Federer, Djokovic Near Rematch in Dubai; Del Potro Getting Scary

by Sean Randall | February 24th, 2011, 9:02 pm
  • 148 Comments

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic appear to be well on their way to another major showdown. And no, I’m not jinxing it by saying that I think it’s going to happen. ADHEREL

After Federer blew away Sergei Stakhovsky 6-4, 6-3 and Djokovic did the same to Florian Mayer in a 7-5, 6-1 win, they are just one match from the Saturday finals in Dubai.

“I try not to waste any energy,” said the four-time Dubai champ Federer. “Most important thing is to come through. Doesn’t matter if it’s three times 7-6 in a row to get to the semi. At the end of the day, you want to give yourself chances to win the trophy, and that’s what I’m doing. I think I didn’t have any let’s say completely easy matches here. I’ve always had to be very focused.”


Tomorrow, Federer, who hasn’t dropped a set, gets the original “Baby Fed” in the second semifinal while Djokovic has the tougher draw earlier with No. 3 seed Tomas Berdych.

Federer owns Gasquet 7-1 and he should get through the Frenchman once again.

“I know I have to play my game, not to try to play too good,” said Gasquet after his three setter over countryman Gilles Simon. “When I played him in Bercy last year, I wanted to play very good, to play all the lines, and I made a lot of mistakes. So I just have to try to play my game. For sure he’s the favourite for the match.”

Djokovic has a big lead on Berdych 5-1 as well, but the Czech is a little more of a danger than Gasquet.

“He’s been playing really well in the last year and a half,” said Djokovic who has won his last nine matches (9-0 on the year). “He’s a quite consistent player right now. We played in Australia. He has a very powerful serve, very fast baseline strokes, very flat, so I guess I need to be patient and wait for my chances.”

Bottom line is we should see a nice Federer v. Djokovic final Saturday afternoon.

Down South in Delray Beach, Juan Martin Del Potro is really finding his stride, and he’s starting to look scary. At least the scoreline-scary. Just moments ago Del Potro battered Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-1, 6-1. Delpo moves on to the quarterfinals where he’ll await the winner of tonight’s Kevin Anderson-Florent Serra match. If he gets through that he’ll likely run into Mardy Fish for a spot in the final.

Right now, it looks good for Delpo leaving the beach with a title on Sunday, and if he does watch it. He may be winning some Masters Series event much sooner than I thought!

On the clay in Acapulco, maybe the second hottest guy in tennis (okay third if you include Soderling) is quietly Nicolas Almagro. The big-headed Spaniard won his 12th straight match to advance to the semifinals.

Matches are still ongoing in Mexico.

DUBAI FRIDAY SCHEDULE

CENTRE COURT start 2:00 pm
[3] T Berdych (CZE) vs [2] N Djokovic (SRB)
M Granollers (ESP) / D Norman (BEL) vs S Stakhovsky (UKR) / M Youzhny (RUS)
[1] R Federer (SUI) vs R Gasquet (FRA)
[3] M Llodra (FRA) / N Zimonjic (SRB) vs J Chardy (FRA) / F Lopez (ESP)


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148 Comments for Federer, Djokovic Near Rematch in Dubai; Del Potro Getting Scary

stu Says:

Nole is injured, wot?


madmax Says:

novak is making a comeback. he looks far from injured.

folks, have you noticed how many times tennis players say in interview ‘I feel great?’. A tennis friend sent me this link which is really very funny – may be it’s the nutri grain bars?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6rE0EakhG8


The fighter Says:

go Tomas!!!


margot Says:

stu: problem with thigh which is strapped. Unusual isn’t it, he never seems to get injured. Berdych can’t even beat a 50% below par Nole, pathetic!


margot Says:

Beg pardon, leg is strapped but commentator said problem is with thigh.


stu Says:

margot, turns out it’s TBird with the thigh issue…but they’re both playing very tentatively so maybe niggling injuries for both!


margot Says:

Have confused u all, including myself lol!Berdych having thigh massage now! service percentage right down third set. Both injured???? Nole’s movement certainly not as good as normal. V. early in season, so glad Andy is holed up somewhere resting :)


stu Says:

what a strange way for the match to end, all of a sudden in the middle of a game…


mat4 Says:

Nole was waiting for some shade.


The fighter Says:

who won today? sry i cud nt catch the end of the match..


jane Says:

Congrats to Nole for catastrophic win. I would rather he were resting too margot. It is looking like it will be a reversal of fortunes this year from last year: Fed with Dubai title and Nole with AO, instead of the other way around.


stu Says:

It came up in Nole’s interview that Fed’s played all his matches at night and Nole during the day. Maybe Nole will play better in the final because he prefers the cooler conditions and slower court? We can hope.

