Federer, Nadal Collide For A 26th Time; Murray’s Malady

Nadal means business here. He may not get many realistic shots at the WTF in the future. He has won the Davis cup more than once. It should not be a factor at all. The Fish match, despite the stomach bug, was the kind of match he needed to shake off the rust. He is 3-0 vs Roger this year and crushed him in Miami.

“..coming into this match Federer is simply the more in-form and fresher player. Plus, he beat Nadal on this same, low bouncing court a year ago. So edge goes to Federer.”

Roger, by his own admission, felt very tired after Paris and form does not matter much in their rivalry. The match-up absolutely does. Besides, I don’t think it is the same surface as last year’s. This is not a low-bouncing court. A relatively slow, high-bouncing court means trouble for Roger especially against Nadal.

Even though, Berdych didn’t serve consistently and wasn’t playing his best tennis, he really should not have let that match go away and he knew it. Credit to Djokovic for hanging on despite being nowhere near his best. He has shown it a few times this year and he should go from strength to strength from this point onwards. It will not be a a surprise if he goes on to lift the title considering the year he has had. The Berdych match exemplified again the spirit he has shown all year . He keeps giving himself chances even when not playing his best tennis and the chips have fallen his way. Some could say that he got lucky on some occasions this year but he has created his own luck.

November 22nd, 2011 at 5:46 am

68% is no rivalry. Sorry.

November 22nd, 2011 at 6:12 am

scineram,

I would agree with you, but every rafa fan gotta love the federer rivalry? It’s iconic and will live on forever.

Every Federer fan loves the rafa/roger rivalry (I reckon?). It’s one for the ages.

As we are talking about hard court here, the statistics you refer don’t tell the whole story. On paper, yes, but do we have to go into that argument again about how much of the 68% is on red clay? It’s boring now; how many tournaments are played on clay (and surface DOES count). We all know that.

Roger is in fine form. I agree with him playing on his best surface. Hard court. This is his match to win and he knows it! Rafa doing the usual underplaying of his ability which is to be expected. No different.

I love seeing the both of them on court playing. Roger has been serving well too; it will be interesting to see the game plan roger uses but I would imagine it will be the same as last year with a few surprises.

Come on Roge!

November 22nd, 2011 at 7:46 am

Well,

By the stats, every 3 times they play, Nadal wins 2, So, it is about time Fed gets one 1, and no better place than this venue.

But I agree with rogerafa as well, Nadal is kind of under the radar and this is THE only important tourney he has yet to win, He is drooling for it!

Fed is in better form and Nadal is playing a little short, maybe he will find his range, and if the match gets tuff, the odds favour Nadal.

Also another point of concern is Federer serve, as always agaisnt Nadal. Last year he had some wicked kick servers in the deuce side removing Nadal from the court completelly and his back hand was killer. Will see, I say 50-50 as of right now. If Fed loses the firt set, he loses, if he wins it, his chances increases.

November 22nd, 2011 at 7:58 am

Again, people forget…

The 17-8 H2H is skewed PURELY due to the 11-2 H2H on clay. Outside of clay, Fed STILL has an even H2H against Nadal.

So again, for the thousandth time – this is not clay, and Nadal ONLY dominates Fed on clay. On all other surfaces, it depends who is on form.

Further, being 5 years older, Fed is obviously at a huge disadvantage, has always been like that. In his hay days, Fed would almost always beat Nadal outside of clay

November 22nd, 2011 at 8:29 am

i think the best thing to do is to wait and see,never has certainly does not mean never will,you cant do anything about whats already happened,the only thing you can do is your best in the future,the only thing we know now is that we know nothing,going on form yes roger is the favourite,thats not to say that rafa wont beat him,who knows every days a new chance,just hoping for a great match whoever wins.

November 22nd, 2011 at 8:49 am

Fed said in swiss tv that the court is def. faster than Paris but not super fast and that it bounces higher than last year which should Favour nadal…nadal on the other side has plenty excuses if he loses…but we all know he will play just fine

November 22nd, 2011 at 8:51 am

What “stomach bug” drained Nadal? That tightness in his tummy could really have been either an anxiety attack from fear of losing the match or just another recycled excuse in case he loses to the lowest ranked and WTF (old) rookie who is recovering from a hamstring injury. Doesn’t anyone think it is fishy (pardon the pun) that Nadal starts the year at Doha whinning about being sick (while playing both singles and winning the doubles) and ends the year whinning about being sick?

The very same tennis pundits who are quick to disregard or doubt Federer’s mono — where there was a sudden drop in his performance before and after — and injuries are too quick to accept Nadal’s litany of ailments whenever he feels vulnerable to losing.

It’s unlikely that the DC final is a bigger priority for Nadal than the WTF. In 2008, Nadal first withdrew from the WTF claiming he had to rest for the DC final against Argentina held in Argentina. Then a week before the DC final, Nadal withdrew from the DC final claiming his knee was injured. Without Nadal, his teammates DAvid Ferrer, Lopez and company traveled all the way to Argentina (without Nadal) and still beat the Argentinians on hardcourts in Argentina. While his teammates were working hard to win the DC, Nadal was photographed at a Mauritius resort with his girlfriend playing watersports like waterskiing, riding a water donut, etc. all of which shouldn’t be good for a bum knee. So not only has Nadal skipped a DC final, he has never traveled to a DC tie anywhere outside Europe in his career (coincidentally, there is always some injury excuse). With or without Nadal, Spain will likely beat Argentina on clay in Spain.

Nadal desperately wants to win this significant WTF tournament. Without it his resume remains incomplete compared to the greatest tennis players like Federer, Sampras, Lendl, Borg, who all won it multiple times. The clay king Bjorn Borg won 24 indoor tourneys (carpet/hardcourt) before Nadal’s current age — including 3 year end championships (Masters and Grand Prix) from the 8 finals he reached. Nadal has reached only one WTF final. Since the ATP era, the only great players (who won at least 5 grand slam championships) who failed to win the year end championships are Nadal, Mats Wilander and John Newcombe.

There is no excuse for Nadal not to succeed on indoors, if he wants to be considered one of the greatest players. In 2005, Nadal already won Madrid indoors. From the 1970s to the 1990s indoor tournaments (carpet/hardcourt) made up a huge chunk of the players’ schedules. Pete Sampras played 7 indoor tourneys in 1993 and again in 1994, for example.

November 22nd, 2011 at 9:11 am

Again commentators saying that the court is playing relatively slow.I am just thinking that the unforced error count is very high in this tournament. Any insights on the error count?

