Ferderer betrayed by his forehand

[uspta146749877]

---> a quote from www.espn.com/tennis
Federer was betrayed by his forehand, long touted as the game's best. It was the biggest culprit during the match's pivotal stretch bridging the second and third sets, when he lost 24 of 28 points and seven consecutive games.

Federer shanked at least half a dozen forehands and blamed the breeze, a staple at Key Biscayne.

"I definitely struggled with my timing," he said. "You kind of try hard, and then it's just not working. Today it is different just because there's so much wind. Once you start feeling bad, it's kind of tough to regroup."

Federer kicked a ball in frustration after one errant forehand, and two games later he took out his anger on his racket. The startled crowd jeered at first, then reconsidered its reaction as he trudged to his chair and unwrapped a new racket. When he walked back to the baseline, fans roared, and they were firmly in his corner the rest of the way.

Despite the support, the Federer forehand kept misfiring down the stretch, including twice in the final game before he sailed a backhand long on match point.

Federer has endured wrenching defeats in recent Grand Slams, including a loss in February at the Australian Open that left him sobbing. But he has also struggled in Masters events, the ATP Tour's most prestigious tournaments aside from the majors.

With the Key Biscayne defeat, he came up short of a title at his 13th Masters tournament in a row since August 2007. The drought is one reason his 4½-year reign atop the rankings ended last summer, when he was overtaken by Rafael Nadal.

Federer, who hasn't won any title since October, now heads to Europe to play on clay, his least-favorite surface. Or maybe it's now hard court.

"I haven't been winning 20 tournaments in a row, so nobody expects me to win really," Federer said. "It has been a tough last year or so, especially on the hard courts. My game never really clicked. Thank God the hard-court season is over."

[airforce1]

amazing,
no mention of who he played in all that?

[ochi]

Djoker must have been mentioned earlier in that account. He wasn't playing well, either -- 17 UEs to Federer's 47. This is nothing new. Federer has, by my rough count, been averaging 15 UEs per set for almost two years, excepting a few matches here and there. It's tiresome to keep hearing about his great forehand, based on his great form and ability to hit some winners. You'd think that such a brilliant player would fix the problem(s). What coach would let him keep hitting long and wide? The odd, and notable, thing about last night's match was that he was botching volleys and backhands, too, and not serving at his best. It's hard for me to root for him anymore, because of his Blake-like letdowns and funks.

[uspta146749877]

Fed vs Djokovic

amazing,
no mention of who he played in all that?

Very sorry I did NOT say

[ochi]

Okay, what's the glitch(s)?

Would one of you technically astute people please tell me what Federer is doing wrong? Thirty-one UEs in his two-set loss to Wawrinka, 22 of them forehands, and five bad ones in the seventh game alone! On slow clay, yet. Chris Wilkinson remarked that he kept hitting harder, as if that would solve his problem. Surely, someone can study the high-speed videos and see the glitch(s). I can't, because I'm still using an old Windows 98SE on dial-up. High time I got DSL and a Mac.

For two years, it has seemed as if no one is willing to critically analyze Federer's vaunted forehand. What a drag.

[uspta146749877]

Fed vs Wawrinka

Wawrinka upsets Federer in third roundComment Email Print Share Associated Press

MONACO -- Roger Federer lost to Olympic gold-medal doubles partner Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4, 7-5 on Thursday in the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters.





Federer looked sloppy throughout the match and faced 14 break points.

"I was making a few too many errors. That kind of gave him the advantage," Federer said. "I guess it was Stan's game. He did a good job today. He kept the ball in play."

Wawrinka set up his first match point with a deep shot into the corner that the second-seeded Federer failed to return. He clinched the match with a backhand pass down the line.

Federer, who needs one more Grand Slam title to equal Pete Sampras' record of 14 majors, was unhappy with his forehand and serve.

"Today, definitely, my serve wasn't working. I haven't served my best throughout the season, so I have to make sure I get my serve back in," Federer said. "Because I just don't hit the spots when I really want to."

The 13th-seeded Wawrinka, who plays alongside Federer on Switzerland's Davis Cup team, will next meet qualifier Andreas Beck of Germany in the quarterfinals.

"I am a bit embarrassed to celebrate it," Wawrinka said.

Federer looked shaky from the start, saving a break point in his opening service game, before Wawrinka got the decisive break in the seventh game. Federer then sent an easy forehand into the net to give Wawrinka the first set.

The two players traded breaks to open the second set. Federer, who accepted a wild card to play in the tournament after originally planning to skip the clay-court event, had to save two more break points at 15-40 in the seventh game as Wawrinka pressured his unusually weak forehand.

Wawrinka then needed another four chances before breaking Federer again in the 11th game to serve for the match at 6-5. Although Wawrinka wobbled, Federer wasted two break points and failed to force a tiebreaker.

Federer was playing in his first tournament since marrying longtime girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec on Saturday.

Also, seventh-seeded Fernando Verdasco beat No. 10 David Ferrer 6-2, 6-1 in an all-Spanish match, and Beck rallied to beat Juan Monaco of Argentina 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.

A heavy rainstorm interrupted fourth-seeded Andy Murray's match against Italian qualifier Fabio Fognini. Murray rallied from 0-5 down to win the first set 7-6 (11), and he led 1-0, 40-all with Fognini serving before rain and hail came down.

[djlancejordan]

"Today, definitely, my serve wasn't working. I haven't served my best throughout the season, so I have to make sure I get my serve back in," Federer said. "Because I just don't hit the spots when I really want to."

I think this quote contains the answer to "what's fed's problem"?
Right now, it's his mind set that is the problem. It's his lack of belief
and perhaps a lack of hunger. He was at the top for so long and had
the intimidation factor working in his favor for so long that it must
be a huge mental/emotional challenge for him right now.

I would imagine there must be a lot of doubt in his mind now whenever
he walks on the court. And to the opposite side of that coin, more and more top players walk on the court thinking they can beat this guy, or at least let him beat himself. I seriously doubt that Federer has developed "flaws" in his strokes. However I'm almost certain the problem lies in what's going on in his head at any given moment.

Take into consideration he has his first child on the way, and has just gotten married, there's probably part of him that has shifted focus on what's the most important thing in his life. For a very long time tennis was without a doubt at the top of his list. But at 27 years old I would imagine he has some other things on his mind. Everyone I talk to thinks he needs a coach, not to help him with his strokes, but with his mental game.

[ochi]

It sure seems you've got it right. It was sad to see him lose to the Djocker today in Rome. He led by a set and, after a rain delay, it appeared he would go up a second break in the second set. But no! He poured on the UEs, reaching a total of 42 by the time it was over. He said he gave it away. Think about that. Novak had 39 UEs, but he was going for more, and hit more winners.

This topic is worn out.

[uspta1803569178]

I'll throw in two quick suggestions to his on-going problem to the worn out topic. I would offer up grip and racquet as leading causes. As a younger man he was able to get away with a mild semi-western grip (strong eastern???), but is finding it difficult to manage the height and rotation of todays balls. Could be that he is getting older or that the players are hitting higher and with greater RPM's??? Compounding all of this is that 90 Sq In frame with a sweet spot the size of a 1/2 dollar.

[uspta146749877]

A sweet spot of the Federer's racket

I'll throw in two quick suggestions to his on-going problem to the worn out topic. I would offer up grip and racquet as leading causes. As a younger man he was able to get away with a mild semi-western grip (strong eastern???), but is finding it difficult to manage the height and rotation of todays balls. Could be that he is getting older or that the players are hitting higher and with greater RPM's??? Compounding all of this is that 90 Sq In frame with a sweet spot the size of a 1/2 dollar.

Hi,
a sweet spot of his frame is NOT as small as generally believed.
You may see

http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/contours.html

The article
Robert Lansdorp On Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
this issue of Tennisplayer provides
some insight about quality of Nadal shots.

See

http://www.tennisplayer.net/bulletin/showthread.php?t=1295

as well

julian mielniczuk
uspta certified pro 27873
juliantennis@comcast.net

https://www.julianmielniczuk.usptapro.com

[airforce1]

Federer said. "Because I just don't hit the spots when I really want to."

I think this quote contains the answer to "what's fed's problem"?
Right now, it's his mind set that is the problem.

Everyone I talk to thinks he needs a coach, not to help him with his strokes, but with his mental game.

I agree it with above, but think the problem is mainly a form of shot tolerance. He used to counter-punch so well with the top players and pound on the weaker ones.

Now he has believed the hype and thinks he should just pound on everyone!

[airforce1]

---> a quote from www.espn.com/tennis
Federer was betrayed by his forehand, long touted as the game's best. It was the biggest culprit during the match's pivotal stretch bridging the second and third sets, when he lost 24 of 28 points and seven consecutive games.

My game never really clicked. Thank God the hard-court season is over."

I'd say Fed has betrayed his FH, NOt the other way around. He asks too much of it in the form of pace and proximity to the lines, from very challenging positions on the court.