Originally, I wanted him to conserve energy in Dubai because I want him to win the IW-Miami double this year. Now that he’s reached the final tho, he might as well win!


grendel Says:

“It is looking like it will be a reversal of fortunes this year from last year: Fed with Dubai title and Nole with AO, instead of the other way around.”

Well, that’s a bit of reverse psychology! Actually, Federer’s been looking a bit vulnerable himself, and I wouldn’t rule out Gasquet. Meanwhile, if it goes as jane suggests this will look – strangely, since he will have lost – very good for Djokovic. Federer wins the mickey mouse tournaments (as one poster put it), Djokovic wins the slams or at least gets to the final. From this perspective, if Djokovic wins, he wins. If he loses, he wins. Can’t be bad…..


stu Says:

haha grendel, if what you say is true, that would make djokovic the opposite of murray. i guess the only way for the two to overcome the duopoly then would be to join forces!


jane Says:

Haven’t seen Fed’s matches but he has not dropped one set. So he cannot be too vulnerable. Gasquet has beaten him once since 2005 and has taken 2 sets since then out of 19. I know Gasquet is a talent with which to be reckoned, but there are other issues for him. Like between the ears.

Djoko is defending this title so if he loses he loses points. Not really a win-win situation in that sense, since Fed didn’t play here last year and is winning points regardless of whether he wins the title, thus widening the gap.


stu Says:

Nole will only lose a couple of hundred points if he loses tomorrow, jane. Not the end of the world, and easy to make up for when he wins the IW-Miami double :)


jane Says:

stu, I do appreciate you optimism. Gets me out of Eeyore mode. But the IW-Miami double is a big ask! ;) I think it is just Cincy that Nole needs to complete the North American hard court Masters titles, and he has been twice in the finals. Kind of hoping he gets that one this year, but not at the expense of doing well at the USO of course. He needs to prioritize the slams.


dari Says:

They just out Mirka up in the screen in the crowd. She and roger sure do tan well.


dari Says:

Well, its a good thing gasquet gave roger that break, case as of late, after he gets one, he’s not too keen on taking a second! But up two breaks now.


jane Says:

I blinked and Fed’s serving for set one; that went fast!


jane Says:

grendel, you have your reversal reversed. It is not reverse psych what i opined about the reversal of fortunes, since i am not saying the opposite of what i want to happen. Of course i would *rather* Djoko have the AO title than the Dubai one! were he to win both that would be okay but as stu points out about the points, the loss is not that large in the large scheme of things. One caveat because i could never be totally optimistic, i just hope Novak doesn’t sustain any sort of injury. Want him to have a good solid consistent season.

Curious if Gasquet can make a match of this in the second.


dari Says:

gasquet showing more where he for his nickname from. Some highlight shots this game, see if he can close it out… and a couple errors.


skeezerweezer Says:

Gas seemed to just run out of gas and Fed earns the break to serve it out….go Fed


jane Says:

Geepers, Gasquet Is such an imploder. Serving for the second, and now, speaking of reversals, Fed is serving for the match. Of course Fed deserves credit, but for Gasquet to get anywhere, he at least has to serve out the set to give himself a shot. Poor guy. But it will be a better final with Fed Nole anyhow. No doubt Fed would win but thought Gasquet might be heartened by getting a set. As a player, he is like the epitome in some ways of this – so close yet so far.


skeezerweezer Says:

Congrats Fed, and……another FINAL :)


skeezerweezer Says:

Agreed jane re; Gas. Wish he could have had more success on the tour he has an entertaining style and swag.


Yakov Says:

Should be another great Final between Fed and Nole


jane Says:

skeeze, yes, congrats to your guy Fed, he is closing on a fifth or Nole on a threepeat. So they are both doing great. But it is disappointing about Gasquet. Never know whether to feel sad for him that he doesn’t realize his potential or whether to want to give him a kick in the … Well you get my drift. I always felt for blah, a fan of Gasquet’s. He is such an exciting but frustrating player to watch and no doubt root for. Ah well, semis ain’t nothing, and losing to Fed nothing to be ashamed of either.


dari Says:

Way to get to the final, fed!
Take your title back, and get nole off your back!


margot Says:

jane, stu: at first I thought, uh oh Nole has no chance and indeed in the first set against Gasquet/Crashquet Fed played sublime tennis but, in the second, he was patchy, so Nole certainly has a chance, will have obviously to raise his game though. There again Fed feeds off players like RG, it’s the movers/defenders like Simon, Andy, Rafa and of course Nole that he has problems with so from one Eeyore to another…. nil desperandum.
grendel: am watching Fromsport which also confusingly seems to be Skysport ? ? However,re commentators, lo it’s Peter Fleming. My goodness he’s wearing well, must be same age as Johnny Mac but looks 10 years younger. Wonder if he dyes his hair, seem to remember he was blond ;)
Anyway, really like his comments, he’s wry, insightful, knowledgeable, not prone to platitudes or repetition and not afraid to say it as he sees it. Most excellent!