November 22nd, 2011 at 9:41 am

Fish was up a break in the second, and he gave it back only for Tsonga to take control. Not looking good for Mardy now.

November 22nd, 2011 at 10:40 am

Tsonga is on fire! He’s sees the finish line.

I think UE count in this match for Tsonga is about half of what it was 1st RR but I am guessing – have not seen the stats.

Tsonga winner count has to be good! Tsonga is having fun now.

The 1st set was competitive and good tennis 7-6 but 2nd set it’s ALL Tsonga. Tsonga serving for match.

November 22nd, 2011 at 10:45 am

Congrats to Tsonga: might’ve wished for a most competitive second set but he deserved the win, clearly.

November 22nd, 2011 at 11:04 am

My only response to Dave (I don’t know why I am even bothering) is VAMOS RAFAAAA. He knows how to beat the Fed. Rafa would have bagged this title last year if he didn’t have to play for over three and a half hours the day before.

November 22nd, 2011 at 11:09 am

Fish is in big trouble now. Fish needs Nadal to beat both Fed and Tsonga then he would need to beat Fed in straight sets. In other words he needs Nadal at 3-0 then everyone else at 1-2.

November 22nd, 2011 at 11:28 am

My only response to Michael (I don’t know why I am even bothering) is that is such a wimpy excuse for top players, who are supposed to be physically fit. Nadal cannot use such a wimpy excuse for losing to Federer, and he knows it.

In the 2010 WTF semifinal, Nadal and No. 4 Murray played only 223 points. These two slow players took 192 minutes (3.2 hours) partly because they both play… very slow.

In 2006 Rome:

– 24-year old Federer played SIX rounds of gruelling clay-court tennis, including a BEST-OF-FIVE set final (unlike today’s wimpy five rounds and best-of-3 sat finals in non-grand slam events that benefit players like Nadal and Djokovic)

– on Friday, the fast-playing Federer played three sets of 229 points in 153 mins (2.6 hours) against claycourter Nicholas Almagro. If the slow playing Nadal played the same match, it would have taken over 3 hours.

– on Saturday, the fast-playing Federer played three sets of 229 points in 163 mins (2.7 hours) against World No. 3 David Nalbandian. If the slow playing Nadal played the same match, it would have taken well over 3 hours.

– on Sunday, the the fast-playing Federer played three sets of 353 points in 305 mins (5.1 hours) against World No. 2 Nadal. The match took over 5 hours partly because Nadal is such a slow player it sent Federer to sleep. Yet late in the fifth set Federer still created two matchpoints. Federer still won 51% of total points, even though he lost the match.

If Federer can play Nadal under conditions that are twice as worse as last year’s WTF final… why can’t Nadal?

November 22nd, 2011 at 11:40 am

Fish has sunk. As expected.

If Fed beats Nadal, it pretty much puts him in (can’t see him losing to Fish).

The only interesting scenario is if Nadal beats Fed.

Nadal is fully fit, he almost always is. That’s his strength. The rest are just excuses (like choking on a banana??).

He will moonball to Fed’s backhand till the lights go out. The key is whether Fed serves well enough, and takes the backhand early.

I think Fed comes out on fire and takes out Nadal in two, to again re-establish a winning H2H outside of clay.

November 22nd, 2011 at 11:57 am

trufan, the courts are slow, the ball seems to be bouncing very high. Don’t write Rafa off quite yet. I think it all depends on this stomach bug.

November 22nd, 2011 at 11:59 am

Good post Dave.

To add to that, especially for Michael…..

In the so-called 288 minute 2008 wimbledon final, due to Nadal’s constant violation of rules due to slow play (why don’t refs call out on him??), they only playes 110 minutes – the rest 188 minutes was just breaks and Nadal picking his butt.

Nadal is just SO SLOW, its a snoozefest every time he plays. His playing a 3 hour match is like others playing a 2 hour match. Before EVERY point, he takes 10-15 seconds extra – so if there are 200 points in a match, that adds up to a whopping 35-45 minutes of extra match time (and so much extra rest in the middle). He does that while serving, AND while receiving, so both count.

They should really clamp down on it.

Now lets see how he fares against younger players in 2012. THey will beat the crap out of him in stamina too, now that he is 25+…

November 22nd, 2011 at 12:05 pm

Margot,

yes, I think Nadal has a good chance of winning, but less than 50%, in my opinion, so in terms of making a prediction, I had to pick one….

The high bounce is his only hope. He’ll come out firing – there’s no stomach bug, he’ll be fine, physically.

November 22nd, 2011 at 12:06 pm

So all we’re going to see from Nadal are shots to Roger’s BH and Nadal running to the loo!!!!

November 22nd, 2011 at 12:09 pm

trufan, I agree with you on the H2H analysis: Borg and McEnroe were 7-7 in their career H2H, but never played on clay – if 7 of those matches were on clay, I’m certain that Borg would have been up 10-4 or 11-3 and nobody would be calling that a great rivalry.

Having said that, I disagree entirely with the question of their age. Regardless of how old they are, your opponent is your opponent, and your record against them is your record against them. Nadal’s results shouldn’t be discounted because he’s younger than Fed.

Borg never lost to anyone younger them him until 1978 – it just happened to be McEnroe in Stockholm, and their first encounter. It is not necessarily an advantage to be younger, and even if it were, you’d have to discount all of Federer’s results against older players, which I don’t think is the point.

November 22nd, 2011 at 12:17 pm

Andy Murray has withdrawn from the tourny. Tipsarevic replaces him. Sad end to andy’s year- which has been his career best. Good luck recovering for the 2012 season. Nole and berdych I imagine should qualify now. Nole certainly should top the group.

November 22nd, 2011 at 12:45 pm

Dave and trufan has to write paragraphs to convince themselves…its 17-8..as simple as that..

Vamos!

November 22nd, 2011 at 1:01 pm

I don’t discount Rafa’s wins in general. Rafa clearly played Federer and won when Federer was at his peak and in his prime, not on just clay but on hc. After age 30, Federer’s H2H isn’t likely to improve. It’s much more of an accomplishment for Federer to get a win in a Fedal than Nadal. The majority of their matches were on clay but Federer had plenty of chances on hc when he was younger and Nadal won – bad match-up for Federer.

And I agree with those who believe Rafa is in Roger’s head. Not as dramatic as Federer in Roddick’s head but definitely something to it.

