Ailing Roger Federer Didn’t Think He Would Win A Set Today In Rome!

Another arrow in the “belief” doctrine.

May 11th, 2016 at 11:59 am

It’s also a clear statement that the sum of the parts must be greater than the whole. Dimitrov has an excellent serve, forehand and backhand and is 7 or 8 years younger than Federer. Despite this, a less than physically perfect 34 year old Federer effectively trounced Zverev. Dimitrov struggled to win games let alone sets.

Being a great player is more than the individual shots. It’s knowing how to use them. It’s sensing when an opponent is vulnerable and exploiting that vulnerability. It’s that innate ability to raise your game at the right moment. Federer possesses all of the intangibles. Yes…he’s lost a lot of big matches in recent years but he never gets blown out. He’s right there, playing his ‘A’ (or near ‘A’) game. He generally plays really well and when he loses it’s to a guy that is playing at a phenomenal level.

May 11th, 2016 at 12:48 pm

Djokovic has got the analysis spot on.

“Djokovic, not entirely convincing in subduing Stéphane Robert 7-5, 7-5, said of the Federer conundrum: “He’s still in the tournament.”

And his back problem? Djokovic paused, and said: “The spine is a core, a foundation of every human’s body, and especially athletes. But also it’s vulnerable, especially if you are playing many matches, training, and, having to be adapting to different conditions.

“That’s why we have big teams of people, physiotherapists that are experts in their field. We spend a lot of time on the tables, trust me, before training, before the match, after the match, a lot of time, a lot of time stretching, doing different kinds of exercises for strengthening, prevention.

“If you really want to play at the top and if you want to be a candidate for a top spot in the world, you need to be healthy. In order to be healthy, you need to really be devoted for several hours a day to your body.”

We really have no idea what these professional athletes go through day in, day out, the commitment, resolve, sheer desire to put their body through strenuous training, with no let up.

Federer and his team know what they are doing. So does Djokovic.

Really admire his comments.

May 11th, 2016 at 2:59 pm

The way Fed is talking he is not going to get past Thiem..

May 11th, 2016 at 4:08 pm

Maybe his back is just not feeling right after the match…..is there a WO brewing??? I sure hope not…

C’mon Vee!!

May 11th, 2016 at 4:52 pm

Federer and his team know what they are doing. So does Djokovic.

Really admire his comments.
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I don’t admire your comments. You don’t ask about other people’s spinal cords. That’s not a thing, you know.

May 11th, 2016 at 5:35 pm

skeezer Says:
The way Fed is talking he is not going to get past Thiem..
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Skeeze,

Congratulations on the book. Really enjoyed it. It is almost like you poured your heart into that book.

May 11th, 2016 at 5:36 pm

I posted this on another thread, but I thought Federer pulled out of Madrid because of a stomach issue. Am I misremembering?

May 11th, 2016 at 5:42 pm

BBB,
Stomach issue was Miami, Madrid was back issue, Rome will be back issue again, before that was knee issue, Mirka kneecapped him in the hotel bathroom after SF at AO, for regularly embarrassing her in public by losing to Nole, she had enough of it. In Brisbane it was flue lost to Raonic.
Paris will be SARS and so on..

May 11th, 2016 at 5:55 pm

LOL, WB.

May 11th, 2016 at 6:14 pm