Daniel Says:

Another Fedovic or Djokerer! This 2 are playing a lot. Seems Fed needs to pick up his Slam thing. He is playing great and is winning/making finals of a lot of tourneys, but during Slams he faltered latelly.


stu Says:

With all this talk about Federer’s easy draws, I decided to check how often the top 5 players played against each other in 2010. Must say I’m pretty shocked!

Total matches against top-5 opponent in 2010 (W-L):
Federer: 15 (10-5)
Nadal: 10 (7-3)
Murray: 10 (5-5)
Soderling: 8 (2-6)
Djokovic: 7 (1-6)

Therefore best player of 2010, even against the toughest opponents = Federer (altho Nadal at 70% W is slightly higher, Fed won more matches). Worst player of 2010, not getting deep enough to meet top opponents or and not beating them when he did = Novak Djokovic! His one win of course, is the USO semi…


margot Says:

stu: that’s very interesting cos, as an Andy M fan, I feel he has had a bad year and really he didn’t. Of course out of the lot of them he’s the most likely to lose to a lower ranked player, I suspect
:(


skeezerweezer Says:

stu,

Thanks for diggin that up, good stuff :)


stu Says:

agree, margot, Muzz seems to bring his best to a match against Roger/ Rafa but is not consistent against lower ranked players. i guess that’s why one statistic cannot tell the whole story!

Roger had better watch out skeezer, coz Nole will reverse that trend this year!


skeezerweezer Says:

@stu,

Well if he does it will be well deserved. I tell ya…ever since he got his head shaved with the boys….he’s been like Samson in reverse :)


Daniel Says:

Stu,

Following your trend let’s see how they all did against each other:

Federer
– Federer x Nadal 1-1
– Federer x Murray 2-2
– Federer x Djoko 4-1
– Federer x Soda 3-1

Nadal
– Nadal x Federer 1-1
– Nadal x Murray 2-2
– Nadal x Djoko 2-0
– Nadal x Soda 2-0

Murray
– Murray x Federer 2-2
– Murray x Nadal 2-2
– Murray x Djoko 0-0
– Murray x Soda 1-1

Dkokovic
– Djoko x Federer 1-4
– Djoko x Nadal 0-2
– Djoko x Murray 0-0
– Djoko x Soda 0-0

Soderling
– Soda x Federer 1-3
– Soda x Nadal 0-2
– Soda x Murray 1-1
– Soda x Djoko 0-0


Tmak Says:

Stu, nice numbers, but as long as Djoko beats the people he’s supposed to, is that his fault these other guys fall on their face? As a Nole fan, he’s done us Serbs proud and has quite a showing in his case. I expect it to grow and Roger can’t keep it up forever. Pretty bad trend when a younger player beats you two times in a row at the big events (OK, he lost in London). We’ll see how it goes…


jane Says:

Yeah, Djoko was BAD against top tenners last year. : ( But considering that for half of it he had only a 50-50 chance of his serves actually going in, I guess he made out alright in the end lol!! Already this year, his record against top tens is better: he’s beaten Berdy twice, Fed once, Murray once; am I missing anyone? I think that’s it. So a much better start for Djoko.

Daniel “Fedovic or Djokerer! ” :) If Nole wins tomorrow I will be pleasantly surprised. I am expecting him to be runner up.

Funny thing with Fed because he did do so well in 3 setters at the end of last year, but in the past 4 slams he’s come up just a little short from what we all are used to from Fed – i.e. finals or wins. He can turn that around at either Wimbledon or the USO, though, probably.


sar Says:

Unless Nole picks up his energy level, it’s Fed’s to lose.


jane Says:

margot, yes, Fed has been starting strong, but maybe lets down a little sometimes, but he still won in straights. we’ll see.


jane Says:

Djoko’s thoughts make sense: Re: AO win, ““It’s only one match,” he said. “I lost maybe three times before that to him. So I don’t think that he will think too much about that match. We know each other really well. We know each other’s game.

