

October 16th, 2010 at 10:16 am

Djoko did not have no breathing problem. There was no heat issue either. No signs of physical ailment. There were mishits after mishits and poor service, plus the opponent was at his best.

To put in a Wordsworth’s famous line(vulgarized),
Overflow of emotions not (quickly) recollected in tranquility, thus failure to create a poetic artifact (Preface to Lyrical Ballads, 1800).

October 16th, 2010 at 10:17 am

margot: As I stated in my post last night, we will know about Djokovic’s tennis being on fire when he plays a top 5 player. To me, a player being on fire is when he’s knocking off the competition that’s on par or ranked higher, with ease, as Delpotro did at the USO.

Tomorrow will be tough to call.

October 16th, 2010 at 10:18 am

Somehow he seemed to be breathing very hard after some rallies, so I thought it was breathing issues. Love Wordsworth.

October 16th, 2010 at 10:20 am

Wordsworth’s line goes like this (verbatim)

“Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility: the emotion is contemplated till, by a species of reaction, the tranquility gradually disappears, and an emotion, kindred to that which was before the subject of contemplation, is gradually produced, and does itself actually exist in the mind. In this mood successful composition generally begins, and in a mood similar to this it is carried on” (Preface paragraph 26).

October 16th, 2010 at 10:30 am

So what’s happened to Roddick? Is it like Von said, the old eyes, old groin, or mono? He’s playing like a top twenty player again.

October 16th, 2010 at 11:02 am

I am it: from the sublime to the ridiculous…but one of my favourites is:
Motorway Blues
I wanted your soft verges,
But you gave me the hard shoulder.
R Mgough.
von: at least u r not predicting a drubbing from Fed :)

October 16th, 2010 at 11:04 am

margot: I don’t think that Murray will get a drubbing from Fed, but Fed has that determined look on his face. I think Andy has to hold his nerve and not play too passively or else he’ll be eaten. Fed wants to win.

October 16th, 2010 at 11:08 am

Nole!!! You beat Federer in five at the USO but can’t take a set at Shanghai? I think Fed could be on his revenge tour this week.

October 16th, 2010 at 11:13 am

I have to say, when you wake up and the match is just over, you know the score, but not the way the match unfolded, there is no better way to learn what happened than to read the play by play through the comments posted by you guys who know tennis. Vulcan, Kimmi, Gannu, I am it, Guy, Margot and all – thanks, this was a great read, despite the temporary blindness when my eyes rolled to the back of my head when I read some of the juvenile comments from some other posters in here.

Now – when you are wrong, admit it – right?

I earlier posted that Fed beating Nole would almost surely guarantee him the #2 spot and that would mean he would not be in the same 4-some as Rafa at the Brclay’s year ender, but thanks to Ben who pointed out the ATP rankings are different from the year-end tallying for the Barclays, so Fed was probably going to be number 2 anyway. Should he win tomorrow against Murray you can probably bet on it.

And if you are going to be wrong, be wrong all in one post. I said Djokovic didn’t have many points to defend in Paris. When I was looking at his points breakdown I took his numbvers from Madrid, which is not relevant. Nole won Paris, so with 1,000 points to defend it will be difficult indeed for him to catch Federer before Australia, especially if Fed wins tomorrow.

Damn – I have to be more careful, or else I may be classified a loon like some of the… loons in here.

October 16th, 2010 at 11:14 am

Von, just for argument’s sake, how come you’re not on and on about Murray not having played a top 5 player (or 4 as you were saying yesterday). Muzza is “tough” because he made the finals, but Djoker is not for winning the matches he has in the past month? This is why your posts have no credibility for me. How is a top 4 player supposed to play a top 4 player before the semis anyway? You’re ridiculous.

Good win by Fed, he scared Novak away.

October 16th, 2010 at 11:15 am

Von,

Anything you say about Djokovic is irrelevant because you don’t like him. You waste time digging up numbers to prove your point instead of using your eyes.

