Poll: Who’ll Win The 2014 Wimbledon Final, Roger Federer Or Novak Djokovic?

The King is loose in his kingdom. He took out the missile with a sleight of his racquet.

July 4th, 2014 at 2:51 pm

More than 62% of the bloggers here think Djo will win. I find that to be just about fair given that it is a prime-Djo facing an old player well past his prime. Djo has had almost the ideal path to the final with a few players who tested him but he was never in danger of being beaten. Fed has been lucky with his draw and the fact that Wawa had some physical issues in the qf. That is why it is tough to know where his level is. The sheer consistency of Djo makes him a much safer bet. However, this is grass and this is one major where Fed can still hope to compete with a Djo or a Murray. That is why I get the feeling that it will be a close match with the winner being the player who executes slightly better on the day. Both look in great shape physically. Hope it is an absolute cracker.

July 4th, 2014 at 3:26 pm

Id like Federer to win it as ive said already hes played the best tennis this fortnight of the two,although i think Novak is the one that will win….

July 4th, 2014 at 3:31 pm

Old Balls Please.

July 4th, 2014 at 3:35 pm

Nole in his prime and doesnt hold one GS atm. If fed wins it will vanish all the US open losses against nole

and after tasted defeat at jaws of vicotory fed will be very carefully to not slip any kind of lead and no hiccups

fed in three

July 4th, 2014 at 3:38 pm

SnotNoseKid hilarious nickname lol….

July 4th, 2014 at 3:46 pm

We have to have in mund that the o ly time Federer lost a final here was 9-7 in the fifht to Nadal.

Going by firm Fed looks better and Djoko struggled with Colic and Dimi. Coudl have played 2 consecutive 5 sts had Dimi had one first serve at 6-5 tiebreak.
Think Fed can do better but Djoko can raise his game. Stil, think Djoko will win. Wish and cheer for Fed. May the best man win!

July 4th, 2014 at 3:52 pm

The polling has changed, take a look. I think Fed has a real shot here. He can expose some of Nole’e weaknesses. Imho depends on who is serving better. Nole served fantastic against Grigor today……
Regardless, 2 class acts that represent the game well.
#wimbyrocks
#besttourneyever

July 4th, 2014 at 4:42 pm

Should be a good match. Although I do believe that it will be close, my gut is telling me Novak will squeak out the win. Federer is playing great, but in order for him to win, he needs to do it in straight sets, I don’t believe he’ll survive going 4-5 sets with Novak. I believe Novak in 4.

Either guy will be fine with me, as long as I get to see some great serve and volley tennis. Mostly from Federer of course!

July 4th, 2014 at 5:01 pm

I was looking it up to see if Roger would have the greatest number of years between his first and his last wins by winning tomorrow (1993 – 2014). He won’t. Connors’ singles men’s wins span 1974 – 1982, meaning it took him one year longer to win his total, which is 2.

Multiple title holders in the Open era are not many on the men’s side. Here are all of them –

Federer: 7
Sampras: 7
Borg: 5
McEnroe: 3
Becker: 3
Edberg: 2
Newcombe: 2
Nadal: 2
Laver: 2
Conners: 2

Noteworthy is of the 10 men above, 1 (Fed) will be playing on Sunday, 2 (Edberg, Becker) will be coaching, 1 (McEnroe) will be commentating, and at least 1 (Laver) will be in the stands.

July 4th, 2014 at 5:15 pm

Noteworthy is of the 10 men above, 1 (Fed) will be playing on Sunday, 2 (Edberg, Becker) will be coaching, 1 (McEnroe) will be commentating, and at least 1 (Laver) will be in the stands.
—
One will be at the beach.

July 4th, 2014 at 5:22 pm

So if Djokovic wins on Sunday he joins the elite group above.

If Federer wins he moves ahead of Sampras and the too-oft-mentioned Willie Renshaw, who had 7 back in the days when the winner received a bye to the following year’s final.

The other bonus for Federer would be returning the Grand Slam title difference between himself and Nadal (who will definitely NOT be there) to 4.