“Mostly in the past three, four years we had matches in semis or finals. It’s always high stakes and a big challenge. That’s what it’s all about. If you want to be the best, you have to win against the best.”


sar Says:

Does anyone have a livestream for Delray-Tipsarevic match?


stu Says:

“If you want to be the best, you have to win against the best.”

glad you realize that, but 1-6 doesn’t cut it, Nole!

yes jane, i’ll cut him some slack because his serve wasn’t working. it really was agonizing watching him last year, except at the USO…


Cherry Says:

It’s good to hear Del Potro is doing well. I want to see a Del Potro vs. Fish match soon! http://www.tennisround.com


grendel Says:

Actually, jane, I’m not sure if my use of the term “reverse psychology” is right – at any rate, maybe it is as applied to oneself. What I meant was, by conceding the match to Federer, you have armed yourself against disappointment. Federer was always going to win that match anyway, doesn’t matter, Nole can now concentrate on the ones that really count – that sort of thing. And then if, miraculously, Djokovic wins after all tomorrow – well, that’s just a huge bonus. Amusingly, Djokovic is doing something like that himself (although he doesn’t go so far of course) when he says:”It’s only one match. I lost maybe three times before that to him.” I don’t think the points are important , b.t.w. What could be important is the psychology (again). If Djokovic wins, this is quite serious for Federer. One starts to suspect a trend. If Federer wins, well, we knew he would anyway, no matter….

I don’t think it is at all true that Gasquet can take kudos for nearly winning a set. From the moment he served for the set, he folded completely, giving a truly miserable performance, sometimes his shots barely reaching the net. And yet he deserved to be serving for the set – he had been the better player, being quite aggressive and serving well (he was just rolling them in in the first set – and also after the serving for the set debacle).

Poor Gasquet – he’s carrying some terrible baggage, reinforced over and over again, as Peter Fleming remarked more than once. Yes, I agree margot, Fleming is absolutely top notch commentator. He’s pretty funny – he likes to tease whoever’s in the chair when he’s in the studio – authoritative, quite capable of saying (after some thought) “I don’t know”, and is never intrusive, and never banal. If he talks, it’s to make a generally insightful comment. He’s the best on Skysports, Frew Macmillan is the best on Eurosport – curious that they are two of the great doubles players of all time, just overlapping.


jane Says:

grendel, Yes, well I am very much that sort of person. I don’t usually expect Nole to win. He has had such a run of ups and downs, there is just no resting on laurels because the doghouse is just around the corner, or some such mixed metaphor. There are exceptions. Last summer at the USO, I believed Nole could win against Fed in the semis, and what a win it was – tooth and nail. Yet, I didn’t expect him to beat either Fed or Murray at the AO as they were both playing well, as was he. I had missed a bunch of his matches due to the timezone differences also, so didn’t have a good sense of where he was at.

“Prepare for the worst; hope for the best” kind of thing.

And yeah, poor Gasquet indeed. Whatever it is that’s been plaguing him, it’s surely made him into an imploder.


Kimmi Says:

As i have always said, federer and djoko matches are always 50/50. you cant say one has the adv over the other, their strategy is simple..play your best or you lose.

even if one of them or both didnt play well in previous rounds, they both know what they have to do when they meet.

grendel – i agree with u. federer needs the win tomorrow, not so much for djoko. it is important for federer to put a message to his peers that he can still hang on with the young guys. losing to djoko twice in a grand slam takes away that power i am afraid.


Kimmi Says:

What i am hoping is that since the surface here is faster than AO, it could give federer shots some penetration..i remember him saying his shots could not penetrate at the AO..


jane Says:

Although their H2H doesn’t suggest 50-50 chances. Fed leads 13-7. Maybe now it is closer to those percentages in the past, but I tend to give Fed the edge based on form at this event. He hasn’t lost a set.

He has played all evening matches, and Nole all day. What time is the final? That may have some bearing on conditions, how fast the court plays and so on.


Kimmi Says:

jane – the lead on H2H is mainly due to federer winning a bunch of their matches during his young days. but recently it has been very close…the two wins at the GS says it all.

the match is played at 7 pm local time. i agree with you about court speed, at the AO, the night sessions this year made the court slow.


Kimmi Says:

i dont think the fact that djoko lost a set really matters. i remember nadal at wimbledon losing bunch of sets before the semi but played his best match against murray. I think we have to wait and see..

ah, go rogger! this is nervous me speaking. I hope federer has the edge but i dont think so!


jane Says:

You make good points Kimmi, as always.