November 22nd, 2011 at 1:03 pm

It has all become very boring. Hype? Nah. Same ole stuff.

Rafa is going to pound out every serve, and every stroke he can, to Feds BH. If he can’t do that, or Fed’s BH holds up, its over.

November 22nd, 2011 at 1:17 pm

“form does not matter much in their rivalry. The match-up absolutely does.”

“It’s unlikely that the DC final is a bigger priority for Nadal than the WTF”

o.O

People just crack me up stating their opinions as fact.

FEDAL forever! May the best man win!

November 22nd, 2011 at 1:21 pm

LMAO!

Age- what an idiotic reason to bring up. So tell me what is the explanation for a teenage nadal beating federer on a HC in their 1st meeting? Sheer good luck? Or for him to be 3-1 on HC?

Or what about grass? How did a 21 y/o nadal lose a 5th set wimby final against a federer- aged 25 at the time- who also said there and then ‘that he was lucky’ and nadal shall win outside the FO one day?

Saying it is AGE is absolute rubbish- the reason is simple, obvious and there for everyone to see: BAD MATCHUP for roger.

Every great tennis player has one foe who just seems to have their number on most ocassions: borg had mcenroe, mcenroe had lendl, lendl had sampras etc. Rafa has roger’s number on most occassions, just like nole seems to have has his now. It’s just the way the cookie crumble’s sometimes.

Just ACCEPT IT- rather than being sour and bitter about it!

November 22nd, 2011 at 1:25 pm

Thangs,

And I am sure you will feel better if your fav had 16 slams. H2H, court surfaces are discussion points but holding 16 slams is undeniable. Too bad its not all about playing one guy, either way. Matchups are nice, but you have to beat everybody, which Fed has done better than ANBODY. I won’t get into nickpickin match ups, you would lose that one against Nole ;)

November 22nd, 2011 at 1:25 pm

@M:

Could not agree anymore. When people present their opinions/ views as facts in order to further their own agenda or impose their belief on others, it really is just is a load of bull****.

Really all generalisations, which is all they ever are, are false- INCLUDING this one:-)

November 22nd, 2011 at 1:30 pm

Good points MMT. But age does matter.

Until the end of 2007 (when Fed was 26), Fed was 6-8 against Nadal, overall, including on clay. Its only after that he started losing so much more to him, though still mostly on clay. 25-26 seems to be a crucial age points in mens tennis – players just fall off the cliff after that (Borg, McEnroe, almost everyone since then – Agassi being an exception due to many reasons).

Lots of things had to come to play for Nadal to be what he is. Being Lefty is a HUGE advantage (since he is used to playing righties, but righties are not used to playing lefties). Then his primary opponent for many years was 5 years older with a one-handed backhand. And then all this wouldn’t have happened with the racket technology of 20 years ago…

Look at how Djokovic (one year younger, two handed backhand) has MAULED him this year….

As for Thangs – Well, things are never than simple, and too simplistic is for duds.

The most important simple number then is 16-10 (grand slam count).

And yes, if Borg had played more than 50% of his matches against McEnroe on clay (they didn’t play any), the H2H would have been really skewed.

November 22nd, 2011 at 1:30 pm

Age, bad match up, i would still call a Fedal match at the O2 about as much in Roger’s favor as a Fedal match on Phillipe Chartier is in Rafa’s favor. In other words, Rafa needs to play very well to win and Fed needs to be off and the stars need to be properly alligned. Hope Rafa can pull a surprise here but lets be realistic fellow fans, he barely beat Fish!

November 22nd, 2011 at 1:32 pm

Brando, in all your examples, age is an important issue, so you are actually giving evidence against yourself!!

As for Miami 2004 loss to Nadal, read the news stories, Federer was sick, was about to withdraw but played on since he never does that….

yeah right, if Nadal was good enough to meet Federer in every hardcourt and indoor final in 2005-07, the H2H would have been totally different.

it IS a clay thing. That’s what facts say (11-2 on clay, 6-6 outside of clay – so where is the dominance – on clay or outside of clay???)..

November 22nd, 2011 at 1:34 pm

And even Nadal never beat Fed six times in a row (all in finals including two slams and 4 masters), the way Djokovic has hammered Nadal… Nadal has just won 4 sets in those six matches….

Now that’s what is called as a beat down. Too bad his moonballs to the backhand don’t work against a two-hander….

November 22nd, 2011 at 1:37 pm

Carlo – the point about the difference on the surfaces was to speak to those who seem to feel Nadal is dominant in the match up.

Outside of clay, they are even/steven (6-6). That, I think, is more indicative of their relative matchup, than the overall, which favors Nadal with the relative paucity of non-clay matches.

Having said that, I am beginning to buy my own argument less and less – at the end of the day, tennis is played on multiple surfaces and results shouldn’t be discounted under any circumstances. That’s counter to the spirit of honest/fair competition.

I gave the example of Borg and McEnroe as one that is regarded as an even match-up historically. But arguing against my own argument, this match up could be skewed in favor of McEnroe since he wasn’t good enough to meet Borg very often on clay, or in favor of Borg, who retired long before McEnroe was at his best as a tennis player, and lost their last 3 matches.

As to the “in his head” business, I’m sure if you lose more often to someone than you beat them, they’re in your head – that’s the same for everyone, in which case Nadal and Federer are in the heads of about 99% of players on tour.

The real question is the technical problems Nadal’s game poses Federer’s, and the fact that Federer hasn’t found any consistent solution to them. There was a time when everyone assumed Federer had the game to beat Nadal on any surface – that turned out not to be true on clay.

Then Nadal’s game improved enormously in 2008, and he began consistently beating him on all surfaces (rather than a couple of wins on hard court in 2004 and 2007 – apart from that, all his victories were on clay).

That’s when people started to do some analysis on Nadal’s game and why it troubles Federer, and a few things were identified – the Nadal’s high cross court forehand Federer’s backhand, Federer’s inability to break Nadal’s serve and the ineffectiveness of Federer’s serve.

To this date, I don’t believe Federer has found a consistent answer to any of these, and it is THAT (and only that) that really matters in the match up. If Federer wants to beat Nadal, going through some psychoanalytical exercise of “removing” Nadal from his head is about as useless as teets on a bull.

He ought to go back to the basics and develop the technical capacity and tactics HE needs to beat him consistently. As yet, he has not.

November 22nd, 2011 at 1:40 pm

K,

That is a fair post ;). Fed went 3 also but it is a favorable surface cor him in there matchup for sure. I would like to advise unc toni to tell Rafa to keep the bounces low to Feds BH please.