Oh, and with 18 single majors titles Federer would tie Evert and Navratilova for most singles titles in the Open Era, as well as Jack Nicklaus, who has 18 golf majors, and along with Evert and Navratilova will also be in attendance. 😊

July 4th, 2014 at 5:34 pm

Sorry, I was wrong. If Federer wins he will tie Evert and Navratilova for 2nd place behind Graf.

July 4th, 2014 at 5:40 pm

“… when the winner received a bye to the following year’s final.””

wow! i didn’t know that. interesting/crazy fact.

July 4th, 2014 at 5:49 pm

My gut says Novak. I just hope they both can stay on their feet.

#grassiscowcud
#slipperydickery
#beatdowngrass
#dangerzone

July 4th, 2014 at 6:16 pm

I think Fed will win based on the tournament form.Also, Djokovic will need to control his negative emotions. I think it is getting worse these days. He keeps looking at his coaching box more often than not..

July 4th, 2014 at 6:40 pm

Fed has the game to give Novak trouble and he has done just that over the years. I agree with ckr. It’s going to come down to how well Novak controls his negative emotions. Federer is going hit some fantastic shots. That’s for sure. Can Novak accept that and deal with it as “Mr. I’m off to the Beach” does? If Novak can keep the positivity and enjoy the process, he’ll do just fine. If he gets inside his own head and starts playing tentatively, he be toast.

July 4th, 2014 at 7:00 pm

i tend to agree with you two: my head says fed will win; my heart of course wants the other. nole needs to play within himself like he did versus tsonga. he was so dialled in in that match. he showed some emotion but used it in his favour like he used to do. these days he’s just too tense and upset. i think vajda was a calming influence; he has a very warm demeanour. boris is different. he is maybe tougher, and more… i don’t know, teutonic? lol. anyhow, it’s not up to the coach; he or she isn’t playing out there, but some coaches can have a really good effect on some players. lendl was great with murray for example. that stone face was just what andy needed. i think nole needs marian’s warm smile. he can still do it maybe. however, in addition to all the losses he’s had, this shift in coaches has maybe been more difficult than we know. too bad vajda doesn’t want to travel/coach full time anymore. even i miss his face in the box. although boris is a cool dude when he’s not wearing those sweater vests. ;)

July 4th, 2014 at 7:08 pm

I think Fed is going to dust Nole in 3 sets.

July 4th, 2014 at 7:11 pm

Novak has to let go of what’s happened in the past 5 or 6 slam finals. I think he’s let these losses get the better of him and he’s really tense in the big moments. Boris used to say that when it’s all said and done, they’re just tennis matches…not life and death situations. Maybe he can help Novak find a way to get that mind set for this final.

As for Federer, I think he’ll treat this final like he’s playing with house money. I believe he’ll come out firing and try to enjoy the process. That’s not to say he won’t care. I just think that he’s going to try and enjoy this moment (within the constraints of being the competitor he is) because he knows there aren’t that opportunities like this left.

Fed is playing the net beautifully from some of the highlights I saw. Novak will have his hands full. I honestly have no feeling for this one’s going to turn out.

July 4th, 2014 at 7:30 pm

Roger Federer did a Sampras to beat Raonic. And Djokovic beat a Sampras net approaches to beat Dimitrov. I remember not long ago it head lines “The Serve & Volley is now dead at Wimbledon”.
But last year Roger lost to a Sampras volleys. And now he use that medicine to beat Raonic. Although Raonic has that pistol serve, but it’s those volleys of Federer that kill Raonic. And how beutiful Fed execute them very cool and easy.

July 4th, 2014 at 7:53 pm

Papa Fed all the way. Allez, Allez, Allez! EIGHT!!

July 4th, 2014 at 11:28 pm

I’m not happy. I’m not jubilant. I’m not scared. I’m not excited. I’m not worried. I’m numb. I want it to be Monday already. By then I would know how I should feel. Please, let me feel good.

July 4th, 2014 at 11:38 pm

Fed will have plenty of gas for the final. He has played very efficiently through the tourney. So to say he won’t win if it goes 5 sets is ludicrious. He has the resolve and energy left to do it. Question is, is it enough to overcome Nole in his prime?

July 4th, 2014 at 11:54 pm

In the spirit of neutrality, I will not disclose who I prefer. History knows, I will own the winner. So, it doesn’t really matter.