Anyone who follows tennis can tell you Djokovic is on fire by just watching him play. He’s playing better in every department than he has in two years.

The first six games of the match were incredible, then it tailed off a bit, but Federer always will beat Djokovic when he’s in top form because he’s simply more talented than Djokovic.

October 16th, 2010 at 11:24 am

Congrats to Fed & his fans; he looks to be “back”.

Great job, and keep going Murray! margot – woot…

And awesome Asian swing Nole – a title and semis, nothing to complain about.

Ranking imo does always not determine the merit of a win. We all know a player who is ranked inside the top 50 can beat a top ten or even top five player on his day. Rankings are due to talent and, at the very top, consistency as well. But all players in the top 50, even top 100, are talented. Melzer is a prime example. He’s a great player at times; or Fish; or Benneteau, or even G-Lo, who beat Rafa in Bangkok and won the title. Nole should be proud of his results and the way he is playing. He’s been doing well! No shame losing to a fresh and in form Roger Federer!! Who hasn’t?

Here’s to a good final.

October 16th, 2010 at 11:26 am

it was a very tough match. if djoko would have got one of those break points he had early in the 1st set, it would have been a different story all together.

i am happy fed won. djoko is a tough opponent for fed. everybody who knows tennis know that..federer himself knows that.

the final will be tough. murray beat fed the last time they play. another tough match for both.

October 16th, 2010 at 11:30 am

stu: I never said anything about a top 4 player playing a top 4 before the SF. I said that Djokovic did not play one top 10 player before reaching the SFs in Shanghai, and only one top 10 player, not a top 4 at Beijing. Please re-read my post before you accuse me of something I didn’t write.

This is what I wrote: “I don’t think it’s a wash, as Fed beat a top 5 player today en route to the SFS, meanwhile, Djokovic only beat Ljubic, Gasquet and Garcia-Lopez. All ranked out of the top 10.”

Again, en route to the finals, he only beat one top 10 player in Ferrer who’s barely hanging on to his top 10 spot. Where’s the competition?

“I don’t know, but from these wins, I disagree that the Djoker is on fire and playing super tennis. Anyway, tomorrow will be the decider, as he’ll finally meet a top 5 player in Fed.”

October 15th, 2010 at 11:44 pm

I hope it’s now clear to you.

October 16th, 2010 at 11:30 am

funches: No problem, you’re entitled to your opinion. You don’t like Roddick and I’m not angry when you criticize him and call me a tool.

October 16th, 2010 at 11:32 am

funches, BTW, what numbers did I dig up? I mentioned in general that Djokovic did not meet any top 10 players en route to the finals. That’s not digging up numbers, it’s in the draw, next to the players names and when they play.

October 16th, 2010 at 11:35 am

I don’t see how Fed could be in-form more than any of the other top 4 players, as this is his first tournament since the USO. I’d say the other top 4 players are more in-form that Fed.

October 16th, 2010 at 11:38 am

correction: @ 11;35 am, “I mentioned in general that Djokovic did not meet any top 10 players en route to the finals.” Finals s/b Semi-finals.

October 16th, 2010 at 11:40 am

COngrats to Fed and his fans, kimmi, contador, skeezer, kimo etc. great win over a tough opponent. I will officially finish last in draw challenge. :-(

October 16th, 2010 at 11:40 am

So – about thos ATP rankings, here is what we know (And I double checked these)…

Right now the rankings stand as follows (before Shanghai is calculated in) –

#1 – Nadal | 12,390
#2 – Djokovic | 7,145
#3 – Federer | 6,735
#4 – Murray | 5,125

Now Nadal, being a finalist at Shanghai last year and failing to make the quarters will lose 510 points and he will have 11,880 tomorrow morning when the numbers get posted. I am mentioning that but will do no further calculations on Rafa, because he has #1 sewn up.

Mr. Djokovic made the semis at Shanghai last year, so his points are a push for tomorrow.

Both Federer and Murray had zero points in Shanghai last year, so one of them is gaining 1,000 points while the other is adding 600 to his totals.

