ATP Masters 1000: SHANGHAI

Federer for the shanghai 2014 title 

Simon into his 2nd masters final 6 years after that one.

Roger

How much ground can Djoko cover? Depressing! I wish Fed had adopted that racquet 10 years ago. It woudl have given him at least 5 more slams.

Federer really playing well. Not trying to go for broke too early. In the past he tried to hot through those players too early. And his shots are certainly safer thasn in the past thanks to the bigger frame.

Nice set.  Djoko can play better though.

summerblues wrote:Nice set.  Djoko can play better though.

It's not in his racquet though. The difference between now and then is that Federer doesn;t give him tons of free shanked points on his BH.

Finally sat down to watch.

Too many break points wasted for Federer.

Fed generally looking better than Nole; but too bad he did not manage to get an extra break.  It is still too close for comfort.

Fed is getting tired fast. His shots get shorter and shorter.

Nole's legs look uncharacteristically heavy.

Looks like the typical match Federer can lose....when there are too many break and match points wasted.

Tenez wrote:Looks like the typical match Federer can lose....when there are too many break and match points wasted.

Stop copying loser Nadal fans like me by trying to jinx things.

So many wasted BPs.

Super display by Federer, he deserved the win.

Hopefully Federer can start repeating those sorts of wins in Grand Slam semis vs Djokovic next year and set up Fedal finals 

Kim Jong-Un wrote:

Tenez wrote:Looks like the typical match Federer can lose....when there are too many break and match points wasted.

Stop copying loser Nadal fans like me by trying to jinx things.

I learnt from you Kim!

Fantastic result, and a very satisfying match to watch.  Fed looked much the better player throughout; the final scoreline flatters Nole.

It is also so nice to see all-court tennis.

Beautiful play from Fed. However I do not believe in this chip and charge tactics. He lost many more points than he won doing that.

Now that he has a proper BH he can build the points better from the back...and get to the net more easily.

Beautiful MP as well!

I am so pleased....that Federer is showing everybody that he plays as well as ever.

Fed's FH has finally caught up with the new racquet, brilliant tennis from him.
Nole couldn't do anything.

The best is yet to come from and for Fed, hopefully some can now see he is better than in 2005.

summerblues wrote:Fantastic result, and a very satisfying match to watch.  Fed looked much the better player throughout; the final scoreline flatters Nole.

It is also so nice to see all-court tennis.

I would love to see Federer come to the net against Nadal when and if they meet !

Kim Jong-Un wrote:I would love to see Federer come to the net against Nadal when and if they meet !

It depends on the conditions.  If it was a fastish court with a low bounce, you might not like it quite so much

But yes, in general you would.

summerblues wrote:

Kim Jong-Un wrote:I would love to see Federer come to the net against Nadal when and if they meet !

It depends on the conditions. 

I'm Kim Jong-Un, I'll nuke any courts which have conditions I don't like.

Bit like what Toni has been doing throughout the past decade via ATP pressure.

Amri, why do you keep changing names so much?  Posters on MTL used to do it but I found it a nuisance as I would only pop in here and there, and it would always take me some time to figure out who was who.  Here there are few posters so it is easier, but still.  Why not just stay Amri?

I think the huge difference now is that Fed has more power on his BH and that means that Nadal will have to protect his BH more than in the past....and that will change many things. I am very convinced of this.....whatever the surface! (that means lots of nukes for you kim).

Problem for Fed is and always has been the stamina versus those guys. I would not have bet on him had he been broken back. But having said that he also inflicts some tough running to his opponents.

A win tomorrow is certainly not guaranteed...cause he will arrive very tired.

Tenez wrote:I do not believe in this chip and charge tactics. He lost many more points than he won doing that.

I have been thinking about the same.  Do not know the count, so not sure whether he really lost more than he won, but certainly it did not feel like he was winning overwhelming majority.

But I still think it was not such a horrible tactic - the alternative would have been to get into endless rallies with Nole and I do not think he can sustain those over the course of the match.  I think by chipping and charging he kept himself in better shape for whatever rallies he had to be in too, so on balance I think it may have worked.

However, I do not know whether it will work forever; players will get used to it and his chip-and-charge percent success can drop to the point where it is really not a feasible tactic.

One thing commentators were saying - not sure if it was true - was that the bounce was lower this year than in the past.

summerblues wrote:Amri, why do you keep changing names so much?  Posters on MTL used to do it but I found it a nuisance as I would only pop in here and there, and it would always take me some time to figure out who was who.  Here there are few posters so it is easier, but still.  Why not just stay Amri?

Kim's every words are an amri's signature. I really don't mind it....plus Kim mentioned in an poster than he was amri....so...

I must say that it coudl typically irritate me but the pseudos do make me laugh.

summerblues wrote:Amri, why do you keep changing names so much?  Posters on MTL used to do it but I found it a nuisance as I would only pop in here and there, and it would always take me some time to figure out who was who.  Here there are few posters so it is easier, but still.  Why not just stay Amri?

The first time I used a forum regularly was MTL, and as you say it was pretty frequent there for some people to keep their same profile but change their nick once a year or so... I guess that's the culture I'm used to and have picked up.
Also here I've kept the same profile, I've just changed the nick, so the question of figuring out who I am doesn't even arise. I also try and make subtle points with my choice of character, although I don't know if people pick up on that.

Tenez wrote:I am very convinced of this.....whatever the surface! (that means lots of nukes for you kim).

