2015 Wimbledon Championships…ATP 2000…London, Great Britain

[klacr]

Today's match is what the tennis world wants. It's what we want.
Djokovic vs. Federer.
Federer has to be great to beat Djokovic
Djokovic does not have to play his best to beat Federer.
I hope Federer has one last hurrah. This would be epic if he wins another Wimbledon title.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

Don't Stop Me Now…I Want to Break Free!!!

Great song choice.

Queen, David Bowie. Special stuff.

Here's one of my favorite performances not too far away from SW19 in London's Wembley Stadium
https://youtu.be/4-rkJmRiFug?list=RD4-rkJmRiFug

Freddy Mercury would have been a fan of Roger Federer's. Two geniuses just a bit different than everyone else in the same arena of their respective arts. Two geniuses who people will only truly realize their special qualities once gone. Freddy Mercury already is....Roger soon to be. But there is inspiration in their performances. They conjure up a magic about them that cannot be expressed in a quote or a simple soundbite. It is their total body of work and their freedom of style from the mundane and banal that exists around them.
They certainly 'break free' from the norm that exists today, but the mold that formed them was always classic.

https://youtu.be/o-Zo4AVL7AE

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Thanks klacr!!! Beautiful post. By Jove…I think you get it. I'm on a roll…Roger's on a roll…Don't Stop Me Now!!! I'm having a good time...

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

…and I want to break free! In fact…I have broken free.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM8Ss28zjcE

[stroke]

The oddsmakers have Djokovic as a very slight favorite at 7/9, Federer at 20/19. I have a feeling Djokovic is going to feel like he is swimming upstream in this one, Federer in full flight with an adoring crowd behind him. Djokovic is going to looking at his box a lot.

[don_budge]

The 2015 Wimbledon Men's Finals…Roger Federer vs. Novak Djokovic

On the upside the courts are bone dry and playing quick.

Earlier in this thread you said that Roger Federer would not be able to beat Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic in a row to take the title. Now after watching the surgical dissection of Andy in the semis and the further analysis of the Dubai match with Novak Djokovic earlier in the year that you must admit that it is possible.

If the conditions are as you say they are it is definitely in Roger's favor…theoretically. He still has to go out and do it and there isn't any reason why he won't. Maybe one…nerves. But that is the reason why these guys or should I say this guy prepares so thoroughly…to take the nerves out of play. Now it is all about confidence and Federer is a guy who doesn't generally lose his cool in situations like these. But everyone is human…so right now he is in the locker room dealing with his nervous energy. Keeping his balance and measuring his steps…right up to the coin toss.

I hope that you have at least read my analysis of the match in Dubai because it reads like a script now. Right down to his semifinal match in each tournament…at Dubai it was Coric and here it was Murray. Both had their asses handed to them…Federer style. I see this match to be a natural extension and a perfect derivative of the Dubai match. The courts are a little quicker and if you saw the highlight video you can see that it doesn't work in Djokovic's favor any more than it worked in Murray's favor.

If anything the conditions favor Federer even more because the venue is now lawn tennis…it's grass. Federer in some pre-tournament interview was talking about the footwork aspect of playing on grass and how different it is from other surfaces. The thing is…tennis is a game of energy and balance and the movement on lawn tennis is designed to take the player forwards as opposed to side to side. Djokovic is playing side to side and Federer is playing forwards. Advantage Federer.

The finals last year were there for the taking for Roger. But perhaps it was too early in his transition…from playing the modern backcourt game with his smaller racquet to his present more aggressive form with an equal sized racquet to his competition. He wasn't ready to take the bull by the horns and go forwards as much as he needed to. He had Djokovic if he had been ready…the footing was desperately slippery and Djokovic was like a fish out of water. But being the resilient one…he was able to eek it out. Plus it went five sets and the longer this thing goes on the more it may favor Djokovic.

This game is so mental…isn't it? It's so emotional and being able to control your emotions is a big part of it now. These two guys are the top of the game in this regard. Both have proven themselves under the duress of fire and it has be Djokovic who by the virtue of being younger has been able to use this to his advantage.

This is a huge match for both players. The pressure is tremendous and at this level of the game it is that very same pressure that enables these guys to slip into the NEXT gear and put it in over-drive. Federer used to be able to do this at will when he was younger…he would just zoom away from his opponents at a given time in any given match. Djokovic is the same now…he has been bageling the competition going away. It is only about who will be able to maintain the pressure on their opponent now. The conditions are fast and if Federer serves so well he is going to be able to put more pressure on Djokovic's serve. This is grass court tennis. Federer is looking to go forwards and to push Djokovic back on his heels…behind the baseline. If Djokovic starts retreating it may be a long afternoon for him. But it is so close…there is no point in making a prediction.

The conditions certainly give Roger a fighting chance and that is all that he needs and then he is aiming for the jugular. If he sinks his teeth…he isn't going to want to let go. Djokovic is a slippery guy…he won't concede until the last point is won. Just think…at this very moment both players are getting ready. They are summoning on their preparation…their collective preparation. Both are equally prepared and the scales are balanced…it is dead even. If Roger can somehow duplicate the form that he has come across he can do it. He is telling himself in the locker room that there is absolutely no reason why he cannot do it. Djokovic might just have a bit of doubt knowing what he knows. The match in Dubai poses a mental challenge. The quick courts. The pressure that Federer applied. The serve…the forwards surge. Federer might just be able to exploit the weakness in this matchup.

Now they get to play the game.

[stotty]

Length...

For once I am looking at how Djokovic can combat Roger rather than the other way around. It's vital Djokovic finds good length today. The deeper he can keep that ball, the better. He needs to do the basics really well. Roger has to stop Djokovic doing just that...stop him settling into any rhythm.

I still think Roger wins if he can find that semi final form in the final...

[don_budge]

The Slice Backhand…Roger Federer

For once I am looking at how Djokovic can combat Roger rather than the other way around. It's vital Djokovic finds good length today. The deeper he can keep that ball, the better. He needs to do the basics really well. Roger has to stop Djokovic doing just that...stop him settling into any rhythm.

I still think Roger wins if he can find that semi final form in the final...

Depth is a very important issue. Federer needs to use the slice backhand in order to vary his length and keep Djokovic off balance. It is going to be one of the most important "intangibles".

[stotty]

6-6...incredible standard so far.

[stotty]

Roger did well to nick that second set....against the run of play. His serve kept him in it. Djokovic would have steamrollered the third.

Still a long way to go...

Was it me or did was Roger moving a little slower than normal across the expanse? He could be getting tired...

[stotty]

Rain delay...good...I need break from the tension. Roger could do with the break too.

I am just amazed it's 1 set all....amazing Roger pulled that second set out of the bag.

[stotty]

Federer just folded in the end and you cannot blame him. Djokovic is just so relentless, so good at the back of the court. As Klacr suggested it might, it came down to the points won on second serves. Federer lost over half the points behind his second serve.

[klacr]

I actually missed the match. Been on court all day with USPTA testing and Certification. Will catch the replay tonight. Figured Roger could not have repeat performance of the semifinal. Djokovic better than Murray to begin with. Djokovic, for all his boring style and neutralizing capabilities and lack of net skills, is a DAMN good player. He's really something special. The way he rebounds from a momentum swing, a break of serve or a loss of a set is something I've never seen before. 99.9% of players would be reeling after losing that 2nd set, Djokovic gets back to work and gets stronger. That's something we should all wish in our students. Adversity. Toughness. Having the confidence to get yourself back into it after a bad moment. Djokovic is many things, a weak and fragile player he is not.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[johnyandell]

I don't usually butt into these threads. But I note the incredible graciousness of both players afterwards. Inspiring.

[don_budge]

2015 Wimbledon Men's Singles Champion…Novak Djokovic

I actually missed the match. Been on court all day with USPTA testing and Certification. Will catch the replay tonight. Figured Roger could not have repeat performance of the semifinal. Djokovic better than Murray to begin with. Djokovic, for all his boring style and neutralizing capabilities and lack of net skills, is a DAMN good player. He's really something special. The way he rebounds from a momentum swing, a break of serve or a loss of a set is something I've never seen before. 9.9% of plaers would be reeling after losing that 2nd set, Djokovic gets back to work and gets stronger. That's something we should all wish in our students. Adversity. Toughness. Having the confidence to get yourself back into it after a bad moment. Djokovic is many things, a weak and fragile player he is not.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA

I believe that is the official end of a day gone by. I was going to say the end of an era but I had to pinch my self and realize that the era was done some 35 years ago. I feel like the last kid to stop believing in Santa Claus…which I was by the way. Roger Federer made an admirable challenge for the crown once again but he was defeated by a younger, faster and stronger opponent. Maybe not necessarily a better tennis player…but Novak Djokovic is the champion.