July 4th, 2014 at 11:56 pm

Well, it would be a 50:50 affair. A lot of imponderables have to considered here. For Novak to win, he has to overcome some limitations :

The outcome may depend on weather patterns. If it rains and the roof is on, then Roger would smell blood.

The match would depend on Novak’s quality of first serve. If his first serve deserts him, then Roger is in with an advantage.

I think Novak needs to sort out his foot movement on court which is dodgy. He is just unable to maintain balance on court compared to the Master who is just showing as to why he is such a fine grass court player with his impeccable, graceful and swift movement on court.

Even Novak’s back court game was not upto the mark against Dmitrov. He was in a sense struggling with his timing of shots. This may not help against Roger who would expose such limitations.

Novak did find it extremely uncomfortable contesting Dmitrov’s back hand slice shots and against the Master who is more sharp in that department, it would be even more intimidating.

Finally, comes the psyche factor. Novak has been beaten in the last two grand slam finals and he must be in a sense desperate to disprove his critiques who have labelled him as a choker, a la Lendl.So, Novak has to do the battle mentally as well as physically.

All things considered, Novak can definitely win provided he finds an answer to the above problems.

July 5th, 2014 at 12:37 am

Humble Rafa,
Hows the Fishies?

July 5th, 2014 at 12:37 am

Well, regarding those semi final matches :-

The first one between Novak Vs Dmitrov was a stormy affair with the pendulum swinging hither and forth. Although the scoreline suggests otherwise, the match was too close to call. At first, it did appear that Novak was just breezing through having taken the first set and then induced an early break in the second. But Dmitrov had other plans and took 4 consecutive game to wrap up the set. The third set too was a ding dong affair which was decided in the tie breaker where Novak was helped by Dmitrov’s double faulting at critical moments. In the fourth set, yet again Novak secured a break through Dmitrov’s string of double faults, but just couldn’t hold afterwards and again it went to the breaker where Dmitrov held the upperhand for a while before crumbling down when Novak showed his Champion’s quality down at 3-6 in the breaker. If Dmitrov had won that fourth set, then you can never say what would happen in the fifth ? All in all, I sense both played well below par and were evenly matched. Dmitrov showed himself as a versatile player who has a great future with his sheer power and variety in his game. What clinched the match for Novak in the end is his big match experience which stood him in good stead.

July 5th, 2014 at 12:45 am

The second one between Roger and Raonic was a breezy affair with the Master exposing the limitations in Raonic’s game who has miles to go to become a top ranked player. Raonic was just outclassed in every department of the game and looked totally mauled by the Master. Apart from his razor sharp serve, Raonic’s back court game has a lot to improve whether it be the back hand slice shots, chip and charge or flat hitting, Raonic just failed to measure upto expectations. Of the two young guns who made the Semis, I think Dmitrov has a bright future than Raonic. That is the impression one got watching the match. May be Roger made him play so bad with his wizardy with the Tennis racquet.

July 5th, 2014 at 12:50 am

I think at the end, Becker’s influence could make the difference in the final. I have never seen Novak get to the net so often, and volley this efficiently. Also he has developed a very efficient slice, both of them are quite deadly in grass courts.

The match would be on Novak’s terms and I see him getting it done in max 4 sets.

No matter how good Roger is, but against Nadal and Novak the matches are on their terms and Roger most likely would come up short. But it’s a fantastic tournament so far for Roger.

July 5th, 2014 at 12:53 am

Nirmal,

Yes. I agree that Novak has improved a lot on grass courts. But I do not think the match is on his hands with the way Roger is playing. You may argue that he has not been tested. But the way he beat players like Wawrinka and Raonic suggests that he has found his mojo back and this would be a tough one to call. If the match goes to five sets, then Novak will hold the edge because of his stamina and endurance. I do not think it would be a four set affair if Novak wins. If he wins, it can only be in five. I might be wrong, but that is the feeling one gets watching Roger playing against Raonic and the kind of dominance he commanded on court. Only Roger can do it in four.

July 5th, 2014 at 1:02 am

“Becker’s influence could make the difference in the final. ”
And no mention of Edbergs influence on Fed? Pffft.