November 22nd, 2011 at 1:43 pm

good post MMT.

I think at this years FO, Federer fought really well for the first three sets. That’s the kind of game he needs to play. I still think serving is the key for Federer – if he can hold easily, Nadal is the one who will be under pressure.

And yes, there has to be some psychological element to it as well. So many of his losses to Nadal were matches that were SO close – Rome 2006 (held match points), Wimbledon 2008 (2 points from victory), AO 2009 (don’t know what happened in that fifth set!!), the dubai three setter (2006??), first FO final (2006)…

I think his losses on clay actually hurt him elsewhere. If he had NEVER played nadal on clay (had he been as miserable as Sampras on clay), he perhaps would have never been vulnerable on other surfaces.

November 22nd, 2011 at 1:48 pm

As for technical stuff, there’s NOTHING you can do with a one-handed backhand against high spinning moonballs, unless you are 6-10 or something.

That’s why nobody plays a one-hander anymore (tell me ANY other top 30 player that has a one-hander).

November 22nd, 2011 at 1:50 pm

@Trufan:

Dress it up however you want, the record still stands. End of story as far as i am concerned.

As for tonight, i agree with Kimberly, federer should win tonight. Rafa needs the 1st set in order to have a chance i feel.

November 22nd, 2011 at 1:59 pm

i think gasquet is the only other top 30 one hander.

nice win for tsonga.

rog vs nadal. doesn’t get any better, despite the lopsided h2h!

November 22nd, 2011 at 2:00 pm

Cool down..Fed was lucky to get 16 with weakera..

November 22nd, 2011 at 2:02 pm

Wawrinka-one handed backhand too. Wonder, do they just teach a two handed these days? But Andy for example, and I expect others, uses one hand at times.

November 22nd, 2011 at 2:12 pm

@Thangs:

‘Cool down..Fed was lucky to get 16 with weakera..’.

Oh oh- thangs do you not know what you have done by saying such a blasphemous thing?

Cue the fanatics, led by trufan, in three … two…one…

November 22nd, 2011 at 2:18 pm

Almagro has a nice one-hander.

I agree with the points you make about Fedal, the psychological edge to Nadal, the technical problem for Federer and your point about surfaces, MMT.

My only difference in opinion might be in their age difference increasingly a factor in the last 2 years. It’s tough for me to ignore the 5 year age difference and what that means in terms of Federer’s inevitable decline. That age difference underscores Nadal’s game and ability to beat Federer on hc before he (Rafa) had outgrown his pirate pants and Federer was in his prime. Federer is a special case to still be in the top 4 at age 30 comparing him to others like Roddick, Nalbandian, and Ferrero, say. I don’t think Federer will be there too much longer. Nadal has maybe 2-3 more years.

November 22nd, 2011 at 2:29 pm

Top 30 1-handed Backhands:

1. Federer
2. Almagro
3. Gasquet
4. Wawrinka
5. Lopez
6. Ljubicic

November 22nd, 2011 at 2:33 pm

clay is a legit surface just like hard and grass. In other words, if nadal and fed are even on other surfaces, but nadal has a massive clay edge, h2h wise, hes clearly better than fed. It would make as much sense to throw out feds hc or grass wins just because they suit his game better.

November 22nd, 2011 at 2:37 pm

On another note, with murray’s withdrawal what does roger have to do in order to seal no.3 YE ranking?

Would getting to the SF stages with 2 wins be sufficient?

It is rather sad that andy may lose out on finishing outside top 3, not because he was not good enough, but because he was not fit enough.

:-(

November 22nd, 2011 at 2:42 pm

Blah: except that while Federer made it to every clay court final to play Nadal, especially during his golden years, Nadal did not reach many of the hard court finals. When Fed was in his prime (2004-2007) I would bet he would have taken out Nadal in every one of the hard court finals if only Nadal had somehow gotten there.

November 22nd, 2011 at 2:55 pm

@ M

I was stating my opinion and that is all we do on a blog. Whether it is a plausible one can be questioned. I am happy that it made you crack up. It served a purpose even for you. I don’t see you stating an opinion (or even a fact) through reasonable argument. Ridiculing someone is the easiest thing to do.

@Brando

” Could not agree anymore. When people present their opinions/ views as facts in order to further their own agenda or impose their belief on others, it really is just is a load of bull****”

It appears you are a psychoanalyst of considerable skill and experience. Please enlighten me on the possible agenda I have or the belief I am imposing on others. I thought I made a reasonable argument and used the term “unlikely” which is not an assertion. This is the only big tournament missing in Nadal’s resume. DC is on clay at home and that is something Nadal finds easiest to handle. Nadal does well on the slower courts and his biggest advantage against Roger is the high-bouncing cross-court forehand to Roger’s backhand. The match up problem is almost universally acknowledged.

” Saying it is AGE is absolute rubbish- the reason is simple, obvious and there for everyone to see: BAD MATCHUP for roger.”

This is an emphatic statement about age as well as the match up that you have made yourself. Going by your agreement with M, you are stating it as a fact, imposing your view on others and having an agenda. Basically, you contradict yourself big time because I said something very similar about the match up. Terms like “rubbish” and “a load of bull****” should be used with utmost caution. I understand anonymity affords you the license but lack of manners hinders a civilized conversation.

By the way, you seem to be enamored with certain leading lights on this blog but don’t seem to “get” their agenda even when it is all too obvious.

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:04 pm

here we are again…bring it on fed!!!!!!!!!!

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:12 pm

BTW – there are other prominent players with 1-handed backhands, they just aren’t, at the moment, in the top 30.

Youzhny
Haas
Kohlschreiber
Llodra
Robredo
Montanes
Karlovic (although he’s a terrible tennis player)
Blake
Stakhovsky
Garcia-Lopez
Rochus
Cipolla
Dimitrov
Sela
Hanescu

The vast majority of players hit 1-handed slice backhands, but I’ve only ever seen Tsonga come over the backhand with 1 hand, even though he’s a natural 2-hander.

I will admit that I am partial to the 1-handed backhand for a lot of reasons that I don’t want to go into. It is true most players use a 2-handed backhand, but the 1-handed backhand is not an unusable stroke. If you’ve ever seen Almagro play Nadal, he has no problems on that side, and he’s shorter than Federer.

I think the reason the 2-handed backhand is more prevalent is because there’s more money riding on junior results, and it’s easier to get good junior results with a sold backhand, than wait for puberty to kick-in and develope a proper 1-handed backhand.

