Whassup with Federer?

[airforce1]

The Fed/ Roddick match up has been pretty tight in the 2 big ones I remember, Wimby (finals?) and US Open with most sets won in tiebreakers. I think it was the last US Open where they met with Connors as coach and I thought Andy had looked great in the loss, but everyone just talked of how Fed dominated. I think I posted about how much improved Andy looked, but everyone just kept looking the past record of like 14-1 or something.

Well you can flip a coin and get a run of 15-0 for heads every now and then, and that is about how close this thing is. Do I think Fed has an edge? Sure, but not so much as the record indicates. Having such a big serve can be a curse too. Often players can't make Andy play out so many points as Fed does, so he is not as battle tested at constructing points under pressure as Fed or Nadal. When Fed is sharp, he can really make Andy uncomfortable, but this match up has been very tight on the court, if not in the record books! And this comes from a guy who has had Fed as a favorite player since before he beat Pete at Wimby. I like Andy as a person, but not a big fan of any part of his game. If I was building a player from different players bests aspects, the only thing I would use from Andy is his interviews.

[uspta146749877]

What about his serve?

The Fed/ Roddick match up has been pretty tight in the 2 big ones I remember, Wimby (finals?) and US Open with most sets won in tiebreakers. I think it was the last US Open where they met with Connors as coach and I thought Andy had looked great in the loss, but everyone just talked of how Fed dominated. I think I posted about how much improved Andy looked, but everyone just kept looking the past record of like 14-1 or something.

Well you can flip a coin and get a run of 15-0 for heads every now and then, and that is about how close this thing is. Do I think Fed has an edge? Sure, but not so much as the record indicates. Having such a big serve can be a curse too. Often players can't make Andy play out so many points as Fed does, so he is not as battle tested at constructing points under pressure as Fed or Nadal. When Fed is sharp, he can really make Andy uncomfortable, but this match up has been very tight on the court, if not in the record books! And this comes from a guy who has had Fed as a favorite player since before he beat Pete at Wimby. I like Andy as a person, but not a big fan of any part of his game. If I was building a player from different players bests aspects, the only thing I would use from Andy is his interviews.

What about the Andy"s serve?

[airforce1]

Power and velocity are not everything.

He just blast down the middle 2/3 of the box and does not have the kind of control required to set up a point.
Back up 8 feet, get it back in play and you are in the mix. Too bad he can't angle off the guy 8 feet back to make him stop doing that.

Of course I choose Pete, hands down, if I can get someone off the exhibition tour. I really liked the big dutch server Kra---- how do you spell?

[uspta146749877]

Krajicek

Power and velocity are not everything.

He just blast down the middle 2/3 of the box and does not have the kind of control required to set up a point.
Back up 8 feet, get it back in play and you are in the mix. Too bad he can't angle off the guy 8 feet back to make him stop doing that.

Of course I choose Pete, hands down, if I can get someone off the exhibition tour. I really liked the big dutch server Kra---- how do you spell?

Krajicek

[airforce1]

harder than I thought, I would have never got that spelling, but he had an incredible serve.
If he had stayed healthier, Pete would not have the same records I don't think.
At worst, he was a terrible matchup for Pete.

[crosscourt]

I have watched Federer's matches at Estoril this week from TV/tapes. It is difficult to say exactly what is going wrong. At a guess there is something physical and something mental, though it's not obvious which would come first. He looks as if he not moving as well as normal. Whather that is a purely physical thing, or whether he has lost confidence/concentration I can't say.

His firs set against Rochus was not good. Federer played well for a couple of games and looked to be right on his game. But Rochus, who is a very good player, fought hard, got his nose in front and pulled away. Federer's bachand was not awful, and there were as ever some flashy winners, but the number of poor backhands including outrageous shanks and some balls in the bottom of the net, was as bad as I have seen. Rochus, by the way, has a very good one handed back hand for a clay court.

In the second and third sets neither player played well. Rochus struggled with his serve, Federer served better.

Hanescu's was a poor match, as was the match against Gil who is too one dimensional. Grimmelmayer is a better player than he looks, but if Federer was anywhere near his best Grimmelmayer would have to play out of his skin to win a set. He didn't play out of his skin yesterday.

Watching it is depressing. Of course, it may all come right for Federer before the French but at the moment it's difficult to be confident of that.

The other players may have got better and more confident. Losing to Fish, who was on a roll, was not a disater for a player who has been ill. Losing to Roddick probably shows as clearly as losing a set to Grimmelmayer that Federer is not at his best. My feeling though is that ths present problem wont be cured by getting a coach -- though I wouldn't advocate not getting one if he wants one.

[uspta146749877]

What about the first set vs Davydenko?

