Who’s The French Open Favorite? Roger Federer Says It’s Still Rafael Nadal

by Tom Gainey | April 28th, 2015, 10:39 am
  • 118 Comments

Despite his 2015 slump and what the betting sites say, Roger Federer still thinks Rafael Nadal is the man to beat at the French Open next month. The Swiss, talking at an Istanbul presser on Monday, added that Novak Djokovic is right up there as well.

“At the French Open, Rafa for me is still the favourite alongside Djokovic who has been playing so well,” Federer told AFP. “Even though his (Nadal’s) form is not as good as in previous years, I still believe when the French Open rolls around he is going to be very difficult to beat.”

At 33, is another French Open title in the cards? Roger hopes Istanbul well help him get there.


“The French Open clearly is a big goal of mine, but to play well at the French Open I need confidence and I need to play well, and I hope I can pick that up here in Istanbul and really win a lot of matches, preferably win the tournament,” he said. “That’s why I’m here, at the end of the day is to win this.

“It’s about getting used to the sliding and just wanting to decide how aggressive I want to play,” he said. “Clearly I play on hard court for 7-8 months like all the other players. It just takes some adjustments. For that, I’m trying to put up as many hours as I can on the clay and I think my game is going to get better and better as we move along.”

Federer opens play Wednesday against either Turkey’s Marcel Ilhan or Jarrko Nieminen.


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118 Comments for Who’s The French Open Favorite? Roger Federer Says It’s Still Rafael Nadal

skeezer Says:

RE: Rafa’s the man to beat. Way to tell em Rog!


ckr Says:

I think Nishikori is the dark horse this year. He has the game to beat anyone. He looks very comfortable on Clay.

Based on History – Rafa is the man to beat, Based on the form – Djoker is the man to beat.I would pick Djoker over Rafa this year. Last 3 years, I picked Rafa over Nole and I was right.


Nikola Says:

Nobody beats Novak 6 times on RG!


Yolita Says:

Of course Rafa is the man to beat at Roland Garros.
@ckr
I do hope you are right a fourth time. :)


ckr Says:

@Nikola –
It should rather be “Nobody beats Novak 7 times on RG!”. He already lost 6 times to Rafa.

2006, 2007, 2008, 2012,2013 and 2014. In 2009 he lost to kohlschreiber, 2010 he lost to Melzer (I could never understand that loss), 2011 to Fed.

I have a feeling, they may not even meet at RG this time.


TennisVagabond.com Says:

If Rafa makes semis in either Rome or Madrid, I’ll still hold him as co-favourite.
There’s a LOT of clay tennis still before Day One at RG, we’re going to see (hopefully) a lot of Rafa. Obviously the results in these two Masters will make a difference in where everyone thinks Rafa’s game is.

There’s really no other Slam where we look so closely at the tune-up results. Nobody thought Haas was going to win Wimbledon by winning Halle. Nobody cares if Fed or Rafa or Novak lose in the Jan tune-ups. We know the’ll be there in Oz.
In general, past years, we all expected Rafa, Fed, Novak and Murray in the mix for every slam, regardless of their play in the previous few tournaments. For some reason, with clay, we seem to examine these results more closely.
Rafa is going to show up big time at Roland Garros.


TennisVagabond.com Says:

Nishikori is definitely a dark horse, but I would still rate Fed’s chances above his. Berdych and Wawrinka just below Kei, and Milos just below them.

I think all those have it in them to knock out Novak or Rafa in a given match. Whether they can be last man standing after two weeks is another question.


SG1 Says:

Sorry Rog. Sooner or later Rafa’s gonna’ lose one of these FO’s again. If won’t happen this year then when? When he’s 40?

Rafa hasn’t yet had a convincing clay court tournament and while I don’t think there’s reason to panic, I don’t think blind optimism is in order either. I’m a Rafa fan and I don’t see the tragedy of him not getting through the FO this time. He’ll have a couple of more chances to get his 10 spot at RG.

It’s by no means a certainty that Novak wins the FO. I do however believe that he’s paid his dues at this tournament it will be his time to complete his career GS. Novak’s form is so much better than Rafa’s right now. Given that they played some very tight matches at RG when Rafa was playing better, it doesn’t seem reasonable to believe that Rafa can beat him in a best of 5 right now. Perhaps next year.

Of course, this could a be the year for a dark horse like Nishikori as was mentioned above. Novak has occasionally fallen flat on his you know what when the expectations have been very high.


SG1 Says:

Given Wawa’s personal woes right now, I think he’d be a very dark horse. Berdych? Don’t see that either. If Federer doesn’t have to get through Novak or Rafa, he has an outside shot. Very outside.


