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Temporary(?) coach Jose Higueros had better straighten this out, or Roger will fall to no. 3 this year. I'm a Federer fan, but don't want to hear more about how a real champion comes through when he's off his game. It was true today, but wouldn't have been against a much higher ranker player, I think. He might go back into genius mode tomorrow, April 24, but I'm afraid it might be sporadic through the rest of the season. I hope that Higueros can spark him the way Connors energized Roddick. The thought of staying on top for so long is beyond understanding -- Borg' single-mindedness, going back to hotel rooms to read Donald Duck in Swedish; Sampras driven to hit the practice courts and to excel in every match, face the press once again, then eat and go back to his room; Roger obliging the relentless pressures to appear, here, there and everywhere.
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It's April 24 and Roger has beaten Gael Mofils, 3 and 4. Actually, lackadaisical Monfils beat himself. Roger cut his unforceds from 54 in three sets yesterday to 21 in two sets, still a whole lot. Until the latter part of the second set, he appeared to be reducing the number by deliberately easing up, which resulted in scores of shots, mostly forehands, landing around Monfils' service line. But Monfils did not step in to put them away, as Nadal, Davydenko, Ferrer and many others would have. It was a dull match. Roger got away with another one. I bet his practices would be more fun to watch.
Whassup is still the question.Comment
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This Federer - Nalbandian match is enormous in my opinion. Nalbandian has one of the best records against Federer, and the surface is definitely in Nalbandian's favor. And Nalbandian seems to really peak at Master's events.
If Federer can win this one, it would be a huge boost for his confidence. I don't think he can win, but I hope he puts up a good fight and can somehow pull it out.Comment
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Just watched the 3rd set of Federer vs. Nalbandian. RF won it 6-2 to take the match. Was 5 for 5 on break points and +13 in winners vs. unforced errors. Nalbandian was -13.
RF looked like RF again to me. Had Nalbandian on a string. Looked to me like RF was working hard and willing to mix it up emotionally in a way that I haven't seen in a while.
I noticed at the US Open last year that he seemed like he cared less out there...that he was sort of divorced from his own performance. A friend and I speculated that he was in for a rough period, when he wouldn't always be able to turn it on at the key moments. Turned out to be fairly prescient.
I wonder whether this rough patch might be just the thing the doctor ordered in terms of forcing him to face whether he really cares enough to love the drudgery of it anymore. Looks to me like he does again. Lucky for all of us, to get to watch that.Comment
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Well put, oliensis. After blowing the last two games of the first set with UEs, he became sharper ad more aggressive. Oddly, right from he start of the second set, Nalbandian started to fade. Unlike his first two matches, Federer was not hitting a slew of shortballs, and his UEs averaged only 10 per set, with a total of 43 winners. But he's still not quite himself, it appeared.
And what about Sam Querrey, the only American (were any in the qualies?)with the gumption to go to Europe early and compete at Monte Carlo! He's on serve, 4-5, right now, against Djokovic in the quarters. Win or lose, he's shown us a lot.
Back again. Querrey lost the set, and was smoked in the second. But this was his first major clay tournament. He did very well and must have learned a lot.Comment
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A picture after his win against Nalbandian...
Says it all: http://cache3.asset-cache.net/xc/808...4831B75F48EF45Comment
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Reply to the coach
Coach, I did read Drucker's column, and agree. But, except for today, against Nalbandian, Federer HAS been hitting a lot of sliced backhands -- way too many, I think. They generally do not knife low enough or go deep enough, and do not seem to bother most opponents much, just change the rhythm and extend rallies. So, I wonder why he's done it so much. Because he is so talented, and part old school, I wish he'd try to hit them the way Rosewall did, and I wish he'd try the forgotten, nasty forehand slice -- the kind that comes in low, stays low, and tails off abruptly to the right. I know only one guy who can and does hit those, always off mid-court and short balls, and I avoid him.
Photos and mini-videos of Rosewall hitting his backhand show something odd -- he took his racquet back pretty much straight and closed, didn't swing from high to low. That must be part of the perfection of his shot. I can't recall his follow-through. Santoro uses it, or something like it.Comment
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It's not a matter of technique...
It's hard to slice a ball and get it to do what you want it to do when the ball coming into you at about 75 mph with about 3,000 rpm's of spin...
You're slicing the ball off a heavily spun ball and not reversing the spin--end result? Floaty slices...
EDIT:
I just watched the highlights of the Federer-Nalbandian match on YouTube and was struck by how well Federer was hitting a loop forehand when moved out of position. He looked and was as effective as Nadal when doing so! I've never seen him hit this shot. He really was able to counter Nalbandian's offense with this neutralizing play. He also looked so much more athletic and hungry out there. He let out some grunts, which you never hear from Roger. He wants this bad...Comment
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"It's not a matter of technique...
"It's hard to slice a ball and get it to do what you want it to do when the ball coming into you at about 75 mph with about 3,000 rpm's of spin...
"You're slicing the ball off a heavily spun ball and not reversing the spin--end result? Floaty slices..."
Lukman, everything's a matter of technique. Of course it's hard to reverse spin. If it can't be done, why does Federer attempt to do it? He does manage it, but needs to do it even better, or not do it so often. And not hit a lot of short forehands, which he stopped doing against Nalbandian. Easy for me to say, laid back in front of a TV.
Check the Blackrock Tour site story, "Stich Shows Federer the Way to Conquer Nadal." After picking apart Al Costa, he gave some great advice. At least it seems so to me.
Match over. Federer is baaack! If he plays like that again tomorrow, speculating and critiquing will end. Maybe he got irritated reading all the Whassup posts. (lol)Comment
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Djokovic makes me sick...
Congrats Roger. It's great to have you back where you belong!
EDIT: Check out Roger's facial expression as Novak approaches him to tell him about retiring:
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another puzzle
Good find, Lukman. I didn't spot this Federer facial expression on the European TC feed, maybe because I had thrown up my hands and shouted, "WTF!, has Djoker done a modified Gasquet?" Or, did he have a form of asthma that sets in when he is down a set and faltering in soupy Monte Carlo sea air? After all, he had been fighting well, all week, and didn't appear to be anywhere near in a hopeless state. But, once again, there is that penetrating Oliensis question, "Whassup?" Having said this, Djoker wouldn't be number 3 if he weren't a hell of a gifted fighter. I am puzzled, and reluctantly give him the benefit of the doubt.Comment
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Whas down with Joker
Thanks for the compliment about the question...but whatever was up w/ Federer, a lot more is wrong w/ Jokerman than was ever problematic for RF. Joker pulled a lame move retiring, and he gets no benefit from my doubt.
In my view, retiring when you're down a set and a break is inexcusable unless your condition risks being severely exacerbated by continuing.
In no sense was he in danger of worsening whatever his condition was. He could have gutted out 12 more points and take his medicine like a mensch. The ignominy of retiring like that is much more severe in my view than is losing a tennis match.Comment
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Save some face, you know you only got one. -The Killers (applicable to top-level tennis players)
EDIT: Federer telling Djokovic's parents to be quiet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpd23dTcT6cComment
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I take my hat off to Federer for his play yesterday and today. Whatever has been troubling him, he has played manfully these last two days. I even see him starting to work out a clay court strategy for his backhand against Nadal. Now, if he can just get the mental side right for Roland Garros...Comment
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