But that’s just a guess.

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:13 pm

one minute !

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:14 pm

2-2

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:30 pm

Nk: If you absolutely want to go the no proof hypothetical route, my guess is fed’s record against nadal in those hc matches that didnt happen still wouldnt be nearly as one sided as the clay results. Tennis is a game of matchups; feds dominance against the field doesnt mean he would’ve consistently beaten the single worst matchup for him in his entire career. All it says is he was, in that stretch, a considerably better hc player in tourneys than nadal (which is more important than h2h anyway), but that is something separate from h2h, and I dont know why his fans dont think thats enough.

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:33 pm

those commentators getting on my nerves always mentioning indoors indoors indoors …

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:35 pm

they seem to forget that they never ever played on a fast hardcourt outdoors( e.g. cincy us open )…

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:37 pm

first break…4:2 fed

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:39 pm

fed with already 8:0 winners and only one UE more than nad

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:40 pm

5-2 Fed. On fire!!!

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:41 pm

Federer on fire. Can he keep his Focus? Will Rafa catch fire?

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:42 pm

Brando: “Age- what an idiotic reason to bring up. So tell me what is the explanation for a teenage nadal beating federer on a HC in their 1st meeting? Sheer good luck?”

Sunstroke, man! LOL :-)

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:43 pm

fed firing winners from all over the place!!! vintage fed

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:46 pm

there is the first set… Fed played a chanceless set. piled the pressure on Nadai 33 minutes…

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:49 pm

I just can not beleive that neither of Foxtel sport channels is telecasting Nadal- Federer. I can not beleive they have volleyball and some other but not Nadal-Federer. I even organize late start at work today beleiving it will be telecast, without checking. Stupid me :)
Anyway Nadal has to win this one becouse last one against Tsonga can be very tricky to win, Tsonga will be on fire.

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:50 pm

how many winners/ue for fed?

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:51 pm

FU to all Nadal-haters! I agree with Kimberly — just as Fed is unlikely to beat Nadal at Roland Garros, Nadal is unlikely to beat Fed at WTF. That is just how it is. I’m just happy Fedal are playing right now. Now, Vamos Rafa!

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:51 pm

WOW!
You expect Fed to outdo Nadal on the hope-and-a-prayer shots, but Fed is outhustling Rafa and ROS-ing as well.
Fed is playing as well as he can play. After a few early misfires he is hitting extremely aggressive, extremely risky shots at will. Absolutely beautiful.
But I don’t guess he can hold quite that level, and I certainly expect Rafa to work harder this set.

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:51 pm

Goood stats for Fed in that 1st set. 81 % 1st serves in & 12 to 1 winners & 5 to 3 UEs is pretty much as good as he can do against Nadal… Can he keep it up?

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:51 pm

i predict a 20 minutish set for Fed in the second…

Nadal looks utterly clueless. i would love to see him fight but i don’t think it is happening tonight.. There is no sting in his first serve. His return game is lacking too. Disappointed in Nadal.

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:52 pm

Break point for Federer.

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:55 pm

Federer has a bp

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:56 pm

there is the break… – i predict 6-1

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:56 pm

Federer is giving this his all. And I expect Nadal to take it up a notch.

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:57 pm

Electrifying shotmaking from Fed. That’s as aggressive as he can play, and he’s just not missing.

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:57 pm

Damm, Fed’s forehand crosscourt is working the best he has ever hit. He is playing with a lot of spin pushing Nadal out of the corner.

Nadal is playing short, as it was against Fish, seems he lacks power, but Fed is really taking it to him.

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:58 pm

Federer holds 2-0

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:59 pm

Nadal shots are not penetrating and he is making UEs on top of that. Serve is ineffective.. His movement is lacking too. this is basically a beatdown by Fed so far.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:00 pm

hate those slow internet cafes..cannot see the goddamn match without interruption

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:00 pm

Nadal caught in Federer trap, Fed knew exactly that nadal would go for the corridor as he is a lefty. Amazing!

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:02 pm

2 more break points… for Fed

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:03 pm

double break….

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:04 pm

Wow! Am I’m missing some action.. :(

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:04 pm

Nadal concentrate so much to serve to Fed’s backhand that if he is not stinging on it, Fed can attack, note that he didn’t miss any return anymore, as he was missing in the first set.
An what about Fed keeping the ball in Nadal backhand, even when Nadal target his backhand constantly. This last point where Federer break was an example.

Flawless performance by Fed!!!

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:04 pm

47 minutes… Can rafa push it past an hour

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:04 pm

Nothing less than a massive lapse of consciousness or choke from Federer will help Nadal now, sorry to say. 3-0

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:05 pm

fed is as sharp as he can be-… but…we have seen it all..4:0 5:1 setpoints matchpoints 40:0 0:40 and nadal found a way to come back

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:05 pm

Hi … Any other live streaming apart from livescorehunter.com ?

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:06 pm

Wow!!! You can’t play any better than this…

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:06 pm

yes flawless performance by Fed. I almost think Fed’s backhand doesn’t break nowadays as much as Nadal’s does.

FH cross court from Novak, Fed and even Andy M all can break down’s Nadal’s BH consistently imo.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:07 pm

at least in bagles he has pos. h2h vs rafa

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:07 pm

4-0.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:07 pm

Federer is even breathing strong in such a high note he is, adrenaline on the veins!!!

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:08 pm

http://www.sportlemon.tv/c-4.html

I have a stream from both livescore and lemonsport going LOL!

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:09 pm

can nadal serve to feds forehand as well???

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:09 pm

Ok, my boy is getting annihilated. Now please win the tournament Fed, as I can see Raf isn’t going to beat you at this tourney.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:10 pm

2 more bps .. i see a bagel coming

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:11 pm

Damm it, Federer is not missing at all. Nadal start finding his range and more deep ball and even so it’s not working. Federer’s movement is superb.

The returns are perfect, Nadal should serve to Fed forehand as a surprise element.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:11 pm

real madrid is leading 6:0 at the moment..fed is inspired i guess

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:11 pm

Ha, I was finishing typing and he listen:)

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:11 pm

First forehand miss by Fed trying to target that corner.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:12 pm

hate that fu…ing internet so slowwwwwwwww

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:12 pm

first important miss by fed?! but he comes back to get the 3rd bp

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:13 pm

there it is… 5-0

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:13 pm

Can you put that much spin in a ball. his courts is strange, it keeps the ball low if you hit flat, but if you induce sin, the ball goes to the moon.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:13 pm

perfect tennis by fed!!!

