How very Nadal of him.

July 2nd, 2013 at 10:49 am

This shows that Arrogant One is convinced he can’t win major tournaments anymore. Just play where the money is, put the money at the back of the plane, go the next money grabbing location, etc.

I think he should play on grass Jan-Apr, the hard courts Apr-Jul, then clay from July-year end. That way, he can have a winning record for the year.

#goatheadeddecision#

July 2nd, 2013 at 10:57 am

I hope this move pays off for him!

July 2nd, 2013 at 12:10 pm

HR,

Wouldn’t be too quick to trash Fed. Looks like you’ll be playing tennis with a walker before long. If you can’t get your knee problems sorted out, you may never win another major and you too will be relegated to playing tournaments to prop up your ranking.

July 2nd, 2013 at 1:02 pm

I wish Federer would play Newport instead. It’d make more sense, for one thing. And I’d actually try to go see him play, which would be pretty epic.

July 2nd, 2013 at 1:11 pm

Great move from Roger. I wish he had chosen Hamburg, but Gstaad is at high-altitude and plays like madrid, if I am not mistaken.

Can anyone confirm?

July 2nd, 2013 at 1:19 pm

Looks like Fed will be #7 in the race if Ferrer beats Delpo in the QFs, plus everyone’s Olympic points will be coming off soon, so from a points perspective, playing another event makes sense.

Here’s the race update for anyone who wants to have a look:

http://live-tennis.eu/race

July 2nd, 2013 at 1:23 pm

Ben, or any of the US Open series would be a good choice, since it’s on hard court.

July 2nd, 2013 at 1:24 pm

He is too old for tennis :))

July 2nd, 2013 at 1:25 pm

HR. Sounds like a good plan! Lol

July 2nd, 2013 at 1:36 pm

Not sure why he’s choosing to play on clay now of all times during a season. Wouldn’t it make more sense to play an extra North American hard court event instead? That might prepare him better for the US Open, and he’s better on hard court than clay anyway so he might have a better chance of winning. We’ll see…

July 2nd, 2013 at 2:13 pm

Well, it is in Switzerland. Sometimes simple explanations are the best.

July 2nd, 2013 at 2:30 pm

I’m glad he’ll play Gstaad. Lovely place. After losing early at Wimby, he wants to earn some ranking points. He’ll get this imo.

@LLTK, don’t know if it plays like Madrid but yes, Gstaad is at high altitude.

July 2nd, 2013 at 2:43 pm

+1 to what Grendel said.

Gstaad/Hamburg are as good as hardcourts and actually better because clay is easier on the body than even Grass/hardcourts. [Refer to claydal’s mysterious injuries]

As usual, Federer is being the pioneer and showing the path to better managing the body so that you can have a long career. I wouldn’t be surprised if Federer plays till he is 40 and wins one or maybe even 2 slams even after 35.

He has got the biggest ingredient for success in any field of life. Passion and Love of what you do. The guy hasn’t got burnt out mentally and a lot of people would say mental burn-out actually leads to physical burnout.

You have got to love his positive attidue. Biggest loss of his career. He goes back to the drawing board, charts a path and comes back. He did a similar thing after he lost the 2011 USO semi-final to Novak. He flew to Australia and played on grass and everyone thought he should rest and recuperate. Less then a year later, Fed does the miracle of 17th slam, 7th Wimbledon and 300 weeks at no.1.

Let us remember, even in all this doom and gloom, after Novak raised the bar in men’s tennis in 2011,[8years after Fed did the same] – Federer is the only one to have interrupted Novak’s total domination of the no.1 ranking. Not claydal, not the fanged one.

You can give injuries for the clay one and psychological issues for lady forehand, at the end of the day, Federer did what those 2 are yet to do, snatch no.1 for Nole. I doubt either of the humbull hombre or perennial choker will get the no.1 ranking ever from Novak.

It has to be a younger one like Jerzy or Dimitrov or tomic who have not been scarred and burnt psychologically, as bad as those 2 have been by Nole.