This doesn't make Novak Djokovic a one dimensional player. Novak plays the defence superbly and he is always a threat to attack from the back court. The point is that he isn't a threat in the forecourt and this is a major flaw in the design. He lacks true confidence in the forecourt and at one point he let a ball bounce well inside the baseline that he could have easily volleyed. An accomplished volleyer will almost never do such a thing.

Yes klacr…Djokovic is all of that. The word that I have come up to describe him is resilient. Slippery too. He is never out of a given point until the ball has bounced twice. He is never out of a match until the last point has been scored. He is a lot of things…but a complete tennis player he is not.

Roger did well to nick that second set....against the run of play. His serve kept him in it. Djokovic would have steamrollered the third.

Still a long way to go...

Was it me or did was Roger moving a little slower than normal across the expanse? He could be getting tired...

He was moving a lot slower. It was hard to watch. He was working on his arm as well…there was a lot of misery in his face virtually the whole match. He didn't have the juice that he had against Murray. Late in the third set they posted that he had run at least 7% more than Djokovic at that point. He was feeling it. He has a lot of miles on him and Djokovic was in control and he was jerking Federer around the court at will. Roger desperately needed to take that first set…he was up a break too.

Roger didn't seem to have his legs under him at all. His serve, that was so perfect in the semis, was suddenly a bit more mediocre and Djokovic was tagging the returns. He had a look at many more second balls than Murray did. Djokovic for his part had total control of his service game. When ever he was in trouble he referred to the "Gonzalez Rules" and served himself out of trouble. He took great care of his service game. He was so in control it seemed that he almost handed Roger the second set…it was a gift.

In the end…it is the end of a story. A story that I was writing. I dreamed of a time when I was a boy and I had a love affair with the game of tennis. I joke a lot that it may have kept me out of jail…when my friends were getting in trouble I was in early because I had a match the next day. I had a dream that all was good in the world…even though the Vietnam war was at my doorstep calling my name to serve. Not to worry…I still had tennis.

Roger Federer represented all that I loved about tennis. He in his tennis whites. He looks like a tennis player. Well you know the story…I just told it to you in a round about way. It only took me 2,800 posts (2,796 to be exact)…along the way I touched on various other subjects. But Roger played the starring role because he was the last remaining link in the classic game that I grew up loving as a boy and young man. I just wanted to tell this story to all of the young people out there…just some food for thought. I didn't mean any harm.

Wimbledon is different now. It's hard to imagine that years ago the wear of the court was on the way to the net, whereas now it is behind the baseline. Oh well…things change. Though not necessarily for the better. Roger certainly had his difficulties making his way forwards…Djokovic was just too good. Too fast. Too resilient. But one thing left for me to think about…what if Roger had been able to bring Novak in more often. He didn't look very comfortable at the net or transitioning. In fact…he looked awful. I will never understand either why Roger didn't use the slice backhand more. Stefan Edberg should have given him instructions to use it at least 50% of the time. Novak rarely…and I mean almost never hurts Federer as a direct result of playing a slice backhand. But he hurts him routinely when his topspin drive falls in the middle of the court and Novak is pounding it into the corners. Just a thought. The quicker conditions never materialised…the ball was sitting up from the very beginning. One of the announcers mentioned it was a bit colder…on this particular day. The weather thwarted "The Man" as well as did Djokovic.

After Federer there won't be much concern about playing the net as the game stands now. The way that it has been engineered. I'm glad that he switched to a bigger racquet for his last couple of years…it enabled him to be competitive for a while longer. There aren't any players that will be able to do what Roger did on the tennis court. This sort of tennis is not being taught anymore. Some laugh at my teaching paradigm…"Bill Tilden is the book. Richard Gonzalez is the model with the Don Budge backhand. Harry Hopman is the coach and Roger Federer is the living proof." It doesn't bother me when others laugh. Or howl. People are people. The bar isn't that high generally speaking.

So the story goes…I am stepping out the door to go play golf. They are laughing at my golf equipment too…but they certainly can admire the swing.

The End

Respectfully yours…

don_budge

[GeoffWilliams]

The worst back handing I've ever seen him do in a big match, or any non Nadal match. Fh too many ues. Too many missed first serves on big points, all signs of nerves and trying to do something he could not. He will never win another slam now. Age gets us all. Too bad he never hired me to work on that back hand, and lifting his hitting foot.

[gzhpcu]

He played an incredible match against Murray, played well all rounds. Hit great backhands against Murray.

Djokovic was shaky against Anderson.

They are all human. Djokovic was supposed to win against Stan.

Had Federer won the first set, who knows?

I am wary of armchair analysts...