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:14 pm

I wouldn’t be too sure about Federer after another match or two, having this much in his tank.

Nadal still has to beat Tsonga though.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:14 pm

Wow, completely forgot Miami this year as Fed got 5 games but it looked worst.

This is the annihilation of the rivalry. Not even RG 2008 as Fed was going to the net all the time looked this bad, Fed was clearly off.

Funny would be if Nadal qualifies and beat Fed in the finals for the title!:)

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:15 pm

Rafa’s got to be pretty shattered about this year.

Novak has destroyed him
Murray inflicted a morale sapping defeat in tokyo
Fed is just making him look clueless..

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:16 pm

This was an ace with will!! 1 more quid pint for less than an hour win.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:17 pm

59 minutes. match point

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:17 pm

no excuse i hope !!! this was masterful…

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:17 pm

59 minutes, with a bagel!
Made my day!

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:17 pm

masterclass from Fed in an hour.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:18 pm

Nadal must be furious, I am afraid about their next match on clay…

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:18 pm

Skorocel says,,

Brando: “Age- what an idiotic reason to bring up. So tell me what is the explanation for a teenage nadal beating federer on a HC in their 1st meeting? Sheer good luck?”

Same amount of Sheer good luck that I guess Fed has to give a beatdown of the Beast at the old tennis age of 30, LOL.

Fed was flawless. he again comes out to validate why is the GOAT, by a mile.

What baffles me is are the current crop of players gonna compete like this at 30? Funny how some say Fed played in a weak er! But still can take down the #1&#2 players in the world.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:18 pm

now pls atp or tournaments organizers : speed up your courts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:18 pm

Thank you, Roger! What a gift to us fans of yours!!

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:18 pm

Hmmm… Congrats Fed fans. Obviously your man is looking great. As for Rafa, at least he beat Fish.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:19 pm

70% first serve by Fed, 28 winners against 4, with 8 Unforced errors. Bizarre stats!!

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:19 pm

Yes. The old Master comes through indoors. That has to assist his recovery. lol

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:19 pm

Blah: I rest my case.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:19 pm

Haha, my feed went out just before the end. How were the reactions and handshake??

I felt bad for Rafa, as with Fed in Miami, where one side was so dominant that it was clear early on that the other had no chance. At least for Rafa it was over quick! Federer had to endure the humiliation a bit longer, as I recall.

That was the most lopsided match I’ve seen between the two, except perhaps that French Open final in 2008.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:20 pm

i feel for rafa. He has the same issues as i saw in the US Open final. Serve , return, backhand, even the forehand lacks pop in this court.

I don’t know what i can expect from him in 2012

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:21 pm

Congrats to Federer, a fantastic performance!

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:21 pm

WOW, WOW, WOW

I wander if Federer was so good or Nadal was so bad. Looking at final result it looks like it was mismatch.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:21 pm

Tsonga is going to be a very tough match for Nadal.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:21 pm

3:1 bagels for fed!

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:22 pm

Federer also showing that among the Go Big or Go Home folks (Tsonga, Berdych, Soderling, Del Potro), Fed has the highest of the high ends.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:22 pm

Congrats Fedfans..

Rafa, better you dont qualify for semi…

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:25 pm

I think the winner qualifies and the loser is out in the Nadal/Tsonga match. Fed has qualified, but not necessarily #1. If Fed were to lose badly to Fish in straight sets and Tsonga beat Nadal badly in straights then Tsonga would be #1.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:27 pm

Berdych looks the most dangerous to Fed right now

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:28 pm

Holy crow! Just checked the scores. What a nice win for Fed.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:30 pm

That has to be among Fed’s top 3 performances against Nadal, at the very least. Wonder how the next match between these 2 will look like (?)… On the one hand, one has to be happy for Fed (finally) getting a W against the Spaniard, but still, you just can’t resist to think (and fear) that Nadal will hammer him for that bagel the very next time they play :-( Anyway, a W is a W.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:30 pm

Can I ask, without offending anyone, is something amiss with Rafa? Usually their matches are so much closer than that.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:31 pm

if Fed plays this level, i don’t see anyone stopping him. Novak can give a fight, but Fed will prevail.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:32 pm

@jane – Maybe there is. But his game is in tatters is what i feel. He doesn’t have a strong serve anymore to win free points. His return is not offensive enough to be on level terms in the rally. doesn’t get much returns in play on first serve.
backhand is breaking down against consistent hitting. movement is lacking and he seems to struggle physically.

I hope he is not heading towards a burnout situation.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:38 pm

Way to go FED !!!

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:39 pm

It’s tough for me to see Berdych as dangerous after his choke yesterday. But he is a different player sometimes vs Federer, if it comes to that.

I doubt Fish can win even if Shankerror shows up. Tsonga vs Nadal might be a very good match! Nadal won’t go away without a fight.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:39 pm

Agassi got his last win against pre-slam Fed in 2002 when he was just shy of his 32nd birthday in Miami. At the time Fed only had 1 or 2 small titles to his name. After that Fed won their next 8 matches.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:42 pm

Jane, nothing looked out of place (physically) on Nadal. But this court does not suit Nadal’s game. Roger is a great indoor player and he does pretty well on this type of court. Roger was ‘on fire’ in this game. Out hitting Nadal; out serving him; making less errors. Nadal’s top spin was falling far too short in the court without any ‘zing’ on it and Roger punished those balls today. Nadal tried to play most of his shots to Roger’s backhand, but unlike on clay – the backhand today was not getting over Roger’s head.

I’m sure Nadal will be back, but today I was so glad to see vintage Roger back – at least for a match!

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:43 pm

Oh dear

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:44 pm

Fot, marrisv, thanks for your responses; I am at work so cannot watch the matches and could only go by the score. Sounds like Fed was on fire; he was at this event last year too, so clearly he is in his element. His, I should think, handsdown the favorite to win it again. No one else seems to be playing so consistently well right now.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:47 pm

Nadal is done. This is a humiliating defeat for him. Its not just that he lost. He just couldn’t compete against Fed. Next time they meet on a non clay court, both will remember this match. On clay, of course, Nadal has enough good memories to carry him through.

I think Nadal may lose to Tsonga, given how bad he is playing. So much for his hopes to get back to No. 1.

Fed should beat Fish and wrap this up. He has played only 2.5 hours so far, so he must be fresh, especially since there was a week off after Paris. He must be thinking – three more matches to go….