July 2nd, 2013 at 3:01 pm

Ben, weren’t you making fun of Dave, along with bunch of people when he suggested Federer will have a great shot at being no.1 around wimbledon 2012. I think happened around end of 2011 or Jan/Feb 2012.

I will look for those posts and show you how Dave’s analysis was met by the “tennis experts” on tennis-x. I think Sean was busy taking digs at Dave too, instead of looking at the analysis and numbers – I will take a guess Ben/Sean have no degree in math/statistics and were using their “tennis knowledge” to refute analysis based on mathematical science and statistics.

That is the problem, when you argue with anything based on science/logic/rational thinking. You might still win 3 or 4% of the arguments, but logical/statistical analysis will win a huge chunk of arguments. I am talking at the least 70%.

How many of you are criticizing Federer’s decision because you have done an actual logical/rational analysis and how many are just venting out your bile for whatever reason that he is doing something you, none of you have pro experience, are doing. Where is the reasoning behind your so called “tennis knowledge” filled comments? Please bring it out and we will discuss.

July 2nd, 2013 at 3:10 pm

don’t worry, if you have no such rational analysis. I will play the name-calling and mud-slinging game that brando/zod/hr or da/volley/margot and many of you indulge in.

either way, i will fight you guys when you go against Fed/Nole.

July 2nd, 2013 at 3:21 pm

SG1 – good reply to HR. the truth is that the humble fisherman will most likely be consigned to cooling his heels during the majority of the season like he did last year. The year before that he was 2nd best to Nole.

Yes, he is winning clay, but really the important goals are Wimbledon and No.1 and he has had terrbile results at both of those over the last 2 years.

Over the last 2 years, achievements wise, here is the ATP top 4

1)Nole
2)Federer
3)claydal
4)lady forehand

Rafa fabs keep denying that his 2 FO wins and MC/Rome titles are superior to Federer’s wimbledon 2012 and 15weeks at number 1 and 2011 Paris and WTF, 2012 IW,Madrid, and Cincinnati titles, but no one will buy it.

If anyone is approaching retirement/extinction from the tour, it is claydal. In the past 12 months, he has played 2 out of 10 tournaments outside clay. It will only get worse as the knees keep melting.

July 2nd, 2013 at 3:32 pm

I have a degree in statistics. And using big words like “refute analyst based on mathematical science and statistics” doesn’t make you right, and it doesn’t make you sound smart either. You’re not saying anything, just fluff.

Why are you getting so defensive? Federer playing on clay in the middle of grass and hard courts is extremely uncharacteristic. Why shouldn’t we wonder and question the decision?

You can take all the time you want searching for old posts. Because we all know investment bankers have all the time in the world to search the comments section of a website. I probably did disagree with Dave. And if you want to say that Federer will regain the number 1 ranking at some point in the future again, I’ll disagree with you. I don’t care if I’m wrong, everyone’s wrong sometimes.

I also love how much confidence you have in Djokovic maintaining the number 1 ranking. I think Nadal is in prime position to get back to 1 at some point, if not this year, then maybe next year. I certainly hope I’m wrong.

July 2nd, 2013 at 3:34 pm

Fed will announce his retirement at this event. It is were it began and where it will end.

July 2nd, 2013 at 3:41 pm

Ben – of course “Nadal is in prime position to get back to 1 at some point, if not this year, then maybe next year.” If he doesn’t, that doesn’t mean you are wrong, because there is a critical difference between what you said and predicting that Nadal will get to #1. That, very wisely, you didn’t do. Since all kinds of factors come into play about which we do not know. As a statistician, you will know this very well, obviously. Only mugs predict, and when they get it right, or get it wrong for that matter, that is merely due to chance.

July 2nd, 2013 at 3:44 pm

Good choice.

Olderer can only win mickey mouse tournaments these days. LOL.

July 2nd, 2013 at 3:44 pm

“but really the important goals are Wimbledon and No.1 and he has had terrbile results at both of those over the last 2 years”

[for Federer]

Nadal’s goals are oriented around the French Open. Hell, even Djokovic’s is.

