US Open 2014: MOTD Day 12 Sat 06/09/2014 Men's Semifinal

Tenez wrote:

luvsports! wrote:Omerta....?

On that occasion I think it was stupid from the journalist to raise that question. We can't prove it so we may as well shut up (I am talking for broadcasters), plus how bad loser fed had looked had he raised doubts? He did make the points when he lost twice to Canas at IW and MIami 07 but here it's a Slam semi and Cilic had still to play very well. As Fed says he took the ball early and was not retrieving purely relying on legs and lungs. But certainly muscles improve safety in pace considerably.

The question was stupid and untimely, but Federer could have simply refused to answer it instead of going into  a  detailed, reassuring lie.

This bit of the interview is a bit more interesting, though:

Q. We have seen some guys knocking on the door, but not necessarily these two. Are you surprised that these are the guys that are now in the final?

ROGER FEDERER: I'm more surprised with Cilic, to be honest, because he's older. I think he is, anyway. He's been around for longer, you know, but he's really been able to make a nice transition in the last few years in his game. There is a significant difference in how he plays. Whereas with Kei I always thought unbelievable talent way back when I played with him for the first time when he was 17. Just wasn't quite sure that in a best-of-five-set tournament if he could get all the way to the back end of the tournament. But he's beaten, you know, myself twice already, other top guys, you know, before. He was destroying Rafa in the finals of Madrid. He's shown what he can do, and that's why with Kei I'm not surprised, really.

Rotla,

can you please add the Day 13 thread so nobody misses their predications.
I must admit I am a bit shellshocked just thinking of a slam final without Fed, Nadal or Nole in it....

Cilic-Nishikori....who could've guessed!!!!!

Tenez wrote:

luvsports! wrote:Omerta....?

On that occasion I think it was stupid from the journalist to raise that question. We can't prove it so we may as well shut up (I am talking for broadcasters), plus how bad loser fed had looked had he raised doubts? He did make the points when he lost twice to Canas at IW and MIami 07 but here it's a Slam semi and Cilic had still to play very well. As Fed says he took the ball early and was not retrieving purely relying on legs and lungs. But certainly muscles improve safety in pace considerably.

I don't think it's a stupid question, because it puts the finger into the wound. It's the first time since 2004 (?) that a convicted doper is in the final. Shouldn't this be a blow to the image of a clean sport? The non-answer is expected however, at least from an omerta proponent.

Tbf, Cilic was unlucky to get caught and pretty stupid too, without a doubt. And the stuff he took is a minor offense anyway. The lame excuse he gave, however - not believable at all, sorry Marin. He should have owned up to it. Instead it seems, he felt sorry for himself for getting caught and decided, not to fall into such a trap again and got on the good stuff.

Now he is back better than ever in the majors with mediocre results at warm ups to back it up. He twice ran into Djokovic who was in considerable trouble to stop him, but pulled it off. I must say, his victory came as more of a surprise to me than the Nishikori one, because I had seen the Toronto match and he returned very mediocre there, while at the USO he returned right back at the feet. Though tbf Granollers did too in the first set, so maybe it was more about the quality of the serve?

I believed Nishikori had a chance, provided he recovered from his fivesetters. I was pretty sure, he would though because his fitness after his injury break was nothing short of amazing. This reminded me of someone, sadly. It doesn't help that his coach Chang was implicated in the Balco affair (named as client). I know these guys do what they feel they have to do, but it's a sad display.

Autumnleaf wrote:Tbf, Cilic was unlucky to get caught and pretty stupid too, without a doubt. And the stuff he took is a minor offense anyway. The lame excuse he gave, however - not believable at all, sorry Marin. He should have owned up to it. Instead it seems, he felt sorry for himself for getting caught and decided, not to fall into such a trap again and got on the good stuff.

Now he is back better than ever in the majors with mediocre results at warm ups to back it up. He twice ran into Djokovic who was in considerable trouble to stop him, but pulled it off.

....This reminded me of someone, sadly. It doesn't help that his coach Chang was implicated in the Balco affair (named as client). I know these guys do what they feel they have to do, but it's a sad display.

I don't think there is anything "minor" about it. If you do, you do it to the full extend.

Certainly a sad display cause at the end of the day Fed is simply playing in a different league. I still do not see signs that he dopes. His aim is still to shorten rallies. .....he looks tired, plays like someone who is tired and still looks like a 1990s athlete and not like a giant who can move like speedy gonzalez.

But we have to accept it....and try to put it behind our minds.

I meant, the stuff he was busted for (Nikethamid) is a PED with only minor effects (stimulant, banned for use in competition).

Tenez wrote:If you do, you do it to the full extend.

Does that mean, you believe he was on a full programme back then?

Tenez wrote:But we have to accept it....and try to put it behind our minds.

Very tough thing to accept, especially when it completely changes the game to one of superhuman power on the one side (ballbashing) and superhuman retrieval abilities on the other side. I wouldn't mind it much, if it led to more variety.

Autumnleaf wrote: Very tough thing to accept, especially when it completely changes the game to one of superhuman power on the one side (ballbashing) and superhuman retrieval abilities on the other side. I wouldn't mind it much, if it led to more variety.

Muscles will never lead to variety, so far they have led to endurance and ball-bashing. In short, chemically sweaty tennis.
Variety comes from hand to eye coordination, i.e. talent.

Autumnleaf wrote:I meant, the stuff he was busted for (Nikethamid) is a PED with only minor effects (stimulant, banned for use in competition).

Tenez wrote:If you do, you do it to the full extend.

Does that mean, you believe he was on a full programme back then?

Of course...why take the risk for a slight improvement when you know the guy at the top are going full throttle. I was looking at Nishi today and he certainly did not use homeopathy either.

Very tough thing to accept, especially when it completely changes the game to one of superhuman power on the one side (ballbashing) and superhuman retrieval abilities on the other side. I wouldn't mind it much, if it led to more variety.

But we know this is how Nadal stopped Federer....so nothong new here. In fact we know that Hewitt stopped Federer for his first DC too. and we can go back long in the past.