Kimmi Says:

WOW! wozniacki…she is the best player right now. demolishing EVERYONE at the moment.

better win GS soon!


dari Says:

yeah, I saw her match against penetta today and just thought, man she’s beating so many on the regular, she’s gotta get that slam and soon! How is she on clay?


dari Says:

Speaking of clay, nico up a set and a break against belucci. If he and David make it through, I wonder who has the advantage in the final? My goal for nico this year is for him to beat nadal on clay!


Gordo Says:

It’s interesting how Fed has recently been having the opposite results against Murray and Djokovic.

Against Murray, Fed wins the 5 setters at the slams but tends to have trouble when they meet in the best of 3 tournaments.

With Nole the opposite is true; Fed has owned the last 4 best of 3s but has come up short against the funny Serb in the past 2 slams.

Tomorrow should be interesting. But if Fed is going to win he needs the first set, imo. Even then I could see Nole coming back and winning, but if Fed drops the first set I think Djokovic will play lights out tennis and hoist the trophy at the end of the day.

And when I call Nole the funny Serb I am being literal – that guy has such a sense of humour he always cracks me up when he speaks.


Kimmi Says:

almagro looks to be winningn against bellucci. wow! impressive frm almagro.

dari – wozniacki has not done much on clay YET..but who know, she seem to be on her peak right now. cant wait to see her play serena :)


grendel Says:

The question is, if both Federer and Djokovic are at their best, who is likely to win? I don’t see how (if you’re serious) you won’t plump for Djokovic. I think the best tennis, the most exciting to watch anyway would, in patches, come from Federer, but these days he can’t keep it going. When Djokovic, on the other hand, is on song, he is likely to play well for most of the match.

Djokovic is coming into his prime, Federer is fading away from it. That’s what the evidence suggests. Admittedly, as death agonies go, it’s surprisingly protracted, which is why the optimists keep insisting all is well whilst the pessimists are ready to give up the ghost until the next time they see Federer weave a bit of magic, and then hope briefly flickers again.

That doesn’t mean I think Djokovic will win tomorrow – no idea, frankly. But I do think he is favourite to beat Federer in any future meeting in a slam. And these days, there are few surprises.


jane Says:

I think Djoko is very exciting to watch when he is playing well. His best is fun and exciting because of his movement, how he gets around the court, the way he can turn defense into aggression, the depth of his baseline shots.


jane Says:

Kimmi or dari, do you know Dolgo plays and against whom?


Kimmi Says:

jane – dolgo plays ferrer…it is the last match 9pm local. hope i can watch some of it.

I am waiting for delpo/anderson..fish playing tonight too. but what time i dont know! the order of play is showing tomorrow matches for some reason.


grendel Says:

everyone naturally thinks their own man plays the most exciting tennis. That’s why we support different players. Even so, I bet if you were to take a vote….


Kimmi Says:

OK, fish is on now, that means delpo is the last match..

when i see falla’s name, always remember how he gave federer a scare a wimbles. he hasnt really done much since..well, he is in the qtr final here, so that is something.

Fish up a break already though..


Kimmi Says:

grendel- federer has more fans than djoko, so he is bound to win more votes..unless your sample is people who have not seen any player play before…


dari Says:

KIMMI are you on your tennistv watching fish or is it a free livestream?


Kimmi Says:

no match on tennistv today dari, was just looking at the live score…

tennistv says matches will start 26th feb..that is tomorrow.


grendel Says:

yes, but Kimmi, why does Federer have more fans than Djokovic – or than anybody else for that matter? There’ll be some bandwaggon types, I suppose, who are excited by all those slams – but I can’t believe these are significant in number. The world, you could say, is divided into those who believe Federer is unique and those who believe is a great player among other great players. Both camps are honourable, but don’t really understand each other.


jane Says:

People like winners?


dari Says:

why does federer have more fans than djokovic? One answer is simple: time. feds had more to amass wins and fans. As for the rest, you would need to write an essay for, including a large portion of it that has nothing to do with his tennis, but his marketing and style as it draws in the more casual fan.
At any rate, I am enjoying Djoko tennis more in the past few months. Rubberband man who when you think he is out of a point somehow turns it to his advantage. Fun stuff. Best not hype him up too much before the fed match!


Kimmi Says:

delpo is on now dari, unfortunately no stream. hope he wins


jane Says:

Kimmi, Dolgo and Ferrer are playing and it is on TV! It is on channel 22, which is Roger’s Sportsnet, so if you get that channel and feel like watching…. Just thought I would let you know.


dari Says:

Thanks, kimmi. I’m checking in on delpo! Anderson is always around but I never paid attention, so i have no clue what’s going on. Go delpo!