SG1 Says:

Also, we’ll have to see what the weather’s like when the FO rolls around. If it’s dry and hot (like Rafa likes it), he could pull it off. If the weather is more damp, I just don’t see how he ultimately gets through given his form right now.

Of course, there is a lot of clay court tennis yet to play and Rafa may yet round into form when the time comes. Love the speculation leading up to the slams!


TennisVagabond.com Says:

SG1, I forgot about Wawrinka. Never know, athletes can put blinders on when they’re competing.
Maybe I’m an overly optimistic Fed fan, but I like the old man’s chances- not like Novak or Rafa, but as a third option. Here’s why:
*As a general rule, I’ll give any 17 time Slam winner a puncher’s chance.
*Fed is better than the field. In the last 6 months, the only player’s close to Fed points wise are Murray, Kei and Thomas. None of them have anywhere near the clay pedigree Fed has.
*Of course Fed can run into Rafa- but so can Kei, Thomas or Murray, and do any of THEM have better records against Rafa? Fed still wins, what, 1/3 matches with Rafa, and given current form its not out of the realm of possibility for him to win.
*No one has played Novak as tough as consistently as Fed for the past year.

Of course, with Rafa seeded low, a third party may only have to face one of them.

I’ll pick Fed over the other pretenders right now- knowing full well this is a parlour game since the likelihood of a third party winning are so remote to begin with.


Emily Says:

In terms of points, Federer is 7th in the race rankings, and hasn’t played and won as much as Ferrer as, for example. He hasn’t been the better player so far this season or played as much, and that can be important right before a slam. Of course Federer is better than those other players history wise, but this is April 2015.

He always has a chance and has been a stronger opponent against Novak this year than anyone else, but I think the bookies got it right w/ Roger.


chris ford1 Says:

Tennis vagabond – of all the events Roger can play in at this time and at his age, I believe the 3 least likely events for him to win are the slow clay ones. MC, Rome, and RG.
He may be the 3rd or 4th best clay player in this era on statistics, depending on where you place Ferru, but Roger is vulnerable to fatigue – and slow soft clay is the worst for him these days.


sienna Says:

Ferrer higher on picking order clay this era.
Roger is after Rafael best claycourter alltime including this era.

funny atuff with Ferrer.


Ben Pronin Says:

Ferrer a better clay court player than Federer? Not in this lifetime.


Humble Rafa Says:

Ofcourse not. I am just a humble man trying to make a living by winning the FO. That’s all. Never the favorite, today or ever.


chris ford1 Says:

Pronin – On statistics, no doubt because he plays a lot of clay 250 and 500 events, David Ferrer has a higher clay win percent than Fed.
Back in the mid-2000s, Federer was in the top 10 in win percent on clay in the Open Era. He’s tailed off on clay results, and dropped out of the top 10.
Interestingly, with Fed out of the clay Top 10 and unlikely to return, the only player that is in the Top 10 on all court surface types (except the discarded carpet surface) and indoors and outdoors win percent – is Djokovic. (And Djokovic would have made Top 10 on carpet as well, which he liked, but his 10-4 .714 record before carpet was dropped in 2009 from it;s last venues did not meet the minimum of 50 matches.)

Personally, I too would place Fed above Ferru as the 3rd best clay player, because Federer played most of his clay events in tough venues.


TennisVagabond.com Says:

Agree with Ben. Like comparing Rafa to Davydenko on hard. Totally different levels of accomplishment.


Ben Pronin Says:

Winning percentage is such an arbitrary stat in tennis. If someone can win a match while losing more points than his opponent, I don’t see how winning percentage really reflects who’s better than who in any meaningful way.


KatH Says:

To U all

Interesting comments from all of you..
Here is my 2 cents worth…re French GS.

Nishikori (a wonderful, extremely talented YOUNGISH player) + Roger – (A DECADE OLDER – has proved his talent over many years) – but they have one thing in common – neither (for different reasons) have the stamina to win.

Nadal will be a finalist – at least. Who will win? I don’t think it will be Dokovic, Berdych, Milos or Stan.

My inclination is that it will be an “outsider” (from 3 possibles) – and based on what can be gleamed from their individual resolve, then I’ll actually make a bet.

Lang may yer lum reek.


Nikola Says:

LOL. Kei is better then Novak and Rafa? I think Rafa can Beat Kei anytime. Even if he plays with his left hand.


MSN Says:

Rafael Nadal need new ideas, new approaches, his game is to predictable nowe and his serve, my godness, the serve is the most important stroke in a tennis match, and Nadal can not player longer points every single time. He will be 29 in some weeks, and needs a new tactic with this younger generation who is not agraid oh him anymore. Is his stubbornness so big that he cant accept the facts that a new coach can bring a new perspective and new game plan to his last years on the tour?
Does he want to “die” with that style of game that gave so successful but it is no longer surprising?