“I have never seen Novak get to the net so often, and volley this efficiently.”
WTF? There is no improvement I see in Novaks technique here, other than he moves TO the net a little more often. His Volley technique is still less than stellar, and his slice still doesn’t look comfortable nor naturall, especially in the transition game. If Nole beats Fed, it will be these 3 things and these 3 things only.
-Serve
-Back court superior play
-ROS
His net game/transiton play will have nothing to do with his win, if he wins.

July 5th, 2014 at 1:19 am

Michael, When it comes to facing Rafa or Novak, it does not matter what form Roger get’s into the match. He could be utterly ruthless against all the other players, but these two are different animals. They dictate the terms of the match and Roger has to oblige. Yeah, it was fun having to Roger play this well for 6 matches. I believe the fun stops now.

July 5th, 2014 at 1:20 am

NK,
Ever heard of Debbie Downer?

July 5th, 2014 at 1:22 am

@Nirmal

Fed is going to destroy Novak on Sunday. The last time they played here Fed destroyed him, and that was back when Novak was still winning slams. Their last 3 meetings Fed has won 2(1 on clay, 1 on hard(both surfaces that Novak is better on))and 1 loss that went to Final set tiebreak, which could have gone either way.

I mean Nole had a lotta problems with Grigor and Fed does everything better than Grigor, especially on grass.

I just can’t see Fed letting this one go.

Allez Fed!

July 5th, 2014 at 1:39 am

Nole had to put in a treat fight against baby fed…now it’s time to face the real fed.

July 5th, 2014 at 1:45 am

Nirmal,

Well, these are Grass courts. Mind you. Not hard courts. If it is a hard court, then Novak definitely holds the edge against Roger. But this is touch and go due to Roger’s advanced age. If he was in his prime, then Novak stood little chance. Moreover, Roger is not so much intimidated by Novak as he is against Rafa. He is confident against all players except Rafa. Well regarding Novak’s volleying prowess, it cannot be denied that he has of course improved in that department, but he is yet to excel in my opinion. And regarding the slice, he is not as natural deploying it like Roger, Andy or even Dmitrov. But it is quite effective. What Novak commands by virtue of excellence is his all round back court game with fantastic retrieving abilities matching Rafa. That is where he rules strong. All said and done, Roger and Novak are two of my favourite players and I want both to win. But such an outcome is impossible which I am aware. However, this particular match is critical for Novak more than Roger and so he carries with him all the pressure, tension and has to control his emotions. He is the No.1 and is favoured to win. For Roger, by making the final, he has landed himself in a win-win scenario. He has nothing to lose. He has already won the Tournament a record 7 times and has gone even one better than Sampras with the current effort and has become the heralded King of Grass Courts. And so the pressure is all on Novak and I hope he combats it well and gets his second Wimbledon crown.

July 5th, 2014 at 1:47 am

Michael,

I think Roger would be under more pressure than Novak, since his chances are getting slimmer as years pass by. I remember in 2012 finals, it was Roger who came very tight and Murray whom everyone thought would be under pressure played free tennis.

I expect the same from Novak. I agree with you that a prime Roger would have taken out Novak. I don’t doubt that, but I doubt this Roger who can easily be broken down on confidence. Tennis is still there, no doubt. But it’s the mental part which still worries me.

Once he gets down in a match, he is not able to turn it around at all, unless the other player suffer. Even against Gulbis, once he lost the 2nd set, he was a shadow of himself and could not get his game back. Same with many other matches in recent times.

I’m not belittling Roger’s tennis on grass, which I believe is definitely supreme to Novak. But top tennis is mostly about mental, and that’s where I believe Novak would be superior on Finals.

I have never been desperate about Roger winning titles, but this is the first one in many years where I wish Roger could get through, but realistically chances are much lower.

I wish Novak did not play Dmitrov, who has become like a practice workout for Roger’s match in the finals.

July 5th, 2014 at 2:11 am

And no mention of Edbergs influence on Fed? Pffft.

For me no. Because Roger had been a better volleyer earlier. Infact even with Edberg, it has not reached his best standards when he was working with Roche. I believe his time with Roche was the one, where his volleys were his best. Maybe he has improved compared to last year, but in 2012, he was as good as he is now. You may have to go back and watch the Wimby 2012 Semis and Finals to know what I’m talking about.