Kimmi Says:

hi jane. i did not know that..thanks. my channel 22 showing other stuff at the moment. they have vancouver 2010 review.


Kimmi Says:

what..basketball now..i give up!

dolgo with a break..


Kimmi Says:

go dolgo…omg, can he keep it up?


Kimmi Says:

ah jane, i saw it. its another channel here..channel 505 on my TV. yay! go dolgo


Kimmi Says:

haha. DF then ace! what a serve!


dari Says:

That quick serve motion and hitting it out wide is really doing damage in the clay. It’s got that pop.


Kimmi Says:

delpo with first set…


Kimmi Says:

so many DF..duece..c’mon


Kimmi Says:

the dog, sasha, dolgo! great nicks for dolgo!


dari Says:

I was laughing at the commentators on those nick names. “The dog vs. The pittbull” ha!


jane Says:

Yeah, Dolgo, Tigger, Sasha, the Dog, whatever, he is beating Ferrer so far. He is a tricky one. And I see Delpo has won the first set, just checked scores. Will he play Fish in the final then?


dari Says:

We’ve got the semi’s yet, in del ray, no?


Kimmi Says:

dolgo! needs to hold..too many errors. ferrer with BP


Kimmi Says:

aaaaaargh..dolgo broken back..


dari Says:

Was that a dropper off the serve?! Or dis I mias a shot when i turned my head?


Kimmi Says:

it was dari, very clever..if only he was consistent?


dari Says:

Bp delpo let’s go.


Kimmi Says:

delpo break again..

more errors from dolgo..he is losing it now :(


jane Says:

Ferrrer is ferocious – pitbull terrier for sure. But looks like Delpo has this win handled.


jane Says:

Oh i am not sure dari, haven’t been following anything but Dubai and Dolgo’s results. Who will Delpo and Fish play in their semis; do you know?


Kimmi Says:

0-40 go dolgo. 3 set points. take one..dont make errors pleeeease


dari Says:

Whoa, dolgo got up so fast to the net! If I were david I would have missed the shot seeing him rushing so fast. He’s got a few bp’s now, dolgo.


Kimmi Says:

the errors i was talking about..WHY WHY WHY!


Kimmi Says:

ferrer helped dolgo by making an error of his own. 7-5 dolgo. way to go!


skeezerweezer Says:

dolgo takes the 1rst…kid is fun to watch :)


dari Says:

dolgo has got it!
Well, jane, funny you should pgrase the question that way, cause apparently, delpo and fish play each other in the semi!
Well, then if delpo can get through that…


Kimmi Says:

wow, dolgo changes pace so much..aagh, the FH can generate so much power..


jane Says:

Oh they do. Hmmmm… Well that could be a tougher test as Fish is hometown boy and he has won here before I think. But Delpo should be able to beat him if he plays a strong match.

Nice to see Dolgo get that first set but we know the terrier will not let up. ;)


jane Says:

Kimmi, the errors! Dolgo is very erratic.


Kimmi Says:

he probably will let this set go. concentrate on the third. too wild he is..

delpo thru :)


dari Says:

Good job, polito! I don’t have to watch- as long as delpo is winning it doesn’t matter if there is no live feed. Tennis channel is playing it next week I think. I really hope he can get past fish. He’s progressing well and needs to get past this semi-final rut he is in. Don’t get me wrong, semis are great for him, but its important for him to not be stagnant, needs that constant reassurance/progress.


Kimmi Says:

i agree dari re: delpo

doldo is very difficult to watch..the way ge plays hit and miss..he can give you a heart attack


Kimmi Says:

ooops s/b dolgo


skeezerweezer Says:

Ferrer put the leash and the Dolgo. It’s on the Dolgo now….


skeezerweezer Says:

@kimmi,

Delpo thru? Yah!


jane Says:

Great point there by the bouncy dog.


dari Says:

Great point! Who says tennis is boring?!!!
Actually how can anybody ever say that?!


jane Says:

Anyone know who is in the other semi at Delray?


dari Says:

Careful, kimmi, you were close to giving dolgo a new nickname.


skeezerweezer Says:

What is it with the rubbing out the mark of an in out or out ball? Especially if it goes against you. Not trying to single them out, as many others do it now. But have been watching for years now and noticed it is a thing with the clay court players. How come they can’t leave the mark? Does it make it look better? Are they covering up guilt? What is the really BIG deal? Never got that. Anyone?


dari Says:

Jane- tipsy and nishikori. That’s why the prospect of delpo getting past fish is so appealing


jane Says:

Thanks dari.