Dan the Man Says:

Aw, cmon, who in their right mind could say David Ferrer is better than Federer on clay? Fed has been in the French final five times, semis multiple others. You can’t just look at winning percentages to determine that. That would be comparing players who play at 250 level tournaments with players who play less, but mainly at the big events. It’s easy to rack up match wins in smaller events. Federer is also 5-0 against Ferrer on clay. For years the only one who could beat Fed on clay was Nadal. In the last few years he has more losses to other players, but on his good days he can even compete well with Nadal on clay. I don’t expect him to win this year, but if he plays well in Madrid and Rome then he should make his normal semis at Roland Garros.


Dan the Man Says:

I agree, until Nadal loses, he still has to be a co-favourite for Roland Garros at worst. He has shown time after time, even with weak preparation, he can raise his level, and best of 5 on clay is something extra. The interesting thing will be what Nadal’s ranking is going into the French. He has 1600/2000 points to defend at Madrid, and I don’t see him holding those points in the next 3 weeks, which means he would fall out of the top 4. That means he could meet Novak, Kei, etc in the QF. If he were to not defend those points and lose before the final of the French, his ranking will plummet. Easily out of the top 10. Still, I will only believe it when I see it. This guy has had 9 lives at this tournament, and if anyone can do it somewhere, it is Nadal at the French.


Dan the Man Says:

Whoops! Meant to say 1600 points to defend at Madrid AND Rome.


Markus Says:

You have to be insane or completely devoid of common sense to even think that Ferrer is better than Federer on clay. It’s so stupid, I can’t even laugh.


MSN Says:

Ferrer deserve a victory against Federer, at leat one victory.


jane Says:

agree with you yolita; rafa is, quite naturally, the favourite at the french. it goes without saying.


chris ford1 Says:

Sienna – Fed 2nd best claycourter ever inc. this era??
I say besides Nadal – Borg, Lendl, Wilander, Guga all had better records. But Roger won a French Open? Well, Borg had 6, Lendl 3, Guga Kuerten 3, Wilander with 3 at Roland Garros. And a couple more with better records and more clay titles got 1, or 2, French Open championships.
As for now, Djoker is 5th in clay winning at 78.8% with a chance to pass Vila and Lendl at 80-81% but never Borg or Rafa. On clay, Roger is down to 12th at 76.0%. At present, Djoker and Roger have 10 clay titles each, but that will soon tip to Djokovic, IMO.
So that is why I put Djoker at #2 in this era behind Rafa. And I think most people rate Borg the 2nd best clay courter of the Open Era.


Wog Boy Says:

Ahh silly Sienna, BTW, how is Cilic going?


kjb Says:

@Chris ford1 winning percentage means very little as Fed is now a grandpa and is obviously his percentage is going to drop. Ferrer is not even close to the clay court player the Fed is even now. As for Borg being the second best, I would agree, but it is impossible to compare different generations, if peak Borg was given a modern racquet and made to play on modern court surfaces, Fed, Nole, and Rafa would dust him on every surface on the regular. I think this goes for all sports nowadays, with the professionalism and the amount of money involved players have gotten bigger, better, stronger and faster.

@Nicola Rafa already plays with his left hand….hahaha


Markus Says:

Some people are good at collecting data but unfortunately are incapable of processing, analyzing and interpreting them properly. That is how one can be mislead to a conclusion that a player like Federer who has been to many French Open finals and won one will come to be ranked so low in the ranking of the best players on clay court. Federer and Djokovic are among the best all surface players, and yes, that includes clay. But they had to contend with Nadal, the greatest and undisputably the best on clay ever. Nobody, probably with the exception of Borg, but not Lendl, not Wilander, not Kuerten would have beaten Nadal on clay. Federer and Djokovic are better caliber players than those guys, even on clay.


MSN Says:

but you are a player of your time, you cant travel in a time machine.
Wilander and Lendl have ech other and Kuerten was very unfortunatley whith his hip injury.
At the end all the mattesr are the titles, the final recognition of hard work that begins in childhood.


Michael Says:

I think Novak is the favourite followed by Rafa and Nishkori at Rolland Garros. Rafa has some confidence issues to sort out and is definitely not the same player he once was and is looking very vulnerable on even his favourite turf ie. Clay courts. Novak on the other hand is full of confidence and success is hardly eluding him in every tournament that he enters. Nishikori too, with the way he played at Barcelona looked a very fine prospect and showed all the attributes of a future Grand slam champion.


sienna Says:

without Nadal Fed would have had 5/6 garros wins making him aan good candidate for claycourt goat.

and besides when Ferrer is said to be better claycourt ten Fed! Well everything is on.


sienna Says:

compaire claypercentages is irrelevant. Djokovic v Federer on clay was settled in 2011. Djokovic will look back on his tennislife and remember that one. He probably would have won the title but Federer took him out.


Zozza Says:

Rafa must win Madrid for confidence to increase
One big win would give him the belief that he can compete at the top again & once he has belief he will come out firing at the French open

If Rafa is 80% at his best it’s enough to win French open number 10

Biggest threat Djokovic
But there are others including nishikori who might surprise if he can stay injury free
Federer isn’t great on clay


sienna Says:

nishikori this… nishikori that…

i believe it when I see it. ok his overall level is good enough to enter top 5. but that means he performce ok on regular base. He has in my oppinion faltered the big stage untill to date.

or did Cilic perform extraprdinary in Us open?


Nikola Says:

@kjb I know…


wilfried Says:

[Federer is after Rafa best claycourter alltime including this era]
Quite a bold statement there, Sienna.
Federer’s philosophy of the game doesn’t align well with the specifics of the game needed on clay, as the rallies tend to be longer on this surface.
Here’s what Federer said in an interview short after winning Roland Garros about playing on clay:
“On clay you don’t need to have a volley, you almost don’t need to have a serve. All you need to have is legs, an incredible forehand and backhand and to run things down. I’m not trying to take anything away from Rafa, because he’s an exception and he did everything on other surfaces as well, but I think you can get away with having problems with your game on clay more than you can on other surfaces. On a hard court you can lure a guy in and do many more things. You almost have to have more feel. On clay, I don’t want to say it’s too simple, that you just have to keep the ball in court and wait for a mistake, but sometimes it’s too easy.”
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/federer-on-clay-you-dont-need-a-volley-or-a-serve-its-too-easy-1979825.html
To run things down clearly never was a priority for Roger.
If Roger won Roland Garros, it was because for a part because of luck. Not only did the draw open up that year like the red sea did for the jews, but besides his his exceptional technique and versatility, he needed lot’s of luck to get by Tommy Haas and Del Potro (against whom he won a close 5-setter).
I don’t think such an opportunity will present itself twice for Fed.
In the stats with regard to matches played on clay he might still be ahead of Djokovic, but I doubt it will stay that way.
I see Novak challenging Rafa (and the opposition in general for that matter) till he gets that one eluding title in the bag.


Zozza Says:

Consider this for a moment

Federer’s best surface grass
Nadal beat him at Wimbledon

Djokovic’s best surface hard court
Nadal beat him twice at US open

Nadal ‘s best surface clay
Federer & Djokovic
Have never beaten Rafa at his best surface clay in grand slam

Which proves that Nadal is the best clay courter of all time

Federer isn’t the best grass court player of all time
Djokovic is the best hardcourt player of all time

Nadal on clay is some unique


Muhammad Says:

Rafael is the favorite (undisputed). He’s in excellent shape, his talk about the lack of confidence is a joke.
Novak can win with a little bit of luck.
Roger is the solid third, will need more luck than Novak. Don’t be fooled by a few bad results this year, Roger is in great shape and he knows it.
Andy has potential on clay that he never for some strange reason fulfilled. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him playing the final. His luck there must change sooner or later, this might be the one. Andy is also in good form (more than what people give him credit to).

All others including the “young” 25 years old Kei are far behind. They can beat some of the big 4 on their bad day but to win 2 or 3 in a row, I just can’t see it.


chris ford1 Says:

Sienna – compaire claypercentages is irrelevant. Djokovic v Federer on clay was settled in 2011. Djokovic will look back on his tennislife and remember that one.

==============
On the same logic, the matter of who was better on grass was settled between Rafa and Fed in 2008. And between Nole and Fed in 2014.
Fed will remember both of those Wimbledon finals. For all time.
Then of course, in 2011 besides the semi clay match “settling” who was better, if you think that is the case, surely you then have to agree that “The Shot” 2011 semi between Djoker and Fed settled who was the better hardcourter…


sienna Says:

you are compairing post prime fed with prime djokovic.

2011 was the one… no matter what happens along the way between them.

so a 33 year old player losing to 26 year old ia considered settling the score.
you are a big joke.


SG1 Says:

sienna Says:
without Nadal Fed would have had 5/6 garros wins making him aan good candidate for claycourt goat.

—–

Without Fed’s right arm, he’d be a married guy with 4 kids and good hair…hey…where was I going with this?