So just for fun, here are the numbers going into Paris, with their last years’ Paris numbers removed. This way we have an apples to apples comparison and each player will only add on the points they gain at that tournament –

If Murray wins tomorrow –

#2 – Federer | 7,325
#2 – Djokovic | 6,145
#4 – Murray | 6,035

If Federer wins tomorrow –

#2 – Federer | 7,725
#3 – Djokovic | 6,145
#4 – Murray | 5,635

So Federer is pretty solidly back as #2. Were he to lose in the first round of Paris and were Djokovic or Murray to win that tournament Fed would still have enough points to retain the #2 ranking. However, should Federer do well at Paris, then it would bode well for him being the number 2 seed at the 2011 Australian Open.

October 16th, 2010 at 11:45 am

That still doesn’t answer my question. Why is Murray “tough”? Whom did he have to beat to get to the final?

P.S – I have nothing against Murray. Just trying to prove a point about Von’s biased posts.

October 16th, 2010 at 11:45 am

stu: I forgot to answer your question about Murray. I’ve not said anything about him, because no one was claiming that he’s on fire.

October 16th, 2010 at 11:46 am

Hi Von,
Nice to see you too! You are right, since USO I haven’t been around here much…when Fed is not playing I guess I am not very active either :-) Hope we get good tennis over the next month or so and hope Roddick makes it to the WTF.

October 16th, 2010 at 11:50 am

Gordo, thanks for another high quality post…you are definitely the resident guru when it comes to stats.

October 16th, 2010 at 11:57 am

Hi blank: Well, I’m still happy to see you around. I know you’re happy that Fed won today, and goodluck to him tomorrow.

About Roddick making it to the WTF, I don’t know if he will be able to qualify as he’s short on a few points. We’ll know more when he plays Basel and Bercy, but I’m not holding my breath. However, considering that he’s qualified many times and still withdrew in years past, I’m wondering if he really wants to be there. He’s one who likes to end his season after the USO, so I’m sort of pondering this one.

October 16th, 2010 at 11:58 am

Thanks for the stats Gordo!

For Nole, personally i’m not too worried about the rankings before year’s end; if he finishes at #3 again, I think he may be the first player to finish at that spots for 4 years in a row, and all right behind Rafa and Fed. What I am really hoping is that he and the team can win DC. They’ll have their hands full with a deep and talented French team, but they have home turf, which is good.

October 16th, 2010 at 12:02 pm

margot – @8.08. I’ve always found Murray to be a thoughtful talker about tennis, and also prepared to talk informatively rather than blather. I’ve also always thought he has the most variety in his game other than Federer. Doesn’t make me his fan, however….b.t.w., agree, on whole with :”I thought Djko stood toe to toe with Fed for 10 games, then seemed to go away. Perhaps like Rafa, he has played too much tennis”

Kimmi

“it was a very tough match. if djoko would have got one of those break points he had early in the 1st set, it would have been a different story all together.” My feelings exactly. That was a very tight, high quality first set, and Federer showed yet again what a great fighter he is (since this, apparently, is in doubt in some peoples’ minds). There were some annoying bh errors from Fed – loose ones – but you can’t have everything.

Peter Fleming remarked at 1-0 in the 2nd set:”This is where fatigue might just play a small role. Djokovic played a lot of matches in the last 10 days”. I think so. That was a tough first set to lose, and Djokovic didn’t respond well – and yet we know he has done on other occasions. Even so, you’d catch Djoko sometimes walking around as if he were at death’s door, and then he’d play a superb rally. Fleming had the perfect description:”He’s good at playing possum, isn’t he?”

After that let down, Djokovic swung at the hip, got a break back and given the history of bizarre turnarounds between these two, I don’t know about anyone else, but that complacent grin was wiped off my face pretty quick. Still, Fed hung tough again. Can’t wait till tomorrow.