July 5th, 2014 at 2:15 am

If Nole beats Fed, it will be these 3 things and these 3 things only.
-Serve
-Back court superior play
-ROS

–Absolutely, this is a time tested approach to beat Roger by Novak. But on grass, this may not be enough for him.

His back court play is superior, because of his balance and movement. But on grass, he does not move well, hence it would be enough for him to get the better of Roger. That’s where his timely approaches to net would be of immense help. On clay and HC, it’s a different ball game from the baseline.

July 5th, 2014 at 3:49 am

Nirmal,

Don’t you think it is a win-win proposition for Roger whichever way you look at it. If he wins the Championship, he will be hailed as a Champion who is dominating the toughest era in Tennis at 33 shaming the young guns. On the other end, if he loses, then too, much credit will not be given to Novak for he would be considered to have just got the better of a 33 year old Father of two sets of twins. So, Roger is a gainer overall. You say that Roger’s chances at slams are getting slimmer by the day since he is not making any finals. Yes, that is ofcourse true. But would be perturbed by it having won 17 major titles in his glittering career ? He has done all that a Tennis player could aspire for and has achieved the pinnacle of glory. So, there would be literally no pressure on him at all. It is Novak who is desperate for a major win as he has a losing streak in grand slam finals and has much to prove that he is alive and kicking. He is in a pressure cooker situation and the heat is on him. So, it will all boil down to how he handles the pressure. You say Dmitrov is a practical work out ahead of Roger for Novak. May be, they have similar style. But Roger has more variation and artistry and is admired for his crafty Tennis. He will not be the player who will give donations to Novak just like Dmitrov who served three double faults in a single game. So, there is a match on our hands. As I said, Roger would win if it is a three setter or four setter. If the match goes to five, then I tip Novak to win.

July 5th, 2014 at 5:55 am

Pretty much agree with what Brando said on the other thread,Roger has been the better player,and his game is better suited to grass than Novaks,but be that as it may i think Novak will be difficult for Roger to put away over best of five sets,thats not to say he cant/wont its just Novak is in his prime and Roger(no disrespect)is past his,although i think Roger stands a better chance against Novak than he does against Rafa these days,a pre surgery Andy as of last year,would be a harder test for Novak IMO….

July 5th, 2014 at 6:20 am

Fed has not been tested at all in Wimby. Let’s be honest here, which players has he beaten to come this far? Lorenzi. Muller, Giraldo, Robredo (long match the day before), Wawa (sick) and Raonic who just relies on his serve and doesn’t move well at all IMO. Now that’s what you call a cake walk draw. So now the real test.which I cannot honestly see him passing inspite of all his grass court titles and experience. Age is a great factor here. Knowing joker he will probably drag the match to 4/5 sets if he is able to.
#NightmareFinalForRafans

July 5th, 2014 at 6:49 am

Nightmare final for Rafa fans LMAO,look on the bright side though in a couple of days Wimbledon will be over again for another year,and Rafa plays better now on HCs these days,especially the USO swing,now his second best surface and GS,where he was once crap,oh the irony lol….

July 5th, 2014 at 6:59 am

Gut tells me it is Roger. Head says it could go either way. Simple as that. Can’t call this one and shall just hope that it will be an epic final :)

July 5th, 2014 at 7:04 am

@Giles

When nole couldnt drag down and the US Open how will he do it against Federer?

And talinkg about cake draws. Nole made life difficult for himself. He should have won against Cilic and DImitrov in straight sets but let them back due to lapses. IF he does that against Fed thand goodbye. Age doesnt play any kind of factor. It is grass at all. And it is the same Raonic who pushed nole more at the French than he did against Fed.

Fed will be up for it. No doubt, we fans and he expext a tough match but he knows too well that he cant allow any hiccups and he will dot it.

July 5th, 2014 at 7:06 am

I guess it was on Novak’s terms when he got blown off the court in 2012. When u play Federer on grass, it will be on his racquet. Period. Only Sampras historically could potentially change that equation.

July 5th, 2014 at 7:21 am

*…drag down nadal at…

July 5th, 2014 at 7:26 am

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=11175192
Josh Berry impersonations, hilarious.

July 5th, 2014 at 7:40 am

Tough one to call. I think Djokovic has been the better player in the past 2 years, but he is up against the 7 time champion.