Ron Smith Says:

Of course Federer thinks this for himself. He can’t beat Rafa and never could. He has at least more of a chance against Djokovic. Lucky for Federer that he won the French….he can thank Mr. Soderling for that. Had Rafa been there then Fed would have never won the French…then maybe we would all still be comparing Fed to Sampras. Say what you will about Sampras…. he at least owned his own rival in his era. Fed can’t say the same. I think a 60 percent Rafa would still beat Federer at this years French.


Daniel Says:

Fed making too many Unforced Errors going to finish points quick. He was 0-30 and missed a chance second set. At least he didn’t face a single BP so he is in control of the match. But better close it out in 2.


Daniel Says:

Yeah, Fed break at 5-5 with some awesome FH’s. Serving for the match now.

He is a bit rusty in some shots but I like this aggressive mind set. Match played on his terms.


Daniel Says:

Does anyone have confirmation if Djoko will play Madrid or not? I think draw is on Saturday morning or Friday afternoon so he probably will have to announce it tomorrow.


Emily Says:

Just saw confirmation that Novak won’t play Madrid from the tournament twitter account. Says he wants rest before Rome and RG.


KatH Says:

Records between players that go back beyond 5 years have they any real value in 2015? For young and up-and-coming players YES…(and especially when comparisons to current players are part of the assessment). But trying to evaluate what ABC to XYZ did against each other 10/15 years ago? And who was the best etc. etc. has this any relevance?

“Usually having exhausted every conceivable alternate” – the result is zilch.


KatH Says:

If anyone’s interested – one of my three possible players to win the French Open (as mentioned previously) is Marin Cilic.

Quite sure no-one will agree with me – never mind.


sienna Says:

katH
if somehow hè can reach his level of UW Open then he will be unplayable and unstoppable.

matches and some decent results istaat whats needed.


sienna Says:

yup and some new posterstaat (djokerfans) claimed he should go for 9 masters in the year. funny stuff with these newbees.
luckiley djoker himself shows how he feels.

dont think he is allowed to skip it taking a zero on this one.
doesnt matter his lead is massive.


chris ford1 Says:

Skeezer, your link to how more Goaty Fed was than Sampras back in 2009, is interesting, but overcome by events.
It has 75.71% for Pete with his tough competition , and Fed at 82.97 win percent up to 2009.

But obviously, a lot has changed since 2009 with the rise of Nadal and Djokovic as Greats that gave Fed a run for his money. Which Pete had all his career – tough foes.
Presently, Nadal leads in win percent at 83.14%, then Borg at 82.14, Connors 81.84, Lendl 81.76, Djokovic at 81.70%. Fed is 7th, Sampras 8th.


skeezer Says:

“Tough foes….Which Pete had all his career – ”
Pete never had a Nadal and Djoker. BTW and how old was did Sampras when he retired? Fed played a a top level after his (Petes) age and still winning Slams in what some call a tough and @33 is currently ranked #2. Skew it any way you want, Feds bagged 17 Slams and is the current #2 in the world @33, strong weak whatever eras. Thats all I need to know.


kjb Says:

If there is a weak era, it is now. Grandpa Fed is ranked #2 in the world and is the only player to consistently test Djokovic at all. A teenage Fed beat Sampras at Wimbledon when Sampras was still in his 20’s. There is no need to compare Sampras and Fed. Slams, weeks at #1, all court prowess, etc etc etc.


tennisfansince76 Says:

@kjb players might be a little bit bigger and stronger today but nobody and I mean nobody is faster than Borg. You need to watch some YouTube highlights. Also Borg was nearly indefatigable.


Ron Smith Says:

Actually, Sampras was a month away from 30 and if you remember anything at the time….Sampras was already out of his prime. I’m not saying Sampras was better than Fed at all….Clearly Fed is better on clay. fed was just starting his career and Sampras was at the end at the 2001 Wimbledon. Sampras only made one semifinal at Roland Garros. Anyways, Wimbledon 2001 Fed was knocked out by Henman…I wouldn’t argue that Henman was better than Fed though KJB


T Dawg Says:

KJB, my buddy Ron Smith wants me to jump in here – we were both dominant tennis players – with the slight edge going to him, altho – I play like Fed myself lol

Seriously, Ron won’t like this – but you are Exactly right – the tennis today is a joke.

Federer is the GOAT “IF” he had a good mental. Watching him play, he has the tools that make him the best – super fast, eastern forehand, perfect serve, money backhand, smart – but a choker.

My friends, the 4th dimension in the universe is ‘time’ and Nola stands too far back to be compared to Sampras, Lendl, Connors, Agassi, Becker or Fed is his prime and he has a semiwestern forehand which doesn’t work nearly as good as eastern/extreme eastern or hard courts.