Cincinatti > Monte Carlo? Madrid > Rome? First one, big maybe. Second one, definitely no. I don’t even know why I’m bothering picking apart the details. What you say is so hilariously dumb. You’re not even saying anything. You’re just stating Federer’s wins and saying they’re better. If Federer won Barcelona and Monte Carlo this year or last year or whenever, you’d be saying how important that was. Give it a rest.

You’ll fight anyone who goes against Djokovic/Federer? Sounds like you might have the infamous “negative IQ”.

July 2nd, 2013 at 3:45 pm

Well … this is interesting. Looks like Roger is kind of taking a page out of Rafa’s book? :-)

*looks up at comment thread*

(Psst – stop sniping up there, y’all. It’s starting to look like kindergarten, except with six-foot tall guys throwing sand instead of five-year-olds. It’s a yellow ball and some string. Calm down.)

July 2nd, 2013 at 4:12 pm

No more slams for Olderer.

July 2nd, 2013 at 4:14 pm

guys, don’t you see it. The tournament is in Switzerland and he is probably getting a huge appearance fee.

July 2nd, 2013 at 6:45 pm

Too bad I won’t be playing that important clay court tournament. I would love to continue our “rivalry”.

Oh well.

July 2nd, 2013 at 7:23 pm

It’s good he is going back to the tournament that gave him his first wild card. He may soon need it.

July 2nd, 2013 at 8:41 pm

Olderer…LOL!

July 2nd, 2013 at 9:17 pm

“Too bad I won’t be playing that important clay court tournament. I would love to continue our “rivalry”.

Oh well.”

Well, yes. But, Fed entered the Clay season. You? You skipped ANY pre Wimby tourney, then got your @ss handed to you in the first rd of Wimby. Best you stay on Mud and Dirt. Stay dirty, apparently the girlies like it.

PS: There is no rivalry if you can’t go through the tournament OR play them. Hehe…

____

Re: “Olderer”

This was the same idiot that used this word before Fed Won his 17th Slam @ Wimby.

#jeaoulsydoesn’tstopslams

July 2nd, 2013 at 9:37 pm

I think it is so sad that the fans on this forum fuss back and forth about their favs.
so what if Fed plays this unimportant clay tourney……the Olderer word shows so much disrespect for an amazing player. Making light of Rafa’s knee issues is so mean spirited. I don’t understand how haters of each player think these rude comments are OK. They have given so much joy to the sport of tennis…….well, I think it is so rude.

I hope to see these two guys entertain us for a long time.

Vamos, Rafa and get healthy!!!!

July 2nd, 2013 at 10:38 pm

This doesn’t make sense for me. Roger should have chosen an hard court tournament instead of Clay since the clay season is over. Somebody mentioned Newport. That would have been the right tournament for Roger to get some match practice. But, he has taken a decision and who are we to question him ??

July 3rd, 2013 at 12:28 am

Danny Morris…… +1 on all your comments, especially the one of 03:01 pm !!!

They keep saying Roger is too old and declining since 2008. But…. it was not in prime Rafa or Andy who went back to number 1 for 16 weeks, but Roger !!! Not even for two or three weeks but for four months in total.
Roger did it once, he may not do it agian, but he might !!! Isn’t it great that he is not waiting till August, but is trying to play a small event to get match practise??
Which means he is still committed to win and get better !!!

July 3rd, 2013 at 2:57 am

Agree with Michael in that i wouldve thought Roger would opt for a HC tourney,however as its in Switzerland Roger is the big draw,and will recieve a kings ransome for his appearance,so he obviously knows what hes doing,smart move IMO.

July 3rd, 2013 at 6:00 am

Roger just announced that he’s also playing Hamburg. Looks like he really wants to get up to scratch before the HC season resumes.

July 3rd, 2013 at 6:06 am

“its in Switzerland Roger is the big draw,and will recieve a kings ransome for his appearance,so he obviously knows what hes doing,smart move IMO.”

exactly.