October 16th, 2010 at 12:09 pm

b.t.w., I didn’t see the figures for Fed’s serve. It didn’t strike me as one of his better serving days, although it’s always hard to tell when you’ve got someone returning serve so well as Djokovic. But given that Fed went through a period when he was only winning BECAUSE of his serve, this in a sense is good news. Federer’s game is back, even if (imo) his serve isn’t on the whole.

October 16th, 2010 at 12:14 pm

Thanks Kimberly, please send your hubby a “high five”. And tell him I wish he would post :).

I have to give full credit to you and him having Fed & Rafa as your favs in the same house. Amazing! We all could take a lesson from that!also thanks fir stickin around although Rafa is out. He’ll be back, no doubt.

October 16th, 2010 at 12:19 pm

Gordo—so on the 52 week will Fed go to number 2 monday?

October 16th, 2010 at 12:21 pm

Yeah can someone post the serve and ue count?

October 16th, 2010 at 12:22 pm

skeezer–he is quite content with feds win as all fed fans should be. My husband is on the double hot seat as I was last saturday with FSU and Fed playing the same day.

I had FSU Miami HUGE game and the Nadal/Troiki semi and Nadal/Monfils final within 24 hours. Horrible stress.

Sporting events are nerve wracking.

October 16th, 2010 at 12:38 pm

Kimberley –

Yes. Because he had no points from Shanghai last year and because Nole made the semis whoever won today between them would have and will be the number 2 on Monday, so Fed gets to move up 1 spot.

October 16th, 2010 at 12:52 pm

Hi Skeeze, I checked the serve count – ATP doesn’t provide UEs in stats. Fed’s first serve % was 62% and Djok’s was 64%. Fed won 76% of firsts; Djok 63%. Fed won 54% of second serves and Nole won 56% of seconds. Fed saved 4 or 5 break points; Nole saved 1 of 4 – there’s the difference! Also Fed = 7 aces to Nole’s 4, and Fed = 3 doubles to Nole’s 4. So for serving they were on par, statistically, although Fed won more firsts and saved his break points.

margot, grendel, Djok’s comments sort of mirror your takes on things:

“”It was a very intensive first set and I didn’t use the chances that I had,” (obviously he means break points). “When he got his second break point, he used it and finished off the set 7-5. The start of the second set, I lost my focus a little bit, my energy dropped. In the blink of an eye, I was two breaks down. So it was very hard to get back from that situation. I’m just disappointed a little bit because I think I’ve played quite well in the first set. He played some great shots when he needed to. So he deserved to win.”

October 16th, 2010 at 12:58 pm

jane – thanks for that djoko quote. federer also thinks the same way..

“I think the first set could have gone either way,” Federer said. “It was really an open battle. I got the better of him at the end of the first set. I think for 10 minutes he was a bit out of it and I was able to take advantage of that.”

October 16th, 2010 at 1:12 pm

jane, I think most of those Fed aces, not that there were many, came quite late. Now Fed winning76% of first serves – what that doesn’t tell you is whether the serve is responsible for the point being won or the subsequent play. Both men returned very well, I thought, and I didn’t see this as a dominant serving performance by Federer, I don’t know what anybody else thought. It bodes well for tomorrow, from Fed’s point of view, in that 1)Fed may well serve a little more penetratingly 2)Murray is a great returner, but Fed’s had some good practice in that with Djokovic 3)Fed’s own returning looks sharp.

If Murray has found his form, he will think he will win. I am convinced he feels he has Fed’s number in these non-slam events. Let’s hope Fed can provide him with one or two surprises!

October 16th, 2010 at 1:18 pm

Skeeze,
Fed’s winner/UEs 15-15.
Djoko’s? I don’t remember. Let me fabricate one 13-28. That seems about right.

Margot,
Thanks for the ludicrous.

Vulcan,
GENERALLY, Djoko is mentally stronger than, rather steadier, than Murray. Murray overcooks his thinking sometimes. That may not be the factor tomorrow, as the pressure won’t be the same as at a GS final. Tomorrow’s winner will be largely determined on who brings his attacking game, rather than who can defend. Serve and serve will play a huge role for both, more so for Murray.

