Whassup with Federer?

[lukman41985]

Rafa is just one hell of a fighter.

This was a HUGE week for Federer despite not winning. He had nice leads in both sets but gave both up.

I think he's confident he's made some progress against Nadal despite the loss. Sounds like he played a different match and just choked a little. Not a big deal. There's still time until Roland Garros.

Onto Rome!

Shame on Djokovic...I dislike this guy and his parents.

[uspta146749877]

stategy?

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...

What was the strategy?
Slice?

[uspta146749877]

espn.com/tennis comments

This is baffling. First, Djokovic says no mas!, I'm dizzy, then the curse of the UEs strikes Federer again -- a total of 44, to 23 winners, after feebley having given away his final service game. And it wasn't as if he was trying to hit winners off most of those 44. Otherwise, he played well, aggressively, going to net a lot, but blew a 4-0 lead in the second set.

Score was 7-5, 7-5, Nadal, who hit 15 winners and 20 UEs. How long until he becomes no. 1? With him, you know what you're going to get, every time.

see

http://www.tennis.com/news/news.aspx?id=127508

[ochi]

in case you don't get Tennis Channel...

This is baffling. First, Djokovic says no mas!, I'm dizzy, then the curse of the UEs strikes Federer again -- a total of 44, to 23 winners, after feebley having given away his final service game. And it wasn't as if he was trying to hit winners off most of those 44. Otherwise, he played well, aggressively, going to net a lot, but blew a 4-0 lead in the second set.

Score was 7-5, 7-5, Nadal, who hit 15 winners and 20 UEs. How long until he becomes no. 1? With him, you know what you're going to get, every time.

[crosscourt]

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...

[lukman41985]

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=fpd23dTcT6c

[oliensis]

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.

[ochi]

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.

[lukman41985]

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:

[ochi]

"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)

[lukman41985]

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...

[ochi]

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.

[lukman41985]

A picture after his win against Nalbandian...

Says it all: http://cache3.asset-cache.net/xc/808...4831B75F48EF45

[ochi]

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.

[oliensis]

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.