Wow Dolgo just blew 3 break points, well Ferrer helped, but. And now Ferrer with break point.


skeezerweezer Says:

I would like them see the same on HC. They would bring a “color pocket marking pen that is color matched of the court”, pull it out, and touch it up accordingly. Then calmly walk back to the baseline to play the next point. Play on.


Kimmi Says:

skeez – they rub the mark so that it does not confuse them and umpire when another ball hits the same spot or somewhere nearby..i heard this from one of the commentators..

dolgo is too wild.\

he needs to win this game to get his confidence back..


dari Says:

Skeezer- I think guilt, looks nicer, “erasing bad memories”. If there is any traffic in that area maybe you wanna smooth it out to make sure no old mark is mistaken for a new one jm another tough call? Chances are slim for that maybe, but uh, why risk it?!
Nice shot from the dog.


dari Says:

How often are they sweeping the courts?


Kimmi Says:

dari, u explain it much better…

great for dolgo to win that game..lets see if he gets his confidence back


Kimmi Says:

at the end of each set i think dari


jane Says:

It is like Dolgo needs a leash, while Ferrer’s leash is too tight. Ha ha.

skeeze, this mark thing, it is really bothering you, yez? Forgedaboutit. It is just a clay thang.


Kimmi Says:

haha jane..good one.

dolgo losing i am afraid..


jane Says:

Kimmi, methinks you are right. The leashed terrier gets the walk. :)


dari Says:

Funny guy, Jane!
Though all these leash jokes are making me think about that story of David getting locked in the shed or something. Intense guy!


Kimmi Says:

oh no..after that close first set..we have 2 break sticks.congrats to the pittbull..

dolgo/sasha/the dog needs to go back on the drawing board, with his coach..less crazy shots, more rallies and wait for the right moment to attack. semi in a 500 clay event is not bad..


dari Says:

daveed! He has a chin/jaw like quagmire from family guy.
Big day tomorrow for nico and david. One trying to sweep the golden swing, the other trying to defend his title.


Kimmi Says:

ok..amalgro vs ferrer final..

is it three tournament in a row for almagro or can ferrer defend the title..it is all to play for.


Kimmi Says:

thanks for great company guys..gnite!

oh..gooooo roger! sorry i just has to say that one :)


jane Says:

Good night all, cheers to the winners. Better luck next time to the rest.


dari Says:

Thanks to you, too and thanks for the reminder:
Go rojah!


contador Says:

sorry to be obnoxious about looking for injuries all the time. cant help it. it’s what i do.

dolgo tweaked his wrist on a point in the 1st set. don’t know if it’s injured but i saw him holding his right wrist on a changeover right after. i hope he’s okay. just hate the thought of more wrist injuries. love his unique style on court and off.

congrats to ferrer. now go beat almagro and kiss the pear again!

go delpo, vera z, and fed!

gisela dulko’s dog: LOL!

http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg614/scaled.php?tn=0&server=614&filename=ksfhv.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640


dari Says:

contador! I was looking for you cause I was thinking about injuries and dolgo and I remember your mentioning some illness of his. It’s been in the back of my head for some time. I asked someone at work and they said thwy didnt know, soubds like a lot of things!
Unless you’re morally opposed, care to share what you thought, or at least a hint I can take to work?


contador Says:

who paints a dogs toenails?


contador Says:

dari, i’ve worked in oncology and hematology. don’t really want to speculate on what dolgo has as far as the blood disorder/dyscrasia because i only read about it from the description in that peter bodo interview with dolgo…not really the best source, right?

but tonight, i saw dolgo hit a shot in the 1st set. and immediately after he his the shot he grabbed his wrist – he winced, i winced…noticed his pain again when he was holding the wrist on the changeover right after. hope it;s nothing but like jane, i must worry. born that way. :/

hope it’s nothing. but was thinking dolgo is not the type to retire. not in any semi-final. no way. personally i’d rather see someone retire than to continue on. ( final of a GS the exception, maybe )


contador Says:

“hit” the shot not “his”


contador Says:

meant “hit” his shot not he “his” the shot. durrr


dari Says:

Think we’re eye to eye on this, contador. No mas on the matter!
Didn’t watch till about the eighth game, dont remember a wrist. Hope he is okay!


skeezerweezer Says:

You girls are on form tonight! Thanks for the fun read :)


dari Says:

an interview after Dubai semis with rog fed.
Last few questions strike me- good perspective on losing- even after a win! and he phrased it well, saying the way tennis is set up everyone, but THE one, is a loser.
http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=69277
Also think he is showing that he identifies with gasquet quite a bit, too!
Best to Rog in the final tomorrow!