Every analyst picked Djokovic as favorite to beat Nadal who was 8 time champion at the French Open, and look how that turned out.

My gut says Djokovic, but I would not be shocked at all if Fed won. It might be closer to 50/50.

July 5th, 2014 at 7:50 am

There is one thing for certain……when Roger walks out on the court tomorrow he should be a more relaxed Roger……after all he won’t be seeing Rafa across the net and he has to feel amazing about that. If Nole gets the upper hand first, I’m not sure Roger will keep fighting. That is one thing I have noticed about Roger as of late…..if it doesn’t come easy for him, he tends to give up……but having said that, this is grass and we all know what that means. Good luck to both and hopefully it will a great final!

July 5th, 2014 at 8:05 am

@FedExpress

I’m glad you cleared up your 7:06 post, I usually can figure how what the poster is trying to say when there is slight glitch, but had trouble with that one….glad you didn’t leave us hanging…..and that post was spot on, my feeling exactly.

July 5th, 2014 at 8:16 am

Hope Genie can win her first slam. She has really stepped up and showed a lot of poise these last two weeks…..but I personally think it will Petra who hoists the great Wimbledon trophy! Good luck to both for an amazing final!! Go ladies!!!

July 5th, 2014 at 8:23 am

I repeat..only way for US to regain tennis dominance in men’s and women’s singles is to takeover Canada.

July 5th, 2014 at 8:35 am

I’ve been burned by Murray, so I’m going to sit on the fence a bit more with this one.

Fed in 3
Or Novak in 4/5
For obvious reasons.
But I am edging towards Novak with a genuine generational sea change (not the hyped Raonic/dimitrov one)
And yes he’s due one, Novak that is, it could be a real issue if Novak loses yet another final so my view is that he will dig deeper than he ever has should it go long.

July 5th, 2014 at 8:55 am

raonic demonstrated classic mental weakness syndrome against federer.

> loses opening service game.
> at 4/4 in BOTH the 2nd and 3rd sets, goes down 0/40, gets broken.

getting beat while putting up a fight, without folding, is one thing. he was probably going to get beat regardless against federer, because his return is so bad.
but even for an average server that display would be a clear case of mental capitulation.
for a guy with a serve that big, on grass, it’s pretty pathetic.

raonic fans might want to lower their expectations. the mental side of tennis is extremely important.

*

and as for this final, if djoker loses, it could seriously affect his confidence. he would have lost 5 of his last 6?

in any case it might be a blessing in disguise for federer fans to have djoker win. if he doesn’t it might ruin him for a while and allow nadal to increase his chances at the us and oz. nadal might end up closing the GS gap quite quickly.

if djoker wins, he might take out nadal in the coming slams, keeping nadal at 14 for a while.

federer fans really need to think about their tactics here.

July 5th, 2014 at 9:07 am

I think its 6 of the last 7, but no doubt Jane can swoop in to enlighten us all here :)
Don’t buy it that Nadal has to be kept at bay for a while.
The clock is definitely ticking there, and he did well to hold retain RG, all things considered.

July 5th, 2014 at 9:12 am

If Fed wins this Wimbledon then that is probably that.
But questions will still remain about his predominance, to those who care.

July 5th, 2014 at 9:16 am

roy: completely disagree on Raonic … yes the boy didn’t show up yesterday .. but he is very strong mentally … I think he burned off alot of nervous energy in front of his first centre court appearance. He will show up next time and then we will truly see what he is capable of.

… as far as your thoughts on Federer being better off having Djokovic win because it will increase his chances of beating Nadal … come on, if Fed wins this Slam … Nadal would never catch him. In fact,Nadal is likely to have only one more real shot at a Slam next Spring on the clay.

July 5th, 2014 at 9:18 am

@roy

nole already lost 5 of his last 6 GS finals. which is quite worrying. many say he is mentally the strongest after nadal but i dont buy it. one or two lucky punches and some lifelines given by the opponents(like the backhand miss from nadal at AO 12)

July 5th, 2014 at 9:18 am

Don’t you think it is a win-win proposition for Roger whichever way you look at it.

