2017 Shanghai Rolex Masters...ATP 1000...Shanghai, China

[don_budge]

And now it is officially a tournament. In my book. Roger Federer is set to begin play tomorrow so the tournament has at least a bit of intrigue. He looks to be a shoe in to the semifinals where he might possibly meet Juan Martin Del Potro, Dominic Thiem or Alexander Zverev. What the hell...let's give him a shoe in to the finals where he will meet Rafael Nadal. Roger should be licking his chops looking forwards to this match up. If not him...there are a few others that are. He should be well rested. He will get in some good swings on the way there. It gives the tennis world something to look forwards to. To talk about.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/scores/current/shanghai/5014/draws

[stotty]

It is officially tournament, but not much of a one. At least now we are at the semi final stage something vaguely interesting may happen, but doubt it. I sometimes think Gasquet should just go out there with a white flag and have done with it. He is 3-43 down against the Big 3 and all three of those victories had a story behind them.

I haven't seen any of Roger's matches but his scorelines suggest he is not as efficient as usual...yet. Nadal has looked pretty good so far.

I must admit a Rafa v Roger final would be the best outcome.

[stroke]

I saw the Fed Gasquet match. I think Gasquet played very well and fought the entire match. Very professional. Roger just played like Roger, simply a better player. They had some really good rallies, great shotmaking from both players.

[stroke]

Oddsmakers have Nadal slight favorite vs Roger in final. Obviously, should be a good one.

[gzhpcu]

The more I watch these matches, the more I grow to appreciate the Connors, Borg, Nastase, McEnroe era. thank god for Youtube...

[stotty]

The more I watch these matches, the more I grow to appreciate the Connors, Borg, Nastase, McEnroe era. thank god for Youtube...

The game is desperate for some new players to come through. Thiem, Kyrgios, Zverez have been threatening to break through, but have done nothing on a sustained basis.

The current top twenty players, who seem to have been the same players for a decade, seem mostly resigned to the fact they cannot beat any of the Big 4 when they are on form. Shanghai has been dull because you know what the outcome is going to be. The final, however, might be interesting.

The players you mention were all-round players. Even Borg was actually quite decent in the forecourt and could serve volley well. Nastase and McEnroe were enthralling even if they weren't the nicest or best behaved players on the block. Who wouldn't miss that crowd?

[don_budge]

The more I watch these matches, the more I grow to appreciate the Connors, Borg, Nastase, McEnroe era. thank god for Youtube...

Yeah...take a look at the draw sheets from those old U. S. Open tournaments you posted on. 128 players of trouble. Everyone of them were a threat. There weren't any gimmes.

Oddsmakers have Nadal slight favorite vs Roger in final. Obviously, should be a good one.

The "oddsmakers" seem to know something about something...don't they?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CONolH9bZZw

Speaking of old U. S. Opens...in the 2017 U. S. Open Roger Federer had a shot of reaching the semifinals to play Rafael Nadal but he lost to Juan Martin Del Potro in the quarters. His comments after the match were atypical of Roger...it was as if he didn't really want to face "El Knucklehead" at that point. He had beaten him three times in a row and did not seem to be fit or sharp enough to take him on. So he didn't. There was some rather strange play in the Del Potro match as well. One never knows these days...the line is blurred between what really is and what it appears to be.

But that being said here we are and we have ourselves something to behold and we can only hope it doesn't disappoint. Nadal seems to be in top form and the jury is out a bit on Roger.

[don_budge]

Even Borg was actually quite decent in the forecourt and could serve volley well.

Yes he was quite decent. He actually won five Wimbledon's in a row. On the old grass. Serve and volley on both first and second serves...most of the time.

[don_budge]

Roger Federer wins 6-4, 6-3. Nice little ass kicking of the butt picking Kid. I like Nadal more and more these days as he loses more and more to Federer.

Quicker court favors the player with more options.

[klacr]

Federer was Betterer.

This was the first time in their rivalry that a player has won two finals in a row over the other in straight sets.
Federer has won 7 straight sets and 4 straight finals against Nadal.

Nadal has not broken Federer's serve since the 5th set of the Australian Open final.

Most wins on a single surface
Federer - Hard Courts 700 (First player to win 700 matches on a single surface)
Vilas - Clay Courts 660
Agassi - Hard Courts 612
Connors - Hard Courts 547
Navratilova - Carpet 512
Djokovic - Hard Courts 508

*Note: Nadal has 389 wins on Clay

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[bottle]

A great thing happened.

[don_budge]

Federer was Betterer.

This was the first time in their rivalry that a player has won two finals in a row over the other in straight sets.
Federer has won 7 straight sets and 4 straight finals against Nadal.

Nadal has not broken Federer's serve since the 5th set of the Australian Open final.

Most wins on a single surface
Federer - Hard Courts 700 (First player to win 700 matches on a single surface)
Vilas - Clay Courts 660
Agassi - Hard Courts 612
Connors - Hard Courts 547
Navratilova - Carpet 512
Djokovic - Hard Courts 508

*Note: Nadal has 389 wins on Clay

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Federer also tied Ivan Lendl with 94 tour wins. He still trails Jimmy Connors with 109. Super achievement for the one player remaining with the balls to play real tennis. Nadal was standing a full three meters behind the baseline to receive the Federer serve. This is a failing strategy for Nadal as he hasn't broken the Federer serve since the final down in Australia.

[don_budge]

Oddsmakers have Nadal slight favorite vs Roger in final. Obviously, should be a good one.

Oddsmakers missed this one. Roger pulled a fast one. Particularly on the serve. He was winning his serve so routinely. Playing to the score. Knowing where he stood at each and every juncture.

[arturohernandez]

I only got to see the highlights. But from that it reinforced what seems to be a trend. The days of just trying to bash balls from deep in the court will slowly change. Basically, players these days try to rip their way through opponents. Very few can play tactically and try to win points by moving them around. Federer hits the ball very nicely. But the younger players are just walls looking to outhit everyone.

My only hope is Shapovalov.

[stotty]

I think Carlos Moya is on Roger's payroll.

When you compare Rafa's court positioning, especially on return of serve, compared to the days when he dominated Roger, there is a marked difference. He will never break Roger's serve again if he keeps with the same tactic. It was also suicide when he lost to Muller earlier this year at Wimbledon. He keeps doing it though, standing miles behind the baseline, and he also spends far less time as a result working inside the baseline. He used to be so mauling when he was working inside the baseline, so destructive.

The fact he won the US Open is testament the phenomenon he is more than anything else. He won a grand slam whilst leaving himself wide open. Incredible.

I'd fire Moya tomorrow.

Bring Rafa closer to the baseline on returns and in rallies and get him to be far more aggressive and you will have a Rafa more like the Rafa of old.

I think Rafa himself is probably a bit thick.