Skeezerweezer Says:

Dari,

Thanks for that..

“But, look, I’m confident that I’m playing well. I haven’t played poorly the last six months. I’ve played really well and very consistent. Always semis at least, if not better. Have another opportunity to win a tournament, so it’s a good moment for me.”

So is this Arrogance ? Or tellin it like it is. No trying to play underdog tricks here. Depends on what angle you’re looking at me guesses…..regardless… He tells it.. Who else has been this consistently this good the lastt 6 months…..heck the whole career?

Good luck Fed…and to you Nole….show us some good stuff please!


contador Says:

boy am i cheesed off about the domain seizures. read a report about it in huffington post. an oregon senator is speaking out against what’s happened. but an idaho senator wouldn’t care at all. this is a “red” state. really…that site was legit as were the others i have depended on for 3 years to get livestreams for tennis all over the world. this censure all started over superbowl and it’s about the $$$$$$$

tennistv isnt even worth it if i did cough up the money. they hardly cover matches i want to see. tennistv and espn3 are only good for the marquee matches live. those free livestreams were safe. such bs from big usa corporations. i know one domain was based in sweden. another in spain…they offered everything: challengers, qualifying matches, early rounds…

del ray is impossible to watch now- espn 3 isn’t showing it. i wonder if tennischannel even does a proper job covering like the LIVE streams do? probably a lot of taped and repeats. grrrrr…good for nostalgic GS matches from years ago ( which you can find many on youtube without the commercials ) but unlikely a weekly 250 event from say…marseille or santiago.

i mainly want to watch current live tennis. and i know i’m not the only one.

this might be the end of much watching tennis for fans like me if there are no live streams from europe. is it really back to the dark ages of being relegated to what ESPN2 local cable decides to program for tennis, which only really covers Wimbledon and US Open…very poorly too. oh sometimes a us open based 1000 event but only like the semis and final.

end of rant.

anyone having a different experience, as in watching uninterrupted coverage of worldwide tennis: early rounds, challengers, qualifiers as well as bigger matches …please enlighten me! going into tennis withdrawal.
_____________________________________

great link dari. thanks. nice to real ALL his comments. that was a generous amount of insight too. maybe it’s just me, but i think federer has been extra candid this week: sharing his blacklist and describing how he’s not “robo cop.” love federer.

heard from a latvian fan ( wont say where for fear that domain is next ) that laura gulba, ernie’s sister, is moving up in the juniors! maybe she’s more ambitious? apparently she looks like ernests : )


dari Says:

Yup, fed getting very comfortable in the press room in his old age.
Sorry about the streams, contador. I thought they were doing pretty well even after the seize except there is always that ONE tourney that is in a black hole each week! And lately its been the one delpo is in.
I’m just gonna tell you all I know:
Fromsport
Livescorehunter
Atdhenet dot tv [which seems to be most affected :( ]
myp2p
and I think its called bybeco
channelsurf dot eu
I see challengers listed on most of those.
Looks like bybeco has delay tomorrow. Its listed, we will find out if its a bluff. Good luck!


dari Says:

delay = del ray


dari Says:

did I just ruin it all by listing those?! :/


grendel Says:

“Sometimes you get lucky; sometimes you get unlucky”. I’ve always thought Federer realistic, and nice to see him acknowledging the role of luck here.

Referring to game when Gasquet was serving for the set: “…. especially if you’re not the biggest server, like Richard and myself, you have to rely on different strengths”. But what Federer doesn’t mention is that Gasquet (like himself) has a very good serve if not the biggest, but that when under pressure he went back to rolling them in – this had proved disastrous in the first set, and to revert to this tactic – basically, “please gimme the set,it’s my turn” – was shocking though frankly not surprising.

“You have to stop the bleeding, and you couldn’t do that tonight.” Federer’s descritpion of what happened to Gasquet is memorable, but not quite accurate. Gasquet has been bleeding for a long, long time. It’s like an infinitely slow death, with sudden pseudo recoveries injecting little spasms of hope which get ever fainter as we get used to their illusory nature. It’s a terrible thing to watch. The Gasquet who beat Federer in his pomp at Monte-Carlo all those years ago was a great, great player. As I crawl into my dotage, that is the Gasquet I will choose to remember. Why be prejudiced about the sequence of time…..


jane Says:

Contador fully behind you on your rant! Very maddening these seizures, and dark-ages-like, as you aptly put it!

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