If Fed wins the YEC (I can only see Djokovic as a hurdle – but here, at the YEC, given HIS form, I think Fed takes it).

This was a very imposing win for Fed. Now he again has a winning H2H against Nadal outside of clay!!

If Nadal can’t win a single YEC, his claims of GOAT status become that much weaker, even if he is able to reach 16 slams (which he can’t).

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:50 pm

I am not saying Federer is going out the window. He could hang around for awhile and cause trouble even if he drops from the top 10. Sampras is the one I keep comparing to Federer’s longevity. But who knows, maybe Federer has it in mind to be a Connors!

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:50 pm

Jane – Tsonga is looking pretty good too. That is going to be an interesting match between him and Nadal for the other finalist in this group.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:51 pm

True Fot, especially considering how close the Nadal/Fish match was, but how easily Tsonga seemed to conquer him in the second set. When Tsonga gets on a roll, he is a force with which to be reckoned. I wish Nole was in better form, but with the year he’s had I can hardly complain. :)

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:58 pm

Having to beat the same player twice in the same tournament is tricky and can only happen at the WTF if you start in the main draw.(Yes 2 players can meet twice in the same tournament. It has happened this year.) At the WTF it has happened to Fed a couple times. I think he beat Agassi in RR then also in the final. In 2005 he beat Nalbandian in RR and then lost to him in the final.

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:59 pm

Mind you, just because Tsonga did that to Fish doesn’t mean he can do it to Rafa, but what I mean to say is that Tsonga is clearly in good form. He was in the Paris finals too.

November 22nd, 2011 at 5:00 pm

Tsonga will do it to Fish.

Federer probably will play Ferrer in the semi, perhaps Djokovic or Tsonga again in the final.

November 22nd, 2011 at 5:04 pm

Madmax,

Were u there for this match? OMG!

November 22nd, 2011 at 5:10 pm

Oof! What a shellacking.

November 22nd, 2011 at 5:13 pm

If federer was not that good a clay courter (reaching the final EVERY single time), their H2H would have been pretty even.

If they play 10 times:

1. Nadal wins 9/10 on clay.
2. Federer wins 6/10 on outdoor hard.
3. Federer wins 7/10 on clay.
4. Federer wins at least 9/10 on indoor hard.

If they play equal number of matches on all surfaces, you can easily see what H2H it will lead to (about 6:4 in favor of Federer).

If Guga and sampras played their matches the way Federer and Nadal have, Guga would have also had a positive H2H against Sampras.

November 22nd, 2011 at 5:18 pm

Just checked scores and your comments, looks as if Fed played amazing tennis. Congrats to him and all his fans.:)
So sorry Rafa fans, us Andy fans know how you feel
:(

November 22nd, 2011 at 5:27 pm

First of all congratulations to roger and his fans: skeez, kimmi, madmax etc.

Your guy was on fire, and as expected, beat rafa.

As for rafa: i think he was fit- no physical issues on show- its just a case lack of matches, worst surface, lack of confidence ….could go on and on.

Biggest reason, as opposed to excuse, was that simply put he played a player who is better than him on this surface and was just on fire today.

Going forward, i think rafa is in big trouble since he seems to have ZERO confidence in himself and his game. As others have stated, prior to wimby only one problem: Nole. Post wimby, everyone has been a struggle outside USO.

Next year is set up more intriguingly for him than ever. He either makes a comeback that can further add to his legend, or he freefalls to his end. I honestly believe it shall be 1 or the other for him at the age of 25. Hope he does well.

November 22nd, 2011 at 5:42 pm

@Margot: Thanks for your kind words, and also feel sorry for your andy too. Hope he and rafa come back with vengeance next year.

@Skeez: LOL, i know your an ardent fed fan- but also very reasonable towards rafa- but yeah i would agree that i cannot see any of the other 3 at this level aged 30. The whole GOAT thing is ridiculous though, since as a rafa fan it is unfair on him i feel to compare him to roger atm. A comparison can only be made IF rafa gets 16 slams, otherwise its a silly discussion. Almost like comparing a middleweight to a heavyweight- 2 completely different weight classes! Until then, federer is the GOAT by a countrymile, IMO.

November 22nd, 2011 at 5:50 pm

Brando,

It just goes to show how this game is so mental. The top 4 have all there mental breakdown issues. Its a very tough sport that way. If your high on confidence, it can take you pretty far. Rafa does not look like a guy right now who has it.

November 22nd, 2011 at 5:51 pm

Great win for Roger. commiserations for alison/kimberly and other sweet rafa fans.

For those who think age is a non-factor in tennis:

do you know how many tennis rivalries (with no. of matches > 25) have been dominated by the younger player (in some cases like agassi-sampras it is a differnce of one year)?

the answer is all except 2. the only two 25+ match rivalry dominated by the older player is rafa-nole and fed-nole. [ which are now being reversed by djokovic. ( he improved from 16-7 against rafa to 16-13 and 13-6 against fed to 14-10)

being the younger guy in a tennis rivalry is a great advantage.

November 22nd, 2011 at 5:58 pm

@Skorocel: Lol!

@Rogerrafa: Lol, if you believe i am a psychoanalyst then well all i could say in response is that either your’e easy to deceive, or maybe too generous with his words or just a plain mug. I’ll be civilized enough to let you decide that one.

Now i did not write that comment in response to what you wrote, since i did not read your post. Having read what you have written in your 1st post, i do agree with your points, prematch ofcourse.

November 22nd, 2011 at 6:02 pm

Whoever said Federer is declining is crazy!

November 22nd, 2011 at 6:03 pm

congrats to all the decent roger fans,i did not see the match unfortuntly but it sounds like your man played fantastic and was a worthy winner,as for rafa and his fans well better luck next time as tomorrow is another day,and to all the rafa haters if you had any sense youd be enjoying the win ,instead of wasting nervous energy taking a pop at rafa.

November 22nd, 2011 at 6:05 pm

@Skeez: Agree completely. Confidence and momentum is the fuel behind any one of the top 4’s recent success. Rafa right now has no confidence at all in his abilities, and well is paying the price for it.

Cannot see him beating tsonga, some one who won in vienna, reached finals at Paris masters, and pushed federer in the opening RR match. It may also be best for rafa to lose against tsonga.

November 22nd, 2011 at 6:09 pm

@Alison: ‘as for rafa and his fans well better luck next time as tomorrow is another day,and to all the rafa haters if you had any sense youd be enjoying the win ,instead of wasting nervous energy taking a pop at rafa.’