I have watched Federer's matches at Estoril this week from TV/tapes. It is difficult to say exactly what is going wrong. At a guess there is something physical and something mental, though it's not obvious which would come first. He looks as if he not moving as well as normal. Whather that is a purely physical thing, or whether he has lost confidence/concentration I can't say.

His firs set against Rochus was not good. Federer played well for a couple of games and looked to be right on his game. But Rochus, who is a very good player, fought hard, got his nose in front and pulled away. Federer's bachand was not awful, and there were as ever some flashy winners, but the number of poor backhands including outrageous shanks and some balls in the bottom of the net, was as bad as I have seen. Rochus, by the way, has a very good one handed back hand for a clay court.

In the second and third sets neither player played well. Rochus struggled with his serve, Federer served better.

Hanescu's was a poor match, as was the match against Gil who is too one dimensional. Grimmelmayer is a better player than he looks, but if Federer was anywhere near his best Grimmelmayer would have to play out of his skin to win a set. He didn't play out of his skin yesterday.

Watching it is depressing. Of course, it may all come right for Federer before the French but at the moment it's difficult to be confident of that.

The other players may have got better and more confident. Losing to Fish, who was on a roll, was not a disater for a player who has been ill. Losing to Roddick probably shows as clearly as losing a set to Grimmelmayer that Federer is not at his best. My feeling though is that ths present problem wont be cured by getting a coach -- though I wouldn't advocate not getting one if he wants one.

What about a first set vs Davydenko?

[uspta146749877]

a new coach

What about a first set vs Davydenko?

A clay part of the season is always difficult-footwork,sliding,etc
A new coach will provide some obvious input so I think
a new coach should help.Chemistry between a player
and a coach is always an issue but both of them are very experienced.
Some confidence will come back around Wimbledon.

[ochi]

what do stringers think?

Federer's problem -- unforced forehand errors -- is beginning to be cited in news accounts now.

I tracked this last year, every time his matches were shown on TV. I did not chart it, but it seemed that he averaged 15 per set, most of them forehand. Yet, because of the beauties, his forehands kept being praised in general!

Considering his brilliance, why has he hit wide and long so often? My guess is his low string tension -- 46-47 lbs, according to past Aussie Open charts on the WWW. I'm supposing he hasn't changed it, and that he should try increasing it by a pound or two. Who since John McEnroe, playing with a stiff, small-head club (ever try one?), has strung that low with a small head and had a low percentage of UE?

[crosscourt]

What about a first set vs Davydenko?

I think he played better in that first set. Difficult to tell though if Davydenko had an injury. But the serve he lost at the start of the second was a good example of the way he has been playing. Ineffective shots -- angled slices going nowhere -- and lethargic movement (by his standards). It may all be part of a grand plan -- I hope it is -- but it seems hopeful at the moment.

cc

[uspta146749877]

Federer and Monte Carlo

I think he played better in that first set. Difficult to tell though if Davydenko had an injury. But the serve he lost at the start of the second was a good example of the way he has been playing. Ineffective shots -- angled slices going nowhere -- and lethargic movement (by his standards). It may all be part of a grand plan -- I hope it is -- but it seems hopeful at the moment.

cc

What is a draw for Federer at Monte Carlo?

[ochi]

another tidal wave of gift points

It's April 23 and Federer is down, 5-1, to Ramirez Hidalgo in his first round match in Monte Carlo. His new coach is staring down; I can't see much of his face. Somehow, Federer gets his game on track, wins it in a tiebreaker, after 54 unforced errors, mostly off his forehand, as usual. Unbelievable. This has been going on for at least a year. Why can't he/doesn't he fix it? Don't keep suggesting lingering mono. He stays on court, to receive the 2007 ATP Player of the Year award. It would have been damned awkward if he had lost to Hidalgo, who got tight in the 'breaker.

[lukman41985]

All of this will be fixed when he wins the French. You heard it here first. This whole season has been building for that and why Roger hasn't been in a panic.

[uspta146749877]

coach

It's April 23 and Federer is down, 5-1, to Ramirez Hidalgo in his first round match in Monte Carlo. His new coach is staring down; I can't see much of his face. Somehow, Federer gets his game on track, wins it in a tiebreaker, after 54 unforced errors, mostly off his forehand, as usual. Unbelievable. This has been going on for at least a year. Why can't he/doesn't he fix it? Don't keep suggesting lingering mono. He stays on court, to receive the 2007 ATP Player of the Year award. It would have been damned awkward if he had lost to Hidalgo, who got tight in the 'breaker.

Question: what a new coach can do ?

[jeffreycounts]

All of this will be fixed when he wins the French. You heard it here first. This whole season has been building for that and why Roger hasn't been in a panic.

Federer wins the French and then gets a Gold Medal and salvages the season.

His near loss to a qualifier does't look good right now, but if he could somehow win the French, it would redeem the entire season, no doubt.