BUT, HERE’S THE THING – Nola gets away with it because of weak competition and he is a FREAK ATHLETE. He is sooooo Lucky Delpotro has had 2 wrist surgeries – that’s why he started acting crazy vs delpotro – watch youtube djokovic drunk.


Wog Boy Says:

Who is Nola?


T Dawg Says:

Nola!!! Nola!!!

The Serbian/New Orleans Product!!!


Wog Boy Says:

Ok, this is what the person with little bit of tennis knowledge has to say abou Nele’s FH and his positioning on the court and why is Nole better than Nola who ever he may be:

“Forehand

His grip is a perfect semi western, and not an extreme western, which gives him the option to execute:

Drives (flat forehand)
Spin ( topspin) Angles
Swinging volleys
His swing pattern is very compact with excellent balance throughout the entire swing, including loading up on the back leg and then shifting his weight forward. He utilizes his non-hitting hand to balance his body and also as a pointing hand to the target area.

Movement

Yes, Novak has great speed and can move in any direction but what makes him extraordinary is the balance and flexibility he exhibits from all positions on the court, even in incredibly awkward positions.

Stances

Novak can hit from all stances including the open, semi open, neutral, and even the closed stances. No matter what stance he hits from on his groundstrokes, at the same time he hits the ball he starts his RECOVERY MOVEMENT. By doing this he can reach the next ball a split second quicker and most of the time can control play, and even put his opponent into a defensive position, from a defensive position.”

Nole never stays far back for a difference to Nola.


Wog Boy Says:

Jeez, I am even worst and I haven’t been drinking this morning, it is “Nole” not “Nele” :)


Wog Boy Says:

This is a bit I missed and tells us how “far” Nole plays behind base line:

“Return of Serve

Novak can return serve from any return position but most of the time he prefers to stand very close to the baseline and redirect the return using the speed of the serve. This position gets the return back very quickly immediately putting the server on the defensive. At times he will alter his position on the return causing the server to adjust his serving tactic resulting in a fault.”


T Dawg Says:

Lol!

A ‘perfect’ semi western huh?

Grip determines contact point – if Nola had an eastern grip he wouldn’t have to be so worried about ‘recovery’ as you say. Also, Nola doesn’t have a compact forehand except for return of serve.

I’m telling you, it’s simple math & philosophy – it’s why if Fed at 35 plays Nola on hard courts in cool weather it’s a coin flip – Nola is born to play defense.


Wog Boy Says:

Actually, I am not saying that, that would be rocket science for me to put it together like that, that was Nick Bollettieri. You have to tell him that you know better and that he is wrong.


T Dawg Says:

Bollettieri is 3.5 player, he hired some good instructors that ran the program. He is also a snake oil salesman.


Wog Boy Says:

How many champions have been produced in your academy?


T Dawg Says:

I’m going to not say and pretend to be humble like Rafa – smug and arrogant, but humble.


skeezer Says:

“I’m going to not say and pretend to be humble like Rafa ..”
And there in lies the onion….peeled.

Nick has produced numerous world class tennis players…..you?

We are all ears.


Wog Boy Says:

Well, until then I prefer to take Nick’s word over your’s, his references are a bit better, and I will trust my naked eye, as TL would say, right TL?


T Dawg Says:

Nicky is a good manager – he can hire good coaches sometimes.

There ARE better coaches than Nicky and players rated higher than 3.5.


T Dawg Says:

Andy Murphy the Pusher won both major finals vs Nola the Counter-Puncher – just sayin’.

Murphy the Pusher isn’t beating Sampras, Fed, Agassi, Lendl and many others in their primes in a major final.


T Dawg Says:

Rafa is so bad on hard courts he had to get on the Juice to win a hard court major (only 3) and has never won the end of year Indoor Masters. Nola can play offense vs players like Murphy & Rafa.


kjb Says:

@Ron Smith I actually remember plenty about that time. Sampras was the defending champ in Wimbledon and he went on to win his 14th major the following year.


T Dawg Says:

kjb/ron smith – check out youtube edberg us open 1992 final – 2 minute clip – watch how edberg has to jump the net and bump into sampras and teach him a lesson!! lol!


Ron Smith Says:

You’re stuck in the past t dawg. And Yes KJB he was defending champion that year. So if we are going off that one result then I guess that Goran was better than Fed as well because he beat Henman. Go look at the statistics, I believe sampras had started to decline the year before. His grand slam results show that….he wasn’t in his prime at all…


Ron Smith Says:

Also, fed didn’t exactly dominate the old man. It was a very narrow 5 sets…


T Dawg Says:

The past is the present if a 35 year old Fed is #2 in the world with an eastern grip and a coin flip vs Nola on hard courts.


jane Says:

gosh, so many new posters lately.

and apparently some new players too: nele, nola, and andy murphy.

not to mention ron smith and t dawg who are both “dominant tennis players”.

wowsers.

i still haven’t seen official word at the atp or his website that novak has pulled from madrid. but it must be the case if the madrid tournament site is reporting it.