Couldn’t agree more strongly . Most sensible thing said on this blog.

November 22nd, 2011 at 6:13 pm

aww thanks swiss maestro i missed the game as i was at work unfortunatly,sounds like roger played fantastic,he looks to be in the best form of all the players,although rafas my favourite i cannot think of a more worthy winner than roger,and would love for him to take the title instead.

November 22nd, 2011 at 6:16 pm

Memories are short aren’t they after Federer gets 1 win indoors over Nadal. Federer didn’t win a GS in 2011 and made it to one lonely GS final and lost. I stand by my assertion – slow decline. If Federer wins AO and makes it back to #1, I retract my statements.

November 22nd, 2011 at 6:17 pm

Way to go, Roger! Keep bringing the goods here and into AO!

November 22nd, 2011 at 6:27 pm

Skeezerweezer Says:
Madmax,

Were u there for this match? OMG!

November 22nd, 2011 at 5:10 pm

Yeah Skeeze, am here. Blown away by Fed’s beautiful performance.

Hope you are okay.

Just going to read al lthe comments now properly and I’ll catch you tomorrow. Way past my bed time!

November 22nd, 2011 at 6:31 pm

thanks brando for the nice reply to my post, i agree jwt looks in good form,but im hoping rafa can pull something off there,i know it wont be easy but fingers crossed,so alls not lost yet,im just trying to think positive,however time will tell i suppose,btw i have to say yourself,along with jane,swiss maestro and grendel are the farest and most objective bloggers on the forum.

November 22nd, 2011 at 6:35 pm

Federer game was simply superb. On fire… He plays very good for an declined player. If all GS were like this and indoors, Federer would won the 4…

November 22nd, 2011 at 6:57 pm

You picked the perfecr time to see fed, Madmax!
First just seeing him and nadal on.court is a privilege, then you see a tremwndous performance to boot!

November 22nd, 2011 at 7:14 pm

Ps madmax, hope you had a fabulous and time and when you get a minute can you explain to me the problem with the late nights and the tube? Does it not run all night like the nyc subway?

November 22nd, 2011 at 7:15 pm

Those saying rafa is done are missing the beauty of this tourney. Rafa can lose today, win the next and still roger in the final! By most press accounts, no real physical probs from nadal, maybe just taking it slow an leaving gas for the semi and final
I say bring it on and let Rog beat em twice!

November 22nd, 2011 at 7:23 pm

@Alison: Thanks.

November 22nd, 2011 at 7:35 pm

madmax – I am jealous :)

November 22nd, 2011 at 7:51 pm

@dari – you are absolutely right. For all we know, it could be a roger-rafa final here.. who knows?

But 2 6-0 set scorelines in the last two months for Rafa is got to be concerning.

November 22nd, 2011 at 8:39 pm

True Masterclass from Fed. But as we have discussed so often, Fed is not the same consistent player anymore. It would be very difficult to maintain this consistency across the next matches. If his level drops and is to face Tsonga/Djokovic/Berdych then we will need to go back to 50:50 chances.

November 22nd, 2011 at 8:39 pm

Wow, just wow. Federer played one of the best matches I remember from him. He anhilated Nadal. Clearly, Rafa is not in his best moment, all those defeats against Nole are taking the toll on him. But he wasn’t precisely unbeatable on indoors courts before, Federer is clearly the superior player here. And with the way he’s playing and Nole out of form I have no doubt that he will win WTF. Congrats Roger. Impressive that you can do what you do at the age of 30. Will we ever see something like that again? I doubt it.

November 22nd, 2011 at 8:50 pm

Hi maxi,

I envy you so much for watching this match in person. WOW! What a gift roger gave you. as they say on another tennis site – nothing like full flight federer.

absolutely delicious shot-making. sampras can have service winners, agassi return winners, edberg/becker/mac volley winners and the string technology babies can have their groundies, but no one puts together whole complete package like rogi does!

as that church in london said in 2005/6, “God made Roger Federer”

genius, graceful and gifted.

November 23rd, 2011 at 1:59 am

I have seen Roger play like this, since 2006

this guy is just awesome, i just wonder how the sport will be without him?????

November 23rd, 2011 at 8:40 am

dari Says:
Ps madmax, hope you had a fabulous and time and when you get a minute can you explain to me the problem with the late nights and the tube? Does it not run all night like the nyc subway?

November 22nd, 2011 at 7:15 pm

dari, I don’t go to O2 until the weekend (SF) tickets on Saturday, but yeh, I’ll try and explain the tube system times if you really want me to to?! …er, they are busy, smelly and packed…and not on time, but it adds to the adventure of the day, absolutely. No, they don’t run all night. Privately owned company, the London Underground.

I watched the fed v nadal match through livestream, like pretty much everyone else.

I went last year and watched nadal v murray and the doubles beforehand on the saturday dari, – I was amazed by the atmosphere in the 02. It really was incredible then. 17,500 audience and really, RREALLY loud, but electrifying.

To see the match live, Fed v Nadal, would have been amazing, but it was just as good watching it on livestream.

Swiss Maestro Says:
Hi maxi,

I envy you so much for watching this match in person. WOW! What a gift roger gave you. as they say on another tennis site – nothing like full flight federer.

Swiss, I didn’t watch it in person.I was still though ‘blown away’ by watching it on livestream!

Kimmi Says:
madmax – I am jealous :)

November 22nd, 2011 at 7:51 pm

Kimmi, I would have been jealous of me too, if I hd’ve been there in person, but it’s Saturday when I go, so I’ll report back after the weekend.
What a great match it was, better watching it the second time around without the butterflies.

November 23rd, 2011 at 3:14 pm

Haha max, no i didnt want a full explanation, just wondered why I heard people were leaving the matches (like rafa fish late night) to catch public transport, assumed huge city like london would be all night.
I thought you saw fed magic in person, too!

November 23rd, 2011 at 3:58 pm

COngrats to all Federer fans (dari, madmax, swiss maestro, skeezer, kimmi, daniel and more) but glad I missed it and do not intend to watch the replay, hahaha when your fav wins you want to read analysis and watch replays and when they lose (especially 3 and 0) you want to forget it happened as quickly as possible!

Also I am having a hectic getting ready to leave town day today and yesterday but in my quick reads here I saw Swiss Maestro and maybe another send condolences on the loss, they were received and much appreciated.

November 23rd, 2011 at 4:23 pm