I’m not sure if any loss is a win-win situation at this stage of his career. For me it’s a loss for him if Roger does not win. I’m not sure what he would gain, by losing a GS final, specifically at Wimbledon. It’s guys like Milos or Dmitrov who would gain losing their first GS finals, as it would give them experience, but not for Roger.

He will not be the player who will give donations to Novak just like Dmitrov

Roger does not give donations? Infact, he had given 2 USO finals to Novak, after having MP’s. Infact he had MP’s in his own serve and still could not finish him off. What more donation do you give to your opponent that not able to serve out a match?

As I said, Roger would win if it is a three setter or four setter. If the match goes to five, then I tip Novak to win.

I would not say it’s impossible for Roger to beat Novak. Just that it’s a lot more difficult that what few people think here and a lot depends on Novak’s play. Novak could come out flat and can help Roger get it done in 3-setter, just like he helped Murray to get it done last year finals.

July 5th, 2014 at 9:30 am

To think that Novak winning tomorrow is somehow good for Federer’s legacy is ludicrous. Federer’ s legacy will be written by his racquet. He will be 4 up on Rafa and the greatest player at the game’s premier court. He will not be surpassed by either Rafa or Nole.

July 5th, 2014 at 9:32 am

People say that Novak is mentally the toughest after Rafa due to the fact that he beat Nadal in those 3 slam finals in `11. I’m not entirely convinced now, but to do such a thing has to indicate some great ability to dig very deep.
As well as the 2 US Open comebacks against Fed.
Roger has had a good draw this year, he will have to play at his unplayable best to win it in my view.

July 5th, 2014 at 9:40 am

Oh Nirmal kumar, such an objective fan of Andy and his abilities.
Last year Andy won in 3 rather easy straight sets, but lets face it, he was going to win that one anyway.
Novak clearly didnt have a chance.

July 5th, 2014 at 9:44 am

roy
“federer fans really need to think about their tactics here”
U don’t get it. Its all gravy baby.
What u should be asking is this;
“rafa fans really need to think about their tactics here”
*
Btw, accusing Roanic of some kind of mental weakness thingy makes your fav look even worse. This is the guy who beat the guy who beat by the guy. Fed was a just better player, plain and simple.

July 5th, 2014 at 9:46 am

According to this guy NK, when Roger plays on grass the match is on the racquet of his opponent. Is that why he has more grass court titles than the sum total of the other 127 guys playing Wimby this year? Get real, old chap.

July 5th, 2014 at 9:49 am

Bouchard being taught a lesson like Raonic and Dimitrov.
Although she is more of the real deal than either of those two.

July 5th, 2014 at 9:50 am

Bouchard will come back even more determined … she still has a few things to work on … the serve could be improved. But she will be back.

… Fed will be bitterly disappointed if he doesn’t win tomorrow. It will be on Fed’s racquet not Djokovics … will Fed show up tomorrow. If he does, the story is written.

July 5th, 2014 at 10:33 am

There are no real deals coming forth after the top guys. They are all mental midgets with incomplete games. Maybe in another two years. Geez, they havn’t even won any Masters titles let alone a GS.

July 5th, 2014 at 10:35 am

calmdownplease: you must now like change. Both Raonic and Dimitrov will be winning slams in the next year or two.

July 5th, 2014 at 10:35 am

There is 1 shepherd and 127 sheep. They graze at his pleasure. One day he will be no more and it is possible that day is tomorrow. Until that happens, he is the one.

July 5th, 2014 at 10:36 am

@nirmal

confidence can do funny things. in 2010 (apart from the AO) and in 2011 fed lacked confidence and nole was full of it. a confident fed believing in his weapons would have imploded like that.

July 5th, 2014 at 10:36 am

@tennis fan

No.
Probably not.

July 5th, 2014 at 10:42 am

roy,

Win win situation. Off courae all Fed fans wants him to win. Period. 18 and that it.

If Djoko wiin, yeah. Will be good for him. If he is winning Wimbledon his chances are even higher at US Open or AO.

What you rafa fans have to think is the impact of Fed winning in Nadal? How he will feel when he sees Fed wins 18. He must go like: “S….t now I have to reach 19?!?! It took me 4 years in my prime to win 5 Slams, how am I going to surpass that on 28 with 2 Slams left before I turn 29?!”