July 3rd, 2013 at 6:09 am

another clay tournament? that is quite interesting. there is a rumour among his anxious fan base that this has the air of a farewell tour. i don’t think that is true but these two decisions are perplexing even to his fans.

July 3rd, 2013 at 6:14 am

@volley, just rumor. I don’t think he’s retiring any time soon. He is likely to fall out of the top 5 after Wimby. Perhaps he wants to earn some ranking points to remain in top 5 before heading for Montreal.

July 3rd, 2013 at 6:26 am

@ James

more ranking points is my guess. i was surprised to see his own fans even mentioning the ‘r’ word.

July 3rd, 2013 at 6:34 am

ah, how we miss those carefree days, ”not caring about ranking”, being above all that, just playing that minimal ‘smarter-than-the-rest’ schedule…then that no.5 appears next to our name. and suddenly rankings do kind of matter. and maybe stripped schedules aren’t so enlightened if you need the points…

like they say in boxing: everyone has a plan till they get punched in the face.

July 3rd, 2013 at 7:32 am

Hope Faderer win his second title of year, another 250. Nole rest in home with wimbledon trophy when Faderer play third tier tournament.

July 3rd, 2013 at 8:05 am

Joker 2 sets love Nerdy folded up like a cheap suit.

July 3rd, 2013 at 9:59 am

Fed has some good memories at Hamburg: first ever Masters win, first clay win against Nadal, and was by far his most successful clay court tournament (wins in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007). I don’ know if its the same venue now than what it was when it was a Masters event.

July 3rd, 2013 at 2:39 pm

Katyani:

Forget these trolls, who have never played tennis and most of them are negative IQ creatures. Patrick mcenroe, cahill and other analysts are just loving it.

It will be absolutely off-the-charts-mania, if Fed makes another run. already, he is the game’s biggest icon/star. All things said, Fed has been blemishless off the court – no doping accusations from ex-slam champs,no fake injuries, no brain-farts like tiger woods and things like that.

Federer is Mr.Tennis. I am sure he will keep playing longer than mr.kneedal, for sure.

July 3rd, 2013 at 4:30 pm

After Wimbledon Ferrer will be #3 and Nadal and Federer #4 and #5. I think it was 2003 when Fed or Nadal was out of top 3. Bizarre.

Fed is chaising points to qualify for London he made his schedle assuming he would play into week #2 of Wimbledon or even finals, instead he got 2 matches. He needs minimum 1 tourney to get as many easy wins as he can get. Learning from Nadal and his south american swing to build confidance on smaller events to enter HC swing with better moral and maybe put himslef in a position for US Open. Being #5 or #8 won’t make any difference, what matters more is be inside top 4.
Probably by US Open we will have oposite situation we had in Wimby. Fed as #5 and in which quarters he will land? Potential blockbuster quarter final if he is to face Djoko, Murray or Nadal (hope for that so we can at least have 1 match in US Open while this 2 are top 8).

July 3rd, 2013 at 10:34 pm

TennisZod – why was No. 1 Nole playing that no mane tournament in Serbia that no long eaxists? Because he liked playing in his home country.

July 3rd, 2013 at 11:05 pm

Alison, I did not consider the remuneration factor. The appearance and prize money would have had their say and plus Roger needs some extra points to keep him in race for the World tour Finals.

July 4th, 2013 at 12:58 am

So it seems Rafa, Nole, Andy and Roger will all be playing Montreal after all. Not long absence for Rafa this time. Good news for tennis fans.

http://www.cbc.ca/m/rich/sports/tennis/story/2013/07/03/sp-tennis-atp-novak-djokovic-andy-murray-milos-raonic-rogers-cup.html

July 4th, 2013 at 1:12 am

Great news James.Thanks for the info.

July 4th, 2013 at 2:43 am

Thanks James for the link. It is great news indeed especially for Rafa and Roger.

July 4th, 2013 at 3:46 am