Gordo,
We all make careless errors. No, you have a history to support your credibility as a Stat guy, and it is intact, (like you and Daniel, I like stats and see the talent and passion when it is there, and you have it, so don’t worry about those “loonies”).

October 16th, 2010 at 1:24 pm

Congratulations to the Fed fans here on a well deserved win by your man! Also, commiserations to the Nole fans, but you should not lost heart, because he has done well for himself in the Asian swing.

I think this whole nonsense about beating a top ten player is not what is most important. What is important is winning on a consistent basis. Nole has been playing exceptional tennis since the USO. He simply lost to the better player today, a Fed who is apparently back to make a statement that he is not done yet!

Earlier this year, Nole couldn’t even beat a top ten player. That’s how he lost to Melzer in the quarterfinals at RG and Berdych at Wimbledon. Melzer had never gone past the third round of a slam and Nole was up two sets to none. Berdych had reached the semifinals of RG, but was not yet a top ten player.

If I don’t like a player and am not a fan, that doesn’t mean that I am going to lie about his tennis. With the #2 ranking on the line, there was plenty of motivation for both players. At the USO, Nole managed to get a tough win. Now Fed has gotten his revenge and the #2 ranking back along with the win.

Now it’s on to the final. Seeing Murray in a final again has to be good news for his fans. Good luck to both Fed and Murray for a great final.

October 16th, 2010 at 1:47 pm

Kimmi, thank you for the Fed’s quote; yes, it sounds like he saw things much the same way. Good when they’re in sync in their assessments. : )

grendel, I didn’t get to see the match; was out at an interesting film in the VIFF (local film festival) last night (sorry to those who get irritated by my digressions, but oh well!) – anyhow, I think you’d like it. It was an animation set in Scotland and England called “The Illusionist”, made by the animator of “The Triplets of Belleville” fame from a screenplay from Jacques Tati. Anyhow, a very poignant study on ageing and whether or not “magicians” really exist. Both, to bring it back, somewhat relevant to Fed. : )

Mindy – commiserations and your thoughts much appreciated! Looking forward to seeing Nole and Rafa back in Paris, actually Nole before that in Basel. And like you – hoping to catch some of the final, if I can force myself to remain awake long enough.

October 16th, 2010 at 2:13 pm

Jane,

Thanks and outstanding post!

I am it,

Thanks also for the starts

October 16th, 2010 at 3:01 pm

Jane,

Thanks and outstanding post!

I am it,

Thanks also for the stats :)

October 16th, 2010 at 3:05 pm

Gordo

For my sins, I teach maths, including statisticss, although poetry is my passion. But for the sheer joy of the unexpected, there is little to beat the romance of numbers. So keep the figures flowing. Any statistician, of course, is always very cautious about what conclusions can be drawn from his figures. In this field, scepticism is a necessity. So although it’s always very interesting to read the stats of any given match,for instance, drawing conclusions should be done, if at all, with caution. The only reason I’m saying this is to put my own caution into perspective. b.t.w., happy about Fed’s performance?

jane – thanks for the recommendation. My elder son is back in London to carry on with Chinese (perhaps he can give Fed a lesson) when he – er – can find the time. There’s always a film festival somewhere, he always finds them. e.g.there’s the London Film festival on right now, The Korean Film festival first week in Nov (in London) and so on. How he gets any work done, I don’t know. When he was in Hong Kong, he watched about 20 films in two weeks. It’s a sort of madness, but he’s always been like that from the age of 6 or so. Used to watch a film called Legend (dir.Ridley Scott) with a young Tom Cruise EVERY morning before toddling off to primary school. Anyway, I’ll let him know about The Illusionist – he’ll be interested, his tastes are broad!

Kimmi and daniel

to carry on about my lad, and I crave the indulgence of posters, he has no telly, but he would love to watch the Fed/Murray match tomorrow morning (English time), and he wondered about a decent stream. if you could possibly give me a link, I’d be very grateful. Both of you have done so before, but I’ve managed to lose them. This time, I’ll file them away.

