2017 U. S. Open Championships...ATP 2000...New York, New York, U. S. A.

[don_budge]

Rather uncharacteristic interview and comments with Roger Federer after his loss to Juan Martin Del Potro. Almost as if he wasn't up to playing Nadal in the semi finals.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/tennis/us-open/roger-federer-and-juan-martin-del-potro-react-after-epic-us-open-quarterfinal/news-story/f44b82393499971d496329b1f5fccd24

“It happens. I don’t know. It’s hard to explain sometimes,” Federer said. “You do the right things and he does too and it matches up badly your way. I don’t think I played badly. It didn’t go my way.” As for the four squandered set points in the tie-breaker, Federer said, “I don’t think those four points made all the difference. I missed too many balls."

“He came up with the goods and I helped him sometimes maybe.” Federer said in some ways he wasn’t disappointed because he knew his game was weaker than it looked, having been aided by playing three rivals in a row who are a combined 0-40 against him.

“It has been a tough tournament. I struggled,” Federer said. “If I ran into a good guy I knew I was going to lose. And going in I knew I’m not in a safe place.

“I’m out of this tournament because I wasn’t good enough in my mind, my body and my game.”

“I feel like the way I’m playing right now it’s not good enough to win this tournament. It’s better I’m out and somebody else gets a chance to win.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSmHSou6Hn8

[don_budge]

Roger Federer versus Juan Martin Del Potro...U. S. Open Quarterfinals 2017

I saw the match. Delpo's forehand is a weapon. Federer hit to the weapon. End of story. Game over. Turn out the lights, party is over.
Fed had set points in 3rd set breaker but once he lost that, writing was on the wall

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

It was another strange performance by Roger Federer...reminiscent of his recent lost to Alexander Zverev in Montreal. I got up at 3 AM here in Sweden to watch it. The first set was on serve until Roger was serving to stay in the set at 5-6. All he had to do was hold serve to nudge it into the tiebreak. Bad sign number one...Roger wasn't sitting down for the allotted time in between side changes. I have never once seen him do that over the years and as you know...I keep a pretty close eye on things. There was a reason for this but so far Roger isn't talking. Somebody let me know when the story leaks out about his back. Federer was not contesting points beyond his grasp. Normally he is like some kind of bull terrier that won't let go but here he was meekly attempting to make returns of serve and after a couple of feeble attempts conceding games to Del Potro. Very un-Federer like.

But the really telling sign came in the decisive service game. Roger serving to get into a tie-break? Come on...this is almost a given on any decent night. I cannot remember the sequence of points but he was missing the first serve when he needed it most. Normally this is where the Federer serve motion is at its best...but it let him down here. It sort of seems to desert him in matches like these. Inexplicably. But the ultimate mind fart occurred on set point to Del Potro. Federer missed the first serve and then he followed up that with a dismal serve and volley attempt on the second serve which Del Potro calmly ripped past him. Federer basically conceded the first set on his service game. Terrible beginning.

Somehow though he managed to regroup and won the second set with an early break of serve. This was a strange set as well. After the service break in a match like this normally Federer is fighting for another service break. He wants to consolidate in his lead. But here he was almost deliberately missing returns in order to get the ball back in his hands so that he could try to serve out the set...which he managed to do. Del Potro served with new balls at 2-5 and Federer barely made any effort at all to return serve. It was almost as if he didn't want to use the balls so that he could try to serve it out with new balls himself. Normally it would seem that he would try to break Del Potro at that point in order to begin the next set serving.

The third set was to me a sign to go to bed and read about it the next day. Why stay up all night just to get the bad news? As it turned out the disrupted sleep was better than losing the whole nights sleep. Federer lost his first serve and Del Potro held after that to make it three for the big guy. At this point I saw the handwriting on the wall. It didn't look to me as if Federer was up to the task. This whole match had that "Montreal Final" feel to it. As it turned out though Federer did manage to get back in the set but flubbed the tie break which I subsequently saw the next morning on the EuroSport repeat here. The whole tie-breaker was surreal. I had read that Federer had lost by this point and I knew he had lost the third set in a tie-breaker but here it was before my very eyes and judging from the play I began to doubt that Del Potro had really won the tie-break in the third set. Federer was in command the entire tie-break. He was up the service break the entire time and Del Potro was only scratching and clawing to hang around. It seemed to me that Federer had three set points or so and he was serving for at least two of them. This looked to me to be a routine tie-break Federer Style but in the end it was Del Potro who prevailed. I really had a hard time believing my eyes. I still don't understand how Federer managed to lost that one.

I didn't see the fourth set and I don't think I need to see it. The only thing I would possibly like to see would be the hand shake after the match. I had a dream after I went to bed when I had given up on Roger. Del Potro after winning stripped down to his underwear which was of the same Nike print as his outfit. He was in the stands with his Argentine compatriots and they were dousing the sweaty "Jolly Green Argentine" with beer so that he was just a big sweaty beer doused "Plodisaurus". It isn't like me to give up on Roger mid match but the writing was clearly on the wall and as usual...I made the right decision. I doubled down on some sleep and waited for the bad news until morning.

I read a couple of different articles and was sort of surprised at some of the comments attributed to Federer. It didn't sound like him at all. I have a hard time believing that was the REAL Roger Federer out there against Juan Martin Del Potro but I am fairly convinced that those are the real scores on the draw sheet. Federer did not want to play Nadal. Bottom line.

[klacr]

I saw the match. Delpo's forehand is a weapon. Federer hit to the weapon. End of story. Game over. Turn out the lights, party is over.
Fed had set points in 3rd set breaker but once he lost that, writing was on the wall

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

It's always the way when Stotty wants a given match-up to happen....something or someone gets in the way. I didn't see the match. I assume Del Potro's forehand was enormous and all other parts of his game must have clicked into place too.

[stotty]

Nadal routs Rublev. That might have put the wind up Roger if he were watching.

Let's hope Roger dispatches the weary one with equal aplomb...no surprises please.

I want a Roger/Rafa semi. I want both players cranked right up to full throttle for it. I may even place a bet.

[stotty]

It certainly looks like only 2 possible players that can stop the inimitable Roger. An in form Nadal forehand or possibly Sam serving lights out. Roger will of course be the favorite in any matchup.

Del Potro is a real threat. If Roger is a little off like he was in rounds 1 and 2, he could easily lose to Del Potro. People can argue all day about who has the best forehand in the world but there is no argument about who hits it the hardest. When Del Potro unleashes a forehand it's the fastest moving ball you will ever see. Coupled with the stroke being technically good, Del Potro is a bloody strong bloke....so a double whammy.

That said, I hope he loses in three. Del Potro is one player I don't like watching.

The Del Potro/Thiem match was interesting. Would you choose the start a match like a bat of of hell or let the game come to you and gradually reach maximum capacity?

[stroke]

It certainly looks like only 2 possible players that can stop the inimitable Roger. An in form Nadal forehand or possibly Sam serving lights out. Roger will of course be the favorite in any matchup.

[don_budge]

It's Federer's to win...Roger vs. Anybody

Well no surprises from Kohlschreiber then....

At 0-42 it begs the question should we even put these players in the draw. Perhaps they should just go out with a white flag and have done with it.

It's only the youngsters that have punctured the old guard in recent times, certainly none of the old establishment can do it.

I see the weary one defeated Thiem last night. That was one strange match.

No surprises...except perhaps at how well "The Living Proof" of my tennis teaching paradigm performed. Lacking the preparation for this years U. S. Open that he would have optimally desired he has had to rely on tuning up on the field. He appears to be as fit as a fiddle. Ever since Montreal there has been a question mark about Federer's fitness. He looked a little sloppy against Alexander Zverev only to find out that he was injured...his back had flared up. He was dumping routine backhands in the net the whole match.

Francis Tiafoe was teeing off on Federer in the first round here and it was the experience and the approach to the game that allowed Roger to skirt disaster in that one. Tiafoe was really taking the initiative and playing with a sort of wild abandon with nothing to lose. Roger looked really vulnerable once more against Mikael Youzhney in the second round...perhaps even more so than the first. Another player with nothing to lose...except one more match to an opponent that he was 0-16 against. Was Vita Gerulaitis that said...nobody beats me 17 times in a row? Something like that.

Roger is 11-0 against the remaining opponents in the bottom half of the draw. But every one of them is in unknown waters. They have never been this far in a Grand Slam tournament...except our lone American Sam Querry. "Sudden Sam" suddenly believes that he belongs in these venues and he is playing with a confidence that says he can make it to the finals. Come on Sam...Make America Great Again! At least he can give a shot in the arm. Sam Querry against Kevin Anderson. The biggest rivalry of the remaining players in the bottom half with Sam owning a slight edge over Anderson with a 8-6 head to head advantage.

Anderson for his part has taken full advantage of a weakened U. S. Open draw by finding himself in a remote quarter where his last two obstacles were ranked #41 and #61 respectively. Not exactly prime time players. Borna Coric did Kevin a huge by removing Alexander Zverev from his quarter who he has lost to four consecutive times. Now he finds himself in the spotlight and the glare of the Big Apple and I am certain he has been dreaming of this moment all of his life. Surely he is going to come out gunning. Sam Querry was a real contender at Wimbledon this year losing in the semifinals to eventual runner up Marin Cilic. Sam may have stood a better chance against Federer than the effort that Marin produced. Sam is ready for this moment as his nerves have been steeled in the heat of battle and intense pressure of Grand Slam later rounds. This is where experience is going to have a big payoff. Querry showed that he was ready for his moment over on the grass as he weathered numerous five set dramas and went down fighting in the last match. It's an interesting match in this sense that the two have a past but in the end it is like you say...old establishment. A couple of big guys playing the junior game. Two handed backhands and slugging it out from the backcourt.

Pablo Carreno Busta and Diego Schwartzman have never met each other in ATP competition. Busta "Rhyme" is ranked #19 and Diego weighs in at #33. Not exactly prototypical quarterfinalists in the recent years of modern tennis. But it is a welcomed sight. Diego measures in a 5' 7" tall and I wonder how long it has been since such a short player has made the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam. One thing about short guys...they sure can generate a good "Napoleon" complex. Diego is another player in the bottom half of the draw that surely has capitalized on the weakened state of modern tennis. Ok...ok. In a currently weakened draw. He defeated Marin Cilic in the round of 32 but frankly this didn't come as much of a surprise to me. What's up with Marin? Were my eyes playing tricks on me but did Roger Federer reduce him to tears in the final of the Wimbledon championships? Mats interviewed Marin after his first round at the Open and was asking him more of less if he was man enough to seize the moment in the bottom half. There was a lot of hemming and hawing from Marin and he never could get the words out of his mouth that he was there on business. Jimmy Connors was once quoted what looking at a draw sheet saying, "there are 127 losers and me here!" Marin wasn't sure how many other losers there were besides himself there...he looked really lost. Hard to understand.

Pablo and Diego. Sounds like something out of a Don Quixote novel. Pablo took out young Denis Shapovalov. Shapovalov could not muster the rock solid play that is needed to take down Busta at this point. I was really impressed by Busta's resolve in the match and he certainly highlighted the deficiencies in the Shapovalov game. So this is an interesting one and the advantage is with Busta. I think. The thing is Busta has played four qualifiers in a row...something that has never happened before and another indication as to just how weak the field is in the modern game. Ok...ok. In this particular depleted draw to top players being injured. Diego for his part did take out Lucas Pouille in the round before but that isn't exactly standard fare Grand Slam resume greatness material. So this match may just be up for grabs. A crap shoot. Hopefully not in the literal sense.

[stotty]

And this is why so many of the matches are non-events...boring as hell.

First we have Roger dominating for 4 or 5 years, then Rafa for 3 or 4 years, then Djokovic for 5 years, then Murray for 6 months....and now full circle back to Roger. Soon Djokovic will be back and he will resume for another couple of years. It's actually pretty dull unless you are a BIG 4 fanatic.

I have actually resorted to watching some of the women's matches, which have been pretty exciting, not in terms of the tennis necessarily, but in that the matches are often on a knife-edge and you don't know who is going to win.

At least the winner of Del Potro and Thiem will have some kind of head to head record against Roger going in to the match. I mean at 42-0, is it worth Roger's previous three opponents turning up? Maybe Kohlschreiber can prove me wrong...

Well no surprises from Kohlschreiber then....

At 0-42 it begs the question should we even put these players in the draw. Perhaps they should just go out with a white flag and have done with it.

It's only the youngsters that have punctured the old guard in recent times, certainly none of the old establishment can do it.

I see the weary one defeated Thiem last night. That was one strange match. At least the weary one has some sort of record against Roger, though it's an unwatchable match for me, having to watch the weary one plod around, taking 45 seconds between each point, gasping for air and towelling down along the way.

[don_budge]

Denis Shapovalov vs. Pablo Carreno Busta

Well that was pretty watchable. I was able to stick with the match pretty much...but on the other hand I was able to disengage to take Puntzie out for a walk down to the road and back. 7-6, 7-6, 7-6. The slimmest of margins. Shapovalov had opportunities but didn't seem able to capitalize and much credit to Pablo...he was as solid as a rock. The guy did not give an inch and just refused to back off. The tenacity of a bulldog...of a David Ferrer. With more firepower off of both sides. The serve seemed to be pretty mediocre by tour standards but it was deceptive enough to keep "The Menace" at bay.

Denis is still a little rough around the edges and lacking in a bit of discipline as evidenced by his idiotic bouncing the ball backwards between his legs and wearing the hat on backwards. Details I know but they are nevertheless indications of a lack of hardcore discipline. He's eighteen now and playing deep into the draw of the U. S. Open...time to put childish things aside. But the talent is unmistakable. Mats Wilander was duly impressed and at a loss of words pretty much in assessing what he had just witnessed.

He's watchable. He's no Roger Federer...at least not yet. But there is enormous potential there and that means room for improvement. The foundation is solid and fundamentally correct. He has the speed and the power. Perhaps a little more tactical acumen...a bit more serve and volley. I didn't see much in the way of a slice backhand and the volleys didn't seem to penetrate enough to beat the Spaniard to the punch. But the kid is aggressive and he is eager to go for it. There was just a bit of danger even as he was down...way down in the third set tie-break.

Carreno Busta gets the winner of Lucas Poille and Diego Schwartzman next and that should be an interesting matchup. Poille is seeded #16 and Schwartzman is seeded #29. The bottom of the draw looks to be weaker than the top...but they are all pretty tough hombres and none of them have been around this late in the tournament going forwards except maybe for Sam Querry. The tennis is going to be a little more watchable than usual simply because there are different faces involved.

Sam Querry versus Mischa Zverev squaring off for the first time in their careers. Contrasting styles should bring a little drama to the table. Pablo Lorenzi and Kevin Anderson have a bit of a history and has been all Anderson...he leads 3-0 head to head. Depending upon Lorenzi this may have some watchability...but I am not banking on it. Anderson has never impressed me as being that entertaining to watch. Pretty much delegates his fate on the baseline.

So much for the bottom half of the draw. The real show is in the top where it is really on the line big time. The top half looks more like you would expect from a Grand Slam event. But then again that is the charm of the bottom half...the unexpected. Shapovalov did his part and made a match of it. I couldn't help but pull for him but Mats Wilander said that maybe it is just as well that he didn't make to big a splash this time. I forget why he said that. I would have liked to see the kid go all the way to the finals.

[stotty]

I see Shapovalov lost in three...all tie breaks. Shame. He's had a good run for a kid aged just eighteen. Didn't see any of the match yet.

He didn't play as well against Kyle Edmund as he did against Tsonga but was still impressive in that second set. The match against Tsonga was a revelation, a real insight into what Shapovalov might become and hopefully will become.

The bottom half of the draw is wide open and there to be seized. What an opportunity.

[stotty]

Philip Kohlschreiber through as Federer's opponent in the round of 16. It's been a cakewalk for Philipp so far but he is in for a rude awakening. He is 0-11 against Federer. So far. Federer's opponents for the tournament are a combined 0-42.

And this is why so many of the matches are non-events...boring as hell.

First we have Roger dominating for 4 or 5 years, then Rafa for 3 or 4 years, then Djokovic for 5 years, then Murray for 6 months....and now full circle back to Roger. Soon Djokovic will be back and he will resume for another couple of years. It's actually pretty dull unless you are a BIG 4 fanatic.

I have actually resorted to watching some of the women's matches, which have been pretty exciting, not in terms of the tennis necessarily, but in that the matches are often on a knife-edge and you don't know who is going to win.

At least the winner of Del Potro and Thiem will have some kind of head to head record against Roger going in to the match. I mean at 42-0, is it worth Roger's previous three opponents turning up? Maybe Kohlschreiber can prove me wrong...

That was an odd match last night with Nadal and Mayer. Nadal was as twitchy and nervous as hell.

[don_budge]

Roger Federer into the Round of 16...

Here are the highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP6y47-5-Lk

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzSXDxDAgE4

John McEnroe in the booth. If you have the time...take a lesson in modern tennis from "The Living Proof" and the great John McEnroe. Love him or hate McEnroe...he is an astute student of the game. He has to watch his mouth now in the booth. He is serving a master of sorts but you can hear how his mind works.

Philip Kohlschreiber through as Federer's opponent in the round of 16. It's been a cakewalk for Philipp so far but he is in for a rude awakening. He is 0-11 against Federer. So far. Federer's opponents for the tournament are a combined 0-42.

[stotty]

Manage to tune in for the end of the first set with Nadal v Mayer. Nadal is playing very badly and is very on edge. I know the courts are supposed to be slow but why does Nadal stand so far back to return? Seems like a suicide tactic at times.

The way he is playing so far, he could lose.

[stotty]

He's playing Damir Dzumhur and Dzumhur just took the third set 7-5 and it seems to have temporarily rattled the rather arrogant Rublev. Rublev looks like he could be a character out of a Dostoyevsky novel...striking looks and attitude. Maybe he could be Arkady Dolgoruky from "The Adolescent". Written in 1874, it is the story of a nineteen year old looking for his identity amidst the disorder of Russian society in the 1870's. Rublev is nineteen and he is doing his best to make his mark on the game and he isn't very shy about it.

Try this link if the satellite doesn't get moving.

https://www.batmanstream.com/tennis-...o-2016-21.html

Andrey is very impressive though. I actually see him as having ultimately more potential than players like Borna Coric and Alexander Zverev. He had a huge win against Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets where he never really let the Bulgarian in the match.

Thanks for the thought. That website isn't accepted in my region of the world. Hopefully my satellite will gain reception again soon. It ought to, the money I pay!