Bloody hell, looks like more UN sanctions will have to be on its way.

summerblues wrote:But I still think it was not such a horrible tactic - the alternative would have been to get into endless rallies with Nole and I do not think he can sustain those over the course of the match.  I think by chipping and charging he kept himself in better shape for whatever rallies he had to be in too, so on balance I think it may have worked.

However, I do not know whether it will work forever; players will get used to it and his chip-and-charge percent success can drop to the point where it is really not a feasible tactic.

One thing commentators were saying - not sure if it was true - was that the bounce was lower this year than in the past.

I understand to do it on ad'hoc, key points....but he was too predictable and specially at 15/40 up with 2 break points. I'd wanted Djoko to show his nerves in a longer rallies.

To me the key stat in this match is actually Fed's BH. Hardly any UE! which means Djoko was a bit lost at what to do cause on the FH he was losing most of the points.

I agree the score doesn;t quite reflect Fed's dominance. Coudl have been 61 or 62 in that second set but once again, this is what djoko is good at.....sticking like fish's mucosa!

Kim Jong-Un wrote:so the question of figuring out who I am doesn't even arise.

Sure.  TBH, it does not really bother me; even if posters do want to conceal their older identities.  I was just asking why you were doing it.  I suppose MTL culture it is.

With this win, Fed keeps some plausible (though still a long shot) chance of taking the YE #1.

He will likely have to win tomorrow, win in Basel, win at WTF, and outperform Nole in Paris to do it though.  So still very hard, but at least not entirely unimaginable.

Final 4:30am my time tomorrow; I do not think I will wake up for that.

I supported Federer today, but will be behind Simon tomorrow... although I don't particularly mind if Roger wins.

Fed is only player in world who can straight set Djoko in these conditions.  Wonderful tennis.

He might not get it this year, but he has a real shot at the AO to become the oldest #1 in history..

About the chip and charge.....   Fed also was baiting Djokovic into a pattern.  Notice many of the times Fed came in were in relatively safe comfortable positions points wise for him in the games..  He might be up 40-15 or down 15-40 and not going to win the game anyway...  Every time Djoko went for the cross court pass, yet notice Fed really didn't lean that way or shade over until................crucial point at end of 1st set... maybe even set point I can't remember-    Fed chipped,charged, Djoko hit it exactly where he had been passing all night- and FEd was right there- having shaded over....     Sometimes its the cumulative effect of chip and charge that pays off.

Like Toronto, Fed has to now transition to a day match after all week of slower night conditions, and on less rest.  Simon also has a game on slower and medium courts that has always aggravated Fed.   Still- I have to imagine, Fed doesn't let this one slip by.  I predict an uglier brand of tennis with Fed grinding his way to a win................     or  He just demolishes Simon :-)

One negative long term about winning tomorrow is with a good showing at Basel, Fed will nearly be forced to play Paris in order to go for #1.   He's going to over play with the WTF, then DC- then the exho's, then Brisbane.  

I hope we don't see a repeat of US Open where it all catches up to him at AO

This should be music to your ears Tenez :-)

Djokovic:"Roger beat me completely.He's perfect.Age for him is not important.He's still at the peak

truffin1 wrote:This should be music to your ears Tenez :-)

Djokovic:"Roger beat me completely.He's perfect.Age for him is not important.He's still at the peak

Of course he is. He can;t dominate as much as much as in the past cause the tour is simply tougher week in week out but also because recovering within 24h is really tough at 33!

But his tennis is better in the sense that he knows how to play those guys now...and the racquet helps a lot too. Djoko is so much better than in 2005-7. Yet Federer can produce amazing tennis when it matters. Djoko did not play his best...but that tennis he played today would have been enough to neat anybody on tour....bar Roger.

Also amazing to see Federer reinventing serve and volleying!

Federer for the Shanghai 2014 title. 

truffin1 wrote:One negative long term about winning tomorrow is with a good showing at Basel, Fed will nearly be forced to play Paris in order to go for #1.   He's going to over play with the WTF, then DC- then the exho's, then Brisbane.  

I hope we don't see a repeat of US Open where it all catches up to him at AO

I actually don't think it's negative.

Fed is absolutely relishing  the fact he can fly on tennis courts again. Being healthy and able to play is everything for him right now. He can't get enough of it.

He is finally being able to gather some continuing, uniterrupted momentum and you can see the result.
Confidence he is gaining will be priceless and more useful to him than any rest.

He is in a well earnt sweet win-win spot of his career, all we can do is sit back and enjoy.
He knows what he is doing.

noleisthebest wrote:He is in a well earnt sweet win-win spot of his career, all we can do is sit back and enjoy.
He knows what he is doing.

Well he gave the USO away cause he over played before.

Not any tactical issues for Simon here..yet

So hard to rush or outfox Simon

Anyone watching? Simon's raced into an early break

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:He is in a well earnt sweet win-win spot of his career, all we can do is sit back and enjoy.
He knows what he is doing.

Well he gave the USO away cause he over played before.

I dsagree.
He lost to Cilic because of that difficult 5 setter against Monfils the round before.

Same happened to Nole who lost to Nishi vecause of his draining match with Murray, and Nole played very few matches before USO.

Must be really odd to play against Simon: when you think you have the upperhand in the rally he comes up with a devastating counterpunch and when you can't find an opening he comes up with an unexpected error.

Simon 29% first serves and still Fed cannot put some pressure on his serve.

luvsports! wrote:Anyone watching? Simon's raced into an early break

I started watching at 3:1.
How did he get broken?