October 16th, 2010 at 3:27 pm

http://www.fromsport.com/c-4.html

here’s the main one i go to, grendel.

and btw – not another word from me about nasal emissions!!

i promise.

October 16th, 2010 at 3:48 pm

this one has the clearest video stream where i live but not always offers tennis
http://atdhe.net/index.html

and one more

http://www.channelsurfing.net/

October 16th, 2010 at 3:52 pm

Yes, always a film festival somewhere; “the Illusionist” debuted at the Edinburgh film fest. There are slow moments in the film, but it’s quite lovely to look at with a sad message at the end. Bittersweet, you might say.

October 16th, 2010 at 3:54 pm

Congrats to Fed fans, Maxi and others for the win. At least I’ll get some sleep tonight as I won’t have a dog in this fight.

“They’ll have their hands full with a deep and talented French team,”

Jane, they will have their hands full. I heard Adler remark yesterday during Murray/Tsonga that JW needed to lose weight and he’s just too big right now. He’s coming off injuries and excess weight isn’t helping with his movement. I think Murray did quick work with him because of this. JW usually puts up more of a fight. I’m hoping he doesn’t go on a diet until after Davis Cup. :-)

October 16th, 2010 at 4:20 pm

contador,

What did yo do for your bday?

I just figured it out its our bday weekend, not bday, right? Milking it for all I’ve got :)> I had to live through my significant other’s Bday WEEK a couple of weeks ago, lol. What ever happened to just one day?

jane,

Very well done movie :)…the end was sad? I thought the two in love wound up together? Same movie about the magician guy?

Novak,

I am getting warmer to him being my fav after Fed is gone. He has really coming around and I like his technique on his groundies, very sound. His overall game grew a lot this year and especially after USO. He’s only 23. He’s already got game and seems to be handling the physical issues a lot better. His athleticism was awesome during USO. He is now playing Rafa and Fed so tough you can’t say anymore he is not a big threat to either one of them.

Still don’t like his serving motion, but he its waaayyyy better than the Todd Martin days :)

October 16th, 2010 at 4:23 pm

sar, what do you think JWT likes to eat? Maybe we should send him some? ; )

skeeze, this was the animated version, released 2010, yes about a magician (but so was the one from 2006). In this one, the ending is sad, the lights going out, letting the rabbit go…etc.

October 16th, 2010 at 5:14 pm

**Humor**
Skeeze says: “I am getting warmer to him [Djoko] being my fav after Fed is gone.”

I hear that the fan club has 1 more executive position to fill in, and it seems to be yours to take it, of course at a time of your choosing. And it does not require that you abdicate your rights over Fed or bequeath your patent to any third party as long as he is playing at a tour level. May I suggest it is good to have a backup fave or at least commence nurturing your predilection early.
Bonus: you get to retain the WTF radio.

Good news your willingness to open your heart to Dj and your technical knowledge of his game have already earned you a waiver of the 1st lesson, which means automatic qualification to Round 2.
As the 2nd step or lesson 2, I recommend informing yourself about the potential fave’s thoughts and stats.

Since moving to No. 2 on Feb. 1, Djoko has held the ranking for a total of 26 weeks, which is half of the year, and, year-end ranking aside, he is mathematically co-owner of No. 2 for 2010.

During this period, he was No. 2 for 15 consecutive weeks (Feb. 1 to May 10) and earned back No. 2 (for six weeks) on July 5 after Wimby but before slipping to No. 3 on Aug. 16. He regained No. 2 after the US Open final on Sept. 13 and lost it on Oct. 18 (5 weeks).

From his presser:
Q. You lose the No. 2 ranking to Roger. What does that mean to you?
Djoko: Well, look, we exchanged that spot this year a couple times already. So it’s not a big deal. I mean, as I said, I’m happy with the way I am playing at this moment. I just hope that I will continue that way. If I continue playing this well, if I continue making good results, I’m sure I will get another chance to get back to No. 2.