July 5th, 2014 at 11:00 am

@Daniel. This Rafan knows the impact of fed winning #18 and that’s why I’m rooting for joker (goodness knows I should be forgiven for uttering such words) but there it is. It will be the last time, I promise!!! Lol. :)

July 5th, 2014 at 11:16 am

Giles. LOL

July 5th, 2014 at 11:35 am

Giles, tomorrow you type a: “VAMOS Djoko” here just for us to save the tread

July 5th, 2014 at 11:37 am

Rafanatics, who claim Djoker is the egg lover, injury faker, clown act, etc now cheering him on?
#typical
#schadenfreude

July 5th, 2014 at 11:42 am

@Daniel. Hmmm. Now you’re asking too much from me. I cannot put those words on record. VAMOS only reserved for Rafa!

July 5th, 2014 at 11:42 am

@skeezer. You no like my post? Hehehe

July 5th, 2014 at 11:44 am

There are people in any population that want to see the top guy fail … must be a genetic thing meant to reduce the risk inherent in having one individual as leader … this is sort of biologically understandable. ha ha

… also as they say, variety is the spice of life.

… but, I like my coffee hot, so I’m backing Federer on this one.

July 5th, 2014 at 12:08 pm

yeah yeah
Butspeaking about `top guys` for the stats wizards out there.
Ive heard that Roger has never beaten anyone ever in a slam final that is seeded higher than him.
Is this true?

July 5th, 2014 at 12:10 pm

Amazing stats from the ATP site:

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2014/06/27/Wimbledon-Saturday-Final-Preview-Federer-Djokovic.aspx

Hard to predict a winner here. Agree with Nirmal, if the match goes to 5 sets, Nole has the edge. Another possibility is that Nole plays well, and Roger does not show up, in which case match will be over in 3 sets.

July 5th, 2014 at 12:30 pm

“Rafanatics, who claim Djoker is the egg lover, injury faker, clown act, etc now cheering him on?#

To be fair, so do most Federer fans – especially against Nadal. I’ve seen so many admit they only do it because they want Roger’s legacy protected. ;)

July 5th, 2014 at 1:22 pm

Feds legacy doesn’t need “protection”, especiallly from other players actions, it’s already cemented in history. It’s amazing that fans are still crazy about Fed, that fact that he is almost 33 and STILL revelant in the game. Hard to believe he is in another GS final. Tennis will miss the all time giant of tennis when he is gone, enjoy it whilst you can.

July 5th, 2014 at 2:34 pm

With most of Fed’s fans he has actually become a habit for them that they can’t shake off. He’s been around far too long.
Poor b*ggers feel obliged to stick around and support him!

July 5th, 2014 at 4:11 pm

Nirmal,

Roger’s pile up of grand slams is astonishing by itself. Does he need any more to cement his greatness ? I just said that from that perspective.

You also talked about Roger giving donations to Novak. Well in that case, Roger too has won many matches that he should have lost. That is the sport at such a high level which is decided by a few points. Roger didn’t give donations to Novak at the US Open. That is an insult to the later. Novak just earned it by his sheer effort at the court. Roger did have two match points on his serve in 2011. But he couldn’t deliver an ace and just made good first serves which Novak returned with interest and bested him in rallies to win points. Is it Roger the only player in Tennis who couldn’t serve out for the match ? Even Rafa the tenacious fighter amongst them had that experience in many matches. That is the beauty of this sport. What do you say about a great server like Roddick who was up 6-2 in the tie break in 2009 Wimbledon finals against Roger ? He couldn’t win that set when Roger produced that magical Tennis to win that breaker which was crucial as otherwise Roddick would have been up two sets to love and the whole contour of that match changes.

July 5th, 2014 at 11:59 pm

@4:11 post
Pathetic, u don’t even make sense anymore. To u everything is based on a fan fav group or nothing, not a tennis fan. Quit the jealousy act already and just enjoy the final.

July 6th, 2014 at 12:45 am

Roger Federer. Wimbledon Champion 2014. Period. :):):):)

July 6th, 2014 at 4:54 am

Well time will tell but i’m fan of Great Roger Federer. I hope Roger win by 3 sets to 1.

Roger Roger Roger

July 6th, 2014 at 6:16 am