2015 Swiss Indoors…ATP 500…Basel, Switzerland

[don_budge]

Roger Federer in the House! That makes it a real tennis tournament. I get it now…he was in need of a rest when he lost to what's his name in Shanghai last week. He wanted to be fit as a fiddle for his homies in Basel. Afterall…they have anted up to his "outrageous" demands in appearance money.

Stan Wawrinka also in the house. Wouldn't it be nice to see an all Swiss final at the Swiss Indoors? gzhpcu?

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/scores/current/basel/328/draws

[gzhpcu]

Federer donated his start money of 500,000.00 Swiss francs to his foundation for needy African children.

[don_budge]

The Swiss Franc…and the American Dollar

Federer donated his start money of 500,000.00 Swiss francs to his foundation for needy African children.

One Swiss franc equals 1.02 American dollars. What a guy…he never lets you down. But I wonder…are there any needy Swiss children?

[klacr]

This draw is absolutely stacked. Some of the first round match-ups are pretty juicy.
Gulbis-Isner
Seppi-Goffin
Anderson-Coric
Stakhovsky-Dimitrov
Nadal-Rosol
Wawrinka-Karlovic

Not easy

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[gzhpcu]

One Swiss franc equals 1.02 American dollars. What a guy…he never lets you down. But I wonder…are there any needy Swiss children?

Yes there are, but not in such poverty as the African children...

[klacr]

Rosol taking it to Nadal 6-1. Robin Haase doing same to Austrian Dominic Thiem at 6-0. Each in first set.


First set: Rosol won 26 points to Nadal's 9. Only Nadal return point came on a double-fault.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[eaglesburg]

Yes there are, but not in such poverty as the African children...

+1

[don_budge]

Fafa Nadal and Dominic the Dominator...

Rosol taking it to Nadal 6-1. Robin Haase doing same to Austrian Dominic Thiem at 6-0. Each in first set.


First set: Rosol won 26 points to Nadal's 9. Only Nadal return point came on a double-fault.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Both Nadal and Theim turned around the deficits and came back in the third sets to advance to the second round. When you're behind…you gotta "hang loose".

After seeing your post I tuned into the Nadal match in the second set. Rosol was up a break the entire set it seems and served for the match at 5-4 or 5-3…I'm not sure which. But he couldn't buy a first serve. Strange to arrive at the moment of truth and not have the tools to finish the job.

For Rosol's part he hammers the forehand and the serve. In fact…he pretty much hammers everything. There isn't anything subtle about his approach to the game. But there he was…poised to get the horse in the barn and he became unsaddled. He tried for big booming serves every single time and missed every single time.

Nadal looked very vulnerable. After Nadal broke serve to even the second set I went to bed…lulled to sleep by the monotony of things. Not to mention my own physical fatigue. Good night…Irene.

[don_budge]

Roger Federe to the Rescue...

Just by showing up he rescues a tournament. No wonder the appearance fees…which he can do with as he pleases. He has no constituents that he is responsible for.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nevb9-kwuVg

Here is Roger schooling a touring pro veteran…Mikeal Kukushkin. This guy is no slouch but Roger brushes him aside like a step child. Just in this short highlight clip you can see why a person might just say that he is the "Living Proof" of a all encompassing historical coaching paradigm such as…"Bill Tilden is the book. Richard Gonzalez is the model with the Don Budge backhand. Harry Hopman is the coach. Roger is the living proof." Roger puts on a display of tennis that no other tennis professional in the world can match. Topspin, underspin, volley, half-volley, serve and volley with viable serve tactics...full court tactics! Connect the dots…the three little magic dots and you can see for yourself. It is true.

Philipp Kohlschreiber next on the agenda…a three set winner over the ex-golden boy hopeful of tennis_chiro (mine too) Jerzy Janowicz. Grigor Dimitrov versus Rafael Nadal in the marquis matchup.

[klacr]

Good display by Federer. Sadly, It's not Kukushkin that Roger has problems with, It's Djokovic. Federer's all court game is sublime. Really a beauty to watch. Federer's game should be required viewing for all tennis students.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stroke]

Nobody looks like Fed out there, and I don't think anyone ever will, the ultimate dancer out there. He looks to be a big favorite here without Novak in draw. I just wish someone other than Mary Carillo was doing the commentating.

[bottle]

Whatsamatter, you don' like Italians?

[klacr]

Wawrinka out. Karlovic takes another scalp on account of his big serving and relentless pressure. Wawrinka up a set and a break. But he blinked and Karlovic never looked back.

Watching Dimitrov-Nadal. Dimitrov up an early break, Let's see if the Bulgarian can manage the Nadal comeback, because you know it's gonna happen.


Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[klacr]

quarterfinal friday

Federer-Goffin
Gasquet-Karlovic
Cilic-Nadal
Sock-Young

Cilic-Nadal the match-up of the day. Nadal made like Houdini and escaped his first two matches against Rosol and Dimitrov. Can he do it against Cilic?

Federer and Goffin may be the most entertaining. The ball striking, the balance, the all court ability.

Karlovic-Gasquet is putting Basel crowd to sleep.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[klacr]

Semi Saturday

Karlovic-Gasquet turned out to be an exciting match...for the last 4 points of the 3rd set tie-breaker! The first 2 hours and 25 minutes of the match could have put an insomniac to sleep

Nadal escapes again. Cilic had him. Up a set, a break and momentum on the Croatian's side. This is the 3rd match in a row Nadal escapes what looked like a defeat. Say what you want about Rafa, his antics, his mannerisms, his game, but the guy is a competitor.

Jack Sock vs. Donald young. Two of the best players in American tennis. Well, that's what they say anyways. Nothing special in this match. Sock won it, but neither player played or executed to their full potential.

Federer-Goffin. A popcorn match for sure. Great shotmaking, all-court play, forays into the net from both men. Federer ran away with it in 3rd set after hiccup in 2nd set. Goffin has some game. Enough game to lead his home country of Belgium into the Davis Cup finals this year. No easy feat.

All 4 quarterfinal matches went 3 sets.

Today's semis
Nadal-Gasquet
Federer-Sock.

Basel crowd may get a treat and see Fed vs. Nadal on Sunday.
Not sure which Gasquet will show up against Nadal today. That is the wild card.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton