Davis cup - quarterfinal

swiss team a set down... nothing too much separating the 2 teams.

Swiss get a beak up.. 4-2.. Stan is beginning to feel better on court.

Fed is really struggling with those body serves.

Stan confidence completely shot- he's really regressed.

After completely whiffing on a floater and sending two volleys into the stands- Annacone on tennis channel "roger doesn't know whether to laugh or cry at what he's seeing from Stan"

Funny also annacone constantly talks about federer humility (the opposite of the impression many have) and how hard it is for federer to use his status purposely to intimidate an opponent - just not who federer is.

Swiss move fed over to ad side to try and get some better pattern and fed responds by literly breaking the Kazacs by himself.

Good play from Fed.. but Stan really needs to step up. 

But do do think Kazaks have got their game-plan right. Body serving Fed and he just can't avoid the 2nd guy standing at the net to smash the volley.

Kazaks have done everything right. The quality of the Swiss serve- mainly Feds is the only thing keeping this from being a blowout-
Stan is just mentally done- whatever AO hangover he's had is getting worse. I doubt he wins his singles tomorrow. If this pressure is too much , imagine what it will be like tomorrow

wow....how is Stan going to cope with his pressure match tomorrow?

Tenez wrote:wow....how is Stan going to cope with his pressure match tomorrow?

This is why I said the Swiss got their strategy wrong by playing in Stan in the first rubber. Fed would have won and Stan with a 1-0 score would definitely be playing better than he did yesterday.

This perhaps is the best chance the swiss team will get to win DC. If they lose the QF, I don't think Fed would play any more of DC. And rightly so too.

FedererKing wrote:I'd say Stan is as good as his ranking suggests.  He should win comfortably.

Do you still think Stan is as good as the 3rd best player in the world right now?

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

FedererKing wrote:I'd say Stan is as good as his ranking suggests.  He should win comfortably.

Do you still think Stan is as good as the 3rd best player in the world right now?

He won't be #3 for long..  I like Stan and like his tennis at it's peak, but as a Fed fan, the only good thing I can say about the post AO debacle that is Stan's tennis game is that Federer is going to be #3 soon.

Federer is only human so he must be pissed.  It's never been clearer than this weekend that one player can't win it all- and that's what Federer is faced with time and again with the Swiss...    Which is fine if people understand it, and he really doesn't seem like he's going to feel a hole in his resume without a DC- but to constantly get criticized by his home country when he's not singlehandedly carrying the Swiss must be aggravating--  especially when he does show up and no one helps him.

Stan was beyond horrendous at the net today.... It reminded me of club tennis- when the other team just picks at the weak player- eps at the net.   Horrific.

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

Tenez wrote:wow....how is Stan going to cope with his pressure match tomorrow?

This is why I said the Swiss got their strategy wrong by playing in Stan in the first rubber. Fed would have won and Stan with a 1-0 score would definitely be playing better than he did yesterday.

This perhaps is the best chance the swiss team will get to win DC. If they lose the QF, I don't think Fed would play any more of DC. And rightly so too.

I agree and it proves him right not to have played the DC much in previous years.

truffin1 wrote:.....

Stan was beyond horrendous at the net today.... It reminded me of club tennis- when the other team just picks at the weak player- eps at the net.   Horrific.

Did not see the match but must have been painful to watch. The good thing is that nerves can come and go...once you have nothing to lose you start to relax and this is what happened yesterday...unfotunately he got tensed again when it mattered (4th set TB).

Tomorrow he might give it all. I think in a way he was very lucky to have had Nadal in that AO final. It helped his nerves tremendously knowing he had nothing to lose against the number 1. In fact he started to play poorly again when he realised the slam was for the taking.

I agree with rotla that on the first day he should have played second but clearly tomorrow he should play first! cause that will take lots of the pressure away. Also he does not want the pressure to build while watching Federer play his match.

Tenez wrote:

truffin1 wrote:.....

Stan was beyond horrendous at the net today.... It reminded me of club tennis- when the other team just picks at the weak player- eps at the net.   Horrific.

Did not see the match but must have been painful to watch. The good thing is that nerves can come and go...once you have nothing to lose you start to relax and this is what happened yesterday...unfotunately he got tensed again when it mattered (4th set TB).

Tomorrow he might give it all. I think in a way he was very lucky to have had Nadal in that AO final. It helped his nerves tremendously knowing he had nothing to lose against the number 1. In fact he started to play poorly again when he realised the slam was for the taking.

I agree with rotla that on the first day he should have played second but clearly tomorrow he should play first! cause that will take lots of the pressure away.  Also he does not want the pressure to build while watching Federer play his match.  

Could he have played 2nd?  I don't know the DC rules, but I've seen a few posters on the Fed forum saying Stan had too because he's Swiss #1....   I agree that would have been a smarter move.  I think if Swiss do lose- we will see Luthi removed as Captain too...  I am told he is basically there because Federer says so, but even that might not be enough to save him, esp if the Swiss Federation realize that Fed's done with DC too.

I think Stan gives it his all every time.. perhaps too much so at home in Switzerland..   Still- the match is there for the taking.. Certainly on paper, he should win.

It would be really mean for Luthi to pay the price for Stan's nerves. The thing is it must be very difficult to have the country hope on your shoulders so it;s easy for us to criticise but that is something players can blow out of proportion.

I always believed that was Goran's demise. He always wanted to win (Wimbledon) for his country (who was at war at the time) and that put too much pressure on his shoulders on key points. He managed to win it when no one, even himself, expected him to.