T Dawg Says:

Jane says, I’m done with Sergio
He treat me like a rag doll
She hides the television
Says, I don’t owe him nothin’
But if he come back again
Tell him wait right here for me
Or try again tomorrow”
I’m gonna kick tomorrow
I’m gonna kick tomorrow
Jane says, Have you seen my wig around?
I feel naked without it
She knows, they all want her to go
That’s ok man, she don’t like them anyway
Jane says, I’m going away to Spain
When I get my money saved
I’m gonna start tomorrow
I’m gonna kick tomorrow
I’m gonna kick tomorrow
Well she gets mad and she starts to cry
She takes a swing man, she can’t hit
She don’t mean no harm
She just don’t know
What else to do about it


kjb Says:

@Ron Smith He was 5 years younger then Fed is now. He wasn’t an old man at all.


Ron Smith Says:

Federer is an exceptional case….I’m assuming that you would recognize this. Most tennis players start to show their age on tour around 29. Is Rafa showing his age now?? How old is Rafa? 29?? Tennis is rough on the body and some bodies wear down quicker than others….So yes I would say that around the age of 30 in professional tennis is old.


Ron Smith Says:

Also, he did when the US. Open and retire from tennis….so if he wasn’t that old according to you….perhaps he had a few more slams left in him! In regards to the 2001 Wimbledon match, all of the pressure was on Sampras and it came down to the wire. Fed was no one at the time and had nothing to lose. My point is that a Federer/Sampras match in both players primes would be an intriguing match.


T Dawg Says:

The problem with Fed is that he was too dominant for too long and didn’t have to play close matches. When Rafa came along and beat him at Wimbledon and brought out the girl in Fed, girly Fed was never the same.

So, Fed could easily have 23-25 majors and be the best of all time but Rafa on Roids messed everything up.

Sampras vs Fed – I take Sampras on hard courts and grass but Fed on Clay. Sampras beat Fed in an exhibition for goodness sakes near 40 years old and Fed didn’t get a break point because sampras was hitting 110+ 2nd serves in the corners. Sampras serve way better and on the run forehand way better because flatter. Don’t forget Fed hits too much topspin at the wrong time vs the greats and he was never coached right on how to hit a low aerial backhand return of serve until it was too late. Chipped his return for too long. Not only that but the arrogant one hits waaaaayyy too many 1 handers on the run with a closed stance which messes up his recovery – wasn’t coached right on how to hit skipping open stance 1 hander on run until too late. Fed way too prideful to improve his game.


chris ford1 Says:

30 used to be old. Still is for some with pounding, wear down games like Rafa and Tsonga. But Fed, the little beast, and Robredo still prosper. In 2 different lines in tennis, the Bryan Bros just turned 37 today (APR 29) and Serena is still on top.

I think Djokovic will have longevity. He glides around and doesn’t pound, though is is out on the court in a typical match longer than Federer. Long as he doesn’t badly injure himself skiing…


Ron Smith Says:

Good points Chris Ford…But I’m not really talking about non grand slam winners like Tsonga and Robredo…women’s tennis is a different ball game compared to the ATP and it doesn’t surprise me that Serena is still on top nor does it surprise me that Bob and Mike are still on top. Doubles is a different ballgame as well. You just have to play half of the court. Leander Paes is really old and still plays at a high level in doubles. I agree with you that Nole will have some longevity if he can avoid injury. He seems to treat his body like a temple with the hyperbaric oxygen chamber, the gluten free diet, etc. He plays a physical style game that normally runs players down by their early 30s. It will be interesting to see. His only big challenge at the moment is looking like Murphy. Murphy needs to be more aggresive and kick up the MPH’s on that second serve though to have a chance against Nole in the future.


T Dawg Says:

Murphy’s way too heavy and his 1st serve % is too low as well and he has one of the worst mental games out there. I like how Murphy hits the sh** out of the ball when he play Nola tho.


T Dawg Says:

And yes, I called Murphy a pusher but he is smart enough to know when he plays Nola to go for it.


jane Says:

well i saw jane’s addiction live back in 1991 so i get it. but i’ve not been caught stealing.


T Dawg Says:

Do you all want to know who will win the French?

…I’ll tell you tomorrow lol


Wog Boy Says:

Is it only me or certain poster returned on TX after two years of absence just under different nick?


the DA Says:

@Wog Boy – Agree. I thought it was just me who thought that. It’s all *very* familiar, same shtick etc.


django Says:

Wog boy and others ….don’t feed the trolls.


jane Says:

agree with you wog boy and the da: in fact, i’d say there is more than one familiar voice with a new name, but only the moderators know for certain.

django, classic advice. :)


SG1 Says:

Agassi hit with a semi-western grip like Novak and no one in the history of the sport caught the ball earlier than he did. I don’t put much stock into the notion that grip dictates success. No one’s playing on 1960’s grass anymore. An Eastern grip is nice. It produces a beautiful flat ball and a technician like Federer can generate good spin with it. In tennis, there’s more than one way to skin the proverbial cat.


Margot Says:

@ Wog Boy 2.21
There’s a fairground game called, “Whack The Mole”………;)


skeezer Says:

^lol margot


T Dawg Says:

That’s awesome you got to see them jane!

SG1, Agassi had an extreme eastern grip.


T Dawg Says:

Who will win the French, Nola or Rafa?

Federer!!!

Nola will beat Rafa and then Nola will overtry and beat himself, thus giving Fed the match.


Ron Smith Says:

Fed can’t run the table at Roland Garros. There’s no way you really believe that. He has a legit shot at Wimbledon if someone upsets Nole.


T Dawg Says:

Fed 4-3 on clay vs Nola and beat him last year a solid 7-5, 6-2


elina Says:

Some may conveniently choose to forget Djokovic was injured in that loss and it showed.

Not saying Roger won’t beat Novak should they meet in Paris however it never ceases to entertain how few can distinguish between best of three and best of five.

Roger only beats Novak at Roland Garros this year if the Serb allows the French crowd to play a role. He won in three straight sets when they last met in 2012.

mew


Ron Smith Says:

Let’s see….last year Fed lost to Gulbis at the French. This season he’s already lost to Monfils twice on clay.T Dawg you’re acting like Nole is the only one that can beat the arrogant one….that’s arrogant. In other news, Fed lost to Seppi in the 3rd round of the Aussie. He has to worry about everyone in the draw at this point. He’s not 25 and he doesn’t scare people the way he did when he was younger. My pick for Roland Garros is Nole. If not Nole, I think it could be Kei….If Roland Garros was 2 out of 3 sets the entire tournament then I would give Fed a legitimate chance…we shall see


Ron Smith Says:

This is where Nole turned everything around….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWci2eSsYcQ


jane Says:

ron smith; i’d say no – it was the year before, same scenario. that was the real turn-around in terms of belief i think. although there were signs of it even at wimbledon 2010.

by the way, has fed really lost to monfils “twice on clay” this season as you say at 5:20? hasn’t fed only played one full event on clay? i am confused.


Ron Smith Says:

Agree to disagree Jane on Nole’s turnaround time…anyways, sorry my fault….Fed lost to Monfils at the end of 2014 (November) on indoor clay during davis cup….1,4, and 3. Also, in Monte Carlo.


jane Says:

oh, i consider that last season: re fed vs. monfils. but interesting that he’s lost to him 2 times in a row.

i am basing nole’s turnaround point on both his own words and marian vajda’s words. so i’ll take their own word for it. after all, when novak save 2 mps versus fed in the 2010 us open semi, he made his first slam final since 08 and then went on to win the davis cup later that year. big confidence boost after being stopped by fed at the us open in 07, 08, and 09. he finally broke through in 2010 and that was huge.


SG1 Says:

T Dawg Says:

SG1, Agassi had an extreme eastern grip.

&

Who will win the French, Nola or Rafa?

Federer!!!

———————————

LOL! T Dawg…you may not have any grasp of fact but as long as you’re happy with the reality you’re in, I’m happy for you.


Ron Smith Says:

Actually Jane I’m looking back at the video I posted on here….I agree that 2010 was his turnaround year. For some reason the video labeled that match as 2011 when it was really 2010. The YouTube poster made a date error. I feel that match was a huge turning point for his confidence which led to his unbelievable 2011 run.


jane Says:

ron, here’s the 2010 video. both years novak saved 2 match points in the semi versus roger, but in 2010 it was on his own serve, whereas 2011 was on roger’s serve, so even more surprising.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N65j2A9XknY


Wog Boy Says:

jane, interesting thing is that Roger had a look at Nole’s second serve in both match points but Nole went for the lines without any fear, like it was 40:0 and not 15:40!


Ron Smith Says:

Oh wow. My bad.


Matador Says:

Nadal will win la Décima.
His 10 RG is his goal and I am sure he will archive this feat.

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