Q. The main goal now is Davis Cup or…
Djoko: There’s still a lot of events to come. Yeah, Davis Cup is probably the number one priority for me this year next to the London finals.

October 16th, 2010 at 6:42 pm

Thanks for those quotes i am it! Also for the math on how long Nole held number 2 over the course of this year; I hadn’t realized it was that long. I’d love to know – if he finishes number 3 for the 4th year running (07-10) is that the longest one player has ever held #3? I don’t know for sure, but I think he’s up there.

October 16th, 2010 at 7:01 pm

contador

thanx ever so, me dear. I’ve emailed ’em all to me boy, so somefink shld work.

October 16th, 2010 at 8:03 pm

Bottom line: Federer won. He should ask for Tennis-X to always pick against him!

October 16th, 2010 at 8:08 pm

Before ATP official ranking began in 1973, there was no SINGLE official overall ranking, so we may ignore pre-Open Era rankings, provisionally, even if rankings (plural) existed in some form since 1877.

Arguably Connors is the only one who has 3 years consecutive (1979-81) year-end No. 3. Again, this is not based on ATP but on Grand Prix Season End Rankings, conducted by Men’s Tennis Council (MTC). ATP does not even record Connors’ 1981 ranking but records his 1979 year-end ranking as No. 2 and his 1973 & 1980 as No. 3.

So, in my hasty research, Djoko is already the 1st to hold the year-end No.3 for 3 consecutive years. Will he be able to retain the current No. 3 through 2010?
Most likely.

If Djoko wins DC final, he can let go Basel. If Murray wins Shanghai, Djoko will have to work a bit harder. Murray has Valencia 500, Paris 90, and WTF 400 to defend. Djoko has Paris 1000 and WTF 400 to defend (DC replaces Basel). There are too many variables in between now and then. My gut feeling is he will, unless Murray sweeps the WTF. We will get an almost clear picture by Paris.

October 16th, 2010 at 8:42 pm

Thanks i am it. I think Wilander might’ve held it for three years in the 80s? But I am not sure, and definitely not sure if they were consecutive. You’re right, a lot depends on Murray. If he goes on a tear now, he could feasibly get #3. He’s been at number 4 for two years in a row now also. In fact, the top four have been the top four for basically the last 3 years – no one has interrupted, except for maybe Delpo, who I believe was number 4 to begin this year?

October 16th, 2010 at 9:05 pm

Jane,
Wilander was No. 3 in 1985-7 (YER), and ATP has listed this. So, that’s the record Djoko will have to break.
Now I am mad at you for not mentioning Wilander in your question:-)

October 16th, 2010 at 9:31 pm

I just remembered. : ) I read it somewhere a while ago, maybe in an article stu posted (?), and when you posted Connors it made me remember the Wilander connection. : )

October 16th, 2010 at 10:49 pm

grendel – i was out, just got back and saw your post. I see contador has already posted the links…thanks contador

October 16th, 2010 at 10:53 pm

One thing that Fed did do well against Djoko is come to the net.. he won 14/17 points at the net. Some of his volley’s were exquisite.. guess the Annacone stint is bearing fruit pretty quickly! I’m guessing he’ll have to do more of the same today, although Andy has a little more court awareness than Djoko, so Fed will have to choose his moments to come in.

October 17th, 2010 at 4:48 am

Fed is superior at the net, that’s for sure. I don’t know why he doesn’t come to the net as often as he did.
Anyway, it was a very close, equal first set and Djoko had many chances to break Roger’s serve but he failed to convert. Federer took advantage of that and as he sometimes can read Novak’s emotional state better than himself he put the pedal on the gas at the beginning of the second so he could benefit from Novak’s little slump. Typical match between them. I have the impression that the match could have been very different if Nole had won that first set, but now it doesn’t matter, does it? Congrats to Fed, he deserved the win. Djoko has nothing to regret, he had an excellent asian swing. I just hope he can defend all his points until WTF!!!

October 17th, 2010 at 3:36 pm