Hope Stan can hold his own tomorrow.

Murray-Fognini just started.. could be very interesting.. GB 2-1 up.

Murray a Break up already.. Fogna is such a slow starter... in matches like these, it could prove vital

You right...he seems to have broken back and won the first set.

Tenez wrote:You right...he seems to have broken back and won the first set.

 Yes, I just moved to do some work for 15 mins.. and what a turnaround Fognini makes. I absolutely love DC atmosphere.

Murray is done physically. He is trying to shorten rallies now but he is not very good at it.

nice drop shots from Fognini.

Very good comment from a guy on the BBC. Foginin uses less energy as he uses his wrist and his hands more than Murray. Murray muscles the balls.

Tenez wrote:Very good comment from a guy on the BBC. Foginin uses less energy as he uses his wrist and his hands more than Murray. Murray muscles the balls.

That's just what he always wanted to do by seeing Nadal and his success. There will be many others who too will follow, its just normal, isn't it?

Yes normal as it is safer shots versus more risky but energy friendly.....the courts conds will dictate whether more will follow or not. So far there is little reason not to I agree.

And Fognini pulls this one for Italy. What an awesome play. Murray was below his best, but its all credit to Fonini  who played brilliant.

Opps.. stan-kuku started...

And Stan loses another TB. It's so much in the head at this stage. He could suddenly turn it on!

Ohh no.. not another TB loss... come on Stan.. just do it for your family.

I just checked the score in Stan's match. This is hilarious - No 3 player in the world, with a home surface advantage, and he may lose both his singles at this rate.

TBH, I would not really mind. I am not much of a DC fan, so I would be quite happy if Fed did not have to waste two more weekends this year playing in it.

Satn is ahead in every stat of the game.. yet behind in the scoreline that matters.. sets won.

Finally a BREAK!!!

Kuku is a kind of Nieminen..very soft shots but great retrieving and covering of the courts.

It's effectively Swiss A team v Russia B team as both Golubev and Kuku are Russians...only since 2008!!.

No excuse for Stan!

Monfils is going to play teh final match. Not a mental fortress either but at least it will make it physical enough!

Problem with Stan is that now the finishing line is approaching, the pressure and nerves might (probably will) come come back too.

Whatever happens here...Federer will have to win it by himself. Stan is likely to lose all his matches in the semi and more so in the final...if tey ever get there.

Stan does it.            

Italy won... Fogna is the man.. he absolutely pulled it.

yes..looks like after all the strange results of the first day, all has returned to normal.....except for the brits I guess though it was never going top be a gimme for the UK.

Great player this Golubev.....He was on his way up in 2010....not sure what stopped him. He has all the shots.

Tenez wrote:Great player this Golubev.....He was on his way up in 2010....not sure what stopped him. He has all the shots.

I've seen him before a few times.. Knows how to play.. but just doesn't know how to win..

I think he will go up the ranking soon. He must have had an injury to drop from 30 3 years ago to 70 now.

Golubev was wonderful, but I am impressed with Nedvyesov. 

Golubev's claim to fame is a 2010 Hamburg title beating Melzer, otherwise nada. (PS: 24-21 W/L in 2010).

Congrats to SUI, but KAZ played excellent and had SUI fans in a dither.

laverfan wrote:Golubev was wonderful, but I am impressed with Nedvyesov. 

Golubev's claim to fame is a 2010 Hamburg title beating Melzer, otherwise nada. (PS: 24-21 W/L in 2010).

Congrats to SUI, but KAZ played excellent and had SUI fans in a dither.

Who is Nedvy? I agree about Gobulev....He should make a good progress soon.


Kaz? you mean Russia.

Federer adds to the legend- not many "firsts"left for him to experience- but he was fantastic today. Gobulev - what talented ball striking- this was a match the way it should be. A great talent against the greatest talent.

I'm glad Stan came through. If he had further imploded- I fear it would send him into a season long or longer tailspin. still, federer is going to have to win dc nearly singlehanded. I think they can get past Italy, but France is going to be tough with depth. Stan will have to get it together to beat them.

I might shock some but Golubev has the best game I have seen since Fed.

truffin1 wrote:Federer adds to the legend- not many "firsts"left for him to experience- but he was fantastic today.  Gobulev - what talented ball striking-  this was a match the way it should be.  A great talent against the greatest talent.

I'm glad Stan came through. If he had further imploded- I fear it would send him into a season long or longer tailspin.  still, federer is going to have to win dc nearly singlehanded.   I think they can get past Italy, but France is going to be tough with depth.  Stan will have to get it together to beat them.

I think they can beat France....unfortunately....But France needs to beat the Dutch first.

I'd love a France v Swiss final.....France winning it for the first time in 10 years I believe.

Tenez wrote:I might shock some but Golubev has the best game I have seen since Fed.

Very watch-able player and great shot-maker. Just Like Stan  

To me Golubev showed much better hands than Stan yesterday. His potential is greater in my view but it doesn't mean he will fulfil it sadly.

In fact I understand why Stan lost to him on Friday.

“It’s great. I was hoping so much I was going to get a chance to play and not just watch Stan play,” said Federer. “I got the opportunity and I’m happy I lived up to the hype and the expectations, and I was able to get the boys through so very happy for them."
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Am I the only one who reads a "touch" of arrogance here from Fed? Even if there is of course much truth in it?
 
PS - By rereading I guess he refers to his last match...not the encounter.